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As we move forward into this new normal of continuing social distancing, wearing masks, and washing our hands, the million dollar question is, when will we return to life as we once knew it?
Retailers are opening back up with important restrictions in place to keep their staff and consumers safe, but when will retail traffic trends go back to the way they were pre-COVID-19?
Not any time soon is the short answer.
TRAFFIC SLOW, SLOW, SLOWING DOWN
When the shelter in place restrictions started to be lifted, we initially saw traffic improvements week over week, however, improvements have slowed down in the past few weeks. The traffic trend for July Week 1 was -46% to LY, in line with June Week 5, but declined from June Week 4, -42% to LY. Fourth of July traffic was -49% to LY, impacted by many states reclosing areas or re-imposing curfews and the anxiety of a second wave of coronavirus cases keeping shoppers out of stores.
In spite of slow-to-recover traffic metrics, other sales KPIs are showing positive increases to last year. Net sales have certainly suffered but conversion (CVR), average transaction value (ATV), and a metric we use called shopper yield (SY) are all positive to LY (Shopper Yield is a calculation of sales per shopper and calculated by net sales/traffic). We continue to see that CVR & Shopper Yield are impacted by factors such as only shoppers who are motivated to buy visiting stores, and the increase in services such as ship from store, buy online pickup in store (BOPIS), curbside pickup, etc. Conversion rates did drop most recently in July Week 1 as the reality of supply chain issues hit home, with limited sizing availability in stores, new deliveries pushing out, or product customers had tried on in fitting rooms or returned being quarantined for specific amounts of time. It is important for retailers to market to their consumers when they are in decent stock positions or have newness in store so customers come in and convert. In these COVID times, it makes sense that the customers who are going into a store surely have a strong intent to purchase, however, we must continue to keep the shopper in mind as safety and convenience are key.
HOME CATEGORY AS A BRIGHT SPOT
Although all categories are still down to last year’s traffic trends, we are seeing the strongest trends from Home retailers, with open stores finishing June -29%. This is most likely due to shoppers spending more time at home and seeing where immediate improvements can be made to their house. Footwear has also been relatively strong as families have been spending a lot of time outdoors and children in some areas have been approved to go back to camp where new sneakers are a necessity. Jewelry is another business where trends were stronger in May and the beginning of June, due to Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and high school and college graduation gifting, but has since slowed down towards the back half of June as these events were nearing their end. Beauty also performed better than other categories, but certain product types within Beauty are propping up the broader category. We have heard from industry partners that this is primarily due to positive performance in skincare, sunscreen and haircare, while lip and fragrance products have experienced lower sales in comparison. With mask regulations on the increase, beauty retailers have seen some uptick in eye makeup as that is one of the only areas not covered on the face. Apparel had continued its weak performance consistent with pre-shutdown trends but has improved over the last few weeks and open stores finished last week -42% to last year from -55% in June Week 1. Better performing areas have been athleisure, pajamas, and loungewear. Dress-up, career apparel, and tailored clothing have all been challenging, as to be expected.
STATES REOPENING… OR NOT
At the beginning of June, all 50 states had begun to reopen in some capacity after closures due to COVID-19. However, as cases began to rise again towards the end of the month, many states paused or reversed plans to reopen. Notably, this occurred in California & Michigan, where shelter in place policies went into effect earliest, and Texas, Arizona and Florida which were among the states with the shortest shelter in place orders and earliest business reopenings. Yet many states in the Midwest remained open and the majority of states in reopening phases were spread throughout the Northeast, including New York, where NYC was previously the epicenter of the virus in the US. In July week 1, all regions showed improvement to June Week 5 except for the Northeast. With New York City recently opening, traffic has been disappointing as people are fleeing the city out to the suburbs or nearby beach communities. Retailers are hopeful that traffic trends will improve as New Yorkers come back to the city in the coming weeks as New York City schools will be open with at least some aspects of in-person classes, as of now. As back to school plans continue to evolve nationwide, we will watch closely to measure the impact on store traffic and recovery metrics and as the mother of 3 young children, my own sanity.
EMEA SHOWING STRONGER SIGNS OF LIFE
In looking “across the pond” at EMEA trends, we have seen improvement week over week with current traffic trends -49% to LY. The Middle East had a stronger week, -34% to LY which was +7 points compared to June Week 5. Unlike the United States, European countries are only seeing occasional “blips” of COVID-19 case spikes as they reopen. However, factors such as travel restrictions limiting traffic to heavy summer tourism countries, France delaying their famous summer sales (which now started this week, July Week 2) and Paris Fashion Week- which was online through July 12th- will likely continue to impact EMEA traffic trends.
With Back to School season about to start, let’s all work together and get this country back to normal- and if not normal, let’s embrace this new normal. Wear masks, wash your hands, and social distance, we can slow the spread of COVID-19 together 😊
For June 2020’s retail performance, download our recent Performance Pulse Report.
Susan Davidson is a Retail Consultant at RetailNext. With over 16 years of retail experience, Susan has worked in both digital and retail sides of the business. Susan has worked for retailers such as Bloomingdale’s, J.Crew, & Ralph Lauren concentrating on Merchandising, Buying, and Planning. She lives outside New York City with her husband and 3 small children.


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White Lodging Services on Tuesday continued its investigation into a customer data security breach at more than a dozen Marriott, Starwood, Intercontinental and Carlson Rezidor-owned hotels it manages for those companies.
Customers who used credit or debit cards in the 14 hotels' restaurants or gift shops from March 20 to Dec. 16, 2013, may have had their card numbers stolen, along with their security codes and expiration dates, White Lodging confirmed Monday.
In addition to the 14 hotels hit at their restaurant locations, only one was also breached at its property management system that also manages guests' credit card information. That one hotel is the Radisson Star Plaza, located in Merrillville, Ind., which is the same town where White Lodging Services is headquartered.
The hotels are only the latest to get hit, and this breach was made public only after security researcher Brian Krebs reported it on his website Friday.
(Read more: )
Eventually the public will call for changes, another technology expert argued.
"As we've seen with recent data breaches at retailers such as Target, Neiman Marcus and Michaels, credit card theft and related [breaches] is becoming business as usual these days. We might very well see a tipping point this year that finally draws national laws on reporting of such theft/breaches at a much deeper level than we have now." Marc Maiffret, the chief technology officer of BeyondTrust, said in an email to CNBC.
"I think this illumination that is happening now will continue to grow this year and reach a point where people will demand total transparency of data breaches at a federal level beyond the specific state level reporting laws we have now," said Maiffret, who said before he went legit, spent the early part of his life illegally hacking into companies and governments until being raided by the FBI, but was never arrested.
(Read more: Hotels testing keyless entry via smartphone app)
White Lodging on Tuesday did not respond to requests for more information, but some of the hotels did.
"Radisson deeply values the privacy of the personal information of our guests. The brand is working closely with White Lodging, the management company for our franchisee and the other 13 impacted hotels, as they investigate the breach at the Radisson Star Plaza in Merrillville," read a statement sent to CNBC on Tuesday by Carlson Rezidor, which owns Radisson, Park Plaza, Country Inns & Suites and Hotel Missoni.
"This is the only Radisson hotel managed by White Lodging. Since there is no evidence that the suspected breach originated with or impacted any systems that Radisson or Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group owns or controls, we do not have additional information to provide at this time."
Marriott had nine properties tied up in the breach: Marriott Midway in Chicago; Marriott Boulder in Boulder, Colo.; Marriott Denver South in Denver; Marriott Austin South in Austin, Texas; Marriott Indianapolis Downtown in Indianapolis; the Marriott Richmond Downtown in Richmond, Va; the Marriott Louisville Downtown in Louisville, Ky.; the Renaissance Broomfield Flatiron on Broomfield, Colo.; and the Renaissance Plantation in Plantation, Fla.
"We are working closely with the franchise management company as they investigate the matter," Marriott said in a statement issued Saturday. "Since this impacts customers of Marriott properties, we want to provide assurance that Marriott has a long-standing commitment to protect the privacy of the personal information that our guests entrust to us, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely."
InterContinental Hotels Group had two properties on the list: the Holiday Inn Midway in Chicago and the Holiday Inn Austin Northwest in Austin. "IHG is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our guests. IHG is in communication with White Lodging, who continues to provide updates on the investigation to their business partners, as well as to consumers via their website," the company said in a statement.
Starwood, which owns Sheraton and Westin hotels, also had two hotels on the list: the Sheraton Erie Bayfront in Erie, Pa., and Westin Austin at The Domain in Austin. "As you can imagine, the privacy and security of our guest information are very important to Starwood and we are working closely with White Lodging as they conduct their investigation," the company said in a statement to CNBC.
"To our knowledge, the system that manages hotel guests' credit card information was not affected at either of our properties."
White Lodging manages other Starwood properties but only those two appear to have been impacted, a company spokesperson said.
(Read more: Smart airline tray tables to serve up tablet ads)
White Lodging did not say how many customers may be impacted, but it said on its website it's urging all guests to review their credit card statements from that time period. White Lodging said it is arranging to offer one year of complimentary personal identity protection services to all affected cardholders.
—By CNBC's Amy Langfield. Follow her on Twitter at @AmyLangfield.
Follow Road Warrior on Twitter at @CNBCtravel.

