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By Doug Studer, Galvanizer, Lifelong Learner, Thoreauvian Naturalist
Deskey and BluEarth CEO
Brands by nature seek to deliver “the good life” to consumers, and today that means more than simply delivering a delightful product. Competitive brands need to speak to consumers’ evolving values and vision of “the good life,” one that now includes greater connections to the planet and people. No matter the category, brands need to make their products inherently more sustainable, step up the visibility of their sustainability programs, and lead the way so it’s simpler for consumers in the mainstream to choose products that help them do the right thing and live well.
This was the key message at Sustainable Brands’ 2019 conference in Detroit. Capping a three-year series called Defining, Designing and Delivering the Good Life, this year’s conference marked a notable shift in messaging from learning how consumers define “the good life” in the age of conscious consumerism to understanding what brands must do to help deliver it.
We learned early on that consumers define the good life as “balanced simplicity” centered on deep connections to people, community, and the environment rather than on material wealth and consumption. What’s more, 80% of consumers are loyal to brands that give them opportunities to “give back,” and they’re looking to brands to create new pathways for giving. Many of this year’s presentations focused on just that — ways brands can be better leaders on this sustainability journey, starting at the top.
Leith Sharp from Harvard offered three steps for leaders to take action and grow a culture of sustainability in their organizations: (1) Learn how to “surf the squiggle.” There is no straight line from A to B, so ride the ups and downs and keep moving. (2) Create the right vibe. Help people feel psychologically safe, and balance accountability with motivation. (3) Find people with a common purpose. Build your tribe.
Author Jonah Sachs advised us to begin practicing “unsafe thinking.” He said don’t avoid challenges and challengers, but embrace them! Fuel creativity by moving toward anxiety, not away from it. That’s where discovery and invention live.
Marc Pritchard of P&G and KoAnn Skrzyniarz, Sustainable Brands founder, announced the Brands for Good initiative. Nearly 20 brands have signed on to help consumers make better choices, to give them simple ways to do the right thing, and to close the gap between the 30% of consumers who actually live their sustainability ethos and the 65% who say they want to but don’t always see the path forward. The speakers went on to report that products marketed as sustainable grew 5.6% faster than conventional products and 3.3% faster than the rest of the market.
And there it is — a reason for brands to care. There is money to be made by doing good. So is this brand activism or really just another flavor of corporate greed? Or is it somewhere in between? The bigger question may be, do we care?
This is not new. Twenty-six years ago in his bestseller The Ecology of Commerce, Paul Hawken told us that “business will need to integrate economic, biologic, and human systems to create a sustainable method of commerce…a new code of conduct for corporate life that integrates social, ethical, and environmental principles.” Ecology has to be woven into the fabric of our economy.
There are brands willing to be on the leading edge of this fight. REI with its Opt Outside program on Black Friday is one example. Danone’s vision of One Planet, One Health is leading the shift away from powerful people making the decisions to people-powered brands with a mission. There are many companies doing well by doing good, and now with brands like P&G, Target, PepsiCo, Nestle, Visa, National Geographic and SC Johnson joining the lead, I have hope.
It may have taken almost 30 years for the ideas to stick, but perhaps now, with more brands joining the fight for good, we can see a world without single-use plastic. Perhaps we will see a world where the only things in the oceans are living and the only thing in landfills is land. It will take commitment and hope, but we see a world where the good life is all of us working together to save the only planet we have.


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Fortis is ready for the SEPA
The main topic of the latest round table talk traditionally organized by the Fortis Bank was the Single European Payment Area (SEPA).
Edit Sziraki, the general manager of the Fortis Bank opened the event, which had two keynote speakers: István Prágay representing the Hungarian National Bank (MNB) and Careme Raoul from the Fortis Bank in Brussels. „When we break down the borders of the economic activities of different nations, it is essential to eliminate the financial barriers, too.
SEPA is such a politically initiated and future oriented project, which aims at improving the welfare of the European people. The European payment traffic is more than the money transfers across the borders, so the establishment of the Single European Payment Area is necessary. The conditions of a welfare society will also be assured by introducing the new money transfer system”. – said István Prágay.
Careme Raoul also emphasised the necessity of the SEPA, which assures the integrated financial conditions for the government, companies and citizens inside and over the borders as well. „Fortis supports the process and offers help in Hungary, too” – he said. Ágnes Mézes, the Cash Manager of the Fortis Bank Hungary added: „ One of the bank's biggest advantages is that it operates a centralized salary processing system.
The Fortis Bank takes a leading role in establishing the SEPA and is committed to take all the necessary steps to build the operations system and technical background needed for the new payment system of the SEPA. Fortis has already successfully tested the SEPA together with the SWIFT and is ready to offer the new SEPA payment instruments for the SEPA countries from January, 2008 and supports the country specific payment methods during the transitional period, too.” New cross-border payments instruments – credit transfers, direct debits and card payments – will be created.
These will be introduced from January 2008 and to begin with will operate alongside existing domestic schemes. By the end of 2010, a critical mass of payments is expected to migrate to the new instruments. The countries so far involved is SEPA are the EU member states, plus Switzerland, Lichtenstein and Norway. SEPA will offer potential benefits to most business. Adopting SEPA credit transfers will make it simple to pay suppliers abroad as it is to by goods services in your own country.
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Update: Facebook woos businesses with redesigned business pages, Timeline
Starting today, companies can update to new Timeline feature on their Brand pages
Computerworld - Just a few months before Facebook launches its initial public offering, the social networking company Wednesday turned its attention to wooing the enterprise.
At its fMC (Facebook Marketing Conference) event in New York City, Facebook executives talked to an audience of business users about the power of social media, the changes Facebook has made to its Brand pages and how marketing is changing in the era of social networking.
"The power of the individual voice is not new," said Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer. "The difference now is that so many people can have a voice that scales ... We believe that marketing will become truly social. Your customers are listening and your customers are talking. Engage them."
Earlier Wednesday, Facebook announced that companies and organizations that have Brand pages on Facebook are not only getting a new look and new features, they'll also be able to update their pages to use Facebook's new Timeline.
The social network touted the news of the redesigned Brand Pages on The Today Show Wednesday morning, and the morning TV show revealing its own "facelift" of its Facebook brand page.
The various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces also have updated their Brand pages to take advantage of the Timeline, as well as other new features.
One of the biggest themes to Facebook's event was telling business users that marketing is on the cusp of making a huge change. No longer is advertising alone going to cut it. In the age of social media, companies need to tell stories, according to Mike Hoefflinger, director of global business marketing at Facebook.
Today, companies need to tell stories about how customers are benefitting from their products and services. And they need to get those stories out to their biggest fans, as well as to potential customers.
"Facebook Pages is mission control for you business on Facebook," said Hoefflinger. "It's the place for your identity, your stories."
He also noted that Facebook is coming out with new features such as Reach Generator, a service for business users geared to getting their company's best stories in front of the most people. The Reach Generator, which is a premium ad distribution system, is designed to get a user's ads in front of 50% of the company's fans' eyes each week, instead of the usual 16%. Using the premium service, a business has the possibility of getting its most important posts in news feeds and on users' logout screens.
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An earlier Hyundai/Xbox campaign scored impressive results.
The Hyundai 2013 Veloster Turbo was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show yesterday - but you can drive it today, at least virtually, thanks to a promotion with the Xbox Live game "Forza Motorsport 4."
Forza Motorsport 4, released in October 2011, is a racing game that lets players customize and race autos from more than 80 manufacturers. Gamers are now able to put the Veloster Turbo, named Car of the Year at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, into play.
But, "It's not just the game, it's the platform," says Ben Gogley, VP of Hyundai media planning for Innocean, Hyundai's in-house agency. "The bigger deal is with the Kinect technology. They now allow users of the game to do a virtual walk-around of cars in a showroom."
The game's Autovista Mode takes advantage of Kinect to let users interact with cars and take the wheel. Kinect is a gestural interface for Xbox that lets users control elements of the game without a physical controller. For example, by moving around the living room, a viewer walks around the virtual auto show room. By reaching out a hand, she opens the door of the virtual car.
Gogley says Xbox helps Hyundai reach its target market for this car: "young, male, very wired in, avoiding traditional advertising." Because Xbox is now the portal to a variety of media, including television and movies, he says, "It's a fantastic place to put messaging against that audience."
Microsoft has been successful in luring other automotive advertising. In December, Toyota promoted its Yaris through an Xbox game tie-in, making an avatar of the car available in the game "Your Dungeon, My Dragon."
This is Hyundai’s fourth and largest campaign on Xbox LIVE. The last one, for the 2011 Genesis Coupe, resulted in more than 52 million impressions and 3.9 million downloads.
For Hyundai's previous program with Forza Motorsport 3, 45 percent of those who downloaded the virtual car went online to find more information about the Hyundai; 30 percent visited the automaker's website; and 25 percent visited a local dealership.
Gogley attributes the high response rates to the lack of clutter in the Autovista part of the game, as well as its high visibility as people enter the game.
Hyundai is making the Veloster Bonus Pack a free download. The promotion includes an in-game time trials event with an actual 2012 Hyundai Veloster as the grand prize.
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September 23, 2014


