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Retailing has been forced into a transformation over the past decade. And some retail stocks, once dogged by fear of those changes, have become attractive buys once again.
The rise of Amazon.com (AMZN) and internet commerce has thinned the herd and continue to pick off stragglers. But several of the chains that continue to survive are premium or otherwise sought-out destinations that demand your attention.
Some retailers are no longer just retailers, but manufacturers. They have increasing control over both their supply chains and what consumers pay. Others don't just sell goods, but lifestyles, experiences, journeys. Many are not just conduits for other brands – they're brands themselves.
Read on as we evaluate eight retail stocks to buy as they rewrite the playbook. These companies look attractive for a number of reasons, including returns on their investments in e-commerce, siphoned business from failed competitors, successful efforts to strengthen their brands and more.
Data is as of Feb. 9. Dividend yields are calculated by annualizing the most recent payout and dividing by the share price.
- Market value: $31.7 billion
- Dividend yield: N/A
- Lululemon Athletica (LULU, $243.51) was founded in 1998 by Chip Wilson to make yoga apparel in Vancouver, British Columbia. It has since overcome scandals that forced out both Wilson and eventually his successor, Laurent Potdevin, to become the most valuable brand in active wear for women. (And over the past two years, it has successfully entered the men's apparel market.)
Lululemon has been one of the best retail stocks to buy over the past three years, and it's the poster child for everything retailers need to do right today. For one, LULU isn't just selling apparel – it's selling a lifestyle. Lululemon stores host yoga classes and running clubs. They also sell ancillary products focused on a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Scott Crowe – chief investment strategist with CenterSquare, a real estate analysis firm in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania – notes that the stores include exercise rooms, meditation areas and even cafes that serve smoothies and salads.
The business of selling clothes is going just fine, too. LULU has a profitable model in which it designs its own outfits, controls their production in Asia, then sells them exclusively through its own stores and website, typically at full price.
Margaret Reid, senior vice president and senior portfolio manager with The Private Bank at Union Bank in San Francisco, calls Lululemon "one of the few apparel companies with pricing power." She says it benefits from "the growing health consciousness of consumers globally, as well as willingness to pay more for high-quality and innovative product."
LULU shares have soared by more than 63% over the past year, at the detriment of its valuation, which sits at 43 times future earnings estimates. But the company continues to raise that forward-looking bar.
"The company's new product lines, like streetwear and outerwear, are also helping boost sales," says Daniel Milan, managing partner of Cornerstone Financial Services in Southfield, Michigan. "And management hopes to double men's wear sales by the end of 2023." Lululemon's five-year vision also includes doubling its digital sales and quadrupling its international revenues.
- Market value: $22.5 billion
- Dividend yield: 2.3%
- Best Buy (BBY, $87.02) is among the retailers that have found a way to prosper by adding service to its product mix.
Geek Squad wasn't a Best Buy invention – the company bought the service provider for just $3 million in 2019. However, BBY has turned Geek Squad, which provides service both in stores and at customer sites, into a real differentiator from big-box stores such as Walmart (WMT). Extended warranty service contracts provide cash flow, too.
While it was once the ultimate example of a "showrooming" victim – in which people visit a physical store to view the merchandise, but buy it online (often at Amazon) – Best Buy has given people enough reason to actually stick around to make their purchases. Ryan Giannotto, director of research at ETF provider GraniteShares, praises Best Buy management and says few companies have been able to "recapture the customer value chain from disruptive challengers."
For the current fiscal year ended earlier this month, the company is expected to report just 1.4% revenue growth but an 11.5% pop in profits. Earnings expansion will be more modest in fiscal 2021, at just 5%, but come on slightly better sales growth of 1.7%. That said, BBY shares trade at just 14 times forward-looking estimates for profits, well cheaper than the S&P 500's 19 P/E multiple. BBY yields more, too, at 2.3% versus 1.8% for the index.
It's far from exciting, but BBY represents a solid buy-and-hold play among retail stocks.
- Market value: $4.7 billion
- Dividend yield: 1.9%
- Carter's (CRI, $106.53) has been following the new retail rules before they ever existed.
Carter's, a children's apparel specialist, was founded 155 years ago and manufactures goods under its namesake label, as well as under the OshKosh B'gosh label, which it also owns. It sells these goods, and third-party items, in 1,000-plus stores across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, as well as online. You can also find Carter's products at Walmart, Target and Amazon under the Child of Mine, Just One You and Simple Joys brands, respectively.
Carter's has boasted uninterrupted growth on the top line for years, though earnings haven't been as consistent. Its third-quarter profits were off considerably from the year-ago period; however, that included a large non-cash impairment charge related to its Skip Hop name, which suffered from the closing of top customer Toys "R" Us. Backing that out, earnings grew 16% year-over-year.
The company's e-commerce operations are well thought-out, with the website used to unload clearance items, introduce new merchandise and point shoppers to its stores.
Carter's is expected to report its 2019 full-year results in late February. Analysts are looking for sales of $3.5 billion (+1.6% year-over-year) and profits of $6.56 per share (+4.3%). 2020 should look even better, with the pros projecting revenue growth of 3.1% and profit growth of 7.5%.
CRI boasts a dividend, too. It's a small yield for new money, at 1.9%, but that payout has exploded by 127% since 2015. If the company continues to keep the pedal down on the dividend – and it has the room, paying just 33% of its profits out as dividends currently – investors should enjoy higher yields on their original cost over time.
- Market value: $58.6 billion
- Dividend yield: 2.3%
- Target (TGT, $115.61) has demonstrated how selling unique merchandise can revitalize a consumer stock.
Brian Cornell, who became CEO in 2014 after a data breach effectively forced the resignation of Gregg Steinhafel, has transformed Target from "Walmart lite" to a destination with powerful store brands such as Cat & Jack kids' clothes. The story continues in 2020 with All in Motion, an activewear brand that launched in early January. Of 41 private-label brands in the company's portfolio, 19 are in clothing and accessories.
GraniteShares' Giannotto holds TGT shares and notes the company's "simply ruthless improvements to efficiency." Cornell has invested heavily in the company's e-commerce efforts, and "it's as cost-competitive to sell online as in the store – a claim even Walmart cannot match," Giannotto says.
"Target is one of the few physical retailers that has evolved with the structural shift of customers shopping online or via mobile devices," Union Bank's Reid says. "The 'branded retail' strategy has "enabled Target to have more control of the products in their stores and drive higher profits" in what remains a challenging retail environment.
TGT's 94% gain in 2019 made it one of the best retail stocks on the market. However, that red-hot run hit a wall in January, when Target reported lackluster holiday sales; shares are now off 10% in 2020.
It might be a dip worth buying. Despite its holiday issues, Target maintained its fourth-quarter earnings guidance, with Cornell citing "the durability of our business model." Analysts, meanwhile, are looking for 3.5% revenue growth and 8.3% profit growth in the coming year.
- Market value: $5.9 billion
- Dividend yield: N/A
- Etsy (ETSY, $49.64) has taken over the niche once occupied by eBay (EBAY) as the home of unique, artistic and quirky gifts.
Etsy itself doesn't produce merchandise. Instead, it acts as an online outlet for small producers. Artists, craftsmen – all the people you might see at a local arts fair – offer their work via Etsy's simple interface.
While ETSY controls its niche, there is some concern over the size of that niche. The rise of Shopify (SHOP) – a software company whose offerings let people sell from their own sites rather than through a third party – also is a potential threat to ETSY down the road, though there's little hard evidence that's currently the case. Amazon is putting pressure on Etsy, too, with its Amazon Handmade section; Etsy recently rankled sellers by encouraging them to offer free shipping on orders larger than $35, and featuring less prominently those who didn't.
The company's sales are still growing at a rapid clip, but the rate has been decelerating over the past few quarters, from about 47% in Q4 2018 to 31.6% in Q3 2019. That, and earnings that merely matched Wall Street estimates over the past two quarters, have led to significant selloffs.
But the selloff, as well as more realistic expectations going forward, have brought more bullish analysts into the fold. Fifteen of 18 analysts tracked by S&P Global Market Intelligence rate the stock a Buy, including Citi's Nicholas Jones, who wrote in November that the retail stock's dip was a "compelling buying opportunity."
Moreover, things are looking up on the earnings front. While sales are expected to slow from 35% growth in 2019 to roughly 26% in 2020, analysts expect Etsy's profit growth to improve from an 8% clip this year to more than 18% over the next 12 months.
- Market value: $58.4 billion
- Dividend yield: N/A
You've likely heard about Alibaba Group (BABA), the largest e-commerce operator in China. But it's possible you haven't heard of JD.com (JD, $39.99), and if not, that's a shame. Because there's plenty of opportunity for the No. 2 player in a country as populous, and fast-growing, as China. Especially considering that experts consider some of its technology and infrastructure superior to that of Alibaba's.
Indeed, the company pioneered the use of drones for delivering packages in remote areas, which remains one of its focuses. In fact, it has brought this technology beyond China, including to Indonesia. The drones even assure fast delivery of high-priced specialty cargo used by restaurants, such as hairy crabs in Shanghai – with "fresh crab insurance."
JD.com's shares are up roughly 67% over the past 52 weeks. Yes, the outbreak of the coronavirus in China messed with the stock's trajectory – but only temporarily. Shares have recovered and are already up nearly 14% in the young year. The logic? People trying to avoid going out will be much more likely to use online delivery services to avoid as much human contact as possible.
A strong 2019 did stretch the stock's valuation, says Thibault Kuten, CEO at Finance Friday, who is nonetheless long JD shares. But the company's trying to earn it: It's expected to report its first full-year profit on a GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) basis when it announces fourth-quarter results in late February. Its adjusted profits are estimated to more than triple. Expectations going forward are promising, too, with analysts projecting 19% revenue growth and a 36% thicker profit in 2020.
One headwind to watch for this retail stock in the year ahead: year-over-year comparisons. 2019 was an excellent year for JD.com, which will make it all the more difficult for 2020 results to wow investors.
- Market value: $4.1 billion
- Dividend yield: N/A
- RH (RH, $215.96) is better known by its retail chain, Restoration Hardware. The company officially changed its name to RH at the start of 2017 after it bought Waterworks, a luxury bath-and-kitchen brand.
The acquisition illustrates one trend among successful retail stocks: stores selling unique, higher-end products that customers can't get anywhere else.
RH shares aren't dirt-cheap, but they're not terribly expensive either, trading at less than 17 times future earnings expectations. That's good enough for Nick Giacoumakis, founder and president of New England Investment & Retirement Group in North Andover, Massachusetts, who says the stock is worth the price.
"Innovation and unique theme-based store designs are attracting an increasing flow of traffic," he says, adding, "RH raised revenue and profit guidance four separate times in 2019 and expects to increase store openings and new collections in 2020."
Robert R. Johnson, a professor of finance at Creighton University in Omaha, and co-author of Strategic Value Investing, calls RH "a great choice for exposure in the retailing space," pointing out its "reasonable" price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio. Any reading over one is considered overpriced, so RH's PEG ratio of 1.6 technically makes it expensive, but it's still cheaper than the S&P 500's 1.7 at the moment.
And RH's growth is considerable. Analysts are expecting a boffo result for the year that just ended in January 2020. They project revenue growth of about 7%, but earnings of $11.54 per share – up 58% year-over-year. Sales should be a little better in 2021, up nearly 8%, and fueling profit growth of 18.6%, which would make most brick-and-mortar retailers green with envy.
- Market value: $16.9 billion
- Dividend yield: N/A
- Ulta Beauty (ULTA, $295.96) has transformed the makeup business, combining the full service of a salon with a huge inventory of products. This lets it profit from giving people what works, demonstrating its use and helping them maintain the look at home – all from one location.
Ulta Beauty operates 1,241 retail stores across the U.S., and sells goods via its website, which it has smartly peppered with tutorials and social media content. Mary Dillon, a veteran of McDonald's (MCD) and Pepsico (PEP), has proven the worth of gender diversity in the C-suite, with ULTA shares roughly tripling since she took the reins in June 2013.
This has been a more volatile stock of late, however. Shares were crushed by 30% in late August amid an earnings miss and a warning that certain makeup trends were losing momentum. And the retail stock isn't cheap despite its woes, trading at more than 22 times future estimates.
GraniteShares' Giannotto still believes in the company's story, which "illustrates how defensible, high-margin brands can be cultivated in a digital era."
"A sustainably scaled, and indeed accelerating, revenue base demonstrates (that a) digital challenge does not automatically imply margin compression for physical retailers," he adds.
Cornerstone's Milan believes the stock is setting up for big gains in 2020. "They have continued to gain market share and drive foot traffic as consumer trends show a pivot from makeup to skincare," he says. Ulta's doing that with "key, exclusive brands which give it an edge over the competition."
That stock's comeback could start as early as March, when Ulta is expected to report 3% earnings growth to $3.73 per share.
"Ulta was one of the top retailers in terms of foot traffic for the holiday period, with Black Friday traffic running 300% above baseline, a 9% increase from the previous year," Milan says. "Ulta has been gaining share from department stores and continues to open new stores, selling everything from drugstore lines to prestige brands."
Bed Bath & Beyond
- Market value: $1.9 billion
- Dividend yield: 4.4%
- Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY, $15.31) is by far the most speculative name on this list of retail stocks to buy. It's a consumer company that most Americans know well, but one that has been flying through a great deal of turbulence.
Under founders Warren Eisenberg and Leonard Feinstein, Bed Bath & Beyond was a typical "category killer" – a big-box retailer located in strip malls or the outparcels of larger malls. It bought branded merchandise in bulk from manufacturers, selling at prices that specialty stores could not match.
The model broke down over the past five years, and so did BBBY shares. The stock was priced near $80 per share in early 2015. Today, it goes for about $15.
Bed Bath took decisive action last year. Following the direction of an investor group led by activist hedge fund Legion Partners, BBBY recruited Target's chief merchandising officer, Mark Tritton, as its new CEO in October. Tritton got Wall Street's attention by firing most of his executive team ahead of Christmas, and in January 2020, he completed a sale-and-leaseback of half the company's real estate, generating roughly $250 million in crucial cash.
The sale-leaseback move won praise from Alexi Panagiotakopoulos, co-founder of Fundamental Income in Phoenix, Arizona, which sponsors the NETLease Corporate Real Estate ETF (NETL). "By choosing to lease the real estate they sold, Bed Bath and Beyond has done the right thing for shareholders by unlocking capital that can be more efficiently put to work in much-needed growth initiatives," he says.
December-quarter results – a 38-cent-per-share loss on revenues that declined 9% to $2.8 billion – will be among the last under the new model. New strategic plans are expected within the next few months.
For now, BBBY shares trade for a low 10 times forward-looking earnings estimates. If Tritton does for Bed Bath what he did for Target – including creating dozens of new store brands with better quality and brand messaging than the products they competed with – that could look like quite the bargain.
Just heed the warning of New England Investment and Retirement Group's Giacoumakis: "It will not be a portfolio holding for the weak of heart in the near and medium term."
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The August Schell Brewing Co. has launched a new Grain Belt marketing campaign featuring the phrase, “We are the American in American Lager.” The goal for the new campaign is to evoke the pride and spirit of loyal Grain Belt drinkers.
Schell’s has invited Grain Belt Facebook fans to share pictures and stories of themselves enjoying the hobbies, passions and experiences that make them proud to be American. To enter the contest you need to share your distinctly American experience (with a Grain Belt beer, of course) to the contest event on the Grain Belt Facebook page.
A new topic will be highlight each month. April’s theme is American restoration. Think of of something like your head under the hood of your ’55 Chevy and a cold Grain Belt on the fender.
At the end of every month a winner will be chosen, and featured in a Grain Belt ad along with their project. A Grain Belt product, your name ,and hometown will also be used in the winning advertisement. The winner will receive a large commemorative Marti family signed printed version of the ad.

