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More than 60 cargo thefts from trucks have been reported since the beginning of 2021. It is reported that over 1million worth of goods, according to the latest figures from NAVICS( National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service) in 2020 alone, freight crime cost £95.7million
“Cargo crime has wide-reaching consequences – shop prices are driven up, supply chains are disrupted, brand reputations are harmed, and contracts have been lost following failed deliveries.
Most offences are being taken out on independent road parking, accounting for 50% of all offences. Method of entry shown below from NaVCIS 2020 report.
NaVCIS subject matter experts recommend doing the following:
- Consider the use of a hard side vehicle when transporting vulnerable loads
- Consider Alarm systems to indicate unauthorised Trailer access
- Consider Re-enforced Trailer Curtain systems
- Consider the use of TIR seals and cables
- For companies that are victims of cargo crime – especially those that have failed to take adequate precautions to protect their supply chains or their customers’ goods – the consequences can be substantial; lost business, damaged reputations, and higher insurance premiums to name but three.
The impact is far greater than simply the cost of the stolen goods. One study involving the pharmaceutical industry put the true cost of loss at five-seven times the value of the goods stolen once the entire recovery process has been accounted for. And this only represents the challenges that exist today.


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The president of CCIR, Mr. Mihai Daraban, discussions at Cotroceni concerning the economic recovery topic
Publicat pe 06/05/2020
Bucharest, May 5th, 2020: The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR), Mr. Mihai Daraban, participated, on May 5th, at Cotroceni, together with representatives of the business environment, in the meeting with the President of Romania, Mr. Klaus Iohannis, to discuss the measures required to revive the economy and support the business environment.
The president of CCIR, Mr. Mihai Daraban, underlined the most serious problem that entrepreneurs could face in the next period: “The big problem is the sales market. Even if Romania starts to produce, the question arises whether there will be demand. We can build our offer as we see fit, even double it, but we have to ask ourselves the question of demand because otherwise we risk producing in stock. It is very possible that the lack of markets will be a fundamental critical element in everything that will happen from now on.”
“Romania has the advantage that it has not closed the whole economy. Unlike other countries where a drastic solution has been adopted and all areas of activity have been closed, in our country, where there has been a work front, for example, in the field of shipyards where products are made with a long manufacturing cycle, the activity was not been interrupted at all”, said the president of CCIR, Mr. Mihai Daraban.
The president of CCIR, Mr. Mihai Daraban, submitted for consultation a set of 73 measures proposed by CCIR together with the county Chambers of Commerce and Industry, made through a sustained consultation of the business community at national level on public policies needed to be implemented economically, financially, investment, labor market, and agriculture.

domain: news


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Survey: Unilever maintains sustainability leadership amid change

GlobeScan and Sustainability's 2014 Leaders Survey shows that experts' approval of the food and personal care company has only grown in the past year.

In sustainability circles, the results of GlobeScan's and SustainAbility's just-released 2014 Sustainability Leaders Survey are not surprising. Unilever remains by far the most lauded company by our expert panel of respondents, with fully 33 percent singling it out from others.
Taking a longer view, however, the report is notable in showing how thoroughly Unilever has captured the attention of sustainability professionals globally. It also documents how much has changed within the leadership landscape since GlobeScan and SustainAbility initiated this tracking program in 1997.
Unilever is recognized as the No. 1 corporate sustainability leader for the fourth year in a row, and its lead on the second-ranked company, Patagonia, is the largest we have seen. Unilever CEO Paul Polman himself was cited on Twitter as describing the company's dominant 2014 survey results "depressing" at a recent Guardian Sustainable Business event, poignantly highlighting his view that more companies need to step up.
One third of expert respondents identified Unilever (up eight points from 2013) as a "leader in integrating sustainability into its business strategy." Nearly one in 10 (9 percent, down give points) mention Patagonia, 7 percent mention Interface (down four points) and 6 percent point to M&S. Other companies named to the top 12 include Coca-Cola, GE, IKEA (first time in top 12 list since 2004), Nestle, Natura, Nike, Puma and Walmart (down 5 points).
The 2014 Sustainability Leaders Report marks 20 years' worth of the authors' tracking and analysis of the evolution of the sustainability agenda, and of the leaders and institutions most responsible for driving it forward. Top companies over those years include BP, Dow, Interface, Shell, Unilever and Walmart.
The 2014 report contains much fodder for further reflection. For example, consistent with recent years, experts see social entrepreneurs, NGOs and scientific leaders as contributing most towards sustainability leadership while government leaders are seen as demonstrating the poorest leadership across geographies. See our previous Proof Points column where we expound on this last point.
Regional variations show that leaders of multilateral organizations are better regarded outside the U.S. and Europe. Corporate leaders fare best in Asia and worst in Oceania and local government officials are rated more highly in North America than elsewhere.
The sustainability leadership landscape has changed significantly over the past two decades and is a continuing challenge across industries. Expectations from stakeholders have increased over time and new large branded platforms and programs have emerged pushing the standards up. There has been a rolling evolution of programs as some initiatives fail to live up to stakeholder expectations and drop off. Interface is the only company regularly featured in the rankings of the long term.
The hope and optimism around the Rio Convention back in 1992 to 1994 has fallen away and today, experts see technology and the private sector as playing an important role in creating political and social pressure for positive change.
Comparing the current crop of recognized leaders with those from a decade or more ago, we see that we have moved from an era of "do no harm" leadership where risk management was the dominant framework to one where early stages of transformation are emerging.
Experts see integrating sustainability deeply within an organization, performance against goals, and sustainable products as key drivers. Competitive pressure is increasingly seen as stimulating corporate sustainability over and above other tools and drivers, including green consumerism.
In the present era, the consumer products and food industries, represented in part by major retailers who exert significant influence over global supply chains, rise to the top. In stark contrast, in 1997, 3M, Dow, Dupont, Monsanto and Shell comprised the top five.
This leads to further questions: What company or industry will be the next to take center stage, and what new combination of leadership attributes will propel it there?
For all the nuances of how experts judge the relative leadership of companies, perhaps the bigger story is that they continue to see absolute leadership — of companies and governments, particularly — so thoroughly lacking. With companies calling for governments to set policies that will unlock a sustainable future, and politicians waiting for companies to lead the way, these are frustrating, if not dangerous, times for those seeking a certain future.
The science is clear, the business case is strong, and the ethical obligations are obvious: we do not have 20 more years to achieve significant wins on pressing sustainability issues. We hope this report will spur not just dialogue, but more bold, near-term action that transforms value chains around the world.
Unilever logo image courtesy of Unilever.


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Record new car registrations during 2015 suggest that the UK marketplace is thriving, but research undertaken by EDM with dealers and their customers demonstrates that there continue to be concerns over the level of customer service provided by dealers and manufacturers.
A poor customer experience both during the initial sales process, but also post-sales can have a significant negative impact both directly and via word-of-mouth, particularly in the age of internet reviews and feedback forums.
In order to win their fair share of the growing UK marketplace, manufacturers and their dealers need to improve the customer service they offer by automating as much of the financing process as possible. The majority (80%) of new car sales are backed by finance, according to the SMMT.
However, the research carried out by EDM found that only a third (34%) of people rated the service levels and efficiency of the car dealer they last dealt with as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’. Nearly one in 10 (8%) described it as ‘very poor’ or ‘poor’.
For car buyers who were disappointed with service levels, 45% said it was because they were given incorrect data and information. One in five people (20%) also said the process was very paper-based and took too long.
Car dealers are required to capture huge amounts of data – the critical thing is that this is managed effectively. Having the correct information, together with the speed and efficiency of the sales process, is closely correlated to how customers rate the service they received.
The impact of not getting this right can be significant: EDM’s research showed that a third (34%) of people avoid going to certain car dealers or marques because they have a reputation for poor customer service.
Quite significantly, some 86% of people who said that they were unhappy with service levels said they would not go back to that marque or dealer again.
EDM recognises that car dealers are aware of the importance of successfully and efficiently managing customer data and the positive impact it has on sales and service. Importantly, the technology exists to help them deliver a better customer experience.
For example, EDM has worked with the financial services division of a major car manufacturer to automate the process of paying out for car purchased with finance.
Instead of faxing documents from the dealer to finance company, they scan and upload the documents to a portal.
Behind the scenes the latest intelligent capture technology is used to automatically check the documents for errors, including validating if the customers driving license is valid, which are either automatically returned to the dealer for correction or passed and paid out within minutes.
This has significantly improved the process for customer, dealer and manufacturer by making it faster and more efficient and giving visibility throughout.
Author: Matt Collinge, Associate Director Automotive, EDM Group


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Kaymu.lk enables eZ Cash Payments
Kaymu.lk, Sri Lanka’s online shopping community has joined the eZ Cash network, enabling Kaymu customers to pay for goods and services using their mobile wallets.
The facility is available to all Dialog, Etisalat and Hutch mobile phone users operating mobile wallets, and they simply need to select eZ Cash as the payment method with no additional transaction charge.
“The partnership with eZ Cash is a first step in our commitment towards developing safe and effective payment solutions geared towards strengthening commerce and bringing even greater convenience to the customer,” said Saurabh Chauhan, country manager of Kaymu.lk.
Kaymu.lk is Sri Lanka’s online market platform, where buyers and sellers meet to avail from a wide range of products and services on offer. This platform has provided over 7500 merchants and its hundreds of thousands of customers , currently using Kaymu, with a reliable alternative pre- payment solution.


