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“The Importance of the Asia Pacific Market to the U.S. Dairy Industry”
by Connie Tipton, President & CEO, IDFA
Delivered at the Asia Pacific Dairy Summit in Singapore
November 19, 2015
Thank you to the organizers for the invitation to join you at this important summit. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
I am here today on behalf of the members of the International Dairy Foods Association, an organization representing companies that make and market a wide array of dairy products. Our members are primarily located in North America, but we also have member companies in 16 other countries. Our staff primarily works with the United States Congress and government regulatory agencies to create the best possible market environment for our members. So you could say we are experts on the dairy industry, but also in advocating for better U.S. laws and policies affecting the industry.
I am pleased to be here because this summit represents the future of the global dairy industry.
There is no place more important than the Asia Pacific region; it is, without question, the most dynamic sector of the global dairy industry today. Why?
The Asia Pacific region:
- accounts for 40 percent of the global economy.
- It includes the largest consumer markets in the world,
- has the fastest growing demand for dairy products, and
- has the largest and fastest growing regions of milk production.
And all of us here in the dairy industry – from producers to processors, marketers, researchers and retailers – now have the opportunity of a lifetime.
I congratulate the organizers of this summit, and commend all of you here for having a vision of what our industry can be.
Let me add my perspective. And offer a metaphor.
Think of the old-fashioned milking stool. It was made with three legs because a tripod is the most stable foundation, especially when the terrain is uneven, as it was in many cow barns not so long ago. And just as the ground was often uneven then, the global economy and dairy markets have ups and downs that require a steady, stable foundation for this industry to grow.
From our vantage point, we’re sure that dairy is poised for unprecedented growth, and that is why our collective strategy for growth, like a milking stool, should be built on three legs.
In order for our strategic vision to be “20/20” we will need
- Foresight; and
First, hindsight. We need to recognize and appreciate where our industry came from – and, in some places, where it still needs to move into the 21st century.
The International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN), which is headquartered in Germany, reports that the average dairy farm in the world has only 2.9 cows. Moreover, 38 percent of all milk produced globally is never sent to a processor; it’s either consumed on the farm or sold or bartered to a neighbor.
Indeed, preservation of small farms, producing a perishable commodity, traditionally has been the rationale for protection for the dairy industry across the globe. And that rationale has been true for countries with dairy industries of all sizes – small, medium and large.
Our hindsight allows us to recognize that none of the various schemes of supply controls, production quotas, mandatory herd reductions, tariffs and trade barriers have helped our industry grow. In fact, in many cases these policies have actually prevented countries from reaching their full potential.
That brings up the second leg of the stool, “Foresight.” We have to visualize and understand what is coming next.
Whether we are ready or not, growing demand is here – and by all accounts, it looks to be here for a long time to come.
Countries like New Zealand and Australia had the foresight years ago to eliminate policies that impeded growth and expansion of their dairy industries, while the European Union, the United States and Canada clung to production quotas, government price supports and supply controls.
These differing policy approaches largely explain where these countries stand in meeting the growing demands of today’s marketplace.
At the recent World Dairy Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, the International Dairy Federation offered an interesting prediction, saying if dairy consumption grew to match the actual nutritional needs of all global diets, total world demand for milk and dairy products would double by 2030. And triple by 2050.
Think of that. A doubling of demand in 15 years. For context, in the past 15 years, world milk consumption grew by one-third. In the 15 years prior to that, world milk consumption shrank six percent. The demand was there, but restrictive policies intentionally limited trade in dairy.
Looking back, it has taken more than 50 years to double global milk consumption. Yet we could see that rate of growth again in the next 15 years.
In fact, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) estimates that, in the Asia Pacific region alone, dairy consumption should double by 2050. That’s good news for all of us.
And that’s why our foresight must include countries taking steps to change domestic policies that stand in the way of producing enough milk to meet this demand. We also need to reach agreements on greater market access for each of us to sell our products where the demand exists.
It is essential that we embrace agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership to increase markets for products that our various countries have the comparative advantage to produce.
And, for the United States, one of the most important trade deals that no one is talking about is the bilateral investment treaty between the U.S. and China. This has been quietly inching forward for nearly a decade, but its progress has accelerated in recent months.
Reportedly, if completed, the deal would roll back technical barriers and investment restrictions that are limiting access to lucrative markets in both countries, similar to an investment chapter of a free trade deal. U.S. investment in China last year topped $60 billion, according to our Commerce Department. While this investment isn’t directly focused on agriculture or dairy, the impact and implications could be wide ranging.
So an important part of foresight is reaching agreements around the globe that would expand trading opportunities.
That brings me to the third, and most important, leg of our stool: “Insight.”
Once we understand what’s coming, we need to know why. Economically. Demographically. Geographically.
That is what I really want to focus on: How all the pieces of the world dairy situation puzzle fit together.
Let me say, I am not one typically given to crystal ball gazing. So when we hear these phenomenal predictions about what the future holds, I like to put them to the test.
For example, let’s put the prediction by the International Dairy Federation of a potential doubling of dairy demand in 15 years in perspective.
We know that increasing incomes around the world has led to dietary changes – namely a greater demand for protein. And dairy is an excellent source of protein.
Consider what’s happened globally with two other popular protein sources: pork and poultry.
Global consumption of pork – the world’s most widely consumed meat – has doubled over the past 20 years. And it is still growing.
Global consumption of broiler meat – one of the world’s most affordable meats – has doubled over the past 18 years.
So, when you consider the track record of those two commodities, and then consider the additional nutritional benefits of milk, the variety and adaptability of dairy products and the value that dairy foods provide consumers, it almost seems unremarkable to project dairy consumption to double in 15 years.
Given that likelihood, the dairy industry has three choices.
First, we can resist those trends – fighting to preserve the old ways that don’t fit a changing world.
Second, we can be swept along by those trends, hanging on and hoping for the best – that is, not falling off somewhere along that ride.
Or, third, we can drive those trends, which is what I would suggest. We can do that by understanding what is driving demand and learning how to harness the power of the global consumer.
Let’s look at some trends in the Asia Pacific market.
First stop, China. It is one market with 19 percent of the world’s consumers. It is also the fastest-growing milk producer in the world.
Since 2000, China has increased milk production by more than 300 percent, … but that is still not enough to meet the country’s growth in demand.
China’s younger generation is consuming more and more fluid milk, both fresh and UHT milks with long shelf life. Dry dairy products rich in protein are in demand for milk beverage production and for infant formula.
China offers a marketer’s dream for dairy products. E-commerce is a key factor in the Chinese beverage market. And China has a large elderly population – more than 210 million people over age 60 – providing a great opportunity for cultured products rich in calcium, like yogurt.
Next up, of course, is India – a country where meat avoidance is a widespread religious and cultural practice, and dairy is important in the diet.
Actually, India is the largest single-country milk producer in the world, but more than half of that production – 55 percent – is buffalo milk used in culturally traditional products.
Yet there is a growing demand for cows’ milk and products, especially value-added dairy products. On top of that, India already has the highest fluid milk consumption in Asia.
A whopping 28 percent of the population is under age 14, which means, among other things, that the country’s population will continue to expand. And tastes for new foods will likely continue to increase. Cheese production, for example, is growing about 15 percent per year.
India is looking to grow its dairy production, but it is still today an industry characterized by small farms and a high percentage of informal marketing.
The country is still 70 percent rural, but urbanization is a growing trend. The ever-increasing rise in domestic demand for dairy products and a large demand-supply gap could lead to India being a net importer of dairy products in the not too distant future.
However, despite growing cheese demand, only 40 to 45 varieties of cheese are available in the Indian market, which is very low compared to other markets.
The United States, for instance, produces over 300 varieties. And, for now, India stringently regulates dairy imports, including cheese, and the U.S. currently is unable to meet the country’s requirements for milk and dairy product imports.
But here’s why it’s important to pay attention to China and India – 35 percent of the world’s population lives in these two countries!
That’s a commanding market, but that still leaves a vast majority to serve.
Here in Singapore, the hub of the Southeast Asian economy, the culinary environment is very international – with many ethnic cuisines offered in world-class restaurants.
Consumption of cheese and cultured products, as well as low-fat and skim fluid milk and milk-based beverage products, is growing.
In Japan, we’re seeing one of the region’s higher per capita consumption rates for milk. Cheese demand is growing there as well, and an aging population likely will demand more cultured and probiotic products.
The same domestic demand growth for these products is occurring in other markets, even in net exporting countries like Australia.
Likewise, Korea’s dairy demand is increasing – especially for cheese –and it’s moving faster than the supply can expand.
Given relatively stable production levels and increasing consumption in Japan and Korea, dairy imports to those two countries are expected to nearly double in the next 30 to 35 years, as long as we and they have the right trade agreements to allow that to happen.
In countries like Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines that are dealing with fresh water shortages, consumption of convenience-packaged beverages – such as milk-based drinks – is growing.
And one of the key growth sectors is – and will continue to be – the demand for milk powders for infant formulas. Demand for dairy in food manufacturing won’t be far behind.
To put this demand in context, consider that exports from major suppliers of skim milk powders grew 38 percent from 2010 to 2014. Whole milk powder exports grew 28 percent in the same period, driven by the demand in the Asia Pacific region.
What’s behind this boom? Let me offer this observation.
Asian consumers are very health conscious, and they are increasingly recognizing the health benefits of milk and dairy products. Their interests range from commodities fortified with dairy protein to consumer-packaged dairy probiotic products.
But that’s just one of many selling points. The dairy industry will have many opportunities to market based on health, wholesomeness, food safety, sustainability and other qualities.
In fact, it is probably fair to say that it will be difficult to market products that do not meet consumers’ expectations in these areas.
And these expectations will only continue to grow as consumer income increases worldwide.
As I mentioned earlier, income growth affects diets. Initially, as consumers gain purchasing power, they demand more calories, more proteins, more nutrients. With increasing levels of income growth, consumers also demand more assurances about the quality, safety and sustainability of the products they buy.
Here’s why this is important. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, we are in the early stages of an economic shift coming between 2010 and 2030 where three billion consumers worldwide will move up to the middle class.
Most of the new middle class will live in Asia. And most members of this new Asian middle class will live in India.
