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$16 for a cocktail? Nashville drink prices soar
The price of a cocktail is on the rise in Nashville's exploding food scene
Inside the trendy, year-old Henley in Midtown, bartenders expertly craft drinks made with unusual ingredients like foie gras butter, barrel aged pineapple shrub, sprouted coconut and dandelion.
But all those fancy ingredients come with a high price tag.
The drink with the foie gras butter, which is combined with a rum aged seven years in ex-bourbon barrels, will cost you $16.
Just a few years ago, craft cocktails priced that high would have shocked Nashville diners, but $16 drinks have become commonplace in the city’s exploding food scene. Husk, Black Rabbit and Sunda are among the venues with $16 cocktails on their menus.
Across the city, bartenders — aka mixologists — are crafting unique drinks using high-end spirits, local produce, homemade syrups and bitters, and even hand-carved ice. Consumers are shelling out more money as a result.
A search of Nashville menus shows the average for artisan cocktails right now is in the $12 to $14 range.
“I think it’s risky in a lot of ways, but I think things are changing as far as quality of ingredients with a lot of these craft cocktails people are doing and the methods they are using to make them,” said Q-Juan Taylor, a partner at Sinema on 8th Avenue South. “If you’re building these products and trying to make your margins, sometimes you have to take those chances and increase your price.”
Nashville’s artisan cocktail movement trailed that of major metropolitan areas like New York and San Francisco. Strategic Hospitality’s Patterson House opened on Division Street in 2009, almost a decade after the influential, speakeasy-style bar Milk & Honey debuted in New York. Holland House followed in 2010 in East Nashville.
Today, Music City is home to dozens of places showcasing high-end drinks, from exclusive New York-based speakeasy Attaboy to Edgehill favorite Old Glory. Most new restaurants opening in Nashville include a cocktail program.
The craft cocktail trend swept the country over the past decade and has helped fuel record sales in the spirits industry. Supplier sales rose $1 billion last year to a new high of $26.2 billion, according to the Distilled Spirits Council.
The organization does not track data on cocktail prices.
“In general, many cocktails today are being crafted by master mixologists using super premium spirits, fresh ingredients and infusions,” said Frank Coleman, senior vice president of the Distilled Spirits Council. “In many restaurants, the dining experience is built around the cocktail menus, which draw in consumers seeking new, craft recipes and flavors. It’s not your grandfather or grandmother’s Old Fashioned or Gin and Tonic using rail pour spirits.”
Indeed, cocktails are taking center stage at many restaurants and consumers are even enjoying them with dinner, in lieu of wine, said Christopher Weber, co-owner of Hemingway’s Bar & Hideaway, a cocktail bar and restaurant on Houston Street.
Hemingway’s prices many of its drinks at $13, but it also has a separate “Captain’s List” menu with five specialty drinks that cost $15. The bar turns out 500 to 1,000 cocktails on a weekend.
But what actually goes into the cost of those drinks? Probably more than you would think.
The price is a careful calculation of ingredients, tools, labor and the time needed to make the drink. But Weber also has to consider rent, the cost of menus, parking costs, taxes and more.
Weber said he needs to keep the pour cost of his cocktails in the 17 to 20 percent range for it to be profitable. For instance, the bar’s top-selling “Steve McQueen” cocktail costs $2.23 to make and the consumer pays $13. So the drink has a roughly 17 percent pour cost and the remainder can go toward the state’s liquor-by-the-drink tax and expenses associated with operating a restaurant/bar.
Weber said diners in Nashville are willing to pay $13 or even $15 for a well-made craft cocktail. He said about 30 to 40 percent of repeat guests order off the $15 Captain’s List menu.
“It sold astronomically better than I thought. If we have a table of five people, at least one of those is going to get a $15 dollar drink,” he said.
Reach Lizzy Alfs at email@example.com or 615-726-5948 and on Twitter @lizzyalfs.


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WORLD – eMarketer has released a report on key digital trends for 2020.
How will the 2020 election affect brands?
The 2020 election cycle should increase brand concern. Election year means candidates will invest in the media to reach voters, which is likely to cause media prices to rise due to increased demand and cause brands to rethink their strategies.
Will media consolidation continue?
Google, Facebook and the Amazon triopolis continue to dominate, accounting for almost 70% of total digital ad spend in the U.S. 2020. But as the triopolis succeeds, consolidation will happen among other digital publishers, meaning that advertisers will have fewer options to spend in to the media.
How does data privacy law change media budgets?
The Data Privacy Act (GDPR), coupled with search engine breakthroughs, has left a gap in campaign goals and metrics. To mitigate these issues, advertisers will (ironically) invest even more ad budgets on Google, Facebook and Amazon.
How will 5G affect marketers and advertisers?
Although early on for 5G, its development will happen faster than we anticipated and will make big leaps towards the end of 2020. Advertisers (and publishers) must pay attention to the possibilities – new streaming formats, better audio and interactive experiences.
What trends in consumer behavior can we expect?
This report outlines several trends that are likely to influence consumer behavior, such as declining social media user engagement and increasing digital video viewership.
Find the whole report here.

domain: news


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VCN – To strengthen the management and prevention of violations from the operation of depositing goods in bonded warehouse, the Ministry of Finance sent a document requesting the provincial People's Committees of Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai and Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Binh Phuoc, Long An, Tay Ninh and Quang Tri to check the situation and assess goods of high risk.
|Quang Ninh Customs officials supervised goods at bonded warehouse in Mong Cai City. Photo: Q.H|
This would be the basis for the Ministry of Finance to report to the Prime Minister for consideration and giving directives on the management of goods deposited in bonded warehouses.
Specifically, the Ministry of Finance said that, according to Article 85 of Decree No. 08/2015/ND-CP dated January 21, 2015, it was amended and supplemented in Decree 59/2018/ND-CP dated April 20, 2015. In 2018 of the Government, the competence to stipulate the list of imported goods not allowed to be stored in bonded warehouses was decided by the Prime Minister.
Therefore, to have a basis for reporting to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Finance requested provincial People's Committees check and evaluate the activities of goods deposited in bonded warehouses for export via border gates in localities for goods items which are at risk of taking advantage of the bonded warehouse to committ trade frauds, smuggle into inland areas under management area; at the same time presenting the situation, difficulties and advantages in management of goods deposited in bonded warehouses of forces at the border gates in localities under management.
After checking, assessing and identifying goods items in bonded warehouses at risk of taking advantage for trade frauds and smuggling, the provincial People's Committees were requested to give their opinions to the Ministry of Finance for proposing the Prime Minister to promulgate a decision announcing the list of imported goods not allowed to be deposited in bonded warehouses in accordance with the competence.
Earlier, in July 2019, Quang Ninh Customs Department advised the provincial People's Committee, the provincial Steering Committee 389, proposed the Permanent Office of the National Steering Committee 389 and the Ministry of Industry and Trade announce the suspension of business activities of temporary import and re-export, bonded warehouses for cigarettes item in Quang Ninh province.
Also regrading the management of bonded warehouses, over the past time, to ensure the customs management, the leaders of the General Department of Vietnam Customs directed the provincial Customs Departments not only fully implement the regulations, order and customs procedures but also need to strengthen the inspection, supervision and control of goods deposited in bonded warehouses for export to foreign countries via road border gates to ensure the management and supervision of goods.
At the same time, checking and evaluating the operation of bonded warehouses in the area, propose to suspend or terminate the operation of bonded warehouses that did not meet conditions as specified in Decree 68/2016/ND-CP.
By N.Linh/Thanh Thuy


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Question of the Day: Indicate if stock was among the best or worst performing over the past decade: Kraft/Heinz, Netflix, Under Armour, Ulta Beauty.
With a new decade upon us, let's look back at the 2010s to see which stocks were on the best and worst performing lists.
- Kraft/Heinz: Worst (58% price decline)
- Netflix: Best (+3787% price increase)
- Under Armour: Worst (60% price decline)
- Ulta Beauty: Best (+1206% price increase)
- Why do you think that Netflix and Ulta Beauty have done so well as stocks over the past decade?
- Why do you think that Kraft Heinz and Under Armour have performed so poorly?
- What similarities do you see among companies on the best performing list? worst performing list?
- What types of companies do you think will do best over the next decade? Explain.
Behind the numbers (Yahoo):
Netflix: It wasn’t even close. Netflix stock was just $7.87 at the start of 2010; however since then, the stock has surged a whopping 3,787% and closed at $306.16 per share Tuesday...
Ulta Beauty: Ulta debuted on the public market in October 2007, and the stock steadily gained and hit record highs of $368.83 on July 15, 2019. The U.S. prestige beauty industry is booming and reached $18.8 billion in 2018, according to market research firm NPD Group. According to the NPD Group, skincare grew 13% and contributed to 60% of the U.S. prestige beauty industry’s total gains in 2018...
Kraft Heinz: However, it’s been a rocky road for the company ever since, and 2019 was particularly difficult for Kraft Heinz. First-quarter earnings results were delayed due to an SEC investigation into its accounting and procurement practices. In February, Kraft Heinz revealed a massive $15 billion write down of its Kraft and Oscar Mayer brands and slashed its dividend by 36% to 40 cents per share from 62.5 cents per share.
Under Armour: Under Armour was started by founder Kevin Plank in his grandmother’s basement in Washington D.C. in 1996. The company then went public November 18, 2005 and was the first U.S. company in five years to double on its first day of trading. Following its IPO, Under Armour stock skyrocketed and hit all-time highs of $52.94 per share on September 14, 2015. However, after hitting those levels, the stock has been on a steady descent ever since. After aggressive sales growth for a couple years, Under Armour’s streak ended at the end of 2016 when sales growth fell below 20%.
Play an investing game sure to engage your students (and teach them the challenges of picking individual stocks too!). It's called STAX (in the NGPF Arcade) and has been played over 800,000 times in 2019!
About the Author
Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.
To get access to NGPF answer keys, assessments, and teacher-only resources: create a FREE Teacher Account


