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When Kalisha Fitzpatrick started selling homemade cupcakes out of her home more than two years ago, her part-time hobby quickly became a full-time success. Fitzpatrick, owner of Ms. K’s Kupcake Boutique, recently spoke to HCC students on launching a business and building a successful brand.
“You need to do what you love,” Fitzpatrick said. “Businesses built around your passions, talents and strengths will have a higher chance of success.”
For Fitzpatrick, that success came over time, having first started doing small orders for friends and family.
“When you’re first starting out, you need every customer and friend you can get.” Fitzpatrick said. “Being open to advice, even if you think you know it all, is another way your business can improve. Make it a point to know what you don’t know.”
A survey of students in attendance found that most were considering opening their own business within the next 1-3 years, with the majority citing Facebook and other social media as a key promotional tool.
“Pictures sell.” Fitzpatrick said. “You should always post photos of your product as well contact information. It’s a free form of publicity.”
According to a recent article in Forbes, Facebook is the single best free source of “determining a startup’s visibility and growth” while the same article estimates the average value of a single Facebook fan at $174.
Students sampled a variety of cupcakes while Fitzpatrick showed students her typical display and setup at an event or trade show. This included what to expect in terms of preparation, billing and delivery –something Fitzpatrick is happy to do at almost any time. “I’ve met customers on the highway before.” Fitzpatrick said. “Everyone should take excellent care of their supporters.”
At the end of the discussion, Fitzpatrick offered students one last piece of advice.
“If you love what you do, you’ll find a way to make it work.”
For more information, or to place an order, visit Ms. K’s Kupcake Boutique’s Facebook page at
Forbes article on small business:


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‘Lucky’ Jessops store escapes riots damage
August 12, 2011
In contrast to media reports, it seems Jessops in Clapham escaped damage, despite being at the centre of Monday night’s riots Picture: Chris Cheesman
It is business as usual at Jessops in Clapham which escaped damage during Monday night?s riots in London, despite being at the epicentre of widespread violence and looting, according to the shop’s staff.
Staff at the St John?s Road store today said the shop was ‘lucky’ to get away unscathed, despite initial media reports suggesting it had been targeted.
It seems the store?s shutter system deterred would-be looters, though staff were reluctant to reveal exact details for security reasons.
However, Currys, which lies almost directly opposite Jessops, was less fortunate.
The Currys store – which also stocks cameras – was badly trashed by looters and remained boarded up this morning (see picture below).
Staff say that Jessops in Clapham was forced to close for just one day, during which time police are believed to have carried out forensic tests outside.
Earlier this week, Jessops’ chief executive Trevor Moore declined to give details of the scale of damage to his stores.
It is thought that the flagship Birmingham shop was the worst hit.
Currys in St John’s Road, Clapham – which is opposite Jessops – remained closed this morning
Picture: Chris Cheesman

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Yesterday I was at the opening of Jaguar Land Rover’s first fully owned factory outside the UK in Itatiaia, a couple of hours drive from the city of Rio de Janeiro. After 6 years of working with JLR in Brazil, first in Brasilia helping them with issues of market access, and then in Rio focused more on the factory, the opening was a big deal for me. This £240m project, with the capacity to produce 24,000 vehicles per year is a big deal for JLR too. They have bought into the potential of this beautiful, exciting and challenging country.
A lot has happened since the foundation stone was laid in December 2014: prolonged recession; President Dilma being deposed (at least temporarily); the exchange rate jumping from 4 reais to the pound, to 6.3 – and now hovering around 5 (for a company importing from the UK to Brazil, such volatility really matters); Brazil’s biggest (and ongoing) corruption scandal; and Zika. Brazil has seldom been out of the news, largely for the wrong reasons.
JLR’s factory presents a reminder of better times but is also, more importantly, a carefully evaluated bet on Brazil’s future. Brazil’s short term problems are well documented in the FT, the Economist and elsewhere, but the interim government of Acting President Temer is talking consistently about a more business-friendly and international approach. His appointments as Finance Minister, President of the Central Bank and the heads of key state-controlled organisations, including Petrobras have been welcomed by the market. For those of us who care about the country, let’s hope this chink of optimism is well founded.
Brazil is the world’s seventh largest economy and it has the fifth largest car market. Crucially for JLR, little over 3% of that is in the premium sector (compared to 10% in more mature markets). So the potential is huge. JLR’s investment will give their already strong brand and market share a boost. It will also lead to more UK exports, including models that will not be produced in Brazil, more complex components and after sales service.
It has not been a smooth journey. The macroeconomics have been challenging and adhering to Brazil’s requirements for local content has not been easy – worth remembering that local content requirements are not confined to the automotive sector in Brazil. Others, including notably oil and gas, face similar challenges. The British Government team in Brazil have been heavily involved throughout.
In fact JLR provides a good case study of the work we do. We worked with the company on their relations with Federal and State authorities. The factory is in Rio State, but close to the borders with Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo. States have varying level of taxes, different administrations, and present different challenges. Managing relationships and moving components across those borders matters. We’ve also offered support on UK supply chain companies in Brazil. And we’ve worked together on trade negotiations, communications and delivery of events and activities to promote JLR and the UK.
The vast majority of what we (the Embassy in Brasilia, Consulates in Sao Paulo, Rio, Belo Horizonte and Recife, and trade office in Porto Alegre) do is focused on supporting UK companies to export – and Brazilian companies to invest in the UK. We’re here to help, as JLR demonstrates. But companies considering Brazil need to take a long-term view and know the country isn’t for first-time exporters.
I’m delighted that JLR is the latest exciting addition to the British business community in Brazil. I’m also delighted that it means we’ll see ever more Range Rover Evoques and Land Rover Discovery Sports on Brazilian streets
Jonathan Dunn took up his position as British Consul-General, Rio de Janeiro in August 2014. He worked as Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Brasilia from May 2013 to July 2014. Jonathan was previously the Economic Counsellor in the Embassy and retains a specific interest in economics and trade policy.


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Kristin Tripoli will be responsible for trade shows, marketing campaigns.
Lovins has been the company’s VP and treasurer since August 2016.
Nine industry leaders presented with Printing Ink Pioneer Awards during NAPIM’s annual conference.
Maenen has been part of Shamrock Technologies’ BVBA team since 2005.
Thiele worked for PPG for more than 20 years, where he held various finance leadership roles.
Net financial debt decreases by more than 1 billion euros.
Ed Dedman has been named the flexo technical support manager.
Was previously director of operations for a large scale manufacturing company.
Dr. Powilleit was with Keimgruppe, at silicona GmbH & Co. KG, for almost 15 years.
Gus Munoz will be new southern region sales manager.
Murry was previously owner and CEO of Carded Graphics.
Harald Schwager to become deputy CEO.
Albrecht spent nearly 20 years at Goodrich Corporation/United Technologies Aerospace Systems.
The moves are aimed at growing the company’s digital printing business.
He is now accountable for the global supply network, overall quality processes and Lean and Six Sigma activity.
Kothari is currently SVP, Performance Chemicals North America.
Thomas J. Plath has been elected by the board of directors to become SVP, Human Resources and Global Citizenship.
Smith has held various leadership positions within the company, most recently as VP.
In her role, Sachdev takes responsibility for the company’s operations in the US and Canada.
Alexander “Sandy” Wilson joins organization as VP.
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The Realme 12+ 5G, launched in Indonesia and Malaysia today, will debut in India on March 6, but it’s not the only smartphone that Realme will be launching in the Asian country next week. The brand will unveil the Realme 12 5G in India next Wednesday at noon local time.
The Realme 12 5G has a flat design like the Plus model. It packs a punch-hole display and sports a circular camera island at the back, with a triple camera setup headlined by a 108MP camera with 3x in-sensor zoom.
Realme hasn’t revealed anything else about the Realme 12 5G, but you can pre-order the Realme 12 5G and Realme 12+ 5G in India through Realme’s official Indian website, Flipkart and mainline stores until March 5. You can see the pictures below. For pre-booking offers.


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Synacor Inc. (SYNC) Stock Price Down 4.6%
Synacor Inc. (NASDAQ:SYNC)’s share price was down 4.6% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $2.80 and last traded at $2.89, with a volume of 432,004 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $3.03.
Separately, Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and set a $4.50 target price on shares of Synacor in a report on Friday, May 13th.
The company’s market capitalization is $85.26 million. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $3.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $2.29.
Synacor (NASDAQ:SYNC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 3rd. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.10) by $0.01. The company had revenue of $30.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $30.50 million. Equities research analysts predict that Synacor Inc. will post ($0.34) EPS for the current fiscal year.
In related news, Director Jordan Levy sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.08, for a total transaction of $77,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 77,113 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $237,508.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.
Synacor, Inc is a technology development, multiplatform services and revenue partner for video, Internet and communications providers, device manufacturers and enterprises. The Company enables its customers to provide their consumers engaging, multiscreen experiences with products that require scale, actionable data and implementation.
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Lenovo recently launched the K8 Note to bolster its K series of smartphones along with a major step to ditch its Vibe Pure UI for the stock Android interface. Ahead of its launch, Lenovo was also reported to be working on another K series smartphone, dubbed K8 Plus, that got listed on a benchmark listing website. Lenovo India has now confirmed the launch of K8 Plus on Twitter. Besides, Flipkart has officially announced that the smartphone will be unveiled on September 6, and exclusively sold on the e-commerce website in India.
On Tuesday, Lenovo India posted a teaser video of K8 Plus on Twitter, showing a dedicated media button on the left side of the smartphone. The tagline that accompanies the video teaser reads, "Do you look at your smartphone and always #KraveForMore? It's time to end that with the new and powerful #LenovoK8Plus. Coming soon!".
The upcoming Lenovo K8 Plus is going to be a mid-range smartphone, Flipkart said in its release - however the exact price will only be revealed at the time of launch. Lenovo will also be going ahead with its latest move to ship stock Android to this smartphone, with the latest Nougat version. Moreover, Flipkart says that the smartphone is also expected to sport a dual rear camera setup, as per a social media teaser posted by Lenovo that shows Bokeh effect in action. However at the time of writing, we could not find such a post on Lenovo's social handles. The Lenovo K8 Note bears dual rear cameras, and so it does seem likely that another smartphone in the same series has the same feature.
As we mentioned, the Lenovo K8 Plus was spotted on popular benchmarking website, Geekbench, where some of its specifications were revealed. The smartphone can be expected to come with Android 7.1.1 Nougat, powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P25 (MT6757CD) SoC. The benchmark listing of the Lenovo K8 Plus also disclosed that it might sport 3GB of RAM, in addition to aforementioned specs.


