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By Tyler Lacoma
When advertisements debuted portraying Natassia Malthe as a svelte and dangerous character known only as "Scarlet," the red-eyed heroine looked like trouble.
Sure enough, the presumed star of a new action-spy TV series turned out to be in truth, LG's latest LCD television screen, the slimmest model yet designed by the electronics company. Now, four months after the official Scarlet TV release, she again proves her penchant for subterfuge by featuring in a litigation case begun by video camera company RED for alleged trademark infringement by LG.
Following its scandalous three-month advertising campaign which hinted at a coming Alias-style television series, LG Electronics introduced the Scarlet TV line in April 2008. The new model featured light sensor technology, 1080p resolution, four different sizes, and a "striking" crimson color, according to the Scarlet website.
However, the success of the new line was interrupted by a lawsuit, filed by RED CEO, Jim Jannard in Orange County, California. Jannard accused LG of taking the "Scarlet" brand name from the high-end digital video camera company, despite RED's denial of their request.
"LG released the Scarlet TV even after asking us permission and us turning them down," said Jannard in the RED online forum Reduser.net. "I guess they thought they could just 'take it.'"
Jannard also requested that all RED camera users give RED Digital Cinema credit wherever appropriate.
Notably, both companies' ‘Scarlet’ brands appear to be focusing on digital resolution and dimension. The Scarlet professional video camera, featuring a compact size and 3k shooting quality, is due to be released by RED in early 2009, although given the legal tangles of trademark infringement, it is uncertain whether the lawsuit will be settled by then. Jannard appears to expect the process to take some time. Said Jannard, “My bet is that this is just the tip of the iceberg."
Should the lawsuit come down to timing, Jannard further claims that RED registered its trademark before LG, both in the United States "and most (all but two) countries."


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Ubisoft acquires Trials developer RedLynx
Finnish studio joins publisher with franchise building in mind
Ubisoft has acquired Finnish developer RedLynx, which produced cult hit Trials. No terms of the deal have been made public.
A statement by Ubisoft's Yves Guillemot indicated that the publisher wanted to build on the Trials brand, which racked up over two million downloads on XBLA, including DLC packs.
"The team at RedLynx has developed exceptionally strong digital brands that stand out for their high replay value, their long tail sales and their multiplatform positioning," said Guillemot.
"We are delighted to welcome RedLynx to the Ubisoft family. Their expertise in asynchronous online games and physics-based game mechanics provides us with a great opportunity to bring their powerful brands, most notably Trials, to an even broader range of fast-growing digital platforms."
"We were attracted by Ubisoft's focus on creativity and quality, and the fact that they base their long-term strategy on both the traditional and digital distribution video game markets," added RedLynx CEO Tero Virtala.
"The reality of today's market is not about platforms, it's about creating excellent gaming experiences that consumers can play on any device or screen they like. As part of the Ubisoft team, RedLynx will be able to focus even more intently on creating stand-out, excellent brands that push the boundaries of online gaming in many new growth areas.
"With Ubisoft, a wider audience will get the chance to enjoy our games, we'll generate more value for our brands, and also leverage our experience more broadly in digital distribution channels."
The deal marks the second acquisition for Ubisoft this year, after taking control of free-to-play studio Owlient in July.

domain: news


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Entrepreneur Mark Cuban has posted on Twitter to ask why Apple has not banned the app from the iOS App Store, apparently for violating app review policies – specifically those concerning “objectionable” user-generated content.
Cuban calls on Apple to banish Twitter
Cuban posted several tweets in the last few days asking why Apple allows the Twitter app to stay on the App Store, in the face of objectionable content that appears to violate the App Store review guidelines. Cuban didn’t offer up any specific examples of such content, but stated that Apple has previously threatened or even pulled apps for not complying with the rules laid out.
“Apple has no problem threatening other apps with removal as well. Why not Twitter?”, Cuban said, and tweeted “The real issue is what Apple thinks is right or wrong and do they apply it equally to all apps?”
He also posted a screenshot of Apple’s review guidelines highlighting sections 14 and 15 that cover personal attacks and violence. Clause 16 also states that “Apps that present excessively objectionable or crude content will be rejected”.
Cuban’s way to solve the issue as he sees it, is to remove Twitter from the App Store for a few days. He also said that Twitter should be filtering its own content before publication, or monitor images as Facebook and Instagram do.
Even though it’s quite rare, Apple has in the past pulled apps if it decides they are unsavoury. An example earlier this year were several games that include the Confederate flag in an “offensive and mean-spirited” way. A few titles were later added back to the App Store, notable the American Civil War game Ultimate General: Gettysburg.
Cuban has since followed up his original tweets, saying that “People missed my point yesterday. The point is that Apple IS A CENSOR for their apps. I’m curious why they have chosen not to censor twitter”.
Larry Banks is a keen follower of technology and finance. He has worked for a variety of online publications, writing about a diverse range of topics including mobile networks, patents, and Internet video delivery technologies.


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Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have agreed to a Sunday deadline for sealing a Brexit deal.
The Prime Minister has admitted a no-deal Brexit is now “very, very likely”, despite promising an “oven-ready” deal during the 2019 general election.
Nine months of intense negotiations appear to have been fruitless, with the two sides still far apart on a number of key issues.
The i politics newsletter cut through the noise
The UK officially left the EU on 31 January, but is bound to its laws until 31 December, when the transition period ends.
Could there be a deal before the deadline?
Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen both attended a three-hour dinner meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, to try to move towards a deal.
She tweeted afterwards: “We had a lively and interesting discussion on the state of play on outstanding issues.
“We understand each other’s positions. They remain far apart. The teams should immediately reconvene to try to resolve these issues. We will come to a decision by the end of the weekend.”
The Prime Minister’s admission that a trade deal is very unlikely appears to suggest the UK is hurtling towards no deal.
UK representatives say the main sticking point is a clause which would force the UK to upgrade its trading standards in line with any future EU upgrades.
Mr Johnson told the Commons: “Our friends in the EU are currently insisting that if they pass a new law in future with which we in this country do not comply or don’t follow suit, then they want the automatic right to punish us and to retaliate.”
He added: “And secondly, they’re saying the UK should be the only country in the world not to have sovereign control over its fishing waters. I don’t believe that those are terms that any prime minister of this country should accept.”
However, the EU has said that neither of these statements are the case.
What happens after Sunday?
If no deal is struck, then from 1 January 2021 the UK will officially be free from all EU laws, but without any trading agreement.
The UK would become a “third country” and would default to global trade rules set by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Moving to this model, which would mean the EU places tariffs on goods from the UK, could affect businesses in Britain that trade with the bloc and result in new border checks for goods – and new customs paperwork to fill out.
While the average EU tariff is pretty low at about 2.8 per cent for non-agricultural products, industries such as farming and automotive would be hit hardest.
Car imports would face an EU tariff of 10 per cent. Meanwhile, expert analysis suggests UK food prices would rise four per cent, and dairy products would go up an average of 35 per cent.
No deal would also mean the UK service industry losing its guaranteed access to the EU single market.
Delays at ports could lead to shortages of some foods and medicines, as well as increased prices.
The EU is drawing up contingency plans to make sure vital services like air travel are not interrupted.


