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Welcome to Company Shop
Company Shop stops good food going to waste. Founded by John Marren over 40 years ago, we’re now the UK’s largest redistributor of surplus products.
Surplus stock is inevitable in the food supply chain and we work with Britain’s biggest retailers, manufacturers and brands, to ensure that wholesome, surplus food reaches people’s plates.
We redistribute surplus through a national network of staff shops, standalone stores and ‘click and collect’ services, providing great offers to members that work in the food manufacturing industry and emergency services.
We’re stopping over 30,000 tonnes of food going to waste every year and delivering great value to customers, colleagues and food industry clients.
In December 2013 Company Shop also launched Community Shop: to ensure even more people, in disadvantaged communities, can benefit from the model.
Company Shop backs a collective vision for food redistribution
Courtauld Commitment 2025 business signatories have today announced that they are aiming to double the amount of food surplus they send for redistribution, and help other companies further increase the level of unsold food redistributed, by 2020... [More]
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust and Community Shop open first collaborative social supermarket to transform coalfields communities
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust, the only organisation dedicated to supporting coalfield communities, and Community Shop, the organisation using surplus food to build stronger individuals and stronger communities, have today launched their first strategic partnership project, opening the doors of their social supermarket, Community Shop Athersley... [More]
Our Day With the Queen
Company Shop Chairman John Marren blogs about the day he and Commercial Director Tom Rumboll were invited to Buckingham Palace to represent Company Shop as recipients of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise... [More]


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Burleigh Brewing Company’s Black Giraffe lager has been awarded a gold medal at the World Beer Championships in the United States.
Entry forms and competition rules for the 2010 Royal Queensland Food & Wine Show Beer Competition have been released. Conducted under the auspices of the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland, the competition – the only commercial beer competition in Queensland – is a significant step in the development of the beer market… Read more →
Bluetongue Premium Lager, which in June launched its new $120 million brewery on NSW’s Central Coast, is celebrating by giving two lucky beer lovers the chance to brew their very own batch of Bluetongue with three of their mates. The promotion is being run in the lead up to this Summer through it’s “Taste to… Read more →

