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By Joe Fogg, Business Development Director, Supply Chain Management, arvato UK
Thanks to the growing popularity of online shopping, even the smallest companies now have access to potential customers all over the world. A useful stepping stone for many fledgling businesses is the ability to not only sell through their own e-commerce shops but to also list products on various online marketplaces like eBay and amazon. With more international products available via these channels, consumers are becoming more used to cross-border shopping.
According to IMRG - the UK’s online retail association - 48% of UK online shoppers have already made an online purchase with a retailer based abroad. Its research suggests that if the price and delivery timescales are right, consumers won’t think twice about buying from across the border. But therein lies the challenge. If you’re a growing UK business gaining traction overseas, how do you fulfil international orders without pricing yourself out of the market or breaking the bank?
Many organisations find themselves in a catch-22 situation - handle your own distribution from the UK, and you may encounter large shipping fees, but taking the plunge and setting up local distribution centres in the new territories could prove costly as well as risky if orders from those markets aren’t sustained in the long term.
It’s a particular dilemma for smaller e-retailers, who are unlikely to have the scale or resources to put lots of capital into an expansion. These companies will often be dealing with smaller numbers of orders which need to be shipped directly to consumers across a disparate geography.
As a result shared warehouses are becoming a popular option, providing the infrastructure and economies of scale to allow businesses to punch above their weight in terms of their logistics capabilities. Many providers offer centralised warehousing on a pay as you go basis. The benefit of this is the ability for a business to flexibly manage how much storage space it needs — scaling up and down in line with seasonal demand, without paying for any wastage.
If a business is anticipating large volumes of international orders from a small number of key markets, it might pay-off to partner with a supply chain operator which already has a presence in those markets, thus allowing stock to be based closer to customers while reducing the upfront investment needed to break into these markets.
From a customer’s point of view, the cost and convenience of how their order is fulfilled is likely to be the deciding factor in whether they buy from you. It’s estimated that half of all e-shopping baskets are abandoned at the checkout stage — much of which can be attributed to customers who have been put off by delivery charges or a lack of options, and may be looking for a better deal elsewhere.
Outsourcing warehousing and fulfilment also offers benefits here, by allowing businesses to access economies of scale. Quality supply chain providers will have established relationships with international carriers, while the enhanced buying power of being one of a larger group of buyers can allow businesses to access shipping rates which would normally only be available to businesses dealing with much larger order volumes. Access to a network which can provide a wide range of delivery and return options, and multiple carriers, will help to keep costs down and improve the customer experience.
Working with the right partner can also give you access to sophisticated technologies such as order management systems and picking technology. These technologies allow a business to have greater visibility of its stock levels, enabling better purchasing and stock allocation decisions.
Of course, outsourcing isn’t for everyone - some business owners won’t be comfortable with handing over stock to a third party. However, professionalising warehousing and distribution activities is a key step in enabling a company’s growth, and forming a partnership can be an effective way of quickly accessing the kind of scale and infrastructure that could otherwise take years to build.


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Mint Capital backs Maratex
Maratex was formed in 2006 by the merger of Baza and BTI Systems, which have the franchises for the Esprit brand in Ukraine and Russia respectively.
Maratex also holds exclusive rights to operate shops for UK brand Peacocks in Russia and Ukraine, French brand Lulu Castagnette in Russia and Kazakhstan, and the Inwear and Matinique brands in Kazakhstan.
«We have always seen big potential in the retail market, especially apparel,» said a spokesman for Mint. «Maratex is well positioned. It has an experienced management team, a strong brand portfolio and operates in one of the fastest-growing areas of the clothing market — the mid-priced range.»
Maratex operates 25 stores in Russia and eight in Ukraine. These comprise 18 Esprit stores, eight Peacocks stores and seven Lulu Castagnette stores. It plans to open its first Inwear / Matinique stores this year. The investment from Mint will fund the expansion of its retail network.
This is the first time Mint has invested in clothing retail in Russia and Ukraine.

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When the computer company moved one of its critical supply chains from a legacy UNIX system to industry-standard technology and Oracle Database 10g, it boosted performance and cut $5 million out of IT costs.
The right IT platform helps Dell manufacturing facilities like the one above stay up and running and turning out some 100,000 systems a day.
t Dell, fast, flexible,and lean supply chains lie at the heart of the business. Indeed, Dell’s supply chain capabilities are a key competitive differentiator for the company—one that enables Dell to deliver built-to-order computers to customers quickly and cost-effectively. And that means that when it comes to the information systems that support that supply chain, there is little room for error. “If these systems arenot
operational, we don’t build and ship products. If we don’t do that, we don’t book revenue— which makes these systems mission-critical,” says Duane Miller, senior manager of Worldwide Procurement IT at Dell. Not long ago, however, Dell’s IT professionals saw potential problems looming on the horizon. The database that was the foundation of its supply chain applications was running on alegacy UNIX
system—and with the ongoing success of Dell products and the resulting IT workloads, that system was reaching the limits of its capacity. “We were starting to get ‘Sev 1’ calls regularly,” says Miller. Such calls, he explains, occur when an outage in the supply chain management system interrupts production. “They are the highest level of severity in terms of problem calls, based on thedegree of impact to the business. With those calls, it’s all hands on deck, and we drop everything and get them back up and
operational, because the problem is stopping manufacturing at one of our domestic or international facilities.” What’s more, the IT group could see that things weren’t going to be getting any easier. The demand for Dell’s products was increasing, and forecasts called forhigher production volumes in the near future. In addition, the company was bringing on new factories the system had to support. To handle these growing workloads, the IT department clearly needed to increase the capacity of its supply
chain database platform—and managers wanted to do so quickly, before the coming holiday season, when the company’s sales tend to spike.
Saying good-bye to UNIXDell’s challenge was hardly unique: Running out of headroom on a large legacy server is a familiar problem for IT professionals in many organizations. Traditionally, the solution has been to add another legacy server, in essence implementing a relatively large amount of capacity in one pass—and then hope the new server will meet the company’s needs for several more years. But Dell IT leadershiptook a look at advancing technology and decided there was a better way. “We saw that there was an opportunity to move the database from the expensive UNIX environment to a more cost-effective standards-based environment that could provide the high levels of performance we needed,” says Miller. The platform Dell selected: groups of Dell™ PowerEdge™ servers running Oracle® Database 10g with OracleReal Application Clusters, and drawing on Dell/EMC storage devices. The platform uses the Linux® operating system, reflecting a growing trend in the Oracle community: According to an Independent Oracle Users Group member survey in early 2006, Linux will overtake Sun’s UNIX-based Solaris as the top operating system for Oracle database deployments in 2007. The demands on the Dell and Oracle platformwere clearly going to be significant. The database has to support a range of vital supply chain processes, including configuration management, procurement, material-cost management, inventory, and accounts payable. In terms of workloads, that means handling the volumes of information needed to manage 1 million Dell part numbers across nearly 200 product families. It also means tracking nearly 3...


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Tarzana-based San Fernando Valley Arts and Cultural Center recently unveiled its new mouth-watering exhibition, “Food for Thought.”
The show, on view through Sept. 9, is literally a feast for the eyes.
“We are always trying to come up with new ideas and themes for our SFVACC-sponsored art exhibits,” says Carolyn Uhri, the museum’s president. “During on of our board meetings, our secretary, Susan Gesundheit, came up with ‘Food for Thought.’ We all thought it was a great idea.”
“Food for Thought” is artfully composed by about 50 works of art that center around all things food and drink. Think still lifes, agricultural landscapes and images, such as American expat Stephanie Seymour’s photographs of Italian chefs in action.
An artists’ reception takes place from 5-7 p.m. Saturday with food provided by Whole Foods Market in Tarzana.
As Uhri puts it, “The idea of guiding our visitors through our art exhibit to a quality market like Whole Foods really put the icing on the carrot cake.”
Food for thought
What: Artist reception
When: 5-7 p.m. Saturday
Where: San Fernando Valley Arts and Cultural Center, 18312 Oxnard St., Tarzana
Information: 818-697-5525. www.sfvacc.org


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The study, published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, looked at 122 developing and least-developed countries, mostly in Asia, Africa and South America.
Exports account for 3 per cent of its revenues and the company is expecting the share to increase to 4-5 per cent this fiscal.
The government had in June announced a Rs 6,000-crore package for textiles and apparels sector to help it wrest a bigger share of the global market.
The main handicraft items exported by India include house-ware, home textiles, furniture, glassware, bamboo goods, fashion jewellery and lamp and lighting.
Patanjali is selling "simple products like ghee and honey", but is still small in the value-added segment, Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej said today.
GST, competitive logistics, e-mandis and food processing parks may integrate to sell daal at Rs 20/kg and mangoes at Rs 10/kg
Experts said after bugs had been ironed out and investment put in place, prices of food items such as lentils and fruits could go down by at least 75% .
Navroze Godrej, the 33 year old executive director of consumer conglomerate, Godrej & Boyce is spearheading a pilot project on a disruptive business model.
Symphony Ltd’s subsidiary Impco S.De. RL.De. CV, Mexico has executed and commissioned a pilot project of central air-cooling the first of several locations of the Dutch owned ‘Makro’ chain of super-markets in Colombia, South America. The company is also in talks with the retail chain to air cool at its other supermarkets.


