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Hard-Hit Travel Industry May Receive Government Aid to Counter COVID-19 Losses
Posted on: March 17, 2020, 07:10h.
Last updated on: March 17, 2020, 10:32h.
The US travel sector is “increasing likely” to receive federal financial assistance given continuing losses from the coronavirus outbreak, according to multiple experts. But many warn it is not clear where hotels, especially large ones, may rank in worthiness.
Airlines and possibly cruise lines are seen as the most deserving. Hotels are vying for assistance, too.
Stephen M. Miller, director of UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research, told Casino.org, “Some assistance is probable. I think that airlines and cruise companies probably come in line ahead of hotels.”
Will the Trump administration and Congress approve funds to help hotels in Las Vegas? “Smaller hotels face more risk of bankruptcy than large hotels, say on the Strip,” Miller explained. “For these large hotels, their suppliers face the risk.”
“Credit lines are needed to bridge the gap of down time due to the virus,” Miller advised. The Small Business Administration is seeking to provide low cost financing to smaller businesses which are in the large hotels’ supply chain, he added.
Miller also pointed out that the Federal Reserve lowered short-term rates to close to zero to boost liquidity provided by banks. Quantitative easing of $700 billion is also key to inducing more bank lending.
Hotels, large and small, are facing tough times. For instance, MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts both temporarily closed Las Vegas operations this week. Before the closing, Wynn CEO Matt Maddox revealed a likely occupancy rate at the Wynn Las Vegas in the low teens.
If not closing, casinos are restricting gaming floor activities and entertainment, too. Hotels nationwide have lost business travelers and tourists.
Major conventions and meetings also have been cancelled. For instance, the National Association of Broadcasters recently called off its Las Vegas convention that was likely to attract some 100,000 attendees.
“It appears increasingly likely that the federal government will step in to help the various sectors of the hospitality industry as well as the airlines,” Mikael Ahlgren, director of Gaming Initiatives at Penn State University, told Casino.org. “The support is likely to come in various forms, including direct payments as well as various loan programs.”
Fragmented Hotel Industry
When asked for his insights, Michael Bellisario, director of equity research and senior analyst at Baird, told Casino.org that, “One complicating factor for hotels is that the industry is fragmented.”
“For example, a property could be owned by a hotel REIT [real estate investment trust] which franchises the Autograph Collection brand from Marriott, and the owner employs a third-party management company to operate the property,” he said. “Are all the groups’ incentives aligned? Who is most/least at risk? Who leads the charge to push for government assistance?”
But when it comes to the airlines, “the opposite is true. Southwest owns/leases its planes, the employees are Southwest employees, the scheduling and revenue management is all done by Southwest, etc.,” Bellisario said.
Government Cannot Rescue Every Sector
One other travel sector expert urges caution. “Given the magnitude of the economic impact of this crisis, it’s unlikely that the federal government has the resources to rescue all of the industries impacted,” Chris Roberts, a professor at DePaul University’s School of Hospitality Leadership, told Casino.org. “Airlines play a vital role in our transportation network and are likely to be viewed as more critical in terms of need over most other industries. Energy production will, too.”
I suspect the federal government will be very limited in terms of its ability to help lodging or cruise line firms,” Roberts said. “The overall scope of the economic impact is staggering. It’ll likely take consumer confidence a year or more to rebuild to the point of confidence in travel and tourism.”
Airlines for America (A4A), an industry trade organization, is looking for $50 billion through grants, loans, and tax relief for the sector. Another $8 billion has been proposed to help the air cargo industry. The requests may find a favorable response.
“We’re going to back the airlines 100 percent,” President Trump said at a news conference Monday. “We have to back the airlines. It’s not their fault.”
Airlines were given a $15 billion financial aid package following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. So, there is a model for sector support.
Mikael Ahlgren explained that when it comes to aiding the airlines, “There exists a bit of a template from 9-11. But it appears likely that this action will require a more drastic approach.”
“I suspect that it is likely similar programs will be tailored to support the hotel and casino industry. While 9-11 resulted in a relatively orderly V shaped recovery in Las Vegas, this crisis has the potential to result in a more challenging trend-line,” Ahlgren said. “As such, one would hope that the federal government provides support that encourages operators to resist laying off workers.”
Wynn Resorts has promised to continue to pay full-time employees,” Ahlgren added. “However, if the closures extend beyond a few weeks, it is likely that without federal assistance, policies regarding labor expenses, which are so significant in the hotel, restaurant and casino industry, will have to be revisited.”
Anthony Cabot, Distinguished Fellow in Gaming Law at UNLV, further told Casino.org that any federal aid “to the hospitality industry likely would come in the form of long-term loans with very low interest rates.”
Congress is likely to consider aid for the travel sector soon. In a statement to Casino.org, US Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, said, the impact the coronavirus outbreak is having “in our communities, including Nevada’s tourism economy, are very concerning.”
“I am … in contact with local stakeholders across the state and am working to ensure that all of Nevada’s industries, including travel and tourism, and our workforce are not left behind as Congress puts together legislation to help our businesses and workers during this difficult and uncertain time,” Rosen added.
Many Hotels Are Small Businesses
Nationally, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), said that 61 percent of US hotels are small businesses.
Last week, Brian Crawford, executive vice president of government affairs for AHLA, said, “our small business owners are projected to be operating in a negative cash-flow position in terms of their expenses and debt,” according to Hotel News Now.
AHLA wants hotels to get access to capital, liquidity, and increased credit markets, Crawford said. Other proposals are debt forbearance and flexibility for loan options, as well as a stimulus package.
As far as cruise lines, Trump is somewhat sympathetic to their financial situation. But several Democratic senators appear less supportive, Roll Call reported.
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Bartlesville saw an increase in revenue sales in 2019 compared to previous years.
“Sales tax comparisons, as of Dec. 31, 2019, collected for the City of Bartlesville show an increase of 2.7 percent when compared to the prior year’s revenues. This equates to $249,650, which is distributed to the General Fund, Economic Development Fund, and CIP Sales Tax Fund,” said CFO/City Clerk Jason Muninger.
“The City does not set out specific percentages to fund specific departments; rather fund allocation is based on directors’ requests and the City’s ability to fund those requests. The budget for the current fiscal year has fire and police at 23.7 percent and 23.6 percent of the overall General Fund appropriations.
“In addition to shopping locally, one of the most significant factors contributing to the consistent increase in sales tax revenues we are seeing this fiscal year is the increase in retail locations the city has seen over the past couple of years, including the addition of the Silver Lake Village Shopping Center, the revitalization of Eastland Shopping Center, and the addition of fast food chain restaurants such as Chick-Fil-A and Panda Express.”
Mayor Dale Copeland and owner of Copeland’s Appliances in Bartlesville said his business grew last year.
“It’s hard to interpret why,” Copeland said adding that sales for his business seemed to snowball toward the last part of the year.
“All I know is that the city needs dollars to operate.
“Overall the city’s revenues were up and that’s a good thing.”
He also knows customers want three things: they want it fast, cheap and good.
“You only get to pick two. There’s always that trade off,” he said.
Christie Roberts, owner of Moxie on Second, said she would have to say yes that her sales were up in 2019.
She has been in business about two and a half years in the downtown Bartlesville area.
“I guess people are realizing that I’m here and the word is just getting out. Hopefully as people realize I’m here, it will continue to grow,” she said.

domain: news


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WESTMINSTER, Calif., Jan. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lang Van, owners of the world's largest Vietnamese music catalog and U.S. production company, filed suit last week in the United States District Court for the Central District of California as plaintiff against defendants International Data Group (IDG), a Massachusetts-based investment company, IDG Ventures, IDG Ventures Vietnam and Vietnam-based VNG Corporation (VNG) in a case of copyright infringement.
As stated in the complaint, Zing.vn (Zing), a VNG-owned and operated website and one of Vietnam's largest entertainment portals, illegally makes more than 3,000 Lang Van-owned recordings and 600 albums available for streaming or download around the globe.
"Lang Van has operated for nearly three decades to bring quality entertainment to Vietnamese people throughout the world," said Chief Operating Officer Mimi Nguyen, Lang Van. "We're enthusiastic at the overwhelming talent available today and look forward to growing Vietnamese Music within the world music market, and remain steadfast in our support of organizations and communities who consume music in a responsible way."
Lang Van has never received any financial compensation for the use and distribution of this copyrighted material, while the defendants continue to profit. Lang Van has records of their copyrighted content being viewed more than 250 million times through the Zing music portal.
According to the complaint, the U.S.-based fund IDG Ventures, through its Vietnamese investment vehicle IDG Ventures Vietnam, directly contributed to the exponential growth of Zing.vn's website as well as the launch of the Zing Music website, bringing its business expertise, guidance and financial backing to help VNG grow. The investment also allowed IDG Ventures Vietnam to install its own managing general partner, Nguyen Bao Hoang, to the VNG Board of Directors. This investment paved the way for Zing.vn's rapid growth. Zing.vn currently boasts 20 million users who listen to 7.1 million songs daily on the website. Zing.vn is the sixth most popular website in all of Vietnam according to the Alexa web rankings.
Zing is recognized as one of the largest IP-infringing websites within Asia by several worldwide trade organizations. Currently, there are 590 infringement cases against Zing, with 1,081 cease and desist notices distributed. Brand giants Coca-Cola and Samsung pulled their advertising from Zing in 2012 after learning of the site's practices. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and other organizations have denounced Zing's practices. The Office of the United States Trade Representative has added Zing.vn to its "Notorious Markets List."
According to the complaint, Zing builds its business model around massive copyright infringement. The result has been growth in Zing's web traffic yielding additional user exposure to VNG video gaming content and increased advertising revenue for the company. VNG currently boasts a number of significant U.S. partners on its website, including Ernst & Young and Google.
About Lang Van
Lang Van is the owner of the world's largest collection of Vietnamese music. A family-owned business, the company was founded in 1985 as a music production and publishing company, and has built out its catalog over the last three decades to more than 12,000 recordings, 6,000 music videos, and 22 sub-labels such as Truong Son – Duy Khanh, Elvis Phuong's label EP Productions, Nguoi Dep Binh Duong, and others. Today, Lang Van operates as a music publisher, management company, distribution channel and retailer of some of the biggest names in Vietnamese music, such as Che Linh, Duy Khanh, Thanh Lam, Tuan Vu and many more. Based in Westminster, Calif., Lang Van is the only U.S.- based production company to have representative offices in the largest Vietnamese communities throughout the world: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam since 1995 (19 years), Paris since 1989 (25 years), and Washington D.C. since 1988 (26 years), as well as several retail locations throughout the U.S.
For more information or a copy of the complaint contact Cindy Rakowitz, email@example.com (818) 783-3307 or Lisa Elkan, Lisa@lisapr.com (818) 538-6357 (ligation PR) ; Pam Workman, firstname.lastname@example.org or Sarah Arvizo, email@example.com (212) 256-0592 (music/business PR)
SOURCE Lang Van


