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Staff and volunteers at the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum in Stevenson are gearing up for their 22nd annual Show & Shine Car Show & Swap Meet on Saturday, Sept. 1.
“We had just over 20 cars at our first show,” chuckled Rob Peterson. “Last year we had more than 130 cars registered and more than 1,000 visitors voting for their favorites.”
Second, only to the annual auction and dinner, the car show is a major fundraiser for the museum.
“The fee to enter a car is just $20,” said Peterson, “and there is no charge for spectators. There will be a food booth with great burgers, dogs, barbecue pork sliders, and even strawberry dessert. We also will be raffling off a lot of nice items donated by local businesses, ranging in value from $10 to over $100.”
Gates will open at 9 a.m. for participants, with the show running from noon to 4 p.m. There will be an auto-oriented swap meet on the grounds, with each space costing $20.
50/50 tickets will be sold, with the winner taking home half the earnings. Last year’s winner pocketed more than $180.00
Peterson, who has been the chief organizer for all 21 previous shows, said that the first 150 entrants will receive a goody bag including a dash plaque for their car. Awards will be presented in 20 categories, ranging from the top prize of People’s Choice - Best of Show, to Participants’ Choice and Best Car Club Participant.
“People really seem to enjoy the interactive aspect of our show,” said Peterson. “It’s competitive but in a very fun way.”
He noted that the Gorge Cruisers have, quite possibly, won the Best Club Participant every year since the show’s inception.
He was quick to laud local businesses. “We could not pull this off without the generosity of businesses up and down the Gorge. They give us the raffle items but they also sponsor the trophies and some even chip in cash to help us cover expenses.”
Volunteers are still needed in several areas, including the food booth (food handlers card needed), parking cars and at the registration table. Please call the museum to volunteer.
For a rural area with relatively low population, Skamania County boasts a lot of hobbyists who restore old cars, said Peterson.
“One of my favorite things about the show is seeing the cars that turn out that we’ve never seen before. A couple years ago we even had a restored WWII half-track from Carson, which the owners drove over the Carson Ridge to get here so they could stay off Highway 14. And it was gorgeous. Almost everyone attending loved it!”
Peterson also enjoys seeing the people who are maybe just a visitor to the museum for the day take the time to walk through and reminisce about cars they have owned and enjoyed, along with the newly finished cars and trucks, for some, in fact, it might be their first outing.
“Each year we enjoy getting to visit with the guest who registers a car or maybe drives quite a distance to buy parts from the swap meet, and support the museum in that way,” he said.
The Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum is located at 990 SW Rock Creek Drive in Stevenson. For more information call 509-427-8211. see us at www.facebook.com/shewatches


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2015 FORD RANGER FACELIFT
Ford’s big Ranger pickup has been spied testing a new (and familiar) face this week, this time in the brand’s homeland.
Caught out-and-about in the US, Ford’s development team have worked to obscure the update Ranger’s look, but it is clear where that new face comes from.
Revealed first with last year’s Ranger-based Everest 4WD SUV concept, the new face’s appearance on the revised pickup confirms the two off-roaders will share more than a common architecture.
The exterior styling similarities appear to start and stop with the front-end, with these new photos revealing no changes to the profile and rear.
We’ll see an all-new interior with the updated Ranger however, with our photos revealing a redesigned steering wheel with more switches, along with a completely reimagined centre console.
The current model’s bulbous shiny switch panel is gone, replaced instead with a Focus-inspired panel that adds black highlights and new-look buttons and dials.
It is unknown at this stage if the Ranger will enter 2015 with any changes to its mechanical package, with the current model powered by 2.5 litre petrol and 2.2 and 3.2 litre diesel engines.
It is also unclear when the refreshed pickup will make its official debut, although we can likely expect it to fall in the same timeframe as the Everest next year.
As for the Ranger being spied in the US, this could be the long-rumoured confirmation that our locally-developed ute could be the 'compact' pickup that Ford is planning for America.
Speaking at an industry conference last year, Ford America's truck boss Doug Scott said the company is planning a "true compact truck, clearly differentiated from the F-150 in price, size, and fuel economy”.
Here in Australia, new sales figures for June reveal that the Ranger remains a strong seller for Ford, notching up 3214 sales for the month - putting the pickup in sixth place overall.
MORE: Ranger News and Reviews
- Interested in buying FORD EVEREST? Visit our FORD EVEREST showroom for more information.

domain: news


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Chinese Internet search engine giant Baidu is updating its image with a slick new TV and online ad that portrays the company as the key for users to unlock their future potential. The first corporate ad for Baidu since 2005, the 48-second spot follows the launch last August of the company’s Kuangjisuan, or box computing search platform.
What’s most notable is not that Baidu wants to update its corporate image — or that it waited five years to do so — it’s how it’s doing it. The ad depicts users finding a bright future with the click of a button on its search engine, using images that have a dreamy, artistic quality.
Selling images of personal aspirations rather than the product itself is a marketing tactic so well-established overseas that it’s seen as strange when it isn’t employed. But for China’s nascent advertising industry, rushing to catch up to international standards, this type of corporate branding is still a new and underused tool.[more]
Foreign companies operating in China introduced aspirational advertising.Nike’s pre-Olympics ads featured a variety of Chinese athletes mid-jump, hurl or dive, held up by the hands of thousands of their countrymen. Levi’s used arty photos of local, underground artists, musicians and designers lounging in studios or hovering over mixers.
But Chinese companies have generally stuck to more simple, straight-on marketing, perhaps featuring a smiling pop star holding the product, or just an image of the product itself above the comapny’s name. The Baidu ad is evidence of a Chinese advertising landscape that is rapidly becoming more sophisticated, where ads take on a life of their own and become an art in their own right.


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Hewlett-Packard Co. raised its fiscal 2011 revenue and earnings forecasts after strong commercial computer and storage sales led to better-than-expected quarterly results.
Shares in the No. 1 U.S. technology company by sales climbed 1.6 per cent. The bellwether did not appear to show any ill effects from the internal turmoil that has enveloped the company since August, beginning with the abrupt departure of former chief Mark Hurd.
"These are very encouraging results. First glance, things look very solid," said Gleacher & Co analyst Brian Marshall.
Wall Street, however, is less focused on HP's results than they are on getting a better fix on new chief executive officer Leo Apotheker, who started Nov. 1, analysts say.
Mr. Apotheker joked on a conference call with the media that he may have set a world record for travel over past weeks as he jets around the globe to familiarize himself with HP's sprawling business.
He provided few details about his vision for HP except to reaffirm that software, a tiny slice of the company's business, and research spending will be a central theme.
"We do all feel that we do need to have a strong and viable and vibrant software business," Mr. Apotheker said.
Some analysts say his most immediate task may be to restore stability and poise following a tumultuous four months that saw Mr. Hurd's departure and a nasty spat with one-time partner Oracle Corp.
HP's fiscal fourth-quarter results are another opportunity for Mr. Apotheker, a former SAP AG CEO, to make an impression on the analysts and investors whom he so far has failed to electrify.
The world's No. 1 PC maker reported net earnings for the fiscal fourth quarter ended Oct. 31 of $2.54-billion (U.S.), or $1.10 a share, up from $2.41-billion, or 99 cents a share, a year earlier.
Excluding items, the company earned $1.33 a share, better than the average analyst estimate of $1.27 a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Revenue rose 8 per cent to $33.3-billion, above Wall Street's estimate of $32.75-billion.
The company also raised its fiscal 2011 forecast. It now expects earnings excluding items of $5.16 to $5.26 a share on revenue of $132-billion to $133.5-billion.
Shares of Palo Alto, California-based HP closed at $43.25 and rose to $43.94 in extended trading.
Companies & investments Mentioned In This Article (3)
HPQ-N 21.31 0.20
0.947% 16.725M Oracle Corp.
ORCL-Q 34.1799 -0.92
-2.621% 22.902M SAP AG
SAP-N 78.82 -0.75


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The most quoted man in air cargo?
02 / 02 / 2013
IT WAS those optimistic days of 1983, and two highly significant, future-shaping air cargo events were about to unveil themselves.
One was the launch in the UK of Air Cargo News, with founders Nigel Tomkins and Ray Crane making plans to revolutionise air cargo information services with the distribution of their new, fortnightly newspaper.
The other was the start of a one-aircraft, upstart airline, operating from the UK to the desert runways of the Middle East.
Emirates Airline was being born – and at the head of cargo was the likelable, if a little raw, Ram Menen, former Kuwait Airways cargo sales manager.
I recall a visit to London’s Gatwick Airport one day in early 1983 – I was there to meet up with a fellow rugby-playing pal – when someone quietly pointed out two men with their heads bowed in secret, almost furtive discussion on a seat in a corridor adjacent to the passenger terminal.
One was Ram and the other was Emirates’ founding chief executive officer Maurice Flanagan. “It’ll never work,” my mate whispered of the new airline.
“Who would want to fly to that dry place?” A bit later, Maurice Flanagan admitted to me in an early interview for Air Cargo News: “This is going to be big.”
Well, 30 years on, and with Ram’s considerable help, they certainly got it right. My pal was clearly wrong.
Emirates is now part of the Emirates Group, a dynamic and award-winning travel, tourism and cargo logistics operation with a global reputation for excellence, spanning every aspect of the industry.
Emirates and the air cargo industry will miss Ram when he retires in the summer. We shall miss Ram. He is probably the most quoted air cargo character of the last 30 years. And Air Cargo News has followed him every step of the way…


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First Monterey Cannabis Summit Takes On Industry Hurdles
California’s new recreational marijuana industry still faces major hurdles. To help address them, the first Monterey Cannabis Summit took place this week.
The Monterey County Cannabis Industry Association hosted the premier Monterey Cannabis Summit at the Portola Hotel and Spa on December 13 and 14. Everyone from marijuana cultivators to attorneys to industry experts like Andrew DeAngelo filled the lobby.


