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That’s the view of Stan Sthanunathan, senior vice president, consumer & market insights at Unilever.
Speaking at the Market Research Society’s Impact 2016 event, Sthanunathan said: "The pace of change has never been slow but it’s only going to accelerate exponentially."
He said brands can spend too much time researching consumer groups when they need to act fast .
"Real-time is the new currency," he said, adding that researchers need to "stop hoarding information" but should "spread it widely."
Backing that approach, he announced the creation of Paragon, an open platform for Unilever and other major companies like Coca-Cola, Kantar, Nielsen, and The Market Research Society (MRS) to combine their market research forces in addressing key global development and sustainability challenges,
As well as a more sharing-focused information strategy, Sthanunathan said that brands should aim to think differently about the consumers from whom they gain their insights.
When looking at demographic groups, "think bi-polar," he said, adding that the middle is becoming smaller" and the "ends are becoming bigger and more polarised."
He added: "We have to not worry about consistency when we are talking to over-55s and millennials… and we also mustn’t underestimate the Power of One. It’s not always about large sample sizes but about influencers."
Get on board with AI and social
Sthanunathan said technology was key to gaining insights and reaching consumers. "There’s still a long way to go before technology takes over our lives but it will do so even more. Technology will become the tail that wags the dog."
That means brands must not just think about data but must be completely on board with all forms of technology that can offer insights, from social media to artificial intelligence and low-fi tech such as SMS texting.
"Be social or get ready to be branded anti-social," he said, explaining that brands need to be part of their customers’ social media conversations because it is when customers are speaking to friends and relatives via social that "they are telling the truth you need to know."
Taking technology further, Sthanunathan predicted a near future in which artificial intelligence will be key for interacting with consumers. He told Marketing that Unilever has been using both low-fi tech and advanced AI to reach consumers in markets worldwide.
In India, where 300m people have no access to TV or radio, the company has been running a low-tech initiative via SMS. "They call us but ring off after two rings. We call them back and ask what service they want, such as music. We serve up 20 or 30 minutes of free music interspersed with brand advertising."
Meanwhile in South Africa, Unilever’s Knorr brand Chef Wendy initiative has allowed customers to speak directly to the brand via AI. Consumers ask ‘Chef Wendy’ for tips on how to create a meal with just what they have in the house, often unaware that Chef Wendy is not a real person. The tips given can be brand-neutral but overall will favour Unilever products.


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East Yorkshire’s food and drink firms proving they are a cut above
NOMINATED: Top left, Beverley Burch, from Three Little Pigs, right, Jonathan Shepherd, co-founder of The Yorkshire Wagyu Company, and bottom left, Wold Top Brewery’s Scarborough Fair IPA.
By Hull Daily Mail | Posted: 30 Jun 2017
EAST Yorkshire’s prowess in the food and drink stakes has been ramped up a gear with four East Yorkshire businesses being shortlisted for Great British Food Awards.
Free range chicken from poultry specialists T Soanes and Son, in Middleton, is in the running for best fresh meat product, while Wold Top Brewery’s Scarborough Fair IPA has made it on to the best craft beer shortlist.
Beverley-based Three Little Pigs has been shortlisted in the charcuterie/cured meat category for its chorizo “with a tickle of habanero chilli”, while the Yorkshire Wagyu Company, from Tibthorpe, is in the running for awards in two categories.
Yorkshire Wagyu’s sirloin steak has been shortlisted in the best fresh meat product and its paleo sliced original biltong is up for best savoury snack.
The double nomination comes as a welcome surprise for Yorkshire Wagyu, which only launched its new biltong earlier this year.
Co-founder Jonathan Shepherd said: “We’ve worked hard to grow the Yorkshire Wagyu brand and knowing that our meat has been recognised in its raw steak form and as a cured product is a real honour.”
The Great British Food Awards were launched in 2014 to celebrate the country’s finest homegrown ingredients, producers and those who cook with them.
There are now 20 categories, ranging from meat and dairy to confectionery and even gin. The shortlisted products are now being further taste tested by some of the top names in the food and drink industry – a tough job, but someone has to do it.
Winners to be announced in the October edition of the Great British Food magazine.
Nigel Upson, (pictured left) general manager at T Soanes and Son’s, said he was delighted the company, near Driffield, had been recognised.
He said: “We are extremely proud to have reached this stage of a renowned national food competition with our free range chicken that is reared just a few miles away from the factory.”
'Offshore wind is spinning round a 40 year story of decline' - major investor's take on Grimsby's latest addition
East Yorkshire's new Siemens factory gets 1.5bn deal to build London Underground trains

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Centenary Rural Development Group Ltd, popularly known as “Cente Group”, has announced the completion of a corporate restructuring that will, among other changes, see its banking operation run under a “banking subsidiary” named Centenary Rural Development Bank Limited starting July 1, 2020.
The move is the culmination of a process aimed at diversifying the group’s business interests to include other financial services alongside its traditional banking offering.
The announcement was made Wednesday this week by Cente Group Chairman, Prof. John Ddumba Ssentamu, in a press release.
Under the new arrangement, “Cente Group is to comprise of a non-operating holding company and several subsidiaries,” said Ddumba.
Cente group is most famous for owning and operating Centenary Bank, one of Uganda’s top tier commercial banks, serving up to 2 million consumers with an asset base of more than Shs 3.6 trillion as of 2019.
Prof. Ddumba reassured stakeholders and clients of the bank that its day-to-day operations and service delivery will not be affected by the reorganisation.
“Banking operations will continue as normal under the subsidiary Bank. The re-organization will have no impact on employees, customers, and clients.”
He said the creation of the new corporate re-structuring is a land mark achievement for Cente Group and its all shareholders, and offers an opportunity for the group to expand to other activities, alongside its core banking business.
Ssentamu also revealed that the bank expects this corporate restructuring to benefit the shareholders in terms of enhanced returns as well as provide customers and the general public with “a broader spectrum” of financial services through an expanded portfolio.
Centenary Bank dates back to 1983, when it was founded by Uganda National Lay Apostolate as a credit trust to serve “rural poor” and make “meaningful” contribution to Uganda’s social economic development.
In 1993, the bank transitioned to Centenary Rural Development Bank Limited, licensed as a full service commercial bank. The bank currently offers financial products and services to consumers through 74 branches and 181 ATM’s countrywide.
Cente Group corporate restructuring timeline
- March 13, 2019: Cente Group shareholders resolve to undertake a corporate reorganisation through the establishment of a group structure.
- October 25, 2019: Cente Group re-registers as a public limited liability company.
- November 6, 2019: Cente Group forms banking subsidiary named Centenary Rural Development Bank Limited (the “Bank” or “Banking subsidiary”).
- March 16, 2020: BoU approves issue of a commercial banking licence to the Banking subsidiary effective July 1, 2020..
- July 1, 2020: Transfer of Cente Group’s banking business undertaking to the Banking subsidiary


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Policymakers need to look "situationally" at the nature of the data when thinking about rules for big data, added Stuart Pratt, president and CEO of the Consumer Data Industry Association, a trade group representing companies that collect consumer data. "Law often is too monolithic and too rigid."
But the U.S. shouldn't abandon long-held ideas that individuals should have control over their personal data, said Pamela Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum.
"I don't think the [longtime] structures need to be reinvented or shoved aside because data sets are larger," she said. "It's important to keep the regulations that we have ... to ensure that fair information practices are still applicable and relevant."
Dixon and Danah Boyd, a principal researcher at Microsoft Research, both noted that the big data industry is in many ways in its infancy. Many companies using big data are still figuring out how to use the information responsibly, Boyd said.
Researchers at Microsoft have found they can reliably predict that search engine users will soon be admitted to the hospital based on the searches they make, Boyd said. But that doesn't mean Microsoft Bing search engine should send a warning notice to a user saying he should see a doctor, she said.
"That's creepy," she said.
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Latest NXP Semiconductors Stories
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DUBLIN, July 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the
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- The horn of a unicorn considered as a medical or pharmacological ingredient.
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Suzuki is dead. Deader than all the leaves you see on your front lawn this fall. Deader than Romney’s bid for presidency (too soon?). Deader than that weird animal that washed up on the shore of some Long Island beach.
On the day of the 2012 presidential election, Suzuki announced they would be filing for bankruptcy. Suzuki sold 2,023 cars in October. In October of 2011, they sold about 1,900. With this kind of wild growth, did Suzuki announce its U.S. departure too soon? Absolutely not because first of all, I was being facetious about wild growth and second of all, aside from the Sidekick AKA Escudo and the Samurai, Suzuki never quite got its footing here in the States.
While the sales of used Suzuki vehicles don’t really help the bottom line, it is a sign of brand health. For example, Toyota makes up about 13% of all vehicle views on Mojo Motors. They have massive brand recognition and, more importantly, Toyota is known for high resale values. Suzuki does not. They barely advertise and I’m pretty sure I have never even seen a Suzuki dealership. Plus, meeting the US market’s regulations was a debacle for a brand that builds cars more successfully for the Japanese market.
So how bad are used Suzuki vehicle views on the Mojo Motors website? So bad that it wasn’t even possible to include Toyota or Honda or Ford or Chevrolet on this graph because it made Suzuki run parallel over the x-axis. That’s why we compared Suzuki to Mercury. If you remember, Mercury went out of business in January 2011 which is practically 2010 anyways. That’s nearly two years of Mercury brand defunct-ness, yet it still commands more vehicle views than Suzuki.
Suzuki’s best day ever was .4% of total vehicle views (not visible on this graph). Suzuki does outperform Oldsmobile, SMART and Plymouth, however. Quite an achievement considering Oldsmobile has been defunct since 2004 and Pymouth since 2001.
Even though I have never driven a Suzuki, I did have a soft spot for the SX4 with its AWD and less than $20,000 asking price and the Kizashi which was praised by journalists. Despite pulling out of the U.S. auto market, Suzuki will continue selling motorcycles, ATV’s and marine parts which is cool, I guess.


