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BERLIN, February 13, 2019 — Networking is in the DNA of every company. "We trust who we know" — this is the idea behind the success of BNI, the world's leading business networking company. Today, BNI is looking to explore new referral marketing opportunities online: "The Internet has become the predominant factor in networking,"says Harald Lais, Managing Director at BNI Germany/Austria. Together with the referral marketing platform ProvenExpert.com, BNI is expanding its business into the online world. The facts are clear: 85 percent of consumers trust online referrals as much as they do personal recommendations, making online reviews and ratings a crucial factor in purchase decisions. Remo Fyda, CEO of ProvenExpert.com, knows: "Having an online presence is a clear competitive advantage."
Time for change and new opportunities
Business is best when sealed with a handshake — in its 34 years of operation, BNI has come to understand the power of personal contact. But, as Harald Lais knows, times are changing: "Our goal is to remain the world's most successful business network. So, it's important for us to adapt how we work to keep pace with the times. Obviously, this includes strengthening our online presence,"says Lais. Today, the Internet is the number one source of consumer information: 86 percent of consumers search for information about local products and services online before making a purchase. Recommendations from BNI member companies made the decision to partner with ProvenExpert.com a quick one. An initial pilot project for BNI and its members in Berlin and Stuttgart resulted in 23,000 generated reviews in roughly 1.5 years. "The companies saw a clear jump in awareness,"says Lais.
Two markets, one language — referrals bring businesses together
The partnership between BNI and ProvenExpert is a true plus for both parties. While personal recommendations will continue to play an important role in consumer purchases, more and more companies are turning to reviews and ratings to drive referrals. Today, 9 out of 10 consumers use the Internet to double-check recommendations from people they know. "We're providing our members with a way to actively increase consumer trust in their products and services through online reviews,"says Lais. BNI is home to business operators from hundreds of specialist fields which work together to increase sales for entrepreneurs through new contacts and business referrals. The top five among these are tax accountants, real estate agents, insurance agents, plumbing/heating installers and photographers. These professions also enjoy strong representation on ProvenExpert. "Customer reviews and ratings play an especially important role in purchase decisions for preventative services and services which require a lot of imagination,"explains Fyda.
Success for all — ambitious goals
The partnership allows BNI to kill two birds with one stone: as its member companies succeed, the reputation of its entire network improves. Harald Lais has big plans for BNI in Germany, Austria and Switzerland: "In 2018, BNI companies in the three German-speaking countries generated over €1.1 billion in revenue through personal referrals alone. Our network is getting bigger all the time, and our next goal is to break the 2-billion-euro barrier." ProvenExpert is expected to play a crucial role in helping BNI achieve this increase of just under €1 billion in revenue. The formula is simple: contacts are established offline by BNI, and more detailed information and positive ratings are displayed on the company's own website with the ProvenExpert rating seal. "There's no form of advertising more authentic or effective than consumer opinion,"explains ratings expert Fyda. Lais and Fyda agree: if everything goes according to plan, a global rollout of the ratings tool is as good as certain for BNI.
Together with Remo Fyda as CEO, ProvenExpert.com has become one of the best-known online platforms for qualified customer feedback and review aggregation in the region of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Since 2011, the referral marketing platform offers targeted industry surveys that companies can customize and use in a matter of minutes to start collecting feedback from customers. The surveys provide detailed insight into the needs of customers and their satisfaction levels, as well as helping to uncover new business potential. The resulting feedback can be easily used for online marketing purposes with ProvenExpert's rating seal and profile and combined with customer reviews from over 380 websites like Facebook, Google, and other platforms. Over 55,000 freelancers, entrepreneurs and large companies use ProvenExpert.com's online surveys to collect customer feedback. As of 2017, the ProvenExpert platform is also available in English.
Business Network International (BNI) is the world's largest business network and leading professional platform for business referrals. Founded in 1985 in Arcadia, California by business consultant Dr. Ivan Misner, today BNI® has more than 8,600 chapters in 71 countries covering all five continents. BNI's declared goal is to generate sales for its members through new contacts and business referrals. The core features of BNI's network include: a focus on measurable results, exclusive regional professions, no commissions, and annual activity and performance qualifications. www.bni.de


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These savings will stem largely from lower fuel bills as company car drivers cover fewer business miles.
Under the present benefit-in- kind tax system there has been a persistent sense that drivers have chased 'unnecessary' business miles to qualify for the tax discounts available at 2,500 and 18,000 business miles.
The Inland Revenue believes the switch to the emissions-based company car tax system next year will reduce annual business mileage by up to 300 million miles.
But its forecasts are dwarfed by the findings of a new survey of 221 company finance directors interviewed by leasing and fleet management company Alphabet.
These finance directors estimated that on average 18 per cent of business miles clocked up by their company car drivers were 'unnecessary'.
Extending this proportion across the national company car park suggests that of the 17.5 billion business miles driven annually in the UK, 3.1 billion miles are unnecessary.
Assuming the average company car returns 30 miles to the gallon, these 3.1 billion miles account for more than 105 million gallons of fuel, at a cost of £340 million.
But there will still be a danger under the new CO2-based tax system that employers pay for unnecessary business miles, even if the tax breaks disappear, because many companies are considering new company car ownership programmes.
Several of these schemes pay drivers a cash allowance to fund and technically own their 'company' cars, with these cash allowances paid partly through business mileage reimbursement using the Inland Revenue Authorised Mileage Rates.
From next April the IRAMR allows employers to reimburse staff using their own cars on business up to 40 pence per mile, tax free and National Insurance free, creating a new incentive for drivers to chase excessive business mileage.
Alphabet is urging employers to take more management control of business mileage, with chief operating officer Mike Baldry saying: 'Apart from monitoring company car drivers' mileage, fleet decision-makers must encourage video conferencing and better journey planning among drivers.'
He added: 'The tax change looks as though it will have much more far reaching effects than fleets originally expected. Those that have not set up a policy review need to do so sooner rather than later.'

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Borderlands: Mexico faces growing shortage of truck drivers
The Supply Chain Journal
JULY 18, 2021
Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. Shortage of truck drivers growing in Mexico, experts say. A perfect storm of factors is causing a growing shortage of truck drivers across Mexico, experts say.