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Cal Worthington — the legendary car dealer who became famous for his "Go see Cal" TV commercials has gone on to that great used car lot in the sky, TMZ has learned. Worthington — who had dealerships in Long Beach, CA, Anchorage, Alaska, Phoenix,
The most memorable and outlandish Cal Worthington, car dealer, dies leaving a legacy of outlandish commercials and military honors as part of his lasting legacy.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Cal Worthington, who built a fortune from a series of West Coast car dealerships and became a TV fixture thanks to commercials urging customers to "go see Cal," has died. He was 92. Dave Karalis, general manager of Cal Worthington
LOS ANGELES – Funeral services were pending Monday for Cal Worthington, whose folksy yet flamboyant "Go See Cal" car commercials were a fixture on Southern California television for decades. Worthington collapsed at his sprawling Big W ranch in
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Cal Worthington, who was best known for his prolific car sales commercials featuring his dog, Spot, has died at the age of 92. The car sales tycoon died at his ranch in Orland, Calif., on Sunday. Foul play was not suspected. At its


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Wireless communication device manufacturers may be interested to hear that Softbank Corp, a leading Japanese mobile phone operator, has revealed its operating profits jumped 35.1 per cent for the year that ended in March.
The firm acknowledged that its profits were boosted by higher sales of smartphones, Reuters has reported.
Softbank booked an operating profit of 629.2 billion yen in its last business year.
However, the company has refused to give an operating profit forecast for the current financial year.
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (CBS.MW) - No longer content with fattening up Americans with Hot Original Glazed doughnuts and other pastries, Krispy Kreme plans to open 32 stores in Canada, in its first international expansion.
Krispy Kreme, known for its temptingly sweet doughnuts and cult-like following, said it has formed a 34-percent owned joint venture that will open the new stores in Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec and the four provinces of Atlantic Canada over the next six years.
Through another 49-percent owned joint venture called New England Dough, Krispy Kreme will also open stores for the first time in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
The announcement caps a year that saw a successful Nasdaq listing and opening of 36 new stores for the North Carolina-based company.
"We are extremely pleased to announce our two new partnerships. The experience, talent, and organizational infrastructure that these new relationships bring will both expand and strengthen our system," CEO Scott Livengood said in a statement.
The pastry maker now operates 175 stores in 28 states.
Shares of Krispy Kreme KREM ended up 4.75 percent to close at $82.75 on Thursday.


