text:
Last year, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer enacted an “emergency” six-month flavor ban on vaping products, including mint and menthol, via an executive order and cooperation with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Gov. Whitmer is now proposing another executive order that would harm Michigan vape shops and tobacco cessation efforts. This time, she is proposing a permanent ban on all flavors of nicotine-containing e-liquids, except for tobacco-flavored products.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued a public notice that they will issue new executive rulemaking processes that will allow Gov. Whitmer to directly affect this change without legislative process or a state ballot initiative.
The MDHHS rules would forbid “The selling, offering for sale, giving, transporting or distributing of flavored nicotine vapor products.” The rules also would prohibit possession with an intent to sell as well as the use of fraudulent or misleading terms to sell or distribute vapor products. MDHHS points to flavored vaping products appealing to youth as the reason Gov. Whitmer is pursuing such flavor bans. Overall, those supporting the executive order claim it will reduce youth vaping. However, data from recent flavor bans demonstrate this is far from inevitable.
Although addressing youth use of nicotine products is laudable, there is little evidence that flavor bans reduce youth e-cigarette use. Unquestionably, such a ban would devastate local vape shop owners in a time when Michigan residents and small business owners are already facing an uphill battle due to COVID-19 restrictions. Furthermore, an outright flavor ban would create a booming black market for flavored e-cigarettes that are consumed legally (as of now) by millions of American adults.
Heartland Institute experts have examined the effects of flavor bans, finding these measures to have no significant reduction on youth e-cigarette use. For example, Santa Clara County, California, banned flavored tobacco products to age-restricted stores in 2014. Despite this, youth e-cigarette use increased in the county thereafter. In the 2015-16 California Youth Tobacco Survey (CYTS), 7.5 percent of Santa Clara high school students reported current use of e-cigarettes. In the 2017-18 CYTS, this increased to 10.7 percent.
Furthermore, flavored products have helped millions of adults transition from combustible cigarettes to tobacco harm reduction products. A 2018 survey of nearly 70,000 American adults shows 83.2 percent and 72.3 percent of survey respondents reported vaping fruit and dessert flavors, respectively. Additionally, only 20 percent of respondents reported using tobacco flavors at point of e-cigarette initiation.
The substantial decline in youth cigarette use is likely attributable to the rise in popularity of electronic cigarettes. Although youth use of e-cigarettes is worrisome, the 2018 data indicates that fewer students are vaping than when cigarette use was at an all-time high. In 2018, only 20.8 percent of students reported using e-cigarettes, which is a huge decrease from 1997, when 36 percent of high school students reported they smoked cigarettes. Use of any and all tobacco products was significantly lower in 2018 than 1997.
Despite fearmongering about a youth vaping epidemic, tobacco product use has decreased from 42.7 percent of high school students in 1997 to only 27.1 percent in 2018. It is disingenuous that Gov. Whitmer would move to ban flavored nicotine products now, while the data show that these products have resulted in less youth tobacco use and are a valuable tool to help adults transition from much more harmful combustible cigarettes. Youth use of tobacco products is at an all-time low. Although addressing youth use of vaping products is worthwhile, flavor bans have had no reduction on youth e-cigarette use. If this executive order were to go into effect, it would likely drive teens back to smoking cigarettes or other substances, which are much deadlier. Even worse, an all-out ban on flavored e-cigarettes in Michigan would almost surely lead thousands of former smokers back to combustible cigarettes.
What’s more, a black market is all-but guaranteed to fill the void because the law of supply and demand is always victorious. MDHHS and Gov. Whitmer should refrain from enacting bans on vaping products and focus on adequately funding programs that address youth tobacco use, including education and prevention efforts.
And finally, following the coronavirus pandemic, small businesses in Michigan are still struggling to remain open after the mandated lockdown. Michigan still has 540,604 continuing unemployment claims. Placing additional regulations on businesses, specifically vape shops, in the current environment is the exact opposite approach Gov. Whitmer should be taking during this precarious economic period. According to the Vapor Technology Association, in 2018, the industry created 2,660 direct vaping-related jobs, including manufacture, retail, and wholesale jobs in Michigan, which generated $75 million in wages alone. Economic fallout from the governor’s proposed executive order is the perfect example as to why governors should not make executive decisions on a whim, and yet, this is how the proposed flavor ban is being approached.
The following articles provide more information on e-cigarettes and tobacco harm reduction.
Tobacco Harm Reduction 101: A Guidebook for Policymakers
This booklet from The Heartland Institute aims to inform key stakeholders on the much-needed information on the benefits of electronic cigarettes and vaping devices. Tobacco Harm Reduction 101details the history of e-cigarettes, including regulatory actions on these products. The booklet also explains the role of nicotine, addresses tax policy and debunks many of the myths associated with e-cigarettes, including assertions about “popcorn lung,” formaldehyde, and the so-called youth vaping epidemic.
Podcast Series: Voices of Vapers
In this weekly podcast series, State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud talks with researchers, advocates, and policymakers about tobacco harm reduction and electronic cigarettes. The series provides important information about the thousands of entrepreneurs who have started small businesses thanks to THRs and the millions of adults that have used electronic cigarettes and vaping devices to quit smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Vaping, E-Cigarettes, and Public Policy Toward Alternatives to Smoking
For decades, lawmakers and regulators have used taxes, bans, and burdensome regulations as part of their attempt to reduce the negative health effects of smoking. Recently, some have sought to extend those policies to electronic cigarettes. This booklet from The Heartland Institute urges policymakers to re-think that tax-and-regulate strategy. Policymakers should be mindful of the extensive research that supports tobacco harm reduction and understand bans, excessive regulations, and high taxes on e-cigarettes often encourage smokers to continue using more-harmful traditional cigarette products.
Research & Commentary: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Link Major of Vaping-Related Hospitalizations to THC Product
In this Research & Commentary, Heartland State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud examines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report which found nearly 77 percent of vaping-related hospitalizations are due to the use of tetrahydrocannabinol products. These findings are similar to what have been reported in other states, including Connecticut, Oregon, Texas, and Utah.
Research & Commentary: Flavor Bans Do Not Reduce Youth E-Cigarette Use
In this Research & Commentary, State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud examines the California Youth Tobacco Survey results from 2017-18, finding youth vaping has increased in several California localities that have restricted access to flavored tobacco product. Stroud finds youth vaping has increased in both Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties. Stroud also notes that banning flavored e-cigarettes is likely to reduce the number of adult smokers switching from combustible cigarettes to tobacco harm reduction devices, and could lead former smokers back to cigarettes.
Research & Commentary: Qualitative Study on E-cigarettes Shows More Evidence of Tobacco Harm Reduction
In this Research & Commentary, Heartland Institute State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud examines a study, published in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in June 2016, that provides additional evidence showing e-cigarettes and vaporized nicotine products (VNPs) are an effective tobacco harm-reduction tool.
Nothing in this Research & Commentary is intended to influence the passage of legislation, and it does not necessarily represent the views of The Heartland Institute. For further information on this and other topics, visit the Budget & Tax News website, The Heartland Institute’s website, our Consumer Freedom Lounge, and PolicyBot, Heartland’s free online research database.
The Heartland Institute can send an expert to your state to testify or brief your caucus; host an event in your state; or send you further information on a topic. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance! If you have any questions or comments, contact Heartland’s government relations department, at [email protected] or 312/377-4000.


text:
Clipped from: https://www.business-standard.com/companies/results/apollo-tyres-beats-q4-profit-view-on-lower-rubber-costs-strong-demand-123050900995_1.html
Apollo also recommended a final dividend of Rs 4 per share
Listen to This Article
Indian tyre maker Apollo Tyres Ltd. reported a nearly four-fold rise in fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, beating estimates, aided by lower rubber costs and strong domestic auto sales.
The company’s consolidated profit nearly quadrupled to Rs 427 crore ($52.21 million) in the quarter ended March 31 from Rs 113 crore a year earlier.
Analysts, on average, had estimated a profit of Rs 344 crore, according to Refinitiv IBES data.
Softening rubber costs and strong vehicle sales in India in the first three months of the year have benefited Indian tyre makers, including MRF Ltd and Ceat Ltd.
Analysts said that the price hikes also helped the companies bolster their margins, with Ceat reporting a five-fold jump in profit and MRF reporting its profit more than doubled for the quarter ended March 31.
Apollo’s revenue from operations rose 12% to Rs 6,247 crore as the cost of materials consumed fell around 11.2% compared to the year-ago quarter.
The company’s total expenses, however, rose about 5.6% year-over-year.
Sales in the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), the company’s biggest segment, increased nearly 10%.
Apollo also recommended a final dividend of Rs 4 per share.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

