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Stocks went gangbusters in 2023, but hardly anyone saw it coming.
Many on Wall Street entered last year predicting more of the same after a terrible performance the previous year: Stocks and bonds fell in tandem in 2022, as the Federal Reserve aggressively hiked interest rates to tame inflation and recession worries grew. Big tech stocks in particular got hammered on expectations that higher rates would raise borrowing costs and eat into their profits.
In a surprise turnaround, stocks broke out from the get-go. A handful of tech stocks amassed such immense gains that they became known as the “Magnificent Seven.” Investors shrugged off a regional banking crisis, debt ceiling worries and geopolitical tensions, albeit not without some short-term volatility in markets.
The S&P 500 index soared 24% last year, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 14% and the Nasdaq Composite popped a whopping 43%.
That’s also despite spikes in bond yields, which common Wall Street wisdom says tends to whet investors’ appetites for high-yielding cash over riskier assets like stocks. The S&P 500 ended 2023 with a nine-week rally, its longest streak of gains since January 2004.
Another fear never came to pass: Recession.
Economists and investors alike warned in 2022 that the economy could enter a recession by early 2023.
Instead, the labor market and broader economy stood strong even as rates reached their highest level in 22 years. So did consumer spending, as Americans opened up their pocketbooks for everything from summer travel to Taylor Swift’s and Beyoncé’s tours to holiday shopping.
Wall Street pushed recession bets further and further out, before experts from JPMorgan Chase to Bank of America scrapped their 2023 recession forecasts.
“The most widely anticipated recession in modern history that was supposed to happen in 2023 never happened,” said Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group. Still, a recession isn’t completely out of the cards for 2024.
Early last year, the collapse of several regional banks took markets by surprise, sending stocks tumbling and bond yields plunging. The turmoil also sparked worries that the Fed could over-tighten and tip the economy into a downturn.
“There is nothing like a banking crisis to instill fear in the market,” wrote Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist at LPL Financial, in a note on Tuesday.
Stocks recovered from that sell-off. Some investors expected the Fed to begin lowering rates, with the federal funds futures market pricing in several cuts for the latter half of 2023. But the central bank instead brought rates to their highest level in 22 years and held them there, as inflation trended lower but remained above the Fed’s 2% target.
Rate cuts could come later this year. The Fed has penciled in three rate cuts for this year, according to their latest economic projections released last month. Chair Jerome Powell indicated in a press conference following the Fed’s December policy meeting that the central bank is at or near the end of its current tightening cycle.
Americans ramped up their online shopping this past holiday season, splurging on a record-setting $222 billion worth of electronics, toys and other items, reports my colleague Matt Egan.
The spending haul between November 1 and December 31 marks a 4.9% increase from the previous holiday shopping season, according to an Adobe Analytics report released Thursday.
Shoppers were enticed by deep discounts as well as Buy Now, Pay Later options, according to Adobe. The findings add to the evidence that Americans are still spending aggressively — despite telling pollsters they don’t like this economy.
Adobe previously reported that shoppers spent a record $12.4 billion online shopping on Cyber Monday alone.
Adobe said online shopping discounts hit record highs this holiday season, peaking at 31% off list price for electronics, compared with 25% in 2022. Toy discounts peaked at 28% (compared with 34% in 2022) and apparel peaked at 24% (compared with 19% in 2022).
Consumers also leaned on short-term financing. Buy Now, Pay Later usage increased by 14% from last year to a record $16.6 billion.
The Adobe numbers are not adjusted for inflation. Online prices fell by 5.3% year-over-year in December, according to Adobe. That means the increase in spending this holiday season was driven by rising demand, not price fluctuations.
Latino economist Alberto Musalem has been named as the next president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the bank announced Thursday.
Musalem, 55, replaces James Bullard, who left the bank on August 14 to become the inaugural dean of Purdue University’s Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business.
After completing his 2022 term, Bullard did not vote on monetary policy decisions in 2023, reports my colleague Bryan Mena.
Bullard would have served as an alternate voting member in 2024. Musalem will not be a voting member at the central bank’s policy meetings until 2025.
“As an experienced economist, former Federal Reserve leader, collaborator and communicator, he comes with the exceptional technical expertise and leadership abilities needed to contribute to effective policymaking and advance a large organization in service to the public,” said Carolyn Chism Hardy, who serves on the bank’s board of directors, in a release.
Read more here.
Hong Kong/London CNN — Oil prices jumped overnight after explosions were reported near the Iranian city of Isfahan, but those gains dissipated Friday as officials sought to play down the latest escalation in Middle East tensions....


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WellDoc, a Columbia health care technology company, has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell a version of its diabetes management mobile application that does not require a prescription.
The new offering, which should be available by the end of March, significantly expands WellDoc's potential client base and opens up new options for developing the business, said Kevin McRaith, its president and CEO.
"I would describe this as significant, transformational for WellDoc in how our business model will be able to evolve in 2017 and beyond," McRaith said.
Founded in 2005, WellDoc has 30 employees in Maryland and 30 developers based in India.
WellDoc's BlueStar is a mobile application that helps people manage Type 2 diabetes. The new version is identical to the original program, now called BlueStar Rx, except that the prescription version includes an insulin calculator.
Rather than selling the tool directly to people with diabetes, WellDoc partners with organizations and companies that want to offer the program to their members or customers.
The Evening Sun
LifeScan Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson that makes blood glucose monitoring systems, is among WellDoc's largest partners. WellDoc announced plans in March to integrate the prescription version of its app into LifeScan products.
The partnership coincided with a $29 million Series B financing round from investors including Johnson & Johnson.
McRaith thinks the program will appeal to a broader range of businesses, health plans and health care companies now that it is possible to use the program without a doctor's note.
For example, McRaith said that following the announcement Thursday, he met with one of the largest retail pharmacies in the country about BlueStar. He declined to identify the company.
The new offering could also appeal to large companies that want to offer wellness programs to employees without requiring people to get a prescription, he said.
"The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is so large, and everyone is trying to address it," McRaith said.

domain: news


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CHICAGO – JUNE 09: Roma tomatoes are offered for sale at a produce store June 9, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois. Tomatoes are suspected to be responsible for salmonella related illnesses in at least 16 states. McDonald’s said Monday it will stop serving sliced tomatoes in its U.S. restaurants until the source of the salmonella outbreak is discovered. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Bookmark the permalink.
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Belarus economy up 3.7 percent in first three quartersStaff Writer | October 18, 2018
The Belarusian economy grew by 3.7 percent year on year in the first nine months of this year, the Belarusian National Statistical Committee said.
Europe Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Rumas
After briefing the president on the economy's performance in Q1-Q3 2018, Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Rumas told reporters that Belarus' economic growth leveled out at 3.7 percent in the three quarters of 2018, adding the key targets set for the government were fulfilled.
Earlier, the Belarusian authorities set a target of 3.5 percent growth for 2018. ■


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Cyber sales are larger than ever Americans spent the christmas weekend binge shopping from other couches.
Bargain black friday online shopping deals hunters thanksgiving sale 2015 ditched long lines and chaotic malls to snag their christmas steals via computers and mobile phones a trend expected to peak on Cyber Monday, The biggest home shopping day of the season, Scientists said. Tasker expects Cyber Monday to access least $3.36 billion in revenue up nearly 10 percent from last year bringing the Thursday through Monday online total to may $10 billion. "People are getting softer with shopping on the web, She being voiced. Online sales already helped make Black Friday the best in history, As a boots black friday result of $3.34 billion in cyber can buy, Some type 21.6 % amplify from 2015, Adobe Digital's check found. The nation's Retail Federation expects the total sales for the winter holiday, Integrating in store tends to buy, To superb to $655.8 billion dollars up nearly 4 per from 2015. Amazon leads the pack with its Cyber Monday stock investments articles, That include lightning deals timed to last anywhere from a few minutes until the product is sold out.
The web retail powerhouse is discounting 4K TVs up to $2,203 and slashing prices on all its original products especially Kindles, Amazon black friday 2014 deals market place place place Echo and Fire TV. Walmart and Target are also providing deep discounts on TVs and other technology industries including $250 gaming consoles, Tablets launch well below a $100, And gift card bonuses added to mobile leasing programs.
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Florette, the purveyors of fine, overpriced, bagged salads have announced that they’re going to use the Met Office to time their 2013 “feel good” ad campaign.
Out of those who buy bagged salads only buy them in the summer when the sun is shining and the pressure to get bikini ready is high. So Florette have teamed up with M2M to release it’s”feel good” ads to coincide with the good weather.
Which is basically, never.
They plan on monitoring factors such as the probability of rain and predictions for temperature and UV levels, to decide when to place ads across TV, press and digital during May and June.
According to CampaignLive “M2M will give less than 48 hours’ notice to media owners, to target consumers when the weather is best. The digital and social media campaign will also use geographic targeting to communicate the campaign in parts of the country where the sun is shining.
The “feelgood” TV ad will air around family programming on ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and on digital channels, with a 40-second edit screened based on weather data, while a 10-second edit will be shown in pre-planned slots.”
Elaine Smith, the marketing manager for Florette said: “Driving frequency of purchase is especially significant this summer because we don’t have the same packed schedule of ‘feelgood’ sporting celebrations [as in 2012].
“Our campaign is carefully designed and timed to motivate salad selectors – who we know from our research are driven by the summer weather, social events and family gatherings – by ensuring that when the sun is shining, Florette salad will be front of mind.”
As well as being Editor here at The Spin Alley, Rachael is also a freelance journalist and blogger covering lifestyle, travel, culture, entertainment, media and online life for online and print publications.


