text:
By the hundreds, tourists and local London residents alike lined the walkway railings along the Thames River on Saturday, as Tower Bridge's famous drawbridge slowly raised and a tug boat guided Silversea Expeditions’ Silver Cloud through the waters beneath it.
Special invited guests – Venetian Society members who’ve sailed much on the expedition product, as well as top producing travel agents who sell expedition cruises and news media, including Travel Agent – waved small U.K. flags distributed by the line. People ashore waved back as the ship passed.
It wasn't the Royal Wedding, but the hoopla was right "up there" as cruise industry events go.
So what was the occasion? On June 3, 2008, Silversea Expeditions, a specialty product of the Silversea Cruises brand, was created. This past weekend’s two-night special journey was to celebrate the expedition product's first 10 years. That short cruise ended this morning in Dublin, Ireland.
Coincidentally, Manfredi Lefebvre, executive chairman and owner, Silversea Cruises and Silversea Expeditions, told travel agents, veteran expedition travelers and media in briefings on the ship that it was also 25 years ago that he first sailed on Silver Cloud from Tower Bridge on the line’s first voyage.
“It started because I’m a very lucky man,” says Lefebvre. “My job is to do what I love and what I love is travel. And travel for me means seeing new places, meeting people, learning [about] cultures which are different everywhere I go.”
Since then, the company has evolved to a fleet of nine ships in two different brands – the classic Silversea Cruises with five ships and the more adventuresome, far-flung Silversea Expeditions product with four ships.
The 16,800-grt Silver Cloud, recently received an ice-strengthened hull and other updates in a significant drydock. It's now transitioned from the classic fleet to become the expedition product’s flagship.
Sailing past Greenwich on Saturday, Silver Cloud blew its horn to greet sister ship Silver Spirit, recently cut apart and lengthened with a new mid-section added in a Palermo, Sicily, shipyard.
The two ships continue to blow their horns alternatively back and forth before Silver Cloud then continued onward toward the sea -- and Silversea Expeditions began its journey into the second decade.
Onboard for the special celebratory voyage were Lefebvre; Roberto Martinoli, the cruise company’s CEO; Barbara Muckermannn, the line’s chief marketing officer; Mark Conroy, managing director, the Americas; Peter Shanks, managing director, United Kingdom and Ireland; and Conrad Combrink, senior vice president, strategic development expeditions and experiences, among others.
Sailing to Remote Places
While Manfredi believes it’s beautiful to go around the ports of the world from ships, it’s an added experience for guests to go places where it’s difficult to go to. “We all know that Norway is beautiful, Chile is beautiful but there are even more places and that’s how we started [Silversea Expeditions],” Lefebvre says.
At those remote, off-the-beaten-path destinations, guests have authentic, local cultural and wildlife experiences they’ve dreamed about. But, they don’t have to rough it.
“You’re always in comfort,” says Lefebvre. “You’re always followed and assisted by the ship. So you’re never alone….When you go around, Silversea is with you everywhere you go. ”
When it launched 10 years ago, Silversea Expeditions started with one small vessel, the ice-class Silver Explorer, originally named the Prince Albert II, in honor of the same-named monarch of the Principality of Monaco, where Silversea is based. He cut a ribbon to launch the ship back in 2008.
So at the welcome onboard event, Lefebvre introduced a special video in which Prince Albert spoke to the audience and expressed his congratulations to Silversea Expeditions on its 10th anniversary. “On a personal level, I feel a real bond with this achievement,” he said. “I look forward to joining you soon for another expedition.”
Possible Wind Project
During their time onboard and in discussions with agents, guests and journalists, Lefebvre and other officials alluded to more capacity coming for the expedition product. Martinoli said he was proud of the recent conversion of Silver Cloud to an ice-class ship and that it wasn’t an easy project.
In addition, the line opted to completely refurbish the ship. “It’s the same feeling as when you walk on the Silver Muse,” Martinoli said, referring to the muted color scheme, lighter in feel, and yet rich at the same time. He said it was much the same when the Silver Spirit came out of drydock after its recent lengthening and refurbishment. “It looks great,” he said.
In the next phase for both the classic and expedition fleets, “we are starting to work on [planning updates] for the Silver Whisper and Silver Wind, and there is more to come,” said Martinoli. “We’re going to be able to bring the standard of the fleet to what you see here [and] what you see on the Silver Muse.”
Recently a sister to Silver Muse, the new Silver Moon, was announced as the next classic fleet new build, coming in 2020. Another ship will launch in 2021 and the line has an option for another classic fleet vessel in 2023.
“The fleet expansion is going to be very aggressive,” Martinoli told the crowd. “On the expedition side, we have a sister ship [Silver Wind] of this one that might be a good candidate to go through the same [process as Silver Cloud].” Executives called that “the Wind project” onboard, but did not commit to a specific decision on that as yet.
For example, Lefebvre stressed: "This ship [Silver Cloud] has been so successful, it commands a ‘Wind’ transformation,” yet he also said "on top of that we have several other ideas.” So agents will have to stay tuned.
“Hopefully, we will come soon with some great news,” said Martinoli.
Capacity Versus Demand
But what about the industry-wide growth in expedition cruising capacity over the next few years? What about the potential for price dilution? Silversea’s executives indicated little concern, based on this reasoning.
Martinoli said that if people look at the line’s latest Antarctica season, “we’ve been increasing capacity by over 60 percent, we been able to fill it pretty easily and the success of this business is so evident.”
He said that any increased capacity will be more than offset by increased demand for the expedition type experience. “It’s pretty obvious,” he stressed, referring to burgeoning demand. So he said “we are not too concerned about flattening of prices.”
Conroy added that there are 85,000 Venetian Society (loyal past guest) households in North America alone: “They’re not always the big buyers of our polar exploration in the north and the south, but where they really help us is they like to collect destinations.”
The beauty of that, he explained is that when a ship leaves to transit between Antarctica and the Arctic, it takes a month’s transit. Along the way the line has created itineraries that are interesting and appealing for those Venetian Society guests, so Conroy said: “That allows us not to lose all the money we made in Antarctica in repositioning the ship up to the Arctic.”
“I think that’s a competitive advantage we have versus a new start-up company,” Conroy noted, adding that Silversea knows how to get the ship back and forth in a profitable manner.
In addition, Muckermann said that changing consumer dynamics also bode favorably for expedition cruising – even with sizable added capacity. For Baby Boomers who are retiring with both time and money, the expedition product is a good fit.
“Today it’s not just about owning,” she stressed. “It’s about experiencing.” She explained how “watch sales” globally have dropped and even the world’s largest diamond producer has cut back on production: “Boomers are not interested in jewels, cars or watches. They are shifting ‘the spend’ to experiences.”
And, as a savory tidbit, she said that for the Chinese market, the number one expeditionary region is Antarctica and the polar regions.
Silversea has a different focus than many expedition lines with its onboard experience as well. It focuses 100 percent on luxury and 100 percent on expedition at the same time, according to Martinoli: “We do it very different because we do it with an ultra-luxury product.”
And with Silver Cloud, which has a faster sailing speed than some other expedition ships, Conroy said the ship can cover more territory in a shorter time – turning what might be a 21-day to 23-day expedition into a 15-day sailing, which broadens the market for potential clients who will book.
Over the past decade, Silversea Expeditions has journeyed to Antarctica, the Russian Far East, West Africa, Bangladesh and the Northwest Passage. “This is just beginning,” said Muckermann. Bangladesh is coming back. The line will add the Northeast Passage in 2019.


text:
An initial print ad for IBM's new NetVista desktop PC line was planned for Sept. 17, when the line debuted, but was postponed following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The multimillion-dollar campaign by WPP Group's Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, New York, supports the activities of IBM's Personal Systems business, which includes desktop PCs, ThinkPad notebook PCs and PC services.
Among the programs IBM will offer business customers are wireless communications services and the ability for companies to manage software upgrades remotely.
IBM spent an estimated $40 million on measured media to support PC products during the first six months of this year, according to Taylor Nelson Sofres' CMR.
The budget on the new drive is not known.