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With respect to market share, in the first quarter of 2018, Tmall's total sales increased by 41.2% over the same period of last year, accounting for 59.6% of the market share, ranking first. The total turnover of JD.com increased by 25.0% year on year. Its market share was 25.3%, ranking second. Suning maintained a stable development trend. Its market share increased to 5.0% in the first quarter of 2018, ranking third. The market share of Vipshop and Gome was 4.1% and 1.3%, respectively, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively.
Compared with the fourth quarter of the previous year, the promotion efforts of platform vendors and the participation of users to some extent decrease in the first quarter of each year. But in an environment in which the penetration rate of online shopping continues to rise, the market leaders expect to maintain or even expand their leading edge, and the chasers hope to gain more recognition and development opportunities. Therefore, no one is willing to give up even a little bit of time to improve their own strength. Besides, during the Spring Festival, especially during the period before that, in fact, a large part of Chinese families will conduct centralized purchasing. However, most of such procurement transactions are completed by offline stores, as a large part of the personnel in charge of online shop operation, logistics, express delivery and others have left their post. In view of the manufacturers' willingness and the consumers' demand, it is natural that online platforms strengthen operations during the Spring Festival. Therefore, it has been seen that in recent years, major platforms conducted corresponding activities during the Spring Festival. Especially this year, Tmall, JD.com, Suning, Vipshop and other platforms launched the "No Closure in the Spring Festival", "New Year's Shopping Festival" and other campaigns. Accordingly, the major courier companies maintained normal operations during the Spring Festival.
In order to ensure normal operations and smooth implementation of activities during the Spring Festival, some courier companies increased the service fees during the Spring Festival. Major e-commerce platforms also took measures to guarantee the key markets. For instance, Tmall didn't shut up the business of small appliances and household items in more than 400 core districts and counties of more than 200 cities across the country, and didn't shut up that of large appliances and household items in more than 360 districts and counties of more than 90 cities. Cainiao Logistics applied big data forecasts, intelligent warehousing, intelligent sorting of orders and other core technologies and experience to the "No Closure in the Spring Festival" event; JD.com extended its logistics to nearly 300 cities across the country and more than a thousand core districts and counties during this period; Suning chose to cope with the pressure of logistics with more automated intelligent logistics equipment; Pinjun Express, an affiliate of Vipshop, offered higher remuneration to encourage the in-the-post employees and ensure a high attendance rate of the couriers.
In the first quarter, the Spring Festival activities were just a demonstration of competition between major e-commerce players in the current market. We may deem that as a short-term behavior. From a longer-term perspective, their strategic layout for the future retail market is more worthy of our attention.
After taking a stake in Gaoxin Retail in November last year, in January this year, Alibaba continued to invest in Gaoxin Retail, and achieved holding together with the concerted parties. Gaoxin Retail, the owner of the two store brands of Auchan and Darunfa, has more than 400 physical stores covering more than 200 cities in 29 provinces, municipalities directly under the central government and autonomous regions across the country, having a big influence in the retail market of China's hypermarket format. So far, Alibaba's shadow has appeared behind Intime, Sanjiang Shopping, Bealead, Lianhua, Yiguo, New Hua Du, Gaoxin Retail and other well-known retailers. Coupled with Freshhema, Lingshoutong, Taoxianda, Tianmaoxiaodian and other formats for which Alibaba has "done in person", the online entrances and offline entities of Tmall and Taobao, supply chain system, warehousing and distribution are being further integrated. In addition, the buyout and acquisition of Eleme were also a manifestation of continued consolidation of local living services. Based on the series of actions, it can be seen that the new retail model for Alibaba to open up the entire trading chain has taken shape.
Alibaba's continuous offline expansion, while bringing pressure to peers, also motivated online e-commerce companies to continue to go offline. In February this year, JD.com and Tencent officially took a stake in the key account of BBK. With the vision of jointly developing "smart retail" and "borderless retail", the three parties established a long-term strategic partnership. Then in March, an affiliate of JD.com, Jddj.com started to formally cooperate with BBK. The offline convenience stores of JD.com also expanded rapidly. According to the news released at the New Access Borderless Retail Industry Summit held by JD.com at the end of March, the convenience stores had scattered across all provinces of China and increased rapidly. JD.com's determination to expand offline is evident here.
While maintaining rapid growth on the Internet, Suning, which has the offline advantage of being at home, is still accelerating the layout of Internet stores based on the scenarios this year. In the first quarter, it vigorously promoted the "Smart Retail Development" strategy. The smart retail format groups, i.e. "One Big (Suning Plaza), Two Smalls (Suning Small Stores and Suning Stores in Counties and Towns), Multi-specialization (Suning Cloud Stores, Red Baby, Suxiansheng, Suning Sports, Suning Studios, Suningjiwu, and Suning Auto Stores)", are replicated more rapidly across the country. In the first quarter, Suning opened a total of nearly 600 new stores, including 190 new Suning Small Stores engaged in the sales of fast moving consumer goods and fresh products. The "Retail Cloud" that was officially launched at the beginning of the year is rooted in tiers 4, 5 and 6 markets, and, together with Suning Direct Sales Stores, constitutes the company's smart retail port sinking in the county and town markets. In addition, at the end of March, Suning officially launched Suningjiwu in Nanjing, which focuses on the sales of high-standard, personalized and stylish products. It can be said that Suning is constantly "intelligently creating" new species and reaching more consumers through the multi-point layout of shopping scenarios.
VIPshop's extension of offline business is slightly different from the players. As an offline project that Vipshop is working hard to promote, Pinjun Life is unlike its main online business of clothing and beauty products. The online storefronts mainly cover fresh fruits, seafood, snacks and other products. Although the categories of products are different, VIPshop still builds its retail ecosystem targeted at the female population. The majority of consumers of clothing, beauty, fresh food, fruits and snacks are women. From this perspective, the offline Pinjun Life is an extension of its online female consumer platform. For offline development areas, Pinjun Life also has its own way. It avoids the East China and North China markets that the players compete fiercely for and selects the South China market where the competition is relatively small. This unique layout will not only give greater space for the early development of Pinjun Life, but also seize opportunities and create influence in South China where the consumption power is strong. As of the end of the first quarter, Pinjun Life had already opened seven stores. Moreover, VIPshop has added its entrance to WeChat Wallet and the homepage of JD.com to achieve both online and offline multi-point collaboration.
Online e-commerce businesses successively take offline measures for strategic layout to grab the shares of the retail market in a multi-angle and multi-level way. What is the reason behind? We can analyze it from the following two aspects:
1. Gradually diminishing dividends from Internet and consumption networking: After the rapid spread of smart phones, the networking process in China has been suddenly accelerated. Today, there is not much room for Internet to permeate. Moreover, the rapid development mode relying on the Internet-based dividend has basically lost its driving force for continued growth in the e-commerce industry while the offline development opens a door for the future of the e-commerce industry. First, most of the current consumer behaviors are still completed offline and there are sufficient traffic resources offline. Compared with the crowded online space, the offline traffic cost is significantly low. Second, to contact with users online is subject to the factors such as equipment conditions, user habits, and information overlap and thus cannot be realized in a regular or timely manner. By contrast, if a full layout is made offline, the e-commerce businesses can make use of big data to accurately access to the users in multiple scenes every day. Third, after the offline layout for retail business, the e-commerce businesses can make offline layout for other business smoothly based on their prior experience on the one hand and on the other hand, obtain customer sources offline at a low cost so as to achieve the result of driving online business through offline business and then realize the synchronous development of online and offline business.
2. Common expectation and desire of e-commerce businesses for the future: Compared to the on-line "light mode," the offline retail involves more links and needs more investment, which enables its deep penetration into the commercial channels of the retail industry. However, the low efficiency and low growth make the traditional offline retail gradually be on a sticky wicket in the competition and need to be renovated in the transformation. By stepping into the offline business, the e-commerce businesses can export its capabilities of system docking, financial support, data matching, and intelligent analysis to the traditional retailers to achieve online and offline resources sharing, costs saving and efficiency improvement. The integration of the offline business into the online business and datamation involves industry rules and standards in supply chain, warehousing, distribution, product identification, user identification, payment and other digitized links. Whoever has more market share and greater influence in the industry will have the dominant position in the future standard setting process. Therefore, the e-commerce offline competition is in fact a competition for setting up industry standards and rules in the future.


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Stocks sink as earnings scare investors
NEW YORK (AP) — Nobody was expecting this round of corporate earnings reports to be great. But some companies' underwhelming results are still rattling investors.
The Dow Jones industrial average plunged Tuesday to its lowest level in nearly seven weeks. Big-name companies reported weak quarterly revenue and lowered their forecasts for the rest of the year.
The Dow sank as much as 262 points, or roughly 2 percent, before ending the day down 243.36 points to 13,102.53. The decline was the Dow's third-steepest this year.
US may soon become world's top oil producer
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. oil output is surging so fast that the United States could soon overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's biggest producer.
Driven by high prices and new drilling methods, U.S. production of crude and other liquid hydrocarbons is on track to rise 7 percent this year to an average of 10.9 million barrels per day. This will be the fourth straight year of crude increases and the biggest single-year gain since 1951.
The boom has surprised even the experts.
Apple reveals iPad Mini starting at $329
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Apple Inc. is refusing to compete on price with its rivals in the tablet market — it's pricing its new, smaller iPad well above the competition.
On Tuesday the company revealed the iPad Mini, with a screen that's about two-thirds the size of the full-size model, priced at $329 and up.
Apple starts taking orders for the new model on Friday, said marketing chief Phil Schiller at an event in San Jose, Calif. Wi-Fi-only models will start on Nov. 2. Later the company will add models capable of accessing "LTE" wireless data networks.
The price fits into the Apple product lineup between the iPad 2 at $399 and the latest version of the iPod touch at $299. But company watchers had expected Apple to price the iPad Mini at $250 to $300 to counter the threat of less expensive tablets like Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire, which starts at $159. Barnes & Noble Inc.'s Nook HD and Google Inc.'s Nexus 7 both start at $199.
Facebook posts 3Q loss, revenue jumps
NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook's third-quarter results inched past Wall Street's expectations, offering evidence that the company is making inroads in mobile advertising — a longtime concern among investors.
The financial results, Facebook's second as a public company, sent its stock sharply higher in after-hours trading. The stock about 10 percent after the announcement, on a day that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average drop almost 2 percent.
The world's biggest social media company posted a loss of $59 million, or 2 cents per share, in the July-September period. That's down from earnings of $227 million, or 10 cents per share a year ago, when Facebook was still privately held.
UPS says consumers driving shipping growth
NEW YORK (AP) — UPS says online shoppers are propping up its business in a tough global economy.
The world's largest package delivery company believes that consumer demand for gadgets will drive its shipments and earnings this year, making up for slower trade between businesses.
The company also narrowed its earnings forecast for the year, and now expects growth of 5 to 7 percent from 2011. The stock rose 3 percent Tuesday afternoon.
DuPont to cut 1,500 jobs after 3Q profit slide
DOVER, Del. (AP) — The DuPont Co. said Tuesday that it will cut about 1,500 jobs and take other steps to increase its competitiveness, after weak demand for a key industrial pigment and uncertainty in the solar panel market led to a sharp drop in third-quarter earnings.
The chemical company reported net income of $10 million, or a penny per share, compared with $452 million, or 48 cents per share, for the same period last year. Excluding one-time items, DuPont earned 44 cents per share, compared with 69 cents per share for last year's third quarter. Revenue from continuing operations totaled about $7.4 billion, down 9 percent from $8.1 billion.
The results fell short of analysts' estimate of 46 cents per share, according to FactSet. DuPont shares fell 9 percent in Tuesday trading, contributing to a broad market decline.
3M cuts 2012 guidance, citing "economic realities'
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — 3M Co. is reducing its profit expectations for this year because of what it calls "current economic realities."
3M makes everything from Post-it notes and Scotch tape to roofing granules, coatings for LCD screens, and traffic sign coatings. The variety of its businesses and its worldwide footprint make it an economic bellwether. And CEO Inge Thulin said what it's seeing right now is a "slow-growth economy."
The company now expects to earn $6.27 to $6.35 per share for the year, down from a previous forecast for profit of $6.35 to $6.50. Analysts expected $6.40 per share, according FactSet.
Netflix slashes its forecast for subscriber gains
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Netflix slashed its prediction of how many U.S. video streaming subscribers it would add this year after subpar third-quarter results, causing a sharp sell-off in its stock in after-hours trading.
The Los Gatos, Calif.-based video streaming company said it added 1.2 million net subscribers in the U.S. in the three months through September, which was at the low end of its previous forecast of gains between 1 million to 1.8 million.
The shortfall caused Netflix to cut its full-year estimate for U.S. streaming subscriber additions to between 4.7 million and 5.4 million. Netflix had predicted it would gain as many as 7 million domestic streaming subscribers by year's end. It ended the quarter with 25.1 million U.S. streaming customers and 4.3 million in other countries.
Ally to sell Canada auto finance operations
DETROIT (AP) — Ally Financial Inc., the former finance arm of General Motors that was bailed out by the U.S. government, is selling its Canadian auto finance unit to Royal Bank of Canada for $4.1 billion.
The deal, expected to close early next year, is part of Ally's plan to accelerate repayment of the $17.2 billion bailout, but it was unclear Tuesday exactly when the government would get more money. So far Ally has repaid $5.8 billion. The U.S. Treasury owns 74 percent of Ally common stock plus $5.9 billion of preferred stock.
Ally said in a statement that RBC will pay a $620 million premium over book value to buy Ally Credit Canada Limited and ResMor Trust. Book value for the third quarter was about $3.5 billion. Ally Credit Canada had about $9.4 billion in assets as of Sept. 30 and is among the largest auto financing businesses in Canada. ResMor Trust offers savings products to consumers and had about $4.2 billion in assets.
Target to sell credit card business to TD Bank
NEW YORK (AP) — Target Corp. on Tuesday said it reached a deal to sell its entire consumer credit card business to TD Bank Group, ending an almost two-year search for a buyer.
The discounter, based in Minneapolis, said the sale price is equal to the gross value of the outstanding receivables at the time of closing. Target's portfolio currently has a gross value of about $5.9 billion.
The two companies also entered into a seven-year pact under which TD Bank will underwrite, fund and own future Target credit card and Target Visa receivables in the U.S.
By The Associated Press(equals)
The Dow Jones industrial average fell as much as 262 points, or roughly 2 percent, before ending the day down 243.36 points to 13,102.53. The Standard & Poor's 500 index shed 20.71 points to 1,413.11, and the Nasdaq composite index lost 26.49 points to 2,990.46.
Benchmark oil dropped $1.98, or 2.3 percent, to finish at $86.67 per barrel in New York. Brent crude fell $1.19, or 1.1 percent, to end at $108.25 per barrel in London.
Heating oil fell 3.33 cents to finish at $3.043 per gallon. Natural gas rose 8.3 cents to end at $3.535 per 1,000 cubic feet. Gasoline fell 4.25 cents to end at $2.6050 a gallon.


