text:
More and more small businesses are embracing digital technology, a new survey says. And if your shop is not, experts say you’re missing out.
No longer are small businesses ignoring the digital world, said a report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). In fact, using social media and other tools online “have become increasingly important in establishing and operating a small business in recent years.”
The vast majority of respondents — 80 per cent — believe that digital technology is important to the success of the business.
“Small businesses have come to understand how essential digital technologies are to their business,” said Corinne Pohlmann, senior vice-president, national affairs and partnerships, at the CFIB. “As a result, more and more of them are adopting these technologies and integrating them into their activities every day.”
She added that the vast majority believe that having a website is “essential to doing business” with more than half saying they have begun to use social media, a 27 per cent jump from five years ago.
“Try to humanize your business … It doesn’t have to be about your shop all the time.”
Jacqui D’Eon, JAd’E Communication
Facebook usage jumped from just 22 per cent to 54 per cent, Linkedin from 6 per cent to 32 per cent and Twitter from a mere 3 per cent to 22 per cent. That said, 34.5 per cent of respondents said they have not used social media.
The survey found that Facebook is the most-used social media platform for customer-facing businesses, and for good reason.
“It’s a very important platform,” says Jacqui d’Eon of JAd’E Communications Ltd, a marketing firm in Toronto. “Facebook allows them to build a community around themselves.” That community can “get people talking abut common interests” all while keeping the business top of mind.
And the other channels also have advantages, d’Eon pointed out. The aftermarket business, whether it’s a repair shop or a jobber outlet, can be very visual and that plays well into social media, she added.
“Maybe the cleanliness of their waiting room, or they’ve got a wonderful hoist,” she said. “That’s where vehicles like Instagram come into play for them.”
Add in the ease to share videos and photos via Twitter, businesses can build a network through their social media footprint. “You can share across multiple platforms,” she said.
The key is to “try to humanize your business. It might that someone brought in a vintage car or a cool car. It doesn’t have to be about your shop all the time,” d’Eon said. “You don’t have to fear that you’re going to run out of things to say.”
“It’s the same as investing time in having a cup of coffee with your customers or greeting them when they come in the door.”
Jacqui D’Eon, JAd’E Communication
However, watching over digital properties seems to be a barrier for many. More than 63 per cent of respondents said it was just too time-consuming, making that reason the biggest challenge in adopting. Digital technologies “require constant updating and management, so larger firms tend to use them more than smaller ones as they have the resources to manage the tools properly,” Pohlmann said. “Also, about a third of small businesses found them too costly to adopt.”
Complaining about time is a non-starter, said d’Eon. “It’s the same as investing time in having a cup of coffee with your customers or greeting them when they come in the door.”
Once your platform is set up, you just need to invest a little bit of time each day to make it work. “It can be as simple as 15 minutes to half an hour per day,” d’Eon said. “You just have to put the space in your calendar and dedicate the time to it. It doesn’t have to be all day, everyday.”
The CFIB wants policy makers to make it easier for smaller businesses to get online. The group recommended creating “simple, cost-effective, ‘off-the-shelf’ digital tools for small business.” The CFIB hopes that this would create more encouragement of web design and online sales/purchasing tools for small businesses. It also recommended introducing a ‘digital technology deduction,’ similar to one in the United States. Through this, businesses would be able to claim $100,000 every year on new equipment and technology.
Business owners also need to be aware of the “social media sharks” that are out there too. If you have limited knowledge in the area of social media BEWARE of who you hire. Make sure they are legitimate and will actually invest your dollars into worthwhile platforms. In our community we’ve seen all sorts of “social media consultants” pop up everywhere. Not saying they’re all bad, just research before you invest!
It’s great to see more studies like this one help small businesses understand how important it is to get online and start to understand all aspects of digital marketing. Facebook can certainly help expand your brand’s reach. Back in the day it was all about, “Location, Location, Location” and now it is more a matter of far has your digital footprint reached?


text:
Kia's mobility solutions for India may be customized differently
One uniform solution in mobility for every market is not how Kia plans on catering to its customers across the globe and instead, is betting on customized offerings to better cater to the varying needs. As such, the Korean car maker recently announced that mobility solutions in different markets would be different, based on the needs and aspirations of customers in each region.
Kia only made its debut in India in August of 2019 but has managed to emerge as a power player courtesy Seltos SUV and Carnival MPV. It is now gearing up to drive in Sonet sub-compact SUV, a car that is primarily targeted towards India. And while the company assures that the quality of the Sonet in India would be the same as anywhere else it may be offered, upcoming mobility solutions offered by the car maker in all its products would be customized as per markets. “Kia is striving to provide customized products and differentiated mobility services based on its long history in automotive manufacturing," said President and CEO Ho Sung Song. "Kia will further enhance its collaboration with global partners to offer regionally customized mobility services as it implements its ‘Plan S’ strategy."
'Plan S' strategy is Kia's move to diversify mobility services in strategic regions around the globe.
Kia has already partnered with Ola and Revv in India and with Grab - Southeast Asia’s largest ride-hailing company - to offer customized solutions in emerging markets which may be different from those in North America, Europe or even home base of South Korea. "These partnerships will enable Kia to better understand the mobility needs of its customers in the development of future vehicles," a statement of the company informs.

domain: news


text:
You must be a subscriber to see the full results of your search.
Please log in or subscribe below if you are not already a subscriber.
The Daily News subscribers get full access to more than
million names and addresses along with powerful search and download features.
Get the business leads you need with powerful searches of public records and notices.
Download listings into your spreadsheet or database.
Learn more about our services
| Search again
Editorial Results (free)
- Saturday, October 12, 2013
Business Over Coffee International will continue its Weave Your Own Web social media training series on Thursday, Oct. 15, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the group’s headquarters, 5865 Ridgeway Road, suite 300. Cost is free for members and first-time guests, and $10 for returning guests. Visit businessovercoffee.biz or call 820-4469.
- Friday, October 11, 2013
Theatre Memphis will present “Young Frankenstein” Friday, Oct. 11, through Nov. 3 on the theater’s Lohrey Stage, 630 Perkins Road Extended. Buy tickets at theatrememphis.org.
3. Borders Could Close 51 Stores; Memphis Store Not on List
- Friday, June 10, 2011
NEW YORK (AP) – Borders Group Inc. says it may have to close dozens of its best-performing stores due to a requirement of its bankruptcy financing if their landlords don't agree to extend a lease-negotiation period.
4. Borders Still Closing Stores in Tennessee
- Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The Borders bookstore at 6685 Poplar Ave. is still open, but the chain’s Waldenbooks-branded store inside Wolfchase Galleria is no more.
5. Borders Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
- Thursday, February 17, 2011
Borders Group Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Wednesday and will be closing about 200 stores, but no Memphis stores will be affected for now. Borders has the option of closing 75 more of its 622 currently operating stores, though those locations have not yet been announced.
6. C-SPAN's Book TV BusMakes Memphis Visit
- Thursday, October 18, 2007
C-SPAN's Book TV Bus is making a stop in Memphis this month on a nationwide tour promoting the channel's unique programming - a tour that will include visits to libraries, bookstores and book festivals.
7. Archived Article: Focus (dogs)
- Friday, February 16, 2001
Its a Dogs Life Dogs lives improve with a little help from friends By MARY DANDO The Daily News Some small businesses in the Memphis area are going to the dogs, but for good reason. Wagging Tails, 6685 Poplar Ave., a specialty store selling gifts an...
8. Archived Article: Prime
- Tuesday, April 27, 1999
6685 Poplar Ave 6685 Poplar Ave. for lease Space is available for lease in the Carrefour at Kirby Woods, 6685 Poplar Ave. The bay pictured here is on the lower floor of the center and has 2,400 square feet. The Germantown center has parking, securit...
9. Archived Article: Jos.banks (bott)
- Tuesday, November 24, 1998
By LAURIE JOHNSON Renovations underway at Jos. A. Bank clothiers By LAURIE JOHNSON The Daily News The stockroom has been pressed into service as a temporary sales floor and customers enter through a doorway that used to be a window, but its still bu...


text:
The Xiaomi 12T Pro smartphone’s global variant has appeared on the Geekbench benchmarking website with key specs. Xiaomi is on the verge of unveiling the 12T series smartphones. However, details about the upcoming devices have been popping up on the internet lately.
To recap, the 12 Pro’s camera details recently surfaced online, along with its price and other specs. Notably, the 12T series will include the base Xiaomi 12T and the Xiaomi 12T Pro smartphones. Also, the two devices have already passed through multiple certification websites.
Xiaomi 12T Pro Appears On Geekbench
For instance, the Xiaomi 12T was spotted on Geekbench with key specs last week. Now, the Xiaomi 12T Pro has made its appearance on the Geekbench website. Xiaomi will reportedly unveil the 12T series later this month. The Xiaomi 12T Pro smartphone’s Geekbench listing confirms the OS version, RAM, processor, and more.
The Xiaomi 12T Pro has appeared on the Geekbench website with model number 22081212UG. According to a report by NotebookCheck, the “G” suffix confirms it’s a global variant. Moreover, the Geekbench listing confirms the presence of an octa-core processor. This processor has four cores that run at 2.02GHz.
Gizchina News of the week
Also, the processor features three cores running at 2.75GHz, and one prime core that runs at 3.19GHz. This is reportedly the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. Furthermore, the handset will pack a competent Adreno 730 GPU under the hood. According to the listing, the 12T Pro will ship with 8GB of RAM. Moreover, it will offer a hearty onboard storage capacity of 12GB.
The 12T Pro will run the Android 12 operating system out of the box. Notably, the OS could feature a layer of MIUI 13 on top. The 12T Pro scored 1300 in Geekbench’s single-core test. Likewise, the handset gained 4061 points in the multi-core test. The smartphone will reportedly sport a Full HD+ display and feature an in-display fingerprint scanner.
Furthermore, it will reportedly have a punch cutout in the center of the screen for the 20MP selfie camera. It could house a 200MP Samsung HP1 sensor, an 8MP and a 2MP lens on the back. Also, it could use a 5,000mAh battery with 120W fast charging support.


