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A Mastercard debit card from U.Okay. digital financial institution Monzo.
LONDON — Monzo and Revolut, two of Britain’s best-known monetary know-how companies, are planning to enter the booming “purchase now, pay later” business.
Purchase now, pay later, or BNPL, plans are an more and more standard technique of cost that lets customers unfold the price of their purchases over a collection of interest-free instalments. The pattern was pioneered by the likes of Swedish fintech Klarna and Australian agency Afterpay.
It is now attracting curiosity from a few of the world’s largest corporations, with PayPal launching its personal BNPL service, Amazon and Apple partnering with U.S. supplier Affirm, and Afterpay being offered to Sq., the funds firm owned by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
Now, two of the U.Okay.’s hottest fintech corporations try to get in on the motion.
Monzo, which presents checking accounts via an app, is quickly set to announce plans to launch its personal model of BNPL, an individual acquainted with the matter informed CNBC.
The particular person, who most well-liked to stay nameless as the data isn’t but public, stated the digital financial institution would introduce affordability checks on prospects.
The information was first reported by London’s Night Commonplace newspaper.
In the meantime, Revolut CEO Nik Storonsky informed the Commonplace earlier this week the corporate was working by itself pay-later product. Revolut, a digital banking and buying and selling app, was lately valued at $33 billion following an $800 million funding spherical led by SoftBank and Tiger World.
However Monzo, in contrast to Revolut, is a regulated financial institution within the U.Okay. Whereas Revolut was granted a European banking license in Lithuania, it’s at present searching for additional licenses in Britain, the U.S. and Australia.
Nonetheless, Monzo is smaller in measurement than Revolut, with 5 million prospects and a £1.25 billion ($1.7 billion) valuation. Revolut says it now has greater than 15 million customers. Starling, one other standard digital financial institution within the U.Okay., has over 2 million prospects and was final valued at £1.1 billion.
Regulators take discover
Whereas the BNPL business is rising quick, its fast rise hasn’t gone unnoticed by regulators.
The British authorities has plans to introduce regulation for the sector. Proposals introduced by the Treasury division earlier this 12 months included the requirement that companies make affordability checks earlier than lending to prospects and the flexibility to escalate complaints to the U.Okay.’s monetary ombudsman.
In response to a evaluate revealed by the Monetary Conduct Authority in February, the U.Okay.’s BNPL market is price £2.7 billion, with 5 million Brits utilizing such merchandise because the begin of the coronavirus pandemic. Multiple in 10 prospects of a significant financial institution utilizing BNPL providers have been already in arrears, the evaluate stated.
“The FCA has already taken a major step in direction of bringing BNPL into the fold, with the evaluate they unveiled earlier this 12 months — and they’re sure to extend controls if solely as a result of rising recognition of BNPL out there,” David Brear, CEO of London-based fintech consultancy 11:FS, informed CNBC.
“In contrast to a few of the different suppliers of BNPL within the U.Okay., Monzo is already a regulated entity underneath the FCA and would not do something to danger their fame with the regulator.”
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It is now easier and faster to apply for free and reduced meals.
Pequea Valley is pleased to announce a new online payment system for school meals. This online payment service provides a quick and easy way to...
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The spread of viral advertising: as more and more people switch off the television and go online for entertainment, advertising is changing. Growing numbers of advertisers are getting more bang from ad budgets by going viral. So how do you get ahead in viral advertising, asks Simon Creasey.At first glance it seems fairly innocuous. Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer “Federer” redirects here. For other uses, see Federer (disambiguation).
Roger Federer (IPA pronunciation: [ˈɹɑ.dʒəɹ ˈfɛ.də. is captured on video goofing around on the set of a Gillette TV ad shoot. But then something out of the ordinary happens. In homage to Federer's legendary countryman William Tell, he cannons a tennis ball across the studio and crisply knocks a can off a crew member's head. And to prove it wasn't a fluke he immediately repeats the feat.
What happened next has gone down in marketing folklore. The video was posted on Gillette's YouTube channel and became an overnight internet sensation, racking up millions of views. Gillette brand owner P&G had lucked in. Catching Federer's impromptu trick shot on camera was a happy accident that secured the fmcg giant bundles of free coverage. Or was it?
Shortly after the video aired, rumours began to circulate that it was actually part of a carefully co-ordinated marketing campaign that relied rather more heavily on post-editing CGI CGI
in full Common Gateway Interface.
Specification by which a Web server passes data between itself and an application program. Typically, a Web user will make a request of the Web server, which in turn passes the request to a CGI application program. than tennis skills. P&G refused to spill the beans either way so the debate continues to rage in online forums as to whether or not it's fake. Where there's no debate is that the Federer video is one of the UK's most successful brand-related viral videos to date.
As increasing numbers of people turn to the internet rather than TV for entertainment, it's a trick that fmcg companies will have to rapidly get to grips with because the speed with which viral video A video that spreads quickly via the Internet. It is often a short clip on a video sharing site such as YouTube that people reference in blogs, e-mails and instant messages. See viral marketing. advertising has grown has been phenomenal.
Originally, branded viral videos were pretty ad hoc For this purpose. Meaning "to this" in Latin, it refers to dealing with special situations as they occur rather than functions that are repeated on a regular basis. See ad hoc query and ad hoc mode. informal affairs--people saw something they liked and shared it among friends via email or social networks. But times have changed. Nowadays companies take a much more predictable, scaleable and transparent approach to creating viral video campaigns. So much so that viral advertising See viral marketing. has become big business for creative and media buying agencies alike.
One of the key attractions of viral video is that you get the impact of a TV ad for the cost of the creative production alone, according to according to
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.
2. In keeping with: according to instructions.
3. Dan Greenberg Dan Greenberg is an American politician and a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. Greenberg, who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, represents legislative district 31 in Arkansas, which includes portions of Pulaski County and Saline County. , co-founder and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of viral video distributor Share-through. As a result, brands get much more bang for their buck.
That's not to say that virals come cheaply. A large percentage of the costs associated with a viral video campaign are swallowed up by 'seeding'--the process of promoting a video so it gets picked up by the online community and 'goes viral'. Seeding is crucial because, as Greenberg points out, "brands don't make viral videos, users make videos viral". If you can get someone to share a video with friends, they're essentially endorsing the brand and this carries tremendous value to advertisers. Sharethrough's research shows that people watch brand videos recommended by a friend three times longer than the same film in a paid-for placement. "So those shared views are really the most valuable interaction an advertiser can create," says Greenberg.
Driving awareness of a brand through genuine consumer approval is all-important to brand owners, such as P&G, one of the keenest and most effective proponents of viral marketing An online advertising approach that functions somewhat like word-of-mouth. The "viral" refers to how quickly it propagates, but its purpose is not to cause damage like a computer virus, but to make an offer available to the masses. . Indeed, so advanced is its model that it has established a number of different branded YouTube channels on which it has posted conventional TV commercials in addition to viral content, such as the hugely successful US online campaign for Old Spice Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble, which acquired the brand in 1990 from the Shulton Company. History , which has generated more then 28 million views. The campaign, which allowed Old Spice fans to send a message to the face of Old Spice--actor Isaiah Mustafa--via Facebook, Twitter or YouTube and receive a response via a personalised video, was so successful that people responded with spoof Old Spice ads of their own, which is a "true measure of brand engagement" according to Erika Clegg, MD of Spring Advertising.
While Federer's shot may not have scored as many views as Old Spice, the pickup on TV, in print and online was just as impressive, according to James Nunn, P&G's male grooming brand communications spokesman. "The Federer viral was viewed online more than 10 million times but also generated well over 700 million impressions worldwide--unprecedented ROI (Return On Investment) The monetary benefits derived from having spent money on developing or revising a system. In the IT world, there are more ways to compute ROI than Carter has liver pills (and for those of you who never heard of that expression, it means a lot). for the brand here in the UK," says Nunn.
He adds that there were three key reasons why the Federer viral worked so brilliantly: it contained a global megastar, had amazing content and it generated a lot of discussion around whether or not the video was real or fake. This latter point--the creation of 'chatter' around a viral campaign--is the main goal of marketers, says Rachel Bristow, Unilever's marketing and communications buying director. "Consumers on social networks are having conversations in different ways than they were 10 years ago," says Bristow. "What we're trying to do is get people to see and chat about our content within these environments."
Unilever has already used viral for Lynx, Magnum and Pot Noodle and is starting to roll it out across other brands. "This year we've had about 1.2 million paid-for viral views and over 300,000 organic viral views, which equates to [pounds sterling]750,000 of local content views," says Bristow.
The figures sound impressive but if brands want to maximise the benefits of viral video they shouldn't fall into the trap of using it in isolation--it should always be used as part of the wider media mix, believes Coca-Cola Enterprises trade communications manager Selena Taylor. "Brands increasingly need to think and act like content editors providing multiple experiences and touch points as well as continuing with marketing methods we've used for years. So now our plan at any one time might be made up of a retailer offer in-store with PoS, six-sheet posters, a TV ad that pushes consumers to our Facebook page, a promotion or competition on Coke Zone, short-form content on YouTube and a coupon distributed via mobile."
Whichever route the marketing message takes, the boundaries between different media channels will continue to blur. There are already signs this is occurring, with advertisers trying to give TV campaigns a gritty viral video edge. One day viral video advertising will become the mainstream. But until that day get on to YouTube, check out Federer's racket and join the debate.
THE GROCER'S PICK OF THE DEADLIEST VIRALS 1. Old Spice The man your man could smell like 28 million views 2. Dove Evolution 12 million views 3. Gillette Fusion Federer trick shot 8 million views 4. Coke Zero & Mentos Rocket car 3 million views 5. Pepsi We will rock you 1.7 million views To view these virals, visit thegrocer.co.uk and vote for your favourite