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I had to do a double-take at checkout.
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, so it’s time to start thinking about your holiday food menu — most importantly, the turkey. If you don't want to worry about the hassle of cooking a raw turkey, or you just want to try something different this year, Popeyes' flavorful Cajun-Style Turkey is a good option to keep in mind for 2022. The Louisiana-style meal is available to order online for the first time ever, and while it might make planning your feast even more convenient, the pre-made bird is going to cost you. Yup, the cost of Popeyes’ 2022 Cajun-Style Turkey comes with a major price increase – depending on how you order, that is. Here’s what you need to know.
After making its debut for Thanksgiving 2018, Popeyes’ slow-roasted Cajun-Style Turkey has been a fan favorite ever since. Maybe it’s because the pre-cooked turkey requires very little preparation, or maybe it’s the crispy taste of the flash-fried exterior mixed with the bird’s zesty blend of Louisiana-style seasonings that puts it over the top. Either way, the limited-edition offering has been a Thanksgiving staple for nearly five years. But now that the turkey dinner has a new online order option, the price of the Cajun-Style Turkey is a lot harder to swallow.
Popeyes’ Cajun-Style Turkey Delivery Price
In 2021, the Cajun-Style Turkey had a starting price of $39.99. For 2022, the new online ordering option will cost you $94.99 plus tax.
The $55 price increase might seem excessive, but you’ll have to remember that shipping is included as well, according to the Cajun-Style Turkey pre-order page on the Popeyes website. Now, I’m not sure if shipping for a turkey is worth more than half what it cost a year ago, but if you’re all about convenience, you’ll have to shell out nearly $100.
Not looking to drop a Benjamin on a Thanksgiving bird? I don’t blame you — and you’re not out of luck.
Popeyes’ Cajun-Style Turkey In-Store Price
If you don’t think you can swing the turkey dinner this year, don’t count out the Thanksgiving tradition just yet, because the Cajun-Style Turkey is still available to purchase in-stores for a much lower price. I called my local Popeyes in Brooklyn, and according to the store, ordering the tasty turkey in person will cost you $40.99 plus tax. Keep in mind, though, that prices are set by individual restaurants, which means the cost may vary by location. Still, you can expect the in-store pick-up option to be a lot cheaper without the added shipping costs.
Popeyes’ Cajun-Style Turkey is available for pre-order online and for purchase in participating stores starting Oct. 18. TBH, it might be worth your while to call around to get an idea of what prices are looking like around you before committing to the nearly-$100 bird.
This article was originally published on


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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is dividing the world. Heralding the fourth industrial revolution, is AI a force for good, as predicted by PwC boosting the UK economy by 10% over the coming decade, or is it the beginning of the end for a raft of manual and knowledge workers?
Given the catch-all nature of technologies apparently falling within the AI definition, it is hard to validate any predictions right now. AI is not some magic wand that will eradicate manual tasks or transform day-to-day operations – it is simply another step forward in harnessing huge data resources to better understand the business and hence drive new efficiencies. And that is where the problem lies.
Right now, organisations are still struggling to gain insight from existing data sources – where are the robust and efficient data gathering processes that enable businesses to access insight more quickly and effectively? Where is the implicit trust in data? Organisations need to take huge steps forward in data confidence and trust before any of these intuitive tools, from machine learning onwards, can gain any realistic foothold within day-to-day corporate operations.
Here Peter Ruffley, chairman at Zizo, considers the importance of Digital Transformation (DX) and creating a data-driven culture to prepare businesses for an AI enabled world.
The speed with which artificial intelligence (AI) has permeated everyday life has taken some by surprise. While we are still some distance from the self-driving cars eradicating road traffic accidents; bots leveraging X-Rays, MRI scans and medical research to transform diagnostics; even robot surgeons, advances in machine learning, speed recognition and visual recognition technology are already embedding AI in everyday activities.
From the Internet of Things (IoT) devices used within retail supply chains to minimise food wastage to the translation engines transforming global communication, the concept of intelligent automation is becoming familiar. Look ahead and the promise of AI – if fulfilled – will transform every aspect of life. And that’s before the killer drones rise up!
However, while every headline paints a picture of a machine-dominated future, a world where by 2025, the work of 150 million knowledgeable workers will be completed by cognitive robots, right now the majority of organisations have no clear understanding of, or strategy for effectively using AI in the future. In fact, they are nowhere near.
So how do we get there? How can a business be ready for the intuition led operations that can and will be driven by AI? The fundamental shift will be achieving a cultural willingness to trust and believe the data. The whole premise of AI is that technology is trusted to do the job, based on the information provided. If that information is inaccurate or incomplete, the AI cannot perform effectively – or maybe even at all.
Certainly, complex diagnostic processes will be less than convincing if the AI is provided with a limited subset of essential patient data. Fighter pilots will be reluctant to take off in a plane that is using an AI-based predictive maintenance system if they lack complete confidence in the quality of the information.
But even less ground breaking developments will depend on high quality data. And that is the challenge. The transition from where we are today to relying implicitly in AI is going to be huge. Quite simply, when an organisation today lacks the confidence in its information resources to even take data driven decisions, it is hardly going to embrace AI, a model predicated on data driven activity. Any business that is not already making decisions based on information that is trusted implicitly is going to struggle to embrace AI at any level.
Digital Transformation (DX) foundation
Those organisations able to follow a digital transformation process and truly embrace data driven decision making will be well placed to explore the amazing opportunities AI will deliver. From predictive models and regression algorithms, that can accurately predict shopping patterns and enable retailers to put the right store and security staff in place; to fully automated tills, discounting rates automatically created based on stock availability, even web analysis and product affinity, AI will transform every aspect of the retail model.
Indeed, trials are already underway of checkout-less stores, using sensors and cameras to monitor customer picks and automatically debiting accounts via Smartphones. The future of retail is advanced intelligent.
But the contrast to current operations is stark. This is not a one-step evolution. Just consider the wealth of current data that is not being effectively captured and deployed. Real time supply chain optimisation in response to actual consumer demand should be a given considering the existing depth of EPOS information and inventory data.
Yet a number of supermarkets still rely on individuals to manually check the shelves several times a day in every single store to highlight any gaps in stock availability. A report is created, sent to head office and, eventually, the stock arrives.
Yet the data exists. Why are these retailers not tracking sales patterns across each store in order to predict local demand? Why are they not factoring in seasonality, demand variation by day of week and restocking accordingly? Improved insight can transform stock accuracy, minimise stock outs and improve the customer experience.
But right now, without a willingness to take the next step – namely record stock availability against sales and embrace data driven decision making, the retailer is stuck with an inaccurate, inefficient manual approach and is a long way from exploring a truly automated business model.
And this is the key. Looking too far ahead is a mistake. Forget the killer drones, for now at least. Put the robot surgeons to one side. AI is on the way, no doubt, but there are several steps that organisations must take to get anywhere near AI in practice. And effective utilisation of existing data sources is step one.
Right now, despite the board level commitment to DX strategies, how many organisations can truly claim to be data driven? To have a user base with implicit trust in the data and a culture that has confidence in data led decisions? Without that essential foundation, the scope of possibilities of using any type of AI or predictive or machine learning is going to be vastly reduced. AI may herald the fourth industrial revolution; but successful deployment of AI will demand fundamental cultural change and an entirely different attitude to, and trust in, data.
The author of this blog is Peter Ruffley, chairman at Zizo


text: It is theorised that within the next twenty years, holograms will form a daily part of our lives as the technology becomes more and more prevalent. For those of you waiting patiently for the first holographic phone, wait no more! You might already have it in the palm of your hand. Early this week, tech-savvy Youtube channel Mrwhosetheboss uploaded a video demonstrating how to make a fully functioning 3D hologram projector to be used on a phone screen. See the step-by-step video here.


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Samsung Galaxy S22 sequence launch could also be delayed because the Galaxy S21 Fan Version (FE) 5G could launch in January, as per a report. The Galaxy S22 sequence was earlier mentioned to debut in January however could now launch in February. Then again, the Galaxy S21 FE 5G could reportedly have a silent launch in January. The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G appears extra viable for early subsequent 12 months as its help web page was noticed in Germany final month.
As per a report by SamMobile, Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G could have a delicate launch — silently launched by a press launch — in January. The Samsung smartphone’s launch has been tipped a number of occasions but it surely stored on getting delayed, presumably because of the world semiconductor chip scarcity. It’s mentioned that the Fan Version smartphone could have restricted availability. It could solely be out there in sure markets in January whereas different markets could have to attend.
The launch for the Galaxy S21 FE 5G appears imminent as a help web page has been noticed on Samsung’s Germany web site. The help web page mentions SM-G990B/DS because the mannequin variety of the Fan Version smartphone. The DS on the finish of the mannequin designation hints on the dual-SIM functionality of the upcoming Galaxy S21 FE 5G. Earlier leaks counsel that the Samsung smartphone could also be powered by a Snapdragon 888 SoC and sport a 6.4-inch AMOLED show with a 120Hz refresh fee.
SamMobile additionally mentions that Samsung could launch the Galaxy S22 sequence in February by a Galaxy Unpacked occasion. It’s mentioned that Samsung could launch the brand new non-foldable flagship sequence earlier than the 2022 version of the Cellular World Congress kicks off on February 28. Samsung could unveil a brand new machine on the smartphone commerce present in Barcelona subsequent 12 months.
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Free Man Releasing October 15 on Disney+ Hotstar in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu


