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Revival at Wickes offers glimmer of hope for Travis Perkins
Travis Perkins offered a glimmer of encouragement on trading today after seeing a steady revival in activity at home improvement arm Wickes.
The group, which has nearly 1,300 locations in the UK, added that recent trends suggested the builders' merchant market had also stabilised.
It forecast that earnings will be towards the upper end of market expectations for 2009, but warned that the likely pressure on both consumer and trade spending meant it maintained a cautious view on prospects next year.
Travis Perkins is seeing improved trends in the builders' market
The company said the nine weeks to November 28 saw Wickes post strong market share gains, with like-for-like turnover per day up by 10.2 per cent.
The figure was 2.3 per cent higher in the first 48 weeks of the company's financial year.
At the merchanting arm, like-for-like turnover per trading day was down by 14.3 per cent across the 48 weeks, improving to a decrease of 5.5 per cent in the last two months as comparatives with the same period a year earlier start to ease.
The company added: 'The decline in volume relative to peak levels in early 2008 appears to have reached a plateau, but we have yet to see any signs of any sustained improvement.'
Numis Securities said trading at Wickes and the benefits of cost reductions meant it would revise its 2009 estimates by 6 per cent - its third upgrade this year.
Analyst Howard Seymour added: 'With many of the cost savings now in place, however, we do not believe there is a further incremental benefit to come through in 2010, and given the tough outlook which is likely to prevail, we are not changing our 2010 estimate.'
Numis is forecasting pre-tax profits of £186 million, down from £200.9million a year earlier.
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Apple’s iPhone continued to gain in sales and market share in the second quarter of 2022 despite a significant fall in the European smartphone market.
In the second quarter of 2022, the European smartphone market fell by 11 percent year-over-year, according to a new research from Counterpoint Research. There is a “declining economic environment and continuous geopolitical instability” on the continent, according to the study.
However, Apple’s shipments and market share increased in Europe in Q2 2022, despite this setback. The new iPhone SE, which has been updated with a new CPU and 5G connection, was “primarily” responsible for this, according to the article.
The year-over-year comparisons don’t seem favourable
Apple’s year-over-year performance was favourable, but its quarter-over-quarter performance was much lower.
A “mixed bag” of outcomes was reported by Counterpoint Research Associate Director Jan Stryjak for the second quarter of 2022. In the director’s words, “Compared to last year and even last quarter, Europe has seen a significant shift in both industry and macroeconomics.” Her prognosis for the remainder of the year was no better.
“Unfortunately, Europe’s condition remains grim. In Europe, economic and political tensions are developing in nations outside Russia and Ukraine, such as France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. It is possible that the bottom has been reached and the trajectory will soon begin to rise, but it will be a lengthy and tedious process.”
A September event is scheduled to unveil the iPhone 14 line-up despite Stryjak’s pessimism about the product. Aside from the AirPods Pro 2, the Apple Watch Series 8 is also expected to be unveiled during the event.
New iPads and Macs will also be released later this year, which is likely to enhance sales for Apple for the remainder of the year.

domain: news


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Japanese manufacturer Honda had plans of catering to the middle segment of buyers by launching a 160cc sporty motorcycle in early September 2014. However, latest news informs us that the company has postponed this launch two months ahead, to November 2014.
The last few weeks have seen three major bikes in this segment being launched in India. Two of these bikes are by Yamaha- the FZ and Fazer, while Gixxer 155 is by Suzuki. We felt that Honda would put competition to rest by launching its latest 1600cc offering this month, but that was not to be.
The new Honda 160cc bike will be more powerful than its existing CB Trigger. In fact, it could possibly replace the CB Trigger and will be priced below the CBR150R. In addition, the new bike is also expected to come with a more aggressive design than the CB Trigger.
So far, the only 150cc bike that Honda has successfully sold in India is the CB Unicorn. However, the Unicorn is oriented towards the family and is not meant to be driven hard. Honda hopes that the new 160cc bike brings back Indian youth to the “winged” brand, for some spirited driving.


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Published on : Monday, April 5, 2021
In 2020, tourism spending has got almost half compared to the year before, declining 48.1 per cent compared to 2019.
The statistics appears in a new report from Statistics Canada specifying the outcome on tourism, portrayed among the “hardest hit sectors of the economy” in 2020 because of physical distancing designed to sluggish virus spread.
The announcement of a worldwide pandemic in mid-March 2020 and the accompanying steps like physical distancing actually curbed tourism spending in the first quarter of last year with the second quarter almost entirely subject to these restrictions, it reads.
“Many restrictions were eased in the third quarter in conjunction with fewer COVID-19 cases, which provided more tourism spending opportunities,” it reads. “The fourth quarter saw increased restrictions in many provinces during the second wave of the pandemic, limiting the availability of services generally purchased by tourists.”
Passenger air transport dropped by almost three-quarters (-72.4 per cent) annually, the largest contributor to the overall slump in tourism spending in 2020.
The drop in tourism jobs reflected the general decline in tourism spending. In 2020, total tourism jobs dropped 28.7 per cent with most of the slump happening in the second quarter. “All tourism categories were down in 2020, with food and beverage services (down 32.3 per cent) and accommodation (down 35.2 per cent) contributing most to the overall decline. Tourism’s share of overall employment fell to three per cent from 3.8 per cent in 2020.”


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The city’s ordinance requires dealers to notify customers that the federal government sets radiation standards for cellphones, and that exposure “may exceed the federal guidelines” in some instances.
(TNS) — Berkeley can require cellphone retailers to warn customers that carrying the phones close to their bodies may expose them to radiation above U.S. safety standards, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday in reaffirming a decision the Supreme Court had ordered it to reconsider.
Rejecting a free-speech challenge by a cellphone industry group, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said in a 2-1 ruling that the warning notice is “literally true,” promotes public health and information, and does not require retailers to post controversial messages that violate their beliefs.
The same court panel had reached the same conclusion in April 2017, upholding the Berkeley ordinance, which took effect in 2016. But the Supreme Court set that ruling aside in June 2018 and told the appeals court to reconsider it in light of the high court’s ruling overturning a California law that required antiabortion clinics to post notices about low-cost reproductive care, including abortions.
In that 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court said the notices, though factually accurate, violated the constitutional rights of the religiously sponsored “crisis pregnancy centers” by forcing them to follow a “government-drafted script” about a controversial medical procedure that they morally opposed.
Cellphone companies argued that Berkeley was doing the same thing by requiring them to convey a message implying that the phones are unsafe. But the appeals court said Berkeley had simply told retailers to provide the same notice to customers that the Federal Communications Commission has required in the manuals of every cellphone they sell.
“The FCC’s required disclosure is no more and no less than a safety warning, and Berkeley’s required disclosure is a short-hand description” of that warning, Judge William Fletcher said in the majority opinion. Unlike the abortion case, he said, the retailers are not being required to “take sides in a heated political controversy.”
The director of the California Brain Tumor Association, a sponsor of the ordinance, praised the ruling. “People deserve the right to make informed decisions for themselves and their families,” Ellen Marks said.
CTIA-The Wireless Association, the industry group that challenged the ordinance, said in a statement that “the consensus of the international scientific community” has found no health dangers from cellphones. “We are disappointed that the city of Berkeley continues to mislead the public,” the organization said.
The ordinance requires dealers to notify their customers that the federal government sets radiation standards for cellphones, and that exposure “may exceed the federal guidelines” if users carry their phone in a pants or shirt pocket or tucked into a bra while connected to a wireless network.
Retailers must display the warning on a poster or handout flyer, attributed to the city of Berkeley.
Fletcher, joined by Judge Morgen Christen, said the FCC has not classified cellphones as dangerous, but has established radiation limits that can be met by keeping phones a certain distance from the body. The federal agency set its standards with a large margin of safety, Fletcher said, and a city is entitled to pass that information along to consumers, who may be unaware of them.
In dissent, Judge Michelle Friedland said the message Berkeley requires dealers to convey to customers is that “carrying a cellphone in one’s pocket is unsafe,” despite the lack of evidence of any such dangers.
©2019 the San Francisco Chronicle. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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In a significant development, Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook, has announced new strategies aimed at assisting small businesses in circumventing the fees imposed by Apple on ad campaigns within its applications. The move is seen as the latest in the ongoing dispute between the two tech giants over in-app payments.
Apple currently imposes a 30% service charge on purchases made within apps on its iOS platform – a fee that has long been a point of contention for many developers and advertisers. However, Meta has now outlined ways through which these businesses can avoid this hefty fee when boosting posts on Facebook and Instagram.
A Workaround for Apple’s Service Charge
Meta’s strategy involves allowing advertisers to bypass the Apple tax by paying to boost their content from web and mobile browsers, on either Facebook or Instagram. This maneuver is expected to save small businesses a considerable amount of money that would otherwise go to Apple as part of its service charge.
The company stated that advertisers who buy boosted posts on Instagram’s or Facebook’s iOS apps will soon have to pay the 30% fee to Apple. However, by following the new guidelines released by Meta, businesses can steer clear of this additional cost.
Implications for Small Businesses
For the thousands of small business advertisers on iOS, this could signal a potential reduction in advertising costs. By passing on Apple’s service charge to these advertisers, Meta may gain support in its ongoing disagreement with Apple.
However, it’s important to note that while this workaround provides an immediate solution for businesses, the broader issues surrounding app store fees remain unresolved. For now, though, Meta’s latest move offers a way for small advertisers to navigate around Apple’s fees and continue to reach their target audiences effectively.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the actions taken by Meta and Apple will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for businesses and consumers alike. With this latest development, it remains to be seen how other tech companies might respond and what the future holds for in-app purchasing fees.
In the meantime, small businesses looking to avoid Apple’s service fee can follow Meta’s new guidelines and continue to boost their visibility on Facebook and Instagram.