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CHICAGO, Oct. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — In a significant move that underscores its position as a market leader in the Bitcoin ATM space, RockItCoin is proud to announce the acquisition of both FirstCoin ATM and Phoenix Crypto. This expansion demonstrates RockItCoin’s unwavering commitment to improving accessibility to cryptocurrencies and fortifying its position as a dominant player in the Bitcoin ATM industry.
FirstCoin ATM, a regional Bitcoin ATM operator, has locations primarily in California and Texas, while Phoenix Crypto extends its reach across Arizona. The joining of these entities under the RockItCoin name will expand RockItCoin’s Bitcoin ATM network by 78 ATMs to well over 2,000 locations nationwide and will offer former Phoenix Crypto and FirstCoin ATM customers expanded access to RockItCoin’s innovative products and solutions.
Commenting on the strategic move, RockItCoin CEO and founder Michael Dalesandro stated, “We are excited to bring Phoenix Crypto and FirstCoin ATM into the RockItCoin ecosystem. Their excellent track records and missions align with our own, and we’re thrilled to welcome their users to our high-quality array of services.”
This follows RockItCoin’s acquisition of XBTeller, further expanding its national network and market influence. With over 2,000 Bitcoin ATMs in its network, RockItCoin is uniquely positioned to provide unmatched accessibility to cryptocurrencies and exceptional customer service.
In line with its commitment to the growth and accessibility of cryptocurrency services, RockItCoin continues to seek opportunities to collaborate with or acquire smaller operators in the Bitcoin ATM space. Entities interested in joining forces with RockItCoin, or those looking to benefit from a larger operational scope, are encouraged to reach out for potential collaboration.
“We believe in the power of collaboration and are dedicated to working with those who share our passion for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the crypto world. This opportunity opens the door for more people to gain access to cryptocurrency and lead to wider adoption,” said Ben Phillips, President of RockItCoin.
RockItCoin is poised to continue to lead the way in making cryptocurrency easy and accessible for all with a growing network of Bitcoin ATMs, user-friendly mobile app, OTC trading desk, and recently launched retail deposit service RockItCoin Go.
Founded in 2015 by Michael Dalesandro, RockItCoin is a crypto blockchain company and Inc. 5000 honoree based in Chicago, IL. RockItCoin has a nationwide network of crypto ATMs with over 2,000 locations in 47 States and 16,000 retail deposit locations, providing consumers with the safest and fastest way to buy or sell cryptocurrencies. For more information, please visit rockitcoin.com and join the conversation on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Originally published at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rockitcoin-bolsters-national-presence-with-acquisition-of-firstcoin-atm-and-phoenix-crypto-bitcoin-atm-networks-301962459.html
Images courtesy of https://pixabay.com


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IVL COLLECTIVE AND HIGH FITNESS SPONSORED CONTENT — Aerobics is back and it has a new look!
When Emily Nelson and Amber Zenith, co-founders of High Fitness, were brainstorming why aerobics went into hiatus, they came up with a way to bring the old school fitness routine bigger and better.
For them, it took a few tweaks to the routine, an all-new modern playlist and a fresh wardrobe.
That’s where IVL Collective comes in with the fashion-forward, tech-driven line of workout clothing. Their innovative, collagen-infused, anti-microbial fabric.
Emily Jackson, founder and creative director at IVL Collective, and Nelson joined the show to talk more about their collaboration.


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Global investment in financial technology (fintech) ventures grew 10 percent in 2016, to $23.2 billion, driven primarily by blockbuster deals in China, according to Accenture.
Fintech financing in Asia-Pacific in 2016 eclipsed that of North America for the first time, more than doubling, to $11.2 billion from $5.2 billion in 2015. North America attracted $9.2 billion in financing in 2016, and Europe attracted $2.4 billion.
The number of fintech deals rose sharply in all major geographies, to nearly 1,800 from approximately 1,200 in 2015. However, the growth in total value of investments was due mainly to China and Hong Kong, where just 3 percent of the deals accounted for nearly 43 percent of total fintech investment globally.
“Over the last five years, global fintech financing activity has grown by 56 percent per annum,” said Richard Lumb, group chief executive – Financial Services at Accenture.
“For many years Silicon Valley, New York and London were the dominant centers of innovation and demand, but now fintech has spread like wildfire around the world, and Asia-Pacific has become the rising star.”
Lumb also notes that the swing of investment from west to east is largely driven by the greater opportunity for new entrants to use fintech to define the new fabric of the industry than in the west. As a result, global competition among fintech ventures has never been greater, and financial institutions that are equipped to tap these ventures for innovation are better positioned than ever.
China dominated 2016 investment
China and Hong Kong alone accounted for $10.2 billion, or 91 percent, of Asia-Pacific’s $11.2 billion in fintech investments in 2016, due to several blockbuster deals. In fact, all of the 10 largest fintech investments in Asia-Pacific last year were in China and Hong Kong; together those 10 deals accounted for 82 percent of all Asia-Pacific investment in 2016.
Leading the deals was Ant Financial Services Group – the financial-services affiliate of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding that operates China’s online-payments platform Alipay – which closed a $4.5 billion fundraising round in April.
Ping An-backed Lufax, which has started using the name Lu.com, completed a $1.2 billion round of fundraising in January. In that same month, China’s second largest e-commerce company, JD.com, raised $1 billion in new funding for its consumer finance subsidiary, JD Finance.
North America and Europe
While the number of fintech deals rose strongly in North America and Europe in 2016, the amount of overall investment declined. According to tracking data from CB Insights, the number of fintech deals outside Asia-Pacific in 2016 increased 48 percent, but the reported amount of dollars invested fell 24 percent.
The U.K.’s decision to exit the European Union added to political uncertainty in key fintech markets, and the prospects for regulatory change in the financial sector were particularly pronounced during the 2016 U.S. election cycle.


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The cabinet committee on economic affairs today gave its approval to the proposal of Pepsico Holding Private Limited to invest an additional of $200 million in the equity of Pepsico India Holdings Private Limited within a period of three years. The investment will raise the US beverages giant's investment in India to $655 million from $455 so far.
The CCEA approved the investment proposal; as per the recommendations of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).
This would result in an additional foreign direct investment (FDI) to the tune of Rs928 crore (approx), an official press release said.
PepsiCo, which established its business operations in India in the year 1989, claims to have invested more than $1 billion in India since its establishment.
PepsiCo has a diverse range of products from beverages to chips and has 3 state-of-the-art food plants in Punjab, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
It has more than 40 bottling plants, including company-owned and franchise ones and provides employment both directly and indirectly to 150,000 people in the country.
PepsiCo Inc and subsidiaries reported a 10 per cent rise in net worldwide revenues at $43.26 billion in 2008. Net cash provided by operating activities showed a 1 per cent jump at $6.99 billion in 2008 from $6.93 billion in 2007.