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Cantoni to Debut Natuzzi Italia Showroom Concept
November 28, 2012,
DALLAS-Cantoni, the modern furniture retailer and design studio, is set to open a new Natuzzi exclusive Italia showroom concept within its newly expanded flagship unit here.
Cantoni will mark the occasion with a grand-opening gala--A Celebration of Italian Design--in partnership with Modern Luxury Interiors Magazine on Dec. 6 at the new showroom.
"Cantoni's partnership with Natuzzi Italia delivers on our 28-year commitment to bringing our clients the best in cutting-edge modern design," said Michael Wilkov, founder and chief energizing officer of Cantoni.
In keeping with the theme of the evening, Cantoni's grand opening celebration will feature live cooking demonstrations in the store's Bontempi Cucine kitchen by local chef Anthony Van Camp of SER Steak & Spirits. Guests will also enjoy fine Italian wines and cocktails, along with Italian-style music and an opportunity to view the latest designs from a local Maserati dealer.
Other Articles By Author
HFN Launches Interactive Idea Book
HFN's DIGITAL EDITION
COVER STORY: HFN Turns 90
We commemorate HFN's 90th anniversary by paying tribute to the iconic retailer and supplier brands--and the people--that have helped the industry flourish, then and now.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
- Up & Coming Leaders - The home industry is in capable and visionary hands as this year’s 40 Under 40 list attests. Today’s young leaders span all disciplines and varied levels of operation.
- Omnichannel Retailing - In the Mobile App World, Time is Money


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Hertz faces lawsuit from 47 customers claiming false arrests, Wells Fargo to convert legacy cards to Active Cash, ISS urges Spirit shareholders to vote against Frontier, Coinbase shutting down influencer program, and a new Princess Cruises promo.
Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said in a letter made public Monday that his airline is “very far” from winning approval by Spirit shareholders, who are weighing a higher-priced buyout offer from JetBlue Airways.
Deutsche Bahn set to become latest Star Alliance member, personalized airport experience for Detroit customers, Bahamasair relaunches service from Orlando to Grand Bahama Island, Stash increases monthly fee, and Spirit calls off vote on Frontier bid.
Kroger “trick”, Frontier’s new offer for Spirit Airlines, new “Citi Alliance”, “Wild Wild Quest” Las Vegas scavenger hunt, and a review of Hyatt Regency Vancouver.
Pilots fall asleep on flight from NYC to Rome, limited time offer for Disneyland, ISS urges Spirit shareholders to reject Frontier offer, 1% loan for American citizenship applications, and Manhattan’s first public beach.
Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines have agreed to merge in a deal valued at $6.6 billion. The deal would create the fifth-largest airline in the country.
Frontier Airlines has decided to reduce the weight limit for checked bags starting next month. The airlines says the change is part of its initiative to “go green”.
Eligible status holders can apply to receive the equivalent status or buy-up a tier of equivalent status with FRONTIER Miles, valid until December 31, 2022.
Frontier Airlines is adding new domestic and international routes routes to its network, and celebrating the occasion with a fare sale with prices as low as $39.
With this Frontier Discount Den offer you pay $59.99 for the annual membership, but you get it basically for free after the 10K miles and the $50 voucher.
Frontier is offering 10,000 bonus miles for every two flights that you take through the end of the end of the year. That’s enough points for a free flight.
In the video posted online, a passenger allegedly touched two flight attendants’ breasts, and then started screaming that his parents are rich and worth $2 million.
Atlanta (ATL) leads the way with a total of nine new routes added to the airport. Another seven new routes were added to Dallas (DFW) and five in Las Vegas (LAS). To celebrate the new service, Frontier is offering introductory fares starting at just $29 one-way.
Low-cost airline Frontier introduced an awesome opportunity for families last year, giving kids a chance to fly for free. Now this Frontier Kids Fly Free promotion has been extended until November of 2020.
The card comes with no annual fee for the first year, then $79 every year after. Additionally, new cardmembers can earn 50,000 bonus miles after qualifying purchases.
The first 750 individuals to sign up with those last name are eligible to receive a $250 Frontier Airlines travel voucher for a free flight between valid for domestic travel within the continental US thought May 26, 2021.
Frontier has launched flights from Miami International Airport to San Salvador, as well as its Guatemala City. Frontier is now serving both routes with twice-weekly service.
If your first name is ‘Britney’, you can enter your information on the promotion page here. The first 100 qualifying entries will receive a free flight.
Business travel has seen a huge decline, so Miami and Las Vegas are the focus of this expansion as leisure destinations have become more popular.
Ultra low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines has a new promotion with a 100% discount. You will not be able to just fly for free. The discount applies to base fare only, not fees or taxes, and requires purchase at FlyFrontier.com using promo code FLASH.


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QDB organises workshop on ‘Best Payment Practices’
17 May 2017 - 23:48
In its drive to strengthen the nation’s export market, Qatar Development Bank (QDB), through the support of its export arm, Tasdeer, organised a workshop on “Best Payment Practices” to engage the nation’s exporters in an intensive educational programme on the most effective practices for commercial transactions between buyers, sellers, importers and exporters in international trade. The workshop was held on May 15 at Oryx Rotana Doha.
The workshop was designed to educate suppliers involved in the export market on the most advisable and safest financial practices in cross-border transactions for traditional and electronic trade. The organisation of this workshop comes at a time when Qatar's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly growing the capacity to export goods and tertiary services abroad at regional and global levels. Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa, CEO of QDB, said: "Through our specialist export wing, Tasdeer, QDB continues to empower local SMEs by organising educational workshops—through engaging exporters in industrially relevant training courses, we help our entrepreneurs expand the size of their trade and familiarize them with the most important financial procedures involved in international trade.”
He added: "The workshop was important because educating Qatari exporters and suppliers on the best practices of payment helps our local businesses avoid many of the problems that commonly arise as a result of misjudging the transaction requirements, and consequently, being trapped in an unfavorable position that may compromise their dues.”
The workshop discussed four main themes: the global trends of international trade, the main elements involved in the approval of an international sales contract, the rules and functioning of documentary credits and standby documentary credits, as well as requests for different types of guarantees.


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NEWS of international retailer Costco's imminent arrival in Ringwood has been met with mixed reviews from the public.
As officially announced last Wednesday, the supermarket chain will open its second Victorian store in July next year, at the old Ringwood Market site at the corner of Bond and Market streets. Work is expected to begin in coming months.
The new supermarket is expected to bring 150 jobs in construction, then more than 400 new jobs on completion. Costco - a members-only chain that specialises in discount bulk sales - already has a supermarket at Docklands and it had been suspected for some time Ringwood would be its next location.
While some residents believe the news is a good result for Ringwood, others aren't too enthusiastic.
"I don't know if I would shop there. I would have to see what it is like, but it's good for the area," Reno Laban of Croydon said.
Mooroolbark's Joan McVigh said she didn't think it would help smaller retailers but welcomed the competition for Coles and Woolworths.
John, a Ringwood resident who did not want his surname published, was concerned the site was not going to be big enough and about the $60 membership fee Costco charges shoppers. "How many people can afford to do that? Maybe for big families but not for me. It could be very good for Ringwood but I reckon there is enough retail here without that."
Costco managing director Patrick Noone was joined by Premier Ted Baillieu, Maroondah mayor Rob Steane and Maroondah chief executive Frank Dixon to make the announcement.
The site is owned by Queensland Investment Corporation and is part of the Ringwood central activities area, identified as an area of growth by the state government.
At the announcement, Mr Noone said Costco was looking forward to meeting the needs of businesses and households in the area.
Cr Steane said the Ringwood store would be bigger than the Docklands store and would cover 14,500 square metres and have 982 parking spaces.
Costco is the seventh-largest retailer in the world with 66.5million membership cardholders worldwide.


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The a lot-expected VAT exemption for the garments market is becoming delayed when protests versus the Federal Govt and a exchange system with yet another view.
Some say that it is vital towards clear away VAT versus clothing for the reason that customers need to have aid in opposition to superior price ranges, although other people declare that reducing VAT will harm other parts of the overall economy. It is certain in direction of be a issue that will progress in the direction of be hotly debated within Westminster and over and above, and Those people try out oxu az in comparison toward listening.
Conversations Kept with Professor Delroy Alexander
The moment the clothing marketplace was to start with introduced, it was noticed as a straightforward evaluate towards guidance enhance work and minimal price ranges for clothing. Sadly, the discussion more than the garment market place is not above nonetheless, and a lot of other factors of this discussion continue to be up for grabs.
Why is made up of VAT been delayed, and what penalties do your self believe that this will contain?
Towards focus on People problems, us citizens spoke in direction of Professor Delroy Alexander, a Fellow of the Establishment of Chartered Accountants within England and Wales (ICAEW). Professor Alexander is moreover a Professor of Accounting at Birmingham Town Higher education and was the Director of the Institute of Chartered Accountants within just England and Wales amongst 1997 and 2003.
Desk 1: Stated Inquiries upon VAT Exemption for Clothes.
People who spoke with Professor Alexander experienced a lot of concerns regarding the clothes marketplace tax exemption. Just one of the key inquiries was why it experienced taken 3 decades in the direction of arrive into Room, with some boasting that this is given that of a deficiency of political provider. Other individuals believe that the Governing administration is conservative and ready for the financial circumstance in the direction of enhance ahead of creating the exemption.
How Thriving Are the Garments Market Companies?
A further wonder was how thriving the dresses market companies would be Though they get hold of their far more pay back for the duration of their reward bills. Some humans come to feel that this is not likely as a several will simply just acquire bonuses. On the other hand, other folks feel this is not likely, arguing that apparel industry companies are which includes other companies.