text:
Alibaba said Monday award-winning producer and songwriter Pharrell Williams will attend this year’s 11.11 Countdown Gala Celebration.
The composer and singer of 2013’s chart-topping single “Happy,” the “A-list” international star has been associated with acts from Jay-Z and Daft Punk to Gwen Stefani and Justin Timberlake, performing with or writing hit songs for them as well. His work has extended into Hollywood, where he composed the soundtracks for Despicable Me and its sequel, for which “Happy” was written, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. He also served as a judge on NBC’s The Voice.
The third annual countdown gala, a Chinese-style variety show that runs in the hours leading up to the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival‘s midnight launch, is slated for Nov. 10 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.
The gala has set itself apart from other variety shows, however, by engaging viewers in real time via their mobile phones. Last year, viewers won clothing worn by the stars and collected “red packets,” a traditional Chinese way of giving away money, all via their smartphones while they watched.
“Our pre-sale gala has become immensely influential in China, with cutting-edge interactive technology at the heart at the heart of the event,” said Hong Ying, general manager at Alifish, the licensing and entertainment business unit of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. “We want to seamlessly connect shopping with entertainment.”
Alibaba has a number of surprise guests slated to appear at the gala, but so far only Williams as well as Chinese celebrities such as Karen Mok, Zhang Ziyi and pianist Lang Lang have been announced.
In addition to his participation in the Gala, Pharrell’s G-Star denim brand will also take part in Alibaba’s Tmall Collection 2017 fashion show, which airs Oct. 31. G-Star will launch his custom-designed patchwork jeans exclusively for the “See Now, Buy Now” event.
WATCH:It’s all about high fashion in Shanghai – fashion for the masses – at Tmall’s “See Now, Buy Now” runway show.


text:
After much convention touring, Nidhogg launched on PC earlier this year. The incredibly distinctive fencing game was excellent, save for some unfortunate issues with online multiplayer. Sure, you could play with friends in person, but that wasn’t too convenient on a computer.
Messhof used the PlayStation Blog to announce that a version of Nidhogg is coming to PS4. It mirrors the existing PC game almost entirely, save for utilizing indicator colors on the DualShock 4 controller.
Players will be able to engage in living room-based battles or challenge other PSN users. No release date for Nidhogg’s PS4 debut has been announced yet.


text:
Florida farmers are struggling to stay above water after losing last year’s crops to COVID-19, and now they say they are competing with foreign suppliers who can offer cheaper produce to our American market.
What You Need To Know
- Shady Oak Farm in Lakeland has produced millions of blueberries over the last 16 years but the Sartori’s said times have changed
- Rising rent prices in Polk County have made it difficult to keep reliable farmers, Thais Sartori says
- The lack in production on many Florida farms has resulted in American consumers buying their produce from Mexico at a cheaper cost
- More Polk County headlines
“I’m from Brazil and my husband is from Portugal,” said blueberry farmer Thais Sartori. “We bought this land five years ago but it’s been a blueberry farm for 16 years; that’s why we wanted this land – all the soil is pure.”
Shady Oak Farm in Lakeland has produced millions of blueberries over the last 16 years but the Sartori’s said times have changed.
“The pandemic has hit us so badly,” said Thais. “We lost the whole crop; it was a nightmare. We kept our expectation really low for this year; we cut costs by not cutting the weeds. We used to [cut] the weeds short to let the crops breathe and get sun but we cannot afford one more year, and I still don’t know what to expect for the next crop.”
The Sartori’s said their 11-acre farm was once worked by dozens of farmers, some of them migrant workers, but they say rising rent prices in Polk County have made it difficult to keep reliable farmers.
“They can’t afford to live here,” said Thais. “They’ve moved to areas where the rent is less so they can take more money back home. It’s hard being a farmer in Florida; I hope we can find some relief.”
The lack in production on many Florida farms has resulted in American consumers buying their produce from Mexico at a cheaper cost. The Florida Department of Agriculture says seasonal crop imports from Mexico have increased 500% nationwide from 2000 to 2019.
“How can I compete my American taxes to Mexico,” asked Thais. “They are just buying the fruit in Mexico and what about us? We have been farming this land, paying taxes here. Paying our employees here for the past 16 years.”
The Sartori family said they used to get $5-$6 per pound, now stores are buying from Mexico at $2-$3 per pound. The USDA has provided some relief for farmers but that, Sartori’s said, is not enough.
“They did help us with payroll last year but we’re still struggling,” said Marcio. “Our three biggest problems are employment costs in Florida, the real estate – to live here is expensive and the fruit that’s coming from Mexico, Peru and other places.”
Marcio said, for the first time, his family is outsourcing thier produce as a means to survival.
“Now, we ill sell to France, Hong Kong and Dubai at a better price,” said Marcio. “They prefer American produce so, we may be able to get up to $9 a pound there. The competition here is tough but not impossible; it will take all the farmers coming together to make a change.”
The Satori’s lifeline, like many farmers is connected to their land. So, they say giving up is not an option.
For more on farmer assistance visit this page.


text:
The ocean freight industry is finalising preparations for the enforcement of new SOLAS rules that will mean every container must be weighed before it is loaded onto a ship. Ports and organisations have been introducing schemes and weighing systems to meet the new rules when they come into force on 1st July.
This comes after TT Club said many companies would be well prepared for the new law, but that those who are not are ‘in increasing danger of incurring commercial cost and delay, and may faced regulatory censure as well’.
In response to the International Maritime Organisation’s Circular which urged a ‘practical and pragmatic’ enforcement of the rules over the first three months, TT Club said ‘the IMO approach should protect those who try to comply; it is no comfort for those who seek to ignore or circumvent the law.’
3PL Damco is launching a global weighing and filing service – which includes the management of submitting the weight to the carrier.
Simone Kraal, Damco’s global ocean operations manager, said: “Though simple in concept, full SOLAS compliance is potentially complex with different allowable methods of weighing and varying requirements as to when VGM has to be submitted to the carriers. In addition, in some countries local regulations go beyond the bare bones of the new law. We’re therefore happy that the solutions launched today can be tuned to each customer’s specific requirements and diverse logistics landscapes.”
Peel Ports has recently introduced an in-port container weighing system which has been installed at multi-lane auto-gates at The Port of Liverpool – it will also be introduced at Glasgow (Greenock) and Dublin.
Marine Transport International, alongside Black Swan which specialises in Big Data, has created a software combined with 24/7 operational support which ‘will respond to the many eventualities posed by the new regulations’.
“Our software is designed to minimize disruption for organisation who can create their own ecosystems to match their specific needs while taking control of the VGM process, driving efficiencies and ensuring timely compliance within the various jurisdictions around the world,” said Jody Cleworth, Marine Transport International.
Earlier on this year, DP World, which operates London Gateway and Southampton, set out plans for an integrated container weighing service and launched a web site to provide shippers with information. The Port of Felixstowe has also put in place a container weighing service for UK shippers.


text:
Family and Intercultural Resource Center’s annual fashion show nets $175,000
The Family and Intercultural Resource Center’s annual fashion show on Friday was expected to sell out. However, what wasn’t certain is that, in so doing, the show would crush organizers’ goal of raising $130,000.
Reporting that the annual quirky fashion show helped bring in $175,000 total, FIRC development director Anita Overmyer added that they had more than 400 people in attendance this year.
Billed as one of the most fun fundraisers in Summit County, the high volume of ticket sales reflects how popular the quirky event has become in the last six years. For the show, more than 80 volunteers walked the runway in thrift-store clothing, and the money they raised will go to support FIRC’s many programs, including parenting classes, early childhood education and nutrition, and emergency assistance.
Last year alone, FIRC served more than 3,500 residents, Overmyer previously said, and she emphasized the money raised through the annual fashion show is critical for the family-focused organization to continue its work.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


text:
GMO Internet Group launches Internet banking on the basis of the blocktrade
Japanese IT giant and Internet provider GMO Internet Group announced the creation of a new financial institution. It is assumed that the structure will be called GMO Aozora Net Bank.
According to the document, the Internet bank based on the block-account will be created in partnership with Aozora Bank Group. The parties have been working on this project since July 2016.
The majority stake will belong to the bank Aozora, which in percentage terms is 85.1%. The rest is distributed equally between GMO Internet and GMO Financial Holdings. The parties position the bank as "the financial structure of the new generation".
The announcement says that GMO Aozora Net Bank will provide financial services through the integration of financial and information technologies. The founders of the structure said they would do their best to make the bank a technology bank number one.
The structure will meet the new requirements of consumers, using a high-level security certificate, block, AI, IoT and media.
According to another press release in Japanese, which provides more detailed information, the bank will provide services for small and medium-sized enterprises and retail customers, with the commission being minimal.
The bank will be able to open savings and deposit accounts, as well as some additional functions will be available. The services will be connected through a mobile application.
In the list of services of GMO Aozora Net Bank - opening of deposit accounts in foreign currency, payments using a Visa debit card, as well as the possibility of trading in securities and foreign currency through integration with the brokerage company GMO Click Securities.
According to the press release, the founders are planning to develop a new settlement system based on the blockbuster.
"Thanks to the use of blocking technology, there is an accelerated introduction of innovations for safer and cheaper payments and financial services," the announcement reads.
FOLLOW @smartivenabin for more stuff


text:
On October 15th, Microsoft released the new Windows 11 Patch up update, which contains several fixes, including one for AMD CPU issues and another for a fault that led some customers to see the old Windows 10 taskbar rather than the new Windows 11 taskbar.
Both AMD and Microsoft have acknowledged that running Windows 11 on specific AMD CPUs has caused some difficulties, notably in terms of gaming and demanding tasks. This is most likely connected to the L3 cache issue, as well as a “preferred” core issue that was impeding thread scheduling on a CPU’s fastest core.
According to Microsoft, the latest update should finally resolve the performance concerns for AMD Ryzen CPUs running Windows 11, although it does not prevent the build from using the preferred core, which will remain an annoyance.
Microsoft also claims that the latest version will address the issue with the new taskbar’s centring.
Several more fixes are included in the release notes for this new version. According to Microsoft and AMD, the fix for the AMD chip issue should be available to mainstream Windows 11 consumers by the end of October.