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The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown life out of gear. Businesses are getting affected and so are consumers. However, in the smartphone industry, phone makers are coming up ways to support their customers in many ways and one of those include warranty extensions on smartphones. We saw various phone makers such as Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus and others do it the recent weeks. Now, Lenovo has decided to join the list along with its sister brand Motorola.
Motorola and Lenovo have announced that they are going to extend warranties on their smartphones for a limited period of time. The extension is happening on those phones that are getting their warranties ended between April 15 and April 30, 2020. Motorola says all the eligible phones will get a warranty extension of 75 days, which means the warranties will be extended up to May 31, 2020.
The warranty extension makes Motorola join the list of the few phone makers that are trying to help the customer in these tough times. Last week, OnePlus came up with a new loaner phone programme in which if a broken OnePlus user needs to repair the device, OnePlus will ship a loaner unit in advance so as to let the customer create backups and transfer the data to the loaner unit for the time being. At the same, OnePlus will get the device picked up.
Motorola is not among the leading names in the smartphone business in India but the company has a unique lineup of smartphones across various price points. Last year, Motorola went all out with its Android One series of phones. Phones like the Motorola One Vision and One Action offered stock Android experiences along with a unique 21:9 display ratio, decent cameras, premium designs and timely software updates.
In the premium smartphone space, Motorola announced the new Razr in India a fortnight ago. The Razr is the company’s first smartphone with a folding display. The Razr is Motorola’s most expensive smartphone at Rs 1,24,999 and it competes with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip in the folding smartphone space. The phone carries the same iconic design as original Razr V3 from 2004.
Had the COVID-19 pandemic not existed, Motorola had been launching more premium phones this year. Rumours suggested that Motorola has planned a new Edge series of flagship phones, flaunting high-end specifications and premium designs.


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Gartner’s CRM conference is always a big event for the industry. The 2008 gathering, which just wrapped, was no different, with attendees leaving the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center in Oxon Hill, Md., in a thoughtful mood over the direction CRM is heading.
Not surprisingly, there was a lot of buzz around social networking, Heidi Cerenzia, director of marketing for Chordiant Software, told CRM Buyer.
“Three great sessions were Gene [Alvarez’] ‘Web 2.0,’ Jim Davies’ ‘The Role of Technology in Improving CE’ and Matt Goldman’s ‘Magic Quadrant criteria’ session,” she said.
In addition to the hot topics of the day, the event touched upon some fundamental issues, Yuval Brisker, CEO of TOA Technologies, told CRM Buyer.
“It was a very comprehensive event, covering all the issues that vendors need to be thinking about right now,” he said, “but the overriding theme at the conference was an emphasis on the customer experience.
RightNow CMO Jason Mittelstaedt, another attendee, seconded that.
“Over the last four or five years, people in this industry have been talking about the customer experience as though it were some kind of fad,” he told CRM Buyer. Gartner’s focus on it throughout the conference signaled that the industry now sees it as “a long-term differentiator.”
Still, it is puzzling that even though CRM investments continue to grow, customer satisfaction scores remain flat, attendee Guy MacNeill, vice president of marketing for Inquisite, told CRM Buyer.
“While 85 percent of companies say they do a good job collecting feedback from their customers, only 10-to-15 percent are actually taking specific action on that data to change the customer experience,” he pointed out. “Why collect all of this information and not act on it? We need better analytics to process and act on data.”
Another interesting view comes from David Sherriff, COO at Microgen, who attended Gartner’s BPM (business process management) Summit, which took place at the same time as the CRM event.
“What was interesting to me was talking with CRM experts about the intersection of CRM and BPM and how technologies are — or aren’t — able to support both,” Sherriff told CRM Buyer.
“CRM is about the stuff that’s ultimately customer-facing,” he noted, “but without the right processes underneath it all, the best CRM strategy can’t work. I think co-locating these events was a great message to send about the need for holistic business process technologies, which impact every customer.”
Gartner 2.0 Recap
Not surprisingly, CRM bloggers offered diverse viewpoints as they summed up the conference about what they thought was most important.
This year, it was actually worthy of the “2.0” designation, remarked Paul Greenberg, a perennial speaker and attendee at this event. (He demoted it to “1.85” in 2006.)
“While I’m writing this, Dan Gilbert, Harvard Prof who specializes in social psychology, is doing a session entitled ‘Stumbling on Happiness,’ based on his book of the same name,” Greenberg wrote in a live blog post during the event. “Imagine that for a minute. An analyst conference with the subject matter of happiness. Lest you think they’ve gone soft in the right brain, don’t. Happiness is something that drives customers now, doesn’t it? When it comes down to it, its ALL based on how happy a customer is with your company (and, potentially you), isn’t it? The metrics that analyst firms throw at you and that you scarf up like chips during a game are just simply what ‘proves’ the case to you one way or the other. … The fact that these were areas of interest at a Gartner CRM Conference is a staggering change. Gartner is really getting it.”
Session by Session
For people who didn’t attend, Jeffrey Henning, chief strategy officer at Vovici, offers a great summary of some notable sessions:
Following are some of his takeaways:
- “Oracle argues that selling is fundamentally social, but that SFA is about reporting more, and selling less, as a result of an operational effort of pleasing management rather than customers. Truly social CRM allows account executives to report less, and sell more, becoming a sales productivity application.”
- Gartner analyst John Radcliff “indicated the following top 10 priorities for organizations to consider this year (based on a survey of Gartner analysts): Web 2.0, Cost/Growth/Innovation, SaaS, Modernization of applications, SOA/SOBA/SODA/EDA/BPP, CE/CRM, Application governance/PPM, Business process discipline, Application architectures, MDM/EIM.
“John had a lot of good content, but if you were playing ‘buzzword bingo,’ you would have your had best chance of winning during his presentation!”
- “Gartner analyst Gareth Herschel made the point that companies should pay special attention to ‘bad news.’ He quoted Despair.com’s service department: ‘We’re not satisfied until you’re not satisfied.’ He said, while it was tongue-in-cheek for Despair.com (a publisher of ‘demotivational’ posters), it was painfully true of many firms, who — too often — make providing negative feedback an arduous process, ‘putting the complaining customer into a penalty box.’ Negative feedback can often lead to the best insights.”
- “Jim Davies began with a compelling point: billions have been invested in CRM systems, yet customer satisfaction has not improved.
“His recommendations for improving customer experience included: Create technology matrices to prioritize which technologies your organization should invest in to improve the customer experience; Look for appropriate opportunities to embrace existing technologies; Focus on improving important attributes. And finally: Build an EFM system and explore more innovative feedback mechanisms.”
The Cons of Social CRM
Some of the discussion around Social CRM got Martin Schneider at SugarCRM thinking about related issues.
“How ethical (or legal) is it to leverage public user networks like facebook for traditional email marketing?
“Sure, we can find out that this contact went to college with someone on my sales team and reach out personally using that as an introduction, but will the time come where LinkedIn or Facebook networks can get imported into CRM systems as target lists for lead management? I’m not so sure it can or will happen like that. And that is probably a good thing,” Schneider concludes.


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In tech, non-FMCG and FMCG categories, Amazon, Asian Paints and Tata Tea have been named the most purposeful brands in India 2021, according to a report by Kantar and BrandZ India.
Amazon is followed by the food delivery platform Zomato, Google-backed YouTube, food delivery platform Swiggy and Walmart-backed Flipkart in the technology category.
In the FMCG category, Tata Tea is followed by Surf Excel, Taj Mahal, Maggi, Parachute, Britannia. Asian Paints is followed by Jio, Samsung, MRF, Tata Housing and Airtel in the non-FMCG category.
Kantar BrandZ database for most Purposeful Brands of India for 2020 -- 21 covers 418 brand cases. In each case, brand perception and brand equity metrics were analysed across 30 categories and the data points were sourced from a total of over 12,000 respondents.
There are five key trends about the patterns that Indian consumers deemed purposeful in the year 2021 -- micro macro, tech brands, FMCG firms, non-FMCG brands, sustainable firms.
Deepender Rana, Executive Managing Director-South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar, says Brand Purpose is an anchor in the midst of constant uncertainty, both as a North Star for brands and as a reassurance to consumers. In India, the purpose of being a contributing factor to brand equity is 10 times more important than in the world. It shows that a larger societal purpose is more important for success for brands in India. He says that vague slogans and one-off 'corporate charity events do not work, and it is not about jumping on the bandwagon of the latest fashionable cause.
Consumer perceptions of good range and responsibility were highly correlated to strong brand purpose scores in this year.
Technology brands have been able to showcase a wide range of technology brands, and have been able to scale up and showcase a wide range of products and services.
It further states that FMCG brands that score high on the brand purpose' have shown that purpose and profit can go hand in hand. Such brands have worked to reduce their environmental impacts and promote social causes - which in turn attracts customers, partners, and talent.
Non-FMCG brands have been focused on marketing strategies that promote the brand in ways that are beyond the function of a product or service, according to the report.
Indian consumers, at par with many Asian counterparts, are actively engaged with sustainability, according to the report. It adds that 77 per cent of people are prepared to invest time and money in companies that try to do good.