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Digital Transformation / DX
Artificial Intelligence / AI
Internet of Things
Social Media stories - Page 2
How to stay ‘screen fit’ when working at home
How do we avoid digital fatigue and stay connected? It starts with establishing a routine.
Hootsuite offers free pro plan to non profits and SMBs during COVID-19
Hootsuite has announced free access to its professional plan for all non-for-profit organisations and small businesses in a bid to support them through the COVID-19 outbreak and its impacts.
How to keep your customers engaged when introducing an integrated app strategy
While savvy businesses understand engaging with customers in their own environments makes sense, the path to making these meaningful connections with customers is not always easy.
Feeling lonely online? Share a pic of your pet, says psychologist
To address some of the more negative aspects of online life, pet food brand Pedigree and a bunch of New Zealanders have created a new app that asks people to post pictures of their pets.
TikTok surpasses 40 million daily active users
The milestone represents the rapid spread in global popularity the app has seen in the last few months, and the statistics spell an all-time record for DAUs for the app.
Hays: Jobseekers must 'self-disrupt' their career in 2020
taking calculated risks, not raising salary too early and highlighting transferrable skills for a sideways move are all ways people can land a job in the next year.
Q&A with Isentia: Knowing your customer base in an ever-changing media environment
How do you make enough noise to let people know who you are, but also build an authentic community and open lines of communication with your audience?
Social commerce growing in South East Asia markets
"With 90% of internet users in South East Asia connecting to the internet using their smartphone, the opportunity to engage with shoppers is vast."
#AltTextForAll: Improving the visual experience for blind & low vision people
More than 6.6 billion images are uploaded to the internet every day, but for those who are blind or have low vision, it can be a massively limited experience.
Social media a growing business risk across Asia Pacific
Organisations now face an even wider risk landscape, as they seek to tackle emerging digital threats and deal with complex reputational and regulatory issues.
Church group crowdsources 'I forgive you' emoji design
The Forgivemoji campaign encourages people to design an emoji that represents forgiveness. The team behind the campaign will then decide on the best entry and then submit it to the Unicode Consortium.
Online users giving out social media details too freely - Kaspersky
The survey revealed that online users in Asia Pacific appear to be willing to share their private information in exchange for various personal gains from social media.
Looking for love? Facebook gets in on the dating game
Facebook is trying to downplay the whole idea of Tinder-like swipes, and instead it’s promoting the idea of creating ‘meaningful relationships through things people have in common, like interests and groups.
Gen Z will look elsewhere if tech companies don't get their act together
"Tech companies need to tailor their recruitment to appeal to changing demographics and generations if they are to get ahead of the skills shortfall across the industry."
New report considers consumer rights around personal data
“While all companies were compliant with the data access procedures required under the Privacy Act, we found that many companies failed to provide all the user data they were collecting.”
Neighbourly celebrates massive milestone
“Hitting three quarters of a million members in just a few years is remarkable. It really proves how community-minded Kiwis are.”
'Smart arses' in a smart car on 18,000 km rally for mental health
18,000 kilometres is a long way to travel in a tiny 0.6 litre smart car, but that’s exactly what a Kiwi-British couple are doing to raise awareness of mental health.
Looking to land your dream job? Build your soft skills, says Hays
According to Hays latest Salary Guide, soft skills could be the differentiator between a successful or failed job search.
Twitter gets a makeover
Twitter has begun to rollout a refreshed and updated version of its website, as it looks to give users a more personalised experience.
NZ investors turn back on social media following Chch shooting fallout
New Zealand fund managers are taking responsible investment to new heights, accounting for more than 70% of total assets under management.
The four key trends shaping modern consumer behaviour
"Trust is continuing to drop and it's more important than ever to make brands culturally relevant."
Wikipedia cofounder urges people to go on strike from social media
We’re going to flex our collective muscles and demand that giant, manipulative corporations give us back control over our data, privacy, and user experience."
Retailers must prepare for social media revolution
Retailers need to ensure their back end operations are fit for purpose if they want to cash in on Instagram.
Hands-on review: The beauty of Adobe Premiere Rush
A good photographer will tell you that you need to follow the four main principles; lighting, lighting, lighting and lighting.


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New Delhi (AP) — India’s industrial production expanded 12.4 percent in July from a year ago, thanks to strong domestic demand and exports, the government said Tuesday.
The estimates surpassed expectations. Analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires expected industrial output to grow 11.5 percent in July.
The growth came on the back of sustained domestic demand and a surge in exports, although many had feared rising oil prices and interest rates could slow the economy.
The acceleration seen in July — industrial output expanded 9.6 percent in June — was also attributed to a low base in the same month a year ago.
Among industries, manufacturing output grew 13.3 percent in July compared with 6 percent in the same month a year ago. Mining production expanded 6 percent, while electricity generation was up 8.6 percent. Both mining and electricity generation had seen a contraction in July last year.
For the April-July period, manufacturing growth averaged 11.8 percent.
The new data prompted some analysts to revise their forecasts for the broader economy.
“We have increased our GDP projection for the current year to 7.8 percent from 7.6 percent earlier,” said Shubhada Rao, an economist at Yes Bank.
India’s gross domestic product has grown 8 percent annually over the past three years.
Rising middle class incomes have boosted sales of products like cars and telephones in India, prompting most companies to expand capacity. For instance, domestic car sales rose 23 percent during the April-July period.
Higher capital spending and the ongoing expenditure on infrastructure will continue to have a positive effect on industrial production, said Rajeev Malik, an economist with JPMorgan Chase Bank in Singapore.
However, “higher interest rates, softening in retail demand and moderation in external demand will cause industrial activity to moderate slightly” in the coming months, he said.


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Rino International Corp. (OTC:PK Rino) Dba Join Entertainment Holdings Inc., Announces Deal With One of the Largest Travel Booking Affiliates in the World.
RINO International Corp. (OTC:PK RINO), dba JOIN Entertainment Holdings Inc. (JOIN TV), is revolutionizing the way viewers experience F.A.S.T. (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) by offering second screen QR code connectivity to several of its channels. Due to the omnipresence of mobile devices in modern life, it is no surprise that media consumption has become increasingly multi-layered with many consumers using an additional screen for secondary activities while watching TV.
Rino International Corp. (OTC:PK Rino) Dba Join Entertainment Holdings Inc., Announces Approval From Roku, Google TV/ Chromecast, Android TV, Apple Ios and the Securement of a Strategic Partnership With Tvcoins
RINO International Corp. (OTC:PK RINO), dba JOIN Entertainment Holdings Inc. (JOIN TV), is thrilled to announce that it has reached approval status to operate on the following platforms: ROKU (NASDAQ: ROKU), Google TV & Chromecast (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Android TV – in addition, JOIN TV has reached approval on Android based smart phones and tablet operating systems (e.g. Samsung, Google Pixel and Motorola) as well as iPhone and iPads.
RINO International Corp. (OTC:PK RINO), dba JOIN Entertainment Holdings Inc. (JOIN TV), is thrilled to announce significant developments and a strategic shift in the Company’s business model. To align with our new focus, the Company has successfully completed a FINRA approved reverse takeover merger (RTO) as well as a change of control.
“Fast TV streaming revolutionizes entertainment consumption by saving money on subscriptions. Through consolidating subscriptions, cable replacement options, flexible subscription models, free ad-supported streaming, and bundling offers, users can reduce monthly costs while accessing a diverse range of content.”
“Lightning-fast TV streaming, powered by advancements in internet connectivity, is redefining entertainment with on-demand access, live TV options, and enhanced viewer convenience. Despite challenges like copyright issues and sustainability, this trend promises to revolutionize our TV viewing experience.”
Good News For Canadian Television Viewers As The F.A.S.T. Channel And A.V.O.D Marketplace Continues To Grow Through The Launch Of The Join Tv Network
“JOIN TV, Canada’s premiere F.A.S.T. (Free Ad Supported Television) channel and AVOD network, is set to launch on January 1st, 2023. Providing free on-demand channels for global audiences, it promises a diverse array of content, ending the need for monthly cable or subscription-based streaming services.”


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Those seeking to create beneficial environments will find no shortage of supply at this year’s tradeshow.
To get ideal wellness results, LED intensity and color temperature should only be the start of your strategy.
WLL Executive Director Barbara Spurrier talks healthcare innovation, the current focus on healthy living and more.
Security integrators should take a closer look at environmental monitoring solutions if they aren’t already.
Jan Vitrofsky, founder of HEDsouth, talks on how integrators can open a dialogue with designers.


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The group has expanded its outreach. (Press Release) Jewelers of America is promoting holiday gift ideas and JA member jewelers through a variety of nationwide public...
INSTORE helps you become a better jeweler
with the biggest daily news headlines and useful tips.
(Mailed 5x per week.)


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Mac malware meme put in its place
By John Leyden
3rd December 2008
One of the more famous Get a Mac ads boasted that Apple systems, unlike Windows boxes, didn't need anti-virus software. So when an article on an Apple support site encouraged the use of anti-virus software on Macs it seemed like news. In truth the article reiterated long-standing, though little publicised, advice from Apple.
There's little or no difference between an item on the support site published on 21 November and since pulled (but available through Google's cache here) and what Apple was saying in June 2007. Both encourage the use of anti-virus software on Mac machines, suggesting the same three alternative scanner software packages (from McAfee, Symantec and Intego). Apple has talked about anti-virus for Macs for much longer than this - since at least 2002 (notice here).
Updated 7:45 p.m. PST with expert comment, at 7:20 p.m. PST with context on previous coverage, and at 7:08 p.m. PST with background.
Apple removed an old item from its support site late Tuesday that urged Mac customers to use multiple antivirus utilities and now says the Mac is safe "out of the box."
"We have removed the KnowledgeBase article because it was old and inaccurate," Apple spokesperson Bill Evans said.
"The Mac is designed with built-in technologies that provide protection against malicious software and security threats right out of the box," he said. "However, since no system can be 100 percent immune from every threat, running antivirus software may offer additional protection."
Apple's previous security message in its KnowledgeBase, which serves as a tutorial for Mac users, was: "Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus writing process more difficult."


