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Celebrate the new year in style at the New Year’s Eve 2019 Gala Concert with some of Australia’s favourite performers and the 60-piece Australian Pops Orchestra.
things we love
You know it’s nearly Christmas when Chadstone – The Fashion Capital, Australia’s largest shopping centre, opens for 34 hours straight. From 8am on December 23 to
Are you going to hit the farmers markets this weekend for your Christmas celebration fresh produce? Which one’s your favourite farmers market? Boroondara (Hawthorn), Patterson
Have you been watching Winter Wonderland Christmas movies with everyone ice skating? Then head to O’Brien Icehouse in Docklands, Melbourne to skate with Santa and experience a
Experience Shakespeare under the stars in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne with the tragic masterpiece, Hamlet presented by Glenn Elston & The Australian Shakespeare Company.
As an early festive treat the second trailer has landed for Top Gun Sequel Top Gun: Maverick. Although it’s another six months before the movie’s release until then
Nothing like a sing-along to get you in a festive mood! On Saturday December 21 from 8pm, a singalong will be held at Federation Square. Come and join
It’s been five long years and a $88.1 Million Revamp the State Library Victoria has finally reopened. Explore 13 transformed spaces, 40% more public space and the ‘jewel
DreamCity is a new $6 million dollar interactive play centre now open at DFO South Wharf, right next the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. It’s Melbourne’s newest edutainment destination for
Surf perfect waves and improve your skills this Summer! Just minutes from Melbourne Airport and a quick trip from the Melbourne CBD in Tullamarine, URBNSURF Melbourne,


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A new system is making supply chains consistently transparent
If there are problems in the supply chain, the whole production process can grind to a halt. Researchers have now developed a system which is designed to monitor the entire supply chain. Work is already taking place on a solution for the market.23 Apr 2020 David Schahinian
The investment of three years of work and EUR 4.5 million seems to have paid off. A system has been created that allows consistent digital recording of quality and status-related data in a delivery chain. Among other things, mobile sensors, 3D image processing, cloud platforms and digital services are used in this context, as one of the project partners, the Institute for Production and Logistics at Bremen University BIBA , reports. Creation of a prototype and tests in the automobile industry have already been successful. Now the partners in the SaSCh project (Digital Services for the Design of Agile Supply Chains), one of whom is Bosch, have developed a solution for the market. The project has been funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
While it certainly pays off from a commercial perspective to optimize monitoring of the supply chain, the political pressure to do so seems to have diminished for the time being. For months Federal Minister for Development Dr. Gerd Müller (CSU) had been lobbying for supply chain legislation that would ensure compliance with minimum standards in the supply chain. As reported in “Die Welt” , however, the federal government does not want to impose additional burdens on companies during the coronavirus crisis.
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Argos Accidentally Leaks REAL DJI Mavic 2 'Pro' and 'Zoom' Specs and Features
Expected to be released this year is the DJI Mavic 2. Although the company has been trying to keep details of the said device under wraps, it seems that Argos, a British catalog retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland, may have “accidentally” leaked it, prior to its release date.
The Leaked Images
A number of people have already posted the leaked images of the Mavic 2 on their Twitter account. As you can see, it features two versions of the device; the ‘Pro’ and ‘Zoom’ version.
When people got wind of it, Droning On went to a nearby Argos store and streamed it live on YouTube to confirm whether the images shared online were fake or not. According to them, while they were questioning one of the store’s staff, the employees were still unaware of the leak. However, as they departed from the store, they noticed that the store’s employees were starting to pick up and moving the catalogs stacked at the front entrance which made them assume that the store has finally realized its mistake and are doing damage control.
When Is The Release Date?
What Was Written On The Catalogue?
As already mentioned, there are two models. The Mavic 2’s Pro version will feature a Hasselblad camera with a 1-inch sensor, while the Zoom version will have a 2X optical zoom lens (24mm – 48mm).
Both drones will feature 31 minutes of flight time, max speed of up to 20m/s, and able to transmit 1080p video up to 8 kilometers. Furthermore, it features omnidirectional obstacle sensing with APAS and Active track 2.0.
After the leak went viral, a Facebook user named Isa Turan contacted DJI via Facebook to asked whether the leaked as real or not. Here’s what the company replied:
Basically, yes, it was real. Also, it seems that there are still many more exciting features and capabilities that will be announced at the proper time.
So what are your thoughts and opinions about the leak? Are you excited about the Mavic 2? Which version do you prefer? Tell us in the comment section below.


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Bloody hell, I hate the way the Irish Government is failing to protect consumers and instead are basically telling the consumers who are being ripped off to deal with it themselves.
The environmental management charges that were recently introduced and were supposed to be paid by the manufacturer are now being passed on to the down trodden Irish consumer, even if they are not handing in their old electrical device to be recycled. And how does the government, which introduced this tax, respond to this? They support calls for users to boycott the retailers who do this. Come on, someone has to stand up for consumers and stop retailers ripping us off every chance they get.


