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Procter & Gamble files lawsuit over tooth whitening products
- Staff Cincinnati Business Courier
Procter & Gamble Co. filed a lawsuit April 2 against Be Well Marketing Inc. that alleges Be Well Marketing is violating P&G's intellectual property by making and selling private label "Dental Strips."
The lawsuit claims Be Well Marketing, a private-label manufacturer and distributor of tooth whitening products, is using P&G's patented technology. P&G (NYSE: PG) introduced its at-home Crest Whitestrips in 2001.
“P&G has made significant investments in the innovations behind our Crest Whitestrips products. We treat infringements of our intellectual property rights protecting these innovations very seriously,” Deborah Majoras, chief legal officer of P&G, said in a news release. “By filing a lawsuit against Be Well Marketing, we are taking steps to protect this investment and our business.”
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One of Queensland's largest solar retailers and installers is about to broaden its horizons following an Australian-first solar deal.
Big-box US retailer Costco has signed a deal with InStyle Solar that will see InStyle's products available to purchase via a kiosk in-store.
While the initial plan is to have the kiosks installed at North Lakes and Ipswich, InStyle is on the path towards a wider presence and will be in every store nationally over the coming months.
This deal will finally pull together the company's ambitions to become an Australia-wide brand.
"Going national is something we have always had planned," says Karl Brown, founder of InStyle Solar and Retail and Services Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2018.
"We always wanted to sell around the country, but this deal with Costco made more sense. It is the first of its kind; the first-time solar power is being sold in a bona fide retail environment. No other stores but Costco do this kind of thing."
The Instyle Solar kiosk to be rolled out in Costco stores nationally
Becoming a national brand will undoubtedly require a massive effort from the InStyle Solar team, but Brown says doing business from afar is easier than ever in 2019.
"You don't need office space these days, and our work is mostly done in other people's homes," says Brown.
"We will have warehouses in each state that we're working in, and we are going to build up our installation teams which will mean hiring more staff and bringing a lot more people on."
As one of Queensland's largest solar retailers InStyle Solar is already one of the top retailers in the country, but this deal with Costco is expected to solidify Brown's position as the Australian King of Solar.
"From a residential retail perspective, we are already in the top five, and we're only in 9 per cent of Australian postcodes," says Brown.
"Within the next 12 months I anticipate we will become the number one brand in Australia."
To ensure customers purchase the right product for their energy requirements, a sales representative will be on-site to offer information and expert advice on the solar products available.
Once customers have purchased their InStyle Solar package, they are able to arrange installation of their new panels with our experienced team.
"Getting this retail model to work is something we've been working on for a number of years," says Brown.
"Costco is massively invested as well. What I like about the partnership is the customer is finally dealing with a brand they recognise they trust Costco, it has a lot of consumer confidence."
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Relationship intelligence leader preps for California’s 2020 data privacy act at CCPA Comprehensive 2019
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Feb. 18, 2019 — To keep ahead of the increasingly stringent data privacy curve, Introhive, the market leader in relationship intelligence and sales automation technology, is sending its top legal mind to the CCPA Comprehensive 2019 conference. The International Association of Privacy Professionals will host the event Feb. 25, at the Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley in Fremont, Calif.
CCPA Comprehensive is a day-long examination of the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA). Created in response to the increasingly commonplace threat of data breaches and consumer privacy violations, the CCPA aims to provide consumers with specific rights over their personal data held by companies. It goes into effect in 2020.
Designed to prepare organizations for compliance with the law, the conference will also feature thought leadership on avoiding major business disruptions. CCPA will likely require businesses that count California residents among their consumers or employees to make significant changes to their data protection programs.
“To best serve our customers we make sure we’re at the cutting edge from all perspectives of enterprise relationship management, and that absolutely includes privacy,” said Introhive’s General Counsel & Data Protection Officer, David Goyette, who will represent the company at the event.
Goyette noted that the CCPA’s protections are very similar to what Introhive experienced with the European Union’s Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which went into effect in May 2018, as well as other regulations.
“To make sure we knew the regulations inside and out, we prepared for GDPR well in advance of it taking effect,” he said. “As regulations like [CCPA and GRPR] continue to appear, we embrace them. As our customers explore digital transformation in this era of stricter data privacy, our expertise in this area allows us to serve as advisors.”
Goyette added that coming to events like CCPA not only helps keep Introhive on that cutting edge but is also a good opportunity to connect face-to-face with clients and prospects alike.
In addition to panel discussions around the CCPA’s scop, similarities to the EU’s GDPR and potential gray areas in the law, the conference will include a Q&A, case study and networking sessions.
To learn more about Introhive’s involvement in the conference or its privacy strategy, email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Introhive is the leading relationship intelligence and sales automation platform for enterprise. Customers across an array of roles and industries—from legal to accounting to commercial real estate and beyond—use Introhive’s automated data collection and AI-powered relationship visualizations to grow business connections, while saving time and money. Introhive’s platform integrates with most business technology (including CRM software, e-mail, and business intelligence) to reveal insights and eradicate manual data entry—boosting sales, revenue, technology adoption, productivity and data quality. Learn more at introhive.com.


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Kolkata, May 26 (IANS) Rossell Tea is constructing a 305-room hotel in Delhi with an investment of Rs.170 crore along with Lemon Tree Hotels, a top company official said Wednesday.
‘We already have a hotel in Alleppey in Kerala, another is operational in Bangalore and now the Delhi project is on, which is expected to get completed by June 2012,’ Harsh M. Gupta, executive chairman of the company, told reporters here.
Each hotel is being developed by a separate special purpose vehicle floated in partnership with Lemon Tree Hotel Group, he said. The brand name of the hotels is Lemon Tree and the hotel group will run the management.
He said the company has till now pumped in Rs.300 crore into the hotel business. In future it would be targeting metro cities where there is tourist flow and business.
Rossell Tea posted loss of Rs.5.94 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2010 compared to Rs.10.46 crore a year ago.
It produces 4.3 million kgs of tea every year, out of which 3.3 million kgs are of orthodox type. The company exports tea to countries like Iran, Germany, Middle East and New Zealand.
‘Our average realisation in 2009-10 from tea was Rs.159.68 per kg, up Rs.31.22 per kg from year ago level of Rs.128.46 per kg,’ Gupta said.
The company has five tea gardens in Assam.


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An investigation by the Fair Labor Association into factories operated by Apple supplier Foxconn in China found poor working conditions and worker abuse, leading Foxconn to pledge it will make improvements.
A month-long investigation by FLA revealed compensation issues, health and safety risks, and issues that have led to a "sense of unsafe working conditions among workers," the organization said in a statement.
FLA claimed it gave Foxconn "a full-body scan through 3,000 staff hours," and surveyed more than 35,000 workers, while investigating three of its factories. Foxconn is Apple's largest supplier and makes the iPad and iPhone. Independent groups have urged Apple to address the poor conditions of factory workers in China.
(More to follow.)
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Abu Dhabi: The UAE Ministry of Finance has banned the re-export of wheat and wheat flour from India.
The ban is for four months. Restrictions apply, including in free zones. At the same time, wheat from other countries can be exported with special permission. The ban will apply to all types of wheat products, including wheat flour.
Companies wishing to export / re-export Indian wheat and wheat flour imported into the country before May 13 should submit an application to the Ministry for export, officials said.
The UAE Ministry of Finance said the decision was taken because of the international situation that has led to the decline in wheat availability and appreciated the UAE’s strong and strategic trade relationship with India. India has earlier announced a waiver on the wheat export ban, which also seeks permission from the Indian government to export wheat from India for domestic use in the UAE.
Reports said that if wheat or wheat products imported from India to the UAE before May 13 were to be exported out of the country, the respective companies would have to submit a separate application to the ministry for permission. Proof documents including the dates on which such products were brought should also be produced.
However, companies wishing to export wheat or wheat products not imported from India can apply to the Ministry for permission to export. It has been informed that the export permit issued to such companies will have a validity of only 30 days. Applications can be submitted by e-mail or in person at the Ministry of Commerce headquarters.