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UK orders laundry company to unwind merger
The UK’s antitrust watchdog has ordered a laundry management services company to divest a recently acquired rival’s business serving university students, after an investigation found “substantial loss of competition” resulting from the merger.
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macOS High Sierra, First Take: Solid foundations, but light on eye candy
High Sierra, the latest upgrade to Apple's macOS operating system, has been available as a public beta for a few months now, but the final version — also known as macOS 10.13 — quietly appeared as a free upgrade via the Mac App Store on 25 September.
7 things to know before upgrading to MacOS High Sierra 10.13CNET
Apple's Safari applies differential privacy to ferret out problematic websites in macOS High SierraAppleInsider (press release) (blog)
macOS High Sierra Vulnerability Allows Apps To Steal Passwords From KeychainInternational Business Times
BetaNews –Ubergizmo –The Verge –TechCrunch
all 153 news articles »


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Retail dollar sales of toys experienced a decline of 1 percent when compared to 2012, according to 2013 year-end retail sales data compiled by The NPD Group.
The owner of Albertson’s grocers has announced plans to buy competitor chain Safeway in a transaction valued at $9 billion.
AMC has tapped Sony DADC to launch and manage a new e-commerce site for "The Walking Dead" zombie drama.
TV personality and home makeover designer Angelo Surmelis has launched his new furniture line exclusively at Mor Furniture for Less.
RadioShack announced plans to close up to 1100 underperforming stores in the U.S. at its fourth quarter earnings report Tuesday.
Stein Mart will open 10 new stores this year, marking the company's largest store expansion since 2007.
Claire's has announced plans for an assortment of jewelry and fashion accessories designed in collaboration with pop star Katy Perry.
Atlantyca Entertainment has partnered with the Italian supermarket Penny Market for a seven-week customer loyalty promotion featuring “Geronimo Stilton.”
The Kardashian sisters, in collaboration with Jupi Corp, are planning a line of infant and toddler apparel that will debut exclusively at Babies ‘R’ Us.
Claire's and Dylan's Candy Bar are continuing their partnership with an expanded collection of accessories and beauty products.
Spending has leveled off in the beginning of the year due in part to severe winter weather in much of the country.
Build-A-Bear Workshop and Hasbro have teamed up for the first-ever make-your-own My Little Pony event.
The National Retail Federation has launched a new initiative to enhance the perception of the retail industry.
Mind Candy has renewed its partnership with Toys ‘R’ Us in the U.K., securing prime store placement for Moshi Monsters.
The Fred Rogers Company, Out of the Blue Enterprises and PBS Kids have fast-tracked plans for a toy range based on the series “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.”
Dick’s Sporting Goods will open its first Field & Stream specialty retail store Aug. 16, in Cranberry Township, Pa.
Target has expanded its reach in the beauty business with the acquisition of DermStore Beauty Group.
Back-to-school shopping began earlier than ever this year, according to the National Retail Federation.
What to Expect When You’re Expecting has launched a new online baby registry tool in partnership with Babies ‘R’ Us.
Toys ‘R’ Us has unwrapped its 2013 holiday marketing plans, including a new TV campaign that features a real-life prank.
More than 50 percent of holiday shoppers have already begun their search and more consumers than ever before will turn to gift cards this year.
©2014 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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Facebook interns probably earn more than you do
Business First's sister paper in Boston finds that Facebook Inc. interns pull in more than $5,600 a month, a marker of the stiff competition for tech talent in Silicon Valley. That adds up to about $67,000 per year, about $25,000 more than the average U.S. citizen makes.
Find the Boston Business Journal's item here.
And while we're on the subject of Boston, the Business Journal also reports that Milan Lucic "sold his three-bedroom waterfront condominium for $1.65 million — the same price he paid for the 1,855-square-foot luxury dwelling in 2010."
The 24-year old Lucic apparently traded up to a three-bedroom townhouse at Union Wharf on Boston Harbor for $2.6 million shortly after marrying his longtime girlfriend. The 2,307-square-foot home has a private balcony overlooking the water, a media room with a fireplace and a master suite with skylights.
But nobody in Buffalo begrudges the guy his success, right?
Dan Miner is Business First's enterprise reporter. He also covers education and public companies.
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Syracuse University has long billed its sports program as "New York's College Team." The University at Buffalo has now rebranded its program along the same lines. Who has the greater claim to being New York's preeminent college sports program?


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A sketch of the upcoming VW Virtus has just emerged online alongside a report that the new four-door will be launched in Brazil in January 2018.
If the sketch is legitimate, it all but confirms that leaked images of the sedan were in fact legitimate. Those images, as well as this sketch, confirm that the Virtus will adopt a recognizable VW design with a front fascia almost identical to the Polo on which the sedan is based.
Like the Polo, the Virtus will be based on the company’s MQB-A0 platform but have its wheelbase stretched by roughly 5 inches. Unlike the Polo, however, the Virtus won’t be sold with a 1.0-liter naturally-aspirated engine and instead, the base version will be powered by a 1.6-liter MSI delivering 117 hp.
The VW Virtus will be sold exclusively in South America.


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The next-generation Maruti A-Star (known in international markets as the Suzuki Alto) has been spotted testing in Delhi. These images were clicked by Indian Autos Blog reader, Mr. Mukesh Khanna. Maruti has already commenced testing the car on Indian roads with the first set of spy images appearing last week.
It is to be noted that parent Suzuki is testing the car on European roads simultaneously. Codenamed 'YL7', this would be a global model replacing the Suzuki Alto (A-Star) and would also fill in the shoes of the soon-to-be discontinued Estilo.
While the YL7 as a car is an important future launch for Maruti, what powers the YL7 could be even more important for the segment. The rumored two-cylinder 800cc diesel engine completely developed by Maruti in-house, could be seen under the hood of the YL7. Going by Maruti's track record for fuel efficiency, a 30km/l figure shouldn't be hard to expect from this engine in the ARAI tests.
The YL7 could be seen at the 2014 Auto Expo set to take place in February next year. Maruti Suzuki’s CEO, Kenichi Ayukawa, said recently that the company was developing a “series of products” and some of them would be shown at the Auto Expo.
However, Shoeb, our rendering artist, has already designed what he thinks the hatchback would look like. You can check his render here.


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Nearly 15 percent of the food Americans eat is imported from other countries, mostly from Canada, Mexico and China. This may sound like a small percentage, but it represents 80 percent of seafood and 45 percent of fresh fruit consumed in the U.S. A University of Georgia expert says increased food imports bring new challenges to ensuring a safe U.S. food supply.
"These global changes in food exportation necessitate implementing effective, internationally accepted food safety management systems,” said Michael Doyle, director of the UGA Center for Food Safety in Griffin, Ga.
Doyle spoke to a group of Chinese food safety specialists at a meeting in Athens, Ga., Nov. 23.
“We in the food safety community, no matter in what country we reside, are facing greater challenges than ever before in ensuring a safe and wholesome global food supply. We need to work together to address this challenge and help bring about the changes we need to make the world’s food supply safer for all,” he told the group.
Fruit and Fish
Hundreds of illnesses from contaminated spinach, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes and even peanut butter have made recent U.S. headlines. Other reports tell of tainted shellfish, pet food and a variety of foods and food ingredients imported from countries such as China.
The problem isn't where the food comes from, Doyle said, but how it's grown or processed before it reaches American soil.
"The centuries-old tradition of using human excreta on farmland is widespread in East Asia, especially in China and Vietnam," Doyle said. "In some areas of Mexico, farmland irrigation water comes from the untreated sewage from large cities. The result of these practices is contamination by harmful microbes such as salmonella."
Imported produce carries greater risk of Hepatitis A virus or norovirus contamination due to insanitary harvesting practices, he said.
Farm-raised shrimp and tilapia are commonly grown in ponds fertilized with raw sewage or livestock manure. It is estimated that two-thirds of the world’s farmed fish is grown using animal manure or human sewage, Doyle said.
Organic food processors import food sources from Africa and Latin America. “This includes countries in which food is produced under insanitary conditions,” he said. “There is no assurance that organic foods are safer than others.”
The solution to the problem, Doyle said, lies in the hands of food producers, processors and regulatory agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
"Solutions to today's food safety issues will not come easy," he said. "The food industry, whether it be growers, manufacturers or distributors, is responsible for providing safe foods. And regulatory agencies need more rapid and robust sampling and detection methods to verify that foods, especially those that are imported, are safe from harmful microbes and chemicals."
Doyle anticipates the number and frequency of foodborne illnesses to increase in the U.S. as the percentage of imported foods increases.
"Considering the dramatic changes occurring in our sources of food and the weaknesses present in our current food safety system, Congress needs to step up its funding of research to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply," he said. "The longer we must wait for solutions the more challenging it will be to make effective corrective actions."


