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Ghandhara Nissan Limited (GHNL) is planning to launch Renault’s heavy commercial vehicle to meet the growing needs of the local market and also to imprint its revival in the market.
GHNL will not be assembling them in Pakistan rather the completely built-up units of vehicles will be imported.
In order to assess the demand and viability of such commercial vehicles, the company imported few units of Renault Trucks for trail and testing.
The growth of development in infrastructure and energy makes the demand of trucks very high. But once Ghandhara Nissan limited ascertained the demand of trucks it should start assembly of vehicles instead of imports.
Due to a large number of players allowed to set up their plants in Pakistan the assembly of vehicles has become a very viable option.


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NBC Sports and TicketCity have announced a partnership that will give fans the opportunity to buy tickets for the top sporting events in the country. TicketCity is now the featured ticket provider on the NBCSports.com website and on NBC Sports-owned Rotoworld.com and Sandbox.com. The deal pairs TicketCity’s inventory of event tickets with some of the premier sports sites on the web.
“TicketCity has been one of the premium brands in ticketing for nearly 20 years, and we own the largest ticket inventory in our industry,” said Randy Cohen, TicketCity CEO. “We are excited to partner with one of the top brands in the online space. NBC Sports is a great destination for consumers following sports, and now they’ll be able to find great tickets as well.”
As part of the exclusive deal, TicketCity links are featured throughout the NBC Sports site including on individual team pages. Additionally, TicketCity placements will appear on Rotoworld and Sandbox, with branded “hot event” boxes on each main category page. TicketCity and NBC Sports will also offer special packages only to be seen on NBCSports.com for major sporting events, including Super Bowl XLIII, to be televised by NBC on February 1, 2009.
Sports tickets are one of the hottest sectors in the U.S. online secondary ticket market. A February 2008 study by Forrester Research revealed that sales of sports tickets made up 67% of the secondary market in 2007. Forrester predicts sports tickets to be almost ¾ of online secondary ticket sales by 2012.
“Millions of people are buying sports tickets online every year. This partnership brings fans of NBC Sports closer to a reliable source for tickets,” said Perkins Miller, Senior Vice President, NBC Sports and Olympics.

domain: news


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The digital age is helping to shape our modern world with virtual reality beginning to lead the way. Even household retail brands have started applying virtual reality into their strategies in order to stay ahead of the market.
Why VR has emerged in retail
By immersing customers with a 360 degrees experience, they can essentially live within a campaign and experience a brand’s vision for their product. Virtual reality is also suited to the ever-decreasing attention span of a younger audience, with Generation Z having a rapid window of eight seconds — so making an impression matters more than ever. By its very nature, virtual reality is far more impactful for the user, allowing brands to take their customers on a simulated journey. As a result, more and more retailers are innovating their strategies, bringing them in line with an approach where creating experiences is key. Mixed reality solutions are adding new layers of customer engagement to the retail sector.
Many brands are pushing the boundaries in terms of marketing strategies, competing for customers in a congested market. There’s also another pressing factor which has pushed retailers across all subsectors to innovate — the shrinking UK high street. Plagued by closures, the UK’s plight to save stores and sales is only growing. With the latest consumer fixation over the value of ‘experiences’, the characteristics of VR proved complementary to this demand and those at the helm of the retail industry have noted this.
Let’s take a look through some of the most prominent VR moments throughout the fashion, automotive, and food and drinks retail sectors.
Food and drinks
There’s a great deal of precision required when it comes to factory operations in the food and drinks sector. With multiple prolific examples of cross contamination, food poisoning, and allergy labelling hitting headlines, manufacturers have a duty of care and responsibility to consumers. However, mixed reality solutions are being developed to meet the sensitivity of these environments, while also adhering to the limiting legislation which surrounds tackling things such as pathogens in the production line. One of the most refined approaches yet has been the TraXR system, pioneered by the Newcastle based 3D building scanning specialists Luminous Group. TraXR is designed to track and identify the presence of pathogens in food and beverage factories, while also actively preventing outbreaks of anything from listeria to salmonella. The technology functions through a mixed reality headset and utilizes mapped visualizations of the factory environment to record any findings.
Coca-Cola is also steering forward with a similar augmented reality approach, creating an immersive experience for users. The project fuses AR with simple storytelling and 3D animations, accessed by the camera on a smart device. Coca-Cola demonstrate the effectives of creating these AR simulations, as they were able to target a variety of audience age brackets by tailoring the augmented ‘story’ content accordingly — amalgamating the effectiveness of both traditional and modern marketing approaches in the sector.
The fashion retail industry has been hit by the economic downturn which has spelled both store closures and restructuring processes. With the physical nature of the high street being a key element in its overall downfall, the digital space has superseded traditional shopping, triggering an ecommerce boom. However, technology such as virtual and augmented reality could be the fundamental lifeline for the quintessential British high street. It has the scope to strike up a blend between the physical and digital aspects of offline fashion retailing.
The term ‘flagship store’ has collided with the digital age, informed and advanced by virtual and augmented reality which has pushed brand marketers to equip their customer’s shopping experience with something new. Omnichannel shopping is a key aspect of this, demanding more from customer experience and KPIs. The high street favourite Zara used mixed reality to represent its merger of offline and online marketing, from handheld devices helping stock availability and an augmented feature on its app. With the app, customers can use their phone cameras to capture store displays and windows, which creates motion sequences of models wearing the products in the picture. VR and AR are increasingly adding a new dimension to an activity as simple as a shopping trip, breathing a new lease of life into it with the latest cutting-edge technology.
The automotive industry is an integral part of UK finances, worth around a £82 billion in turnover and adding a staggering £18.6 billion in value to the economy. The sector has welcomed a whole host of VR and AR technologies to further advance the everyday automotive market. Plus, consumers are gradually engaging more with these concepts, overhauling the conventional car-buying experience.
The traditional dealership has evolved into a digital showroom through the use of VR, making it a more immersive, interactive way for customers to shop. For example, simultaneous localization and mapping technology (SLAM) can depict 360-degree vehicle visualization, allowing customers to view potential options before making a purchase. Automotive retailers are also enhancing the aftercare incentives of their vehicles, through intelligent systems such as Swedish motoring giant Volkswagens’ VR facility MARTA which enables servicing employees to carry out maintenance checks in a smarter way.
As the coveted manufacturer at the forefront of innovation, Tesla has implemented a VR/AR approach onto its production line, boosting accuracy throughout the manufacturing process. Everything from manufacturing methods to safety and performance of vehicles sold is being supported by VR, while also making tasks simpler.
Mixed reality, augmented reality and virtual reality are all exciting formats to be embraced by brands. Within the retail sector they have proven effective in revolutionising a wide range of activities, from the simple shopping trip to safeguarding the production line.


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Days Gone Update 1.11 Patch Notes List Fixes After Last Major Update
Days Gone launched at the end of April and Sony Bend had hinted at some post-launch DLC releasing for the game. This was released with a new Days Gone update earlier this month, and now they have released another new patch to address some issues.
The June update for Days Gone that also added a Survival Difficulty was leaked first through PlayStation Germany’s YouTube channel and then later officially confirmed with an official trailer. Even though the update adds some good chunk of content, it still ended up introducing a new set of bugs.
Today, Sony Bend Studio has released another new update for Days Gone that patches the game to version 1.11 on PS4. It will be roughly 4 GB in size on your PS4 if you had already downloaded all of the previous updates.
Sony Bend Studio has shared a set of patch notes with everyone on the official subreddit for Days Gone that go in depth in the bugs that have been fixed in this update. You can have a look at the Days Gone update 1.11 patch notes below.
Days Gone Patch 1.11
- Resolved an issue related to PlayGo where the main menu screen was not showing any selectable options
- During “Lines Not Crossed”, the NPC assisting you will function as intended
- The job “Didn’t Want To Join Up?” should progress properly
- The new “Dead Don’t Ride” bike decal can now be equipped at select mechanic merchants
- The HUD should now appear when hitting R3 when starting a new game in Survival Difficulty
- When at low health, the screen effect should appear correctly in Survival Difficulty
- Updated the text for the Survival Difficulty Mode start-up screen
- Corrected an issue where the trophy “Don’t Stop Me Now” was rewarded prior to completing the requirements
- The “Executioner” skill should function properly against Breakers
If you want to get your hands on the game, it is currently available on sale for a limited time as part of the Days of Play promotion deal.
If you have enjoyed reading this article and look forward to checking out more of our work in the future, please take the time to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or subscribe to our channel on YouTube.


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News & Insights
News Round Up – February 2022
February 16th, 2022
The Internal Revenue Service is coming under increasing pressure from Congress and tax professionals to address the backlog of unprocessed tax returns from last year and to stem the tide of automated collection notices from its computer systems that have been flooding taxpayers who already filed their returns.
While the unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4 percent, January job growth far exceeded the expectations of many economists, who feared the U.S. would lose jobs last month for the first time since December 2020.
U.S. consumer prices surged in January by more than expected, sending the annual inflation rate to a fresh four-decade high and adding more urgency to the Federal Reserve’s plans to start raising interest rates.
Five Key Consumer Trends that Spell Opportunity for Businesses in 2022 | CO by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
From self-care in consumer experiences to embracing the metaverse, CO— spoke to three of the industry’s noted futurists for a view into five key trends that will shape the business landscape in 2022. The three trend forecasters predict how consumer attitudes and expectations are shifting — and how companies can prepare to drive business throughout the year.