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Tesla excluded from US electric vehicle summit. Elon Musk says...
Tesla last month reported its first-ever quarterly profit above $1 billion on record deliveries in its 18-year history
Tesla is still by far the world’s biggest automaker by market value
Tesla, US-based electric vehicle automaker, was left out from the White House event where President Joe Biden unveiled a big push for zero-emission vehicles.
Apart from Tesla, the event excluded Nissan Motor Co., Toyota Motor Co, Honda Motor Co., the first Japanese automaker to promise to phase out petrol-powered cars, and Volkswagen AG, which is spending over $2 billion on electrification R&D as penance for a diesel cheating scandal.
However, the US electric vehicle summit featured big auto giants such as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler's parent company Stellantis.
Tesla last month reported its first-ever quarterly profit above $1 billion on record deliveries in its 18-year history.
Rising sales of Model Y crossovers and Model 3 sedans delivered a fourfold increase in operating income. The company widened its margins from core auto operations to 25.8%, from 22% in the prior quarter and 18.7% a year earlier.
Tesla is still by far the world’s biggest automaker by market value.
Asked whether the snub was related to Tesla's non-union status, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters the invited companies "are the three largest key players of the United Auto Workers. So I'll let you draw your own conclusion."
But she said the Biden administration welcomes the efforts of all manufacturers working on electric vehicles, including Tesla.
"I would not expect this is the last time we talked about clean cars, the move for electric vehicles, and we look forward to having a range of partners in that effort," Psaki said.
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New post-Brexit customs rules explained as consumers warned they could lead to some shortages
A UK business spoke about having no choice but to raise the prices of its goods as trade between the UK and the EU becomes increasingly difficult, ITV News Reporter Martha Fairlie reports on New Year's Day 2022
January 1 sees a new set of stricter post-Brexit customs rules come into place for companies trading with the EU.
Despite the prime minister, who was marking a year since the post-Brexit free trade deal with the European Union came into force, saying that the government would “go further and faster” to take advantage of the “enormous potential that our new freedoms bring” in 2022, consumers were warned to brace for fresh disruption as the new rules come into force.
Here's what it all means and what the impact could be:
What were the previous customs rules for goods coming to Britain from the EU?
Until today, HM Revenues and Customs allowed for a 175-day delay on companies submitting customs declarations. But from January 1, 2022, the ability to delay submissions will end.
Rules on country of origin documents will also get marginally stricter, with declarations needing to be made when goods arrive here. Those rules will be ramped up later in the year.
What does that mean for EU products coming to Britain?
It means all checks and forms must be filled and filed at least four hours before goods can arrive here, or they risk being turned back at the border.
What checks need to take place?
The new rules, negotiated as part of the Brexit agreement and phased in gradually, state that animal and plant-based products must have statements of origin certificates.
However, these do not have to be submitted for extensive checks, as is currently the case for goods arriving in the EU and Northern Ireland from Britain.
From January 1, drivers must declare their goods and point of origin but any checks are expected to be minimal until the summer, when all that changes.
What happens in the summer?
From July 2022, goods will undergo far stricter checks, similar to those already taking place on food being shipped from Britain to the EU.
An electronic document check before the product starts its journey, an identification check on the seal applied to the consignment prior to departure, and a third physical check when it arrives must all take place, with country of origin certificates, including from suppliers, if required.
What products will need to have three checks?
Animal products, including meat, milk, eggs and honey, must include a “Products of Animal Origin” certificate. Similarly, fruits, vegetables and flowers – and anything else plant-based – must also have a certificate of origin.
Checks will be carried out at designated Border Control Posts (BCPs) or Control Points, potentially leading to far longer delays.
Have these checks been happening already?
They have for goods arriving in the EU and Northern Ireland from Britain, which has caused all sorts of problems and delays.
Most noticeably, M&S has complained during the past year that it has led to the retailer hiring an army of vets to check products going between Britain and the island of Ireland, due to Northern Ireland remaining part of the customs union under the Northern Ireland protocol.
Any more checks due to be introduced?
From September 1, 2022, the same certification and physical checks are due to be introduced also on dairy products imported from the EU.
Then on November 1, 2022, certification and physical checks are to be introduced for all remaining regulated products of animal origin, including fish.
Yes. Until now, HMRC has taken a relatively light touch approach to enforcement of incorrect documentation, issuing few penalties. That will change from January 1.
What about the island of Ireland?
Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are exempt from the changes whilst politicians continue negotiating the Northern Ireland protocol. Goods coming to Britain from the island of Ireland will continue under the same rules as before – primarily the 175-day delay will remain. The checks on goods going from Britain to the island will remain as they are.
What impact will this have to consumers?
The British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) has warned that delays could occur, leading to shortages in stores. The trade body is particularly concerned that, whilst UK businesses seem well prepared, EU ones are less so.


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DSM seeks boost from dietary supplements deal
By Sara Webb
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch food and chemicals firm DSM (DSMN.AS: Quote) is buying the world's biggest producer of a fish oil extract believed to boost brain power for about 420 million euros ($534 million), as it targets parts of the food sector resistant to economic swings.
DSM, which has sold off much of its cyclical bulk chemicals business in recent years to turn itself into the world's largest vitamins maker, said on Friday it was buying Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC) in an all-cash deal.
Halifax, Nova Scotia-based ONC produces Omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish oil that are used in dietary supplements and in the food and drink sectors, and are believed to help improve memory performance and relieve depression.
"The body of scientific evidence on the health benefits of Omega-3 is ever-expanding and consumer awareness of these health benefits is very strong in the United Kingdom, the United States, European countries and even in China," said Stephan Tanda, the executive responsible for DSM's nutrition business.
"That gives us high confidence that consumers will increasingly consume Omega-3," Tanda told reporters, adding that he uses the products himself.
Analysts said the deal complemented DSM's acquisition of U.S. foods ingredients maker Martek in February 2011 and would help to boost its nutrition and food business, which DSM expects to achieve annual sales of about 4 billion euros in 2013.
"Martek produces algae-based polyunsaturated fatty acids versus the fish-oil derived products from Nutrition Canada. These products mainly serve different market segments with different pricing levels," said KBC Securities analyst Wim Hoste in a research note.
"DSM has not quantified potential synergies but expects them to be substantial. These synergies should come from an enlarged distribution, marketing, product development perspective as well as some operational efficiency improvements," he added. Continued...


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When friends cooked up the idea of an authentic Italian delicatessen in Cheltenham, Chris and Michela Windsor grabbed a 'pizza' the action.
Now, the couple say business has been non-stop since setting up My Pastalicious in Cheltenham town centre back in May.
What started as a stall at the farmer's market on the Promenade, is now a shop at the old Axiom building on Winchcombe Street, offering a range of Italian sandwiches including tramezzini and focaccia, sauces and oils as well as Italian lemonade.
Michela admits she never anticipated the kind of success she and Chris are enjoying now.
"At first we didn't have the shop in mind." she said.
"We got the idea initially because Chris and I love to see my family and when we go to visit them, we like to go to these nice little places where they prepare their own fresh food.
"We started making it ourselves and every time we made food, we always made too much and so we had leftovers that we gave out to friends.
"Then our friends started saying 'oh you should sell it' and at that time I was still home with the kids, so we thought, why not?
"We started from home, so we advertised on Facebook and social media.
"Then we started at the Farmer's Market and that did really well."
The idea for the deli came about after seeing a gap in the market for authentic Italian food being sold in an independent shop.
Michela explained: "There's a lot of Italian restaurants around, and you can buy Italian food in the supermarket, but we never found a place like this that sold products specifically from the North.
"So we started looking for a place, taking our time and we were making the sauces and everything."
The pair are huge fans of Italian food and regularly bring back a haul of speciality food to enjoy back in Cheltenham.
"When we go to Italy, we always bring an extra suitcase for the food we bring back.
"For example, once, when we were coming back from Italy, we brought back a whole suitcase full of a vegetable called Raddichio, which is so special and you don't find it anywhere else.
"So when we were going through security at the airport, the security were like 'what's that?!'
"I'm sure we weren't the first to do that!"
The products are sourced from across Northern Italy close to where Michela's family lives near the Prosecco region, such as chutneys for cheese, as well as from Southern Italy in Puglia.
According to Michela, the response so far has been "amazing".
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She said: "People come for what they cannot find in the supermarket, or what reminds them of what they ate on holiday, it's also a nice idea for presents.
"It's also organic and natural, and people care a lot about that these days."
The most popular products have been pasta and focaccia, where the toppings change on a daily basis.
Initially starting with focaccia and sandwiches, the deli has now expanded into an café for customers to enjoy the authentic Italian al fresco experience.
"Many Italian people and English people learning Italian come here just for a chat or an espresso."
For Michela and Chris, the future for the café looks bright.
"It has been quite a challenge" she said. "It has been a very busy few months!
"We've got a couple more staff in now which really helps.
"We started with a small team but we've been developing it all together and it's been so special."
Have you tried the deli? Do you think Cheltenham needs more independent businesses like these? Let us know in the comments!