text:
~ Virginia announces Ashton to invest $11 million in facility upgrades, preserve 44 jobs ~
Richmond, VA — Governor Ralph Northam announced that Ashton Lewis Holding Company (“Ashton Lewis”) will invest $11 million to establish a new specialty southern yellow pine sawmill in Ruther Glen, impacting 44 jobs in Caroline County. Ashton Lewis has a reputation for producing quality pine products both in the United States and internationally and sources the highest value pine logs for the production of various lumber and wood products. The company has committed to source 90 percent of all pine lumber purchases from Virginia forestland owners.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Ashton Lewis to Virginia, where forestry is our third-largest private industry,” said Governor Northam. “Ashton Lewis’ commitment to Caroline County will not only preserve quality jobs for hardworking Virginians and bring valuable investment to this rural locality, but will continue to provide markets for our forestland owners.”
The company recently acquired the assets of W.T. Jones & Sons, Inc., a family-owned, pine sawmill established in 1970, saving 44 jobs in Caroline County.
“The Commonwealth has nearly 16 million acres of forestland, and the forest products industry is a vital component of our economy,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring. “We look forward to working with Ashton Lewis to further grow markets for private landowners and support Virginia’s forest products industry.”
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) worked with Caroline County to secure the project for the Commonwealth. Governor Northam approved a $50,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund to assist Caroline County with the project. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program administered by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP).
“Ashton Lewis is a great addition to Caroline County,” said Chairman of the Caroline County Board of Supervisors Jeff Sili. “As a leader in the sawmill industry, Ashton Lewis will bring needed improvements to the existing operations of the W.T. Jones sawmill assets, resulting in jobs for our citizens and revenue for the County. Caroline remains an ideal location for business investment.”
“Ashton Lewis’ purchase of the assets of the W.T. Jones sawmill will preserve one of the longest established employers in the district,” said Floyd Thomas, Caroline County Supervisor for the Mattaponi District. “The mill will have a stronger future with Ashton Lewis’ investment of a planned $11 million in facility upgrades. The Mattaponi District and Caroline County look forward to their long and prosperous future.”
“We are pleased to see Ashton Lewis taking over the former W.T. Jones & Sons sawmill in Caroline County and thank the company for retaining and creating jobs in rural Virginia,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “It’s also great to see that the company will be purchasing a majority of its logs from Virginia landowners.”
“Keeping the employees of W.T. Jones & Sons on the job is a smart move by Ashton Lewis and great news for Caroline County,” said Senator Ryan T. McDougle. “Ashton Lewis’ commitment to source pine purchases in Virginia is a boost to our forestry industry. Caroline County is a great place to do business and Ashton Lewis, being the gold standard in appearance lumber for nearly 70 years, will make a great addition to our region.”
Office of the Governor
Contact: Alena Yarmosky
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Contact: Michael Wallace
Email: Michael.Wallace @vdacs.virginia.gov
Ashton Lewis Holding Company
Contact: Gene Woodham
View original press release here….
More economic development news...


text:
Our firm’s San Diego car accident attorneys are always concerned when companies are sold to new buyers and take control of business. New buyers are not familiar with products, and their new ideas can lead to products liability lawsuits.
Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., a Chinese construction-equipment maker, has made plans to purchase General Motors’ (GM) Hummer brand car. Tengzhong is buying the GM brand of Hummer, not the military Humvee, which is made by AM General Corp. of South Bend, Indiana.
The purchase may help General Motors create a more positive image with consumers and politicians, but the buy can also lead to car accidents from possible design defects as the Chinese company can look to improve Hummer’s cars with newer engines that are possibly more fuel efficient.
Hummer cars have been popular in the United States, but the rise of gas prices gradually in the last three years placed more of an emphasis on fuel economy and fewer gas guzzling cars. As a result, cars like Hummer suffered in the market.
The new sale to Tengzhong can keep the Hummer brand available, but will Chinese automakers know what is best for American drivers? Will Chinese tinkering and experimentation lead to car accidents in the United States leading to whiplash, spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis (i.e. paraplegia and quadriplegia) and traumatic brain injuries like concussions.
Hopefully, new ownership does not lead to old problems.
Our car accident attorneys in San Diego believe that it is possible for new owners to have new visions to make products better for consumers. However, these new ideas can lead to more harm than good because new products can lead to car accidents because of possible design defects.
Please contact us for a FREE CONSULTATION with an experienced products liability lawyer — in either English or Spanish — at (800) 655-6585 or click here to submit your case for a Free Review.
SENIOR PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY & FIRM FOUNDER
Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who graduated from the University of California Hastings College of the Law in 1987. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes how insurance companies work and how they decide how much to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael’s inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents. Learn more about Michael Pines


text:
At the beginning of his literary career, Charles Dickens was a journalist. Alas, he wasn’t a business journalist—that would have been too fitting for the son of an inmate in debtor’s prison.
Still, Dickens would appreciate the intrigue developing for the American consumer as the holiday spending season begins in the coming week.
Choose your favorite Dickens novel. This is probably a fitting theme for the coming weeks for buyers, investors and the economy.
A Tale of Two, uh, retailers. Both Walmart and Target released third-quarter results last week. Where Target warned of an increasingly frugal consumer and slowing sales, Walmart is attracting more price-conscious shoppers. The world’s largest retailer said three-quarters of its big boost in grocery sales came from households earning more than $100,000 a year browsing its food aisles. Target, meanwhile, has witnessed what it called a “precipitous decline” in shoppers’ appetite as the holiday season approaches.
High expectations are a good description of the holiday shopping forecast. The National Retail Federation thinks holiday sales will grow at nearly double their normal rate. Consumers took on a lot of debt, especially on their credit cards, as inflation dragged on and took hold of household budgets.
The ghost of Christmases past haunts this season. The past two years have seen shoppers run wild with spending, flushed with stimulus checks and pandemic savings. The present will be more subdued, but certainly not the forced economy of the Great Recession years. As this shopping season kicks off Friday into the week ahead, shoppers are in high spirits thanks to low unemployment, lower gas prices and rising wages. Still, persistent inflation will reduce the volume of holiday spending in the coming Christmas.
Dickens often asked his characters to navigate a world indifferent to their circumstances. That’s certainly true for investors too, as the story of the American consumer unfolds this holiday season.
Tom Hudson is a financial reporter and chief content officer at WAMU Public Radio in Washington, DC. Follow him on Twitter @HudsonsView.


text:
Occuity is excited to announce the signing of several distributor partnership agreements with leading ophthalmic distributors across the UK and Europe ahead of the highly anticipated launch of the PM1 Pachymeter in the summer of 2023.
The PM1 Pachymeter, a ground-breaking device offers numerous benefits to the ophthalmic community. Renowned ex-Apple industrial designer, Daniele De Illuis, and his team have created a streamlined design and intuitive user experience. Being non-contact, handheld and requiring no consumables, the PM1 Pachymeter enables central corneal thickness measurements to be made in seconds.
Dan Daly, CEO of Occuity, speaking about the upcoming launch of the PM1 Pachymeter, said, "We are looking forward to introducing the PM1 to the market. Having completed successful clinical trials and submitted for CE certification, we are confident in its exceptional performance. Through discussions with distributors across Europe, we believe there will be significant demand for the PM1 and have therefore carefully chosen partners who share our dedication to delivering exceptional ophthalmic devices."
In the UK, Occuity has partnered with Birmingham Optical, a respected distributor who offer a range of leading brands and is known for its commitment to superior quality products and long-lasting partnerships. Amanda Higginbotham, Chief Commercial Officer at Birmingham Optical, expressed her delight at representing Occuity, stating,
"We are thrilled to partner with Occuity and be part of introducing the PM1 to the UK market. With their non-contact, handheld platform, Occuity have an exciting pipeline of future products including the AX1 Axiometer™ for Myopia Management, and we look forward to working with them."
Occuity has also signed distributor agreements with several renowned ophthalmic companies across Europe including E. Janach in Italy, bon Optic in Germany, Medilens for the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, and Norway), Iogen Oy, for Finland, Latvia and Estonia. More recently we have also signed agreements with Biomed Healthcare, for Greece and Cyprus and Laméris which will cover the Benelux region.
IOMED HEALTHCARE SRL
These partnerships establish a strong distribution network that will ensure the PM1 Pachymeter will be available to eye care professionals across Europe.
Antonello Spinnato, Global Managing Director at E. Janach, stated,
"Occuity has delivered an excellent product with clear advantages of existing options. We believe that the PM1 Pachymeter has the potential to become the primary method of measuring central corneal thickness and are excited to offer this ground-breaking technology to our customers."
We are also in discussions with distributors to cover APAC and North American territories.
With the combined expertise and industry-leading technology offered by Occuity and its partner distributors, eye care professionals can expect superior ophthalmic devices that enhance the customer experience.
Are you an ophthalmic distributor and interested in partnering with us to be an exclusive distributor of the PM1? Please visit our website and complete the form. We look forward to hearing from you.