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Manning Gottlieb OMD, the incumbent for two years, has been asked to repitch against three other top 10 media agencies and according to an AA spokeswoman, the creative account is likely to be reviewed in the near future.
The review follows the acquisition of the AA by venture capital firms CVC Partners and Permira from Centrica for £1.75bn in July. The new owners have since announced plans to cut 1,300 jobs across the UK, some 10% of its workforce.
During MG OMD's tenure of the business, the AA has significantly reduced above-the-line spend to divert money below the line. Rapier handles the bulk of the creative account.
However, the spokeswoman denied that the marketing budget was to be seriously cut, as well as reports that the company had made 130 redundancies in marketing and communications personnel.
"We have 130 marketing and communications people and this is being reduced to 80 because we have done away with centralised marketing and PR."
MG OMD won the consolidated AA business, across its road services and financial services divisions, after a pitch against Carat and ZenithOptimedia.
Neil Hurman, managing partner at MG OMD, refused to comment.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the Forum here.


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Bed Bath & Beyond has launched College from Home, a shopping experience dedicated to helping parents and college students redesign their childhood bedrooms as remote learning spaces for the fall semester.
Bed Bath & Beyond will provide expert tips for creating remote learning spaces with the new College from Home website section. In partnership with sister brand Decorist, an online interior design service, the College from Home section will offer free design tips, curated assortments and inspiration for students to create functional learning spaces at home.
With the uncertainty of how exactly the COVID-19 pandemic will impact college and university campuses, many schools are opting for virtual college courses this fall. As a result, many students will be living at home in their childhood bedrooms instead of campus dormitories. Shopping for and decorating a dorm room is a rite of passage for college-bound students and College from Home provides inspiration to design a stylish and functional bedroom that feels like college.
"As the college destination for countless students across the country, whether studying at home or on campus, we know this fall won't bring the typical college experience every student looks forward to," says Joe Hartsig, EVP and CMO of Bed Bath & Beyond. "College from Home brings the dorm experience to life for students by showcasing essential product solutions, paired with design inspiration to turn their childhood bedrooms and work spaces into functional spaces for remote learning."
Starting today, the College from Home section will feature virtual learning and study at home dorm essentials including lap desks, organization tools, accessories, and bedding to transform childhood bedrooms into dreamy dorm spaces. The design team at Decorist created three room examples to help inspire for students to create authentic spaces.
Read More on Back-to-School in 2020
"College students are adjusting to a new learning environment this year. In July, we saw searches on our site up more than 200% for desks and office chairs compared to the same period last year," said Cindy Davis, EVP and chief brand officer of Bed Bath & Beyond and president of Decorist. They need design guidance and inspiration to create a conducive space —whether they're living at home or on campus.
"In our survey of college students, about seven in ten students say decorating their dorm is important to them, and their dorm decor is an expression of self. Students shared they seek to create a space to feel 'at home' which is our core brand purpose and what we want to help them achieve with these inspirational designs."


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The UK government’s humiliating U-turn on the higher tax rate reforms will not be enough to calm turbulent financial markets, the CEO of a leading financial advisory and fintech has warned, as
The UK government has created a “loop of doom” that threatens the entire financial system and it must act urgently, the CEO of a leading independent financial advisory and fintech has warned.
Investors should avoid panicking about the imperfect Federal Reserve’s next announcement this week and stick to basic investment fundamentals, warns the CEO of a leading financial advisory and fintech. “The Fed, once
The Ethereum Merge, announced on Thursday, is a “landmark, historic moment” for the entire cryptocurrency market that will be a “major catalyst” driving prices higher in the long term, according to the
Britain’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, is helping to sink the beleaguered pound even further – and the trajectory is only likely to get worse for the UK currency, warned the CEO
Expect the British pound to fall even further and more radically this week should frontrunner Liz Truss be named Prime Minister, warned the CEO of leading independent financial advisory and fintech deVere.
U.S.-China trade relations were given a significant boost over the weekend and this should act as a “monumentally loud” wake-up call for investors, according to a leading financial advisor. The two nations
Ignore the risks that inflation, recession and possible stagflation pose to your money, and it could be a very costly mistake, according to the chief executive of a leading financial advisory and
Nearly half of all baby boomers and Generation X already own cryptocurrency or intend to buy it before the end of 2022, according to a new survey as the prices of Bitcoin
Investors need to prepare for the coming UK recession, the CEO of one of a leading independent advisory and fintech has warned, as UK inflation hit 10.1%, a new 40-year high. “UK


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Here is the first Pokemon TV App trailer for the newly released Pokemon TV App for iOS and Andriod devices. The Pokemon TV App promises a TON of great content spanning different seasons and is available right now on Apple’s iOS store. This marks the first time an official Nintendo product has shown its face on the iOS store and with an official Miiverse app also on the way, this won’t be the last.
Enjoy the first Pokemon TV app trailer and let me know if you plan on downloading the new video app in our comment section.
I will be checking this out on my iPad later this evening.Read More


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Retailers are wasting billions of dollars a year on loyalty programs. 78% of Americans have turned their back on loyalty programs after signing up.
Robert Wollan from Accenture Strategy, said "the traditional 'low price' and 'reliable service' mechanics are no longer as effective at driving loyalty."
Customer loyalty is crucial because 66% of consumers are willing to spend more on a beloved brand. Retailers must adapt to a changing customer dynamic.
This article was written by a staff member of TheStreet.


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AI Market Lead, AI Summit Series
Brands that made investments in AI before the pandemic are reaping the benefits of those decisions, and most will not slow their adoption because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Despite the pandemic, 71% of businesses now say they are confident that their AI initiatives will deliver positive results in the next two years, according to a study by Omdia.
Based on responses from 365 companies across several industry verticals, nearly half (42%) of companies reported to be running pilot or live AI projects, with ownership split evenly among CEOs, CTOs, research and development, and individual business units.
Early adopters of AI
Early adopters – those who made investments in AI before the pandemic – are reaping the benefits of those decisions, and most will not slow their adoption because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Such companies are confident about positive results within the next 12 to 24 months, with nearly a third (31%) very confident, 40% confident, 23% somewhat confident, and just 3% not confident.
Despite the pandemic, 71% of businesses now say they are confident that their AI initiatives will deliver positive results in the next two years.
Companies that did not invest in AI before the pandemic are likely to delay their investments until better economic conditions are in place, creating the potential for a significant competitive advantage for the early adopter companies.
Enterprises are expressing interest in a wide range of AI business cases. There are 17% piloting AI in at least one function or business unit, 40% are investigating technologies and use cases, 17% have a production AI deployment in at least one function or business unit, 13% have identified at least one-use case and are developing a pilot, and 7% are scaling AI deployments across multiple business functions or units.
Acknowledging potential issues
However, the study also found that data privacy and accountability issues could significantly slow market adoption for AI-powered solutions, with 42% of businesses reporting that privacy considerations are slowing down their AI initiatives, 18% saying they are significantly delaying initiatives.
Moving into 2021 and as companies begin to plan a recovery from COVID-19 in a new world of data needs, business must seek solutions across the AI industry ecosystem to find the answers for today’s security issues and tomorrow’s ethical challenges.


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MSI introduces the world’s lightest and thinnest backpack PC at Tokyo Game Show 2016.
The MSI VR One features two battery packs that can power the device for up to 1.5 hours of usage. What’s even more remarkable about the device is that it weighs only 3.6kg which is quite good for a device of its caliber.
Not much is known about the MSI VR One as of the moment but it’s said to be powered by an overclocked CPU and GeForce GTX10 series graphics card. It will be able to produce full throttle gaming with a fairly quiet 40dBA – thanks to its cooling design composed of dual 9cm ultra blade fans and 9 heat pipes.
Other features of the VR One include Thunderbolt3 port, USB Type-C, Mini-DisplayPort, HDMI port, and 4 USB 3.0 ports.
MSI VR One is fully optimized for the HTC Vive and it supports over 90FPS for any high level VR devices.
Pricing and availability isn’t available as of the moment but it’s expected to be announced later this week.


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There is a never ending stream of vulnerabilities in the mechanical and cyber systems that support the grid. So, why hasn’t there been any significant breach of the grid?
London, UK (7 October 2013) – According to DOSarrest Internet Security, findings by its Vulnerability Testing and Optimisation service (VTO) of deep website scans, ninety percent of websites are vulnerable to attack.
Business is increasingly taking place outside the corporate firewall. Employees are using their own devices and turning to consumer-grade cloud file sharing services to allow for access across multiple devices
Several statistics gathering engines on the web reveal an interesting picture. Content management systems (CMS) have become far more popular in the last couple of years.
In an important customer announcement published yesterday, Adobe notified customers that its network had been breached, and the attackers illegally accessed information relating to 2.9 million Adobe customers
A highly resilient botnet conservatively estimated to generate about $700,000 per year in fraudulent advertising revenue narrowly escaped a shutdown engineered by whitehats from security firm Symantec.
FireEye’s World War C report showed that only 0.016% of cyber attacks originate from the UK.
Ads are coming to Instagram in the next couple of months, the photo- and video-sharing app maker said Thursday.
Twitter has fewer users and less revenue than Facebook, but in mobile advertising Twitter appears to have dodged the problems that dragged down Facebook’s stock after its public offering last year.