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Waukesha County’s Just Between Friends (JBF) spring consignment sales will take place from March 21-23 at the Waukesha Expo Center. The sale will offer new and “gently used” children’s and junior clothing, maternity clothing, toys, strollers, car seats, DVDs, board and electronic games, books, children’s shoes, and much more at tremendous savings.
Hours for the sale will be Friday and Saturday, March 21-22, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission to Friday’s sale is $3, with Saturday and Sunday free admission. The Waukesha sale also will be hiring part-time workers to serve as JBF team members.
Stephanie Suring, organizer of the Waukesha County sale, indicated that JBF spring sales are great opportunities for families to purchase the many spring and summer things kids will be needing. “We expect to have over 80,000 items on sale for families of all ages and sizes,” she said. “And shopping and checking out at our JBF sales is easy because of or computerized tagging and barcode system.”
Unsold items are then donated to organizations including the Salvation Army for area families in need.
Two other JBF area sales will take place in Washington County at the Washington County Fairgrounds March 12-16 and in Milwaukee County April 6-11 at the Wisconsin Exposition Center at Wisconsin State Fair Park.
Just Between Friends serves more than 260,000 American families in 22 states and provides an opportunity for families to recycle their kids’ clothing and toys. The Salvation Army is an international movement located in over 100 countries around the world. It has been serving communities in the Greater Milwaukee area for over 100 years. For more information on an upcoming sale, visit www.jbfsale.com.
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The Scottish Government has announced that the launch of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme will be delayed until at least October 2025.
This comes as a consequence of the UK Government’s terms for allowing a temporary exemption of the Scheme under the UK Internal Market Act.
The UK Government announced a number of highly significant conditions for the exemption which at the time aimed to cover the period from the launch of the Scottish Government DRS until planned schemes were in place across the rest of the UK. So there would have been maximum alignment and interoperability as a safeguard for businesses and consumers.
This included the following:
- The temporary exclusion covered PET plastic, aluminium, and steel cans only and not glass. A condition of this exclusion was that a maximum cap on deposit levels would have had to be agreed with the rest of the UK before the Scottish scheme launched, to ensure maximum interoperability and ease of use for consumers.
- The minimum size would have be increased from 50ml to 100ml, removing miniatures and other smaller containers from the scheme.
- Products that sold fewer than 5,000 units per year would have no longer been able to carry a deposit. This would have applied to many craft drinks, specialist wines and spirits, and limited edition products.
Scotlands Government Delay Scheme Amidst Uncertainty of Glass
Whilst Circularity Scotland's program director, Donald McCalman told the BBC that the scheme could have still gone ahead without glass, the Scottish government cautioned that they did not see the scheme going ahead without glass being included.
The First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, wrote to the Prime Minister to urge him to rethink the rejection of glass in Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The UK Government confirmed that it would not have reconsidered the conditions attached to the Internal Market Act exclusion.
Therefore, following consultations with key businesses including producers, Scottish Ministers concluded that certainty on critical elements of the scheme could not be provided to businesses until the UK Government publishes more detail, and therefore Scotland’s deposit return scheme will not go live until October 2025 at the earliest