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WASHINGTON – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai today met with New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor.
Ambassador Tai and Minister O’Connor discussed the importance of the U.S.-New Zealand trade and investment relationship. Ambassador Tai reaffirmed the United States’ strong support for APEC and commitment to working collaboratively with New Zealand as it finalizes its APEC Host Year. Ambassador Tai and Minister O’Connor also discussed their shared commitment to work toward a successful 12th Ministerial Conference. They also discussed digital trade and the importance of ensuring that trade policies are resilient and inclusive, advancing the needs of workers, consumers, and businesses. Ambassador Tai reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific region and and importance of collaboration among those with open, free, democratic systems.


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MORE West Midland jobs have been plunged into jeopardy with the collapse of a major food and drinks group and a babywear retailer.
Administrators have been brought in following the crash into insolvency of the Out of Town Group, which includes Madisons coffee shops, the Food Courts chain and a string of restaurants.
Workers at Madisons in the Bullring and the Movenpick Ice Cream parlour in Merry Hill, Dudley, are caught up in the financial crash, although all the group's outlets are still trading at present.
Meanwhile, High Street retailer Baby Bratz Ltd has also been placed into administration, jeopardising jobs across the region at its shops in Birmingham, Solihull and Leamington Spa.
Andrew Turpin and Matt Hardy of Birmingham-based Poppleton and Appleby have been appointed joint administrators following an application by the directors of the company.
Administrators said the firm had been hit by the economic climate and had been unable to sustain rent levels at their locations. The group had recently closed its outlet in the Bullring in Birmingham.
Joint administrator Andrew Turpin, partner at Poppleton and Appleby, said: "The business is a victim of the recent slowdown in consumer spending and spiralling rents.
"We are currently reviewing the financial position of the business and are involved in advanced negotiations which we hope will result in the survival of the remaining stores and protecting the remaining 22 jobs."
At the Out of Town Group, administrators RSM Robson Rhodes say they are confident a buyer can be found.
Joint administrator Simon Bower said: "Despite the best efforts of the board to ensure its long term viability, the group has reached a point where it was sensible to seek our help.
"We have already received significant interest and we are confident that we can achieve a going concern sale.
"In the meantime, it's business as usual and we continue to receive the support of the staff and suppliers."


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We have three very different announcements from Starbucks.
First we had news that the coffee emporium was expanding its food options with the $100 million purchase of La Boulange, with that company’s pastries replacing the items Starbucks currently stocks. Starbucks also plans to take La Boulange, a Bay-area chain, national.
The Huffington Post says food sales are a $1.5 billion business for Starbucks. The company says it wants to add a French flair to its restaurants.
Second, Starbucks could start selling single serve K-cups in its stores next week. The company began selling the K-cups six months ago at grocers and other retailers. CEO Howard Schultz has called sales figures so far “robust.” It already sells single-serve instant coffee in its stores.
“For Starbucks, the move to K-cups is part of its overall strategy of becoming a broader consumer products company rather than relying so heavily on its cafe sales,” writes Fox Business.
And third, Starbucks has partnered with Coinstar to take coffee vending machines nationwide. The machines will offer drinks starting at $1.
For a long time, Starbucks was seen as a high-end coffee purveyor. With the recession and the massive consumption of coffee and coffee drinks, the company had to let that go. Starbucks faced big business threats from Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, and other chains that were usurping its customers. Now it has bounced back with record sales so far this year.
And while you can’t argue with that success, you can make a case that the brand could be over-extending itself.
Marketwatch makes that argument and a prediction: the company’s stock is going to tank. Jeff Reeves says he’s “bearish” about Starbucks because these moves “show a lack of focus, highlighted by some head-scratching acquisitions and product launches.”
The crux of Reeves’ story is that Starbucks is following behind the chain restaurants that threaten their business rather than taking the lead in the areas that it knows best.
Looking at the Starbucks brand, it’s a little hard to tell what exactly it is now. It is a bunch of things, most of them coffee-related. Is that a good plan for maintaining a strong brand? There’s a good possibility that Starbucks, in an attempt to be everything for everyone, is becoming just another thing.


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Barrie Police are looking for a man who has made several purchases with a stolen credit card.
On Thursday September 14th the suspect used the card while shopping at the Kozlov Mall on Bayfield Street.
Suspect is described as;
- Male, white (20 to 25 yrs.)
- Thin build
- Long dark hair
- Wearing a red and white striped baseball hat, black t shirt, black Adidas pants with white stripes.
Contact Barrie Police at 705-725-7025, ext. 2763, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.


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FITCHBURG -- The local Kmart at Twin City Shopping Center will close its doors for good in early October, the company said Friday, and the struggling retail giant's newest round of store closures didn't shock city officials or shoppers.
Sears Holdings owns Kmart, and said it will shutter the 100,000 square-foot Fitchburg facility in addition to 35 other "unprofitable" stores and eight Sears stores, the company announced in a press release.
Liquidation sales will being as early as July 13, the company said.
The Kmart in Fitchburg, which opened in 1970, is one of the two that will close in Massachusetts. The other is in Springfield.
Changes in consumer behavior led to a restructuring effort that includes nationwide store closures, Chief Executive Eddie Lampert wrote in a blog post.
"We have fought hard for many years to return unprofitable stores to a competitive position and to preserve jobs and, as a result, we had to absorb corresponding losses in the process," he wrote.
Last year, the company closed 68 Kmarts in the U.S., including one in Tewksbury's Stadium Plaza.
So-called "big box" retailers are struggling to stay afloat as consumers increasingly head online to buy everything from a new car to common household items.
Two Townsend residents, Richard Powers, 45, and his wife, Rebecca Powers, 54, stopped by Kmart on Friday afternoon to buy bathroom staples, deodorant and toothpaste, on the cheap.
Rebecca said news of the closure was "a little surprising.
"A lot of people do this stuff online now," she said, pointing to the plastic Kmart bag her husband held. "Especially if you have Amazon Prime, it's free shipping and comes right to your house."
Fitchburg Mayor Stephen DiNatale agreed, and said young consumers are leading the charge away from brick-and-mortar shopping.
"Some of the millennials that I know today, they very rarely step foot in an actual clothing store or department store anymore," he said.
Fitchburg's commercial future lies in locally owned, community businesses, said DiNatale.
"Our economic development successes are going to be measured by the specialty shops, the kinds of things that what we want to get downtown," he said. "We've never been one to think that we would attract big box stores like Kmart, and I don't think that's where the future lies."
City officials will work to find a buyer interested in occupying the large retail space, said Mary Jo Bohart, economic development director for the City of Fitchburg.
Bohart said the closure is not reflective of an economic slump in Fitchburg. Over the last several years, the company closed hundreds of locations to make up for falling revenues.
"The fact that we're actually in a later wave of closures, rather than say the first wave, shows that this is absolutely not unique to our city, not even slightly," said Bohart.
Fitchburg's Marta Barrios, 54, saw the writing on the wall when she saw a notice at Kmart's explaining how its in-store pharmacy was cutting down its business hours.
"Well, that's another one," she said after leaning her local Kmart is indeed scheduled to close.
"It's a shame," she added. "It's going to affect us, I only live five minutes away from here, it's one of the most convenient places to do my shopping."
Sears Holding stock was down 0.15 points, or 1.89 percent to close at $7.78. At its peak in 2007, a share of company stock fetched $191.


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America’s credit unions were on full display last weekend at the National Cooperative Business Association’s (NCBA) Co-op Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Credit union volunteers manned a tent during the festival that featured a money machine for visitors to step inside and see how much play money they could grab.
Volunteers from CUNA joined volunteers from local leagues and credit unions to staff the tent Saturday and Sunday. In addition to the money machine, the tent featured a wheel for visitors to spin for prizes.
CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle was interviewed by Great Day Washington Friday morning. See video of the interview and the booth below.
CUNA is a member of the NCBA, and CUNA Chief Operating Officer Jill Tomalin is a board member. CUNA Senior Economist Jordan van Rijn participated in a panel discussion last week during NBCA’s IMPACT Conference.
The festival is designed to bring together cooperatives of all kinds to celebrate what unites them and showcase the variety and quality of cooperative services available to them. In addition to credit unions, other cooperatives featured included REI, Cabot Creamery, Nationwide, Organic Valley and Ocean Spray.
We had an amazing day at @NCBACLUSA #CoopFest! Our booth was packed all day with consumers interested to learn more about America’s Credit Unions. And our money machine was a hit! Can’t wait for tomorrow. See you at 11am! pic.twitter.com/o3pGyfZxLp— CUNA (@CUNA) October 7, 2018


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IntraSoft Technologies, which owns & operates the egreetings business 123Greetings, has reported a profit after tax of Rs. 2.56 crore, up 14% year on year, and 160.8% sequentially: the company’s business is seasonal in nature, and one should expect revenues to go up during the festive season. Total income for the company was Rs. 9.36 crore, up 66.59% year on year, and 19.14% sequentially.
This growth could well be on account of an increase in its gifting business: the company says that they saw a considerable rise in orders delivered, and are adding new manufacturers and new product lines for gifting. However, readers should note that 123Greetings accounts gifting revenue at a gross level, so the margins will be lower than in the advertising business. The online gifting business was introduced only a few quarters ago, and Q3, with Diwali, Christmas and the festive season could deliver significant revenue growth. Q3 is traditionally the quarter for highest retail sales in the US.
In a statement, Intrasoft MD Arvind Kajaria warns that while new initiatives are generating revenues, they will take some time to add to profits. During the quarter, 123Greetings launched its Studio product, which allows users to create “artists worldwide to upload their personal creations and showcase them, in the form of e-cards, for 123Greetings users,” which the company hopes will help add multi-lingual and multi-cultural content to their website. The company says that its e-Invitations product, is ready for launch…though, as far as we can tell, it is already live.
123Greetings has utilized Rs. 6.92 crores of Rs. 53.65 crore it raised from the IPO.