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By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Get your packages ready early
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Nobody knows that better than employees at McMinnville Post Office."It's already getting started," said McMinnville postmaster Brent Nunley of the Christmas rush. "We're seeing a lot more packages.


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A committee in the state Senate takes up that highly-publicized bill that would let grocery stores and gas stations sell full-strength beer, plus wine and liquor. It would be up to voters in each county whether they wanted to approve that. Supporters claim it’d be more
convenient for customers and lead to increased competition, while opponents worry about the impact on liquor stores.
- CONTACT US


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Upmarket British department store Marks and Spencer is the latest international retailer to be rumoured to be landing Down Under, with speculation the company is on the search for an Australian ad agency.
The rumours follow a report released by Deloitte this week that forecast the flood of international retailers coming to Australia will continue in 2015.
AdNews reports Marks and Spencer is shopping around for a local ad agency to make its move into the Australian market, with a senior agency executive telling the publication: “As far as I can tell, M&S hasn’t decided on which agency to appoint and in terms of opening, well, no-one knows the exact date but it will definitely happen soon.”
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Brian Walker, chief executive of the Retail Doctor Group, told SmartCompany the iconic British retailer has been rumoured to be looking at Australia for some time.
“Marks and Spencer are absolutely coming to Australia, that’s a given,” says Walker.
The upmarket department store was founded in 1884 and already operates in more than 50 territories worldwide, employing almost 86,000 people.
Offering everything from fashion to fine food across a mix of designer labels and its own brands, Marks and Spencer’s online channel has shipped products to Australia for several years.
“They know the market here, they know through their online sales and online intelligence that this a good market for them,” Walker says.
Walker says the arrival will pose the biggest threat to Myer and David Jones.
“I have to say, the duopoly of the department store scene is really under threat. It was clear there wasn’t ample space for more than two, but now with online department stores and online retailing, there is a real threat to big footprint department store models, like David Jones and Myer,” he says.
Built pre-internet, Walker says these models were founded on physical domination, big branding and lots of of stock in plenty of space.
“Online has changed that so dramatically. Businesses like Marks and Spencer can open anywhere around the world now and they have already built an understanding of their brand through their online presence,” he says.
Walker says there will be a significant ex-pat population that will likely flock to the brand, as well as many Australians who will be familiar with Marks and Spencer from travelling.
“It’s another part of the core supply of the department store duopoly being eaten away,” he says.
Marks and Spencer bricks-and-mortar stores are also well known for upmarket grocery departments, a feature which Walker says has been largely neglected by Australian department stores, relative to that of overseas players.
“The food offering has largely been left alone by department stores, relative to Marks and Spencer and Harrods. I can only assume they’ll bring that element, which has been missing from the Australian market,” he says.
Walker believes Marks and Spencer is likely to follow the path of international retailers before it, such as H&M, TopShop and Uniqlo, first opening in Sydney or Melbourne, before moving to Brisbane and eventually the west coast.
“I don’t think there will be a plethora of Marks and Spencer stores. They’ll first see how the Sydney and Melbourne goes and boost their online presence,” he says.
SmartCompany contacted Marks and Spencer but did not receive a response prior to publication.


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A new scheme to help protect small businesses from cyber attacks has been announced by Government.
Speaking at the Reform “Cyber Security: assurance, resilience, response” conference in London, digital economy Minister Ed Vaizey has outlined how a new voucher scheme designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) will launch later this month.
The launch of the voucher scheme is part of a package of initiatives designed to increase the resilience of UK businesses to cyber-attacks, the Government says. The package also includes a new online learning and careers hub to help ensure the UK has the cyber skills talent pool to protect both the public and private sectors as we face the reality of increasing cyber threats.
Digital economy Minister Ed Vaizey said: “We want to help protect UK businesses against cyber attack and make the UK the safest place in the world to do business online. The new voucher scheme will offer increased protection for small businesses, and the new online hub will help ensure we have the skilled workforce in place to manage the increased pressures of the digital age.”
The new UK £1m cyber security innovation vouchers scheme will offer micro, small and medium sized businesses up to £5,000 for specialist advice to boost their cyber security and protect new business ideas and intellectual property. The scheme will be overseen by the Government’s innovation experts at Innovate UK.
As well as helping protect businesses from cyber attack, the vouchers enable firms to access services from the UK cyber security industry. This new scheme will also help businesses to adopt Cyber Essentials, the Government’s flagship scheme to protect businesses online.
Innovate UK director of technology and innovation Kevin Baughan commented: “The UK’s economy is increasingly underpinned by digital infrastructure, so cyber security is now a critical component. The schemes announced today will give cyber-confidence for businesses and consumers and will help our digital economy to flourish. The UK now has the opportunity to become a world leader in cyber security, creating the jobs of tomorrow and driving productivity and growth.”


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27 Jun Ted Baker Unveils Amsterdam Flagship
The quirky U.K. fashion brand melds the best of cool Britannia with Dutch classic design for its new retail flagship.
British fashion and accessories brand Ted Baker opened its first Netherlands flagship store in September at 64-66 Leidsestraat in downtown Amsterdam. Spread over two floors, the flagship is dedicated to the company’s apparel and accessories in a bespoke Anglo-Dutch environment.
Read more as Gerry Walsh, Managing Director explains Dynamic’s role in latest flagship store.


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Home News Local News Agency weighs risk, benefits of grocery store project
Agency weighs risk, benefits of grocery store project
A message of hope was brought to the City of La Grande Monday night.
Developer Al Adelsberger said his vision to bring a grocery store to downtown La Grande is one he believes can restore hope in the area.
"The reality is we're trying to be part of the solution," Adelsberger said in a work session detailing a proposal for Market Place Family Foods.
The developer has hopes to site a local grocery store on the corner of Adams Avenue and Fourth Street, in the building formerly occupied by Blockbuster.
Few at the meeting doubted the project's potential. The big question was whether the Urban Renewal Agency should help fund the project. Adelsberger has requested Urban Renewal funds to the tune of $500,000 to bring the project to life. Urban Renewal project funds are typically capped at $75,000, well below what is requested for this market. City Manager Robert Strope said if the agency decides to approve the request, the funds would be disbursed in the form of a loan and could convert to a grant if certain criteria are met.
Adelsberger is partnered with Troy Berglund, who owns and operates Mt. Joseph Family Foods in Wallowa County. He has been in the grocery industry since 1975 and serves as president of the Joseph Chamber of Commerce.
"I'm a small-town grocer," Berglund said. "It's time to broaden our horizons and get out to La Grande."
Mt. Joseph Family Foods has been open for nearly nine years and was launched with Adelsberger's help. The team said that store raked in more than $2 million last year and would like to bring that success to La Grande.
Berglund said opening the store would bring 15 full-time jobs and nine or 10 part-time jobs with it. He said full-time employees would make $15 to $16 an hour.
If the Urban Renewal Agency, however, isn't willing to help fund the project, it likely will not happen, Adelsberger said, noting that he and Berglund are taking on much of the risk.
La Grande Mayor Daniel Pokorney said that citizens are concerned that the Market Place, another project spearheaded by Adelsberger, hasn't yet opened.
Adelsberger said that's because he wants to open the center the right way.
"We've got to make sure these businesses open properly," he said.
The upstairs part of the Market Place is slated to open this summer.
Before the project is taken to the Urban Renewal Agency for a decision, city staff will work with Adelsberger to nail down a timeline and work out other issues with the project that need to be mitigated to meet city requirements.
See full coverage in Wednesday's edition of The Observer.


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A new bill that would ban the U.S. government from buying Huawei and ZTE phones discriminates against Chinese companies and violates the principles of fair trade, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Friday.
The comment came after two US Republican senators on February 8 introduced a bill that would forbid the US government from buying or leasing products made by Huawei and ZTE.
The senators introduced the legislation citing concerns that the Chinese government could exploit hypothetical backdoors in their devices to spy on U.S. government officials.
"Such a move shows an obvious Cold War mentality and is discrimination against Chinese companies," the ministry said in a note faxed to the Global Times on Friday.
Such conduct goes against WTO rules and also runs counter to the principle of fair trade which has been emphasized many times by the U.S., the ministry noted.
"It will also harm Chinese companies' confidence in the U.S. business environment," the note reads.
Since the beginning of the year, the U.S. has strengthened scrutiny of Chinese firms, citing security concerns.
On January 2, Ant Financial's plan to buy U.S. money transfer firm MoneyGram International Inc collapsed after the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. rejected the proposals over national security concerns.
U.S. semiconductor firm Xcerra Corp on Thursday canceled its sale to a Chinese company, the latest instance of U.S. regulators blocking Chinese takeovers of U.S. tech firms, according to media reports.
Xcerra and Hubei Xinyan Equity Investment Partnership mutually agreed to call off the deal after deciding it would not be cleared by the committee.
It might look like the U.S. was protecting national security, but in fact the U.S. was deploying protectionist measures against investment from China, said Bai Ming, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing.
"The U.S. is selective about Chinese capital… It prefers Chinese companies that can offer jobs for its people, like Fuyao Glass, but restricts domestic firms from investing in the U.S. tech industry in case Chinese companies acquire its technology," Bai said.
The U.S. has always required China to open its markets, the tech industry in particular, while at the same time limiting access to Chinese companies for its own tech sector, Bai said, calling it "unequal and asymmetric opening-up."
Wang Jun, deputy director of the Department of Information at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges in Beijing, said that the U.S. is on alert toward the fast growth of China's economy.
It would be hard for investors nowadays to believe that the U.S. has long advocated investment liberalization and facilitation, Wang told the Global Times on Friday.
Experts said that given the pressure from competition with Chinese industries, the U.S. is likely to continue to hinder Chinese investment in the U.S. market in the future, especially in sectors like technology and energy.
Failed deals will hit Chinese firms' confidence in the U.S. market, experts suggested.
The commerce ministry said in the note faxed to the Global Times that it hoped the U.S. could treat Chinese companies and products in a fair and objective way.
The U.S. is expected to create a more open, transparent and convenient business environment and to secure sound and stable growth of Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations, which will also be conducive to the growth of the U.S. economy, according to the note sent from the ministry.