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Ferrellgas acquires Viking Propane of Yolo County
Founded in 1986, Viking Propane has its headquarters at 17834 Railroad St. in Madison, which is between Highway 505 and Esparto. Viking serves rural residents in Yolo, Solano, Sutter, Colusa and Napa counties.
Based in Overland Park, Kan., Ferrellgas markets propane nationwide under its Blue Rhino brand. It has about 1 million customers in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Ferrellgas (NYSE: FGP) is publicly traded and its employees indirectly own more than 20 million units of the partnership through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. The transaction will be immediately accretive, according to a news release from the company.
In a statement, CEO Steve Wambold said Ferrellgas looks forward to adding Viking’s employees and expanding services to new customers.
“Viking Propane offers a tremendous complement to the already strong Ferrellgas footprint in northern central California and allows us to extend our service territory west of Sacramento,” Wambold said.
Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Representatives from both companies had no additional comment.
This is the fourth acquisition Ferrellgas has made since its fiscal year began in August.
Mark Anderson covers technology, banking and finance, medtech and biotech, venture capital, energy, mining, hotels, restaurants and tourism for the Sacramento Business Journal.
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|Bid||31.04 x 3100|
|Ask||31.20 x 4000|
|Day's Range||30.95 - 31.86|
|52 Week Range||24.86 - 48.66|
|Beta (5Y Monthly)||1.03|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||N/A|
|Earnings Date||Feb. 18, 2020 - Feb. 23, 2020|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||1.60 (5.06%)|
|Ex-Dividend Date||Nov. 12, 2019|
|1y Target Est||30.89|
With less than five days until the final four teams in the playoffs seal their fate, dedicated football fans are throwing caution and superstition to the wind by booking their flights to Miami with hopes of cheering their team to victory on football’s biggest stage. By Sunday night, fans whose team doesn’t make it all the way will be left with both a team out of the running and an added cost to change their flight, which only adds insult to injury. To reassure fans that even in the bleakest moments not all hope is lost, HEINZ is offering football fans a chance to win 57-cent change fees for Miami-bound flights.
PLANTERS, America’s 1 nut brand, is returning to the Super Bowl with a story that will show fans just how far MR. PEANUT will go to have his friends’ backs.
We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. On...
(Bloomberg) -- Kraft Heinz Co., in the midst of building a turnaround plan, hired the leader of Campbell Soup Co.’s fast-growing snacks business to lead its U.S. operations.Carlos Abrams-Rivera, 52, will join Kraft Heinz in February. He previously was president of Campbell’s popular Pepperidge Farm brand, which makes Goldfish crackers and Mint Milano cookies. He also worked at Mondelez International Inc. and started his career at Kraft Foods before its 2015 merger with Heinz that was engineered by Warren Buffett and the private equity firm 3G Capital.Abrams-Rivera’s hiring is a rarity in a company that has stayed mostly within the 3G family when replenishing its executive ranks. Kraft Heinz Chief Executive Officer Miguel Patricio and Chief Procurement Officer Marcos Eloi both came from 3G-backed Anheuser-Busch InBev SA. Chief Financial Officer Paulo Basilio, who returned to the role in September, has been a partner at 3G since 2012.Since Patricio joined Kraft Heinz last year, investors have been eager to see how he will turn around the flailing business. The company had a tumultuous 2019 that included weak profit, a $15.4 billion writedown and an SEC subpoena. Amid this backdrop, it seems Kraft Heinz is moving beyond the typical 3G playbook, which is to slash costs until profit rises and then acquire competitors and repeat the process.“I want talent, and that’s what I’m looking for,” Patricio told Bloomberg in an interview Wednesday. He cited Abrams-Rivera’s track record at Campbell, including oversight of brands that proved to be consistently successful. The growth of Pepperidge Farm and Campbell’s acquisition of Snyder’s-Lance under Abrams-Rivera drew Kraft Heinz’s attention, he said.“The story of his career is building brands and turning brands around,” Patricio said.Abrams-Rivera will face that very challenge at Kraft Heinz. Patricio mentioned Heinz Ketchup and Philadelphia cream cheese as top performers that can keep growing. Oscar Mayer and Lunchables, meanwhile, are examples of brands that are ready to be turned around, he said.(Adds executives affiliated with 3G in third paragraph.)To contact the reporter on this story: Deena Shanker in New York at email@example.comTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Sally Bakewell at firstname.lastname@example.org, Jonathan Roeder, Lisa WolfsonFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Kraft Heinz Co on Wednesday named Campbell Soup Co executive Carlos Abrams-Rivera president of its U.S. business, the Heinz ketchup maker's latest executive hire as it aims to revitalize its business after a troubling year. New Kraft Heinz Chief Executive Miguel Patricio had been managing the Chicago-based company's U.S. business since he took over in July. The unit, which makes Oscar Mayer bacon and Velveeta cheese, is Kraft Heinz's biggest contributor to sales.
As The Kraft Heinz Company (Nasdaq: KHC) continues to rebuild its business momentum with a focus on driving business growth through consumer-first marketing, innovation and people development, CEO Miguel Patricio today announced that Carlos Abrams-Rivera will join his Senior Leadership Team as the new U.S. Zone President. Effective Feb. 3, 2020, Abrams-Rivera will lead all U.S. business operations, the company’s largest business.
It’s a new decade, which means time for change! If you are a recent college grad on the hunt for a new job, here’s a career you can truly relish. Oscar Mayer announced that submissions are now open for the 2020 class of Hotdoggers. Have you dreamt of seeing the country through the windshield of a 27-foot hot dog on wheels? Here’s your chance!
Kraft Hockeyville™ USA is back again this year to find America’s most-spirited hockey community. Together with the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), Kraft Heinz is looking to crown one hockey community in America with the Kraft Hockeyville™ USA 2020 title, award $150,000 in rink upgrades along with $10,000 worth of hockey equipment through the NHLPA Goals & Dreams program, and provide the chance to host an NHL® Pre-Season Game in their community rink.
Kraft Heinz (KHC) is bearing the brunt of higher expenses and adverse currency rates.However, the company's enterprise transformation strategy bodes well.
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Unilever NV has made a great deal of “instilling purpose” into its products, trying to flag up the social and environmental credentials of things from Dove shower gel to Magnum ice cream to appeal to millennial consumers. It doesn’t seem to be doing much for its sales.The Anglo-Dutch company surprised the stock market on Tuesday, warning that revenue growth this year would be below its 3% to 5% range. And it won’t bounce back quickly. Unilever forecasts sales increases will be in the lower half of its target range in 2020, with most progress coming in the second half.The company said it was suffering from an economic slowdown in south Asia, particularly India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and difficult trading conditions in west Africa. Meanwhile, its big-selling north American products such as ice cream and hair care are still recovering from a sluggish period, while competition is fierce in parts of Europe.Yet Unilever must take some of the blame for its own predicament. Its rival Nestle SA has managed steady sales growth, while pulling off some canny acquisitions and disposals.After a failed takeover approach from Kraft Heinz Co. back in 2017, Unilever set the goal of lifting its operating margin from 16% to 20% by 2020. Alan Jope, the chief executive officer, could have ditched this target when he took the reins at the start of this year to give himself more firepower to invest. But it seems he’s sticking with it: The company said on Tuesday that the goal wouldn’t be affected by the sales slowdown. While Unilever insists it’s spending enough on research and development and marketing, Jope may have to back his biggest brands with more funds to make sure they’re competitive. That would have to come at the expense of margins. He also needs to decide in which categories Unilever wants to compete, and reshape its sprawling portfolio accordingly. It’s admirable that the company generates close to 60% of its sales in emerging markets, and operates in popular areas such as beauty and personal care. Unfortunately, it is also over-exposed to more sluggish food ranges such as tea and dressings.Jope could do worse than learn from Nestle’s CEO Mark Schneider. The latter has been quick to prune unwanted categories, recently selling its U.S. ice cream business to a joint venture between itself and private equity. Nestle has also been buying in its preferred product areas, such as coffee.Unilever, meanwhile, has been less bold, undertaking a plethora of small acquisitions — from fake meat to fancy laundry products. The group generated only about 0.5 percentage points of growth from its acquisitions and disposals in the first half of the financial year; Jope says he’ll slow the pace of bolt-on deals and step up disposals.If he doesn’t hurry, someone else might attempt to do some portfolio tidying for him. Kraft Heinz isn’t in a position to make another approach. But an activist investor may be tempted. Selling Unilever’s foods and refreshments business for cash is a possibility, although a demerger might be complicated by Unilever’s dual British and Dutch structure.The food unit could have an enterprise value of 55 billion euros ($61 billion), according to UBS analysts. So offloading it would generate proceeds to invest in higher growth products, while allowing the return of cash to investors. On a price-to-earnings basis, Nestle’s premium over Unilever is widening. An aggressive investor may spot a corporate purpose of their own.To contact the author of this story: Andrea Felsted at email@example.comTo contact the editor responsible for this story: James Boxell at firstname.lastname@example.orgThis column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the consumer and retail industries. She previously worked at the Financial Times.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Deutsche Bank sees opportunity for food companies in 2020. The firm announced Dec. 11 that it would be resuming coverage across 13 large-cap food companies.
Zippin, the industry leading startup enabling cashierless checkout for brick and mortar retail, announced the recent closing of $12 million in Series A funding led by Evolv Ventures, the venture fund backed by Kraft Heinz.
If you’re the person who needs coffee before ANYTHING in order to take on the day, Gevalia Kaffe has a role brewed perfectly for you. This winter, Gevalia is looking to crown one coffee-loving Queen to rule a literal castle and live like royalty for a week. Our Queen can be female, male, or anyone who loves coffee (even if it’s decaf!).
Target is the Yahoo Finance Company of the Year for 2019. We talk with Target's executive team and experts on how the retailer made it happen in 2019 and what's in store for 2020.
With the 2010s officially drawing to a close, Yahoo Finance took a look at some of the biggest S&P 500 winners and losers of the past decade based on price returns.
The iconic, always-hype pair Kool-Aid Man and Grammy award-winning artist Lil Jon are krashing the holidays again this year to help fans get into the Christmas spirit and make one lucky fan's Christmas wish list come true. Starting today through December 12 at 11:59 p.m. ET, fans can head to TikTok and post a video showing off their best “Oh Yeahhhh” and dance moves to their lit holiday track, “All I Really Want For Christmas.” Fans must include #OhYEAHChristmas and #Contest to enter for the chance to win $10,000 to get everything on their list, just in time for Christmas. “It’s cool to rock with the big man in red again this holiday season,” said Lil Jon.
Investing.com - U.S. futures were flat on Tuesday after reports that the U.S. and China made progress towards their “phase one” trade deal, in a shortened holiday week.
Cuffing season is upon us, when singles “tie up” with less-than-perfect significant others to partake in cozy, indoor activities together. Designed with delicious strips of sizzlin’ Oscar Mayer Bacon, the Oscar Mayer BAEcon Blanket is a 15-lb. weighted blanket that will wrap you in so much bacon love, you can actually feel it during cuffing season (and beyond). “Oscar Mayer sets the golden standard of bacon, and we want to help our fans maintain a high standard this cuffing season with the ultimate bae(con),” says Matt Riezman, associate director of marketing for Oscar Mayer.
China Edges Into Hong Kong to “Clean Up Streets” The Chinese have invaded Hong Kong. So far it’s just to clean up the streets, but their presence on the island is raising some eyebrows as to what Beijing’s real intentions are in bringing Chinese soldiers in to participate in the situation. The soldiers, part of […]The post Market Morning: Chinese Army in Hong Kong, Boeing Walks Back Comments, Kraft Heinz Cheese Problems appeared first on Market Exclusive.
Investing.com – Wall Street was slightly lower on Thursday as concerns about global economic slowdown and a reported snag in U.S.-China trade discussions sent a wave of worry through the market.
The world’s largest retailer’s third quarter results on Thursday showed that yet again, CEO Doug McMillon continues to pull almost all the right strings operationally.
The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:KHC) shareholders will doubtless be very grateful to see the share price up 31% in the...


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Retailers find themselves battling online competition for their shrinking share of the market. In a time where 19% of shoppers leave a store to shop online for lower prices, some believe the retail industry is endangered. But now, new technology may provide a way for brick-and-mortar stores to fight back. The technology, called beacons, are […]
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Our 2014 ISE Show Review Video is Out!
Nearly 900 stands, over 51,000 attendees and some 1,300 videos later, last month’s ISE 2014 show was a huge hit — in fact, now the biggest AV trade show ever. Held annually in Amsterdam, the Integrated Systems Europe show is a combination of all the HomeAV, ProAV and digital signage gear in the market under one roof — or, really, 13 roofs as it takes up 13 halls at the Amsterdam RAI convention center.
We captured the tempo and excitement of the show in this short two-minute look at ISE 2014 in this video:
And, of course, if you want to see all our ISE 2014 coverage, including watch one of our 1,300 or so product videos, read one of our 400+ news stories or listen to one of our podcasts from last month’s show, go here.


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Following the lawsuits against Binance from the SEC, the exchange and its CEO have filed a motion of dismissal.
Recap of the Top Five Cryptos
In aggregate since yesterday, the “fab five” — Litecoin, Bitcoin Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Ripple — were up 0.91%. Leading the way was XRP, whose price is now around $0.262592 USD, which yielded holders a return of 3.01% from the day prior. In terms of the worst performer, that would be Bitcoin, which reported a day-over-day return of -0.51% — a move that puts its price around $10313.02 USD. Three of the coins had up days, which is a mixed sign for the crypto sector.
Price Action to Watch
The move in XRP was especially surprising; it was much larger than the normal daily trading range associated with the currency. Technical traders may also wish to note the following developments in price action:
- Looking for an uptrend? The most reliable uptrends can be found in Litecoin and Ethereum.
- Currencies without a clear trend over the past two weeks are XRP, Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. If you prefer choppy, rangebound markets, they might be up your alley.
- Momentum traders will want to note that Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash are getting very close to their 20-day moving average. Many technical traders view the 20-day average as a wall of resistance that can slow a trend until it is cleared — at which point the trend may accelerate.
- It’s also worth noting that XRP, in particular, had a major technical breakthrough; it crossed its 20-day moving average in the day prior.
Insights from the Blockchains
Ripple had more transactions recorded on its chain yesterday than any other coin; to be precise, it had about 34% more transactions recorded than Ethereum, which was the runner up for the day in terms of transactions recorded. Ripple’s transaction fee is less than Ethereum’s transaction fee; in and of itself, this may imply transaction fees might be a key reason why users are preferring Ripple. Ethereum was the coin with the largest transaction across all blockchains yesterday; the largest transaction on its chain was valued at $75,923,279 US dollars.


