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The Ministry of Agriculture has been asked to promote tea farming if the government expects to earn more cash returns similar to the situation in neighbouring Kenya.
Dr. Ezra Munyambonera, a senior research fellow at EPRC presented the analysis during the 3rd National Forum on Agriculture and Food Security in Kampala last week.
“Kenya is doing well, because the government has considered tea as one of its leading beverage crops. That is why they established the Kenya Tea Board whose responsibility is to promote tea production in the country. Let Uganda adopt the same strategy. This can help the country to increase tea production in the next 10 years,” he said.
An analysis of Uganda’s tea sector shows that tea production has stagnated since 1972 with the country producing between 30,000 to 50,000 metric tonnes of tea.
Experts at the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) say the disparity is due to lack of technology and failure by government to put in place a standalone tea policy or a regulatory authority.
The government has been doing this for other crops like coffee and cotton.
Experts say the country has the potential to increase tea production if it utilizes the 200,000 hectares available for tea planting and also carryout active research on tea and improve funding among other concerns.
The setting up of the tea board in Kenya has helped the country to carry out more research about the tea sector and also monitor the standards of the products.
These measures have made it easier for Kenya to compete with developed countries on the international market.
The coming up with statutory body responsible for tea growing in Kenya it has strengthen tea growing.
Farmers formed the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) which is helping them with farming inputs.
KTDA is a farmer owned organisation currently managing 63 tea factory companies.
KTDA assists smallholder tea farmers in the provision of agronomic and other technical services in farming, processing and marketing of tea.
KTDA also provides financial services and credit to farmers in form of inputs.
This has helped tea farmers in Kenya to constantly produce tea. Kenya also has g niche in the international branded market.
Source : East African Business Week


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Last year, the TSX darling and tech sensation was Shopify, which boasted a magnificent run that saw the stock closing at $516.30. As of this writing, SHOP is trading at $616.33 per share at writing, which is quite steep.
Since 2018, Altus is already showing good organic growth that in 2019, the tech stock was able to deliver a 63.7% gain. So far this year, Altus is up 11.9%.
This $1.72 billion company provides software, data solutions, and independent advisory services to the commercial real estate (CRE) industry. Its clients are in Canada, the U.S., Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Slowly but surely, Altus is migrating more and more clients worldwide onto its platform.
According to Altus CEO Bob Courteau, CRE is witnessing a rapid acceleration of its digital transformation. The trial and testing period is over and the industry is ready to move to practical innovation to solve the present challenges.
The annual growth estimate for the next five years is 27.6%, which means that Altus will be showing robust growth and producing chunking returns from here on in. But the more exciting news is teaming up with WSP Global to form a Canadian geomatics firm.
With the partnership, the company is likely to become the leading and best-in-class geomatics firm in Canada. Both are looking forward to long-term growth.
High-growth SaaS stock in the making
Tecsys is positioning itself to take a leading role in supply chain management. With solid revenue growth last year, the company should be nearing a top-line of $100 in 2020. In terms of stock performance, TCS delivered 76.4% gains in 2019. As of this writing, the stock is trading at $20.47%, with analysts projecting a 27% upside.
This $267.8 million company is starting to make waves not only in Canada, but also in the U.S. and other international markets. Tecsys is into the development, marketing, and sale of supply chain management software for distribution, warehousing, transportation logistics, point-of-use, and retail order management.
Allied services include demand planning and supply chain finance solutions and implementation, system enhancement, cloud, advisory, consulting, education, and support. Investment analysts see a long runway for organic innovation, segment, and geographic expansion very soon.
Early this year, Tecsys announced that Power BI, the cloud-based suite of business analytics tools of Microsoft, is powering its cloud-native retail order management analytics.
Investors should start keeping a close watch on this company, as Tecsys is bound to deliver sustainable growth and margin expansion, which could witness the emergence of another high-growth SaaS stock.
New tech sensations
Following the sterling performances last year, Altus and Tecsys are expected to continue displaying dynamic growth in 2020. Notably, both tech stocks are dividend payers. Altus offers a 1.37% dividend, while Tecsys yields 1.14%.
Canada’s tech sector produced more gainers in 2019 that added more value to the S&P/TSX Info Index. I think that either Altus or Tecsys will be the tech sensation of 2020.

domain: news


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The best performance of WMT and the worst performance of NASDAQ Composite Index relative to each other during last 5 years, took place during the recessionary period. And that is the reason why we love to consider WMT as a recession-proof stock. But if we observe the charts now, NASDAQ composite and other market indices are quickly approaching to the higher returns. These are the signs of early expansion which are not preferred by discount stores like Wal-Mart who have been reporting consecutive decline in sales. Their stock is pretty much down from where it was during the great recession. If that is not enough, recent hike in gas prices and inflation have worsened the outlook for the discount stores.
Wal-Mart has been trying various strategies to regain their momentum despite of negative correlation with the markets:
- Recently, they have announced to acquire Kosmix which discovers social content by topic. This acquisition may bring Wal-Mart to the new age of social media influence on electronic and mobile commerce. When a retail mammoth taps the Silicon Valley, it has to be something strategic. And these are the impediments behind the expansion of WalmartLabs.
- Few days ago, they tested their online grocery store. This may have been game changing event if consumers easily adapt to this service. It can definitely give Wal-Mart some edge over its peers.
- After successful entry in the Chicago market in the 2006, Wal-Mart began to think over the New York City market which has high barriers for entry. And based on poll results in the early 2011, New Yorkers showed positive response to embrace Wal-Mart.
... and if these help them perform well and beat the market, do we have to remove WMT from the list of those recession-proof stocks?


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Apple will invest 130 billion yen annually to enter movie screenings at movie theaters
It is reported that Apple plans to invest $ 1 billion (about 130 billion yen) annually in movies released in movie theaters, including the meaning of user guidance to the streaming service Apple TV +.
Apple to Spend $1 Billion a Year on Films to Break Into Cinemas (AAPL) - Bloomberg
Apple reportedly plans to spend $1B a year to release Apple TV+ movies in theaters | TechCrunch
Coda Coda Ai no Uta ' and so on.
Bloomberg reports, citing sources, that Apple plans to release several films in theaters in 2023, with more in the future.
As a group of works, names such as 'Killers of the Flower Moon' directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, spy thriller 'Argylle' directed by Matthew Vaughn, and 'Napoleon' directed by Ridley Scott are listed. , an Apple spokesperson had no comment.
Regarding 'Killers of the Flower Moon', it is true that Apple has put out about 200 million dollars (about 26 billion yen) in production costs, but it will be released in theaters by Paramount Pictures distribution before distribution on Apple TV +. It has been pointed out that it is different from other works.
Apple has developed a streaming service, Apple TV +, but the number of users is estimated to be 20 million to 40 million, which is less than rivals such as Disney + and Netflix, and aims to improve awareness by releasing movies to movie theaters. It is believed that there is.
As a theatrical movie that Apple has been involved in so far, it was purchased at the Sundance Film Festival for $ 25 million (about 3.26 billion yen), and then released at the movie theater and distributed on Apple TV + at the same time '
Finally, Amazon reported the completion of the acquisition of Rocky and 007's film production company 'MGM', but the state of being caught by regulatory authorities continues-GIGAZINE
In addition, similar movements have been reported to Amazon, which is developing Prime Video, which is a rival of the streaming service. Amazon, which acquired filmmaker Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 2022, plans to spend $1 billion a year on 12 to 15 theatrical releases per year. It is considered
in Web Service, Movie, Posted by logc_nt