domain: news


text:
Who pays the most for an iPhone? Report breaks down relative pricing around the globe
posted by Stephen S. / May 19, 2016, 11:54 AM
If you want a good deal on an iPhone, don't buy it in an i-CountryThe figures chart sales of the iPhone 6 over the past couple years, converting local prices to US dollars and showing just how much of a premium users in all these countries end up paying.
While many nations see only a ten- to twenty-percent premium over US sales, there are a few outliers where buying an iPhone becomes an increasingly expensive proposition. In Brazil, for instance, a weak real has kept iPhone prices high, and smartphone fans there pay what works out to about $930 for a phone that would otherwise cost closer to $600 in the States.
Indonesia, Sweden, India, and Italy round out the top-five list of nations where a new iPhone will cost significantly more than in other global markets. Ironically, the lesson seems to be: if you want a good deal on an iPhone, don't buy it in an i-Country.
Have you ever found yourself needing to pick up a new smartphone when traveling internationally and were shocked at what you ended up paying? Share your experience in the comments.
source: Business Insider via iClarified
Posts: 6748; Member since: Feb 10, 2012
Where is Lebanon on this list? The 1st 1 months after an iPhone release, you are considered lucky if you got the 16GB variant for $1100. The 6S Plus 128GB was sold for around $1800.
posted on May 19, 2016, 12:09 PM 8
No one cares about Lebanon. Insignificant market. It's not worth mentioning Lebanon so this is why Lebanon is not on the list.
posted on May 19, 2016, 1:10 PM 4
Posts: 1251; Member since: Dec 03, 2014
Ha ha I love the theory behind this.....calling Sweden an I-country, or denmark, Finland, Belgium etc....... this really show how much US citizens know about the rest of the world.....And I'm pretty sure that the tele communication coverage/tech level in most of those countries are way higher than in the US. Take denmark as an example. Here you got 4G in most of the country........And soon it will be 4G+.......
posted on May 19, 2016, 12:19 PM 1
Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013
In the USA, 95% of the country has 4G. Unless you live in the middle of the California or New Mexico desert, you can get 4G. What's your point. Where I live in Chicago , 3G is faster because less people are on it.
posted on May 19, 2016, 1:29 PM 3
Posts: 4974; Member since: Mar 04, 2010
When an area is constantly operating at max capacity, carriers add more hardware to compensate. They're in the business to make money. If they overcompensated right from the start, they lose money. Would it be smart business thinking to set your network up to handle 100,000 users when the most it ever sees is 10,000? You start out with a minimum comfortable threshold and then add capacity as necessary.
posted on May 20, 2016, 12:28 AM 0
Posts: 1485; Member since: Mar 18, 2012
Denmark is like a tiny little spec of nothing compared to the United States. The US is 3.806 million square miles. Denmark is 16,524 square miles. Denmark is the size of a VERY small state. In comparison to Nevada its like 1/10th of it's size. Yeah... The US has WAY more LTE coverage than Denmark.
posted on May 19, 2016, 1:39 PM 1
Posts: 1485; Member since: Mar 18, 2012
A large portion of the US is not inhabitated especially in the western states. In which don't require cell signal or in areas where there are too few of people to fork out so much money to build towers. They must be maintained, operated, etc.... Why would they build towers out there? Europe is very densely populated. It would make sense to build towers where there are people. Obviously.
posted on May 19, 2016, 4:33 PM 1
Posts: 1946; Member since: Feb 15, 2012
Yeah....and you can fit all those countries in Texas. We have to worry about vast amount of land, not a country the size of Connecticut.
posted on May 19, 2016, 5:13 PM 1
One thing I noticed - prices are lower across the board From 2015 to 2016. Why do trips constantly complain that Apple increases prices?
posted on May 19, 2016, 12:29 PM 3
Posts: 18; Member since: May 02, 2016
We're tracking the iPhone 6. Of course prices would drop after a year, when newer hardware is out.
posted on May 19, 2016, 12:44 PM 4
Sorry didn't notice that. But either way, iPhone never cost more Than the previous one. The new model take same price as old one, while the old one drops by bout $100. It seems that other countries are different, but that's not apples problem if some countries charge exsorbant fees to sell it there.
posted on May 19, 2016, 6:28 PM 0
Posts: 3947; Member since: Oct 03, 2015
I know there is a lot that factors into the price of items sold overseas but some of these prices are absolutely ridicules. I wouldn't even consider buying and iPhone if I lived in any of the countries above Japan.
posted on May 19, 2016, 12:39 PM 0
Send a warning to post author
Send a warning to Selected user.
The user has 0 warnings currently.
Next warning will result in ban!
Ban user and delete all posts
Message to PhoneArena moderator (optional):


text:
Turkish President Recep Erdogan has said Turkey will boycott U.S. electronic goods, including Apple’s flagship iPhone device.
“If they have an iPhone, there’s Samsung on the other side; In addition, we have our Venus Vestel (a Turkish smartphone),” Erdogan said in a statement.
Interestingly, Apple products are widely used in Turkey, including by Erdogan himself, who in many photographs comes with an iPhone or an iPad. During the failed coup d’état of 15 and 16 July 2016, Erdogan himself urged his followers to go out with the FaceTime phone application, developed by the ‘Apple brand’.
As of July 2018, the iPhone holds 16.5 percent market share in Turkey while iPhone ‘s global competitors Samsung’s market share in Turkey is 52.7 percent. An estimated $ 7 billion is paid for the iPhone, which is among the top imported phones in 10 years.
Turkey is a big market for the smartphone industry, the total number of mobile subscribers in the country are 79 million as per the report of 1st quarter 2018, by Information Technologies and Communications Authority (BTK).
Apparently, some citizens took the words of Erdogan to the letter and posted videos on Twitter that appear destroying their new iPhones responding to Turkey Lira crisis.
In addition, the country’s flag airline, Turkish Airlines, and the main telecommunications company, Turk Telekom, will stop advertising on digital platforms based in the United States.
Representatives of both companies announced on Twitter that they will join the call to stop advertising on US platforms.
According to the Anadolu agency, the boycott will also affect Google, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.
In recent weeks the dispute between Washington and Ankara has increased over the US Protestant pastor Andrew Brunson, arrested in 2016 in Turkey on charges of terrorism and espionage and whose release demands the White House.
US President Donald Trump reacted by announcing new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Turkey. The measures aggravated the Turkey Lira crisis on Monday.
The Turkish currency has already lost 40% of its value against the dollar since the beginning of the year. Erdogan defined the depreciation as a result of an “economic attack” from abroad.


text:
A small portion of those delisted CTV apps sold advertising through open programmatic offers.
Basis Technologies, provider of cloud-based workflow automation and business intelligence, has now been added to the list of ad-tech companies laying off employees.
Long term, what's the plan for ads on local TV? Borrell Associates is estimating nearly flat results for U.S. local advertising -- up just 0.6% to $121.5 billion in 2023.
Marketers invested an estimated $3 million in programmatic ad spend on delisted CTV apps in Q3.
Strong double-digit percentage growth on U.S.-based AVOD services will slow dramatically by the end of this year -- at a 9% rate, says MoffettNathanson Research. The business is estimated to grow to
$18.1 billion by 2025. "This includes $3 billion combined ad revenue from Netflix and Disney+," says Robert Fishman, media analyst, MoffettNathanson Research.
AdTheorent Health recently announced the launch of Predictive Audiences for the healthcare industry. It allows programmatic advertisers to target audiences in a more precise, data-driven and less
opaque manner than previously possible.
In a fragmented, multichannel programmatic ad landscape, audio has emerged as one of the more impactful formats. But what are data-driven audio spots good for in the larger marketing mix? Are
programmatic ad insertions as effective as traditional host reads? And how trackable and accountable has this medium become since the days of vague download counts? Spark Foundry's VP, Programmatic
Consulting, Natasha Morris, shares best practices and learnings from Spark Foundry's work across many audio formats for a range of clients.
OOH used to be a glorified real estate business where location and road-side visibility was the unique selling proposition. Programmatic then emerged as a transformative equalizer to the conversation.
With a complete "through-line" view into what people consume beyond their home, brands have started to leverage the future of OOH and its connection to broader programmatic ecosystem. Walton
Isaacson's Managing Director of Digital Innovation, Albert Thompson, illustrates how brands have executed within the programmatic marketplace to stitch together a "connected experience" of ad
exposure. Physical Proximity is the driver as the consumer moves from gas stations, retail stores, business offices, public transit, biking paths, and ridesharing - all through OOH.
Advertisers' increasing reliance on first-party data will materially change media planning, buying, and selling and re-establish foundational values that have been downplayed in the programmatic era.
Eventually, it will put publishers on a level playing field with walled gardens, according to 68% of advertisers that Advertiser Perceptions interviewed in June.
OTT spending is forecast to exceed $2 billion -- drawing strength from multiple business verticals, including political advertising. From 2022-2026, OTT will grow at a 14.3% compounded annual growth
rate, second to digital TV owned-and-operated streaming and website advertisements sold by local broadcast stations.
Open programmatic ad spending on connected television this year has risen 31% worldwide.
Majorities of U.S. and UK advertisers surveyed indicate more granular content insights would motivate them to shift some linear budget to CTV.
Retail media retains its lead when it comes to search, discovery and purchases. Here's why Amazon, Google, and eBay have become the top three destinations to search for products in the U.S. and EMEA,
according to a recent ChannelAdvisor study.
Forty percent of Roku apps and 30% of Amazon Fire TV apps have at least two bundle IDs, creating potential headaches for advertisers.
Ad spending by the travel industry more than doubled from a year earlier, as consumers yearned to sightsee after being stuck at home during the pandemic.
Brands turn programmatic on at the top of the funnel, but don't consider how it impacts the entire journey, according to Sam Huston, chief strategy officer at 3Q/Dept.
Advertisers boosted their spending by 62% from a year earlier on Amazon's Sponsored Display ads during the two-day shopping event.
The biggest moves will come with realignment as Jon Diament, Karen Grinthal and Greg Regis divide responsibilities among the company's more than 20 cable TV networks. Reports last month suggested the
new Warner Bros. Discovery would cut around 30% of its ad force as part of the goal CEO David Zaslav outlined to investors, to achieve $3 billion in synergistic savings as a result of the merger.
IBM launched an initiative as part of the Cannes Lions festival, bringing together agencies and rands to generate awareness and action to mitigate bias in advertising and marketing technologies.
Hunter Douglas has been on a five-year journey of bringing ever more of its media buying and planning in-house, first search, then social, and now Video and programmatic and branding. But as Tiffany
Leung explores, this has been more than an operational shift. It required not only changing KPIs, staffing and messaging but a cultural shift to value a data-driven approach to all aspects of
marketing, internal organization and event onboarding customers.
Traditional linear TV-focused political advertising continues to underdeliver large segments of voters, according to a survey by MiQ, a programmatic media company. In a survey of "hundreds" of
political advertisers, MiQ said, "both Republican and Democratic advertisers missed between 25% and 40% of potential voters through their existing strategies, more than enough of a gap to make a huge
difference in races with little to no margin for error."
Brian O'Kelley, CEO and co-founder of Scope3, credited with the invention of programmatic advertising and the ad exchange, said about 3% or 4% of all energy use in the world powers the internet. And
all those emissions are funded by advertising.
Dstillery last week launched ID-free AI for cookieless ad targeting. The company will soon introduce a new version for health care.
KERV Interactive COO Marika Roque describes the reasons that advertisers are tied into programmatic buying, the best channels that work with CTV, how search can support CTV campaigns, and the promise
of shoppable ads.
Yearly growth in U.S. digital ad spending slowed from 62% in the second quarter to 21% in the fourth quarter on tougher comparisons.
"Three-fourths of U.S. CTV display ad spending will transact programmatically in 2022," says eMarketer Senior Analyst Ross Benes.
Managing campaigns now takes an average of nine types of software or digital platforms.
Many marketing professionals said external regulation is necessary to make the advertising marketplace more open to scrutiny.
Market fragmentation among "walled garden" outlets is one of the biggest challenges for marketers.
Kroger Precision Marketing on Wednesday announced the launch of a private programmatic ad marketplace that enables agencies and brands to reach consumers through Kroger's audience data and preferred


text:
Connect Commercial Real Estate | July 11, 2017
Brooklyn’s retail sector has reached a “tipping point,” according to “Brooklyn: Residential Construction Boosts Retail,” the latest research report from GFI Realty Services.
“National retailers are not just comfortable entering the Brooklyn market – it’s become an absolute ‘must’ for many,” said Justin Fitzsimmons, research analyst of GFI.
For example, in the first quarter of this year, retail rents grew 8% to approximately $325-per-square-foot on the Fulton St. corridor, between Flatbush Ave. and Boerum Pl., compared to the year before.
“Throughout most of the country, retailers are dealing with new realities by reducing their footprints or closing stores altogether. In Brooklyn, though, there’s a strong correlation between the rise in retail and an incredibly flush residential pipeline.”
View full article here.


