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"I hope that through this product, it will allow Volvo to once again find self-confidence," Li, chairman of both Volvo Car Corp. and Geely, said last month in an interview in Hangzhou, China. "To find once again, the territory that belonged to Volvo in the 50s and 60s, and to once again possess the market share it ought to possess."
Volvo, which introduced the three-point seat belt as standard equipment in 1959, is emphasizing the XC90's safety as well as its premium features. It will load the premium SUV with crash-avoidance technology and accessories such as a crystal gear-shift lever by glassmaker Orrefors and a proprietary touchscreen compatible with Apple Inc. and Android devices.
The BMW X5 and Mercedes M-class rival also will have headlights shaped like Thor's hammer and space for a humidity-controlled cigar case.
"This car is Geely and Volvo's first shot after the merger so it has to be loud and heard widely," said Han Weiqi, a Shanghai-based analyst at CSC International Holdings. "It also gives a hint on the future of Volvo under Geely's ownership, which is to consolidate its position as a premium brand."
Ford Motor Co. bought the company for $6.45 billion in 1999 from Gothenburg-based Volvo AB, which had decided to focus on manufacturing trucks and construction equipment, and the two Swedish vehicle producers no longer have equity ties.
Ford sold Volvo Cars to Geely for $1.8 billion in 2010 as the U.S.-based company got rid of premium brands amid a streamlining project after the global recession.
At the time of the purchase, Li said he intended to help Volvo "recover the ability to generate blood" instead of relying on successive blood transfusions.
Volvo's worldwide sales peaked at 458,000 autos in 2007. Its biggest slice of the U.S. market, now the world's second-largest auto market, was 0.8 percent in 2004, versus 0.3 percent now, according to David Ibison, a spokesman. The brand has accounted for a little less than 2 percent of Europe's auto market for the past three years.
The XC90 will be equipped with a more vertical grille than its predecessor, as well as headlamps and indicator lights embedded in hammer-shaped fixtures. It will come with as much as 400 horsepower with an optional electric motor add-on.
Safety features include systems to sense other cars' distance and speed at an intersection, prevent the SUV from straying from its lane and tighten seat belts in the event it leaves the road. Volvo is betting on the model helping the company reach annual sales of 800,000 vehicles and an operating margin of 8 percent of revenue, in line with premium-auto competitors, by 2020.
The manufacturer sold 427,840 cars in 2013. Delivery growth this year is likely to be "close to 10 percent," Chief Financial Officer Hans Oscarsson said in an interview, compared with an earlier forecast of a "good 5 percent" gain.
Production of the current SUV at the Torslanda plant ended in July. The model is still being built in Daqing, China, exclusively for sale in that country as the XC90 Classic.
Even with the brand's focus on safety, which includes a program to eliminate car-crash fatalities by 2020, drivers look at all aspects of a vehicle when buying a Volvo, said Andreas Bauer, a co-manager of the Autohaus am Goetheplatz dealership in Munich that handles the marque.
"The most important thing is that the design of the car appeal to the customers," Bauer said by phone. "People won't buy the car for its safety features if they don't like it aesthetically."


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Identity theft continues to be a huge pain for consumers.
For the 13th consecutive year, identity theft was the top consumer complaint received by the Federal Trade Commission, which just released its 2012 annual report of complaints.
2012 was the first year in which the Federal Trade Commission received more than 2 million complaints overall, and 369,132, or 18 percent, were related to identity theft. Of those, more than 43 percent related to tax- or wage-related fraud.
The second-largest complaint category was debt collection, which comprised 10 percent of all complaints to the FTC.

domain: news


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Mar 01, 2023
Jack Dorsey’s Decentralized Twitter Alternative Enters Private Beta
Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of the renowned social networking platform Twitter, is pushing forward with Bluesky – a decentralized Twitter alternative – as it’s mobile application enters a private beta testing.
The Bluesky iOS app was introduced to the Apple app store on February 17th, and has already gained around 2,000 installs as of February 28th. It is not yet available for Android testers on Google Play.
The interface of the app looks almost identical to Twitter, with the same features such as handles, followers, posts, replies, likes, comments and reposts. Instead of Twitter’s “What’s happening?” Bluesky asks, “What’s up?” and allows users to create posts of up to 265 characters, just fewer than Twitter’s 280 characters.
Bluesky also provides some technical features designed to make it stand out from Twitter. It is built on the AT protocol, a new federated social network which integrates ideas from the latest decentralized technologies. This protocol is expected to make users data free from any government or corporation control.
The project was launched by Dorsey in 2019, with support from Twitter. The first batch of code was released in early May 2022, a few weeks before Dorsey exited Twitter’s board of directors. In October, the Bluesky social app and the AT protocol were officially introduced.
This news follows Dorsey’s launch of the Nostr protocol and the Damus mobile app, which was published on the app store in February 2023.
NFTs are becoming an increasingly popular way for people to promote their work, and many businesses are now turning to NFTs as a way to generate revenue. With the launch of Bluesky, businesses now have a new platform to promote their NFTs, as well as their other projects.
NFTs are unique digital assets that can be used for a variety of purposes, from selling digital art to creating unique digital collectibles. With the launch of Bluesky, businesses now have a new platform to promote their NFTs, as well as their other projects.
NFT marketing is a great way to reach a larger audience and attract potential buyers. Twitter is one of the most popular platforms for NFT marketing, and Bluesky is set to take this to the next level. With its decentralized platform and advanced features, Bluesky will provide businesses with an even greater opportunity to promote their NFTs and other projects.
For those looking to get involved with NFT marketing, there are a number of options available. Companies can hire a NFT marketing agency to help them create and implement successful campaigns. They can also use Twitter to promote their NFTs, as well as other platforms such as Discord and Reddit.
With the launch of Bluesky, businesses now have a new platform to promote their NFTs, as well as their other projects. The platform will provide businesses with an even greater opportunity to reach a larger audience and generate more revenue. It is an exciting development for the web3 space, and one that is sure to be welcomed by businesses and consumers alike.Disclaimer: All investment or financial opinions expressed by MoonLanding Media are not recommendations and are intended for entertainment purposes only. Do your own research prior to making any kind of investment. This article has been generated based on trending topics, has not been fact checked and may contain incorrect information. Please verify all information before relying on it.


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Iain Dale 7pm - 10pm
Byron Burger set to enter administration to prevent collapse
29 June 2020, 19:29
Burger chain Byron has filed a notice to appoint administrators as it seeks a rescue deal from a buyer who can save it from collapse.
The company, owned by private equity firm Three Hills, employs around 1,200 staff and has 51 restaurants across the UK.
It is understood to be in talks with three potential buyers to stave off collapse and provide protection from creditors, in a so-called “pre-pack” administration deal.
Sources told Sky News that Byron believes a deal is likely in the coming weeks.
Accountancy firm KPMG was unsuccessful in trying to sell the company in early May after its sites shut following the coronavirus lockdown.
The chain, founded by Tom Byng in 2007, launched a Company’s Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) restructuring deal, which saw the closure of 10 sites and reduced rents.
It is understood the company intends to begin the phased reopening of sites next month.
The hospitality sector has been particularly ravaged by the pandemic, with restaurants shuttered since March and only beginning to reopen again from 4 July onwards.
Industry leaders are fearful that the impact on consumer confidence could cause long-term ruin for businesses.
The Casual Dining Group, which owns Las Iguanas and Café Rouge, has filed notices of intention to appoint administrators.
The Restaurant Group, which owns Frankie & Benny’s, said its own rescue deal had been approved by creditors, meaning 160 outlets would remain open. But up to 3,000 jobs are to go as the group closes 125 restaurants, mainly at Frankie & Benny's.
The co-founder of Wahacca, a chain of Mexican restaurants, said earlier this month that the reopening process is “going to be hell” and sales could be down as much as 60 per cent.
“The reality is that people are not going to come back in their droves, they’re going to slowly build back that confidence,” he told the BBC.
Many smaller restaurant firms have struggled to access Treasury support schemes such as business support rates, and face tough times ahead as employers have to start contributing to the salaries of furloughed workers.


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NordAN supports Finnish Governments plan to further define alcohol distance salesOctober 10, 2018
Nordic Alcohol and Drug Policy Network´s (NordAN) statement to the European Commission on the bill proposed by the Finnish government to amend the Alcohol Act (2018/0324/FIN).
NordAN supports Finland´s proposed amendment to the alcohol law to further safeguard that the health of its citizens are protected and that specific economic interests wouldn´t undermine the purpose of that law.
The proposed amendments clarify the role of retail monopoly in cross-border distance sales, as well as the role of the licensing regulations. In other words, this is a clarification of existing regulations. This notification procedure should therefore be based on an examination of whether the proposed amendment is consistent with European Union law. This has already been reviewed by the Supreme Court of Finland in the ruling KKO 2018: 49, in which the Supreme Court has applied the preliminary ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Case C-198/14 Visnapuu.
The Commission should be aware that during the case the defendant argued that the Finnish Alcohol Act was in this respect in breach of European Union law (on the grounds that the Commission had set out in its detailed opinion concerning the previous notification No. 2016/653/FIN).
This was examined in detail in a thorough process that lasted, in the national courts and in the Court of Justice of the European Union, for a period of nine years. In its conclusions, the Finnish Supreme Court ruled that the retail monopoly and licensing system did not conflict with EU law. In particular, the Supreme Court referred to the fact that the national regulations concerning the alcohol retail monopoly’s e-commerce and delivery points must be assessed in light of Article 37 TFEU and not in light of articles 34 and 36. As this final judgment by a national court applied the preliminary ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, it should be considered definitive.
NordAN supports the standpoint of the Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention EHYT that Finland has a well-functioning alcohol policy grounded in public health, of which the national alcohol retail monopoly is a key element. Opening cross-border sales to delivery beyond the alcohol monopoly retail system would in practice lead to dismantling the alcohol retail monopoly. The current alcohol sale structure is working well, has wide public support, and is in line with the European Union law.
In conclusion, with high respect to the European Court of Justice, we ask the Commission to ensure that any observations on the Finnish Alcohol Act and the Finnish alcohol monopoly, and on their compliance with the European Union law, will be based on accurate knowledge and understanding of the significance of the judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union(C-198/14 Visnapuu) and of the Finnish Supreme Court (KKO 2018: 49).
Alcohol is a regional, national and European issue. NordAN is calling for a Single Market with high public health standards that supports Member States’ efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm. Cross-border issues are one of the main obstacles why the Member States cannot reach their national alcohol policy public health goals and requires thus special attention with a focus on health and security of States citizens instead of various interests of economic operators.
NordAN´s statement was submitted to European Commission on October 8, 2018.