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Posta Srbije distributes automated parcel lockers throughout Serbia: How will they FUNCTION?
Posta Srbije has introduced a solution for the automated delivery of parcels – automated parcel lockers or smart parcel boxes – which continues to increase the availability and security of the delivery of parcels, it is stated in a press release of Posta Srbije.
The use of automated parcel lockers of Posta Srbije began at 20 highly frequented and easily accessible locations in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, Kraljevo, Novi Pazar and Pancevo. Posta’s 400 more automated parcel lockers will soon be installed in all major cities throughout Serbia, where there is the largest number of parcels for delivery and where recipients of parcels are often not available at the address during most of the day.
„Automated parcel lockers are a fast, easy and smart delivery option for the delivery of parcels, with numerous benefits for customers. They enable convenient online shopping, because by listing the address of an automated parcel locker, users can be sure that the parcels will be waiting for them in the selected parcel locker,“ says the press release.


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Covid case surges in Vietnam and other Asian countries have resulted in factory closures and production disruptions.
“The production halts in Southeast Asia that began in August as a result of COVID have served to heighten shipping delays and costs across the industry spectrum,” Cowen’s John Kernan wrote in an Oct. 8 note. As earnings season approaches, this is likely to result in expected guidance revisions, he added.
Cowen examined major retailers’ exposure to sourcing in Vietnam and China to see how supply chain issues might affect them.
Foot Locker, Adidas, Nike, and Puma top the list for Vietnam sourcing exposure, with 45 to 50 percent exposure.
However, exposure is not the only factor influencing companies’ risk of supply chain issues. Companies that can pass on higher costs to customers will fare better than those that can’t, according to Cowen.
“Price increases can offset recent input cost inflation, while full-price sell through should remain strong,” Kernan said.
Lululemon Athletica, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Yeti, Figs, Under Armour, and Deckers Outdoor are Cowen’s top retail and consumer brand picks for the new year.
Off-price retailers, which sell branded items at reduced prices, are another potential winner from ongoing supply chain disruption. As examples, Cowen cited Burlington Stores, TJX Companies, and Ross Stores.
“The Off-Price retail business model is uniquely positioned to capitalize on supply and demand imbalances, and goods remain plentiful, as do open-to-buy dollars,” Kernan said.
According to Cowen, supply issues will likely have an impact on shopping as the year comes to a close.
Bank of America top stocks
From the Bank of America list, here are some notable buy-rated stocks with earnings upside.
JetBlue, a discount airline, is one of the most well-known names on the list. The company has not yet announced the date for its third-quarter report, but 2020′s report was released in late October.
JetBlue’s stock has underperformed the market this year and has even fallen slightly in the last three months. The company’s forward guidance is likely to be a hot topic on its investor call, as analysts and shareholders look ahead to 2022, when the economy will be more fully open.
Boyd Gaming, a casino operator, is another reopening play on the list. The company is set to report third-quarter earnings on Oct. 26, and its stock has risen nearly 50% year to date.
Furthermore, all of Boyd’s casinos are in the United States. Some larger casino stocks have suffered as a result of a regulatory review in Macao, which has cast doubt on the future of foreign-owned casinos in that city.
Several banks are also on the list, including First Hawaiian and First Horizon. Earnings for major banks begin in mid-October, and rising interest rates may improve the outlook for bank earnings over the next year.
Lots of stocks on a cheap price
“I just don’t think there’s a compelling case to be made against stocks,” Nygren said.
“Within the equity market, we still see it as a two-tiered market,” he added. “There are several stocks that are extremely cheap, such as financials and energy, and several stocks that are extremely expensive.” “I believe the cheap stocks are cheap enough that a value portfolio today looks fairly valued.”
With decades of experience, Oakmark Funds’ Nygren is one of the best-performing value-focused fund managers on Wall Street. He has managed the Oakmark Select Fund since 1996 and the Oakmark Fund since 2000, both of which have more than doubled in the last year and outperformed the market.
Nygren favors Ally Financial and Citigroup among the financial stocks owned by Oakmark.
“I think the banks are really cheap, despite being good performers over the last year,” Nygren said.
Ally Financial “was a terrible stock in the early part of the pandemic, but it has made a really strong recovery,” according to Nygren. He added that after rising roughly 47 percent in 2021, it is now trading at about 8 times expected earnings.
Oakmark is also a buyer of Citi, which has risen roughly 13% this year. Citi CEO Jane Fraser, according to Nygren, is doing an excellent job of rebuilding the corporate culture and refocusing the major bank on the customer. He believes the stock’s return on equity will more than double in the next five years.
While rising interest rates are a growing concern for many investors, Nygren believes a rise in bond yields will benefit financial stocks as well as commodity prices, which will benefit the energy sector.
A number of major tech names have also piqued Nygren’s interest.
“We’ve got a more inclusive definition of value, adjusting GAAP accounting for what I call deficiencies,” Nygren explained. “So we own names like Facebook, Alphabet, and Netflix because we believe they are undervalued in terms of business value.” That has contributed significantly to the strength of our portfolios.”
Apple earnings estimates
Martin, one of Wall Street’s top tech analysts, has reduced her iPhone shipment forecast for the current quarter, citing problems in the semiconductor industry that appear to be impeding production for the tech giant.
“Based on our channel checks and press reports citing chip shortages and ongoing supply chain issues, we lower our iPhone 13 shipment estimates for calendar 4Q21 (ending Dec 31, 2021) by [10 million] units.” “We now estimate that iPhone 13 shipments will total [80 million] units in FY1Q22,” according to the note.
Martin’s lower estimates reflect the first full quarter of sales for the iPhone 13. Apple’s fiscal 2022 year began in October, so Martin’s lower estimates reflect the first full quarter of sales for the iPhone 13.
Martin also reduced her full-year revenue forecast for fiscal 2022 by 5% to $359.2 billion and earnings per share by 4% to $5.41. If those predictions are correct, revenue and earnings per share will fall by 1% year on year.
This year’s global semiconductor shortage has harmed manufacturing in a variety of industries, including technology and automobiles. Apple warned earlier this year that the shortage could disrupt the company’s supply chain. According to Bloomberg News, Apple will reduce its iPhone production targets due to a supply chain shortage.
Apple’s stock has fallen for four consecutive sessions and is up only 6.2 percent for the year.
Despite the lower estimates, Martin maintained her buy rating and price target of $170 per share for Apple.
According to Bloomberg News, the iPhone’s second-half production target may be reduced due to a semiconductor shortage and an ongoing pandemic. Apple had previously warned of supply issues earlier this year.
Shares of the hardware behemoth fell on Wednesday, and according to Bank of America analyst Vivek Arya, the news could also hurt companies in its supply chain — even those that are producing enough to meet orders.
“Regardless of the source of the constraints, Apple is unlikely to ship incomplete builds, with any downward production revisions affecting most suppliers,” Arya wrote in a client note.
Bank of America identified five chipmakers with at least a 20% stake in Apple, including Cirrus Logic and Broadcom.
“Given Apple’s strong smartphone market presence (15 percent global share) and 5G mix (80 percent -90 percent of sales), iPhone 13 cuts are most negative for CRUS (Apple 80% of sales) and RF suppliers (SWKS, QRVO, AVGO), which benefit from strong units and increasing content in latest generation devices,” according to the note.
Skyworks, which made the list of the most vulnerable stocks, was also downgraded on Wednesday by another Wall Street firm. Baird analyst Tristan Gerra downgraded the stock from outperform to neutral, citing smartphone supply chain issues as one of the reasons.
According to Bank of America, the semiconductor stocks with the least exposure to Apple are Nvidia and Ambarella.
On Wednesday morning, chip stocks were mixed, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rising slightly. Skyworks and Broadcom both saw their stock prices fall.
Jefferies downgrades Wayfair
“While demographics and suburban migration will drive category growth, we see a tactical opportunity for investors to avoid a ‘air pocket,’ where demand falls short of high expectations and rising costs muffle profits.” “Shares are down more than 30% from their highs, but soft data has yet to be priced in,” according to the note.
According to Jefferies, despite Wayfair’s size and diverse supplier base, supply chain issues in Asia could still harm the company’s bottom line.
“A global, diverse supplier base provides better insulation versus peers, but the reality is that China still accounts for 50% of [cost of goods sold].” “Management has historically been conservative with [gross margin] guidance… so high investor expectations are a concern if supply chain costs are absorbed,” the note said.