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Tajik stakeholders trained on WTO regulations, quality standards for textiles and clothing
Understanding the multilateral trading system
Tajik government officials have boosted their knowledge of the multilateral trading system and members of the business community have gained valuable skills in quality-management following training offered by the International Trade Centre (ITC).
Representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture received training on ‘Business implications of a multilateral trading system’ from 7-11 April in Geneva, as part of an ITC project aimed at strengthening the public and private sectors’ knowledge of the opportunities and challenges stemming from membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Tajikistan became the 159th member of the WTO in March 2013.
Experts from ITC, the WTO, the Advisory Centre on WTO Law and law firms presented lectures and real-life examples on topics including market access, customs administration, WTO rules on export and import quantitative restrictions, and anti-dumping procedures. Participants also received information on the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, Sanitary Phytosanitary Measures, dispute-settlement procedure, and trade-in-services regulations.
The Tajik delegation received ‘fundamental and practical knowledge of the multilateral trading system and regulations and international trade-dispute settlement procedures in this training course’, said Suhrob Odinaev, Chief Specialist of the WTO Department at the Tajik Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, who attended the training.
The training was planned as part of a project financed by the Government of Switzerland under its Trade Cooperation Program in Tajikistan.
Improving the textiles and clothing sector
Tajik delegates learned about implementation of a quality-management system in its textiles and clothing sector through a series of seminars planned under the ITC project called ‘Strengthening export competitiveness of SMEs in the textiles and clothing sector and enhancing trade support institutional capacities in Tajikistan’, also funded by the Swiss Trade Cooperation Program.
Participants included representatives of textiles and clothing companies in the Khatlon and Sughd provinces and the capital city of Dushanbe, as well as government officials and members of business-support services organizations.
They were introduced to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 standard during a seminar on 10 April in Dushanbe. Farzona Tilavova, an ITC consultant and director of the consulting company Kamolot-1, conducted the series of seminars to help participants improve product quality and the resulting level of customer satisfaction. The ultimate goal is to make Tajik companies more competitive in global markets.
‘Implementing the new quality-management system will also increase the clients’ and potential partners’ confidence, and assist in improving an enterprise image and create favourable conditions to attract investments,’ Ms. Tilavova said.
The seminar covered topics such as the role of senior management in implementing the quality-management system; quality management in marketing, design, procurement and production activities; the continuous improvement of the quality-management system; its documentation and implementation methodology; the internal audit; and certification of the quality-management system by a third party.


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Falling crude oil prices have already brought relief to motorists and buyers of plastic packaging, but they also spell good news for infant care manufacturers as the cost of producing nappies comes down.
The raw material cost of producing a disposable nappy rose by about 10% from January to May to an average of 3.5p per 50g nappy, as the price of all the main constituents - fluff pulp, polyethylene and polypropylene - climbed. Polyethylene and polypropylene prices rose following the rise in crude oil in the first few months of the year, driven by instability in the Middle East and higher demand in Europe because of freezing weather. Meanwhile, European pulp prices rose despite weak demand in Europe as import demand from China grew.
However, the price of producing a disposable nappy started to fall in June as plastic prices came down due to ongoing concerns over economic growth in the eurozone and lower global demand. Pulp prices also fell as inventories rose, demand in Europe remained low and exports to China declined.
Commodity risers and fallers 4 August 2012
Grains continue to dominate the key commodity risers, but there has also been significant movement in coffee and cocoa over the past month. Both are cheaper year-on-year, but cocoa butter is now 23.1% more expensive than last month, and Arabica coffee is up 20.1%.
The Arabica market has perked up following several months of price drops as rain in Brazil has slowed down the local coffee harvest, while cocoa butter prices have risen as processors have opted to use up existing butter stocks instead of grinding fresh beans.
US orange concentrate has fallen a further 5.1% in the past month and is now nearly 40% cheaper than in 2011 in the wake of eased concerns about pesticide contamination and low consumer demand.
Manufacturers of reusable nappies - made from cotton as well as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and polypropylene - are also enjoying lower production costs, as the price of plastics components has come down in line with crude oil. But they are also benefiting from lower cotton prices, which have fallen by 12% year-on-year due to oversupply and falling demand. The average cost of producing a 50g reusable nappy is now 10p, versus 11p in January.
Whether production savings will be reflected in retail pricing, time will tell. Cash-strapped parents, for whom the cost of nappies is one of the biggest spend in bringing up a baby, will certainly hope so.


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There’s little doubt that 2017 is going to not just be a career-changing one but also a life-changing one for yet another group of Ireland’s hottest young talents.
From actors to entrepreneurs, these prodigies are among a pool of high achievers whose remarkable successes to date are bucking trends and putting their country at the top of the list in a variety of professions.
In 2017, the names we suggest you keep a close eye on include Caitriona Balfe, the former Monaghan fashion model-turned-actress, who has just been nominated for a number of awards in 2017, including a Golden Globe for her role in the hit drama Outlander.
Also representing the world of acting is Love/Hate alumni Ruth Negga, who is being tipped for a 2017 Oscar nomination for her performance in the feature film Loving, which follows the story of an interracial married couple in 1950’s America.
While 33-year-old Negga has already had small parts in major motion pictures, including 12 Years a Slave and World War Z, she stills enjoys relative anonymity.
In the business world, we’re tipping Bono’s (other) daughter, Jordan Hewson for great things in the year ahead. I say ‘other’ because, three years ago, we featured Jordan’s actress sister, Eve, who has since gone on to achieve great things on television stateside.
Jordan, 27, a relative unknown when compared to her sister, established the tech company Speakable at the end of 2016. The company uses technology to make ‘civic engagement’ more accessible in terms of online news dissemination.
Elsewhere in the world of tech business, 2017 is already shaping up to be yet another landmark year for the financial technology boy wonders of Silicon Valley — Limerick entrepreneurial brothers Patrick and John Collison. Just six years into the life of their company, Stripe, the online payments firm is still red hot. It has recently been valued at €8.6bn.
In the fashion world, meanwhile, Simone Rocha, the 30-year-old daughter of celebrated Irish designer John Rocha, continues to make her mark, particularly in London, where she is now based.
Remember their names, because these are the contemporary crusaders you’ll need to know all about in 2017.
The star of the hit TV drama Outlander has already hit the ground running for 2017, having just been nominated for a slew of awards, including a Golden Globe for best TV actress. In fact, this is Balfe’s second Golden Globe nomination for her Outlander role, having been nominated in 2015.
Before acting took over, 37-year-old Balfe worked as an incredibly successful fashion model, and was at one time considered to be among the top 20 in-demand models in the world.
She was featured both in advertising campaigns and on runways for international fashion brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino, Roberto Cavalli, and Oscar de la Renta, before she returned her focus to acting. In 2011, she appeared in the Steven Spielberg-produced vehicle Super8, which drew rave reviews.
Born in Dublin, Balfe grew up in the village of Tydavnet, Co Monaghan, in a family of seven. Her father is a retired Garda sergeant. Currently based in Glasgow, Balfe previously lived in Los Angeles, and is a patron of World Child Cancer.
Speaking recently about her role as the time-travelling nurse Claire Randall in Outlander, Balfe said: “For me, Claire is such a survivor. It doesn’t matter where she ends up or what has happened to her, she finds a way to get on with her life and make it something new.”
Reflecting on her career, Balfe said: “Modelling wasn’t a passion of mine, so that made it get old kind of quickly. I was getting very frustrated.”
Despite the immense success she achieved during those years, Balfe has stated that she has no intention of returning to modelling full-time; although she continues to do occasional jobs with people she has previously worked with, including photographer James Houston, who has featured Balfe in his Natural Beauty photographic series.
On the big screen, Balfe co-starred in the Jodie Foster-directed film Money Monster in 2016 alongside George Clooney and Julia Roberts, playing the head of PR for a company whose stock implodes, causing a man to lose all of his savings and subsequently take hostages on a live TV show.
The actress is halfway through filming the third season of Outlander.
Best known to date for her starring role in the RTÉ drama Love/Hate, Ruth Negga has taken Hollywood by storm over the past year and is widely tipped to claim a best actress Oscar in February for her acclaimed performance in Loving, which follows the story of an interracial married couple in 1950s America.
While the actress has already had small parts in 12 Years a Slave and World War Z, she still enjoys relative anonymity. However, that changed somewhat in recent weeks, as she was featured on the cover of American Vogue.
“I’m very careful to say I’m Irish-Ethiopian because I feel Ethiopian and I look Ethiopian and I am Ethiopian. But there are 81 languages in Ethiopia, and I don’t know any of them,” the 33-year-old told the magazine.
Negga was born in Ethiopia to an Irish mother and an Ethiopian father but grew up in Limerick, having moved to Ireland when she was four. She studied at the Samuel Beckett Centre at Trinity College Dublin and has lived in London since 2006.
“I become very territorial about my identity because it’s been hijacked by so many people, with their own projections” she said.
Negga recently said she drew on her deep connection to Ireland to identify with her character in Loving, which tells the true story of an illegal interracial marriage in Virginia in the middle of the 20th century.
Richard Loving, played by Joel Edgerton, and Mildred Jeter, played by Negga, eloped to Washington, DC, in 1958 but on their return home to Virginia they were arrested and were sentenced to a year in prison. Their case eventually reached the US Supreme Court, which overturned their conviction.
“Virginia isn’t that different from Ireland,” said Negga. “Land and home and community are super important. When I was playing her, I tried to imagine I couldn’t go home again because of whom I married. It must have drained the lifeblood from her.”
Loving is released in Ireland in February.
Dismiss her as ‘Bono’s daughter’ at your peril. This 27-year-old bright spark is far more than just the offspring of the Dublin singer.
Born and raised in Dublin to Bono and Ali Hewson, Jordan Hewson has worked in the non-profit and NGO space for several years now, having spent three years as a campaigner for social-action platform Global Citizen.
But, aside from being a social activist, Hewson has now become a first-time tech entrepreneur. At the end of 2016, Hewson launched Speakable, which uses technology to make civic engagement more accessible, allowing readers of news stories to “participate in the outcomes of stories”.
Currently living in Brooklyn, New York, Hewson is a self-described introvert — quite unlike her dad, you might say. Not only did she found her company but she also succeeded in raising $2m to fund its growth — all while operating entirely under the radar.
And she’s not exactly relying on daddy’s help, either.
“My dad is a good resource, but I try to keep him away from the company as much as possible,” she recently told an American business magazine.
Hewson’s company has already partnered with some 30 different charity organisations, including Amnesty International, Planned Parenthood, and ONE, Bono’s non-profit focused on fighting poverty.
The organisations create petitions, polls, and tweets relevant to their cause. Speakable then pairs news articles with corresponding charity organisations using a matching algorithm.
However, the business isn’t a get-rich-quick model for Hewson, as Speakable doesn’t take any monies whatever from reader donations. “We’re not focused on monetisation right now,” Hewson explained, adding that the company won’t test possible revenue models until well into 2017.
THE COLLISON BROTHERS
Writing code is where it’s at these days. Just ask proactive young supermodel Karlie Kloss.
“The first lines of code we wrote were in October 2009,” said Limerick-born tech entrepreneur John Collison said earlier this year. “We worked on it through the semester. It started off with Stripe being this fun little side thing when we weren’t working in class.”
At the time, John, 26, and his brother Patrick, 28, were just teenagers germinating the seeds of a dream. Today, the Collison brothers are the most revered whiz kids in Silicon Valley. After six years, Stripe, an online payments firm, remains the red-hot start-up of the financial technology sector.
In essence, the company, which employs 550 people, lets businesses and individuals easily accept payments over the internet, and currently processes billions of dollars in transactions per year in 25 countries for such customers as Salesforce, Twitter, and Lyft.
In November, Stripe closed a $150m funding round that valued it at a whopping $9.2bn (€8.6bn) and turned the Collison brothers into billionaires.
Despite their young age, this isn’t the brothers’ first success. They previously founded Auctomatic, an online auction system, which was acquired by Live Current Media in 2008 and made the then teenagers millionaires.
The Collisons, who grew up on the shores of Lough Derg where their parents ran the Dromineer Bay Hotel, are now said to be in a golden age of financial technology. According to KPMG, $14bn was invested in venture capital-backed ‘financial technology’ companies in 2015, double the previous year’s figure.
Tens of billions more are being invested by banks themselves in exploring the opportunities offered by new technology.
“There is a long and storied history, especially in Silicon Valley, of companies that got to a certain stage and got too comfortable, and then the next wave passed them by,” said John in a recent interview.
“Patrick and I tend to get uncomfortable: we risk resting on any laurels. I think people are blue in the face from hearing it from us but I think that’s a really useful trait for a company to have.”
Fashion integrity and a sense of what women really want when it comes to style run in the family for Simone Rocha. Her father John Rocha, the celebrated award-winning Irish designer, has left an indelible mark on the industry both at home and abroad over the past three decades.
Now already a firm favourite at London Fashion Week herself — where she debuted in September 2010 — Simone is a graduate of the prestigious National College of Art and Design, earning a BA in fashion in 2010, as well as London’s Central Saint Martin’s College, where she graduated from with a fashion MA two years later.
In November 2014, the 30-year-old launched her collaboration with US-based denim label J. Brand, being stocked in key department stores and receiving press coverage worldwide. That same year, Rocha was announced as the winner of the New Establishment Designer award.
Since then, the Dublin-born designer’s creations have gained her some of the most prestigious stockists in the world, including Dover Street Market in London, Ikram in Chicago, and New York’s Bergdorf Goodman.
Rocha’s designs have been described as “rebellious but at the same time romantic,” while her collections are inspired by “strong women with femininity”.
Each Simone Rocha creation is defined by a renewed approach to fabrics and materials, while must-have designs include her cult clunky shoes and prom-style mini dresses.
The designer has built up an incredibly loyal celebrity fanbase over the past few seasons, including the likes of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s wife, Dasha, and Sarah Jessica Parker.