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Volkswagen and Bosch are reshaping the landscape of electric vehicle (EV) charging and parking, introducing an innovative autonomous system. The German automaker, in partnership with Bosch, is testing a groundbreaking automated parking and charging system. The system directs driverless electric cars to available parking spaces equipped with charging stations, where a charging robot takes over the charging process. Once charging is complete, the EV autonomously moves to another open parking space, enabling the charging robot to assist another vehicle. This initiative aims to address challenges like long queues at charging stations and manual cable handling.
Bosch and Volkswagen’s collaborative efforts extend beyond automated parking and charging. VW has announced plans to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its vehicles, commencing in the second quarter of 2024. This AI chatbot will be available across all VW models, including popular ones like Tiguan, Passat, Golf, and the electric ID family. Initially launching in Europe, the feature will later extend to customers in the United States.
Volkswagen intends to leverage ChatGPT to enhance its in-car voice assistant, IDA (Intelligent Driving Assistant). This integration aims to facilitate more natural and intuitive communication between the car and the driver. Owners can use the voice assistant to manage basic functions like climate control and receive answers to general queries. Notably, VW emphasizes user convenience by not mandating new accounts or app installations. The chatbot activation is as simple as a friendly greeting or a press of the steering wheel button. Additionally, VW assures users that OpenAI won’t access driving statistics, ensuring a high level of data protection with immediate deletion of questions and answers. Volkswagen’s dual push into automated parking technology and advanced in-car AI reflects its commitment to pioneering innovation in the electric vehicle sector.


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The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the first smartphone to arrive with Gorilla Glass 3, a new chemically strengthened glass that claims to prevent scratches from a variety of materials.
In the video below we get a look at a Samsung Galaxy S4 scratch test that shows the new smartphone going up against a pen, multiple knives, keys and coins. This test can’t simulate the repeated abuses of carrying the Galaxy S4 in a pocket with a hard object day after day for a year, but it does offer a look at how resilient Gorilla Glass 3 is to abuse.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 screen is protected form scratches with a glass that is three times harder than Gorilla Glass 2. This new, harder glass should also help prevent damage when dropped, though it is not impervious.
Szaboics Ignacz got his hands on the Galaxy S4 early, and subjects it to abuse so we can see how it handles. Ignacz is a Samsung Mobiler who got the phone early for testing.
As the video shows, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Gorilla Glass are able to withstand repeated attempts to scratch the glass with a variety of objects.
It’s not surprising to see the Galaxy S4 fare well against this abuse given the previous performance of Gorilla Glass in products like the Samsung Galaxy S3. With the latest version, Corning includes what it calls, “Native Damage Resistance” — which the company claims will help the glass withstand crack inducing damage better.
We’ll soon likely see a Samsung Galaxy S4 drop test which checks the smartphone’s ability to withstand abuse from falls. Most smartphone screens crack during drop tests onto hard surfaces, no matter how strong the glass is. Because the Samsung Galaxy S4 is the first phone to use Gorilla Glass 3, it will be interesting to see how the stronger glass handles abuse like a drop or fall.
Other companies are competing to deliver stronger glass in upcoming smartphones by using Saphire instead of traditional glass. Apple uses this to cover the lens on the iPhone 5, but companies are exploring Saphire as a glass replacement. In one tech demo we’ve seen a piece of concrete smashed repeatedly into a smartphone screen without leaving a mark or cracking the display.
Underneath the Gorilla Glass 3 is a 5-inch 1080P HD smartphone display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor and 2GB of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy S4 arrives in the U.S. this week.
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Don't Cross this Virtual Picket Line
Simple weeklong Boycott of Amazon starts Sunday March 7th
Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama have been voting on joining RWDSU for the last month. If they are successful, they would be the first Amazon employees in the United States to join a union.
Their campaign has garnered support from across the country. UCOMM previously reported on Teamsters driving from Boston to support the effort. The NFLPA has released a video supporting the organizing effort, actor Danny Glover came down to Bessemer to meet with the workers, and even President Joe Biden has weighed in. Josh Brewer, the lead organizer on the campaign, told the Prospect that many people in the community are extremely supportive of the organizing effort.
“Everyone in the community is cheering us on. It’s been that way since we got here. We’ve had local people bring food and chocolate and coffee to the organizers. When I look at the notes that organizers send me, they tell me that workers are telling them, ‘It’s my grandfather I’m hearing from. It’s my uncle. It’s my neighbors. They’re saying to us, ‘You better sign the union card. It’s the way you assure your future and make sure Amazon pays you well.’”
At the same time, workers at the warehouse have faced an unrelenting anti-union campaign. They have received numerous anti-union texts a day and they can’t even go to the bathroom without seeing Amazon’s anti-union propaganda. Amazon is even working with local officials to change the time that lights outside the warehouse stay red so that organizers can’t speak to the workers while they wait at red lights.
To support Amazon workers and let the company know that we do not approve of their union-busting tactics, a one-week boycott of the company has been planned. From Sunday, March 7th to Saturday, March 13th, everyone is being asked to not use Amazon or Amazon Prime and do not stream videos using the Amazon Prime video service.
Thanks to "Zorak" and the Leftist Unification Party for creating this graphic.
For this to work it needs to be big, so share out the image above and use the hashtag #boycottamazon to let the company know that union members will not stand for this type of behavior.
We at UCOMM are Amazon consumers too, and we know what a challenge this may be. Coming to America 2 is being released that week and our daily routines depend on us asking Alexa questions all damn day. For one week, unplug your echo dots, stay off Amazon Shopping and watch Netflix instead of Prime. The ask really isn't that big of an ask if you look at the bigger picture.
UCOMM also wants to hear from you about how you are supporting the organizing drive at Amazon by boycotting the company next week. Send us your thoughts by email to firstname.lastname@example.org.
You can also submit a video supporting the Amazon Workers by clicking here.


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The last RAZR introduced fashion and design at a time when the market was bored with features. The new RAZR will do the same, and its ripples on the market will be similar to 2004.
Amazon is selling electronic gift cards for YouTube — allowing you to give the gift of YouTube Premium, YouTube Music, and YouTube TV.
Google Podcasts users are reporting a new dark mode theme is available, part of Google's ongoing effort to offer a dark mode systemwide.
After launching Stadia without support for Chromecast Ultra devices already in the market, Google has announced that all Chromecast Ultra devices will be updated and playable with the Stadia service.
Samsung Semiconductor is expanding an existing memory chip factory in Xi'an, China with an initial $7 billion investment followed by $8 billion more over the next two years.
Here is a list of every individual, living and droid, killed in The Mandalorian, with details about how each went down.
Waze has added a snow warning feature that lets you report weather conditions including ice on the road and unplowed roads.
Sony has announced that its multiplayer survival game based on the Predator movies will arrive on PS4 and PC on April 24, 2020.
Google Maps has added new features on Android and iOS that offer better control over what is stored in your Location History and how easily it can be removed.
Google has added new features to the Google Maps Platform with game developers in mind, hoping to improve the variety of experience as well as gaming performance for games that use Maps.
Google has announced a feature drop for Pixel phones that will update memory management to help improve multitasking on the devices.
Android Auto is getting some UI updates, including the long-awaited ability to customize the Android Auto home screen.
DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman is leaving DeepMind, an Alphabet-owned company, to join Google directly to work on AI projects
The FCC has issued a report calling into question the accuracy of official coverage maps from Verizon, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular. These maps are used to allocate federal funds.
Genius is suing Google for $50 million or more over claims the search giant was directly scraping Genius content and repackaging as Google search results
Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge will be a fun and active game show for kids, hosted by Ahmed Best, the voice of Jar Jar Binks.
Samsung is now updating emojis as a separate software package, a process that makes it easier to add and change the icons without the need for a larger system software update
Google is shutting down the Cloud Print service, in beta since 2010, and relegating print duties on its own devices to native printer support.
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Lytro has introduced its 2nd generation light-field DSLR Illum camera Pre-order now and get the new Lytro Illum at special introductory price of $1499. Lytro Illum will hit shelves in July at regular price of $1599.
Apr 23 2014, 7:04am CDT
Lytro has introduced its new Illum camera at cost of $1599 after July 15th. Lytro Illum is a light-field DSLR camera that is extra special (targets professional photographers). Pre-order now and get the new Lytro Illum at special introductory price of $1499.
Apr 22 2014, 12:25pm CDT
The camera company, Lytro is to introduce a number of breakthrough products by next year. Despite some downsizing, Lytro’s new plans are grounds for future optimism.
Aug 12 2013, 5:17am CDT


