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Britain’s fractured relationship with the EU is costing the economy because suppliers have gone cold on doing business with the UK after Brexit, manufacturers have warned.
Make UK is calling on Rishi Sunak to build on his Northern Ireland Protocol deal and “reset” the trading relationship with Brussels.
The trade body said almost 50 per cent of British firms in the sector said their suppliers in Europe had become wary about doing business in Britain.
The survey of more than 100 top manufacturers also found that 35 per cent of firms said suppliers from the rest of the world were also cautious about doing busines in Britain.
In an annual conference speech on Tuesday, Make UK chief executive Stephen Phipson will say the Windsor Framework agreement could be the start of “new chapter” that could lead to better trading relations with the EU.
“We need to reset our political and trading relationship with the EU which has been marked by such rancour,” Mr Phipson will say.
He will add: “I want to applaud the positive approach taken by the prime minister which shows what can be achieved when you work pragmatically and collaboratively, rather than thumping the table or issuing threats.”
Some business chiefs have called on the government to forge a new veterinary deal on agri-foods to ease trade friction with the EU.
Sir Martin Broughton – the business tycoon was among the final bidders to buy Chelsea FC last year – said Brexit had made Britain a less attractive place to invest and had been a “dumb thing to do”.
He told LBC: “In my view it has become a lot less attractive post-Brexit. Denying your biggest market [the EU] and making it difficult to trade with your business market is a dumb thing to do.”
Lord Sainsbury said UK needed a major boost manufacturing to have any hope of addressing the low growth problem. “We’re no longer providing the high valued products that the rest of the world,” the Labour donor told LBC.
Meanwhile, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, in a speech to manufacturing sector leaders on Tuesday, is due to commit to a review of corporate taxes in a bid to create a stable investment environment.
Setting out Labour’s approach if it wins power at the next election, Ms Reeves will say that a Sir Keir Starmer premiership will “put an end to uncertainty” for firms when it comes to the taxes they face.
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SAN FRANCISCO—Waggener Edstrom has opened a new office in the San Francisco Bay Area, returning to the nation’s largest technology market for the first time since closing its Santa Clara office at the start of the technology recession in 2001.
Industry veterans Kazumi Mechling and Rowan Benecke will lead the office and work with existing clients including Advanced Micro Devices, T-Mobile USA, Terabeam, Universal Electronics, and Microsoft’s smart personal objects technology group, as well as with new accounts in the consumer electronics, biotechnology and high-technology arenas.
The office also is expected to provide a foundation for efforts in the Asia-Pacific region as Wagg Ed targets international markets, providing a complement to its existing European operations in London, Munich and Paris.
“Although we have had a presence in northern California for more than 11 years, the opening of this new office rounds out our capabilities here and allows us to offer the full spectrum of agency services to better serve our clients now and in the future,” said Melissa Waggener Zorkin, founder, president and CEO of Waggener Edstrom.
“We consider the Bay Area to be a hub for serving innovative companies in the consumer electronics, biotechnology and high-technology industries, both here and abroad.”
Senior vice president Mechling will be general manager of the new office. She has 20 years of marketing and public relations experience in key domestic and international markets, with nearly a decade of work in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. Before coming to Waggener Edstrom, Mechling founded MediaWorks, an agency specializing in technology and consumer business based in Tokyo, which she subsequently sold to Edelman. Most recently, Mechling was senior vice president and general manager of the Austin office of Blanc & Otus.
“The Bay Area is a natural bridge for clients with operations in both the United States and Asia,” Mechling said. “This move puts us in a strategic position to offer Waggener Edstrom’s trademark technology expertise and more recent consumer and biotechnology services to more California-based companies and particularly those with pan-Pacific interests.”
Benecke, who joined Wagg Ed from his post as co-founder and senior vice president with PR21, has wireless, telecommunications, enterprise software and semiconductor experience.

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Looks like one element of the Klinton Krime Klan Racket and Shakedown Operation ain’t what it used to be:
Hillary Clinton’s newest book, “Stronger Together,” which provides a policy blueprint for where she hopes to take the country if she is elected president, sold just 2,912 copies in its first week on sale, according to Nielsen BookScan.
Both Mrs. Clinton and her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, have promoted the book on the campaign trail, but the sales figure, which tallies about 80 percent of booksellers nationwide and does not include e-books, firmly makes the book what the publishing industry would consider a flop.
First-week sales typically account for around a third of the total sold, thanks to the publicity blitzes that accompany publishers’ biggest releases. By comparison, Mrs. Clinton’s 2014 memoir, “Hard Choices,” which also fell short of expectations, sold more than 85,000 copies in its first week.
Mrs. Clinton’s more revealing 2003 memoir, “Living History,” about her years in the White House, sold about six times as many copies in its first week as “Hard Choices.”
Gee, from the description it appears to be a real page-turner:
Named after the campaign’s slogan, “Stronger Together” offers readers, according to the book jacket, “specific and practical solutions, while also articulating a bold and expansive vision of change and renewal.”
Its roughly 250 pages intersperse bullet-point policy ideas, like “launch a national initiative for suicide prevention” and “humanely address the Central American migrant crisis,” with photographs of Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Kaine on the campaign trail, charts in the campaign’s signature chunky font and highlights from Mrs. Clinton’s speeches.
Naturally, the Times has an explanation for why the public’s not eating this dog food:
Candidates often release hurriedly-written books during their campaigns, often aimed at spreading their message and attracting publicity, rather than topping the best-seller charts.
In 2006, Senator Barack Obama published “The Audacity of Hope,” which laid out his vision for the country. In February 2008, when Mr. Obama’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination against Mrs. Clinton gained momentum, the book averaged sales of more than 35,000 a week.
And hey — what about Sarah Palin!
Others cash in after an election. Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue: An American Life” sold 469,000 copies in its first week in November 2009.
There. Now everybody feels better. Right? Right??
A spokesman for the publisher, Simon & Schuster, which also published Mrs. Clinton’s earlier books and Bill Clinton’s best-selling memoir, “My Life,” declined to comment about the first-week sales.


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BAGUIO CITY – PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications (Smart) posted a 38% hike in its mobile Internet revenues for the first three months of 2016, aligned with the strategy to raise revenue contributions from data and digital product segments.
The surge in Smart’s mobile Internet revenues is twice the increase that the telco posted during the same period last year, clearly showing the upward trajectory of the business. Smart posted 3.091 billion in mobile data revenues for the first quarter of 2016, or 38% more than the same period in 2015. This growth is double the 19% year-on-year increase in Smart’s mobile data revenues from the first quarter of 2015 (2.235 billion) versus the same period in 2014 (1.878 billion).
Mobile internet revenues now account for 30% of PLDT’s mobile data and broadband revenues, up from the same period last year.
“We are clearly pressing on with the shift to data as a revenue driver for the business. This quarter’s results show we are not only growing the revenues of mobile data – we are growing it twice as fast,” according to Ariel Fermin, PLDT and Smart executive vice president and head of consumer business.
Fermin cites increased smartphone adoption among subscribers and a strong subscriber appetite for digital services as the twin drivers for growth.
Almost half, or 45%, of the subscribers of PLDT’s wireless brands Smart and Sun are now using smartphones, up from only 30% last year. Smart also posted a robust, 51-percent increase in mobile data traffic within the network, equivalent to 32,618 terabytes worth of data for just the first three months of the year.
“As we continue to push smartphone adoption among our subscribers, we are at the same time stepping up our efforts to stimulate mobile data usage by offering the most relevant digital services,” Fermin said.
Compelling digital services
In the first quarter of the year, Smart broke ground in its drive to accelerate smartphone adoption when it offered the Smart Prepaid myPhone28 worth P888, with one year of free mobile data. In the range of more advanced devices, Smart offered the Samsung Galaxy S7 and bundled it with the Samsung Gear VR.
To encourage mobile data use, Smart has actively promoted a broad suite of digital content that’s accessible via smartphones. Called ‘Smart Life’, this package of services offers entertainment in various forms such as movies and videos on iFlix, music via Spinnr, books and magazines, and e-Sports via GameX, that may be paid for using one’s prepaid load or chargedto a postpaid account.Smart also partners with top apps like Uber and Airbnb for a complete suite of digital services for Smart subscribers.
Smart also introduced to the market more flexible and affordable data packages. The ‘Big Bytes Barkada’ allows ‘pasa-data’, where a user may share his or her data allowance with other users by passing it in minimum 50 MB chunks. Smart also offers ‘Shared Plan 999’, which provides three smartphones and three mobile numbers under a single account, that are capable of sharing 6 GB of mobile data volume per month. The volume allocation of all Big Bytes offers were also doubled, as in the case of Big Bytes 50, which for P50 already provides 700MB worth of data.
“These strategies are getting traction, as we are seeing aparallel rise in data traffic at 51%, and increase in revenues at 38%,” said Fermin, highlighting that subscribers are clearly willing to spend for mobile data services that’s relevant and meaningful to them.
He pointed out that about 83% of the users of Free Basics (formerly Internet.org), which Facebook first launched in the Philippines in partnership with Smart, eventually started buying data load packages in order to continue using the mobile Internet services that they like. This, in turn, has helped push the percentage of paying data users within the Smart network to grow from about one-third last year to around 50% of smartphone owners this year.
“Critical to all of this is our ability to provide the best customer experience when it comes to mobile data. Mindful of that, we are underpinning all of these initiatives with our drive to build and maintain a superior network as the foundation of our digital strategy,” Fermin said.
Faster mobile data speeds
To this end, PLDT and Smart have set aside about P43 billion in capex, the bulk of which is budgeted to boost internet services in the country, including the recently announced initial deployment of LTE-Advanced, also known as 4.5G.
Smart fired up earlier this month the country’s first LTE-A network in Boracay, using a capability called “carrier aggregation.” Carrier aggregation refers to the ability of LTE-A to combine two or more radio frequency bands in order to deliver bigger bandwidth and faster data speeds to mobile users.
“We are moving on several fronts – networks, devices, digital services, and data plans – to enable our customers to enjoy a Smart Life and truly live digital,” Fermin said.