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SLS Consulting is constantly exploring how social media can be used to promote and improve business. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are now essential tools for letting your clients and your potential clients know who you are and why they should be doing business with you.
These platforms are also making plastic surgeons VERY happy.
According to a recent study conducted by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), one in three plastic surgeons say that social media is responsible for an increase in the number of patients seeking cosmetic surgery and other non-surgical procedures, such as Botox injections.
Why is social media becoming a game-changer for plastic surgeons?
It seems as though many people who are taking selfies and posting them do not like what they are seeing and are turning more and more to plastic surgeons to fix perceived image problems. The study found that nose procedures, hair transplants, and eyelid surgeries all saw marked increases in 2013.
“Social platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and the iPhone app Selfie.im, which are solely image based, force patients to hold a microscope up to their own image and often look at it with a more self-critical eye than ever before,” stated Edward Farrior, the president of the AAFPRS. “These images are often the first impressions young people put out there to prospective friends, romantic interests, and employers and our patients want to put their best face forward.”
According to the survey, more people under 30 are turning to non-surgical procedures and surgical remedies to change the image they are sending out to the world. More than half of the surgeons surveyed (58 percent) said that they saw an increase in business among this younger set.
While social media platforms seem to be spurring more people to seek cosmetic procedures, video-chat software is also contributing to the uptick.
A former president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons told Digital Trends, “Skype, FaceTime, and other live talk features on digital devices have led to more consultations and procedures … neurotoxins, fillers, laser procedures, as well as neck and face lifts and eyelid tucks are being requested by these ‘social’ individuals.”
SLS Consulting will continue to champion the use of social media platforms when it comes to touting your business and making it look good. How good you think you personally look and what you may want to do about that is up to you.
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Below is a report from the Orlando Sentinel
October 10, 2013|By Victor Ocasio, Orlando Sentinel It's not every day that one can attend a master class taught by a perfumer so prominent he's known simply as "The Nose.'' "Every day I have to wear a perfume," said Beatrice Schindler of Orlando, a collector of perfumes. "I know a lot of brands, but for a perfumer to explain the process — it's like an artist about to do a painting. "She and about 30 people attended an invitation-only seminar by Parisian Francis Kurkdjian held at the Neiman Marcus at Orlando's Mall at Millenia.In fact, Kurkdjian's process is like that of many artists. A spark of inspiration soon leads to a product that not only smells good, but more importantly, tells a story, he told the champagne-sipping group. After his lecture, the attendees sniffed individual scents from one of his creations. Kurkdjian, 44, who started his perfuming career when he was 20 years old, is one of the biggest names in the industry. Having created dozens of best-selling fragrances, including a commission to re-create the favorite perfume of Marie Antoinette, his work has earned him numerous awards and an exclusive partnership with Neiman Marcus. "I have a nose like everyone here," Kurkdjian said. "There's only one difference: My head is capable of envisioning smells and scents that don't exist." The master perfumer says that the entire process of creating a new scent takes roughly 18 months from conception to sale and distribution. Kurkdjian rejects the idea that fragrance making is a haphazard process of mixing random scents. "I create a perfume because I have an idea," he said. "There is real thinking that goes into it and without a story, there is no perfume." That comes at a price — signature scents made at the perfumer's Paris-based boutique, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, range anywhere from $150 for off the shelf products to $15,000 for custom-made perfumes. That might be out of most people's price range. But in general, as the U.S. economy has healed, the sales of fragrances have perked up. U.S. sales of personal-fragrance products went from about $2.7 billion in 2008 down to $2.4 billion in 2009, according to market-research company the NDP Group. Industry sales bounced back to $2.9 billion in 2012. "During the recession the fragrance industry took a big hit," said Karen Grant, vice president and Global Beauty Industry Analyst for NDP. "Since the recession, the growth has been very strong. This year we're seeing even more designers coming into the marketplace."
Francis Kurkdjian discribing the three cords that build a great perfume.


text: Verizon Inventory Leak Shows Motorola Droid Pro, White Droid 2 and Motorola Tablet Alex Smith 16 August, 2010 2 Comments The Verizon roadmap, which was leaked last Monday, introduced us to the Droid Pro and a Motorola tablet. Today, these leaked inventory images show us that these devices are out there offering more and more information as time goes by. The Motorola Droid Pro is said to feature a GSM/CDMA radio, 4″ display and a 1.3 GHz CPU. This device is being identified in Verizon’s inventory as the MOTA957. This inventory leak shows us another exciting device, the dual GSM/CDMA version of the Motorola Droid 2(MOTA956) which looks to be coming in white. The Motorola Slab (MOTOMZ600) could possibly be running the same dual GSM/CDMA radio as the above devices, and it’s not clear whether this device will be an Android phone with a slab form factor or an actual Android tablet. It’s too early to tell, though BGR is reporting that there are over 170,000 devices on order and will be a World Edition handset running Android 2.2. Source: BGR Does news like this make you appreciate Mondays a little more? http://www.droidmovies.net Droid Movie Man You got to know that these major corporations do deals with each other before products are released. Blockbuster needs a way out of bankruptcy. Blockbuster took to long to get with the new technology, so they are trying to make up for it by making a deal with the newest and best phone which we all know is the Droid. That’s why you can’t get delete blockbuster’s application.


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New Delhi,dec6 : Tata Group firm Voltas has toppled Korean giant LG India to regain the numero uno slot in India’s growing airconditioner (AC) market, according to the global consultancy major Nielsen.
India’s AC market is currently estimated Rs. 7,000 crore. Aided by its gaining foothold in the AC market, Voltas is looking to cash in on the oppurtunity to re-enter the refrigerator market. Voltas grew at 32% CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) over the last five years even as the industry grew at 23% in volume terms, Pradeep Bakshi, chief operating officer, Voltas India. Despite volatile market conditions we expect to hold onto the leadership position.
The Tata Group firm has been playing catch-up for over a decade now. After losing marketshare to Korean giants LG and Samsung prior to 2006, Voltas took on itself to re-energise and scale up its retail presence. In May the company toppled LG Electronics India to regain the number one slot in the AC segment.
In volume terms, LG’s marketshare in multi-brand outlets – a key sales channel that accounts for almost 90% of AC dealerships – stood at 17.7% in May against 18.3% in case of Voltas, the GfK-Nielsen India survey has found. Samsung retained its third slot in room ACs but its marketshare plunged from 14.5% in July 2011 to 10% in May 2012.
We had a weak retail presence with less than 1,000 touchpoints a few years ago, said Bakshi. Today we have grown over 5,000 retail touchpoints. Voltas lost marketshare to Korean giants most because of the weak retail presence.


