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Could India Manufacture the iPad?
Luxury tax introductions on tablets and smartphones will shift part of the telecommunications supply chain to India
Op-Ed Commentary: Chris Devonshire-Ellis
Jul. 24 – In light of the Indian government’s recent announcements that import duties on luxury items are to be introduced – covering high-end smartphones and tablets – manufacturing polices aimed at targeting the domestic Indian consumer are quickly changing.
Luxury tax surcharges on imported smartphones and tablets costing more than the equivalent of US$37 are to be introduced – raising the duty payable from 1 percent to 6 percent. Samsung has immediately commented, saying the move “won’t have a positive impact” on India’s mobile phone industry, and will force customers to pay more. But then again, Samsung would say that as it will mean investing millions into their existing production facility at Noida, which currently handles only small volumes. Apple meanwhile, has not commented on the new luxury tax, and they have no production facilities in India at all. They have not invested in the country save their own retail outlets.
The reason for the introduction of the luxury tax is that India now wishes to discourage the importation of foreign products that do not add to India’s FDI or domestic manufacturing position – in my view a fair enough stance to take. But coupled with that is the question over Indian manufacturing capabilities. Could Indian companies manufacture the iPad? Are the competencies and financial strengths there?
Thus far, such a question has been answered solely by mainland China, where the bulk of the iPad component parts are either manufactured or imported, and then assembled into the final product. From China, that finished piece of kit is then distributed globally. That the China supply chain model has been working well up to this point is beyond doubt – Apple sold just under 30 million iPads last year, with that trend continuing into 2013 – Q1 figures showed 19.5 million being sold globally. The iPhone has been showing similar impressive figures just shy of 50 million units sold around the world in 2012.
Apple, in fact, hasn’t been treating the India market as a priority – until recently. However, it is now seeing its Indian marketing efforts pay off since introducing its iTunes store in India and slashing prices on older models like the iPhone 4. Shipments to India rose to a record 254,000 in the last quarter, from 52,000 in the previous three months, according to data provided by the Massachusetts-based researcher IDC. That has made Apple’s executives stand up and take note that India is a serious consumer target. They are, however, rather behind the curve.
But let’s examine Apple’s China experience so far. Of Apple’s currently China-based component manufacturers, many are Taiwanese owned, a factor that enables the manufacturer to enjoy a high degree of familiarity with the mainland Chinese market, and certainly in terms of operating and managing their factories in China. These companies include Foxconn, Catcher Technology, Cheng Loong, Chi Mei Innolux, Dynapack International, Novatek Microelectrics, Riteng Computers, Simplo Technology, Quanta Computers and Wintek, while several other mainland Chinese companies are also in the supply chain mix, including Anjie Insultating Metals of Suzhou, Kunshan Changyun Electronics, Suzhou Panel Electrics, Tianjin Lishen Joint Stock Battery among others. A full list of Apple’s suppliers (and their responsibility agreements) can be found here.
Supply chains of this breadth and nature require a great deal of energy, investment and time to establish, and both Apple and its suppliers have conducted a tremendous job in developing this in order to cater for an IT-hungry and rapidly-growing global market demanding high technology at affordable prices. Part of the success in China is the latent discipline instilled in Chinese workers. It may be a side product of what is effectively a single party state with a strongly policed management structure in place, but it keeps Chinese citizens by and large in good behavior and permits the establishment of such reliable supply chain structures as a result. However, as Apple is now finding out – even that can be damaged by an errant law suit or increases in luxury taxes in huge emerging consumer markets.
It is a natural consequence of investing in emerging economies that things can and do go wrong; a degree of unreliability comes with the territory. But even as Apple seems to have ticked all the boxes, there will always be challenges to financial success from envious eyes. This in fact occurred last year with the Proview trademark case, a legal argument that somehow seemed uniquely Chinese in origin – some dubious dealings and claims, some shoddy legal protection work, and the lack of consistency in Chinese courts led to bans on iPad sales in China for several months. Proview was a pain, but one that cost Apple US$60 million to make disappear. The Indian legal system may be bureaucratic, yet it at least tends to have a semblance of consistency, while Indian MNCs are usually a bit more globally savvy than the likes of Proview.
That lesson identified a risk in Apple’s China supply chain – too much emphasis on sourcing component parts from Chinese factories run by Taiwanese businessmen. Although on one hand it makes sense to have done so thus far as the cultural capabilities of the Taiwanese to run operations in China are generally far superior to alternatives, it can also be pointed out that the cultural aspects and language (leaving the politics aside) are largely of the same stock, yet that strength has also become a weakness. In hindsight, clearly Apple would have be better off by spreading their supply chain further afield to minimize the China risk.
However the imposition of import taxes in vital markets such as India – where tablet sales are expected to double this year – means the previous China-centric business model will need to adapt.
It is of interest to note that hand-in-hand with the luxury tax imposition goes a sweetener. FDI into the telecommunications manufacturing industry in India has just been increased to the 100 percent equity ceiling, two crystal clear signs over the Indian government’s intent: Manufacture here, or lose your market share.
The China alterative is therefore going to become part of global supply chain development – the question of where else to establish a network to hedge against things either going wrong in China, or in terms of external tax pressures coming to bear.
In a case such as Apple’s, the obvious answer would be India. The nation is famously IT savvy, has a huge latent pool of workers, and is developing its own infrastructure to take advantage of their new labor demographic dividend. The average age of an Indian worker is 23 while in China it is 35, and this affects worker supply as well as salary expenses. However, Apple has not as yet made moves into India in terms of establishing a manufacturing hub and iPads in India are all imported and sold (just as in China) through official stores.
Apple stores will soon become as familiar a sight in India as they are in China. The Indian government liberalized the single brand retail market to 100 percent investment by foreign companies in December 2012, and foreign brands are rushing to get into a consumer market almost as large and dynamic as the one found in China. India’s middle class is roughly the same as China’s at about 250 million. Yet with luxury taxes increasing, even the single brand retail outlets may not be enough to meet domestic demand. In order to properly sell to India, that luxury tax will need to disappear – and that means domestic production.
India is a market that purchased US$31.5billion worth of imported electronic goods in the fiscal year 2012-2013. Not exactly something to be sniffed at, and supply chains will need to start manufacturing in India if they wish to continue to sell to this market. Finance Minister Chidambaram’s luxury tax is a push in that direction for MNCs like Apple.
In dealing with the supply chain dynamics in Apple’s case study, an obvious question to ask when assessing India as a hedge against China in this particular scenario is whether any of Apple’s China suppliers are already in lndia. Indeed they are – Foxconn has a facility in a special economic zone in Chennai. This could possibly be the start of an Apple cluster in India, in much the same way that both Apple and their Taiwanese suppliers have clustered together in China. However, they remain the odd man out in terms of Apple’s Taiwanese suppliers in India. In order for Apple to hedge against China and develop a supply chain there, it also needs companies in India to supply its components – and in quantities catering for a massive global demand.
In China, Foxconn’s factories employ up to 100,000 workers. Are there Indian companies in the same business that have these or similar mass production capabilities? It turns out there are: including Bharti (22,000 employees), HCL Technologies (83,000), Reliance Communications (28,000), TVS Electronics (30,000), Videocon Industries (5,000), and Wipro (137,000). And where are they? Chennai.
The other interesting point about Apple’s suppliers in China is that they are almost all listed companies. That is important as it demonstrates a high degree of business sustainability – important in a supply chain – and the ability to gain access to funds quickly. Obtaining a major contract from Apple may require immediate financing in order to upgrade and expand production facilities. The Indian companies mentioned above? The same. All are listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and all are billion U.S. dollar turnover businesses in their own right. In the case of Reliance, the communications company, their global income reached US$296 billion in 2011.
Chennai, meanwhile, is India’s second largest port (after Mumbai) and is on India’s east coast alongside the Bay of Bengal across from Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand, therefore facing the rest of Asia. Possessing some 26 berths, the port handled some 1.7 million TEUs in 2011, with capacity set to rise by an additional 60 percent by 2014.
The answer then to the question posed is this: Could Apple hedge against China by developing a supply chain in India? The answer appears to be yes, it could, providing that Apple can convince Indian suppliers to fund their own developments and cluster together. The Indians certainly appear to have the financial capability to do so. Quite when that hedge appears is probably just a matter of time, however it may not be long before a “made in India” mark appears on an iPad. Clearly, issues posed to global brands such as Apple by impositions of luxury taxes in fast growing markets and the realization that India intends to encourage FDI by abolishing previous equity ceilings are set to dictate that strategic moves to develop manufacturing plants and supply chains in India begin sooner rather than later.
In fact, it is already happening. Ford has just announced plans to develop their plant in Gujarat as a global manufacturing hub, with the first cars set to roll off the production line next year. These vehicles will be sold 50-50 on the domestic and export markets. Apple – and many other MNCs – have some catching up to do.
Chris Devonshire-Ellis is the Managing Partner for Dezan Shira & Associates in India. The firm provides foreign direct investment advice, including legal structuring and tax planning for foreign investors throughout India. Established in 1992, the practice has 17 offices throughout Asia. Please email the firm’s India offices at email@example.com or visit www.dezshira.com.
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Expanding Your China Business to India and Vietnam
This issue of Asia Briefing Magazine discusses why China is no longer the only solution for export driven businesses, and how the evolution of trade in Asia is determining that locations such as Vietnam and India represent competitive alternatives. With that in mind, we examine the common purposes as well as the pros and cons of the various market entry vehicles available for foreign investors interested in Vietnam and India.
- Previous Article Ford to Make India a Global Auto Manufacturing Hub
- Next Article Biden: U.S. & India Want Quadrupling of Bilateral Trade to US$500 Billion


