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Henley Pacific LA LLC — a subsidiary of Newton, MA-based Henley Enterprises Inc., the largest franchisee of Valvoline Instant Oil Change (VIOC) shops — has acquired Synfast Oil Change, a 31-unit quick-lube chain in southern California, ranging in location from Bakersfield to San Diego. The shops are now operating as VIOC service centers.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. It marks Henley’s largest acquisition in southern California since it acquired 71 EZ Lube shops in 2012.
“Growth is a major part of our culture here at Henley,” said CEO Don Smith. “This acquisition gives us over 100 stores in southern California and makes us the dominant player in this huge market.”
The move gives Henley more than 200 service centers across 10 states: California, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia.


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McDonald’s has pledged to completely overhaul the way it manages waste to complete eliminate unrecyclable packaging from its business within the next seven years.
By 2025, the burger chain claims that 100% of its guest packaging will come from renewable, recycled, or certified sources with a preference for Forest Stewardship Council certification.
The company has also set a goal to recycle guest packaging in all of its McDonald’s restaurants. It said that it understands that recycling infrastructure, regulations and consumer behaviours vary city to city and country to country around the world, but it “plans to be part of the solution and help influence powerful change”.
This expands upon McDonald’s existing goal that by 2020 all fibre-based packaging will come from recycled or certified sources where no deforestation occurs.
“As the world’s largest restaurant company, we have a responsibility to use our scale for good to make changes that will have a meaningful impact across the globe,” said Francesca DeBiase, McDonald’s chief supply chain and sustainability officer.
“Our customers have told us that packaging waste is the top environmental issue they would like us to address. Our ambition is to make changes our customers want and to use less packaging, sourced responsibly and designed to be taken care of after use, working at and beyond our restaurants to increase recycling and help create cleaner communities.”
To reach these goals, McDonald’s claims it will work with leading industry experts, local governments and environmental associations, to improve packaging and recycling practices.
McDonald’s first began its focus on sustainable packaging nearly 25 years ago with the establishment of the groundbreaking partnership with EDF. The initiative eliminated more than 300 million pounds of packaging, recycled one million tons of corrugated boxes and reduced waste by 30% in the decade following the partnership.
Currently, 50% of McDonald’s customer packaging comes from renewable, recycled or certified sources and 64% of fibere-based packaging comes from certified or recycled sources. Also, an estimated 10% of McDonald’s restaurants globally are recycling customer packaging.
“We look forward to doing more and continuing to raise the bar on what it means to be a responsible company committed to people and the planet,” DeBiase said.

domain: news


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The Bihar Mahila Udyog Sangh will organise its 23rd biennial fair, Mahila Udyog Mela, at Pataliputra ground from February 25 to March 1. The five-day fair, according to the organisers, is expected to generate sale of products worth at least Rs 1 crore.
Chopra, however, rued lack of adequate support from government in promoting such fairs. “The government should make budgetary provisions for such fairs. The participation of various departments depends on the whims of the government officials,” she said.


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Watch: Small business recovery in Colorado
On Thursday July 23, Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer hosted the fourth of a six-event series on small business recovery across America, focusing on how small businesses in Colorado have pivoted during the coronavirus outbreak, featuring Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Ryan Cobbins, owner of Coffee at The Point.
Governor Jared Polis discussed his frustration with federal level response to the coronavirus and highlighted state-level funds in Colorado that have been established to support small businesses.
- On the lack of coordination at the federal level: "We've had 50 different responses in each state. Each of the U.S. governors has really largely been on our own...But what we really need, because we do have freedom of movement between our borders, is a better coordinated national response."
- What the state is doing to help small businesses: "Many Colorado small businesses were able to get two months of payroll from the federal government, but it's not enough. So we did two things here in Colorado. We created a $20 million fund...Then we established a larger $250 million climber fund, which is a loan facility for businesses that aren't quite able to be credit worthy to get loans they need directly from banks."
Ryan Cobbins discussed his experience as a small business owner and how Coffee at The Point has navigated safety measures and addressed the concerns of employees during this period.
- On how the politicization of masks impacts his workers: "Some people have an extreme [reaction] around masks, to a point to where they get a little bit abrasive...So we make sure that our staff stays careful and we provide them with the language to speak to customers in an appropriate way so that things don't escalate."
- On how his business is using this slow period: "We've taken the advantage of the time to review our process and procedures, get to know our staff on a deeper level, review our vendors and so forth...This period gives us the time to do so."
Axios co-founder and CEO Jim VandeHei hosted a View from the Top segment with Policy Programs Manager for Economic Impact at Facebook Diana Doukas, who discussed Facebook's recent research on the global economic impact of coronavirus and its particular impact on women-run businesses.
- How the division of labor at home affects which businesses are closing: "Thirty-three percent of women business owners are finding that household responsibilities are falling to them. In a report that we've just released with the World Bank and the OECD, we're seeing a disparity between women-run and men-run businesses, where 12% more women-run businesses are closing."
Thank you Facebook for sponsoring this event.


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SUMMER package holidays to the Balearics have sold well this year with three percent more packages being sold than last summer, leaving the Balearics with a near 19 percent share of the UK package holiday market. This year only Greece has proved just slightly more popular, but taking the independent UK travel market into account, the Balearics, up until the end of July, has experienced a six percent rise in British tourism. Package holiday sales to Majorca have rocketed by six percent and Ibiza one per cent, Minorca however has suffered a four percent fall in package sales, although figures for August are expected to readdress the deficit. Both the Balearics and Canary Islands have seen package holiday sales rise by three percent, while the mainland has enjoyed a 16 percent boom, primarily because they faired better in the price war, able to offer cheaper packages. The Caribbean has also provided stiff competition. UK bookings rose by 21 percent during the first half of the year, nevertheless summer 2003 in the Balearics will end with a five or six percent increase in British tourism with holiday sales for August, September and October well up on last year. The Majorcan hotel sector is in fact reporting hotel occupancy for September and October of around 80 to 85 percent, with the bulk of clients being British.
Winter holiday sales in the UK are 12 percent up on last year, but with regards to the Balearics, eight percent down with the British opting for the Caribbean, 79 percent increase in holiday sales, or Florida, 32 percent increase in sales. Apart from the obvious winter attractions of both destinations, they have dropped their prices by around seven per cent while across the board, winter holiday prices have risen by nearly as much as six per cent. As usual, the Canaries are doing well, six percent up on last year and the mainland currently two percent down.
SUMMER 2004 People are already booking their holidays for next summer with Cuba, Florida and Bulgaria setting the market trends with increases in holiday sales of 39, 12 and 77 percent respectively.The more traditional destinations of Greece, Cyprus and Turkey are struggling along with the Balearics. 12 percent less holidays have been sold for next summer while for mainland Spain, holiday sales are on target.
The Balearics has enjoyed an 18.6 percent share of the package holiday market with 46.7 percent of all Britons holidaying in Spain, coming to the Balearics. Overall, the Balearics is still Britain's number one holiday destination with Alcudia and the Playa de Muro the number one resort. A quarter of a million Britons had summered in Alcudia by the end of July, 13 percent more than last year. Palma also enjoyed a sharp rise in the number of British visitors while resorts such as Cala Sant Vicente have seen the number of British tourists fall by 62 percent this summer along with Sant Agustin, Arenal, the Playa de Palma and Cala Viñas. At the end of July, 1.840.419 Britons had booked a Balearic package holiday this summer, although since the end of July, bookings for August, September and October have risen. Nevertheless, the end of July figures, supplied by ACNielsen TravelTrack, are the last available and at least 367.523 Britons came on a package holiday to the Balearics last month, a further 195.138 are coming this month, and over 88.205 people are booked to come here next month. But, with an average price of £422 for a seven night holiday in the Balearics, the British package holiday surge to the Balearics this summer (May, June, July) has also meant that the islands are a lucrative destination for the tour operators.


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Zelira’s CBD toothpaste is already available in the US. Now the company is preparing to launch the product in another major overseas market.
Zelira Therapeutics Ltd (ASX: ZLD) (OTCMKTS: ZLDAF) (FRA: G1G) toothpaste formulated with CBD is slated to hit the UK market under an exclusive distribution agreement.
The healthcare company has signed the distribution agreement with ASX listener Health House International Ltd (ASX: HHI), which has partnered with Zelira under a five-year contract.
Under this agreement, Health House will purchase and distribute Zelira’s CBD toothpaste for a total of $ 500,000 over the next 12 months.
Overall, Zelira sees the UK as an important market for its SprinjeneCBD toothpaste currently available to customers in the US.
“An important channel”
Dr. Oludare Odumosu, Managing Director of Zelira Therapeutics, said: “Zelira has taken a very strategic position in the cannabinoid consumer product segment with the successful launch of our first SprinjeneCBD oral care toothpaste product in the US.
“Health House International has established sales networks in emerging markets such as the UK and will be an important channel as we continue to expand our global sales presence.
“Through distribution partners such as Health House International, Zelira is able to reach larger market segments and accelerate the delivery of high-quality CBD oral care products worldwide.”
Zelira’s five-year contract with Health House began on Monday June 14th.
Under the terms of the agreement, Health House has agreed to purchase and distribute Zelira’s CBD toothpaste worth at least $ 250,000 over the next six months.
In addition, to bring the cumulative total to $ 500,000, the company has committed to selling and distributing additional products valued at $ 250,000 over the next six months.
As is customary with these agreements, either party can terminate the exclusive distribution agreement with 180 days’ written notice.
Since all sales estimates are based on the quantities ordered by Health House, Zelira is unable to quantify the total sales that the agreement could bring.
However, the ASX listener believes the UK has significant growth opportunities for clinically validated, hemp-derived oral care products.
A smile all around
Zelira first teamed up with toothpaste manufacturer SprinJene® in December 2020 to sell its CBD toothpaste in the United States without a prescription.
The agreement also leveraged SprinJene’s existing sales channels, which opened doors to popular retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Central Market and the e-commerce monolith Amazon.
The SprinjeneCBD toothpaste uses natural ingredients to help fight common oral problems like bacteria build-up and bad breath, and uses CBD to fight inflammation to improve the user’s oral health.
A diagram shows the intended effects of the ingredients in Zelira’s CBD toothpaste.
Health House’s Chief Operating Officer for the UK and Europe, Tony Samios, said Zelira’s CBD toothpaste brand represents “a unique offering in oral healthcare.”
” [The toothpaste] consists of a patented formulation of zinc, black seed oil, and CBD that are believed to help fight conditions like gingivitis and reduce gum inflammation, and where adding CBD could make this even more effective.
“We are pleased to be able to bring this product to the UK market and distribute it to our customers. The previous test marketing indicates a very strong interest in this product. “