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As concerns grow over the use of bisphenol A, or BPA, in consumer products ranging from water bottles to food cans, it's already being phased out of certain items.
But that doesn't mean the average American can get through a day without exposure to BPA, a chemical that could cause a range of health issues, including reproductive problems, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and behavioral issues. The 2003-04 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found detectable levels of BPA in 93 percent of 2,517 urine samples from people 6 years and older.
The chemical is contained in polycarbonate plastics, making them tough and lightweight compared to glass. These include some food and drink packaging, compact discs, impact-resistant safety equipment and medical devices. BPA is also used in epoxy resins to coat metal products such as food cans, bottle tops and water supply pipes. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health, some dental sealants and composites may also add to BPA exposure.
BPA is often found in thermal paper receipts, as color developer in the paper coating. People often tuck receipts into pockets, wallets or purses alongside paper money, contaminating currency with the chemical, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology in September. Kurunthachalam Kannan, a researcher with the Wadsworth Center at the New York State Department of Health and an author of the study, noted that 52 samples of paper currency from 21 countries all were tainted with BPA.
The highest concentration of 82.7 micrograms per gram was found in Brazil.
Receipts are often tossed in with recyclable paper, too, Mr. Kannan noted in a July study published in the same environmental journal.
"BPA gets into the paper recycling process, which contaminates many of the paper products," he said.
Mr. Kannan found that BPA was found in milligram-per-gram levels in thermal receipt paper but only in microgram-per-gram levels in recycled items such as toilet paper, paper towels, paper napkins and newspapers.Brief history of BPA
According to the Bisphenol A Global Industry Group, the first reported synthesis of BPA, from phenol and acetone, was from Thomas Zincke of the University of Marburg, Germany, in 1905. Although he reported key physical properties of BPA (such as its molecular composition, melting point, solubility in common solvents), he did not propose any application or use for BPA.
In 1953, Hermann Schnell of Bayer in Germany and Dan Fox of General Electric in the United States independently developed manufacturing processes for a new plastic material, polycarbonate, using BPA as the starting material. Polycarbonate plastic was found to have a unique combination of useful properties -- optical clarity, shatter-resistance and high heat-resistance -- which later made polycarbonate part of everyday life in a variety of products, the industry group says on the website www.bisphenol-a.org.
Commercial production began in 1957 in the United States and in 1958 in Europe. About this same time, epoxy resins were developed with the versatility to meet a wide range of industrial and consumer needs.
Its widespread use in manufacturing was noted in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency action plan on bisphenol A, dated March 2010. Production volume of the chemical in the United States was estimated at 2.4 billion pounds in 2007, with an estimated value of almost $2 billion.
"The levels are lower than in thermal receipt papers," he said.
Although the levels of BPA are significantly less in recycled paper products, it's still a concern, Mr. Kannan said.
"The general population comes into contact with the paper products that we analyzed," he said. "Obviously there is a source of exposure that has not been studied before."
A Harvard School of Public Health study looked at another potential source of daily exposure for Americans -- canned food.
The study linked consuming canned soup to elevated BPA levels. Participants in one group were given one serving of canned vegetarian soup once a day for five days. The other group consumed one serving of vegetarian soup made from scratch for five days.
Participants were given only 12 ounces of soup, noted lead author Jenny Carwile, and some complained that it wasn't even enough food for lunch. After just five days, researchers checked the concentration of BPA in the participants' urine.
Urine samples from the participants that consumed the canned soup showed a 1,221 percent increase in BPA compared to those who consumed the fresh soup.
"It was very surprising because we gave them so little canned food," Ms. Carwile said. "It was a very moderate amount of canned food."
She noted that manufacturers are starting to phase BPA out of plastic baby bottles, water bottles and other items, but we're a long way from being BPA free, and limiting the consumption of canned food is one way to reduce exposure.
"A lot of people try to be aware of their exposure to chemicals like BPA, and this is one more way that they can avoid this chemical if they want to," she said.
"It's not about canned soup in particular," she said. "It's about canned food."
A long-term study published last month in the journal Pediatrics looked at exposure to BPA in the womb and how it can affect children's behavior.
Studies in animals indicated that exposure to BPA could cause behavioral problems, noted Joe Braun, Harvard Public Health researcher and the study's lead author.
The study followed a group of women from the second trimester of pregnancy up until the child's eighth or ninth birthday. During their pregnancies, the women were surveyed twice for demographic information and concentrations of BPA in their blood and urine were measured. Then, every year, the children would meet with researchers once a year for behavioral tests and give blood and urine samples. The children's behavior was measured using scales reported by the mothers. They reported issues like having trouble sitting still, having to be redirected often, or talking about being sad or depressed, Mr. Braun said, noting that it's a "valuable, reliable scale" that provides a continuous measure of behavior.
The researchers found each 10-fold increase in the mother's urinary BPA concentration during pregnancy was associated with about a 10-point increase on the scale measuring behavioral difficulties, but only in girls.
Boys, for reasons unknown to the researchers, showed less hyperactive behavior, Mr. Braun said.
Studies in animals have shown, though not consistently, that BPA may affect behaviors differently in males and females because BPA acts like a hormone, and hormones are important for brain development, Mr. Braun said.
The National Resources Defense Council filed a petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in February 2008 requesting a ban on BPA in any packaging that would come in contact with food. When the agency did not respond, NRDC filed a suit asking the court to intervene and require the FDA to respond.
In a Dec. 7 settlement with the NRDC, the FDA committed to decide by March 31 whether BPA should be banned from use in food and drink packaging.
In the meantime, how can the average consumer avoid coming into contact with BPA?
Mr. Kannan says people who work as cashiers and come into contact with thermal receipt paper throughout the day should wear gloves.
"The perfect solution would be to stop using BPA in receipt papers," he said. "In the absence of that, if you have to have BPA on this paper, I would suggest washing your hands."
Ridding your home of plastics containing BPA might be easier than avoiding receipts. To determine if a plastic container contains BPA, look at the bottom of the container. A "7" in the recycling symbol means it might contain BPA. If it says "PC" below the recycling symbol, it definitely contains BPA, Ms. Carwile said.
Mr. Braun and Ms. Carwile recommended taking reasonable steps to avoid canned goods.
"If women are concerned about BPA, they can certainly take steps to reduce exposure," Mr. Braun said. But he noted that eliminating canned goods isn't practical for a lot of people.
"I certainly wouldn't want people to switch canned vegetables ... for cheeseburgers," he said.
Annie Siebert: email@example.com or 412-263-1613.
(c)2011 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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text: Seven Formula One championships in nine years are beginning to pay dividends for Mercedes customers with the Mercedes-AMG SL43 roadster. The entry-level droptop is getting a new engine for 2022 with F1-inspired technology in the form of an electric turbocharger powered by a 48-volt electrical system. Turbochargers are notorious for lag — the time between pressing the throttle and the turbo making max boost pressure — in contrast to the better throttle response of naturally-aspirated engines. This innovative system uses an electric motor to spool the turbo, giving SL43's four-cylinder the power of a larger engine without the weight and low efficiency. The system is good for 381 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque, giving the SL43 a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 170 MPH. The only downside is that Mercedes hasn't announced whether the car will be coming to the North American market.