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San Juan Capistrano, USA – Leading US bicycle trade show, Interbike has announced a cooperation with bike-shipping service, BikeFlights.com to offer a solution a solution for Interbike attendees who plan to bring their personal bike along with them.
A press release by Interbike stated that with the Reno, NV area being very conducive to cycling and the ability to commute around town by bike incredibly easy, there will be a variety of riding options in Reno. These include morning group or individual road rides before the show opens, hitting the dirt just a couple of miles from the convention center and commuting to/from the hotels in the Interbike housing block during the show.
“There’s a ton of change that attendees will experience at our new home later this year, and one of which is the ability for great riding in and around Reno,” said Pat Hus, Vice President of Interbike. “With this partnership, our audience is easily connected to BikeFlights.com to simplify the process for shipping their bikes for use during the event.”
Hus also noted that retailers used to bring their families to Anaheim, CA when the show was located there many years ago to experience the surrounding attractions. He hopes to revive that experience with the Lake Tahoe location and the ease of shipping bikes via BikeFlights.com.
“We want retailers across the country to take advantage of the show being in one of the top vacation destinations in the U.S. and to bring their bikes and experience some amazing sights in the area,” he said.
Interbike will have a large bike parking area during the expo that will be monitored by dedicated security guards. A printed Interbike Reno Guide is being produced in conjunction with Bicycle Retailer and Industry News that will list area bike trails, maps, bike lanes, restaurant & hotel options and more. The Interbike Reno Guide will be shipped with the July issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.


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- POSTED: 24 Jul 2014 22:07
- UPDATED: 24 Jul 2014 23:18
The Monetary Authority of Singapore is working on initiatives to make it easier for consumers to access simple, lower cost investment products.
SINGAPORE: The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is working on initiatives to make it easier for consumers to access simple, lower cost investment products.
Speaking at the release of the MAS annual report, managing director Ravi Menon said a reason why consumers venture into unconventional and often risky products is that simple, lower-cost products are not easily available. He added that MAS will introduce a direct channel for consumers to buy insurance products. Such products will be cheaper as there is no need to pay for distribution costs.
Mr Menon added that by early next year, consumers who do not require financial advice will be able to purchase term and whole life insurance products directly from insurers. Details will be announced by the end of the month.
The central bank is also working to facilitate better retail access to fixed income products. A proposal will be put out for consultation next month. MAS will also continue to look at ways to enhance disclosure and information access for consumers.
These include an online portal that allows a comparison of various term insurance, whole life and endowment products. The online portal is targeted for roll-out in early 2015.


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Every once in a while these days, a car manufacturer comes up with something exciting that isn’t a crossover and we have to make space for such an anomaly right at the front of the magazine.
This week both Ford and Chrysler are not announcing new crossovers, which is a stop-the-presses moment.
The first car we’re looking at is Ford’s 2019 Raptor high-performance truck, which has just received a higher dose of off-road capabilities for the next model year. Having made its name with a big ol’ V8 engine, the Raptor still tears up sand dunes with its more down-with-the-times twin-turbocharged V6 engine providing more torque than before and more fuel economy. The latest changes don’t mess with that formula, nor the looks, but Ford is updating the car’s tech to keep the Raptor fresh.
One trick Ford’s using is for the Raptor’s Fox Racing suspension, now featuring a new system that can adjust the car’s ride height automatically and on the move, ensuring you not only clear that obstacle but also do it in comfort. The other latest gizmo is Trail Control, which you may know from other cars as Crawl Control — basically a feature that lets the car roll forward from walking pace to a maximum of about 30kph, taking control of throttle applications while the driver only has to concentrate on steering.
Finally, taking a cue from the Ford GT supercar, the new 2019 Raptor also gets some nifty blue Recaro bucket seats and additional three colour choices for the exterior including Ford Performance Blue, Velocity Blue, and Agate Black, all in an attempt to keep the customers happy and the competition at bay.
Speaking of which, things are rather heating up — Chrysler is taking on the previously unchallenged Raptor with the newly announced Ram TRX, and the Pentastar division scoffed at the notion of a V6, instead packing the front end of its truck with the company’s Hellcat engine.
That means the TRX will come with a 707 horsepower V8 shared with the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, plus some seriously beefy tyres, wheels, and underbody protection.
Unfortunately for this battle to commence we’ll have to be patient until 2021 when Ram will finally be ready with a production TRX model, but the notion of a Hellcat-powered off-road truck has to be worth the wait. See you on the dunes.
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RECALL: PUBLIX DELI CHEESE
Publix has issued a voluntary recall of its deli white American cheese.
The supermarket chain said the cheese, made by the company Great Lakes Cheese, may contain “foreign material”.
The product was sold at Publix deli refrigerated cases, and may have been sold in custom-order sub, from Oct. 3 through Oct. 11. Publix has pulled the potentially impacted product from its shelves. Customers who may have this cheese should check the date, and can return it to the store.


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Disruption of the status quo has become a customer expectation across all sectors and industries, not just from the few corporate powerhouses, Jamie Gorski, chief marketing officer at The Bozzuto Group, said during a general session at the 2019 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas. Customers have expectations that all companies they do business with will offer some innovation or disruption to enhance their experience.
Gorski said companies in the construction sector are no longer just competing against themselves, but also against companies such as Netflix, Amazon, and Google, which have streamlined customer experiences. Companies now have to strive to positively disrupt their business by getting out of their comfort zone. The number one priority, of which all other disruptions are derivatives, is the convenience of the customer experience, Gorski said in her session “Experiential Disruption: Enhance Customer Loyalty & Elevate Your Brand.”
Disruption also doesn’t require groundbreaking and company-shifting changes, Gorski said. Disrupting or altering just one aspect of business–and doing that well—can lead to large dividends in customer satisfaction and brand enhancement.
Many of the disruptions Gorski presented were catered to the multifamily apartment construction market, however most had broad applications for all construction businesses. In one example, Gorski discussed a multifamily apartment complex that installed a telescope on the roof of its building to deliver better views for residents.
“What they do the best is they pay attention to what their customers are doing and saying and then they deliver unexpected delights,” Gorski said of the complex. “It’s about your team and the experience they’re delivering to the customers.”
Tweaks to customers’ online experience can also go a long way to enhancing overall customer satisfaction and brand. America is increasingly a digital, self-service nation and catering to both these niches can positively affect customer satisfaction.
Simple additions, such as chat bots on websites, can deliver on customers’ desires—and expectations—for quick resolutions to any questions they may have, Gorski added. Making websites accessible and representing inclusiveness in marketing strategies are also minor tweaks that can benefit customer experience.
Another area where companies can differentiate themselves from competitors and effectively disrupt the customer experience in a positive way is through video marketing, Gorski offered. “It’s more important than it has been because 81% of companies are using these videos, but 85% of all internet traffic online will be using videos by 2020,” Gorski said.
Gorski stated video marketing can enhance message retention and give customers visual reinforcement of what is being marketed to them. Some of the best performing, most engaging posts have been ones that include video, according to Gorski. Behind the scenes videos and customer testimonials are two types of videos that be used to benefit your company’s brand, Gorksi maintained.
“I know [video] can be expensive but, guess what, it can be raw,” Gorski said. “It does not have to be highly produced. It doesn’t have to be expensive.”


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Intuit QuickBooks has launched a dedicated rest-of-world app store, enabling developers to create apps that seamlessly integrate with the QuickBooks platform. The app store aims to serve accountants and small business owners globally by addressing specialized needs and pain points. Developers can now access a customer base in over 200 markets worldwide, tapping into millions of small businesses that can benefit from tailored solutions.
The app store provides resources for all skill levels, offering APIs, a sandbox for testing, and production keys for easy integration. Developers are encouraged to explore the QuickBooks platform and identify gaps or niche areas where apps could offer valuable solutions, including for specific vertical industries. All apps created and submitted to the platform will undergo technical, marketing, and security reviews before going live. This ensures the highest quality solutions for users, as well as developer compliance with the necessary standards.
Developers have the option to customize their app’s market availability. If an app was built with a specific country or region in mind, the developer can limit its availability to that area. If the app has universal appeal, it can be made available globally. This flexibility empowers developers to be innovative and solve unique problems for specific markets or address universally experienced pain points.
The launch of the rest-of-world app store is an effort to strengthen QuickBooks as a robust platform capable of solving niche challenges and making life easier for small businesses and the accountants that serve them. By providing a global marketplace for developers, QuickBooks aims to expand its reach and address the specific needs of businesses around the world.
Developers also benefit from the opportunity to capitalize on the QuickBooks brand and its widespread recognition in the small business community. By offering solutions that complement the existing QuickBooks platform, developers can forge new relationships with small businesses, helping them overcome challenges and grow more efficiently.
As the rest-of-world app store continues to expand, small business owners and accountants can expect to find increasingly tailored solutions that address their specific needs. This initiative highlights QuickBooks’ commitment to fostering a global ecosystem that supports the diverse requirements of small businesses and accountants worldwide.
This article, “Intuit QuickBooks Launches Rest-of-World App Store” was first published on Small Business Trends


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Back in the day — let’s say the 1960s — folks, of course, didn’t post selfies on Instagram. Instead if you wanted to be seen in Seaside, you’d hop in your car and take a spin around the Turnaround. The more chrome, the better. That automotive history is revisited twice a year during Seaside’s Muscle and Chrome (June 17) and Wheels and Waves (September 7-10) car shows.
“When you get the fiberglass in your blood, you can’t get it out,” insists Mike Itel, a Portland resident who regularly attends and volunteers at both Seaside shows.
The Muscle and Chrome show in June celebrates show-quality muscle cars from 1960 to 1978, Itel explains. It also features factory-performance models from 1979 to present, like Dodge Vipers and Corvettes. Typically, more than 100 vehicles — all in mint condition — will line city streets, bringing together generations of car lovers.
A member of the Multnomah Hot Rod Council, Itel is a ‘vette man. How many does he own? “It’s a secret,” he says. When pressed, he admits to “a few.”
He says for him and others of his generation, muscle cars induce nostalgia.
“Maybe they wanted a muscle car back in the day but couldn’t afford it or the insurance,” explains Itel. “Now they can.”
And those owners love to show off their high-horsepower rides on Broadway Street all the way to the ocean, much to delight of thousands of spectators.
The three-day Wheels and Waves show in September is even larger, with about 230 cars, including restored hot rods from the ‘30s, ‘40s and onward.
Itel goes to about 10 car shows throughout the summer, but the Seaside ones are among his favorites.
“You can’t beat the setting,” he says.
While die-hard car enthusiasts may happily attend a car show in the middle of nowhere, the buzzing city of Seaside offers something for sometimes-reluctant passengers — maybe a spouse or antsy kids, who are eager to enjoy the bumper cars, shopping and beach.
“You’ve got a lot of things to do, right there alongside the car show,” says Itel. “It’s a lot more entertaining.” And it’s free to look!
Have some wheels you want to show off? To register a vehicle, contact the Seaside Downtown Development Association at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone at 503-738-7637. Registration costs $35 for Muscle and Chrome and $45 for Wheels and Waves.


