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A control module that can allow exhaust system components to overheat prompted Alfa Romeo last week to recall its Giulia sedan and Stelvio crossover SUV.
Alfa Romeo said in government filings that vehicles equipped with its 2.0-liter turbo-4 engine have software that can, in isolated cases, allow the catalytic converter to overheat. The automaker said that a catalytic converter that gets too hot can melt nearby electrical wiring, which could cause a fire. The automaker did not say if any fires have been reported as a result of the overheating exhaust system components.
Vehicles with the defect may have a check engine warning illuminate in their instrument clusters, Alfa Romeo said.
The recall covers 2017 and 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia sedans and 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio crossover SUVs with the turbo-4 engine. The optional twin-turbo V-6 engine in the Giulia Quadrifoglio and Stelivo Quadrifolgio is not affected by the recall.
Dealers will update the engine control unit software to prevent the issue from occurring, Alfa Romeo said.
Separately, the automaker recalled 674 2018 and 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifolgio crossover SUVs to replace a defective coolant hose that may leak.
Both recalls will be performed by dealers for free. Alfa Romeo said that it will begin alerting owners of affected vehicles later this month.


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Are Chaiiwala going posh after opening in Kingsbury today?HALAL STATUS Fully Halal
With Kingsbury 30-cover cafe officially launching later today to make this their 28th store and seventh this year alone, they’re going posh with one scheduled to open in Knightsbridge.
While there isn’t too much to go on for the moment, Chaiiwala made it very clear on Instagram: “We are taking things to another level for this one.”
For the moment, the low-key opening on Kingsbury Road comes a week after restaurants across England reopen for business following a three month lockdown period.
Renowned for its Karak Tea, Chaiiwala was voted our Readers’ Choice: Best Beverage of the Year in last year’s #FtLion2019 awards.
With a menu that serves Indian street snacks with brewed teas and coffees, expect to find items such as rotis, Bombay sandwiches, masala chips, as well as a hearty Indian breakfast that includes a “special” masala omelette.
There’s also news of a branch preparing to open in Manchester, so keep an eye out for that on FtLion.
549 Kingsbury Rd, Kingsbury Circle, London NW9 9EL.
Opening Hours: Sun-Thur 09:00-23:00 | Fri-Sat 09:00-01:00

domain: news


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Happy thanksgiving! No matter what it costs!
Let’s start with this good thought:
The Farm Bureau has released its annual survey of the cost of Thanksgiving dinners, and the results will not surprise anyone who has been to a grocery store lately: up by a whopping 20%.
Food Politics will be back on Monday. Enjoy the holiday!
For 30% off, go to www.ucpress.edu/9780520384156. Use code 21W2240 at checkout.


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Alice Hands, Head of Ethical and Sustainable Procurement, joins a panel of experts at CIPS’s seminar to discuss modern slavery.
This seminar will look at the challenges around complex supply chains and the difficulties in gaining transparency within those supply chains. Modern slavery is the extreme end of a very wide spectrum of exploitation. That spectrum can start with something that seems insignificant to many and often not obvious to an observer, but to the person it is affects, it has huge negative consequences.
Unfortunately, construction has this spectrum of exploitation and I firmly believe that we need to talk more about modern slavery and labour exploitation to ensure that people are aware of it, understand the issues and feel comfortable about raising a concern they may have.
Head of Ethical and Sustainable Procurement
As Head of Ethical and Sustainable Procurement, a large part of Alice’s role currently centres on the development and delivery of Sir Robert McAlpine’s response to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 which has included becoming the first main contractor to be verified under the BRE’s Ethical Labour Sourcing Standard. Alice has since broadened the company’s strategy to ensure it takes a proactive approach to understand and respond to the risks. Alice believes that working collaboratively within the industry is key to successfully addressing modern slavery.
Alice adds: "The work we are doing on addressing labour exploitation means we are looking at our supply chain through a new lens, and we are actively looking for issues rather than waiting for them to appear. Over the next few months, we will be rolling out more training and awareness material for our teams and projects on this topic."


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A new food app created in Cork links Irish consumers with independent Irish food businesses operating temporary safe-selling business models according to HSE guidelines, enabling Irish consumers to continue to access finest Irish fare and supporting the Irish food world during very challenging times caused by the Covid-19 crisis.
EatForIreland, a free app, was developed by Donal Moran, Managing Director of Cork-based software company WASP Technologies, and Irish food writer Joe McNamee, who worked on the app's editorial content and structure.
The app is especially useful for people who are unable to get to the shops at this time, with two primary categories - Cook It Yourself, connecting Irish food shoppers with the very finest of Irish produce; and Cooked For You, connecting Irish diners, wanting to ‘eat out at home’ for a change, with hospitality outlets still offering food for collection or delivery.
EatForIreland allows independent food businesses to advertise themselves to consumers who, in turn, are seeking the very finest of Irish food and are keen to support the Irish food world through these very troubled times. The app will link consumers to businesses in their area who have adopted safe-selling guidelines for their sector as advised by the HSE.
The app also features independent producer or market groups like Neighbourfood and Real Bread Ireland, as well as regional groupings.
With many independent Irish food businesses threatened by the impact of Covid-19, Donal and Joe created the app to bring consumers and producers together and to provide support to local businesses.
Donal said of the development of the app: "My background is in software development, and my own company, WASP Technologies, deals with many of Irelands largest food companies, so I could see first-hand the strain being put on the nation’s food supply chain. We are all struggling to think of what we can do to help during this period, and so the app was born."
Joe had already been providing an outlet for local businesses in his food columns but was overwhelmed by the response, and said "we sincerely hope EatForIreland will have some impact because protecting Irish food is not just about serving up fancy treats at the weekend, this is also about protecting jobs and protecting our national food security right across the island, and to ensure we come through this with our superb food sector still able to deliver some of the very finest food to be found anywhere in the world.”
You can download EatForIreland here, with simple instructions for installing it on your smartphone home screen.


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Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Google Inc. is implementing its updated mobile search engine, which could result in businesses big and small seeing their mobile Internet visitors practically disappear overnight.
The new Google mobile search algorithm, which was announced in late February but will see first usage April 21, will prioritize mobile friendly websites on cellphone searches. This includes websites that have bigger text, resize to fit whatever screen they’re viewed on, and place links far enough apart to avoid mistaken selections.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
While most website platforms (such as WordPress) offer easy ways to conform to Google’s new mandates, some have dubbed this change “Mobile-geddon” for the massive potential impact this may have on companies.
“At the end of the day if you want to get the traffic you have to be compliant with [Google’s] rules,” said Brock Murray, director of web marketing at seoplus+, a company specializing in search engine optimization. “The important thing is staying on top of it.”
Google’s past changes to their search engine algorithm have had profound effects. eBay lost a third of its Internet visibility and cost the company around 5 percentage points of growth off its gross merchandise volume in July 2014.
Nicole Troster, director of provincial affairs for Ontario from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, says that those most affected by this change will be small and mid-sized businesses.
“It’s a matter of small businesses not having the resources to invest in mobile friendly sites,” she said. “It seems just when some small businesses are catching up, they change the formula and small businesses can’t seem to catch a break.”
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Troster says that lack of financial resources and awareness are two of the main issues to small business owners adapting their sites to the new mandates.
For Google’s part, they say they are trying to make the user experience more practical and have given ample amounts of time and direction on how to make the switch.
Aaron Brindle, a spokesperson for Google, said via email that they are making available a number of tools to help small businesses know if they’re mobile friendly or not, and how to make the switch.
Brindle also said that if a page with high quality content is not mobile friendly, it could still rank high if it strongly relates to the search query.
Professor of Marketing Avi Goldfarb at the Rotman School of Management, believes the algorithm change isn’t all doom and gloom.
“It has the potential to impact everybody,” he said, “but not all negatively. The people who respond well will benefit and the people who don’t will lose.”
Goldfarb believes changes like this are made mostly in the service of the consumer and are good for the industry.
“Any company that’s not well optimized for mobile today needs to be optimized for mobile,” he said. “As the eyes move to mobile, the dollars will move to mobile.”
The statistics support that. In a study conducted last year by Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield and Byers called Internet Trends Report, the mobile market is growing exponentially. Internet advertising has risen from $62 billion to $116 billion from 2008 to 2014. At least 30 per cent of Internet visits are from mobile phones. Industry experts believe that by 2016 mobile phones will account for at least half of all Internet traffic.
Troster is aware of these changes, and not wholly against them, but sees potential dangers on the horizon for small businesses.
“It’s interesting that they are changing [the Google algorithm],” she said, “[but] I want to see what it’s going to mean for everybody. Hopefully there’s some consideration for small businesses as well.”


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This morning IDC put out its global smartphone market share figures. The company said that the smartphone market grew at more than double the rate in Q1 of the overall mobile handset market:
According to the International Data Corporation . . . vendors shipped a total of 54.7 million units in the first quarter of 2010 (1Q10), up 56.7% from the same quarter a year ago. In contrast, the overall mobile phone market grew 21.7%. Converged mobile devices accounted for 18.8% of all mobile phones shipped in 1Q10, up slightly from 14.4% in 1Q09.
With an improving economy, all endors shipped more units though there were some share shifts according to IDC:
Nokia shipped more units but remained flat in terms of market share. RIM lost share and Apple and Motorola grew, Apple dramatically. The HTC and Motorola numbers are largely (though not 100%) surrogates for Android.