text:
Morrisons introduces new security measure to self-scan tills to stop shoplifting
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
and live on Freeview channel 276
Morrisons customers will need to exit some stores through a security gate as the retailer plans to tackle rising levels of shoplifting. The new feature will be introduced to self-checkout tills at some stores as figures show increased levels of shoplifting in the retail sector.
Morrisons has followed other retailers such as Sainsbury’s who have already installed the feature in some stores.However, when Sainsbury’s introduced the gates, they received backlash, with customers claiming they were ‘held hostage’ in the store.
Sainsbury’s told MailOnline ‘the gates are used in a ‘small number’ of its store’s ‘self service checkout areas.’The supermarket, however, refused to give over information as to the total number of gates it has installed across the country.
According to the Office For National Statistics shoplifting increased by 22 per cent in the year ending in September 2022 as the cost of living continues.
Morrisons has not confirmed which stores will get the added security measure.


text:
52 Week Range
As of on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ∙ Minimum 15 minute delay
3M AVG Volume
52 Week High
52 Week Low
Shares Out (MIL)
Market Cap (MIL)
Dividend (Yield %)
Japan Financial Regulator Asks Messaging App Line To Report To It After It Let Chinese Engineers Access User Data - Kyodo
Japan Messaging App Line To Hold News Conference At 1030 GMT - Kyodo
Japan's Messaging App Line Spokesman No Data Breach, Legal Or Regulatory Issues Regarding Chinese Engineers' Access To User Data
Z Holdings Corporation, formerly Yahoo Japan Corporation, is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in group management business, Yahoo business and financial group management business. The group management business is mainly engaged in the management of group companies and the incidental business. The Yahoo business is involved in Internet advertising business, e-commerce business, and membership services business. The Internet advertising business is mainly engaged in the provision of advertisement-related services such as search-linked advertisements and display advertisements, as well as commerce related services, such as Auction and Yahoo! Shopping, membership services, such as Yahoo! Premium, the settlement finance related services, such as credit cards. The financial group management business is involved in banking business, data analysis business, marketing business and development support business.
Retail (Catalog & Mail Order)
Kioi Tower, 1-3, Kioi-cho
President, Executive President, Chief Executive Officer, Representative Director
Managing Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Senior Director of Finance in Corporate Group
Managing Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer
Senior Managing Executive Officer, Group Chief Strategy Officer, Director
Senior Managing Executive Officer, Director
Price To Earnings (TTM)
Price To Sales (TTM)
Price To Book (MRQ)
Price To Cash Flow (TTM)
Total Debt To Equity (MRQ)
LT Debt To Equity (MRQ)
Return on Investment (TTM)
Return on Equity (TTM)
SoftBank Group Corp CEO Masayoshi Son said on Monday the conglomerate is considering bringing services from South Korean e-commerce firm Coupang to Japan.
The Japanese government has decided to temporarily halt its use of popular messaging app Line, owned by SoftBank Corp's Z Holdings, to handle sensitive information, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on Monday.
SoftBank's internet business Z Holdings said on Tuesday it would halt access to chat app Line's user data from within China and stop storing user content in South Korea after media reports lead to scrutiny of the tech firm's data management.
Japan's government said on Wedneseday it would investigate messaging app Line, owned by SoftBank Corp's Z Holdings Corp, after Japanese media reports that it let Chinese engineers at a Shanghai affiliate access Japanese users' data without informing them.
Japanese messaging app LINE, owned by Z Holdings Corp, found that it had allowed Chinese engineers at an affiliated company in Shanghai to access data on Japanese users without their consent, the Asahi newspaper reported on Wednesday. (Reporting by Takashi Umekawa and Chang-Ran...
SoftBank's internet subsidiary Z Holdings outlined plans on Monday to invest 500 billion yen ($4.7 billion) in technology over five years to resist an onslaught from larger overseas rivals.
SoftBank's Z Holdings Corp said on Monday its merger with messaging app operator Line Corp will take place around March 2021 after the deal was pushed back from October due to regulatory delays caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
SoftBank's Z Holdings Corp <4689.T> said on Tuesday the closure of its merger with messaging app operator Line Corp <3938.T> will be later than October as previously stated due to regulatory approval being delayed by the coronavirus outbreak.
SoftBank's Z Holdings Corp said on Tuesday the closure of its merger with messaging app operator Line Corp will be later than October as previously stated due to regulatory approval being delayed by the coronavirus outbreak. (Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Japan's stock benchmark Nikkei rose on Monday on cautious optimism, underpinned by gains in global peers and prospects of a Sino-U.S. trade deal, while Z Holdings and Line Corp advanced after a formal merger announcement.
Japan's Nikkei edged higher on cautious optimism, underpinned by gains on Wall Street and prospects of a Sino-U.S. trade deal, while Z Holdings and Line Corp advanced after a formal merger announcement.
Japanese shares hit 1-1/2-week lows on Thursday after profit-taking set in as doubts over an interim U.S.-China trade deal grew, while Line Corp and Z Holdings jumped on news the Yahoo Japan operator was in merger talks with messaging app firm Line.
Japanese shares retreated to one-week lows on Thursday as doubts over an interim U.S.-China trade deal lifted the safe-haven yen, while Line Corp and Z Holdings surged on news that the Yahoo Japan operator was in merger talks with messaging app firm Line.
Japanese Internet firm Z Holdings , the SoftBank-owned operator of Yahoo Japan, said on Thursday it was in talks to merge with messaging app operator Line Corp.
SoftBank's Z Holdings Corp <4689.T> is in talks to merge with messaging app operator Line Corp <3938.T>, two sources said on Wednesday, the investment company's latest bet on a struggling tech firm.
Japanese internet firm Z Holdings Corp and messaging app operator Line Corp are set to merge, aiming to create an e-commerce giant spanning finance, retail and other services, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.
Yahoo Japan Corp <4689.T> said it will take over Japan's biggest online fashion retailer Zozo Inc <3092.T> for 400 billion yen ($3.7 billion), seeking to breathe fresh life into the business and compete better against the likes of Amazon.com <AMZN.O>.
Internet and e-commerce company Yahoo Japan Corp, will launch a takeover bid for online clothing retailer Zozo Inc, public broadcaster NHK said on Thursday.
Yahoo Japan Corp <4689.T> said on Wednesday it will end the sale of ivory on the country's biggest online auction site, finally joining competitors in a ban.
Yahoo Japan says to ban ivory trading from November 1st (Reporting by Sam Nussey)
Quote and financial data from Refinitiv. Fund performance data provided by Lipper. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes.


text:
HedgeStreet has announced the launch of new real estate and
energy contracts as well as an initiative to attract market
makers to the upstart exchange.
HedgeStreet, an electronic market launched last October
listing a variety of traditional and non-traditional contracts
for retail traders, introduced three- and six-month contracts
based on National Association of Realtors (NAR)'s reported
median sales price of homes in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New
York, San Diego and San Francisco. The contracts, called
Hedgelets, are binary options allowing traders to take a simple
yes or no position on whether prices will rise or fall in the
This article is available exclusively to subscribers
Please log in to continue reading.
Not yet a subscriber?
Click here to take a free trial.
Already have an account? |
Please fill in your details below and a customer service representative will contact you.