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The global microchip market has developed a surplus that has led to a crisis, Bloomberg reports, explaining that the surplus was caused by a decline in demand for these products in the aftermath of the coronavirus epidemic.
"Chip equipment companies' sales are plunging by around 30% to 50%. This is not a normal situation," said Greg Roh, head of technology research at HMC Investment & Securities.
The source notes that the situation in the 160-billion-dollar market also destabilizes the position of suppliers and harms the economies of Asian countries that depend on exports of technology. Because of this, the remaining companies in the market began to cut costs, form alliances or consider mergers to cope with the difficulties.
U.S. chipmaker Micron, for example, announced late last month that in addition to cutting production, it would also cut budgets for new plants and equipment. Sanjay Mehrotra, the company's chief executive, said the industry's recovery depends on how quickly industry players take such steps. "We have to get through this cycle,” he said. “I believe the trend of cross-cycle growth and profitability is still in place," he said.
South Korea's Hynix also cut planned investment and production. The microchip company's overshoot is partly the result of its acquisition of Intel Corp.'s embedded memory business, a deal that was struck before the downturn in that sector.
According to Economictimes, there are several reasons for the crisis: low demand after high demand during the coronavirus period, the war in Ukraine, historically high inflation worldwide and supply chain failures. In addition, prices for products that use these chips have fallen in price, and existing ones have been sitting in the warehouses of these companies for a long time.
"The chip industry thought that suppliers were going to have better control. This downturn has proved everybody was wrong,” Avril Wu, senior vice president of research at TrendForce, told the Web site.
The Web site notes that Samsung Electronics Co. and its competitors are already losing money on every chip they make. Total operating losses for the company and its competitors are projected to reach a record $5 billion this year. According to the site, these companies already have 3-4 months' worth of stock in their warehouses.
Incidentally, Samsung's quarterly profit fell, reaching its lowest level in eight years. The tech giant's operating profit in the fourth quarter was $3.5 billion, down 69 percent from last year. Revenue for the period was down 8%, slightly less than 57.3 billion dollars.


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By Gracious Madondo
Harare – Ministers of industry from the 21 Common Market for Eastern and Southern African (COMESA) member states have committed to building harmonised frameworks, guidelines and management of special economic zones and industrial parks.
The initiative is part of the COMESA Local Content Policy Framework aimed at transforming the region’s low productivity economies from over-reliance on export of unprocessed primary commodities into competitive ones that produce and export value added products.
This will contribute to full implementation of the 2019 COMESA Industrialization Strategy and Action, which seeks to guide structural economic transformation.
COMESA Secretary-General Ms Chileshe Kapwepwe told a recent meeting of the bloc’s industry ministers that, “The initiative will include supporting learning events and profiling some SEZ projects that could serve as regional centres of excellence. Besides, the Secretariat will promote the development of border economic zones and facilitate the needed technical assistance for their development, among others.”
After a communique after that meeting, Malawian Industry Minister Roy Kachale said the development of the harmonisation frameworks was timely given the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is no better time than now when the African Continental Free Trade Area promises to offer an even bigger opportunity for countries to widen their access to the global supply chain and export high value goods and services,” Minister Kachale added.
Zimbabwean Industry and Commerce Minister Sekai Nzenza added that industrial development was critical in addressing challenges to inclusive and sustainable economic transformation.
The industry ministers also approved the COMESA Guidelines on Increasing Sustainable and Inclusive Industrial Production during and after COVID-19.
The guidelines provide for enhancement of digital transformation such as e-commerce and e-trade to reduce and avoid physical contacts during transactions within and across member states while at the same time minimising transaction costs.
The COMESA industrialisation strategy is aligned with the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA3) whose guiding principles include government ownership and leadership of the initiative, strengthened enabling business environment, prioritised sectors with high potential for growth, and strong partnerships for financial and non-financial resource mobilisation at regional and continental levels.


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Tech Tips Search
Don’t be a victim: Tips for avoiding scams this holiday shopping season
With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging on, many people are more comfortable shopping at home than going to crowded stores.
The consulting firm Deloitte forecasts that e-commerce sales will grow by 25% to 35%, year-over-year, during the 2020-2021 holiday season. And the National Retail Federation said that in September, online and other non-store sales were up 27 percent year over year. Read the full article here


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New online accessibility rules in Ontario are prompting thousands of businesses and organizations in Ottawa and across the province to rethink the design of their websites and other digital content.
Any business or association with 50 more employees must comply with the updated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) contained in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) by Jan. 1, 2021.
However, organizations of all sizes stand to benefit from having a website that’s accessible to all audiences, including those with physical or mental disabilities and restrictions.
Non-compliance can come with serious ramifications, says Nigel McKechnie, an employment and human rights lawyer at Mann Lawyers.
“The legal risks are important,” he says, adding that corporations can be subject to a costly Human Rights Tribunal complaint and penalties of up to $100,000 per day for failing to meet the accessibility laws.
“People are aligning with brands and organizations that not only provide products and services that they need and want, but that also share their values and vision for the world.”
“In addition to the costs of the fines or awards for damages, businesses could be put to onerous legal fees, either to appeal those fines or to defend those human rights applications,” he says, adding that the process could also damage an organization’s public image.
One of the local companies that’s helping businesses and organizations meet the new requirements is Ottawa-based digital agency OPIN Software, which has developed significant expertise in this area.
In recent years, the OPIN team has drawn on its deep knowledge of online accessibility to help clients such as the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and the Canadian Paralympic Committee transform their websites, making web experiences easier and more effective for users, says Chris Fenn, a senior account executive at OPIN.
“Having an accessible website sends a clear message about your values and how those values translate into actions for your audience,” he says. “In today’s world, people are aligning with brands and organizations that not only provide products and services that they need and want, but that also share their values and vision for the world.”
The upcoming requirements build on existing accessibility regulations and push organizations to go a step further.
Current rules include having clear page titles for easier navigation, supplying text alternatives for non-text content such as images as well as providing alternatives to colour-coded instructions. (For example, think how problematic, “press the green button to continue” could be for an individual with a visual impairment.)
The new set of rules includes additional requirements such as using consistent menus and buttons across a website, superior colour contrast and the ability to resize text without losing functionality. These technical updates will allow a website to better integrate with assistive technologies such as screen readers.
Providing closed captions and audio descriptions on both pre-recorded and live videos is also a measure contained in the new set of regulations. Businesses will be expected to implement both types of captions to allow those with difficulty hearing to better access their content.
It all adds up to more engaged interactions with all visitors to an organization’s website.
“Your digital experience should enable and empower your audience to engage and become informed, rather than frustrated,” Fenn says.
How online accessibility can benefit your business
By providing all users a positive online experience, your business is more likely to have repeat clientele.
Using alternative text for images, captions on videos and a navigable site map results in increased search engine optimization, making it easier for people to find your business online.
Broadening your reach
Reaching and engaging a wider audience can dramatically affect the ability of your organization to meet its goals, acquire new customers and provide a high-level customer experience.
While redesigning a website to be fully accessible may seem like a daunting task, Fenn says there are several online tools that can help businesses get started through a preliminary scan that identifies problematic areas of their website.
“Most sites have some issues present, so it’s important to document and understand the nature and impact of the issues that are flagged,” he adds.
OPIN works with clients to understand where their websites need adjusting before making recommendations that will produce the highest accessibility scores.
The digital agency team also continues to work with their clients after the initial website overhaul to assist in preventing future accessibility issues from developing.
OPIN has made accessibility a core value of the agency, reflecting its importance to the company’s work. All employees undergo accessibility training, which means all of the company’s projects are designed with WCAG standards in mind.
“Ultimately, OPIN does more than comply with accessibility requirements – accessibility has been a cornerstone of OPIN’s company, culture, and projects since the company’s inception,” says Fenn. “Just as an accessible website sends a certain message, so too does the choice to not offer an accessible experience to your audience.”
Get your site accessibility ready
OPIN Software can help your business implement an accessibility roadmap with its on-demand webinar “Preparing for Ontario’s Upcoming Web Accessibility Requirements (AODA).”
Learn more about what your website needs to become fully accessible and tips on how to achieve it.