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EU-USA trade war: will US apparel companies delocalise?
The US government has imposed customs duties on aluminium and steel imported from Canada, Mexico and the EU, and the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) now worries about the damage that European retaliation could wreak on US textile industry products and jobs.
In response to the newly introduced US import duties, the EU is planning to levy a 25% tax on some American products, including men’s and women’s jeans, t-shirts, shorts and a host of sport equipment and apparel. And while the new US customs duty will directly affect, within the apparel sector, local manufacturers of buttons and zips, the EU measures could especially hurt textile manufacturers in California, a hub for denim production.
US manufacturers remember how a commercial dispute with Europe five years ago saw duties on denim products rise from 12% to 38%, costing €210,000 in six months to Los Angeles-based factories. A situation which led True Religion, 7 for All Mankind, Hudson and several other brands to delocalise part of their manufacturing operations to Mexico. According to the US Department of Commerce, last year the USA exported €583 million worth of apparel to the EU, down from the figure of €608 million in 2014.
“Let’s be clear about it, Made-in-America clothes and shoes will suffer from these decisions by the Trump administration,” said Rick Helfenbein, Executive Director of AAFA, which ranks among its members major groups like VF Corp, PVH, Lululemon and Tapestry. “Our capacity to export products is essential for the health of our manufacturing industry. These [measures] will be detrimental for US corporations and workers. It is important to note that customs duties [on steel] are a hidden tax levied on US consumers. They will set off price inflation and undermine the creation of new jobs. New barriers will not create new opportunities for Americans.”
AAFA’s misgivings about President Trump’s protectionist intentions is nothing new. They had been voiced ever since the presidential campaign, when Trump announced he wanted to end the commercial agreement which linked to USA to Canada and Mexico.
At the end of May, AAFA published a letter signed by 60 US labels (among them Abercrombie, Kate Spade, Levi Strauss, Macy’s, Nike and Under Armour) arguing against increased taxation of Chinese textile and apparel imports to the US. It was a direct response to the US’s National Council of Textile Organizations’ demand that Congress add Chinese textiles to the list of products on which Washington is considering applying a 25% import duty. Something which the AAFA regards as a tax in disguise imposed on US importers.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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The worlds of online gaming, blockchain and cryptocurrency are becoming increasingly integrated as game publishing firms look towards digital assets and new technology to boost their gaming ecosystem.
Infinite Fleet, a multiplayer online game which is executed on blockchain, and the company that runs the game, Exordium, plan to raise $8 million with a security token offering and sale, while Tether, the company behind the world’s leading stablecoin asset USDT, has provided Exordium with its first million in investments.
Exordium’s token sale is still currently ongoing for another 55 days, where potential investors can make purchases of the EXOeu security token at $0.50 each. Previously, Infinite Fleet raised $3.1 million in a private funding round and saw the support of investors such as Litecoin creator Charlie Lee.
“As a former MMORPG game developer myself, I see great potential in the application of crypto assets to multiplayer online games,” said Paolo Ardoino, CTO at Tether, according to the press release.
The public offering is available on STOKR, a Europe-based STO platform that is regulated under the EU’s capital market laws. A minimum purchase of 100 tokens are required, and $2.57 million have been raised so far. The minimum amount to be raised has been set at $3 million.


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If a new report is to be believed, Tata Motors is set to unveil the production ready version of the H5X SUV later this year. The concept model, which made its debut earlier this year at the 2018 Auto Expo, will reportedly be unveiled in November 2018 while the launch is expected to take place early next year.
Based on Tata Motors new Omega platform, the H5X will feature the company’s Impact 2.0 design philosophy. The h5X was recently spotted testing in India with the production spec body, hinting that the launch is not far away. With Tata Motors reportedly planning to unveil the production ready h5X in November, the company will have a few months to showcase the model across the country and gauge the response of the customers prior to the launch in early 2019.
Check out the walkaround video of the Tata H5X Concept below:
Details reading the engine specifications remain unknown at the moment although the upcoming Tata H5X SUV is expected to source power from a Fiat sourced 2.0-litre four cylinder engine. This 140 hp diesel motor is the same unit seen on one of it’s rivals, the Jeep Compass. Transmission options on the model could include a six speed manual unit and a nine speed ZF automatic unit. A 4WD system could also be offered with the H5X.


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Victory would increase gap at the top
IF Tesco were allowed to take over Safeway, it would become the dominant force in the £100bn-a-year supermarkets industry, serving one in three British shoppers. With a market share of almost 26%, annual sales of £26bn and a British stores chain numbering 730, Tesco is clear leader, having ousted Sainsbury's from top slot almost 10 years ago. It recently took control of convenience stores chain T&S, adding 862 neighbourhood shops to its huge empire.
Safeway, fourth in the supermarkets league, has a 10% share, a chain of 480 stores and turnover of £9.4bn. It employs 92,000, against Tesco's 200,000 in Britain.
Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy would keep three quarters of Safeway's stores and aim to push up their sales per square foot to Tesco's levels of £22.33, an increase of 30% on Safeway. With so many other bidders involved, there would be no shortage of buyers for the remaining 25% of the stores.
Safeway prices, 12% higher than Tesco's, would come down and the Clubcard loyalty programme would be rolled out across the Safeway stores. There would be a rapid injection of non-food lines and services, from DVDs to financial services.
The new shape of the food retail industry would see Sainsbury's, with a market share of 17%, trailing even further behind. It is already poised to lose its number two position to Wal-Mart's Asda.
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CAMARILLO, Calif. – The average retail price of a gallon of gas rose about four cents across the nation during the past two weeks, according to a survey released Sunday.
Self-serve regular averaged about $2.95 a gallon, up from $2.91 two weeks ago, said Trilby Lundberg, who publishes the nationwide Lundberg Survey of roughly 7,000 gas stations.
The average price of mid-grade was $3.04 a gallon, up from $3. Premium hit $3.14 a gallon, compared with $3.10 two weeks ago.
The survey covered the period from April 21 through May 5.
Of the stations surveyed, the highest average price in the nation for regular unleaded was found in San Diego at $3.41 a gallon. The lowest was in Cheyenne, Wyo., where drivers paid an average of $2.61 a gallon.
Among the California cities surveyed, Stockton had the lowest average price for regular unleaded at $3.19.