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Articles Tagged ‘Mattel’
Tepid Barbie, Fisher-Price and Hot Wheel sales contributed to a 6% drop in global sales at Mattel as the world’s largest toyco reported its fourth quarter 2013 and year-end financial results.
Former Mattel CEO Jill Barad and Playmobil president Horst Brandstatter will be inducted into the US Toy Industry Association (TIA) Hall of Fame, along with the late Jack Friedman, former chairman, CEO and co-founder of Jakks Pacific, and the late co-founders of Wham-O, Arthur “Spud” Melin and Richard Knerr.
Toyco Mattel launched its first-ever Spanish-language multi-brand US marketing campaign, dubbed “toy feliz,” this weekend in L.A., Houston and Miami.
Women in Animation (WIA), a non-profit professional organization that brings together the global community of animation professionals, will head into its 20th year under the leadership of Mattel’s Margaret Dean (pictured) and Technicolor’s Kristy Scanlan.
Mattel’s American Girl doll brand, with sales up 20% over last year, is stepping outside of the US for the first time and into Canada’s largest book, gift and specialty retailer Indigo, which will open two American Girl retail concept stores this spring.
Mattel, the world’s largest toymaker, is getting into creative storytelling with the launch of Playground Productions, a new division that will create original content for multiple platforms. And Mattel’s own financial story is remaining positive, with Q3 global sales rising 6% to US$2.21 billion.


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After a slight delay this weekend, Tesla has formally started the rollout of Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta 10.2. The update is being pushed not only to the company’s existing group of FSD Beta testers; it is also getting released to a new batch of owners who have earned a perfect rating in the company’s Safety Score system.
Amidst social media posts from veteran FSD Beta testers who have been part of the program for the better part of a year now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that FSD Beta 10.2 is being rolled out to cars that have received a Safety Score of 100 for the past 100 miles. This would likely result in a great number of new testers, as numerous Tesla owners have been working really hard to qualify for the rollout of FSD Beta 10.2.
FSD Beta 10.2 was initially set to be released on Friday midnight to about 1,000 new owners with perfect safety scores. According to Musk, the rollout of the advanced driver assist system would be held for a few days to see how the program goes, and if it was successful, FSD Beta would be gradually rolled out for owners with a Safety Score of 99 and below. The CEO, however, later clarified that FSD Beta 10.2 would need a couple more days before it was ready.
Musk followed these up with more tweets about the FSD Beta rollout. Late Saturday, the CEO stated that the Tesla team was working extremely hard over the weekend to ensure a safe release of the advanced driver assist system. Musk did note, however, that he had been informed that FSD Beta 10.2 was a go for a Sunday night release. This was reiterated in another post on Sunday night when Musk assured a longtime FSD Beta tester that the 10.2 update was indeed coming in a few hours. The CEO was not joking.
Tesla’s Release Notes for FSD Beta 10.2 seems to be identical to previous versions of the advanced driver assist suite, suggesting that the improvements to the system were mostly under the hood. That being said, longtime FSD Beta testers have observed that 10.2 is a significant improvement over the system’s previous iteration. Several zero-intervention drives have already been posted on YouTube, and owners who have been part of the program since last year have described FSD Beta 10.2 as a smooth, confident, and stable build. Reports of a stricter driver monitoring system while FSD Beta is engaged have also been shared online.
So far, the initial impressions of FSD Beta 10.2 seem to be highly positive. The wider release of the advanced driver-assist system is also evident, with numerous Tesla owners sharing their welcome emails from the company on social media. Overall, the release of FSD Beta 10.2 seems to be a landmark accomplishment for the company. After an extremely cautious 11 months of testing FSD Beta with a very limited number of users, Tesla is now gradually testing its advanced driver-assist system with a much larger fleet. This could be of great benefit to the FSD Beta program, as the amount of training data for Tesla’s neural networks would likely see a massive rise soon. This should pave the way for faster updates to the FSD Beta system, which should allow the company to get closer to its goal of attaining true autonomous driving in the future.
Watch a first drive video of FSD Beta 10.2 in the video below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to email@example.com to give us a heads up.


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Patch 7.4 is here, and it's bringing a huge combination of little changes that add up into something much bigger. In theory, the patch was meant to address the woes of ADCs in 2017, but whether or not it lives up to the intention is up for debate.
The biggest change in 7.4 is to a system that many of us are used to ignoring: masteries. A huge number of the most popular masteries are being nerfed, and many of them might find themselves becoming less appetizing than their closest competition now. In particular, the damage dealing masteries have been nerfed across the board, a change that disproportionately affects the powerful damage dealing junglers that have taken off in popularity recently.
The real question on everyone's mind, however, is what these changes will mean for everyone's favorite champions on the rift. That is the question we aim to answer here. Welcome to the biggest winners and losers of Patch 7.4.


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Mudassir Sheikha, Co-founder and CEO of Careem, the MENAP region’s everyday Super App, has partnered with the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi to provide scholarships to ten deserving students each year through the Sekha Endowment Fund.
The Fund would ensure that successful graduates in artificial intelligence, big data, computer science, and related emerging fields enter Pakistan’s talent pool and contribute to the country’s economic growth.
Mudassir Sheikha has been thanked by the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) for his assistance in the Institute’s mission of providing quality education to Pakistan’s youth. Every year, IBA supports approximately 30 percent of its student body through its financial assistance programme in order to ensure inclusivity.
Careem, a pioneer in the region’s ride-hailing economy, offers a slew of daily services that people require to get around, order things, and transfer money in a single unified smartphone app.
Careem’s mission is to simplify people’s daily lives so that they can spend their valuable time on things that truly matter and on reaching their full potential.


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TCL 205 leaks with a waterdrop notch, sizeable chin, and dual-camera system
TCL is set to release yet another phone apparently. Leaker Evan Blass has shared images of a device called the TCL 205 and by the looks of it, it's an entry-level smartphone.
The phone's display features a waterdrop notch for the front camera and it has a pretty sizeable chin. In terms of size, the bottom bezel sits between the TCL 20B and TCL 201 which were revealed in Brazil in October.
The leaked images also reveal that the TCL 205 has a dual-camera system on the back. The rear plate is seemingly made of plastic and has an iridescent finish. It looks like it will at least be available in the colors black and blue.
Nothing has been said about the specifications of the phone, but if it's a variant of the TCL 20B, we can expect it to have 64GB of expandable storage, a 4,000mAh battery with 18W charging, and a 50MP main camera with AI smarts like Smart HDR and Face Beauty modes. We can also expect it to feature a 6.52-inches display and rear-mounted fingerprint reader.
The TCL 205 also appears to resemble the Alcatel 1L Pro, which is also a budget device with a smaller battery and an inferior camera setup.
For now, all we can do is speculate.


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Relief from record high auto prices could be coming soon. But that doesn’t mean those prices will go back to where they were before the pandemic.
A shortage of necessary parts — primarily computer chips — limited production of new vehicles around the globe. That left car dealers short of supply to meet demand, allowing them to charge a premium for the cars they had available.
The average transaction price for a new car was $46,426 in December 2021, according to Edmunds, up $5,850 — or 14% — from a year prior.
That increase was primarily due to customers paying more than the listed sticker price — an average of $700 above what manufacturers’ were recommending. In December 2020, car buyers paid an average of $2,550 below the sticker price, close to the typical discount buyers traditionally pay.
Used car prices ended the year with an average price of nearly $30,000, up about $6,800 — or 29% — from a year earlier.
The spike in car prices was a major factor in the largest jump in overall inflation in 39 years. The 7% annual consumer price increase at the end of 2021 would have stood at 5.5% if car prices had remained unchanged.
Taking the pressure off prices
Buying a car is not only a major purchase for most Americans, it’s also a surprisingly frequent one. About 40% of US households buy a car every year.
But with the automakers expecting the supply of chips and other parts to improve this year, that should help with inventories, and take the pressure off prices, according to experts. That could lead to a return of consumers paying less than the sticker price, a big break for buyers, even if the price in the window doesn’t go down.
“From everything we are looking at, once production is back online in the later half of the year, we should see inventories start to build again,” said David Paris, senior manager of market insights at J.D. Power.
For example, J.D. Power forecasts that the average wholesale price of used cars should fall about 9% from the fourth quarter of last year to the fourth quarter of this year, and that prices should continue to decline in 2023. But that won’t get prices to where they were before the pandemic.
“Prices will be going down, but they’re not going to get to 2019 levels,” Paris said.
Pat Ryan, founder and CEO of CoPilot, a car buying app, said that used car prices are already showing signs of decline.
“There is no longer the same upward pressure on prices,” he said. But he also ruled out a return to 2019 levels.
“This market can get back to 10% above the pre-Covid pricing, but not all the way back,” he said.
Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive, also believes there will be only a modest decline in used car prices relative to the spike in 2021.
“History tells us that a decline of more than 10% is rare indeed. Why? As prices fall, demand builds,” he said. “In 25 years, we have never seen a decline of as much as 13% within a year.”
As for the supply of new cars, “inventory levels should improve but remain historically tight,” Smoke said.
One reason the average purchase price for new cars could continue to climb is that the types of vehicles customers are looking to buy will continue to be more expensive.
Buyers want more safety options, such as automatic braking, cruise control that’s capable of slowing the car when the vehicle in front slows as well warnings when cars are in a driver’s blind spot. There is also the continued shift towards more expensive SUVs and trucks, and the expectations that new electric vehicle offerings will attract buyers to those models, which are typically more expensive.
All in, that means the average transaction price for new vehicles could continue to edge up, Smoke said, perhaps even faster than overall inflation.