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a) The rise of streaming video (as it’s the first time it surpasses 50%) and b) the rise of paid content on the internet.
The latter is also backed up by the fact that peer-to-peer sharing has lost 31% of its “market share” over the past five years, even as files get bigger and bigger (Blu-ray, massive game installations etc).
Here’s the top 10 “causes” of internet traffic in the U.S., according to the same source:
What’s also really interesting about the table is that Facebook is responsible for 1.34% of the daily traffic in the US. It might seem small, but think of it this way: For every 100MB of traffic, 1.34 is on Facebook.
The big player, Netflix, is also responsible for about 20% of European internet traffic, even though it has only launched in a few markets.
Do you think Google can take advantage of the continuous growth of YouTube that’s now responsible for almost a fifth of American internet traffic? We’d add that redesigning it’s comment system, is surely not the way to go.
- When TV Channels Make their YouTube Revolution
- Live Social Media Summed Up in 33 seconds
- “F*ck You, Google+”, A not so Polished Song About YouTube New Comments
- YouTube Rolls out Google+ Commenting
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YouTube's Chief Product Officer, Neal Mohan, took the stage at VidCon last week to announce new opportunities for creators to …
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What makes Veganuary effective?
In February 2022, Veganuary welcomed participants from nearly every country in the world. It claimed only Tajikistan and North Korea were missing from the official list of sign-ups.
Estonia-based Liis Hainla tells me she turned vegan in January 2015. But she quickly notes that her switch to a plant-based lifestyle during the first month of the year was purely a coincidence.
Hainla co-founded a vegan shoe company, KIRA, and manages an online publication, Vegan Avenue. Her hometown Tartu, in eastern Estonia, is home to an array of vegan-friendly restaurants, stores and events. The city is very focused on sustainability, environmentalism, and animal welfare, which makes it a lot easier for people to even consider trying a vegan lifestyle, she claims.
In recent years, she has become increasingly familiar with the international campaign of Veganuary, with several of her friends now trying it for the second or third time in a row.
She believes there are a number of ways to encourage individuals to sign up for Veganuary – organising fun events, festivals, and other celebrations that promote a vegan culture while maintaining a sense of community are amongst the most fruitful.
But the effectiveness of campaigns like Veganuary doesn’t just come from the community, she notes. It comes down to a person and their circumstances too.
Eight years after she transitioned, the answer to why she went vegan is still complicated, evolving and very personal, Hainla explains.
That same concept might apply to whether we choose to transition or not.
Some may be open to change, while others may not. Similarly, some may have the right funds and access to plant-based resources, while others may not. And some may have the courage to stand up against social norms, while others may not.
Factoring in the more personal aspects of a campaign like Veganuary is important to measure how effective it is, she says.
Nonetheless, some numbers are starting to prove that popularity – or demand – could help make veganism more affordable. In 2019, the New York Post reported that milk alternatives in the US, such as almond or oat milk, cost almost double the price of cow’s milk.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg revealed in October that the cost-of-living crisis in the UK had pushed the price of cow’s milk above several dairy-free alternatives, meaning a two-pint bottle of own-brand milk cost £1.25 on average across four of the country’s main supermarkets, a 36% increase from January 2022.
At the same time, a one-litre bottle of own-brand soya milk cost £1.05 and the same for almond milk cost £1.07.
Keeping veganism ‘exciting’
Over in Mauritius, Sunrise Attitude’s resident vegan sous chef, Ravi Kumarsingh Gujadhur, says his hotel welcomes more and more vegan guests every year.
‘Veganuary has helped many individuals – and myself – learn more about what it means to [follow this lifestyle],’ he notes. It’s helped people experiment with ingredients and recipes too.
Gujadhur says he believes hospitality businesses adopting vegan options is the way forward for the planet, as well as people’s overall health and well-being.
Sunrise Attitude is eco-committed and sources all its food and beverages from local farmers across the island whenever possible. So adapting to the growing demand for veganism from its guests seemed to be an ‘obvious choice’, he says.
But ‘veganising’ certain dishes can be difficult, especially when it comes to recreating the flavour and texture of the ingredients we are so used to consuming, as well as finding them for an affordable price.
In Mauritius, meat and fish are also very much a part of festive dishes, making it even trickier to feed customers during the holidays, the sous chef says.
Gujadhur is responsible for the vegan options found throughout the hotel but notes that even his executive chef has started to adopt a plant-based lifestyle, urging the rest of his staff to follow in his footsteps.
‘I’ve been fascinated by vegan cuisine for the last two years and am truly passionate about making sure there are interesting and incredibly tasty options – rather than just ticking a box,’ he says.
After training with a renowned vegan chef, Gujadhur came to Sunrise Attitude to ensure that Mauritius’s melting pot of flavours and food was maintained when the hotel presented vegan-friendly alternatives on its menus.
To truly make Veganuary effective, restauranteurs and their chefs need to make plant-based options exciting and delicious, Gujadhur notes.
He adds that this doesn’t mean ‘poor, make-do alternatives’; it should mean vegan dishes that make non-vegans turn their head.


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Philips Malaysia announced it expects double-digit growth for its Domestic Appliances and Personal Care (DAP) products in 2004, with the introduction of new beauty and personal care products.
Andrew Eng Soo Wing, general manager Domestic Appliances & Personal Care of Philips Malaysia Sdn Bhd, explained that the goals would be achieved by broadening both reach and penetration into urban centers and rural areas, in addition to maintaining market leadership for all its core category products such as steam irons and electric shavers.
During the second half of 2003, Philipsâ€™ DAP products were able to increase 10 percent, proportionate to the market growth of the small domestic appliances market in Malaysia for the period.
"Last year, we rolled out our high-end kitchen appliance range, Essence, into the Malaysian market. The Essence range boasted the latest features for kitchen appliances technology using the SMART system, which made cooking easier and much more enjoyable," Mr. Eng said. "This year, we hope to introduce to our Malaysian customers more than 10 new products that are both user-friendly and affordable. What is more, to differentiate us from the rest of the competition, Philips has taken the initiative to offer an international warranty of 2 years." (Sarawak Tribune)
to Daily News


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Madmind Studios has announced their next title – Paranoid. The new psychological horror game is set for a release on Windows PC. Featured above, you can view a teaser for the game, which looks similar to their previous release – the disturbingly violent and sexual game Agony (which also recently got an uncensored release – read… The post Agony Devs Reveal New Psychological Horror Game “Paranoid” appeared first on Niche Gamer.
Madmind Studio has undoubtedly caused a stir with the release of Agony. If you liked its style, you should know that the studio has already announced its new ga
Agony developer Madmind Studio has revealed Paranoid, a first-person survival horror that follows an isolated 31-year-old, as their next project.
Oh, the agony
Adults only survival horror game Agony was poorly received when it launched in May, but only some of the criticism concerned the game itself: many were upset that a promised "uncensored" version of the game would not, after all, materialise. Madmind Studio originally planned to reinstate censored material with a post-launch patch, but later blamed "legal issues" for its eventual decision not to.Shortly after, Madmind announced Agony Unrated, which would include the censored material in addition to deleted scenes and more. "Agony Unrated will be a separate title produced and published by Madmind Studio and without the involvement of any publishers," the studio's announcement in June read. Agony Unrated was set to include "additional erotic animations", additional sounds, and "all the scenes that have been removed from the standard version of Agony". But that version got cancelled too, with the studio citing financia
Madmind Studios have announced they’re somehow, finally, releasing a fully uncensored and unrated version of Agony. The uncensored version of the game will be titled Agony Unrated, and it’s set to launch on Windows PC via Steam on October 31st. The unrated version was originally planned to release back in June, but was shelved due to… The post Agony Unrated Version Coming to PC on October 31, Promises Totally Uncensored Debauchery appeared first on Niche Gamer.
When this writer saw what can only be described as a vagina-faced demon fronting the cover art for Madmind Studios ‘Agony’, one thought “I can dig that”. For this filthy minded wordsmith, sexual sy…
Developer "struggling with financial problems" reneges on promise of unrated re-release
Initially slated for a March 30th release, Agony was delayed without a further date being announced. The highly anticipated horror title finally got an updated release date.
A new world of pain


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SAP AG is buying a small Indian software company to help beef up the business process management capabilities in its NetWeaver applications platform.
It is purchasing Yasu Technologies, a maker of business rules management software, which helps ensure that business processes automated through software are in compliance with a company's rules and regulations.
SAP characterized the deal, announced at its Tech Ed conference in Munich, Germany, on Wednesday, as a "fill in" acquisition that would bridge a gap in its technologies. The deal is due to close this month and financial terms were not disclosed.
Several vendors, including SAP, are providing software tools that allow companies to automate common business processes, such as issuing a purchase order or checking inventory levels, with the goal of making them more efficient.
But SAP does not yet offer tools for managing these processes, and buying Yasu will help it to add such BPM (business process management) capabilities to NetWeaver.
SAP will begin pilot tests of its first BPM product, code-named Galaxy, in the first quarter of next year. The technology acquired from Yasu will be integrated with Galaxy around the middle of next year, said Klaus Kreplin, SAP's head of NetWeaver technology.
Yasu's software helps companies to enforce the rules that their business processes must abide by. If a company automates a project approval process, for example, Yasu will send projects under a certain budget to a mid-level manager for approval, and more costly projects to a senior manager.
"The nice thing is, you can define rules and make them available as a service that can be integrated with other applications," Kreplin said.
Yasu was founded in 1999 and has about 120 employees. Customers include the auto maker BMW AG, according to its Web site.
BPM is one of several areas SAP is entering to compete better with its main applications rival, Oracle Corp. SAP will also offer software for building composite applications, called the NetWeaver Composition Environment, and developing hosted applications for smaller companies, called SAP Business ByDesign.
The Galaxy software will be integrated with NetWeaver Composition Environment next year. Eventually that, in turn, will be offered as a part of Business ByDesign, Kreplin said, although he wouldn't say when.
Last week SAP said it would buy business intelligence vendor Business Objects SA for US$6.8 billion. A few days later Oracle Corp. offered to buy BEA Systems Inc., whose software competes with SAP's NetWeaver, for $6.7 billion, but BEA called the offer too low.
SAP CEO Henning Kagermann told the Financial Times of London over the weekend that SAP won't enter a bidding war for BEA, and that its strategy is still to grow its two core businesses -- applications and middleware -- organically.
But he wouldn't rule out further big acquisitions in areas where SAP is not already strong. "We are categorically not excluding further big acquisitions," Kagermann said, according to the Financial Times.
The company also continues to snap up smaller companies. SAP has bought more than a dozen vendors in the past three years, according to IDC, including five in 2005, three in 2006 and six so far in 2007, including Yasu and Business Objects. That compares to more than 30 acquisitions for Oracle, a few of which were much larger deals.