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A security system computer glitch is being blamed for the doors opening and the lights coming on at a Hamilton supermarket, allowing a number of people to go in and help themselves to stock on Good Friday.
The central city Pak 'n Save was open for more than eight hours from 1am until someone rang police saying people were leaving the shop with "truckloads of groceries", the Waikato Times reported.
Owner Glenn Miller said he suspected the fault was linked to a command cancelling the normal opening time for the day. Usually the supermarket opens at 8am every day but the shop was meant to stay closed for Good Friday.
An embarrassed Mr Miller said he did not know how much stock was taken but he was delighted that 12 people had used the self-service tills to pay for items.
source: newshub archive

domain: news


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Abu Dhabi Customs has launched a package of seven economic incentives to support importers in the capital.
The move has been implemented as part of Abu Dhabi Customs' efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The incentives are structured to support vital sectors and companies, with a specific focus on small and medium companies.
@abudhabicustoms launches a package of 7 economic incentives to support importers in #abudhabi and mitigate to consequences of the current circumstances. These incentives are to support vital sectors and companies, small and medium ones in particular.#abudhabicustoms pic.twitter.com/h4CnMaEsQv— Abu Dhabi Customs جمارك أبوظبي (@AbuDhabiCustoms) May 5, 2020
The incentives include postponing payment of customs duties for 90 days, pre-clearance and self-clearance services, licenses bond warehouses with no fees and the cancellation of the insurance refund fee for temporarily imported goods by paying the service fee of AED50, Abu Dhabi Customs stated.


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Drone Mobile's RSD-3AS kit lets you start your car remotely, track it and get notified if someone takes it for a ride.
Apple's entry-level phone offers something unique. But is it too old?
The company says today's the day it wraps up the transformation into a holding company for its numerous businesses.
From the Cheapskate: Ads are a necessary evil of the Web, and the truth is they're just not that evil, especially if they conform to AdBlock's Acceptable Ads guidelines.
The total exceeds the 10 million sold in the opening weekend last year for the previous versions of Apple's smartphone.
Technically Incorrect: In the workplace, millennials have become entitled to a mocking. It's surprising that it's taken "Saturday Night Live" this long to join in.
The Korean electronics maker hopes the big V10 marks the start of a family of smartphones, akin to its G line.
Scientists catch an unusual shark that looks like a cross between a blobfish and an electric eel. No wonder the poor species doesn't go out in public much.
Who wouldn't like a faster computer? These handy tricks will give you faster startup, shutdown and Start menu access.
Follow along as we explain the iPhone's new interaction method.


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Besides the popular micro-desktop, Alienware’s gaming laptop lineup is also being updated with new processors and some 4K screens.
Another entry in the Stick PC field, offering Windows 10 for under $130.
We don’t know when it’ll arrive or how much it’ll cost, but the water-cooled Asus ROG GX700 sounds like a monster gaming PC.
A low price and a tougher shell could make this laptop ideal for students — or klutzes. Acer also unveiled the Chromebase 24, a Chome-powered all-in-one desktop PC.
The new Ideapad Y900 bumps up its graphics options and adds overclocking.
The Vive-friendly Phoenix desktop gets a new name, joining affordable new 15-inch and 17-inch gaming laptops.
Samsung quietly reveals the “ArtPC Pulse Premium” — a consumer-friendly desktop with a built-in Harmon Kardon speaker system, decent specs and a very Apple-esque shape.
The Asus VivoPC X isn’t just paying lip service to VR — this $799 (roughly £650, AU$1,100) machine has two HDMI ports to make headset hookups easy.
The ArtPC looked like just another display in Samsung’s CES booth, but turned out to be much more.
For makers, educators and IoT designers, this little board promises a lot more performance than its competitor.


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We looked at our forecasts fairly hard for the next 12 months and ran a number of scenarios based on the macroeconomic environment and the consumer environment and under all cases we have sufficient funds, finance director Dave Williams told Reuters on Monday.
Wigan, northwest England-based JJB, which counts America's richest man Bill Gates among its major shareholders, ended its half year with net funds of 17 million pounds, having raised 96.5 million over the past year to fund a turnaround plan.
JJB shares fell 19 percent after it said trading had got worse since mid-September as retail market conditions deteriorated.
Retailers are generally struggling as disposable incomes are squeezed by rising prices, subdued wage growth, a lack of credit and government austerity measures.
As with most retailers, our year-end outturn is dependent on Christmas trading, nevertheless if current trading conditions continue our year-end outturn is likely to be worse than our base-budget indicates, JJB said.
Philip Dorgan, analyst at Panmure Gordon, JJB's house broker, said investors' focus would be on whether management can continue to fund the business.
He said there was a risk an expected sales recovery would not materialise and raised his forecast underlying pretax loss for the year to end-January to 50 million pounds from 40 million.
On our new numbers, JJB has minimum headroom of 10 million pounds over its banking facilities, said Dorgan.
JJB, which competes with larger rival Sports Direct
The firm, which trades from 195 stores, employing over 4,500, said revenue fell 22.6 percent to 142 million pounds, with sales from stores open over a year slumping 17.7 percent. Gross margin was down 6.4 percentage points.
The results were impacted by the closing of 49 unprofitable stores and the sell-out of old and obsolete stock.
JJB's rescue deal with landlords in March was the second in two years, and allowed it to close poorly performing stores and cut rent payments on others. Without the deal, it would have fallen into administration.
The firm's new strategy is to target keen amateurs, recreational sports participants and sporting families, with better stores and new and improved product ranges.
It is hopeful of a fillip to sales from the Euro 2012 football championships and London Olympics.
We always said it was not going to be quick and it wasn't going to be easy ... but we are making good progress and I think the shareholders at the point at which we went through the capital raisings earlier on this year were very clear this is a three to five year window, said Chief Executive Keith Jones.
Shares in JJB, which prior to Monday's update had lost 85 percent of their value over the last year, were down 2.75 pence at 11.5 pence at 9:59 a.m. British time, valuing the business at 34 million pounds. ($1 = 0.619 pound)
(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Mark Potter and Helen Massy-Beresford)


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"Project Runway" Co-Host Tim Gunn Slams Fashion Industry for Ignoring Plus-Size Women
Tim Gunn has some very strong feelings about the way fashion designers treat anyone over a size 6, and he's not holding back any longer. In a scathing new op-ed published in the Washington Post on Thursday, the Project Runway co-host put the entire industry on blast for the way it's "turned its back on plus-size women."
"There are 100 million plus-size women in America, and, for the past three years, they have increased their spending on clothes faster than their straight-size counterparts," he writes. "There is money to be made here ($20.4 billion, up 17 percent from 2013). But many designers-dripping with disdain, lacking imagination or simply too cowardly to take a risk-still refuse to make clothes for them."
Gunn doesn't let himself or Project Runway off the hook either, explaining that the designers would complain about the "real women" challenge every season and even admitting that Ashley Nell Tipton's recent win (she won season 14 with the show's first-ever plus-size collection) didn't inspire confidence that the industry is serious about changing.
"Her victory reeked of tokenism," he says. "One judge told me that she was 'voting for the symbol' and that these were clothes for a 'certain population.' I said they should be clothes all women want to wear. I wouldn't dream of letting any woman, whether she's a size 6 or a 16, wear them. Simply making a nod toward inclusiveness is not enough."
There is no reason the industry shouldn't be able to change from within, and Gunn gives a well-deserved shout-out to brands like ModCloth and designer Christian Siriano who've proved that it can be done. Every woman wants to look and feel her best. The fashion industry must do better. As Gunn says, "Designers, make it work."
Read the full op-ed over at the Washington Post.


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BlackBerry is now rolling out OS 10.2 to its Z10, Q10 and Q5 smartphones.
Stories by Chris Martin
BlackBerry has announced that it is has essentially put itself up for sale. So where did it all go wrong for Canadian firm which was once a leader in the mobile industry?
Microsoft and Amazon will launch smartphones next year with the Surface smartphone to be sold in UK retail stores.
In a sudden change, Microsoft has announced that Steven Sinofsky, President of Windows, has left the company. The question on everyone's lips is why did Microsoft fire Steven Sinofsky?
AMD has announced its second generation 'Trinity' Accelerated Processing Units.