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Intex Technologies has announced the launch of its Cloud Fame in India. The new smartphone runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system and comes with an affordable price of Rs. 3,999.
The Intex Cloud Fame is the company’s most affordable Android Marshmallow device. It brings features like Google Now on Tap and Doze mode as well as comes pre-installed with Matrabhasha service to enable communication in 21 regional languages. Additionally, there are custom features such as gesture controls, flip-to-mute, smart wake and emergency rescue.
Featuring a 4.5-inch IPS display, the Cloud Fame has 854 x 480 pixels (FWVGA) resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Under the hood, the smartphone has a MediaTek chipset with a 1GHz quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM. It also has 8GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via a microSD card slot.
The smartphone has a 5-megapixel rear camera sensor along with an LED flash and a 2-megapixel front camera sensor. It has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, A-GPS and a microUSB port. Also, it comes with 4G LTE support to deliver high-speed data experience.
Intex has provided an 1,800mAh battery on the Cloud Fame. It is claimed to deliver up to seven hours of talk time or 10-day standby time.
Intex Cloud Fame specifications:
- 4.5-inch FWVGA display
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS
- 1GHz quad-core MediaTek processor
- 1GB of RAM, 8GB expandable storage
- 5MP rear camera, 2MP front camera
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, A-GPS, MicroUSB port
- Dual-SIM with 4G LTE support
- 1,800mAh battery
“The Marshmallow powered Cloud Fame is for the tech-savvy consumers who want style with substance,” Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, mobile business head, Intex Technologies, said in a statement.
The Intex Cloud Fame with chocolate brown and dark blue color options will go on sale through Snapdeal. It will compete against the Micromax Canvas Spark 2 Plus that was recently launched for the same price of Rs. 3,999.


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At this time last year, pandemic lockdowns rolling out around the world caused Netflix subscriptions to spike, as the company added 16 million subscribers in three months. Now it’s numbers for the same period in 2021 are out (PDF), and it grew by a total of 3.98 million customers worldwide, which executives said reflected “the big Covid-19 pull forward in 2020 and a lighter content slate in the first half of this year, due to Covid-19 production delays.”
That so many people (now 208 million) already have Netflix is one issue, but the problem of not finding new stuff that we want to watch on Netflix and the growing threat of high-quality competition from Disney+, HBO Max and others is potentially much more serious. Subscriber numbers in North America only grew by 448,000, although that doesn’t tell us how many people cancelled subscriptions as shows like WandaVision peaked and price hikes rolled out.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Kathy Smith had the difficult job of picking initial public offerings for her Renaissance Capital IPO Fund this year.
The fund focuses on newly public companies, some of which are featured in the Renaissance Capital IPO of the week Web site. That was a good thing in the past, when Renaissance Capital's fund IPOSX was among the strongest out there amid a run-up in IPOs.
Yet for 2000, the fund is down 40 percent, compared to a 39 percent decline in the Nasdaq Composite. Over the past three years, Renaissance Capital IPO shareholders have realized a 15.1 percent rate of return.
"Overall, the 2000 IPO market was one that began in frenzy and ended in collapse," said Smith, a founder of the Renaissance Capital IPO Fund.
Despite the rough year for IPOs in general, Smith said she's eyeing strong performances in 2001 from three debutantes: Transmeta, Palm and Capstone Turbine.
Smith's first stock pick is Transmeta TMTA a maker of Linux-based silicon chips for portable computers that made its Wall Street debut in November. "We think there's room for a company with better chip technology," she said. On Friday, the stock gained $2 to $23.50.
Capstone Turbine CPST, -3.75% a maker of small electric power generators with clean emissions, is another pick. "They make real products, they've environmentally friendly, and there's a big demand for electricity producers for the new economy power grid," she said. Shares fell $2 to $28.
Palm PALM, +0.00% is another favorite, partly because of its potential for growth through its software platform. The profitable maker of hand-held computers has a "multi-pronged" approach to the personal digital assistant category. The stock fell $2.19 to $28.31.


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Web3 Studios announces the streaming and digital collectible release of “Menace”, the new single from little vibe and Axel!
“Menace” will be released to streaming, digital service providers (DSPs — Spotify, TIDAL, Apple/iTunes, Amazon Music, etc) on Friday, 03/24/2023!
The streaming release will also coincide with a limited edition, digital collectible release on the Campfire Marketplace!
Keep reading below to pre-save the single on Spotify and access the digital collectible!
Digital Collectible: https://campfire.exchange/collections/0xa07bdcc9b9a9d9054aefe09a49ccac247c32a263/1


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Consumer prices in March posted their first annual decline in 54 years, underscoring widespread weakness in the economy as businesses try to win back customers with rock-bottom prices.
The consumer price index, the broadest measure of product and service costs across the U.S., fell 0.4% in March compared with a year earlier, the first time since August 1955 that prices declined over the course of a year. The index declined 0.1% from February. The March figures serve as a reminder of the threat of deflation, a sustained, broad-based fall in prices that can exacerbate an economic downturn.
The sharp slide in fuel costs since last summer sparked the decline in the CPI. Excluding energy and food, the index actually rose 1.8% from a year earlier. It climbed 0.2% in March, compared with February, though half of that increase came from higher federal taxes on tobacco products.
Still, the Federal Reserve's beige book, a summary of nationwide economic conditions released Wednesday, reported broad downward pressure on prices -- including wages and salaries -- across the country. Service firms reported customers asking for price cuts, delayed payments and difficulty collecting bills. The Fed banks in Philadelphia, Dallas, and San Francisco said businesses reported that consumers "were looking for value, and were opting for lower-priced, private label products over higher-priced alternatives," the report said.
With the values of major assets such as homes and stocks shrinking, financial markets and government officials have worried about the risk of falling prices for the past several months.
The threat of deflation will loom larger if the economy continues to struggle. A rapid recovery appears less likely after a report showing retail sales in March declined and consumers still aren't ready to spend as before.
A weak response to signs of falling prices could set the stage for a deflationary cycle, as Japan experienced in the 1990s. In such a cycle, businesses and consumers postpone expenditures, expecting prices to fall further. As sales fall, companies cut prices more, squeezing profit margins and trimming wages -- and more jobs -- to avoid going out of business.
But U.S. officials have responded aggressively to the threat of deflation, pumping money into the economy at a rapid pace.
Fed officials expect inflation to "remain quite low for some time," Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said this week. Even a low inflation rate creates risks. "Although inflation can certainly be too high, it can also be too low," Mr. Bernanke said. Fed officials prefer annual inflation of about 2% over the long run.
Morgan Stanley economist David Greenlaw predicts core inflation -- excluding food and energy -- will slow to 1% on a year-over-year basis by the end of 2009 as rents decline and overall demand remains weak. Sustained deflation ultimately will be averted by an improving economy, he said, but so far, the economy is continuing to deteriorate, if more slowly than before.
Firms from travel to apparel industries have slashed prices to win sales while consumers cut back. The government's CPI report Wednesday showed a 7.7% annual decline in airline fares, with a 2.3% drop in March alone from the prior month.
On Wednesday, American Airlines parent AMR Corp. said it lost $375 million in the first quarter as the recession weakened demand, lowering fares and traffic to cut the company's revenue by 15%. American said the price of the average fare dropped by 4.5% from a year ago.
Across the manufacturing sector, prices are declining as factories use the least amount of their capacity since the Fed began keeping records. High inventories in warehouses and store shelves are shutting down production lines and forcing retailers to cut prices to clear products.
The Fed said Wednesday that its measure of industrial production -- output at factories, mines and utilities -- fell 1.5% in March from a month earlier. It's down 13% since the recession began in December 2007, worse than every recession since World War II.
Write to Sudeep Reddy at email@example.com


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SonicWall distributor Tekdata has launched an iPhone app for reseller sales staff on the move.
Tekdata in your Pocket (TiyP) is designed to help resellers close deals by handing them access to the latest IT news, live stock feeds and product datasheets from the palm of their hands. It also allows them to place orders.
The app, which will in the future also be available on Android, is free but resellers must have a credit account with the distributor for the stock feed to be automated.
Tekdata sales director Jason Hill said he hoped multiple sales staff from each of its 1,500 active reseller partners would download the app, which has just received clearance from Apple.
"We want to enable resellers to have some tools that are at their fingertips when they go into a potential sales opportunity. This could make their meeting simpler and easier," he added.
"We looked at the usual suspects on the app store but we could not find any other distributor that has launched this kind of tool."
A second release is planned, featuring a module that will allow Micro-P-owned Tekdata to alert partners to subscription services nearing renewal.
Howard Bedford, director of Epexcel, which developed the app, said research Tekdata conducted recently suggested that about 85 per cent of the distributor's resellers had an iPhone.
"The difference between a website and an app is you have all this functionality that is integrated. This gives you everything at your fingertips," Bedford said.
Security firm set to become part of acquisitive Shearwater Group
Distributor merges three northern sites into one new hub in Warrington
Activist investor puts forward five director candidates as turmoil continues at security giant
Nima Green asks what is driving public cloud uptake in Germany