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Chinese food-delivery start-up Ele.me has raised $630 million from investors including CITIC Private Equity, department store chain Hualian Group, China Media Capital and private equity firm Gopher Asset, it announced today.
The deal, which values the company at more than $3 billion, has catapulted it into one of the largest food ordering platforms after U.S.-based Grubhub, German takeout company Delivery Hero and the United Kingdom’s Just East.
Ele.me, whose name translates as “Are you hungry now?”, plans to use the proceeds to expand into more cities and build its own delivery network. The company, also backed by Tencent Holdings and Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, already operates in more than 260 Chinese cities, with almost 40 million users placing as much as 60 million yuan ($9.4 million) in orders every day, according to the firm.
Ele.me is also part of China’s so-called online-to-offline trend, where consumers use their smartphones to order offline services from taxi rides to manicures. Alibaba and Chinese search engine operator Baidu are also investing heavily in this area to drive users to their platforms. Ele.me says 98% of its orders come from mobile device users.
But the company, along with food-delivery services backed by Alibaba and Baidu, is facing mounting concerns that it is burning cash at an unsustainable rate. Ele.me and its peers are all spending heavily to provide user coupons and dole out incentives to their delivery staff.
Baidu, for example, saw its share price pummeled after the firm revealed aggressive plans to connect smartphone users with offline services. The company said in June it would invest $3.2 billion in O2O services, including its group-buying service Nuomi, over the next three years.
Ele.me, headed by Zhang Xuhao, who in 2013 was on the Forbes China 30 Under 30 List, currently leads China’s online food ordering sector with a 40% market share, according to Beijing-based consultancy Analysys International. Meituan, in which Alibaba has a small stake, has 34%. Baidu, which has 8.7% of the market, ranks a distant third.
Ele.me has raised $1.1 billion in total funds since its founding in 2009. In January, it raised $350 million from investors including CITIC Private Equity, Tencent, JD.com and Sequoia Capital.


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Malware Threat Rapidly Escalates Against E- Commerce
According to an August 2008 report from the Anti phishing Working Group, an organization that traces sources of phishing activities, the agency sates that there is a rise in the usage of malware to phish personal information.
According to the report released in the end week of August 2008, evidences are accumulating that criminal attacks on electronic commerce via keystroke loggers and other software that records users' private details are increasing rapidly. The total number of URLs resorted to for distributing such malware escalated to a...
» SPAMfighter News - 11-09-2008


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Microsoft announced the expansion of its customer experience portfolio with a new digital contact center platform that brings together Nuance Dynamics 365 contact center technology, Teams and Power Platform.
The platform will be “an open, scalable and collaborative contact center solution”, according to Microsoft CVP Charles Lamanna, who announced the offering today ahead of the start of Microsoft Inspire 2022, Microsoft’s annual global partner event. the company.
“The open nature of our platform allows companies to build on what they already have and easily add any combination of capabilities they need to take their contact center to the next level,” wrote Lamanna, noting that the platform integrates with other contact center infrastructures and GRC systems.
Global systems integrators like Accenture-Avanade, HCL, EY, Hitachi and TTEC will deploy the solution. ISV launch partners will include customer experience solution providers Genesys and NICE.
The digital contact center platform will cover a range of agent services and sales capabilities based on Microsoft’s existing range of customer service offerings. According to Lamanna, they will include:


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Bolthouse, Campbell said, was sold to an affiliate of Butterfly Equity, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm specializing in the food sector.
Once the deal has closed, Campbell will have divested its entire Campbell Fresh division, which included the sale of Garden Fresh Gourmet and its Everett, Washington-based refrigerated soup plant, it said.
Campbell said proceeds from the divestiture will allow it to reduce debt by approximately $570 million.
“The sale of Bolthouse Farms supports our strategy to focus on our two core North American businesses, Campbell Snacks and Campbell Meals and Beverages, where we have iconic brands and strong market positions,” Mark Clouse, CEO and president, Campbell, said.
Bolthouse Farms is based in Bakersfield and Santa Monica, California, and operates facilities in Illinois, Washington and Ontario, Canada. The company current employs about 2,200.
Centerview Partners, Goldman Sachs and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP acted as the advisors for Campbell.
The deal is expected to close by the end of fiscal 2019.


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CFPB Unveils Five-Year Strategic Plan
September 27, 2012
September 27, 2012
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Wednesday released a draft of its strategic plan for 2013 through 2018, and credit unions and other interested parties can suggest improvements and comment on its potential impact on the consumer finance market until Oct. 25.
In the proposed plan, the CFPB stated goals of promoting a marketplace in which:
- Customers can see prices and risks up front and easily make product comparisons; and
- No one can build a business model around unfair, deceptive or abusive practices.
To reach these goals, the CFPB proposal sets out 11 desired outcomes, 25 strategies that will help the CFPB achieve these outcomes, and 27 performance measures that the agency will use to track its progress.
Helping consumers more fully understand the risks associated with some financial products and improving financial literacy are also key goals going forward, according to the agency.
The bureau said its success will be partially determined by keeping track of the percentage of scheduled regulatory projects it completes, the percentage of five-year regulation reviews that are completed on schedule, and the percentage of rulemakings that are informed by public outreach processes, such as Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) panels and/or e-rulemaking.
Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Deputy General Counsel Mary Dunn said CUNA is reviewing the plan and will certainly be commenting.
“We want the CFPB to include efforts to protect credit unions from needless regulatory burdens in its strategic plan,” Dunn said.
The CFPB announced appointees to its consumer advisory board and three councils, including the Credit Union Advisory Council (CUAC), earlier this month. Washington State Employees Credit Union CEO Kevin Foster-Keddie was chosen as a member of the CUAC, which will convene for the first time on Oct. 11.
Questions or Concerns? Contact Matt Halvorson, Anthem Editor: firstname.lastname@example.org.


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The eBay-owned reseller-turned-primary ticketer has launched its first Spanish-language website, for the Mexican market
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StubHub's financial performance continues to be affected by a "tough events landscape" and restrictions on touting, says eBay Inc. CEO Devin Wenig
By Jon Chapple on 23 Oct 2017
StubHub is performing below its parent company’s expectations, eBay president and CEO Devin Wenig has said, after posting weak growth for a second consecutive financial quarter in Q3 2017.
The secondary ticketing business’s gross merchandise volume (GMV), or the value of tickets sold, grew 2% to US$1.2bn in Q3, while revenue increased 5% to $275m.
That 2% figure compares to 8% for eBay Inc. as a whole, and follows a 5% decline in GMV in Q2. In Q1, meanwhile, GMV grew 6% and revenues 18%.
Speaking to investors, Wenig (pictured) said StubHub’s half-year stagnation is due to a lack of big events. “One we’ve mentioned before, which is we’ve got a very tough events […] landscape. StubHub is totally dependent on things that are out of its control, which are the lineup of concerts, teams, events. And Q3 last year was – actually, the second half last year was historically good and it’s not quite breaking that way this year. So, that’s just a factor of – it is what it is given the event landscape.”
Wenig also pointed to growing pains associated with StubHub’s ongoing attempts to form primary market relationships with sports teams and promoters – and, without naming any, initiatives such as Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan which restrict the supply of tickets available to the secondary market.
“We have competitors that are looking to restrict markets, restrict ticket access to supply, and we think that’s terrible for fans”
“I also want to point out that the ticket landscape is changing and we need to position StubHub for an evolving ticket landscape,” he continued.
“One thing I’d mention is, in certain areas, we have competitors that are looking to restrict markets, restrict ticket access to supply, and we think that’s terrible for fans. We’ve always been an advocate of open markets. We’ll keep fighting for open markets. There will be more to say about that in due course.
“But it’s – in part, the event landscape lapping and, in part, us positioning StubHub to be a winner and it’s an amazing business and we still believe it’s an amazing business in an evolving ticket landscape.”
While acknowledging that StubHub’s growth improved on Q2, Wenig said he sees a difficult end to the year for the platform. “We do expect continued pressure on growth through the rest of this year, which will continue to weigh on overall eBay and growth rates,” he concluded.
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It Finally Happened: Celsius Is Bankrupt and Customers Will Never See Their Money Again
The embattled crypto firm filed for Chapter 11 protection
Celsius is in hot water again.
This time, the crypto firm filed for bankruptcy in the US. Under Chapter 11 to protect its business. But unfortunately, it’s too late.


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Fashion retailer H&M has led a $45 million round in video discovery and commerce app Trell
- LB Investments co-led the round, with participation from
Samsung Venturesand others. Trellhas raised $62 million since its launch in 2017.
- The company has over 100 million downloads and 50 million monthly active users.
Trell had raised $11.4 million in Series A funding, in August 2020, as a aftermath of the growth momentum it had gained post the TikTok ban in India. The discovery platform had also launched a
Trell, founded in August 2017 by a team of Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay alumni Pulkit Agrawal, Prashant Sachan, Arun Lodhi and NITIE alumnus Bimal Kartheek Rebba, has raised $62 million to date.
It will use the latest fundraise to expand its social commerce operations by entering the apparel, home care, mom and baby-care categories in the months to come.
The startup claims to have over 100 million downloads on its platform and over 50 million monthly active users (MAU). Its content library features videos in 8 regional languages garnering over 20 billion monthly views, Trell said in a press note.
The company is now looking to launch in additional six languages and expand its footprint in over 2000 cities and towns of India. Over the last few months, Trell has on boarded over 500 personal care and beauty brands, including Maybelline, L'Oréal and Garnier.
“Trell has become the launchpad for many up-and-coming D2C [direct-to-consumer] brands and advertisers, who are leveraging our community of regional content creators to advertise their products and services on the platform… Our aim is to enable over 2000 brands to penetrate the deeper pockets of the country and communicate with their potential customers through regional content creators by 2022,” the company’s chief operating officer and co-founder Rebba, said.
Meanwhile, the company’s chief technology officer and co-founder Lodhi added that they have been leveraging on their artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology and neural networks to create users’ psychographic profile of customers’ behavioural patterns on the platform. This allows the platform to provide personalised content and product recommendation for the customers.
These developments have also led Trell to record 10-15 times year-on-year growth and 30% month-on-month growth since inception, the company said.
Social commerce is still at a nascent stage in India, but the players in this segment have been growing at an exponential rate. Earlier in May, Meesho became the first social commerce platform to enter the unicorn club. It has raised $515 million to date from
DealShare, on the other hand, recently closed a $144 million round, taking its total fundraise to $183 million to date. Its investors include Tiger Global,
Flipkart raises $3.6 billion at a valuation of over $37 billion, to focus on ‘millions of small and medium Indian businesses’
Paytm Money now allows investors to apply for an IPO before opening, Zomato being the first
Ola Electric has raised $100 million in debt to start producing its electric scooters soon
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State owned ports in India are being told to take a leaf from the private sectors book, as the chiefs of twelve of the largest public ports are to visit the major private ports across the country, reported TimesofIndia.
Impressed with the innovation and efficiency of both privately owned ports and foreign ports, Indian Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari is imploring port heads to visit their private competitors, some only a kilometre away from state run ports, to learn how to increase productivity
Gadkari said: “They have indigenously developed the mechanism to operate cranes from their central control room. Operation of cranes seems like someone playing video game. You don't find an operator inside a crane; it's all operated from the central control room. They also have a robust system of monitoring each activity.”
PTI reported early in September, 2016 that The Indian Maritime Administration, the directorate general of shipping, had produced break-through shipping surcharge legislation, creating more transparency in the industry.
India is not the only country looking to modernise its publicly owned ports to boost productivity and efficiency, the Nigerian Federal Government, after receiving much criticism over port congestion and inefficiency, announced at the beginning of September 2016 it would tackle its issues with an automation project.