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|By Kevin Benedict||
|January 16, 2013 07:00 AM EST||
The Mobile Commerce News Weekly is an online newsletter made up of the most interesting news, articles and links related to mobile commerce and marketing, mobile payments, mobile money, e-wallets, mobile banking, mobile ads and mobile security that I run across each week. I am specifically targeting market size and market trend information.
Also read Enterprise Mobility Asia News Weekly
Also read Field Mobility News Weekly
Also read Kevin Benedict’s What’s New in HTML5
Also read M2M News Weekly
Also read Mobile Health News Weekly
Also read Mobility News Weekly
Also read SMAC News Weekly
Commonwealth Bank of Australia recently announced an increased focus on its mobile banking systems in what was another signal that Australian consumers are becoming more comfortable with their mobile devices. Read Original Content
The results of a study conducted by Walker Sands Communications, a marketing and public relations firm, has revealed 23.14 percent of visits to websites that occurred in December 2012 were of the mobile commerce nature, having stemmed from smartphones and tablets. Read Original Content
A new report from eMarketer forecasts a huge growth in tablet spending in North America. M-commerce strictly from tablets is expected to reach $24 billion this year. Read Original Content
Founded in 1979, DSI is a global provider of Enterprise Mobility Solutions®, helping companies worldwide increase productivity and profitability regardless of data source, device type, operating system or network connectivity. DSI serves clients globally through its offices in Australia, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. This newsletter is sponsored in part by DSI.
Spending on mobile paid search and mobile display advertising in North America hit $3.95 billion in 2012, up 213 percent from $1.26 billion in 2011, research firm eMarketer Inc. says. Read Original Content
Ticket seller Fandango has been at the forefront of mobile ticketing, and business is booming. Mobile ticket sales increased 171 percent in 2012 over 2011 and accounted for more than 30 percent of the company’s overall ticket sales, Fandango reports. Read Original Content
Groupon has announced its mobile payments service is now available to Android users, after launching first on the iPhone in September. The service allows merchants to accept credit cards and debit cards by swiping them through a card reader attached to a mobile device, like an iPhone or iPod touch or Android device. Read Original Content
Customers in Salt Lake City and Portland are being invited to beta test U.S. Bank's new Go Mobile payments service, using an iPhone NFC case that stores a FlexPerks Visa credit card. Read Original Content
The mobile payment market in China looks to be turning into a force to be reckoned with. Market research firm Analysys International recently predicted that by 2015, mobile payments in the People’s Republic would top $114 billion. Read Original Content
According to Juniper Research, 590 million mobile phone users across the globe will use their device for banking purposes by 2013; by the end of 2017 the number will exceed one billion. Read Original Content
Mobile advertising prices rose dramatically in the fourth quarter of 2012, as the advertising season kicked into high gear. In fact, the metric for effective cost per thousand impressions was up 50 percent, new data suggests. Read Original Content
Facebook is making quick progress in growing its mobile advertising business, according to major ad platform Kenshoo. It sees 20 percent of all Facebook ad spend going to mobile. Read Original Content
Berg Insight estimates 4.4 percent of the total global ad spend across all media will be targeted at the phone screen in 2017. Read Original Content
mCommerce is surging according to a new report from eMarketer that shows smartphones and tablets contributing to escalating levels of mobile and online sales. eMarketer estimates U.S. retail mCommerce sales exploded 81 percent to nearly $25 billion. Read Original Content
Online sales accounted for 80 percent of its total sales over Christmas, up from 74 percent in 2011, and mobile accounted for 28 percent of all online sales, soaring 150 percent year-on-year. Read Original Content
Despite the hype, 41 percent of U.S. shoppers – that’s close on 103 million Americans – currently won’t use their smartphones or tablets to buy products and services online, new research reveals. Read Original Content
Recent Articles by Kevin Benedict
The Role of a Mobile Strategist
Mobile Strategies - Time, Place and Waste
Aberdeen Group, SAP and Mobile, Social and Cloud
Twitter, Smartphones, TV and Real-Time Feedback
Measuring the Value of Social and Mobile Solutions in the Enterprise
M2M, Social and Enterprise Mobility Strategies and Trends
Mobile Data, Filtering and Real-Time Decision Making
Whitepapers of Note
The A to Z of Mobile Workforce Scheduling Optimization
The Long Tail of Enterprise Mobility
Staying Awake with Workforce Management
Two Roads to Mobile Workforce Management: Choosing Between On-Premises and Cloud Delivery
Read The Future of Work
One of the biggest challenges when developing connected devices is identifying user value and delivering it through successful user experiences. In his session at Internet of @ThingsExpo, Mike Kuniavsky, Principal Scientist, Innovation Services at PARC, described an IoT-specific approach to user experience design that combines approaches from interaction design, industrial design and service design to create experiences that go beyond simple connected gadgets to create lasting, multi-device experiences grounded in people's real needs and desires.
May. 27, 2015 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 6,396
The true value of the Internet of Things (IoT) lies not just in the data, but through the services that protect the data, perform the analysis and present findings in a usable way. With many IoT elements rooted in traditional IT components, Big Data and IoT isn’t just a play for enterprise. In fact, the IoT presents SMBs with the prospect of launching entirely new activities and exploring innovative areas. CompTIA research identifies several areas where IoT is expected to have the greatest impact.
May. 27, 2015 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 5,328
Can call centers hang up the phones for good? Intuitive Solutions did. WebRTC enabled this contact center provider to eliminate antiquated telephony and desktop phone infrastructure with a pure web-based solution, allowing them to expand beyond brick-and-mortar confines to a home-based agent model. It also ensured scalability and better service for customers, including MUY! Companies, one of the country's largest franchise restaurant companies with 232 Pizza Hut locations. This is one example of WebRTC adoption today, but the potential is limitless when powered by IoT.
May. 27, 2015 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 6,767
The Internet of Things will greatly expand the opportunities for data collection and new business models driven off of that data. In her session at @ThingsExpo, Esmeralda Swartz, CMO of MetraTech, discussed how for this to be effective you not only need to have infrastructure and operational models capable of utilizing this new phenomenon, but increasingly service providers will need to convince a skeptical public to participate. Get ready to show them the money!
May. 27, 2015 07:00 PM EDT Reads: 6,284
SYS-CON Events announced today that MetraTech, now part of Ericsson, has been named “Silver Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9–11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York, NY. Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society- a world leader in communications infrastructure, software and services. Some 40% of the world’s mobile traffic runs through networks Ericsson has supplied, serving more than 2.5 billion subscribers.
May. 27, 2015 06:45 PM EDT Reads: 2,209
The Internet of Things is not only adding billions of sensors and billions of terabytes to the Internet. It is also forcing a fundamental change in the way we envision Information Technology. For the first time, more data is being created by devices at the edge of the Internet rather than from centralized systems. What does this mean for today's IT professional? In this Power Panel at @ThingsExpo, moderated by Conference Chair Roger Strukhoff, panelists will addresses this very serious issue of profound change in the industry.
May. 27, 2015 06:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,485
SYS-CON Events announced today that BMC will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. BMC delivers software solutions that help IT transform digital enterprises for the ultimate competitive business advantage. BMC has worked with thousands of leading companies to create and deliver powerful IT management services. From mainframe to cloud to mobile, BMC pairs high-speed digital innovation with robust IT industrialization – allowing customers to provide amazing user experiences with optimized IT per...
May. 27, 2015 05:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,229
The Internet of Things is not new. Historically, smart businesses have used its basic concept of leveraging data to drive better decision making and have capitalized on those insights to realize additional revenue opportunities. So, what has changed to make the Internet of Things one of the hottest topics in tech? In his session at @ThingsExpo, Chris Gray, Director, Embedded and Internet of Things, discussed the underlying factors that are driving the economics of intelligent systems. Discover how hardware commoditization, the ubiquitous nature of connectivity, and the emergence of Big Data a...
May. 27, 2015 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 6,817
The world is at a tipping point where the technology, the device and global adoption are converging to such a point that we will see an explosion of a world where smartphone devices not only allow us to talk to each other, but allow for communication between everything – serving as a central hub from which we control our world – MediaTek is at the heart of both driving this and allowing the markets to drive this reality forward themselves. The next wave of consumer gadgets is here – smart, connected, and small. If your ambitions are big, so are ours. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Jack Hu, D...
May. 27, 2015 12:49 PM EDT Reads: 791
The 4th International Internet of @ThingsExpo, co-located with the 17th International Cloud Expo - to be held November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA - announces that its Call for Papers is open. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the biggest idea since the creation of the Worldwide Web more than 20 years ago.
May. 27, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,447
SYS-CON Events announced today that DragonGlass, an enterprise search platform, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. After eleven years of designing and building custom applications, OpenCrowd has launched DragonGlass, a cloud-based platform that enables the development of search-based applications. These are a new breed of applications that utilize a search index as their backbone for data retrieval. They can easily adapt to new data sets and provide access to both structured and unstruc...
May. 27, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,386
We’re entering a new era of computing technology that many are calling the Internet of Things (IoT). Machine to machine, machine to infrastructure, machine to environment, the Internet of Everything, the Internet of Intelligent Things, intelligent systems – call it what you want, but it’s happening, and its potential is huge. IoT is comprised of smart machines interacting and communicating with other machines, objects, environments and infrastructures. As a result, huge volumes of data are being generated, and that data is being processed into useful actions that can “command and control” thi...
May. 27, 2015 11:51 AM EDT Reads: 777
As the Internet of Things unfolds, mobile and wearable devices are blurring the line between physical and digital, integrating ever more closely with our interests, our routines, our daily lives. Contextual computing and smart, sensor-equipped spaces bring the potential to walk through a world that recognizes us and responds accordingly. We become continuous transmitters and receivers of data. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Andrew Bolwell, Director of Innovation for HP's Printing and Personal Systems Group, discussed how key attributes of mobile technology – touch input, sensors, social, and ...
May. 27, 2015 11:30 AM EDT Reads: 4,402
All major researchers estimate there will be tens of billions devices - computers, smartphones, tablets, and sensors - connected to the Internet by 2020. This number will continue to grow at a rapid pace for the next several decades. With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing IoT strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @ThingsExpo, June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is as "IoT-Ready" as it can be
May. 27, 2015 11:15 AM EDT Reads: 2,865
WebRTC defines no default signaling protocol, causing fragmentation between WebRTC silos. SIP and XMPP provide possibilities, but come with considerable complexity and are not designed for use in a web environment. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Matthew Hodgson, technical co-founder of the Matrix.org, discussed how Matrix is a new non-profit Open Source Project that defines both a new HTTP-based standard for VoIP & IM signaling and provides reference implementations.
May. 27, 2015 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 5,525
Buzzword alert: Microservices and IoT at a DevOps conference? What could possibly go wrong? In this Power Panel at DevOps Summit, moderated by Jason Bloomberg, the leading expert on architecting agility for the enterprise and president of Intellyx, panelists will peel away the buzz and discuss the important architectural principles behind implementing IoT solutions for the enterprise. As remote IoT devices and sensors become increasingly intelligent, they become part of our distributed cloud environment, and we must architect and code accordingly. At the very least, you'll have no problem fil...
May. 27, 2015 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,301
Almost everyone sees the potential of Internet of Things but how can businesses truly unlock that potential. The key will be in the ability to discover business insight in the midst of an ocean of Big Data generated from billions of embedded devices via Systems of Discover. Businesses will also need to ensure that they can sustain that insight by leveraging the cloud for global reach, scale and elasticity.
May. 27, 2015 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 7,190
"People are a lot more knowledgeable about APIs now. There are two types of people who work with APIs - IT people who want to use APIs for something internal and the product managers who want to do something outside APIs for people to connect to them," explained Roberto Medrano, Executive Vice President at SOA Software, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at Cloud Expo, held Nov 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
May. 27, 2015 09:30 AM EDT Reads: 4,703
In their session at @ThingsExpo, Shyam Varan Nath, Principal Architect at GE, and Ibrahim Gokcen, who leads GE's advanced IoT analytics, focused on the Internet of Things / Industrial Internet and how to make it operational for business end-users. Learn about the challenges posed by machine and sensor data and how to marry it with enterprise data. They also discussed the tips and tricks to provide the Industrial Internet as an end-user consumable service using Big Data Analytics and Industrial Cloud.
May. 27, 2015 07:30 AM EDT Reads: 5,765
Building low-cost wearable devices can enhance the quality of our lives. In his session at Internet of @ThingsExpo, Sai Yamanoor, Embedded Software Engineer at Altschool, provided an example of putting together a small keychain within a $50 budget that educates the user about the air quality in their surroundings. He also provided examples such as building a wearable device that provides transit or recreational information. He then reviewed the resources available to build wearable devices at home including open source hardware, the raw materials required and the options available to power s...
May. 27, 2015 04:30 AM EDT Reads: 4,411