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Las Vegas based gaming innovators Bally Technologies have been granted a license to supply interactive gaming by the Nevada Gaming Commission, leading to the announcement of a new website for their land based 7 Cedars Casino, as well as new mobile phone applications.
Bally Technologies, a leading developer of casino management software and slot machine games both online and off, have announced the release of brand new mobile phone apps, having received their new interactive gaming license from the Nevada Gaming Commission last month. The new apps are available to download via the iTunes Store and Google Play.
The new Bally mobile apps will allow players to check out the slot machine and table games at the land based 7 Cedars Casino, along with current promotions. Members will also be able to use the apps to check their Totem Rewards points.
Furthermore, iPhone and iPad users will be able to play the Vegas Hits slot game, as well as and receiving up to date information from the 7 Cedars Casino golf course, such as the latest weather conditions.
Mike Walsh, Regional Sales Vice President for Bally Technologies, said: “We are so pleased to partner with 7 Cedars Casino and provide it with this custom mobile solution. The 7 Cedars apps will be an incredible customer service tool and a powerful new way to interact with and entertain its patrons.”
“We make a continuous effort to provide our guests with the highest level of service possible,” added the Marketing Director for 7 Cedars Casino, Judy Walz. “That effort includes offering them the best tools and technology on and off our property to enhance their experience at 7 Cedars Casino.”
“Our new apps deliver convenience, information and entertainment through a host of easy-to-use features that we can’t wait for our guests to use and enjoy.”


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Videotron Hits the Gas
Previously, Videotron capped the downstream of its fastest tier at 20 Mbit/s using a single 6 MHz Docsis channel.
The MSO’s “Ultimate Speed Internet 30” tier sells for CAD$64.95 per month (US$64.78), and the “Ultimate Speed Internet 50” product goes for CAD$79.95 per month (US$79.74). Videotron has also tailored the new tiers for business customers, but they carry a premium price.
As this is a pre-Docsis 3.0 implementation, the upstream will remain capped at about 1 Mbit/s. The full CableLabs Docsis 3.0 specification calls for a minimal configuration of four bonded upstream channels and four bonded downstream channels.
Videotron is referring to the new channel-bonded products as TVG 30 and TVG 50, short for “très grande vitesse” to refer to France’s high-speed rail service.
“Like the train, our new TGV Internet service will be an international performance leader,” according to Videotron SVP of marketing, content, and product development Manon Brouillette, who presented the new product launch in Montreal on Wednesday morning. The MSO provided Brouillette's speaking notes to Cable Digital News.
In what could turn out to be a controversial move, Videotron has also opted to put a byte cap on the new tiers. The 30-Mbit/s version will limit transfers to 30 gigabytes per month, while the 50-Mbit/s level will be capped at 50 gigabytes. (See A Tip of the Broadband Cap and TWC to Test Broadband Toll Booth .)
Videotron is offering the speedier tiers initially to about 112,000 homes in Laval, near Montreal, and expects to roll them out gradually to other systems in Quebec. Heavy Reading senior analyst Alan Breznick, who was on Videotron’s call with analysts this morning, said Montreal is next in line to get the new tiers.
The launch follows a Wideband beta trial the MSO and vendor partner Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) embarked on in 2007, which involved about 150 customers and achieved "tested and managed" stable downstream speeds as high as 98 Mbit/s.
But why, then, did Videotron opt not to go with a 100-Mbit/s service right off the bat?
The MSO felt that achieving such speeds didn't match up with the wants of Videotron’s broader customer segment. “We want to gear our services to the majority,” Brouillette said, according to the speaking notes. “After having carefully studied the market, it was determined that speeds of 30 and 50 Mbit/s suited the needs of the market, as well as consumer demand, existing technological capacities, and the Internet chain.”
Videotron’s commercial rollout taps Cisco’s flagship cable modem termination system (CMTS), the uBR10012, and a modem from its “DPC” line. It was not immediately known whether Videotron is using the DPC3000, a Docsis 3.0-based modem Cisco introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show last month. (See Cisco Debuts IP Hubs for the Home.)
(Cisco’s CMTS obtained “Bronze”-level Docsis 3.0 qualification late last year. CableLabs has yet to certify any modems for Docsis 3.0: See Cisco, Arris & Casa Make the CableLabs Grade.)
According to Breznick, Videotron officials said the initial rollout is bonding two downstream Docsis channels, but will bond a third channel as it progresses with further testing of Docsis 3.0 technologies.
Videotron, which has about 933,000 high-speed data subscribers in Quebec and 1.63 million cable subscribers overall, will use the new tiers to up the competitive ante with the likes of BCE Inc. (Bell Canada) (NYSE/Toronto: BCE).
In comments made today, Brouillette stressed that the new tiers are not just for techies and Internet junkies, but “for the general public, which is now using the Internet as an important tool in their daily lives.” She cited an example showing how it would simultaneously allow one member of a family of four to download a movie, while others are streaming video to a PC, playing a network-based video game, or browsing for podcasts.
— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Cable Digital News
Interested in learning more on this topic? Then come to Docsis 3.0 Strategies: From Product Development to Service Deployment, a conference that will take a comprehensive look at the cable industry's plans to roll out its next-generation architecture around the world. To be staged in Denver, March 19, admission is free for attendees meeting our prequalification criteria. For more information, or to register, click here.


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MIDLAND, MI — Dow Chemical Company
posted their second-quarter earnings yesterday, which noted an 8 percent increase in the value of its shares, according to Forbes
The company had a quarterly net loss of $435 million compared to a profit of $24 million in the year-ago quarter, the story stated.
Dow Chemical''s Chief Executive Andrew Liveris said: "''The United States economy has found bottom, but will be slow in recovering as unemployment continues to be a drag on consumer spending."
Dow''s revenue was lessened due to $957 million in second-quarter charges, the bulk of which were for corporate restructuring, the story noted.
Dow Chemical''s long-term debt stood at $21.98 billion at the end of the second quarter, up from $8.04 billion a year earlier, the story added.