domain: news


text:
Ingram Micro Summit: Top 10 Keynote Highlights…
Nearly 300 VARs and MSPs are attending this week’s Ingram Micro Cloud Summit in Phoenix, Ariz. Today’s cloud computing keynotes — including executives from Amazon.com, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, Ingram, Microsoft, Salesforce.com, Symantec and VMware — just wrapped up. Here’s a recap of the key themes raised.
2. Sticking With Standards: Broadcom CTO Nick Ilyadis described why good old Ethernet — modernized for the cloud age — will gain a bigger and bigger footprint in data centers.
3. Don’t Abandon Best Practices: Ingram CIO Mario Leone mentioned that NetFlix remained online even while Amazon’s cloud failed. The reason: NetFlix designed its service with redundancy with failure in mind.
4. Big Threats, Big Opportunities: In April Alone, Symantec scanned 6.6 billion emails and found 73,000 new web sites with spyware and malware, according to Stephen Banbury, senior director of Symantec.cloud. Symantec CEO Enrique Salem has previously stated that he expects roughly 10 percent of Symantec annual revenues to involve the cloud within a few years. That amounts to a $1 billion annual SaaS and cloud revenue target.
5. Why the Cloud Matters: Best-selling Author and former Oracle On Demand Leader Timothy Chou offered the following question:
- What if you could have one PC for 3.5 years?
- Or what if you could pay the same price to have 10,000 computers for 30 minutes?
Option two is far more compelling. What would you do with those 10,000 computers? The possibilities are endless, highlighting the power of the cloud, said Chou.
6. Scalability: Google has 50 servers per employee and Facebook has 30 servers per employee, Chou said.
7. Big Bet: Microsoft‘s Matt Thompson said Windows Azure now has 10,000 customers and is the biggest technology bet Microsoft has ever made. Thompson added that virtually all of Microsoft’s on-premise software now has an equivalent cloud offering.
8. That’s a Yotta Data: So what comes after Petabytes, Exabytes and Zettabytes? The answer is Yotta bytes, noted Daniel A. Powers, VP, Amazon Web Services. The cloud managed 2.9 billion objects in 2006, and now manages 339 billion objects. And the Amazon storage service manages more than 200,000 transactions per second. Amazon has hundreds of thousands of cloud customers in 190 countries, Powers said.
9. Networking Plus Cloud: Hewlett-Packard VP Paul Miller shared the company’s cloud vision. But before he started Miller noted HP’s continued acceleration in the networking market. On the cloud front, Miller promised that HP would enable partners with training, equip partners with sales and technical marketing documents, and empower the channel. He also mentioned 3Par and Opsware as cloud opportunities. And he zeroed in on the HP CloudSystem as built for the channel.
10. Where VMware Fits In: Julie Eades, VP of Americas marketing at VMware, showed how quickly the cloud noise has gotten louder. In 2008, it wasn’t a CIO priority.
- By 2009 it was priority number 16;
- By 2010 it was number 2; and
- by 2011 it was priority No. 1.
I think Eades’ source was either Gartner or CIO.com.
Eades said cloud computing isn’t a destination. Rather, it’s an approach to computing. Eades reinforced some points that the company made a few months ago at the VMware Exchange partner conference. At that time, VMware painted Microsoft, Amazon and Oracle as cloud pretenders. But this time around — in the presence of some rivals — VMware softened its statements but still painted Microsoft, Amazon and Oracle as closed cloud systems.
The keynotes are over. What are my key takeaways? I’ll be sure to share them later today.


text:
On May 1, 2018, CBP issued CSMS# 19-000317 Update: Additional Duty on Imports of Steel and Aluminum Articles under Section 232 which contains new filing requirements for imports of aluminum and steel from S. Korea. It is reproduced in full below:
On April 30, 2018, the President signed Presidential Proclamation Adjusting Imports of Aluminum into the United States. The Proclamation states that the United States has agreed in principle with Argentina, Australia, and Brazil on satisfactory alternative means to address the threatened impairment to our national security posed by aluminum articles imported from these countries, so they will remain exempt from the tariff in Proc. 9704 until details are finalized. The United States is continuing discussions…
On April 26, 2018, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued CSMS #18-000307 GSP Goods Subject to Section 201 Measures, which provides additional Information with respect to articles of Thailand or Philippines, which are covered by Section 201 safeguard remedies (certain solar cells, solar panels, washing machines, and washing machine parts). According to the CSMS:
It is being reported that on March 22, 2018, USTR Robert Lighthizer announced at a Senate Finance Committee hearing that the administration would exempt the European Union, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and South Korea from the 25% steel and 10% aluminum tariffs set to take effect on March 23, 2018.
On December 27, 2017, the Federal Register published Proclamation 9687 of December 22, 2017 – To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and for Other Purposes. The Proclamation:
On July 14, 2017, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a notice providing country-by-country allocations of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 (October 1, 2017 through Sept. 30, 2018) in-quota quantity of the tariff-rate quotas for imported raw cane sugar, certain sugars, syrups and molasses (also known as refined sugar), specialty sugar, and sugar-containing products.
On 15 May 2017, the Boletin Official published Decree 333/2017 (5 May 2017), which reinstates a prohibition (for a period of five years) on the importation for consumption of certain used textile products covered by MERCOSUR Common Nomenclature (NCM)
On 3 March 2017, the Boletin Oficial (Official Bulletin) published Secretary of Commerce Resolution 152-E / 2017 (02-03-17), which modifies Resolution № 5/2015 by eliminating 11 statistical subheadings to the MERCOSUR Common Nomenclature (NCM) from the list of goods subject to the Non-Automatic Licensing requirements. These items will now be subject to the Automatic Licensing regime.
On 23 January 2017, the Boletin Oficial (Official Gazette) published Decree 51/2017 (20 January 2017) (by the President with the agreement of the Ministers) to remove the congestion of goods being stored by the Customs Service.
The Argentine Central Bank (“ACB”) issued Communication “A” 6118 (“Communication”), which modified Communication “A” 6037 by providing more flexibility to payments linked to e-commerce transactions. The Communication amended the requirements applicable for payments performed through payment processors’ entities. It also includes the obligation of the local financial institution to issue, at an exporter’s request, a certification of the funds received or liquidation of funds.


text:
LOUGHBOROUGH, ENGLAND, Oct. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nemaura Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: NMRD) (“Nemaura” or the “Company”), a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of portable non-invasive diagnostics and supporting personalized lifestyle coaching programs, today announced that it has received a provisional purchase order from TPMENA, its MENA (Middle East/North Africa) licensee for the Company’s SugarBEAT® system.
TPMENA has issued the provisional purchase order with Nemaura following its regulatory registration submission for sugarBEAT® in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Registration in Saudi Arabia is expected in the first quarter of 2023. The tentative purchase order is for 17,500 devices and 1.7 million sensors, with 7,500 devices and 700,000 sensors in the first year after launch in Saudi Arabia and 10 000 units and 1 million sensors per second. year. Purchase order is conditional upon receipt of KSA registration.
“We believe the Middle East, and Saudi Arabia in particular, represents a significant opportunity for Nemaura and its partner TPMENA, given the high rates of Type II diabetes in the region,” said Nemaura CEO, Dr Faz Chowdhury. “We have worked closely with TPMENA over the past year to prepare all language translations and packaging and look forward to launching our affordable and patient-friendly diabetes monitoring solution in the region.”
Based in Dubai, TPMENA is a full-service distributor that markets premium international brands to the Middle East region and brings significant expertise in logistics, marketing, distribution and sales. Founded in 2011, it has built a reputation as a reliable partner for growing brands in a number of categories. According to the International Diabetes Federation, there were more than 4.1 million people with diabetes in Saudi Arabia alone in 2021, a number that is expected to reach 5.6 million by 2030.
About Nemaura Medical, Inc.
Nemaura Medical Inc. is a medical technology company that develops and markets portable, non-invasive diagnostic devices. The company currently markets sugarBEAT® and proBEAT™. BEAT sugar®, a CE Mark-approved Class IIb medical device, is a non-invasive and flexible Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) providing actionable insights derived from real-time blood glucose measurements and daily blood glucose trend data, which can help people with diabetes and prediabetes better manage, reverse, and prevent the onset of diabetes. Nemaura has submitted a PMA (Premarket Approval Application) for sugarBEAT® to the US FDA. proBEAT™ combines non-invasive glucose data processed using artificial intelligence and a digital healthcare subscription service that was launched in the United States as a general wellness product as part of its BEAT® diabetes program which is currently being piloted.
The company sits at the intersection of the global type 2 diabetes market expected to grow to nearly $59 billion by 2025, the prediabetics market of over $50 billion, and the wearable health technology sector. for weight loss and wellness apps which is expected to reach $60 billion by 2023.
For more information, please visit www.NemauraMedical.com.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. -understood by these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the launch of proBEAT™ in the United States, risks related to regulatory status and the failure of future development and preliminary commercialization efforts, by Nemaura ability to enter into additional commercial partnership agreements, the risks and uncertainties associated with Nemaura and the ability of its partners to develop, market and sell proBEAT™the availability of substantial additional equity or debt capital to support its research, development and product commercialization activities, and the success of its research, development, regulatory approval, commercialization and distribution, including plans and strategies related to both proBEAT™ digital health, and BEAT sugar®. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to reach any or all of CGM’s global markets with its products/services. The United States Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) reserves the right to reassess its decision that proBEAT™ is considered a general wellness product if they become aware of issues such as skin irritation or other adverse device-related events, as well as any misuse that impacts the safety of the device. patient, and any other reason that the FDA may deem appropriate in its discretion to determine the product does not meet the definition of a general wellness product. There is no guarantee that Saudi Arabia will approve the registration of sugarBEAT in Saudi Arabia.These and other risks and uncertainties are identified and further described in by Nemaura documents filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, its annual report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and his current reports on Form 8-K. Nemaura assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.


