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In a bid to compete with Snapchat and Instagram’s alternatives, Google has launched a “new visual storytelling format” called AMP Stories.
Google is the latest tech company to jump on the ‘Stories’ bandwagon, as it’s “AMP-ing up” its Accelerated Mobile Pages feature with its own version of Stories. The new format, AMP Stories allows publishers to combine text, images, videos, and graphics in single posts that can be indexed and surfaced in search. As a format, AMP Stories was built for mobile – as content is fast-loading, just like other AMP-ecosystem formats – but Google has also added support for desktop, allowing users to view and share content on different devices.
Searching for any of early-adopting big publishers, like CNN, Condé Nast, Hearst, Mashable, Meredith, Mic, Vox Media and The Washington Post, will lead to two tabs: “Top Stories From,” and “Visual Stories From.” AMP Stories appear in the latter.
In a recent blog post, Google AMP’s Product manager, Rudy Galfi, explained that AMP Stories will not have advertising from the outset, Google wants to allow publishers to be able to advertise within their content. More importantly, publishers will be able to keep 100% of the ad revenue from the feature. Recognising that advertising is a big part of any publisher’s monetisation strategy, Galfi explained that “Advertising is very important. Really great reporting and journalism needs to be funded somehow.”
At the moment, Google is concentrating on getting publishers involved, and will look into a “consumer-oriented approach” as it receives further feedback. Only then can the company “figure out how this will start to appear.” It’s not an easy game though, as it’s a challenge for publishers, “particularly small ones, to experiment or publish these types of stories.” The format takes some time to adjust to, and “necessitates close involvement of creative minds, journalists and other people at news organizations.”
Google describes AMP Stories as “immersive, fast, and open,” and main features include:
1. Support for rich visuals with native video and image performance
2. Storytelling through animations and tappable interactions
3. Support across mobile and desktop devices on the open web
4. Brings features on top of AMP’s component library to support features like analytics
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Imagine the Conversations
Monday, May 10, 2021
By Mike Chung, director, market intelligence, Auto Care Association
Never have I ever … missed an AAPEX
Never have I ever … seen so many DIY pleas for help
Never have I ever … seen so many delivery delays
“So much has changed” is an understatement. Our last in-person AAPEX was held a year and a half ago and since then, we have seen the world change. A year ago, we were adjusting our seatbelts as we watched key indicators like vehicle miles traveled (VMT) change amidst an environment of home offices, remote education and activity restrictions.
Resilient Society and Technology
Since the first detected COVID-19 cases in the United States, innovation has been tangible in myriad ways – to name a few:
- Video conferencing technology has seemingly reached all U.S. homes (take a trip down memory lane here)
- Vaccines were developed (here and below)
Society has (generally) complied with changing restrictions and requirements, even if they were unpopular and imperfect. Whether adjusting to mask, distance and disinfection requirements, many people adjusted their behaviors as best as they could, recognizing that we were building the plane while flying it.
Our own industry responded with agility and “can do” enthusiasm, with factories, distributors, repair shops, warehousers, installers, retailers and everyone in between modifying processes, production timelines and communication patterns to adapt to a dynamic work environment and economy.
Learnings Along the Way
2020 was more than the year of Zoom – it was also the year of the webinar. As each month of the pandemic advanced, aftermarket leaders asked numerous questions, including:
- How is this year going to end? Will it really go down 8.8% as forecast?
- What is happening with VMT? When will it go back to normal levels?
IHS Markit produces the channel forecast model, the results of which are published in early June (i.e., coming soon). Given the numerous jolts to the economy, the importance of testing and considering each model input would become more critical for this year’s analysis. One interesting point that IHS aftermarket leaders shared was that VMT was not simply a catch-all for the light vehicle market – rather, VMT patterns of non-essential workers evolved as distinctly different from those of essential workers.
Throughout the year, we saw DIY activity climb (raise your hand if you engaged in a home improvement project that you ordinarily would not have done last year) along with parts and accessories purchases via online channels. Statista reports that 9% of U.S. consumers transacted online for the first time in March 2020 due to physical distancing and self-quarantining practices. Similarly, the average number of new online shoppers rose by 12% in the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and Argentina between March-April 2020.
What will the future hold? Statista similarly found that 37% of U.S. consumers expected to increase online spending due to the pandemic. With the “first time” hurdle now cleared, the stickiness of e-commerce will be even more important for retailers and providers. eMarketer estimated that more than 7 million new ecommerce customers would emerge as a result of the pandemic. As illustrated below, the number of 45+ year-old individuals purchasing online at least once in a year is expected to continue growing in the next three years, toward 100 million in the United States.
As our industry (and others) watch how things unfold in 2021, I am confident that we will continue to not only adapt, but also learn from one another in a spirit of collaboration and mutual benefit. We continue to experience the unexpected – seemingly on a weekly basis – and respond as best as we can. After all, if we can survive, even flourish during a pandemic, supply chain disruptions, materials shortages and other “setbacks,” then I am confident that the aftermarket will continue to prove itself as a resilient industry.
A few weeks ago, I visited my local public library for the first time since the pandemic started. For reasons I cannot explain, I checked out a light fiction novel about a suburban mom’s adventures as class mom to her son’s third grade class (I’ve already shared too much). One of her dinner outings involved a game of “Never have I ever” with another couple.
Imagine the stories that will come at AAPEX in November: Never have I ever imagined our company would have to … Never have I ever extended payment terms because of a ship stuck in a canal halfway around the world … Never have I ever had to comb my hair before a conference call.
Aside from meeting new people and reuniting with others (“You haven’t aged a bit! Are you taller now?”), imagine the vignettes you’ll share with others and gain from newfound wisdom and relationships. No matter how instrumental technology has been to get us this far, you just can’t beat a face-to-face meeting. See you in Vegas! Registration is now open.
Mike Chung is director, market intelligence at Auto Care Association. With more than a dozen years of experience in market research, Chung provides the industry with timely information on key factors and trends influencing the health of the automotive aftermarket and serving as a critical resource by helping businesses throughout the supply chain to make better business decisions. Chung has earned degrees in chemical engineering, environmental health and business administration. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org

domain: news


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Android Nougat update list announced for Samsung smartphones
Despite their woes in 2016, there are millions of consumers walking around with Samsung handsets. As we creep closer to Android 8.0, the Android Nougat update is something consumers are wondering about. If you own a Samsung handset, you’ll be pleased to know the company has just unveiled their plans.
Despite carriers attempts to hold things back, Android updates have gotten speedier over the years. Outside of the Nexus/Pixel lineup, the wait can still be lengthy though, which is why those Android 7.0 update roadmaps have become so popular over the past year years. The Android Nougat update for Samsung devices will begin to trickle out soon, and we have a full list of devices that will receive it.
- Samsung Galaxy S6
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5
- Samsung Galaxy Tab A w/ S Pen
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 (LTE unlocked)
- Samsung Galaxy A3
- Samsung Galaxy A8
The Android 7.0 update will bring several new features to handsets. Samsung Pass is one of them as it will act as a universal key for sites that require logins. Access to this feature may vary by region, but everyone will get Performance mode. This offers up four modes including ones that can your battery or give you a boost during gaming. Multi Window and Quick Panel Notifications will be present as well along with a slew of other software tweaks.
Samsung will begin rolling out the Android Nougat update for the handsets we mentioned above something in Q1 of this year. We expect a few more to make that list as well, so we will keep you updated as there are several fan favorites that haven’t made the cut just yet.


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Today, the U.S. Postal Service detailed a loss of $540 million in its financial report for the first quarter for the new fiscal year. Given the peculiar financial management path that the Postal Service has taken in recent years, The American Consumers Institute (ACI) is hardly surprised by the organization losing over $65 billion over the last decade.
While commonsense dictates that such an indebted operation would look inward and make it a top priority reduce its expenses by any means necessary, the Postal Service has taken the opposite approach. In fact, the USPS’ “controllable” expenses, which is measured as the cost to its products and services before factoring in any retirement benefit payments, have risen each of the last four years. Since 2014, USPS spent $274.4 billion on product costs alone. How did this happen?
A primary explanation can be found in the Postal Service’s year-end financial report for 2017. Here management cites that higher costs have been “driven by the more labor-intensive Shipping and Package business.” Because these service lines are designated as “competitive market” products, instead of within Postal Service’s monopoly charter, the USPS doesn’t have to fully disclose key financial information. So, it is ultimately impossible to quantify how significantly Shipping and Packages are adding to the Postal Service’s losses.
We can, however, verify that letter mail service is highly profitable. ACI has discussed at length the financial successes of the USPS’ core products. In 2017, First-Class mail letter covered cost by 235%.
Because of this ACI has argued that the Postal Service should not further burden millions of captive mail customers with continued price increases. Regrettably, the Postal Regulatory Commission appears ready to reject this consumer-interested notion. A ruling last year sets the stage for dramatic price hikes on mail services for the next five years. This amounts to a simple maneuver to help pay for and keep its package business afloat.
Today’s losses only serve a stark reminder that there are alternatives. Analyzing the value of each USPS product on a standalone basis is essential to ensuring responsible management.