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7/26/2012 10:07 PM
Good news for Stephen King fans! The “Master of Horror” and novelist Stewart O’Nan have teamed up to write A Face in the Crowd, a chilling new e-book set for release August 21. It will be the duo’s second baseball-themed collaboration.
Here’s the plot summary from StephenKing.com:
“Dean Evers, an elderly widower, sits in front of the television with nothing better to do than waste his leftover evenings watching baseball. It’s Rays/Mariners, and David Price is breezing through the line-up. Suddenly, in a seat a few rows up beyond the batter, Evers sees the face of someone from decades past, someone who shouldn’t be at the ballgame, shouldn’t be on the planet. And so begins a parade of people from Evers’s past, all of them occupying that seat behind home plate. Until one day Dean Evers sees someone even eerier...”
A Face in the Crowd will be available at all the usual e-book spots – Kindle, Nook, eReader, iBookstore, Android Play, etc. Fans can also get an audio book from Amazon or iTunes.
King and O’Nan released Faithful in 2004, a book chronicling their exchanges on Red Sox baseball. O’Nan’s recent works include Emily, Alone and The Odds. Always a prolific writer, King has been especially busy the last few months, releasing The Wind Through the Keyhole, The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger – The Man in Black #2, and 11/22/63.
Posted by Christy
7/26/2012 10:07 PM |


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CONTACT: Nick Grammas
, CEO, of Sparta Foods, 612-646-1888/
, president and CEO of Sparta Foods, said, "The past nine months have been a transition period for Sparta Foods.
These regional distribution centers supply tortillas to approximately 750 restaurants for McDonald's Breakfast Burritos and Chicken Fajitas," Grammas
British Airways has responded to our customers' requests for the additional capacity afforded by the larger 747," said Grammas
started Sparta Foods in 1982, and is largely responsible for its growth to nearly $12 million in sales.
Our expense ratio in the third quarter and nine-month period reflects costs associated with the IFP acquisition and with the integration of IFP and Sparta Foods' organizations, as well as increased promotional and marketing activities aimed at increasing our sales and expanding into new market areas," Grammas
, chairman and chief executive officer of Sparta Foods, said, "We are gratified by this further evidence of our progress as a public company, and look forward to the broader company visibility that NASDAQ trading will give us.
We view these strategic and preparatory expenses, as well as the direct expense of the IFP acquisition, to be key investments in our future growth and profitability," Grammas
, chairman and chief executive officer of Sparta Foods, said, "This important acquisition is a further step toward realizing our objective of profitable growth.
, president and chief executive officer of Sparta Foods, said, "The four-month construction period to get the plant ready as an approved McDonald's Corporation supplier affected gross margins during that period.
continued, "To take greater advantage of the growing consumer demand for Mexican food, Sparta invested in two new sales divisions -- Private/Control Label and Industrial Ingredients divisions which will compliment existing Retail and Food Service sales divisions.
By acquiring the Chapala trade name and business, we are able to expand our retail salsa markets into Denver, Toronto, Iowa and Minnesota, areas where sales currently exist for the Chapala brand salsa," said Nicholas Grammas
, president and chief executive officer of Sparta Foods.
, Sparta Foods, 612-646-1888/ CO: Sparta Foods, Inc.
Rajni Sinha and Andreas Grammas
from Oman Insurance were joined by Kamal Chhabra Hari Prasad Rao from Union Insurance at the presentation of awards after the final.
Gracyalny, 45 Scottie passed peacefully at grammas


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Sales rose 16 per cent at Ted Baker as the fashion chain continued its worldwide expansion.
Reporting results for the year to January 28, the “affordable luxury” label said sales had risen to £531m, an 11 per cent rise in constant-currency terms, as it opened stores in cities including Atlanta, Beijing and Madrid.
However while the chain did not report like-for-like sales, it said that sales per square foot, once online trade and the effects of currency movements were excluded, fell 3 per cent.
Pre-tax profits rose 4.4 per cent to £61m and the company announced a 12 per cent rise in the dividend to 53.6p.
Ray Kelvin, Founder and Chief Executive, said:
This success reflects the strength and appeal of the brand as well as the outstanding quality of our collections. Our Spring/Summer collections have been well received and we have a clear strategy for continued growth across both established and newer markets. This is underpinned by controlled distribution across channels as well as the design, quality and attention to detail that are at the core of everything we do.
Get alerts on UK companies when a new story is published


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Myntra Logo Controversy and the meme fest that followed
Usually, brands try to maintain their uniformity, not changing their taglines or logo but in the last few days, following a controversy, Myntra has changed their logo.
The reason for a logo change is usually to keep up with times and changing the overall visual aesthetic appearance, but in this case, the reason was a lot different. After getting a complaint filed about their logo being ‘offensive’ to women, which led to Myntra changing their logo.
Ekta Naaz, founder-director of Avesta Foundation filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police’s Cyber Crime department in December 2020. She claimed that “the deliberate placement of the color scheme of the letter M in the logo was obscene to the eyes of any person of normal prudence.”
After the complaint was filed, Mumbai Police officials met Myntra representatives where they agreed to change their logo. After the meeting, the Myntra representatives said, “Persuant to our meeting, we wish to inform you that we have decided to revise the Myntra Logo”. They also added that their new logo will appear on their packaging and marketing material after exhausting the old inventory across India.
She also posted on multiple forums about Myntra’s logo being offensive which stirred up certain controversy and a fair share of memes. Some understood the reasons and others decided to poke fun at it.
Apart from netizens, other brands also took to social media to make fun of this trending topic.
So, what do you think of this controversy? Do you also find the old Myntra logo offensive? Are you in favor of this change or do you think this matter was blown out of proportion?


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SHE’S Australia’s iconic food writer and personality, but Maggie Beer’s ice creams, quince paste, duck pate and pear cider are failing to connect with shoppers.
Primary Opinion Limited, which last year bought 48 per cent of Maggie Beer Products for $15 million, has warned that the South Australian company is facing an annual loss of up to $2.6 million.
In an update to the ASX on Thursday ahead of the release of its annual results, Primary Opinion warned Maggie Beer’s net loss would be between $500,000 and $600,000, in addition to an impairment of between $1.8 million and $2 million.
Primary Opinion says it will be forced to write down the value of its investment from $15 million to approximately $5 million to $6 million.
“We remain confident in the outlook for Maggie Beer and know that this has been a year of significant change for the business,” Primary Opinion chairman Tony Robinson said in a statement.
“We have now appointed a capable managing director to Primary Opinion to grow the activities of Primary Opinion and work with the MBP team. We are confident that we are now consequently well placed to create significant shareholder value going forward.”
Primary Opinion managing director Laura McBain, who recently joined from infant formula manufacturer Bellamy’s, said Maggie Beer was an “iconic brand, and Maggie is one of Australia’s favourite chefs”.
“I am looking forward to working with the Maggie Beer team to explore its opportunities for growth, and working to build other opportunities for Primary Opinion.”
In 2014, Maggie Beer was forced to amend its labelling after a slap on the wrist by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for “misleading” packaging. The ACCC found the slogan, “Maggie Beer: A Barossa Food Tradition”, gave the impression the products were made in South Australia when they were actually made in Queensland and Victoria.
“Consumers are often willing to pay premium prices for local products and businesses are following consumer demand by stocking local goods,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said at the time. “Protecting the integrity of credence claims made about food products is a priority enforcement area for the ACCC.
“The Barossa Valley is a nationally recognised premium food and wine destination, and businesses in that region use place of origin claims to promote or distinguish their product from others in the market.
“Misleading representations about the origin of products to capitalise on this demand undermines the integrity of credence claims which are relied on by consumers and, equally important, can harm competing producers whose products are made locally.”
Maggie Beer talks winter cooking1:02
Australian TV cooking great Maggie Beer launched her new book, Maggie Beer's Winter Harvest, at a luncheon on Friday, June 5 at Sous le Soleil Restaurant within Roseville Park.