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By Davide Caputo May 6, 2022
We recently released a new version of dynamic analysis for Android applications.
Below you can find the changelog:
- New Android device based on Android 11,
- Improvements of Network Analysis Module,
- Update of API Monitor Module,
- Full support for
Contact us for trying the new Dynamic Analysis!


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A new training platform specially written to allow companies to focus on sales growth has been devised by commercial lawyers with in-house experience.
Haddleton Academy, by law firm Haddleton Legal, has gone live with its first course on GDPR and has plans to roll out similar online legal and compliance training packages in effective contracting, anti-bribery and corruption, health and safety and other areas.
James Haddleton said the courses have been written in accessible language for use at all levels of an organisation.
“People think GDPR means you cannot do marketing. This is wrong. Our first course on GDPR is designed to help business owners and employees understand what can and cannot be done and how to mitigate data risks to improve decision making in the sales process,” said James.
He explained that training organisations on compliance matters was a way to increase staff and customer confidence, remove obstacles and shorten the sales cycle.
“The Academy will transform the way organisations train their staff, provide a fully flexible way of learning and make it easier and more affordable for them to keep pace with regulatory changes and build them into their sales processes
“Our team is almost entirely comprised of lawyers who have worked in-house within their specialist fields and this gives them the commercial perspective to be able to communicate a legal topic in a way that employers and their teams can relate to,” he added.


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December 10, 2013 - Industry News
Advantage Warranty announced this week it plans to use F&I Admin’s SCS Auto platform to manage its VSC business
Tags: F&I Administration Solutions, SCS Auto, software, VSC
Safe-Guard announced this week it will administer tire-and-wheel protection plans for Toyota Financial Services and Lexus Financial Service.
Tags: F&I Products, Safe-Guard, tire and wheel, Toyota Financial Services
Old Republic announced the return of Larry Graves. He will serve as senior vice president of sales and marketing for the F&I product provider.
Tags: aftermarket products, hiring, Old Republic Insured Automotive Services
GrooveCar Direct has partnered with MIDFLORIDA Credit Union and Tuscaloosa Teachers Credit Union. The two credit unions will take advantage of the buying resource's suite of products to grow auto originations.
Tags: auto loans, credit unions, inventory management, partnership
For the second year in a year, BMW Group Financial Services was recognized as one of the best places to work in Central Ohio. The company’s best practices approach led to honoring more than 800 BMW Group associates.
Tags: Best Places to Work, BMW Financial Services, Ohio
Group 1 Automotive Inc. has completed the acquisition of Jay Automotive Group, which operates six franchises in Columbus, Ga.
Tags: acquisition, Earl J. Hesterberg, Group 1 Automotive, Jay Automotive Group
Mary Barra was elected as GM’s new CEO by the company’s board of directors. She will replace Dan Akerson, who will retire on Jan. 15, 2014.
Tags: Alan Batey, board of directors, CEO, Dan Akerson, Dan Ammann, General Motors, hiring, Mary Barra, retirement
Auto/Mate’s dealership management system is now integrated with Innovative Aftermarket System's suite of SmartDealerProducts.
Tags: Auto/Mate, DMS Integration, IAS, Innovative Aftermarket Systems
December 5, 2013 - Industry News
Despite opposition from state dealers, the Iowa Department of Transportation has proposed a hike in registration fees from 5 to 6 percent. The state dealer association claims the increase will hurt sales.
Tags: Bruce Anderson, car dealer, dealership, fee, Iowa, Iowa Automobile Dealers Association, new vehicle registrations, U.S. Department of Transportation
According to Autodata Corp., total light vehicle sales increased 8.9 percent form a year ago, while the SAAR reached its highest point this year.
XPEL ULTIMATE Paint Protection Film features a clear coat and special elastomeric polymers that ‘heal’ overtime, eliminating swirl marks and fine scratches, the company claims.
Tags: ancillary products, Paint Protection
The Los Angeles Business Journal released its annual ‘Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies’ list. On it was Westlake Financial Services, which came in at No. 54.
Tags: franchised dealerships, independent dealerships, revenue, Westlake Financial Services
The Columbus Dispatch reports that Ohio legislators dropped an amendment that would ban Tesla from owning an auto dealership in the state.
Tags: legislation, Ohio, Tesla Motors
A Michigan dealer was arrested Dec. 3 after authorities checked several vehicles on his lot and discovered mileage discrepancies. Police said it appeared the dealer had installed used, low-mileage odometers in high-mileage cars.
Tags: Carfax Report, felony, fraud, Michigan, odometer fraud
According to the latest report from Experian Automotive, interest rates for auto loans fell to an all-time low in the third quarter, while the average amount financed reached its highest level since 2008.
Tags: auto finance, auto loans, Experian Automotive, interest rates
General Motors is said to be set to sell its stake in Ally Financial, which is majority owned by U.S. taxpayers, Bloomberg reports.
Tags: Ally Financial, Bloomberg, General Motors, The Wall Street Journal
The integration will allows Auto/Mate’s DMS to share information across AutoLoop’s full suite of services, allowing for real-time, bi-directional data delivery
Tags: Auto/Mate, data, DMS Integration
December 3, 2013 - Industry News
According to TransUnion, the auto loan delinquency rate increased to 1.04 percent in the third quarter. However, the delinquency rate is still well below the third quarter average observed between 2007 and 2013.
Tags: Auto Loan Delinquency Rate, delinquencies, TransUnion
A consumer advocacy group has filed a new ballot initiative with the California attorney general’s office. Part of the initiative aims to eliminate dealer markups, something California New Car Dealer Association President Brian Maas says would harm consumers.
Tags: Brian Maas, Brittany-Marie Swanson, California New Car Dealers Association, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, discrimination, legislation
CarFinance Capital finalized its $304 million asset-backed securitization in a transaction that closed in late October.
Tags: CarFinance Capital, securitizations, Standard and Poor's
New-vehicle cash incentives reduce the price of used vehicles significantly more than finance and lease incentives, the NADA finds.
Tags: incentives, NADA Used Car Guide, National Automobile Dealers Association, used vehicles
At the FTC’s request, a Canadian telemarketer was ordered by the court to pay more than $5.1 million to victims of a car-buying scam committed on sites like eBay and Craigslist.
Tags: claims payments, Federal Trade Commission, fraud, telemarketing
Longtime California dealer Joe Boccalero passed away on Nov. 27 at the age of 92. He served as the former president of Domenich Basso Inc. and operated a Chrysler Jeep dealership in Los Angeles for 40 years.
Tags: Domenich Basso Inc., Joe Boccalero
Dataium reports that shoppers spend nearly twice as long on a dealer’s website, are five times more likely to submit a lead, and are twice as likely to look at a vehicle when the dealer provides a Carfax Vehicle History Report.
November 27, 2013 - Industry News
Universal Lenders' Zero Plan joins more than 50 F&I product and service providers currently on the F&I Express network.
Tags: F&I Express, Intersection Technologies, Universal Lenders, Zero Plan
Get up-to-the-minute news and information about the automotive finance and insurance industry.
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© 2013 F&I and Showroom. All Rights Reserved.