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A Colorado-based company claims it may have the solution for ensuring hemp does not run afoul of U.S. requirements related to THC: make sure the cultivar contains none of the psychoactive compound.
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Hemp — which offers promise as a windfall for CBD production — needs to adhere to certain rules to be considered hemp at all.
The so-called 2018 Farm Bill, which was signed into law on Dec. 20 of that year, demands that hemp contain no more than 0.3 per cent THC “on a dry weight basis,” notes a fact sheet from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Kate Moss might be baring it all with Playboy soon, but in the meantime, she's showing off the sunny side of summer with one of the hottest nail trends this season on the cover of Allure Korea. While bright pops of color are almost [...]
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According to a Korean media outlet, Huawei is working on a strange smartphone design that could potentially mean the end of a notch era. But don’t get too excited, because what follows might be even worse.
The design features a display cutout for the camera, only this time it’s smaller and surrounded by screen on all sides. Instead of placing the front-facing snapper on the notch, the engineers want to put it away from the top bezel so they can squeeze a bit more display on the front and get rid of the notch.
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OnePlus Nord 2 5G receives a new OxygenOS update that fixes a call recording problem in India. The latest update comes just days after OnePlus released the OxygenOS A.15 for OnePlus Nord 2 5G. The last OxygenOS update, according to user reports, disabled call recording through the Google Phone app in India. OnePlus Nord 2 5G was launched last July and comes pre-installed with the Google Phone app, which has the call recording feature and allows users to record voice calls without the need for third-party apps.
As originally reported by XDA Developers, OnePlus has started rolling out the OxygenOS A.16 update for OnePlus Nord 2 5G in India and Europe. The update comes with software version DN2101_11_A.16 for Indian users, while it is available for their European counterparts as DN2103_11_A.16.
The changelog of the update for Indian users, shared by some users on the OnePlus community forums, shows that the update “fixes the loss of Google call recording.” Other changes are the same as in the last update. The software update does not bring any changes to the Android security patch, as it is the version from December 2021.
After the last update, some OnePlus Nord 2 5G users in India complained about disabling the call recording feature that was available through the Google Phone app. Although OnePlus has not officially recognized the problem, the update appears to address user complaints.
However, some users have now reported in the OnePlus community forums that they can no longer turn off the flashlight using the power button after updating the OnePlus Nord 2 5G to the latest software version. The phone usually turns off the built-in flashlight when a user double-clicks the power button on the side.
Gadgets 360 reached out to OnePlus for clarity on the update. This report will be updated when the company replies.
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A poll of analysts ahead of the supermarket chain's third-quarter numbers out tomorrow shows UK like-for-like sales growth excluding fuel is likely to be just 1.9pc. This figure would be the poorest performance since its annual figures in 1992 to 1993 and would show a significant slowdown since the second quarter, where growth came in at 4pc.
The world's third-biggest retailer, which has been steered by chief executive Sir Terry Leahy since 1997, has been losing market share as supermarkets rush to slash prices ahead of a challenging Christmas. Consumers have also been turning to discount food stores like Aldi and Lidl as they look to scale back their spending, although Tesco has recently introduced its own discount range.
Dresdner Kleinwort said its current estimates of a 2.5pc growth for Tesco in the UK during 2009 –2010 "look particularly vulnerable given recent share trends, consumer outlook and deteriorating inflationary support". Shares in Tesco, down 6.3 to 295.30p on Friday, are currently trading at their lowest level since 2004.


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FORT WORTH (CN) - Pilgrims Pride, the largest chicken processor in the United States, has filed for bankruptcy, listing $2.7 billion in debts. In its Chapter 11 filing, the company listed $3.8 billion in assets, and said it has 74.1 million shares of stock outstanding. Industry reports list the causes of Pilgrims Pride's woes as unmanageable debt, weak demand, oversupply and high feed costs.
Based in Pittsburg, Texas, Pilgrims Pride employs 48,000 in 35 chicken processing plants and 11 food preparation plants. Its major stockholders include Lonnie A. 'Bo' Pilgrim and Lonnie Ken Pilgrim. Most of its sales are to restaurants and caterers. About one-fourth goes to groceries.
Pilgrims Pride has been sued repeatedly, often by its workers, in labor-related class actions. The Courthouse News database contains 81 lawsuits against the company since 2004.
The company reported last week that it expected to post a $1 billion loss for FY 2008, and delayed filing its required SEC report. Pilgrims Pride's debt stood at $2.7 billion last week. Its creditors' extension ran out Monday, when the company filed for Chapter 11.
Pilgrims Price became the nation's biggest chicken company after it bought Gold Kist for $1.1 billion in 2006. It also is the second-largest chicken company in Mexico. The company told industry publications that its Mexican assets were not included in the bankruptcy filing.
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VIRAL Met Gala Moments: Kim Kardashian Faceless, Bennifer 2.0 & More
The American icon has arrived.
Kim Kardashian graced the red carpet at the 2021 Met Gala on Sept. 13 wearing an OMG-worthy custom ensemble designed by Demna Gvasalia, the creative director of Balenciaga. It’s clear we can always expect the unexpected with Kim’s fashion picks—even a 75″ ponytail!
The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star’s full-body look included a face covering and black tee under a matching t-shirt dress paired with an incorporated bodysuit, topped with jersey boots. The outfit corresponds with Kim’s new curated BDSM-inspired bodysuits she wore during Kanye West‘s DONDA listening parties and New York Fashion Week.
Kanye also opted for a face covering and black hoodie sweatshirt at the Met Gala, with the rapper taking athleisure to the luxe level. Kimye even posed together for a pic on the carpet.
While Kim somewhat strayed from the theme of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York’s new costume collection, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” the mother of four definitely slayed while doing so. And, though Kim is known for her body, the SKIMS founder’s face was completely disguised in her Balenciaga reinvention of a black tie ball gown.
The mysteriously covered-up dress is just the latest head-turning look for Kim on the Met Gala red carpet. In 2019, with Kanye by her side, Kim wowed in a “wet” nude dress that broke in the Internet, as fans wondered just how she could walk in such a tight corset! “Tomorrow morning, getting delivered hot and fresh donuts,” Kim joked at the time to E! News.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
She later gushed to Zuri Hall on E!’s Live From the Red Carpet that designer Thierry Mugler spent eight months crafting the button-up minidress, built around the inspiration of a “California girl stepping out of the ocean, on the red carpet, wet, dripping.” The theme of the 2019 ball was “Camp: Notes on Fashion.”
Kim previously opened up about feeling “nervous” at her first Met Gala as Kanye’s plus one in 2013 while pregnant with North West. “I didn’t know anyone & I’m sure no one wanted me there lol,” the KUWTK alum tweeted in May 2019 of her Givenchy gown. “I did my own lipstick & the color is so off. I went home & cried after of insecurity but this is one of my fave looks now.”
By 2014, the Vogue cover star was invited on her own, and called walking the famed red carpet with confidence a “dream.” This year, Kim reprised her 2017 Met Gala look in one important way: by making a solo appearance, without Kanye in tow.
And this year, Kim has outdone herself once again in a Balenciaga creation. Relive all of Kim’s daring Met Gala entrances below as she adds to the “Lexicon” of American fashion tonight.
Head to E!’s 2021 Met Gala blog for all the must-see photos and headlines from fashion’s biggest bash! And don’t miss our Met Gala recap Tuesday, Sept. 14 on Nightly Pop at 11:30 p.m., only on E!.


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Nike has unveiled a new uniform for the Chicago Bears! Not much as changed and still shares the traditional feel that we all love with the Bears.
The new jerseys are done in a classic Bears style. The most notable difference is that the player numbers are on the shoulders instead of the sleeves, allowing for a bigger George Halas logo on the sleeves. The jerseys are more fitted than in the past, but that is as far as the obvious visual changes go. Other changes to the uniforms include a lighter belt ring, and numbers that are sewn into the fabric as opposed to sewn on to the jerseys, allowing for a more lightweight uniform.
Brian Urlacher was sent as a representative to check out the new uniform and tweeted this photo to everyone.
While the uniform does not mean a whole lot to me and I am sure others, I would rather the Bears play better as they have been and dominate. I think the new players we have recently acquired such as a new WR Brandon Marshall will help us out a lot and hopefully get us to another Super Bowl!
But with that said I absolutely love and dig the new glove design (top right image).
Brian Urlacher, Linebacker for the Bears, also tweeted about the new uniform stating:
Brian Urlacher: “new jerseys are sweet…Classic Chicago Bears look.”