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Unless you were living on Mars last week you can't have failed to notice that Apple unveiled a few new devices. V3 readers were clearly keen to see what the firm had up its sleeve and numerous Apple stories...
The cyber gang has largely remained in dark since breaching the systems of Democratic National Committee in 2016
The feature was introduced in May 2018 for Chrome desktop users
A patch for the bug affecting Echo and Kindle devices was released by Amazon earlier this year
Tuning into the BBC iPlayer or Netflix when you're overseas can be a challenge. The solution? A UK IP address
The worm moves in small bursts, but remains relatively inept overall


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China and Apple news has been coinciding a lot recently it seems. First there was the apology from Tim Cook regarding warranties, and now Apple is banning applications. According to the developer of the Jingdian Shucheng e-book application that was pulled, “content that is illegal in China” was a reason that it was pulled from the Chinese App Store. However, Hao Peiqiang, the developer, said that his app was allowed into the store for 2 months before it was pulled. Hao says he is “not sure if [his] app’s removal has anything to do with Apple’s recent trouble. But the app has been operating normally for the last two months until now without any problems.”
Jingdian Shucheng is still available in other countries, however, and was only pulled in China. Apple appears to be trying to restrengthen the Chinese government, as it is an important area of Apple’s market. China is one of the largest consumer markets in the world, and Apple wants nothing to keep it from tapping into that market to sell products. It will be interesting to watch Apple’s dealings with China over the next few weeks to see if anything else happens.
What do you think? Interested in what will become of this? Have you been watching the China/Apple situation? Let us know in the comments, or tweet me @TiP_Kyle.


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Entain hikes steering as betting retailers reopen
Ladbrokes owner Entain PLC (LON:ENT) upped its complete-12 months earnings expectations right after reporting quicker gaming earnings expansion in the second quarter as the easing of Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions authorized its betting outlets to reopen.
In the United kingdom, as limits have progressively eased, the FTSE 100 group said betting volumes are still all over 10% decrease than pre-pandemic concentrations.
For the second quarter, net gaming profits (NGR) grew 42% when compared to this time last 12 months, in contrast to a 13% fall in the initial quarter, helped by acquisitions of Enlabs and Bet.pt at the get started of the 2nd quarter.
For the first 50 percent of the 12 months, NGR grew 11%, with retail NGR galloping 359% higher in the next quarter as opposed to a 99% decrease in the to start with, even though on-line NGR climbed 22% in the 2nd quarter vs . 33% in the initial.
On the web NGR above the initially fifty percent amplified 28% as lockdowns sent punters onto the group’s many applications and internet sites. Online sporting revenues have been up 55% and online gaming NGR was up 10%.
The US joint venture, BetMGM continued to grow marketplace share, now at 24% across states in which it is energetic and created a very first-50 % NGR of roughly US$350mln.
For the whole year, underlying earnings (EBITDA) are now envisioned to be in the variety of £850-900mln, forward of the existing Metropolis analyst consensus.
Main executive Jette Nygaard-Andersen, who was moved to the position from non-government director in January, reported: “We continue to be self-confident and enthusiastic by the breadth and scale of the very long-expression sustainable development options forward of us”.
In a separate announcement, she said the group is doubling the headcount in its in-residence video games studios in the British isles, Italy and India within a yr.
“By widening our give with new and distinctive video games, these as absolutely free-to-play tournaments, we give present and new clients a lot more factors to use our solutions,” claimed Nygaard-Andersen. “This not only allows to increase our organization but brings new insight, so we can additional improve the provide for our consumers.”


