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New rules to help regulate farmer’s market
- Published: March 26, 2009
In an effort to better organize and provide security for the Yellow Springs Farmer’s Market in Kings Yard, this year market organizers have for the first time created a set of guidelines for vendors. Among the new rules are that vendors must apply for and pay for a space, they must have liability insurance, and they are limited to selling items that were either grown or made in their home county.
The reorganization of the 30-year local market is something Kings Yard owner Cathy Christian was compelled by her insurance company to do, and market coordinator Michele Burns said that formalizing the market could serve to strengthen it. But though some vendors will continue to come to market as usual, the changes will discourage and even prohibit others from setting up a booth this year.
The farmer’s market, which officially opens from May 2 through Oct. 30, currently has room for approximately 25 vendors in a slightly expanded space in the parking lot behind Kings Yard. According to the guidelines that were distributed several weeks ago, all vendors are required to fill out an application with proof of general liability insurance coverage of $1 million. Vendors must also pay between $5 and $10 a day, or $32 a month, for an assigned space, and they must commit to being there between 6:30 a.m. and noon. Vendors may only sell items or produce that were made or grown in their Ohio county of residence, and all items are subject to approval by Christian, who owns the yard under the business name Upland Corporation.
Last spring when Burns, who owns Flying Mouse Farms with her husband John Dewine, volunteered to coordinate the market, she found that at its peak with 23 vendors, the space became overcrowded. Former yard owner Roger Hart, who died last month, never regulated the market, and vendors set up on a first-come, first-serve basis. But that system sometimes caused conflict between vendors vying for a spot, Burns said, and it also resulted in complaints from nearby residents who were disturbed by vendors showing up at 4 a.m. to claim their favorite spot.
According to both Burns and longtime Yellow Springs market vendor Leslie Garcia of Peach Mountain Organics, most farmer’s markets in the area are regulated and require insurance from the vendors. Many markets also require that their vendors sell only locally grown produce because that is what customers expect, they said. Selling produce purchased wholesale or at auctions runs counter to the spirit of a local farmer’s market, and the lower prices of mechanized produce tend to undercut local growers. Besides, Burns added, shoppers can buy produce from bigger distributors at Tom’s Market next door.
The cost of commercial insurance averages about $250 a year, according to Burns, who said that some people may be able to get event-specific insurance for less, or piggyback it onto their home or car insurance. That still may prove too steep for local bread makers Manzara and Chad Reed, who sold at last year’s market for the first time. The cost of renting the space and securing insurance would significantly cut into their modest profits, and they are considering moving to the Thursday evening South Town Farmer’s Market at Dollar General parking lot and maybe to a farmer’s market in Xenia, which Chad Reed said does not require insurance.
Local grower Suzanne Patterson, who has sold produce at the Yellow Springs market from her Rabbit Run Farm for over 15 years, is not likely to participate in this year’s market, she said this week. She doesn’t want to pay for insurance, and she doesn’t like that the new regulations will likely squeeze out the smaller operations and nonprofit groups that come to educate residents about important issues.
The fact that some vendors will no longer be able to participate has spurred Susan Fecteau, a grower from Jamestown, and Alicia Caulfield, maker of Caulfield and Sons natural skin care products, to look for alternatives. They like the diversity and folksiness that the unregulated market allowed, and feel that greater rigidity would take away the color and flavor that makes the market local, they both said last week. They are considering organizing a more open market at a different location to complement the one at Kings Yard.
But at least one local grower, Jessica Wyant of Purple Moon Farm, has chosen to avoid the Yellow Springs Farmer’s Market for the past several years precisely because of the problems Burns cited. She took her berry and soap making goods to sell at Springfield and Columbus markets because without well-organized procedures of operation, the “free-for-all” at the Yellow Springs market drew too many vendors, who weren’t necessarily committed to growing their own produce and were selling wholesale items.
“We’re very thrilled that we can come back home and sell here again,” Wyant said. “We feel that a local farmer’s market is the proper outlet for local growers — that way consumers know what they’re getting.”
The new farmer’s market rules are “certainly fair,” said Garcia, who felt that Roger Hart was “overly gracious” to allow vendors to use his property without any compensation and probably some headaches. “We are there at the good graces of Roger, and now his daughter Cathy,” she said. “To us, it all seems pretty reasonable.”
Though the new guidelines have been established for this year, both Christian and Burns said they are open to discussing changes vendors feel would make the process better. They are committed to having a strong farmer’s market, and they also want to help those who may have trouble complying. Burns knows of some markets whose board of directors carries insurance for the whole market.
“Cathy is committed to keeping the market here and supporting it,” Burns said. “It’s a matter of having the space accommodate the market.”


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Tampa, Florida (PressExposure) November 20, 2009 -- New Version - 8.1 -- Written in .NET; Provides Enhanced Speed, Reliability, Security and Intuitiveness.
Layton Technology, Inc., a developer of innovative PC audit and help desk software, today announced that a new version of its AuditWizardâ¢ PC audit software is available for immediate shipment.
Version 8.1 is a major upgrade of AuditWizard, which has been protecting user companies against software compliance audits since February 2000. Now with a worldwide customer base that exceeds 10,000, AuditWizard contributes directly to the bottom line by reducing the amount of money wasted on maintenance contracts for software that is no longer in use.
"Our PC audit and help desk software solutions always have and always will offer an impressive value proposition to companies of all sizes -- ease of use and richness of functionality at a cost-effective price. AuditWizard 8.1 is the latest example," said Glenn Powell, project manager of development at Layton Technology, Inc. "It's never easy to improve a product that has a lengthy record of customer satisfaction. But we have succeeded in doing that with AuditWizard in Version 8.1"
AuditWizard provides user companies with total visibility of network assets. It also enables instant identification of potential security loopholes.
Version 8.1 is a major upgrade because AuditWizard has been re-written in a new programming language. The utilization of .NET has elevated a strength of AuditWizard - ease of use.
Layton Technology has built into Version 8.1 a new user interface, a new dashboard view and a new simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) audit function. Reporting can now be performed through the user interface. And the new SNMP feature allows discovery and auditing of all network devices such as routers, printers, switches and hubs.
The net-net is that in Version 8.1, Layton Technology has enhanced the speed, reliability, security and intuitiveness of AuditWizard PC audit while maintaining its cost-effectiveness. All existing customers of AuditWizard PC who are under support audit are entitled to a free upgrade

domain: news


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The 1st of May marks the 50th anniversary of AMD and going by the industry’s traditions, AMD will launch a special edition of Ryzen 7 2700X and the following leaks confirm the same.
Team Red’s 50th-anniversary version of Ryzen 7 2700X has made it over the internet with a leaked listing at an online retail website. The listing shows a special edition of Ryzen 7 2700X with Wraith Prism cooler. Unfortunately, the clock speeds have not been leaked.
To distinguish the special edition processor, the company might engrave it with custom signatures and special packaging and a certificate.
As far as the pricing goes, the CPU is listed for pre-order at $340.95, which is well above its retail price of $295. According to sources, the 50th-anniversary Ryzen 7 2700X will be available on 30th of April, a day before the anniversary.


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Bharti Airtel — India’s largest telecommunication services company for now — will release its fiscal fourth quarter results on Tuesday, likely reporting a steep fall in revenue and pressure on all the key financial metrics, hit by an exodus of customers to rival Reliance Jio Infocomm and erosion in tariff earnings due to intense competition.
Airtel’s fiscal results have been under pressure since the entry of Reliance Jio, which, with its aggressive pricing strategy, has been successful in swaying a major chunk of the customer base of incumbent operators over to its services.
In the previous quarter, Q3FY17, Airtel’s net profit dropped 55% to Rs 503.7 crore from Rs 1,108 crore in the corresponding period the previous year. The Sunil Bharti Mittal-led telecom operator had then acknowledged the fact that price war with Reliance Jio did hurt business. “India revenues for Q3’17 at Rs 18,013 crore grew by 1.8% Y-o-Y. A slowdown in Mobile revenue growth primarily due to free voice and data offering by a new operator,” the company had said in a statement at the time.
You may also like to watch:
Here are the key things to watch for from Airtel’s Q4FY17 results tomorrow:
Revenue / Earning
Brokerage house Motilal Oswal expects Airtel’s consolidated revenue to drop 4.7% on quarter and 10.9% on-year to Rs 222.4 billion, mainly impacted by Jio’s free offers. “We expect India wireless revenue to decline 6.7% QoQ (and 11.9% YoY) to Rs 129.1 billion and Africa revenue to decline 1.9% QoQ to ~$901 billion,” Motilal Oswal said in a report. Further, Edelweiss Securities expects the consolidated revenue to decline 2.6% QoQ to Rs 227.2 billion.
EBITDA / Profitability
Airtel’s margins are likely to continue to be under pressure as tariffs continued to fall through the quarter in the company’s frantic efforts to maintain its user base. Motilal Oswal expects the company’s consolidated EBITDA margin to fall 1.9% sequentially. “EBITDA margin (consolidated) is likely to decline 190 basis points QoQ to 34.3%, led by 330 basis points contraction in India wireless margin to 34.7%, partly offset by 20 basis points expansion in Africa EBITDA margin to 23.9%,” Motilal Oswal said in a report.
Edelweiss Securities expects the company’s EBITDA to decline 2.6%. “We expect India and South Africa’s EBITDA margins to decline 260 bps QoQ to 37.4%. We estimate Africa business to clock overall revenue of $797 million, up 0.6% QoQ, with EBITDA margin of 24% due to seasonal weakness and 1.3% currency impact,” the brokerage house said in a report.
Other key items
Any management commentary outlook and synergies from Telenor acquisition will be keenly watched. Earlier February, Airtel agreed to acquire Telenor India to further augment its customer base and network, amid the ongoing consolidation in the Indian telecom sector after the entry of Reliance Jio with its free voice and data services. The acquisition will add Telenor’s about 44 million subscribers to Bharti Airtel’s existing 266 million mobile users in India, taking the total to about 310 million, and will give it another 43.4 MHz spectrum in the precious 1800 MHz band, which could be used to offer the highly sought after 4G services.
Stakeholders will also look for any management commentary on the outlook for the industry, especially given that Reliance Jio continues to offer services at very aggressive prices. It will be important to see if there are any signs of revival in the realisations.
Another business segment which will be of interest is Airtel’s payments bank. Use of digital wallets and payments banks has surged in India following demonetisation, which sucked out 86% of the currency from circulation, leaving people scrambling for cash to meet their daily needs. Airtel, which launched a payments bank earlier this year, already enrolled over one million customers during the pilots. Rival Paytm claims it has over 150 million e-wallet users.


