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Happy New Year! 2017 is here, the holidays are over, and many of us are slowly getting back into work. The festive season may simply be a welcome break for millions of Americans, but it is a crucial time for the economy, a chance to up sales and make money in the last few weeks of the year. So how did Christmas 2016 perform financially?
This year, the retail industry was taking no chances, with early sales and pre-Christmas deals set to catch the organised and the last-minute shopper alike. Up until the day itself, stores across America were offering discounts and promotions in a bid to prop up their bottom line and avoid, if possible, profit-margin-destroying left-over inventory post-festivities. This reflects a growing discipline among retailers, with many larger stores acting more quickly to close failing branches and only stocking as much inventory as they expect to sell.
And it is a tactic which seems to have paid off. The National Retail Federation originally predicted an uptick in both online and in-store sales of 3.6%, but this week companies such as Customer Growth Partners estimate the holiday sales growth as being as high as 4.9% for 2016. A recent Wall Street Journal report states that 2016 may have been the best shopping year for retailers since 2005, when sales increased by 6.1%.
This boost is credited to a combination of late-season and internet shopping, the latter of which increased by an estimated 19% over the holidays, according to a survey carried out by MasterCard. This may be good for the country’s sales overall, but department stores in particular have been badly hit by the public’s new preference for buying online. Retailers made a record $79.2bn from online sales between November 1st and December 20th, an increase of more than 10% on last year’s numbers. According to Accenture’s Annual Holiday Shopping survey, this year 84% of people said they planned to check Amazon before buying elsewhere – a trend which looks likely to grow in 2017.
So, in spite of the more than $1 trillion spent in this year’s holiday sales, the consumer’s love for – and often expectation of – a bargain, and the growing reliance on online stores to provide this could mean industry-defining changes for retail in 2017.
For questions about this, or any other financial matters, please reach out to us over Twitter or get in touch via telephone on 917-951-5170 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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BY: VITALIS UGOH, Çalabar
Cross River state is poised to harness economic potentials that abound in the Gulf of Guinea, the State governor Senator Ben Ayade has said.
To this end, the state government is facilitating the establishment of a new Commission to enhance trade between the state and the 13 countries that make up the Gulf of Guinea.
He disclosed while speaking at a meeting with the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Calabar after a visit to several companies at the Export Processing Zone, EPZ, in Calabar.
Ayade expressed optimism that economic opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea if properly tapped will go a long way in creating jobs for the people of the state, adding that Cross River is well suited because of its geographic location, to play a leading role in the gulf.
According to him, “we are here today because the entire Gulf of Guinea has become a new trading centre with a trade value in excess of $1trillion. Nigeria has to take a major share of that and Calabar presents itself as the most strategic in terms of municipal suitability to play the role as a municipal centre for the Commission”.
“So, given that background, we are looking at EPZ, looking at NPA, looking at NIWA and looking at the possible collaborative facilitation on how we can be in synergism with all these public sectors, work together with the private sector to use Calabar as the main export hub to be able to bring back life into the Export Processing Zone again using NPA as our mother support system in terms of the maritime travels.”
“We are here for you (NPA) to tell us the bit that you know other than the liquid items , the dry board items such as pepper, cashew nuts , matrasses, and so on that we can export from here to Gabon, Cape Verde, Equitorial Guinea and Angola, he added”.
According to him, the proximity of Calabar to most of the Gulf of Guinea countries makes it imperative that Cross River maximizes the advantage.
“Just 15- 20 minutes flight and you are on the other side and those countries basically depend and rely on European countries to get goods as simple as soap, toothpaste yet we produce all of these in excess here. So we are looking at most of the factories that have shut down in EPZ.
“We are looking at the Ayade Industrial park which is also in the final stages of getting a free zone status, we are saying we need to get more and more Cross Riverians in the private sector to come in, take advantage of some these empty factories that we have got and see how we can produce.”
Rather, he said, “but what do you produce? We need to talk to NPA because they have an idea of what is being taken out of Cross River State or out of Nigeria and what is really coming Into this country. We are talking about legal trade now with our emphasis not on Petroleum products because there is too much illegality in that trade”.
Ayade further said “we are looking at things that can create jobs for our people, things like growing your yams, processing it into yam poundo and exporting it, growing your maize and processing it into feeds and exporting it.”
Earlier, the Manager of Calabar Port, Marie Asein, said the governor’s visit was timely as it afforded her the opportunity to enumerate challenges facing the facility.
She commended Governor Ayade for the Gulf of Guinea initiative saying it would go a long way in breathing life into the Calabar port.
Her words: “Thank you Your Excellency for coming here to brief us on your intentions concerning the municipal Gulf of Guinea that has been set up.
“This is a long awaited project that we have been eagerly waiting for, this is because people out there feel there is nothing going on at the NPA.
“So seeing that the Cross River State government is eager to ensure that export of goods between Nigeria and countries in the Gulf of Guinea begins, especially in the agricultural sector, is very encouraging and once these goods are available, then we are ready to start.
“We can now encourage those shipping companies who are skeptical about coming in due to not having outbound cargo to take with them as they are exiting the our shores”
Asein said: “having ready exports available for the shipping companies will greatly encourage more companies to bring in goods through the Calabar port.
“The container vessels we had coming in last year is almost grinding to a halt because there are no goods to take with them when they’re going back.

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Local, a restaurant geared toward charity, has closed its doors.
“Last year, even though we donated over $20,000 to charities, the losses far exceeded what was needed to keep the restaurant open,” said Dave Dreiling, owner of Local and founder of GTM Sportswear, in explaining the closure decision.
Dreiling said everyone he talked to about it “really liked the concept,” but when the cost to keep it open was three- to four-times what the restaurant was making, he would have preferred to give all of it to charity.
He said there wasn’t any one particular factor that kept the restaurant from being sustainable, describing the lunch service as always busy, but the dinner service as often slow.
Local opened almost a year ago as a non-profit restaurant at 3011 Anderson Ave., next to Ray’s Apple Mart in the Village Plaza Shopping Center. The restaurant was designed to give all profits to local charities, including religious, fraternal and school organizations.


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It’s not that often that you hear a top Trump official unabashedly blaming a US company for a health crisis. But that’s exactly what FDA chief Scott Gottlieb did Tuesday in an interview during his final week in office.
“The dramatic spike of youth [vaping] — that was driven in part at the very least if not largely by Juul,” the maker of hugely popular vape products, Gottlieb told Vox by phone. “I hope they recognize the problem that’s been created has been created largely by their product.”
Gottlieb joined the Trump administration in 2017, hoping to use policy to further reduce cigarette smoking, still the leading cause of preventable death in the US.
But then the teen vaping epidemic — what he calls an “addiction crisis” — exploded under his watch. By 2018, the number of high school seniors who say they vaped nicotine in the past 30 days doubled over the previous year — from 11 percent to nearly 21 percent, according to the National Institutes of Health survey. That was the largest increase ever recorded in any substance of the survey’s 43-year history.
In the same period, Juul Labs took over three-quarters of the US e-cigarette market.
Gottlieb, who resigned on March 5 to spend more time with his family, acknowledged there’s no definitive data showing the teens now experimenting with vaping are using Juul. He also said the 2019 national survey will fill in that blank with questions about which brands kids are using. But that didn’t stop him from pointing the finger at the company he believes enflamed a public health crisis.
“There’s no question the Juul product drove a lot of the youth use,” he continued. “I’m not willing to concede the point that the Juul product was responsible — at least in part — for the sharp uptick in youth use.”
A pro-regulation leader in an anti-regulation administration
As a member of the pro-industry Trump administration, Gottlieb has often defied expectations. A doctor and former venture capitalist, he arrived at FDA with strong ties to the industries he was supposed to steer and a history of writing anti-regulatory screeds in conservative journals. Critics wondered if he was right for the job.
The 46-year-old quickly proved himself to be an outspoken advocate of public health. He’s put forward policies on everything from reducing the nicotine levels in cigarettes to lowering drug prices by getting more generic options on the market.
“I never felt my public health agenda was at odds with the administration or broader philosophy,” he said. “I have had really good support from the White House and from the department [of Health and Human Services] for what we’ve done.”
Now, even in his last week in office, he’s calling for more regulation of the vaping industry — and especially companies that’ve marketed to young people, like Juul.
A crackdown on Juul-like products may be necessary to curb the “addiction crisis,” Gottlieb says
Juul is a discreet device that looks like a USB drive and vaporizes a liquid that contains nicotine salts through e-liquid “pods.” Each pod contains as much nicotine as at least one pack of cigarettes, and its nicotine salts are absorbed into the body at almost the same speed as nicotine in regular cigarettes, which is why officials worry Juul may be more addictive than other e-cigarettes.
Though the company has repeatedly stated that it’s in the business of helping adult smokers to quit, Juul’s early marketing campaign — blasted out through social media, often featuring youth influencers and young people partying — tells a different story.
“If you go back and look at their marketing campaigns from 2015 and 16,” Gottlieb said, “it’s hard not to look at that marketing and conclude that’s it’s not going to be appealing to a youth, to a teenager. It certainly in my view had some impact on creating the problem we have now.”
But Gottlieb’s early record at FDA on e-cigarettes was somewhat mixed. In 2017, he delayed the compliance deadline for the regulation of e-cigarette products to 2022. This gave the industry five more years to file public health applications that show that their products are safe alternatives to conventional cigarettes and that they weren’t unduly targeting minors. Gottlieb positioned the delay as a way to give manufacturers time to get in step with the new laws while ensuring smokers had access to cigarette alternatives that could save their lives.
Some public health advocates viewed the move as a giveaway for the vaping industry, and a chance for e-cigarette makers to further expand their market share among kids at a time when e-cigarette in teens has far eclipsed conventional cigarette use. For these reasons, health groups sued the FDA over the delay and sent a letter to Gottlieb asking the FDA to begin to regulate e-cigarette products like other cigarettes immediately.
Since then, as data about rising teen vaping levels piled up, Gottlieb moved to restrict the sale of flavored e-cigarette products to young people, and asked companies to take voluntary steps to withdraw them. Vaping advocates have criticized these moves, saying the FDA might make it harder for smokers to access e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.
Looking ahead, Gottlieb said concerns about youth vaping should take priority over concerns about smokers if adolescent vaping rates continue to rise. “This is now an addiction crisis, and it’s going to take time to reverse. I don’t anticipate we’re going to see a decline in youth use of e-cigarettes this year.”
“Does e-cigarette use among adolescents go up 10 percent or 40 percent? If it goes up 40 percent, we’re going to step in with additional regulatory steps and take more dramatic action to address the access of these products to kids,” Gottlieb said.
When asked what that might look like, Gottlieb suggested the broad category of e-cigarette products Juul is part of — known as “pod mods” — could be the focus of regulatory action.
“If [e-cigarette companies] cant keep these [products] out of the hands of kids to a better degree than they’re doing now, these products are no longer going to be marketed.”
Life after FDA
There’s one other blemish on Gottlieb’s otherwise respectable track record. The opioid epidemic has continued to worsen during the last two years. While Gottlieb’s actions were generally lauded by opioid experts, as Vox’s German Lopez explained, he was also criticized for failing to approve the opioid overdose treatment naloxone for over-the-counter use, and for bringing to market yet another opioid painkiller despite concerns about its potential for abuse.
Despite those concerns, however, his resignation was still generally viewed as a loss for public health.
Gottlieb plans to return to the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, to focus on the problem of drug pricing. He’s repeatedly denied his reasons for resigning are anything more than the personal desire to spend more time with family. For now, we know that Ned Sharpless, the current director of the National Cancer Institute, will be replacing him as interim FDA chief.
Gottlieb hopes the next commissioner will build on his legacy — and believes the Trump administration will help that person do so.
“Secretary Azar [at HHS] has been extremely supportive of our efforts to reduce death and disease from tobacco [and] my recent efforts to keep these products out of the hands of kids. I expect [Azar] to continue to be a strong champion.”