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The Federal Trade Commission wants stricter guidelines for mergers after losses in court.
Largest beneficiaries of ACP do not participate financially in federal programs designed to promote broadband adoption.
25G PONs are ideal to connect customers to 10G or higher speeds, a Nokia rep said.
Senators are concerned about BEAD's fiber preference and Buy America rules.
Verizon, AT&T and Lumen warned about prescriptive rules that could diminish security.
Two Republican-led states sued the Biden administration over alleged collusion with tech companies.
Associations agreed on the need for baseline federal privacy legislation.
The NTIA claims that Apple and Google take advantage of their app stores to put unfair limitations on their competitors.
Biden's call for federal privacy legislation aims to address an increasingly splintered state privacy landscape.
The SEC will add industry offices that are focused on crypto assets, and industrial applications and services.
Microsoft and CWA plan to host a traveling series of events promoting the ACP subsidy.
'These letters show that…carrier geolocation data practices are all over the map.'
The FCC's Intergovernmental Advisory Committee, which provides guidance to the commission, has term extended two months.
Lawmakers are calling on the FTC to investigate data claims by China-based social media app TikTok.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is requesting Apple and Google remove the TikTok app over data concerns.
Dish enlists Samsung for 5G deployment.
International alert warns about Russian cyberattacks.
Apple CEO is not a fan of the legislation that would allow third-parties to bypass Apple store payments.
Forty-three state attorneys general signed a letter urging TikTok and Snapchat to have friendlier parental control policies.
Targeting Apple and Google Play stores, bill forbids 50 million+ user marketplaces from requiring developers to use in-app payment options.
Technology advocacy groups are concerned about big technology companies entering the auto industry.
Associations including INCOMPAS and WISPA applaud new multitenant proposal.
T-Mobile ranks fastest mobile provider, improving on third quarter performance.
To find the best way to regulate technology, antitrust regulators need more tools to maintain fairness in the digital economy.
Big technology companies faced hurdles in 2021 -- and it's only the beginning of a Biden administration crackdown.
NY's Brad Hoylman introduced legislation that would attempt to control how social media handles users’ speech.
Three broadband experts on a Broadband Breakfast live event discussed data collection and specificity of mapping.
Committed discussed big companies shutting smaller ones out of the marketplace.
Sohn and Biden NTIA nominee Alan Davidson will undergo confirmation hearings next Wednesday.
President Biden’s social safety net and climate package now faces hurdles in the Senate.
Lightbox publishing new broadband map, Epic Games suffers loss in Apple antitrust case, 2021 Community Broadband Awards announced.
FCC's comment period for ISPs in buildings, AT&T requests screen on spectrum holdings, Apple reverts plan to scan phone images.
T-Mobile sued over breach, Google hopes judge reconsiders data reveal, UTOPIA Fiber expands into Syracuse City.
At Aspen forum, a red-hot focus on Big Tech, antitrust and consumer welfare.
American Enterprise Institute fellow says app bill could harm, Arizona looking at broadband speeds, Verizon 5G expansion.
Senators don't want apps beholden to Google and Apple, Verizon commits to interest group wants, states want robocall deadline sooner.
Infrastructure bill passes the Senate, crypto regulations in the bill, and Apple will scan iPhones for child abuse material.
Leaked infra proposal has base 100 Mbps speeds, Apple's phones getting 5G, Newsom signs broadband bill, FTC money recovery bill.
Trump files class-action against major tech firms, New York gets $21M for rural internet, default apps get most use.
Democrats have decided they're against Big Tech. A smarter GOP would sense the opening and take it.


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updated 03:00 pm EDT, Tue July 24, 2007
OLPC Laptop for Public
The One Laptop Per Child project's just completed XO system may be sold to a general audience as early as this year, the group's chief technical officer Lou Jepsen has revealed. While the ultra-economic system has always been targeted at developing world schools that need inexpensive and rugged computers, the interest in the computer and the desire to reduce the cost of the PC for poorer areas may lead to private companies selling the system to the public. Prices would be set much higher at $350 to account for marketing, support, and ultimately shrinking the $175 cost for developing-world governments, Jepsen said.
Talks are reportedly underway with multiple large Internet-based companies who would not only sell the systems but provide the support network that would normally be up to local officials or the OLPC group itself with school editions. Three of the companies involved have "a big presence on the Web," the technical chief said, though she stopped short of naming Google or other similar firms.
The organization would not commit to more specific release windows than a holiday season release, but noted that the goal was to produce as many systems as possible in any given batch to maximize the effectiveness of factories. The first production XO systems are scheduled to launch in October.


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The world largely went virtual in 2020 because it had to. Luckily, technology was there to enable that.
Local governments that offered virtual permitting and licensing in the pandemic were able to protect revenues and reopen businesses quickly. Now, many are making virtual inspections and digital plan reviews standard to lock in efficiency gains, improve quality, and delight their customers.
Watch this webinar to hear how the Chief Building Official at Stamford, CT and the IT Director at South Kingstown, RI transitioned to virtual inspections and digital plan reviews.
Watch this webinar to learn:
How to move to fully digital plan reviews
Best practices for virtual inspections
How to transform your permitting, licensing, and code enforcement
Bharat Ghami, Chief Building Official
Lori Ann Fox, IT Director
South Kingstown, RI


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TONY JONES: Australia's trade gap narrowed just slightly last month because of a sharp drop in imports.
The financial markets were expecting an improvement after the trade deficit blew out in July, producing the second-worst result on record.
Joining me now to discuss the economic data is Lateline's finance reporter Karen Tso.
Karen, this makes 28 consecutive months of trade deficits.
What's going wrong?
KAREN TSO: Well, the problem is that the money flowing out of the country to pay for imports far exceeds the amount that's coming in or that we're earning from exports, and that's an unhealthy situation for the economy.
Let's look at the figure recorded in August - it was $1.93 billion.
You can see that's a slight improvement on July when we recorded that figure above $2.5 billion.
However, this month we did see a fall in imports, so basically businesses bought less in the way of capital goods - machinery and equipment - and that did help that figure this month.
Economists though are saying not to read too much into this monthly figure.
Let's take a look at what Craig James from CommSec had to say.
CRAIG JAMES, COMMSEC: Basically the trade deficit is still round about $2 billion, it still remains too high.
We're not far off record levels - a $24 billion deficit over the last 12 months.
KAREN TSO: So that's a pretty staggering figure for the year - he mentioned 28 deficits in a row.
This is starting to come close to the 33 record deficits recorded back in 1998 to the year 2000.
TONY JONES: Does this mean we've got long-term structural problems in the economy?
KAREN TSO: There is a possibility of that if it starts to undermine economic growth.
The housing market so far has been propping up the economy.
The Reserve Bank though has been hoping that exports would start to take over as the housing market cools, however this has been slow to take effect.
Take another look at what Craig James from CommSec had to say.
CRAIG JAMES: I think the Reserve Bank and the Federal Government would be concerned about the lack of pickup in exports.
Global economic growth is near the strongest that we've seen in 30 years, seasonal conditions have improved modestly, but despite all that, exports still are not keeping pace with our strong amount of imports.
KAREN TSO: So as we've just heard there, conditions for exports are fairly strong, however the country is not taking advantage of that.
In particular, the manufacturing sector is letting us down and that's because competition from China is so strong.
So we're losing valuable export dollars there.
The other problem too is that imports may bounce back.
There's nothing to suggest that they will stay where they are because other data shows that spending by consumers and also businesses is still fairly strong.


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It is 2 p.m., about the time when you wish you’d packed a sweet treat in your brown-bag lunch. The employees at WeddingWire are awaiting deliverance in the form of ice cream sandwiches from CreamCycle. They hover. They ask WeddingWire senior brand manager Kate Hoffman when the desserts are coming.
But there’s a hang-up. Jeff Jetton, who shook hands for the creation of CreamCycle with chef Carlos Delgado last year over a couple of beers, can’t fit one of the company’s blue-striped tricycles into the Chevy Chase office building’s elevator.
Did the Good Humor man ever have to deal with this sort of thing?
Jetton resourcefully hauls up a cooler full of the sandwiches and arranges them on a table in the cafeteria stocked with company-subsidized healthful food. The rest of the treats will be available from the freezer-laden tricycle, now parked around the corner in a parking lot. The WeddingWire worker bees are undaunted by the 90-plus-degree heat. As soon as Hoffman sends an all-staff e-mail, they stream out of the controlled climate to experience one of Washington’s newest trendlets: the gourmet ice cream sandwich.
Joining CreamCycle in an even smaller niche — ice cream sandwiches on wheels — is Pat Griffith and Ed Cornell’s Milk Cult, which plans to hit Washington streets this summer on a sidecar-equipped 1970s Honda CB motorcycle.
Most people’s notion of an ice cream sandwich involves nostalgia-fueled affection for a bland, watery frozen dairy concoction between spongy chocolate wafers, the remnants of which you must lick off your fingertips. So why even delve into a market associated with those black-and-white bricks and their round cousins, the pool-bar staple Chipwiches?
Perhaps because the ice cream sandwich, when done right, can be so much better. As Griffith says, “It gives us a lot of room for creativity.”
Ice cream sandwiches let you play around with layers of flavor, Delgado says via phone while on a scouting trip in his native Peru. That country’s tricycle-riding ice cream vendors were the template for CreamCycle’s tricked-out bikes.
Delgado, 23, says his goal is to showcase his Peruvian background. The idea came to him last summer, he says, while he was fishing in the Potomac.
CreamCycle has about 30 sandwiches on its roster, Jetton says, about a half-dozen of which are in rotation at any given time. The ice cream bases use egg yolks, cream and milk. Combinations include brown sugar corn bread cookies with corn ice cream, and coffee cookies with a banana habanero ice cream spicy enough to leave at least one WeddingWire employee grinning in pleasurable pain while futilely fanning his mouth to put out the fire.
Delgado intends to add a collection of exotic flavors using tropical fruits such as lucuma, camu camu and guanabana. To source those ingredients, Delgado, who is also executive chef at Boveda in the Westin Georgetown, is working to set up a Peru-based company to import them. No, he doesn’t sleep much.
Neither, for that matter, does Jetton, 37. He is also a co-owner of Toki Underground, the self-described “ideas guy” for Brightest Young Things and the director of business development for the architectural firm Streetsense — and he lives in New York most of the time. As he ticks off his résumé, I’m tempted to hand him one of his own products and tell him he could use a snack break, too.
High school friends Cornell, 28, and Griffith, 26, have burned a lot of midnight oil recently as well, in recipe development and equipment work. They say trying to sell from a motorcycle, an idea inspired by Cornell’s two-wheeled commute when he taught English in Indonesia, means they fall into a kind of regulatory gray area, which has taught them a lot about the Kafkaesque operation of government bureaucracy. The biggest holdup was the fact that no one had requested a motorcycle vending permit before, Cornell explains, which led to extra meetings with the District’s Department of Transportation. With DOT approval now in hand, all that’s left is to get the go-ahead from the health department.
The pair moved into a space at Union Kitchen, a food-business incubator in Northeast, in April. Griffith is the baker, Cornell the “ice cream nerd.” So far they’ve created seven sandwich flavors centered on four ice cream bases, some with egg yolks and some without. Milk Cult’s roster includes riffs on traditional ’wiches, but there’s also buttermilk-lemon zest ice cream smooshed between ginger-molasses cookies, and a milk-and-honey ice cream cradled by no-bake cornflake cookies. The guys also source popcorn macarons from fellow Union Kitchen tenant DC Patisserie to pair with salted butter caramel ice cream.
The ideal sandwich “shouldn’t be too big,” Cornell says, so you can get your teeth through the entire stack in one easy bite. They’ve settled on a $4 sandwich that is 2 inches wide, 3 inches long and about 11 / 2 inches tall. Griffith has been testing scores of cookie recipes (so many that he says his roommates are ready to mutiny) to find ones that not only taste good, but taste good frozen while not seeming underbaked.
All of CreamCycle’s sandwiches are built on the same butter cookie framework, engineered to be hard enough for crunch yet not so hard that it crumbles into pieces with every bite. “I wanted to do one thing and do it well,” Delgado says. CreamCycle’s $5round offerings come in at about 31 / 2 inches in diameter and 11 / 3 inches tall.
Neither venture has been on the streets much yet, CreamCycle because of a busy private event schedule and Milk Cult because it hasn’t been cleared to roam and sell.
Nonetheless, the almost simultaneous debut of the two businesses inevitably invites comparisons and questions about whether the Washington market can sustain both.
“I think one will make it,” Delgado bluntly predicts. “I think one will be in the background.”
Cornell says that when he first heard of CreamCycle, “my first reaction was like, ‘No!’ ” Then he figured, “D.C’s a big city.” At one point he chatted with Jetton and says the takeaway message was, “If you have competition, it actually makes you work a little harder.”
As the WeddingWire crowd wanes, Jetton says that’s a pretty fair assessment of their conversation.
“There’s enough people for ice cream sandwiches for everyone,” he says. “The more people talking about it, the better.”
A few minutes later, a WeddingWire employee who had already polished off her dessert says, “I just tweeted it.”
CreamCycle sandwiches are available at Bean & Bite (1152 15th St. NW) and Smucker Farms (2118 14th St. NW). Milk Cult sells their sandwiches before the NoMa Summer Screen on Wednesday nights at Third and L streets NE.