text:
UPDATE: Hotels and airlines being investigated for price-fixing
ORIGINAL: You would think travel accommodations to South Africa would be reasonable, if not affordable, compared to most World Cups. But they’re not. In fact, it seems airlines and hotels are gouging soccer spectators more than usual this summer, leaving many U.S. fans who purchased tickets out in the cold.
“Flights from New York to Johannesburg would normally cost about $1,000, but they will set you back at least $2,500 if traveling during the World Cup,” reports ESPN. “One 3-star Johannesburg hotel normally charges as little as $49 a night for a standard room, but will be bumping its price to up to $220 a night for the days leading up to the World Cup.”
That being the case, fans who budgeted $5,000 a trip are now learning it will actually cost them upwards of $12,000 per person, so they’re no longer going. “I’ve given up hope for this World Cup,” one fan said. “Hopefully I can get as lucky with tickets to another one. I thought that was going to be the hard part. Now I have more than enough [tickets], but I just can’t afford to go.”


text:
UPDATE: August CPI came right in line with economists' expectations at 0.6 percent month-over-month.
Ex-food and energy, the reading came in slightly lower than expectations at 0.1 percent month-over-month (versus 0.2 percent expected).
Year-over-year, CPI matched economists' expectations with a 1.7 percent rise, and ex-food and energy came in at 1.9 percent year-over-year, slightly lower than expectations of 2.0 percent.
Economists predict a 0.6 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index in August from the previous month.
Ex-food and energy, economists expect a 0.2 percent increase month-over-month.
Year-over-year, expectations are for a 1.7 percent increase in the headline number and a 2.0 percent increase in the ex-food and energy reading.
We will have the number here LIVE at Money Game at 8:30 AM ET >


text:
Following a year of volatility, innovation and uncertainty, the Trade Finance Excellence Awards 2017 by TFG have been announced! This year, we focus on those who have demonstrated exceptional performance amidst a challenging climate.
Trade Finance Global Excellence Awards are totally independent, judged by a panel of leading experts.
They are presented each year, recognising outstanding companies contributing to the growth of international trade.
The TFG Excellence Awards recognised exceptional companies and candidates making great leaps in driving global trade, shipping and the wider transportation sector. This allows SMEs to trade and export internationally, a market worth $3tn USD per year. The sector is sometimes hidden away from the spotlight; but is vital in the world of .
Tradefinanceglobal.com editor James Sinclair, said: “Trade as a whole needs to be advanced, both in financing and education. The sector will only grow by finding the best talent and promoting the most appropriate financing and logistics solutions. We understand that the sector does not simply stop with the financing side, but needs to be supported and advanced by looking at many areas.”
“We were proud to nominate winners across new and improved categories this year. It’s been enjoyable for the judging panel to look at leaders in the different facets of the sector, along with independent reviews, speaking to category experts, and reviewing websites.”


text:
Despite having its stock price decline by 13% in the last six weeks, analysts still love Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN). Some analysts have set a price target for AMZN stock of $2,400 by the end of 2020 and $3,000 by the end of 2024.
Source: Zapp2Photo / Shutterstock.com
However, if you’re basing your decision to invest in Amazon stock on an 80%+ appreciation in stock price in five years, you’re asking the wrong question. The better question is: will Amazon be the same company in five years as it is today?
Amazon May Be a Victim of Its Own Success
During the holiday season of 2013, Amazon was skewered by customers for late deliveries as online orders overwhelmed the capacity of third-party carriers. At that point, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos essentially said never again. To remedy the problem, the company made a massive investment in its shipping and fulfillment centers. Between 2010 and 2018, Amazon’s shipping and fulfillment costs rose 1,022% to $61.7 billion. That’s 25% of AMZN revenues.
Growing out Amazon’s fulfillment centers and shipping fleet has been one part of Bezos’ strategy to place growth ahead of profitability. To the delight of AMZN stock investors, Bezos has managed to get both. However, as Amazon Prime moves to free one-day shipping, there may be some question as to how much growth is left.
Amazon Continues to Look at New Markets
Apparently Jeff Bezos is asking that same question. Just this year, Amazon has made moves into the electric truck market by being the lead investor into Rivian, they are also Aurora Innovation, a self-driving auto startup. However, while those moves can be seen as deft moves to enhance their core business, other moves are not so obvious. Like their acquisition of online pharmacy company PillPack and their intention to be part of the race to launch satellites for broadband internet connectivity to under-served areas.
Yes, the company hit a home run with their Amazon Web Services, but as AWS grows it is putting Amazon right into the teeth of government regulators who are increasingly suspicious of companies that are trying to profit from the use of subscriber’s personal information.
Amazon Stock May Be the Ultimate Defensive Stock
As much as Amazon continues to behave like a startup, the market wants to reward it for being a . In the minds of some investors, one of the storm clouds for the broader market is the possibility of a recession. Some analysts will point to Walmart (NYSE:WMT) and Target (NYSE:TGT), who are carving out a niche in the digital business that matches Amazon’s fulfillment options and pricing, as evidence that Amazon’s moat is shrinking. However, when talk turns to a recession, analysts continue to love AMZN stock.
During the “Great Recession” of 2007-2009, Amazon stock declined 8%. The S&P 500 by contrast tumbled 36%. Amazon also came in significantly ahead of other FAANG stocks Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) as well as another tech giant, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT). Amazon was not unaffected by the recession, but clearly it showed that they were well positioned then, and arguably better positioned now.
The company may not like being thought of as a defensive stock, but if it walks like a duck and quack likes a duck … it may be a duck.
Amazon Is Growing Up Fast
It can be easy to still think of Amazon as a cool tech startup. But the reality is that Amazon is growing up. Some parts of its business could even be said to be in middle age. Over the last 12 months, AMZN’s operating cash flow has exploded to nearly $26.7 billion compared to $5.5 billion five years ago. Net income is rising as well and Amazon, once chastised for a lack of attention to the bottom line, is now a consistently profitable company.
Right now, Amazon is using their pile of cash to pay down debt. Specifically the $13.7 billion it acquired from its Whole Foods purchase. And the company will likely continue to make capital expenditures as it ramps up its Amazon Web Services.
But if Amazon keeps seeing significant gains in earnings and cash flow (that’s not such a big if), it may not be too much longer before shareholders start looking to Amazon to return some of that cash in the form of a dividend.
That’s not likely to happen soon. The at this moment. Amazon has approximately 500 million shares outstanding. If they used every penny of their $13 billion free cash flow over the last 12 months, it would pay a dividend of about $26 per share. That 1.5% yield would not excite most investors.
However, the same investors who are looking to Amazon for growth today are growing up as well. Not today, not tomorrow, but sooner than Amazon may like, those investors may look at a $3,000 per share price tag as too rich for a stock that doesn’t offer them something by way of a dividend.
As of this writing, Chris Markoch did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
The post appeared first on InvestorPlace.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


text:
DETROIT, May 28 (UPI) -- U.S. consumer advocate Ralph Nader said taxpayer assistance for General Motors Corp. should not benefit its outsourced operations.
"Do we really want the United States of America to export its auto industry paid for by the taxpayer and unemployed workers to a dictatorship (in) a country like China?" Nader said, CNN reported Thursday.
As GM's North American and European operations struggle to survive the recession, the company's operation in China has prospered.
GM is currently the third largest automaker in China, which is now the world's largest auto market. However, the company has accepted $19.4 billion in emergency loans from the U.S. government and is on the verge of filing for bankruptcy.
President and Managing Director of GM China Kevin Wale said the business in China "is run as separate joint-ventures … in partnership with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp."
Michael Dunne, an industry analyst at J.D. Power and Associates China said GM in China would remain "insulated from the bankruptcy back home."
The concern, however, has found a voice on Capital Hill. "That cannot be a part of their restructuring of this company. Their business plan cannot include more outsourcing of jobs while taking taxpayer money," said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.


text:
Continue to Business Insider »
You will be redirected in seconds.
David Einhorn just unveiled GM as his new long idea at the Value Investing Congress.
The shares are rallying...
GM just reported September sales numbers today, missing estimates.
For Einhorn's comments on GM, click here >
There are hundreds of thousands of sensors in the ocean—here's why
More "Industry IQ" »
Understand this one thing to have a successful digital business
More "Digital Business Decoded" »
A financial planner says there's something everyone should do before trying to get rich
More "World 2.0" »


text:
Australia generates 2.4 million tonnes of plastic every year. It comes in all shapes and polymers. Car parts, sofas, drink containers, medical equipment, pallet wrap and single use packaging. You name a product in the economy and sure enough it will have plastic in it or in its supply chain.
Our current economic model is pretty much a linear one: take (extract) - make (stuff) - waste (landfill). It treats resources as infinite and assumes the environment can absorb the waste. It is therefore unsustainable in the long run.
The NSW Government has created a $10 million fund to reduce landfilling of solar panels and battery systems. Phase 1 of the Circular Solar grants program (trial phase) awarded $1.1 million in funding for eligible trial projects.
The waste industry has what the carbon sector doesn't – a target widely viewed as ambitious, as well as a substantial price to spur waste abatement – and that has prompted a huge increase in investor interest, says MRA Consulting Group.


