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US - Wholesale prices are down sharply across a number of categories but so far the response from grocery retailers and foodservice operators has been vastly different. According to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of food products sold for consumption at home was down 0.3 per cent from the previous month and now 2.2 per cent lower than a year ago, writes the Steiner Consulting Group.
Grocery store food prices have been declining for eight consecutive months and the pace of deflation has surpassed the levels experienced during the great recession of 2008‐09. Foodservice operators, on the other hand, have barely responded to the lower wholesale food prices. Prices for food consumed away from home in December were 0.2 per cent higher than the previous month and 2.3 per cent higher than a year ago. A number of factors that have contributed to the widening gap between grocery store and foodservice prices.
As the chart below shows prices at foodservice tend to be less volatile and stickier than those at the grocery store level. Restaurant operators cannot change menu prices very often (impractical and confusing). This is true especially for full service restaurants but QSR concepts also tend to hold menu board prices relatively steady and rely on short term promotions to drive traffic. Also keep in mind that most products going through foodservice outlets tends to have some processing steps (pre‐cooked, portioned, etc) while retailers sell a considerable portion of fresh products. We also think that foodservice operators continue to struggle with the effect of rising labor costs, health care costs and distribution costs.
Therefore they are looking at the decline in food costs as a way to bring a margin back in their businesses. One thing that is not well understood is how the BLS survey handles changes to product
specifications that often take a toll on restaurant food margins but may not be particularly obvious in the menu price. Many foodservice concepts have in the last few years sought to source so‐called “high attribute” products, be this cage‐free eggs, no antibiotic ever chicken or RBST‐free dairy products. Some are doing this because they truly believe in these products and others because they offer a way to differentiate their products from competitors. Whatever the reason, they tend to raise expenses and keep overall prices high even as the broader commodity prices have been pressured lower. Whatever the reason for the widening gap between grocery and foodservice food prices, we think the net effect is that grocery stores likely are gaining foot traffic as a result. And this will tend to benefit proteins that generally have more exposure at the grocery store level (eg. Pork).
Going forward, however, it will be interesting to see if the gap starts to narrow and how that affects foot traffic. We would think this would be of particular interest to beef producers as beef still holds a favored position in the center of the plate.
The gap between food prices at the wholesale level and retail level shrunk considerably in December, in part because of higher wholesale prices for meat protein and dairy products. The beef and pork cutout gained ground in the last month of the year. Dairy prices, particularly butter prices, also were higher as was the price of eggs.
The average price of beef at retail in December was $5.62 per pound, 5.9 per cent lower than a year ago. The average value of beef at wholesale (choice cutout) was $1.94 per pound, down 3.2 per cent from the previous year. The average price of pork at retail in December was $3.58 per pound, down 6.8 per cent from last year. The wholesale price of pork (cutout) was $0.78 per pound, 10.4 per cent higher than a year ago.
ThePigSite News Desk
Top image via Shutterstock


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Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 14, 2012
Facebook gamers are still going to the mattresses because of the rampant growth of the Mafia Wars community. This Facebook social game has gathered a lot of buzz ever since its inception and it is still one of the best contenders in social gaming today. The Chatwing Development Team has then observed the rise of Mafia Wars blogs. To help these blogs create a stable subscriber base, the Chatwing team has introduced a blogging chat box with improved social media usage, effective access rate, and wide customization options.
Based on the observation of the Chatwing Team, Mafia Wars bloggers are often using their blogs to grow their Mafia—the denomination of their friends in the game. Obviously, the higher the Mafia is, the better gameplay will there be. These Mafia Wars bloggers usually discuss important tips in the game, such as bonus crates, best items, collections, properties, and many more. Chatwing’s free shout box can help these bloggers interact with their visitors by being more concise in their approach; they can now post quick updates which will be appreciated by visitors who want more information regarding the game.
Chatwing developers have included social and browser games in their strategic expansion plan. They operated on the fact that gaming communities are usually large parts of the Internet. To save more time, the developers have tweaked the chatbox so that bloggers can install it within seconds. After installation, the widget can go live and people can start chatting with leisure. Because of social media option, users can also log in with their Facebook accounts and start sending out invitations. This can help bloggers expand their social networks with ease.
The Chatwing team is always open for suggestions; the developers believe that suggestions can be foundations of future upgrades. The team is also dynamic when it comes to the development of the free chat widget. In this way, the team can observe the needs of bloggers at an improved rate. Daily, the Chatwing team has noted that the chat app is gathering thousands of signups from different communities. This projected income will grow, pushing the team to work with increased speed and vigor.
Chatwing.com specializes in the new field of website chat. Over years, the Chatwing team has introduced live chat widget for hundreds and thousands of blogs. The Chatwing application bridges people from many parts of the world, creating global synergy through the Internet. The shout box can be installed in just seconds, and it can be used for varying purposes such as leisure and Internet marketing. It also allows a user to customize the size, color, and name of the widget. Chatwing is 100% free for everyone.

domain: news


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Both General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC have announced plans to dramatically reduce their networks of thousands of dealers, saying that the moves are needed to cut costs as part of their restructuring efforts.
But the dealers argue that they don’t cost the automakers much of anything — in fact, they make money for the companies, they say — and that the termination of the nearly 2,000 franchises between the two automakers could result in the shuttering of many of the businesses and the elimination of thousands of jobs.
Also, if the dealers are forced to close, cities around the country could be left with empty buildings, vacant lots and possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost tax revenues.
All of which raises the questions: Just how much do dealerships actually cost their respective automakers? And what other incentives do the companies have to pare back their dealer bases?
Here are some questions and answers about why the automakers are ending their franchise agreements with so many dealers.
Q: What exactly are Chrysler and GM doing?
A: As part of its Chapter 11 proceedings, Auburn Hills, Mich.-based Chrysler released a list of the 789 dealers for which it plans to terminate franchise agreements.
The affected dealers, which account for about 25 percent of the company’s dealer base, have until Tuesday to sell off their inventory. After that, they won’t be able to offer Chrysler-sponsored financing and other sales incentives, making it tough for them to compete with other dealerships without dramatically slashing their prices.
The move still needs the approval of the judge overseeing Chrysler’s bankruptcy case, which could also come on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Detroit-based GM plans to drop about 1,100, or 20 percent, of its dealers when their contracts end late next year, but the automaker has declined to reveal which dealers were chosen.
The move is part of GM’s plan to cut about 40 percent of its 6,000-dealer network by the end of 2010. Besides the 1,110 dealership cuts, the company will shed about 500 dealerships that market the Saturn and Hummer brands, which the company has reached deals to sell, along with the Saab brand, which GM also plans to phase out or sell.
And when the surviving dealers’ contracts are up in late 2010, GM will cut still more by not offering renewals to about 10 percent of the dealers that are left.
Q: What’s keeping the automakers from just closing the dealerships immediately?
A: Contrary to what a lot of people think, GM and Chrysler don’t own the dealerships that sell their cars and trucks. The dealerships are franchises owned by independent companies or business people who sign a contract with an automaker to market their vehicles.
The dealers pay for the vehicles up front with a loan from either an automaker financing arm or an independent bank. Dealers also pay for things like local advertising, along with tools and parts for their repair shops.
Normally, dealers are protected by strict state franchise laws that make it tough for automakers to terminate franchise agreements without showing significant cause.
Q: Why is it so important for the automakers to cut dealers?
A: Both Chrysler and GM claim that having such a large dealer base results in extra costs for them that they need to cut in order to be competitive in today’s global automotive market.
Jim Press, Chrysler’s vice chairman and president, testified before a Senate committee last week that the poor performance of many of the dealers the automaker wants to eliminate costs the company $1.5 billion in lost sales each year, along with $150 million in advertising and marketing costs and $33 million in administrative costs.
Press also attributed product engineering and development costs of $1.4 billion over four years to the dealers in question.
GM and Chrysler also have argued that they need healthy dealer bases in order to be successful. Chrysler has said that most of the dealers it wants to eliminate are either unprofitable, don’t carry all three brands of Chrysler vehicles, or are located too close to another Chrysler dealer.
Given the steep drop in U.S. new vehicle demand in the past year, along with the increase in competition from overseas automakers, there just are too few sales to go around, the automakers say.
And if dealers are struggling to stay afloat, they can’t afford to make needed investments in their dealerships or provide the kind of service customers demand, which could reflect badly on an automaker and make it harder for the company to compete against its rivals, the automakers say.
While the dealers agree that’s true, they say market forces and individual decisions by dealers should be allowed to dictate who goes out of business.
Q: Is there anything the dealers can do to fight this?
A: A group representing about 300 of the affected Chrysler dealers, along with several individual dealers, have filed objections to the automaker’s plan in bankruptcy court.
A hearing on Chrysler’s motion to terminate the agreements began Thursday with testimony from about a dozen dealers slated to lose their franchises. It’s expected to continue on Tuesday with arguments from both sides.
U.S. Judge Arthur Gonzalez is expected to rule in favor of Chrysler. The judge noted at the beginning of Thursday’s hearing that the automaker has a “strong argument” for the termination of the franchises.
The GM dealers slated to lose their franchises have a few more options. The automaker announced its plans to terminate the franchises before it filed for Chapter 11 on June 1, but has said it doesn’t plan to speed up the process now that it’s operating under court oversight.
The GM dealers have the option of filing an internal appeal with the automaker or could fight their termination in court.
Q: Are all the dealers losing their franchises going to shut down?
A: No. Many of the affected dealers plan to stay open selling used cars and operating their body shops. Some of them also carry other automaker brands that aren’t affected by the decisions of Chrysler and GM.
But many dealers have also said that they can’t stay in business selling just used cars and will be forced to completely shut down. In addition, some cities prohibit dealers from selling used cars unless they sell new ones as well, forcing them to close those operations too.
The National Automobile Dealers Association, an industry group, says the GM and Chrysler cuts combined could wipe out 100,000 jobs.