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ePrize acquired by private equity firm
Pleasant Ridge-based ePrize LLC, a leader in digital engagement specializing in mobile, social and web campaigns, announced that it was acquired by Catterton Partners, the leading consumer-focused private equity firm. This investment will be used to accelerate ePrize's overall growth and expansion, particularly in the multi-channel engagement and CRM arenas. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
ePrize offers an innovative technology platform that enables brands to engage with consumers through mobile devices and social media. As the recognized industry leader, ePrize administers four times more national campaigns than any other company, and estimates that by the end of 2012, 80 percent of all its campaigns will incorporate a mobile component. ePrize's mobile engagement tactics have been proven to double or even triple basket size, and can be seamlessly integrated into a brand's social and web properties through ePrize's proprietary technology. In July 2011, ePrize acquired a division of Apollo Data Technologies, and in January 2012, acquired Cellit, a mobile solutions company.
The current ePrize leadership team led by Matt Wise, Chief Executive Officer, will continue to lead the Company, capitalizing upon the financial and strategic resources created by the acquisition.
ePrize retains its headquarters in the metro Detroit area, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle. For more information, visit www.cpequity.com.


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Microsoft's Flight Simulator game has been gaining interest since it was announced in June of last year, and it's nearly here. Microsoft on Thursday revealed that, in addition to coming to Windows 10 and Xbox Game Pass for PC, the game will also launch on online platform Steam on Aug. 18.
Preorders for the game on Steam also kicked off on Thursday. The game starts at $60 for the standard edition, and goes up to $90 for the deluxe bundle and $120 for the premium deluxe bundle. The standard game includes 20 planes and 30 airports, while the deluxe option has five more planes and airports and the premium deluxe version has another five of each.
Microsoft also announced that VR, which it said is one of the most requested features, will come to the game later in 2020, along with a slew of post-release plane and world updates and DLC.
Read more: Best gaming desktops for 2020
And yes, if you have a slow online service provider, you can always track down the physical edition of Flight Simulator that will be released in some territories.


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Coffee may reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide. People consume it for various reasons, including its unique taste, aroma, and caffeine content, which helps them feel more alert and focused. But did you know that coffee may also reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes? A recent study published in the journal Nutrients reveals a potential mechanism for this effect.
The research suggests that a compound called cafestol, found in high amounts in coffee, may enhance insulin sensitivity, a key factor in preventing Type 2 Diabetes. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps the body use glucose (sugar) from food for energy. Insulin resistance, a condition where the body’s cells become less responsive to insulin, can lead to Type 2 Diabetes.
The study involved 24 healthy participants who drank either regular coffee (containing cafestol) or decaffeinated coffee (without cafestol) for five days. The researchers measured the participants’ insulin sensitivity and found that those who drank regular coffee had significantly improved insulin sensitivity compared to those who drank decaffeinated coffee.
The researchers also conducted experiments on human liver cells and found that cafestol increased the expression of a protein called insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2), which plays a crucial role in insulin signaling. The increased expression of IRS2 led to enhanced insulin sensitivity in the liver cells.
The findings suggest that cafestol in coffee may improve insulin sensitivity by increasing the expression of IRS2, potentially reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. However, it is important to note that the study was small and short-term, and more research is needed to confirm the results.
So, should you start drinking more coffee to prevent Type 2 Diabetes? Not necessarily. While the study provides interesting insights into the potential mechanism behind coffee’s anti-diabetic effects, it is important to remember that excessive coffee consumption can have adverse health effects, such as:
- increased anxiety
- heart palpitations
Moreover, adding sugar, cream, or other sweeteners to your coffee can negate its potential benefits and increase the risk of diabetes.
If you already drink coffee, moderate consumption (3-4 cups per day) is unlikely to cause harm and may even provide some health benefits. But if you don’t like coffee or are sensitive to caffeine, there are other ways to reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, such as:
- maintaining a healthy diet
- exercising regularly
- avoiding smoking
Click here to read more from Medical News Today.
If you are interested in seeking the benefits of a supplement that maintains lower blood glucose, check out it out here. There they can get you started on GlucoSupreme Herbal, as well as a handful of other beneficial supplements to improve your body’s overall health and longevity.


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Black Friday means vinyl: Watch for these releases
If you’re interested in scoring some gifts on Record Store Day for yourself or music-loving friends on your holiday shopping list, here are a few new releases bound to stir excitement.
If you notice a faraway look in Uncle Pete’s eyes this Thanksgiving when you ask him to please pass the gravy boat, he might be daydreaming about that rare vintage John Coltrane LP he’s been seeking for years. Or how about your niece Meghan, with the pink hair? She’s mindlessly picking at her food while checking her smartphone to see what time her favorite indie record store opens tomorrow so she can snag a good place in line. For fans and collectors of vinyl records, the day after Thanksgiving can be sweeter than pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the holiday season, and it’s also Record Store Day, the second of 2018. Though Record Store Day in April is higher profile and features various special new vinyl releases, limited editions, and in-store events, the November event is a great chance to find your local indie record shop stocked up to the rafters with vinyl treasures – some old, some fresh off the presses.
Phil Wilcox, record store manager at Boston-based Tres Gatos, says he counts on the sales from the two Record Store Days to finance the rest of the year. “We definitely count on Record Store Days to keep us going the rest of the year,” he says.
According to Nielsen, vinyl LP sales experienced more than a 19 percent increase over 2017 during the first half of this year. Vinyl sales now make up more than 18 percent of sales of physical albums in the United States, which is a 5 percent increase from last year. If there are boffo sales on Record Store Day on Nov. 23, that’s bound to push those 2018 numbers higher still.
So if you’re interested in scoring some gifts on Record Store Day for yourself or music-loving friends on your holiday shopping list, here are a few new releases bound to stir excitement.
Giles Martin, music producer, engineer, and son of fabled Beatles producer George Martin, has remixed the group’s 1968 self-titled double LP known as the “White Album.” An expanded special edition includes charming acoustic demos of 27 songs. Some have previously been available on bootlegs and the Beatles’ own “Anthology” box set, but this is the first time all 27 will be heard. Nineteen previously made the final cut. The special edition also includes 50 session takes, shedding new light on the Fab Four’s recording process and prowess. It’s the most anticipated vinyl release of the year.
Meanwhile, Yoko Ono has spearheaded “Imagine: The Ultimate Collection” just in time for Record Store Day and holiday gift-giving. One box iteration comes with two vinyl discs, which include a new stereo mix as well as alternate takes. Another box version holds four CDs and two Blu-ray discs, including a remix of the 1971 John Lennon solo album as well as song demos, alternate takes, studio jams, interviews, and video. In addition, for each song there’s the “Evolution” mix, which is an audio montage tracking how the song went from demo to its recorded version, bringing together rehearsals, drafts, and conversations from the studio with thoughts from Lennon and Ono. Lennon was creatively on fire in 1971, and you’ll find the evidence right here.
But to play any of these treasures, you’ll need to dust off and hook up the old turntable, right? Riding merrily along in the wake of vinyl’s resurgence are new turntable makers like U-Turn Audio. Three Massachusetts Millennials started a Kickstarter campaign for an Orbit Turntable in 2012, which led to the creation of U-Turn Audio. They found during college that the models they wanted were too pricey and the less expensive ones didn’t meet their auditory needs. So they decided to design and build their own, starting at $179. U-Turn co-founder Ben Carter told the Monitor, “Sure, gear is cool, but it’s all about the music. That’s what we’re all here for.”
U-Turn shipped its 50,000th turntable this July, 10 times as many as they had originally estimated.
Mainstream audio companies like Denon and Audio-Technica are reconfiguring their turntables with modern capabilities like Bluetooth. In addition, some are paired with built-in amplifiers and modern, powered (or “active”) speakers, eliminating the need for a separate amplifier.
So this Thanksgiving, if you can’t stop imagining your dinner plate spinning round and round at 33 r.p.m., head out the next morning to your local record shop and get your just deserts.