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Chinese electronics manufacturer OPPO has brought a new function to the devices in order to prevent smartphone and game addiction, which is becoming more and more common. The new system, released yesterday, has received the praise of users.
OPPO launched its new anti-game addiction system on March 18, 2020. It has been announced that the system will limit and strictly control the expenditures of minors or unregistered users. This has been interpreted as the first part of the system wave that will come from product manufacturers who have been struggling with mobile game addiction for some time.
Mobile game addiction is a big problem in China
According to official notes, users will need to authenticate with a real name for games running on OPPO smartphones with anti-addiction system. There will be fields to fill in for this new mandatory application. In other words, it will be necessary to provide real-life details and an identity to purchase games or to make such other purchases. This new system will automatically restrict users under the age of 8 to spend over 50 yuan in a single transaction and over 200 yuan per month.
Similarly, people over the age of 16 but under 18 will not be able to trade over 100 yuan or 400 yuan at a time in a month. Users entering the age ranges we mentioned will be affected by the anti-game addiction service launched by OPPO and will encounter restrictions when entering their official information.
Trying to prevent addiction
Let’s add that OPPO is facing some effects due to the recent Corona virus outbreak. Despite these effects, the Chinese company has managed to implement the new system in a short time. It is known that minors with game addiction have recently become a common problem in the Southeast Asian country. China has many strict laws and guidelines in force, but since this situation has not been taken under control yet, actively trying to find solutions to prevent it.
In particular, Tencent Games, a major game publisher in China, has announced that it will make several game trials to promote anti-addictive game policies starting this month. The Chinese Government also controls game studios, making it difficult to start new games in the country. We will watch and see how OPPO’s new system will respond in the long term.


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Business and Financial NewsFind the latest business news with reports on Wall Street, interest rates, banking, companies, and U.S. and world financial markets. Subscribe to the Business Story of the Day podcast.
An Amazon warehouse in Leipzig, Germany. The European Union's antitrust arm will evaluate the company's role as both a retailer and a marketplace for other retailers.
Jens Schlueter/Getty Images
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks about the Green New Deal in Washington, D.C., on May 13. She has shined a spotlight on a once-obscure brand of economics known as "modern monetary theory."
Container ships and other maritime vessels currently run on pollutant-intensive heavy fuel oil. The world's largest container-shipping company, Maersk, has promised to make its operations zero carbon by 2050. Doing so will require using new fuels such as hydrogen.
John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Danish company Maersk has been shipping goods around the world since the age of steamships. Now it wants to usher in a new era, with carbon neutral transport.
David Hecker/Getty Images
Jessica Bray and her husband, Anthony Bray, pose with their 1970 Volkswagen Beetle. Anthony converted his Beetle to an electric car. "As a special touch, we added bubble machines to the back to blow bubbles at car shows and as we drive," Jessica said.
Courtesy of Jessica Bray
Employees take photos of the Final Edition version of the Volkswagen Beetle, painted "stonewash blue" according to the company, as it rolls out at the production plant in Puebla, Mexico. The last Beetle is not for sale, but destined instead for a museum.


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Helio Launches Music Downloads
Feb 6, 2007, 5:00 AM by (staff)
Helio is launching a mobile music store today, bringing its offering in line with other national 3G carriers. Helio will offers subscribers songs from a number of major labels for $1.99 per track, downloaded over the 3G network to the phone. This spring it will add a PC version of the music store that will offer downloads that can be played on the PC or phone for 99 cents. Like all Helio content, music can be gifted or begged. Members can sign up for alerts when music for a specific artist is added to the store. Helio also announced it expects to reach 100,000 members early in the second quarter. Fellow MVNO Amp'd announced it reached 100,000 subscribers last month.
Apple Music for Android Adds Music Videos
Apple recently updated its Apple Music application for the Android platform and added access to music videos. Apple says thousands of music videos are now available to Android users, allowing subscribers to browse through new videos or search for specific songs or artists.
Pandora Launches Premium Music Service
Pandora today finally launched its long-awaited Pandora Premium music service for mobile devices and the web. Pandora Premium is a $10-per-month music streaming service that competes with Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play Music.
MediaTek Packs 10 Cores in TriCluster Helio X20 Chip
MediaTek today announced the Helio X20, a mobile application processor that packages 10 cores together in three separate clusters. Many of today's high-end processors package eight cores in two clusters.
Starbucks Adds Spotify Music Discovery to Mobile Apps
Starbucks today expanded the scale of its mobile application to include Spotify-backed music discovery. People who visit Starbucks stores will be able to use the Starbucks mobile app to discover what songs are being played in-store and save those songs to a personal Spotify playlist.
LG Announces Music Service for Its High-End Phones
LG today announced a high-fidelity music service for several of its flagship handsets. The Hi-Fi music offering will make high-quality tracks available to LG owners in about 70 countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, France, Italy, Russia, the U.K., and the U.S.
Or maybe not. People are pretty stupid.
What's up with the different prices for handset/PC downloads?
But anyway, I'm glad that Helio is surviving, I like Helio.
Why have a phone boasting onlime commuities and have to use T9?
Get with it Hell-io.


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Unilever has sold the North American activities of pasta sauce brands Ragu and Bertollito Mizkan from Japan, but it will still retain the Bertolli brand in Europe and Latin America.
The sale of the brands in North America is apparently worth 2.15 billion dollars (1.6 billion euro) and is the next step in Unilever's strategy to focus on personal hygiene products, which carry larger margins, and on really big brands like Knorr.
It had already sold off several brands in North America and hopes to get rid of Slim-Fast as well. Alongside the sale of the sauce brands, which generate a yearly turnover of 440 million euro, Unilever also sold off several American production companies. The entire deal should be finalized by the end of June.
Mizkan is a Japanese company founded 210 years ago with a focus on herbs, oils, cooking wines and similar products. It has been purchasing European and American brands since 2011 to expand its foreign reach.
"This transaction represents an important milestone in our global expansion strategy. We are confident that this transaction allows us to further achieve our objective of diversification and expansion of our international footprint", CEO Kazuhide Nakano said.


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The 50 loan providers on notice take into account 90per cent associated with market, following the OFT discovered issues with the way they promoted, charged for, examined and dealt with loans. They are going to have to fix the issues within their businesses and report back into the OFT in 12 days. In each instance, in the event that dilemmas continue to exist at this time they could be fined or have actually their licence suspended.
The OFTвЂ™s action responds to your findings of the research into exactly how well loan providers conform to what the law states, which uncovered problems that are serious just just just how loans are advertised, charged for, evaluated and prepared by loan providers.
The OFT have established that subject to consultation they’ll be referring the whole payday sector to your Competition Commission for an industry research. In the event that Competition Commission find that the payday financing company model is flawed they are able to spot limitations in the marketplace, including guidelines on marketing or rate of interest caps.
The consultation that is new by federal federal federal government today sets out of the incoming Financial Conduct AuthorityвЂ™s (FCA) new approach and capabilities for managing the buyer credit market.
have the ability to undertake tougher scrutiny of https://installmentloansvirginia.net/ businesses going into the market. manage to react quickly to developments available in the market that put consumers in danger; by simply making rules which are binding on organizations; simply by using its existing abilities to ban services and products outright, and also by purchasing deceptive ads become withdrawn with instant effect and have now strong enforcement abilities, such as the capacity to make limitless fines; to avoid people establishing on the market, also to make sure customers will get their funds when things make a mistake.
In addition, essential customer liberties into the current credit rating Act is likely to be carried forward into the regime that is new.
The regime that is new been made to provide more powerful security for customers, but additionally to make sure that the machine is proportionate to your several types of businesses on the market, and that customers continue to get access to the credit they want.
The us government will ensure that reduced danger businesses spend lower charges and are usually at the mercy of fewer regulatory burdens, and that almost all credit organizations (that do not hold customers money that isвЂ™ aren’t at the mercy of money demands.
2.The amount of assessment shall run for eight days until 1 May 2013.
4.The government is moving credit rating legislation through the workplace of Fair Trading (OFT) towards the FCA in April 2014 as an element of its wider reform for the monetary regime that is regulatory.
5.The FSA has today posted an appointment paper in the framework when it comes to credit rating regime, that will set the detail out for the proposed regulatory regime and just how the FCA proposes to put on its abilities to your legislation of credit.
6.To give organizations time for you to conform to the regime that is new the FCA enables businesses couple of years to generally meet their full requirements for authorisation.
7.The governmentвЂ™s economic policy goal is to quickly attain вЂstrong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly provided in the united states and between industriesвЂ™. It set four aspirations into the вЂPlan for GrowthвЂ™ (PDF 1.7MB), posted at Budget 2011:
to produce the absolute most competitive taxation system when you look at the G20. to help make the UK a good option in European countries to start out, finance and develop a small business. to encourage investment and exports as being a path to an even more economy that is balanced. to create an even more educated workforce this is the many versatile in European countries.
Work is underway across government to quickly attain these aspirations, including progress on a lot more than 250 measures included in the development Review. Developing an Industrial Strategy provides brand new impetus to this work by giving organizations, investors while the public with additional clarity concerning the long-lasting way where the federal federal government wishes the economy to visit.