text:
Huseyin Deniz and his wife, Muserref, have found success in making espresso and sandwiches for the masses of Moab. What might be a surprise is that they do it all out of a tiny green trailer parked next to the Canyonlands Trading Post, 83 S. Main St, from 8 a.m. until 7 p,m. daily.
Welcome to Cafe Italiano, one of Moab’s newest coffee shops and very possibly the smallest. Offering a variety of coffee and espresso drinks, panini, smoothies and other goodies, the Deniz family have found a niche in the Moab restaurant scene.
“It became a passion for me, brewing coffee,” Huseyin said. “It may be cliche to say, but when I brew each customer of mine coffee, I feel like they are one of my good friends.”
“It is with that understanding mentality that we are trying to brew our coffee,” he said. “I try to express and share this with all of our helpers, colleagues and friends of our coffee shop.”
Huseyin is a trained barista who loves brewing coffee for fun.
“Brewing coffee was my hobby, you can ask my wife,” Huseyin said.
“When she wanted coffee, I would give all my attention to it and brew really good coffee at home,” he said. “Later, I would bring coffee to the office. Maybe 10 or 12 people were working in that office and I would make coffee for everyone.”
His hobby has paid off. Cafe Italiano is a popular spot for tourists and Moabites alike.
“Their espresso is really good,” Moab visitor Madelyn Browning said. “I’ve never been to Italy, but this beats the other coffee I’ve had in town so far.”
The Denizes are fairly new members of the Moab community. After visiting Moab less than three years ago, the family decided to move to Utah.
“Me and my wife decided to make a big tour all around California, and we landed in San Francisco.” Deniz said. “One of my best friends had been living in Moab for eight years and insisted that we drive over to Moab. We had really limited time, but he convinced us to come for just two days. We loved it!”
The couple knew that visitors would love what they had to offer.
“I figured out that there are a lot of families from Europe coming here,” Deniz said. “In Europe and Turkey, there’s a custom of getting a nice cappuccino or espresso after a meal. Coffee is also important for social times. It is not only a drink, but a social communication for people.”
The couple started their food truck business in September 2018 after realizing that renting commercial space in Moab is a large expense. Now located in the parking lot of the Canyonlands Trading Post, the Denizes rent the space to park their trailer. The couple are well-liked tenants of Robert Daye, the owner of the Canyonlands Trading Post.
“They’re just absolutely wonderful people, genuinely nice people,” Daye said. “I have no complaints at all about them and I think they’re a great asset to our community. They’re here early in the morning and late at night, trying to make a living out of a little box, I’ve got a lot of respect for them.”
While the couple expressed enthusiasm for their current set-up, they hope to add more seating and shade. The Denizes are also looking for a building space to start a second business.
“Maybe our next step will be a Mediterranean restaurant,” Huseyin said. “I’ve been trained at more than 12 years in five-star hotels all over Turkey. I know food culture. Food and beverage is one of the biggest parts of hospitality. Still, I have good connections with people who are masters of the kitchen. Maybe one will come here to work in my kitchen.”
While their passion may be coffee, the Denizes are just like many Moabites in their love of Moab’s recreation opportunities.
“In our first year, we have just been totally focused on the business, but next season we will take special days to go skydiving, hiking and maybe rafting in the river,” Huseyin said. “The environment is awesome for activities. It’s one of the best in the world!”
What: Cafe Italiano
When: 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. daily
Where: 83 S. Main St
For more information or to place a to go order, call 435-259-3630


text:
Fed up with Ads? Install Dainik Bhaskar app for news without ads
20 minutes agoAuthor: Gagan Gurjar
- Copy link
Over 45 films have been released so far this year on the OTT platforms. Some of these films were made directly for these platforms, while there were others which
Digital rights of ‘Lakshmi’ sold for 125 crores
According to media reports, Lakshmi was sold for about Rs 125 crore for the OTT platform. Despite this, it is surprised to find only the cost of the film. The budget of the film was not clearly disclosed. But, there is a buzz in the corridors of the trade that the fees of Akshay for this was around 100 crores (Signing Amount + Profit Sharing). Then fees from other artists and film team. Also, other expenses incurred in making it more expensive.
According to trade experts, the makers have not made any profit from this film. Even if they had made a profit, it would have been very less. According to the Box Office India report, if the film were released in theaters, it would have easily collected a collection of about 141 crores at the domestic box office.
Such a bargain for some producers
One of the advantages of averaging, medium and some big budget producers to release their film on OTT is that they deal directly with it. For this, he did not have to share the collection with any trader or distributor. With the extra expenditure on publicity is saved.
For example, if ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ had come to the box office, according to Box Office India report, it would not have been able to earn even 60 crores at the domestic box office. In addition, exhibitors would also have a part in the film’s collection. Also, with the expenditure of about 10 crores on promotion, its budget would have increased to about 55 crores rupees. Accordingly, after the release, the producers could hardly get 30 crores, which is less than the budget of the film. However, this formula does not fit all films.
Movies currently being sold on OTT
Due to the closure of cinema, filmmakers get a premium of 30–40 per cent to show their films directly on OTT platforms. For example, if a film’s OTT rights were sold for Rs 20-25 crores after its release in the theater, then, if it was taken directly to OTT, the rights were sold for 30 to 35 crores.
OTT boon for small makers just because
According to Atul Mohan, trade analyst and editor of Complete Cinema Magazine, OTT is a boon for short films because they are getting at least a chance to show their content. They do not earn much. The makers of these films push to sell their content and sell it to the traders when there is no way out. Traders buy 25–50 million rupees for 2.50–3 crore films.
By buying 8-10 such films for 2.50-3 crores, they simultaneously sell their connections (OTT and satellite channels) for 3-3.50 crores. Since these traders are regular suppliers, there is no bargaining. On the other hand, big makers make direct deals. Therefore, whatever they get above the budget is their profit.
OTT cannot be compared to box office
Atul Mohan says, “OTT is a different world. It cannot be compared to the box office. It can threaten TV channels. I think everyone pays Rs 1000-2000 a year or Rs 500-600 a month.” Cannot subscribe to it. Unfortunately cinema halls had to be shut down in lockdown, so the audience was able to consume what they found worth sitting at home for entertainment. Once the cinema and life are in the routine, people are so dedicated Probably won’t go to OTT. “
Losses to OTT even for very small filmmakers
Atul Mohan says that no producer wants to sell his film at a loss. Unless he has no compulsion. The compulsion here refers to those small filmmakers who do not know about the industry and what is the recovery. Which some people ignore.
Atul Mohan said, “These are the kind of producers who have to sell 20 million or 3 million of their 30 million film compulsions. Whereas, big producers are smart because they know everything. In any business, then you You can earn profit only when you have an understanding of that business. New people come in every field, but those who do not understand have to shut down their business. “
‘Bombing’ this year’s first OTT release
Directed by Ranjan Chandel this year, ‘Bombad’ was the first film on the OTT platform to debut by Aditya Rawal, Paresh Rawal’s son. The film premiered on G-5 on 10 April. But the release of the films on OTT was discussed with the premiere of Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana starrer ‘Gulabo Sitabho’, which hit Amazon Prime Video on June 12.


