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It wasn’t long ago when Astara entered our market as the new distributor of Peugeot cars. It was followed by GAC and late last year, JMC was added to their portfolio. Now, they have JAC as their 4th brand here in the Philippines.
Astara said they’re bringing in JAC’s cars and pickups into the country. Currently they have 3 small crossovers in the JS2, JS3, and JS4; compact crossovers in the JS6 and JS7; and their flagship JS8; combined with the J7 and J7 Plus sedans. There are also three pickups in the T6, T8 Pro, and T9. Which among these will be brought into the country is anyone’s guess at the moment.
They also said that in the future, JAC’s full-electric and plug-in hybrid offerings will be brought in. That means we’ll get to see e-JS1 small hatchback, e-JS4 crossover, and e-J7 sedan.
“For JAC, the Philippines is of extraordinary strategic and practical significance. In the future, JAC will strictly adhere to the “user-centric” business philosophy and bolster the relationship with Astara to provide better products and better service experience for Filipino users,” said David Zhang, Vice President of JAC Motors.
“As a top brand with a presence in over 100 countries, JAC’s commitment to quality and focus on electrification perfectly align with Astara’s vision for the future of mobility. Considering this region is pivotal to our international expansion, we are confident in showcasing our capabilities through JAC’s distribution,” said Jorge Navea, CEO of Astara.
JAC started back in 1964 and has since grown into multiple brands. They have SEHOL which is a joint venture with Volkswagen to produce EVs, while Yiwei was recently launched for entry-level EVs. They also have partnerships with NIO and Huawei to produce EVs.


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Quest, a premium bottle packaging company, announces 12 new wine and spirit brands that illustrate powerful brand statements using off-the-shelf standard glass bottle shapes. The collection encompasses wine, sparkling wine, sake, gin, vodka, tequila, mescal, whiskey, rum and schnapps.
Coca-Cola® is reintroducing its successful “Share a Coke” program under a new name – “Share an ICE COLD Coke” – as a reminder that nothing beats the summer heat quite like an ice-cold, delicious Coca-Cola.
As part of its ongoing effort to promote healthy hydration for families around the country, Nestlé® Pure Life® joined with the iconic brand Crayola® to launch a unique national promotion that celebrates the creativity and individuality of children.
Anticipated growth for industrial, digital inkjet print technology for production in functional, decorative and packaging printing sectors remains strong and buoyant, according to a new survey and report produced by I.T. Strategies for InPrint USA: The Industrial Print Show.
Shock Top is shaking things up as it rolls out its first major brand refresh in its history. The brand will introduce an entirely new look and feel that still embodies the carefree spirit that is authentic to Shock Top but with a fresh, youthful optimism.

domain: news


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Today, the Android market is dominated by phones that have front-facing cameras that sit right into the screens (either at the top center or in the corner). Sony continues to release phones with a small but sufficient top frame, which has enough space for the front camera.
Sources have released the first renderings of Sony’s next-gen flagship phone, the Xperia 1 V, which is expected to feature a reduced bezel. It has four tiny holes.
According to an insider, Sony is working on a completely new front camera technology (micro-matrix multi-camera synthesis technology), which is different from anything on the market. Details about the work of the technologist have not yet been reported, but it can be assumed that the light will be collected through four tiny holes that can be placed even on such a small frame.
The release of the Sony Xperia 1 V should take place next year.


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Mitsubishi might be on the fritz here in the U.S., but the company continues to push forward and keep its head just above water. To wit, the new 2014 Outlander crossover made its U.S. debut at last year’s L.A. auto show, following the plug-in hybrid version’s reveal in Paris, and it goes on sale here in June. Nothing can be sold without a price tag, however, so Mitsubishi has released some basic pricing info for the Outlander. Overall, the Outlander’s sticker doesn’t budge much, if at all, compared to the 2013 model it replaces.
- Photos and Info: 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander
- Photos and Info: 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
- Instrumented Test: 2012 Mitsubishi i Electric Vehicle
The new Outlander again comes in ES, SE, and GT trim levels; the ES and SE are powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, while the up-level GT gets a 3.0-liter V-6. A base, front-drive 2014 Outlander ES starts at $23,820, only $300 more than last year’s model. The SE commands $24,620—$200 less than the 2013 iteration—and adds 18-inch aluminum wheels, a touch-screen infotainment display, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, and keyless entry with push-button starting. The GT starts at $28,620, $800 less than the all-wheel-drive 2013 GT, and adds the aforementioned V-6 engine, Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control all-wheel-drive setup, paddle shifters, HID headlights, and wood grain interior trim.
Mitsubishi’s future still solidly occupies the “questionable” category, but a new crossover like the Outlander perhaps gives the company its best shot yet at motivating a turnaround in this market. It’s priced in the thick of the compact SUV segment—Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Cherokee, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4—but is the only rig to offer a third-row seat. What, you think the tiny, three-cylinder Mirage hatchback will be Mitsu’s ark?


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MICHELLE Keegan turned heads in a black mini dress as she glammed up for The John Bishop Show.
The 34-year-old ex Corrie actress drove fans wild with her outfit tonight.
She shared snaps of the outfit on Instagram and wrote: "Elastigirl…but make it fashion 🖤👢 (Instagram, we reaaaally need a new boot emoji 🤣) So much fun on the @johnbish100 show, it’s on tonight at 9:30pm on @itv"
The former Our Girl star posed with her arm on her hip and showed off her toned legs in the Esaú Yori velvet dress, that featured pretty capped sleeves.
One fan commented: "Looking fabulous as always, love your dress ❤"
Another said: "Jesus wept pack it in 😍😍🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥"
Michelle recently returned from a holiday in Mexico with husband Mark Wright.
Posting during her getaway, she joked her blood was "80 per cent spicy margarita" thanks to their diet of cocktails and sunshine.
Most read in TV
Relaxing in a skimpy top in Mexico she raised a glass of the booze, which is made of tequila.
She later posted a picture of her sprawled out on a sun lounger holding a bright blue drink in a cocktail glass.
Wearing shades, a hat and the same outfit she wore in the video, Michelle read a book titled Every Thing Is F**ked.
She captioned the snap with a funny message suggesting she'd broken her vow to stay off the cocktails.
The star wrote: "Dear New Years Resolution. Well it was fun while it lasted. Sincerely January 4th."
Fans captioned the snap "dreamy" with many calling her "so beautiful" as she relaxed in the sunshine.
Michelle and her husband Mark saw in the New Year in Mexico and have posted a string of pictures from their South American getaway.
Mark also gave fans a peek into their luxury holiday, sharing a look at the delicious food and drinks he's been enjoying while away.
He also showed off their hotel's impressive pool set against the idyllic sea view.


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Internet-famous dog to appear on lotto tickets and pet accessories.
Fabuleash will make dog accessories including leashes, collars and harnesses; and Pollard Banknote has been granted the right to produce instant and digital lottery tickets featuring images of Boo.
In addition to these two new licensees, Knockout also announced renewals for Acco Brands to produce Boo calendars and CSS Industries to make boxed classroom valentine's gift sets.
“With social media continuing to feed adorable images of Boo and Buddy to millions and millions of fans, the desire for Boo-licensed products continues to perpetuate around the world,” says Tamra Knepfer, co-president, Knockout Licensing.
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Tesla announced today that it finally almost reached 500,000 deliveries in a calendar year, with its 499,550 vehicles delivered globally in 2020, and that it finally hit its target of producing 500,000 vehicles a year – two years behind its promises. Back in May 2016, it had promised in its quarterly report that it would produce 500,000 vehicles in 2018.
But it didn’t happen in 2018, far from it, and it didn’t happen in 2019 either. It finally happened in 2020. That promise in May 2016, like so many of Tesla’s and CEO Elon Musk’s promises, had caused its shares to surge.
Every promise Tesla and Musk issue is worth many billions of dollars in the company’s market capitalization, which then allows the company to raise many more billions of dollars by selling more shares. In 2020 alone, it raised $12.3 billion through share sales, on top of the $20 billion or so it had raised since its IPO.
This 500,000 in deliveries globally is a big number for Tesla. But it’s a minuscule number in the overall global auto market, which in 2020 is estimated at 73 million deliveries. Tesla’s global market share in 2020 has reached a whopping 0.7%.Tesla Finally Almost Hit 500,000 Deliveries, Two Years Behind its Promise, for a Global Market Share of… 0.7% | Wolf Street


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Anyone who has lived in Manhattan long enough has seen the long lines that accompany food trucks, especially during the lunch hour rush. Like many articles and topics already discussed in class this semester, this article further supports the evolution of social media and its influence on different aspects of our community. This particular article turns the focus to the “mobile” food industry. However, many people, including myself, may have had the perception that food trucks are nothing more than low-grade “street meat.” So why trucks? Why now? Call it coincidental, but the mere fact that there has been an influx of high-quality restaurant brands to food trucks along with the social media boom has been a match made in heaven for some business, specifically those mentioned in this article.
Despite being a form of low-cost marketing, restaurants such as Rick Shaw Dumpling Bar and Kogi BBQ have utilized food trucks to promote their business either through Twitter and Facebook or WordPress. They along with Grill5 Taco and Dante Fried Chicken have used social media as a tool to not only spread awareness about their respective business but also to better understand what their audience wants. As result, food trucks were not only striving for higher quality tastes but were also establishing brand loyalty with their customers. Social media has made it possible for food trucks to establish permanence while giving a voice to their brands.
The creative director of Kogi BBQ has stated: “Food is my business. Culture is my department. And social media is the bridge that allows for me to let those two worlds talk to one another.”
So, with that said, the article asks: What food trucks have you seen, and more specifically how do you think social media has become an important part of the mobile revolution, if at all? Are their other high quality restaurants in the city that could perhaps utilize food trucks via social media awareness to grow their business?


