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From a bird’s eye view of recent headlines, it seems an awful lot of people are focused on beating Meredith Whitney’s dire 2010 forecasts for the municipal bond market. In a recent commentary, “Time’s Up Meredith Whitney, Muni Prediction Was Wrong,” CNBC’s Gary Kaminsky dismissed Whitney’s predictions as the “prognostications […]
What if… ?
What if Democrats and Republicans could come together to present as united a front on solving the country’s economic problems as they have, for all intents and purposes, on foreign policy? If you recall, when Barack Obama defeated Republican John McCain for the presidency back in 2008, one of the […]
Separate But Equal?
In a op-ed last week in the Times, columnist Joe Nocera, in an article titled “Why We Need For-Profit Colleges,” comes to the defense of the embattled institutions, which have been increasingly up in arms since Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced in June new steps to protect students from what the department […]
What Answer Would Our Founding Fathers Choose?
In an August op-ed entitled “What is the stock market telling us?” in the Washington Post, Liaquat Ahamed writes: When the stock market zigs and zags its way to a 12 percent loss in three weeks, wiping out $2.5 trillion in wealth, it is clearly sending a message. But what, […]
The bigger they are…
You know what they say about things that sound too good to be true: they probably are. In recent days, the trouble experienced by many in the economy, from the average American to institutional investors, can best be seen in the persistent drubbings being taken by many large cap stocks, […]
Wired to Hire
View Top 10 Cities for Online Freelancers – By Earnings in a larger map Alex Rolek, recently unemployed, took his interest in sophisticated technology and turned it into a new career online. After graduating from University of Boulder-Colorado, he started his first “real-world” job at a Las Vegas land development […]
Men Find A New Fit In Retail
Ouigi Theodore sat on a green metal-studded leather chair in the corner of his flagship retail store, balancing the tasks of dressing impeccably, watching his BlackBerry phone for messages and overseeing the rest of the ongoings in the shop. “I started this business to sell t-shirt designs,” said Theodore. “Now […]
Japan Crisis Has Minor Impact on U.S. Economy
The crisis in Japan has had a major impact on its economy but a minor one elsewhere, underscoring the country’s slipping prominence in the global economy. The earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis that plagued the northeastern coast of Japan have caused immeasurable human toll. Early predictions of its economic […]
Strength of Luxury Item Sales Fuel Future Economic Growth
Having thoughts of splurging on a new Coach bag for the spring? Picturing yourself with the new white iPhone 4? Well you’re not the only one. The sales of high-end luxury items have increased over the past few months, a sign that further economic growth is not far behind. A […]
Leave the Hybrid, Take the Electric Motor
As auto makers worldwide ramp up efforts to promote new and improved electric models, some engineers are spreading a less expensive message: with a little expertise, or at least the help of an expert, you can turn your own gas-fueled car into an electric vehicle. In a course on electric […]


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KAI RYSSDAL: If you want to make cheap phone calls, VOIP is one of the ways to do it. Using the Internet instead of a regular phone line. One of the pioneering companies in that business started trading on the New York Stock Exchange last week. But Marketplace's Lisa Napoli reports there's some static on the line for Vonage.
LISA NAPOLI: Usually, only big fat-cat investment banker types can get their mitts on an IPO. Vonage wanted to be all populist and create excitement for its debut. And so it offered its customers a rare opportunity: a chance to get in on the ground floor and buy stock before it traded.
With visions of big, fat, Google-esque dollar signs in their eyes, customers signed up. And then, when the stock started tanking right after its debut, they refused to pony up the cash.
Tom Taulli of USC's Marshall School of Business says that's why you don't usually open up the IPO to the masses:
TOM TAULLI: That's why you have investment bankers. Their job is to get investors. Vonage's job is to get customers and have a great phone product. It's not to go out and sell stock to the public, it's not to go out and enforce trades.
An already not-very-good situation got worse when it seemed like Vonage said it would buy back the stock from unhappy customers. That left other investors screaming foul. Last night, Vonage clarified in a statement. It said it won't do a buyback, and said people who promised to buy had better come through.
Chris Nolter of the Daily Deal says Vonage has other problems to worry about besides its botched IPO:
CHRIS NOLTER: Their product had some very unique characteristics when they introduced it, but larger companies are going to be able to offer it at comparable prices.
The story of Vonage went from Cinderella to Big Bad Wolf as fast as you can dial the phone.
In Los Angeles, I'm Lisa Napoli for Marketplace.

domain: news


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by Brad Andrews – Metroland
After months of work the winners of Durham’s Ignite competition have been announced, only for both startup businesses to predict more work ahead.
At the Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards in Whitby held on Nov. 27 startup companies National ProStaff and Tiko3D were announced as the winners of the Ignite innovative competition, each taking home $25,000 prizes. Organized by local non-profit Spark Centre and the Region of Durham, the Ignite competition began in mid-September and featured entrepreneurs in the ...
Three groups of University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) students and graduates are being recognized by Spark Innovation Centre for their innovative ideas and successful creation of new business enterprises in Durham Region. All groups are winners in the 2014 Ignite Competition, a contest designed by Spark Innovation Centre to support young entrepreneurs with the resources they need to accelerate their business plans into startup companies.
In the General Entrepreneur category, Ignite presented the $25,000 prize to Tiko 3D, a cutting-edge ...
OSHAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec 3, 2014) - Spark Innovation Centre is pleased to announce the Ignite Durham Young Entrepreneur Winner National ProStaff and the General Entrepreneur Winner Tiko 3D, who have taken the top prize of $25,000 each. The announcement was made on Thursday November 27th, 2014 at the Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards in Whitby, Ontario.
National ProStaff ("NPS"), the Young Entrepreneur winner, is a social commerce platform which connects consumers with brand experts. Over the past 3 years, NPS ...
by Ian Hardy - Betakit
The Spark Innovation Centre, now in its second year, recently announced the Ignite Competition winners. National ProStaff, a social commerce platform that connects consumers with brand experts, took home the Ignite Young Entrepreneur award and $25,000 in prize money. Tiko 3D, which aims to make 3D printers more accessible, also won secured an investment of $25,000, winning the General Entrepreneur award.
Spark received over 65 applications, which was almost double the number in that category last year, and both ...
Spark Innovation Centre is pleased to announce the Ignite Student Entrepreneur Winner as well as the Young Entrepreneur and General Entrepreneur finalists.
The Student Entrepreneur award is a new category for Ignite this year which celebrated student entrepreneurs currently attending a post-secondary institute in Durham Region.
Congratulations to Turnkey Aquaponics who was selected by the Power Panel as our $5,000 Student Entrepreneur Winner.
Turnkey Aquaponics designs, manufactures and installs scalable aquaponics systems for rural and industrial applications. Aquaponics is a system that combines aquaculture ...
By Sean Sutcliffe
Entrepreneurs of Durham are gearing up for the second annual Ignite Durham competition hosted by the Spark Centre.
Spark Centre is an innovative company with the vision of creating a ‘thriving entrepreneurial community that embraces technology to compete in the global business world’. Ignite Durham is a competition created to help expand their vision.
The event consists of three categories Young, Student and General Entrepreneur. Students have the opportunity to win $5,000 while contestants in the young and general categories can ...
Thank you to everyone who applied to be a part of Spark Centre's Ignite Startup Competition. Applications are now closed and we have officially accepted 61 eligible applicants into the program!
Ignite begins this week with three Pitch Schools where entrepreneurs will learn how to perfect their pitch. After going through a workshop and receiving feedback from Spark Centre advisors, the entrepreneurs will move onto one of three pitch competitions where they will pitch their idea to an audience including a local power panel, ...
By Techvibes NewsDesk
Spark Innovation Centre, a not-for-profit organization that offers free services and support to local entrepreneurs, is accepting applications to its second annual Ignite Competition.
Two startup companies will be chosen to win $25,000 to use towards their business.
Last year Ignite saw over 100 companies compete in a rigorous program that involved pitch competitions, a business boot camp and boardroom competition. An expert Power Panel which included former Dragon’s Den star and cofounder of Round 13 Capital, Bruce Croxon and Jason ...
By Bradley Andrews - Metroland
A chance for Durham to show its innovative side
Ignite competition returns for second year with new focus on technology
DURHAM -- Ignite is seeking out the best and brightest of Durham's start-ups, those with new, innovative ideas and the technology to make them work.
Ignite is returning for its second year. Put on by the local non-profit Spark Centre and Durham Region, the competition features entrepreneurs making Dragon's Den-style pitches to expert panels for a chance at winning industry ...
By Joseph Czikk — Betakit
Oshawa’s non-for-profit Spark Innovation Centre is all set to host its second annual Ignite Competition. It’ll award two winners $25,000 each and will include a new category awarding $5,000 to a post-secondary student.
The Spark Centre said this year the Ignite Competition will focus on innovation, technology, invention and advanced process oriented start-ups. “The success of Ignite 2013 was very evident with over 100 competitors and over 2,000 attendees to watch the various competition events,” said executive director Dennis Croft. “This year ...


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Artec Group is proud to announce that its free viewer for 3D content is now available for download from www.viewshape.com. This software can be used to view, save and share 3D models on both your computer and your mobile device. To top everything, the Viewshape application for iPhone was featured in the prestigious «New & Noteworthy» category of Apple’s AppStore — how exciting!
Here are some key benefits of Viewshape:
Get your free 3D viewer today and stay tuned for the next release, as we continue working on new and exciting features!
Readers of New Equipment Digest have voted for the Artec Space Spider 3D scanner as the most innovative solution covered by the magazine in 2015.
Artec announces a new service to ensure the user can continue their work if their scanner needs sending away for repairs.
Shapify Booth opens at Space Center Houston so visitors can capture their memories of the day in 3D.