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Europe laments craftsmen’s demise (FT)
"Europe’s luxury goods makers have warned that numbers of skilled craftsmen – prized by dressmakers, perfumiers and watchmakers for their expertise – are dwindling rapidly as suppliers have sourced more production from Asia."
Ready for the next chapter in e-tailing (FT)
"E-tailing is no longer a luxury for the luxury industry – it’s a necessity... [Richemont] became the first leading luxury conglomerate to purchase a multi-brand virtual store, taking the industry’s involvement with the web to a new level."
New website brings crowd sourcing to fashion (Reuters)
"An Internet startup called Fashion Stake launching in coming weeks aims to shake up the fashion industry, just as peer-to-peer file sharing changed the music industry."
Top designers target Chinese taste for fashion (Shanghai Daily)
"The roll-call of fashion designers raising their profile in China over the past few years reads like a Who's Who of contemporary couture... [but] there's a debate about how much hope the high-end fashion chieftains should be pinning on the economic juggernaut."
Alexander McQueen’s Final Bow (NY Times)
"At approximately 10:20 a.m. on Feb. 11, a London taxi stopped at the entrance to Green Street, a normally quiet block of drab red brick houses in Mayfair — drabber on this bone-chilling Thursday — and the passengers, a man and two women, hastily got out."


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- Year-over-year sales for the department store segment increased 21.3% in 2021 over 2020; however, a return to contracting sales is expected from 2022 through 2026.
- Strip malls and power centers continue to report higher foot traffic and fewer vacancies than traditional indoor malls. In turn, some department stores are shifting their store formats to remain competitive with open-air concepts.
- Mall operators are focusing on more experiential anchors like bowling alleys and arcades instead of traditional department stores.
Change in Retail Sales by Category – 2021
Signs of Recovery: Department stores showed signs of recovery in 2021 following a long downturn accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Year-over-year sales for the department store segment increased 21.3% in 2021 over 2020 per U.S. Census Bureau data. The category saw accelerated recovery from the pandemic as stimulus funds along with pent-up demand helped drive the rebound in sales. Higher sales coupled with leaner inventory levels offset the need for deeper markdowns, which benefited gross margins. Driving segment momentum, revenue for Macy’s, Kohl’s and Nordstrom increased 42.4% over 2020, a 3.4% drop from the first three quarters of fiscal year 2019, according to a December 2021 news release by Retail Dive. These three retailers account for over 70% of sector revenue. It’s important to note that on March 21, 2022, Kohl’s Corp. confirmed it had received preliminary acquisition interest from multiple prospects. It remains to be seen how an acquisition may influence the company’s sales performance or operating strategy going forward.
For its fiscal year ended January 29, 2022, Macy’s comparable store sales increased 43.0% on an owned basis and 42.9% on an owned-plus-licensed basis over 2020. In the fourth quarter of 2021, Macy’s reported comparable sales growth of 28.3% on an owned basis and 27.8% on an owned-plus-licensed basis versus 2020; and increases of 6.6% and 6.1%, respectively, versus 2019. In addition, digital sales increased 12% compared to fourth quarter 2020 and 36% compared to 2019. The company increased its new customer count by 26% over 2019 to 19.4 million. Kohl’s fourth quarter net sales increased 5.8% over the same period in 2020, with expansion of its shop-in-shop Sephora concept expected to be a key driver of growth in 2022. Nordstrom’s recovery
has been slower than its competitors; however, fourth quarter net sales increased 23% compared with the same period in 2020 and were flat against the same period in 2019.
Additionally, U.S. sales for Dillard’s and Hudson’s Bay Company increased 16% and 30%between the 2019 and 2021 holiday seasons, respectively. Total holiday season sales increased despite the ongoing pandemic and supply chain disruptions. Mastercard reported an 8.5% increase in overall holiday spending compared with 2020. The average transaction total per shopper grew 18% over 2019. Apparel and jewelry sales saw the most growth, increasing 47.3% and 32%, respectively, in 2021 and 29% and 26.2%, respectively, over the 2019 holiday season.
Consumer preference for online shopping grew significantly during the pandemic. E-commerce sales rose 11% from 2020 to 2021, and online sales represented about 21% of total retail spending, up from 14.6% in 2019, according to Mastercard. Online sales during the 2021 holiday season increased 61.4% over 2019, compared with 2.4% in-store sales growth for the same period. Macy’s plans to shutter 10 locations in early 2022 in response to continued e-commerce growth. The company expects to close 125 stores in lower-tier malls by 2023.
Shifts in Traditional Malls: Major department stores performed well in 2021, but e-commerce growth and pandemic-related uncertainty limited their momentum. Foot traffic did not reach pre-pandemic levels during the 2021 Black Friday weekend, according to analytics firm Placer.ai. In response to changing consumer behavior, some mall operators are moving away from traditional department store anchors and instead focusing on becoming cultural or entertainment hubs with experiential anchors like bowling alleys and arcades to attract younger shoppers. Additionally, department stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s are experimenting with store formats better suited for open-air shopping center locations, which continue to out-perform indoor malls.
Strip-center rentals grew 3.1% in 2021, the highest among retail property types, followed by neighborhood centers at 3%, according to global real estate services firm JLL. Indoor mall vacancy rates increased to 7.2% nationwide in the second quarter of 2021, up from 4.9% in 2019. Vacancy rates for strip centers and power centers hit 5.5% and 5.6%, respectively, and A-, B- and C-grade malls reported vacancy rates of 4.8%, 7.1% and 12.4%, respectively. Vacancies at major malls increased 28% since the first quarter of 2020.
Macy’s continues opening “Market by Macy’s” concept locations as part of its ongoing growth strategy. The company wants to use these smaller-format store locations in off-mall lifestyle centers to focus on strengthening customer relationships, accelerating digital growth, optimizing store portfolios and reducing costs. The concept will offer more curated brands, local goods, events and eateries. Additionally, Macy’s announced an initiative to bring Toys“R”Us to more than 400 U.S. locations and an e-commerce website beginning in 2022.
Retailers continue to offer convenient, contactless pickup and delivery services amid the ongoing pandemic, and customers will ultimately need compelling reasons to shop department stores for items that cannot be found in specialty or discount retail outlets, otherwise department stores will stagnate.
Industry Outlook: Analysts expect the department store segment to contract over the next five years. In a 2022 Market Outlook report, Coresight Research estimates department store sector revenue will decline between 0.5% and 1.5% in 2022 over 2021. This could take 2022 revenues to as much as 15.9% below pre-pandemic levels following the strong rebound generated in 2021.
Research firm IBISWorld expects sector revenue to decrease at an annualized rate of 4.3% through 2026 because of growing competition from online retailers coupled with a continued shift by retailers out of the sector and into warehouse club and super-center concepts.
Additionally, Coresight Research expects the department store sector will continue to consolidate market share among its three major players, Kohl’s, Macy’s and Nordstrom, increasing their combined share to 75% of the market in 2022 compared to 70% in 2021.
Valuation Outlook: After several years of declining sales, department stores worked hard to offset 2020’s pandemic-related losses with innovative strategies and experiential retail in brick-and-mortar stores, which drove interest and grew brand loyalty in what had been seen as an outdated concept. Stores offered curated merchandise assortments with new categories, products and brands to drive engagement from a new customer base.
How liquidation values hold up for the department store sector will in large part be dependent on what level of multiplier can be realized in a going-out-of-business setting as retailers comp against higher volume historical sales. Additionally, although social distancing rules are relaxing around the globe, concerns related to the pandemic continue for some consumer demographics, especially as it relates to shopping in indoor mall locations. In the short term, the retail industry may be under pressure as economic uncertainty weighs on domestic and international markets. In particular, rising fuel and food prices resulting from inflation will affect consumers of every demographic and may curb spending on non-essential items for those with lower levels of discretionary income.
Note: THIS PUBLICATION IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL MARKETING PURPOSES ONLY. THE MATERIAL CONTAINED HEREIN SHOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS ADVICE, NOR RELIED UPON TO MAKE FINANCIAL, OPERATIONAL OR OTHER DECISIONS; NOR SHOULD IT BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR AN ASSET APPRAISAL. ACTUAL RECOVERY VALUES MAY VARY FROM TRANSACTION TO TRANSACTION AND THE RECOVERY VALUES REFERENCED HEREIN ARE FOR REPRESENTATIVE TRANSACTIONS WITHOUT REGARD TO SPECIFIC KEY FACTORS. THIS MATERIAL MAY BE REDISTRIBUTED ONLY IN ITS ENTIRETY, INCLUDING NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©2022 GORDON BROTHERS, LLC.
Reference sources: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, NASDAQ, CREDITNTELL, PULSE RATINGS, IBISWORLD, RETAIL DIVE, CNBC, CORESIGHT RESEARCH, FOOTWEAR NEWS, JONES LANG LASALLE, MACY’S, INC., KOHL’S, INC., NORDSTROM, INC., BLOOMBERG, STATISTA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS


