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Uber doesn’t always have an easy time doing business. But instead of just relying on its rideshare platform, it’s diversifying its services to provide a lot more earning opportunities for the company and for its drivers. One of these initiatives is the new Uber Works, which the company is testing right now.
What’s Uber Works?
This is an on-demand staffing business, much like the original Uber template is an on-demand rideshare business. This service enables its client businesses to hire various workers for short-term duties. If there’s a special event or a corporate function then Uber Works allows these companies to hire waiters and security guards for the duration.
It’s still a new initiative that Uber is exploring, and it may not turn into a business at all. But it has been tested in LA, and now trials are being held for Uber Works in Chicago.
Other Uber Ideas
Uber Works isn’t the only new way for the company to earn income.
- Uber Eats is perhaps the most notable new service offered by the company, as it provides its drivers with a new food-delivery service. It’s a service that’s now available in 250 cities all over the world, and it has managed to generate $6 billion in total bookings for the last year.
- Uber has a trucking division called Uber Freight, which matches available truckers to companies that need its goods to be transported. This division now has a new service called Powerloop. This time, it rents out physical equipment like tractor trailers to the drivers who need them.
- They’ve added bikes and electric scooters to the Uber apt this year.
- They’re planning to add the option for all-electric short-range aircraft in the future.
- Uber is also working on self-driving technology.
Uber as the Phoenix Rising from the Ashes
It’s no secret that Uber has been facing a lot of criticism for the last few years. Critics have long harped on how it denies its drivers benefits like a minimum wage and health benefits. Its global expansion has slowed down, and it has been disastrous in Russia and China. Even its research on self-driving technology has taken a beating in the public eye when one of their test cars had an accident that killed a pedestrian.
Yet the valuation for Uber has now grown to $70 billion. Some even think that it can reach a total value of $120 billion when it’s time for the company to go public. Those $120 billion valuations would be more than the combined company value total of the Big 3 automakers. To see just how Uber has grown, note that its supposed rival Lyft is also planning an initial public offering but experts believe that it will end up with just a valuation of $15 billion.
Much of the Uber renaissance is due to the diversification of its efforts. Uber Eats in itself is already worth $20 billion. It’s trying to do another Amazon path to success, and Amazon started with just books. Will Uber achieve the same level of success? Stay tuned!


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P/HARCOURT – The Director General, Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, said Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON, an agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria will remain committed to standards, safety and security of Nigerians in products importation, exportation and consumption in line with its statutory mandate.
The Director General made the disclosure last week at a one day sensitization programme for stakeholders on SON activities and mandate held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.
Salim, stated that SON was willing and ready to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders with a view to improving lives and standard of living of Nigerians, even as he promised that SON as a responsible agency of government was willing to adjust or remove her charges if all stakeholders were ready to collaborate and adhere to standards.
“SON generated seven billion naira last year 2021, into the federal coffers and has witnessed full stakeholders cooperation especially in Port Harcourt. Ports. “
Continuing, he regretted that over 80 per cent of products that enter into Nigeria come through the Lagos Ports yet SON was not allowed into the ports to carry out her statutory mandate of products inspection.
The Director General frowned at the SON inability to access Customs Niciss 11 portal for products profiling and evaluation as to ascertain standards before clearance.
The SON boss stated that its operations have improved in Lagos though the agency is outside looking into activities inside unless customs deemed it necessary to call SON for inspection.
He insisted that SON is not making things difficult for anybody but to work with concerned stakeholders to ensure the total eradication of fake and unwholesome products in the society.
In his remarks, secretary of the board, Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFNN, Chief Kingsley Offor, said: ” There is need for SON to penetrate the rural areas with a view to protect and sustain standards of products.”
Adding, ” SON has taken the right step aimed to stress the urgency of standards and its adherence to stakeholders and Nigerians at large.”
Offor, posited, ” Buying substandard products is not good for health and the Nigerian economy.” He insisted on the need for cooperation saying there is need for more collaboration and Synergy aimed to ascertain standards compliance and habits.”
However, he commended the Standards Organization of Nigeria for the sensitization programme and called for its sustainability.

domain: news


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Renault chairman Jean-Dominique Senard on Wednesday vowed a "fresh start" in his firm's alliance with Japan's Nissan and Mitsubishi, despite tensions flaring between the automakers in recent weeks.
Calling the alliance a "pillar and a motor for the development of all its members" Senard told Renault shareholders at their annual general meeting: "Today, the alliance is making a fresh start." "There can be no success for Renault without the success of the alliance."
India’s top entrepreneurial platform recognises the best SMEs, MSMEs and Startups of the year. Watch Leaders of Tomorrow Season 8 eAwards on 13th of September 2020, 5pm onwards on Times Network.


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When it comes to renovating your new home, it can be difficult to decide what to do first.
Melissa Perlman and Mark Burns closed on their beach cottage in Delray Beach, Florida, nearly two weeks ago.
The first project they tackled was landscaping. The home, built in 1956, was recently renovated.
“It was move-in ready and pretty perfect in our eyes,” says Perlman, president and founder of BlueIvy Communications, a public relations agency. “We live on a semi-active road, so our landscaper put in Colusa plants that will grow and eventually provide more privacy in our front yard.”
Before writing up a to-do list, take a good look at your budget, one expert advises. “Don’t spend too much money on over-improvements,” says Artur Muller, founder and CEO of Amluxe Realty in Lighthouse Point, Florida. “Create a maximum budget for renovations, which will keep your spending in line with comparable


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Archives :: Markets :: Specialty Chemicals
Displaying 361 - 370 of 2970 stories.
March 24, 2015Flavors and fragrances firm Firmenich (Geneva) has appointed Geneviève Berger as chief research officer, effective 1 July. She will report directly to the CEO, Gilbert Ghostine...
March 24, 2015Biological chemistry firm METabolic EXplorer (Metex; Clermont-Ferrand, France) has announced that revenues rose to €3.7 million ($4.04 million) in 2014, up from €700,000 in...
March 20, 2015Altana (Wesel, Germany) announced today sales of €1.95 billion ($2.09 billion) in full-year 2014 compared with sales of €1.77 billion in 2013, an increase of 11% year-on-year...
March 19, 2015PPG today completed a $40 million, 65,000-square-foot expansion of a coatings manufacturing plant at Sumare, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The plant makes resins for electrocoat products for...
March 18, 2015Ningbo Haiyue New Material's (Ningbo, China) plant at Ningbo has become the first propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant to operate using Clariant's heat-generating material (HGM) for...
March 19, 2015Antioxidants maker Addivant, which is owned by private equity firm SK Capital (New York), today named John Steitz CEO. Steitz was most recently COO at PQ Corporation, and has also...
March 17, 2015GlycoSurf (Tucson, AZ), a University of Arizona (UA) start-up, has finalized an exclusive license agreement for a new chemical synthesis technology that it says could replace...
March 13, 2015One Rock Capital (New York), a private equity firm associated with Mitsubishi Corp., has purchased a stake in Compass Chemical (Smyrna, GA), a maker of organophosphates. Terms of the...
March 10, 2015Fragrances and flavors group Symrise (Holzminden, Germany) today reported its financial results for 2014, exceeding its targets and making “substantial Increases in sales...
March 5, 2015Perstorp (Perstorp, Sweden) has announced the successful start-up of its oxo plant at Stenugsund, Sweden. The new plant is Perstorp’s largest ever plant investment, boosting its...