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Once again stocks were pushed up overnight. Below is a snapshot of the overnight ramp job that really began just prior to the close yesterday:
Just a reminder, but the markets are no longer free. This means that at any point those with enough money and enough computers can move the market at will. Indeed, the underpinnings are rooted in the debt markets where the government has decided to step in and simply manipulate the markets.
The dollar is down, bonds are about flat, oil is higher having now broken out of the top of its down slopping channel and priced above $79. Oil has gone basically straight up ever since Abu Dhabi agreed to step back in and bail out Dubai. This is exactly what I thought would happen as the move downward in oil was the investment banks playing with the Arabs. Note that now that their debt is being covered that the price is going up regardless of what is occurring in other markets. That’s called total and complete manipulation and it’s also called economic warfare, a favorite game of central bankers the world over, and a great reason to support Freedom’s Vision.
In data released this morning, both the worthless Goldman ICSC and the Redbook showed roughly the same level of gains in retail sales as the week prior. No, I don’t believe their data, nor do I believe some of the retail numbers I’m hearing about this year’s Christmas shopping season. I had a reader write in yesterday who works at Wal-Mart, sees a very slow sales season compared to seasons past, and simply doesn’t believe the numbers being bandied about, such as he heard a report that overall retail sales were up 3.5% this year.
He pointed out that as the dollar goes down that the retail sales figures would be overstated by a like amount. True enough. But as I pointed out, the truth is that in the past year the dollar is down only 2.5%. I think an even larger problem in the reporting of numbers is substitution bias. Let’s say that a Wal-Mart store did the same exact amount in sales this year from last and that the dollar had no change too. If 10% of the retailers went out of business, then if retail sales overall are constant then Wal-Mart sales, and others, should pick up the business of those who went out of business and their sales should be higher. This is just one of the reasons that I do not trust their data and I look to the far more reliable sales tax data.
Also released this morning was the Case-Schiller home data for the month of October. It showed basically no change, so I guess I'll have to post this chart one more time.
Consumer Confidence is released at 10 Eastern.
I’ll be watching the TNX and the RUT today as they both cast out potential reversal hammers yesterday. Keep in mind that the target is 1,200 on the S&P, everyone currently has their eyes on it.
McHugh brought up a good point regarding the large firms desire to hold gains through the end of the year. If they wait to book profits until next year, and there were profits this year, then they delay their taxes for a year by waiting to sell until January.
There’s a 5 year auction this afternoon that needs to be watched as well, just a part of the $175 Billion in government debt auctions occurring this week.
Joe Walsh - Life of Illusion:


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Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) is ramping up to bring Malaysia’s 5G network online on 15th December 2021 and commencing the commercial availability of 5G in the country.
Coverage will be rolled out on an accelerated schedule starting with Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and parts of Kuala Lumpur in December 2021. Thereafter, 5G coverage will extend to 80% of populated areas by end-2024.
DNB is engaged in regular discussions with the domestic telecommunications industry; to provide 5G experiences to end users, DNB will be offering wholesale 5G services AT NO COST to all MNOs that are integrated into the DNB network.
This offer is applicable for all 5G live sites that will be ready throughout Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and parts of Kuala Lumpur by 31st December 2021. The offer lasts until 31st March 2022.
It is expected that MNOs will make available 5G services to all their customers with compatible devices within coverage areas.
Meanwhile, the Reference Access Offer (RAO) – having considered extensive feedback from industry – is expected to be approved by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in the near term.
Upon approval of the RAO, DNB looks to final negotiations with MNOs on signing the long-term Wholesale Agreements.
Those MNOs that enter into the Wholesale Agreement before 31st March 2022 will receive further free access to all additional 5G capacity as sites go live in the period up to 31st March 2022.
End users with 5G-compatible devices will be able to enjoy speeds of 100 Mbps and above. This means a user at the weakest point of 5G coverage would experience 100 Mbps on a 5G-compatible device.
Crucially, DNB will provide wholesale 5G services to the MNOs at a significantly lower cost than their present cost to produce 4G capacity. MNOs should therefore be able to offer lower prices to their customers for mobile services (particularly mobile broadband), which will include 5G services.
The availability of 5G services opens new and exciting innovations, with vastly improved connectivity speeds able to support use cases around the streaming and downloading of 8K quality video content, cloud-based gaming, as well as AR/VR content.
Meanwhile, as a provider of wholesale 5G services, DNB would like to stress that it will not be competing with the industry in providing 5G retail services to end users.
Instead, DNB is complementing efforts by the MNOs with a view to accelerating adoption of 5G in the country. End users are encouraged to contact their respective service providers to enquire about 5G availability.


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Airbag Recall Remedies Not Working
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recently issued a press released regarding the additional recall of 2.12 million vehicles that have already undergone some type of fix from the manufacturer for defective airbags. The cars in question have airbags that can inadvertently deploy. Certain models of Acura, Dodge, Jeep, Honda, Pontiac and Toyota vehicles with the defective airbags are being recalled a second time because the first manufacturer provided remedy didn’t work for some automobiles.
First Recall Didn’t Take
Unfortunately, the original ‘fix’ for these cars proved ineffective in some of the vehicles, so the manufacturers are conducting a second recall to get it right this time. At this time, the NHTSA has identified approximately 40 cases where airbags deployed inadvertently after cars were ‘fixed’ with the original remedy. This means airbags are deploying at inappropriate times and in the absence of an actual crash.
Explosive Force of an Airbag
While this may not sound like too serious of a problem, if your car is one of the recalled vehicles, you need to get it to a dealer as soon as possible. The explosive force of an airbag deploying, especially at an inappropriate time, can cause devastating, catastrophic and even fatal injuries.
Makes and Models Being Re-Recalled
• Acura MDX
• Dodge Viper
• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Jeep Liberty
• Honda Odyssey
• Pontiac Vibe
• Toyota Corolla
• Toyota Matrix
• Toyota Avalon
A Second Remedy for Defective Airbags
NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind was quick to point out that while this is a complicated issue for consumers who have to make an additional appointment to take their cars in, it’s absolutely critical for safer operation of their vehicles. If your car is currently under recall or a secondary recall, you need to get the problem addressed as soon as possible by contacting a local dealership.
If you’re not sure if your automobile is under recall, you can check using the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) at Safercar.gov’s Recall Lookup page.


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Continued strong demand for new Lexus product has resulted in another record-breaking sales result for the luxury brand in February.
Lexus sold 816 vehicles for the month, an impressive 30 per cent increase on the February 2015 figure.
Lexus Australia chief executive Peter McGregor said the February sales achievement followed on from a record-breaking January to continue Lexus’ early 2016 sales momentum.
“Lexus has already sold 1451 vehicles in 2016, which is not only very impressive – it’s unprecedented,” Mr McGregor said.
“These numbers confirm that our dynamic product with progressive interior and exterior styling, engaging driving dynamics and high levels of standard specification are providing a compelling proposition in the luxury marketplace.”
Mr McGregor said interest in Lexus models was further validated by the high number of orders for new vehicles including the RX SUV.
“We are delighted there is so much enthusiasm for our new models across the board, and orders for RX underline the desirability of this impressive vehicle in the segment,” Mr McGregor added.
The result comes after Lexus achieved first place in the US-based J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Survey for the fifth year in a row and won the Car Manufacturer category of the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards for the second successive year.


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In February CMH Toyota Alberton had the Newmarket mall in Alberton on display at Newmarket mall in Alberton. The latest Toyota vehicles were on display for the public to view and test drive.
The vehicles which were on display included the All-new Toyota Corolla Quest, Toyota C-HR , Toyota Fortuner and the Toyota Rav4. We saw masses coming through to have a look at our incredible vehicles. Over the weekend the Sales team had to work at the mall due to the massive amounts of people who were visiting our display area.
The public could easily foresee that the new Toyota Corolla Quest was not just your average family sedan. With an upgraded 1.8 litre engine; innovative safety features; as well as a stylish new look inclusive of 16-inch alloy wheels*, partial leather* trim and a touchscreen infotainment system*, it was obvious to see why this reliable and fuel-efficient family sedan was so popular
Another vehicle which gathered the crowds was the Toyota Fortuner. Reimagined from the ground up, the Toyota Fortuner is a mixture of luxury and class-leading outdoor capabilities. Under the sleek design exists a blue-blooded adventurer with off-road credentials second to none and a drive that needs to be experienced to be believed.
The focal vehicle of our display was the Toyota C-HR. The vehicle welcomes you to a world where agility meets practicality and connectivity. This urban crossover is the ultimate accessory for those seeking adventure.
The most recognizable vehicle on display was the new Rav4. The newest evolution of this compact crossover SUV is here. And you can expect nothing less than incredible. The new RAV4 has taken a bold leap forward with its new dynamic design characterized by a front grille with an assertive, angular bumper, and LED headlights, as well as taillights
CMH Toyota Alberton would like to thank everyone who came to Newmarket mall to support the team. If you were unable to make it to our mall display come to CMH Toyota Alberton and test drive the new Toyota range today.