Now consider the triple impact of growing incomes, growing populations and urbanization.
Population growth is a sure thing. And not just in the least developed parts of the world.
Even though the annual global population growth rate has declined every year since 1992, and even though it is projected to continue to decline through 2050, we will still add more than two billion people to the planet in the next 35 years. The total population will be an estimated 9.4 billion. That’s a lot of people to feed. Are we up to the challenge?
Today, an estimated 54 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas. By 2050, according to the United Nations, that percent will grow to about 66 percent.
Let’s do the math. The world will gain 2.1 billion people by 2050. And with the trend toward urbanization, that same number of people – plus another 200 million alive today but not yet living in an urban area, or about as many people as currently live in Brazil – will become urban dwellers. Serving this population will demand infrastructure and supply chain logistics that don’t exist today.
If the world’s current milk supply – produced from a global average of 2.9 cows per farm, with less than two-thirds of the milk going to a processer – stayed the same, would it adequately supply this future, middle class, urban population?
Foresight and insight identify the opportunities, but there are real challenges before us in meeting future demand.
Now more than ever, the future will depend on global trade and opening our respective markets to one another to take advantage of what each of us has the comparative advantage to produce.
For instance, the United States may have a comparative advantage to produce dairy products, but we need to stop protecting our domestic sugar industry and let other countries supply more of our sugar.
That’s a good segue to the last piece of the puzzle: looking at the future from a milk production point of view.
Currently, about 75 to 80 percent of all exports come from four places: the EU, New Zealand, Australia and the United States.
They will likely remain the top exporters into the future, along with Argentina and Brazil.
New Zealand is currently the top milk exporter in the world in terms of volume. They’re good at it. That’s because, in part, they’ve been at it for so long. But also they recognized years ago that their best advantage was to grow their export business by streamlining internal policies to eliminate barriers and encourage expansion into new markets.
They have embraced and developed those market opportunities. First to Great Britain. Now to the Asia Pacific region.
But New Zealand is only about the size of the U.S. state of Colorado, and its total milk production is about the same volume as California, which represents about 20 percent of total U.S. milk production.
The second biggest exporter is neighboring Australia. About half of all Australian milk is exported, but exports have been declining, on average, on an annual basis since 2000 as the country has been plagued by droughts.
The biggest dairy producer in the world is the European Union. The EU produces more milk than the United States, but only through combining the output of all 28 countries in the Union.
Indeed, as a single country, the United States is the largest producer of cows’ milk in the world. So at the end of the day, there is no place more important to the global dairy supply than the United States.
And that importance is growing. Literally. Milk production in the United States has grown at an average of 1.6 percent annually for the past 10 years.
Now, of course, no discussion of global dairy supply or exports would be complete without a closer look at what is going on in the European Union.
After 30 years, the European Union ended production quotas on milk on March 31 of this year. You may think my next comment is odd coming from a representative of the U.S. dairy industry, but I think this action is a positive development. It will help the entire global industry to grow.
Protectionist policies, quotas and export subsidies in the European Union have had a chilling effect on world dairy markets for years, holding prices artificially low in export markets so others couldn’t afford to compete.
At the same time, U.S. policies have included regulated pricing schemes, price supports, payment subsidies, mandatory herd reductions and export subsidies over the last 70 years. Thankfully, most of these protectionist policies have ended in both the EU and the U.S., but we still struggle with tariffs and trade barriers that have failed to help the industry meet its potential.
Recent developments with Russia’s import bans on dairy products from many dairy exporters are distorting our markets in the short run in much the same way those policies did in the past.
None of these strategies are good for growing markets in the long run.
So what does this change in European policy mean? First of all – a shift in production areas. Without the protection of quotas, some European countries won’t produce as much farm milk as they did under the old quota system.
On the flip side, production in other countries, without the constraints of product quotas, will grow.
Those likely to expand their production include Germany, which is the largest producer in Europe, followed by France, Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Ireland.
Second, expansion. Without quotas, the EU’s production will increase. Those six countries I just mentioned will account for more than three-quarters of that growth, according to the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Ireland will likely see the largest percentage increase, while Germany will likely see the largest volume increase.
Total supply growth is projected to be 11 percent by 2020. But because of shifts in farm milk production patterns, intra-EU trade will likely increase as well.
To be sure, there will be more competition among the top four exporters: New Zealand, Australia, the EU and the U.S. Competition is good. Especially for consumers. And it is good for producers and processors as well. It keeps them on their toes to be efficient and productive.
Competition also helps to focus the industry on doing the right things: improving quality, developing new products and improving customer service.
It is also likely to focus the industry on increased investment in growth. Look for more joint ventures and other value-added processing in high demand regions like the Asia Pacific region.
But let me underscore one more point. Under the current trends – which competition will help sustain – global dairy product demand is growing faster than growth in farm milk supply, and that demand will pull more supply onto the market over the next 10 to 15 years.
Where will this milk supply will come from – and why?
Allow me to offer this observation.
Not all milk is created equal, or should I say, not all milk creation is equal. The growth in the milk supply will come from those areas that have particular production advantages as well as the resources to produce more milk.
Dairy production takes an appropriate water supply – 97 percent of the water resources used in dairy is for feed and milk production. The other three percent is for processing, packaging and shipping. This must be combined with an adequate supply chain to move the milk to processing facilities for quality products.
And it takes the proper climate and the soil resources to produce feed for the cows. That’s why some countries in the developing world can’t meet their growing domestic demand for dairy products. Many lack access to fresh water, and many have climates that are just too hot or don’t offer proper growing conditions.
In the U.S., the regions and states that produce milk are those with the suitable resources. They range from New England on the East Coast, to California on the West Coast and across the U.S. heartland.
Resources drive the world’s production as well. Take Australia, for example. Milk production is concentrated in the eastern and southern regions of the country. The largest producing state is Victoria, where production is still largely seasonal.
Feed is a key component to dairy production, too. And that is certainly an advantage in the U.S. over Australia, New Zealand and the EU. That is part of the reason why the United States is one of the highest in milk production per cow in the world – providing approximately four times the production of the average dairy cow worldwide.
Land availability and land costs are key factors, too.
In this way, dairy production is similar to other animal agriculture production. It is not surprising that the top dairy exporters also are meat exporters.
Indeed, the U.S. has a long history of being a primary and reliable supplier of meat to Asia.
The U.S. livestock and poultry industries have built trust in these markets by following what I outlined earlier as the keys to growth: increasing supply, improving quality, expanding new products and focusing on customer service. Although these industries never had the burden of dealing with the type of domestic policies that dairy has faced, they have had to fight trade barriers.
In much the same way, I am confident that we are well on our way to seeing the United States as a primary, long-term and reliable dairy supplier to Asia.
Here’s the bottom line: the U.S. dairy industry has…
- The natural resources to expand its milk production;
- The industry and regulatory standards to assure consumers of food safety;
- The technology to innovate;
- The infrastructure to deliver; and
- A growing focus on global consumers.
Indeed, U.S. dairy has in many ways globalized over the past decade. Ten years ago, exports accounted for five percent of U.S. milk production. Last year they represented more than 15 percent.
I’m here to tell you that U.S. dairy suppliers are committed to meeting growing demand for milk and dairy products in sustainable, safe and innovative ways.
Regarding sustainability, the industry is pioneering production and processing methods that reduce water use, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste. Already, U.S. dairy farms have lowered greenhouse gas emissions per unit of milk by about 45 percent below the global average.
To ensure and enhance food safety, most processing facilities create and maintain robust records to determine the immediate previous sources and immediate subsequent recipients of food. This is a traceability requirement meant to assist in the recall of products.
And U.S. innovators are continuing to discover and provide new opportunities for milk use. Not too many years ago, whey was discarded in the cheese-making process.
Now, more and more of the whey stream goes toward higher protein products, such as concentrates and isolates of whey and milk with more than 80 percent protein. Almost 60 percent of the whey now goes into high-protein ingredients; that’s double the amount from a decade ago. And there are more opportunities to come.
I assure you that the U.S. dairy industry is committed to the global market and to the Asia Pacific region. And, of course, the United States has always maintained a long-term commitment to liberalized trade.
With the conclusion of the recently negotiated Trans-Pacific Partnership, we are encouraged to increase trade in the Pacific region, and we will continue to be more and more aggressive in expanding trade based on our comparative production advantages.
I realize that is a give-and-take process, but for the U.S. dairy industry to continue to expand, trade will be an essential component.
To sum up, the Asia Pacific region will continue to be a very important driver of dairy demand. The United States is poised to help meet that demand, and we want to be good partners in trade around the globe.
Thank you for the opportunity to address you this morning. I look forward to enhancing our relationships around the world for the growing success of the global dairy industry.
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2 Brooklyn businesses shut down
NEW YORK – New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has ordered the shut-down of two Brooklyn businesses that bilked Haitian immigrants out of thousands of dollars by providing fake legal services.
Schneiderman said the businesses began preying on Haitians seeking a special legal status that became available after last year’s devastating earthquake in their homeland.
“It is unconscionable that these companies defrauded victims of the Haiti earthquake just to make a quick buck,” he said.
Schneiderman accused the companies of charging Haitians for legal advice even though they didn’t have lawyers on staff.
The Attorney General said the businesses charged more than 30 victims hundreds of dollars each to file Temporary Protected Status (TPS) paperwork, which would have allowed them to work in the US.
He said many of the Haitians were charged by the firms even though some of them may have been able to have their application fees waived by the government.
Schneiderman said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo began investigating the businesses last year when he was attorney general and that a case against a third business is pending.
Schneiderman gave the first two companies 45 days to shut down their businesses, and permanently barred them from offering any sort of immigration-related services.
They face fines of more than US$25,000 and have to notify all past and present clients they are no longer in the immigration business.
Schneiderman said victims who can prove they were bilked by the two companies may qualify for restitution.
“We will continue working aggressively to root out fraud wherever it exists, and that includes bringing those who prey on the immigrant community to justice,” he said. (CMC)