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Microlending is allowing more and more women to own their own businesses, but some adjustments to the process are still needed.
The idea of springing people from poverty by advancing them small amounts of money has been around for a while, but the modern template for this practice was created in the 1970s. At that time, Grameen Bank from Bangladesh started to encourage poor women who lacked collateral to form small groups in which each borrower was liable for all the others’ debts. Groups met weekly and handed their payments to a loan officer. Astonishingly few groups defaulted.
By transferring tasks normally done by well-paid bankers – such as managing individual debts – to poor people, Grameen had brought banking costs down so much that it could afford to lend tiny amounts to individuals for entrepreneurial purposes. For their innovation and efforts, Grameen Bank and Muhammad Yunus, its founder, were jointly awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2006.
Bangladesh has well over 500 microfinance providers, lending to almost a third of rural households – some of whom borrow from more than one financier at a time. Critics of microfinance argue that borrowing from multiple sources leads to over-indebtedness, trapping people in poverty.
However, a recent study published by World Bank found no evidence that this is the case. Rather, their findings suggested that borrowing, whether from one institution or several, increases personal expenditure, household assets, the labour supply, and children’s education. Moreover, loans benefit Bangladeshi women more than men.
Helping Women Most
In fact, they do as they are designed to. Although microfinance has the ability to empower women, the connection is not always so straightforward or easy to make. Simply handing over money and giving them access to financial assets and resources creates a new set of challenges, thus balancing the experience of empowerment with the experience of extra burdens. These challenges emanate in the economic, political-organizational, ideological, and cultural domains within which microfinance institutions and microcredit lending programs are embedded.
For comparison, a 10% increase in men’s borrowing raises household spending by 0.04% and the male labour supply by 0.18%. Although the figures are modest, they are still significant. However, borrowing by women pushes household spending up by 1.5x, and the female labour supply by nearly 3x as much. This is because even a tiny loan frees women to work who might otherwise be trapped in household chores. Women’s borrowing notably also raises school enrolment rates by 8 percentage points.
However, researchers have turned up stories of debt delinquents who were forced to sell assets such as livestock and cooking pots to make weekly payments. Despite the aforementioned World Bank study, Bangladeshis were soon faced with over-indebtedness and mass loan defaults.
As expected, offering small loans did increase business investment. However, it had a negligible effect on poor people’s fortunes. Borrowers seemed to cut back on employing others via waged work in order to spend more time bent over their own sewing machines or running their own small, not terribly profitable, shops.
Improving the Idea
What tiny entrepreneurs really need is a combination of assistance to better conduct their business with microloans that can be repaid only when their businesses start bringing in more money. But assessing individual borrowers’ unique situations is expensive. Lenders cannot afford to do much of such individual assessment until technology helps bring the cost down.
In addition, in many countries lifting restrictions on interest rates would encourage lenders to create better products. A calibration of expectations between lenders, borrowers, and the government would help, too. Microlending has gone from being the silver bullet for ending poverty, to the awful instrument of over-indebtedness, trapping people in poverty. It may have potential, but it is currently better to think of it as a vital work in progress.
With a few tweaks, microlending could prove to be a powerful tool to empower women in the fashion industry supply chain, especially places like Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, but unfortunately we have to await another day.
To know more:


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If ever a startup embraced the whole make-a-fast-buck, dot-com ethos, it was Surfbuzz.com, an auction site that awarded expensive prizes to its customers.
The only buzzing to be heard now is from the flies swarming over the corpse of Surfbuzz, which said Tuesday that it is going out of business.
In a brief email, Surfbuzz informed its customers that come Wednesday, it "will no longer be operational nor continue to exist." No specific reason was given for closing down ("Due to unforeseen circumstances..."), but it's better than even money that profligacy played a role.
Surfbuzz, started by two ultra-young founders (one a teenager) with money made from day trading, tended toward extravagance from the start. Even they described their business model as "borderline crazy."
And in the end, they were right.
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Eat your fiber: Fiber optics is hot, hot, hot and companies hoping to grow with the industry are often taking the quick route to bulking up, acquiring smaller firms that help broaden their product lines.
Sycamore Networks is the latest to strike, saying Tuesday that it will acquire Sirocco Systems for about $2.9 billion in stock. Sirocco, a startup that only released its first products two months ago, will be folded into the larger optical network equipment manufacturer.
Sirocco makes devices that connect existing telecommunications switches and lines to high-speed optical switches like those made by Sycamore.
The Sycamore-Sirocco deal continues the trend of acquisitions and mergers in this sector. Last week, Lucent Technologies said it would acquire Chromatis Networks in a stock deal valued at around $4.5 billion.
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Telecom's Asian theater: When Lucent wasn't busy acquiring a company, it was forming an alliance with another, in this case Fujitsu, the Japanese computer maker.
The two firms will develop infrastructure for next-generation communications networking in the Asian market in a move aimed at closing some ground against industry leader Cisco Systems.
The infrastructure will allow telecom carriers and ISPs to offer advanced multimedia services, such as e-commerce and voice transmission, over the Web.
Fujitsu and Lucent will initially focus on customers in Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, where both companies already have a strong presence, according to Akio Moridera, Fujitsu's executive vice president.
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Rosy outlook: Microsoft hasn't had much to cheer about lately, but its chief financial officer says that Redmond now sees personal computer sales growing 12 to 15 percent, a brighter forecast than the one given in April.
While the growth of business computers has languished in single-digit percentages, CFO John Connors said that consumer-oriented PCs has been enjoying robust growth, causing Microsoft to revise its projections.
That's good news for beleaguered Microsoft, obviously, since the company sells the operating system used by the vast majority of personal computers sold every year.
Connors said that he expected Microsoft's revenue to grow by a corresponding 12 to 15 percent.
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A grand alliance: Cable & Wireless, the British telecommunications group, said Tuesday that it has added Microsoft to its existing alliance with Compaq Computer to offer e-commerce services to small and medium-sized businesses.
Their effort, the application service provider, will be available to businesses in the United States, Britain, and Australia this year. The services will expand to the rest of Europe and the Asia-Pacific region next year, C&W said in a statement.
According to C&W, the service will eventually be available over wireless networks as well as through devices ranging from desktop PCs to handhelds and mobile phones.
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Feeling bookish: Barnesandnoble.com is taking a 30 percent stake in MightyWords, a unit of Fatbrain.com, which offers digital versions of books and texts for downloading.
The online bookseller is putting $20 million into MightyWords, which Fatbrain is presently turning into an independent, privately held company.
Fatbrain will retain a 23 percent stake in MightyWords.
Reuters contributed to this report.


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After search engines, online advertising or app stores, the cloud. Players in the hosting market and online services for businesses are mobilizing to denounce practices deemed to be anti-competitive. In the line of sight, the three American groups Amazon, Microsoft and Google, which hold 69% of the market in Europe, according to the firm Synergy Research Group. European companies have doubled their turnover in four years… But their market share has fallen from 21% to 16%.
“There is a concurrency problem in the cloudestimates the deputy MoDem Philippe Latombe. Attention has so far focused on consumer markets, but this topic is on the rise. » The French Competition Authority has decided to examine this market: it will launch a public consultation ” before summer ” and will, in early 2023, make a ” notice “, which will serve as a basis for future investigations. In the United States, a parliamentary report has already expressed alarm at “techniques that lock in customers”. And Brussels made public, in mid-March, a complaint for abuse of dominant position filed against Microsoft by OVH, the French leader in hosting. “We are examining it”we confirm to the European Commission.
What are the contested practices? “Microsoft is using the strong position of its Office 365 office software suitesays Michel Paulin, CEO of OVH. If we want to sell it to our customers, Microsoft offers us a more expensive and technically more restrictive license than that granted to players selling its cloud services in parallel. “It’s a form of tied selling”denounces Thomas Fauré, CEO of Whaller, a French publisher of collaborative work software.
“It’s dumping in disguise”
Another use considered unfair, the “free cloud credits” : “These offers have amounts and durations that prevent any competition, and users are ultimately captive. It’s dumping in disguise.”, denounces Stéphanie Yon-Courtin, MEP (Renew). Amazon (33% of the global cloud market, according to Synergy) offers start-ups up to 100,000 dollars (95,566 euros) in credits on its services for one year, plus software. In a report, the company is pleased to have thus distributed “hundreds of millions of euros” in Europe and to be a service provider for 75% of the forty largest French start-ups.
Microsoft (20% market share) has a similar program. Initially less generous, Google (10% of the market) raised its credits in January to $200,000 over two years. Some start-ups would even reach more in the United States, according to the site Business Insider. “We don’t have such deep pockets. There is a distortion of competition”complains Yann Lechelle, who heads Scaleway (subsidiary of Free, founded by Xavier Niel, individual shareholder of the World). This host and software publisher now offers start-ups up to 36,000 euros, but “do not wish” rise to 100,000 euros, a figure on which OVH has aligned itself, at the end of 2020.
“Start-ups are very tempted by cloud creditsexplains Maya Noël, director general of the association of young digital companies France Numérique. But there is a risk of dependency, because it is then difficult to change supplier. » Digital France therefore pleads for “interoperability”, which allows you to switch from one service provider to another. Amazon, Microsoft or Google are also accused of retaining customers thanks to egress fees, these fees charged to transfer data to another host. In mid-2021, the American Cloudflare accused Amazon of taking up to “80 times the actual transfer costs”. Shortly after, the latter raised from 1 to 100 gigabytes the data transferable free of charge.
In the sights of legislators
Under pressure, Amazon defends itself: “Customers continue to use our cloud services for the value, not because of technical or cost constraints. » “We are against technological lock-in”also pleads Google, which says ” to help ” customers to move their data. Microsoft denies “lock” the market, while qualifying: “All the arguments of the complaint [d’OVH] aren’t valid, but some are, and we’ll make changes to accommodate them.”the company said at FinancialTimes.
Large cloud companies know they are in the sights of lawmakers. “Obligations will prevent them from retaining customers improperly, by legal or technical means”, we explain to the European Commission. The future European Digital Markets Act will prohibit them from promoting their own services and will promote interoperability. The Brussels proposal for the Data Act on industrial data plans to limit outgoing transfer costs, then to “disappear”, within three years. Despite this, French players remain mobilized and are also dreaming of a Buy European Tech Act, which would reserve part of public cloud and digital orders for Europeans.
#Les #géants #américains #cloud #accusés #fausser #concurrence