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Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell believes the legalisation of recreational cannabis would benefit patients who need cannabis for medical reasons.
“Let’s say the medical cannabis scheme is too strict, there are fewer products and the products that are available are very pricey – then the referendum becomes important.”
New Zealand’s medical cannabis scheme, which aims to give patients better access to medicines came into effect in April. The scheme allows GPs to prescribe CBD, as well as New Zealand-based growing.
However, Bell is still concerned about cost.
“A major barrier is still in place, being the cost of medicines, which face major hurdles in obtaining Pharmac or other price subsidies,” he wrote on the Drug Foundation’s website.
“We know that when patients are not able to obtain medicines from the formal scheme they will buy from the informal, illicit market, and face the risk of criminalisation.”
Although in favour of the referendum, Bell has voiced his concern about the set potency limit of 15 percent. He has suggested the Government lower the limit to 6 or 7 percent.
Family First national director Bob McCroskie is strongly against legalising cannabis for recreational use, as he believes it is harmful to the brain.
“This is not a ‘war on drugs’ – it is a defence of our brains. It is a fight for health and safety,” he wrote on his organisation’s website.
Family First is behind the ‘Say No to Dope‘ campaign, which aims to encourage families to vote ‘no’ in the upcoming referendum.


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The market regulator has given a final observation letter for the same. In Sebi's parlance a final observation letter implies a go-ahead for the public issue.
The Nashik-based company is a global energy efficiency solution company focused on electrical automation, metering and measurement, precision engineered products with diverse applications across industries including power, automotive and industrial sectors.
The company had filed preliminary IPO papers with Sebi in December last year. The issue consists of a fresh issue of equity shares worth up to Rs 75 crore and an offer-for-sale (OFS) of up to 9,417,500 equity shares by promoter and selling shareholders.
Asha Narendra Goliya will offload about 2,500,000 equity shares, while Rishabh Narendra Goliya will tender 400,000 equity shares and 517,500 equity shares will be offloaded by Narendra Rishabh Goliya (HUF). Meanwhile, SACEF Holdings II too will tender about 6,000,000 equity shares.
The company, in consultation with the lead bankers to the issue, may consider a Pre-IPO placement of Rs 15 crore. If such placement is completed, the issue size will be reduced accordingly.
The proceeds from the fresh issuance worth Rs 59.50 crores will be used towards financing the cost towards the expansion of Nashik manufacturing facility and general corporate purposes.
Rishabh Instruments’ revenue from operations increased by 20% from Rs 390 crore in fiscal 2021 to Rs 470 crore in fiscal 2022, driven by increase in revenue from sale of goods and from sale of services, whereas profit after tax grew 38% to Rs 49 crore in FY22.
For the six months ended September 30, 2022 revenue from operations stood at Rs 261 crore and profit after tax stood at Rs 17 crore.
DAM Capital Advisors, Mirae Asset Capital Markets (India) and Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors are the book-running lead managers and KFin Technologies is the registrar to the issue. The equity shares of the company are proposed to be listed on both -- NSE and BSE.
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The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said that the country’s fisheries industry suffers from “inadequate quality fisheries infrastructure and cold chain” facilities, which limits its competitiveness in the Southeast Asian region.
In its featured publication “Philippine fisheries trade with Asean: chokepoints to AEC 2015,” PIDS research fellow Danilo Israel listed the chokepoints in the competitiveness of the Philippine fisheries sector when compared to counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries, in line with the Asean Economic Community (AEC) by 2015.
“Results of the recent study [Briones and Israel 2013] indicated that domestic cold chain and warehousing and specialized storage facilities, in particular, are among the most important fisheries services but whose present provision remains unsatisfactory and needs improvement,” Israel said.
“The problem is critical to exporters of frozen fish who need adequate freezing and warehousing, and specialized storage facilities to maintain the high quality of their exported products,” he said.
Other than quality infra and cold chain facilities, Israel enumerated other chokepoints such as internal transport and logistics, import or export clearances, certification and permit processes, transparency and awareness of regulations, and nontariff measures.
The PIDS research fellow urged the addressing of the chokepoints, since this will increase the “Philippines’ chances of success to the upcoming AEC,” particularly for its fisheries sector.
“While the fish trade between the Philippines and other Asean countries is low at present, there is hope that if and when the AEC materializes, the situation could significantly improve,” Israel said.
“Aside from addressing the mentioned chokepoints, an important step that the government and fisheries associations can do together is to aggressively inform and educate fish traders about the AEC in general, and specifically on how it is likely to affect their individual businesses,” he added.
Data from the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics that cited in the publication showed the Philippines traded a total of $50 million in Asean by 2012—$37-million total exports and $12.1-million imports—which was higher than 2011’s $32 million. Israel noted that the country’s trade to Asean countries remained a small portion compared to worldwide trading.
Worldwide trade, on the other hand, showed that the Philippines in 2012 accounted $1 billion, which was higher than the previous year’s $820.4 million, with a breakdown of $811-million exports and $233-million imports.


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The October sales reports are in and they show Apple's has found its form. The iPhone 5s has outsold the Galaxy S4, according to the research firm, Counterpoint.
This was achieved, even though the iPhones weren't able to catch up with consumer demand, making many customers wait for their 5s goodness. The jump has been attributed to strong sales in China, where Apple raised it's market share by a whopping 9%, jumping from just 3% to 12% in October alone. Now that supply has increased, counterpoint expects a ramp up in sales.
"With a China Mobile deal on the horizon, Apple's iPhone 5s at all three [Chinese] carriers will for sure ignite a 'price war' boosting the overall iPhone 5s sales in China," Said Tom Kang, of Counterpoint. "This might allow Apple to even reach the No. 1 smartphone player in December or January in China."
Apple's iPhone 5 snagged second place, leaving the Galaxy S4 in third. The 5c was fourth, and the S3 and S4 mini claimed fifth and sixth.
Apple's aggressive move into China is clearly paying off for the Cupertino-based company. Let's see if the tech giant will continue to stay on top for the months to come.


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Scroll to find out more...
Matthias Goebel, General Manager South Europe at Bosch Rexroth describes how they operated during the pandemic and provides an overview of their key lessons learned. Digitalization has been an important trend for manufacturing industries, but it will face a new innovation boost in the upcoming future.
The debate of the pros and cons of an on-premises environment pitted against a cloud computing environment is a real one, and one that many manufacturers are having right now. Join this live session to hear the thoughts of cloud evangelists and why one manufacturer is choosing to remain on-prem irrespective.
The impact the pandemic has had on food and beverage manufacturers is vast, the impact it has had on retailers is even greater. Gregor Murray shares his thoughts on how manufacturers should take advantage of eCommerce as a direct route to market and whether the future of superstores is in the balance.
Paul Esherwood, editor of ERP Today chats with Will Stirling from Manufacturing Review and Phil Arnold who led the Covid-19 response at Mondelez. Phil explains how they continued to manufacture throughout the crisis and Will discusses the manufacturers who formed the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium.
Real world examples of smart manufacturing - driven by the integration of new technologies, such as AI, IoT, digital design, simulation, additive manufacturing and smart robotics. What can we do tomorrow with today's technology?
Manufacturers are evolving their business models to enable predictive maintenance, reduce energy consumption and prevent unplanned system downtime. Smart manufacturers are leveraging IIOT, big data, AI and AR to embrace servitization. Learn how manufacturers can transform their operations.
Monther Alharthi and Nisar Ahmed from Al Rabie in Saudi Arabia explain how the Covid-19 crisis is just the latest in a series of challenges they’ve had to survive. Alongside recent increases in VAT and custom duty, the business has had to withstand the 50% excise tax imposed at the end of 2019.
Aiman Al Maimani from Oman Munition Production Company explains how their business benefited from a strong supply chain, established before lockdown as a result of volatility in the region. And he answers the million-dollar question; what should businesses do differently after the pandemic?
Padma Rao and Ram Subramanian from Tata Consulting explore whether the Covid-19 situation has become the catalyst to this much needed and long-awaited change of focus for both functions, and what they must do to step up and support manufacturers to enjoy an agile and sustainable future.
Leonard Huray from LISI MEDICAL describes the impact Covid-19 had on the life sciences business, how they’ve adapted and implemented change and the importance of cross-skilling their workers to create a truly agile workforce for the future.
Turning around an ERP implementation project is difficult enough, but just imagine starting the project on the first day of lockdown. Watch this session to hear how Michael Dixon from PRÆSIDIAD took on the challenge of managing this project, moving it forward, getting to know his colleagues and training users, 100% virtually.
Operating sustainably offers benefits for all, but understanding the true value is an ongoing challenge, especially in a remotely connected digital environment. In this thought-provoking session, you will discover techniques for finding the value in your business with crowdsourcing digital methods.
The Covid-19 pandemic is continuing to disrupt the manufacturing world and companies have no choice but to rely on their technology and infrastructure to enable business continuity. How can business and HR leaders manage challenges and find opportunities in the new realities of working at home?
We talked to Sara Green, Business Integration Manager at SEAKR Engineering to learn how lockdown has impacted their business and how they’re ensuring that they adapt and move their company culture forward during the Covid-19 crisis.
Morten Fon, CEO of Jotun explains how they operated their global business during the pandemic, ensuring the health and wellbeing of their 10,000 employees was the priority. And whilst luck may have played its part, having a structured and organised business helps when the unforeseen occurs.
Dirk Leising, CEO of DMC Group talks us through the importance of leadership during a crisis. Why he believes in leading by example, the importance of communication and empathy and why leadership is more than just an impressive title. The stormier the seas, the calmer the captain must be.
Will Covid-19 act as a catalyst for a new delivery method for corporate growth or will we go back to how we were before the lockdowns? Will we de-risk and re-structure balance sheets and operations to be more reserved, or will global debt fuelled growth, which peaked at a record 322% in 2019, continue?
Wrapology’s co-founders share their vision for global manufacturing goods that are responsibly sourced. Learn how sustainability can drive your recovery in the short term, how your business can become more resilient by proven claims and why sustainability matters in the long term for your customer.
We talk to Farrow & Ball’s CEO Anthony Davey to discover how they adapted their business to cope with a sudden and dramatic shift in their customer buying behaviour, moving from bulk delivery to retailers to individual online sales to end customers.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization are changing how we do business. During this session we discuss a few of the major ways AI will change how we keep our organizations up and running during a crisis and we’ll break through the hype to talk about things it won’t do.
Alex Ivkovic, IT Director talks us through how CDF Corporation continued to manufacture during the Covid-19 crisis, how the autonomous vehicles operating on their shop floor enabled social distancing and how they’re planning for future disruption with temperature and mask wearing recognition kiosks.
Join this session to hear how IFS partner Cedar Bay were forced to change their working practices and embrace their full suite of technology to ensure business continuity, but as a result enabled more efficient and cost-effective implementations for their customers.
We have seen a lot of change over the past few months, both behavioral and social as well as economic, more people working from home, air quality improving, supply chains breaking and staff being furloughed, plus manufacturers taking new routes to market and sustainability now taking center stage.