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The question of whether the success of the renault–nissan alliance could only have been achieved through managerial innovations, or whether it might also have been achieved through a new legal form of partnership is a central issue for policy makers. The renault-nissan alliance and dongfeng motor group have formed a new joint venture to co-develop and sell electric vehicles in china the new joint venture, egt new energy automotive company, or egt for short, will focus on the core competencies of each partner and will “harness the full. The alliance between renault & nissan, as indicated by the results in march 2004, was an outstanding paradigm of a successful alliance around the world however, before 1999, the prospective of forming an alliance between these two firms was not such rosy. Renault-nissan bv, a key reason for the alliance’s success, is a strategic management firm, responsible for strategies, synergies, and combining resources, capabilities, and core competencies opening case.
Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500 and has been partnered with french manufacturer renault under the renault-nissan alliance since 1999 in 2016, nissan acquired a 34% stake in mitsubishi motors, which became the third member of the alliance – a grouping with combined annual sales of almost 10 million units a year. Core competences of the renault-nissan alliance according to prahalad (1990), core competenc es are the most significant value creating skills within the corporation and key areas of expertise which are distinctive to it and critical to the company's long term growth. Mngt ch 9-10 exam 2 study play which alliance type is the renault-nissan alliance, where nissan owns 15 percent of renault equity alliance integration consortium joint venture the degree of core competencies increased in a firm when adopting globalization 20 is _____. Renault-nissan alliance team the new nissan leaf: raising the bar for electric vehicles company will focus on the core competencies of each partner to deliver competitive electric vehicles for the chinese market pdf: alliance nr_china jv_august 2017pdf more 23 aug.
Volvo renault alliance the article described the life cycle of the alliance between car manufacturers volvo and renault that was one of the largest and most prominent alliances in europe at that time. The new joint venture, egt new energy automotive co, ltd (egt), will focus on the core competencies of each partner and will harness the full potential of the renault-nissan alliance electric vehicle leadership, as well as the resources of dongfeng in the new energy industry, to meet the expectations of the chinese market. Renault-nissan alliance and dongfeng motor group co, ltd forge • company will focus on the core competencies of each partner to deliver competitive electric vehicles for the chinese market paris/beijing (august 29, 2017) — the renault-nissan alliance and dongfeng motor group co, ltd. The positive trend in the nissan share which reflects the market's confidence in nissan's ability to achieve a turnaround and in the renault-nissan alliance, added 612% in value (as of september 30) to renault's investment in nissan's capital. Renault – nissan’s strategic alliance model leading to high performance19 may 20101renault-nissan.
Consider the current talks between general motors and the nissan motor co-renault sa alliance carlos ghosn, ceo of nissan and renault, would like to build light trucks at gm's underused plants. Take a deep breath: the alliance also owns 31% of daimler, and daimler, which makes mercedes, in turn owns 31% each of both nissan and renault daimler and the alliance have been working on 12. Renault & nissan alliance is an inimitable partnership of two companies combined for performance and created a national automobile group of global scale, signed on march 27, 1999 this alliance based on two main founding principles. In regard to resouce complementarity, a very successful alliance was fromed in 1999 by french based renault and japan based nissan each of these firms lacked the neccessary size to develop economies of scale and economies of scope that were critical to succeed in the 1990s and beyond in the global automobile industyr.
Renault-nissan unequal equity arrangement is a mix oi a competitive intra-industry alliance since the two partners used to compete on the same range oi products and oi a noncompetitive agreement since nissan and renault are quite complementary as iar as geographical market. Core competence nissan renault alliance renault nissan partnership in 1999, renault bought a controlling interest in nissan at 44% of the shares this merger raised several questions about the two companies from different countries and their methods of manufacturing and business practices in how they could co-exist and profit from one another. The renault-nissan alliance is a strategic partnership between groupe renault of france and japan-based nissan motor and mitsubishi motors the automakers combined sold 996 million vehicles in nearly 200 countries in 2016 – more than one in nine vehicles worldwide. Founded in 1999, renault-nissan is developing a core competence in multicultural teamwork and project management our understanding grows deeper as we collaborate with daimler and our regional partners, including dongfeng in china, mitsubishi in japan and ashok leyland in india.
Under his leadership of the nissan-renault merger has become the largest car manufacturer in the world and was – pre-merger – seen as a risky combination of companies and cultures this rare and valuable opportunity for the tsinghua students to interact with carlos hence revolved around the challenges of cross-cultural leadership. Renault-nissan alliance acquired a majority stake in avtovaz in russia in 20124 synergies of the alliance the alliance is working hard to get synergies further convergence in four core business.
The renault nissan alliance discussed in the opening case is an example of a _____ in that the firms seek to create economies of scope by sharing their resources and capabilities to develop manufacturing platforms that can be used to produce cars that will be either a renault or a nissan. The renault-nissan alliance is a strategic partnership between france-based groupe renault and japan-based nissan motor and mitsubishi motors the automakers combined sold 996 million vehicles in nearly 200 countries in 2016 – more than one in nine vehicles worldwide. The renault alliance was so bad that in 2009, car and driver effectively recanted naming the alliance to their 1983 ten best list stating the alliance proved that wisconsin workers could assemble a renault with the same indifference to quality that was a hallmark of the french automotive industry.


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The new IoT specialized 5G modem will improve IoT functionality in mission critical applications and may ultimately accelerate IoT device adoption among various industries.
A new Nest update will make Google’s smart home devices compatible with the Matter smart home standard. The move could add momentum towards a push for a unified smart home ecosystem and presents Google with access to a quickly growing supply of smart devices.
Taking the witness stand, Tim “Not a Gamer” Cook showed off his evasive moves dodging questions about App Store profitability. Apple’s Epic battle may wrap up soon, but Big Tech’s antitrust wars have just begun.
Google I/O Day One: Wear OS, quantum computing, and 3D video conferencing were highlighted on the first day of Google’s annual developer conference.
When Blink Fitness had to temporarily close its doors at the height of the pandemic, the company quickly shifted its focus to where consumers were: online.
South Korea sees a semiconductor opportunity: South Korea’s recent $450 billion semiconductor spending plan—the latest global government-backed chipmaking move—may signal a move away from a chip industry once dominated by a small handful of countries
Facebook’s consumer VR advantage: Recent VR headset announcements show device-makers are increasingly pivoting toward enterprise customers as a result of Oculus’ unbeatable price point.
Instagram for Kids: Eroded user trust and heightened regulatory scrutiny are threatening to bury Facebook’s plan for a version of Instagram geared towards children. That could prove disastrous for Facebook’s future growth.
China eyes the ‘next stage of the internet’: The country hopes its two-pronged approach to early blockchain and 5G adoption will help establish itself as a global leader in the internet’s next generation.
To track or not to track? New data on iOS app tracking opt-in rates contradicts earlier estimates, but may ultimately offer a clearer glimpse into consumers’ real behavior.
In-store shopping will remain a crucial part of the retail sales funnel in China, even as ecommerce players continue to rack up record gross merchandise value (GMV). Pre-pandemic, ecommerce was already disrupting brick-and-mortar retail, but over the past year, retailers began to innovate more offline, leveraging new and existing technology.
Oversight Board punts on Facebook's Trump Ban: Following months of deliberation, the Facebook Oversight Board has decided to let Facebook make the final decision on how to enforce President Trump’s account.
Telecoms vs New York: Organizations representing the US’ major telecoms have challenged a New York state law requiring ISPs to provide affordable broadband. The lawsuit could definitively determine whether states can regulate broadband pricing.
Sony integrates Discord: Two weeks after Microsoft’s efforts to buy Discord crumbled, Sony announced an investment in and partnership with Discord that will embed it in its gaming services.
Extended reality (XR) technologies are still mostly related to gaming, entertainment, and social media, but their applications are evolving quickly as more consumers and businesses test out immersive experiences.


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Earlier this month, a buzz began brewing around Kinston after international coffee chain Starbucks posted a job opening for a store manager in Kinston on its website.
That posting was still up Friday afternoon and is also accessible on other job sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor.
Screenshots of that job posting – originally made on Monday April 16 – spread like wildfire across multiple Facebook pages of Kinston and Lenoir County residents. One of the screenshots, posted by Kinston native Chris Suggs, has been shared 139 times.
Information about the potential new store has been hard to come by since that posting went online.
Kinston City Manager Tony Sears said the city has been working on bringing the chain to town since 2017.
“It’s our understanding that Starbucks is coming, it’s our understanding that they have or are securing a lease for the old RadioShack,” Sears said. “Our planning director Adam Short has been working in conjunction with Retail Strategies for the recruitment of Starbucks.”
Retail Strategies is an economic and business development company that contracts with municipalities to bring new businesses to those cities.
The contract between the city and the company has expired, though a representative of Retail Strategies said they have continued to work on the Starbucks project despite that expiration.
As is often the case with a new business or development, nothing is official until its official. To his knowledge, Sears said no lease has been signed on the proposed location yet. Short told The Free Press that no planning or remodeling documents have been filed with the city.
According to the Lenoir County Geographic Information System that building is owned by BJE Properties in Goldsboro. No one from that agency could be located for comment.
If opened Starbucks would be the latest addition in a long line of developments in the quarter-mile stretch between U.S. 70 and U.S. 258 over the last few years.
“Starbucks is one of those iconic stores that is typically an indicator of economic health. You couple that with the opening of the hotel, Lidl, Cook Out and now Starbucks, it’s beginning to show you that Kinston is growing on a retail side,” Sears said.
Since 2015 the only dedicated coffee shop in Kinston has been the Middle Grounds Coffeehouse, 212 N. Herritage St.
Owner Jessy Dawson told The Free Press that her initial reaction to hearing about a Kinston Starbucks was to be concerned, though she’s since walked that back.
“I felt like as soon as I got some years underneath me (Starbucks) would come in and take away all my business and I was worried about my growing family,” she said. “But there’s Applebee’s, there’s Outback (Steakhouse) and then there’s The Boiler Room and Chef and the Farmer. People look for what they want. People will find me. I think that there might be enough room for me and Starbucks here, but this is home.”
Calls to the Starbucks corporate press service were not returned, though an email from the company reads "Unfortunately, we have no information to share about a potential location in Kinston, NC at this time."
Dustin George can be reached at 252-559-1077 or Dustin.George@Kinston.com.