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GM driving Camaro work to Michigan from Ontario
- Staff Business First
General Motors Co. has announced it is moving production of the Chevrolet Camaro to its assembly plant in Lansing, Mich., from Oshawa, Ont. This decision is based on a comprehensive business case.
The automaker made the announcement Wednesday citing economics.
“Lower capital investment and improved production efficiencies were key factors in the business case,” GM said in a statement.
Production of the current generation Chevrolet Camaro will continue on the flexible manufacturing line at Oshawa Assembly until the end of the current product lifecycle. The Oshawa plant also makes the Buick Regal. GM noted it recently invested $185 million at that plant to support the launch of two new products on the flex line as well: the Cadillac XTS and Chevrolet Impala, scheduled to launch in 2013. In addition, GM recently announced it will add a third shift to support the launch of the new Impala there. The consolidated line at Oshawa Assembly will continue to produce the current generation Chevrolet Impala and Equinox until June 2014.
Still, the news did not sit well with the Canadian Auto Workers, which estimates that 1,000 direct jobs starting in late 2015 unless GM replaces the Camaro with another product.
“General Motors has once again shown a complete and utter disregard for its workers and also Canadians in general, whose tax dollars kept the company out of bankruptcy,” CAW national president Ken Lewenza told the Toronto Star.
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Choice Hotels Believes Location Is Best Asset For Cambria Chicago Loop Hotel
Choice Hotels is debuting its upscale Cambria Hotels & Suites brand to downtown Chicago at an interesting time for the hotel sector. Although Chicago tourism numbers last year inched closer to Mayor Rahm Emanuel's stated goal of 55 million visitors by 2020, RevPAR for downtown hotels fell to $154.14 in 2016, the first decrease since 2009. This year, seven new hotels will open in the downtown market, adding a total of 2,060 rooms to available inventory. But the hotel's ownership is not fazed.
Choice Hotels and Murphy Development Group are expected to open the 199-room Cambria Chicago Loop hotel in the offices above the Oriental Theatre at 32 West Randolph in a couple of weeks. Cambria Hotels director of sales Laura O'Hara said Choice and Murphy are not fazed by the flood of deliveries coming to the market and feel the Cambria brand is well-positioned to grab some immediate market share and attract customers.
O'Hara said the Cambria's location in the middle of the downtown theater district positions it equally well to attract tourists, theater buffs seeking bundled show packages that include overnight lodging, trade show stragglers and corporate accounts. By diversifying the customer base, O'Hara believes the Cambria Chicago Loop can reach its target RevPAR of $190/room by the end of 2017. O'Hara and her sales team have been promoting the Choice Privileges rewards program, which was ranked the second-best hotel points program by U.S. News World Report, to corporate accounts.
Guests at the Cambria Chicago Loop will find some top-of-the-line amenities. O'Hara said the Oriental's shell lent itself nicely for adaptive reuse as a hotel, since the Cambria's suite floor plans are already at set footprints. All of the suites will include built-in headboards and bedside tables with energy-efficient lighting. Bathrooms have sliding barn doors that were chosen as space savers, and Bluetooth speakers behind the bathroom mirrors allow guests to have speakerphone conversations or listen to music.
Inside the suites, smart TVs will allow guests to stream their Netflix, Hulu and other accounts directly. O'Hara said the rooms were designed to maximize footprint for working. Most of the rooms face south, which will allow the Oriental's marquee to reflect into the rooms at night.
In a nod to the Oriental's landmark status, each room will have accent wall art with pre-Great Chicago Fire maps of the city. This one, in one of the Cambria Chicago Loop's double queen suites, shows streets that no longer exist, in the grid pattern that allowed the city to expand at a rapid rate during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bathrooms are a mix of full tubs or standing rain showers.
The hotel lobby will be on the ninth floor, as will the Cambria's restaurant and lounge, and conference/meeting rooms. The Cambria Chicago Loop is one of three Cambrias Choice is opening in Chicago. Choice is repurposing the MileNorth Hotel on Michigan Avenue into the Cambria Hotels & Suites Magnificent Mile, and is also planning a Cambria near Midway International Airport.


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Big Blue is spending big to build up its marketing consulting business.International Business Machines Corp. will announce on Thursday that it is investing $100 million into a recently formed division IBM Interactive Experience.
The division pulls together IBM’s digital marketing agency and its other marketing-related businesses such as data analytics and design, all of which are aimed at helping companies target and market to customers more effectively.
IBM said it plans to hire 1,000 new staff for the marketing consulting group, which already has over 5,000 staffers around the world. IBM also plans to open laboratories –spaces specifically designed for clients to work side by side with IBM staffers –in 10 markets around the world, including Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Shanghai.
One big focus area for IBM is data analytics, which is increasingly important to marketers. The company said that it is moving IBM researchers and data scientists into the new division to help marketers make sense of the enormous amounts of data becoming available through new channels, including social media.
#BigData #Analytics and #Marketing
See on blogs.wsj.com


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WA report on gas-electric appliances
Should a new home in WA be connected to gas? Under what circumstances should WA households consider switching from gas to efficient electric appliances?
These are the questions posed and examined in the new report, Is WA Still Cooking with Gas? by Renew, Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisation promoting sustainable living, formerly know as the Alternative Technology Association (ATA).
The report aims to understand the impacts of anticipated retail gas prices on households and to identify cost-effective alternatives. It complements Renew’s November 2014 study, Are We Still Cooking with Gas? which looked at scenarios for gas and efficient electric appliances in the other Australian states.
Retail prices for domestic gas are going up, a situation that is expected to worsen in coming years and make gas less affordable for many people.
At the same time, improvements in the efficiency of some electric appliances, particularly for space heating and hot water, now make them cheaper to run than efficient gas appliances.
Among the findings, the report concluded that it was not cost-effective to connect a new home to mains gas in WA when efficient electric appliances were an option, while in existing homes the economics of switching from gas appliances to efficient electric was very good.
High gas prices in WA and better performance for efficient electric appliances such as hot water heat pumps due to a warm climate stack the economics in favour of electric over gas in WA.
Damien Moyse, Renew’s policy and projects manager, urged people to make informed decisions on appliances based on efficiency and sustainability.
“Our advice to households is to do your research when your next gas appliance needs to be replaced and don’t assume that gas is the cheapest option – you may be locking yourself into higher prices for a long time to come.”


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The new bowling alley will open next year in an old warehouse on 17th.
The sous chef turned pop-up chef is going brick-and-mortar in downtown Healdsburg come July.
See the full draft menu, subject to change.
And a certain Sunset district Pizza Hut will be shuttering to make way.
The folks behind Green Chile Kitchen and Chile Pies & Ice Cream are expanding to Church Street.
The New Orleans-inspired restaurant in the former Citizen Cake space is on schedule.
Gary Rulli and co. have their sites set on the Sees Candies shop on the west end of the Square.
Original SoupMan, the chain owned by the man who inspired the Soup Nazi, is set to open in late May.
Also, Schweet Box, the cereal restaurant, has closed.
Mission: Tartine's new bread and sandwich shop, next door to Bar Tartine, is aiming to open at least the front lounge and counter portion by early May, providing over-flow space for the restaurant at night and perhaps (!) selling bread...
As was rumored, the historic Tenderloin restaurant will relocate to North Beach.
Two Sisters Bar and Books is moving in.
Also, Pasion is doing some swell cocktails.
You'll recall that Lunch Geek recently relocated across the street, so that flatiron-shaped spot (1400 Market Street) at the intersection of Market, Fell and Polk is in play. Today we find an application going in for a beer and wine...
On its way to Pier 45 is the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Sustainable Seafood Market, a first-of-its-kind online-based wholesale seafood market that will later expand into a regular retail trade, offering only locally caught seafood that has the Seafood Watch...
In addition to banh mi, they've got salad rolls, and rice bowls.
Also, there's a Japan benefit at the Burritt Room April 5 featuring Japanese whiskey.
The Memphis style BBQ is pretty much takeout-only.
Tyler Florence, Cat Cora, Napa Farms Market, oh my!


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California prepares food stamp ultimatum
- California Assembly members Jesse Gabriel and Buffy Wicks recently proposed legislation that would ban food stamps from including certain ingredients, such as brominated vegetable oil, red dye 3, potassium bromate, propyl paraben and titanium dioxide, in their items.
- The ingredients have been linked to various health problems.
- While the law could result in some products being banned in California, Gabriel hopes companies will voluntarily change their formulas instead.
- The bill attacks the FDA for having a “major loophole for approving chemicals,” and its first hearing is expected in April.
- If passed, Gabriel hopes the law will push companies to change their recipes in every state, not just California.
A new bill proposed by the California state legislature could require certain food brands to change their ingredient lists or stop being sold in the state.
The bill, authored by MPs Jesse Gabriel and Buffy Wicks, both Democrats, would ban brands from including ingredients like brominated vegetable oil, red Dye 3, potassium bromate, propylparaben and titanium dioxide in their products.
The ingredients, all of which are banned in the European Union (EU), are found in sodas, processed foods, grains and candy. Several companies such as Coke and Pepsi have refrained from using the ingredients in their items. If passed, the law would make it law for other companies to follow suit.
The bill is unlikely to ban food stamps. Instead, Gabriel told news week he hopes brands will switch to healthier versions of the ingredients to follow the new protocol.
For example, in its US candy, Skittles includes titanium dioxide, an additive that improves color. But Skittles still sells its products in the EU, where the candies are modified so they don’t contain titanium dioxide.
“The idea here is that these companies change their recipes,” Gabriel said. “All these chemicals are banned in Europe, but [the companies] still sell in the EU by making minor changes to their recipes.
Gabriel said the ingredients listed in the bill have a multitude of health problems when consumed in dangerous amounts, with links to cancer, reproductive problems, and developmental and behavioral problems in children. He said there are “readily available, safer alternatives” for the ingredients without outright banning the products.
Some brands that use titanium dioxide in their ingredients are Goya, Skinnygirl, and Land O’Lakes.
news week reached out to Skittles, Goya and Skinnygirl for comment via a website contact form. news week emailed Land O’Lakes for comment.
If a company refuses to make the changes, it could be banned from selling in California, but Gabriel doesn’t expect that.
“Hypothetically it’s possible, but in practice the chances are practically zero,” he said. “They would voluntarily choose to leave a market of 40 million people. It makes no financial sense.”
Coke and Pepsi stopped using brominated vegetable oil in their sodas in 2014. Gabriel hopes other brands will follow suit under the new bill.
The bill targets the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which accuses Gabriel of having a “huge loophole for approving chemicals.” A press release from Gabriel’s office states that many of the listed ingredients have never been independently evaluated by the FDA or have been reviewed years ago.
“Instead, these chemicals entered the country’s food supply through a loophole in federal law — known as GRAS, or “generally recognized as safe” — that was supposed to apply to common household ingredients like vinegar,” the release said. “As a result of this gap, chemical companies have introduced new substances into the food supply with little to no government oversight.”
An FDA spokesman said news week that it will not comment on proposed or pending legislation.
The bill was recently introduced and referred to the Assembly’s Health Committee. His first hearing is expected in April. If passed, Gabriel hopes the law will prompt companies to change their recipes in every state, not just California.
“Our expectation is that no products will come off the shelf and people will make minor changes to their recipes to remove toxic chemicals,” Gabriel said.
https://www.newsweek.com/california-prepares-ultimatum-food-brands-1789969 California prepares food stamp ultimatum