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|Bid||50.29 x 1200|
|Ask||50.31 x 800|
|Day's Range||50.25 - 51.66|
|52 Week Range||49.92 - 69.13|
|Beta (3Y Monthly)||0.94|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||12.18|
|Earnings Date||Oct 30, 2019|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||2.28 (4.41%)|
|1y Target Est||58.72|
HENDERSONVILLE, TN / ACCESSWIRE / August 19, 2019 / The Law Offices of Timothy L. Miles, who has been leading the fight to protect shareholder rights for over 18 years, reminds investors that another purchaser ...
CEOs of consumer-facing brands have been careful to align their companies in partisan Trump era politics. Here are some of the business leaders who have thrown dollars behind the President.
Shareholder rights law firm Robbins Arroyo LLP announces that a purchaser of Molson Coors Brewing Company filed a derivative complaint against the company's directors and officers for breach of fiduciary duties.
Bragar Eagel & Squire is investigating certain officers and directors of Lannett Company, Inc. (LCI), Molson Coors Brewing Company (TAP), AxoGen, Inc. (AXGN), and American Renal Associates Holdings, Inc. (ARA) on behalf of long-term stockholders. Bragar Eagel and Squire is investigating certain officers and directors of Lannett Company, Inc. following a class action complaint that was filed against Lannett on November 16, 2016.
REGINA, Saskatchewan, Aug. 13, 2019 -- Merchant Law Group LLP (www.merchantlaw.com) a national class action litigation firm, is investigating whether Molson Coors Canada Inc..
Today we are going to look at Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE:TAP) to see whether it might be an attractive...
NEW YORK, Aug. 08, 2019 -- Bragar Eagel & Squire is investigating certain officers and directors of Grubhub, Inc. (NYSE: GRUB), Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE: TAP),.
NEW YORK, Aug. 07, 2019 -- Levi & Korsinsky announces it has commenced an investigation of Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE: TAP) concerning possible breaches of.
With markets selling off sharply, three dividend stocks will help you weather any storm, including Brookfield Renewable Partners LP (TSX:BEP.UN)(NYSE:BEP), which currently pays a 5.7% annual yield.
Nearly one year into legalization and with edibles right around the corner, is Hexo Corp (TSX:HEXO)(NYSE:HEXO) the top stock that cannabis investors should buy?
Here are three dividend-paying value stocks that investors should consider for inclusion in their TFSA accounts, including Molson Coors Brewing Co. (TSX:TPX.B)(NYSE:TAP), which raised its quarterly dividend by 39% in July.
NEW YORK, Aug. 01, 2019 -- Levi & Korsinsky announces it has commenced an investigation of Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE: TAP) concerning possible breaches of.
These two stocks, including Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSX:CM)(NYSE:CM), currently trade at 52-week lows, yet offer investors satisfying dividend yields of at least 4% annually or more with solid prospects for long-term growth potential.
U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday on a boost from Apple's upbeat earnings report, but a drop in chip stocks capped gains, while investors awaited a widely expected interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Apple said its greater China sales dipped only slightly, easing concerns around the impact of the U.S.-China trade war.
Investing.com - Molson Coors Brewing slumped Wednesday, with the company's CEO Mark Hunter announcing his retirement on a sour note after second-quarter results fell short of estimates.
Molson Coors (TAP) reports dismal top and bottom-line results in second-quarter 2019, thanks to soft volume, stemming from unfavorable weather and weak industry demand across the majority of its geographies.
TSX: TPX) has accepted the retirement of current President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Hunter, effective September 27, 2019 and has named Gavin Hattersley as Molson Coors President and Chief Executive Officer effective as of September 28, 2019. “After a 36-year career with the last 30 years in the beer business Mark Hunter indicated his desire to retire from his position as Molson Coors President and CEO in order to spend more time with his wife Fiona and two children,” said Andrew Molson, chairman of the Molson Coors Board.
Molson Coors (TAP) delivered earnings and revenue surprises of -7.88% and -2.17%, respectively, for the quarter ended June 2019. Do the numbers hold clues to what lies ahead for the stock?


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The American Bankers Association on Friday submitted comments to the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision concerning prudential treatment of banks’ cryptoasset exposures.
Insights from the 2022 Federal Reserve/CSBS survey of community banks.
The Treasury Department is seeking public input regarding illicit finance and national security risks posed by digital assets.
Federal regulators should “aggressively” pursue enforcement against illegal practices in digital asset markets and redouble efforts to monitor consumer complaints about bad actors, according to a series of interagency reports released today by the Treasury Department.
Withdrawing OCC cryptocurrency interpretive letters won’t benefit consumers and investors or promote a safe and secure marketplace, ABA says.
Spending on TV ads by cryptocurrency firms fell this summer amid a decline in bitcoin and other crypto prices.
The FDIC today sent cease-and-desist letters to five companies that the agency alleges misled consumers into believing that cryptocurrency assets are covered by FDIC deposit insurance.
In a supervisory letter issued yesterday, the Federal Reserve said that Fed-supervised banks seeking to engage in activities related to cryptocurrency and other digital assets must first assess whether such activities are legally permissible and determine whether any regulatory filings are required.
Oversight and supervision should be applied to banks and nonbanks engaged in digital asset activities alike to ensure all customers are protected equally.
The FDIC issued an advisory to banks today regarding what it says are misrepresentations by some cryptocurrency companies that their products are eligible for FDIC deposit insurance coverage or that customers are FDIC-insured if the crypto company fails.


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By Dominic Mason, Managing Director SEA, Sedgwick Richardson –
Over the last three years, cosmetics and beauty brands have made massive strides in a move towards sustainability. Consumer demand for sustainable ingredients and packaging, backed by substantiating actions and metrics, are the main drivers.
The Benchmarking Company surveyed more than 2,000 individuals in 2019 and 2022 to uncover how consumer attitudes have changed regarding sustainable products. Today, 64% said that sustainability was important, up from 58% back in 2019. On the other hand, consumers also say that they have trouble finding products that are sustainable or animal-cruelty-free.


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REITs Are In Sell Mode In D.C., With Billions Of Dollars In Property On The Market
Record sale prices and concerns over the economic cycle have turned many public REITs with large D.C.-area holdings into sellers this year.
D.C.-area REITs including JBG Smith, AvalonBay Communities, Washington REIT, Host Hotels and others have all closed major property sales this year or reportedly have large portfolios on the market, a sign that the publicly traded real estate firms are engaging in similar strategies of selling off assets.
“People are cognizant of where we’re at in the cycle. It’s the later stages, and the transaction market is active and there are different buyers out there today," said Robert W. Baird Senior Research Analyst Michael Bellisario, who covers lodging REITs. "So if you want to sell assets you don’t want to own for the next five years, now is a good time to sell. That’s what we’re seeing not just in the hotel market, but broadly across real estate."
JBG Smith has been one of the most active sellers among the D.C.-area REITs. The Montgomery County-based REIT unveiled a strategy in March to unload assets in what it sees as a seller's market. It has since raised over $549M through a string of sales and recapitalizations, most recently the $65M sale of the Lion Building in Northwest D.C.
"We plan to continue to capitalize on the current environment to raise attractively priced capital," JBG Smith CEO Matt Kelly said in a release Thursday announcing the deal.
AvalonBay Communities sold an Arlington, Virginia, apartment building for $169M in August, part of a nationwide strategy it has pursued this year. The REIT has sold eight communities totaling $620M in 2018 and raised another $610M by selling an 80% stake in a five-property New York City portfolio. It has also acquired four communities for $335M, but that was dwarfed by its selling activity.
"We have been opportunistically funding acquisition and development activity through the transaction market," AvalonBay Chief Investment Officer Matt Birenbaum said on an earnings call Tuesday. "This year we are net sellers of $895M, providing capital to fund investment activity."
The strategy of REITs turning to property sales to raise capital comes as a result of the struggling stock prices the REIT market has experienced recently, said Georgetown University professor Jonathan Morris, a former Boston Properties executive who now teaches a course on REITs.
Because their stock prices are down, REITs can't raise equity because it would dilute their existing shareholders, Morris said, so they must turn to asset sales.
"What you’re seeing in the Washington market is a bifurcation, where you’ve got private sector guys who are pretty active in the development space; they’re busy building and buying stuff," Morris said. "The REITs on the other hand, not all of them, but many, are selling things and they call it capital recycling."
The strategy of selling assets has also made sense because of elevated pricing levels in the D.C. market, which Morris said is driven by an influx of foreign capital.
"Foreign investors have typically led the way in pricing," Morris said. "If you look at the last five to 10 sales of office buildings in D.C., you'll see prices between $1K/SF and $1,200/SF, and you're going to see a foreign entity buying it or a U.S. entity buying it for a foreign client."
Washington REIT this summer sold an office building in D.C.'s West End for $102M, and in January it closed on the sale of an Alexandria office complex for $93M. It bought an Arlington office tower for $250M, making it a net buyer on the office side, but reports indicate it could be selling out of another property type. Bloomberg reported in September WashREIT is looking to sell its entire retail portfolio, which could go for roughly $800M. WashREIT CEO Paul McDermott declined to comment on the report in an earnings call last week.
Green Street Advisors Director of REIT Research Cedrik Lachance, who said he has no inside knowledge beyond the public reports, said selling its retail portfolio would be a logical course of action for WashREIT.
"It would certainly make strategic sense for them to exit the retail business," Lachance said. "The public market tends to prefer more focused companies rather than those diversified across property types."
Another REIT looking to focus its holdings on a specific property type is Liberty Property Trust. The REIT's CEO told analysts last week it would sell its entire office portfolio, including four Downtown D.C. properties, to make its portfolio entirely industrial assets.
Bethesda-based Host Hotels in September sold two New York City hotels for $613M. The REIT is also marketing a 12-property portfolio that includes two hotels in the D.C. region, Bellisario said. Part of Host's strategy is focused on reducing its New York City holdings because of conditions in that market, Bellisario said, but it is also looking to shed assets nationwide.
“More broadly they are selling other assets or they’re attempting to sell other assets, that is more of a portfolio cleanup," Bellisario said. "They’re selling lower quality, lower growth, higher [capital expenditure] properties that they don’t want to own five or 10 years from now.”
Other Bethesda-based lodging REITs are selling assets as a result of recent mergers. RLJ Lodging Trust has sold $600M of assets over the last 12 months, it said in a September press release. Bellisario said those are largely assets that it acquired from last year's $7B merger with FelCor Lodging Trust that it does not consider core to its strategy.
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust and LaSalle Hotel Properties, two Bethesda-based lodging REITs, are working to close their $5.2B merger before year-end. The merged company plans to sell three hotels in New York and San Francisco, and its CEO said it plans to sell an additional $500M to $1B in assets, though he did not say in which markets.