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Jumia moves top bosses to Africa from Dubai in profit push
‘As we are an Africa-focused company, we want our leaders to be based with customers, vendors and employees,’ he said.
Jumia Technologies AG is closing its office in Dubai and moving senior management to the African countries they oversee as part of a plan to cut losses and redirect the company after its founders quit last month.
Managers will move to countries in their region, with most going to Morocco, Kenya and Ivory Coast, and the 60-person Dubai office will be disbanded, Jumia’s acting head Francis Dufay said in an interview.
“As we are an Africa-focused company, we want our leaders to be based with customers, vendors and employees,” he said.
Dufay took over after founders Sacha Poignonnec and Jeremy Hodara left the online retailer last month. He said he’s attempting to cut costs — Dubai’s rents are rising faster than those in New York or London — and become more responsive to the young, tech-savvy population in its African markets while fending off larger competitors.
Jumia went public in 2019 in a New York listing where it was was hailed as the Amazon of Africa. Since then, it’s been struggling with persistent losses and its shares have dropped 68%. Meanwhile, Amazon.com Inc. is planning to expand its e-commerce service into some of the larger African markets as soon as next year, people familiar with the matter said.
A representative for Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Still, Dufay said that the company’s more than 10 years of experience operating in Africa give it an advantage over new competitors. For example, Jumia has built a logistics business from scratch to deal with the lack of formal addresses and city mapping in many of the areas where it makes deliveries.
The company, which was one of the first African companies to achieve so-called unicorn size and has attracted investors such as French drinks maker Pernod Richard SA and US investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc., plans to reduce its losses over the next 12 months, Dufay said, without elaborating. Jumia previously guided that it expects an adjusted Ebitda loss of $200 million to $220 million this year.
He said he’ll double down on Jumia’s “bread-and-butter” e-commerce categories, including fashion, beauty, consumer electronics and appliances. The company will also pause the logistics services it offers third parties in its operating countries except for Morocco, Nigeria and Ivory Coast, he said.
“We have spread ourselves a bit too thin in the past by pushing many projects across our markets,” he said. “We are at a very interesting point in the life of the company, as the board appointed a new leadership more focused on the on-the-ground operations to drive a new plan to lead to a significant improvement on the profitability trajectory.”


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By Princewill Ekwujuru
A software piracy report recently released by the Business Software Alliance (BSA), revealed that over 82 percent of software deployed on Personal Computers (PC) in Nigeria in 2011 were pirated, thus the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has thrown its weight behind Autodesk Africa’s fight against piracy.
This rate remains unchanged from 2010 and stands at almost double the global piracy rate for PC software, which is 42 percent,” says the report.
In furtherance to this, research conducted by the BSA in partnership with Autodesk, revealed that most Autodesk customers in Africa would prefer to buy licensed software, but often don’t know where to find it or are unaware that they are guilty of license over-usage.
As a result, they resort to pirated copies which don’t carry any of the benefits associated with buying valid licensed software, including after sales support and regular upgrades, a statement said.
The report also said that following the continued influx of counterfeit software into Nigeria, Autodesk, makers of CAD software for architecture, engineering, mining and construction industries with the support of NSE, aims to drastically reduce software piracy in the region and better protect their customers from malicious software coding that is often contained in pirated versions.
To pro-actively curb software piracy in Nigeria, Autodesk has launched an amnesty period for users of pirated software to move over to legal versions of AutoCAD and related software products, offering them the opportunity to approach local Autodesk channel partners to purchase legal copies without fear of legal action.
Autodesk is making legal AutoCAD-family software available from as little as $199 until 15 July 2012, a massive 89% discount when compared to pricing in the USA. Through strategic partnerships with industry institutions such as the NSE and Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Autodesk is also making their industry-specific solutions available to registered members at drastically reduced rates.
According to Autodesk, “As a sign of our long-term commitment to the West African region, we have set up these partnerships with highly professional industry bodies to make our software readily available to legitimate design and engineering professionals,” says Richard Smedley-Williams, Sales Director of Autodesk Africa’s distribution partner, WorldsView Technologies.”
“Following the overwhelming response received from our amnesty campaign last year, we are also offering another opportunity to customers who know they are using illegal copies of Autodesk software, to come forward and trade in their illegal software for a discounted legal copy without fear of prosecution,” he said.
Autodesk however has identified 3 main areas that need addressing in order to reduce software piracy: availability, accessibility and affordability. Not only have they drastically reduced the price of their CAD software offerings.


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A Look at Global Travel Trends
Let’s talk about Global Travel…
During a prolonged and grinding recession, the travel industry was one of the few to bounce back early and help buoy the global economy. Last year, the industry accounted for 9.5 percent of the global economy (nearly $7 trillion) and employed 266 million people. This is about 9 percent of the global workforce.
Below are excerpts from a conversation with David Scowsill of Britain, president and chief executive of the World Travel and Tourism Council. He discusses how countries can maximize the economic impact of travel and tourism:
How has the global tourism market changed over the last five years?
Whether in a recession or a growth period, the travel and tourism industry is extremely robust. It grows between 1 and 1 1/2 percentage points faster than the world economy.
Going into the recession, post-Lehman Brothers, pieces of the industry suffered quite badly. In particular, the hotel industry, because the demand for investment dried up. During that time supply and demand were also out of kilter with the airlines. But, we’ve cruised through successfully with four straight years of growth. At this point, we’re predicting global growth for the industry to be around 4.3 percent for 2014.
Which countries were behind the growth these last four years?
Much of it is coming out of Asia. Over time, the balance has gently started to move away from the U.S. and Europe. We’re forecasting that China will overtake the U.S. in 2027 as the world’s largest travel and tourism economy.
Why is that?
Ernst & Young estimates that by 2030, nearly one billion people in China could enter into the middle class. This will allow them to have a disposable income to travel domestically and abroad. Ten years ago their government singled out tourism as a key pillar of economic growth. As a result, they have invested well ahead of the curve. They now have high-speed trains, hotel complexes and airports to absorb growth within the middle class. In fact, right now they are busy building 69 airports around the country. In the future, no person in China will be more than a 90-minute drive from an airport.
And this won’t be limited to domestic travel. Over the last three years, the number of people traveling outbound from China has nearly doubled to 100 million. That figure is forecast to rise to 200 million by 2020.
Which countries are currently being visited most?
Statistically, around the world, it’s still France, United States, China and Spain, in that order. France is still way out in the lead with 83 million visitors in 2012; in the same year, the United States had 67 million and China and Spain both had 57 million.
What steps can a country take to help its tourism industry grow?
One of the major inhibitors of the travel industry is that 70 percent of people who travel still need to go to an embassy in order to visit another country.
The U.K.’s inbound tourism has been static since 2005 and a lot of that’s down to visa facilitation. Say you want to go on holiday in Europe. You can get a Schengen visas that allow you to visit all of the 25 participating countries on the Continent. But if you want to go to the U.K., even for a few days, you have to queue up at the consulate, pay money and go through an interview process to get a second visa.
The opposite of that equation would be Mexico. If you have already fought your way through the U.S. system to get a visa, that’s perfectly acceptable for them. They’ll allow you to come without having to go through the process again. There are pockets of the world that have made great progress. Countries in Latin America and Asia are starting to offer common visas, which ultimately might progress into Schengen type models.
What about security?
It’s up to every country to decide how they want to conduct security processing to defend their country at the broadest level. But what we advocate is automating all these processes. Make sure that all the security agencies that are involved are coordinated. For example, if I want to go to Australia, I put my details online and within seconds I will get a response.
We’re advocating for people to move toward electronic processing so 95 percent of people can automatically get visas. During the 10 years after 9/11, the U.S. lost some $600 billion of tourism income. The State Department was not issuing enough tourism visas to keep up with demand. The U.S. system is growing more efficient, but there’s still a long way to go.


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The long-awaited opening of the new Wegmans store in Harrison is scheduled to take place at 9 a.m. on Aug. 5, the Business Journal has learned.
The 121,000-square-foot store is at 106 Corporate Park Drive. It has approximately 500 employees, the vast majority from the local area. Wegmans has been operating an employee recruitment office at 1133 Westchester Ave., and has trained the new employees at a store in New Jersey.
The new store has a market cafe with an extensive array of prepared foods. There’s a coffee bar and a casual restaurant known as The Burger Bar. In addition to a seafood market and a cheese shop, the store is featuring approximately 70,000 items on its shelves.
Wegmans has conducted a direct mail advertising campaign to generate interest in the Harrison store. It is inviting residents to sign up with an account on its website that can be used to preorder groceries for curbside pickup or delivery. It also has an app that allows prepared foods and meals to be ordered.
The new Wegmans is on a 20-acre site that was bought for $26.5 million from Normandy Real Estate Partners. The Harrison store is one of three new Wegmans to have their development schedules delayed by the Covid-19 outbreak. The other projects are in Morrisville, North Carolina, and Tysons Corner, Virginia.
A message in the direct mail piece from Nicole, Danny and Colleen Wegman says, in part: “Hello, Harrison!…We look forward to serving you and making a difference in the Harrison community.”
Wegmans has 101 stores: 47 in New York, 18 in Pennsylvania, 9 in New Jersey, 12 in Virginia, 8 in Maryland, 6 in Massachusetts, and 1 in North Carolina. It has approximately 50,000 employees and in 2019 its sales were $9.7 billion. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Rochester.