text:
Southern provinces strive to reach targets
According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Agency for Regional Industry and Trade (ARIT), VND38.4 billion of industry promotion capital (including VND5.7 billion of national industry promotion funding and VND32.7 billion of local industry promotion capital) was disbursed in the southern region in the first nine months of 2022, 37.6 percent of the 2022 target.
Leaders of the Agency for Regional Industry and Trade visit a southern province-based production facility
Specifically, in the first nine months, southern localities signed national industry promotion contracts to help 114 rural industrial establishments apply advanced machinery and equipment to production, and support one rural industrial producer in repairing and upgrading a pollution treatment system, all at a total cost of VND23.9 billion, accounting for 63.7 percent of all industry promotion capital allocated for the southern region.
Supporting the development of outstanding rural industrial products was also an important part of the industry promotion projects. In the first nine months, 274 and 220 rural industrial producers were helped to participate in trade fairs and exhibitions and promote outstanding rural industrial products, respectively. Industry promotion projects also helped five rural manufacturers launch product showrooms at a total cost of more than VND6 billion.
Southern provinces and cities are facilitating industrial park and human resource development, and rural industrial producer assistance. They are also easing problems and creating favorable conditions for project beneficiaries and relevant management authorities to reach 2022 industry promotion targets on schedule.
They will continue supporting technical demonstration model construction, technology transfer and advanced machinery application to help businesses create outstanding rural industrial products of high quality and high value, meeting consumer tastes.
VietNam Economic News


text:
Blockchain startup SmartContract is officially unveiling a new a proof-of-concept (PoC) built with assistance from five major financial institutions today at Swift's Sibos conference.
Designed to show how smart contracts could simplify the buying, selling and payment of dividends from bonds, the project makes notable use of interest rate data from Barclays, BNP Paribas, Fidelity, Societe Generale and Santander. The news is also a notable step forward for the smart contract concept, implementations of which have typically lacked the reliable and sophisticated data sources needed to make their innovations a reality.
Still, in conversation with CoinDesk, SmartContract.com CEO Sergey Nazarov positioned the PoC as a way for Swift and other incumbents to prepare for what he believes will be a coming proliferation of smart contract-powered stocks and bonds.
And that user experience relies on the integration of widely trusted data into blockchains. For instance, with that kind of data, Nazarov said he was able to streamline the time- and cost-intensive back-office processes normally required in paying out dividends.
The demo can also be seen as the fruition of a whirlwind year for the startup, which won $100,000 at Sibos last year during the conference's startup challenge.
Since then, SmartContract.com – a middleware company designed to connect traditional data sources to a blockchain – has successfully completed a $32 million initial coin offering (ICO) and entered into a partnership with IC3 to use its Town Crier oracle.
How it works
For the PoC, SmartContract's oracle was used to move interest rates from each of the five participating financial institutions into what the startup called its Market Rate Smart Contract.
That contract aggregated the data into a single rate that was then used in a virtual representation of a $1 million smart contact bond. An on-chain payment transaction was then translated into a Swift payment message.
To be able to send that translate the transaction into one Swift could handle, the startup built its platform to comply with Swift's ISO 20022 standard for electronic data interchange between financial institutions.
According to Nazarov, that was done specifically to allow Swift members utilizing SmartContract's platform to be able to make payments with the smart contracts as well.
"If there's going to be usage and volume by their members in this new context, we would want those members to be able to use the Swift network to make payments from the smart contracts," said Nazarov, adding:
And SmartContract.com wants to be that connection.
The standard glue
SmartContract has plans to use another oracle to pull data from credit ratings agencies like Standard & Poor. In this way, banks connected to the platform could better weigh their investments.
It sounds like a good idea, but even with his successes Nazarov is cautious about the short-term prospects of the company, describing a chicken-and-egg scenario he sees possibly holding the technology back.
While coders are interested in smart contracts, he believes they need more reliable data to continue developing their products. Data providers, too, are waiting for smart contract tools to be demanded before going through the integration process.
Although, as Damien Vanderveken, the head of Swift's R&D department, told CoinDesk, working with the ISO 20022 standard could be the push needed to get one, or both, of those stakeholders to move.
Market data visualization image via Shutterstock
CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


text:
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it would hold a public hearing seeking information and comment on the use of products labeled 'homeopathic', as well as the agency's regulatory framework for such products.
The hearing, scheduled for April 20-21, will discuss prescription drugs, biological products, and over-the-counter drugs labeled homeopathic, a market that has expanded to become a multimillion dollar industry in the United States.
The agency is set to evaluate its regulatory framework for homeopathic products after a quarter century. (1.usa.gov/1Hxwup3)
An Australian government study released this month concluded that homeopathy does not work. (bit.ly/1BheAmR)
The FDA issued a warning earlier this month asking consumers not to rely on asthma products labeled homeopathic that are sold over the counter. (1.usa.gov/1EEuKrC).
Homeopathic medicines include pellets placed under the tongue, tablets, liquids, ointments, sprays and creams.
The basic principles of homeopathy, formulated by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th century, are based on a theory that a disease can be treated using small doses of natural substances that in a healthy person would produce symptoms of the disease.
The agenda for the hearing will be posted soon, the FDA said on Tuesday. - REUTERS
92 News (also known as 92 News HD Plus (Channel 92) is a conservative Urdu language TV channel based in Lahore, Pakistan.
Mian Muhammad Hanif is the chairman of the channel.
This TV channel is a subsidiary of Madinah Group under Galaxy Media Group.
The channel's name, 92, is to celebrate the 1992 Cricket World Cup won by Pakistan. The number 92 is also the telephone country calling code of Pakistan, which is another major reason behind the channel's name.
92 News HD is Pakistan’s first HD Plus News Channel. Aims to bring credible & responsible News & important stories from Pakistan & around the World
We bring you Latest Pakistani and International News at 92News Hd Plus to Read and Watch
We believe in genuine and true journalism, we do not prevail sensation just for ratings.
We do not hide news but never tend to add any unethical content or angling that goes against the norms of our religion Islam and Pakistan's culture.


text:
One of the biggest jaw-dropping claims is a mind-bending 0-to-60 launch time of just 1.9 seconds. You’ll believe it when you see it, right? Well, we may have a taste of just how fast we’re talking about thanks to a YouTube video of someone given a ride-along.
From the passenger side of the Roadster that was on hand to give demonstrations at Thursday night’s reveal event, we see the car take off from “maximum plaid” mode. These Tesla guys sure love their Spaceballs.
EVs are known to be quick off the line, and Tesla’s current lineup of Models S and X have certainly proven that they are more than capable of holding their own against existing sports cars. But what the Roadster might be capable of would be putting it well ahead of the pack.
Apart from its insane launch claims, the Roadster will house a s 200kWh batter pack and will be capable of traveling 620 miles on a full charge. Those inclined to continue past 60 mph will be hitting 100 mph in 4.2 seconds, slaying a quarter-mile in 8.9 seconds, and can continue to a top speed of 250 mph, according to the company.
It’s not going to be cheap, though. Those interested will need to drop a $50,000 deposit for the Roadster, which starts at $200,000 dollars. Judging from how Tesla prices things out in the Model 3, it’s safe to assume that the base model Roadster probably won’t do all of the cool stuff it’s said to do unless further upgrades are added.
With a new semi truck in the works and now a new sports car announced to dazzle enthusiasts, we’re keen to see how the maligned Model 3 output is affected. In any case, we need only wait a mere three years for the new Roadster to strut its stuff.
- How to watch Tesla’s Cybertruck delivery event if you missed it
- How to watch Tesla’s Cybertruck delivery event today
- Watch how Tesla’s Cybertruck handles a compound bow’s arrow
- Tesla’s Cybertruck set for summer delivery event
- 2023 Tesla Roadster: Everything we know about the electric car


text:
For years, Microsoft has been preparing the ground to definitively fire its veteran navigator, internet explorer. Last July 15, 2022 marked the final goodbye to Internet Explorer 11, however, In an unexpected move, the company has decided to resurrect it..
In accordance with computer todayMicrosoft plans to keep certain vestiges of this application both for sysadmins and their new browser, Edge.
The Redmond company has made changes to its original plans, updating its FAQ article about the retirement of Internet Explorer 11 on the desktop version. In this sense, Microsoft clarifies that Windows Update will no longer remove visual references, user interface, and similar elements related to Internet Explorer 11.
Instead, it will be the responsibility of administrators and organizations to decide if they want to remove these items.
The most amazing movement
In an even more surprising move, Microsoft has revealed that Internet Explorer 11 It will continue to be accessible in “exceptional scenarios”.
As they explain, “following customer feedback, the Windows update will not remove visual references from Internet Explorer 11 (IE11), such as the IE11 icons in the start menu and taskbar, as previously reported. previously. Organizations will continue to have control over when to remove IE11 visual references on their devicesif they haven’t already, by using the ‘Disable IE’ policy”.
Additionally, changes are expected in the coming months to address a small subset of rare scenarios where IE11 will continue to be accessible from the Edge browser. This adjustment is intended to ensure that users have access to a more secure and compatible browser developed by Microsoft.
While the exact nature of these “exceptional scenarios” in which Edge will be able to use Internet Explorer 11 is unknown, it is likely related to the compatibility of certain applications and systems.


text:
Facebook today announces that they had launched the most promising feature that everyone has been waiting for quite a long time which is video call.
The main objective is to replace Apple’s FaceTime technology that only can be use in Apple’s products. The Facebook-owned chat service WhatsApp is officially launching video calling for its over 1 billion users worldwide on iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg announce the news in his Facebook’s news feed today.
To use the new feature, WhatsApp users can hit the call button in the top right corner of a conversation, which will bring up an overlaid interstitial asking if you want to voice or video call the friend or family member you’re chatting with. To kick off the video call, you simply select the “video call” option from this screen.
During the call itself, you can switch between the forward-facing and rear camera, mute the call or press the red button to hang up.
Personally I have try the video calling, so far it looks very stable and smart enough to adjust the resolution according to the network connectivity bandwidth.