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The data, released Tuesday, marked the first time year-to-year demand for new cars has risen for two consecutive months since September 2011.
But underscoring the still-daunting challenges faced by European auto makers, the October figures were lower than registrations a month earlier, and represented the second-lowest number of vehicles registered during October since 2003. During the first 10 months of the year, EU new car registrations fell 3.1% from the year-earlier period.
October new car registrations, a proxy for sales, rose 4.7% from a year earlier to 1.00 million vehicles, compared with 5.4% growth to 1.16 million in September.
Demand was supported by all major European markets, with registrations up 2.3% in Germany, 2.6% in France, 4.0% in the U.K. and 34% in Spain. The exception was Italy, where registrations fell 5.6% from a year earlier. (…)
The WSJ article failed to mention that Spain had its fourth cash-for-clunkers program last month.
The National Association of Home Builders, an industry trade group, said Monday its monthly housing-market index stood at 54 in November, matching a downwardly revised figure for October. The figure measures builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes.
Readings above 50 indicate that more builders view conditions as good than poor, and the index crossed that threshold in June for the first time since April 2006. At the height of the building bubble, readings were in the high 60s and low 70s. (…)
The figure hit 58 in August and has been falling since. (…) In recent weeks, mortgage rates have started to rise, with the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 4.35% as of Nov. 14, according to Freddie Mac. That is the highest rate in eight weeks, though rates remain near historic lows. (…) (Charts from CalculatedRisk and Bespoke Investment)
HOLIDAY SPENDING WATCH
(…) With shoppers expected to visit fewer stores this holiday, sales are projected to advance 2.4 percent, the smallest increase since the year the recession ended, according to ShopperTrak, a Chicago-based researcher. Sales from Black Friday through Cyber Monday are projected to rise 2.2 percent year-over-year, researcher IBISWorld said yesterday. (…)
“The consumer is more deal-driven than ever,” Ken Perkins, president of researcher Retail Metrics LLC, wrote in a Nov. 14 note. “Discretionary dollars for holiday spending are limited for the large pool of lower- and moderate-income consumers due to lack of wage gains this year coupled with the increased payroll tax.” (…)
The six-fewer shopping days this year also could make the chains “push the promotional ‘panic button’ earlier than needed, putting their margins at risk,” they said. (…)
The National Retail Federation, a Washington-based trade group, is more upbeat than ShopperTrak. It has forecast that U.S. retail sales may increase 3.9 percent during the holiday season. That increase would be slightly higher than last year’s 3.5 percent gain. (…)
- Best Buy warns promotions could hurt holiday quarter margins
- Amazon’s Toys Cheaper Than Wal-Mart Online
- Chain store sales rose 0.1% last week and the 4-week m.a. is up 2.3% YoY.
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN)’s toy prices were lower than those available online from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) and Target Corp. (TGT) last week as retailers seek to attract shoppers heading into the crucial holiday selling season.
Amazon’s prices, excluding those from its third-party sellers, were 3 percent lower on average than Wal-Mart’s on a basket of 87 toys, according to a study conducted by Bloomberg Industries on Nov. 14. Including the Marketplace vendors, which use Amazon’s platform to sell their own products, the pool of comparable goods expanded to 115, and Wal-Mart was cheaper by 1.2 percent, on average.
The pricing battle may help determine which retailers win consumers’ toy purchases during the holiday season. Sales in November and December account for 20 percent to 40 percent of U.S. retailers’ annual revenue, according to the National Retail Federation. (…)
Wal-Mart’s prices were 2.4 percent lower than at Target, 5 percent less than Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD)’s Kmart and 7.2 percent lower than Toys “R” Us Inc., according to the study.
The 13th Markit global survey of business expectations for the year ahead, covering 11,000 companies, indicated that firms have become more upbeat about their business prospects since the post-crisis low seen mid-year, resulting in higher expectations about employment and investment. However, optimism remains well below the highs seen earlier in the recovery, indicating that global economic growth is likely to remain subdued in the coming year.
The number of companies expecting their business activity levels to rise in the next 12 months outnumbered those anticipating a decline by +33%, up from +30% in June but below the +39% reading seen in February.
Improving prospects for the developed world contrasted with still-low levels of confidence about the year ahead in the emerging markets.
Among the developed world, the upturn in confidence was led by the UK, where the outlook is the brightest seen since the survey began in early-2009. Optimism also improved in the eurozone, hitting its highest since mid-2011, notably improving in the ‘periphery’, with Spain and Italy reporting a higher degree of optimism than Germany and France, the latter seeing the weakest positive sentiment.
In the United States, business confidence about the year ahead was the second–lowest seen since the financial crisis, up only slightly on the low seen in June but above the global average. Optimism edged up slightly in both manufacturing and services but remained subdued. Companies again fretted about the impact of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the government budget.
Worries about the outlook meant employment intentions were only marginally higher than the survey low seen in June, though capex plans recovered to a slightly greater extent.
In Japan, optimism remained weak, and slipped compared to mid-year, suggesting companies are unconvinced that the recent growth spurt is turning into a sustainable and robust upturn, in many cases harbouring concerns about growth prospects in other Asian countries, especially China. However, price pressures are set to improve, with input costs and output charges both rising at slightly faster rates.
Prospects among the four largest emerging markets remained unchanged on the post-crisis low seen in the mid-year survey. Both India and Russia saw optimism slide, while China’s outlook failed to improve on the low seen in the summer. Only Brazil saw business sentiment improve, reaching a new post-crisis high, buoyed by optimism about the positive impact of the soccer World Cup and Olympics.
Investors sifting through third-quarter financial results should be a bit nervous about the future growth of the U.S. economy.
Though corporate profits were higher overall, companies slashed their spending on factories, equipment and other performance-enhancing investments by 16% from year-earlier levels, according to an analysis by REL Consultancy for The Wall Street Journal.
Instead of putting money to work in their operations, companies gave more of it back to shareholders in the form of buybacks and dividends.
Weakness in emerging markets and strong currency headwinds also were common themes in the quarterly results. (…)
Almost 90% of the companies that have given financial forecasts for the final quarter of the year have prompted Wall Street analysts to lower their numbers. Only a dozen companies have painted rosier pictures, according to data tracker FactSet.
“Companies are reluctant to raise the bar,” said John Butters, senior earnings analyst at FactSet. “We’re not really seeing a huge increase in companies turning negative, but the number of companies giving positive guidance is almost half of what we’ve seen lately.”
To be sure, earnings continued to be strong in the third quarter. With more than 90% of companies in the S&P 500 index having posted results for the quarter, blended earnings were up 3.5% from a year earlier, and profit remained in record territory, according to FactSet. (…)
Profit margins, at 9.6%, were near records, thanks to cost cutting, automation and lower commodity prices. But revenue growth was a tepid 2.9% from a year earlier. (…)
The lack of confidence is part of the reason why U.S. companies were on pace to have more than $1.144 trillion in cash at the end of the quarter, making it the fourth quarterly record in a row, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. (…)
Corporate buybacks totaled $103 billion in the quarter, an increase of 12% from the second quarter, excluding Apple’s record $16 billion buyback in the spring, according to FactSet. (…)
Companies also announced a combined 2.5% increase in dividend payments, which now total almost $75.5 billion for the quarter, according to FactSet. (…)
Another prominent trend in third-quarter results was the harm caused by the dollar’s strength against the currencies of several major U.S. trading partners, including Japan, Brazil and India.
The dollar has climbed between 11% and 20% against the currencies of those three countries, making U.S.-made goods more expensive there. (…)
The uncertain future of U.S. fiscal and central bank policies poses a growing risk to a global economic recovery that has already been weakened by a slowdown in growth in many developing economies, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said Tuesday.
In its twice-yearly Economic Outlook report, the Paris-based research body said the U.S. debt ceiling should be abolished, and replaced by “a credible long-term budgetary consolidation plan with solid political support.”
The report marks a significant shift in the OECD’s focus of concern, which in recent years has been centered on the euro zone’s attempts to tackle its fiscal and banking crises. While the OECD remains worried about the euro zone’s frailties, the most immediate threats to the global recovery now appear to come from the U.S.
The OECD said a series of events has undermined confidence and stability in recent months, including the “surprisingly strong” reaction by investors to the possibility that the Federal Reserve will soon start to reduce its asset-purchase program. That led to related concerns about developing economies, and was followed by a “potentially catastrophic” crisis precipitated by negotiations over the U.S. debt ceiling.
“These events underline the prominence of negative scenarios and risks that the recovery could again be derailed,” OECD chief economist Pier Carlo Padoan said.
The heightened risks from the U.S. are in addition to continued ones from a fragile euro-zone banking sector and Japan’s fiscal situation, the OECD said.
The warnings came as the OECD forecast only a modest economic recovery through 2015. The combined economies of the 34 members of the OECD will grow 1.2% this year, before accelerating to 2.3% in 2014 and 2.7% in 2015, according to its forecasts.
Growth rates between developed economies will continue to differ markedly with the euro zone contracting 0.4% this year before growing 1% next year, while the U.S. will grow 1.7% and 2.9% over the same periods.
The twice-yearly economic outlook is slightly weaker than in May, mainly because of an expected slowdown in some large developing economies that partly reflects their vulnerability to capital outflows when the Federal Reserve does eventually start to reduce its stimulus program.
“The turmoil following the tapering discussions in mid-year has revealed how sensitive some emerging market economies are to U.S. monetary policy,” the OECD said.
The OECD cut its 2014 growth forecast for Brazil to 2.2% from 3.5% in May, its forecast for India to 4.7% from 6.7%, and its forecast for Indonesia to 5.6% from 6.2%. It cut its growth forecast for China more modestly to 8.2% from 8.4%, still leaving it above that of many other economies.
The research body said the weaker growth outlook for some developing economies was more deeply rooted in “long-standing structural impediments that had been hidden by abundant capital inflows.” Solutions to those problems vary from country to country, but generally developing economies need more formal and efficient labor markets and stronger, market-based financial systems, Mr. Padoan said.
Largely as a result of its more downbeat assessment of the outlook for large developing economies, the OECD cut its forecast for global gross domestic product growth by around 0.5 percentage points this year and next to 2.7% and 3.6%, respectively. (…)
But not to worry:
(…) and not by choice but by necessity.
This is music to the ears of investors conditioned to position their portfolios to gain from steadfast central bank liquidity support, especially in the US. But with Wall Street having already reflected this in asset prices, and with the benefits for Main Street continuing to disappoint, investors may well need an increasingly differentiated approach if they are to continue to benefit from the “central bank put”. (…)
Ms Yellen left no doubt that she is committed to maintaining the Fed’s current approach – one that places asset markets front and centre in the transmission mechanism linking Fed actions to policy objectives.
Positioning for the impact of Fed policy rather than fundamentals has been a winning strategy for investors – not only in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis, but also in the past three years during which the Fed has pivoted from normalising markets to pursuing much more ambitious macroeconomic objectives. But they now need to be increasingly mindful of the level of prices and the associated (and growing) number of disconnects that the Fed is underwriting.
This year’s impressive performance of risk assets (including the 21 per cent year-to-date increase in the MSCI world equity index as of Friday, powered in particular by US stocks) contrasts with a global economy still stuck in third gear. (…)
Still no sign of a real economic recovery
(…) Ms Yellen’s remarks, prepared for her confirmation hearings last week, contained no hint of tapering. That underscores the Fed’s obsessive fear of the negative wealth effect of any slowdown in asset purchases and a move towards higher interest rates. Five years after the meltdown, it is clear the Fed’s quantitative easing is not about a real economic recovery, it is only about generating the liquidity that gives rise to asset inflation and wealth-led growth. Or super wealthy people-led growth since wages and incomes for the rest of us are not rising at all. (…)
As U.S. stocks sit in record territory, money managers at GMO – never a bunch to shy away from bold calls – are warning that the market is significantly overvalued.
As U.S. stocks sit in record territory, money managers at GMO – never a bunch to shy away from bold calls – are warning that the market is significantly overvalued.
In a report titled ”Breaking News! U.S. Equity Market Overvalued!“, Ben Inker, head of the asset allocation group at GMO, comes out with some eye-popping numbers. He argues that the S&P 500′s fair value is 1100, about 40% below Monday’s closing level, and the expected return is -1.3% a year, after inflation, for the next seven years.
Small-cap valuations, he writes, are even more elevated. (…)
Mr. Inker’s call came after comments by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who told a conference sponsored by Reuters that he was “very cautious” on the stock market and could see a “big drop” because earnings at many companies have been goosed by low borrowing costs rather than strong management. (…)
GMO’s calls are widely watched in part because the firm’s money managers don’t have a reputation for being perma-bulls or perma-bears. Mr. Grantham was early in predicting the financial crisis and then reversed course before markets started rebounding in 2009. He has also advocated investing in timber and high-quality dividend-paying stocks. (…)
Here’s the conclusion to Mr. Inker’s rather downbeat analysis:
“We don’t consider non-U.S. equity markets a screaming buy. But as value managers listening for any assets, anywhere, that are screaming to be bought, the world currently sounds a deathly quiet place. The hoarse whisper of “buy me” coming from European and emerging equities (as well as the polite cough for attention coming from U.S. high quality stocks) comes through loud and clear. “
Hmmm… U.S. equities 40% overvalued and still willing to buy equities. I wouldn’t.
But others are also trumpeting Euro equities:
As U.S. stocks push to record highs, more U.S. money managers are looking for better opportunities across the pond.
The big rally in U.S. stocks has pushed valuations higher than those of European shares. Meanwhile, sentiment is rising that Europe has gotten past the worst of its debt crisis, and some say the European Central Bank appears to be on a path for more easing of monetary policy, both of which augur for more room to run in European stocks.
Unlike the S&P 500, which is well into record territory, the Stoxx Europe 600 stock index hasn’t recovered to its precrisis peak. The S&P 500 has risen 26% this year while the Stoxx Europe 600 is up 16%.
Aren’t you convinced by this great analysis?
What about these mundane facts?
- U.S. P/Es have exceeded Euro P/Es by an average of 10% over the last 25 years. In fact, the U.S. premium is at its low point of the past 14 years.
- US trailing EPS are some 20% above their 2007 peak, whilst in Europe they are some 25% below.
- U.S. profit margins are higher than Euro margins.
- The U.S. economy keeps growing faster than that of the Eurozone.
- U.S. inflation is higher than that of the Eurozone.
- The U.S. government is more efficient than that of the Eurozone, which speaks volume about the latter.
- The Fed is also more efficient than the ECB.
These reasons amply justify higher multiples for American companies.
This is not to deny the possibility that Eurozone profits could rise faster than U.S. profits in the next few years. In fact, this is a key argument for many strategists. The hurdles are significant, however. Slow domestic growth, a strong euro, low inflation and very liberal labour laws are big impediments to profit margins. Don’t simply extrapolate America’s margin expansion. Expectations for rising margins in Europe have remained elusive so far.
A case in point: the following is especially true in Europe:
Companies around the world are paying more in employment taxes than in profit taxes, the FT reports. Labor taxes accounted for 32% of the average total tax rate paid by midsize businesses in 2004, but now account for almost 38% of the rate, compared with slightly more than 37% for profit taxes. Mary Monfries, tax partner of PwC, said the shift is a world-wide trend, “with governments lowering profit taxes to encourage investment and entrepreneurship. Getting the right tax mix is a hard call. Lower profit taxes can drive growth which brings employment, whilst lower employment taxes can ease the cost of hiring.”
Fed Official Says Big Banks Need Higher Capital Levels Very large banks that rely on broker-dealer operations need to hold higher levels of capital to reduce the risk to the broader financial system, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Eric Rosengren said.
European banks are also in a worse situation.
Now you know the essentials. All the best.


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HP edged out Lenovo for the first time in years by a slim margin to regain leadership in the worldwide laptop market, according to Strategy Analytics. However, it was also good news for Apple.
Sales of the Mac laptop line grew 39% globally quarter-over-quarter, rising from 4.3 million in the third quarter of 2020 to 6 million in the first quarter. The Mac now has 9.7% of the global laptop market, compared to 9.3% in the third quarter.
Overall, the industry picked up pace last quarter as the world moves on to new options of remote working, education and digitalization, driving 34% year-on-year shipment growth, according to Strategy Analytics’ latest report. This high growth rate was actually limited by tight supply in the face of record demand, adding more drama to the competitive landscape as winter and more COVID lockdowns approach, according to the research group.