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- Table of contents
Survey Says: Companies are Ill-Prepared for Cyber Attacks
For nearly six months, a three-day cyber attack on JD Wetherspoon went undetected. The names, personal information and some credit card details of 656,723 customers fell into the hands of a Russian hacking group and no one at the U.K. pub and hotel chain knew about it. CyberInt eventually discovered the attack in late 2015 and the hospitality company addressed the issue.
The customer data was stolen from the company’s website and patrons who logged on to free WiFi at JD Wetherspoon pubs. The hack took place over three days, but the mass of stolen data and the company’s inability to protect information and notice it straight away, is one of many examples of companies falling victim to an attack under a deluge of threats. These are tough times for enterprises needing to protect data.
A recent study from the Ponemon Institute revealed that 75% of businesses are not prepared for a cyber attack, while only 25% believe they are cyber resilient and 32% think they could adequately recover from an attack. Part of that recovery includes the lawsuits and consistently large victim payouts. To cover these sums, companies rely on data privacy and cybersecurity insurance. These policies take a big portion of the financial burden off a company facing millions of dollars in settlements.
The reliance on this insurance is more common than one might think. A survey from Wells Fargo showed 44% of businesses with cybersecurity and data privacy insurance policies have already filed a claim, proving the frequency of attacks and use of this type of insurance.
Yet being covered for financial loss from an attack is not a deterrent or by any means protection from cybercrime. If Ponemon Institute’s study is representative of business, 75% of companies should be considering cybersecurity with greater fervor and seriousness. Insurance is one step, but they can take other steps to combat an attack before an insurance claim is necessary.
1. Incident Response Plans and Drills
One such step is that every company should have an Incident Response Plan (IRP). This plan, just like a fire evacuation plan, is preventative and precautionary. It should be well-organized, thoughtful and run at least once a quarter as a drill, just as a fire drill prepares people for the worst. Knowing the exact steps of how to respond to a cyber attack will lessen its effects and give any company peace of mind.
An effective incident response plan should rapidly detect an attack, minimize loss and destruction, mitigate the weaknesses exploited, and restore IT services.
To implement an IRP, it is important to ensure the plan is documented, a team has been assembled to focus on understanding the process, and a third-party vendor who specializes in cyber attack response has been chosen. These steps give the plan significance, meaning it will be taken seriously when needed. Many organizations are seeing the advantages of enforcing such IRPs. For example, the Bank of Israel issued Directive 361 in May 2015 to require all banks to have cybersecurity leadership focused on these response plans and other cyber readiness strategies.
To further advance the weight of such a plan, it is good to run drills. The IRP team, the vendor and all employees will be able to see what about the plan works, what doesn’t, and how to improve it. Aligning a company, from all angles, with the plan helps make it work when an attack happens.
2. Train Employees
Many workers are still unaware of the dangers of cyber threats. In a company like JD Wetherspoon, where the focus is on the physical business of running pubs, restaurants and hotels, cyber threats are harder to catch. Many smaller technology companies also struggle to keep up with potential attacks as they focus primarily on business gains, letting cybersecurity fall to the side. In a changing digital landscape, that awareness needs to sharpen. Employees should be vigilant of threats, know the warning signs, be digitally educated and receive training on safe cyber practices.
Many times, hackers gain access to a company’s data through phishing scams that take advantage of a naïve employee. The massive data breach of the health insurance company Anthem happened because an employee was entering information on a faux site that replicated the real company site.
With even the most basic training, the employees, who became victims and a gateway to hackers, would have been more knowledgeable about what to be more attentive about when using the computer. Training employees also alerts them to their own personal cyber protection.
3. Establish Privacy Policies
Following this policy begins with the design of a compliance program that is in line with all international laws regarding privacy. It is also important to appoint an individual to be the keeper of the policy and be responsible for safeguarding customer data. This individual should be able to tailor a policy to the company’s practices and train employees on how to comply and use it in their work.
4. Get Prepared with Pro-active Cybersecurity
Although so many companies feel ill-prepared for a cyber attack, there are ways they can ease their worry. By following the steps above, companies can begin to build their defenses. But even together, these are not enough.
Using a cybersecurity solution that predicts and mitigates attacks can be the ultimate defense against threats. Expert cybersecurity vendors, such as CyberInt, analyze a company’s weaknesses and fortify its protection. Cyberint runs ‘cybersecurity posture checks’ on companies, simulating real life, complex attack scenarios. While continuously monitoring the companies’ online assets — web site, social media platforms, their supply chain and more, in order to ascertain their weak spots open to hackers. Continuous checks ensure the hackers stay out and that changes within the company, their employees and new systems used, don’t make them vulnerable to hackers.
There is lots to be done in the fight to protect against cybercrime. Don’t fall victim to a breach like JD Wetherspoon, TalkTalk and the likes. Stay vigilant with these strategies.


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The Kia EV6 will be brought to China as an import and is expected to go on sale in August this year. It will also launch the EV5 in November, its first model to be produced in China.
Kia Motors, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co, is entering China's increasingly crowded electric vehicle (EV) market.
The South Korean automaker announced its official entry into the Chinese EV market at a launch event today, unveiling the EV5 Concept, EV9 Concept and EV6 GT.
Its first all-electric model offered in China, the EV6, will be introduced as an import and is expected to be launched in August of this year.
The EV6 is Kia's first all-electric vehicle, based on the dedicated EV platform E-GMP, and claims to be able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in as fast as 3.5 seconds.
The model is equipped with 800V fast charging capability, charging from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 18 minutes.
Kia will also launch the EV5, its first global model to be built in China and debuting here, in November.
(Kia EV5 concept car)
Kia also plans to launch its flagship electric SUV EV9 in 2024, an entry-level all-electric SUV in 2025, a premium electric sedan based on a next-generation EV-specific platform in 2026, and a mid-size all-electric SUV in 2027.
The EV9 concept has a length of more than 5,000 mm and a wheelbase of 3,100 mm, with a 3-row, 6-seat interior layout.
The concept car will have an 800 V high-voltage fast charging system and can be charged up to 350 kW.
The EV9 will be Kia's first vehicle in China to be equipped with the highway self-driving system, and the production version is expected to be equipped with L3 assisted driving system.
(Kia EV9 concept car)
In China, Kia has a sales target of 450,000 units by 2030, of which 40 percent will be new energy vehicle (NEV) models.
Kia plans to launch the Kia brand app in China later this year, which will offer features including car shopping, car use, services, and infotainment.
The automaker will create sales channels in China including dealership stores as well as City Stores, and will set up special sections for NEV models in showrooms.
Kia will establish City Store city showrooms in the core business districts of China's first and second-tier key cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Notably, on November 20 last year, Kia announced the opening of its first City Store in China in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, where its EV6, an all-electric vehicle, will be one of the first models to be showcased in the store.
The City Store is a new channel for Kia's electrification transformation and a new platform to revolutionize the user experience, the company said at the time.


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Experienced PR professional Nigel Hughes has joined the Manchester office of Euro RSCG PR.
His arrival comes on the back of Julie McGuckian leaving Euro to join Manchester Business School as director of global marketing and communications.
Nigel has held senior positions at a string of agencies across the north, having worked with leading brands like Whitbread, The Co-operative Group and British Steel.
His most recent agency position was as managing director of Rattle PR, in Manchester, where he delivered national and regional campaigns for blue chip brands and companies including Taylor Wimpey, JD Sports, Hoover Candy, N Brown Group and Bruntwood.
For the past two years he has operated as a consultant.
Meanwhile, Julie has been appointed to boost MBS’s marketing and recruitment activity in the UK and across its six centres in Miami, Dubai, Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Sao Paulo.
She held board director and associate director roles at Euro.


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Freda Duplan and Alan Kyerematen unveiling the 60th anniversary logo
Alan Kyerematen, Trade and Industry Minister, has indicated that new policies that would be introduced by government would create a favorable business environment to boost competition among companies in Ghana.
He said the policies are aimed at offering direct and indirect support to companies, including medium and long-term financing.
Mr. Kyerematen also noted that government would support companies and encourage Ghanaians to patronize locally manufactured products and services in the bid to create more jobs.
“Whatever it takes to support companies for them to survive and create jobs is what we are interested in,” he said.
He disclosed this while speaking at the 60th anniversary celebrations of Nestlé Ghana Limited held at the head office of the company in Accra.
Mr. Kyerematen commended Nestlé for its commitment to meeting tax obligations.
“They are paying taxes. My understanding is that they are the second best taxpayer in Ghana. Government needs revenue to be able to support its projects,” he said.
Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana Ltd, Freda Y. Duplan, said the company has survived primarily by creating shared values for both businesses and society.
“At Nestlé, we are proud that the achievement of 60 years of contributing to nutrition, health and wellness has been achieved together with employees, customers, consumers, key external stakeholders such as government and communities, individuals and families,” she said.
Mrs. Duplan said the objective of Nestlé is to enhance the quality of life and contribute to a healthier future.
“We are guided by the value of respect for ourselves, for others, for diversity and for the future.’
She observed that Nestlé’s commitment to local agricultural sector has been encouraging, noting that the company trained more than 50,000 cereal farmers through the Northern Rural Growth programme in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.
Mathias Feldmann, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland in Ghana, lauded the efforts of the multinational company in the socio-economic development of Ghana.
Mrs. Duplan and Mr. Kyerematen unveiled the 60th Anniversary logo of Nestle at the event.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri