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Retailer Of The Year Winner 2011-2012
Doing Well by Doing Good
By focusing equally on family, community and pet nutrition, the Connecticut-based retailer shows it has its heart in the right place.
It’s an American institution, that dream of creating an entrepreneurial legacy.
The Pet Pantry Warehouse saga began in 1945 with World War II Army Air Forces servicemen, Mort Davis and Jac Cohen. The pair formed their alliance over a British puppy adopted by Davis while stationed in wartime England. After accomplishing a stateside transfer for the lucky pup, the two remained friends, joining forces in the pet food business. Davis passed away in the late ‘60s, but Cohen soldiered on with their enterprise.
The Pet Pantry Warehouse torch passed to the Jacobson family in 1995 with the purchase of the venerable Greenwich, Conn., establishment. A commercial real estate broker, Barry Jacobson acquired the business, and his two sons, Ari and Adam, still in college, began working in the store during summer break, along with childhood friend Joshua Roth.
|Pet Pantry Warehouse has been named Pet Product News International's 2011/2012 Retailer of the Year.|
Today, the legacy continues to stay the course, with Barry Jacobson, president; Adam Jacobson, executive vice president; Ari Jacobson, vice president; and Joshua Roth, vice president; all of which are at the helm of Pet Product News International’s 2011-2012 Retailer of the Year.
In 1971, the original warehouse site in Greenwich, Conn., relocated to the current 12,000-square-foot facility. Additional locations opened in Rye, N.Y., in 2006 and Larchmont, N.Y., in 2011. A fourth, 6,000-square-foot location in New Canaan, Conn., is slated to open in late 2011.
“The growth has been a recent endeavor,” Roth said. “It’s been our goal, but we wanted to have a good foundation before we started expanding.”
When the Jacobsons took over operations, the majority of the Greenwich facility was devoted to warehouse space, primarily delivering to wholesale customers, with 1,000 square feet allocated for retail sales. The original retail space is now devoted to fresh and saltwater fish and supplies to satisfy those with aquatic interests.
|From left to right: Pet Pantry Warehouse principles Joshua Roth, Adam Jacobson, Ari Jacobson and Emery Kriegsman.|
Due to its emphasis on pet nutrition, and the recent shift in the pet industry to a more heightened consumer interest in pet health, has allowed the business to focus on presenting a large and diverse selection of holistic and organic foods, including frozen raw.
“This company was always a distributor for Bil-Jac and Abady, so we had a walk-in freezer when we purchased the store,” Ari said. “When that market started growing in that niche, we took advantage of the ability to facilitate the frozen food.”
Ari noted that beyond an interest in promoting pet nutrition, offering higher quality pet foods further differentiates the Pet Pantry Warehouse brand from the big box stores, allowing it to retain a mom-and-pop identity.
“We are trying to be different by offering exceptional customer service and better pet nutrition,” Ari said. “We try to have a really broad spectrum of high-quality product.”
Besides pet foods, all Pet Pantry Warehouse locations carry a wide selection of pet supplies, including collars, leashes and bedding, as well as aquatic supplies.
In addition to these products, the Greenwich location features reptiles, small birds, small animals and supplies for those pets, including cages and food. The New Canaan store will present a similar selection.
“It’s definitely a full line,” Adam said.
With pet nutrition a significant aspect of the Pet Pantry Warehouse philosophy, education for employees and customers alike is of equal importance. Employee training is extensive and ongoing. New employees study a curriculum consisting of models in customer service, nutrition and merchandising. Small group lectures and testing are included in the course of study. Further product understanding is enhanced by manufacturers that are invited to present product seminars.
|Pet health and nutrition considerations play a central role in product selections.|
“It’s really important to us that if one of our staff doesn’t have the answer, they will find it,” Roth noted. “Our comprehensive employee training program sets us apart.”
With 40 employees, Roth added that enthusiasm for learning is an important attribute in a new hire. Due to the emphasis on education, past experience is not as important as an eagerness to learn.
Along those lines, promotions that successfully combine education and marketing are a crucial consideration. The store’s Counter Promotion was developed to merchandise seasonal and health-related items, which are featured at the registers. Sales associates are provided training and information regarding the monthly highlighted product. Manufacturers are receptive to these promotions as well, as they provide exposure and branding opportunities.
“Since we tend to go through 400 to 500 items during the month, we obviously have a preemptive conversation beforehand to make sure they are going to have enough product,” Roth said.
For example, during flea season, natural repellent sprays took a spin at the counter. Because of the storewide emphasis on natural products, the objective was to demonstrate all-natural options to combat the flea dilemma.
“It was a win-win for everybody and a very successful counter promotion,” Roth added.
AT A GLANCE
Locations: Greenwich, Conn., 12,000 sq. ft.; Rye, N.Y., 4,000 sq. ft.; Larchmont, N.Y., 2,000 sq. ft.
Owners: Owned and operated by the Jacobson family
Employees: 20 full time, 20 part time
Years in Business: 66
Products and Services Offered: A full line of holistic, organic pet foods, including frozen raw; collars, leashes, bedding and toys; small animals, reptiles, small birds and supplies; fresh and saltwater fish (Greenwich only); aquariums and supplies; adoption days, lecture series.
Looking to the future, the humanization of pets translates to consumers continuing to seek more knowledge when it comes to health and nutrition for their pets, according to Roth. With this in mind, a monthly lecture series for customers began in early 2011, with presentations provided by pet professionals.
Called the PPW Lecture Series, the first presentation introduced a prominent local veterinarian and owner of a clinic promoting high-tech, holistic treatments to discuss integrative veterinary care. The following month featured an acupuncture presentation by another veterinarian from the same clinic.
“One of the topics coming up this fall is a discussion regarding vaccine programs,” Roth said.
Informing customers about new products, counter promotions and lecture series topics is easily accomplished through the Pet Pantry Warehouse Pet One Rewards program. This two-tiered membership program allows participants to take advantage of promotional sales on hundreds of items throughout the stores.
Beyond sales rewards, customers in the program’s database also receive emails and a monthly newsletter highlighting promotional items and upcoming events.
“We started to develop this program about five years ago,” Roth said.
The most valuable aspect of the loyalty rewards program, according to Roth, is the ability to capture customer data and learn from it. In turn, customers with specific interests receive promotional and product information related to that need or preference.
“We even send out personalized letters and attach a promotional device to it,” he added.
With the store credo “We can do well by doing good,” community service is a major ingredient of the Pet Pantry Warehouse philosophy.
“We really are making community service about how we are doing business and the type of brand we want to establish,” Adam said. “We want to be more than just another pet store in the local community.”
For the past 10 years, Pet Pantry Warehouse has worked closely with Adopt-A-Dog, a local animal shelter located in Greenwich, and four years ago began producing the Howl and Prowl Halloween Parade fundraiser to benefit the shelter. The event has grown each year, with approximately 500 people and pets parading up and down Greenwich Avenue at last year’s event.
Initially held at the store, the event quickly outgrew that venue and moved to the main strip. The pageant culminates with a costume contest. With all proceeds going to Adopt-A-Dog, last year’s event raised $4,000.
“It’s been great because local retailers participate by providing trick-or-treat stations to pass out special dog treats that we drop off in a bin,” Roth said. “It may be a bone, biscuits or a toy, the manufacturers have been great in providing treats.”
“People love pets, they love dressing them up and they love giving back to the community, and Adopt-A-Dog is a great organization,” he added.
In addition, in-store adoption days are held several times per month in cooperation with a variety of different rescues.
The Good Dog Foundation, a nonprofit pet therapy group, holds regular canine temperament evaluations at all Pet Pantry Warehouse locations. Dogs with suitable dispositions receive training and certification as pet therapy dogs. The Rye location recently held a dog wash to benefit this foundation.
“It was modeled after a high school-type of car wash,” Roth said.
|In addition to pet foods, all Pet Pantry Warehouse locations carry a wide selection of pet supplies, including collars, leashes and bedding.|
“Catering to family and especially children is a big belief for us,” Ari noted. “Down the road we are looking at presenting workshops and learning sessions to teach children about specific animals.”
Children of the four-legged variety are always encouraged to visit as well.
“Without them, we wouldn’t have the industry we do,” Roth noted.
And for the future legacy of Pet Pantry Warehouse?
“I think for Josh, Ari and myself as a group, we really want to be one of those places that is remembered for doing good for the community,” Adam said. “We are not just another business that is opening up to collect money and sell dog food, we are part of the community, we are a family-owned business, an independent business, and we really take that to heart.
“We want to be remembered as a great company that does things for people,” he added.


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Lordstown Motors Focused on Launching Endurance as it Faces Delays
LORDSTOWN, Ohio – Lordstown Motors Corp. CEO Daniel Ninivaggi said Thursday that the company continues to focus on launching its inaugural vehicle, the Endurance pickup, as it navigates a new future with Hon Hai Precision Industry, or Foxconn.
“It’s not all about Foxconn. We’re focused on the Endurance, we know we’ve got to get that truck out,” Ninivaggi told analysts on a conference call related to the company’s third quarter earnings.
Lordstown Motors said that the electric-vehicle manufacturer has delayed production of the Endurance pickup until the third quarter of 2022. It will continue to produce pre-production and validation models through this year and the first quarter of next year.
In September, Lordstown Motors said that it expected deliveries would begin during the second quarter of 2022.
Ninivaggi said the delays are because of supply-chain and components shortages. “It’s been a challenging quarter with raw materials shortages, parts shortages, supply-chain disruptions – particularly from international sourcing,” he says. “We’re doing everything we can to mitigate it and you have our commitment we’re going to do everything possible to get the truck out on our revised schedule.”
Lordstown Motors is expected to build about 100 pre-production vehicles over the next three months, he said.
The CEO also stated that the Endurance has attracted non-binding interest from commercial companies, including fleet management companies.
Ninivaggi also presented an update on its partnership with electronics giant Foxconn, which has moved into the EV market.
On Wednesday, Lordstown Motors announced it had signed an asset purchase agreement with Foxconn, allowing that company to acquire Lordstown’s manufacturing plant for $230 million.
According to the deal, Foxconn will pay Lordstown installments of $100 million on or about Nov. 18, $50 million by Feb. 1, 2022 and another $50 million no later than April 15, 2022. The remaining $30 million would be paid during closing.
In October, Foxconn made an equity investment in Lordstown Motors of $50 million at approximately $6.90 per share.
Among the other portions of the agreement call for Foxconn to act as a contract manufacturer for the Endurance, Ninivaggi says.
That agreement must be enacted before the asset purchase deal closes, scheduled for April 30.
The two companies have also agreed to pursue a joint venture agreement in which they would co-design, engineer and develop vehicle programs for the commercial market in North America and internationally, the CEO says.
These vehicles would be built on Foxconn’s MIH open EV platform, Ninivaggi says.
“It is relatively new,” the CEO says, noting that Foxconn unveiled three models last month that are built on this platform. “We’ve already started doing design concepts off one of those vehicles. It is a commercial van,” he says.
Two additional variants of that design could also be developed, he says.
Ninivaggi declined to provide more details, but said that the model would have an appeal both in the North American and global markets. “Foxconn I think it’s fair to say is very excited about it,” he says.
The proposed joint venture was among the factors in naming Edward Hightower as Lordstown Motors’ new president, replacing Rich Schmidt in that role.
“I brought Ed Hightower in about a month ago to do a deep dive analysis of opportunities on MIH,” he said. Hightower has extensive launch experience with companies such as General Motors, BMW and Ford Motor Co.
Not all future vehicles will include hub motors, the signature feature of the Endurance. “Hub motors are really important for the pickup truck and will be definitely part of our product portfolio going forward,” he says.
Lordstown Motors reported on Thursday that it posted a net loss of $95.8 million for the three months ended Sept. 30 and cash on hand of $233.3 million as of that date.
The company said it expects to have between $150 million and $180 million in cash by Dec. 31, 2021.
Lordstown Motors’, which trades under the ticker RIDE, stock soared on Thursday, posting a 24% gain to $6.90 per share by the market’s close. By midday, the stock had crested above $7 per share. However, the stock plunged more than 10.4% in after hours trading.
Copyright 2023 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.