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Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. Register here.
It worked. It really worked. The raving mad folks over at Fig said they could turn anyone into an investor, and now that United States government has validated that plan.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved Fig’s “Game Shares” platform for non-accredited investors. In August 2016, developers Double Fine, InXile, and Obsidian (Psychonauts, Wasteland 2, and Fallout: New Vegas, respectively) founded a website that would enable anyone to earn a return on an investment in new game ideas. Unlike Kickstarter, which doesn’t give you a financial stake in the projects you support, backing a game on Fig could literally pay dividends. Fig kicked off that concept with Psychonauts 2 in 2015, and now the SEC has given the full thumbs-up to the “PSY2” share. That means anyone who backed at an investor level starting at $1,000 per share stands to earn back some cash once the game starts generating revenue.
This concept is important because it gives yet another avenue to developers looking for ways to fund their games. While Kickstarter and other non-investment forms of crowdfunding have helped many studios raise money, Fig is using the profit-motive to encourage people to put even more cash toward the games they want to see.
“Enabling fans and communities to directly support and financially benefit from their favorite games is transformative to the publishing of interactive entertainment and beyond,” Fig founder and chief executive Justin Bailey said in a statement. “Fig is committed to evolving video game publishing and crowdfunding in this direction that benefits fans, communities, and developers, and ultimately the making of great games.”
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The SEC approval was something of a formality, but it’s also an important step in proving that Fig isn’t some crazy scheme. It’s also one of the earliest and most notable platforms designed to take advantage of the changes to SEC rules that permit anyone to invest in companies and startups. Previously, you needed $1 million in the bank or an annual income of more than $200,000 to establish yourself as an accredited investor. Title II of the JOBS Act changed that in 2015, and that cleared the way for Fig.
Now, going forward, Fig should have little trouble getting SEC approval for the Game Shares for its other successfully funded projects, and that’s good news for a whole new class of investors.
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Discover our Briefings.


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We’ve already featured a few times now the alternative rockers Thieves & Lovers on our website. We’re now back with a brand new interview, focusing on their latest EP, “The World is Sleeping”!
(Los Angeles, CA) Thieves & Lovers have unveiled the first single, “Always Winter” from their new record THE WORLD IS SLEEPING. The latter is indeed due out in June via Royalty Classic Records. The track is available now on all streaming and digital music platforms.


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Vote for big-name restaurants you'd like to see in Mesa
- Project Downtown Mesa is an online campaign to land big-name restaurants in central Mesa
- The public can vote at dtmesa.org for three restaurants they%27d like to see open
- Voting will likely end in mid-December
While downtown Gilbert enjoys a sudden surge of trendy, big-name restaurant openings — like Postino East in 2012 and Zinburger last month — a group of Mesa residents is pushing for a similar metamorphosis in central Mesa.
The volunteers have pledged their expertise in areas like real estate, marketing and public policy to help lure successful brands to open eateries in Mesa's downtown, long known as a relatively sleepy district with a modest collection of eclectic shops and restaurants.
They're asking supporters to register on the group's website, dtmesa.org, vote for three restaurants they would most like to see downtown and help spread the word via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
The list includes popular names like Postino, Barrio Cafe, Oregano's Pizza Bistro, Zinburger, La Grande Orange and others. Voters can also write in their suggestions.
"Project Downtown Mesa" began in September when Mesa native Kelly Smith, his wife and two other couples decided to meet for dinner. They settled on a place in Gilbert's booming Heritage District and were impressed by the dining scene emerging there.
If the plan hatched by Smith and a few others works, those same three couples, a year from now, would choose downtown Mesa as an evening destination instead, Smith said.
"There's an unspoken sense that people want Mesa to succeed," he said. "It's really just about home and getting things off the ground."
Smith, a marketing expert who runs the non-profit Mesa Code Club, spent about 20 hours building a website for the cause and launched the effort Nov. 12. Word spread quickly across Facebook, and the site landed about 1,000 hits within the first 24 hours, Smith said.
About 2,000 people had visited the dtmesa.org by Nov. 17, and the effort had compiled about 750 votes. Ultimately, the group would like to get 5,000 people to register and vote, Kelly said. Voting will likely end in mid-December, he said.
From there, the project moves into the next phase — convincing established restaurateurs that downtown Mesa is an ideal home for their newest location. Smith sees the effort as a type of contract between the restaurants and the dining public.
"You guys build it, and we'll come," Smith said. "We promise to be there."
The group may launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise money that would act as a sort of prepayment for the new downtown Mesa restaurants. Contributors would get a gift card to use at the new locations, and the restaurants would receive a certain amount in pre-sales, helping to reduce financial risk, Kelly said.
So far, Kelly has been impressed by the public response, but the group is hoping to broaden its reach into new social circles by tapping into a sense of frustration felt by many Mesa residents who want their city to be something more.
"It doesn't mean everyone else is failing; it just means we feel we as a city could be so much cooler," Kelly said. "There is something about Mesa, something special here, a nostalgia about home."


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Melbourne’s restaurant community recently came together to show their support for the war against food waste by offering one dollar dishes exclusively via the Yume app.
Some of Melbourne’s best chefs including Jesse Gerner (Bomba, Green Park Dining, Anada) and Guy Grossi (Grossi Florentino) got behind the event and posted a limited number of one dollar dishes on the app from 3pm to 4pm during “Yume Hour”. All funds raised during Yume Hour will be donated to Melbourne’s four main food rescue charities: OzHarvest, FareShare, Foodbank and SecondBite.
Yume, a new Melbourne based app that aims to provide restaurants with an easy-to-use tool to either sell or donate their surplus food, is the brainchild of food waste warrior, Katy Barfield. The founding CEO of food rescue organisations SecondBite and founder of Australia’s first social wholesale fruit and vege business Spade & Barrow, Katy hopes Melbourne – Australia’s culinary capital – will soon take the crown as the nation’s food-rescue capital.
“We are delighted to be part of an exciting 2016 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival program and to have won such strong support from the industry,” Katy said.
“Melbourne is a city of food lovers and home to some of the best food in the world, staggeringly Australians send an incredible $8 billion dollars worth of edible food to landfill each year creating methane, wasting money, energy and resources used to grow, process, package and transport our food. We are well placed to become a global innovator as we seek ways to change this.”
How exactly does Yume work?
More than 250 businesses have signed up since the app launched in June 2015. The concept is simple. When a café or restaurant finds themselves with a little too much of something, be it a sandwich, unsold specials, or leftover cakes, they simply pop it on Yume at 50 per cent off for its growing army of more than 2,500 “yumemembers” to snap up.
Alternatively, food businesses can opt to donate their surplus food to one of Yume’s twenty partner community organisations that include Melbourne City Mission and the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre.
“With Yume, we all win,” Katy said. “Food outlets win. Community food programs win. The people that community food programs feed win. The planet wins. And of course, you win. You not only save a few dollars, you also do good with every delicious dish you rescue.”
Yume is available on both Google Play and the App Store. If you are a food business looking to buy surplus food at a wholesale level please register your details here and if you are looking to sell large quantities of quality surplus food register here and help Yume create a world without waste.
How did Yume Hour go?
“Yume Hour was an event created to shine the spotlight on food waste,” Katy told Anthill, “It showcased just how amazing meals can taste, when they are created with surplus ingredients! Some of Melbourne most celebrated chefs including Guy Grossi, Jesse Gerner and Matt Wilkinson created some extraordinary and elaborate dishes for the public to snap up for just $1!”
“The event was more successful than we ever could have imagined! In the first 20 minutes of Yume Hour, over 2,500 users jumped on the app to snap up an exclusive $1 deal. In the first 10 minutes our server received 16,000 requests, which caused the app to slow down to deal with the demand. Thankfully, our tech team launched in to action and worked their magic to bring the app up to speed and cope with the massive amount of traffic.
“Around 900 dishes were sold during Yume Hour with 14 of the 22 restaurants involved selling out completely. As well as raising money for food rescue organisations who we admire so much, we are thrilled that the event put a spotlight on food waste and brought this important issue to the attention of so many Melbournians who may not have every considered it before.”
What is the story behind Yume?
Anthill caught up with Katy for a brief interview about her journey as an entrepreneur and her socially conscious app, below is what she shared with us.
Who is Katy Barfield?
My journey to becoming a social entrepreneur has been somewhat unorthodox. Believe it or not, I started out as an actress and even appeared on The Bill in the UK a couple of times!
I became interested in the not-for-profit space while volunteering at a charity in London called Children In Crisis where I became inspired to seek funding to set up a shelter for children in Afghanistan.
When I moved to Australia years later I had a brief foray in to the hospitality sector when I purchased a bar in Melbourne and ran it successfully for a number of years. It was here that I saw first hand just how much food goes to waste and when I was approached by Ian Carson to head up a new food rescue charity called SecondBite I felt I had to say yes!
As they say the rest is history and I have dedicated the past ten years of my career to fighting the war against food waste. My latest venture is Yume, a digital marketplace that connects sellers with quality surplus produce with buyers! It has the greatest potential to disrupt a broken system of any project I have worked on yet – and it’s not easy!
What inspired you to start Yume?
As the founding CEO of SecondBite I became very aware that our food system is broken. I was also very concerned that such a small percentage of food actually makes it to food rescue organisations and was keen to understand why and develop a solution.
Considerable waste is generated from hospitality venues – cafes, restaurants, hotels, caterers and higher up the food chain from manufacturers, wholesaler’s, primary producers and distributors. There are many reasons for this waste – for hospitality venues it is the small amounts of unsold sandwiches, specials or breakfast items that remain unsold after service.
It may not sound like much but there is a multiplier effect. In fact, manufacturing and hospitality are responsible for 1.4 million tonnes of food waste every year in Australia. If we can persuade each hospitality venue to put just one kilo of food on the App rather than in the bin we would prevent 40 tonnes from going to waste every day – without putting a single van on the road.
Higher up the food chain there are many reasons large quantities of food goes to waste; export consignments that are unfulfilled, miscoded barcodes, mislabelling, over production, short shelf life, etc.
We live on a planet with finite resources and it concerns me greatly that we discard such enormous amounts of our most precious resource ‘food’. In fact, globally we send 1.3 trillion kgs of food to landfill every year!
The natural evolution of Yume was to go further up the food chain to access large quantities via the Yume Wholesale platform model. It is a digital marketplace that connects food distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers with large quantities of surplus produce to caterers, restaurants, convenience stores and food businesses who want to buy it! Yume’s platform provides an alternative to heavily discounting, turning over to animal feed or throwing away perfectly good produce.