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Nintendo are set to announce specs for the upcoming Wii U console at a press conference on September 13th but developers have let slip a few details about the next generation console. Here is a selection of Wii U features currently circulating the tech community.
Multi-touch tablets featuring Intel’s Ultrabook specifications were the order of the day at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin this week, with Sony, Toshiba and Samsung amongst those debuting their own versions of the model.
Apple’s iPhone 5 is expected to be announced on September 12th and with a recent patent trial victory against Samsung, the smartphone is sure to explode onto the market with significant fanfare. Here’s the latest details…
Apple’s victory over Samsung in the intellectual properties trial may have far-reaching consequences for the industry. Read on to find out exactly what the experts are predicting.
New figures have relvealed that tablet fans can now get their hands on the latest devices from the likes of Samsung, Asus and even Apple for less these days as average prices for have dropped significantly in the last year.
A number of tablet have been put through the ringer recently to determine once and for all how they compare to Apple’s market leaders – the iPad 2 and iPad 3. Find out more here!
Android and iOS devices are continuing to dominate the smartphone market, with the majority of handsets shipped in the second quarter featuring the two operating systems. But what of Windows Phone and BlackBerry OS?
Old and new gamers are soon to be wooed by the launch of the Rambo Video Game which has the potential to be a winner. But will it actually be any good? And what do we know so far about the forthcoming title from Reef Entertainment?
Samsung has taken a better late than never approach to Ice Cream Sandwich for its devices, finally announcing the OS update for its range of tablets.


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Social media analytics company PeopleBrowsr has launched its social search product ReSearch.ly. The new tool is designed to help brand managers and marketers find the 1% of Twitter users that matter most to them.
ReSearch.ly, at its core, is a Twitter search engine — albeit one that offers a few heretofore unseen search features to give brands insight into micro or niche Twitter communities.
The product allows users to search tweets around specified keywords. Once a search is initiated, tweets are shown in the left-hand portion of the application and users can filter the stream to show tweets from followers or those following, segment results by gender and breakout tweets by positive or negative sentiment. Results can also be narrowed by product-defined communities or location.
On the right-hand side, ReSearch.ly provides a graphical global overview of tweets for 30-day or seven-day time spans. Here, users will find a chart showing keyword volume fluctuation over time, a sentiment line graph and a sentiment pie chart. There's even a word cloud highlighting common words housed within the tweets being dissected. In this area, ReSearch.ly also displays media related to tweets, including Twitpics and YouTube videos.
The company calls this technology "Viral Analytics," and aims to help users track — in real-time — how information moves through the web.
The product also provides users with the opportunity to see degrees of separation from other Twitter users; this data can be exported to CSV.
In some ways, ReSearch.ly — which has a seven-day free trial — seems rather limited for its $99 per user, per month price tag. The unfettered access to Twitter data and the myriad of filters make for an interesting browsing experience, but there doesn't seem to be much more you can do with the information you do discover.
Product Manager Brett Horvath says that's because ReSearch.ly isn't an engagement platform. "It's a social search platform where you can find out what people are saying and map those [conversations] out," he says. Hovarth also says its target audience — brand marketers and managers — are excited to pay for the product, which he believes provides them with unprecedented Twitter research tools.
PeopleBrowsr, as you may recall, started as a consumer-facing social application for managing Twitter and Facebook streams but has since switched to focus on enterprise-level data mining, analytics and brand engagement. The ReSearch.ly product represents the sum total of the company's refined search technologies and its access to the full Twitter firehose.


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Warhammer 40K: The Dark Millennium will have a "flexible" business model, according to a recent conference call by THQ CEO Brian Farrell.
Farrell explained that the business model for the MMO will differ worldwide, IndustryGamers reports:
"The markets are different around the world for the business models with which you can ship an MMO.
"So what we've done is make the business model within Dark Millennium Online flexible, so we can use different business models in different territories and exploit the game on a worldwide basis.
"We will have not just one business model, like subscriptions. There will be other monetization mechanisms in the game... The team there is being very thoughtful about how we maximize monetization in this game."
No release date has been given for Warhammer 40K: The Dark Millennium, despite a rumour of a March 2013 launch.


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Actiсomp took part in the CPHI exhibition in China
From the 19th to the 21st of June, Shanghai hosted the international pharmaceutical exhibition CPhI China 2023, which was attended by a delegation of Acticomp employees.
CPhI is considered as one of the most significant events of the year in China and the Asia-Pacific region. The scale of the exhibition is impressive: 18 pavilions, 5 of which are devoted to the equipment. Hundreds of companies presented their products, including the latest innovations. Every year the event brings together the leading market players - manufacturers of a wide range of pharmaceutical products, laboratory and industrial equipment, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and their intermediates, as well as pharmaceutical excipients. Thus, the exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to build a comprehensive strategic cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals between China and Russia.
Acticomp set itself the task of finding the best technological solutions, suppliers of equipment and services for future investment projects.
Acticomp also held negotiations on the supply of raw materials with existing partners, discussed more favorable terms of cooperation and established contacts with the new suppliers.


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Marc Surer: It’s called a template. You must present a submission to the board. It has already happened. We’ve heard that two projects, Audi’s and Porsche’s, have already been completed internally. Now the whole group just has to say: Yes, you can do it! But that also means that the templates have already been approved internally. The last step is now a question of principle. The long-term planning of a group plays a major role in this.
It’s about two Volkswagen brands that need the sport. You bought an Audi because there was an Audi quattro in the World Rally Championship. They still live off Walter Röhrl’s and Michele Mouton’s successes. And if Porsche doesn’t race, what is Porsche then? So the two brands have to do racing. That’s why I think it will be approved by the group. And one has to say: Both have already chosen good partners.
In what way?
When I think that Andreas Seidl is now team boss at McLaren and that the German connection would then work again, I just have to smile. And Red Bull and Porsche are also very close. That just fits.
Perhaps Norbert Haug could say something about that, because back then he managed to convince Mercedes to buy their own team – even though BMW had just left Formula 1. And how did he do that? He compared the presence of sport in the media and what it would cost if you had to invest in advertising. That’s the point. Such a presence and reach is almost priceless through advertising. With Formula 1 you simply have it. That’s why it makes sense.
That’s right – you’re targeting two target groups at the same time: Audi and Porsche fans. Because both have a sporty image, that’s okay. Porsche versus Audi – we enjoyed that at Le Mans and hopefully will be back in Formula 1 soon. And then there’s the troublemaker from Italy. This is going to be exciting.
With regard to the marketing aspect, of course, success is also important. Do you think VW can be equally competitive in 2026?
Yes. We’ll get new regulations, so everyone has the same requirements. The two brands have experience from Le Mans, where they also drove hybrids. E-fuels are new to everyone. In addition, both rely on chassis that are backed by good people. Whether it’s McLaren or Red Bull – they know how to do it. Therefore both can be successful.


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Tunkhannock Jr. Women’s Club will sponsor the 26th Annual Fall Fest Arts and Crafts Show on Saturday, Oct. 27. The event will be held at the Tunkhannock High School on 135 Tiger Drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $1 and children under 12 are free. Over 150 artisans and crafters are expected. Delicious, homemade lunch and dessert options will be available for purchase in the school’s cafeteria, such as soups, pizza, hot dogs, cold sandwiches, meatball hoagies, pork sandwiches, pies and cookies. Free maps and parking. All proceeds benefit local charities and community programs. For more information, contact email@example.com or visit tjwc.tripod.com.
First Annual Festival of Crafts, sponsored by the Laceyville Ladies Auxiliary will be held on Dec. 1, 10 to 5. Large variety of vendors. Onestop shop for your Christmas shopping at the Laceyville Fire Hall.