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GREENVILLE, S.C. — Michelin North America, the pioneer of improved flexion (IF) technology for agricultural tires, showed top agricultural journalists attending the 2011 Agricultural Media Summit how IF radials help farmers reduce soil compaction, improve fuel economy, help the environment and, ultimately, build the farmer’s bottom line.
It took five years for another tire brand to enter the IF-class ag tire market that Michelin North America pioneered in 2005 with the Michelin Axiobib radial for high-horsepower tractors.
“IF technology is having a strong effect on the agricultural tire industry, and for good reason,” says Michael Vandel, marketing segment manager for Michelin North America Agricultural Tyres. “An IF tire has the same rolling circumference as the industry-standard tire, but it can handle the same weight at up to 20-percent less air pressure or allow for 20-percent more load at the same pressure. Running at a lower air pressure lowers reduces growers’ cost of production by improving traction and fuel economy while reducing slip and soil compaction. Ultimately, IF radials make farmers more efficient.”
Expanding on this technology, Michelin widely introduced another first in 2011 — a new class of tire for the sprayer market, very high flexion or the VF-class tire. The Michelin SprayBib™ tire is the first VF-class radial for self-propelled sprayers and Michelin’s second VF radial. The Michelin SprayBib radial first appeared commercially on AGCO RoGator sprayers and became widely available in 2011 as an option with other manufacturers and on the replacement market.
“VF tires have the same rolling circumference as some ag tires, but they can carry the same load with up to 40-percent less air pressure,” Vandel reports. “That gives you a significantly better ride and better traction. And in the case of the Michelin SprayBib, it’s the only D-rated high-clearance sprayer tyre that can carry 14,330 pounds at 40 mph on the roads at 64 psi.”
The driving force
“Technology is the driving force behind our tyres,” Vandel says. “Whether it’s a MICHELIN Axiobib tractor tire that holds heavy weight at low air pressures in the field, a Michelin SprayBib sprayer tire that can withstand heavy road wear while carrying more than 14,000 pounds at 40 mph or a Michelin BibSteel All-Terrain tyre that’s helping build the road, our radials are designed with the same goal in mind — helping our customers to be more productive and more profitable.
“The future is open,” continues Vandel. “The improved flexion and very-high flexion technology has been proven for tractors and sprayers. Farmers can expect the ag tire industry to move even further with expanded equipment tire options to meet their production needs in the months ahead.”
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs 21,400 and operates 18 major manufacturing plants in 16 locations.
Source: Corn & Soya Digest


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AFMA FORECASTS5.9% GROWTH
Furniture World News
The quarterly industry economic forecast released by the AFMA at the end of April, predicts that consumer purchases will grow 5.2% in 1997 to $51.522 billion and then to $53.882 billion in 1998. Wood furniture shipments are expected to grow 6.2%, while upholstered furniture shipments should increase 5.7% in 1997.
Furniture World Magazine-Business solutions for furniture retailers


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Meijer has joined forces with Indian Brook Trout Farm, the nation’s only Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) -certified aquaculture facility, which reinforces the retailer’s commitment to seafood sustainability.
Beginning in April, Meijer customers will be able to buy fresh-pack rainbow trout, one of the retailer’s top-selling seafood varieties. Meijer also will be the only supercenter carrying Indian Brook Trout products.
“At Meijer, we're focused on providing our customers with the freshest, highest-quality seafood, which includes striving to offer seafood caught and farmed in the most responsible and sustainable way,” said David Wier, seafood buyer for Grand Rapid, Mich.-based Meijer. “Not only is this the right thing to do for the environment, but our customers want to know that the seafood they buy from us comes from sources that do not deplete or damage the resource. We are pleased to partner with Indian Brook Trout Farm because their entire farm is focused on doing what's right for the fish and the environment.”
As the only BAP-certified facility in the United States, Indian Brook Trout Farm was independently audited for compliance to BAP standards, which shows its commitment to the environment and the health of both the fish and the public. The farm uses a 10,000-year-old natural aquifer 180 feet below the surface in Jackson, Mich. No antibiotics, hormones or pesticides are used at the farm, and the fish are fed an 85 percent all-plant diet.
“Trout is the fish we all grew up on in Michigan," added Wier. "It's in our rivers, in our streams and lakes. This fish will be delivered to our stores six days a week, as soon as 36 hours after harvesting at the trout farm. That is incredibly fresh fish.”


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MILAN — After building its fragrance portfolio, high-end jewelry firm Bulgari will strengthen its presence on beauty counters with a new skin care line.
Fifteen years after launching its first scent, called Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert — which originally was a gift to the Roman jewelry firm's top clients — Bulgari will introduce its 15-stockkeeping-unit skin care line in October in a limited distribution network that will include 150 doors in Italy.
At a launch event here for the line, Bulgari's chief executive officer, Francesco Trapani, said the company's fragrance division has a new moniker, Bulgari Parfums et Cosmetiques. Founded in 1990, Bulgari's fragrance business now includes 19 scents, and last year, it reached revenues of 202 million euros, or $253.8 million at average exchange. Trapani added he was expecting double-digit growth for the division this year.
"We are the 10th-biggest, single-brand perfume business in the world. And we want the brand to become even stronger, so we believe this skin care launch will enable us to do that," said Trapani. "It's important to have not only fragrance, but a cosmetics line, to give the brand better visibility and build on the brand's image."
Bulgari's skin care line will be distributed exclusively in Italy until next year. Plans to roll it out to the U.S. and other selected countries next year have not yet been finalized.
Though Trapani refused to project sales for the skin care line's first year on the market, industry sources say the launch could net $4 million.
Taking direction from the company's lifeblood, gemology, the Bulgari skin care line's key ingredient is Bulgari Gem Essence, a formula containing extracts of precious stones such as sapphire, malachite, tourmaline and citrine.
To create the Bulgari Gem Essence, the gemstones are pulverized and liquefied and added to other active ingredients. The formula is awaiting an international patent. "We searched for something particular to put behind this line and we found it in this Bulgari Gem Essence — from the aspect that it is very close to the company's DNA," said Trapani. "But on the other hand, it is something that has been proven to be very effective as an ingredient."Jean Paul Marty, head of Bulgari's cosmetics research department in Switzerland, said the skin care line, which took five years to develop, harnesses the stones' benefits to the skin, which are said to include antiwrinkle properties and to promote the skin's radiance. "There's been a long story with gemstones, beauty, medicine and magic — Cleopatra used them in her beauty routine, so why not for cosmetics?" asked Marty.
Bulgari's skin care proposition includes the antiaging Preciéuse Line; the Lumière Line, which is meant to enhance the skin's radiance, and the Cleansing Line.
Marty expects the skin care line's star products to be Crème Preciéuse, which is aimed at smoothing wrinkles and priced at 210 euros, or $287 at current exchange, for 50 ml., as well as Serum De Lumière, a luminescing serum that's priced at 130 euros, or $177.65, for 30 ml.
Packaging for the line includes pale pink, blue and ivory glass containers with silver caps embossed with Bulgari. While Trapani confirmed Bulgari will build upon the skin care line, he said there are no plans to expand the brand's offering into color cosmetics, men's skin care or a spa line.
Further distribution plans call for the Bulgari skin care line to be carried at Bulgari hotels and resorts in Milan and Bali. Plans are also under way to construct a beauty cabine in the brand's 11-story Bulgari Ginza Tower in Tokyo, which is expected to open in December. The cabine will offer treatments that employ Bulgari's skin care line.
@deciem is all about transparency and approachability. At this year’s WWD Digital Beauty Forum, the brand's co-CEO @nicolakilner said talking to customers directly about the ingredients in products and how they work is key. #wwdsummits #wwdbeauty
‘We didn't know how relevant our film would be when we were making it. When Steven [Rogers] wrote the script Trump wasn't president, class divide in America wasn't as evident as it is now, though it was present. The Time’s Up movement hadn't began and the way we look at women and treat women who speak out — thankfully that is something that seems to have shifted in the last year. I think we just need to continue making art that provokes the conversation and do what we can,’ said ‘I, Tonya’ actress @margotrobbie. Head to WWD.com to see all the celebrities who walked the red carpet @bafta #timesup #wwdeye (📸: Neil Hall)
Gemma Arterton is joined on the @bafta’s red carpet by Eileen Pullen and Gwen Davis, the two women who started the fight for the pay-gap. ‘They represent a normal person speaking out for what is right. Speak out, we will listen and anyone can speak out,’ said Arterton. #eebaftas #timesup #wwdeye (📸: David Fisher)


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Last week I reported how Amazon should buy HBO or at least start creating their own TV shows and movies so they can be in control of their own destiny. I also mentioned last week Apple and Google as also potentially getting into the entertainment content creation business. Well it turns out I was prescient since it is now being reported that Google is getting into entertainment content creation. So Hollywood there is a new sheriff in town!
From The Next Web:
According to a recent tweet by Wall Street Journal’s Marketplace Editor, Dennis K. Berman, Google is reportedly putting up $100 million for new, original content on YouTube, including a big deal with Tony Hawk, the retired professional skateboarder and actor.
Google is seeking to become the “next-generation cable provider”, as it currently hosts several free online channels with high quality content. The $100 million will go towards paying for new content for these channels, while YouTube hopes to replenish funds with advertising over said content.
Google leveraging YouTube to distribute the content is a smart move. But if you think 400+ TV channels of music, movies, and TV shows was too much, just wait till multi-billion dollar companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon start creating entertainment shows. Then will we'll have 1000+ channels of entertainment shows and still nothing interesting to watch. Except maybe Season 2 of HBO's Game of Thrones.