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According to the statement, Amazon on Tuesday launched a subscription that provides unlimited generic prescription drugs for $5 a month at no additional cost. This offer is intended for its main clients.
The service, dubbed RxPass, offers a suite of generic drugs “that treat more than 80 common conditions,” according to Amazon, which estimates that more than 150 million Americans take one or more of them occasionally or regularly.
RxPass does not require the intervention of an insurance company, unlike the conventional system, in which the cost of drugs is fully or partially covered by mutual insurance or the public coverage of Medicare and Medicaid.
This initiative is indicative of Amazon’s desire to continue to develop its healthcare offering, whether it be medicines or care.
In particular, at the end of July, the group announced the acquisition of One Medical, a network of private medical institutions, for $3.9 billion.
The Seattle, Washington giant is also expanding the services offered by its Prime subscription, which already offers a large catalog of movies, TV shows and music titles in addition to free shipping on Amazon orders.
The cost of the RxPass subscription will be added to the price already paid for Prime.
RxPass is one of the most advanced formulas in the low-cost drug market with Walmart’s Retail Group’s drug list service that provides a $4 monthly course of this generic drug.
In October, startup Renee launched a $25 subscription drug offering from around 1,000 medicines at no additional cost.


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SurgePays recently conducted a survey focusing on the underbanked and underserved communities looking at consumers’ perspectives and attitudes toward independent local convenience stores. According to the survey, American consumers regard their local, independent convenience stores and bodegas in near unanimous high regard, with 94% of them calling the stores somewhat important (34%), very important (34%) or extremely important (26%) to their friends and community.
“SurgePays is laser-focused on meeting the needs of the underbanked and underserved,” said Brian Cox, chairman and CEO of SurgePays. “Our decades of experience in this market, coupled with our ongoing market research and front-line sales data enables us to develop and roll out new services that are not just needed but are sought out by our target consumers. It’s extremely fulfilling when your revenue opportunities are driven by providing these life-enhancing telecom and financial services through the neighborhood stores in these communities.”
In fact, more than half (51%) visit convenience stores (including community markets, neighborhood stores, corner stores, bodegas and tiendas), followed by grocery stores (25%), gas station stores (5%) and drug stores (3%); 16% indicated they don’t shop at any of these merchant types.
In terms of frequency of shopping at their favorite local convenience store, 59% do so between one and six times weekly — more than one-third (35%) visit one or two times weekly; 17% visit three to five times weekly, with 7% frequenting their store six or more times weekly.
Other interesting data about underbanked/underserved consumers revealed by the survey Includes:
- Consumers are twice as likely to go to the convenience store almost every day (14%) versus the general population.
- The top five items consumers typically buy at their preferred local independent store are snack food (71%); coffee/beverages (50%); everyday food/meals (48%); milk (47%); and lottery tickets (32%).
- Thirty-seven percent of consumers who shop at independent convenience stores said they know the first name of their favorite clerk or store owner; that percentage drops to 33% for consumers without a checking, savings or credit card account (vs. 41% with those accounts).
- Forty-six percent of respondents have shopped at their favorite independent local convenience store or bodega for four or more years; 14% have shopped with their favorite local store for three years; 21% have shopped there for two years; 10% for one year; and 9% have shopped there for less than a year.
SurgePays Inc. is a technology and telecommunications company focused on the underbanked and underserved communities. SurgePhone Wireless provides mobile broadband to low-income consumers nationwide. SurgePays’ blockchain fintech platform utilizes financial and prepaid products to convert corner stores and bodegas into tech hubs for underbanked neighborhoods.


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News 2 months ago
American automakers losing ground in a shrinking Chinese market
American carmakers are losing ground in a shrinking Chinese market, and their problems are mostly ti...
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GM recalls 4M vehicles for air bag defect linked to 1 death
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In this week's Self-Publishing News Special, ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway looks at KDP's new hardback option and PublishDrive's print distribution.
In the latest self-publishing news podcast, Howard and I talk about new features being launched on social media platforms that enable users to monetize their feeds. And on tonight's #indieauthorchat at the usual 3pm Eastern, 8pm UK time, Tim will guide us through a conversation about how Covid has impacted our writing.
KDP Introduces Hardback Option
It's amazing how often the big stories in a week focus on a theme. And this week that theme is one we haven’t really talked about for a while: print. And not just (not even) the resilience or otherwise of print sales. There’s definitely good news and bad news this week, so let’s start with the good. And it’s the news most relevant to indies.
One of Amazon’s worst kept secrets is that it has been planning to add the capability for us to publish hardback copies of our books. And the KDP hardback feature is now here. It’s in beta still, but it should have appeared on your dashboard in the icon you click to publish a new title, complete with a red “beta” ribbon. Talking of ribbons, one of the features early users are saying they really like is that books come with a nice coloured silk ribbon on the top of the binding.
Ingram's New Partners: PublishDrive – and AI Audio with DeepZen
Another really interesting development in print is the entry of PublishDrive into the arena. PublishDrive is known for its innovative approach to providing a platform for writers who want to take their ebooks wide. This includes marketing metadata advice based on artificial intelligence. It also includes pricing options based on a subscription rather than a cut of each book sold. The latest service PublishDrive has added is print distribution through Ingram. It looks, from the press release, as though this will happen through Ingram Spark. That would essentially mean that using PublishDrive for your print on demand titles is the same as using them to push ebooks to KDP: something you can do yourself but do through a single dashboard instead for convenience. There is a pricing calculator, though. And that means it's possible for you to calculate the cost of this convenience before committing.
Meanwhile, Ingram has also partnered with artificial intelligence company DeepZen. This offers authors the chance to create audiobooks using AI. The rate is around $150 per finished hour. The service claims to offer a human emotional range. This is both affordable and very interesting. But it also makes you wonder whether it is the start of content creators being eased out of the door.
Print Supply Chain Issues
But there’s also bad news. Globally the print book supply chain is in trouble. There are warnings that books may be in short supply before Christmas. Especially titles not yet published, some of which are already having their release date pushed back. Unlike other supply chain issues we have been experiencing in the UK, this is a global issue. And at the top of it is the difficulty in getting printing paper to the right place at the right time. Of course, this isn't the first time I've reported on this. US printers have struggled to get hold of paper several times in recent years. But again, this seems to be a much wider issue, one not helped by the shipping backlog caused by the beaching of the Ever Given earlier this year.
There will inevitably be knock-on effects for those writers who do more of their business in print. And that's not the only thing to affect indies with a print component to their sales. It is likely that anyone using print on demand services such as Ingram Spark or KDP will experience price rises resulting from paper costs. When considering the price point of your books, and retail discounts, it would be worth considering that the royalty you see at present might not be the one you end up with shortly.
The End of GDPR in the UK: Consultation and a First Look at What’s Planned
The UK government insists that while protection of data privacy will still be important it's innovation that will drive policy. That is likely to mean less bureaucracy. It could also mean problems where data crosses borders with countries that retain more stringent rules. As always, I will keep you updated. But do consider taking part in the consultation.
Audible Plus on the March
It has been another week in which the growth of subscription audiobooks has been in the news, with Storytel reporting 45% growth in Russia, for example.
But the biggest news for most is the further expansion of Audible Plus. The eat as much as you like subscription version of Audible is now available in Australia, joining the US, UK, Italy and Spain. Audible Plus has, of course, been at the heart of the Audible scandal. Audible had shown little consideration for its content creators, using free returns without transparency to hook readers. As Audible Plus grows and grows, we surely have to start thinking about what this means in the long term for us.KDP now lets you publish hardbacks and other top #selfpub news stories for #indieauthors, in one quick read, by #ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway @agnieszkasshoes #digitaleconomy #publishingopenup Click To Tweet
Upcoming Conferences and Events
Help us fill this with great online events in the coming weeks and months. I highly recommend this great list of online writers' conferences from Nate Hoffelder, some of which are indie-inclusive.
Historical Novel Society Australia, Writing Bootcamp, 16-17 Oct (early bird tickets until 24 September)