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Sales surge puts Amazon in black
TRUE believers in internet commerce finally had some good news today when Amazon.com reported its second ever quarterly net profit. The company's international arm, which includes the UK site, reported its first quarterly operating profit.
Chief executive Jeff Bezos said Amazon became cash flow positive last year - a situation that remains elusive for many dotcoms. The retailer is bullish about the coming year, forecasting sales of growth of at least 15%.
Fourth-quarter net profit was $2.6m (£1.6m) on revenue of $1.43bn, from $1.12bn a year earlier. Analysts had forecast revenue of $1.39bn.
On the international side, the company racked up an operating profit of $20m and narrowly missed achieving full-year profitability. In the preceding quarter, it had only broken even. Year-on-year, the international arm has lifted revenues 76%, with the UK site growing more than 60%.
Robin Terrell, managing director of Amazon.co.uk, said the UK site shipped 6.2m items during November and December, up 32% on the same period a year ago. Its top sellers included Jamie Oliver's latest cookery book, Robbie Williams' album and DVD players.
Terrell said: 'Even though we now have a big business, it is continuing to grow rapidly.' He credited Amazon's commitment to lowering prices for its customers.
Meanwhile, pre-orders of the eagerly awaited new Harry Potter book, which Amazon is offering at a 50% discount, hit 30,000 in the first 24 hours. That compares with a total of 65,000 for the fourth Harry Potter book.
Bezos said a strong holiday season and the company's offer of free shipping for orders of more than $25 had increased sales. He expected the trend to continue and forecast sales in this quarter of between $1.02bn and $1.07bn.
The success of the free shipping policy - which was intended only as a temporary measure - has led to a rethink, with the company saying the offer will now be available all year.
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The Hays Toy Show will be accepting new toys for the Teaming up for Tots program at its event this weekend at the Rose Garden Banquet Hall.
The show will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
The event will also be donating $1 from each admission to the program.
Admission is $3. Children 10 years old and younger will be admitted free.
All funds and toys donated will stay in Ellis County to be given to needy children at Christmas.
The event will feature new and vintage toys. The show has about 25 vendors registered.
Some of the items you will likely find include Hot Wheels, cast iron, farm toys, sports cards, model kits, trains, dolls, NASCAR, action figures, tin toys, Star Wars and Star Trek collectibles, and slot cars.
The event is usually conducted in the spring, but it was delayed because of COVID. Show goers are encourages to wear masks and hand sanitizing stations will be available.
You can learn more by following the show's Facebook page.


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Pan-green politicians in Pingtung County yesterday call on their supporters to participate in a protest against the cross-strait service trade agreement.Jul 25, 2013
Photo: Hou Cheng-hsu, Taipei Times
This photo has been viewed 283 times.
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The world’s best-selling cars | Auto Express
The British isles car or truck market place is risky and competitive – but cars and trucks that delight in income achievements in Britain normally don’t perform almost as perfectly on the global phase as a total. So, we have taken a stage back again from the British isles market place to give you a glimpse at what the relaxation of the world’s motorists are obtaining. Here’s what we located out working with data compiled by Car Industry Examination.
Unsurprisingly, SUVs have received even more popularity. The section has developed by a few per cent given that 2018, with a whole global income volume of 31.thirteen million models – which accounts for a whopping 39 per cent of the world’s passenger car or truck income. It was also just one of just two segments which registered an enhance in income among 2018 and 2019.
• Best promoting cars and trucks in the British isles
The world’s very best-promoting SUV for 2019 was the Toyota RAV4, intently adopted by the Honda CR-V and the Nissan X-Trail – all of which also manufactured it into the global very best-promoting cars and trucks list. The influential Nissan Qashqai and Volkswagen Tiguan sit in the center of the operating list, with each and every design promoting all over 550,000 illustrations around the world.
Decide on-up vans also observed an enhance in popularity, with global income figures rising from 5.52 to 5.33 million over the last year. Obviously, the most successful choose-up truck marketplaces are the United states and Canada, whose motorists purchased three.53 million models alone. Europe was some way driving North The united states, accounting for just three.5 % of choose-up truck income.
Also, many thanks to the growth of the European and Australian choose-up truck marketplaces, lesser designs such as the Isuzu D-Max and Ford Ranger observed a marked enhance in income, with former increasing its income figures by two % and the latter enhancing by 33 per cent – for whole global figures of 250,000 and 357,000 models respectively.
Really much each and every other variety of passenger car observed a drop in income figures in 2019. Saloons arrived off very best of the relaxation, with a comparably marginal drop of 6 per cent, when MPV income observed a more drastic fourteen per cent fall in global income. Hatchbacks ended up somewhere in the center of this, with a around the world income decrease of all over eleven %.
The top rated ten very best-promoting cars and trucks in the planet
Toyota and Honda perform extremely perfectly on the global phase, with seven of the top rated ten very best promoting cars and trucks on the world being pulled from their stables, very likely owing to equally brands’ reputation for affordability and dependability. As often, the Ford F-150 choose-up truck seems as well – whilst it has suffered a minor drop in income, dropping out to lesser and more modern-day SUVs. Down below we have compiled the top rated ten list in entire…
1. Toyota Corolla saloon
Inspite of an overpowering drive in the direction of SUVs, the Corolla saloon occupies the top rated location of this countdown, with more than 1.two million models offered globally through 2019. It has reigned supreme in the North American market place for some a long time now – and enjoys income achievements throughout Europe, with 47,000 illustrations acquiring properties in the last year. We located the saloon to be fully agreeable to generate, if a little missing for general performance.
two. Toyota RAV4
Toyota has clinched 2nd location, as well, this time with the RAV4 SUV. Just about a million illustrations ended up offered globally over the last year, symbolizing a 19 per cent enhance over 2018. Inspite of its bad infotainment process and fiddly CVT gearbox, the SUV also sells perfectly in the British isles, as its vary of emissions-pleasant hybrid powertrains enable to hold Reward-in-Sort taxation minimal for company car or truck buyers.
three. Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V is nipping at the heels of the RAV4, with global income figures of 831,000 models. Product sales have also long gone up fourteen per cent in the last year many thanks in portion to the SUV’s build quality, useful cabin and good level of regular gear. The car’s petrol engines are a little thirsty, but the CR-V’s key downside is fewer of a concern in marketplaces wherever petrol is affordable, such as The united states and the Center East.
four. Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 choose-up truck has been America’s very best promoting car for the last 39 a long time – typically mainly because it ticks all the containers for our cousins on the other aspect of the pond. It is big, useful, cozy and hideously affordable, which helps make it available to pretty much each and every American consumer. It is also the initially car on this list which is not offered for British isles buyers.
5. Nissan Sentra
The Sentra is yet another car or truck which bucks the expanding SUV fad, scraping in at amount five with a global income volume of 722,000 models. It is a US-only design, which functions as a immediate rival for the very best-promoting Toyota Corolla saloon – and it’s constructed on the identical pillars of practicality, dependability and affordability, with a starting off rate of just $19,310 (about £15,000).
6. Toyota Camry
The Camry has been a stalwart of the global car or truck market place given that its introduction in 1982. It returned to the British isles in 2019, just after a 15-year hiatus, to resume its rivalry with the Volkswagen Passat. Very last year, Toyota shifted 708,000 models around the world – and it’s simple to comprehend why. It is properly outfitted, cozy and, many thanks to its hybrid powertrain, pretty frugal, returning upwards of 50mpg. Even so, it’s allow down by Toyota’s sub-par infotainment process.
seven. Nissan X-Trail/Rogue
The Nissan X-Trail (or Rogue in the US) is effectively a more substantial model of the Qashqai, which is created to compete with bulkier American SUVs such as the Chevrolet Equinox. All-around 674,000 illustrations ended up offered in the last year – whilst this is a pretty key ten % fall in income for the design year-on-year, which is very likely owing to the actuality that the X-Trail will be changed by an all-new design up coming year.
eight. Honda Civic Saloon
The Honda Civic saloon provides yet another player to the Sentra/Corolla rivalry. It is yet another US market place specific which is broadly equivalent to the EU-sent Civic hatch, albeit with a larger boot and a more substantial – still lazier – 156bhp two.-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. All-around 666,000 illustrations located properties in 2019, symbolizing a yearly income growth of two %.
9. Honda HR-V
A different Honda – and yet another common confront. The HR-V is offered in North The united states, Australia, Brazil and a handful of Asian marketplaces with pretty much the identical spec as the British isles-sent design, whilst American buyers get a more substantial capability 139bhp 1.eight-litre petrol engine in location of the British isles model’s 180bhp turbocharged 1.5-litre unit. Product sales ended up strong in 2019, with 626,000 illustrations offered around the world.
ten. Honda Accord
The Honda Accord was taken off from the British isles market place in 2015, but the saloon is continue to promoting strong overseas, with 587,000 models acquiring properties in 2019. The design is expanding in popularity, as well – in the last year, the saloon’s income have elevated by 15 %, making it the 2nd-most profitable climber on the global car or truck market place just after the RAV4.
Do you personal just one of the world’s very best-promoting cars and trucks? Allow us know in the feedback section below…