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: As Rovio looks to transition away from being solely a mobile game company, the Angry Birds
studio today announced multiple new hires from other industries.
Today the company brought on a handful of new executives, including Randi Spieker, Joe Lawson and Paul Bufton, who will look to diversify Rovio's portfolio outside of games, including animation, books and location-based avenues.
The company has hired people with backgrounds at Mattel, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. in a bid to make this transition from games company to entertainment company run more smoothly.
Following decreased earnings earlier this year
, Rovio said that it was very eager to push its new Angry Birds
business ventures, including animation and video distribution, at an equal pace to its core video game business.


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Tourism traffic for August is picking up pace particularly in mainland Greece destinations while British travelers are still hitting Greek shores despite Brexit fears and the devaluation of the pound against the euro.
In the meantime, hoteliers countrywide are rubbing their hands, confirming Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) President Andreas Andreadis’ forecasts that tourism will exceed last year’s record growth with August and September bookings making up for lost ground.
“July was not a very good month but August made up for it,” Dimitris Pollalis, president of the Laconia Hotel Association, told Greek financial daily Naftemporiki.
“There were no vacancies, very high occupancy rates, many people touring the area and demand appears to remain high for September too,” he adds.
Evia hoteliers concur, with the president of the association there, Militadis Helmis, saying occupancy rates have increased and more foreign tourists are visiting the island due to the wide variety of alternative sports options on offer.
At the same time, however, hoteliers across mainland Greece are pointing to a drop in domestic tourism with the number of Greek vacationers dwindling and the spending dropping even more.
“Consumption has dropped as in most parts of the country. In the past, people would come to a hotel for a meal or a coffee whether or not they had room. This doesn’t happen anymore,” Aitoloakarnania Hotelier Association President Christos Kostakopoulos adds.
In the meantime, Brexit fears haven’t as yet affected tourism to Greece. “Arrivals from Britain seem to be going very well and we haven’t seen a changing trend after the referendum. There seem to be no problems in bookings and arrivals since Brexit has been postponed for the future,” said Yiannis Retsos, president of the Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers.
Mr Retsos added that it was too soon to gauge next season’s traffic without knowing the pound-euro exchange rate.


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The Clubhouse has recently become one of the most popular social media apps in India. It has created a lot of hype amongst the Indian content creators with a lot of clubhouse rooms being formed in the month of May 2021. The app is available for both Android and iOS in India, even though the audio-chat app is already popular among the users, it has plans to reach more people around the world and expand its community. Let’s look at the future plans of the clubhouse in India.
Clubhouse on Removal of Invite-only feature
The company has plans to remove the invite-only feature by the end of this year. There is no information regarding the exact time for removing the invite-only feature as of now. However, if you are a Clubhouse user, you would already know that you can use the app only if your invitation is accepted by your friend or an existing clubhouse user.
On 3 June 2021, the clubhouse had confirmed that it has plans to expand its user base and to remove the invite-only feature by making it open for all. This would mean that anyone would be able to download the app, join the social media application and add rooms depending on their interest.
Rohan Seth on the Growth of Clubhouse
The co-founder of Clubhouse Rohan Seth had conveyed that they were still new to the space and that they are trying their best to grow slowly. He added that the main aim of the audio-chat app is to add in more users and to remove the invite only feature.
He conveyed that the company will have to align and invest into the infrastructure before removing the invite-only feature. However, he conveyed that the goal of the company is to provide the app support to everyone. He has also mentioned that the invite only feature of the Clubhouse had helped the app to build a loyal and strong community in a short span.
Clubhouse on its Payment Service launch in India
The audio-chat platform had also conveyed that they were soon planning to release a payments service in India. As of now, the clubhouse payment service is available only in the United States. The executive of the company had conveyed that before releasing its payment service on a global level, the company wants to ensure that the experience would be smooth.
He added that the company has plans to release the payments service only to a few countries outside the United States which includes India. The main reason for it is because the app has become very popular in the country.
The introduction of the payment service into the clubhouse for India would help the content creators to monetize their content and the information.
Further plans of Clubhouse
The CEO of the company Rohan Seth had also conveyed that the app is planning to launch new features bringing in better discoveries and recommendations for the users. He said that the app is planning to work on recommending more rooms for the users and adding features that will help them connect better.
He added that the company is also working on the discovery features of the clubhouse which will offer a smooth experience for the community. The app is planning to work on localization features and to bring in more support to various languages which will help to connect with more people around the globe.
Some of the features which the company plans to bring to users include ticketing, subscriptions and tipping. These features will make it much more easier for the content creators to monetize their content on the clubhouse platform.
In the initial stages clubhouse was available only on the iOS platform and later on, was released for the Android users as well which created a lot of hype among the users and the company saw an overwhelming response. The app has recorded around 2 million users on Android.
What is the valuation of Clubhouse?
Clubhouse has reached a valuation of $4 billion as of 2021.
Who is the Founder of Clubhouse?
Clubhouse was founded by Rohan Seth and Paul Davison in 2020.
Who is the CEO of Clubhouse?
Paul Davison is the CEO and Founder of popular social media platform Clubhouse.


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No matter what happens following the fallout from Britain voting to leave the European Union, PSD2 is still going ahead as planned. Whether its laws make their way to the UK’s shores or lose steam before the Channel and be replaced by the Open Data Initiative, the country played a huge part in crafting the legislation and it is important to understand what is the timeline for the regulation.
Here is an infographic from Digital Baobab that charts PSD2 from its nascence three years ago and looks towards the future and its implementation.
Source: Digital Baobab
Ford Motor Co and Amazon have announced a collaboration that will see Amazon’s Alexa integrated into Ford vehicles as a voice-activated digital assistant.
The government has confirmed that the £1 coin will be replaced for the first time in 30 years. The new coin is said to be the "most secure" coin due to a number of new features that will make it much more difficult to counterfeit.
Christmas is a time for family, friends, love and Christmas TV, and new research shows that one more thing that people do during Christmas is...Christmas shopping.
Never mind the Twelve Days of Christmas -- here are twelve essential facts that all retailers should know about the m-commerce revolution and mobile payments going into 2017.


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BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Amid mounting external uncertainties, China has rolled out an array of policies to stabilize expansion of foreign trade with new measures unveiled by the State Council on Wednesday expected to inject new impetus into the sector.
China will improve its fiscal and tax policies to further lower the country's overall import tariff level, refine export tax rebate policies and speed up the tax rebate process, a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided Wednesday.
Li also called for efforts to strengthen financial support for foreign trade firms.
In line with international trade rules, these measures are conducive to enhancing competitiveness of enterprises operating in China, said Li Yong from the China Association of International Trade, noting that measures taken by government to beef up foreign trade since last year had paid off.
Thanks to firm policy support, China's foreign trade in merchandize hit a record high of 30.51 trillion yuan (about 4.5 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2018, up 9.7 percent year-on-year.
The sound momentum continued to gather strength since the beginning of this year. In the first five months, China's foreign trade of goods rose 4.1 percent year-on-year to reach 12.1 trillion yuan, reporting strong resilience and a more balanced structure.
China will explore and propose more special types of insurance for foreign trade enterprises, guide financial institutions to increase foreign trade financing support to small and medium-sized enterprises and improve the convenience of RMB settlement, according to a statement released after the meeting.
To stabilize foreign trade, the key is to further expand opening up and focus on enhancing the endogenous power of enterprises through market-oriented reforms and by economic means, the statement said.
The latest move to stabilize foreign trade came after China declared new opening-up measures at the G20 summit and released revised negative lists for market access of foreign investment, which allow foreign investors to run majority-share-controlling or wholly-owned businesses in more sectors.
Meanwhile, business environment encouraging sustainable growth of foreign trade has been continuously enhanced as the establishment of six new pilot free trade zones (FTZs), and expansion of the Shanghai FTZ is already underway.
As more policy dividends are expected to unleash larger potential for the growth of foreign trade, market players have already strengthened their presence in the world's second largest economy.
Data from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) showed Thursday that in the first half of 2019, a total of 20,131 new foreign-funded enterprises were established in China, showing that the country remains a magnet for investment among global investors.
Wednesday's meeting also called for faster development of new industries, including cross-border e-commerce, and enhancing trade facilitation by simplifying import and export documents, cutting customs clearance time and reducing port charges.
These measures will bring tangible benefits to enterprises and help them to forge stronger competitiveness, said Bai Ming, deputy director of the International Market Research Department under the MOC.