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The all-knowing Google search engine could hold the key to predicting a film's box office success.
With an Internet-connected smartphone in almost every hand, automated phone lines and newspaper listings are out, replaced by movie-time apps, critics' blogs, and general search queries.
Despite a 9 percent dip in the number of titles released from 2011 to 2012, movie-related searches on Google actually rose 56 percent over the year, signaling what the search giant called "an increase in digital engagement and appetite for more information."
But can the unsurprisingly strong link between movie-related search activity and a film's box office results really help uncover the deeper link between search activity and box office results? Apparently so. According to Google, by understanding consumers' search patterns, movie marketers can better adjust their strategies to reach the ultimate amount of paying customers. And understanding search patterns is exactly what Google set out to do.
The company analyzed 99 films released in 2012, based on search query volume, search ad click volume, theater count, and franchise status. The result: If Film A garners 20,000 more paid clicks than the similar Film B, Film A is likely to bring in up to $7.5 million more in opening weekend receipts.
Day-before statistics, however, don't leave marketers much time to react and adjust their campaigns in the pre-release time frame. That's where YouTube comes in. The Google-owned video-sharing site serves as a leading agent for trailer viewing the most telling source for early detection.
"Whether it's general curiosity or full engagement with a film, moviegoers are constantly searching for information," Google said. "Online engagement through search allows for the ability to interact with moviegoers in real time, giving them the chance to ask questions and receive immediate feedback."
This presents an opportunity for movie marketers to guide conversation through search campaigns. "Ultimately, it is this online engagement that gives us tangible insight into intent," the report said, "arming movie marketers with actionable data in their never-ending quest to quantify 'movie magic.'"
It's unclear if Google saw this coming with The Internship, which follows Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson as they work their way through the Google internship program. The movie only debuted at No. 4 with $18.1 million, according to The Huffington Post.
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Although Samsung Galaxy S5 is pretty solid, there are several reasons that point out that a possible premium Galaxy S5 is coming soon.
Many expect Samsung Galaxy S5 will appear with a 2K display with 2560 x 1440 pixels resolution, so when it came with similar display as Galaxy S4, it was disappointing.
It was no secret Samsung is investing in 2K displays and the Korean tech giant's roadmap said it will appear in 2014 devices. It would not be a surprise if Samsung will release a prime model Galaxy S5 with 2K display.
Samsung is working on both Exynos 6 and Exynos S/Exynos Infinity chipsets, which will be its first 64-bit chips. Although it appears Samsung can be beaten by its Android counterparts once it releases its 64-bit processing, the company doesn't plan to be left behind for too long.
Iris Scanners No Show Yet
The Korean tech giant already confirmed it is considering iris scanner for its future devices. Perhaps Samsung will incorporate the iris scanner on Galaxy Note 4 but the length of time between now and the possible release of Galaxy Note 4 makes the iris scanner be plausibly released with the premium Galaxy S5.
Metal Chassis Screams ''Premium''
Samsung already sourced a metal chassis manufacturer in Vietnam and it appears that it can be a little too expensive for Galaxy S5. If a premium Galaxy S5 is about to come soon, a more expensive chassis with a better display is expected to be bundled with a heftier price tag.
Some reasons point to a possible release of a premium Galaxy S5, according to the famous leakster Eldar Murtazin, Italian tweeter Ricciolo and ET News. Although mutually supportive rumors do not guarantee its validity, they paint a picture that begins to look more likely.
Thus far, a premium version of its current flagship smartphone sounds a suitable move for Samsung to boost its sales with this good market saturation tool.


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Britons are being warned to beware of scam text messages which appear to be from their bank but are really an attempt by fraudsters to steal personal or financial information.
The scam text messages claim that there has been fraud on the recipient's account or the account details need to be updated, according to Financial Fraud Action UK (FFA UK), which fights fraud in the payments industry.
The information comes from FFA UK's intelligence unit - the Financial Fraud Bureau.
The texts encourage people to call a number or visit a website, often claiming the matter is urgent. But the phone number or website is actually controlled by the fraudster, enabling them to steal security details that can be used to access the victim's bank account and steal money.
FFA UK said that, to make the texts seem authentic, fraudsters use specialist software that alters the sender ID on a message so that it appears with the name of a bank as the sender. This can mean the text is included in an existing message thread on the recipient's phone.
The scam texts may warn that the recipient will soon receive a call from their bank's fraud department - and the fraudster then calls the victim and attempts to trick them into revealing their full security details.
Intelligence also suggests that fraudsters are sending scam texts that appear to be from a landline number, asking the recipient simply to call their bank.
This is in the hope that the victim will phone the number from which the text was sent, which is controlled by the fraudster, rather than the bank's regular customer service telephone number.
How to avoid it
FFA UK, whose members include banks and card issuers, said that to avoid becoming a victim of this scam, people should be suspicious if a text message asks them to provide sensitive personal information, passwords or to make transactions.
If a consumer is asked to call a number given in the text message and the number is unknown to them or appears suspect, they should call their bank on a number that they trust - such as the one on the back of their card - in order to check that the number and message are authentic.
FFA UK said people should remember that their bank will never phone them to ask for their four-digit card Pin or their online banking password, even by tapping them into the telephone keypad.
Banks will not ask people to update their personal details by following a link in a text message or ask them to transfer money to a new account for fraud reasons, even if they say it is in the consumer's name.
Katy Worobec, director of FFA UK, said: "These text messages can look very authentic, so it's important to be alert. Always be wary if you receive a message out of the blue asking you for any personal or financial details.
"If you're ever at all suspicious, call your bank on a number that you know. Remember, fraudsters are after your security details - don't reveal anything unless you are absolutely sure who you are dealing with."


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Under the patronage of H.H.
With the UAE becoming a hotbed for global tech design and innovation, developers from around the world have flocked to Dubai to show off the latest Virtual Reality (VR) experiences built as part of the recent VR & Beyond competition, establish
Meydan One, a next-generation lifestyle and retail destination, today announced its partnership with SMEDistrict, the Dubai-based incubation platform, that aims to bring to life a comprehensive start-up development programme focused on the retail
With more than 1,700 projects worth USD 1 trillion, China’s ambitious One Belt, One Road Initiative aims to positively impact 4.4 billion people, or 65 percent of the world’s population that equals to about 40 percent of the global gross domestic
Keeping with their commitment to support entrepreneurs and build key networks across the region, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) and Endeavor, a global non-profit pioneering in the high-impact entrepreneurship movement, have signed a
Etisalat and Huawei , a leading global provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices—today announced during Mobile World Congress a strategic partnership to deploy end-to-end 5G network in UAE in 2019.
The National Program for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and Projects of the Ministry of Economy, held a press conference for the launch of AIM Starup 2019 with the theme “Harnessing Global Digitization to Empower Startups and SMEs” which will
His Excellency Mohammed Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation, today announced that Dubai will host the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge i
he Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai launched three quality initiatives today aimed to accelerate future-readiness of the economy and enhance private sector participation in developing a competitive policy framework for achieving s
Four-in-five UAE consumers expect an immediate response from the organizations and vendors they contact—part of a growing demand for ‘SuperServe’ customer engagement, according to the latest global research conducted by Avaya Holdings Corp. and Da
The Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector in the Department of Economic Development (DED) has announced an automatic settlement facility to traders eligible for 50% reduction on commercial fines.
The Department of Economic Development (DED) has launched the 'Dubai Economic Report 2018,' which reviews the major macro- and sectoral level economic developments and growth in the emirate during 2017.
In line with its efforts to support the UAE National Innovation Strategy, H.H.
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) Service Centre – Al Hamra has been awarded with a 4-star rating by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Prime Minister’s Star Rating Program for Service Centres for its commitment to delivering high
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) Academic Zone has announced its collaboration with Canadian University Dubai (CUD) on a series of initiatives toward encouraging entrepreneurship among youth.
Under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Sheraa (Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center) hosted its inaugural Seed program Showcase Day, at the Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival, earlier today.
Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), the regulatory authority for Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the integrated free zone technology park has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-
Honeywell today announced the official opening of an innovation hub at the company’s regional headquarters in Dubai.
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) has once again bagged a prestigious recognition at fDi’s Global Free Zones of the Year Awards 2018, winning the ‘Bespoke Award – Reduction in Red Tape’. Representatives from fDi Intelligence ma
The Federal Electricity & Water Authority (FEWA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Honeywell (NYSE: HON), a global leader in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies for buildings, to dr
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced that it will install 270,000 new s
Wahed Invest, a New York headquartered investing platform, is, the first fin-tech Islamic Economy startup, with a valuation of $100m
Dell EMC, as part of the Dell Technologies Forum in Dubai, hosted the first Middle East edition of its ‘Women in Technology’ initiative, which featured accomplished women
Dubai Internet City (DIC), the leading technology community in the region, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), a non-profit trade association and an apex body of th
The Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai has permitted 163 free zone companies to operate in mainland Dubai following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed earlier this year between DED and the Dubai Free Zones Council.
His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence has emphasized on the importance of providing opportunities for Emirati youth and encouraging them to develop new skillsets associated with Artificial Intelligence
Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) has reduced business setup cost by up to 65%, as part of its aim to increase DAFZA’s regional competitiveness and activate a number of key sectors by attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).
His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence visited Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the integrated free zone technology park.
The Business Registration and Licensing (BRL) Sector of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with axs, TECOM Group’s
Majority of the Middle Eastern countries, especially those in the GCC, are hot target for cyberattacks. According to a newly-released report by Trend Micro, ransomware remains a widespread threat in the UAE with the country accounting for 2.4 mil


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CD Sales Are Actually Booming in Germany
"Germans love their CDs," explains Universal Music head
Published Sep 06, 2017While North America has been quick to write off the CD format, the same isn't apparently true over in Germany, where those shiny discs of yore are apparently still flourishing in a stream-loving world.
The news comes via Universal Music's chief in Germany, Frank Briegmann, who had a lot of positive things to say about the CD format and physical sales in general in Germany, Billboard reports.
"Germans love their CDs," Briegmann said at Universal's annual international sales conference today (September 6). "Many only buy this particular format. However, the dynamic growth of streaming is higher than the average of the world market. In other words, the German market is simply transforming itself differently. We are positioned on a number of stable mainstays and this will certainly continue to be the case for some time."
According to Billboard, he went on to explain that in the fourth quarter of 2016 alone, Universal had sold 80 million euros (about $116 million CAD) worth of physical media, as well as more than 20 million CDs throughout the year.
Briegmann said that compared to the rest of the world, the ratio of digital to physical sales was basically opposite. He even went on to explain that the main challenge facing Universal and other labels was to actually get listeners to to stream and/or download music.
"This stability of the physical formats is just as important for our current growth as streaming," he said. "In particular, this stability is something for which many countries envy us."
So there you go: the CD is not dead... in Germany.