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Its makers admit this beer tastes terrible, but say you'd better get used to it.
Today's News & Views
Szu Ping Chan 12:22 AM The eurozone is "untenable" in its current form and cannot survive unless countries are prepared to cede sovereignty and become a "United States of Europe", the manager of the world's biggest bond fund has warned.
Mehreen Khan 12:22 AM Greece international creditors spent the weekend mulling over a series of reform measures.
Peter Ker 12:12 AM Caltex will find it easier to release franking credits to shareholders now that its United States-based 50 per cent shareholder has exited the register.
Sue Mitchell 12:15 AM Cotton On Group has revealed plans to add 227 jobs in Australia and overseas this year as the Geelong-based value fashion retailer embarks on another expansion phase aimed at maintaining its five-year record of 20 per cent-plus sales growth.
Paresh Dave 12:06 AM A jury has spoken in a case that riveted Silicon Valley, but that doesn't mean all is over.
Ross Gittins 12:15 AM We can't afford to give much money to the foreign poor, but if foreign-owned mining companies want to keep forcing down ore prices by expanding production at a time when world demand is weak, that's fine by Joe.
Shaun Drummond and Phillip Coorey 12:15 AM Small banks say they will be hit harder by the bank deposit levy the government is planning to introduce in the budget.
Carolyn Cummins 12:00 AM While Australian and Kiwi sports fans were tuned into the final of the Cricket Wold Cup in Melbourne on Sunday, those that favour the game of Rugby were cheering on the Aussies at the Sevens tournament in Hong Kong. It is an unlike a Kiwi to miss a rugby game, and Air New Zealand's chief sales and commercial officer, Cam Wallace, was slated to be among a rowdy horde of fellow countrymen at the Hong Kong Sevens last weekend.
Mark Mulligan 8:58 PM Australian stocks are expected to open sharply lower on Monday, as the volatility seen across most asset markets last week persists in the lead-up to the Easter weekend.
James Eyers 8:45 PM Australia’s banks have hit out at the international banking regulator's plan to overhaul risk modelling, warning that the move would only add to the complexity of the Basel framework.
ANDREW POLLACK 2:31 PM Thirty years ago, an Environmental Protection Agency committee determined that the popular weed killer Roundup might cause cancer. Six years later, in 1991, the agency reversed itself after re-evaluating the mouse study that had been the basis for the original conclusion.
Lynn Stuart Parramore 8:46 AM At first glance, Kenneth Branagh's remake of the classic Disney film seems to offer a sunny romp through the magic kingdom. But a closer look reveals a troubling economic message.
Callie Bost and Oliver Renick US stocks gained as takeover speculation fuelled a late-day rally in chipmakers, overshadowing comments by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen that an interest-rate increase may be warranted this year. Treasuries rose and the dollar dropped for a second straight week. Oil slid.
Michael West The Senate Economics References Committee this week kicks off its hearings into corporate tax avoidance in a fortnight, but has confirmed that corporations can select their own witnesses.
Google has said it would pay its new Chief Financial Officer, Ruth Porat, more than $70 million through a combination of restricted stock units and a biennial grant.
Madeleine Heffernan The retail coffee sector is estimated to be worth $3.2 billion a year so there is no wonder it attracts the likes of Retail Food Group.
Binyamin Applebaum The Federal Reserve chairwoman says the Fed plans to raise interest rates more slowly than during past recoveries because of the unusually fragile condition of the US economy.
Peter Ker Rio Tinto's continuing ongoing austerity campaign is set to force departures from its mergers and acquisitions and business development areas.
Christopher Webb OrotonGroup scrip fell when the fashion apparel retailer released its interim results. The reaction in the group's boardroom was to buy the stock.
Sally Rose Pressure is mounting on the government to change the rules that allow wealthy people with millions of dollars in superannuation savings to access their money in tax-free lump sums.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook is joining the roster of the very rich who are giving away their wealth - once he's paid for his nephew's education.
Madeleine Heffernan Internet radio service Pandora joins Facebook, Twitter and BuzzFeed in seeking exemption from filing accounts that would reveal its local earnings and tax.
Ruth Liew, Paul Smith and Luke Malpass A second man arrested in connection with a multi-million dollar bribery in Commonwealth Bank of Australia's technology division, Jon Waldron, was a regular speaker at conferences around the world.
US energy giant Chevron is looking to sell its 50 per cent stake in Caltex Australia.
Stephen Cauchi Investors second-guessing the state of the US economy have dragged the Australian sharemarket into the red this week.
The NZ dollar is continuing to rise against the Aussie, with another RBA cut possibly pushing it to parity.
Anjuli Davies and Silvia Antonioli Rio Tinto will cut jobs in M&A and business development to cut costs as it battles falling commodity prices.
Iron ore futures in China and Singapore slid about 4 per cent on Friday, pressured by worries global producers would continue to lift supply in a glut-hit market.
Australians are a very loyal bunch, with 60 per cent rarely venturing beyond their 10 preferred stores and online shops, a credit card survey has found.
Peter Hannam and Lisa Cox The Abbott government has proposed a major concession to the heavy-polluting electricity industry in its Direct Action climate change policy by exempting individual companies from caps on emissions.


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On Jan. 1, California will become the first state in the country to ban trans fats, which have been linked to an increase in bad cholesterol, obesity and heart disease. The law, AB 97, was approved in January 2010, and gave bakeries one year to adapt to the new rules. But although it might be good for people's health, the change isn't doing any favors for the health of small businesses, reports La Opinión.
In a story called "Cutting the Fat, But Raising the Price of Bread," Sacramento correspondent Araceli Martinez Ortega reports that some Mexican bakeries are planning to increase the price of baked goods in order to cover the increased cost of baking without trans fats.
California's ban on trans fats will increase bakeries' costs by an estimated 10 percent, according to Miguel Barrios, who along with his mother owns the bakery La Mexicana in Sacramento. La Mexicana's prices currently range from 50 cents for the least expensive baked good to $3.50.
Barrios said bread generally lasts four days and cookies can last a week. Without trans fats, he says, the shelf life of bread will be cut in half, which means the bakery will have to bake in smaller quantities and raise its prices.


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Miramar commissioners recently did a tuneup on the city's zoning rules so that a long-established paint and body shop could relocate to a nearby site and establish a larger, more sophisticated-looking building.
Andy Zitman, a development representative for body shop president Raul Arbelaez, said the planned facility near the intersection of Pembroke Road and Palm Avenue would not look like the typical body shop.
"This is going to be a nice building, architecturally designed in an all-new way. This is not going to be like a four- block wall box," Zitman said. "It is probably going to cost close to $1.5 million."
Despite the plan announced early on to city officials for a state-of-the-art facility, he said, the project couldn't go through on that particular site without a change to the B-3 zoning rules.
Those rules allowed car repairs such as engine and brake work, but did not allow body repair and painting work.
By changing the rules to allow such shops on a case-by-case basis within the B-3 category, the proposed paint and body shop will be able to move to an area where body shops are already operating, the planning staff report stated.
Arbelaez's body shop, operating under the name of All American Auto Collision, is at 2011 SW 101st Ave.
Arbelaez could not be reached for comment, but Zitman said a shop with six service bays is planned with enough inside space to allow for storage of vehicles being repaired.
"This is not going to look like some junkyard," Zitman said.
The staff report, which planning manager Harold Zombek presented to city commissioners at a meeting, stated that the past exclusion of body shops from the B-3 zoning category could be traced to the fact that cars awaiting exterior damage repair could create a potential eyesore.


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Dogecoin NFT Sell’s For $4 Million
Initially started as a joke in 2016, the meme-currency Dogecoin is one of the most valuable cryptocurrencies in the entire crypto...
Cryptocurrency has been compared to the “Wild West” by U.S Senator Elizabeth Warren, who argued that regulation for such a volatile...
Bitcoin and several major cryptocurrencies have been languishing over the last month, having lost $1 trillion from the combined price of...
/ 2 days ago
The price of Bitcoin has become a concern for most analysts after the prices rose by 6% in a single day....
The United States government task force seized control of over $2 million worth of Bitcoin to pay the ransom off a...
Latest Dogecoin Price


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INFOMEDIA, a provider of innovative mobile software solutions, announced today that it has launched its Mobile Payments Platform (MPP) in the UAE to deliver new mobile services to Etisalat subscribers. INFOMEDIA will roll out a wide range of exciting digital content via direct carrier billing, including major merchants and exclusive entertainment partners, with dozens of new products available to the UAE market for the first time ever.
"INFOMEDIA and Etisalat have partnered over the past few years, but the reach of this new relationship will create impact of an entirely different scale for both of our businesses, and introduce fresh new experiences for Etisalat's mobile customer base." According to INFOMEDIA CEO Michael Tomlins, "While we are certainly pleased by this milestone, we are most proud that we continue to earn the confidence of top tier Mobile Operators and the trust of the industry’s premier brands. Enabling exciting new products and services, via freemium content and subscriptions, has resulted in rapid revenue growth for the carriers, presented new opportunities for our trusted content partners, and created a new dimension to customer satisfaction."
Mr. Khaled El Khouly, CMO of Etisalat UAE, added: "Etisalat is continuously looking to extend and enhance our customers' use of their phones, by delivering on our continued vision to deploy the most innovative content and advanced digital services to our customers. Our partnership with INFOMEDIA is designed to help exceed customer expectations with best in class and innovative digital services."
INFOMEDIA continues to expand its global presence, anchored by strong partnerships with Tier-1 Mobile Operators in 5 continents, worldwide digital content companies, and leading mobile device manufacturers and OEM’s. Its recent rollout of MPP, the revolutionary Mobile Payments Platform, provides mobile network operators (MNO's) and payment partners the ability to deliver an efficient and streamlined experience, increasing ARPU with minimal resources and record-fast Time-To-Market.
ABOUT INFOMEDIA GROUP
INFOMEDIA is a global leader and provider of innovative digital solutions driving engagement and monetization of technologies to mobile network operators (MNO) and device manufacturers (OEM). INFOMEDIA is positioned strongly to create a more integrated and international product offering, leveraging the latest technological advances and customer trends, for delivery into major MNO's, OEM's, and enterprise partnerships.
For more information, visit: http://infomedia.co.uk


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New Nintendo Software Lets Players Exercise Their Brains
Thumbs Get a Rest as Gray Matter Gets a Workout
REDMOND, Wash., April 17 /PRNewswire/ — Nintendo’s ability to appeal to younger generations with innovative, imaginative and inspired video games takes a mature twist today, as the company launches its creative vision for consumers of all ages. Brain Age(TM): Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day for Nintendo DS(TM) is designed to keep people’s minds active with fun mental workouts that incorporate the user-friendly voice-command and touch-screen capabilities of Nintendo DS. Brain Age also includes more than 100 sudoku puzzles.
“Adults with little or no video gaming experience don’t have to worry about complicated button mashing,” says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales & marketing, whose Brain Age is 30. “Brain Age is just the latest example of Nintendo’s commitment to creating software for a broad range of consumers with varying levels of experience.”
Brain Age is the U.S. version of the popular brain-training software in Japan that already has sold more than 2 million units. The title provides an entertaining and engaging way for Nintendo to reach out to a broad audience, including seniors and baby boomers (who began turning 60 in January).
Brain Age can be a part of an overall regimen for keeping the brain active, says Dr. Elizabeth Zelinski, dean and executive director of Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. “Nintendo’s Brain Age should be just one element of an active lifestyle that includes mental stimulation, exercise and a good diet,” Zelinski says. “Brain Age is a great way for people to keep challenging themselves.”
Brain Age challenges cognitive abilities with exercises like memorizing words, counting and tracking people as they enter and exit a house, and drawing lines to connect letters and numbers in alphabetical and numeric order.