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Meijer will continue to be a toy destination this holiday season, offering customers the lowest prices on the hottest toys and brands by slashing prices on more than 400 popular products in-store and online. [Read more...]
U.S. Neft fans ages 13 years old and up can showcase what the Nerf brand means to them by writing, directing, editing, and acting in their very own Nerf brand videos, featuring any or all Nerf products.
Hasbro, Inc’s 2010 “Battle of the Ads” contest, where the Nerf brand challenged its fans to show off their creativity, teamwork, and skill in their very own Nerf commercials, has returned this year. The contest, which will run until August 22, coincides with the launch of the new N-Strike Elite blaster line.
The grand prize winner will take home $10,000. Videos may be submitted to www.NerfBattleOfTheAds.com and four finalists will be chosen later this year, with the online Nerf Nation voting on their favorite.
This year, Hasbro’s Nerf will take the N-Strike line’s technology to the next level with the N-Strike Elite line’s three new products:
The Hail-Fire Blaster has a clip carousel with the capacity for up to 144 darts and shoots a stream of N-Strike Elite darts up to 75 feet.
The Rampage Blaster’s 25-dart drum allows the choice between fast-paced slam-fire and deliberate single shot mode.
The Retaliator Blaster incorporates a removable stock, barrel, and drop-down handle enabling several configurations, all of which fire darts up to 75 feet, creating the necessary blaster for each mission.
The N-Strike Elite darts will be fully compatible with most N-Strike classic and N-Strike Elite blasters. All products are for ages 8 and up.
This post was originally written by Ali Mierzejewski and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.
Nerf recently announced the launch of the Nerf Blaster Challenge, an app that provides players with premade quests to test precision and speed. After completing the tasks, players unlock new levels, earn stars, and gain access to new artillery, including the N-Strik Rayyen CS-18 and Vortex Lumitron blasters. Anyone with an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, 3rd or 4th generation iPod touch, or an iPad can download the app for free from the iTunes store.
This post was originally written by Leah Rocketto and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.
The Entertainment & Licensing (E&L) division of Hasbro, Inc. has announced a slate of licensing programs to support its brands, including Transformers, Nerf, Littlest Pet Shop, My Little Pony, Monopoly, and Playskool.
Hasbro, in association with DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, will debut Transformers 3 on July 1, 2011. The company’s licensees for the Transformers brand include comic books from IDW (U.S.), digital games from Activision (worldwide), and more.
Hasbro is also teaming up with Universal Pictures to bring Stretch Armstrong and Battleship to the big screen in summer 2012. Universal will also produce films based on Hasbro’s Monopoly, Candy Land, and Ouija. Theater release dates have not been announced.
Hasbro recently reached an agreement with The Sports Licensed Division of the adidas Group for a NERF-inspired apparel and footwear line (deal is still subject to the companies negotiating and has yet to be signed into a binding license agreement). Additionally, Electronic Arts has signed on for NERF digital gaming (worldwide), SDI Technologies has inked a deal for NERF electronics (U.S.), and Performance Design Products will create NERF digital gaming hardware accessories (worldwide).
Hasbro, Inc. has filed lawsuits against Buzz Bee Toys, Inc. and Lanard Toys, Inc. for patent infringement for its Nerf and Super Soaker brands. The lawsuits were filed in the United States Federal Court in Springfield, Mass.
Hasbro is seeking to enjoin both companies from infringing two U.S. patents relating to its Nerf-N-Strike Disc Shot blaster. Additionally, the company has sued Buzz Bee Toys for infringing its Nerf Super Soaker water product patent. Hasbro is also seeking monetary damages from both companies for illegal use of its patented technology.


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It’s important that you understand which home renovations offer the best return on investment Which home renovations have the best return on investment?: 2021 Guide #mariesellsdallas #Remodeling #Renovation
Plano may be the home of dozens of corporate headquarters, but it’s also the park headquarters of Texas. Plano takes off with new No. 1 ranking for best parks in […]
4th of July Celebration across North Texas There’s no shortage of ways to celebrate our country’s independence for 2021! For a full list of fireworks displays and other activities, visit […]
Buying a House? 6 Questions You’d Never Think to Ask, but Should No home is perfect beneath the surface, and few know this better than your real estate agent.
Sales remain strong. Supply down! Single family home sales were up by 35% compared to last May. Pending sales rose 16%. The average sales price increased 30% while the median […]
We are still getting distortion in the yearly comparisons due to the COVID-19 Virus In May of 2000 we were just coming out of the lock down so sales were […]
Monster in your mailbox: Property tax bills are soaring along with home prices With home prices rocketing higher in Dallas-Fort Worth during the last year, it’s not just home costs […]
It may be more a factor of the incredibly low supply of homes for sale. Inventory continues to set record lows, especially at the entry level of the market. Mortgage […]
Home prices climb to record in pandemic as buyers seek space The pandemic also caused sellers to delay putting their homes on the market.
Mortgage Applications Are 22% Higher Than a Year Ago Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Print The lack of supply and rising home prices also may be pressing on home buyers.


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As plastic continues to pollute the earth, companies around the globe are making changes to save the planet.
The Blue Planet Effect: moving towards a world without waste
I had always considered myself a friend of the environment. I religiously recycle our household waste, have an annual family membership to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and even water my hydrangeas with the bath water!
The fact that I drive to the zoo in my diesel guzzling car and place plastic covered fruit & veg alongside my free range eggs never entered my mind until I, like millions of others, watched David Attenborough’s ‘Blue Planet II’. The devastating impact of plastic on the oceans was shocking and many, including myself, began to evaluate the environmental impact of the decisions we as consumers make.
Of approximately 9 billion tonnes of virgin plastic produced, almost 7 billion tonnes has become waste. When these man-made materials break apart to pieces smaller than 5 millimetres they are referred to as microplastics. These tiny particles find their way into water, soil and air and ultimately into our food chain via the water we drink and the fish we eat, with studies now stating that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Recently sea creatures living in the Mariana Trench, the deepest place on earth, have been found with plastic in their stomachs whilst scientists have also found an abundance of microplastics in Arctic snow, evidence that we are now contaminating the most remote corners of the planet.
It is easy to find such news overwhelming. What can I, one single person in a planet of 7.7billion individuals, do to change the future for my children? Is buying my fruit from the local market really going to have an impact?
Well the more I read, the more positive I feel about mankind’s ability to make a difference. Consumer attitudes are shifting and the zero-waste movement has gained a huge amount of traction in the last year. The public’s call for environmental action is not going unheard, with increasing pressure being put on governments and companies to find alternative solutions, particularly to single-use plastics.
Approximately 40% of all plastic produced is single use and most can be found in packaging. The UK Plastics Pact brings together businesses from across the plastics value chain who have committed to the goal of eliminating unnecessary single use plastic by 2025. Those who have signed up include Tesco and M&S, an example of how corporations are working together to find a solution to the plastic waste problem.
A path to sustainable businesses
Many companies are looking to innovate beyond plastic packaging and embrace alternatives, recognising the growing opposition towards single-use plastics amongst consumers will create clear winners and losers. By 2020 Generation Z will account for 40% of consumer’s globally. This is a generation who use their collective power to advocate brands that reflect their values and challenge those who do not, meaning companies who do not connect with this demographic will quickly lose their market share.
Two examples of global brands increasing their corporate social responsibility are Hasbro and Coca-Cola. In 2018 Hasbro, the largest toymaker in the world in terms of stock market value, announced it will begin phasing out plastic from new product packaging in 2020, believing they will be able to eliminate virtually all plastic in packaging for new products by 2022. Coca Cola believe they have a responsibility to help solve the world’s packaging problem and launched their ‘World without waste’ programme in 2018, planning to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can they sell worldwide by 2030.
Moving away from linear manufacturing in which single use plastics are made, used and thrown away to a circular economy that reduces our need for new plastic could be the answer. A circular economy, which sees waste turned into reusable resource, has huge potential for innovation, job creation and economic growth. Companies are recognising new sustainable business models can make good financial sense with Unilever claiming in 2016 that their zero waste efforts saved them over $225 million creating many new jobs in the process.
Power to change
As brands increasingly promise sustainability, holding them accountable to their words will be essential – and could become the status quo. ‘Greenwashing’, where companies portray themselves to be greener than they actually are, is undoubtedly an issue and only recently we saw H&M called out for doing just this with their ‘sustainable’ Conscious collection. This is something that I for one will be watching with interest as I do believe we live in a time where profit and sustainability can coexist with both industry and the environment prospering.
As more companies consider sustainability as part of their long-term business strategy there has also been a rapid growth of interest in Responsible Investing. While not a new concept it has often been viewed as a strategy for people who put morals above profits, however evidence now suggests there is no reason to expect a broad-based Socially Responsible Investment will underperform a traditional stock portfolio. As Manager of Investment Research & Guidance, I have personally been pleased to see this development over the last couple of years.
In the words of David Attenborough ‘Never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet and never before have we had the power to do something about that.’
All information given including prices, yields and our opinion is correct at the time of publication. Our opinions on investments can change at any time and for our latest view please go to www.share.com. To understand how our Investment research team arrive at their views please read our Investment Research Policy.
Find out more about responsible investing