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Plastics have dramatically changed the way we live, allowing us to fabricate new and innovative tools, containers and even replaceable body parts like hips and knees, while also spawning a host of undesirable by-products, including nonbiodegradable trash and pollution from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Now an emerging industry is trying to polish plastic's environmentally tarnished image by using waste products such as carbon dioxide and Escherichia coli bacteria to make biodegradable and renewable polymers.
This trend continued Wednesday when Novomer, Inc., an Ithaca, N.Y.–based company that manufactures ecofriendly plastics and polymers using CO2, announced that it had raised $6.6 million in a fund-raising campaign (led by venture capital firms Physic Ventures in San Francisco and Flagship Ventures in Cambridge, Mass.). The company says it plans to use the new monies to expand both its production capacity and development efforts. This new cash infusion comes on the heels of small business grants from the National Science Foundation ($500,000) and the U.S. Department of Energy ($100,000) for continued development of its polymerization catalyst systems.
The key ingredients in Novomer's polymer-making process are metallic catalysts, such as beta-diiminate zinc acetate, which bond greenhouse-gas causing molecules such as CO2, as well as carbon monoxide and other renewable materials, to liquid epoxides.
"Plastics are more important right now than at any other point in history," says Cornell University chemistry professor Geoffrey Coates, Novomer's co-founder and chief scientific officer, who notes that industry has produced more plastic every year of the past 50 years. This includes not just commodities like milk jugs or CD cases, but also specialized biomedical devices such as heart stents and emerging technology such as solar cells. Whereas surgeons today may hold broken bones together with metal screws that subsequently must be removed after the break is healed, bioplastics hold the promise of surgical materials that serve the same purpose but safely degrade within the body negating further surgery.
Technology commercialization firm KensaGroup, LLC, formed Novomer in 2004 based on renewable polymer research conducted by a team of Cornell researchers. The group was led by Coates and former graduate student Scott Allen, a Novomer co-founder who is now the company's director of research and development.
Prior to its work, polymers based on biological materials were possible but they were more of a novelty because the prohibitive manufacturing cost discouraged large-scale production. Novomer's process is different from other bioplastic-making efforts in several ways, primarily because it is done at room temperature using relatively little energy, says company president, Charles Hamilton. This means that fossil fuels are not burned during the process. "We combine liquid epoxides with carbon dioxide in a reactor that's like a pressure cooker," he says. "Throw in a catalyst, and those two parts come together like a zipper. You create a very long chain of epoxides bonded to carbon dioxide."
The material that comes out of the reactor—the largest of which is about a one-gallon (four-liter) metal tank—is a honeylike liquid containing a small amount of the catalyst material, which is later filtered out. Novomer develops these polymers for companies that make plastic products, including Kodak. "It's very comparable to other large-scale polymers used to make computer cases, films and bottles," Hamilton says. Novomer's plan is to use CO2 from businesses in other industries, such as concrete manufacturers and hydrogen producers, as the company scales its production systems.
When Cambridge, Mass.–based Metabolix, Inc., formed in 1992, the bioplastics industry was built "more on hope than anything else," says co-founder and chief scientific officer, Oliver Peoples. The commercialization of bioplastics began in earnest in 2001 when Cargill, Inc., a Minneapolis-based company that provides everything from agricultural products to risk management services, launched NatureWorks, LLC, to develop biopolymers derived completely from renewable resources at a cost on par with conventional plastics.
Metabolix creates plastic pellets using microorganisms such as E. coli. "The organism takes sugar and breaks it down, and the polymer is made inside the organism," he says. Metabolix extracts the polymer and recycles the waste. The pellets can be melted down and reshaped to create a variety of plastic products.
Peoples considers other bioplastics producers to be "fellow travelers," crucial to establishing a good reputation for polymers made from biodegradable and renewable resources. Such solidarity is important, because "it'll be a long time before you'll knock petroleum-based products out of the market," he says. "The bottom line is that people need to know these biodegradable plastics are available."
Efforts to continue making oil-based plastics could be hampered by the growing price of oil, even as the public's consumption of plastic materials grows unabated. "The future need for these materials is so great," Coates says, "there's plenty of space for all of these [bioplastics] companies."


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Tim Cook has been named one of the top 50 greatest leaders in the world by Fortune. The 53-year-old Apple CEO is positioned at number 33 on the list, and the only American tech CEO above him is Amazon’s Jeff Bezos at number 10.
Following Steve Jobs has arguably been the toughest corporate leadership assignment in decades, yet Cook has carried it off with mostly quiet aplomb. In 2½ years he has kept the parade of winning new products marching (the Retina display, new operating systems, the iPhone 5), and he is bringing in Burberry’s savior, Angela Ahrendts, to run Apple’s retail stores. That’s thinking different.
Profits during Cook’s leadership at Apple have never been higher, but his management has come under fire recently in the controversial book Haunted Empire by former Wall Street Journal reporter Yukari Kane. Cook issued a comment on the book a couple of days ago saying it is “nonsense” that “fails to capture Apple, Steve, or anyone else in the company.”


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Bank of America Makes Online Payments Seamless With Visa Checkout
Streamlines Access and Simplifies Enrollment Through Bank of America’s Online Banking
In the latest step at simplifying consumer payments, Bank of America announced today that it will pre-select customers’ eligible Visa cards for enrollment in Visa Checkout directly from Online Banking. Bank of America is one of the first banks to integrate its cards into Visa Checkout and provide seamless enrollment directly from its site, eliminating added steps and making it easier than ever for customers to shop online, on any device.
Visa Checkout offers a single sign-in service and a faster and easier way to pay online. Once enrolled, customers shopping at participating merchants simply click the Visa Checkout button and pay, eliminating the need to enter card and shipping information every time they make a purchase. Now, rather than being directed to Visa, Bank of America customers can enroll directly through the bank’s Online Banking.
Customers using Visa Checkout can choose to enroll multiple credit and debit cards and then can choose the enrolled card they want to use for fast and secure online shopping. Their eligible Visa card details and shipping information will then be automatically populated at checkout.
"This is part of our broader payments strategy to deliver solutions that make financial transactions simple, fast and secure and to provide customers with convenient options,” said David Godsman, emerging payments executive at Bank of America. “Consumers are increasingly shopping online, and with the new simplified enrollment for Visa Checkout, they now can spend less time signing up and more time enjoying the benefits of one-click shopping.”
"By working together, Visa and Bank of America are bringing seamless and secure commerce to millions of online and mobile shoppers,” said Sam Shrauger, senior vice president of Visa’s Digital Solutions. “Bank of America customers can easily sign up to start using the cards they know and trust across any device or browser, as easily as they do in the physical world.”
In addition to services like Visa Checkout, Bank of America participates in a number of mobile wallet programs that give consumers a convenient way to pay, including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Android Pay from Google. Earlier this month, Bank of America was one of the first banks to launch real-time person-to-person transactions through Early Warning’s clearXchange™ network.
For a full list of participating merchants, and to learn more about Visa Checkout’s benefits for merchants, issuers and consumers alike, visit www.visacheckout.com.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 47 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 4,700 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATMs, and award-winning online banking with approximately 32 million active users and approximately 19 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Visit the Bank of America newsroom for more Bank of America news.
Reporters May Contact:
Betty Riess, Bank of America, 1.415.913.4416


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On Sunday, the world’s first celebrity digital coin in Manila was introduced by the professional boxing legend, Manny Pacquiao. You may not know that he is into investing, other than being one of the greatest boxing players of all times.
Last year, assumptions generated impacts in the cryptocurrency field that he will be the owner of the newly launched digital coin.
The 2000s “Fighter of the decade,” which is now a current Senator of the Philippines. Also, a professional basketball player, host, and a singer, has introduced his token.
According to reports, the label of the digital coin will be Pac. Together with substantial financial support from other professional sports players.
Pacquiao leads the group with his first celebrity digital coin at a concert filled with 2000 fans. The boxing legend brought out the unveiling.
The boxing legend aims to profit by his Pac tokens. This is by encouraging his followers to buy merchandise and use it for communicating with him on social media.
Goals of the Pac Digital Coin
Manny Pacquiao’s Pac Crypto, which receives investor support from former English football star Michael Owen and an Emirati member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed al-Nahyan, bags listing on Singapore’s Global Crypto Offering Exchange (GCOX).
Jeffrey Lin, CEO, and founder of GCOX, states that being the world’s first celebrity-owned token sets forth high prospects for the cryptocurrency community.
The goal is not to only profit high. Moreover, it also aims to raise awareness for the tokens and shape a sustainable ecosystem.
Additionally, GCOX intends to gain support from other famous celebrities. This is to advance public understanding of cryptocurrencies and address reports surrounding them.
Chief communications officer at GCOX, Evan Ngow, confirms that Manny Pacquiao and Jason Derulo, an American artist, are collaborating with the platform. Plus, these mark only a few names off the long list of possible celebrity partners from future.
Meanwhile, one of the concert attendees indicated his confidence. It is by stating that boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is a global celebrity and an idol.
Thus, his initiatives will most likely to produce awareness and prompt curiosity surrounding the token.


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Oyo Lodges & Properties is permitting go most of its workers in Latin The usa and curbing financial investment in its operations there, the most up-to-date moves by the significant-profile Indian startup to trim charges and sharpen its concentrate as the pandemic pummels its enterprise.
Oyo, which is backed by SoftBank Team Corp.’s $100 billion Eyesight Fund, ballooned in measurement to turn into the world’s 2nd-biggest resort chain in 2019 right before missteps and Covid-19 journey constraints roughly halved the amount of resort rooms in its community, in accordance to Wall Street Journal calculations.
As Oyo’s company and revenues had been squeezed through the pandemic, the corporation determined to focus cash and notice on spots with the strongest overall performance and prospective for progress in the subsequent several decades: its house marketplace of India, as perfectly as Europe and Southeast Asia. Latin The united states experienced problems due to Covid, while Oyo’s enterprise design is nonetheless “viable extended-expression,” Oyo Brazil reported in an announcement Thursday.
in September of past 12 months Oyo handed manage of its Latin American operations to SoftBank, which was slated to make investments $75 million into the unit. When Oyo made a decision to place much less emphasis on the location, the pair made a decision that SoftBank would pull out of operations there and dismiss most of the team on the ground, in accordance to the Oyo Brazil announcement and an Oyo spokeswoman.
Oyo will go on to have a small area help crew in Latin The us, and the brand will continue being, but the corporation will give the bulk of its expert services by way of software program and technological know-how platforms operate out of other spots, explained an Oyo spokeswoman. The company declined to say how several persons are used in Latin The united states now.