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According to a new report published by Leafly this morning, the CBD market is plagued by inaccuracies, especially when it comes to the amount of this chemical compound present in products sold across the U.S., versus what labels say.
“We are in a Goldilocks and the Three Bears moment when it comes to CBD and the CBD market. Some products have way too little CBD; some are delivering way too much; and some are delivering just the right amount. That’s what we found in our testing program,” Bruce Barcott, author of the report and senior editor at Leafly, said during an exclusive conversation.
The findings mentioned above derived from the independent testing of 47 popular CBD products; the tests were conducted by Leafly and Confidence Analytics, a Washington state-licensed cannabis lab. What they did was Google terms like “best CBD products” and “cheap CBD,” and purchased many of the products that showed up. They also bought some more products at national drugstore chains like Rite Aid and Walgreens, as well as independent grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, and even a surf shop.
“We are in a Goldilocks and the Three Bears moment when it comes to CBD and the CBD market. Some products have way too little CBD; some are delivering way too much; and some are delivering just the right amount.”
Among the key findings was that of one in three CBD products containing less than 80% of the CBD they claim to deliver.


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Posts Tagged ‘landscape’
Smartphones are taking huge bites out of the compact camera market. A recent study by market research company NPD found that the percent of photographs taken with a smartphone has increased from 17% to 27% over the past year, while the share of photos taken with a dedicated camera has dropped from 52% to 44%. Senior imaging analyst Liz Cutting says,
There is no doubt that the smartphone is becoming ‘good enough’ much of the time; but thanks to mobile phones, more pictures are being taken than ever before. Consumers who use their mobile phones to take pictures and video were more likely to do so instead of their camera when capturing spontaneous moments, but for important events, single purpose cameras or camcorders are still largely the device of choice.
The point-and-shoot camera market is taking the brunt of the damage: during the first 11 months of 2011, the market lost 17% in units sold and 18% in revenue.
Image credit: Image by The NPD Group/Imaging Confluence Study 2011
Photographer Jim Sanborn has a project titled Topographic Projections and Implied Geometries Series in which he casts complex patterns over vast landscapes using a projector, and uses long exposure times to capture the scenes. The projector and camera are, on average, half a mile away from his landscapes, and on moonless nights he uses a searchlight to illuminate the scene.
As newspapers and magazines struggle to keep eyeballs from turning to the free world of the Web, more and more blogs are rising up to fill the niches once dominated by print. Despite the changing landscape, magazines are still able to command high advertising rates that blogs can’t match (yet). Wanting to find out whether magazines or blogs provided the best bang of each advertising buck, photographer Trey Ratcliff recently spent $26,000 placing ads in three major photography magazines, comparing the results to his online affiliate ad returns. His conclusion?
If I was consulting for one of these product companies that puts significant funds into magazine advertising, I would challenge them to try something new for six months: Try taking 50% of that money and put it into several hundred blogs, podcasts and review sites and measure the results. Cut the worst performers and find new ones.
Only one of the three magazines actually made Ratcliff money (the other two lost over ten thousand dollars) — the one that included an online ad rotation as part of the package.
Stop Advertising in Photo Magazines – Head West to the Web [Trey Ratcliff]
Thanks for sending in the tip, Troy!
Fine art photographer Mitch Dobrowner wanted to photograph storm systems, so he partnered up with Roger Hill — regarded as one of the top storm-chasers in the world — and was introduced to Tornado Alley. Dobrowner writes,
Words are inadequate to describe the experience of photographing this immense power and beauty. And the most exciting part is with each trip I really don’t know what to expect. But now I see these storms as living, breathing things. They are born when the conditions are right, they gain strength as they grow, they fight against their environment to stay alive, they change form as they age… and eventually they die. They take on so many different aspects, personalities and faces; I’m in awe watching them. These storms are amazing sights to witness…. and I’m just happy to be there—shot or no shot; it’s watching Mother Nature at her finest. My only hope my images can do justice to these amazing phenomenona of nature.
His images certainly do them justice — the stormy landscape photographs Dobrowner has made through these trips are jaw-dropping.
Photographer Michael Freeman says that although things are getting tougher for professional photographers, the “consumption of imagery in all areas is actually increasing”. Professionals therefore need to think more about marketing themselves and specializing in a particular niche.
Facial recognition technology has become ubiquitous in recent years, being found in everything from the latest compact camera to websites like Facebook. The same may soon be said about location recognition. Through a new project called “Finder“, the US government military research division IARPA is looking into how to quickly and automatically identify where a photograph was taken without any geotag data. The goal is to use only the identifying features found in the background of scenes to determine the location — kinda like facial recognition except for landscapes.
If you look at the Top 100 Movies chart in the iTunes Store, you might not notice anything out of the ordinary, but one of the movies (#43) is actually a no budget film shot using a single Canon 5D Mark II. For Lovers Only” is a romance filmed by Mark Polish and Michael Polish — known as the Polish brothers — over the course of just 12 days with a single actress (Mark himself played the male lead). The film has already generated over $200,000 in profits after being spread through word of mouth via social networks.
The brothers said that their hotels and some meals were comped; they shot and edited with equipment they already owned; and they don’t consider the few grand worth of meals, taxis and the like to be part of an actual budget. “There was not one dime that came out of our pocket specifically for this movie — besides the food we ate, but we had to eat, anyway,” Michael said.
In the end, Michael and Mark even had to make up some names for the film’s title sequence, which they wanted to stretch out to a reasonable length in order to fit the score that had been written by their friend Kubilay Uner. [#]
This is a great example of how the landscape for movie making, distribution and viewing is rapidly changing, allowing anyone armed with a prosumer DSLR and a whole lot of talent to potentially strike it big.
CNBC ran this short segment a couple days ago in which they invited CNET’s Dan Ackerman to explain the changing landscape in the digital camera industry. He thinks point-and-shoot cameras may soon become extinct due to the rise of camera-equipped phones, but also that DSLRs are the cameras here to stay. A recent study found that phones have replaced digital cameras completely for 44% of consumers, and that number seems bound to rise as the cameras on phones continue to improve.
My guess is that in five years, we’ll see digital camera users divided into three camps: mobile phone, interchangeable lens compact, and DSLR. What’s your prediction?
William Phuoc and a few other storm chasers were shooting a thunderstorm in the Australian grasslands when a huge bolt of lightning struck the ground about 200 meters away. Luckily, they captured the strike on video and Phuoc’s Canon EOS-1D Mark IV (using a 14mm lens and lightning trigger) was able to capture an amazing photograph of the strike.