text:
Apple today announced that iPhone 15 Pro is powered by a new Apple Silicon chip, which Apple calls ‘A17 Pro’.
A17 Pro is fabricated using an industry-leading 3 nanometer process, housing a total of 19 billion transistors. Apple says the high-performance cores in A17 chip are up to 10% faster, and mean iPhone remains the fastest smartphone in the industry. However, the bigger focus this year is on the GPU performance.
Go to Source
Author: Benjamin Mayo


text:
Corner Store fills niche with funPublished 10:40am Monday, July 15, 2013
Summer is the season of lakeshore fun on Otter Tail Lake, and the new ownership and management at The Corner Store have reason to celebrate.
Having made it through the long winter and spring seasons after opening, The Corner Store has a new focus of working towards becoming a summer staple on the lake. Customers have responded to the local convenience the store offers in its very first summer, according to Kathy Polejewski, the store’s manager.
“It’s been crazy busy, which is good,” Polejewski said. “We didn’t know what to expect at all, but I think not having expectations has made it a little easier. We haven’t had dead days out here when no one is around.”
Located off County Road 1 on Highway 145, the store has a long history of serving the west side of Otter Tail Lake. With new direction, Polejewski said she hopes the store can continue to draw fishermen as well as gain a whole new reputation for fun all year round.
“I’m trying to make the store more of a fun place, more so than just a bait shop or grocery store,” Polejewski said. “Most of the people who come here are at the lake or on vacation and we’re trying to make that experience here.”
After fire destroyed Ken’s Tackle in December, The Corner Store has served many of the bait and tackle needs of Otter Tail Lake anglers. While Polejewski said they could never duplicate the success of the former landmark, they hope the store will develop a loyal customer base.
The store offers a variety of other items, including beer and wine coolers, snacks, groceries, lottery tickets and more. Customers can fill up their trucks off the street or, if they are on the water, their boats at the lakeside gas location across on the beach. From flip-flops to brightly colored T-shirts, a selection of lake fashion is available as well.
With the variety of crowds coming in at different times — anglers out early looking for bites, coffee crowds at mid-morning and walkers out for an afternoon stroll — the store has become a bustling spot for the lake’s west side.
“It’s like a small town because you know everybody,” Polejewski said. “You get close to everyone because they’re in everyday.”
As manager, creating that local feel has been a priority for Polejewski. She encourages workers to help outside at the lakeside filling station and to talk to people at different beach events. Of course, she encourages friendly smiles and laughs as well.
As the area starts the second half of summer and customers continue in and out of the store’s doors, the philosophy has proven successful. With a number of special events and attractions planned for the store, Polejewski said they will have to wait until next year to use some of their ideas. For now, the store will continue to learn from what has made it enjoyable so far.
“These days I’m in at six and don’t leave until four or five and it’s no big deal because I’m talking to everybody and having fun,” Polejewski said. “I would do this forever.”


text:
The current closure of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is taking a major toll on the company’s operations. All of the parks remain closed; however, Shanghai Disney Resort has resumed limited hotel and Star Park operations. The firm’s U.S. parks remain closed with no opening date in sight. Also, the firm’s Media Networks and Studio Entertainment segments are operating at a degraded state.
As a result of the closure, the company could be burning significant sums of money as it is still paying cast members of that are part of its Parks and Resorts operations. Those operations are mostly not running. The company does have its other operations in motion which will help support the overall organization. On the other hand, the Media Networks segment is also impacted as ESPN is operating in a degraded state because it can not air live sports events. Studio Entertainment is also significantly impacted by the closure of movie theaters around the world. Those impacted operations leave Direct-to-Consumer and International as the only division that is operating fully.
Right now, it is not known how much money Disney is burning through. The Walt Disney Company may not be using cash to support operations; however, it highly unlikely as Parks, Experiences, and Products, and Studio Entertainment made up 82 percent of Disney’s segment operating income during the first quarter of 2020. On top of that, Direct-to-Consumer and International has been operating at a loss. If Disney can maintain 80 percent of Media Network’s operating income, 20 percent of Parks, Experiences, and Products and Studio Entertainment’s operating income, and maintain the same level of losses for Direct-to-Consumer and International’s (plus Eliminations), then segment operating income would be $1.026 billion for a quarter. If the same percentages were applied to revenues, The Walt Disney Company could have revenues of $10 to $12 billion for a quarter. That would be less than the $18.017 billion in expenses that the company reported on Q1 2020.
Above photo of Epcot's Spaceship Earth by David Aughinbaugh II and NavFile.
The Walt Disney Company had $6.833 billion in cash on hand at the end of Q1 2020. The company is likely using that cash to support operations right now. They also have access to credit if needed. To reduce the usage of cash, Disney will likely have to furlough cast members if they are unable to restart operations within a few months. It has been reported that the firm is accepting reservations from June 1st forward for its domestic parks. Executive Chairman Bob Iger has taken full pay cut and Disney’s executive team has taken a 50 percent pay cut for the year. It will have to be seen if the rest of the Cast Members will be next.
The COVID-19 situation has placed companies around the world in almost unimaginable conditions. Although it looks like The Walt Disney Company has weathered the storm so far, if operations remain closed for the next several weeks, the firm will be in a difficult situation. As a company, they are likely planning for the next steps in their emergency plan.
Let’s hope that this situation ends soon so that our nation and the world can get back to work making the world a magical place.


text:
In the United States, vehicle sales peaked in 2000, at 17.8 million units. In 2007, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road, consuming over 980 billion litres of gasoline and diesel fuel yearly. The automobile is a primary mode of transportation for many developed economies. The Detroit branch of Boston Consulting Group predicted that, by 2014, one-third of world demand would be in the four BRIC markets . Meanwhile, in the developed countries, the automotive industry has slowed.
- Thirdly, the Indonesian government is eagerly trying to speed up infrastructure development across the Indonesian nation.
- This is in accordance with national and international trends that require motor vehicles that meet the various requirements for ecological challenges.
- It is also the industry with the highest spending on research & development per firm.
- They may also be part of a broader ecosystem that, for example, might incorporate other transportation modes, address general public safety issues and SmartCity interactions.
The central bank of Indonesia decided to revise the down payment requirements for the purchase of a car in an attempt to boost credit growth . Per 18 June 2015, those Indonesian consumers who use a loan from a financial institution to purchase a passenger car need to pay a minimum down payment of 25 percent . It is estimated that around 65 percent of all car purchases in Indonesia are made through a loan.
Ams OSRAM AS8579 capacitive sensor uses novel technique for foolproof, hands-on detection design. It enables sensing placement within the steering-wheel industry’s first completely reliable solution for hands-on detection and offers the simplest way for car makers to comply with the UN Regulation 79. As the first W3C initiative in this space, the Automotive Working Group is designed to address the need for standards in a connected vehicle ecosystem. Accenture, Faurecia and Affectiva are collaborating to innovate driver safety and in-car infotainment for occupants. Transform the customer experience from many disconnected interactions to a holistic and meaningful personalized experience that is founded on purpose. Intuitive, informative, and immersive in-vehicle experiences, enriching travel for drivers and passengers.
They may also be part of a broader ecosystem that, for example, might incorporate other transportation modes, address general public safety issues and SmartCity interactions. Alexandre Audoin is Capgemini Group’s global leader for the automotive industry and head of automotive within Capgemini Engineering . We empower global automotive companies, OEMs, and suppliers to create agile business models and a connected mobility ecosystem that can adapt rapidly to change. When it comes to industry standards, best practices and tools, no one can bring the expertise that AIAG does. We bring together industry leaders from OEMs and Suppliers in the areas of Quality, Supply Chain, and Corporate Responsibility to develop the tools that make the entire automotive supply chain more efficient. Check out all of the products AIAG and our industry volunteers have developed below.
Next Generation of Automotive Innovation
When these LCGC cars were introduced they, generally, had a price tag of around IDR 100 million (approx. USD $7,500) hence being attractive for the country’s large and expanding middle class segment. By early the average price of the LCGC had risen to around IDR 140 million (approx. USD $10,500) per vehicle. With the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community at the start of 2016, the Indonesian government also aims to make Indonesia the regional hub for the production of LCGCs. Domestically, GAIKINDO facilitates its members’ interests in relation with the Government’s policies regarding the automotive industry.
Electric vehicles on the rise
Our broad experience allows us to also support wholesalers, car importers, and service providers, as well as private equity companies and investment banks in the auto industry. CAR’s leading-edge research impacts the future of the global automotive industry by informing industry leaders and policymakers and facilitating communication across the industry. With over 20 years of supporting the automotive sector and a complete portfolio of AEC qualified products, onsemi enables customers to design high-reliability solutions that create value for the end-user while delivering peak performance. The global trends of urbanization, climate change and digitalization are challenging the automotive industry.
After 1945, the U.S. produced about 75 percent of world’s auto production. In 1980, the U.S. was overtaken by Japan and then became world leader again in 1994. In 2006, Japan narrowly passed the U.S. in production and held this rank until 2009, when China took the top spot with 13.8 million units. With 19.3 million units manufactured in 2012, China almost doubled the U.S. production of 10.3 million units, while Japan was in third place with 9.9 million units.