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Carolina Panthers player Russell Okung converted half of his fee into Bitcoin
Carolina Panthers’ Pro Bowl player Russell Okung stated that he wanted to be paid in Bitcoin on Twitter in May last year.
After more than a year has passed, Okung announced that he had converted half of his salary to Bitcoin.
According to the consensus stated in the news of the crypto money and blockchain news site Coindesk, Panthers will continue to make payments to the player in dollars. Okung will convert 50 percent of its $ 13 million fee to Bitcoin using Zap’s Strike app.
League spokesperson said, “NFL players are paid in US dollars.” He stated that the player then returned to Bitcoin.
Bitcoin today set a new record, exceeding $ 28,500. The price of the popular cryptocurrency has nearly quadrupled this year.


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By Marty Gordon
As of July 1, the landscape of college athletics changed like never before as athletes can now negotiate contracts to make money selling their name, image, and likeness.
As many as 460,000 NCAA student-athletes can now sign sponsorship deals.
This is compensation — usually money — earned by college athletes for the use of their fame or celebrity, either their name, their image, or a likeness of who they are.
Examples include being paid for autographs, appearing in an advertisement, or providing a social media shoutout. It means that a business can strike a deal with an athlete and pay the athlete to tout their services or product. Athletes are required to notify their schools of NIL (names, image, likeness) arrangements.
Already, this has included some interesting agreements.
A private marketing company called “Bring Back the U” has offered every scholarshipped player for the University of Miami a $600 a month contract to endorse the company American Top Team through their respective social media platforms.
University of Miami quarterback D’Eriq King has signed an endorsement deal with College Hunks Hauling Junk.
Of course, these deals can also include something as simple as an autograph session. University of Iowa basketball player Jordan Bohannon has paired with Boomin Iowa Fireworks for a meet-and-greet session at the fireworks business in Windsor Heights, Iowa.
Fresno State college basketball twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who have more than 3.3 million followers on Tik Tok, announced endorsement deals with Boost Mobile and Six Star Nutrition.
Lexi Sun, an All-American volleyball player at the University of Nebraska, announced her own apparel line on Thursday in an Instagram post. “The Sunny Crew” sweatshirt is the first piece on display of the Lexi Sun x REN Athletics line.
Auburn University quarterback Bo Nix announced a deal with a very Southern twist: He signed a deal with Milo’s, a company that manufactures sweet tea.
But not to upset the other half of Alabama, the company also signed University of Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore to endorse its sugary teas.
Mission Barbecue signed the entire Notre Dame offensive line to a deal for their local South Bend, Ind., Restaurant.
At Virginia Tech, athletes have also jumped into the fire.
Receiver Tre Turner announced via Instagram that he has signed a deal with Yoke Gaming.
Jordan Williams, who transferred to Blacksburg from Clemson, is working with with Playmaker, a marketing group, to help him as he looks to maximize his NIL opportunities. The company has already produced a T-shirt with Williams’s likeness.
Quarterback Braxton Burmeister is partnering with Procussion Recovery, which manufactures the Pulse vibrating massage ball that offers deep tissue massage and trigger point therapy to eliminate pain and stiffness, increase range of motion, and boost circulation.
So expect Burmeister to use the product in the locker room after every ball game.
Virginia Tech lacrosse player Kennedy Lynch has signed with Barstool Sports.
Yes, the big universities like Virginia Tech make lots of money off the athletes, but I just hope it doesn’t get out of hand. The student-athletes deserve some compensation in the larger scheme of things. The question is whether this is the way to do it. I honestly believe it could have been solved by just giving each athlete a stipend on an annual basis.
We will just have to let this play out and see how it affects collegiate athletics. Sports like football and basketball could be the biggest winner.
Maybe we will see James Mitchell making appearances at car lots in his hometown of Big Stone Gap, or how about being a spokesperson for Substation sandwich shop?