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Data Stories: Holiday Shopping, Seasonal Injuries, Christmas Music
These data visualizations explore shopping in Berlin, how people are hurt putting up decorations, and when people listen to Christmas music.
- By Upside Staff
- December 8, 2021
This interactive map from Datawrapper shows this year’s traditional Christmas markets in Berlin.
This article from a legal firm contains several charts and infographics showing the rates of injury over the holiday season.
The charts in this article from NBC show that people are listening to Mariah Carey’s hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” earlier each year.


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A PETROL station in Halifax has been granted permission to open its doors 24 hours a day.
Pellon Lane Service Station – which already has a licence to sell alcohol for 24 hours – previously served customers through a hatch between 11pm and 5am. It put forward an application to instead allow customers into its shop to buy products between those times.
Councillors on the licensing committee approved the decision.
The committee had heard objections to the application from two residents who live near the petrol station.
They complained of noise from customers but admitted they had not lodged any formal complaints with police or with the council’s environmental health team.
Gill Sherratt, who was agent on behalf of the station owners Kay Group, said she believed allowing customers inside the shop would help with any noise from cars waiting outside or customers queuing at the kiosk.


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Small Business Saturday in the spotlight
They didn’t put out full-color circulars or pull an all-nighter with their customers.
No lines wrapped around the backs of their buildings.
No bumper-to-bumper traffic in their parking lots. And the traffic on their websites come Monday — the busiest online shopping day of the year — will be little, if they even have websites.
That’s why, for the second year, shop owners such as Bonnie Fall and Thomas Gallion Jr. of Massillon are joining a national movement to urge people to shop today at small businesses on Small Business Saturday.
Tucked between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday was created by American Express’ small-business unit and a dozen advocacy, public and private organizations.
Victor Pavona, director of the Ohio Small Business Development Center, which serves Stark and Wayne County, said the idea is simple:
“It’s all about small businesses, the ones in your community that are doing a lot less business than whole corporations, have a lot less employees and are doing everything in their power to maintain, to keep those employees,” he said.
Pavona said small businesses are responsible for 95 percent of American jobs. The Ohio Small Business Development Center considers small businesses to be those with $1 million to $5 million in annual sales and with 25 to 50 employees, or fewer.
The Small Business Administration has a broader definition.
“The message is on Saturday, buy something from a local small business, implying don’t buy from a national manufacturer,” he said. “Don’t buy it from a big-box house. That’s the message.”
Geared toward retailers, Pavona said Small Business Saturday is the counterpoint to Black Friday.
“Needless to say, the national retailers, the national big- box people are driving sales that most small businesses can’t compete with,” he said. “The idea behind it originated with many of our jobs being outsourced overseas. The concept was to allow people to buy locally to support local businesses and local jobs particularly for small businesses.”
Pavona said the economy is not growing fast enough and small business owners are having difficulty getting access to capital for cash flow, investment, and to build and supply inventories.
“Small businesses would love to be able to hire new employees but under those conditions it’s very difficult to be able to do that,” Pavona said. “The bottom line is businesses don’t have enough customers. All the national data you can get your hands on indicates that the lack of demand and not enough customers is a huge issue.”
Fall, owner of Bonnie’s Engravers Gallery and Signs, has signs promoting the event in the windows of her business at 32 Lincoln Way E, Massillon.
“There’s a day for big-box companies, right?” she said. “So why not a day for small businesses. It’s perfect.”
BACK SEAT TO BIG BOXES
Fall believes small businesses take a back seat to the big boxes because most people don’t believe small businesses can offer the same prices this time of year.
“They think the bigger chains can offer big deals,” she said. “The advantages of shopping at small businesses is you get your individualized, personal care and consideration when you’re ordering or picking up something. Usually you find better quality made things and usually reasonable prices.”
Fall said in terms of prices, small businesses usually can’t compete with some of the deals offered by big boxes, so they rely on that customer interaction and personable service. Large chains get better deals from vendors because they order in bulk.
“You go to Kmart or Walmart, you’re a number,” said Fall, who serves as president of the Downtown Massillon Association. “If you go to Engravers Galley, you’re a person.”
Gallion, owner of Hannah Candles, 805 Lincoln Way E, Massillon, said this year has been particularly difficult on business, but he hopes that the Christmas shopping season turns that around.
“Every day, I see it becoming more challenging being a small business in general,” he said.
Gallion said he did well on Black Friday, but not nearly as well as large retailers. He doesn’t know what to expect over the next month. He said customers can save on his candles over what is offered by his shopping-mall competitor Yankee Candles.
“You can come to my store and save money, getting a quality product, as opposed to going over there and paying twice the price for it when you’re just paying for the name,” he said. “Those (Yankee Candles) retail for $25 and my 9-ounce jar retails for $7.95 and you get exactly the same amount of hours out of it.”
Fall said most people would be surprised at what they can find by patronizing small, local businesses.
“Everybody needs to come downtown and do their shopping,” she said. “They’d be amazed at what they could find.”
For more information, visit www.smallbusinesssatur day.com.


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ST. LOUIS – A chicken restaurant chain owned by former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal will soon be a “hit” in St. Louis, specifically at the ballpark.
“Big Chicken” will open its newest location at Busch Stadium on Thursday, March 30 for the St. Louis Cardinals’ home opener.
Founded in 2018, Big Chicken fuses Shaq’s home-cooked childhood favorites with several trending flavors. Customers can order crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders, along with Cheez-It crusted mac n’ cheese and hand-crafted ice cream shakes.
At Busch Stadium, fans have the option for a unique St. Louis-crafted menu item. Fans can order a sandwich named the “314” after the St. Louis area code. The sandwich consist of the brand’s Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken with Shaq Sauce, and it’s served on a Cardinal Red Maple Bacon doughnut.
“Big Chicken is quickly becoming a household name, and for all the right reasons – especially their commitment to chef-driven quality,” said Daniel Fetcho, vice president of operations for Delaware North Sportservice, concessionaire of the St. Louis Cardinals. “We’re grateful to grow our relationship with the Big Chicken team to include Busch Stadium, as we know it’ll be a big hit with Cardinals fans.”
Additional offerings at the stadium include the M.D.E. (Shaq Sauce, chicken breast and B&B Pickles) and the Uncle Jerome (Nashville Hot Chicken, lettuce, mayo and pickles), along with fries and a cookie the circumference of an NBA basketball.
Busch Stadium will have two Big Chicken concession stands. They will be located in section 135, along the first base line of the main concourse, and in section 358, on the third base side of the terrace level.
“The first day I met Shaquille O’Neal was when I was still at Anheuser-Busch and we ended up together at Busch Stadium for a game. Now, through our partnership with Delaware North, we will bring our BIG fun, BIG flavor and BIG food to Cardinals Nation”,” said Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken. “We’re proud to partner with St. Louis’s iconic doughnut shop, Vincent Van Doughnut, to offer a specially crafted chicken sandwich unlike any other on our menu. Let’s go BIG, Cardinals!”
This will be the second Big Chicken location in Missouri. The franchise recently opened up a restaurant at the Kansas City International Airport.
FOX 2 first told viewers last month that Big Chicken was planning to open in St. Louis. It’s part of the Las Vegas-based chain’s plan to expand in 15 U.S. markets.
Busch Stadium adds another well-known food brand to the stadium this season, with a Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers location planned for the ballpark.