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Hundreds of items belonging to a former Anderson County councilman accused of masterminding a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of millions are being auctioned off.
Attorney Beattie Ashmore says items including farm equipment, antiques and horse supplies can be previewed by the public Friday at Ronnie Gene Wilson's Live Oak Farms in Woodruff. The auction is Saturday.
Ashmore was appointed to sell Wilson's assets to pay investors victimized by his scheme. Prosecutors say Wilson and another man promised to buy and sell silver for customers, but invested little of the $90 million they took in and either lost the money or kept it for themselves.
Wilson is serving a 19-year federal prison sentence for mail fraud. Other items belonging to him were auctioned off last month.
April 12, 2013
A live auction of items from the farm of Ron Wilson has been announced.
A court appointed receiver for Wilson and Atlantic Bullion & Coin has set the auction for April 27 at 9:30 a.m. at 270 Sam Davis Road in Woodruff.
The event will auction off hundreds of items from Wilson's Live Oak Farms, including farm equipment, ATVs, antiques, commercial freezers, stock trailers, outdoor benches, memorabilia, horse supplies and more.


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Microsoft has unveiled a Kinect version 2 sensor for Windows PCs today that looks and acts just like its Xbox One brother. The nearly identical sensor will work the same way on PC as Xbox users have come to expect. The only difference being small aesthetic adjustment removing the Xbox logo and adding a Kinect label. The Windows Kinect also comes with its own power supply and USB hub.
Microsoft has no release date or price yet for the Kinect for Windows V2 but says that “we [are] getting closer and closer to launch.” Which is said to before the summer of 2014.
Image Via: Microsoft
So why is Microsoft bringing the sensor to PC? Given the current climate and speculations about Microsoft secretly developing virtual reality technology that would use the Kinect Sensor as part of the interface, this could be a step closer to launching a Windows-based VR that Microsoft hasn't yet announced. Or we could just end up yelling at our PCs, “volume down!”


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By Scott Buttram
TRUSSVILLE –The city council approved the purchase of the Braden’s Furniture building on the corner of Main Street and Chalkville Road for $1,630,000 on Monday.
The property will be used to install a right-turn lane on Chalkville Road. The purchase also allows the city to upgrade drainage and further curtail flooding downtown.
After the completion of the drainage and road work, the remaining property will be placed on the market for future development.
Jef Freeman, chairman of the Downtown Redevelopment Authority thanked the council and called the purchase a “major step forward in the redevelopment of downtown Trussville.”
Freeman said the road and drainage work is critical at the main downtown intersection and must be completed in order to market the property to developers for future retail space that will attract new businesses.
Vernon Braden opened the furniture store in 1956 and the business eventually grew to occupy 25,000 square feet and several adjoining buildings. There are a total of five parcels of land included in the sale.
Braden’s is believed to be the oldest existing business in downtown Trussville.
Billy Braden said he would like to slow down after the sale of the building, but hasn’t decided if that means downsizing to a new location or retirement.
The city had hoped a federal grant would fund the purchase and construction of the additional turn lane. However, the federal government pulled out of the project over concerns that the building may be considered historical in nature.
Braden said he will have a year to vacate the property, but isn’t sure that it will take that long.


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The innovative brand has pioneered a new technology which recycles 100 per cent of all water used within its factories
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few weeks, it’s likely you’ve seen news of the mass protests radical activists Extinction Rebellion have been staging in cities around the world, as they desperately try to draw attention to what’s fast becoming a global climate crisis. Perhaps you heard teenage climate activist (and 2019 Dazed 100er) Greta Thunberg’s impassioned plea to UK Parliament, in which she implored the government to ensure the planet remains liveable for both her own and future generations. Or maybe you saw the recent BBC documentary, in which legendary naturalist David Attenborough heartbreakingly detailed the devastation humans have caused to the natural world, and attempted to rouse viewers to wake up and take action to avert the earth’s sixth mass extinction.
It goes without saying that things are not looking good right now, and, unless we make some drastic changes to the way we live – and make them fast – the future looks pretty bleak for humanity. But that’s not to say there isn’t hope.
As one of the world’s biggest polluters, a huge responsibility to turn things around lies in the hands of the fashion industry, and while the epidemic of fast fashion remains a huge problem, it seems more and more labels are waking up to the role they play in shaping our future, and taking significant steps to start doing things differently.
Leading the charge when it comes to this is eco-conscious LA-based denim label AG Jeans, which recently unveiled an innovative water filtration system in celebration of World Water Day 2019. Implemented at both its Los Angeles and Mexico factories, the new, state-of-the-art machinery will recycle 100 per cent of the water used during the manufacturing process.
“A typical denim manufacturer uses 380,000 gallons of water per day,” explains AG founder Yul Ku. “AG’s new technology will reduce our usage to just 1,200 gallons per day due to evaporation and minor spillage.” This also means that no waste water, chemicals, or dyes reach the LA sewer systems and ultimately the ocean, and, were you brave enough to pour yourself a glass, you’d even find that what’s left post-recycling process is perfectly drinkable (yes, really).
While AG will not see a return on its investment in this new technology for at least 20 years, the move demonstrates Ku’s commitment to the environment, and demonstrates changes like these are possible. By setting an example, the pioneering denim label hopes to stir change throughout the fashion industry – and beyond.
It doesn’t stop there, though. AG has also joined forces with Water For People – the international charity seeking to provide clean water and sanitation who need it most. Having kicked the partnership off with a sizeable donation, each item purchased from AG’s SS19 collection – including its special capsule designed in partnership with LA-based Swiss artist Blanda – will provide a vulnerable person with water for two weeks.
And to top it all off, single-use plastic bottles are set to be eradicated from all AG sites, including both its factories and its stores, in favour of Boxed Water is Better: the sustainably-minded, eco-conscious (surprise!) boxed water company which uses 74 per cent recycled materials to make its 100 per cent recyclable packaging, and plants two new trees every time #BetterPlanet is hashtagged on Instagram. So… what are you waiting for?


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Dick’s Sporting Goods hosted its grand opening at the Great Mall over the weekend that included an appearance by a San Jose Sharks hockey player.
On Saturday, the event held at 1200 Great Mall Drive saw Sharks’ ice hockey forward Patrick Marleau greet customers at Dick’s, while the store gave away promotional gifts that included T-shirts. Hundreds lined up to meet and get autographs from Marleau as well as shop the retailer’s assortment of sporting goods equipment, apparel and footwear.
The new store replaces Sports Authority, which closed at the same location in July 2016.
In March, Dick’s Sporting Goods stock dropped more than 8 percent after the retailer said that consolidated same-store sales are expected to increase about 2 to 3 percent this year, which is lower than the 3.5 percent increase in 2016.
Still, Dick’s Sporting Goods, though, expects to open about 43 new stores and relocate approximately seven stores in 2017.
As of January, the company had about 14,600 full-time and 25,900 part-time associates, according to a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The company operated 797 stores and specialty shops in 47 states that month. In California, the retailer ran 52 Dick’s Sporting Goods stores and specialty shops.
Staff writer Queenie Wong contributed to this report.


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Apple is said to be releasing the updatedalongside a dramatically updated iPhone 8 (possibly called the iPhone X, Anniversary Edition or something else). The company will face stiff competition from Samsung’s just-launched , LG’s and .
Despite zero official confirmation from Apple, the iPhone rumor mill. Part of this is thanks to an Apple HomePod firmware leak, which contained several hints about the iPhone 8 like its , and .
The exact date is still anyone’s guess. For the past few years, Apple’s iPhone event has happened in early to mid-September on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Last year’swas announced on September 7, but didn’t go out until the week before. So there’s a chance we won’t hear the exact date until days before the event.
The iPhone 7S, 7S Plus, and 8 could then go on sale a week-and-a-half later on Friday, September 22, Mac4Ever reported. It’s also unofficial Apple tradition to release its new iPhones to the public on a Friday about a week or two after the announcement. While this seems like business as usual, several reports have claimed that the iPhone 8 sale date could be. This latest rumor suggests that this won’t happen, but it doesn’t comment on at launch.
In the meantime, all we can do is wait to hear more.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
Tech Culture: From film and television to social media and games, here’s your place for the lighter side of tech.
Batteries Not Included: The CNET team shares experiences that remind us why tech stuff is cool.


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According to various published reports, several Constitution State residents were either suspects or victims in crimes related to shopping activities on the busiest shopping day of the year.
In Milford, Conn., a coastal city in New Haven County, a woman was carjacked at gunpoint outside a Lowe's Home Improvement store while sitting in the parking lot with the engine running.
CT Post reported that a man wearing a ski mask and a sweatshirt with a hood jumped into the woman's 2007 Saturn Ion and ordered her out at gunpoint.
The woman, a 35-year-old Monroe, Conn. resident who was reportedly waiting for her husband to get out of the store, wasn't injured in the incident, but understandably shaken up.
"I had left the car running with the doors unlocked. Within thirty seconds this man got into the car and pointed a gun at me and said get out of the car," the victim told CT Post. "It was so quick that in a split second I had thought it was my husband returning, but then he said `get out of the car' again. I got out of the car as quickly as I could and he drove away, not speeding away."
The car was later recovered in West Haven, but the suspect was never captured.
Also on Black Friday in Milford, local police used stun guns on a man inside a Wal-Mart store following a violent dispute over a video game.
The Hartford Courant reports that 26-year-old Hamden, Conn. resident Brian Shellnutt was waiting in line at the crowded department store to purchase a video game when an 11-year-old boy was knocked to the ground. As the boy's father came to his aid, Shellnut allegedly confronted him before another shopper came to the concerned parent's aid.
CT Post reported that Shellnut attacked the other shopper and when officers already patrolling outside the store attempted to break up the altercation, Shellnut tried to punch the victim again, leading police to use their stun guns to subdue him.
Police in that city are also looking into reports that a woman shopping at the Old Navy store was thrown to the ground as her assailant tried to steal her purse.
In another incident at a Wal-Mart store in Southington, 32-year-old New Britain, Conn. resident Patrick Brew, pictured above, was stun-gunned by police after allegedly cutting about 20 people in line and getting into a fight with officers.
In the amateur video posted above, Brew and the police officers can be seen struggling while customers pass by with big-screen TVs and full shopping carts.
According to the Meriden Record Journal, Brew was charged with breach of peace and interfering with an officer.