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There isn't any 4K Tv stations being broadcast still. In July 2014 the DVB Steering Board accepted the DVB-UHDTV Phase-1 specifications and also this standard is expected to get rated by the ETSI soon, which can be prone to start the flood-gates for Tv producers to start introducing Ultra Hdtv channels. Perhaps the biggest issue with this particular new standard is the fact that existing TVs and set top boxes is going to be incompatible, so we'll must purchase new items to work with it. Many broadcasters are arranging for 4K channels, try not to anticipate them to commence glowing before 2014, actually 2015 being practical.
If we have got a more elaborate home entertainment setup which could accommodate a significant screen and possess cash to splurge about the cutting-edge technology, a 4KTV is a sensible long-term financial commitment, and since TV producers and content designers are bet on it since the foreseeable future. But typical old HD TV isnt going disappear in the near future, and then we can also relax passing up on 4K at the moment.
Certain businesses that currently provide 4K content are Netflix, BBC, 4K players like the Sony FMP-X10 as well as the M-Go.
To operate full advantage of 4K Ultra HD we'll of course require a compatible TV, the fundamental content packaging and sources that are typical crucial. Just a short while ago 4K TVs were going about $20,000, yet 2015 will be the year they strike mainstream costs. Sharp, by way of example, just introduced a fresh distinctive line of 4K TVs that may begin under $750. But merely similar to early points during the HDTV, we should be cautious with particularly cheap sets due to the fact manufacturers continue being training around the kinks within the 4K technology.
When it comes to colors, 4K TVs designed a huge leap as compared with what is achieved with older models. As an illustration, FULL HDs can hold color depths of ten to twelve bits. An Ultra HD which is one we can get with 4K TVs supports 48 bits. This means that the image being displayed in the screen will be as whether it were real.


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No matter what the ad medium, creativity is a must, however the constant pressure to be delivering good creative leaves some sweating.
Since the epic snag of winning a second lot of the Sydney Airport account, outdoor media company APN Outdoor wanted to showcase just how creative it can be, teaming up with B&T Magazine to create a paper plane out of the mag’s front over for a mammoth paper plane flying competition.
“Having significantly expanded our Airport portfolio, with the addition of Sydney Airport’s T1 (International) and T2 (Domestic), we were looking for an exciting, high impact and fun way to involve the market in the launch,” explained Janine Wood, general manager of marketing at APN Outdoor.
“The six page spread in B&T gave us the opportunity to replicate an airport runway, not to scale of course, with some key information and context around our portfolio, as well as integrate the pull out paper plane itself.”
It’s tricky to tell what will be good creative, but having posed the question to Darren Spiller, chief creative officer at ad agency DDB Melbourne, recently he says he just knows. It gets people excited. It gets people interested. And it’s what makes good advertising.
In the print space, a few years ago a Brazilian magazine ran an ad for car brand Peugeot and its airbags where the airbag literally inflated when the reader smacked the page prior.
Similarly Bauer Media fashion mag Elle recently made its cover a mirror to have the reader front and centre of the glossy.
And the outdoor market also breeds creativity. The Cannes Creativity Festival recently celebrated some of the best outdoor ads in the business, and when our cricket team did rather well in the Cricket World Cup (not the Ashes), beer brand Victoria Bitter took advantage of outdoor media company APN Outdoor’s giant billboards with congratulatory messages.
The paper plane idea in the latest issue of B&T aims to push the message that when you think of airports, you need to think of APN Outdoor, and the creative physical element of print is what really has APN Outdoor jazzed up.
“For us, the B&T spread was an opportunity to harness the power of interactive story telling combining great design and imagination to engage and involve our key audience, using print to add that element of tactility,” said Wood.
“What really excited us is being able to communicate our leadership in the airport media space, in an innovative fashion. Bringing an idea to life in a tangible space for B&T readers and delivering an initiative that is both playful, effective and consequently able to tie in with our promotional Airport event, Flight Club has also been great.”
A bit of healthy competitive paper plane flying never hurt the office either.
“Having the opportunity to throw a few paper planes around and bring out that competitive edge in the workplace was definitely a plus, and we can’t wait for B&T readers to do the same,” joked Wood.
Have a bit of a practice with your copy of B&T, and make sure you RSVP to APN’s Flight Club event to really show off your skills.
It’s nostalgia, competition and the possibility of some prize wins all rolled into one.


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Alibaba's annual online shopping festival last Nov. 11 generated $9.3 billion in sales in 24 hours, more than four times the size of Cyber Monday in the U.S. For this Nov. 11, Alibaba has decided straightforward e-commerce isn't enough. It's tackling a new front with omnichannel retailing, usually known in China by the easy-to-pronounce buzzword "O2O." That stands for "online to offline," or connecting internet users to shops and services in the real world.
Whenever mighty Alibaba sets a new priority for China, the world's biggest e-commerce market, brands quickly get to work, and "the scale is instantly huge and massive," said Alex Misseri, senior VP-retail and commerce at Razorfish Asia-Pacific.
So when customers walk into any of 180,000 participating brick-and-mortar stores, a text message from their Alibaba mobile app pops up on their phone, asking them to scan a code in the shop to compete for coupons for the 11.11 event, as it's called. Alibaba says about $755 million in coupons will go out for the event.
Another push is to get items delivered from local brick-and-mortar shops instead of distant warehouses—meaning delivery times could be slashed, maybe measured in minutes instead of hours or days, Mr. Misseri noted.
Retailers with shops on Alibaba's Tmall platform have their own O2O incentives. Cadillac is selling cars online through Tmall, and the first 100 buyers to click on Nov. 11 will get an ATS-L at half price. There's an O2O twist for a (slight) discount: Customers who visit a showroom and post a photo of a car on mobile app WeChat can get an extra $31 off.
Alibaba isn't alone in the O2O craze; China's other internet behemoths, Tencent and Baidu, are all fighting for domination in this space. Robin Li, the CEO of Baidu, the world's No. 3 digital ad player after Google and Facebook, has even said that O2O services and retail are the company's future, as opposed to search ads, where the company gets most revenue today. And he has complained that investors in the U.S., where Baidu is listed, don't understand how important O2O is.
The Chinese giants' intense rivalry, and their spending spree on O2O-related businesses, are spurring on a golden age for smartphone users in China.
Tencent's WeChat is no longer just a chat app; you can use it to buy plane tickets, call a cab, pay your electric bill, play a mobile game pushed out by a brand or go shopping. (To convince people to link their bank cards to WeChat, the company ran hugely successful social games at Chinese New Year that played on the seasonal tradition of giving and receiving cash in red envelopes.)
Tencent has a partnership with China's second-largest online retailer, JD.com, which has its own Nov. 11 sales event to try to compete with Alibaba's. It also backed an online review platform and on-demand service called Dianping and integrated it onto WeChat; now with a few clicks you can order a chef to cook a meal for you ($15.50), hire a manicurist to do your nails at home (from $10.70) or get someone to wash your car ($6.13).
All that is made possible by China's low labor costs and the population density in Chinese megacities, said Eugene Chew, chief digital officer at J. Walter Thompson Shanghai. People also find the services convenient because of low car ownership in China as well as undeveloped retail offerings in many cities. And another factor is that China embraces digital change so fast.


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Lighthouse Youth Center's Fall Harvest Auction set for this Saturday
● By Lev
Lighthouse Youth Center executive director Buzz Tyson (on right), volunteer coordinator Amy Perkins (left), and youngsters Jalen Webster and Azon Twyman, display some of the items that will be auctioned off this Saturday.
By Steven Hoffman
The 26th annual auction to benefit the Lighthouse Youth Center will take place this Saturday, Nov. 8, with a preview dinner on Friday, Nov. 7 at the Oxford Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.
Buzz Tyson, the executive director of the Lighthouse, said that he considers these events to be among his favorites each year, perhaps ranking just behind the Christmas program that the youth center holds for children each December.
“Seeing all the fellowship that happens is wonderful,” Tyson said. The funds raised during the auction helps support the operating costs of the youth center, which provides a wide range of after-school programs and activities for children between the ages of 9 and 18.
The auction begins at 9 a.m. and continues until all the items have been auctioned off.
“It’s a benefit auction,” Tyson explained. “A lot of people see the value in supporting and believing in this wonderful youth ministry and truly want to bless the Lighthouse’s programs.”
The auction includes hundreds of items, ranging from a 2010 Buick Lacrosse to a 1983 pedal tractor to a one week vacation in Chincoteague, Virginia to dozens of gift certificates to local businesses.
“The Amish community and businesses from Chester and Lancaster counties have blessed us with items to sell at our auction,” Tyson explained.
Gift certificates to numerous restaurants, grocery stores, and furniture stores will be auctioned off, as will admission tickets to Longwood Gardens, the National Toy Train Museum, the Dutch Winter Wonderland Family Amusement Park.
Some of the auction items will appeal to sports fans—tickets to Eagles, Flyers, and Phillies games will be up for bid.
Howe’s Turkeys of Downingtown is donating fresh, all-natural turkeys just in time for Thanksgiving.
Many people in the community also donate personal services as part of the auction. For example, Eva Hershey will make a T-shirt quilt out of any T-shirts that the winning bidder gives her for the quilt. Nancy Ware Sapp is donating a specialty cake for up to 75 people. Some families are offering a prepared dinner in their homes as an auction item.
The auction has grown considerably over the years. Tyson said that when it started, there would be about 30 gift certificates available. Now, there are over 200 gift certificates donated for the auction.
A pork roast dinner to preview some of the auction items will take place on Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children under the age of nine.
Tyson said that the pork roast dinner usually attracts between 500 and 600 people, and is known for its feeling of fellowship as everyone eats together.
As the 2014 auction and dinner is taking place, the Lighthouse is in the process of moving to a new, larger home on Commerce Street. Tyson said that work on the building is proceeding nicely and should be ready early in 2015. The new center will be 11,250 square feet, more than double the current building, and will include an indoor basketball court that is nearly full size and a half-court gymnasium, as well as space for outdoor recreation.
The extra room will allow the Lighthouse to expand its services. Currently, the youth center provides supervised after-school recreation to between 30 and 100 students during 250 days a year. Children and teens can participate in music and art programs, cooking classes, or simply spend time playing games with others.
Youngsters can also benefit from some of the Lighthouse's educational initiatives. The Lighthouse Learning Hour provides homework assistance to students for three hours per week. Teachers from the Oxford Area School District participate in this, currently assisting between 10 and 20 children per week.
Tyson explained that the Lighthouse also holds a College and Career Night each year for young people to meet with college and business representatives. Staffers and volunteers help the youngsters fill out college applications, job applications, or make visits to college campuses.
One of the core missions of the Lighthouse is to introduce young people to God. Bible studies are held on Tuesday afternoons, with an average of 25 youngsters between the ages of 9 and 12 and 20 teens between the ages of 13 and 18 participating in these activities.
The Lighthouse staff also coordinates special activities throughout the year. A Christmas program, for example includes a free meal, games, presents, and sharing of the story of Christmas.
The Lighthouse staff also takes youngsters on trips that are educational and recreational and even helps youngsters get to appointments to test for their driver’s permit or driver’s license.
Every weekday, the Lighthouse provides a free, nutritious meal to children. More than 300 different children benefit from this program each month. In the new youth center, there will be a full-service cafeteria instead of a snack bar, and there will be seating for 100 children. This will also increase the ability for the Lighthouse to provide food to families of youngsters in need.
Program director Doug Richner said that the Lighthouse is currently busy preparing for the annual Oxford Community Thanksgiving Service that is slated for Sunday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Bethany Presbyterian Church. Pie and ice cream will be available after the service. That event is for the benefit of the food pantries of both the Lighthouse Youth Center and the Oxford Neighborhood Services Center.
Tyson said that the construction of a new home is helping to promote the youth center’s activities to more people in the community.
“With our building project, more people are getting involved,” he said.
To purchase tickets or for more information about the event, call 484-880-2018 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
To contact Staff Writer Steven Hoffman, email email@example.com.