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A shopper has attempted to return thousands of dollars' worth of supplies to an Australian supermarket after stockpiling them at the start of the coronavirus panic buying outbreak, a retailer says.
The man, who had tried and failed to re-sell the goods online, was turned down for a refund when he approached an Adelaide supermarket.
Drakes Supermarkets director John-Paul Drake said the man called the supermarket to try to get a refund on 132 packs of toilet rolls and 150 one-litre bottles of hand sanitiser.
He said the shopper bought the goods, worth around $10,000, with the help of a "team" of stockpilers when panic buying surged about four weeks ago.
"In that conversation [the shopper said] 'my eBay site has been shut down, so we couldn't profiteer off that'," Drake told ABC Radio Adelaide.
Drake described that kind of stockpiling as "absolutely disgraceful", and said it was the reason that supermarkets had had to "band together" to introduce purchasing limits on products like toilet paper and hand sanitiser during the coronavirus crisis.
"The rest of my team [is] over this sort of behaviour and having to police people taking more than they need - that's a tough thing to deal with," he said.
"I never thought I'd been in a situation that I'm seeing here.
"We're not used to it, no-one is used to it, when people take advantage of the system.
"It's not necessarily being sold here or used here, or hoarded here - it's being marked up [online] for a considerable amount."
Last month, Australia's competition watchdog flipped a key rule of consumer law in response to the coronavirus pandemic, allowing supermarkets to work together to ensure shoppers can get food at a fair price.
Usually supermarkets and suppliers working together in the market would be dubbed collusion, and would be punishable by huge fines from the competition regulator.
But in a temporary measure, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) allowed supermarkets to coordinate with each other "when working with manufacturers, suppliers, and transport and logistics providers".
The authorisation, which applies to Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and Metcash, which runs IGA supermarkets, did not allow supermarkets to agree on retail prices for products.
The ACCC said the interim ruling was intended to "ensure the supply and the fair and equitable distribution of fresh food, groceries, and other household items to Australian consumers."
- If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs) or call your GP - don't show up at a medical centre


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Government contacts that supply businesses can use to keep medical products flowing into the UK after 31 December 2020.
Read about the government’s plan to introduce import controls on EU goods after 31 December 2020.
Business can prepare for border controls by making sure they have an Economic Operator Registration and Identification
(EORI) number and looking into how they want to make declarations, such as using a customs agent.
The government will ensure the facilitation currently available to rest-of-world traders will also be open to those trading
between Great Britain and the EU.
The government has already announced it will implement new border controls in 3 stages leading up to full implementation in
July 2021. Details are set out in the Border Operating Model, published on 13 July 2020.
If you have any questions about ensuring the flow of medical supplies into the UK after 31 December 2020, you can contact
the relevant government team for your sector:
Published: 3rd August 2020
Source: GOV UK, Department of Health and Social Care
Page URL: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-services-to-help-medical-supply-businesses-manage-brexit?utm_source=c461308a-46bc-4471-8325-ddb23f633caa&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate
Millie joined the BHTA in March 2019 after completing an Extended Diploma in Level 3 Creative Media.