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This article discusses how the consumer culture is affecting climate change. A report makes clear where much of the blame lies for our warming planet.
To save the planet, mankind must rapidly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. But where should we be reducing those emissions from? What would make the biggest difference?
Journalists and environmentalists often answer that question by looking at which sectors of the U.S. economy contribute the most to global warming. Transportation (cars, buses, trucks, and planes) leads in greenhouse gas emissions, while electricity (coal and natural-gas power plants) is a close second. Industrial goods and services are third; buildings, fourth; and agriculture, fifth.
C40 Cities, a network of 94 of the world’s biggest cities, released a report on Wednesday estimating how much consumption habits drive the climate crisis. The results were staggering: In those nearly 100 cities, where a combined 700 million live, the consumption of goods and services “including food, clothing, aviation, electronics, construction and vehicles” is responsible for 10 percent of global greenhouse gases. That’s nearly double the emissions from every building in the entire world.


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Scottish Power hikes prices
SCOTTISH Power has come in for criticism for hiking energy prices just weeks before winter hits the UK.
From 17 October electricity prices will rise by between 5% and 8% and gas will go up by 12% as the company struggles with soaring wholesale prices.
The increase will add £67 to the average annual energy bill of a customer taking gas and electricity and means that since 2003 the company's prices have risen by 31.5% for gas and 28.2% for electricity.
Adam Scorer, director of campaigns at consumer watchdog energywatch, said: 'Consumers are again being hit with double digit gas price rises while offshore gas producers can point to staggering profits.'
He added: 'That prices are going up at a time of year when energy consumption increases and forecasters are warning of a harsh winter is at best unfortunate.'
The organisation said consumers should keep their bills in check by reducing their consumption and trying to switch to cheaper deals.
Scottish Power's increase comes just weeks after British Gas hiked its prices, leaving Npower and Scottish & Southern as the only companies not to increase prices this year.
Scottish Power said that it is still one of the cheapest providers despite the price rises. Director of energy retail Willie MacDiarmid said: 'Like all energy suppliers, Scottish Power has been hit by the unprecedented rise in wholesale prices.
'We have frozen prices for as long as possible, but unfortunately are now forced to pass on part of this increase to consumers.'
The company said wholesale gas prices have risen by 70% since April last year. It recently said the impact of high wholesale prices had forced it to slow the rate of new energy customers it attracts.
The group, which achieves more than half of its business outside its Scottish heartland, said customer numbers increased by 52,000 to 5.16m in the first quarter to June 30 - down on the growth of 865,000 in the previous year.
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New Delhi, June 28 (IANS) The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has banned testing cosmetics and their ingredients on animals, an animal rights organisation said Friday.
“DGCI has announced that testing cosmetics and their ingredients on animals will not be permitted in the country. The announcement was made today (Friday) at Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) cosmetics sectional committee meeting,” People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an international animal rights group, said in a statement.
According to PETA, the DGCI announcement comes in the wake of European Union (EU) and Israel imposing bans on the testing of cosmetic products and their ingredients on animals.
“DCGI’s announcement that testing cosmetics and their ingredients on animals will never be allowed in India again is a victory for animals and science. Animal tests are cruel and unreliable,” said Chaitanya Koduri, PETA India’s science policy adviser.
“This compliance with international standards will now improve trade avenues for the country and save animals’ lives. Now PETA urges the government to bring in a similar ban on the testing of household products like cleaners on animals in India,” Koduri said.
More than 1,200 companies around the world have banned all animal tests, but many still choose to subject animals to painful tests, in which substances are dripped into their eyes, smeared on their abraded skin, sprayed in their faces or forced down their throats, the statement said.


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The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), said that Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) cumulatively received 325,898 complaints from consumers in second quarter of 2023.
This was made known in the commission’s second quarter of 2023 report posted on its website in Abuja on Wednesday.
NERC said that the 325,898 complaints represent an increase of 76,215 compared with the 249,683complaints received in the first quarter of 2023.
The report said that DisCos resolved a total of 313,442 complaints corresponding to a 96.18 per-cent resolution rate when compared to the 91.76 per cent recorded in first quarter of 2023.
”Metering, billing, and service interruption were the prevalent issues of customer complaints, accounting for more than 75 per cent of the total complaints during the quarter under review,“ it said.
NERC said that in pursuant to the provisions of its customer complaints handling standards and procedure regulations, it had to set up forum panels across the country.
According to the commission, panels were set up to review unresolved disputes from the DisCos’ Complaint Handling Units (Discos-CCU).
”The forum offices received a total of 1,485 new appeals in second quarter with 866 pending appeals from the first quarter.
“This brings the total of appeals from customers dissatisfied with Discos’ decision on the complaints lodged at the CCU to 2,351
”During the period, the forum Panels held 71 sittings and resolved 1,379, (58.66) per cent of the appeals filed at the forum Offices nationwide; the resolution rate was – lower than 64.38 per cent achieved in the first quater.
”The commission will continue to take measures that will ensure a more efficient customer complaint resolution process, ”it said.


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Hoboken authorities are investigating whether booze was being illegally sold at a fundraiser event organized by a social networking website for mothers last week, police reports said.
After seeing the event advertised on a Hoboken website as having an open bar, an undercover cop went to the event at 1301 Sinatra Drive North at 6:20 p.m. to investigate.
There he bought a $30 ticket in exchange for a wrist band that allowed him to have unlimited beer, wine and liquor, reports said.
The officer asked for a beer and went back for two refills –each time dumping the drink into the toilet, reports said.
The organization running the bar had a beverage license but were serving to a public place without a permit, police said.
The evidence was turned over to Alcoholic Beverage Control Board for further investigation of the illegal sale of alcoholic beverages, reports said.


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Local furniture industry hit by supply-chain issues stemming from pandemic, winter storms
The February storm in Texas compounded the issue of backlogged furniture, which began as factories and manufacturing plants closed because of the virus
Micheline Stone, owner of Denver-based Creative Living, planned to open her Frisco location in February. But due to pandemic-related issues with manufacturing and shipping — plus the February winter storm that halted many operations in Texas — the shop opened three months later and still isn’t completely outfitted.
Virtually every industry has been impacted by supply-chain issues. Early last year, the pandemic forced many businesses to send employees home or reduce the number of staff members working in person. Now as activity picks back up, manufacturers are struggling to meet demands, and prices for goods are steadily increasing.
Shortages have been seen with automobile chips and more recently with the restaurant industry’s struggle to acquire basics like oat milk and chicken wings. Furniture stores are just another industry facing supply-chain issues.
Stone opened Creative Living in Denver in 2011 and began setting her sights on Summit County. She targeted a February opening date, but because of manufacturing stalls and shipping delays, she’s still putting the finishing touches on her store and waiting for the rest of her inventory to come in.
“It took longer than anticipated to actually open our doors, and we are still not fully stocked with what we originally ordered and intended for our opening,” Stone said. “For our Denver location, we’ve been running into more delivery and stock issues … slower delivery times, lack of product due to supply-chain resources — just whether it be raw materials or fabrication — and COVID-related issues in the factories. Any number of things just compounded and disrupted delivery of product and (the) supply chain.”
Stone said she began ordering merchandise for her Frisco location in January. The store didn’t open officially until May 1, and it’ll be July 4 before she expects all of the inventory to be in stores.
To bridge the gap, Stone said she’s been transferring goods from Denver to Frisco to keep her new shop up and running.
“We’ve just been receiving vendor notifications (that) this is delayed in shipping, this is delayed further, this is out of stock,” Stone said. “We do have things in the store, but trying to furnish it out, being a new store, we’re pulling stuff from our Denver location to fill the space at the time being rather than having things readily delivered and available there at all times.”
Stone’s business isn’t the only furniture store in town experiencing issues like these. The owners of Lilli’s Lighting and Decor and iFurnish are also experiencing similar backlogs.
Denise Williams Roberts, owner of Lilli’s, said the winter storms that occurred in the south, and especially in Texas, have had major impacts on the furniture industry. Williams Roberts explained that there are only so many plants that can make what’s needed for the foam that goes into cushions for chairs and couches. When the February storm forced factories to halt production, it caused a severe delay in making the foam, thus creating longer lead times for manufacturers to assemble various pieces.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, when customers shifted from spending their money on services to products, that’s when we saw the increase in purchasing,” Williams Roberts said. “People started redecorating. So there was already starting to be a strain on that foam production to begin with. When we had the emergency and they shut everything down, that’s really what caused the kind of catastrophic lead times that we’re now seeing for furniture.”
Williams Roberts said eight to 12 weeks was a fairly standard lead time for manufacturers to make various pieces. Now those same manufacturers are experiencing 26- to 32-week lead times.
Williams Roberts said she has five warehouses where she keeps inventory, so she never had an issue keeping her store stocked. She said her warehouses were just starting to empty. Luckily, the merchandise she ordered in September and October is now starting to arrive.
Over at iFurnish, co-owner Kelly Pestello said early planning saved her store. As soon as iFurnish reopened after the shutdown, Pestello she and her husband and co-owner, Tony, began ordering inventory immediately.
“It was just seeing the writing on the wall and (that) people want to buy furniture, and factories can’t make it fast enough, so we’d better start getting stuff on order,” Pestello said.
Both Pestello and Williams Roberts said it’s likely that these backlogs will continue well into 2022. In the meantime, Williams Roberts said consumers should jump on a product if they see something they like that’s currently available.
“If you see it and you like it, get it,” Williams Roberts said.
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PayPal is doubling down on the idea of helping the "unbanked" — people who don't use typical financial services — by chasing one key group, CFO John Rainey told CNBC on Wednesday.
"There's something like two billion people across the world that don't have things that you and I take for granted – a checking account, a banking account, a home mortgage, traditional financial services," Rainey told "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer in an exclusive interview.
"The unique aspect about those two billion people is that 70 percent of them," or some 1.4 billion, "have a mobile device," Rainey said.
PayPal, an online payments giant that owns the millennial-loved Venmo, has been building out its "digital wallet" to include more traditional banking features, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.
In 2017, the company rolled out domestic payment capabilities there, allowing Indian consumers to use PayPal for transactions with key merchants.
"If you're going to be a global payments player, you've got to have a footprint in India," Rainey said on Wednesday, noting that in India's population of some 1.2 billion people, there are roughly 400 million mobile phones.
In March, PayPal CEO Dan Schulman told CNBC that countries like India are "leapfrog[ging]" over legacy financial technologies like credit cards and embracing digital payment methods instead.
Rainey told Cramer on Wednesday that, in some ways, PayPal is attempting to fill the void created by consumers that opt out of traditional financial solutions.
"We have a vision of democratizing financial services for those that are underserved today," the CFO said. "With a mobile device, we can put all of the power of a bank branch in the palm of their hand and allow them to join the world of e-commerce and shop online."