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Identity Theft Prevention @ Sherrard Library
You hear about it on the news and you pray it never happens to you, Identity Theft seems to be all around us. Identity theft and fraud crimes are relatively low-risk crimes that can have high payoffs for perpetrators. Advances in technology have made personal information more accessible than ever, making it possible for criminals to profit from sophisticated schemes related to identity theft. These factors combined with limited police resources make it is easy to understand why identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in America and the reason the Sherrard Library will host Take Charge Illinois presented by the Consumer Affairs Division of the Illinois State Comptroller’s Office.
Education is critical to fighting identity theft. It’s time to empower ourselves as consumers to protect against identity theft and to minimize the damage it can cause. This presentation will aid the public on how to identify potential scams and frauds. You can learn how to protect and prepare yourself against identity theft. The presentation will also address concerns if you are already a victim.
Mark your calendar for Thursday, March 7; 6:30. This free presentation will equip the audience with information to generate awareness and encourage action among consumers that can minimize identity theft. The event will take place at 201 5th Ave, Sherrard in the public library meeting room; there is no cost to attend.


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The China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), lowered its score for imported and luxury automobile brands by 6.8% in April compared to the previous month, reports Leatherbiz.
Bentley Mulsanne - China edition
CADA runs a monthly brand index to gauge the performance in the market of different automotive brands.
It said its score for mainstream, joint-venture brands, such as those many global automotive groups have set up in China will local partners, fell by 3%.
However, its score for Chinese brands went up by 6.4% compared to March.
The association said the figures reflected the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on automotive plants and car parts factories overseas. Closures outside China have affected the availability of vehicles in the Chinese market, and this is especially true of luxury brands, CADA said.
For example, local reports say Tesla failed to reopen its factory in Shanghai after a public holiday in early May. The company is making Model 3 cars in Shanghai, but only 30% of the parts are purchased in China.
Industry commentators have said automotive factories in China should begin sourcing more parts and materials locally to lower the risk of interruptions of this kind.


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Could This Be The Next Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?
Mitsubishi says this model is meant for Southeast Asia, but that hasn’t stopped the brand before.
Last year, Mitsubishi showed off the XFC concept in Vietnam, previewing a future small crossover from the brand. Now, the small Japanese brand has revealed the production version of that concept. The grey, smartly-styled compact crossover could be a preview of a forthcoming SUV for the U.S. and Canada.
At this point in time, the concept is still nameless. Yet, we can see all of the vehicle’s styling. The front fascia with its less-than-obvious headlights mirrors what we’ve seen on the new Outlander. The car’s floating roofline and boomerang-shaped taillights complement the tidy proportions. This nameless production model is certainly more agreeable than t he Eclipse Cross.
In all, the XFC production model is 172.8 about the same size as the current Mitsubishi Outlander Sport or RVR. Power will come from a 1.5-liter engine mated to a CVT, sent to the front wheels. It’s not known if this car will be turbocharged, or offer AWD.
Mitsubishi says this crossover is meant for markets in Southeast Asia, but we think it could easily find a place here in the U.S. and Canada. Aside from the Nissan-based new Outlander, Mitsubishi’s lineup is bereft of products. The Mitsubishi Mirage was also meant as a Southeast Asian-focused vehicle, but the brand has found reasonable success selling the Mirage in North America. Given the XFC’s dimensions, it could easily replace the Outlander Sport/RVR – a crossover now more than a decade old at its core.
The production model will officially debut at the Indonesia Auto Show on August 10.
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General Motors and Uber are teaming up to provide car-less Uber drivers with some wheels.
As part of the trial, those who've signed up to drive with Uber but don't have their own car can lease an available Chevrolet Cruze, Malibu, or Trax. Insurance coverage is included in the weekly price of each rental: $179 plus taxes and fees. Drivers are welcome to use the vehicle for personal use at no additional cost, and can get the car serviced at a Chevrolet dealer.
"This is the latest in our efforts to provide driver partners with greater flexibility and more options to access vehicles in a way that works for them," Rachel Holt, Uber regional general manager for the US and Canada, said in a statement. "This partnership with Maven…gives people without access to a car the ability to easily make money driving on the Uber platform."
Those who are a part of Uber's Vehicle solutions can sign up to participate now.
GM's Maven launched in January in Ann Arbor, Michigan with more than 40 former employees of Google, Zipcar, and now-defunct Sidecar. The service's business model is similar to those of its competitors, with hourly and daily rates that include fuel and insurance costs. But unlike Zipcar, which charges a yearly membership fee for most plans, Maven is currently free to join.
Like Zipcar, however, Maven members must begin and end their rentals at the same location; ending a drive anywhere, as you might do with Car2Go, is not allowed.
Maven users can use the app to reserve and unlock vehicles; some also let you start the heater or air conditioning. Technology inside the vehicles include Apple's CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, and complimentary Wi-Fi.
GM, meanwhile, is also working closely with Uber rival Lyft; it invested $500 million in the startup earlier this year. Lyft drivers can also tap into Express Drive, a platform the lets Lyft drivers rent GM vehicles.


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As Reuters reports the French luxury goods group LVMH will set up a design and manufacturing joint venture with the spectacles maker Marcolin, and take a ten percent stake in the Italian company, to give it more control over its prestigious eyewear brands. With this development LVMH is trying to follow rival Kering’s lead in moving away from the traditional licensing model, which boosts eyewear manufacturers’ sales while brand owners earn royalties.
Marcolin told in a statement it would make eyewear for LVMH’s Celine and Louis Vuitton brands from 2018, aiming to gradually become the French group’s preferred partner in the eyeglasses business.
The move could be a blow to Italy’s Safilo Group, which currently holds LVMH licenses worth 340 million euros ($366 million), more than a quarter of its annual sales.
LVMH will own 51 percent of the joint venture
LVMH will own 51 percent of the joint venture with Marcolin. As part of the deal, LVMH will subscribe to a reserved 22 million euro ($24 million) capital increase at Marcolin, taking a stake of around ten percent.
LVMH’s move is expected to have little impact on market leader Luxottica. It makes glasses for LVMH-owned Bulgari but analysts estimate they account for less than one percent of Luxottica’s 9 billion euro annual sales. Adding pressure on Safilo, Luxottica’s growth prospects have been strengthened by its planned merger, announced last month, with top lens producer Essilor to create an eyewear powerhouse.
LVMH could not be reached for comment yet. CEO Bernard Arnault said last week the group would unveil its new eyewear strategy later this year. Safilo CEO Luisa Delgado told Reuters last week that the group would be able to make up for the loss of LVMH licenses by expanding its own brands and striking new deals.


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If there is a market sector secret money which seems to have been taken in the past year is that of non-fungal signal (NFT).
In 2021, the so-called NFTs conquered the crypto world once and for all and also marked a major presence in the world of traditional currencies, with total sales of more than $ 20 billion last year.
In addition, they were acquired by celebrities from different areas of activity, such as Neymar Younger.Paris Hilton, Jimmy Fallon, Reese Witherspoon, Post Malone and Stephen Curry.
Despite the depreciation that is part of the cryptocurrency market, NFTs sales remain stable.
The Business Insider website was the first to report that, in the last week alone, these sales reached a mark of $ 335 million.
Check out the five best-selling NFT collections in the past week, based on data from NonFungible.com:
Position 5: Cold Cats
Cool Cats is a collection of NFTs produced randomly and systematically blockchain he gives Ethereum. The first generation of the collection contains 10,000 NFTs produced from 300,000 options.
In the past week, the Cool Cats registered 148 sales, which amounted to US $ 4.5 million. NFT more expensive than last week sold for $ 50,205.
Position 4: Doodles
According to NonFungible.com, products in the Doodles collection come in a variety of colors, rhythms and sizes that are spread across 10,000 NFTs.
Buying Doodle gives the buyer permission to participate in coordinating the Doodles Community Fund.
Over the past seven days, the NFT collection had 144 sales, totaling $ 5.4 million. The best-selling product in the collection during this period was valued at $ 137,882.
Position 3: Sandbox
Sandbox is a game that gives the user an e-mail world, where he or she can access the original game tokens – SAND – and NFTs.
Last week, The Sandbox recorded 606 sales, which reached $ 7.8 million. The most expensive NFT from that period sold for $ 54,720.
Position 2: Tired Ape Yacht Club (BAYC)
Designed for Ethereum, a collection of 10,000 unique NFTs has been proven to be a favorite of celebrities and professional athletes such as Neymar Jr. and Stephen Curry. The tired Ape Yacht Club can also achieve unique benefits for Yacht Club members.
Over the past seven days, BAYC earned $ 36.3 million from its 484 recorded sales over the period. Last week’s most expensive product collection sold for $ 431,007.
Position 1: CryptoPunks
Over the past seven days, CryptoPunks, one of the oldest NFTs collections, recorded 57 sales, which reached $ 37 million. The most expensive Punk this week sells for $ 354,317.