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the Netflix at recent days Improve overall appearance It is applied on all devices where it is available. It started with the Netflix app for iOS devices, where several new animations appeared in the scrolling menu, making it look as if it were Tik Tok It brought a card-like display system, as well as several new sound notifications.
If you haven’t noticed there is one by now New start screen For choosing profiles, a new welcome sound that replaces Tudum, and more, effects like mostly zoom in instead of fading in and loading icons as before.
But recently it became available on TVs, but also on Android TV and Apple TV and some users wondered why this is happening. the Netflix was forced to respond publicly via TechCrunch but also Updated its support page, with instructions on how users can turn off these effects.
New introductory sound and animation when you first start Netflix. pic.twitter.com/zlzskAelhJ
– Casey Moore (@kasey__moore) April 14, 2023
How to turn off Netflix effects on your TV
As mentioned in the updated Netflix Help Center section, you can “minimize” these new animations for now, rather than turning them off or turning them off completely. The streaming service stresses that “Animation effects are enabled by default and are not available on some TVs,” and you’ll need to follow the process below for each profile individually.
According to the Netflix support page, follow these steps:
1. Open a browser and go to your Netflix account management page.
2. In the Profile & Parental Controls section, choose your own profile.
3. Check outReduce animation effects when browsing TV“.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of devastating. More than 33,000 people have died of COVID-19-related causes as of this writing, and that number is only increasing. Self-isolation, quarantines, and government-mandated shutdowns are keeping people indoors, triggering a massive wave of job losses and disastrous consequences for a wide range of businesses, including restaurants, bars, movie theaters, and brick-and-mortar retailers. The market has reacted accordingly.
In all of this, though, there might be a silver lining for streaming services such as Netflix (NFLX -0.38%) and Disney-owned (DIS) Disney+. Experts had predicted that streaming demand could rise under these stay-at-home conditions, and now, it appears the promised industry boom has arrived.
Earlier this month, consulting firm Nielsen predicted that TV consumption would increase significantly during this period of self-isolation, unemployment, and working at home (or pretending to work, anyway). The predicted increase covered both legacy pay-TV services and modern streaming services (which, in turn, include both on-demand services such as Netflix and live-TV streaming services such as Dish's Sling TV).
Streaming accounts for about a fifth of all TV viewing, so Nielsen's prediction seemed like great news for Netflix and its peers. But Nielsen did note that previous periods of isolation triggered by disaster lifted TV viewing hours in part because isolated individuals and families sought out news related to the situation. Netflix and Disney+ do not, of course, offer news -- giving us at least one reason to wonder how much of an impact increased TV viewing would have on the streaming giants.
The stay-at-home streaming boom
We need wonder no more: Netflix and its streaming tech peers seem to be logging major streaming hours in the midst of the pandemic.
A survey from Hub Entertainment appears to confirm Nielsen's prediction of more TV news and entertainment viewing. Hub asked respondents to report if they were doing more or less of certain activities during the pandemic. Predictably, "going to the movies" fared rather poorly: Only about a fifth of respondents said they were doing more of that. But huge portions of respondents self-reported increased amounts of streaming on subscription services and renting pay-per-view movies and shows. Broadcast TV, cable TV, and video gaming also enjoyed big booms.
|Activity||Respondents who say they're doing "a lot more"
or "a little more" now vs. a month ago
|Renting pay-per-view content||66%|
|Playing video games||65%|
|Watching broadcast TV||58%|
|Watching cable TV||57%|
|Watching Amazon Prime video||56%|
|Going to the movies||18%|
These survey findings are corroborated by other evidence. Netflix recently set an all-time high in data use on AT&T networks, per an AT&T announcement. In Europe, streaming services have cut streaming quality in order to better respect the limits of broadband infrastructure; with communications networks burdened by the crisis, governments had to rely on quality cuts from services such as Netflix and Alphabet's YouTube to keep streaming habits from excessively slowing vital communications.
In other words, the stay-at-home streaming boom is very, very real.
A consolation prize
A stay-at-home streaming boom doesn't mean companies such as Netflix are about to make a fortune in a flood, of course. But it's a nice consolation prize, particularly for media giants such as Disney, which have been hit hard by the pandemic's economic realities. Disney's shuttered parks and unlucky theatrical-release films helped trigger a major slide in Disney's stock price -- the stock was down 40% at its lowest COVID-era point, though it has rallied slightly as of this writing. Disney+ is a relative bright spot amid a lot of headaches for Mickey's gang.
The streaming boom may also help companies that are planning streaming debuts, such as AT&T, which will launch HBO Max (reportedly on time) in May. Unlike a grand retail opening or a big movie release, such debuts should be able to go forward relatively successfully.
An uptick in streaming by stay-at-home Americans and others around the world won't undo all of the damage COVID-19 has done, but it's a silver lining that streaming executives had to have been looking forward to in recent weeks. It's real, it's here, and it's something to hold onto in a difficult moment for all kinds of businesses.


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Published on : Thursday, May 11, 2017
The Louisiana Office of Tourism has launched its new virtual reality tours of Louisiana, which will be used to promote the state at tourism conventions and trade shows.
To quote Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, “We’re looking at what can give us an edge at these conventions and trade shows. When we go to Canada to really sell Louisiana, what we can now do is bring a bit of Louisiana there and show these travel agents that if they send people to Louisiana, it will be an experience like nowhere else.”
The Office of Tourism has four, one-minute virtual reality experiences. Using Oculus VR headsets and 360-degree filming, it feels almost like the viewer is actually on a Mardi Gras float, paddling past gators in the swamp or on stage with a band rocking out in New Orleans.
The agency wants to put the clips online so people can experience them at home or on their cellphones.
Timothy Bush, president and CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, Lafourche Parish’s tourism program, said that he is also looking to invest in the headsets. Bush said, “It is a really awesome experience to take a snapshot of our state and let people see it firsthand. Virtual reality is a showcase for all the state character that our state has, and Louisiana has a lot of character.”
Tags: Louisiana tourism


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CHICAGO, US — Tchibo has expanded its U.S. presence into over 188 new Jewel-Osco stores across Chicago. This new retail partnership brings Tchibo to a total of over 2,700 distribution points in the Midwest. The expansion follows the brand’s launch in the U.S. in Fall 2020 and allows for java lovers across Chicago to enjoy a more sustainable and fresher coffee experience.
Tchibo is distributed by Rainmaker Food Solutions, LLC, a distribution partner renowned for offering consumers better food choices in a responsible, honest, contemporary and sustainable manner.
“We’re excited to introduce Tchibo to Jewel customers across Chicagoland, a region renowned for its booming coffee culture,” said Chris Mattina, CEO Rainmaker Food Solutions, LLC. “As a record number of consumers continue to drink coffee at home, it’s essential to keep retailers replenished with a vibrant, premium brewing option for its coffee aficionados. We anticipate Chicago coffee lovers will enjoy a fresh experience with Tchibo.”
“As the Tchibo coffee footprint continues to expand in the Midwest, this iconic European coffee brand now has a new home at Jewel-Osco,” said Bud Lowell, Senior Vice President, CA Carlin and Jewel-Osco Lead. “Jewel is committed to bringing cutting edge brands to its customers. We’re especially proud to offer Jewel shoppers a premium coffee experience from Tchibo, whose values in freshness, fair sourcing, and sustainability, are what consumers are seeking today.”
Jewel-Osco customers will be able to shop the brand’s coffee blends, available in ground or whole beans and ranging in price from $7.99 to $9.99. The four varieties created specifically for the U.S. market are Morning Blend, Colombia Origin, Classic Blend and Röstmeister.