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Luxury retailer Coach (NYSE:TPR) has lost its wheels in 2014, while competitors Michael Kors (NYSE:CPRI) and Kate Spade (NYSE:KATE) are chugging along nicely. Coach's bad times started when the company declared disappointing second-quarter results in late January. Its North American comps declined 13.6% while its overall revenue dropped 6%.
Coach could not escape the adverse climate conditions that prevailed in the U.S., while competition from Kors and Spade also throttled its growth.
Challenges in China
China was the only bright spot for Coach; its total sales in the region grew 25% and its comparable-store sales rose at a double-digit rate. The company opened 10 new stores at key locations in China: two in Hong Kong and eight in mainland China. Coach now has a total of 142 stores in China, with 122 stores on the mainland. In addition, it is positive about its prospects in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, where it is opening stores in Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, and Malaysia.
However, Michael Kors is catching up fast in these regions. Kors now has 94 retail locations in Korea, Greater China, Southeast Asia, and Australia. In addition, Kors recently opened a new flagship store in Shanghai. This is Kors' largest location in China at approximately 5,800 square feet, and the company believes that it will become the premier destination for the Michael Kors brand in China. In the long run, Kors plans to have 200 retail locations in the Asia-Pacific region.
This could be a worry for Coach since Michael Kors is a fast-growing company in China's affordable-luxury segment. Kors focuses on 20-to-30-year-old shoppers in China, and it plans to grow its footprint to 100-125 locations in the country over the next three to five years from just 12 last year. Michael Kors is also making its presence felt in the e-commerce space in China. It was the most sought-after American brand among Chinese Internet users according to the Digital Luxury Group in 2013. Also, Kors recruited five of China's top models last year to promote its products as it makes a push into this fast-growing region.
Kate Spade enters the fray
Even Kate Spade looks to make a mark in China. The company will open eight to 12 stores in China this year, adding to its existing network of 20 boutiques. Kate Spade recently opened a new headquarters in Hong Kong to oversee its expansion in this area as it looks to benefit from one of the fastest-growing fashion-apparel markets in the world.
In fact, Kate Spade is preparing to open a new international flagship store in Tokyo as well to tap the Japanese market. This way, the company can capitalize on Coach's troubles in Japan. Coach's sales in Japan dropped 21% in the previous quarter, mostly due to a weaker yen. However, in constant-currency terms, the decline was less pronounced at 2%.
Coach has 196 stores in Japan, which include 149 full-value stores and 47 factory locations in approximately 30 outlet malls. While this is a big network and Kate Spade is nowhere near this as of now, the good news for Kate Spade is that Coach didn't open any new stores in Japan in the last reported quarter. Going forward, Coach doesn't have lavish plans for this region, although it expects its net square footage to grow slightly with the openings of some dedicated men's stores.
Clearly Coach has fallen upon tough times and the company faces challenges from fast-growing competitors. In addition, in North America, Coach is already on the decline, and this complicates matters further from a long-term point of view. So considering all of these points, it looks like investors may want to stay away from Coach for now and see if the company can get its growth back on track going forward.


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Marble's delivery robot rolls through SF - PakTune.pk
Published: 8 months ago By: TechCrunch
By: TechCrunchPublished: 8 months ago
79 Likes 8 Dislikes
Marble and Yelp Eat24 have started robot food delivery in San Francisco. Marble is rolling out a new delivery robot in San Francisco's Mission District.
Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/12/marble-and-yelp-eat24-start-robot-food-delivery-in-san-francisco/
TechCrunch is a leading technology media property, dedicated to obsessively profiling startups, reviewing new Internet products, and breaking tech news.
Subscribe to TechCrunch today: http://bit.ly/18J0X2e


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Insider Q&A: Experian's Zabritski on the surge in auto loans
DETROIT (AP) — Americans are borrowing a record amount to finance their SUV habit.
With gas prices low, consumers are buying more SUVs and trucks and loading them up with new technology, like backup cameras and automatic braking. As a result, the average new-car loan approached $30,000 in the fourth quarter of last year, setting a record, according to Experian Automotive.
To lessen the blow, more buyers are opting for leases, which offer lower monthly payments. Leasing — once confined mainly to the luxury market — made up more than one-third of new financing in the fourth quarter, Experian says. The Honda Civic was the most-leased new car.
Buyers are also opting for longer loans to string out their payments. Longer-term loans of 73 to 84 months saw the fastest rate of growth for both new and used car buyers. The average monthly payment is now $493.
Melinda Zabritski, senior director of automotive credit for Experian Automotive, discusses the trends. Her answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q. What would it take to reverse the current trends?
A. In addition to overall price increases, finance amounts are in part reflective of the types of vehicles consumers are purchasing. As entry-level SUVs and full-size pickup trucks increased market share over economy vehicles, these more expensive vehicles helped drive up the average amount financed. If we see an increase in less expensive vehicles, it could help drive down amounts which could in turn impact monthly payments.
Q. Do you expect leasing to stay hot?
A. If anything, leasing will become more attractive as interest rates rise and increase loan payments.
Q. The gap between new and used vehicle monthly payments reached an all-time high of $134 in the fourth quarter. Why is that gap widening?
A. One of the impacts of the growing lease market is a surge in late-model off-lease vehicles returning to market. This is causing the inventory of available used vehicles to grow, which in turn affects the wholesale markets. In other words, the more late-model vehicles available, the lower the price at auction. This helps make used vehicles more affordable, which in turn reduces the finance amount and associated payment.
Q. The average new-car loan term is now 67 months, up from 63 months four years ago. What are the implications for the auto industry if people are taking longer and longer to pay off their vehicles?
It helps drive vehicle sales, as it makes the monthly payment more affordable. That, in turn, can help consumers stay current on their automotive loans. But, if the loan goes bad, it could keep consumers out of the market longer, since the consumer has negative equity which would require them to hold on to the vehicle longer.
Q. Sixty-day auto loan delinquencies edged up in the fourth quarter. Does that mean credit standards have gotten too loose?
A. Not necessarily. Lenders plan for a certain level of delinquency. Various credit ranges carry associated estimated loss rates. For lenders who buy deeper, they plan for the anticipated losses associated with those loans.


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Online Blockchain plc (LSE:OBC), the leading UK-listed blockchain company, is pleased to announce the next exciting phase of its FreeLoadr product.
FreeLoadr (www.freeloadr.com) is an application that enables gamers to donate their latent graphic computing power (GPU) in return for FreeLoadr points, which can be redeemed in the FreeLoadr store for popular PC games. FreeLoadr uses this GPU processing power to mine selected cryptocurrencies.
The referral programme gives existing users (FreeLoadrs) and newcomers the opportunity to receive a significant points boost and redeem games at an accelerated rate. If a current ‘FreeLoadr’ shares their referral URL and this results in a registration, they and the new user are both rewarded with an extra 50,000 points the moment the new user starts mining (mining is done in the background, the user just has to run the application). Games can be redeemed for as little as 30,000 points.
FreeLoadr is in open beta and boasts over 2,500 of the hottest Steam and Origin titles available. The game catalogue can be viewed here: https://www.freeloadr.com/store
“The launch of the referral programme will further propagate the FreeLoadr product amongst the gaming community, which ultimately has significant impact on our hashing power,” said Clem Chambers, CEO of Online Blockchain plc. “This is one of a number of developments and new features, which will be announced in due course.”
SOURCE Online Blockchain plc


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Sustainable Energy News Roundup: Tesla & BMW
Over the past week, we saw a flurry of marquee developments in the clean energy sector. Among them, Tesla and Panasonic partnering on the $5 billion “Gigafactory,” Bosch and BMW launching a sub $10K EV charger, Stanford researchers scoring a break through in lithium battery capabilities, and Solar Roadways raising more than $2.2 million in its Indiegogo fundraising campaign.
Tesla’s bold plan to build 500,000 EVs per year by 2020 and deliver an EV that competes in the $35K range (Model 3) by 2017, hinges on its ability to dramatically reduce the cost of its batteries. Its solution, the Gigafactory, a planned super warehouse capable of scaling its operations to meet growing demand for EV batteries. Panasonic recently agreed to partner with the Palo Alto-based company and is helping foot the estimated $5 billion price tag. Panasonic insists its investment will be incremental and likely not exceed $1 billion. Even so, this relationship provides Tesla with a sorely needed partner to help shoulder the cost, burden, and risk of such a dramatic and ambitious move. Panasonic’s commitment adds to the $2.3 billion Tesla raised in March. While the factory location has still not been finalized, sites in Nevada, California, and Texas are rumored to be the favorites.
In other news, Bosch will supply and install the BMW i DC Fast Charger for North American BMW i Centers and authorized partners, starting this month. The sub $10k charger is more compact and comes with a friendlier price tag than competing chargers. It can charge a BMW i3 battery to 80 percent in 30 minutes.
Stanford researchers say they have made a major step toward creating a “pure lithium battery.” According to USA Today, a team that includes former Energy secretary Steven Chu, says it’s building a lithium anode battery that might give electric vehicles a 300-mile driving range and triple a cellphone’s juice. The Stanford team is using nanotechnology to help build a battery that has the potential to be a game changer in a variety of industries. Researchers say it will likely take three to five years to bring the product to market.
Solar Roadways, a company that plans to replace concrete and asphalt surfaces with solar panels that can withstand the heaviest of trucks (250,000 pounds), raised more than $2.2 million in its Indiegogo fundraising campaign that ended in June. The Idaho-based company has received two phases of funding from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration for its research and development. Its glass surface has been tested for traction, load testing, and impact resistance. Tests exceeded all requirements.