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Photo via Waggit
This device hopes to know if your dog is sick, injured or in pain
Waggit launches its Kickstarter, with delivery expected by early next year.
Dog collars are a crowded field — but Waggit hopes to break from the pack as a wearable device specifically aimed at the health market. That's not a typical device for pet owners who usually leave the health concerns of their pooch to the veterinary professionals.
But while Waggit doesn't deliver vaccines — the device does hope to give some insight into the general health of a dog: specifically vital signs, body positions and even sleep tracking which, when put together, could point to changes in a dog's behavior that means something isn't right.
About six million dogs, or just under 10 percent of all dogs in the U.S, are newly diagnosed annually with cancer — according to the Animal Cancer Foundation. And as pets age, they're susceptible to illnesses just like humans. The American Veterinary Medical Association names cancer, heart disease and kidney or urinary tract disease as the top three health problems that can affect older pets.
Waggit claims to tell you of your pet may be unwell.Photo via Waggit
Now let's be real: Waggit is not going to cure your pet of any disease, nor should it be a replacement for taking a dog to regular check-ups with its doctor. But picking up on behavioral changes could help know if a dog is hurting or not. Certainly a limp stands out to pet owners — but sleeping several hours fewer during the day may not be as noticeable especially for pet owners who work in an office.
There are also other devices on the market which can track a pet's activity, GPS location and even vital signs. But Waggit says it's pulling all of these details together in one wearable. If you're interested, Waggit is launching its Kickstarter today at an early bird price (for today only) of $169 with retail price eventually set for $249 + $4.95 monthly subscription fee. As with any fundraising project: Keep in mind that a pledge is not the same thing as buying something from a store.


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Mark Zucker has been upped to senior executive veepee of distribution for Columbia TriStar Film Distributors Intl.
The promotion was announced Wednesday by Jeff Blake, worldwide prexy of marketing and distribution, to whom Zucker will report.
An 11-year vet of the studio, Zucker will be responsible for all aspects of international theatrical distribution of movies at Col. He joined the company in 1984 as VP, marketing and distribution administration.
Zucker most recently was exec veepee for worldwide distribution, a department that under Zucker and Blake saw international revenues hit a record-breaking $1.08 billion last year.
Also at the studio, exec veepee Tony Manne has reupped and will report to Zucker; Nigel Clark, exec veepee of marketing for CTFDI, will continue to report to Blake.


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Studies say that China is steadily gaining on the United States in the field of artificial intelligence.
A new report says China will generate more data than the United States by 2025 as it pushes into new technologies such as the so-called Internet of Things, according to a study from the International Data Corporation and data storage firm Seagate.
The (AAAI) Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence 2017 indicated that 23 percent of the authors of academic papers were based in China. This was a huge leap in terms of research output, considering that Chinese AI researchers only contributed 10 percent of the research output in the 2012 AAAI.
China apparently generated about 7.6 zettabytes of data, in 2018, and that number will grow to 48.6ZB in 2025. Meanwhile, the U.S. produced about 6.9ZB of data last year, and that number is forecasted to be about 30.6ZB compared to China in 2025.
Availability of excess data on their customers is something businesses can cheer about, but others have raised questions over how that information is being used.
The data that is created and replicated in China will outpace the global average by 3 percent annually.
GDP, after all, is just population time’s productivity. The US has long been the leading economy with the No. 3 population because the richness of our labor and capital has been so enormously more significant than productivity in China or India.
The analysts pointed to the example of how Chinese tech giants Tencent and Alibaba took on traditional banks in the country by introducing their widely-used WeChat Pay and Alipay digital payment services. Using the massive amount of user data these companies have collected over the years, they can create personalized financial services tailored to the specific behaviors and preferences of their customers, the IDC analysts said.
Companies are using data to reach new markets, improve customer service and, in some cases, create new revenue streams by selling that information, the report said. “Data may not be on a balance sheet, but data is a company’s most valuable intangible asset, which can create a competitive edge in digital transformation.”
By 2025, the total amount of new data created is predicted to increase to 175ZB from 33ZB in 2018, the report said. Primary growth drivers are set to be data collected from entertainment platforms, video surveillance footage, internet-connected devices, productivity tools, and metadata, which is vital for analytics and contextualizing the information.
“With micro-targeting, there is no personal information being used to target us for ads narrowly. Consumer advocates cannot proactively respond to deceitful campaigns or criminal market abuses if they can’t see it themselves,” Férdeline said.
Even more concerning is the fact that which have been used to build models of users that can predict how they are going to behave or respond to specific ads and other messaging.
Melvin holds a degree in Mass Media & Journalism. Writing is his passion. Earlier he used to work as a freelancer and had an experience of writing multiple news articles for various news agencies. When he is not writing, you can find him engulfed in playing sports like golf or basketball.


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New York –John Pfeffer, a partner at Pfeffer Capital, is not only waging on Bitcoin, but he is also giving it a bold price target of $700,000—at least 75 times its current price of $9,100!
Although Pfeffer did not provide a specific time frame for his prediction, his target surpasses even the most optimistic forecasts from other powerful investors such as Tim Draper, a venture capitalist, who predicted Bitcoin’s price would reach $250,000 by 2022.
According to Pfeffer, “Bitcoin is the first viable candidate to replace gold the world has ever seen”. The former partner at private equity firm KKR added, “So if Bitcoin becomes the dominant non-sovereign store of value, it could be the new gold, or new reserve currency.”
How did Pfeffer end up with his $700,000 prediction? Here’s how his calculations work: First, he assumes bitcoin may possibly replace all the gold bullion currently owned by private investors. As per Pfeffer, “Bitcoin is vastly easy to store and secure”.
All privately held gold bullions currently have a total value of $1.6 trillion. Now let’s assume there will be 18 million bitcoins distributed by the time the coins completely replace gold bullion (so far there are 17 million bitcoins produced out of the 21 million max cap that exists), the suggested value of a bitcoin would be $90,000. This is, for Pfeffer, the most conservative possible scenario, which gives at least an 8% chance of becoming reality.
But Pfeffer still has even bigger hopes for Bitcoin—that it would eventually be on the same level as traditional foreign reserve currencies are. “Its imaginable that Bitcoin displaces some form of reserves over time,” Pfeffer said.
Total foreign reserves are worth $12.7 trillion as of today. Although it’s not possible for bitcoin to completely replace all foreign reserve currencies, Pfeffer also demonstrated situations where Bitcoin would eventually account for a quarter of foreign reserves, implying a 20x return from current prices. And, if bitcoin’s total value does rise to the equivalent of all foreign reserves, it would lead to a bitcoin price of $700,000.
“As an investor, what interests us most at this point is that Bitcoin might become the dominant non-sovereign currency,” said Pfeffer. While he puts only a 1% chance on Bitcoin actually hitting $700,000, that one chance alone is enough for him “to make a small, venture capital-style, buy-and-hold longterm bet on,” he added.
Pfeffer’s strategy is simply “Buy the ticket, take the ride”.
Besides bitcoin Pfeffer also experimented with investing in other types of cryptocurrencies in the last two years. However, he has since trimmed his crypto collection to just Bitcoin again. Pfeffer realized how many other cryptocurrencies aside from bitcoin are not only used simply as “money” but as utility tokens. This means these coins are used for performing specific functions and serve other purposes aside from being just pure currency.
Pfeffer believes utility tokens will just turn out to be “value traps” since they get exchanged frequently and their value will always be put under pressure.
Meanhile, Bitcoin offers the opposite. There is one way out of this value trap, which is if people wanted to store their wealth in a crypto asset,” Pfeffer said. This is where Bitcoin comes in—backing his original theory that Bitcoin will replace gold.