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Lake Oswego, Ore. — 365 by Whole Foods Market will open its second West Coast location in Lake Oswego, Oregon, on July 14.
The store will host two new Friends of 365 partners, both originating from Portland: Next Level Burger, a plant-based take on hamburgers, and Canteen, a café and juice bar. Both ‘friends’ will establish shops within the store. The location will also offer online ordering and delivery. Whole Foods Market hopes to open 10 stores under the 365 brand in 2017.


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As COVID-19 still holds the world in its grip, different regions are experiencing different problems. Very important for Greece has been the fact that the European Commission has approved €1 billion in aid for that nation’s farmers. In Spain, online food and drink shopping in Spain has soared 84% in two weeks. In the UK, Scottish potato production continues to thrive, but fresh market suppliers could face increased competition from the processing market.
In Australia, incredibly, Virgin Australia pilots are working in supermarkets and picking vegetables after losing their jobs just days into the Covid-19 lockdown. In Canada, the potato processing industry of Southern Alberta is now also in trouble, while in the US, three citrus industry groups have outlined the type of impact that COVID-19 is having on citrus.
This, and much more, in today’s Corona-virus update.
Online food and drink shopping in Spain soars 84% in two weeks
Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has published its analysis of household consumption, noting “general Internet purchases are increasingly numerous in households,” with a clear growth of around 84 per cent in the last week of March and the first week of April.
Almost a quarter more fresh fruit was bought online, and more vegetables and potatoes were purchased, both fresh (up 31 per cent) and processed (up 31.6 per cent)
EU approves €1 billion aid to Greek farmers
After COVID-19 brought many Greek business sectors to a halt, the European Commission has approved an urgent aid measure of €1 billion ($1.09 billion) in repayable advances to companies in dire need. Meanwhile, farmers in Greece have been complaining about their products remaining idle due to the closing of the entire hospitality industry (hotels, restaurants and catering).
Farmers on Crete said supermarkets currently absorbs 30 percent of their production of fruits and vegetables with the rest being unsold since many eateries and other food services are closed, while their counterparts in the Ilia region of the Peloponnese have already discarded part of their fresh crop of strawberries and zucchinis due to limited demand.
Virgin Australia pilots to pick onions and stack shelves
Virgin Australia pilots are working in supermarkets and picking vegetables after losing their jobs just days into the Covid-19 lockdown. The airline sacked about 600 staff including about 200 pilots earlier this month.
Pilot Mike Kenyon lost his job on April 3, after flying for Virgin Australia for half of his 20-year career. "You sacrifice a lot on the way up in this industry. It's a real kick in the guts," the New Zealand Airline Pilots Association representative said. "One pilot, who got word of the redundancies was picking onions in the Hawkes Bay the next day. There's a fair few that have taken up supermarket roles."
The International Air Transport Association (Iata), which represents nearly 300 airlines, said New Zealand would lose nearly 130,000 jobs linked to the aviation industry after just three months of coronavirus travel restrictions. Supermarket companies Foodstuffs and Countdown had employed hundreds of workers since the lockdown began, many of whom were from the tourism industry.
Southern Alberta potato processing industry in trouble
Alberta’s potato industry is now also part of the businesses being devastated by COVID-19. Southern Alberta’s big three potato processors Cavendish Farms, McCain Foods, and Lamb Weston have cut the total size of contracted acreage this spring by 20 to 25 per cent, due to plummeting french fry sales caused by mass restaurant closures across the region.
“Seventy five per cent of the french fry industry is QSR (quick service restaurants) in Western Canada, and that’s come to a screeching halt,” said Terrance Hochstein, executive director of the Alberta Potato Growers.
Citrus industry groups talk about COVID-19 damage
In a letter addressed to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, three citrus industry groups have outlined the type of impact that COVID-19 is having on citrus. California Citrus Mutual (CCM), Texas Citrus Mutual, and Florida Citrus Mutual provided insight on the damage created by coronavirus as decisions are being made as to how to disperse funding for relief aid for the agricultural sector.
Lemons appear to have taken the biggest hit since the beginning of the shelter in place orders, with losses in revenues for growers between $4 million to $5 million per week. The closure of schools, restaurants and other retail outlets have also resulted in a dramatic decline in sales of grapefruit and grapefruit juice. The market has also become exceptionally volatile for other varieties of citrus. Although still early on, the projections for losses by the end of the season are in the $200 million range.
Scottish processors check out potato market
Scottish potato production continues to thrive in the current crisis, but with a collapse in the food service sector, fresh market suppliers could face increased competition from the processing market who are looking for a space on the shelves.
Fraser Malcolm of the Scottish Potato Cooperative said: “Four weeks ago, it went absolutely crazy. We were looking at double volumes for ten days to meet the huge surge in demand. However, orders have crashed dramatically since. The whole supply chain is starting to struggle as supermarkets can’t get enough vehicles; staff are going off in to isolation and there aren’t enough trays to get products on to the shop floor – not to mention people are more frightened of going to supermarkets amid the scare.”
He added that people are also likely to be more cautious about food waste and are living more frugally at this time - which he believes could be having an impact on demand.
US: Caltrans issues special permits for delivering emergency supplies
Caltrans has announced it will temporarily issue special permits for overweight trucks transporting emergency supplies in support of COVID-19 relief and prevention efforts.
According to Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. “Emergency medical supplies and equipment, groceries, perishable items, water and countless other essential items will now reach their destinations more rapidly than they did before, at a time when people need them most.”
Caltrans will issue permits for overweight trucks on the State Highway System and will help support transportation operators in obtaining permits from local agencies for local roads. These permits increase the maximum allowable gross vehicle weight from 80,000 to 88,000 pounds and will be valid until further notice.
California agri community expresses gratitude to retail industry
California Secretary of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross has sent a message of thanks to retail industry for stepping up during country’s time of need.
“Our California farmers, ranchers and farmworkers understand the challenge this crisis has delivered to our retailer partners: to manage adequate supply, maintain efficient distribution, and most of all provide a safe shopping environment for customers and employees. All of this has been accomplished with a level of care, service and dedication that makes us proud to be part of your supply chain,” stated Ross.
The letter of gratitude recognizes the efforts of warehouse workers pulling double shifts, truck drivers adding routes, in-store employees, direct-to-consumer serves and retail managers. In addition, the letter offers a promise from the agriculture community to continue to provide nutritious food for retailers to serve the community.
Cambodia: Mango prices drop as crisis hits peak season sales
The Agriculture Ministry has instructed local farmers and producers to rethink their mango supply chains, as coronavirus-related economic disruptions have sent the price of the fruit plummeting during peak season.
Mango prices dropped by 60 percent from last year due to reduced orders for export as consumer spending has nosedived amid the Covid-19 pandemic, pushing some mango-processing businesses to temporarily suspend operations, the ministry said in a directive on Friday.
To withstand the fall in prices, the ministry ordered provincial and local authorities to work with the private sector and development partners to chart out a production plan, suggesting that stakeholders help connect farmers to new markets or train them to produce higher-value products, like dried mango or syrup.
India: Vegetable supply in Gujarat plummets due to closure of six markets
A day after the state government announced the closure of six Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) in Gujarat due to concerns surrounding the lack of social distancing, the supply of vegetables saw a 30 per cent decline on Tuesday. There are about 70 APMCs in Gujarat that deal in vegetables and fruits.
Only 7,000 tons of vegetables reached 68-odd markets in Gujarat, while earlier, during the lockdown, 10,000 tons of vegetables were supplied. Six APMCs at Jetalpur, Padra, Himmatnagar, Kapadvanj, Dholka and Kalol were closed on Monday. Meanwhile, the state government officials said that Jetalpur market that supplies vegetables to Ahmedabad will begin operations from Wednesday.
Robot-powered warehouses need to survive the pandemic
Inside a warehouse in Erith, on the outskirts of East London, more than a thousand robots glide across a vast steel and aluminum grid. Following individual routes, they whizz off, accelerating at rates rivaling those of a Ferrari. The robots’ claws grab the sides of a white plastic crate containing fruit, vegetables, cereal—any of 55,000 different items—and retracts it up into the robot’s belly.
This warehouse, or customer fulfillment center (CFC), as logistics pros call it, is one of the most sophisticated and automated on the planet, one that can handle many tens of thousands of orders a week. It belongs to Ocado, a pioneering British online grocer that is positioning itself as a white knight for the beleaguered grocery sector—and possibly other industries too—offering to help supermarket chains compete in an automated age.
Ocado’s robot-powered warehouses thrum with activity on ordinary days; since the coronavirus crisis erupted, they’ve been in roaring overdrive. The pandemic has given the company a chance to prove it can keep an online grocery business humming, even when its human workforce faces unprecedented strain. Yet at the same time, the crisis’s upending of daily life has threatened to knock Ocado off its growth trajectory, just when it seemed tantalisingly close to becoming a global force.
Tanzania Horticultural Association secures Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane
As major airlines all over the world ground their planes in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the Tanzania Horticultural Association, in partnership with the government, have secured an Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane to ship the commodity to global markets.
The maiden cargo plane loaded nearly 30 tonnes of high value fruits, vegetables and spices off to Belgium for delivery to various European markets bringing a sigh of relief to hundreds of local producers and exporters.
Kenyan farmers take new approach to sales during lockdown
Kenya’s farmers and produce dealers are looking to social media and farm-based sales to bridge the production and market gaps in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The farmers are hoping to curb postharvest losses for fresh produce and improve their ability to acquire key agricultural inputs like fertilizer during the outbreak, which has prompted the cessation of cross-country travels, hampering market access for smallholder farmers and roadside traders.
“Social media motivated me to start my business, as 80 percent of my customers have access to the internet,” Nancy Kwamboka, a mother of two and broadcast professional, told the Alliance for Science. “They place orders and I deliver. Before coronavirus, this idea was not refined. But as demand for home deliveries escalated, I stepped in to help my fellow mothers to access food.”
Kenya inks deal with Ethiopian Airlines to operate freighters
The Kenyan government has inked a deal with Ethiopian Airlines to operate passenger planes grounded due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) for shipment of cargo between the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Nairobi to Europe and Asia.
The deal allows Ethiopian Airlines to fly cargo using six of its passenger planes from Mombasa to Nairobi and Asia and Europe, posing a threat to the Kenya Airways (KQ) cargo business. Ethiopian Airlines is expected to ship fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers and meat which are currently scarce in Europe.
India: Maharashtra’s mango farmers go online
With the extension of the lockdown, Maharashtra’s farmers are trying to find new ways to reach consumers. This time, mango growers of the state are going online to tap consumers and directly sell the fruit to housing societies.
For this, Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (MSAMB) has decided to come to their rescue and provide a platform. Every year, MSAMB holds mango festivals throughout the season enabling consumers to directly purchase mangoes from farmers. Last year, Rs 18 crore worth business was achieved through such direct mango festivals.