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Local fast food chains have long been embroiled in a silent war involving their advertising campaigns. Earlier this year, Jollibee came out of nowhere and reduced Pinoy hopeless romantics to tears through a series of hugot-filled commercials during Valentine's season. The competition is tough, and coming up with awesome ads online is testing the creativity of numerous brands.
This time around, chicken authority KFC hopes to tickle the nation's funny bone with the "audition video" of its first Filipino Colonel. In the trending clip, Actors Ronaldo Valdez, Leo Martinez, and Pen Medina make their case to portray the father of the iconic recipe, with mixed yet still hilarious results.
We don't know about you, but we feel that Valdez is too perfect for the role, while Medina is a bit overqualified. That said, we're rooting for the man who once gave life to Congressman Manhik Manaog! He'd make a great Filipino version of Colonel Sanders.
Get all the dirt on these super-powered New Yorkers before watching the epic Netflix crossover
The siege is the flash-point of what terrorism research expert professor Rommel Banlaoi says is a problem we shouldn’t have ignored when the Maute group first made their presence felt
We want everything she's wearing
Japanese pro-eater Takeru Kobayashi added more world records to his resume
This particular incident crossed the line #JusticeForKian


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Sony announced its upcoming gaming console PlayStation 4 on February 20. After the launch, Sony received huge pre-orders for the PlayStation 4. However, while avid PlayStation gamers have long been waiting for PlayStation 4 (PS4), lately Sony has officially confirmed that PlayStation 4 will support voice commands and facial recognition via optional Eye camera peripheral.
PS4, coming with voice command and facial recognition system will let users to control the console by speaking. But this will be possible at then when the optional Eye camera is connected. That means, apart from having PS4, gamers will have to buy the Eye camera in order to control the console using their own voice or face.
According to gaming website Polygon, a spokesperson of Sony said: “Sony Computer Entertainment can confirm that PlayStation Camera allows for voice recognition and we will look forward to sharing more details in the lead up to the launch of PlayStation 4 on November 29.”
Few days back, a video of a PS4 presentation at the GameStop Expo in Las Vegas was uploaded to YouTube. That video presented about this voice command function as it showed, “From navigational voice commands to facial recognition, the PlayStation Camera adds incredible innovation to your gaming.” The video shows manager of Sony saying “New stereoscopic lens can track your body movement in games and even recognize your face for easier system navigation.”
However, PlayStation 4 will come with powerful graphics and speed, intelligent personalization, deeply integrated social capabilities and innovative second-screen. You can pre-order PlayStation 4 either from Sony or else from Amazon.
Source: The Independent


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Hamburg, Germany, March 10, 2016 --(PR.com
)-- In 2015, credit cards continued to lead as the major non-cash payment method used by more than half of global online shoppers to pay for purchases made via the Internet, according to the new report by yStats.com. However, alternative payment methods, such as digital wallets and bank transfers follow closely and even beat credit cards in terms of usage by online shoppers in multiple advanced and emerging markets. Furthermore, cash on delivery was still widely used by online shoppers in many countries of Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia last year.
When it comes to the adoption of new online and mobile payment methods, the top two considerations of global consumers are data privacy and security, with value-added services such as ability to monitor spending following in third rank. More than half of consumers surveyed across all global regions revealed that they were worried about their personal information when using mobile payment apps and only a quarter of them were sure that mobile payments were absolutely secure. Even in the most advanced markets, such as the USA, the majority of online shoppers preferred to pay with credit card online, but only one third of them believed that it was the safest way to pay, according to a 2015 survey cited in yStats.com’s report.
Another finding highlighted in the report by yStats.com is that competition in global online and mobile payments remains intense. American Express and Visa each launched an express online checkout service to rival PayPal. At the same time, Apple, Google and Samsung are advancing their mobile payment offerings, while Facebook released a peer-to-peer mobile payment service. As global B2C E-Commerce and mobile shopping markets continue to grow, payment providers, banks and merchants are expected to rival each other and enter partnerships to further provide global shoppers with the most secure and convenient payment methods.
For further information, see: https://www.ystats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/20160225_Global-Online-Payment-Methods_Full-Year-2015.pdf
yStats.com GmbH & Co. KG
Behringstrasse 28a, D-22765 Hamburg
Phone: +49 (0)40 - 39 90 68 50
Fax: +49 (0)40 - 39 90 68 51
Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, yStats.com is one of the world's leading secondary market research companies. We are committed to providing the most up-to-date and objective data on Global B2C E-Commerce and Online Payment markets to sector-leading companies worldwide.
Our multilingual staff researches, gathers, filters and translates information from thousands of reputable sources to synthesize accurate and timely reports in our areas of expertise, covering more than 100 countries and all global regions. Our market reports focus predominantly on online retail and payments, but also cover a broad range of related topics including M-Commerce, Cross-Border E-Commerce, E-Commerce Delivery, Online Gaming and many others. In addition to our wide selection of market reports, we also provide custom market research services.
We are proud to cooperate with companies like Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters. Given our numerous citations in leading media sources and journals worldwide, including Forbes and the Wall Street Journal, we are considered one of the most highly-reputed international secondary market research companies with an expertise in the areas of B2C E-Commerce and Online Payment.


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Ninjacart, India's leading agri-platform, which leverages technology to organise the agriculture ecosystem, has acquired Tecxprt. Tecxprt has extensive experience integrating SaaS-based end-to-end solutions, enabling the creation of powerful networks. With the acquisition of Tecxprt as well as their team under its umbrella, Ninjacart will expand the opportunities for participants to flourish both individually and collectively, thereby contributing towards the enhancement of the agri–ecosystem.
As part of the acquisition, Ninjacart will obtain direct access to Tecxprt's rich technology suite, accelerating digitization within the organization's ecosystem. With Tecxprt's technology-focused solution, agri participants can digitize their operations and communicate more efficiently with their stakeholders. On the other hand, their social network software will facilitate real-time communication across the food supply chain, from farmers, resellers, retailers, consumers to supply chain participants.
In light of the acquisition,Thirukumaran Nagarajan, co-founder and chief executive officer of Ninjacart said, "Ninjacart aims to build the largest agri platform. We are investing significantly and accelerating the technology-driven disruption in the agri commerce space. Our acquisition of Tecxpert is a first step towards the same. Over the last five years, Tecxprt has demonstrated excellence in technology, customer understanding and relentless execution. We are thrilled to have the Tecxprt team onboard this journey and transform the lives of agri value participants together. "
He further added, "With this acquisition, we will further strengthen our position as a one-stop- solution for agri-players, retailers, and small businesses supplying agri commodities across the country. Our focus will remain on nurturing Ninjacart's core value and in building an employee-focused organization by prioritizing employee well-being and giving prime importance to work-life balance."
Commenting on the acquisition, Naveen Murugan, founder and managing director, Tecxprt, said, "We are thrilled to be a part of the Ninjacart family and grateful for the team's confidence in us. Our combined workforce, as well as tech capabilities, will be a formidable force towards achieving our joint ambitions of accelerating the growth and streamlining of India's agri-ecosystem."
Ninjacart, as an agritech giant, has inspired its employees to take a problem-solving approach with a tech-driven mindset, allowing them to thrive in their respective fields and focus on becoming agritech leaders. The company is actively working to increase diversity in tech and product roles by creating a level playing field for aspirants/talent from all over India.


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Directed by Jonny & Will at Blinkink and FINCH, the campaign is narrated by acclaimed Swedish actress Lena Endre
Inspiring Australians to experience the joy and happiness in everyday life at home, IKEA Australia via The Monkeys, has released its new summer retail campaign under the brand platform, 'The Best Day is the Everyday' to stimulate a visit to IKEA during the summer season.
Says Kristin Bengtsson, national marketing manager, IKEA Australia: "This summer we're visiting an Australian home where the 'grandkids' are playfully enjoying a game of hide and seek; celebrating the everyday happiness to be had at home."
It will broadcast across TV and online and will be supported by IKEA owned channels.
Says Barb Humphries, creative director, The Monkeys: "Summer is a time for play, as well as for having afternoon naps. With IKEA, there's plenty of room for both."