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Ocean Cargo Market Update: Can we still be friends?
Analysts agree: One of the greatest challenges facing both shippers and carriers over the next year will be rebuilding relationships on the high seas.
in the NewsFedEx partners with Vecna Robotics as part of automation growth strategy Most recent Freight TSI is strong, says BTS AAR reports strong U.S. carload and intermodal gains for week ending March 17 Gartner’s 2018 Magic Quadrant Names Kuebix as Prominent TMS Player Meet the 2018 Modern Show Daily team More News
While repairing their bottom lines has become a top priority for world’s ocean carriers, leading industry analysts contend that they’re also looking to restore customer relationships over the coming year. To do this, David Jacoby, president of Boston Strategies International, says that carriers are now initiating their own analytics designed to measure on-time reliability.
So, how are shippers responding? “Shippers will inevitably attempt to work the metrics into their contracts, as some of them have worked rate indexing in,” says Jacoby. “Meanwhile, carriers and forwarders are very pleased to see these metrics, because they’ve been surprisingly widely accepted in a very short time—compared to other changes that the ocean shipping industry has tried to make.”
Jacoby adds that certainly doesn’t hurt that Maersk—the largest player on the block—is now focusing intensely on the customer and has its own network of terminals to influence the metrics in a positive direction. “This is all good news for shippers,” adds Jacoby.
Benchmarks rule the day
By way of helping importers and exporters benchmark their performance, several carriers are encouraging constant feedback through social networks and regular surveys.
MOL (America) Inc., for example, gathers key performance indicators (KPI) from its shippers in the following categories: operations, customer service, and electronic data interchange (EDI). The results are available on a monthly basis, while a set of goals has been established for each KPI in an effort to offer transparency to demonstrate the carrier’s commitment to service.
At the same time, independent market intelligence enterprises are introducing their own KPIs. For a subscription fee, shippers can engage analysts to provide them with metrics at the “container level” rather than the ship-level. The new KPI will monitor not only the performance of the physical port-to-port shipping operation, but also the performance of commercial processes, as well as regional inland transport performance and port dwell times.
More transparency, accountability, and comparability in other key aspects of container carrier performance is also being shared by shippers comprising special interest groups. The Washington DC-based Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC), for example, recently released its annual Ocean Carrier Performance Survey. On-time performance is measured by this group, along with information on “guaranteed standard of service” compensations for delays. Shippers gave the highest marks in the 2012 survey to APL, K-Line, and OOCL.
“Ocean carriers understand that visibility and reliability are key elements of the supply chain value proposition, says Brian Conrad, executive administrator of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA). “Carriers have developed their own internal schedule integrity metrics for multiple reasons, but they broadly recognize the competitive benefits of improved schedule reliability.”
He adds that beyond that, carriers need to understand internally how their particular service configurations and business processes affect schedules, space, equipment, and other service elements. Conrad also noted that carriers must identify “choke points” and solutions across the entire operation, alongside perspectives from individual accounts and third parties.
Global economy falters
With the Eurozone’s problems not likely to improve this year, many shipping experts are counting on Asia to propel and sustain the developed world’s economic rebound.
Ocean cargo shippers can expect greater ease of doing business in the region if The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement is signed and ratified this year. The TPP—currently under negotiation by Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and the U.S.—is seeking to create a trade agreement that could be seen as a model within the Asia-Pacific region. If successful, even more new members may be added.
The Asia-Pacific region is a key driver of global economic growth, representing nearly 60 percent of global GDP and roughly 50 percent of international trade.
According to the World Bank, the average GDP growth rate in the rapidly growing and dynamic countries in this region was 5.3 percent last year, compared with the world average of 3.8 percent. Furthermore, over the past two decades Asia-Pacific goods trade has increased by 300 percent, while global investment in the region has increased by over 400 percent.
Trade is remarkably simplified with the ability to market worldwide over the internet, with business-to-business portals, social media and online payment. New bilateral and multilateral trade agreements will offer even small and mid-sized businesses in emerging Asian markets expanded opportunities to conduct global business across the Pacific.
It’s worth pointing out in a general sense, however, that the increase in global capacity seen in recent months as new larger ships are delivered, does not have the same effect in the transpacific as in other cargo markets. Infrastructure constraints, mainly channel drafts at most U.S. ports and in the Panama Canal as well as terminal productivity levels, will continue to limit average vessel size and loadability through 2013. So the largest ships, and many of the cascaded ships they replace, will remain in other trades.
Maritime economists see the U.S. market steadily recovering, with demand already picking up in the automotive sector and “green shoots” in many areas of retailing, including apparel, footwear, home/garden supplies, appliances, and toys. They also expect other segments to pick up as the job market and housing crisis improve.
Analysts add that a rising entrepreneurial middle class in Asia is likely to translate into new business formation with an eye to exports as well as domestic consumption. A large share of two-way transpacific trade is related to two-way manufacturing and retail investment.
And that trend is likely to continue and expand. In the meantime, all of this new trade growth will translate into cargo growth as 90 percent of physical goods moves by ocean, much of it in containers.
Finally, when evaluating risk mitigation in the marketplace in 2012 and beyond, ocean cargo shippers should ask their lead logistics providers to advise them on liability issues this year. For example, The Rotterdam Rules—which will extend and modernize the existing international rules relating to contract of maritime carriage of goods—will come into force one year after ratification by the 20th United Nations Member state.
Shipper organizations firmly believe that this will achieve greater global uniformity for cargo liability, facilitating e-commerce through use of electronic documentation, reflecting modern “door-to-door” services involving other modes of transport in addition to the sea-leg and “just in time” delivery practices.
Tracking environmental regulations will also be key for ocean cargo shippers through the next several years, even though here is little if any dispute about the fact that shipping is the most carbon-efficient mode of transportation.
The International Maritime Organization’s expert working group says international maritime shipping accounts for 2.7 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. And according to analysis by the Swedish Network for Transport and the Environment, shipping also produces fewer exhaust gas emissions—including nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, particulates, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide—for each ton transported one kilometer than air or road transport. Still, the sheer scale and global nature of containerized shipping makes it important for the industry to continuously work to reduce its environmental impact.
A recent study by Lloyd’s Register suggests evidence that the industry has made significant progress. According to researchers, the fuel efficiency of container ships with 4,500 TEU capacity has improved 35 percent between since the mid-1980s. Comparison between a modern 12,000 TEU ships built in 2007 and a 1500 TEU container in 1976 shows the carbon efficiency on a per-mile cargo volume basis has improved 75 percent in 30 years.
In turn, shippers may expect a “greener” industry, made safer by regulatory change. Containerized shipping will also become profitable for carriers, too, as a new era of collaboration is ushered in. Analysts advise shippers to remain in close contact with their providers for guidance and leadership.
About the AuthorPatrick Burnson, Executive Editor Patrick Burnson is executive editor for Logistics Management and Supply Chain Management Review magazines and web sites. Patrick is a widely-published writer and editor who has spent most of his career covering international trade, global logistics, and supply chain management. He lives and works in San Francisco, providing readers with a Pacific Rim perspective on industry trends and forecasts. You can reach him directly at [email protected]
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Personal data of over six million Verizon customers was allegedly leaked online on July 12. Cybersecurity firm UpGuard in its recent research has found a misconfigured security setting on a cloud server due to some human error. This incorrect setting is said to be the root cause of the leak.
It is evident that the leak has compromised personal data of over six million Verizon customers, including their names, PIN codes and phone numbers. However, Verizon has reported to CNN tech that there has been no theft or loss of the customer information which has been made publicly available, following the massive leak.
It is estimated that the actual number of affected user accounts could go up to 14 million due to the misconfigured security setting by NICE systems (Israel-based company) who is working with Verizon to provide customer service call facility.
Chris Vickery, an UpGuard researcher, has alerted Verizon about the leak on July 13 while also pointing out that a compromised security setting on the Amazon S3 storage server was behind the leak. Vickery suggested that the security setting was set to "public" instead of "private" and thus making the data temporarily available for public viewing.
UpGuard has chosen not to reveal how it discovered the leak in the first place. According to UpGuard's Cyber Resilience Analyst Dan O' Sullivan, the leaked PIN codes info could enable hackers to access the victim's phone service if they could fool the customer service agent into believing that they are the original account holders.
"Cyber risk is a fact of life for any digital service. As data becomes more powerful and more accessible, the potential consequences for it to be misused also becomes more dangerous," O'Sullivan explained.
There have been numerous other similar leaks in the recent past, including the infamous Reliance Jio data breach that compromised data of over 120 million Jio users via a website called Magicapk.com. It was reported that the leaked info on the alleged website included mobile number, email ID, SIM activation date and even Aadhaar details.


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Zuckerberg has lost 7 billion dollars as companies pull adds from Facebook. Catch the moment!
Asia equities decline from decade maximum as China reports rare data miss
On Thursday, Asian equities tumbled from 10-year maximums, reacting to a burst of Chinese data that was mostly weaker than financial markets actually expected. Meanwhile, the greenback held steady ahead of American inflation data due later in the day.
China's fixed-asset investment, retail sales and factory output all surged less than anticipated, thus backing views that the world's number two economy is gradually starting to lose steam in the face of soaring borrowing costs.
It took some of the shine off China's suddenly sturdy surge in the first half of 2017 that has helped to drive stronger global demand, especially for commodities. However, experts don’t see a risk of a steep slowdown in the economic momentum.
MSCI's index of Asia-Pacific stocks slumped 0.1% having grown to its highest value since 2007 the day before. Additionally, China stocks CSI300 went down into the red following the data, giving up moderate early profits.
Japan's Nikkei N225 sank 0.2%.
The Reserve Bank of Australia will publish its statement and announce the interest rate on July 7, at 7:30 MT time.
The overall market sentiment was mixed after the USA recorded the largest increase in virus cases since May 9. The data even offset the better-than-expected NFP.
The risk-on tone is back on the market again. Let’s look at main trading opportunities.


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Navi Mumbai: “Ports are an important link in the logistic chain and JN Port has efficiently played this role during the last couple of months and after facing steep contraction, is now on the road to recovery. At JNPT, we have taken various steps to keep the Port Ecosystem functional and for smooth working of the Logistic Supply Chain during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, which has helped our cause. Also, by converting JNPT Hospital as Dedicated Covid Health Care Centre, we are trying to do our best in helping the local community to come out of this crisis”stated Sanjay Sethi, Chairman, JNPT.
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s premier container port continued its steady surge in cargo handling with the easing of lockdown restrictions and pick up in the domestic economic activity. This progress indicates early signs of recovery which is very significant during the ongoing pandemic which has affected business across India. Despite the various challenges faced, JNPT handled a noteworthy 1,643,784 TEUs and 694 vessels in the lockdown period till 31st August 2020.
After facing a drop of over 35% in cargo handling in the initial lockdown period, slowly the decline has come down to 16.61% in August as compared to August 2019 and the Port is trying to reach its pre-Covid performance levels and the numbers reaffirm that JNPT will maintain this growth trajectory. From the start, JNPT took a host of measures for the stakeholders, port employees, shipping lines, and the local community. These timely measures have helped the port in improving its numbers month on month and. JN Port registered a throughput of 3,52,735 TEUs in container handling in Aug 2020 as against 3,44,316 TEUs handled in July 2020. The overall traffic handled at JNPT during the month of August-2020 was 4.74 million tons as against 5.68 million tons in Aug-2019.
The premier container port is expected to drive the next phase of transformation and further looks to strengthen its position, achieve the goals and remain in the position of a leading port in the coming years.


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For the second month in a row, Lexus sales dropped when compared with the previous year. Here’s the details:
The only real gain came by way of the GS models, whose sales have picked up somewhat since the minor refresh was released in November. The IS sales figures were roughly the same, but beyond that, every other vehicle saw a decrease. LX sales are abysmal, as buyers are no doubt awaiting the LX 570’s release in January.


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CD Projekt RED - Summer Conference Details
If you want to watch CDPR announce their next project live, here are the details for their Summer Conference broadcast:
GOG.com and CD Projekt RED start summer early as we're having a joint conference on June 2nd! We're going to reveal some big news just before E3 live from Los Angeles. The announcements will be made on June 2 at 12:00 LA time (which is 3:00 p.m. EDT or 7:00 p.m. GMT) via Ustream live stream at this link.
We already teased you about a new deal with one of five big publishers still not signed with us: Microsoft, Lucas Arts, Electronic Arts, Square Enix or Take2. Well, on June 2nd everything will become clear, as during the live stream we will reveal the name of the publisher and the first games out of the batch of 25+ titles that will be released throughout summer 2011 at GOG.com.
CD Projekt RED will also be making a big announcement about their next upcoming title, and will also have some other exciting things to share during their livecast. CDP RED will discuss some of the successes of the recent launch of The Witcher 2, and will also map out a plan for continued support for the new title.
So see you on Thursday, for the announcement of the Summer!