domain: news


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A video of Milestone’s Ride 4 running on the PlayStation 5 has gone viral due to its incredible next-gen photorealism.
YouTuber Joy of Gaming (thanks, ResetEra) published the video below, which is running in 4K with 60 frames-per-second and HDR turned on. Seeing is believing, so check it out for yourself below.
Milestone certainly wasn’t kidding when it claimed in September 2020 that Ride 4 will take races to “a whole new level” on the PS5.
“PS5’s specifications are incredibly inviting for a racing franchise like Ride, where players expect to experience the excitement of riding a 200 HP bike in fast-paced, adrenaline-filled races all over the world,” Milestone said at the time. “We will now be able to deliver a smoother gameplay experience at 60FPS with a resolution up to 4K. That means players will be able to enjoy their beloved bikes with the highest quality for shaders and textures, with a never before seen level of detail for both bikes and environments. Your riding experience will also be more precise, satisfying and natural.”
We sure see that now.
PlayStation LifeStyle reviewed Ride 4‘s PS4 version last October and praised the game for its steady performance. This viral footage has fans wanting to go back for yet another ride on the current-gen console.
Ride 4‘s PS5 version also takes advantage of the SSD to reduce loading times and utilizes the DualSense to make the experience more realistic. “Gas and brake levers will have their own resistance to transmit the same sensations as their real-life counterparts,” according to Milestone.
What do our readers think?


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Mercedes-Benz has joined hands with State Bank of India (SBI) to offer financial benefits to the lender’s High Net Worth Individual (HNI) customers. This collaboration will give the luxury automobile manufacturer access to State Bank of India’s High Net Worth Individual (HNI) customer base, while the bank’s customers will enjoy exclusive benefits at the time of booking a Mercedes-Benz car. The collaboration with SBI gives an exciting opportunity to expand our customer base and reach out to the potential HNI customers of the bank with products and services.
About the collaboration:
- This collaboration includes financial benefits like ‘attractive’ rate of interest on loans with tenure up to five years and offers on the processing fee.
- There is also an additional benefit of Rs 25,000 for customers booking a Mercedes-Benz vehicle via SBI Yono platform.
- They can even get a car loan sanctioned through SBI Yono after fulfilling the eligibility criteria.
- The customers need to produce online booking confirmation and SBI loan sanction letter at the Mercedes-Benz dealership to avail the benefits.


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Fire damages AOL/Time Warner Center.
The fire originated on the sixth floor of the multi-structure complex at 10 Columbus Circle, said Mary Castello, a spokeswoman for the construction company, Bovis Lend Lease. Fire officials said the blaze spread to the fifth, fourth and seventh floors. All four floors were to be occupied by Jazz at Lincoln Center, Castello said.
Castello said the fire started in a part of the building that Bovis had turned over to another contractor for interior outfitting. She said she did not have details on the extent of damage. Turner Construction, a Manhattan-based company, has been working on those floors.
Spokeswoman Terry Kuflik had no immediate information and said, "We're in the process of assessing the situation." Fire officials said the cause was under investigation.
The fire did not dampen the retail aspect of the development. Cushman & Wakefield announced that 4YOU, a Danish men's-wear retailer, has leased 9,581 SF. The lease gives 4YOU the largest space of any international apparel retailer at the complex, and marks 4YOU's first New York location. Only domestic retailer J. Crew, which will occupy space on two levels totaling 10,285 SF, will have more space at the complex. In addition to 4YOU, other international retailers to lease space at AOL Time Warner Center include Hugo Boss, Thomas Pink, Crabtree & Evelyn, Cache, Sisley/Bennetton and Montmartre.
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|Publication:||Real Estate Weekly|
|Article Type:||Brief Article|
|Date:||Apr 16, 2003|
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|MacFarlane Partners taking part in AOL Time Warner Center.|


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Originally released back in 1996 exclusively in Asia, Nike is bringing back the Air Force 1 “Ivory Snake” for the first time since its original debut.
Dressed in a White, Elemental Gold, Dark Hazel, and Black color scheme. This Nike Air Force 1 comes in a premium build featuring a White leather upper with Brown snakeskin covering the Swoosh and heel tab. Finishing off the design is a retro “Nike Air” branded tongue label done in Black and White.
Nike Air Force 1 Ivory Snake Release Date
Look for the Nike Air Force 1 Low “Ivory Snake” to release on May 22nd at select retailers and Nike.com. The retail price tag is set at $150 USD.
Color: White/Elemental Gold-Dark Hazel-Black
Style Code: AO1635-100
Release Date: May 22, 2019
UPDATE: Nike releases official photos of the anticipated return of the “Ivory Snake” Air Force 1 that releases on May 22nd via Nike SNKRS.


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Self-Portrait unveils Lunar New Year campaign and collection
Premium brand Self-Portrait is celebrating Lunar New Year with a dedicated collection and accompanying campaign captured by British-Chinese photographer Alexandra Leese.
Directed by Self-Portrait Founder and Creative Director Han Chong and styled by Audrey Hu, the campaign “celebrates family and friendship through a series of images capturing the importance of unity, community and shared rituals. Drawing inspiration from their heritage, Han and Alexandra wanted to embrace both the intimacy and energy of these familial moments of tradition”.
The new Lunar New Year collection features womenswear and kidswear pieces, including designs inspired by the cheongsam.
There are vibrant reds and delicate pastels in the label’s signature guipure lace, crepe, bouclé, and knitted fabrics. The recently-launched Bow Bag is also reinterpreted for the new season in red, gold and silver.
The next Lunar New Year kicks off late next month but the collection is already available to buy online at self-portrait.com, in stores around the world, and across its global network of partner retailers.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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RLS ends relationship with Parker Hannifin
By HPAC MagazineHPAC General HVAC Systems Refrigeration copper fitting refrigeration
Rapid Locking System fittings are now being sold under RLS's own branding going forward.
RLS, manufacturer of the RLS Rapid Locking System line of press fittings for the HVAC and refrigeration industries, will no longer supply its patented press fittings to Parker Hannifin Corp. for its ZoomLock brand. RLS fittings are now being sold under the company’s own branding going forward.
RLS issued a release with this announcement to avoid confusion in the marketplace as to the source and quality of fittings sold under the ZoomLock brand.
RLS designs, develops and manufactures its patented fittings engineered for high pressure
connections in the air conditioning and refrigeration industries. RLS introduced its patented fittings in 2015 and partnered exclusively with Parker at that time.
The company manufactured and supplied millions of fittings for Parker’s Sporlan Division to sell under the ZoomLock brand. However, RLS recently decided not to renew that exclusive partnership.
RLS has learned Parker plans to source fittings for its ZoomLock brand from Conex
Universal Ltd. in the United Kingdom. RLS previously filed patent lawsuits against Conex in the U.S. and the UK alleging Conex infringed claims of RLS’s patents.
RLS and Conex agreed to settle the lawsuits. As part of the settlement, Conex agreed, without admitting liability or infringement, that it would stop selling the design of its fitting that RLS accused of infringement in the lawsuits.


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Dexcom is in seventh heaven: A year after its initial FDA submission, the diabetes tech maker has finally gotten the green light to begin rolling out its latest continuous glucose monitor system in the U.S.
The G7 sensor was cleared for use by people ages 2 and older with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, Dexcom announced Thursday. The stateside rollout will begin “in the coming months,” CEO Kevin Sayer said in the announcement.
Alongside that launch, while still awaiting a final Medicare reimbursement decision, Dexcom said it will offer “accessible cash pay options” to make the CGM immediately available to as many users as possible.
The G7 sensor adheres to the back of the upper arm or, if pediatric patients prefer, the upper buttocks. After a 30-minute warmup period, the sensor can begin automatically sending glucose readings every five minutes to a connected smartphone or Dexcom receiver. Each of the devices can be worn for up to 10 days, though the G7 edition offers an additional 12-hour grace period for sensor replacement.
The new CGM system improves upon its predecessor both physically and in terms of its glucose-tracking abilities. Like the G6, it eliminates the need for regular fingersticks to calibrate the device, wirelessly connects to digital health apps installed on wearables from Apple, Garmin and more, and allows users to share their data in real time with up to 10 family members, friends or caregivers.
The G7 sensor, however, is 60% smaller than the G6, thanks to a longstanding collaboration with Alphabet's Verily to miniaturize CGM technology. It also includes fewer components and integrates with a redesigned mobile app, both of which are meant to make the system easier to use, and it updates the previous system’s alert settings, allowing for more discreet alarms if a user’s glucose leaves its predetermined healthy range or is at risk of dropping below that range—the latter of which can be calculated 20 minutes in advance by the system’s predictive algorithms.
Dexcom’s latest CGM also boasts the company’s most promising accuracy levels yet. In study results presented earlier this year, the G7 sensor achieved a mean absolute relative difference, or MARD, of 8.1% in children and 8.2% in adults, denoting the average variation between the device’s readings and a user’s actual blood sugar levels, as confirmed by a fingerstick.
A glucose monitor with a MARD level below 10% is considered to be highly accurate; earlier this year, Abbott became the first to cross the 8% threshold when it reported an average variation of 7.9% in a study of its 14-day FreeStyle Libre 3 sensor, which had previously registered MARD levels closer to 9% in the data Abbott submitted (PDF) for the CGM's FDA clearance.
The company originally applied for FDA clearance in the fourth quarter of 2021, but, in July, Sayer reported that Dexcom was in the process of resubmitting the filing based on questions the FDA had raised about the G7 software’s alarms while reviewing the application.
Dexcom completed those updates within a few months, prompting Sayer to suggest during a late October investor call that FDA clearance would arrive before the end of the year—a “very confident” prediction that has now been proven true.