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In the fast-paced world of technology, anticipation builds as Apple prepares to unveil its next-gen flagship smartphones. The countdown to the grand reveal of the iPhone 15 series has begun. Brace yourselves for an in-depth roundup of everything we know about the premium offerings in this lineup, namely, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Roundup, which may also bear the moniker ‘iPhone 15 Ultra.
A Titanium Touch: Design Evolution
Apple is known for its continuous commitment to design innovation, and the upcoming iPhone 15 series is no exception. One of the most notable changes in this new iteration is the transition from stainless steel to a lighter yet more durable titanium chassis. This bold decision is set to redefine the user experience by not only making the devices sleeker but also more robust. It’s worth noting that Apple has previously employed titanium in its Apple Watch lineup, demonstrating their expertise in working with this premium material.
While the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are expected to maintain a similar design to their predecessors, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, featuring a flat-edge design and a stainless steel frame, there are exciting updates in store. Rumors suggest a reduction in the size of the notch and the introduction of a new pill-shaped cutout for the Face ID sensors. These changes, combined with the use of titanium, promise to elevate the overall user experience and aesthetics of the iPhone 15 series. Apple’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of design and technology remains as strong as ever.
The USB-C Revolution Apple iPhone 15 Pro Roundup: Design
Another significant design change to anticipate in the iPhone 15 series is the replacement of the Lightning port with a USB Type-C port for both charging and data transfer. This shift is expected to deliver faster charging speeds and improved connectivity options. It represents a departure from the familiar Lightning port that has been a standard feature of Apple devices for years.
Furthermore, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to feature ultra-thin bezels, measuring just 1.55mm in thickness. This marks a noticeable reduction from the 2.17mm bezels found on the iPhone 14 Pro, and it promises to provide users with a more immersive and visually striking display experience. These design changes reflect Apple’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technology and design innovation in the smartphone industry.
Buttons, Buttons, and an Action
While there were initial rumors suggesting that the iPhone 15 Pro series might feature solid-state buttons with haptic feedback, it appears that these plans have faced technical challenges and have been put on hold. However, Apple has introduced a new feature called the Action button, which is poised to enhance user interaction with the device. This button is located alongside the volume rockers and is designed for quick access to various functions, such as launching the camera and more. It represents a fresh and intuitive addition for users looking to streamline their smartphone interactions and improve overall efficiency. Apple’s commitment to innovation and user-friendly features remains evident in these design choices for the iPhone 15 Pro series.
On the front, the iPhone 15 Pro series is anticipated to showcase OLED panels that come equipped with a power-efficient display driver chip. The Pro model is set to feature a 6.1-inch display, while the Pro Max will offer an even larger 6.7-inch screen. These OLED displays will continue to support Face ID technology, ensuring secure and convenient user authentication. Additionally, they will feature Dynamic Island cutout technology, enhancing the overall display experience by seamlessly integrating necessary components.
Furthermore, these panels are expected to incorporate LIPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) technology, a feature that was initially introduced in the Apple Watch Series 7. This technology is likely to contribute to improved display performance and efficiency, further enhancing the quality and functionality of the iPhone 15 Pro series screens. Apple’s commitment to providing cutting-edge displays with advanced features remains evident in these developments.
A17 Bionic: Powering the Future
Under the hood, both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will be driven by the state-of-the-art Apple A17 Bionic chipset. This cutting-edge chipset is built on a 3nm process, setting the stage for a significant performance improvement of approximately 10 to 15 percent compared to the previous iteration.
In terms of memory, these models are expected to come equipped with an upgraded 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, a notable increase from the previous 6GB configuration. This boost in RAM capacity will contribute to smoother multitasking and overall device performance.
Furthermore, Apple is expanding the storage options for the iPhone 15 Pro series. Users will have choices ranging from 128GB, catering to those with moderate storage needs, all the way up to an impressive 2TB for those who require extensive storage for their apps, media, and files. These enhancements in processing power and storage options signify Apple’s commitment to delivering top-tier performance and versatility in its flagship smartphones.
Energize Your Day
Battery enthusiasts have something to look forward to with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, as these models are rumored to feature larger and more capacious battery packs. The iPhone 14 Pro is said to be equipped with a 3,650mAh battery, while the Pro Max is taking it a step further with a powerhouse boasting a 4,952mAh capacity. These enhanced battery capacities suggest that users can expect extended usage time on a single charge.
Furthermore, there’s exciting news about the introduction of 35W fast charging in the upcoming iPhone Pro series. This faster charging technology promises minimal downtime, allowing users to quickly replenish their device’s battery and get back to using their iPhones without extended waiting periods. These improvements in battery capacity and charging technology reflect Apple’s commitment to addressing the needs of users who rely on their devices for extended periods of use.
Apple continues to prioritize camera excellence, and this commitment is evident in the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro Max. The device is expected to feature a significant camera upgrade with a nearly 1-inch camera sensor, boasting an impressive 48-megapixel resolution. Apple appears to be sticking with the Sony IMX803 sensor for this enhancement.
Moreover, there are intriguing rumors about the inclusion of a periscope lens in the iPhone’s camera setup. If true, this addition could potentially unlock enhanced zoom capabilities, offering photography enthusiasts a powerful tool for capturing distant subjects in greater detail. This development promises to be an exciting advancement in smartphone photography, and those passionate about capturing stunning images should certainly stay tuned for more details on this feature in the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Save the Date: Launch, Prices, and Colors
Mark your calendars for the highly anticipated unveiling of the iPhone 15 series, set to take place on September 12th, 2023. The event, scheduled for 1:00 pm ET, promises to be a momentous occasion, and Apple is likely to reveal not only the new iPhones but also other groundbreaking products.
In terms of pricing, Apple seems to be taking a more assertive stance. The iPhone 15 Pro is expected to hit the market with a starting price of $1,099, representing a $100 increase compared to the iPhone 14 Pro. Similarly, the iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra is also anticipated to come with a $100 premium price tag. While the price hike may raise some eyebrows, Apple’s devoted fanbase eagerly awaits the opportunity to experience the latest cutting-edge technology from the company. The September 12th event is certainly one to watch for those interested in the future of Apple’s product lineup.
1. What materials are used in the iPhone 15 Pro’s chassis?
The iPhone 15 Pro features a titanium chassis, making it both lighter and stronger compared to previous models.
2. What’s the primary change in the charging port for the iPhone 15 Pro?
The iPhone 15 Pro introduces a USB Type-C port for faster charging and enhanced connectivity.
3. Will the iPhone 15 Pro have solid-state buttons?
No, solid-state buttons have been replaced with the innovative Action button for quick access to functions.
4. What’s the display technology in the iPhone 15 Pro?
The iPhone 15 Pro sports an OLED panel with LIPO technology for power efficiency.
5. What chipset powers the iPhone 15 Pro series?
Both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max feature the Apple A17 Bionic chipset based on a 3nm process.
6. Are there any camera upgrades in the iPhone 15 Pro Max?
Yes, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to have a nearly 1-inch camera sensor with 48 megapixels and the potential inclusion of a periscope lens for enhanced zoom capabilities.
The countdown to the release of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max is generating excitement worldwide. With groundbreaking design enhancements, powerful internal components, and camera innovations, Apple is poised to set new standards once again. Circle the date on your calendar for September 12th, 2023, and prepare to embark on a new era of smartphone excellence with the iPhone 15 Pro & iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra Roundup. It’s a date you won’t want to miss!


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Declaring “Tariffs are the greatest,” President Donald Trump warned that countries that treat the United States unfairly on trade will see penalties imposed on their goods.
“Tariffs are the greatest! Either a country which has treated the United States unfairly on Trade negotiates a fair deal, or it gets hit with Tariffs,” Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday. “It’s as simple as that – and everybody’s talking! Remember, we are the ‘piggy bank’ that’s being robbed. All will be Great!”
His comments come as the president is engaged in tough talk on trade with China, Canada and many European nations.
On Wednesday, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will meet with Trump at the White House to discuss a “wide range of issues” — a week after the president referred to the European Union as “a foe.”
The president highlighted that meeting in another tweet.
”Countries that have treated us unfairly on trade for years are all coming to Washington to negotiate. This should have taken place many years ago but, as the saying goes, better late than never!” he posted on his account.
Trump has slapped tariffs of 10 percent on aluminum imports and 25 percent on steel imports from Canada, Mexico and the EU, saying they are a matter of protecting the country’s national security.
Those countries retaliated by targeting iconic American products like Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Kentucky bourbon and Florida orange juice for penalties.
Trump also hit China with tariffs on $34 billion worth of goods and is planning on adding another $16 billion in the next few weeks.
Beijing placed levies on American goods, including soybeans and pork.


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XBox has video game smack-talk in its crosshairs.
In an interview with Kotaku’s Stephen Totilo, Xbox head Phil Spencer proclaimed that “Xbox Live is not a free speech platform.” He added that “It is not a place where anybody can come and say anything.” Spencer explained that his team is “working to ensure it’s a safe and inclusive environment.”
In the interview posted on June 20, Totilo asked Spencer about his “1200-word essay” titled “Video games: A unifying force for the world.” The May 20 essay described Spencer’s company’s efforts at “building a safe and inclusive gaming environment for everyone.” From it readers learn that Xbox has a safety team with the Orwellian title, the “Defenders of Joy.” The word “safe”/”safety,” was used no less than 17 times throughout.
Totilo asked about Spencer’s efforts “finding a way to make the online gaming space a less hateful, less misogynistic space, a less racist space."
Spencer upped the ante, talking about how his idea of toxicity online expands far beyond gaming, but the internet as a whole. “I think the anonymity of the internet and the ability to comment to anybody is a really difficult place to unlock,” he said. He elaborated that the more personal info is shared on one’s profile, the less likely one is to make offensive statements. “One of the things we find in gaming that’s actually really helpful to us is that because your Xbox Live account has friends and identity and state, there seems to be—and it’s good—there seems to be a lot more care that a player takes in their identity and its reputation.”
This was contrasted with Twitter, which he claimed is easily circumvented “it takes me five seconds to create another account.”
Spencer explained that going forward, accountability will force users to be more careful with what they say, “So when we think about our ability in the long run to actually create a system that actually has some amount of capability to actually impact behavior, we think the fact that our account has friends and history and relationships gives us a good relationship with a customer to actually impart some real rules and responsibilities. But I think it’s just as much about gaming as it is about a community online.”