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The worldwide glass market this year will miss Corning’s preliminary estimate by 13.5%, its chief financial officer said Wednesday, thanks to soft demand for personal computers and televisions, as well as supply chain issues.
Corning had expected the market to total 3.7 billion square feet of glass, CFO James Flaws said on a conference call to discuss its third-quarter results. In the event, the number will likely be closer to 3.2 billion, he said, according to a transcript of the call provided by Factset Research.
“About half of this disconnect was as a result of weaker PC and television demand,” Flaws said. “The other half is due to the contraction of the supply chain in the second half.”
But demand for glass at retail will be up 13% in 2011 compared with last year, he said, and retail demand may grow in the double digits again next year, which makes Corning confident about its prospects when the supply chain problems abate.
“The bottom line is the supply chain will enter 2012 with inventory levels close to historic lows”, Flaws said, “and if retail continues to hold up, then 2012 glass demand will be stronger.”
Corning’s third-quarter beat Wall Street consensus expectations for both revenue and per-share earnings.


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The Salvadoran Coffee Council (CSC) reported that, based on preliminary figures, exports for the month of August were at 141,557 quintals, or 5% less than the 149,078 quintals recorded for the same month in 2007.
On the other hand, earnings generated by sales abroad reached $19.1 million, which represents an increase of 14.2% on the $16.7 million that were earned in August 2007.
The increase in value is due to the increase in the average price of the Salvadoran coffee, which went from $116.59 to $132.70 per sack.
In May, 266,744 quintals were exported, 74% higher than the 153,324 in the same period in 2010.
Export revenues reported an increase of 149.4% and totaled $58.9 million compared to $23.6 million in May 2010.
"The average price per quintal exported this month was $220.85, surpassing by more than $65.00 the past average price of $154.09 per quintal." reported an article in Elsalvador.com, "For its part, the cumulative export volume for the year 2010/2011 from October 2010 to May 2011, totaled 1,741,076 quintals, an increase of 57.1% compared to exports during the same period in the previous cycle which was 1,108,570 quintals. "
El Salvador ended the 2007-2008 coffee harvest with exports of 1.9 million quintals worth $253.3 million
These are the best figures that the country has had in the last six seasons, Ricardo Espitia, executive director of the Salvadoran Coffee Council, reported yesterday.
The sales figure for the 2007-2008 coffee harvest, which ended on September 30, is the biggest reported since the 2002-2003 harvest, when exports were 1.7 million quintals (46 kg each) or $105.5 million in earnings.
In the 2010/11, the country exported 600,526 quintals of special coffee, generating foreign exchange of $136.59 million. For this harvest, 2011/12, 660,593 quintals have been exported up to August, with foreign exchange earnings of $165 million.
According to information from the Salvadoran Coffee Council (CSC), this year $302.08 million has come into the country in foreign exchange from coffee exports, of that number 54% is from the sale of specialty coffee (which includes gourmet organic , sustainable and Fair Trade, among others).
Sustainable 70 Acre Coffee Farm, San Ramon, Costa Rica Coffee Estate, development property with 20 titled lots, ready to develop with roads, water and power. Great Location, close to everything. Ideal area for living or developing an ecologically...


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As with other foods, the EU has harmonised labelling and sales names of chocolate products throughout member states, with the aim of ensuring that consumers receive accurate pack information and ensuring a competitive single market for goods.
But despite European Commission (EC) opposition, Italy introduced national legislation in 2003 to protect domestic chocolate producers, which allowed them to use the sales name ‘puro’ (pure) for products using cocoa butter alone to provide fat content.
Italy voted to keep the law in 2006 despite warnings that it risked infringing EU directive 2000/36 and ECJ case law, given that use of ‘pure’ discriminates against rival products within the union containing substitute vegetable fats – erroneously suggesting that the latter are somehow not genuine, given that ‘puro’ implies purity.
Italy undermining EU law
Consequently, the ECJ ruled last Thursday that that Italy had failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law, altering and undermining “harmonised definitions adopted at Community level”.
The ECJ’s judgement read: “Given that…'puro’ means unadulterated, untouched and therefore genuine, consumers are led to believe that goods which, while complying with the directive…relating to sales names, contain vegetable fats other than cocoa butter and are impure…unadulterated, processed and not genuine.”
An ECJ spokeswoman told FoodNavigator.com that Italy now faced sanctions if it failed to comply with the judgement. “Now that the court has made its judgement the matter has been passed back to the EC, which will ensure that the Italian government complies with the ruling. It’s in their hands now.”
EU directive 2000/36 covers cocoa and chocolate products for human consumption, and states that chocolate products containing a maximum of 5 per cent of some ‘substitute vegetable fats’ can retain their sales names unchanged, but must add a packaging note stating, ‘contains vegetable fats in addition to cocoa butter’.
According to a separate ECJ statement, products such as Italian chocolate using cocoa butter alone are allowed to advertise this on the label in “correct, clear and objective terms that do not mislead the consumer”.
However, the court adjudged that the Italian fault was one of implication, given that chocolate products with added vegetable fats still qualify as chocolate, and a difference in their sales name, as against cocoa butter-only products, was not justified.
Accordingly, the ECJ held that EU law makes no provision for ‘pure chocolate’ as a sales name and does not permit its introduction on a national level, as per the Italian case.
‘Puro’ really that pure?
The court also noted that, in using ‘puro’ as an adjective, Italian chocolate makers fell foul of quality compliance criteria in Article 3(5) of Directive 2000/36, which sets out a greater minimum content for dry cocoa solids in products where qualitative “information or descriptions” are used.
“The Italian legislation makes the use of ‘puro’ subject simply to the presence of cocoa butter by way of fat, said the ECJ’s judgement, “and there is no requirement to comply with the higher minimum content for dry cocoa solids.”
In January 2006 Italian MPs voted almost unanimously to uphold the country’s definition of ‘pure chocolate’, and producers thereafter applied unsuccessfully for (TSG) Traditional Specialty Guaranteed labelling status. This demands that products must be either traditional or established by custom, while their names must express the specific character of foods.


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Continuing with 888poker’s “We Play Different” strategy, 888poker is pleased to announce its latest innovative feature, Pokercam Tables. Pokercam tables allow players to play face to face via webcam technology bringing a true home game experience to the online world. All 888poker players with a web cam can join specially marked “Video” tables in the lobby and be seen and heard along with everyone else at the table using in-built online communication technology similar to Skype.
The new Pokercam tables, exclusive to 888poker, currently offer a variety of cash game options for players to enjoy with friends and other players. This new technology opens up a new dynamic to the world of online poker. Players can brush up on their bluffing skills or just banter with their mates – even from another country! Players could even meet a new friend or run into an 888poker ambassador, like Shane Warne or Leo Margets.
Hili Shakked, Head of Poker, 888Holdings stated: “I’m thrilled to offer current and new customers of 888poker this innovative and fun feature. It’s been almost a year in the making and we are delighted at the result.”
“Players can look forward to enjoying a completely new and different poker experience, by simply downloading the new 888poker software on a computer with a standard webcam. Now the greater challenge will be how to conceal the big smile when you get pocket aces!”
The special Pokercam tables are available now – exclusively on the 888poker software.
For more information on how to play Face 2 Face with the new Pokercam tables, visit www.888poker.com
With over 5 million registered users, 888poker continues to offer the best consumer experience.


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Hong Kong Mega-Collector Adrian Cheng Has Come Out as the Mystery Backer of the Popular Azuki NFTs
The collector says he will take a more active role in the collection going forward.
It’s often said that an NFT project is only as good as the community that backs it.
Chiru Labs is not as famous as NFT companies like Yuga Labs or Doodles, but it has managed to put out the wildly successful Azuki Collection, a generative avatar project consisting of anime-inspired NFTs. Now, it has been revealed, that it has a better-known backer than previously thought: Adrian Cheng, the Hong-Kong based collector and founder of K11 Art Mall.
The collection, which debuted in January, has achieved viral fame through exclusive drops, streetwear collabs, and access to live events. In just three minutes, the Azuki collection sold 8,700 NFTs priced at 1 ETH each (around $3,400 at the time), netting the founders around 8,700 ETH (or $29 million).
Cheng took to Twitter yesterday to announce that he is, in fact, the pseudonymous collector @LastKnightEth, proud owner of 101 Azuki NFTs.
“After acquiring 101 Azukis in secret,” Cheng wrote, he now plans on taking a more active role within the Azuki team.
“With this shared vision and synergy,” he said, “I intend to support @AzukiOfficial in building its universe and ecosystem. Artist collabs, expanding ‘phygital’ experiences, and innovative contributions to nouveau culture and art in web3 are all on the table and will be explored.”
The match seems to be a good fit for both parties. Chiru Labs, a Los Angeles-based creative agency, gets the front-facing promotion of a proven builder in Cheng, who, in addition to having an strong track record in business and retail, also has a considerable amount of cultural clout in the art world.
Cheng’s seven-story art mall, K11, is located in the bustling Tsim Sha Tsui area of Hong Kong and is led by the K11 foundation, which includes an artist-in-residence program, spaces for exhibitions, screenings, and incubation for artists and technologists.
What could all this mean for the future of the Azuki collection? Cheng, through his @LastKinghtEth handle, wrote: “this is just the beginning […] Azuki has the potential to lead the way with its interactive activations and community-centric culture.”
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Mobile Minutes: Twitter acquires Niche; Android Wear sales lag; Tumblr to overtake Instagram; Mobile-powering backpack
Android Wear gadgets not a big hit, with only 720,000 shipments in 2014
The first figures are in for devices running Google’s Android Wear operating system — and they’re lagging behind the wearable market’s less flashy and feature-packed gadgets by a wide margin.
Read more on CNET
Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer claims Tumblr is now fastest-growing social network over Instagram
Two weeks after announcing her plans to spin off Yahoo’s massive stake in Alibaba, CEO Marissa Mayer is championing another one of her company’s major acquisitions. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Internet conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, the embattled head of Yahoo touted the growth of Tumblr, the blogging network that was purchased by the company back in 2013 for $990 million.
Read more on Forbes
Backpacks that pack power for mobile devices
With people juggling multiple digital devices that constantly need charging, backpack manufacturers have sensed a market opportunity. Some new backpacks are specifically designed not only to protect our smartphones, tablets, laptops, headphones and game players, but also to recharge them and track their whereabouts.
Read more on New York Times