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LAS VEGAS (AP) — The gambling industry is bouncing back more slowly than the rest of the U.S. economy, according to the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Stephen Brown, director of the center, told business leaders Monday at an economic conference in Las Vegas that southern Nevada's economy is entering its third year of modest recovery.
He said the number of visitors to Las Vegas remains lower than it was before the recession, but said it may soon eclipse the high water mark set in 2007.
He added that the once-booming commercial construction industry has not yet begun to turn around.
"We're looking at very little growth in hotel and motel rooms," he said. "There aren't really any projects that are on the books."
The recession has changed the profile of the tourists visiting the area. Las Vegas is luring fewer long-distance travelers and seeing more road-trippers, even as gas prices have soared.
"We're seeing a shift toward people driving in from California as that economy has recovered," Brown said.
Visitors to Las Vegas are generally staying longer and paying more for hotels. But they are also gambling less and staying away from retail shops.
The downturn is forcing the region to diversify. Before 2007, the construction, tourism, gambling and hospitality industries crowded out other sectors, Brown said. As those industries have tumbled, they have freed up resources for use in other areas.
The company management sector, which includes bank holding companies, shows particular promise.
Casino revenue has historically grown faster than the rest of the economy, but is now recovering more slowly. Brown expects this trend to continue until the U.S. economy has fully recovered.
Gambling revenue on the Las Vegas Strip increased by 2.5 percent in 2012, but grew at a slower rate than it did in 2011. Revenue was 9 percent lower during the first nine months of 2012 than it was in 2007.
Brown linked continued troubles in the Las Vegas economy to the nation's stalled growth. He said the fate of the area is unusually tied to a continued national recovery.
"We're dependent on U.S. growth, particularly in the west, because we are tourism-dependent economy," he said.
Nevada's neighbors are likely four or five years away from a full recovery, Lee McPheters, an economics professor at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, told conference attendees.
"Western states are recovering; they're not recovered," he said. "What is driving the western economy? Nothing."


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As retailers assess what worked and what didn’t in terms of Black Friday promotions and Thanksgiving weekend sales, overall there are a few things that stand out.
The early opening hours, 10 p.m. at Walmart and midnight at many others, made it easier for more people to participate while unseasonably warm weather nationwide contributed to an unprecedented level of shopper traffic the National Retail Federation put just north of 80 million. Not surprisingly, the huge volume of people translated to record sales and the momentum carried over to Cyber Monday when a new online sales record also was set.
The other positive takeaway that didn’t get much attention is the fact that no one died or was seriously injured, and there were relatively few incidents of shoppers gone wild. Granted, those instances where shoppers did behave poorly quickly found there way on to YouTube and the footage is disturbing to watch. However, if you think about the mass of humanity that turns out for Black Friday and the competitive instincts that kick in when cash-strapped shoppers vie for limited quantities of discounted merchandise it is surprising there weren’t more incidents of quick-tempered shoppers pushing, shoving, getting knocked down, tearing apart displays and generally behaving in a manner you can only hope they regretted the next day.
While crowd control measures are far from perfect at Walmart stores, the retailer deserves credit for addressing some of the shortcomings that existed just a few years ago when a worker at a store in Long Island, New York was trampled. Moving availability of the first round of Black Friday deals forward to 10 p.m. surely helped because stores were already open, which meant shoppers didn’t have to wait outside in a line, a feature the retailer called out in advertising. The staggered availability of deals meant after the first wave at 10 p.m., others kicked in at midnight and still others at 8 a.m. It also helped that store maps showing the location of featured items were available on the Internet so as to simplify the challenge of finding goods in stores choked with people.
Even with these measures in place, some stores’ parking lots will never be large enough nor the aisles wide enough to accommodate the mass of humanity that feels compelled to visit Walmart on Black Friday. Ultimately, these people bear responsibility for their actions and when they choose to behave in a civil manner or like crazed animals devouring the last shreds of meat from a picked over carcass.
It would be one thing if on Black Friday Walmart employees had incited pandemonium by shooting wads of $100 bills out of T-shirt cannons, essentially the retail equivalent of shouting “fire!” in a crowded theater. Then maybe some of the bad behavior shown on YouTube would be understandable, but Walmart is simply offering discounted prices on popular electronics, toys and other goods that are widely available at competitors at comparable prices which hardly warrant any type of unruliness.
Nevertheless, we are talking Walmart here so the onus is always going to be on the company to provide a safe environment in which customers can shop. That means thinking through every potential thing that could go wrong when formulating a Black Friday strategy, but even then it seems there will always be some shoppers whose behavior defies logic and they will be the one who wind up on YouTube.


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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in 2½ years in the second quarter with all sectors contributing to the jump in output in a bullish signal for the remainder of the year.
The Commerce Department on Friday raised its estimate of gross domestic product to show the economy expanded at a 4.6 percent annual rate. That was in line with Wall Street's expectations.
The best performance since the fourth quarter of 2011 reflected a faster pace of business spending and sturdier export growth than previously estimated.
But consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, was unrevised as stronger health care outlays were offset by weaknesses in recreation and durable goods spending.
With domestic demand increasing at its fastest pace since 2010, the economic recovery appeared more durable after growth slumped in the first quarter because of an unusually cold winter.
So far, economic data such as manufacturing, trade and housing suggest that much of the second-quarter momentum spilled over into the third quarter. Growth estimates for the July-September quarter range as high as a 3.6 percent pace.
Second-quarter GDP was previously estimated to have advanced at a 4.2 percent rate. The economy contracted at a 2.1 percent pace in the first quarter.
The dollar extended gains against a basket of currencies on the report. U.S. stock index futures were little changed.
The strong growth pace and domestic demand growth help to explain the robust job gains during the quarter, as well as the sharp decline in the unemployment rate.
When measured from the income side, the economy grew at a robust 5.2 percent pace, revised up from the previously reported 4.7 percent rate.
Business spending on equipment was raised to an 11.2 percent pace from a 10.7 percent rate. Businesses also invested more in nonresidential structures, such as gas drilling, as well as in research and development.
Businesses accumulated $84.8 billion worth of inventory in the second quarter, a bit more than the previously reported $83.9 billion. That saw restocking contributing 1.42 percentage points to GDP growth rather than 1.39 percentage points.
Still, there is little sign of an inventory overhang, a positive signal for third-quarter GDP growth.
Growth in consumer spending was unrevised at a 2.5 percent rate in the second quarter.
Though trade was a drag for a second consecutive quarter, export growth was raised to an 11.1 percent pace, the fastest since the fourth quarter of 2010, from a 10.1 percent rate.
Housing market-related spending was revised up as was government spending.
Corporate profits rebounded a bit more strongly than previously reported from a decline in the first quarter that had been spurred by the expiration of a depreciation bonus.
9 Numbers That'll Tell You How the Economy's Really Doing
U.S. Economy Gains Steam, Expands at Brisk Pace in 2Q
The gross domestic product measures the level of economic activity within a country. To figure the number, the Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the total consumption of goods and services by private individuals and businesses; the total investment in capital for producing goods and services; the total amount spent and consumed by federal, state, and local government entities; and total net exports. It's important, because it serves as the primary gauge of whether the economy is growing or not. Most economists define a recession as two or more consecutive quarters of shrinking GDP.
The CPI measures current price levels for the goods and services that Americans buy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects price data on a basket of different items, ranging from necessities like food, clothing and housing to more discretionary expenses like eating out and entertainment. The resulting figure is then compared to those of previous months to determine the inflation rate, which is used in a variety of ways, including cost-of-living increases for Social Security and other government benefits.
The unemployment rate measures the percentage of workers within the total labor force who don't have a job, but who have looked for work in the past four weeks, and who are available to work. Those temporarily laid off from their jobs are also included as unemployed. Yet as critical as the figure is as a measure of how many people are out of work and therefore suffering financial hardship from a lack of a paycheck, one key item to note about the unemployment rate is that the number does not reflect workers who have stopped looking for work entirely. It's therefore important to look beyond the headline numbers to see whether the overall workforce is growing or shrinking.
The trade deficit measures the difference between the value of a nation's imported and exported goods. When exports exceed imports, a country runs a trade surplus. But in the U.S., imports have exceeded exports consistently for decades. The figure is important as a measure of U.S. competitiveness in the global market, as well as the nation's dependence on foreign countries.
Each month, the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures changes in the total amount of income that the U.S. population earns, as well as the total amount they spend on goods and services. But there's a reason we've combined them on one slide: In addition to being useful statistics separately for gauging Americans' earning power and spending activity, looking at those numbers in combination gives you a sense of how much people are saving for their future.
Consumers play a vital role in powering the overall economy, and so measures of how confident they are about the economy's prospects are important in predicting its future health. The Conference Board does a survey asking consumers to give their assessment of both current and future economic conditions, with questions about business and employment conditions as well as expected future family income.
The health of the housing market is closely tied to the overall direction of the broader economy. The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, named for economists Karl Case and Robert Shiller, provides a way to measure home prices, allowing comparisons not just across time but also among different markets in cities and regions of the nation. The number is important not just to home builders and home buyers, but to the millions of people with jobs related to housing and construction.
Most economic data provides a backward-looking view of what has already happened to the economy. But the Conference Board's Leading Economic Index attempts to gauge the future. To do so, the index looks at data on employment, manufacturing, home construction, consumer sentiment, and the stock and bond markets to put together a complete picture of expected economic conditions ahead.