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In recent years, more and more consumers are becoming health conscious, evidenced by them paying closer attention to the back of their food labels.
DEMAND FOR TRANSPARENT FOOD LABELLING
This development isn’t a result of the pandemic, but rather a consistent trend due to increasing consumer curiosity about where their food comes from and how it’s made.
This awareness is also reflected as one of the top 10 trends for 2023 by FMCG Gurus referred to as ’eagle eyes,‘ as consumers are on the hunt for transparency when it comes to nutritional profiles of products.
This development has fuelled the rise of clean label products, which can be described as products that are ’natural, contain only real ingredients, are syntheticfree, and are also free from artificial ingredients. According to a recent survey, roughly 78% of consumers worldwide expressed that they find clean label products appealing after understanding its definition.
With demand for clean label items soaring, manufacturers in the region can jump on the opportunity by creating cleaner, more natural food products for consumers. However, this transition may provide them with challenges on the taste and texture front.
THE STARCH OF A MORE NATURAL JOURNEY
To answer consumer demand and overcome technological challenges, food producers can tap into ingredients such as rice starch to get ahead of the competition. What differentiates it from other starches is its small granule size of 2 to 8 μm which allows the creation of creamy textures. This natural ingredient can be used in dairy and confectionery products, baked goods and convenient foods such as soups and sauces and helps to increase shelf-life and to improve product stability. One challenge for manufacturers consists in maintaining optimal functionality under varying processing conditions that range from gentle pasteurisation to more severe retorting, in both neutral and acidic foods.
Fortunately, there are already solutions to this problem. For example, BENEO’s range of rice ingredients includes a functional native rice starch. Thanks to a unique thermal production process, this ingredient offers enhanced technical properties to help achieve performance levels competing with those of chemically modified starches. It is the company’s first high performing rice starch that qualifies for both natural and clean label status worldwide.


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Another bill, Senate Bill 270, is making its way through the Legislature to ban free plastic bags.
It’s the San Francisco disease. They want to charge us all 10 cents apiece whether its plastic or paper. By the way, since San Francisco’s plastic bag ban went into effect there have been five to six more deaths from intestinal infections, according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania.
And now the plan is for plastic bags to contain 20 percent recycled materials and be strong enough to be used more than 125 times.
That’s 125 opportunities to fill your grocery bag with germs like salmonella and other icky germs.
The bills authors would offer plastic bag manufacturers a $2 million subsidy to “retain or retool” their employees and manufacturing operation.
Here’s a better plan. Don’t mess with the 2,000 employees who help manufacture plastic bags. Make sure every grocery store has a container for customers to drop off their excess plastic bags. Many people save their plastic bags for lunch, dog poop, carrying various sundries and lining trash cans.
Consider this 2012 article by NPR’s Eliza Barclay:
“Think you’re safe from norovirus, the nasty bug behind the stomach flu, if you steer clear of someone who has it?
“Think again. Researchers in Oregon investigating an outbreak of stomach flu among some young soccer players learned the virus can hitch a ride on those reusable plastic bags many of us have gotten accustomed to carrying to and from the store.”
This is the kind of bug that recently knocked out 700 people on a Caribbean cruise ship and led to the Centers for Disease Control sending a team to the ship, which steamed for New Jersey.
That’s all we need is someone with one of those reusable bags turning us all into cruise ship victims without the benefit of a Royal Caribbean ship.


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The augmented reality space is hot and getting hotter, especially among enterprise companies looking to redesign the experience of the onsite employee of the future.
Daqri, an AR smart helmet startup, is growing its leadership board significantly today while it continues testing its device. The company is adding three new executive positions today: Mike Lynch, who most recently tackled talent acquisition and human resources at SpaceX, will be joining Daqri as chief human potential officer; Roy Ashok, a former product management leader at Qualcomm, will be coming aboard as chief product officer; and Patrick Alo, a marketing leader from Virgin Group, will be appointed as chief marketing officer.
These latest hires will give Daqri improved flexibility as it looks to aggressively hire top talent and expand the company’s brand presence in the enterprise community.
The device itself doubles as a safety helmet and set of safety glasses in addition to providing “mixed reality work instructions, safety information, mapping and more” for industrial workers. The helmet is already being tested with some major corporations, including Autodesk, GE, Topcon, Hyperloop and KSP Steel.
The LA-based startup gathered headlines at CES 2016 when it unveiled its enterprise-focused augmented reality helmet. Our own Sarah Lane sat down with the Daqri team to discuss potential use cases for the device and the future of AR tech in the workplace.
“Roy, Patrick and Mike are experts in their respective fields and come from some of the world’s most innovative companies,” said Brian Mullins, founder and CEO of Daqri, in a statement. “They are joining at a crucial time as we are making huge advancements in AR technology and holography that will have a game-changing impact on the industry. We are laser focused on our mission of changing the face of work with the deployment of the Daqri Smart Helmet and have the team in place to do just that.”


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Ghana’s public space over the past fortnight has been pre-occupied with the debate on the mineral royalties investment agreement – herein called the ‘Agyapa Deal’. There have been several calls by civil organisations, respected statesmen and ordinary citizens for government to hasten slowly on the ‘Agyapa Deal’.
Micro small to medium enterprises ability to transition to big businesses will require meeting acceptable and international standards in order to stay in the competition, the Food and Drugs Authority, FDA has said.
The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC has in a statement revealed that government will from September this year announce details of the payment process of clients of defunct Fund Management Companies.
The effect of the coronavirus-induced border closures and travel restrictions was grossly felt by services trade, with education and tourism being the hardest-hit sectors across the globe, according to the latest trade report on the virus pandemic issued by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The country cannot develop without the private sector, as it remains critical in helping to finance the government’s industrialisation drive and its vision of “Ghana Beyond Aid”, especially in the post-Covid era, says Alan Kyerematen, Trade and Industry Minister.
Members of the Nigerian Union Traders Association of Ghana branch in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region say they have been targeted by the Committee on Foreigners in Retail mandated to crackdown on foreigners engaged in illegal retailing business in the country.
The Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), Dr John Kofi Mensah, says the indeginous bank will support Outgrower Farmers supplying raw materials to Factories under the government’s One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative.
Ghana’s general high cost of production for manufacturing industries could be its bane when the much-awaited African Continental Free Trade Area becomes fully operational in 2021, two major trade groups have told government.
A Chinese-owned fishing trawler has been re-licensed to fish in Ghana, despite being caught for illegal fishing twice and failing to pay a US$1m fine, watchdog Environmental Justice Foundation has alleged.