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Some 61 per cent of UK technology companies have increased their business investment in the past six months, with two thirds expecting their companies to expand in the next half of the year, according...
SaaS saw revenues grew by $100bn in the last 10 years but still only accounts for 23 per cent of the total software market
Intel's CPU shortage will limit commercial PC shipments, says IDC
Samsung tops global shipment rankings, followed by a resurgent Huawei and Apple
Off-payroll reforms shifts determination of employment status onto employer
Fred Voccola insists that private equity owner Insight’s recent purchase of Veeam will not affect Kaseya’s strategy
Cyber Security Services 3 replaces current framework
A tongue-in-cheek Q&A session on some of the questions we feel must be asked about the SMAs every year


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Rentrak Corporation (NASDAQ:RENT) had a loss and missed Wall Street’s expectations, BUT beat the revenue expectation. The revenue beat is a positive sign to shareholders seeking high growth out of the company.
Rentrak Corporation Earnings Cheat Sheet
Results: Adjusted Earnings Per Share increased to $-0.06 in the quarter versus EPS of $-0.36 in the year-earlier quarter.
Revenue: Rose 15.85% to $28.5 million from the year-earlier quarter.
Actual vs. Wall St. Expectations: Rentrak Corporation reported adjusted EPS loss of $0.06 per share. By that measure, the company missed the mean analyst estimate of $-0.03. It beat the average revenue estimate of $27.58 million.
Quoting Management: “The fourth quarter capped a fantastic year at Rentrak, as we generated our highest level of quarterly revenue growth in six years. Our success largely reflected strong gains in our TV and movie businesses, as well as the stabilization of our Home Entertainment business, which generated its strongest quarterly growth rate since the third quarter of fiscal 2007,” said Bill Livek, Rentrak’s Vice Chairman and CEO. “During fiscal 2013, our TV business essentially doubled, while our OnDemand Everywhere™ and Box Office businesses showed continued double-digit growth.”
Key Stats (on next page)…


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Daily Mail: To celebrate the opening of Legoland in Florida on October 15, Ford has built a very special car as a token of goodwill towards the amusement park.
The Michigan-based car company made a life-size Ford Explorer out of Lego bricks - 382,858 Lego bricks to be exact. A team of Ford engineers at the Chicago assembly plant designed and constructed the toy car which took them more than 2,500 hours to complete.
Ford Motor Company is one of Legoland's sponsors and a company statement said they provided the car as part of a 'long-term alliance between Ford and Legoland Florida theme park'. The Lego Explorer will be an exhibit at the park once it opens, featured in front of one of the park's attractions, the Ford Driving School for children.
Kids as young as three can attend, where they will learn 'the difference between the accelerator and the brake — and move on to stop lights and stop signs,' said Ford in a statement.
According to Jalopnik.com, while the Ford Explorer is made with 2,500 parts, the Legoland Florida Explorer is made with 382,858 Legos. Also, the Ford Explorer was built by 2,500 employees at Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant, while the Legoland Florida Explorer was made in Connecticut by 22 employees over about 2,500 hours. The Lego Explorer weighs in at 2,654 lbs, while a real one weight almost double that at 4,503 lbs.
Ford said the vehicle will be loaded on to a trailer with transparent sides so motorists can see the Lego Explorer on its road trip to Florida.
Legoland Florida General Manager Adrian Jones said in a press release: 'We're less than a month from opening and the anticipation level is incredibly high. This is the only park of its kind in the world built exclusively for kids ages two to 12, and it will be a total departure from anything families with young children have seen before. It's a completely immersive experience, engaging kids' imaginations and their sense of adventure through interactive play.'


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Data was out earlier in the session.
- exports expanded for a fifth consecutive month in March, +16.6% y/y
- imports +18.8% expected +17.5%
- exports of chips yp for a ninth month, recorded the biggest shipment in value terms in 28 months
Exports to China, South Korea’s biggest trading partner, +26.0%
- to the United States +9.2%
South Korea is often cited as a bellwether of global trade health.


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There will be a great deal of Telugu, English, Hindi, Hebrew, Bengali, Malayalam, Spanish, and Tamil movies and TV shows coming out on OTT platforms in the third week of January.
We are midway through January 2023, and exciting new titles continue to be appearing on top video-on-demand platforms. Mission Majnu, an upcoming film starring Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmika Mandanna, will premier on Netflix on Friday. Chhatriwali, starring Rakul Preet Singh, is available on ZEE5. Meanwhile, the hit Israeli show Fauda’s fourth season has finally gotten its streaming date on Netflix. The wait is finally over, as That ’90s Show will be released on Netflix on Friday.
Titles releasing this week of Jan
- ATM – Jan 20 on ZEE 5
- Bake Squad Season 2 – Jan 20 on Netflix
- Bling Empire: New York – Jan 20 on Netflix
- Chhatriwali – Jan 20 on ZEE 5
- Fauda Season 4 – Jan 20 on Netflix
- Indu season 2 – Jan 20
- Jhansi Season 2 – Jan 19 Disney + Hotstar
- Jung_E – Jan 20 on Netflix
- Kaapa – Jan 19 on Netflix
- Mission Majnu – Jan 20 on Netflix
— Netflix (@netflix) January 13, 2023
- Represent – Jan 20 on Netflix
- Shahmaran – Jan 20 on Netflix
- Shanty Town – Jan 20 on Netflix
- That 90’s show – Jan 19 on Netflix
- The Last of Us – Jan 16 on Disney+Hotstar
- The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 – Jan 20 on Amazon Prime
- Varalaru Mukkiyam – Jan 15 on Netflix
- Where the Crawdad’s Sing – Jan 16 on Netflix
- Women At War – Jan 19 on Netflix
Here is the list for this week’s Movies and Web series releasing on OTT platform. So Stop Scrolling and Start Enjoying your favourite shows.


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Auto components major Bharat Forge on Friday reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 212.12 crore in the fourth quarter ended March 31 riding on robust sales.
The company had posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 68.59 crore in the same quarter previous fiscal, Bharat Forge Ltd (BFL) said in a regulatory filing.
Consolidated revenue from operations during the period under review stood at Rs 2,082.85 crore as against Rs 1,741.92 crore in the year-ago quarter.
For the fiscal ended March 31, 2021, the company posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 126.97 crore. It had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 349.25 crore in the previous fiscal, BFL added.
Consolidated revenue from operations in 2020-21 stood at Rs 6,336.26 crore as against Rs 8,055.84 crore in 2019-20, the company said.
BFL Chairman and Managing Director BN Kalyani said, "The year has ended on a strong note with sharp recovery visible in all our end markets. Q4 FY21 has witnessed a 26.2 per cent growth in sales on back of 43 per cent growth in exports, which is now witnessing growth in all key segments."
In an earnings presentation, the company said, in the domestic automotive sector "the spate of changes in regulations coupled with deteriorating fundamentals of the underlying economy led to torrid times for the industry...
"Enhancement of safety norms, increase of axle load norms, GST, emission norms change from BS-IV to BS-VI within a short span of time resulting in increased total cost of ownership were some of the headwinds the industry has had to encounter."
The declining trend in underlying demand was underway even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the period FY18 to FY21, production volumes for medium and heavy commercial vehicles (M&HCV), and passenger vehicles segment have declined by 47 percent and 24 percent, respectively, it added.
It, however, said, "Although the near term outlook is negative due to the lockdown to curb the second wave of COVID-19, the medium to long term outlook is very encouraging especially for the M&HCV sector."
The focus on infrastructure spending, government's focus on increasing manufacturing as percentage of of GDP from 16 per cent to 25 per cent, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, Aatmanirbhar Bharat policy and the scrappage policy coupled with investment in road infrastructure points to a long runway for the M&HCV sector, it added.
In the international market, the company said, "The global automotive industry has picked up smartly post the COVID-19 lockdown and all segments have witnessed sharp rebound across geographies."
Demand outlook provided by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is quite robust going ahead. There are certain uncertainties which could hamper the progress of the industry, including the shortage of ships, container shortage and sharp increase in commodity prices, it added.
On the outlook, Kalyani said, "As we enter FY22, we are seeing robust demand continue in major segments in the export business. The lockdown in India to curtail the spread of COVID has clearly had an impact on demand and production in the automotive sector. We are optimistic that this weakness is temporary in nature and we will witness growth in India as business activities normalise."
At 2.53 PM, the share price was up Rs 58.85 or 8.46 percent at Rs 754.75 apiece.


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(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – It’s one thing to search for medical information on the internet, but it’s another to follow advice you find online from those who aren’t qualified to offer it. Experts say that’s especially true when it comes to managing diabetes. There are thousands of pages online dedicated to diets, shakes and supplements all claiming to be the answer to controlling blood sugar, but experts urge patients to be leery of what they read.
“There is no magic cure. There are a lot of things on the internet that make it look very convincing, but the truth is we know that that’s not the best or healthiest choice for your body,” said Elizabeth Snyder, a certified diabetes educator at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “I’ve seen patients who do everything from buying pills to putting cinnamon on eggs to cutting out all foods that are white, but the truth is, none of this is proven to work.”
Snyder says it goes beyond internet fads, and even the products on grocery store shelves that use buzzwords like “sugar-free” or “made with whole grains” are not always a healthy choice. It’s important to turn the package over and learn to read the labels. “The two most important things are the serving size and the total carbohydrate,” said Snyder. “A lot of people think that the sugar on the label equates to blood sugar, but that’s not true. It’s going to be anything that’s starch or carbohydrate, including sugar.”
Trying to find one magic cure and neglecting the lifestyle changes that will truly control blood sugar can be detrimental to managing diabetes and may even prove to be dangerous. Snyder says the best thing to do is find healthy foods, exercise and listen only to the advice from your doctor.