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In a report on the transition strategies of European oil and gas firms, the financial ratings agency Fitch has said that among the various candidates, BP and Shell seem to be best positioned to successfully navigate through the energy transition.
The report said the two companies have an advantage over competitors like Eni and Total because of a more optimal mix of renewable power, fuel retail outlets and natural gas in their product lines. In the report, Fitch also said:
“We currently view the most favourable products or business lines to be renewable power generation, natural gas production, LNG production and trading, and retail franchises, due to their more robust fundamental demand drivers.”
Both firms also have extensive lubricant businesses, with BP using the Castrol brand to supply everything from metalworking fluids to food safe lubricants. These will still be needed in the future, and even electric vehicles will require lubricants and other fluids.
Fitch also thinks the firms’ heavy involvement in natural gas production will benefit them financially, as it sees gas still being used as a bridge fuel even after peaks in petroleum demand. It also points out that both firms have extensive retail networks, with Shell having 45,000 fuel stations and BP having 18,900 in 2019. Fitch says this offers opportunities for the companies to gradually repurpose their retail outlets to supply hydrogen fuel and charging services for electric vehicles in response to growing demand.
The financial ratings agency also cautions, however, that the firms’ transformation strategies still incur significant execution risks.


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Snapdeal’s Android and iOS apps get redesigned
Online retailer Snapdeal has announced its revamped Android and iOS appstech Updated: Jan 29, 2016 17:36 IST
Snapdeal has rolled out its revamped app for Android, which is also expected to arrive on iOS by Saturday.
The app now features a redesigned ‘Search’ section, which now shows listings with clear pricing, discounts and product information. The redesigned app also gets a new colour scheme that also aids finding products easily.
Snapdeal’s redesigned app also gets features like Visual Search, which essentially allows users pick a colour and use it for a range of categories such as clothing, footwear and watches. All in all, the layout appears really clean making it much more user friendly.
“This is the update on which we will be doing our entire set of annual launches and you will now see a better post-order customer experience that rolls out on this, along with a lot of personalisation, design changes. Large sums of our design thoughts have found expression, but more of that will find their way into the app in the coming weeks,” said chief product officer at Snapdeal, Anand Chandrasekaran.
First Published: Jan 29, 2016 17:36 IST


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Bullish View on Global Economy Sharred by Top U.S. Executives
Global business optimism reaches highest level in survey history.
Optimism for the nation’s economic outlook among U.S. business leaders continued to rise from first quarter 2014, according to the latest data from the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR), a survey of more than 3,300 business leaders in 45 countries.
In second quarter 2014, optimism among U.S. business leaders rose eight percentage points to a net balance of 74%, marking the highest level since 2004. The increase in optimism in the United States is consistent with what is occurring globally. In second quarter 2014, optimism among global business leaders rose two percentage points to a net balance of 46%. This marks the highest level in the survey’s history, and a 19% increase from one year ago. The notion that U.S. business optimism is on the rise correlates with other recent research from the Grant Thornton LLP 2014 Spring CFO Survey.
The survey indicated that, for the first time since 2006, more CFOs believe the state of the U.S. economy will improve (51%) rather than remain the same or worsen (49%) during the next six months. This also marks the highest percentage in that survey’s history. “Following a strong first quarter, business leaders across the globe continue to show levels of confidence we have not seen in more than a decade,” said Stephen Chipman, chief executive officer of Grant Thornton LLP. “The increase in optimism, coupled with recent improvements in key economic indicators may finally provide business leaders the confidence to invest in their businesses, create jobs and grow their operations in the coming months.”
IBR data reveals G7 business optimism rose to a record high net 53%, up from 28%in fourth quarter 2013. Optimism in the European Union, driven by Germany (79%), the United Kingdom (80%) and Ireland (84%), rose six percentage points to a net 43%, marking its highest level since 2007. While optimism in the European Union and G7 economies both reached record highs, BRIC business optimism dropped four percentage points to a net balance of 36%.
Optimism in China, the world’s second largest economy, also dropped in second quarter 2014. Chinese business optimism decreased to a net balance of 30%, an eight percentage-point decrease from last quarter, but a substantial increase from net 4% one year ago. Additionally, Japanese business optimism decreased to a net 5%, down from 17% in the previous quarter
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On the campaign trail for her father Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump has used her poised mom-entrepreneur persona to simultaneously argue that he’s an advocate for women — and to market her own lifestyle and fashion brand.
But as the GOP presidential candidate’s campaign unravels amid allegations of sexual misconduct, Ivanka’s cachet as a feminist champion and ambassador to women voters has also taken a nosedive.
And now her Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories line — estimated to be worth $100 million — could be taking a hit, in large part due to a boycott campaign launched by Bay Area-based technology and media marketing specialist Shannon Coulter.
Coulter, outraged over Donald’s Trump’s boast about sexually assaulting women on the now infamous 2005 Access Hollywood video, is urging women and men across Twitter to boycott Ivanka Trump’s products — which Ivanka also markets via her #WomenWhoWork initiative.
— Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) October 12, 2016
The boycott effort is gaining momentum. As of Monday, her #GrabYourWallet call for retailers to stop carrying Ivanka Trump products was shared more than 2.2 million times across Twitter. The retailers targeted for the boycott effort include Nordstrom, Macy’s, Amazon, Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor and Marshall’s.
Coulter’s campaign comes amid other reports that Donald Trump has done serious damage to his name and family brand – perhaps his most valuable asset — with his pile-up of offensive comments about women, Latinos, Muslim-Americans, immigrants and the disabled, as well as his refusal to say he will accept the results of the Nov. 8 election.
The New York Times has reported that regular customers for his consumer goods are throwing out their Trump merchandise in small acts of rebellion. And some of his more well-heeled customers are now boycotting his hotels and golf courses and refusing to dine in restaurants on his properties.
The Trump Organization has also announced that its new hotels will no longer bear the Trump name. According to Travel and Leisure, this new line of luxury hotels, geared towards millennials, will be called Scion. The company denies that the name change has anything to do with Trump’s cratering candidacy.
Coulter said she was targeting Ivanka’s products in particular because she because she believes the young woman’s advocacy for her father goes beyond daughterly loyalty.
“I think [women] took particular offense, as I did, to the fact that Ivanka tries to make feminism a part of her brand but is standing by, as an official campaign surrogate, a guy who is an alleged serial sexual assaulter of women,” Coulter told Cosmopolitan. “The disconnect was too big. And they were ready to speak up about it and flex their consumer power about it.”
Coulter says she was moved to take action because Donald Trump’s words on that Access Hollywood tape were a painful reminder of the sexual harassment Coulter herself has faced throughout her professional career.
“I was in an office belonging to a firm I was working for in Silicon Valley and my boss’s boss came breezing through,” she told The Guardian. “Suddenly he came up behind me and pressed himself right up against me and said ‘Why is it you always look so good?’ He had a colleague with him and it was so humiliating.”
“When I heard Donald Trump talking on that tape, I recognized in his words the same feeling that I had that day – of being nothing more than an object,” she said. “No matter how smart you are or how hard you work, they can do that to us.
Coulter’s labeled her boycott effort, #GrabYourWallet, as a nod to Trump’s offensive “grab them by the (expletive)” remark during his hot mic conversation with Billy Bush.
Coulter’s call has resonated with other women, even those who have been customers in the past. They say they don’t feel comfortable wearing her clothes, or patronizing retailers that carry her products, because they feel uncomfortable with her products’ associations with her father’s brand.
— Mich Mom (@jackie_r_c) October 24, 2016
— 🌴🌊Kaki Miller🌊🌴 (@KakiMiller1) October 24, 2016


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During Chinese Premier Xi Jingping’s visit last month, China-Bangladesh relations reached new heights, signing MoUs worth $13.6 billion.
Which is why it is encouraging to see Chinese Ambassador Ma Mingqiang drive this relationship further by expressing his nation’s wish to work with Bangladesh in developing our blue economy.
China’s ever-expanding role in boosting Bangladesh’s economy is crucial. Smaller economies such as Bangladesh have much to offer the rest of the world but count for nothing but wasted potential without the backing of larger economies. Which is why these relationships are an integral part for our nation’s increasing forward momentum into the future.
President Xi Jingping’s visit was a turning point in Bangladesh-China relations, to say the least. Despite our economy being much smaller in scope to that of a rising superpower, it is very uplifting to see the country’s top leaders recognise the economic potential that a country like Bangladesh has to offer.
But that’s merely the beginning. China has also promised to invest in Bangladesh’s budding ICT sector, which will go a long way in fully realising the sitting government’s dreams of a truly Digital Bangladesh, and, tangentially, of becoming a middle-income nation in the next five years.
There is a lot that Bangladesh can learn from a nation such as economically-storied China, which has successfully developed their blue economy into the mainstream. The Bay of Bengal is full of untapped resources that Bangladesh would do well to take advantage of.
With 30 million people in Bangladesh dependent on the nation’s marine economy, it is not just important for our growth, but also for the continued improvement of the livelihoods of those who work with the waters of Bangladesh.
It is up to the government now to focus on what’s important for the economy, and to ensure that relationships such as these continue to blossom and help navigate Bangladesh into bluer waters.