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Fake electrical cables and earphones which trading standards officers say could be dangerous to use in the home were discovered for sale in Stepney.
A business found to be selling 240 counterfeit Samsung and Apple electrical gadgets worth £4,500 was prosecuted by Tower Hamlets Council after a shopper complained to the town hall about a Samsung charger suspected to be counterfeit.
A raid was carried out at Watney Internet Ltd in Watney Street by council officials with Samsung representatives, in which products were seized that were suspected to be fake.
The items had Apple and Samsung brand markings, but were all found to be counterfeit copies of genuine products, according to the local authority.
Watney Internet Ltd was fined £2,500 when it and its director Jaheeda Khatun pleaded guilty at Thames Magistrates Court on June 13 to selling fake Samsung adapters, cables and earphones and Apple cables and earpods.
“Buying fake goods can be dangerous,” Tower Hamlets councillor Kabir Hussain said after the court case. “They will not have undergone the same rigorous testing that manufacturers apply to their products.”
Khatun was given a 12-month conditional discharge, which means she could face a prison sentence if caught committing another similar offence.
Shoppers are now being urged to contact Tower Hamlets trading standards officers if they suspect having bought a product unwittingly that turns out to be a counterfeit copy.


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Adidas uses ocean trash to make footwear – and a statement
The world’s oceans are in peril due to a combination of pollution, overfishing and climate change. Recently, the Alfred-Wegener-Institut, a German center for polar and marine research, sent out a strong warning about fundamental changes that are occurring in those ecosystems. But awareness is growing and the fight to preserve the oceans has found an ally in Adidas, which has teamed with conservation group Parley for the Oceans to create footwear made with trash harvested from the ocean.
Parley for the Oceans works with partners such as Adidas to come up with creative solutions to spread the word about the crisis facing the world's oceans. With this goal, Adidas will produce a line of footwear with uppers made of yarns and filaments recycled from ocean waste and deep-sea gillnets used by illegal fisheries. Marine life activists Sea Shepherd, another Parley partner, retrieved the nets during a 110-day-long poaching vessel hunt that ended somewhere off the West African coastline.
For now, Adidas has created a unique prototype, and the photos released give eco-minded Adidas fans an idea of what’s to come later this year. The prototype was shown during a launch event at the United Nations as part of the Parley Talks series. Titled "Oceans. Climate. Life." the event saw a range of experts give the audience a view of the chaotic state of the oceans and the consequences of climate change.
"At Parley for the Oceans, we want to establish the oceans as a fundamental part of the debate around climate change," said Parley for the Oceans founder Cyrill Gutsch. "Our objective is to boost public awareness and to inspire new collaborations that can contribute to protect and preserve the oceans. We are extremely proud that adidas is joining us in this mission and is putting its creative force behind this partnership to show that it is possible to turn ocean plastic into something cool".
This is not the first time a major company has looked to raised awareness about the degradation of the world's oceans by creating artifacts out of trash. Back in 2010, Electrolux created a limited edition vacuum cleaner from this type of debris. Elsewhere, UK-based Studio Swine and Kieren Jones created the Sea Chair out of oceanic pollution.


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It is fast becoming a regular sight inside Westpoint Shopping Centre in Blacktown. One wonders if it is the economy, inflation, or high cost of rent that is responsible for the closure of many business establishments in what is supposed to be the most popular shopping mall in the area.
One business owner who requested not to be identified commented that Centre Management has not been very helpful in promoting the shopping complex. “Over the past several months, Westpoint has not really been very active in attracting more people to shop. They come in trickles and hardly spend much,” said one retailer whose shop is now closed. One former restaurant owner said that the rent is very expensive. “We feel that we are just working for Centre Management. We hardly earn anything.”
Businesses come and go and only God knows how many years newcomers will last. Max Fried Chicken Restaurant will soon be opening a branch at Level Four. It was learned that the minimum term is 5 years. Many tenants are being required by Centre Management to submit a periodic report of their income. It seems that it is being used as basis for rental increases. – ?


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Estonia’s GDP contraction was considerably smaller than the EU average (4.8 per cent) and the eurozone average (5.1 per cent) in the fourth quarter of 2020.
In Statistics Estonia’s news release, their leading analyst Robert Müürsepp explained that, for example, the situation in the field of manufacturing improved to pre-pandemic levels in the fourth quarter. Being hit by the COVID-19 related situation in spring 2020, in the second half of the year, trade showed signs of recovery, which, according to Müürsepp, is a good indicator of how quickly the Estonian economy can adapt.
Foreign trade fared well despite the restrictions on international transport. The low level of travel services still limited the export and import of services, but trade in goods reached a historically high level. Both, the import and export of goods were boosted by trade in electronic equipment and chemical products – by 14.4% and 8.7%, respectively. The export of wood products also helped to increase exports, while imports were driven by the import of various machinery and equipment.
Kaspar Oja, economist at the Bank of Estonia told ERR that the economy’s recovery began during the third quarter of 2020 and continued in October and November. According to Oja, the economic impact of COVID-19 related restrictions is lower than their social impact as sectors with smaller added value are mostly affected.
Both, Oja and his colleague from SEB Bank, Mihkel Nestor predict GDP growth in 2021. “The economy will start growing and in the second half of the year, we can expect strong growth,” says Nestor. While a growth of 3.8 per cent is expected, he adds that Estonia’s ongoing pension reform can raise consumption at the end of 2021 and this, in turn, may further affect the GDP towards growth.
In 2020 in total, the Estonian economy shrank by 2.9%. Manufacturing, trade, and accommodation and food services were the main contributors to the economic decline.


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Samsung has confirmed it began testing Samsung Pay with Korean credit card firm Samsung Card on July 15 for select customers in Korea. “Users of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are the first to have access to Samsung Pay,” Samsung says. Rumours surfaced about the plans to trial the mobile payment solution earlier this month.
- Scotiabank adds multi-loyalty programs to mobile banking apps
- Urban Airship analysis of retailers’ mobile wallet coupons and loyalty cards reveals widespread peer-to-peer sharing
- Brewery puts NFC tags in beer coasters in San Diego pub
- Bahrain to launch national e-wallet on July 4
- Square gets green light to take on banks with ‘PIN on glass’ mobile technology


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New Orleans (WGNO) - Breaking out the bubbly for New Year’s Eve? You’re probably not alone. Champagne has been used to mark huge events since the 1800s. But the popular drink came to be by accident.
“Because of very cold temperatures and how fermentation happens, occasionally, the wine wouldn’t stay still, instead you would end up with this effervescence, with this sparkling. But initially this was considered bad, and people didn’t want the bubbles in their wine. However, over time, it’s seen as something unusual, something special and people begin to ask for it," Drink & Learn Historian Elizabeth Pearce said.
A monk and a widow helped perfect the process: Don Perignon and Veuve Clicquot.
“To ensure that it stays sparkling and bubbly, it needs to stay in the bottle, so that’s how the carbonation stays intact. And really until the late 18th, early 19th century, shipping a bottle of anything along very bumpy roads, across the ocean is an iffy proposition. There’s a lot of breakage, corks popping – and because of all this loss, champagne remains an expensive thing," Pearce said. "Well, as we all know, whatever the rich people drink eventually everybody else wants to drink that too."
And champagne, while popular across the world, has a special relationship with New Orleans.
"In the early 19th century, it was noted that there were only two cities in the United States where you could regularly, and easily, order a single glass of champagne at a saloon -- and that was New Orleans and New York," said Pearce.
What about when alcohol was outlawed?
"It’s as if Prohibition never happened. And the champagne flowed like it was the Mississippi River," said Pearce.
And decades later, that love for champagne has not faltered.
"It’s a city that believes in celebration - and in celebrating every day. That’s why champagne is the perfect drink for New Orleans," said Pearce.
So this weekend, make sure to make a toast to the drink that sparkles the most… Cheers!


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Each year, the marketing research consultant Kantar Millward Brown issues a report ranking the world’s leading brands by their estimated brand value. The BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, as the report is called, ranks the world’s top 100 brands in terms of brand equity. It also ranks the most valuable brands in a number of key product segments, including luxury.
A review of the 315-page 2017 BrandZ report, issued in June, makes it clear that the world’s most valuable watch brand is Rolex, which has an estimated brand value of $8.053 billion. The estimate is based on a complicated formula combining financial information and consumer surveys. KMB interviews three million consumers in more than 50 global markets about 100,000 different brands. It uses data from Bloomberg and Kantar Worldpanel to analyze companies’ financial and business performance.
To be clear, Rolex is not among KMB’s Top 100 brands. (A brand needed a value of at least $11.3 billion to make that list.) Rolex appears in the report on the BrandZ Luxury Top 10 list, where it holds the #5 position (see table below). Rolex is the only one of the top 10 luxury brands whose sole product is watches. No other watches-only brand is included in the BrandZ report.
Rolex is Switzerland’s best-selling brand by revenue. Until recently, it was also the world’s best-selling watch brand by revenue. Apple now claims that crown. (Apple, with a brand value of $234.67 billion, ranks #2 on the Top 100 brand value list, after Google at $245.58 billion.) As a private company, Rolex does not disclose sales data. Swiss analysts estimate its annual sales at around $4.5 billion.
It’s worth noting that eight of the other nine brands on the Luxury Top 10 list have watches in their product portfolio, a sign of the extent to which the wristwatch has become a fashion accessory in recent decades. (The only brand on the list without a watch is Prada.) Most of the other brands produce their own watches; Burberry watches are made under a license deal. But, other than Rolex, all of the other brands are most famous for a product or products other than watches.
That includes Cartier, which ranks just below Rolex at #6 on the top luxury brands list, with a brand value estimated by KMB at $5.84 billion. While Cartier has a substantial watch business (it is Switzerland’s third best-selling watch brand in revenue after Rolex and Omega), the brand is better known as a jewelry manufacturer and retailer.
Rolex and Cartier have made the BrandZ Luxury Top 10 list every year since the first one in 2006. In 2006, both brands also made the Top 100 list: Cartier at #82 with a brand value of $5.55 billion, Rolex at #90 with a brand value of $4.92 billion.
The explosive growth of consumer-focused technology brands (Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, etc.) over the past dozen years have pushed luxury brands off the top 100 list. In 2017, only the top three luxury brands make the Top 100 list.
In fact, the brand value of both Rolex and Cartier has dropped over the past three years as a result of the slump in Swiss watch sales, primarily in Asia. In 2014, Rolex’s estimated brand value was $9.08 billion. It’s dropped 11% since then. Cartier has fared much worse, losing more than $3 billion in brand value, according to KMG’s estimates. KMB placed that value at $8.91 billion in 2014. Since then, it’s down 34%.