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Following the release of the new gameplay, WB Games released a collection of screenshots and concept art for Gotham Knights. They depict the stern Red Hood and Nightwing, as well as all four main characters without superhero images on the art.
The late Batman’s costume will be featured in the New Heroes’ Hideout.
Gotham Knights will be released on October 25th for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox One. Versions for previous console generations have been canceled.


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The company generates 52% of its annual revenue in the fourth quarter, making the stock a popular seasonal play among hedge funds. Currently the stock is down 15% on the year, but Housenbold says he's only focused on execution.
The company will have record free-cash flow, revenues and EBITDA this year, he explained. Shutterfly's new products are helping to boost revenues -- with home decor sales up over 70% year-over-year -- as is its recent acquisition of GrooveBook.
GrooveBook, made popular by the TV show "Shark Tank," was acquired by Shutterfly for $14.4 million. The deal is helping Shutterfly boost its mobile presence, which makes up 12% of current revenues, up from 6% in the prior year.
The acquisition not only helps expand Shutterfly's mobile footprint, but also aids in attracting a younger demographic, he said. It's part of the company's effort to "double down" on mobile.
As long as the company continues to focus on customer satisfaction, building a great franchise, and delivering on top and bottom line growth, Shutterfly will have "options" in the future, Housenbold said in regards to being a potential acquisition target.
Today, the company controls 65% of the online photo market, up from just 6% ten years ago. Furthermore, the online photo market represents just 10% of the $35 billion addressable market, giving Shutterfly a long runway, he reasoned.
-- Written by Bret Kenwell


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This week Google announced a new Adwords update which will presumably have a big impact for the advertisers using Google as their main platform. With the new update Google says managing campaigns should become a lot simpler.
But there is more to it than meets the eye. It could implicate a lot of more work from advertisers to turn back the things Google asked them to do last year and next to that it might not always have the result you would think it has.
What is it?
There are several articles written about the “New Adwords” already (see for some links the end of the post) so I won’t go too much into detail here. Let’s start with the video that Google released:
Basically Google wants to be even more relevant than it is now and it wants to help the advertiser to get more relevant. You could say they are taking a step closer towards Facebook’s way of advertising.
Google itself says there are a few key features to the change:
1. Powerful marketing tools for the multi-device world: you can manage your bids across devices, locations, time of day and more
2. Smarter ads optimized for varying user contexts: show ads across devices with the right ad text, sitelink, app or extension, without having to edit each campaign
3. Advanced reports to measure new conversion types: easily measure the full value of campaigns
The message is: Google wants to make life easier on the advertiser and thus they make a change which is as they say themselves ‘the biggest in five years’.
But wait, hasn’t Google been saying something else?
It all sounds good. Making life easier for advertisers. But somethings are overlooked so it seems. Because hasn’t Google been pushing agencies and other users to split their campaigns out into mobile, tablet and desktop?
What they are doing now is actually telling the advertisers: don’t bother with that, we are going to do that for you. After all, now you only need just a single campaign which you then can split up when its running, whenever you want, wherever you want? This means extra work for the agencies.
What the experts say
We’ve asked a couple of experts their opinions on the new release as well as the fact that they seem to have been doing too much work in the last year-and-a-half which now has to be undone again.
This news has caused a huge shake up for AdWords users over the past 18 hours!
In a nutshell, if you were lucky enough not to have split your campaigns out in the past and you know what you are doing when it comes to managing a PPC campaign, this update could benefit you. Those of us who have invested time splitting out campaigns to target desktop, mobile and tablet separately will not be best pleased by this news as all the previous work now needs to be undone. Campaigns that had been split out need to be migrated back into one. AdWords have spent over a year pushing the importance of advertisers creating separate campaigns and now the reverse is happening. Once all the campaigns have been migrated, I can see that there could be some benefits from this update but for me, that is a long way off yet due to the amount of additional work now involved in migrating the campaigns and managing all the new settings that are needed.
If you are a complete novice when it comes to setting up and managing a PPC campaign, you are set to lose out on more money than you would have before as the default settings are to run campaigns on desktop, mobile and tablet devices. It is more important than ever to have a website that renders on a mobile to keep wasted spend down.
On a positive note, there are definitely elements of this update that I really do like and can start using for new campaigns now, including:
- Ad extensions at ad group level
- Ad extension ad scheduling
- Performance reporting for each individual sitelink
- Minimal campaigns needed making it easier to manage an account
- Increased bid adjustment functionality
Anyway, back to work to get the campaigns migrated using the 32 page document that has been provided to us 😉
Jon Myers – VP, Commercial Director EMEA, Marin Software, says:
“The move has pros and cons for advertisers and agencies. On the plus side, this makes mobile campaigns a lot easier to setup and manage. This will be particularly helpful for smaller businesses who haven’t necessarily had the resource to separate and build out search campaigns in the mobile channel. However, those companies who had already separated out mobile and desktop campaigns, will now have less visibility and control over their mobile campaigns. For example one of our clients, who’s a car manufacturer, found that one of their high-end cars was performing particularly well on tablets due to the more affluent audience. As such they boosted bids and focused on tablets with that car. The new Adwords setup won’t allow for this as tablets and desktops will be treated the same. So, I think overall those advertisers who had separated campaigns will lose out, but those that hadn’t are the winners. Small businesses, particularly those with local and regional targeting requirements are the biggest winners.”
and finally Luke Judge from Net Media Planet comments:
“Agencies and advertisers have gone to exhaustive lengths (I know we have) to split out campaigns into a very granular structure, and then suddenly we are told to do the opposite, with limited guidance thus far. The detail will emerge in the coming days to help us to understand the implications.
The effort required to transition to the new campaign structure is yet to be understood. Google have spoken lightly about tools being made available to assist in this.”
Net Media Planet also stresses:
“We agree that the end result should be about providing a valuable experience for the consumer, and we strive to make sure that this is as compelling and relevant as possible. Our experience tells us that consumers do behave differently on different devices and therefore (want and) require a different form of engagement. Which is why targeting by device has been such a key feature of all modern Paid Search campaigns. Currently, we are yet to understand whether this new platform will enable us to be as effective, if not more so, in engaging with our clients.”
As you can see opinions differ on the new features:
Enhancing AdWords for a constantly connected world (Google)
The Big AdWords Update: Enhanced Campaigns Puts The Focus On Mobile (Searchengineland)
Google Updates AdWords to Simplify Advertising Across Multiple Devices (Entrepeneur)
Google AdWords Enhanced Campaigns: The Good, Bad & Uncool (Searchenginewatch)
Google announces ‘biggest change to AdWords in 5 years:’ mobile is now baked in (Venturebeat)
In Big Shift, Google Aims To Boost Mobile Ad Campaigns – And Its Own Revenues (Forbes)
What do you think?
So the ‘new’ Adwords could go either way. It seems easier and more focussed, but is it really? And does it cause agencies more headaches? What do you think?