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100% OPTICAL ANNOUNCES RECORD-BREAKING ATTENDANCE
- 100% OPTICAL ANNOUNCES RECORD-BREAKING ATTENDANCE
100% OPTICAL ANNOUNCES RECORD-BREAKING ATTENDANCE AND DETAILS OF 10th ANNIVERSARY SHOW
100% Optical made a welcome return to the ExCeL London this week, with a record-breaking 10,657 attendees flocking to the UK’s largest optical event - a 10% year-on-year increase on its previous record attendance.
The three-day optical show featured exciting exhibitor launches, more independent and international eyewear designers than ever before, a world-class education programme of CPD seminars, catwalk shows, awards - and a hugely-popular celebrity guest appearance from Dame Prue Leith.
Backed by all the industry’s leading organisations, 100% Optical had its strongest exhibitor line-up to date; an expanded focus on contact lenses; its annual Love Eyewear Awards ceremony; and more networking opportunities than ever before- alongside exclusive show offers, workshops and debates curated by show partners.
Nathan Garnett, Event Director, commented after the show: “This year's show has been a phenomenal success, from a massive uplift in visitor numbers to the greatest range of top brands in attendance, we couldn’t be happier with the results. The testimonials and rebooks for 2024 give us the motivation to keep growing this show for the benefit of everyone in optics.”
Marcolin said: “For us, it’s important to be seen here - 100% Optical is a great opportunity to present the world of Marcolin - show customers who might know us for our two or three key brands that we have a huge portfolio. We’ve been coming for years but we want to widen our network - meetings and conversations that would take us three months in terms of travel, we can do in three days.”
Specsavers said: “This show allows us to reach the whole sector and show them what we are doing, engage with colleagues through our fab CPD sessions, see friends and make friends.”
Essilor said: “We’ve had some great meaningful conversations. We’ve been exhibiting here since day one and we feel like it’s the best 100% Optical yet.”
Gotti said: “Media10 has got it spot on. We really like the show, it’s well structured and even though there are loads of exhibitors the whole experience still feels really tailored and so personal and unique to each brand here.”
COTI said: “Great energy with an amazing mix of international visitors at 100% Optical. We’ve been coming for many years and it’s great to be back.”
AOP said: “During the show, we’ve been over subscribed and there’s been queues for our education sessions. It’s been super busy and have received lots of really interesting queries from members and non-members of our education sessions.”
Feb 31st said: “On the second day, we already achieved what we came to the show to achieve, and we really enjoyed the show for many reasons. We were based in the Studio area and really like our stands’ location. We also love the catwalk as it adds a unique element.”
William Morris said: “After attending 100% Optical for many years, the atmosphere is always great. We always look forward to the show’s fashion elements and that’s why we love it here - it’s not just your average trade show.”
Next year’s 10th anniversary 100% Optical dates have been confirmed for 24th to 26th February 2024, while The Association of Optometrists (AOP) and Media 10 have announced that their partnership to deliver 100% Optical has been extended until 2025.
As part of its 10th anniversary show for 2024, show organisers have also announced a new dedicated 100% Ophthalmology section and education programme, working with key partners, suppliers, and the NHS to deliver more content for ophthalmologists attending the show.
Follow 100% Optical on social media: @100optical #100optical


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MacRumors is reporting this morning that Intel is moving forward with launching their Arrandale mobile CPUs in early January. These particular Arrandale CPUs are based on the "advanced Nehalem architecture" first introduced into Macs just this year.
Citing sources from Digitimes:
Intel plans to launch four 32nm dual-core Arrandale CPUs (Calpella platform), the Core i5-520M, Core i5-430M, Core i3-350M and Core i3-330M, in the first half of January 2010 for the mainstream notebook segment, according to sources from notebook players.
According to published reports, the four new mobile processors will come in both mainstream and low-voltage varieties, which means they will work with the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. Either way, the new chips will immediately increase the overall performance of Apple notebooks currently available.
The new CPUs, together with the recently released Windows 7, are expected to help boost demand for notebooks in the first quarter of 2010, the sources predict.
Intel will launch six more CPUs in the third quarter of 2010 with some models under its Pentium brand for the same segment, the sources noted.
Image via Intel


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Birmingham's latest Nando's restaurant will officially open for business today - and here's a sneak peak of how it looks inside.
The restaurant, at One Stop Shopping Centre on Walsall Road, has taken over the site of the former Maplin store.
The eatery, inspired by Portugal and the cuisines of South America, will bring Nando's legendary chicken to Perry Barr .
Regional Managing Director, Natasha Knowles, said: "We are really excited to unveil Nando's new Perry Barr restaurant, creating 40 new jobs and bringing our own peri-peri to the the area.
"It's a wonder it hasn't happened sooner." Earlier this year, Nando's told BirminghamLive it had committed to a 20-year lease on the 3,649-sq ft unit.
Here's what to expect
The new branch has created 40 jobs. It has room for 118 diners, with outdoor seating for the sunnier months. It'll also offer Nando's takeaway for those looking to indulge their peri-peri cravings at home.
What are the opening hours?
The restaurant will open from 11.30am until 10.30pm on Monday-to-Thursday; from 11.30am until 11pm on Friday and Saturday and from 11.30am until 10pm on Sunday.
What's on the menu?
If you're a fan of peri-peri chips, creamy mash or spicy rice, then you're in luck.
All Nando's firm favourites are on offer.
Customers can indulge in their famous peri-peri chicken, burgers or wraps with a range of sides.
Where is it?
Nando's fans can visit the new Perry Barr restaurant at Unit 96, One Stop Retail Park, Walsall Road, B42 1AA from today (October 23).
Alex Druttman, Director at Europa Capital, commented: “Nando’s will make an excellent addition to our tenant mix at this shopping centre, as a well-known and popular casual dining option."
He added: "One Stop continues to perform well and is seen as a destination retail centre in north Birmingham.
"Casual dining offerings help increase dwell time and improve overall customer experience.”
Nando's restaurants already in Birmingham include:
- Nando’s Birmingham Broad Street
- Birmingham Bullring
- Birmingham Mailbox
- Birmingham New Street
- Birmingham Grand Central
- Selly Oak
- Birmingham Star City
Birmingham The Fort
Even the Royals can't resist a cheeky Nando's
Both Prince William and Prince Harry have previously spoken about their love for the South African chain in the past.
In 2013, Prince Harry visited the restaurant in Fulham Broadway, South West London, The Mirror reports.
After paying £24.05 for a takeaway dinner for himself and a friend, Harry was guarded by two members of his personal security while he waited 15 minutes for his order to be prepared.
At the time, a stunned onlooker said: “It was surreal. He was very charming and politely refused a member of staff who approached him for a picture. I was gobsmacked to see him.”
He ordered a pitta with extra cheese and a side of creamy mash, along with a double chicken wrap with chips.
He also got a soft drink and bottle of water.