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Before there were vapes, there was sulfanilamide. One of the first great medicines of the antibiotic era, sulfanilamide was a miracle drug at a time when curing pneumonia with a quick trip to the pharmacy seemed akin to walking on water. When a sweet, raspberry-flavored liquid version appeared in stores in early September of 1937, it was a no-brainer prescription for doctors whose sick young patients were still picky enough they might reject even Jesus himself if he returned in the form of a bitter-tasting pill.
By the end of October, more than 100 of those patients had died and regulators were scrambling to figure out why.
All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again. Today, medical experts and federal regulators are struggling to understand a mysterious lung disease linked to the use of electronic cigarettes. As of Sept. 17, 530 people have been diagnosed across the country, seven of whom have died. Neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor the Food and Drug Administration can definitively say what is causing the illness or why a device that was supposed to help people stop smoking cancer-causing cigarettes has, itself, turned deadly.
Regardless of why e-cigs have turned toxic, historians and consumer law advocates see lessons in the sulfanilamide disaster of 1937 — ones that go beyond the obvious surface similarities of poisonous, fruit-flavored liquids. Both cases highlight the way consumer protections in this country are reactive, cropping up in response to disease and death, rather than preventing it.
“There’s insanely heartbreaking letters from these doctors who had prescribed [sulfanilamide elixir] and then watched kids die,” said Deborah Blum, author of “The Poison Squad,” a book about the founding of the FDA. Those deaths were painful and prolonged, stretching out over days and weeks of convulsions, nausea, kidney failure and stupor. “No one had any idea what was going on. The FDA was desperately sending scientists around the country,” she told me.
Eventually, a Kansas City FDA inspector confirmed that eight children and one adult who died in his area had all taken the same medication, prepared by S.E. Massengill Co., based in Tennessee. Chemists broke the concoction down, molecule by molecule, and discovered that Massengill had blended its antibiotic with diethylene glycol. In other words, it had taken medicine and raspberry flavoring and mixed it up with antifreeze.
A similarly desperate cross-country investigation is happening now with the vaping-related lung deaths, but pinning down a cause is proving harder in this case. There’s no tell-tale chemical turning up in every sample. Eighty-four percent of the 53 patients whose cases were reported in a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine did admit to using e-cigarette pods that contained THC, the chemical in pot that gets you high. But that’s a small and geographically isolated sampling. Other than vaping, itself, there’s no single behavior all the victims share. There’s no Massengill in our modern story, no single company glowing ominously like a lit cigarette in a dark alley.
More frustratingly, said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, there are several reasons why patients might not be giving doctors an accurate account of what they’ve used and how. Some are too sick. Some might not want to talk to the government about their THC use. The state of Illinois has begun an anonymous survey of healthy e-cigarette users, hoping to spot some differences between the people who have gotten sick and those who haven’t. It’s likely there’s more than one poison at play.
Meanwhile, there’s also not a clear trail of what was sold, who sold it and whom they sold it to. That was true in the 1937 disaster, as well. But investigators knew Massengill had made the product and tried to recall it. E-cigarettes, in contrast, are more of a mom and pop affair. Lots of people are making and selling e-liquids and some of them are amateurs, working off the books. That’s especially true of liquids containing THC.
But this isn’t just about a contaminated black market. Even the e-liquids with the most professional pedigrees haven’t been subject to stringent safety regulations, said Desmond Jensen, an attorney with the Public Health Law Center at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law. In 1937, Blum said, pro-regulation advocates had already been warning people for years that there were too many loopholes in FDA rules. And the same is true in this case. There were no FDA regulations at all on e-cigarettes until 2016, and the regulations that exist now are more like swiss cheese than solid cheddar, Jensen said.
“When you say a product is regulated, the average person thinks about pesticides, food or drugs,” he told me. “There’s someone making sure it’s not tainted, or making sure it won’t make us sick. That’s not what it means here.” Instead, the FDA requires sellers and manufacturers of e-cigarettes and e-liquids to register with and disclose ingredients to the agency. But that isn’t the same as quality or safety testing, Jensen said. And a lot of companies haven’t registered in the two years those regulations have been in effect. Safety testing regulations do exist — but their implementation keeps getting scooched back under pressure from vaping companies. Currently, products that were on the market before 2016 won’t have to be reviewed for safety until May of 2020. Manufacturers who don’t sell directly to consumers haven’t had to register or disclose ingredients at all.
In 1937, it was completely legal to sell antifreeze-sweetened medicine to children. The only crime the Massengill company could be charged with was misbranding its liquid as an “elixir,, which legally had to contain alcohol, rather than as a “solution,” Blum said. (In fact, this distinction was the only thing that allowed the FDA to get involved and recover the tainted medicine from consumers to begin with.) The sulfanilamide disaster changed everything about consumer safety. Within a year, we had a new Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that, for the first time, gave the FDA the power to demand companies prove a drug was safe before it could be sold.
And that’s effectively the problem we have with e-cigarettes today, Jensen said. The pre-sale approval process exists, but there are thousands of products it doesn’t yet apply to. Meanwhile, it’s legal to sell e-cigarette liquids that contain chemicals we’ve banned as food additives, or that contain chemicals nobody has even thought to list in a database because they form in the package after the ingredients have been mixed together. And while states have begun to ban flavored e-liquids in response to the lung disease outbreak (and the federal government may do the same), that doesn’t solve consumer protection problems that aren’t related to flavoring, such as liquid nicotine that contains far more of the drug than is claimed on the label, or e-cigarette devices manufactured in China that aren’t being held to any kind of safety standards.
But it’s no real surprise we’ve ended up here, said Marian Moser Jones, a public health professor at the University of Maryland. Our laws aimed at stopping products from poisoning people have usually come in reaction to deaths and illness, rather than before.
Ultimately, Moser Jones said, you can look on both historical poisoning cases and the current vaping crisis as a direct result of consumer product safety policy that often favors a right to sell over a right to know that what is being sold is safe. “In other countries there’s less of a question about whether the government has a right to interfere with commerce,” she said. When the careful balance between retailers rights and consumers tips too far to one side, people die.
CORRECTION (Oct. 1, 12:43 p.m.): An earlier version of this story misidentified Marian Moser Jones’s department at the University of Maryland. She is a public health professor, not a professor of history and ethics.