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Twitter CEO To Africa: I Will Be Back
Twitter Inc (NYSE: TWTR) Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey said on Wednesday that he is considering moving to Africa sometime next year.
Dorsey, who also heads the payments company Square was bidding goodbye to the continent after spending some time in Ethiopia meeting the country’s technology community.
“Sad to be leaving the continent, […] for now,” Dorsey said in a tweet. “Not sure where yet, but I’ll be living here for 3 to 6 months mid 2020. Grateful I was able to experience a small part.”
The Twitter CEO’s visit coincided with that of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) founder Jack Ma.
Ma was visiting Ethiopia to sign an agreement to establish a new trade platform, Business Insider reported.
Dorsey added that Africa would define the future of technology, “especially the bitcoin one.”
Dorsey has betted big on Bitcoin. In October, he invested an undisclosed amount in a startup CoinList to build a cryptocurrency exchange desk. He has previously expressed a belief that Bitcoin could become the world’s sole cryptocurrency by 2028.
See more from Benzinga
© 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Incentives for downtown grocery questioned
Kevin Wolff: Downtown cannot support big store now
SAN ANTONIO - Incentives designed to lure a grocery store to downtown San Antonio to serve a growing residential population are being questioned by a public official with grocery store experience.
County Commissioner Kevin Wolff said despite the growth in housing units downtown, the population cannot support a large grocery store right now.
From the Can Plant at the Pearl Brewery to the Twelve Twenty on Broadway to the Casa Blanca Lofts on North Alamo, downtown is booming with new residential development.
Lori Houston, the director of the city’s Center City Development Office, said the city wants to spur more downtown growth by bringing in a grocery store for residents, tourists and downtown workers.
"Those three users would help us generate enough spending potential for up to a 20,000-square-foot grocery store," Houston said.
She said a study found $10.1 million in potential spending yearly at a downtown grocery.
The city has advertised state and nationwide for proposals on a downtown grocery, offering fee waivers and a million-dollar incentive.
"We want to see that they have a sound proposal, that their development team has property, that it's a financially feasible proposal," Houston said.
A 4,200-square-foot store is now being remodeled at Brooklyn and North Alamo, but the city is looking for something at least 15,000 square feet.
But Wolff said the whole concept is bound to fail for the grocery, the city and taxpayers.
"I truly believe the council has itself in a pickle on this one," Wolff said.
Wolff's family has owned Sun Harvest and Green Fields Market.
He is currently looking at opening a small grocery at Broadway and Newell downtown or somewhere else, but said a big grocery will not work here yet.
"Can you cobble together incentives and all those other sorts of things and get something done? Yes,” Wolff said. “Can you sustain it? Not at this point."
He said if local grocery giant HEB has not recognized a market for a downtown grocery store by now, there is no market for it.
The proposals from grocers are due June 4.
At that time, the city will begin the process of looking through them to see if any will work and possibly start negotiations.
Any valid proposal could go before the city council in September.
Here is a short list of the newest residential properties being developed in downtown San Antonio:
- Casa Blanca Lofts - 1542 N. Alamo 78215 - 17 for-sale properties
- E. Quincy - 1120 E. Quincy - 25 for-sale properties
- SOJO - 302 E. Josephine 78215 - 7 units
Copyright 2013 by KSAT.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Google is pushing a new feature out to its Phone app on Android devices called Verified Calls.
The feature appears to be rolling out to users according to Google's support page for it, which is live and points to the possibility that they could start coming in for users. Google has not however formally announced Verified Calls. With that being the case it's just as possible that it could be a while before these arrive officially for users.
Verified Calls in the Google Phone app will tell you why a business is calling
The goal of Verified Calls is to inform users why businesses are calling them. Too many times have you likely received calls from an unknown number or a business and had no clue why the call was coming in.
Verified Calls should take away some of that mystery. Then again not all businesses will support it. There is at least one prerequisite for this to be supported by a particular business.
The fact that businesses have to have gone through Google's approval process. Which is probably why Google is labeling these as verified. Because it was able to verify who the business was and typically why it makes calls out to its customers.
For businesses that go through this approval process, Google stores this information for a brief time so it can check it against the number when calls go through. Verified callers end up displaying the user's phone that they are indeed verified so the user knows it's not a fraudulent call.
The feature will allow users to opt out at any time
The support page for this feature says that users have the ability to opt out whenever they want. So although it will be enabled by default, you can just as easily disable it if you need to.
To do so you'll need to open the phone app then tap the more button and then settings. From the settings menu, open the caller ID and spam section. Once there you should see a new toggle for verified calls. Simply turn this off and you'll be opted out.
Know that if you do opt out at any point, you can just as easily opt back in at any point too. Google is giving the user control over whether or not they want these verified calls to come through. Though, there's likely way more benefit to having it on than off.


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Passed On Kid's Consignment Sale is this week's children's consignment sale.
The sale, which also will feature a "Mommy Marketplace" with accessories, bags and holiday decorations, is at the Tumble Weed Gymnastics Building, 2665 Southeast Blvd., in Clinton.
Shopping hours for the public are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon and 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturday. Some items are half off from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturday.
This is the beginning of the fall/winter consignment sale season. For details about the other sales across the region, check our database, which I recently updated. Not all sales have finalized their plans for the season, but most have.


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- Most popular cardiovascular health claims
- Increasing fibre consumption
- ‘Health halo’ ingredients
- The Mediterranean appeal
- Omega-3’s renewed potential
Typically, nutritional advice around heart health goes two ways. It tends to be either about consuming less of the bad stuff, or the encouragement of more wholesome foods such as oily fish, porridge and nuts.
Yet, market evidence suggests that developing specialist heart-health ingredients and functional foods could be a viable third-way.
“Global research shows that heart health-related claims motivate purchase among all consumers, with interest steadily increasing with age,” says Nancy Gaul, global marketing director at Tate & Lyle.
“The strongest appeal is in the over-60 age group, where 65.3% of consumers are motivated to buy by heart health claims. However, more than half of consumers aged 18 to 24 also care about heart health, with 51.6% finding the claim motivating.”
While ingredients such as beta-glucans, potassium or vitamin K2 have a well-established role in cardiovascular health, much of the market demand is being driven by high quality ingredients from natural sources with proven health benefits. And food businesses appear keen to pick up on the opportunity.
“Seniors are the most willing to consume a functional food or dietary supplement to help them to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system,” says Yannick Capelle, product technical manager for health with Frutarom.
Most popular cardiovascular health claims (return to top)
According to Capelle, hot cereals, margarines, dairy products and dietary supplements remain the most popular categories for cardiovascular health claims – with claims related to management of blood pressure and cholesterol coming out top.
While simple-sounding dietary adjustments may be appealing, many consumers struggle to make impactful changes without the help of functional ingredients, suggests Dr Manfred Eggersdorfer, senior vice president for nutrition science and advocacy at DSM and professor of healthy ageing at the University Medical Center in Groningen in the Netherlands.
A 2016 consumer survey by DSM revealed that heart health was one of the top worries – and was particularly important to those over the age of 31.Therefore, it is unsurprising that interest in the role that diet can play in protecting the heart has increased, Eggersdorfer claims.
“This is underpinned by research that shows, despite a growing preference for eating more whole, unprocessed foods, consumers appreciate dietary supplements to address gaps and increase their intake of micronutrients that may support cardiovascular health,” he adds.
Increasing fibre consumption (return to top)
Gaul at Tate & Lyle agrees, suggesting that fibre consumption is a good example. “Despite their best intentions, most consumers around the world struggle to meet the recommended guidelines for daily fibre intake.
“The World Health Organization suggests adults consume 25g per day. But most people fall short of this number. In the US, for example, only 3% of consumers meet the recommended daily fibre intake.”
A third of consumers claim they do not consume enough fibre because there are not enough products with fibre available in the market, she believes. “That means manufacturers have a major opportunity to provide desired products and help narrow the fibre consumption gap.”
However, the established market success of cholesterol-lowering functional foods such as spreads and yogurts demonstrate that it’s possible to address heart health directly.
These products introduced many consumers to previously unfamiliar ingredients in the form of phytosterols when they were launched in the 1990s.
In 2017, canny consumers made strong associations between certain foods and heart health, so it makes sense for advocates of today’s specialist heart health ingredients to build on that familiarity.
For instance, a high-fibre diet is well understood by consumers as a healthy choice and oat beta-glucan has the added advantage of EU-approved health claims, making oat-based fibre ingredients a popular option.
‘Health halo’ ingredients (return to top)
Similarly, ingredients associated with a Mediterranean diet, such as tomatoes or olive oil, have an associated ‘health halo’.
DSM’s Fruitflow, for example, is an ingredient derived from tomatoes to support healthy blood flow, while the company’s OatWell beta glucan promises the benefits of oats.
Tate & Lyle also offers a range of fibre-based ingredients that can help with healthy reformulation efforts, such as higher-fibre, lower-sugar products. Gaul says that its oat-based PromOat fibre is especially popular.
“We’ve seen growing interest from customers seeking to incorporate oat fibre across several categories, including baked goods and even beverages.
“PromOat Beta Glucan has exceptional solubility, which makes it well-suited for beverages such as smoothies, nectars, and dairy alternative drinks,” says Gaul.
Brands choosing not to make a cholesterol-related claim may still be able to benefit from the ‘oats healthy halo’, Gaul explains.
The mere mention of ‘oats’ on the front of a product can be persuasive, she adds. Research conducted by Qualtrics among 8,800 adults in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America and Latin America reveals that 63% of global consumers prefer oats to other sources of fibre.
The Mediterranean appeal (return to top)
Frutarom, meanwhile, has focused particularly on the Mediterranean association with its heart healthy range, Capelle says.
“Studies have confirmed the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet in helping prevent cardiovascular health issues.
“This diet is gaining interest, but with busy lifestyles it is not always easy for consumers to adhere to these dietary recommendations,” he explains.
Frutarom offers three Mediterranean extracts targeting different cardiovascular risk factors.
Citrolive is a blend of bitter orange and olive leaf extracts, delivering a concentrated burst of phytonutrients known to be prevalent in the Mediterranean diet such as flavonoids. Studies show it can protect the vascular system against hardening.
Benolea is extracted from the leaves of the olive tree and is standardised to contain polyphenolic compounds in just the right proportions to support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol.
Portusana is a purslane herb extract and helps control blood glucose levels.
A clinical trial demonstrated a significant reduction of HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin), which is the gold standard for long-term glucose control.
Frutarom also offers a range of botanical extracts more generally known for cardiovascular support, such as garlic, red vine leaf and hawthorn, as well as UniK2 – a natural vitamin K2 MK-7, derived from natto (fermented soya beans).
Omega-3’s renewed potential (return to top)
For omega-3 it’s a slightly different story, since no degree of familiarity with possible heart health benefits will render fish-derived oils palatable to the growing army of vegetarians and vegans.
There are also categories of food where the concept of fortification with fish-derived oils might seem a little odd.
However, recent research in Nature Scientific Reports shows that a transgenic version of the oilseed crop camelina sativa can produce EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) – under field conditions.
“Demonstrating that our genetically-modified camelina works in the field under real-world conditions confirms the promise of our approach,” says Johnathan Napier at Rothamsted Research, which led the project.