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Recent statistics show that only 3% of the 7.8 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. have revenues over $1 million, compared to 6% of businesses owned by men. So what does it take for women-owned businesses to exceed the $1 million threshold?
This was one of the topics of discussion at a Women Leadership Event hosted by Frazier & Deeter. Among others, the panel included two women business owners who have grown their businesses far past the $1 million mark.
When it comes to growing your business, Roz Alford, Co-founder and Principal of ASAP Solutions Group, has some great advice. Roz and her co-founder, Nancy Williams, grew their business into an $80 million company, one of the largest women-owned businesses in Georgia. She encourages all women business owners to think big; to stop thinking of the now and look ahead.
She believes the most important step, if women want to grow their business to more than $1 million, is to obtain funding and know what do when you have access to funding. As a member of Women Impacting Public Policy and the National Women’s Business Council, Roz encourages women to take advantage of organizations available such as the Small Business Administration and LaunchPad2x, a program designed to help women entrepreneurs launch their business and secure investors.
Alford also made a point about the importance of a strong team. She advocates working with a team of experienced advisors that includes a banker, accountant and attorney to help you as you move the business to the next level. Regarding the leadership team and business practices, Alford noted that “what gets you to $1 million is different from what gets you to $5 million or $10 million.”
Mary Parker, Founder & CEO of All(n)1 Security Services , was named one of the 2014 Women Who Mean Business by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and her multi-million dollar business was named one of the fastest growing woman-led businesses in Atlanta in 2013.
Mary encourages women to align themselves with strategic allies. As the founder and CEO of a full-service multi-million dollar enterprise with more than 200 employees, Mary stressed the importance of having a strategic plan, defining the company’s values and always striving to meet objectives. Similar to Roz, she believes finding the right team of professionals is crucial in helping you transition to the next step.
Roz and Mary share their advice and act as mentors to those in the community, because they recognize how an effective mentorship can positively impact growing companies.
The group of women business leaders who attended the panel event got to hear pragmatic leadership advice from women who have far exceeded their peers of either gender in the business world. The women who are starting new businesses as part of today’s surge of entrepreneurship would do well to embrace this advice as the coaching that will help them build their own businesses to the million dollar hurdle and beyond.
Check the events page for details about future Frazier & Deeter Women Business Leader events.


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Kerrygold parent Ornua has announced that it has opened a new cheese production facility in Ávila in Spain.
The company invested €30 million in the 35,000-tonne mozzarella and pizza cheese facility which will greatly enhance Ornua’s pizza cheese-making capacity.
It has been built on a former Ornua cheese manufacturing site that was destroyed by a devastating fire.
Ornua CEO, John Jordan, said that the new facility is "fully in line with Ornua’s growth strategy of investing in world-class strategic production facilities to secure long term returns for Irish dairy farmers."
"It will reinforce our position as a leading, large scale supplier of high-quality dairy ingredients to many leading Spanish, European and global food manufacturing and foodservice customers," he added.
State-of-the-art technology at the facility allows the production of a range of cheese and cheese-blends with great flavour, an excellent melted texture, superb coverage and stretch, and an outstanding cooked appearance.
The facility is also equipped with an innovative quick-freezing feature, an in-line cooling system, and the latest technology to produce pizza cheese ropes for the growing ‘stuffed crust’ segment.
The reopening of the Ávila facility also marked the creation of Ornua Ingredients Europe, which brings Ornua’s Spanish and UK Ingredients businesses together.
Led by newly appointed managing director, Joan Bombardo, Ornua Ingredients Europe incorporates Ávila and Ornua’s UK Ingredients businesses, with a total turnover above €300 million; four well-invested processing and NPD facilities and 600 experienced and committed staff.
"Our new Avila R&D Centre of Excellence becomes the 10th innovation centre in our international network, which will ensure that Ornua has the capability to support our customers at the forefront of the rapidly changing dairy ingredients market," Jordan said.
Presently, Ornua supplies enough cheese for over 100 million pizzas each year, including blends for both European and global pizza chains.
The global pizza market is believed to be worth in the region of $130 billion, the company highlighted.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.


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Feud erupts among pork industry’s family friends
A Wayne County lawsuit provides an unusual look inside the multibillion-dollar global pork trade and exposes a rift among old eastern North Carolina farming powerhouses.
For more than 25 years, Goldsboro-based Maxwell Foods provided as many as 155,000 hogs a month to Smithfield, Va.-based Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer. But in a lawsuit filed this summer, family-owned Maxwell says Smithfield took advantage of the partnership through a series of deceptive acts, including paying less than agreed-upon prices.
The broken relationship played a role in Maxwell’s August decision to exit the hog industry in which it once was among the nation’s largest producers. The company has about 120 contract farmers and expects to shut down its hog production in mid-2021, citing financial losses.
Maxwell Foods attorney Reid Phillips says the company, which is a subsidiary of Goldsboro Milling, had no comment beyond the legal filings. They paint a scenario in which Smithfield, Maxwell and a handful of other major Tar Heel pork producers quietly cooperated to sway hog production and prices for 25 years.
The state ranks second to Iowa in pork with more than $2 billion in sales of hogs in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Maxwells have been influential N.C. farmers since at least 1916, when Hugh Gillespie Maxwell Jr. started selling livestock feed, later branching into turkeys and hogs. Goldsboro Milling’s holdings include a 50% stake in the Garner-based Butterball turkey brand, which posts annual sales of more than $1.8 billion. Merriam, Kan.-based Seaboard Foods owns the other half.
Keira Lombardo, a Smithfield executive vice president, denies Maxwell’s allegations, noting that all facets of the pork industry have been hurt by the coronavirus pandemic with ensuing restrictions, plant closings and other consequences. Smithfield and companies like Maxwell have been affected by nuisance lawsuits filed by neighbors of hog farms and international trade disputes, she notes.
In a mid-November ruling, a federal appeals court in Richmond upheld a jury verdict against a Smithfield affiliate’s hog operation in Bladen County that neighbors contended made their homes and property unusable because of the odor. However, the judges also said multimillion-dollar awards aimed at penalizing the business for wrongdoing needed to be reconsidered.
Smithfield had lost five such cases, including one in which jurors awarded neighbors $94 million in damages, mainly because of the intense smells coming from hog-waste lagoons. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled that the punitive damages were excessive. Then Smithfield settled the cases out of court after years of litigation. Financial terms are secret.
Smithfield, which is owned by Hong Kong-based WH Group, had succeeded in getting the Maxwell Foods lawsuit moved from Wayne County to a federal court. That decision is now being reviewed. “The contract says any dispute should be litigated in state court,” Phillips says.
That contract and the current dispute shed rare light on the usually closed workings of a major N.C. industry. The lawsuit describes how, in 1994, Smithfield, Murphy Family Farms, Prestage Farms, Carroll’s Foods and Maxwell Foods formed what they called “The Circle” to discuss trends affecting the pork industry, prices and other issues.
Within five years, Smithfield clearly occupied the head of the table, having bought out the state’s second- and third-largest producers, Murphy and Carroll’s, the latter for $500 million in 1999, the lawsuit says. Maxwell and Prestage remained but were much smaller operators. In 2013, WH Group bought Smithfield’s shares for nearly $5 billion and now controls about a quarter of the U.S. pork-processing market.
Maintaining a stable of contract growers is common in the pig business, but most North Carolina hogs ultimately go through Smithfield sites in Clinton, Smithfield or Tarheel (home to the largest pork-processing plant in the world). Clinton-based Prestage, which also is family-owned, has sidestepped Smithfield recently by shipping some hogs to a new plant in Iowa. That has left Maxwell in a weaker competitive position.
In the early years of The Circle, Smithfield agreed to pay producers a price determined by a formula based on auction bids for hogs in the Midwest, according to the lawsuit. Over the years, a new formula based on prices available for cuts of a hog — pork chops, tenderloin and so forth — took hold.
Maxwell contends Smithfield continued paying the old rate until the N.C. company asked to renegotiate the deal in 2016, when it was rebuffed. Maxwell claims Smithfield also cut the number of hogs it was buying by half, and it learned in mid-2019 that Smithfield was paying other suppliers more, despite a contract agreement that it would be paid the same.
Smithfield’s Lombardo calls the dispute “regrettable” and says the essence of Maxwell’s complaints boil down to low livestock prices “from which we have also suffered.” ■


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Don’t call it a recall. Nothing to see here, move along, the company insists.
Chrysler continues to lead the way and posted the largest increase of the Big Three.
“We don’t think there’s an immediate fire risk,” said GM North American President Mark Reuss. “This is a post-crash activity.”
A Volt owner can chose to go all-electric, a mix of electric and gasoline, or just gasoline. No range limits here.
There’s a reason automakers are going so slowly in offering EVs. No one knows how large the market will eventually be for electric vehicles, let alone how big it is now.