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When James Reinhart, 34, was getting his startup off the ground, it wasn’t the sexy thing to do. In 2009 the economy was tanking and investors were snapping their wallets shut. Business schools fumbled around with entrepreneurship offerings or overlooked them altogether. “You were different if you were going to go and start a company,” the Harvard MBA recalls. “But I think the school recognized that [entrepreneurial students] were a really important part of the community.”
Reinhart didn’t intend to be an entrepreneur. He had enrolled in Harvard’s dual-degree program in business and public policy to pursue a career in education. Then, the “ah-ha founding moment” struck. James Reinhart was staring at a closet full of clothes that he didn’t want to wear when he realized that “there was not an efficient way to refresh your closet.” The observation led to thredUP, an online marketplace for second-hand apparel.
James Reinhart pulled in Oliver Lubin, a friend from his undergraduate days at Boston College, to flesh out the design, and they entered the idea in the 2009 HBS New Venture Competition. The duo walked away with semi-finalist accolades. Fueled by their success, Reinhart brought in HBS classmate Chris Homer as CTO, and they launched a peer-to-peer clothes-sharing site for men and women’s clothing in September. Seven months later, after only lukewarm success, they pivoted to children’s clothes, where “forced obsolescence” guaranteed a steady stream of customers.
The experience wasn’t seamless, especially when it came time to raise funds. “We were building a new idea on a new platform with an unproven team,” Reinhart says. So they turned to family and friends for funding, kept building the site, and attracted more users to prove their business plan. “The perseverance thing is a cliché, but it’s true–when you can’t raise money because you don’t have proof points, you just keep building proof points,” he says. “You work for free, and you’re passionate about it.”
The gambit worked. Investors have since shelled out some $23.1 million to grow the retail business. James Reinhart has big ambitions for thredUP’s future. “I think we can build an enormously successful, large ecommerce company,” he says. “The second-hand space in apparel is close to $30 billion, and nobody has really cracked it online.” So far they’ve made a good start. By April 2013, the site was again offering women’s apparel, and the founders are already eyeing maternity and men’s apparel for their next move.


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Gucci has made significant strides towards gender neutrality as well as a simplification of its business model by announcing that it will combine menswear and womenswear in one standalone show from 2017.
“It seems only natural to me to present my men’s and women’s collections together. It’s the way I see the world,” creative director Alessandro Michele said. “I believe it will give me the chance to move towards a different kind of approach to my storytelling.”
As well as this move towards gender neutrality, Gucci cited reasons of economic streamlining. “Moving to one show each season will significantly help to simplify many aspects of our business. Maintaining two separate, disconnected calendars has been a result of tradition rather than practicality,” said chief executive of the brand Marco Bizzarri. The first show of this kind is expected to take place at Gucci’s new headquarters in Via Mecenate, Milan, in 2017.
The move comes in the wake of Burberry, Tom Ford and Vetements moving towards a one show-per-season policy
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Since 1993, the Seamaster Diver 300M has enjoyed a legendary following. This year, the collection celebrates 25 years with a …


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Image via K.W. Barrett/Flickr CC
We’re again doing something a little different with this Interesting Investments article. Instead of something that will make you money, we’re going to look at a few cases of companies investing in the future of humankind. It is a different kind of investment, to be sure, than counterfeit handbags, collectibles, or video game real estate, but is equally or more important to the future of the world’s economy. And don’t worry! We’ll be back to regular money-making investments in the next article. For now, though, let’s look at education.
Microsoft, under CEO Satya Nadella, has been making strides the past few years to improve people’s lives. From the somewhat short-lived Microsoft Band, aimed at improving users’ health, to offering Minecraft: Education Edition for schools for children to explore new worlds or make their own, Microsoft is investing in people. The game leads children to develop computational thinking skills that are becoming increasingly relevant as technology grows. It can help them communicate to build larger structures, and teach them to think about the big picture. This, in part, led to Fast Company ranking Microsoft as the leading innovative company of 2017.
Similar to Microsoft’s educational toe-dipping, Google launched Google Expeditions as a way for schools to take students on virtual field trips. From famous museums and landmarks to the International Space Station, it allows children to learn about a place while virtually being there, immersing them in learning far more effectively than a slideshow or video. They can go where they normally would not be able to, and the possibilities are endless. Instead of packing up an entire class from California to go to the Louvre, virtual reality can transport them there for an hour without ever actually leaving the school.
This entry seems almost like cheating, as Duolingo is a company that aims to teach users other languages, but they have invested in something new: flashcards. Tinycards is an app that allows users to create their own flashcards. Anything from Game of Thrones characters (what, you don’t know your Daario from your Davos?) to human anatomy is fair game. With a generation of youngsters attached to their phones, it’s the perfect way to get them to study.
LinkedIn purchased Lynda.com in 2015, though it has since been purchased by another entry in this article — Microsoft. But LinkedIn, a social media platform, saw that it could do some good in the world by linking education and social media. With a quarter of adults in the US using LinkedIn, a continued partnership could have led to more adults getting training
Note that none of of the investments these companies made is directly about employee education, which in itself is an excellent investment for the health of a company, especially if the company sponsors online learning so employees can learn at their own pace. For example, Starbucks (SBUX) sponsors employees through Arizona State University. Tutoring and guidance is available through the program, helping employees complete their bachelor’s degree. This is totally viable for a company, and, again, a worthwhile investment in people and education.
That’s not to say it has to be an entirely altruistic action, as it does have the chance of making a company money — see Microsoft and the massive sales Minecraft as a whole has brought in, even before courting schools. This is simply more about investing in the future of humankind as a whole. If one of your employees completes a degree, and then goes on to become a better manager, bringing in more leads, it’s likely worth it.
It’s also a great PR move that could produce more leads, and thus more business. Investing in libraries, for example, will not only help children learn to read and give them resources for learning, but will likely lead to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and recognition from organizations such as a local Chamber of Commerce.
These investments are also a way to ensure that future employees in the company have the education needed to be effective in their jobs. In a poll of 1,000 CEOs, about 30 percent cited talent constraints as keeping them pursuing market opportunities. By investing in people, improving their talents, companies can open up new avenues and opportunities, improving the company and adding to profit streams.


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By Sue Burns, Three
Extra time in a busy world — all it takes is innovative use of the technology available to everyone in the most effective way. And, since time is so precious, let’s make sure we use that time well to help achieve the perfect work-life balance.
Research commissioned by mobile internet provider Three* focusing on British mums found it’s possible to claw back the equivalent of over five days a year by using smartphones and mobile broadband to achieve on-the-go internet access.
Using notoriously time-poor British mums as a test group, the research quantified how technology and the mobile internet can stretch the boundaries of multi-tasking. By making it possible to fit internet-based tasks alongside and around other activities, it frees up time that can be devoted to other areas of life or reinvested into work.
Unsurprisingly, the research revealed that British mums work incredibly hard to juggle all aspects of their lives: childcare, running the household, maintaining a relationship and undertaking paid work. The reality of modern motherhood sees mums working over 70 hours a week on family activities (longer than a junior doctor’s working week) and, if they were paid for their time, they’d earn approximately £37,000 a year.
With mums exceeding the traditional 48 hour working week by 23 hours, the majority of mums (83%) are now left with less than an hour of ‘me time’ a day and a third (33%) now get less than six hours sleep a night. Only 16% claim to be happy with their current lifestyle and over a third would like just one extra hour of ‘me time’ a day to make them happier.
But despite being constantly busy, the average mum spends an hour and a half on the internet each day but over a third (39%) find it hard to get time to sit down at their computer.
So here’s where straightforward technology can help. The research shows that, if you can get online whenever you need to, and you work your online access hard, you can win back a precious 135 hours each year.
‘Making’ this time involves a two-pronged approach: exploring exactly how the technology out there can help you in your day-to-day life; and exploiting every opportunity it provides to condense what you need to do.
Access to the mobile internet assists with organisation and time efficiencies, providing immediate access to maps, internet search, emails, synced calendars, as well as useful and entertaining apps. Common activities that our test group of mums would do on the move include online banking (27%), keeping up-to-date with emails (63%) and shopping online (27%), but there’s so much more: Facebook and Twitter, keeping up with the latest headlines, smarter scheduling, joining discussion forums, providing homework help, using apps to entertain children — without even considering the work benefits.
The mobile internet has fantastic potential for busy business people too, both as a way of staying on top of work requests — if you want to — and as a means to access a vast range of great apps designed to help the busy, e.g. invoice creation, booking and monitoring travel arrangements, and remote CCTV monitoring. As with our test group, working technology and the mobile internet hard can help create ‘free’ time, that you can use as you want.
An ‘extra’ five days a year combined with the resources of the internet at your fingertips could be enough to spark a business idea that will see another entrepreneur on their way. After all, over 30% of all new businesses are started by women; that’s over 130,000 every year, with three quarters of those started by women aged between 25 and 44, the ‘busy mum’ years.
What could you do with five ‘extra’ days?
*Research was carried out by OnePoll in March 2011 for Three. The research was carried out amongst 3,000 mums with children under 16 years old in the UK.
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Announcing! Brandweek is headed to Phoenix, Arizona this September 23–26. Join us there to explore the future of marketing, discover cutting-edge strategies and network with the best in the business.
Over 200 private businesses—including major brands like Google, LVMH, Mastercard, Microsoft and Unilever—will have a presence at this year’s 28th annual United Nations climate summit, which kicks off today in Dubai.
But after climate activists criticized Coca-Cola’s sponsorship last year, many household names have chosen to keep a lower profile at the event—participating in panels and discussions but opting out of sponsor slots that would plaster their name across the summit’s signage.
“The focus this year is more heads down, getting the work done, than it is about branding opportunities,” Aron Cramer, CEO and president of sustainability consultancy BSR, told Adweek.