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A regulatory agency in Oregon announced a policy Friday that bans the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages containing CBD.
However, according to state law, commerce of compliant, nonalcoholic, hemp-derived CBD products is allowed as long as they pass pesticide, solvent and potency tests under the Oregon Department of Agriculture, which regulates such products.
Licensees that have received noncompliant alcohol products containing CBD must sell or remove them by Dec. 31.
“It has been as challenging for the OLCC as it has been for our licensees to create some certainty over the status of CBD in the alcoholic beverage marketplace,” Executive Director Steve Marks said in an agency news release.
Forthcoming rules would also restrict liquor-licensed businesses such as bars and restaurants from blending cannabidiol with alcohol.
The ban is the OLCC’s attempt to clarify its role in a marketplace where CBD is generally available for human consumption.
A letter the agency sent to alcohol licensees points out concerns raised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the safety of extract.
In late November, the FDA said it could not conclude CBD is generally recognized as safe for use in human or animal food, based on the current lack of scientific information to support cannabidiol as a food ingredient.
The FDA also issued a consumer warning about its concern regarding the safety of CBD.
The OLCC has developed fact sheets for licensees and retailers outlining the policy and compliance requirements as well as consumer resources.
A separate fact sheet details testing requirements for any hemp-derived product intended for human consumption.


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— Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) reported Q1 2020 earnings of $0.45 per share, vs. $0.46 expected.
— Sales grew 1% to $2.4 billion, vs. $2.3 billion expected.
— Volume fell 1% to 1.2 billion lbs.
— Refrigerated Foods net sales were up 6%.
— Grocery Products net sales were down 11%.
— Jennie-O-Turkey Store net sales rose 3%.
— International and Other net sales grew 5%.
— FY2020 net sales is expected to be $9.50 billion to $10.30 billion.
— FY2020 EPS is expected to be $1.69 to $1.83.
Discount store chain Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG) will be reporting third-quarter results next week. Operating nearly 20,000 stores across the US, it is one of the largest supermarket chains
Shares of Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) were up over 1% on Thursday. The stock has dropped 13% year-to-date. The discount retailer delivered third-quarter 2023 earnings results that did not
The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) reported its third quarter 2023 earnings results today. Total company sales were $34 billion compared to $34.2 billion for the same period last year. Identical sales


text: Samsung has announced the Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ after many months of speculation, and this launch marks a new approach to 5G. With the Galaxy S10 launch, there was a completely different piece of hardware for 5G, but the Note 10 and 10+ both come in 5G variants. However, the band support is shaping up to be a complete mess with some carriers supporting one type of 5G and others using frequencies that barely exist on their networks. According to PCMag(Opens in a new window), Samsung is still scrambling to put the finishing touches on the 5G modems it will use in the Note 10. Verizon gets first dibs on the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G (the smaller Note 10 5G is exclusive to South Korea for now). It will have the same Qualcomm X50 5G modem we've seen in devices like the Galaxy S10 5G and 5G Moto Mod. It will run on millimeter wave 5G in eight cities just like previous 5G phones. We don't know yet if it will overheat when the outside ambient temperature exceeds ~85F / 29C. The currently-available solutions, which do overheat, are also based on the Qualcomm X50. Verizon's millimeter wave 5G network is very fast with speeds over 1Gbps. However, coverage is extremely limited because of the high frequencies involved (28 and 39GHz). The situation is similar for the early millimeter wave networks operated by AT&T and T-Mobile. Those carriers are hoping to fill in the gaps with low-frequency 5G similar to LTE, but speeds will top out around 100Mbps. Verizon hasn't said much about low-band 5G, but it's expected to deploy some in 2020. PCMag reports that T-Mobile and AT&T will have versions of the Note 10+ 5G that only operate on these lower frequencies via the new X55 5G modem -- they plan to start rolling out low-band 5G late this year. The X50 lacks support for low-frequency, but it sounds like the X55 can't do both low-band and millimeter wave at the same time. A 5G millimeter wave cell site in Minneapolis on a light pole.Sprint is in a good place with 5G, which is why T-Mobile is acquiring the carrier. Its mid-band 5G (2.5GHz) is faster than low-band, but has much better coverage than millimeter wave. Sprint will have a Galaxy Note 10+ 5G later this year as well, but it will have to choose whether it wants low-band and mid-band (the X55) or millimeter wave and mid-band (the X50). Qualcomm has been pushing the X55 as a modem that can do both low and high-band 5G, but Samsung hasn't been able to make that work yet. Perhaps it's something to do with the antenna setup? There are a lot of unknowns, and the 5G situation may change by later this year when carriers get the Note 10+ 5G.


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Last month, Apple announced the iPhone XS and XS Max and iPhone XR, shortly after the iPhone XS and XS Max were launched, Apple’s silicone cases and leather cases were also available for purchase simultaneously. At the time, they did not mention any protective cases for the iPhone XR. However, in some countries’ press releases, Apple did note it will release “clear cases” for iPhone XR. (Via 9to5Mac)
Follow the release of iPhone 5s, Apple introduced the leather cases. The iPhone 5c corresponds to clear cases designed to highlight the multiple colors of the iPhone 5c. Starting with the iPhone 6, Apple has been offering two official cases, silicone cases, and leather cases. The company later didn’t unveil any clear cases anymore.
The iPhone XR is a colorful one. If users continue to use a leather or silicone case, they can’t show off the color. This is one of the reasons why Apple will re-introduce a “clear case”. In terms of price, it will retail for around $40 USD. With the case and the iPhone, it will cost you about $790, which is pretty pricey, but with great software and a faster processor, it’s really worth it!
Image Via 9to5Mac


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Independents versus chains in Sheffield
In case you have missed it, the winners of the 2010 Eat Sheffield awards are:
The Eat Sheffield Restaurant of the Year (judged category)
Favourite Family Friendly Food Operation
Endcliffe Park Café and Our Cow Molly Ice Cream Parlour
Favourite Gastro Pub/Bar Dining
Favourite Theme restaurant
Favourite British/Modern European
Best Local Produce Menu (judged category)
Sheffield Food Champion (judged category)
Amanda Perry, Fancie
Best Newcomer (judged category)
When I heard rumblings on Twitter last night that Wagamama had won the best Asian/Oriental category, I was a bit disappointed that the winners might be mainly chain restaurants, which would reflect badly on the city’s restaurant scene.
However, if I’m not mistaken, only two chains were crowned winners last night (Wagamama and Ego), with the rest being local, independent businesses. But thinking about it – and given that many of the awards are voted by the public – why shouldn’t a chain win an award?
Sheffield is a proudly independent city and I’d much rather we were home to stunning local restaurants in every category, but the truth is we still have some way to go. So if anything I hope the results of this poll spur on city restaurants to up their game even more and prove to the public that the food they produce really can compete with the biggest names out there.
Of course a chain like Wagamama is helped by the clout of being an international name, with no doubt a marketing budget to match. But the majority of last night’s results also confirm what we already knew, that Sheffield people love Sheffield names. So there is an opportunity there for the independent restaurants to grab.
I think a good restaurant scene in a city needs both independents and chains as part of its offering. Some people like a chain, as they know what they’re getting, can offer good food and also can be great value for money.
But we also need our independents to give Sheffield something distinctive. In turn, this keeps more money in the local economy through direct revenue for the owner and also supporting local suppliers.
What do you think – would a Eat Sheffield 2011 winners list that was 100% full of independent, local businesses be a triumph? Or would it show that we are inward looking and content to live in our Sheffield food bubble?