text:
China’s investment landscape
China continued to increase foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2022, although at a slower pace than in 2021. The country’s severe COVID lockdowns in 2022 dampened its attractiveness as an investment destination. However, with the relaxation of COVID restrictions and a host of new incentives for foreign investors, 2023 may see be a much more successful FDI year for China.
In 2022, China recorded a year-on-year (YoY) GDP growth rate of 3%, the country’s worst performance since the 1970s and far below the government’s target of 5.5%. The less-than-stellar growth was mainly caused by China’s many COVID lockdowns, especially in the commercial center of Shanghai, and the consequential disruptions to economic activities.
However, the economic landscape of China is expected to brighten significantly in 2023 as the government started to abandon its zero-COVID policy and reopen China to international travel by the end of 2022. Nikkei Asia predicts the economy to grow by 4.7% in 2023, while Morgan Stanley is more optimistic with a forecast of 5.4% growth.
A highlight in China’s economy 2022 was the country’s relatively stable inflation rate at a time when many countries were suffering from rapidly increasing prices. China’s 2022 Consumer Price Index (CPI) was only 2.5% higher than in 2021, well below the government’s target of 3%.
COVID lockdowns could be a factor that kept demand and, as a result, inflation low. Nevertheless, China’s 2023 reopening could cause a surge in demand and a corresponding rise in inflation. According to CNN, the start of 2023 has seen a rise in price for copper, aluminum, and tin to the highest in a decade.
Foreign direct investment (FDI)
China’s inbound FDI in 2022 reached a value of US$ 189.13 billion, a YoY growth of 4.5%. Although much slower than the impressive 20.2% YoY growth in 2021, this year’s figure was closer to pre-pandemic levels which averaged at a YoY growth of 3.1% between 2018 and 2020. The sudden rise of FDI in 2021, compared to before and after, can be attributed to the complete and sudden halt in many economic activities 2020. As a result, the 2021 jump in FDI can largely be explained by the repressed activities from the previous years. In addition, China also liberalized the negative list of sectors and activities that were previously limited to foreign investments in 2021. The move was to lift all restrictions in the manufacturing industry for foreign investors in free trade zones, creating a less restrictive business environment and further encouraging investments.
For 2022, the manufacturing and high-tech sectors were the main drivers of FDI in China. Manufacturing accounted for 26.3% of China’s total 2022 foreign capital used and grew a remarkable 46.1% YoY. The technology sector, meanwhile, grew by 28.3% YoY and comprised about 36% of all utilized foreign capital.
2022 also continued the trend of moving China’s inbound FDI from coastal provinces in the east, to the inland central and western regions. Specifically, FDI in the central region of China grew by 21.9% YoY while that in the western region increased by 14.1% YoY, much higher than the national average of 8%.
The Chinese government is confident that FDI can grow by double-digits in 2023, thus helping China in their goal to pass the United States as the world’s top FDI destination. However, the ongoing global economic downturn will present some challenges to their target. It is possible that 2023 FDI will grow more rapidly than in 2022, but may it not be as impressive as the Chinese government forecasts.
China eases restriction on foreign enterprises
In 2023, a new host of policies will come into effect. These measures are parts of China’s efforts to revitalize the country’s economy and FDI landscape after three years of COVID lockdowns and a weak economic performance in 2022.
To boost foreign investments and the overall economy, the Chinese Government has issued a host of new regulations to help ease the regulatory burden on foreign enterprises. These measures include:
- Canceling the registration requirement for foreign trade operators to import and export goods or technology.
- Expanding the FDI catalog to boost manufacturing and production-oriented service sectors.
- Extending the preferential individual tax income policies for expats.
In December 2022, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s legislature, adopted an amendment to the 1994 Foreign Trade Law. The amendment is a simple removal of Article 9. This measure removes the requirement that foreign enterprises have to seek permits from the relevant Departments of Foreign Economic Relations in order to start importing or exporting goods and technology. Despite the removal of Article 9, existing requirements on quality control, customs procedures, and import-export licenses still remain.
In addition, China also issued a new 2023 FDI catalog that lists the economic sectors, regions, and activities that the Chinese government wants to attract more foreign investments to. The new catalog includes 1,474 items, expanding the existing 2020 catalog by 19%. The increase mainly focuses on components manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, energy conservation, and environmental protection. In addition, the new catalog also encourages foreign investments to the central, western, and northeastern regions of China in order to foster parity with the more prosperous coastal region. The government can benefit from these regions’ cheaper labor and existing industrial capabilities in electronics, steel, and automobile to attract investments. The new catalog also includes incentives such as tariff exemption of imports and a reduced corporate tax rate of 15% for eligible companies investing in the targeted industries and regions.
Furthermore, the State Taxation Administration (STA) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced that they will also extend the preferential individual income tax policy. Under this provision, expats’ annual one-time bonuses during 2023 will be calculated separately and not as part of the total annual income.
Positive outlook for the M&A market as China reopens, although challenges remain
Key trends in 2023:
- The Chinese M&A market grew significantly in Q4/2022.
- Cross-border M&A activities is likely to remain stable in the first half of 2023.
- High-tech manufacturing and production-oriented services is expected to witness increased M&A activities.
- Growth will be driven mainly by the domestic M&A market.
2022 was a challenging year for China’s M&A market with a continued decline in both domestic and cross-border M&A deals. According to the Institute for Mergers, Acquisitions, and Alliances (IMAA), China recorded 2,502 deals with a total value of US$ 214 billion, a moderate decline of 3.4% from 2021. This yearly aggregate value of M&A deals is the lowest recorded value during the period 2010-2022.
On a positive note, the Chinese M&A market’s performance improved significantly in Q4 in an otherwise weak 2022. Between Q3 and Q4/2022, the number of deals rose by 126% while aggregate value soared by 66.9%, partially due to the pending deals delayed by the Shanghai lockdown between February and August 2022.
China’s reopening after three years of strict COVID restrictions will facilitate traveling, making cross-border M&A less challenging than in it has been the past few years. The Chinese Government also eased the crackdown on the country’s booming technology field, thus relieving some of the regulatory burdens on capital expansion in this important sector.
However, these positive developments do not necessarily mean that cross-border M&A activities will rapidly return to pre-pandemic conditions within the year. The ongoing global economic outlook is likely to temper any positive effects that China’s reopening and regulatory easing can bring to the M&A market. Moreover, the precipitous decline in global stock market valuations in 2022 will also prevent a possible boom in cross-border M&A deals. This trend is expected to last for the duration of the first half of 2023, and possibly beyond if global economic conditions do not improve.
With the issuance of the new and expanded 2023 FDI catalog that seeks to encourage foreign investments in manufacturing and production-oriented services, it is predicted that M&A deals will experience healthy growth in these two sectors.
Overall, 2022 was a relatively gloomy year for M&A in China. Nevertheless, as the M&A market improved in Q4/2022 and China reopened, the 2023 market may become more active than in 2022. The increase in activities, however, will more likely be driven by the domestic market rather than the cross-border one as the global economic outlook remains pessimistic.
About this report
This report was compiled with contributions from the team of business experts in our China offices.
ARC Consulting, a division of ARC Group, is an advisory firm specialised in supporting western companies operating in Asia. We are on a mission is to bridge between the business ecosystems of Asia and those in Europe and the US. Our services cover market entry and expansion, production and sourcing, cross-border M&A as well as operational improvement and compliance.
If you are interested in exploring how we can support your business in China, reach out through our contact page, or leave your email below for a representative to contact you directly:


text:
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken a 9% stake in Twitter, becoming its largest shareholder, after questions were raised over the social media platform’s dedication to free speech. Musk is worth $2.9 billion based on Friday’s closing price. The ultimate purpose of the $73.5 million share purchase is unclear.
Yet Musk, who has 80 million Twitter followers and posts there frequently, has questioned Twitter’s freedom of speech and whether the platform is undermining democracy. A regulatory filing on Monday described Musk as a long-term investor who Wants to reduce the buying and selling of shares.
He has also considered starting a rival social media network, and industry analysts doubt the business CEO will stay on the sidelines for long. We anticipate that this detached stake deal should be the start of a more extensive discussion with the Twitter board/the executives that will ultimately prompt a functioning stake and a possibly more forceful possession job of Twitter,” Dan Ives of Webush Protections said in a client note.
Twitter shares soared 20% before the opening bell on Monday after Musk told his more than 80 million followers on Twitter that he was seriously considering building his own social media platform and repeatedly spoke about using Twitter. Have clashed with financial regulators.
His Twitter stock purchase comes at a time when Musk is embroiled in a bitter dispute with US securities regulators over his ability to post on Twitter. Musk’s attorneys have argued in court motions that the US Securities and Exchange Commission should investigate Tesla’s actions. Violating the CEO’s First Amendment rights.
In October of 2018, Musk and Tesla agreed to pay $40 million in civil fines and after Musk’s corporate lawyer cleared his tweets, he offered to take Tesla private at $420 per share.
Funding was not secured and the electric vehicle company remained public, but Tesla’s share price skyrocketed. The settlement included removal of Musk as chairman of the board as well as governance changes including pre-approval of his tweets. filed a fraud charge alleging that Musk was manipulating the stock price with his positions.
Musk’s lawyers are now asking a US District Court judge in Manhattan for a settlement, saying the SEC is harassing him and violating his First Amendment rights.
His legal counselor, Alex Spiro, said the SEC utilized the court settlement to stomp on Mr. Musk’s Most memorable Revision freedoms and force earlier limitations on his discourse. The SEC answered with a court movement saying Tesla and Musk should There was a lawful right to be told about his tweets and that Musk’s transition to drop the arrangement was not legitimate.
The SEC revealed it is investigating Musk’s November 6, 2021 tweet in which followers were asked whether they should sell 10% of their Tesla stake.
The commission is also examining whether Tesla has accurately described in public filings with the agency whether it complied with the controls. The commission says the subpoenas were valid, and Musk has the proper legal process to challenge them. are not following.
Musk and other Tesla company executives agreed to have their tweets pre-approved, Armstrong wrote. Courts have long held that ‘Congress has the right to investigate potential violations of federal securities laws and to have the necessary powers relevant to such an investigation. has granted the SEC broad authority to demand the production of evidence.”
The summons follows a formal order by the commission authorizing the investigation, issued under seal. They need all composed interchanges connected with the Nov. 6 tweet and whether they were displayed to Tesla’s legal advisors for pre-endorsement. Musk’s attorney Spiro has sought oral arguments in the case.
Musk’s disclosure about his possessions in Twitter shares comes two days after Tesla Inc posted first-quarter dissemination numbers. While the organization conveyed 310,000 vehicles during the period, the figure was somewhat beneath assumptions.
Musk began selling shares shortly after his November tweet about the Tesla stock sale, and he wrote on Twitter that the sales would go to pay off tax obligations on the stock options. Analysts estimate his tax liability to be between $10 billion and $15 billion. But some of the money could have been used to buy a Twitter stake.
So far he has sold over 15 million shares worth about $16.4 billion. Oysters account for about 10% of sales with some sales in late December. While Elon Musk is trying to buy Twitter Inc., he is no longer the company’s largest shareholder.
The fund, held by Vanguard Group, recently raised its stake in the social-media platform, making the asset manager Twitter’s biggest shareholder and ousting Musk from the top spot.
According to the most recent publicly available filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Vanguard disclosed on April 8 that it now owns 82.4 million shares of Twitter or 10.3% of the company.
According to the filing, the asset-manager increased its stake in the company during the first quarter. Vanguard’s holding is now $3.78 billion, based on the closing price of Twitter stock on Wednesday. That’s enough to topple Mr. Musk as Twitter’s largest shareholder. Vanguard isn’t making directional bets on Twitter. Instead, most of its assets are in index and other so-called passive funds.
The firm often sides with management on voting issues and does not advocate for change like a hedge fund or activist investor. Mr. Musk initially disclosed a stake of about 73.5 million shares in Twitter earlier this month, but a His disclosed stake decreased to 73.1 million shares or 9.1% of the company days later.
The position momentarily made him the largest shareholder in the company. As of the end of December, Vanguard reported owning 67.2 million shares of Twitter, or about 8.4% of the company, according to FactSet. Vanguard declined to comment on Mr. Musk. He is the only individual among the company’s top 10 shareholders, with former Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey at number seven on the list. The remaining spots are held by financial institutions.