text:
Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Nov. 5, 2011.
We are reposting this story in an effort to support local struggling businesses during the coronavirus emergency.
It is important to note that La Favorita Bakery announced this week that all of its locations –including the one in Boyle Heights featured in this article and the one in East Los Angeles– would temporarily close to deal with the coronavirus emergency. “We are currently cleaning, sanitizing, and preparing our facilities with the necessary precautionary means to safeguard your protection as well as that of all our personnel,” the company said in a message posted on its website and Instagram page. “We apologize for any inconvenience, but we are working to open as soon as possible. All updates on business hours will be provided on our web page and social media sites.”
The other business mentioned in this story, Manuel’s El Tepeyac, announced this month on its Instagram page that it would remain open at both of its locations for take out orders and deliveries (through Uber and Postmates only in the origina Boyle Heights restaurant).
It’s also important to note that Manuel Rojas, the El Tepeyac owner featured in this story, passed away in 2013. His passing and funeral services were covered by Boyle Heights Beat.
From the unconventional five-pound burritos to delicious sweet bread, Boyle Heights is known for its tasty and diverse foods. Its popular restaurants have pleased customers for decades and continue to attract people from around the city who come to get a taste of Boyle Heights.
Boyle Heights has many restaurants to choose from, whether you are hungry for authentic Mexican food or mouth-watering desserts. El Tepeyac and La Favorita have both been in Boyle Heights for more than 20 years and have become two of the most popular places to visit.
Manuel Rojas immediately greets customers to his El Tepeyac restaurant with a basket of candy, a kiss on the hand or a shot of tequila.
Once inside, the aroma of the restaurant’s famous Mexican dishes overtakes the senses. Throughout the day, a long line of customers waits anxiously outside the restaurant at 812 North Evergreen Avenue to be welcomed by Rojas, known to regulars as “Don Manuel.”
“Hi! A table will be available. You want a shot of tequila meanwhile?” the energetic and charismatic 77-year-old asks a customer.
“The kids always tell me that he has taken them from the Tootsie Roll to tequila shots as they grew older,” said Joey Durán, Rojas’ nephew and the manager of the second El Tepeyac, located in the City of Industry.
Óscar Martínez drove to Boyle Heights from Orange County to visit the diner- style restaurant one weekday afternoon as mariachi and norteño music poured out from the jukebox. “My business partner said, ‘You guys have to stop at this restaurant, it’s really good,” said Martínez.
He ordered the chile colorado and was very satisfied with his choice. “They have everything. I would eat everything from the menu,” said Martínez.
The restaurant’s popular five-pound burrito, called “Manuel’s Special Burrito,” began as a joke in 1970s when a group of Cal State Los Angeles students bet on who could eat the most food. The cooks made huge burritos for them, and the young men raced to see who would finish first.
Four years ago, the restaurant formalized the competition. It gives an El Tepeyac t-shirt to anyone who can eat the entire burrito. “The burrito was a hit, and people began to ask for that special,” said Roxanne Rojas, the founder’s niece, who manages the restaurant. “You wouldn’t believe how much food people consume to get a t-shirt.”
Manuel Rojas’ late father, Salvador, and mother, Rebecca, began selling food from their home more than 70 years ago. They opened their first restaurant, El Tupinamba, in downtown L.A. in 1942, and a second, La Villa Café, in Lincoln Heights. They opened El Tepeyac in Boyle Heights in 1952. They never imagined that their business would have so much success.
Public figures like will.i.am, the rap and hip-hop star, and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, both Boyle Heights natives, are regulars. The hip-hop artist always sits at a back corner table, away from the crowd, and orders huevos con chorizo. During the mayor’s 2009 campaign, Villaraigosa made El Tepeyac his last stop.
The restaurant was featured on a Travel Channel show, “Man v. Food,” in 2009, which attracted more clients and strengthened its reputation as a Boyle Heights landmark.
“We are actually an itinerary stop for tourists who come to L.A.,” said Rojas. “You are also going to see Phillipe’s on Alameda Street, and then you will see Manuel’s El Tepeyac.”
Rojas still wakes up as early as 2 a.m. to be at the restaurant at 3 a.m. and work his daily eight hours. His niece and nephew plan to continue to sustain the family business and the legacy that attracts many people.
La Favorita Bakery
The smell of freshly baked sweet bread pierces the air from several blocks away. Through the window of La Favorita bakery at 2305 East Fourth Street, a visitor can watch the bakers knead the dough and shape it into conchas, cuernos and bolillos.
From early morning to late afternoon, the bakery is crowded with students from nearby Theodore Roosevelt High School and with families eager to buy the delicious breads, which most clients find affordable.
“I go to La Favorita because the bolillo is delicious, and the quality is great. It also reminds me of Mexico,” said Jelsy Gervacio, a college student who lives in Boyle Heights.
A dream crafted by father and son, Jesus and Jorge Beltrán, more than 40 years ago in Mexico, La Favorita continues to succeed even in today’s unstable economy. The family owned a bakery in Mexico City before immigrating to the United States and opening a bakery in Boyle Heights in 1971. Pleased with the success of the first bakery, the Beltráns began to expand. Today, they have seven other locations throughout the city.
La Favorita workers say they were the first to introduce the mini-concha and bolillo to Los Angeles, using recipes from the family’s Mexico City bakery. Today, their sweet bread makes them one of L.A.’s favorite bakeries. (LA Weekly named La Favorita “best Eastside bakery” by in 2009.)
“Some of the bakers that we have here have been here for more than 20 years, and I think that is what keeps customers coming back,” said Manager Julia Cantana, who joined the bakery in 1986 as a cashier. “The bread is [so] delicious that even the bakers cannot stop eating. It’s like an addiction.”
Carlos Castañeda has worked at the bakery for 33 years, starting when he was 15, but he says he never gets bored baking cakes. “It has been a great experience because we are like a family here,” said Castañeda. His co-workers say that Castañeda is like a father to the other bakers.
La Favorita provides bread and cakes for weddings and quinceañeras; it also gives back to the Boyle Heights community, donating bread to institutions like Roca De Salvación Church.
“It’s a great blessing, because this is a time of great need for those who come here [for the bread] and for those who live here,” said María Elia Guzmán, the pastor.
“We donate bread to the church because we are strong believers of God,” said Cantana, the manager. “Our goal is to help the Boyle Heights community move forward, not fall back, and we plan to continue doing it with the help of God.”
What’s your favorite restaurant or food in Boyle Heights? Share in our comments section below.


text:
There's been a lot of, as the national security types would say, "chatter" about an upcoming convertible tablet PC from Dell--an area they've mostly ignored in the company's current lineup. We've seen a few references pointing toward an early November announcement here and there, from trade pubs such as Investor's Business Daily and Computerworld, but very little on the official front from Dell.
The fine folks at Dell weren't quite ready to tell you about this one yet, but that didn't stop the Engadget Mystery Machine from rolling up on the top-secret upcoming Dell XPS M1530.
You may recall the much-hyped 13-inch M1330 from a few months ago. A laptop we liked so much, at the time we said, "Dell has finally put design first with the head-turning XPS M1330 laptop...We've been impressed with the emphasis on the user experience in this superthin, high-end laptop, from the slot-loading DVD drive to the touch-sensitive media buttons and HDMI-output jack.&… Read more
Management's focus on innovation comes and goes in cycles. Right now, it is all the rage again (although it remains to be seen if that's still the case as innovation budgets may be cut when the looming recession hits the US), and the business press is covering it all across the board. Managing innovation is one of the most critical tasks companies face, and yet it remains one of the biggest challenges. Not only do companies need to come up with new ideas, but they also need to nurture a culture that consistently encourages and rewards innovation. If … Read more
Taking a run through the early, underpopulated hours of the DigitalLife expo here in New York, we were pleased to see at least three new laptops that mobile gaming fans will be interested in.
First up was Dell XPS m1730, making its official debut. Of course, this may go down as one of the most-leaked "secret" laptops in history, with Dell itself sending a preorder advertising e-mail to its XPS mailing list earlier this week. Now that it's officially out, we'll politely feign surprise, but our excitement is genuine as this is a sorely needed update … Read more
Gateway released an all-in-one PC at DigitalLife this week in New York, touting the PC as a fresh page in their efforts to reinvent themselves.
The One part, however, shouldn't be confused for the first.
Gateway has had all-in-on PCs in its lineup since the spring of 1999 when it released the Profile in Japan. That PC, which combined an CRT monitor with a PC, came to the states in June 1999. The company then followed up in the succeeding years with the Profile 2 (similar but different processors), the Profile 3 (a PC married to an LCD screen … Read more
Dell released its first LCD monitor with an integrated Webcam today with the 20-inch Dell SP2008WFP. The 2.0-megapixel Webcam sits next to a microphone above the wide-screen display and can do video and photos and--with the included software--lets you engage in such activities as remote monitoring, motion detection, and time-lapse video capturing. The specs: 1,680x1,050 native resolution, HDCP support, a fast 2ms response time (gray-to-gray), and a high contrast ratio of 2000:1. The display features Dell's new silver color scheme and serves up four USB 2.0 ports in addition to DVI and VGA video … Read more
We've been waiting around for some time now for official word on the Dell XPS m1730. We got a behind-closed-doors peek at the system last month, and we've been hearing rumors and leaks from all corners of the Web.
The original release date for Dell's sequel to the popular 17-inch XPS m1710 got pushed back more than a month, and was still up in the air earlier this week. But this morning, after some more spec info turned up online, we got an official marketing e-mail from Dell with the subject line: "The XPS M1730 - … Read more
If you've been following the current rift in the Linux community between Linus Torvalds and his minions squaring off against Con Kolivas and the mainstream Linux fanatics, you probably know that it's getting quite heated. You also probably know that these two entirely different ideas could create three possible paths Linux can take for the future: stay geeky and appeal to the advanced tech guru in all of us; go mainstream and leave the advanced functionality and reliable kernel behind to compete with Microsoft and Apple; or face a "civil war" that could lead to total Linux annihilation.
Those that have followed the path of Torvalds are trumpeting his stance in saying that Linux is "the best" because it sticks to its core values and doesn't sacrifice usability to appeal to grandma. On the other hand, the mainstream group thinks Linux is in a unique position with Ubuntu to capitalize on the consumer market and make it a more viable alternative to Mac OS X and Windows for the average user.
And while I agree that some Linux distributions are ready for the "big time," they're typically not the best and they lose sight of what makes Linux great: security, advanced functionality and outstanding usability.
Linux shouldn't go mainstream--it should embrace its roots and stay Linux.… Read more
Dell is offering a new service to recycle tired electronics for small businesses. The program, which will wipe sensitive data from hard drives in the process, will cost $25 each of up to 10 pieces of hardware. Dell also offers companies the option to resell old equipment that remains valuable.
The company began its free curbside recycling pickup for consumers last September. Greenpeace and other environmental groups have given the company high marks for its takeback program. The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition lists Dell as one of the nation's "responsible recyclers" that does not send e-waste to … Read more
With HP's decision to release a slew of new laptops that offer a slick design and nice specs, it had me thinking: is this the new face of the notebook market? Are notebooks becoming commodities that can be differentiated only by design?
And if all of that is true, what will happen to brand loyalty? Is it another victim of this vicious battle?
I think it is.… Read more