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Canada is expanding its free trade relationship. The first of these is the bilateral free trade agreement concluded with Chile in 1996. Essentially, the NAFTA model has been used for Canada-Chile relations. Canada also negotiated a free trade agreement with Israel in 1996 (which the U.S. has had since 1985). However, both agreements have mostly symbolic significance at this stage, as Canada`s trade with each of these countries represents only about 1/7 of 1% of the country`s total trade. None of these other countries are not only members of NAFTA, none have free trade agreements with the United States Canada has also concluded free trade agreements with Costa Rica (2002), the European Free Trade Association (2009), Peru (2009), Colombia (2011), Jordan (2012) and Panama (2013). It remains in negotiations with more than a dozen other countries or free trade groups in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. ==References=====External links===President Donald Trump lashed out at him during his campaign, promising to renegotiate the deal and “tear it apart” if the United States could not get the concessions he wanted. A renegotiated agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada was approved in 2020 to update NAFTA. But why did Trump and many of his supporters see NAFTA as “the worst trade deal ever” while others saw its main flaw in a lack of ambition and the solution in even more regional integration? What was promised? What was delivered? Who were the winners of NAFTA and who were the losers? Read on to learn more about the history of the agreement, as well as the main players in the agreement and its development.
This $1.0 trillion combined in trilateral trade has increased by 258.5% in nominal terms since 1993. The true – that is, adjusted for inflation – the increase was 125.2%. Fact sheets, Vietnamese trade in your city, texts of agreements, exporters` stories There has been progress on a number of topics addressed in the discussions, including telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, digital trade and anti-corruption regulations. But the way the origin of auto content is measured has emerged as a sticking point as the U.S. fears an influx of Chinese auto parts. The negotiations are further complicated by a lawsuit filed by Canada against the United States in December. Almost immediately, a currency crisis hit. Between the fourth quarter of 1994 and the second quarter of 1995, GDP in national currency contracted by 9.5%. Despite President Salinas` prediction that the country would start exporting “goods, not people,” emigration to the United States has accelerated. In addition to the recession, the removal of tariffs on maize has also contributed to the exodus: according to a 2014 report by the left-wing Center for Economic and Political Research (CEPR), employment on family farms fell by 58 percent, from 8.4 million in 1991 to 3.5 million in 2007. As a result of growth in other agricultural sectors, the net loss was 1.9 million jobs.
The leaders of the three countries renegotiated the agreement, now known as the Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada (USMCA) and more informally as NAFTA 2.0. The agreement was signed in November 2018, but still needs to be ratified by all three countries before it can enter into force. Jorge Castañeda, who served as Mexico`s foreign minister under Vicente Fox Quesada`s government, argued in a December 2013 article in Foreign Affairs that NAFTA provided “vital support” to the Party of the Institutional Revolution (PRI), which had been in power continuously since 1929. Fox, a member of the National Action Party, broke the PRI series when he became president in 2000. But while Mexico is “beating us economically” in the mercantile sense, imports were not the only ones responsible for the real growth in commodity trade of 264% from 1993 to 2016. Real exports to Mexico more than tripled over this period, increasing by 213%. However, they outpaced imports with 317%. Subsequently, the United States and Mexico announced their intention to conclude a trade and investment liberalization agreement.
Canada has asked to participate in the negotiations. As a result, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed and entered into force on January 1, 1994, creating a huge free trade area of about 370 million people. It expanded and replaced the Canada-U.S. agreement, which was modelled. A major free trade agreement was signed with South Korea in March 2014 – Canada`s first such agreement with an Asia-Pacific country. Not only is South Korea and its 50 million people an important market for Canadian exporters, but the agreement is expected to give Canada broader access to Asia through South Korean supply chains, particularly for agricultural, seafood and forestry producers. The deal was signed by Ford of Canada Ltd., which said South Korean automakers will have cheaper access to the Canadian market, while in South Korea they will be unfairly protected by the use of non-tariff barriers and currency manipulation. After all, three individual events have had a major impact on the North American economy – none of which can be attributed to NAFTA. The failure of the tech bubble has affected growth. The attacks of 11 September led to a crackdown on border crossings, particularly between the United States and Mexico, but also between the United States and Canada.
In a 2013 article on foreign affairs, Michael Wilson, Canada`s Minister of International Trade from 1991 to 1993, wrote that crossings from the United States on the same day. Canada fell nearly 70% to its lowest level in four decades, from 2000 to 2012. Traditionally, free trade negotiations have focused on the removal of tariffs and quantitative restrictions on trade in goods. But for Canadians who wanted to export to the U.S. or the U.S., tariffs were not the main concern. Even prior to the free trade agreement, 80% of Canadian shipments were imported duty-free and less than 10% of exports were subject to U.S. tariffs of more than 5%. Many of them were clothes, textiles, shoes and some petrochemicals. (Some commodities continued to face tariffs so high that they were not sold to the United States at all.) The balance of U.S. services trade with Canada is positive, importing $28.8 billion in 2015 and exporting $56.1 billion. imported $22.6 billion more goods from Canada than in 2017 – but the services trade surplus exceeds the goods trade deficit.
The U.S. total trade surplus with Canada was $9.1 billion in 2018. Under CETA, 98% of EU tariff lines are duty-free for Canadian products. In 2018, Canada`s extractive industries were the top exporters to CETA member countries. However, Mexico`s experience with NAFTA was not only bad. The country has become a center of automotive manufacturing, with General Motors (GM), Fiat Chrysler (FCAU), Nissan, Volkswagen, Ford Motor (F), Honda (HMC), Toyota (TM) and dozens of others operating in the country – not to mention hundreds of parts manufacturers. These and other industries owe their growth in part to more than four times the real increase in U.S. direct investment (FDI) in Mexico since 1993. On the other hand, foreign direct investment in Mexico from all sources – for which the United States is usually the largest contributor – lags behind other Latin American economies in terms of GDP, according to Castañeda.
Canada is conducting exploratory talks on bilateral or multilateral free trade agreements with the following countries and trading blocs, although formal negotiations have not yet begun: Instead, the number of Mexican immigrants more than doubled, again from 1990 to 2000, when it approached 9.2 million. According to Pew, the river has reversed — at least temporarily. Between 2009 and 2014, 140,000 more Mexicans left the United States than they entered, likely due to the impact of the financial crisis. One of the reasons NAFTA did not cause the expected drop in immigration was the peso crisis from 1994 to 1995, which plunged the Mexican economy into recession. Another is that the reduction in Mexican tariffs on maize has not encouraged Mexican maize producers to grow other, more lucrative crops. This led them to abandon agriculture. A third is that the Mexican government has failed to keep its promises of infrastructure investment, largely limiting the pact`s impact on production in the north of the country. Exports of real goods to Canada increased by 50% from 1993 to 2016, and imports of real goods increased by 41%. It appears that NAFTA has improved the U.S. trade position vis-à-vis Canada. In fact, both countries have had free trade agreements since 1988, but the trend continues — the U.S. trade deficit with Canada was even higher in 1987 than it was in 1993.
The North American Free Trade Agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico entered into force on January 1, 1994, creating the world`s largest free trade region by GDP. In 2014, NAFTA`s combined GDP was estimated at more than $20 trillion with a market of 474 million people.   Building on this success, Canada continues to negotiate free trade agreements with more than 40 countries, most recently with South Korea, which is Canada`s first free trade agreement with a partner in the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2018, Canada has also concluded two other important multilateral trade agreements: the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) with ten other Pacific Rim countries.  On September 21, 2017, CETA was provisionally applied, immediately abolishing 98% of EU tariff lines for Canadian products.  Canada is currently the only G7 country where free trade agreements with all other G7 countries are in force[…].


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WinCo Coming to Bozeman If Unions Don’t Have Their Way
WinCo Foods, a largely employee-owned supermarket chain based is Boise, Idaho, is planning on coming to Bozeman. The new store, which will bring as many as 175 jobs to our community, has recently hit a snag.
Members of a rival grocery union have filed a complaint with the City of Bozeman in an attempt to stop WinCo from opening. They say the new story will bring too much traffic and the new market will be unattractive.
Noah Fleisher, director of corporate communications for WinCo Foods, came on Dominick In The Morning to answer questions about what the new store will mean to the local area.


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National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) has partnered with blockchain payments company Ripple to launch real time, cross-border payments based on blockchain technology.
NBAD said that Ripple’s Distributed Financial Technology fits within the bank’s existing infrastructure and offers transaction immutability.
The bank added that the solution will offer its customers end-to-end visibility of the transaction process and facilitate instant fund transfer to beneficiary accounts in a cost-effective way.
NBAD managing director and head of global transaction banking Vineet Varma said: “We’re always exploring new ways to enhance our customers’ experience.
“With blockchain, we hope that we could address the needs of our customers and drive forward more efficient and flexible service. Embracing technologies like Blockchain is a step in right direction for our customers.”
Several other banks including Santander, Standard Chartered and UniCredit have previously joined forces with Ripple. NBAD is the first bank in the Middle East to use Ripple’s technology.
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Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse said: “Banks and their customers have been hearing about the promise of blockchain technology to enable real-time cross-border payments. Now, some of the most innovative and successful banks like NBAD are making this a reality by offering Ripple-enabled payments to their entire customer base, and in doing so, paving the way to make 2017 the year we see broad commercialization of blockchain take hold globally.”