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Plenty of marketers today have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in marketing. But quite a few took a road less traveled—from engineering, sales, even customer service—to wind up in marketing. Direct Marketing News asked its readers about the paths they’ve taken to arrive at their current senior marketing role.
About 150 respondents shared with us their first job, career twists, mentors, and whether they would go back and change the course of their career. Here are their top responses in pictorial form:


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India has completely changed in the last six-seven years when it comes to the electronics manufacturing ecosystem. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promotion of ‘Make in India’ and policies like PLI and EMC 2.0, the electronics manufacturing industry in the country is booming. These policies and the drive in the country have not only inspired domestic manufacturers to step up their game, but have also encouraged foreign companies to set up their roots in India and produce components and products not only for the Indian market but for the world. invited to build. , The ‘Make in India’ campaign is still gaining momentum. But one company which is making its products in India for more than 30 years is SPPL or Super Plastronics Private Limited.
SPPL is an Indian manufacturing company that was established in 1990. The company started as a plastic injection molding manufacturing unit and then moved on to manufacturing cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions. Today, it is manufacturing smart TVs for five leading global brands including Thomson, Kodak, Blaupunkt, Westinghouse and White-Westinghouse and other home appliances including ACs, coolers and washing machines.
The company’s journey from a plastic injection molding manufacturer to a home appliance manufacturer was not an easy one. So, we sat down with SPPL CEO Avneet Singh Marwah to understand the company’s journey so far and where it is headed next.
The journey so far and key learnings
When SPPL decided to transform itself, it became a brand licensee for companies such as Blaupunkt, Westinghouse and White-Westinghouse. Though they are quite a popular name in the global markets, they are still gaining popularity in India. When asked why SPPL decided to go for comparatively lesser-known names, the CEO of the company said that the company has chosen to partner with a brand that has huge recall value globally .
“…we thought that because of this technology [smart TV tech] You need brands which are multinational, which have huge recall globally and then as Indians we are always in favor of all these multinational big recall brands. So, we started working…in 2015 we had Kodak, in 2018 Thompson and then we launched Blaupunkt from Germany and then Westinghouse for television and I think after 2015 there is no looking back. ‘
“We have been doing Make in India for the last 30 years. We were manufacturing when many people started importing screens from different countries. And we’ve seen tough days. And then, the network of service that you have after-sales service, I think that was really important from day one. And that is the mantra and success behind our brand.”
Talking about his key learnings, Marwah said that India is a huge market, but making a profit is not easy. “I think the important learning is that people say India is a huge market, but I still say the penetration versus population in the country is very low. Making a profit from a brand is very difficult…but not impossible. No,” he told us.
about future plans
At present, SPPL manufactures products under four categories – TV, Washing Machine, Cooler and AC. The company is planning to expand its manufacturing facility beyond these home appliances. The CEO of SPPL also told us that his company is also planning to foray into new technologies.
“… there are many things, not even other home appliances, we are also looking for other technology products. I think for the next five years, every year you, or every six months you’ll see a new category that we introduce. Apart from Home Appliances, there are other categories which we feel are going to be disrupted in that category and within two to three months a big news is coming. From television to home appliances, we are now moving towards technology.
shopping trends in india
The Indian market has seen a lot of changes, especially in the light of the pandemic. Per capita income has increased, due to which the spending power of the people has also increased. “I think the biggest trend I saw this year was that India is no longer about opening price points. I think the kind of growth we are seeing in the mid-segment is phenomenal. Per Capita Income is increasing from $2.5 thousand, and I think it will reach about three point five to four thousand dollars. The ideal situation is about twelve thousand dollars per person,” Marwah said.
“As per capita income increases, disposable income increases, and this is where the market shifts. Having said that, the rural market is not growing and this is a word that needs to be very concerned. Despite back to back good seasons for agriculture… there is a need to improve the buying sentiment in the rural sector.’
Marwah says that the reason for the slow growth is the global economic situation. “One of the main reasons is inflation. I would say there are global reasons for this. After the pandemic we saw a war and then it disrupted the entire market – fuel pricing, component pricing, commodity pricing and then agriculture disruption,” said Marwah.
Government of India and its policies
Talking about policies, Marwah said that domestic players have benefited a lot from the policies of the Government of India.
“Make India is not new to those who were already manufacturing. It just needed some policy changes and how from Make in India we became business in India and then again focus on manufacturing was really important… So this is a big initiative that the PM is doing,” Marwah.
“It is high time that we should have our own core component manufacturing. We need more raw material factories in India. Banning the CPU of televisions or air conditioners has led to many attractive policies so that they can be made more in India. Encourage manufacturing. From assembly to manufacturing now in India, which is very important. And PLI, which is a game changer step… So, I think it’s a start. It’s a start. Long way to go Have to. If it continues for about five to six years, it will definitely be a plus one.”
The post We will introduce a new product category in India every six months, SPPL CEO Avneet Singh Marwah spoke for the first time on Techlusive.


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The Midland Metro Alliance, in partnership with West Midlands Combined Authority and the Black Country Growth Hub, has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Innovation category next month’s West Midlands Constructing Excellence Awards.
After attracting more than 200 entries from some of the biggest firms in UK construction, the awards will see business leaders, construction peers and innovators from across the sector gather at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham to celebrate the very best industry projects.
The collaboration of Midland Metro Alliance, the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Black Country Growth Hub on the BIDsmarter app has been recognised for its innovative way of working to develop the region’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
BIDsmarter is a free business improvement and self-assessment app, helping local SMEs gain the right combination of business skills, tools and experience to unlock their potential to work on the Midland Metro tram expansion project.
BIDsmarter impressed the judging panel who said:
The development and future use of cloud-based smartphone applications to virtually coach supply chain excellence and manage risk on a real-life rail transportation project is truly pioneering and a potential catalyst to change the way our industry improves and manages supply chains. What is unique about BIDsmarter is that no other region in the UK is doing as much to innovate and increase the competitiveness of its indigenous SME supply chain through a digital platform that upskills, supports, coaches work-winning and digital technology skills of suppliers.”
Paula Gray, Head of Procurement for the Midland Metro Alliance, said:
We are very proud that our constant focus on supporting the SMEs of the West Midlands region is being recognised by our industry peers. It is a key objective of the Midland Metro Alliance, the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Black Country Growth Hub to ensure that local businesses benefit not only from increased turnover, but through access to additional business support like this app, resulting in future employment opportunities to local people. We are very proud to be at the forefront of this initiative and look forward to delivering tangible benefits to businesses for years to come.”
Andy Cox, Board Member and Growth Hub Champion for the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership, said:
The West Midlands is leading the way in adopting digital technologies, providing coaching for improving work-winning skills, and demonstrating innovation in managing whole supply chains.”
It has been a week of award nominations for the Midland Metro Alliance. The MMA has also been shortlisted in the Supply Chain Excellence and Best Use of Technology categories of the annual Construction News Awards. The winners of the West Midlands Constructing Excellence Awards 2018 will be announced on Friday 13 April and the Construction News Awards will be held on Thursday 12 July.


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Michelman recently announced it has hired two representatives to serve customers in the paper and corrugated coatings market in Latin America. Manuel Muñoz of Coaterex Latinamerica is based in Colombia and will manage paper and corrugated coating customers in Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador. He has more than 20 years of experience in the paper, printing and corrugated packaging industries, and has been representing Michelman’s line of digital printing products for the past four years.
Andres Zuwolinsky of Reprosa Representaciones Profesionales S.A. is based in Costa Rica and will manage customers in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. He has more than 25 years of experience managing and operating corrugated box plants.
For more information, visit www.michelman.com.