text:
Apple CEO Tim Cook: Coming out was more important than my privacy
Apple CEO Tim Cook has opened up about his decision to come out as gay.
Mr Cook, who succeeded Steve Jobs as the head of the Cupertino firm, spoke about his sexuality for the first time last year, having previously insisted on maintaining his own privacy.
He has shown his support for LGBT rights on a number of occasions since, however, even marching at Pride events.
Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the Apple boss spoke candidly about his decision to speak about his personal life.
He said: “Every day I come to work, and in front of my desk I have a photo of Dr Martin Luther King. Every day I ask myself, it’s Dr King’s quote: ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?’
“It became so clear to me that kids were getting bullied in school, kids were getting basically discriminated against, kids were even being disclaimed by their own parents and that I needed to do something,
“Where I value my privacy significantly, I felt that I was valuing it too far above what I could do for the people.
“I wanted to tell everyone my truth. Many people already know. For many people, it was no revelation.
He joked: “It’s like discovering something on your iPhone it’s always done… but you didn’t quite know it!
“It wasn’t a revelation to many of the people I work with, but it was to the broader world, and I felt a tremendous responsibility to do it.”


text:
Noveske Rifleworks N7 Lot Lizard Arriving In 2023
24 Jan 2023
Just prior to the SHOT Show 2023 last week, Noveske Rifleworks posted on their Facebook Page, the N7 Lot Lizard. According to the company, this will be released later this year and it is a new foldable chassis and bolt gun action that is chambered in 5.56mm and 300BLK.
The photos below show the prototype and there is not much information released. As can be seen in the photos, it is a compact magazine-fed bolt action rifle with a folding stock, making it more compact when folded. In airsoft, there are compact bolt action guns such as the Amoeba Airsoft AS-03 and the more recent Tokyo Marui VSR-ONE.
The Noveske N7 Lot Lizard some common features with the airsoft compact bolt actions, such as railed top for attaching optics and M-LOK fore ends. There are many Noveske fans amongst airsoft players and are probably salivating an airsoft replica, licensed or not, will follow given that there are already compact bolt actions in airsoft.
There is still a lot to learn about the N7 given that the company has not released much information about it. For now, we can all speculate about its features and externals whilst we wait for more information in the future.


text:
It really started around the time the Next Gen systems came out, but the video game, music and movie worlds are colliding like never before. Actors becoming musicians, actors voicing video game characters, musicians becoming actors who voice video game characters and become sports stars. Everything just keeps coming together. Below you can check out Avenged Sevenfold’s new video for Welcome To The Family, that features footage from the upcoming Call Of Duty: Black Opps.
You will be able to pick up COD Black Opps on November 9 for the PC, Playstation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. And Avenged Sevenfolds album ‘Nightmare’ you’ll be able to pick up Tuesday the 27th of July.
AROUND THE WEB
this week in horror
This Week in Horror - November 21, 2017 - Halloween, X-Files, ...
Danny McBride reveals more details about the upcoming Halloween sequel, Season 12 of The X-Files is coming very soon, and the Are You Afraid of the Dark? movie has its writer! It's THIS WEEK IN HORROR with Whitney Moore!Posted by Bloody Disgusting on Wednesday, November 22, 2017


text:
Yorkshire Tea achieves carbon-neutral certification for operations and products
Yorkshire Tea has announced that all its products are carbon neutral from field to shelf, following a five-year programme to reduce emissions across its supply chain and operations.
Yorkshire Tea, which is owned by Taylors of Harrogate, confirmed that all of its five billion tea bags sold across 28 countries annually are 100% carbon neutral, as well as its business operations.
The milestone follows a give year partnership with Natural Capital Partners, which helped Yorkshire Tea measure and verify carbon emissions across every stage of the supply chain.
A carbon-neutral logo will now be placed on Yorkshire Tea products and on Taylors of Harrogate coffee products which are also carbon neutral.
Across operations, Yorkshire Tea has taken steps to procure 100% of gas and electricity used at its Harrogate headquarters from renewables and install solar panels which produce enough energy to power 80 UK homes annually.
Taylors of Harrogate’s head of sustainable development Simon Hotchkin said: “We’re proud to have achieved carbon neutrality across all our products, but we’re especially proud of the proper way in which we’ve done it, by setting up projects that not only offset carbon but improve lives and livelihoods directly with our farmers.
“We could easily have bought carbon credits from existing programmes, but we decided to create new projects that would provide long term benefits to tea producers. We’re passionate about making a positive difference in the world and this milestone is one of many we have in our sights, we are far from done!”
You’re shouting at carbon-neutral tea!
Numerous bespoke projects have also been set up to reduce emissions across the supply chain while supporting tea farmers. The company has worked with the Kenyan Tea Development Agency, for example, to assess energy efficiency in factories and find ways to make savings.
Yorkshire Tea worked with TIST (The International Small Group and Tree Planting Programme) to encourage smallholder tea farmers to plant fruit and nut trees around tea gardens. This ongoing project has seen more than 1.5 million carbon-sequestering trees planted in the Mount Kenya region while supporting more than 4,000 tea farmers. A project has also been set up to distribute fuel-efficient cookstoves to smallholder farmers in Malawi.
Taylor of Harrogate’s product sustainability specialised Kathryn Patchett was a member of edie’s Class of 2019 30 under 30 group – a nomination-based community of 30 hugely talented young sustainability and energy professionals who have already achieved great things or are showing fantastic promise. Read Kathryn’s interview here.
© Faversham House Ltd 2023 edie news articles may be copied or forwarded for individual use only. No other reproduction or distribution is permitted without prior written consent.


text:
Report: Dealing with two-speed China
The 5th annual China shopper report from Kantar Worldpanel and Bain & Company finds FMCG operating at 2 distinct speeds
Value growth for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) in China reached a five-year low of 3.5 percent in 2015, but the fifth annual China shopper report from Kantar Worldpanel and Bain & Company, Dealing with Two-speed China, suggests that figure disguises an important distinction. Despite the general malaise, some categories are making significant headway, highlighting how the performance of FMCG and other consumer sectors in China are operating at two distinct speeds: slow and fast.
“China’s economy is evolving to adapt to slower GDP growth, a shift in focus from manufacturing to services, and a push for innovation-led growth over investment-led growth,” said Jason Yu, general manager of Kantar Worldpanel China. “As we track the shopping behavior of Chinese consumers, we see the distinct effects that these and other major economic shifts are having on their consumption patterns.”
As in each of the past four years, Kantar Worldpanel and Bain conducted a deep analysis of the 26 categories that span the four largest consumer goods sectors: packaged food, beverages, personal care and home care, which combined represent 80 percent of all FMCG purchases. The report details how China’s two speeds are playing out across FMCG product categories, retail channels and the continuing battle between multinational and domestic brands.
The rise of the service sector in China and its higher paying jobs has helped boost growth among brands in premium categories, such as yogurt and pet food, as well as premium SKUs in most categories.
“FMCG companies have built vast distribution networks to introduce their products to Chinese consumers. With those networks now in place, brands face a new challenge: increasing the rate of sales at each distribution point,” said Bruno Lannes, partner in Bain’s Greater China Consumer Products Practice and co-author of the report. “As driving frequency is hard to do and is low in many categories in China, brands often invest to offer premium products, which is proved to be a successful approach for squeezing growth when penetration plateaus or declines.”
Meanwhile, brands in categories that traditionally cater to blue-collar workers, such as instant noodles and value beer, are suffering as many manufacturing jobs move to lower-cost countries. In 2015, the volume of instant noodles declined by 12.5 percent; beer by 3.6 percent. This slow growth is intensified by a decline in China’s overall worker population, which peaked in 2012, resulting in more low-income retirees.
This study of Chinese shopper behavior shows the ongoing evolution of the country’s retail landscape. Smaller store formats continue to gain momentum. Notably, convenience stores generated 13.2 percent growth in value last year and had 8.5 percent penetration growth across all city tiers, catering to cash-rich, time-poor urban consumers.
However, it is online shopping that continues to define the modern retail environment in China. Over the last four years, the country’s e-commerce marketplace has grown at an annual rate of approximately 37 percent and generated revenues of nearly RMB 4 trillion, making China the world’s largest e-commerce market. Kantar Worldpanel and Bain’s research found that baby-related categories and skin care continued to dominate the e-commerce market, while chewing gum, fabric softener and most beverage categories achieved a low online penetration rate. Most personal care, home care and package food categories turned in a middle level of penetration but high rates of growth.
Conversely, hypermarkets, which redefined China’s retailing environment over the past decade, registered their first-ever drop in 2015, losing 0.2 percent value in the urban FMCG market as traffic dropped by 4.6 percent and volume per household sank by 4.7 percent. Super/mini stores didn’t fare much better; growth plummeted from 9.5 percent to 4 percent last year.
Foreign vs. Local Brands
China’s two-speed consumer market is evident in the continuing battle between foreign and local brands. In 2015, local companies continued to gain share over their foreign rivals on an aggregate basis. Local companies grew by nearly 8 percent in the categories Kantar Worldpanel and Bain studied, contributing to a 109 percent share of market growth. These companies made the biggest advances in skin care, baby diapers, hair conditioners, toothpaste and shampoo.
Foreign companies generated the greatest share increase in fabric softener, infant formula, instant noodles and beer, gaining ground either through heavy marketing investments or as the result of food-safety concerns with local products. However, foreign brand still declined by 1.4 percent in 2015.
Last year also marked a significant shift in geographic growth. Until now, a city’s tier was a major factor in the velocity of value growth. Now, growth across all city tiers is moving towards the 3-5 percent range. This means brands can’t assume higher growth rates in lower tier cities.
Winning in China’s Two-speed FMCG Market
Even in China’s two-speed scenario, Kantar Worldpanel and Bain found that shoppers display predictable purchase patterns, and brands can outperform rivals by identifying those patterns. According to the report, there are four steps companies and brands can take to win in this market:
• Review their cost structure and operating model to increase agility and speed in decision making and execution. Above all, embrace the ways that digital is disrupting their categories;
• Develop digital capabilities and mindsets specifically within their marketing and sales teams as well as more broadly throughout all functions;
• Adapt their route to market (RTM) model, according to the dramatic retail changes and deterioration of distributors’ economics caused by the overall market slowdown and online competition. Focus on winning channels while investing selectively in others; and
• Continue their efforts to boost penetration as the key to creating large brands, relying on digital activation as required in addition to in-store activation.