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Roughly three years ago, investors more or less decided to shun small, publicly traded companies operating out of Mainland China. The incidences of fraud and manipulation, as well as simple lack of exposure to the country, led many to believe that investing in such companies was akin to gambling --with the house having a decided advantage.
It seems like those times have passed, however, as a new set of small Chinese e-commerce players have enjoyed great years. E-commerce upstart and bookseller Dangdang (NYSE:DANG) has seen shares rise 80% since last July, while flash-sale specialist Vipshop (NYSE:VIPS) stands 550% higher over the same time frame.
That has led many to believe that other players in the space—particularly LightInTheBox (NYSE:LITB) -- have an equally lucrative future. But not all tiny Chinese e-commerce stocks are created equally. In the slideshow below, beginning investors can see three big reasons that they need to be cautious with LightInTheBox, and why comparisons to Vipshop and Dangdang are likely not warranted.
Brian Stoffel owns shares of Apple and E-Commerce China Dangdang. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Murfreesboro, Tenn. – Aug. 27, 2014 – Federal-Mogul officials announced today the company will invest $6.2 million to expand its current distribution facility in Smyrna, Tennessee and create 135 new jobs in Rutherford County.
“We are thankful for Federal-Mogul and their continued investment in our state and the new jobs they are creating in Middle Tennessee,” Governor Bill Haslam said. “When companies like Federal-Mogul choose to reinvest here, it speaks volumes about our workforce and the quality of Tennessee-made products, and today’s announcement is another step toward our goal of becoming the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.”
“Tennessee continues to set itself apart as a global leader in the automotive industry,” Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty said. “Major automotive manufacturers like Nissan, Volkswagen and General Motors support a robust pipeline of more than 900 automotive manufacturers and suppliers located throughout our state. I am pleased Federal-Mogul will continue to be a part of why Tennessee has been named the No. 1 state in the nation for automotive manufacturing strength an unprecedented four years in a row, and I appreciate the new jobs they are creating in our communities.”
“Federal-Mogul is pleased to continue investing in Smyrna,” Paula Silver, Federal-Mogul’s vice president of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, said. “We have a dedicated and hard-working team here that takes pride in distributing high quality products for our customers. We are excited to grow our Smyrna operations and create more job opportunities.”
Federal-Mogul is expanding its existing Worldwide Aftermarket Distribution Center in Smyrna, due to the recent purchase of part of Affinia’s product line. Affinia is a leader in the manufacturing and distribution of automotive replacement products.
As part of this expansion, Federal-Mogul will increase its Smyrna footprint from 600,000 square feet to 800,000 square feet. This larger warehouse and distribution capacity will allow the facility to become more productive.
“Today’s announcement of 135 new jobs by Federal-Mogul is great news for the Town of Smyrna and Rutherford County,” Smyrna Mayor Mary Esther Reed said. “The Town of Smyrna continues to experience positive job growth and we thank Federal-Mogul for their confidence in our community for this additional investment.”
Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation is a leading global supplier of products and services to the world’s manufacturers and servicers of vehicles and equipment in the automotive, light, medium and heavy-duty commercial, marine, rail, aerospace, power generation and industrial markets. The company’s products and services enable improved fuel economy, reduced emissions and enhanced vehicle safety.
“TVA and Middle Tennessee Electric congratulate Federal-Mogul on its announcement to expand in Smyrna, Tennessee,” TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development John Bradley said. “We are pleased to partner with the state of Tennessee, Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, and city and county officials to assist Federal-Mogul’s additional investment to create new jobs.”
In addition to its Smyrna location, Federal-Mogul has operations in Smithville and Sparta.In total, approximately 1,000 people are employed at Federal-Mogul’s threeTennessee locations.
People interested in applying for these new jobs in Smyrna should contact Missy Rogers, human resources manager, at email@example.com.
Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: FDML) is a leading global supplier of products and services to the world’s manufacturers and servicers of vehicles and equipment in the automotive, light, medium and heavy-duty commercial, marine, rail, aerospace, power generation and industrial markets. The company’s products and services enable improved fuel economy, reduced emissions and enhanced vehicle safety. Federal-Mogul operates two independent business divisions, each with a chief executive officer reporting to Federal-Mogul’s Board of Directors.
Federal-Mogul Powertrain designs and manufactures original equipment powertrain components and systems protection products for automotive, heavy-duty, industrial and transport applications.
Federal-Mogul Motorparts sells and distributes a broad portfolio of products through more than 20 of the world’s most recognized brands in the global vehicle aftermarket, while also serving original equipment vehicle manufacturers with products including braking, chassis, wipers and other vehicle components. The company’s aftermarket brands include ANCO® wiper blades; Champion® spark plugs, wipers and filters; AE®, Fel-Pro®, FP Diesel®, Goetze®, Glyco®, Nüral®, Payen® and Sealed Power® engine products; MOOG® steering andsuspension parts; and Ferodo®, Jurid® and Wagner® brake products.
Federal-Mogul was founded in Detroit in 1899 and maintains its worldwide headquarters in Southfield, Michigan. The company employs more than 45,000 people in 34 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.federalmogul.com.


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Communications chipmaker Broadcom (AVGO), an Apple (AAPL) supplier, received several bullish analyst reports on Tuesday ahead of its fiscal first-quarter earnings report, due out after the market close on Wednesday.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect Broadcom to earn $3.48 a share excluding items, up 44% year over year, on sales of $4.08 billion, up 129%, with growth thanks largely to its merger last year with Avago.
If the results come in as expected, it would be the company's fourth straight quarter of accelerating sales and earnings growth.
IBD'S TAKE: Broadcom stock is ranked No. 13 on the IBD 50 list of top-performing growth stocks. It is one of eight chip industry stocks on the list.
For the current quarter, Broadcom's fiscal Q2, the company is expected to earn $3.22 a share ex items, up 27%, on sales of $3.90 billion, up 10%.
Rosenblatt Securities analyst Hans Mosesmann reiterated his buy rating on Broadcom and price target of 250 on Tuesday.
Mosesmann expects an in-line quarter from Broadcom, with strength in chips for wired and wireless communications and enterprise storage.
Oppenheimer analyst Rick Schafer maintained his outperform rating on Broadcom and raised his price target to 240 from 215.
Broadcom could post a beat-and-raise quarterly report, led by sales to Apple, which accounts for about 20% of its revenue, Schafer said.
Pacific Crest Securities analyst John Vinh reiterated his overweight rating on Broadcom with a price target of 215.
Vinh recommends buying Broadcom stock because it looks to be a beneficiary of content gains in Apple's upcoming iPhone 8, aka iPhone X, expected to be released in September. Broadcom also is positioned to benefit from the Intel (INTC) Purley data-center cycle, he said.
Another chip vendor likely to gain share in the iPhone 8 is Skyworks Solutions (SWKS), Vinh said. It is likely to take share from Murata, he said.