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The agency argument for brands to embrace #blacklivesmatter
Kara Sax and Tamara Keller and CEO and COO respectively of Sax, a Los Angeles-based branding and marketing firm with clients including the Golden State Warriors, Howard University and the State of California.
At the ESPY Awards earlier this month, one brand — arguably one of the largest in the world — took a stand. The National Basketball Association opened the ceremony with four of its key faces, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade, urging their fellow athletes to respond to the tragic police shootings of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and so many other black men that have enraged the nation with a call to, “Speak up, use your influence and renounce all violence.’
Then Digiday’s Shareen Pathak asked us how we advise our clients about Black Lives Matter and it got us thinking even more. We are two biracial women leading a branding and marketing agency — and we have to wonder why aren’t more brands getting involved? And why aren’t the biggest brands out there taking a leadership position for others to rally behind?
Yes, in this country, speaking on race in any setting outside of family and friends is historically taboo. But being a female and minority owned firm, diversity is our business. We win projects over larger firms with white male leadership all the time—partly because we’re simply not afraid to talk about these things.
Do we advise our clients, whether they are in education, sports, or other sectors to speak up? Yes! Not only because the minority dollar is increasingly powerful but also because we refuse to believe it’s bad business to stand up against injustice.
And with the recent rogue shootings of police being used by some to cast doubts on this peaceful, pro-unity movement, major brands standing up now can help diffuse the terrifying environment of hate that seems to be growing.
We cannot value money before we value lives. Leaders must take a stand. For better or worse, brands are the biggest influencers in the world — they effect what we wear, what we drive, what we eat, what we read and watch and do. They affect how we see ourselves and how we show that to the world.
Presumably, behind every brand are people, hopefully people that look like the real world. Those people have hearts, souls, a pulse and dreams and they come from all different races, religions, sexual orientations and abilities. It’s not just a nice option for a brand to dabble in pushing for good. Their immense influence means they must be held accountable. If a giant brand squanders its chance to make an impact when so much is at stake, then they have violated an essential obligation of doing business in America.
Are you scared to have your brand support #blacklivesmatter? Hmm, we seem to remember you putting a Martin Luther King Jr. quote on your Facebook page on January 15th and subsequently tweeting a salute to Rosa Parks on February 1st. Does this mean you want to take those back?
(And please refrain from the urge to say “All Lives Matter.” That’s like going to an AIDS benefit holding up a sign that says “Cancer Kills Too.” We get it.)
Perhaps you’re nervous about looking like you’re jumping on a bandwagon and exploiting this for a buck. If that’s your fear you haven’t done the simple work of learning to make sure what you do is honest and authentic.
Here’s how to start get your brand on the right side of this, on the right side of history: Talk about it now. Whether your company is large or small get everyone together and start the conversation. You’ll learn something, maybe something that worries you. But you’ll get to a place where responding to the crisis rocking the country doesn’t just start to become feasible, it becomes real and vital and believable too.
We believe we need to organize, educate and transform our communities to end a cycle of racial profiling and killings that continue to senselessly claim countless lives. We proudly voice our beliefs. But more importantly we work with our clients —some of them with the ability to sway millions — to help them find the courage to jump in and make meaningful change.
More in Marketing
TikTok has officially launched its new e-commerce platform, TikTok Shop, earlier this month on August 1. Using the new e-commerce platform, brands and creators can sell products directly on the platform, potentially creating new revenue streams, and tap into the short-form video platform’s growing popularity.
‘The influencer industry can be really vile’: Confessions of an influencer marketer on the industry’s unfair hiring practices
While the influencer industry might sound exciting and like it’s full of opportunities, one marketer can vouch for the horrific scenarios that still take place behind the scenes.
After a tumultuous 12 months, marketers are getting a clear picture of how they really did during a time of true uncertainty. And, as it turns out, it wasn’t all that bad.
Ad position: web_bfu


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Last fall, Twitter acquired video creation and sharing company Vine for an undisclosed amount. Now, a day after Twitter announced the launch of enhanced Tweet embeds, which support videos, Twitter CEO has tweeted out a video using Vine (via TechCrunch). It looks something like this:
— dick costolo (@dickc) January 23, 2013
Common thinking around the Blogosphere is that this translates to Twitter getting ready to launch its own video offering based on Vine, which would be pretty big for Twitter users, no longer having to rely on third-party services.
And with the new, neat embeds, we can probably expect to start seeing interesting (and not so interesting) videos from celebrities and other users all over the web.


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A business that calls itself a boutique, not a sex shop, is suing the city of Collinsville, alleging the city is trying to prohibit the business from opening a store there.
After Nebraska-company Zone d’Erotica filed a business license application as a retail business selling clothes and accessories in October 2016, Collinsville City Manager Mitchell Bair allegedly told the company that as an adult entertainment business, it would have to file a separate application, according to a lawsuit filed in March 2017. The complaint was amended Nov. 6 to reflect changes made since the original filing.
Zone d’Erotica maintains that its business is not an adult entertainment business, and says the city incorrectly categorized it as such without seeing a business plan, proposed business operations or inventory, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit said the city’s insistence that Doctor John’s is an adult entertainment business is being used to “deprive Plaintiff of its First Amendment Right to do businesses” in Collinsville.
Doctor John’s planned to open a store at 122 N. Bluff Road in Collinsville.
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Bair said the city is not able to comment on pending litigation.
The lawsuit is aiming to determine the constitutional validity of Collinsville’s ordinances that prohibit Doctor John’s Lingerie and Novelty Boutique from opening in the city. These ordinances deny the business its due process, according to the lawsuit, and are “arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable and unrelated to any legitimate State interest.” It also infringes on the owner’s First Amendment rights, the lawsuit says.
Doctor John’s sells magazines, DVDs and books that show nude or partially clothed people and sexual activity, lubricants, lingerie, swimwear, clothes, shoes, oils, lotions and candles, according to the lawsuit.
In September 2017, Collinsville created new ordinances to regulate zoning and business licenses for adult entertainment businesses. But the lawsuit maintains that allowing the city to define what an adult entertainment business is allows it to censor businesses that deal in “expressive material,” making the ordinances unconstitutionally broad.
Collinsville’s ordinance describes an adult entertainment business as any enterprise that features any of the following:
▪ Adult live entertainment
▪ An adult motion picture theater
▪ An adult arcade
▪ An adult bookstore, novelty store or video store (which has 5 percent of more of its stock with visual representations of nudity or sexual activities, amongst other things; has a mechanical device for viewing sexual material; or has for sale, rental or display anything designed for use in connection with sexual activities)
▪ A cabaret
▪ An adult motel
The ordinance is not meant to limit or restrict access to these materials, according to the text, but it aims to promote the “health, safety, morals and general welfare of people, and to establish reasonable and uniform regulations to prevent the deleterious location and concentration of these businesses.”
But Zone d’Erotica said Doctor John’s is not an adult entertainment business, and it caters to mainly women and couples. Zone d’Erotica owner John Coil did not respond for comment.
This isn’t the first time Collinsville has gone up against a store selling adult products. In 2003, Rodao Drive, a chain of adult book and video stores, took the city to federal court, alleging the city violated its First Amendment rights. Collinsville revised its zoning ordinance after the store was proposed, making it near impossible for the store to open in most of the city’s business areas.
A federal judge ended up ruling that Collinsville’s new zoning ordinances were constitutional, and that Rodao Drive would not be allowed to open anywhere aside from an industrial area. The owner, Jerry Brink, ended up not pursuing an appeal after the initial ruling came down.
Doctor John’s faced a similar battle in North Platte, Nebraska, in 2016. The city ended up finding that Dr. John’s complied with all city requirements, according to the North Platte Telegraph.


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Arthur T. Demoulas
One of the most remarkable work stoppages in U.S. labor history will soon be the subject of a documentary film.
One year ago, Arthur T. Demoulas was fired as Market Basket CEO, sparking a summer-long feud that dominated the headlines.
Market Basket will no longer offer a 4 percent discount on all purchases at its stores.
When thousands of Market Basket workers hit the streets during the summer of 2014, Jen Gelvez was with them.
The story of the summer became a perfect costume for one young Market Basket supporter.
The newest Market Basket store in Revere opened on Sunday.
Arthur T. Demoulas said Market Basket’s 71 stores have already accomplished a remarkable turnaround thanks to employees who worked day and night to restock shelves left empty by a worker revolt.
As Market Basket recovers from six weeks of turmoil, it is looking to its loyal customer base and new shoppers intrigued by the supermarket chain’s summer drama.
The company is planning to open stores in Revere, Waltham, Athol, Littleton and Attleboro.
Customers were once again filling their carts at Market Basket.