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Eco-Friendly Tips for Sustainable Trips
Follow these practical tips to minimize the environmental impact of your travel in retirement.
When teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg traveled to New York by sailboat last summer, it wasn’t just younger generations who were with her in spirit. Globetrotters of all ages are looking to minimize the environmental impact of their travels.
In fact, when it comes to choosing sustainable travel options, baby boomers are leading the way, according to a recent survey by Booking.com. Boomers are more likely than Gen X, Millennials or Gen Z to choose environmentally friendly accommodations and modes of transport when booking trips, the survey found.
Across all generations, but particularly among boomers, there’s “a growing awareness about the urgency and impact of climate change, loss of biodiversity, and just in general, unsustainable practices,” says Gregory Miller, executive director of the Center for Responsible Travel.
The result: strong consumer demand for “sustainable” travel, which aims to not only protect the planet but also celebrate the culture of each destination and support the local economy, says Jessica Hall Upchurch, sustainability ambassador for travel-agency network Virtuoso. “It’s a balance between all three.”
Sustainable travelers may opt to travel by train rather than plane, book hotels that avoid single-use plastics, and select tour operators that engage with local conservation groups. But the choices aren’t always clear-cut. As more travel industry players seek to style themselves as “sustainable,” it can be tough for consumers to separate the marketing fluff from the serious sustainability initiatives.
“There’s a lot of buzz around travelers wanting to travel sustainably and consciously, but they don’t know how to do it,” says Jessica Blotter, chief executive officer and co-founder of socially conscious hotel booking platform Kind Traveler. “Hotels, tourist boards, airlines, everyone is scrambling to figure out what sustainable travel looks like for them.”
The focus on sustainability comes amid growing concern about overtourism. Due in part to a strong economy and cheap air travel, there were 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2018, up 6% from a year earlier, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. All that coming and going can lead to environmental damage, overcrowding and overdevelopment.
Some in the industry are skeptical that sustainable travel can completely avoid such consequences. “Sustainable is a nice name for it, but I’m not sure any of it is truly sustainable,” says Ged Caddick, president and chief executive officer of Terra Incognita Ecotours. “It’s more about how you can minimize the impact.”
Here are four key steps that can help travelers tread more lightly.
Avoid the Bucket-List Mentality
Yes, many retirees have worked long and hard to cross every destination off their bucket list—but those who want to travel sustainably should avoid a check-the-box approach to destinations. “Some people just want to go to as many places as they can as fast as they can and take pictures and say ‘I’ve been to x, y and z,’ ” Miller says. That doesn’t leave much time to learn about a destination’s social and environmental problems or engage with local communities.
Kind Traveler, launched in 2016, adds another twist to the sustainable hotel hunt: In addition to highlighting greener accommodations, the company encourages travelers to positively impact the destinations they visit. Users get access to special rates—typically 10% to 15% off the hotel’s best available rate—when they give $10 to a local charity, Blotter says. A user booking the Farmhouse Inn in Sonoma, Calif., for example, might be encouraged to donate to Redwood Empire Food Bank, a local charity that provides meals to people in need. (Users can also choose to donate to any of the charities on the platform, rather than the suggested local charity, Blotter says.)
Choose More Sustainable Tour Operators
When booking a tour, consider whether the operator is minimizing waste, forming partnerships with local conservation groups, and using local providers for restaurants, transport and accommodations—ensuring that the local community benefits from tourism.
Terra Incognita Ecotours, for example, arranges for travelers to meet the staff of a conservation group in each destination, which “adds a level of appreciation and understanding,” Caddick says. Many travelers continue to support those groups when the tour is over, he says.
G Adventures is taking numerous steps to become more sustainable. The company is reducing the use of single-use plastics on its tours, and its nonprofit partner, Planeterra Foundation, supports social enterprises in destination communities, McCaffery says. And in 2018, G Adventures launched the “Ripple Score,” which shows travelers how much of the money spent on each tour’s accommodations, transport, restaurants and other service components stays in the local communities. The company works to improve these scores by using more local services on its tours, McCaffery says.
Go With Greener Modes of Transport
Growth in air travel means that by 2050, aviation could consume about one-fourth of the world’s “carbon budget”—the maximum level of carbon dioxide emissions that could keep global temperatures within 1.5 degrees Celsius of preindustrial levels, according to a recent analysis by Carbon Brief.
Yet some in the sustainable travel industry say that air travel is still justified. “An educated traveler—someone who has been and seen the issues facing some of these places—is an offset to the environmental costs of traveling,” Caddick says. “I hope it creates activists who fight for the protection and preservation of these places as opposed to just going and exploiting them.”
That said, there are ways to reduce the environmental impact of flying. “Always try to find direct flights as opposed to a lot of hedge-hopping,” Miller says. “That really reduces your greenhouse gas footprint.” Staying for a longer period at your destination can also “make travel count,” McCaffery says, and reduce the number of flights you take per year.
Air travelers can purchase carbon offsets, which support emissions-reducing or sustainable-energy projects. Miller recommends carbon-offset programs that are run by nonprofit organizations, such as Cool Effect or CarbonFund.org.
Another option: Stay closer to home and travel by foot, bike, sailboat or electric vehicle. Stacy does a lot of backpacking around her home state of Washington, and “you can’t get much more sustainable than that,” she says.


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Ginettaccio Bartali would have said that ” everything is wrong for him, everything has to be redone “. And then, without launching into false moralisms or attempts to turn into bigots of the modern economy, it is really surprising to see that today the capitalization of the Ethereum blockchain platform is worth 366.1 billion dollars , almost 20 more than Bank of America . Is it finance, babe? Yes, but to the eye something is not working very well.
And it is dismayed that an intangible currency, which response to few rules and no regulation – “at the top” we start talking about some norm, but we are really in its infancy – is valued more than the historic American credit institution , which has in the belly mortgages, loans, liquid and illiquid assets, offices, employees, desks (only temporarily empty).
On the one hand, an economy that, however wrong, however fallacious – as shown by the 2008 crisis – has always shown that it can be governed, stopped and regulated. On the other, opaque platforms, which should represent an alternative to turbo-capitalism but show that they have even more macroscopic defects. In the middle, the Coinbase listing, which claims the digital asset trading system around 60 billion dollars.
Not to mention the big brother of Ether, Bitcoin is now worth over 850 billion on the stock market and that has attracted the attention of another “Pied Piper” like Elon Musk , one able to capitalize with Tesla hundred billion more than in Volkswagen or Toyota with an infinitesimal production of cars. It invested nearly two billion in January, prompting an immediate surge in valuation. Translated : Elon Musk and his people had a capital gain of one billion in the span of a couple of months. Things never seen before.


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The Land Rover LR3 was introduced as an all-new model for 2005 to replace the old Discovery. A new V6...
Our photographer Jason Davis discusses the "decisive moment," with a Range Rover Evoque.
Read This Article
Did you know that "Columbus Day" is celebrated in 47 of the 50 U.S.
Land Rover celebrates the past 25 years of the LR4/Discovery before the new lineup debut in 2015.
Land Rover has announced pricing on the 2014 Range Rover Evoque.


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Surface Studio with Pen and Dial
By Stephen Pate – Who could imagine that Microsoft would upstage an Apple reveal but that’s what happened last week. 9 million people want to see the Microsoft Microsoft Surface Studio with Surface Dial
On Wednesday Microsoft showed off its new Surface Studio with Surface Dial and Window 10 Creators Update. Although the crowd of press junkies in the room was small, the internet buzz over the game changing Surface Studio was bigly as Donald Trump would say.
More than 9 million people have watched the intro video for the Surface Studio.
The next day on Thursday, Apple revealed the long-awaited update to their popular MacBook Pro line of laptops. With a speed bump, thinner form, and the questionable innovation of a touch strip where the function bar was, Apple garnered big press interest but a big MEH from Apple fans.
The Apple MacBook Pro introductory video got a respectable 5 million hits on YouTube but way behind the Surface Studio’s 9 million.
The MacBook Pro, with a quality reputation but outdated design, is a pricey laptop between $1,500 and $4,300.
How did a Microsoft new product launch get more attention than a similar launch from Apple? The answer is simple – they out innovated Apple playing Apple’s card of premium products at premium prices.
The Surface Studio is the new computer on the block, the one that people want to own even if they don’t need it or can’t afford it.
Not only does the Surface Studio change how we work by putting both hands on a gorgeous computer work surface, it delivers elegance, power and creates an aspirational product category.
Click HERE to read more.