text:
President Obama announced this week his plans for initiating federal information security legislation in the hopes of strengthening the information sharing processes between the private sector and government entities. The proposal comes at a time when the world is seeing an exponential increase in the severity and frequency of cyber-attacks.
In an effort to protect consumers, businesses, government organizations, and everything in between, the President has released his proposal outlining suggested processes that would enable the sharing of cybersecurity information, modernize law enforcement’s ability to combat cyber-crime, and establish a portal for national data breach reporting.
If the proposed legislation does in fact become law, its requirements could affect how you manage and respond to cyber threats. These requirements include:
- Complying with certain privacy restrictions to qualify for federal liability protection,
- Sharing of cyber threat indicators with information sharing and analysis organizations via a portal in as close to real-time as possible, and
- Informing consumers of data breaches within 30 days of discovering the breaches.
During the State of the Union address scheduled for Tuesday, January 20th, Obama is expected to provide more information on this and his other cyber initiatives. It is unclear at this point whether or not any of his initiatives will be signed into law. Until then, it is important to ensure your employees are aware of the various types of cyber threats that exist and are educated on how they can help reduce your company’s risks of attack. Visit the Cyber Threat section of your portal to learn more or contact your Client Services representative to find out ways to customize content to fit your company’s needs.
Marlia Fontaine-Weisse is the Content Manager for Preparis.


text:
ALG Software has upgraded its Enterprise Performance Optimisation (EPO) suite designed to enable companies to take advantage of its analytical activity-based management tool across larger volumes of transaction data than previously possible. The new solution is designed to allow large companies to carry out complex profitability and costing analysis into millions of customers and product lines.
- Aviva "disappointed" after watchdog bans Aviva Drive app ad
- Leadenhall Market evacuated after “suspicious package”
- Aston Scott and Lark confirm new management structure
- UK Broker Awards 2017: The winners
- Blockchain could “eliminate” the need for brokers
- “Transformation” costs Swinton as profits fall
- Three firms in for Leeds-based Henderson


text:
First Wolves fans get their hands on new 2019/20 home shirt - PICTURES and VIDEO
Hundreds of Wolves fans got their hands on the team’s new kit when it was officially launched at Molineux.
Supporters queued for hours to be first in line at the club’s Megastore where the new gold home kit went on sale at 6pm.
Star players Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves and Conor Coady modelled the shirt and took questions from host Dicky Dodd during a special launch event.
Wolves Women players Anna Price, Lois Jefferies and Shannie Jennings also showed off the new shirt, which has been produced by Adidas.
All the players then got behind the tills to sell the kit to fans who had the chance to meet their heroes.
The home shirt sees a return to a deeper shade of gold after last year's light gold colour. It costs £55 and is the first to be sponsored by the club's new sponsor, betting firm ManBetX.
Wolves will wear the kit in China next week when Nuno Espirito Santo's team face Newcastle United in the Premier League Asia Trophy.
Neves said of the shirt: "I like it, it's back to the colour we had two years ago, it brings back a lot of memories, it's very good."
The new away kit will be released later this month. Images leaked a couple of weeks ago suggest it will be black.
Wolves are back training at Compton Park after spending last week at England's St George's Park base.
They will jet off to Shanghai this weekend before returning the following Sunday ahead of their Europa League bow on Thursday, July 25 against either Crusaders or B36 Torshavn at Molineux.


text:
New Delhi, Sep 26 (PTI) Maruti Suzuki Indias (MSI) compact hatchback WagonR has crossed the 2 million cumulative sales mark, 18 years after the model was launched in the country. WagonR is the companys third model to achieve the feat after Maruti 800 and Alto. Launched in 1999, WagonR continues to feature among the top five best-selling cars in the country for over the last 10 years. The model had crossed its first million sales in 2011, nearly 133 months after its launch. However, it managed to scale the next million in just 79 months. "Since its inception, WagonR has been ahead of its peers. Its comfort seating, spacious interiors, superior fuel efficiency, practicality and pleasure of driving have made it a popular choice," said R S Kalsi, MSI Senior Executive Director Marketing and Sales, in a statement. To keep it strong, the company has systematically upgraded the brand with new design and features over the years, he added. "Needless to say, WagonR has continued to top the sales chart. Despite intensified competition in the small car space, WagonR continues to be the preferred choice of the practical car buyers," Kalsi added. PTI MSS ARD
Maruti WagonR crosses 2 million cumulative sales mark
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
Get real-time alerts and all the news on your phone with the all-new India Today app. Download from


text:
Dot’s, a women’s fashion apparel and accessories retailer, has opened a 4,000-square-foot store in the Crescent Plaza Shopping Center in Levittown.
The Glenwillow, Ohio-based Dot’s has 400 stores in 28 states.
The Levittown location, which opened Thursday, is its ninth on Long Island, according to a statement.
Jayson Siano, managing principal of Sabre Real Estate Group in Garden City, represented the retailer in arranging the lease with landlord, the Feil Organization. Randy Briskin represented the landlord in-house.
More breaking news
- Oyster Bay sets vote on Plainview condos
- Queens home-improvement companies coming to LI
- Inked: Recent Long Island real estate deals
- $1.7M solar system going up in Robert Moses State Park
- Eastward migration
- What could McDonald’s do to fix its business?
- Are you smarter than an eighth-grader?
- Some test content a state secret
- Pearson’s digital products subject of debate
- Exclusive: Uncommon costs


text:
IN celebration of the International Year of Millets 2023, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver organized a special event on February 23 to promote usage of millets.
Consul General Manish spoke on the benefits of millets and made a presentation on the various initiatives of Government of India and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to promote millets. He highlighted the health benefits of different varieties of millets and suggested that everyone include millets in their daily food. He also presented ‘seven sutras’ of the Government of India to popularize the usage of millets.
Aaron Stephen, co-founder of Nature’s Path, one of the world’s largest independent organic cereal brands manufacturers, praised the efforts of the Government of India to promote the usage of millets. He remembered his visits to India in the early 60s and being introduced to the millet growing area in Rajasthan and also eating millet foods. He pointed out that millet is cultivated in the Saskatoon region of Canada and are widely used. He also noted that his company uses millets to produce value added products and has shown interest to import ragi millet from India.
Dr. Arun K Garg, President, Canada-India Network Society, and health practitioner, spoke on the medicinal value of millets and its impact on an individual’s health. He requested guests to use millets, which are useful in controlling several diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
The event was attended by about 120 guests, which included members of the Consular Corps, the business community, the media and friends of India. Guests were served food made of millets, which was greatly appreciated by the guests.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video message on #IYM2023 was also screened.
At Modi’s initiative, the Government of India had proposed to the United Nations to declare 2023 as International Year of Millets (IYOM). The Indian proposal was supported by 72 countries and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2023 as International Year of Millets (IYOM) in March, 2021.
Millets are important by virtue of their contribution to livelihood generation, food and nutritional security in various parts of the world. India is a major producer of millets, accounting for 80% of Asia’s production and 41% of global production. India’s average yield of millets (1,239 kg/hectare) is also higher than global average yield of 1,229 kg/hectare. India itself is a major consumer of millets and accounts for nearly 38% of the consumption of its domestic produce.
The humble millet has been grown in the Indian subcontinent for 5,000 years. There are many different kinds of millets, each with its own benefits and ways to include them in one’s diet. Indian millets are mainly classified into two types based on grain size – Major Millets (Sorghum, Pearl Millet, and Finger Millet) — which require minimal processing after harvesting and can be directly used after being washed — and Minor Millets (Foxtail Millet, Proso Millet, Kodo Millet, Barnyard Millet and Little Millet) — which are husked grains and come with an indigestible seed coat which is separated prior to consumption as a part of post-harvest processing.


text:
iPhone XR Dominates Sales April 25 2019
The iPhone XR accounted for 38 percent of all Apple’s US handset sales during the first three months of this this year, according to a market research company. Combined with the iPhone XS and XS Max, these 2018 models totaled 59 percent of all iOS handset sales in the US last quarter.
“iPhone XR continues to dominate US iPhone sales,” said CIRP’s Josh Lowitz in a statement. “It remains the best-selling individual model again this quarter, after launch early in the December 2018 quarter.”