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Looking out from the Observation Deck on this gorgeous Tuesday, we see good news and not-so-good news on the Apple front. Wait times are persisting and growing for certain iPhone 14 models, and Apple TV+ sets a release date for historical drama Emancipation. Oh, and can you name more songs on Apple Music than me?
Wait Times Persist for iPhone 14 Pros and Grow for iPhone 14 Plus
Far be it from me to argue with the late, great, Tom Petty — but waiting is easy. A lot of times, there’s really nothing else you can do. The song might more accurately say “The waiting is the annoyingest part,” though it’s not terribly melodic, plus — the little red line in Pages tells me that “annoyingest” is not actually a word.
Waits are lengthening for iPhones. Not all iPhones, but more than the world expected a week ago. Cult of Mac has been poking around Apple orders. Their finding — going for either iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max means maybe not getting your new phone until November.
Checking myself, had I ordered an unlocked, 128GB Deep Purple iPhone 14 Pro on Monday, I’d be looking at delivery between 26 October and 2 November. Do the same again with and iPhone 14 Pro Max and the dates stretch a week, landing in my hands between 2 November and 9 November.
Back to the Cult, that site has also poked into the iPhone 14 Plus queue. I told you yesterday that my check of Apple’s site showed orders for Apple’s biggest phone at the consumer end starting to slip in the states. Since pre-orders began, iPhone 14 Plus has shown delivery available on the model’s release date — this Friday 7 October. My check over the weekend showed that delivery had started to slip. Had I ordered Sunday, Apple was showing delivery running between 11 October and 13 October. Cult of Mac spotted the same wait Monday, according to its report.
JP Morgan Survey Shows Several Pockets of Strength for iPhone
JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee is out with some really interesting iPhone numbers. Apple 3.0 ran part of a note he wrote, which had a stack of good news from Apple’s perspective. Pulling points from Chatterjee’s survey of 500+ people in the US, UK, and China:
- Intent to upgrade is up this year compared to last, with 75% of current iPhone owners planning to do so vs. last year’s 65%
- While the number of people intending to switch to iPhone is about the same as last year, what they’re dropping and what they’re looking for is interesting. What they’re dropping is Samsung and Huawei, according to Chatterjee’s survey. What they’re looking for is 5G. Besides that, the piece says, “Drivers of upgrade are less specific this year”
- The phones folks find most interesting are iPhone 14 Pro Max and (surprisingly) iPhone 13. Chatterjee says that’s true among both switchers and upgraders. The 13 is doing better this year than the 12 did last year, according to the survey likely thanks to economic uncertainty. The analyst says he and his “conclude that more price sensitive customers are looking to opt for iPhone 13 rather than the more expensive iPhone 14/14 Plus…”
- On Apple Watch, folks looking to upgrade from an older Apple Watch or split between Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra. As for folks considering their first Apple Watch, Chatterjee says two-thirds are looking to the Series 8.
- Chatterjee says, “Reasons not to buy are expectedly ‘price…’” That’s the primary reason holdouts are holding out on both iPhone and Apple Watch, according to the survey.
Mr. Chatterjee has an “Overweight” rating on Apple shares. He’s set JP Morgan’s price target on the shares at $200.
iOS 16.0.3 Spotted in MacRumors Analytics Logs
Annoyances in iOS 16.0.2 should be a thing of the past, soon — that’s the word from MacRumors. It’s not that they’ll be gone, necessarily. Any that remain though will be annoyances of iOS 16.0.3. According to the site:
Evidence of an upcoming iOS 16.0.3 software update has shown up in MacRumors analytics logs, which have been a reliable indicator in the past.
Bugs that users might hope to see squished include:
- an issue with low volume on CarPlay calls using iPhone 14 Pro
- display flickering on some iPhones when the brightness is turned down
- a Mail crashing vulnerability
- a problem editing Cinematic Mode videos shot on iPhone
And the list goes on. Remember kids, it’s not just you…
There’s no official indication as to when Apple might release the li’l bug killer. MacRumors expects it’ll be this week or next, with iOS 16.1 also expected this month.
iPhone 6 Hits Apple’s Vintage List
As new models fill the hearts, minds, palms, and cases of iPhone users, pour one out for a giant of the line. Cult of Mac says iPhone 6 has hit Apple’s vintage list.
iPhone 6 was notable for a few reasons — both good and bad. On the bad side, “bendgate.” The Cult says that model “was one of the largest phones ever from Apple, and was more prone to being accidentally bent” than its predecessors. On the good said, the piece says iPhone 6 was Apple’s “answer to those wanting a larger display…” It took the display from 4-inches to 4.7-inches, and took iPhone sales through the roof. Now, five-years after leaving Apple’s line-up, it hits the vintage list.
“Not dead,” but “not at all well,” as Monty Python might say. If you’re rockin’ an iPhone 6, you can still get it worked on by Apple — provided Apple has the parts to keep it working.
Morgan Stanley Notes Drop in App Store Sales in September
For a good bit of the summer, Evercore analyst Amit Daryanani tracked declining sales in Apple’s App Store. Now picking up the theme is Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring. CNBC ran a piece Monday that had Katy Huberty’s Apple following replacement saying App Store revenue fell in September as people slowed down on the game spending. That is the biggest drop for App Store revenue since Morgan Stanley started tracking that in 2015. It’s likely the biggest drop ever. Evercore’s Daryanani said in September that the decline in App Store revenue he spotted in August was the first ever decline since the store opened in 2008. As for last month’s decline, Woodring says
We believe the recent App Store results make clear that the global consumer has somewhat de-emphasized App Store spending in the near-term as discretionary income is reallocated to areas of pent-up demand…
Bad news for the App Store and some developers, though Apple’s Services segment is expected to grow despite the lack of App sales. CNBC says “Morgan Stanley expects Apple’s total services revenue to show an 8% increase in the September quarter.” The piece points out that subscriptions and AppleCare also turn up under Apple’s Services segment.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Gets Private Audience with Pope Francis
Boy, Tim Cook is seeing all the sights on his trip through the UK and Europe. Battersea Park… AFC Richmond… the Pope…
I’d love to meet Tim Cook’s travel agent.
CNET says Apple’s CEO met Pope Francis in Vatican City. Mr. Cook was granted a private audience with the pontiff. “…as is customary,” the piece says, “the Vatican did not disclose what was discussed during the private meeting,” so I think we should make up what they talked about.
CNET linked to a Yahoo! Finance piece that had the Pope complaining about the prevalence of smartphones over personal communication a few years ago. It’s possible they talked about that. I like to think he was having trouble with his iPhone, called Apple, then asked to speak to the manager, then asked to speak to their manager, then eventually got to Tim.
Maybe the Pope has an idea for an app.
Fell free to take a turn, by the way: [email protected].
AppleTV+ Film ‘Emancipation’ Gets Screening and Release Dates
So it looks like Apple is going for it with the Antoine Fuqua/Will Smith historical drama Emancipation. Not only did the film get its first official screening last weekend, it’s got a couple of release dates.
A piece from The Mac Observer says the screening took place on Saturday in Washington, D.C. It was presented during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 51st Annual Legislative Conference.
For those who’ve forgotten, the film — based on a true story — follows Peter, a runaway enslaved person in search of his family. “Eventually,” TMO says:
…Peter joins the Union Army. It was during a medical examination when doctors discovered the scars on Peter’s back, which he had suffered at the hands of [a plantation] overseer. Peter’s scars were photographed and published by The Independent, noting the cruelty and barbarity of slavery in America.
The film seemed a shoe-in for Oscar season — at least until last year’s Oscars. That’s when Smith took the stage and slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The internationally televised slap left some wondering what Apple would do about releasing the film. Now, it looks like Apple is going for it.
In addition to the screening, which featured a discussion with director Fuqua and leading man Smith, Apple has set a release schedule for the film — and yes, it seems to be setting up for awards season. Apple TV+ posted a trailer for the film on Twitter on Monday. It also posted release plans. Those include a run in theaters starting on 2 December, followed by the film’s streaming premier on 9 December. The website ScreenDaily says a theatrical release among six major metros in the U.S. is once again required for Oscar eligibility.
Apple Music Celebrates 100 Million Songs; Announces New Show
And finally today — Apple Music says it is host to 100 million song. How many can you name?!?
While that would be an awesome contest, it’s not one Apple is running. Rather, Apple issued a press release celebrating that number: 100 million songs. The company points out that when the iPod first premiered, it was practically unimaginable that you could have “1,000 songs in your pocket.” Now, provided have an Apple Music subscription, you’ve got 100,000,000 songs in your pocket. “One hundred million songs,” says the release:
…it’s a number that will continue to grow and exponentially multiply. But it’s more than just a number, representing something much more significant — the tectonic shift in the business of music making and distribution over these past two decades.
The release makes mention of Apple Music’s human curation and the important role it continues to play. The company also used the release to announce the new Apple Music Today series. Every day, the release says, Apple Music will pick a new song and dive into its history…
Eight, by the way. I can name eight songs.


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The largest bowling center operators in the world, Bowlmor AMF, sought out to increase the overall customer bowling experience by enhancing its visual technology. So the bowling center conglomerate teamed up with the leading manufacturer in projector technology, Casio America, Inc.. What they have created is a complete transformation of its bowling centers with Casio LampFree® projectors. This new, innovative lighting offers wall-to-wall entertainment and state-of-the-art LED and LASER hybrid sourcing.
So far, Bowlmor AMF has purchased 200 Casio projectors in various locations with plans to purchase additional models by the end of 2015. Casio’s LampFree®technology provides users with a 200,000 hour lifespan and eliminate the need for expensive projection lamps that need continuous replacement. The units are also mercury-free and thwart any pollution when disposing.
“Our company spent a lot of time researching the best projection technology for our bowling alleys and found that the Casio projectors are unmatched in terms of its LED Hybrid Light Source, affordability, and long term use,” said Levan Natsvlishvili, AV director of Bowlmor AMF. “We purchased both the Casio Signature and Pro models and found that these projectors are ideal for the applications we are using.”
The way this works within bowling centers is Casio projectors are mounted onto the ceilings and will project images on the wall above the pins. The units are also capable of projecting advertisements, live video of sporting events, music videos and more. These projectors can run in centers between 12-14 hours a day, can be shut down without the hassle of extended set up time and can retain memory of the predetermined settings. The projector also only takes eight seconds to power down after a night of inactivity.
In the continuation of upgrading its facilities, Bowlmor AMF, has implmented this new technology inside of its newest bowling concept, Bowlero, located in The Woodlands, Texas. The center currently runs 20 Casio projectors in its 40-lane facility. To learn more about the Casio LampFree® projection system, visit http://www.casioprojector.com/