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Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo is known as one of the greatest soccer players ever. However, off the field, he has never let his guard down. The Portuguese player has secured his future after retirement from soccer by building a global empire. He has invested in various ventures while also owning the brand CR7. The brand has ventured into different products and the player’s goodwill has played a part in its success.
Ronaldo rakes in a lot of money from different avenues and his net worth in 2023 is estimated to be around $500 million. This is slightly higher than long-time rival Lionel Messi. Ronaldo is the highest-paid soccer player in the world, as of now. He earns a bumper salary of around $213 million a year at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.
In Forbes’ 2022 list of the highest-paid athletes in the world, Ronaldo ranked third with total earnings of $115 million. He was beaten to the top spot by Messi who led the way and LeBron James who was second. However, in the recently released list by Sportico of the highest-paid athletes ever, Ronaldo came in fifth, ahead of LeBron James in sixth and Messi in seventh.
According to Sportico, Ronaldo has earned around $1.58 billion in his life. Meanwhile, James has earned $1.53 billion and Messi has earned $1.48 billion. Leading this list is basketball legend Michael Jordan with approximate lifetime earnings of $3.3 billion.
How much money does Cristiano Ronaldo earn every week?
Most of what Ronaldo earns weekly is from his salary as a player at Al-Nassr. A breakdown of that salary shows that Ronaldo earns approximately $17.75 million monthly and $4.43 million weekly. However, this is not the only way Ronaldo earns his bucks.
Taking a deep dive into his other ventures, we will see he earns in multiple other ways. Firstly, sponsorships and endorsements. Ronaldo has a lifetime contract with Nike. The only other person with such a contract with Nike is LeBron James. It has been reported that James’ contract is worth over $1 billion, however, it is not known how it is divided yearly. But it is speculated that Ronaldo’s contract might be similar. He also endorses Castrol, Armani, and Tag Heuer among other brands.
Ronaldo owns the brand named CR7. It is majorly centered around his underwear line but has evolved into other products. He also owns a chain of hotels under the name Pestana CR7. Ronaldo’s massive social media following also helps him by posting advertisements on social media. He is the most followed person on Instagram and the most followed athlete on Twitter.


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After releasing the January 2022 security patch to the Galaxy S10, S20 series, and Galaxy A52 5G, Samsung is sending the latest security patch update to the Galaxy A50. It is currently rolling out in Brazil and should expand to more regions in the coming days.
The January 2022 software update for Galaxy A50 is rolling out in Brazil with the firmware version A505GTUBS9CVA1. It brings the January security patch, which improves system security and privacy by fixing dozens of vulnerabilities. Also, it improves system performance, device stability, and general bug fixing.
Samsung Galaxy A50 users in Brazil are receiving the January 2022 security patch via the latest OTA update. You can manually check for new updates by navigating to Settings >> Software Updates.
Galaxy A50 was launched in 2019 with Android 9 Pie out of the box. Thanks to two major updates, the device is now running on Android 11. But, the Galaxy A50 is unlikely to receive an Android 12 update. However, it will continue to receive monthly security updates.


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Twitch – a gamers social network, a brave new world for marketers or Amazon’s bid for our TV future?
“It wouldn’t surprise me to see Twitch become the new Netflix, appearing on any system with an Internet connection and a few players willing to play live.”[/quote]
Twitch as is a live streaming app that, at its simplest, allows people to watch other people play video games. Like this idea or loathe it, The 3-year-old company reached a one million milestone in January 2014. That means one million active broadcasters. In a month. In 2015, 100 million viewers spend 106 minutes daily watching live gaming on Twitch. Over 1,000,000 broadcasters share their games live on Twitch monthly, inspiring viewers to become broadcasters themselves.. Influencers are the top 5% of broadcasters who have become “internet famous”.
To put the viewing figures into perspective, Twitch came in just behind web giants Netflix, Google and Apple as the place US web users like to go online during prime time.. Twitch is in a very “buzzy” market right now along with live streamers Meerkat and Periscope though Twitch is the only social platform for gamers. Twitch is already on pc, next generation consoles and mobile. The fact that Amazon bought Twitch for nearly a billion in 2014 may change the state of play for Twitch for ever.
What is streamed on Twitch?
Twitch content seems to fall into 2 main categories: e-sports and hobby playing. E-sport or electronic sports is increasingly attracting both players and brands. For those not in the know, esports is professional competitive videogaming. Not only do people game for a living, but there are professional commentators who sound exactly their hyperactive regular sports equivalents. One of the most popular tournaments is Call of Duty, where players win up to around £260,000. According to The Wall Street Journal, last October, more people – 32 million — watched the streaming of the on-line game League of Legends championship than saw the finales of “The Sopranos,” “24” and “Breaking Bad,” combined.
If you still doubt that e gaming is a legitimate sport, it has come of age with its first illegal drugging scandal. British players will be subjected to random drug testing at competitive video game tournaments after Kory Friesen, a top player, admitted to taking Adderall during an ESL tournament in Poland. In an interview, which can be seen online, Mr Friesen admitted to using the drug, which is usually prescribed to people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and said his former teammates were also using it. He said: “We were all on Adderall. It was pretty obvious… tons of people do it.” With the largest prize pool in the world, roughly £6.5 million, at stake, it’s no wonder they felt under pressure to find a competitive edge. E-sports is being taken so seriously now that there are now even scholarships for e-sports athletes, including one at Robert University in Pennsylvania.
Out of the million or so broadcasters on Twitch, the vast majority – 99-plus% – are fans who use Twitch to share their passion for gaming. In the same way people use Facebook, Twitter or Reddit, Twitch has become a form of social media network for sharing the hobby of gaming. When an anonymous Australian programmer streamed live footage of Pokemon Red in an emulator that was slowly played by thousands of spectators, it drew in a community of over 10 million viewers. Watching the real-time streamers isn’t the same as watching T.V. The audience can comment in real time, “yell” from the on-screen sidelines, record the live streams, or they can host their own Twitch sessions and invite friends to watch virtually. Twitch has its own celebrities who have become “internet famous”. While they may have gained notice first because of being experts at the games they play, more are developing a following through keeping their viewers entertained. While Twitch is free, it offers a subscription model that allows viewers to support both the Twitch community and their favourite streamers. Subscribers get perks like avoiding ads, gaining moderator status in live chat rooms and access to emoticons. If he wishes, any viewer can contribute to the prize money of a local game tournament or directly donate to streamers to keep them playing and entertaining.
Can brands market on Twitch?
According to Quantcast, nearly 94% of Twitch users are male and 64% of them fall into the sought-after consumer demo aged 18 to 34. This is a very attractive and normally difficult-to-reach demographic for marketers. We would expect to see game brand marketing on Twitch, but what about non-gaming products?
Old Spice launched “Old Spice Nature Adventure,” on Twitch to introduce the new Old Spice Fresher Collection. The campaign invited Twitch viewers to control a “live human” for three days in April over the video game viewing platform. Consumers could use the chat feature to command “Nature Man” to do whatever they want him to in a forest. It’s up to the viewers to decide what happens. As suggested by Old Spice, perhaps he can “give that antelope a massage,” or “eat strange berries.” Old Spice called it is the first-ever crowd-sourced gaming experience by a non-videogame brand on Twitch.
To promote the second season of the HBO comedy series “Silicon Valley” the stars of Silicon Valley live streamed a Q&A for the Twitch community and, naturally, played games online during the programme. Twitch live streamed the show’s pilot episode, marking the first time a network has done so on the platform. Silicon Valley and Twitch seem a natural fit, considering actor Thomas Middleditch (who plays main star Richard Hendricks on the show) already is a streamer on the site and the show is about a bunch of geeks. But, more importantly, promoting “Silicon Valley” highlights how Twitch’s live streaming capabilities can be used, live streaming being in the marketing conciousness now, with the releases of Periscope and Meerkat.
Can streamers make money on Twitch?
The answer will depend on how many viewers a streamer can attract. Top streamers can earn anywhere from $1000 to $10,000 per month. A pro League of Legends gamer and Twitch streamer Aphromoo makes $8000 a month from streaming. Twitch partner pays $3.50 per 1,000 people that watch an ad during a stream. However, people that run ad block will not be counted towards the total. Sometimes fans turn off their ad blocks to watch ads to help support their favorite streamers.
When people like a stream, they can choose to become a subscriber. When somebody subscribes to the stream, Twitch gets $4.99 and the streamer gets half of that. A subscriber will have the privilege of not viewing any ads while watching that particular stream that he or she subbed to. He or she might also get special icons or things that are custom made for them. A popular stream can have 1000 subscribers easily and that will bring in another $2,500 monthly.
When you are watching a stream, often times you will see some donations pop up on the stream. The streamer will also thank the donator and his name is shown on it. Donators can also add a custom message if he or she wishes.Streamers usually set up minimum donation amounts to make them show up on the stream. Most streamers will have a minimum of $2 or more for it to show on the stream. Donations can be in the thousands of dollars. The good thing about donations is that the streamer gets a 100% of it. Donations are to show support for that streamer and to encourage them to keep on going.
What will ownership by Amazon mean?
Amazon bought Twitch shares for approximately $970 million in August 2014. It was a twist as just the previous month it was reported that Google had agreed to acquire Twitch for about $1 billion. That deal, however, was never officially confirmed.
Michael Frazzini, vice president for Amazon Games, explained the Twitch purchase in simple terms in an interview with Time magazine.
“I think it’s fairly safe to say at this point that on anything with a screen, games are the No. 1 or 2 activity,” he said.
Tom Standish, the Economist’s Digital Editor, gave an example of how that might work on the newspaper’s Babbage blog :
“From my perspective, I go over to Twitch because there’s a new game out and I want to see what it’s like… I’m probably quite interested in buying this game… (and now) Amazon can just put a ‘buy’ button, right there, underneath the video. So one way you can think about this is that Amazon has just bought access to millions of user-generated adverts for games.”
Another way of looking at it is that Amazon is making a bid for the future of T.V. More and more content is watched on-line, rather than on a television set. Amazon already sells the screens like the Kindle, Fire TV and Fire Phone. Amazon has the content, not only from deals with Netflkix and the like, but with its own high-quality streaming content . With the series “Transparent”, Amazon won its first Golden Globe awards. Twitch brings its own infrastructure and a dedicated built-in audience into this equation. Brands seem to be responding to the marketing possibilities as in the last few months brands such as Coke, T-Mobile, Red Bull, Pizza Hut and Foot Locker have advertised on Twitch. It seems fair to say that gamers aren’t the only people interested in Twitch these days.
The “Super bowl of Gaming” aka the International is streaming on Twitch now. They have smashed prize pool records by offering over $11,000,000. There’s 246, 412 viewers currently. Blog worthy Update, folks? If you care to have a look, there is rampant sponsorship, over-the-top intros, glitzy stadium and an orchestra..