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Floors & More gives members more ways to win
Las Vegas—Attendees at this year’s Floors & More convention got their first look a host of programs designed to boost member revenues and service offerings while growing share in their respective markets. The latest initiatives include a new partnership with a prominent digital marketing firm that promises to elevate members’ social media marketing skills, as well as a new tiered membership system offering a host of benefits to a much broader spectrum of residential retailers.
According to Vinnie Virga, president and CEO of Floors & More, it’s all about giving members more—more ways to effectively market, merchandise and, of course, make more money. “We are in the midst of a full-on renovation of our suite of digital tools,” he said. “It’s a major upgrade.”
This upgrade, he told attendees, comes courtesy of a deal with Mobile Marketing to take over the group’s suite of digital marketing tools. Effective immediately, Mobile Marketing will not only manage the websites of Floors & More members—which include Floor to Ceiling retailers as well as Big Bob’s Flooring Outlets—but also provide in-depth analytics to track leads and other key metrics while better managing social media marketing efforts.
“We’ve talked to a lot of different vendors, retailers and manufacturers, and we believe Mobile Marketing is the leader in this space,” Virga told attendees. “They provide some of the best flooring websites available today, and they are well capitalized. More importantly, they prioritize their clients, not their own agenda.”
Virga shared statistics showing nearly 60% of large-volume dealers in the US use Mobile Marketing’s services. That speaks volumes, he said, for Floors & More members who are now transitioning to the new digital marketing agency. “We’re moving fast,” Virga said, adding Big Bob’s Outlets are already on the new platform. “Our members are going to have new and improved social media capabilities and really cool technologies and visualization tools. Plus, analytics that help you then track a host of things, including conversion rates.”
Bringing more than 30 years of marketing experience across various industries, Carole Cross, CEO and owner of Mobile Marketing, assured retailers of the company’s renown digital marketing capabilities. “Our deep integration and our relationships will be able to offer you exclusive things that you just can’t get through any agency,” she said. “We work hard behind the scenes, bringing products and services to retailers.”
Floors & More retailers FCNews spoke to expressed optimism about the new partnership with Mobile Marketing. “I’m very excited about the new Mobile Marketing deal,” said Butch Dillon, owner of Wyoming-based Sheridan Floor to Ceiling, a Floors & More member for the past seven years. †[Digital marketing] is something that I’ve always pushed aside. I dabble a little bit with Facebook, social marketing, radio, but I’ve been kind of scared of it just because it’s a whole animal by itself. I just need to embrace it and move forward. I think it’s going to be a lot easier to use this format.”
Blair Schmoekel, owner of Ogden’s Flooring Design, with five locations in Utah, said he feels the new deal with Mobile Marketing will only further streamline the company’s digital marketing efforts. “I am not really proficient on anything technical, so I was very excited to hear about this new deal,” he said. “I think what they had before was pretty solid and we’ve got a good digital presence, but I’m pretty excited about an upgrade.”
More membership options
As Floors & More looks to help retail members significantly improve their operations, management of the buying group—which is just over 80 members strong—is offering new ways for potential members to join. This details expanding services while lowering the cost of admission. To that end, Floors & More has unveiled a new pricing structure designed to give retailers more options and, hence, more incentives, to sign up. What used to cost $1,600 a month will now be available for as little as $349 a month. Prospective Floor to Ceiling members—the segment of Floors & More focused on independent retailers—will have a choice of five different tiers of membership.
As Vinnie Virga Jr., Floors & More vice president, explained: “There’s a two-tier system for marketing for those that are really more concerned about getting help with their website, digital presence and search ranking; the merchandising side might not be as meaningful to them, although there will still be a merchandising aspect of that program. Then there’s the people who are the opposite. They love their marketing, and they’ve got the resources to do that, but they still see the value in taking advantage of the rebates and the private brands and the national promotions. We also offer the standard membership, which is the combination of those two approaches. There’s also an upgraded version of the marketing and an upgraded version of the full membership.”
By doing this, according to management, Floors & More is able to create different offerings and pricing tiers so that anyone—whatever their business model—has a way to be a part of the group and find the right model that fits their needs. “We really want to be more accommodating to allow more people to take advantage of the program,” Virga Jr. said. “At the end of the day, we don’t want people to be deterred by a price tag. And this allows them to say, ‘You know what? I want to try this.’ If it works well then it’s easy for them to segue into other aspects of the program.”
While the $349 monthly plan has some limitations, it still packs a valuable punch. “It’s based on the idea that one size does not fit all,” Virga Sr. said. “But it will have rebates, it will have our vendors and it will have a strong digital marketing presence. It’s a heck of a program at that kind of a price, which means we can help a lot of people today who currently don’t really give us a good look and understand the value because they’re scared by the price tag.”
While on some level it may sound too good to be true, Floors & More management assures potential members that they have much to gain—and little to lose—by taking the plunge. With the old pricing being a barrier to entry, the new, reduced pricing expands options for the retailer.
“This new structure allows us to do something that none of our competitors can do,” Virga Sr. said. “It allows us to really create a track in the group, because it’s our belief people will enter the group at that value equation and quickly see all the things we do.”
First-time conference attendees like Patrick and Mary Guiry of Englewood, Colo., who are new to the retail side of the business, are going all in. “We were very impressed with what we heard, at the conference,” Mary Guiry said. “This group is so well organized and put together. The day before the meeting I wasn’t sure if this was the best option for us; today, I would definitely say yes to joining.”
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Green tea is a comparatively new segment in the Indian tea market and growing at a very fast pace. With increasing awareness of different health benefits that green tea offers, Prakash says the market for the product is about on a 60% YOY growth. Laplant Beverages, a Mumbai based startup is now offering fine quality green tea and various blends of it.
Rohan is the founder of Hokey Pokey Icecreams and also the primary founder of Drums Food International who own the Hokey Pokey ice cream brand. An investment banker and management graduate from Wharton, Rohan started Hokey Pokey in 2008 from a single outlet in Mumbai. Today the icecream brand has 15 outlets across Mumbai, Pune and Nashik and by the end of the year is looking to add another 18 to its list of locations.
Which budding entrepreneur wouldn’t like to save time by hiring an affordable secretary? But efficient executive assistants come with a hefty price tag. While technocrats have come up with handy apps to save time and money, PlanMyDay (PMD) has come up with a solution that provides a humane touch
If you visit the GIP mall at Noida, the MGF metropolitan mall at Gurgaon, the Oberoi mall in Goregaon, or the Inorbit mall in Vashi, and are offered some freebies, don’t be surprised. Yes, sachets of products from companies and brands like Pond’s, HUL, Dabur, Knorr, Lifebuoy, Veet, L’Oreal etc., are offered for free at these locations via kiosks set up by startup GoTry.
Started in February 2011, Akosha is a platform that customers can use to redirect their grievances to brands, they deal with. YourStory had covered the venture when it launched. Back then they were helping customer’s make legal wills for a fee, however two years down the line, there has been a pivot in what the startup does and lots of satisfied customers.
The photography industry is highly disorganized in India. Most good photographers have an online presence but there is no way to search for one near you and hire him/her for an assignment. We need great pictures and photographers need assignments. 3 young entrepreneurs are trying to join these bridges by launching Piconect.com – India’s business listings for professional photographers.
Learning and imparting skills by way of classes has been prevalent since a long time. However, these classes are mostly restricted to a single geography and hence the sector has largely remained unorganized. While ventures supporting formal education like Start-up school, Pictualize exist, the new entrepreneurial generation have now trained their guns to the informal education sector, to tap and improve the skill development market. Raghuveer Malik, co-founder of SkillHippo, thinks skill revolution will be the next big thing in India.
TastyKhana is an online food ordering portal to help people in Pune get tasty food delivered to their doorsteps. Today TastyKhana spans across 6 cities and has grown to a 42 member team. But one thing that has remained unchanged in the last six years, is the fact that Shachin keeps his team as happy as he wants his customers to be.
Co-founded by Hardik Shah, Sonakshi Pratap, Bhavishya Pratap & Shantanu Kamath, Theek Kar Do(TKD) helps you get broken appliances, gadgets, plumbing and electrical problems in your house be fixed. Theek Kar Do started in November 2012 and currently caters to suburban Mumbai.
Learning with activities is an area which is seeing a lot of activity and startups are coming up with various ways in which education can be made more engaging. Imagimake wants to create fun, creative and constructive engagement ideas for kids through live workshops on crafts and other activities. The venture is co-founded by Ravi Kumar [...] Read More


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For Immediate Release
Well Beyond Care, Inc.
(844) 4WB-CARE (844 492 2273)
Well Beyond Care Launches Keep Safe Care
Launch of new entity to allow more people to own a private duty agency without paying the high cost of a franchise
Austin, TX, Apr 03, 2019 –Well Beyond Care, a company that is revolutionizing the private duty industry, has launched a new entity, Keep Safe Care, to address the growing cost and inefficiencies of the private duty agencies. In addition to Well Beyond Care nationwide care matching service saving saves families between $10,000 and $30,000 per year in caregiving costs in comparison to private duty agencies, its software has the potential to reduce the cost of operating a private duty agency by 50% to 60%.
Jeffrey Fry, Well Beyond Care’s CEO and President states, “The private duty model is dominated by franchisors who charge $100,000 to $250,000 to open a franchise. We know that our software can impact the efficiencies of a private duty agency severely. As such, we have launched a new endeavor that copies the Starbuck’s model of growth by offering licenses through our new entity, Keep Safe Care.”
The Keep Safe Care model will sell licenses for a fixed fee, right now targeted at $7,500, and charge a small monthly licensing fee, as opposed to a percentage of sales. Presently, most franchisors charge 5% to 6% of sales to its franchisees.
Mr. Fry adds, “We know that the largest cost in running a private duty agency has to do with recruiting, retaining, curating, and managing caregivers, and our software can reduce those costs by 80%. In addition, we have been able to reduce truancy and turnover to under 1%, where the industry standard is 25% truancy and 53% turnover. We are hopeful to have this program fully launched by the end of the summer (2019).”
Well Beyond Care has been approached by investors to accelerate the release of what the Company calls its non-franchise license and is presently collecting information of individuals interested in starting a Keep Safe Care private duty agency at keepsafecare.com.
About Keep Safe Care
Keep Safe Care is about revolutionizing the way that private duty agencies deliver care. The company wants to change the old mold of big companies controlling franchises, and eliminating franchises’ problems of caregiver truancy and turnover. Keep Safe Care’s goal is to reduce caregiver truancy and turnover by empowering caregivers and those who are receiving care. The company holds the promise of increasing Caregivers standard wage, while at the same time, reducing caregiving costs by 10% to 15% over other traditional private duty franchises. For more information go to keepsafecare.com.
About Well Beyond Care
Well Beyond Care is the only company that teaches families and individuals how to find and manage affordable non-medical in-home care, while solving the chronic problems of caregiver truancy and turnover through the web application, WellBeyondCare.com. The Company’s platform combines the power of the internet with the personal touch of nurses to offer families a pathway to transitional care, allowing our elderly parents to safely age-in-place. Their solution lowers stress in hiring a caregiver and saves families tens of thousands of dollars per year in care costs.


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The term buy local takes on a special significance here in Hawaii. Living on an island, we rely heavily on imports, shipping in nearly 90% of our food. But, as HPR’s Molly Solomon reports, an upcoming event is bringing together local farmers and producers...with the hopes of getting more Hawaii products on our shelves.
SPROUT Hawaii takes place Saturday, August 10 from 8 am - 6:30 pm at the Kapiolani Community College. The event is free and you can register online.


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Cedemo has launched its Video Game Barcode Scanner app in the US and UK for iPhone and Android smartphones.
The app lets people scan barcodes of console games in-store, to call up descriptions, videos, trailers, screenshots and other information. It launched last month in France.
Cedemo is running a competition to promote the US and UK version, giving away ezVision Video Glasses and games to people who use the app to share details of a scanned game on Facebook.
The company plans to make money from paid-for promotions within the app, but for now there are no price comparison features – unlike apps like ShopSavvy, eBay Mobile or Price Check With Amazon.
For more on Cedemo’s plans, read our siter site ME’s interview with the company.