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There are already terrabytes of data online and sometimes it is difficult to differentiate among true/false and relevant/irrelevant data. Although doing so is especially important in the case of medicine and healthcare since the well-being of people is at stake. So it is high time to show my top 10 choices when it comes to online […]
The rapid development of medical technology affects every aspect of medicine and healthcare – and even the seemingly most remote and ivory-tower-like institution, pharmacy, cannot escape its transformative power. Let me show you the bright future of pharmacies.
Diabetes is a lifelong condition with no cure. It requires constant attention from the patient and his or her environment. Now, artificial pancreas is coming into the everyday-life of diabetes patients to unburden them and enable them to live a normal life. I had a great conversation with the inventor of the DIY pancreas, Dana Lewis to […]
The CES technology show recently took place in Las Vegas. The show, well-known for its gadget news and video games, also featured exciting medical innovations. Forget about another dozen fitness wearables or new generation smartwatches – the top 7 breakthroughs are truly inspiring steps forward.
NASA is set to send astronauts to orbit Mars and return them safely by the mid 2030s. And a manned landing on the Red Planet will soon follow. However, this work will be in vain if health technology does not advance.
Every year, I publish my predictions for the coming year. As the Medical Futurist, I’m expected to come up with bright visions and I’m happy to rise to the challenge. Last year my predictions included a digital tattoo, portable diagnostic devices thanks to the XPrize Challenge, IBM Watson’s rise to prominence in analyzing big health data, and brain computer interfaces such as Muse or Thync becoming available to the general public. These medical technologies have since become reality.
Lumosity is a collection of brain training games you can play on any device. The company has claimed these games enhance brain functions, pointing to findings in neuroscience and scientific studies to back up its claims. Now the US Federal Trade Commission made them pay $2 million in refunds to settle federal charges that Lumosity deceived customers about the cognitive and health benefits of its apps and online products. In details:


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It's been a hot minute since we looked at a controller for review, but the Brook Vivid controller for the Nintendo Switch caught our eye!
Today Idea Factory International released a new trailer for the upcoming Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters and pre-order details!
Friday, February 4th, 2022
I make Deviled Eggs for this week's Cooking Eorzea column...and I face unexpected difficulties when I hardboil eggs.
Friday, September 13th, 2019
Sega has released the first Sonic at the Olympic Games trailer.
Thursday, April 27th, 2017
McDonalds Japan and AKB48 team-up once again for a new animated short.
Saturday, August 27th, 2016
The plucky plumber was able to one-up everyone's favorite pocket monsters.
Monday, August 22nd, 2016
The Olympics are a beautiful and crazy thing
Friday, August 5th, 2016
Celebrate the Olympics with a sale from RightStuf!
Thursday, March 3rd, 2016
Get your olympic games on with Mario, Sonic and all their friends.
Thursday, August 9th, 2012
Remember when Nintendo put stuff on the eShop?


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Get up to 90 per cent off at a 3-day super sale this weekend
You’ll be able to bag bargains at more than 1500 outlets…
‘Tis the season to be shopping, and the good news is, the 3 Day Super Sale is making its return this weekend.
The shopping extravaganza – which was also held in May this year – will take place from November 22 to 25, with shoppers able to take advantage of citywide retail offers, and discounts of up to 90 per cent.
Organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the super sale will offer discounts on everything from fashion to beauty to homeware, and more. More than 1500 shops across the city are taking part – so your chances of happening upon a great bargain are pretty high.
“The 3 Day Super Sale is an integral event in Dubai’s annual retail calendar which has the key objective of boosting the emirate’s retail sector and positioning Dubai as a leading retail hub of the world,” said Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of DFRE.
“Together with our retail partners, we are pleased to announce the dates for our upcoming edition which will offer incredible savings to people across the city.”
This weekend’s sale will serve as an excellent warm-up to the Dubai Shopping Festival, which will kick off on December 26.
The month-long shopping festival sees huge sales, deals and discounts take over many of the city’s malls, with discounts on more than 700 brands across 3200 outlets.


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Batman: Arkham City Gameplay Swoops In
Posted on Wednesday, March 16 @ 10:23:48 Eastern by Daniel BischoffWe've seen Batman: Arkham City in motion, but until now, that footage has been off limits to the gaming public. Most of it is still missing, but this new gameplay trailer does a good job of representing what we've seen at GDC.
October? That's like... months away!
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Crimes & Punishments
Justice and Morality trailer. (1:53)
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Jamais Vu trailer. (1:32)
Teslagrad launch trailer. (1:47)
Terraria PSVita trailer. (0:45)
South Park: The Stick of Truth
|More On GameRevolution|


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Northvolt Stock and IPO: How To Invest in a Leading European Battery Maker
As the world turns its back on fossil fuels, electric cars and the lithium-ion batteries that power them have become critical to the climate transition. Meet Northvolt, the Swedish lithium-ion battery startup that wants to move the center of battery manufacturing from Asia to Europe, and learn if there’s a way to invest.
Anna Ng Updated March 21st, 2022
Some of our posts may contain links from our affiliate partners. However, this does not influence our opinions or ratings. Please read our Terms and Conditions for more information.
What is Northvolt?
Northvolt is a Swedish lithium-ion battery-maker that wants to produce “the world’s greenest batteries.” The batteries will power electric cars, energy storage, and more. Although Northvolt’s batteries don’t rely on the same chemistry as Tesla’s, Northvolt says that performance is becoming comparable.
Sustainability is core to Northvolt’s value proposition. To lower the carbon footprint of battery production, they rely on hydroelectric power and other renewables, which are abundant in Sweden. The startup says that is batteries will have an 80% lower carbon footprint than those made using coal energy. Besides, the batteries will be 95% recyclable, an important consideration when battery metals are scarce.
Northvolt’s green batteries are not just a concept. They are already being produced. Northvolt is the first European startup to make batteries at a gigafactory in Europe, which they did right before the end of 2021. The company expects to deliver its batteries to customers in 2022.
With demand for EVs skyrocketing, carmakers are scrambling to get their hands on batteries. Covid-related supply bottlenecks and geopolitical tensions with China highlight the need to have batteries manufactured elsewhere. Right now, electric car batteries are manufactured in Asia by companies like China’s CATL and BYD, Japan’s Panasonic and South Korea’s LG, SK Group, and Samsung.
Northvolt is trying to create a supplier that makes batteries in Europe, competing with Asian manufacturers. And Northvolt doesn’t want to limit its ambitions to Europe – they may expand to Asia and North America, too.
The Stockholm, Sweden-based company was founded by Paolo Cerruti and Peter Carlsson, a former Tesla executive, in 2016. They are backed by carmakers like Volkswagen, BMW, and Volvo. Volkswagen even bought a 20% stake in the company in 2019. Northvolt has already received $50 billion in battery orders, mostly from car manufacturers, including $14 billion from Volkswagen.
To date, Northvolt has planned three gigafactories in Europe:
- Northvolt Ett. The gigafactory in Skelleftea in Northern Sweden is where Northvolt started assembling battery cells at the end of 2021. Northvolt expects to expand annual production to 60 GWh
- A second factory to be built on a site of a closed paper mill in Sweden. Operations should start in 2024. When it’s at full capacity, the renewables-powered facility will produce 100 GWh of battery cathode material annually
- Northvolt Drei. Powered by clean energy in Germany, the factory is expected to produce battery cells with an annual capacity of 60 GWh. If everything goes as planned, Northvolt Drei will employ 3,000 people and start producing batteries in 2025
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German automaker Volkswagen owns a 20% stake in Northvolt and has already placed $14 billion in orders spanning ten years. The partnership between the two companies was first disclosed in 2019. It is centered around Northvolt Ett, the gigafactory in northern Sweden, which will fulfill the orders from the carmaker.
Volvo wants to shift all of its production to electric cars by 2030. The carmaker and Northvolt are collaborating on a German gigafactory, with construction due to start in 2023. The partners expect that the renewables-powered factory will produce battery cells with an annual capacity of 50 GWh.
And although Northvolt’s activities have so far been limited to Europe, Volvo’s global footprint can help them move into Asian and U.S. markets.
Is Northvolt public?
No, Northvolt is a private company, though it has successfully raised a total of $6.5 billion in funding. In June 2021, Northvolt raised $2.75 billion from investors, including Volkswagen, BMW, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Swedish pension funds, Baillie Gifford, and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. The latest fundraising round reportedly valued the company at almost $12 billion.
When will Northvolt IPO?
Back in July 2021, Germany’s Manager Magazin reported that Northvolt was thinking about going public in 2022 or 2023 at a reported valuation of 20 to 30 billion euros. However, the company has not made any official announcement about an IPO, so time will tell.
How to buy Northvolt stock
If you are an accredited investor, you can buy shares in private pre-IPO companies.
Pre-IPO investing platforms like EquityZen and Forge (SharesPost) let you buy shares from employees with stock options. Startup employees may feel rich on paper, but it’s hard to buy a house or pay for college with stock options. The risk is that company employees always know more about the company than you do, and you can’t be sure why they are selling.
Pre-IPO investing is only for accredited investors. To be an accredited investor, you need to:
- Earn $200,000 a year for two years and expect the same this year ($300,000 for couples) or
- Have a net worth of over $1 million, excluding your main home or
- Hold a Series 7, 65, or 82 license
If you qualify, you can check out Northvolt’s pre-IPO shares on EquityZen or Forge. But bear in mind that pre-IPO investing and startup investing are very risky. Although Northvolt has very impressive backers and pre-orders, the company will likely be unprofitable for a long time, and their batteries don’t power EVs that are on the road today.
Northvolt stock alternatives
If you are not an accredited investor, don’t like the idea of pre-IPO investing, and would like to be able to sell and buy shares as you please, there are other battery manufacturers out there. Some of the best-known EV battery stocks are:
- Contemporary Amperex Technology Co (CATL) (SHE:300750)
- LG Energy Solution Ltd (KRX: 373220)
- Panasonic (PCRFY)
- BYD (BYDDF)
- QuantumScape (QS)
- Solid Power (SLDP)
🔔 Learn more about publicly traded EV battery manufacturers.
NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE. The content is for informational purposes only; you should not construe any such information as investment advice.