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The U.S. sold about $20 million worth of peanuts to Japanese importers last year, but the American Peanut Council expects that American farmers will be able to sell a lot more in the coming years now that they have a tariff advantage over the Chinese.
India is buying more California walnuts than it ever has, but West Coast farmers see a vast potential for even more trade as they wrap up a new media campaign in the Asian giant that is home to 1.3 billion people.
California’s walnut growers and promoters are eager to expand their reach. During the California Walnut Board and Commission’s industry conference this week, executive director Michelle Connelly said retail sales remained strong during the past year but challenges remain. Other nuts are outspending the walnut industry by as much as 5 times (in the case of almonds).
“Exceptional growing conditions” for almonds will allow the 2020/21 crop to reach 3 billion pounds this year, which will drop prices to historical lows, according to a new report from RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness.
The “phase one” trade deal with China is paying off substantially for commodities like soybeans, corn, wheat and sorghum, but it’s hit or miss for specialty crop farmers, many of whom are still trying to find replacement markets.
The Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs on imported steel, which resulted in retaliatory tariffs on a wide range of farm goods, has survived a constitutional challenge in the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.
President Donald Trump says he wants a trade agreement with India, but suggested Tuesday that a partial pact will come first, followed by a more comprehensive deal later this year or after the election.


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WNT Tools India Pvt Ltd.
On 10th October 2015 WNT India organized a Customer Evening in Jamshedpur. The main topics at this evening were the presentation of the latest technologies from WNT, how these technologies can be implemented at customer plants and how they can increase their productivity by reducing the costs per component.
More than 80 customers attended this event, including medium and top managers from key customers. Mr. Indradeep Datta introduced WNT as an organization and Mr. Tushar Sinare was responsible for presenting the products. To honor this event, they celebrated the success with a WNT cake and a cocktail dinner.
After this event Team WNT has also been invited to visit some customer plants to increase their productivity.


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Warren Buffett famously said that when a good manager meets a bad business, its the managers reputation which suffers.
Im paraphrasing slightly, but Mr Buffetts point was that its less risky to buy firms with good fundamentals than to pin your hopes on difficult turnaround situations.
Its a good principle, but as with any rule, there are times when its worth questioning.
The sudden departure of Barclays chief executive Antony Jenkins has come sooner than expected, but is not a surprise.
Barclays new chairman, John McFarlane, is known as Mac the knife for good reason.
On 17 July, after less than three months in the role of non-executive chairman, Mr McFarlane will become executive chairman of Barclays effectively both chairman and chief executive. He will be in charge of all aspects of the banks strategy and operations.
Shares in Barclays have risen by 4% since the news became public.
The City has high hopes that Mr McFarlane will be able to repeat the successes of his time at insurer Aviva. In less than three years, Mr McFarlane presided over a 95% rise in Avivas share price, thanks to a ruthlessly effective turnaround plan (and a new chief executive).
Mr McFarlane delivered similar results in his previous role as chief executive of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited.
Many investors, including me, bought shares in Barclays for their deep discount to book value and low valuation relative to historic earnings.
Well now have to wait to see if Mr McFarlanes arrival is the catalyst needed to complete the banks recovery.
Tescos problems have been well documented. Yet the firm remains the UKs largest supermarket, with 28.6% of the grocery market. Thats more than Wm Morrison Supermarkets and J Sainsbury combined.
Tesco has both a new chairman, John Allan, and a newish chief executive, Dave Lewis. Mr Lewis has a sterling track record from his time as a product chief at Unilever, but its Mr Allan I want to focus on here.
His most recent role was as chairman of Dixons Carphone, where he oversaw the merger between Dixons and Carphone Warehouse. Shares in the newly-merged company have risen by 32% since the merger completed, in August 2014.
Earlier in his career, Mr Allan was chief executive of logistics firms Ocean Group and then of Exel plc, which he created by merging Ocean with NFC in 2000. Exel was then sold to Deutsche Post in 2005. Mr Allan clearly has a track record of transforming large, manpower-intensive organisations.
Tesco shares currently trade on a 2015/16 forecast P/E of 23, and offer a forecast yield of less than 1%.
Net debt of 9.9bn is far too high.
On the face of it, this isnt an attractive prospect.
However, I doubt that Mr Allan would have accepted this role if he thought that Tesco was a business doomed to a gradual decline.
I expect to see further changes in the supermarket sector, and suspect that with the help of its new management team, Tesco may be one of the eventual winners.
For me, Tesco remains a long-term hold.
However, while both Tesco and Barclays have long-term income potential, if you’re looking for a reliable dividend in today’s market, there may be better options.
A good starting point might be the five companies featured in “5 Shares To Retire On“.
This exclusive Motley Fool wealth report contains details of five high-quality income stocks which the Fool’s experts believe could transform the performance of your portfolio.
This report is FREE and without obligation, but availability is limited.
To receive your report today, click here now.
Roland Head owns shares of Tesco, Barclays, Aviva, Unilever and Wm Morrison Supermarkets. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Barclays. The Motley Fool UK owns shares of Tesco. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.


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Vodafone New Zealand Ltd has been fined $165,000 in the Auckland District Court after pleading guilty to making false price representations in breach of the Fair Trading Act 1986.
It was the fourth time in five years that Vodafone has been sentenced under the Fair Trading Act. The fines imposed now total over $1,607,000 along with a $260,000 payment made in January 2014 a settlement reached with the Commission over Vodafone's promotion of its Broadband Lite service.
The Commerce Commission says it filed charges against Vodafone in May 2016 related to invoices sent to customers who signed on to the "Red Essentials" mobile phone plan between January and December 2014.
It says Vodafone launched the Red Essentials plan at $79 (including GST) per month in August 2013 and subsequently reduced the price to $69 in January 2014 in response to market competition.
"However, Vodafone's billing system did not accurately apply this $10 discount to customers who signed up to the Red Essentials plan from its introduction through to December 2014, causing misleading invoices to be sent to approximately 15,000 customers."
Affected customers were collectively overcharged approximately $92,000, the Commission says, although the majority of customers were overcharged by less than $1 each.
Commissioner Anna Rawlings says customers have been refunded the amounts they were overcharged.
"It is vital that businesses invest in making sure they have strong compliance processes that can support these types of promotional offers, particularly when selling products to a significant customer base," Ms Rawlings says.


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If you've ever had a headache causing a phone call, you're certainly not alone. Veuer's Mercer Morrison has the story.
Verizon's free response to the Robocall plague has arrived.
After the company promised to introduce the features earlier this week, the company fulfilled that promise with Call Filter, a free version of what was previously an option for $ 2.99 per month per line.
With the free version, which has the same name as the paid service, iOS and Android users simply need to download the app from the App Store or Google Play to set it up.
After installing and opening, tap Account, Subscription status, and then Subscribe to sign up for your Android phone. iPhone users just need to open the app, tap Get Call Filter, then tap Subscribe to set up the service for their phone.
The free version of the call filter gives you spam detection, a spam filter and the ability to report numbers. A warning message will be displayed if the incoming call is likely to be spam. With Verizon, you can determine the risk that the network will automatically block calls for you and forward them directly to voicemail.
While the free version is released today, Verizon says it will take about three weeks to become available. You do not need an unlimited plan to sign up, but it does not currently work with a Verizon prepaid plan.
The service also works on ordinary phones, as well as older BlackBerry and Windows phones, if you still have them. Certain features may vary. To set up these devices, either call Verizon, go to a store, or sign in to your "My Verizon" account on the company's website.
Verizon's Call Filter hopes to fight Robocalls. (Photo: Verizon)
The $ 2.99 version of "Call Filter" will still exist. Those who choose will receive a Caller ID to identify the names of unknown callers and the ability to create personal spam and revocation lists.
You also receive a "Robocall Risk Meter" A "high", "medium", "low" scale on your call screen, based on their risk of fraud – and the ability to look up spam numbers.
FTC drops the hammer: The FTC concludes four groups responsible for "billions" of appeals.
No one is certain: AT & T CEO Receives a spam alert during a live interview on his Apple Watch.
Verizon, who also announced on Thursday that the "verified calls" feature has successfully completed on its network, can be used to determine whether a caller is legitimate a notification that it is in addition to the full ten-digit Number is verified. If you want to see the name of a caller, you must pay for the Caller ID feature as part of the Premium Call Filter offer.
The company has begun verification throughout the network and will continue to do so in the coming months.
Verizon is the newest major telecommunications provider to enable the verification feature and is part of the industry to combat spammers. AT & T and Comcast announced last week that they handled the first verified call between their respective digital landline telephone networks.
T-Mobile launched call screening on its mobile network earlier this year, but only for calls between T-Mobile customers and on a limited number of devices, while other carriers are waiting for networks to introduce the feature.
Follow Eli Blumenthal on Twitter @eliblumenthal
Read or Share This Story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2019/03/28/verizons-free-call – filter-hopes-fight-robocalls / 3300713002 /