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Tangerine Confectionery has teamed up with Nickelodeon for the first time to launch SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sweets.
The supplier is this month rolling out limited-edition Wham and Fruit Salad sharing bag ranges inspired by the Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products characters, describing the launch as “the start of a fruitful relationship” with the entertainment giant.
Wham Mini Chews have been rebranded Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Power Chews (rsp: £1.49/180g) and feature the main characters: Leonardo as Sour Blue Raspberry flavour, Raphael as Strawberry, Donatello as Wham Original and Michelangelo as ‘Brew’ flavour.
Fruit Salad is getting the Bikini Bottom treatment, with the sharing bag (rsp: £1.49/180g) featuring SpongeBob as Original flavour, Squidworth as Kiwi & Melon, Mr Krabs in Strawberry & Rhubarb, and Patrick in Apple & Blackcurrant flavour.
“These characters are popular with audiences of all ages,” said Tangerine Confectionery senior brand manager Gillian Clarke. “The partnership gives us an opportunity to treat families to two fun ranges which we predict will be best sellers this summer.
“This is the start of a fruitful relationship with Nickelodeon where we will continue to build brand loyalty.”


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Ouch! The desk that allows workers to sit on their bikes all day (a snip at £4,000)
It will hardly be the most comfortable way to spend your time at the office but it is at least a solution for those concerned their bike may go missing from the car park.
An inventor has designed a bike stand that doubles as a desk - so that workers can literally ride to work.
The Japanese-designed desk, called the Pit In, has a slot at the front that is large enough to fit a 26-inch wheel.
Pedal power: Cyclists no longer need to get off their saddles when they arrive at the office thanks to this wacky new desk design
It means workers can ride into the office and remain seated on their saddle for the entire day.
Side platforms allow them to rest their feet on either side of the desk while they tap away at their computer as usual.
But you'll need to work extra hard to afford one - the Pit In, which measures 28 inches long, 35 inches deep and 45 inches high, is sold online for a whopping £4,000.
The indoor version is made of plywood but designer Daisuke Ito, 38, also plans to release a steel version for use outside.
Daisuke, from Japan-based design studio Store MUU, said: 'The saddle of a bicycle is just like a movable chair with wheels.
'You can sit on your bicycle while you take a coffee break, check emails or chat with friends.
'Of course, the desk is only as comfortable as the saddle you have.
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JERUSALEM (JTA) — Starbucks issued a statement saying the company and its CEO do not provide any financial support to Israel or its army. The company updated a 4-year-old statement on its website after the spread of false “rumors that Starbucks or Howard provides financial support to the Israeli government and/or the Israeli Army,” the statement said, referring to Howard Schultz, Starbuck’s CEO, who is Jewish. The statement, a fact sheet in Q and A form, was updated on Aug. 5.
“Starbucks has been and remains a non-political organization. We do not support any political or religious cause. Additionally, neither Starbucks nor the company’s chairman, president and CEO Howard Schultz, provide financial support to the Israeli government and/or the Israeli Army in any way,” the statement said.
The company said in its statement that it closed its Starbucks stores in Israel in 2003 due to “on-going operational challenges that we experienced in that market.”
Starbucks has stores in 65 countries, including nearly 600 in 12 Middle Eastern and North African countries such as Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.JTA
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Schaumburg-based Sparton Corp.'s shareholders this week approved the company's merger with Ultra Electronics Holdings PLC and Ultra Electronics Aneira Inc.
Ultra Electronics Holdings PLC announced in July it would acquire the manufacturer and supplier of electromechanical devices for approximately $234.8 million. Ultra is a global defense, security, transport and energy company based in Middlesex, England.
Sparton's products range from sonobuoys used to track submarines for the military to power and sensing systems for industrial and medical customers. The company has 13 manufacturing locations and engineering design centers around the world.
The transaction remains subject to other closing conditions and the parties continue to work toward completion of the transaction, which was anticipated to be Jan. 1. 2018.


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From Fashion Wire: April 7, 2005
Mao PR Sues Heatherette Designers
As everyone in fashion knows, sometimes young designers bite the hand that feeds them. Last month, Heatherette unceremoniously decided to cut ties with Mao Public Relations, their publicity firm since the label’s inception in 2001. In a meeting with Heatherette company president Elissa Bromer, Mao PR was told “their services were no longer needed,” said Mauricio Padilha, president of Mao PR.
“We created Mao to help young designers,” said Padilha of their New York-based PR firm, well known in the fashion community for their support and representation of emerging fashion designers like Richie Rich and Traver Rains, the design team behind Heatherette.
“We had a contract with Heatherette from day one to do their PR for a fee – when they first started being late with their payments we made an agreement that as soon as they got their funding that they would pay us in full,” said Padilha. “The Weisfeld/Heatherette deal has been in the works for a very long time,” he added. “We continued doing the press because we were promised we would be paid in full….We invoiced them every step of the way and everytime we would speak to Richie he kept telling us we would be getting paid as soon as the deal went through.”
Continued Padilha, “Clients come and go – but for somebody to have been helped all along and are up with a $6 million contract and don’t want to pay us a penny?”
Read the full article here via yahoo. News like this never helps others trying to break in the business; it’s a sad state of affairs. Evidently others are coming out of the woodwork with their own past due invoices. Thanks for the tip Josh.


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13 March 2013 02:36 [Source: ICIS news]
MEXICO CITY (ICIS)--Mexico's large automobile industry will continue growing quickly in the upcoming years, increasing the demand for plastics, an executive with LANXESS said on Tuesday.
The industry has already been seen to have recovered from the recession.
In 2012, automobile production reached its highest level since at least 2008, according to the Asociacion Mexicana de la Industria Automotriz (AMIA), a trade group that represents automobile producers.
Many of the vehicles produced in Mexico are exported.
Meanwhile, Mexico's light vehicle sales reached 987,747 in 2012, up 9% year on year, according to the Asociacion Mexicana de Distribuidores de Automotores (AMDA), a trade group representing auto distributors in Mexico.
2012 was the third best and strongest year since 2008, according to AMDA.
Automobiles are a major consumer of chemicals, and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) estimates that each vehicle contains an average of $3,297 worth of chemicals, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), nylon, polycarbonate (PC) and others.
Mexico's automobile industry should continue growing, said Brendan Dooley, director, sales and OEM (original equipment manufacturers) development, NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) region for LANXESS's high-performance materials segment.
The segment produces nylon compounds.
Dooley was speaking on the margins of the Plastimagen plastics conference.
In fact, LANXESS expects demand for its products from the Mexican automobile industry to grow by double digits in the next 3-5 years, Dooley said. "The trend will continue. We are seeing more and more investment in Mexico."
Plastimagen lasts through Friday.
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Asian Chemical Connections


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You may have heard Bilibili referred to as China’s answer to Netflix, YouTube or Reddit. The fact is that it’s a mixture of the trio, with an added sense of community belonging.
Initially featuring Japanese anime, comics and games, the 11-year-old streaming site is a good barometer of trends among China’s younger demographic, which now watches TV dramas, learns foreign languages and picks up cooking techniques via the platform.
With 197.2 million active users as of September, Bilibili is now walking a fine line between pampering existing users and venturing into an emerging category－Chinese cartoons.
During a News conference last month dubbed “Made By Bilibili 2020-2021”, the company announced the launch of 33 new animated film titles for next year. They include a coproduction of New Gods: Nezha Reborn, a story from Chinese legend produced alongside animated film specialist Light Chaser Animation Studios.
The theatrical release of Fairies Albums is also in the pipeline. Its anime series of the same name has garnered over 100 million views on Bilibili since its April debut.
Plenty of progress has been made since the inception of the inaugural Chinese-made anime release conference in December 2018, said Li Ni, vice-chair and chief operating officer of Bilibili.
This year alone has seen a total of 106 Chinese anime titles launched on the site, while the overall viewing hours of locally produced anime on Bilibili have jumped 98 percent year-on-year, Li said at the event without disclosing detailed figures.
“Between 2014 and 2024, we have this 10-year vision for animation at Bilibili－to become a Chinese anime hub that can help drive the industry’s development in Asia and grows in terms of both output and audience. After 2024, we hope Bilibili will support and witness the birth of new Chinese anime superheroes and blockbuster animation hits,” she said.
Bilibili is sparing no efforts in adapting existing movies or other successful works.
In the pipeline include an adaptation of the Chinese hit novel The Longest Day in Chang’an, whose animated series follows the storyline of the novel’s protagonists.
Bilibili is moving into the mainstream scene by offering standard fare like textbook tutorials as well as serious knowledge-sharing content covering everything from medical to military matters.
Analysts view the company’s ventures into the broader movie sphere a critical step forward to appeal to a wider user base.
“Bilibili has sought to reposition itself as a platform not only for animation fans, who were the initial users of its service, but also for moviegoers, gaming enthusiasts and merchants amid rising competition,” said Charlie Chai, an analyst at consultancy 86Research, which focuses on China’s internet, technology and consumer trends.
Chai said Bilibili’s professional user-generated content serves as a glue to online communities and looks like a more sustainable business model than domestic peers like iQiyi and Youku, which plunk down tens of millions of yuan into content acquisition.
In the third quarter, Bilibili’s 197.2 million active users were up 54 percent from the same period a year earlier. But it also booked a growing net loss, which jumped 2.27 times year-on-year and could be attributable to rising marketing dollars spent on brand awareness.
Such anxiety, however, could be somewhat quelled by the expected spending power and willingness of Generation Z consumers. Research by QuestMobile predicted the demographic will make up two-thirds of all online entertainment consumption by 2023. Gen Z refers to those born between 1996 and 2010.
“Millennials and Gen Z Chinese consumers pay for content,” said Tanya Van Gastel, a columnist at Content Commerce Insider, which focuses on branded entertainment. “For brands looking to diversify ad placements away from display ads－knowing fully well that branded content is 22 times more engaging than display ads－Bilibili offers an opportunity.”