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Philips’s Blu-Ray burner
will be available in August, but we’ve yet to see a HD DVD burner announced yet. That’s not about to stop the manufacturers of media for both formats though. If you’re just itching to get your hands on some blank next-gen optical discs,
Hitachi and Mitsubishi are more than happy to help out. Single layer HD DVD-Rs will be appearing on July 5th, with a storage of 15GB for about $17.75 a pop (rewriteable and dual-layer discs will appear later). We’d long heard that HD DVDs were supposed to be cheaper than their Blu-Ray competitors, but with a BD-R disc reputedly destined to sell for around $20 for 25GB, well, that seems to be hogwash.
Granted, either way, media stands to be on the market long before anybody’s able to use them for anything other than hard, sharp frisbees.


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By Vito Racanelli
Lawrence Rosen, the CFO of Germany’s DHL (DPSGY), said Friday that the company is seeing an upturn in yield, which is a broad measure of revenue per package delivered.
The major global delivery companies recently instituted price increases of 5%-6%, and with an economic rise he’s “optimistic that a good part of that will stick.” DHL operating profit margins rose to over 4% in 2010 from less than 4% in 2009, and with increased volume and moderate price increase, “we’ll have a reasonable margin trend” this year, he said, without specifying.
DHL is middle of the pack on margins, he noted, but the global package company is targeting a margin that is equal to or greater than the industry by 2015.
Rosen adds that DHL, which derives 30% of its revenue from emerging markets, doesn’t see a double dip in the global economy and is expecting global growth of about 3.5% to 4% this year.
Global trade, on which package delivery industry is heavily dependent, typically grows at 1.5 to 2 times that. That means the industry should grow 6% to 8%, and “we aspire to grow 1 to 2 percentage points faster,” said the CFO, who spoke with Barron’s at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Rosen says that apart from small or medium sized acquisitions, big strategic M&A is on the back burner compared to the company’s history. “We aren’t looking for a major diversification of the company [because] we don’t have strategic needs to fill.”
On March 10, DHL plans to report 2010 results.


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WILMINGTON, DE – A fast food vegetarian restaurant is coming to Wilmington as Daily Veg, a unique 100% vegan QSR concept, has just announced its first franchise deal.
The vegan based fast food restaurant is hoping to make waves in the community by offering meat-free alternatives to Wilmington area residents on the go.
The company issued the following statement regarding the historic occasion:
Michael Gallagher is the first Daily Veg franchise partner to join the network. The new territory will cover the North Wilmington part of Delaware, right on the Delaware and Pennsylvania border. The North Wilmington location is set to be operational by early to middle of 2023.
Dan McKelvey, Founder and Owner of Daily Veg, has been a longtime veteran of the Vegan restaurant space, first launching a juice concept in 2013. Following the success of his first brand, McKelvey opened Raw Essential, offering acai bowls, smoothies, and cold pressed juice. After one year of success, McKelvey expanded his menu and rebranded to Daily Veg.
“I was definitely excited to see someone that has been a customer since I opened Raw Essential in 2018,” stated McKelvey. “Since almost day 1, Michael saw what I did with the whole rebrand to Daily Veg in April of 2019. He has been a big believer in the concept and a big fan of the food ever since.”
The Daily Veg franchise is one of the only franchise concepts to offer a full hot Vegan menu alongside the increasingly popular acai bowls and Vegan smoothies. According to McKelvey, Gallagher was the perfect fit for the niche concept. “It was an easy decision for me since he has a leadership and management background through running several BNI (Business Networking International) chapters and groups around the Delaware area.”
Sales efforts have continued to see progress with several new inquiries pouring in monthly. McKelvey has strong goals for Daily Veg and is aggressively strategizing to effectively hit those goals in the near future. “I am forming a partnership soon to bring a couple more people on the franchising team so we can set realistic goals for how many franchises we would like in the next 5 years and then find ways to hit our overall goal to have 30 to 50 franchisees in the next 5 years,” stated McKelvey.


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Paradise Cruise CEO: Grand Lucayan reopening would boost cruise and stay program
Chief Executive Officer of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Oneil Khosa is looking forward to the reopening of the Grand Lucayan hotel strip, which he said would bring a boost to the company’s cruise and stay program.
Speaking with Guardian Business recently, Khosa said the cruise and stay business was not doing well due to lack of room availability on the island.
Khosa previously told this newspaper that cruise line passengers from Bahamas Paradise contributed an estimated $15 million in revenue to the island’s hotels per year.
However, in December, owner of the Grand Lucayan Hutchison Whampoa signed a letter of intent (LOI) with prospective buyer Paul Wynn.
Government expects that the final process for Wynn to purchase the hotel will be completed between January and February 2018.
The reopening of the resort is expected to revive inventory of 1,000 hotel rooms and provide jobs to nearly 1,000 persons.
Khosa said this “will definitely be a boost to our cruise and stay program, then we can freely market the program”.
“Today, we are handicapped in our marketing and sales because we don’t know what to expect and we don’t have enough inventory to sell.”
While the resort still remains closed to date since last year October, the government said that LOI marks a “very important formal step” towards the completion for the sale of the resort.
Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest told Guardian Business yesterday, “We expect to have news on that very shortly.”
Latest posts by Xian Smith (see all)
- Turnquest: Govt to determine when, how $90M from IDB will be used - February 20, 2018
- Paradise Cruise CEO: Grand Lucayan reopening would boost cruise and stay program - February 20, 2018
- IDB rep: $90 mil. loan had already been approved between 2016 and 2017 - February 14, 2018


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Update 15:20 BST: It seems the listing itself was pointing towards a re-release, as Freedom Fighters has now been launched on PC on digital storefronts including Steam, GOG and Epic Games Store which they announced via a brand new Twitter account.
ORIGINAL STORY BELOW: Rumours are beginning to circle that Hitman developers IO Interactive may be looking at some form of remaster for its 2003 alternate-history shooter Freedom Fighters after an updated listing was spotted on the PEGI website.
The listing was spotted and posted to Resetera by user dex3108 where the user noted that a listing for the game on PC with a date of today had appeared on the website of the Pan European Game Information. Interestingly, the 2020 listing only mentions IO Interactive as the publisher—while the listings for the original release have EA Swiss Sarl who published the PS2, Gamecube and original Xbox versions alongside PC at the time.
IO Interactive are, at the time of writing, yet to comment on the rumours, however; it's worth noting that the studio celebrated its birthday last week with a tweet (posted below) that did include an image from the artwork of Freedom Fighters alongside a couple of Agent 47 from Hitman. While on its own, it may be just a standard image to celebrate their other titles, it's worth noting that the studio's arguably other most famous property—Kane & Lynch—did not make it onto the birthday graphic at all.
Still, it's best to take this news with a healthy pinch of salt. We'll update you should we hear more.


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Focus will be on local foods Oct. 20
"Do you eat? Eating is for Everyone!" is an event organized by the Local Food Connection to encourage community members to think about what they’re eating.
On Oct. 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Telstar High School, residents will have the chance to eat local foods and learn more about what foods are available locally, how to purchase them, and why utilizing local food is important.
A few years ago Amy Scott sat down with other moms in the community and asked the question, “How can we connect more kids and adults with locally grown foods?”
Several meetings, community forums and potlucks later, said Scott, they had the answer: The Local Food Connection.
The group of individuals and organizations, businesses and schools, youth and seniors encourages all community members to grow, prepare, serve, purchase and consume local foods. The organization has established a number of goals, some of which include: strengthen Bethel’s capacity to feed itself and enhance its food security; educate youth and the community about the benefits of eating and producing foods from our local area, including the economy, environment, health, and sustainability; support local businesses and strengthen the local economy by working to keep dollars flowing among local producers, retailers and consumers; build capacity in the community to produce food, through such resources as organic production, transition to organic production, securing farmlands and matching potential farmers with farmland.
“We are going to startlooking at our local food system,” said Scott. “It’s the first step of many, in that, we need to look at what is available locally, how we can grow it, sell it and get our resources together and then how to expand the idea.”
Scott said that on Oct. 20, community members will hear how other communities got started and what changes they were able to make and benefit from.
Attendees will also enjoy a homemade meal created by Anna Sysko of Anna’s Gardens and Greenhouse. All ingredients will be locally sourced, including apples, squash, greens and other vegetables. Ingredients like wheat flour, butter and those things that are harder to find locally will be purchased within the state.
Others involved in planning the event include Maine Network of Community Food Councils, Healthy Oxford Hills, the 5-2-1-0 Program, Got Farms, the University of Maine Learning Center at Bryant Pond and Jeanne Lapointe of the SAD 44 and RSU 10 school food programs.
“We are looking to strengthen our local food reliance,” said Scott. “We need to find security in the area in which we live and I think Bethel has a great foundation for such an investment.”