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You'll have to get your Friday GIF fix elsewhere for now.
happened to the Tumbeasts?
UPDATE 2:00 p.m. Eastern: Tumblr is
The nightmare is over.
Here's what cities could look like in 10 years
More "The Next 10" »
Brothers share what it was like quitting their corporate jobs to sell ties on the beach and cofound Vineyard Vines, a company worth nearly $1 billion
More "Transformations" »
Available on iOS or Android


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Opening stores and growing e-commerce in 2020
Catch up on what you missed at The Packer's West Coast Produce Expo. Here's the full video of Lessons from Retail - Opening stores and growing e-commerce in 2020.
Michael Schutt discussed at the West Coast Produce Expo his company’s growing online business and his experience with navigating the pandemic as he has transitioned into a new role.
Check out more insights that industry leaders shared at the 2020 event at the following links:
- Developing your produce teams
- Produce operators must stay nimble, but big opportunities ahead
- Analyst: Amazon grocery stores should be taken seriously
- Community, Events and Fresh Produce
- Walmart seeks gains for people and planet


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And now, in the spirit of fashion inspiration, someone appeared to emulate a similar ensemble to the reality TV star and mogul on the New York City subway.
In a video uploaded by the popular Instagram page SubwayCreatures, a woman (identified as NY-based comedian Robyn Schall) can be seen struggling but managing to get off the subway dressed in yellow "caution" tape wrapped around her whole body and purse.
Her shoes weren't covered and appeared to be gray-black sneakers.
"Probably doesn't even have anything to do with @kimkardashian's Fashion Week outfit. Just Tuesday in the subway @subwaycreatures #subwaycreatures (@kimcnaz @robynschallcomic)," the post caption read.
People in the video's comments found this humorous, with many pointing out the future of fashion sense and her struggles in the outfit.
"Say what you want, but she is on-trend, lol," one wrote.
"NYC is living in the future," another added.
"@kimkardashian on her way home from Paris Fashion Week," a third joke while a fourth added: "Hope she didn't drink too many fluids."
Someone else pointed out that many of the subway riders paid her any mind and wrote: "Lmfao, the way no one even acknowledged her is pure NYC."
Even though this may be a newfound fashion trend, Kardashian was also spotted struggling to walk in the outfit herself.
On Monday, Twitter account @mattexbardi shared a video of her seemingly struggling to walk as her bodyguards, and other team members accompanied her. At the same time, a photographer snapped photos of her in motion backstage at the show.
The walk Kim was struggling pic.twitter.com/Eg1kNnsowe


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DaimlerChrysler, which only two years ago was cruising along with high hopes following its creation from the consolidation of two world-class automakers, now finds itself on the side of the road, its emergency flashers blinking, waiting for a tow truck. The corporation’s Chrysler Group is awash in red ink, many Chrysler executives have quit or have been fired and the company’s market capitalization today is about half what it was when the companies began trading as a single stock in November 1998. In addition, angry shareholders have sued the company, the cyclical auto industry is entering a slump, two major credit-ratings agencies have downgraded the company’s debt, and the chairman of the Stuttgart-based company, Jurgen E. Schrempp, has been urged to step down. It is not impossible to turn the company around, but it will take tremendous effort, according to Wharton professors. They say Schrempp — who added to the company’s woes when he recently acknowledged that the consolidation was a takeover of Chrysler by Daimler and not a merger of equals, as Daimler portrayed it at the time — could be out of a job if things do not substantially improve in 2001. “Here’s an interesting statistic: If a company’s stock price drops by 50% over the course of one year, the likelihood of the CEO stepping down doubles,” says management professor
DaimlerChrysler, which only two years ago was cruising along with high hopes following its creation from the consolidation of two world-class automakers, now finds itself on the side of the road, its emergency flashers blinking, waiting for a tow truck.
The corporation’s Chrysler Group is awash in red ink, many Chrysler executives have quit or have been fired and the company’s market capitalization today is about half what it was when the companies began trading as a single stock in November 1998. In addition, angry shareholders have sued the company, the cyclical auto industry is entering a slump, two major credit-ratings agencies have downgraded the company’s debt, and the chairman of the Stuttgart-based company, Jurgen E. Schrempp, has been urged to step down.
It is not impossible to turn the company around, but it will take tremendous effort, according to Wharton professors. They say Schrempp — who added to the company’s woes when he recently acknowledged that the consolidation was a takeover of Chrysler by Daimler and not a merger of equals, as Daimler portrayed it at the time — could be out of a job if things do not substantially improve in 2001.
“Here’s an interesting statistic: If a company’s stock price drops by 50% over the course of one year, the likelihood of the CEO stepping down doubles,” says management professorMichael Useem, an expert on corporate leadership.
Useem says the pressure on Schrempp is similar to that experienced by Richard A. McGinn, who was fired as CEO of Lucent Technologies in October in the wake of mounting financial troubles and a tumbling stock price. “Schrempp may say he has no intention of resigning, but McGinn was also saying he had no plans to step aside until Lucent’s board finally said, ‘You’re gone.’”
The Chrysler division posted a $512-million loss in the third quarter. The unit is expected to post a small profit in the fourth quarter but suffer more losses in 2001.
On its face, Useem and the other faculty members say, the consolidation of Chrysler and Daimler-Benz two years ago made eminent sense. For one thing, there was no overlap between the companies’ products: Daimler-Benz produced quality, high end products, while Chrysler demonstrated stylistic flair and strength in market share with its more affordable minivan and Jeep sport utility vehicles. Plus, with the auto industry consolidating worldwide, Daimler and Chrysler knew that competitive advantage, economies of scale and synergies could be found by becoming bigger.
But there were potential problems. There was a big difference in corporate cultures — the top-down, autocratic German style vs. the flexible, more informal way of doing things at Chrysler — along with the myriad challenges associated with any consolidation of this magnitude.
“What first impressed observers was the sense that DaimlerChrysler instantly established a global company out of two single-region firms, and without any need for painful rationalization of the product line or massive layoffs,” says management professor John Paul MacDuffie. “The reassurances that the strong Daimler brand would be protected from any drift downmarket from the merger addressed one short-term worry and suggested that Chrysler would continue to operate relatively autonomously. We now know there was no clear vision of how exactly the strengths of these two companies could be integrated to create value. But even in the absence of this vision, Daimler was intent on taking control, and that’s where things began to unravel. The departure of key people from the highly successful Chrysler top executive team followed almost immediately, along with signs of internal demoralization.”
Still, problems with the merger do not tell the whole story about Chrysler’s current difficulties. “First, I’m sure there are some problems at Chrysler that were not so visible two years ago,” MacDuffie says. “Chrysler’s dramatic outsourcing of many responsibilities to suppliers brought great cost savings and shorter product development cycles, but also contributed to persistent problems related to technical coordination and manufacturing quality. Second, Chrysler dominated the minivan segment of the market for a long time, but competitors have come back strongly to take some of that market share away.”
But MacDuffie adds that the merger has clearly been a distraction, given the complex cross-cultural issues. “Possibly, that has contributed to the trouble Chrysler has had sustaining the appeal of its older product lines over time,” he explains. “And the loss of talent on the design side has most likely affected Chrysler’s skill at anticipating new market trends, such as the current consumer preference for hybrid designs that combine elements of vans and SUVs in a vehicle built on a car platform. The PT Cruiser’s success in this precise niche is the exception that proves the rule: At its hour of greatest need, Chrysler is capacity-constrained for the production of virtually the only vehicle in its lineup that is commanding a premium price.”
Moreover, DaimlerChrysler has been working not only to digest the acquisition of Chrysler but also to get a handle on problems at Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors, in which DaimlerChrysler bought a 34% controlling stake in March, says accounting professor Robert W. Holthausen. “A problem a lot of companies have with mergers is integrating two different organizations and realizing the synergies they want out of the deal,” he says. “Research suggests that mergers and acquisitions drive down the value of the acquiring firm’s common stock more often than not. Daimler consummated a number of acquisitions in a short period of time, and that is not easy to do successfully.”
Companies that succeed in the acquisition game, Holthausen adds, “have well-developed notions of how to merge the organizations so that they get the value they anticipated. A lot of companies don’t think through the integration and retention issues in detail before the merger is closed. In this particular deal, there was a tremendous amount of work to be done just to complete the transaction. They were trying to blend German tax laws with U.S. tax laws, German legal issues with U.S. legal issues and German accounting rules with U.S. accounting rules. A lot of time was spent figuring out how to structure the deal so there weren’t negative tax consequences for the parties involved. There had not been a German acquisition of a major American firm prior to that, so the deal charted new waters.”
Another culture-related issue that caused friction: Big differences in compensation at Daimler and Chrysler. Former Chrysler chairman Robert Eaton and other top executives were earning substantially more than Schrempp and other Daimler executives, says Holthausen. “When there are enormous differences in compensation magnitudes and forms across merging companies, it creates additional frictions. Moreover, retention of key management and employees becomes more difficult. The loss of key Chrysler personnel was completely predictable, absent some effective retention mechanisms.”
Schrempp’s recent comments to the press that Daimler always viewed the consolidation as an acquisition and not as a merger of equals did a lot to add egg to the corporation’s face. Indeed, it prompted billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, DaimlerChrysler’s third largest shareholder, and others to sue the company for fraud.
Schrempp has been described as supremely self-confident and no milquetoast. A new book on the Daimler-Chrysler consolidation, Taken for a Ride, describes how Schrempp enjoys hiking in the South African backcountry with a pistol on his hip for protection. But Useem says it would be an oversimplification to view Schrempp as a pinstriped Darth Vader and to blame executive hubris and arrogance for the company’s troubles. “In person, Schrempp is persuasive,” says Useem. “He comes across as a confident, articulate visionary who is reshaping the global auto industry.”
Management professor Harbir Singh, much of whose research focuses on mergers and acquisitions, says: “There is a temptation to personalize this situation and attribute all the ills of the transaction to Schrempp. But, in fact, you can make the case that, even if he was less egregious in his statements, there are fundamental difficulties in managing a transaction as complex as this. It appears the company simply did not have a well-developed, post-merger integration strategy.”
Ironically, Singh notes, it is possible that Daimler actually hurt its cause in the beginning by trying to position the consolidation as a merger and not as an acquisition. “Companies are often tempted to call an acquisition with another large corporation a merger of equals because they want to signal stability,” Singh says. “But this commitment can come back to haunt them because they can’t make decisive calls early on.” To help the other party save face, decisions are often made through compromise, which often is not the best way to arrive at a course of action.
DaimlerChrysler has already taken a couple of steps to turn things around. On Dec. 1, Schrempp granted a series of interviews to reporters. With Daimler’s stock down so sharply, Useem says, this attempt to make the case for the company’s future to the financial press, money managers and other investors was essential.
More important, Schrempp has dispatched Dieter Zetsche, one of his top lieutenants, to take over as president of Chrysler. Singh says Zetsche, who has been told to draw up a turnaround plan by February, will enable Schrempp to keep closer tabs on what is happening in Michigan.
DaimlerChrysler is by no means without strengths. Singh notes that the company’s flagship Mercedes brand has fought off challenges in recent years from other luxury-car manufacturers and that the corporation was able to staunch massive financial losses in the mid-1990s. And even though Chrysler’s share of the minivan market has slipped, the PT Cruiser has proven to be a hit with car buyers.
Schrempp has said that the company has no plans to sell the Chrysler unit. He told reporters on Dec. 1 that his strategy remains a good one and that he has no intention of quitting.
Clearly, though, he is under the gun. Singh says Daimler’s board may give Schrempp six months to show substantial improvement before seriously considering bringing in new management. Useem says the embattled chairman may be given a year to prove that his attempt to create the global automaker of the future was not ill-conceived.
“Daimler’s current stock price represents a tremendous dilution of value,” says Singh. “Even in the German context [where there is typically less pressure on companies to deliver short-term performance] I don’t think a chairman can survive that kind of pressure on the stock price for very long.”