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If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you’ll have seen that there has been an awful lot of chat about oat milk lately. In a nutshell (or an oat kernel…?), Oatly recently sold 10% of their business to a controversial private equity company called Blackstone which has prompted an increasing amount of backlash and bewilderment from sustainability circles. Many conscious consumers are calling for a complete boycott of the popular oat milk brand with much of the chat revolving around alternatives to Oatly.
The partnership certainly seems an odd one. Oatly – who preach high ethics and claim to only do good in the world – have taken $200 million from a company that is directly involved in destroying the Amazon; was accused by the UN of “wreaking havoc with tenants’ right to security and contributing to the global housing crisis” …. AND, as if that wasn’t bad enough, Blackstone’s CEO is one of the biggest financial supporters of Donald Trump. Yuck.
They claim that with this money they can spread their ethical oat-fuelled message even further and prove that investment in sustainable businesses is worthwhile. Of course they have a point, all small businesses need investment in order to expand and we need these eco-minded brands to expand in order to make them mainstream options. But have they sold their soul for financial gain? Could they have taken less money from a greener source and still expanded the business?
Without knowing the financial ins and outs of Oatly it’s hard to say but Blackstone’s track record is so far away from the ethics that Oatly brand is built on that it does feel a bit like they’re accepting blood money. Is it worth lining the dirty pockets of Blackstone in order to “make it easy for people to eat better and live healthier lives without recklessly taxing the planet’s resources in the process”? Or have they just completely contradicted that mission statement by accepting Blackstone’s proposal?
It’s a difficult balance to strike, isn’t it? If, by getting one of the biggest investment firms in the world on board, Oatly proves that the movement of global capital into sustainable companies is a desirable option then that has to be a good thing. But will Blackstone’s profits from this deal then be funneled into transforming rainforest into farmland or, even worse, be supporting Trump and his repulsiveness?
Personally I’m not sure that a boycott is the right way to go. Oatly is still Oatly. Blackstone’s investment doesn’t give them any control over the business so Oatly’s mission and their company ethics remain the same. But as consumers we need to weigh up the good vs the bad and see which way the scales tip for us. If you’re still on the fence then check out these alternatives to Oatly and see if any of them feel like a better fit…
Alternatives to Oatly
- Alpro is owned by Danone who use mostly (but not solely) RSPO certified palm oil
- Alpro also owns alternative milk brand Provamel
- 98% of Danone’s recent US political donations were to the Democrats
- In 2015 Danone were accused of cruel animal experimentation by Cruelty Free International
- Danone is a dairy based brand so Alpro and Provamel are not a vegan-friendly option
- Danone is, however, certified B Corp.
- Plenish are predominantly a juice company promoting the 5:2 method of intermittent fasting where you don’t eat for two days, just drink their juice.
- Their products are organic and sustainably sourced.
- Innocent is owned by Coca Cola who are one of the biggest users of palm oil globally
- Coke are a member of the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) but provide no evidence of actually using sustainable supplies.
- Their ethics have been in question many times including being accused of falsifying pollution data in China and causing water shortages near their factories by locals in El Salvador.
- Overall, Innocent, like Oatly, are an inherently good company but with an ethically questionable owner.
- Califia are a large company based in California.
- They have many investors whose ethics I am unsure of – more research required.
- Their traceability and transparency is particularly good with a lot of information listed on their website.
- They use renewable energy and recycle their process-water by using it for agriculture.
- They trade directly with farmers many of which are within 20 miles of the bottling plant.
- Califia use recyclable packaging and are working towards using recycled materials as a greener alternative
- Rude Health are a small family run company that have recently sold a small stake to Pepsico Ventures.
- Pepsico has a dubious track record including reports of using tax havens and unethical palm oil suppliers that use forced labour.
- Again, it is worth noting that Rude Health themselves have high sustainability standards and Pepsico’s small percentage does not give them any say in how the company is run.
- Rude Health’s products are all organic.
- Pure Oaty is made on site at family run Glebe Farm in Cambridgeshire.
- They are the only arable farm in the UK growing and processing gluten free oats into products.
- Glebe Farm uses renewable energy including solar energy as well as biomass generators to keep energy consumption to a minimum.
- Around 20% of the land is turned over to bird cover and wildflowers to encourage diverse wildlife.
So which is best?
No brand is going to tick every box but once you figure out which values are most important to you it becomes a little easier to narrow down the choices. For me, a locally sourced product is going to win every time thanks to the reduced carbon footprint so I’m keen to give Pure Oaty a try. I can’t tell you which brand your taste buds will prefer but hopefully my little bit of research will give you a head start if you’re looking for alternatives to Oatly.
Have you tried any of these? What are your thoughts on the Oatly scandal? Will you be boycotting?
(Edited to add you can watch a great taste test and comparison of oat milks on Venetia LaManna’s IGTV here!)


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The Apple Watch 4 is a powerful health and fitness tracker. An important and surprising task is sleep tracking. Because you can do this with third-party apps, this feature is not offered by default. That could change soon.
According to "Workers Familiar", which Bloomberg introduced in an interview with Bloomberg, Apple has secretly been testing a sleep tracking feature for months and plans to add it to the Apple Watch by 2020.
It is not clear if this would be exclusive to the latest model (probably the Apple Watch 6) or whether it would be added as a software update. However, since most of the hardware should already be in place (eg, a heart rate sensor and an accelerometer), this could well be a feature that older Apple Watch models could get. Of course there is also the possibility of a sleep tracking feature on every Apple Watch is now just a rumor, so let's take it with a side salt. But it makes sense, as it's an obvious missing feature that would help Apple compete better with Fitbit, which has its own sleep-tracking feature.
This would not be the first time that Apple has been interested in monitoring sleep since the company had previously bought Beddit ̵
A battery operation?
As Bloomberg notes, the Apple Watch may have a disadvantage for sleep monitoring. Battery life can not compete with some fitness trackers, such as the Fitbit Versa, which lasts about 3-4 days between charges. The Apple Watch 4 for comparison is usually charged at night, which is inconvenient if you also want to carry it in bed.
It is possible that we have not yet seen the sleep tracking on the device. This means that the battery life is something else that Apple wants to tackle in the near future, but that's just speculation.
However, if Apple can provide better battery life and a sleep tracking feature for the Apple Watch 5 or 6, then this could be an important step to justify upgrading an older model.


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When Apple launched the Apple TV 4th generation, many people were surprised that they didn’t include a Gigabit Ethernet port. It appears that Apple has reversed its decision on the latest, Apple TV 4K.
Apple TV got the TV app, alongside iPhones and iPads last year. It allows you to easily discover new content to watch, or pickup where you left off. The biggest downside was that it didn’t have access to live TV streams, instead of having to launch apps individually. Apple changes this with the new Apple TV 4K.
The new Apple TV 4K will go up for preorder on September 15th, and will be released the following Friday, September 22nd. While there are other small features, the biggest additions is 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision support.


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16 February 09:31 AM
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In the system it has showed up the data that Microsoft has recorded an application for enlistment of imaging innovation environment and, clearly, for this situation we are discussing the glasses, which are a sort of simple Google Glass, yet with the extra gimmick of reality, and this implies the gadget is fit for getting pictures of items, as well as to break down them. Device, for instance, will have the capacity to evaluate whether the vehicle is moving in its "field of perspective" or not, and if moving, then what is its speed and level of potential dangers.
Development in deals to outsiders of land objects of Cyprus arrived at in the first quarter of this current year of 6.8%. This was accounted for by the overseeing chief of Urban Sprinkle Land & Contracted Surveyors Koloirou Lombroso, who displayed the aftereffects of the evaluated studies.
In May of this current year, the Korean organization LG has presented a line of tablets G Pad, and these three gadgets producer extends as a center ground between execution, personalization and cost. How figured out the experts of the Binary Options Broker Optionova.
Not very far in the past , the declared HTC One (E8) went marked down in China, and accepted the same variety garnishes like HTC One (M8), yet the plastic case. Optionova specialists found that double 4-megapixel Polaroid Ultrapixel-HTC One (M8), was supplanted by a usuall13 megapixel one. Such stages helped altogether lessen the expense of HTC Cell phone, which can now be bought in China for 481 dollars.
In the recent years, the world started eagerly creating the business of assembling bio fills from corn crop deposits. As per preparatory data, ethanol and other bio energizes speak to a threat to nature's domain as altogether diminish the level of carbon in the dirt, and can produce a much bigger portion of nursery gasses than fuel. The fitting conclusion made a few creators of the examination, the consequences of which were initially distributed in the U.S. diary Nature Environmental Change.
The South Korean gadgets creator of LG Electronics after the new PDA leader on Android LG G3, LG is get ready to discharge a few new items, which could be likely credited to the premium class.
The LG Organization, authority in deal and creation of vast buyer gadgets, today reported the usage of 1 million TVs that were focused around WebOS. It is important that the result might be viewed as a record, since the withdrawal of the item to the mass business sector has been just three months.
Over the recent years, the organization Fppl has lost its development, howeverб in the event that you accept the expressions of investigator Subside Misek, now "Macintosh" maker creates models for a few uncommon gadgets, one of which is the iPhone with screen sizes 4 mm and OLED- screen and its capability to highlight will be converted into Ipad small scale.
Sony has depicted its new objective discharging in financial year 2014, which closes at the end of March 2015, no less than 50 million of cell phones. As it have been figured out by the experts of Binary Options Broker Optionova, the mentioned shipment for 15 million units is much smaller comparing with the Japanese producer wanted to ship prior.