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It is learned on December 27 from Economic Observer, on December 23, 2022, the 16th China Automobile Annual Conference 2022, hosted by the “Economic Observer”, came to a successful conclusion. The annual list of the 16th China Automobile Annual Conference in 2022 was announced at this annual meeting.
XPeng won the “2022 Innovation Pioneering Enterprise” award.
Under the influence of the pandemic and the supply chain, XPeng not only created a new record for new car manufacturers, raised the industry standard line, but also led the domestic new energy industry to a higher dimension.
Data show that in the third quarter of 2022, XPeng’ total vehicle deliveries were 29,570 vehicles, an increase of 15% from 25,666 vehicles in the same period in 2021. XPeng Motors delivered a total of 109,465 vehicles from January to November, a year-on-year increase of 33%.
XPeng is the first car company with full-stack self-research and mass production capabilities, and develops autonomous navigation and assisted driving for China’s local road conditions. Relying on the full-stack self-developed mass production capacity, creating an automatic driving assistance system suitable for China’s road conditions is a major differentiating feature of XPeng compared with other car companies. In addition, Xpeng has established five committees of product, strategy, technology, sales, and OTA through organizational adjustments, as well as three model platforms of E, F, and H. With the concept of “customer first”, it continues to explore cutting-edge smart technologies and products to make it close to customer needs.
In 2022, XPeng has achieved a lot, showing various forms of future travel with self-developed technological products one by one before our eyes. XPeng unswervingly takes the road of independent research and development, which has formed unique advantages and unique technical routes for its product experience. As an outstanding representative of new forces, XPeng has truly demonstrated its inherent advantages in product, technology and top-level logic.


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Nvidia doesn't seem happy with news that Advanced Micro Devices has all but won this generation's console cycle.
The company pointed out Wednesday in an interview with The Verge that, while the next-generation consoles are notably more powerful on the graphics side, they still can't compete with the chips Nvidia is producing on the PC side.
"I'm glad the new consoles are here," Nvidia Senior Vice President Tony Tamasi told The Verge. "If for no other reason than to raise the bar." He also pointed out to The Verge that his company'… Read more


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Google Posts Record Revenue After Strong Growth in Advert, Cloud Sales
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, on Tuesday reported record revenue for the second straight quarter, despite the pandemic, as the tech giant surpassed estimates for both advertising and Cloud sales.
Advertising business, including YouTube, accounted for 81% of Alphabet’s $56.9 billion in sales for the quarter after deducting traffic acquisition costs, up from 23% a year ago.
The surge in revenue in Q4 2020, one of the company’s strongest quarters in years, was driven by the holiday season shopping and Covid-19 pandemic. Lockdowns and movement restrictions accelerated the use of the internet and streaming services such as YouTube over watching cable TV, thereby attracting advertisers.
That led to a surge of 22 percent in advertising revenue in the final quarter of 2020, a significant increase from the 10 percent recorded in the previous quarter, and an 8 percent contraction in the second. Google has continuously faced questions over its ability to turn the cash from the advertising business into a new profitable venture.
Also Read: “What Day Is It?”: Coronavirus Dominates Google Search in 2020
This was also the first time the leading tech brand revealed results on its Google Cloud unit. Cloud sales totaled $3.83 billion, or $13.1 billion for the full year, up 46% from 2019.
Analysts had estimated quarterly revenue of $53.1 billion for adverts and Cloud sales of $3.82 billion, according to Refinitiv.
In a supplementary disclosure, Alphabet also said Google Cloud posted an operating loss of $1.24 billion in the fourth quarter and $5.6 billion for 2020, a 21% wider loss than in 2019.
Quarterly profit rose 43% to $15.2 billion, or $22.30 per share, compared with the average estimate of $10.895 billion, or $15.95 per share.
Also Read: Google Partners NTDC on Nigeria’s Tourism Sector Recovery
Speaking on the results, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet said the “strong results this quarter reflect the helpfulness of our products and services to people and businesses, as well as the accelerating transition to online services and the cloud.”
“Google succeeds when we help our customers and partners succeed, and we see significant opportunities to forge meaningful partnerships as businesses increasingly look to a digital future,” he added.
Meanwhile, the company said it expects a $2.1 billion boost to operating results in 2021 after a new assessment extended the useful life of its servers and networking gear by a year or more.
Ameenah Hassan is an intern at Arbiterz.


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The recent post of the selling of Leopard shark meat at a restaurant in Phuket has prompted the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to investigate and find the owner for prosecution as the shark is a rare species which is facing distinction.
But the probe revealed it was an old picture two years ago and the restaurant owner admitted that his daughter bought the sharks from fishermen two years ago.
This was revealed by the department's director-general Mr Jatuporn Burutphat after the post went viral on the the social media last week.
Mr Jatuporn admitted that at first sight of the post, it was unacceptable for restaurant to sell shark meat.
He said authorities were then dispatched to the restaurant Champ Seafood in Phuket but found nothing went wrong as what were posted.
No shark meat was sold but the restaurant owner admitted that his daughter bought fishes from a fishing pier at Ko Sirae two years ago. But he said the sharks were among the cache of fishes bought, not knowing there were rare sharks among other fishes in the same cache.
He admitted that he also didn't know the law prohibits the sale of leopard sharks.
The department's chief said that no legal action was taken against the owner because there is a loophole in the law governing the protection of rare marine life species.
However he said that the restaurant owner promised to cooperate with authorities to refrain from selling shark meat.
He said authorities also inspected several restaurants on Phuket beaches and sought their cooperation to not selling shark meat as they have information that some business operators in Phuket, Krabi and Surat Thani are still selling rare animal species as food.
Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)


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The Walt Disney Company announced that it has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm from founder and chairman George Lucas in a cash and stock transaction valued at $4.05 billion. Disney will pay Lucas approximately half in cash and issue approximately 40 million shares.
In addition to Lucas’s venerable postproduction and visual effects facilities, including Industrial Light & Magic, Skywalker Sound, Lucasfilm Animation and LucasArts, under the deal, Disney will acquire the rights to the Indiana Jones and Star Wars franchises.
“We’re already moving forward with plans to continue the epic Star Wars saga,” said Robert Iger, chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company. “The last Star Wars movie release was 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, and we believe there’s substantial pent up demand. In 2015, we’re planning to release Star Wars Episode 7 – the first feature film under the ‘Disney-Lucasfilm’ brand. That will be followed by Episodes 8 and 9. Our long-term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years.”
“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said Lucas. “It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come.”
“Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas,” said Iger. “This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.”
Kathleen Kennedy, current co-chairwoman of Lucasfilm, will become president of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney’s global business units to maximize the value of the franchise. Kennedy will also serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with Lucas serving as a creative consultant.
To date, Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box office sales, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world’s top product brands. In fact, Jay Rasulo, senior executive vice president and CFO, The Walt Disney Company, explained that “Our Lucasfilm valuation is almost entirely driven by the Star Wars franchise, so any success from other franchises would provide upside to our base case.”