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REGINA – BUSINESS – While many farmers are planning their seeding for 2018, Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) agriculture economists have five trends they want to plant in the minds of Canadian producers, food processors, and retailers.
“Agriculture is a dynamic sector that is interconnected with so many local and global economic trends,” said J.P. Gervais, chief agricultural economist for FCC. “Making sense of those top trends allows the agriculture and agri-food sectors to identify possible challenges and opportunities in 2018.”
Adding value to Canadian farm products
The investment climate for Canadian agriculture infrastructure is heating up as more food handling and processing facilities are expected to be built across the country to meet increasingly complex consumer preferences at home and abroad.
“The economic environment for investment in Canadian food processing remains favourable, given low-interest rates and strong demand for food, both domestically and globally,” Gervais said.
He said significant investments in food processing that were announced in 2017 are expected to come online within the next two years. These investments support the approach outlined by the Advisory Council on Economic Growth, which called for targeted investments in Canada’s agriculture and food industry to support its global growth potential.
“The ability to add value to farm products will continue to strengthen Canadian agriculture, as well as benefit the entire economy,” Gervais said.
A strong balance sheet is the best farm asset
The theory that a strong balance sheet is a farmer’s best defense against changing economic and market conditions could be put to the test in 2018, according to Gervais.
He said most Canadian producers have built strong balance sheets in recent years, thanks to a significant appreciation in farm incomes and asset values, particularly land, which represents almost 70 percent of the value of total farm assets.
Farmland values will continue to increase in 2018, but lose a bit of steam due to moderate projections for income growth. The Canadian dollar is expected to hover just below the 80-cent mark this year, which will help support farm income, however, global production trends suggest it’s unlikely commodity prices will generally increase in 2018.
“Most farm operations are in a good financial position to weather most significant economic changes,” Gervais said, adding that strong working capital – along with a sound risk management plan – can help producers through short-term economic and market disruptions.
Global economy shines bright on Canada
Trade negotiations and protectionism abroad can be cause for anxiety among Canadian producers, food processors, and exporters, but the global economy is a source for optimism, according to Gervais.
“The global economic environment will sustain strong demand for Canadian food products and commodities as the world economy strengthens in 2018,” said Gervais, adding it’s important to look beyond the daily headlines. “Wages in both developing economies and North America should continue to climb, giving consumers more income to spend on food.”
While there is always the potential for disruptions, Gervais believes Canada is in a unique position to expand its markets in 2018.
“We have important trade advantages that will enable us to grow our exports of some of the world’s fastest-growing food products,” he said. “Potential new opportunities will be created through the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Europe and growth in emerging markets.”
Keeping up with consumer buying habits
Technology, combined with growing consumer desire for convenience and choice, are causing significant ripples throughout Canada’s food processing and retail sectors, according to Gervais.
“It’s creating a domino effect,” Gervais said. “Traditional retailers are now looking to food processors to supply them with unique products that can separate them from the competition. These trends are also changing the supplier-buyer relationship, as more consumers are buying locally grown food directly from producers.”
Specialty foods are also growing in popularity, thanks in part to the convenience of online shopping, and there’s a growing number of consumers who choose brands that reflect their values.
Fueling opportunities on the farm
Ever since plow horses overtook combustion engines, Canadian farmers have mainly relied on fossil fuels to power their equipment and heat their barns. That’s not going to change much in 2018, even with the promotion of renewable energy.
What might change, according to Gervais, is that a growing demand for biofuels could open more opportunities for agricultural commodities to be used in their production.
“While the U.S. ethanol and biodiesel markets are expected to provide stability to the overall demand for corn and vegetable oil, new ethanol targets at home and abroad could create more opportunities for agricultural commodities,” he said.
Meanwhile, abundant supplies of fossil fuels are expected to keep energy prices down on the farm, as well as limit inflationary pressures on farm fertilizers, which are produced using fossil fuels, such as natural gas, coal, and oil.
By sharing agriculture economic knowledge and forecasts, FCC provides solid insights and expertise to help those in the business of agriculture achieve their goals. For more agriculture economic insights or to read more on the top trends for 2018, visit the FCC Ag Economics blog at www.fcc.ca/AgEconomics.


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TV and broadband businesses are again tops among public companies in the Denver area.
Companies spun off from John Malone’s Liberty Media Corp. (Nasdaq: LMCA) and Charlie Ergen’s Dish Network Corp. (Nasdaq: DISH) dominate the top ranks of this year’s Denver Business Journal list of largest public companies by market capitalization.
Investors’ enthusiasm for cable TV, Internet infrastructure and online retailers plumped up the values of the Douglas County-based e-commerce and media businesses, while falling gold prices knocked Greenwood Village-based Newmont Mining Co. down from the first place position its had in recent years to tenth this year.
What Liberty Media, Liberty Global plc (Nasdaq: LBTYA), Liberty Interactive (Nasdaq: LINTA) and Dish Network share is growth connected to booming consumer Internet use, and a longterm business focus on making the companies’ stock more valuable.
“Each one of these companies has a management team that really focuses on shareholder value, not just running a business well but making sure there’s value being created for investors,” said Gerard Hallaren, a Denver-based analyst who follows broadband and media companies for Janco Partners.
Liberty Interactive spun off from the main Liberty company in late 2011, and its stock value has climbed steadily since.
Liberty Interactive is the parent company of the QVC shopping network, which has grown from a U.S. cable TV shopping channel into an international retailer on TV and online, with $8.6 billion in annual sales and added 3.8 million new customers in 2013.
Matthew Harrigan, a Denver-based media stock analyst for Wunderlich Securities, believes there’s more growth to come.
QVC owns 9 percent of Beijing-based CNR Home Shopping Co. Ltd., a joint venture that owns the CNR Mall TV channel and online commerce business. The joint venture has more than 35 million viewers. It’s considered an emerging growth engine for Liberty Interactive if it achieves something similar to QVC’s market share among the vast number of Chinese consumers.
Unused mobile phone Internet frequencies are what drove the rise in value at Dish Network, the nation’s third-largest paid-TV company with 14 million subscribers. The Douglas County-based satellite TV company has assembled swaths of largely unused frequencies Dish is authorized to use in wireless broadband for mobile phones and other devices.
Dish has become the largest owner of such spectrum outside the big mobile phone carriers. Some observers believe the Dish spectrum is worth as much as $18 billion, about three times more than Ergen’s company paid for it.
“He bought spectrum, and, like a good land developer, he got it converted from pasture to zoned residential. Dish gets a good mark up in its stock price for that, and it deserves it,” Hallaren said.
The cluster of Liberty companies near the top of the DBJ’s public companies list is partly explained by their use of different stock classes and tracking stocks, which makes it look like there are seven Liberty-related companies in the top 20 when there are only three actual businesses.
Liberty Global, the European cable powerhouse in Malone’s empire, has become the biggest multinational player in European broadband.
The cable company bought some of the largest cable TV operations in Germany, the Netherlands and England in the past four years. It’s pushing harder to sell more interactive TV technologies and triple-play bundles of broadband, TV and voice services, akin to what’s happened in the U.S. over the past decade.
Investors have embraced its stock, the price of which has been bolstered by CEO Mike Fries’ multibillion-dollar share buyback program.
Liberty Media also owns 26 percent of Charter Communications, a Stamford, Connecticut-based cable TV provider that may soon become the nation’s second-largest paid TV company after a three-way deal with Comcast and Time Warner that will nearly double Charter’s subscriber count. Liberty Media plans to spin off those holdings into a company called Liberty Broadband later this year.
After that, Liberty Media Corp. will be the holding company for the controlling stake it holds in Sirius XM satellite radio, its large stake in Live Nation convert promotion and ticketing giant, and its ownership of the Atlanta Braves baseball team. Amy Yong, an analyst with Macquarie Capital Inc., estimates Liberty Media Corp.’s share price could rise nearly 20 percent as a result.
The creation of a Liberty Broadband spinoff also means there may be a new entrant to look for on next year’s list.


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Virtual reality takes center stage at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. More than 250 companies at the fair, offering everything from VR goggles to virtual casinos.
Next week, tens of thousands of tech enthusiasts will flock to the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to discover the latest gadgets and the companies behind them. Here's a sneak peek at what we can expect.
The world’s largest gathering of the mobile industry is currently underway in Barcelona. From service with an artificial smile to exhilarating VR experiences, here are the highlights of what’s on show.
The World Mobile Congress gets underway in Barcelona on Monday and one highlight is the reported relaunch of the Nokia 3310. In parts of Africa, simpler phones are coveted because they are robust and cheap.
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Miramax on Tuesday announced that it has signed its first-ever international digital rights agreement, making 140 of its titles available to stream on Netflix in Latin America.
Netflix began its launch into 43 Latin American and Caribbean countries yesterday, so it’s certainly not wasting any time in getting high-quality streaming content there. Films covered in the agreement include newer titles like There Will Be Blood, Kill Bill and Gone Baby Gone, as well as older hits like Good Will Hunting, Pulp Fiction and The English Patient.
“The robust Netflix platform will provide a proven avenue to reach Latin American audiences and take advantage of strong subscriber growth prospects,” Miramax CEO Mike Lang said in a statement. “We look forward to growing the international audience for the Miramax library through many more partnerships like this around the world.”
While the Miramax deal is relatively small, it shows Netflix is serious about providing content in other countries. Netflix and other media companies like Hulu that are looking to stream content outside the U.S. have quite a challenge ahead of them. Each country and region has its own rules for licensing, and it’s not cheap to make it happen.
Miramax appears to be on a roll with offering digital versions of its content every way that it can. On top of making its movies available through Netflix and Hulu, the company just launched an app that enables users to rent movies on Facebook.
Netflix has been hit by two major blows as of late. First, customers were understandably angry that the company raised the price of one of its most popular plans by a whopping 60 percent. Second, it lost a major rights agreement with Starz, which will leave Netflix streaming customers with fewer movie and TV choices in Feb. 2012.
Both Netflix incidents show the company’s growing pains as it tries to continue disrupting how people consume their movie and TV content. However, if the Miramax deal is any indication, Netflix will continue its push to make as much content available for streaming as possible in order to keep customers interested.