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The trade union of Rakvere Meat Processing Plant, which is owned by Nordic food manufacturer HKScan, is to organize a picket in Finland in support of the striking employees of the Rakvere plant, and has also registered a new support strike to begin next Thursday.
The plant's trade union, in cooperation with the Finnish trade union, is planning a picket in support of the strikers in front of HKScan's head office either in Turku or in Vantaa, Estonian Trade Union Confederation (EAKL) secretary Artjom Arhangelski told BNS on Thursday.
He added that the union has also registered a new support strike in support of the employees of the meat plant which is to begin next Thursday and last three days.
"The employer has not made any proposals," Arhangelski said. "We will continue our activity." According to the union confederation secretary, the number of trade union members has grown to approximately 105-110 people.
Wage dispute nearly four months old
The wage dispute at Rakvere Meat Processing Plant began on Oct. 17, when 27 slaughterhouse employees staged an illegal strike, resulting in the dismissal of three employees. The employees said they were protesting against poor working conditions as well as the stagnation of wages, which have not been raised for the past ten years.
The workers then referred the dispute to the public conciliator, who was unable to reconcile the two parties.
The slaughter line employees of Rakvere Meat Processing plant are demanding a base wage hike of 16 percent as of Feb. 1 and a second 16-percent hike as of July 1. Also demanded in the strike announcement sent to the employer by the unions on Jan. 19 is that the employer not make changes to the way incentive pay is calculated.
According to the unions, this would mean an increase in the workers' base hourly wage to €4.34 as of Feb. 1 and €5.03 as of July 1. Based on the unions' calculations, this should increase slaughter line employees' average monthly wages to €1,079 as of Feb. 1 and €1,195 as of July 1.
HKScan Estonia, meanwhile, announced that they have decided to increase the entire company's payroll by five percent in the second quarter.
Employees of the plant began an open-ended strike on Tuesday after a final attempt at talks on Feb. 1 failed.
HKScan Group is a Nordic meat producer which produces and markets pork, beef, poultry, mutton, processed meat as well as ready-made food. While it saw €1.8 billion on revenue, the company posted a loss of €18 million last year. HKScan Group also includes HKScan Estonia, which in turn owns Rakvere Meat Processing Plant and poultry producer Tallegg.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS, ERR


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Sony has reportedly canceled features that were set to be released in an upcoming mirrorless camera due to a scarcity of parts that its other businesses are competing for.
In an article titled “Sony Is Struggling With PlayStation 5 Price Due to Costly Parts,” Bloomberg reports that there isn’t enough flash memory to go around between Sony’s video game, smartphone, and camera products.
“The company’s biggest headache is ensuring a reliable supply of DRAM and NAND flash memory, with both in high demand as smartphone makers gear up for fifth-generation devices, according to people familiar with Sony’s operations,” Bloomberg states.
And it seems that Sony is prioritizing the spec wars on the video game and smartphone fronts while conceding non-essential (but presumably nice to have) features in its popular cameras.
“Sony has already canceled some previously planned features for a new mirrorless camera due this year owing to the constrained DRAM supply, several people with knowledge of the matter said,” Bloomberg reports.
It’s unclear which camera the report is referring to, but based on the age of its current models, the Sony a7S II (released in October 2015) and Sony a7 III (released in April 2018) seem like potential candidates.
“I’d hate to see features crippled on the a7S III or a slower sensor readout with more rolling shutter,” writes Andrew Reid of EOSHD. “I expect the a7 IV and a7S III to be particularly DRAM hungry.
“The a9 stacked sensor technology has additional very high-spec DRAM chips are solder bumped directly to the back of the CMOS sensor facilitating very fast readout speeds. It was expected to trickle down to the a7 IV and especially the a7S III, to make a fast 8K sensor readout possible.”
Sony previously predicted that the ongoing coronavirus outbreak could “enormously” affect the “production and sales supply chain for the image sensor and electronics business.”
read more at https://petapixel.com by Michael Zhang


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Forty-seven employees were laid off today at Golub Corp. headquarters in Schenectady, New York, as the supermarket chain continues to make big investments, and hire new workers, to convert its stores from Price Chopper to the Market 32 brand.
The employees were spread across various departments at the company headquarters on Nott Street, said Mona Golub, spokeswoman.
They received severance packages that included one week of pay for every year served, fringe benefits and out-placement job service.
Total staffing at the building is nearly 700.
"Reorganization is a common and necessary practice," Golub said. "This reflects our efforts to hone a lean and efficient administrative support team as we re-invest in our stores."
While the headquarters headcount shrinks, the number of store employees has grown by more than 700 at the four supermarkets that have already been converted to the Market 32 format. All told, nearly 22,000 people work at more than 130 stores in six states.
"It's a combination of new programs and services and a commitment to elevate customer service altogether," Golub said. "The success of our Market 32 concept stores makes it very clear to us we're on the right track."
Four more Market 32 conversions will be completed soon in the Albany area: in Troy across from Hudson Valley Community College; Hamilton Square in Guilderland (the former 20 Mall); and on Delaware and Madison avenues in Albany.


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CanineActiv is a holistic canine supplement that aims to increase a dog’s mobility.
Leading up to the celebrations at the franchise’s locations on Aug. 10., Dogtopia will host a Snoopy lookalike contest online.
America’s Top Dog Model, a pet lifestyle brand, launched the contest early this year inviting dog owners to explore the world of “once upon a time” by submitting photos and stories.
The show was ranked among the top 50 shows of 2019 on Trade Show News Network’s list.
Heavy marketing and COVID-era-friendly retailing strategies were key to opening the pet specialty chain’s new location in Silverdale, Wash., reports Mud Bay’s Al Puntillo.
The company’s bottles are now made from environmentally friendly recycled plastic.
The partnership aims to provide necessary products to help new pet owners and their pups settle in, according to company officials.
The food and treat manufacturer will no longer sell its products on Chewy in an effort to assist independent pet retailers, said company officials.
In addition to online sales, the company plans to sell its products in Japanese natural food and specialty pet stores in the future.
The contest invites cat fosters and adopters to share their most creative feline foster adoption profile or adoption story for a chance to win a cash grant.


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BlackBerry has launched a tablet in partnership with IBM and Samsung, aimed squarely at government and enterprise customers and coming a few years after a failed bid in the consumer tablet market fell short.
Looking to strengthen its hand as the go-to brand for businesses, the Canadian smartphone maker unveiled its "high-security" SecuTABLET, just weeks after pulling the curtains back on a new iteration of its BlackBerry handheld. The tablet device is based on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5, and is being shown off by Secusmart—a company BlackBerry bought last year—at tech conference CeBIT in Germany this week.
"Security is ingrained in every part of BlackBerry's portfolio, which includes voice and data encryption solutions," Hans-Christoph Quelle, CEO of Secusmart said in a statement.
The release of the SecuTABLET is the latest enterprise launch from BlackBerry, as it struggles with declining smartphone market share and narrows its focus on the business space. BlackBerry has not yet given details about pricing and availability.
In 2011, BlackBerry tried—yet failed—to challenge the Apple iPad's dominance in tablets with the Playbook, a sleek device that critics ultimately found unsatisfying for lack of applications and other functions. BlackBerry was forced to take a writedown on the tablet. Earlier this month, CEO John Chen told reporters that he was open to re-entering the tablet market in some form.
The Canadian firm released a touch screen mid-range smartphone at Mobile World Congress earlier this month, and announced that some of its services will be integrated with Samsung's KNOX business enterprise platform.
BlackBerry has been opening up more of its software to be compatible with other operating systems such as Google's Android and Apple's iOS as it continues to focus future growth on software and services.
For the SecuTABLET, IBM will provide a so-called "app wrapping" solution which protects certain apps with a higher level of encryption. BlackBerry said, however, that personal apps such as Facebook and Twitter can still be used.
Secusmart will also include its Security Card technology, which is a microSD card that provides ultra-high level encryption. The German company says on its website that it would take "149 billion years to crack" its encryption code.
The device is undergoing certification at the German Federal Office for Information Security, in order to obtain a security rating that would make it eligible to be used by government officials.


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The 2015 Subaru WRX will no longer have a standard automatic transmission option, rather it will be a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Don’t fret WRX fans, a manual transmission is still available as an option, but the use of a CVT might be a downer for those that still consider the WRX a full-fledged sports sedan. The choice however, isn’t a surprising one considering the new WRX is based on the Impreza, which offers a CVT as the automatic transmission.
SEE ALSO: 2013 LA Auto Show Coverage
The news comes as part of a leaked dealer document showing ordering information for both the WRX and its big brother, the STI.
The more powerful WRX STI however will only be available with a manual transmission, sticking true to the STI’s heritage as a high-performance sports car. Check back next week when the 2015 Subaru WRX makes its official debut at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show
SEE ALSO: 2015 Subaru WRX Specs Leaked
Discuss this story at our Subaru WRX forum.