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Scheels has installed a 16-car, 65-foot Ferris wheel at its new location in SouthPointe Pavilions, pictured Tuesday. The new store will open Sept. 27.
The Scheels aquarium will have more than 600 fish by the time the store opens Sept. 27.
Husker fans and others will have to do without Scheels for a couple of weeks.
The sporting goods retailer closed its SouthPointe Pavilions store Sunday night in preparation for a move to its new store built just a few dozen feet away.
The new Scheels store, which at 220,000 square feet is more than three times larger than the old one, is scheduled to open Sept. 27 at 5 p.m.
In addition to more merchandise, the new store will offer a 16,000-gallon saltwater aquarium with more than 100 species of fish, a 65-foot-tall Ferris wheel, a bowling alley, shooting gallery, wildlife mountain and cafe.
The old Scheels store, which has been one of the mall's anchors since it opened in March of 2000, will be torn down to make way for a 1,000-stall parking garage, which also will have about 22,000 square feet of retail space.
Demolition should start soon, although details are still being finalized, with construction expected to start in January and the garage projected to open before the end of next year.
The City Council approved a 1 percent occupation tax on most sales at the mall to pay for the $20 million garage.
What's going up in Lincoln
300 N. 48th Street
A Spectrum retail store will be the first tenant for a retail building under construction at the former Skate Zone site at 300 N. 48th St. Construction on a hotel at the site is likely to start in the next two to three months.
Tommy's Express Car Wash
Workers put together the red, steel frame for Tommy's Express Car Wash north of 70th and O Streets in November. The site was formerly home to Texas T-Bone and Lone Star Steakhouse, among other restaurants.
Lied Place Residences
A 300-foot mobile crane sits ready to erect a 280-foot tower crane at the site of the future Lied Place Residences in November.
Mourning Hope Grief Center
The new Mourning Hope Grief Center takes shape in December on South Folsom Street next to the Willard Community Center.
An architectural rendering shows the first phase of a renovation project at Nebraska Wesleyan University, which will replace seats in McDonald Theatre.
New football complex
Nebraska's proposed new football facility ties in with the East Stadium Plaza and other buildings on the NU campus. "This is going to be an unbelievable move for athletics here at Nebraska and something that’s going to change this place in a big way," said NU Associate Athletic Director for Football Matt Davison.
Sun Valley Lanes
This rendering shows the new bar planned at Sun Valley Lanes.
Campion Development has proposed some changes to its student-oriented housing project at Ninth and M streets.
Telegraph Lofts East rises in the foreground, followed by Telegraph Flats, while looking west toward downtown Lincoln in September.
Southpointe Parking Garage
A parking garage is going up at the end of September on the site of the former Scheels building at SouthPointe Pavilions.
Lancaster Event Center
Water hookups and electrical boxes line the new campground under construction at the Lancaster Event Center.
The Gold’s Building at 11th and O streets has been sold to a real estate investment company that plans a $15 million-$20 million redevelopment that will include a 110-room hotel.
Bryan Physician Network
Bryan Physician Network broke ground at 84th and Pioneers on a new building that will be home to Southeast Lincoln Family Medicine and a second Bryan Urgent Care location.
Southeast Community College's Education Square downtown was renovated, with enhanced security.
Nebraska Innovation Campus hotel
An architectural rendering shows a six-story hotel proposed for 21st Street and Transformation Drive on Nebraska Innovation Campus.
Construction on the Olsson building in the Haymarket in July.
There's a healthy use of granite and marble throughout the rooms and public spaces, including bathrooms at The Kindler Hotel.
This rendering shows what the Eastmont campus at 6315 O St. will look like after its planned $50 million expansion.
Lincoln Children's Zoo
The new Wild Kingdom Theater is part of the expanded Lincoln Children's Zoo that opened in May.
Ninth & O development
New renderings show a preliminary design for a hotel on the southeast corner of Ninth and O streets.
Prison Open House
The new, 160-bed women's unit at the Community Corrections Center-Lincoln was built to be a therapeutic space. It features earth tones, natural lighting and wood throughout the building.
The Stack Lofts
The Stack at 1222 P St. includes 27 market-rate apartments -- three two-bedroom units, 20 one-bedroom units and four studios, some with balcony access.
Wilderness Nature Camp
The Lincoln Parks Foundation is raising money to build a new Wilderness Nature Camp building at Pioneers Park Nature Center.
Great Plains Beef
This rendering shows Great Plains Beef's planned new administration building at 84th Street and Havelock Avenue.


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Employment outlook for Q1 2018 seen weaker
Businesses are seen slowing down on hiring and expansion in the first quarter of next year as demand historically softens after the Christmas season.
Results of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) business expectations survey (BES) for the fourth quarter of 2017 showed that the employment outlook index dropped to 24.7 percent for the next quarter from 27.3 percent in the previous quarter’s poll.
“This indicates that firms will continue to hire new employees than those that indicated otherwise even as the number of firms with hiring intentions declined relative to a quarter ago,” the BSP explained.
Also, “the percentage of businesses with expansion plans in the industry sector for the first quarter of 2018 decreased to 31.1 percent from 32.8 percent in the previous quarter,” the BSP added.
According to the BSP, “the outlook was weaker across industry subsectors.”
Last Tuesday, the BSP reported that the fourth-quarter BES results showed that the business outlook for the quarter ahead, or from January to March, was less optimistic, as the next quarter confidence index slid to 39.7 percent from 51.3 percent during the third-quarter survey.
“Respondents attributed their less positive outlook [for the first quarter of 2018] mainly to the usual slowdown of demand after the holiday season,” the BSP said.
“Other reasons cited by firms were lag in business transactions at the beginning of the year (such as delay in renewal of contracts and dry dock season for the shipping industry), stiffer business competition, concerns on the effect of the new excise tax rates to the automobile industry, and higher inflation,” according to the BSP.
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Fans of Penneys have all probably have days when they entered the bargain retailer just to pick ‘a few bits’ only to emerge a couple of hours later with seven brown paper bags (the largest size) wondering where the day has gone.
Well if you find yourself easily getting lost in the shopping maze of your local store often and, quite honestly, loving every minute of it then you’ll want to add a visit to the world’s biggest Penneys store to your bucket list.
Opening later this year Birmingham is the city that is readying itself for the opening of the giant Primark (what Penneys is known as outside Ireland) in question.
Work on the site began last year and the new 160,000 sq ft store store is set to open up in December 2018.
The high street store reportedly snapped up the site in 2014 for a rumoured £60 million.
A spokesperson told Birmingham Live: “Primark’s new flagship store in Birmingham Pavilions is scheduled for completion in December 2018.
“The new store will showcase four floors of fashion over 160,000 sq ft of retail space and will feature the latest trends in women’s, men’s and children’s fashions including footwear, accessories as well as lingerie, beauty and homeware.”
Shoppers will enjoy five floors of shopping heaven and the store will also boast WiFi and seating areas – for those crucial mid-shop rest and recovery breaks.
The new build will top the current largest Primark store in Manchester, which is set over three floors.
We’ve adding Birmingham to our bucket lists, whether we’ll be quite as enthusiastic with out bank statements following the trip we’re not as sure.


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Spain’s ability to navigate its way through the crisis is crucial to the future of the euro area as the currency bloc’s fourth-largest economy has the potential to weaken the whole region, Fitch Ratings said.
The U.S. risks entering a recession that will hurt economic growth worldwide should policy makers fail to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff of automatic tax increases and spending cuts next year, Fitch Ratings said.
Most European stocks fell, with the Stoxx Europe 600 Index posting its biggest weekly drop in a month, amid concern that automatic spending cuts and tax increases may push the world’s largest economy into a recession.
Most Swiss stocks fell as fear that the so-called fiscal cliff of automatic spending cuts and tax increases may push the world’s biggest economy into recession offset better-than-expected U.S. consumer confidence data.
Turkey received its first investment- grade ranking since 1994 after Fitch Ratings raised the country by one level, citing an easing in economic risk and lower debt. Stocks and bonds rallied to record levels.
Turkish bond yields are rising faster than the rest of emerging-market debt and still can’t entice the world’s biggest investors, who say policy makers won’t curb inflation unless they take steps to slow growth.


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KBSA reveals details of three retailer workshops at AGM
Richard Hammond from Uncrowd, pictured, will look at the future market place in his workshop
The Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association – KBSA – has revealed the details of three retailer-focused workshops taking place at the organisation’s annual conference, AGM and awards dinner on the 25th September at the Stratford Manor Hotel.
Richard Hammond from Uncrowd, pictured above, will look at the future market place, while Rene Power from Vision B2B Marketing and Training will provide an “interactive insight” into the world of direct communications using different social media platforms.
Andrea Hillier, national retail services manager at Blum, will give a “detailed” vision into the customer journey, considering factors such as purchasing process, inspiration and augmented reality for showrooms.
“The workshops are designed will provide opportunities to discuss the key issues that impact on the success and profitability of a specialist retail business,” said KBSA chair Richard Hibbert. “The sessions will be interactive and informative. All of our workshop hosts will provide practical tools for delegates to take back to their business.”


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Yevgeny Chichvarkin's Wine Shop in London Hedonism Wines for the first time since its opening went on profit. This is stated in the report by the project management company Hedonism Drinks Ltd, published in late June 2017 (available to RBC).
Chichvarkin himself declined to comment.
The profit of Hedonism Drinks Ltd for the fiscal year 2015/16, which ended on July 31, 2016, was £ 352 thousand. A year earlier, the loss was £ 810 thousand. After the first year of operation, which ended on July 31, 2013, the net loss was even more significant And amounted to £ 2.3 million. For the fiscal year 2013/14, the loss decreased by 17%, to £ 1.9 million.
The company's turnover for 2015-2016 has grown from £ 11.5 million to £ 15.1 million. The main part of the revenue comes from the UK - about 71%, 3% - to Europe.
Hedonism Wines was opened in the fall of 2012 in the district of Mayfair. Now, according to the company's website, there are 5,500 bottles of wine and 3,000 bottles of other alcoholic beverages in the store's collection. In a recent interview, which was published by journalist Yuri Dud on his YouTube channel, Chichvarkin recounted that the winery makes a profit. Specific figures, he did not name, but noted that he would not "engage in what does not bring money."
Wine business in London Chichvarkin began to deal with after moving from Russia. The co-founder of Euroset, one of the largest retail chains selling mobile phones and accessories, sold the company to AN & N investment group Alexander Mamut in 2008. The latter, in its turn, resold in a short time 49.9% of Euroset to VimpelCom (Beeline brand) for $ 226 million. A few months before the deal between Chichvarkin and Mamut structures, a case was brought against several employees of Euroset On charges of extortion and kidnapping in 2003 of the former forwarder of the company Andrei Vlaskin. Then, law enforcement officers searched the central office of Euroset. As Chichvarkin told Dudu, "Euroset" tried to "squeeze out" the siloviki. But the owners managed to agree on the sale. "They did not pay as much money as they did, but they were bought by those people who did not participate in the squeeze-out," Chichvarkin said.
In November 2008, Chichvarkin resigned as chairman of the board of directors of Euroset and left for the UK. The investigation sought his extradition in order to attract him as a defendant in the extortion case, he was declared a federal wanted list. The criminal case against Chichvarkin was terminated only in 2011, his lawyer said.
In 2012, it became known that Chichvarkin became a co-investor of Hedonism Wines. The case "was invested with an eight-figure sum," said Chichkvarkin in an interview with Forbes. "It is more reliable to invest in wine than in bricks or telecom. I have no doubt that everything I buy, I will sell, and if that - I will sit on an island called Great Britain and drink it with pleasure, "Chichvarkin said.