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A business owner in Jacksonville who took a chance and launched a new business during the pandemic says her risk has paid off.
Natasha Burton opened Mixed Fillings Pie Shop after moving to Jacksonville and losing her job.
As a new Black business owner, Burton says she received a tremendous amount of community support due to the Black Lives Matter movement.
A major inspiration for the pie shop was her organization, Society of Survivors, which empowers childhood sexual abuse survivors to become advocates, Burton says.
In the future, she hopes to use the shop as a platform to raise awareness and money for her organization.
The shop is located in the Riverside and Five Points area on Oak Street.
The pie is first come, first served or you can pre-order on their website by clicking here.


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In 2018, Singapore will take over the chairmanship of ASEAN with the grand plan of accelerating the growth of companies in the region.
Tapping into global mega-trends and booming digital economy, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has outlined a business-driven agenda that Singapore intends to deliver with two focus areas:
- to streamline regional trade rules governing e-commerce, and lower barriers to entry for seamless economic activity
- to promote digital innovation and deepen connectivity across region to drive businesses growth, especially startups, small and medium-sized enterprises
Smart Nation in Singapore
Ranked 2nd for connectivity in APAC, Singapore has taken the lead to invest in new urban infrastructure – from doubling existing railway to developing smart nation platform and data centers (Singapore hosts 50% data center capacity in Southeast Asia); besides collaborating with various solution partners to co-develop new products, solutions and services across different industries, from manufacturing, healthcare, to retail.
In fact, as the IoT hub in Asia (more than 40% Asia HQs of global MNCs are located here), we’re seeing increasing numbers of IoT innovation and digital centres/labs being launched in partnership with the Economic Development Board, e.g. TÜV SÜD Digital Service Center of Excellence, Accenture IoT Center of Excellence, Fujitsu Digital Experience Centre, ENGIE Lab, and many many more.
Digital Innovation across ASEAN
Since its founding in 1967, ASEAN’s share of global gross domestic product has almost doubled from 3.3% to 6.2% last year. The region has become the world’s sixth largest economy with a combined GDP of US$2.55 trillion.
Frost and Sullivan expects spending on IoT implementations in the region to grow 35% from an estimated US$1.68 billion in 2015 to reach US$7.35 billion in 2020, and it is of no surprise that digital collaboration has been identified as key for the region’s growth.
Putting aside facts and figures, we do see a growing number of IoT PoCs and digitalisation success stories in ASEAN, within each nation AND across industries – the Enterprise Innovation Awards was launched at the Asia IoT Business Platform series this year and here are some of the winners:
- Banking & Financial Services – Krungsri Consumer (Thailand)
With the ultimate aim to understand customer insight and maximize customer experience, Krungsri Consumer invested in Big Data foundation (Hadoop), Big Data analytics, and Real-time Decision Marketing (RTDM) technology.
Moving away from traditional mass marketing into personalized marketing, and from service standardization into service individualization, they have achieved 50% increase of campaigns response rate with less expense on lead generation, resulting in THB 35 million incremental income per month.
- Industrial & Manufacturing – Sime Darby Plantation (Malaysia)
Sime Darby Plantation’s digitalisation strategy has not only reduced the need for greenfield expansion, increased productivity, but also provided transparency on business practices and reduced operational costs.
Through digitalisation of their data aggregation process, they have managed to save RM1 million per year on manpower, paper, and transportation fuel. Raspberry PI architecture was utilised instead of a conventional server set up, which has reduced electricity consumption by 158,000kW per year, equivalent to reduced carbon footprint of 130 metric ton CO2.
- Healthcare – Carehealthplus Systems International (Philippines)
Fast and reliable healthcare information is needed to fulfil clients’ demand on hospitals and other health institutions to be served at the highest and accurate manner.
Carehealthplus has successfully implemented networks using the most innovative way of communication from all over the country, leading to clients satisfaction and trust.
- Transportation & Logistics – Blue Bird Group (Indonesia)
After the first launch of My Blue Bird App, Blue Bird Group’s digital initiatives continue to be refined – from management dashboard, cashless payment and IoT in fleet tracking, predictive fleet behavior management, etc.
These initiatives have resulted in not only increased customer satisfaction (especially among millennials) and corporate customer acquisition, but also increment in customer bookings and drivers target hit.
Driving Smart ASEAN
In line with Singapore’s vision to facilitate digital interaction within ASEAN, we will be hosting key stakeholders from leading public services and private enterprises in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar next February 26-27 in Singapore, where key digital initiatives, e-commerce technologies and digitisation challenges in each country will be discussed.
Drop me a note if you’ll like to chat about a specific market or industry innovation, or if you’re interested to host a site visit for our ASEAN tech leaders.
3 November 2017