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Netflix Inc. has hired two Snap Inc. executives to lead its work building out an ad-supported tier of its service, the company said Tuesday, as the streaming giant looks for new ways to generate revenue and attract more cost-conscious users.
Jeremi Gorman, Snap’s chief business officer, is joining Netflix as president of worldwide advertising in September, while Peter Naylor, vice president of sales for the Americas at Snap, will serve as Netflix’s vice president of ad sales. Netflix declined to comment beyond confirming the appointments. Ad Age previously reported the moves.
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The introduction of a freelance tsar this month indicates the government are taking self-employed workers more seriously. General confidence is also up among Britain's army of small businesses and the self-employed but there is a large consensus that more needs to be done to encourage this growth in the new year.
The government celebrated National Freelancers’ Day this year in style, by appointing David Morris as the UK’s first ever self-employed ambassador.
Simon McVicker, Director of Policy and External Affairs, said:
“The appointment of an ambassador for our sector shows that the Government are ready to take action on the issues facing the millions of people working independently across the UK. It is immensely encouraging to hear Mr Morris, MP for Morecambe & Lunesdale and a small business owner himself, will champion our cause at the very heart of Government.”
Small businesses confident on International trade
Small businesses are expecting to increase overseas trade in 2015, despite a disappointing year for Britain’s export sector, research from government-backed exporters’ forum, Open to Export, has found.
78% of SME exporters believe that 2015 will be a better year for trade, despite recent statistics from the ONS which indicate a drop in business investment and confidence.
The government wants the UK’s export sector to double in volume to £1 trillion by 2020, but critics say much more support is needed if this dream has any chance of becoming a reality.
Micro businesses not taking on employees
One in seven of the British workforce are now self-employed, yet only 3% took on and retained staff between 2007 and 2012.
A recent study by the RSA calls for a new approach to business support, one that considers behavioural and psychological patterns and experiments with different techniques to help small business owners combat the obstacles that are preventing them from recruiting and expanding their businesses.
Small businesses worried about finding new clients
More than one in three SMEs in the UK say that generating new business is their biggest concern for 2015, according to a study by commercial finance broker Hilton-Baird Financial Solutions.
The annual SME trends index questioned business owners and finance directors on a range of issues relating to their business’s performance and confidence over the past year. Other fears include cash flow management, with 15% of businesses citing it as their biggest fear, followed by concerns over access to funding at 10%.
Despite these fears, 55% of those surveyed said they remain optimistic and expect their business to expand next year, as long as the government continue to offer support for SMEs.
Cheers Sophie and we look forward to your December roundup at the end of the year.
Finding the right supplier for your business can seem daunting when those you are looking at are overseas. So here are some things to think about when starting a relationship with and working with an overseas supplier.
AIB Start-up Academy Summit returns to Belfast!
13th Jan 2017
Northern Ireland startups and entrepreneurs listen up! The AIB Start-up Academy Summit will be back in Belfast and we’ve all the important info you need to bag your free ticket to attend!
Newcastle Startup Week Set to Inspire
11th Jan 2017
Newcastle Startup Week - a new festival of entrepreneurship aims to inspire local people to start businesses and attract greater inward investment to the city and wider North East of England region.


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An Exeter City Centre cocktail bar which re-opened with a new name and look in April has announced its shock closure.
The Book Cover located on Longbrook Street changed its name to First Edition Cocktail Lounge in April this year, however it has now been revealed that they have closed permanently.
The 1920s bar which required a password launched a new look and a new cocktail menu in April 2018 after being open as The Book Cover for a year.
First Edition is ran by Exeter-based company HK4 Group who also own Artigiano Coffee Shop on the high street.
Ahead of the opening a year ago owner of the Book Cover Joe Hill said at the time that he wanted to bring something different to Exeter to enhance the city's nightlife.
"We all like nice things when we go to places and I just love the concept of hidden bars. We wanted to bring something to Exeter that we don't have already and to also enhance the nightlife in the city," he said.
"We wanted to create a more intimate atmosphere with the Book Cover. We will have a vast cocktail menu on offer, offering more than 10 types of gins, whisky and rums.
"The concept behind having a password to gain entry is based on how the bars used to do it back in the 1920's. All customers will need to do to get the password is either ring us up or enter their details on our website."
The History of First Edition
Before The Book Cover, the premises was occupied by pizza restaurant Base and Barley, which was also run by the HK4 Group.
The pizzeria opened in November 2015 and was open for two years before the owners decided to change its use to a speakeasy cocktail bar.
The company then decided to re-brand the cocktail bar this year and they re-opened as First Edition in April.
Director Joe Hill said that he reason behind the closure is that they are expanding another part of the business.
He added: "We had an opportunity to expand another element of the business and so decided to close First Edition, however for Exeter residents looking for a fun evening, our sister brand Artigiano is the ideal location, offering an extensive cocktail range as well as live acts during the week."


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Apple has reasserted its dominance over the tablet market thanks to the continuing popularity of its iPad.
According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker, the company shipped 11.8 million devices during 2012's first quarter.
The findings suggest cables and other related products required by tablet owners are being used by greater numbers around the world.
Tom Mainelli, research director of mobile connected devices at IDC, said: "Apple's move to position the iPad as an all-purpose tablet, instead of just a content consumption device, is resonating with consumers as well as educational and commercial buyers."
Mr Mainelli added the organisation has also benefited from its decision to keep a cut-price iPad 2 on sale following the unveiling of the latest tablet.
Despite the recent successes enjoyed by Apple, the rest of the tablet market has failed to see similar figures, with total worldwide media tablet shipments falling 1.2 million units below the IDC's initial estimation.
Posted by Jason Page


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Spotlight turns again on Chinese e-commerce giant after Tuesday’s IPO filing.
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba filed paperwork with U.S. regulators this week, putting in motion its planned IPO in a U.S. exchange. While the filing fails to answer key questions such as where the stock will be listed, and for how much, it seems clear that Alibaba’s initial public offering will be one of the biggest in history.
Market analysts estimate Alibaba’s initial public offering could easily top the $16 billion Facebook raised when it went public in 2012, making it the biggest tech IPO ever. The company’s valuation is estimated to be more than $115 billion.
U.S. ETF investors should care about Alibaba’s IPO for three main reasons:
1. Alibaba’s footprint is massive, and yet it’s only scratched the surface.
Alibaba is the biggest e-commerce company in the world. In 2013, it sold $248 billion in goods to 231 million active users, according to the F-1 filing submitted to regulators this week. To put Alibaba’s 2013 business volume in perspective, that’s more business than Amazon and eBay combined last year, according to Reuters. That’s big business.
In a broader sense, Alibaba controls nearly 85 percent of China’s online shopping market—a quickly growing but still nascent space. In fact, online shopping represented only 7.9 percent of total China consumption in 2013, according to the filing. That rate of consumption is “projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 27.2 percent from 2013 to 2016,” the filing said. Alibaba dominates that space.
In the nine months ended Dec. 31, 2013, Alibaba generated revenue of $6.5 billion and net income of $2.9 billion, according to the filing.
That’s a stock most investors will want to own.
2. Alibaba’s IPO could make serious waves in the tech stock segment.
Just about everyone expects investors to flock to own a piece of Alibaba’s action, even if that means doing so at the expense of other tech stocks. Some fear that a mad dash for Alibaba shares could hurt competing tech stocks, which are already bruised this year.
Twitter, for instance, bled 18 percent of value yesterday, and is already trading 4 percent lower today, as employees cash out their stocks after a lockup period that ended Tuesday. The market is also reacting to reports that Twitter’s user growth rate is slowing down.
AOL, meanwhile, was facing a 20 percent plunge following disappointing results, according to MarketWatch. And Yahoo stocks have now bled about 7.8 percent year-to-date, with the latest round of pressure stemming from Alibaba’s filing.
Yahoo owns 24 percent of Alibaba—a stake it bought back in 2005. In the F-1 filing, Alibaba estimated its valuation around $110 billion—below market estimates that range anywhere from $115 billion to $200 billion.
For U.S. ETF investors who own funds that that offer exposure to this segment, such as the $13 billion Technology Select SPDR (XLK | A-78), the $129 million Global X Social Media ETF (SOCL | B-22) or even the nearly $2 billion First Trust Dow Jones Internet ETF (FDN | A-97), it’s already been a challenging ride so far in 2014. Alibaba’s IPO promises to stir up more volatility—and dispersion in returns—in the space ahead.
Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com


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Backed by positive consumer sentiment and new launches, passenger vehicles recorded 11% growth in domestic sales at 260,399 units in August 2021 compared to 234,623 units in the same month year ago. However, the segment is on a tightrope as numerous challenges are posed on the production of vehicles, such as the rising input cost of raw materials and shortage of semiconductors.
For these reasons, India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki has increased the prices of all its models for the third time this year and cut its production for August.
The carmaker with higher penetration of sales network in the country witnessed a drop in the domestic sales by 8.7% in August 2021 to 103,187 units, compared to 113,033 units in the same month last year.
For September, the company has already announced a production cut. In a statement, the company said it could only produce 40% of its total volume.
Similarly, South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor India posted a marginal rise of 2.3% in August at 46,866 units compared to 45,809 units in the same month last year. The company has been quite aggressive in its product launch strategy and has been able to maintain momentum. Despite that, the sales grew marginally, which is also evident with long waiting periods of popular models such as Creta, Venue, and Alcazar.
|Toyota Kriloskar Motors||12772||5555||129.9|
|Mahindra & Mahindra||15973||13651||17.0|
|Honda Cars India||11177||7509||48.8|
Long Waiting Periods
According to our channel checks, Hyundai Creta is on a 24 weeks waiting period, and recently Alcazar is delivered after ten weeks of booking.
Among the top five carmakers, Tata Motors and Kia India registered a strong growth of 50.8% and 54.3%, respectively.
In a press release, Tata Motors said the semiconductor shortage continues to impact the auto industry globally. In addition, the recent lockdowns in East Asia have worsened the supply situation, and hence Tata Motors is forced to moderate production and offtake volumes in the coming months.
“The situation is fluid, and we will continue to work to mitigate the impact of this and aim to meet our customer orders through an agile, multi-pronged approach including close engagement with our extended supply chain partners, procuring chipsets from the open market, using alternate chips and managing our model and trim mix,” it added.
The company might be marred with a semi-conductor shortage, but its EV sales crossed a crucial threshold of 1,000 units this month.
“The order book is strong, and we aim to meet the robust demand to the best of our abilities despite the supply challenges,” the company said in a press statement.
Semiconductor shortage derailing demand pick-up
Industry experts believe that the shortage of semiconductors will lead to a falling in inventory before the festive season, and it may lead to a festive demand washout if the challenges are not addressed timely.However, few automakers are buying chips from the open market, but it may take a year to stabilise before orders are placed from the regular supply chain.
On Kia’s strategy to meet festive demand, Tae-Jin Park, Executive Director and Chief Sales and Business Strategy Officer, Kia India, said, “With the festive season around the corner, we are anticipating a further rise in this number. To cater to the pent-up and upcoming demand of our vehicles, we are taking appropriate measures to enhance the production output.”
Mahindra & Mahindra posted a 17% growth in domestic sales of its passenger vehicles at 15,973 units.
Veejay Nakra, Chief Executive Officer, Automotive Division, M&M, said, “Demand across our product portfolio continues to remain strong with Thar, XUV 300 and our recently launched Bolero Neo and our Bolero Pik-up range clocking in impressive booking numbers. However, the supply of semiconductors continues to be a global issue for the auto industry and has been a major area of focus for us.”
In the next few months, a market share that used to be a sales derivative will largely depend upon the ability of the automakers to produce and mitigate the risk of semiconductor shortage. However, September will remain crucial as dealers need to stock up inventory for festive sales.