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Thiruvananthapuram, Feb. 23
WIDEX India, pioneering distributors of digital hearing aids in the country, proposes to set up a Widex Academy to train dealers, dispensers and audiologists in the intricacies of modern hearing aids and keep them updated on latest developments in the field of audiology.
Announcing this, Mr B.S. Sawhney, Vice-President, Widex India, said here that the company is working towards bringing social awareness on how to tackle hearing impairment. It is planning tie-ups with NGOs, schools and sponsors in this regard.
Mr Sawhney was here to attend a function in which the company distributed free of cost hearing aids valued at approximately Rs 10 lakh to the hearing impaired children of the National Institute of Speech and Hearing . This is part of the company's nation-wide philanthropic programme.
Widex will monitor the progress in auditory, speech and language skills of these children to study as to how they benefit from the hearing aids.
Hearing impairment is widely perceived to be a handicap, which is not the case, Mr Sawhney said. According to data available, one out of 20 people in the country suffer from one hearing problem or the other.
But using a hearing aid is still considered a taboo by the society. Avoiding hearing aids knowingly for fear of social acceptance will only add to the inconvenience and embarrassment in public.
It is in this context that Widex India has introduced a digital range of hearing aids, among the world's smallest. The `Senso Diva' weighs less than three grams, Mr Sawhney said. The company has a nationwide marketing network of 96 dealers and also owns a network of Senso Hearing Centres, exclusive hearing and speech therapy centres.
The domestic hearing aids market is estimated to be worth Rs 30 crore and is growing 10 per cent each year. The high-end hearing aids from Widex are priced between Rs 15,000 and Rs 75,000.


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September 13, 2009
50-million Nikkors have been produced
The recently celebrated 75th Anniversary of the Nikkor lens brand can now add another huge number to their impressive list of milestones.
Nikon Corporation President Michio Kariya has announced that as of August 2009 total production of NIKKOR lenses has reached fifty million.
Total production of Nikkor lenses reached forty-five million in August 2008 with production of an additional five million over the past year. The current lineup includes more than sixty lenses.
Take a peek into Nikkor history
Nikon has posted the background story behind "The first f/1.4 lens for use with the Nikon F Series" which takes a prominent position in Nikkor lens history.
The Nikkor-S Auto 5.8cm f/1.4
By Kouichi Ohshita
The author includes sample photos and a quick review of the lens, which was introduced in 1960 and had a production run of two years.
Posted by flashdeadline at September 13, 2009 6:00 PM


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It is a year ago, that Roger Federer dropped Nike as tøjsponsor after more than 20 years of cooperation. Now shows the swiss world star new fields of interest and langer hard out after the clothes.
to be honest, so I feel that we have something terrible appearance on our tennis apparel sometimes, says Federer, according to the Blick to the magazine Women's Wear Daily.
- They have gone too far in the wrong direction. They will have it for too much to look like such a modern tennistrøje, and it is totally wrong seen with designøjne.
- As though a truck has run over it. Otherwise, they are trying with funky graphics, and in a sport like tennis with all the history, so it's...you know tennispoloen is very iconic, says Federer.
Check to the end of march had Nike the rights to use tennisstjernens 'RF'logo, but it's over now, and Federers new tøjsponsor the fashion company Uniqlo can instead take over.
Federer is happy no longer having to wear the Nike-track-suits to the press conferences.
- It's great to finally be able to see the good, says Federer.
We throw as just a pink stripe and a black stripe diagonally across, they have enough thought of Nike in one of the not-so-controversial Nike jerseys. Photo: Photo Anne Parker International Sports Photos
Skiing - 14. feb. 2019 - at. 06:09 Lindsey is completely finished: Now waiting for wild things
the OLYMPICS 2018 - 20. feb. 2018 - at. 12:01 Tennis-the king reveals: 'I'm a cheerleader number 1'
Tennis - 23. jan. 2018 - at. 11:44 will open your eyes over the tennis-sensation: Especially because of the first...
ESPN learned in the summer that Federers agreement with Uniqlo is going to bring tennisstjernen almost two billion dollars (!) (300 million u.s. dollars, ed.) over a ten-year period. For comparison, the agreement with Nike the last 24 years ensured Federer around 750 million kroner. (116 million dollars, ed.), so the star more than doubles its profits on the area.
Japanese Uniqlo opened Friday its first store in Copenhagen, and the question is, what Federer going forward do with the choice of shoes.
The japanese clothing company produces namely not shoes, so Federer continues to make do with Nike, if they wish to be known by him, after the harsh statements.
Sports and Games do you Remember Borg, Becker and McEnroe: Here is all the scandal-the stars of the day
Sports and Games the World's best 15-year-olds: Around stortalentet Holger Rune
See also: the World's 100 most known athletes: Out with Wozniacki
See also: Play tennis: Now comes the Federer-twins


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|4Minute flaunts slim waist in the photo shoot for Elle May edition.|
HyunA of Korean girl group 4Minute said vivid-colored lip makeup is one of her top beauty tips.
“I give emphasis to the lips,” the K-pop star said when was asked to share her makeup know-how in an interview with fashion magazine Elle.
The interview accompanied HyunA’s photo shoot for Elle, where she flaunted her sexy curves and slim waist.
|HyunA performs in the official music video of “Whatcha Doin’ Today”, the title track of 4Minute`s fifth EP, “4minute World."|
She also identified her strong self-esteem as her source of sexiness.
By Chung Joo-won (email@example.com)


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New York City -- Sunday’s east coast snowstorm disrupted sales throughout the entire area and disrupted one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Sections of New York and New Jersey got as much as two feet of snow over the past few days, keeping many shoppers at home. Spending may shift into January, Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD Group, told Bloomberg on Monday.
“Look for sales to be repeated by retailers. They’re going to be more aggressive,” Cohen said.


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Apple closed its high-profile, announcement-packed media event with the unveiling of the one product that everyone was expecting, new iPhones. As a “tick” in Apple’s yearly release cadence, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus focus (mostly) on internal upgrades rather an aesthetic redesign.
Like previous “s” releases, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are defined by a single feature (the iPhone 4s introduced Siri and the iPhone 5s brought Touch ID). This time around, that new feature is 3D Touch which is essentially the evolution of Force Touch from the Apple Watch.
3D Touch is perhaps best described as right-click for your iPhone. A light press – what Apple calls “peek” – allows you to preview an e-mail, look at your calendar, view a web link, bring up a list of app options and more without leaving what you’re currently doing. Pressing harder, or “popping,” allows you to take action on apps without having to open them.
The new iPhones also feature an upgraded 12-megapixel iSight camera module that offers 50 percent more pixels compared to current models. Apple said it had to employ some creative technology like deep trench isolation to ensure image quality wouldn’t be degraded with the addition of more pixels.
Also new this year is 4K video, a feature that’s been available on competing devices for quite a while now. Around front, meanwhile, is a new 5-megapixel Face Time camera. Instead of using a traditional flash like on the rear, the new iPhones use the main display as a flash when snapping selfies.
Another new feature Apple touched on is called Live Photos. When enabled, the phone captures 1.5 seconds of video before and after an image is snapped. This allows you to go back and view the moments before and after making a memory. Live Photos aren’t just GIFs as they can have sound and they’re not really videos either (except they are).
Powering the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus is a new processor, the A9. According to Apple, this third generation 64-bit chip is up to 70 percent faster than its A8 at CPU-intensive tasks and offers up to 90 percent faster GPU performance. What’s more, the M9 motion co-processor has been embedded directly in the A9 chip which allows it to remain on at all times.
Speaking of always on, Apple’s voice assistant Siri will actively listen for commands just as Google Now does on Android handsets.
Elsewhere, Apple has improved its Touch ID sensor which is now said to be twice as fast as before. Also getting a speed boost is wireless connectivity. The new iPhones include LTE Advanced technology with 23 bands and Wi-Fi that’s twice as fast. Bendgate shouldn’t be as much of a concern as Apple has moved to stronger 7000 series aluminum for the chassis and is using a new dual ion exchange process to harder the display. Sorry, no sapphire this year, either.
The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be available to pre-order starting September 12 priced identically to last year’s flagships with the same storage options. There’s also a new financing option from Apple that allows you to upgrade to a new iPhone each year, much like the leasing programs offered by most wireless providers. It also includes AppleCare+, Apple's in-house insurance / extended warranty program.
The new phones will be available in the familiar space grey, silver, gold and a new color, rose gold and will arrive on September 25. iOS 9, which will come on all new iPhones, will be available for all starting September 16.