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Small fuel cell aircraft in development in Germany
The electric vehicle retrofitter eCap Mobility and the microlight aircraft manufacturer Breezer Aircraft want to develop a fuel cell drive that can be retrofitted to single-engine aircraft. However, the focus is more on single-seat sports aircraft than on the electrification of commercial planes.
Hyundai & Uber cooperate on flying taxis
At the CES this year, Hyundai and Uber have announced their cooperative effort to build air taxis to be used on the Uber platform Elevate. The two companies also presented the S-A1, a prototype for such an electrically powered vertical take-off aircraft.
NASA plans electric test flights by end of 2020
NASA presented an early version of its X-57 Maxwell all-electric passenger aircraft. The electric aircraft is based on the Tecnam P2006T twin-engine propeller aircraft, in which the combustion engines have been replaced by 14 electric motors. The first test flight is scheduled for the end of 2020.
Lilium achieves complex maneuvers in test flights
The Munich-based German startup Lilium has published new images of its all-electric Lilium jet on the occasion of the now completed first phase of flight tests. The vertical take-off aircraft (VTOL) now flies increasingly complex manoeuvres at speeds over 100 km/h. The new Lilium Jets are now available in a variety of different models.
Audi reconsiders flying car project
According to a media report, Audi has discontinued work on the autonomous electric car drone Pop Up Next, which was presented last year together with Airbus and Italdesign, and intends to reevaluate their cooperation with Airbus.
Porsche joins Boeing in Urban Air Mobility market
Porsche and Boeing signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore what they consider the market for urban air mobility (UAM). As part of the partnership, the companies will create an international team to gather insight on new mobility applications.
Geely invests €50M in Volocopter air taxis
The German airport taxi start-up Volocopter has secured 50 million euros in a new financing round led by the Chinese Geely Group. The new funds will be used to bring Volocopter’s electric aircraft to commercial launch within the next three years.
EASA releases new electric aircraft regulations
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has adopted a framework plan for battery electric and hybrid electric vertical take-off aircraft in Europe: With the “Special Condition”, the designers now have the first specifications for this group of aircraft.
Agent 007 eat your heart out
The Israeli-American company NFT (Next Future Transportation) has introduced a flying electric car concept called the “Aska” that uses a gasoline range extender to reach a range of 550 km at a top speed of 200 kph. The first test flight is planned for 2020 with a view to market launch in 2025, with a […]
Alaka’i presents fuel cell air taxi
The US startup Alaka’i Technologies has presented the concept of a fuel cell air taxi called Skai, which was developed together with the BMW brand Designworks. It offers space for five passengers, is powered by six electric motors and is expected to have a range of around 400 miles (640 km).


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Continental expects strong EV demand in China in coming years (Photo: Continental)
Continental has developed an electric drive for China in anticipation of an electric-vehicle boom in the world's largest car market.
The German automotive supplier said it will introduce the compact, cost-effective, and high-performance system at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.
The drive, which will combine an electric motor, transmission and power electronics in a single unit, is scalable and can generate power in a range of 60 to 120 kW.
Bernd Mahr, who heads Continental's Hybrid Electric Vehicle business unit, said the drive's relatively low weight and competitive pricing areÂ key features. "This makes it fun to drive, which is an important factor in the acceptance of electric mobility," he said in a press statement.
Electric vehicle sales have been slow to take off worldwide, but Continental cited expert predictions that EVs and hybrid-electric vehicles are set to grow their global market share from 4 pc today to 20 pc by 2025.Â China's expected strong overall growth is likely to triggerÂ more demand for EVs there as well.


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In a year of uncertainty, the Australian livestock industry is holding its own in export markets and agribusiness prices are rising across the sector with agribusiness Elders’ share price jumping more than 10 per cent in the past month.
Livestock SA chief executive Andrew Curtis said exports to South Australia’s largest overseas markets in the United States and China are remaining stable as producers use less risky ship transport rather than airfreight grounded by COVID-19 restrictions.
But there is still caution going forward as the COVID-19 pandemic prompts the industry to swiftly invest in more forward planning to guard against further disruptions to the supply chain.
Premium meat suppliers reliant on directly supplying high-end restaurants for example have been forced to find new markets after social distancing rules shut doors.
Curtis said planning was also underway to prepare for an expected shortage of shearers when demand for contractors rises in spring if travels bans are still in place preventing seasonal workers from New Zealand making their annual trip.
Wool producers were discussing options, he said, including bringing the spring shearing season forward in South Australia and working with other states to stagger demand to ensure farms could find enough help.
“The industry is running quite well. There’s still a demand for our product. There’s been some shift with an increase in retail sales domestically and most farms are operating well,” Curtis said.
“Supermarket sales are up about 30 per cent for all meat. There are challenges – there are a number of premium products that are food service-focused and the food service doesn’t exist.
“Where there is more than one path to market, things are going well.”
The red meat and wool industry is South Australia’s largest manufacturing employer, supporting 30,000 jobs.
More than 11 million sheep, 950,000 head of cattle and 57 million kilograms of wool are produced annually in the state with a total production and processing revenue of $2.4 billion.
However, drought across parts of the state and bushfires in Kangaroo Island have affected the amount of lamb that farmers are able to supply to the market as flock sizes are down.
“One of the heads of the state’s largest processors, his comment was they are coping with COVID, the challenge is supply which is drought-related, there’s not enough sheep around,” Curtis said.
“And this is happening as demand for lamb is rising. Many people who might have had lamb when they were out at a restaurant are now buying it and having it when they are home.”
Good rainfall across the state in the past few days have been timely as cereal growers prepare for seeding.
Curtis said the weather bureau outlook promised a better year for rain after below average years in 2018 and 2019.
This is good news for pasture and hay production, particularly for northern regions of the state and Eyre Peninsula on its west coast where farmers have been hardest hit by drought.
In contrast, the South-East of the state is home to about half of the state’s flock and this region has continued to receive solid rainfall and is still providing strong sales in lamb.
“It is looking like a more normal season which is good but there are a heap of ‘who knows’?” Curtis said.
“We had an annual meeting in Robe in the South-East on February 7 and everything was relatively positive, good spring and summer wool prices, sound sheep market and cattle prices were strong.
“If we had the same meeting now there’s a bit more hesitation, we just don’t know how it will play out.”
Some concern has been raised about fertiliser and chemical supplies being affected by COVID-19 restrictions as farmers seed pasture and crops but Curtis said at this stage there was enough supply in the system.
“We would expect people will be sowing into May and June when there’s big demand for fertiliser as part of the process,” Curtis said.
“The feedback we’ve had from our fertiliser producers and importers is they have enough and can access enough product. Their concern in certain areas is where people hoard and do the toilet paper thing.”
Some fertiliser companies were already taking precautions against this happening by limiting orders.
When it came to exports, most of the South Australian product used ships and there was still access but airfreight to Malaysia and the Middle East had been more challenging.
Livestock SA is working with the National Farmers Federation and the state’s Primary Industries and Regions SA department to provide advice around COVID-19 and to help with forward planning, Curtis said.Jump to next article


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Over the past month, people in this country have finally been having the “hard conversation.” It is a hopeful sign that this is a movement for all, not just for Black, brown and other under represented communities. The reality is that now, more than ever, brands have to a part of the conversation. This is because the movement is being driven by youth culture, social media is their means of communications and brands have injected themselves into social media. And lacking leadership from our government, people are looking to companies to fill that gap.
Don't miss The Business of Marketing, a new series featuring leading c-suite executives sharing insights on the importance of leveraging the intersectionality of marketing, finance, technology, HR and the boardroom to drive business growth. Tune in.


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Could HBO Max Be Working on a ‘Sex and the City’ Reboot?
As rebooting classic shows remains a trend, it’s only natural that HBO Max attempts to bring back Sex and the City and according to Page Six, a close source said the streamer is doing just that.
The renowned series will make its comeback without the notable Kim Cattrall, however, as she and Sarah Jessica Parker have been at odds for a while. The reboot will also be reworked as a limited series for HBO Max, not ongoing like the others.
Rumors that the show would comeback have been going on for a while now as bringing back 90s and early 2000s classics has become all the rage. However, nothing has been solidified as yet since there remains tension between the actresses. Prospects of a third Sex and the City film have also been shutdown.
If the limited series is a go, it will also join the other rebooted series such as Gossip Girl and Head of Class which will be made available on the platform.
HBO Max recently reached a deal with Roku to bring the streaming service to Roku streaming players and Roku TVs. The streaming service also reached a deal with Amazon back in November and is now accessible on Amazon Fire TVs as well as Fire Tablets.


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Skoda’s latest model, the Karoq is to be released in June this year.
The Karoq will be a midsize SUV, slightly larger than the Yeti, which it is set to replace. Starting at $30,000, the latest addition the Skoda’s fleet is buzzing with exciting features. (more…)
A Klasse History: the Baby Benz
Frequent readers of the blog and Mercedes-Benz fans alike will know that the A-Klasse are Mercedes-Benz’ hatchback series. Launched in 1997, the A-Klasse were to be a compact, four-cylinder series. Due to their size, the A-Klass have become known as “baby Benzes”. Less expensive than their larger cousins, though with no less prestige, the A-Klasse were set to introduce drivers to the Mercedes-Benz fleet.
Compact Mercedes-Benz vehicles have proven to be popular. With over 2 million models sold around the world since 2012, there’s no wonder Mercedes-Benz are adding to their compact fleet. (more…)
What is the V Class?
The V in V-Klasse stands, essentially, for Van. The V-Class is Mercedes-Benz’ people movers and courier vans, or MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles). The smaller, panel vans are called Vito, and the larger models, V-Class or Viano.
Mercedes-Benz first started producing V-Klasse (MPV) vehicles in the mid to late 1990s. Second-generation models have been used as London black cabs, people movers and courier vans. The third-generation V-Klasse went into production in 2014. (more…)
Earlier this year, Victoria Police announced they would be adding 80 530d sedans to their fleet in 2018. This week, the Volks Affair blogging team look at the 530d and the police’s decision.
Volkswagen Group’s Electric Future
Volkswagen Automotive Group (Volkswagen AG) aim to have an electric version of every one of their models by 2030. Head of Volkswagen AG, Matthias Mueller, announced the plans in Frankfurt earlier this year. He hopes that by 2025, the company will have 50 purely battery-run, and 30 hybrid, vehicles. (more…)
This week, the Volks Affair team discuss Audi’s A4 model and what we can expect from the new A4 B9 in 2018.