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This is just one of the stories from our “I’ve Always Wondered” series, where we tackle all of your questions about the world of business, no matter how big or small. Ever wondered if recycling is worth it? Or how store brands stack up against name brands? Check out more from the series here.
Listener and reader Jeff Bailey from Jonesboro, Arkansas, asked:
I’ve noticed that the mint numbers for coins can vary a lot from year to year. How does the United States Mint determine how many coins of each denomination to produce in a year?
In 2021, nearly 15 billion pennies, quarters, nickels, dimes and half dollars departed the U.S. Mint’s facilities to be spent by the public.
Like Bailey pointed out, it’s a figure that can fluctuate annually. In 2019, roughly 12 billion of these coins were produced.
To determine how many coins the mint should produce, the Federal Reserve devises a 12-month rolling forecast, according to the U.S. Mint’s website. The Federal Reserve also gives the mint monthly coin orders.
The U.S. Mint uses this forecast to determine how much of each denomination it’ll produce, then it makes the coins and transports them to the Federal Reserve banks and private-sector coin terminals.
The Fed banks then deliver the coins to depository institutions, which exchanges them with their customers. And that is how the circulation cycle begins.
Figuring out demand: not like your average crockpot
Behavioral patterns, long-term demand, holidays, unforeseen events like natural disasters and a pandemic can all play a role in how many coins are manufactured.
Daniel Soques, an assistant professor of economics at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, said natural disasters increase the demand for cash and coins because disasters often disrupt electronic payment systems.
Soques noted that before 2009, each of the 12 Federal Reserve banks determined the need for coins on an independent basis and submitted those orders to the U.S. Mint.
“This process was relatively inefficient, so the process is now centralized at the Fed’s Cash Product Office,” he said.
Assessing how many coins to produce is a lot different than figuring out the production of, say, crockpots, Soques explained.
“They present a special problem because you have the other side of it, where they get reused,” he said.
Another reason coin orders might fluctuate is because in a certain year, more people decided to go to a kiosk like Coinstar or their local bank to deposit their coins, he noted.
Soques also said we may lose coins from circulation because they’ve been tossed into landfills, which can also vary annually.
The Fed’s Cash Product Office assesses the inventory at the Fed’s roughly 200 coin vaults throughout the U.S. on a daily basis, he added.
“The Fed wants a minimum inventory level of two weeks’ worth of coins at each coin vault. So the CPO will move coins from one coin vault to another to make sure this happens,” Soques said. “If there aren’t enough coins across all the coin vaults to meet demand, then the CPO will put an order for new coins into the mint.”
The pandemic’s effect on coin production
The COVID-19 crisis has significantly slowed coin circulation in the country. Some people had trouble finding quarters to use at the laundromat, while businesses have posted signs asking customers to use exact change.
People want to hold on to more of their coins and cash, while businesses that feed supply by reintroducing coins with their deposits have fewer nickels and dimes to do so, according to Soques.
The U.S. Mint and the Federal Reserve formed the U.S. Coin Task Force in July 2020 to help identify and promote strategies to address the country’s coin circulation issues.
The Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors assured the public that there is “an adequate overall amount of coins in the economy” on its website’s FAQ page.
“But business and bank closures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted normal circulation patterns for U.S. coins,” the FAQ continued.
The U.S. Mint upped its production of circulating coins in response to the shortage, making almost 3 billion more in 2020 compared to 2019.
The country is also facing high inflation, with the consumer price index rising 7% year over year in December — its highest level since 1982.
“Higher prices will also lead to higher money demand, since consumers need more cash and coin to conduct the same transactions,” Soques said.
Todd Martin, deputy chief of corporate communications at the U.S. Mint, said in an email that “coins aren’t circulating through the economy as quickly as we need them to, which means that sometimes coins are not readily available where they are needed.”


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Macroeconomic weakness was tipped by CCS Insight to continue to impact the XR market in 2023, with the research company not expecting unit sales in AR and VR devices to improve significantly until 2024.
In a new report, CCS Insight noted macroeconomic woes are leaving their stamp on the consumer devices market, with unit sales this year expected to remain just shy of 10 million.
CCS Insight expects another slow year in 2023, tipping sales of VR and AR devices to grow to 11.4 million, but added it remained confident on the long-term future of the segment, with the question of market recovery more a question of when not if.
It expects sales to improve from 2024 onward and grow to 67 million in 2026, fuelled by the launch of smart glasses.
In 2023, CCS Insight also expects a slight uptick with the arrival of Sony’s latest PlayStation VR offering.
VP of forecasting at CCS Insight Marina Koytcheva stated high inflation has hit consumer budgets in many major markets this year and those who may have been in the market for a VR headset “have postponed their purchase”.
“We’re also seeing signs of businesses being more cautious in their investment in XR until the economic picture becomes clearer.”
Other challenges for the market noted by the research company was a $100 rise in the retail price of the Meta Quest 2 headset, and the time needed to build light and attractive AR glasses.
Koytcheva believes companies are being cautious by not bringing products to market that are not quite ready.
“We’ve been expecting smart glasses to come to market for a while now, but the technology is proving tricky to master,” she said.
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The 14th Annual San Francisco Design Week (SFDW) is returning this year as a virtual design festival. The all-online program kicks off June 15-25 with the theme “Intentional Distortions." Over 150 participating Bay Area and West Coast design firms are joining the event with original ideas and creative solutions to help businesses survive in a post-pandemic world.
As SFDW explains, the event includes talks, webinars, web-conferences, and virtual tours with leading designers in multi-disciplines, from user experience, interactive design, and branding, to architecture, interior design, and fashion. The 2020 Design Awards are juried by top industrial professionals, including architect Takashi Yanai, FAIA; interior designer Catherine Kwong; and Google Product Design Lead Irina Blok.
"The challenges of the pandemic affords us an opportunity to reimagine how we celebrate design at a time of uncertainty and unprecedented restrictions,” says SFDW Executive Director Dawn Zidonis. “We as designers will rise to the challenge by transitioning our design festival to a virtual experience, giving access internationally to powerful ideas shaping the future, born in our region. San Francisco Design Week is a call to action to work together using design to solve global issues."
News via San Francisco Design Week


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leipzig motor show
Mazda has unveiled a pair of special MX-5 Miata models just for the 2012 Leipzig Motor Show, including a supercharged version of everyone's favorite roadster. For the latter showcar, dubbed "Yusho," Mazda has turned to our friends at Flyin' Miata for a supercharger kit to boost the machine's ...
Volkswagen's partnership with Fender – one of the world's leading musical instrument companies, best known for its rockin' guitars – officially kicked off in North America with the debut of a new premium sound system in the Jetta GLI. In Europe, however, the automaker's reworked ...


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New Delhi. Google’s parent company Alphabet recently announced the layoff of 12,000 employees. While thousands of employees have become unemployed due to this announcement of the company, many facilities have been snatched away from the people whose jobs are left. Till now the employees who are enjoying body massage in Google free will no longer get this facility. This has happened because 27 massage therapists are also included in the employees whose removal the company has announced.
Of these 27 in-house massage therapists, 24 were employed in Google’s Mountain View office and 3 in the Southern California markets of Los Angeles and Irvine. This is the biggest layoff in Google’s 25-year history. CEO Sundar Pichai told the employees in an e-mail that he takes full responsibility for this decision of the company. After announcing the retrenchment, Pichai said that the company will provide full help to the fired employees.
The total number of layoffs in America’s four largest technology companies has reached 51,000. These companies have done layoffs amid fears of recession. About two lakh IT employees have been retrenched since November last year.
According to a report by Layoffs. FYI website, 3,000 employees were laid off every day in January;
According to a report by the Layoffs.FYI website, the number of employees that companies had laid off in 2022, in January 2023, companies have laid off one-third of their employees. Amazon has done the biggest layoff of employees (Amazon Layffs) in January 2023 in its 28-year history. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced the termination of services of more than 18,000 employees.
Similarly, Microsoft (Microsoft layoff) has also announced the removal of its 10,000 employees in January 2023. This is about five percent of its total employees working worldwide. Domestic social media company Sharechat has decided to lay off 20 percent of its employees. More than 500 employees have lost their jobs due to this decision.


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Latest AMP Energy Stories
Selling Power is the leading source for sales leaders and has been hosting Sales 2.0 events for years.
NEW YORK, July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Deal, TheStreet's (NASDAQ: TST) institutional business, announced the results of their
WASHINGTON, July 28, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S.
PARIS, July 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Launch of the new Autumn/Winter 2014-2015 Collection After 10 years of a successful fashion and style
NEW YORK, July 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- H&M, Hennes & Mauritz, one of the world's largest retailers known for offering high fashion apparel, celebrated its collaboration with iconic
NEW YORK, July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Capital IQ (MHFI) announced today that it has commenced
The Women’s Board of Wolfson Children’s Hospital will host its 38th Annual Art & Antiques Show, featuring nationallly know speakers, to continue their ongoing commitment to raising funds
LONDON, July 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to increasing consumer demand and proposed government legislation for lower levels of sodium, sugar and fat in food and
Unhealthy foods and beverages are regularly portrayed in a positive light on children’s television programming in the UK, according to new research currently appearing online in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.
LONDON, July 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 senior Public Safety representatives from across the world will be gathering in London this September to share knowledge
- A poem in which the author retracts something said in an earlier poem.


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The news of Palestine today, where Huawei sent sarcastic tweets to Apple, which launched 3 kits on Wednesday night, which is considered normal and similar to what is currently on the market, as promised by the Chinese company for technology to its American to beat competitor. .
After the Apple Conference in Cupertino, California, Huawei, on his official Twitter account, he published his first tweets saying, "Some phone companies hold the same color every year," adds: "We are looking forward to more , By relying on the light white color in Huawei Bi 20 ".
The company means that Apple always insists on the use of 3 colors in all its new phones – black, silver and gray.
A few minutes later, Huawei published a second excerpt: "Thank you for making us the true hero of this year. We meet in London on October 10, 2018."
It is understood from the second twinkle that his competitor, Apple, was not aware of the expectations as it could not test the launch of phones with new features and unprecedented tests, by & # 39; A series of media reports have been confirmed.
Apple said that Apple made only minor changes to the current "models", and released my phone XS and XR .
The two new phones relate to the features and features of the "iPhone 19459005 X ", launched last year on the market.
Huawei's Expected Phone
Smart phone enthusiasts expect Huawei to hit Apple's hardwares next month by offering a first mobile phone. "Why do you still use the computer? Maybe because the smartphone screen is too small for you," said Huawei chief executive Richard Yu.
"We handle it, we'll change it soon. We can suggest a fold screen."
T3 said that the folding phone market will not only be monopolized by Huawei, where Samsung also starts this kind of device from 2019.
Sending a hit to "iPhone XS") transmitted by the search engine Egypt 24 and transferred as originated from the source (Safa agency), and not the position of the site and not expressing the editorial policy, but is responsible for the news and health of the original publisher is an agency of Safa.