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Its $22-billion megamerger agreement with First Data sets it up to be a dominant player on both the bank and merchant sides of payments. How will the industry react?
Executives at Fiserv Inc. all but popped champagne corks on Feb. 7 when they spoke to industry analysts about the Brookfield, Wis.-based company’s financial results. It had been about three weeks since Fiserv stunned the payments business with its $22-billion all-stock offer to buy First Data Corp., the big merchant and card-issuer processor, and its officials were finding the firm’s banking clients in a welcoming mood.
Since the Jan. 16 announcement, said chief executive Jeff Yabuki, “We’ve spent a substantial majority of our time talking to clients, and [their] reactions have been incredibly positive.” In fact, he told the analysts, “the feedback has been probably more positive than I would have thought.”
The stock market also smiled on the deal. Between the day of the announcement and Feb. 13, Atlanta-based First Data’s shares rose nearly 18% on the New York Stock Exchange, which overall climbed just less than 5%. Not a surprising result for the acquired entity. Fiserv’s stock, though, shot up 16.2%, well outpacing the Nasdaq’s 5.5% increase (chart, page 22)—a result that surprised some analysts who are accustomed to seeing companies’ shares drop after announcing major deals.
The offer to buy First Data was a surprise on at least a couple of levels. First, the 43-year-old processor had shown few signs it was trolling for a buyer. Indeed, it has itself been a fairly aggressive acquirer since former JPMorgan Chase & Co. executive Frank Bisignano took over as CEO in 2013.
It has been especially keen to build up its fire power in point-of-sale technology (Clover, acquired in 2013), and in merchant sales and integrated payments (BluePay and CardConnect, respectively, snapped up for more than $1.5 billion in 2017).
Second, while some may have mused about a deal for First Data, few people contacted for this story saw Fiserv as the probable buyer. The company enjoys a brisk business in core processing for financial institutions and also runs units involved in digital bill payment and person-to-person transactions. Two areas of overlap are services for bank card issuers and debit card networking, where First Data’s Star network competes with Fisev’s smaller Accel system.
‘Throwing off Cash’
What puzzles some observers is that the combination, after its expected close in the third quarter, will likely yield little in redundant products or services that could be cut or merged to help produce the savings the two parties are counting on. The companies project some $900 million in combined revenue and cost savings annually by year five after the deal closes.
“There aren’t obvious economies of scale because there’s no overlap,” argues Eric Grover, principal at Minden, Nev.-based financial-services consultancy Intrepid Ventures. “They can chop some overhead, but $900 million in duplicative overhead, I don’t think so.”
Still, a deal of this size—almost certainly the biggest of its kind in the history of the U.S. payments business—doesn’t pop out of a vacuum. In different ways, both companies saw advantages that were almost exclusively financial.
First Data would not comment for this story. Fiserv provided a four-paragraph statement lauding the services and technologies the combined entity will be able to deliver. “With this transaction, Fiserv will be better positioned to offer a broader suite of high-value client solutions with an even more extensive range of end-to-end capabilities,” the statement says.
Certainly, Fiserv saw an opportunity to leverage the value of its stock, say some observers. “The EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization] coming out of First Data is pretty steady,” says Grover. “Even if those guys go off on a drunk, those businesses are still going to be throwing off cash.”
But perhaps not quite enough cash. First Data’s motivation isn’t hard to see for those who’ve studied its balance sheet. One deal in recent memory that tops this latest one also involved First Data. It was Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.’s $29 billion leveraged buyout, which took the company private in 2007. That’s about $36 billion in today’s dollars. First Data returned to public ownership in 2015, but KKR still controls about 41% of the equity.
More important, though it has been steadily paying down its debt from that deal, the processor is still saddled with an obligation of about $17 billion. For some observers, the Fiserv deal is mostly about that debt, which Fiserv plans to refinance.
“That didn’t give [First Data] a lot of freedom to do things because of the covenants,” says Peter Michaud, director of project management at The Strawhecker Group, an Omaha-based payments consultancy. The covenants are the contracts put in place to control risk by restricting First Data’s actions.
A public offering was a possibility, Michaud explains, but finding a partner was a more appealing option. “They really needed someone with a strong balance sheet and a lot of cash. Frank found the right partner,” he says. So, perhaps, did private-equity giant KKR. It will hold approximately a 16% stake in the new company.
Now, as Michaud says, “innovation is going to be key” for the expanded Fiserv. Payments processing isn’t the staid, back-office function it once was. Relatively recent entrants like Square Inc. and The Netherlands-based Adyen N.V. have grown fast and captured the industry’s imagination with new twists on point-of-sale and gateway technology, respectively.
Investors have taken notice, and so have some of First Data’s traditional competitors. Square has gone from trading in the low $40s a year ago to the mid-$70s in the middle of last month. Adyen went public late last spring at 438 euros per share ($510 then) and closed at mid-month in February at 664 euros ($750).
That’s not even accounting for privately held Stripe Inc., which at its latest valuation is worth fully $20 billion, up from $9 billion. Stripe handles payments for c-commerce and gig-economy firms.
That leaves long-time processors playing catch-up, with some doing so more nimbly than others.
“What is really selling globally is technology-enhanced solutions,” said Jeff Sloan, chief executive of Global Payments Inc., a First Data rival also based in Atlanta. He spoke last month to analysts covering his firm’s earnings call.
Since 2012, Global has focused intently on buying and forging partnerships with business-software companies specializing in restaurants, health care, and other verticals, with the premise of infusing payments into their offerings.
With tech competition growing more fierce and engendering more value for processors, “getting additional scale makes sense for others that haven’t been able to make those investments,” Sloan said in response to an analyst’s question about Global’s take on the Fiserv-First Data deal.
But the big merger could have other impacts, as well. Some observers point to the access First Data may now gain to the banking connections Fiserv has developed for core processing, peer-to-peer payments, and bill payment.
“The ability to have an extra set of tracks, going over banking rails, is pretty fascinating,” notes Mike Mussaro, chief executive of Flywire Corp., a provider of cross-border payments. “No one is going in that direction. No one else is trying to put those things together.”
Filling a Gap
Others see potential here, as well. Fiserv runs its own P2P network, called Popmoney, but also connects it to Zelle, the national network created by some of the nation’s biggest banks and operated by Early Warning Services, a bank-owned technology company. P2P payments have been among the first to benefit from banks’ efforts to move money closer and closer to real-time speed.
“First Data has been quiet on faster payments, frankly, but they can benefit from what Fiserv has done to move the ball on that front,” says Sarah Grotta, director of the debit and alternative products advisory service at Mercator Advisory Group, a Maynard, Mass.-based consultancy.
Likewise, that very thing Grover pointed to, a lack of overlap, could ultimately benefit Fiserv. This could start with the basic blocking and tackling of merchant acquiring, which has been a “gap” in Fiserv’s offering, says Patty Hewitt, a former Fiserv executive who is now an independent payments consultant and researcher and one of the few observers who wasn’t surprised to hear of the proposed merger. Through bank joint ventures and other channels, First Data is the biggest U.S. merchant processor.
Fiserv, she says, “looked in the past [at acquiring merchant processors], but the multiples were always too high. There’s only so much market left in core processing. It’s a declining market, highly mature. This is seen as their payments play. It’s been coming for a long time.”
One company many experts are focusing on now is Fidelity National Information Services Inc. (FIS), the sprawling Jacksonville, Fla.-based processor and banking-services provider seen as Fiserv’s closest rival.
Like Fiserv, FIS has had a hand in technology for real-time payments. “FIS has to take pause,” Hewitt says. “I think FIS has to react.” The logical reaction, she adds, would be to buy a merchant processor.
FIS refused to comment for this story, but CEO Gary Norcross let it be known in the company’s earnings call last month that his company is willing to open its wallet.
“We feel great about the position our company is in, about our ability to compete. That said, we would be interested in [potential deals],” Norcross said. ‘We want to find something that accelerates our growth rate. We think about wholesale banking and payments. There are a number of opportunities.”
‘That’s the Risk’
But not everyone is enthusiastic about the pending merger. Some see it as likely to suppress innovation rather than energize it.
Aaron Silva, founder of Paladin fs LLC, a firm that helps banks negotiate contracts with companies like Fiserv, fears vendor consolidation will only weaken banks’ position. “It may be good for Fiserv but it’s not good for the industry,” he says.
Rather than innovate internally, he argues, Fiserv and its competitors buy innovative companies and then raise the price of access to the newly acquired technology. “They’re holding on to cash to make acquisitions,” he says. “The fewer the suppliers, the worse it is for banks.”
On the merchant-processing side, Strawhecker’s Michaud has similar questions. For all the financial sense it makes, the deal may leave smaller ISOs in the cold, he warns, adding, “That’s the risk, servicing and customer service.”
A First Data Timeline
1971 – Founded in Omaha to process for the Mid-America Bankcard Association
1976 – Becomes first processor of bank-issued Visa and Mastercard cards
1980 – American Express buys 80%, buys remaining 20% over next three years
1992 – Goes public
1995 – Acquires Western Union via acquisition of First Financial Management Corp.
1996 – Forms First Data Merchant Services by combining Card Establishment Services and National Bancard Corp.
2004 – Acquires Concord EFS
2006 – Spins off Western Union as a publicly traded company
2007 – Goes private via KKR leveraged buyout
2008 – Dissolves joint venture with JPMorgan Chase in Chase Paymentech Solutions
2009 – Parnters with BofA to form Banc of America Merchant Services
2011 – Collaborates with Google and other companies to launch Google Wallet
2013 – Acquires Clover Network and Perka, a mobile-loyalty provider
2014 – Becomes a token service provider with launch of Apple Pay
2015 – Goes public again with largest U.S. IPO of the year
2017 – Lays out $750 million to enter ISV market with acquisition of CardConnect
2017 – Pays $760 million in cash for BluePay, a major ISO
2019 – Agrees to be acquired by Fiserv Inc. in a $22 billion all-stock transaction


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Stars Launch New Ticket Sales Campaign In Hope Of Increasing Corporate Sales Numbers
The Stars have launched a "new ticket sales campaign for the upcoming season, with hopes of gaining corporate fans," according to Candace Carlisle of the DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL. Stars VP/Ticket Sales Matt Bowman said that the industry average of corporate fans "is 60 percent to 70 percent of the audience for a professional sports team." Bowman "didn't have specific figures for the Stars but said the franchise recognizes that it has been losing ground." He added, "We think businesses haven't thought of the Dallas Stars over the past few years, and we want to make sure we are part of the discussion as people make their decisions about sports entertainment." The franchise has "added a corporate ambassador group to its ticket sales team, adding a dozen team members focused on increasing the club's exposure to the Dallas business community." Bowman said, "We've been out there reminding the business community that we have been here since 1993 and telling our story. They are saying, 'Hey we're glad to hear from you guys; we haven't heard from you in awhile.' We have seen an uptick in new business, but we have a lot more work to do." He added that the club's season ticket base "isn't where it should be." Bowman said that the corporate fan base is "important to the Stars as they seek to return to the levels of season ticket holders seen in the 1990s." He said that part of the club's strategy is "reducing ticket prices and adding value to the fan experience." Bowman added that from packages that offer "lower-level inclusive sideline seats at $139 for each ticket to half-season suites at the American Airlines Center that include Stars and Dallas Mavericks games for $75,000 -- it's all about customization" (DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/6 issue).


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Stay on target
The gold, silver, and bronze medals for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were revealed Wednesday, exactly a year before the event’s opening ceremony in Tokyo, Japan.
The medals were designed to resemble “rough stones that have been polished,” part of the themes of light and brilliance. But they also feature one important quirk — they will be made from old electronic gadgets, such as mobile phones.
Selected following a nationwide competition, the medal designs measure 8.5 centimeters in diameter, and similar to previous Olympic medals, feature Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, the official name of the Games, and the five Olympic rings.
But unlike previous Olympic medals, the approximately 5,000 Tokyo 2020 medals will be made from the recycled metals extracted from old cellphones and gadgets collected during a two-year collection campaign.
“We hope that our project to recycle small consumer electronics and our efforts to contribute to an environmentally friendly and sustainable society will become a legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Games,” the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games said.
Almost 79,000 tons of used cellphones and other small electronic devices were collected by municipal authorities during the campaign that was conducted from April 2017 to March 2019. More than 6 million used cellphones were collected by Japanese phone operator NTT Docomo, which established in-store collection points for customers’ unwanted devices.
In total, the campaign yielded 32 kilograms of gold, 3,500 kilograms of silver and 2,200 kilograms of copper and zinc, Tokyo 2020 said.
The medal design was chosen from over 400 entries to a competition for design students and professional designers. Winner Junichi Kawanishi described the use of his proposal as a “great honor.”
“I never dreamed that the design I submitted, only as a memorial to this lifetime event, would be actually selected,” Kawanishi said in a press statement. “With their shining rings, I hope the medals will be seen as paying tribute to the athletes’ efforts, reflecting their glory and symbolizing friendship.”
More on Geek.com:


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The 193rd Philadelphia Flower Show is held in Philadelphia. [Photo/WeChat account: yangzhou-fabu]
Yangzhou, a popular tourist destination in East China's Jiangsu province, was promoted during a China Day event on June 17 in Philadelphia, the largest city in the US state of Pennsylvania.
The event is part of the Philadelphia Flower Show's first Chinese Culture Festival, featuring traditional Chinese instruments, a lion dance performance, Peking Opera, a Chinese tea ceremony, a kung-fu performance, and promotional videos of the East China cities of Hangzhou and Yangzhou.
In the video, Zhang Baojuan, Party secretary of Yangzhou, said that Yangzhou has been promoting cultural exchanges and cooperation with Philadelphia in recent years, especially since the establishment of the "Window of Philadelphia - Yangzhou Center" in 2017. Philadelphia was also invited to participate in the 2021 Yangzhou International Horticultural Exposition.
Zhang said he looked forward to further cooperation in education, technology, economy, trade, and humanities with Philadelphia. Yangzhou also encourages more Americans to travel to and invest in the Chinese city.
Huang Ping (left), the Chinese consul general in New York, presents a Yangzhou-made lacquer vase to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney during a China Day event on June 17. [Photo/WeChat account: yangzhou-fabu]
The China Day event also incorporated elements of intangible cultural heritage along China's Grand Canal, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the infinite charm of oriental canal culture.
The 2022 Philadelphia Flower Show's Chinese Culture Festival, running from June 11 to June 19, was hosted by the Sino-American Business and Travel Association, co-organized by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), and supported by the Chinese Consulate General in New York.
Founded in 1829, the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the largest and longest-running horticultural event in the United States and offers a glimpse into the world of floral design and gardening.