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Last week, we focused on the meteoric rise of Buzzfeed, driven in part by the website’s ability to leverage its presence on Facebook.
This week, a study by Quantcast confirmed that the importance of Facebook’s mobile platform as a referral site is growing. Internet users are increasingly accessing content on their mobile devices rather than on their desktop.
Social media sites have surpassed search engines to become the most popular way to discover news and entertainment content. For the top 250 U.S. news and entertainment sites, Facebook is responsible for 24 percent of the mobile referral share, Twitter is responsible for 7 percent and Pinterest for 2 percent. On desktops, the number drops to 13 percent for Facebook.
Additionally, approximately 25 percent of mobile web page views originate from articles linked on social apps like Facebook or Twitter. The study also found that almost 50 percent of Facebook mobile users specifically check Facebook for news consumption.
As Facebook’s mobile user base continues to grow, the social site as a medium of news and knowledge exchange is likely to follow suit. You can check out a summary of the study at InsideFacebook.
Here’s what else we’ve been reading at TrialPay this week:
• Relive the Days When Apps Were Cards Punched Full of Holes: In the not-so-distant past, “app” referred to something else entirely.
• Twitter App Install Ads: The Industry Reacts: Agencies, networks and industry thought leaders react to Twitter’s foray into the app promotion market.
• iOS Leads Android in US, Canada Mobile Web Traffic Share: The Windows Phone has overtaken BlackBerry in popularity in the North American mobile market, though it still lags behind iOS and Android.


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After MetaCraft officially launched Indodax, Indonesia’s largest digital asset exchange, on May 25th, in the past week, MCT growth rapidly, with a new All-Time High surging over 74.37%, marking its great potential in the field of DeFi Games.
MetaCraft is a running group chain play imitating Rarity, and a blockchain version of DND game that combines gaming, NFT, DeFi, marketplace, open ending and community governance. MetaCraft is forking to create a meta universe game. For example: mapping on public chains such as BSC and ETH, allowing players to play on any chain; introducing social attributes to give each player a unique NFT identity. The game’s story, background, settings, newly added quest characters, and multiple open endings will all be jointly formulated by community members. MetaCraft has now developed into a certain scale, while the game has been visualized by adding a variety of animations and scenes, making MetaCraft an amazing production.
The world of MetaCraft is a fantasy world of swords and magic, many races peaceful lives in the mainland, until that day, a city appears in the sky, people call it to – Skycity. With the emergence of Sky City, there have been many caves on the mainland, and there is a treasure of the excitement of the adventurers and the murder of the people. The legendary, Sky City has the largest treasure and the strongest monster-dragon.
Based on this background, there creates different professions, including Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighters, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rouge, Sorcerer, and Wizards. Different Professions are marked with distinguished Adventure, Traits, camps, religions, races, and background, making the game really attractive.
With play and earn becoming a new trend in the DeFi world, MetaCraft is gaining popularity thanks to its creativity and user-friendly surface. Related NFT will be released soon as well as online PVP function. With the strong momentum, MetaCraft is deemed to lead a new trend in DeFi games.
Carolyn Coley is a blockchain reporter. She joined Smartereum after graduating from UC Berkeley in 2018.


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A lot of rumors have recently been circulating and each of these speculates that the redesigned 2015 Dodge Challenger will most likely obtain a Supercharged Hemi V8 engine.
Although Chrysler Group refused to comment on this issue, many car experts are expecting that rumors will eventually be proven true. This is because the upcoming version of the Dodge Challenger is in great need of an engine that will allow it to compete with some of its closest rivals particularly the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang and the Cadillac CTS-V.
Based on the information provided by a number of reliable sources, Chrysler Group is believed to be working on an engine which is capable of producing a maximum power output of up to 550 horsepower and this is currently codenamed as the “Hellcat.”
Based on such information, those who are well-verse when it comes to powerful engines immediately concluded that Chrysler Group might have been considering the use of 550-horsepower Supercharged Hemi V8 since this is the most potent choice that the carmaker could use on the upcoming version of the Dodge Challenger which is proven to generate the power output which is closer if not similar to what the engines of the Cadillac CTS-V, Camaro ZL1 and the Shelby Mustang are generating.
The same set of sources also claimed that they are expecting that Chrysler Groups might also use this supercharged engine in some of its upcoming versions of the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and the SRT Barracuda.
Despite of the lack of confirmation from Chrysler Group, these rumors continue to spread since many car journalists have noted that the carmaker badly needs to upgrade the engines that re used in its cars since the most powerful V8 engine that Chrysler has used so far 6.4-liter Hemi which is designed to generate up to 470 horsepower.


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news The company said that another major content update is coming near the end of the year.
Light Relief Improvements are on the way, but many won't arrive for months. Here's what we'd like Bungie to consider.
news Some of the changes may not make it to release, but design lead Josh Hamrick says it's looking good so far.
Cooking class We've got grenades that make you dance and grenades that burn your face off. It's a good selection.
news The studio just published an enormous list of improvements that are on the way, but will they be enough to re-energise the playerbase?
news The Valentine's-themed event will include a 2v2 PvP mode called Crimson Doubles, plus more cosmetics to collect.
BOO! 2017 wasn't a perfect year for PC gaming—here are the games and moments that disappointed us.


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Electronic invoicing solutions company Tungsten Network is introducing a way for accounts receivable departments to send out invoices in an array of channels through a single platform.
An announcement on Tuesday (July 10) said the company is launching the Tungsten Network eBilling solution. AR customers can send invoices in electronic, PDF and paper formats depending on what their customers require, regardless of whether the client is a member of Tungsten Network or not.
The company noted that its AR-focused tool complements existing services for accounts payable professionals, which enables businesses to manage and process eInvoices. Tungsten will continue to process invoices sent via the eBilling tool, the firm added.
The eBilling solution aims to reduce days sales outstanding (DSO) and to improve cash flow for suppliers. Because bills are issued through a single portal, Tungsten said, suppliers can gain greater visibility into invoice data.
"Offering a comprehensive billing service represents a strategic move to open up Tungsten Network's technology to even more businesses," said Tungsten Network CEO Richard Hurwitz in a statement. "eBilling customers send all invoices via the same connection and in the same way, whether on- or off-network. As part of our strategy to add complementary adjacent services, we have now enhanced the value proposition we offer to our customers by allowing both AP and AR departments to take the lead in introducing digitization and to get better visibility on their finances. This also allows Tungsten Network to initiate engagements with its customers from multiple points."
Addressing the points of friction associated with the sending of invoices and, on the AP side, the receipt and management of those bills, supports the company's broader efforts to address late B2B payments. Tungsten published research last November, conducted in partnership with the Institute of Finance and Management (IOFM), which found that nearly half of companies admitted that at least one-tenth of their payments to suppliers are made past invoice due dates.


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What was the most successful European company of the 1990s? Easy. The Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia. And the most disappointing one of the 2000s? Easy again. Nokia.
A company once held up as an example of how Europe could still compete in technology and create new industrial giants, Nokia has been in steep decline -- a point emphasized last week by its decision to hire the first non-Finn as chief executive officer, charged with turning the business around.
And just as the company's rise held lessons about how Europe could succeed, its downfall tells us much about why the region so often fails. Nokia rested too comfortably on its laurels. It was never willing to re-invent its business, even if it meant completely changing its products. It was never located at the heart of the information technology industry, among competitors who might force it to keep innovating. Other European companies should study Nokia's fate to make sure they don't repeat it.
A decade ago, Nokia was the most successful business Europe had produced in a generation. It captured the emerging market for mobile phones and built the industry's most powerful brand.
Politicians lined up to praise the company as an example of how Europe could still prosper in the 21st century.
It doesn't look so good now. In the last three years, the news out of Nokia has only been bad. Since Apple introduced its iPhone in January 2007, Nokia shares have fallen by 47 percent. The company's brand, once one of the coolest in the world, is battered. In a ranking of global brands by Millward Brown Optimor this year, Nokia ranked No. 43, dropping 30 places in 12 months. Its profit margins have been shrinking, along with the average price of its phones and its market share.
True, it still has more than one-third of global mobile phone sales. But it looks stranded in the middle of the market. Korean electronics manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics are leading the main consumer market. Apple's iPhone and Research In Motion's BlackBerry dominate the upscale, smartphone industry.
Last week, Nokia recognized the scale of its challenges, hiring Stephen Elop, the head of Microsoft's business unit, to turn the company around. Can he succeed? Everyone will wish him well. But if the guy knows so much about phones, he's kept it a secret. Microsoft has never made any progress in that industry.
The cruel truth is that for all its residual market share, Nokia looks like a has-been. It misread the way the mobile phone industry was merging with computing and social networking. It is probably now too late to turn that around.
There are uncomfortable lessons here for European -- and U.S. -- industry.
First, never rest on your laurels. Nokia got to the top of its industry quickly. But once there, it became complacent in an industry where laziness is fatal. It worried too much about hanging onto its market share, rather than creating new products to excite customers.
Second, Nokia was unwilling to challenge itself. The company clung to the model that mobile phones were mainly about calling people. It failed to notice that they were just as much about checking your e-mail, finding a good restaurant nearby, and updating your Twitter page.
Finally, it wasn't located near a cluster of similar companies. Building a technology giant in Finland was a great achievement. But Nokia wasn't surrounded by Web companies or consumer-electronics manufacturers. That meant it wasn't in the mix of innovative ideas, which would have forced it to question its assumptions every day. The company should have relocated to California. Sure, that would have caused an outcry at home. But that's better than watching its slow decline into irrelevance.
Politicians and business experts spent a lot of time praising Nokia and trying to learn from its rise. They should devote as much time studying the lessons of its downfall.
Matthew Lynn is a Bloomberg News columnist and the author of "Bust," a forthcoming book on the Greek debt crisis.
3 lessons from Nokia's decline, as useful as those about its rise