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Smucker Co. We plan to aggressively fight these claims.? Bobby Modi, vice president, pet food and pet snacks for J. ? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.1007 SHARES A New York man is suing celebrity chef, Rachael Ray?s ?Nutrish? brand smart feed automatic dog and cat feeder wi fi enabled pet feeder_320 food for $5 million,?claiming it contains a dangerous chemical found in herbicides. 1007 SHARES Related Items: Recommended for you 11 Comments 11 Comments Pingback: Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. Dog owner,?Markeith Parks filed the $5 million class-action lawsuit on Wednesday against Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, the manufacturers of Nutrish, and its line of Superior Premium Food for Dogs on the basis that while Ray?s Nutrish ?aggressively advertises? and promotes the products as ?natural,? the ?claims are false, deceptive, and misleading., which?bought?Ainsworth Pet Nutrition earlier this year, told in a statement,? ?We are in the process of reviewing the details of the claim but strongly stand behind the quality of our products, ingredients and sourcing practices.M. As animal lovers and humans, it goes without saying that we do not add pesticides to our products as an ingredient. Although the Nutrish line of dog food is marketed as ?natural food for dogs,? containing ?no artificial flavors or preservatives,? a lawsuit claims that an independent lab found glyphosate, a potentially dangerous chemical which can be found in weed-killing products like?Roundup, in the dog food.? In the class-action suit, Parks is seeking ?relief including actual damages, interest, costs, reasonable attorneys? fees,? and an injunction to stop Nutrish?s marketing and sale of the products, along with corrective advertising. ?However, crops such as peas, soy, corn, beets and alfalfa are sprayed with the chemical in order to dry them and produce an earlier, more uniform harvest ? a practice with no health benefits, meant only to increase yield.? In addition, the lawsuit contends that ?by deceiving consumers about the nature, quality, and/or ingredients of the products, Rachael Ray Nutrish is able to sell a greater volume of the products, to charge higher prices for the products, and to take away market share from competing products, thereby increasing its own sales and profits. ?The exact source of glyphosate in the products is known only to Rachael Ray Nutrish and its suppliers,? the .? ?Instead, the products contain the unnatural chemical glyphosate, a potent biocide and endocrine disruptor, with detrimental health effects that are still becoming known,? court documents claim. Required fields are marked * Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
The family dropped off their dog, Rufus, at a Tucson, Arizona PetSmart PetsHotel at around 6:00pm on July 31st.? 524 SHARES Related Items: Click to comment Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. They tried to save his life doing CPR and everything imaginable, but he was unresponsive. The lady said they would take great care of him and assured us he would do great.524 SHARES An Arizona family is desperate for answers after their beloved dog died while in the care of a Tucson PetSmart PetsHotel boarding center. The dog?s owner Kaitlyn Nowak explained on Instagram, ??We had to leave Rufus at home and decided to take him to the Petsmart PetsHotel, since he has been there before. Additionally, this incident is being reviewed with the entire Tucson store team to help prevent such an occurrence from happening in the future. Rufus was dead. When my mom and I dropped Rufus off at around 6pm last night, we were already sad. When we returned home, we finished packing and a little before 9, we received a call from PetSmart stating that Rufus had got to his harness that was in a plastic cubby on the other side of the door and had eaten it.? PetSmart told the family they were taking Rufus to an emergency veterinarian to be monitored, but that he was ok, that this was only a precaution. Getting this call was by far the worst moment I could imagine. Required fields are marked * Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. . ? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. (It was in his notes that nothing should be in his reach as he will eat things like that when he is nervous- but clearly they ignored those).?As a result, the individual directly involved in transporting Rufus is no longer employed with PetSmart. We continue to be in touch with Rufus?s family during this very difficult time. Only 15 minutes later, the family received another call, this time from the emergency veterinarian. We told the associate at PetSmart that he was going to be anxious and that we were worried about leaving him alone since barely over a year ago we lost our beloved dog Diego, and this would be his first time alone. ??She said Rufus has been hit by a car, after the PetSmart associate let him get out of her grasp and he bolted into traffic from her car in the parking lot and was fatally hit. Rufus was not ready to leave this earth?? In a statement to , Erin Gray with PetSmart said,??We are truly sorry for the loss of Rufus, and no words can fully express our deep sorrow for the family. She did not follow protocol because she did not put his collar or leash on him and he was not in a crate. After completing an extensive investigation, we found our associate did not have proper control when removing Rufus from the vehicle during transport to the emergency veterinarian, leading to Rufus? escape and unfortunate accident. My mom and I watched as they carried him back, and he was still looking for us. By 9:00pm, Rufus was dead
We stand ready to work with the Indonesian authorities to implement a robust ban, end the slaughter, and bring us one step closer to shutting down these dreadful trades for good,? , President, Humane Society International. A May 2018 by the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia Coalition (DMFC)?exposed horrific treatment of dogs and cats being bludgeoned and blow-torched to death in Indonesia?s gruesome dog and cat meat trade. ?The dog and cat meat trade is utterly brutal, a risk to human health and largely fueled by crime, so we applaud the Indonesian government for pledging to end the trade following our DMFI investigations.org On August 1-2, 2018, the attended the ?National Coordination of Animal Welfare? meeting held by the Directorate of Veterinary Public Health, a sub-directorate of Animal Welfare of the Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia in which all national participants agreed to issue a ban on the trade of dog and cat meat in Indonesia and to prohibit the issuance of health certification for dog and cat meat for human consumption. Image via DogMeatFreeIndonesia. ? This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. He also cited the risk the trade poses to Indonesia?s international reputation, warning that ?foreign countries find a low standard of animal welfare and cruelty unacceptable and will stop visiting Indonesia which is very bad for our tourism. Required fields are marked * Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.1340 SHARES At a meeting between Indonesia?s Ministry of Agriculture and the Dog Meat-Free Indonesia coalition, government officials pledged to end the country?s horrific dog and cat meat trade. The coalition also proved that the dog meat trade posed serious threats to the health and safety of Indonesian citizens due to the spread of rabies and the violence that has sprung up around gangs that forcibly take pets from their owners to sell them into the trade. Through their tireless efforts over many years ? backed by millions of animal lovers, including some of the biggest names in acting, music and sports from around the world that urged ?of Indonesia to end the brutal slaughter of millions of dogs and cats each year ? that, most recently, included a public warning that millions of global tourists could be at risk of exposure to the deadly rabies virus spread by the county?s illegal dog and cat meat trade, the coalition are finally celebrating the major breakthrough.Si?, Director of veterinary public health warned of the impacts the dog meat trade is having on animal welfare and described the trade as ?torture for animals? after reviewing DMFI?s investigation footage. . The results of this national meeting will be used as a recommendation for the Ministry of Agriculture to formulate a PERMENTAN (Minister of Agriculture regulations) regarding the ban on trade in dog and cat meat and that of exotic animals in Indonesia. 1340 SHARES Related Items: Recommended for you Click to comment Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. We hope that this bold step will send a strong message to other countries across Asia, such as China, South Korea, India and Vietnam where 30 million dogs and 10 million cats suffer unimaginable cruelty for the meat trade, many of them stolen pets.? He added that ?dog meat or any animal that is not registered as farm animals, is illegal? and that the way in which the dogs were handled and transported alone were a violation of animal welfare and must be stopped. Mr Syamsul Ma?arif DVM ,?M432378, 6565ff, 8c533a, 8cde5b, 8fb7fd, f74ca0, Lcd Display Treadmill, dog crate, pet cat, fitnesse supplies, automotive Accessories, garden tools, sitemap


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Toyota unveils sports car concept in bid to recapture Supra sizzle
Thursday, 16 January 2014 00:00
Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp took the wraps off a new sports car concept on Monday, underscoring an effort by Japan’s largest automaker to energise its brand and fill a void in its lineup after discontinuing the Supra more than a decade ago.
The concept, called the FT-1, is part of a broader attempt by Chief Executive Akio Toyoda to add excitement to a brand better known for quality and reliability than heart-pumping performance.
Although the Supra never sold in high volumes it enjoyed a loyal following among compact sports car enthusiasts.


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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With so many products sold out in stores, some people are going online to find the toilet paper, cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer they need. And attorneys general on both sides of the state line already are hearing complaints of price gouging.
Some of the sites shoppers are headed to include Amazon, eBay and Facebook Marketplace, where the 41 Action News Investigators found several posts in the metro for household cleaning bundles.
Most of those were reasonably priced, but that's not the case everywhere.
A package of toilet paper that normally goes for $5 could be found on eBay at a starting price of $30, for example. By Wednesday afternoon, a similar package was up to $50 on the site.
"So far the bulk of the problems that have been brought to our attention involve exactly what you would expect: hand sanitizer, cleaners and wipes and toilet paper," Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt told 41 Action News.
The Kansas Attorney General's Office is tracking complaints about price gouging. The state's anti-profiteering statute went into effect after Gov. Laura Kelly declared a state of emergency.
"For any necessary goods and services, it's unlawful for a vendor to unjustifiably raise the price by more than 25 percent," Schmidt said.
The price can't be unjustifiably higher than it was on March 11. However, retailers are allowed to pass through their actual costs if they weren't the cause of the price increase.
The AG's office said Facebook and Amazon are bolstering efforts to fight price gouging.
"They've allowed us to have some direct access to their anti-fraud individuals," Schmidt said, "As we or others bring specific circumstances to their attention, they take a quick look, and if they agree that what's happening is unlawful, they'll take action to shut it down."
The Missouri Attorney General's Office echoed the praise.
"We're in daily contact with folks from Facebook, from Amazon, from other platforms," Missouri First Assistant Attorney General Tom Albus said, "and they're trying to root it out before it gets to the regulators as well."
On the Missouri side, the attorney general's office can prosecute price gouging even if there's no emergency declaration from the governor. It also differs from Kansas in that there's no specific percentage increase deemed to be price gouging.
Staff overseeing consumer protection are hopeful education can stop people from hiking prices and ending up in court.
"When you bring this information to somebody like that and says this is beyond the free market... this is price gouging, and it needs to stop, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of Missourians would say I didn't realize the greater context and agree to stop that course of conduct," Albus said.
Penalties for price gouging can be steep. In Missouri, a violation carries a $1,000 penalty, and there could be criminal charges if the case is severe. In Kansas, people could face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.


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Amazon has captured half of U.S. e-commerce revenue, according to eMarketer. Not coincidentally, Jeff Bezos became the richest living human the same week. So what’s left to do with online sales? Almost everything. Jeff Bezos knows this, which is why he pushes Amazon into so many new markets. There is, however, a limit to virtual trust. Bhaskar […]
Banks offer many more services, along with charging a lot more fees, than a generation ago. As virtual services grow, trust has fallen. Financier Worldwide looks at personalization, GDPR (learn it, know it), and the impact of social media. However, the customer relationship all comes down to trust.


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Wallace joins CSB
Alicia Wallace has joined the Commercial & Savings Bank as vice president, commercial banking, and will be based out of the bank's Milltown office in Wooster.
Wallace has attended numerous banking related schools including the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin, the ABA National Commercial Lending School at the University of Oklahoma and the Ohio School of Banking at Ohio University. She also attended the University of Akron, Wayne College and the Cannon Financial Institute Trust Schools I, II & III and Retirement Plan Sales.
Wallace is a member of the Wooster Kiwanis and serves on the Wayne County Children Services board and finance committee. She also serves on the College Hills Retirement Community board, and as treasurer and board member of the Free Clinic Network board.
Wallace resides in the Wooster area with her husband, Richard. She can be reached at CSB's Wooster Milltown Banking Center or by calling 330-345-2031.
Dutchman buys Troyer's restaurants
Dutchman Hospitality Group in Walnut Creek has purchased Troyer's Dutch Heritage Restaurant in Bellville as well as a second Troyer's Dutch Heritage Restaurant in Sarasota, Fla.
The Bellville restaurant and gift shop combined have about 175 employees. Dutchman Hospitality expects that number to remain relatively stable.
More information about Der Dutchman Restaurants and other Dutchman Hospitality businesses is available at www.dutchmanhospitality.com.
Wendell August Forge launched new wholesale division
Wendell August Forge, maker of heirloom-quality personalized metal gifts that commemorate life's special moments, has announced the creation of a new wholesale division. The company, founded in 1923, is now offering its heritage product to more than 170 new retail stores across 41 states and Canada, with the expectation that Wendell August will be carried in 300 independent retail gift stores and galleries by the close of 2012.
The new wholesale partners and Wendell August's own stores will sell new products, using many of the same techniques that the forge has used for decades. However, many of the new pieces are crafted using a process that is new to Wendell August. Called the W Line, the new pressed and formed gift and tableware series of products is launching in Wendell August stores today and is called the Impressions line.