text:
BOSTON — Carolina Herrera, fighting the flu, squeezed in fashion appearances during a two-day fund-raising visit for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
As a bonus, she received the equivalent of keys to the city — a Red Sox jersey, hat and bat signed by members of the world championship team — at a private dinner in her honor on May 19.
"I got a baseball shirt with number '8' and my 'C' — for captain, or, in this case, Carolina," Herrera laughed the next morning during the Couture for Hope luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Hotel that was sponsored by Neiman Marcus and raised some $250,000 for Dana-Farber's Women's Cancers Program.
The number eight was worn by Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, but was apropos for Herrera, who is expecting her eighth grandchild in August. Because of the flu bug, Herrera declined an invitation to toss out the first pitch at a Red Sox-Braves game.
In addition to the dinner at the 60 State Street ballroom, Herrera gave a runway presentation of her fall collection at the luncheon, then swung into Neiman's for a trunk show and to sign copies of her memoir. Customers snapped up about 100 copies of the book, and several ordered a $3,480 spring cotton blend suit in pink, mint green and silver, Neiman's spokeswoman April Riccio said, declining to divulge total sales.
Herrera said she is fond of Boston because, like her design sensibility, it sticks to classics.
Asked about opening a Boston store, she said, "Sure I will, down the road ... Boston's a lovely place."
Meanwhile, across town at the Marriott Copley Place, Filene's rolled out a 132-foot runway for a Lauren by Ralph Lauren fashion show fund-raiser, with Mayor Thomas M. Menino the keynote speaker. The luncheon raised more than $100,000 to benefit Boston's Aid for Cancer Research and the Ralph Lauren Cancer Center in Harlem.
Exclusive: @britneyspears is continuing to expand her brand. The pop icon, who appears in @kenzo ’s latest campaign, is partnering with Epic Rights to launch a line of branded merchandise. Read @hernameislex ‘s story, link in bio. #wwdnews #britneyspears
The Duchess of Cambridge channeled Princess Diana’s look upon giving birth to Prince Harry, when she and the Duke of Cambridge departed the hospital with the new baby Prince this afternoon in London. #wwdeye #princeofcambridge
The new Prince of Cambridge has arrived! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posed with the 8-pound newborn. She wore a look from one of her go-to designers, @jennypackham. Tap link in bio for more. #wwdeye #princeofcambridge
Jewelry label @alisonlou has made a name for itself with fine jewelry that speaks to the Millennial market. Now @twallz21 reports that the label is bringing those playful ideas to a new affordable line of lucite hoops with the launch of Loucite by Alison Lou. Here’s a look from the line modeled by @emrata. #wwdaccessories
@sarahjessicaparker and @gilt are teaming up on a bridal ready-to-wear line. Tomorrow, Parker will launch SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker Bridal — and as part of the launch, Gilt will offer 15 exclusive styles from the SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker footwear collection that were designed to complement the new line. Made out of 10 styles, the line is designed for a variety of occasions, from bridal showers to receptions. Get more details on WWD.com #wwdfashion
A grooming moment between @tanfrance and @antoni last night at the The LGBT Community Center Trailblazer Awards honoring Anna Wintour, Ricky Martin and more. See more photos at WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
“It was a very surreal feeling. It wasn’t like we were in the studio together coming up with it — it’s more like he discovered it and loved it. I didn’t let myself get my hopes up, but then it happened it was very exciting,” said singer-songwriter @nombe on discovering that @pharrell would be using his song, “Cant Catch Me” on his HBO documentary series “Outpost.” The German-born singer — named Noah MacBeth — talked to WWD about feminism, using art as a platform for political expression and personal style. Read more on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: @jilliansollazzo)
This season, denim is going west – in influence. Brands like @fathersdaughterla (pictured here), @tommyhilfiger Jeans, @levis and more are opting for raw, top-stitching styles. (Styled by @thealexbadia; 📷: @ryanplett)


text:
As curling season gets under way, the handful of entrepreneurs who cater to the quirky Scottish sport in the U.S. say they are seeing a boom in business.
The Olympics tend to give birth to new curling fans in America every four years. But the 2010 games appear to have sparked even greater interest than in the past, perhaps because live curling matches coincided with prime-time TV hours.
There are now 162 curling clubs in the U.S., up from 148 in 2009 and 134 in 2005, according to the U.S. Curling Association. New clubs were formed this past year in Coral Springs, Fla., Taylors, S.C., Edmond, Okla., and Orange County, Calif. A single club can have anywhere from 10 to 1,000 or more members.
"We are still getting inquiries from individuals in different areas of the U.S. about starting clubs," says Bev Schroeder, director of member services for the Stevens Point, Wis., curling association.
The small but increasing number of enthusiasts is a welcome relief for manufacturers and retailers of curling gear. Not only is the sport seasonal, but items such as curling stones, brooms and delivery aid sticks can last for years before needing to be refurbished or replaced.
"It's a difficult industry," says Craig Brown, co-owner of Steve's Curling Supplies LLC, a retailer in Madison, Wis. Still, he adds that sales are up by about 35% from a year ago, double the increase his family business saw after the 2006 Olympics.
The sport's recent hype has also spawned some start-ups. Gary and Megan Suslavich launched Brooms Up Curling LLC last year, a retailer in Woodbury, Conn. The husband and wife team say sales of the 200 or so curling products they carry—ranging from $9.95 knee pads to $385 curling sneakers—have been steadily growing ever since; they declined to provide revenue figures. The company does business over the Web and by traveling to about 15 curling clubs along the East Coast to sell gear to customers in person.
Roy Berry of Woodbridge, Va., recently bought a black and silver swivel-head broom from the couple for $115. He'll use it to play his first match later this month at the Potomac Curling Club in Laurel, Md., he says.
Meanwhile, first-time players with knee, back and hip disabilities are buying devices like delivery aid sticks for improving balance while throwing curling stones. "I ended up being good at (curling) because I have all my upper body strength," says Tammy Klein, who is paralyzed below the waist and began curling via wheelchair for a league near her Herkimer, N.Y., home in mid-October. "You need upper body strength to throw the stones well."
Some of the curling gear available to curlers is as new as the players themselves. Tom Milner, an information-technology professional who lives in Rotterdam, N.Y., recently purchased a pair of curling sneakers for $125 that came with lime-green grippers, special soles that help curlers keep their balance on the ice. The bottoms have traditionally been black. "I looked like a large margarita on the ice," says Mr. Milner, 56, of when he wore them for his first league game last month.
Curling ice-maker David Staveteig, of Grand Forks, N.D., says demand for his services is up about 25% from two years ago.
"It really jumped the year before the Olympics because of Olympic trials," he says. "It's been building since."
Mr. Staveteig temporarily transforms hockey rinks into curling lanes on behalf of the U.S. curling association from November through March every year. He won't disclose exactly how much he charges but says that many of his colleagues in Canada earn $500 a day.
The average ice-making job, he adds, takes 40 hours to complete.
He also runs two small companies and tends to his family's 4,000-acre grain farm. He says he learned how to make curling ice—a process known as pebbling because it involves forming small bumps on the surface—by apprenticing for six years in Canada.
Fans who enjoy watching the sport, rather than playing, are also buying up curling paraphernalia such as souvenir stones, pins and books.
Don Moses, a retired high-school chemistry teacher in Bayview, Texas, bought a souvenir curling stone for roughly $250 last spring from Canada Curling Stone Co., a six-employee stone and ice-equipment maker in Ontario.
He says he developed a fondness for curling after watching the 2010 Olympics on TV. "I just went crazy for it and recorded every minute of it," he says.
In September 2009, Dean Gemmell published and edited "Fit to Curl," a paperback by Olympic gold medalist John Morris, about how the Canadian athlete trains for the sport. Mr. Gemmell, president of the Plainfield Curling Club in South Plainfield, N.J., says nearly all 5,000 copies he had printed have been sold for $19.95 each.
To be sure, Mr. Gemmell says it's possible that the success of his book doesn't actually reflect the sport's growing popularity. Soon after it published, he says he received a flurry of emails from female readers thinking they were writing to Mr. Morris, who was named one of Canada's top 10 bachelors by Entertainment Tonight Canada earlier this year.
"They saw him on TV and found him quite fetching," Mr. Gemmell remarks.
Write to Sarah E. Needleman at email@example.com


text:
Reports out of South Korea claim that LG plans to abandon its modular smartphone system when it introduces its 2016 flagship, the LG G6. It is a potential move that would represent a significant change in mobile strategy for the company.
The LG G5 launched earlier this year offering support for a range of add-ons called LG Friends. This meant that owners of the device were able to upgrade items like the camera and the audio system.
While some people believe that the future of smartphones will be modular, LG took a risk when it introduced its LG Friends system for the LG G5. Pioneering new technologies can lead companies to a dominant position in the market, or alternatively, it can result in products being poorly received.
In the case of the LG G5, the smartphone is widely regarded not to have been a success. For a number of reasons sales have been poor, leading to a restructuring of LG’s mobile division.
The modularity of the LG G5 lead to some quality control issues. While rival flagships were offering unibody designs, the ability to swap out parts on the LG G5 resulted in the smartphone not offering the same premium feel as handsets like the HTC 10.
LG Friends were also expensive, so investing in the South Korean company’s modular system was a relatively large financial commitment.
And the cost of the LG Friends could come back to bite LG. At the time the modular add-ons were launched, many within the Android community expressed concern that if LG was not committed to the project, then customers could end up buying expensive modules which would offer little long-term use potential/
LG has reportedly considered the negative reaction that halting support for LG Friends could bring, but has apparently decided that a new approach is necessary with the LG G6.
[via The Electronic Times]


text:
Canada could lose another 158,000 small businesses to COVID-19
One in seven small businesses is at risk of going under as a result of COVID-19.
The stark warning comes in a new report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
CFIB's mid-range estimate for business closures due to COVID-19 is 158,000 (14 per cent of small businesses).
Depending on how the recovery goes, losses could be as few as 55,000 (5 per cent) or as many as 218,000 (19 per cent), in addition to the businesses that have already shuttered since the beginning of the pandemic.
Businesses in the arts and recreation sector (gyms, venues, arcades) and hospitality industry (restaurants, hotels, caterers) are most at risk, according to the report.
The CFIB forecasts that hospitality may see 27 per cent of businesses close, while the arts and recreation sector could see 30 per cent.
Businesses in Alberta face the highest risk of shutting, with a mid-range estimate of 19 per cent going under as a result of COVID-19.
"Small businesses are big players in our economy, so minimizing business losses is critical to recovery," said Laura Jones, executive vice-president at CFIB.
"Right now both government support and consumer behaviour are critical to transitioning back to conditions that allow businesses to survive and thrive."
Last month, CFIB launched #SmallBusinessEveryDay to encourage local shopping and other initiatives that support small business recovery.
Jones added: "It's all about supporting our favourite businesses today so they will be here tomorrow. There are many great campaigns that help amplify that support. No one is too small to make a difference."
Join the conversation Load comments