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During the lead-up to the Vancouver Winter Games, ambush marketing from non-Olympic sponsors was such a concern that the city passed a temporary bylaw to protect the exclusivity rights of official 2010 partners.
Fast-forward 16 months, and Vancouver is once again drawing tens of thousands of people to its downtown core, this time courtesy of the Canucks' run in the Stanley Cup final. But the scene is much different in 2011 - businesses do not appear the least bit shy about splashing official logos everywhere.
Lululemon Athletica Inc., the Vancouver-based yoga apparel chain, doesn't sell Canuck merchandise in its stores. But stroll past its Robson Street location and you'll spy a display featuring team photos, flags and even a mini Stanley Cup.
"We're simply demonstrating our support of our hometown team," said Jennifer Neziol, a company spokeswoman.
It's not the first time Lululemon has shown its support for a major sporting event. It ran afoul of the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee before the Games when it released a clothing line called "Cool Sporting Event That Takes Place in British Columbia Between 2009 & 2011 Edition." Lululemon had earlier lost out in its bid to be an official Olympic sponsor.
But the company is far from alone in showing its support. Restaurants, camera stores, optometrists - downtown establishments of all stripes have Canucks pennants, signs or foam fingers on display.
While those businesses don't sell items that could damage the hockey team's bottom line, others do.
Cherry Bomb, a clothing store in the Granville entertainment strip, where fans flock after wins, has Canucks-related T-shirts for sale. However, the shirts smartly do not feature official logos or trademarks. One says "I support the twins" without any mention of the Sedin brothers, Vancouver's front-line stars. Another lists the first names of key Canucks - but nothing else.
Red Bull, the energy drink maker, also appears to be getting in on the ambush marketing act. Before an earlier finals game, a Red Bull car was parked half a block from Rogers Arena, where the Canucks play their home games. A young woman handed out free cans of the energy drink to a crowd of mostly young males.
Although a local car dealership has complained the NHL asked it to take down official Canucks logos, the team itself has shown a great deal of restraint, marketing experts said.
For that, University of British Columbia professor Ann Stone said, it should be applauded.
"The buzz in the city is just insane. It's just this wonderful, pulsating heartbeat of the city. And they're not cracking down on people using their logo, and I personally think that's incredibly smart," said Ms. Stone, who teaches in the university's Sauder School of Business.
"I think it's brilliant local marketing. They are letting the local community own the Canucks."
Another local yoga company, Eoin Finn Yoga and Blissology, is selling a T-shirt that looks very similar to that of the Canucks' logo. It features a white surfboard on a blue background.
The Magic Touch Hair and Nail Spa is offering free Canucks nail designs for anyone getting a manicure or pedicure.
Lindsay Meredith, a marketing professor at Simon Fraser University, said it's clear why companies want to be involved with the Canucks right now - everyone loves a winner.
"It doesn't matter whether they're even remotely linked or related to hockey in any way. It's come to the point that it's the rallying cry of the tribe - everybody's got [the Canucks logo]out there now."
In an e-mail statement, Canucks Sports and Entertainment said it embraces the tremendous fan support and civic pride the team has generated.
"The Canucks and the NHL also respect the importance of exclusivity and corporate partnerships. In doing so, local businesses seeking to generate an unauthorized promotional association with Canucks Sports & Entertainment will be notified of any violations. Unauthorized activities may take the form of ticket and merchandise giveaways, themed events and storefront signage and displays that are so extensive and/or sophisticated that they create the false impression there is a commercial relationship between CS&E and the business owner."
The statement did not explain what would make a display extensive or sophisticated enough to create that impression.


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Free UK Delivery and Returns
July 23, 2015
The news gets more exciting as Summer passes by; in the lead up to Africa Fashion Week London this coming August (7th - 8th), SHERENE MELINDA has been lucky enough to gain some welcome exposure from one of the biggest fashion magazines in the world. Dating back to 1945, when the magazine was first launched in France, Elle magazine now has a global reach of 43 international editions across 60 countries.
Rather aptly, Elle South Africa chose to do a piece on the upcoming Africa Fashion Week, taking place here in London. From the collection of African and African inspired designers that will be on display two weeks from now, Elle picked their favourite 10. We were delighted to find out that Elle South Africa had chosen us as, in their own words, 'a designer to be on your fashion radar'.
Here’s what Elle had to say:
‘South African-born Sherene Melinda’s collection of handbags represents the ingenuity of her native country with a distinctly London vibe. Her springbok hair-on-hide purses come in a wide range of sizes, styles, and colours.’
We are proud to have this recognition from a prestigious fashion magazine such as Elle and eagerly anticipate the start of Africa Fashion Week London. With a place on Saturday’s 1pm Catwalk Show and an exhibitor’s stand for the whole two days, the opportunities for a grand variety of people to meet our brand for the first time is endless!
We wish to extend the invitation to visit Africa Fashion Week London, where you can experience a range of African and African inspired designers, tasty food, celebrities, and of course plenty of fantastic fashion for you to get your hands on. If you’re interested in attending the event, then please follow the link below to get your ticket.
Thank you to Africa Fashion Week London and Elle Magazine for offering us such a prestigious and grand platform to showcase our handbags.
August 10, 2023
July 12, 2023
May 23, 2023


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China’s biggest food delivery platforms act after state-backed calls to stop food waste
- Meituan co-published a proposal calling on restaurants to stop food waste and help cultivate new eating habits for customers
- Catering associations in more than 18 provinces have also joined the campaign to eliminate food waste
China’s two biggest food delivery platforms Ele.me and Meituan Dianping are the latest to join the country’s food saving campaign after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s call to end food waste.
Last week Meituan co-published a proposal with a number of business organisations, including the China General Chamber of Commerce and China Cuisine Association, calling on restaurants to stop food waste and help cultivate new eating habits for customers.
“Restaurants should innovate means of publicity using official accounts on social media and live-streaming to promote and advocate food-saving actions,” the proposal said.
Meituan and the organisations are advocating that merchants offer guidance for consumers, including reminding them during the ordering process about the taste of the ingredients, portion sizes and other information about the dishes, to help them avoid food waste due to misleading information.
On Friday the China Cuisine Association announced that it had teamed up with Ele.me, the Alibaba Group Holding-owned food delivery platform, to launch a “half-dish plan”, encouraging restaurants to provide customers with the option to order smaller portions. Alibaba is the owner of the South China Morning Post.
However, the campaign has received mixed reviews on social media, with some people worrying that it will lead to potential food price increases on the delivery platforms.
“One portion is too small for me, and now they are pushing half-dishes. Nowadays I order two [dishes], so do I need to order four after this!” read one comment on the Twitter-like Weibo platform.
The moves came after Xi last week urged the country to address the “shocking and distressing” problem of food waste amid disrupted food supply chains in the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Catering associations in more than 18 provinces have also joined the campaign to eliminate food waste.
The Wuhan Catering Association, in the central Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged, proposed an “N-1” ordering code for restaurants in which a group of 10 diners would only order enough for nine people. More food is only brought to the table if required. It is common in China for all dishes to be shared by the entire table.
There were similar calls in other cities for the adoption of smaller portions of food. The Catering Association of Fuzhou, in southeast China, suggested that restaurants offer smaller dishes for groups of three or less.
A restaurant in Changsha in the central province of Hunan launched a “weigh-before-you-order” campaign, suggesting that customers weigh themselves and order food accordingly. It recommended that women under 40kg (90lbs) should order no more than two dishes – with suggestions including sautéed beef and steamed fish head – while men weighing 70-80kg could have up to three. After a public outcry, the restaurant apologised on Saturday and has since removed the notice.
“Our intention was to advocate not wasting food and for people to order in a healthy way,” the Chuiyan Fried Beef outlet said in a Weibo post on Saturday.
To curb portrayals of food waste on social media platforms, popular Chinese video platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou have stepped up content reviews of food-related live streams and implemented regulation of online eating shows. The moves came after they were criticised by state media for allowing broadcasters to portray food waste in certain online programs.
Now if users search certain keywords, such as “eating show” or “competitive eaters”, a cautionary message pops up to remind them to cherish food and maintain a reasonable diet.


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Facebook may be testing a feature that would allow users to stream Facebook videos to their TVs via AirPlay or Chromecast. According to a report by Marketing Land, the company is testing a feature that would allow users to stream videos (including live videos) to any television set connected to an Apple TV or the Google Chromecast dongle. A Facebook spokesperson told the website, “We’re currently testing updates to the Facebook app that provide better support for streaming videos from the app to your TV via AirPlay and Chromecast.”
The report notes that currently, the support seems to be pretty basic. Users can minimise the app as a video is being streamed to scroll through their news feed. However, users can only set one video at a time on Apple TV, while on Chromecast, users can add multiple videos to a queue. When viewing a live broadcast, the video will be played on the TV, while the comments will be shown on the phone.
While the new feature doesn’t seem to offer anything that isn’t already being offered by the likes of YouTube, Netflix or Hulu, its news feed algorithm might help it get an edge over the competition. The algorithm is current used by Facebook to push its videos to the top of the user’s news feed so that more people watch them. This could help Facebook attract more quality programming such as longer and higher-quality videos as well as more live broadcasts.


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Shoppers seeking the best Black Friday deals are set to head to Coventry later this month as a major new event is held for the first time in the city.
Look Good Live will attract the hottest brands from across the country to Coventry Building Society Arena for its inaugural event from the Friday 25 November to Sunday 27 November.
More than 18,000 people are expected to attend the show over the course of the weekend as they seek out the best deals on top brands and look to stock-up on gifts for Christmas stockings.
Around 200 exhibitors are set to feature at the show including Lush, Neals Yard Remedies, Cuccio, Peaches and Cream, Beautiful Brows, Claw Culture, Makeup Store Pro and many more.
The festive day out will see exhibitors offering exclusive Black Friday deals on products, with beauty, hair, fashion, fitness, aesthetics, wellness and home accessory products all set to be showcased.
The event is being organised by leading trade exhibition company Beauty Exhibitions Ltd which runs Scottish Hair & Beauty, the largest hair and beauty trade show in Scotland, and will also host the national beauty trade event, Beauty UK, at Coventry Building Society Arena in June 2023.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to hear from a packed line-up of influencers, brand ambassadors, and industry experts across the three days. Speakers confirmed so far include Sean Malone, Sienna X, personal stylist Fiona Davis, Jay Laville from PowerWave, ByErim.
Ryan Beaumont and Lisa Street who rose to fame through season four of Glow-UP: Britain’s Next Make-up Star, will also be featuring at the show.
The speakers will be featuring across three different stages at the venue, with a National Student Makeup and Nail competition also set to take place on Friday 25 November at the event.
Shoppers who buy tickets for the show will be entered into a prize draw with prizes totalling more than £1,000 - and the winner will be announced [AMY HAVE THE MECHANICS BEEN CONFIRMED?].
The prize package includes two silver package hospitality tickets for Harry Styles’ show at Coventry Building Society Arena on 22 May 2023, four tickets to any Coventry City home game for the 22/23 season including two standard guest room accommodation with breakfast and car parking, a spa weekend and a 3D Lipo treatment from 3D Aesthetics in Rugby.
Amy Hackett, marketing executive at Beauty Exhibitions Ltd, said: “We are excited to be bring this brand new event to Coventry and it is set to be a spectacular weekend.
“Shoppers across the region have been crying out for an event of this type and with it being held over Black Friday weekend, there will be some incredible offers available from exhibitors.
“It’s the perfect opportunity to get Christmas gifts for your loved ones and maybe a little something special for yourself too. The reaction we have had so far has been fantastic and we are expecting thousands of people to flock to the show over the weekend.”
Look Good Live offers two ticket options with standard tickets priced at £15 and VIP at £25. The ticket price includes free parking at Coventry Building Society Arena and attendance at the talks at the show.
VIP ticket holders will also receive exclusive offers from exhibitors and a luxury goody bag worth over £50.
To find out more about Look Good Live, visit www.LookGoodLive.com or follow @LookGoodLiveUK on social media.