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In the spirit of the holidays, volunteers in Southfield are working to make sure families in need receive a special gift.
Gleaners Food Bank and Art Van Furniture have partnered for their annual "Together We Can" campaign. The campaign gives people the opportunity to drop off non-perish items to support struggling families over the holidays.
In each Art Van store, there will be special boxes to place donations. An Art Van spokesperson says the items will be safely delivered to families by Gleaners.
The food drive runs until Friday, Nov. 30. You can donate at any Art Van location.
Click here to donate and support families across metro Detroit this holiday season.


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Arcade 1Up, creators of 3/4 sized home coin-op recreations, announced four new machines today. They’ve brought us Galaga, Pac-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Wars, and most recently NBA Jam, but they still have some surprises in store.
One of the upcoming machines, Ms. Pac-Man, has been one of the most demanded ever since Arcade1Up opened for business. Revealed at last today, the cabinet — rendered in authentic hot pink and turquoise — contains the title game, Galaxian, Pac-Mania and Pac-Man Plus.
Two more demanded games are crossovers between properties that still remain popular: Marvel Vs Capcom, and X-Men Vs Street Fighter. Arcade1Up came out with a Marvel-themed machine last year, but it didn’t have either of those titles. Fortunately they quickly remedied that.
The Arcade1Up version of Marvel Vs Capcom will include that game, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems. The X-Men Vs Street Fighter machine will pack in the title game, X-Men: Children of the Atom, Marvel Vs. Capcom: Clash Of Super Heroes, and X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse.
There’s more….earlier this year Arcade1Up said it was looking into pinball game recreations. Today we found out what that meant, and it wasn’t what we were expecting…instead of an actual heavy pinball machine with its intricate and expensive gears, they’ve substituted a video screen with an emulated version of a Marvel pinball game. It was probably far more difficult to shrink down real pinball and keep it affordable, and we get that. But this is still a bit of a letdown.
So what would we like to see from Arcade 1Up in the future? Well, we’re not certain why it’s taking this long, but they still haven’t made one cabinet with a racing wheel, or devoted one machine to a classic arcade racing game. And why not? As it is, our only option is still to track down one of the old machines for a thousand bucks. Change this, you guys!


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Video: Semisouth Closing in Starkville
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) — A major Starkville employer may be closing its doors.
Sources tell WCBI that when Semisouth closes it’s doors today, it’ll be for good. The company employs about 120 workers.
The human resources department at Semisouth told WCBI this afternoon that no one from the company was available to comment. Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman said he’d heard the news but had not confirmed it.
The 10-year-old company is involved in research and development of high-performance silicon carbide electronic materials for everything from the military to electric cars and solar converters.
The company originally started from research at Mississippi State and announced a major expansion two years ago.


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A contactless payment-on-delivery solution for e-commerce that aims to bring the convenience of cashless payments to consumers’ doorsteps, replacing cash on delivery payments
To address the rising trend in online purchases and consumer preference to transact online, home delivery network Paperfly, in partnership with Mastercard and Eastern Bank Limited (EBL), on Sunday launched ‘Cashless Pay’ - a digital payment-on-delivery solution.
The service is available across Bangladesh to all consumers who want to experience the convenience and safety of cashless payments while receiving their online orders at their doorstep, replacing the existing cash on delivery (COD) payments, said a press release.
ICT State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak launched the service as chief guest, the release added.
Humayun Kabir, executive director of the Bangladesh Bank, Syed Almas Kabir, president of BASIS and Shomi Kaiser, president of E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB) were also present at the program.
‘Cashless Pay’ is an advanced solution designed by Paperfly with Mastercard’s payments technology served by EBL.
It is the first such solution that does not require a point of sale (POS) machine to complete the cashless transaction and allows consumers to make payments seamlessly, simply using their smartphone browsers through a highly secured connection.
Currently, around 95% of payments for online purchases in Bangladesh are made via cash-on-delivery (COD) when the buyer receives the goods.
However, Covid-19 has led to a marked shift from cash to digital payments as consumers adopt cashless and contactless modes of payment to avoid hygiene risks around handling banknotes.
"Some 90% of the country's total e-commerce transaction takes place through cash on delivery transactions. It is a limitation of the e-commerce sector. The newly introduced method will encourage people towards cashless transaction," Palak said on the occasion.
"It is a physiological issue that customers want to see the product before paying. So, now they can see the product while it is being delivered and can pay through cards, mobile banking or other digital platforms," said by Shahriar Hasan, chief executive officer of Paperfly.
Ali Reza Iftekhar, managing director and CEO of Eastern Bank Limited, said, “Digital payments are gaining trust among the users of our country and this ‘Cashless Pay’ service will complement to the cause significantly. We believe this will be the next step forward towards digital Bangladesh vision.”
“To support the government’s Digital Bangladesh vision, Mastercard has been working closely with partners in the industry to introduce solutions that enable easy access to digital payments,” said Syed Mohammad Kamal, country manager, Bangladesh, Mastercard.