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Neela Mediatech, the creator of the popular gaming platform TMKOC PLAY, has entered into a strategic alliance with JioGames. This partnership aims to introduce over 50 games on the JioGames platform, targeting a large segment of mobile and cloud gaming enthusiasts in India.
Neela Mediatech announces strategic partnership with Reliance Jio Games – Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC) games will now be playable on Jio Games
With this collaboration, users of JioGames will get the chance to explore a variety of games inspired by the theme of ‘TMKOC’, allowing them to step into the shoes of their favourite characters from the series. This initiative is set to attract new users to JioGames from the existing audience of over 60 million fans engaged with the ‘TMKOC’ brand.
Asit Modi, the Creator, Producer and Managing Director of Neela Film Production and Neela Mediatech, stated, “TMKOC and Jio are household names across the country, with a user base reaching even the most remote urban and rural areas. This partnership is a strategic decision to leverage each other’s strengths and expand our user base, offering an unparalleled digital entertainment experience.”
Neela Films recently invested INR 24 crore in Neela Mediatech, which operates in the sectors of gaming, animation and e-commerce as an extension of the Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah IP. The company has seen a surge in popularity, with 5 million game downloads and a doubling of its YouTube rhymes channel subscribers from 1.5 million to 3 million in a short period. This growth spans several languages, including English, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Bengali, Bhojpuri and Gujarati.
The platform will feature free-to-play games and cloud-based adventures for both individual and multiplayer gamers. The initial batch of games available on the platform includes Bhide Scooter Race, TMKOC Air Hockey, Bhide Pickle Delivery, Gokuldham Kite Flying and Tapu Skating Adventure.


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According to a new press release, “GigaSpaces, the provider of InsightEdge, the fastest big data analytics processing platform, announced today that it is now offering the InsightEdge In-Memory Computing platform on Amazon Web Services (AWS) Marketplace to address speed challenges faced by organizations in their big data stack around latency, ingestion rate and scale. GigaSpaces InsightEdge provides a powerful, scalable software platform which co-locates business logic, analytics, and data processing in the same memory space, resulting in extreme performance. The platform runs analytics and machine learning models simultaneously on streaming, transactional and historical data, improving the speed and quality of insights from big data.”
The release goes on, “InsightEdge supports AWS services like Amazon Elastic Container Service for Kubernetes (Amazon EKS), which makes it easy-to-deploy, manage, and scale containerized applications using Kubernetes on AWS. The InsightEdge platform ingests, processes and analyzes streaming data from Amazon Kinesis and simultaneously accesses historical data which is stored on widely used databases, data lakes ,and data warehouses including Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS), Amazon RedShift, and Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), to enable real-time decision making based on live and historical data in sub-second latency.”
It adds, “The InsightEdge AnalyticsXtreme module is designed to automatically and intelligently move data from the InsightEdge speed layer to Amazon S3 and Amazon EMR. This advanced mechanism for intelligent tiering, ensures that data is efficiently stored in the right storage layer based on performance, while optimizing infrastructure costs across the entire solution and data lifecycle. Access to data lakes can be accelerated by up to 100X, reducing the time to run batch analytics by orders of magnitude.”
Read more at PR Newswire.
Image used under license from Shutterstock.com


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TIDAL has joined forces withs be, the leading international hospitality group for the second installment of the new “Delano Live Presented by TIDAL” concert series. The upcoming event, which was recently announced this morning, will take place next Friday, January 31st, in South Beach, during Super Bowl weekend. Headlining the concert will be none other than Grammy-Award winning rapper, Lil Wayne!
The “Delano Live Presented by TIDAL” concert series, a component of sbe and TIDAL’s new strategic partnership, offers an immersive, ongoing live concert series for locals and hotel guests. The series launched with a headlining performance by DJ Khaled during Miami Art Week in December. The collaboration also features numerous entertainment amenities for sbe hotel guests in the US and UK markets.
Tickets, starting at $75 will be on sale here beginning today. Closer to the event date, TIDAL members will have a chance to enter to win tickets.
The concert series is also hosted in collaboration with Lincoln, The Lincoln Motor Company, the official automotive partner of sbe and the Delano Live series. In addition to A-list musical events throughout the year, the collaboration between sbe and TIDAL will provide sbe hotel guests access to TIDAL as an in-room entertainment amenity through a dedicated content channel.
TIDAL curates custom soundtracks at select properties, including those in its SLS Hotel & Residences, Delano, The House of Originals, Mondrian and Hyde Hotel & Residences brands. Lobbies, pools, lounges and restaurants will feature TIDAL’s playlists.
Both brands provide exclusive offers and benefits to their respective customers. SBE guests receive a free three-month TIDAL HiFi subscription. TIDAL members staying at SBE properties will receive benefits such as the fourth night free during consecutive stays, complimentary upgrades and late check-outs (pending availability).
© 2020, MariaMyraine. All rights reserved.


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With equity investment from ComSar, MV Agusta repurchased the 25% shares held by Mercedes AMG.
MV Agusta CEO Giovanni Castiglioni announced that the company is now in positive cashflow.
MV Agusta has just announced a slew of new bikes at EICMA 2017.
In the latest twist in MV Agusta’s convoluted history, the Italian manufacturer has bought back the 25% stake held by Mercedes AMG. But depends on whom you spoke to, it was Mercedes AMG who sold the shares.
MV dates back to 1945 but went bust and was resurrected by the Cagiva Group in 1997. With the reacquisition, MV Agusta is wholly owned by MV Agusta Holding Company, which is jointly held with ComSar Invest.
This latest episode is just one in their journey. As mentioned above, the famed brand was first purchased by Cagiva, before being sold to Proton in 2004. Ownership changed hands again when Proton sold it to a Swiss financing company. The Husvarna brand was sold to BMW (then sold to KTM). When Harley-Davidson acquired the brand, there were hopes of sporty Harleys as there were sporty MV cruisers. That didn’t happen when the Motor Company sold it to MV Agusta Holding headed by CEO Claudio Castiglioni.
Mercedes AMG came onboard in 2014 by purchasing a 25-percent stake. Industry observers called it Mercedes’ answer to the other German automotive companies having their own motorcycle business, namely Audi who owns Ducati and BMW’s own Motorrad division.
Last year, the Italian manufacturer announced that they were seeking protection from creditors, which served as a jolt to MV owners and fans. It was also reported that Mercedes AMG did not see fit to throw more money into the venture.
But in July, Castiglioni announced that MV will receive equity investment from ComSar Invest, which is backed by the Black Ocean Group, owned by Russian billionair Timur Sardarov.
The investment plan saw MV Agusta Motor Holding owning 100% of MV Agusta S.p.A. which focuses on motorcycle production. The CRC (Castiglioni Research Centre) and RC (Reparto Corse) racing departments are separate entities.
With this in place, GC Holding (the holding company owned by MV Agusta CEO Giovanni Castiglioni) has a majority position in MV Agusta Motor Holding, while ComSar Invest has a strong minority.
With Mercedes AMG out of the way, MV has announced that they can focus on developing new and exciting motorcycles, including the new four-cylinder bike, besides the slew of new models unveiled at the recent EICMA . Come what may, at least bikes are still rolling off their production line.


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LAHORE: The remarkable success of SME sector in China has opened new avenues for its economy to flourish that Pakistan should emulate, said speakers here at a seminar on Thursday.
China has become the best example of emerging as an economic power largely relying on small and medium enterprises sector, they said at the seminar on ‘Achieving Sustainable Economy by 2017 by Fully Benefiting from China in SME Sector’ held at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The theme of the seminar was about taking full advantage of Chinese expertise in various economic sectors in general and in small and medium enterprises sector in particular.
At the seminar, experts discussed the road map, execution mechanism and forming monitoring team by inviting all the stakeholders for sustainable economy by 2017 by fully benefiting from China. They said that government and private sector should join hands for high-speed growth of micro, small and medium industry.
During the seminar, speakers highlighted various aspects of Pak-China Economic Corridor, Economic Cooperation and Regional Connectivity Projects.
They shed light on ways that may bring drastic change in our economy with special reference to Pak-China Economic Cooperation through joint ventures, transfer of technology and identification of more items of exports to China, knowledge sharing and technical trainings.
Provincial ministers Chaudhry Shafiq Ahmad and Sher Ali Khan in their respective addresses said that because of untiring efforts of Punjab Government, Pak-China friendship has entered into a new era. They said that the Chinese Government was extending full cooperation to Pakistan for ongoing development process.
They said that various Chinese investment companies have showed willingness to invest in various sectors in Pakistan particularly in Punjab. Pakistani business community should come forward and avail this unique opportunity that would help Pakistan to take full benefit from the Chinese expertise in various sectors of economy.
The prominent speakers included Provincial Minister of Industry Chaudhry Shafiq Ahmad, Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals Sher Ali Khan,Engineer Suhail Lashari President Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Senior Vice President Mian Tariq Misbah, Vice President Kashif Anwar, Chairman LCCI Standing Committee on Pak-China & ASEAN Economic Relations Siddiq-ur-Rehman Rana, Secretary Industries Punjab Arif Anwar, Director SBP Abid Qamar, CEO Punjab Board of Investment Muhammad Ilyas Ghouri, DG Board of Investment Dr Raania, Babar Chaudhry, Raja Hassanien Javed, Niaz A Malik, Chief Engineer Power Energy Department Iftikhar A. Randawa, CEO NAVTTC Khalid Hanif, Vice Chancellor Punjab University Mujahid Kamran, MPA Dr Ayesha Ghous Pasha, Li Chun.
ISLAMABAD: The United States on Tuesday agreed to continue sharing their expertise to help Pakistan ...