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Farming UK | 13 April 2021
UK concerns over lower food standards in CPTPP trading bloc
The NFU has told a House of Lords Committee that the UK must maintain welfare and environmental standards in its attempt join a trans-pacific trading bloc.
The UK has formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) - a group consisting of 11 countries including Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
The CPTPP accounts for over 13% of world GDP - worth a total of US$10.6 trillion - making it the third largest free trade area in the world by GDP.
But UK farm leaders have warned that existing group members do not have the same high rules on standards and welfare as those in force in the UK.
Many are now pressing the British government to ensure that the farming industry was protected from lower standard imports.
The House of Lords International Agreements Sub-Committee has been seeking evidence as part of an inquiry into the UK’s accession to the group.
The NFU has stressed in its submission to the committee the importance of protecting UK food and farming standards.
The union told the committee: “The NFU believes that any trade deal, which includes joining the CPTPP, should ensure that British farmers can continue to produce food to the current high standards
"Our farmers are proud of the food we produce and should not be undermined by imports produced to standards that would be illegal here.”
The NFU added: "We are confident that if UK farmers are allowed to compete on fair terms, we can lead the way when it comes to sustainable, high welfare and climate friendly farming.
“Some of these countries are very competitive, major agriculture-exporting countries, so there is a concern that the cumulative impact could result in increased market access being given away by the UK government for our sensitive agricultural products.”
The union said that only 9% of the UK’s agricultural exports currently went to CPTPP members, so there was an opportunity to grow exports of high quality UK produce, especially in the beef, sheep meat and dairy sectors.
Food safety was a key consumer concern for many CPTPP members and especially the South-East Asian economies, the NFU said.
The UK could demonstrate safe, traceable, and audited food-supply chains, meaning ‘Brand Britain’ should have great potential.
But the NFU stressed that UK farmers must not face unfair competition from lower standard food imports as a result of CPTPP membership.
Ever since the UK voted to leave the EU farming groups have warned about the threat from lower standard food imports unless rules were enforced on them.
Mark Williams, chief executive of the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), said he would be pressing the government to ensure that the egg industry was protected.
He has said previously that a significant percentage of the cost of producing eggs in the UK comes from legislation on food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection.
Mr Williams has warned that pursuing a free trade policy with countries with lower standards would result in British farmers being significantly undercut.
The government has insisted that it will defend food standards in negotiations with other countries, although it has refused to put such protections into law.