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The French carmaker Renault on Monday said it was considering a proposal by Fiat Chrysler to merge and form a global partnership aimed at improving their chances of surviving the coming perilous and costly shift to electric and self-driving cars.
If the proposal goes forward, the new company would displace General Motors as the third-largest car company in the world, behind Volkswagen and Toyota, and significantly change the balance of power in the global auto industry.
Under Fiat’s proposal, shareholders of both companies would receive 50 percent of the new company. The combination would have a total value on the stock market of $39 billion.
There is a consensus among industry executives and analysts that carmakers must link up to share the cost of a transition from internal combustion engines to avoid being run over by fast-moving tech industry challengers like Tesla or Uber. A Fiat-Renault deal would put pressure on rivals to find partners or be left behind as competitors unite in new mega-alliances.
Proposing a full-blown merger illustrates the urgency that automakers feel as they stand on the brink of what may be the biggest period of transition since the early days of the automobile.
But a union of Fiat Chrysler and Renault could also destabilize the French company’s longtime alliance with Nissan of Japan, which is already troubled. A Nissan spokesman on Monday declined to comment. Fiat’s proposal is certain to be a topic when the alliance’s board meets in Tokyo on Wednesday, and the announcement was planned so Renault would be free to discuss it openly with Nissan.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said in a statement that it was motivated by “the need to take bold decisions to capture at scale the opportunities created by the transformation of the auto industry in areas like connectivity, electrification and autonomous driving.”
Renault said Monday that its board would consider Fiat’s “friendly proposal.”
The board “decided to study with interest the opportunity of such a business combination, comforting Groupe Renault’s manufacturing footprint and creating additional value for the Alliance,” the company said.
A spokesman for Fiat Chrysler said there had been no decision on a name for the merged company, nor a decision on a chief executive.
Investors cheered the merger proposal. Renault shares soared almost 14 percent in Paris trading while Fiat Chrysler shares rose more than 10 percent in Milan.
[Read more: How Fiat Chrysler moved from a laggard to a leader in Detroit]
Still, the lesson from past auto mergers is that they often founder on clashing corporate cultures or turf battles, and that predictions of the possible benefits prove overly optimistic. That was the case with Chrysler’s ill-fated merger with Daimler in the late 1990s.
This deal would be particularly tricky because it will inevitably draw the attention of political leaders in Italy and France, who will fight to preserve as many jobs as possible. The French government is Renault’s largest shareholder.
By purchasing parts together, combining their manufacturing operations and sharing the cost of research and development, the partnership would eventually save 5 billion euros, or $5.6 billion per year, Fiat said. At the same time, Fiat said, the deal would not result in any plant closings.
The merger “would create new opportunities for employees of both companies and for other key stakeholders,” Fiat said.
It is hard to see how Fiat and Renault would be able to avoid job cuts, though, when their factories are operating below capacity and the European auto industry is suffering a downturn.
The French government signaled that it would back Fiat’s plan as long as jobs and industrial sites in France are not compromised. But the powerful CGT labor union at Renault lashed out at the proposal on Monday, saying it gave Fiat the power to favor operations in Italy over France, because the French government would no longer have a representative on the new board. At least 22,000 jobs have been shed at Renault in France since 2005, the CGT added.
“Nothing would prevent the Italian shareholder from favoring its national base,” the union said in a statement, noting that it learned about the talks only through the media. “The CGT considers that there is nothing good to expect from a Renault FCA merger.”
Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister and leader of the country’s League party, greeted the merger proposal. “Fiat Chrysler expanding is good news for Italy,” he said. “I count on it being a brilliant operation that preserves every single job while creating a European car industry giant.”
Fiat Chrysler and Renault each have things to offer to partly address each other’s weaknesses. Renault and Nissan were among the first car companies to build electric vehicles for mass production, whereas Fiat is seen as a laggard. Together, the companies sold 8.7 million vehicles last year, ahead of G.M., which sold 8.4 million.
Fiat Chrysler also offers Renault access to the United States market, where the French have no presence. Their model lineups complement each other fairly well, with Fiat Chrysler strong in SUVs like the Jeep Cherokee as well as the RAM pickup truck line. Renault has a broader palette of passenger cars like the compact Mégane or subcompact Clio.
“Putting FCA and Renault together could make sense,” said Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, a professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany who is a prominent commentator on the car industry.
But neither company is strong in China, which has become the world’s largest car market. And neither is particularly strong in the high end of the car market, the most profitable segment. Fiat’s Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands are well regarded but are minor players in a market dominated by Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.
One unanswered question was how the proposed merger would fit in with Renault’s partnership with Nissan and Mitsubishi, known as the Renault Nissan Alliance. Fiat said the new company would continue to work with Nissan, and that the Japanese company would receive one seat on the 11-person board of directors.
Together, the four companies would be by far the largest carmaker in the world, with sales of 15 million vehicles a year and a major presence in virtually every corner of the planet. But such a monstrous corporation would be complex and even more difficult to manage than the Renault Nissan Alliance has been.
[The Renault Nissan Alliance is threatened by both companies’ fierce pride and rivalry]
The relationship between the French and Japanese has been tense since the arrest of Carlos Ghosn, the head of the alliance, in November on accusations of financial wrongdoing and his eventual ouster. Mr. Ghosn has said he is innocent.
The French have pushed to join Renault and Nissan more closely by putting them under the same holding company, but the Japanese brusquely refused that proposal. Nissan, which makes more cars than Renault, has expressed discontent with French dominance of the partnership and sought more autonomy.
The merger could also create tensions with Nissan in the United States, where the Japanese compete fiercely with Fiat Chrysler in the all-important market for SUVs and pickups. Last year Fiat Chrysler was in fourth place in the United States with 12.6 percent of the market, while Nissan had 8.4 percent.
Nissan and the Japanese government were informed about the merger talks, but appear to have played no significant role.
With Fiat Chrysler on board, the alliance would be tilted more toward Europe. At the same time, the French government would have less sway over the new company than it does over Renault. French government influence has been a sore point for Nissan.
In Europe, the new company would effectively be in a tie with PSA Group, the maker of Peugeot, Citroën and Opel cars, for second place behind Volkswagen. That would put additional pressure on Ford of Europe, which has lost market share and reported a pretax profit margin of less than 1 percent in the first three months of 2019. Ford’s share of the European Union car market is 6.3 percent, compared with 16.8 percent for Fiat and Renault combined.
Under Fiat’s proposal, shareholders of Fiat Chrysler would share a dividend of 2.5 billion euros, or $2.8 billion, that reflects the company’s higher value on the stock market.
The company would be based in the Netherlands, known for its favorable corporate taxation rules. Shares of the new company would be listed on exchanges in Paris, Milan and New York.