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Independent developer ZiMAD today announced their plans to go head to head with Blizzard’s Hearthstone with the upcoming launch of the free-to-play MMOCCG game, Star Crusade: War for the Expanse on Steam and iOS later this year. Currently available as a Beta purchase on Steam the game promises to immerse players into deep and tactical CCG combat as 6 mighty factions fight for power in the far reaches of space. The game will also be available to check out at this years GDC in San Francisco on March 16th to March 18th.
Star Crusade: War for the Expanse boasts a huge list of cards with hundreds available at launch and more planned to deliver with expansions. The game features fast-paced combat and endless combinations of cards and unique tactics to each faction. Star Crusade: War for the Expanse is scheduled to release later this year on PC and iOS. For more information check out the games official Steam page.
Source: Press Release


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This article is more than 1 year old
Raspberry Pi looks to set up African retail channel to make buying a mini computer there as easy as Pi
High shipping costs barrier to access for many of continent’s inhabitants
Raspberry Pi said yesterday it would be pushing to get its miniature computers into more shops across Africa, admitting that its presence on the continent was limited to a single approved reseller with commercial ops in a few countries in southern Africa.
Writing on the company blog, Ken Okolo said he had been recently appointed to focus on building a network of resellers and partnerships across industry and the education sector in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, Cameroon, and Uganda.
Previously Raspberry Pi was available through a South African reseller with "some commercial operations" in nearby countries, but the rest of the continent was vastly underserved, relying on e-commerce sites like Amazon and their high shipping rates, to dispatch the product from other parts of the globe.
According to Okolo, this burden "undermines [the] goal of ensuring affordability and availability across the continent."
Last month the Raspberry Pi trading arm (not to be confused with the charity Raspberry Pi Foundation, which was founded in 2009 to promote the study of basic computer science in schools) received a £33m investment ($45m).
One key investor, Ezrah Charitable Trust, was founded by former Goldman Sachs vice president and Farallon Capital Management partner David Cohen in 2016 to focus "on the poorest of the poor, especially in Africa."
- Raspberry Pi's trading arm snags £33m investment as flotation rumours sink
- Crank up the volume on that Pixies album: Time to exercise your Raspberry Pi with an... alternative browser
- Astro Pi 2: New Raspberry Pi hardware with updated camera, sensors to head to the ISS this year
- Having trouble getting your mitts on that Raspberry Pi? You aren't alone
The company's sales are on track to exceed 40 million units across its product range thanks in part to increased demand during pandemic lockdown periods and the high-profile placement of units, such as on the International Space Station.
"Africa has seen an explosion of technological advances in recent years, with investors funding innovative businesses built around technology," said Okolo. He added that what stands in the way for Africans when it comes to tackling its challenges is a lack of equipment and tools.
The relatively inexpensive Raspberry Pi costs $35.
The World Bank lists Sub-Saharan Africa's 2020 GDP per capita at $1,483. ®


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SARPSBORG, Norway, July 4, 2017 (Press Release) -Borregaard has received a commitment of a NOK 6 million grant from Innovation Norway's Bioeconomy Scheme. The grant will fund further development of the biorefinery concept in Sarpsborg.
The project receiving the grant aims to develop high-value cellulose products. The project may result in increased added value and new industrial opportunities for Borregaard in Sarpsborg. By way of chemical and physical modifications, opportunities are being explored to manufacture cellulose products for various industrial applications, including in animal feed and the construction industry.
“This grant allows us to move from the idea phase to a project with dedicated resources and partners. Research and development are the key to restructuring and increased competitive ability in the industry. Larger businesses are well-positioned to succeed, but support for innovation work mitigates risk and often triggers investments for companies such as Borregaard,” says director of Borregaard's Speciality Cellulose activities, Tom Erik Foss-Jacobsen.
Part of the project will be carried out in partnership with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). The NOK 6 million grant comprises 22 per cent of the project's overall costs, and will be spread across three years starting in August 2017.
“Innovation Norway's task is to contribute to elevate new business opportunities through risk-mitigating funding. This is particularly important at a time where there is a great need to develop the markets by offering new and better products based on Norwegian raw materials. In developing new value-adding products based on forests, Borregaard has a leading role, both domestically and internationally, with its strongly market-oriented research activities. With a grant from us, Borregaard can give the project priority, which is completely in keeping with what the Bioeconomy Scheme is intended to stimulate,” says sustainability director Inger Solberg of Innovasjon Norge.
Borregaard owns one of the world’s most advanced and sustainable biorefineries. By using natural, sustainable raw materials, Borregaard produces advanced and eco-friendly biochemicals that can replace oil-based products. Borregaard has 1,010 employees in factories and sales offices in 16 countries in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. Borregaard also has strong positions in ingredients and fine chemicals.
Innovation Norway received funds in 2017 to pursue the Government's Bioeconomy Strategy. The purpose of the effort is to mitigate risk in industrial projects and contribute to increased added value and sustainable restructuring of Norwegian industry by exploiting the market potential the bioindustries represent based on resources from the sea, land and forests. The Scheme covers development support both in and across existing value chains, and applies countrywide. In addition, it is open for opportunities to interact with other instruments, both within and outside of Innovation Norway.


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CBD products are becoming more and more popular for our pets. it's been all the rage lately but is it really safe and effective?
You can find these CBD products at just about any pet store in Las Vegas.
Dr. Patricia Wagner with Boca Park Animal Hospital says more and more of her clients say they are using these products on their dogs and cats.
"We have clients that have put their pets on it from different sources and the majority seems to feel it does benefit them," said Dr. Wagner.
People are using CBD oil for themselves and their pets to deal with arthritis, anxiety, and seizures.
"The majority of the patients that we see taking it are patients that are having some arthritis pain," said Dr. Wagner. "There isn't really any set parameters the folks are using to state my pet is walking x number of feet further or taking x number of steps more, they just say they seem to be doing better."
Dr. Wagner says to be careful where you are buying yours and check to see where it's made.
"Plants that have come from overseas, some of them are laced with heavy metals, some of them are laced with pesticides, but there's no regulation, so we can't as consumers know that we select this product off the shelf that it's actually going to be safe."
There's also no controlled studies yet, although they are in the works. Right now, there's no hard figures or data to show just how much better the pet did with CBD versus without.
But Dr. Wager says, overall, her clients tell her they are very happy with their pets using CBD.
"In general, we haven't had significant adverse events," said said.
The DEA will not allow veterinarians to prescribe, recommend, or administer any CBD product.


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It took longer than expected, but the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) updated its Advertising Standards for Ontario sports betting and online casinos last week.
But some in the industry are looking for more clarity so they can comply.
The AGCO is prohibiting the use of athletes in internet gaming advertising and marketing in Ontario. That means say goodbye to those Connor McDavid ads for BetMGM. Standards have also been strengthened to restrict the use of celebrities “who would likely be expected to appeal to minors,” the AGCO said in a statement.
The new restrictions will come into effect Feb. 28, 2024.
The AGCO held consultations on its proposal to ban ads and took in submissions from a range of stakeholders. AGCO Registrar and CEO Tom Mungham told an audience at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto in June that the AGCO received 38 responses to that consultation – Ontario online casinos and land-based operators, the charitable gaming sector, and associations in the health sector (such as the Canadian Mental Health Association) all weighed in.
Specifics of AGCO Advertising Changes
More specifically, the additions to the AGCO Standards for Internet Gaming are (bolded):
2.03 – Advertising, marketing materials and communications shall not target high-risk, underage or self-excluded persons to participate in lottery schemes, shall not include underage individuals, and shall not knowingly be communicated or sent to high-risk players. (Also applicable to Gaming-Related Suppliers)
Requirements – At a minimum, materials and communications shall not:
- Be based on themes, or use language, intended to appeal primarily to minors.
- Appear on billboards or other outdoor displays that are directly adjacent to schools or other primarily youth-oriented locations.
- Use or contain cartoon figures, symbols, role models, social media influencers, celebrities, or entertainers who would likely be expected to appeal to minors. (This requirement has been changed.)
- Use active or retired athletes, who have an agreement or arrangement made directly or indirectly between an athlete and an operator or gaming-related supplier, in advertising and marketing except for the exclusive purpose of advocating for responsible gambling practices. (This requirement is new.)
- Use individuals who are, or appear to be, minors to promote gaming.
- Appear in media and venues, including on websites, and in digital or online media, directed primarily to minors, or where most of the audience is reasonably expected to be minors.
- Exploit the susceptibilities, aspirations, credulity, inexperience or lack of knowledge of all potentially high-risk persons, or otherwise extoll the virtues of gaming.
- Entice or attract potentially high-risk players. Instead, measures shall be in place to limit marketing communications to all known high-risk players. (This requirement has been changed.)
AGCO Says More Guidance Coming
The AGCO says it plans to issue additional guidance in the coming weeks, and that will no doubt be welcome. There is a need for more clarity in the industry among operators of casino apps in Ontario and other sectors of the industry.
“We think the Ontario experience is unique, it’s not comparable to the UK, or Australia,” said Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association. “We all want to make sure there is a healthy relationship with the customers. In the spirit of having the discussion in the context of what has been the experience here, looking at evidence-based decisions to come to standards that reflect what we need to do – the industry is committed to that.
“I think the request for a compliance guidance on the standards is absolutely necessary for operators to better understand, so they have the tools and clarity to comply, which everyone wants to do. The AGCO needs to help create that. The language changes slightly for some, and for other operators, this won’t affect them at all. From primarily appealing to minors to likely appealing, what does that mean? Now let’s figure out how everyone can comply. As we all know, there is a lot of money invested in advertising and marketing campaigns, so the industry wants to know how they can effectively produce marketing programs that comply.”
Defining What Celebrity Is
What does a celebrity, role model or influencer really mean?
“No one wants to go and create a campaign and then find out they can’t do what they wanted to do after the fact,” Burns said. “The business needs certainty going forward.”
As Burns added, there have been complaints about the volume of iGaming and Ontario sportsbook apps ads, but “very few” complaints about content in those ads. And there are robust standards from organizations like thinkTV already in place. They approve ads before they air, ensuring that the ads don’t appeal to minors and don’t use anyone under age 25.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, which ran ads featuring Maple Leafs captain John Tavares in the past, as well as ads with retired goalie Curtis Joseph, said in a statement that it will ensure all of its advertising, “will continue to be produced in alignment with AGCO standards on marketing.”
The Tavares partnership expired. However, the Joseph ad was for responsible gambling, promoting the PlaySmart program.
Operators React To Ruling
Amanda Brewer, country manager Canada, Kindred Group, said the news wasn’t surprising. She said it cleans up any possible integrity issues involving athletes and the sports they represent.
“The AGCO still needs to provide clarification on what ‘athlete’ or ‘celebrity’ or ‘role model’ or ‘influencer’ means so until further information lands, this is a bit premature,” she said.
Unibet Ontario online casino doesn’t use athletes in its advertising, so the change doesn’t impact the company.
Brewer also added that no operator has been fined for violating the advertising standards specific to responsible gambling or appealing to minors since the market launched in April 2022.
Nic Sulsky, chief commercial officer of PointsBet Canada, said in a statement:
“We at PointsBet commend the AGCO for instituting the long-rumoured adjustments to operator marketing standards. As a part of the evolving regulated iGaming industry in Ontario, we are in full support of continued progress towards a truly levelled playing field for all operators – and one of the best ways to build towards that is with clear and concise rules so we all can properly develop and execute effective marketing strategies that will foster a healthy and responsible gaming ecosystem.”
His company offers the PointsBet Ontario sportsbook as well as online gaming.