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The Pokemon Company has collaborated with quite a few artists over the past few years, culminating in Pokemon 25 for the brand’s 25th anniversary.
That album featured the likes of Katie Parry, Post Malone, Lil Yachty, Jax Jones, J Balvin, and more. It didn’t feature UK singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, however, and that’s a strange oversight given how big of a Pokemon fan he is.
Perhaps to rectify this issue, Ed is teaming up with Pokemon on his next single, "Celestial," which is out on September 29. You can pre-book the song on Spotify, Apple Music, or Deezer.
Related: Pokemon Go's Ultra Beasts Prove Campfire Can't Come Soon Enough We have no idea what the song will be about, but the cover image features a stylistic and frumpy-looking Pikachu, and that’s enough for me.Read more on thegamer.com


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TOPSHOT – Aerial view shows an area completely destroyed by the floods in the Blessem district of Erftstadt, western Germany, on July 16, 2021.
SEBASTIEN BOZON | AFP | Getty Images
The 2021 holiday shopping season could be marred by out-of-stock goods and shipping delays as the recent floods in Europe and China exacerbate already strained global supply chains.
Western Europe and China’s Henan province — a key transport hub and home to several major businesses — are grappling with the aftermath of devastating floods.
The disasters have damaged railways used for the delivery of goods and raw materials in both regions. Water rushed into industrial areas extensively damaging facilities, machinery and warehouses, companies in the supply chain industry told CNBC.
“Black Friday and the holiday season, for which products (and raw materials) are being staged, will face the brunt of the impact,” Pawan Joshi, executive vice president of supply chain software firm E2open told CNBC in an email.
“Consumer electronics, dorm room furniture, clothing and appliances will all continue to be in short supply as back-to-school shopping starts up, and will trickle into the peak holiday shopping season,” he said.
Delays from the distribution of raw materials needed to produce goods will have a cascading effect and disrupt supply chains “for weeks and months,” Joshi said.
The flooding has the potential to throw another wrench into the mix for the auto industry, which is already reeling from a semiconductor shortage.
executive vice president, supply chain software firm E2open
Several companies, including Germany’s largest steel maker Thyssenkrupp, have declared force majeure. A force majeure event occurs when unforeseeable circumstances, such as natural catastrophes, prevent one party from fulfilling its contractual duties, absolving them from penalties.
Some of the worst-hit industries from the floods include autos, technology and electronics, according to those that CNBC spoke to.
Auto production hit again after chip shortage
Car production is likely to be hammered by manufacturing delays as many of the world’s major automakers and their suppliers are based in regions devastated by the floods.
“The flooding has the potential to throw another wrench into the mix for the auto industry, which is already reeling from a semiconductor shortage,” Pawan said.
Manufacturing facilities in Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium are expected to bear the brunt of the damage from the floods, supply chain risk management firm Everstream told CNBC via email. Many suppliers that provide specialized parts for the auto, technology and aerospace industries are based there, said Shehrina Kamal, vice president of intelligence solutions at Everstream.
“As floodwater started to recede, most major highways and roads were expected to be cleared over the past weekend; however, due to the extent of water damages in some affected industrial areas, manufacturing operations are unlikely to resume as quickly, potentially impacting supply availability,” she said.
“Given that some companies have already issued profit warnings and even declared force majeure, the effects of the flooding will likely continue to ripple through supply chains for several weeks to come,” Kamal concluded.
Zurich-based Klingelnberg, which produces gear components, issued a warning that the damage to its Hueckeswagen plant in Germany could hurt its revenue targets for 2021.
Disruption of copper bad news for electronics
The floods could also disrupt the supply of copper, which is used in many products from electronics to electric vehicles.
The flood-hit Henan province in China is a major copper production hub, noted Vivek Dhar, a commodities analyst at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
Copper prices last week rose strongly on supply concerns, he said, as Henan has seen strong growth in copper smelting in recent years.
“Copper demand hopes are linked to rebuilding damaged infrastructure in central China. The power sector in China is a particularly strong driver of copper demand,” Dhar wrote in a note last week.
Over in Europe, Aurubis GmbH – a supplier of high-precision copper wires for the electronics and electrical equipment sectors – declared force majeure on deliveries following extensive flooding at its plant, according to Everstream Analytics.
Read more about China from CNBC Pro
Meanwhile in Henan’s capital Zhengzhou, the disruption could hit a broad swath of industries from autos to pharmaceuticals and biotech, said Ryan Seah, APAC intelligence analyst at Everstream.
“Zhengzhou is a vital transportation hub and is one of China’s principal cities along the Belt and Road Initiative,” said Seah, referring to China’s mammoth infrastructure plan that stretches across several countries and continents. He added that the city is home to 91 companies listed in China and a wide range of sectors.
Zhengzhou is also home to a major factory run by Hon Hai Precision Industry, also known as Foxconn. It is the world’s biggest assembly plant for Apple’s iPhones. Foxconn previously told CNBC that it had “activated an emergency response plan for flood control measures in that location.”


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The latest firmware update from Nintendo Switch has arrived, but do not get upset. Version 8.1.0 is now available and does not do much. Official release notes have one line.
"General improvements in system stability to enhance the user experience," the report says.
Your switch will probably download the update automatically if you connect it to the Internet. To verify that you have the latest version installed, go to the System Settings menu and look for version 8.1.0. You can also manually trigger the update in the System Settings menu.
In other news from Switch, it was recently announced that production on Switch's supposed new models had begun and that Nintendo had relocated production in China due to the threat of Trump's tariffs. One of the consoles would have more robust specifications, while the other would be a less expensive alternative that may have a different form factor.
Nintendo has not made any announcements regarding the hardware at E3, but the company still had a lot to share. The biggest news of Nintendo at E3 may have been the announcement of the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: the breath of nature. In addition, Banjo comes to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.


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IBM Software: Lotus Domino, Notes In For The Long Haul
Last week, a company executive demonstrated how various Lotus Workplace technologies can be embedded in the Notes client and pledged upgrades for years into the future.
Some partners needed to hear that after months of noise around Workplace, which packages collaborative technologies in a rich client paired with servers to handle provisioning and management.
"They released Notes 6 and while people were figuring out upgrades, they brought Workplace out," said one longtime Lotus business partner. "Their message muddied the waters and stalled Domino upgrades for a product [Workplace] that was not even production-quality."
The stakes are not small. The installed Domino/Notes base is estimated to be nearly 90 million users.
The current road map calls for Notes 7 client and Domino 7 Server to ship next year offering tighter integration with Workplace technologies. Beyond that, there will be a "Domino 8, 9 and 10," said Ken Bisconti, vice president of Lotus and portal products for IBM Software, Cambridge, Mass.
Workplace will be updated in a 2.5 release this year, he said.
Bisconti said pricing for future Domino versions will mimic the Workplace model, where people pay one price for using DB2 as a Domino or WebSphere store, but must buy a full license if they run the database for outside applications.
Domino 7 will offer multithreaded views, meaning users can open multiple databases without freezing the client, as well as the ability to "sort by subject."
The Notes 6.5.3 update this year will support the Microsoft Outlook client. Workplace, now in the 2.1 release, offers instant messaging, presence awareness and application sharing in a rich client that even IBM insiders acknowledge is a bit hefty and slow. Bisconti acknowledged that Workplace development has focused on features and said future releases will hone performance.
"The message was that you could integrate Notes into Workplace," said the partner. "Now it sounds like they're talking about integrating Workplace into Notes--a better idea. You can't take someone who's used to Notes and then offer them 80 percent of what they had in a new client."