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Vehicle Innovation is changing quickly and so is tyre technology. New sorts of vehicles make new difficulties for tyre makers, while new material examination and tyre plans are making greener and more economical items. The significant makers are feeling the squeeze to put resources into tyres for the future and to track down ways of better connecting tyres with minimal maintenance and smooth driving on Indian streets.
Therefore, each tyre manufacturer is attempting to produce new tyre fabricating technologies. A few recent trends in the tyre business are astounding as well as charming and demonstrate how tyre creators across the globe are turning to trendy advances and digitalization to make completely altered tyres according to the requirements of their clients.
This extreme change driven by developing digitalization is, definitely, a game-changing angle according to the tyre manufacturer’s perspective as well as from how clients the world over will see, and purchase tyres online in the times to come.
Let’s look at some of the innovations that showcase where tyre technology is headed.
Uptis (Airless Tyres)
The tyre, called Unique Puncture-Proof Tyre System’ or Uptis, is re-designed for the present traveler vehicles, and it is additionally appropriate to the vehicles and armadas of tomorrow – whether independent, all-electric, shared assistance or different applications – that will require close to no maintenance from the tyre to augment their working capacities.
Michelin says the Uptis tyre, which is produced using composite elastic and sap inserted fibreglass, can “bear a vehicle’s weight at road-going speeds” because of material and design enhancements.
The organization says this airless tyre framework would eliminate the gamble of puncture and blowout. It will also decrease extreme, life-shortening wear brought about by under-or over-filling. It adds that almost 200 million tyres overall are rejected rashly consistently because of punctures and uneven wear.
The greatest benefit of utilizing airless tyres is that individuals don’t need to stress over a punctured tyre since tyres without air can’t go flat. Vehicle drivers have a good sense of reassurance and safety out and about because of punctured tyres and other air misfortune disappointments that come from street perils. Since you will not be changing or fixing a flat, there won’t be any need to carry an extra. This could provide additional trunk space, and that implies less weight and better mileage.
The progressive plan and materials in airless tyres are likewise expected to yield manageability benefits, for example, decreasing the number of tyres that are given to scrap and diminishing unrefined substances and energy utilized in tyre creation.
Recommended Story – The Future of Tyres is Airless: Here’s Why It Matters
After smart vehicles, we have entered the time of intelligent and smart tyres made and provided by the primary tyre makers organization in India. Smart tyres not exclusively can speak with the driver, yet additionally can detect the deficiency of air without help from anyone else and shoot a warning before the condition worsens. Smart tyres can be characterized as the tyres that come fitted with strong sensors to quantify different critical parameters, for example,
- Tyre Pressure
- Tread Depth
- Any sort of grinding or erosion.
Additionally, a smart tyre can alert the driver about any other street or tyre condition for which they can prepare accordingly. Nowadays, tyre producers in India have begun creating IoT-empowered smart tyres that have turned into the number one purchase of the nation and around the globe too.
Recommended Story – JK Tyre Launches ‘Smart Tyre’ at the Auto Expo 2020
Tyres with RFID
The presentation of implanted RFID chips and sensors in tyres has had numerous ramifications for vehicles being used with more smart and robotized driving platforms. A similar innovation can be an advantage on the production line floor too. Its utilization in supplementing scanner tags gives the business a further developed understanding and a more prominent scope of accommodations.
RFID labels can store significant information -, for example, tyre size, or type – that can be immediately perused and accordingly dovetails with the trend towards more noteworthy mechanization. Dissimilar to a standardized identification name, RFID labels can be read, in any event, when darkened by different articles, or when inserted in the actual tyre.
Significant tyre hardware and automation providers – like Mesnac and Rockwell Automation – are dynamic in spreading this innovation; as are more modest organizations, like Computype.
While RFID and sensors in tyres can help development, reception is probably going to be slow except if it is a particular impulse from new administrative necessities. Its underlying use will be seen broadly in additional costly sectors, for example, off-the-street, truck and transport tyres.
From shapeshifting tyres to energy generating tyres, the future is filled with possibilities for the tyre industry. There’s a lot that has been going on in the world of tyre advancements. Digital technologies will enable tyre manufacturers to develop tyres that are built to complement the vehicle in terms of safety, comfort, and convenience and minimize all possibilities of any risk that might occur.


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A bill in the U.S. House of Representatives proposes experimenting with a digital dollar to replicate the privacy and anonymity of physical currencies such as coins and paper money.
If the bill is passed, the Electronic Currency and Secure Hardware Act (ECASH Act) would “direct the Secretary of the Treasury to develop and test digital dollar technologies that replicate the privacy features of physical money.”
According to a statement from U.S. Secretary of State Stephen Lynch, who introduced the bill, the ECASH Act “will encourage greater financial inclusion, maximize consumer and privacy protections, and advance U.S. efforts to develop and regulate digital assets.”
According to Lynch, the ECASH Act would “complement and advance” the Fed’s current research.
“By establishing a pilot program within the Treasury Department to develop an electronic dollar, the ECASH Act will greatly complement and advance the ongoing efforts of the Federal Reserve and President Biden to explore potential digital dollar designs and uses. This is important. The pilot program will also Preserve the role of smaller anonymous cash-like transactions in our financial system, which are currently settled in physical dollars, the use of which has declined rapidly,” he said.
Dozens of central banks, including the European Central Bank, are already investigating central bank digital currencies, or CBDCs.
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The Fed is currently reviewing the pros and cons of U.S. CDBCs and released a discussion paper in January. It acknowledges that U.S. CDBC may be more convenient than cash, but it also poses privacy risks compared to cash.
U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled an executive order last month aimed at putting the United States at the forefront of cryptocurrencies. China, widely regarded as the world’s leading CBDC, launched a pilot project in June 2020. According to the Atlantic Council’s CBDC tracker, as of October 2021, the People’s Bank of China had issued 123 million personal wallets and 9.2 million corporate wallets, using $8.8 billion worth of transactions. It has also made strides in cross-border payments.
The Atlantic Council estimates that 90 national central banks have already started researching or are piloting CBDCs.
“Among the countries with the big four central banks (the US, the euro zone, Japan and the UK), the US is the furthest behind,” the Council noted.
In a discussion paper, the Fed acknowledged concerns that if any of these “new CBDCs become more attractive than the existing dollar form, the global use of the dollar could decline — and a U.S. CBDC could help. to expand the international role of the dollar.” Maintained.
Lynch also acknowledged that concern.
“As digital payments and currency technologies continue to rapidly advance, and Russia, China, and more than 90 countries around the world are already exploring and adopting some form of central bank digital currency, it is absolutely critical that the U.S. maintains a global leadership in development and regulation. digital currencies and other digital assets,” Lynch said.
Rohan Grey, an assistant professor at Willamette University School of Law, told Cointelegraph that the ECASH Act is unlike any other CBDC initiative in that it would not be backed by a centralized or distributed ledger system — a move that privacy advocates would welcome because it equally is private as cash.
The bill states that a digital dollar should be able to: “Use secure hardware devices for immediate, direct, peer-to-peer direct offline transactions that do not involve or pass through a public or distributed ledger or required subsequent or final settlement, or any other Additional approvals or confirmations.”
The bill calls for a two-phase trial to demonstrate a system that can “enforce aggregate balance and transaction activity limits on each device without making those devices vulnerable to surveillance by third parties, including the U.S. government or review.”


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Danish scientists break laser record
New laser technology can be used to diagnose cancer and monitor food quality.
Scientists have created a new type of optical fibre that can carry infrared light with a higher wavelength than previously possible. The new laser technology opens up for new ways to diagnose cancer and monitor food quality.
"You’ll be able to use the new technique to precisely measure how a cancer cell develops at an early stage -- without cutting into the tissue," says Professor Ole Bang, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), who helped design the new technology.
Furthermore, the food industry could use the technique to quickly analyse whether a food product contains the ingredients which it claims to on the product description, he explains.
The new fibre laser technique has been developed by the Technical University of Denmark and Aarhus University. It was recently described Nature Photonics.
Current light sources are not nearly as effective
Radiation makes the molecules vibrate
The fibre laser works similar to devices already in use in hospitals and the food industry: when irradiating skin, food, and other organic material with infrared light, the molecules of the material begin to vibrate.
By measuring the wavelengths where the light is absorbed in the material and comparing it to the measured vibration, the scientists can determine excactly which molecules are present in the material they're looking at.
The new technique is a super-continuum laser light source that covers a wavelength range from 1.4 to 13.3 microns. This makes it a world record.
"The problem is that the light sources used today -- for example for food analysis, is weak and emits out light in all directions, which makes the radiation less concentrated and weaker," says Bang.
For that reason, scientists, the food industry, hospitals, and a number of other industrial sectors have long been interested in developing a new kind of optical fibre lasers that emits infrared light as it is extremely bright and can focus on a very small area alone.
With the new technique, the infrared light can enter further into organic material than previously possible.
Light sources that transport infrared light are already in use, but up until now they have not proven to be very effective.
Translated by: Louisa Field
- Mid-infrared supercontinuum covering the 1.4–13.3 μm molecular fingerprint region using ultra-high NA chalcogenide step-index fibre, doi:10.1038/nphoton.2014.213, 2014