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Wait for the most anticipated thing is finally over! Amazon Prime India has finally announced the release date for the second season of Mirzapur. The crime thriller rose to prominence due to its hard-hitting story and strong performances. Once the first season premiered, all fans did was ask when is the next season coming.
Well, their prayers have finally been answered as Amazon Prime India’s youtube channel shared the official release date of the series with the eager fans. It’s sooner than you expect. Watch the teaser below!
Netizens couldn’t contain their excitement and began trending ‘#Mirzapur 2’ in no time. They shared hilarious memes too on the joyous occasion. Here are some of our best picks:
#Mirzapur2 is coming
Me right now: pic.twitter.com/NP3coMHVst
— Ankit kumar (@Ankitku38262131) August 24, 2020
My Amazon Prime Video Subscription Before Realase Of #Mirzapur2 : pic.twitter.com/36McdJL3C8
— ?? ????? ? (@silver_shades7) August 24, 2020
Amazon prime releasing mirzapur on 23 october
Meanwhile me who thought mirzapur is releasing in august pic.twitter.com/NLUwOqQt5F
— Krishna Aggarwal (@Introvert_krish) August 24, 2020
Me and my friends reaction to the news of #Mirzapur2 pic.twitter.com/vOR5FRCT9w
— Cruel_Sarcasm (@Momvsme1) August 21, 2020
Me and my boy's while watching #Mirzapur2 pic.twitter.com/6yFs72h7Lt
— Panoti ? (@_psych_memes) August 24, 2020
*#Mirzapur2 is going to release soon*
Meanwhile every memer:- pic.twitter.com/R9Ecdfbhao
— Sarcastic_Engineer (@SarcasticEngin4) August 21, 2020
#Mirzapur2 has finally returned .
Amazon to Netflix : pic.twitter.com/OKbRno9XWF
— Sachin ?? (@Sarcasmbro10) August 24, 2020
Sidnaazian RN – pic.twitter.com/8fVuE9lmQD
— Raghav Sharma? (@Raghavv_sharma) August 21, 2020
#Mirzapur2 to be released 2 months later on 23/10/2020 .
Me and my bois :- pic.twitter.com/g18QkCEjgB
— Ravi sah (@am_raviSah) August 24, 2020
#mirzapurseason2 date announced. #Mirzapur2
— aTrendHub (@aTrendHub) August 24, 2020
Starring Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Vikrant Massey, Divyandu Sharma, Rasika Duggal, Shweta Tripathi and so on, the show was produced by Excel Entertainment while Karan Anshuman and Gurmeet Singh were the directors.
The second season of the franchise will premier from 23 October 2020.


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The global fitness app market size is expected to reach USD 4.8 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 17.6% from 2023 to 2030. Fitness is one of the key segments in the IT industry, which is exhibiting immense growth for the past 10 years in the U.S. This can be attributed to a range of factors, including people spending more time online, increasing awareness regarding the benefits of wearable devices, and the growing spending power of middle-income households. An increase in the usage of smartphones by people of all income groups is also contributing to a rise in the adoption of fitness apps. This has been indicated by a change in the market share trend since 2013, wherein the Asia market outperformed the North American fitness apps market. This is majorly owing to a difference in the target population, wherein adoption was reported to be high in countries, such as China and India.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a transition of consumers from traditional gyms and fitness studios to virtual avenues. Moreover, the growing trend of online training and home exercise among various target groups has led to an increase in the usage of fitness apps, further contributing to the market growth. As per an article issued in the World Economic Forum in September 2020, the downloads of fitness apps have increased globally by 46%, and the market is expected to grow further owing to the increasing adoption of smart wearables, smart devices, and smartphones. Moreover, an increase of 48.0% in the revenue generated by fitness apps was witnessed in 2020 over 2019 owing to the growing adoption of these apps during the pandemic.
Moreover, along with a rapid increase in downloads, fitness apps registered an increase in the number of daily active users (DAUs). India registered the largest increase in its DAUs with an 84.0% increase, accounting for approximately twelve million new fitness app users. MENA registered the second-highest growth in accordance with downloads, estimated at 28%. However, America registered the lowest increase at a growth rate of about 8.0% during the pandemic. In addition, despite the availability of several free or cost-effective fitness apps in stores, it is anticipated that the demand for these apps will reduce over time as other app vendors are now shifting their focus toward areas such as women's health, diet/nutrition information, and medication reminder.
Request a free sample copy or view report summary: Fitness App Market Report
The exercise and weight loss segment emerged as the leading type segment in 2022 with a revenue share of over 54.6%, owing to the increasing instances of obesity
By platform, the iOS segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2022, owing to the increased adoption of this platform, especially in countries such as Egypt, India, Brazil, Ireland, Portugal, Turkey, and South Africa
Based on devices, smartphones accounted for the largest revenue share in 2022. Wearable devices are projected to expand at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period
North America accounted for the largest revenue share in 2022 due to the high penetration of smartphones, increasing awareness pertaining to health and wellness, and the availability of several fitness apps
Grand View Research has segmented the global fitness app market on the basis of type, platform, device, and region:
Fitness App Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)
Exercise & Weight Loss
Diet & Nutrition
Fitness App Platform Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)
Fitness App Device Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)
Fitness App Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2030)
Middle East & Africa
List of Key Players of Fitness App Market
Under Armour, Inc.
ASICS America Corporation
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Sam Raimi has filed a lawsuit to prevent an "unauthorized" Evil Dead reboot. He, Bruce Campbell, and original series producer Robert Tapert are working on their own sequel under their Renaissance Pictures banner (originally created when they made the first Evil Dead). But another company, Award Pictures, claims that Raimi gave up the trademark in 2000. We'll cut through the legalese after the jump.
Last year, Raimi announced he was working on a new Evil Dead film. If you want a new installment in the classic horror-comedy, you go to the source, right? Raimi filed notice with the trademark office (assumingly registering the title for the fourth film) and another company, Award Pictures, filed an objection. It seems they have been planning their own remake. How can Award legally do that? They claim that in the 2000 book, The Evil Dead Companion, Raimi and Tapert said "We are never going to do a sequel." Award took this as a sign that Renaissance abandoned their trademark rights, making Evil Dead fair game. In the lawsuit filed by Raimi, he claims that continued merchandising proves that they didn't give up the rights, and that Award Pictures's planned Evil Dead 4: Consequences would cause intentional confusion among Evil Dead fans and infringe on Renaissance's continued trademark. Renaisannce, most importantly, is seeking an injuction that would prevent Award from creating their planned Evil Dead 4.
We'll keep you up-to-date on developments as they come up.
Source: Hollywood Reporter


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In a move that will lower the bill of the five-million direct-to-home consumers by 5-8 per cent, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has asked channels to reduce the bouquet rates on DTH platform by April 4.
The move will affect the subscription revenue of Star TV, Zee Group, Sony-One Alliance, Sun Network, ESPN-Star Sports, among others, who will have to significantly reduce prices for selling signals to DTH players.
However, this will help DTH operators lower the subscription fees. The average monthly fees per subscriber is about Rs 250 at present.
According to Trai's pricing formula for broadcasters, pay channels can charge DTH operators up to 50 per cent of the per subscriber rates they charge from the cable operators in the rest of the country (non-CAS homes).
This means that if Star TV's bouquet of 14 channels is priced at Rs 88 in non-CAS areas (70 million cable TV homes), it can charge only Rs 44 or less from existing DTH operators like Tata Sky, Dish TV and new entrants like Big TV, Bharti and Sun Direct.
But all broadcasters are charging more from DTH companies than from non-CAS cable homes.
Explaining this industry analyst said: "As DTH platform is digital, there is 100 per cent collection of fees, while in the cable sector, the under-declaration (cable operators declare a lower susbcriber base than the actual) is 25-35 per cent.
Therefore, even at a lower subscriber base, broadcasters earn more from DTH companies than from cable homes."
Senior executives of most pay channels said they would abide by Trai's order. "We are drafting the new rates, which will be submitted to Trai within the deadline," said a senior Zee group executive.
Star TV India executives said the law would be followed. However, executives of sports broadcaster ESPN-Star Sports said discussions were on within the company.
The leading sports broadcasters has a three-channel bouquet (ESPN, Star Sports and Star Cricket) and its per subscriber cable rates are about Rs 45. However, instead of charging Rs 22 or less, ESPN India is charging DTH players Rs 50 per subscriber for just two channels.
Leading regional broadcaster Sun Network is also charging more, sources say. Its bouquet rates for cable homes are said to be Rs 114 per subscriber while it is charging Rs 83 per subscriber from DTH operators.
According to an earlier TDSAT order (appellate tribunal for broadcasters and telecom operators), Sun Network has to provide DTH players its bouquet of 16 regional channels for Rs 25 per subscriber.
"The Trai directive will help bring in parity in rates," said a senior executive of Dish TV, the country's largest DTH company.