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Somewhat Favorable Media Coverage Extremely Likely to Impact SORL Auto Parts (NASDAQ:SORL) Stock Price
Press coverage about SORL Auto Parts (NASDAQ:SORL) has been trending somewhat positive this week, according to Accern Sentiment. Accern identifies negative and positive news coverage by monitoring more than twenty million news and blog sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. SORL Auto Parts earned a coverage optimism score of 0.01 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news headlines about the company an impact score of 100 out of 100, indicating that recent news coverage is extremely likely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the near future.
Here are some of the headlines that may have impacted Accern Sentiment Analysis’s analysis:
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) Stake Cut by Foothills Asset Management Ltd. (ismboard.com)
- Head to Head Analysis: China Automotive Systems (CAAS) & SORL Auto Parts (SORL) (americanbankingnews.com)
- SORL Auto Parts, Inc. (SORL) to Release Quarterly Earnings on Monday (americanbankingnews.com)
- Negative Ichimoku Levels For Sorl Auto Parts Inc (SORL) Indicate Bearish Momentum – Evergreen Caller (evergreencaller.com)
- Share Performance in View for SORL Auto Parts, Inc. (NASDAQ … – Jonesboro Recorder (jonesbororecorder.com)
Shares of SORL Auto Parts (SORL) traded up 1.90% during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $6.99. 380,430 shares of the company traded hands. SORL Auto Parts has a 52 week low of $1.76 and a 52 week high of $9.74. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $7.19 and its 200-day moving average is $5.09. The company has a market capitalization of $134.93 million, a P/E ratio of 5.25 and a beta of 1.57.
SORL Auto Parts (NASDAQ:SORL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 15th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $73.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $71.76 million. SORL Auto Parts had a net margin of 8.80% and a return on equity of 15.84%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.02 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that SORL Auto Parts will post $1.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Several brokerages recently issued reports on SORL. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of SORL Auto Parts from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. ValuEngine raised shares of SORL Auto Parts from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, June 2nd.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: This news story was originally posted by The Cerbat Gem and is owned by of The Cerbat Gem. If you are viewing this news story on another website, it was illegally stolen and republished in violation of US & international copyright & trademark legislation. The original version of this news story can be viewed at https://www.thecerbatgem.com/2017/08/08/somewhat-favorable-news-coverage-extremely-likely-to-impact-sorl-auto-parts-nasdaqsorl-share-price-updated-updated-updated.html.
About SORL Auto Parts
SORL Auto Parts, Inc, through its interests in the Ruili Group Ruian Auto Parts Co, Ltd., a Sino-foreign joint venture (Joint Venture), develops, manufactures and distributes automotive brake systems and other safety related auto parts to automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and the related aftermarket both in China and abroad.
Receive News & Stock Ratings for SORL Auto Parts Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SORL Auto Parts Inc. and related stocks with our FREE daily email newsletter.


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Friday, December 6th, 2019
In October of this year, United Natural Foods (UNFI) reported its plans to sell two of its banners: Cub Foods and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy. Recently, Deli Market News received a report that the company has gone through with the sale. 13 of its 43 Shoppers stores are on the table, with the deal expecting to close between mid-December and the end of February 2020.
“Today’s announcement reflects progress on our commitment to reduce UNFI’s retail footprint and marks another step toward transforming UNFI into North America’s premier food wholesaler,” said Steven L. Spinner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We believe that exiting the retail business will further accelerate our business transformation and allow us to more appropriately allocate resources toward long-term growth initiatives.”
According to its press release, UNFI will also close four additional Shoppers stores, which are expected to cease operations by the end of January 2020. The company made the decision to not renew the lease at three of these locations and the fourth is being cancelled pursuant to an agreement with the landlord. So far, the rest of the Shoppers stores will remain in operation while UNFI continues to look for buyers.
“We will continue to wind down our retail footprint in a strategic and thoughtful manner to achieve the goals previously outlined,” Spinner continued. “As we do this, we greatly appreciate the loyalty of our associates and the tremendous service they have provided to our customers.
As part of the transactions, two of the buyers will enter into long-term agreements for UNFI to serve as the primary supplier of their acquired Shoppers locations under different banners.
To see the press release in its entirety, click here. And keep reading Deli Market News for the latest in the retail landscape.


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Asda drive to recruit 5,000 extra staff gets nod of approval from David Cameron
Supermarket giant Asda is planning to add an extra 5,000 jobs to its workforce in 2012 as it embarks on a £500million expansion programme.
The announcement was welcomed by Prime Minister David Cameron, who said it was 'a real boost for the economy and more importantly for people around Britain seeking jobs'.
Asda, which is the UK's second-largest supermarket after Tesco, will open 25 stores, refurbish 43 existing outlets and invest in three new depots this year.
Job opportunities: Asda took on 30,000 staff last year including filling existing posts, but it noted that turnover had reached an all-time low
The firm said nearly half of the jobs it created last year had gone to young people, who are currently battling high unemployment, while 8,500 jobs went to people who had signed up through Job Centre Plus.
Including filling vacant posts, Asda took on 30,000 staff last year - although it noted that turnover had reached an all-time low.
The chain, which currently employs more than 180,000 people and runs 528 stores across the UK, also pledged that eligible employees would be given the chance to take City & Guilds apprenticeships.
Mr Cameron said he welcomed Asda's commitment to not only create jobs but invest in staff too.
The majority of the new stores will be smaller supermarkets but the 600,000 square feet of new space will also be made up of superstores and Asda Living non-food outlets.
Asda, which is owned by the world's biggest retailer, US-based Walmart, will also open a new depot in Rochdale, replace a depot in Grangemouth, Falkirk, to serve Scotland and Northern Ireland, and revamp a centre in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, which formerly belonged to Netto.
It has already opened a store in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, this year but also plans outlets in Bootle in Merseyside, Coventry, Gateshead in Tyne & Wear, Harworth in Nottinghamshire, Mitcham in London, Ramsgate in Kent, Shepshed in Leicestershire, Todmorden in West Yorkshire, Worcester, and Worthing in West Sussex.
Its plans for Scotland will see it open stores in Inverness and Tain in the Highlands, and Larkhall in South Lanarkshire. And in Wales it will open a store in Bangor.
Asda, which has pledged to be 10 per cent cheaper than rivals amid a vicious supermarket price war, recently reported that customers were shopping less frequently but spending more in a bid to overcome high petrol prices.
Its most recent like-for-like sales figures, excluding VAT and fuel, increased by 1.3 per cent between July 1 and September 30.
However, it has yet to update on the Christmas period. Rival Tesco issued a profits warning with its festive bulletin.
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Volvo and Apple are joining forces by integrating Apple CarPlay into Volvo vehicles.
Both companies are aiming high and stated the alliance promises to transform the in-car experience.
Called Apple CarPlay, Apple said the new service brings all the features and services familiar to iPad, iPhone or iPod users directly into the car via Volvo Cars’ large center console touch screen display.
Volvo Cars said it enhances Apple’s capabilities by linking them to a specially-developed interface that allows drivers to use voice and steering wheel controls to access Apple features and services, ensuring the entire interaction is always safe and easy to use.
Both companies declared the interaction between Apple’s operating system and Volvo Cars’ newly-designed in car software and interface have been designed with simplicity and functionality in mind, two qualities that unite both Volvo Cars and Apple.
“Apple’s clean and intuitive user interface is a perfect match with Volvo’s Scandinavian Design approach and our focus on fluid functionality,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars.
The first car to offer Apple CarPlay will be a completely redesigned XC90 SUV which will be introduced later in 2014.
With Apple CarPlay, users will immediately recognize their basic iPhone applications, such as phone, messages, music and navigation, said Volvo. The initial offer will also feature third party audio apps including Spotify, the popular music streaming service.
Volvo Cars said its portrait screen layout will give users the benefit of having both Volvo Cars and Apple content co-existing simultaneously, removing the need to switch between a dedicated car and iPhone screen.
“iPhone users will feel completely at home in a new Volvo. We have created a wholly-integrated user experience in our large portrait-oriented touch screen that takes the in-car mobile device experience to a new level. That, coupled with the obvious driver safety benefits of an advanced voice control system like Siri, made Apple a perfect match for Volvo,” added Håkan Samuelsson.
Apple CarPlay allows connection of the device to the car through a Lightning cable – with Wi-Fi coming in the near future, per Volvo. The connection is based on a streaming H.264 video feed that returns user input from the touchscreen.
Apple CarPlay will be available in forthcoming Volvo models based on the new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), starting with the nextVolvo XC90.