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How sustainable is the new iPhone 12?
When the iPhone 12 launched earlier this week, all eyes were on the tech specs and the price. But what about the cult smartphone's impact on the environment and society?
Apple usually launches new products in September, but the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in minor delays this year, with the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 mini having launched on Wednesday (14 October).
Many readers will, no doubt, be eyeing a new phone up for their Christmas lists – especially as we’re all working from home and video calling our friends and family a lot more. But as we check on things like battery life, camera quality and screen size, it’s also worth considering the sustainability impact of the new iPhone.
Accessories and packaging
The most talked-about sustainability aspect of the new iPhone is the fact that it does not come with a wall charger or EarPods – simply a USB-C charging cable. Apple has told media representatives that it made the decision on environmental grounds – it believes that most people who purchase an iPhone 12 will be upgrading from a previous model and will already have these accessories, and, therefore, the decision will save resources.
Without a wall charger, the phone can be housed in a smaller box. As well as consuming less resources for packaging per unit, this enables 70% more units to fit onto one shipping palette, thereby reducing emissions from transporting the phones.
Apple claims that the changes to accessories and packaging will mitigate more than two million metric tonnes of CO2e emissions annually. It will work to redevelop packaging for previous iPhone models over the coming months.
Critics and cynics, however, have argued that Apple’s intentions are more financial than environmental – those who are switching to iPhone from Android or purchasing their first phone will have to buy a wall charger and EarBuds separately. This same argument was raised when Apple first got rid of the headphone jack on its phones, in a move that forced thousands of people to buy wireless headphones when they already owned a wired pair.
Manufacturing and end-of-life
Apple has made strides in the recycling space since unveiling a long-term vision to “one day stop mining the earth altogether”. 98% of the rare earth elements in the iPhone 12 are recycled, as is 99% of the tungsten and 100% of the tin in the circuit board. At least 35% of the material used to make the phone’s main 14 plastic components is recycled.
After material sourcing comes manufacturing. All Apple manufacturing plants are zero-waste-to-landfill and the company is working to transition to 100% renewable electricity across the supply chain but has not published an update on progress this year.
As for the phone’s in-use impact, it consumes 53% less energy than mandated by the US’s Conservation Standards for Battery Chargers but is by no means the most energy-efficient smartphone on the market. Apple claims the model has up to 17 hours of battery life for video playback, the same as the iPhone 11, and that its battery has been designed for longevity. The company has previously faced accusations of deliberately designing batteries to diminish quickly.
Apple runs a trade-in scheme whereby consumers can sell their used phones back. Phones in good condition are resold as is, and those in worse condition are repaired or refurbished first. The new model will be eligible under this scheme but some have argued that Apple should provide better prices to further incentivise uptake. On recycling, Apple recently unveiled a disassembly robot called Dave – the follow-up to Daisy.
According to Know the Chain, electronics and ICT hardware are sectors with high human rights risks in their supply chains. While Apple has faced numerous controversies in this area over the years, it scored among the top five in the non-profit’s latest benchmark, with a score of 68 out of a possible 100. There is still room for improvement but it should be noted that the benchmark’s average score this year was 29.
Apple’s Supplier Responsibility Progress Report for 2020 provides a deep dive into the measures it is taking to support workers. As well as providing an update on its workplace rights training initiatives, work with human rights organisations and educational programmes around nutrition, health and wellbeing, the report details the steps Apple took this year to protect workers during Covid-19. PPE, deep cleans and flexible shifts were all implemented.
Of course, Apple has a major impact on society at large, beyond its supply chain, and could accurately be called a social architect. Steve Jobs’ speech in which he said “people don’t know what they want until you show it to them” is world-famous. There is an argument that launching, and therefore “making people want” an $800+ phone when the world is in the worst recession since World War 2 is not an ethical move – especially when your company is worth more than the rest of the FTSE100 combined with a $2trn valuation.
Of course, technology is vital to keeping individuals and communities connected at this time, but in its argument around scrapping the wall charger and EarBuds, Apple acknowledges that most consumers buying an iPhone 12 already have one or more Apple products.
Apple’s wider commitments
July saw Apply publicly committing to become net-zero emissions across its business, supply chains and products by 2030. It will reduce 75% of its emissions by investing in renewable electricity, clean heating and cooling, energy efficiency and materials recycling, then offset the remaining 25%. The company had already vowed to reach 100% renewable electricity across supply chains.
Climate is one of the three main pillars of Apple’s overarching environmental sustainability strategy, the others being materials and ‘smarter’ chemistry.
The overarching vision to stop using virgin, non-renewable materials comes under the second pillar, along with commitments to sustainable sourcing, water stewardship and achieving zero-waste-to-landfill at factories, offices and suppliers. The third pillar contains commitments to ensure the chemical safety of products and packaging to consumers and workers at every stage of the supply chain.
So, on balance, do you think the iPhone 12 can be called sustainable? Let us know in the comments.


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Tear down of Verizon iPhone 4 reveals the future.
The Verizon iPhone goes on sale tomorrow night, but iPhone repair shops IFixYouri and iFixit got already their hands on the Verizon iPhone and published tear downs. 9to5 Mac made an interesting observations on the components revealed in the tear downs.
Don't Miss: Today's Electronics Bargains at Woot.com
Apple is chosen to use the MDM660 Qualcomm chip. This communication chip supports both CDMA and GSM. The Verizon iPhone cannot be used on GSM networks as it does not have a SIM slot. But it is almost certain that Apple will use this dualmode chip in the iPhone 5. This way Apple is back to one iPhone model for all carriers, which makes things simple again for consumers and Apple.
Apple needs to keep it simple and clear that is one of their products' advantages. ZDNet reports though that there is apparently a difference for iPhone apps between the Verizon iPhone and the AT&T iPhone. Apple cannot allow this to happen, but apparently this is what is going on now.
Telenav has released a version of its Telenav app especially for the Verizon iPhone. The are supposedly hardware differences that require a special release. Fragmentation is a problem that Android is heavily under. Apple cannot afford to get this problem too.
If there are hardware differences now between the Verizon iPhone and the GSM iPhones than this will be temporarily. I expect that Apple cleans up the mess with the iPhone 5 soon. New rumors point to a June launch event for the iPhone 5.


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IMF, Etsy and bank earnings — what to watch for in the week ahead
Hello friends and Fortune readers.
First things first, you should probably make sure your taxes are in order before Wednesday. Done? Great! This week also brings an annual spring conference for global financial leaders as well as a string of earnings reports by huge financial companies. Meanwhile, new spending and construction data for March will give a better sense of the U.S. economic picture. And don’t forget a handcrafted initial public offering by Etsy, the online marketplace for handicrafts. Here’s what you need to know to start your week.
1. IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings.
Policy-makers from around the globe will gather in Washington, D.C. this week for the spring meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund. Speaking about the global economic outlook last week, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde warned that world leaders need to spur growth amid stagnant growth and high unemployment rates in some countries that are among the world’s largest economies.
2. Bank earnings.
Corporate earnings season kicks into high gear this week with the highly-anticipated quarterly results streaming in from General Electric (GE), Netflix (NFLX) and others. Wall Street will be well-represented as a number of big banks will report their earnings, including Bank of America (BOA), Citigroup (C), Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Wells Fargo (WFC).
3. Etsy’s handcrafted IPO
The online marketplace for handcrafted wares looks to heat up a tepid IPO market when it makes its expected market debut this week. The e-commerce company, which is looking to raise more than $260 million in an offering that could lead to a $1.8 billion valuation, also said it would limit the amount retail investors can spend on the IPO to $2,500. That should allow more small investors to take part, giving the IPO a nice, communal feel.
4. Retail sales.
Low gasoline prices have yet to provide a boost to retail spending in 2015, as February was the third-straight month in which consumer spending declined. However, the market is expecting to see a bump in March’s retail sales when they are released Tuesday. Another economic indicator will come later in the week, on Thursday, when the government reveals how many new homes started construction last month.
5. Tax Day.
Time to panic. Wednesday marks the official deadline for filing personal income tax returns (well, unless you snagged an extension.) Here’s the good news: the Internal Revenue Service audited only 0.86% of tax returns, the lowest percentage in a decade, though that still meant 1.2 million audits. This year also marks the 60th anniversary of Tax Day being moved to from mid-March to April 15. Time to celebrate?
For more about filing taxes, watch this video:


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A collective of brands have gathered together for an Auction on Instagram to affect positive change in our communities with 100% of the proceeds benefiting No Kid Hungry or your Local Food Bank. The auction will be held @melissajoymanning from May 20-June 3rd. ENTER HERE to access the auction on Instagram!
Tags archives: Coronavirus
When the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) last week recommended that all Americans wear face masks, we saw an increase of people making their own. The #facemask hashtag trended on Instagram. Even before the CDC recommendations, there were lots of people sewing their own masks. With the scarcity of personal protection equipment (PPE) for hospital workers, de[...]


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Strange attraction: 'Rotting flesh' plant to make a stink in Edinburgh
A giant plant dubbed the 'corpse flower' is set to bloom at Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden, spreading its stench up to half a mile.
A giant plant dubbed the 'corpse flower' due to its putrid stench is set to bloom at Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden.
The 10-foot specimen, officially called Amorphophallus Titanum, smells so strong it has been known to make people vomit or pass out.
And it's not just brave visitors that will be forced to hold their noses - the shocking stench could travel up to half a mile across the city.
Senior Royal Botanic Garden horticulturist Steve Scott told the Scottish Sun this will be the first time the plant has bloomed in Scotland.
He said: "It smells of rotting dead flesh - like a blocked drain at an abattoir.
"When it's in full bloom you would be able to smell it from the bottom of Lothian Road in Edinburgh to the Mound - a distance of about half a mile."
Visitors planning to test their resolve will have to act quickly because once the plant blooms, it won't be long before it wilts and dies.
Steve added: "It may be rank rotten on the nose but it'll be spectacular on the eyes."