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Regulatory Reconnaissance is your daily news recap for the regulatory news and intelligence space. Top stories today include the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) release of new user fee guidance for generic drugs, the launch of a new data standards program, the release of a new batch of FDA warning letters, the signing of several trade deals, Greece's decision to ban pharmaceutical exports, and why most of the headline-grabbing studies you read are probably wrong.
(Regulatory Focus) FDA has released guidance on the fees it will assess for new and existing generic drug applications.
(Regulatory Focus) FDA, CDISC and C-Path have all announced the launch of a new data standards group named C-FAST. The partnership is intended to harmonize clinical data standards for more areas.
(Regulatory Focus) FDA's Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee is looking to reassess REMS for teratogenic products. Of particular interest: reforming the way FDA requires the use of birth control and pregnancy testing for women taking such drugs.
(Eye on FDA) The number of untitled letters sent by FDA during 2012 has thus far been below the pace of either of the two preceding years, noted Mark Senak of Eye on FDA. The majority of such letters were aimed at communication problems, usually with marketing vehicles and problems with risk communication or the overstatement of efficacy.
(House) Legislators are taking aim at the New England Compounding Pharmacy, the company whose products are now linked with an outbreak of fungal meningitis. In a letter sent to the company and its executives on 22 October, the House Energy and Commerce Committee said it was seeking all reports, documents and analyses conducted by the company. The committee has previously made a similar request of FDA. (Read more: The Hill)
(FDA) The regulatory crackdown on cosmetic manufacturers continues this week, with yet another cosmetic manufacturer, Skin Biology Inc, receiving a warning letter from FDA regarding improper marketing claims.
(Fierce Biotech) FDA rejected United Therapeutics' oral pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) drug, issuing a complete response letter after finding weaknesses in the company's supporting data, reports Fierce Biotech.
(FDA) It was a quiet week for FDA warning letters, but several other ones caught Regulatory Focus' eye: Alere Inc (Medical Device) for deficiencies related to its Triage brand cardiac marker devices, Primus Medical (Medical Device) for adulterated devices, Global Medical Holdings (Medical Device) for CGMP deficiencies, Garlic Wise (Supplement) for marketing itself as an unapproved drug, and Quincy Bioscience Manufacturing (Supplements) for… pretty much everything.
(The Pink Sheet) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) were instituted in 2007 as a way to protect patients from potentially unsafe drugs by allowing FDA to require special access plans and other restrictions to keep access to products limited. But with the number of generic firms now being thwarted by plans meant to protect patients, is it time to tweak the REMS program? (Subscription)
(The Pink Sheet Daily) An overwhelming number of comments in the federal register support CDISC's data standard, the Operational Data Model, instead of the Health Level 7 standard sought by some other stakeholders. (Subscription)
(Time) Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) is becoming increasingly affordable thanks to improvements in technology, but the sector is also coming increasingly amount of regulatory scrutiny from FDA and others as officials considering requiring approval for the products. Does such oversight risk putting their services out of reach for patients, or is the sector overdue for basic oversight?
(FDA) US Marshals moved on Tuesday, 23 October to raid a dietary supplement manufacturer which FDA officials said had flaunted its regulators since at least 7 July 2011 when the agency sent New York-Confidence Inc a warning letter. FDA said the company did not manufacture its products according to federal law and marketed a number of its drugs as treatments for specific diseases.
(Regulatory Focus) That 2011 warning letter to Confidence Inc is similar to one sent in October 2012 to supplement manufacturer Advanced Nutritional Technology Inc, which was also accused to violating CGMP and marketing regulations by FDA.
(Regulatory Focus) New facility registration requirements have come into effect for supplement manufacturers, processors, packagers and storage facility owners. The requirements are outlined in a new guidance for industry released by FDA on 22 October.
(FDA) Need to learn more about Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS)? FDA is hosting a webinar on 30 October 2012 on the subject.
(White House) The US has finalized its trade agreement with Panama and is now just waiting for the entry-into-force date. The agreement was signed on 21 October by President Obama.
(Natural Products Insider) Dietary supplement trade groups want FDA to revise its position on synthetic botanicals, which FDA maintains are not supplements because they are effectively drug products. The Council for Responsible Nutrition said FDA's position was contrary to the law and to the public interest.
(Open Secrets) Presidential contributions from pharmaceutical companies tend to be skewing-58% to 425-toward Mitt Romney…
(Open Secrets) … While Medical Device manufacturers skew for Republicans 60/40%.
(Regulatory Focus) FDA's compassionate use program is increasingly being used, and experienced 20% growth from 2010 to 2011, reports The Wall Street Journal.
(Pharma Times) The European Commission (EC) has announced the launch of new rules for the import of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Imported products must meet the same good manufacturing standards as APIs originating from the EU. (Europe)
(EuroParl) The European Parliament has approved a trade deal with Israel that would allow EMA-approved drug products to be exported to Israel without further certification requirements, and visa-versa. The deal was held up for years due to concerns about Israel's treatment of Palestinians, the parliament said in a statement. (Europe / Israel)
(PharmExec) The forced exit of John Dalli from the European Commission (EC) has brought a harsh spotlight to EU regulators, who have not had an easy or low-profile year as it is, notes PharmExec.
(Reuters) Italy's health ministry has issued a ban on four of Novartis' influenza vaccines after deciding to require further testing to assess the product's safety profile. (Italy)
(The Guardian) Should anti-malarial drugs be available to consumers over the counter (OTC) in Africa, or does this risk the proliferation of sub-standard or fake drugs? The argument has engrossed the global aid community, reports The Guardian. (Africa)
(Health Canada) Canadian regulators want feedback on four new herbal monographs released for consultation. (Canada)
(MHRA) UK regulators are just as interested in making sure you know what not to send them as what you should, and have provided some basic guidance for industry on this page. (UK)
(Daily Mail) A UK legislator is calling for the publication of all clinical trials data by pharmaceutical companies. The member of parliament says hidden trials data has the potential to harm patients and waste taxpayer funds, reports The Daily Mail. (UK)
(PharmAfrica) Nigeria has set a deadline for all antibacterial products to contain a scratch-and-text label aimed at combating counterfeit products that leech off the legitimacy of other established products. (Nigeria)
(ANSM) France has released a report detailing that state of its industry in 2011. Highlights: the share of generics prescribed in France has fallen 1.3%, and ANSM re-evaluated the risk-benefit balances of many specialty areas and therapeutic classes. (France) (In French)
(Regulatory Focus) Greece has banned the export of all drugs after being hit with huge shortages resulting from price arbitrage across the EU. (Greece)
(Regulatory Focus) Regulatory bodies should pay more attention to efforts to build regulatory capacity around the world, argue three of FDA's top international regulatory officials.
(NPR) An analysis of 85,000 studies-yes, you read that number correctly-has found that roughly 90% of all studies showing a large treatment effect are later found to have a substantially smaller effect. The takeaway: the public and scientists alike needs to be more cautious about interpreting research and drawing broad-based conclusions from impressive-looking but small-scale research. (More: Medscape, Med Page Today)
(Reuters) The development of medical guidelines are non-standard and are not subject to any form of quality control or consistent oversight. Now some experts are asking whether the development of such guidelines should be required to meet basic quality guidelines.
(CNN) The fiscal cliff may not be a regular topic of discussion in some circles, but it's still scheduled to come into effect in January, and it could have a catastrophic effect on the economy.
(MDDI) Medical device software is an under-appreciated and oft-overlooked component of the device development process. Give it more respect and attention, argues Malinda Elein.
(PLoS) What are the ethical implications of conducting research using online communities as a data source? Essentially the same as any other study, argues a group of researchers in the Public Library of Science.
(Med City News) Stephanie Baum assembles four anticounterfeit startups worth knowing. Among their technologies: imprinted packaging codes, embedded tags made with inactive ingredients, scratch-off text codes and IR fingerprinting.