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When he's not devising some new wrinkle on the e-finance business, Richard Vague likes nothing better than to kick back and listen to jazz. Now, the former leading light at credit card company
has an Internet-banking start-up that, like Vague's favorite artist,
Miles Davis, is provoking a mixture of praise and bewildered distaste.
E-finance companies have recently made investors kind of blue. Witness the melancholic stock price performances of firms like
( EELN) and
Certainly, none of these has come remotely close to having the sort of impact on online consumers as
It's hardly an upbeat backdrop for Vague and his firm,
, which was set up this year and has received a $20 million investment from private equity firm
What I Say
But, pointing to his track record, Vague's fans assume he can do better than the pack with his new Web site, which aims to start offering financial products sometime in the fall. For most of the '90s, he was hailed as one of the most talented executives in financial services. He earned this reputation at the helm of First USA, which for several years wowed the industry with its cutting-edge marketing techniques and zestful profit growth. Bank One bought First USA in 1997, and Vague was given a senior position at the bank.
"I am betting that Dick is going to be a success," says Tom Brown, manager at New York-based
Second Curve Capital
, which invests in stocks of financial-services companies.
In an interview, Vague, who is both chairman and chief executive of Juniper, shared only the bare bones of his strategy. He says the firm will offer two main products itself, credit cards and checking accounts. Juniper doesn't aim to target borrowers with spotty credit histories, like credit card firm
( PVN), and he claims that he won't slash rates to get growth.
As well as cards, the Juniper site will also include a broad range of other financial services, from other types of loans to insurance to mutual funds, but these will be originated by other firms. The 44-year-old also speaks enthusiastically about the Internet making it possible for the first time to give financial advice to middle-income consumers. He didn't share details on this tack, saying he didn't want competitors to get an early insight into his plans.
"They've got a good model," says Jeff Runnfeldt, e-finance analyst at
in San Francisco. He reckons that the strategy of basing the site around frequently used products like credit cards and checking accounts will help to keep bringing customers back to the site. And offering a wide range of other products will give Juniper a lot of opportunities to cross-sell. Brown adds that Vague's marketing skills should enable Juniper to make more of an impact on the public mindset than its online rivals and the big banks that have Web operations.
While Vague has a lot of followers, he also faces significant skepticism. First off, some are struggling to see how Juniper will be different. NextCard already offers credit cards, Net.B@nk is growing account numbers at a reasonable clip,
( SCH) is coming to dominate the middle-market wealth-management business, and E-Loan and LendingTree already offer a spectrum of loan products.
Vague responds that Juniper's customers will come back to the site more often than those of the loan-only sites; once a customer gets a loan, she has little reason to return to a site. But that's not the case with a checking account and credit cards. As for NextCard, Vague not only believes Juniper can acquire more customers than that firm, but it will also do so more cheaply. He cites First USA's reasonably priced, rapid account growth as proof.
Still, perhaps the biggest competition he faces are the established banks, which offer customers increasingly sophisticated online services, says Peter Kuper, e-finance analyst at
in Boston. "How is Vague going to attract people? What is their hook?" he asks, adding: "Maybe they're being vague to create a buzz. But in this environment people want something to chew on."
And questions have to be asked about Vague's role in the big missteps at First USA in 1998 and 1999, when harsh fee practices prompted an exodus of customers that in turn caused a massive drop in profits. Vague says that Bank One executives stepped up profitability targets and his management team resorted to tougher fee practices and reduced marketing dollars to meet them. Bank One didn't comment.
Critics also think Vague may be further tainted by his role in setting up Bank One's
, the Internet-only bank set up a year ago that many hold to be an expensive flop. Vague, however, says the $100 million-plus sums reported for Wingspan's marketing spend are "wildly incorrect." Wingspan's first-year budget for
was $80 million, he says, adding that his team never got a chance to launch their direct-marketing campaign before he left.
Take it away, Dick.


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The S. Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb has made it known that VeChain (VEN) will soon be listed on their exchange.
If you are familiar with Bithumb, you will know that they are a very selective exchange only which rarely brings on new coins. VEN will be the exchange’s 14th cryptocurrency to be listed and just the 2nd new currency to be listed on the exchange this year.
Bithumb is highly selective in their cryptocurrency offerings due to, among other things, security for the investor. Unlike their western counterparts, Asian exchanges are more far more cautious when selecting new cryptocurrencies. A new cryptocurrency will not be listed until detailed analysis has been done by looking at the nature of the cryptocurrency itself. By going this route it creates a good amount of demand but less supply. In turn, this causes investors to purchase available cryptocurrencies at much higher rates than other exchanges.
Whether this means VeChain is certain to be listed on other S. Korean exchanges is uncertain at this time. Nevertheless, historically other exchanges in the region tend to follow when a new cryptocurrency is added.
As of 1PM EST, VeChain (VEN) has jumped nearly 18.01% to $2.69 (US) according to Coinmarketcap.com.


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BGC Partners, an intermediary to the wholesale financial markets, has appointed Vanessa Ko as director, regional head of e-commerce for Asia Pacific.
Ko will spearhead the continued expansion of BGC’s electronic coverage in the region with the roll-out of BGC’s electronic platform, BGC Trader, for multiple new products over the coming year.
Ko joined BGC in 2005 as a product manager for credit and has been responsible for the rapid expansion of electronic brokerage in products including Japanese CDS and Asian CDS indices, Australian corporate bonds and government bonds.
BGC has also promoted Norliza Kamardin as associate director of e-commerce for Asia. Kamardin joined BGC in 2008 from Tullett Prebon as a product manager for e-commerce, covering FX options, CDS and US treasuries. Kamardin will be responsible for the marketing and day-to-day operations of BGC’s electronic products for Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia.
Philip Norton, executive managing director and global head of e-commerce, says: “We’ve seen tremendous demand for electronic brokerage in Asia – in the past year we have more than quadrupled the number of products that are traded fully-electronically in the region. These promotions further strengthen our team as we continue to build new tools and capabilities – such as Volume Match and pre-trade analytics – within our BGC Trader platform to support our customers’ evolving trading requirements.”


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Finnish smartphone start-up Jolla will build a new mobile alliance which will license the MeeGo-based mobile operating system to other device manufacturers and service developers beginning spring 2013, according to Jolla CEO Jussi Hurmola.
According to Hurmola, Jolla is currently building up a new 200 million euro mobile alliance based in Hong Kong, China. In the core of the alliance is the MeeGo based mobile operating system which Jolla calls "Sailfish".
"Our intention is to build a third smart phone ecosystem in China", Jussi Hurmola says to Talouselämä. The other two major ecosystems are Google's Android and Apple's iPhone.
"The next big change in the mobile world will come from China and Jolla wants to be enabling it", Hurmola says.


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How much waste does the average person produce in a year?
Exactly How Much Garbage Do Humans Make Every Year? The average American consumer produces just under five pounds of trash each day, while a family creates about 18 pounds. Multiplying those numbers by 365 days for the year, it all adds up to: 1,642 pounds per person.
What percent of the world’s waste does the US produce?
The U.S. consumes 30 percent of the world’s resources despite making up only 5 percent of the world’s population. It also produces 30 percent of the world’s waste.
Who is the world’s largest producer of garbage?
Worldwide, the biggest producer of waste per capita is Canada. At an estimated 36.1 metric tons per year, this was 10 metric tons more per capita than the United States. Canada produces an estimated 1.33 billion metric tons of waste per year, with 1.12 billion metric tons of this generated by industrial waste.
What country produces the most waste 2020?
Canada. Canada’s estimated total waste generation is the largest in the entire world. It has an estimated annual waste total is 1,325,480,289 metric tons. Given Canada’s population of 36.7 million, that’s an estimated annual waste per capita of 36.1 metric tons.
Which country has the most landfills?
|Search Search in Rank Country Waste Generated Recycling Incineration Landfill Open Dump Unaccounted Waste Final score|
Is Coca Cola the biggest polluter?
For the third year in a row, Coca-Cola is the number one top global polluter with plastic waste among the most famous brands. In 2020, Break Free From Plastic organized 14,734 volunteers in 55 countries for 575 brand audits.
Is Coca Cola the largest polluter?
Over 5,000 brands were cataloged this year, but Coca-Cola quickly emerged as the world’s number one plastic polluter. Its beverage bottles were found most frequently, discarded on beaches, rivers, parks and other litter sites in 51 of the 55 nations surveyed, The Guardian reported.
Is Coca Cola the worst polluter?
In December 2020, following global clean ups and brand audits, Coca-Cola was named the world’s worst plastic polluter for the third year in a row. According to scientists, packaging already accounts for 40 percent of total plastic demand, and the industry would like nothing more than to increase that dependence.
Which company contributes the most to global warming?
Why is Coca Cola the worst polluter?
The reality is, Coca-Cola has a major plastics problem and it’s threatening our personal and planetary health. In December 2020, following global clean ups and brand audits, Coca-Cola was named the world’s worst plastic polluter for the third year in a row. Its plastic addiction is also feeding climate change.
What company causes the most pollution?
The Carbon Majors Database report names the following 10 companies as those which belch most carbon dioxide into the atmosphere:
- China Coal 14.3 %
- Saudi Aramco 4.5 %
- Gazprom OAO 3.9 %
- National Iranian Oil Co 2.3 %
- ExxonMobil Corp 2.0 %
- Coal India 1.9 %
- Petróleos Mexicanos 1.9 %
- Russia Coal 1.9 %
What is the largest contributor to global warming?
Electricity and Heat Production (25% of 2010 global greenhouse gas emissions): The burning of coal, natural gas, and oil for electricity and heat is the largest single source of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Who are the big polluters?
Largest global emitters of carbon dioxide by country 2019. In 2019, China was the biggest emitter of fossil fuel carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. With a share of almost 30 percent of the world’s total CO2 emissions that year, this was roughly twice the amount emitted by the second largest emitter the United States.
Which country has the worst emissions?
China is the world’s largest contributing country to CO2 emissions—a trend that has steadily risen over the years—now producing 10.06 billion metric tons of CO2. The biggest culprit of CO2 emissions for these countries is electricity, notably, burning coal.
What industry is the biggest polluter in the world?
- Transportation (29 percent of 2019 greenhouse gas emissions) – The transportation sector generates the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Electricity production (25 percent of 2019 greenhouse gas emissions) – Electricity production generates the second largest share of greenhouse gas emissions.
What 3 industries pollute the most?
Which Industry Releases The Most Carbon Emissions?
- Energy. No big surprise that the production of energy makes up one of the biggest industrial contributions to carbon emissions.
- Residential, Commercial and Institutional Sectors.
- Forestry and Land Management.
What are the dirtiest industries?
The Top 10 Polluting Industries In The World
|Rank||Industry||DALYs (Disability-Adjusted Life Years)|
|1||Used Lead-Acid Batteries (ULAB)||2,000,000 – 4,800,000|
|2||Mining and Ore Processing||450,000 – 2,600,000|
|3||Lead Smelting||1,000,000 – 2,500,000|
|4||Tanneries||1,200,000 – 2,000,000|
What’s the most polluting?
There are five main types of pollution troubling our planet: air, water, soil, light, and noise. Whilst all of these are undeniably harmful to us, air pollution and water pollution pose the biggest threat….
- Transport. It’s no secret that transport is a key contributor to greenhouse gasses.
- Construction work.
Where does the US rank in pollution?
US ranks 24th in the world on environmental performance | Environment | The Guardian.
What are the top 10 polluting countries?
- United States: 14.95t.
- Canada: 14.91t.
- South Korea: 11.5t.
- Russia: 9.97t.
- Japan: 9.04t.
- Germany: 8.88t.
- China: 6.57t.
- U.K.: 5.65t.