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H E A LT H Y F O O D
WITH RISING INCOMES globally and an aging population, health food is no fad. Whether we’re talking whole grains, organic, glutenfree, paleo, nutraceuticals (for example, dietary supplements, scientific-based natural remedies, and nutrient- enriched foods with purported health benefits), or just general healthy eating with a focus on fresh fruit and vegetables, New Zealand exporters are making inroads.
Burger Fuel and Habitual Fix have both brokered deals to bring healthier fast food to the US and further afield, Rockit Apples has moved its snack-sized apple variety into Asian, North American and European markets on the back of healthy snacking desires, and Nadia Lim’s My Food Bag is now bringing healthy home meal deliveries to Australians.
The market potential is huge. Americans are expected to buy $204.8 billion-worth of nutraceuticals by 2017, according to Transparency Market Research.
And in Japan, China and India – where what you eat and drink has traditionally been seen as determining your health and helping to cure illness – the markets aren’t far behind.
In the UK, The Guardian reported organic food sales rose 4% in 2014, despite a general downturn in the rest of the market, while Euromonitor International predicts the global healthy foods market – including functional, allergen-free and organics – will reach the $1 trillion mark for the first time in 2017.
Science-based natural health foods company Anagenix and bioactives producer Quantec are two Kiwi companies working to meet the demands of the aging population, particularly in Asia where, as Quantec managing director Dr Rod Claycomb says, there is a “strong attention to preventative health, rather than curative,” and a “really strong affinity to natural products and solutions.”
There are two key demographics for nutraceuticals, says Chris Johnson, Anagenix group managing director.
“Firstly the baby boomers. They have plenty of cash and want to live a longer, more fulfilling life and they want to do that through natural products wherever possible,” he says. “It’s a very big market and it’s getting bigger. It’s big in the US, and Europe is following close behind. And in Asia, China is a very strong market already.
“The other area is 30-somethings. They want integrity from what they buy. They’re very conscious of whole foods and natural products, and wherever possible they want integrity. They also have got the money and will spend on health and wellness.”
Both Quantec and Anagenix trade on New Zealand’s reputation as a safe food producer. Quantec develops milk- derived proteins for


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Do you believe that the pandemic has introduced significant changes in the behaviour of tourists and travellers and that this situation has been exploited by technology companies?
Yes, the pandemic has introduced significant changes in the behaviour of tourists and travellers. Travel restrictions, security concerns and social distancing needs have led to an increased adoption of technological solutions in the tourism industry. Technology companies have been a key partner for the industry in addressing this situation. Technology, as I said before, is a tool and during and after the pandemic, it has been instrumental in providing solutions that meet the new demands and concerns of travellers, such as mobile applications for contactless booking, tracking and tracing systems, and tools to ensure the safety and well-being of travellers. These technological innovations have played a crucial role in the adaptation of the tourism industry to new circumstances and in improving the traveller experience in pandemic and post-pandemic times, as well as in the operational management of the tourism industry.
A tourism and technology event is always appealing, but what percentage would you say the tourist, in general, uses some of the thousands of tools that are presented?
While it is difficult to determine an exact percentage, it is safe to say that an increasing number of tourists use technological tools on their trips, both before travelling, during the organisation, once at their destination and on their return. With the advancement of technology and increasing connectivity, more and more tourists are taking advantage of mobile booking apps, online accommodation platforms, digital tour guides, interactive maps and translation services, among other available tools. While not all tourists use these tools, their adoption is on the rise and is expected to continue to grow in the future, especially as technology becomes more accessible and familiar to a wider audience.
However, what is important is not only that the tourist uses these digital tools, but that the tourism sector implements them in their business to improve the traveller experience, offer more personalised services, and even improve the management of their business and operations.


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Vibrant competition is your friend -- see the full article for more details about the latest Firefox, Safari, and Opera releases.
It took Microsoft five years to deliver IE 7; it won't repeat that mistake. Development of IE 8 is well underway, and a beta version offers some appealing new gimmicks. I like the WebSlice feature, which lets users view selected portions of a Web page in a small window. Use it to view news headlines or track an auction on eBay without opening a new Web page. It's a handy little gadget, and a reminder that Microsoft engineers can be pretty creative when they have to be. And thanks to a welcome surge of browser competition, they have to be.


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We did find the following entries for: across leisure
The ACROSS Advisory Board is happy to announce its latest addition and welcomes Bill Kistler as its new member.
The £72 million retail and leisure development at intu Lakeside, which opens later this year, will introduce new restaurants and leisure brands to the south east of England; boosting the local economy with hundreds of new jobs across the leisure and hospitality sectors.
The modern mall has changed beyond all recognition – and necessarily so. Physical malls increasingly reflect the evolving needs of consumers and the accelerating pace of contemporary life. What was fast has become faster. At every turn, technology plays a role. The retail industry has unlocked online sales channels, which complement a brick-and-mortar approach, rather than simply competing with physical stores.
The annual Main Streets Across The World report, celebrating its 30th anniversary, tracks 446 of the top retail streets around the globe and ranks the most expensive in 65 countries by prime rental value utilising Cushman & Wakefield's proprietary data.
Following 13 consecutive years of revenue growth since opening in 2004, Springfields Outlet has reinforced its position as the leading shopping and leisure destination in the East of England with a significant rise in both like-for-like footfall and revenue over the school summer holiday period.
Hammerson has announced a debut for new children’s leisure concept, Fun Street, launching at Silverburn, Glasgow’s leading retail and leisure destination. The new 12,000 sq ft site is due to open in Summer 2019.
ECE has announced that the company will expand the scope of its leasing activities in the non-retail sector and put additional focus on leisure and entertainment concepts to further strengthen the idea of placemaking.
Grosvenor Europe, one of four operating companies of the privately-owned international property group, Grosvenor Group, and Thai Leisure Group (TLG), the operator of restaurant brands Thaikhun and Chaophraya, announced the launch of Thaikhun Street Bar, Liverpool ONE, the first of its kind.
F&C Commercial Property Trust Limited, which is managed by BMO Real Estate Partners, part of Canada’s BMO Financial Group’s Global Asset Management business, announces that it has agreed two new restaurant lettings with Caprice Holdings Ltd and Homeslice at its St Christopher’s Place central London estate, adding to a flurry of leasing activity across the West End asset over the past year.
A research report commissioned by centre:mk’s joint owners, Hermes Investment Management and AustralianSuper, has identified a series of key consumer trends that will have a significant impact on the future of retail and leisure destinations.
The GranCasa shopping center in Zaragoza, managed by Sierra Fund and CBRE Global Investors, opened its new leisure facility and food court to the public.
In the face of considerable changes in the retail market and changing consumer purchasing patterns, ECE had to think beyond traditional retail practices. Katrin von Soosten is chasing and finding innovative ideas and non-traditional concepts.
The partners behind Warrington’s Time Square leisure-led mixed-use development, Warrington & Co. (on behalf of Warrington Borough Council) and development manager Muse Developments, have announced that Cineworld, Europe’s second largest cinema operator, is to anchor the £100+ million development.
Sanderson Leisure and Retail (SLR), which is asset managing and overseeing the running of Springfields Outlet in Lincolnshire, has unveiled plans for a £1.2 million investment into the expansion of the innovative leisure offer in the East of England.
AEW announces that it has acquired the Planetocio retail and leisure centre on behalf of one of its funds for €20 million from AXIARE.
Neinver continues delivering year-on-year sales and footfall increases across its outlet portfolio. In 2017, the company recorded over €917 million in sales, a 5% like-for-like increase compared to the previous year, and welcomed more than 41.7 million visitors across its portfolio of 15 outlet centres in Spain, Poland, France, Germany and Italy.
In every article that I read, in every discussion that I have, and in every forum that I attend, everyone continuously repeats that the times of those traditional concrete boxes full of standardized shops are over.
Aviva Investors announces that Curzon Cinemas will anchor the recently announced leisure and dining offer at The Bentall Centre, Kingston-on-Thames, further cementing the shopping centre’s position as the leading retail and leisure destination outside of central London.
LondonMetric Property Plc announces that it has exchanged on the sale of an Odeon Cinema in Derby and a retail asset in Guisborough for £18.6 million reflecting a blended net initial yield of 4.8%.


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Cyber Monday is a marketing term which refers to the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. For most, it represents a great chance to find some more deals if they haven't found what they were looking for during Black Friday.
According to reports from analytics firm Custora, revenues from online shopping on "Cyber Monday" surged 15.4 percent higher than last year, which represents a new all time peak in the U.S. ecommerce. The report also highlights that online mobile sales were overwhelmingly driven by customers ordering from Apple devices.
The company says that the vast majority of mobile shopping happened on Apple devices over the weekend - 78%. Only 21.6% happened on Android devices, the firm says.
What's funny is that Cyber Monday sales were driven by spam email marketing, which overtook Google search ads and organic search. Email spam drove 27.3 percent of Black Friday sales and 23.9 percent of orders on Monday, compared to less than 19 percent of sales following Google's paid search results or originating from unpaid "organic" Google search results.