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A new strain of Panama disease, the fungus that wiped out the Gros Michel variety in the 1950s, has hit the world’s biggest export banana, Cavendish. If left unchecked it could wipe out the cultivar. So what does this mean for UK supply? Are new cultivars about to become common in the nation’s shops? Are the UK’s banana eaters ready to pay a premium for tastier bananas? Produce Business UK speaks to those with an expert opinion
Despite having his fingers in many revolutionary pies Karl Marx’s contribution to the world of fresh produce, as far as we’re aware, was negligible. However, his claim that all historical events happen twice – “the first time as tragedy, the second as farce” – seems remarkably apt when considering the current fate of the banana industry, and, in particular, the export banana market.
Today, the world’s most important banana is the Cavendish variety. According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, 47% of bananas grown across the globe are the Cavendish cultivar. This amounts to 55m tonnes of Cavendish bananas grown each year. In the UK, 5bn bananas are eaten each year – nigh on all of these will be Cavendish.
The Cavendish’s rise to prominence in the Western export markets came in the 1950s after the previous king of bananas, Gros Michel, was decimated by Panama disease, a plant disease and type of fusarium wilt that attacks the roots of banana plants. Cavendish was resistant to this strain of the banana fungus – known as Tropical Race 1 (TR1) – and so became the export banana industry’s go-to banana.
That would be the end of the tale, but for the emergence of a new and far more virulent strain of the banana fungus, Tropical Race 4 (TR4). This soil-borne fungus has now got its teeth into the Cavendish cultivar, and while Cavendish was immune to TR1, it is helpless against TR4. Hence history repeating itself.
“We’re back to the same situation as the last century,” sighs Dr Gert Kema, an expert in global plant production from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands. “Cavendish is now collapsing, there is nothing to replace it and on top of that many local cultivars are equally susceptible to this strain.”
One of the principal problems within the banana industry is its monoculture. Yes, there are different varieties of bananas, concedes Dr Kema, but, in essence, they all go back to Cavendish.
“This monoculture is a highway for developing an epidemic,” he warns. “You slow down epidemics by diversity (of varieties) and that is lacking in bananas nowadays.”
Professor Altus Viljoen, a fusarium expert at South Africa’s Stellenbosch University, echoes Kema’s cautionary tone when discussing the threat posed to monoculture Cavendish banana plantations by TR4.
“It can be devastating,” he says. “It cannot be eradicated from soils, so it will affect any susceptible banana being planted on that soil, even decades after its introduction.”
Is Panama disease headed for Latin America?
Professor Viljoen says the recent outbreak of Tropical Race 4 has seen the disease spread to five Asian countries (China, Taiwan Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines), Australia, the Middle East (Pakistan, Oman, Lebanon and Jordan), and Mozambique in Africa. Talk in the fresh produce industry concerns what happens if it reaches South and Central America?
As Dr Kema notes there is movement across the world in the banana industry. With awareness levels still being relatively low in some cases there is a fear it could reach the Americas.
“As far as we know it’s not there yet,” Dr Kema explains. “But that is the worst case scenario, because what we have already seen is that when it arrives somewhere the chance that it will stay there and will continue disseminating is extremely high.”
Work to counteract Tropical Race 4 takes on three strands: prevention of introduction, early detection and containment, and management. Professor Viljoen says countries in Latin America have introduced excellent strategies to prevent its introduction into the region, whereas Australia and Mozambique are trying to contain the disease at the sites of introduction. The disease is being managed in countries such as Philippines, mainland China and Taiwan with resource management (water and soil management) and the use of resistant Cavendish mutant plants.
The question that needs to be answered is whether the banana industry, in light of Gros Michel’s predicament, was short-sighted in placing all their, pardon the pun, bananas in one basket?
Dr Kema nods sanguinely. “In retrospect it’s always easy to say we were short-sighted, but, yes, we shouldn’t walk away from these conclusions. It’s remarkable, let’s put it that way, that there is so little genetic variation commercially available.”
Diversifying the marketplace
Jim Lorenzen, senior programme officer at The Gates Foundation, which has recently taken an interest in bananas, and a former banana breeder in East Africa, is another to state that while it’s easy to be critical in hindsight, there are other factors to take into consideration. Not least the export banana market business model that relies on low cost production.
“There’s very little flexibility in introducing other novel banana varieties because there’s a cost associated,” he says. “In partnership with the supermarket chains they like to have bananas as a low cost fruit without giving retail space for any other novel varieties. Retail space of course has a cost – so both sides have taken the low cost model. Do I think it was a good call? Probably not.”
The long term aim for the likes of Dr Kema, Professor Viljoen and Lorenzen is unquestionably disease resistance and biodiversity.
Professor Viljoen says: “Disease resistance is the only means to sustainably control the disease. A lot of work is being done in screening existing varieties for resistance, and developing resistant Cavendish bananas by means of mutation breeding and genetic modification. We need to diversify the market. It still remains a phenomenon that almost the entire banana export industry is based on a single variety. The market will have to change, and we also need to develop resistant varieties.”
Breeding resistant varieties
For Dr Kema this is the long-term strategic goal – evaluating resistance to TR4 in as many banana varieties as possible.
“If we have screened for resistance and have found sources of resistance you can use that material in classical breeding or in genetically modified (GM) bananas, once you have the genes cloned. For us, there is no preference between GM and classical breeding. I think classical breeding is necessary, but we should also use the latest tools in a commercial setting for delivering new varieties.”
This is why the lack of lack of commercially driven banana breeding programmes worries Dr Kema. In his opinion the ideal scenario is to involve highly professional breeding companies and use the latest technology to explore and exploit genetic variation in a commercially driven banana breeding programme.
“That’s the key to bring more diversity to the market,” he says. “ And by doing that we can provide consumers with a different set of tastes and sizes – like we have in any other fruit. And of course from the pathology point of view make sure that we have diversity in the fields so that we are not confronted with these huge risks for epidemics.”
Involving the banana giants
So what about the big banana companies? When asked for comment for this article, Dole and Chiquita didn’t reply, while Fyffes said it wasn’t interested in commenting at this juncture. Dr Kema says the big boys are interested in what he’s doing. But this has yet to be backed up with any investment.
“The budget that we have generated comes from a lot of other stakeholders in the banana world,” he explains. “These companies have always been interested. I meet with them and discuss what we are doing, but the fact that is that so far, there is not a single dollar from them in our programme. Which is surprising. It’s also an indication too – even for the short-term issues… eventually you confirm your serious interest, I think, by joining these efforts. You can always say ‘very important, very interesting’ but if there are no financial contributions, eventually you have to question whether you’re really that serious.”
He continues: “It is truly surprising that the big companies have their business in one ship – Cavendish. But it’s sinking, and they haven’t invested anything in structural solutions. Apart from one company: Chiquita has been involved in a breeding programme in Honduras. I don’t know how much money it has spent, but the overall attitude is one of hardly investing. I see it as my duty to get these companies involved. We really should build a programme that is attractive to these companies that has promising ideas to eventually come up with a replacement for Cavendish and that is better than Cavendish.”
Marketing specialised varieties
And here there have to be opportunities. For instance, Lorenzen believes that eventually bananas are going to receive the same sort of specialised marketing that other fruits have benefitted from.
“There’s been tremendous change in the retail industry in the last 20 to 30 years in terms of variety-specific marketing,” he says. “Apples, cherries, lots of different fruits, so I think bananas will go that way.”
So will there be a wider price differentiation in bananas going forward? Will consumers be willing to pay a premium for quality bananas? Lorenzen points out that some of the upscale supermarket chains across the world do carry tropical and/or speciality bananas and they come at a higher cost, as do organic bananas.
“If you travel in the Tropics some of the speciality varieties have more of the sweet, acid taste – what are sometimes called apple bananas – and they are so tasty. Anybody who eats them remarks on how they’re better than what we get in the north, so, yes, I think there would be potential for price differential for superior quality bananas. We don’t often see much of the colour variants but you can have red bananas or dark green bananas that are actually ripe, orange bananas… there’s a lot of diversity that hasn’t been tapped.”
And as Dr Kema says: “From a breeding perspective I’m not interested in Cavendish at all. The reality, of course, is that in the Western world consumers eat Cavendish. But I think they eat Cavendish because they don’t know anything else.”
Perhaps the high profile work of The Gates Foundation can push consumers towards new varieties. It recently began investing in banana breeding for East Africa, a major project through the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). And while its primary focus, according to Jim Lorenzen, is the staple food bananas of Africa (of which there are two varieties – the East African Highland banana and the African plantains) – there are conscious by-products of this work too.
“Breeding bananas is breeding bananas,” he says, “and part of our goal is to also develop global goods. So if our project develops parents with good resistance to Tropical Race 4, those are available to breeders anywhere in the world and we expect they can and will be used for breeding better dessert bananas. While we’re not directly investing in breeding better dessert bananas we expect the global goods arising from our investment would be available to those that aren’t.”
Shifting times ahead
In conclusion then, the banana industry – the export banana industry in particular – is on the precipice of great change.
“It’s hard to imagine that it won’t change in the next 50 years,” concludes Lorenzen. “I would really hope that the main players and the global industry would step up and help define that future in a proactive way. So that there is funding for breeding for other ways to deal with these types of situations. Because in the long run, genetic uniformity is inherently unstable.”
Within this state of flux opportunities will appear – can the market encourage a take up of bananas that aren’t mass-produced but everyone recognises taste better? Will consumers accept genetically modified bananas?
As Marx himself might have said were he still alive today: Banana lovers of the world unite. You have nothing to lose but a monoculture that encourages devastating epidemics.