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The Responsible Electronic Communication Alliance, a group of e-mail marketers and service bureaus formed to create industry standards for online marketing, became official last week as it announced its 15 charter members as well as its president and executive director.
Founding members of RECA, Washington, include 24/7 Media, @Once, Acxiom Corp., American List Counsel, Bigfoot Interactive, ClickAction, Digital Impact, DoubleClick, e-Dialog, EmailChannel, FloNetwork, Netcentives, Phase2Media, Responsys and yesmail.com.
The organization is headed by Richard Wolf, an Internet attorney who is RECA's president, and Peter Arnold, former director of an Internet coalition that lobbied against regulation, who is executive director.
On its new site, RECA said its goal is “to create and promote best practices for companies involved in online marketing.” The group also stated that it would issue “detailed principles” based on the Fair Information Practices endorsed by the Federal Trade Commission in July.
RECA is one of three e-mail coalitions that seek to establish voluntary standards for e-mail marketing behavior. The oldest and still largest of the three is the Association of Interactive Media's Council for Responsible Email. Another coalition, called the Email Standards Working Group, also formed this summer. Some of the e-mail firms, such as yesmail and EmailChannel, are participating in more than one of these groups.
— Jason Gonzalez


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Triptych Bankside commercial building fully let as JTRE London inks landmark tenant deals and opens new UK Head Office
Following an exceptional year with sustained tenant demand, JTRE London has confirmed a landmark 10-year lease with a global pharmateautical company to take over 30,000 sq ft across five floors of the 68,000 sq ft commercial building at One Triptych Place, part of the game changing Triptych Bankside in SE1.
JTRE London has also confirmed additional new tenants including television communications company Digital UK, taking over 8,000 sq ft, and US architectural firm Corgan taking over 4,800 sq ft.
The new signings will complement previously announced tenants including publishing house The Quarto Group (9,000 sq ft), indoor bouldering company The Font (7,000 sq ft), as well as independent coffee company 92 Degrees (2,000 sq ft).
JTRE London continues its journey of growth in the UK market by occupying 4,000 sq ft of space on the first floor as its new UK Head Office.
Nigel Fleming, Sales & Marketing Director of JTRE London, said: “The signing of one of the biggest global pharmaceutical companies, is testament to the design, location and quality of development at Triptych Bankside. From exceptional prime office space that meets the rigorous demands of today’s occupiers, to exciting retail and leisure offerings, we are delivering a world-class mixed-use offering that will create an enduring legacy on the vibrant Southbank. The Triptych Bankside estate is one of London’s succesful projects in recent years, and we are delighted to now also call it home for our new JTRE London Head Office.
Jack Beeby, BH2 “The quality and range of the amenity at Triptych Bankside was absolutely key in attracting occupiers to the building, providing a platform for them to recruit and retain the best talent for their business. The diversity of the occupiers, pharmaseautical, tech, and publishing, highlights the continued depth in demand for best in class assets.”
Hunter Booth, head of the West End agency team at Savills, added: “The leasing velocity of Triptych Bankside shows that best-in-class office spaces in well-connected locations are outperforming the market. The current line-up of occupiers in the building is testament that it is getting the mix of ingredients right: Triptych Bankside gives its tenants everything they need on a day-to-day basis, as well as easy access to the wider amenity of London’s vibrant Southbank.”
Designed by internationally acclaimed architects Squire & Partners, the 68,000 sq ft, prime grade A commercial building is part of an award-winning £400 million mixed-use development. The scheme is made up of three distinctive sweeping towers, with 169 luxury apartments in two blocks, plus 87,000 sqt ft of office space and retail in a third. Its close proximity to the City of London, the West End and its location within one of London’s most vibrant cultural districts makes it ideally situated.
The BREEAM ‘Excellent’ building is also at the forefront of ‘smart building’ capabilities with a WiredScore Platinum certification achieved, one of the few buildings in Europe to reach that standard.


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If two votes are good ...
Though Palmer Lake voters rejected recreational-marijuana stores in April, 538 to 481, residents will get another crack at the issue this November. Two cracks actually, as two questions will deal with the plant.
The first would allow retail sales, with limitations on the number of stores; the inclusion of a "good neighbor" plan; restrictions on hours and locations as decided by a committee made up of supporters and opponents; a special 6-percent sales tax; and the creation of a Palmer Lake emergency account that all related monies would fund.
The second initiative is pretty much the opposite. Backed by Monument resident Chris Amenson, who did not return a call seeking comment, it asks, "Shall the Town of Palmer Lake prohibit the operation of retail marijuana stores until at least November 7, 2017 and thereafter until repealed by vote of the electorate?"
Beyond disagreeing with the limiting language, the anti-pot question would be another blow to the town, says attorney and resident Karen Stuth, who sits on the planning commission and is running the pro-cannabis campaign with Mitch Davis. "Our town really, really, really needs the money [from marijuana taxes]," she says. "We have such a high rate of businesses opening and closing, here in Palmer Lake, that our prospects for increasing our revenue using other sources are dim to none, unless we would get a Walmart or a Home Depot."
Stuth objects to Amenson's refusal to participate in a public, 9 a.m. debate on Sept. 20 at Town Hall (42 Valley Crescent St.), and likes RMJ's chance of success; she notes that after the most recent election, 300 ballots that were accidentally mailed to a physical address instead of the appropriate post-office box were returned to City Hall unopened.
Currently, there's one medical-marijuana center in operation: Dino Salvatori's Palmer Lake Wellness Center. For reference, 54.6 percent of Palmer Lake voters supported Amendment 64 in 2012.
Bud, lights, action
A new reality web series combines Shark Tank with Super Lemon Haze, and it wants you to audition. The Marijuana Show seeks "budding canna-business entrepreneurs ... with new business ideas, or budding companies that are looking for guidance and capital to take them to the next level." Auditions will be held between noon and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 13 and 14, at The Watering Bowl (5411 Leetsdale Drive, Denver, themarijuanashow.com).
The Southern Colorado Cannabis Council has changed the date of its public mixer at the Warehouse Restaurant and Gallery (25 W. Cimarron St., thewarehouserestaurant.com). Instead of Tuesday, Sept. 16, it will happen at 7 p.m., Sept. 24. Longmont Rep. Jonathan Singer will speak.


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Internet Fraud Reporting System Launched
What do the FBI, Microsoft and the American Bankers Association all have in common? Answer: they're all collaborating against online fraud.
Those organizations, and more, have joined Internet Fraud Alert, a new program for alerting institutions to data breaches. The program was launched on Thursday using technology from Microsoft that enables companies and institutions to get reports when user accounts are compromised. Breached data might include user names, passwords and credit card numbers that hackers might use to perpetrate fraud.
No easy method to alert institutions existed before the release of Internet Fraud Alert, according to Microsoft's announcement.
Microsoft has contributed its Internet Fraud Alert solution to the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), which will manage the program. The NCFTA is a nonprofit organization consisting of the FBI, the Cyber Initiative and Resource Fusion Unit, four universities, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and various corporations, including Microsoft. The main activity of NCFTA participants is to share information about Internet security fraud threats.
"Partners come to the NCFTA prepared to share information in a manner that respects the privacy, data integrity and diversity of every contributor," according to the NCFTA Web site. "In return, the NCFTA provides an array of highly specialized products and services that help its partners reduce current and future fraud."
In addition, Accuity -- an NCFTA member and provider of global payment routing data -- has donated a solution to the NCFTA that helps to verify the institutions participating in the program.
The Internet Fraud Alert program is designed to facilitate secure communications about phishing scams or hacks for the "stakeholders" in the program, such as financial institutions, retailers and service providers. Possibly, the program may squelch embarrassing "bad PR" through its private alert system. For instance, last week, Goatse Security publicly reported that the e-mail addresses of thousands of AT&T iPad 3G users could be viewed on AT&T's Web site by using a program.
Other participating organizations in the Internet Fraud Alert program include the "Anti-Phishing Working Group, Citizens Bank, eBay Inc., Federal Trade Commission, National Consumers League and PayPal," according to Microsoft's announcement.
Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.


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Lyft Is Bringing Back Shared Rides — What Customers Need to Know
Lyft will reintroduce shared rides, the company shared with Travel + Leisure on Thursday, a feature that was eliminated due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The shared rides option, which pairs customers who are heading to nearby destinations, will begin again on Monday in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Denver, according to Lyft. The company plans to extend the service to additional cities "in the coming months."
The lower-cost option will continue to match riders together, but will have a few COVID-19-era modifications, including requiring all passengers and drivers to wear masks and limiting each shared ride to two passengers. Customers will not be allowed to eat or drink during their ride.
"As the country reopens, we want our most affordable ride option to be available to our riders," Lyft's President and Co-Founder John Zimmer said in a statement shared with T+L. "After a year and a half without shared rides, people are going to love the updates we've made — no surprise pickups, know your full route before you get in, and a new option to book ahead."
Passengers who book a shared ride can now do so in advance, saving even more money the further out they order the car. By booking in advance, Lyft said passengers can also be better matched with fellow riders for a more efficient route.
Additionally, customers who order a car ahead of time can book with the option of "no surprise pickups," which means they will know the number of stops ahead of time.
While Lyft is bringing back its shared ride option, fellow rideshare company Uber has kept its similar UberPool service on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the company.
For riders who want to split a ride with a friend, Lyft allows customers to pay with Venmo and share the cost with their fellow rider.
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.


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Opening up the Internet to taxation is like opening the floodgates of government control.
The Federal Communications Commission is eyeing a proposal to tax broadband Internet service.
The move would funnel money to the Connect America Fund, a subsidy the agency created last year to expand Internet access.
The FCC issued a request for comments on the proposal in April. Dozens of companies and trade associations have weighed in, but the issue has largely flown under the public’s radar.
Numerous companies, including AT&T, Sprint and even Google have expressed support for the idea.
Of course AT&T, Sprint and Google would support this legislation. It makes it more expensive for their competitors to open shop and challenge their foothold in the market. Just like with every other government action in any particular industry. As soon as the government starts making rules the special interest powers that be will begin to befriend those in power to insulate themselves from the competitive forces of the free market.
Free marketeers are not “pro-business.” We are pro-market and the market is overwhelmingly anti-business and pro-consumer.