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Time Warner Inc. and Time Warner Cable Inc. posted hefty fourth-quarter losses on more than $24 billion in write-downs, more than half relating to cable assets.
The cable business, in which Time Warner holds an 85% stake, also saw its subscribership decline during the quarter, though revenue rose.
The drop in subscribership may feed concerns that the economic downturn and pullback in consumer spending is weighing more heavily on the cable industry than was previously thought.
Goldman Sachs analyst Ingrid Chung said Time Warner Cable had warned of a significant subscriber slowdown, but said the fourth-quarter weakness was “even worse than lowered expectations.” She said the company may have decided to sacrifice subscriber growth to meet its earnings guidance.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Jeff Bewkes said the separation of Time Warner Cable would occur “soon,” but didn’t give any further timeline. The media giant has been planning for some time to give its stake of the cable business to Time Warner shareholders.
The company disclosed the write-downs last month, with about $15 billion of it reflecting cable-franchise values. Other write-downs reflected the declining values of its AOL and magazine business. The company at the time cut its 2008 view amid the weak ad environment.
Media stocks continue to be battered by worries about declining advertising sales and uncertainty over the transition to digital content. Time Warner shares are down 40% since September and are slightly above multiyear lows.
Time Warner on Tuesday projected 2009 earnings excluding its cable operations, as well as certain costs, of 66 cents a share. Analysts were on average expecting earnings of 99 cents, though a company spokesman said some estimates may still include the cable operations.
The media giant reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $16.03 billion, or $4.47 a share, compared with year-earlier net income of $1.03 billion, or 28 cents a share. The write-downs and other items impacted the bottom line by $4.70 a share. Revenue decreased 2.7% to $12.31 billion.
AOL revenue at America Online fell 23% amid a 18% drop in ad revenue. U.S. dial-up subscribership fell another 26%, putting the figure at 6.9 million. AOL said last month it would lay off about 700 employees, or 10% of its work force, as the sharp decline in ad spending continues to pressure its transition from an Internet-service provider to an advertising business.
Time Warner has also been cutting payroll elsewhere, including 800 jobs in its movie division and more than 500 jobs at Time Inc.
Profits at Time Warner’s television business, which includes Turner Broadcasting and HBO, slid 20% amid 8.7% revenue growth, including 10% from ads. Movie earnings increased 7% despite an 11% drop in revenue. Analysts and investors are closely watching the results of the television networks and movie studio to see to what extent they can carry the load in the dismal economy.
Time Warner Cable, the nation’s second-largest cable operator behind Comcast Corp., swung to a net loss of $8.2 billion, or $8.36 a share, compared with year-earlier net income of $327 million, or 33 cents a share. Excluding its share of the write-down, earnings were 35 cents. Revenue rose 7.7% to $4.4 billion.
Total subscribership fell 1.1% from the third quarter to 14.6 million, while bundled subscribership, or customers who have two or more services, fell 1.2%. Video revenue increased 3.7% on continued growth in digital services and price increases. High-speed Internet revenue grew 11%.
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Jun 15, 2017 01:10 PM EDT
Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus gathered a big accolade from a reputable product review organization. Both devices were named as the top two smartphones today according to Consumer Reports. The testing publication company points out the features that make both devices stood out with other smartphones in the market.
Since last year, both the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus have been the much-anticipated device in the market. Dubbed as "Project Dream" by Samsung, both devices were launched last April at the same time and just as expected was a big hit in the market. This is not surprising as both devices carry the most powerful features that a handset could offer.
Now, both devices are being recognized by a nonprofit organization that provides unbiased product ratings and reviews. According to Consumer Reports, both the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus top the list in the smartphone ratings that they have conducted. The Galaxy S8 Plus placed first followed closely at second by the Galaxy S8.
Consumer Reports made their ranking based on Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus three striking elements: awesome display design, long battery life and its camera feature. The bezel-less design on the sides made both devices stylish and sophisticated gadgets. They also describe both devices as minimalist, modern, and elegant with a design that can allocate bigger screen.
Consumer Reports also points out the long battery life of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus as its advantage, claiming that the S8 could last 23 hours while the S8 Plus hit 26 hours of talk-time test. Furthermore, the superb quality of its camera is producing stunning photos because of the camera's capability to reduce its over-sharpening aspect and helping it rate well.
With Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus occupying the top two spot, it pushes last year's Galaxy S7 Edge to third place according to Android Authority. Placing at the number four spot is the LG G6 handset while rounding out the top five is the iPhone 7 Plus.
The latest Consumer Reports ranking (top three spots are being occupied by Samsung devices) goes to shows the quality of handset that the South Korean tech company have produced the past years. However, Consumer Reports also took notice of the awkward position of the fingerprint scanner for the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus but it appears that it doesn't affect its ranking.
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Morning, Thursday, 29th November 2018
THIS EVENT IS CPD CERTIFIED
This timely seminar will consider the future for how data is used in the digital economy as the UK government and the EU develop major policies on consumer protection and privacy.
The discussion will bring out latest thinking on consumer protection in relation to data, and how businesses can best navigate the fast-evolving regulatory landscape and develop sustainable models for best practice.
The conference is set against the backdrop of the major UK policy focus on ensuring that personal data is used for the benefit of consumers and not to disadvantage them, and the upcoming Smart Data review, announced as part of the Consumer Green Paper.
It also takes place in the context of further major policy developments in the UK and across Europe, as regulators assess the implementation and impact of GDPR, and next steps for its development, and with the EU moving forward with the ePrivacy Regulation.
Delegates at this conference will discuss the optimal way forward for policy and business practice affecting the interactions between the interests of consumers and businesses, and what it means for sectors across the UK economy.
The discussion is expected to bring out latest thinking on innovation in the treatment, handling and utilisation of data - looking at the future for digital marketing, and latest developments in AI, data analytics, and the personalisation of online offers and search engine results.
It also follows the UK Government’s announcement of a new Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation to promote the development of best practice for data usage across industry and the public sector, with planned discussion at this conference reflecting related issues in the areas of data protection and security, privacy, transparency and accountability.


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SALT LAKE CITY, May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PRG), the fintech holding company of Progressive Leasing, a leading provider of in-store and e-commerce lease-to-own solutions, and Vive Financial, which offers omnichannel second-look revolving credit products, announced today that James P. Smith has been appointed to its Board of Directors.
"Jim brings an impressive track record of deep financial services and operational expertise as a leader in leveraging digital platforms and emerging technologies, which will be highly additive to our Board," said Ray Robinson, Chairman of PROG Holdings.
"We're pleased to welcome Jim as a new independent director," said Steve Michaels, PROG Holdings' President and Chief Executive Officer. "Jim is joining our Board at an exciting time in our Company's history and I'm looking forward to working with him as we continue to develop and advance our strategic roadmap and execute on our growth initiatives as an asset-light, technology-driven provider of lease-to-own and buy-now, pay-later solutions."
In connection with Mr. Smith's appointment, the Company's Board of Directors engaged in a thorough and deliberate process that was led by the Board's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Committee engaged executive search firm Spencer Stuart to assist it with conducting a nationwide search for potential director candidates, ensuring each candidate possessed the necessary skills and experiences to match the Company's strategic direction.
About Jim Smith
Jim Smith is a seasoned leader and pioneer in digital, data, and financial services. Over the past 30 years, Jim has been at the forefront of leveraging technology and data in innovative ways and in developing new products. He helped create the first ever internet banking offering in 1995 and led development of many other industry firsts including mobile banking, Apple Pay, and Zelle, a digital payments network started by a consortium of U.S. banks, including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, and now owned by Early Warning Services. Most recently, Jim served on the Wells Fargo Management Committee as the Executive Vice President and Head of Wells Fargo Virtual Channels, where he was responsible for enterprise digital strategy, capabilities, and channels along with enterprise responsibility for retail contact centers (phone, email, chat). Over his career at Wells Fargo, Jim held a variety of executive positions, including as head of Enterprise Data & Analytics and as head of the Enterprise Patent Office.
About PROG Holdings, Inc. PROG Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PRG) is a fintech holding company headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT, that provides transparent and competitive payment options to credit-challenged consumers. The company owns Progressive Leasing, a leading provider of in-store, e-commerce, and app-based point-of-sale lease-to-own solutions, and Vive Financial, an omnichannel provider of second-look revolving credit products. Progressive Leasing has helped millions of consumers acquire furniture, appliances, jewelry, electronics, mattresses, cell phones and other large-ticket products consumers need by utilizing a technology-based proprietary platform that provides instant decisioning results. Vive Financial offers consumers who may not qualify for traditional prime lending products a variety of second-look, revolving credit products originated through federally insured banks, including private label and Vive-branded credit cards. More information on PROG Holdings' companies can be found on their websites, https://progleasing.com and https://vivecard.com.