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Sweet deals and discounts will be available for shoppers at 17 Port Aransas shops and boutiques Thursday, Feb. 10 through Sunday, Feb. 13.
During the annual Chocolate Crawl, each of the shops will offer special discounts and deals so that shoppers can find something special for their valentines.
The event will kick off from 4 to 8 p.m. with chocolate goodies and sales ranging from percentages off to buy-one-get-one specials, said a press release from the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau and Chamber of Commerce, event sponsor.
Friday through Sunday the specials will continue during the shop’s regular business hours.
The participating shops are Bella Bella Boutique, Blue- Water Cowboy Mercantile, Cita Coastal Resort Wear and Home Goods, C&G Sisters, Diamond Island, Fly It Port A, Island Wine, Island Woman Boutique, Jackfish Pizza, Jewels Clothing and Accessories, Jo D’s, Lone Star Taste, Palm Republic, Palmilla Golf Pro Shop and Guest Services, Port A Flip Flop Shop, Raggdoll Boutique and Tippy Toes.
A list and map of participating stores can be found on the chamber’s website, portaransas.org/.


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June 09, 2022 05:46 ET | Source: Absolute Reports Pvt Ltd Abso
We independently selected these products because we love them, and we think you might like them at these prices. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may get a commission if you purchase someth
Only two of the brands stated a time frame of which their wipes break down
Last week health and beauty retailer Boots followed Aldi in banning plastic wipes from their stores . The news
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Additional purchases addured as Covid-19 transitions from a pandemic to an endemic infection.
Innovation in Texti
If taking off your makeup before bed is a real challenge, we're here with a solution. Instead of sleeping in your makeup (been there) or using single-use makeup wipes (which aren't exactly eco-f
The City of Jackson has urged residents to stop flushing bathroom wipes down the toilet. The items are causing sewer clogs.
The label may say flushable, but those wipes take too long
Market Insights Reports has recommended to publish a new study titled Women Wet Tissues and Wipes Market which will be Segmented by Regions and Global market data and is projected to create extr
Clinical trial being planned for drug developed at School of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine
image: A new study from Wash


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Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert with Drake will now be streamed for all fans on Amazon Music. The Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert will take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Thursday, December 9 at 8 p.m. PT, and will also stream on Prime Video as well as on the Amazon Music app, in addition to the Amazon Music Twitch channel. It will also be available on-demand on Prime Video following the live stream event.
“We’re extremely proud to be working with Kanye and Drake on this historic concert in support of a cause they are both so passionate about, and to collaborate across Amazon for this epic entertainment event,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. Steve Boom, vp of Amazon Music says, “We’ve built a home for the most important live streaming events, and seeing these global superstars on stage together will be a can’t-miss event for fans around the world.”
Tim Hinshaw, head of hip-hop and R&B, Amazon Music also chimed in saying “Kanye and Drake have spent their careers pushing boundaries and defining culture, and we’re excited to give fans around the world a front-row seat to this concert. “We have made Amazon Music and Prime Video destinations where artists can make their most ambitious ideas a reality—this concert is just the latest example.”
“It’s rare to be able to bring two of the biggest cultural icons together on one stage for our customers across the globe,” said Alaina Bartels, talent synergy & specials, Amazon Studios. “As the home for talent, whether it’s a developing artist or a household name, we’re constantly focused on building opportunities for them to reach fans in exciting new ways. We can’t wait for our audiences to watch this special event.”
IMAX will also be live streaming the benefit concert in select theaters across the United States. Tickets are available now at www.tickets.imax.com.


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February 20, 2023
Mark Zuckerberg's latest grandiose plan is to have a user verification system much like Elon Musk's new Twitter. Anything that has to do with a subscription and payment has been met with a collective shrug among most social media users. Zuckerberg announced a subscription service for Facebook and Instagram called "Meta Verified". The response has been tepid. Is it really worth it? Let's look at the pros and cons of Zuckerberg's Subscription to see if it's worth getting excited about.


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Company also realigns its business units after revenues fell 20 percent.
Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN)
- Headquarters: Oakdale
- Business: Makes digital storage and security products
- Rank on the Business Journal's list of biggest Minnesota public companies: 28
Imation said Wednesday it will cut about 20 percent of its global workforce in an attempt to return to profitability. The company has 1,130 employees worldwide, according to Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Top 25 Lists, so a 20 percent cut would affect about 225 workers. The cuts are expected to take place next year, and there was no word how many Twin Cities employees would be affected.
The company said it will reduce operating expenses by about 25 percent. This will result in cash charges up to $40 million, with total charges expected to be $50 million to $60 million.
Imation also said it was realigning its comany into two business units, as it refocuses on data storage and security products.
"Our traditional media businesses are declining faster than we anticipated driving the need to accelerate our transformation," Imation CEO Mark Lucas said in a statement.
Ian Williams will lead the new Tiered Storage and Security Solutions division. He has been Imation's vice president for global marketing and product management. Greg Bosler, the company's senior vice president of global business management, will lead the Consumer Storage and Accessories division, which will focus on retail sales.
The changes were announced the same day that Imation announced poor third-quarter numbers, which included a 20 percent drop in sales compared to a year earlier. The company also lost $6.3 million, or 17 cents per share, but that was better than Q3 2011 and better than analysts had expected.
The company's shares dropped 9 percent in early trading Wednesday.
- Period: Third Quarter (ending Sept. 30)
- Sales: $248.2 million, down 20 percent
- Analyst sales expectations: $255 million
- Loss: $6.3 million, compared to a loss of $14.1 million in Q3 2011
- Loss per share: 17 cents, compared to Q3 of a loss of 38 cents per share
- Analyst loss expectations: 27 cents
Mark Lucas, CEO: "Our revenues came in below our expectations in most product lines and in all regions. While weak macro-economic conditions were a factor, we are certainly not satisfied with this performance. Given our soft results it is now not likely that we will return to total company revenue growth in the near term."
>Click here to read the company's news release
Analyst expectations come from polling done by Thomson Reuters.


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Proponents of the cryptocurrency market have always been at the forefront of breaking the latest updates in the universe, through live streams and direct Ask Me Anything [AMA] sessions. The latest luminary to speak up is Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, who touched upon the different streams of revenue and Coinbase’s new avenues.
Armstrong stated that Coinbase believed in a system where both the company and the customers benefited. In his words,
“Just imagine a version of Coinbase out there purely focused on trading and that’s it. The system will be like the more you trade, the more money we make which is not something that we do. There really is a dark side to this hypothetical system as the customers actually lose money which is not our aim. The investors who buy and hold the assets and conduct long term trades are the ones that actually make money in this system.”
The Coinbase CEO asserted that he wanted Coinbase to conduct business in a fashion that boosts not only the world’s economy, but the cryptoverse’s as well. He also touched on the topic of taxes in the cryptocurrency space, but refrained from elaborating on it owing to legal concerns. Armstrong also responded to another user’s question about Coinbase’s entry into Canada. The Coinbase spearhead stated,
“We have always focused on adding more assets to our platform and expanding to more countries. The thing with Canada is that we had issues with the partner so we were forced to pull back and rethink our strategy. Fingers crossed, but we are planning for Canada soon.”
Brian Armstrong was in the news recently after he claimed that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies needed institutional investors to grow and mature. He even sided with the argument that having trusted custodians in the cryptoverse was “really important” to restore positive sentiment.
Subscribe to AMBCrypto’s Newsletter
Bitcoin’s censorship resistance, freedom make it a game changer in the economic industry
Over the years, the global economic industry has witnessed significant changes. However, no change has been more significant or essential than the one introduced by the concept of virtual assets or Bitcoin. Today, Bitcoin and other virtual currencies are almost as essential as fiat money and despite the fact that digital assets have not reached worldwide adoption, the pace of growth has been substantial.
In a recent panel discussion, Jedidiah Taylor, CEO and Founder of Decent.Bet, the smart contract-based sports betting platform, stated that the idea of Bitcoin and blockchain technology projected a perspective of freedom and honesty which allowed individuals to have direct control over their own capital, without any oversight supervision from financial institutions.
The sentiment was followed by Nico De Jonghe, Founder and CEO of NDJ Investment Group, who added that the threat of decentralized assets loomed the largest over centralized institutions like banks, who were worried of the future prospects offered by Bitcoin and its impact on the long-term financial situation.
Tone Vays, a reputable analyst and Bitcoin proponent, opined and stated that Bitcoin’s biggest strength was the fact that it was completely “unconfiscatable” and that one’s BTC is completely safe if it is protected and secured with attention. The characteristic of censorship-resistant value transfer is also an absolute game-changer for Bitcoin, allowing it to competitively exist in the financial system.
The value of Bitcoin has often been criticized in the past, but its valuation has consistently proven its worth. In fact, Bitcoin has grown by more than 150 percent in 2019.
At press time, Bitcoin was priced at $11,371, with a market capitalization of over $202.18 billion. The staggering valuation of an asset that was unheard of 10 years ago, further underlines the potential of Bitcoin in the current market scenario and for the future economies.
Subscribe to AMBCrypto’s Newsletter