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Online fashion specialist Zalando has unveiled a rise in full-year sales and profits and is preparing to launch a variety of initiatives including a pre-owned range.
Zalando reported that last year its gross merchandise volume rose 23.6% to €8.2bn, revenues increased 20.3% to €6.5bn and adjusted EBIT rose to €224.9m from €173.4m.
Zalando said growth was ”especially pronounced” in the fourth quarter when it achieved ”record-breaking results during Cyber Week”.
This year, Zalando will introduce new propositions to help it achieve its objective of becoming “the starting point for fashion” including a push to win more luxury spend and, in the autumn, will launch a pre-owned offering.
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Honda is having a dream run with its entry level sedan, the Amaze. Based on the Brio platform, Honda forayed in the diesel segment with the Amaze with its launch in April last year. The Amaze has clocked the sales figure of more than 88,000 cars till May this year making Honda fourth largest auto company in the country. The Amaze which is a sub four-metre sedan qualifies for the excise duty benefits and hence retails at a very competitive price.
Speaking on the success of Honda Amaze, Mr. Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd said, “Living up its positioning in the market, Honda Amaze has certainly changed many lives with one car. Honda Amaze has been a game changer in its segment and has enabled HCIL to reach out to so many new customers, bringing them into the Honda fold. It is Honda’s constant endeavor to provide freshness to our products and create excitement in the market.”
The Honda Amaze comes with two engine options – 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol and 1.5-litre i-DTEC diesel both churning out 88 PS and 100 PS respectively.
Now, Honda is all set to launch its mid-sized seven-seater MPV, the Mobilio and the third generation Honda Jazz in this financial year. The company is also planning to increase its dealer network by 35% this year by reaching out to more tier 2 & tier 3 markets. Honda currently has 172 facilities in 109 cities in its network and which is expected to increase to 230 facilities in 150 cities.


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By The Nation
The goal is to create a new generation of Thai chefs that will further expand the horizons of Thai cooking on the global market, he said at the Thaifex - World of Food Asia 2018 exhibition yesterday.
While Thai food has become popular worldwide, the country needs to innovate in the presentation of food that makes use of Thai fruit and vegetables, such as durian and mangosteen, as key ingredients, Somkid said.
Thailand could take advantage of the diverse and abundant sources of foods in the country to promote healthy eating for consumers and tourists, the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Thailand’s exports of food products came to about Bt 1 trillion last year. The country ranks as the 15th largest food exporter.


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Home :: What’s New? :: VW to invest $2.7 billion for 2 more China assembly plants
VW to invest $2.7 billion for 2 more China assembly plants
VW will invest 2 billion euros ($2.7 billion) to construct two more vehicle plants in China. The move is part of a wider plan by the carmaker to invest 18.2 billion euros in its No. 1 market through 2018.


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Comic Book Men, The Pitch and Talking Dead creator Ari Mark has signed on with Xbox Entertainment Studios. Polygon reports the former AMC staffer has been named head of unscripted programming, following on from last year’s announcement of two unscripted shows, including one about Atari’s notorious E.T. game and another about soccer. The hire is yet another indication of Microsoft’s plan to make the Xbox brand an all-in-one living room entertainment hub.
Space battles in Star Wars Battlefront 2 look rather cool.
Have a look at the hub town in Monster Hunter World, crafting system, Wildspire Waste map and new monster Kulu-Ya-Ku
Earlier this week, Capcom dropped a new Monster Hunter World trailer providing a look at new monsters and the Wildspire Waste. Let’s pick it apart, shall we?
Those lucky folks attending gamescom next week will be able to get a first hands on experience with Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
Xbox Entertainment Studios
Remember how Microsoft invested in house-made entertainment as part of the Xbox-as-centre-of-living-room revolution thing? That’s all over.
Microsoft appears to be shopping around its Xbox Entertainment Studios before writing it off completely.