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The 2014 Honda Odyssey is the only minivan to earn the highest possible ratings of GOOD in the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) stringent small overlap frontal crash test and is a 2014 TOP SAFETY PICK+ designation when equipped with optional front crash prevention.
Acura took the wraps off its restyled, reengineered and reborn 2016 ILX sports sedan today, launching at Acura dealerships across Canada in early 2015.
Statement of Rick Schostek, Executive Vice President, Honda North America, Inc. before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
The all-new 2016 Honda HR-V crossover, unveiled today at the 2014 Los Angeles International Auto Show, blends the styling of a coupe, the toughness, space and utility of a SUV and the quality of a Honda in one sporty, personal and versatile multi-dimensional vehicle.
For a record 29th time in the 31-year history of the award, Car and Driver magazine has named the Honda Accord to its prestigious annual list of the 10Best Cars.
The National Hockey League® (NHL) today announced it has expanded its relationship with Honda. As part of a multi-year agreement, American Honda Motor Co. will include Honda Canada Inc. as League sponsor in the automotive category in North America.
Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM), a division of Honda Canada Inc., announced today that it will invest $857 million over three years to innovate its three award-winning manufacturing plants in Alliston, ON with new technologies and processes.
The all-new 2015 Acura TLX, equipped with the latest generation of advanced Acura safety technologies, has received the highest possible rating of 2014 TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Acura is preparing to unveil a substantially new 2016 ILX at the L.A. Auto Show next month as the brand aims to raise the stakes again in the entry-premium sedan segment.


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The WSJ details:
U.S. consumer spending rose twice as fast as income in March as saving dropped to its lowest level in 18 months and a closely watched indicator of inflation remained stable.Below is a chart of the cumulative change in the largest sub-component of personal income, compensation, in real terms over the past three years.
Personal income rose 0.3% in March as a weak labor market continued to keep a lid on wage growth, the Commerce Department said Monday.
Meanwhile, consumer spending -- which accounts for 70% of demand in the U.S. economy -- increased by 0.6% from the prior month, likely lifted by government efforts to spur economic growth.
With income growth sluggish, U.S. consumers slowed their pace of saving in March. Americans in March saved $303.9 billion as the national saving rate slid to 2.7% from 3.0% the previous month. The saving rate is at its lowest level since September 2008.
And a chart of the same data, but in year over year terms since 1990.
The above disconnect occurred for a number of reasons (less savings, transfer payments [i.e. unemployment], return on financial assets, borrowing [commercial bank credit is down due to defaults, but net borrowing is actually up], and missed mortgage payments [some evidence that people are spending what "should be" their mortgage]).
None of which are sustainable.
As a result, look for consumption to slow unless wages and actual income levels begin to rise.


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Sales of new homes tumbled 6.6 percent in June, a steeper decline than expected, in the latest grim indication that a recovery is not on the horizon for the housing market.
New home sales fell to an annual rate of 834,000 units from 893,000 units in May, the Department of Commerce said on Thursday.
Economists had been expecting a small decline, to 890,000 from an originally reported May rate of 915,000, according to Bloomberg News.
June's sales rate for new homes represents a 22.3 percent decline from a year ago. The median price of a new home has also fallen in that time, down 2.2 percent to $237,900 in June from $243,200 a year earlier.
There were 537,000 new homes on the market in June, a 7.8-month supply at the current pace of sales.
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Dietitian weighs in on the 9 foods you shouldn't eat because they have no nutritional value
What NOT to eat
Linda Hurtado, WFTS-TV
4:00 PM, Nov 2, 2013
6:22 AM, Nov 4, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. - The website
NaturalNews.com has come out with a list of nine foods you should never eat again.
We asked a few shoppers if they could name one of the nine foods.
Carmen Hamilton said, "Food that you should not eat? Just plain popcorn?"
Tim Ireland said, "M&M's, drinks, Coca-Cola."
And Kimberly Tyson said, "White bread pasta and rice."
Yes. White bread and white rice are on the list.
You've probably heard that before, but a few other foods may surprise you.
I took the list to dietitian Janie Norman with USF Health. I asked her to start with one that surprised me, protein and energy bars. Norman said, "Some of the key things you want to look for... Does it contain trans fats, or hydrogenated oils? Those are not healthy for the heart and the vascular system."
She suggested healthy alternatives: organic food bars and Fiber One.
Also on this list: frozen meals.
"Problem with the just regular entrees," Norman says, "They tend to be extremely high in sodium. One entree, just one meal, can have the sodium content a person should eat in the course of a day."
She said that's a problem for those with high blood pressure.
I was sad to see microwave popcorn on the list. I love that.
NaturalNews.com says from genetically modified corn kernels, to preservatives and chemicals, microwave popcorn is unhealthy and disease promoting.
Norman added, "Genetically altered food products is a hot topic right now. It's very controversial. There is not, necessary, any good science to say they're harmful, but if a product is organic it's implying it's not using genetically modified foods."
The same issue comes up with genetically modified soy products. Norman said get organic if you're concerned.
Finally, anything that says diet:
Norman said diet liquids contain artificial sweeteners and coloring.
"In small amounts, probably not harmful, but there's no nutritional benefit."


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Intel Corporation has announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2023, revealing an 8 percent decrease in revenue to $14.2 billion.
Santa Clara, California-based Intel has outlined its plans for the fourth quarter, aiming for revenue in the range of $14.6 billion to $15.6 billion.
Pat Gelsinger, the CEO of Intel, in its earnings report, expressed the company’s commitment to its IDM 2.0 transformation strategy, stating, “We make meaningful progress on our IDM 2.0 transformation by advancing our strategy, rebuilding our execution engine, and delivering on our commitments to our customers.”
Intel’s revenue breakdown for the third quarter showed a mixed performance across its business segments. The Client Computing Group (CCG) generated $7.9 billion, representing a 3 percent decline. The Data Center and AI (DCAI) segment contributed $3.8 billion, down 10 percent.
The Network and Edge (NEX) segment reported revenue of $1.5 billion, a 32 percent decrease. On the positive side, Mobileye recorded revenue of $530 million, marking an 18 percent increase, and Intel Foundry Services (IFS) reported $311 million in revenue, showing an impressive 299 percent growth.
Intel reaffirmed its commitment to achieving five nodes in four years and regaining leadership in transistor performance and power performance by 2025. The company has begun high-volume manufacturing of Intel 4, its first node using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology.
Intel also achieved a significant milestone with Intel 18A, releasing the 0.9 PDK. Additionally, Intel announced plans for glass substrates to support next-generation advanced packaging, aiming to advance Moore’s Law and deliver data-centric applications.
In terms of infrastructure and manufacturing expansion, Intel opened Fab 34 in Leixlip, Ireland, during the quarter and has plans for a wafer fabrication facility in Magdeburg, Germany, and an assembly and test facility in Wrocław, Poland. This initiative aims to create a geographically balanced, secure, and resilient semiconductor manufacturing value chain in Europe.
Intel is taking steps to modernize its facilities, with plans to install the world’s first high-NA EUV tool for commercial use by the end of the year at the Gordon Moore Park in Oregon.
Additionally, Intel has submitted major manufacturing proposals in several U.S. states, representing over $100 billion in manufacturing and research investments to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Program Office.
The company also revealed that a major customer has committed to Intel 18A and Intel 3 with a significant pre-payment, allowing Intel to accelerate the construction of two new chip factories at its Ocotillo campus in Chandler, Arizona.
Furthermore, Intel Foundry Services (IFS) and Tower Semiconductor have entered into an agreement where Intel will provide foundry services and 300 mm manufacturing capacity to support Tower Semiconductor’s global customers.
At Intel Innovation 2023, the company outlined its strategy to bring AI everywhere, making it more accessible across all workloads, from client and edge to network and cloud. Intel showcased its AI capabilities across its hardware products and emphasized its commitment to open multi-architecture software solutions.
In the Data Center and AI segment, Intel’s 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processor continued to gain traction, with the world’s top-10 cloud service providers now deploying it in general availability.
The 5th Gen Intel Xeon processor, code-named Emerald Rapids, entered production and began shipping to customers in December. Intel also highlighted its Gaudi2 accelerators and its collaboration with Stability AI to build one of the world’s largest AI supercomputers.
In the client computing segment, Intel introduced the Intel Core Ultra processors, code-named Meteor Lake, ushering in the era of the AI PC. The processors, built on Intel 4, began shipping to customers in the third quarter and were officially launched on December 14.
Additionally, Intel launched the new Intel Core 14th Generation desktop processor family, delivering high-performance frequencies and enhancing the desktop computing experience for enthusiasts.
In the network and edge segment, Intel launched the latest version of the OpenVINO toolkit, an AI inferencing and deployment runtime. Several companies, including ai.io and Fit:match, demonstrated how they use OpenVINO to accelerate their applications at Intel Innovation.
Mobileye, a subsidiary of Intel, reported record third-quarter revenue, growing by 18 percent. Mobileye also announced significant design wins for its advanced SuperVision and Chauffeur solutions with automakers FAW and Polestar.
Intel continues to adapt and innovate in the ever-evolving tech landscape, with a focus on AI, semiconductor manufacturing, and strategic investments in key regions to secure its position as a global technology leader.