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Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lessened its holdings in Starbucks Co. (NASDAQ:SBUX – Free Report) by 5.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 588,237 shares of the coffee company’s stock after selling 33,061 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC owned 0.05% of Starbucks worth $58,271,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. America First Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Freedom Wealth Alliance LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Moser Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Starbucks during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 3,222.2% during the 1st quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 299 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Solstein Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Starbucks by 67.4% during the 2nd quarter. Solstein Capital LLC now owns 318 shares of the coffee company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.13% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Starbucks from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on Starbucks in a research report on Thursday, October 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $118.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price objective on Starbucks from $107.00 to $100.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 3rd. TD Cowen downgraded Starbucks from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price target for the company from $117.00 to $107.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 19th. Finally, William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Starbucks in a report on Monday, November 6th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $114.52.
Starbucks Stock Down 1.5 %
Shares of Starbucks stock traded down $1.64 on Friday, hitting $105.57. 6,343,048 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,562,560. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $95.92 and its 200 day moving average is $98.88. The stock has a market cap of $120.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.49, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.98. Starbucks Co. has a 52-week low of $89.21 and a 52-week high of $115.48.
Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 2nd. The coffee company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.97 by $0.09. Starbucks had a net margin of 11.47% and a negative return on equity of 48.79%. The firm had revenue of $9.37 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.81 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Starbucks Co. will post 4.15 EPS for the current year.
Starbucks Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 24th. Investors of record on Friday, November 10th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 9th. This is a boost from Starbucks’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. Starbucks’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 63.69%.
Insider Activity at Starbucks
In other news, CFO Rachel Ruggeri sold 504 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.66, for a total transaction of $53,252.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 75,027 shares in the company, valued at $7,927,352.82. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Starbucks news, insider Michael Aaron Conway sold 6,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.77, for a total transaction of $681,005.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 72,822 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,629,560.94. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Rachel Ruggeri sold 504 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.66, for a total transaction of $53,252.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 75,027 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,927,352.82. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.98% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Starbucks Company Profile
Starbucks Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a roaster, marketer, and retailer of specialty coffee worldwide. The company operates through three segments: North America, International, and Channel Development. Its stores offer coffee and tea beverages, roasted whole beans and ground coffees, single serve products, and ready-to-drink beverages; and various food products, such as pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch items.
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John Lewis celebrates record week with Â£123.5 million sales
John Lewis saw sales reach a record level in the week ending 10 December as customers began their Christmas shopping in earnest.
The department store chain took £123.5 million, the most it had ever taken in a week, beating the previous record achieved in the same week last year, by 2% and representing an 8.7% increase on the previous week.
Women's fashions and fashion accessories saw a major uplift in sales with customers buying winter coats and gloves as the colder weather kicked in. Cashmere, nightwear, handbags, jewellery and watches saw brisk trade as customers purchased gifts for friends and family. Sales of menswear, iPads, coffee machines and toys were also up.
In addition, the retailer said it had seen a significant increase in sales of sewing machines and haberdashery as customers look to craft their own individual gifts this year.
Maggie Porteous, head of selling operations for John Lewis, said: "We are thrilled to have achieved a new record week.
"There is now a real Christmas buzz and all our Partners are pulling out the stops to deliver the levels of advice and service our customers expect from us. Our price matching promise and our multi-channel operation, where customers can choose from a variety of ways to shop, has no doubt contributed significantly to our trading success."
Online sales also achieved a record breaking week with sales of £28.8 million, around 20% above its previous record total. The retailer also saw a 75% increase its customers purchasing through its 'click and collect' service.
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Credit card fraud and identity theft are increasingly on the minds of American consumers, but that doesn’t mean they know what to do. Financial institutions of every stripe are setting up services to help educate the public and give people tools to protect themselves.
E-mail is the medium of choice for many scam artists looking to steal personal financial information, which negatively impacts its effectiveness as a tool for marketing protection services. Phishing scams involve sending consumers e-mails that are carefully designed to look like they come from bank or credit card issuers. The fake missives request social security numbers or password information, and provide a fake link or Web address where this information can be provided. Unsuspecting consumers think they’re giving sensitive information to a trustworthy financial group, only hand it over to criminals.
It is important to educate consumers about credit protection, but providing information via e-mail – at least without express permission – presents obvious credibility issues. Hence, Wachovia doesn’t do any proactive direct mailing to promote its new suite of security services, the Security Plus Program.
“You [don’t] want to confuse customers by communicating by e-mail, because [there are] criminals phishing,” says Matt Wadley, communications manager for Wachovia.
Wachovia relies instead on its Web site, where consumers can opt in to a regular newsletter about credit protection. “They know they signed up and will receive e-mails updat[ing] them on fraud and other ID theft issues,” Wadley says.
TransUnion also avoids e-mail when promoting its TrueCredit.com service, which allows consumers to monitor credit reports from the three major providers. It opts instead for DRTV ads and search marketing.
Lucy Duni, VP, marketing at TransUnion, says the company’s greatest communications challenge is making consumers aware of the need to monitor these reports without getting bogged down in financial minutiae. The 15- and 30-second DRTV spots, created by TargetCom in Chicago, use humorous metaphors that make a simple point: It doesn’t pay to be casual about credit protection.
PR also helps TransUnion educate consumers. “We have relationships with a lot of consumer finance reporters, and they turn to us whenever they have questions about credit management or credit scores,” Duni says. “Every week, if not every day, TransUnion [is] quoted in a variety of pieces on identity theft or credit scor[ing].”
Citi has also made identity theft protection a centerpiece of customer offerings. Its free service, Citi Identity Theft Solutions (CITS), provides personalized attention should a theft occur. The service and the general theme of protection has been featured prominently in TV ads, but the bank also uses e-mail, direct mail, and the Internet in response to customer inquiries. An “extensive” credit protection program is available at UseCreditWisely.com.
“There is always information available online about the CITS,” a Citi representative says via e-mail. “Information is typically only offered in response to a consumer’s direct question or request.”


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WASHINGTON - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, pointing to resilience in the labor market despite belt-tightening by Washington.
LONDON - From ketchup to hot drinks, family-run investment firms are shaking up the consumer deals market, squeezing out private equity players and forcing them to change strategy.
BEIJING/HONG KONG - China reiterated its opposition on Thursday to a European Union plan to limit airline carbon dioxide emissions and called for talks to resolve the issue a day after its major airlines refused to pay any carbon costs under the new law.
Michael Kors upsizes IPO, prices above range: underwriter
(Reuters) - Luxury lifestyle company Michael Kors Holdings Ltd (KORS.N) raised the size of its initial public offering and priced it above the expected range, according to an underwriter.
In all, 47.2 million shares were sold at $20 each, generating proceeds of $944 million. At that price, the company is valued at about $3.82 billion.
Michael Kors Holdings is named after chief creative officer and founder Michael Kors, a well-known fashion designer and one of the judges on the long-running TV fashion show "Project Runway".
"A company like this can go public even in an uncertain market based on their recent successes," IPOdesktop.com analyst Francis Gaskins said. "They've done a lot of things correctly in the past couple of years."
The company has not only stayed profitable through the financial crisis, but has also managed to nearly double its profit to $72.5 million for fiscal 2011.
Michael Kors himself is selling 5.8 million shares in the IPO. Others offering shares include the company's chief executive John Idol and its largest shareholder, Sportswear Holdings Ltd. The company did not sell any shares itself.
The offering had originally been expected to be for 41.7 million shares, priced at $17-$19 a piece.
Michael Kors Holdings' offering follows a successful $2.1 billion IPO of Italian fashion house Prada SpA (1913.HK) in Hong Kong and a $487 million IPO of Italian luxury shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo (SFER.MI).
The luxury goods industry has rebounded strongly after the sharp downturn of 2009, and analysts see 2011 to be another record year, particularly for watchmakers, luxury hotels, fashion and leather goods groups.
Michael Kors Holdings with 169 stores in North America and 34 in Europe and Japan, competes with retailers such as Coach (COH.N), Burberry (BRBY.L), Ralph Lauren (RL.N) and Hermes International (HRMS.PA).
Seven investment banks led by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan underwrote the issue.
Michael Kors Holdings shares are expected to begin trading on Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "KORS."
(Reporting by Brenton Cordeiro and Tanya Agrawal in Bangalore; Editing by Unnikrishnan Nair, Sriraj Kalluvila)
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On February 14, 2019 the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of the European Union agreed to implement new rules designed to ensure a fair, transparent and predictable business environment to the benefit of both end consumers and entrepreneurs using third-party online platforms for their business. The Council and European Parliament will adopt these new
The German Federal Cartel Office (”FCO“) has launched a sector inquiry into “online price comparison websites.” This sector inquiry is the first specific proceeding in which the FCO applies its new competencies in the area of consumer protection given to it by the 9th amendment to the German Act against Restraints of Competition (“ARC”). Another sector inquiry concerning consumer protection issues in everyday digital life might follow next year.
Sector inquiries are not targeted against individual companies. Their purpose is to thoroughly examine the conditions on a general market in order to identify potential infringements of legal provisions. The FCO will summarise the results of its investigation in a report. If infringements by individual companies are detected in the course of the sector inquiry, this might subsequently lead to the initiation of proceedings against individual companies. In the past, this was only possible in relation to infringements of competition law.
By the amendment to the ARC, which entered into force on 9 June 2017, the FCO has also been given such competencies in the area of consumer protection and has set up a new division for this specific purpose. The new competencies should be seen as a supplement and back-up to the well-established system of privately enforced consumer protection. Currently, the FCO has only investigative powers, but it has not yet been granted decision making and enforcement powers in relation to consumer protection issues.
Its new investigation powers allow the FCO to launch a sector inquiry whenever there are indications for a severe violation of consumer protection laws or the legal requirements for general terms and conditions that affect a large group of customers.
The FCO has identified the so-called “digital economy” as an area where one infringement by one company could harm millions of customers. Therefore, it decided to focus on this area for its first sector inquiry by its new division for consumer protection.Continue Reading German FCO launches sector inquiry into online price comparison websites
The European Commission has imposed a fine of EUR110 million (US$122 million) on Facebook for providing misleading or incorrect information to the European Commission when it filed the acquisition of WhatsApp for merger approval in 2014.
In the notification, Facebook stated that it would be unable to establish a reliable automated matching between Facebook users’…
The upcoming ninth amendment of the German Act against Restraints of Competition (Gesetz gegen Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen, ARC), which has already been approved by the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag) and the German Federal Council (Bundesrat), is expected to enter into force shortly. The new law is tailored to adapt German competition law to the specific features of…