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Knoxville small retailers stay relevant with creative marketing strategies
Online sales continued to grow during the holiday season, forcing even many big-box stores to slash prices and announce plans to close some stores.
It was tough for small, homegrown businesses, as well. But to help them survive and stay relevant as consumers continue to migrate to online shopping, some Knoxville local retailers say they capitalized on their unique strengths and focused more on their shoppers than ever.
At Bula Boutique, a women's clothing store on Gay Street, co-owners Brandon Radar and Julia Ford said they refuse to rest on their laurels after a strong holiday season.
'We'll do a social media blast and people share it and like it, then we pick someone to shop privately before the clothes hit the racks,' Radar said of their regular private shopping events.
According to Radar, another successful effort is the store's First Friday cross promotions. They partner with photographers and makeup artists to offer makeup and styling consultations. They also use their own training to provide a 'cute' hairstyle such as an up-do, braid or hair chalk application with purchase.
'We work with photographer Sarah McAffry, as she does a lot of senior sessions and prom portraits,' Radar said. 'We host senior photo sessions at the boutique and style them from head to toe.'
'We always put new stuff out every Friday and post it on social media,' he said. 'Once it's gone, it's gone; we don't reorder.'
The pair also travel to their growing customer base in Nashville and host trunk shows to build sales.
'To be successful in business, you have to evolve,' Radar said. 'We're all the time looking for something new.'
He added that they avoid coupons and rarely hold sales.
'We don't do extreme markups,' Radar said. 'We're not going to charge $240 for a dress and then sell it for 85 percent off. We would rather price it reasonably. A lot of places sit on so much inventory, but we have it down to a science. We don't normally keep a style over two to three weeks.'
Rhonda Gordon has owned Spoiled Rotten on Oak Ridge Highway in Karns for 25 years, and she says the business continues to be successful despite the challenging environment.
'I started the store in the drugstore next door when I was going to college,' she said.
While her merchandise has evolved over the years, Gordon points to one constant: friendly customer service.
'We do big events when we welcome a new brand,' she said. 'We give away a lot of T-shirts and shopper totes. My regular customers get at least one T-shirt a year.'
More than 400 shoppers lined up around the block last Black Friday to snap up one of Spoiled Rotten's $15 coupon cards. The cards cost $15 and offer 12 coupons with an average savings of $200. They come with a free T-shirt and an instant $10-off coupon. Spoiled Rotten was completely sold out in 30 minutes, Gordon said.
Gordon is constantly working her social media tools, too — posting new arrivals and showing photos of her customers with their purchases on Instagram and Facebook.
Before Facebook, Gordon said, she spent up to $5,000 mailing out postcards and fliers to her customer mailing list. 'Now we do sales, show new arrivals and have giveaways' on social media, she said.
Offering unique items is another draw for Gordon's customers.
'I draw (the designs) for all of my own T-shirts, and a local screen printer prints them,' she said. 'I have a lot of Tennessee shirts, and a collection for Christmas and even some Valentine's Day shirts.'
While there is a Spoiled Rotten website, Gordon prefers to dedicate her time and resources to the in-store experience. The store is being revamped using vintage furniture from Sisters' Vintage Rentals to display her store merchandise and create a welcoming environment for shoppers.
'It was a great year; a lot of people are wanting to go to boutiques,' Gordon said of 2015. 'Boutiques are the in-thing right now. I heard that continually from customers. We've tried to move with the times, you've got to sell what people want.'
Gary Braden's family business Braden's Lifestyle will celebrate 60 years in the furniture business this May.
'We're an older company, but we're a growing company,' he said. 'We had a robust season with a strong fall; sales were up 15 percent in 2015.'
The Turkey Creek store offers full-service interior design, and merchandise ranges from area rugs to patio furniture. He estimated that 40 percent of the furniture purchases made involved customization of upholstery, wood finish and color.
'With Wayfair and Overstock, the consumer is buying a blind product,' Braden said. 'We're not in the same business. We have a lot of American-made furniture. We focus on how well it performs.'
To keep the sales floor fresh, Braden moves discontinued and clearance items to his Maryville Warehouse. He also has created a Facebook clearance page to sell individual items, and also promotes them on the store's Instagram page.
'That's been successful so far, and we have had a lot of interest in it,' he said. 'We hope that will grow.'
Braden's hosts three in-store events a year, including a recent successful Mom's Night Out for a local parenting group. It was a private party featuring 15 outside vendors who provided food and items for purchase, such as gifts, plants and fashion. The idea was to encourage potential customers to walk the store and promote other local businesses.
In addition to traditional media advertising, Braden said search engine optimization helps maintain his online presence. Email blasts and social media posts keep regular customers informed of sales.
Braden said businesses such as his need to keep abreast of trends and offer what their multigenerational customers are seeking.
Lisa Petree, co-owner of Be Media Savvy, consults and provides marketing services for small businesses. 'One of the things that we're promoting is video,' Petree said. 'Some of the larger Internet research companies are predicting that 70 percent of all content online will be video, and if you want to be found, you need to use video.'
Petree suggested creating an online video experience that mimics the experience inside the retail store. For example, an outdoor retail store might highlight a popular grill by throwing a tailgating party, creating a video of it and positing it on social media to connect with consumers.
'It's interesting how people are having to be more personal to attract more customers,' she said. 'With the advent of social media, retailers need to be very narrow and focused on who their client is, and be laser targeted.'
Petree calls this 'narrowcasting' instead of 'broadcasting.'
One local antique store client has been advertising videos of new products on Facebook, while a gift store hosted a Feng Shui expert to draw in customers, Petree said.


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Fashion retailer Jaeger has reported improved annual sales and reduced losses as its turnaround programme bears fruit.
Jaeger, controlled by private equity house Better Capital, generated a 12% rise in sales to £79.4m in the year to March 1. Like-for-likes advanced 10%.
The loss after tax fell to £9.9m from £12.6m the previous year.
Jaeger is a year into a five-year revival strategy designed to refocus on its British heritage and rebuild its brand appeal through initiatives such as reintroducing quality fabrics, investing online and sprucing up stores.
Last year online sales climbed 16% and Jaeger, which expects store numbers to remain stable at about 64 for the next four years, unveiled a new-model store on London’s King’s Road.
Sales at the King’s Road branch have risen 24% since the overhaul, and the look will be replicated in new stores this year including one in Belfast opening today.
Since the year end Jaeger reported that it has, like other fashion retailers, been hit by mild autumn weather but coats and knitwear have still fared better than they did last year.
Jaeger chief executive Colin Henry said: “It has been another year of positive change.
“Whilst the economic environment remains challenging and disposable income is under pressure, we have a strong and focused team in place which is committed to refocusing the business on our core UK customer base, enabling us to grow market share.
“However, it is still early days in our turnaround and further change is required.”
Better Capital founder Jon Moulton said: “We are pleased with the steady progress that Jaeger has made in the last year.
“The company has made headway on its five-year strategy to refocus on its core customers, which is visible in the autumn/winter 14 collection with more product of UK heritage, and increased use of natural fibres.
“We continue to be supportive of the business having invested a further £16m since the year end.”
Once Jaeger has achieved its strategic targets in the UK it will seek to expand internationally.


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Yesterday there were reports that Apple was enduring its longest share price decline in 18 years – following the disappointing results last week, highlighting a slowdown in worldwide iPhone sales. In what looks be an attempt to stem the flow, Apple CEO Tim Cook made a rare appearance on CNBC's Mad Money, promising jam tomorrow.
To start the interview CNBC's Jim Cramer claimed that the media is reporting that "Apple is dead". To this the Apple CEO replied that he thought such reports were "a huge overreaction". Explaining further, Mr Cook said Apple still made $50bn plus in revenues and $10 billion in profits – "more than any other company makes," yet the results last week weren't up to Wall Street expectations.
Cook went on to say that this year's sales didn't look so good due to an "abnormally high upgrade rate last year". Changing tack the Apple CEO then went on to assert that "the most important thing is that customers love our products" and in the long-term their satisfaction and loyalty will keep Apple on the up.
On market trends Cook said that smartphones are just 40 per cent of the mobile phones market worldwide right now, so there's a long way to go to market saturation and there are huge markets like India that will be important for Apple in the future.
Then the Apple CEO started to tease the next iPhones:
"We have great innovation in the pipeline, new iPhones that will incent you and other people that have iPhones today to upgrade to new iPhones," asserted Cook
"I can't think of anything else that I need," cried Cramer, interrupting the Apple CEO.
Mr Cook continued his iPhone spiel "We are going to give you things that you can’t live without, that you just don’t even know you need today… You will look back and wonder ‘how did I live without this?’"
Unfortunately the statement offered no clues about what the things we can't live without are. Of course CEOs shouldn't reveal competitive plans but will Apple really be able to live up to that statement after so many minor updates to its device ranges over recent years?


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The commercial taxes department has started an awareness campaign for traders to promote online services for payment, annual returns and transit passes.
“The awareness among traders on the recent amendments is poor. The campaign will help dealers make optimum use of the new provisions in amendments such as reversal of ITC (Input Tax Credit) on stock transfer and reversal of ITC on CST (Central Sales Tax) sales,” said an official.
Under e-payment mode, any trader can login and make a request. This mode of payment, currently available with nine banks, will offer an additional time of two days for traders.
Traders will also be able to generate their own transit pass online and submit at the last check post. This will facilitate easier inter-state sale or transfer of stocks. Annual returns of traders will be permitted only on electronic mode by the department.
More than 150 representatives participated at a meeting held at Madras Kirana Merchants Association Building on Audiappa Naicken Street on Monday.
The deputy commissioner (CT) Zone V has convened an awareness campaign for dealers at Hotel Kanchi in Egmore on Thursday.


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IG Group forecasts 6% Y/Y drop in revenues in H1 FY19
The number of new OTC leveraged clients who traded for the first time with IG in the 6-month period was 8,200 in the UK and EU, down from 11,666 a year earlier.
Electronic trading major IG Group Holdings plc (LON:IGG) has earlier today published an update following the end of the first half of the financial year ending May 31, 2019 (FY19).
The Group expects revenue in the first half to be around 6% lower than in the same period in FY18, which was a record one for IG.
The broker notes that the ESMA product intervention measures came into effect during the period. The prohibition on offering binary options to retail clients became effective from July 2, 2018 and the restrictions relating to the provision of CFDs to retail clients were effective from August 1, 2018.
Group revenue in the four month period since all the measures came into effect is expected to be around 10% lower than in the same period a year ago. Revenue in that four month period in the ESMA region (UK and EU) is expected to be around 20% lower. However, revenue from the Group’s business in APAC and other non-ESMA region countries expected to be around 9% higher.
The number of clients in the UK and EU who have elected to be classified as professional kept rising during the period. Around 70% of UK and EU revenue in the four months since all the measures were introduced has been generated by professional clients.
The number of new OTC leveraged clients who traded for the first time with IG in the period was 14,600 compared with 18,027 in the same period of the prior year. This includes 8,200 in the ESMA region (H1 FY18: 11,666) and 6,400 in the APAC and non-ESMA regions (H1 FY18: 6,361).
IG Group notes the recent progress with regard to its strategic initiatives. IG Europe, the Group’s client facing subsidiary in Germany, has received its licence from BaFin. This offers certainty that IG will be able to offer its regulated financial products in all EU member states following the UK’s exit from the EU.
The Group’s US subsidiary has been approved as a member of the National Futures Association (NFA) and is now registered to operate as a Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer (RFED). Let’s also note that IG’s Daily FX got a raft of US regulatory approvals last week.