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The euro zone’s inflation rate has surged to a record high in November, signaling uncertainty about what the ECB will do next with its monetary policy.
- The headline inflation stood at 4.9% for the month compared to the same period last year. The figure was above a consensus of 4.5% from Reuters and was higher than October’s figure of 4.1%.
- Higher energy prices led to the latest inflation figure. Eurostat indicated that energy is on track for its highest annual price increase in November at 27.4%, from 23.7% in October.
- Consumer prices rose again in the euro area attributable to higher energy costs and supply chain concerns.
- In Germany, the inflation rate rose to a 29-year high in November. The trend is similar in France in France with the inflation rate surging to 3.4% in November.
The key concern going forward is how ECB will manage the high inflation rates with uncertainty over the COVID-19.
Euro Stoxx 50 down -1.27%, EUR USD up +0.51%Source: Eurostat


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Asos marketing director Clare Dobbie departs
Asos.com marketing director Clare Dobbie has parted ways with the online fashion retailer after joining the company in March last year.
Dobbie joined the retailer from a consultancy role at Mother, Asos’ previous ad agency.
Asos later appointed Bartle Bogle Hegarty to its advertising account without a pitch after the online retailer and Mother ended their relationship in autumn last year.
Dobbie reported to Asos chief executive Nick Robertson and was a member of the operating board while at the company.
A spokeswoman for the brand would not confirm whether it had lined up a replacement for Dobbie.
Before consulting for Mother, Dobbie was responsible for setting up Gap’s European marketing team as vice-president of marketing for Gap Europe and also launched Gap-owned Banana Republic in London.
Dobbie began her career in advertising and worked on brands including Nike at creative agency Simons Palmer, now part of TBWA.
She left agency-side to become marketing communication director at Nike UK, overseeing the launch of Niketown before joining French Connection as marketing director.
Marks & Spencers' clothing and homewares business head Kate Bostock is in talks to take up a senior position at Asos, according to reports.
Last month Asos posted a 66% rise in first-half profit on the back of strong sales growth overseas.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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KT reorganized 16 days to put pressure on the next generation food business that focuses on 5G communication, which is about to be traded. 5G began to recognize service development as a real business area. 5G business B2B.
Future projects and platforms were upgraded from unit to unit. It means we will accelerate the search for food outside the telecommunications convergence business. We have also added strength to organizations that have been researching a village and developing as AI and block chains.
The traffic, including the wireless and wireless telecommunications business and the media business, is responsible for a large part of the current sales, and the sales & After supporting it, it has been reorganized.
Kim In-bae will be the control tower of the KT Group. In addition, it is worth noting that the personal composition of the network, marketing, customers and media, global media and business platform business, led by the president and vice president, are in harmony.
The reorganization of President Hwang Chang-kyu will focus on accelerating the 5G business, putting heavy pressure on the balance between the main business and the new business and the harmony of the current employees. In addition, the point that the width of the promotion and the idea of organizational restructuring are drawn at an earlier point than the average year, and the analysis of the suggested blueprint at the time of the opening strongly is led to the result.
■ A dedicated 5G organization
The head of the network department and marketing division, leading the 5G business, will continue to be led by Oh Sung Mok and Vice President Lee Phil Jae respectively . PyeongChang has not recognized the achievements and abilities of the Olympics since its launch and commercialization.
It is pleasing that a particular organization that will be put in full efforts to develop a 5G service taking into account the fact that it is ready for the commercialization service next month immediately.
5T KT business headquarters have launched in the network sector and then moving to market. If we were to focus on the choice of sellers and networking in the network sector, we have focused on developing a general business model in the marketing sector this year.
Following the reorganization on a regular basis in 2019, 5G business headquarters were upgraded as an oversight & wireless business organization such as LTE. 5G business headquarters are responsible for the whole wireless business, accounting for 35% of the company's sales at 3Q.
Park Hyun-jin, Head of Wired / Wireless Business Division, is leading the 5G business. 5G, and LTE, as well as wireless business such as Giga.
A separate organization deals with the B2B market (B2B). The company intends to set up a 5G platform development team and work on the B2B business other than the 5G business in the B2C area.
■ Reinforcing food business combination
The Future Convergence Business Promotion Office has been responsible for finding future businesses that have taken a step forward as a platform business in the future. It is an organization that adds the Stage Business Planning Office together with the Future Convergence Business Promotion Office. Energy, large data, security, etc. were expected to achieve full-scale results.
Lee Dong-myeong's Future Stage business unit leader, who led KT's research and development department (leading to the convergence technology center).
The Future Stage Business Division has recently established a Biz Hours Center, which focuses on finding new businesses. In other words, at the same time as discovering a new business, future business will be taken as a main business through 5G trading.
The block chain center, which was recently established at Fusion Technology Institute this year, moved to a future platform business department with the president of Dong-myeon who established the organization as a BLOCK CHAIN biz center.
Yoon Kyung-rim, vice president, who has led the business discovery in the future, will take the global business. The global business department is also one step up of the global business promotion room.
The global business is a strategy to sell the platform business to the global market. It is noteworthy that the company expands its global consulting executive team to provide technical support for overseas projects and get corporate support for overseas markets.
Jeon Hong-boom, who has been promoted as vice president, will assume the role of the Institute of Convergence Technology. KT has transformed into the role of research and development head in the key role.
The Director of Jeon Hong-five led directly to the development of new KT technologies since the PyeongChang Olympic Games 5G pilot service.
In addition, KT's artificial intelligence business has upgraded to be directly under the head of the marketing department.
■ Business of the media, as a growth machine
The business of the media will be added to the current customer segment, which will be led by the CEO.
After absorbing KT Media Hub, a separate connection, to KT headquarters, it was absorbed to the marketing headquarters. Since then, we have moved to the customer department, who is responsible for the sale of consumers, and we will work to develop services that are easy to use.
Prior to a regular organization reorganization, at the end of August, KT made a greeting to cable and wireless integration among its distribution network vendors. With the launch of the customer and media department, as well as integrating wire and wire sales, the company has been able to create a structure for synergies between the site and the main office.
The Media Platform Business Division, which will continue to be an IPTV Number 1 competitor, has strengthened its position in customer and media business. In addition, a new media business group has been established for the development of an IPTV business and new media.
Kim In-Bay, which is promoted as the sole president of the KT Group, will assume the role of the control tower. He is a person who has led the launch of a professional bank on the Internet and has helped Hwang, Chang-kyu.
Kim In-hee, who is moving from the secretariat to the management planning department together with the promotion of the president, will be responsible for KT and KT group lives. To achieve this, the group management team transferred to the management planning department led by Kim In-cheon.
In addition, the Daegwan organization is a little smaller. The organization that changed its name to the Business Co-operation Division included the Communication Cooperation Room and the Future Cooperation Room. Based on the unit of work, the organization is transformed into business and the organization responsible for it is reduced.


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(Filed Under Financial and General Interest News). In the wake of news that a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Denver will close, Sak Inc. plans to open a new OFF 5TH location, the company announced Wednesday.
The company has signed a letter of intent to open a store at the Tuscany Place Design Outlets in Madison, Miss. during the spring of 2012. The 20,000-square-foot store will mark Saks’ first location in Mississippi.
During 2010, Saks Inc. shuttered six Saks Fifth Avenue stores. Currently, the company operates 57 OFF 5TH locations and 47 Saks Fifth Avenues.
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — What came first, the chicken or the egg? A riddle that’s still hard to crack.
No matter what the answer is, we do know egg prices and supply are nowhere near what they were last year.
If you eat eggs, you know it’s been a scramble to find them in the stores, but now many people are resorting to having their backyard chickens, so they always have a supply of eggs.
“Our birds were for meat,” Amanda Banuelos said.
Banuelos is referring to the turkeys in her backyard, but the birds have a new purpose.
“This is the first year we are going to eat them for egg costs,” she said.
That is because the high egg prices are no ‘yolk’.
“My jaw dropped they were $1.50 a year ago and now $9 that’s insane,” Banuelos said.
Her turkeys lay eggs one month out of a year, but that wasn’t enough for her family so she bought chickens.
“It’s like having an animal but with a benefit, they are feeding my house,” Banuelos said.
It will be 10 more weeks until her chickens lay eggs but there’s a sunny side to look forward to.
“I have reliability all the time,” she said.
The Banuelos aren’t the only ones getting into the backyard chicken business, a Facebook group for Las Vegas residents has more than four thousand members in it.
At Jones Feed and Tack, they get two hundred chicks delivered weekly and they are gone within a day.
“It’s like toilet paper when COVID hit,” Hedi Lozoya, an employee said.
The demand is so high, their customers can only buy five chicks at a time.
“There will be like one customer trying to buy them all,” Lozoya said.
Each chick can cost around $5 and can live up to five years.
But before you start to buy a chicken coop, you must remember some parts of the Valley do not allow it, so check the guidelines in your area.
Those interested must also remember the maintenance cost associated with having chickens, such as providing food, a heating lamp, and purchasing a coop.