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Have you registered for the #nexostandards virtual Annual Conference? Join us on 19 & 20 October to discover how nexo is shaping the future of international #paymentacceptance by going beyond interoperability. Register for free here: https://t.co/uw3IJe6kOv #nexoAC21 https://t.co/zNeDVd7Tor
nexo standards expands scope beyond card-based transactions
Advancements will ease integration of payment acceptance solutions across a range of transaction technology
nexo standards, which offers the payment community a unified, ISO-based solution for payment acceptance, has expanded its scope beyond card-based transactions to support changes in the ways consumers are paying for goods and services; for example using mobile wallets, instant payments, request-to-pay and QR codes; and new payment scenarios such as open-loop transport payments.
The freely available nexo technical standards are based on ISO 20022 which addresses the complexity created by using existing fragmented and proprietary financial service standards.
Working with an international membership base of acquirers, card schemes, issuers, merchants, processors and vendors, nexo standards simplifies and standardizes the exchange of data between all stakeholders to detail an integrated global approach to payment acceptance.
Jacques Soussana, Secretary-General at nexo standards, comments: “Today, our standards are easing integration complexity for merchants, processors, vendors, PSPs and banks, and are supported by schemes all over the world. Adding other means of electronic payments to our scope enables nexo standards to bring these significant financial and operational benefits regardless of the transaction type, payment method or technology used. This reflects the needs of our members, the market and their customers.”
The scope expansion was agreed at the association’s General Assembly last month, during which several new representatives were elected to its Board of Directors and appointed to its Executive Team. Yann Leclerc, Project and Solutions Director at Market Pay, was elected as new General Assembly Chairman; and Patrice Hertzog, Manager at Crédit Mutuel Global Payment Solutions, was elected as Board of Directors Chairman.
nexo standards are already used across six continents and power more than five billion payment transactions a year.
For media enquiries, please contact
or call +44(0)113 350 1922
Digital #payments are on the rise in Indonesia with 44% of the population using digital payment platforms at least four times a week. nexo support payments acceptance and its specs are downloaded globally, including APAC nations like Indonesia: https://t.co/VcG9qSZ1G0 @Finextra
NOVELPAY Payment Application for Unattended Terminals Achieves Certification
nexo standards, which offers the payment community a unified, ISO-based solution for payment acceptance, today announces the latest application to achieve its certification: NOVELPAY’s PAX unattended terminal series.
Commenting on the certification, Grzegorz Jaglarski, NOVELPAY’s Vice-President of the Board, comments: “Achieving this certification was a key priority for us....


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A compilation of important news from the startup world:
What Will Make Startup India Truly ‘Stand Up And Be Counted!
What a year 2016 is turning out to be from the viewpoint of India’s Startup ecosystem! The year got off to a ‘Big-Bang’ start with the Prime Minister outlining the Startup India Action Plan, indicative of the significance his government has ascribed to startups as job creators and growth stimulators. With angel and venture capital investments recording the highest ever jump to cross a new milestone in the previous year, 2016 was all set to be the year to usher in more ‘unicorns’ with access to a torrent of investor funds and to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship through government led initiatives like ‘Startup India’ and ‘Digital India’ with an objective to make the country the startup capital of the world. All the hoopla at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on 16th January notwithstanding, the four months that followed have been characterized by a fairly tepid Union Budget for startups in general and tech startups in particular; investors tightening their purse strings limiting the torrent of easy money to a trickle; celebrated unicorns being marked down in their valuations and news stories of ecommerce and foodtech startups either scaling down operations or serving pink slips to their employees en masse.
Fintech revolution in India: Tech-finance collaboration has fired up entrepreneurs
Technology is changing the way people transact and do banking operations. A slew of startups in the fintech space, backed by venture financing, are disrupting the financial services and banking industry. Many of these emerging companies are focused on building financial products, developing innovations that include peer-to-peer lending platforms and creating frictionless payment and trading solutions. According to a report “Indian Fin-tech Products—Innovation Driving Growth” by The National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom), India is quickly emerging as an fintech products hub with a presence of close to 400 companies in the fintech space which have received about $420 million investment in 2015.
Turning ideas into reality
In technology adoption space, a couple of trends are quite visible. First, technology companies are pushing for cloud adoption instead of on-premise deployment of a solution. Second, there is huge focus on a platform-based approach in which a technology firm provides platform-as-a-service. Recently, US-based National Instruments (NI), which operates in the measurement and automation space, and makes automated test equipment and virtual instrumentation software, launched its business incubator programme in India. The company also announced the expansion of its R&D centre here.
Early stage private equity investments take a hit, outlook bullish
Early stage private equity investments saw a sharp decline in the first four months of this year, but the outlook seems bullish as the government’s initiative for startups is expected to boost investment in this space, experts say. According to PwC, during January-April 2016, early stage PE investments saw a decline of 57 per cent in value terms and 25 per cent in volume terms. Experts attribute the dip in startup investments to a mix of global macroeconomic factors such as a growth slowdown in China and concerns over massive losses incurred by startups.
They are discussing H-1B; should you feel worried about it?
It’s important to note that the reason behind the Indian techies’ success was the liberal immigration policy of the US. It made it possible for hordes of graduates from India’s prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology to move to Silicon Valley and make a name for themselves. According to a 2014 study by Professor Vivek Wadhwa, the number of Indian-Americans in the US tech world appears to be at its peak, with as many as 15 percent of startups in Silicon Valley being founded by Indians. However, things are changing now. The American election has charged the atmosphere the world over. Many countries have reacted differently to the political rhetoric during the US election campaigns.
Kaun banega capitalist? All you need is just Rs 20,000 to startup
What makes a Venture Capitalist? Not loads of money, it seems. Just pony up as little as Rs 20,000 and there you go with the VC badge in a fledgling startup. But, first you need to have an annual gross income of Rs 10 lakh, as per Sebi’s draft norms on Crowdfunding. It is the latest fad in town and will likely change rules of investing. Until now, only accredited investors, meaning the mighty rich, donned the VC or angel investors tag. But thanks to crowdfunding, ordinary folk like you and I can invest not just to be a shareholder (which is what stock markets do), but also be an equity investor. Simply put, you can be one of the promoters even without having to set up a company yourself. For startups raising funds, it’s a great deal easier than stretching the cash bowl to an unwilling banker.
‘Gaming industry will accommodate 50k professionals’
A first-of-its-kind conference for the mobile gaming fraternity, PG Connects 2016 saw participation from developers, Indie superstars and global giants including Google, Samsung, Zynga, EA, Rovio, Microsoft; Chinese superstars NetEase&iDreamSky, AppStore hit makers KetchApp (Paris) &FlareGames, Venture Capitalists such as Accel Partners as well as Indian stalwarts – Robosoft, Junglee Games, Nazara and Reliance. In an interaction with Deccan Herald’s Umesh M Avvannavar, Reliance Entertainment Digital CEO Amit Khanduja explained the company’s future plans and trends in the Indian gaming industry.
Chatbots: hype or the next big thing?
There is a certain ‘wow factor’ when someone books a cab or orders a bouquet of flowers simply through a conversation. It’s a never-seen-before phenomenon where computing intelligence uses natural human language to deliver simplified consumer experiences. Chatbots have the advantage of enabling users to access business services while on chat platforms like Facebook Messenger and Telegram. What this could mean is that the search and discovery function may shift away from Google and apps, to chat platforms because of their pure simplicity and convenience. This development truly has the potential to become the ‘next big thing’ when businesses invest sufficiently in this technology and when more chat platforms like Whatsapp join the party. Hence, the hype around the announcements of Facebook and Microsoft in the last few weeks is justified.