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T-Mobile is planning a big announcement at CES in Las Vegas later on today, but thanks to a leaked ad that’s been making its way around the web this morning, we already know what it has up its sleeve. As part of its Un-carrier 4.0 scheme, T-Mobile will pay your whole family’s early termination fees if they switch carriers and trade in their old smartphone.
All items tagged with "John Legere"
T-Mobile only recently started selling the iPhone, and it has proven to be a very good thing for the struggling carrier. By marketing itself as the hip “Un-Carrier” that charges less up front, T-Mobile is starting to see better days.
After the company reported healthy growth in its quarterly earnings report today, CEO John Legere made some comments about T-Mobile’s relationship with Apple. He said the carrier looks forward to carrying a “whole array” of Apple products in the future, hinting at more than just the iPhone. Could the iPad be next for T-Mobile after Apple announces new devices this fall?
For the last four years, T-Mobile has been just battered by the iPhone. Unable to ink the same deals with Apple as AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon to get the Jesus Phone on their networks at a subsidized price, T-Mobile tried to sell itself to AT&T, only to have the deal killed by the FCC.
In desperation, T-Mobile tried a new approach: they decided to call themselves an “Un-carrier” and start offering untraditional no-contract, upgrade-anytime-you-want plans. And you know what? It’s really paying off for them.
T-Mobile finally started selling the iPhone back in April, and it has already been a successful move. In its financial report for the first quarter of 2013, which was published this week, the carrier reveals that it sold half a million iPhones in less than a month.
T-Mobile CEO John Legere kicked off the company’s press event in New York City today with an aggressive yet entertaining onslaught against rival carriers. He called for the likes of AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint to “stop the bullshit” with traditional subsidy models, which T-Mobile has now abandoned in favor of its new “Uncarrier” plans.
T-Mobile USA will finally start selling the iPhone and enforce its plan to eliminate subsidies in “three to four months,” according to the company’s chief executive, John Legere. It will be the first time T-Mobile has offered in the iPhone in the United States since the handset was first released launched in 2007.
T-Mobile customers are quickly jumping ship, turning to rival carriers to bag the iPhone. But on Thursday, the company announced that it will finally begin selling Apple’s immensely popular smartphone from next year, and it is hoping that the move will help it claw back some subscribers. Chief Executive John Legere wants to see it making a positive impact on the carrier’s subscription numbers by 2013.
“It is an aggressive target but we think it is possible,” Legere told reporters on Friday.


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Losing some of the fabric of the community in Hamburg
Dietrich's Men's Shop, which opened during the Great Depression, will close if no buyer steps forward. The owner is retiring.
His home in Lehigh County has plenty of nearby shopping malls, but Barry Brader drives to Dietrich's Men's Shop in Hamburg when he needs a new suit or sports coat.
On a recent visit, Brader stood atop a raised platform in front of a mirror, as Dietrich's owner, Les Werley, pinned a pair of pants to just the right length.
"They fit me here better than anywhere," Brader said of Dietrich's trademark tailoring. "It's definitely worth the trip."
Brader, 66, a retired letter carrier from Whitehall Township, might soon have to find a new tailor.
Unless an 11th-hour buyer is found, the 81-year-old landmark store in downtown Hamburg will close when the current stock is sold, and it's marked down 20 percent.
With a tinge of sadness and a sense of relief, the 67-year-old Werley recently decided to retire.
True, Werley confides, the headaches and stress of running a business will be gone.
But so will the rewards of serving satisfied customers like David J. Hafer of Exeter Township, who has been shopping at Dietrich's for 20 years.
Hafer, a retired sales executive, recently came to pick up two pairs of pants and a sweater and ended up buying a sports coat.
"I feel like I'm letting Hamburg down," said Werley, who has owned the store for 19 years. "I feel sorry that my very loyal and devoted customers won't be able to get the service they've become accustomed to."
Birth of a landmark
The nation was in the depths of the Great Depression when Warren Dietrich decided to go into business for himself in 1936.
He'd worked in the men's department at Diener's department store on Fourth Street in Hamburg.
Dietrich converted a veterans hall into a men's shop at 320 State St. and began a Hamburg tradition.
Living above the store, Dietrich sold boots, shoes, work clothes and union suits for nearly 40 years. Dietrich's nephew Paul "Sonny" Adams bought the store in the mid-1970s and operated it for 23 years.
Werley, an elementary school teacher in the Hamburg schools, bought the store in 1998. He shared the duties of running the business with his wife, Jane, and daughter, Lindsay, until he retired from teaching in 2007. Since then, he's run the store full time.
Over the years, Dietrich's built a reputation for providing high-quality merchandise and personal service.
Its line of men's clothing includes handmade Harris tweed sports coats and Ralph Lauren blazers. Off the rack, men can buy sports coats up to size 60. And alterations are free, a service Werley believes is central to the store's reputation.
Dietrich's employs two seamstresses - LaRue Hoffman, 72, of Blandon and Linda Yoder, 53, of Hamburg - in its on-site tailoring operation.
For many years, Dietrich's supplied Boy Scout uniforms to troops in Berks and Schuylkill counties.
The store has fitted generations of Hamburg and Kutztown high school seniors with tuxedos at prom time. It also provided formal wear to the Daniel Boone High School chorus and for the Brandywine Heights High School musical.
"I used to go to Kutztown," Werley said, "and do the measurements right at the high school."
Time, big-box stores and online shopping are conspiring to rob Hamburg of long-standing family-run clothing businesses.
Werley holds out hope that a white knight might arrive before the doors close.
The store has been on the market for two years, and efforts to sell have so far proven unsuccessful.
If Dietrich's closes, it will be the second longtime Hamburg clothing business to fall by the wayside in the last two years.
The Doris Berry Shop, a women's boutique around the corner on Fourth Street from Dietrich's, closed in 2015. Started by Doris Berry during World War II, the shop remained in the Berry family for 72 years.
Ruth Kershner, 82, who runs Ruth's Dress Shop at 42 S. Fourth St., is also retiring. She has not yet set a date.
Kershner has operated the store, founded 70 years ago as Ackerman's Apparel Shop, for 28 years.
Dr. Kraig Lieby, a physical therapist with Penn State Health St. Joseph, has been working weekends at Dietrich's for 18 years.
He worked in a men's shop as an undergraduate student, and enjoys selling dress shirts and trousers as a sideline.
Taking over Dietrich's is tempting, but Leiby has 25 years invested in a physical therapy practice.
"It's disappointing," Leiby laments, "that there don't seem to be young people who are passionate about running a family business."
Sense of loss
Yvonne Wagner of Hamburg bought Boy Scout uniforms and rented tuxedos for her son, Bryce, at Dietrich's over the years.
Bryce Wagner, 18, a freshman at Albright College, is in the college chorus. He needed a tuxedo for a performance, and was recently in Dietrich's for a fitting.
"It makes me sad to hear that Dietrich's is closing," Yvonne Wagner said. "We've relied on the store for years."
Ron Klee, funeral director at Klee Funeral Home in Shillington, has been a Dietrich's customer for years.
"I like the clothing here," he said during a recent visit. "I'm going to miss that personal touch Dietrich's provides."
Asked what he'll do if the store closes, Klee responded, "Guess I'll have to go to Weitzenkorns in Pottstown."
Contact Ron Devlin: 610-371-5030 or email@example.com.
Dietrich's Men's Shop may soon close


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Tesco attracts some serious talent. It isn’t the location (Cheshunt is twinned, appropriately, with a French town called Stains). It’s the size, ambition, reputation (and pay) of Britain’s largest private sector employer, which ensured that as the likes of John Browett, Dido Harding, Steve Robinson and Julia Reynolds left, Tesco minted more gems.
But add Tim Mason, this week, to the long list of casualties, voluntary or enforced, under Tesco CEO Philip Clarke’s reign - Richard Brasher, David Reid, Andy Higginson, Laura Wade-Gery, Colin Holmes, David Potts, Lucy Neville-Rolfe, Michael Fleming (on sabbatical) - and it’s clear the succession plan of CEO Philip Clarke’s predecessor, Sir Terry Leahy, is in shreds.
Not surprisingly, Clarke sees this as an opportunity for the new guard, including Chris Bush, John Scouler and David Wood (while Carolyn Bradley, Andrew Yaxley and Bob Robbins lie, mysteriously, in the long grass). It might be. But as headwinds buffet the business in almost every corner of its international empire, Clarke and his team are looking very exposed.
” The concern is that Tesco is retrenching to a domestic market in which it is failing”
Adam Leyland, Editor
Amid investor euphoria surrounding Clarke’s decision to ‘review’ (ie axe) Fresh & Easy this week, the share price surged some 3.3%. At least it’s one less distraction. But the concern is that Tesco is retrenching to a domestic market in which it is failing, to squeezed margins in an anaemic economy, to a Tesco Direct business that simply can’t compete, to a bank that seems to have missed its opportunity. Where’s the growth - and more importantly, where’s the vision?
Like George Osborne, Philip Clarke has had roughly two years to make his mark, and in both cases we’re still waiting. Five more years of pain, Osborne ‘promised’ us, in his grim prognosis for the economy. Clarke’s outlook is hardly more encouraging, unless a better-than-expected decline in Q3 like-for-likes qualifies. With Tesco’s European businesses treading treacle, it’s the notoriously volatile Asia that will once again have to rescue the Group top line at the prelims.
So enjoy the share price peak while it lasts. And let’s see if more join Lansdowne in shorting the stock.


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CINCINNATI — NFL players Mark Sanchez and Eli Manning may be the first celebrities to join Kroger Co.'s breast cancer awareness campaign, but the true stars are real-life survivors of the disease.
More than 50 Kroger employees afflicted with breast cancer join survivors from PepsiCo and other sponsors on private-label and national-brand packages and signs in 2,500 stores this month.
It's all part of Giving Hope a Hand, Kroger's fifth annual effort to raise $3 million for breast cancer initiatives. “These are everyday people that were dealt a challenging hand but played it with grace and courage,” explained Janet Ausdenmoore, manager of corporate affairs for Kroger.
Betty Swanson is among the survivors taking part. Diagnosed in 2010, the Kroger employee is featured with New York Jets quarterback Sanchez on signs calling attention to endcap displays of pink cases of Pepsi.
She and other survivors tell their stories at Kroger's sharingcourage.com.
To make a big impact, Pepsi also tied its partnership with the NFL to brands like Stacy's, Gatorade, Propel, Lay's and Quaker Oats. “The campaign was born out of the insight that consumers are more likely to support products and brands that give back to a cause,” spokeswomen Kristine Hinck told SN.