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Rep. McNamara drafting legislation to extend business interruption insurance for COVID-19 pandemic
STATE HOUSE — Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston) is drafting new legislation that would help businesses hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis by guaranteeing that business interruption insurance would cover their losses regardless of policy language.
“Many businesses — particularly restaurants — have been hit hard by this crisis,” said Representative McNamara, who chairs the House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare. “Now with all non-essential retail businesses being shut down as well, we’re looking at a financial disaster for business people unlike anything that has ever been seen.”
The legislation would make certain that those who have business interruption insurance policies would be indemnified by insurance companies if they suffered a loss related to the COVID-19 pandemic during Rhode Island’s state of emergency.
The bill, which would apply to restaurants, retailers and other businesses, would require insurers to approve claims notwithstanding any virus exclusions or policy requirements that there also be property damage accompanying the business interruption.
“We’re treading new ground here,” said Representative McNamara. “We’re going to have to address what has quickly become a hard-hitting financial nightmare by stepping up and providing some relief to the businesses that are the backbone of our state.”
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903


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Grocery store to reopen here this month
HARTINGTON — After a long absence, Coleridge residents will once again be able to shop a local grocery store.
The grocery store in Coleridge should be open by the end of the month.
Plans are currently in place for Ken’s Corner Market to be open for business on Jan. 30.
The store will be open seven days a week, according to Paula Dirks, who will be the manager.
To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition https://etypeservices.com/Northeast%20Nebraska%20News%20CompanyID379/


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I received the new 2010-2011 tool catalog from Sears today. From the looks of it, Sears is wasting no time in advertising their new partnership with Hitachi. Whereas in the previous 2010-2011 catalog version, there were few Craftsman tools on the cover, this edition features only Craftsman and Gearwrench wrenches.
Sears Blue Tool Crew to Offer Hitachi Power Tools
Sears Blue Tool Crew just announced that Hitachi power tools will be added to their product catalog. From the sounds of it, there will be some heavy sales to promote the Hitachi brand at Sears as Father’s Day approaches.
Sears Blue Tools Crew New Online Catalog Review
Sears’ Blue Tools Crew recently announced a new interactive online Sears Tool Catalog that they hope will make it easier than ever for shoppers to find the right tool for the job. We are told that, for the interactive parts of the catalog, there are videos and helpful product finders and selection guides. For reference, […]
Sears Blue Tools Crew Facebook Woodshop App
We’re not normally into Facebook apps or add-ons, but this new one by the Sears Blue Tools Crew definitely caught our attention. A few major tool companies and distributors have been using Facebook as a way of reaching the public, but this is the first tool-ish related app that we’ve heard about. This simple Woodshop app allows […]


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Demand from biofuel producers and developing economies will drive revenue growth
Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) September 19, 2013
The Genetically Modified (GM) Soybean Seed Production industry has grown tremendously during the five years to 2013, with revenue expected to increase an average 9.4% per year. “Regulations that support environmental preservation and US energy independence have underpinned demand for biofuel,” according to IBISWorld industry analyst Nikoleta Panteva. Following corn, soybeans are the largest domestic crop used in organically derived fuel. As such, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 have created a rush of downstream demand. From 2008 to 2013, demand from the Organic Chemical Manufacturing industry (IBISWorld report 32519) has grown at an annualized rate of 2.4% during the five-year period.
However, just as regulations have boosted GM Soybean Seed Production industry performance, they have stifled growth as well. “Consumer distaste for genetically engineered crops has put several measures on the ballot, making it more difficult for GM seed companies to expand their operations,” says Panteva. On the back of weak demand from food processors, industry revenue is expected to be subdued in 2013, growing an anemic 0.8% to $1.6 billion.
During the past five years, imports have also threatened the industry. As the value of the dollar has grown, imports have become relatively inexpensive domestically. As a result, the value of imports are expected to have grown at an average annual rate of 13.3% to $200.0 million. Meanwhile, export markets have dried up as US soybean seeds have become comparatively expensive on the international market; exports have fallen at an estimated annualized rate of 5.6% to $24.1 million.
The GM Soybean Seed Production industry has a high level of market share concentration. Concentration is not expected to change significantly during the next five years. Due to their size and desire to hold a larger share of the market, DuPont and Monsanto will likely acquire smaller companies to expand operations and geographic presence just as they had in the past five years. Garst Seed Co. is another major player in this industry.
The GM Soybean Seed Production industry is forecast to continue on its upward path, growing during the five years to 2018. Demand from biofuel producers will continue to drive revenue growth as renewable fuel standards grow. Moreover, demand from developing economies will also support export growth. Still, consumers' demand for organic food will continue to stifle the industry's opportunities, resulting in slightly subdued growth during the outlook period.
For more information, visit IBISWorld’s GM Soybean Seed Production in the US industry report page.
Follow IBISWorld on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/IBISWorld
Friend IBISWorld on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/IBISWorld/121347533189
IBISWorld industry Report Key Topics
Establishments in this industry manufacture genetically modified (GM) seeds and supply them to farming industries, ranging from corn growers to horticultural producers.
Key External Drivers
Industry Life Cycle
Products & Markets
Products & Services
Globalization & Trade
Market Share Concentration
Key Success Factors
Cost Structure Benchmarks
Barriers to Entry
About IBISWorld Inc.
Recognized as the nation’s most trusted independent source of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers a comprehensive database of unique information and analysis on every US industry. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, the company equips clients with the insight necessary to make better business decisions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.


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The following opinion piece is a guest post and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of this publication. Read more about MediaShift guest posts here.
I remember the frustration of wanting to listen to music digitally but having no practical, legal way to do so. It took iTunes, music streaming and the inversion of the music industry’s business model to give me what I wanted.
Today I want something else that doesn’t exist: I want the ability to explore a variety of news from a variety of sources in an environment that is free of paywalls and bad ads. I’ll pay, but I only want to pay once.
What I want is a streaming service for news.
This option doesn’t exist for basically the same reason that legal digital music once didn’t exist: The publishers who fund most news content would lose some control over both their product and their economic model.
So what would it take to make news streaming happen? I think it would take either publisher cooperation on an unprecedented scale or a collapse of the news business’ economic model. If recent history is any judge, my bet’s on the latter.
Music and news
Consider the similarities in the challenges the digital revolution has presented to the music and news industries:
- Both based their economic models on the sale of limitable things that could be digitized.
- Music sold albums. News sold print space and limited air time.
- Both made huge monopolistic profits in the decades before digital.
- Both bungled the early transition. Music was slow to distribute digitally; news just gave its content away.
- Both continued to provide products people wanted. Although the economic models faltered, audience interest in music and news never did.
But stop for a minute and think where music is now. In 2004, the recorded music industry made 98 percent of its money from physical sales of albums and CDs. When digital came along, that revenue plunged, but now total income is on the rise again. As of 2015, the music industry was making more than half of its money from streaming and digital and less than 40 percent from physical sales.
News? Despite a lot of attention to new digital news brands such as Quartz, Vox and BuzzFeed, the new news media economic model still looks a lot like the old-school music industry.
A 2014 Pew Center report determined that about 70 percent of the revenue that pays for news comes from advertising. Take old-school subscription-based newspapers and magazines out of the mix and that percentage would be far higher.
In other words, music and news faced similar problems, but music has rebuilt itself with a more diversified economic base and a model that connects creators with audiences. News … hasn’t.
Music has done better in two important ways: Content creators used inexpensive digital tools to make interesting niche content, and they distributed in ways — YouTube, Bandcamp, Soundcloud — that allowed audiences could find them.
Go on YouTube or iTunes and you can find Japanese schoolgirls singing heavy metal. But where do you go to find the long tail of news content?
What do news brands provide audiences?
We live in an era where the publisher of creative content just doesn’t matter as much as it once did. If I watch a show on HULU, I don’t much know or care which cable channel the show originally aired on.
Why is it different with news? I like data stories, but I don’t care if an interesting data story is branded from Vox, FiveThirtyEight or The Upshot; I’m just as likely to recognize the author as the brand.
Still, I’m not arguing that news brands are without value.
To audiences, news brands provide information about geography, quality, coverage topics and political bent.
To reporters, news publishers provide salaries and press passes and connections to sources and plane tickets overseas. They work with advertisers and distribute content.
All of these things are important but they’re increasingly less important than they once were. After all — production, quality control, advance funding, marketing, distribution — you could make basically the same case for why we still need all-dominant music labels.
And they can all be addressed with a news stream that directly connects audiences with reporters.
I picture being able to explore a large variety of news content from a large variety of creators. If I like what the reporter is doing, I’ll add them to my stream. I could sift among them based on geography, point-of-view, coverage area — all of it.
This same service could allow reporters to ask audiences for help with a story. They might be looking for sources, good questions or the cash for a plane ticket to Turkey.
It might also connect brands with reporters, allowing a videographer, for example, to talk about the attributes of his camera in exchange for free gear.
The cost to me might be $10-$20 a month. As in music streaming, the money would flow back out to creators based on the size of the audiences that each reporter reaches.
Theoretically, news streaming could happen with news brands involved, but you’d need all of them involved. I’m skeptical that large publishers could be persuaded to work together in this way.
Some might say that the digital news business has been busy remaking itself lately. Digital news in the past few years has attracted more advertising dollars, more honors and more eyeballs. News brands are becoming more economically agile, making money from everything from events to conferences to subscriber-based premium services.
But there are some real problems on the horizon. Bad ads are increasingly getting in the way of online news consumption. They are slowing load times, particularly on mobile, and ad-blocking technology has publishers justifiably terrified.
People who care about news have been worrying for years about how to fund it, but perhaps we’ve focused too much attention on the needs of news brands and publishers.
Instead of funding publishers, let’s try funding journalists. Let’s give them a way to connect with news audiences in the same way YouTube stars connect with their fans. Let’s fund them in a way that’s proven to work on the web. Let’s clear a way for a streaming service for news.
Patrick Howe is an award-winning former political correspondent and AP newsman. He teaches multimedia journalism as an assistant professor at Cal Poly. His research focuses on the effects of advertising on online news.