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It took almost five years, but Microsoft will finally open a retail store in the largest city in the United States. Microsoft's first store in New York City won't be just any retail location, either: It will also take on an "iconic" nearby Apple Store.
"We have signed a lease to open a flagship store at 677 Fifth Avenue in New York City," David Porter, a corporate vice president at the software giant writes in a new post to the Official Microsoft Blog. "As our first flagship store, it will serve as the centerpiece of our Microsoft Stores experience. This is a goal we've had since day one – we were only waiting for the right location. And now we have it."
Microsoft's new flagship store will occupy a space that is currently a Fendi shop. The Wall Street Journal refers to this area of Manhattan as "a high-end retail destination for both tourists and locals." As such, it commands the highest rents in the city, with an average of $2750 per square foot.
Microsoft Store opening in Boston in 2012: I attended this opening and purchased the first computer sold at this location
To justify this heady cost, Microsoft will use the new location as an "experiential space" where it can engage with customers and partners in new and innovative ways. This will be in addition to the usual retail space, of course.
Microsoft's first retail store opened in Scottsdale, Arizona in October 2009, and since then the company has opened over 100 retail store locations in the United States and Canada. It will open 10 more locations in time for this holiday season as well. 80 percent of Americans are within 20 miles of a Microsoft Store, the firm notes.
Microsoft did briefly have a New York City store, but that was only temporary: During the Windows 8 launch in 2012, the firm leased a space right in Times Square.


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China promises prompt action on U.S. trade pact
Initial talks will focus on trade in farm goods, energy and automobiles, official says
A Chinese government spokesperson on Thursday said Beijing was "full of confidence" it will strike a trade deal with the United States within the next 90 days, praising the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping as highly successful.
In Argentina last weekend, Trump and Xi agreed to a truce that delayed a planned hike of U.S. of tariffs on $200 billion US of Chinese goods while they negotiate a trade deal. The hikes, which were set to come into effect on Jan. 1, would have increased existing American tariffs to 25 per cent from 10 per cent.
"We are very confident in reaching an agreement (with the United States) within the next 90 days," China's Commerce Ministry spokesperson Gao Feng said in a weekly briefing, adding both sides have been communicating and co-operating "smoothly" since the leaders met in Argentina.
China's ultimate goal during the 90-day trade talks is to remove all U.S. tariffs imposed on Chinese goods, Gao said.
Huawei arrest threatens new flare-up
His comments come as the arrest of a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei by Canadian authorities, on Washington's request, threatens to spark a flare-up in tensions between the world's two economic powerhouses once again.
The two countries have hit each other with tit-for-tat tariffs on goods worth hundreds of billions of dollars in sectors from automobiles to agriculture and energy, stymying trade and redrawing global supply chains.
Gao confirmed for the first time since the high-stakes meeting that China had agreed to implement consensus reached by both sides on agriculture, energy and cars, although he did not give details on any specific measures.
"We will start with agricultural products, energy, automobiles to immediately implement the issues that the two sides have reached consensus," Gao said, when asked about what is on the negotiation agenda.
"Then, in the next 90 days, we will follow a clear timetable and roadmap to negotiate on issues such as intellectual property right protection, tech cooperation, market access and trade balance," he said, stressing the consultations should be based on meeting the interests of both parties.
The White House has said China had committed to start buying more American products and lifting tariff and non-tariff barriers immediately, while beginning talks on structural changes with respect to forced technology transfers and intellectual property protection.
The United States has levied additional duties of between 10 per cent and 25 per cent on $250 billion of Chinese goods this year as punishment for what it calls China's unfair trade practices. China has responded with its own tariffs.
Consensus reached at G20
"China and United States have reached very important consensus as both sides' interests overlap," Gao said. His comments echoed earlier remarks made by senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, who said the meeting was "friendly and candid" and would help to avoid further trade tensions.
"All of these help to safeguard China's legitimate interests, and are also in the interests of the United States, and even more are in line with the expectations of the international community," he added in a statement carried on the foreign ministry's website.
But global markets have been nervous about the prospect of a China-U.S. trade dispute spilling over to growing rivalry
between both sides in areas such as technology, and many economists have remained cautious about being too optimistic on a temporary truce.
The daughter of Huawei's founder is facing extradition to the United States, dealing a blow to hopes of an easing of Sino-U.S. trade tensions and rocking global stock markets.
Trump also warned this week of more tariffs if the two sides could not resolve their differences.


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Tinhorn Creek Vineyards is thrilled to announce that world renowned wine publication Wine Enthusiast has awarded 90+ point scores for three of their wines: Tinhorn Creek 2013 Gewürztraminer (91), Tinhorn Creek 2013 Pinot Gris (90) and Tinhorn Creek 2011 Oldfield Series Merlot (90); great recognition from a prestigious group of critics. All scores and reviews will be published in their up-coming March issue and this is the first time that Tinhorn Creek’s wines have been endorsed by Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a huge honour for our team at Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, to know that our friends across the border are taking notice of our wine and telling us they love what we are doing here in the South Okanagan”, says President & CEO Sandra Oldfield. “With our new US shipping program having launched this past year – allowing delivery right to your door in 34 States – we hope to see our fan base continue to grow amongst American wine lovers”.
Tinhorn Creek fans in the US can visit http://usshop.tinhorn.com to shop directly from Tinhorn Creek’s website in US dollars, a minimum of 12 bottles per order is required and consumers may order ‘A Taste of Tinhorn’ mixed case with two of each of six select wines currently available or make up their own preferred mix. A delivery fee of $29.95USD is applicable, however there are no additional tariffs, fees or customs duties to pay as it’s all included and shipped directly from the warehouse in California.
Shipping is permitted to 34 states in the US including: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, ME, MI, MO, MD, MN, NC, NE, NM, NV, NJ, OH, OR, SC, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WVA, WY. For more information, tasting notes, ordering and pricing call 1-888-484-6467 or visit the website at www.tinhorn.com.
About Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
Established in 1993, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards is located just south of Oliver B.C., in the famed Golden Mile wine-growing district. As the number one winery destination evoking classic south Okanagan terroir, Tinhorn Creek proudly offers a variety of estate grown wines, growing grapes on both the Black Sage and Golden Mile benches. Family owned and operated, Tinhorn Creek offers an unrivalled visitor experience including a self-guided tour, along with wines that rank among the best in the world, and the exceptional Miradoro Restaurant.