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Second round of parliamentary election to be held in Lithuania on SundayWorld October 23, 2:49
Russian Duma delegation to take part in BRICS forum, IPU Assembly in GenevaRussian Politics & Diplomacy October 23, 2:11
Ceasefire in Syria violated 44 times in 24 hours — Russian reconciliation centerWorld October 23, 1:36
Russian national delegation would be more effective at US election — expertRussian Politics & Diplomacy October 23, 1:09
Russia looks to produce Zika vaccine in Nicaragua — health ministerSociety & Culture October 23, 0:20
Russian diplomat calls to compare death tolls in Iraq under Hussein vs under US ruleRussian Politics & Diplomacy October 22, 21:00
US-led coalition delivers air strike on civilian procession in Iraq — Defense ministryWorld October 22, 18:45
Gazprom supplies to Europe reach record-breaking 590 mln cubic meters on FridayBusiness & Economy October 22, 18:24
Minsk protests against Ukraine's forced return to Kiev of Belavia planeWorld October 22, 14:05
MOSCOW, August 12. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian authorities will control food prices both by retailers and suppliers in an effort to prevent rapid price growth following a ban on produce from Western countries.
Market regulations were discussed on Tuesday at a meeting of a government commission for food market monitoring and rapid response to changing conditions on food markets, chaired by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich.
The ban, introduced last week, bars imports of meat, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetables from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia and Norway in retaliation for sanctions imposed by those nations over events in Ukraine.
Announcing the ban at a cabinet meeting on August 7, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the ban would not apply to children’s food or products bought abroad by private individuals.
Medvedev instructed the government to start monitoring the commodity markets and price levels on a daily basis.
“The Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service shall enhance their cooperation with retail chain representatives and producers,” he said.


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Blockbuster's collapse into administration after almost 25 years on the UK's high street is the latest blow to Britain's economy.
The high street bloodbath has claimed more than 200,000 retail jobs since the current economic crisis erupted in 2007.
Around 48,000 shop jobs were lost last year, with JJB Sports, Comet and Peacocks among a wave of big name stores that collapsed.
Experts predict 2013 could be even worse, with around 50,000 retail employees in the line of fire.
The retail industry employs around one in 10 British workers, the highest proportion of in the private sector.
According to recent figures, more than one in 10 shops were empty across Britain's high streets in October last year.
But many regions have been hit harder: Northern Ireland, Wales, the North East of England and Yorkshire have record numbers of vacant shops.
Stores selling books, CDs and DVDs, electrical items, home furnishings, menswear, and holidays have been hardest hit, along with off-licences, bars and pubs.
And in a reflection of austerity Britain, pound stores, charity shops, credit unions, supermarkets and retailers selling convenience food are increasing.
Below we look at some of the chains badly affected since the recession began.
Some have seen many stores and jobs saved, while others have disappeared forever.


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Prize gede Pengeluaran SGP 2020 – 2021. Hadiah terbaik lainnya hadir dipandang dengan terencana melewati iklan yang kami tempatkan dalam website ini, serta juga siap ditanyakan kepada teknisi LiveChat pendukung kami yang menjaga 24 jam Online untuk meladeni segala kepentingan para player. Ayo secepatnya join, & menangkan diskon Togel serta Kasino Online terbesar yg ada di tempat kami.
According to the embassy, its online booking system opens every Friday at 1pm, allowing between 350 and 400 people to book slots to renew their passports.
However, bookings have been snapped up, with the next available slot only available on Jun 10.
Under the current arrangement, the embassy sees between 70 and 80 people each day with online bookings and allows 20 people with no existing bookings to walk in.
Those who apply in the morning can get a new passport on the same day, the embassy told CNA, adding that it issues between 90 and 100 passports daily.
“We are looking after our citizens and helping people, especially domestic helpers or construction workers who have difficulty getting an online booking,” it said.
The embassy added that it had started this special arrangement in January to allow Myanmar nationals based in Singapore to renew their passport in time.
A check on Facebook revealed photos of long queues outside the embassy dating back to Apr 11. In several videos, people are seen waiting in the rain at night.


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May 20, 2016 Staff Report
A youth market is opening in Ditmars Park this summer that will be in operation every Saturday through fall.
Residents will be able to buy food grown at farms in the region, receive nutritional education and be offered cooking demonstrations. The workers will be young adults, since the market is a joint venture of GrowNYC and Global Kids.
The market will open for the year on Saturday, July 9, and will run through Nov. 19. Its hours will be from 9am to 4pm.
Ditmars Park is located on Steinway Street between Ditmars Blvd and 23rd Avenue.
City Councilman Costa Constantinides today announced that he will allocate $10,000 of city funds toward the fledgling market to help get it going.
“Eating seasonal and local produce is important for our nutrition and to help support our local farming economy,” Constantinides said. “Buying local produce also reduces pollution that would be created through transporting food long distances.”
The market will offer a range of fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables. For the list of venders, click here.
“We are thrilled to bring a GrowNYC Youthmarket to Ditmars Park and the residents of Astoria,” said GrowNYC Executive Director, Marcel Van Ooyen.
“Our Youthmarket program is a unique model that teaches neighborhood youth to run a farmstand, supplied by GrowNYC’s own wholesale distribution arm, Greenmarket Co., while also helping them to be ambassadors for healthy, seasonal eating to their families and neighbors.
There are currently no Youthmarkets in Astoria.
There are two greenmarkets in the neighborhood. One is located at Socrates Sculpture Park and the other on 14th Street and 31st Avenue.
As if that area isn’t crowded enough! Why are they taking up space that is used by many adults and children in the community! That is a small local park and I see so many elderly and children congregating there on weekends. Parks are the only free areas left in our city and now we are turning them into a market with over priced fruits and vegetables that many people can not afford! I wonder how much these vendors are paying the city and i hope they clean up their mess and do not attract more rodents to the area. Just wait those vendors smell the sewer plant hahaha!
I think you’re just upset because they don’t sell food for trolls.
Amazing. Love it and will be buying regularly. Great idea
Love it! Anything that brings healthy food for home cooking to the area is a good thing!


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After just three seasons back at the helm of her eponymous label, designer Jil Sander has announced her exit due to personal reasons. Her last collection will be spring/summer 14, with the autumn/winter 14 collection set to be designed by the current in-house team.
This marks the third time that Sander has left her own label.
Established in 1968, the designer first cut her losses in 2000, after selling 75 per cent of the company to the Prada group.
She made a brief return in 2003, but left again shortly afterwards, passing the reigns over to Raf Simons. Following his departure last year for Dior, Sander announced her third comeback in February 2012.
Jil Sander chief exectuive Alessandro Cremonesi said: "On behalf of the group I want to thank Jil Sander for her remarkable contribution to the brand over this period. Her outstanding design and creative leadership have been crucial in reinforcing the brand and positioning it to foster further prosperous growth”.


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"Caviar Lairs," Ritzy Lodgings, and Pricey Furniture: Is RH Trying to Become the Next Soho House?
RH seems to be on track to deliver the members’ club experience without annual dues, thanks to a series of expansions into restaurants, hotels, and even an editorial platform helmed by a print magazine veteran.
At one time RH, then known as Restoration Hardware, was just another mall-caliber furniture store selling greige furniture and decor to suburbanites. Since then, the California-based brand has truncated the name and shifted its consumer base up a few tax brackets by embarking on a sweeping foray into opulent restaurants (hilariously dubbed “caviar lairs” by Eater), ritzy lodgings in New York and Aspen, shrewd expansions of its furniture business, and now a media arm helmed by former AD editor Margaret Russell.
Sound familiar? The furniture juggernaut’s recent trajectory seems to be mimicking that of Soho House, whose parent company, Membership Collective Group (MCG), rapidly expanded its U.S. holdings leading up to its 2021 IPO. Soho House has been in expansion mode ever since, with a spate of buzzy clubs and hotels opening in Nashville, Copenhagen, and Tel Aviv, and future ones slated for Mexico City and Bangkok.
As MCG approached its IPO, the company opened the doors to Soho Works, a dedicated coworking space in New York where members’ screentime and phone calls wouldn’t be policed by eagle-eyed social club managers. The launch of Soho Home, its upmarket line of club-inspired furniture and decor, soon made landfall in Manhattan and then Los Angeles. The company then raised eyebrows when it appointed Wired UK and British GQ alumnus Andrew Diprose with the bold directive of creating a print magazine in 2022.
Most recently came America’s first outpost of the Ned, another joint social club and hotel venture under the MCG banner that brought with it public and members-only restaurants and a fine art collection fit for the Whitney. The company also has holdings in international spas, dubbed Soho Health clubs; skincare products branded Soho Skin; and the UK movie theater chain Electric Cinemas.
For all the parallels between RH and MCG’s respective hype trains, their revenue figures tell a different story. In 2021, RH posted 35 percent year-over-year revenue growth to the sum of $3.66 billion, and is on track to post $3.85 billion for 2022. By comparison, MCG posted 2021 revenue totaling $400 million, and is on track to grow that figure by 58 percent to $650 million this year. There are caveats to such a direct comparison: RH has been a publicly traded company since 2001, and Membership Collective Group made its IPO just last year. During a recent earnings call, RH CEO Gary Friedman shared a staggering contraction of the company’s gross profit margin, and uncertainty seeded by the “complete collapse” of the luxury housing market, according to Business of Home.
With menu offerings like a $65 wagyu sandwich and an $84 rotisserie chicken, the stark realities of the current economic climate don’t seem to have reached the clientele of the Dining Room at RH Guesthouse in Manhattan. With its oak floors, travertine slabs, and leather upholstery, a specific shade of Billionaire Beige prevails there, where Friedman told the New York Times: “Nobody cares if the room’s beautiful if the food sucks.”
Another key difference between the two companies include their expansion strategies. MCG has a reputation for creating offshoot companies like Soho Home from within. Following suit, RH recently made calculated business acquisitions to power its category expansions in the case of California-based upholstery brand Dmitry and Michigan-based furniture manufacturer Jeup, whose leadership and infrastructure will be positioned to launch RH Couture Upholstery and RH Bespoke Furniture, respectively. With the appointment of Russell, a legendary doyenne of shelter media, the company seems to hope to flex its—or perhaps by proxy, her—proximity to people influencing the direction of design at the highest level.
It’s too early to tell who will come out ahead in the arms race to become the ultimate lifestyle omni-brand, but it feels symbolic that the neighboring Soho House and RH Guesthouse along New York’s Ninth Avenue share the same view.