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Online fashion giant ASOS has followed Amazon’s example by terminating its contract with controversial employment agency Transline.
The agency, which was embroiled in the controversy over pay and working conditions at Sports Direct‘s warehouse in Shirebrook, also provided temporary workers for ASOS’s Barnsley warehouse.
ASOS’s warehouse operator XPO Logistics confirmed it had terminated its contract with Transline after it lodged a “notice of intention of appointing administrators” to the court last week.
The notice is a device that gives secured creditors a heads up there is a chance of an administration process while protecting the business from action by creditors for 10 working days.
“Following the filing by Transline of a notice of intention to appoint an administrator, we decided in conjunction with our customer to terminate the contract with Transline and appoint PMP Recruitment,” XPO said.
XPO said the employment of workers at Barnsley and site operations will continue as normal.
Transline said: “We have not ceased trading, and continue to have positive conversations with potential sources of investment.
“We are unable to comment at this time regarding specific commercial agreements. We will continue to keep all our employees and customers updated as the situation progresses.”
In March, Amazon also severed ties with Transline after routine review, according to reports.
ASOS’s decision to follow suit comes a month after its chief executive said conditions at the Barnsley warehouse were “great”, with no issues to resolve despite concerns raised over working practices.


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NZ wine exports crack the $1.5 billion barrier
New Zealand wine exports have reached a new record high of $1.54 billion for the 2015 year, up 14% on 2014 according to New Zealand Winegrowers.
“The new record level of wine exports is an outstanding achievement for New Zealand wine exporters and testifies to the strong global demand for our wines.”
Said Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers.
New Zealand wine is exported to more than 90 countries and is New Zealand’s 6th largest export good. It’s interesting to note the country’s largest export earners for the year ended 31 December 2014 (the latest figures I could find).
- Milk powder, butter and cheese $14.5 billion
- Business and personal travel $7.8
- Meat and edible offal $5.9
- Logs, wood and other wood articles $3.7
- Transportation $2.5
- Education-related travel $2.4
- Fruit $1.8
- Mechanical machinery & equipment $1.6
- Fish, crustaceans & molluscs $1.4
- Crude oil $1.4
- Wine $1.4
The 12th commodity is an interesting one, “Confidential items” accounted for $1.3 billion. I assume that wine has now overtaken Crude oil which would make it the sixth most exported good (as opposed to “commodity”). Mr Gregan stated;
“The past year has seen particularly strong growth in the USA, with export value up 26% to $430 million, Canada up 18% to $100 million, and the UK up 12% to $380 million. The lower New Zealand currency has assisted the increased returns, but underlying the growth is the very positive reputation of New Zealand wine amongst consumers and the wine trade globally.’
New Zealand wine exports reached $1 billion in 2010 and the industry has a goal of $2 billion of annual wine exports in 2020. “Achieving the $1.5 billion record means the industry is well on track to achieving exports of $2 billion by 2020.” Said Mr Gregan.


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Interpublic today reported a 1.6 percent slide in net revenues to $2B as CEO Michael Roth dealt with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
IPG registered net organic growth of 0.3 percent, a performance hampered by the 5.3 percent decline in Asia-Pacific region, which was hard hit by COVID-19.
North America's organic growth was up 0.8 percent, continental Europe jumped 1.2 percent while the UK dipped 1.8 percent.
"It’s too early to predict the duration and extent of macroeconomic pressure on marketers and our business, but it is heartening to see that our talented workforce has proven adept and comfortable at leveraging technology and collaborating virtually to continue to work effectively," said Roth.
He said IPG's solid results ($4.7M net income vs. $8M year-ago loss) "cannot be indicative of the remainder of the year."
Roth said while 95 percent of IPG's staff is working from home, "we continue to serve our clients around the globe, generate great ideas across all marketing disciplines and channels, and move the business forward."
IPG's constituency management group, which includes PR units such as Weber Shandwick, Golin, DeVries Global, pmk/bnc, Rogers & Cowan PMK, ReviveHealth and Current Global, reported revenues of $307.6M. That performance was up 3.0 percent and 3.7 percent organically.
Andy Polansky, who heads the CMG operation, said the PR units posted low single-digit growth on both a reported and organic basis.
He cited Weber, Golin, healthcare and consumer goods sectors as solid performers.


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Tim Armstrong, CEO of the Oath digital media subsidiary of Verizon, is negotiating an exit from the company, according to a report Friday.
Continue Reading Below
Armstrong began talks to leave the company after Verizon opted not to spin off its underperforming Oath assets, according to the Wall Street Journal. Oath has struggled to acquire market share in a digital advertising space dominated by Google and Facebook, owning less than 5% of the total market, according to data from eMarketer.
Verizon executives are said to have decided to integrate Oath more closely with its other properties. Armstrong has reportedly stepped away from Oath’s day-to-day operations and could leave the company as soon as October. It is not clear what his next step would be.
Verizon shares were flat in early trading Friday.
Armstrong, 47, has led Oath, which includes the AOL and Yahoo brands, since Verizon acquired Yahoo in 2017 for $4.5 billion. He previously served as AOL’s CEO and ran sales for Google.
Oath’s digital properties also include HuffPost and TechCrunch.


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Kajabi Disrupts the Marketing Stack with Email Marketing Reboot
In the marketing software stack of any growing SME, an effective email marketing tool is an absolute must-have. However, with dozens of Mailchimp alternatives available on the market at the moment, it can be nearly impossible to select the most appropriate one for your needs.
In addition to the cost (many charges by subscriber list size on top of a monthly fee); the setup (customizing forms and email templates to your brand styles takes time and often necessitates tinkering with code); and the integration itself, there are several factors to consider (APIs and registry keys needed to connect through your site, your eCommerce forms and the rest of your stack).
Zapier is the source of the image.
It’s completely overwhelming. So Kajabi, an all-in-one online business platform, decided to take action and redesigned their Kajabi Email solution, which was released earlier this month.
Kajabi co-founder and CEO Kenny Rueter says, “We talk to our customers all of the time, and one of their biggest challenges is integrating the right apps into their marketing automation workflows.” “Kajabi Email blows right past that hurdle and provides them with fully customizable and robust email functionality, all within their current platform, and deeply integrated with the rest of their business,” says the company.
Kajabi’s redesigned email functionality is a perfect complement to the company’s other recent enhancements to their all-in-one business platform. Additionally, there is no additional charge for the email tools, and there is no requirement for technical expertise to integrate third-party apps. Most importantly, it is integrated directly into the existing Kajabi system, which is designed to support advanced marketing functions as well as the creation of compelling online course experiences.
The new Kajabi Email capabilities are on par with or better than the usual functionalities of today’s best third-party email solutions, including the following:
There is a large selection of pre-built templates that can be completely customized.
The ability to link emails to drip sequences, time-sensitive promotional events, video content, countdown timers, and product listings is available.
Review and approval features, as well as the ability to view emails as web pages, are all available.
Email subject line validation is performed on the fly to improve deliverability and keep spam flags at bay.
An improved metrics dashboard to assist Kajabi customers in gaining actionable insights into email performance and campaign results.
Earlier this month, Kajabi announced that it had received a minority growth investment from Spectrum Equity, which has allowed the company to make significant progress on product upgrades. The robust educational media and content programs delivered by Kajabi customers to over 41 million paying students have already generated over $1 billion in sales.
Several recent upgrades, including the December launch of Kajabi Pages, a more powerful and less complicated page builder with a built-in library of popular page types, page sections, animation, and video elements, are perfectly coordinated with the email launch. Kajabi’s first-ever mobile app, which was released a few weeks prior, was available in the Apple App Store and Google Play marketplaces, allowing online course sellers to connect with learners in new and innovative ways.
With the typical SME juggling dozens of apps for email, eCommerce, and the rest, an all-in-one solution is looking increasingly attractive.
When it comes to marketing technology, today’s information product businesses require the ability to provide value by concentrating on what they do best – creating and selling educational content without the need for technical know-how. By integrating these solutions directly into the existing platform, Kajabi eliminates the need for time-consuming third-party integrations and APIs, allowing users to spend more time creating content on a system that was built from the ground up to support sales and marketing efforts.
According to Jeremy Saenz, Kajabi’s chief product officer, “Although these features are powerful on their own, what makes it truly groundbreaking is the built-in integration with the existing Kajabi platform, without the frustration inherent in third-party apps and APIs.” Creating a powerful and holistic business solution for our customers is the logical “next step” in our work, according to the company.


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Today’s manufacturing PMI backs up the picture we’ve seen recently of a slowdown in manufacturing activity in q2. So much though that while today’s PMI may have marked the twenty-seventh month of expansion in the manufacturing sector, it was also a twenty-six month low.
Weakness in oil and gas hitting the sector
We weren’t expecting a strong picture today. As you’ll have seen us mention a fair few times on this blog, the fall in the oil price at the back end of last year has led to a big fall in investment in the oil and gas sector. This has hit demand for investment goods, and it’s also hurt manufacturers along the supply chain. This was evident in yesterday’s official statistics confirming that manufacturing grew by only 0.1% in the first quarter of this year, and it was evident in today’s PMI, with output in the investment goods sector falling.
UK consumer keeps spending
In contrast with the picture on investment goods, today’s PMI shows that consumer goods output has continued to grow. We’ve seen this in the official statistics in 2015 so far too. For example, in the first quarter of this year the consumer-focused paper and printing and textiles sectors both saw output grow. This was particularly notable as it contrasts with the longer-term trends for both of these sectors, pointing to healthy consumer demand.
Mixed picture on Europe
The news on Europe is mixed. I said on Monday that a slightly better picture in the Eurozone flash PMIs suggested there may be some upside risk, and today’s Eurozone PMI supports this picture, with even France’s manufacturing sector moving into positive territory after contracting for thirteen months. However, this hasn’t fed through to the UK yet: our manufacturing PMI pointed to still-subdued export demand coming from Europe.
If the strengthening evident in the Eurozone PMI continues, this should start to create additional demand for UK manufacturers and provide a boost to growth. However, the uncertainty that has been hanging over the continent since the last time the UK PMI was this low still hasn’t dissipated, and – as the news of recent weeks has shown – the journey ahead for Europe is far from straightforward.