text:
The FINANCIAL — As a result of the global economic crisis, Deutsche Post DHL, the world's largest provider of logistics services, recorded a 12.9 percent drop in revenue to 11.5 billion euros in the first quarter of 2009.
Underlying EBIT fell by 42.1 percent to 312 million euros. The decrease was primarily caused by the unprecedented plunge in demand across all regions and sectors as well as reduced volumes and higher wages in the MAIL Corporate Division. Reported EBIT on Group level totaled 27 million euros compared with 539 million euros in the previous year mainly because of non-recurring charges tied to the restructuring the Group's DHL Express business in the U.S.
"We have to act now to secure our profitability and jobs over the long term. There can't be any sacred cows," said Chief Executive Officer Frank Appel. "While the latest data seem to indicate that we have reached a bottom in terms of shipping volumes, we are preparing to deal with a longer period of weak demand all across the world and therefore will relentlessly focus on reducing our cost base – particularly in MAIL and EXPRESS – as well as securing our solid cash position. For us, the crisis is also an opportunity: We are the global market leader and therefore have the necessary size and financial muscle to present ourselves very aggressively in the market." In that context, Appel referred to 1 billion euros of new business that the Group secured in the first quarter.
Challenges being tackled
The global economic crisis has uncovered weak spots in the company, which will be tackled systematically over the coming weeks and months. To that end, the Corporate Division EXPRESS is planning a wide-ranging reorganization to create a leaner and more streamlined business by eliminating layers within the organization while leveraging synergies on the global and regional levels. The current five geographical regions will be combined to form three. This will be complemented by a new governance model with a six-member Global Management Board. One of the first things the new team will be looking at is finding solutions for loss-making domestic businesses and sharpening the focus on the Group's profitable international Express business and on further cost reductions.
"In addition to that the Group plans to further raise efficiency at its Corporate Division MAIL to make the business fit for the future in light of declining volumes. In order to do so, Deutsche Post DHL plans to make structural adjustments in addition to further cost cuts. The Group plans to discuss topics such as an extension of the weekly working hours, or a postponement of planned salary increases with the social partners. On an operating level, the Group plans to further boost productivity. Mail that is currently being shipped by air will in the future be shipped in a more environmentally friendly and less costly manner by ground transportation, without compromising on quality. Together, all measures are expected to underpin EBIT at the MAIL division by around 300 million euros this year," DHL reported.
Net income and cash flow
In the first quarter, net income after minorities rose from 383 million euros to 944 million euros. The key reason for this increase was the valuation of put options for 26.4 million shares of Deutsche Postbank stock that had a positive impact on the financial result. Accordingly, earnings per share rose from 32 cents to 78 cents. Operating cash flow was at minus 275 million euros compared with 141 million euros in the previous year. The main reasons for this drop were the lower EBIT and the increased use of provisions, particularly in connection with the restructuring of DHL's U.S. express business. At the same time, further progress was made in the Group's effort to reduce net working capital.
Still, free cash flow was also negative with 1.4 billion euros as the Group invested part of the cash received from the sale of Postbank in short-term capital market instruments. Net cash from financing activities amounted to 3.29 billion euros after Deutsche Bank subscribed to mandatory bonds exchangeable into Postbank shares and paid for the collateralization of the put options for the remaining Postbank shares. Cash and cash equivalents amounted to 3.51 billion euros at the end of the first quarter.
MAIL Corporate Division
As in past quarters, the MAIL Division was able to maintain its relationship with important customers and expand its market position in Germany in the first quarter. To further strengthen its quality leadership and boost productivity, Deutsche Post invested during the first quarter in new sorting equipment for standard and compact letters as well as for oversized letters that will replace older equipment over the next three years.
Revenue in the MAIL Division fell by 4.5 percent to 3.49 billion euros even though the reporting period had an additional 0.6 working day. Here, too, the global economic crisis was the main reason for cutbacks in advertising spending initiated in particular by mail-order companies. EBIT in the MAIL Division dropped from 546 million euros in the previous year's reporting period to 407 million euros. The decrease was caused by lower demand in cyclical business units and higher wage costs.
EXPRESS Corporate Division
Revenue in the EXPRESS Division dropped by 25.9 percent to 2.5 billion euros in the first three months of the year. The global economic crisis caused daily shipping volumes in the product area of time definite international to plunge 13.3 percent. Outside the United States, shipping volumes for the same product dropped 10.6 percent.
Since the beginning of February, DHL no longer offers national express products within the United States. Combined with the weak economy, this change resulted in a 35.7 percent decrease in daily shipping volumes in the product area of time definite international in the United States. This decrease, just like the restructuring costs totaling 243 million euros, was fully in line with the Group's planning. As a result, Deutsche Post DHL is confident that, despite the economic crisis, it will achieve its desired goal of cutting losses on an annual basis to below $400 million beginning in the fourth quarter of 2009.
In Europe, revenue fell by 16.9 percent, due to reduced shipping volumes. In the Asia-Pacific region, revenue dropped by 6.7 percent. Here, exchange rate trends involving the euro cushioned the decrease in revenue. The euro exchange rate also had a positive effect in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, enabling revenue in this region to remain stable.
During the first quarter, the underlying EBIT loss totaled 120 million euros in the EXPRESS Division. Outside the United States, underlying EBIT decreased from 229 million euros to 66 million euros. As a result of restructuring costs at DHL U.S. Express, the reported EBIT loss totaled 392 million euros. In the same quarter last year, earnings before and after non-recurring items totaled 8 million euros.
GLOBAL FORWARDING, FREIGHT Corporate Division
The first-quarter results of the forwarding business also reflected decreasing trade volumes. As a result, revenue in the entire division dropped by 18.2 percent to 2.66 billion euros. The business unit Global Forwarding experienced a similar drop in revenue at 18.6 percent to 1.92 billion euros. Air-freight volume in the export area sank by 26.2 percent – the marked drop in the technology area had a particularly negative effect here. Ocean freight volumes outperformed the market: While the Group experienced a 10 percent drop in ocean freight volumes, the overall market fell by 16 percent. In the Freight business unit, revenue decreased by 15.5 percent to 762 million euros amid currency effects.
In the first quarter, EBIT in the GLOBAL FORWARDING, FREIGHT Division dropped from 78 million euros in the previous year to 45 million euros.
SUPPLY CHAIN Corporate Division
Considering the weak economic environment, the development of the Group's contract logistics business was rather pleasing in the first quarter. Revenue in the entire division fell by 6 percent primarily because of negative exchange-rate effects. Adjusted for these effects, the decrease amounted to only 2.4 percent. In particular, Williams Lea performed extremely well considering the current market environment with a 6 percent increase in organic growth. In terms of additional contracts with current and new customers, business was better than the previous year. As a result, orders with a total volume of about 300 million euros on an annual basis were recorded despite the difficult market environment. The share of contract extensions remained stable at more than 90 percent.
Thanks to reduced overhead costs, reported EBIT remained stable at 34 million euros during the first quarter. If restructuring charges of 8 million euros are excluded, EBIT even rose by 23.5 percent.
Following the significant drop in volumes around the Group in the first quarter 2009, Deutsche Post DHL may now be reaching the bottom in terms of volume declines. If this were the case, the Group would expect to see increasing benefit in the second half of the year and in 2010 from its cost-cutting program. In November, Deutsche Post DHL set a target of cutting at least 1 billion euros in non-operating costs by the end of 2010. The EXPRESS Corporate Division, which contributes the lion's share with 460 million euros to the program, expects to reach its target by the end of 2009 already. The other corporate divisions – MAIL with 180 million euros, GLOBAL FORWARDING, FREIGHT with 160 million euros, SUPPLY CHAIN with 130 million euros and Corporate Center with 70 million euros – will also strive to reach their cost-cutting targets earlier than planned.
In particular in the EXPRESS Corporate Division, the good progress in the restructuring of the DHL U.S. Express business will support the improvement in the second half of the year. This should lead to underlying group EBIT showing significantly lower reductions relative to 2008 than the Group has seen in the first quarter and expects to see in the second quarter of the year.
The positive effects as a result of the Postbank transaction should lead to a return to a positive net profit in 2009 as a whole – a substantial improvement on 2008.


text:
UK Electric vehicle demand slightly up in August
UK new car registrations fell -22.0% in August, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 68,033 units were registered in what is traditionally one of the quietest months of the year for new car registrations ahead of the important plate-change in September.
The monthly performance was the weakest since August 2013, and down -7.6% against the average recorded over the last decade, due in part to constrained supply as the global shortage of semiconductors, an issue born of the pandemic, continues to undermine production volumes.1
Demand for the latest battery electric (BEV), hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles, however, surged, up 32.2%, 45.7% and 72.1% respectively. In fact, demand for PHEVs has outpaced BEVs in five of the last six months since changes to the Plug-in Car Grant, affecting BEVs, were introduced in March.2 There are now some 130 plug-in models on the market, with the range ever-increasing.
Information Source: Read More–>
Oilandgaspress.com | Energy, Climate, Renewable, Wind, Biomass, Sustainability, Oil Price, LPG, Solar