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Chatwins has rebranded the stores in Chester the city centre, Hoole and Blacon along with one in Ellesmere Port, and employed 28 of the staff who were made redundant. However, it decided not to take on the two other shops in Chester because sales were too low.
Chairman Edward Chatwin said it was an opportunity to further the chain’s presence in the Chester area. "This is an exciting development for Chatwins," he said. "Like ourselves, Davies of Chester is a well-known family bakery business dating back a century or more. Their custo-mers expect high-quality confectionery and savoury products and I’m sure they will welcome the Chatwins brand."
He said Chatwins planned to focus on bake-off and the lunchtime trade in the newly acquired stores. The deal fits with Chatwins’ growth across Cheshire and Staffordshire; it now boasts 23 retail outlets and three coffee lounges, supplied by its Nantwich bakery. "We are blessed with loyal and dedicated staff," said Chatwin. "I’m sure with their support and by utilising the spare capacity in our bakery we can make a success of this expansion."
Earlier this month, Frank Roberts and Sons announced that it had bought P&A Davies’ central bakery.
Administrator Baker Tilly Tax and Accounting said the two remaining stores were not being marketed and that it was up to the landlords who own the lease to decide what to do with them.


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REUTERS: A new lawsuit accuses Nestle SA of blatantly violating the rights of Atari by using without permission the classic 1970s video game ‘Breakout’ in a new marketing campaign for its Kit Kat chocolate-covered wafers.
In a complaint filed on Thursday in federal court in San Francisco, Atari said Nestle knowingly exploited the ‘Breakout’ name, look and feel through social media and a video, hoping to leverage “the special place it holds among nostalgic Baby Boomers, Generation X, and even today’s Millennial and post-Millennial ‘gamers.’”
Nestle did not immediately respond to requests for comment after regular business hours.
Created as a successor to ‘Pong’ by Steve Wozniak with help from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, “Breakout” requires a player to knock down rows of colored bricks with a paddle.
According to Atari, “Nestle simply took the classic ‘Breakout’ screen, replaced its bricks with KitKat bars, and invited customers to ‹breakout› and buy more candy bars.»
Atari’s complaint includes a link to an ad for Kit Kat Bites, titled “Kit Kat: Breakout,” showing adults and children seated on a coach, using paddles to knock down Kit Kat bars.
“The infringing conduct in this case is so plain and blatant that Nestle cannot claim to be an ‘innocent’ infringer,” the complaint said. “Nestle knew exactly what it was doing.”
Atari accused Nestle of copyright and trademark infringement and unfair competition.
It is seeking three times Nestle’s profit from the alleged infringement, plus triple and punitive damages. Nestle SA, Nestle UK and Nestle USA were named as defendants.
The case is Atari Interactive Inc v Nestle SA et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 17-04803.
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Surprise winner of Facebook mania: Google
The search giant, up 7% since February, is benefiting from a halo effect, one expert says.
By Jonnelle Marte
While Facebook (FB) nabbed the lion’s share of media attention heading into its record-setting IPO on Friday, an older Internet giant’s stock was quietly rising.
Google (GOOG) shares have jumped more than 7% since Facebook filed for its initial public offering on Feb. 2, while the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index is down about 1%. How to explain this market-beating performance? Some analysts say Google is likely benefiting from the hype surrounding Facebook -- and the inability for most regular investors to get in on the IPO at a decent price. It’s also seen as an attractive option for tech investors who can’t stomach the risks of investing in newly public companies, says Devin Pope, a wealth adviser for Albion Financial Group in Salt Lake City. "Google is a way to get exposure to social media without the risks and some of the potential unknowns from a company like Facebook," he says.
Indeed, despite all the pent-up demand for shares of Facebook, advisers say there are plenty of reasons to not buy in. First, most IPOs lose money, studies show, with even the hottest stock offerings popping soon after their first day of trading. Young companies also haven’t shown they can earn stable revenue, making it difficult for investors to measure their true worth, says Pope. They may also make blunders when reporting their financial results, he says, as happened with Groupon shortly after it went public.
Google, on the other hand, has been reporting earnings for years and has demonstrated profitability, analysts say. It also maintains a strong hold on the online advertising business, unaffected by Facebook’s gains in that area, says Rick Summer, a senior equity analyst for Morningstar. Google successfully expanded its search capacity -- and those ads -- through its other services like Google maps, Gmail and Google places -- a good sign for investors who want to see growth, says Summer.
And yet Summer says Google remains decently priced -- even with the recent run-up -- making it even more attractive to value-conscious investors. Morningstar puts the fair valuation of Google at $780 a share, 20% more than the stock’s current price. Facebook, on the other hand, it has a fair value of $32 a share, making the $38 IPO price expensive. "If you’re going to make an investment in the sector we think it’s a no brainer that you should be allocating money toward Google," says Summer.
Investors are "friending" other tech stocks, too. LinkedIn (LNKD), the professional networking site, is up 45% since February, while Apple has gained 16%. “There’s a halo effect and I think it goes beyond Google,” says Milo Benningfield, a financial adviser based in San Francisco. "Facebook is the rising tide that is raising all the boats."
More from SmartMoney.com
Wow,I wish I was smart enough to understand that logic!
Now do something with this wealth besides join the soon to be hanging in trees 1%!
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Forget Facebook: DataCoup allows users to sell their private data directly to businesses. But will consumers feel comfortable taking them up on the offer?
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David Fields got into the heating, ventilation and air conditioning business more than 20 years ago, helping his father-in-law on weekends and evenings. What started out as a part-time job eventually pushed Fields to change careers; he bought Wayne’s Heating and Cooling in 2007.
Since getting his start, Fields has seen many changes in HVAC equipment and how manufacturers run their businesses. One of the biggest challenges is keeping up with new technology.
“[The technology] is always changing,” Fields said. “It’s consumer-driven, so manufacturers are always trying to make equipment smarter, easier to navigate, or remotely controlled … You have to constantly train your employees to stay ahead of the new technology curve.”
One of the biggest trends Fields sees is communicating equipment, which makes it easier to monitor systems remotely.
“Everything is now becoming connected,” he said. “You can monitor your system remotely. You can change your temperatures, and it’ll send you reminders when you have something wrong or it’ll also duly remind your contractor.”
Technology trends also change how the business itself runs: With more manufacturers online, online ordering and tracking have become more regular.
Fields remembers communicating equipment first coming on the scene more than five years ago. He says while his company embraces new technology, other people in the industry might be more hesitant.
“In our industry, a lot of contractors do not like change – they like to do what they know,” Fields said. “Our company believes in new technology. We also believe in training for it.”
Before the pandemic sent the world into quarantine, Fields said they were in constant contact with manufacturers setting up in-person trainings. These have slowed down quite a bit, but Fields and his team still have some on the schedule like an upcoming training on inverter technology.
Most of the technology changes in HVAC are focused less on equipment and more on indoor air quality.
“Folks are starting to understand and become more educated about the environment inside their home, not just the environment outside their home,” Fields said. “They’re more interested in the quality of the air they breathe.”
One of the services Fields offers to meet customer demands is indoor air quality testing. During this test, a technician conducts a 30-minute third-party air cycle test in the person’s home. When finished, they send the test to a lab where it’s analyzed. When Fields’ team gets the report back, they read it with the owner, and depending on the test results, recommend products that can help.
The test itself detects volatile organic compounds. In layman terms, these can be described as odors and chemicals in the air. They are not necessarily harmful, but their prevalence in the air can allow insight into how well the home is ventilated.
“Odors and chemicals are not necessarily bad,” Fields said. “The reason you typically detect high levels of VOCs is because the home is not ventilated properly. It’s not exchanging air well enough.”
It’s common for homes to fail an indoor air quality test: Fields estimates that nine out of ten tests they run fail.
People’s interest in indoor air quality may have risen since the start of the pandemic, and Wayne’s has seen an uptick in requests for air quality products.
“We haven’t directly asked if it is because of COVID-19, but if we had to make an assumption, I would say that probably has quite a bit to do with it,” Fields said.


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Two West Seattle men broke into a card store and stole up to $2,000 worth of Pokémon cards.
Pokemon cards continue to be a sign of wealth as the value of the collectible creature set has rivaled coveted sneakers and, in some cases, even more.
As the value of iconic cards continues to rise, there are numerous reports of people barging into stores to acquire these precious items, resell them, and sometimes add them to their own collection.
On April 25, 2022, a Kiro7 article reported that once again these valuables had been robbed.
West Seattle Men on the Loose: $2,000 Pokemon Cards Stolen From Store
As first reported by Kiro7, an unnamed duo of men broke into a West Seattle card store and made off with valuable goods, including Pokémon cards and cards. Magic: the Gathering.
The store, known as Meeples Games, alerted the West Seattle outlet that the incident happened around “Thursday around 5am”.
Meeples also provided surveillance footage illustrating how the two men broke into the establishment and escaped with the store’s merchandise.
According to a Meeples Games employee named Dani Kennedy, the game store is located on the second floor, which understandably makes the entrance to the business quite difficult to reach without some sort of assistance.
Because of this, Dani and the rest of the store employees believe that the two men must at least know the company or someone who works or has worked there.
“We are a local, family-run store. And the door alone is going to cost an arm and a leg to fix,” employee Dani Kennedy said. “We survived COVID and were just getting back on our feet.”
The two anonymous thieves must be arrested and have been free since April 25.