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Saint-Gobain outlines COVID measures, discards 2020 shareholder guidance
April 8, 2020 By Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain’s businesses are disrupted in the countries impacted by the coronavirus, with very different situations from one country to another.
Since the start of the health crisis in China, the Group has taken the necessary measures to ensure the health of its employees, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. It is cooperating with the authorities in each country where it is present.
In terms of its business activity, Saint-Gobain is quickly adapting to the evolution in demand, aiming for operational continuity, depending on the health situation and on government decisions in each country, whilst reducing costs (reduction of teams, partial unemployment or stoppages) and prioritizing the health of its stakeholders:
– In our distribution activities, which mostly serve trade professionals rather than the general public, the Group has adjusted its service offering to customers over the last few days, with new procedures in terms of orders for collection, delivery and via online and telephone orders; in particular, certain brands in France that were closed for a few days have progressively recommenced business;
– In our manufacturing activities, sites have made the necessary adjustments given the impacts of the crisis on the value chain, in particular in the automotive market. The operation of our factories is continuously adapted as the situation evolves, in a very flexible manner within the new organization. In this respect, all of our Chinese factories have restarted operations, following the rapid improvement in demand.
Given the context, Saint-Gobain is taking all necessary actions to limit the effects of the pandemic on its operating profit and cash as much as possible:
– Much greater decrease in capital expenditure than the €200m reduction initially planned for 2020 versus 2019 by deferring all possible projects that were scheduled in the coming months;
– Adaptation of cost structure and postponement of expenses, using local measures where appropriate, in particular unemployment and partial unemployment;
– Ever tighter monitoring of working capital evolution.
The Group has a very solid financial position and has the necessary cash and financing in place to cope with the consequences of the pandemic. As of December 31, 2019 the Group’s cash and cash equivalents stood at €5.0 billion. In addition, the financing sources available to the Group have recently been further reinforced given the current context:
– A new syndicated credit line of €2.5 billion, in addition to the confirmed and undrawn back-up credit lines of €4.0 billion;
– Access to the new Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program (PEPP) launched by the European Central Bank on March 18, 2020.
At the publication of its 2019 results Saint-Gobain set out its outlook for 2020 subject to the impact of the coronavirus. Given the pandemic, the guidance for 2020 is no longer valid and it is not currently possible to evaluate its impact on the Group’s businesses.
The Group will provide an update at the publication of its first-quarter 2020 sales on April 23.
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Personalized product retailer CafePress has been hit with a lawsuit alleging that it failed to notify 23 million customers about a data breach in a timely manner or follow security best practices. The company was allegedly still using outdated SHA-1 to hash passwords, which can be easily cracked.
The FBI is warning banks, businesses and other organizations that cybercriminals are using social engineering and other technical techniques to circumvent multifactor authentication security protections.
The U.S. National Security Agency is the latest intelligence agency to warn that unpatched flaws in three vendors' VPN servers are being actively exploited by nation-state attackers. Security experts say such alerts, which are rare, are a clear sign that serious damage is being caused.
Ransomware attacks are among the largest incidents added to the federal tally of major health data breaches in recent weeks. Attacks on a variety of clinics affected a total of more than 1 million individuals.
Organizations must take a number of critical steps to prepare a response to ransomware attacks before they hit, says Caleb Barlow, the new president and CEO of security consulting firm CynergisTek, who offers a guide.
"Cyberattacks are one of the unfortunate realities of doing business today," reads gaming company Zynga's data breach notification, thus breaking the first rule of crisis management: Own your mistakes. Hacker Gnosticplayers claims the company was still storing passwords using outdated SHA1.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., is demanding answers from TridentUSA Health Services about its data security practices following the recent discovery that it exposed more than 1 million patient files on the internet due to an unsecured server.
Food delivery startup DoorDash says 4.9 million customer, contractor and merchant records were breached after "unusual activity" by a third-party service provider. Even aside from the usual identification data, experts say certain data - such as food allergies - could pose risks in the wrong hands.
Why did U.S. President Donald Trump discuss cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike with the president of Ukraine, saying "the server, they say Ukraine has it"? Experts say Trump appears to be referring to one or more conspiracy theories, none of which have a basis in reality.
Russian national Andrei Tyurin pleaded guilty to perpetrating massive hack attacks against leading U.S. financial services firms and others from 2012 to mid-2015. Victims included JPMorgan Chase, from which he stole details of 83 million customer accounts.
Russian national Andrei Tyurin, who was extradited last year from Eastern Europe to the United States, has stated that he plans to accept a plea deal he's reached with federal prosecutors. Tyurin has been charged with numerous crimes, including hacking JPMorgan Chase and stealing 83 million customer records.
The latest edition of the ISMG Security Report features a discussion of the controversies surrounding the release of whistleblower Edward Snowden's memoir. Also featured: An update on Lumen PDF's breach disclosure; insights on financial services identity management issues.
Ignoring a breach disclosure can have ugly consequences. Case in point: Lumin PDF, a PDF editing tool, which saw data for much of its user base - about 24.3 million - published in an online forum late Monday. Data breach expert Troy Hunt says it's sign of the dysfunction in the breach disclosure process.


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Newport Beach Restaurant Week launched this week with a slight increase to 61 restaurants compared with last year.
Just under 60 restaurants participated in the two-week event last year and recorded revenue of about $4.6 million, which works out to an average of about $75,000 per restaurant.
About 113,000 people participated in the event last year, an increase of 7% over 2014, according to Newport Beach & Co., the destination marketing organization that helps market the event for the city and the Newport Beach Restaurant Association.
All Newport Beach restaurants can participate in the event. Chefs and restaurant owners typically unveil new foods and appeal to new customers by offering fixed-price lunches and dinners. Prices run from $10 for lunch to $50 for dinner during the 14-day event.
This is the 10th annual restaurant week in Newport Beach, which has about 450 restaurants and food service business overall.


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Samsung Delays the Fingerprint Sensor Integrated into the Screen (Again)
Building a truly advanced and reliable fingerprint sensor integrated into the screen appears to be more difficult than it sounds, as neither Apple nor Samsung manage to make it happen and bring it to their devices.
While Apple is now considering ultrasonic fingerprint sensors for a possible iPhone generation coming in the next few years, Samsung is reportedly pushing back the release of the first smartphone with such technology.
Earlier this year, it was rumored that the Galaxy Note 9 due in the summer would be the first Samsung model to feature this fingerprint sensor, but a new report today reveals that this plan has since changed.
The South Korean phone maker now wants to release an in-display fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S10, the a… (read more)
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Togo’s Eateries Inc. announced today it has completed the acquisition of 13 franchised restaurants in the East Bay and San Jose areas of California from company founder Mike Cobler. The acquisition brings Togo’s company-owned restaurants to 19 units in California.
“This recent acquisition is part of our long-term growth strategy and reflects our company’s commitment to operational excellence,” says Tony Gioia, chairman and CEO of Togo’s Holdings LLC. “Togo’s newly acquired restaurants will provide a larger platform for testing new products and operating systems. The locations will also offer additional resources to support training for new franchisees, management, and crew for future grand openings.” The company’s newly appointed senior director of company restaurant operations, Tony Hardin, will oversee the operations for all of Togo’s corporate locations.
Togo’s, which has more than 320 restaurants open and under development throughout the West, has experienced four consecutive years of same-store sales increases. Last year, the company launched a multiunit franchise development incentive program to drive expansion in key growth markets. Both new and existing franchisees who sign a new agreement for three or more locations will receive reduced royalty fees for the first two years for each new restaurant that is developed in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona. Additionally, franchisees will benefit from $10 million for remodels and transfers, as well as $5 million to build new restaurants.
At Togo’s, traditional restaurants experienced average unit sales in excess of $659,000, with 20 percent averaging over $836,000. To become a part of the Togo’s team and be your own boss, candidates should possess liquidity of $150,000 for a single restaurant and a net worth of $300,000. Area developers looking to develop three or more restaurants should have liquidity of $450,000 and net worth of $900,000. Special incentives are available for qualified franchisees interested in opening three or more restaurants.


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Tesco breaks its downward slide - UK
IOL Business - Mar 9th 2016, 16:12
London - Tesco's fortunes are starting to improve, if the latest wave of supermarket sales data is anything to go by.
The UK's biggest supermarket slowed its rate of decline, cutting it in half, in the 12 weeks to 28 February, dropping just 0.8 percent. By comparison, last year sales dropped 1.6 percent, according to Kantar Worldpanel.
Rival supermarket data company Nielsen, which said sales at Tesco fell 0.5 percent, recorded similar results. Analysts suggested that once store closures by the supermarket are factored in that means sales have probably been rising.
David McCarthy, a retail analyst at HSBC, said, “It appears that on an underlying basis, Tesco sales are slightly positive. Once we take account of deflation (and we believe that Tesco has higher deflation than most), volume growth is well into positive territory.”
He added that this is good news for suppliers, which would have seen volumes rise, especially since Tesco has cut down on the number of different lines of each product it stocks.
Sainsbury's remained the only supermarket among the Big Four, which also include Tesco, Asda and Morrisons, to see a sales rise - up 0.5 percent - for the eighth consecutive period in a row, according to Kantar Worldpanel.
This is the longest run of continuous growth by any Big Four supermarket since March 2013; however, the supermarket has been opening more stores than its rivals, which would help increase sales.
Sainsbury's continues to open around one convenience store, under its Local banner, a week, with no signs of slowing down.
Kantar Worldpanel added that total sales across all supermarkets was up 0.5 percent - the fastest growth since October - despite the price war continuing to bite, sending average prices 1.6 percent lower.
Asda's fall from grace continued unabated, as sales plunged 4 percent, according to Kantar Worldpanel.From © Independent On-line 2016. All rights reserved.
Profits fall at Aldi UK but continuing expansion drive
18/09/2019 - 10:35
Aldi’s British and Irish arm saw its profits fall by more than a quarter last year due to price cuts and investment in its infrastructure. However, the discounter reaffirmed its plans to continue its rapid expansion, with London now a key area of focus.
Unilever, Tesco, Nestlé ranked top on meat alternatives
08/08/2019 - 10:39
Unilever, Tesco, and Nestlé are among the best prepared to capitalise on the trend for plant-based meat substitutes, according to a report from an investor group managing $5-trillion in assets.
Tesco to cut 4,500 jobs in Metro restructuring
06/08/2019 - 13:55
British supermarket chain Tesco is cutting about 4,500 jobs from its Metro stores to improve the efficiency of a format that is increasingly used by customers daily rather than for a traditional weekly shop.
Sainsbury's opens UK's first meat-free butchers
24/06/2019 - 15:35
Launched during World Meat Free Week, the pop shop is a traditional style butchers offering customers a range of cuts, joints and sausages derived from plant-based alternatives such as mushroom, jackfruit, and pea protein.
Tesco says no timetable for 'finest' store launch
20/06/2019 - 09:10
Tesco, Britains biggest retailer, said it is considering a trial of an upmarket convenience store under the 'Tesco finest' banner but has not disclosed when or where the pilot will be launched.