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In a recent Determine webinar I had the chance to talk about procurement trends and cloud computing with Mihir Nanavati, SVP of Product at Tradeshift, and Julien Nadaud, Determine’s Chief Product Officer. Considering the two areas, which are changing rapidly and having an enormous impact on each other, it was enlightening to hear what these two experts had to say.
Top of the mind, especially for procurement, is to understand the factors around the growth in cloud computing. We discussed topics ranging from the benefits of shifting to cloud from on-premise, technology investment, compliance, data and – number one on the cloud hit parade in any research – security.
Given the benefits of reduced capex and maintenance, improved flexibility and increased reliability, many procurement organizations have fully embraced the use of cloud computing applications. (As Mihir pointed out, it’s interesting to note that the cloud made our webinar possible.) It’s almost impossible to delineate at this point where the cloud starts and on-premise leaves off – so many services are hybridized. That is to say, most if not all of us are already in the cloud; if you’re using your smartphone, a tablet or web browser, you’re using the cloud through Apple’s iCloud, streaming video, posting to Facebook, etc.
What we’re seeing today is that cloud computing has completely revolutionized technology as we know it. If you need proof of cloud’s preeminence, consider this:
According to Gartner, more than 90% of 2015’s deals were for cloud-delivered solutions and suites, the preferred delivery mode because of superior upgradability, better access to innovation and easier support for supplier self-service.*
The cloud isn’t just transforming existing companies, it’s spawning new ones. Entire industries, in fact. Some of the largest public companies traded in stock markets today owe their growth or their very existence to the cloud: Apple, with a $532 billion valuation, Google at $533B, Microsoft at about $400B, Facebook at $296B, Amazon at $236B and IBM at $117B. Or consider a company like Salesforce that came from the cloud and has completely revolutionized the way we look at software today. Even Amazon, whose Amazon Web Services** (their cloud infrastructure service) is worth more than all of its e-commerce business.
As for hard benefits, the webinar panel cited data storage, low IT maintenance cost, lower infrastructure investment, disaster assistance and the whole notion of lower cost of ownership. For procurement organizations and professionals, and providers like us, cloud technologies have provided a blueprint that we’re using to develop platforms with almost unlimited scalability and complete reliability.
Conditioned by the Internet, we expect access to information anytime, anywhere with any device. That and the rise of mobile have forced companies (or convinced them) to adopt a cloud-first strategy. For procurement customers, cloud computing translates into greatly enhanced productivity—the whole idea of always being up and always being on.
Okay, now let’s talk about the gorilla in the room: unauthorized access, data breaches, hackers. Not surprisingly, security tops the list of SaaS use in application markets.*** A Gartner statistic shows that companies allocate just 3.8 percent of cloud spending to security, compared to 11 percent from their total IT budgets. According to Rajiv Gupta, CEO of cloud security software provider Skyhigh Networks, “There’s a gap between where cloud security budgets currently are and where they should be based on overall security spending. In 2016 budgets for cloud security will outpace overall IT security spending as companies play catch-up.”
There are still companies that believe on-premise is more secure than the cloud, though the ranks are dwindling. Along with continual upgrades, better innovation and enhanced support, a new white paper from Amazon Web Services shows why cloud computing may actually offer superior security and risk management to existing on-premise environments. It makes sense – with so much business moving to the cloud, providers see it as being in their best interests to ensure 100% security.
It’s an interesting time to be in procurement, for sure. As the field continually moves the benchmarks in terms of business process and efficiency, speed, collaboration and more, the cloud will play a bigger role. Whether you use public, private or hybrid cloud services, there’s no doubt that it gives procurement the ability to capture much more data, better analyze and utilize it, and be more responsive and cost-effective.
* Be sure to check out the recorded on-demand webinar, and don’t hesitate to share this link with your colleagues.
*Gartner. “Modernizing Finance and Procurement Applications Primer for 2016.” 21 January 2016
**Full disclosure: the Determine platform utilizes Amazon Web Services.
***Gartner. “Market Trends: Future Look at SaaS in the Application Markets.” 25 November 2015


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April 21, 2021
Some Consumer Responses to the Pandemic
A new survey from the Insurance Research Council (IRC) found that two-thirds of respondents worked from home at least part of the time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey, conducted in October, also revealed that half expect to continue working from home entirely or alternate between working and not working from home in the future.
Many consumers also expect to continue shopping on-line, with nearly half saying they expect to do less in-person shopping in retail stores even after the pandemic retreats. Both findings point to a continuing reduction in vehicle travel.
The study also explored attitudes toward economic conditions and steps taken in response. Half the respondents said they were concerned about their financial future; the most commonly cited actions taken were to reduce spending on travel and entertainment.
“This survey suggests the effects of COVID-19, including those impacting the property-casualty insurance industry, may continue even after the virus is under control,” said David Corum, CPCU, vice president of the IRC. “The results also reveal younger, urban, and lower income consumers have been more severely impacted by many economic aspects of the pandemic.”
The report, Consumer Responses to the Pandemic and Implications for Insurance, presents findings from the October 2020 survey of 2,147 adults who acknowledged some role in household insurance purchasing decisions.


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The press have gone hands-on once more with the Apple Vision Pro and can’t believe what they’re seeing. Exclaiming how it brought them to tears or analyzing how easy the setup is, reports have come in both positive and curious for the future of the device.
Though the Apple Vision Pro is set to launch in early 2024, there’s so much we don’t know about it yet. We do know it’s an AR headset designed to work around your own office space and life but not many nitty gritty details like the level of customization, the App storefront, and more. Recent reports haven’t illuminated too much in this regard but they do go over what it feels like and what you’ll do with it.
Apple has been slowly letting select press see their brand-new AR device over the last few months, since its announcement in June. This seems to be an effort to build up hype for the full release next year, whilst giving small details for people to look for. We are expecting even more teases over the coming months.
What does the press say?
Raymond Wong over at Inverse said the “Apple Vision Pro almost brought me to tears”. In his extended piece, he talked about seeing his mom in spatial video, having dim sum at a local restaurant. He shot a spatial video of the two of them beforehand and watched back in the Vision Pro, which was apparently quite an emotional experience. In the future, one could potentially do the same for a loved one who has passed away or moved overseas, being able to capture the look in their eye or the unique way they hold their hands.
Lance Ulanoff, on behalf of our friends at TechRadar, said spatial video is ‘an immersive trip’ that he highly recommends. He rather eloquently sums up where he thinks it will lie in the market. “I still don’t know if the Apple Vision Pro is for everyone, but the more I use it, and the more I learn about it, the more I’m convinced that Apple is set to trigger a seismic shift in our computing experience. Not everyone will end up buying Vision Pro, but most of us will feel its impact.”
CNET also tested it out and it was Scott Stein’s third time in the headset so far. He recalls shooting footage at his niece’s bat mitzvah and talks about the FOMO (fear of missing out) he feels by not shooting it in spatial video. If you own a Vision Pro, files will shoot in spatial video automatically on applicable iPhones but he suggests you may want to do it just in case you get one.
All of these short tests heavily talk about their time with spatial video, potentially suggesting this is what Apple wants people to pay attention to right now and, if you plan on getting the Apple Vision Pro, it feels like almost a reason to upgrade to the iPhone 15, the best iPhone, by itself.
We can’t wait to test it out for ourselves next year, but in the meantime, you can get ready for Vision Pro’s arrival by checking out the spatial video camera capabilities on iPhone 15, or even picking up a dedicated VR headset like the Meta Quest 3


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OpenAI spends roughly $700,000 per day (round Rs. 5.8 crore) to run ChatGPT and Microsoft and different latest traders are masking these prices out of their very own pockets. They, nevertheless, might flip off the faucet if Sam Altman-led firm would not flip a revenue quickly and it could go bankrupt by the top of 2024, in line with a report revealed in Analytics India Journal.
“Microsoft’s $10 billion investment in OpenAI is possibly keeping the company afloat at the moment. But on the other hand, OpenAI projected an annual revenue of $200 million in 2023, and expects to reach $1 billion in 2024, which seems to be a long shot since the losses are only mounting,”the report mentioned, and famous that in Could this yr, OpenAI’s losses doubled to $540 million ever because it began creating ChatGPT.
The report famous that despite the fact that CEO Sam Altman doesn’t personal fairness in OpenAI, the corporate shifted from being a non-profit to revenue approach again.
The report highlighted the shrinking consumer visits to ChatGPT web site and referred to SimilarWeb’s knowledge which confirmed that after hitting a report excessive of 1.9 billion consumer visits in Could this yr, the generative AI chatbot witnessed 1.7 billion consumer visits in June and only one.5 billion in July.
The report additionally referred to a consumer on X who argued a significant cause for the decline in visits to ChatGPT web site could possibly be API cannibalisation whereby most firms are prohibiting staff from utilizing the generative AI chatbot for work, however are permitting them to make use of the API to leverage the big language mannequin (LLM) in different workflows.
However Analytics India Journal additional acknowledged: “It’s fairly presumptuous of OpenAI to imagine that the decline in customers is simply because folks have began utilizing the API to construct their very own merchandise. Apparently, the twist over right here is the rise of open supply LLM fashions. Meta’s Llama 2, in partnership with Microsoft, is permitting folks to make use of the mannequin for industrial functions.
“So, instead of going for what OpenAI offers, which is a paid, proprietary, and restricted version, why would people not go for an easily modifiable Llama 2?”
One other problem for the corporate is the graphics processing unit (GPU) scarcity. Altman earlier had underscored lack of GPUs in the marketplace affected the corporate’s capability to enhance and develop new fashions. Earlier, media reviews acknowledged that the corporate had filed for a trademark utility for ‘GPT-5’ 0which additional signifies that the corporate needs to maintain on coaching fashions.
ChatGPT would additionally face a problem from Elon Musk who’s constructing a rival chatbot. “Interestingly, his idea of building a ‘TruthGPT’, which is not as politically biased as ChatGPT, was found interesting by a lot of people,” the report mentioned. He even purchased 10,000 NVIDIA GPUs to get forward. On the brighter facet, OpenAI’s shift to a paid model could have raked in plenty of moolah however “the financial numbers on this are still hazy”.