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Sailboat manufacturer Elan Yachts is making its North American debut at the New England Boat Show, which opened Saturday and runs through Feb. 21 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
The company will be showing its E4 and Impression 45 at Springline Yacht Sales’ display.
Elan said its brand has been known on the North American market for decades because of its downhill snow skis. The company is now launching its sailing yachts in the United States.
Elan said it has been building boats since 1949. Its factory is based in Slovenia.
Elan offers two ranges of sailing yachts — the Elan range of high-performance racer/ cruisers from 21 to 45 feet and the Impression range of deck salon-style cruising yachts from 35 to 50 feet.
Both ranges are designed by Humphreys Yacht Design, which is based in the U.K.


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Clarion Technologies Inc. has gained a third custom injection molding facility by acquiring GTM Plastic Inc.'s assets out of bankruptcy.
GTM based in Garland, Texas, voluntarily filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 on Feb. 15, 2017 under the corporate name of Whicker Asset Management LLC. Clarion bought the assets of GTM under provision 363, Clarion President John Brownlow in a phone interview.
The Garland, Texas, molding facility is Clarion's third production plant. Clarion, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., also runs a plant in Anderson, S.C.
“We mainly bought GTM mainly for its geography,” Brownlow said in an Oct. 4 interview with Plastics News. The GTM location places Clarion in southwestern U.S. markets and also closer to customers in Mexico. Several years ago Clarion ran a factory in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, but the operation lost money and was subsequently closed.
The purchase lifts Clarion's annual sales to about $65 million, Brownlow said. It increases its number of injection molding machines to 31. Overall Clarion offers presses with clamps ranging from 25 to 2,000 tons.
GTM brings clients in HVAC markets, a new area for Clarion. Clarion mainly molds for automotive and appliance industries and also counts medical companies among its customer base.
Molding Business Services of Florence, Mass., advised GTM Plastics on the deal.
Brownlow said Clarion will spend about $2 million to upgrade the Garland operation. More than half the investment will be taken up with purchasing equipment like robots, chillers and cranes. The rest will be used to remodel and reconfigure the Garland facility, Brownlow explained.
GTM was a family business and some members of the family will continue with it under Clarion's ownership. GTM broke lending covenants, which led to its bankruptcy.


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Counterfeit Samsung S6 phones sold on Kijiji
An 18-year-old Edmonton male is charged with fraud after complaints to police about counterfeit Samsung S6 smartphones sold through Kijiji.
Police say the phones were advertised on the classified ad site as brand new, boxed phones.
After paying the seller between $450 and $600 in cash, buyers discovered the phones weren't Samsungs.
An investigation revealed dozens had been sold over a four-week period. The seller bought the counterfeits for $100 from a website in China, and had been selling them since last September, police say.
While the phones work, Const. Tyrone O'Dea said they don't have the full function of a real Samsung S6 and the battery isn't as strong.
The flash on the counterfeit phone doesn't work and the camera has a smaller lens than the genuine device. The serial number on the counterfeits start with "1-2-3-4-5-6" and is very faint.
"It's almost unreadable," said Suki Singh, manager of the Samsung store in West Edmonton Mall.
Some buyers went to Singh's store looking for a case. Staff recognized the phones as fakes.


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via varejo sa (VVAR3:Sao Paulo)
Transactions by VIA VAREJO SA (VVAR3) in the last 6 months
Atento Brasil, S.A. agreed to acquire Casa Bahia Contact Center from Via Varejo S.A. (BOVESPA:VVAR3) in the begining of November 2014. As of November 28, 2014, the transaction was approved by CADE.
Eletrosom S/A acquired eight stores from Via Varejo S.A. (BOVESPA:VVAR3) on October 17, 2014. In a related deal, Novo Mundo acquired a store in Samambaia from Via Varejo. The transaction was approved by the Board of Economic Defense (CADE).
Cybelar Comércio e Indústria Ltda. acquired six stores from Via Varejo S.A. (BOVESPA:VVAR3) on September 23, 2014. The transaction was approved by the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade) on September 23, 2014.
|No competitor information is available for VVAR3.|
|View Industry Companies|


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The Scottish Tourism Alliance, the main voice of the sector, has called for the Scottish Government to allow businesses to reopen "within the coming weeks".
It claims a "stark number" of firms are being turned down for hardship grants and other financial support.
Tourism is said to account for 218,000 jobs - the equivalent of eight per cent of employment across Scotland. More than 15 million overnight stays are normally recorded across the country each year, 12 million of them from UK residents.
STA chief executive Marc Crothall said: "With the easing of lockdown restrictions in England, tourism is starting to revive with reports of bookings for destinations like Cornwall on the increase.
"Scotland’s tourism industry needs a date now for reopening to allow the necessary period of planning for safe reopening and to offer confidence to all who live here and wish to travel here that Scotland’s tourism industry will open for business within the coming weeks.
"There are over 2500 tourism businesses who are still receiving no grant support whatsoever.
"These medium to larger businesses are the lifeblood of Scotland’s tourism industry, major employers – without them, we simply have no tourism industry and these businesses are at risk of collapse.
"A stark number of tourism businesses are being turned down for hardship and other grants. These businesses will not survive more than a few weeks. The furlough scheme was there to protect jobs for the future. If there is no business, there are no jobs.
"Scotland’s tourism industry needs urgent financial support and a package for longer term support – there is a very real risk that many tourism businesses will simply not survive the period between now and reopening.
“This is a sector that delivers £7 billion to Scotland’s GDP and 218,000 jobs across all of our communities, with a significant proportion of those being in our Highland communities.
"We need to see a greater commitment from the Scottish Government to elevating the economy and indeed the tourism sector as a whole.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “We are carefully considering how we plan the restart and long-term recovery of the sector and wider economy.
“The Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group, chaired by VisitScotland, has been in place since the beginning of the crisis and has developed a plan to respond to the impact of the virus on the sector and that work will help inform how we move forward as we slowly and carefully emerge from this crisis.
“Our package of support includes 1.6 per cent rates relief for all non-domestic properties in 2020-21 and 100 per cent relief for properties in retail, hospitality, leisure and airports.”