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Wine Traders "puppet director" disqualified for 15 years after investors lost £2 million
Stephen Pierre Boyd, the former director of The Wine Index, has been banned from being a director for 15 years by the High Court.
Investigators from the insolvency service found that Boyd acted as a puppet director for Wine Traders International, although he was already serving a 13-year disqualification for his role in The Wine Index.
Under Boyd's direction, Wine Traders sold fine wine as an investment to members of the public. The High Court found that the wine was overpriced and in some instances no wine was ever purchased for the customer. The court also found that Boyd had:
• Caused the company to fail to supply customers with wine purchased for nearly £2million;
• wrongfully transferred customers' wine valued at over £1million to a fictitious entity that he had created
• wrongfully taken away a Porsche car leased to the company
• failed to keep records to explain over £3million expenditure.
In addition, a large quantity of the company's stock was transferred to ‘Bradshaw & Karr' - a fictitious corporate entity created by Boyd. The two disqualifications will run concurrently until 2028.
Wine Traders was wound up in the public interest by the High Court on 4 March 2010 after an investigation by the insolvency service's company investigations team.
Further investigations by the insolvency service's public interest unit found that Boyd had used false names including Pierre Boyd, Steve Gordon and Dave Martin. This revealed the existence of a puppet director and to Mr Boyd being uncovered as the man in control of the company, the insolvency service said.
Sitting in the High Court, Registrar Derrett found all of these allegations to be proven and handed down the maximum period of disqualification available.
"Hiding behind false names and stooges will not protect rogue directors. As this case shows, our investigations will reveal who is ultimately in control and we will take robust action to address wrongdoing," said Paul Titherington, official receiver in the Public Interest Unit.
"In handing down the maximum possible period of disqualification, the Court has shown that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated. It also demonstrates that the insolvency service will seek to remove these people from the business environment"


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Malaysia-based online restaurant booking site TableApp has just received MYR250,000 (US$78,000) in seed funding. Singapore-based Crystal Horse Investments, as well as former Google Malaysia employee Hanson Toh, both co-invested in this round. Toh is also TableApp’s coach in Cradle’s Coach & Grow Program.
“The money will be used mainly for increasing our sales force, as well as for marketing,” says Benson Chang, TableApp’s CEO and founder. He adds that the amount will also be channeled towards their expansion plans beyond Klang Valley and into Penang and Johor Bahru. Right now, Chang is looking to hire business development executives to push sales in these states.
The booking site was previously working on a partnership with Groupon Malaysia, which officially began in July. The deal features a reservation widget powered by TableApp, which redirects customers to TableApp’s website, being placed on Groupon’s food deal page.
The team has also confirmed a deal with Tourism Malaysia, who are currently revamping their website. The partnership, which will go live in September, would see TableApp’s booking widget embedded on their homepage.
TableApp’s recently released iOS and Android apps have gotten over 15,000 downloads thus far, and Chang is confident that this number will multiply exponentially in the coming months. “There has been a significant growth in bookings coming from our mobile app,” he explains. “Overall, we hit our first 10,000 diners milestone within the first eight months, and and our second 10,000 diners milestone in the following four months.”


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Six people linked to Vance Miller’s Oldham-based Maple Mill kitchen business have been jailed for selling “unusable” and “mismatching” kitchen units on his behalf. They worked at the company between 2010 and 2015.
Miller (pictured) was the first person to receive an Office of Fair Trading ‘Stop Now’ order in 2002 for supplying a kitchen that was “not as advertised”, and was nicknamed “The Kitchen Gangster” after being featured in a 2004 BBC series.
He has a warrant out for his arrest for fraudulent online and print advertisements, which saw customers pay thousands of pounds for kitchens of inferior quality.
A Trading Standards investigation gathered complaints from 300 customers and found that Miller was selling cheaply made Chinese kitchens, which were falsely described as “last year’s B&Q”.
When customers tried to complain to the business, they said they were abused and called liars by the staff.
The defendants in the case described Miller as a “dictatorial personality, a man who could not be questioned – only obeyed”. The judge stated that this “can’t be used as an excuse for turning a blind eye” and described the quality of the kitchens as “effectively rubbish”.
Miller is currently believed to be in China or South-East Asia.
David Hourigan, described as Miller’s “right-hand man”, has been jailed for 18 months. Martin Sersen, who acted as an official front for Miller, received a sentence of 15 months.
Miller’s former girlfriend Nicola Brodie was responsible for placing adverts and has been jailed for a year.
Kitchen salesman Richard Brundrett and Miller’s PA Karen Stocks have both been sentenced to nine months. Finally, Matthew Leak, who posted numerous fake reviews online, has been jailed for four months.


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Suddenlink Communications has added multi-room capabilities its deployment of TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO) Premiere DVRs, allowing customers to interconnect the boxes and share recordings over the home network. A Suddenlink spokesman tells Light Reading Cable that there are no current plans to introduce the TiVo Preview, a non-DVR client device that can feed off the new quad-tuner Premiere Q over the home network. "We believe TiVo Premiere offers a superior experience. We're still discussing other options, depending on the features that might be offered," the official said. Charter Communications Inc. 's initial TiVo multi-room approach is similar to Suddenlink's, but the MSO does intend to support the Preview later on. (See TiVo Debuts Whole-Home DVR Gear and Charter Plugs TiVo Into Arris's VoD Back-Office.)
Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) has launched its TV app for Android-powered phones that sports an interactive program, remote DVR manager, a set-top-tuning feature and other capabilities that closely mirror those that the MSO offers in its recently introduced app for Android tablets. TW Cable has yet to add live TV streaming to its Android platform, something it already offers on the iPad, but expects to offer it when device makers start to upgrade to the Ice Cream Sandwich OS in early 2012.
TV listings and IPG firm Rovi Corp.appointed Thomas Carson as president and CEO, succeeding Alfred Amoroso, who has been in that slot since 2005. Carson, most recently Rovi's EVP of worldwide sales and marketing, joined Rovi in 2008 when the company (still known as as Macrovision Solutions Corp. at the time) acquired Gemstar-TV Guide International for $2.8 billion. (See Macrovision to Buy Gemstar-TV Guide for $2.8B.)
Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) recently expanded its deployment of IPv6 to four more states -- Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey -- and now supports more than 1,000 IPv6 users nationwide, reports Network World. The MSO expects to support IPv6 in "a lot more cities" in the first quarter of 2012, said John Brzozowski, Comcast's chief architect for IPv6.
The number of U.S. homes that use wireless/mobile access as their only means of broadband access will reach 6 million homes by the end of 2011, representing about 6.9 percent of all high-speed connection in the nation, predicts Strategy Analytics Inc. The firm attributes most of those to homes without access to cable, DSL or fiber connections, and doesn't anticipate 4G will take over as the home's primary Internet access medium. (See Moto Mobility CEO: 4G Can't Do It Alone .)
Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) is apparently in the giving mood this holiday season (and perhaps trying to win some much-needed goodwill) in offering DVD subs an extra disc for free as part of a year-end promo. A Netflix spokesman told Bloomberg that this is the first time Netflix has offered a bonus disc to customers who subscribe to its DVD rental service.


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Yahoo! may finally have a real shot at a turnaround now that Marissa Mayer is at the helm. Since stepping in as Yahoo! CEO in July, Mayer has hired promising new talent. Also, in addition to revamping Yahoo! Mail and its presence in mobile, the Internet giant is also taking cues from its customers. Let's take a closer look at why adopting a user-focused approach may be just what the doctor ordered.
A CEO for the people
The struggling web portal's newest chief executive officer is not like the others. After five failed CEOs in five years (including two interim chiefs), it's going to take more than another fresh face to turn things around at Yahoo!. However, Mayer brings something different to the table: expertise in user experience.
The new CEO is proving she can take a hint. Shortly after stepping into her new role at Yahoo!, a website popped up with the address: dearmarissamayer.com. As you can see from the screen shot below, the message was clear -- Yahoo! needed more compelling products. The company heard the message loud and clear and today released a much-improved version of its popular Flickr photo app.
The new Flickr app for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch now allows users to enhance pictures with color filters, as well as, edit, crop, and share pictures from a mobile device. More than this, the Flickr update is a way to lure users back from Facebook's Instagram app. The social media company purchased Instagram earlier this year in a deal initially valued around $1 billion.
Today, Yahoo!'s Flickr counts 85 million active users per day (compare that to 7.3 million active daily users for Facebook's Instagram). True, Instagram has the added benefit of being backed by Facebook's rich social media ecosystem. Still, the real value for Yahoo! is in growing its mobile business.
Additionally, Marissa Mayer announced changes to Yahoo!'s email service this week that make it faster and easier to use on mobile devices. Mayer explained, "Because mobile is everything these days, Yahoo! Mail now has a consistent look and feel across devices."
As an ex-Googler, Mayer knows what it takes to create a winning email platform. In fact, she spent the last 13 years helping Google build many of the search products and features that dominate the web today, including Gmail.
Internet-based email is still as relevant today as ever before. This is important for companies such as Yahoo!, Google, and Microsoft , because email encourages repeat visits to their respective sites. Let's see how these Internet giants' email platforms stack up in terms of active users.
As you can see, Yahoo! hopes to win back users that it lost to competitors in recent years. Both Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Messenger received a facelift this month. These product upgrades, along with the newly improved Flickr release, are the first major product launches for Yahoo! since Marissa Mayer stepped in as CEO in July.
Comeback or flashback?
While a Yahoo! comeback will certainly take years, it appears the company is now on the path to recovery. Moreover, if Yahoo! is able to tap into the mobile industry in a meaningful way, it should give shares a much-needed boost in the quarters to come. As it stands, the stock is up more than 21% year to date. And with shares trading at just five times earnings, the stock looks cheap.
That said, the company still faces a challenging road ahead. As a result, revenue will likely suffer in the near term. However, I'm confident in Mayer's ability to execute as well as Yahoo!'s new direction heading into the new year.
It's true that there remains an overwhelming amount of uncertainty in the name. To be fair, there's similar risk in other Internet stocks as well (Facebook, for starters). But the arrival of Marissa Mayer paired with a stronger focus on user experience have me optimistic about Yahoo!'s future. On the other hand, investors looking for the right entry point into Yahoo! rival Facebook can get the inside scoop from our new premium research report.
There's a lot more to Facebook than meets the eye, so read up on whether there is anything to "like" about it today, and we'll tell you whether we think Facebook deserves a place in your portfolio. Access your report by clicking here.
The article Yahoo! Employs a Winning Strategy. Is It Enough? originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Tamara Rutter owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft and has the following options: long JAN 2014 $20.00 calls on Facebook. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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