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Cleveland Containers, the UK’s leading supplier of shipping containers, has secured a minority investment from leading mid-market private equity firm LDC to support the next stage of its growth journey.
Headquartered in Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland Containers is led by husband-and-wife Johnathan and Jane Bulmer. It specialises in the sale and hire of shipping containers and site accommodation units. The company supplies over 4,500 customers including national housebuilders, construction firms, high street retailers and individuals.
Ranging from 6ft to 45ft in size, Cleveland Containers’ new and used shipping containers are supplied for multiple applications, including everything from storage units to office space and street food vendors to site canteens.
This includes delivering bespoke container conversions for projects such as the popular food and drink venue STACK Seaburn in Sunderland, as well as containers for theme park resorts Gulliver’s Valley in Rotherham and the Peak District’s Gulliver’s Kingdom. The business has a network of 15 depots and currently delivers more than 400 containers a week to its customers across the UK.
Cleveland Containers is a ‘market leader’ in its sector and has grown quickly, with revenues more than trebling in the last four years from £18m in 2019 to £60m in the current year. The business currently employs more than 65 people.
The investment was led by Gareth Marshall, Partner and Head of LDC in the North East, and Investment Manager Naomi McDiarmid, both of whom will also join the board.
Johnathan Bulmer, managing director of Cleveland Containers, said, “I’m really proud of everyone at Cleveland Containers. The team has worked tirelessly to cement our market leading position and with LDC’s support we are now in a position to strengthen our business further and welcome more people into our fun and fast-growing business.
“As soon as we met Gareth and Naomi at LDC, we knew that LDC was the right partner to support our growth plans. They have helped to bring in new experience and perspectives to our business, and it’s a real benefit that their Newcastle office is only a short distance away. We feel well supported to continue our growth from our base here in the North East.”
Gareth Marshall, partner and head of LDC in the North East, added, “Johnathan, Jane and the team at Cleveland Containers’ commitment to customer service has been key to their growth. As a result of their efforts and creativity, we’re seeing an increasingly innovative use of containers across the UK.”
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Later this year, Saga Cruises will return to international destinations following the news that restrictions are lifting. The line has confirmed two European tours for October.
The hospitality sector has given warm support to a loosening of travel restrictions in England announced by the government. The cruise sector is also set to rebound as international trips restart.
Spirit of Adventure has made her arrival into Portsmouth ahead of a naming ceremony. Spectators caught a glimpse of Saga Cruises’ newest 236-metre boutique ship as she sailed into the city.
Saga Cruises’ Spirit of Discovery has returned to the ocean from Tilbury Docks on its first round Britain tour since the UK was locked down in March last year.
Saga Cruises is welcoming two new captains to operate sister ships Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure as they return to the waves this summer.
With just three weeks this Sunday until Saga Cruises returns to the ocean on Spirit of Discovery, the ship is a hive of activity as it prepares to relaunch.
Hannah Fisher has joined Saga Travel as its new marketing director. Fisher brings with her a wealth of experience gathered over more than 20 years in the marketing industry.
Enquiries for 2021 have focused on UK and European stays, while short-haul destinations such as Egypt and Madeira are proving popular for travel in 2022, as are European river cruises.
Saga Cruises has launched its summer 2021 UK cruise programme with four all-inclusive itineraries to choose from, including the debut trip from Spirit of Adventure.
Saga has extended the current suspension of operations following publication of a new roadmap out of lockdown. Holiday and cruise operations will now begin on May 17th and June 27th, respectively.
With a design inspired by the culture and nature found along the Danube, guests will have access to a range of first-class facilities onboard including a lounge, library, bar and two restaurants.
Saga will require travellers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the company has confirmed. Potential customers must have received both shots of a vaccine at least 14 days before departure.


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Asia rice: India rates steady as orders trickle in, Vietnam eyes new deals
Export prices of rice from India steadied this week after four weeks of declines helped by a slight pickup in orders from buyers in Africa, while hopes of fresh deals from Indonesia drove Vietnamese rates higher.
Top exporter India’s 5% broken parboiled variety was quoted at $380 to $385 per tonne this week – unchanged from last week and similar to levels seen mid January.
“Demand has improved slightly from African countries, but order book is still not full for April shipments,” said an exporter based at Kakinada in southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Vietnam’s 5% broken rice were offered at $460 per tonne on Thursday, up from $450 a week ago.
“Prices rose after Indonesia’s food procurement agency said it would buy two million tonnes of rice this year,” a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said.
“Domestic supplies are also tight despite an ongoing harvest in the Mekong Delta provinces, as 5% broken rice account for only 15%-20% of the output,” the trader added.
Vietnam’s rice exports in the first quarter are estimated to have risen 19.3% from a year earlier to 1.79 million tonnes, according to government data.
Thailand’s 5% broken rice prices ticked up to $475 to $482 per tonne from $465 last week.
Two traders attributed the rise to a stronger baht versus the dollar.
While fresh supply had started arriving in the market, it was not in large quantities, a Bangkok-based trader said.
Published Date: March 30, 2023


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Ingredion’s extensive portfolio of ingredients targeted toward everyday consumer staple products and trendy categories better position the company to withstand a downturn — even if the U.S. enters into a recession, CEO Jim Zallie said in an interview.
Once positioned largely as a specialty starch and sweetener supplier, Ingredion has transformed its portfolio to include more than 1,300 ingredients, covering texturizers, plant-based proteins, clean and simple ingredients, and specialty sweeteners for sugar reduction. This portfolio, Zallie said, better reflects the demands of CPG companies and consumers that buy its products.
Our portfolio “typically performs well during periods of recession, as well as periods of economic growth. So that's been our history,” Zallie said in an interview at the annual Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference. “That's what we think will serve us well going forward in these uncertain times, and with the potential for a recession in certain geographies.”
Its ingredients are sold around the globe in 120 countries to more than 18,000 customers, including restaurants, private label food makers and large CPG companies making everything from chips and pudding to ice cream, plant-based burgers and candy.
The diversification of Ingredion’s offerings, the countries where they are sold, the products they are used in and the companies that buy them helps smooth out the volatility that could otherwise severely disrupt its business if one or more of those fell on hard times.
Ingredion’s portfolio is divided into two segments. One includes core offerings such as corn starch and glucose syrups for batter-fried foods and frozen desserts. Sales of these and other types of consumer staples tend to hold up well during tough economic times.
The other part of the portfolio, the specialty segment, supplies ingredients such as plant proteins for dairy alternatives or stevia for sugar reduction. These ingredients are aligned to consumer trends, including health and wellness or concerns about the environment.
“There are pockets of growth across both our core and specialty ingredients that have really shown during the uncertainties of last year, that have done very well,” Zallie said.
Specialty, which is growing three times as fast as Ingredion’s core business and is more profitable, made up 34% of Ingredion’s $8 billion in revenue in 2022, compared to 31% three years ago.
Ingredion’s recent success is built in large part on decisions the Illinois-based company made when the economy reopened in 2021 after the height of the pandemic. This unleashed what Zallie called “a bullwhip effect of a very strong demand” that depleted inventories for many products.
The onslaught forced Ingredion to quickly reassess to whom it supplied products, and which ingredients it could realistically and reliably deliver without damaging its credibility with buyers.
Soon the company was prioritizing relationships with companies whose product lines and brands most closely aligned with ingredients found in its portfolio. More than 70% of all new product launches last year contained the kinds of ingredients and categories Ingredion is involved in.
While Ingredion turned down some business, it more than made up for it through greater efficiencies in its own operations, increased margins and higher profits through the sale of its most lucrative ingredients.
It's a strategy that remains in place despite recent improvements in the supply chain, and it’s a big reason why gross margins at Ingredion have increased recently, despite significant price hikes put in place to offset inflation.
“Customer centricity is one of our growth enablers that we emphasize. But you can't be all things to all people,” Zallie said. “We've been able to grow more strategically, where we want to grow and with whom we want to grow. We believe we're positioned much better going forward.”
In addition to textures and the sugar reduction and specialty sweetener category, a large part of Ingredion’s future growth lies in the $10 billion alternative protein market used in plant-based foods and beverages. It is expanding at a compound annual growth rate of between 6% and 8%, according to internally compiled statistics Ingredion shared in its CAGNY presentation.
The plant-based meat sector has seen its once-torrid growth quickly slow down. Some companies have exited the sector altogether, while others have cut jobs or the development of new products.
Ingredion has chosen to further develop its customer pipeline in the category during this time. The company has expanded its plant-based protein portfolio, which Zallie said includes a “diversified toolbox” of pulse protein flours, concentrates and isolates. These allow Ingredion to provide customers with options to create the necessary taste, texture and nutritional value for plant-based items.
Zallie still sees plant-based foods and beverages as a long-term fixture as people look to reduce their animal protein consumption and take a greater interest in improving their environmental footprint.
“It's early innings for this category because, like any new emerging long-term trend, it goes through periods of oversaturation with consumers getting confused with so many products on the shelf, and there needs to be a winnowing of the winners and the losers,” he said. “Our conviction is as strong as it was. There'll be some bumps in the road, but long term we believe that it's a growth opportunity for us.”