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Local church wants your shoes
Every year, Americans throw away 700 million pairs of shoes while others go barefoot.
Ross Grove Baptist Church on Fallston Road is asking the community to donate used shoes for Soles4Souls.
The international shoe charity recycles gently worn footwear and then redistributes them through the charity's domestic and international partners.
Melanie Smith, a member of Ross Grove Baptist, said the church participates in the collection of shoes each year.
She said the footwear will be distributed throughout the world and the United States.
"Soles4Souls has distributed more than 19 million pairs of shoes around the world with the help of partners like Ross Grove Baptist Church," Smith said. "With one in every four adults in the world living in extreme poverty, basic necessities like shoes are simply unavailable."
About 50 pairs of shoes have been collected so far.
"We need more," Smith said.
She said the shoes can be in any condition because the charity does some repairs.
Turner Trucking is covering the cost of shipping the shoes.
"We have always been proud to say we do our part to keep footwear out of landfills, and hopefully put them on the feet of someone in need," said Buddy Teaster, CEO of Soles4Souls. "Please join Ross Grove Baptist Church in this initiative to collect gently used footwear, and possibly improve the quality of someone's daily life."
Want to help?
For more information on how to get involved and donate, visit: www.giveshoes.org.
People can bring their used footwear to Ross Grove Baptist Church at 1225 Fallston Road or call the church at 704-482-6051.


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Cult has appointed co-founder Bridey Lipscombe to the position of global managing director, effective immediately.
Lipscombe founded Cult with Cat Turner eight years ago, with the ambition to take the world’s biggest beauty, fashion, luxury and wellness brands beyond their comfort zone to drive tangible business value.
Together, they launched a New York office in 2018, a global production house in 2019, and now have over 40 staff and an annual turnover of $8m.
As Cult continues its global expansion with hopes of opening an office in LA soon, following a raft of West Coast new business wins, and an office in Amsterdam, Lipscombe will oversee the day to day running of the agency while Turner will focus on creative output.
In the last three months, Cult has hired a new head of strategy, Charlotte Bunyan, its first communications director, Hugo Eyre-Varnier, and signed award-winning futurist author, Lucie Greene, to collaborate on Cult:Futures, their new insight and incubation programme.
Turner, co-founder and CCO at Cult, says: "Bridey is a powerhouse of brand, digital and consumer-centric business insight. Cult is re-inventing creativity and culture for the twenty first century, and her pioneering leadership skills and strategic laser-focused brain will place us firmly in the minds of CMO’s across the world. Our divide and conquer business strategy will double down on Cult’s success and expansion."
Lipscombe adds: "With Cat focused on creativity, taking on the role of MD felt a natural extension. Cult is 100% independently owned and has a unique offering with creativity embedded at its core. With our combined vision and pace, we offer both new establishment and legacy brands seamless world-class marketing at scale and speed. Our success to date demonstrates how much brands need us. Cult only works with people that are willing to break new ground, we invite CMO’s that are creatively frustrated to get in touch."


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Exchange rates fall back as Pound falters
25 July, 2014
Yesterday saw the Pound lose ground as the effects of Wednesday’s Bank of England minutes filtered through foreign exchange markets. Mark Carney’s band of merry men (and women) seem reluctant to give any support to interest rate rise sentiment, with a ‘will they, won’t they?’ see-saw giving us a stronger Pound one minute and a weaker one the next. (Interest rate rise speculation has been one of the main factors giving the Pound its strength in recent weeks.) This time, wage growth is the monetary policy committee’s concern, with unemployment and inflation having been their other recent reasons to remain cautious on interest rate hikes.
Yesterday also saw UK retail sales come in below expectations, which didn’t help sterling’s cause. While retail sales showed their fastest quarterly pace of growth for 10 years, June alone was disappointing, with a small 0.1% growth from May. Along with better than expected Eurozone and US data, it is perhaps no surprise that we saw GBP-EUR and GBP-USD lose the best part of a cent.
Fridays are normally quiet in terms of data releases, but this morning we have UK GDP at 9.30am for the second calendar quarter, and as always a reading better than the expected 3.1% annual growth figure would help exchange rates back up, and vice versa if growth has been disappointing.
Next week we move towards the end of the month and there is nothing major due out in the UK before the start of August and the traditional holiday period. Therefore, the Pound may struggle to recover, and those of you looking to send money abroad may like to look at securing your exchange rate now.
One piece of good news is that today’s GDP figure should reveal that the UK economy is now bigger that it was before the financial crisis struck 6 years ago. It’s a landmark for the economy, although Mark Carney warned that “none of us should forget the extraordinary forces that are still weighing on this economy.”
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In yesterday’s Wall Street session, Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE:HOG) shares traded at $46.72, up 1.50% from the previous session.
17 analysts cover Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE:HOG), according to research data. The consensus rating among analysts is ‘Hold’. As we calculate the median target price by taking the range between a high of $60.00 and a low of $39.00, we find $48.00. Given the previous closing price of $46.03, this indicates a potential upside of 4.28 percent. HOG stock price is now 4.76% away from the 50-day moving average and 19.34% away from the 200-day moving average. The market capitalization of the company currently stands at $6.67B.
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The stock has received a hold rating from 10 analysts and a buy rating from 4. Brokers who have rated the stock have averaged $48.33 as their price target over the next twelve months.
With the price target of $39, Jefferies recently initiated with Underperform rating for Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG). On October 24, 2022, Citigroup recently initiated its ‘Neutral’ rating on the stock quoting a target price of $40, while ‘DA Davidson’ rates the stock as ‘Neutral’.
In other news, ZEITZ JOCHEN, President and CEO bought 25,750 shares of the company’s stock on Sep 02. The stock was bought for $1,002,628 at an average price of $38.94. Upon completion of the transaction, the President and CEO now directly owns 508,870 shares in the company, valued at $23.77 million. An SEC document containing details of the transaction can be found on the SEC’s website. On Aug 09, Director Masood Rafeh bought 1,335 shares of the business’s stock. A total of $50,062 was incurred on buying the stock at an average price of $37.50. This leaves the insider owning 1,335 shares of the company worth $62371.2. Insiders disposed of 98,999 shares of company stock worth roughly $4.63 million over the past 1 year. A total of 0.40% of the company’s stock is owned by insiders.
There have been several recent changes in the stakes of large investors in HOG stock. A new stake in Harley-Davidson Inc. shares was purchased by BALYASNY ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC during the first quarter worth $35,742,000. INTRINSIC EDGE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC invested $16,625,000 in shares of HOG during the first quarter. In the first quarter, ARROWSTREET CAPITAL, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP acquired a new stake in Harley-Davidson Inc. valued at approximately $15,886,000. QUBE RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGIES LTD acquired a new stake in HOG for approximately $15,406,000. HOLOCENE ADVISORS, LP purchased a new stake in HOG valued at around $12,258,000 in the second quarter. In total, there are 532 active investors with 89.30% ownership of the company’s stock.
On Wednesday morning Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) stock kicked off with the opening price of $45.86. During the past 12 months, Harley-Davidson Inc. has had a low of $29.80 and a high of $48.72. As of last week, the company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.52, a current ratio of 1.40, and a quick ratio of 1.20. The fifty day moving average price for HOG is $44.60 and a two-hundred day moving average price translates $39.15 for the stock.
The latest earnings results from Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) was released for Sep, 2022. According to the Recreational Vehicles Company, earnings per share came in at $1.78, beating analysts’ expectations of $1.4 by 0.38. This compares to $1.05 EPS in the same period last year. The net profit margin was 12.80% and return on equity was 27.40% for HOG. The company reported revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to $1.37 billion a year earlier. Comparatively to last year’s same quarter, the company’s quarterly revenue rose 20.75 percent. For the current quarter, analysts expect HOG to generate $902.81M in revenue.
Moreover, the firm recently paid out its quarterly dividend on 12/23/2022. Investors who held shares on 12/09/2022 were paid a $0.1575 dividend. On an annualized basis, this represents a $0.63 dividend and a 1.35% percent yield. There was an ex-dividend date of 12/08/2022 for this dividend. In terms of dividend payout ratio, HOG is presently at 12.80%.
Harley-Davidson Inc.(HOG) Company Profile
Harley-Davidson, Inc. manufactures and sells motorcycles. The company operates in two segments, Motorcycles and Related Products and Financial Services. The Motorcycles and Related Products segment designs, manufactures, and sells Harley-Davidson motorcycles, including cruiser, touring, standard, sportbike, and dual models, as well as motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel, and related services. This segment sells its products to retail customers through a network of independent dealers, as well as e-commerce channels in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific. The Financial Services segment provides wholesale financing services, such as floorplan and open account financing of motorcycles, and parts and accessories; and retail financing services, including installment lending for the purchase of new and used Harley-Davidson motorcycles, as well as point-of-sale protection products comprising motorcycle insurance, extended service contracts, and motorcycle maintenance protection. This segment also licenses third-party financial institutions that issue credit cards bearing the Harley-Davidson brand. Harley-Davidson, Inc. was founded in 1903 and is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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In the middle of a pandemic, emotions remain high. Sometimes, it’s all over the place. But mostly, it demands to be felt. Providing mental health
Month: July 2021
The rise of popular social media apps like Instagram and TikTok means just about everyone can be a multimedia content creator if they want to,
Happy New Year 2022? The year has come to a sudden end – at least resource wise. July 29th, 2021 marks the day where we
Are you one of those hooked on K-dramas and wishing for clear, dewy, beautiful skin just like the leading actors? Well, you are not alone!
“The process of securing a CFEI is now better and faster. It took much longer before.” Jamalia Alawiya, a resident of Manila, previously struggled in
To ensure a safe and COVID-19-free coronation night for this year’s Binibining Pilipinas, the leading HMO in the Philippines, Maxicare, along with its mobile clinic,
We have often heard of “pivot” or “pivoting” in business. But how do we pivot our lives to fit the protocols and restrictions that come
Spending more time at home doesn’t mean that life is now less hectic. In fact, many people experience having to juggle more tasks than before.
Are you looking to add a little spice to your usual everyday meals? Then Popeyes’ selection of items in the Cajun Spicy Menu will definitely
Whatever generation someone belongs to, there will always be topics and interests that they can relate and connect to on Twitter. As the place for
This July, Jollibee brings the joy of fun sports to kids as it launches its newest Jolly Kiddie Meal set of collectible toys, the J-ollympics.
Filipinos are well known and loved around the world. That much can’t be denied, as our culture and race have made a lot of notable
Industry leader Petron Corporation is giving away a one-year supply of fuel to three lucky winners in celebration of reaching 1,000 stations equipped with PayMaya