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IZEA Stock: IZEA Worldwide Stock Rose After Its Managed Services bookings Hits All-Time Record
IZEA said yesterday it has set a Managed Services bookings record for the best Q1 in company history.
www.investreader.com - April 06, 2021
Buy the IZEA Stock Dip With Both Hands for 10X Gains
Despite the plunge in IZEA stock, the company is on track to increase first quarter bookings by more than 100%.
investorplace.com - February 23, 2021
The Case for IZEA Stock Is Undermined by Competition, Lack of Growth
IZEA stock is a sell now, but the shares could be worth buying down the road if the company delivers opportunity for revenue growth.
investorplace.com - February 16, 2021
Watch Out Below for IZEA Stock Despite the Company's Growth
Watch out below for IZEA stock despite its growth. IZEA stock is still too high at 8.5 to 10.6 times revenue, despite higher growth prospects.
investorplace.com - February 09, 2021


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San Francisco's New Treat Is The Hotel Zetta
It doesn't seem to happen every often, so we're always a little more jazzed than usual when San Francisco gets a new hotel, and the Hotel Zetta will debut just after Valentine’s Day.
The 116-room hotel, at the junction of SoMa, Mid-Market, and Union Square, will attempt to create a work play balance with sustainable architecture that features technological and recycled elements to go along with ultramodern furnishings. The building where the hotel resides, was originally constructed in 1913, and will celebrate its hundred-year anniversary to go along with the opening.
Check out the photo gallery to get a sense of what to expect.
Hotel Zetta has yet to dish on the details of its in-house restaurant, but says it will announce its culinary partnership in the coming weeks with the intention of opening later this year.
To go along with the soft opening, the hotel is offering an “Underground Access” opening rate starting at $175 from Feb 18th through March 1st. Looks like locals have their Valentine’s Day surprise covered – slip a staycation for the end of February into that Hallmark card and call it a day.
[Photo: Viceroy Hotels]


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BEIJING -- Toyota Motor Corp. is planning to launch an all-electric small sedan in China late next year, having turned to local partner BYD for key technology to finally make an affordable yet roomy vehicle, four sources told Reuters.
Two of the four people with knowledge of the matter described the car as an electric holy grail for Toyota, which has struggled for years to come up with a small EV that is both competitive on cost in China and doesn't compromise on comfort.
The sources said the breakthrough was chiefly down to BYD's less bulky lithium-iron-phosphate Blade batteries and its lower-cost engineering know-how -- a turning of the tables for a Chinese company whose popular F3 sedan was inspired by Toyota's Corolla back in 2005.
Little known outside China at the time, BYD, or "Build Your Dreams," hit the headlines in 2008 when Warren Buffett bought a 10 percent stake and it has since become one of the biggest manufacturers of so-called new energy vehicles in the world.
Toyota's new EV will be slightly bigger than its compact Corolla, the world's best-selling car of all time. One source said think of it as "a Corolla with bigger back-seat section."
It will be unveiled as a concept car at the Beijing auto show in April and will then most likely be launched as the second model in Toyota's new bZ series of EVs, even though it will only be on sale in China for now.
"The car was enabled by BYD battery technology," one of the sources told Reuters. "It has more or less helped us resolve challenges we had faced in coming up with an affordable small electric sedan with a roomy interior."
It will be pitched below premium EVs such as Tesla's Model Y or the Nio ES6 but above the ultra-cheap Hong Guang Mini EV, which starts at just $4,500 and is now China's best-selling electric vehicle.
Two of the four sources, all of whom declined to be named because they are not authorized to speak to the media, said the new Toyota would be priced competitively.
One said it would likely sell for under 200,000 yuan ($30,000), aiming for a segment of the Chinese market Tesla is expected to target with a small car within the next two years.
"We don't comment on future products," a Toyota spokesperson said. "Toyota considers battery electric vehicles as one path to help us get to carbon neutrality and is engaged in the development of all types of electrified vehicle solutions."
A BYD spokesperson declined to comment.


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If this new tech video is anything to go by, Far Cry 2 will be one of the most realistic-looking games so far:
This footage is a very brief taster of what the graphics engine behind the new Far Cry sequel can do. Set in Africa, the trailer shows a stunning level of detail in the environment and some impressive lighting affects.
Picture how nice it'll render the explosions when you shoot a zebra with a rocket launcher.
Check out more of our Far Cry 2 coverage here.
Jan 23, 2008
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Nearly one-third of all new car shoppers use a smartphone when shopping, Automotive News reported in October . West Point cadet using cellphone during graduation march sparks backlash. Miller and her husband decided this month to test-drive a few prepaid plans, including MetroPCS.
After 15 years in temporary quarters in Washington D. And get there early to catch our heroes honored on the field. Since almost everyone in town has a cell phone, pay phones are rapidly disappearing.
It means that you have a bit of freedom from being tied to the office and that's good, isn't it? Driving is an active verb. The ruling class can always put your in jail for something. He coasts along, lost in thought or lost in chat.
Verizon Wireless now has She only had the clothes on her back. How I quit my smartphone addiction and really started living. We're having a moment of silence! If you are constantly on your mobile phone, most onlookers might think you have lots of friends and a busy social life. I didn't just cancel cellular service and keep the smartphone for Wi-Fi fun, nor did I downgrade to a flip phone to "simplify"; I opted out entirely.
Jenny Radesky is a pediatrician specializing in child development. To bring you the best content on our sites and applications, Meredith partners with third party advertisers to serve digital ads, including personalized digital ads.
Most parents don't want their kids to have smartphones in the first place. Why being separated from your mobile for just a few minutes is almost as bad as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Three years after the preliminary results first were presented at a scientific meeting and drew wide attention, University of Utah psychologists have published a study showing that motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free cellular phones are as impaired as drunken drivers.
No, I explained patiently once againI've not got a mobile and it's not a matter of 'still' or 'yet'. Two new studies have found that voice-activated smartphones and dashboard infotainment systems may be making the distracted-driving problem worse instead of better.
Where are the campaigns to shut down any of these practices? Mom was right downstairs in the kitchen. The solution then was to introduce new technologies to keep drivers' hands on the wheel.Follow these steps to access publications and products: Click on "Agency Abstract" or "NCJRS Abstract" to learn more about the publication.
Click on the file type to. There might be a better, knowledge management-based, way to conduct the US Census, according to a group of university researchers.
Discover the innovative world of Apple and shop everything iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple TV, plus explore accessories, entertainment, and expert device support. Giants owner John Mara has every reason to be angry at his lowly team and it's not all on Eli Manning.
Family says disappearance is ‘absolutely devastating’ It’s been nearly two weeks since year-old Brooklynn Hays walked out of her house in Essex, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore, and simply vanished.
San Francisco To Vote On Taxing Rich Businesses To Help HomelessA measure on San Francisco's Nov. 6 ballot would raise taxes on the city's wealthiest companies to help thousands of homeless and.Download


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Photo of the week
This week's photo of the week was taken by us a few weeks back.
It's one of our favourite ants, Leptomyrmex erythrocephalus, commonly referred to as spider ants for obvious reasons. We stumbled on this nest whilst out looking for Myrmecia queens.
We've been on the lookout for queens for a while now but as they're wingless it's proven to be quite difficult. We won't give up though.
A simple 3D printed test tube connector from the new Ants Everything brand.
A founding style "growable" nest from Antz For All.
Ant Store, Europes, and arguably the Worlds largest manufacturer, has released a new range of acrylic nests called Antcube
In an unfortunate case of bad timing, a live TV interview in Australia has been interrupted by a mating swarm of ants during their nuptial flight.
Ants Australia made a really big impact on the formicarium market with their Ytong Nests that they released earlier this year. Now they're introducing a new range of acrylic nests!
In an industry where innovation is sometimes difficult to come by, this Foundation Kit from AntKit is a sight for sore eyes.
Although we're a little late to the party, Ants Australia released their next video in their docu series titles, Wood Ants.
Today we are having a look at the range of honeycomb nests now being produced by Antworlds.
Here's a little formicarium from Brian Martell for an Australian ant keeper with a tighter budget.