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To the surprise of nobody, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest Disney Plus series Hawkeye has been controlling the conversation and topping the most-watched charts around the world, after Clint Barton and Kate Bishop’s romp through New York City got off to a stellar star.
However, it’s a little surprising do discover that it wasn’t quite the all-conquering phenomenon we’ve come to expect from Kevin Feige’s franchise. As per FlixPatrol, Hawkeye topped the viewership rankings in 39 countries around the world, but when you consider that Disney’s streaming service is available in over 60 nations, it’s not quite a slam dunk.
In an even more unexpected turn of events, The Simpsons has been providing stiff competition for Hawkeye, with Springfield’s first family finishing ahead of the expert archer in another nine markets where Disney Plus is available, despite the fact the show lost its luster two decades ago.
Obviously, instantly ascending to the top spot in almost 60 countries 24 hours after premiering is hardly a bad return, but there might be some disappointment in the boardroom that Hawkeye wasn’t quite the clean sweep befitting a blockbuster six-episode adventure hailing from the biggest brand in the business.


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Media coverage about Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) has been trending somewhat positive recently, according to Accern. The research group identifies positive and negative news coverage by analyzing more than 20 million news and blog sources in real time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Werner Enterprises earned a news sentiment score of 0.23 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news articles about the transportation company an impact score of 45.1475935960886 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next several days.
Here are some of the media stories that may have effected Accern’s analysis:
- Form 4 WERNER ENTERPRISES INC For: Feb 07 Filed by: NORDLUND H MARTY (streetinsider.com)
- Werner Enterprises, Inc. (WERN) Expected to Announce Quarterly Sales of $556.14 Million (americanbankingnews.com)
- Werner Enterprises Named 2018 Innovator of the Year (finance.yahoo.com)
- Werner Enterprises earns 2018 CCJ Innovator of the Year honors (ccjdigital.com)
- Werner Enterprises, Inc. (WERN) Expected to Post Earnings of $0.38 Per Share (americanbankingnews.com)
Shares of Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ WERN) traded down $0.15 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $36.20. The stock had a trading volume of 1,600,000 shares, compared to its average volume of 937,888. The company has a current ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The firm has a market cap of $2,620.00, a P/E ratio of 12.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.93. Werner Enterprises has a twelve month low of $24.20 and a twelve month high of $43.95.
Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN) last announced its earnings results on Monday, January 29th. The transportation company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $567.37 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $554.58 million. Werner Enterprises had a return on equity of 8.64% and a net margin of 9.59%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.30 EPS. research analysts forecast that Werner Enterprises will post 1.97 EPS for the current year.
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 29th. Werner Enterprises’s payout ratio is 10.04%.
WERN has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Credit Suisse Group upped their target price on Werner Enterprises from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. Zacks Investment Research reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $44.00 target price on shares of Werner Enterprises in a research report on Saturday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Werner Enterprises from $32.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 20th. Cowen lowered Werner Enterprises from a “market perform” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 16th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Co boosted their price target on Werner Enterprises from $35.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Werner Enterprises has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $39.13.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY NOTICE: “Somewhat Favorable Press Coverage Somewhat Unlikely to Affect Werner Enterprises (WERN) Stock Price” was originally reported by The Lincolnian Online and is owned by of The Lincolnian Online. If you are accessing this article on another site, it was stolen and republished in violation of US and international trademark & copyright laws. The original version of this article can be read at https://www.thelincolnianonline.com/2018/02/12/somewhat-favorable-press-coverage-somewhat-unlikely-to-impact-werner-enterprises-wern-share-price-updated-updated-updated.html.
Werner Enterprises Company Profile
Werner Enterprises, Inc is a transportation and logistics company. The Company is engaged in transporting truckload shipments of general commodities in both interstate and intrastate commerce. It operates through two segments: Truckload and Werner Logistics. It provides logistics services through its Werner Logistics division.
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OPPO has completed all the preparations for the launch of OPPO Reno10 series. During the launch event, two new products will be released alongside the Reno10 series: OPPO Enco R2 true wireless warphones and a new blue color variant of OPPO Watch 3.
OPPO Reno10 series launch event featuring: OPPO Enco R2 & OPPO Watch 3
OPPO Reno10 series will be unveiled in China on May 24 and will also be available in the global market. We previously leaked hands-on images of the OPPO Reno10 and shared the launch date with you. Finally, OPPO Reno10 series is about to be revealed.
While the OPPO Watch 3 is already available in China in black and gold colors, not only will the strap be available in the new blue color option, but the chassis of OPPO Watch 3 itself will also be in blue. Here’s how blue variant of OPPO Watch 3 looks.
Furthermore, a new in-ear wireless earpbuds named “OPPO Enco R2” will be introduced as well. As OPPO states, new earbuds will support spatial audio and have 13.4mm sized drivers. Though there aren’t many details available regarding the technical specifications of this headset, all the products will be unveiled at the launch event on May 24.


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Top speed: 14mph. Capacity: 27 cans of ice-cold drink ... it's the Cruzin Cooler
By ROB WAUGH
Last updated at 22:33 12 January 2008
'It combines two basic necessities of life – somewhere to have cold food or a beverage handy, and the ability to get somewhere without walking,' says Chuck Miller, marketing director for its manufacturer.
Now the device is poised to trundle all the way to Britain, at a stately speed of 14 miles an hour.
Scroll down for more...
Undaunted by the dismal fate of gadgets like the two-wheeled Segway – a scooter for grown-ups – or Sir Clive Sinclair's three-wheeled C5, the makers of the Cruzin Cooler are confident their own take on drink-driving will be a hit with British party-goers.
Miller says the 'vehicle', priced at $500 (£250), has already sold 38,000 in the US, a place, after all, where even hats have side pockets for beer glasses.
And it says something about its intended clientele that its maximum rider weight is 21 stone.
'You'll never have to carry your ice chest again,' says Miller.
Displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week, the Cruzin Cooler, which comes with either a petrol engine or electric motor, can fit 27 drink cans into its ice-box interior. But thirsty owners can also attach trailers with the same capacity, to tow behind it. Miller claims American owners are such fans they stage Cruzin Cooler races.
The Cruzin Cooler is only slightly faster than the iShoe, also on view at the show. These gizmos, costing $600 (£300), are motorised metal
sandals capable of propelling lazy wearers at 13.5mph.
A more serious class of slob can turn to the RC Cooler, an ice bucket with the capacity for up to four drinks – which sofa-bound drinkers can summon by remote control. It will retail for $49.99 in America and has every prospect of doing well here, too, says Ben Fowler, senior buyer at leading British gadget website Firebox.
'We think it will sell a barrelful in 2008,' he says. 'We'll definitely look into stocking it for the summer.'
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Toyota will be bringing a new concept car to the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Dubbed Hybrid-R, Toyota says the concept will feature the same Toyota Hybrid System-Racing tech found in the automaker's latest endurance car, the TS030 Hybrid.
That car took second place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a gas-powered, 3.4-liter, naturally aspirated V8 and a capacitor-based hybrid system. The result was 530 ponies from the engine and an extra 300 horsepower from the electric motor and batteries.
Toyota's press release came with but one image, a new Hybrid badge which is a far cry from the Hybrid Synergy Drive label found on the automaker's other offerings. There's really not much else to go on yet, but the news that Toyota is already adapting its racing tech for a concept bodes well for the future of exciting, hybridized offerings from the automaker. We'll be at Frankfurt live, and will be sure to bring you all the news on this new concept as it becomes available.
The Toyota Tundra is the automotive version of off-brand Cheerios: it doesn't dominate the market, and it's not the first model people think of when they hear the term "pickup truck."
Ford, General Motors and Ram dominate the segment with vehicles that offer ridiculous levels of towing and payload capacities and models loaded with luxury items and primed with tech-rich engines. The off-brands, meanwhile, are led by the Tundra, which while still accounting for six-figure sales (112,732 units in 2013, up from 101,621 in 2012), sits well behind the F-150s and Silverados of the world. After our first drive of the revamped 2014 Tundra, we came away thinking this truck is a total underachiever, aimed at placating Toyota loyalists and doing little to win over new customers.
But everybody deserves a second chance, and we thought a week's drive in a different environment might lead to a different - or at least a more fully realized - opinion. While the Tundra might not be an industry leader, it still makes it on many truck buyers' shopping lists. So, should you consider this off-brand pickup truck? To find out, we borrowed a top-of-the-line Tundra Platinum for a week. Read on to see what we found.
Toyota announced today that it has reached a settlement with the Attorneys General of 29 states and one US territory that will resolve their complaints relating to recalls performed by the automaker from 2005-2010, including those related to sticky accelerators and malfunctioning floor mats that may have contributed to cases of unintended acceleration.
The settlement includes a payout of $29 million to be divided among the states and US territory, as well as a commitment from Toyota "to take steps to make vehicle information more easily accessible to consumers to help them operate their vehicles safely and make more informed choices." The settlement also has Toyota continuing its rapid-response service teams and quality field offices that were put in place shortly after the largest of the recalls from 2010, as well as a "range of customer care amenities for owners of vehicles subject to certain recalls," though the press release below isn't specific about what those amenities might be.
This settlement marks the second major step in the last few months that Toyota has taken to settle legal disputes surrounding the unintended acceleration recalls, the first being a $1.4 billion settlement to address economic loss suffered by owners of current and past Toyota vehicles that may have lost value on account of these recalls.