text:
Black buying power to hit $1.5 trillion, thanks to Black women
According to a new Nielson report, businesses run by and the brand loyalty of Black women is driving part of the economy.
According to a new Nielson report called African-American Women: Our Science, Her Magic, the businesses run by and the brand loyalty of Black women is driving part of the economy, so much so that total Black spending power is expected to hit a record $1.5 trillion by 2021.
The number of businesses majorly owned by Black women grew 67 percent between 2007 and 2012, at a rate higher than all women generally in the United States.
“Black women have strong life-affirming values that spill over into everything they do. The celebration of their power and beauty is reflected in what they buy, watch and listen to, and people outside their communities find it inspiring,” says Cheryl Grace, Senior Vice President of U.S. Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement, Nielsen. “Understanding how Black women’s values affect their buying decisions has long been a marketing necessity. Now, marketers must also recognize the intercultural influence of Black women on the general market as an increasingly vital part of how all women see themselves, their families and the rest of the world.”
Nielsen’s new Diverse Intelligence Series report also shows that African-American are increasingly playing a role in brand loyalty as well as the way women across the nation, not just Black women, see themselves. They also have majority ownership in over 1.5 million businesses, with over $42 billion in sales.
In all, these trends are increasing Black buying power as a whole, giving the Black community a bigger influence in the economy as a whole.


text:
SOUTHINGTON — Employees saw a steady stream of customers this past week with the opening of a new AAA travel center, DMV express and car care building on Queen Street.
Offering several services for motorists under one roof is a new model for Connecticut, although AAA has such centers in other states.
Karen Christiana, Northeast general manager, said that people have been coming in since last Monday. The center’s location and accessibility will likely draw a lot of motorists.
“We’re in a great location here,” Christiana said. “We’re going to be very busy in this store.”
The location has traditional AAA services, such as travel planning and insurance. In addition, the location has Department of Motor Vehicles express service, which allows customers to renew their licenses and other identification. Unique to the state is the inclusion of an eight-bay garage for car repair. A bay for larger, commercial vehicles was also built.
“We’ve learned through New Jersey and Pennsylvania that there was a need for this,” Christiana said.
The garage bays are visible through large glass windows from the center’s waiting area. Services include tune-ups, air conditioning and cooling systems, battery replacements, electrical work, diagnostics and brake repairs.
“Many people are keeping their vehicles longer, thus making vehicle maintenance more critical than ever,” said Randy Saly, car care facility manager in Southington. “AAA wants to ensure that reliable, trustworthy repair services are always available to motorists.”
The AAA building is the latest in a burst of economic activity in that area of Queen Street on properties owned by local developer John Senese.
He’s built a grocery store, restaurants and an urgent care center on land that used to be a factory, a small restaurant and some houses.
AAA services and employees in Plainville were moved from there to the new Southington location.


text:
According to the Bloomberg report, the new Surface tablets will be smaller and cheaper Surface Pros. Microsoft is said to be completely redesigning the devices, with 10-inch screens instead of the 12-inch size currently found on the Surface Pro, rounded corners that more resembles an iPad than the more rectangular Surface design, and USB-C for charging. Apple’s new iPad starts at $329 while Microsoft is targeting the $400 price point, according to Bloomberg. The new models will be 20 percent lighter than the current Surface Pro. However, the reduced weight will cost around four hours fewer of battery life than the Surface Pro.
The cheapest version of the current generation Surface Pro starts at $799, compared to the base model 9.7-inch iPad that (while not a comparable device spec-wise) costs just a fraction of that price tag at $329. And like the iPad, Microsoft is said to be planning on models that offer LTE connectivity, which the company finally brought to the full-size Surface Pro earlier this year.
The new budget models won’t be Microsoft’s first attempt to make cheaper Surface tablets. In the previous years models like the $499 Surface RT, Surface 2, and Surface 3 models, but the lineup was never able to achieve the same success as the more powerful Surface Pro versions, and Microsoft eventually discontinued the Surface 3 back in 2016.
Although Apple will probably still have the edge when it comes to entry price, with its cheapest iPad at just $329, the report says Microsoft will debut cheaper accessories to help keep prices lower.


text:
El Pollo Loco is still around and looking to go public.
Dropbox unveiled Carousel today which is a product to store and manage your photos and videos
A dog raced a Metro-North train and is now a celebrity.
White Castle is now offering breakfast. And it’s not sliders.
For now, Apple has soured on making an offer for Square.
Hillary Clinton says she’s thinking about running for President again.
A tiny sliver of doctors and other medical providers accounted for an outsize portion of Medicare’s 2012 cost.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock


text:
The coffee giant's partnership with Green Mountain, disclosed in March, strengthens its presence in the nearly $2 billion single-cup coffee market, which Starbucks entered last year with the launch of VIA Ready Brew. It also ended speculation that Starbucks will debut its own single-cup brewer, though it hasn't ruled out such plans in the future.
The portion packs will be available in Canada in March, through direct-to-consumer websites in August 2012 and at Starbucks retail stores in the U.S. and Canada later in 2012.
The agreement provides for the manufacturing, marketing and selling of Starbucks and Tazo-branded K-Cup portion packs throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Green Mountain sold 2.9 billion Keurig cup portion packs in 2010, up 75% year-over-year.
Last month, Green Mountain reported fiscal third-quarter earnings more than tripled as revenue continued to soar, driven by strong sales growth for K-Cup portion packs. Meanwhile, Starbucks' fiscal third-quarter profit jumped 34% on higher same-store sales in the U.S. and abroad as traffic and the amount consumers spent per purchase grew.
Green Mountain and Starbucks shares closed Monday at $98.71 and $38.05, respectively. They were inactive in premarket trading Tuesday.


text:
Listen to this story
Thailand’s tourism sector is witnessing a rebound with the latest data suggesting that the country has witnessed more than 3 million tourists arriving up until July 23rd with the government putting up its hopes of being able to attract up to 10 million tourists for the remainder of the year.
Thailand, which has seen its tourism market shatter with the lockdowns and the various travel restrictions that were put in place after the outbreak of the Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021, relies heavily on tourism to keep its economy going and tourism accounts for nearly 15% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The data released by the Thai government showed that the highest number of tourists arriving were from the Malaysia with 366,568 tourists, followed by India with 313,053 tourists, and 3rd was Singapore with 171,034 tourists.
The rise in tourist numbers has prompted the 2014 coup leader and incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, to announce in the parliament on Saturday that he expects a total of 10 million tourists to arrive in Thailand during the course of this year.
The statement by Prayut was also echoed by Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), who has said that TAT aims to have 7-10 million foreign tourists traveling to Thailand.
The move to have more tourists coming in stems from the fact that the country has managed to life all the restrictions for travelers into the country and the cancellation of the Thailand Pass from July 1st, 2022, has helped spur influx of tourists.
The number of tourists visiting Thailand per day in July continued to rise beyond the expectation of 30,000 and went as high as 47,000 whereas in June 2022 there were approximately 21,000-25,000 foreign tourists per day. This compares to a mere 428,000 tourists seen in entire 2021.
The surge in tourism is likely to help the hotel and restaurant sector that has been reeling from the impact of the lockdowns.
In response to the recovery of the tourism sector in the second half of 2022, Agoda.com, the global digital travel platform, has ranked the most popular destinations worldwide for 2022 following the improvement of the COVID-19 situation and the easing the control measures which stimulate the tourism in various countries across the world.
The results of the rankings showed that Bangkok and Pattaya, Thailand, are among the 10 most popular destinations for tourists worldwide in the summer of 2022, with Bangkok being number 1 and Pattaya number 8 in the world.
Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, the spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, said the Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, was delighted that Agoda has ranked Bangkok as the number one destination for the world’s most popular summer destinations in 2022.
“The Prime Minister commended all relevant agencies for integrating cooperation in the efficient development of the Thai tourism industry both supporting the policies, implementing the guidelines set by the government and building confidence in foreign tourists.”, he revealed.
Thanakorn concluded that as a result of the cooperation, tourism in Thailand has become popular among foreign tourists once again and has urged all parties involved to continue to create awareness among tourists in order to elevate Thailand’s tourism industry towards sustainable growth in line with the competitive environment, the changing economic, and the challenges of the modern world.


text:
The annual Retail 100 index celebrates leaders who are transforming retail, speaking out, innovating, making headlines and driving growth.
Gary Grant, founder and chief executive of The Entertainer, has been announced as one of retail’s most influential leaders of 2020 in the Retail 100, an annual ranking published by RWRC, home of Retail Week and World Retail Congress.
On receiving the news, Gary thanked his team: “I am delighted to have been recognised as one of the most influential people in retail, but this influence has only been possible as a result of the strong and committed team I have supporting me. In every part of the business, from our shops to logistics to head office, I am fortunate to have people truly dedicated to the success of The Entertainer and I’m extremely grateful for all they do.”
This year, the Retail 100 has placed special emphasis on leaders who have stepped up in the face of the pandemic and made tough but necessary decisions in response.
Gary added: “I have always believed that retail can and should be a ‘Force for Good’, and we are committed to supporting the communities we serve. As well as our charitable commitment to them we have also recognised that the way our customers like to shop will undoubtedly have changed over the past few months, so we have introduced new ways to serve them – such as our Ready in 10 service. This allows customers to pay for their item outside the store and have it brought to them within 10 minutes. We will always look for new ways to serve our customers as retail continues to change and evolve.”
Representing the developing retail ecosystem, there are 23 new faces in this year’s list. Rishi Sunak is the highest placed new entry, following his introduction of measures with retailers in mind. The Retail 100 also features more female leaders than ever before in the list’s history – 23, up from 18 last year.