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According to an article I read today on social media news site Mashable, a new bike sharing program – the Social Bike System (SoBi for short) – is set to debut in New York City this Fall. What’s unique about this bike share program is that the system uses a wireless Android or iPhone-based mobile phone app to find and unlock the bikes. The finding part is not new, though, since I remember playing around with the app from the French Velib bike share system when I first got my iPhone almost two years ago. I always chuckled when it would inform me that the nearest available bike was located just 5,767 miles away in a neighborhood in Paris.
The wireless unlocking part – or how you access the bikes themselves – is interesting and, allegedly, cheaper and easier to manage than other existing systems.
If you like what you see, you can vote for them in the Pepsi Refresh Competition.


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Vans facing restrictions at recycling centre in Harlow
Politics / Mon 24th Oct 2016 pm31 03:55pm
DRIVERS of vans and pick-up trucks will be faced with new restrictions at some Essex recycling centres from the end of the month.
Following operational changes announced in August, vans and commercial vehicles will not be allowed into around half of the county’s recycling centres and will face increased scrutiny of their loads at those sites which still offer access. This change will help improve capacity and reduce the amount of illegal business waste entering recycling centres in Essex.
Research undertaken by Essex County Council identified that commercial vehicles make up more than a third of recycling centre users, causing additional queuing and longer unloading times than householders in cars.
On top of the changes for commercial vehicles, many sites will also no longer offer disposal facilities for DIY and construction waste; materials often brought in by businesses and not regarded as household waste by the law.
Many sites will continue to receive household DIY waste, although there will be limits on the frequency on which this will be accepted. The vast majority of householders dropping off waste will be unaffected.”
The council has invested in a new automatic number plate recognition system to monitor site use. This will enable them to catch businesses who use cars as well commercial vehicles to illegally dispose of their waste. Businesses who persist with attempting to gain access may be liable to a fine of up to £50,000.
Councillor Simon Walsh, Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste said: “I want householders to have a swift and safe experience when they use our recycling centres. While the majority of traders play by the rules, the illegal use of recycling centres means that residents end up footing the bill. Removing illegal business traffic from sites will breathe new life into these facilities and improve sites for all users.”
I’m in and out in 5 minutes in my van
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Unable to run his regular business because of the lockdown, a jeweller in Jaipur has started selling vegetables to earn money and support his family. in Ram Nagar, Jaipur, decided to sell vegetables in his shop to earn a living, since shops selling non-essential items had to be shut down amid coronavirus lockdown.
Hukumchand Soni, owner of GP Jewellery Shop in Jaipur’s Ram Nagar, has been in the jewellery business for 25 years. As the lockdown began on March 25, Soni’s started using his savings to support his family. Soni added, “I used to make and sell small jewellery items and used to repair damaged ornaments. But I and other shopkeepers started suffering losses daily due to the lockdown.”
When Soni realized he will soon exhaust all his savings, he decided to sell vegetables to earn money. Soni told PTI, “It’s been four days since I started selling vegetables. This is the only way I can survive the lockdown.” Soni goes to the local vegetable market everyday to gather his supplies and transports the vegetables to his shop in a hired tempo-rickshaw.
Being the only earning member of family, Soni has to pay rent for the shop, take care of his mother and the family of his younger brother, who passed away. Soni said, “Atleast I’m earning now. It is better than sitting at home and doing nothing.”


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- Ecommerce and online grocer platform has raised funding of $11 million in a Series A funding round led by Accel Partners.
- The existing investors including Elevation Capital, Jungle Ventures, and WaterBridge Ventures participated in the funding round.
Ecommerce and online grocer platform CityMall has raised funding of $11 million in a Series A funding round led by Accel Partners. The platform is serving customers residing in Tier 2 and 3 cities and backward untapped regions.
It is witnessed that existing investors Elevation Capital, Jungle Ventures, and WaterBridge Ventures participated in the funding round.
CityMall plans to use fresh funding for strengthening the supply chain, logistic and vendors network, tieing up with more brands, and expanding presence to 20 new cities in Tier 2,3, and 4 markets.
Founded in 2019 by Angad Kikla and Naisheel Verdhan, CityMall pledges to reach out to more than 2 lakh customers and establishing a connection with community leaders and big brands by 2022.
“The rate at which we grew during a pandemic is the proof of our ability to create a sustainable and effective model to address the challenges that traditional eCommerce models are facing in Tier-II, III, and IV markets of India,” said Angad.
CityMall shows itself as a community platform designed to serve 400 small cities, towns, and villages by making everyday-use categories such as grocery, FMCG, fresh, as well as particular home and kitchen-related products available on single finger touch.
The startup said since Elevation Capital sanctioned fund in 2020 to us we achieved 23 times growth in revenues that is attracting more investors to support us in our incubated phase. During this period, CityMall created its presence in several small towns and cities such as Rewari, Dharuhera, Pataudi, Sonipat, Bahadurgarh, Jhajjar, Rohtak, and Panipat.
Elevation Capital Vice President Akarsh Shrivastava said: “Tier-II+ grocery is a very large opportunity, which has remained untapped because of unique challenges that traditional eCommerce models have struggled to address. CityMall’s community group buying model has allowed it to bridge this gap and offer a high trust and super convenient purchase experience (while being price competitive)."
Follow IndianStartupNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter for the latest updates from the startup ecosystem.


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Corel Corp. today turned in its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2001 results, for the period ending November 30, 2001. The company’s revenues for the year were US$134.3 million, producing a net loss of $7.3 million. Fourth quarter revenues totaled $31.6 million, producing a net loss of $10.7 million.
The quarterly loss is the first for last year — previously, Corel turned in three consecutive profitable quarters. Although the company didn’t turn a profit for either the quarter or the year, Corel noted that the results indicate a $48 million gain to their bottom line. Corel’s 2000 numbers totaled $157.5 million in revenues and $55.3 million in losses.
Corel ended its fiscal year with $122.4 million in cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and restricted cash amounts. That’s about $6.2 million less than the company ended with in 2000.
Corel CFO John Blaine said the company made “significant improvements” to its overall financial position last year. “While recent events and general economic conditions impacted our revenues during the fourth quarter of 2001, our strict cost controls, healthy cash position and strengthened balance sheet helped mitigate the impact of these external factors,” said Blaine.
Corel president and CEO Derek Burney called 2001 “a turning point” for the company. He said that Corel consistently met milestones laid out for the first phase of its three-year growth strategy.
“We demonstrated we could operate the business profitably and introduced an unprecedented number of new products, including procreate, a brand new line of software for creative professionals,” said Burney.
Corel is making a strong push on the Macintosh with products like Graphics Suite 10, CorelDraw 10, Corel Photo-Paint 10, KPT effects and KnockOut 2, all released during the fourth quarter of last year. All of the graphics products are optimized to work in Mac OS X, consistent with an announcement made by Corel that it plans to make all future Mac pro graphics applications for OS X. This has enabled Corel to distinguish itself from other more established graphics application publishers in the Mac market.
“2002 will see the company make further investments as we leverage this momentum and continue to deliver products designed around the needs of several clearly-defined market segments,” said Burney.


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Five Minutes With: Mark Niederauer Chief technology officer at EO2 Concepts and chairman-elect of the San Antonio Manufacturers Association
Mark Niederauer, whose EO2 Concepts produces wound-care devices, says San Antonio’s manufacturers, large and small, are drawing on advanced technology and supplying high-paying jobs. We asked him how the manufacturing sector has evolved and how the Alamo City can ensure its workforce is ready for high-tech jobs.
Q: How has San Antonio’s manufacturing sector changed over recent years?
A: The most obvious change is the transformation to a much more high-tech world throughout manufacturing. Today we have some very sophisticated machinery and instrumentation involved in precision, advanced manufacturing. And this is true whether we’re talking about small operations or giant production plants. Medical manufacturing, for example, encompasses precision medical devices, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment and much more, and now includes almost 50 local companies. And as we’ve seen manufacturing evolve away from low-skill sectors of the economy to high-skill, high-tech sectors, we’ve seen significant wage gains as manufacturing has met these increased technological demands. The average (based on 2011 data) annual salary in manufacturing has steadily climbed to about $47,500 in San Antonio, which is 11 percent above the average for all local workers.
Q: What are the most vibrant sectors within our local manufacturing industry?
A: San Antonio’s manufacturing economy is extremely diverse, but there are certainly pockets of growth that truly stand out. Materials and electricity, for example, includes petroleum products, so we’re definitely seeing very rapid growth stemming from the Eagle Ford Shale play. And the economic impact of electric power generation jumped 76 percent from 2001 to 2011. Equipment manufacturing has also expanded substantially, from a $1.5 billion annual economic impact in 2001 to $2 billion in 2011. The transportation sector has obviously enjoyed massive growth, as well. Aerospace, for example, now has a 50 percent bigger economic impact than it did 10 years ago, and employment in automotive manufacturing has seen the creation of thousands of new jobs, many of those at the Toyota truck plant or in the many tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers that support it. The Caterpillar and Kalmar facilities are also big job generators.
Sanford Nowlin covers energy/utilities, transportation/aviation and manufacturing.
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This Popular Fruit Contains the Most Pesticides
It's well known that many conventional fruit contains pesticides, so it's best to buy organic and avoid the "dirty dozen."
Fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue are the dirty dozen. It lists strawberries, spinach, kale, apples, grapes, cherries,
The EWG publishes a dirty dozen list each year to help shoppers make healthy decisions for themselves and their families. We asked EWG
healthy living science analyst Sydney Swanson how much pesticides are in our vegetables and how they may influence our health.
"Exposure to pesticides has been linked to many adverse health effects, including hormone disruption, cancer, and brain and nervous system
toxicity," Swanson told Eat This, Not That! "A recent Harvard University study showed that eating produce high in pesticide residues may
actually offset the beneficial effects of eating fruits and vegetables, like protection against cardiovascular disease and mortality."
"Scientists have found that two or more pesticides in combination may cause greater toxicity than just one individual pesticide," Swanson adds.
"This is alarming, as a single strawberry may have up to 23 different pesticides present on it."
"Consumers hoping to limit their pesticide exposure may choose conventional versions of the produce on the clean 15 list and purchase organic versions
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PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Safeway yesterday began installing equipment to protect the privacy and security of shoppers with visual impairments.
The new devices plug into existing point of sale payment machines and have tactile keys arranged like a standard telephone keypad. They are designed to allow Safeway shoppers who have difficulty reading information on a touchscreen to privately and independently enter their PIN, telephone number, and other confidential information.
"Safeway has a long history of supporting our communities and people with disabilities," said Larree Renda, Safeway e.v.p., chief strategist, and administrative officer. "This decision is one way we can help customers who are blind or visually impaired experience a better shopping experience in every Safeway store throughout the country,"
The deployment is the result of collaboration between Safeway and major blindness organizations including the American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind, and the California Council of the Blind.
"ACB and CCB are membership organizations with thousands of members across the country and in California who will benefit from Safeway's commitment," said Jeff Thom, president of the CCB.
Every Safeway store in California has already been equipped with the devices, and they will be installed chain-wide over the next 12 months.
Safeway operates 1,767 stores in the United States and Canada and had annual sales of $38.4 billion in 2005.