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Easter Search Results Poisoned With Malware
Security researchers at the Security Company GFI software have cautioned that black hat search engine optimization (BHSEO) attacks have already started poisoning search results related to Easter, although the holiday is still a month away (April 24, 2011).
The fake links were found while looking for Easter printable cards and most of them pointed to domains in the .pl zone.
Further, BHSEO attacks have a method that results in artificial inflation of the PageRank of harmful websites, to push them on the first pages of search results for keywords related to the event that is being exploited.
In this particular case as well, the rouge search results led users to scareware circulation pages.
These programs urge users with further more warnings to persuade them to pay for worthless licenses and also exploit their credit card information.
The keyword combination of printable cards seems to be a common target for search result poisoning campaigns, particularly those associated with the holidays.
Senior Threat Researcher at GFI software, Chris Boyd, said that cyber attackers target burning or latest topics in SEO poisoning attacks as they are generally found to be the most famous search terms in a given period of time, as reported by e-security Planet on March 21, 2011.
Security officials foresee the frequency of scams and attacks targeting Easter to rise extraordinarily as the holiday approaches nearer.
Security experts stated that, it is due to the BHSEO campaigns of the aforementioned types that have resulted in a tremendous increase in malware over the Internet.
Boyd asked consumers to be extra careful while browsing the web, and to think twice before clicking on search results linking to websites, which are unknown.
Besides, users should not reveal private details, particularly credit card numbers, if redirected to a website through a web search. Rather, users must directly type the web address into the browser. The company said that, several fake websites are carefully made to spoof authentic ones for luring the user into revealing personal information.
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With small businesses continuing to grapple with the financial hardships spurred by the coronavirus pandemic, the city of West Hollywood is offering $5,000 grants to 50 businesses to help keep them afloat.
The council agreed to allocate $250,000 in general funds to qualified businesses with less than 50 employees on a first-come, first-served basis as part of the city’s new COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program.
It’s the city’s latest move to aid businesses affected by efforts to slow the virus spread, which has resulted in the closure of indoor gyms, the limiting of restaurants to takeout and outdoor dining only, and the reduction of capacity in retail stores.
Applications for the program opened online on Feb. 10 and will remain open until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25. The city is also holding a webinar about the application Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. Businesses will be notified by the week of March 8 whether or not they have received a grant.
“Our goal is that we want businesses to survive,” West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tempore Lauren Meister said during the Feb. 1 city council meeting.
Meister, along with Councilwoman Sepi Shyne, stressed that the program was intended to help businesses that have also applied to other grant programs, such as the federal paycheck protection program, but did not receive help, to show that they’re “serious about survival,” she said.
“We feel that it is important that they show that desire to get those funds from other sources in addition to our grant,” Meister added.
The council also stressed the importance that the funds be used appropriately, with Councilman John Erickson asking the city to provide a report back from staff about how those public funds will be used by the businesses, citing well-publicized issues with the federal paycheck protection program.
“I just want to make sure that we have that accountability built in,” he said. “We are giving out public funds. We would love to see what that report back looks like.”
Janet Jimenez, assistant to the city manager, acknowledged that “it is challenging” to follow up to make sure that the grants are being used for their intended purpose, which is to use it for “business-related expenses,” but that they will come back with a report.
While the grants will help, West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Genevieve Morrill called the $5,000 a “drop in the bucket.”
“I think it’ll help them pay a bill or two,” she said.
Morrill said what she’d like to see is local governments, especially at the county and state level, have a more holistic approach to helping businesses.
“Small businesses seem to be sacrificed,” Morrill added. “We keep having this same method of open and closing the business to control the virus, rather than looking at other open economies that are not having these spikes that are managing the virus well.”
Paolo Kespradit, a management specialist for West Hollywood, said the city had heard from some businesses regarding the grant as of Wednesday, although they were not eligible because they received support through the paycheck protection program.
“Still, we’re encouraging all West Hollywood businesses to reach out so we can assist in determining eligibility,” he said.
While the city has not previously offered grants to businesses financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the city has launched a number of efforts to support small businesses, including establishing Outdoor Use Temporary Zones, also known as OUT Zones, to allow restaurants to expand operations outside. They’ve also set up temporary curbside pickup zones, established a moratorium on commercial evictions and have worked to connect businesses to funding opportunities at the county, state and federal levels.
In West Hollywood, The small business grants are the latest effort, and are open to all businesses with 50 or fewer employees that commenced operations prior to March 16, 2020, and remain in good standing. Other requirements are as follows:
The West Hollywood council also is exploring the possibility of waiving city fees for businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19. City staff presented the council’s finance and budget subcommittee with a list of fees and assessments currently paid by businesses, including tax certificate fees, regulatory business license fees and more.
The council will consider recommendations based on the discussion during the Feb. 16 council meeting.
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By Cameron Fure
MNA Political Organizer
On Monday, July 15, workers at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Shakopee held a picket to bring light to unfair working conditions at their sprawling worksite in the southeast metro. Workers from New York, Seattle, San Francisco and locations across Europe were also holding demonstrations to raise awareness on “Prime Day,” which is one of the largest shopping days of the year.
Workers were highlighting issues such as humane workloads, job security around not hiring “temp” workers, stopping unfair write-ups, investment in communities, and ending retaliation.
The event was organized by the Awood Center, which seeks to bring power to East African workers.
… Read more about: It’s a Prime Day to Stand up for Workers »


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Toilet paper shortage causes major clogging at public parks
It’s the end of a roll for Oʻahu parks’ toilet paper shortage.
The hygiene product company Veritiv secured a more steady supply of toilet paper for the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation.
The toilet paper deficiency was caused by inflation and reduced materials resulting in supply chain issues. The parks department announced a toilet supply shortage in July.
Only 40% of its regular stock could be delivered at a time.
The lack of toilet paper forced park visitors to use materials other than toilet paper, creating an unmanageable amount of clogging.
The parks department requests public park bathroom users to throw any toilet paper alternatives into the trash.
Materials like paper towels do not break down in water like toilet paper.