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Martha Stewart’s affinity for drones has been well-documented, and now she’s trained her domestic eye on another buzzy emerging technology. Stewart has launched a line of custom designs with 3D printing darling MakerBot. But will the celebrity backing really create an insatiable rush for at-home fabrication? Will a 3D printer suddenly become as indispensable to the occasional crafter as a hot glue gun? It seems unlikely.
Stewart has been talking up her love for 3D printing lately. At her American Made conference last week, she paid lip service to several US companies using the next-gen manufacturing. “With a 3D printer, you can design a product and immediately do a small production run without having to create an expensive mould — and without forfeiting your individual design touches and personal aesthetic,” she wrote at CNN. “No wonder 3D printers have become so popular among artists and designers.”
But Stewart’s talking about someone like a jewelry designer — people who already own or have access to one of these things as part of their work. What about the Martha-loving masses? The barrier for entry is quite high when it comes to 3D printing, and it’s tough to make a case for buying one of these machines for at-home use when they start at over $US1000 (although there are more experimental printers that go for far less).
MakerBot certainly can boast a high quality and some of the best community support out there. But there’s still some serious technological know-how required. 3D printers aren’t for the casual DIY enthusiast in the same vein as, say, decoupaging a pair of shoes.
So far, the Martha-MakerBot line consists of a set of table accessories which look like they were shrewdly thrifted by some Martha Stewart Living stylist. MakerBot is also offering three Stewart-branded vintage-inspired PLA filament colours: Lemon Drop, Robin’s Egg and Jadeite, so creations can be conceived within the Martha palette. Yep, branded colours of filament.
Here’s where the disconnect seems the most apparent. Is the maker community craving Stewart-approved colours? On the flip side, how many Martha Stewart enthusiasts have been looking for a way to 3D print their own napkin rings — and not even their own creations, but predetermined designs.
3D printers will eventually go mainstream — we may very well all have one in our homes soon, printing out new shoes and kitchen utensils and customised Apple Watch bands. It will happen when the price of the tools converges with the obvious utility of what we can make — when a 3D printer is the best and most affordable way to make the things we need every day.
Still, one must admire the brilliant play by MakerBot to try to sell a bunch of their machines to Stewart’s eager but unexperienced followers, just in time for the holiday season. And maybe it’s a hint that MakerBot is aiming for an even broader commercial audience. Perhaps a more compact, user-friendly “MarthaBot” is coming soon — in bright Lemon Drop, of course. [MakerBot]


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Resident Evil Netflix is Forming a Series Revolving Around Raccoon City
Raccoon City, the famous (or infamous) location straight from the world of Resident Evil, is about to get its live-action series. And it’s all courtesy of Netflix.
Resident Evil is pretty used to the idea of getting live-action adaptations. The video game franchise already has several movies under its belt. Given how obsessed the world is with zombies in general, success isn’t all that surprising.
For those that don’t follow the franchise, Resident Evil is a gaming franchise following the Umbrella Corporation, and the heroes who stand up against the monstrosities they’ve created. The most iconic of which, naturally, are zombies.
Fans have been eagerly looking forward to any and all news about the Resident Evil adaptation heading towards Netflix. Well, thanks to the latest update from Twitter, we now have a better idea of what is in store.
When the Wesker kids move to New Raccoon City, the secrets they uncover might just be the end of everything. Resident Evil, a new live action series based on Capcom’s legendary survival horror franchise, is coming to Netflix. pic.twitter.com/XWh5XYxklD
— NX (@NXOnNetflix) August 27, 2020
The series is going to be set in Raccoon City. Which isn’t all that surprising. What is more intriguing, is who the series will be following. The main star of the series will be the children of Albert Wesker. That’s right, the iconic villain of the franchise had children, and they’re about to steal the limelight.
Other than that major announcement, we know a few other details about this series. It’s set to be eight episodes long, with each episode lasting about an hour. Plenty of time for lots of action and zombie-fighting, right?
Andrew Dabb is the man leading the entire project. Browen Hughes signed on to direct the first two episodes. Unfortunately, no casting announcements have been made. Unsurprisingly, that means that there is also no release date for this series. Not yet, at any rate.
Given the shifting focus of the Netflix series, it seems pretty likely that the series will not be making any effort to tie into the movies. But again, that’s just an assumption at this point. Only time will tell.


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By Una Murphy
TOP PR, Media and Marketing experts will be at Ormeau Baths, Belfast for an invitation only seminar hosted by VIEWdigital in partnership with Social Enterprise NI on October 4
They will be looking at how video produced for mobile devices is the hottest trend within communications industry at present.
VIEWdigital training is led by industry experts and the ethos is on ‘showing by doing’ to help those on tight budgets, particularly in the Third Sector , to communicate their stories.
VIEW editor Brian Pelan said: “We will be looking at the ‘big beasts’ You Tube and Facebook and how your video content will reach your audience; what works and what doesn’t.”
The broadcasting and telecommunications regulator Ofcom has found that three quarters of adults in Northern Ireland now own a smartphone.
Nearly six out of 10 people say their smartphone is their most important device going online, according to the latest Ofcom Communications Market report.
The Communications Market report also found that tablet ownership is also on the rise, with three in five household now having one.
You can find out more in the latest Communications Report from Ofcom at http://bit.ly/2vyQlsE
VIEWdigital training is coordinated by Una Murphy. To reserve a seat at the Communicating Your Story Lunchtime Learning Seminar at Ormeau Baths, Belfast on October 4 from 12 noon to 2pm contact her directly, e: email@example.com


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Caution: JCPenney’s V-Day Discounts Aren’t as Sweet as They Seem
JCPenney (NYSE:JCP) has good news and bad news. The good news is that the retailer is planning major Valentine’s Day discounts of up to 40 to 60 percent. The bad news is that in order to offer those discounts, the company is hiking its prices up in the near-term — and it doesn’t want you to notice it.
According to the New York Post, JCPenney’s CEO Mike Ullman is in the midst of orchestrating a company-wide strategy that involves significantly increasing prices on all the retailer’s products in order to make JCPenney discounts look more dramatic later in the year. Faced with falling sales and a lack of consumer demand for JCPenney products, executives at the company recognize the need to make the retailer stand apart from the crowd, and that’s where the discounts come in.
The problem, however, is that cash-strapped JCPenney can’t afford to drive its prices down, so it has to drive them up first to try to trick customers into believing they’re really getting the best discounts in the future. Last year, Valentine’s Day discounts reached 20 to 30 percent, while this year, they are expected to be marketed as 40 to 60 percent. Mark Cohen, a professor at Columbia Business School, explains via the Post that, “Ullman is trying to get back the old JCPenney customer, and that customer wants to see 50 and 60 percent off. Taking off 20 or 30 percent doesn’t even get you noticed.”
JCPenney’s former CEO Ron Johnson was already blasted for reportedly practicing the strategy during his reign at the retailer, but it is clear that Ullman and his team aren’t worried about those rants against “fake prices” because this is the best plan of action they think they have.


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Robert Bruce at a Glen Goldbaum fashion event in Red Bank in 2011. A regular on “Comic Book Men,” set at the Broad Street store below, he’s about to get his own show on AMC. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
“Comic Book Men,” an unscripted TV show about buying and selling comic books that’s based in the Broad Street store, has been picked up for a fourth season by the AMC network, according an entertainment industry report.
It’s also spawned a new show starring borough resident Robert Bruce, a regular on “Comic Book Men.” And it looks like progenitor-of-all-things-Stashian Kevin Smith will get one, too.
Cliff Galbraith with his two recent comic books, above, and talking with fan John Hanley on Broad Street, below. (Click to enlarge)
This Saturday, a pair of Red Bank comic book aficionados dealer and Comic Book Men star Robert Bruce, and author/illustrator Cliff Galbraith are putting on Asbury Park Comic Con 2, reprising an event they debuted in May. redbankgreen spoke with Galbraith recently about his own relationship with the printed form of his work.
By JOHN T. WARD
It took a kind of SMACK! to the head, but Red Bank’s Cliff Galbraith learned his lesson:
When it comes to comic books, the web isn’t nirvana.


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With 2016 now drawn to a close, it seems quite fitting to take a look back over the last 12 months and that's precisely what one of our favourite marques has been doing in recent weeks.
Everyone in the Petrol News office is a fan of the flowing lines, stunning looks and ample performance of Aston Martin, so to mark the start of a new year in style, the marque has released its highlights of the last one!
Receiving the nostalgia treatment from Aston Martin president and CEO Dr Andy Palmer was the launch of the hotly-anticipated DB11, which everyone here at Petrol News agrees is a stunning addition to the Aston line-up.
Also in line for a look back in awe was the announcement of a series of top models from the manufacturer in 2016, including the Vantage GT8, Vanquish Zagato, Vanquish S and the remarkable AM-RB 001.
Looking forward, Dr Palmer also revealed the company is preparing for the opening of its second UK manufacturing plant in St Athan, Wales early in 2017 – meaning the future looks bright for Aston Martin and all lovers of the brand in the years to come.
Stephen Hasley, brand manager at Petrol News, adds: "Aston Martin is a name synonymous with luxury and quality. It's therefore been great to look back at some of the manufacturer's best bits from 2016!"
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