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Photo Credit: Nokia
Nokia C22 was launched in India on Thursday. The phone was unveiled globally earlier this year in February alongside the Nokia C32. The Nokia C22 is available in India in two storage variants and the company is offering it in three colour options. HMD Global, the parent company of Nokia, calls this phone the "perfect blend of affordability and performance." The phone comes with an IP52 rating, a 2.5D display glass, and a strong metal chassis in a sturdy polycarbonate unibody design.
Offered in Charcoal, Purple, and Sand colour options, the Nokia C22 is available for purchase today in India at a starting price of Rs. 7,999. This is for the base 2GB + 64GB storage variant. The phone is also available in a 4GB + 64GB variant, which is marked at Rs. 8,499.
Featuring a 6.5-inch HD+ (720x1,600 pixels) LCD display, the Nokia C22 has an aspect ratio of 20:9. The phone is powered by an octa-core Unisoc SC9863A SoC paired with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of inbuilt storage. It runs Android 13 Go Edition out-of-the-box.
The dual rear camera unit of the Nokia C22 sports a 13-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel sensor, alongside an LED flash module. The front camera is equipped with an 8-megapixel sensor housed in a centre-aligned waterdrop notch at the top of the display.
The phone is backed by an unspecified battery unit with 10W charging support, that claims to offer up to 3 days of battery life. For security, there is a fingerprint sensor on the back panel of the handset and the phone also has a face unlock feature. The dual-nano-SIM supported smartphone is promised two years of quarterly security updates, but no OS updates.
For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on Twitter, Facebook, and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel.


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Increasingly severe climate impacts are threatening the UK’s ability to import fresh fruit and vegetables from parts of Europe and north Africa, a new study has found.
Analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) shows that just over a quarter of food imports came from the Mediterranean region in 2022, with Spain alone accounting for 7%.
However, extreme heat and fire damage are resulting in lower crop yields, which is increasingly likely to leave less food in UK shops and markets, and lead to higher prices.
Some of these commodities cannot be grown in the UK at scale. More than half of the country’s lemons and sweet peppers come from the Mediterranean in 2022, along with two-thirds of all oranges and 40% of table grapes. The UK also relies on the region for over 80% of its olive oil.
With heatwaves, droughts, and other climate-related impacts set to become more frequent and severe over the coming years, it is possible that a healthy diet could become increasingly out of reach for the poorest in society.
“It’s sobering to realise just how much we rely on food imports that come from parts of the world most at risk from the changing climate,” said Gareth Redmond-King, ECIU’s head of international programme.
“Shortages of salad and other vegetables in UK supermarkets in February this year caused by extremes in southern Spain and north Africa brought home to people just how vulnerable the UK is to the impacts of climate change on our food.”
However, some of the commodities imported from the Mediterranean are foods that can be grown outside in the UK for at least parts of the year, or that can be grown indoors, using more expensive and energy-intensive processes.
This includes nearly all cauliflowers, broccoli and strawberries, and nearly two-thirds of the cucumbers and tomatoes which the UK imports, as well as nearly a fifth of the overall supply of onions.
Overall, the analysis shows that the UK imported around half its food from overseas in 2022 – approximately 37 billion kilograms – and half of that was food that is not grown in the UK.
This comes after previous research by ECIU found that climate change and fossil fuel prices added more than £400 to household shopping bills in 2022, increasing the total annual UK food shopping bill by around £11.4bn.
Meanwhile, polling commissioned by the not-for-profit Round Our Way suggests that 61% of Britons think that the recent European heatwaves will make food prices worse in Britain.
The polling also found that 61% think that politicians should be doing all they can to stop extreme weather getting worse, and that 74% believe that climate change is contributing to record high temperatures in Europe.
Roger Harding, director of Round Our Way said: “The impact of the deadly fires on the Continent are going to be felt here at home as it causes food prices to rise, and as ever, it's people on modest incomes who are going to be hit hardest.
“All of us want more breathing space from rising food and energy bills, and that means politicians starting to take the impact of climate change seriously and bringing forward plans to tackle it.”
Image credit: Shutterstock


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2020 will live long in the memory for London’s restaurants, pubs, cafes, and bars — for those who work in them, and for those who frequent them.
This is not just because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and its impact on the city’s restaurant world — the closures, the lockdowns, the jobs and lives lost and the livelihoods turned upside down. Look beneath its immediate damage, and it’s possible to see fault lines that have existed for decades opened up to gaping chasms.
London’s restaurants have always been materially connected to everything else that drives the city; the labour market, the property market, tourism and business. But dining out so often fulfils a need of leisure, or of escapism from those realities, that that connection is largely forgotten about. 2020 didn’t let diners forget it, from first to last, with restaurants, pubs, cafes, and bars all subject to furlough, to rent and eviction protections that will soon expire, to business rate holidays and to VAT cuts that changed their futures. Ultimately, 2020 left restaurants in an existential crisis — what it means to be a restaurant, and to not just exist but to thrive and survive, came into question time and again.
This was a year that changed dining out in London forever, and this is a review of that year, that tries to make sense of its consequences not just now, but into the future.


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2011-05-07 11:11 | Guest
While in the past we’ve seen Microsoft work closely with Fiat in the auto industry to develop the Blue&Me electronic interface, the software giant is now partnering with Volkswagen to help develop the next-generation of in-car entertainment technology, and possibly do-away with in-car DVD players in the process.
2011-04-01 18:14 | editor
Intel has announced it is to roll out a new technology for connecting computers and peripherals.
2011-04-01 16:19 | editor
Amazon has unveiled an online music service that lets users upload songs and play them from a range of devices.


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Labour MEPs to vote next week for end of EU roaming charges
The European Parliament is set to vote next week for the abolition of roaming charges across the EU.
The vote will be the final stage of the telecoms single market package, following a deal reached by national governments in June. If MEPs back the proposals, there will be a decrease in roaming charges from April 30, 2016, with an official end to roaming charges on June 15, 2017.
Throughout the negotiations, which have taken more than a year, Labour MEPs insisted on a clear end-date for roaming costs in the face of mounting opposition from ministers.
Theresa Griffin MEP, Labour’s European spokesperson on industry, said:
“The end of roaming charges will be a huge benefit to holidaymakers and business travellers across the EU. Labour MEPs have long campaigned for the end of exorbitant roaming charges, and we are delighted the end is in sight.
“Following a long battle with national governments, a successful vote on Tuesday will result in huge benefits for consumers across Europe.”
Catherine Stihler MEP, Labour’s European spokesperson on consumer affairs, added:
“This vote will mean an end to outrageous phone bills for consumers when they return from their holiday or travel within the EU for work.
“It is a great achievement for consumers across Europe and in the UK, and is another reason why the EU benefits us in Britain. I would urge all MEPs to support the vote and to bring an end of roaming charges once and for all.”


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The McMenamin Family ShopRite at 9910 Frankford Ave. (at Morrell Avenue) last week hosted Harvesting Hope to End Hunger, an event to honor employees who aid the store’s fundraising activities.
ShopRite associates in six states participated in a friendly competition to raise money to support food banks in communities they serve. The supermarket has been overseeing the fundraiser for 23 years.
At the Frankford and Morrell store, employees collected donations from customers and organized dine-in and takeout events at local eateries.
In all, 285 ShopRite stores from Connecticut to Maryland raised some $1.56 million.
At the March 20 event at the Frankford and Morrell store, two employees were honored for spearheading the fundraising activities.
Those employees – cashier Loretta Connelly and deli manager Andrea Sonday – are featured on special-edition Cheerios boxes that are being sold exclusively at ShopRite stores during March.
For Connelly, it’s the second time she’s appeared on a Cheerios Box.
This year, the ShopRite of Morrell Plaza raised $12,000 for Philabundance.
General Mills supports ShopRite in its Partners in Caring fundraising initiative.
By being among the top 52 stores in fundraising, the ShopRite at Frankford and Morrell was able to designate an additional $2,500 to be donated to a local food pantry. Employees selected the newly opened food pantry at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital.
Sean McMenamin and Bria McMenamin, who operate two family-owned stores, were in attendance. Store manager Mike Semeriglia thanked 8th Police District community relations officer Chris Hanejko and the office of state Rep. Ed Neilson for taking part in a recent “Help Bag Hunger” day. ••


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August and September 2021 ribbon cuttings
It’s ribbon cutting season! The Edmond Chamber hosted ten ribbon cuttings during August and September, and all were celebrating grand openings of new companies or new locations in our city. We continue to see impressive growth in our local economy and business community and find our purpose in helping Edmond businesses celebrate exciting moments and new opportunities.
Supporting local businesses is an easy way to give back to our community and encourage more companies to locate to Edmond. Check out the businesses below or use our membership directory to find locally owned Chamber members in any industry.
Subscribe to Email Updates
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About Ashley Neese
Ashley Neese currently serves as editor of Edmond Business and a freelancer specializing in overall communication strategy. She previously served as the communications and marketing manager at the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce, where she promoted chamber events, helped members gain exposure, and spearheaded the Edmond Young Professionals organization, as well as the Chamber’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.
An Edmond native, Ashley graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2017 with a degree in Strategic Communications. In her free time, she enjoys brewing coffee and finding the best local eats.