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Aeronology | November 21, 2020
The launch of Aeronology Mobile, a world-first travel agent application promises to help travel advisors rebound with a sophisticated and seamless global online, mobile and full-service travel booking toolbox.“It’s a going to change the travel advisor industry,” says Russell Carstensen, CEO of rising Australian travel technology company Aeronology. “An advisor can now keep all commission in what is an affordable, user-pay one-stop shop application which allows you to earn more and save time.”Aeronology Mobile can be used globally and the travel advisor can operate anywhere they have access to the internet. The technology is the result of 20 years of understanding the needs and requirements to be a profitable and effective travel advisor, explains Mr Carstensen.
EButler, Eddy Travels | May 04, 2021
Arranging the principal post-pandemic excursion has recently got a ton simpler for the inhabitants of Qatar, as EButler today dispatched another organization with Eddy Travels man-made brainpower (AI) travel associate. In a basic talk, the completely mechanized AI aide is accessible every minute of every day to help EButler's clients look for the best aircraft and inn bargains globally.
EButler, a mainstream online attendant stage in Qatar, interfaces clients to many the best specialist organizations covering each part of their lives. Beginning today, EButler's individuals can look for the best flight and inn offers by talking with an AI travel colleague created by Eddy Travels, consistently incorporated into Ebutler portable applications.
"At EButler, we will likely make an unbelievably advantageous encounter for our clients each time they need something in their life. As we endeavor to increase present expectations, we are continually searching for top-notch organizations. We are incredibly eager to collaborate with Eddy Travels, who offers a novel encounter not found elsewhere on the planet," noted Omar Ashour, Co-Founder, and CEO at EButler.
"We are pleased to dispatch a weighty association with EButler, the first in Qatar for Eddy Travels. EButler's team accomplished astounding work coordinating the Eddy Travels AI associate into their application. Therefore, Qatari explorers can begin arranging their next merited occasions by communicating something specific," said Edmundas Balikonis, Co-Founder and CEO at Eddy Travels.
EButler's application is accessible on Android or iOS gadgets. Inside the application, individuals will track down another "Travel" class that will open a talk window with the Eddy Travels AI associate. Clients simply need to send an instant message to the advanced travel associate, and it will begin looking for flights or convenience. Housing alternatives are given in association with Booking.com, the world's most extensive inn booking framework. The new association project is upheld by Kiwi.com, the imaginative travel-tech organization, which controls more than 100 million inquiries consistently.
"EButler and Eddy Travel teams worked effectively assembling the AI-controlled travel arranging administration that is advantageous and enjoyable to utilize. We are pleased to be suppliers of flight and ground transportation stock, including Virtual Interlining. Together we'll make it simple for the Qatar explorers to consistently track down their ideal agenda, at the most minimal cost." Oliver Dlouhy, CEO, and Co-originator at Kiwi
Cobalt Robotics , Bear Robotics | August 24, 2021
The pandemic upended many sectors with mass layoffs at the beginning of COVID-19 and ended with record labor shortages. The hospitality sector in particular was deeply hit with massive unemployment gaps that ran well above the national unemployment rate during the pandemic. While other industries have started on the road to recovery, the hospitality industry is still 2.8 million jobs shy of where it was in February 2020.
With more than 60% of Americans willing to travel again, 55% of U.S. companies planning to resume business travel within the next three months and more than a third of current hospitality workers planning to exit the industry, the hotel industry is in a bind.
Long-term labor solutions in the area are needed to meet the rising demand for travel and seismic shifts in the hospitality workforce. This is where 3D camera-equipped robots can play a role. Robots are some of the most impactful forms of hospitality technology hoteliers can invest in to maintain efficiency, serve guests and aid understaffed operations.
Solving staffing shortages
From retail stores to the hospitality realm, customer-facing industries are already solving staffing shortages and improving operations through robots equipped with 3D imaging sensors. For example, restaurants have added self-navigating robots for food delivery and table bussing while grocery chains have discovered that robots can assist in cleaning, providing stock management alerts and checkout duties.
These tasks are typically limited in their customer-facing duties but are repetitive and time-consuming activities that are easily programmed into digital sidekicks. This makes robots an ideal solution to the staffing shortages many hotel properties are experiencing. Properties of all sizes are starting to realize the practical uses for service robots - or “co-bots,” which work alongside humans to extend and improve performance, taking the burden off human workers so they can handle more demanding responsibilities.
A popular function behind the implementation of 3D camera-embedded robots is the ability to increase self-service functionality, increase convenience and improve customer experiences for guests. Mobile robots can perform navigation tasks that include guiding guests to their rooms and delivering commonly requested room service items such as pillows, blankets, towels and toiletries. They can even operate as roving security guards throughout the property.
3D facial authorization, like the technology used to unlock your smartphone, can be employed to recognize guests and address them by name, adding a sense of personalization and high-class service. Meanwhile, guests can say goodbye to fumbling for key cards, and hotel staff no longer have to worry about reprinting numerous key cards.
Housekeeping and sanitization may be the most demanded and high-ROI use of 3D robots. Robots can manage in-room and common area cleaning tasks such as vacuuming and sanitation, while specially equipped units can completely disinfect high-touch areas and items. Equipped with a UV light and disinfectant sprays, these popular cleaning companions can eliminate germs off the surface of elevator buttons, doorknobs and TV remotes in just seconds.
Safety and efficiency of 3D tech
3D cameras are the key to robots handling tasks alongside human workers. 3D camera technology enables mobile robots to identify and avoid obstacles and people with extreme accuracy. The camera technology can accurately perceive depth to navigate highly populated space: From high foot traffic in hallways to luggage and bags stacked in lobbies, 3D robots can navigate through it all. Using their depth-sensing capabilities, they can also spot anomalies like an open hallway door or atypical presence of individuals in a given space.
When combined with SLAM (Simultaneous Location and Mapping), the technology that scans and creates a digital map of the space, self-propelled 3D service bots can deliver food, drinks and other amenities anywhere within the hotel property. No matter the obstacle, SLAM-supported 3D can seamlessly navigate and deliver guests what they need.
Cobalt Robotics and Bear Robotics are two companies utilizing 3D camera technology in the hospitality robotics sector. Cobalt Robotics, a U.S.-based company, develops 3D camera-equipped robots available for security, facilities management and concierge services. Bear Robotics offers robots specializing in food service deployments. The cost of utilizing robot workers in these instances is often comparable or less than an hourly worker. Combine these savings with the elimination of sick days, injuries or other disruptions and hotel managers are left with a more cost-effective way to handle routine tasks.
Another vital form of ROI in employing 3D robots in hotels is that they can collect data on guest preferences, facility status and upkeep, security and more. This information is critical in helping hotels run more efficiently and with a greater focus on customer satisfaction.
The future of hotels
The pandemic has created vast uncertainty for the hospitality industry. It remains to be seen how guest bookings and behaviors, hospitality economics or competitive activity will change for the long-haul post-pandemic.
What is certain, however, is that labor will be forever impacted - and that technology, specifically reliable and multifunctional robots, will be part of the future of hotels.


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One of the largest milk farmers’ bodies in the country, the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) is facing a herculean task of sustaining during the curfew. A very short window of four hours between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. for milk business to operate daily has brought down sales by over 27%.
KMF has seen an average decline in milk and curd sales together between 6.5 lakh and 8 lakh litres a day since Saturday, when business is restricted. In Bengaluru alone, the biggest market for KMF, milk and curd sales have dropped by more than 1.5 lakh litres.
KMF operates about 1,700 milk parlours, including 1,000 in Bengaluru, and its Nandini brand is sold in thousands of outlets across the State. Before the restrictions, on an average, about 36 lakh litres of milk was being sold daily. At the same time, daily procurement of milk has gone up from about 72 lakh litres daily to 80 lakh litres a day now as farmers have turned to KMF for milk supply after private dairies stopped procurement. It is set to go up further since several milk producing districts have received good pre-monsoon rain.
With a shrinking market for a portfolio of milk products, the unions have either stopped producing or have drastically cut production. This is especially true with products such as cheese, paneer, and sweets.
Meanwhile, a whopping 23 lakh litres of milk is being converted to skimmed milk powder (SMP) a day now from about 11 lakh litres a day before the stringent curfew norms were announced. The federation loses about ₹5 per litre of milk under the current SMP rates in the market. While the production cost of a kilo of SMP is ₹265, current market rate is ₹230. In fact, the north Indian States, among the biggest SMP market for KMF, is reeling under COVID-19 attack, further shrinking its base. The federation is laden with a stock of over 10,000 tonnes of SMP currently.
“Despite this, unions have to maintain farmers’ payment schedule and cannot refuse milk from its 25 lakh members. We have asked the government either to purchase milk and distribute to the needy or allow the unions to declare holiday if time extension is not possible. Otherwise, payment to farmers has to be delayed, which has never been the case in the past. Milk will go down drains if unions do not purchase and farmers will be left in a lurch,” Bangalore Milk Union president Narasimhamurthy told The Hindu. BAMUL is already losing about ₹30 lakh daily, he said.
During the lockdown in 2020, the State government had paid KMF ₹79 crore for about 2.11 crore litres of milk that it purchased for 28 days and distributed among the poor free of cost. The federation is seeking a similar gesture this time too.
Emergency meeting held
An emergency meeting was held at KMF on Tuesday to discuss the crisis. KMF managing director B.C. Satish said the federation was in touch with the government, seeking relaxation. “KMF president Balachandra Jarkiholi has appraised Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa about the issue. The federation has sought permission for sale of milk between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily,” he said.
Source : The Hindu April 28 2021 by Sharath S Srivastava