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women: female entrepreneurs set up new-age themed cafes in Calcutta
At the head of the tribe is actor-turned-entrepreneur Swaralipi Chatterjee, who runs the popular ‘Abar Baithak’ cafe in Kolkata’s Jodhpur Park district. It’s the first cafe in town themed around Feluda, Satyajit Ray’s immortal detective character.
“After our first startup cafe in Rabindra Sarobar area failed in 2010 due to faulty planning, we established this cafe a few years later but now I have to run the show alone as I am divorced with my husband,” Chatterjee, who was a popular face in Bengali soap operas until 2014, PTI said.
Chatterjee said she and her ex-husband started the cafe out of a passion for adda, good food and ambiance. He was a good cook, which contributed to their decision to start the business. Plus, she wasn’t getting “meaningful roles” on the big screen.
“However, after our divorce, it became my responsibility to run the house, raise our daughter as a single mother, and keep my business afloat,” she said.
Chatterjee claimed his was the first themed café in the eastern metropolis. “We had to temporarily close the cafe during the 2020 lockdown, but reopened it after the restrictions were lifted. Slowly over the past few months people are flocking to the cafe again,” she said.
Chatterjee, who plans to resume her acting career this year, said a woman has to prove herself every step of the way and courage and determination are very important to achieve this. She has also opened another outlet in the Narendrapur area on the southern outskirts of the city.
Amrita Annie, the owner of ‘Pancham er Adday’, a popular hangout in the Hindustan Park area themed around the works of RD Burman, said she had always dreamed of a music-themed cafe of the 1970s and 80s, and brought it to fruition in August 2019.
Annie said she had to sell all her jewelry to restart the cafe after the lockdown. “I was determined not to let it sink in,” she said.
Aarunima Dhawan, the owner of ‘Hola’, a popular cafe in the Vivekananda park area, said she was passionate about food and had received her husband’s full support in the business.
“It’s been four years and we’re still learning. We didn’t have a lot of knowledge about the food and beverage industry when we started,” she said. Rajreeta Sen, co-owner of ‘Ttoniq’ tea bar, said entrepreneurship has traditionally been a male domain, but things have started to change.
“We, the three women, have made a foray into the café segment. We left last October after a delay due to the second wave of the pandemic, and frequenting our tea bar located opposite the South City Mall, as we offer varieties of tea suitable for all budgets. We plan to open two more outlets in the suburbs,” she added.
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Piershale Financial Group Inc. decreased its position in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Rating) by 37.8% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 4,935 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 3,005 shares during the period. Apple accounts for about 0.3% of Piershale Financial Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Piershale Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Apple were worth $876,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dark Forest Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Milestone Resources Group Ltd grew its position in shares of Apple by 92.6% in the third quarter. Milestone Resources Group Ltd now owns 416 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Spence Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $63,000. Newfound Research LLC acquired a new stake in Apple during the third quarter worth approximately $77,000. Finally, NuWave Investment Management LLC grew its position in Apple by 43.5% during the third quarter. NuWave Investment Management LLC now owns 594 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $84,000 after buying an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. 56.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Shares of NASDAQ:AAPL opened at $170.21 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $2.78 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48. Apple Inc. has a 12-month low of $118.86 and a 12-month high of $182.94. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $165.98 and a 200 day simple moving average of $160.66.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 27th. The iPhone maker reported $2.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $123.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $118.53 billion. Apple had a return on equity of 149.81% and a net margin of 26.58%. Apple’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.68 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 6.16 EPS for the current year.
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 7th were issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 4th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.52%. Apple’s payout ratio is currently 14.57%.
A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Loop Capital increased their price target on Apple from $165.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 14th. Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on Apple from $150.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $210.00 price target on Apple in a research report on Monday. Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Wednesday, January 19th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $161.00 price target on Apple in a research report on Monday, January 31st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-five have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Apple has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $189.51.
In other Apple news, SVP Katherine L. Adams sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.78, for a total transaction of $4,369,500.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Arthur D. Levinson sold 1,986 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.29, for a total value of $344,153.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.
Apple Company Profile (Get Rating)
Apple, Inc engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, and other varieties of related services. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, Greater China, Japan, and Rest of Asia Pacific. The Americas segment includes North and South America.
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ATLANTA, Ga. (WTHI) - The CDC says chopped romaine lettuce is the cause of a multi-state E. coli outbreak.
Officials say the lettuce was grown in the Yuma, Arizona, area. However, the agency says it hasn't identified a common grower, supplier, distributor or brand yet.
So far, 35 cases of E. coli illness in 11 states have been reported and linked to the outbreak. The CDC says Illinois is one of the impacted states.
Health officials warn the public to stay away from store-bought chopped romaine lettuce.
Restaurants and stores are advised not to serve or sell chopped romaine lettuce.
To view the latest on this developing investigation, click here.
- Multi-state E. coli outbreak linked to chopped romaine lettuce
- 1st death reported in romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak
- E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce grows to 84 cases
- Romaine lettuce outbreak update: 98 people sick in 22 states
- 5 dead, nearly 200 sickened in romaine lettuce outbreak
- CDC issues strong new warning against eating romaine lettuce
- Multistate salmonella outbreak linked to pre-cut melon
- These foods linked to ongoing outbreaks might make you sick
- More than 500 sick from outbreak linked to McDonald's salads
- Ground beef producer issues recall due to deadly E. coli outbreak


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Samsung has announced tremendous offers on many of its Dhansu smartphones during the festival season, including Samsung Galaxy Note 10 But the best deal has come. Samsung has reduced the price of Galaxy Note 10 by Rs 27,695, after which its price has reduced to just Rs 45,000. However, the benefit of the reduction in this phone will be available to those who buy from offline or retail. Although there is a discount with this phone even when buying online, but there is more benefit when buying offline.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 was priced at Rs 69,999 at launch, which currently costs Rs 57,100 on Samsung’s official website, but is priced at Rs 45,000 at retail stores. At the same time, its price on Amazon is Rs 73,600.
read this also-Lenovo Legion Phone Duel with side camera, see soon
Learn the features of this phone
According to the report of 91mobiles, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 price reduction has occurred in all its color options. This phone is in 8GB RAM RAM 256GB storage variant. Talking about its features, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10’s screen resolution with a 6.3-inch Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED display is 2280 × 1080 pixels. This Samsung flagship phone has an Exynos 9825 SoC processor, which was the most powerful chipset at the time of launching. This phone was launched with Android 9 and Android 10 operating system.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 has a 3,500mAh battery, which supports 25W fast charging. Talking about the camera, the primary sensor in this phone with triple rear camera setup is 12 megapixels. It is followed by a 16 megapixel ultra wide lens and a 12 megapixel telephoto lens. This phone has a 10 megapixel front camera. The camera of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is considered to be extremely powerful, equipped with many features including live focus video, zoom in mic, super steady, hyperlapse, AR doodle and night mode.


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tradeturnover all tags
Further liberalization of Ukrainian-Turkish trade is of prime importance.
16:10, 12 April 2021
Trade turnover in the first two months of 2021 stood at US$17.6 billion.
16:05, 22 March 2021
The largest growth was reported in Kyiv, Zaporizhia, and Volyn regions.
12:30, 22 December 2020
It was 56.5% down year-over-year.
20:55, 14 September 2020
Imports of goods in H1 2020 exceeded US$24.3 billion.
12:55, 16 July 2020
At the same time, it sprang 15% in May against April.
11:20, 23 June 2020
Zelensky had a meeting in Jerusalem with Speaker of the Knesset Yuli-Yoel Edelstein.
20:30, 24 January 2020
India is Ukraine's largest trading partner in the Asia-Pacific region.
20:40, 14 January 2019
Restoration of exports of Ukrainian metal as well as the lifting of restrictions on trade in agricultural products and wood would contribute to such growth.
23:40, 26 October 2018
The presidents of Ukraine and Estonia agreed to hold a meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic and humanitarian cooperation this year.
13:11, 23 May 2018
Trade between Ukraine and Egypt hit US$2 billion in 2017.
13:50, 27 April 2018

President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared his intention to have his country’s bilateral trade with Ukraine grow to the level of $10 billion per year, an UNIAN correspondent reported from Erdogan’s joint press conference with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kyiv Monday.

20:50, 09 October 2017

Trade turnover between Ukraine and the European Union in the first quarter of 2017 increased by 21.6%, the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade reported.

21:10, 20 July 2017


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One of the country’s best new restaurants of 2023, Thattu, is going on winter break with a pair of Chicago chefs popping up while the restaurant team enjoys its time away.
While Thattu, the South Indian restaurant from Vinod Kalathil and Eater Chicago chef of the year Margaret Pak, take a two-week sabbatical, Thai American chefs Fred Noinaj and Palita Sriratana will team up for two nights: Friday, January 19, and Saturday, January 20. Tickets are now on sale at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, January 9 via Tock.
Noinaj and Sriratana’s pop-up is their “love letter to Chiang Mai,” the capital of northern Thailand. Both a city and a province, Chiang Mai has seen dramatic changes in its food and dining habits due to modernization, globalization, and economic growth, the chefs write. They’re concerned that the area’s culinary traditions, some of which are passed down through oral tradition but otherwise are undocumented, including the recipes of the nine hill tribes inhabiting the region.
“This experience is an effort to preserve, appreciate, and share some of our favorite northern Thai dishes in family-style dinner,” they write. “[It’s a] style of dining that is just as essential as the ingredients to the dining culture of the North.”
The duo will present attendees (each dinner is capped at 32) with a menu that begins with laphet thoke, or Burmese tea leaf salad. Follow-up courses include aep pla (Chiang Rai-style minced whitefish and catfish and herbal curry paste that’s stuffed into a banana leaf and grilled), gaeng hung le (Mae Hong Son-style Shan pork belly curry with dill, ginger, and pickled garlic), and yam pii (Northern-style tom yam soup with banana blossom and chicken). The evenings will also feature pairings with Apologue Liquors, which Noinaj and Sriratana selected for its Midwestern flavors such as paw paw in a nod to the American aspect of their identities.
Both chefs are familiar players in Chicago’s hospitality industry. Sriratana is the creative engine behind moveable Thai feast Pink Salt, which had a home inside the now-shuttered Fulton Galley, now pops up around town while collaborating with heavyweights like Ramen-san and SoHo House. She also has her own line of Thai-style roasted chili jam, Nam Prik Pao, that she jars for retail sales. Noinaj, a 2016 Eater Young Gun semifinalist, formerly helmed the kitchen at shuttered tropical bar Lost Lake and has worked as executive chef at Cherry Circle Room inside the palatial Chicago Athletic Association hotel.
Thattu will be closed from Tuesday, January 16 through Thursday, February 1. The announcement comes at a bit of a challenging time for Thattu. Burglars broke a window and took the restaurant’s cash register, a move that forced Thattu to only accept electronic payments this week. Pak and Kalathil say they’re a bit shaken up — the thieves knew exactly what to look for. As restaurants accepting cash are becoming a rare breed, crimes like this are becoming kind of a rite of passage for restaurant owners. Kalathil is hopeful that 2024 will be a kinder year for Chicago and its restaurants.
Love Letter to Chiang Mai featuring chefs Fred Noinaj and Palita Sriratana pop-up, Friday, January 19 and Saturday, January 20 at Thattu, 2601 W. Fletcher Street, tickets available via Tock.