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The creative business team at DEF.I.NI.TION Africa are gearing up for an exciting month ahead as they take their brand and latest designs on the road to two major events coming up in Kenya this June. The team have created some special new designs to showcase, just for those Kenyan fashionistas who have an eye for something different.
Ugandan sisters, Nahida and Nadia Bhegani, together with their childhood friend, Olga Mugyenyi, are the founders of Uganda-based fashion sensation, DEF.I.NI.TION Africa. Their youthful energy promises an alternative approach to fashion, where everyday Ugandan life inspires each of their new designs. The company aims to have products that are 100% African, with a unique focus on materials, phrases, symbols, modes of transport - in fact, anything and everything that is part of the daily experience of living in Africa.. DEF.I.NI.TION Africa initially started out as a printing and apparel company, but over the past few years it has developed into a youthful lifestyle brand.
Although originally best known for its range of t-shirts which have a unique look and carry powerful messages and iconography, the company has branched out to include a women's line of clothing; a children's line; a range of homeware which includes everything from cushions and aprons, through to tea-sets, all with the unique brand style; footwear, stationery and accessories. Following its successful launch on Facebook, Definition Africa launched a retail store in Kampala growing a loyal customer base since opening in January 2014.
“We have some new designs we will be showcasing that are specifically for Kenya.”
- Nadia Bhegani, co-Founder of DEF.I.NI.TION Africa
First stop on the DEF.I.NI.TION Africa tour will be the Soko Soko event taking place at Florienta Gardens, Rosslyn in Nairobi on 6 and 7 June. Next stop will be the Biz Baz Summer Craft Festival at the Kfeet Centre in Karura Forest, Nairobi on 20 and 21 June.
Anyone wanting to find out more about DEF.I.NI.TION Africa can visit their website and their social media pages
Email Address: email@example.com


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WhatsApp is pretty big in India. How big? Let’s say they have over 200 million users sign up on their platform. 200 million is a lot of people!
When you have 200 million people on your service, the next thing a business might want to do is to monetize.
Well, that’s exactly what WhatsApp is doing. WhatsApp is planning to launch a digital payments service in India in the coming months. How the service will work is not yet clear. But there is huge potential for this service to work. Although India is largely a cash based society, mobile payments is steadily growing in the country. People already advertise services in India and informally sell their items on WhatsApp.
If the new WhatsApp digital payment services works in India, there’s no reason why the service can’t work in the African market.
WhatsApp is basically the default messaging app in Ghana and other countries on the continent. I already know of individuals selling services and companies using WhatsApp as a helpline for customer service.
Addition of a payment service can only help WhatsApp grow bigger. But it would be entering the market with some competition on the ground with the likes of Slydepay and ExpressPay. Facebook Messenger already started a money transfers but that doesn’t seem to have taken off.
If you gave me the option to easily send money to one of my contacts or pay for something someone is selling through WhatsApp, I would be pretty cool and I’m more likely to use that since I have most of my contacts on that app.
There’s no reason mobile money or some other money transfer integration can’t work. Mobile Money is big on the African continent. In Kenya, it’s almost the default way of paying. In Ghana, everybody seems to be jumping on the mobile money bandwagon.
We’ll have to wait and see what the WhatsApp digital payment service in India looks like. But there’s no reason why a service like that can’t be easily replicated in Ghana.


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YORK, Pa. -- Dentsply reported a 12 percent decline in third quarter earnings Thursday as selling and administrative costs rose for the dental products company.
Total sales increased 12 percent to $695.7 million for the period ended Sept. 30. Those gains were partially offset by higher selling and administrative costs, which increased 12.5 percent to $260 million.
The company reported second-quarter net income of $53.4 million, or 37 cents per share, down from $60.6 million, or 42 cents per share a year earlier.
Analysts polled by FactSet expected earnings per share of 50 cents on revenue of $720 million.
"Overall, I'd say the dental market is doing okay at this point, but it's not great," CEO Bret Wise said during a call with analysts.
The company narrowed its full-year earnings expectations to a range of $2.19 to $2.24 from the prior range of $2.18 to $2.24.
Shares of Dentsply International Inc., based in York, Pa., rose 41 cents to $37.12


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Volvo Group will be putting up a 2.5-billion-shilling assembly plant in Mombasa and it might start operations early 2018.
In an interview with Capital FM Business, the Company’s President Claes Nilsson said that they want to explore the East African market through the plant, adding that they also wish to be producing a total of 500 units every year by the time they start operations.
Nilsson disclosed that the move to invest in Mombasa came about after they realized that the region has great opportunities and the potential for growth, adding that there are also a lot of different resources in place brought about by the diverse production of different products and natural resources.
With the plant in Kenya, almost 300 hundred direct job opportunities are going to be created, together with other opportunities that will come about indirectly.
“We have been in East Africa for the last three decades and believe that there is a significant potential for the premium truck business as regional economies grow, infrastructure investments expand and the business environment remains investment friendly,” said Nilsson.
Volvo Trucks regional office has been opened in Nairobi which will be responsible for expanding the footprint of the brand in East Africa.
This is going to be Volvo’s assembly plant in Africa, after the ones in Morocco and South Africa.


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LOS ANGELES — Next week’s Los Angeles International Textile Show will be a test for how fabric mills can balance the low prices that clothing designers expect with the trends and customization that help them stand out from competitors.
At the semiannual three-day textile expo that kicks off Monday at the California Market Center here, an equal mix of domestic and foreign mills will try to lure apparel designers and manufacturers with their spring 2013 offerings while keeping an eye on costs. Although textile vendors said they benefit from the variety of fabrics being used in the market, they are challenged by the emphasis on low prices, even with high-quality materials.
“Companies are constantly demanding a lower price, which isn’t always possible when we are speaking of luxe fabrics versus polyester jersey,” said Tracy Simmer, a Denver, N.C.-based representative for Tessile Group Inc., which represents fine jersey lines from Italy and beading fabric mills from India. “It amazes me always [that] the final, ultimate client doesn’t know the difference. Therefore, even the upscale lines [are] mixing in cheap polyester fabrics and getting away with it in this climate.”
Several fabric and trim purveyors have had to raise prices over the last couple of years, passing them on to their customers — designers and manufacturers — who in turn have raised prices for consumers. Even as volatile markets such as cotton have stabilized, fabric and yarn prices haven’t decreased as much as vendors expected.
Still, consumers expect lower prices. According to a December study by WSL/Strategic Retail, a New York-based firm that researches shopper behavior and retail trends, 75 percent of women now say it’s important to get the lowest price on everything they buy, compared to 63 percent in 2008 and 53 percent in 2004.
“I try to keep prices down, but it’s been tough,” said Josi Severson, founder and designer of an organic cotton print line called Ten14 Textiles in Winona, Minn. “In the textile market, consumer spending is still not where it used to be. People are still cautious. They want to be adventurous, but not too adventurous, of what they buy.”
In an effort to loosen buyers’ restraint, Severson emphasizes what makes her line different from others. In addition to hand-drawing her designs for an Arts-and-Crafts style, she uses water-based, plastic-free, colorfast dyes in trend-right hues such as burnt orange, muddy pale blue and golden yellow from a Los Angeles-based printer. She also insists on using organic cotton canvas, voile, twill, jersey and sateen that connote quality even though they cost between $9 and $14 a yard. RELATED STORY: Los Angeles International Textile Show, Seminar Series >>
“I really want to make the line 100 percent organic cotton because that’s where the value is,” she said. “I don’t want to blend it too much because that’s where you sacrifice the hand.”
Softness is a top trend for spring 2013, joined by subtle glitter and novel finishes such as lace with a snake print pattern or a metallic sheen. Prints include Pop Art influences and varying sizes that are either big and bold or mini and dainty. Color continues to pervade, with deep tints, neon and blue popping up in popularity.
For customers who want to set their own trends, vendors are offering customization.
For instance, France’s Bel Maille prints custom stripes on organic cotton, Micromodal and synthetic fabrics. While it can print as little as five yards for a sample run, its minimum order for production is 300 yards. Its freight on board prices range between $4 and $10 a yard.
Trim Expo Online in Los Angeles has been receiving good response for its customization, even though it costs 20 percent more than its standard goods. Introduced two years ago, the program allows designers and manufacturers to dye and design any trim to their liking.
“Manufacturers that come to us [say] they are getting in return requests from their customers that want something unique,” said Eli Khoramian, marketing director at Trim Expo Online.
Vendors aren’t the only ones adapting to an evolving market. The trade show’s organizer, the California Market Center, is adding more garment factories to evolve the expo into a textile and sourcing show. In addition to a long-standing relationship with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, which hosts a pavilion dedicated to South Korean exhibitors, the center started working with Vestex, Guatemala’s Apparel and Textile Industry Commission, to bring textile and garment makers in a new section dedicated to the Latin American country.
Another region the CMC is targeting is India. Indian companies that will show embroidered and embellished fabrics at the show include Jaipuria Silk Mills, Manuela, Pinx and Sofiatex. Other new exhibitors include Malhia Kent from France and New Tess, a division of Italy’s Clerici Tessuto SpA.
“We’re just trying to bring a bigger variety of folks coming to the show,” said Oscar Rodriguez, the CMC’s textile fair producer, adding that the goal is “to make it a more well-rounded visit for the attendees.”
AT A GLANCE:
Los Angeles International Textile Show Monday, March 26, through Wednesday, March 28
California Market Center 110 East Ninth Street Los Angeles, Calif., 90079
March 26 and 27: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 28: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For a full schedule of events and other show information, visit californiamarketcenter.com.
@zacposen's go-to holiday gift? Cookies! "I'll usually bake cookies and send them as a gift," said the designer, who recently released his cookbook "Cooking With Zac: Recipes from Rustic to Refined." Get the recipe for his Brown Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies via link in bio 🍪🍪🍪 #wwdeye #cookingwithzac
For @monsemaison’s pre-fall 2018 collection, Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim honed in on the brand’s many signatures — men’s wear, which was tweaked and feminized through deconstruction, proportion play and lots of bare shoulders. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: George Chinese)
On Friday night, @yohjiyamamotoofficial received the Design for Asia Lifetime Achievement Award in Hong Kong. The 75-year-old designer has been celebrated for many years and is best known for his dark and avant-garde tailoring. “In my long career, in design, architecture, [I’ve been to] so many parties, this is the very first time that I have such a warm feeling, I really appreciate this,” Yamamoto said. #wwdfashion (📷: @dominiquemaitre)
Discovery is collaborating with British pop artist @philipcolbert on a new line of clothing and accessories called Discovery Shark. The collection, which will launch next summer for Shark Week’s 30th anniversary, features a whimsical line of women’s and men’s bomber jackets, sweatshirts, bags and more. #wwdfashion
“I’m always a big champion of a female rapper, and I’m glad to see a new voice that feels unique and authentic that’s coming up, and I think we’re going to see more great things from her,” said @itsjeremyscott about @iamcardib, who performed at @moschino’s Art Basel Miami Beach party last night. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
@janellemonae’s “What’s Your Frequency?” room in @refinery29's #29Rooms made its debut this week at the opening of the Los Angeles art exhibit. “It’s about the ongoing conversation around mass surveillance, the weaponization of technology and cultural uniformity. My space was created so that we can come together and talk about the complexities of our humanity,” said Monáe. #wwdeye (📷: @bucknerphoto)
@pantone announced their Color of the Year 2018: Ultra Violet. Nearly 20 months after the musician Prince’s death, fashion is having a purple moment. Varying shades of purple appeared on spring or fall runways, from @christopherkane to @calvinklein. @gucci’s Alessandro Michele bathed his fall runway in ultra violet-colored light at one point. Pantone 18-3838 is meant to “push the boundaries of what inspires us to look upward and outward to the future.” #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @kukukuba)