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The missing pieces in open banking
Introducing write access into open banking and ensuring consumer buy-in with a considered approach to education will be key in taking the framework to the next level.
This was the assessment made by a panel of open banking experts at the recent Australian Retail Credit Association (ARCA) Executive Breakfast in Sydney
“Open banking is to personal finance what HTML is to the internet. It's just the technology that sits behind the use case. What will really resonate for consumers is an understanding and awareness of the value they can get from open banking such as account aggregation,” Finder CEO and co-founder Fred Schebesta said.
However, here, he said that write access will be crucial in really driving the full benefits of open banking
Read access only allows data to be shared, however under write access, third parties can also initiate transactions on behalf of their customer.
For Schebesta, introducing write access into the framework will open up a myriad of possibilities that will really engage consumers with open banking.
The ability to switch accounts in a secure way is one such benefit that would drive consumer buy-in in an open data world.
“Write access takes open banking to the next level as it turns insights for consumers into action. Imagine a world where an app on your phone tells you when to switch energy provider to save money and then goes ahead and makes the switch for you. That will be a significant change and will drive usage and uptake of open banking.”
Allens senior associate Alex Ortner concurred but for Westpac chief data and strategy officer Jamie Twiss, the immediate challenge for the industry is to get read access up and running.
“We need to demonstrate real value to the customer within a secure and functional framework before we think about how to extend the consumer data right,” Twiss said.
As highlighted earlier by Schebesta, innovative use cases will be needed to attract consumer attention to the benefits of open banking.
Once open banking becomes live, Westpac’s focus will be on providing their customers with “better insights into their finances and making it easier and convenient to manage their money”.
There is a danger of an industry-centric view around open banking... we need to ensure that we design for the customer and ensure good customer outcomes - Jamie Twiss, Westpac
Here partnerships will be key.
“As open banking develops, it will absolutely make sense to partner with other businesses to deliver value for our customers,” Twiss said.
Importantly, the panel highlighted that an effective and robust communication campaign was essential if consumers are to embrace open banking.
According to ARCA, consumer awareness of comprehensive credit reporting might be a good case study of how consumers will engage with open banking. Research from ARCA’s consumer education campaign, Creditsmart showed an increased awareness from 17 per cent in 2018 to 28 per cent in 2019.
Highlighting experience from the Netherlands, Ortner emphasized that messaging needs to be balanced and careful.
“The take up of open banking in the Netherlands was slow in part because of the volume of consumer information on the GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation].
“Consumers were inundated with information on privacy and data protection. Therefore, any fears and concerns need to be addressed by a balanced communication strategy,” Ortner said.
“Privacy is obviously important. That’s why its positive to see ARCA and the ACCC doing a good job by focusing on a more nuanced campaign to education and awareness that informs consumers about their rights rather than basing it on fear.”
For Westpac’s Twiss it is important that open banking is not seen as an industry initiative.
“There is a danger of an industry-centric view around open banking. While we may be optimistic about sharing data, we need to ensure that we design for the customer and ensure good customer outcomes,” Twiss said.
“The challenge for the industry is to deliver good use cases that deliver clear benefits for consumers.”


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By now, you would think Willie Nelson has discovered all the ways to consume as much cannabis to last him a lifetime. The Red-Headed Stranger launched his cannabis company, Willie’s Reserve, to great acclaim, and Nelson partially credits the quality of product to its success. In a recent interview on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon”, Nelson says he has a direct hand in ensuring the product’s quality. Now Willie Nelson just invented the best job at his marijuana company.
And what exactly is his role in doing so, you might ask? That would be CTO, or Chief Testing Officer, a job Nelson created for himself at his company.
“[I’m] chief tester,” Nelson said. “I haven’t run across any that I didn’t like.”
Nelson also says marijuana saved his life, a story similar to the one he shared to Rolling Stone when he was on the cover for the magazine’s “Weed Issue.”
“I used to smoke two or three packs of cigarettes a day and drink whatever there was there to drink. I had pneumonia four or five times, my lung collapsed, I almost died,” the singer said.
“I said, ‘Wait a minute. I ain’t getting that high off of Chesterfields.’ So I throw out the cigarettes, rolled up 20 joints, stuck it in there. I haven’t had a cigarette since,” he added.
You can watch the full interview below.
Now Willie Nelson just invented the best job at his marijuana company, maybe you can apply to be his assistant.


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Lawn & garden equipment maker Husqvarna posted third-quarter operating profit below market forecasts and said it would prepare to reduce its fixed cost base next year as the global conomic uncertainty was set to continue.
Operating profit at the world's biggest maker of chainsaws, trimmers lawn mowers and garden tractors rose to 182 million Swedish crowns ($27.17 million) from a year-earlier 113 million and against an average forecast for 191 million in a Reuters poll.
Net sales at Husqvarna declined 8 percent company-wide in the third quarter to $6.4 million, the company state in a press release.
"Demand in our two largest markets continued to be challenging during the third quarter. In North America, sales were negatively impacted by the worst drought conditions for many years," said Hans Linnarson, president and CEO.
"In Europe, demand was adversely affected by a cautious consumer sentiment and continued unfavorable weather conditions. As expected, preseason demand for seasonal products such as snow throwers was soft."
Group operating income for the third quarter, however, increased to $113 million, with Americas reporting improved result while sales and income for Europe & Asia/Pacific declined.
Construction continued to improve, both in terms of sales and income.
Company officials say they are in intensifying preparation for 2013 by securing new product launches, enhancing customer service as well as enacting measures to improve efficiency by reducing the fixed cost base and increasing flexibility throughout the Group.
For the year, net sales increased to $25.4 million or by 1 percent.


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Blog: Who's on Constellation's shopping list?
Olly Wehring | 13 November 2006
After a few days out of the office, comments last week from the chief executive of Constellation Brands have caught my eye. Richard Sands has said that the company wants to expand in Europe. Sands also said that the beverage industry on the continent was “a pretty target-rich environment”.
That phrase was notable in itself with many in the industry believing that significant acquisition targets were now scarce following Pernod Ricard’s takeover of Allied Domecq last year.
However, an obvious target for Constellation would be Sweden’s V&S Group, the owner of Absolut vodka. The recently-elected Swedish government looks set to sell off a slew of state-owned assets, and that could include V&S.
Constellation could be one to watch in what would be a fiercely competitive auction. In August, it announced that a share offering had raised US$700m, suggesting it has the financial firepower to bid for V&S, while it is keen to bolster its stable of premium spirits - and Absolut would prove a top drawer addition to that portfolio.
Speculation has also surrounded the future of French spirits and Champagne group Rémy Cointreau in recent months. Brown-Forman has been linked with a bid and Constellation is likely to be interested should Rémy’s controlling shareholders decide to sell.
A company like the UK-based Blavod Extreme Spirits could also interest Constellation. Blavod, producer of the eponymous black vodka, has seen sales of its spirits portfolio soar in the US.
Blavod has also entered the fast-growing Tequila category in the US and its El Diamante del Cielo would bolster a Constellation portfolio that so far already includes Montezuma Tequila. Blavod also distributes a raft of wines from Italy in the US, where consumer demand for Italian labels is growing.
Constellation’s shopping list in Europe, then, could be quite long. Who’s at the top of the list, however, could keep us guessing for a short while longer.
Do you have a water source in your garden? By which, I mean a spring, rather than an outside tap....
Here's a round-up of the top stories on just-drinks last week, featuring PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Co, Castel, Molson Coors and the cachaca sector....
There was a big focus on supermarkets and their Scotch offerings this week when a couple of own-brand malts scooped top awards at the International Wines and Spirits Competition (IWSC)....
You can't seem to move at the moment for news of US craft brewers expanding....
- just The Preview - Diageo's FY preliminaries
- Diageo chief admits "tougher than expected" year
- Focus - Diageo's FY Performance by Region, Brand
- Molson Coors CEO exit - Mega-Merger on hold?
- Comment - Beer - What’s in a (Brand) Name?
- ASA bans Jägermeister TV ad
- Belvédère chairman to step down
- Diageo boosts exec committee
- Diageo silent over Shuijingfang writedown report
- Diageo bags Facebook unit boss as director


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Permits have been filed for a four-story residential building at 151 Freeman Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Located between Franklin Street and Manhattan Avenue, the interior lot is close to the Greenpoint Avenue subway station, serviced by the G train. Asaf Ben-Nun under the 151 Freeman Street Owner, LLC is listed as the owner behind the applications.
Greenpoint’s iconic ACME Smoked Fish Factory has now entered a mandatory public review process known as ULURP or the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure. This phase is a major step forward for the expansion which required zoning text amendments, an environmental assessment statement, and initial approvals from the Department of City Planning.
New renderings from Gensler reveal updated proposals to expand the Acme Smoked Fish Factory in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The renderings are contained within a detailed Environmental Assessment Statement, which examines the potential effects of the proposed expansion on the surrounding neighborhood.
A new international supermarket and grocery store recently opened its doors at Greenpoint Landing, an expanding residential complex located on the shores of north Brooklyn. Known as Riverside Market, the new 24-hour retail store will occupy the lower levels of 7 Bell Slip between Newtown Creek and the East River.
The Brooklyn Public Library recently celebrated a grand opening for the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center in north Brooklyn. Located at 107 Norman Avenue in Greenpoint, the center includes a new library, a public plaza, science learning centers for students, and flexible congregation spaces.