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Chambers of Commerce: 'Strikes aren't victimless crimes'
The British Chambers of Commerce have warned of the economic impact of Wednesday's public sector strikes.
Adam Marshall, director of policy, said workers were missing out on pay and companies were missing a day's labour, which could have a knock-on effect on suppliers.
30 Nov 2011
- From the section Business


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Established banks in Europe are better positioned than new entrants or stand-alone Internet banks to exploit the Internet channel, said a report from KPMG Financial Services, the business advisory firm.
"The giants have taken time stirring from their slumbers, but they will do so, and they are powerful," said Philip Middleton, partner and head of financial services strategy at KPMG London. "They have well-established brands, deep pockets, and a strong legacy customer base, all of which they can exploit."
Though dot-com financial services companies have generated a lot of buzz, "they have not cannibalized the major players or reduced them to quivering heaps of jelly," Mr. Middleton said.
The KPMG report - which predicts in its title that Europe's big banks will "win the e-commerce revolution" - differentiates between new, "pure play" Internet start-ups and "brand stretch" champions, the established nonbank companies reaching beyond their core brands.
"The future of retail financial services will not be determined by two guys in a garage in Helsinki," Mr. Middleton said in an interview.
Incumbent European banks have three competitive advantages: traffic, trust, and multichannel access, he said. Their customers already generate lots of daily banking traffic, but new Internet banks must start from scratch at bringing in customers, which is costly and time-consuming.
A multichannel presentation - including branch networks, automated teller machines, telephone, Internet, and interactive television - is crucial to building an online customer base, the report said, and again the established companies have the advantage. Some traditional banks that promote online banking options sign up most Internet customers in branches.
The only institutions in the world with more than a million online banking customers are established banks: Bank of America Corp., Wells Fargo & Co., and MeritaNordBanken, now called Nordic Baltic Holding Group after a merger with Unidanmark.
The report said large European banks have drawn heavily from the early experiences of U.S. banks and banks in the Nordic countries. By yearend, the total of online bank accounts in Europe should exceed that of the U.S., 7.25 million versus 6.8 million, according to KPMG.
The firm said there are 863 Internet retail bank sites in Europe and 1,676 in the United States. When KPMG ranked these sites in terms of functionality, it decided that 476 European bank sites - or 55% - are "advanced cyberbanks." In the United States, only 249, or 15%, won that designation.
Most retail banks in Northern Europe offer online banking to retail customers. "There's not a great deal you can do online except look up accounts, move money, check balances, and deal in brokerage," Mr. Middleton said.
Two paths seem to be emerging in Europe: one for banks setting up separately branded "baby banks" on the Internet and the other for those integrating Web services into the bank itself.
In the first category are such British Internet banks as Cahoot, from Abbey National PLC; Intelligent Finance, from Halifax PLC; and Smile, from the Co-operative Bank. In France, BNP Paribas has its Banque Directe, and in Spain, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria of Bilbao (which also offers Internet banking under its own brand) has its Uno-e.
One other example is Egg, the Internet-only bank that was launched by Prudential Banking PLC in the United Kingdom and which has signed up one million customers in 18 months. Mr. Middleton said Egg has spent $460 million building an "impressive customer list" and offering "an interest rate subsidy," but it has yet to make money. "The big question for Egg is how to strategically try to migrate its customers to profitable products and relationships" before they move on to another institution, Mr. Middleton said.
Taking the opposite tack are banks like Barclays, which "says the Internet is part of what we offer," Mr. Middleton said. "It uses the Internet to reduce costs, but it also says it's about improving customer service. Barclays' argument - which I agree with - is to get internal processes reconfigured so the customer has a seamless experience."
Mr. Middleton said the Internet-only school of thought will not work. "Classical retail banking is too complex, and people are too rooted" in their banking habits.
The other problem with Internet-only banking, he said, is "it's very clunky. In the U.K., it's faster and more efficient to pay a bill by phone than the Internet."
Mr. Middleton predicted that "mobile financial services and digital television are going to be far more significant than the PC-delivered Internet, which is actually a transitional phase."
In the United Kingdom, HSBC Holdings PLC and Abbey National already offer financial services over digital television sets.
Internet banking is far more popular in the Nordic countries than in Southern Europe. International Data Corp. said 31% of the population of Finland is online, compared with 2.6% in Greece. Growth is expected in mobile banking because ownership of mobile phones in Europe is exceptionally high and could climb even higher with the advent of Wireless Application Protocol technology. Dataquest estimated that, within three years, seven in 10 Europeans will own a mobile phone.
The Scandinavian countries are ahead, Mr. Middleton said, because of their geography, the way their banking systems are structured, and the fact that they are home to some of the world's leading telecommunications companies - Nokia and Ericsson.
KPMG estimated that European banks will spend $14 billion on Internet ventures this year.
"Just to compete requires top-of-the-market rates and high levels of customer service," the report stated.


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Seeing how we live in a world that’s very recently recovered from a massive downfall of economics, politics and corporation trust, it is only normal that polls querying consumers about trust issues take place.
One of the most recent such things was undertaken by Prophet, a brand and marketing consulting firm on a sizeable amount of U.S. consumers and the focus was laid out on car makers.
The overall results look good for the automotive industry, especially since just about everybody here experienced recently improved trust from the American population. Oh and by American population I mean the 4.900 U.S citizens Prohet used for the assessment.
Not really much of a surprise to see that of the 145 Fortune 500 companies people were polled about, BMW and Honda lead the charts in the final results but Toyota did really bad on the situation.
In 2009 Toyota ranked 18th and “thanks” to multiple recall issues, lawsuit and a general PR disaster that engulfed the company last year most people now sent the Japanese towards the back with a rating of 138.
Toyota’s plummet is not completely surprising but somehow nobody really anticipated this big a problem for them. This poll reveals a relatively bleak situation for Toyota as a brand, but not all has been lost.
IF you will remember back in the late 90s early 2000 Mercedes suffered from much the same problem with a lot of worries coming in from both JD Power surveys and that situation has clearly been rectified.
There’s no reason why Toyota wouldn’t be able to pull off the same trick.


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INTERACTION WITH ELCOMA MIT was invited by ELCOMA to make a presentation on the proposed Course in GB Meeting held on at New Delhi Presentation was made by Late Prof.P.D.Chidgupkr and Mr.Prakash Barjatia The Initiative was appreciated by all the members present MIT Lighting Research Academy (MITLRA) Pune, India Inaugurated on 08 Aug. Elcoma Co., Ltd. At CHAMPS-ELYSEES CENTER DAECHI-DONG, KANGNAN-KU, SEOUL 135-712. Find their customers, contact information, and details on 2 shipments. Welcome to the MSI USA website. MSI designs and creates Mainboard, AIO, Graphics card, Notebook, Netbook, Tablet PC, Consumer electronics, Communication, Barebone. Oct 20, 2017 According to a recent study by ELCOMA, the manufacturers' umbrella body, across three Indian metropolitan cities, 54 percent of LED brands and 63 percent of downlighter brands are non-compliant with industry regulations (carrying the name and address of the manufacturer on the product).
Been looking forward to this!
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Guide work perfectly on my computer.. ELAN P111 CARD DRIVE 008612E PC Card to PCI Card Adapter


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You may have heard that banking is a problem when it comes to cannabis. With more states legalizing cannabis, including New York, entrepreneurs looking to enter the industry felt hope and excitement. However, once confronted with the many hurdles and risks of getting involved in the business, they were faced with a sobering reality: players in the cannabis industry are routinely denied access to capital and other basic banking services that most take for granted.
While states are taking the initiative to legalize cannabis without waiting for the federal government, there is a clear disparity between federal and state regulations. At the federal level, it is still an illegal substance. At many state levels it is now legal, and it is legal to bank it at the state level. Thus, banks find themselves caught between state and federal regulatory regimes. The SAFE Banking Act, combined with regulatory measures at the state level, can help remedy this situation and provide these companies with access to crucial financial assets.
However, the SAFE Banking Act has repeatedly stalled in the US Senate, having passed the House six times to date. Inaction has far-reaching consequences for business owners looking to enter the cannabis space in New York.
Without the protections for entrepreneurs included in the SAFE Banking Act, many financial institutions are unwilling to bank cannabis businesses. In most states, a handful of banks and credit unions handle all cannabis banking in a particular state. This forces many businesses to operate in cash only, which presents many security challenges for those who own, operate and work in the industry. In states like Washington, cannabis stores are often the target of violent crime, such as robbery. As we seek to grow and grow the cannabis industry in New York, the safety of business owners, employees and customers should be a top priority.
Lack of access to financial services, including the ability to take out loans or mortgages and use credit card schemes, also prevents cannabis entrepreneurs from effectively growing their businesses. As these businesses begin operating here in New York, they must be given every opportunity to succeed and contribute to their communities. In New York alone, the legalized cannabis business can generate over 60,000 jobs and over $350 million a year in its early years.
Pending federal action, the state Department of Financial Services can take immediate action to encourage state-chartered financial institutions to become cannabis bankers. In 2018, DFS issued a memo encouraging state-chartered financial institutions to bank the then newly formed medical cannabis space. At the time, there were only 10 licensees.
Today, we are preparing for the Office of Cannabis Management to issue hundreds of licenses. New York has one of the largest lists of state-chartered financial institutions. If even a quarter of them were willing to go into space, New York would lead the nation in cannabis banking.
New York is expected to be the second largest cannabis market in America. With access to essential financial and banking services, cannabis businesses in New York State will thrive. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Congress must get there now by passing the SAFE Banking Act to ensure New York’s cannabis industry has a chance to succeed.
At the same time, New York regulators need to step up their efforts. The first step is easy, just a few open dialogs.
This guest essay reflects the perspective of Peter Su, Senior Vice President of Green Check Verified and Co-Chair of the Banking and Financial Services Committee of the New York City Cannabis Industry Association.