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Apple delayed its return to corporate headquarters until at least January, Bloomberg reported. Bloomberg reports that Apple attributed the slowness to an increase in COVID-19 instances and new variations.
Apple has previously stated that all staff will return to office by October of the current year.
A staff letter acquired on Thursday by Bloomberg News said that Apple return to corporate office had delayed as early as January due to an increase in COVID-19 instances and new variants of the virus.
Employees have expected to work in the office at least three days a week, on Wednesdays and Fridays. Also with remote work opportunities, according to the note, according to Bloomberg. A month before returning to work, the iPhone manufacturer assured staff it would finalize reopening plans. Previously, all company employees had to return to work in October.
Some companies like Twitter and Facebook have told their employees that they can work from home indefinitely.
Apple has not responded to a Reuters request for comment outside of normal business hours.
Several companies in the United States have changed vaccination, camouflage, and return-to-work plans due to the recurrence of COVID-19 cases and the announcement of new guidelines by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report stated that while Apple does not force staff to get vaccinated, it has pushed them to go on strike in protest of the situation. Employees at other tech businesses like Uber, Google, and Facebook must vaccinated before returning to work, as well.


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Kimball announces first-quarter earnings, salesNovember 5, 2013
From local sources
JASPER — Kimball International Inc. (Nasdaq: KBALB) today reported net sales of $317.4 million and net income of $9.2 million, or 24 cents per Class B diluted share, for the first quarter of fiscal year 2014, which ended Sept. 30.
Consolidated net sales in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 increased 10 percent from the prior-year first quarter on increased net sales in both the Electronic Manufacturing Services, or EMS, segment and the Furniture segment, according to a company news release.
First-quarter gross profit as a percent of net sales increased 0.1 of a percentage point from the prior-year first quarter. A slight decline in the gross profit percentage in both segments was more than offset by the favorable impact of a sales mix shift toward the Furniture segment, which carries a higher margin.
Consolidated selling and administrative expenses in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 increased 12 percent in absolute dollars compared to the prior year. The increased costs were due primarily to higher incentive compensation costs, increased salary costs, higher sales and marketing costs, and higher commissions related to increased sales in the Furniture segment. In addition, the company classified one of its three aircraft as held for sale during the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 and recorded a $1.2 million pre-tax impairment charge ($700,000 after-tax impact).
Other general income in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 included $5 million of pre-tax income resulting from settlement proceeds related to two antitrust class action lawsuits of which the company was a member. The class actions alleged the defendant sellers illegally conspired to fix prices of electronic components purchased several years ago by some of Kimball’s manufacturing facilities in the EMS segment.
Other income for the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 was income of $1 million compared to income of $300,000 in the first quarter of the prior year.
The company’s effective tax rate for the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 was 28 percent compared to 31 percent in the first quarter of the prior year. The current-year first-quarter effective tax rate was favorably impacted by a $500,000 adjustment to the company’s deferred tax asset valuation allowance in the EMS segment.
Operating cash flow for the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 was $16 million compared to $9.5 million in the first quarter of the prior year.
The company’s cash and cash equivalents increased to $109.6 million at Sept. 30, 2013, compared to $103.6 million at June 30, 2013. The company had no short-term borrowings outstanding at either date. Long-term debt including current maturities was $300,000 million at Sept. 30.
Kimball President and CEO James C. Thyen said, “Our operating performance in the Furniture segment in the first quarter reflects increased demand, the effective execution of our strategy and the commitment of our entire Furniture team to improve results. Our Furniture segment returned to profitability in the first quarter, after recording losses for the second half of last fiscal year. Our focus on accelerating top-line growth in the Furniture segment was evident in the first quarter as the orders received during the quarter increased 18 percent over the prior-year first quarter. Overall, we are pleased with the progress being made in the Furniture segment.”
Thyen continued, “In the EMS segment, the automotive end market is benefiting from relative strength in the U.S. market and improvement in the Chinese market which contributed to a double-digit increase in our first-quarter sales to the automotive market compared to last year.
Industrial market demand is also improving. While first-quarter sales increased over the prior -year first quarter in this segment, sales were down compared to the third and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2013 when we surpassed our 4 percent operating goal. The lower absorption of our fixed costs as a result of the lower revenue was the primary driver for missing our 4 percent operating income goal in the first quarter.”
Contact The Herald at email@example.com.


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Spotify Technology plans to sell a more expensive version of its music service in Scandinavia, a test to see whether it can raise prices around the world, according to people familiar with the matter.
Vivendi is in talks to sell 10% of Universal Music Group to China’s Tencent, helping the world’s biggest music company expand in fast-growing Asian markets. Vivendi shares rose as much as 9%.
Spotify shares fell as much as 5.1% in pre-market trading on Wednesday after the music streaming company reported slightly slower subscriber growth than investors had hoped.
Apple plans to fund original podcasts that would be exclusive to its audio service, according to people familiar with the matter, increasing its investment in the industry to keep competitors Spotify and Stitcher at bay.
Spotify has launched a “lite” version of its music streaming app aimed at users in emerging markets like South Africa where data costs can be prohibitive.
Facebook is to launch a cryptocurrency next year – backed by the likes of Mastercard, Visa and PayPal – which will allow people to move money from their smartphones.
Apple has said it welcomes competition in face of accusations that it has an unfair advantage on its App Store.
In the podcast this week, Duncan McLeod and Regardt van der Berg chat about the astonishing comeback of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. What’s driving it? And what happens next?
When Apple went head-to-head with Spotify in 2015 by launching a music streaming service, things were always likely to turn ugly.
Spotify has reached 100 million paid subscribers, a first for any music service, adding more customers in the latest quarter than analysts expected and boosting confidence the company has lots of room to grow.


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PepsiCo Inc.’s acquisition of SodaStream International Ltd. continues the soda and snacks seller into healthier categories and opens doors to the at-home beverage-making market, but won’t ultimately solve the core problem that Pepsi faces, according to Wells Fargo: fewer people are drinking soda, period.
Early Monday, Pepsi
Pepsi has agreed to acquire SodaStream US:SODA for $144 per share, or $3.2 billion.
The deal continues Pepsi’s move away from sugary beverages and has an environmental component, with SodaStream’s reusable bottles reducing waste.
“SodaStream is highly complementary and incremental to our business, adding to our growing water portfolio, while catalyzing our ability to offer personalized in-home beverage solutions around the world,” said Ramon Laguarta, Pepsi’s CEO-elect, in a release statement.
Wells Fargo analysts look back at another deal and see similarities.
“[W]e can’t help but see parallels to Coca-Cola’s
On July 11, Pepsi reported second-quarter earnings, saying that North America Beverages experienced a 16% operating profit decline.
Outgoing Chief Executive Indra Nooyi said the Pepsi brand “continues to make progress towards more stable performance” with continued investment.
“At the same time, we remain laser-focused on higher growth categories with appropriate brand investment and robust innovation,” she said, according to a FactSet transcript. “For example, Bubly, a cleverly marketed new entrant in the fast-growing sparkling water segment, launched earlier this year and it continues to perform exceedingly well.”
Wells Fargo maintained its market perform stock rating despite the acquisition.
“In short, we remain concerned about challenges facing Pepsi’s core business and, as such, continue to see limited upside for Pepsi in the near term,” the note said.
Wells Fargo does see the deal as a way to further diversify Pepsi’s products and channels, giving the company an in with the in-home beverage category.
GlobalData’s senior consumer insights analysts Melanie Felgate, thinks giving consumers the chance to recreate Pepsi beverages at home could be a draw. Moreover, the deal could give SodaStream a boost.
“Although long established, SodaStream has remained a relatively niche brand, but with the backing of a global soft drinks giant there is an opportunity to propel the concept mainstream,” she wrote.
“SodaStream allows consumers to customize their own beverages to create not only flavors — but potentially sugar levels — to suit their needs, helping PepsiCo better meet consumer’s needs for products which are not only healthier but do not compromise on taste.”
PepsiCo shares closed Monday down 0.1%, and are down 5.1% for the year to date. SodaStream shares gained 9.4% Monday, and are up nearly 103% for 2018 to date.
The S&P 500 index


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Halloween 2020 Cp
Elm Shakespeare Company announces its free, socially distanced panoramic Halloween live performances of Taste of Fear: Tales of Terror and Suspense by William Shakespeare in New Haven’s Edgerton Park! . The Quad Cities COVID-19 Coalition (a partnership between the Rock Island County Health Department and Scott County Health Department) released some tips on how everyone can stay safe this . As COVID-19 case numbers continue to creep up in parts of the country, some parents are feeling spooked about letting their children trick-or-treat on Hallo .
CP Rewritten: Halloween Penguin Style Sneak Peek – Bat Costume
- Pokémon GO October 2020 Events, Spotlights and Special Research .
- CP Rewritten: Halloween Penguin Style Sneak Peek – Bat Costume .
- Here’s how the PNE plans to ‘slay’ Halloween 2020 | CP.
Pin on Vampiress Costumes for Halloween
A list of winners in the top categories at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, held Wednesday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.— Top Hot 100 song: “Old Town . 5 Halloween costumes I want to see in Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition this year We’ve gotten a spooky costume pack every year so far Posted by Steven ‘Dreamking23’ Chavez • October 9, 2020 at .
CP Rewritten Times: Issue #176 – Halloween… – Club Penguin Mountains
If you want to run an old CP/M program — maybe you want to run WordStar or play StarTrek — you have several options. One is to acquire some classic hardware. You can also build a new computer The store, known by locals as ‘CP’, recently pulled out 50 to 60 bins of Halloween costumes and decorations for sale, said Equihua. On Friday several racks were packed with get-ups galore .
2020 2018 Halloween Decorations Skull CP Doll Halloween Party
- Pin on CP/Stamp of Approval.
- Game Arknights Exusiai Mostima RHODES ISLAND CP Uniform Cheongsame .
- Club Penguin Rewritten Halloween – Club Penguin Mountains.