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KushCo Holdings Inc.
said Friday that it expects fiscal second-quarter revenue would sequentially decline 14% to roughly $30 million from the first quarter. KushCo revenue would decline because of a slower-than-expected rebound in demand for vape hardware, weakness in the California market, a slow start to its hemp trading business, delays in second-generation cannabis products in Canada and the extension of the Chinese New Year Holiday. Most vaporizer hardware is made in China. KushCo stock fell 9.2% in Friday trading. KushCo also said it was retracting its fiscal 2020 net revenue guidance of $230 million to $250 million, which it originally issued in November. "Our revenue for fiscal Q2 was negatively impacted by several short-term factors, but we are fortunately seeing strong fundamental trends across the business that give us confidence for a stronger second half of the fiscal year and beyond," KushCo CEO Nick Kovacevich said in a statement. KushCo stock has plunged 91% in the past year, as the S&P 500 index


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Latest Global Positioning System Stories
Concox, a leading designer and manufacturer of professional GPS tracker and wireless communications equipments, is now bringing reliable products and customized solutions to clients across the
Woolpert, a national A&E, geospatial firm headquartered in Dayton, announced it has been awarded a contract with the ninth largest transit system in North America.
Partners combine 140+ years of supply chain security innovation with the most trusted name in in-transit cargo tracking and recovery to present the world’s most advanced solutions to protect
US Fleet Tracking discusses how "not" having a GPS tracker system can cost a business money. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (PRWEB) September 10, 2014
DALLAS, Sept. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- IMPERALIS HOLDING Corp. (IMHC.PK) announced the purchase of 100% of the common stock of Locate 1 Plus, Inc.
Delivers Always-on Location and Sensing for On-the-go Mobile Applications IRVINE, Calif., Sept.
The safety of school children while travelling in the school bus is a major concern for parents and school management these days.
ALLEN PARK, Mich., Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Control-Tec, a leader in vehicle data acquisition and analytics, announces the launch of its latest Vehicle Data Recorder, the all-new CT-600.
New service for members extends Guidepoint protection outside the vehicle, around the country. Fort Worth, Texas (PRWEB) September 08, 2014 Guidepoint
Leading electronic retailers such as The GPS Store are gearing up to meet demand for this growing category of products. Ocean Isle Beach, NC (PRWEB) September
- a meat pie that is usually eaten at Christmas in Quebec
More Images (8 images) »


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India’s war on meat could be critical for PM Modi’s BJP in the 2024 election
- Anti-meat advocates are expanding their fight beyond beef, to meat of all animal sources, in a campaign led by the ruling BJP’s parent organisation
- This could set the stage for India’s general election in 2024 as the BJP, under repeated backlash for politicising food, seeks to retain power
The most recent effort reiterates on the idea of a pure Hindu State (Hindu Rashtra), as declared by the first chief and founder of Rashtriya Sevak Sangh (RSS), Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who believed that “Hindu culture needs to be fostered first”.
The RSS organisation is the ideological parent of the BJP.
Before beef sales became illegal in 2017, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said: “We want cow slaughter to be banned across the entire country. It is the duty of the government to make this law effective.”
But before the law took effect, a militant campaign led by the Gau Rakshaks, or beef vigilantes mostly comprising members of the right-wing organisation Vishwa Hindu Prishad (World Hindu Council), carried out violent attacks against Muslims.
Between 2014 and 2018, about 44 people were killed in lynching incidents, 36 of whom were Muslims. More than 280 people were injured in 100 incidents across the country, reported Human Rights Watch.
The right to choose
Making India a vegetarian nation is at odds with India’s constitution, which states: “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure of law”.
“Aggressively pushing anti non-vegetarianism is deeply unconstitutional,” said MA Khalid, general secretary of the Maharashtra State of All India Milli Council, a national platform of Indian-Muslims dealing with community issues. “The government’s job is to provide adequate and healthy food to its people. Instead, they are snatching away the food of their choice.”
For millions of Muslims, Dalits and Christians in India, beef has been the primary choice and source of protein as it costs less than fish or mutton. A Pew survey in 2021 stated that 81 per cent of Indians consume meat in some form. Deprivation of meat would mean inadequate nutrition for a large swathe of the population.
In 2021, the Global Hunger Index ranked India at 101 out of 116 countries, seven ranks lower on the year. India’s current ranking and its score of 27.5 places it in the “serious” category.
Critics have also consistently accused the BJP-led government of using food as a political foil, discriminating against non-Hindus especially Muslims.
Food policing made headlines again in April when a BJP member of parliament, Parvesh Verma, called for a nationwide closure of meat shops during the nine-day Hindu festival of Ram Navami, expanding the ban on beef sales to all animal sources.
This effort again painted India as a country with an insignificant number of non-vegetarians.
Verma’s call, which came at the same time Muslims were observing Ramadan, also ignored the fact that not all Hindus celebrate Ram Navami or abstain from non-vegetarian food during the festivities.
“All this anti-beef and now anti-animal food campaigns corner common people like us making a basic living. Our sales have downsized. After the pandemic, the general retail situation is worse, lowest in a long time,” said Ibrahim Qureshi, a butcher in Mumbai.
Advocates of vegetarianism, who view the campaign as justifiable scientifically, often promote vegan diets. Dr Subhash Rikabchand, a Jain by faith, a homeopath by profession and an active community member of the Jain Association of Mumbai, is all for vegetarianism.
“I am a pure Jain vegetarian, we are against any kind of killing, but more than that being a vegetarian is scientific. As a doctor, I advise vegetarian food for my patients, consuming non-vegetarian [food] is by and large harmful for human metabolism.”
He added that animal protein is difficult to digest and even alters the impact of homeopathic medicines.
Meat’s long history in India
But India’s history paints a different picture. Historian and food critic Prof Pushpesh Pant said that consumption of meat was a common practice in ancient India.
“Meat eating was common in ancient India. The meat wasn’t taboo, only some orthodox Brahmins eschewed meat. The literature includes the Veda, Purana, and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharat. Ayurvedic texts extol the exceptional nourishing properties of myriad meats.”
Ancient Sanskrit texts have also pointed out that meat was not taboo in ancient India, and highlighted the prohibition of eating mushrooms, an “impure” food that grows in dirt. But advocates of non-animal protein, mostly upper-caste Hindus, have promoted mushrooms as a meat alternative.
During the process of constitution building in India, many prominent leaders including independence hero Mahatma Gandhi and the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad, received numerous requests to outlaw cow slaughter.
Gandhi said in 1947: “In India, no law can be made to ban cow slaughter. I have long pledged to serve the cow, but how can my religion also be the religion of the rest of the Indians?”
Affordability, health concerns
The affordability of meat meant it was not limited to the wealthy and upper castes, such as regional cultures in West Bengal, Konkan and Kashmir, where upper-caste Hindus including Brahmins, historically consumed fish and meat.
Millions of lower-caste Dalit Hindus, Muslims, Christians and indigenous people also eat animal meat throughout the year.
“Food is both a personal choice and a health matter. For the poorest of Dalit, Muslim or Christian families with 5 or 6 members or more, fish or mutton is unaffordable,” said M.A. Khalid of the All India Milli Council.
“Anti-meat calls leave them with no choice, deprived from their animal protein, which could be often as basic as cuts of meat, beef that don’t make it anywhere or are scraps.”
Khalid’s observation resonates in the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu where anti-meat calls have failed. Consumption of beef and “scraps of meats” is common across working classes of all faiths. A locality named Dashamakkan in Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai is nicknamed as a ‘land of beef’ known for its street food stalls and eateries that serve beef and meat-based dishes.
The masses frequent this area for beef biryani or tawa fry, a quarter portion of which costs as little as 80 Indian rupees (US$1). Beef has been the unifying factor in this working-class neighbourhood.
“Beef is the only animal protein that my family of 6 can afford, once a week,” said Dalit street vendor Murugan. He fears that they will be deprived of meat-based protein and suffer inadequate nutrition if an anti-meat campaign gains ground.
An Indian government survey conducted between 2019 to 2021 showed a marked rise in consumption of non-vegetarian food across the country, even in the strongholds of anti-vegetarianism regions such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
In Madhya Pradesh, one of the biggest states in India where most claim to have vegetarian food, data showed regular egg consumption on a daily, weekly or occasional basis.
Egg consumption became a contentious issue in the state when it was extended to the national ‘Midday Meal Scheme’, a free school lunch programme for children in primary and upper primary classes whose parents could not provide or afford food.
Anti-meat advocates in India have labelled consumers of non-vegetarian diets as “demonic”, accusing them of not being “Indian enough”. The divisive issue of meat consumption is likely to remain a point of contention in India, and could be a foil for the ruling BJP in the 2024 election as it tries to retain its grasp on power.


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The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, RIVM, has indicated that crowded stores on Black Friday may have contributed to the recent increase in coronavirus cases in the Netherlands…
A partial lockdown with increased restrictions was put in place by the Dutch government on October 14th which resulted in a decline in the number of new Covid-19 cases throughout November (Wk 1= 43,621 / Wk 2= 37,706 / Wk 3= 36,931 / Wk 4= 33,949).
Black Friday was on November 27th and stores around the country were crowded with shoppers.
On Tuesday December 1st, a new government mandate came into effect requiring everyone (age 13 and over) in the country to wear a face mask inside all public buildings.
On Tuesday December 8th, the RIVM reported new coronavirus cases for December Week 1 (Dec 2-8) jumped to 43,103, a 27% increase from the week prior. Due to the 3-5 day lag time between infection and experiencing symptoms (the point at which most people would get tested), the December Week 1 data would be capturing people who became infected during the Black Friday time frame.
The Dutch parliament has expressed concern that an increase in the number of shoppers in stores as Christmas nears will spur a further increase in the number of coronavirus cases and that more restrictions may be needed.
We recommend avoiding shops as much as possible by shopping online instead. And, of course, always remember to wear a face mask when you do have to shop in person.


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Two driverless prototype cars, one belonging to Internet search giant Google Inc. and the other to auto parts manufacturer Delphi Automotive had almost collided on a Silicon Valley street earlier last week, according to an executive of the former.
This could be the first instance of such an incident happening with two vehicles that have been specifically outfitted to run on automated modes. The incident took place on Tuesday, last week, on San Antonio Road in Palo Alto, commented John Absmeier, director of Delphi’s Silicon Valley lab and global business director for the company’s automated driving program. He experienced the incident first hand, as he was riding as a passenger in one of the cars. Fortunately, the impact was avoided. Absmeier was riding in a prototype Audi Q5 crossover vehicle specifically outfitted with lasers, radar, cameras and special computer software that allowed the vehicle to drive itself – while the driver remained behind the wheel as a backup.
While the Delphi prototype was getting ready change lanes, one of Google’s self-driving prototypes – a Lexus RX400h crossover – cut off the Audi and the latter appropriately aborted the maneuver. Delphi has a Silicon Valley testing facility in Mountain View, close to Google’s headquarters and runs test with two Audi cars – meanwhile Goolge is using at least 20 Lexus prototypes and its latest pod-like autonomous vehicle concepts have started testing since Thursday as well. Bot Delphi and Google have said in the past they had experienced minor collisions with vehicles driven by humans – in most cases the autonomous car was stopped and hit from behind by another car.