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Has BJP finally given up on its resistance to the most significant liberalisation of the Indian market? Has Prime Minister Narendra Modi gathered enough courage to awaken the tiger of retail business, which is fortified by 125 crore consumers and the potential strength of $600 billion business? If the decision to allow Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) up to 49 per cent in multi-brand retail through the automatic route holds, it will definitely be a major reform, albeit silently. Going by the recently released DIPP notification, mega retailers like Walmart and Carrefour can invest in India’s multi-brand retail in the form of FPI up to 49 per cent without government approval.
The change of heart on multi-brand retail has come probably from the lessons learnt from land acquisition fiasco. While pursuing a more liberalised land acquisition policy, Modi admitted that supporting the UPA’s land acquisition law while in opposition was BJP’s mistake. Opposing FDI in retail was also a blunder in similar fashion. It was only the BJP’s orthodox obstinacy which prevented the light of modernity from reaching the vast retail market of India, which can benefit the country’s infrastructure, agriculture, employment and common consumers. The liberalisation of retail was a non-starter. The last government allowed 51 per cent foreign investment in multi-brand retail, but following massive opposition from the BJP, the decision to allow investment was left with the states. So much politics was involved that none of the states showed the courage to move forward.
The UPA’s decision to open multi-brand retail for FDI was taken amid challenges similar to those Modi government is facing now. Plagued by an economic slowdown and joblessness, the UPA wanted FDI in retail business to fuel growth. In the first year of its rule, the Modi government has failed to generate large-scale jobs to boost the economy and carry out significant reforms. But opportunity is knocking at the door. According to a recent document of the ministry of commerce & industry, the NDA and Congress have agreed to allow foreign companies in multi-brand retail in 12 states, including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Such support was never available at any time in the past. This is the best time to show courage and kick-start India’s most promising liberalisation.
India’s consumer market is the engine of the economy, which fuelled growth from 2004-09. Retail is the third largest source of employment in India, which employs nearly four crore people. According to the skill development ministry, by 2022, as many as five crore people will be employed in the retail industry. This estimate does not factor in growth to accruing from foreign investment. A recent report from Boston Consulting says that India’s retail business will be of the order of one trillion dollars by 2020, which currently stands at $600 billion. Modernisation of retail business could become major source of jobs befitting of the vision of Skill India.
Fresh investment in retail can revive construction, which is trapped in deep recession. It is the second largest source of employment and demand after agriculture. Retail consumer product creates new markets for industries and dozen other services, which is part of Make in India. Sixty per cent of retail is based on food, drinks and grocery and these are directly linked to agriculture. Modern retail is best positioned to invigorate farming and small industries as well.
Some new facts about retail suggest why the government must ride on it to fuel growth. The spurt in GDP from five per cent to 7.5 per cent via the new calculation method can be solely credited to growth in trading (retail and wholesale) business. The earlier methodology evaluating GDP figures could not gauge the comprehensive dimensions of this stream of economic activity. According to the older measures, for determining the contribution of wholesale and retail business to GDP, the employment survey of the NSSO was used. However, when sales tax figures were made the basis of the new calculations, it was learnt that retail constitutes 20 per cent of the economy and this segment’s growth rate is double that of GDP.
If the decision to allow 49 per cent foreign portfolio investment in multi-brand retail business is backed by the entire Union government, the BJP and its allies in the states, then it should be taken as the most courageous gift from the Modi government. The retail saga in India is on the threshold. E-retail is already on the upswing, and the bold opening of multi-brand retail can change the shape and content of the beleaguered economy, eagerly awaiting critical pick-up.
(First published in dailyo.in)


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Just Eat and Takeaway.com, two of the bigger take-out and delivery businesses in Europe, announced they are in the ‘advanced stages’ of a merger. The deal would help them combine forces and take on more scale to compete better with Uber Eats and Amazon-backed Deliveroo.
The new entity would have an estimated market value of more than €10 billion. The companies say it would make them the world’s largest online food delivery platforms processing 360 million orders in 2018. Economies of scale are a critical part of making the financials of delivery and other transportation and e-commerce services work better. The company can develop more efficient routes and plot drivers more closely to pickups and drop-offs.
There are other areas where it also makes more sense, such as in terms of the investments that a delivery company will make in building better back-end systems to operate the services and the development of large scale ‘dark kitchens’. Having a wider network of restaurants and drivers tapping into new investments makes the payoff faster.


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Saputo Inc.’s (TSX:SAP) stock has been on a nice, upward trajectory this year, but in my opinion the growth story is just getting started. Here are three reasons the company will continue to profit.
1. Dairy market outlook solid
Saputo’s main business is dairy, and the outlook for that business is solid. Even if overall, global economic growth stagnates we will continue to see an increase in the amount of middle class families in emerging economies such as China, where families are moving up the wealth chain, from rural, agricultural existences to urban lives. As these families gain more wealth, their diet changes and one of these changes has been and should continue to be, increased consumption of dairy. As dairy demand worldwide increases, dairy companies like Saputo will enjoy more sales.
2. Saputo’s effective growth strategy
The dairy market is competitive and for dairy processors to enjoy growth they have two basic options: attract customers from the competition, or to buy their competition.
Saputo has chosen to pursue acquisitions, and these acquisitions have so far been fruitful for the company. In fact, the company’s most recent quarterly results showed a 17% increase in earnings, with the company’s recent acquisition of a majority stake in Australia’s Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Company Holdings Ltd., adding to the results.
Even before the ink dried on the Warrnambool deal, Saputo’s CEO told investors that he is eyeing more acquisitions to expand the country’s reach, especially in the U.S. and Brazil.
3. Geographical reach
Saputo may have started as a small, family-owned company in Montreal, but now the company has an impressive geographical reach. When you are reliant on consumers, geographical diversity is a necessity to grow under varied economic conditions.
The company’s recent acquisition of Warnambool is key to the company’s geographical expansion because it gives it more access to the Asia Pacific region, a key region of future growth. China, in particular, is seen as a major market with huge future potential as the countries dairy consumption grows while at the same time its domestic production declines.
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Fool contributor Leia Klingel has no position in any stocks mentioned.


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McCarthy & Stone confident about full year despite 42% profit plunge
Retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone bumped up its interim dividend 80% as it reported a 42% slump in underlying profits for the first half of the year but its confidence in hitting full year targets.
Furthermore, with FTSE 250 company enjoying a strong period of planning consents and it not only began building activity on 44 new sites by the end of March, up from 34 a year before, it also expected a further 16 or so by the end of the current quarter to enable it to double the number of sales releases in the 2018 financial year.
For the six months to 28 February, revenue was down 5% to £238.2m as the number of legal completions slipped 6% to 866, which the group had reported in a recent trading statement, as the gross average selling prices rose 1% to £260,000 the net selling price was flat.
Underlying profit before tax, which take account of exceptional costs and amortisation, tumbled 42% to £22.8m, with reported PBT falling 25% to £21.8m. Underlying basic earnings per share were also down 42% to 3.5p.
An interim dividend per share of 1.8p was announced, up from 1p last time.
The company said it had made good progress in recovering its workflow momentum following the outcome of the EU Referendum last June and reiterated guidance that the full year outturn was expected to deliver in line with market expectations
Chief executive Clive Fenton: "We have made solid progress during this half year despite the headwinds created by the lower forward order book brought into the year and the weighting of expected completions from higher margin new sites into the second half of the year.
"Trading conditions have remained stable during the period and underlying reservation rates continue to keep pace with the prior year despite the lower number of sales releases during the period."
The forward order book remains strong and our build activity and planning successes leave us well-placed to deliver targeted FY17 and FY18 sales.
"We have sufficient land under control, much of which already has detailed planning consent, to deliver our strategic growth plan of building and selling more than 3,000 units per annum."