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|Viet Nam currently provides over 90 per cent of the world supply of tra fish.— File Photo
CAN THO (VNS) — Viet Nam's tra fish industry aims to develop a sustainable supply chain by 2020, experts said at a conference yesterday.
Toward that end, the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) and the Viet Nam Cleaner Production Centre launched the US$3.2 million project on Establishing a Sustainable Pangasius Supply Chain.
Pham Anh Tuan. deputy director general of VASEP, said the project would help the industry meet international quality standards. Over 48 months, Viet Nam will establish a model farm and training centre and start developing a legal framework to clarify the origin of tra fish products.
Viet Nam currently provides over 90 per cent of the world supply of tra fish. Hundreds of thousands of farmers in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta earn a living from tra fish farming and processing for export. Annually, exports bring in $1.8 billion.
However, the industry faces several quality problems, such as antibiotic residue, which negatively affect the image of Vietnamese products around the world.
The project aims to help at least 70 per cent of processors and 30 per cent of animal feed producers to participate in a cleaner production programme.
The goal is for at least 50 per cent of target businesses to provide tra fish that meet the standards of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, which are highly regarded in international markets.
The project will be implemented by the Viet Nam Cleaner Production Centre, VASEP, World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Viet Nam and WWF-Austria. — VNS


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Brauer To Lead Beringer As Part Of Treasury Revamp, Other Key Appointments Also NamedOctober 21, 2011
As Treasury Wine Estates reorganizes its global operations from a regional- to a brand-centric structure, the company has named Stephen Brauer managing director of Beringer, its top-selling brand. Brauer has served as Treasury’s managing director, Americas, since April 2009 (he previously led Pernod Ricard USA’s wine unit). In that role, he has gained an intimate knowledge of the Beringer brand, which sells roughly 75% of its 9 million cases in the U.S. market.
Treasury, which announced its plans to reshape its leadership structure in August, has also appointed Simon Marton as managing director of Wolf Blass and Stuart McNab as chief supply officer. Marton, who joined Mildara Blass in 1997, will transition from his current role as Treasury’s marketing director for ANZ (Australia and New Zealand). McNab, currently Treasury’s director of wine production for ANZ, was previously executive general manager, grape production, at Southcorp.
All three new appointees will report directly to Treasury CEO David Dearie. They will assume their new positions once Treasury finalizes its reorganization, which is expected to occur by January 2012. The company made another key appointment in September, when it named Angus McPherson managing director of Rosemount. McPherson, who came to Treasury from Casella Wines, where he was export sales manager, began his new role on October 1.Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.