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Cruise operator Azamara Cruises has announced 44 new routes for 2024/25, covering all corners of the globe.
Azamara Quest will go to South Africa, Azamara Journey will pass along the coast of South America, Azamara Pursuit will visit Asia and Australia, and Azamara Onward will circumnavigate the world in 2025.
Thanks to 171 stops and overnight stays at ports, passengers will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the local culture and discover the hidden gems of countries around the world.
Thus, four ships of the company will visit all seven continents. The Philippines, Fiji and Samoa will be the first stops for small ships exploring the hidden treasures of the world and little-known ports.
Azamara provides travelers with discounts on early booking of cruises in 2024 and 2025. You can save up to 20 percent, as well as get $300 in on-board credit, free Wi-Fi for one device and a premium drinks package for two.
For the first time since the beginning of 2020, the cruise company will return to South Africa and South America.
Antarctica, the Beagle Strait, the world-famous Strait of Magellan and the vast Falkland Islands are part of the Azamara South American cruises program.
On November 30, Azamara Pursuit will start from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro, and on December 20, the three-week Azamara Journey to West Africa will end.


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PARIS (Reuters) – France’s agriculture minister sought to reassure households that food shopping bills would not jump dramatically as a rise in minimum food prices aimed at raising farmers’ incomes came into effect on Friday.
FILE PHOTO: Breakfast foods are displayed on shelves in a supermarket in Nice, France, July 18, 2018. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
The government had postponed introducing the measure in December as France reeled from nationwide unrest and sometimes violent “yellow vest” protests over high living costs and the squeeze felt on household budgets.
Didier Guillaume said prices would increase on only 5 percent of products sold in supermarkets, including the chocolate spread Nutella, Coca-Cola and granola – items retailers often sell at a discount to draw consumers in.
The “field-to-fork” bill was a campaign promise of President Emmanuel Macron to win support among farmers, an important voter constituency in France, who have long complained of being hit by low margins and ending up the victims of retail price wars.
“Households will only end up paying more if their trolley is full of Nutella and Coca-cola. The price of loss-leader goods will increase, while the price of meat, fish, cheese, vegetables will not,” Guillaume told CNews.
The new legislation includes a 10 percent increase in the price floor for food products and curbs promotional offers so that retailers cannot discount products by more than 34 percent of their value.
Guillaume said the average household shopping bill would increase by just 50 cents to 3 euros a month.
Supermarket retailers like Carrefour, Casino and privately-held Leclerc typically made a margin of 30-40 percent on farmers’ products, the minister said, adding: “I ask them to stop doing that.”
Michel-Edouard Leclerc, chief executive of supermarket chain Leclerc, France’s largest food retailer by market share, has branded the food price measures a “scam” and said farmers would not see higher prices.
Separately, Guillaume confirmed that a Polish abattoir had sold nearly 800 kilograms of rotten beef to nine French companies.
Polish authorities acknowledged on Thursday that 2.7 tonnes of suspect beef had been exported across the European Union.
“It’s an awful fraud,” Guillaume said.
The trial of two former managers of French meat-processing firm Spanghero and two Dutch meat traders accused of passing off cheap horse meat as beef in ready-made meals and burgers brought food safety standards into focus in France in January.
Additional reporting by Gus Trompiz; Editing by Janet Lawrence


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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) -- Ailing U.S. carmaker Ford Motor Co. will receive euro143 million ($182 million) in aid from the government of Romania, where the company owns a carmaking plant, lawmakers said Tuesday.
The state aid, spanning until 2012, will support production of cars and engines at the factory in Craiova, in southern Romania.
The money to be given to Ford is considered state aid for regional development, Romanian lawmakers said.
In 2007, Ford bought a 72.4 percent stake in the state-owned Automobile Craiova, paying $88 million and vowing to invest $1 billion to upgrade and expand car production.
At the time, Ford said the first vehicles would come out of the factory in 2009. The plans presented by Ford at the takeover included a production increase from 16,000 in 2009 to 300,000 within four years.
The takeover was delayed when the European Union launched an investigation into the sale. The EU's executive arm said the stake was worth $132 million and the Romanian state had lost $42 million. Ford agreed to pay the higher sum.
With two carmakers -- Renault-owned Dacia and Ford -- Romania had ambitions to become the key car manufacturer in southeastern Europe.
But the economic crisis put brakes on the plan.
Romanian authorities said Tuesday they are in preliminary talks with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund for a loan that could reach euro19 billion ($24 billion).
Dacia, which has recently announced plummeting sales, was hit hard by the economic crisis. The factory in Romania, which employs 14,000 people and is located northwest of Bucharest, has closed several times since November to reduce production and cut costs.


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Pizza delivery man stabs customer
GLENDORA — A Domino’s Pizza delivery man stabbed a customer after arguing over a late order, according to police.
Michael Charles Parker (31) of Glendora, California, was arrested for allegedly stabbing the 20-year-old victim after what police described as “an altercation … over the extended delay of a pizza delivery.”
The victim received non-life-threatening injuries to his wrist and neck during the incident in Covina, California, at around 11:30 p.m. Saturday. He was transported to a local trauma center, according to a statement from the Covina Police Department.
Officers contacted Parker at the pizza shop where he worked.
He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, booked, and released after he posted bail of $30 000. He is set to be arraigned on 21 March 2016.


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MILAN — Etro has signed a licensing agreement with Marchon for the design, production and distribution of its new eyewear collection.
“It’s a significant debut that represents for us a new challenge, and that gives us new energy,” said Jacopo Etro, creative director of Etro Accessories collections. “It comes from the need [for] completeness: the creation of an eyewear line is a further step in our creative and stylistic path, which contributes to the strengthening of our brand identity and heritage.”
“The global licensing agreement with Etro represents Marchon’s strategic goals to [expand] our portfolio with compelling European luxury brands,” said Marchon president and chief executive officer Claudio Gottardi.
“The team at our Italian design and product development center will work in collaboration with Etro’s designers to interpret and translate the strong identity of the fashion house, including the iconic paisley motif, in order to conceive sophisticated eyewear collections featuring the high quality of ‘Made in Italy’ manufacturing,” he added.
The first collection of sunglasses and optic frames will be available starting next September in Etro boutiques worldwide, as well as select prestigious department stores and optical and fashion stores.
New York-based Marchon already manufactures and distributes eyewear collections for brands including Calvin Klein, Chloé, Diane von Furstenberg, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Jil Sander, Lacoste, Michael Kors, Nike, Salvatore Ferragamo and Valentino.