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Connected Fleets and EVs could be at the biggest risk of future mass infrastructure cyber hacks that automakers will have to gear up to prevent.
That’s the view of Moshe Shlisel, CEO of cyber-security specialist GuardKnox who points out that these automotive sectors have become important parts of a nation state’s core infrastructure. The company, in common with many of Israel’s current technology innovators, draws on its roots working for the nation’s advanced military capability.
Shlisel, himself a veteran of the Israeli Air Force, enjoyed early insights into how military aircraft were the pioneers of connectivity and the first to be aware of the threats to cyber-security. Speaking to TU-Automotive ahead of CES 2021, he said: “Here’s something we have pitched for the past three or four years, that cyber-security cannot be patched in, it should be cyber-security by design. Israeli fighter jets have been connected for 40 or more years and, while no-one will say it, they would have been targets for cyber attacks. However, they were no hacked because they were designed to be connected not just because someone decided to put in an ECU with a SIM card.”
Shlisel says this is the core problem that the automotive sector has yet to successful master, leaving it prey to malicious attacks on a massive scale. He explained: “There are economic forces behind these things. Imagine those fleets of vehicles that are doing deliveries all over Europe and the US right now, will get hacked. Then it’s going to affect the entire economy. Right now these fleets are not treated as a part of the national infrastructure but the internet is. When those trucking companies are connected to the internet there is a huge risk.”
However, an even greater potential risk lies within the growing adoption of electrified vehicles, where full BEVs or plug-in hybrids. Both rely on frequent use of electric energy drawn from the grid or, in the case the more advanced V2G compatible vehicle such as the latest Nissan Leaf cars, able to return excess electricity back into the grid. This may not be very desirable in Shlisel’s opinion.
He said: “Another threat is that electric vehicles are going to be connected through the charging stations, eventually through the grid to the power plants. Can someone assure me that those vehicles are not going to be the loophole in the system where a hacker will not be able to hack into the power plant? I’m willing to have a bet with you, no-one would be able to tell me that.”
Nonetheless, Shlisel acknowledges that the connectivity revolution is only going to gather pace as consumers become every more dependent on it. He said: “Connectivity is really a major change. If you don’t want to be connected you can drive the Model T [Ford] which is great but this is not where most people want to be today. If you look at the telephone of the past, it was connected to the wall and we had to remember the numbers – we were not connecting between people.
“Apple, we are told, is working on its own car which is not surprising because the vehicle of today and tomorrow is not only a device for commuting. It’s communicating with other people so you will be asking about the operating system, the memory, etc. The auto industry is galloping to this new reality.”
However, the old analogy of the car being a smartphone-on-wheels is somewhat outdated. Shlisel explained: “Step-by-step, automakers are realizing that, unlike the smartphone, the vehicle is the smallest area in the world where all our loved-ones are gathered. As such, a lot of services will be provided both for the driver and the passengers sitting in the vehicle. Things like gaming and thinking about recreation among the passengers or think about young kids in the back seats. In the past we would have given them something to draw while, now they are almost born with a device in hand.”
Shlisel says this will also inform consumer choice of products. “Eventually, we will buy a vehicle not only because of its brand but on what kind of services this vehicle is able to provide us?”
The challenge remains over how much, if at all, consumers will allow automakers or tier suppliers have access to personal data in exchange for connected services. Shlisel suggests: “Perhaps a completely different business model could be used. Say a vehicle costs X-amount but if you agreed to share your location among a lot of different data, I’ll give you a discount of 20%. If that’s not enough then say a discount of 30%, because accumulation of this data is going to be priceless. So, eventually, we will be giving up our privacy – we do this already by allowing Google and Facebook to control our lives.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
by Paul Myles
The audit is a key tool to know the overall status and provide the analysis, the assessment, the advice, the suggestions and the actions to take in order to cut costs and increase the efficiency and efficacy of the fleet. We propose the following fleet management audit.


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Reportedly arriving as the last model in the C7 generation, the 2018 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has been spotted in the wild wearing on its tail a massive rear wing, based on several blurry spy shots of the upcoming vehicle.
With a wing that’s large enough to make the Dodge Viper ACR blush, there’s plenty of downforce promised for the track-bred monster, presumably accompanied by aero-focused elements on its front bumper.
Although this model that concludes the Corvette C7 isn’t as exciting as the mid-engine C8, it looks like there’s a lot to be gotten out of it.
The ZR1 is speculated to be worth more than 700hp, considerably more than the Z06 at 650hp and previous ZR1 at 638hp, aided by a lighter construct to be zippier and quicker than its predecessor as well as the present Z06 model.
Plus its giant spoiler, although unsightly for some, clearly serves a more functional than ornamental purpose for fun on track days. The ZR1 also contends against the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Ferrari 458 Italia.


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Forecast more >
Beautiful Easter with High Pressure in the low and mid atmosphere. Tonight with the light winds the concern again will be the development of fog. The High will will weaken and move east the next couple of days as an upper system over Oklahoma moves northeast then southeast around the High weakening ...
Marijuana delivered like pizza
We've all heard of food delivery but what about marijuana home delivery?
Last year, Colorado voters passed Amendment 64 making recreational use of marijuana legal.
The owner of Med Ex Express says it means Colorado is in a gray area and that he believes it makes the marijuana delivery legal.
So far, he says says police haven't bothered him.
To be on the safe side, though, the business owner advertises that customers who he delivers the product to can compensate him by making a so-called donation.


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Today's posting discusses the reasons against.
If someone is offering you a continuous stream of cash at little cost, what incentive is there to save and not borrow?
Not much. That's what makes the Bank of Canada decision not to raise the benchmark rate - and its hint it won't be doing so in the near future - so disconcerting.
Consumers have been hearing for months and months that "rates are going up" so you had better get your house in order.
They seemed to be heeding the call. A report from credit rating agency TransUnion showed in the second quarter of 2011 non-mortgage debt levels had declined from a quarter earlier. It was the second straight quarter debt levels had dropped.
Now Tom Higgins, vice president of analytics and decision services at TransUnion, wonders whether it will all be for naught.
"The signs that we did see in the last two quarters is that on a quarter-to-quarter basis, it is the first time [debt levels] have gone down in well over six years," Mr. Higgins says. "We may be at a peak."
Mr. Higgins says Canadians had started to clamp down on things. "All the discussion over the last month-and-a-half is, 'They are going up, they are going up', " he says. "Now interest rates aren't going up. So the big question is does that mean next quarter [debt levels] will revert to their old trend and start going up again?"
To put the amount of non-mortgage debt in context: Despite the declines of the past two quarters, each Canadian carries an average debt of $25,597. Four years ago, it was about $19,000.
One of the more interesting trends on debt is the rising number of lines of credit tied to the prime lending rate, something directly affected by Bank of Canada decisions.
Those with lines of credit carry an average outstanding balance of $33,855.
Lines of credit are a growing share of non-mortgage debt, which makes good financial sense considering the outrageous rates one must pay on outstanding credit-card balances.
The good news is delinquencies on lines of credit are falling and remain at a microscopic 0.2% of all loans, TransUnion says.
"The biggest thing driving the lines of credit is it's the cheapest," Mr. Higgins says.
Laurie Campbell, executive director of Credit Canada, says lines of credit have become a great temptation for consumers. "People will see rates are staying low and think, 'I can tap into my line of credit, what a great deal,' " she says.
"I think people have been looking at other forms of credit and [are] recognizing lines of credit are cheaper."
She adds that the temptation to bite off more debt than one might be able to handle extends into the housing market as consumers opt for variable-rate loans tied to the prime rate.
Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist at CIBC World Markets, says the latest interest-rate decision will give homeowners more confidence that money will continue to be cheap.
"The real estate market seems to have nine lives. Every time interest rates are supposed to go up, something bad happens," Mr. Tal says. "Ironically, the misery of other people is going to help the credit market."
He says Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney may be saying one thing publicly about debt levels but privately hoping consumers continue to spend to boost the economy, even as that means more debt.
"There is no question we need to cut back, but we can't do it cold turkey," he says.
In the interim, Mr. Tal predicts, with no real threat of rates rising, credit debt will go up and the savings rate will likely decline.
"I don't think it'll go back to 12% [growth in credit debt per year] the way it used to be, but you'll see another wave in credit [debt] growth," he says. "The misery of other people will help the Canadian consumer continue to enjoy extremely low interest rates."
That kind of "help" the indebted Canadian consumer really didn't need.
Source: Garry Marr, Financial Post


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Drive-Through Brewgaloo planned June 13
Posted June 2, 2020 1:49 p.m. EDT
Updated June 4, 2020 1:09 a.m. EDT
Durham, N.C. — The popular downtown Raleigh beer festival, Brewagloo, might be postponed, but organizers are still doing pop-up events to help support local breweries.
On Saturday, June 13, Drive Through Brewgaloo will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. at Lincoln Theater in downtown Raleigh. The pop-up event will offer curbside pickup for prepaid orders. Guests can purchase six-packs or a Taste of the Triangle Mix with 24 different beers online .
When guests arrive on site, order information and IDs will be checked through car windows. Orders will be placed in trunks or backseats to ensure a contact-free transaction.
The drive-through event was originally scheudled for June 6 but was postponed to the following weekend.
The annual Brewagaloo festival has been postponed from its normal April date to Aug. 14 and 15 due to the coronavirus. The event, which has been voted the Best Beer Festival by USA Today's 10Best, attracts thousands to downtown Raleigh each year.