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Parts of Nevada are looking like a ghost town, and it's oddly eerie. The Las Vegas Strip's shutdown prompted hotels and casinos to close their doors in the wake of minimizing the spread of COVID-19 in Nevada. In doing so, the Orlean's Hotel looks more like an abandoned resort compared to the booming playhouse it was before the cessation.
With empty lobbies, vacant slot machines, and a lack of people, the hotel looks practically unrecognizable.
Hotels and casinos aren't the only businesses that have temporarily suspended large gatherings. Many local companies, such as restaurants and movie theatres, have shifted their focus to curbside pickup, delivery, and drive-in showings.
In response to the Nevada Governer's orders, the Orlean's Hotel and Casino posted the following to their Facebook page,
"In compliance with the Governor's order, we will be closing all gaming operations at all Las Vegas Boyd Gaming properties by midnight tonight, March 17. Limited food service will be available for hotel guests until 10:00am, Wednesday, March 18. Check with the Front Desk for location and hours."
The inside of a Las Vegas hotel during a shutdown looks almost uncanny.
Here's an exclusive, inside look of a vacant casino.
Hotel guests were allowed to leave their rooms and order food from the cafe.
Security guards lingered around to ensure people didn't gather together or form a group.
After ordering food, you had to take it back upstairs to your room.
It was a new kind of experience to see how empty and vast the casino floors were.
With the shutdown of all non-essential businesses on track for 30 days, it might be a while before the glitz and glam return to the Strip.
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"Today was a day where I can breathe, and we can all breathe again because justice was served," he said. "But we have a lot of work to do still on social justice and police brutality."
Davis also says he was inspired to make the tweet by Floyd's brother, Philonise, who told reporters "Today, we are able to breathe again" shortly after the verdict was read.
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police Officer accused of murdering George Floyd in 2020, was found guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
The lineup is sure to draw a crowd, as it featured big names such as Green Day, Tame Impala, A$AP Rocky, and HAIM.
On top of the stacked music lineup, the festival will also feature world-famous comedians, guest speakers, and numerous colorful art installations.
The festival has not announced how many people will be able to attend the festival, but it was able to draw a massive crowd of over 150,000 guests in years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Early bird tickets have already sold out but normal tickets are scheduled to be available for purchase starting March 12 at 10 a.m. PT.
The Bellagio Hotel and Casino debuted its annual holiday decor on Monday, calling it "Hopeful Holidays." The fantastical display, which features four different "holiday traditions," will be up through January 2021.
The Bellagio's majestic Conservatory and Botanical Gardens area, where the decorations are set up, is free to the public and it is...very pretty.
The Aria Resort & Casino
The Aria has set up a total winter wonderland situation in its lobby, with the centerpiece being a house made of actually edible ingredients.
It's called the "Sugar Palace" and it's 15-feet tall and glows blue and white.
The Wynn Las Vegas
The decadent Wynn hotel has also decorated its grounds with holiday cheer literally everywhere, transforming its atrium into a total winter wonderland.
The centerpiece of it all is a display of six mini villages with the theme being "Gulliver's Travels."
The Tropicana is looking as festive as ever, giving off cute little vintage vibes with its tree and general essence.
The Linq Promenade
The Linq Promenade shopping center has decorated to the max, complete with a gigantic, colorful Christmas tree.
The Forum Shops at Caesar's Place are decked out with Christmas decor, as well, making it even lovelier than usual, complete with lit up garland all over the place as well as a 40-foot-tall tree.
Fremont Street Experience
Fremont's iconic 50-foot-tall tree is up and decorated as heck, as of December 9 when the annual tree lighting ceremony was held. On December 10, there will also be a lighting ceremony for a 20-foot-tall Grand Menorah in celebration of Hannukkah.
It's truly the most wonderful time of the year in Sin City, and somehow, also the flashiest.


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Green Ronin Publishing make the popular Mutants & Masterminds sci-fi RPG, and they've a lovely, innovative idea for the game.
Dicey Kickstarter surges past $1m in funds, Doctor Who RPG renewed, and Jasper's Game Day kicks off with a huge charity bundle. It's this week's RPG news!
Routinely Itemised is a look at Paizo Publishing's product timeline, the arrival of Mythic Odysseys of Theros, freebies and RPG news from the week.
In Routinely Itemised this week we catch up with PaizoCon Online, find out what the D&D movie has in store and ear about "choose your own adventure" audiobooks!
In addition to advice on how to get time travel right, the Time Traveler's Codex has six causality-shaking villain archetypes and dozens of minions. There are new advantages, powers and equipment.
Another busy week in the world of RPGs as Fantasy Flight appears to be stepping away from the hobby and Kickstarter encourages dozens of new tabletop projects in just a few days.
There can be no doubt that superheroes have become big business in recent years. What about for tabletop RPGs?
A rich social media celeb who is also attending, breaking people out of the hospital and all that's required when it comes to befriending a demon.
We catchup and roundup the latest RPG news, Kickstarters, and D&D tips and tricks. All this is squeezed in a handy to speed-read bullet point list.
Written by Crystal Fraiser, Nothing to Fear is an adventure for 4 to 6 heroes of PL 10.


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Back to business
Tuesday marked the second day Orthodontic Associates was back open for the first time in nearly two months, but it wasn’t exactly business as usual.
All staff greet patients in masks and patients are encouraged to wear them in the office. The waiting room is closed as well as the brushing station and when parents arrive with their children, they text waiting staff and patients are then sent up one at a time.
Each person answers a health questionnaire before being seen and extra time is built in so cleaning can be done between each visit. There is no exchange of paper and follow up appointments are scheduled via text, phone call or online.
Dr. Neal Patel said they have been following the recommendations of several offices, including the North Carolina Governor’s Office, the Centers for Disease Control, OSHA and the American Dental Association.
He said he suits up in protective gear for each patient.
Patel said the office, located on East Marion Street, was closed March 16 and opened back up on Monday during Gov. Roy Cooper’s phase one of a gradual re-opening plan.
“Coming back has been awesome,” Patel said. “We missed seeing our patients.”
One of the challenges they’ve faced since returning to work has been the decreased social interaction.
“We got into this field because we like interacting with people,” Patel said. “That’s been the toughest side.”
Even so, the office works hard to be warm and friendly with signs welcoming patients back and one banner on the wall advocating sharing smiles, not germs.
The phased reopening plan also included retail stores and state parks and trails.
At Cleveland Mall, Marshall’s was once again open and crowds of shoppers filled the store last week. Arrows directed people to shop in one direction to avoid contact with other shoppers.
Belk’s, Hibbett Sports, the two shoe stores and Cell World were also back to business with modifications. Other retailers, including Maurices, Rue 21, and Bath & Body Works remained closed.
Attempts for a comment from the mall’s spokesperson were not returned in time for this story.
The Southern Arts Society Gift Shop and Gallery in Kings Mountain announced it was reopening Tuesday with limited hours. Classes will also resume in June with limited spaces.
For more information, visit southernartssociety.org
Restaurant dining rooms, theaters, salons and bars remain closed.
Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at 704-669-3334 or firstname.lastname@example.org


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Menswear brand Barcelona has bolstered its brick-and-mortar retail presence in Uttar Pradesh and opened an exclusive brand outlet in Bijnor at the city’s Rajat Hotel.
“Exciting news – Barcelona has spread its fashion magic to Bijnor, UP,” announced the brand on Facebook. “Elevate your style with Barcelona’s latest trends. Visit us at Barcelona fashion stores, located at Rajat Hotel, Station Chowk, Najibabad Road, Bijnor.”
The new store features a dedicated segment for denim with a variety of washes and cuts. Other casual wear staples displayed in-store include checked button-downs, graphic t-shirts, and sweaters.
The outlet opened with a number of inaugural offers for shoppers including any three plain coloured t-shirts for Rs 999. The store has a glass façade which features Barcelona’s signature dark blue brand banner.
Earlier in October, Barcelona made its brick-and-mortar debut in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. The brand has also recently opened exclusive brand outlets in Patna, Hamirpur, Goa, Pune, Visnagar, and Mahoba. The brand focuses on non-metro locations for its store openings to cater to the growing demand for branded western wear in Tier 2 cities.
Entrepreneur Jaimin Gupta launched Barcelona in 2015 in Ahmedabad as a mid-priced men’s western wear label. Barcelona plans to launch an initial public offering in the near future, although a date has yet to be set.
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A September 2012 article in The Atlantic asked this question and raised the following issues:
Nine out of 10 Millennials say they eventually want a place they own, according to a recent Fannie Mae survey. But this generation’s path to homeownership is fraught with obstacles: low pay, low savings, tighter lending standards from banks. Student debt—some $1 trillion in total—stalks many potential buyers as they seek a mortgage (or a car loan). At a minimum, homeownership rates are highly unlikely to soon return to the peaks they hit during the housing bubble. (To read the full article, click here.)
AIM has been asking some of the same questions and has found that Millennials are notcheap. They do not hesitate to invest in the latest smart phone or tablet technology. And yet, when it comes to major purchases such as cars and homes, the majority of Millennials have no plans to invest in the next several years. The reasons are more often than not, not financial. Instead, Millennials say they “do not really need it” or “do not really want anything extra to worry about.” It is a vastly different mindset from that of GenXers or Boomers at the same age. Still, in the next decade, a group of people the size of California’s population—most of them Millennials—will likely come together to form new households. Where will these new households be? And what will they look like? If Millennials are hesitant to invest in their own homes, will they be willing to invest in “stuff” for the home? Our clients have asked us to find out.
AIM is about to embark on major research to learn how marketers can motivate “cheap” Millennials to buy products for these new households. We’ll be reporting our findings at the March Housewares Show (see sidebar). If you have specific questions you would like to see answered in the research, pleaselet us know.
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After being wishy-washy on it for a year
Blizzard is certainly giddy about the Switch all of a sudden. While they’ve mostly ignored it or downplayed whether or not certain games would work on it (I think a port of a game from 2012 and Hearthstone, a touch-based card project, would have been great out of the gate), now that they have the backing of Nintendo and Iron Galaxy, the whole situation has changed.
After announcing Diablo III on Switch by way of a Nintendo of America skit with Reggie, senior producer Pete Stilwell explained to GameSpot that Overwatchis now “feasible” on the system. Now Blizzard says that the team was “given the task to work on” the port, and that if they pick it up, then it’s on them, despite Diablo being the only focus. As for StarCraft II, Sitilwell said that due to the “next level requirements,” it would be a difficult port: citing StarCraft 64‘s significant changes.
As recently as this year Blizzard stated that an Overwatchport would also be difficult, hinting that it wasn’t in the cards, but they’ve been slowly working toward it. You know what should be in the “cards,” and already has a system in place (pioneered by Minecraft) thatprovides Nintendo cross-play support from Google and Apple? Hearthstone.
Overwatch On Switch Is Feasible [GameSpot]