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November 30, 2007
I recently had a chance to test out said kit for a smashing night out. I'm pleased to report that the five Sephora brand brushes included are truly superb and the instructional booklet made getting the perfect chic, smokey eye a breeze, even for a relative novice like me. You can grab your own kit here.
Fashion Week Daily broke the news yesterday that Gryson will be the next accessories designer to do a capsule collection for Target's Go International. The collection will launch in 2008 and is being previewed to long lead press (read: fashion editors at major magazines) in two weeks.
Personally, I find the majority of these designer collaborations to be sorely disappointing in person...cuts, fabrics and special details make designer clothing and accessories worth the indulgence. And unfortunately, those are the three easiest ways to cut expenses when manufacturing.
What do you think? Are you still excited about designer collaborations like Gryson for Target?


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WPP's GroupM restructuring stresses tech-driven ad-buying
By Tim Baysinger
Nov 14 (Reuters) - WPP Plc's GroupM, one of the world's largest media buying firms, said on Monday it would restructure its North American operations as the industry relies more on technology to place ads.
Rino Scanzoni, GroupM's North America chief investment officer since 2005, will become executive chairman and chief executive of WPP's Midas Exchange and Modi Media, the company said in a statement.
Midas Exchange allows advertisers to trade products for media space in lieu of cash. Modi Media uses technology to target ads toward specific households instead of using the same commercials for all viewers.
Ad agencies are increasingly relying on research and technology to place ads as viewers watch more and more video on digital gadgets.
Scanzoni, who had worked in various roles in WPP for 30 years, was a pioneer in the push for incorporating delayed viewing for commercials on DVRs or video-on-demand platforms.
Lyle Schwartz, who helped build GroupM's research department, was named president of investment for North America. GroupM said Lyle would be the first head buyer at a major media investment group with a research and analytics background.
GroupM has also consolidated its resources into two groups.
The Investment group, led by Schwartz, includes the TV ad buying team and its research unit.
Platform Services includes digital ads purchased using software, search marketing, social media, digital operations and digital analytics. It will be lead by former MediaCom North America CEO Phil Cowdell.
GroupM's media buying agencies, including Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom, Maxus and Essence, will continue to operate independently. (Reporting by Tim Baysinger; Editing by Richard Chang)
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Owning a car was once a rite of passage for American youth, but times are changing, and this big-ticket purchase is becoming less relevant to people under 30.
New studies are showing that many people in Generation Y no longer have the ambition to purchase cars or drive in general. According to an independent study conducted by ZipCar, Inc., the worldâ€™s largest car sharing service, nearly half of all 18 to 34-year-old drivers are driving less and owning fewer cars. Almost two-thirds surveyed said they would drive less if alternative transportation, such as public transportation, carpooling, or car sharing, was available.
Although only 1,000 people were surveyed, the auto industry should take note that a new breed of drivers are hitting the road.
Survey respondents cited the high cost of owning and maintaining a car, not to mention insurance and gas as why they are steering clear of becoming car owners.
â€śInsurance rates have been as high as theyâ€™ve ever been and theyâ€™re higher for youth,â€ť says Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Edmunds.com. â€śItâ€™s very expensive to own a car when youâ€™re young and youâ€™re going to be more conscious [considering] the economic times.â€ť
Experts also pointed to the hassle of owning a car, especially those living in big cities, as a reason young adults are snubbing owning cars.
â€śThereâ€™s a few concerns that people have in planning for the car business and transportation overall for the next few years,â€ť says Jon LeSage, automotive editor of green initiatives at Automotive Digest. â€śOne of them certainly is the gridlock; in lot of cities, the traffic congestion is really getting bad.â€ť
Social media is also making it easier for people needing a ride to find one.
Rental Car Industry Kill the Auto Sector?
Carpooling and car sharing have become popular and a more economic option for consumers who only need a car once in awhile, especially in larger cities.
Companies provide car sharing services by renting cars for short periods of time to people who only occasionally need to drive. You can rent overnight, for daily use, or even by the hour.
LeSage explains that some auto companies, such as Ford and General Motors (NYSE:GM), are jumping on this trend and offering car sharing services of their own.
â€ś[Companies]have got to accept the fact that thereâ€™s going to be things like car sharing,â€ť he says. â€śThey are going to become more important for people.â€ť
While car sharing might be fitting for cities dwellers, young adults living in more rural areas might have a harder timing getting around without owning a car.
â€śThose people are not going to have the same options,â€ť says Brauer. â€śWhat they do [decide] is whether [to] buy a car or use social media and not be there physically.â€ť
Car Sector Could Lose Life-Time Customers
â€śMillennialsâ€ť comprise a huge component of potential car buyers. According to a study by Deloitte LLC, Gen Y is the largest generation since the â€śBaby Boomersâ€ť with 75 million people either eligible to drive or coming of age to drive. If the amount of young car buyers decreases drastically, it could have a big impact on profitability for the car industry.
â€śIt would definitely have some long term-negative effects nationally,â€ť says Oren Weintraub, president of Authority Auto. â€śManufacturers [would be] selling less cars, dealers making less revenue, states getting [fewer] taxes because of fewer sales, manufacturer and part suppliers having to cut back because theyâ€™re not needed as muchâ€”it can have a ripple effect to other areas of the economy.â€ť
Weintraub also said a decrease in drivers hitting the road could cause automotive brands to lose out on a valuable market segment and promotional opportunities. Not to mention a brandâ€™s consumer loyalty may take a hit due to a decrease in advertising and exposure.
â€śPart of that generation getting into cars develops an opportunity for these car manufacturers to brand with their clients,â€ť he says.
What it Could Mean for Gen Y
While not buying a car can save you significant money and cut out immediate costs, Weintraub cautions that young adults should look at the big picture
â€śSomeone getting into their first car loan is an important part of establishing credit as a young person to set themselves up for when it comes time to buying their first house or getting a more expensive car,â€ť says Weintraub. â€śAt that time when these lenders are looking at your credit history, having a perfectly-paid car loan will help qualify anyone for larger purchases and not only qualify you, but qualify you at the lowest possible rate thatâ€™s available.â€ť
While itâ€™s tough to predict whatâ€™s next for the auto industry one thing is clear--it better keep up with the times and adapt to new driversâ€™ habits and lifestyles.
â€śI think the challenge for all of these car companies is to connect with consumers in spite of these circumstances,â€ť says Brauer. â€śThe user is more interested in the latest phone rather than the latest car.â€ť
LeSage explains that a shift in accessibility to the Gen Y market will be among the many challenges car companies face in adapting the way they do business.
â€śTheyâ€™re becoming a lot more scaled down in terms of what theyâ€™re doing; they have to be very efficient in the process in their manufacturing,â€ť he says. â€śTheyâ€™ve made some tough decisions; there are less people that work for them now, theyâ€™re still adapting organizationally.â€ť


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As of August 2021, the Marvel Cinematic Universe series was the highest-grossing film franchise with total worldwide box office revenue of 22.93 billion U.S. dollars.
What is the largest media franchise in the world?
Pokémon is the most valuable media franchise. Since its emergence in 1996, the Pokémon franchise has brought in a revenue of $100 billion. Other franchises in the top five include Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Star Wars, and Disney Princesses.
How much has GTA made?
As GTA 5 makes roughly $911 million a year and the above photo was from 2020, one can deduce that GTA 5 has made nearly $7 billion thus far. It’s an impressive number, especially since GTA 5 was free on the Epic Games Store for a short while in 2020.
How much did gta5 make in 24 hours?
The release of Rockstar Games’ “Grand Theft Auto V” generated $800 million sales in 24 hours around the world, a record for any game from Take-Two Interactive, and the “GTA” franchise itself.
What is a popular Disney franchise?
Disney’s already-dominant collection of assets has raked in billions of dollars for the company under CEO Bob Iger’s leadership. They include some of the most popular, highest-grossing film franchises of all time, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pixar’s animated movies, and the “Star Wars” series.
Is Pokemon bigger than Disney?
Pokémon is the highest-grossing entertainment media franchise of all time. To put things into perspective, the franchise is worth more than Disney’s Star Wars, Mickey Mouse, and Marvel.
How much did Dragon Ball make in 2020?
The document, which breaks down Toei’s earnings from April – June 2020, confirms Dragon Ball earned 4.7 billion yen. This equals about 44.3 million in American dollars, but the lofty number is down year over year.
Was Dragon Ball Super popular?
Dragon ball is sorta popular on TV, though. Dragon Ball popularity in the west in mostly among people outside the anime community. Dragon Ball Super places #306 on popularity on MyAnimeList, which is not high at all. The most popular Dragon Ball series on the site is Dragon Ball Z, placing #69, which is still not high.
How much money did Dragon Ball make in 2020?
According to the second-quarter report, Dragon Ball is down year over year. The report accounts for money grossed between July and September 2020. The report confirms the franchise made 8.7 billion yen which is an impressive sum.
How much does one piece make per episode?
One Piece – $90,000 Per Episode One of the longest running anime in existence also has a humongous per episode budget. According to Anime News Network, one episode of One Piece is 10 Million Yen. That is roughly 90,000 dollars.
How much is LoL worth?
League of Legends revenue worldwide 2015-2020 First released in 2009, League of Legends (LoL) is an online multiplayer battle arena game which generated revenue of 1.75 billion U.S. dollars in 2020. This figure represents recovery from the dip to 1.4 billion U.S. dollars in annual revenue generated in 2018.
What was GTA 5 budget?
Analyst estimations place the game’s combined development and marketing budget at more than GB£170 million (US$265 million), which would make it the most expensive game ever made at that time.
How much does Rockstar make a day?
GTA 5 generated almost $1 billion for Rockstar in 2020, which breaks down to almost $2.5 million each and every day.
How much money did GTA make in 2021?
GTA 5 copies sold as of 2021 According to Take-Two, GTA 5 has generated over $1 billion in retail sales, which makes GTA 5 the best-selling game of the decade, and there is still the final re-release still to go.
How long would it take to make a billion dollars in GTA 5 Online?
Depending on your main target you can make let’s say 1.2 to 1.8 million every 10 minutes (fastest I could do it). So think 6 million plus an hour. Divide a billion by that. That’s about how long it would take, about 170 hours give or take.
How much did Red Dead 2 make?
Red Dead Redemption 2 — $379 million to $550 million No, it isn’t Rockstar’s most successful game, and it hasn’t had the legs of its flagship series Grand Theft Auto, but Red Dead Redemption 2 is almost unbelievable to see in motion.