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Power to the people
RECORD numbers of complaints are being filed against power companies, many of them relating to overpayments which are boosting their coffers by hundreds of millions of pounds.
In one case, a couple sought help from Money Mail after fighting for almost a year to get back nearly £1,400 from Powergen.
Energywatch, the energy industry watchdog, says it received 7,183 complaints in the 12 months to October 2004 - nearly 600 a month.
Gas and electricity companies are believed to be making millions of pounds a year by sitting on huge piles of money taken in overpayments from those paying their bills by direct debit.
As direct debit amounts are typically fixed, it means that in summer, when energy use is much lower, massive cash surpluses are built up.
Energy Helpline, a price comparison service, claimed power companies were at one time sitting on up to £1.7bn which rightfully belonged to their customers.
The figure will be lower in the winter months but is still believed to run into hundreds of millions of pounds.
By placing this money on deposit overnight, power companies can earn 4.7% interest.
An average deposit of £1bn through the year would give them £47m interest at our expense.
The average UK household was believed to be £125 ahead on its gas and electricity bill in the summer.
Consumers are entitled to have their money back at any time. But Energywatch says power companies are dragging their heels when it comes to making refunds.
The worst offenders are British Gas, NPower and Powergen, it says.
One couple, Derrick and Audrey Hocking, both 75, had just under £1,400 taken by Powergen in overpayments.
After the takeover, Powergen failed to check what type of meter the Hockings had and consequently overcharged them for gas each month.
By spring 2004, the pensioners, from Knockholt, Kent, had built up a credit of £500. This started a saga of phone calls, letters and meter readings by Mr Hocking to get the money back - but without success.
Meanwhile, Powergen persuaded them to switch their electricity to them as well, while the overpayments continued to mount up.
The amount reached £1,400 before their daughter, Jackie Costello, got involved and wrote to Powergen's chief executive. She then contacted Money Mail.
'This is our money they are sitting on, which we can ill afford to be without,' says Mr Hocking.
'Once I realised Powergen were being so difficult in returning the money, I thought about cancelling my direct debit, but I was afraid they would cut me off.
'I've never owed anyone any money and always pay my bills on time. It's a shame Powergen don't do the same.'
Powergen, which increased prices three times last year, finally sent them a cheque for £716, which included a £100 goodwill gesture.
But it said it would hold on to the other half of their overpayments until it has read their meter again.
A spokesman for Powergen says: 'This was pretty much a rare case and we apologise for the hassle they have gone through.
'We will be sending someone out immediately to check the meter and look at their consumption.'
Following further pressure from Money Mail, Powergen has agreed to refund the remaining money it owes the Hockings.
Robert Hammond, a policy adviser at Energywatch, says: 'If it was the other way round and you owed the company just a couple of hundred pounds, they would be chasing the money pretty quickly.
'I think it's reasonable to expect a refund five working days after asking, but we are seeing people wait months and months.
'What normally happens is that the customer gives the company two bites of the cherry before they finally come to us. These long delays are unacceptable.'
IF YOU have made overpayments that you would like back, contact your supplier and ask for a refund. Make a note of the date and who you spoke to. Get them to confirm that the refund will be made by the time of the next bill.
Allow two weeks. If the refund hasn't been made, go back to the company to make a formal complaint. It should give you the correct address to write to.
Allow one more week. If you still haven't been refunded, contact watchdog Energywatch on 08459 060708 or at www.energywatch.org.uk and follow its 'How to make a complaint' section. Energywatch has the power to refer cases to the regulator Ofgem.
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SMM Istanbul attracts more than 4,000 trade visitors from 66 nations.
‘The first SMM Istanbul, from 21 to 23 January 2009, set high international standards with more than 4,000 trade visitors from 66 nations and 150 exhibitors from 30 nations. “The premiere was a success, despite the difficult economic environment in a financial crisis which has just now hit the shipbuilding industry’s order books in full force,” said Bernd Aufderheide, CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC), in his summary of the first SMM event abroad. “We would like to thank our Turkish partner Goca Fuar Kongre ve Sergi Hizmetleri Ltd.Şti (Goca Exhibitions), who organised this international trade fair together with us at the centrally located Istanbul site Lütfi Kirdar Convention & Exhibition Centre (ICEC) and implemented the technical concept.” The overall view of Fatih Goca was that “The first SMM Istanbul was much more than a successful launch. We had satisfied exhibitors including the major industry-leading companies; we had international trade visitors and a high-calibre supporting programme which was just right for this event. All of that has laid the foundations for a successful future for this shipbuilding fair, which will in future be held in larger, more modern halls, once the ICEC site has been completed.” Peter Bergleiter, SMM Project Director, added “Like any kick-off event, SMM Istanbul had to face a lot of challenges, but handled them all successfully thanks to the commitment of everyone involved. We are already starting our planning for 2011, with plenty of new ideas, new experience and new contacts!”. The second SMM Istanbul, shipbuilding, machinery & marine technology trade fair Istanbul, will be held at the centrally located site Lütfi Kirdar Convention & Exhibition Centre (ICEC) Istanbul from 26 to 28 January 2011.


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The ALRC has recommended fair use provisions for Australian copyright law. It has been branded as "controversial" by Attorney-General George Brandis.
Apple disputes a Samsung assertion that any potential deal between the two smartphone rivals lacked such a provision.
Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the House Judiciary committee, says he will remove the provision in SOPA that requires ISPs to block access to foreign Web sites accused of piracy.
The lawsuit, filed by shareholder M&C Partners III, calls Yahoo a "difficult sell" and says that the restriction is anticompetitive.
EU's executive arm vows to make sure a global anti-counterfeiting treaty won't force countries to disconnect people for illegally downloading copyrighted content.
Leaks from the secret negotiations of the ACTA treaty allege that ISPs worldwide would be required to lose safe-harbor protections, implement three-strike antipiracy policies, and worse. We think this is outrageous. (Taken from episode 1099)
Leaders in Congress are making a third effort to pass the Patent Reform Act, even though divisions remain over significant portions of the legislation.
Senators could vote Friday on "stimulus" package amendments that'd reduce planned funding for broadband deployment and alter tax cuts offered for Internet access.
The company's Hosting Cloud service now sports a revised control panel and a new behind-the-scenes provisioning system.
The $205 million acquisition of PlateSpin's automated provisioning and disaster recovery products would help Novell flesh out its management software.


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Most Americans know about the pause in the distribution of Johnson & Johnson's one-dose COVID-19 vaccine and approve of it, according to a poll taken a few days after the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration announced the action.
The latest Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index poll, taken April 16-19, showed that 91% of Americans have heard about the pause, and 88% felt the FDA and CDC acted responsibly by recommending the vaccine be put on hold after reports of a rare blood clotting reaction among women who had gotten the shot.
"People are unfazed," said Cliff Young, president of Ipsos U.S. Public Affairs, reports Axios. "The way forward is about the vaccine, so if there’s any stumble people are going to pay attention to it — but it hasn’t had an impact thus far on willingness to get the vaccine."
The poll also showed that the approval of the pause didn't depend on the respondents' political party, and that overall, trust in the CDC and national public health officials on providing accurate information about the pandemic remains high:
- 87% of Republicans believed health officials acted responsibly by pausing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, compared to 91% of Democrats
- Two-thirds to 70% of respondents said they trust national health officials for details about COVID-19.
Further, the pause didn't affect Americans' likelihood to get their own vaccinations when they become available according to to the poll, which was taken before Monday, when all Americans over 16 became eligible —
- 20% still say they are not likely to get the vaccine, a number that has stayed steady since January 2021.
- 56% of American adults report having received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the poll shows that a year after the pandemic effectively shut the nation down, Americans are starting to re-emerge as their habits and risk calculations change.
- Small but steady increases in the numbers of those who are now venturing out to eat in restaurants and to visit retail stores were reported, and 53% said they visited friends or relatives in the past week.
- Slightly fewer people report having remained socially distanced, with 61% saying they practiced social distancing, down 6 points from last month and 13 points from two months ago.
Mask wearing also appears to be dropping. While 63% report they are still wearing a mask at all times when they leave their homes, the number dropped 10 percentage points from 2 months ago and has reached the lowest point since last summer.
The perceived risks people see in returning to pre-coronavirus life has also reached the lowest level since the pollsters started asking the question, and is now at 52% as risks being seen in activities like shopping in retail and grocery stores or attending sporting events is dropping.
The poll, taken by Ipsos' KnowledgePanel was based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,033 general population adults age 18 or older.
© 2022 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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Grainger talks with ChannelBuzz about his plans to build StorMagic’s brand, its channel and its business and become a major player in the HCI space.
Cloud software platform provider Cloudistics has had a strong year, both increasing their own channel significantly and entering into a new partnership with Lenovo. Their software now powers the Lenovo ThinkAgile CP Series, which has a joint go-to-market motion, and Cloudistics expects it will significantly expand their business, outside of North America in particular.
This morning, at their Transform 2.0 event in New York City, Lenovo announced a series of new products, partnerships and solutions around the company’s ongoing Intelligent Transformation strategy. For the channel, the centrepiece was a multi-billion dollar global strategic partnership between the Lenovo Data Center Group (DCG) and NetApp. With ten new storage products, it…
Lenovo announces the GA of the Smart Office videoconferencing device, developed in partnership with Microsoft, that was announced last fall at Microsoft’s Ignite event. What they deem more important however, is their message to the market that this product is only the start of an initiative designed to make Lenovo a major player in the Smart Office space.


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Stocks ended mixed Friday, with the Nasdaq inching higher while the Dow posted a modest loss. Investors were torn between dismal earnings and negative economic data on the one hand -- and the thought that much of the bad news may already be priced into beaten-down stocks. Pockets of strength were in semiconductors, communication equipment, telecom and biotechs.
Volume continued to be light. Many insiders are hoping for a broad-based heavy volume selloff that might signal a bottom for the market.
"We had some decent performance over the past few days in the semiconductor sector [with companies announcing] things are going to pick up within the next one to two quarters," says Barry Hyman, market strategist for Ehrenkrantz, King Nussbaum. "But at the same time, you can't overcome the continuing weak story in stagnant economic growth." Looking ahead, Hyman expects the market to turn around in the end of the third quarter to the middle of the fourth quarter but seems some bumps along the way with third quarter GDP "probably" worse than second quarter's.
U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter showed considerable weakness, rising 0.7%, slightly lower than what had been expected. The first-quarter figure was revised to a gain of 1.3%, from a gain of 1.2%. The second-quarter gain was the weakest since the first quarter of 1993. Consumer spending remains the stalwart of the U.S. economy, with personal consumption up 2.1% in the most recent quarter.
Several healthcare companies issued strong earnings reports Friday. UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH ) said its second-quarter profits jumped 31% as it collected higher insurance premiums and increased people enrolled in its plans.
Among other stocks in the news, fiber optic component supplier JDS Uniphase (JDSU ) posted a $0.36 fourth quarter loss per share, excluding one-time items, compared with $0.14 earnings per share in the prior year on a 6% sales decline. The company said its fiscal 2001 loss was a jaw-dropping $50.6 billion, the bulk of which was a write-down of goodwill from acquisitions.
Sprint Corp., parent of wireless operator Sprint PCS Group (PCS ), said on Friday that it would launch share offerings of its PCS common stock to raise more than $2 billion.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 38.96 points, or 0.37%, to close at 10,416.67. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 6.77 points, or 0.33%, to 2,029.73. The broader S&P 500 Index added 3.00 points, or 0.25%, to 1,205.93.
Prices of U.S. Treasuries climbed Friday amid the latest economic reports. The U.S. economy grew at a 0.7% annual rate in the second quarter, the slowest pace in eight years, and below analysts' expectations. This latest read on gross domestic product reflects the slump in business investment in equipment and software and slower consumer spending.
In other economic data Friday, the University of Michigan's final reading of July consumer sentiment came in at 92.4, lower than the 93.7 expected by Standard & Poor's economic research unit MMS. Overall, the modest pullback in the index is consistent with the recent sag in the stock market and ongoing string of high-profile layoff announcements. But, MMS believes fiscal and monetary stimulus in the pipeline, along with the recent sharp pullback in energy prices will continue to support consumer sentiment.
New homes sales increased 1.7% in June, leaving sales at a 922,00 annual rate. The data are generally consistent with the solid gains seen in other housing measures, such as housing starts and existing home sales.
European markets were up sharply following an ugly week of earnings reports. In London, the Financial Times 100 gained 117.00 points, or 2.21%, to 5,403.10. In France, the CAC 40 Index was up 125.03 points, or 2.58%, to 4,967.15. Germany's DAX Index was up 95.65 points, or 1.69%, to 5,771.41.
Asian markets ended mixed. In Japan, the Nikkei lost 60.48, or 0.51%, to close at 11,798.08, on the heels of weak results at Sony and Fujitsu. The Hang Seng Index shed 142.35 points, or 1.18%, to close at 12,182.17.
By Alan Hughes and Amy Tsao in New York