text: You'll find tools, summer clothing and outdoor items on sale this month. By Cameron Huddleston, Former Online Editor July 1, 2014 Fourth of July sales offer a rare opportunity to get discounts on seasonal items while they're actually in season. So you'll see markdowns on summer apparel, grills and patio furniture this month -- as well as deals on a variety of other goods. Here's what you can expect to find on sale in July, and what you should wait a little longer to buy.SEE ALSO: Best Buys of Summer What's on sale now ... Appliances. Look for sales on major appliances over the long Fourth of July weekend. Offers.com CEO Howard Schaffer says he's already seeing discounts of 40% on major brands. Sponsored Content Furniture. Furniture stores have clearance sales in July (and January) to clear out inventory before new styles are released. As a result, furniture prices will reach some of their lowest levels of the year, Schaffer says. Some stores also are offering financing for up to five years interest free. However, if given the choice, consumers will be better off taking an additional discount rather than a financing option, Schaffer says. Laptops. Back-to-school sales are a good time to find deals on computers. The best savings this year will be on touchscreen systems and 15-inch laptops. According to dealnews.com, prices might dip as low as $199 on touchscreens, and laptop deals will range from $300 to $330. Advertisement Outdoor items. You'll see markdowns of up to 65% on patio furniture, Schaffer says. And look for retailers to lower prices on grills by $30 to $100, according to dealnews.com. However, you'll find even better deals on these outdoor items August through September, Schaffer says. Summer clothing. You'll see plenty of sales on swimwear and summer apparel clothing over the long holiday weekend. Expect discounts of 40% to 70%, according to CreditDonkey.com. Tools. Some retailers had sales on tools around Father's Day. The deals get even better, though, in July as retailers further discount tools that didn't sell the previous month. Wait for November, though, for the best prices on pricey power tools. Wait a little longer to buy ... School supplies. Although retailers kick off back-to-school sales in July, a study by money-saving Web site NerdWallet found that 90% of back-to-school items for sale in July sold for the same or lower price in August. Plus, if you live in one of the 16 states with sales-tax holidays in August, you’ll save even more on pens, pencils, markers, binders, paper and backpacks.


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Pensana is due to start building a rare earth metals processing plant at the Port of Hull this summer with the aim of seeing it up and running by 2023. Rare earth metals are used in high-tech goods such as smartphones and low carbon technologies including wind turbines and electric cars, though countries in the West depend on China for 90 percent of supplies.
MPs and security officials say that means Britain and its allies are potentially vulnerable with Beijing flexing its muscles more on the international stage.
Pensana’s minerals separation facility is to be built at the Saltend Chemicals Plant with the aim of producing enough refined metals to meet five percent of global demand.
Supporters say it has the potential of becoming one of the world’s largest rare earth metals processing plants.
Pensana chairman, Paul Atherly, says the project will show how the West could break a reliance on Chinese exports.
He told The Telegraph: “We’re on the ground and we’ve got teams looking ready to go. The UK could be a multi-billion dollar, world-class producer of these rare metals and we want to establish the supply chain.
“It is incredibly exciting to be bringing back this kind of manufacturing to the UK, to be tapping into a chemical engineering DNA that exists in the Humber, in the northeast of England.”
Less Common Metals (LCM), a company that specialises in rare earth elements, argues that there is a need for a stable, secure, competitive supply chain independent of Chinese government control.
It says without it, economies outside China will continue to struggle to maintain their own manufacturing capabilities and the jobs which depend on rare earth magnets.
READ MORE ON FEARS COVID CASES ARE THREE TIMES HIGHER
In December, China tightened its hold on the market by merging three state enterprises, Aluminum Corporation of China, China Minmetals Corporation and Ganzhou Rare Earth Group.
The new supergroup called China Rare Earths, has been likened to an “aircraft carrier”. Analysts warn it will give Beijing even more influence over overpricing.
State media in China has also hinted that Beijing’s stranglehold could be weaponised during trade war flare-ups between China and the US.
On Friday, bipartisan legislation was introduced in the US Senate which would force defence contractors to stop buying rare earths from China by 2026.
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Instead the Pentagon would create a permanent stockpile of the strategic minerals.
The bill is the latest piece of legislation as the US seeks to end China’s dominance over the sector and revive the country’s own rare earths production.
A feasibility report published by LCM in November says Britain can revive its own production of the high-powered magnets needed for electric vehicles but it should mimic China’s centralised strategy to make it viable.
A magnet factory would help the UK meet its goal of banning petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and pushing carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.
Among its recommendations to help establish a UK supply chain, LCM urged the Government to help select sites for facilities in Britain, ensure key export markets are free of trade barriers and ensure access to low-carbon, competitively priced electricity.
Chief Executive Ian Higgins told Reuters: “We would say that the business model has to be like the Chinese, all joined up, ideally everything under the same roof if possible.”
He added that a British magnet factory could be built by 2024 and eventually produce 2,000 tonnes a year of rare earth magnets, enough to supply about one million electric vehicles.
Mr Atherly told The Telegraph Pensana would begin by refining minerals shipped from a mine in Longonjo, Angola, but that he hopes to gain more customers from around the world.
He identified Europe, the US, Japan and South Korea as potential partners. Europe imports about 16,000 tonnes of rare earth permanent magnets from China annually, representing about 98 percent of the market, according to an EU-backed report.
Mr Atherly told The Telegraph that he believes the need for the West to build up these supply chains is not just related to security.
He explained China has its own environmental, technological and defence goals that it hopes to meet in the future which require using up vast amounts of the country’s own resources.
He said: “They’re spending $11 trillion on exactly the same thing that the rest of the world is spending money on and they’re going to need all the magnets they produce. The markets have woken up to that.”
“We are going back to what the UK used to be. We used to import raw materials from around the world, whether that was agricultural products, metal or cotton, and turn them into value-added products. Now we are doing it again.”


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It will likely generate new policy interests.
Amazon Prime Air brings on a major K Street firm to make the case for commercial drones.
Many reviewers' comments on Amazon call Hillary Clinton’s latest memoir “propaganda.”
Though he said some privacy protections need to be strengthened to deal with new technologies.
FAA rules, privacy concerns and a series of state laws are just some of the potential issues.
Word of possible package delivery by unmanned vehicle catches the attention of the Twitterverse.
The big reveal from Sunday’s 60 Minutes interview with Jeff Bezos was an Amazon drone delivery prototype that could supposedly deliver goods to some locations within 30 minutes.
The two plan to roll out service to "a large portion of the U.S. population" next year.
The show about four Republican senators living as roommates uses eerily spot-on sets.
The Internet retailer cuts prices after the FAA loosens rules on when flyers can use their gadgets.
Amazon’s web-only comedy series follows four Republican senators who are also roommates.
The Amazon founder visits the Washington Post as many seek clues as to how he'll handle his role.
Web servers struggle with problems that coincided with outages on several popular websites.
Opinion: The man who reinvented online retail is about to disrupt an entirely new industry.
His business style and his past offer clues to what might happen with the Washington Post.
Jeff Bezos's purchase of the Post makes the industry a big-time Washington player overnight.
The real question for reporters today is whether it can ever return to its period of greatness.
The transformation is geared toward the future.
News of the sale was a thunderbolt.
Veteran Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein emails POLITICO from Europe in response to the news that Amazon's Jeff Bezos is buying the paper:


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Guardian CEO Blames Advertising Pull Back on Brexit ‘Chaos’
(Bloomberg) -- U.K. companies are holding back on marketing spending because of the uncertainty around Brexit, according to the publisher of the Guardian newspaper.
“You can almost see ad spend correlating to the chaos in the Houses of Parliament,” said David Pemsel, chief executive officer of Guardian Media Group Plc. “As soon as there’s a modicum of surety, you suddenly feel people say they’re willing to commit more.”
Pemsel’s comments at the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers’ annual conference in London echoed broadcaster ITV Plc’s CEO Carolyn McCall, who said last week that businesses were cutting marketing budgets to preserve profit margins as they spend more on Brexit contingency measures. Reach Plc, one of Britain’s biggest news publishers, has warned ad sales could take another hit if Britain leaves the EU without a withdrawal deal in place.
“We just need some clarity now,” said Pemsel, who is aiming to bring the publisher of the left-leaning Guardian and Observer newspapers back to profitability following a three-year turnaround effort. “It’s beginning to impact our ability to plan in the medium-term.”
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.


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Kohl's Corp. KSS, +1.30% said late Thursday that Bruce Besanko has decided to retire from Kohl's at the end of the fiscal year and will step down from his position as chief financial officer effective Nov. 1. Jill Timm, Kohl's finance vice president, will be promoted to CFO, Kohl's said. Besanko will remain a senior adviser until his departure to help with the transition, the retailer said. Kohl's shares were flat in the extended session after ending the regular trading day up 2.8%.
Kohl's CFO Besanko to retire, VP Timm to take over his role


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PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. - Owners Preston Farrior and Gary Bang are monitoring construction at their new Harley-Davidson of Panama City Beach dealership, at 14700 Panama City Beach Parkway (see artist rendering, right).
The fishing village-themed dealership, once completed, will provide more than 38,000 sq. ft. of retail and service space, plus a Rider's Edge training classroom and outside course. The five-acre site also will eventually house a stage and event facility, and the owners plan for the dealership to become a destination point during future Thunder Beach motorcycle rallies.
"This is a beautiful place to live and there are a lot of people around the area that like to ride," said Bang. "We believe the dealership will also help to attract riders from all over the world who want to come here to vacation."
While the dealership is new, the owners are not new to the industry. The dealership itself is part of the Tampa Harley Group, which has other dealerships in Tampa, Brandon and New Port Richey. "My family has been in the motorcycle business since 1911," Bang said. "I grew up working in the shop and racing bikes."
Preston's family started a Tampa-based bicycle shop in 1895 and evolved it into an auto and then motorcycle business. "Because of our family histories in the business, we bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the organization," Preston said. Bang reportedly rides a 2012 Road Glide, while Preston owns a custom Springer Softail.
The dealership is set for completion next spring.
Posted by Mary Slepicka. Press image courtesy Harley-Davidson of Panama City Beach