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Danobatgroup delegation in china holds its annual conference for sales agents29-09-2021
On September 16 and 17, the Chinese branch of Danobatgroup held the 2021 agent conference in Shanghai, where agents from all provinces and cities of the country met with the Danobatgroup team in China.
The event is framed within the context of the new development strategy of the industrial group in China, which aims to make a qualitative and quantitative leap by means of a reorganisation of the company structure, increased local investments and a new diversification strategy.
The event dealt with a variety of topics such as the economic situation of the country, the technological development of the main industrial fields, support policies for the agents in China, and the future development plan of the group called “Be Danobatgroup China, Be Unlimited”, which outlines the roadmap for marketing the four brands of the industrial group in this country: Danobat, Soraluce, Danobat-Overbeck and Hembrug. Training workshops on products and applications for each of the four brands were also held for the agents.
As a boost to a better team spirit, the inidustrial group also invited all agents and workers to participate in outdoor team activities. Agents and employees enjoyed team building activities together that inspired everyone to jointly build the bright future ahead.
At the conference Mr. Jo Santens, CEO of Danobatgroup in China, emphasized the idea of "our agents, our colleagues" in order to promote a culture of collaboration not only among the internal team but also with the agents, stating that "This close collaboration is not only the cornerstone of the cooperation between Danobatgroup and the agent team, but also the key to promoting long-term development in the second half of the year and into the future".


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(L) Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaks in the Benjamin Franklin room at the State Department, during a virtual meeting with Mexican Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier, who is in Mexico City, in Washington, U.S. February 26, 2021. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/Pool via Reuters) (R) Mexican Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier looks on in an office at the Secretary of Economy building in Mexico City, during a virtual meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in Washington, U.S., in Mexico City, Mexico February 26, 2021. (Mexico’s Secretary of Economy Officer/Handout via Reuters)
Mexican Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a virtual meeting on Friday that Mexico wants to be a supplier of chips and other critical goods for North America.
Clouthier said in her remarks before the meeting that Mexico wants to be a part of efforts to restore the supply chain of chips, large-capacity batteries, pharmaceuticals, and strategic minerals broken due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic.
“Mexico, we are sure, could be part of these large efforts so as to ensure that in North America, we can have the necessary supply for these type of goods. … We want to be suppliers of these goods. We want to work hand-in-hand with you, your government, and the Government of Canada to strengthen the platform for trade in North America,” Clouthier said.
On Feb. 24, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to bolster the resilience of supply chains for four critical industries following a slew of recent shortages that have left the United States vulnerable.
While White House officials said the action doesn’t target any one country, it will direct the United States to diversify its supply chain reliance on China, which is one of the dominant players in the rare-earth and pharmaceutical fields.
The measures came at a time when the pandemic has put a strain on the availability of personal protective equipment essential to frontline health workers, and a shortage of computer chips has forced automakers to cut production, highlighting the need for reshoring supply chains.
The Mexican minister said that Mexican President Lopez Obrador is “extremely interested” in deepening trade relations between Mexico and the United States through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). “The strengthening of the work between both nations is of the utmost importance,” Clouthier added.
President Obrador sees the USMCA as a big tool for post-COVID economic recovery, Clouthier said.
“The pandemic has shown us that only if we work jointly … we can face challenges in an easier way, creating synergies so that things can progress,” she added.
“We reiterate our willingness to work with your government hand-in-hand not just for Mexico to do better but for the three countries who have signed the USMCA,” Clouthier said.
In response to Clouthier’s remarks, Blinken said, “I couldn’t agree more that we have already such a vital and vibrant economic relationship between our countries and one that is to the benefit of Mexicans and Americans alike. And I think we have a common opportunity as well as responsibility to work to deepen and strengthen that.”
Mexico is the United States’ second-largest trading partner in goods after China and second-largest export market for goods after Canada), according to a State Department statement. In 2020, two-way trade in goods totaled $538.1 billion, the statement read.
Obrador and Biden are expected to discuss migration and economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic in a virtual meeting on Monday.
Eva Fu and Reuters contributed to this report.


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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) just launched its latest premium iPhone offering, the iPhone 5s, last Friday, but parts of the world are already waiting for the company’s next smartphone with bated breath. iPhone 6 rumors have become one of the dominant forces in Internet discourse, and there’s already a huge amount of speculation as to what the device will have on the inside and what it will look like on the outside.
The real question, however, is what Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) needs to do in order to make its next device revolutionary. Putting 4GB of RAM in the iPhone 6 isn’t the sort of thing that drives sales through the roof. We know the iPhone 6 is going to be faster, but that means little in the age of super fast devices. There are some things Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) could do to really drive innovation.
The following is our rough coverage of the 2021 Sohn Investment Conference, which is being held virtually and features Brad Gerstner, Bill Gurley, Octahedron's Ram Parameswaran, Glenernie's Andrew Nunneley, and Lux's Josh Wolfe. Q1 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more Keep checking back as we will be updating this post as the conference goes Read More
Messing with the iPhone 6 form
The iPhone 6 will probably have a bigger screen, but that really isn’t all that exciting. It will be a better experience to use iOS on a much bigger screen, but not that much of a break from the past. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) recently filed for a patent that could see the form of the iPhone 6 change drastically.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has patented multiple new Liquidmetal processes that could deliver an iPhone 6 in a more irregular shape. Several rumors have surfaced that the next smart phone from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will have a touch screen on the side to quickly launch applications. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) could do a hundred thousand different things with the shape and form of the iPhone 6.
A really innovative designed iPhone 6 could make Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) appear like the company it was when it first released the iPhone, and quell rumors that it has lost its creative chops. An iPhone with a really unique form would make people stop in the street and ask for a look. It would make the iPhone truly cool once again.
iPhone 6 revolutionary features
Most of the news out there regarding the features the iPhone 6 could have are quite boring. The device might have a longer battery life or a brighter screen. It may be more durable or have a better Siri. These features are incrementally good but they’re not revolutionary.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) needs to bring a revolution to the features on its phone if it wants to break the mold once again. Users want certain features to make the iPhone 6 cool, not just features that make it incrementally better.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) could include a full-blown projector in the iPhone 6, but that might be beyond the bounds of possibility given the battery in the iPhone. Wireless charging would be another cool feature, as would some kind of motion control camera built into the device.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) needs to blow the world away with the iPhone 6. The company needs to make the device cool again so that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) can once again rule the minds of consumer electronics lovers. Another incremental update could be a disaster.


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Samsung went from being a trader of fish, fruit and vegetables, to a leading Korean player in construction and electronics. The company then had the vision to become a global leader of the digital economy
Judge Lucy Koh, ruling on a motion by Samsung for a re-trial, chastised Apple's lawyer for making the fact that Samsung was a foreign firm an issue in closing remarks to the jury
Lenovo Group said it will triple the number of markets in which it sells smartphones by focusing on emerging economies where Apple Inc.’s iPhone is seen as too costly, but CEO Yang Yuanqing declined to comment on any specific targets, or whether the company had pursued BlackBerry Ltd.
BlackBerry Ltd. co-founders Mike Lazaridis Douglas Fregin may soon have a partner in their bid to take the struggling Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone maker private, as rumours swirled that Cerberus Capital Management LP may be interested in teaming up on a potential deal
Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. still dominate in terms of U.S. smartphone marketshare, while BlackBerry Ltd. seems poised to lose the battle for third place, according to a recent analyst report
Slower sales growth trends in the high-end smartphone market prompted Canaccord Genuity to lower its 2013 and 2014 earnings estimates for Apple Inc.
Samsung Electronics Co.'s earnings missed estimates as sales of its flagship Galaxy S4 handset fell short of expectations
Wi-LAN Inc. shares jumped as much as 14% on Friday after the company expanded and renewed a deal with Samsung
Intel Corp. scored a big win on Monday after Samsung Electronics Co. said the chipmaker's processors will be used in the new 10-inch Galaxy Tab 3 Android device
Samsung's new Galaxy S4 continues to set the bar for Android devices. It's just not as new or innovative as Samsung would like us to think.
Comment: Stephen Poloz is frustrated with the former approach of forward guidance and wants to get back to more normal policy discourse
Canadian REITs now have the best risk-adjusted returns because of the unique nature of our real estate market. Here’s how to get started
Canadians took about five million flights outbound from a U.S. city last year, recent figures show. About 40% of those flights originate from the Buffalo area
Olivia Chow, Doug Ford and John Tory weighed in on red tape, taxes and what they would do to help the city’s small businesses if they were elected
Mark Milke: No wonder government employee unions, such as the ones who sponsored the Canadian Public Pension Leadership Council report, dislike reform


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It’s the stuff of spy novels – a smart walking stick that can track the user’s every move, with built-in GPS, wi-fi, alarm and lights.
This James Bond-style stick, called Leef, is also linked to a mobile app and folds up to fit discreetly into a backpack or carry bag.
But this is not the latest espionage gadget being issued to undercover agents, but an independent living solution designed to help Aussie seniors with mobility issues get out and about safely.
The mobility aid was designed by Swinburne School of Design student Xia Zhang, who was inspired the Master of Design theme ‘Re-imagine ageing’.
Designed to help people with more than just mobility, the walking stick has multiple functions.
A wi-fi connection inside the stick allows carers to connect to an elderly person using the stick with their mobile devices, by using GPS tracking and the support app.
If the user gets into trouble they can push an alarm button and the support app will alert carers. Alternatively using the support app, carers can detect lack of movement and the location of the elderly person and attend to them quickly.
The app can also monitor the battery power levels in the walking stick, and can supply health data such as the number of steps walked in a day.
With a fashion background, Mr Zhang teamed up with industry partner John Pollears of Leef Independent Living Solutions and the school’s Associate Professor in Communication Design Simone Taffe on the project.
“Feedback from co-design workshops helped me improve the idea,” said Mr Zhang.
“Some participants suggested that I could add fashion elements to the walking sticks. This made the sticks more popular and acceptable. They helped me to choose the most important functions for the walking stick.”
A built-in light system is powered by a rechargeable battery housed inside the stick handle. Supplying divergent light, this is to help elderly people on the move and to guide people walking outside at night.
The stick also has rubberised handles, offering a softer and warmer feel to steel or wood and the shaft is made from steel to support a person’s weight and withstand daily wear and tear.
Leef comes in a large range of colours and patterns.