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Last November, after a fallow year 2021 for the franchise, GIANTS Software launched on computers and home consoles Farming Simulator 22, new opus of its agricultural simulation license. The title had already accumulated more than 1.5 million copies sold in one week.
Of course, the game has continued to attract new players ever since, and GIANTS Software announce today that Farming Simulator 22 has sold over three million copies, nine weeks after its launch. The studio takes the opportunity to share a small trailer with positive reviews from the specialized press, while CEO Christian Ammann adds:
I would like to thank our community made up of our modders, influencers, players, partners, and everyone else who has played a part in supporting our thriving ecosystem. We look forward to establishing new projects and opportunities in 2022, with new content to enhance the Farming Simulator 22 experience.
The adventure is not over, the developers regularly publish content via the Season Pass Year 1 and free updates. Players can already enjoy three new brands and 16 new machines. Finally, for the curious, the latest podcast “Cultivate the good times” hosted by En3rgy5 is dedicated to the cultivation of olives in the PACA region, to find just here. You can buy Farming Simulator 22 at 36 € on Amazon.
Read also: Battlefield 2042 dominated by Farming Simulator 2022 on Steam
Writer – Tester


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BYD’s January sales exceeded 150,000 vehicles, the Denza brand continued to rise, and the export volume once again exceeded 10,000
On February 1, BYD Auto officially announced the sales data for January this year, accumulatively selling 151,300 new cars, a year-on-year increase of 58.6%.
Among them, the sales volume of passenger vehicles was 150,100 units, a year-on-year increase of 57.8%. Sales of plug-in hybrid models were 78,900, and sales of pure electric models were 71,300.
In terms of production capacity, BYD’s cumulative production capacity in January was 154,200 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 63.85%.
Maybe compared to December, you will feel that BYD’s monthly sales have dropped a lot, but after reading the following set of data, it is very likely that your jaw will drop.
Affected by the Spring Festival holiday, according to the data released by the National Passenger Car Market Information Association, it is expected that the sales volume of the domestic new energy passenger car market in January this year will drop sharply compared with December last year, and the drop will exceed 40%. Cumulative sales may be around 310,000 vehicles.
In other words, for every two new energy vehicles sold in January this year, one was BYD.
In terms of brands, Dynasty and Ocean series models are still the main sales force of BYD. The cumulative sales volume in January was 143,800 units, a year-on-year increase of 51%.
As for the detailed sales data of each model, BYD officials did not disclose.
The high-end brand Tengza continued to grow in sales in January, selling 6,439 vehicles, a month-on-month increase of 7.3%.
As for the Denza D9, we have made it clear in previous articles that its sales volume is likely to surpass that of Senna.
In December last year, the sales volume of Denza D9 was almost equal to that of Senna. The sales volume of Tengshi D9 was 6,002, and that of Senna was 6,070.
In January this year, the sales volume of Denza D9 was not affected by the long Spring Festival holiday, but it increased slightly compared to December last year.
From this, we can predict that the sales volume of Denza D9 in January this year has a high probability of surpassing Senna.
It is worth mentioning that in overseas markets, BYD’s January sales exceeded 10,000 units again, reaching 10,409 units, which can also be said to have achieved a good start.
In addition, the 2022 financial report released by BYD on January 30 showed that the net profit was 16 billion to 17 billion, a year-on-year increase of 425.42% to 458.26%.
According to the latest news, BYD will hit the sales target of 4 million vehicles in 2023
Although it seems a bit out of reach, according to industry insiders, BYD’s annual sales in 2023 are expected to reach 3.5 million vehicles.
From the perspective of Che Kuaiping, it is hard to say whether BYD can achieve 4 million sales this year, but it should be sure to win the sales champion of auto companies.


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HIGH POINT — With federal unemployment programs adding money on top of what people can get while in between jobs in most states, plus lingering uncertainty due to the pandemic, furniture retailers across the board are saying the hiring landscape is more competitive than it’s ever been.
“Unemployment is high, yet it’s hard to find help. And with the growth in our industry over the past year, we need more people now more than ever,” said Brad Schweig, vice president of operations for Dallas-based Sunnyland Outdoor Living.
“The headwinds are real. It’s a supply-and-demand problem with talent,” said Manny Rodrigues, chief operating officer of Fort Mill, S.C.-based Broad River Retail. “Talent will always find a home. There’s competitiveness in all the markets for these roles.”
Sam Zavary, president and CEO of Houston-based Exclusive Furniture, said while the additional unemployment benefits helped stabilize the economy last year when furloughs and layoffs hit, they also made some folks more comfortable staying at home vs. coming in to work.
“Did the truck drivers just all of a sudden leave? Did all the warehouse workers disappear? No. They’re just staying at home,” Zavary said. “The nation overreacted when the pandemic happened. It made the economy look stable and kept us out of a recession, but we have not touched the eye of the hurricane yet. We don’t know what we’re in for in the next two, three, four years.”
Plus, the increased unemployment benefits added a new competitor for the workforce, said Irwin Novack, CEO of Pinellas Park, Fla.-based Kane’s Furniture. He said positions that deal directly with the public are the most difficult to fill these days.
“I would describe it as challenging. … I think it’s a little more difficult when you’re competing against the government for employees,” Novack said. “People are being subsidized by the government. We’re not only competing against private industry, we’re competing against the public sector due to the subsidies.”
Schweig noted that tried-and-true hiring techniques from as recently as 2019 aren’t as effective in today’s landscape.
“I remember a few years ago I would post an ad on Indeed, and my mailbox would be pinging every few seconds with another resume coming in,” he said. “It’s been more challenging to get those resumes coming in now for all departments, and many of the ones that do come in are just not my ideal candidate. I’ve had to be more strategic on how I use the various hiring tools, put more effort into it and fine tune my listings to stand out more.”
To help counter some of these challenges, retailers are leaning into what makes their work environments unique and rewarding. For instance, Broad River upped pay across many departments and is relying on its strong corporate culture as a way to attract and retain Memory Makers (its name for salespeople) and other key positions.
“If you’re market competitive on compensation, at that point, it’s what’s going to separate everyone else. It’s making people say there’s something different at Broad River,” Downs said. “That’s where we lean into culture and all of the things we have going on. Even during a pandemic, the programs we’ve established for our Memory Makers, town hall recordings.”
Plus, during the early days of the pandemic, Broad River made sure that its furloughed employees had a job waiting for them when conditions improved and set aside funds to help them make ends meet.
“We made sacrifices across the board last April to make sure we had no layoffs. By June 30, we had full restoration of all positions,” said Broad River CEO Charlie Malouf. “We issued our own assistance checks before the federal government. A lot of our people still remember that; they remember how we took care of them, and that mattered a lot. All of those things were deposits of goodwill that we made that are helping us today.”
While holiday weekends usually provide big sales spikes, some retailers decided to further incentivize their sales associates during these key periods. Exclusive Furniture increased its starting pay across the board, but added other financial incentives for sales weekends that were triggered when salespeople didn’t miss any time or weren’t late for any of their shifts.
Zavary said Exclusive is also digging deeper to make sure its fleet of drivers feel appreciated.
“A lot (of drivers) are contractors. I think we’re paying the highest in delivery because we can’t afford to lose them to Amazon or Wayfair,” he said.
Competing the likes of the Amazon also weighs on the decisions made at Sunnyland. Schweig said the store plays up its small business strengths vs. the impersonal nature of working for a monolithic organization.
“We try to promote that we are a local family business, management’s door is always open, and we offer benefits to all of our employees,” Schweig said. “In the case of our warehouse workers, we feel that those factors are important when comparing us to an Amazon warehouse where the pay might be a little more but the hours are unreliable, there are no benefits, their boss might not know their name and a computer decides whether you are doing your job satisfactory or not.”
Even when new hires are made, there is turnover. Zavary said over the past 40 days, Exclusive Furniture hired 38 new salespeople with a 50% retention rate. Despite that level of turnover, he’s happy with those who remained.
“At the end of the day, you still want to get people in. It’s a win for us because we need salespeople,” he said. “People come to the store because they want salespeople to help them. Furniture doesn’t sell by itself in the store.”