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The key to a bustling fair booth, designed to attract the attention of thousands, appears to have two main elements -- prizes and personality.
Both were present Tuesday at the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 653 where the guys behind the booth said their good looks were a big part of the overall draw.
"We're all married and we'll deny it," said booth worker Rick Milbratch.
The men represent workers in Brainerd and Baxter at Cub Foods, SAVE Foods, Super One Foods and the Crosby SuperValue. It's the union's seventh year with a fair booth. To say they were an animated group would be an understatement.
"You can only go so far on good looks," said Ron Zwieg, union president.
They called out to the passing public like any good fair barker, telling them about prizes, including free groceries. They pulled rubber chickens from a freezer full of meat. They sold chances for a meat-filled freezer with all proceeds going to the lakes area Lutheran Social Services.
They told passers-by a slotted spoon prize was so cool it may already be on eBay. It's utility uses included solid waste skimmer. During a past fair they offered a semi-automatic dishwasher, which was actually a flat sponge that expanded when exposed to water.
Zwieg said the booth allows them to promote their members, provide a community service for LSS and thank consumers.
Buried under a full costume and makeup on a sultry day one for the fair, Wally the Clown was not worried about the heat.
"It's so much fun," he said of being at the union booth.
"The kissing booth opens in five minutes or whenever the line starts," Wally the Clown told fair-goers. No one lined up. Maybe it was the heat. But they did line up in steady numbers to sign for a chance at the free groceries.
"Don't miss out on this action," Zwieg told people nearby the booth. "This is the hottest booth at the fair."
Milbratch said: "If you have to push and shove to get in here -- do it."
But they drew the line at biting.
There are about 175 booths at the Crow Wing County Fair. Every inch of booth space was filled. Year in and year out, fair-goers march through the buildings -- learning about organizations, picking up free offerings from businesses and even getting their blood pressure tested.
Carey Brusseau and Tom Simon were busy putting together the Mills Fleet Farm booth. They were stopped numerous times as people asked when they would be ready to give out the free T-shirts.
"I've got every T-shirt I think they've had in the last 15 years," said Bob Peterson, Hackensack.
This year's version is a dark green. Brusseau said booth offers free samples, prizes, and, of course, the T-shirts.
"You've got the T-shirts?" a fair-goer asked.
"Not yet," Brusseau said. The booths were still an hour away from an official opening. Fair-goers spin a prize wheel at the booth. Brusseau said the line to take a turn can run to the end of the building. The booth offers allows them to promote the business and provide customer service, Brusseau said.
For Jim Tousignant, Edward Jones Investments, the fair booth offers access to a sheer volume of people not available to a business in any other setting.
The fair attracts all socio-economic groups, retirees, young parents, millionaires and blue-collar workers. Tousignant said they have tried giving away dinners, gift baskets and grills. But the clear winner is a dollar tree worth $50.
Tousignant said: "People like good old legal tender."
RENEE RICHARDSON can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or 855-5852.
Brainerd Dispatch ©2013. All Rights Reserved.


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Modernista!'s debut print campaign for General Motors' Hum mer is tagged, "Hummer. Like nothing else," and is intended as a bridge effort to the introduction of a lower-priced model next year.
Hummer's $100,000-plus H1 has not been advertised in the past year, but GM wanted to raise brand awareness before the launch of the cheaper H2 model next July, said Marc Hernandez, Hum mer brand man ager.
All four ads have different heads but the same copy: "Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of no where. And sometimes in the middle of no where you find yourself. The legendary H1."
The Boston shop's ads break Aug. 14 in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Spin and Es quire, and will run through year's end.
Past work focused on the vehicle's off-road capabilities and military atti tude. The new ads attempt a more refined take on it, said Liz Van zura, Hummer advertising director. The aim: greater believ ability, said Lance Jen sen, Modernista! co-founder and creative director. "Authen ticity is probably the most important word when it comes to brand ing," he said.
Spending was undisclosed, but Hummer's annual outlay was pegged at $20 million when Modernista! won the account last October in a review.


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The much talked about $199 50-inch Toshiba Amazon Black Friday deal was sold yesterday on Thanksgiving Day.
If you have been waiting to get a chance to buy the $199 50-inch Toshiba TV deal Amazon has announced for Black Friday, you can stop waiting. The $199 50-inch Toshiba 50L1400U TV deal have appeared yesterday on Amazon.com.
We just check our internal records and actually dozens of I4U visitors where able yesterday to score the $199 50-inch Toshiba TV via our Black Friday deals coverage.
The Toshiba 50L1400U LED TV has a $519.99 regular price. For $199 this TV was an absolute steal. The $79 32-inch TV and $115 40-inch TV deals were on TVs from a rather unknown brand called UpStar.
Amazon has posted a note on the Toshiba 50L1400U LED TV listing saying sorry that you missed the $199 deal:
“Thousands of customers have taken advantage of great deals on TVs during Black Friday Deals Week, like this TV from Amazon for a price of $199. As we get back in stock with another offer from Amazon, check out the offers from our sellers, or browse more deals in TV, Video & Audio every day this week in our Black Friday Deals Week event.”
Maybe Amazon brings some new extreme TV deals back today on the actual Black Friday. We will keep you posted.
Amazon has put these extreme TV deals on sale without prior notifications throughout the day. To spot any of these deals is like winning the lottery.
Amazon has has announced the hot $79 32-inch TV, the $115 40-inch TV and the $199 50-inch Toshiba TV deals ahead of Black Friday. A $79 32-inch Upstar TV, a $115 40-inch UpStar TV and the $199 50-inch Toshiba 50L1400U TV deal have appeared yesterday on Amazon.com.
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New Zealand’s Commerce Commission started surveying more than 3,000 businesses this week to determine if credit card surcharges resulted in lower prices for consumers.
The surveys are meant to evaluate the impact of an agreement the commission made with Visa and MasterCard three years ago that allowed retailers to charge extra on credit card payments, NZHerald.co.nz reports.
Prior to the deal, retailers incurred bank charges, also known as interchange fees, for accepting credit card payments. Retailers were not allowed to charge extra on credit card payments to recoup the interchange fee.
Retailers, as part of the agreement, were expected to save as much as $80 million, which would allow them to charges consumers less.
Employers Manufacturers Association Chief Executive Kim Campbell said, however, that anecdotal evidence shows that prices have not come down in the three years since the agreement.
“Nobody is lowering prices anywhere because of this, that’s for sure,” Campbell said, according to NZHerald.co.nz. “I just know from when I hear people that nobody is doing that … overall has it had the bigger effect on prices? I don’t know.
“What I think happened was people got used to paying the credit card fee and that was the end of it and now they just do it.”


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How does the 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 compare to the original 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28? We run the numbers to find out.
Confirmed: 2014 Nissan Juke Nismo RS Will Debut In Los AngelesOct 16, 2013
An even hotter version of the Nissan Juke Nismo will debut in L.A.
Mopar-Spec 2014 Dodge Challenger TeasedOct 16, 2013
Chrysler Group today released a preview image of the 2014 Dodge Mopar '14 Challenger.
Aston Martin Commissioning New Body Parts From Prodrive?Oct 16, 2013
A mysterious announcement suggests that British supplier Prodrive could build carbon-composite components for a future Aston Martin supercar.
Video: 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Debuts New TV AdsOct 16, 2013
The 2014 S-Class goes on sale today, and a new ad campaign debuts as well.
Hyundai CEO Says Government Shutdown Will Cut Sales 10 PercentOct 16, 2013
Hyundai CEO John Krafcik says "anxiety" over the government shutdown may cut October car sales by 10 percent.
Priced: 2014 Acura ILX Hybrid MSRP at $29,795Oct 15, 2013
Acura has released pricing for the 2014 ILX Hybrid, which carries a base MSRP of $29,795.
Report: BMW i3 Production Increasing To Meet Strong DemandOct 15, 2013
Strong initial demand will force BMW to ramp up production of the i3 electric car.
First 2014 Nissan Rogue Marks Two Major Milestones for Nissan’s U.S. OperationsOct 15, 2013
The first 2014 Nissan Rogue rolled off the assembly line at Nissan's Smyrna, Tennessee plant today.
2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Laps Nürburgring in 7:37Oct 15, 2013
The new Camaro Z/28 looks to be a monster on the Nürburgring.
Hyundai Genesis Coupe JP Edition Bound For SEMAOct 15, 2013
The Hyundai Genesis Coupe JP Edition built by tuner John Pangilinan will join the Korean automaker's three other show cars at SEMA.
Polestar-Tuned Volvo V60 Station Wagon SpiedOct 14, 2013
Our spy photographer caught what looks like a Polestar-tuned Volvo V60 prototype in Europe.
Report: Toyota Reworking Corolla to Improve IIHS Crash RatingOct 14, 2013
Toyota is already readying a fix for the 2014 Corolla to improve its performance in the small overlap crash test.
2015 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe SpiedOct 14, 2013
We catch a 2015 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe prototype wearing very little camouflage.
Feature Flick: 2014 BMW M5 Competition PackageOct 14, 2013
BMW’s upgraded super sedan hits the track to see if the Competition Package adds anything special.