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Indian travel portal Yatra went public on the Nasdaq on Monday, following the footsteps of its main rival MakeMyTrip, which had its initial listing on the tech-heavy exchange in 2010.
Yatra is just the fourth Indian company to be listed on the Nasdaq, following its reverse merger with Terrapin 3 Acquisition Corp. The public fundraising effort comes after a series of investments in the company by private equity investors including Norwest Venture Partners and Network18.
Yatra faces domestic competition from multiple players, and profits have still eluded online travel portals.
In email interview with Business Insider, Yatra's CEO Dhruv Shringi discussed the company's rationale for listing on the Nasdaq, his outlook for the Indian travel industry, and concerns over Yatra's profitability and competition.
Prashanth Perumal: Why the decision to go public?
Dhruv Shringi: We think it is the right time to go public as we have a very strong and trusted brand, a growing market, and the right internal structure, processes, and systems in place to take this huge leap forward. Over the course of the past decade, Yatra has established itself as one of the leading brands and companies in the Indian Internet and e-commerce space. We are now a force to be reckoned within the Indian travel market. With the largest Indian hotel network (61,000+) and more than 14,000 travel agents in over 1,100 cities and towns, a cumulative of more than 4.5 million customers and gross bookings of $897 million in fiscal 2016, our IPO could not have come at a better time. Also, our strategic partnership with Reliance JIO, with a preloaded Yatra app on 35 million phones, will be instrumental in our growth.
Perumal: Why Nasdaq over the Indian stock exchanges?
Shringi: Nasdaq has emerged as the market where a lot of our peer group of companies — the online travel companies from China, Latin America and even India — are listed. There is a lot of research analyst coverage happening for such companies on the Nasdaq, as well as liquidity and demand for these stocks. These were the factors that we kept in mind while making the decision to list on the Nasdaq.
Perumal: MakeMyTrip made a similar decision to list in the Nasdaq a few years ago. Is there a trend here?
Shringi: They would have their own reasons. We would not like to comment for them.
Perumal: Can you explain your bullish case about India's middle-class helping Yatra?
Shringi: India is the fastest growing global economy driven by a young population and travel expenditures are forecasted to grow significantly faster than the economy. India has hundreds of large cities and rising per capita income which are boosting demand for travel. Demographics, government policy, growing smartphone and mobile internet penetration, and an improved investment environment are driving growth, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India. The recent demonetization initiative of the Government is going to accelerate digital payments and fuel online purchasing. India is today the second largest outbound market after China, and growing faster. Also, one of the major reasons for more Indians travelling overseas is to visit their friends and families as there are a large number of Non-Resident Indians residing in various parts of the world.
Perumal: Why do you think customers would choose Yatra over other online travel companies?
Shringi: Yatra is one of the most trusted brands in the Indian market, with a strong emphasis on excellent customer service. This, coupled with a powerful loyalty program, has created a very loyal set of customers with almost 74% of transactions coming in from repeat users. We also have the largest hotel inventory amongst all OTAs and our strategic alliance with Reliance Jio that will enable us to efficiently reach tier 2 and 3 markets in India will ensure that Indian travelers choose us over competitors.
Perumal: When will Yatra likely turn profitable?
Shringi: India is a large travel market that is growing rapidly and will continue to grow over the next decade, fueled by increasing middle class disposable incomes. In addition, the rapid digital transformation that is taking place in India, coupled with the increasing penetration of smartphones and the mobile internet especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, is going to further drive the online travel market. In this kind of scenario, driving market share and customer acquisition is critical to building a huge business in the long term. We will invest in a number of key areas to accelerate growth in the business - building increased brand awareness, investing in mobile technology and leveraging our multi-channel approach - all of these will be critical to build a large, profitable business in the long term.
Our financial projections are in the public documents associated with the listing process and we are on track to achieve those.
Perumal: Are investors in Yatra looking at the IPO as a chance to exit their investment?
Shringi: Our existing investors will have between 57-60% of holding in the listed entity so they are not looking at exiting their investment in Yatra.


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Koei Tecmo has kicked off a very welcome sale on the Switch eShop, offering up tasty discounts on 20 games and bundles.
The sale's currently taking place in both Europe and North America; we've rounded up the US prices for you below, but very similar deals are available elsewhere. Have a good look and see if anything takes your fancy:
Ryan permanently joined the Nintendo Life team in 2017, specialising in keeping readers up to date with the latest news. He can list the first 151 Pokémon all in order off by heart – a feat he calls his ‘party trick’ despite being the biggest introvert we know.


text: Surveillance is an incredibly dynamic industry that continues to grow at an exponential rate. According to IHS, the industry experienced 12 percent growth last year, and is projected to expand even more this year. Are you keeping up with the trends that are fueling this momentum? More importantly, are you capitalizing on the trends that can give you a profitable competitive advantage? This article will show you what to watch out for and provide some insight you can implement that will help you and your customers do just that.


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This wonderfully funny adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan's classic operetta is staged in one hour, with a local cast of only eight featuring some of South Australia's best local performers
The gentle souls of The Laudanum Project are on their way to the 2017 Adelaide Fringe Festival to unveil their most ominous and complex work to date, The Baby Farmer
Premium carrier, Cathay Pacific boosts tourism and exports with year-round service to Adelaide, South Australia
The new service will operate twice a week during peak season from 30 June 2017
Congratulations to Nieccia Miller from Thor Travel Adelaide South Australia
The inaugural flight of the world’s third largest carrier – China Southern Airlines – lands at Adelaide Airport this morning, heralding a massive boost to the State’s visitor economy
Singapore Airlines today announced its plans to provide customers with more choice during Australia’s summer peak
Australia’s leading cruise line P&O Cruises has celebrated a record year of local cruising with its expanded five ship fleet carrying almost half a million holidaymakers in its first year
TravelManagers second November bi-annual state meeting was held in Adelaide last week and South Australian personal travel managers (PTMs) had much to celebrate
The Adelaide development come off the back of a record year for JUCY in Australia in 2015, with JUCY opening two new branches in Melbourne and doubling the rental car
Wendy Wu has made a trip from London to host functions in Adelaide and Perth designed to create closer links with travel agents
In May 2017, 450 participants will take to the Australian outback in cars worth less than $1,000 all to raise much-needed funds for critical cancer research initiatives.
Record ticket sales and tourist numbers are helping to cement the Adelaide Fringe as the second biggest event of its kind in the world.
Sunshine Coast Airport is set to become the destination of choice for even more passengers with Jetstar to launch direct flights from Adelaide to the Sunshine Coast three times a week from September ...
There are not many places in the world where you can experience rugged coastlines, deserts, forests, hills and farmland all within an hour drive of a modern city.
ATEC this week hosted a program of meetings, events and familiarisations aimed at raising the profile of Adelaide as an international tourism destination.
Taking a traditional sporting ground and turning it into a major tourism drawcard has been a five-year journey at one of the world’s most iconic venues.
Explore Adelaide’s major attractions and visit some of South Australia’s most picturesque and famous regions with the release of Adelaide Sightseeing’s new Day Tours brochure.
The South Australian capital’s inclusion in the exclusive Great Wine Capitals Global Network will give it greater international exposure and create collaboration opportunities within the wine industr...
TravelManagers’ personal travel managers are well known for their innovative and creative business approach.


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New Standards for Mail Sacks
Two new types of sacks are part of the new standard;a three-digit carrier routes sack and a merged three-digit sack;as well as a new minimum of 24 pieces for most other sacks.
According to the postal service, the new preparation will help control costs and keep prices reasonable. However, some observers say this could mean publishers will have to shell out more money. "Some of you will see modest rate increases from some loss of presort," David Straus, American Business Media’s postal counsel, wrote in an e-mail to ABM members last week.
Straus continued: "We have expressed concern about possible service degradation from the loss of, for example, a lot of 5-digit sacks, and USPS has said it is fully aware of our concerns and will take steps to alleviate them. Keep a close watch on whatever service data you have once the new preparation rules take effect."


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Cercacor Laboratories Revenue and Competitors
Estimated Revenue & Valuation
- Cercacor Laboratories's estimated annual revenue is currently $8.3M per year.
- Cercacor Laboratories's estimated revenue per employee is $126,000
- Cercacor Laboratories has 66 Employees.
- Cercacor Laboratories grew their employee count by 32% last year.
Cercacor Laboratories Competitors & Alternatives
|Competitor Name||Revenue||Number of Employees||Employee Growth||Total Funding||Valuation|
What Is Cercacor Laboratories?
At Cercacor we are innovators of noninvasive, easy-to-use monitoring technologies. Our technologies provide access to people's internal parameters empowering them to better understand their bodies, enhance their fitness levels, and reach their full potential. We are problem-solvers and relentless discoverers. We are passionate about creating simple tools that connect the people to information they can use to make healthier decisions. Much like the individuals who use our products, we constantly ask questions, seek answers, and find better ways to help everyday people achieve the extraordinary. Follow more updates on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! @cercacorkeywords:Fitness and Wellness,Internet of Things
Number of Employees
Employee Growth %
Cercacor Laboratories News
and its spin-off company Cercacor Laboratories Inc. (collectively, Masimo), medical device companies specializing in patient monitoring...
One of the most interesting patent infringement cases in some time was officially filed on Thursday by Masimo and Cercacor, a company that spun off from Masimo. The companies claim that Apple has infringed on 10 of their patents in this 15 count case. It's a dramatic case where Apple met wit ...
The device, called Ember, is made by California-based Cercacor Laboratories and tracks hemoglobin and other biomarkers. It was launched ...
This past week at CES, Irvine, California based Cercacor Laboratories announced the launch of a device that can measure hemoglobin and ...
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cercacor is launching Ember™ – the world's first non-invasive hemoglobin tracker for athletes – this week ...
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Capturing Global Supply Chains USIBC ELP WEBSITE FINAL
February 01, 2020
An occasional white paper by the U.S.-India Business Council and ELP.
COVID-19 has revealed the vulnerabilities of well-established international supply chains and acted as a catalyst for companies to reconfigure value chain networks with a focus on resiliency and reliability. With India – and the rest of the world – still combating an unprecedented global pandemic, it is more important than ever to implement policies and practices that ensure the safety of our citizens, support economic reopening, and create a business environment that will support strong future growth.
To that end, the U.S. – India Business Council (USIBC) and Economic Laws Practice (ELP) conducted a survey of USIBC member companies to solicit recommendations on the policy reforms, regulations, and incentives that will make India a more attractive investment destination. The USIBC membership includes some of the world’s largest multinational companies, and this report represents a cross-section of those companies, with inputs drawn from every major sector.
USIBC and our members have worked extensively with the Government of India (GoI) to achieve shared economic and development goals. This report seeks to continue that partnership and support the inbound investment that can serve as a foundation for future economic growth and prosperity.