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The latest market share numbers from analytics outfit comScore are available today, which means it’s time to take our regular three month look at how Android is doing in the US mobile market. Today it’s mostly good news for Android as a whole, and of course for worldwide leader Samsung.
When it comes to overall ... Read More »
Are you ready for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4? If not, you’ve officially got less than a month to get that way.
Samsung tonight sent out invitations to its Unpacked 2014 Episode 2 event that’s taking place on Sept. ... Read More »
The lineup of Google Play edition devices grew pretty large at one point, featuring phones from many manufacturers and even a tablet. However, the devices are now falling like flies. Recently we were down to only three phones, with the older devices being removed along with the only tablet. But today, that number goes down ... Read More »
Following yesterday’s leak of the white Samsung Galaxy Alpha, a new batch of photos has surfaced that gives us a closer peek at Sammy’s upcoming smartphone and compares it to another well-known metal handset.
Twitter user @culeaks has posted several photos of the black Samsung ... Read More »
Samsung is considered the big dog in most large markets, especially here in the US. The company dominates all others around it, meaning firms like HTC and LG are just picking up the crumbs. However, China is a very different smartphone market. It’s very price-focused and it looks like Samsung can’t stay on top there.
Read More »
Last month saw several photos of the black Samsung Galaxy Alpha leak out. Now it’s the white version’s time in the leaky spotlight.
Several photos that show the white Samsung Galaxy Alpha have been posted to Chinese social network Weibo. As ... Read More »
Microsoft and Samsung are taking their royalty dispute to court. For years, Android manufacturers have been paying royalties to Microsoft, but Samsung recently decided that enough was enough. As the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, Samsung has a whole lot of smartphones to be paying royalties on, and it makes sense that it would ... Read More »
The Samsung Galaxy S5 was released with the specs everyone has come to expect from the flagship phones of this generation. A 1080p display, a Snapdragon 801 processor, and nothing too extreme. It’s true that specs are no longer much of a selling point, while design and software are now the main differentiating factors.
... Read More »
Samsung has been working hard on the Gear VR, using its partnership with Oculus Rift to create the hardware. But instead of providing a display, the Gear VR will need your phone for the display and sensors. It’s a cool concept, but very different from ... Read More »
T-Mobile is now offering the Samsung Galaxy Avant as an entry-level option for those looking to save some money. The Galaxy Avant packs the latest version of Android in with some mid-range specs for an affordable Samsung option on T-Mobile. The Galaxy Avant sports a 4.5-inch qHD (960×540) display, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, 16GB ... Read More »


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B&M boss rules out security tag on booze sold in East Lothian store
A call for alcohol sold in a discount chain to be security tagged was rejected after store bosses said it would cost about £10,000.
Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article.
East Lothian Licensing Board was asked by its licence standards officer to request B&M stores introduce the tags after it applied for a licence to sell alcohol from its Prestonpans store.
However during a virtual meeting of the board, B&M representative Richard Williams urged members not to impose the condition – citing the five-figure cost that would be incurred by store chiefs if they were forced to introduce the measure.
He said: “B&M do not have tagging in this store. Since it opened we have not had any issue with theft and have not had any need to install security tagging.
“Installing a tagging system will cost B&M £10,000.”
The store said additional conditions including having CCTV set up to monitor the drinks aisle and agreeing to report any thefts to police were acceptable.
Police Scotland did not object to the store being given an alcohol licence.
The board heard one objection had been raised with the claimant, a personal licence holder, stating there was an overprovision of alcohol outlets in the area.
However B&M contested that view and pointed out that while the chain was a discount retailer it did not sell discounted alcohol.
It added: “Price point for alcohol is generally higher than other major supermarket retailers.”
The board approved the alcohol licence without the need for tagging for The Links shopping centre store.


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NEW YORK — Offers of training and stock in their new employer weren’t enough to keep four out of his five staffers when Dennis Chow sold his information technology firm in 2016.
Chow and the buyers learned one of the hard lessons of a business sale — despite their best efforts, some employees will leave. People departed from both companies when SCIS Security acquired Chow’s Houston-based Xtec Systems, most of them workers who didn’t like their new assignments.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“We lost maybe 25 per cent of the overall workforce,” Chow says.
For more small business news, insights and inspiration, sign up for our free weekly newsletter here: http://discover.ap.org/ssb
As the number of small business sales keeps rising, staff retention is a priority — especially since low unemployment makes it easy for many workers to find new jobs. Transactions tallied by online marketplace BizBuySell.com show more than 2,700 small businesses changed hands during the second quarter, the most since the count began in 2007. The trend is being driven in large part by retiring baby boomer owners.


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Opera Mini for Windows Phone is getting a new update with Ad-Blocker feature. For those who don’t Ad-Blocker on Opera Mini allows you to load website even faster.
However, we suggest you to don’t use Ad-Blocker on Windows Latest as we serve quality ads with limited quantity. Ads are very important for us to keep our site running with the latest news.
Get the latest version of Opera Mini by clicking here.


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Normally the U.S. adding 200,000 new jobs a month would be cause for celebration, but now the speedy pace of hiring might actually raise the odds of recession. Here’s what is going on. Strong employment gains are exacerbating an acute labor market shortage. The result is a rapid rise in wages that threatens to prolong the worst U.S. inflation in four decades.
To bring inflation down, the Federal Reserve is swiftly raising interest rates to slow the economy. Higher borrowing costs depress consumer spending and business investment and, just as important, reduce the demand for labor. Yet unless the labor market cools off considerably faster, the Fed is likely to raise interest rates even higher than expected and potentially trigger a recession. Indeed, most Wall Street
economists predict a recession in 2023. Until not long ago, the Fed was banking on an increase in the number of people looking for work to ease the labor shortage. The expectation was that many workers who dropped out of the labor force during the pandemic would return For while that’s exactly what happened, but the size of the labor force has actually shrunk since August. Now it’s slightly below pre-pandemic levels again almost three years after the onset of the coronavirus. There were 164.5 million people in the labor force in November. Had the pandemic never happened, the labor force likely would have added another 3.6 million people from 2020 through 2022, based the average annual increase from 2012 to 2019. Where have all these people gone? Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday estimated about 2 million people retired and haven’t come back. Some are still worried about the coronavirus …