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BAR HARBOR — Cameron Swan is happy to make deliveries to the doors of downtown homes or businesses most weekdays. He travels on foot. Aside from tips, his service is free.
The unique program, organized by Cameron’s father, Chris Swan, has a goal of connecting special needs kids and young adults to the community, introducing them to area businesses, and giving them experience toward employment.
Though right now Cameron is the sole participant, Swan said, “I’m hoping to involve more kids in the service.” He plans to bring more participants on in the spring, when the delivery service is expected to pick up.
Cameron Swan graduated from MDI High school last year.
Chris Swan came up with the idea to keep his son involved in the community, and aid in his transition “from school to real world,” he said.
“Cameron was involved in unified basketball at MDI High School,” Chris Swan explained. “This new activity at school was created to involve all kids. I see this delivery service as an extension of that thought process.”
He said it is a tip-generated program that offers work experience to participants. It provides “an opportunity for the kids to show business owners in town how valuable they are. It would be great for some of my future deliverers to be hired by some of the businesses we have been servicing.
“In the meantime, deliveries in Bar Harbor showcase the young folks’ social skills and responsible behaviors,” he continued. “[It’s] a great stepping stone to full-time employment.”
Deliveries are arranged by Chris Swan. “Ideally, people contact the restaurant, order and pay over the phone and contact us for the delivery,” he said. He has used Facebook to connect with patrons and participating businesses.
Supporting businesses to date have included A Slice of Eden, Epi’s, Side Street Café, Subway, the Thirsty Whale, Hannaford, First Express, Paradis Hardware, and Mount Dessert Bakery.
“Part of our mission will be to promote the businesses that have jumped in and supported this idea from day one,” Chris Swan said.
Deliveries are made throughout the downtown area, and as far away as Jackson Laboratory if time allows, he said.
“We have used Cam’s services,” said Lori Krupke, the director of Kids Corner childcare center. “He has a heart of gold! He has run to the grocery store for us and gotten us some staple foods we rely on. He has also done runs to the hardware store, which is wonderful because it saves the teachers time. With Chris’ guidance, it has been [a] great way to get those time-consuming chores done during a busy day.”


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"Fans of Louie’s Pizza don’t just like it—they LOVE it! Word-of-mouth from Louie’s enthusiastic customers is their best advertisement.
Kevin Kazmierczak of Romeo says his family orders takeout from Louie’s about twice a week and he passes a lot of other pizza places to get there. “We’ve had their salads, breads—everything’s good,” said Kazmierczak. “You can’t beat their prices and my boys love it. If I called them right now and asked what they wanted for dinner, they’d say Louie’s!”
"Louie's Pizza is 'Turning Heads' with their Veterans Franchising Program!"
People aren't just raving about their product, they are now excited about the opportunities that the franchise company is providing. "People aren't just looking for hand outs; they are looking for an opportunity to just get ahead" says Marc Alexander Chief Operations Officer for Louie's Pizza. "We now have something tangible that anyone can get involved in."
If you want to learn more about Franchising Opportunities with Louie's Pizza you can reach Marc Alexander at firstname.lastname@example.org. Let them know that you heard it hear at WOWE 98.9 FM to get our 'With Opportunity We Empower' benefit.
To learn more about Louie's Pizza and their vast menu of delicious products, visit them online at www.louiespizzapie.com
Louie's Veteran's Program has generated a lot of attention for veterans looking to begin a fresh new start. The program gives veterans the opportunity to not only save on their cost, but gives them the chance to get up on their feet before they have to pay the required fee. "It's the least that we can do" said Louie, Founder of Louie's Pizza when why the company was doing the big initiative. "You go out there and put your life on the line for others then come back to, for some, more troubles. We want give those who fought for us a fighting chance to now get on their feet."
Louie's Pizza has opportunities for anyone looking to start a franchise to get involved. "One thing that I learned during my years in Flint and as a listener of the station is that With Opportunity We Empower. The one thing that some of else need is just an opportunity in this sea of lost dreams. Had I not had my opportunity early on in my life, who knows where I may have ended up today" says Alexander. "Now it's time to Pay It Forward and help those who may be looking to do more."


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Steve Leuthold and Darius Dale: Profiting from Inflation
Hedgeye senior macro analyst Darius Dale and Leuthold Strategic CEO Steve Leuthold discussed how...
- Posted June 21, 2014
Abundant Signs of a Stock Market Near its Peak
The stock market looks ripe for a fall. Lets take a look at...
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Investors Intelligence Sentiment Indicates Extreme Optimism
Charlie Bilello, Director of Research at Pension Partners, LLC, highlighted that investor sentiment as...
- Posted June 2, 2014
Ralph Acampora Sees a Stealth Bear Market
Long-time market observer Ralph Acampora of Altaira Investment Solutions provided his latest insights to...
- Posted May 16, 2014
Where is Jim Rogers Putting His Money Now?
Speaking on Yahoo's Daily Ticker show, infamous investor Jim Rogers said he was adding...
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Tom DeMark: The Market Should Top…Finally
CNBC's Rick Santelli asked Tom DeMark, CEO of DeMark Analytics, which direction the stock...
- Posted May 6, 2014
Marc Faber Warns of Dangerous Valuations and Crash Ahead
Boom, Doom and Gloom Report publisher Marc Faber was interviewed on CNBC this week...
- Posted May 3, 2014


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The Kingdom series, which has pushed over four million copies over the years, remains a runaway success that put Raw Fury's business model on the map. It's also a sign that centering developers in publishing decisions may be a more successful long-term investment compared to traditional publishers' approaches.
The side-scrolling strategy series Kingdom is one of the most successful indie franchises from the 2010s, and it's set to become Swedish indie publisher Raw Fury's intellectual property. Raw Fury purchased the series from Kingdom co-creator Thomas "noio" van den Berg for an "undisclosed amount," a press release obtained by GameDaily.biz reveals.
The Kingdom series originally began as a free Adobe Flash game released in 2013. That title was quickly followed by a dedicated 2015 release, now called Kingdom: Classic, as well as 2016’s Kingdom: New Lands, and the series’ latest release, 2018’s Kingdom Two Crowns. Since then, all three games have sold over four million copies; the original Kingdom: Classic also made back its production cost within 24 hours, GamesIndustry.biz reports. Kingdom: Classic was Raw Fury's first published game, and working with van den Berg "effectively shaped how we collaborate with the developers we're fortunate to call partners,” the company claims in its press release.
“Kingdom means a lot to us both personally and as a company, it’s one of the cornerstones of our success and a testament to how we do things here,” Raw Fury founder Jonas Antonsson said in the press release. “We usually work with small teams that are highly creative and, at some point, they may want to explore new things. We always want to support this, and we try our utmost to find a good way to both move games and franchises forward while making sure the developers have the freedom to delve into these endeavors. We love seeing them come up with some new magic whether it’s in collaboration with or independent from Raw Fury.”
The deal came about on good terms. After van den Berg chose to "move away from Kingdom in order to pursue new projects," the two reached an agreement. This is because Raw Fury does not own the IP rights to the games that it publishes, nor does it plan to seek out any such business arrangements. The approach empowers its developers by fostering trust between both business parties; in van den Berg’s case, he seemed enthusiastic about the deal, praising Raw Fury and its commitment to his series over the years.
“The first pixels of Kingdom I put on digital paper around 2011, it’s been a long and interesting time working on something so dear to me. But now, I’d like to continue challenging myself and explore different kinds of projects,” van den Berg explained, according to the press release. “And whereas most Kingdoms don't last long, the Kingdom series deserves to go on. For that, it’s great that Raw Fury has been so deeply involved in the game for so long, enabling them to take the series somewhere I never could. Two Crowns is evidence of that, it was thought out almost entirely by Gordon, with great success. I look forward to seeing what is next, and to become a Kingdom player myself.”
With van den Berg's departure, Raw Fury co-founder Gordon Van Dyke will lead the series' future instalments, promising that he will be "protecting the careful crafting and diligence of the series" while paving the way for future work. Raw Fury also plans to bring about "updates, expansions, new platforms, and new games,” Gamasutra reports. To commemorate the deal, Kingdom: New Lands will be available for free via the Epic Games Store from June 6 to June 12.
Raw Fury first came about in 2015, and since its founding, it's always positioned itself as an alternative to traditional publishing routes. Declaring itself an "UnPublisher," Raw Fury is staffed by former developers who hope to "dismantle how publishing traditionally works, in favor of actually being there for the developers," the company wrote in 2015. Its goal is to serve as "a support unit," letting developers lead production while aiding their work as needed.
“We’re all former developers. We used to run studios, design games, produce them and ship them,” Raw Fury explained. “We’ve seen all the shizzle, when it comes to developing games and dealing with all the traditional models. We’ve tried it all on our own skin. Now it’s our time to help fellow developers to achieve their best work and get it out there. Into the hands of people that truly appreciate what they’ve striven to create.”
And Raw Fury certainly put its collective money where its mouth was with Kathy Rain in 2016.
"In this day where closing studios is the established and accepted norm, we want to do our part to combat the norm," the publisher wrote back in 2016, as covered by GameInformer. “We want to challenge how success is measured and point out that money shouldn’t be the only applied metric. In an industry that is smack full of impostor syndrome, depression, anxiety, and other things that are sometimes associated with the emotional work that goes into creativity, it is also important to think about how we measure success and failure. Of course money is important, as an enabler, but sometimes you need help creating something that doesn’t only serve commercial value, but an artistic need. Not acknowledging that is to miss the point of making games.”
Raw Fury’s developer-centric model is an attractive one for independent developers, and for publishers, it fosters the kind of long-term trust that can lead to successful deals between a developer who voluntarily walks away from their IP. Granted, breaking away from the traditional publisher-dominated business model is complicated. It requires an experienced team with strong leadership capabilities, solid communication skills, and a good faith approach to negotiating the business world’s minutiae. But if Kingdom’s success is any indicator, it’s a model that may prove more profitable in the long-term for smaller publishers.
For more stories like this one delivered straight to your inbox, please subscribe to the GameDailyBiz Digest!/* =$comments; */?>