text:
Thomas Herd | May 8, 2020 | People
Despite the current state of reality for many Americans, Maria Molino defies the odds with a winning business strategy. And as we move even further into 2020, now more than ever, entrepreneurs are turning to digital marketing to keep their businesses afloat amidst the global pandemic of COVID-19. Though she has owned a successful women’s retail boutique for the last few years in her hometown of Red Bank, New Jersey, called The Haute Maven, Maria recently transitioned from owning and operating a brick and mortar store into helping other business owners with their own digital marketing.
As we carry on through this new era of social distancing, businesses have abandoned normal practice and now fully embrace digital transacting. And as some states look into easing the restrictions of quarantine and social distancing mandates, this newfound procedure for health and safety will likely remain even as quarantine dissipates. Over the last year, Maria has quietly worked behind the scenes of various businesses to help boost their online and digital presence. From restaurants to retail shops to business alliances and even New York Broadway productions, she’s managed and operated numerous social media accounts for businesses in and out of Red Bank, creating engagement, building customer base and continuing to maintain relevance as it pertains to each business. Across all of her clients’ accounts, the social media following she oversees totals thousands.
But what sets Maria apart is her personal experience as a Red Bank business owner. As a previous business owner of a trending boutique in her town, her experience and acumen with a real customer base has lead to extensive knowledge and understanding of what makes a business marketable and appealing via social media. Whether through Instagram or Facebook, Maria has managed to elevate the status and significance of each business with special and personal attention to each. With her newly established social media marketing business, THM Social, Maria brings years of her own personal knowledge, guaranteeing a personable and tangible experience to her clients.
“THM Social is not a firm. It’s personal,” Maria says. “I take a lot of the photos of my clients’ accounts and apply everything I’ve learned to other people’s businesses.”
Some of her biggest clients have been New York’s 2018 production of the Pretty Woman The Musical, the Red Bank Business Alliance and Bistro at Red Bank. With Maria’s assistance, many of these businesses have been able to evolve with the restrictions of the quarantine, offering alternative ways to still fully serve their customers. As the needs and demands of businesses continue to change, Maria promises her clients dynamism and fluidity. To learn more about Maria and her business endeavors, follow her on Instagram.


text:
Chevrolet is emulating the visual strategy that Subaru has been implementing for years now -- telling the public that its products are lifestyle vehicle for adventurous families. In fact, promotional images for the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado show it being loaded with camping gear or festooned with mountain bikes and other outdoor equipment.
Subaru has been using this active style image to boost its sales and market share in the country. And in the land of the free, other carmakers are following suit. "It hasn't gone amiss on us that they have been very successful," Chevrolet global chief Alan Batey remarked last month. While Batey and other General Motors executives primarily target the Toyota Tacoma for the Colorado, the position of their mid-sized pickup entry places it beside Subaru.
According to Chevrolet, the sporty rear- or all-wheel-drive Colorado is targeted toward buyers with "a zeal for adventure." It comes with a number of outdoor-related accessories like load bars that can be adjusted quickly to swap out a bike rack for a canoe carrier. Subaru is also facing a challenge from Volkswagen, which is launching an awd version of the redesigned Jetta SportWagen in the US in late 2014.
According to sources, VW is mulling an off-road variant to rival Subaru's awd Outback wagon, featuring higher ground clearance and body cladding. According to Tom Libby, a Polk analyst, it is only logical for Chevrolet to position the Colorado as a versatile, awd vehicle for active buyers, since those are the attributes that sparked the popularity of the compact crossover segment.
He said that that such positioning allows the Colorado be more appealing to a broader market of buyers, than if it just highlights its pickup characteristics. He, however, remarked that it would be tough for Chevrolet to conquer Subaru buyers, as "Subaru has developed such brand loyalty over the years because of its reputation for reliable all-wheel-drive vehicles."


text:
Hotel Blackhawk will be associated with Marriot's Autograph Collection.
Davenport leaders said the change is good not only for the hotel but also the city's economy.
The change hopes to lure in more business travelers.
"Marriot is obviously one of the largest hotel chains, one of the best in the world," Downtown Davenport Partnership Director Kyle Carter said. "Business travelers get points, so business travelers will be able to take advantage of the Blackhawk being a part of that family."
He said the hotel won't lose it's unique identity but will just be hooked into a larger network to allow more people to see and use it.


text:
Fifteen loyal Smart subscribers were given an unexpected upgrade when they claimed their new iPhone XS Max. Instead of the 64GB and 256GB models they had pre-ordered, they received the premium 512Gb variant. They were also rewarded with a personalized MVP Rewards card with Php 10,000 worth of points. Smart also announced that 85 other lucky subscribers all over the country will also receive a surprise iPhone upgrade.
Hosted by Kris Aquino herself, the exclusive event was held today at the PLDT-Smart Store at World Plaza in Bonifacio Global City. The iPhone XS and XS Max can now be yours under the Smart GigaX Plans which include 10GB of data for streaming videos and 5GB open-access data. With Smart Postpaid, the iPhone XS costs Php 3,299 per month for a 24-month contract, while the iPhone XS Max is available for Php 3,599 per month for a 24-month contract. The data bundle will also include unlimited texts to all networks and 60 minutes of calls to all networks every month.
To avail of this offer, simply visit any Smart store near you or visit smart.com.ph/iPhoneXs


text:
90% of e-commerce startups fail in first 120 days
Written by Peter Walker
The vast majority of e-commerce startups fail within their first 120 days of operation, new research has revealed.
A survey of 1,253 owners of startups in the UK, carried out by digital agency Marketingsignals, found that 37 per cent said that their failure could be attributed to an inability to compete or deliver online marketing, with 35 per cent saying a lack of online visibility was the main factor.
The same proportion of respondents (35 per cent) felt failure was down to them being too small to compete or there being no market for their products/services, whilst 32 per cent reported that it was due to them running out of cash.
When further quizzed on the reasons why online retailers failed, 23 per cent said that it was due to being outcompeted, whilst 19 per cent blamed retail giants such as Amazon for dominating a large share of the consumer online retail market.
A further 16 per cent felt that their business collapsed due to their lack of customer service, whilst 14 per cent felt it was due to the poor team they had built.
Gareth Hoyle, managing director at Marketingsignals, commented: “It’s clear to see that having an online presence and being visible on search engines is a key area e-commerce startups need to focus on to ensure they succeed.
“As nine in ten online startups fail within their first 120 days of businesses, it’s incredibly important that business owners put provisions firmly in place well before launching - this must include a bulletproof search visibility and online marketing strategy, as well as ensuring there is a market for their product offering.”


text:
Failure of Telsa’s automatic door handles and “unreasonably dangerous” fire risk caused the death of a doctor who was killed in a fiery crash in Davie, his widow claims in a lawsuit against the electric car company.
Liliana Awan filed suit against Tesla in Broward Circuit Court earlier this month over the Feb. 24 death of her husband, Dr. Omar Awan, a 48-year-old anesthesiologist. The couple had five children.
Tesla Motors Inc. and its Florida distributor, Tesla Florida Inc., are named as defendants. The company, based in Palo Alto, Calif., did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the suit.
Omar Awan was driving his leased 2016 Model S near the 1300 block of South Flamingo Road when it left the roadway, swerved through three lanes of traffic, hit a median and some trees and burst into flames, a police report stated.
A Davie police officer arrived at the scene almost immediately after the crash and tried to open the car’s doors, but the handles failed to automatically extend from their retracted positions, the suit claims.
“Without door handles, he could not open the doors," the suit says.
Automatic extension of the door handles when the driver approaches a Tesla with a key fob is a feature of the car’s design, the suit states. When not in use, the handles withdraw flush into the door. While the withdrawn handles create a “smooth, stylish line,” they cannot be accessed manually, Lililana Awan’s complaint states.
Tesla claims the door handles are “designed for efficiency” and help make the Model S “the most aerodynamic car in its class.”
A Consumer Reports survey in 2015 found numerous issues with inoperable door handles on the Model S, Bloomberg reported.
As smoke from the Tesla’s burning batteries filled the car’s cabin, the police officer and other bystanders watched helplessly as Awan’s car became completely engulfed in flames, the suit says.
“After the Tesla hit the tree, he was alive. He had no internal injuries or broken bones. He died from the smoke he inhaled as he sat locked inside the Tesla, despite that a police officer and others were there and ready to help, until flames forced them away,” the suit says.
Stuart Grossman of Coral Gables-based Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen, P.A., said he believes Awan was conscious after the crash and tried but failed to open the door from inside the car while the would-be rescuers tried to open it from the outside.
“I cannot imagine he sat there burning to death without trying to open the door,” the attorney said by phone Thursday.
Tesla should have made sure its car could be accessed in an emergency, he said. “If a car is going to crash — and inevitably they do — and you cannot get out of the car or cannot get into the car to rescue someone, that’s a fundamental design flaw,” Grossman said.
The car “continued to burn for hours, reigniting several times, even after the initial fire had been extinguished by emergency professionals and the car was towed,” the suit states.
Tesla knew that its batteries were prone to “unique types of fire risk,” the widow claimed.
The lawsuit charges that Awan’s Tesla was “defective and unreasonably dangerous” because the door handles could not be operated after the crash, and because its batteries were prone to catching fire. Telsa, the suit claims, was negligent for failing to warn Awan of the alleged defects.
“Tesla vehicles are engineered to be the safest cars in the world and Tesla drivers have driven more than 10 billion miles to date,” a Tesla spokeswoman said shortly after the crash.
Liliana Awan’s suit is the latest in a series of lawsuits against Tesla following fatal crashes in South Florida.
Earlier this month, the father of 18-year-old Barrett Riley filed suit against Tesla in California, blaming his May 2018 death in Fort Lauderdale on the battery design of the 2014 Model S.
Riley and a fellow senior were killed when Riley lost control of his father’s Tesla while driving 116 mph. The car exploded into a ball of fire after smashing into a concrete wall.
In July, the family of a 50-year-old killed in the March crash of his Model 3 into a semitruck in west Delray Beach filed suit in Palm Beach County, blaming the death on failure of the car’s Autopilot feature.