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National, 8th of November 2023: With the onset of the festive season, more than 2 out of 5 consumers across the country have expressed their intent to shop online from Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) merchants, according to a survey conducted by Simpl, India’s leading Checkout Network. The surge in consumer interest can be attributed to the growing number of individuals turning to D2C merchants in recent years to meet their evolving needs.
To gauge consumer sentiment during the festive season, Simpl reached out to lakhs of its users across the country and gained rich insights about their festive purchase plans. Overall, consumer optimism remains high, as 41% of the participants said they have strong online shopping plans during this festive season, with 33% of the respondents planning to purchase fashion and accessories, followed by 23% for travel, and 11% for personal care. Food and beverages, as well as consumer electronics, were other popular categories that respondents plan to spend on.
Interestingly, Gen Y (between 1982 and 1994) and Millennials (between 1981 and 1996) constituted a majority of the responses, highlighting their strong preference for festive shopping online, including D2C merchants, to cater to their specific and unique needs.
Commenting on the trend, Khanaz K.A. CXO – D2C Business at Simpl, said, “The festive period is undoubtedly a much-anticipated season for consumers and merchants across India. As an organisation, we are committed to building consumers’ trust in merchants, D2C merchants in particular, and increasing conversions and reducing returns for the latter through our AI-led checkout and post-checkout solutions. Considering D2C merchants service the majority of their annual business during this period, we are focused on enabling these merchants to offer a “better than marketplace” experience on their platforms. Over the last six months, we have been able to improve conversions by up to 87% and reduce returns to the extent of 66% for hundreds of our merchants across fashion, footwear, travel, home decor, and other categories, in a testament to our commitment”.
Interestingly, nearly 70% of D2C merchants are also expecting a 2x-4x increase in sales during the festive season, revealed another survey by Simpl conducted with hundreds of merchants across the country. These merchants are significantly adding manufacturing and warehousing capacities, along with increasing manpower and spending on marketing, the survey stated.
With over 26,000 merchants and millions of customers connected to Simpl’s network nationwide, the platform has been actively engaged in empowering the D2C merchant landscape in India by delivering convenience and fostering trust among consumers. Through cutting-edge AI-led offerings such as 1-Tap Checkout, Simpl Checkout, and Checkout Suite which includes Simpl Pay After Delivery (SPAD), among others, the company strives to enhance conversions, reduce cash-on-delivery transactions, and minimise returns for merchants, while ensuring convenience and trust for millions of customers.


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Rage, rage against the end of the youthful adventure
Learning by doing
THE commercial acumen of 40,000 students created 3,500 companies and, perhaps, lit the touchpaper of some promising business careers. This week the Young Enterprise programme came to an end with two days of celebration and prize-giving at The Savoy in London.
It has been a busy week for the 12 finalist companies, and in particular for Underwood Visions, the team from Ysgol Tre-Gib in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, awarded the top prize on Tuesday by Nigel Griffiths, Minister for Small Business and Enterprise.
Not only did the students spend the early part of the week working on trade stands, presenting them to hundreds of invited guests and being interviewed and assessed by a team of five judges, but they went through the nerve- racking prize ceremony at


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How ready is the UK warehousing industry for the robot revolution?
Automation, specifically robotics, is transforming modern warehousing in ways never imagined before. Capable of undertaking arduous and repetitive tasks more efficiently, robots represent a step-change in logistics, allowing warehousing firms to better serve their customers, protect margins and future-proof their operations. But just how ready is the UK warehousing industry for the robot revolution?
OWR’s market-leading dataset draws on more than 50 independent sources including proprietary data and insights. Based on OWR’s qualitative research, robotics business consultant, Greg Downey will provide a ‘robotics-ready’ verdict across a range of sectors to highlight where the opportunities lie.


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MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.20 per cent while Japan's Nikkei slid 0.59 per cent.
Apple Inc said on Monday it will not meet its revenue guidance for the March quarter due to the coronavirus outbreak slowing production and weakening demand in China.
LocalCircles survey says 14% received a handset with foreign-language manual while 12% got models not launched in India.
Xiaomi on Monday launched its portable Mi Outdoor Bluetooth speaker and priced it at Rs 1,399.
itel, the leading smartphone brand from Transsion India on Monday launched a category disruptor called "Vision 1" with HD+ IPS waterdrop display and big battery at Rs 5,499 in India.
Samsung is all set to refresh its mid-price segment series Galaxy 'M' with the launch of Galaxy M31 smartphone, starting from approximately Rs 15,999 in India on February 25.
The center will be home to Microsoft’s engineering teams across various technology groups, including A) & Research Group, Cloud & Enterprise Group, and Experience & Devices Group, along with Core Services Engineering and Operations. It will also house Mixer, Microsoft’s live streaming gaming platform team, becoming the first center to host the gaming team outside the company headquarters in Redmond.
In business-to-business supplies, China is perhaps the most important trading partner for India today.
Sony India has axed about a seventh of its local workforce, totalling more than 120 jobs across functions, as the Japanese electronics major struggles to sell its pricier television sets in a market
Apple reached a record 75.6 per cent market share in the fourth quarter of 2019 in India and the credit goes to the stellar performance of iPhone 11 and price drop on previous generation models.
Excessive smartphone use has been long associated with ill-effects on the eyesight, and according to a recent review, it can also impact the mental health of adolescents adversely.
Apple Inc said on Friday it would reopen one of the seven retail stores it has in Shanghai from Feb. 15 with reduced working hours, a day after the iPhone maker said a few retail stores in Beijing would start functioning from Feb. 14.
Apple is reportedly planning to introduce 5G-capable iPad equipped with 5nm-based A14 chips - likely A14X in the second half of 2020.
The National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) has quashed complaint against phone-maker Xiaomi for not passing the benefit of reduced GST rate to the consumer on Xiaomi-Mi power banks.
Chinese handset maker Oppo on Friday slashed price of its Reno2 F smartphone by Rs 2000. The phone is now available at a price of Rs 21,990 across all offline stores and online platforms.
iPhone maker Foxconn has rejected reports that suggested it was mulling to reopen significant portion of its Chinese production force this month even as China continues to reel under the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.
Taiwan-based compound semiconductor manufacturers are gearing up to fulfil shipments components for a new iPhone model, tentatively dubbed SE2.
In December, a South Korean court had sentenced Lee to 1-1/2-years in jail for sabotaging legitimate union activities.
Xiaomi Corp CEO Lei Jun urged China's smartphone industry to return to work as soon as possible, as the coronavirus outbreak continues to disrupt economic activity across the country.
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp expects a hit to first-quarter sales from the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak, but believes demand will bounce back in the second and third quarters, its CEO said on Thursday.


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Casablanca - In 2014, Morocco will host the annual Global Spa & Wellness Summit meeting on wellness and spa tourism at the Four Season Resort in Marrakech.
Casablanca – In 2014, Morocco will host the annual Global Spa & Wellness Summit meeting on wellness and spa tourism at the Four Season Resort in Marrakech.
The eighth annual Global Spa & Wellness Summit sessions will take place on September 10-12, 2014 at the Four Seasons Resort in Marrakech. Morocco’s Agency for Tourism Development is the key sponsor of the event and aims to promote Morocco as a world-recognized wellness destination.
Senior delegates from around the world working in diverse sectors including hospitality, tourism, health and wellness, beauty, finance, medicine, real estate, manufacturing, and technology will attend the annual event. Furthermore, Morocco’s Minister of Tourism, Lahcen Haddad, will use this opportunity to introduce Morocco’s new visions and plans for its national tourism development.
The Summit is the world’s most well-known gathering of travel, spa industries, business, government, and academic leaders in wellness. The atmosphere between leaders from different countries is cooperative rather than competitive.
For this reason, delegates from over 40 countries work hand in hand to develop strategies on how to cope with industry challenges and seize more and more opportunities in the sector of wellness tourism.
The two-day event will be held by the Global Wellness Tourism Congress (GWTC) to give better insights on how the international wellness and spa tourism market is moving forward.
According a recent study by the GWTC, the Moroccan market alone is expected to see 14.7% annual growth, creating many jobs, ranging from executive positions like hotel and spa managers to skilled work as masseuses, customer service representatives, and fitness specialists.
Equally important to note, in Africa, Morocco ranks second behind only South Africa in annual expenditure by visitors traveling for spa and wellness tourism, and third in the Middle-East and North Africa behind the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
The Global Wellness Tourism Congress is an international organization that meets with its member countries in a different host country each year to discuss and learn about economic development concerning the spa and wellness industries worldwide. This year’s meeting and workshops will focus on Morocco’s culture and customs, intending to strengthen its tourism dominance.
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed


text: Today, exports support nearly 10 million American jobs. Overall, U.S. agriculture supports 1 in 12 American jobs in all sorts of industries from picking and processing, to packing and shipping, to shelving at your local market. Farm exports support more than 1.1 million jobs here at home. A few weeks back, President Obama signed into law a major piece of his jobs agenda: new trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. These agreements will support tens of thousands of jobs here at home, put unemployed Americans back to work, and open new opportunities for American businesses. For America's farmers and ranchers, the trade agreements provide our best opportunity to build upon what has been a record year for U.S. agriculture. Combined, the agreements will generate an additional $2.3 billion in farm exports next year alone.