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Archive for the ‘advertising’ Category
In the Specialist Media Insights research earlier this year, we asked 130 publishers what they saw as their biggest opportunities and challenges. This provides a unique insight into how specialist media owners see the world right now.
Whilst they can glimpse the potential of digital platforms, online interaction, repackaging content and enhanced ad propositions, there is still a fear of new competitors, making the wrong technology choices, and traditional revenues evaporating before digital grows to replace them. Plus a real skills gap especially in sales and technology. (more…)
How will your publishing business evolve in 2013? Here’s five megatrends that you must include in your plans for this year - and some suggestions for what you can do about them…
So how do you think the post-Christmas mobile world will affect how your audience wants to consume and pay for content? Now that a third of adults in the US own an e-reader or tablet, will British consumers be far behind? What does all this mean for specialist consumer or b2b publishers - and how can you get your niche media business onto a winning streak for 2013?
Here’s my 7 steps to help niche publishers improve their luck this year. (more…)
News weeklies are one of the few magazine categories that are growing in print. And The Week is a long term publishing phenomenon with an incredibly loyal subscriber base. They rarely change the design template as it causes uproar among their loyal, longstanding and definitely mature subscribers, whose common refrain is “don’t change a thing.”
So not an obvious candidate for an iPad edition - and yet The Week has been a storming success on mobile, with 132k downloads of the UK edition, impressive commercial revenues and high star-ratings on itunes.
I was lucky enough to chair a seminar session with both Kerin O Connor, CEO of the Week, and Julian Thorne, MD of their subscription bureau, Dovetail, earlier this month and gained a great insight into how they did it and which of their learnings are applicable to other publishers: (more…)
Tags: app sponsorship, Apple newsstand, Dennis, Dovetail, HTML5, mobile editions, mobile publishing, pricing, subscriptions, The Week
Posted in advertising, business strategy, consumer, implementation, marketing
Finding new revenue sources in specialist media markets is tough: cover prices in print are capped by competitive pressures and subscriptions need to be keenly priced. Circulation volumes are often limited, and rates for standard ad units are under pressure. But niche publishers have a great asset in their passionate communities and strong reader relationships, and with the right approach this can be harnessed to create innovative ad campaigns for relatively large advertisers and bring in incremental revenue. I was impressed by the story of how Military Times created a campaign for Intel, and think it has many lessons relevant to other specialist media businesses. (more…)
Many publishers are considering putting their magazine content into apps , to tap into the worldwide audience on Apple devices and increasingly android too. But how to work out what to charge for and how to grow revenues? Action Sports publisher Factory Media seems to have hit on a winning formula. They are the latest Media Pioneer, for their impressive 26% growth in app revenues. Here’s my take on the key reasons for their success: (more…)
Growing commercial revenues from online publishing has provided a conundrum for specialist media businesses - they don’t have the volume of inventory to be attractive to ad networks and the CPMs are derisory - and their small commercial teams often lack skills to sell across multiple platforms. But at the Specialist Media Show conference last month, delegates heard from specialist media owners Duncan Tickell of Magicalia and Paul Hood, latterly of Emap and now at Mirror group, and gurus such as Chris Parsons of Q5 Partners, on how to create simple, clever campaigns that grow clients’ business with tips that can be applied to niche markets. Here’s the top 5 insights: (more…)
Media owners are finding their advertising clients these days are far more demanding, expecting to be able to measure the real business value of their campaigns, rather than relying on the simple reach of any advertising activity. Mere banners, links and MPUs are just not enough when the online ad market is awash with low-cost inventory. So how can specialist media owners develop long-term, successful commercial partnerships in this tough environment? I met yesterday with Duncan Tickell, MD of Magicalia, and Paul Hood, Head of Digital at Mirror Group, who are both taking part in a session at the Specialist Media Show Conference on 25 May on this topic, and picked up some insights, based on their campaigns for bike manufacturers, parenting clients and music publishers, that I believe can be used by large and small media businesses alike. (more…)
Tags: advertising, bespoke campaigns, commercial partnerships, Duncan Tickell, Magicalia, Mirror Group, Paul Hood, Penmaen Media, specialist media show
Posted in advertising, b2b, business strategy, consumer


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MUMBAI: India’s gold imports plunged 99.9% year-on-year in April to their lowest in nearly three decades as air travel remains suspended and jewellry shops were closed amid a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The world’s second-biggest consumer of the gold after China, imported its lowest monthly volumes at around 50 kilograms of gold in April, down from 110.18 tonnes a year ago.
In value terms, April imports dropped to $2.84 million from $3.97 billion a year ago. The information was revealed to media outlets by a person with knowledge of provisional finance ministry data, who asked not to be identified as the information is not public and he was not authorised to speak.
Overseas purchases slumped 99.5 percent to 60 kilograms in April from 13 tons a month ago. This would be the lowest monthly inflow in records going back to 2010, according to data available with Metal Focus, one of the world’s leading precious metals consultancies.
A nationwide lockdown, which has been in place since March 25, has rippled through the country’s economy hitting incomes, jobs and shuttering many industries including airlines, and gems and jewelry.
Imports were negligible in April as most of the country’s imports are typically shipped by air, with a smaller volume coming via land from either Bangladesh or Nepal. All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council chairman estimated imports will halve this year to about 350 tons.
India has eased some lockdown restrictions but is unlikely to help salvage economic growth this quarter or even the fiscal year as consumption continues to suffer. Gross domestic product is expected to contract by 24.8 percent year-on-year in the quarter started April. Most jewelry stores across the country continue to be closed in one of the longest shutdowns ever.
Meanwhile, gold price in the domestic market rose for the second day in a row on Monday amid rising tensions between US and China and as lockdown restrictions were eased in large parts of India.
June gold futures prices rose 0.7 percent to Rs 45,830 per 10 gram on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), against a gain of Rs650 per 10 gram in the previous session. July silver futures edged 0.44 percent higher at Rs 41,780 per kg.
Gold had risen 18 percent last year as the China-US trade dispute increased demand for the safe-haven amid interest rates cuts by the US central bank. The US dollar moved away from an over one-month low on Monday, making gold costlier for investors holding other currencies.
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AvidXchange is one of North Carolina’s largest providers of cloud-based payment management automation software. The company’s services include payment processing and management automation. According to the company, 8,000 businesses became their customers in 2022 alone, and the number of payments processed was about 70 million.
The hacker group RansomHouse published a report on the darknet attack. They urged AvidXchange representatives to contact them to prevent the leak of data and important documents. The cybercriminals published a small piece of data as proof of the seriousness of their intentions. Among the information disclosed are non-disclosure agreements, employee payroll information, bank account numbers, as well as credentials, and even answers to security questions for logging into internal company systems, right down to smart door locks.
The second hack in a year
The company confirmed the leak on its website. AvidXchange said it is currently investigating the incident. Employees first noticed some data missing in early April, according to a statement on the cloud solution provider’s website.
It’s not clear at this time whether AvidXchange intends to pay ransom to the extortionists. Company spokeswoman Olivia Sorrells, speaking to TechCrunch reporters, only said AvidXchange expects to incur costs related to the incident.
This isn’t the first time in a relatively short period that the company has been attacked by cybercriminals. The previous instance of a hacking attack on AvidXchange happened just a few weeks ago. Back then, the firm was one of 130 victims of a massive hack targeting Fortra GoAnywhere systems. AvidXchange used Fortra GoAnywhere technology to transmit files to a certain check printing company.