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SINGAPORE - More Mice events will land on Singapore's shores under two new agreements inked on Wednesday.
Comexposium, a leading global event organiser, is launching two anchor events in 2023 under its three-year memorandum of understanding with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
Silmo Singapore, a leading eyewear and lifestyle trade show, and Vinexpo Asia, a major wine and spirits exhibition, will join Comexposium's stable of existing events in Singapore, including Milipol Asia-Pacific, the Asia-Pacific's largest homeland security event.
Ms Elaine Chia, Asia-Pacific chief executive of Comexposium, said it looks upon Singapore as an excellent platform to serve the demands of the South-east Asia, Australia and New Zealand markets.
Another big meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions player, Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), will establish its South-east Asia regional headquarters here by end-2023 and expand its business in the region under its three-year pact with STB.
IEG's international business development director Francesco Santa said the pact marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration with Singapore as the company expands globally.
STB's chief executive Keith Tan said: "As Singapore's Mice industry recovers strongly, our partnerships with IEG and Comexposium will boost the vibrancy of Singapore's business events calendar and create new opportunities for our Mice industry."
The Mice industry is a strong contributor to Singapore's economy, contributing 0.8 per cent to Singapore's gross domestic product and supported more than 34,000 jobs before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Singapore is on the recovery path for its Mice events, after almost two years in which Covid-19 travel restrictions and safe management measures have all but put a stop to them.
Mice events received a shot in the arm when the Republic hosted the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2022, just months after it reopened its borders and loosened its Covid-19 measures.
STB previously said more than 20 Mice events are taking place around the F1 race period, including the inaugural edition of the Time100 Leadership Forum on Oct 2, the race day.
Mice events create jobs for Singaporeans such as conference producers and those in sales, operations and marketing and attracts investment opportunities, said STB's executive director of exhibitions and conferences Poh Chi Chuan.
He added that business travellers to such events are also important to Singapore's long-term yield-driven tourism growth strategy, as they spend almost double that of leisure travellers to Singapore.
Ms Selena Ling, chief economist at OCBC Bank, said the Mice industry is likely to stage a more robust recovery and growth given the pipeline of events.
Based on the projects and trade shows coming to Singapore, local businesses such as those in the food and beverage as well as eyewear sectors can participate and leverage the events to showcase and promote to overseas markets, she added.
Meanwhile, to meet growing demand for sustainable business travel by reducing waste and the carbon footprint of exhibitions, STB on Wednesday also signed a partnership with six key players, including Informa Markets, the world's largest trade show organiser.
The alliance will explore new solutions for green events and leverage its global expertise in sustainable event planning to ensure that these will adhere to local Mice sustainability standards that are currently being developed.
It will also focus on industry education to increase awareness and adoption of green practices.


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Hoxton’s beloved purveyors of “Jewish comfort food” — Monty’s Deli — has set up a second London outlet, replacing the Scandinavian-inspired smoked meat brand Rōk whose departure was announced last week, at The Kitchens in Spitalfields market.
Mark Ogus and Owen Barratt opened in the new space on Monday this week and will be serving a truncated version of the NYC deli-style menu available at the Hoxton Street flagship.
The smaller menu being offered at Spitalfields will hero just two sandwiches:
- The Reuben: salt beef or pastrami on toasted rye bread, kraut, cheese, mustard and Russian dressing.
- And what they call the Mensch: Salt beef OR pastrami on rye bread with mustard.
- A selection of sides will include: Chicken soup, potato salad, house pickles, fries, latkes and smoked chicken wings.
- To drink: Harbour pilsner beer, pickle backs, and a selection of Dr. Browns sodas which are imported from the U.S.
Ogus, then as a street food trader on Maltby Street market in Bermondsey, founded the brand in 2012. In 2014, after meeting Barratt, the pair moved the operation into a self contained arch that spanned across to the market from Druid Street on the other side of the railway tracks. In December 2016, Monty’s ceased trading at that location.
It opened a first permanent restaurant and shop on Hoxton Street, Hackney in April last year.
It is understood that tenants at The Kitchens — which launched in October last year — are on rolling contracts with the “option of an agreed period of notice from either side.” Monty’s is expected to be in position for at least six months.
When the Monty’s Deli opened last year, Ogus told The Week that it was “a melange of U.S. influences and British eccentricities, humour and style.” The London food scene had changed over the last 10 – 15 years, he said, “but with this kind of food, there’s still a kind of stiff upper lip — small portions of overly salty dry meat, poor service and a generally dour experience. When I’ve been in the States, the experience has been so different — everything is laid out before you, it’s bustling but relaxing and calm at the same time. And there’s so many elements of that dining experience that were lacking here.”
Ogus and Barratt do not currently have any plans to open further sites in London.


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Apple users in New Jersey and California can now order cannabis from select dispensaries owned by TerrAscend Corp. (CSE: TER) (OTCQX: TRSSF).
On Tuesday, the company said it’s become the first major American cannabis operator to launch mobile retail on the Apple App Store.
People can place orders for pickup at The Apothecarium dispensaries in Maplewood and Philipsburg, New Jersey, as well as delivery and pickup from the store’s Capitola location in California.
TerrAscend says it expects to expand availability across its U.S. footprint of Apothecarium stores in the coming weeks.
Among other features, the app includes a live chat function to help guide consumers, as well as digital payment.
Read more: TerrAscend expands leadership team
Read more: Q3 sales slow for TerrAscend
“TerrAscend is a leader in leveraging technology to meet the needs of our customers,” executive chairman Jason Wild said in a statement.
“Our proprietary app allows customers to instantly connect with our Apothecarium dispensaries while providing more choice and convenience in a personalized, digital environment. This launch rounds out our omnichannel offering, with the app seamlessly integrated into our existing retail and web-based e-commerce experiences.”
The statement also notes that customer identification will be verified at “several stages” throughout the purchase and delivery process.


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Kumho Tire will supply tires for Mercedes G-ClassKumho Tire, the nation’s second-largest tire manufacturer, will supply original equipment (OE) tires for Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the company said yesterday.
The affiliate of Kumho Asiana Group said its “Solus KL21” tires will be installed on the German automaker’s luxury SUV and will be sold to Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan and the United States. Kumho is the first local tire manufacturer to work with Mercedes-Benz after supplying OE tires to its A-Class models in 2007. It is also supplying OE tires to Volkswagen, BMW, Chrysler and General Motors.
Meanwhile, the company said that it will resume construction of a Georgia plant in the United States and begin operating it by 2016.


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Guzman Y Gomez launches network first healthy kid’s menu
Fast-casual Mexican franchise, Guzman Y Gomez (GYG) has unveiled an all new kid’s menu designed specifically to promote healthy eating.
The introduction of the Little G’s menu marks the first time GYG has made the venture into children’s specific dining and follows months of careful design and innovation.
Steven Marks, Global CEO and founder of GYG said it was important for QSR brands to provide a full-immersive family experience that was nutritious, flavoursome and affordable.
“At GYG, we understand that parents want to feed their kids real food that’s fresh, delicious and free from artificial colours or favours. As a father of two young girls myself, I understand that raising a family means you’re constantly on-the-go so having convenient options that are free from nasty ingredients and low in sugar is important,” Marks said.
“We’ve spent a long time getting the Little G’s meal perfect and I know it’s going to be a hit with both kids and their parents.”
The introduction of GYG’s healthy children’s menu comes in response to a growing concern for childhood health, and signals a firm commitment from the brand to help tackle the community issue.
Designed for Aussie kids aged three to eight, the Little G menu offers customers the choice of a burrito, two quesadillas or kid’s nachos, filled with protein-rich mince beef and is served with skin-on, preservative free fries or carrot discs and a water.
“I have been so invested in this from the outset and it’s one of our most exciting launches to-date. Little G’s is genuinely clean fast food for little kids. It’s made from fresh ingredients that won’t break the bank,” Marks said.
“Personally I think it’s great that we’re able to offer parents an alternative and healthier meal option in the fast food and drive-thru category.”
The Little G’s menu has now been rolled out network-wide to GYG’s franchised and company owned stores.


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While we wait for the full sales numbers, let’s find out Nintendo Switch beat PS5 like The UK’s best selling console about a month May 2023as a clear sign of the influence of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
There’s still no complete data, but in the meantime, Christopher Dring of GamesIndustry.biz states, based on that provided by GfK, that “the reign of the PS5 continues.” four consecutive months But it ended in May, with the Nintendo Switch taking first place.”
Thus, Nintendo’s console is the best-selling console in the UK in May 2023, interrupting the previous four months’ streak that had always seen the PS5 as the best-selling console. Nintendo Switch is down 8% compared to the first five months of last year, but it’s still above its direct competitors.
A caliber game release The Legend of Zelda: Kingdom’s Tears It’s likely the main reason for this console relaunch, though how long that impact will last as a driving force for Nintendo Switch sales remains to be assessed.
As evidenced by Dring, in fact, for the rest of the year there is still no announced batch of the large caliber of Nintendo’s console, so the immediate future is still somewhat unknown for this, pending any presentations from the company. Although there doesn’t seem to be a new Nintendo Directs planned, rumors have surfaced in recent days about some possible presentations also by Nintendo in the coming weeks, so we look forward to any news.


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Remember when Apple launched a gaming console? Well, according to a new report, the company will try to do it again but this time, it will aim to go mass market and dethrone the Nintendo Switch. The report says Apple's console will be a hybrid device, a combination of Switch and Sony's PS5. That's probably because it's supposed to work with Apple's rumored AR/VR headset.
The source also claims that Apple has kickstarted the development of several titles and has major studios on board. In fact, its alternatives to Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey are almost ready to go. Some speculate that the COVID-19 outbreak ruined Apple's plans but there's a chance the console will see broad daylight soon.
Pretty much all key employees left Rare. Rare is just a name now.
Sea of Thieves is still going strong more then 3 years later. I'd say there's nothing wrong with Microsoft and Rare. Personally I don't play it anymore but it has a huge fan base still.
Just because you have money, it doesn't mean that you can make successful games. Do you know Microsoft and Rare? Look it up if you don't know what happened.