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The Port of Ho Chi Minh City has expanded to become the largest facility in southern Vietnam. It now accounts for more than 65% of port throughput in the Ho Chi Minh City area and 42% of throughput in Vietnam as a whole. In 2012, the port handled an estimated 3.22mn twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The port comprises three cargo terminals, as well as depot and customs points, which are situated at different locations within the Mekong Delta area in south-east Vietnam, in an area measuring 60km in circumference.
#CaiMep is Vietnam's largest deep sea facility. The Port of Cai Mep was developed in response to the rapid growth in trade volumes at the Port of Ho Chi Minh, which caused congestion in the area. The Cai Mep facility is located approximately 85km south-east of Ho Chi Minh City, at the mouth of the South China Sea.
In 2012, Vietnam scored 4871 on's liner connectivity index - a considerable improvement on 2004's score of 12.86. Although the port is trailing far behind regional outperformer Singapore, it is well ahead of its neighbours Cambodia and the Philippines. BMI believes that this vast improvement in its connectivity score over seven years demonstrates Vietnam's growing importance in global containerised shipping. The country also now has direct links with major markets in the West. However, it should be noted that Vietnam's place in global container shipping is not yet assured, and that as the industry has struck difficulties Vietnam has been impacted more severely than more established ports of call. This has been demonstrated by the fact that Vietnam's score in 2012 marked a slight decline from 2011's peak of 49.71.
Getting Better Connected Vietnam's Score On The Liner Connectivity Index, 2004-2012
?Vietnamese ports are well placed to take advantage of growing Intra-Asia trade volumes.
?The rapid growth in Vietnam's port volumes has attracted ample international investment in port terminals, giving rise to overcapacity concerns.
?Alleviating economic headwinds in the US and China will support Vietnam's export markets and container ports.
?We caution that Vietnam needs to invest in its freight transport network in its entirety to ensure efficiency at its ports.
The Port of Ho Chi Minh is a vital domestic and regional facility, with the port having rapidly expanded in response to sharp growth in the Vietnamese economy. Container traffic through the port accounts for over 65% of Ho Chi Minh City's market share and more than 40% of the entire country's.
Intra-Asian trade has been growing rapidly, with many shipping firms using this to cushion themselves from the slowly recovering big-money East-West routes. The Port of Ho Chi Minh has been a key part of this and it is not only regional trade for which Vietnam is becoming key. In 2009, Hanjin Shipping became the first carrier to launch a direct service between Vietnam and the US. In September 2010, Hanjin became the first line to launch direct Vietnam-Europe services, followed in October 2010 bymaking the country a port of call on its FAL3 service.
The Port of Cai Mep was developed in response to the rapid growth in trade volumes at the Port of Ho Chi Minh City, which caused congestion in the area. BMI notes that the terminal has a considerable advantage over Ho Chi Minh, in that it offers a draft of 14 metres (m), thereby enabling it to serve post-Panamax container vessels, which cannot call at other Vietnamese ports due to draft and turning restrictions.
The importance of the port's depth was reflected in December 2011, when Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) docked its largest ever containership. The 13,830TEULaperouse is the biggest vessel to dock in the Vietnamese port, with its accommodation made possible by the post-Panamax cranes operating at the site.
BMI believes that Cai Mep's positive throughput growth outlook is in large part attributable to APM Terminal (APMT)'s operation of the terminal, as the company has poured in investment and attracted new clients operating on key trade routes. We believe APMT's presence will support continued growth at the port over the medium term (2013-2017) as it continues to improve the port's facilities and attract shipping lines keen to capitalise on Vietnam's positive macroeconomic outlook.
Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) at the Port of Ho Chi Minh City (also known as New Saigon Port), which is made up of a collection of terminals lying 50 kilometres (km) away from Vietnam's capital city, is on course to handle nearly 600,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2012 - its first full calendar year of operation - according to projections fromsister company APMT. CMIT accepted its first vessel on March 30 2011 and in the following nine months to 2012 handled 186,000TEUs.
On The Up
BMI highlights the substantial investments APMT has made in CMIT since it opened in March 2011 as an important driver of growth. In addition to helping to construct the port, which it did through a joint venture (JV) with Saigon Port and( ), APMT purchased two laden reach stackers, an empty reach stacker, two empty container handlers and a 25-tonne forklift - all of which were delivered by in 2011. Weak infrastructure is one of the main factors holding back Vietnam's shipping sector - the country ranks 111th out of 145 countries on the 's Global Competitiveness Report on the Quality of Port Infrastructure. As such, APMT's commitment to improving CMIT's facilities is an important step both for the terminal and the country's shipping sector as a whole.
Investment in the port has allowed Cai Mep to attract a client base of some of the major players in the box shipping sector. While a foregone conclusion, given APMT's close connection with the company,began pulling into the port in August 2011, boosting throughput as expected. More significantly, CMIT has added and the Grand Alliance - comprising shipping lines , (NYK), and (CL) - to its client list. These lines not only provide positive prospects for the port given their direct impact on throughput volumes, but also because their presence signals the industry's confidence in the terminal's growth outlook and growing role in the region.
An important aspect of the addition of these lines to the terminal is that they have exposed CMIT to the two largest maritime trade routes: Asia-Europe and Asia-America. Maersk has added the port to its Transpacific string from Asia to North America, whileand the Grand Alliance have placed it on their Asia-Europe routes, marking the first time Vietnam had been directly connected on either of these trade routes.
We highlight that Vietnam previously only played a role as a feeder port, relying on the transhipment of containers through one of Asia's larger, better-equipped ports such as Singapore. Exposure to these routes is in large part attributable to the port's ability to handle ultra-large container ships, which are becoming the standard for shipping containers on Asia-Europe trade routes. This was demonstrated in December 2011, when's 13,820TEU Laperouse docked at the terminal. We believe CMIT's proven capacity for handling these vessels marks an important step for the terminal and will be a key driver of growth over the medium term, though in the near term there are significant hurdles to be crossed.
Overcapacity Remains A Threat
The rapid growth in Vietnam's port volumes has attracted ample international investment in port terminals. However, concerns are being raised about the possibility of overcapacity in the country's container port sector. This a particular concern for operators at the Port of Cai Mep. In 2006, international terminal operators secured stakes in nine terminals at the port after the government invited foreign investment, believing that rising throughput volumes would be quickly soaked up by increasing capacity. Five of the nine planned terminals are in operation in the Cai Mep area, but are working well below capacity, with as little as 20% of capacity at CMIT being utilised. With additional new facilities due to come online, BMI believes this is a considerable cause for concern. Further, as container shipping lines look to consolidate their services Vietnam, as a relatively new addition, is at risk of being struck from the ports of call.
The lack of container traffic seen at the beginning of 2012 also poses problems for ports in the province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Ports in the region have a total container handling capacity of up to 8mn TEUs; however, the actual demand only comes to around 5mn TEUs. Ports in the Cai Mep-Thi Vai region of Ba Ria-Vung Tau have been failing to attract a significant number of vessels, despite a total investment of over US$7bn by the end of 2011, according to reports. The region contains several modern container ports and is set to open several more facilities in 2012 and 2013. Industry analysts attributed the failure to a lack of infrastructure, which has caused capacity to remain largely underutilised. Only 62.5% of overall port capacity in the province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau is in use.
It is in this atmosphere of concern over having grown too much too soon that the construction of Van Phong International Transshipment Port has been halted at the behest of the. The decision to shelve the planned port - originally proposed to be completed by 2020 - was undertaken by the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister, Hoang Trung Hai and was made public in September 2012.
The estimated cost of the project was set to be US$3.6bn and the construction work would have included 37 wharves at length of 12.5km. The initial stage of the project began in October 2009 and was pencilled in to be completed by the end of 2012; however, financial mismanagement meant that the project fell way behind schedule., the project's investor, was urged to alter its plans by the Vietnamese government and so the company came up with the idea of expanding the port in order to handle container vessels up to 12,000TEUs.
The deputy prime minister asked the Transport Ministry to look into the feasibility of raising domestic and foreign investment to fund the project, which is located in Hon Gom peninsula. The Van Phong port has become the target for criticism, as Vietnam's attractiveness for potential investors weakens. The Van Phong site was described as too far from any major manufacturing companies, and the state's role in neglecting better infrastructure at strategic locations is being highlighted.
Global Headwinds Alleviating In 2013
We forecast Vietnam's real GDP growth figure to climb to 7.0% in 2013 following an expansion of 5.0% in 2012; this expansion in 2012 was the slowest since 1999, and reflected the headwinds buffeting Vietnam's key trade partners, namely the US and China. However, the outlook for 2013 is looking more sanguine, resulting in our growth rate of 7.0%. This is in keeping with our more buoyant general outlook for the global economy which has seen us make a significant upwards revision to our China growth forecast for the year from 7.1% to 7.5%, and bump the US's growth projection up to 2.3% following the avoidance of the fiscal cliff.
However, over the longer term, imports will be boosted by Vietnam's young population, as younger populations are generally more supportive of private consumption. The country has a population of 90.7mn, according to estimates for 2013 by BMI, 60% of which is under 35. We forecast that the population will be 94.1mn by 2017, with 57% under 35, and will rise to 97.7mn by 2022.
Road And Rail Links Need Investment
The Vietnamese government plans to deepen the Port of Ho Chi Minh City's draught, allowing larger vessels to access the facility. BMI notes that these works are badly needed, as we are seeing a growing trend of lines ordering larger container vessels. Recognising the need to cater for bigger vessels, Vietnam's prime minister has directed the country's ministry of transport and its Maritime Administration to focus on developing deep water ports. A channel depth of about 14m is required for non-tide restricted access for vessels with capacity of up to 8,000TEUs.
BMI notes that while Vietnam's port sector has received plenty of investment, due to growing Intra-Asia trade volumes, the freight transport networks that link the ports with production and consumer centres are badly in need of investment. Growth in box throughput at the nation's ports has far outpaced investment in its freight transport network. In 2010 (latest available data), total container throughput at the country's ports reached 5.98mn TEUs, up 550% from the 919,264TEUs handled in 1999.
With a rating of 123 out of 142 in the's 2011-2012 Global Competitiveness Report, Vietnam's road infrastructure is the regional underperformer, trailing well behind regional leaders Singapore and Hong Kong. The country's rail infrastructure fares slightly better, with a score of 71 out of 123, placing it just ahead of the regional underperformer the Philippines. BMI believes there must be more private and state investment in developing these links if the country's ports are to take full advantage of increasing trade volumes. - --Business Monitor International.---