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- We’ve all had the wish that ordering pizza would be as easy as using an app on Xbox Live, and now you can do just that. Too lazy to pick up your phone? Log right into the Pizza Hut app and order away. It’ll even save you 15% off your order until May 6th.
- The CW has also received its own app. You’ll be able to watch next-day episodes of your (not) favorite shows for free, and even use Xbox SmartGlass to interact with them. You can find more details on Major Nelson’s blog.
- Microsoft reported that sales revenue is up 55% year-over-year for the third quarter of 2013. Unfortunately, revenue is still down for the full fiscal year. The numbers were reported on the investor relations part of the Microsoft website, but you can find a more friendly rundown of the numbers over at Polygon.
- Press Play, the studio behind Max and the Curse of Brotherhood, says that Microsoft hasn’t forgotten about Indie devs, and they have a hard time relating to stories saying the opposite. Lead designer Mikkel Thorsted had some highly encouraging words, which you can read over at OXM.
- On The Official Microsoft Blog they revealed a big upgrade to Microsoft accounts by adding a two-step verification process. Major Nelson later posted on how it would directly affect your Xbox Live account, with a step-by-step process on how to use it. With how non-secure services involving your credit card can be, it may not be a bad idea to take a look and use it yourself.
Have you played Minecraft? With the newly released sales figures for the game, odds are high that you have. 4J Studios, the developer behind the mega-hit, took to Twitter today to announce an impressive feat: more than six million copies of the Xbox 360 version have been purchased to date.
Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition has now sold over SIX MILLION copies !!! #MinecraftXBLA
— 4J Studios (@4JStudios) March 26, 2013
For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to jump into Minecraft‘s world, you’ll have another option for doing so when the retail version of the game releases on April 30.
At this point, it’s safe to call Minecraft a legitimate phenomenon – especially the Xbox 360 Edition, where it’s one of the best-selling games in XBLA history and spent the months since its early May release smashing records like crazy. Keeping with that tradition, 4J and Mojang Studios announced that the little game that could finished the year by hitting a staggering milestone: It passed five million sales Monday. Not bad for a game that released just a little over a third of the way into the year.
That achievement caps off an already impressive year for Minecraft: The world-building adventure game sold two million copies within its first month of release on XBLA (and at one point was averaging close to 20,000 sales a day), and a special Halloween-themed DLC skin pack raised over $500K for charity in just two weeks. The game also made history by knocking Call of Duty from the top of the Xbox LIVE Activity Charts, a first for an XBLA title. More recently, the game sold 453K copies on Christmas Day alone (although that was across all platforms, not just XBLA). To say Minecraft has been popular is a bit of an understatement; to say it’s been a huge boost to the visibility of Xbox’s digital platform even moreso.
Minecraft, originally released for PC in 2009, unleashed its highly-anticipated Xbox version in May to rave reviews (including our own, though not all our staffers agreed) and, obviously, smashing sales success. The game is currently available on XBLA for 1600 MSP, with numerous add-ons available at varying price points.
As is tradition during the holidays, Xbox Live has some great sales on Xbox Live Arcade games going on now until November 26. Also included (but not shown here) are a handful of Games on Demand games, some avatar props and DLC that has also been discounted. Be sure to sign in to Xbox Live on Black Friday and Cyber Monday for special deals as well. We haven’t heard official word on those sales, but if tradition stands a few XBLA games will be anywhere from 66—80% off. Check out Major Nelson’s blog for more information on other deals related to this promotion.
- I Am Alive – was 1200 MSP now 800 MSP
- Daytona USA — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light — was 1200 MSP now 600 MSP
- Magic 2013 — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Magic 2013 Expansion — was 400 MSP now 200 MSP
- Rock Band Blitz — was 1200 MSP now 600 MSP
- Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co. — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Sega Vintage Collection: Golden Axe Collection — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World Collection — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage – was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- South Park: Tenorman’s Revenge — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Space Channel 5: Part 2 — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Spelunky — was 1200 MSP now 600 MSP
- Warp — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
Source: Major Nelson
We love us some Trials Evo. It’s a game that provides a perfect balance between thrills, and replayability. It’s a game that perpetuates itself with some of the most amazing user-created content in gaming. It’s a game that brings friends together for some good-natured competition, both via Supercross and the game’s leaderboards. When those ingredients are all mixed together they churn out a game well worth its 1200 MSP asking price (we’d pay more, but don’t tell RedLynx that).
And today we’re happy to report that according to the game’s official leaderboards our friends over at RedLynx have surpassed 1 million players. Bravo! And while this isn’t a wholly accurate number for sales due to the fact that multiple gamertags could have played on one copy of the game, it’s the closest thing we have. Therefore we’ll also congratulate them on “almost 1 million” in sales. The multiplayer leaderboards are quickly approaching 200,00 players, so congrats to them on that, too.
If you don’t own Trials Evolution, then shame on you. Nowhere else will you find a game that provides such constant-yet-evolving replay value. When the core game gets stale you can hit up Track Central, which hosts well over 100,000 community creations. Even if being tied to two wheels isn’t your thing the sheer number of unique skill games is more than enough to warrant the game’s asking price and keep you coming back. Doom-inspired first person shooter? Check. Accurate-to-the-last-detail Pac-Man clone? Check. Need the Snake game that was on your old Nokia phone back in the day? The Trials Evo community has got your covered. There are even Bionic Commando-esque levels, Minesweeper, an Arkanoid-style game, Space Invaders and so many more. You can finally put the Atari back in its sealed box for your posterity.
Only one XBLA release this Wednesday. Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus, the 2D fighter from Arc System Works, is available from today for 1200 MSP. Players can choose from among 25 fighters and engage in high-speed combat and compete in story mode or offline and online multiplayer modes. Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit also received some DLC today, The Virtual Rabbit Missions for 400 MSP and the Pimp My Rabbit Pack for 240 MSP.
Deal of the Week didn’t include an XBLA games this week again, but there’s still some sales to be aware of. A Shoctober special sale sees 50% off Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (now 600 MSP) and Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon (now 400 MSP), and the Kinect Central sale this week gives gamers 50% off the enjoyable Leedmees (now 400 MSP). If you’re lucky enough to be in a region with access to the Sales & Specials App then this week’s Scratch & Match losing offers are Gripshift, Ikaruga and Geon all priced at 400 MSP each. All sales are expected to last until October 29.
If you are looking to extend your current subscription to Xbox LIVE Gold, Amazon is currently selling a Xbox LIVE 12 Month Gold Membership to the service for $46.00 instead of the usual $59.99. There appears to be no rhyme or reason to the sale, however, so act fast if you’re interested.
A few days ago, Polygon posted an interview with Iron Galaxy Studios CEO Dave Lang, who released the XBLA game Wreckateer during this year’s Summer of Arcade promotion. Chief among the points raised by Lang is his belief in a “Kinect tax” in the gaming media — a belief that games utilizing the Kinect interface receive “wildly varied reviews,” partly because “some players and reviewers dislike using the Kinect peripheral.”
The use of Kinect lends itself to different gaming experiences than a more traditional controller. That being said, XBLA Fans certainly did not mind Wreckateer’s use of Kinect. In the discussion of the game, we mentioned that Wreckateer “may be the best Kinect game ever,” and that compared to the other games in the Summer of Arcade, “it’s the second best game after Dust this year.”
You can find our full discussion of Wreckateer here. Regardless of your thoughts on the game, do you think that Kinect games are viewed differently than other XBLA titles? Let us know in the comments below.
Roughly 45 days ago we posted the above image celebrating 3 million Minecraft players. That number was after only two months of sales. Now inching towards its fourth month the king of all Xbox Live Arcade sellers has surpassed 3.6 million. That’s crazy. This game has shattered every record, cleaned up the shattered pieces, replaced the glass, and shattered it again.
We looked for a picture of Notch sitting on a pile of money. We couldn’t find one. Apparently he’s more mature than we would be with tons of the green stuff.


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MTV President Christina Norman will put Sean Moran in charge of advertising sales for MTV, MTV2, MTVU and MTV broadband, according to people familiar with the change.
Moran was most recently senior VP of ad sales for VH1, working for Norman when she was president of the channel. Insiders characterized the move as Norman’s bringing “her guy” with her. Moran replaces Ron Furman, who was named senior VP of MTV ad sales around the time Norman took over the network group last spring. But Furman and Norman clashed, say people inside the company, and Furman left at year-end. Moran, who will be responsible for nearly $1 billion in ad sales, was still negotiating his deal at press time.


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VAN NUYS (CNS) – A judge denied Costco Wholesale Corp.’s request for a temporary restraining order against a Calabasas-based petition management firm and other organizations that have allegedly sent people without authorization to solicit signatures from customers on various issues at four San Fernando Valley warehouses.
Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Virginia Keeny said lawyers for the warehouse chain had not provided enough evidence showing the one named defendant, PCI Consultants Inc., has participated in the solicitations.
The other groups allegedly involved are referred to as “Doe associations” because their members have refused to identify their affiliation when asked to do so by Costco employees, according to the complaint brought Aug. 3. The judge said there was no urgency justifying the issuing of a TRO against the unnamed defendants and she scheduled a hearing for Sept. 7 on whether a preliminary injunction should be issued.
In a sworn declaration filed Monday, PCI President Angelo Paparella stated that his company provides petition management services, but that its employees do not actually circulate the petitions.
“Rather, when such services were needed, PCI Consultants contracted with signature-gathering firms,” according to Paparella.
The solicitors started arriving at the warehouses in July, the suit states.
“Beginning in July, the solicitors arrived at the Costco warehouses to solicit signatures for petitions, such as ‘no’ to the Los Angeles Unequal Pay Measure for health care workers, and have continued to do so on a routine, near-daily basis,” the suit states.
Josh Trainor, who has worked for Costco for nearly 30 years and is the assistant general manager of the Pacoima store, said the solicitors at his warehouse have attracted counter-petitioners and protesters, resulting in disruptive shouting matches and concerning confrontations.
“When asked to relocate to the parking lot instead of the apron area around the warehouse, the solicitors responded aggressively toward Costco employees,” Trainor said.
Several female members entering and leaving the Woodland Hills warehouse have said they felt unsafe because of how close male solicitors approach them, according to a sworn declaration submitted by the location’s assistant manager Dave Olson, a Costco veteran employee of more than 25 years.
“Members have complained about 12 solicitors approaching their car windows while waiting in the Costco gas station line and the risk of accidentally hitting the solicitors as they weave between cars,” Olson said.
In its suit, Costco maintains its primary purpose is to sell its products to members at its warehouses and that it does not invite people to do such things as congregate at the warehouses. Still, various individuals and groups have sought to use the area in front of Costco’s warehouses to speak on a variety of issues, including to solicit signatures for petitions, the suit states.
“Because of the potential for congestion in front of the entrances to Costco warehouses, the possible conflict between those seeking to express their views and the potential for interference with its business operations, Costco has adopted a policy prohibiting all groups and individuals from using its property for expressive activity,” according to the suit, which asks for damages, injunctive relief and a court declaration of the rights of the parties because the solicitors disagree with Costco’s policy prohibiting all groups and individuals from using its property for expressive activity.