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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Finom’s closure was related to the sale of the building. The story has been updated.
IRVING PARK — After just two years, Finom Coffee has closed its doors for good.
Finom, which means “delicious” in Hungarian, was opened on the first floor of a 131-year-old building at 4200 W. Irving Park Rd. in 2018 by co-owners Rafael Esparza and Daniel Speer.
Vahap Sarac, the owner of the historic building, said he offered to extend Finom’s lease but that the owners declined to renew it due to the coffee shop struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a Friday Instagram post Esparza and Speer shared an Eater story published last week that claimed the critically acclaimed business had closed due to the historic building being sold, but Sarac said the report was inaccurate.
Sarac has owned the building for the past six years and put it on the market earlier this summer. He’s yet to find a buyer, he said, but showed the building to someone August 20.
“That same day [Speer] sent me a text message saying he wasn’t going to be able to renew the lease. His message said ‘We’re struggling hard with all this going on,’” Sarac said. “I wanted them to stay and was willing to work with them to keep them here but unfortunately times are tough, so I don’t blame them for leaving.”
The person who viewed the property had concerns about its historic landmark status, so didn’t move forward with a purchase.
“That person wanted more answers from the historical society but because of COVID they kept getting delays on those answers so they just kind of faded away and the purchase didn’t go anywhere,” Sarac said.
“So the cat got out of the bag before I could make this post,” Esparza said in the Instagram post. “It’s been the best time of my life, met some of the best people I’ve ever known in the last two years and I wouldn’t change it for the world. We knew this was gonna happen and tried all we could to prevent it or at least delay it but in the end it is what it is.”
Speer declined to answer Block Club’s questions about the decision to close, but Esparza said goodbye to staff and neighbors on Instagram.
The business featured coffee beans from Counter Culture Coffee, tea from Rare Tea Cellar Inc. and pastries from Spilt Milk in Oak Park, alongside small Hungarian dishes that were an homage to Speer’s Hungarian wife, the owners previously told Block Club.
Speer previously told Block Club he wanted Finom to follow in the tradition of older style, European coffee shops where writers and artists would congregate and people can meet and enjoy coffee and conversation at a slower pace.
“I get why they closed it, I went there and it was just, well because of COVID nobody could sit and they were cutting the hours they were open,” Sarac said. “We worked together really well and they were nice guys, but the COVID has hit everybody hard.”
The building Finom was housed in is the oldest “mercantile structure” in the Irving Park community, according to the report submitted to the city’s landmark commission in 1989.
Originally built in 1889 by Henry E. Nichols, it first operated as the Nichols & Son Grocery and had second-floor living quarters which were typically occupied by the store’s owner.
Sarac hopes Finom could some day return. For now, however, he’s looking for a new tenant.
“I don’t have anyone yet but do want to say that I’m looking for independent small businesses to come in and bring their flavor to the neighborhood,” Sarac said. “I’ll be honest, I’m not interested in big, mega chains like Starbucks. My intentions are to find a creative small business owner who wants to come in and do something different for the neighborhood.”
Finom Coffee Opens In Historic Irving Park Building This Weekend
Finom Coffee — A Tea, Coffee And Book Shop — Is Opening In Historic Irving Park Building
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PepsiCo launches Aquafina cans in partnership with Expo 2020
PepsiCo has launched its new range of Aquafina aluminium cans and bottles, giving Expo 2020 visitors and UAE residents a refreshingly sustainable way to drink water.
In line with Expo and PepsiCo’s joint commitment to sustainability, the co-branded aluminium cans and glass bottles are fully and infinitely recyclable.
The announcement is in line with the commitment of PepsiCo, Expo 2020 Dubai’s Official Beverage and Snack Partner, to collect and recycle PepsiCo waste generated on Expo 2020 Dubai’s site.
They will be on sale across the Expo 2020 site during the six-month event, between October 2021 and March 2022.
Expo 2020 aims to be one of the most sustainable World Expos in history, supporting the UAE’s continued efforts to build cleaner, safer and healthier communities for its people.
The new Aquafina bottles and cans are part of Expo 2020 and PepsiCo’s pledge to support the circular economy by minimising the waste that ends up in landfill, and treating all waste materials as valuable resources that can be reused, repurposed or recycled.
On site, PepsiCo will be working closely with Dulsco – Expo 2020 Dubai’s Official Waste Management Partner – to ensure waste is collected and recycled, supporting Expo’s target of diverting a minimum of 85 per cent of waste away from landfill.
“As a global F&B brand, we realise the significant role PepsiCo can play in building a world where packaging never becomes waste,” said Aamer Sheikh, President and General Manager at PepsiCo – Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan
“The latest addition of Aquafina cans and glass bottles to our growing beverage portfolio not only provides a refreshing new experience for consumers, but also reinforces a circular future for packaging by focusing efforts on reinventing and recycling.
“Expo 2020 Dubai and PepsiCo share a joint vision for a more sustainable future. This like-minded approach to sustainability underscores our collaborative, ambitious and wide-reaching partnership. We look forward to leveraging the power of the Expo platform to create meaningful change at a global level, during Expo 2020 and beyond.”
Manal AlBayat, Chief Engagement Officer at Expo 2020 Dubai,said: “Expo 2020 Dubai aims to be one of the most sustainable World Expos in history, supporting the UAE’s continued efforts to build cleaner, safer, and healthier communities for its people.
“With Sustainability as one of our three key subthemes, we are committed to innovating and creating positive change on a local, national, regional and global scale. This is a vision we share with PepsiCo.
“Their new Aquafina aluminium cans and glass bottles provide infinitely recyclable alternatives for consumers, firmly aligning to Expo’s and PepsiCo’s pledges to support the circular economy by minimising the waste that ends up in landfill and treating all waste materials as valuable resources that can be reused, repurposed or recycled.”
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From the land of crazy juice comes the story of how a knock-off phone manufacturer may get the opportunity to sue Apple for copying them.
It’s rare that a story shocks me any more, but this one made my jaw drop this morning. Last week a Chinese company released the GooPhone i5 you see pictured above. If you’ve been following the leaks of the iPhone 5 at all, it should look awfully familiar. This company quickly released a phone based on the leaked designs of Apple’s upcoming device, and everyone had a good laugh over it.
Then the design for the GooPhone got patented in China. Not the iPhone 5, but the GooPhone.
You see, Apple in its desire to be secretive hasn’t pushed the rumored design through the various patent offices yet. The GooPhone hit the market in China last week and immediately went through the patent process, and according to Giz-China it has been granted said patent.
As there is now a patent on the GooPhone design – which bares a striking resemblance to the leaked iPhone 5 … but not anything that has been patented – the knock-off company has issued a warning that should Apple show off a phone next week that resembles the GooPhone, it will sue Apple for patent infringement and block sales of the iPhone 5 in China.
Nope. We couldn’t make this up if we tried.
In short: iPhone 5 leaks could lead to legal headaches for Apple in China, and all because some company was able to race through and make a knock-off … er … an original phone that does not in any way resemble a current Apple product on the market. Oh, Apple. When will you learn to stop copying unknown Chinese device makers?
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to step outside and continue laughing over this one.


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Worsening trade conditions and shaky business confidence are providing considerable drag on air cargo with Asia-Pacific carriers registering a 7.7 per cent fall in July demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK).
“Mounting trade tensions, alongside deteriorating business confidence levels contributed to further declines in orders for goods,” says the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
The markedly lower demand, coupled with almost flat expansion in offered freight capacity, by 0.4 per cent, led to a 5.2 percentage point decline in the average international freight load factor, to 58.9 per cent for the month.
Commenting on the results, Andrew Herdman, AAPA director general says: “Global trade conditions deteriorated further, as higher tariffs disrupted global supply chains, and Asian airlines saw international air cargo demand fall by 6.2 per cent during the first seven months of the year.
“The weakness in air cargo markets is likely to extend into the coming months, unless we see some meaningful progress in trade negotiations.”


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Disney has released a new hidden objects game titled Disney Hidden Worlds today which is playable both on iOS devices and via Facebook.
In Disney Hidden Worlds, players must team up with Chrona, a brand new Disney heroine, as she goes up against a mysterious villain who has stolen a variety of objects from different Disney stories including Aladdin, Beauty & the Beast, and Tangled (Disney has confirmed that other stories, such as Peter Pan and The Little Mermaid, will be added in later through free content updates).
Alongside Chrona, players must search through specific scenes from each story and discover various hidden components that will help them craft and restore the objects that were stolen. Thanks to cross-platform syncing, players can make progress on either the iOS or Facebook version, sync their profile, and then continue on the other version without missing a beat. Disney Hidden Worlds is free-to-play and is available now on Facebook and on iOS via the iTunes app store. The game’s official trailer can be watched below.