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During a PAX East Keynote address, Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos expressed an intention to bring back his company’s popular Rock Band and Dance Central franchises on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
“[The Rock Band and Dance Central franchises] are near and dear to our hearts and our minds,” he said. “We have grand plans to bring back both of them with guns blazing at some point in the coming console cycle.”
The statement, first reported by Gamespot, was preceded by a clarification that Rigopulos wasn’t announcing any specific titles. In that context, this new declaration isn’t all that different from the one he made last year, when he said the company would revisit Rock Band “at the right point in time.” This new statement does, however, specify that the “right point” is apparently during this hardware generation.
Of course, having a plan for something and actually executing on that plan are often worlds apart, and the hefty amounts of music licensing required for those two titles could slow down the process.
Rock Band in particular could prove a tricky beast, not just because a sequel on new hardware would necessitate an entirely new set of instrument controllers, but because the franchise has a tradition of allowing players to carry on-disc and DLC songs over to new versions of the game. Allowing them to transfer to a new platform would be an enormous licensing hurdle, and forcing players to abandon songs they spent money on probably wouldn’t go over too smoothly.
Regardless, it’s unlikely we’ll see anything on either game for quite some time. Harmonix already has their hands full with two major projects—the free-to-play music-based FPS Chroma and Fantasia: Music Evolved, which Ray and I went hands-on with at GDC. On top of that, Rigopulos also announced music-themed endless runner Record Run during the keynote and promised “lots of other irons in the fire” on phones and tablets.


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YouTube levels up Gaming platform with mobile streams
James R | On 16, Oct 2015
Facebook may be improving its video offerings, but YouTube continues to level up its gaming platform this week, with a host of new updates.
YouTube Gaming was launched earlier this year to combat rival Twitch, building upon an already substantial community of video game fans on the site. Indeed, YouTube says that now more than 144 billion minutes of gaming videos and live streams on YouTube – the equivalent of watching “Let’s Play” videos 24 hours a day for more than 270,000 years in a row.
The dedicated site, though, has been lagging behind the Amazon-owned competition in terms of features for both users and publishers. Now, Google is catching up with a string of upgrades.
The main addition is the launch of mobile capture, allowing people to live-stream their gaming footage on the go. The feature was first introduced by Twitch last year, while YouTube announced it as coming soon at the Tokyo Game Show. Now, Android users can stream mobile gamble without any additional hardware or software.
Income for publishers remains a key focus for YouTube, as it helps to both retain creators and attract them from other sites. And so, just as Twitch already offers subscription options, YouTube has announced “Fan Funding and Sponsorships”, which allows users to pay $3.99 a month to become a sponsor of a channel, receiving benefits such as exclusive chat sessions. This is currently in beta testing with “a small group of creators” but the list of channels will “continually expand”.
Smaller updates include easier video bookmarking with a “Watch Later” function and better search navigation on iOS by remembering users’ previous searches.


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Consumer shares are higher in mid-day trading,while American Apparel (APP) may have to file for bankruptcy protection.
In consumer sector ETFs, the SPDR S&P Retail (XRT) is up 1.0%.
In mid-day news, shares of American Apparel are down after the Los Angeles-based clothing company said the shortfall in its cash may force it to seek bankruptcy protection, Bloomberg reported.
Two American Apparel board members from lender Lion Capital resigned to evaluate the investment, the report said, citing a regulatory filing.
American Apparel shares are down 15.9%, or $0.15, to $0.81.
Meanwhile, Office Depot (ODP) is down 11.8% to $4.08, after the company announced that the Internal Revenue Service has denied the company's claim to carry back certain tax losses to prior tax years under economic stimulus-based tax legislation enacted in 2009.
As a result, the company has reassessed the carry back of tax losses in 2010 to prior periods and will restate its financial results to revise the accounting treatment regarding its original tax position. The periods covered by the restatement are the fiscal year ended December 25, 2010 and the quarters ended June 26, 2010 and September 25, 2010.
The company anticipates that it will file the restated financial statements on or about April 6, 2011.


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It’s not just smartphone enthusiasts who are excited about Apple’s big event Tuesday, during which it is expected to unveil three new iPhones and a new Watch. Apple investors are also optimistic.
The company’s shares rose 1.8% to $161.50 in regular trading on Monday in prelude to Apple’s first event at the Steve Jobs Theater at the company’s new Cupertino, Calif. headquarters. The closing price is just shy of the stock’s all-time high of $164.94 set last month.
The stakes are high for Apple and its event, which marks the tenth anniversary of the lucrative iPhone brand. On stage, Apple is expected to debut a new iPhone called the iPhone X that could cost roughly $1,000 and come with an upgraded OLED screen and wireless charging, among other features.
The unveiling of the new luxury iPhone is said to come with the debut of two new smartphones, the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus, which will be more comparable to previous smartphones rather than major overhauls, according to various media reports.
Apple (AAPL) is also expected to debut a new Apple Watch that comes with cellular connectivity, making the gadget more powerful than predecessors and no longer in need of being paired with an iPhone for online access.
Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.
The new iPhones face a challenge from Samsung’s newly released Galaxy Note 8, which has received praise from tech reviewers who have said it’s the best Android-powered smartphone released yet.


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New year, new market. 2021 brings rebounds.
The start of the new year saw a 45% week-over-week increase in new listings across MRED’s market. The weekly rebound fell 15% short of the previous year’s numbers during the same period, although open houses nearly doubled week-over-week, signaling a potential strong start to the year. Learn more in MRED’s Weekly Market Snapshot.


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Facebook today announced new security features for mobile devices, allowing users to confirm logins made from new devices, report unwanted content from their mobile feed, and more easily recover compromised accounts.
The social network updated its login approvals process to make it easier for Android users to authorize logins that are made on new devices. With the new “Code Generator,” users will be able to receive login approval codes from their Facebook app rather than having to wait for a text message. This is an improvement over the previous system, which didn’t work if a user did not have cellular or Internet access. Android users can turn on Code Generator here. Facebook says it is working to bring this functionality to other devices.
Users of Facebook’s touch-enabled mobile site will now be able to hide or report content from News Feed. This is done by tapping the feedback icon beneath a story and tapping the icon in the upper right hand corner. Facebook says it is working to bring this feature to native mobile apps as well.
The social network has also brought its account recovery tool, which was previously only available on desktop, to mobile devices. Users can review unauthorized logins, reset their password, and take other actions to regain control of their accounts from their phones. See Facebook’s note here for more details.


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Today, Xiaomi is a major player in the smartphone market. In addition to its mobiles, the Chinese brand also offers laptops, tablets, as well as a wide range of connected devices.
And soon, the company could also tackle the desktop computer market. This is at least what is suggested by an article recently published by the GSMArena site.
This relays two future Xiaomi computers that would have leaked on the Chinese social network Weibo. The first is a machine called Xiaomi Host Mini.
Xiaomi Mini Host ‘Mini PC’ Pictures Leak Out, 100W PSU & Dual-Slot GPU Supporthttps://t.co/t6qCCqDDef pic.twitter.com/FcfYmETkoK
— AMD Fusion | All AMD News, Rumors and Reviews (@amdfusioncom) December 2, 2022
The second has a form factor that could be reminiscent of the Intel NUC or the Mac mini. According to GSMArena, this PC could have an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. Its price in China could be around $570.
Xiaomi might be entering the desktop PC space https://t.co/doQogOVpkG pic.twitter.com/tFh9AlHxtJ
— GSMArena.com (@gsmarena_com) December 4, 2022
A postponed presentation?
As usual, this information is for the moment to be considered with extreme caution, since it does not come from an official source. The good news is that the official presentation of these two new products in China could be imminent.
Indeed, according to GSMArena, these would be computers that Xiaomi intends to unveil at the same time as its new high-end smartphones: the Xiaomi 13 series.
The official presentation in China of the Xiaomi 13 and its different versions was to take place on December 1. But in the end, it was postponed at the last minute. And as of this writing, no new date has been given.
Xiaomi did not give an explanation. But it is very likely that the presentation of its new smartphones has been postponed due to the death of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Moreover, according to GSMArena, other brands, including Huawei, iQOO and MediaTek, have also postponed events.
Will Xiaomi be able to stand out?
It is important to note that Xiaomi is preparing to enter a new segment of the PC market, at a time when computer sales around the world are in decline. According to IDC data, PC shipments were down 15% in the third quarter of 2022, compared to the same period in 2021.
Gartner refers to a drop of 19.5%, which it describes as historic for the market.
“While supply chain disruptions have finally subsided, high inventory has now become a major issue given weak demand for PCs in consumer and business markets. Back-to-school sales ended with disappointing results despite massive promotions and price cuts, due to a lack of need […]”, says Mikako Kitagawa, analyst director at Gartner. Added to this are economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
I am a journalist with over 6 years of experience working in the news industry. I currently work as an author for Global Happenings, and my coverage focuses on Technology news. I have written for various publications, including Reuters, The New York Times and The Guardian.
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Labelstock producer Avery Dennison will use next month’s Labelexpo in Brussels to unveil a new range of variable information (VI) and decorative linerless labels.
The company says, “the future of labelling is linerless”, and it has developed a suite of solutions that eliminate the need for a liner, reducing material use and waste, and minimising the environmental impact of packaging.
Avery Dennison says it envisions a connected and circular future, and its stand will put a spotlight on its latest sustainable solutions; labelling materials with a lower carbon footprint, and solutions that enable packaging recycling or reuse.
It will also have demos of its digital solutions, and will show how intelligent labels enable consumer interaction and end-to-end transparency.
Avery Dennison will host a special event at Labelexpo, Connecting. Together. It says that on its stand it will engage with customers and the industry ecosystem that will showcase the packaging solutions, and offer a food and drink experience.