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The following article is a takeover prepared by the students of the class « Sustainable Luxury » (part of the master « New Luxury & Art de Vivre » at Sciences Po, Paris / France) taught by UrbanMeister founder Mirela Orlovic. They share their views on how a future based on sustainability and circular economy after Covid19 will look like.
As we have all witnessed, talk of Covid-19 has dominated our news feeds for the past months. With death tolls rising, countries on lockdown, fear of an economic crash, and normal life grinding to a halt, the planet has had a rare chance to take a break. But what does this mean for the future of sustainability? Will the Covid-19 crisis be a turning point in sustainability or will we continue on as before?
Either way, Covid-19 will certainly change our lives forever. Luxury and fashion are affected by the pandemic as well, and how this sector responds is critical for the future of sustainability. Fashion weeks and events have been canceled and boutiques are closed across the world. This crisis may be the final push for sustainable practices in sourcing, supply chains, and production in response to changed consumer behaviors. No one knows what a post-Coronavirus society will look like, but we do know we will have a choice to change, and this may be our last opportunity to do so.
As global carbon emissions dropped with travel and production completely halted, we saw the effects of mother nature slightly recovering. The Venice canals have clear water again and smog is lifting from cities around the world. China saw a 25% drop in carbon emissions – more than half the annual emissions of Great Britain – because of halted manufacturing. Consumers are reconsidering what they really need, and telecommuting is the new normal. However, because of fear over health and the economy are paramount at this moment, governments are putting aside green goals in favor of economic recovery. This is why influential companies in fashion and luxury must be leaders in a post-Coronavirus world in order to make the necessary innovations to ensure the planet’s survival. While the industry hits a low point, there is no better time than to radically adopt sustainable practices which would hopefully spark change in other industries as well.
Unraveling Supply Chains
The first point of influence by Covid-19 was observed at a supply chain level, a crucial facet for luxury and fashion that have large repercussions on sustainability, circular economy, and consumer behavior. At the beginning of the pandemic, 24 provincial governments in China ceased its manufacturing facilities, which accounted for 80% of China’s GDP. This was not only destructive to the Chinese economy, but had lasting consequences for interdependent entities all along the global supply chains. For example, cancelled orders by large companies are putting factory workers in Asia at risk, such as 10,000 workers who were recently laid off in Myanmar and $138 billion worth of cancelled orders in Bangladesh. This has allowed factory owners, as well as consumers, to re-evaluate social and environmental frameworks surrounding garment production such as labor inequalities, wage systems, and in general, the relationship between brands, factories, and its workers. Therefore, brands should not consider this crisis as a threat to their businesses, but as a chance to improve supply chain visibilities, generate clearer communication systems, and better position themselves in face of consumers whose behaviors are constantly changing. For example, Primark and Marks & Spencers have cancelled large portions of their orders to deal with unsold inventories before producing new ones, providing them a chance to re-evaluate their production system and heavy dependencies on China for its production.
Consumer Behavior is Changing Means
With such an impact on the supply chain, Covid-19 has also shown an immense impact on luxury consumer behaviors. As WWD reports, post-coronavirus luxury industries will face “more conscious and attentive consumers” than ever before. There will be a significant decrease in willingness to travel, resulting in strong consequences on tourism. The risk of reinfection and sanitary measures will skew distribution online from traditional brick-and-mortar strategy, which is what sustainable brands have been doing to reduce their environmental impact of transportation such as Divinus and People Tree. Luxury brands have also joined the shift, such as Patek Philippe that allowed its retail partners to sell online for the first time. Only brands as strong as Chanel can hold out without e-commerce, however will this be something clients come to expect once this is all over? Clients will also have higher expectations for transparency as they leave self-centered consumption patterns and become conscious of surrounding environments and the impact of their purchases. Lastly, clients have been adapting a more local mindset. The anxiety and risk have distorted the “global” mindset that was commonplace before the pandemic. It will thus be crucial for luxury brands to develop digital connections to remain connected with its consumers and fully understand local needs as well as global needs to successfully adapt to the more conscious group of clients after the pandemic.
Increasing Importance of Made In
Historically, Made In has been important when differentiating different product categories. Clients want Italian leather goods, Swiss Watches, French perfume, and German cars. These are countries with rich histories in their given expertise, however, with the current crisis, this could all change. We have gone from an incredibly connected world to nations retreating into themselves in a matter of a month. In February, we could hop on a plane and fly anywhere in the world. Now, our world is suddenly thrown behind closed borders and grounded flights. Even when Covid-19 is behind us, our world will be greatly changed. Tourism will be undoubtedly reduced as people will feel safer staying in their home countries. Furthermore, these newly hesitant customers will be more attentive when it comes to sustainability, after witnessing this extreme event that exposes the fragility of the world. So clients will be even more ecologically conscious than ever before, expecting brands to tighten up their supply chains and produce products locally to offer a more sustainable product with a completely transparent and local supply chain. With current convoluted supply chains, countries are completely reliant upon each other, so when a problem occurs in another country, the brand cannot do anything about it. In seeing the fragility of this relationship, brands may decide to localize supply and production. In this way, “Made In” will become more important than ever. With the global economies suffering, those who can spend money will want to support local economies by buying from their home country. Thus, more so than heritage, Made In will represent something totally different. Post-Covid, it will represent nationalistic pride and a sustainable solution.
Brand Extension: a Current Necessity for Some
Covid-19 is a particularly devastating blow to some in the luxury industry. The big, diversified players such as Chanel, Gucci, and Dior have wide enough product mixes that they will probably survive in the economic and social aftermath of Coronavirus. This is not to say they will not reinvent themselves to adapt, however it will be an absolute necessity for some. For example, as we have discussed, global tourism is currently and will be taking a massive hit. No one is going anywhere anytime soon. This means that companies like Rimowa and Tumi, luxury and premium luggage companies, will need to reinvent to survive. This is also an opportunity for new, circular practices to emerge. For example, these luggage companies could offer repairs of current luggage, or a luggage exchange program in which parts of suitcases are recycled to make new ones in the future when global tourism has recommenced. For now, these companies could offer more products that match their overall brand personality without relating to tourism. Perhaps Rimowa could look into making skateboards, as this could use leftover materials and matches with their “California Chic” vibe and plays into the current skateboarding trend. They could also introduce a line of home furnishings that really relate to their brand story, that bring the travel to your home, instead of creating products for the actual travel. More easily, Rimowa could make products for the workplace such as briefcases and shoulder bags. They could experiment with various sustainable fabrics to create these new products. Brand extension will not be easy for some but it is a requirement.
A New Way of Slow Luxury?
Traditionally, the luxury industry has been composed of four collection launches per year that involved countless catwalks, photo shoots, press interviews, influencer collaborations, as well as client engagements. Although this system contributed to creating a dynamic, fast-paced, and active industry, this arrangement had recently been questioned for several reasons. The recent rise of skepticism is related to the environmental impact of frequent production of ready-to-wear collections, the productivity of employees, and the general inquiry regarding the abuse of the increasingly trend-driven nature of the fashion and luxury industries. For the brands, the COVID-19 crisis should be seen as an opportunity to re-evaluate this current arrangement, by questioning the sincere need of 4 collections per year and alternative ways they could adapt their collection launches. For example, Giorgio Armani recently expressed in an interview that the brand is considering having smaller collections and potentially skipping some collection launches. This should be aligned with the changing consumer behaviours and expectations, as a post COVID-19 clientele would potentially be less willing to spend on luxury goods and have greater demands regarding transparency and sustainability expectations from the brands.
Influencers & COVID-19
With numerous brands halting their collection launches and operations in general, influencers were among the first fashion and luxury affiliated groups to be impacted. Companies such as Macy’s, T.J Maxx and Ulta Beauty temporarily suspended all sales commissions and marketing practices with influencers, explaining that there was a “realignment of marketing strategy” due to the current crisis. This phenomena not only poses a threat to the survival of influencers that depend on such sponsorships for their source of income, but it also exposes the fragile position of marketing strategies that are often first to be cut in times of crises. However, influencers may consider this as an opportunity to revise their sources of income to spread their sources, shifting to other activities such as launching their own collections. On the other hand, some influencers such as Angel Merino (@mac_daddy) reported to have sold 3 times more during an online collection launch than his daily records. Such success can be understood through the increased online audience engagement due to more customers staying at home, as well as the relevance of beauty and wellness product categories today with consumers paying increased attention to self-care at home. Nevertheless, influencers will need to carefully reexamine their position in the equation within the fashion and luxury industries, and also take this as an opportunity to clarify where their strengths may lie and develop distinct strategies to survive in the post-crisis society as well.
A Time of Forced Reflection for Everyone
In view of the current situation that represents a shutting down of society, here’s a main question that arises with regards to the fashion and luxury industries: What is the impact of this epidemic on the future of the industries in question, especially in terms of sustainability? Certainly, being locked inside allows for some time of reflection, which can be termed as “putting consumption into quarantine” as well. Brands are therefore forced to slow down their activities, in certain occasions even stop their entire production processes. This unprecedented interruption of an industry that thrives on continuous production has certainly made room for a sense of empathy, connectedness, and responsibility. According to different industry experts expressing their opinions on sustainability impact, the challenges of pollution and climate change will now become furthermore reevaluated and prioritized.
A Time of Transition
The COVID-19 era could be strategically used as a time of transition for one of the most polluting industries on Earth, thus it can be indeed considered as an opportunity to evolve along the environmental standards. Because the Coronavirus has almost entirely halted many of the fashion industry and luxury brands activities, this could be used as a chance to start over with a clean slate. This is an opportunity to not only get closer to family and friends, but also to people and elements who are directly related to us although not consciously – the people who produce our garments in places like Asia, and of course the Earth which we tend to forget.
Ultimately, the cycle of fashion has been broken, because consumption behavior tends to change in times of emergency. Having factories and shops closed, runway shows cancelled, and production stopped might exacerbate the economic crisis that will follow, but this might serve as a way to think outside the box, be creative, and foster change for the better. Companies are starting to slowly rethink their business models and incorporate sustainability in their company culture, as this time calls for a deep reflection on the longevity of our natural resources, the importance of our planet, and the health of employees.
Country Specific Reactions to the Crisis
In South Korea, there have been relatively less strict government restrictions on confinement thanks to early medical actions to tackle infections. Therefore, movements of people going outside, making purchases, and executing in general their daily lives have been impacted less by the COVID-19 crisis. However, a decrease in willingness to spend on luxury items can be observed easily. As Koreans practice social distancing, this means that consumers are encountering less instances where they need to dress up to go outside, consequently decreasing the need for new luxury items. However, the flow within the luxury industry has definitely been better compared to other markets around the globe, as luxury boutiques remain opened and distribution systems such as delivery services have rarely been impacted by the crisis.
In France, there have been fairly strict confinement rules in place since March 17th. During confinement, all non-essential business are closed across the country, meaning all luxury boutiques are shut until further notice by government decree. This means that absolutely no business is happening in physical retail stores. This of course is a huge hit to the luxury industry, especially when one thinks about all of the tourists who would have been coming to France in the spring and summer time. E-commerce is still an option, however with the country’s economy in peril and the physical health and well-being of all being the number one priority, people are really not focused on buying luxury which will surely have an impact on the industry in France.
In Albania, the situation during the pandemics crisis is so far being well controlled, with strict government restrictions that prevent the population from leaving their homes for more than 1 hour per day in order to perform their essential activities. All non-essential businesses have been shut down for a month now, and no one is allowed to leave their homes or attend work after 1PM. The luxury industry is not well developed in Albania, thus one cannot say with certainty the impact of this crisis on the luxury industry in Albania, as fast fashion is more prevalent. However, the impact on retail business is very obvious when considering the shut down of all fashion stores and the halt of production in local factories. E-retail therefore is thriving at this time and home-delivery services for beauty products are performing in their highest capacity. This is certainly a new phenomenon in Albania, as the consumption activity is generally performed on brick-and-mortar establishments and physical stores.
Conclusion: The future of luxury
In conclusion, COVID-19 will have profound effects on all aspects of our lives, and this includes the luxury and fashion industries. Consumers will either go a little crazy after confinement and go on a spending spree, or they will be extra conscious about spending money during an economic crisis. Either way, hopefully people will be more concerned with their actions, having lived through this period of time in which we have all questioned what we really need to live. From the company side, one can hope that companies will reevaluate during this low point and replace existing, convoluted supply chains with more local, sustainable production. One can hope that companies will make the sustainable switch during this low point in order to make up for governments redirecting all funds towards emergency economic stimulus. We cannot be sure what will happen, however we can hope for the best possible outcome in sustainability from such dark times. This is our chance to reset and finally save the planet, but it is up to all of us to actually make the decision to do so.
To end, we’d like to share with you our own tips and tricks to stay healthy, sustainable, and circular during this pandemic. From subdividing your recyclable items to zero-waste face masks, watch our video to discover numerous ways to take action. Our tips and tricks are put together by students living at home in 3 different countries: Albania, South Korea, and France.
- Meehan Crist, “What the Coronavirus Means for Climate Change,” The New York Times, March 27, 2020, http://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-climate-change.html?smid=li-share.
- Utaraite, Neringa. Water In Venice Canals Goes Crystal Clear After Coronavirus Lockdown. Bored Panda. 24 March, 2020. http://www.boredpanda.com/fish-seen-in-clear-venice-canals-after-coronavirus-lockdown/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
- Evelyn Cheng, “More than half of China extends shutdown over virus”, CNBC, Feb 1st, 2020 http://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/01/coronavirus-more-of-china-extend-shutdown-accounting-for-80percent-of-gdp.html
- Marc Bain, “Coronavirus threatens the livelihoods of garment workers around the world”, QUARTZ, March 21st, 2020 http://www.google.fr/amp/s/qz.com/1821511/coronavirus-threatens-jobs-of-garment-workers-in-southeast-asia/amp/
- Madeleine Streets, “Here’s How Brands Can Minimize Supply Chain Disruption In Coronavirus Era”, FootWear News, March 27th, 2020 http://footwearnews.com/2020/business/manufacturing/ngc-executive-supply-chain-mitigation-coronavirus-1202955788/
- Alessandra Turra, “Sustainability: A Lever for Post-Coronavirus Relaunch”, WWD,April 1st, 2020 http://www.google.fr/amp/s/wwd.com/business-news/business-features/sustainability-a-lever-for-post-coronavirus-relaunch-1203551829/amp/
- BOF Team. Coronavirus Live Blog: Gap Inc. Pauses Summer and Fall Orders, Warehouse Space Runs out. Business of Fashion. 12 March, 2020. http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/coronavirus-fashion-industry-impact-covid-19-live-blog
- Fernandez, Chantal. “Does Chanel’s Barely There E-Commerce Strategy Make Sense in the Pandemic?” Business of Fashion. 6 April 2020. http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/professional/does-chanels-barely-there-e-commerce-strategy-make-sense-in-the-pandemic
- Solca, Luca. “The ‘Made In’ Dilemma: To Label, or Not to Label.” The Business of Fashion. 14 June 2015. http://www.businessoffashion.com/community/voices/discussions/does-made-in-matter/the-made-in-dilemma-to-label-or-not-to-label
- Zargani, Luisa. Giorgio Armani on Slow Fashion Post-Coronavirus. WWD, 6 April 2020. http://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/giorgio-armani-on-slow-fashion-post-coronavirus-1203554219/
- Lieber, Chavie. For Influencers, Affiliate Revenue Is Next to Disappear. Business of Fashion. 26 March, 2020. http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/professional/exclusive-affiliate-links-cut-coronavirus-influencer-marketing
- Strugatz, Rachel. Influencers Have a Captive Audience During the Pandemic. But Can They Capitalise on It? Business of Fashion. 3 April, 2020. http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/professional/influencers-beauty-angel-merino-camila-coelho-manny-gutierrez-negin-mirsalehi
- Blanchard, Tamsin. Put Earth First. Can a Greener, Fairer Fashion Industry Emerge From Crisis? The Guardian. 27 March 2020. http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/mar/27/put-earth-first-can-a-greener-fairer-fashion-industry-emerge-from-crisis
- Cernansky, Rachel. Will COVID-19 Disrupt Fashion’s Sustainability Commitments? Vogue Business. 26 March 2020. http://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/will-covid-19-coronavirus-disrupt-fashions-sustainability-commitments
- Gallego, Araceli. How Coronavirus is Affecting Sustainable Fashion Businesses. Luxiders. http://luxiders.com/coronavirus-how-is-coronavirus-affecting-sustainable-fashion-business/