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Credit Information Bureau of India (CIBIL) will start providing individuals with one free credit report a year, Reserve Bank chief Raghuram Rajan said today.
- Banks use credit report to check credit worthiness of an individual
- CIBIL will provide free credit report by the end of the year
- This new step will help individuals check their credit rating, he said
The credit report is used by financial institutions to check the credit worthiness of an individual before dispensing a loan.
Individuals have to currently pay around Rs 500 to CIBIL to get their credit report. CIBIL, which was founded in 2000, is among the leading providers of credit reports on individuals.
"By the end of the year, the Credit Information Bureau of India will start providing individuals with one free credit report a year, so that they can check their credit rating and petition if they see possible discrepancies," Dr Rajan said at a seminar on 'Transforming Rural India through Financial Inclusion'.
"When an individual knows that a default will spoil their credit rating and cut off future access to credit, they have strong incentives to make timely payments," Dr Rajan said.
Dr Rajan's three-year term ends on September 4.
The RBI chief also said that credit information bureaus have helped tremendously in solving both the information problem in retail credit.
Dr Rajan said that there is a need to expand the reach of credit bureaus in rural areas by bringing borrowing under self-help groups into their ambit.


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Port Augusta Police are investigating a robbery at a liquor store last night.
About 7.50pm on Saturday 30 April, a man entered the store on Commercial Road, Port Augusta and threatened staff with a knife. He stole cash and miniature alcohol bottles.
He fled the store and was last seen heading west along El Alamein Road.
No one was physically injured during the robbery.
Patrols quickly arrived on scene and searched the area for the suspect but he has not yet been located.
The suspect is described as of Caucasian appearance, about 170 cm tall, with sandy blonde hair and a heavy build. He was wearing a blue face mask, dark blue Lacoste hooded jumper with distinctive logos on the left sleeve, black trackpants and blue sneakers with white soles.
Anyone who recognises the man captured in CCTV, his clothing or has any information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au


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Draya Michele channeled the ’90s for Superdown.
The actress and development entrepreneur has been part of Revolve’s 3,500-influencer library for the previous couple of years. In April, the e-tailer launched Superdown, a procuring website and apparel mannequin geared towards Gen Z and millennial consumers. Shortly after launch, Superdown launched a small capsule assortment with DJ Slash influencer Chantel Jeffries. Now Superdown is working with Michele on a garments line that releases new merchandise every month.
“I’ve been in the fashion industry for 10 years, most of the time I get inspiration for all my brands from travel and Instagram, seeing what other girls are wearing and trying to keep up with trends and what’s going on in the world.” Michelle Er talked about. “I’m inspired by the world around me, social media and iconic fashion eras, the 90s and 2000s. I’m really happy that the 90s trend is back and it’s now in fashion, hair and makeup .I’m waiting for the 2000s, the return of little baby Ts and shiny lipsticks.”
Michelle shot to fame when she starred in VH1’s actuality current “Basketball Wife,” and has 7.5 million Instagram followers, a number of whom are of their 20s and 20s, and reside all through the U.S., largely in New York. Michele has three of her private fast development producers: Mint Swim, with 262,000 Instagram followers; a streetwear label generally known as Fine Ass Girls and an informal label generally known as Beige & Coco.
According to Revolve Chief Brand Officer Raissa Gerona, their collaboration with Superdown marks the first of what the mannequin is perhaps in a further impactful assortment.


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The coronavirus pandemic has changed our relationship with fast food. Recent financial disclosures and earnings calls from some of the world’s largest quick-service restaurant companies give us a detailed idea of how they are adapting as a result.
Quick, convenient, low-contact meals from fast-food chains have helped many people through the pandemic. Drive-through business has boomed as people avoid going indoors and try to keep their distance. Many in the industry have focused on maximizing contact-free experiences like delivery and curbside pickup.
Locations outside the US have taken more of a hit due to stricter lockdowns, but many businesses continue to see growth. Global pizza chain Domino’s, for example, just had its 38th consecutive quarter of sales growth.
As Americans put their normal routines and commutes on hold and stayed home, breakfast and morning coffee sales fell—but mid-morning sales ticked up. And businesses also report that customers are now placing larger orders, for more people.
Here are some other bright spots fast-food executives are seeing at their restaurants.
Photos by David Yanofsky.


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The companies announced the deal in September 2023.
The General Superintendent’s Office (SG) of Brazil’s competition authority CADE has unconditionally approved the acquisition of Grupo CRM, the owner of the Kopenhagen and Brasil Cacau chocolate brands, by Nestlé.
The deal was filed with CADE on 18 November 2023, the Portuguese-language item said. The SG has found sufficient elements to dismiss Nestlé’s potential exercise of market power in the five overlapping relevant markets and concluded that the parties would not have the capacity or incentives to foreclose any of the vertically related markets.
As a result, the deal does not raise competition concerns, the item noted.
The consummation of the deal is bound by the CADE/Nestlé merger control agreement (ACC), under which the company agreed not to buy any assets from third parties amounting to a 5% share of the Brazilian market for chocolate-in-all-forms in the year prior to the transaction, the item stated.
In June of 2023, the country's antitrust authority CADE approved the acquisition of local chocolate maker Garoto by Nestlé Brasil with a number of conditions. The company said it intends to invest 2.7bn reais ($550.8m) into its chocolate and biscuit operations in Brazil up to 2026.
Overall, the company employs more than 30,000 people in Brazil and has 20 industrial units and nine distribution centres.


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Tesla calls the Model 3, which the company revealed last week, “our most affordable car yet.” At a starting price of $35,000, they’re not wrong, but affordability is relative. In their eagerness to see Elon Musk’s electric car empire overthrow the old, traditional combustion engine, Tesla supporters might overlook how the Model 3 makes the auto market more uncomfortable for those who can’t already afford whatever they want anyway.
Tesla’s flagship Model S sedan starts at $70,000, and runs well above $100,000 when fully loaded. According to Kelly Blue Book, the average price of a car in America last year was $33,543, a 3.4 percent increase from 2014. By that measure alone, the Model 3 is competitive. And given the fact that, according to KBB, 80 percent of new-car buyers reported looking at an electric vehicle when in the market for a new car, it bodes well for the future of the electric segment.
Not that Tesla needs any predictions. Less than a week after opening reservations for the Model 3, Musk reported that Tesla had received 276,000 orders. At $1,000 per reservation, those pre-orders will easily reach $300 million in immediate revenue to Tesla and $10 billion in hypothetical future revenue. (Hypothetical because the reservation terms and conditions allow customers to cancel their order at any time, in which case the company will issue a full refund.)
Meanwhile, many hundreds of thousands of vehicles is a lot to produce, even for a more established manufacturer than Tesla. The Toyota Camry was the most popular car in America last year, with 429,355 vehicles sold, followed by the Toyota Corolla at 363,332 and the Honda Accord with 355,557. For its part, Tesla delivered 25,202 Model S cars in the U.S. during that same period. To put that figure in context, it’s about the same number of Lexus GX460 full-size SUVs or Fiat 500 hatchbacks that were sold last year. All of which is to say: For the Model S to reach Camry or Accord-levels of popularity, Tesla would have to ramp up its production capacity quickly and substantially to start delivering by its late-2017, as the company has promised. In all likelihood, many Model 3 reservation customers will wait longer than two years for their vehicles.
Despite the decidedly average sticker price, would-be Model 3 buyers are not necessarily average themselves. For one part, Tesla extended first dibs to its existing customers, which is just to say, folks who can afford $100,000 cars. For another part, it takes a special kind of customer to be able to drop $1,000 on the promise of a new car a few years down the road, even if the deposit can be refunded.
Consider the seven early Model 3 buyers that Mashable profiled this week. Even if anecdotal and skewed due to selection via Twitter, the sample points to an undeniable pattern: they are young, mostly white (one is South Asian), mostly male, mostly work in tech, and mostly live mostly in the Bay Area. One of the two women Mashable spoke with is a race-car driver who already owns a Model S. These are not everymen and women; they are elites. Tesla is still the BMW of electric cars.
By contrast, the average new car buyer in 2015 put down only 10.4 percent cash, which means that the average down payment was $3,488. For the average person who needs a new car, tying up a third of a down payment in electric-vehicle futurism is an unaffordable indulgence.
In fact, electric cars are exerting an under-discussed uncertainty on the car-buying market. The promise of cleaner, cheaper-operating electric vehicles—particularly at a price point that ordinary folk can afford—makes buying a traditional combustion or even a hybrid vehicle a riskier proposition than it was just a few years ago. Meanwhile, the conditions for electric-vehicle adoption have become less favorable since the Model S was introduced. For one part, some states have significantly reduced the tax incentives that made more affordable electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf appealing, pushing typical buyers back toward cheaper combustion vehicles. And for another part, falling oil prices dropped the cost of gas to under $2 at the start of this year. As with the hybrids that came before them, electric vehicles never offered an appealing financial proposition as compared to combustion-engine automobiles.
Meanwhile, the design of electric vehicles makes their affordability and broad appeal more limited than they appear on first blush. The Leaf, the Chevy Volt, and the Tesla Model 3 are all smaller sedans. It’s a popular segment, as Toyota’s and Honda’s sales figures attest. But such vehicles also assume a certain type of use: They’re mostly perfect for the urban commuter. In other words, these are vehicles for solo drivers, young professionals, and the childless.
Tesla’s Model X claims to be a crossover, but it costs just as much as the Model S (and that’s before we bring up the gaudy “falcon wing” doors). The company also promises a crossover rendition of the Model 3 (the Model Y, it’s been rumored), but the result would mostly offer an alternative aesthetic rather than a different function. Anyone looking for the EV-rendition of a minivan—you know, uh, families and stuff—has no business thinking about a Tesla, except as a bedroom wall adornment (and really, as if).
But it’s not obvious what they should be thinking about instead, either. This year, Chrysler is re-launching its minivan line as the Pacifica, including an option to add a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that can go up to 30 miles on electric power alone—although it’s not yet clear how much the option will add to the Pacifica’s roughly $30,000 base price. And who knows what better option might come along next year? New cars have always depreciated precipitously in the first two years, but the uncertainty surrounding the future of transport will hit ordinary buyers the hardest. A boon in affordable electrics will make late-model combustion cars worth less at resale or trade-in. And soon enough autonomous vehicles might come along and disrupt the entire sector anyway.
In such an environment, only the privileged can see the future of electric vehicles as concentrated excitement rather than as anxious uncertainty. For the ordinary driver, affordable electric vehicles mostly produce uncertainty about the wisdom of buying and owning any kind of vehicle whatsoever. Some might celebrate that body-blow to the American obsession with automobiles, but many U.S. cities are unlivable without a car, and investments in transit and other improvements to transportation infrastructure have been limited to non-existent.
Even setting aside the privilege of pre-ordering, even those who can afford a Model 3 and its associated deposit are not really buying a car, anyway. They are buying an option on a car purchase for some time in the future, a time implied (but not affirmed) by the relative order of the reservation. That means that some portion of early buyers might see the $1,000 fee as a speculative investment rather than a pre-down payment. The earlier you reserve, the sooner your option will mature. And the more people that appear to be ordering, the more uncertain the maturity of each subsequent option becomes. Meanwhile, the scarcer Model 3s become due to potential future production delays, the more valuable the underlying option to purchase one now at the fixed price of $35,000 becomes.
Of course, options securities only hold value if they can be exercised. And technically, Tesla’s reservation terms prohibit the sale, transfer, or assignment of reservations “without the prior written approval of Tesla.” Some pre-order customers might not bother reading the fine print, and others might not care. Or they might assume—and rightly, I’d wager—that Tesla will never turn down a $35,000 check on the table, no matter who signs it. And at worst, the legitimate Model 3 buyer could just transfer the title on the spot.
Sure, would-be Model 3 speculators might be better off just investing their $1,000 in Tesla stock instead. But they might not! $1,000 invested in TSLA two years ago would only have net roughly $200 in profit if sold today. And besides, there is no truer expression of the merger of the automotive and tech industries than the automobile’s conversion into a financial instrument. The Model 3 might look like a car for the everyman, and someday it might become one. But for now it’s something else entirely: a kickstartery way to back Elon Musk, who may not be worth backing. Even if Musk manages to pull off a string of huge deliveries, his success would likely trigger investment from the major car companies, many of which have a massive capital advantage over Tesla. Maybe that’s why the company’s stock has barely moved for two years.