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Louis Vuitton LoL Prestige skins for Qiyana and Senna revealed
A first look at Louis Vuitton’s collaboration with Riot Games in League of Legends has been revealed, with a teaser of Prestige True Damage Qiyana and Senna right before their debut performance at Worlds 2019.
True Damage are the new kids on the League of Legends musical block. The rag-tag gang of five – Senna, Qiyana, Akali, Yasuo, and Ekko – are getting ready to shake up Worlds 2019 at the finals in Paris on November 10 with their single “Giants.”
They’ll need to dress appropriately for the occasion though, and that’s where Louis Vuitton comes in. Riot announced a partnership with Louis Vuitton for Worlds 2019 and beyond in September, but now players have been given a first peek at what that collaboration looks like, with the crossover playing a huge part in Qiyana and Senna’s True Damage Prestige skins.
David Higdon, Riot’s Global Head of Esports Communications, gave fans a teaser of the Qiyana True Damage Prestige skin on October 29.
- Read more: Senna’s abilities revealed
The splash art shows Qiyana adorning a huge pair of LV earrings, while still taking on the white and gold vibe League players have gotten used to in the Prestige skin line. Her Ohmlatl is also decked out in custom Louis Vuitton print, with a hint of leather embroidery.
It’s a more upstyle take from her regular True Damage skin. The more slimline clothing has been replaced with a frilly crop top, while her belt has been swapped out for a more on-trend Louis Vuitton bag.
Today we unveil our first @LouisVuitton prestige skin for Qiyana:point_down:designed by @TWNGhesquiere, LV’s Artistic Designer of Women’s Collection, available on Nov. 10 to coincide with the @lolesports #Worlds2019 final in Paris. #LVxLoL 1/4 pic.twitter.com/1AhrUCqFmA
— David Higdon (@davidhigdon) October 29, 2019
As for Senna, there’s not much out there in the design sense, but there’s a release date in mind. The yet-to-be-released support-marksman will have her first Prestige skin drop in early 2020, just a few short months after her expected release date of November 10.
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- Read more: Clash beta return date announced
The skins were designed by Nicolas Ghesquiere, who is the Artistic Director of Women’s collections at Louis Vuitton. It looks like the skins weren’t just an afterthought by LV too, but rather a massive undertaking that has Riot’s trademark skin quality written all over it.
Louis Vuitton’s partnership with League of Legends extends past a few skins. There will be an entire capsule collection designed by the French fashion studio to be put in-game. They have also created a special case for the Summoner’s Cup, which will be handed to the best team in the world at the finals of Worlds 2019 in Paris.
However, no further details of what’s happening beyond 2019 have been announced, but it has paved the way for more companies to collaborate with Riot inside the game.
As for True Damage, they’ll be looking to do their designers proud in Paris. The band’s debut performance of single “Giants” will be on stage at the AccorHotels Arena on November 10, right before the grand final.
The band’s lineup features Soyeon from (G)I-DLE, who also worked on Riot’s K-pop group K/DA, as well as Becky G, Keke Palmer, DUCKWRTH, and Thutmose. They’ll hopefully be performing alongside the champions themselves, after the holograms on display at Worlds 2018 for K/DA were a massive hit amongst fans.
The True Damage skin line, including Prestige Qiyana, is expected to drop on November 10, aligning with their performance at Worlds.


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MILAN — Italian luxury goods maker Tod’s SpA on Friday said it achieved “outstanding results” in the first half with revenues and profits posting double-digit gains on the back of strong sales of shoes and Tod’s-branded goods in all geographic markets.
In the six-month period ending June 30, Tod’s Group — which produces shoes, leather goods and apparel — reported net profits of 65.4 million euros, or $91.8 million, a 26.7 percent increase on the year-ago period, while consolidated revenues increased 16.4 percent, to 439.5 million euros, or $616.6 million. Dollar figures are converted at average exchange rates for the periods to which they refer.
Diego Della Valle, chairman and chief executive, said sustained by the positive half-year results and based on the strong orders received for the fall collections, “I’m confident that also the second half of the year will deliver great results.” During a conference call with analysts after the results were released, Tod’s chief financial officer Emilio Macellari confirmed the group was on track to meet consensus expectations of a 12.2 percent increase in top-line growth in the second half of the year.
Tod’s — which also owns the Hogan, Fay and Roger Vivier brands — said it achieved “a strong improvement of its operating profitability” in the period, with consolidated EBITDA of 115.6 million euros, or $162.2 million, up 27.5 percent on the first-half of 2010. At 26.3 percent of sales, the operating margin increased 230 basis points over the year-ago period, driven by “the significant improvement of the industrial margin, [which is] mainly due to the more favorable product and area mix of sales,” Macellari explained. During the conference call, the cfo said that reaching a consensus 25.8 percent EBITDA margin for the second half was “feasible.”
Driving the first-half results was a 22.3 percent increase in revenues at the Tod’s brand. Sales at the unit, which accounts for 55 percent of total group revenues, to 239.7 million euros, or $336.3 million. While the group didn’t break down profit and total revenue results for the second quarter, it said Tod’s brand sales jumped 25.6 percent in the March-to-June period, powered by “outstanding results of the DOS network, in all the product categories and the geographical regions.”
In terms of product categories, sales of shoes, which account for nearly three quarters of the group’s total, rose 15.3 percent in the first half, reaching 325.5 million euros, or $456.68 million, driven by “the outstanding performance of the Tod’s and Hogan brands,” the company said. All other product categories posted double-digit sales gains in the period.
During the conference call, Macellari said from May to July Tod’s experienced an acceleration in sales, “which happened, with different volumes, all over the world.” Some regions are accelerating more than others, the cfo explained, such as Hong Kong (the best-performing market), China and the United States.
Most of Europe also put in double-digit growth, Macellari said, although Italy — the group’s largest single market, representing 51.4 percent of total revenues — grew single digits and Greece was negative.
As part of efforts to increase Tod’s group’s international reach, Macellari said the company “decided to accelerate the opening of stores in the current year,” adding that the goal was to open about 15 new units, in addition to those already in the network at the end of the first half. Asia is increasingly the focus of the group’s expansion: “90 percent of new openings will be in that part of the world,” the cfo said.
International expansion is also the strategy for Hogan, the cfo said, adding that there were no plans to open additional stores for the brand in Italy. “For a moment, with Hogan we want to avoid any kind of inflation in Italian distribution,” Macellari explained, adding: “We want it to grow internationally and into other categories, like leather goods, not just shoes.”
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews


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Imagine coming home from a store and finding a handwritten letter in your shopping bag — a letter written by someone who made that bag at a prison labor camp in China.
That's exactly what happened to one shopper — Stephanie Wilson in New York City.
“It was a letter detailing a lot of abuse, wrongful imprisonment in China,” said reporter Serena Solomon.
Solomon investigated the letter for the publication DNAinfo New York and was able to track down the Cameroonian prisoner, Tohnain Emmanuel Njong.
“I know it sounds like a needle and a haystack type story but it actually isn’t,” said Solomon. “Tohnain Emmanuel Njong supplied an email address [on the letter] that linked to a Facebook page.”
From there Solomon was able to track down Njong’s friends and family, and eventually Njong himself.
Njong was incredibly surprised when Solomon got in touch with him. He had been released from prison late last year after spending nearly three years in a prison labor camp manufacturing items such as the shopping bag in which Wilson found his note.
He had been charged by the Chinese authorities with fraud, a charge that Njong flatly denies. Njong was in China teaching English when he was arrested and put in prison.
While in prison he wrote numerous letters he told Solomon.
“Some he wrote in French and some he wrote in English,” said Solomon.
Njong placed his French letters in the shopping bags that he made for French brands and he put his English letters in the bags with English brands.
“How many letters are we actually missing, who knows who else is out there from any numerous countries that are writing these letters crying out for help?” said Solomon.