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Activision Blizzard isn’t owned by Microsoft just yet, but the publisher still had a presence at Sunday’s Xbox and Bethesda showcase. There was a trailer for Overwatch 2, along with some major news. The game will be free-to-play and early access will begin on October 4th on all platforms (the Overwatch blog calls this the game’s launch). There will be at least one more beta before then, with details to be announced at a reveal event on Thursday.
The clip showed a glimpse of a new hero that’s been part of the game’s lore for years, the Junker Queen. It seems likely that the character will be playable as part of the next beta. They have a shotgun and a melee weapon, and it appears that one of their abilities involves rampaging forward. Junker Queen is a tank character. The sequel already had one confirmed new character, damage hero Sojourn.
The trailer also included a quick look at a new Zenyatta ability, which allows the omnic to knock back an enemy with a melee attack. Naturally, it invokes the movie 300, since you can kick an opponent into the Ilios well. In addition, there was a glimpse of a mysterious fox that was leading a team into a fight.
Given that Blizzard will move all current Overwatch players to Overwatch 2, the original game will be going free-to-play as well. Those who own the game before June 23rd will receive a founder’s pack, with a special icon, two skins (General Doomfist and Jester Sombra) and more goodies. You’ll need to log in by December 5th to receive the pack.
It’s worth noting that only the player-vs-player (PvP) side of Overwatch 2 will be available on October 4th. The co-op missions will arrive later. The PvP overhaul will feature new maps and heroes, the Push mode, reworks of current heroes, an upgraded game engine and a move from teams of six to five vs. five.
It’s unclear whether the player-vs-environment side of the sequel will be free too. Overwatch 2 will herald a shift to a seasonal content format, which suggests there will be a battle pass of some kind. That means there should finally be content updates on a regular cadence. Blizzard also says there will be premium cosmetics and (at last) cross-platform progression.
“We can’t wait to roll out the beginning of the Overwatch 2 experience on October 4 and introduce an exciting new competitive vision, featuring a reimagining of the iconic heroes, maps, and gameplay that made the original game so compelling,” Mike Ybarra, president of Blizzard Entertainment, said in a statement. “This is the beginning of an always-on and always-evolving era for the franchise, and a recommitment to serving players with frequent and substantial updates planned well into the future to keep Overwatch 2 fresh and fun for many years to come.”
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The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is pleased to present the 2018 Next Generation Delegates blog series. This year’s Delegation was comprised of 27 outstanding students from universities across the United States and around the world studying agriculture, food, and related disciplines. We were thrilled to feature these emerging leaders at the Global Food Security Symposium 2018, and look forward to sharing the exciting work of this extraordinary group.
There is a global recognition of the economic potential of cassava to stimulate economic growth and development in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria. Currently, Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world. Cassava is among the crops that have been targeted by the national policy agenda to achieve economic diversification through agrifood value chain development and industrialisation in hopes of attaining sustainable economic development.
The cassava sector is enticing for a plethora of reasons including its employment opportunities, notably for poor farmers, and for its ability to produce both valuable semi processed and processed materials. The semi-processed industrial raw materials such as starch, sweeteners, high-quality flour, ethanol, and biofuel are processed from raw cassava tubers. These semi-processed raw materials are used by manufacturing industries across the continent including Nigeria. Processed food products, namely gari, fufu, lafun, tapioca, cake, bread, fritters, and croquette, are derived from cassava. The supply of these processed cassava food products can help many people in Nigeria and the diaspora to improve their nutritional and food security. These many benefits show the market potentials and business opportunities in the cassava sector in Nigeria.
The evidence further suggests that developing the cassava food value chain in Nigeria can create more jobs for the youth. However, these economic opportunities have not yet been fully explored to attract the youth in the sector. It is against this background that I conducted a study to investigate how small and medium-scale producers can be effectively integrated into the cassava food value chain in Nigeria. The study is aligned with some key goals that were discussed in the recent Global Food Security Symposium. Many of the speakers echoed the need to develop the agrifood value chain as a means to encouraging the youth and promoting economic development in developing countries.
My study showed, that among other things, smallholder cassava producers had limited marketing options. The smallholder producers sold their raw cassava output either directly to processors or middlemen who in turn sold to processors. Processors transformed the raw cassava tubers into traditional food products) and semi processed raw materials. It was observed that taking into consideration the transaction costs, it was more profitable for the farmers to diversify between the two marketing channels. Moreover, human capital factors, institutional access to extension services and membership of farmer associations, transactional access to market information, and individual assets were the key determinants of the producers’ choices of marketing channels.
Another finding was that the farmers were less involved in value-adding activities. Many farmers sold their raw cassava tubers without any value addition. Therefore, they tended to generate low-profit margin from the farm business.. It was concluded that the farmers who processed some of their raw cassava tubers into either traditional or improved food products generated a higher profit margin than those who sold all their raw cassava tubers. Based on these findings, I recommend that for an effective integration of smallholder farmers into the cassava food value chain, it is necessary to improve their access to direct marketing opportunities as well as enhancing their value-adding capacities. This will, in turn, make the attainment of the SDGs of zero hunger, poverty reduction, and improved welfare a reality in Nigeria.


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Kate Spade & Co. is eyeing technology as a way to increase customer acquisition efforts.
This story first appeared in the May 15, 2014 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
The company last summer launched Kate Spade Saturday via pop-up storefronts with eBay touchscreens and payment processing by PayPal, and is now eyeing that effort as a possibility for Kate Spade New York.
Craig A. Leavitt, chief executive officer, told WWD that the company saw “great feedback from customers,” and is investigating the marketing benefit based on its experience to decide whether to proceed with the same game plan for its core Kate Spade business. “We are investigating ways to utilize that technology,” he said of a strategy that is becoming increasingly more omnichannel-focused.
Leavitt noted in a conference call to Wall Street analysts following the company’s report of first-quarter results that it has been expanding its customer base, and that “61 percent of active customers are new to the brand.” The ceo also noted that for the Kate Spade New York brand in Japan, “our new customer acquisition is even higher than North America at 68 percent.…In Japan, our largest increase was in the 25- to 30-year-old range due to the significant success with handbags, jewelry and small leather goods.”
When asked about the small leather goods category, Leavitt told WWD that it has been “expanding more rapidly than other categories since the holiday period.” Wallets and novelty coin purses are stronger than handbags and seem to be a growing trend for the Kate Spade New York brand.
Leavitt said the growth of small leather goods, which he calls a global phenomenon, represents an “opportunity for overall business expansion,” explaining that the more accessible price points help with the acquisition of new, and often younger, customers. Handbag sales rank second in accessories growth. While sales of watches are slowing as an overall trend for the category, the ceo noted that the watch segment for Kate Spade has “tremendous upside opportunity for customer acquisition because of its price point” and because “watches can be one of our most broadly distributed product categories.”
For the three months ended April 5, the company swung to the black, but still posted an operating loss from continuing operations.
Net income was $46.2 million, or 37 cents a diluted share, against a net loss of $52.2 million, or 44 cents, a year ago. The loss from continuing operations, which includes the operations of the Juicy Couture brand but excludes Lucky Brand, was $54.7 million, or 44 cents, against a year-ago loss of $39.6 million, or 33 cents.
Net sales for the period rose 33.5 percent to $328.1 million from $245.7 million. Sales for the period include the continuing operations of Juicy. Although Juicy was sold to Authentic Brands Group in October for $195 million, Kate Spade continues to operate the retail store business for a short period of time as it completes the winding down of the operation.
Net sales for the Kate Spade brand rose 54 percent to $217 million for the quarter. The company ended the quarter with 127 specialty retail stores, 52 outlet stores and 46 concessions. Sales per square foot for comparable stores “for the latest 12 months were $1,359,” the company said, adding that comparable direct-to-consumer sales, including e-commerce, rose 29 percent in the first quarter.
For the current fiscal year, the company plans to open on a global basis 80 stores, down slightly from the initially planned count of 90, and reaffirmed adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization guidance at between $115 million and $125 million.
Shares of Kate Spade on Wednesday rose 8.5 percent to $37.60 in Big Board trading following heavy trading volume of 5.4 million shares, compared with a three-month average volume of 2.1 million.


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The divestment follows a strategic review at DHL Parcel UK.
The MBO team has been backed by the private equity wing of Mercia Asset Management which is taking a stake in the business.
DHL’s UK Mail postal business is not part of the deal. It will continue to provide downstream access services to UK Mail Digital, and UK Mail Digital (also known as iMail) will continue to provide hybrid mail services to UK Mail’s customers.
Barber has worked at DHL/UK Mail for nearly 15 years. He was appointed as general manager of iMail, which became UK Mail Digital, in 2008 before rising to commercial director and then managing director of the operation.
He will become CEO of the new business.
Barber commented: “I am delighted that Mercia Asset Management have backed me and my team to conclude this deal which gives us the chance to take this business forward to new levels. We have some great plans which will unfold over the course of the next few months.
“I would also like to thank DHL for its support throughout this process and we look forward to continuing our close relationship into the future.”
UK Mail Digital is headquartered in Ryton-on-Dunsmore near Coventry. The business runs a fleet of Riso and Konica Minolta digital presses.
The operation works with clients from SMEs to large corporations and offers marketing communications services, business document process outsourcing and digital communications.
Peter Fuller, CEO of DHL Parcel UK, said the £525.5m turnover group’s focus going forward was on delivering its strategic network plans “in our core markets of e-commerce and mail”.
“The two businesses will continue to support each other’s products, and we look forward to ongoing collaboration to deliver market-leading mail services for our respective customers,” he added.
DHL is part of Germany-headquartered Deutsche Post DHL Group.
The group said that UK Mail Digital customers will be "seamlessly transitioned" to the new business with DHL's support and there would be no change to existing arrangements or services.
The deal is expected to complete on 1 October, when further details will be available.