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Such investment in microchips is important because worldwide chip supply chains were heavily disrupted by Covid-19 lockdowns and labour restrictions, impacting manufacturing across virtually every industry. According to research by Goldman Sachs, 169 industries worldwide were affected by the widespread microchip shortage, a problem that cost millions and one the EU Chips Act will address at source.
The EU Chips Act came into force on 25 July 2023 and is designed to encourage innovation in microelectronics and increase the EU’s share of microchip production to 20 per cent in the next seven years. Put simply, the EU wants to significantly increase the number of companies globally that have the capacity to create microchips in-house, ensuring manufacturers are insulated from supply chain problems.
Linked to the Act is the vehicle to access the funding, known as the Important Project of Common European Interest in microelectronics and communication technologies (IPCEI ME/CT). The Act and Project combine to create an immediate incentive for European companies to shift focus from externally sourcing vital parts of their machinery to producing them in-house, with the support to facilitate this and the funding to boot.
Beyond the initial €8.1 billion state aid pledge, the move is expected to unlock a further €13.7 billion in private investment across 14 member countries: Austria, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.
Investing in semiconductor chips on this scale is hoped to yield dual benefits. It will safeguard existing production lines from unpredictable supply chain impacts and fundamentally drive the development of technologies the chips power such as AI, quantum computing, 5G and 6G communications, autonomous driving and green technologies.
So far, 68 projects have been pledged across 56 companies, including global brands such as Vodafone, Infineon, Ericsson and GlobalFoundries. FLIR A6700-series cameras or FLIR A8580 MWIR will be crucial. Such technology lets testers detect any trace damage from power surges or malfunctioning components at every stage of the development cycle. It is an area that manufacturers should invest in shrewdly in the years ahead.


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It has been some time since the new ecommerce rules were announced by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and reactions from the industry have started coming in.
The Founder of online marketplace Snapdeal.com, Mr. Kunal Bahl has welcomed the government move in his tweet yesterday:
.@Snapdeal welcomes updates to FDI policy on e-commerce. Marketplaces are meant for genuine, independent sellers, many of whom are MSMEs. These changes will enable a level playing field for all sellers, helping them leverage the reach of e-commerce. @rabhishek1982 @DIPPGOI https://t.co/tWojv3gXA7— Kunal Bahl (@1kunalbahl) December 26, 2018
Both Flipkart and Amazon have not issued any public statements post the announcement.
In the meanwhile, small ecommerce companies that operate in specific niche segment are worried after the announcement. One of the new rules allows the ecommerce companies to sell only 25% of their inventory through their own portals. For an ecommerce company running on a small scale with 10 sellers, each seller can sell only 25 of his or her 100 products on a platform. The move will be troublesome for many such smaller ecommerce businesses.
When online cashback companies such as Cashkaro.com were asked about a possible impact of the said policy on their business, Founder of Cashkaro.com Swati Bhargava clarified that their business model is unlikely to be affected by the move since their cashbacks are in exclusive tie-ups with sellers:
The new policy does not impact @Cashkarocom’s business model. We are a performance marketing channel for brands, part of their digital marketing mix. Cashback we give is from the commission we receive & is applicable on orders from all sellers 👍 https://t.co/UuS4vDQ7tV— Swati Bhargava (@Swats26) December 27, 2018
The new ecommerce rules for FDI are therefore a mixed baggage so far.
It will take some time for companies to decipher the rules, seek clarifications from the government and modify their business models and practices to fit in the new game.


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What's The Car Of 2035?By AutoObserver Staff March 22, 2011
Nick Nigro is a transportation fellow at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change in Arlington, Va., and was project manager on the center's "Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from U.S. Transportation" report. In addition to his work in the public policy arena, Nigro, an electrical and computer engineer, was software manager at Oasis Semiconductor, a Waltham, Mass., start-up.
In movies such as the iconic "Demolition Man," were led to believe the future will be filled with cars well advanced from those on the road today (in the case of the Sylvester Stallone action flick, our cars will instantly fill with foam upon a collision). But what do the real experts think about the cars well be driving in the future? For example, will our cars drive themselves like Googles modified Toyota Prius?
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change answers some of these questions in our recently released report, which focuses on reducing the U.S. transportation sector's greenhouse-gas emissions and oil use. The "Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions" report details options available to automakers for building the cars of the future. It doesnt attempt to predict the makeup of the car market in the future thats up to the consumer. Instead, the report highlights that many combinations of vehicles could significantly reduce fossil-fuel use and greenhouse-gas emissions in the future.
Keys to Improving Efficiency
From much-improved fuel economy to alternative drivetrains, a car in 2035 will look a lot different on both the inside and the outside if we embrace calls to move away from oil and reduce the environmental impact of our passenger vehicles. In addition to simply driving less, there are three key factors in saving oil and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from cars: reducing friction, making cars lighter, and building more-efficient and alternative drivetrains.
One way to improve fuel economy is to make cars more aerodynamic. Air and the road are the primary forces that act against propelling your car forward. If automakers reduce a cars aerodynamic drag (the resisting force of air) by 10 percent, its fuel economy improves about 2 percent. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe and the Toyota Prius have the lowest aerodynamic drag of any cars on the market today, but General Motors 1996-2003 EV1 bested the Prius by a wide margin. Also holding your car back is the rolling resistance of your tires. Here too, a 10 percent decrease in rolling resistance improves fuel economy by about 2 percent. Many tire makers now offer tires with lower rolling resistance.
The next factor is the cars weight. In this case, reducing weight by 10 percent yields a 7 percent increase in fuel economy. We will need a lot of help from scientists and engineers to achieve substantial weight reduction, though. One possibility is manufacturing our cars with carbon fiberreinforced polymer. We could achieve weight reductions of 40 to 45 percent with this strong and light material, which could improve fuel economy by about 30 percent.
The last factor covers the most ground more-efficient and alternative drivetrains. Here is where we have to introduce the alphabet soup of car types (see the table below):
First, its important to understand there is still much room for improvement in the fuel economy of conventional vehicles. Primarily, this is because carmakers have spent the last two decades investing most of their research and development in acceleration performance and other attributes that were more important to consumers than fuel economy. With a renewed focus on fuel economy standards by the federal government, automakers are quickly responding to meet the new goals. If these standards continue to be ratcheted up over time, it is reasonable to expect conventional cars will deliver 50 mpg by 2035.
A conventional hybrid electric vehicle could get upward of 75 mpg by then. If so, the HEV will be fierce competition for other alternative technologies in the future car market. One alternative has been available for some time cars powered by biofuels. Presently, we blend biofuels with gasoline, and we will continue to do so. Running cars almost entirely on biofuels (such as 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, or E85) is possible today, but not very popular because a refueling infrastructure doesnt exist. Our report expects blending gasoline with biofuels to be part of the future fuel mix, but doesn't expect many cars to run purely on biofuels.
Plugging Away at Fuel Efficiency
Another alternative drivetrain is just now entering the U.S. car market. 2011 is the year of the plug-in electric vehicle (PEV, which includes PHEVs and EVs). The Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, and soon-to-be-released Ford Focus EV, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Smart ED, and plug-in Toyota Prius are providing consumers a glimpse into the future. A PEV offers a quiet and responsive ride because it relies on an electric drivetrain.
Most people will be able to recharge their vehicles at home or work, removing the need to stop at gas stations, but there still are factors that make it difficult for PEVs to compete with conventional vehicles today. The key areas of progress necessary for PEVs are cost reductions, battery and electric drive improvements, and consumer acceptance. Pure EVs have a range limited to about 100 miles. The Chevy Volt overcomes the range limitation of the Leaf and Focus EVs with a backup gasoline range extender. But it does so at a price nearly twice that of its conventional counterpart, the new Chevy Cruze.
Consumer demand will ultimately determine how many of these vehicles will hit the road. At the beginning, though, incentives provided by government can help. Consumers buying PEVs would allow automakers to reduce costs through the two pillars of cost reduction learning-by-doing and economies of scale. Advancements in battery and electric-drive technology could increase the range of a PEV to nearly 300 miles per charge, which would allow a PEV to compete with a conventional vehicle. To get there, however, automakers will need new kinds of batteries that arent commercially available today.
Lastly, consumers must accept things that differentiate PEVs from conventional gasoline vehicles, including range limitations and the likelihood that refilling future cars may take longer than five minutes. The conventional vehicle has a 100+ year head start on the mass-market PEV. There are millions of Americans who are considered early adopters and will do just about anything to have the next big thing. However, mainstream car buyers are more skeptical of new technologies. PEVs will have to appear mainstream in all facets to make a real splash in the car market.
Reinventing the Gas Station
Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles will reach the market in the next few years, but will face a considerable barrier a lack of refueling infrastructure. They do not have the range limitation of an EV, as you can drive nearly 300 miles on a single tank of hydrogen, but they require a refueling infrastructure that doesnt yet exist in the United States today. These vehicles also face similar challenges to PEVs, including high initial costs that will have to be reduced.
Our report finds, though, the car of 2035 could be remarkably different from today's cars if Americans take action in the public square and the marketplace. Citizens need to support public policies such as fuel-economy standards that push us away from oil. And consumers must embrace advanced technologies so public policy, technological progress, and market success can be mutually reinforcing. In the end, the differences between today's cars and those of 2035 are up to car buyers.