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6 Things to Know
6 things to know in Houston food right now: Openings, closings, and a sizzling Pappasito's deal
Editor’s note: Houston’s restaurant scene moves pretty fast. In order to prevent CultureMap readers from missing anything, let’s stop to look around at all the latest news to know.
Openings and closings
Dumpling Haus, a Chinese restaurant in Sawyer Yards, closed at the end of September. Headed by the mother-daughter team of Elaine Won, Ashley Lai, and Amiley Lai, the concept became a favorite of Houston’s restaurant community, earning a CultureMap Tastemaker Awards nomination for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year. Although the restaurant has closed, Ashley Lai told the Houston Chronicle the concept will continue to pop-up at events and the Urban Harvest farmers market.
Rakkan Ramen will celebrate the grand opening of its fourth Houston-area location in the Westchase District this Saturday, October 7 with buy-one-get-one free ramen bowls all day. Located at 2550 Citywest Blvd., the restaurant is known for its vegan broth made from a combination of kombu (edible algae), mushrooms, carrots, onion, ginger, and garlic. Available with five bases and three kinds of noodles, diners may add pork chasu or chicken to satisfy any carnivorous cravings.
7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee is entering the Houston market with a location in Spring (21420 Kuykendahl Rd.) To celebrate, it will host charity fundraisers on October 6 for Klein Oak High School, on October 7 for Children’s Miracle Network benefitting Texas Children's Hospitals, and on October 8 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. During these days, 7 Brew will take 50-percent off regular menu prices and donate 100-percent of proceeds to the organizations.
With a motto of “If you think it, we can make it,” the Arkansas-based coffee shop offers over 20,000 possible combinations, including sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free options.
The Highlight at Houston Center will soon welcome two new restaurants. Orange Taco, an Asian-Mexican fusion concept that started as a food truck, and Aloha Poke Co. will join the existing dining options at the recently-renovated downtown shopping destination.
Tex-Mex favorite Pappasito’s Cantina is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month with a number of specials. Get a beef and chicken fajitas platter for $40 every Wednesday in October. In addition, order two cocktails in a special 40th anniversary mug and finish with a Fiesta Fudge Brownie. Diners can register online to win one of 10, $400 gift cards.
“It’s really incredible to be celebrating four decades of Pappasito’s,” Pappas vice president of marketing Christina Pappas said in a statement. “The first Pappasito's Cantina opened on Richmond and Hillcroft, bringing our famous fajitas and margaritas to Houstonians, and now we have grown to over 20 restaurants throughout Texas and Georgia.”
A Memorable Meal
Four of Houston’s most prominent female chefs are teaming up for a very special meal. Top Chef alums Evelyn Garcia and Sasha Grumman, Masterchef finalist Suu Khin, and James Beard Taste Twenty chef Michelle Wallace will contribute dishes to the Blackwood Educational Land Institute’s annual Skyfarm Harvest Feast. Held on October 19 at Post Houston, the meal will utilize produce grown at Blackwood's Skyfarm on the Post’s roof. The evening includes a farm tour, passed appetizers, a multi-course seated dinner, and a performance by Pecos Hank Schyma along with Jo Bird.
"I love working with Blackwood," Grumman said in a statement. "What they produce is truly incredible and they have even introduced me to new plants and herbs that I love to incorporate into my cooking. Both of the Blackwood farms inspire me to cook in a true farm-to-table manner that represents Houston in such a positive way. We’re lucky to have them in our city and feeding our community.”Tickets, priced at $325 and $425, are on sale now. Sponsorship packages and tables are available as well. Proceeds benefit Blackwood’s education programming and other initiatives.


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Sainsbury's has said customers are starting to switch back from discounters Aldi and Lidl.
The UK's second biggest supermarket chain has been trying to regain ground after shoppers turned to cheaper rivals as the cost of living has soared.
It said customers who used to shop only at the discounters were now buying items in Sainsbury's too.
Grocery sales at Sainsbury's were up 10% in the six months to 16 September, compared with a year earlier.
Sainsbury's said the sales hike was driven not just by price rises, but by the fact that shoppers were also buying more items.
However, the supermarket's profit before tax dropped by 27% to £275m.
Clothing sales, in particular, were hit by a cooler summer and warm early autumn, reducing demand for seasonal items, the company said.
Household budgets have been hit hard by inflation, the rate at which prices rises.
As cost of living pressures squeeze shoppers, they have been turning to Aldi and Lidl as they hunt for bargains.
Both supermarket chains have been opening stores as they battle for shoppers with the more established players in the UK: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons.
Sainsbury's said it had not gained more of an overall share of the market, but it did claim that it was the only big supermarket to be winning back customers and gaining spend from Aldi and Lidl.
Its chief executive Simon Roberts said: "We know people are still finding things tough and we're working harder than ever to reduce our costs, putting the money back into our customers' pockets through lower prices on the products they buy most often."
He added: "Food inflation is coming down and we are passing savings on to customers."
Sainsbury's has been running an "Aldi price match" campaign as part of its battle.
However, Aldi said: "Shoppers know that the only place to get Aldi prices is at Aldi.
"That's why we've been confirmed as the UK's cheapest supermarket for 16 consecutive months, growing our market share and attracting around one million new customers."
Lidl said it did not comment on competitor activity.
Earlier this year, supermarkets were investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority after concerns that customers were overpaying for food and fuel.
The watchdog found that higher food costs had not been passed on in full to consumers and that people were shopping around to get the best deals.
But it said that customers had been overpaying for fuel.
Mr Roberts said on Thursday that the group's food price inflation was running at half the level reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with price cuts in some areas such as fresh food.
The ONS said in October that food price inflation remained high at 12.2% on an annual basis, but had been easing.


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The next iPhone could have a curved display screen, according to a new report
Two models with larger screens are in the works, a source told Bloomberg
New phones would likely be released in the third quarter of next year, source said
Report: Screens also would contain sensors that detect different levels of pressure
Apple is developing iPhones with curved-glass screens and enhanced sensors that detect different levels of pressure, according to a new report.
Two models — with screens of 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches —are in the works, and both would use glass that curves downward at the edges, Bloomberg reported, citing an anonymous source familiar with the plans. These screen sizes almost rival that of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3, which boasts a 5.7-inch screen.
For its part, Apple’s iPhone 5S has a 4-inch screen.
The new phones would likely be released in the third quarter of next year, the source said, adding that Apple is also testing “pressure-sensitive technology,” which won’t be ready for the next iPhone launch.
Curved glass has become a smartphone trend among major tech companies. Samsung last month released its Galaxy Round phone, which has a 5.7-inch curved display, while LG is set to release its G Flex phone, which is curved from top to bottom.
Apple has not confirmed any rumors, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
© 2015 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved.


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A bill introduced on Thursday would allow state-inspected meat processing facilities that meet federal standards to sell their products across state lines.
An exemption for livestock haulers from federal trucking regulations expires at the end of September, meaning lawmakers will need to act in the next month if the relief is to continue.
Tariffs against U.S. pork products are starting showing signs of long-term damage to the industry.
More tariffs on U.S. exports are set to go into effect next week, and American farmers and ranchers are growing increasingly concerned about how the trade war with China will impact their businesses.
A new food label called “The Bee Better Certification” is intended to help consumers identify which foods have been grown and produced in pollinator-friendly ways.
USDA has approved the sale of a landmark new insurance policy for dairy producers. Sign-up will begin on October 9th for the Dairy Revenue Protection policy, and coverage will be available for the first quarter of 2019.


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A trade delegation from Finland was due to arrive in Angola Tuesday on a three-day visit aimed at strengthening the commercial relations between the two countries.
The delegation will be led by the Finnish Minister of External Trade and Development, Paavo
Vayrynen, according to the state run ANGOP news agency.
While in Angola, the Minister will meet with several Angolan ministers.
During the visit, an economic forum will be organised in the capital city of Luanda for Finnish and Angolan entrepreneurs