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News about Syms Corporation , including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
ARTICLES ABOUT SYMS CORPORATION
The struggling discount retailers plan to close all 46 of their stores, which employ about 2,450 people.
November 3, 2011, Thursday
As commercial rents fall and more buyers look for off-price fashions, discount clothing retailers are expanding in Manhattan.
October 13, 2010, Wednesday
Mr. Syms pioneered selling off-price clothing and built his retail chain, the Syms Corporation, into a national brand.
November 18, 2009, Wednesday
This well-known, well-organized clothing emporium is full of inexpensive office drag without an intimidating fashion swagger.
September 3, 2009, Thursday
When Marcy Syms began her career in management, there was an assumption that she may not have earned her position.
September 10, 2006, Sunday
An advertising executive with the Syms Corporation, the clothing discounter, was charged yesterday with stealing more than $5.5 million in an elaborate scheme of overbilling and false invoices, said the Manhattan district attorney, Robert M....
May 31, 2001, Thursday
There are those who give lip service to loving good bargains, and then there are guerrilla shoppers. The two are rarely confused. The part-time bargain hunter sniffs around the sales rack at Saks Fifth Avenue, with weak hopes of finding something...
October 26, 1996, Saturday
The Syms Corporation's stock fell nearly 17 percent yesterday after its chairman and chief executive, Sy Syms, withdrew his offer to take the company private, saying it would cost too much. Shares of Syms, a discount apparel retailer based in...
October 17, 1995, Tuesday
The Syms Corporation said late yesterday that it was abandoning plans to buy back the company's stock. The company had previously announced that stockholders holding a majority of the shares proposed to buy the shares at $8.75 each. The stock of...
October 14, 1995, Saturday
Bookstore Finally Finds First Manhattan Site A yearlong search by Borders Books and Music has yielded a site for the Michigan-based company's first Manhattan store. Last week, Borders signed a lease for 37,000 square feet over three levels at 5...


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You see them all over the city — fake handbags, fake clothes, and fake electronics. What if you could play a bigger role in helping to report counterfeit goods? Well, now there’s an app for that.
It’s true, there’s an app for even that. A new smart phone program promises to help parents determine their son’s sexuality in a modified version of “20 questions.”
Health officials have released a mobile phone application to help New Yorkers find free condoms. The phone app is designed to locate the five nearest venues that distribute free NYC Condoms.
Our picks for the coolest, most efficient and best apps for Android users in New York City.


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2015 Taipei International Packing Industry Show – Photos from T&G in the show are applied!
August 4, 2015
The 2015 Taipei International Packing Industry Show has successfully done on June 27.
T&G also got so many visitors at our booth! We demonstrated a lot more new kinds of machines this year, which attracted many foreign customers to our booth. As a result, the photographer from the official took some pictures from our booth and also chose two of them to put onto their official website, showing as one of the main attractions of the show.
We feel especially honored to have our pictures on the website, and many huge thanks to the official as well!


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Something in the world of Injustice: Gods Among Us is turning all of DC's super-heroes into jerks. Not just Superman. All of them. And now they're just beating each other up.
Why is this happening? Who knows! But the fighting game from the makers of Mortal Kombat is now slated for an April 2013 release on Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U. If you like super-hero brawls, this looks like an appopriately nasty one.
Seriously, Nightwing, what the hell?


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As part of its annual Rewind feature, Apple has revealed the top paid and free apps for both the iPhone/iPod Touch and the iPad that were downloaded from the iTunes Store over the last year. This year's top paid apps for iPhone were all games — not surprising given the popularity of both the iPhone and essentially created-for-gaming iPod Touch. Plus, this year's addition of the Game Center reinforced the attention that both Apple and developers are giving to mobile gaming. As such, the top paid app this year was Conan's favorite: Angry Birds. The top free app? Facebook, of course.
Check out a full list of what was hot in 2010 for iOS after the break.
Top free iPhone apps:
Top paid iPhone apps:
Top free iPad apps:
Top paid iPad apps:


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Asda rolls out trade-in and pre-owned games
New ’Buy, Play, Trade’ Service Available In 235 Stores Nationwide
Asda announced today that it has launched trade in and pre-owned games in 235 stores nationwide following a successful five store trial.
Asda’s trade in and pre-owned games service will enable millions of its customers to bring in unwanted games and trade them in against other titles or exchange them for money. Any money exchanged will be placed onto an Asda ’Buy, Play, Trade’ card to reduce the price of future game purchases. If customers prefer, they can also choose to spend the money they receive on other products across the entire store.
The nationwide service means avid gamers can now save even more money off their entertainment purchases at Asda. The supermarket is already widely recognised as the price leader on new releases such as FIFA 11, which it sold last week for £29.97.
In order to launch its new trade in service with a bang, last week Asda also offered a market leading trade in deal, where customers could purchase FIFA 11 on Xbox360 or PS3 for just 97p. The trade in deal ran for three days and was a phenomenal success allowing Asda to recruit thousands of pre-owned leading titles from its customers.
Fergal Gara, Asda’s category director for music, video and games said: “Entertainment has always been a key category for Asda, but more recently we’ve set ourselves the target of being the best general retailer in the market. The launch of ’Buy, Play, Trade’ is one of the key steps towards reaching that goal.”
Andrew Thompson, Head of Games at Asda said: “We feel there is no better time to launch trade in and pre-owned games. With uncertain economic conditions and spending cuts dominating the headlines, customers need our help more than ever to help lower the cost of living.”
“Our objectives are clear – we want to deliver outstanding value for money for our customers, but also drive bigger market share on new release games titles, through market leading trade in promotions.”
There is already a thriving market for pre-owned games in the UK, estimated to be in the region of £4-500m. Once the sole domain of specialist games retailers, Asda’s entry follows two years of significant growth in the games sector.


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Airport operator BAA’s retail marketing director Claire Hewitt is leaving the company at Christmas to set up her own marketing consultancy.
Her resignation comes only six months after BAA’s Heathrow retail director Bob Knowles left to join royal jewellers Asprey, which owns Garrard, Mappin & Webb and Watches of Switzerland (MW May 24).
BAA now makes over half its revenue from airport shops. In the last financial year, its revenue from duty-free shops at UK airports increased by 88.5 per cent to 177m.
Hewitt has worked for BAA for seven years, helping to develop its extensive retail offer in UK airports. She reports to BAA’s retail board, headed by retail director Barry Gibson. The company has yet to announce her successor.
Before joining BAA, Hewitt worked in retail marketing at the Burton Group. She has also worked for Mars, and joined Marks & Spencer as a management trainee.
BAA is carrying out a statutory review of its advertising agencies and is understood to have narrowed its list down to incumbent Bates Dorland, and one other agency.
Hewitt says: “The time is right for me to start a consultancy, especially with my strategic planning experience. But I will be intimately involved in the agency pitch.”


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Steve Shepard, winemaker at RayLen Vineyards, talks to visitors at the RayLen tasting table at the Greensboro N.C. Winegrowers Association meeting Saturday. RayLen was presented the N.C. Winegrower of Excellence Award. It was awarded at the 2007 State Fair. McRitchie Winery & Ciderworks of Thurmond accepted the commercial winery division's best of show
Wine enthusiasts from across the state assembled this weekend to celebrate and learn during the N.C. Winegrowers’ Association annual meeting.
The Greensboro event Friday through Sunday brought newcomers, seasoned vintners, and exhibitors to the Greensboro Marriott Hotel. The organization is led by President Kim Myers, co-owner of Hamptonville’s Laurel Gray Vineyards
Workshops were held for beginning wine enthusiasts on Friday, including an introduction to the state’s winemaking industry by Myers. “We had a very good opening Friday. There were 95 newcomers in attendance,” Myers said. “A lot of good information was shared and I heard some say that it was the best opening ever.”
After a showcase of North Carolina commercial wines, the NCWA awards were presented. Two awards from the 2007 State Fair Wine Competition were given.
Scott Pearson was presented with the Amateur Division Best of Show award and McRitchie Winery and Ciderworks accepted the Commercial Winery division's best of show.
The highlight of the evening centered around Steve Shepard who first accepted an award on behalf of Raylen Vineyards for the N.C. Winegrower of Excellence award.
Winning the award signified “A vineyard with at least five years and five acres of excellent fruit and contributing to the betterment of North Carolina vineyards at large,” said Myers.
The second major award was a NCWA Member of Distinction award presented by the former award winner, Larry Kehoe, to Shepard.
Kehoe called Shepard “A pioneer in North Carolina winemaking who has always been open and willing to share knowledge.” Greg Johns of Childress Vineyards joined Kehoe at the podium to share his own story of Steve Shepard’s “selfless generosity” in helping find their winemaker Mark Friszolowski.
Shepard, after receiving a standing ovation, thanked the winegrowing community for the two awards. “I feel like you guys are putting me out to pasture.” Shepard said laughing. “It seems a little premature for me...but I'll take it!”
Other speakers during the workshops included wine professionals, with topics for beginners from Norm Oches and Joyce Rigby’s “Vineyard and Winery Business Plan” to a real life discussion panel titled “What I Know Now That I Wish I Knew Then...”
Saturday and Sunday’s events targeted current wine industry issues from general marketing management and sales tips to very technical findings on specific grape varietals, diseases, and fermentation practices in North Carolina.
Viticulturists from across the state discussed this year’s late frost effects and the many devices that were tested to protect the vines. “When the speaker (Jack Watson) asked us, ‘Did anyone not have loss?’ there wasn't a hand in the air,” vineyard manager Andy Shores, said. “There isn’t much you can do when you have a really warm March, prompting bud break, and then weather below 23 degrees in April.”
Jack Watson is a retired area extension agent from Washington State University. He explained how his state copes with colder temperatures by figuring a certain amount of loss due to frost into the budget.
Three lectures followed introducing new Cornell-designed hybrid grapes that could be bountiful in North Carolina, the types and smells of chemical spoilage in wine and Southern Living expert Susan Dosier’s marketing 101.