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NEW DELHI :
Gaming firms in India have begun exploring ways to incorporate non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in electronics sports (eSports) and games and also develop new games that will run on blockchains, to cash in on the massive interest in crypto and NFTs.
Blockchain gaming allows gamers to be rewarded with cryptocurrencies for playing, while NFTs are used to purchase digital items and real estate. An example of a successful blockchain game is Axie Infinity, which has millions of players worldwide.
Mainstream gaming firms such as JetSynthesys have started experimenting on how to leverage NFTs in games.
“We have done some research on this and are deeply looking at some use cases. Some of the things are very obvious, such as the NFTs that can be used for skins and avatars,” said Rajan Navani, CEO of JetSynthesys.
The company is behind successful mobile games such as Ludo Zenith and has tie-ups with global gaming giants such as Japan’s Square Enix.
Bengaluru-based Avisa Ventures’ gaming division, too, is working with game developers to create 2-3 blockchain-based games. It has launched an NFT Gaming Guild for NFT and blockchain-based games.
The guild has initiated a play-to-earn competition on Axie Infinity to give gamers the chance to earn tokens that they can sell to other players.
“We plan to start our games on blockchains with NFTs. Till now we are supporting the community by working on other games. We are in talks with several firms to develop NFT games for us,” said Priya Ratnam, founder and CMO, Avisa Ventures.
In the eSports industry, NODWIN Gaming partnered with RageFan to offer chess NFTs in the Chess Super League (CSL) tournament held in October. RageFan is a blockchain-based platform that offers sports NFTs and fan tokens. NFTs were released by RageFan and will be available for purchase from their NFT marketplace shortly.
Decentralized apps (Dapps) reached an all-time high of 2 million daily unique active wallets worldwide in October and about 55% of this traffic comes from blockchain-based games, according to a report by blockchain tracking firm DappRadar.
These developments are a precursor to Web3 gaming, said industry experts. Web3 refers to the third generation of the internet, which many expect will be driven by decentralized infra and machine-based understanding of data.
Homegrown Polygon is organizing a hackathon with prizes of more than $100,000 to encourage developers to build and showcase Web3 apps and games running on blockchain. The crypto company aims to help create more than 100 Web3 unicorns in India by 2025. The DappRadar report also noted that Polygon had seen the “biggest growth” in terms of blockchain networks being used in the Dapp space.
“India is possibly the largest gaming market in the world, because of the deep penetration of mobile phones and cheap data rates. With the Web3 paradigm of play-to-earn, where gamers can monetize their time and in-game achievements, this market is set to grow multifold in the coming years,” said Arjun Kalsy, vice-president of growth at Polygon.
Kalsy has a point. Real money gaming and eSports have seen huge growth in India, especially after the pandemic. India’s online gaming industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 40% to $2.8 billion by 2022, up from $1.1 billion in 2019, according to a 2021 report by Deloitte.
“The phenomenon of play-to-earn and earn through NFT or token is going to be the next growth for the gaming industry,” said Manish Agarwal, CEO, Nazara Technologies.
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The cruise industry has been immensely impacted by the global health crisis.
Disney has noted that the Disney Cruise Line will likely be the last segment of the business to return, and other cruise companies are contending with similar lengthy closures. Now, despite Carnival Cruise Line announcing a resumption of operations prior to the end of 2020, more companies (Carnival included) are announcing delays.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Carnival Cruise line has canceled all sailings through February and delayed the debut of their new ship until April. Both Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have also announced that they will not sail until at least March 1st.
As of right now, Disney Cruise Line has canceled sailings through January 2021 but may continue to delay sailings on a rolling basis as they have been.
The extension is noted as being geared toward cruise lines working to meet the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Framework for Conditional Sailing Order.” These guidelines require extensive health and safety measures aboard and in preparation for sailings.
Carnival Cruise Line has now pushed the potential for sailings the furthest of the major cruise lines noting that it will now begin service no earlier than April 24th.
We’re keeping a close eye on news from the cruise industry and from Disney Cruise Line itself. Stay tuned to DFB for all of the latest updates!
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
Are you hoping to sail on Disney Cruise Line soon? Tell us in the comments.


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Samsung has been relegated to irrelevance with less than 1% market share in the largest smartphone market, China. Even in India, the second largest smartphone market, the company has lost the top position in market share according to many market research firms. Despite these challenges, Samsung still emerged as the top global smartphone vendor in Q1 2018 according to the shipment numbers from Counterpoint Research.
3% decline in YoY shipments
Samsung shipped 78 million smartphones globally in Q1 2018, down from 80 million units it shipped in Q1 2017. In spite of the 3% decline in YoY shipments, Samsung was still the largest vendor in the quarter. Since the global smartphone market itself declined 3% annually in Q1, Samsung posted a minuscule improvement in market share from 21.6% in Q1 2017 to 21.7% in Q1 2018. Also, the launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in Q1 helped Samsung to increase its shipments by 5% sequentially.
Apple came in second by shipping 52.2 million units in the quarter, resulting in a 3% YoY growth. Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo occupied the next three positions respectively. Among the top five vendors, only Samsung and Oppo sold fewer phones than what they did during the same time last year. Driven by its stellar performance in India and other emerging markets, Xiaomi made the most gains in the top five by registering an impressive 101% increase in shipments.


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Breaking news for all Doodles enthusiasts and collectors! Brace yourselves for the launch of the most awaited platform of the year – The Stoodio! This revolutionary platform is set to take the Doodles experience to a whole new level. With its early beta access starting on April 28, the Stoodio […]
Celebrating the arrival of the brand’s latest Ozworld collection, adidas Originals is launching the world’s first personality based AI generated avatar creation platform, in collaboration with Ready Player Me. Designed to empower and open up the pursuit of self expression for all, the online Ozworld experience enables users to create their unique […]
This week, Alchemy announced a Series B round totaling $80 Million and valuing the fast growing organization at around $500 Million. What makes this announcement so exciting is that the platform created by Alchemy has been used to launch some of the most successful markets including Dapper Labs (The creators […]
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The Procter & Gamble Company (PG) in Cincinnati, Ohio, provides branded consumer packaged goods to consumers in North and Latin America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Greater China, India, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates in five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. In comparison…
Dallas, Tex.-based Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB – Get Rating) and its subsidiaries manufacture and market personal care and consumer tissue products worldwide. It operates through three segments: Personal Care; Consumer Tissue; and K-C Professional.
Despite supply chain, labor, and inflationary challenges amid a resurgence COVID-19 cases, the consumer goods industry has been rebounding thanks to pent-up demand and rising consumer spending. In addition, according to The Conference Board, the consumer confidence index was 115.8 points in December, up from an upwardly revised 111.9 in November. Strong consumer confidence is expected to translate into more sales. Furthermore, rising demand for digital goods, automated buying, ambient computing, and edge manufacturing are expected to drive the consumer goods market’s growth. Therefore, both PG and KMB should benefit.
PG’s stock has gained 11.1% in price over the past three months, while KMB has returned 7.8%. Also, PG’s 15.6% gains over the past six months are significantly higher than KMB’s 6.4% returns. And PG is the clear winner with 17.2% gains versus KMB’s 4.1% returns in terms of the past nine months’ performance.
But which of these two stocks is a better buy now? Let’s find out.
On Jan. 5, 2022, P&G Beauty debuted its virtual storytelling world, BeautySPHERE, at the Consumer Electronics Show. This first step into the metaverse allows visitors to virtually interact with the company’s portfolio of brands through live and simulated content. This facility could increase the demand for its products.
On Oct. 25, 2021, KMB’s Chairman and CEO, Mike Hsu, said, “We will continue to invest in our brands and capabilities as we navigate through this volatile and difficult macro environment. Our strategy is working, and we remain confident in our future and our ability to create long-term shareholder value.”
Recent Financial Results
PG’s net sales increased 5% year-over-year to $20.34 billion for its fiscal first quarter, ended Sept. 30, 2021. However…
Continue reading at STOCKNEWS.com


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General Soleimani and a number of forces of the axis of resistance, who were assassinated in a US drone strike on January 3. Hatami also emphasized that the ... the Iranian minister said, stressing ...
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Fears that the 3D functionality of Nintendo’s upcoming handheld, the 3DS, would cause health consequences have been assuaged. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata assured Forbes that consumers would be able to turn off the 3D function, allowing people to play games in normal 2D if they should wish to.
The tidbit of information was in response to a growing concern regarding the effects of 3D gaming on children’s eyesight. It is also a piece of good news for folks who were concerned that the jump-off-the-screen graphics would become tiresome. Nintendo appears to be doing all that they can to appeal to as wide an audience as possible with the new system.
Although the details of the 3DS hardware are still spotty, the rumors should be put to rest at E3 2010. Nintendo has confirmed that the world’s first hands-on with the system will be at the June conference.