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Boys are putting on the spritz
James Armstrong’s got style, and he likes to smell good. Real good. And to smell good, he’s got to have his Axe.
“Axe is one of my favorite things in life,” he said. “You don’t want to be smelling bad in class.”
He’s 13. He wears outfits, not clothes. And he has one scent for every day.
And one for, well, you know, special occasions.
“Sometimes when you wear it,” said Milai Henriet, his classmate at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School in suburban Silver Spring, Md., “the ladies will turn their heads at you.”
Milai is 12.
Seems that Axe body spray has become the thing for today’s discriminating middle-school boy. Preteen boys barely registered in the billion-dollar personal grooming market just a few years ago. But analysts say younger and younger boys are snapping up body sprays -- lighter and often less expensive versions of cologne -- in greater numbers than ever before.
Karen Grant, senior beauty industry analyst with the NPD Group, a market research company, said that when workers at her firm began analyzing the market in 2002, they were looking at trends among females, but to their surprise, they discovered teenage boys were also into fragrance.
Moms report being dragged to drugstores to pick up cans of the spray -- in all of its “nine unique fragrances.” Principals groan and roll their eyes when asked about the “Axe effect.”
“Let me just tell you,” said John Burley, a principal in suburban Gaithersburg, Md., “there are days when I walk down the eighth-grade hallway ... and I am nearly asphyxiated.”
And it is Axe -- launched in France in 1983 and introduced in the United States in 2002 -- that is the brand du jour. Although manufacturer Unilever maintains that its target market is men between 18 and 24, boys as young as 11 are dousing themselves in the spray that “leaves guys smelling great so they can concentrate on more important things -- like how to get the girl.”
The suggestion -- that Axe will help with the ladies -- is woven throughout its marketing and advertising and may be why company officials declined to comment on the body spray’s appeal to younger teens.
Make no mistake, even among sixth-graders, girls are a big part of the Axe effect.
“I was watching the commercial, and there was this guy and he was mobbed by a bunch of girls, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s tight!’ ” said Asean Townsend, 12. “So I went ... and bought it.”
More established scents -- think Dad’s stocking stuffer circa 1975 -- have repositioned their products to appeal to a younger generation. Old Spice has a line called Red Zone. Gillette launched a body spray called Tag in 2004.
Brett Goyne, a physical education teacher at Loiederman, said he noticed the body sprays turning up about three years ago. Before that, he can’t remember seeing a middle-school boy use anything except maybe the occasional stick of deodorant.
“It’s priced perfect for the middle-school student,” he said of the body sprays. “But, boy, if they sweat a lot and then put it on -- ohhhh, it just takes over the whole locker room.”
Axe retails for about $5 and has become such a part of James’ life that he spends half of his monthly allowance on it.
For mothers who preach the importance of good grooming, Axe’s arrival has been greeted with both horror and amusement.
“It started in my house last year,” said Karen Clarkson, whose sons are 15, 11 and 6. “And it has been passed down from brother to brother.
“Earlier this year, my 6-year-old got ahold of it and decided to test it out himself and then decided to spray it everywhere. If you’ve ever had a quarter of a bottle of Axe sprayed around your house, you know it takes forever to get rid of it.”
What’s the appeal?
“I wish I knew,” Clarkson said. “I was born in the ‘60s, and we were into the natural and not the overpowering. And there is nothing really natural about” Axe.


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The 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car will start to appear at Nissan dealers in January, the company said Monday.
That availability came in an announcement that the second-generation electric car officially went into production the same day at Nissan's sprawling assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee.
It's one of three locations globally that will build the latest Leaf; the other two are the original Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Japan, and a Nissan factory in Sunderland, England.
DON'T MISS: 2018 Nissan Leaf preview
The first-generation Leaf was built in Smyrna as well, starting with the 2013 model year.
That North American 2013 Leaf got a number of notable changes from the 2011-2012 Japanese-built Leafs, including steel rather than aluminum doors and a pendant parking brake rather than an electronic one.
Since 2011, Nissan has sold almost 115,000 Leafs in the U.S., though sales have now dwindled to a handful of leftover 2017 models as the company and its dealers prepare for the new, second-generation car.
Leaf enthusiasts and owners with first 2018 Nissan Leaf built in Smyrna, Tennessee, Dec 2017
Production of the 2018 Leaf will be intermingled in the huge Smyrna plant with that of five other vehicles: the Altima mid-size sedan, Maxima large sedan, Pathfinder and Rogue crossover utility vehicles, and the Infiniti QX60 luxury SUV.
The Smyrna plant has a total production capacity of 640,000 vehicles a year, making it one of the highest-volume vehicle factories in the U.S.
Nissan released few new details on its 2018 Leaf, whose EPA ratings still haven't been issued.
The company did say, however, that "its range will exceed 150 miles on a single charge," a slight increase over the 140 miles it had previously cited.
2018 Nissan Leaf
Nissan North America chairman Jose Munoz with 2018 Nissan Leaf, built at plant in Smyrna, Tennessee
Nissan executives, Tennessee governor Bill Haslam with 2018 Nissan Leaf built in Smyrna, Dec 2017
Nissan has already acknowledged that a second Leaf variant, with a higher-capacity battery that gives more than 200 miles of range, will enter the market as a 2019 model.
At 150 miles, the 2018 Leaf is one of the three electric cars base-priced under $40,000 with ranges of 150 miles or more.
The other two are the Chevrolet Bolt EV, rated at 238 miles and starting at $37,500, and the Tesla Model 3 base version, rated at 220 miles and starting at $35,000 (though that version of the Model 3 is not yet in production).
The 2018 Nissan Leaf will be available nationwide from its launch next month, at a starting price of $30,875 including the mandatory destination fee.


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One thing we have noticed is that whenever we are on social media, we do love seeing the posts made by people but we also love to read the comments below the post which give us a different perspective from what the original post is about.
This will also help us bust the fake news factory because even if someone posts wrong information, there is always someone who will correct them and let everyone know about it.
On the other hand, we also know that this can become a problem for people who have a huge following in the public because they are exposed to trolls and haters as well. Those people would know that their replies are filed with people hating on them or posting fake theories about them or something of that sort.
This is the reason why Twitter has announced that they are testing a new way to post on the platform which can be termed as a tweet visibility setting as well.
Basically, Twitter is testing a new feature where you will be able to select who can reply to your posts. For example, you have the option to select between replies from only people you follow or you can even choose to accept replies from the person you have mentioned or else you can select the option for everyone meaning that anyone can reply to that tweet.
As we have seen from the initial testing, the people who will make use of this are mostly people who want to have a one-on-one conversation without anyone disturbing them if they find direct messaging to be awkward.
This way, people can still see what they are talking about but no one can add their two cents to the post. But there is also a problem of fake news not being busted since they can limit replies and we have to see how Twitter will address that problem.
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VERO BEACH, Florida — Simon Caldecott will retire April 2, 2021, after nearly 10 years as Piper Aircraft‘s president and CEO and 47 years in the aviation industry.
Following Caldecott’s appointment as president and CEO in 2011, he set a new course for Piper Aircraft with a vision to stabilize, improve, and grow the business with a specific intent to expand the M-Class product line and revitalize the trainer market, according to company officials. During his tenure, the company designed and introduced the newest M-class flagship product, the M600. Simon’s leadership and guidance were instrumental in paving the way for the launch of Garmin’s Emergency Autoland technology, known as HALO on the new M600 SLS.
“It has been an honor and privilege leading Piper Aircraft through a transformative journey, from a legacy aircraft manufacturer to the first general aviation manufacturer to certify an autoland equipped general aviation aircraft,” Caldecott said. “We strengthened the leadership team with new talent, made major facility improvements to make a safer workplace, and strengthened relations with the community, as well as with major suppliers. I am enormously proud of the dedicated team at Piper and our global independent dealership network. With everything in place, the company’s future prospects are extremely encouraging and I look forward to a smooth transition.”
Piper Aircraft has been working with the company’s board of directors for several months on a succession plan and will announce Caldecott’s replacement soon, company officials said.
This post was originally published by General Aviation News on . Please visit the original post to read the complete article.


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China Telecom launches iPhone promo to boost corporate sales
China Telecom posted disappointing quarterly earnings for Q1 2012 and is turning to the iPhone to help it turn things around. According to Hong Kong's The Standard, the wireless carrier is launching an iPhone promotion to encourage businesses to sign up with China Telecom. Any business that buys 10 iPhone 4S handsets together with a wireless service plan will get a free iPhone. According to a company spokesperson, the carrier is targeting enterprise customers who are outfitting their employees with the latest technology.
China Telecom posted disappointing quarterly earnings for Q1 2012 and is turning to the iPhone to help it turn things around....
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Mitchell Compton II's success was starting to freak him out. He cofounded the San Diego-based Coconut Beach, which sells a line of coconut chips and drinks, and debuted the products at a natural-foods trade show in March 2015. Orders came in rapidly; he soon got up to $1 million in sales. But then he started wondering: How reliable are some of these people? "We had to figure out how to mitigate our worry over not getting paid in a timely manner, or at all," Compton says.
He decided to play it safe: He told many vendors that he simply couldn't sell to them at the time. And it went on like this for months, with Compton turning down business because he wasn't sure when he'd get paid.