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If the ongoing protests were not enough, now Turkey tourism is facing another hurdle. The government decision of curbing alcohol sales has not gone down well with the Turkey tourism.
The bill was sent to the President Abdullah Gul who has given not to it. Under the new rules, sales of alcohol is prohibited between 10pm to 6am. The decision is taken to tackle alcohol abuse in the country.
However tourism industry is spektical of this decision. It feels that there are better ways to deal with alcohol abuse. The decision to curb sales of alcohol is not going to help in tackling the problem.
Instead it will create a new problem, that too for the tourism industry. The tourism body feels that decision will definitely have negative impact on the tourist arrivals. TUROB tourism industry association feels that such decision will not help in achieving the revenue targets set for the future.
Turkey is aiming 50 million tourists by 2023 and $50 billion in revenues from tourism. To achieve the target, average spending per tourist should increase from $800 at present to $1000. However it is not likely to happen if government decides to curb the sale of alcohol.
Some tour operators feel that this decision will further harm the image of Turkey as tourist friendly destination. The ongoing protests are showing no sign of slowing down. What started as peaceful protests have turned violent.
When world media is showing people clashing with the police on daily basis, it is not good for the tourism. No matter how much you try, it will certainly paint a negative image of the country.


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SWEDEN: Drinks analyst joins Facile & Co board
Rated consistently as a leading drinks analyst in Europe and in 1990 voted Best Spirits Analyst in London, Wakely is managing director at London-based Lehman Brothers with primary responsibility for the European drinks industry and the US wine and spirits industry.
Commenting on his nomination, chairman at Facile & Co Philip Diklev said: "John Wakely will be a valuable addition to the board at Facile & Co. He knows better than most what it takes to succeed in this industry and better than almost anyone, the value of that success."
Anheuser-Busch has stepped into a labour dispute in its home city of St Louis....
Anheuser-Busch (AB) has lost a legal battle to sell its beer under the brand name Budweiser in Portugal....
Anheuser-Busch will pay US$120m to settle a lawsuit out of court....
The legal battle between Anheuser-Busch and a beer distributor has come to an end....
Anheuser-Busch has seen its share recommendation reviewed by several investment banks following the release of disappointing Q2 figures yesterday (28 July)....
Bear Stearns has downgraded its rating for Anheuser-Busch and questioned the brewer's price-cutting policy....
Banco Bryggeri has seen sales soar thanks to the hot weather currently being experienced in Sweden....
Anheuser-Busch may have to reinstate workers it dismissed after catching inappropriate behaviour using hidden cameras....
- The End of the Road for International Beer Brands?
- Comment - Another One Bites Bacardi's Dust
- Allegro: The shape of things to come at Pernod?
- Pernod Ricard's FY Performance by Region, Brand
- US craft vodka puts squeeze on Pernod's Absolut
- Mast-Jägermeister targets UK off-trade boost
- Pernod bemoans tough FY as sales, profits drop
- ASA bans Jägermeister TV ad
- Bacardi announces CFO switch
- SABMiller exec to become CFO at Beam Suntory


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Safeway names new EVP, CFO
PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Monday announced the appointment of Peter Bocian as its new executive vice president and CFO. Bocian, 58, will oversee the company’s financial functions including accounting, tax, audit, treasury, investor relations, planning and business development. He will report directly to Robert Edwards, Safeway’s president, and will assume his new responsibilities on Feb. 19.
Bocian most recently served as EVP head of corporate services and finance at JPMorgan Chase, the New York-based global financial services company. While at JPMorgan Chase, he had overall responsibility for Global Real Estate, Procurement, Technology and Real Estate Finance and General Services for the firm.
Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Bocian spent three years as EVP and chief administrative officer at Palo Alto-based Hewlett-Packard. Before his tenure with HP, he spent over a year as CFO and chief administrative officer at Seattle-based Starbucks. Earlier Bocian had a long and successful 24 years with Ohio-based NCR Corporation, where he held positions of increasing responsibility across finance, working in the retail, teradata and federal system groups. At NCR, he last served, for three years, as SVP and CFO.
"We are pleased to have attracted someone with Pete’s demonstrated business leadership skills and deep financial credentials to our senior executive team," stated Edwards. "His proven ability to effectively manage a broad cross section of complex finance and administrative functions, as well as his extensive experience with retail-focused companies will be of considerable added value to our business."
Bocian holds a Masters in Business Administration in Accounting and Bachelor of Arts in Russian from Michigan State University, and served in the U.S. Navy.
‘Look ahead and be bold,’ Anderson urges NACDS members as group marks 80th year
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — National Association of Chain Drug Stores president and CEO Steve Anderson pledged to be proactive in advocating for pharmacy in the organization’s 80th year.
Speaking at the NACDS’ Regional Chain Conference Monday, Anderson said pharmacy stood at an "inflection point," with many more on the horizon.
"Many of you tell me that decision-makers seem to recognize pharmacy’s value as the face of neighborhood health care more than before," Anderson said. "Many of you tell me that community pharmacy and the consumer goods side of the business have tremendous opportunities, but the trick will be capitalizing on them. I also hear about the challenges that could stifle not only innovation, but also the viability of some businesses."
In addition to the pledge of advocacy, Anderson said the organization would "embark on a determined journey to earn the recognition for pharmacies as healthcare providers in Medicare" and provide an "innovative product" in the NACDS Total Store Expo, which will take place in Las Vegas in August.
The theme for the group’s 80th anniversary, Anderson said, would be "Experience It!" This would represent its response to the current operating environment and reflect the central focus of member engagement in its work.
"If there is one thing that has no place in NACDS, it’s sitting back and waiting for things to happen," Anderson said. "The words ‘Experience It!’ issue an invitation — an invitation to gather at events like this one to collaborate and innovate, and an invitation to earn results through expertise in advocacy, communications and business building."
Anderson urged attendees of the conference to "look ahead and be bold."
"NACDS has sought nothing less than creating an experience that helps you do what you do and be who you are," Anderson said. "And it’s that oneness with the membership that allows NACDS to take on the challenge of successfully navigating healthcare reform … the challenge of pursuing greater roles for pharmacy in healthcare delivery … and the challenge of settling for nothing less than creating the ideal forum for advancing business relationships and strategic dialogue."
Bloomberg: Tesco reassures U.S. customers as investment bank conducts strategic review
NEW YORK — U.K. grocer Tesco is attempting to reassure shoppers that its United States-based Fresh & Easy supermarkets are not closing after announcing in December plans to exit the U.S. market, Bloomberg News reported Friday.
Not too long after Tesco announced its possible U.S. exit, a Facebook page titled "Save Fresh and Easy" was created. "By liking this page, we ask you to help keep our doors open by bringing three friends with you and show them exactly what it is you have come to love about us," the site administrators, who noted the page was not officially sanctioned by Fresh and Easy, stated.
As of Feb. 4, that site had 1,197 "likes."
According to the Bloomberg report, investment bank Greenhill is conducting a strategic review of Fresh & Easy for Tesco, which should be ready by April. The U.S. business hasn’t turned a profit since it was opened in 2007, the report noted.
The official word from Fresh and Easy, which Bloomberg noted went out to consumers via email, was "While we don’t know exactly what the outcome of this strategic review process will be, we want to assure you we don’t have plans to close stores and we’re confident Fresh & Easy can continue to be your favorite neighborhood market. In fact, we’re kicking off a new campaign this week so keep an ear out for our new radio spots.”


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While supply issues have been a major issue for some time now, Apple is expecting a massive growth cycle throughout 2022. Some analysts are reporting that this growth is currently not baked into its share price.
Writing to the Investors
Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives writes in a note to investors that investment bank is seeing a strong rise in Apple’s stock.
While component shortages have continued to be the largest threat to Apple’s supply chain this year, Ives argues that the supply chain overall is seeing major improvements. Heading into the June quarter, this can spell big news for the tech giant as they continue to release new products throughout the year.
A critical region for the company is now China, and the company is gaining ground. Wedbush states an estimate of a 300 basis point gain in market share for Apple. This is largely thanks to the 5G-equipped iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups.
It is also important to remember many of the things Apple will bring to the table after its Peek Performance media event. The new iPhone SE, for example, is sure to drive up sales for the company. Sales of the new Mac Studio has also exceeded expectations. With many new things on the horizon for the company, it is no wonder that Daniel Ives looks at the company so favorably.
A Great Year for Apple
In a field that Ives describes as “oversold,” Apple still remains the favorite for many in the areas of technology, cloud and cybersecurity stocks. Ives highly recommends investors to buy and hold in these areas.
The Wedbush analyst maintains a 12-month target price of $200 for Apple, and Ives maintains his Outperform rating for the company. These targets are based on a sum-of-the-parts evaluation from banks and 2022 estimates. This includes an 18x multiple on Services, bringing it to $1.5 trillion, as well as 7x multiple on Apple’s hardware business, which is $2.2 trillion.
At the time of writing this article, Apple stock is $173.04 per share.