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Sea Sure has collaborated with Ovington Boats to design and manufacture a lifting rudder to fit to an OK dinghy.
Latest Press Releases
MDL Marinas is delighted to announce six new managers across its UK marinas, five of which have been promoted internally.
Ancasta International Boat Sales announces that the ground-breaking range of Bluegame Yachts is now available through its network.
MDL has submitted plans to Southampton City Council to develop 199 new homes at its stunning Ocean Village Marina as part of its revitalisation strategy
Inland and Coastal Marina Systems will be exhibiting at RenewableUK’s Global Offshore Wind virtual event 28-30 October 2020.
MDL Marinas is offering fantastic bonuses, through its new Otium loyalty programme, to close out the main boating season.
The tallest mast ever made by the world’s largest mast manufacturer, Seldén Mast, has made its debut on a stunning Oyster 745.
Entry to MDL Marinas’ win a berth competition is now online following the cancellation of the Ocean Village Boat Show earlier this month.
Ancasta, the leading international boat sales company, is opening new sales offices in La Rochelle, France and Nieuwpoort, Belgium, expanding its European brokerage network.
Over 200 SHOCK-WBV shock mitigation units are currently in build at Sea Sure’s Warsash premises.
MDL Marinas is launching a new points-based loyalty programme, Otium, to give customers a more personalised experience when accessing services provided by the marina group.
Seldén Mast confirms it will return as title sponsor for the SailJuice Winter Series for the third year running.
Italian yacht and superyacht producer, Sanlorenzo has partnered with the Ancasta Group, forming Sanlorenzo UK.
MDL Marinas is disappointed to announce that it’s been told by Southampton City Council that the Ocean Village Boat Show cannot proceed as planned.
Yamaha’s range of outboards are featured on a significant proportion of the boats on display at BOATS2020 and the Ocean Village Boat Show, 11-20 September 2020.
Sea Sure, the innovative Warsash based company which designs, manufactures and supplies a vast array of boating essentials to the marine industry (from shock mitigation seats to classic Blakes marine toilets), is delighted to announce that its design for transportation seat hoods has won an innovation contest.
Prestige Motor Yachts will be showcasing three of its flybridge models at BOATS2020, 11–20 September in Mayflower Park, Southampton.
Ancasta International Boat Sales Ltd is presenting an impressive line-up of its power and sail brands at the Ocean Village Boat Show, 11-20 September.
Towergate Insurance and Inspiration Marine Group have announced their sponsorship of the first Ocean Village Boat Show, 11- 20 September 2020.
MDL is giving boat owners visiting its Ocean Village Boat Show a chance to win an incredible year’s free berthing at any of its UK marinas for the entire 21/22 season.
Seldén Mast is not making its annual pilgrimage to Southampton for the boat show this year but doesn’t want boat owners to miss out on the fantastic offers usually available at the show.
Triangle Berth Brokers is celebrating its 30th year brokering long leases and annual berths for sailors, marinas and yacht captains in the UK and Europe.
MDL Marinas has launched phase one of its digital transformation with a new online boating forum – The Even Keel – and a redesigned website.
Anyone wishing to sell their boat this year will not find a better opportunity than the Deacons Used Boat Show taking place 11-20 September in Bursledon, Southampton.
The Ocean Village Boat Show – taking place on the 11-20th September – has confirmed its line-up, and it’s looking pretty spectacular.
The yacht racing world is going through its toughest time in a generation. Ancasta Race Boats has been considering how it can be best placed to help clients in the future.
Ancasta International Boat Sales Ltd and Sea Ventures (UK) Ltd have announced stock will be available to view from leading brands at the Ocean Village Boat Show, this September.
MDL Marinas has confirmed that its new boat show, hosted at its flagship marina in Southampton, will be called The Ocean Village Boat Show.
The following PRO-SET epoxy systems have been approved by DNV GL for use on ships, yachts and as ‘laminating resin for construction of laminates made of fibre reinforced plastics’:
MDL berth holders have donated their ‘Back to Boating Bonuses’ to the RNLI and Ocean Youth Trust South.
The South Coast Boat Show will make an announcement in early July about its next show dates. Although scheduled for 3-5 July 2020, the July show is being postponed
Seldén Mast Ltd has introduced a new electric winch, the E40i, to the UK. Ideal for single or short-handed sailing, this three-speed winch can be operated by the helm with two fingers.
Inland and Coastal Marina Systems (ICMS) has been appointed by The Marine and Property Group Ltd as part of a major project to modernise its Port Dinorwic Marina.
Later this summer, local and visiting leisure craft to Stornoway Harbour will be enjoying 75 new marina berths in its Newton Basin – increasing capacity for leisure craft to 155.
A NOVA 2 rocket being developed by Starchaser is within ten months of its first launch. This uniquely British project is being built with WEST SYSTEM epoxy and glass fibre.
The Ancasta Used Boat Show, powered by MDL Marinas, gains momentum as this week’s opening draws near (21st May 2020).
MDL Marinas is launching Simply Berthing, a brand-new berthing package for boats under 9.9m, at the Ancasta Virtual Used Boat Show on 21st May 2020.
One very lucky boat owner has won an incredible year’s free berthing with MDL at its Northney Marina.
Dee Caldwell has spent lockdown creating them with locally sourced WW2 bullets he’s collected at Medmerry, West Sussex.
Hartlepool’s commercial fishing fleet now has new safe access to its vessels in all weather conditions, day or night, thanks to a new installation from Inland and Coastal Marina Systems.
For five days, from 21st May 2020 at ancasta.com, Ancasta is offering a unique opportunity for current owners to market their boats in this unique climate.
Ancasta’s first Virtual Boat Show has been deemed a great success by the team at Ancasta. The ten-day show was created in response to many spring boat shows being cancelled.
Wessex Resins is delighted to announce it has improved and updated the WEST SYSTEM® 105-K Glass Fibre Boat Repair Kit.
Wessex Resins and Adhesives is delighted to announce it has donated 1 per cent of its annual turnover for the ENTROPY RESINS® product range to Protect Our Winters UK.
Ancasta will be opening the doors to The Ancasta Virtual Boat Show on Tuesday 14th April 2020.
The West Country Boat Show, due to take place at MDL’s Queen Anne’s Battery marina in Plymouth, has been rescheduled for 2021.
All three of MDL’s Hamble River marinas have retained their Five Gold Anchor status following recent three-yearly inspections by The Yacht Harbour Association.
The South Coast Boat Show, guided by Raymarine, has been rescheduled to the first weekend in July.
MDL Marinas has raised £2,065 to be divided equally between its two chosen charities, Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE), and Ocean Youth Trust South.
Portsmouth Harbour Marine (PHM) is calling on marine businesses to take part in a skills survey.


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Shortly after the Google Nexus 7 (2013) began to land in users’ hands, reports began to surface of touchscreen issues. The company has now begun to push out the first OTA update for its latest tablet with a fix for this particular issue. Confirmation came from Google’s Paul Wilson (his fifth post as paulw) over at the Google Product Forums:
“As a couple of you have mentioned, there’s a new system update that’s started rolling out for your Nexus 7s. This update does address the touchscreen issues discussed in this thread. If you’re one of the people experiencing touchscreen issues, please let us know how it’s going after you’ve received and installed the update.”
It remains to be seen if the update, bearing build number JSS15Q, will fix other issues including the GPS issues reported by other users and acknowledged by Google. We’ll update this post with a changelog once one is available.
In the meantime, keep in mind that Google staggers its update deployments so it may yet be a few days before you see the update on your new Nexus 7.