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Difuzed is exhibiting at Festival of Licensing, the month-long virtual celebration of the global licensing industry, which takes place online Oct. 6-29. It’s free to register and attend via
The company plans to show off Nintendo’s brands such as “Zelda,” “Mario” and “Super Mario” along with the PlayStation and Ubisoft Brands. A full range of the products which include coordinated collections of apparel, accessories and headwear for men, women, boys and girls will be on display.
“In these ever changing times, global presence has become more important as the world is getting smaller and more connected and young people from all around the globe are coming together through lifestyle fashion, pop culture and gaming, as it’s an expression of who they are and what brings them together,” says Gilbert El Kalaani, chief executive officer, Difuzed. “We are excited and proud to have the opportunity to showcase who we are and our collections.”
Want to learn more? This company is an exhibitor at Festival of Licensing. For more news like this or to experience the
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Macy’s On Tuesday, he cut his full-year forecast, saying he expected consumer spending on discretionary items like clothing to deteriorate, which would force the department store chain to use heavy markdowns to pull the items off the shelves. shelves.
The warning comes even as the retailer reported second-quarter profit and revenue which exceeded analysts’ expectations. Macy’s also teased that its digital marketplace, which was announced last yearis launched in the coming weeks.
investment related news
Macy’s now expects revenue for fiscal year 2022 to be in the range of $24.34 billion to $24.58 billion, down from previous estimates of $24.46 billion to $24.7 billion. It puts its annual adjusted earnings per share in the range of $4 to $4.20, down from earlier guidance of $4.53 to $4.95. Wall Street analysts were looking for a full-year forecast of $24.36 billion and $4.51 per share, according to consensus estimates from Refinitiv.
Macy’s Revised Forecast Tracks Big Box Giants walmart and Target last week, both reiterating their full-year guidance even as earnings come under pressure. Kohlshowever, cut its forecast again saying its middle-income customers are being hurt by inflation.
Businesses that rely on sales of discretionary items like apparel and footwear are at greater risk of underperforming in an environment where shoppers are increasingly considering cutting spending. During the summer in particular, many Americans have chosen to splurge on vacations and restaurants rather than physical possessions.
“The consumer is not as healthy as in previous quarters,” Chief Financial Officer Adrian Mitchell told analysts on a conference call. “We saw lower retail traffic in areas where apparel sales are weakening during the quarter as the consumer faces higher costs for essential goods, particularly groceries.”
Macy’s noted that its Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury banners captured demand in the past quarter from high-income customers spending on luxury items. Both companies outperformed, he said.
The department store chain also said that while lower-income consumers slowed their spending in the quarter, they didn’t necessarily opt for cheaper brands. Instead, they’re just more selective, according to Gennette.
Here’s how Macy’s fared in its fiscal second quarter compared to what analysts were expecting, based on Refinitiv estimates:
- Earnings per share: $1 adjusted vs. 85 cents expected
- Revenue: $5.6 billion vs $5.49 billion expected
Net income in the three months ended July 30 fell to $275 million, or 99 cents per share, from $345 million, or $1.08 per share, a year earlier.
Net sales fell slightly to $5.6 billion from $5.65 billion a year earlier.
Macy’s comparable sales on a more licensed owned basis fell 1.6% from a year earlier. Analysts were expecting a 2% decline, according to Refinitiv.
Digital sales fell 5% from a year earlier but were still up 37% from pre-pandemic levels, Macy’s said. E-commerce revenue accounted for 30% of total sales, down slightly from a year earlier as people returned to stores to shop.
CEO Jeff Gennette said Macy’s so-called Polaris turnaround plans, which have resulted in store closures and investments in its digital operations, have made the company faster and more agile. This has been “essential in navigating rapidly changing consumer trends and macro conditions,” he said in a press release.
As Macy’s reduces its exposure to brick-and-mortar malls, the company opens smaller stores in non-mall locations. It is also testing other ways to attract shoppers to its stores, including a partnership with the owner of Toys R Us to bring an assortment of toys and games to hundreds of Macy’s locations before the holidays.
Gennette said he expects shoppers to start shopping for Christmas gifts, decorations and other items as early as October, similar to 2020 and 2021.
Yet Macy’s cannot escape changing consumer behavior amid decades of high inflation.
Spending trends fell as June progressed, Gennette said on a conference call. After Father’s Day and into July, Macy’s year-over-year sales were down about five percentage points from previous weeks, he said.
Macy’s reported second-quarter inventory levels up 7% from year-ago levels. The department store chain said it was aiming for “appropriate” inventory levels by the end of the year.
It said it was using markdowns to eliminate aged inventory of seasonal products, private label merchandise and pandemic-related categories like activewear, sleepwear and home goods.
At the same time, Macy’s said it will invest in bringing in new inventory of the categories its customers seek out during the holiday season.
During its second quarter, Macy’s reported strength in women’s dresses and workwear, men’s tailored activewear, fragrances and luggage.
“The past two years have been good for Macy’s and the business is now in better shape than it was before the pandemic,” said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. “However, unless the company capitalizes on this fortune to make major changes, it will continue to lag the overall market.”
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On 27th October in Düsseldorf, seventeen parties from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom started the European LIFE project - CLINSH, or CLean INland SHipping.
More than 90 people attended the Kick off meeting. The conference was opened by President-director Thomas Delschen of LANUV Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rik Janssen, regional Minister of the province of Zuid-Holland. Other speakers were Mr Guido de Wilt from the European Commission and Mr Hans van der Werf, the secretary-general of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine.
The Province of Zuid-Holland and the Port of Antwerp gave presentations on CLINSH and the demonstration project, respectively.
Real time monitoring of the emissions is important. The inland shipping industry is facing a challenge in terms of sustainability. That means that the sector has to invest in cleaner ships. This is because the international requirements relating to energy-saving and cleaner air are becoming stricter. Customers, too, are increasingly setting good environmental performance as a precondition for the purchase of services.
The CLINSH project is there to support the inland shipping sector. The sector is a reliable partner when it comes to transporting large volumes and specific products. To remain competitive in the future, the sector must invest in cleaner ships now.


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Focus Brands Inc., which is the franchisor and operator of more than 5,000 ice cream shops, bakeries, restaurants, and cafés through its affiliate brands, announces its 2015 Franchisees of the Year, which recognize the leading franchise owners across the company’s six brands: Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky’s.
The winners were honored February 16 at the 2016 FOCUS Brands Global Franchise Conference, held at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference brings franchisees and managers across the organization together with FOCUS Brands leadership and other industry professionals, to gain a deeper understanding of the food service industry, and to celebrate those who have made an impact within the organization.
"We have an exceptionally talented roster of franchise operators within the FOCUS Brands family and we’re excited to recognize them through our Franchisee of the Year Awards program," says Paul Damico, president, FOCUS Brands North America. "This year’s winners reflect the success we experienced in 2015, and we’re excited for what’s in store for them and all our franchisees this year as we work together to maximize growth potential and success for their business.”
The following are winners of the 2015 Franchisee of the Year Awards:
2015 Franchisee of the Year (small) – Crissy Parikh
Crissy Parikh has been an Auntie Anne’s franchisee since 2012 and recently opened her second store in Louisiana. Parikh has quickly made an impression as a leading franchisee by embracing new ideas, building community relationships and treating her employees as family.
2015 Franchisee of the Year (mid-size) – Mike Hatcher and Rick Taylor
Ohio franchisees Mike Hatcher and Rick Taylor operate three Auntie Anne’s stores. Their organization is a pillar in the community, raising more than $122,000 for the local children’s hospital over the last 13 years, including $19,000 in 2015. Hatcher and Taylor are also dedicated supporters of the Girl Scouts, hosting pretzel tours for more than 800 girls last year.
2015 Franchisee of the Year (large) – Linda Read
A franchisee since 1994, Linda Read owns 10 Auntie Anne’s stores. Operating in the competitive Southern California market, she is constantly finding ways to elevate the brand over local competitors. Read identifies innovative and creative ways to market her business and build the brand, and serves on the Auntie Anne’s Franchise Advisory Council.
2015 Tom Carvel Franchisee of the Year – Neil and Tracy Wallach
A franchisee since 2014, Neil and Tracy Wallach were the first to open the Carvel 80th anniversary shop design and exceeded sales expectations in their first year. In their second year, sales increased more than 10 percent over the prior year. The Wallachs are amazing brand advocates and operators, and are involved with their local community, which has set the stage for additional new unit openings.
2015 Franchisee of the Year – Vincent Au Yeung
Vincent Au Yeung became a franchisee with Cinnabon three years ago and in that time has opened six locations from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Brandon, Florida. Au Yeung has been a pioneer in kiosk operations and development with four kiosk locations, with one finishing 2015 at $3,000 per square foot in total sales.
2015 Franchisee of the Year – Peak Restaurants, LLC
Peak Restaurants had a standout year in 2015, with extraordinary achievements in new restaurant development, food safety, overall guest satisfaction and was a leader in same store sales growth. The group currently owns 10 McAlister’s locations in Tennessee and Virginia, and has plans to expand in their markets this year. Peak Restaurants is committed to the communities they serve, with a focus on enhancing the wellbeing and growth of kids by supporting organizations such as the Niswonger Children’s Hospital, Knoxville Children’s Hospital, Second Harvest Food Bank, Lynchburg Daily Bread, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and countless local schools.
Moe’s Southwest Grill
2015 Franchisee of the Year – Mike Walsh
Mike Walsh, a franchisee with Moe’s for more than 10 years, owns, and operates nine Moe’s locations throughout Long Island, New York, some of the highest volume stores in the system. Not only has he delivered a strong financial performance, but his loyalty to his employees has led to many of them staying on board with him since day one. Walsh consistently builds awareness for the brand in the Long Island market though his grassroots focus and execution of community events, sponsorships, and catering.
2015 Don & Dolores Dissman Franchise Partner of the Year – Cary & Jackie Albert
Franchisees since 1994, Cary and Jackie Albert exemplify what it means to be a true partnership in business. The Alberts own 31 Schlotzsky’s locations in Dallas-Fort Worth and South Texas and every year their organization contributes significantly to the North Texas Food Bank through a donation system based on their catering business.