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News & Topics
SEMICON Japan 2022 was held under the theme of “Forward as One”! -Breaking News-
|SEMICON Japan 2022, the world’s leading international exhibition for the electronics manufacturing supply chain, was held for 3 days at Tokyo Big Sight from December 14th. In addition, the Advanced Packaging and Chiplet Summit (APCS), a packaging-related event that is attracting attention on a global scale was held in conjunction withn SEMICON Japan 2022, with 1.5 times as many exhibitors then last year!
|With the easing of internationa entery into Japan, guests from across the world came to the event, leading to a great success for SEMICON Japan.
|At the opening ceremony held at the Super THEATER, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, was introduced as the special guest by Mr. Hamajima of SEMI Japan, the organizer of the event. Mr. Kishida gave a inspiring speech for the great success of the event during the opening of the event!
Prime Minister Kishida’s speech at the opening ceremony is also posted on the Prime Minister’s Official Residence website.
|The layout of the venue radiates out from the Super THEATER, which showcased cutting-edge technology and the latest business trends. The popular APCS zone was arranged in a promenade-like configuration.
|Sakura International Inc. was charged with the overall exhibition operation from SEMI Japan, including the administrative office, venue design, decoration construction, venue management, and conference management.
We also provided news on the conference operations at the venue, supported by our STUDIO ARUKAS team. This included delivery and staging, as well as the secretariat operation by our Organizer Support Department, which worked dynamically in the Inperson x Virtual sense.
(Source : SEMI JAPAN)


text: Peter Prange, chief executive of the Klauser/Salamander group, left the company as planned on June 1, but will support it in an advisory capacity. Uwe Gradias and Heinrich Traude who joined the executive board of the company on May 1, following the acquisition of Salamander Germany and Schuhaus Klauser by Ara Holding from the Prange family at the beginning of this year, will remain in their positions. Gradias will take over Prange's responsibilities for sales and business development. Traude will continue to be responsible for commercial management as well as logistics, human resources and IT. The Klauser/Salamander group controlled by Ara currently consists of 75 Klauser shoe stores and 52 Salamander stores in Germany, indicating that five Klauser shops and eight Salamander stores have been closed since the takeover. Klauser had been operating the Salamander stores in Germany under a contract signed with Ara in 2009, after the latter bought all of Salamander's retail and wholesale operations. Ara Holding recorded sales of €560 million in 2015. Figures for 2016 have not been published yet.


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Apple Pay is “overwhelmingly the share leader” in point-of-sale mobile payments across the US despite uptake remaining relatively low, the latest statistics from Piper Jaffray’s Apple Pay adoption tracker show. “Analyst Gene Munster expects numbers to rise in 2016 as Apple integrates attractive new features like P2P payments and in-browser integration,” AppleInsider reports.
- Google Pay goes live in Italy
- Pulse reports on US uptake of mobile debit card payments
- Bank of America brings mobile payments to business card customers
- OP Financial tests face recognition for payments in stores
- Singapore begins rollout of QR code that works with multiple mobile payment schemes


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Napster Inc. shares came to life Monday after the digital-music provider rolled out the test version of its service with XM Satellite Radio, while Google shares pushed onward as an analyst offered up a new high price target of $500.
The Internet sector gained as the Dow Jones Internet Index
was up nearly 1.3% to 95.77, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index
rose 14.60 points to 2,241.67.
shares rose 7% as the company and XM
brought their previously-announced service to market. The online service allows users to access, buy and download music heard on XM. Napster shares have been mired in a year-long slide since trading above $10 late last year.
Also in the digital audio arena, shares of Audible Inc.
closed up 5.5%.
shares rose 3.4% after the Internet marketplace operator and VeriSign Inc.
said they completed the $370 million sale of VeriSign's payment-gateway business to eBay's PayPal.
shares were up 1%. The company also announced a new global brand campaign for the Jamster mobile-entertainment service.
shares reversed early losses to gain as 2.3% at the market close. UBS analyst Benjamin Schachter raised his price target on the Internet search king to $500, citing its "long-term ability to leverage its infrastructure and talent in innovative ways."
Schachter's target implies a 42 times earning per share, 50 times free cash flow on his firm's 2007 estimates.
shares rose 1.8%, continuing last week's strong performance.
Shares of Loudeye Corp.
closed off 4.3% after the company said it has named Chris Pollak its chief financial officer. Pollak replaces Ron Stevens, who left the company for a venture funded start-up.
In China, Internet shares were largely positive, with Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd.
stock rising 3.6% as the company is expected to launch its "EZ Pod" entertainment device this week. See full story.
Other active names in the Net sector includes shares of CNet Networks Inc.
and Overstock.com Inc.


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Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX), a worldwide leader in storage solutions, today announced it is the first hard disk drive manufacturer to ship two billion hard disk drives (HDD)-a staggering number fueled by the explosive demand for storage from mobile applications, cloud infrastructures, social media, business applications and a wide variety of consumer markets. A testament to the pivotal role played by storage in today's digital world, it took Seagate 29 years to reach one billion units shipped and just four years to reach the second billion milestone.
"This is truly an impressive accomplishment and I am proud to lead this company as we celebrate this success," said Steve Luczo, president, CEO and chairman of Seagate. This achievement is a testament to the commitment of our employees whose relentless dedication and personal pride continue to be the fabric of this company."
Digital content demand continues to stem from a wide range of sources, including social media and mobile devices, fueling the need for storage. Analysts estimate that over 4 billion hours of user-generated content is watched each month on YouTube alone. While user generated high-definition camcorder video, still pictures, and smartphone clip sharing storage needs are expected to quadruple from 2013 to 2015.
"The ever-growing number of mobile and content capture devices using cloud services is fueling the growth of digital content," according to John Rydning, IDC's research vice president, for hard drives and semiconductors. "Mobile devices and the cloud are coming together to drive ongoing demand for hard disk drives, with shipments reaching more than 585 million units in 2013, and hard disk drive Terabyte shipments worldwide growing at a 30 percent 2012-2016 compound annual growth rate."
"By 2015 households which today routinely consume 1TB of data a month are expected to generate 20 times the amount of data than they currently save," said Richard Doherty, research director of the Envisioneering Group, a technology research and consulting company. "Consumer's continued appetites for securely saving and organizing high-definition multimedia requires higher performance and the most trusted and dependable drives. Seagate's drives and technology roadmap provide the ideal solution for consumer's soaring need for storage in the home - and away; now, and in the future."
For more information on Seagate's two billion HDD shipped celebration please visit this page.
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The next Saab car we will see on the road will bear the brand name only. Reuters reports that National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS) have completed the purchase and have agreed with truck maker Scania and Saab (defense and aerospace group) that the griffin logo will not be used in future car models.
The deal, which includes the main production plant, moves NEVS one step forward in producing electric vehicles based on Saab cars. NEVS is targeting the Chinese market with its electric vehicles as the Chinese authorities are investing heavily in electric vehicles.
The report quotes Karl-Erling Trogen, NEVS chairman, in saying, “In approximately 18 months, we plan to introduce our first electric vehicle based on Saab 9-3 technologies and a new technology electric powertrain.”
Chinese-Swedish businessman Kai Johan Jiang, founder and principal owner of National Modern Energy Holdings Ltd., which wholly owns NEVS, said that the development of the car have started in China and Japan. He added that the completion of the deal would enable the company to continue development work at Trollhattan, where the Saab plant is located.


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Licensing and distribution firm Fight For Fashion has filed for insolvency, calling in a corporate recovery specialist to assist with the liquidation.
The Leeds company, which distributes young fashion brands including streetwear labels UFC, Affliction and Xtreme Couture, was registered as insolvent this month, with BWC Solutions appointed to help place the company into liquidation.
According to the Fight For Fashion website, the company distributes premium clothing and sportswear to more than 180 retailers including Selfridges, Urban Outfitters, JD Sports and Asos.
The first creditors meeting will take place on June 4 at BWC’s office in Park Place, Leeds.
The company did not respond to requests for comment.
Earlier this year, Drapers revealed the extent to which distributors are struggling as retailers increasingly extend their payment terms.
Shortly before Christmas, Blustocking, the distributor of women’s young fashion brands Little Mistress and Lipsy, was registered as insolvent.


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AbelCine has boosted its digital cinema resources through the purchase of multiple Codex Onboard S camera recorders. AbelCine purchased the recorders to support productions using the new Canon Cinema EOS C500 cinema camera, the ARRI Alexa camera and other digital cameras that generate high-resolution raw data.
With offices in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, AbelCine is a longtime reseller of Codex technologies. The company anticipates strong demand for the Canon C500 and continued demand for the ARRI Alexa.
“An increasing number of productions are choosing to shoot raw,” explained AbelCine camera technology specialist Andy Shipsides. “With Codex systems, we can service everyone from lower budget productions to high-end features.” Shipsides also said that AbelCine will co-venture with Codex to market and provide training for Onboard S and other Codex products.
AbelCine east coast rental manager Mike Nichols noted that Codex is the preferred choice among the company’s cinematographer clients, especially for recording raw data. “The Codex name is associated with reliability,” he said. “It also has a wonderfully expansive feature set and attractive price point. Codex is the standard for digital cinema production.”