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Australia is China's largest iron ore import source country, China trade network (Snet), under the influence of China's economic transformation, Australian iron ore exports or somewhat fell.
Australia Pilbara Port Authority (Pilbara Ports Authority, PPA) released data show that in July this year, the Pilbara port throughput totaled 52.9 million tons, down by 5.4% compared to June; throughput compared to 2% growth over the same period last year.
And throughput in the global largest commodities export port, Port Hedland, Australia, Port Hedland) July port throughput is 39 million tons, of which iron ore shipments to 3872 million tons, annulus is compared last month fell 7.4 percent, compared to the same period last year, down 1.2%.
Chinese freight network (Snet) to understand, at present the Main Port Hedland trader for BHP and FMG. Due to the new mines Roy Hill plans at the end of 2016 production speeds up to 55 million tons / year, is currently trying to increase production, is expected within the next few months, Port Hedland port iron ore shipments will also increase.
BHP expects its fiscal 2017 Western Australia iron ore production from the 2016 fiscal year 2.57 tons to 2.65-2.75 million tons (100% equity). FMG expects its fiscal year 2017 shipments will increase from 1.694 to 1.65-1.7 million tons in fiscal year 2016.


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As 2020 comes to an end, traders move carefully and choose which cryptocurrency to focus on in 2021. So to speed up this process, here is a list of some of the most promising cryptos, which are likely to present good trading opportunities during the next year.
New cryptocurrency traders may have been introduced to BTC in 2018, without a doubt one of the most difficult years for cryptocurrency. However, long-term traders remain on their feet, seeing how the world’s most popular digital currency maintained its position. Even top creators of cryptocurrencies like Charlie Lee of Litecoin have previously advised traders to always keep an eye on Bitcoin before deciding, which crypto to trade.
Major cryptocurrency traders, such as Ran Neuner, know better than to doubt the potential of XRP, whose trading volume has led it to becoming the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency. Although the price for XRP is not close to $1, traders have repeatedly revealed that XRP is the next best token that provides ample trading chances, following BTC.
Currently sitting at a price of $ 70-80, Litecoin is one of the most reliable cryptocurrencies in terms of trading volume and price stability. LTC has only been around for a few years but has managed to overcome the bearish tides. When it comes to stability, consider Litecoin.
More than five years after its inception, Dash has been available to traders since 2014. Those who have traded Dash have been through some of the harshest market trends to get to this point. Seeing the slow and steady pace at which Dash has built its price range around$100 does not deter new market participants from trading Dash daily.
From $ 2.47 on the day of its live release, XMR fell to $ 0.7 in almost a year, before climbing to over $120 in 2020. With a slow and steady price movement, it’s no surprise that XMR is a top choice for altcoin traders, who look for a little variety in their trading portfolio.
While ZEC is experiencing a significant drop in value, traders are still very confident that the future is bright for this cryptocurrency. Given that ZEC has been in existence since 2016 and refuses to show any indication of retreat, traders still do not know where the bottom of this token is, as it remains one of the most valuable, with a flexible tradable rate.
The Tron network has become one of the easiest to use platforms. Not only has this attracted more developers to the Tron network, but this progress has also significantly affected the network’s native token (TRX). It became apparent that more traders became interested in TRX when it surpassed Ethereum’s record transactions of 1,349,890, with an overall daily record of 1,367,488.
MKR is undoubtedly one of the most valuable tokens with a very promising future, as evidenced by its 2020 results Stability is the word that classifies this token as it shoots into higher rates. This growth is unlikely to stop any time soon as more traders approach MKR for trading opportunities.


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Dave, a brand new fintech software, could be the David towards the big banking institutionsвЂ™ Goliath, fighting excessive overdraft charges by warning individuals theyвЂ™re about to blow their spending plans as well as lending them $75 until their next paycheck. With 4 away from 5 People in america residing paycheck to paycheck, the money advance through the Dave mascot, a bespectacled bear, assists you to obtain a tank of fuel or food until next payday, creator Jason Wilk told TriplePundit.
Choices like payday advances can drive people into further financial obligation, as 3p has reported.
Wilk stated he wished to just just just take in the $34 billion overdraft industry because вЂњit appeared like the finance industry had the lowest brand name commitment of mostвЂќ and ended up being ripe for interruption. Tackling overdraft fees had been вЂњsomething that may re re solve customer that is true points,вЂќ he said. вЂњWeвЂ™ve all experienced it.вЂќ Banking institutions on average charge $35 each right time a stability goes below $0 for a deal.
Warns of risk ahead
For a account cost of $1 a dave syncs with customersвЂ™ checking accounts to monitor their spending habits and predict when they are at risk of overdrawing their accounts month. DaveвЂ™s appear warnings anticipate regular outlays like lease or bills and present users an adamant minds up that difficulty is ahead.
The $1 month-to-month account covers the expense of linking to clientsвЂ™ banks, getting stability updates, and delivering texts if a person is mostly about to overdraft. Wilk stated the business doesn’t have intends to ever share anyoneвЂ™s economic records with 3rd events. DaveвЂ™s goal would be to assist individuals of all earnings teams, Wilk told us. Of the 2 million users, about 15 per cent are near to the income level that encounter food insecurity, he stated. Within the very first quarter of 2019 alone, around 300,000 individuals utilized the application to shop for meals.
To obtain an advance as high as $75 ahead of the payday that is next Dave calls for users to possess employment by having a fully guaranteed, constant paycheck and also have the capability to spend the mortgage straight right back. The organization doesn’t pull credit history to make that determination, therefore making use of the application doesnвЂ™t have an effect for a userвЂ™s credit history. Users have the effect of paying Dave back once again by the date that is due danger being banned through the software.
The service can be a lifesaver, Wilk said for the more than 25 percent of Americans who overdrafted in the past 12 months. вЂњOverdrafts are a costly type of credit, and it also would not appear to me personally a way that is good resolve investing problems,вЂќ he told us. DaveвЂ™s users spend on average $500 annually in overdraft fees, Wilk explained, that is typical of cash that is most strapped US customers, in accordance with a written report because of the individual finance web site WalletHub.
A more youthful demographic
DaveвЂ™s demographic skews more youthful 80 per cent are under 30, with the average chronilogical age of 22. вЂњTheyвЂ™re just away from university, learning simple tips to handle their funds when it comes to time that is firstвЂќ Wilk told us. With all the cost management tools and have to pay off improvements, DaveвЂ™s bear is supposed to assist users discover better cash administration abilities.
Even billionaire investor Mark Cuban, a backer that is early of Dave software, says he вЂњgot crushed by overdraft fees in my 20s. Yet with 40 per cent of People in the us struggling to protect a $400 crisis cost, it’s not simply more youthful those who end up money strapped.
Acknowledging that chronic overdrafting might be section of bigger monetary pressures, DaveвЂ™s software offers Side Hustle, which links Dave users with part gigs to make more income. To engage, Dave users find the gigs they are thinking about and generally are delivered the information they should get going. Up to now, Dave has received over 100,000 applications through this system.
Suggestion us and weвЂ™ll plant a tree
Dave does not make hardly any money through the borrowing solution apart from optional contributions. Those contributions or guidelines, as Wilk describes them be able вЂњto help individuals without asking mortgage loan,вЂќ he said.
For almost any percentage of a tip, Dave additionally donates a tree in sub Saharan Africa through its partner, Trees money for hard times. вЂњi must say i desired to have portion that is charitable of business, that is perhaps perhaps not typically everything you see available to you available in the market. We thought trees that are planting complement well with this gratuity model,вЂќ Wilk told 3p. Based in southwest Florida, Amy has discussing sustainability while the Triple important thing for more than two decades, devoted to sustainability reporting, policy documents and research reports for international consumers in pharmaceuticals, customer items, ICT, tourism along with other sectors. She additionally writes for Ethical Corporation and it is a contributor to Creating A culture of Integrity: Business Ethics for the twenty-first Century. Interact with Amy on LinkedIn.