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Shaw Communications Inc. has launched a long-awaited, majorly upgraded television product that it expects will take on Internet-protocol TV offerings from its main competitor.
Called Shaw BlueSky TV, the new product uses Comcast’s X1 platform and is now available to Calgary customers, the Western Canadian cable company announced Wednesday, the day before it reports results for the first quarter of 2017 and holds its annual general meeting.
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Shaw is pitching the new service, which it plans to launch in other markets in the coming months, as a “best-in-class” premium TV product that comes with a voice-controlled remote and advanced search functions.
“We are proud to be the first in Canada to pioneer Comcast’s ground-breaking technology and to be their first international partner,” Shaw CEO Brad Shaw said in a statement.
But it won’t be the last television provider to turn to Comcast’s X1 platform after abandoning its internal attempts to create an IPTV in 2015 and taking a $55-million write-down in the process.
Rogers Communications Inc. announced in December it, too, inked a deal with Comcast X1, killing its own IPTV development in a move that will result in a $475-million to $525-million write-down. It will roll out the new technology in 2018.
The adoption of Comcast’s platform comes as cable companies lose subscribers to traditional telephone companies BCE Inc. in Eastern Canada and Telus Corp. in the west, that are stealing market share with their superior IPTV services, Fibe TV and Optic TV, respectively.
In the first nine months of 2016, Shaw and Rogers respectively lost 98,000 and 63,000 TV subscribers while Telus and Bell gained 38,000 and 7,000, respectively.
Shaw is offering the premium TV product along with its fastest Internet on a two-year contract for $99.90 per month for the first year and $172.90 in the second year. The regular rate will be $208.


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Kampala, Uganda | URN | Companies that produce formula are feeding off the ignorance of mothers on breast-milk production to sell their products.
This is according to pediatricians and nutritionists who point out that many advertisements about formula make mothers believe that such substitutes are equal to breast-milk.
A report published by the World Health Organisation-WHO and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund-UNICEF has highlighted that the aggressive marketing of breast-milk substitutes especially through health professionals that parents trust for nutrition and health advice is a major barrier to improving newborn and child health worldwide.
The study shows that despite efforts to stop the harmful promotion of breast-milk substitutes, countries are still falling short in protecting parents from misleading information.
It adds that while many countries in the world have some form of legal policy or measure related to the International Code of Marketing Breast-milk substitutes, several countries still allow the sale of breast-milk substitutes.
Dr Deogratius Munube, a paediatrician and the head of Pediatric Association of Uganda says that many women are blinded into using formula.
While 44 countries have strengthened their regulations on marketing over the past two years, only 79 countries prohibit the promotion of breast-milk substitutes in health facilities and only 51 have provisions banning the distribution of free or low-cost supplies within the health care system.
In addition, only 19 countries have banned the sponsorship of professional association meetings by manufacturers of breast-milk substitutes which include; infant formula, follow-up formula and growing up milks’ marketed for use by infants and children up to 36-months old.
Dr Munube says that many hospitals in Uganda still sell formula in gift shops which according to the breast-milk code should not be happening. “Many of our hospitals here still sell formula in the baby gift shops. It’s openly put on display and it is up to the mother’s economic means on whether she can buy the formula or not when she fails to produce breast-milk,” he said.
Dr Francesco Branca, the Director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition and Food Safety says health care systems must act to boost parent’s confidence in breastfeeding without industry influence so that children don’t miss out on its lifesaving benefits.
Doctors advocate for exclusive breastfeeding of children from age 0-2 years. According to WHO, babies who are exclusively breastfed are 14 times less likely to die than babies who are not breastfed. However, today, only 41 percent of infants 0–6 months old are exclusively breastfed according to UNICEF.
But some mothers say that the use of the formula is at times a necessary intervention. Katherine Magoba, a mother of one says that she was forced to use formula even after her sisters encouraged her to breastfeed her baby because she could not produce breast-milk.
“I tried. I would put my son on my breast but he would not suckle. I was getting frustrated. My sister was pushing me to breastfeed but no milk was coming. So I decided to resort to formula and I have used it since he was a week old. He is now a year old,” Magoba said.
Dr Munube advises mothers to continuously stimulate the production of breast-milk by placing a child on the breast. He says mothers facing problems breastfeeding need to be part of peer groups that can help.
Samali Namukose, the head of child nutrition at the Ministry of Health says that stringent policies are needed in the country to advocate for good breastfeeding practices.
“The main policy that has been passed here is the provision of breastfeeding corners in places of work so that parents can breastfeed children until age two. But this is not happening because many offices do not provide such facilities,” she said.
Namukose says that government needs to look at coming up with more stringent policies to advocate for breastfeeding.


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Shopping in Japan for the Future of Retail
Will brick-and-mortar stores crumble under the weight of e-commerce? Or can online and traditional stores find ways to coexist? Tokyo may hold the answers...
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M&A in 2019: 6 Trends to Watch
After an exceptional year for mergers and acquisitions in 2018, Morgan Stanley bankers expect the market to stay strong, albeit with some shifting dynamics.
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High valuations and lackluster earnings present headwinds, but some sectors remain in favor, says Jonathan Garner.
How Morgan Stanley helped Alibaba raise capital to expand an eCommerce revolution in China and beyond.
What are we talking about when we talk about China stocks? Morgan Stanley Research Equity Strategist Jonathan Garner discusses nuances of the Three Equity Kingdoms.


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It's gimmicky, sure, but speaks to how consumers discover the world around them.
Editor’s Note: In September we announced that Skift was expanding into food and drink with the addition of the Chefs+Tech weekly newsletter.
We see this as a natural expansion of the Skift umbrella, bringing the big picture view on the future of dining out, being fanatically focused on the guest experience, and at the intersection of marketing and tech.
You can find the archives here, read the latest issue below, and subscribe here:
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☕ ? ? Tweet Emojis at Google for Restaurant Recs
You may have thought emojis were one of those millennial phenomena ne’er to make it’s way down the figurative technological chain to we lay folk who still like good ol’ fashioned print. Not the case. Google is willing to bet that the international search-hungry population is, in fact, so picto-happy that they will use our favorite little smiley faces and piles of poop to seek out restaurant recommendations (okay, likely the former, not the latter). As Eater reports, there are 21 million tweets sent every hour to Google and 600,000 of them contain at least one emoji — that’s a lot of winkeys. “A staggering 74 percent of people in the U.S. regularly use emojis, sending an average of 96 per day,” the search behemoth’s rep tells Eater. It’s okay. You know who you are.
Google Search Patterns Reveal Cultural Food Interests
While, yes, kale was so very 2011. The Google News Lab alongside Truth & Beauty have taken it upon themselves to explore what their mountains of data from our recipe, dietary, restaurant, and other food-related searches say about our culinary curiosities. Take your lunch break and nerd out on their incredibly cool infographic that reveals the rhythms of food, i.e. that — spoiler alert! — hot chocolate searches spike in December and that gefilte fish hits a yearlong high some day around Passover. Admittedly, this may be one of instances in which the data has a way of revealing insights that we may have had ourselves, gathered around a fire grasping pumpkin spice lattes, but either way, we’re grateful Google took the time to confirm our hunches. Enjoy.
Some Starbucks Will Soon Serve Pizza
Speaking of pumpkin spice lattes, it was only a matter of time before the ubiquitous coffee giant coopted more of Italian culture than the humble espresso. Cappuccino. Latte. Cortado. Okay, that’s Spanish. As announced at the company’s biennial investor conference in Manhattan on December 7th, Starbucks will soon open standalone bakeries in Seattle, New York City, and Chicago under the name “Princi” by the end of next year. CEO Howard Schultz apparently stumbled upon the bakeries of a man named Rocco Princi in his travels troving for the next great flat white and the company invested in the man’s foccacia earlier this year. Cheese + coffee though… an unlikely pairing. Let’s hope we’re taking pizza rossa, if you know what we mean.
Wine ‘n Dine Partners with Resy in NYC
In a partnership rather reminiscent of OpenTable’s 2013 acquisition of Foodspotting, Resy has recently announced that it has cozied up to Wine n Dine (no apostrophe — don’t worry, throws us too), the “food-centric social discovery app that pinpoints the best restaurants and dishes around the world,” as explained by Resy’s PR. Clearly this is a play to deepen consumer adoption for the reservation booking system that, while a darling of the restaurant community’s 1% (Union Square Café reopened on Resy, rather than OpenTable, this fall), has struggled to gain market share on the diner-side (OpenTable reports upwards of 20 million seated diners per month.) By seamlessly joining the flow of Wine n Dine users through Resy, folks can now make reservations within the app without jumping back and forth, so it’s a simple browse for notable rigatoni and book a table. The national rollout is planned for coming months, with global rollout to follow soon after.
The Daily Newsletter
Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.
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A few months has passed since part one of the review of the QNAP TVS-682T. So after further tinkering and testing, how did it perform and will I be buying one?
XSAN is dead according to Sam Mestman. So how did they manage to replay 84 streams of 4K at the recent LACPUG meeting?
We are pretty excited about this one. After a few years of wishing this product existed, Accusys will be demonstrating the first shared RAID storage unit using Thunderbolt at NAB. This is the most interesting piece of hardware news this year!
Red Giant has just completed a huge update to its colour correction products. New features, better GPU usage and a new tool added to the Magic Bullet Suite 12.
On the same day both AJA and Blackmagic Design published new drivers for their video I/O devices. Just a tweak for BMD, but a new unified driver across products for AJA.
At CES in Las Vegas, axle Video announced Drive - a new low cost product that gives producers and editors remote access to media assets via a web browser. Could this be a cheap and secure way of getting online approval of productions?
News on Fusion for the Mac updated
In a move that was't totally unexpected, Blackmagic Design has released two new versions of Fusion, one of which is free. The bad news? Only for windows at the moment, will that change at NAB?
Alexis Van Hurkman has just released his set of tutorials on the new edition of DaVinci Resolve 11. Over thirteen hours of training and 20% off until October the 8th.
Probably the worst kept secret over the last week, but if you haven't of heard already, GoPro has just announced three new cameras. 4K 30FPS, a touch panel and a very inexpensive entry level model.