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- A man has come up with a creative and free way to make face shields
- He uses 2L Coca Cola bottles to make the see through visors
- His innovative idea can help South Africans protect themselves against the coronavirus without having to spend a lot of money
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Lucky Casim Ndogo is the kind of citizen that we need in Mzansi. With many South Africans too poor to splash money on protective wear, the innovative man looked for ways to help his fellow Saffas keep themselves safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ndogo decided to use a two-litre Coca Cola bottle and convert it into a cheap and easily made face shield.
He created a video of himself showing off his homemade visor. Ndogo explained South Africans have brains but they don't have the money. So, he decided to get creative and use his mind to come up with the easy-to-make face shields.
Briefly.co.za asked Ndogo how he came up with the creative idea and he said:
"This idea developed the moment I saw cashiers wearing their see through face masks and I said to myself, 'but I can do this thing from plastic bottles and this would be a great idea for reducing plastic waste', and then I took a 2L plastic bottle and cut it according to the plan existing in my mind."
Take a look at the video below:
READ ALSO: Family goals: Woman's graduation photo wins over Saffas' hearts
Meanwhile, another innovative man has inspired Saffas. The man used an old metal drum and converted it into a smart, clean, portable wash basin.
Mzansi applauded his talent and called for his invention to be implemented formally at taxi ranks.
Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!


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The movies and shows aren't the only things that will be getting an overhaul at DC.
DC Comics - Latest Contents
We've got your first details on the Supergirl digital comic series that will tie into the CBS show.
DC's Batman and Superman comics are getting another big overhaul just in time for the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Earth's Mightiest Mortal has acquired a radical new set of powers and an unusual tie to uber-villain Darkseid.
Batman using godly powers to clean up Gotham, what could go wrong?
DC Comics has lifted the veil on its upcoming batch of coloring book-styled variant covers.
In the pages of Action Comics #45, Superman has a new secret identity... and a new career!
DC Comics has unveiled more retail variant covers for "Dark Knight III: The Master Race" #1 by artists Lee Bermejo, Rafael Albuquerque, Tyler Kirkham, Klaus Janson and Eduardo Risso
This week Wonder Woman used a different kind of power to wed two women. Check out the nuptials.
I tawt I taw a puddy cat… dressed up as Superman.
Batman writer Scott Snyder discusses whether or not fans can expect a third Joker story from him.
The San Diego Comic Con came and left to tons of teasers, trailers and anything in between. To some, DC made a splash with their comic book movies this year which left lots of fans at the edge of their seat. This editor is still skeptical. Here's why
It's bad news for Batman, that's for sure.


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Mumbai: Bilcare along with US-based Meadwestvaco Corp, has acquired a pharmaceutical packaging company International Labs, Florida, for an undisclosed amount.
The domestic pharmaceutical packaging solutions provider said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange that the deal would help to make adherence packaging more widely available to consumers throughout the global marketplace.
Bilcare, however, did not disclose the terms of the agreement and the financial details of the acquisition.
“We are excited about the acquisition of International Labs; our partnership with MVW will allow us to combine our global experience, primary and secondary packaging expertise, and research and development capabilities to serve customers and consumers throughout the world,” Bilcare Managing Director Mohan Bhandari said.
The partnership would combine Meadwestvaco’s (MWV) capabilities in healthcare packaging design and Bilcare’s research and expertise in materials, products, processes and services.
“The combination of our turnkey capabilities has helped enable the creation of new, highly efficient, consumer oriented supply chains that are changing the economies of global healthcare and improving patient outcomes,” MWV Senior Vice President Bruce Thomas said.
Shares of the company were trading at Rs 663.90, up 4.2% on the Bombay Stock Exchange in morning trade.


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Home sales at the high end of the market posted a record slowdown in the three months ending Nov. 30, down 38.1% from a year ago. That outpaces the year-over-year decline in the overall market of 31.4%.
In the D.C. metro area, the slowdown in luxury home sales — those defined as priced in the top 5% of the market — slowed even more. They were down 45% from a year ago.
“It is more severe, simply because real estate is more expensive in Washington, D.C.,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at real estate firm Redfin. “A luxury home in the D.C. area means a $1.6 million or more home. Nationally, it is $1 million or above.”
There is one caveat to the dramatic year-over-year slowdown in luxury home sales. They saw outsized sales growth during the first two years of the pandemic, so they have more room to fall.
“Part of it is that,” Fairweather said. “People saw the higher interest rates coming, and they bought while they were lower, either earlier this year, or in 2021 or 2020.”
Affluent buyers often have a significant share of their wealth tied into the stock market, which has performed poorly in 2022.
Redfin data shows the number of active luxury home listings in the D.C. metro is down 14.7% from a year ago, one of the smaller declines among big cities. New listings for luxury properties was down 17.7% from a year ago at the end of November.
The median price for what is defined as a luxury home — at $1.595 million — is 6.3% more than a year ago.
Beyond sales, the luxury market is likely to see prices ease.
“One of the things that we list is that prices in D.C. are up 6% year-over-year, but they have been declining month-over-month pretty much all summer. So the decline in prices has already begun, Fairweather said.


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The new regulator will be able to remove products from the market which present significant safety risks, as well as prosecute companies who flout safety rules. Jenrick cited “dishonest practice” laid bare by the ongoing Grenfell Inquiry.
“The Grenfell Inquiry has heard deeply disturbing allegations of malpractice by some construction product manufacturers and their employees and of the weaknesses of the present product testing regime,” Jenrick said.
“We are establishing a national regulator to address these concerns and a review into testing to ensure our national approach is fit for purpose,” he continued. “We will continue to listen to the evidence emerging in the inquiry and await the judge’s ultimate recommendation – but it is already clear that action is required now and that is what we are doing.”
Among the revelations to come out of the inquiry was a testimony that Celotex, which produces the foam insulation used at Grenfell Tower, had cheated in the fire safety tests for their panels.
The new regulator will operate under the aegis of the Office for Product Safety and Standards. In addition to a £10m expansion of that office, the government has launched an independent review to examine the flaws of previous testing systems for construction products. The review will report their findings later in 2021.


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Dairy farmers finding prophets for future
The dairy industry is looking to maximise profits while demand for product is high
Source: ABC Rural | Duration: 3min 45sec
ABC Rural takes you to the country's biggest event for the cattle industry, Beef Australia 2015
Geneticist says cattle producers could increase productivity by 10 per cent selecting bulls with high fertility.
Macadamia growers in south-east Qld and northern NSW lose crops to flash flooding.
Fast food chain McDonalds wants to work with Australia's beef industry to build a 'sustainable beef' brand.


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Hi all, just was given word from a fairly credible source that Death Stranding will be getting DLC in the summer of 2020. There is not yet any sort of mention of whether it will be paid or free. The source said that we should, "expect it to be paid DLC, with no guaranteed price tag".
Surprisingly enough, the game is incomplete as it is now, and the story will leave off in a cliffhanger - apparently due to having an entirely different team work on the "second half" of the project, which may or may not indicate a sequel in the works.
I didn't get much, but there WILL be a "raid" mode added later on.
Assuming all this is true, the rumored name for the upcoming downloadable content is September-1998. I don't know if that name is relevant or not, sorry.
I want to point out that there was NOTHING surrounding whether this is going to be a package deal with smaller microtransactions included or a completely new addition to the game - all I know is that it will be announced coming the release of the PC version.