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Platinum Equity today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Ingram Micro Inc. from HNA Technology Co., Ltd, a part of HNA Group, for a total enterprise value of $7.2 billion, in a transaction that includes $5.9 billion of equity value.
With $49 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2020, Ingram Micro is the world’s largest provider of technology solutions and mobility, cloud, platform and supply chain solutions. Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Irvine, California, Ingram Micro is an integral part of the technology and ecommerce ecosystems, helping its partners maximize the value of the technology that they make, sell or use.
“As the largest technology distributor in the world, Ingram Micro plays a vital role helping companies innovate and adapt, which is especially important now as we continue to emerge from the pandemic,” said Platinum Equity Chairman and CEO Tom Gores. “Corporate IT priorities are shifting, ecommerce is thriving, and the pace of digitization continues to accelerate, which makes the technology products, services and advanced solutions the company provides more important than ever. We are excited to put our resources and experience to work helping Ingram Micro navigate these especially fluid times.”
With more than 35,000 employees and operations in 60 countries, the company serves more than 170,000 customers and partners with over 1,600 vendors, including the world’s best-known technology companies. Through its vast global infrastructure and focus on cloud, mobility, technology lifecycle, supply chain and technology solutions, Ingram Micro enables business partners to operate more efficiently and successfully in the markets they serve.
“For Platinum, this acquisition is the culmination of more than a decade investing in the technology and IT distribution space,” said Platinum Equity Partner Jacob Kotzubei, whose team has led multiple technology transactions, including Platinum Equity’s investment in Vertiv. “We know the industry well and our team is ready to hit the ground running to support Alain and the company’s leadership group. With a strong balance sheet and access to Platinum’s financial and operational resources, Ingram Micro has a lot of attractive opportunities ahead.”
Alain Monié will continue to lead Ingram Micro as Chief Executive Officer supported by his leadership team, and the company will continue to be headquartered in Irvine, California.
“We are proud to join Platinum’s global portfolio of industry-leading companies and are excited to begin our future with a prominent, US-based partner with the desire and substantial resources to accelerate our innovation and our vendor and customer services and solutions strategies on a worldwide basis,” said Mr. Monié. “Platinum shares our vision for Ingram Micro and is dedicated to us continuing to develop and offer innovative solutions across the IT ecosystem while providing a superior experience for our customer and vendor partners and a work environment where our associates can thrive.”
“In addition to its core distribution business, Ingram has built strong capabilities in logistics services and cloud and hybrid cloud solutions,” said Platinum Equity Managing Director Matt Louie. “The company has built those businesses methodically through a combination of organic and acquisitive investment. We expect to accelerate those efforts and aim for an even higher growth trajectory.”
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. served as financial advisors, and Morgan Lewis as legal counsel, to Platinum Equity on the acquisition of Ingram Micro. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP provided financing legal counsel, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. provided debt financing for the acquisition.
To learn more about the story behind the Ingram Micro deal, click here.
About Platinum Equity
Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with more than $25 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world. The firm is currently investing from Platinum Equity Capital Partners V, a $10 billion global buyout fund, and Platinum Equity Small Cap Fund, a $1.5 billion buyout fund focused on investment opportunities in the lower middle market. Platinum Equity specializes in mergers, acquisitions and operations – a trademarked strategy it calls M&A&O® – acquiring and operating companies in a broad range of business markets, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, equipment rental, metals services, media and entertainment, technology, telecommunications and other industries. Over the past 25 years Platinum Equity has completed more than 300 acquisitions.
About Ingram Micro
Ingram Micro helps businesses realize the promise of technology. It delivers a full spectrum of global technology and supply chain services to businesses around the world. Deep expertise in technology solutions, mobility, cloud, and supply chain solutions enables its business partners to operate efficiently and successfully in the markets they serve. Unrivaled agility, deep market insights and the trust and dependability that come from decades of proven relationships set Ingram Micro apart and ahead. Discover how Ingram Micro can help you realize the promise of technology. More at www.ingrammicro.com.


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Zavvi customers given free PlayStations in error
Customers at online retailer Zavvi may have thought they had been handed an early Christmas present - when they ordered video game 'Tearaway' and got sent a PlayStation Vita instead.
Luke McGillen was one such customer - but Zavvi have been quick to warn him and others that they could face legal action if they did not send the machines back.
Luke told BBC Radio 5 live's Phil Williams that he "just wanted his money back" but consumer rights expert Fergus Muirhead warned that the law is "vague" in these situations.
Zavvi declined the right to comment and instead pointed the programme to advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau - which stated customers should hand the consoles back.
12 Dec 2013


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The sneakers that supposedly were going to break the $300 barrier are now out at $270. But that's not the point, LeBron James said.
The point, the Heat forward said, is that in addition to his new high-end model, he also has worked with Nike to offer a series of releases of his footwear at various price points, which is why he was caught off guard by the recent pricing backlash.
Amid the launch for the LeBron X, the model that comes with high-end sneaker-compatible software for $270 and without the added technology for $180, James stressed that it is a matter of offering a variety of options.
He said the initial focus on a possible $300-plus price was misleading, "because the facts weren't correct."
In a private moment with the Sun Sentinel, he said such attention was misplaced.
"We have wide ranges of shoes that range from $300 all the way down to $160, $180," he said, with the Nike website currently offering a signature James model at $120.
He said there is a place for a high-end model, as well as other price points.
"We have great technology and they do a great job of putting out great shoes and things of that nature," he said. "But it just bothers you when things aren't always correct. But other than that, we move on and we get the real facts out there and we live with them."
Asked if he was involved in the price of his footwear, he told the Sun Sentinel, "We just try to do a good job of continuing to innovate the shoe game. Like I said, it's great technology out there. We go around asking kids and asking people who love shoes what they like to see in shoes and we go from there."
Going for cycle
Given a start in Sunday's exhibition loss to the Atlanta Hawks in place of sidelined Dwyane Wade, Mike Miller admitted he will have issues between playing stints with his balky back. The goal, he said, is to get some sort of exercise bike he can ride between shifts. "We'll figure it out," he said, going scoreless and attempting only two shots Sunday. "We have to do something. I'm good in spurts, and then it's hard." . . .
Shane Battier picked up where he left off in the exhibition opener, as the Heat's undersized starting forward. "I knew I'd see more time at the four," he said. "I didn't know if I would start the year like this." He added he has not been told anything about his definitive role for the season. . . .
Battier twice drew charges during Sunday's loss in Atlanta, and at least at this stage, they're risk free. The league told the Sun Sentinel on Monday that while flops will be monitored during the preseason as part of the league's anti-flopping policy, only warnings would be issued during the preseason . . .
NBA TV has announced a pair of Heat-related changes on its regular-season schedule. The Nov. 3 home game against the Denver Nuggets no longer on NBA TV, with Dec. 8 home games against the New Orleans Hornets added to the NBA TV schedule. Both games will be broadcast in South Florida on Sun Sports.
firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat


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HP and Autonomy are by no means the first channel firms to become embroiled in an unedifying accounting saga. In recent years a number of vendors, distributors and resellers have fallen foul of accounting...
Defunct independent distributor says it is looking to resolve dispute over alleged trademark infringement as soon as possible
Report finds that average margins paid on IT products was 17.6 per cent in 2015
Rogue employee of mutual reseller supposedly provided Sophos with access to Cylance's products
RedPixie and intY insist it is business as usual thanks to cloud model


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Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order had its big coming out party at this year’s E3, and the overall reception was somewhat mixed. While the live demo that was shown as part of EA Play wasn’t bad, many were underwhelmed. However, interestingly, once people got their hands on it on the show floor, impressions changed. Apparently, the game we saw demoed isn’t quite the game we’ll be actually getting.
Several journalists who were at E3 have talked about their impressions of getting to play the full demo as well as talking with the game’s developers, and they say it’s much closer to a Metroid style game than anyone would expect. In the latest Giant Bomb podcast, The Giant Beastcast, they even say the game has several ways to tackle an area and you’re constantly getting new powers that allow you to explore once unreachable areas. They aren’t the ones, as several outlets from Kotaku to Waypoint have commented on just how open the game feels compared to constrained demo the public was shown.
Why EA and Respawn decided to show off the game like that is anyone’s guess. Even later at E3, the director of the game talked at a panel to flesh out things more. Maybe they felt that small slice was better suited to the casual mainstream for whatever reason. Either way, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will release on November 15th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.


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The Band of Thieves & 1000 Pokémon is a new 3DS game that will be given away free to celebrate the launch of new Pokémon movie Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction. It’s coming to Japan on June 5.
The new game was announced in the above CoroCoro scan, taken by PokeJungle.
Translating the magazine article, PokeJungle claims that the free game will only be available for a limited time, and comes with a StreetPass feature that enables gamers to recruit more Pokemon to fight against the thieves.
We’ll have more as it comes.


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HOUSTON, March 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Relleciga's novel RIKINI concept offers beachgoers a bikini that can be worn six different
My Bikini Butt reviews have been flooding the Internet and HealthyandFitZone.com reveals the truth about this exercise and weight loss product that claims to give women a body that they would
- A trick or prank.


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In the earnings call, Cook cited "extreme conditions unlike anything we've experienced before just about anywhere we look," pointed to commodities prices and weakening currencies. As about two thirds of the company's revenue is generated outside of the U.S., foreign currency fluctuations have a "very meaningful impact on our results."
But looking at the international marketplace with a long-term view, Cook said Apple was not seeking to retrench — even in places like Russia that have been hit hard by the collapse in the price of oil. In fact, "this is exactly the period that you want to invest" around the globe, Cook said, later pointing to the company's efforts in India and China.
The company "remains incredibly strong" despite the many challenges across the world, Cook said, revealing that the company saw a record number of switchers from Android to iPhone in the quarter. He also said the tech giant saw the best quarter "by far" for its Apple TV platform, and that it had logged a new quarterly record for Apple Watch sales, and that consumers have spent "billions" with Apple Pay.
The tough global environment may have led Apple to guide below expectations: The company said that it expected second quarter revenue between $50 billion and $53 billion, while the average analyst estimate had been for $55.61 billion, according to StreetAccount.
"I would take the Q2 guidance very seriously," said Estimize's Christine Short. "Usually later in the product cycle, Apple gives pretty spot on guidance. I'd look at this guidance, it was lower than what analysts were expecting and I'd take it quite seriously."