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BMW CEO Harald Krüger could announce a new company record after selling 2.4 million vehicles in 2016, making it the seventh consecutive year of record sales and earnings. Business is especially good in the US.
German carmaker BMW has fallen short of analysts' expectations as massive spending on future technologies has weighed on quarterly earnings. The company said it would not deviate from its long-term strategy.
Italian-American carmaker Fiat-Chrysler has joined an alliance to develop self-driving vehicles. The project has been led Germany's BMW Group, Intel and its Israeli subsidiary Mobileye and is open to more partners.
Strong quarterly results have German carmaker BMW cheering. Its medium-term strategy is paying off, the future is looking rosy. But CEO Harald Krüger also knows that everything can change in an instant.
German carmaker BMW has announced more record figures while presenting its earnings report for 2016. But while sales also reached a new high, the Munich-based firm was overtaken by domestic rival Mercedes.
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Nearly half of all UK viewers switch channels during the ad break,
according to Lowe & Partners Worldwide’s new Ad Avoiders research.
But the UK ad industry still fares better than that of continental
Europe, where viewers are even more likely to change channels or leave
the room during an ad break.
When it was last published in 1997, the research showed that dull ads
lead consumers to change channels. But the network’s latest study
indicates that whereas in the UK almost 50 per cent of viewers stop
watching ads always, most of the time or quite often, in Germany the
figure is a staggering 68 per cent.
Spain has the second-highest level of avoidance at 62 per cent, followed
by France and Italy, both at 56 per cent.
UK viewers find the quality of advertising high. In response to the
statement ’in general I think most advertising is quite good’, 71 per
cent of the UK respondents agreed. This contrasts with in Germany, where
only 45 per cent agreed. In Spain only 53 per cent agreed, in France 58
per cent and in Italy 59 per cent.
However, the research also shows that the UK viewer is becoming less
ad-friendly, with only 24 per cent of respondents saying they enjoyed
the TV ads as much as the programmes in 1997, compared with a 1991 high
of 33 per cent.
Tim Lindsay, president of Lowe & Partners Europe, said: ’Ad avoidance is
a serious problem in the UK, but is potentially disastrous in other
European markets, where vast percentages of the population are turning
their backs on advertisers’ attempts to communicate with them.’
The network is also investigating ad avoidance in the US but is facing
resistance from audience measurement companies, which are reluctant to
make information available.