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New research has revealed “the damaging impact” a proposed UK sugar tax could have on the economy, UK campaign group The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) said today (11 July).
The TPA, which is calling for the “pernicious” tax proposals to be scrapped, said research in Mexico had shown the effect that such a tax had already had on jobs and economic output there.
Adjusting for the facts that the tax rate in the UK is higher, and that high sugar products make “a proportionally smaller contribution to the UK economy”, the TPA said the research indicated that if the tax had the same effect in the UK it could “deliver a huge blow to growth and employment”, with the loss of more than 5,600 jobs.
TPA CEO Jonathan Isaby said: “Not only will the sugar tax fail in its public health aims, there is a very real risk that it will destroy jobs and harm economic growth. Given it will also hit the poorest households the hardest, the already flimsy case for a sugar tax is rapidly dissolving. The government should be focusing on policies which encourage economic growth, so the sugar tax should be immediately scrapped.”
The TPA’s call comes as the UK prepares to publish its long-awaited Child Obesity Strategy – which is set to cause further acrimony between the food industry and health campaigners.
Campaign group Action on Sugar (AOS) has said the strategy has been “severely eroded by strong lobbying from certain members of the food industry”, naming representative bodies such as the Food and Drink Federation and the British Soft Drinks Association specifically.


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A Southwestern Ontario cannabis producer plans to double its production space by embracing outdoor growing.
WeedMD has applied to Health Canada, the country’s pot regulator, to grow marijuana on a 20-hectare plot – land previously used to grow asparagus – beside its Strathroy greenhouse operation, the company announced Wednesday.
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“With the addition of this outdoor grow, we’ll have the ability to produce north of 100 tons of cannabis per year,” WeedMD chief executive Keith Merker said.
The first phase of the project, if approved, will begin in the coming months – with the first harvest expected in the fall – and be completed in 2020, boosting WeedMD’s total production footprint to 250,800 square metres, the company says.
Cannabis grower 48North, located outside Brantford, became the first in Canada to apply for an outdoor grow licence last year after the federal government lifted its ban on outdoor cultivation. A surge of other companies have since followed suit.


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Stance to open first store outside US in Covent Garden
Apparel brand Stance will be opening its first physical store outside of the US in London’s Covent Garden shopping district next month.
Situated at 3 Neal Street, the 2,004 square foot unit will be home to retail space on the ground floor and a gallery and event space in the basement. The interior will be designed by an in-house team with artwork created by global athletes.
The store will stock Stance’s socks, underwear and its new dual-gender t-shirt range.
Founded in California, Stance has ten stores in the US and a brand presence in over 60 countries. It has also amassed over 1.5 million followers on Instagram and is the official sock brand of the NBA. In addition, it counts Rihanna as one of its contributing creative directors.
Paul Zaengle, Stance’s executive vice president of retail, said: “The UK is the obvious next step for us and we can’t wait to bring our retail experience to loyal customers there and introduce the brand to new ones.
“With 44 million visitors to Covent Garden each year, Neal Street is the ideal location for Stance’s debut international location and we can’t wait to plant deeper roots on English soil.”
Stance’s UK debut follows a string of recent leasing activity for The Mercers’ Company including map retailer Stanfords, which will be relocating for the first time since 1901 to 7 Mercer Walk. In addition, footwear brand Allbirds opened its first European store at 121-123 Long Acre earlier this month.
Shadé Fadiora, The Mercers’ Company asset manager, said: “Stance is a remarkable brand with an impressive success story and they will be a great addition to the Mercers’ retail estate. Their decision to launch their UK debut out of the US at this location confirms that Neal Street and the surrounding area of Covent Garden is one of the top retail destinations in the capital, and indeed the UK.”
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A restaurant serving Chicago-style food could open as soon as next month in Belleville.
Tasty’s Chicago Grill is renovating the former Arby’s building on West Main Street, where owner Mike Naser anticipates opening for business by Sept. 1. His menu will feature Chicago-style hot dogs, chili dogs, burgers, gyros and more.
This will be the first Tasty’s Chicago Grill for Naser, who opened his first in Decatur, Ill., which is still in operation. Naser said he likes the potential for expansion in the metro-east: “We think there will be a chance for growth in this area.”
Verizon has revamped its store at 5902 N. Illinois St. in Fairview Heights as a “smart store” where customers can try out the latest technology in smart phones, gaming, fitness and home security systems. Verizon Wireless will reopen its store in Fairview Heights on Thursday, but this time the store will be more than a showroom for cellphones.
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The wireless company is opening what it is calling a “smart store,” which will provide local consumers an opportunity to test phones, gaming, fitness and home security systems. The store at 9502 N. Illinois St. closed in March and temporarily relocated to an adjacent shopping center. The store will open Thursday at 10 a.m.
K & K Rental in Belleville has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer. Located at 137 Iowa Ave., K&K now offers U-Haul trucks, trailers, towing equipment, pre-tow inspection, support rental items and in-store pickup for boxes. U-Haul pods are also available for rent down the street at 140 Iowa Ave. Call 618-207- 3601 to find out more.
A new beauty salon is planning to open by next month in Belleville. J’s Lavish Beauty Salon anticipates opening by Aug. 1 at 1816 North Belt West, Suite 4. In the meantime, the proprietor can be reached at 618-250-1148.
And finally, a Fairview Heights bank has merged with another and has a new name. First Community Bank at 4600 N. Illinois St. is now Providence Bank. The Fairview Heights branch is the first in the metro-east and joins other Providence Bank branches in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Texas. For more information, call the new Fairview Heights bank at 618-234-9500.
Contact reporter Will Buss at firstname.lastname@example.org or 618-239-2526.


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CooperVision forms plastic neutral partnership
The initiative with Plastic Bank offsets the weight of plastic in every pack of CooperVision’s one-day contact lenses distributed in the UK and Ireland with credits funding the reprocessing of plastic waste
21 January 2022
CooperVision has made its one-day contact lenses distributed in the UK and Ireland plastic-neutral through a partnership with the social enterprise, Plastic Bank.
Plastic Bank creates ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities, enabling the reprocessing of plastic waste to be introduced back into the supply chain, while supporting the individuals who collect the materials.
Under the new initiative, for every box of CooperVision one-day contact lenses distributed in the UK and Ireland, the company will purchase credits that fund the collection, processing and reuse of general plastic waste that is equal to the weight of the plastic used in its one-day contact lenses and packaging.
Doug Bairner, CooperVision country manager for the UK and Ireland, explained that the new initiative forms part of the company’s “holistic approach” to sustainability, adding to previous projects to build sustainable manufacturing and operations.
“Plastic plays a critical role in the hygienic delivery and sterile protection of our contact lenses, and how the plastic is managed is important to us,” Bairner said.
Research by CooperVision reveals that sustainability is a growing priority for consumers, along with concern around the management of plastic waste, with a 2021 survey revealing that 85% of wearers agree that keeping plastic out of the oceans is important to them.
The survey also found that 93% of contact lens wearers surveyed would choose a plastic neutral contact lens over a comparable non-plastic neutral lens – assuming both were recommended by their eye care professional.
All CooperVision one-day contact lens brands in the UK and Ireland are included in the initiative. There is no action that eye care professionals or consumers would need to take through the initiative, with the company explaining that “anyone who recommends or wears the lenses is participating.”
David Katz, founder and CEO of Plastic Bank, explained that the social enterprise aims to “empower the regenerative society while improving the lives of collector communities,” adding that the initiative with CooperVision provides the opportunity to “make meaningful environmental, social and economic impact.”
Bairner concluded: “Plastic neutrality is not an endpoint; it is another milestone in CooperVision’s journey to continuing to make a positive impact on the environment.”
- CooperVision launches myopia action plan for ECPs
- Alcon achieves GreenCircle certification for zero waste to landfill
- CooperVision launches new dashboard to illustrate plastic neutral goals
- No7 Contact Lenses launches myopia campaign
- Bausch + Lomb launch new silicone hydrogel daily disposable contact lens


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This photo from Dec. 2019 shows robotic arms spray painting a automotive body shell on the BYD Automobile Company Limited Xi’an plant. BYD is about to provide Tesla with batteries “very soon,” a senior company executive told a Chinese state media anchor.
Yuan Jingzhi | Visual China Group | Getty Images
Shares of electrical vehicle maker BYD jumped in Wednesday morning trade after a senior executive said during an interview with Chinese state media that the corporate is about to provide batteries to Tesla “very soon.”
“We’re now good friends also with Elon Musk, because we’re preparing to provide batteries to [Tesla] very soon,” BYD Vice President Lian Yubo said during an interview with Chinese state media anchor Kate Kui.
Rechargeable batteries and photovoltaic (the conversion of sunshine from the sun to electricity) made up 7.29% of BYD’s revenue pool in 2021, dwarfed by the greater than 50% share taken up by automobiles and related products, in response to the corporate’s latest annual report.
Hong Kong-listed shares of BYD jumped 2.65%, mirroring broader positive sentiment in tech because the Hang Seng Tech index advanced 2.84%. Shares of other Chinese EV makers in Hong Kong also rose, with Nio up 4.68% while Xpeng surged 5.32%.
Mainland-listed shares of Chinese battery maker and Tesla supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology, nonetheless, tumbled greater than 6% following the comments. CATL had roughly 25% of world EV battery market share in 2020, far ahead of BYD’s 7%, in response to Nomura research.
Elsewhere in Asia, shares of Panasonic in Japan dipped around 0.8% while South Korea’s LG Energy Solution dropped 1.39%. Each firms also supply batteries to Tesla.
— CNBC’s Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.