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Blog: Stores putting up a good fight versus online
Hannah Abdulla | 23 June 2014
Traditional brick and mortar grocery channels can breathe a sigh of relief on news that they are still 'wanted' and are winning in terms of basket size.
According to a survey by eDigitalResearch, 29% of respondents found they made fewer impulse purchases online than they did in store while 7% said they purchased more "additional impulse buys" online than they did in store.
They do say don't do a supermarket shop on an empty stomach - how likely are you to buy foods you don't actually need when you're online? And the glitz of all the "rollback" and "price-cut" labels on supermarket shelves just don't have the same impact online.
But online's share in the FMCG market is growing. Kantar Worldpanel's most recent research reveals ecommerce will account for US$53bn of global FMCG sales by 2016 - an increase of US$17bn (47%) on the current $36bn.
But traditional stores don't need to worry about it taking over assures global shopper and retail director at Kantar Worldpanel Stephane Roger.
"One of the main concerns for FMCG players, is that ecommerce will take spend away from physical channels. However, this is also one of the biggest misconceptions. Having an online offer helps retailers to secure additional revenue rather than cannibalising existing spend in brick and mortar stores."
At present it appears both formats are winning for one reason or another: online for convenience and speed, and physical for the appeal, offers and the lack of a delivery charge.
As Brick Meets Click analyst Bill Bishop says: "We have yet to appreciate all the shopping occasions that make it easier to buy in store and similarly with online purchasing, such as picking up different deals."
Four campaign groups in the US have urged the country's Food and Drug Administration to close a "loophole" in regulations on food additives and bring the rules - due to be finalised by August next yea...
The Cargill meat processing facility in Hazleton, Pa., has become the company's first certified landfill-free production site. ...
PepsiCo has honed in on a sponsorship deal with the National Basketball Association, replacing current sponsor and chief soft drinks rival The Coca Cola Co. ...
The UK Labour Party today (13 April) issued its manifesto for the country's upcoming general election - and has pledged to take aim at sugar....
- Comment: Nestle reacts to world of 3G and Buffett
- Why it is too early to call Unilever food revival
- France takes big step to uniform FOP labels
- What the analysts say: Nestle's Q1
- How will Flowers Foods grow in speciality bread?
- Unilever food, refreshment sales rise
- Nestle CFO Martello to move to head Asia unit
- Nestle sales rise on emerging markets, pricing
- Organic food sales in US up 11% in 2014
- Mondelez launches whipped Philadelphia in UK


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Object Design has reported first quarter profits of $926,000 from sales of its pure object oriented database, a figure it claims shows the company is holding its own amid the object-relational wars currently under way in the rest of the industry.
Net income for the three months to 31 March 1997 were up from $145,000 in the comparable period last year to $926,000 this year. Revenues rose by 24 per cent from $9 million in 1996 to $11.2 million in 1997.
The company is one of the few commercially successful suppliers of object oriented databases, a technology that has been overshadowed by the recent commitment of vendors such as Oracle, Informix and IBM to a hybrid object relational model for future generations of their database products.
Object Design last year refocused its strategic direction from its traditional markets of telecomms and engineering towards becoming a platform for Web application development where the ability of the object oriented model to handle multiple rich data types is a benefit.
"[Web] developers require the advanced multimedia data management facilities, the performance, the scalability and rapid application development capabilities of our Objectstore database," said Object Design chief executive Robert Goldman. "These competitive advantages positions it favourably against both relational and hybrid object-relational database products."
During the quarter, the company launched a series of Java-enabled products, for which it claims it now has over 50 customers. These include release 5.0 of the Objectstore database, which also offers support for ActiveX.
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Reliance Jio is reaching higher and higher by their ravening marketing strategy, while other companies are reporting losses quarter after quarter.
Reliance Jio has climbed up the ladder steadily in the short period of eighteen months. Let it be unlimited calls or with loads of data or even free premium app services, Reliance Jio is currently ruling the Indian telecom industry.
Jio is continuing with its destructive marketing strategy and is aiming to cover 99 per cent of the population of India by the end of this fiscal.
Jio Becomes Third-Largest Telecom Operator by Trashing Idea
As per the latest updates, Reliance Jio Infocomm has now become the third-largest telecom operator in the country after trashing Idea in terms of revenue market share. Also, the company is closing in on Vodafone India to snatch the second position as well.
Reliance Jio started operating commercially a year-and-a-half back in September 2016, and currently, it holds a revenue market share of as much as 20 per cent, as per the financial data provided by TRAI.
Bharti Airtel is the leader in sharing the table of market share with around 32 per cent helped in part by its recent intra-circle roaming pact with Tata Teleservices, followed by Vodafone India stands on second position with 21 per cent of market share, while the Idea cellular is presently holding a 16.5 per cent of market share.
Idea- Vodafone Unification
Soon, Jio and Airtel have to fight against a huge unite entity, who will be holding around 38 per cent of the entire market share after the unification. The much-awaited unification of Idea Cellular and Vodafone India is expected to be done by the end of this month.
As per the estimation, the new Idea-Vodafone will create Rs 63,000 crore revenue property with a combination of over 430 million subscribers.
Idea Cellular and Vodafone India together will emerge as the new market leader, followed by Airtel and Jio. As per the recent updates, Jio will continue by their ravening pricing strategy to grab a bigger piece of market share. Jio is already standing at number one or two in 18 circles with over 25 per cent Average Gross Revenue market share in 15 circles.
Airtel & Vodafone Competition Against Jio
Since Reliance Jio has arrived, the average revenue per user of Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India has sink by over 45 per cent. Huge number of customers are switching to Jio for the utilization of internet and making outgoing calls, which are unlimited and free.
Also, on the other hand, they are using their older carrier connections only to receive incoming calls.
In order to go ahead Reliance Jio, other companies are coming up with better plans and making several changes in their existing plans to stay pertinent in the competition.
Jio Promises More Value Plan With More Data
As Jio reported that Airtel and Vodafone are bringing better plans than Jio, Jio come up with the Double Dhamaka offer which only Jio can deliver.
Jio has increased the amount of high-speed data that is offered with all the recharge packs. All of the Jio’s prepaid plans will now offer 1.5 GB additional data with all of their enrolling plans.
This insane offer will be live from today, June 12 from 4:00 pm onwards and will go up to June 30, 2018.
Jio Double Dhamaka Offer
The limited period Double Dhamaka offer from Jio will now give 1.5 GB additional high-speed data with all their daily recurring data recharge packs.
- 15GB/day data pack users will now get 3GB/day for all plans i.e. Rs 149, 349, 399, 449.
- 2GB/day data pack users will now get 3.5GB/day for all plans – Rs 198, 398, 448, 498.
- 3GB/day data pack users will now get 4.5GB/day for the Rs 299 plan.
- 4GB/day data pack users will now get 5.5GB/day for the Rs 509 plan.
- 5GB/day data pack users will now get 6.5GB/day for the Rs 799 plan.
Also, there is the availability of several additional discounts making the pans more valuable and cost-efficient.
All the recharges above Rs 300 will get discount of Rs 100. So, the Rs 399 recharge pack which use to offer 1.5 GB high-speed data per day will now offer 3 GB high-speed data per day at just Rs 299!
But there are certain conditions that need to be fulfilled to avail the Rs 100 discount.
- The recharge has to be done from the MY Jio App.
- The payment of it should be done via PhonePe Mobile Wallet.
Therefore, the discount is passed on the users in two parts;
- The user will receive a voucher of Rs 50 in their Jio account, which can only be redeemed against subsequent recharges.
- Users will receive Rs 50 as an instant cashback in their PhonePe Mobile Wallet.
Similarly, for recharges below Rs 300, there will be a 20 per cent discount on the amount of recharge done with My Jio App and PhonePe.
As usual, Jio nailed it with their New Double Dhamaka Offer.
What is your opinion on this “New Double Dhamaka Offer” let us know in the comment below?
Stay Tuned and Stay Updated!


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State-run telecom service provider BSNL has decided to upgrade its Rs 187 plan in order to become a better competitor in an increasingly saturated market. Only a few days ago, the giant private player, Vodafone, had updated its Rs 199 plan to make itself more attractive to potential prepaid buyers. It seems as if BSNL, which has often been denigrated as a state-run white elephant, is waking up and smelling the coffee.
The new changes to the Rs 187 plan offer some extra and added benefits. For example, you can now be eligible for unlimited voice calls on national roaming, a feature which will surely be appreciated by many users. Note that the state-run operator does not have major operations in certain tier-1 cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Users in these cities will have to pay for their voice calls as per standard rates and will ot be eligible for coverage under this scheme.
Alongside unlimited local voice calls and the customary 1GB of data per day, the users will also be eligible for a free caller tune. Like all of its competitors, this plan too is valid for 28 days although the effective price may differ from one circle to the other. BSNL is also offering a new plan worth Rs 186 in the state of Tamil Nadu. Advertised as a promotional offer, all the users are entitled to unlimited local and STD calls besides 1GB of data per day. This pack has a validity period of 90 days and you must use it between October 21, 2017, and January 2018.
Earlier, BSNL had introduced a new plan termed “Loot Lo” which was said to offer up to 60%. This new plan is being seen as a continuation of BSNL’s plans. Under this plan, seven postpaid plans can now be availed starting November 1 where they are eligible for up to 60 percent discount on the postpaid plans. The plans include the following: Rs 225, Rs 325, Rs 525, Rs 725, as well as bigger plans like Rs 799, Rs 1125, and Rs 1525. The ‘Loot Lo’ offer is available pan India.