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Saturday, May 10, 2014
This week on Car Talk, Tom and Ray say they've never met a noise they didn't like, but that's before they encountered the odd thumping sound Janet's truck is making. And then there's the sound of their dear Mom Elizabeth, calling to celebrate Mother's day by complaining about her sons' poor gift selections. Elsewhere, from the Questionable Ideas department, Mark wants to use his Ford Tempo to tow a trailer from Dallas to Pennsylvania; Jonathan is considering using a turkey baster to drain his car's power steering fluid; and Missy's 18-year old son wants to buy an Audi Quattro to keep on campus at Boston University. All this, plus the best college application essay ever, and lots more, this week on Car Talk.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
By Karen DeWitt : NYS Public Radio/WXXI
An audit by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli finds a pattern of state workers double dipping at state agencies and authorities.
Monday, February 06, 2012
It was, presumably, meant to be humorous -- a Chevy can survive anything, even the apocalypse. Or so the message of last night's Super Bowl ad for Chevy Silverados implied. As a driver passes destroyed highways, a burning Bob's Big Boy, and arrives at a plaza in front of what looks like three bombed-out banks, the soundtrack thrums "looks like we made it." Twinkees apparently also made it. Women did not, bad news for repopulation prospects.
But given the fact that this isn't the first car ad to assure owners they can survive crumbling infrastructure, maybe its part of a darker message: the world may be falling apart (or blowing up), but you can protect yourself by buying the right car.
The other ad, for Audi, profiled here, exhorts users to buy an Audi, because "highway maintenance is underfunded, costing drivers $65 billion a year, and countless tires, which drivers never actually check, because they’re busy, checking email. This is why we engineered a car that makes 2,000 decisions every second."
By the way, it appears Ford is challenging the Chevy apocalypse ad's claim, Ad Age is reporting. "We don't agree with some of GM's claims in their ad, particularly around durability," Ford's Mark Levine told the publication.
Not sure how you verify that your car can survive an apocalypse.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
What are you used to seeing in car ads? The beautiful Pacific Coast Highway. Relieved parents driving minivans while their kids are safe, and entertained. The desert.
To this list, Audi adds dystopia.
To the backdrop of a dilapidated ribbon of highway, a scrunched-up guardrail, and a broken-up bridge, an announcer intones over a Philip Glass-esque soundtrack: "The road is not exactly a place of intelligence. Highway maintenance is underfunded, costing drivers $65 billion a year, and countless tires, which drivers never actually check, because they're busy, checking email.
This is why we engineered a car that makes 2,000 decisions every second..."
The ad ran during the high-profile broadcast of the Emmy awards.


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The economic slowdown has yet to dent the UK cruise market, which grew 11% last year, according to the new Cruisestat Annual Cruise Holiday Market Digest UK & Europe 2008 report.The report also says there is no sign of an end to the cruising boom in the UK and expects more than 1.5m to book a cruise in 2008 and anticipates 2 million UK holidaymakers will be cruising within four years.
The UK remains the largest source market in Europe accounting for 34% of European passengers, followed by Germany (19%), Italy (16%), Spain (13%) and France (7%). Passenger growth across Europe overall in 2007 was 17%. And there was significant growth in all markets reflecting the broad appeal of cruising.
The report says this growth in cruising has been driven by the investment in new ships and new UK and Europe focused itineraries not just by home-based cruise lines but also by those previously concentrated on the North American market.
Some of the newest, largest and most innovative ships are now cruising out of UK and European ports while the 4m-plus British and European passengers now also have an unprecedented range of increasingly exotic flycruise options from which to choose.
With 44 new ships costing a combined £12bn on order through to 2012, this range can only increase and continue to broaden the appeal of cruising. More families are already choosing to cruise and the average age of British cruise passengers fell to its lowest-ever level in 2007.
In real terms, the average price of a cruise has not increased in a decade with a summer cruise in 2007 costing just £10 more than in 2005. This price stability helps to explain the level of pent-up demand which saw one in every two passengers in 2007 booking their cruises more than six months ahead and nearly one in five more than a year ahead.
Travel agents remain the major distribution network for cruise companies and many more agents are now specialising in cruise sales.


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Today, Leap Motion – the motion tracking technology specialist – has announced a $50 million USD funding round, led by clients advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
Founded in 2010, Leap Motion’s tracking technology can be used to make virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experience more immersive by allowing users to actually grab virtual objects without the need for data gloves. This new funding round will allow Leap Motion to push forward with its global expansion plans, which includes opening an office in Shanghai, China. The company also plans to expand its commercial and enterprise reach, developing applications in education, healthcare, and industrial training simulations.
“Natural input through full hand tracking is inseparable and fundamental to the future of VR/AR, and Leap Motion is a principal driver of its widespread adoption,” said Michael Buckwald, CEO and Co-founder of Leap Motion in a statement. “In much the same way as the touchscreen sparked the mobile revolution, Leap Motion is playing a transformative role in the development of human interface technology for VR/AR. As a result, the industry as a whole is on the verge of a similar moment of exponential growth.”
As part of the funding round, Lawrence Unrein, Global Head of J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Private Equity Group, has joined Leap Motion’s board of directors.
“Virtual and augmented reality technologies are evolving at a rapid pace, drawing significant attention from investors,” adds Unrein. “Leap Motion’s suite of hardware and software designed for headsets falls squarely into this category, offering natural input through hand and finger tracking that can be integrated into any headset.”
Over the years Leap Motion has partnered with several tech companies, the most recent being Qualcomm. This saw Leap Motion to bring its interface to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 mobile platform, and Qualcomm’s new VR development kit (VRDK).
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Leap Motion, reporting back with the latest updates.


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The Unlikeliest Comeback of This Pandemic Poised to Happen: Airbnb’s Long-Awaited IPO
Airbnb’s long-awaited IPO may finally be happening. Skift
Skift Take: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said last year he could see his company going public in 2020. What he didn’t see was a world turned upside down by a pandemic. If Airbnb ends up trading as a public stock in the coming months, it will be a story for the ages.


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/EIN News/ — Tokyo, Japan, July 27. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — UK and Japan-based crypto startup Sumo Signals Ltd. leading investor OnDeck Venture. The successful funding round is a clear indication of the company’s strong growth prospects, fueled by its pioneering AI-based technology.
Speaking on the occasion, Andrew Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of Sumo Signals, said: “Crypto trading is gaining momentum with more and more users and traders jumping on the bandwagon. Our vision is to create a robust product that allows crypto traders to log into our dashboard, select trading strategies based on our proprietary AI-powered algorithms, and maximize profit while minimizing risk. These funds will allow us to fuel the development of new products and hire talent. »
Samson Lee said, “The crypto industry is attracting massive interest from investors and traders around the world. This has led to huge innovations in terms of technology and applications that are being launched in this space, especially with the integration of AI-based technology. We are happy to see that one of our portfolio companies is leading this change with its innovative offering. We are confident that this investment will inspire the Sumo Signals team to innovate more and bring more such ideas to market.
Sumo Signals provides unique AI-powered arbitrage trading indicators that help crypto traders execute profitable trades. The product was developed by a team of Japanese engineers. Sumo’s AI robots provide thousands of real arbitrage signals to choose from every day. These bots use artificial intelligence to sift through hundreds of cryptocurrencies looking for patterns that signify buy or sell signals. These AI robots have been designed to increase profitable trading opportunities and reduce average losses. AI robots open positions with sophisticated AI capabilities and screen them using AI predictions and other internal metrics.
According to the company’s CTO, Naohiko Yamamoto, Sumo Signals is the first cryptocurrency trading platform that uses a sophisticated AI algorithm to find the most promising signals even in a bear market. Sumo’s AI robots can run non-stop, generating trading signals based on the strategies programmed into them. It can take into account several variables for several different currency pairs at the same time. The speed at which they make decisions and act on them gives them an edge over manual trading.
Sumo’s AI algorithm can take full control of the entire trading process, from analyzing the market to exiting a position, ensuring traders will profit from price action currencies 24 hours a day. The company is committed to improving and upgrading its revolutionary platform based on market trends and user feedback.
About Sumo Signals Ltd.
sumo signals is a UK registered and regulated company. The company provides AI Powered Arbitrage Trading Indicators. Sumo Signals harnesses next-generation financial technology to deliver innovative solutions to the crypto world.
For more information, please email or visit https://sumosignals.com/
About OnDeck Venture
OnDeck Venture is a leading investment firm that backs promising and innovative startups around the world. The company brings deep industry expertise and dedicated resources to transform and build great companies of enduring value in partnership with management. OnDeck Venture is headquartered in Hong Kong.
Media Contacts Name: Andrew Smith Email: andrew -at- sumosignals.com Name: Naohiko Yamamoto Email: naohiko -at- sumosignals.com Name: Samson Lee Email: samson -at- ondeck.ventures


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CLIA welcomes new global members
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) today announced the addition of three global cruise line members: TUI Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Waterways. These three respected leaders in cruising join the growing number of CLIA’s global cruise line members, now totalling 31 cruise lines.
“As the global cruise industry continues to thrive, CLIA is honoured to welcome prestigious cruise lines TUI Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, and Emerald Waterways as global cruise line members,” said Cindy D’Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA.
“CLIA’s global cruise line members play a critical role in, not only our organisation, but the cruise community as a whole and every cruise line member is vital in propelling our industry forward.”
The three lines, formerly regional cruise line members within CLIA, represent the global cruise industry’s ever-growing offerings with the addition of these ocean, river, and luxury lines exploring ports and destinations around the world.