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An article on Luxury Daily stated an interesting question: How thoroughly should a car brand’s racing traditions be woven into a brand’s image? Does a ‘racing image’ attract or reject customers?
“The first thing many brands do is build a performance model to prove quality, sustainability, longevity and to show that it can compete,” said Lauren Fix, automotive expert. “Almost all brands raced in some form and period,” she said. It creates a following and ….
… it shows that they want to build a relationship. “A lot of technology that’s in cars today comes from racing. That’s how it’s tested and how automakers know what works and what doesn’t work.”
Since the rise of social media, racing activities can often dominate a brand’s page, but they are seldom overbearing because they remind fans of the brand’s many dimensions, the article stated. Without social media, ordinary fans might overlook the vast resources a brand pumps into racing endeavors.
But let us take a look at the car brand McLaren. McLaren is a little bit the odd one out under the luxury carmakers as it tries to establish an identity outside of racing. The car brand faced the challenge of creating a recognizable McLaren image after its relaunch as an automotive brand in 2011.
McLaren Automotive will return to the International Geneva Motor Show this year. It will present its fastest, most engaging, best equipped and most beautiful series-production supercar yet: the 650s Coupe. Designed and developed to give “the enthusiast driver the ultimate in luxury, engagement and excitement.”
What do you think, does this coupe has enough McLaren racing heritage?


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US Weekly announced Jessica Simpson’s ‘Fashion Star‘ has gone “out of fashion”, being canceled after just two seasons, as NBC entertainment president Bob Greenblatt confirmed during the summer TCA press tour on Saturday, July 27. The fashion competition, which also starred Nicole Richie and John Varvatos, featured a group of aspiring designers competing for a chance to have their designs sold in Macy’s, Saks and Express stores throughout the country, according to E! Online. Refinery 29 explains that after losing Elle Macpherson as judge and H&M as a retail partner, ‘Fashion Star‘ faced more trials when the crew went on strike just as the second season began filming.
An obvious decline with May’s season finale viewers, Refinery 29 speculates ‘Fashion Star‘ cancellation may be due to NBC demoting the show from Tuesday nights to Fridays. With new host Louise Roe, MSN reports on average, the show rated an anemic 0.7 in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic and 2.76 million total viewers. In comparision, last season’s finale scored a 1.6 rating and 4.81 million total viewers.
Where do stars of ‘Fashion Star’ go from here? Former judge Nicole Richie, who US Weekly says designs both clothing and jewelry, will continue with ‘Candidly Nicole‘, her AOL reality series. EnStarz ensures us Richie will be busy with her newly released House of Harlow collection, announced via E! Online Monday. Contactmusic.com says it’s probably not horrible news for Jessica Simpson, who is busy juggling various commitments, having just given birth in June to son Ace Knute Johnson. Head of her own successful brand, US Magazine adds Simpson recently unveiled her Fall 2013 fashion campaign. Louise Roe has a new workout video as released by E! Online, with simple moves you can do at home. E! Online reports Roe‘s blog saying she tends to skip workouts when filming on location, blaming early starts and lack of gym equipment in her hotel, until meeting personal trainer Ashley Borden. No new plans announced for designer John Varvatos.
If you have a story idea, or see human errors or typos in the article you’ve just read, please email Pam DeWitt at firstname.lastname@example.org. To anonymously receive more reality television articles, please be sure to click on the “subscribe” button at the top. Thank you for reading. Please help by sharing this article :)


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Sprint dials wrong number with HTC EVO 4G sales figures
US wireless carrier Sprint Nextel said it mistakenly inflated first-day sales figures for the new EVO 4G smartphone from Taiwan's HTC.
Sprint initially said launch day sales for the EVO 4G were three times the combined number of Samsung Instinct and Palm Pre devices sold over their first three days on the market.
"We inadvertently erred in the comparison," Sprint said in a statement.
The company said the total number of EVO 4G devices sold on launch day was actually in line with the combined sales of the Instinct and Pre over their first three days.
Sprint began selling the EVO 4G, which is powered by Google's open-source Android mobile operating system, on Friday.
Sprint said first-day sales of the EVO 4G, while lower than initially announced, set a sales record for the company.
It said launch day sales of the EVO 4G were six times greater than launch day sales of the Samsung Instinct and nearly twice the launch day sales of the Palm Pre.
Sprint said demand for the touchscreen EVO 4G had led to temporary shortages at some of the 22,000 locations across the United States selling the device.
The EVO 4G is the first handset to run on Sprint's 4G, or fourth-generation, broadband networks.
Sprint currently offers its WiMax 4G services in 27 US cities and has plans to expand to other US markets. It claims download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G.
(c) 2010 AFP


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Bright forecast: Food price indexes look good for 2015
At the beginning of each year I like to look at the food price index and the forecast for food prices. Food pricing, specifically commodity price, greatly affects our food cost. Our food and beverage success in our theatres is based on many things, and food cost is one of the key factors. Hopefully 2015 will be a great year at the box office and our food offerings will be ready to roll. The question is: How will our margins look?
The quick answer is: Really good. In general, the food price outlook is better than it has been in the last few years. Fuel prices are currently low and expected to remain so for the near future and the Fed just announced that their forecast for inflation for 2015 is even lower than originally expected. They are forecasting inflation to be between 1.6% and 1.9%. Both of these will create downward pressure on food pricing. Corn crops and consumable oil are both at high production levels. The only fly in the milk is the high price of beef. This would not normally affect us, but with our increasing move to full-service restaurants, it matters. Let’s dive into some specifics.
The corn market enjoyed a historic crop in 2014 and prices will remain low for 2015. Since popcorn is still our lowest-cost item with the highest frequency of sale per patron, this is good news. The corn market is a complex moving target, with high demand and big highs and lows over the past five years. Corn has affected the entire agricultural market. In an article written by Steve Brooks for Restaurant Business Online back in August, this shift was highlighted. “The move towards the use of corn for fuel was really the start of the structural change in American agriculture,” said Timothy Richards, agribusiness chair at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. “And $2.50-a-bushel corn we’ll never see again.” The move of acreage to corn for said reasons is part of the current beef market’s troubles, and it affects many other commodities. For now, our corn prices will remain low.
Consumable oil prices will also remain low thanks to continued high global production levels. Oil World wrote that “world production of seven oilseeds will rise more sharply than expected in 2014-15, assuming about normal weather conditions in the Southern Hemisphere. There are ample supplies available worldwide.” So even though demand also continues to increase, supply is able to meet it and we will enjoy a stable market price for 2015, barring any unknown catastrophe.
Sugar prices will also not see any significant price increase in 2015. Prices are so low currently that sugar producers are looking at ways to limit production in order to help drive prices up. But the price of candy should not inflate from anything related to sugar.
Dairy is another story, as dairy prices are forecast higher in 2015, and still riding on high levels. The combination makes chocolate prices more difficult to pin down, and they could experience upward pressure. The global goal to support sustainable chocolate also continues to put upward pressure on chocolate prices.
For poultry, pork, beef and dairy prices, the forecast for 2015 is nothing but up. Again, the drought in the U.S. Midwest is continuing to raise cattle prices to historic highs. And the growing diet in China for all these meats in pushing demand to historic levels as well. The combination is making prices skyrocket. The drought in California is also putting pressure on vegetable prices, which are forecast to be higher in 2015. Again, five years ago this wouldn’t have mattered so much to the theatre industry. But since we are now also in the restaurant business, these prices will negatively affect our alternative food costs in 2015.
One more thing to consider for price outlook is volatility. In all the research on food pricing, this is one word that appears as the new reality. Food prices have increased over the past ten years and reached new levels that are now considered normal. Even with the lower price outlook for 2015, the thing that remains at the forefront is the high demand for food production as the world’s population continues to increase. Any disruption from war, drought or natural disaster has large ripple effects. This is what has produced a structural upshift of food prices over the long term, even with a low-priced year such as 2015.
Overall we will be in a good position to keep our food costs low. With the exception of full-service offerings, traditional concession items should produce good margins. Hopefully this will combine with a stellar box office for 2015 to produce a banner financial year for both operators and suppliers. They don’t always match up, but there’s a strong possibility that in 2015 they will.
Send your comments to Anita Watts at email@example.com.


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US dollar store chain 99 Cents Only wants to open a branch on the ultra-chic Beverly Hills shopping street Rodeo Drive — even if high-end retailers there say it won’t be able to afford the rent.
There is little sign of the global economic downturn on the exclusive street, which boasts luxury boutiques ranging from jewelers Bulgari and Cartier to designer clothing stores such as Giorgio Armani and Gucci, and perfumiers like Chanel.
Rodeo Drive is also within well-heeled strolling distance from some of the most expensive hotels in Los Angeles, and is frequented by multi-millionaire Hollywood stars buying the latest fashion items to wear on the red carpet.
But 99 Cents Only Stores boss Eric Schiffer believes that in still-strained economic times there would be demand for its bargain products, even on one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world.
The chain “is excited to launch a search for prime retail space on famed Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills,” he said in a statement.
But the Rodeo Drive Committee, which represents storeowners there, was not so sure.