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Major global manufacturer of electronics provides scale to the expanding demand for Ingenu’s RPMA-enabled devices
SAN DIEGO and TAIPEI, Taiwan – May 11, 2016 – Ingenu™, the pioneer in delivering connectivity exclusively to machines, and Compal Electronics (TAIEX: 2324), one of the world’s largest original design manufacturers of IT products, today announced a strategic partnership that will bring the next generation of Ingenu’s patented RPMA® (Random Phase Multiple Access) hardware to the market to meet growing demand for IoT connectivity worldwide.
Ingenu has seen tremendous global demand for its RPMA technology and solutions since announcing its global licensing strategy in February, and rolling out the first cities on its U.S.- based Machine NetworkTM this spring. Compal will leverage its global scale to quickly launch a rich offering of RPMA-enabled devices serving a variety of vertical industries, including asset management, transportation and logistics. The devices will include the next-generation RPMA module: the picoNodeTM – a full-featured RPMA-enabled module that is less than the size of a quarter, allowing for increased development within smaller form factors.
Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Compal Electronics is recognized as a world-class organization that has manufactured products for a variety of global consumer electronics brands. The company’s annual revenues are in excess of $26 billion USD.
“The global demand for RPMA solutions is skyrocketing and Compal is a key strategic partner in helping Ingenu scale quickly to meet this demand,” said Ingenu CEO John Horn. “Having a robust ecosystem is key to the widespread adoption of RPMA technology, and with Compal’s strategic partnership, we are primed as a company to quickly scale to address the device needs of the IoT market. The collaborative efforts in improving the design of our technology will offer a wider range of device options to our current and future customers.”
Utilizing the globally available 2.4 GHz ISM band, RPMA is fast becoming an appealing connectivity option for IoT application providers looking to deploy a solution with adequate bandwidth and global coverage, without the threat of ever-shifting network standards.
“Ingenu is a very attractive technology partner for Compal’s global IoT strategy,” added Martin Wong, executive vice president, Compal. “The ability to leverage our manufacturing and engineering capabilities aligns well with the growth of RPMA networks and customers all over the world. The next generation of RPMA devices is sure to lead the way in the overall growth of the broader IoT market, and we’re pleased to partner in that effort.
Ingenu is building the first wireless Machine Network, the world’s largest IoT network dedicated to LPWA (low-power, wide-area) connectivity for machines only. Operating on universal spectrum, the company’s RPMA® technology is a proven standard for connecting Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) devices around the world, with 38 private networks deployed over seven years. The Machine NetworkTM will have further reach, global range and longer lasting battery life than any existing network. It is also future-proof – enabling technology solution providers to maximize their product’s efficiency and longevity, with unparalleled control and visibility. Ingenu is led by a highly experienced team and backed by one of the strongest boards in the industry, including veterans from Verizon and Qualcomm. Information about Ingenu can be found at www.ingenu.com, or follow us on Twitter @ingenunetworks.
About Compal Electronics
Founded in 1984, Compal is specialized in designing and manufacturing laptop computers, smart connected devices and TVs. Compal has been taking firm strides in the development of “5C” products (Computing, Communication, Consumer, Connecting and Cloud), with annual revenues over $26 billion USD in 2015. With an experienced management team, a staff of more than 6,600 high-quality technology professionals, sophisticated procurement capability, and efficient global operations systems, Compal is highly recognized by global top-tier OEM customers. In 2015, Compal ranked sixth of the “Best 2000 Manufacturers” in Taiwan. Guided by the corporate philosophy of “Innovation, Harmony and Transcendence”, Compal aims to achieve “Enlightened Living with Green Connecting and Computing”. For more information on Compal, please visit http://www.compal.com


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A parking crackdown on a private road in Tunbridge Wells town centre has seen around 45 fines slapped on vehicles.
According to The Barn pub and restaurant in Lonsdale Gardens drivers had for years taken advantage of the free parking but yesterday they had a nasty early Christmas present - a £95 fine.
The road off Mount Pleasant Road used to lead to a former car park behind the ABC cinema. The Barn said the area was a private estate owned by a trust and weekend parking rules had not been enforced "for 25 years".
But yesterday scores of cars parked in Lonsdale Gardens had tickets on their windows and The Barn tweeted out its disgust at the blitz saying "so much for supporting local and independents".
One passer-by Eileen Leahy said she "couldn't believe the amount of fines issued" and added "what a time of year to do it!"
The pub posted a video of the vehicles and said: "Many use the road to park whilst shopping the town, so what a great way this is to promote shopping here in Tunbridge Wells, at the busiest time of the year too."
The Barn said it was not the work of council traffic wardens but the ticketing had been carried out on behalf of the trust which owns the area.
Should the ticketing have been done after the Christmas period?
0+ VOTES SO FAR
Kent Live has contacted the parking firm it understands issued the tickets.