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2017 Ford Ranger FX4 pricing and specs
Dark-themed special-edition arriving in March
The limited-edition 2017 Ford Ranger FX4 has been revealed, giving the popular ute a 'black pack' makeover.
In America, the FX4 badge currently brings enhanced capability to the big F-150 truck, but, in our case, Ford has stuck with a purely aesthetic exercise.
Based on the popular 4x4 XLT variant, the Ranger FX4 gets cosmetic tweaks inside and out, including 'Stark Grey' 18-inch alloy wheels, black roof rails, black bonnet and tailgate decals, black grille, sports bar, rear bumper, side steps and door handles, along with leather-accented seats.
Other standard equipment from the XLT includes the company's Sync 3 infotainment system, which features an 8.0-inch central touchscreen with satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with compatibility for mobile apps like Pandora and Google Maps.
The Ford Ranger FX4 is available in four exterior colours; Frozen White, Ingot Silver, Magnetic (grey) and Shadow Black – the latter three being prestige finishes which are cost-options.
Starting at $58,915 plus on-road costs for the manual and $61,115 plus on-roads for the automatic, the Ranger FX4 will arrive in showrooms later this month – $3500 more than the XLT on which it's based.
The release of the limited-edition FX4 follows our report of the Ranger FX4 name being trademarked in 2015, along with a registration for 'Ranger Raptor' – suggesting a performance version could also be on the way.
Unlike the old Ranger FX4, which was a special version of the US-market Ranger from the late 2000s, the Australian version doesn't offer a Torsen limited-slip rear differential, skid plates, Bilstein shock absorbers or a 31-spline 8.8-inch rear differential.
Also, while the FX4 variant is new to Australia, it has been available in the Philippines since late last year.


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Yucatecan industry remains positioned as one of the best in the country, with Yucatan among the five states with the highest industrial growth in the nation during the first 8 months of 2017…
MERIDA – Between January and August of this year, the Monthly Indicator of Industrial Activity by Federative Entity (Imaief) of Inegi indicates that industrial activity in Yucatan has grown 6.3%, higher than states with a significant industrial sector such as Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Nuevo León and the state of Mexico.
The most important industrial activities in Yucatan are manufacturing, the construction industry, the generation and distribution of water, gas and electricity and stone extraction for construction.
In the first eight months of 2017, the manufacturing industry has grown 11.3%, reaching practically two consecutive years growing at double digits, which demonstrate an unprecedented growth in the state.
In 2017, the Yucatecan Brewery that belongs to Grupo Modelo and the aluminum packaging plant of the company Envases Universales were inaugurated. In addition, last month the electrical-cables plant of Leoni AG, the German company that is the world leader in auto parts, opened near Merida.
In this installation harnesses for vehicles of the companies BMW, Volvo and General Motors will be manufactured, and during its first stage will be operated by a thousand employees with the profiles of industrial engineers, production engineers, logistics engineers, technical specialists, accountants, administrative assistants and systems technicians.
In the International trade sector, in 2012 Yucatan witnessed between January and October a total of 26,808 containers that were exported through the Port of Progreso, but during 2017, in the same period, the export was of 35,299 container. This means that in five years, there has been a growth of 32% in the export of containerized cargo through the port of Progeso, and this is a reflection of a state that continues to advance and that has already positioned itself as a logistics platform for business and industry.
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In the news today we look at Italy’s food and beverage industry. In the first five months of 2021, Italian products recorded an all-time high in exports, with a leap of +8.9%, compared to the same period of 2020. After being the only Italian growing economic sector in 2020 (total value 46.1 billion euros). According to the analysis of the Italian farmers association, Coldiretti, on the basis of ISTAT data on foreign trade, the health emergency has caused a global healthy turn in consumers, who have favoured products allied to well-being such as those typical of the Mediterranean diet.
During the CV travel pandemic, food and beverage have become the main wealth of Italy for a value equal to 25% of GDP or 538 billion euros along the entire food chain, from field to table. In Italy the sector can boast four million workers engaged in 740 thousand farms, 70 thousand food industries, over 330 thousand restaurants&co. and 230 thousand retail outlets. This is what Ettore Prandini, the president of the association of Italian farmers, Coldiretti, said in his speech at the Food System pre Summit of the United Nations in the session dedicated to “From the G20 Matera Declaration to the Food Systems Summit: A Framework for Emerging Coalitions of Action”.
ITALIAN FOOD’S TOP IMPORTING COUNTRIES
So just where are Italy’s top food import countries? Among the main importing countries we can find the United States, which recorded the greatest increase in demand (+14.2%) in the first months of 2021. This has been favoured by the coming into force, on March 11, 2021, of the agreement on the suspension of all duties related to the Airbus-Boeing dispute. Thus the additional duties of +25% were eliminated on exports to the USA of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, Grana Padano PDO, Gorgonzola PDO, Asiago PDO, Fontina PDO, Provolone Valpadana PDO as well as salami, mortadella, shellfish, citrus fruits, juices, cordials and liqueurs.
Export trend was also positive in Germany, which ranks first among the importing countries of Italian food with a growth rate of +5.4%. The same as France’s, which ranks third, while in fourth place we find the UK where, due to Brexit, Italian food exports fell by -8.4%.
The health crisis has had a hard impact on consumption habits in France. At first, many consumers have stocked up on grocery products such as pasta, rice, canned fish, and tomatoes. Many others started preparing some typical Italian food, such as pizza, and bread at home. There was also a strong trend towards replacing fresh products with frozen foods and an increasing interest in organic products. Sales in the large-scale retail trade benefited from this, especially home delivery and click & collect formats. Online sales of food products in 2020 reached a share of total sales of 7.8%, with peaks during confinements, compared to a 5.8% share in 2019. This trend is continuing into 2021.
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India's safest cars under Rs 10 lakh as rated by GNCAP
Every new car and SUV launching this festive season
2018 Ford Aspire review, test drive
2018 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 review, test ride
New car delivery checklist
Calculate your car's fuel efficiency correctly
2018 Suzuki Jimny image gallery
2018 Hyundai Santro image gallery
Existing buyers can get this feature via a software upgrade; Marazzo M8 priced at Rs 13.90 lakh.
Buying car insurance online can take the hassle out of the procedure and not be a burden on your wallet.
The festive season will see both, mass market and premium carmakers, providing a significant amount of offers and ben...
The Japanese manufacturer has revealed the updated motorcycle in Indonesia.
Tiago JTP and Tigor JTP to be powered by a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine making over 110hp.
The Mexican driver has signed a contract extension and will remain with the team for the 2019 F1 season.
Third-gen Hyundai i20 to take on the production-spec Tata 45X, Maruti Suzuki Baleno and Honda Jazz.
The niche off-roader is getting a lot of attention abroad; is yet to be confirmed for India.
While e-car sales languish, overall EV sales grow 124 percent year-on-year to 56,000 units on the back of surge in de...
The Marazzo MPV prices start from Rs 9.99 lakh; M6 and M8 variants are in demand.
Dedicated to the man who revived the iconic Italian brand, the Claudio is the final edition of the legendary F4.
The festive period will see mass market and premium carmakers offer significant discounts and benefits in order to in...
MG Motor to launch its first SUV in the first-half of 2019 with two engine options on offer.
New Santro is available in nine variants; petrol MT and AMT variants are claimed to deliver 20.3kpl.
The Kicks SUV for India is bigger than the international model and features minor design tweaks; India launch in Janu...
The premium sedan now comes equipped with Volkswagen Connect, which is a vehicle assistance system.
Outlined strategy sees brand’s conventional cars phased out in next five to seven years and replaced by EVs.
Hyundai’s Dzire rival to get more cabin room; will share underpinnings with new Grand i10 but have its own iden...
The Activa is the first scooter in India to achieve this sales landmark
A comprehensive list of all the SUVs and MPVs that are being offered with discounts and benefits during the ongoing f...
Nearly every name on the list of six finalists is an SUV; winner to be announced on November 12, 2018.
Get all the latest updates from the automobile universe