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Quiksilver Slow Turnaround Continues
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The surf apparel giant reported that it narrowed its pro-forma loss from continuing operations in its first quarter ended Jan. 31, to $16 million, or 10 cents per share, compared with a loss of $26 million, or 16 cents, a year ago. The improvement, however, was largely the result of income tax benefits...(3/7/2014)
Skullcandy Completes Off-Price Purge, Readies Walmart Launch
Having largely completed its purge of off-price dealers, Skullcandy Inc. will turn its attention in 2014 to adding retailers who meet its turnaround criteria, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the company disclosed Thurday...(3/7/2014)
Dorel’s Cycling Sports Group Ends 2013 in the Dog House
Restructuring charges at Dorel Industries Inc.’s once, high-flying Cycling Sports Group (CSG) dragged down the Canadian company’s net income by nearly 43 percent in the fourth quarter. Dorel said currency-neutral organic sales at its Recreational/Leisure segment grew just 1 percent while gross margin dropped 380 basis points...(3/6/2014)
Adidas’ Outlook Dampened by Currency Woes
Excluding the impact of currency-fluctuations, Adidas Group reported a blowout fourth quarter, with currency-neutral (C-N) sales ahead 12 percent and operating profit up almost fourfold compared to the prior year. On a C-N basis, Adidas Brand sales grew 10.3 percent, Reebok advanced 8.9 percent, and TaylorMade Adidas Golf expanded 25.3 percent...(3/5/2014)
Groupe GO Sport Says 2013 Sales Decline Belies Success of Courir Footwear Chain
France’s Groupe GO Sport reported fourth quarter sales declined 1.6 percent to €159.6 million ($217mm), or 1.7 percent in currency-neutral (c-n) terms, as declines at its flagship GO Sport operation in France more than offset growth at Courir, the footwear chain that is having growing success outside the running space...(3/3/2014)
Deckers Outdoor Rides Ugg Turnaround in Q4
While its outlook disappointed Wall Street, Deckers Outdoor Corp. delivered a robust fourth-quarter, with earnings ahead 43.7 percent on higher gross margins and double-digit top-line growth. Among its larger brands, sales grew 18.1 percent at Ugg, 45.2 percent at Sanuk, and 13.6 percent at Teva...
Champion: $2 billion And Growing
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Jos. A Bank Could Still Back Out of $825M Deal to Acquire Eddie Bauer
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In 2018, the average sale price of a Portola Valley home was almost the same as 2017’s record high. With just a slight decline of $34,861, the year’s average price ended at $3,461,909. This is a drop of less than 1% and is still 87% higher than it was in the recession low of 2010. However, the median price was 11% higher than it was in 2017 and was a record high at $3,340,000. This is more than double what the median price was just 9 years ago when it was $1,650,000 in 2009. Keep in mind that any properties sold in Portola Valley off the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) are not part of this review.
The fourth quarter of 2018 had the highest average price of the year when three of the four highest sales (all in the $6 million price range) closed escrow. Following suit, the median price was also the highest in the fourth quarter; contributing to this was the fact that there were no sales for less than $2.1 million.
Strong demand for homes in Portola Valley was clearly evidenced by the number that sold for more than list price. Of the 60 sales, 29 sold for more than list price, which represents 48%. One home sold for 66% more than list price and 10 homes sold for double-digit percent increases over list price.
It took longer to sell a property in Portola Valley in 2018 at an average of 41 days, up from 32 days in 2017 and from the record low 30 days in 2015. This is still much faster than it was between 2002 to 2012 when the average days on market was 57+ and some years reaching 80 days. On a very positive note, half of all sales in 2018 occurred in just 11 days or less.
The number of closed escrows in Portola Valley fell from 76 sales in 2017 to 60 sales in 2018, the lowest number since 2010 when there were 53 sales. The highest number of sales in the past 10 years was in 2014 with 84 sales.


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During the finale, the models poured sand through their fingers, reinforcing the “always was, always will be” message about Aboriginal land that was omnipresent through the entire show.
Lee said performer Electric Fields’ rendition of From Little Things, Big Things Grow, performed in front of guests including former foreign minister Julie Bishop and singer Jessica Mauboy, sent “a real strong and meaningful message”.
“We’re here with open arms wanting the support, wanting the conversation and wanting to grow. And we want to do that unitedly [with the wider fashion industry],” she said.
The Indigenous component of fashion week, which began on Monday with a welcome to country, yet another first, continues on Thursday with a show featuring six more established Indigenous designers, who are being mentored by some of Australia’s biggest brands and retailer David Jones.
Denni Francisco, of Ngali, says it was overdue to have an “elevation of Indigenous fashion and the recognition” at fashion week.
“For quite some time there have been First Nations people doing amazing collections and artworks. Now it’s starting to be more in the mainstream … that’s great. I really look forward to a time when it’s not unusual, when it’s an expectation.”
She likes to think the show falling on the Mabo anniversary is a case of “ancestral intervention”. “It is the day that continues to reinforce we are here, we have always been here and we have a voice.”
Francisco ’s latest collection is built around the theme of “seeing from above”, especially after the challenges the world has faced in the past year. The lines in her prints “give us the opportunity to say there are always different ways to see things”.
David Giles-Kaye, head of Indigenous Fashion Projects, which oversaw the show, agreed the ultimate goal for the designers featured in the runway is “taking that next step towards being a label that could have their own runway next year or the year after”.
Mr Giles-Kaye, the former boss of the Australian Fashion Council, says several of the Indigenous designers were “on the cusp” of securing representation with major retailers, and a platform such as Australian Fashion Week could be the boost that locks in a deal for one or more of them.
He says an important part of building the profile of Indigenous designers was educating the buying public on how to wear pieces back with other brands, without fear of cultural insensitivity.
Bridget Veals, head of womenswear at David Jones, said the mentors, which include P.E Nation, Bianca Spender and Bassike, have provided the Indigenous brands with practical assistance on skills ranging from social media to production.
“One [designer] just wants to make more money so she can put more back into her community,” Veals said. “It’s definitely not been a one-size-fits-all approach [to mentoring them].”
Veals says she will be looking at the commercial potential of the brands on the runway on Thursday.
“Commercially, Julie Shaw, from Maara Collective, is the most advanced, and we would look to see how to support her further,” Veals said. “But it’s still early days for the partnership … We’re opening the door to what could be next for these designers.”
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