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Focus is on the latest business news both nationally and internationally, the global economy, and wider events linked to the financial markets. Marketplace is noted for its timely, relevant and accessible coverage of business, economics and personal finance.
Thursday, May 23, 2013 2:04pmTwitter has joined the likes of Facebook Apple and other tech giants in offering two-factor authentication. Should we call it "the death of the password?" Maybe. Also in tech desctruction, iPhone users have spent billions repairing their damaged and cracked screens since 2007. Repair costs aren't getting any cheaper either. Better protect your screens carefully. Plus, President Barack Obama spoke about drones today. Just how big is the domestic drone industry and will it be a boon or bust for jobs?
Thursday, May 23, 2013 10:35amA deal sweetener from SoftBank. Japan's markets plunge. And is it more money, more problems for professional athletes?
Thursday, May 23, 2013 5:08amAfter an electrifying run over the past several weeks, stock markets around the world are down this morning. Ford Motor Company is calling it quits in Australia. The U.S. automaker says it will shut down its two factories down under and halt production in 2016. And for pro athletes, sometimes the biggest challenge is financial success and the family pressure that comes with it.
Thursday, May 23, 2013 2:00amScientists may be fretting over global climate change or when the next asteroid will strike Earth's surface, and the threat of mass extinction such events would bring. But a catastrophic event doesn't necessarily spell the end for civilization. In fact, Annalee Newitz, author of the new book Scatter, Adapt and Remember, says that with the right mindset and proper preparation, humans have the capacity to thrive in a post-mass extinction world.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 2:20pmHow much data are you leaking? Lots of business are selling your data to others to help them all track you. How can you opt out? We find out. In the business of sports, golf and basketball and making rules changes, like raising the hoop to make it harder to dunk. What's the economic cost? Also, we take a trip to the tax-shelter island otherwise known as Manhattan to tell you about how some of Apple's untaxable billions aren't actually overseas.


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Georgian Chevrolet Buick GMC is one of Canada’s largest General Motors dealerships, and over the 40 years the Massie family has been running it, it has gained a great reputation in the Barrie community for good management and great service. Reputation and the strong Chevrolet brand were both important considerations for Canada One when they decided to buy the dealership, according to Canada One’s Vice-President Daniel Priestner in an interview with Canadian auto dealer.
So how does this particular store fit in with Canada One’s expansion plans? “So this dealership has been run by a family that has been in that community for 75 years,” said Priestner. “They have been serving the community, and they’ve done an exceptional job, and have an immaculate reputation. That was one of the main reasons that we were very interested in this particular location.”
Canada One has stores from Ontario over to British Columbia, with a focus on GM, which was another deciding factor in Canada One’s decision. “Well, we’re always interested in growing with General Motors. I believe this is our third addition in the last year and a half to the General Motors Group in Ontario,” said Priestner. “We’ve always been really pleased with the support we received from GM, and we obviously love selling and servicing world class vehicles, and we feel like General Motors is clearly in that category.”
Canada One is in growth mode at the moment, and the company philosophy obviously is embracing this moment in the industry, regardless of what other companies are doing. “We’re at a great point in our business evolution for Canada One,” said Priestner. “I’m a 40-year-old leader. I have a team of young leaders around me that are competent and capable. So we feel very confident about growing regardless of the economic conditions.”
In terms of two of the major factors facing the industry, inventory supply, and the evolution of the company to electrification, Priestner is bullish about both. “I do think everybody believes that eventually supply will return, probably never to pre-COVID levels, but certainly to something that represents a better and more healthy supply than we’ve seen the last couple years. And I’m very excited about electrification. I think it represents an opportunity to reach a whole segment of customers that have been waiting for this. And we think we’ll be in a great position to sell those vehicles when the time comes.”


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Veracruz LLC Founder Steve Cortes, Federated Investors Chief Equity Strategist Phil Orlando, JonesTrading Chief Market Strategist Mike O’Rourke and FBN’s Liz MacDonald discuss the markets, and global economies.
FBN's Gerri Willis on the data from the May jobs report and the economic data on the way next week including retail sales.
SuperMarketGuru.com Editor Phil Lempert on the rising prices at the supermarket.
Claman on Call: FBN’s Liz Claman with an after-hours web exclusive on the markets, Cisco’s third-quarter results and former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s comments on mortgage lending rules and the economy.
Claman on Call: FBN’s Liz Claman with an after-hours web exclusive on the markets, Take-Two Interactive’s fourth-quarter results, AT&T’s potential deal for DirecTV and the upfront season for television networks.
Retail sales, housing starts and earnings season continues with the world's largest retailer reporting
Moody’s capital markets chief economist John Lonski on the market selloff and how to judge a strong or weak market.
U.S. wholesale prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.5% in March, mainly because of higher costs for service providers such as food and clothing retailers, the Labor D...
Treasury prices cut gains Friday after a stronger-than-expected reading on wholesale prices, but the 30-year bond yield remained at its lowest level since last July....
U.S. producer prices recorded their largest increase in nine months in March as the cost of food and services rose, pointing to some pockets of inflation at the fact...
Inflation at the wholesale level likely rose a touch in March but price pressures in the U.S. remain muted, according to the forecast of economists polled by MarketW...
Claman on Call: FBN’s Liz Claman with an after-hours web exclusive on the market selloff and the economic data to watch tomorrow.
First-quarter earnings season kicks off next week with several big banks reporting, and investors will be scouring the minutes from the Federal Reserve's meeting las...
PNC Wealth Management Chief Investment Strategist Bill Stone and JPM Private Bank Global Equity Strategy Head Steven Rees discuss their views on Japan’s economy and how it will impact the global markets.
IHS Chief Economist Nariman Behravesh and Cumberland Advisors CIO David Kotok say despite the market selloff and global turmoil, there are positive elements to the markets right now.
Trade sanctions reduce Russia's currency to record low
Claman on Call: FBN’s Liz Claman with an after-hours web exclusive on the markets, the Alibaba IPO and the proposed merger between Time Warner Cable and Comcast.
FBN’s Lori Rothman breaks down June’s producer prices data.
Chapwood Investments’ Ed Butowsky, FBN’s Nicole Petallides and Liz MacDonald on the markets, Microsoft, the housing market, President Obama, the U.S. border crisis, Aereo and LeBron James.
FBN’s Charles Payne, retail analyst Hitha Prabhakar, Penn Financial Group founder Matt McCall, FBN’s Tracy Byrnes and FOXBusiness.com reporter Kate Rogers on what should be on investors’ radar.


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Two social media personalities are under fire after becoming embroiled in a multi-million dollar crypto scam.
Musician DJ Khaled and boxing star Floyd Mayweather have been mentioned in a lawsuit against a crypto venture named Centra Tech.
The lawsuit was filed by investors who had lost significant amounts of cash on the venture. Khaled and Mayweather were caught in the crossfire after photos of them promoting the venture appeared on social media.
Centra Tech raised $32m through an initial coin offering (ICO) but its founders have since been charged with a number of crimes, including wire fraud.
The two influencers encouraged their combined fan base of 50 million followers to invest in the venture and were allegedly compensated on a 'pay-per-post' basis. However, neither of them disclosed that their posts were a paid promotion.
Khaled and Mayweather are presumed to have not known about the fraud, but investors highlighted that the venture would not have been so successful had the pair not utilised their influence to promote it.
While the pair may not have been involved with the actual crime, not disclosing a sponsorship is an all too familiar problem inside influencer marketing, and that also happened here. The notoriety of this case could see influencers taking more care with their sponsored posts in the future.
The rules and regulations surrounding influencer marketing are constantly being refined. Here's our guide to the ASA's recently updated rulebook.


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Fujitsu to cut up to 500 jobs in Germany
German workers latest target as Japanese tech giant scales back in Europe: Nikkei
Fujitsu Inc. is cutting between 400 and 500 jobs in Germany as the Japanese electronics giant focuses on more profitable parts of its European business and shifts some roles to cheaper countries, Nikkei reported.
The latest round of cuts add to 2,200 jobs already lost in the UK and Finland, Nikkei said. Fujitsu Technology Solutions, the German unit, will set the final number of losses after negotiations with its about 12,000 workers, the report said.
Fujitsu is shifting resources toward growing fields such as the internet of things, while lowering costs by transferring software development and customer service to countries with cheaper labor, Nikkei said.