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US President Donald Trump says he’s looking into stopping business with Chinese giant Huawei altogether, citing “national security threat.” It follows a report claiming Trump would grant Huawei a 90-day license extention.
Speaking to reporters after departing his golf club in Bedminster on Sunday, Trump dismissed media reports that his administration is going to allow the Chinese telecommunication company to buy supplies from US firms for yet another three months.
“It was reported today, I was surprised, that we are open to doing business [with Huawei], we actually open to not doing business with them, so I don’t know who gave the report,” Trump said.
I don’t want to do business at all because it’s a national security threat
Trump says he’s going to make a decision tomorrow on Huawei. He pushes back against reports that his administration is expected to give the Chinese company another temporary reprieve. “At this moment, it looks much more like we’re not going to do business.”
— Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) August 18, 2019
Trump previously indicated that he sees Huawei as a bargaining chip in the raging US-China trade war, that saw the two nations slapping import tariffs on billions’ worth of goods.
He wouldn’t say if he has already talked Huawei with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he recently promised to discuss trade in a phone call.
But Trump said that he would make up his mind on whether to grant a sanctions reprieve to the Chinese company Monday, while doubling down on his threat to sever all remaining ties between Huawei and their partners in the US.
“It could be temporary and it could be not but we’re making a decision tomorrow.”
The current extension agreement, granted by the Trump administration in May after it blacklisted the company, set to expire on August 19. Reuters reported Saturday, citing sources, that the US Department of Commerce was poised to extend Huawei’s “temporary general license” that would have allowed it to procure some American-made components for its products.
The on-and-off trade talks between Chinese and US officials might have hit a brick wall, with the US planning to introduce additional levies on over $125 billion worth of Chinese goods next month. Despite the lack of feasible progress, Trump said Thursday he was still looking forward to meeting with Xi in hopes to resolve the trade dispute, adding that he has been having “very productive talks” with him on the phone.
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Panini America Peeks 2011 Prime Signatures Football with 18 Must-See Images
There’s nothing much better while watching another spectacular NFL Sunday than getting a sneak preview of one of the most anticipated new NFL trading card sets of the year. That would be 2011 Prime Signatures Football, the spectacularly designed, autograph-intensive offering from Panini America slated to arrive in February.
One thing to note about the following gallery — aside from the obvious “wow” factor of the clean, compelling designs — is that every Rookie Card featured will be autographed in the product. But we just couldn’t wait to show you these.
Enjoy this early look at 2011 Prime Signatures Football, and stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for additional galleries as the Rookie Cards return with autographs intact.


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With Siri integration across third-party (non-Apple) apps coming as a result of the latest version of iOS (iOS 10) the race is on to find the coolest stuff Siri can do, and PayPal may be leading the charge with new payment integration with Siri.
To send money right now using PayPal you need your friends email address, you need to use the PayPal app or website and let’s be honest, it’s more than a two click process.
With Siri integration, it’s as easy as “Hey Siri, Send Trevor $20” – if you’ve got my email address, feel free to try “Hey Siri – send Trevor $100” – go on, Try it.
Peter Santiago, Director In-Store, PayPal Australia, said: “Sending and receiving money from friends and family has long been one of the most popular activities on PayPal. We are excited to make it easier than ever to transfer money on the Apple iPhone and iPad, giving users more freedom to pay with their mobile. The evolution of mobile payments into voice recognition technology is just another way we are helping Australians to access their money, anytime, anywhere. ”
All it takes is a good contact update in your phone to make sure you’ve got that email address, and the PayPal app.


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In the know: U.S. berry demand and imports
According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, over the last two decades the strawberry industry has experienced a huge increase in the rate of consumer consumption of berries.
Strawberries are the fifth most preferred fresh fruit in the U.S., behind bananas, apples, oranges and grapes, respectively. Expanded domestic supply resulting from yield improvements and year-round availability has combined to secure consumer demand.
New health information on the nutritional benefits of strawberries, such as antioxidant levels, folate, potassium, vitamin C and fiber content, has also stimulated domestic consumption rates.
In 2011, the United States imported 394.2 million pounds of fresh and frozen strawberries from Mexico, of which 243.5 million pounds—or 62 percent—valued at $4.2 million were marketed as fresh product. Thirty-six percent of the total imported volumes arrive in the United States during the months of March and April when domestic supplies are limited.
Blueberries rank as the second most important commercial berry crop in the country, with a total crop value of $863.9 million in 2011. The United States is the world’s largest producer of blueberries with a total of 516.7 million pounds produced in 2011. But even this huge volume is not nearly enough to fill American consumer demand. The country imported 192.5 million pounds in 2011, with Chile providing 62 million pounds.
Raspberries continue to rank as the third most popular berry in the United States for fresh use, after strawberries and blueberries. Raspberries come in red, black, purple and yellow varieties. Summer-bearing varieties produce one crop between July and August. Fall-bearing raspberries grow a large crop in the fall and a smaller crop the following summer.
The United States is the world’s third-largest producer of raspberries. Although production occurs across much of the country, most is concentrated in Washington, California and Oregon.
Washington State leads the nation in red raspberry production. In 2010, it produced 61 million pounds of red raspberries valued at $50 million. Oregon leads the United States. in black raspberry production with 1.8 million pounds grown in 2011, valued at $2.3 million. California raised 81 million pounds of total raspberries valued at $200 million.
Like other berry categories, the United States cannot produce enough raspberries to satisfy consumer demand. The nation imports fresh raspberries from November through May, most originating in Mexico.
In 2010, the United Staets imported 13,927 metric tons of fresh Mexican raspberries valued at $118 million. During July and August, most fresh raspberries imported to the United States are produced in Canada. In 2010, the country imported a total of 442 metric tons of Canadian raspberries valued at $658,000.
Blackberries are native to several continents, including Asia, Europe and North and South America. Documented human consumption was recorded more than 2,000 years ago. People have used the blackberry plant as a hedge to protect property, for medicinal use and as a source of nutritional consumptions.
Commercial blackberry production in the United States originated in the Pacific Northwest region in 1860, using plants cultivated from European domesticated species.
Today, Oregon is the predominant geographic source of cultivated U.S. blackberry production. In 2011, 53.4 million pounds of blackberries were produced there on 7,300 acres. Average blackberry yields per acre in 2009 were 7,730 pounds, dropping off slightly to 7,280 pounds per acre in 2011. In 2011, 4.03 million pounds were sold as fresh berries and the remainder was sold to processors.
In 2010, the United States imported 95.7 million pounds of fresh blackberries and 21.1 million pounds of frozen product. Relative to the 2006 data, U.S. blackberry import volumes for the fresh market were 29.6 million pounds, compared to 16.5 million pounds for the frozen market.
It is clear that the U.S. consumption levels of blackberries, especially for the fresh market, are trending upwards. The 2010 U.S. imported fresh blackberries were valued at $147.3 million, almost three times the 2006 fresh imported value at just $58.5 million.


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Old Monk passes collection plate
OLD Monk, set up by the brother of Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin, is to tap the City for funds to expand its Springbok South African-themed bars. Struggling for funding since floating on AIM in 1998, the group wants to raise around £5m.
'Springbok is very much where we see our growth - ideally we'd be opening 10 a year,' said chief executive Gerry Martin.
Given its cash shortage, Old Monk is selling seven other pub-restaurants in the Home Counties.
Finance director Jon Hale is leaving to join the Mean Fiddler concert promotion group, while 69-year-old Ray Martin, father of the two pub entrepreneurs and ex-RAF fighter pilot, is retiring from his non-executive position on the board.
Pre-tax profit in the half year to 27 October was £628,000 against £391,000 a year earlier on sales of £14.7m against £10.4m a year before.
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E-commerce firms have sold goods worth ₹24,500 crore (USD 3.5 billion) in the first four days of the festive season sales, a report said on Tuesday (September 27).
According to the report by strategy consultancy firm Redseer, during this period each minute, as many as 1,100 mobile phones amounting to around ₹11,000 crore were sold on large e-commerce platforms, driven by the premium phones.
Besides, fashion saw a 4.5x jump in terms of Daily Average GMV (gross merchandise value) compared to business-as-usual (BAU) days to reach ₹5, 500 crore in the first four days, it added.
“For the first four days (Sep 22-25) of the on-going festive sale event one, e-commerce platforms have clocked in a sale of ₹24,500 crore or USD 3.5-billion, contributing to 60 per cent of the projected GMV for festive sale one,” Redseer said.
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The first four days of the previous year contributed to 59 per cent, signaling a better-than-anticipated kickoff to the festive season this year, it noted.
Festive Event 1 is the first wave of festive sales which includes Flipkart’s Big Billion Day Sale, Amazon’s Great Indian Festival, Meesho’s Mega Blockbuster Sale and sales on platforms like Myntra, Ajio and Nykaa among others, as per the report.
“First four days of festive sale this year is around 1.3x the first four days of the previous year festive sale,” the report said.
“Redseer had earlier projected a GMV of USD 5.9 billion (around ₹41,000 crore) for festive sale one and as expected, we are on track to achieve this figure. As much as 60 per cent of our forecast is already achieved in the first four days of the sale,” said Sanjay Kothari, Associate Partner at Redseer Strategy Consultants.
Also Read: Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale offers huge discounts on smartphones
According to the report, e-commerce marketplaces usually hold up to three sales leading to Diwali. The first of these sales is usually the largest and usually accounts for more than 50 per cent of the sales during the festive period, it added.
In terms of units, 60-70 lakh mobiles were sold in the first four days. “We are expecting a total sale of around 90 lakhs, one crore units of mobiles for festive week one. We are also seeing premium phones driving mobile growth this year,” Kothari said.
(With inputs from agencies)


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Ruler in the News
The Ruler Foods in Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo., created quite a stir when it opened in September.
Shoppers came out in force to check out the new store in suburban St. Louis, which is just what the community needed, according to customers and community officials.
“There is nothing east of Bellefontaine Neighbors in the way of a grocery store, this is it. So it will attract from Glasgow, Riverview and unincorporated St. Louis County,” said Robert Doerr, mayor of Bellefontaine Neighbors.
Many communities are in need of affordable groceries that carry fresh meats and produce. Ruler Foods is honored to serve as many as we can. Watch our website for new openings!
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