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PRETORIA - Listed Redefine International has agreed to dispose of its German retail portfolio for €205million (R3.37 billion).
The company said yesterday that it had exchanged contracts with Patrizia Immobilien AG for the sale of the Leopard German supermarket portfolio, comprising 66 retail properties, including a mixture of stand-alone supermarkets, food store anchored retail parks and cash and carry stores totalling more than 138000m² of lettable area.
The disposal, which includes the repayment of e86.1m of debt facilities, was expected to be completed next month.
Mike Watters, the chief executive of Redefine International, said the opportunistic disposal capitalises on an exceptionally strong German investment market, resulting in a 10.8percent or e20million premium achieved on book value and a 12percent premium to the price paid for the acquisition of a controlling interest in April this year.
Watters said Redefine International’s exposure to Germany would decline following the deal from 27percent to 18percent and in line with their strategy, they were consistently looking to realise value by recycling capital at attractive prices.
He said they anticipated reinvesting the proceeds into the UK, where they were witnessing some particularly attractive investment opportunities.
“However, we remain committed owners of and investors in properties that demonstrate strong fundamentals, which coupled with an experienced team of local asset managers, ensures Germany remains a strategic market for us,” he said.
Watters confirmed Redefine International was currently in exclusive negotiations to acquire a portfolio of high-quality assets which, if acquired, would utilise the majority of the disposal proceeds.
“The income yield is expected to be commensurate with the yield achieved on the disposal of the Leopard portfolio and will be accretive to shareholder returns over the medium term.
“However, there can be no guarantee that such acquisition will proceed to completion and a further announcement will be made by the company in due course,” he said.
- BUSINESS REPORT


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Dream Hotel Group revealed plans to debut its proprietary brand in Valle de Guadalupe in 2021. The hotel was signed with Baja California-based Cosmopolitan Group, and is the first Dream Hotel location signed in Mexico.
Designed by Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao and located on more than 35 acres of land in the Baja California region of Mexico, the boutique hotel will offer 61 guestrooms and villas, a spa and wellness concept and three dining and nightlife venues, including a private tasting room and pool bar.
“Cosmopolitan Group’s roots are based in Baja California and the company has intimate knowledge of the culture, as well as extensive knowledge and understanding of the market. They are innovators with a vision of creating something new, fresh and authentic to the region,” Jay Stein, CEO of Dream Hotel Group, said in a statement. “The area is Mexico’s food and wine destination, a perfect fit for Dream Hotels and its emphasis on world-class food-and-beverage experiences.”
“We’re proud to bring the Dream Hotels brand to Valle de Guadalupe,” Isaac Saul president of the Cosmopolitan Group, said in a statement. “From the moment we started working together, it’s been a synergistic partnership focused on creating an inspiring vision of what Dream Hotels can bring to the region.”
“Dream Valle de Guadalupe is an exciting collaboration between some of the best minds in the hospitality industry. The region will offer guests an opportunity to immerse themselves in the food and wine culture and natural tranquility encompassing Valle de Guadalupe,” Ariel Sanett, VP of development at Dream Hotel Group, said in a statement."
Valle de Guadalupe is located less than two hours from San Diego in Baja California, Mexico. The boutique lifestyle hotel is located on the Ruta del Vino wine route, and will offer access to dozens of the region’s wineries.


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After the announcement earlier this week that Comixology had signed an exclusive digital publishing contract with the relaunched Valiant Comics comes yet another exclusive announcement deal. According to a press release issued today, they now have the exclusive contract to publish Marvel Comics digitally.
Signed a few days ago, the deal means that ComiXology can now publish the entirety of Marvel's English-language back catalogue, as well as forthcoming titles from the company. Add that to the exclusive rights they already own to publish DC comics, and it appears ComiXology are now developing quite the digital monopoly. If you want a single-issue comic from either of the Big Two companies, readers will now have to go through ComiXology to download.
Although Marvel have been holding back on revealing the results of their recent 'Infinite Comics' digital venture, Peter Phillips - General Manager for Marvel Digital Media and possible future alliterative Stan Lee superhero - has suggested that almost 10% of AvX buyers going on to also download a digital version of the same comic. So if you combine this with the increase in growth sales both ComiXology and Marvel have been enjoying over the past year, it's starting to become very clear that Digital comics are no longer an idea for the future: they're here, now, and growing.
Questions must also be asked about Mark Waid, and his forewarnings about all this coming to pass. Is he a time traveller? Psychic visionary?


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Main Photo: The H+ Hotel in Leipzig
Date: June 2020
Location: Leipzig, Germany
Name: The H+ and H4 Hotels…to be renamed?
No. of Keys: 122 & 291
Seller: The hotels are two of many hotels owned by H-Hotels of Germany, currently under six brands of their own
Buyer: The H+ and H4 properties in Leipzig join other new additions in the US and Canada opening shortly. The soft brand is the fastest-growing in Wyndham’s portfolio, with 19% growth year on year. The brand was launched in 2017, targeted at three and four star hotels.
The brand’s latest openings include Cantilever Hotel, a Trademark Collection by Wyndham hotel in Ranier, Minn.; The Eureka Inn, a Trademark Collection by Wyndham hotel in Eureka, Calif.; Lakeview Signature, a Trademark Collection by Wyndham hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; and now H+ and H4 Trademark Collection hotels in Leipzig, Germany. The Bridgewater Hotel, a Trademark Collection by Wyndham hotel in Fairbanks, Alaska is scheduled to open next month.
“Trademark Collection continues to grow rapidly with independently minded owners around the world,” said Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “That growth is not only a testament to Trademark’s value as one of the most compelling soft branded options out there for independent hoteliers, but also the value of Wyndham, which brings recognition, distribution and loyalty in a time when travellers are looking to names and brands they trust for their future vacations.”
Trademark Collection’s global pipeline comprises more than 8,400 rooms. The brand recently celebrated the start of construction on a new Trademark Collection by Wyndham hotel in Leavenworth, Kan., which will be a creative re-adaptation of a former parochial school and is expected to open in the third quarter of 2020.
With over 15,000 independent economy and mid-scale hotels in the U.S., converting independent hotels to Wyndham brands remains an important source of growth. Wyndham has a proven track record of growing net rooms during lodging cycle downturns, fuelled by the strong value proposition across its portfolio of well-known brands. In the first quarter, Wyndham’s conversion pipeline increased 8% globally year-over-year.
The success of its owner base is critical to Wyndham’s business, and the Company is taking an owner-first approach to endurance and recovery in the wake of COVID-19 crisis. Wyndham is assisting owners by suspending certain fees, providing payment relief and deferring property improvement plans for nonessential brand standards in an effort to reduce operating costs in the near term while the industry recovers. The Company also took efforts to secure government assistance for franchisees, partnering with industry organisations to advocate on their behalf while guiding them through available relief, like the CARES act.
To support its franchisees as travel picks up again, Wyndham previously announced a long-term, multi-faceted initiative in the U.S. to build confidence among guests. The initiative, dubbed “Count on UsSM” will immediately focus on further elevating health and safety protocols at Wyndham hotels in the wake of COVID-19, shoring up critical supply chains and introducing new standards, training and guidelines grounded in guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Wyndham has also expanded its relationship with industry leader Ecolab on requiring consistent use of Ecolab’s EPA-approved disinfectants in guestrooms and public spaces nationwide.
THPT Comment: Good to see this new brand from Wyndham, getting off the group, especially in Europe. Interesting that H-Hotels, with it’s own major marketing activity, have teamed up here with Wyndham.
First Seen: Wyndham press release
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