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PARIS — PPR said Friday it was confident heading into 2013 after posting a 6.3 percent rise in net profit last year, as it reduced its reliance on sluggish European markets and continued to expand in rapid-growth economies, where the appetite for luxury goods remains undimmed.
The French luxury-to-lifestyle conglomerate, whose brands include Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Puma, posted net income of 1.05 billion euros, or $1.35 billion, in 2012 versus 986 million euros, or $1.37 billion, the previous year. All dollar rates are calculated at average exchange rates for the period concerned.
Steve Aoki held a presentation, a runway show and outdoor concert for his men's line Dim Mak. Here's a look from his spring 2018 collection, which was titled "Paradise Found." #wwdfashion #wwdmens (📷: George Chinsee)
"It's really hard sometimes. I think I have a reputation for being really tough and aggressive and pushy but I really am a very shy person who wants to be liked, and that's the conflict constantly. There's something that takes hold - I want people to like me, I don't want to be mean - but if I see something that just cries out to be answered, I go for it," says renowned NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell. (📷: @axeldupeux)


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German consumer rights group Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (VZBV) praised the judge’s ruling.
"The verdict shows the importance of privacy for consumers in the digital world," Gerd Billen, executive director of the VZBV, said in a statement quoted by ZDNet.
“The Berlin Regional Court has strengthened the rights of privacy of Apple's customers in Germany,” the VZBZ added in a statement.
In contrast to company policy, the group claims that consent forms are only valid when a consumer knows for what purpose the data is being used.
Apple can appeal the decision by the regional court.
Meanwhile, elsewhere Apple is already the defendant in a U.S. privacy lawsuit over its information-sharing practices, Bloomberg News reported. It was alleged in the lawsuit that Apple collected data on customer locations by using iPhones. Also, personal information on customers allegedly was shared with third parties, Bloomberg reported.
Additionally, in September a German court dismissed a lawsuit by Apple against Samsung, according to TechZone360. Apple claimed that Samsung and Google-owned Motorola Mobility infringed on its patents which are used in touchscreen technology.
The ruling was in contrast to last year’s U.S. decision when Samsung was found to be infringing on Apple patents, and Apple was awarded $1.05 billion after a lengthy and much-publicized trial held in California, TechZone360 reported.
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Bitcoin is a digital cryptocurrency that is used by many people to make payments. Indeed, online retail stores are accepting bitcoins as a mode of pay…
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Special guests Adrian Grenier & Emily Ratajkowski
NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — CoinGeek will be hosting the first BSV Blockchain NFT Auction and Cocktail Party on the eve of the latest CoinGeek Conference, which showcases the amazing opportunities on BSV, the largest utility public blockchain. To celebrate the return of its conference both to the city of New York and to in-person events, CoinGeek looks forward to welcoming celebrities and VIP guests including actor, environmentalist, impact investor, co-founder of Lonely Whale and DuContra Ventures and UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador Adrian Grenier (star of Netflix’s Clickbait and HBO’s Entourage), along with entrepreneur, writer, actress, model and activist Emily Ratajkowski for this special evening of cocktails, canapes and blockchain at Guastavino’s* on Monday, October 4, 2021, from 7-10pm EST.
As well as enjoying the fabulous food and drink created by the Guastavino’s team, guests will be able to bid on a selection of exclusive Auction items using BSV tokens, including:
- Create your own NFT. A live artist installation where guests have their own sketch created by one of three up-and-coming artists. They will be created digitally at the event and minted into an NFT on the spot
- Digital NFTs created with celebrities
- An exclusive Franck Muller Watch
- A Limited-Edition Champagne Magnum bottle donated by BSAV.io
- Items from Bullish Art
- Showcase of work from artist Nicola Dana
Guests will be airdropped BSV Tokens into their MoneyButton wallet that will allow them to bid on and win auction items. The proceeds of the event will go the American Heart Association – HEART.ORG
The evening will also include wine tasting with Carrie Lyn Strong, sommelier, educator and founder of Strong Wine Consulting, plus live art created at the event by Nicola Dana.
Adrian Grenier said: "I am really interested in continuing to learn as much as I can about the utility of blockchain and how it can be used. The peer-to-peer element of it particularly appeals to me – the sense of ownership and control that comes with that, and taking power away from centralized authorities so individuals can manage their own finances safely and effectively. I am looking forward to increasing my understanding of BSV and blockchain at the CoinGeek Conference."
Emily Ratajkowski said: "I’m interested in the NFT space as someone who has traditionally been unable to have ownership over my likeness."
*Guastavino’s is a landmark New York venue located on East 59th Street, under the Queensboro Bridge.
About 8th CoinGeek Conference – taking place Oct 5-7, Sheraton Times Square:
CoinGeek Conference is a forward thinking blockchain conference focused on promoting actual use of Bitcoin, not as a speculative trading asset – but as a data protocol and distributed data network, and scalable technology platform (like IP protocol is for the Internet). This conference focuses primarily on the technological capabilities of the Bitcoin SV (BSV) blockchain – which follows the original Bitcoin protocol created by Dr. Craig S. Wright (who is the US Copyright holder of and author of the Bitcoin White Paper).


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Article by Harrison Jordan, Lift News
Canada has one stringent commercial medical cannabis program, requiring its licensed producers to implement standard operating procedures, good manufacturing processes and rigorous quality assurance and control.
Some might argue the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) have resulted in recalls for some rather innocuous errors, but when it comes to treating various medical ailments, it’s crucial accurate and reliable information is communicated to patients.
Here are four medical marijuana recalls that demonstrate that Health Canada does not mess around when it comes to labelling, accurate THC and CBD indicators and testing for illegal pesticides.
- Where’s the per cent symbol? Most recently (and 2018’s first) Canadian licensed producer Aphria announced a Type III recall in early January because the labels on the containers of cannabis omitted a per cent sign (%) next to the numerical content for THC and CBD. While THC and CBD content is important for medical cannabis users to know for dosing purposes, Type III recalls are undertaken when a product is not likely to cause any adverse health consequences.


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This first SC Sports Card & Collectibles Show of 2017 is set run from Feb. 10 – 12 at the Miami Valley Centre Mall in Piqua.
As usual, avid sports collectors are encouraged to stop out and check out some of the awesome items which will be available for sale.
Also, Ohio State Buckeye fans are ESPECIALLY encourage to stop out Saturday. Feb. 11, and Sunday, Feb. 12, as members of their football team will be one hand for an autographi sessions.
Ohio State Buckeye Autograph Sessions
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
WIDE RECEIVER – DONTRE WILSON
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12
2:00 – 4:00 PM
LINE BACKERS – CRAIG FADA & JOE BURGER
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CDX17: Find out all about new great products at the Car Dealer Theatre on May 23
CDX17: Social Media 200 to be unveiled – will YOU pick up one of our coveted awards?
CDX17: Women in the Motor Industry returns – plus who will be our Woman of the Year?
The Autocar Awards are returning to follow CDX in 2017 after last year's successful event
CDX17: Mike Hawes of the SMMT will again give valuable insight on the Live Stage
CDX17: If there’s one event not to miss this year, this is it, says our Google speaker
The viewers who say Top Gear's back on form (without a certain Mr Evans)
So what did the Chancellor deliver for the motor trade in his Spring Budget?
What's the best way to handle online reviews? Dragon2000 have some words of advice
The motorists who believe mechanics are ripping them off when quoting for repairs
What is Ford boss Andy Barratt's reaction to the sale of Opel & Vauxhall to PSA?
So whereabouts in the country can consumers find the best used car bargains?
Haslar Marine Technology ParkHaslar RoadGosport
02392 522 434