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SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SiteJabber, the leading community of online business reviewers, is disrupting the reputation management and review space with the public launch of SiteJabber for Business—the first completely free platform enabling businesses to take control of their online reputations and give consumers a fair, transparent picture of their business.
“Reputation management has traditionally been unfair to both businesses and consumers: businesses are forced to pay up to $100,000 per year to review platforms, while consumers cannot tell whether a business is good or simply has paid a lot of money to manage its reputation,” said Jeremy Gin, CEO of SiteJabber. “SiteJabber for Business is a direct response to businesses that want to manage their brands but – rightly – do not feel they should have to pay for it, and to consumers who rightly feel that they deserve the best possible information.”
Unlike other reputation management and review services, SiteJabber’s model does not charge businesses for any key reputation management features, which typically cost businesses anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $100,000 per year. SiteJabber is able to offer these services for free because it generates revenue through other channels: Google advertising, lead generation and dedicated customer support services.
Starting today, online businesses can access the following reputation management tools on SiteJabber free of charge:
- Unlimited review collection: collect unlimited customer reviews to build online reputation, diminish the impact of negative reviews and generate new leads.
- Unlimited public and private responses to reviews: directly resolve customer complaints and communicate with customers.
- Review page at the top of Google search results: many prospective customers search for a business’ brand plus the words “reviews” or “complaints,” making it critical for businesses to actively manage a review page.
- Trust seals and review widgets: recognized seals and widgets build trust and improve conversion rates on any business’ website.
- 24-hour account support: 24-hour email support to resolve any issues or address reviews that may violate SiteJabber’s guidelines.
SiteJabber Facts and Figures
- 5,000 online businesses registered for SiteJabber for Business during beta testing, including Lowe’s ATGStores and Ebates
- Registered businesses have seen overwhelmingly positive results from SiteJabber for Business, including one e-commerce business seeing a 1,400% increase in reviews, 263% increase in website leads and 20% increase in total onsite revenue
- 700,000+ members in the SiteJabber community
- 50,000+ businesses reviewed
- 34 million+ consumers have used SiteJabber to research online businesses
- $1.25 million in funding from the U.S. Government’s National Science Foundation and private investors 500Startups and Seraph Group
SiteJabber is the leading online review community that helps consumers find great online businesses and avoid online scams. Since its founding in 2008, more than 34 million consumers have used the website to find trustworthy businesses, and more than 700,000 community members have posted reviews of more than 50,000 online businesses. The company’s new SiteJabber for Business platform enables businesses to take control of their online reputations and provide a fair, transparent picture of their business to consumers. To date, SiteJabber has raised $1.25M in government grants and funding from the National Science Foundation, 500Startups and the Seraph Group. The company has been named a Top 100 Website by PC Magazine and Top 100 Money Move by CNN, and its review data has been cited on CBS News, ABC News, Fox News and “Good Morning America.”


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Potential benefits are many. Programmatic offers:
No wonder advertisers and publishers are jumping on board so fast. But with every silver lining, there always seems to be another cloud about to come in…
Programmatic is growing in leaps and bounds, expanding beyond desktop display ads and moving to rapidly to mobile, video, radio, television and even to print.
US dominates the market today, spending alone in programmatic advertising reached US$10bn in 2014 and is forecasted by to reach $15bn by next year.
Some analysts have gone so far as to predict that 90 per cent of US advertising will be bought programmatically by 2017. This is an amazing forecast considering the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) discovered through a survey last year that only 26 per cent of its members even knew what programmatic was and used it.
In the rest of the world, reasons for slower uptake tend to be related to the use of personal data and regulations concerning the internet. In Europe, uptake varies by country for different reasons, such as their adherence to established business practices; but the continent is definitely catching up, with the UK in the lead.
The only thing I know that grows that fast is a tidal wave.
Did you know that for every dollar invested by an advertiser using programmatic buying, only about 40 cents goes to the publisher? The supply chain for programmatic is long and complicated and with every step along that chain, money gets distributed.
Trading desks, data management platforms/systems, exchanges, ad servers, networks and agencies all get a piece of the programmatic pie.
So is programmatic really the holy grail for publishers? One begins to wonder when the dark (cloudy) side of programmatic rears its ugly head. And perhaps the ugliest of all, is…
Today over half of all digital ads displayed never reach the eyeballs of human beings, but they still generate “false impressions” that cost advertisers billions every year, while padding the pockets of publishers.
Ad fraud is rampant within the industry and it’s only a matter of time before advertisers start demanding more transparency into the viewability of their ads on publishers’ digital properties. If publishers thought today’s digital dimes were a sad replacement for print’s dollars, imagine what they’ll think when they’re knocked down to mere programmatic nickels.
Ad fraud comes in many forms from outright corruption among impression/click thieves to ad fraud apathy among publishers who aren’t prepared to give up their fraudulent funds, to helpless ad agencies who don’t have the power to fix it and finally to brands that aren’t fully aware of its impact on them.
In traditional advertising with higher price tags, these issues would not be left unaddressed. But in the digital world where advertising is so cheap, it’s like playing penny slots – there’s low pain on the investment side even if there’s not much gain in terms of ROI. So why make a fuss?
Never one to sugar-coat his opinion, Ad Contrarian and renowned speaker, Bob Hoffman put it this way, "Everything about online advertising is corrupt... The promises are corrupt. The data is corrupt. The suppliers are corrupt. And the buying and selling is corrupt...This industry is in desperate need of investigation."
In an attempt to win the war on ad fraud industry leaders have banded together to launch the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG). This is a noble first step to try and eliminate fraudulent traffic, combat malware, fight internet piracy and promote transparency, but will TAG become just another bureaucratic audit bureau?
The over-commoditisation of low quality ads threatens both brands and publishers alike. In the past, filler ads in printed editions helped balance out the layout of newspapers and magazines with reasonably good affect. In the digital world however, filler ads do not add the same value in terms of visual esthetics; in fact they seriously degrade it.
In addition, media buyers receive little to no guarantees from publishers in terms of brand protection. Despite all the big smart data being used to target ads personally and contextually, “mess ups” can happen, such as an all-inclusive vacation package ad displaying in close proximity to a story about a plane crash, or a feminine hygiene product ending up on men’s magazine home page. Even pornographic ads have slipped through website filters.
These blunders are more common than one might think and they happen often without publishers and advertisers even noticing. But the scary part is that consumers do and they’re taking action. Which brings us to the next pitfall of programmatic – an over-abundance of poor quality ads polluting websites and popularising the use of…
Ad blocking may be seen as a curse by publishers, but it’s actually a cry for help from consumers. It’s a desperate move by website visitors to create a better digital experience for themselves. If publishers won’t do it for them, users have only two choices – abandon the site or block the advertising.
Print fashion magazines have often been heralded as the poster children for beautiful and engaging, glossy ads. Their quality-over-quantity approach addresses both user experience and higher monetisation objectives. Why can’t this same “quality first” mentality be transferred onto the web?
If you want people to pay for content, you need to provide them as good an experience as they receive in your printed edition. Just because your website is built with bits and bytes doesn’t mean what’s on display (content and ads) shouldn’t be as desirable and beautiful as its physical counterparts.
The explosive growth of programmatic is both amazing and scary at the same time. It’s become the new shiny tool for publishers looking for a quick buck and advertisers wanting effortless access to inventory.
But what started out as an easy way to publish banner ads has turned into a hammer looking for another nail – the most recent being native advertising.
The trend towards automating advertising across all mediums makes one wonder when all content will be swept up by the programmatic wave and be crafted, curated and consumed programmatically.
Sounds a bit crazy now, but then again, if 10m self-driving cars can be on the road by 2020, programmatic news will be writing about them. The question is when.
When will machines replace editors, deciding what content should be presented to readers based on “their big data”? When will magazine content be created by computers just commodifying articles, ads, video and imagery from around the web and then auctioned off to the highest Real Time Bidder named News-bot?
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Nest Labs' smart thermostat reveals the potential of remote software updates for home appliances.
Once-hot thin film solar company Miasole sold for only $30 million but it's technology may now be deployed at larger scale.
Intelligent laptop chargers that switch on only when electricy demand is low could reduce the risks associated with the unpredictabilty of wind and solar power
As gesture of good will, Nissan to buy back Leafs that lost driving range from high temperatures and long-than-average mileage.
Fisker Automotive brings in an additional $100 million which it needs to expand sales and plan production of its second car.
The automaker is focusing on hybrids instead, intending to produce 21 models by 2015.
Six charging stations could incur large demand charges from utilities.
Broadscale will pair large corporations with clean-tech startups that are crossing the "Valley of Death" from technology development to market.
The automaker blames rapid battery capacity loss on high mileage.
A test of driving range by Nissan Leaf owners seeks to find out if the electric car's battery capacity is being negatively affected by hot temperatures.


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Apple is celebrating a strong fourth quarter with revenues of $6.22bn in the three months ending 29 September 2007, and a profit of $904m, or just over $1 a share.
In the same period a year ago Apple made revenues of $4.84bn and profits of $542m. So for the fiscal year 2007 Apple made revenues of $24bn and a net profit of $3.5bn.
Mac shipments were up 34 per cent on last year - Apple shipped 2.1 million machines in the quarter.
Apple also sold 10.2 million iPods in the three months - up 17 per cent on the same quarter last year. The iPhone racked up 1.2 million sales, making cumulative sales for 2007 of 1.4 million.
For the first quarter of 2008, Apple expects turnover of $9.2bn and profits of $1.42 a share
More from Apple here. ®


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Ubisoft has announced its mid-year results and a strong performance has led the company to up its financial targets for 2005-2006.
The company has gained further market share in the last financial period, making it the second most successful independent publisher in the UK, France, Germany, Canada and the US.
Sales for the quarter ending June 30th 2005 came to E43 million, in line with group targets. Subsequently, sales for the first half of 2005-2006 are expected to reach E155 million, a rise of 20 per cent compared to 2004-2005.
The company attributed its success to the strong retail performance of Nintendo DS, on which it was the leading independent publisher in the UK, France, Canada and the US.
It also stated that its 13 development studios are actively looking to expand with further recruitment following 170 new employees joining their studios this year alone, bringing the total headcount to 2,400.