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We’re already well into the 2012 Electronics Entertainment Expo, and man, there’s been a lot of news so far. Too much news, in fact! Really, the press releases are flying through the internet, clogging up email boxes. Well, let’s take a break from the news rush – as the day is starting to finally die down – and take a closer look at some of the big press conferences we’ve seen so far. What’s really being announced? What sort of strategies are the various companies getting at? Find out after the click.
Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft all made their main plays already. While all three showcased a variety of exclusive and high-demand titles for their respective systems, the meat of their press conferences set them all apart.
Let’s start with Nintendo. I’d say that the real surprise out of the Big N was that, despite the Wii Ubeing slated for release later this year, Nintendo seemed to downplay their hardware in favor of just plain showing off titles. On the one hand, that’s not too surprising since the hardware has already been discussed once in the relatively distant past – we can’t really expect someone to get up there and make a big deal about the touch-screen controller a second time. On the other hand, the third party title showing was a little on the weak side. I’m looking forward to the next Mario and Pikmin as much as anyone, but I think it was to Nintendo’s detriment that titles like Mass Effect 3 and Arkham City were coming off as prominently placed in the third party lineup. Showing off ports of already-released games for a system that’s not due out for months is a strange move, even if it was only part of what was on display.
While Nintendo came off as playing a game of catch-up for a system not even out yet, Microsoft was hitting from multiple angles. Some high-demand titles – Halo 4, the next Splinter Cell, Fable: The Journey and more. Very solid on the software front to say the least. Of course Microsoft also continues to push the Kinect heavily, and this time around there was major emphasis on the voice recognition aspect of the hardware. I don’t have a Kinect yet, and I haven’t felt a major urge to go get one – I always got the impression the focus there was on gimmick, party titles, or kid stuff – but for a piece of hardware that’s big selling point is “recognizing your motions”, it’s the voice aspect which I find interesting. If Microsoft can get to the point where calling out orders and commands in a game is not only reliable in terms of recognition, but superior to controller interactivity, this could easily become a major part of gaming. The fact that this is also being implemented into non-gaming applications on the 360 – media library sorting, mostly – will just serve to get more and more people used to the idea, assuming it’s a smooth experience.
Even more interesting was Microsoft Smartglass. On the surface, it doesn’t seem tremendously groundbreaking – really, the ubiquity of tablet PCs and iPhone/Android devices has resulted in this kind of interactivity slowly emerging practically on its own, entirely outside the console world. Microsoft clearly intends to take a trend that’s already going and push/ride it to the next level, with regards to both games and greater media (Game of Thrones being prominently represented here.) What went largely unspoken, however, is the direct threat this poses to the Wii U experience. Remember that one of the selling points of the Wii U is the included tablet/controller which will display information about the game you’re playing and offer different ways to interact with said game. Well, as near as I can tell, Microsoft’s Smartglass system can in principle do everything the Wii U’s controller can do, and do it with already-existing tablet PCs and phones rather than a piece of proprietary hardware. It’s too early to say whether this is going to seriously compete with the Wii U’s functionality, but Nintendo should be keeping an eye on this and figuring out how they’ll handle it all.
That brings us to Sony. As with Microsoft, Sony came out playing the software and exclusives cards in a big way – the next God of War, Little Big Planet 2, Beyond: Two Souls and more. Great stuff, and lots of hot titles to look forward to. I’m tempted to say that of all the big three, Sony was the one that really pounded away at the “hot new software” aspect of things the most – while Nintendo was emphasizing the availability of titles on the Wii U, and Microsoft spent a lot of time playing up the features (more than the titles) of the Kinect and Smartglass, Sony hammered away at the new titles themselves in a big way. Maybe it’s making up for that time when the whole “PS3 Has No Games” meme was going around the Wii and 360 fan circles. Message received loud and clear, guys: the PS3 is loaded with titles now. Good ones.
The software flood from Sony wasn’t just for the PS3 itself, of course – the Move and Vita were both well-represented, along with an emphasis on cross-functionality between the PS3 and Vita. From what I’ve heard the Vita’s still experiencing some difficulties as far as winning new owners goes – that’s a result of a number of factors, but I’d personally peg the rise of the iOS and Android devices as the #1 problem – so it seems that Sony’s strategy is to play up the interconnectivity between their very popular home console and their wants-to-be-popular handheld, and hope their established userbase can be convinced to further entangle themselves in the tentacles of Sony hardware. It’s a potentially winning strategy, but a risky one: they’d have to add features to their PS3 games that makes owning a Vita an asset at no or minimal additional charge, yet not make PS3 owners who don’t have a Vita feel like they were buying a hobbled game. And just as with Nintendo’s Wii U, it remains to be seen if the sort of functionality being offered with Microsoft’s Smartglass will at all change how gamers look at Vita’s touted cross-functionality.
And that’s where we stand on the Big Three front at E3: Sony and Microsoft coming out with a swarm of titles, Nintendo trying its best to play up the Wii U’s offerings, Microsoft’s Smartglass serving as an intriguing wild card for their two competitors future plans, and a common theme of “handheld cross-connectivity” being played up heavily for all three of the major console developers. We’ll see just which of the three ends up being the big winner as a result of these machinations, or if the iOS and Android platforms turn out to be the biggest winners of all.


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Snover Hired at New Holland
April 3, 2012 – Ken Snover was appointed to the position of manager, marketing communications at New Holland. Snover brings to his new position more than 30 years of industry experience in marketing, communications, trade show and business development segments. He spent 25 years at Ingersoll-Rand as the marketing communications manager for the construction, mining, utility and rental industries. Additionally, Ken was the vice president of Global Exhibitions,Education and Membership at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.


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Britons spent £160 million less on Easter than in 2019 but alcohol sales for the bank holiday weekend surged 29%.
Nielsen data for the weekend ending April 11, shows grocery sales increased 8.9% overall compared to the same week in 2019. Easter sales declined but sales of alcohol grew 29% and mixers were up 60%.
The data also shows that while consumers chose to tone down their Easter celebrations during the Government’s imposed lockdown measures, they still enjoyed spending time in the sunshine. Sales of bulbs and seeds were up 128% and hayfever medication was up 139%, “an indicator that many were enjoying the beautiful weather” according to Nielsen.
This was also reflected in sales of alcohol with the key drivers in the category coming from drinks many might have previously enjoyed in a pub garden, such as cider (up 77%), stout (up 73%) and lager (67%), while mixers grew 60%.
The data also shows that for the week ending April 11, UK shoppers spent £275 million more than in the previous week.
Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at Nielsen, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions have led to an unusual Easter bank holiday weekend, as people across the country are secluded from the family and friends they might usually have celebrated with.
“However, it’s clear that UK consumers were still looking to enjoy the warm weather and bank holiday weekend, resulting in a surge in alcohol sales and impulse purchasing to enjoy in their homes or gardens.
“Looking ahead, we can expect weekly growths to begin to stabilise in a few weeks, though it’s evident that purchasing at supermarkets here in the UK and across Europe will be affected by how soon bars, restaurants and cafes reopen, and the extent to which consumers flock back to them.”


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For years, Amazon has shown off how it’ll use drones to deliver items to customers, and it’s even developed a super-quiet drone for neighborhood deliveries. The company has a new patent that’ll give these flying robots a second use: surveillance.
Amazon received a patent for what it calls “Image creation using geo-fence data” from the US Patent and Trademark Office in early June. The application explains that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, could be used to provide a secondary service of checking on an individual’s property while the robots are out doing deliveries.
As part of this service, customers can receive images or videos from the drones overlooking the property. UAVs would only be allowed to record the property of the individuals who consented and not those of their neighbors.
Like many patents granted to tech companies, there’s no telling if this drone security service will actually see the light of day. So far, Amazon’s plans for drones and autonomous vehicles are for deliveries sometime in the future.
Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.


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Maple Leafs Keep Ticket Prices Flat Hurricanes Change Season-Ticket Options NBA Kings Add Vlade Divac To Front Office Indians Sell Out 23rd Straight Home Opener Braves Borrowed $100M In '14 For New Ballpark Orlando City SC Sells Out MLS Debut Roseman Moves To Business Side Of Eagles' HQ Chiefs' Hunt Wants Super Bowl In K.C. Report: Handful Of Suitors Chasing Nets Red Bulls-NYC FC Rivalry Starts To Bud
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NHL NEWS & NOTES: EDMONTON GROUP SHOULD ANNOUNCE BID TODAY
Published September 17, 1997
An Edmonton group "is expected" to announce sometime today its intentions to buy the NHL Oilers, according to Ric Dolphin of the EDMONTON JOURNAL. The group is led by Cathy Allard Roozen, who is part owner of Vancouver-based WIC TV; and Bruce Saville, a computer entrepreneur. The JOURNAL's Dolphin reports that the two are worth "in excess" of C$300M between them (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 9/17). SALES UPDATE: Senators President & CEO Roy Mlakar said that the team is "approaching" the 9,400 mark for season- ticket sales, 1,300 more than the team sold last year. He said the goal is to have 10,000 season-ticket holders by the start of the season and 12,000 by the start of the '98-99 season (OTTAWA SUN, 9/17)....Canadiens GM Rejean Houle: "We've sold about 15,000 season tickets, which is where we were last season. We're working on our group sales and various packages now" (Montreal GAZETTE, 9/17).


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Corbett calls for selling off Pa.'s liquor stores
HARRISBURG (AP) — Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett says he will work to get the state out of the liquor and wine business if he's elected governor, while Democrat Dan Onorato's campaign said he would strive to make the state stores more appealing.
Corbett, the state attorney general who faces Democratic nominee Dan Onorato in the Nov. 2 election, said his privatization plan would maintain hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and other revenues generated by the state-store system and also provide a sizable nest egg to ease some of the financial pressures facing state government.
"Given the current economic climate in Pennsylvania, state government can no longer be in the liquor store business," he said in a statement Tuesday. "We need to move our state out of the 19th century and refocus state government on its core functions and services."
Onorato, the elected executive of Allegheny County, would retain the state-store system and try to make it more convenient and customer-friendly, said campaign spokesman Brian Herman.
At a time the next governor is likely to face a multibillion-dollar shortfall, "the state stores are making the state money," Herman said.
Pennsylvania is one of only nine states that control the sale of both spirits and wine at the retail level, according to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association in Alexandria, Va.
Corbett wants to liquidate the liquor and wine business now handled by the 620 state stores by selling wholesale and retail licenses to private businesses, said campaign spokesman Kevin Harley.
The proceeds from the license sales — estimated by a leading privatization advocate in the Legislature to be at least $2 billion — would be invested to generate revenue for a specific purpose. One possibility is the transportation trust fund Corbett proposes to help offset a shortfall in funding for highways, bridges and mass transit, Harley said.
The private operators would collect state taxes on the liquor and wine they sell, as the state stores do now. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, the state stores pumped $482 million in taxes and other revenue into the state treasury, said Stacy Kriedeman, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
The state stores employ about 4,000 people, Kriedeman said.
In a written statement responding to Corbett, the board said it is listening to state-stores customers in "unprecedented fashion" and responding with new ideas,such as the wine kiosks now in some supermarkets.
"The issue of privatization is an issue for the next Governor and Legislature to address. Our role is to regulate the sale of wine and spirits based on the current Liquor Code and provide the best customer service we can," the board said.
Privatization has been a priority for Republican governors for decades, including Dick Thornburgh in the late '70s and '80s and Tom Ridge in the 1990s, but it has never garnered majority support in the Legislature.
Harley said the current economy might spur public interest.
"We have not faced this type of economic downturn for a very long time," he said. "Tom Corbett believes that there will be the political will to push it through."
House Minority Whip Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, the sponsor of a pending bill to privatize the state stores, said past research on the issue shows the business is worth at least $2 billion. Consumers might be swayed by the prospect that private ownership would lead to a wider liquor and wine selection and lower prices, Turzai said.
"I feel very positive. I think we can get it done," he said.