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The 14th Annual Real Nappy Week has been touted as the “most successful to date”.
The success of Real Nappy Week 2010 indicates an increased support for Real Nappies across the globe. A general rise in interest in Real Nappies has been clearly demonstrated by the increase in traffic to websites selling and advising on Real Nappies. Read on…
Go Real, the Real Nappy information service, received over 11,000 visits in the month leading up to Real Nappy Week 2010, which is an increase of 267% on the figures for 2009. As the focal point of Real Nappy promotions, Real Nappy Week has attracted 100% more visitors to the website than in previous weeks.
Jon Rolls, CEO of Go Real said:
“We are delighted by the response to Real Nappy Week and have had reports from many of our members of increased website activity during the week. We are confident that this will result in a surge in Real Nappy sales.”
Many Real Nappy purchases are made online and to reflect this Go Real geared the event to internet users.
“The week was launched on 26th April by the World’s Largest Nappuccino, an event which attracted hundreds of visitors but many more were able to watch live online. For the first time ever there were a series of online events as well as the Nappuccinos, demonstrations, talks and road-shows that a Real Nappy Week traditionally comprises of. Consequently, people were able to get involved with Real Nappy Week from the comfort of their own home.”
It’s not just the UK that has seen more interest in Real Nappies, as more and more people across the world are choosing to Go Real. Real Nappy Week has seen events taking place as far afield as South Africa, New Zealand, Europe and the USA and reports from their representatives indicate that they have been a great success.
Real Nappies are quickly becoming more of a mainstream product, with many household names now stocking Real Nappies or even developing their own products. ASDA, Waitrose, John Lewis, Boots and Lloyds Pharmacy are among the high-street retailers selling Real Nappies, and Mothercare has not only developed its own range of Real Nappies and accessories, but sells over 100 different reusable nappy products through their website.
It’s not just the big businesses that are benefitting from the increased interest in Real Nappies. The market is currently sustaining a raft of businesses run by the new breed of “mumpreneurs” who are running well designed websites which offer a personal touch and are also gaining recognition for their efforts:
Laura Tanner of the aptly named fill-your-pants.com was recently successful in reaching the finals of the Leicestershire Business Awards and said:
“I definitely feel as though Real Nappies are taken more seriously these days, the products that are now available are so well designed that we are happy to be selling high quality items to parents and able to offer them a huge choice.”
There is no doubt that high profile events such as Real Nappy Week really help businesses such as Laura’s boost their sales.
Sarah Holmes of Nappy Know-how.com advised:
“We’re only a very new business, having launched our site at the end of March, but we’ve seen things blossom in the last few days. Traffic through our website has more than doubled, and I’ve had several bookings to do talks at local groups. We launched our promotions for Real Nappy Week at a local Baby fair on Sunday, and various people told me they’d attended especially as they knew it was the start of Real Nappy Week.”
Go Real, the organisers of Real Nappy Week are planning to capitalise on the renewed interest in using Real Nappies and aim to help more parents save money and the environment by going real.
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Lloyd’s Taco Factory to Open Ice Cream Shop Nextdoor
Business is a booming for the owners of
Lloyd's Taco Factory on Hertel Ave, not only did they recently revealed that they would be
opening an additional restaurant in Williamsville, but now they're opening a completely new business.
On Monday the company announced they will open "Churn" an ice cream shop right next to the Taco Factory on Hertel. According to WGRZ they will sell ice cream made from milk from grass fed cows and have lots of unique toppings.
The store is expected to open this spring! Are you excited to try it? Comment below!


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(Correction: An earlier version of this article wrongly described Ant Financial as a subsidiary of Alibaba. It is actually an affiliate of the Chinese e-commerce giant. The error is regretted)
Zomato, an online restaurant discovery and food delivery company with operations in many parts of the world, including Asia, has secured US$200 million from Ant Financial, the payments affiliate of Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba.
The funding includes a US$50 million secondary share sale by Zomato’s key shareholder Info Edge (India) Ltd to Ant Financials. India-based InfoEdge currently holds 45 per cent stake in Zomato.
As per a Live Mint report, the latest investment has put Zomato in the coveted list of tech unicorn list.
Founded in India in 2008, Zomato has grown into a global restaurant search and discovery website and app, providing in-depth information for over 1.4 million restaurants across 22 countries. Zomato’s core content features include restaurant information such as scanned menus and photos, sourced by its massive feet-on-street team across all the cities it is present in (it’s the only way we can shed all the calories we eat!).
Zomato’s social features allow users to rate and review restaurants, as well as create their own personal network of foodies for trusted recommendations.
The company has also expanded to other verticals recently — cashless payments, online ordering, table reservations, white label apps and a point-of-sale system, creating cutting-edge technology to connect restaurant businesses and customers.
Previously, Zomato has raised several rounds of funding, which include a US$20 million from Sequoia Capital in April 2017; US$60 million from Temasesk Holdings and Vy Capital in September 2015; and a US$50 million from Info Edge and Vy Capital in April 2015.


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You can now watch Amazon Prime shows on Apple TVTechCrunch 12/06/2017
Apple has rolled out the release of a native Amazon Prime app for its Apple TV 3rd generation devices, a development the company announced earlier this year would be coming. Amazon has been refusing to sell the Apple streaming hardware on its site. Jeff Bezos contends that the retailer shouldn’t sell streaming devices that can’t provide Amazon Prime content to its customers. And so, given this new development, some see a return of Apple TV to Amazon.com.