text:
A family from the Borders has welcomed a report that criticises the way consular staff abroad treat bereaved relatives.
Julie Sheppard's son died from a heart attack while in France - but she says she got no assistance.
The Foreign Office said it meets every family, but the report highlighted concerns that some of its staff were insensitive and incompetent.
"They basically want you out of their hair as quickly as possible. It's really unpleasant as a mum losing her son, to feel uncomfortable about ringing up because you feel you're a nuisance."
Troops from the Border region are among hundreds currently on a training exercise in Poland. The Army says it's to show Eastern European states that they can be confident they'll get help should they need it.
The promise through NATO comes as political tensions with Russia increase. The exercise is called Operation Black Eagle and as David Wood reports it has more importance than a routine training exercise.
Two people are in hospital with serious injuries after a crash between two cars near Carlisle.
It happened at half past 7 last night (Nov 20th) just east of the Thursby roundabout on the A596.
The police say a silver Vauxhall Vectra, driven by a 22-year-old man from Maryport, and a silver Ford Mondeo, driven by a 67-year-old woman from Carlisle, were travelling in opposite directions when they collided.
Both were taken to hospital in Carlisle where they remain in a serious but stable condition.
The road was closed for four and a half hours.
The spirit of the Indian Railway has been brought to life in a series of photographs on show at Rheghed, near Penrith.
The pictures are the work of a photojournalist who died suddenly whilst living in Burma last year. And they've been published in a book which will help raise money for a Burmese charity. Jenny Longen reports
The seaside trip started badly for Tony and Jan Jenkinson when they arrived at their hotel in Blackpool. But as Kate Walby reports, they could never have imagined the hotel's reaction to their complaint.
Tony and Jan Jenkinson had a £100 extra charged to their credit card after they called the Broadway Hotel a 'filthy, stinking hovel" after staying there.
When they queried it they were told there was a 'no bad review' policy in the terms and conditons.
Jan told Granada Reports she was "furious" at the charge.
A couple "fined" by a hotel after they wrote a damning review about it are to be given a refund, a council has said.
Tony and Jan Jenkinson said they were charged an extra £100 after describing the Broadway Hotel in Blackpool as a "filthy, stinking hovel" on TripAdvisor.
Blackpool Council said today that they understood that the hotel will reimburse them, as well as scrapping the policy.
"Our trading standards team became aware of this issue last week.
As a result, we have spoken to the hotel owner and asked for the policy to be removed, which has now happened.
This is a unique case and not one that we have come across before."
The couple, from Whitehaven in Cumbria, had been attempting to recoup the money through their credit card company.
They complained to Cumbria Trading Standards officials, who passed the matter to counterparts in Blackpool.
The hotel could not be reached for comment. Its website appeared to be down.
A hotel in Blackpool has charged a couple £100 for leaving a negative review online.
Tony and Jan Jenkinson from Whitehaven claim £100 was charged to their credit card for going against the 'no bad review' policy of the hotel.
A spokesperson for Trip Advisor says this is 'against the spirit and policies of our site':
"While, thankfully, such instances are very rare, it is completely against the spirit and policies of our site for any business owner to attempt to bully or intimidate reviewers who have had a negative experience.
Where we find evidence of a business doing so, we will take action to protect the integrity of our site."
A Whitehaven couple have claimed they were charged an extra £100 by a hotel after leaving an online review describing it as a "filthy, stinking hovel".
Tony and Jan Jenkinson stopped at the Broadway Hotel in Blackpool on their way to Oxford, paying £36 for a night in a double room. They said they encountered a string of problems, prompting Mr Jenkinson to post the review on the website Trip Advisor. The Jenkinsons said they discovered the £100 charge on their credit card statement a few days later.
When they queried the charge, they were said to have been told it was incurred under a "no bad review policy" included in the terms and conditions.
The policy said: "Despite the fact that repeat customers and couples love our hotel, your friends and family may not. For every bad review left on any website, the group organiser will be charged a maximum £100 per review."
A couple from Whitehaven have been 'fined' £100 for describing a hotel as a "rotten stinking hovel" on Trip Advisor.
The Broadway Hotel, in Blackpool, said it is their policy to charge for 'bad' reviews after Tony and Jan Jenkinson found their credit card had been charged.
When the couple discovered the unexpected charge on their credit card they contacted the hotel and the manager said they had a ‘no bad review policy’ in their terms and conditions.
The policy stated:‘Despite the fact that repeat customers and couples love our hotel, your friends and family may not. For every bad review left on any website, the group organiser will be charged a maximum £100 per review’.
The couple then contacted the council’s Trading Standards team to complain about the matter.
“I have worked for Trading Standards for many years and have never seen anything like this. The hotel management clearly thinks that they have come up with a novel way to prevent bad reviews, however we believe this could be deemed an unfair trading practice.”
Cumbria County Council’s Trading Standards say this policy could be deemed an unfair term under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 and therefore have passed it on to colleagues at Blackpool Trading Standards to investigate. The couple have sought a refund via their credit card company.
“Customers need to be free to be honest about the service they’re getting. Other customers depend upon it. Hotel owners should focus on getting their service right rather than shutting down aggrieved customers with threats and fines. People should have the right to vent their disappointment if a hotel stay did not meet their expectations and should not be prevented from having their say.”


text:
HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) -- The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that a pulpwood company's sale of its Delaware land constitutes taxable business income in the state.
Glatfelter Pulpwood Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of P.H. Glatfelter Corp., challenged a Commonwealth Court's decision to side with the state Board of Finance and Revenue.
The board had determined that Glatfelter's gains from the sale of a tract of Delaware timberland could be characterized as "business income," and is subject to taxation in Pennsylvania.
Glatfelter, which owns and operates a paper mill in Spring Grove, produces a variety of specialty paper products.
Its sole business activity is to procure pulpwood for its parent company's operations, at the lowest possible costs and from two sources: by growing and harvesting trees from its own timberland, or by purchasing pulpwood from third parties on the open market.
As of Jan. 1, 2003, Glatfelter's timberland holdings were as follows: 25,821 acres in Maryland; 19,249 acres in Delaware; 28,595 acres in Pennsylvania; and 40,682 acres in Virginia.
That same year, Glatfelter made a corporate decision to sell certain timberland holdings, thereby decreasing the percentage of pulpwood procured for its parent company from its timberlands.
In 2004, as part of its timberland divestiture plan, Glatfelter sold 4,882 of its 19,249 Delaware acres for $56,586,000, realizing a net gain of $55,355,452.
Glatfelter distributed all of the net proceeds from this sale to its parent company, which used the distributed proceeds to pay down debt and to pay dividends to its shareholders.
As required by Delaware tax law, Glatfelter allocated 100 percent of the net gain from the timberland sale to Delaware and paid Delaware corporate income tax on the gain in 2004.
It then reported the timberland sale on its federal tax return as a sale or exchange of property used in a trade or business.
Also, in its initial 2004 Pennsylvania corporate tax report, Glatfelter reported a corporate net income tax liability of $2,189,876, which it paid.
It then filed an amended 2004 Pennsylvania corporate tax report asserting that its reported net gain on the 2004 Delaware timberland sale should have been considered non-business income allocated to Delaware.
Therefore, the company claimed, it actually suffered a net loss of $3,044,914 for the tax year, and its Pennsylvania corporate net income tax liability was zero.
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue declined to characterize Glatfelter's net gain from the Delaware timberland sale as non-business income, and concluded the company's 2004 business income was $52,327,343.
Instead, the department attributed 42 percent of Glatfelter's income to Pennsylvania and assessed the company's corporate net income tax liability at $2,205,211.
Glatfelter filed an appeal with the department's Board of Appeals, seeking a refund of its 2004 corporate net income tax in the amount of $2,205,211.
The board denied relief. Glatfelter then filed an appeal with the Board of Finance and Revenue, again requesting that the gain from the timberland sale be considered non-business income.
The board denied the appeal.
In June 2007, Glatfelter filed a petition for review in the Commonwealth Court. The court affirmed the board's decision.
Glatfelter then filed a direct appeal with the state Supreme Court.
The state's high court affirmed the lower court's decision in its Jan. 22 ruling.
Justice Seamus McCaffery, who wrote the majority opinion, explained that the stipulations establish that Glatfelter's timberlands were "integral operational assets" of its unitary business.
"The timberlands could in no sense be characterized as passive investments," he wrote.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at email@example.com.


text:
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon does not know which way consumers will go with their spending next year.
McMillion was on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” recently and said shoppers are facing more credit card debt and less in their bank accounts than ever before, which makes 2024 extremely difficult to predict.
Walmart delivered solid results during the third quarter, but there was a stretch in late October that made leadership feel uneasy.
During the earnings call, McMillon also said grocery prices were on the decline in areas like dairy, chicken, and seafood, a trend which will put more unit pressure on Walmart moving forward.
Walmart has been able to rely on strong sales in grocery while consumers shy away from non-essential items, but McMillon believes the U.S. may soon experience a period of deflation.
The retailer is expecting U.S. same store sales to peak next quarter before it starts to drop over the next three quarters. Walmart also adjusted its full year forecast to be lower than expected.
Walmart CFO John David Rainey told CNBC that consumers are putting more stock into major promotions as they continue to watch their budget, as the retailer has experienced a decline in purchases before and after a sales event.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon says 2024 could be a difficult year for retailers as shopping behaviors could turn unpredictable. Walmart is forecast sales gains for the first quarter, but drops for the remaining three. It's the perfect storm, rising credit debt and dwindling savings for shoppers, and lower unit prices at the retail level. How early do you see sales beginning to struggle?
Let us know what you think in the comments below or email the SN staff at [email protected].


text:
A new sub-forum for non-M-B topics! Woo-hoo!
In 2017, Coachwerks in Victoria BC restored the bodyshell of my 1966 Peugeot 404C Injection, number 4598609. The Coupé and Cabriolet models had their bodies and interiors done at Pininfarina's shop in Grugliasco, but the mechanical bits were done at Sochaux France. I have owned one of these since February 1981, and this one since February 1989.
In December 2016 the shell was delivered to Coachwerks.
Note the KF2 Injection engine, now on the stand in the photo
The new old stock body panels being dropped off at the blasting shop in November 2016
The car was placed onto its cart at Coachwerks December 10, 2016
In good company: a P1800 under plastic, a 914/6, an Austin Healey 3000, a 911 and a 300 SL
On the flatbed, taking a ride to the quick strip facility in Sidney BC, December 10th, 2016.


text:
Latched and Hooked just leveled up!
"Never could I have imagined that my first purchase order would come from QVC," Gatlin said in a recent Instagram post. A full circle moment, she remembers her mom watching and ordering porcelain dolls from the network. Now, on February 4th, she'll be in millions of homes showcasing her premium synthetic hair products live from QVC studios.
Latched and Hooked is a Black woman-owned and operated beauty company. According to the site, it offers non-toxic synthetic hair extensions that'll give you the look you want without irritating your scalp. As seen in Essence and Good Morning America, it's designed to match a woman's natural hair texture.
In 2015, Gatlin became a pioneer in the hair and beauty industry, turning her side hustle into the first patent-pending process of pre-curled and looped synthetic hair. Within one year, she built a million-dollar e-commerce beauty brand, Curlkalon Hair Collection. Today, Tiffini has "expanded her vision for creating safe and affordable synthetic hair extensions" with the launch of Latched & Hooked.
The corporate bank executive turned entrepreneur started her QVC journey on June 2, 2021 and now she's happy to announce that she "finally made it to the finish line."
Photo credit: LinkedIn