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UK new automobile gross sales fell 9% in July as provide chain issues proceed
- B2B Advice
- February 5, 2023
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Gross sales of latest vehicles within the UK fell by almost a tenth in July due to provide chain issues, forcing the trade physique to chop its full-year forecast although it expects chip shortages to ease within the coming months.
New automobile registrations in July fell 9% from a 12 months earlier to 112,162 automobiles, as shortages continued to hamper carmakers’ means to fulfil orders, in response to the Society of Motor Producers and Merchants (SMMT). Gross sales fell for the fifth month in a row, though the lower was the smallest recorded this 12 months.
Massive company fleets registered an 18.2% decline, to 50,014 automobiles, whereas gross sales to customers held regular at 59,847.
A worldwide scarcity of semiconductors, exacerbated by Covid lockdowns in vital manufacturing and logistics centres in China, together with the disruption brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, all restricted manufacturing of latest vehicles.
The SMMT stated the primary half of 2022 had been harder than anticipated, and lower its full-year forecast for brand new automobile gross sales to 1.6m, down from 1.72m. That is equal to a 2.8% drop in gross sales in contrast with 2021, and would make 2022 essentially the most difficult 12 months for the trade in three a long time. There have been about 2m fewer automobile registrations because the pandemic started, the equal to a complete 12 months of gross sales.
The SMMT has additionally lowered its gross sales forecast for subsequent 12 months to 1.89m, down from 2.02m. Demand for electrical vehicles continues to develop, nevertheless, and plug-in vehicles are anticipated to achieve a market share of twenty-two.6% this 12 months, rising to 27.8% subsequent 12 months.
The foyer group expects international chip shortages to begin to ease over the approaching months, though it’s going to take some time earlier than provide returns to regular. Shortages are nonetheless prone to be an issue subsequent 12 months, however to a lesser extent.
Chip producers have been investing in extra manufacturing capability within the face of shortages which were much more extreme than predicted.
July was a harder month for electrical vehicles. Gross sales of battery-powered electrical automobiles (EVs) throughout the UK grew 9.9% to 12,243, and accounted for 10.9% of total automobile gross sales for the month. Whereas that is the weakest month-to-month uplift in electrical automobile gross sales because the pandemic, total development to this point this 12 months has reached 49.9%, equal to a 13.9% market share, illustrating the volatility within the provide chain.
It was additionally a weaker month for hybrid electrical automobiles, with registrations falling 6.7% to take 12.2% of the market. Plug-in hybrids had been down 34%, decreasing their market share to five.8%.
Ian Plummer, the business director at Auto Dealer, stated demand for brand new vehicles was quite a bit larger than the figures recommended, and that provide chain points had “hidden” the true stage.
“The market drawback continues to be one in every of provide as battle in Ukraine and part shortages hold a lid on new automobiles regardless of a prolonged queue of would-be patrons,” Plummer stated. “Retailers nonetheless have backlogs of orders stretching again many months which they’ll’t fulfil but, regardless of the most effective efforts of producers.”
He stated worries over excessive gas prices and the price of residing disaster had been pushing drivers in direction of electrical automobiles, notably when it price almost £100 for a tank of petrol whereas charging an electrical automobile at dwelling price a fifth of that.
“With gas costs as excessive as they’re, EV house owners are actually saving £165 for each 1,000 miles they drive. The financial savings are such that demand for EVs is outpacing precise gross sales. Round one in 4 of all new vehicles seen on our website are an electrical automobile, however they account for only one in seven of all new gross sales,” stated Plummer.
“Bridging that hole may unlock the mass market attain of EVs – however for that to occur, considerations over the price of new EVs in contrast with conventional automobiles will have to be addressed, in addition to the power of the secondhand market to maintain up with demand for extra reasonably priced used EVs.”


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Nike is selling Umbro to Iconix Brand Group for $225 million.
Nike announced May 31 it planned to sell Umbro, a soccer equipment brand, and dress shoe brand Cole Haan. The company said the sales were planned "to focus on driving growth in the Nike, Jordan, Converse and Hurley brands."
"Umbro has a great heritage, but ultimately, as our category strategy has evolved, we believe Nike Football can serve the needs of footballers both on and off the pitch."
Read more at OregonLive.com.


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As Smart TV connects our televisions to the internet, it heralds a world where viewers can click-to-buy. Alison Clements looks at the advertising opportunities on offer to retailers
Bringing the web to our favourite corner of the living room could have explosive results for advertisers, and retail advertisers in particular, marketing experts claim. Smart TV, otherwise known as connected TV or internet protocol television (IPTV), gives consumers the power to experience what they enjoy on TV while being online at the same time. Primarily, Smart TV is about on-demand viewing, but further down the line it could also lead to click-to-buy adverts and product placement in programmes linked directly to retailers’ websites.
“IPTV is an important emerging technology,” says an eBay spokesman. “We are exploring various forms of integration with the TV watching experience as we continue to innovate in device-specific ecommerce.” EBay is already a partner on Virgin Media TV’s TiVo, a Smart TV service that launched in December 2010.
As well as offering the live TV schedule and a library of on-demand programming, the service introduces the app store to the front room through its set-top box, doing for TV what the iPhone and Android have done for the mobile phone. EBay is the first shopping brand to appear on this app line-up (alongside YouTube, Facebook, BBC iPlayer and more) but Virgin Media says additions are in the pipeline.
Web-enabled TVs now on the market from manufacturers such as Sony and LG have built-in web browsers, or you can plug in services like Google TV, Apple TV, YouView and Virgin Media TV through a set-top box connected to a normal TV. “Once you connect something to the internet, everything changes,” says Norm Johnston, global digital leader at advertising agency Mindshare. TV series Mad Men will in effect become ‘Meta Men’, he says, as TV advertising taps into customer data gathered through activities played out on mobile devices and Smart TVs.
“Traditional 30-second ads won’t disappear, because IPTV will only constitute a percentage of viewing, but you will also have highly targeted ads, because the set-top box will know the viewer and their interests.” Johnston also thinks brands interested in IPTV need to monitor carefully the emerging systems for scale and stability as well as consumer reach and usage. “A tipping point will eventually arrive when enough of your target audience will be on a particular platform to warrant testing and experimentation,” he says.
What’s clear is that the British love of television hasn’t waned. In fact, we spent 4.2 hours a day glued to sets in 2010, up 18 minutes since 2009, according to commercial TV marketing body Thinkbox. The most talked about subject among young people on Facebook, meanwhile, is television.
So how will the experience of Smart TV viewing be different and how can retailers cash in? At the most basic level, people with a Facebook app downloaded on their TV will be able to ‘like’ and ‘share’ ads, extending a campaign’s reach and impact. Watching TV will integrate more closely with shopping. Google TV – currently only available in the US – says companies are already working to enhance their web content for the television, giving developers the job of optimising sites for this new viewer experience.
Jonny Challenger, co-founder of fashion site StyleCompare.co.uk, believes the introduction of Smart TVs will be transformational. “It will change how people interact with and even buy fashion. The possibilities are limitless due to the high social aspect of Smart TVs and their instructiveness,” he says. “I envisage seeing very clever advertising campaigns, product placements and high levels of user engagement. It’s incredibly exciting as the campaigns have the potential to be highly creative, but it’s very hard to predict what will happen next.”
BT chief operating officer Richard Dodd agrees that social TV is a big trend that will lead to retailers using the fusion of TV-watching and social media as a stepping stone to sales. “We already see YouTique – French Connection’s YouTube boutique – allowing customers to click through to buy from streamed video,” says Dodd. “It won’t take much for that to transfer to a Smart TV and become a more mainstream activity.” He adds that Ofcom’s recent relaxation of the rules around product placement spells rich opportunities ahead.
Arguably the biggest opportunity, says Johnston, will be consumers’ ability to move quickly from a TV image to an actual purchase without leaving their sofa.
“Think Amazon’s 1-Click ordering available on your TV whenever you see a product you like on a 30-second spot,” he says. Product placement will take on a new significance as programmes are embedded with meta-tags and are become interactive, he adds. Imagine watching X-Factor and being able to purchase Cheryl Cole’s clothes via the TV set.
Johnston also envisages highly visual and interactive product catalogues being instantly accessible on TV as companion pieces to existing programmes or simply called up from the electronic programme guide or Google search. Personalisation and recommendation could then help raise conversion rates, just as it does in PC-based web shopping.
Hosein Moghaddas, managing director for sales and marketing of ecommerce fulfilment specialist GSI Commerce, says TV networks are already making inroads into selling product that viewers have spotted in their programming. “We carry out fulfilment for ITV and HBO for things viewers want to buy, whether that’s homewares shown in Desperate Housewives for HBO, or FIFA merchandise for ITV,” he says.
“Today we’re following up on interest that comes through to a call centre, but operationally everything is in place to accept orders through Smart TV. All the merchandising, payment and fulfilment can be integrated with existing channels, and essentially the order will be coming through the same broadband wire that consumers use through their home PCs. It’s just a matter of providing a platform to make those orders through the TV.”
Moghaddas thinks that players such as eBay, Asos and John Lewis would have the audience pull to link their own programming to product sales. But at this stage it’s hard to see who will embrace Smart TV extensively and whether there’s a business case for producing TV-quality content as opposed to advertising alongside it.
“The TV companies themselves are in pole position to become the retailers, and are starting to do so, but I’m sure it won’t be long before forward-looking retailers get involved in tie-ins,” he says.
The PC internet experience may be the best basis to predict who will be the first movers on and successful adopters of IPTV, says Johnston. The electricals retailers will seek to further exploit their existing online platforms – albeit from a new device and with new tactics – while the big fashion players may be able to use the visual experience of TV to convert mesmerised viewers into buyers.
If click-to-buy from TV images is the future, retailers will need to look into the possibilities and begin conversations with programme makers and channel owners. A powerful new breed of TV advertising is about to be unleashed. Making the move from PC and mobile to the television screen will be a development worth tuning into.
Google TV launched in the US last year but no date has yet been set for a European service. It’s a platform that combines current TV programming and the open web into a single, seamless “entertainment experience”.
A Google spokesman says: “One of our goals with Google TV is to finally open up the living room and enable new innovation from content creators, programmers, developers and advertisers.” He adds: “By bringing Google Chrome and access to the entire internet, you can easily navigate to thousands of websites to watch your favourite web videos, play Flash games, view photos, read movie reviews or chat with friends – all on the big screen.”
The web giant says it has been overwhelmed by interest from companies asking how they can use the Google TV platform to personalise, monetise and distribute their content in new ways. Content partners include CNN, HBO, Twitter and Napster. Amazon Video On Demand offers access to more than 75,000 titles for rental or purchase. Many others are choosing to enhance their premium web content for viewing on the television.Google
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