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Few inside or outside the Government believe that the mushrooming PSBR will be fully reversed as recovery sets in. The respected Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, for instance, estimates that Britain's structural budget deficit - that portion of the shortfall not directly attributable to the impact of recession - amounts to perhaps pounds 15bn.
Given the scale of the problem it seems that the Treasury will have little alternative but to widen the base of VAT, which covers just 60 per cent of consumer spending, one of the narrowest VAT bases in the European Community.
Although John Major declared a year ago that there was no need and there were no plans to widen the VAT base, no other potential source of indirect taxation would deliver the revenues the Treasury now believes it needs.
The VAT-free base is divided up into VAT-exempt categories of spending and goods and services that are zero-rated. (Companies which suffer VAT can claim back from the Customs and Excise VAT that they themselves incur on their purchases. Companies producing exempt goods cannot reclaim VAT they pay; companies producing zero-rated goods can).
Zero-rated goods offer by far the greatest potential source of revenue and are the most practical target. They include food, domestic fuel and power, construction of new dwellings, passenger transport, books, newspapers and magazines, children's clothing, water and sewerage services and prescription drugs.
In total, the Treasury believes that the extension of VAT to these goods would raise pounds 17.8bn, compared with the present VAT yield of pounds 38bn.
The list itself shows how politically difficult any extension might be. Moreover, there are practical obstacles. The Treasury's estimates of the additional revenue may be optimistic. The Institute of Fiscal Studies believes that if all zero-rated goods and services were taxed at the 17.5 per cent standard rate, the Treasury would gain some pounds 11bn, partly because the Treasury figures do not take into account the impact on demand of such an unprecedented expansion of the VAT base and partly because it assumes uninterrupted spending growth. In Tax Reform for the Fourth Term, published last autumn, the IFS also argues that because many of these items include essential expenditure for poor families, the imposition of VAT would have to be offset by higher benefit spending, or higher income tax allowances, to mitigate the regressive nature of widening the VAT base.
Unfortunately, that is not an option open to the cash-starved Treasury. Indeed the long-term Conservative goal is more likely to be an assault on benefits paid equally to everyone rather than those in need. It seems more probable, therefore, that the Government will opt for a limited extension of the base, concentrating on the high revenue-yielding areas of spending such as food and energy.
Imposing VAT on new houses would crucify an already deeply damaged building industry, and raises the problem of whether old houses should be taxed too. We impose VAT on new washing machines, but not on old ones. As Paul Baker of the IFS points out, taxation of housing is thus difficult because of its durable nature. One option would be to put VAT on the notional rent that owners receive, but this is also an administrative nightmare.
Taxing passenger transport is also complicated by government hopes for the privatisation of British Rail. Applying VAT to water may have to await the introduction of metering throughout the country. Children's clothing and drugs have the same disadvantages as food and energy, with the added drawback that they would yield low amounts of tax at the cost of making any Chancellor look like Scrooge.
But one strong candidate for VAT is the newspapers, books and magazines category, which would raise pounds 1bn in a full year and which Nigel Lawson unsuccessfully tried to introduce in 1984. The political argument against such an extension is that it might unite the high-minded classes who believe that there should not be a tax on reading with powerful and Tory-supporting press proprietors like Rupert Murdoch and Lord Rothermere.
Whether Norman Lamont and the Treasury will propose a high- yielding tax this March on domestic energy or food (generating at most some pounds 9.5bn) seems more uncertain, however. The Prime Minister, backed by some right- wing ministers, thought to include Michael Portillo, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has hinted that tax increases in March might derail the slight signs of recovery that have begun to appear. Mr Lamont and the senior Treasury officials who are pressing for higher taxes may therefore fail on this occasion.
But the Treasury will have another opportunity in December when, under a recent reform by the Chancellor, public spending and taxation measures will be brought together in a single new Budget statement. By then, it is hoped, the recovery will be sufficiently entrenched to withstand a rise in taxes.
EC rules meanwhile provide the Treasury with an opportunity to soften the blow. Community states have agreed to maintain a minimum standard rate of 15 per cent for the next four years while providing for two reduced rates, at a minimum of 5 per cent, on any of the zero-rated categories. The Treasury could thus open up the way to a significant source of tax revenue without provoking too much opposition. (The option of a higher luxury rate no longer exists after EC governments last year agreed to abolish them).
The Treasury could in theory also target exempt categories of spending. These include land, insurance and financial services, postal services, betting, education, health and welfare, sports and works of art. But many of these present obvious intrinsic difficulties. And financial services, potentially a lucrative source of revenue, are exempt from VAT under EC law.
Despite the risk of political uproar there are sound reasons for widening the VAT base. The economic case is based on the principle that a wider VAT base would generate a more efficient allocation of resources. If goods are differentiated by the absence or imposition of taxes, consumers are likely to switch their spending for tax reasons rather than for the intrinsic value of the goods or services in question. This same argument also applies against the introduction of multiple VAT rates.
More broadly, widening the base would bring Britain into line with the rest of Europe, where the average amount of consumer spending covered by VAT ranges between 70 per cent and 75 per cent.
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Net profits of 1,191 listed companies, which disclosed their performance of the first half year as of Aug 22, increased 58.5 percent year-on-year, to 206.4 billion yuan, Shanghai Securities News reported Monday.
Business revenue of those companies hit 2.12 trillion yuan, up 38.68 percent year-on-year in the first half.
According to statistics, companies that listed on the SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) Board performed better than those listed on the ChiNext Board. About 315 SME Board-listed companies reported 19.03 billion yuan net profits in the first six months of this year, up 42.08 percent year-on-year. Net profits of 81 ChiNext Board-listed companies rose 26.87 percent year-on-year, to 2.46 billion yuan in the first half.
Financial industry remained the most profitable, with over half of the top 10 most profitable enterprises belonging to the industry.
Other industries, such as mechanical equipment, electrical equipment, non-ferrous metals, and biological medicine, food and beverage, retail and other consumption industries, saw better performances.
Despite being adjusted and controlled, 45 real estate companies posted better performances in net profits than in the same period last year.