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“Alexa, play Handel’s Water Music.”
That could be a phrase heard in showers worldwide, after the world’s first Alexa-enabled shower head was unveiled at tech show CES.
The Moxie shower head by Kohler has a waterproof speaker in the middle, and can play music while users shower.
Kohler suggests that users can use the shower to listen to music while they get clean, or listen to news bulletins via Alexa.
It could also be used to control other smart home devices; for instance, to put on the kettle downstairs or to turn the heating on if it’s chilly.
Kohler also unveiled a fully functional ‘smart toilet’ with Alexa commands, one of several on the market.
‘Smart toilets’ have also made headlines at CES, with companies showing off models armed with Alexa voice-control, seat-warming, surround-sound Bluetooth speakers, and even firework-esque light shows.
Grohe’s Sensia Arena is among the models already on sale in the UK, with an app-controlled bidet function and lights which illuminate when a user approaches.
The lid rises automatically when the toilet senses someone approaching.
It’s one of many surreal gadgets unveiled at the US tech trade show, including televisions with 8K resolution, twice as sharp as current 4K Ultra HD sets.
The four-day trade show will also see the chief privacy officers from Apple and Facebook appear together on stage for a discussion on data privacy - an issue the two firms have publicly disagreed about in the past.
CES organisers have also been forced to defend the event over its decision to hand a keynote speaker slot to Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump.
The White House adviser is scheduled to appear alongside CES boss Gary Shapiro for a discussion on the future of work, but some have criticised the decision, claiming she is benefiting from nepotism at the expense of other, more qualified women from the technology sector.
Mr Shapiro told the BBC that Ms Trump had done "great work" on job-related issues and said the discussion would show how the tech industry was working with the US government.
The convention, which is expected to welcome more than 170,000 visitors, officially opens on Tuesday.


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School breakfast programs and Sobeys stores in PEI, from Summerside to Montague, have built partnerships that make great use of produce coming off of store shelves. They’re blending smoothies from fruit and vegetables that are still packed with nutrients, but have nowhere else to go.
Managing food waste through food recovery programs provides an opportunity to send good food where it’s most needed, while also redirecting it away from landfill systems.
“The kids haven’t tried a lot of the fruit that we send over before, but they aren’t picky. They’re interested in trying things that they haven’t had,” says Jeff Jenkins, store manager for the Allen Street store in Charlottetown, PEI.
Jenkins is speaking about the smoothies for students program that his store runs in partnership with nearby Prince Street Elementary School. For over 10 years, the school has been providing nutritious meals and healthy breakfast options for its students. And for two and a half years, Jenkins and Stratford store chef, Nathan Schoenfeldt, have been helping make that happen.
If it wasn’t for Sobeys’ support, I’m quite sure that we couldn’t offer our students the nutritious meals that we do.
Starting the day with a balanced smoothie
You might think serving smoothies with kale or spinach would come up against little noses wrinkled in distaste – but the reality is surprising. “We made smoothies with them, and they were surprised by how good they tasted. Hiding food can be great with kids!” Jenkins laughs.
Schoenfeldt has also developed a library of smoothie recipes, which includes a smoothie formula: one part fruit, vegetable and liquid, blended with proteins like yogurt or nut butters, with healthy fats and fibre-rich ingredients to really round it out. Volunteers at the school tap that library to whip up morning drinks, giving kids a delicious menu of options that can change with the seasons.
Finding food waste solutions
“It started in 2018 during back to school,” Jenkins says. “The idea was spurred on by three areas: supporting our local schools, food recovery, and waste reduction.”
Volunteers now come twice a week to pick up and sort the produce that has been boxed up. Apples, oranges, kale, spinach, pears, berries, grapes, kiwis, cherries are among what they might receive — it varies from week to week. “They’re getting anything and everything we’re not going to have out for sale that day,” says Jenkins.
“We do our very best to nurture the families in our community,” Jenkins says. “Prince Street School is full of outstanding students and it’s our absolute pleasure to support their breakfast program. Not only does our partnership allow us to lend a helping hand to these in need, but it helps us save viable produce from our landfill system. It’s a win-win.”
Supporting the community
“We’re so excited to have Sobeys’ support,” says Natasha Bromley, Principal at Prince Street Elementary. “We know the value of such high-quality produce, and if it wasn’t for Sobeys’ support, I’m quite sure that we couldn’t offer our students the nutritious meals that we do.” As many as 50 students participate in the program at any given time, with access to fresh smoothies and breakfast options daily.
Others deserve kudos too. The Summerside and Montague stores have also partnered with local schools to support vital breakfast programming.
And the future is bright. Added provincial funding has made more programs available to ensure students get needed meals. And Jenkins plans to stay connected, to make sure Prince Street School has everything they need.
“Personally, it’s nice to know in the food business that we can affect people’s lives on a lot of different levels. We’re there for all the special occasions, but we realize – especially during COVID – that it’s special to be able to provide this to our neighbours, friends and families.”
With files from Tammy MacPhee, District Operator in PEI


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Leading indigenous Information and Communications technology conglomerate, Zinox Group has acquired e-commerce powerhouse, Konga after successfully rounding off months of long-drawn negotiations with major investors, including Naspers and AB Kinnevik in a landmark deal.
The new development will expectedly provide employment opportunities for thousands of Nigerians and reposition Konga for a greater share of the e-commerce market in Nigeria and beyond.
Based in South Africa, Naspers is a broad-based multinational internet and media group, offering services in more than 130 countries while AB Kinnevik, founded in 1936, is a Swedish investment company investing primarily in digital consumer brands.
Through this acquisition, the Zinox Group, Nigeria’s foremost integrated ICT solutions conglomerate and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), will expand its operations to e-commerce, an industry it pioneered in Nigeria with the launch of BuyRight Africa.com which was challenged by the absence of credit card and e-payment infrastructure when it was launched over 12 years ago.
The acquisition is also understood to have passed all regulatory approvals by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The Zinox Group, arguably Africa’s most integrated technology group will assume ownership of the e-commerce group which includes Konga.com, Nigeria’s largest online mall; KongaPay, a CBN-licensed mobile money platform with over 100,000 subscribers and rated as one of the best mobile money channels in the country as well as KOS-Express, a digitally-driven and world class logistics company with advanced delivery capabilities for Konga and other structured companies nationwide.
Widely expected to place Konga on a sound footing for increased market share, the landmark acquisition by the Zinox Group is seen by industry watchers as one that could see e-commerce in Nigeria finally unlock the massive revenue potential in the global multi-billion-dollar industry.
Interestingly, this unprecedented development is coming at a time when global e-commerce spending is expected to top previously unheralded levels. In 2017, retail e-commerce sales worldwide amounted to 2.829 trillion US dollars while e-retail revenues are projected to grow to 4.48 trillion US dollars in 2021.
The acquisition is expected to create employment opportunities for over 5000 Nigerians, both at home and in the Diaspora within a short period.
Head of Corporate Communications, Zinox Group, Gideon Ayogu, said the decision to invest in Konga was an easy one for the organization.
“We have always had an interest in Konga and another big one you know very well but our priority was Konga first because of her integrated nature of four quality companies in one,” he disclosed. “Konga is a world-class, professionally-run company whose landmark strides in the sector have gone a long way in ushering millions of Nigerians into the ease and convenience of online shopping while boosting the conduct of e-commerce in the country. Konga’s integrity is their pride.
“Today, many Nigerians can attribute their first experience of e-commerce to Konga.com and we are excited to be a part of this remarkable story. Many shoppers can also attest to the speed and efficiency in delivery that characterizes KOS-Express, the company’s logistics arm, which is arguably the best in the sector at the moment.
“Our ambition is to up the tempo by revolutionizing e-commerce on the African continent, with Konga at the fore-front of this initiative.In addition to positioning the business on a path of profitability in the short term, our long term plans are focused around seeing Konga well established in other African capitals. Furthermore, we will be unveiling a lot of new initiatives soon and we advise shoppers and merchants alike to look out for these innovations which will radically reshape the average customer experience of e-commerce in Nigeria and on the continent and put more money in their pockets,” he disclosed.
Led by serial digital entrepreneur, Leo Stan Ekeh, the Zinox Group has grown from a position of strength to become one of the biggest names on the African technology scene. With its headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria and branches all over the country in addition to hubs in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East; the Zinox Group boasts a 360-degree spectrum orientation as an integrated ICT solutions group with advanced competencies in manufacturing, special ICT projects, integrated solutions, e-commerce and after-sales support, among others.
Business Hilights is an online news channel conceptualized and structured to report and track on a daily basis; latest developments in critical business sectors to serve as a one stop news gateway for governments, foreign and indigenous investors.


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John Lewis weekly department store sales up 11.5 percent
British retailer John Lewis [JLP.UL] on Tuesday gave the following sales figures for the latest week compared with a year earlier.
Week to Oct 8 10 weeks to Oct 8
Total sales +5.7 percent +3.4 percent
Dept stores +11.5 percent +2.9 percent
Food stores +2.0 percent +3.7 percent
"John Lewis enjoyed a strong trading week with sales of 89.9 million pounds, +11.5 percent on the year, with good performances across all three directorates (fashion, electricals and home technology and home) as customers embraced our autumn winter collections," the firm said of the department stores... read more
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