text:
October 18, 2017, Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom - Crimson Tide, a developer of mobile business applications, announced that Tobias James Turness Hawkins has been appointed to the board of the company as group sales and marketing director.
Crimson Tide appoints Tobias James Turness Hawkins to boardStaff Writer | Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom | Wednesday October 18, 2017 5:15AM ET
READ MOREMr. Hawkins has held numerous sales and account management roles in his career, most recently, since November 2015, as Enterprise Account Director for the OpenText Corporation, a global leader of global enterprise information management solutions.
Prior to that Mr. Hawkins worked as a sector account manager for TestPlant Limited, a UK technology company which delivers service assurance to digital businesses.
Between 2008 and 2014 Mr. Hawkins was the Commercial Director for Stevens Group Limited which develops enterprise and SaaS software solutions. ■
LATEST MOVES FROM United Kingdom
- WH Ireland Group appoints Phillip Andrew Wale as chief executive officer
- De La Rue appoints Helen Willis as chief financial officer
- Galliford Try appoints Marisa Cassoni as non-executive director
- Spire Healthcare appoints Jitesh Sodha as chief financial officer
- Silence Therapeutics appoints David Horn Solomon as chief executive officer


text:
SEATTLE, WA – Over a dozen people have become ill with E. coli O157:H7 infections in Oregon and Washington in the last month. The illnesses have now been traced to contaminated parsley consumed in at least two, and possibly more, restaurants. To date no recall has occurred.
William Marler of Marler Clark, the Seattle foodborne illness law firm, has been contacted by individuals sickened in this current outbreak, and hundreds of individuals sickened in other produce-related outbreaks in the past, including the recent E. coli O157:H7 outbreak tied to contaminated Dole Lettuce.
“Over the last few years, the United States has been hit hard by contaminated produce. Just in the last years there has been a Hepatitis A outbreak linked to green onions, a Salmonella outbreak linked to tomatoes and several E. coli outbreaks tied to contaminated lettuce. The lesson is that all restaurants need to know where their fresh produce is coming from, and be careful to make sure that their suppliers are taking proper precautions to ensure the safety of the product,” said Marler.
“This is not the first time that Parsley specifically has been implicated in a bacterial outbreak,” added Marler. In 1998, according to the CDC, hundreds were sickened in California, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Canada after eating contaminated parsley.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s website, between 1990 and 1999 there were dozens of produce-related foodborne illness outbreaks (See http://www.cspinet.org/new/prodhark.html).
More about the parsley E. coli outbreak can be found in the Case News area of this site.


text:
Unveiling the Brokk 200
Brokk introduced the Brokk 200, a new weight class of machine, at World of Concrete 2019
Brokk, the world’s leading manufacturer of remote-controlled demolition machines, introduced the Brokk 200, a new weight class of machine. The new model packs the power of a three-ton Brokk machine into a two-ton package.
The Brokk 200 is one of four new next-generation remote-controlled demolition machines Brokk showcased at World of Concrete 2019 in Las Vegas.
The machine comes equipped with Brokk’s signature SmartConcept technology for increased efficiency. SmartConcept includes the extra power of SmartPower, the added reliability of SmartDesign and enhanced ergonomics and productivity of SmartRemote.
“When we set out to design the Brokk 200, we saw an opportunity to support customers further by introducing a new weight class,” said Martin Krupicka, president and CEO of Brokk Group. “The Brokk 200 allows contractors to work in tight spaces without a loss in power.”
Setting a new standard
The 27.5-kilowatt machine operates tools with requirements typical of one weight class above. When paired with the new Brokk BHB 305 breaker, the unit’s hitting power is increased by 40 per cent. The new class of machine delivers 450 foot-pounds (610 joules) with each blow of the 295-kilogram (650-pound) hydraulic breaker.
In addition to its heightened power, the Brokk 200 offers 15 per cent longer vertical and horizontal reach in a compact footprint similar to the Brokk 170. The extra chassis length and machine weight ensure proper balance, even when wielding heavy attachments, such as breakers, drum cutters, grapples and concrete crushers. The Brokk 200 is ideal for heavy-duty, difficult-to-access projects and applications and represents the new standard in compact remote-controlled power.
To find out more about the Brokk 200 or the other models in the next generation, visit www.brokk.com.


text:
New Delhi, Delhi, India
With pure-play B2C success under its belt, EasyFix — India’s pioneering maintenance and repairs service provider – is set to dominate a unique B2B2C business segment. EasyFix is partnering with companies such as Snapdeal, Pepperfry, Quikr, Sulekha, Elica, Mebelkart, Socktail, Hafele, Ozone, Inalsa and other to offer speedy, efficient and hassle-free after-sales service at customer sites on the companies’ behalf.
EasyFix entered the maintenance-and-repairs segment way back in 2011, thus has had the first-mover’s advantage in the space all along. With the B2B2C foray, the pioneer is all set to reap from the first-mover edge. Again, today, it is the only organization in the space providing such a service bouquet to other businesses at a national level.
Says Shaifali Agarwal Holani, founder and CEO, EasyFix: “Many questions were raised when I wanted to get into the male-dominated industry and I am so glad I listened to my heart. We recognized the opportunity to create a unique model in B2B2C quite early and since 2012, have been working towards becoming the numero uno in after-sales service. With the vast opportunity in the market, investments in 2014 and association of iconic minds such as S.D. Shibulal, EasyFix’s focus for 2016 is all about creating demand, expansion and replicating our ‘minimum viable product’. We have been able to maintain a customer satisfaction index of 90% with the help of our trained and enthusiastic army of handymen (or EasyFixers) and tech-enabled processes. We understand the responsibility of catering on behalf of established brands and hope to maintain our unmatched standards in future as well.”
Brands selling consumer durables are packaging installation facilities along with products’ sales in order to provide 360-degree solutions to their customers. EasyFix has created a unique plug-and-play solution for the companies which earlier depended upon staff on payroll or attached franchises with dealers, and faced issues of attrition, fixed costs, seasonality and unprofessionalism. Today, as more than 65 top manufacturers and e-commerce giants are finding out, EasyFix has not only successfully created a new segment but is also exploring the unconventional B2B2C route, thereby making a difference to brands and handymen customers.
Pradeep Billava, the e-Commerce Customer Service Experience expert with Pepperfry.com, said, “EasyFix is the one-stop shop for all handyman service requirements…I have yet to come across a more professionally managed and customer-oriented company.” Of the maintenance and repairs service provider’s promptness, he added: “Never miss the timeline seems to be their Mantra.”
Indeed, as Agarwal Holani says, “Quite a win-win situation for all!”
Launched in June 2011, EasyFix is a pioneering maintenance and repair service company for anyone in need of plumbers, electricians or carpenters. Its core business model operates as a ‘One Call Home Repairs Service’ to resolve household maintenance problems with professional expertise, complete reliability and convenience. EasyFix has revolutionised the industry by investing in technology, training, skill development, quality of services, trusted sustainable solutions delivered in a transparent and meticulous manner, and intensive execution.
Funded by ChannelPlay and Axilor Ventures, EasyFix has clocked a high satisfaction rate among 550,000 houses. It has ushered regularisation in the unorganised industry with an over 2,500-strong pool ready to attend to customer needs round-the-clock. EasyFix has the distinction of being the second among startups funded by Axilor Ventures, a new generation platform to support early stage entrepreneurs, founded by Infosys co-founders S.D. Shibulal and Kris Gopalakrishnan; Srinath Batni; Professor Tarun Khanna, and Ganapathy Venugopal.


text:
The group has 1,661 stores on high streets and, increasingly, in motorway service stations and industrial estates.
A new range of sandwiches under 400 calories, salads and pasta pots had helped profits climb 48 per cent to £16.9million in the 26 weeks to June 28. Total sales rose 3.1 per cent to £373million with sales up 3.2 per cent at sites open at least a year. It said trading has also proved strong this month.
Extending trading hours and opening more shops on Sunday also proved popular with Greggs customers
Finance director Richard Hutton said: “We are broadening our appeal with more women, especially, being tempted in by our lower-calorie ranges. The weather has also been ideal. We don’t like extreme weather. If it’s too cold people don’t come in and if it’s too hot people stop eating!”
Extending trading hours and opening more shops on Sunday also proved popular. The best seller remained its sausage roll.
Hutton said consumers were also feeling more confident but cautioned that it faced tough comparisons with last year’s strong second half.
Shares rose 20½p to 520½p.