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CVS is one of the highest-earning companies in the world, having grossed $194,579,000,000 in 2019. It grew tremendously last year, merging with the insurance giant Aetna to increase its spectrum of services. These services range from groceries to a photo center to flu shots and other healthcare needs.
Early in the 2020 crisis, CVS profited because of the services that it provided. However, there are uncertainties about how CVS will come out of the crisis because of the different aspects involved. Keep an eye on CVS. It’s probably worth paying attention to compared to other companies.
Daimler is an automaker that started 2020 as one of the highest-earning companies in the world. The Germany-based car manufacturer earned enough to put it well ahead of much of the competition going into the new year. How it comes out of 2020 is up for grabs.
If you haven’t heard of Daimler, you’re probably familiar with its more common name: Mercedes-Benz. They’re one of the oldest car manufacturers in the world, known for its luxury vehicles. The problem is that people who may have been planning to buy a luxury vehicle before the current crisis began may have changed their minds. We’ll have to wait and see what Daimler’s business profile will be going into 2021.
One of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, McKesson, delivers up to one-third of the drugs and medications in the United States. In 2019, the company grossed $214,319,000,000. With the current crisis and the need for new medicines including a vaccine, it is poised to continue growing. However, much of McKesson’s growth has been extremely controversial. Therefore, any gains that it makes during the current crisis may be a breeding ground for litigation.
Much of McKesson’s growth over the past few years has been due to a higher number of people using prescription medications and higher prices of those prescriptions – both of which are incredibly controversial. McKesson has been under litigation for its role in the current opioid crisis by making opioids too accessible to people addicted to them. The company remains under a federal criminal investigation. Any profiteering over the need for new medications, including the vaccine, may backfire.
Glencore may be one of the largest companies that you’ve never heard of before reading this list. This British-owned company has headquarters in Switzerland, where it’s the largest company in the country. It is also the largest commodities trading company in the world. In 2019 it grossed $219,754,000,000.
Glencore produces and supplies mining products, metals, petroleum, agricultural products, foodstuffs, coal, and natural gas to industries all over the world. The industries include steel production, power generation, automotive, and food processing. With the environmental crisis and concerns over global warming, it may soon lose a large share of the sector that depends on fossil fuels and unsustainable mining.
Samsung is the South Korea-based electronics company that rivals Apple in many ways. It produces gadgets and other technology of the same high quality as Apple, but often at lower prices. They also use a format that is compatible with other technology platforms (something that Apple users often complain about). Though its earnings profile is not nearly as high as Apple’s, in 2019, it grossed $221,579,000,000.
It has continued innovating and putting out new and better technology at the lowest price possible (though the price tag still reflects the premium quality of Samsung products). Yet in 2020, as many people struggle to get by as the economy crashes, they are unlikely to be spending any money. We’ll have to wait and see what Samsung’s business profile looks like on the other side.
United Health Group grew by a whopping seven percent in 2019, grossing a total revenue of $226,247,000,000. The managed healthcare company offers a wide range of products, including healthcare and insurance products. These are used by industry professionals, hospitals, clinics, and individuals needing health insurance. Its Medicare Advantage component, which provides services to senior citizens, enrolled over 300,000 people in 2019.
Given the nature of the current crisis, the United Health Group is poised to continue growing. The need for innovative technology, healthcare solutions, drug development, and all-around better hospitals is something that United Health Group is prepared to meet. As the company helps the US deal with the healthcare and medical component of the current crisis, its business profile will likely expand.
If there was ever a company designed to become more influential in the face of global economic collapse and a pandemic, it’s Amazon. In 2019 before everything hit the fan, the company grew by a whopping 21% and took in $232,887,000,000. Once the crisis began, Amazon’s founder and president, Jeff Bezos, became the first trillionaire in world history.
The company was founded with the idea that people didn’t need to go to a store to do their shopping. Instead, they could purchase what they needed online and have it delivered for free. Without a storefront serving as a middleman, Amazon could offer its products for cheaper than competitors. When people were suddenly no longer able to go to stores for fear of becoming infected, Amazon was able to fill in the gap.
Add to that the fact that it already had a well-developed platform for streaming content on Amazon Prime and eBooks on Kindle. When people had to start staying at home and entertaining themselves, many turned to Amazon. Yet the company endured a high level of controversy, not only because Bezos raked in so much money, but also because many workers were fired for protesting unsafe working conditions that exposed them to the virus. Additionally, there are concerns that Amazon has been evading taxes; many believe that, after all, a company so large should be paying its fair share.
Warren Buffet is the quintessential billionaire. He’s written books and given inspirational talks on the secrets to success. Throughout his long life, he’s energized generations of people. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, is one of the most successful in the world. In 2019, it grossed $247,847,000,000.
What exactly is Berkshire Hathaway? It’s a conglomerate that owns different companies which you probably use regularly. These companies include Dairy Queen, Duracell, GEICO, Fruit of the Loom, Pampered Chef, and many others, including the Berkshire Hathaway real estate sector. Its growth has slowed down recently as Buffet has declined to make more acquisitions lately. He declared in May of 2020 that nothing looked profitable. Given the uncertainties over the crisis, he may have had a point.
Surprisingly, tech companies did not make the top 10 at all. Apple and Google are some of the most valuable companies in the world and have more power than some governments. But Apple did not earn as much revenue in 2019 as companies like Wal-Mart and petrochemical giants, grossing a paltry $265,595,000,000. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most profitable companies in the United States and one of the world’s most valuable companies.
Apple certainly has its share of controversies, including that it automatically makes its technology obsolete after several years and that much of its technology is not compatible with non-Apple products. But just as the crisis of 2020 began, it introduced a new iPhone that cost under $400, proving that it could keep up with what consumers want. We’ll have to see how it comes out of the present crisis.
Like Toyota, Volkswagen is an automaker with a reputation for producing fuel-efficient cars. Staples include the Beatle and the Jetta. Some people are getting excited about the revived hippie bus from the 1970s, that Volkswagen plans to bring back in 2022. In 2019, the company grossed $275,200,000,000.
With a focus on fuel-efficient and electric vehicles, Volkswagen may survive the economic collapse of 2022, but not without changes. The company is based in Germany and sells many of its cars in Europe. This area was hit hard early in the crisis and nearly had a complete shutdown. Concerns of a second wave prompted Europe to close their borders again, further limiting how much people drive. The company may have to reorganize and focus more on all-electric vehicles to survive the economic collapse and concern about climate change.
Most of the companies on this list have been energy companies so far. Unsurprisingly, there are also several automakers on this list. After all, oil isn’t worth much if people aren’t using it to fuel their cars. Toyota was the highest-grossing automaker of 2019 and started 2020 at the top, having earned $280,500,000.
Toyota, a Japanese company, has a reputation for building very fuel-efficient cars. It led the way in hybrid vehicles with the introduction of its Prius. Toyota’s fuel efficiency may help it stay at the top of the line as people continue looking for more fuel-efficient and electric cars. The economic collapse of 2020 may take a heavy toll, as people have had to forego car purchases they were planning to make. A high number of layoffs with unprecedented uncertainty about the future and less driving in general may deal Toyota a blow it won’t ever fully recover from.
Petroleum companies have dominated the list of highest-earning companies going into 2020. Exxon-Mobil is no exception. Like Saudi Aramco, Exxon-Mobil formed out of the re-organization of the Standard Oil company that John D. Rockefeller ran at the turn of the twentieth century. Today, it is one of the leaders in petrochemicals and one of the world’s highest-earning companies, having grossed $265,500,000,000 in the year 2019.
Many petrochemical companies are facing a considerable crunch due to the economic crisis of 2020. When the crisis began, oil prices dropped precipitously because people were no longer driving cars and no longer had disposable income. There were even times when oil prices went negative because there was such a surplus of oil that companies were running out of places to store it. We’ll keep an eye on what happens with Exxon-Mobile and other petrochemical companies coming out of this crisis. Maybe they will turn to renewable energy to stay afloat.
In 2010, some questioned the future of BP right after the Deepwater Horizon explosion on one of its oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Several people died in the initial explosion, but what caused the world to tune in to what was happening was the massive oil leak that came afterward. Millions of barrels of oil gushed through the oil well straight into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and killed countless wildlife, while also decimating local economies that rely on fishing and tourism. BP has made a comeback, though. In 2019, it grossed $278,400,000,000.
Among petroleum companies, BP seems to be leading the way to clean air and reduce the amount of carbon through carbon offsets. Yet the initiatives have their critics – many see BP as responsible for much of the air pollution and high level of carbon in the atmosphere. They think that BP should be cleaning it instead of recommending that individuals buy carbon offsets. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with the petroleum companies at the top of the highest-earning companies.
If you have driven along a highway or around town, you’ve probably seen a Shell gas station. There is a lot more to Shell than pumping gas and buying snacks. The company formed through a merger of The Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and The Shell Transport And Trading Company back in 1907. Only combined forces could present any challenge to the Standard Oil juggernaut. Today, the company is known as Royal Dutch Shell, or just Shell, and is headquartered at The Hague in The Netherlands. It also has the largest market share of gas stations in the world. In 2019, Shell grossed $311,600,000 in revenue.
Shell owns and operates dozens of refineries and has active drilling and exploration projects in at least 80 countries. Concern about global warming and a public push to invest in renewable energy sources, instead of burning the fossil fuels that cause global warming, will likely upset Shell’s business interests. But it is already pushing solar energy as one of its assets to remain one of the highest-earning companies for the foreseeable future.
Another state-run company out of China, China National Petroleum was one of the highest-earning companies before the crises hit 2020. We’ll have to wait and see which companies will be the highest-companies coming out. In 2019, China National Petroleum grossed $364,100,000,000 by conducting its business exploring and developing oil fields.
While the Chinese communist state owns the company, like other energy companies in China, it has also been conducting business internationally. China National Petroleum has been exploring and developing oil fields in countries known to be rich in black gold, including Russia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Oman, Sudan, Venezuela, and Peru. Yet as the world is trying to move away from fossil fuels and develop renewable energy sources, the fate of China National Petroleum may come into question.
Saudi Aramco is the state-run petroleum company of Saudi Arabia. It developed out of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil, which began exploring the Arabian peninsula’s deserts in the search for oil during the early 1900s. Today it may be the highest-earning company in the world, but it’s a bit of an enigma. One reason is that before 2019 it never appeared in the Fortune 500 list of companies, even though its revenue for 2019 was $329,800,000,000. Before 2019, it never released its financial statements.
Aramco had been listed on the Arab stock exchange Tadawul, and by the time it released its financial statements in 2019, it claimed a net income of over $100 billion – over double that of Apple. It may be the most valuable company in the world, with a market value of nearly two trillion dollars.
Aramco funds the Saudi state, meaning that it relies almost exclusively on oil to fuel its economy. Expect to see turmoil in the region, particularly in Saudi Arabia and with its Aramco company, if demand for oil drops due to environmental concerns and the crises of 2020.
State Grid is another state-run energy company in communist China. In 2019, it grossed $387,000,000,000. The company formed about the same time as Sinopec, when the communist government reformed its energy sector in the 1980s. Unsurprisingly, it has a monopoly on the Chinese power grid, and it runs regional power grids throughout the country.
It may be surprising that State Grid also runs power grids in other countries, including Brazil and the Philippines. Some of their grids are run under different names; even in China, five different companies fall under State Grid. State Grid could easily continue to see its revenue increase and its international market growth, especially if it switches to renewable energy sources, such as solar, hydro, and wind, to power its grids.
Sinopec, or China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, is a company you may have never heard of but that’s out-earning almost every other company in the world. In 2019, the state-owned oil and gas exploration and refining giant grossed $369,200,000,000. However, appearances can be deceiving, given that its former president received the death penalty in 2009 for bribery.
The future of Sinopec Group, along with other petroleum companies, is certainly in question, given concerns over the environmental crisis and climate change. Many are choosing to divest from oil and gas and invest their money elsewhere. Nevertheless, China has a history of surprising the world with its industrial durability and ability to master the state-run communist economy.
However you may feel about different controversies surrounding Wal-Mart, it was the most profitable company in the world at the beginning of 2020, grossing $524,000,000,000 the previous year. It placed well above Amazon, which many now consider its most significant competitor. Unlike Amazon, which specializes in quickly delivering low-cost items to people’s homes, Wal-Mart has not adjusted rapidly to a delivery platform.
There are concerns about the future of Wal-Mart, despite its status as the most popular of any low-price chain store. One is that given its immense size and reliance on bureaucratic processes getting filtered down to local stores, it cannot adapt quickly to changes. Adaptability will probably be a key asset moving forward, so Wal-Mart may collapse under its weight. Another concern is that it does not pay store employees a living wage and has not adapted environmentally friendly practices.
“TOP 10 Most Profitable Companies in the World in 2020.” FXSSI. May 26, 2020.
“Most Profitable Businesses in 2020.” Fortune 500.