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At a function in Sydney last night Samsung showed off their new Galaxy S Tablets that will shortly hit Australian stores, the screens are super bright and the devices wafer thin and light.
But it was not the shiny new gadgets that competitors like Apple and struggling tablet Companies like Toshiba, HP and Dell have to compete with it’s the 80,000 research and development personnel that the Korean company has developing the next generation of product.
Arno Lenoir Marketing Director said “Samsung is now a Company that is at the epicenter of the evolution in technology. Each day we are developing something new”.
He said that he was confident that their new iPad destroyers would be successful.
Click to enlarge
Where Apple once had an eco-system advantage with their Apple Store and their iTunes services, the Android OS that is found on the new Samsung Galaxy S tablet range that includes a 10.5-inch and 8.4-inch model that will be available in white and bronze in Australia, is delivering so much more in applications, services and above all entertainment content than Apple.
The proprietary approach of Apple is now starting to work against them and Samsung appear to have their measure if the new devices are anything to go by.
The new devices will go on sale at Australian stores on July 14 of the six Galaxy Tab S tablets set to be launched four are the same price as the iPad and one iPads, one undercuts its Apple competitor by $19, and another costs just $1 more.
Samsung product marketing director Jenny Goodridge said the Tab S range was designed to appeal to technology-loving consumers who wanted a high-end Google tablet – something Samsung had yet to deliver.
“What’s been missing for Samsung has been a tablet that really matches the experience that Australians are getting from our smartphones,” Goodridge said.
Lenoir said that Samsung is hoping to achieve the same success the Company has had with the Galaxy S5, which he said is now the number one selling smartphone in Australia behind the Apple iPhone.
Click to enlarge
The tablets will be just 6.6mm thin – equivalent to “a stack of five credit cards,” will feature eight-megapixel cameras, Super AMOLED screens with a higher resolution than that of an iPad’s Retina screen, and bodies weighing less than their Apple equivalents at 465g and 294g respectively.
The Tab S tablets will also offer new software letting users take phone calls, send SMS messages, and control Samsung smartphones from larger screens.
he full pricing list is:
Galaxy Tab S 8.4-inch, Wi-Fi, 16GB: AU$479
Galaxy Tab S 8.4-inch, Wi-Fi + 4G, 16GB: AU$629
Galaxy Tab S 8.4-inch, Wi-Fi, 32GB: AU$579
Galaxy Tab S 10.5-inch, Wi-Fi, 16GB: AU$599
Galaxy Tab S 10.5-inch, Wi-Fi, 32GB: AU$699
Galaxy Tab S 10.5-inch, Wi-Fi + 4G, 16GB: AU$749
While 16GB and 32GB seem on the low end of storage options from such a premium product, it’s worth remembering that the Tab S range have MicroSD slots and can be expanded by another 128GB.
The products will be available across all major telcos and retailers, along with the Samsung speciality shops and Samsung’s recently opened ecommerce store.
The tablets also have a suite of optional accessories: two covers and a Bluetooth keyboard.


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Fuji Xerox teams up with 2 Myanmar firms to boost sales
YANGON, NNA - Fuji Xerox Co. has partnered with two Myanmar agents to expand sales of printers and multifunction copy machines as well as provide consulting and solutions in the Southeast Asian country.
The Japanese company said Thursday it has agreed on the local distribution of its products and services with Dagon Win Win Co., a firm under diversified business group Dagon Group of Companies, and Direct Channel Distribution Co., under major information and communication technology group KMD.
Dagon Win Win, a trader in a wide range of products, has 12 branches across the country, covering about 15,000 retailers.
Direct Channel, a trader in ICT products of KMD, has so far sold Fuji Xerox printers. Under the new partnership, it will deal in Fuji Xerox's printer, copier, and fax multifunction machines and other products through its sales network.
Fuji Xerox, a subsidiary of Japan's Fujifilm Holdings Corp., established a branch in Myanmar in 2013, the first Japanese office equipment maker to do so, marketing products through local agents. (NNA/Kyodo)


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San Francisco, California (PRWEB) September 27, 2017 -- Belatrix Software, a leading software development company, has just published a key new report arguing that blockchain technology will form the basis of the next phase of digital transformation. Experts at Belatrix have been exploring the potential of blockchain on behalf of its clients, and the results are revealed in this report.
At the heart of this forthcoming disruption, is the fact there exist foundational differences in business design between traditional and blockchain businesses. Blockchain enables a shift in paradigm from a model in which value doesn’t come from collecting data in a traditional value chain, but from the actual services being delivered in a peer-to-peer environment.
Blockchain-based businesses will lead to the emergence of new business models, which will make existing models obsolete. While today we may think of companies such as AirBnB and Uber as disruptive, they will in turn be put out of business by new disruptors. Why? Because these companies are still businesses based on centralized networks – or to put it another way, there is an exchange of data which occurs on a centralized server. The next generation of startups will be businesses based on peer-to-peer exchange, on a blockchain network.
The report examines industries which will change. For example, it highlights how blockchain platforms will enable organizations to re-imagine the heavily regulated insurance market. It envisions a faster and more transparent real estate industry, as almost every part of conducting real estate transactions can be conducted more efficiently, transparently, and securely on blockchain platforms. Meanwhile, every part of financial services – from payments, to commodity and share trading, to better identity management for customers, will be impacted.
Alex Robbio, President and Co-founder of Belatrix, commented that, “Blockchain represents the next major evolution. What this research demonstrates is that it will cause a fundamental shift in business models. This means there are tremendous opportunities for organizations to create new forms of value for their customers, but also many risks for established organizations with legacy technology infrastructures. Belatrix is ready to help executives in this key next stage of digital transformation.”
About Belatrix Software
Belatrix Software helps companies thrive in the digital world. Organizations partner with Belatrix to turn ideas into high quality, innovative software based on highly-tuned Agile development processes. Customers use Belatrix’s digital transformation services to create best-in-class software products, lower time to market, and gain competitive edge. Belatrix’s dedicated labs, focusing on UX, continuous delivery, mobile, DevOps, and QA automation, help organizations become digital leaders.
Belatrix's clients include both established Fortune level and emerging, venture backed firms. Some of the firm's clients include Disney, Adobe, AOL, PwC, Fluor, and Shutterfly. Belatrix is a South American company with offices in Florida, New York, San Francisco, Mendoza, Buenos Aires, Bogotá and Lima. For more information, visit http://www.belatrixsf.com.
Press contacts: Fernando Gonzalez Aguirre press(at)belatrixsf.com
Fernando Gonzalez Aguirre, Belatrix Software, http://www.belatrixsf.com/, +1 (617) 608-1413, [email protected]


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MESA, AZ - At a time where money to start your own business may be as hard to come by as a job, a new concept in business development may help you succeed.
“People think incubators are for chickens,” said Francine Hardaway of Stealthmode Partners here in the Valley. “Actually these are more virtual places where businesses collaborate.”
She is talking about “business incubators” also known as “business accelerators.”
Hardaway has been involved in helping businesses launch by using what is a growing number of incubators that are popping up and expanding all around the Valley.
“Right now there is no capital to start a business, that is the bad news. The good news is you really can start a business with nothing,” she said. “There are no jobs so people have to retrain and they are retraining by starting their own business.”
The incubators are offices set up for businesses to share space. The West Mesa Business Community Development Corporation is one of the incubators. It serves as an office for eight businesses and serves many more.
The office, at 567 W. 10th Street in Mesa, also serves as a meeting place and where business development workshops are held.
Hardaway explains the concept of an incubator has expanded quite a bit.
You might commonly think of an incubator for very specific types of business that require elaborate and expensive equipment and lab space to develop. The City of Chandler opened such a site last year at the old Intel facility near McClintock Drive and Chandler Boulevard. About a dozen businesses have since moved in and one has actually expanded enough to start hiring.
“It can also be about neighborhood businesses,” said Hardaway. She explains, sometimes businesses who are participating in other incubators are sharing the connections and the “mental” space rather than solely the office space.
Gangplank in Chandler is an example of another type of accelerator that is looking to expand further in the downtown area. It is set up for businesses to be able to use as needed. Fourteen businesses in the tech industry actually anchor themselves at Gangplank
“More people are working remotely and more people are starting their own business. The traditional 9 to 5 working out of an office and isolating yourself isn’t working anymore,” said Katie Charland of Gangplank.
Charland said Gangplank is expanding nationwide and expects the model of “shared workspace" to grow significantly in the coming years.