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January is typically seen as a boon time for manufacturers of foods marketed as diet-friendly – but a majority of UK consumers actively distrust foods labelled as diet, low fat or low calorie, according to market research organisation Mintel.
Major food and drink brands are producing fewer truly innovative new products as recessionary mindsets and behaviours continue throughout Europe, according to Mintel director of innovation and insight David Jago.
A UK brewing science academic tells BeverageDaily.com that a regional project to help microbrewers crack China could benefit similar firms nationwide, and that the country hasn't ‘scratched the surface’ in terms of craft brewing export potential.
The European Union’s food industry is lagging behind the rest of the world in terms of competitiveness, according to a new report from FoodDrinkEurope, which outlines priorities for new EU-wide industrial policy.
Consumers around the world are embracing the zero-calorie, natural credentials of stevia-derived sweeteners – and the European market is about to take off, according to Zanna McFerson, president of the International Stevia Council (ISC).
Arla Foods used to be a Danish dairy with a Scandinavian bent. Now it is global-facing, upping its R&D spend and obsessed with finding out what consumers want, rather than delivering products it thinks they want.
How manufacturers incorporate stevia into new products and how they position products with consumers are equally important for market success, says Cargill's sales director, health products for EMEA, Olivier du Chatelier.
The financial crisis has also led to a consumer crisis of confidence – but nearly nine out of ten French shoppers see the economic slump as an opportunity to revise consumption habits, according to Nutrimarketing’s Sophie de Reynal.
If the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is serious about making the entire palm oil supply chain sustainable, it needs to address flaws in the system for plantation owners who do not own their own mills, according to one such grower, Daniel...


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Crosby Arboretum native plant sale set for Oct. 21-22
PICAYUNE, Miss. -- Gardeners can purchase hard-to-find native plants during the Crosby Arboretum’s popular Fall Native Plant Sale.
The semiannual sale will be Oct. 21 and 22 at the arboretum. It begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. Arboretum members can enter at 9 a.m. Admission is free.
Various native trees, shrubs and perennials will be available for purchase, including pawpaw, fringetree, pink buckwheat tree, starbush and much more. A complete list of plants in the sale will be posted on the arboretum’s website at http://crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu/ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CrosbyArboretum.
Knowledgeable staff and Mississippi Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions.


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A couple of months ago, SRT President and CEO Ralph Gilles promised that the brand would have “an answer to the Z/28” Camaro, and it looks like that’ll come in the form of an exciting new powerplant for the Challenger SRT8 model. Continue Reading...
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We are back with this week’s installment of AutoGuide’s newest, interactive weekly feature ‘Commute, Toy or Destroy’. Continue Reading...
Sergio Marchionne’s custom Dodge Challenger SRT8 raised $175,000 at the Barrett-Jackson auction this past weekend in Palm Beach, Florida. Continue Reading...
Chrysler Group Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne is auctioning off his customized 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8, with the proceeds benefiting the United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Continue Reading...
Recent reports say that the SRT Barracuda will co-exist with the current Dodge Challenger, and now further evidence supports this belief as the 2015 SRT Barracuda will be built on an entirely new platform. Continue Reading...
Despite rumors and speculation that the soon-for-resurrection Barracuda nameplate would replace the Dodge Challenger, reports suggest that the muscle cars will co-exist. Continue Reading...
The SRT Tour kicked off this weekend at Carlisle Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle, PA and will be heading around the country, coming to an end in late September at the Viper Owner Invitational in Charlotte, NC. Continue Reading...
With its first baby practically delivered and a second one lined up for the oven, rumors of a third SRT vehicle to accompany the Viper and Barracuda are beginning to surface. Continue Reading...
Armed with the “Queen of the Nürburgring” Sabine Schmitz behind the wheel, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 attempted to portray itself as a serious performance machine by taking on the Green Hell. The results may be a bit disappointing though, especially compared to its closest competitor that has ran the ‘Ring which is the BMW… Continue Reading...
Chrysler is cranking up the heat when it comes to SRT raw power. Chrysler is said to be looking at offering a supercharger package for its LX-based SRT products that could produce as much as 570-hp. Chrysler has been developing an Eaton-sourced supercharger package that will boost power for the 6.4-liter HEMI V8 from 470-hp… Continue Reading...
Chrysler has released pricing for the high performance 300 SRT8, with the new model starting from $47,995. The 2012 model sits half an inch lower than non-SRT models, has a new front fascia and grill, along with body-colored side cladding, four-inch exhaust tips and a new rear fascia. You already know it will come with aggressive 20-inch… Continue Reading...
Chrysler has just released the pricing for the high performance 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 starting from $55,295. As one of the most powerful SUVs on the market, this Jeep packs a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, cranking out 465-hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. This is by far the most… Continue Reading...
Legendary NASCAR driver and off-road pilot Robby Gordon has been invited to attend the Bullrun Live Rally commonly know as, “The Bullrun”. One of the most glamorous (perhaps second only to the Gumball) of high-end luxury automotive rallies, it’s limited to 100 entries consisting of the finest high-end cars in the world taking on an epic eight… Continue Reading...
Those who are scratching their heads on what a Kowalski Edition Dodge Challenger is were probably born way after 1971, or just never heard of the movie Vanishing Point. Released in 1971, the flick was all about Kowaski, a vehicle delivery driver, that had to go from Denver, Colorado to San Francisco, California in less… Continue Reading...
Hot on the heels of the firebreathing Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, Chrysler saw fit to stuff the same 6.4-liter HEMI V8 into the newly-redesigned 300 for the 2012 300C SRT8. AT 465 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, the 300C SRT8 gets to 60 in less than 5 seconds, while looking sharper than the regular… Continue Reading...
It was a near certainty and now Chrysler has confirmed it: the SRT8s are coming. Sources inside the automaker have said the new SRT8s are currently in the works, meaning we should seem them soon. No specifics have been given on what models will get the SRT8 treatment, but considering Chrysler’s past we can all… Continue Reading...
Here’s some more American-tuned muscle that will be making its way to the SEMA show floor next month. Built by CULT Energy Drink, this Dodge Challenger SRT8 sports a menacing flat black profile, one-off custom fabricated widebody kit and a supercharged 6.1-liter V8 HEMI. Clearly the goal of CULT was to get plenty of attention… Continue Reading...
Sure the new Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro seem to be hogging up a lot of the spotlight, but let’s not forget about the new-body Dodge Challenger. We ran across this 9-second Dodge Challenger SRT8 on Jon Sibal’s Blog, with Jon recently taking an interest in the car due to a Challenger build he’s currently… Continue Reading...
The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is a vehicle commonly driven by backwards-hat types, who like to blast loud music and cut you off indiscriminately, as well as ostentatious chairmen of multinational corporations. With a new Grand Cherokee premiering in 2011, a void will be left in the lineup for those who aspire to the heights of… Continue Reading...


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Kim Kardashian, a multibillionaire, was made wealthy last year, and her stock has only continued to rise. Kardashian is a smart businesswoman who continues to make a name in the world.
Kanye Wests ex-wife is a fashion icon and a pioneer in many ways. She is also inspired by various things. Kardashian has established ridiculously high beauty standards that people strive to emulate, with varying degrees of success.
The founder of SKIIMS took to Instagram and uploaded a series of stunning photos of herself wearing a see-through black dress.
Into the black
In a recent photo, she showed off a lot of skin. Her business continues to grow, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon.


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North Miami bakery to get 'rescued' on TLC show
Pastry is Art bakery to be featured at 7 p.m. Tuesday on TLC's Buddy's Bakery Rescue.
Jenny Rissone's North Miami bakery-café, Pastry is Art, is "more like a soap opera than an actual business."
So says TLC, which next week will feature Pastry is Art on its new episode of Buddy's Bakery Rescue (formerly Bakery Boss). The show airs at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15.
"Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro will help give a needed boost to Rissone's shop, where she works with her sister Ana and where "hidden emotions are hindering the business' success."
Rissone opened Pastry is Art in 2010 at 12591 Biscayne Blvd. Prior to that, the Peruvian native and graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Lima cooked at the Trump International Beach Resort, Eden Roc and other Miami-area hotels.
The small shop with milk chocolate and vanilla walls and magenta and lime green accents is open for breakfast and lunch, serving internationally inspired sandwiches and sweets in addition to its custom-made baked goods.
- Doubling down: Chefs Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth to open second Miami Beach restaurant
- The List: 10 best Miami restaurants with Sugar Factory's chef
- Miami food events: Pubbelly gets fishy, Vagabond chef Alex Chang cooks at Fooq's
- 9 new Asian restaurants in Miami and Miami Beach
- 5 restaurant openings to know about in Miami and Fort Lauderdale
- Miami's 10 best restaurants with chef Jimmy Carey of Jimmy'z Kitchen
- 51 restaurants serving Thanksgiving in Miami and Fort Lauderdale
- Taste of Design gala is Saturday at the Moore Building in Miami
- Miami's 10 best restaurants with chef Makoto Okuwa
- Giveaway: Win tickets to Savor the Season party in Brickell


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“No helmet system can protect you from serious brain and/or neck injuries including paralysis or death. To avoid these risks, do not engage in the sport of football” is the type of language that consumers will read on most warning labels when they purchase a football helmet these days.
Football has a very high incidence of catastrophic personal injuries with traumatic brain injury and cervical spinal cord injury being the most common. Recent lawsuits have accused the league and some product manufacturers of hiding evidence or not properly warning about the dangers of repeated head trauma.
In a recent article, Ken Belson, a sport reporter for the New York Times, gives a complete overview of what type of warning helmet manufacturers are using Today to warn the players and to protect themselves from a product liability lawsuit.