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The 3D printer segment is slowly showing significant progress, and today we told you about a particularly economic model that could be used to enter this world. However there are limitations to these models and see that things continue to show the power of well-known industrial methods such as the CNC routers.
Will.i.am took a time by caring, which erstwhile singer of the Black Eyed Peas and that takes a few years up to his neck in the world of technology. First as director of innovation Intel (there is none) followed by his line of covers for iPhone and most recently, his own SmartWatch. But there are more 3D Systems, one of the leading companies in the world of 3D printing, it has to create its latest product called Ekocycle 3D.
It is one of the revolutions that are still able to come to market. 3D printers have come a good initial stretch and have been postulated as versatile solutions in all kinds of scenarios, but in between there is a clear limitations: they are lento devices.
To solve that problem appears almost out of nowhere Carbon3D, a company that had been working almost secretly in a 3D printing technology that promises to change the industry forever two years. Continuous Liquid Interface call Production (CLIP), but what we were really is with his speed, which can be between 25 and 100 times faster than traditional 3D printers.
3D printing is still trying to earn a place in our life, but the traditionally high prices of these devices have made it difficult. They have cheaper models that allowed users to approach this segment appeared, but now comes Tiko, a particularly attractive proposition for its performance and, above all, for its price.


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September 10, 2018
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Primis hit the Israeli web video market with its video discovery unit launched in 2018. The company has now expanded the usefulness of its platform with new API capabilities. The API features allow publishers to track and engage with viewers based on events like clicks, impressions, etc.
SparkPost announced a version of its SparkPost API that is fully compliant with the upcoming GDPR in the EU. SparkPost EU is hosted in Europe as opposed the the US where the original API is hosted. The EU version brings compliancy as well as lower latency and increased performance to EU customers.


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Pininfarina and Evergrande Group have signed a strategic agreement for the design development of a new range of vehicles. This agreement is in addition to the ongoing contract for the design development of different models.
The main goal of the new strategic cooperation between Pininfarina and Evergrande is to jointly design and develop new energy vehicles, making use of Pininfarina’s experience in whole vehicle development and R&D, as well as both companies’ resources.
“The purpose of our cooperation is for Evergrande to become the most innovative, competitive and sustainable manufacturer of new energy vehicles in the world,” said Hui Ka Yan, chairman, Evergrande Group. “We cannot think of a better partner than Pininfarina to design a new range of beautiful and innovative models for the Hengchi car brand.”


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AHDB: Herbicide Linuron Loss ‘Blow To Growers’
The loss of another important herbicide is feared UK growers could be left without an alternative chemical, according to an article on FarmingUK.com.
But levy-board Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has reassured growers of an alternative weed control solution, which is apparently in the pipeline.
The EU recently decided not to renew authorisation of pre-emergence herbicide linuron.
The EU-approved herbicide metobromuron has given good results in AHDB-funded trials. UK authorisations for use of the product on horticultural crops are not expected until at least 2018, but AHDB is working to obtain earlier authorisations in key crops.
AHDB’s SCEPTREplus, a new four year programme of crop protection product trials, will launch in April 2017. It aims to deliver applied research on high priority disease, pest and weed problems in fresh produce and ornamental crops in order to support approval of products and devise and develop IPM programmes.
Non-chemical solutions are also being sought by AHDB through investment in innovative technology, including ‘Eyespot’, an automated system for applying herbicide droplets to individual leaves of weeds in row crops.
Linuron loss ‘blow to growers’
The decision not to renew linuron was announced in January and the Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) has confirmed the final sale and distribution date as 3 June 2017 and 3 June 2018 for the disposal, storage and use of existing stocks.
Ian Holmes, research and development chair at the British Carrot Growers Association (BCGA), said the loss of linuron in carrot and parsnip crops ‘cannot be understated’.


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The following video is from today's MarketFoolery podcast, in which host Chris Hill, along with Charly Travers, James Early, and Joe Magyer, analyze the latest business news. Wall Street and the financial media were abuzz in the wake of Microsoft's unveiling of the Surface tablet computer. How big a threat will it pose to Apple's iPad? In this segment, the guys analyze Microsoft's opportunity, the ripple effect on other businesses, and why companies such as Amazon.com and ARM Holdings are among the winners while PC makers such as Hewlett-Packard are among the losers.
Despite being the largest technology company to IPO, Facebook still has the challenge of creating new ways to make money off the hundreds of millions of people who populate the site. We've created a new report, "Forget Facebook -- Here's the Tech IPO You Should Be Buying," which details a much better social media stock that has a longer runway for growth than Facebook. The report won't be available forever, so click here to get access today -- it's totally free.


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The Last of Us: Part I is topping the UK sales charts – but the £69.99 remake-cum-remaster isn’t exactly pulling up trees. Naughty Dog’s spectacular return to Joel and Ellie’s initial outing sold half of what Saints Row managed during its launch week – although it’s important to underline, in both cases, that only Refers to physical copies.
We know that more and more players are choosing to buy titles digitally these days, and so this may not be a particularly meaningful data point in the grand scheme of things. It’s also worth noting that Saints Row launched on multiple systems — including last-gen formats — and enjoyed five Days of Trekking, compared to The Last of Us’ two.
However, considering it’s such a critically acclaimed brand, there’s the slimmest of hints that the PS5 remake might not be off to the hottest of starts. This price point is, of course, a sick one – especially considering the rising cost of living crisis, which looks set to hit British shores particularly hard. In our poll, nearly 54 percent of our readers said they were unsure or unlikely to buy the title.
Of course, Sony may be thinking long term with this launch. The title is still due for release on PC at a later date – and the upcoming HBO show is sure to increase interest in the franchise as a whole. Don’t rule out this version having long legs, then – and it’s worth repeating once again that physical sales should no longer be considered a barometer for a release’s success.
Check the latest gaming news here.


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Second chances are hard to come by in life and even harder while living on the streets.
Claire Boulton has grasped the lifeline given to her by 'The Bag Issue' to design bags to sell to the public.
In just two weeks the 28-year-old has moved on from a place of sadness, anger and despair to being the happiest she has been for years.
She helps design and sell cotton bags with Kevin World who is also homeless and started up the bag selling business with Greg Wright earlier this year.
They met seven years ago when Claire first became homeless at 20 and sees Kevin as a 'father figure'.
Kevin’s story of designing and selling bags on the streets has spread across the Atlantic and led to orders from Canada and the United States.
There were over 100 orders for the cotton bags on The Bag Issue website and it took a couple of weeks for Kevin to satisfy the demand, something he found very difficult.


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Alexon scarred by Bay Trading collapse
First-half results from clothing retailer Alexon bore the scars of the collapse of its Bay Trading business.
It swung to a loss of £8.1m from profits of £6.9m after being clobbered by £9m of charges, mainly relating to onerous leases linked to Bay Trading's demise.
The company put Bay Trading into administration in April.
The decision came just 15 months after it called in administrators for the Dolcis shoe chain.
The remaining business, which includes the clothing brands Dash, Eastex and Ann Harvey, is still having a tough time.
Underlying sales tumbled 12.6% in the 26 weeks to August 1 and chief executive Jane McNally said that trading since the half year had remained challenging.
Seymour Pierce advised selling the stock.
It believes the management should be looking to downsize the business further.
The group is not paying a dividend in order to share cash. Shares in Alexon slid 7p to 42p.
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As upscale coffee is seen by consumers as a relatively inexpensive luxury, sales of the item continue to thrive even as many other industries suffer from consumer cutbacks on nonessential purchases, according to new market research by New York-based Packaged Facts.
In “Coffee and Ready-to-Drink Coffee in the U.S.: The Market and Opportunities in Retail and Foodservice, 6th Edition,” Packaged Facts estimates total coffee market sales, including foodservice and retail, rose to $48 billion in 2009, with annual growth of 4 percent in 2008 and 2009.
Sales in foodservice reached $42 billion, accounting for 87 percent of the coffee market, according to the report.
“With the advent of the so-called ‘Great Recession’ in 2008, the central question facing the coffee market was whether a product that saw sales growth through upscaling could continue to progress in the face of a severe economic downturn,” said Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts. “By and large, the answer is yes. Even if marketers must now scuffle for every percentage point of sales growth they get.”
While the shift to upscale and specialty coffees diverges from overall trends of the economic downturn, they interact with each other as customers circumvent cheap ground coffee, and instead make tradeoffs to stay within budget while indulging in premium beverages, Packaged Facts reported.
Regarding retailing and marketing, common coffee campaigns have revolved around the “premium” angle, while more downscale coffee venues introduce luxurious coffee beverages at comparatively thrifty prices, the report noted.
SOURCE: Convenience Store News


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The schematics for a 3D-printable gun released to The Pirate Bay earlier this week has already hit 100,000 downloads — and counting.
The company's detailed schematics show everything from the devices' dimensions to important notes accessory makers should keep in mind.
Accessory makers now have the full blueprint of the iPhone 5 exterior to precision model their products, courtesy of Apple.
Leaked schematics that reportedly show case designs for the iPhone 5 suggest the upcoming phone will have a larger display, curved back and a redesigned home button.
Hardware lovers, unite. Finally there's a holiday list for people who really, really love soldering.
The Foldscope is a microscope that can be folded from a schematic printed on a piece of A4 paper and with a couple of additional components, it costs as little as 50 cents.
In partnership with the Arduino project popular among hobbyists and students, Intel will sell small computer systems with its 32-bit Quark chip.
NASA throws some money at an engineer who is developing a 3D food printer. First challenge? Making a pizza.
The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are just days away, and Apple has given us a glimpse inside the new phones.
Leave it up to bizarre gadget purveyor Brando to bring us a beer mug whose only purpose in life, other than holding beer, is to make the beer foamy as all get-out.


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reMarkable have developed a ‘paper tablet’ which is designed to simulate electronic paper. It is not like a computer tablet and users cannot install apps on it, watch videos, or… Continue reading "reMarkable Tablet: A Substitute Or Replacement For Paper?"
Sony has announced the younger sibling to the Xperia Z: the Xperia ZR. The Xperia ZR includes many of the Z’s features in a smaller, more compact design. Just like the Xperia… Continue reading "Sony introduces waterproof smartphone Xperia ZR"