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12 July 2022
On the Move: New roles for tech and sustainability in the C-suite
Check out this week's hiring news in ecommerce and consumer goods.
Check out this week's hiring news in ecommerce and consumer goods.
Welcome to On the Move. In this hiring-focused weekly feature, The Current is rounding up recent arrivals and departures at brands and retailers across the ecommerce landscape.
This week brings C-suite shakeups in retail, new leadership hires at supply chain companies and a pair of prominent new roles focused on tech and sustainability. Here's a look at this week's moves:
Jeffery Owen. (Photo via LinkedIn)
Dollar General announced a CEO transition plan on Tuesday.
Current CEO Todd Vasos will be retiring, effective Nov. 1. On that date, current Dollar General Chief Operating Officer Jeffery Owen will rise to the role of CEO.
Vasos joined Dollar General in 2008, and rose into the CEO role in 2015. During his tenure, the company said it added 7,000 stores and more than doubled its market capitalization to $58 billion.
Owen has been a Dollar General employee since 1992, and has held the role of Chief Operation Officer since 2019.
Vasos will remain with the company in a senior advisory role through April 2023, at which time he is expected to begin a two-year consulting stint with the company. Vasos will remain a member of the board of directors.
Victoria's Secret & Co. is overhauling its leadership structure in a move that will result in the reduction of 160 management roles, which is 5% of the company's headquarters.
With this reorganization, the company named the following leaders:
Grocery ecommerce platform Instacart announced a series of leadership moves on Tuesday that will expand its C-suite. Here's a look:
Sonia Syngal. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Sonia Syngal will leave the role of CEO at Gap Inc., the apparel retailer announced Monday. Effective immediately, Gap Inc. executive chairman and former Walmart International CEO Bob Martin will become interim CEO.
Gap Inc. also announced a new leader for Old Navy: Horacio “Haio” Barbeito, the former CEO of Walmart Canada, will become the CEO of the apparel brand on August 1. He succeeds Nancy Green, who left the company in April.
For the backstory, read The Current’s full brief on the news.
NIck Beighton. (Courtesy photo)
Nick Beighton, the former CEO of fast fashion leader Asos, is set to step into the CEO role at luxury online retailer Matchesfashion, according to Business of Fashion. Beighton will succeed Paolo De Cesare, who is set to depart the CEO role after less than a year. Matchesfashion was acquired in September 2017 by Apax Partners.
Duncan Angove. (Courtesy photo)
Digital supply chain and fulfillment company Blue Yonder named Duncan Angove as the company’s CEO. Bringing experience from Infor, Oracle and Retek, Angove succeeds interim CEO Mark Morgan. The appointment comes after a 2021 in which the company grew to over $1.1 billion in annual revenue, with SaaS annual recurring revenue of $475 million.
Christopher Heyn (Courtesy photo)
Custom apparel manufacturer Lion Brothers Companysaid Christopher Heyn is joining as president and CEO. Heyn brings experience as the CEO of apparel companies Southern Tide and Summit Golf Brands, as well as SVP of the NBA’s Global Merchandise Group and president of Nautica. Lion Brothers counts brands including Nike, Adidas, Hanes, Disney and Polo Ralph Lauren, as well as multiple professional sports leagues, as its partners.
Tilak Mandadi. (Courtesy photo)
CVS Health appointed Tilak Mandadi to the newly created role of executive VP and chief data, digital and technology officer. Joining from MGM Resorts International, Mandadi also brings experience from Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, and American Express. He will oversee technology strategy, as well as growth and innovation of “all digital-led, consumer-focused experiences and services,” the company said.
Video game retailer GameStop fired Chief Financial Officer Michael Recupero, and appointed Chief Accounting Officer Diana Saadeh-Jajeh to the CFO role. It’s the latest change to be made as chairman and Chewy founder Ryan Cohen spurs a turnaround effort at the video game retailer. The change in CFO role accompanied layoffs on the corporate side of the company, CNBC reported.
Anne Spangenberg. (Courtesy photo)
Deckers Brands, which owns brands including Ugg and Koolaburra, appointed Anne Spangenberg as president of fashion lifestyle. Spangenberg most recently served as chief merchant at Nike, Inc. In the new role, she will focus on product diversification, consumer adoption and franchise evolution across the company’s omnichannel marketplace.
Darryl Riley. (Courtesy photo)
Sweet snacks maker Hostess Brandspromoted Darryl Riley to become its first chief sustainability officer. Joining the company in 2016, Riley previously served as SVP of quality, food safety and R&D at the company. He also has experience at Kraft Heinz and Kellogg Company. Reporting to the company’s CEO, Riley will develop strategies to execute the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) objectives, and educate employees on sustainability.
Global omnifulfullment platform Shipbob named Lara Morgenthaler as its new chief people officer. Morgenthaler brings experience in human resources at Newell Rubbermaid, Amazon and Epic Games. Eight-year-old Shipbob supports automated ecommerce fulfillment for 60 retailers, including Target, Chewy, Neiman Marcus and Macy’s.
Sandip Grewal. (Courtesy photo)
Denim and sportswear brand True Religionnamed Sandip Grewal to the newly-created role of chief financial/operating officer. Grewal was formerly the CFO of housewares supplier Bradshaw International, which sold to Arbor Investments in 2021. He was also the CFO of Dr. Fresh, which sold to High Ridge Brands Co. in 2017.
Devon Pritchard. (Courtesy photo)
Video game company Nintendo of America promoted Dawn Pritchard to the role of EVP of sales, marketing and communications. A 16-year veteran of Nintendo of America, Pritchard held that role on an interim basis since November 2021. She will oversee strategy and execution across the US and Canada.
This story was updated at 8 p.m. on July 12 to add news from Victoria's Secret and Nintendo of America.
The retailer's marketplace is expanding quickly.
When it comes to ecommerce growth, was the pandemic a blip or a new trendsetter?
As we move further from the height of COVID-related closures, it’s a question that will start to be answered through the lens of history.
So far, the narrative of ecommerce growth in the U.S. from 2019-2022 has gone like this: Ecommerce’s share of overall retail saw a huge spike at the height of the pandemic in 2020-21, when goods in general were in demand and online shopping was necessary to preserve health and safety. Experts looked out and saw a permanent exponential change in the penetration of ecommerce as a share of retail that would last beyond the pandemic. Then, in 2022, everyone went back to stores and the trendline came back to 2019 levels. Growth was no longer exponential. There was still growth, but it was not happening as fast as during the pandemic period.
With this in mind, it’s worth pointing out that 2023 is the first year that there likely won’t be a pandemic-influenced swing to influence ecommerce growth. It is also a year where demand has suffered challenges amid inflation and interest rate hikes.
So as we seek to determine the importance of ecommerce to overall retail, it’s worth it to continue taking a close look at what growth trends retailers are seeing now, whether ecommerce is remaining resilient amid consumer pullback and how retailers are preparing for the future.
The latest example arrived this week from Macy’s. It’s a fitting one for the times. Overall, Macy’s is seeing a slowdown as consumers pull back on discretionary purchases, with sales declining 7% in the first quarter versus the same quarter of 2022. Digital sales were down 8%.
Macy’s is particularly susceptible to the macroeconomic headwinds that many brands and retailers are facing, as spending among the middle-income consumers it counts as a primary customer base is particularly softening, said GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders.
But while ecommerce is slowing overall, the importance it gained to Macy’s business during the pandemic is remaining in place.
In 2019, ecommerce made up 25% of Macy’s revenue, CEO Jeff Gennette told analysts on the company’s earnings call. That jumped to a high of 44% in 2020. By 2022, digital reached 33% of sales after the pandemic boom. In the first quarter of 2023, it remained at 33%. So, while the trend line dipped after shoppers returned to stores, ecommerce share still settled in at a higher post-lockdown point than it was before the pandemic.
This came in a quarter in which traffic was “relatively good” across both online and in-store, Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette said. It was “flattish” online, and slightly up in stores.
“We do expect that this is the reset year with the penetration between them,” Gennette said. “But we do expect more aggressive growth in digital in the future versus stores as we think about '24 and beyond. And that's going to be foisted by a lot of ideas and strategies.
Over the last year, the retailer has made investments in boosting ecommerce, even as shoppers returned to stores. In a bid to boost the assortment of goods available online, Macy’s launched a marketplace in September 2022 that welcomes goods from third-party sellers.
The marketplace had an “outstanding” first quarter, said Macy’s President Tony Spring, who is poised to succeed Gennette as CEO next year. Gross merchandise value increased over 50% when compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, while the average order value and units per order for marketplace customers was 50% above those not shopping at the marketplace.
Macy’s is continuing to build the marketplace even as it racks up sales. The retailer added 450 brands, ending the quarter with 950 brands.
This is helping to draw in new customers, as well as younger existing customers who are buying more items, resulting in increased basket size.
“We're very excited as to how marketplace is really attracting the Gen Z customer, particularly in categories where it was not economically feasible for us to carry in the past,” Gennette said.
In the end, Gennette said a strong digital and social presence is key to attracting younger consumers. That's a different type of shopper than other age groups.
“We know the younger customer starts first online,” Gennette said. That behavior will still be in place as the generation gets older, and gains more buying power in the process.
Going forward, Macy’s is seeking to expand the model to other retail banners in its portfolio. Bloomingdale’s will open a marketplace in the early fall.
The Macy’s ecommerce trajectory isn’t that different from the wider U.S. ecommerce narrative detailed above. With one quarter of 2023 data, there is evidence that ecommerce share settled out at a higher point after the pandemic than where it started before COVID arrived. There is flattening now, but the retailer is taking it not as a sign of a slowdown, or a signal to change course. Rather, it sees changing consumer behavior as a reason to build for the future.


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American consumers are “drinking glyphosate at every happy hour and backyard barbeque around the country“, according to the authors of a new study that reveals popular beer and wine brands in the U.S. are now “loaded” with the toxic chemical contained in Monsanto’s RoundUp weedkiller.
The disturbing report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund reveals tested five wines, 14 beers and one hard cider for the study.
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The beers tested were from Budweiser, Coors, Corona, Guinness, Heineken, Miller, Peak (organic), Sam Adams, Samuel Smith (organic), Sierra Nevada, Stella Artois, Tsingtao and New Belgium. Ace Perry Hard Cider was also tested. The wine brands were Barefoot, Beringer, Frey (organic), Inkarri Estates (organic), and Sutter Home.
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The study found that popular beers like Coors, Budweiser, and Corona Extra are now loaded with the t0xic chemical, containing an average of 28 parts per billion (ppb). Tsingtao contained the most glyphosphate of all the beers in the study, registering a whopping 49.7 ppb.
Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides across the US and is the active ingredient in products such as Roundup, Rodeo Aquatic Herbicide, and Eraser. The toxic chemical is a broad-spectrum herbicide that kills plants but has also been linked to cancer in humans by the World Health Organization.
Popular wine brand Sutter Home Merlot had the highest concentrations of glyphosate of all 20 beverage brands, registering at 51 ppb. Beringer Estates Moscato and Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon had slightly smaller levels of the chemical.
ZeroHedge report: This mind-numbing revelation was published on the same day as a San Francisco court began hearing arguments in the first federal civil case over whether Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer causes cancer.
“When you’re having a beer or a glass of wine, the last thing you want to think about is that it includes a potentially dangerous pesticide,” said U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s Kara Cook-Schultz, who authored the study.
“No matter the efforts of brewers and vintners, we found that it is incredibly difficult to avoid the troubling reality that consumers will likely drink glyphosate at every happy hour and backyard barbeque around the country.”
The study also found that herbicides like Roundup are prohibited in the making of organic beers and wines, but somehow, glyphosate was discovered in three of the four organic alcoholic beverages tested.
While the results are below the EPA’s risk tolerances for alcoholic beverages, at least one study noticed that as little as one part per trillion of glyphosate can trigger the growth of breast cancer cells and disrupt the endocrine system.
The findings indicate that glyphosate contamination is widespread in over-the-counter beers and wine.
Americans should take the appropriate action by avoiding the alcoholic beverages mentioned in the study.
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