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When Iranians reelected the reformist Hassan Rouhani as their president last month, it was a huge relief for Farshid Jamali, the businessman behind the Iranian outposts of Italian fashion brands Versace and Roberto Cavalli.
The uncertainty that overtook the initial euphoria of Iran’s nuclear deal with the West two years ago has hurt fashion’s ambitions in the Islamic Republic, which had been hailed by business as the biggest market to reemerge onto the world stage since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“The situation in Iran has not been going well, the economy is not very well, especially because of the elections – for four months before the election people have been thinking about who will be the president,” Jamali told WWD in an interview from the Iranian capital, Tehran. “And before that, of course, there was the U.S. election. If after [Donald] Trump we had also elected a radical.
“Because [Rouhani] is a liberal president we hope that it will go well now,” he added.
The months of political uncertainty over the direction of Iran’s slowly thawing relationship with the West has hit local businessmen hard, Jamali said, and his own luxury fashion ventures have suffered. Both Cavalli and Versace — opened in February and April 2016, respectively — have been underperforming for some time.
“At the beginning we guessed we could sell at least 300,000 euros [worth of goods, or $$336,000 at current exchange] per month for both, but we didn’t reach this amount. I cannot tell exactly how much, but we are only selling about 150,000 to 200,000 euros [$168,000 to $224,000] per month at the moment,” he said.
How much profit are his ventures making? Jamali laughed: “Profit? It’s just a matter of covering costs at the moment.”
He said he has had to persuade the two big brands to cancel some orders.
“Yes, I am disappointed,” he said. “It’s not a problem because of Versace and Cavalli — both of them are very good brands. The problem is the situation in Iran. When you don’t have the feeling you are safe, you don’t have the feeling to go and buy something.”
When nuclear-related sanctions on Iran were removed in January 2016 after a deal strongly championed by former President Obama, the oil- and gas-rich country became the target of pioneering businesses seeking to gain advantage.
With European sales sluggish, China’s boom slowing and other emerging markets suffering political turmoil, Iran became an enticing alternative prospect, with a young, educated population prepared to make trips to places such as Dubai or Istanbul to get their shopping fix. The country of more than 80 million has been identified as having huge potential for the fashion and beauty sector.
Cavalli’s bling and Versace’s revealing sex-kitten look don’t at first glance look like the ideal fit for the conservative streets of the conservative Islamic Republic. But anybody who thinks that the maker of that green Jennifer Lopez plunge front dress has no place in the country has yet to see the “Rich Kids of Tehran” feed on Instagram, whose scantily clad lovelies drape themselves around swimming pools and post from chic parties. There is also the style blog The Tehran Times, where the cool interpretation of the compulsory hijab could, give or take some leggings or a scarf or two, easily inspire the fashion conscious of New York and London. Behind closed doors, at private parties, the hijab can be abandoned altogether.
After Versace and Cavalli opened, representatives of other labels, both luxury and high street, rushed into Tehran to try and find local partners.
Even LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton boss Bernard Arnault had begun to talk about Iran, and said the luxury group’s cosmetics retailer Sephora would be opening stores there to tap into the large customer base for make-up and beauty products. Italian businesses were particularly bullish, since they had enjoyed strong trade links before the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and a large delegation accompanied then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi when he went on a trip to Tehran early last year.
But the effect of political upheaval was soon felt. First, crackdowns on models and bloggers in Iran spooked Western investors. Then impatience began to set in on both sides as the expected Iranian economic renaissance didn’t immediately materialize. International banks remain wary. Sephora has postponed its plans to enter Iran until at least the end of 2017, a source from the company has told Reuters.
The election of Trump, who had vowed to tear up Obama’s nuclear weapons deal, spooked many.
“My friend has a restaurant and his turnover decreased a lot. That happened about five months ago — exactly one month before Trump became president,” Jamali said. “Everyone thought the deal was going to be off.”
Just before the Iranian elections, the Trump administration renewed a waiver of the most punitive sanctions that had been imposed on Iran before the nuclear deal was struck, showing that, for now, the agreement is still on the table. The return to power of the pragmatic Rouhani, who helped seal the accord, means that hope remains that it will eventually work.
But for Jamali, the way to fashion business success will still be difficult, especially since local barriers to Western luxury fashion remain numerous.
One major problem is the proliferation of illegally imported and fake goods, which filled the market during Iran’s lengthy isolation from the outside world.
“For around 40 years, we didn’t have any luxury brands. All the people for buying luxury goods had to go to other countries and in Iran in the shops they sold fake goods or last season’s goods — for this reason people lost their trust in the new shops. We have to explain that we are real and the price is the same as in Italy and the collections are the same as Italy,” Jamali said.
Over the past year, the two labels have signed around 600 CRM customers, and some Iranian celebrities have taken an interest — they turn up at in-store events and the wife of Oscar-winning film director Asghar Farhadi came in looking for a red carpet dress ahead of the awards season (although Jamali said she did not find one this time). But the bulk of Iran’s middle and upper classes still need some persuading.
“It’s very strange. In other countries you can buy Vogue magazine — and when Vogue writes in the magazine something about the brand you believe it because you believe Vogue,” Jamali said. “In Iran we don’t have a fashion magazine so it is very difficult to promote ourselves.”
Advertising is restricted, too, since Iranian billboards can only feature models who are dressed modestly — not a word usually associated with Cavalli or Versace. This means that growing the customer base is done mostly through word of mouth, although, in accordance with guidelines from the two brands, Jamali has had some success with promotional campaigns involving beautiful cards or invitation-only, in-store events with finger food and drink. He plans to hold another one for around 400 to 500 people in June during Eid al-Fitr, the festival that marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
The other major problem for international brands wanting to open shop in Iran is the lack of suitable retail space. Versace and Cavalli have bagged slots in glamorous historic buildings on Tehran’s upmarket Alef Street, but such opportunities are few and far between. Several U.S.-style malls are being built to supplement the one currently in vogue, Sam Center, but they are still not ready.
This means that Jamali, who was originally planning to expand his empire into other labels, will not be considering further additions for two or three years. He believes that at that time other international labels will be ready to dive in, too.
Iran business analysts have been saying from the start that while the pioneers will make mistakes and encounter many obstacles, they are likely to reap the greatest rewards from Iranian reintegration into world markets by virtue of being first.
Still, Jamali could be forgiven for giving up on his plan to bring luxury goods to Iran — after all, he already has a successful chemicals trading business. But he says he has no regrets.
“If I could go back I would still do this. I think it is a very good business for Iran because we don’t have luxury brands here. Iran is a very big country of 83 million people and there is good potential for buying,” he said. “I don’t think I did wrong. I think the situation has been unfortunate, that’s all.”


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Rapid-growing smartphone brand Realme declared it would inaugurate and manufacture its tablet and laptop manufacturing in India even as it plans to enter the intelligent consumer durable business with smart washing machines and air purifiers.
The Chinese handset producer anticipates smashing into the top three brands with 30 million sales by December 2021. Nevertheless, it warned about the chipset shortage. It announced that it could influence its overall extension as satisfying the demand could become a difficulty.
Madhav Sheth, Vice President, Realme and Chief Executive Officer, Realme India & Europe, reported ET, "We will be manufacturing tablets and laptops locally before the end of this year. We have recently started making wearables in India and will extend local manufacturing to more products".
Oppo, Wingtech Mobiles and DBG technology are Realme's manufacturing partners for smartphones. Simultaneously, Bhagwati and Videotex make smart TVs for the brand. It has now commenced striving with contract manufacturer Khy Electronics to produce Realme wearables.
Earlier this week, the company besieged into the laptop and tablet fragments it resembles developing its non-handset business.
Further, Sheth continued, "We have been doing well in non-handset business. We ventured into the TWS segment with AMC tech and brought down prices. In Smart TVs and TWS, we have more than a 20% market share. In IoT as a segment, we are creating an ecosystem to create bigger business opportunities for ourselves".
Realme is exceptionally concentrating on education as a market with its tablets and laptops and is partnering with ed-tech companies to extend bundled services.
"Our tablets and laptops will target e-learning and even business users. There is a pent up demand in the market due to the pandemic, which we want to fulfil. We are looking to disrupt both segments with specifications and pricing. We don't want customers to compromise on specs due to budget constraints," Sheth added.
The non-handset business gives 10% to Realme India's overall business. "The A-IoT category is small, but we want it to become as big as 30% towards the whole business. The entire ecosystem will become smart over some time. This segment is going to grow for us and the industry."
Sheth announced that Realme would thrust other tech devices into other smart categories like washing machines and water purifiers before Diwali. "All these things will be connected to our handsets via the apps and will be part of our A-IoT ecosystem."
Realme will also produce a new variety of smartphones and will refresh most of its handset portfolio. "We are making sure that we have sufficient supplies of chipsets during Diwali."
Our principal focus was to ensure that chipsets are not a concern for supplies in the first half-year. We have maintained the growth trajectory."
Sheth stated that handset memory components are also witnessing shortages in the market. "But, chipsets are a major concern, and this could have a gap of 20% when we talk about demand vs supply."
Realme developed 140% year-on-year in the April-June quarter in India to capture the fourth position in the Indian smartphone market. As per Counterpoint Research, the company is pretty competitive with its 5G push and became the number one 5G handset brand with 22% in the quarter.
It also became the most active brand to reach 50 million aggregate smartphone shipments in India.
"We have seen triple-digit growth, and we are number two online. We were just a few thousand units away from our top competition. We are aiming to achieve up to 30 million in 2021. We want to be among the top three brands by the end of this year. We should move to the third position, but it depends upon the supply situation because there is a huge demand," Sheth said.
Sheth said Realme aspires further to agitate the 5G handset market with affordable smartphones, launching next year. It already proposes a 5G smartphone at Rs 13,999, the most affordable 5G device in the market.


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Yes, you read correctly! Mecca Maxima will open its first Adelaide store at Westfield Marion this October.
So far, Adelaide only has three Mecca Cosmetica stores – City Cross, Myer Adelaide and at Burnside Village. And after years of traveling interstate to stock up on cult beauty products (often buying duplicates to last between visits) Adelaide beauty junkies have been given their very own Mecca Maxima.
It’s no secret the beauty store is a favourite but what’s the difference we hear you ask? Cosmetica and Maxima stores offer different experiences – Maxima being more a blockbuster beauty experience with all the hottest brands. So now, on-trend brands such as Too Faced, Urban Decay, Smashbox and Frank Body will now be available for Adelaide gals to try in real life. And what’s even more exciting is that the beauty store’s own line, Mecca Max, launches in stores next week as well!
October can’t come quick enough but while we wait, we’ll continue to shop or peruse the online store.
The countdown is on Beauty Junkies … MECCA MAX lands in less than two weeks! 😵🙌🏼Swipe left for a little preview of the 206 products dropping 01.08.17, courtesy of @thebeautycollection @designbyaikonik @antoinettelovesmakeup @xynzmag @elleymae @morgaineh @graceecoleman_ #GenerationMAX #MECCABeautyJunkie


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Porsche pays up to $38.9 million for headquarters site
Porsche Cars North America Inc. paid $38.9 million for the land on which it plans to build its U.S. headquarters at Jacoby Development Inc.’s Aerotropolis Atlanta.
The deal was completed June 21, according to Clayton and Fulton County records.
Porsche acquired 56.2 acres, including 26 acres for its $100 million headquarters project, a showcase for the brand. The entire site is split between Fulton and Clayton counties.
The Porsche headquarters will help anchor Aerotropolis, the nearly 130-acre mixed-used redevelopment of the former Ford Motor Co. assembly plant in Hapeville — a project Jacoby began in 2008.
What takes shape on the remainder of Porsche’s site is unclear.
In a document filed last September between the city of Atlanta and Jacoby Development, Porsche Cars North America indicated there could be no automotive manufacturer, importer or distributor other than Porsche, Volkswagen Group of America Inc., or their subsidiaries and affiliates, within Aerotropolis, according to Databank Inc.
Atlanta Business Chronicle has reported Volkswagen’s possible interest in Aerotropolis.
Jacoby, the developer behind Midtown’s Atlantic Station , sought another landmark redevelopment in the former Ford plant, an economic engine for Hapeville since it opened in 1947. The Hapeville Atlanta Assembly Plant built a variety of historical models including the Ford Fairlane, Fairmont, Falcon, Galaxie, Grananda, LTD, Ranchero, Torino, Thunderbird, Marquis, Sable and Taurus.
Porsche’s acquisition of the large Aerotropolis tract leaves about 17 acres of the project for redevelopment.
Douglas Sams covers Commercial Real Estate
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