text:
A legal dispute between RE/MAX International Inc. and First American Residential Group Inc. over a $600,000-a-year marketing agreement has attracted the attention of Colorado regulators, who want to know more about how First American benefited from the deal and why it decided to pull the plug on the agreement last year.
According a lawsuit filed by RE/MAX in March, First American paid the real estate franchisor more than $2.4 million over four years for the exclusive right to market its title insurance and related services to RE/MAX franchises and agents.
RE/MAX sued after First American terminated the agreement in April 2007 and allegedly failed to make a scheduled payment of $693,000 the following July.
The lawsuit caught the attention of the Colorado Division of Real Estate’s director, Erin Toll, known for her past investigations of kickbacks paid by title insurers to win business from real estate agents, developers and lenders when Toll was the state’s deputy insurance commissioner.
Toll said she wants to know exactly what First American was getting for the more than $600,000 a year it paid RE/MAX under the agreement and why the company pulled out.
The Colorado Division of Real Estate has subpoenaed RE/MAX franchisees and staff members, and is investigating whether RE/MAX agents were provided with incentives such as vacation time or company-generated leads to steer consumers into purchasing title insurance from First American.
Toll noted that the agreement between RE/MAX and First American gave both parties the right to back out if they were faced with allegations by regulators that it violated the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, or RESPA, which prohibits kickbacks or payments made in exchange for the referral of business.
In 2005, Toll’s probe of kickbacks paid through captive reinsurance arrangements sparked other investigations and eventually led First American Title Insurance to refund $24 million to consumers nationwide (see Inman News story).
In December 2006, First American agreed to pay $10 million to settle allegations by California regulators that the company generated business by making illegal cash payments and other inducements to real estate professionals, including free software, tickets to rock concerts, and trips.
First American said at the time that the settlement with California regulators was in keeping with a previously announced plan "to meet with insurance regulators across the nation, to proactively share the details of its corporate compliance program and address and resolve all pre-existing compliance matters" (see story).
Toll said she believes First American may have decided to terminate its agreement with RE/MAX as part of the company’s efforts to become RESPA-compliant. The fact that such a clause was included in the agreement "says that somebody thought this might be a RESPA violation," Toll said.
Although First American did not respond to a request for comment, RE/MAX Chief Counsel and Senior Vice President Geoff Lewis said that as a franchisor the company is not a real estate broker or settlement services provider, and is therefore not subject to RESPA.
Lewis said RE/MAX has marketing agreements with 123 companies that want to pitch their services to more than 4,000 RE/MAX franchisees. They include "any kind of company you can imagine," ranging from AT&T and Office Depot to makers of yard signs and refrigerator magnets, he said.
"In essence, they are essentially buying a mailing list from us," Lewis said. "We don’t control those franchises, or have any way to require who they do business with."
In its marketing agreement with First American, RE/MAX describes itself as being "in the business primarily of marketing, selling and servicing real estate brokerage franchises."
"We are very comfortable with this agreement from a legal standpoint," Lewis said. "The fact that we sued First American to enforce the agreement should be the strongest indication of how comfortable we are."
All told, RE/MAX has five marketing agreements with settlement services providers, including First American, Lewis said. Although he would not name other settlement services providers RE/MAX has marketing agreements with, he said First American was the lone title insurance provider.
Only First American officials can say why they backed out of the marketing agreement, Lewis said, but added that "we all know the real estate market is down, and we’re all looking for ways to cut costs."
Toll said that while it’s ultimately up to federal regulators at the Department of Housing and Urban Development to determine whether RE/MAX International is subject to RESPA, the franchisor’s actions "trickle down to their brokers," and that Colorado regulators do have jurisdiction over them.
"Where the rubber hits the road is when we start interviewing the guys in the trenches," Toll said, and learn if RE/MAX agents were offered incentives such as points toward vacations or company-generated leads to sell First American’s services. "We’re hearing that’s going on in one of those companies," she added.
The July 2006 marketing agreement that’s at the center of RE/MAX’s lawsuit is the successor to an April 2003 agreement in which First American agreed to pay RE/MAX International $600,000 a year.
In the lawsuit, RE/MAX claims that before the original three-year agreement was set to expire in early 2006, the companies entered into a new agreement that was to extend to July 2008. First American made a first annual payment of $660,000 under the new agreement in July 2006, but terminated the deal in an April 26, 2007, letter and failed to make a second payment of $693,000 in July 2007, RE/MAX said in its March 20 complaint.
The marketing agreement called for RE/MAX to "exclusively market, endorse, support and promote the (First American) products and services to RE/MAX franchisees."
According to RE/MAX, the agreement did not require the broker or its franchisees to provide any information concerning First American directly to home buyers, or refer or generate any business for First American. First American acknowledged that RE/MAX franchisees could enter into title insurance relationships with other companies.
But RE/MAX agreed to make regional vice presidents, regional directors and franchise development consultants available to First American "for training on, and updating of, products and services" for two days each year. The agreement called for First American to sponsor a welcome reception at the RE/MAX summer broker-owner conference in 2006 and 2007, at a cost of $60,000, the complaint said. RE/MAX charges First American did not follow through on its sponsorship of the summer 2007 conference, held for franchisees and sales associates but not home buyers.
In addition, the marketing agreement provided that First American would produce co-branded marketing material and otherwise market directly to RE/MAX franchisees.
RE/MAX agreed to publish one article provided by First American and a half-page color advertisement in a newspaper distributed to all RE/MAX franchisees, and "prominently promote and advertise" First American as the "exclusive RE/MAX supplier for title services" in all brochures, catalogs, convention materials and other print media.
On the Web, RE/MAX agreed to maintain and host on its server a co-branded Web page with one page of editorial and promotional content.
What’s your opinion? Leave your comments below or send a letter to the editor. To contact the writer, click the byline at the top of the story.


text:
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would allow mobile phone users to unlock their devices and switch carriers, overriding a 2013 decision by the Library of Congress to make the practice illegal.
A proposed amendment to the controversial copyright enforcement bill, the Stop Online Piracy Act, has not swayed many opponents to the legislation.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission should take swift action to rule against the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District's recent decision to shut down mobile phone service during a planned protest, several digital rights groups said Monday.
Microsoft will issue a blanket software license to nonprofit groups and journalist groups outside the U.S. after the New York Times reported that Russian police have used software copyright raids to seize computers of activist groups.
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 HTC One Mini 2 android smartphone
- 2 Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Windows 8.1 tablet
- 3 Medion Akoya E4110 (MD 8239) desktop PC
- 4 Samsung Galaxy Tab S (10.5) 4G review
- 5 Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series convertible laptop
Best Deals on GoodGearGuide
Latest News Articles
- Startup develops optical zoom lens for smartphones
- Dyn sells Internet performance data via SaaS
- Showdown: Apple iPhone 6 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs LG G3
- Jive adds Office 365 connectors for its enterprise social suite
- IBM Watson Analytics preps the data so you don't have to
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


text:
Engine, which owns about 1% of Univar, said in an open letter that the bid by Brenntag confirms its view that the company is “undervalued” and a “highly attractive acquisition target”.
While Brenntag and Univar did not disclose any financial details from their talks, Engine said a sale price between $38 and $44 per share is achievable if the Univar board runs a competitive sale process.
It urged the company to publicly invite more bids from other parties to begin the sale process.
“While we acknowledge the industrial logic of a combination between Univar and Brenntag, and believe the synergies would be material, we also note that private equity has been actively involved in the space,” Engine Capital said in the letter.
Engine Capital on Wednesday also made public a letter it had sent to Univar in October, in which it said private buyers would be “better suited to value the company appropriately compared to short-term public market investors”.
Univar and Brenntag did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.


text:
Crackdown on seasonal retail theft crime in Ireland led by Gardai
A major crime crackdown by Gardai was aimed at stamping out thefts from retail outlets across the country over the Christmas and New Year .
The nationwide operation focused on criminal gangs who target shops in the run up to Christmas and steal items to then sell on the black market.
Ireland’s Justice Minister Helen McTee said: “Retail theft is not a victimless crime, and I welcome this new, nationwide operation targeting organised retail crime.”
She explained: “I know from my engagement with the retail sector across the country, not only about the economic impact of thefts on our retail sector, but also the significant impact this type of crime has on staff retention, recruitment and personal safety.
“Under the National Detection Improvement Plan, An Garda Síochána provide a reliable and effective and consistent response to retail related incidents, and ensure that high visibility and targeted patrols are effectively implemented.
“This helps to provide a safe and unhindered shopping experience for members of the public.”
Under Operation Táirge, Gardaí across the country worked on reducing organised retail crime by identifying those who commit retail crime and disrupting the most prolific gangs engaged in that type of activity.
The police force also worked with retailers to “strengthen their security and prevent them becoming victims of this criminality”, they confirmed this week, while “supporting those working in retail to report a crime”.
ORC typically refers to situations where a number of persons are acting together, targeting retailer outlets to steal significant quantities of goods to resell back into the retail supply chain through the black market, the force confirms.
“It can also involve refund fraud with the purpose of making a financial or material benefit. ORC is usually co-ordinated and well-organised by people who recruit others to commit theft from retailers,” they add.
“The stolen goods are then sold to what is known as a ‘fence’ who then either sells them at a particular location or in some cases may sell them online in an activity known as ‘e-fencing’.”
Ireland’s Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Neale Richmond said: “Operation Táirge will be hugely beneficial for retailers across the country.
“Retail crime has a significant impact not only on retailers’ bottom lines, but also on their employees who deserve a safe workplace.”
He added: “This intelligence-led operation will target the most prolific perpetrators of retail crime. It will support workers and assist businesses in preventing such crime and also act as a deterrent by raising awareness of the consequences of this type of criminality.
“Gardaí are doing vital work in keeping our communities safe and Operation Táirge will play a key role in ensuring our retailers and their staff are protected from organised crime and the harm that it can do to their business.