text:
Views: 3 Author: By Li Fusheng | China Daily Europe Publish Time: 2018-05-18 Origin: http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2018-05/18/content_36224813.htm
Geely considering a public float for Volvo Cars
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group says it is mulling an initial public offering for Volvo Cars, the Swedish carmaker it bought from Ford in 2010.
"We are looking at the possibilities; we haven't made a final decision on how to proceed as of yet," a Geely spokesman said on May 11.
He made the comment in response to media reports that Geely has selected investment banks including Citigroup Inc to advise on an IPO this year.
Bloomberg reported that Geely and Volvo have discussed valuing the Swedish automaker in the range of $16 billion (13.5 billion euros; ￡11.8 billion) to $30 billion in a stock sale.
It also said the two are planning a dual listing in both Hong Kong and Sweden, and the shares could be sold as early as this autumn.
"(It is) speculation," said the Geely spokesman, adding that "there is no confirmation".
An IPO is an option, but the decision is up to the owner, a representative of Volvo Cars told Bloomberg, declining to comment further.
Volvo had revenue of 210.9 billion krona ($24.4 billion) in 2017 with an operating profit of 14.1 billion krona, according to Reuters.
Volvo sold 200,042 cars from January to April this year, up by 13.6 percent year-on-year. In China, its largest market, it sold 39,210 cars, up by 22.4 percent.
Geely Automobile, which is also owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, is listed in Hong Kong.
Its shares rose by 3.74 percent in Hong Kong trading on May 11, after doubling over the last 12 months.
Geely has been one of the bestselling Chinese passenger carmakers in China, the world's largest car market.
It sold 524,000 cars from January to April, ranking second only to State-owned SAIC Motor, soaring by some 40 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
China sold 2.32 million cars in April, up by 11.5 percent, and total sales this year reached 9.5 million, up by 4.8 percent year-on-year, according to the CAAM.
Passenger car sales in the first four months hit 8 million, growing by 4.5 percent year-on-year, mainly thanks to sales of SUVs.
As the fastest-growing segment, SUV sales grew by 12.9 percent year-on-year to 3.47 million units. Although the growth rate has slowed compared with previous years, it was the only segment that saw double-digit growth this year.
Sedan sales totaled 3.79 million units, edging up 3.1 percent. Multipurpose vehicle sales fell 12 percent, and minivans saw a 36.9 percent slump in the same period.
Compared with conventionally fueled cars, new energy vehicles are a different story. A total of 225,310 such cars were sold from January to April, up by 149.2 percent year-on-year.


text:
OTTAWA, Dec. 1 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada's aerospace industry has fared better through the recession than many other manufacturing industries, but production is now declining because of reduced demand primarily for business jets, according to the Conference Board's Canadian Industrial Outlook: Canada's Aerospace Product Manufacturing Industry-Autumn 2009.
"The industry had a backlog of orders equivalent to nearly two years of production going into the recession. However that backlog is quickly disappearing, due to order cancellations," said Michael Burt, Associate Director, Canadian Industrial Outlook.
Production is forecast to decline by 2.1 per cent this year, and is expected to fall again in 2010. Net new orders for the industry have been negative in four of the past five months. If this trend persists, it may lead to additional production cuts.
Despite decreased demand, pre-tax profits are expected to reach $461 million in 2009, thanks to the weaker Canadian dollar at the beginning of the year, which translated into higher effective prices given that many of the industry's products are priced in U.S. dollars. With prices and production now falling, profits are forecast to decline by nearly 20 per cent next year. However, both business confidence and profits are showing signs of improvement, so a recovery in demand is expected to begin by the end of 2010. Profit levels are forecast to improve starting in 2011, but low margins will keep the industry's profits below their 2001 peak for the foreseeable future.
SOURCE Conference Board of Canada
For further information: For further information: Brent Dowdall, Media Relations, Tel.: (613) 526-3090 ext. 448, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
Brought to you by Rufty-Peedin Design Builders.
Week of June 5, 2017
Restaurant planned for Askew-Taylor Building
Retail coming to 208 Fayetteville Street
Food Courts announce new vendors
Bike Share vendor selected
Cameron Village gets lit
Details on Sprinklergate at 616 Oberlin apartments
Southern Tide coming to North Hills
Restaurant Planned for Askew-Taylor Building
After nearly 70 years in business, Askew-Taylor Paints & Arts on Glenwood Avenue closed its doors for good last October, bringing an end to decades of service from a family-owned business. Since then, the property at 110 Glenwood has sat vacant and unused. That could soon change.
Site plans filed last week on behalf of an LLC whose owner appears to be a real estate manager for McDonald’s indicate that the 97-year-old building will be transformed into a restaurant. That being said, we’re pretty sure Askew-Taylor won’t be replaced by a McDonald’s.
The architect listed on the plans, Matthew Konar out of Durham, doesn’t have any McD’s projects listed on his resume. To the contrary, his body of work includes renovations at the Raleigh Times Bar, Sitti, and The Farmhouse in Durham, among others.
The site plan drawings keep the existing structure completely intact but also indicate a plan for a wooden deck/outdoor amenity area on the back of the property.From the plans, we can guess the restaurant will be approximately 4,000 square feet in size, and say for sure it will seat 44 and offer 16 parking spaces.
Retail Coming to 208 Fayetteville Street
208 Fayetteville street will soon be home to retail and office tenants. The three-story, 28,000 square foot property was recently acquired by MDO Holdings, a real estate holding company owned by Michael Olander Jr., who also founded O2 Fitness. MDO Holdings purchased the building for $3.75 million.
The building stretches the depth of the block and is located in between the CVS Pharmacy that is never open and the Kimbrell’s Furniture store. Efird’s Department Store opened at this location in 1918, replacing T. A. Partin’s dry goods store and Sidell’s Studio Photography in a two-story building. In 1935, Efird’s replaced the building with a steel-framed three-story building. Efird’s sold the building to the Hudson Belk Department Store in 1959. The North Carolina State Bar Association purchased the building in 1978 and remodeled it in 1998.
Our ITBFF Doug Warf, the chief marketing officer at MDO Holdings, told us more about their plans for the property, which include retail on the first floor and an office tenant in the floors above.
“We are excited to bring this historic building back to vitality. In doing so we hope to accomplish two things that are important to MDO Holdings – adding another local retail source and bringing local-minded business people to downtown Raleigh,” said Warf.
Apartment Fire Cause Remains Undetermined
Investigators with Raleigh’s Fire Department announced Friday that a cause had not yet been determined for the March fire that destroyed the under-construction Metropolitan Apartments and damaged several surrounding properties. You may recall our on-the-scene coverage of one of the biggest fires in Raleigh history.
According to the City, 100 investigators participated, over 300 interviews were conducted, multiple state search warrants were issued, and approximately 25 tons of debris were removed from the scene. A number of “potential ignition sources” were identified and evaluated.
Investigators were unable to definitively eliminate several accidental and incendiary scenarios, including electrical sources, an intentional act, and the possibility of a heating fire ignited by trespassing squatters. As a result this fire is classified as “undetermined”.
Downtown Food Courts Announce New Vendors
Raleigh’s future food courts both announced new vendors last week. Located in the old Stone’s Warehouse space at 500 East Davie Street, Transfer Co., which we covered in March, announced the following on social media.
Very excited to announce our newest Transfer Co. vendors! pic.twitter.com/BUcrTA1JsM
— Transfer Co. (@TransferOldEast) June 2, 2017
Morgan Street Food Hall & Market, designed by our friends at New City Design Group and located in the old Jillian’s spot at 411 W Morgan St., announced Boba Brew, City Sushi, Cow Bar, Ginger+Soy, Oak City Fish & Chips, and Raleigh Raw on their website.
Bike Sharing is Bike Caring
City Council is expected later today to approve a contract for the implementation of the City’s new bike share program. Staff has selected the team of Bewegen Technologies and Corps Logistics, one of the vendors who responded to a request for proposals issued by the City. Bewegen has developed bike share systems in a range of cities, including Baltimore, Maryland and Richmond, Virginia.
Cameron Village Gets Lit
Carolina Lighting & Design, a home décor store with a location in Cary, may soon be opening in Cameron Village in the former home of the controversial Victorian Rose Bridal Shop, which was featured in not one, but two Five On Your Side™ investigations. After Victorian Rose’s owner relocated and reopened under a different name (Five on Your Side™ had to step in again), the Cameron Village spot was occupied by Southern Seasons and then Reid’s Fine Foods.
The $74,000 transformation of the space into a showroom for lights, lamps, and LEDS will be handled by TL Stewart Builders.
The 411 on 616
A few weeks ago, we broke the news on the situation over at the 616 Oberlin apartments, where residents of the top floors were given one week to move out so that a defective sprinkler system could be replaced.
City records indicate the building passed inspections and received its Certificate of Occupancy in February 2017. John Boyette, a Public Information Officer with the City, told us the general contractor for 616 recently approached the City about the building’s newly defective sprinkler system, which it planned to fix as quickly as possible.
Although not in his district, City Councilor David Cox issued an update noting that “pinhole-type leaks” had been detected “at the joints of the fittings within the piping.” Leaks that small can be difficult to detect and even harder to track down, and are generally the result of an error during the soldering/brazing process whereby the pipes and joints are fused together.
City records show that two companies did the initial fire protection work at 616 Oberlin. Since we don’t know who was at fault for the leaks, we won’t name/shame either of these businesses. Permits for the repairs have been issued to Charlotte-based Sitetec Construction. In order to repair the sprinklers they’ll have to replace all existing wall and ceiling systems.
Southern Tide coming to North Hills
Southern Tide, a lifestyle and apparel brand for men and women, will be opening a signature store in the Main District at North Hills. Located between Lilly Pulitzer and Fleur, the store is expected to open late summer 2017. The North Hills location will be Southern Tide’s first signature store in North Carolina. No word on how Vineyard Vines is reacting to the news.
H-Street Kitchen Closing for the Summer
H-Street Kitchen announced that they would take a breather during the summer and would reopen in August with some changes to the restaurant. H-Street opened in 2016, after our friends at Rufty-Peedin completed a high-profile restoration of the historic Varsity Theater on Hillsborough Street.
H-Street shared the news last week on their Facebook page. Owners figured the summer would be the best time to make some changes since most NC State students would be out of town. ITB sources have indicated they’ll make a few tweaks to the concept of the restaurant and may make a name change. We’ll keep you posted on this.