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DEERFIELD, Ill. — Timothy McLevish has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer at Walgreen Co., taking over from Wade Miquelon, who left to pursue other opportunities.
McLevish will lead all of Walgreens’ finance functions as the company prepares to move forward with the proposed second step of its strategic partnership with Alliance Boots. He comes to Walgreens from Kraft Foods Group Inc., where he most recently served as executive vice president and CFO.
“We are pleased to welcome Tim to lead our financial operations into the next chapter of Walgreens’ ongoing transformation as we continue to accelerate our strategic growth drivers, expand globally with Alliance Boots and prepare to embark on our journey to create the first global pharmacy-led, health and well-being enterprise,” president and chief executive officer Greg Wasson said in a statement. “With Tim on our senior management team, Walgreens and Alliance Boots will benefit not only from his deep and rich experience in the consumer products market, but also from his experience in bringing together companies to ensure efficient, effective and profitable growth and value creation.”
Before joining Kraft, McLevish was CFO at Ingersoll-Rand, a diversified industrial company, and Mead Corp., a forestry products company. He also served in a leadership role at Zellerbach Paper Co., where he was vice president and general manager.
“It is a privilege to join such an admirable company, especially at this exciting and pivotal time as Walgreens expands to become a global enterprise,” McLevish stated. “I look forward to helping Greg and the team achieve the company’s important mission and carry out their remarkable vision to expand health and well-being across America and around the world for the benefit of customers, patients, health care partners and shareholders.”
Walgreens said Miquelon, who also held the title of international president, will continue as an adviser to assist the company as it considers the exercise of the second phase of its partnership with Alliance Boots.
“Wade’s remarkable leadership, strategic vision and expertise played a critical role in helping Walgreens transition and transform from a 20th century American drug store chain into a 21st century global health and well-being enterprise, setting the stage for a new generation of growth and value creation for all,” Wasson commented. “Wade has been a strong contributor as together we charted and pursued a bold new course for Walgreens globally. We know Wade can’t resist a new challenge, so we thank him and wish him the very best as he moves forward with the next chapter of his outstanding career.”
Miquelon joined Walgreens in June 2008 as senior vice president and CFO and was promoted to executive vice president in 2009. In 2012, following his leadership in establishing Walgreens strategic partnership with Alliance Boots in June, he assumed an expanded and global leadership role as international president and joined the board of Alliance Boots. As he continued to lead Walgreens finance functions as chief financial officer, Miquelon also served as Wasson’s senior leader in collaborating with the Alliance Boots management team to execute the new global partnership.
Among many other achievements at Walgreens, Miquelon played a central role in launching and advancing the Walgreens-Alliance Boots partnership. In March 2013, Miquelon also led the establishment of the Walgreens-Alliance Boots strategic, long-term relationship with AmerisourceBergen Corp. to streamline the distribution of pharmaceuticals and leverage global supply chain efficiencies.
“It’s been one of the greatest privileges and pleasures of my career to help Greg and the team to bring this iconic American company to the brink of becoming a fully global health and well-being enterprise to serve the world,” Miquelon stated. “This truly has been an incredible journey and chance to serve. Now that we are preparing to move forward with bringing together these two iconic brands, it’s the right time for me to transition to new challenges and new opportunities. I know Tim will bring tremendous experience and insight to this exceptional company and continue to grow and develop an outstanding finance and accounting organization.”
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Protecting young smiles: Grin Natural encourages education and awareness of kids' dental health in new campaign
Grin Natural, a 100 percent natural New Zealand made toothpaste brand, recently launched a nationwide campaign to help Kiwi kids in need. Idealog spoke with Grin Natural marketing manager Paul Stokes and general manager and co-founder Tara Tan about its eco-friendly toothbrushes and natural toothpaste, how the company came about, and the urgent need to improve the dental health of kids around the country.


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Dubai-based leisure and entertainments company DXB Entertainments PJSC – the owner of Dubai Parks and Resorts that includes Motiongate Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai, LEGOLAND Dubai, LEGOLAND Water Park, Riverland Dubai and the upcoming Six Flags Dubai – plans to grow its Lapita brand in the region.
This announcement follows the official opening of the first Lapita Hotel, part of Autograph Collection by Marriott, in January with the aim to spearhead a series of Lapita Hotels ultimately forming a global chain.
The Polynesian themed Lapita Hotel Dubai is located at the heart of Dubai Parks and Resorts and is dedicated to families and friends who want to stay close to all the theme parks and at the same time enjoy a fun destination in its own right. The hotel offers 504 keys, including 60 suites and 3 villas.
As part of its goal to deliver shareholder value and become a leading provider of leisure and entertainment offerings, DXB Entertainments aims to launch Lapita in other prime entertainment destinations to represent the best in upscale themed family hotels. The company aims to secure management contracts with trusted partners to facilitate the expansion plan.
Raed Kajoor Al Nuaimi, CEO of DXB Entertainments PJSC considers the expansion plans as the next evolutionary step in the company’s strategy and the brand’s offering. “We are aiming for Lapita to become the leading family hotel chain in key entertainment destinations around the world. Strategically we want to establish ourselves locally before expanding regionally and then globally. This of course means starting here in Dubai at the Dubai Parks and Resorts destination while seeking further opportunities,” he says.
“The Lapita Hotel chain will be based on the same business model – linking to theme parks and entertainment destinations to ensure strong demand. By combining the existing Lapita model with high-level operating standards and processes, custom tailored to theme parks and family destinations – Lapita will stand alone as a new and unique brand,” he adds.
“The Dubai Parks and Resorts destination has now been open to the public for over five months, and the demand for on-site hotels is evident. In last few weeks of March, the Lapita Hotel Dubai was close to full occupancy as the destination experienced some of its highest attendance numbers on the back of regional school holidays,” Al Nuaimi continues.
The Lapita Hotel is designed to bring an exciting, new and fresh approach to family vacations and is custom tailored to the needs of families. Boasting a serene atmosphere and lush landscaping, the family-friendly Lapita offers five signature restaurants and bars serving up international fare, from seafood to Chinese specialties, accompanied by live music and entertainment. Additionally, children can discover endless games and activities, including exciting Polynesian inspired arts and crafts projects at the Luna & Nova Kids and Teens Club. These themed activities are designed to offer endless surprises to children and the young at heart.
The first two days of the 25th edition of Beautyworld Middle EastOctober 6, 2021 | By RetailME Bureau
Words by Farimah Moeini, Snapchat Head of Industry – Retail and Travel TheJuly 5, 2021 | By RetailME Bureau
Union Coop, a consumer cooperative in the UAE, revealed that 78% of
Union Coop has opened its 23rd branch within the UAE in Jumeirah
Nando’s has revealed their revamped Sheikh Zayed Road outlet where newcomers and
UAE-based Al Maya Group announced that it will be boosting import of
UAE-based grocery retail chain, Grandiose has opened its first hypermarket in Abu
UAE-based Carrefour announced its theme and plans for Ramadan 2021. The brand
Locally owned supermarket Spinneys celebrates 60 years of doing business in the
UAE-based Carrefour will become the first retailer in the region to offer new levels
The Organic Farmers’ Market is back in Bay Avenue for its 12th
UAE-based Lulu Group recently inaugurated its first-ever all-female staff store in Jeddah,
Jones the Grocer, the gourmet grocer and cheese retailer launches the Jones
Abu Dhabi-based Miral has announced the launch of its Decision Analytics strategy;
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in Saudi Arabia has
Extravagant, conceptual, great food and views are some of the ways that
Abu Dhabi’s state investment company ADQ is in talks to invest about $500 million
The once powerful department stores that anchored malls and streets around the
Who isn’t a sucker for discounts? Customers today are spoiled for choice
The various e-commerce and virtual retail stores that cater to different product
A private helicopter carrying the chairman and managing director of Lulu Group,
Words by Shubhojit Mahalanobis, Director of Danube Home UAE’s tourism & hospitality sector
Tighter restrictions on hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and entertainment venues on account of
All hotels and restaurants have been directed to temporarily hold entertainment activities
The new Dubai Gold Souk is “very much on track”, according to


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Ugandan animation and gaming startup Tamithi is taking on bigger players across Africa with its locally relevant games and films.
Founded in December 2015, Tamithi looks to tell the stories of African diversity through animations, illustrations and games, focusing on creating innovative local ideas and themes that relate to everyday people.
In doing so, it is going up against bigger, more established firms such as Fatboy and Triggerfish. But co-founder Catherine Mirembe believes the company has an edge in its versatility.
“We have blended these three digital art platforms – illustrations, animations and games – together, which creates a more effective and efficient blend to our pipelines and products,” she told Disrupt Africa.
On the gaming side, Tamithi has developed NOGA, a fruit picker educational Android-based mobile game based on a remote village farm in Uganda. The aim is to celebrate Uganda’s heritage as an agricultural nation while educating players on nutrition and health.
The startup has also released a film, Asaf, about a modest, kind-hearted and hardworking painter who lives in the suburbs of Kampala. Its purpose is to create awareness of the danger of road accidents. Launched in August, the film was nominated for the Uganda Film Festival Awards.
Mirembe said the startup is also working on a comic book series based around teenage pregnancy, and a 3D animation series on the beauty and diversity of culture and heritage. Part of the startup’s goal is to preserve Africa’s culture and heritage by appealing to the younger generation.
“We are also living in an information age, but most of this information is not effectively and efficiently communicated, bringing about a number of challenges such as ignorance, unemployment, poor health, and loss of opportunities,” she said.
“We at Tamithi are confident enough to know that our digital products will have a huge impact in Uganda, East Africa and Africa at large.”
Going up against more established animation houses is not without its challenges, however, especially as the startup is self-funded. Mirembe said Tamithi has applied to a number of funding opportunities but was yet to secure investment.
“Strategic partnerships and financial constraints have been our biggest challenges,” she said. “Being a creative firm whose services and products require a lot of capital, space, a skilled team and marketing, lack of sufficient funds has really consequently contributed to the undesired slower progress and inefficiency in putting our brand out.”
It has started to see growth, however, in spite of the digital art market in Uganda being “virgin”, in Mirembe’s words.
“This is a great opportunity for us, and we have therefore been challenged to create a lot more awareness. With more revenues, we hope to expand into the education and corporate films market as far as effective audio-visual communication solutions are concerned,” she said.
The post Ugandan animation startup Tamithi goes head-to-head with big boys appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
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