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Sebastian Siemiatkowski is the CEO & Founder of disruptive payments provider Klarna. With its buy now, pay later, pay in 3 and other flexible, or as Klarna likes to call it smoooth, payments options, this business has shaken up the way we shop, having been adopted by more than 250,000 retailers worldwide.
Jack Zambakides created ‘LS Personal Shopper’ using the overdraft from his student loan and within 18 months he managed to develop a business with a turnover exceeding £5 million per annum - achieving 10X growth over lockdown.
Emma Thornton, CEO & Founder of True Skincare which was developed with skin and the planet at heart, providing genuinely organic, natural, vegan friendly and waterless skincare using only the best of nature's ingredients.
The Handbag Clinic was first launched eight years ago by Charlotte and Ben Staerck as a spin-off to the leather repair business run by Ben and his father in County Durham. The company has achieved record growth despite the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching £1m in turnover last year.
Christine Chang and Sarah Lee are the founders of Glow Recipe, the Korean inspired skincare brand that is clean, fruit powered and unapologetically fun.
Naked Wolfe is the luxury retro-inspired sneaker and footwear brand founded by the Mance siblings. Originally conceived as a DTC brand, Naked Wolfe is now available in Selfridges and via the Flannels chain nationwide and has also become a firm favourite with influencers and celebrities globally.
Ava Matthews, Co-founder of the Australian-born skinscreen brand Ultra Violette, which has recently landed on UK shores. With a wardrobe of formulas for different skin types and containing a host of powerful Australian antioxidants to brighten, hydrate and nourish, the brand promises far more than simple sun protection.
Adam Dooley learnt his trade at long established traditional menswear independent Robert Old in Bournemouth, a family run business founded in 1909. Dooley opened his rebranded Dooley & Rostron store on April 12, the day of reopening for non-essential retail following Lockdown 3.
The sisters have taken a new approach to oral care, likening it to skincare, which enables users to create a regime that is personal to them. The oral care products are all vegan and created using sustainable ingredients and packaging but they pack a punch when it comes to results.
Sandrine gives her views on why luxury boomed during the pandemic, how consumer behaviour has changed for good, and why, despite being a digital retail trailblazer, she still believes in a bright future for physical retailers.
Skye Harrison is Co-founder of fashion & beauty PR and wholesale agency K&H Communications, and along her business partner Charlie Boud, has set up KHOEO, a new e-commerce business based on collaboration between brands, designers and influencers operating a lower-risk drop-ship model.
David Hodgson is Creative Director at Lulu Guinness and with a career which takes in some of the industry’s best known fashion and accessories businesses – from Loewe to Coach, Joseph and Roland Mouret – and he discusses his future plans for this iconic and most British of brands.
James has worked with an enviable list of brands including Clinique, Bliss, Mac, Dior, Kate Somerville & many more during his 20 year career. Now as CEO of Zelens, we chat about this week's relaunch of the brand.
Sarah Curran-Usher is an online fashion pioneer, having first made her name in the UK with the establishment of the trailblazing accessible luxury fashion site my-wardrobe.com, before moving on launch Very Exclusive for the home shopping giant The Very Group.
Claire Shread is Co-founder of Umberto Giannini. She tells us about the brand's colourful history and its recent achievement of BCORP status for demonstrating the very highest commitments to numerous social and environmental standards.
Liz Houghton, CEO and Co-founder of premium women’s fashion brand and retailer Mint Velvet. The brand was born out of the last major crisis to hit Britain’s high streets, the financial crash of the late 2000s.
Ning Li is a globally renowned entrepreneur and made his name in the world of business founding the disruptive online furniture retailer Made.com.
Three senior executives from Warehouse Paula Stewart, Karen Peacock and Kirstie Di Stazio, are back with new womenswear proposition, Albaray, which launched this week on its own platform and next week with retail giants John Lewis and Next.
Lavinia has been instrumental in the group’s transformation of its offer and positioning in the beauty market, in particular, the iconic and historic No 7 beauty brand and how it has responded to the global pandemic.
Welcome to the latest episode of our Podcast series "In Conversation" where we bring you inspiring stories, retail insights and conversation from fashion's most influential business leaders.


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WITHERING CONSUMER INTEREST AND A weakening economy have dealt the denim industry a one-two punch over the last year, and the sting may be felt into 2009.
Industry veterans are taking solace in the belief that denim's boom times are never followed by a bust. Growth slows, the market naturally culls those brands that were too weak to survive, but the bottom never really drops out.
Given the proliferation of brands that occurred since 2000, particularly in the premium segment, there was little surprise when the first signs of a shakeout emerged in 2006. It was welcomed by long-established brands, and as the process of weeding out some of the labels that had cashed in on the craze gained steam, the top-tier players regained their space on store shelves. However, women's closets were overflowing with denim by that time and their interest shifted to dresses and accessories.
Over the last several months, the prolonged war in Iraq, the subprime mortgage crisis and soaring fuel prices have stoked fears of a recession and left consumers thinking twice before parting with their disposable income. Denim hasn't been immune.
Evidence of the weak domestic retail environment has appeared in the financial results of retailers and the manufacturers who supply them. VF Corp.'s jeanswear business, home to Lee and Wrangler, saw revenues fall 6.4 percent to $712.2 million during the first quarter of 2008.
However, "the first quarter is not representative of what we expect from our jeanswear business for the rest of the year," said Eric Wiseman, VF's president and chief executive officer, during a conference call with analysts.
According to Wiseman, there is evidence of the economic situation pushing consumers down the price spectrum.
"In times like this, some consumers flock to more value price points. That happens in every channel of distribution," he said. "That's not where our strong brands exist, nor is it where we want them to exist."
Levi Strauss & Co. saw first-quarter revenues in the Americas fall 2 percent to $580 million compared with a year earlier. The decline was attributed to a decrease in the women's wholesale business, as well as the continued slump of the Signature by Levi Strauss mass channel brand. VF and Levi's are both expecting to face challenges for the remainder of the year, as stores become more conservative in their buying.Despite the negative sentiment surrounding retail, statistics from market research firm The NPD Group validate industry veterans' faith in denim. Women's jeans sales in the channels tracked by NPD totaled $7.77 billion for the 12 months through March, a 4.9 percent increase over the $7.41 billion reported in the same period a year ago. In comparison, women's casual sportswear sales, which includes tops, bottoms and outerwear, slid 3.7 percent to $65.5 billion from $68 billion.
As evidenced by some of the names in NPD's top 10 women's brands, the bulk of the market is made up of affordably priced denim. Jeans priced between $10 and $30 account for more than 53 percent of the overall market, and the average price of women's jeans came in at $24.50, a 7 percent increase from $22.91 the previous year.
Surveys of female consumers conducted by Cotton Inc. suggest a healthy appetite for denim remains. During the first quarter of the year, 45 percent of females surveyed said they didn't need any denim, but that they might purchase one or two items, and 32 percent said they were likely to buy several items.
The results are surprising given that jeans are approaching their slowest sales season — the summer — and given how much denim women around the world already own. According to Cotton Inc. and Cotton Council International, women in the U.K., U.S., Brazil, Germany and Colombia own more than seven pairs of jeans on average. In China, Japan and Thailand, the average is more than six. The greatest opportunity rests in India, where women own an average of only 0.7 pairs of jeans. VENDORS' VIEW
Brands up and down the denim price ladder are being confronted with an uncertain retail environment and store buyers who have sought to minimize damage by cutting orders and focusing on basic product.
"The retailers really cut back," said a source involved in the fabric supply side of the business.
According to the source, by October brands and retailers were canceling orders for the last holiday season. Retail inventories that were expected to get cleared out by January were still a problem in March.
Michael Silver, founder of the moderate-price Silver Jeans and premium 1921 label, saw a softening in the premium segment.
"We really felt this was a year to show 1921 was financially sound and that we could make and produce great product consistently," said Silver. "That position alone may be a great position."
With Silver Jeans, he believes he has hit a sweet spot as some consumers retreat from premium levels.
"My back-to-school bookings are as high as they've ever been," said Silver. "We look at it and wonder when it's going to end. Our price point is catching a few people on the low end of the premium side."
Mike Egeck, ceo of Seven For All Mankind, welcomes retailers being forced to more closely examine their businesses.
"Our retail customers are doing all the things you'd expect," Egeck said. "They're really surveying their vendor base and making sure they're backing the winner and being extremely focused on inventory levels and turn."
Egeck expects to see an uptick by the end of the year, following the traditionally slower summer season, b-t-s, and the end of the presidential election campaign.
"I think the category is holding up pretty well," he said. "There's definitely some shakeout...and we think it will go on for a while. There's probably still too many brands there."
Sales are not being driven by a particular silhouette or wash and the lack of a clear trend draws differing opinions in the industry. Some feel it shows a lack of creativity and fails to provide the consumer with the impetus to buy. Egeck, on the other hand, is among those who believe there's been a shift in consumer attitudes.
"I think we as a brand and as an industry underestimated the wardrobing effect, where the customer is open to a lot of silhouettes," he said.
Women have gravitated to trouser-cut styles for work, will purchase a skinny fit for going out in the evening and will have a selection of everyday jeans.
"What we're saying is there's no one must-have silhouette, fit or finish, which is good for the business," Egeck said.
Smaller players are feeling the need to more clearly define their brand's DNA and are aware that hooking new customers will be particularly difficult."There's going to have to be a point of difference and something special for a consumer to respond to it," said Brian Robbins, founder and president of Denim Design Lab. "I think it's going to be not just in product, but in the merchandising."
Robbins acknowledged that chasing the fashions of the moment in an effort to fuel growth was a pitfall he had fallen into that ended up moving the brand away from the vintage concept on which it was founded. Robbins said he's pulling back for the coming season and narrowing the brand's focus toward more vintage and authentic styling, offering 100 percent selvage jeans for women.
"We're going to stick to our guns," said Robbins.
Brands are increasingly aware the retail channels that distribute their products are shrinking. Silver said the number of independent, multibrand specialty and department stores has declined, a trend that has spurred a decision to devote resources to opening a spate of Silver-branded stores over the next five years. Robbins has also seen boutique stores go under as a result of the poor economy.
"I expect there's going to be more," he said.
Scott Bonomo, president of the premium Union label, has also seen boutiques shut their doors.
"That [premium denim] gold rush is over," said Bonomo. "People that weren't in this business for the long haul have found themselves out of it by choice or not by choice. It's a different game. You've got to know who your customer is and know what you're about as a concept."
Bonomo also admitted that Union had tried to chase some fashion trends that took the brand somewhat outside its core.
"Following the fashion trend is the most dangerous thing to do," he said. "We did a whole wide-leg thing for women's. Some stores have sold it well, but what we found was everybody did them and everybody bought them, so it's too much of a good thing."
From overseeing America’s fastest-growing speciality retailers to codifying cool, WWD talked to the women who are leading the way for the future of beauty. Check out our Instagram Stories to see how these women built today and are creating tomorrow. (📸: @hannah_khymych) #wwdbeauty
For @laperlalingerie's spring 2018 show, the brand chose to host their event at @thevenetianmacao. With Chinese megastars @bingbing_fan and @hubing in attendance, La Perla debuted a rock ‘n’ roll-inspired collection. The show marked the start of Sands Macao Fashion Week, which runs from October 19 to 24 — the city’s first such event. Pictured here are models backstage with glimmering eyes. #wwdfashion (📷: Cheuk-Yin To)
Trending for spring 2018: top stitch design. Gone are the days of stitch just for seams — designers are using the once-minimal detail to create strong decorative elements. (📷: Paola Testa; Styled by @andrew_shang) #wwdfashion
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)