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Uber is testing Pool Chance, a feature that lets riders heading in the same direction share the cost of the journey, in Kenya, with plans to roll out the low-cost service to Ghana and Nigeria. TechCrunch discovered the option when booking a car in Nairobi, Kenya.
An Uber spokesperson later confirmed it was part of a pilot (beta version) of the service that it plans to roll out more widely, pending the outcome of the smaller test.
The new service, being introduced for the first time in Africa, is similar to UberPool launched in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2014 and later introduced in multiple cities across the world.
The low-cost popular service remains suspended in many regions including the US and Canada due to Covid-19 restrictions, but it seems the technology firm is slowly bringing it back in some markets and introducing it where it was unavailable before. Uber said the two products share a similar concept but are not identical, without offering further details.
However, this thread in an Uber drivers’ forum describes the difference like this. Pool Chance is just that: you have a chance of getting a discounted ride if the driver picks up other riders; otherwise you pay the regular fees you’d pay for an individual ride. UberPool negotiates a specific carpool rate for the rider regardless of who else gets into the vehicle.
The Pool Chance trip option is available on the budget service, Chap Chap in Nairobi; in the populous Nigerian city of Lagos and Ghana’s capital Accra, it will be accessible on the UberX category.
“We are currently trialling a new Uber ride, Pool Chance, which will cut costs for riders in Nairobi (Kenya) when they share their ride with others heading in the same direction,” Uber’s head of communications for East & West Africa, Lorraine Ondoru, told TechCrunch.
“We use this approach when introducing something new and we want to ensure the marketplace remains healthy and balanced. We will share more details once this has been officially launched,” she added.
In April, Uber launched Pool Chance in Auckland, New Zealand after introducing it in Kyiv, Ukraine in October last year. They also switched back on the low-cost rideshare service in Australia’s Sydney and Perth cities earlier in the year, and thereafter launched Pool Chance in Adelaide.
Uber says on the app that Pool Chance will bring the cost of rides down by up to 30%, further making its trips more affordable to riders.
“Affordable shared rides can mean more riders using the app, which can lead to more trips, less downtime, and more overall earnings for you,” Uber said about the new service, in a message to its drivers, in the three African countries.
Uber is available in eight markets across Africa including Egypt, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and Morocco.
Across the continent, it has over the last few months expanded and introduced new products in its new strategy to retain its customers and attract new ones amidst growing competition from rivals like Bolt, the Estonian-based ride-hailing firm.
Earlier this month, Uber expanded to two additional cities in Nigeria – Ibadan and Port Harcourt – bringing into the regions a service that is already available in three other cities.
In South Africa, it also expanded its reach by nine cities this year and introduced its premium service dubbed Uber Comfort to be offered alongside UberX, UberBlack and the budget service, UberGo. It also added a feature that allows booking of a trip a month in advance in August, a service that was already available in other markets across the world.
Uber’s plan to introduce the fare-splitting service in markets across Africa comes after it said in a recent report that “ride-sharing will likely play an increasingly important role within the public transportation mix in the next 3-5 years.”
The company added that while bus and rail transportation will remain core to public transportation due to their ability to transport large numbers of people, they will be complemented by microtransit, ride-sharing and micro-mobility means.
“The addition of new modes with a variable cost structure like ride-sharing and the proliferation of on-demand services will unlock new optimums of efficiency and lower cost structures for public transportation agencies,” said Uber.
This, it said, will go towards ensuring and improving “the equity, accessibility, resilience, and flexibility of their networks.”
Through Uber Transit, a division serving public transportation, and Routematch, a company they bought last year that provides software to transit agencies, it said in the report that it’s providing new tools to help agencies to operate more efficiently and offer support to its riders too.
Since the establishment of Uber Transit in 2015, the tech firm has rolled out services in regions across the world that go towards making public transport seamless.
In early 2019, it launched an Uber in-app service that enables riders in Denver to plan their journeys and purchase tickets, and offered software to power public transportation after partnering with Marin Transit, in California.
In September last year it launched in some markets “Uber and Transit”, an in-app feature that makes it possible for riders to use the ride-hailing service to combine trips with other public transportation means like trains and buses.
–Tech CrunchFollow us on social media


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Horizon Robotics is one of the companies at the fore front of China’s strategic “Made in 2025” policy. Its latest funding round has valued it at $3 billion.
On Wednesday, Horizon Robotics, a Chinese chip maker stated it had $600 million in its latest funding round, thus bringing its valuation to $3 billion.
The development comes midst a strategic push by Beijing to boost its semiconductor industry.
The fundraising round was led by SK Hynix Inc and several “first-tier” Chinese automakers, including Citic Securities’ One-Belt-One-Road Fund, China Oceanwide Capital, and Minsheng Capital, said Horizon Robotics in a statement on its website.
As per the company’s spokeswoman, Horizon Robotics expects “breakthroughs” in automotive-grade processor architecture, and third-generation processor architecture in the coming years.
In November 2018, the Financial Times had reported that Horizon Robotics was raising up to $1 billion, which would lift its valuation to $3 billion to $4 billion.
In the same month, the company had signed a “cooperative agreement” with South Korean telecommunications company SK Telecom. SK Hynix and SK Telecom share the same parent – SK Group.
Horizon Robotics specializes in making artificial intelligence (AI) powered chips for automobiles and cameras.
Horizon Robotics’ founder and CEO, Yu Kai once led the autonomous driving business of Baidu Inc, China’s leading search engine.
The company has also worked with Germany’s Audi to develop hardware and software for Audit o receive its test license for autonomous driving on public roads in Wuxi, China.
Under its “Made in 2025” policy, Beijing has called for more self-reliance in the sector.


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Some 2 million merchants are responsible for more than half of the goods sold by Amazon. But for years, these sellers have lived with the fear of being brutally suspended, sometimes after being falsely accused by a buyer or competitor of selling counterfeit products. Many appealed their suspensions but found themselves moved from one Amazon team to another with no resolution. Meanwhile, their online stores have been shut down, with unsold merchandise piling up.
In 2020, Bloomberg reported on the experience of a Los Angeles clothing retailer who was kicked off the site for allegedly selling counterfeits, which it denied. Amazon declined his appeal and destroyed what it said was $1.5 million worth of inventory. Such stories were at the heart of a House Judiciary Committee report finding that big tech companies were abusing their power over smaller partners.
Amazon merchants have limited recourse as they waive their right to a day in court by agreeing to resolve disputes through binding arbitration, a costly and time-consuming process. Thus, a whole cottage industry has sprung up to help sellers reintegrate. There was even an effort to sell insurance to replace lost earnings after a suspension. But some merchants simply give up and abandon their Amazon accounts.
Dharmesh Mehta, vice president of partner sales services at Amazon, said seller suspensions are rare but their fear can weigh on merchants who would otherwise have to focus on shoppers, especially during the holiday season. charged.
“It can create a level of anxiety or fear,” he said. “So it’s really about how do you create greater peace of mind.”
Amazon remains the dominant online marketplace in the United States, but faces increased competition from established retailers such as Walmart Inc. and new companies like Shopify Inc. The Seattle-based company is also struggling with a slowdown sales as consumers return to their pre-pandemic shopping habits and rein in spending amid the highest inflation in four decades. Seeking to cut costs, the company plans to cut around 10,000 corporate jobs, according to people familiar with the situation, and has slowed the opening of warehouses.
More stories like this are available at bloomberg.com


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Even if incentives go out the window, we should expect Tesla to keep chugging along just fine.
Trump's presidency has sparked a conundrum within the auto industry, which keeps asking itself one major question: what will Trump's policies do for the auto industry? Many can speculate, and we did based on some of the policies Trump had announced he would implement, but the reality is that nothing is clear. One thing investors were certain of is that Trump's policies would have a negative effect on green car manufacturers like Tesla, but as Bloomberg reports, that may not be the case.
It all boils down to Zero Emissions Vehicle credits, called ZEVs and enacted by the California Air Resources Board. California and nine other states currently adhere to this law, which penalizes automakers who don't build enough (or any) electric vehicles. The incentive to build EVs is that an automaker would receive ZEV credits for each EV it makes, which it could then sell to automakers short on ZEV credits to avoid a fine. As an automaker that sells pure electric cars, Tesla benefitted from this system to the tune of $139 million in the third quarter alone. However when Trump and his cabinet make it to the White House, that may change. One of the president-elect's campaign promises was that he would convince California to dismantle the ZEV initiative.
Even so, Tesla CEO Elon Musk claims that his company wouldn't be seriously impacted if that were to happen. Musk has been a proponent for giving the ZEV program some teeth since an overabundance of credits in the market means that Tesla has a hard time breaking even. It's the ZEV program's declawed nature that insulates Tesla from the repercussions if the program were to be scrapped. Still, even if Tesla isn't fully dependent on these credits for survival, there's no denying that it at least provides the automaker with some extra cash, something it needs as it begins to scale its factories and operations to the size needed in order to successfully manufacturer the Model 3.


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NEWPORT will kick off the countdown to the Christmas season with a family-friendly event on Saturday, November 19.
Following on from BID’s previous successful events, Countdown to Christmas will take place from 3pm to 5.15pm and will include live music, fairground rides, and celebrity guests, culminating in the formal lighting of Newport’s city centre Christmas lights and a fireworks display.
The event will feature a main stage, located at the junction between Commercial Street and Charles Street.
Countdown to Christmas is being organised by Newport Now Business Improvement District (BID) in collaboration with Newport City Council, Friars Walk and Newport City Radio.
Newport Now BID chairman, Zep Bellavia, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be delivering another Countdown to Christmas event for the businesses and people of Newport.
“As usual, we will be offering something for all the family and Countdown to Christmas marks the official start of the festive trading period for the city centre. There has never been a more important Christmas to go out and support your local businesses.
“We are sure families from across Newport and beyond will again visit the city centre for what promises to be a fantastic event packed with surprises.”