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High-end media publisher Modern Luxury is reviving Watches International. Seasoned watch journalist Stephen Watson will serve as its editor-in-chief.
The announcement was made on April 6—one day before the virtual opening of the Watches and Wonders fair.
The revamped Watches International—set to debut with a biannual edition in June—is “a testament to the brand’s history of identifying and conveying premium pieces,” the company said in a release. But the brand will also focus on “creating innovative experiences to entice the next generation of timepiece enthusiasts…bringing inclusivity, rather than exclusivity, to the storytelling experience.”
Watson added in the same statement: “I am thrilled to take on the role as the new editor-in-chief of Watches International, especially after a year when time became more precious to us than ever.”
Watson recently served as editor of Watch Journal, a luxury magazine targeting high–net worth collectors that has private jet distribution. Previously, he had worked as a watch editor for Hearst Digital, covering timepieces for publications such as Esquire, Town & Country, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle. He is a Fondation du Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève academy member, and a 2017 nominee for the Gem Award for media excellence.
Modern Luxury is the publisher of more than two dozen city-centered lifestyle glossies including Ocean Drive, Gotham, Michigan Avenue, and Los Angeles Confidential; a variety of Interiors and Weddings magazines; and such specialty publications as an Art Basel annual and Timeless, a twice-yearly magazine for Ben Bridge Jeweler.
(Photo courtesy of Stephen Watson)Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
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14 April 2014
French retailer Casino has seen a drop in total first-quarter sales despite organic gains as currency translation weighed on the top line.
24 February 2014
This week, the annual CAGNY investment conference took place in the US, with leading FMCG companies discussing their strategy and outlook for their businesses. One of those, PepsiCo, found itself in the spotlight again after activist investor Nelson Peltz called - not for the first time - for the group to split in two. Elsewhere, US beef jerky firm Jack Link's snapped up Unilever's meat snacks arm and Ian McLeod, the MD of Coles, said he would step down after a successful five years at Australia's number two grocer.
18 February 2014
Casino's share price has been on something of a rollercoaster in the early weeks of 2014. However, the French retailer's 2013 results and optimism for the months ahead seemed to be echoed by the market today (18 February) with its stock recovering some of the ground it had lost since the start of the year.
18 February 2014
French retailer Casino today (18 February) reported a near-10% rise in underlying annual profits and expressed "confidence" in its growth prospects for 2014, helping its shares to recover recent lost ground.
10 February 2014
Colombian retailer Exito has struck a deal to buy 50 Super Inter stores in a move it said would "consolidate" its "leadership" position in the country's grocery retail market.
30 January 2014
The world of international food retail has undoubtedly got a little less international in recent years and 2014 looks likely to see the big guns continue to take an empire-building breather and sort out their troubled home markets while undertaking only modest overseas activities. Glynn Davis reports.
15 January 2014
French retail giant Casino has reported a near-6% increase in annual sales as growth overseas offset a challenging year at home.
25 November 2013
UK retailer Marks and Spencer has remained tight-lipped over claims it is looking to acquire a batch of stores in France from retail giant Casino.
31 October 2013
Carrefour is in discussions to buy French regional retailer Coop Alsace.
28 October 2013
Casino has agreed to buy over 40 Le Mutant outlets and struck a licencing deal with the chain's owner in the north of the country.
15 October 2013
Casino has booked an increase in third-quarter sales, with its stores in Latin America and Asia again offsetting lower revenues in France - although the retailer claimed positive signs from its domestic business.
24 September 2013
Jean-Charles Nouri, chief executive of Casino, looks set to become chairman of CBD, the Brazilian retailer that the French grocer controls.
9 September 2013
Brazilian investor Abilio Diniz will stand down as chairman of Casino-controlled retailer CBD, bringing to an end disputes between the two over the business his family founded.
30 August 2013
As the fifth-largest country in the world, Brazil is simply too big a market for food retailers to ignore. And with a population of around 190m, the potential for growth and expansion in a market of this size is tremendous. However, for international retailers in the country, it has proved a tough nut to crack.
25 July 2013
Casino has booked higher half-year profits helped by a jump in international earnings but the French grocer's numbers also revealed continued challenges at home.
11 July 2013
French retailer Système U has entered Andorra through the acquisition of two former Casino-owned Monoprix stores.
10 July 2013
France's competition watchdog has cleared Casino's bid to take full control of convenience chain Monoprix.
29 May 2013
The French food retail sector is notoriously competitive and hard to operate in. As the country's retail giants slug it out for a higher share of a relatively stagnant market, the battle is raging on all fronts. With low overall growth, retailers are zoning in on the areas of greatest potential: online and convenience.
28 May 2013
French retailer Casino has received regulatory approval to buy 38 convenience stores from discounter Groupe Norma.
2 May 2013
The ongoing spat between French retailer Casino and Brazilian tycoon Abilio Diniz has taken a twist with the company seeking arbitration over the businessman's role at food giant Brasil Foods.
30 April 2013
Aside from the US and UK, where the gluten-free category is witnessing strong growth, there are a number of other gluten free markets look likely to develop elsewhere over the coming years.
25 April 2013
Retailers in Europe are looking again at the in-store experience for shoppers, refurbishing outlets and using technology, writes IRI's Laura Volpini.
23 April 2013
Competition in the French retail scene could be about to heat up, with market leader Carrefour reporting an improvement in its domestic operations. Carrefour says it has been encouraged by the results of its pricing initiative and, if the world's second largest retailer really has pulled its socks up at home, life could become tougher for its competitors.
22 April 2013
The industry's first-quarter results continued to pour in last week and two of France's leading retailers, Carrefour and Casino revealed sales figures that got analysts talking. Carrefour appeared pleased with its domestic performance, while Casino was encouraged by the results of recent pricing initiatives. Elsewhere, Tesco finally confirmed its plans to exit the US and revealed it had received and was pursuing interest in the business.
22 April 2013
Major food manufacturers began to report their first-quarter results last week. Nestle came under scrutiny for its performance in emerging markets. A cautious Danone saw signs of improvement from its European dairy operations, while its infant formula business was buoyant. Elsewhere, we shone the spotlight on the recent rationing of formula in Western markets amid high demand in China, looked at Marks and Spencer's latest European venture and analysed Magnit's move to Russian retail's top spot.
19 April 2013
Casino has insisted it expects to see "encouraging results" in France from the pricing initiative it implemented late last year, even though the move failed to lift the retailer's domestic revenues in the first quarter.
19 April 2013
Japan's Lawson Inc is the latest retailer to reveal plans to expand in Thailand's convenience store channel.
19 April 2013
French retailer Casino has booked an increase in sales in the first quarter despite falling sales in its domestic market.
11 April 2013
French retailer Casino is looking to tap into a trend among Thai consumers to shop more at convenience stores.
10 April 2013
James Lambert, CEO of UK-based R&R Ice Cream, has suggested the company's plan to buy local rival Fredericks Dairies will give retailers a "real alternative" to market leader Unilever.


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Online food delivery service Bite Squad is looking to replace its fleet of Toyota Prius delivery cars with the Tesla Model 3 within the next few years. The food delivery startup plans to test the mass market compact sedan later this year, and if the Model 3 meets the company’s expectations, Bite Squad will be fully transitioning its fleet of hybrid delivery cars to the all-electric compact sedan.
Bite Squad’s Model 3 announcement was posted on the company’s blog earlier this month, with CEO Kian Salehi stating that Tesla’s newest vehicle can play a vital role in the company’s aim of having a fully emissions-free fleet. Currently, Bite Squad, which operates on 30 markets across the United States, utilizes a fleet of Toyota Priuses for its food deliveries. While the hybrids provide great fuel economy, however, the Bite Squad CEO stated that the all-electric Model 3 could provide an even cleaner, greener option.
“Our existing hybrid cars significantly cut emissions, but an all-electric fleet would be completely emissions-free. This is where we want to be.
“When we launched in 2012, the goal was to reduce the environmental impact of our fleet by using as many hybrid vehicles as we could. The goal is the same today, but the technology has changed. We now have an opportunity to further reduce our impact with an affordable battery-powered car.”
Bite Squad’s Toyota Prius fleet currently comprises roughly 10% of the company’s delivery vehicles. The rest of the cars deployed for the service are owned by Bite Squad’s drivers, who use their personal vehicles to deliver food to customers.
In a statement to the Star Tribune, Craig Key, Bite Squad’s VP for marketing, noted that the Model 3 could give the company great benefits and savings in the long run. While the mass market electric compact sedan is more expensive than a Toyota Prius, its all-electric drivetrain completely negates fuel expenses and reduces maintenance costs.
Key further noted that the food delivery startup is looking forward to the rollout of the Model 3’s full self-driving capabilities. While the VP did state that a driverless food delivery service is not in the company’s plans for the near future, the autonomous features of the Model 3 would likely reduce the number of accidents that its vehicles will be involved in on the road.
“We think it could be a big game-changer for us both in terms of cost and liability and safety,” the Bite Squad VP said.
For now, however, Key stated that just like all other Model 3 reservation holders, the company is just waiting for Tesla to deliver its electric cars. Bite Squad placed reservations for the electric car last year, and while their vehicles’ delivery dates were initially set to late 2018, the subsequent delays in the production ramp-up of the Model 3 would likely push the delivery dates of the company’s new cars well into 2019.
As we noted in a previous article, Tesla has adjusted its expectations for the ramp-up of Model 3 deliveries during the California-based electric car firm’s Q4 2017 delivery report, with CEO Elon Musk moving the 5,000 a week production goal to the end of the second quarter. The 5,000-unit-per-week goal was initially set for the end of 2017.