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The local nonprofit crisis intervention center Helping Hand has struggled like most small businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic but also has benefitted from the goodwill of the public.
“People have been good to us and have been generous in their donations,” reports Helping Hand Executive Director Jesse Parks. “Everyone has been very understanding, and we have even had several patrons give large cash donations to help us keep the doors open.”
This cash allowed Helping Hands to purchase food to provide to clients.
With the help of the San Antonio Food Bank and several area churches, Helping Hand was able to continue food distributions to needy residents in the county.
“We had plenty of food, including fresh produce from our garden, to give to anyone who needed it. No one left without being helped,” Parks indicated.
In the past month, Helping Hand added about 40 families to its client rolls.
Parks said, “These new families came to us as a result of the pandemic. Most were individuals with families who got laid off because of the (economic) shutdown.”
Even though the thrift store operated by the center has been open throughout the lockdown caused by the deadly viral outbreak, it had to suspend accepting donations from the public because of the pandemic.
Business at the thrift store, which generates revenue that supports programming at the center, was essentially shut down for the months of April and May largely because of the regulations imposed to control the spread of the virus.
“We have just now been able to begin accepting clothing donations. We have had a lot of really great clothes and shoes come in because people spent their time during the shutdown cleaning out their closets,” Parks said.
The new summer collection has been put on shelves and racks for customers to browse through.
The 6,000-square-foot thrift store was packed with summer merchandise for shoppers. It has also added a section featuring new shoes to the store.
All the while, Helping Hand has been working hard to protect its shoppers and workers from contracting the virus.
“We are constantly cleaning the store, and contact surfaces are treated with bleach several times a day during the week,” Parks reports.
Masks and gloves are optional for shoppers at store. It has masks and hand sanitizer available for shoppers to use while in the store.
“We just want to say ‘thank you’ for the donations of cash and clothing. Everyone has been very kind and patient with us,” said Parks. “We really appreciate the understanding shown during this difficult time.”
Helping Hand and its thrift store is at 1116 12th St. in Bandera in the Village of Hope complex.
For more information about the center and the services it provides , call 830-796-8300 or email email@example.com.


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| Apr 7, 2014
| 8:53 AM
The duke and duchess of Cambridge arrived in New Zealand on Monday with baby Prince George, his nanny, a hairdresser, personal assistants and security in tow. The Duchess wore a red coat by Catherine Walker with matching pillbox hat by Gina Foster as...
| Apr 18, 2014
| 8:02 AM
On Wednesday the Duchess of Cambridge's husband compared her to a banana when she wore a yellow dress. On Thursday, as the couple's tour of New Zealand and Australia continued, the former Kate Middleton wore a blue ikat-batik patterned Diane von...
| Apr 24, 2014
| 8:26 AM
The Duchess of Cambridge wore a pale outfit with a peplum top and box-pleated skirt by Alexander McQueen on Wednesday when she and Prince William visited Elizabeth, a suburb of Adelaide, Australia. Among other things, the pair tried out a DJ deck at a...
| Apr 26, 2014
| 9:14 PM
Alexander McQueen, the late British designer and high fashion's enfant terrible, wasn't the type to hang around a discount mall alongside a Riverside County freeway.
But that's where his eponymous label opened its first U.S. outlet store a few days ago....
| Mar 22, 2014
| 5:00 AM
In a gallery-like loft space on South La Brea Avenue, rolls of fabrics are displayed by color in rich cascades of texture and pattern. Tags on the rolls make it evident that this is no run-of-the-mill fabric shop: Some are labeled with the names of...
| Feb 4, 2014
| 8:01 AM
New York Fashion Week begins Wednesday, and with so many designers abandoning the official Lincoln Center hub and decamping uptown, downtown and all around to show their fall 2014 collections, this could be the season of the transportation snafu.
| Feb 6, 2014
| 2:38 PM
During my career, one of the biggest joys of covering fashion has been the opportunity to attend runway shows in spectacular settings. Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent at the Rodin Museum in Paris was one, John Galliano for Christian Dior Couture at the...
| Feb 9, 2014
| 6:02 PM
NEW YORK -- Diane von Furstenberg, the grande dame of American style, celebrated the 40th anniversary of the wrap dress Sunday afternoon with a runway show at Spring Studios overlooking the dramatic Manhattan cityscape.
For a soundtrack, the band St....
| Feb 9, 2014
| 8:11 PM
NEW YORK - Los Angeles-based designer Scott Sternberg showed his Band of Outsiders women's collection Sunday afternoon during New York Fashion Week, in the raw space on Wooster Street in Soho that will be the location of the first Band of Outsiders...
| Feb 10, 2014
| 10:42 AM
NEW YORK -- DKNY designer Donna Karan celebrated individual beauty during her runway show Sunday afternoon at New York Fashion Week, casting real people (musician Angel Haze, artist Stewart Uoo, tattoo artist/pro skateboarder James Quaintance,...
| Feb 11, 2014
| 7:49 AM
Kristen Stewart is on the cover of the March issue of Marie Claire, which goes on sale Tuesday. In the interview inside she says she had no idea "Twilight" would be so big. And she stands by every mistake she ever made. [Marie Claire]
Kanye West's new...


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Following a 15-year ban on beef from France, Vietnam has opened its doors to meat from the European nation following a meeting between French and Vietnamese officials
At Ho Chi Minh City, representatives from the livestock sectors of France and Vietnam finalised a free trade deal. Following the deal, Vietnam has approved the imports of beef from 23 French producers. Initially, frozen beef will be sent to Vietnam, which would help assess the market reaction. Following this, fresh beef could be imported, confirmed officials.
According to EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, the free trade agreement would benefit both countries. “Vietnam is a vibrant economy with more than 90mn consumers, with a growing middle class and a young and dynamic workforce. The market has great potential and offers numerous opportunities for EU agricultural exports.”
Back in 2000, Vietnam halted the imports of beef from France due to the spread of bovine spongiform encelopathy (BSE) from UK to Europe.


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Apple and Microsoft are trying to get carve outs in the Gatekeeper label for some of their services.
In a bid to tackle the dominance of Big Tech and promote fair competition, the European Union (EU) has enacted the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a historic piece of legislation. This move by the EU has prompted both Apple and Microsoft to challenge the classification of gatekeeper labels on their services. They argue that their respective offerings, iMessage and Bing, do not warrant inclusion under the DMA’s regulatory framework.
Scheduled for publication on Wednesday, the DMA will introduce new obligations for tech companies, including data sharing, interoperability with rival apps and the requirement to link to competitors. The legislation will apply to platforms with an annual turnover exceeding €7.5 billion, a market capitalization above €75 billion, and over 45 million monthly active users in the EU. However, the EU retains some discretion in determining the designation of gatekeepers based on these metrics.
Microsoft has voiced its opposition to classifying Bing, its search engine, under the same rules applied to its much larger competitor, Google Search. While Microsoft is unlikely to dispute the designation of its Windows operating system as a gatekeeper label, given its dominant position in the PC industry, it argues that Bing holds a mere 3% market share. Subjecting Bing to further legal scrutiny could put it at a significant disadvantage. If included, Bing would need to provide users with alternative search engine choices, including Google, potentially bolstering Google’s market share.
On a separate front, Apple contends that iMessage does not meet the user threshold to require compliance with the DMA’s regulations for the gatekeeper label. Therefore, Apple believes that iMessage should not be obligated to open its service to rival apps, such as Meta’s WhatsApp. Analysts estimate that iMessage, an integral part of every iPhone, iPad, and Mac, boasts approximately 1 billion users worldwide. However, Apple has not disclosed user figures for several years. The ultimate decision hinges on how both Apple and the EU define the market within which iMessage operates.
The European Commission, Apple, and Microsoft have declined to comment on the matter of the gatekeeper labels. The DMA will subject several services of major US tech companies, including Amazon, Google, and Meta, to regulation like the gatekeeper label among many. The Chinese-owned platform TikTok will also be included in the list. Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, as well as Google’s search engine, are among the services expected to fall under the new rules. These regulations aim to open up markets and foster competition, especially from European startups.
Brussels is currently deliberating the inclusion of iMessage and Bing in the final list, and the commission may launch an investigation to determine whether these services should be subject to the DMA’s new obligations. This ongoing process of implementing landmark rules, which will come into full effect next spring, could lead to legal challenges against the commission in the EU courts in Luxembourg.
As tech giants openly challenge the EU’s regulatory efforts(like the gatekeeper labels), these legal disputes unfold in the midst of heightened scrutiny surrounding allegations of anti-competitive behavior. Earlier this year, Brussels even threatened to break up Google over alleged illegal practices in the adtech sector. German online retailer Zalando and US tech giant Amazon have also taken the EU commission to court, claiming unfair targeting under the Digital Services Act, a complementary piece of digital legislation designed to establish new standards for policing the internet .
Andreas Schwab, the MEP who led negotiations on the rules, expressed optimism about the DMA’s potential to introduce new competition to digital markets in Europe. Now, it falls to the European Commission to implement and enforce these regulations effectively, setting the stage for a potential transformation in the tech industry landscape.


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A digest of important news from sources selected by our local editors. Delivered weekday mornings.
Burlington will ban smoking in businesses adjacent to restaurants beginning Saturday, the Burlington Times-News reports.
North Carolina bans smoking in restaurants and the city aims to prevent secondhand smoke from drifting into restaurants with the ordinance.
The move affects 160 businesses in Burlington that are adjacent to restaurants and could be subject to citations if they don't comply, according to the newspaper.
Amy Dominello Braun manages Web content, social media and awards-based special sections for The Business Journal.