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With exactly one zillion breweries operating across America, distribution news is always a steady constant in the CBB mailbox. Every week, we get announcements on new alliances, upcoming state expansions and even reductions from breweries growing and shrinking their distribution footprints. Here is some of that wholesaler news. Enjoy! If you have distribution news, send it to [email protected].
Wiseacre Brewing marks 10th anniversary with a music fest in Memphis and an expansion to San Diego
Wiseacre Brewing Co. recently announced that it has launched distribution in San Diego. After months of planning with Wiseacre’s local distribution partner Brown Bag Beverage, three of the Memphis-based breweries’ year-round beers — Air Bath Session IPA, Gotta Get Up to Get Down Coffee Milk Stout, and the Great American Beer Festival Bronze Medal-winning Tiny Bomb Pilsner — will be available, along with Seasonal and Specialty Releases, at San Diego retailers like BevMo, Total Wine and others.
Wiseacre was founded in 2013 with Tiny Bomb as its first beer. In the 10 years since, Tiny Bomb has grown to become the #4 Craft Pilsner in the country. Davin Bartosch, Wiseacre brewmaster and co-founder, anticipates that it will be a hit in the West Coast IPA capital.
“My brother Kellan and I have spent a lot of time taking in the natural beauty of San Diego while growing up in the beer industry, and we think our refreshing Tiny Bomb is going to pair perfectly with the landscape of beers the city is famous for,” Davin said. “Tiny Bomb Pilsner combines the excellence of Memphis’ renowned water, often hailed as the nation’s ‘sweetest,’ with the richness of German pilsner malt and the essence of local wildflower honey. It’s remarkably crisp and light, an ideal contrast to California’s bold, intense brews. And with just 129 Calories, it aligns with the growing preference for lower-calorie options among craft beer enthusiasts.”
“As we step into the San Diego market, we think Wiseacre has a lot to offer locals, but Tiny Bomb is a stand-out that will anchor our strategy,” remarked Kellan Bartosch, cofounder of Wiseacre. He continued, “Tiny Bomb’s popularity has surged by an impressive 29% across Wiseacre’s reach since 2021. With the prevailing surge in demand for approachable, lower ABV craft beers, we think these figures will gain even greater momentum moving forward.”
Tiny Bomb and Wiseacre’s rapid growth has been fueled in part by the state-of-the-art production facility Wiseacre built in Downtown Memphis in 2020. Not only did the new facility quintuple the brewery’s previous capacity, but it also led to the development of new beers and the creation of new packaging options, which include 12-, 16- and 19.2-oz cans coming in 6-packs, 4-packs, 12-packs, Variety Packs, and single-serve. Wiseacre’s new facility ensures that Wiseacre is well-positioned to adapt to the fast-changing landscape of craft beer with those points, but also because the packaging equipment greatly increases shelf life compared to competition.
As Wiseacre expands its footprint westward, it remains committed to its hometown and hometown fans. To celebrate 10 awesome years in Memphis, Wiseacre will host the first ever BAM! Wiseacre Beer and Music Festival on Saturday, October 21st at its OG taproom location on Broad Avenue in Memphis. In collaboration with production company Mempho Presents, BAM! will focus on Memphis-centric music, pulling together a lineup of bands and musicians with a connection to the Bluff City. In addition to Lucero the headliner, bands include Kuroma, Blitzen Trapper, Psymon Spine, and Dead Soldiers.
In between acts, the Stone Crush stage will feature sets from DJ Leroy along with live acts from the Stone Crush compilation of Memphis Modern Soul like OT Sykes, Kick, and more. BAM will also feature the recently revealed “Shell on Wheels” Mobile Shell stage, providing an amazing, historical Memphis landmark a way to show up at our festival, too. Tickets are available at https://wiseacrebrew.com/events-and-tours#id=bam-and-mempho-presents.
Wiseacre is currently sold in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin, meaning that Wiseacre fans in a total of 20 states and the District of Columbia can buy their Wiseacre favorites closer to home.
Arches Brewing joins Bevana Partners, expands online and throughout Georgia
Arches Brewing recently joined beverage platform Bevana Partners to expand the production and distribution of its award-winning beers. With a strong focus on traditional lager brewing, Arches will now be able to reach customers in new regions and to be more accessible in its core Georgia market. Fans of refined, clean, well-crafted beer styles will be able to find them more readily than ever before, both in their favorite bars and restaurants, and in the comfort of their own homes through Bevana’s online storefront.
Founded in 2016 with an eye toward bringing chemistry and art together in the pursuit of better beer, Arches Brewing has become a staple of the Atlanta area in the seven years since. Specializing in lagers, but with a breadth that allows plenty of space for ales such as hazy IPAs, Belgians and stouts, the Arches brand has become synonymous with quality and consistency in its home market.
“We are really excited to team up with Bevana to help us grow our footprint and share the beer we love with so many more people,” explained Jamey Adams, cofounder and brewmaster of Arches. “We look forward to having more of our products available in our own backyard, but also opening markets across the Southeast. We felt Bevana was equally as passionate about the styles we brew and took a vested interest in our long-term success.”
Through their partnership, Arches will be able to brew more volume than ever before, circumventing their chief bottleneck as they have struggled to keep up with the high demand for their beers. The company will also gain access to Bevana Partners’ growing network of top tier wholesalers, helping to bridge the gulf between breweries and its customers.
“We are here to help breweries like Arches in getting back to their reason for existing in the first place,” explains Aaron MJ Gore, Bevana Partners’ business development officer. “We focus on getting the beer to stores and to customers, and let the Arches founders get back to focusing on the incredible beers and experiences that have made them so well-respected in the first place. That’s what creates value for customers, and that’s where we want to let them return their focus to.”
Debuting with favorites such as the Mexican Empire Vienna Lager and Lloyd’s Light Lager, Arches’ beers will continue to see distribution throughout Georgia, with new markets on the horizon for launch in the coming months. The brewery’s popular rotating line of international pilsner styles will also continue, each time bringing a unique spin to the most popular style of beer in the world.
Arches Brewing’s beers will also be offered through Bevana’s online shop, where beer from all of the platform’s beverage partners may be ordered and shipped directly to customers’ homes or businesses. With the ability to deliver beer to customers in forty-two states, it helps beverage makers and drinkers cut through the noise and the barriers that stand in the way of enjoying the best drinks that the world has to offer, regardless of location.
Rupee Beer continues its expansion with South Carolina
Rupee Beer is on a mission to bring Indian inspired beer to the world and recently announced its further expansion into the South with the addition of South Carolina. Rupee Beer is specially brewed to pair with Indian and spicy flavors by world renowned master beer brewer and Indian chef. It is the first Indian-inspired beer to bridge the gap between world cuisine and craft brewing, with placement at select Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Costco and Total Wine locations.
Rupee is growing the presence of its multi award-winning Basmati Rice Lager at 4.75% ABV and Mango Wheat Ale at 4% ABV. Both SKUs are currently available across 12+ states. Brothers Van and Sumit Sharma, sons of Indian restaurateurs in the business internationally for over half a century, found themselves continually frustrated they could not find any Indian beer in Maine — where their family immigrated to from the United Kingdom and Germany in the early 90s.
They decided to not only create their own beer, but set out to game change the food and beverage industry in a bold and diverse way. The Sharma brothers strategically partnered with global craft brewing legend Alan Pugsley, 40+ year master beer brewer, lover of Indian food as a British expat, and creator of over 80+ global beer brands, to create Rupee Beer and re-write everything society understands about craft lager as it relates to spicy world cuisine.
Brewed with pristine quality in mind and premium rice, maize, malt, and three types of hops, Rupee Beer dismantles the traditional lager experience by lowering levels of carbonation to allow for a more comfortable and enjoyable dining experience.
Oregon’s Craftwell Cocktails partners with multiple distributors for California distro
Craftwell Cocktails, a sister brand of 2 Towns Ciderhouse, recently announced distribution in the state of California through its partnership with Classic Beverage, Scout Distributing, Delta Paciﬁc Beverage, Mussetter Distributing, and Morris Distributing. California is the fourth state, following Oregon, Washington, and Colorado, that the craft beverage producer will distribute its premium canned cocktails.
Craftwell Cocktails are landing in stores immediately across the state for Californians to enjoy the warm rays of summer with a cold canned cocktail.
Launched in March of last year, Craftwell Cocktails are a line of premium cocktails that have quickly grown to become the #1 ready-to-drink canned cocktail in the state of Oregon. Prioritizing taste above all else, the ready-to-drink Craftwell Cocktails are crafted in the Paciﬁc Northwest with real fruit and carefully selected ingredients that lead to a refreshing and delicious taste.
Golden state retailers and consumers will now have access to the full lineup of canned cocktails, including Pineapple Margarita, Peach Mojito, Grapefruit Paloma, Strawberry Margarita, and Blueberry Cosmo. Packaged in ready-to-drink cans that are easily portable, Craftwell allows consumers to create a unique cocktail moment just about anywhere. Each cocktail is 10.5% ABV and available in 4-packs of 12-oz cans at retail stores, bars, and restaurants.
“We are excited to extend our craft beverages to the sunny state of California,” said Nels Jewell-Larsen, co-owner and vice president of business development for 2 Towns. “California is a natural extension of our West Coast adventuresome spirit and vibe.”
For more information, visit craftwellcocktails.com.


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A new report completed by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has shown that Scotland’s red meat supply chain contributes a vital £2.8 billion to the Scottish economy
Between 36% and 38% of Scottish agricultural output over the last five years was from red meat production. Sarah Millar, QMS’s Chief Executive, said: “This report is vital to understanding the red meat supply chain in Scotland’s total – as well as it’s rural economy. Red meat is fundamental to Scotland’s agri-food sector, with an annual economic output of an estimated £2.8bn, up over 16 per cent from £2.4bn in 2016.”
Red meat output accounts for 36% of Scottish farming output, with on-farm output up by more than £100m to £1.27bn since 2016. Meat processing contributes £885m, £361m comes from core supply trading and a further £225m comes from other farm supplies.
The importance of maximising livestock output is highlighted within the report: “There is opportunity to retain more value from the red meat chain if more Scottish livestock were processed in Scotland, but this requires the whole chain to work together to build the opportunities in a number of ways – as we outlined in QMS’s five-year strategy at this year’s Royal Highland Show. It’s vital that we all shout loud and proud about our meat’s provenance, quality, and the heritage of our Scotch red meat to develop an increase in domestic supply contracts as well as export opportunities, hand in hand with ensuring that there is sufficient abattoir capacity to process the increased throughput.”
The report also shares data about employment in the sector, with 39,000 jobs being sustained through the red meat supply chain. 80% (31,200) of those roles are on farm, 3,880 in meat processing, 2,000 in the core supplies industry and 2,200 employed in other supplies to the sector.
Mr Millar said: “Livestock farming is so important to the fabric of our rural economies, supporting both hired and family labour, in full-time and in part-time roles, and in-turn other local businesses in rural and remote places.
“What’s also important to note is that, when you add in the further processing of red meat into cooked foods and food service, for example, the total employment contribution of the red meat sector is even greater.”
Also highlighted within the report is the importance of the industry to rural areas. Ms Millar said: “The farms and crofts that produce store lambs and cattle underpin economic activity in much of Scotland, and importantly, the hills and islands of the north and west. Without crofting and hill farms, there would be increased depopulation and the hollowing out of remote communities.”
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “This report highlights the continued importance of the red meat supply chain both to Scotland’s economy as well as our rural communities. Improvements in on-farm efficiency as well as work to further build the brand and reputation of our nation’s iconic meats have led to a marked increase in value of the sector. This is down to the diligence and hard work of farmers, crofters and all those who work in the wider supply chain.”
The full report can be accessed here.