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As more vehicles employ telematics, there’s a growing interest in using digital data from a range of electronic controls to tell emergency responders about the severity of an accident. Service providers recently teamed up to demonstrate that these data can be transmitted to emergency dispatchers without human intervention.
Bridgestone Commercial Solutions has launched the Bridgestone R244 all-position steer radial tire. The new tire meets the demands of dump trucks and concrete mixer truck fleets that spend a higher percentage of their miles in on-highway use.
Its CalAmp-supplied module, which plugs into OBD II connector, can access vehicle data such as from the powertrain, but if given OE access, can offer more, including voice command of texting and browsing. With Access Via Mobile coming to Chrysler products later in 2014, popular smartphone apps also will be available on touchscreen.
Wheel rim components made of 3/4-in steel plate in diameters to 40 in (1016 mm) and larger for use on tractors and other off-highway vehicles are fabricated by Acme Metal Spinning. Available in quantities of five to a few hundred or more, these components are fabricated using Acme’s advanced metal spinning processes.


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December 21, 2015
Attorney General Pam Bondi's Office obtained a temporary injunction to shut down an air conditioning service scheme targeting vulnerable Floridians.
According to the complaint, 11 companies and individuals used false claims, intimidation and scare tactics to coerce hundreds of consumers, many of them seniors, into purchasing expensive air conditioning parts and services that were not needed or rendered.
The scheme cost consumers millions of dollars.
Bait and switch scam
The defendants allegedly used bait and switch tactics, enticing consumers with offers of massively discounted air conditioning services but then convincing the consumers to sign up for much higher priced services instead.
According to the complaint, the defendants used weekly mailers and online ads to advertise air duct cleaning services, often for less than $20. Air duct cleaning services typically cost between $450 and $1,000. Once consumers signed up for these services, a representative of the companies visited the consumer’s home and attempted to sell other, more expensive services.
The complaint alleges that on many occasions, company representatives falsely told consumers that air ducts and vents in their homes contained dangerous mold, even though the company representatives had not conducted proper testing to make their mold assessment, and frequently did not hold the appropriate professional licenses required by the State of Florida to provide mold-related services. One disabled consumer reported paying the defendants more than $1,500 to remove mold from her system, but later discovered the services were not provided.
High-pressure sales scam
Some consumers reported feeling unsafe during the service calls and claimed they felt they had no choice but to purchase unwanted parts or services in order to get the representative to leave their house.
Other consumers reported that the companies’ representatives dismantled their air conditioning units, and felt they had to pay in order to have the systems reassembled.
Still, other consumers complained they were charged for adding refrigerant to their air system, even though their system did not need refrigerant, and in at least one case, did not even use refrigerant. More than 500 complaints have been filed against the defendants with the Florida Attorney General’s Office or other protection agencies. The civil complaint seeks full refunds for all affected consumers.
Attorney General Bondi's Office obtained a temporary injunction and asset freeze against the defendants and five other affiliates that allegedly received proceeds from the scheme.
The complaint names the following as defendants:
The complaint also names the following as affiliates who received proceeds from the scheme:
Source: Attorney General Pam Bondi News Release
The best way to avoid scams is to know what to look for in an AC company. We talk about this in-depth in this article: Top 10 Essential Qualities to Look For in an HVAC Contractor.
Posted in: Tips


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Cross is almost in time for the upcoming July 22nd show at the Seattle NFT Museum. The exhibition begins concurrently with the Seattle Art Fair (July 21-24). The title is less a play on words than a commitment to the digital art scene.
Cross will highlight artists whose work predates NFTs and is moving from physical form to blockchain technology. Eleven established artists help pave the way into the world of fine arts. This show aims not only to increase the value of digital art for artists, but also to introduce art enthusiasts to this new field of visual art.
“We hope this exhibition will help bridge the dialogue between what’s happening on Web3 and the rich history of the visual arts,” said Peter Hamilton, co-founder of the SNSFTM.
Cubism, contemporary art, portraiture, science, 3D, naturalism and sacred geometry are just a few of the digital forms Cross Visitors can expect to find. It’s an expression in a whole new dialect from well-known creative minds.
“We wanted to create an exhibit dedicated to talent moving into the NFT space,” Hamilton said. “This show is about their stories and crossover experiences. By entering NFT sales, so many artists are experiencing newfound relationships with audiences and collectors on a global stage.”
The exhibition is curated in collaboration with Joana Kawahara Lino. Lino’s experience in traditional galleries and auction houses merges with her love for high-impact artists who find new ways to express art with NFTs.
“In terms of curation, I wanted to showcase the incredibly high quality art that you can now find in the NFT space. These artists have worked at their craft for years and it shows in the results,” Lino said in an email.
Not only is this an innovative shape for these artisans, it’s also a novel way of hanging a show, which for Lino is exactly what she wants to be.
“Curating digital art/NFTs is a fairly new discipline and developing a voice and style has been a privilege and joy I never thought I would have access to and am incredibly grateful for” said Lino.
Seattle NFT Museum artists include Norman Harman, who combines analog and an autonomous digital painting process “to achieve a Baconian grotesque in a post-COVID consumerist world.”
New from MEGA DROP CORP
— Norman Harman 💎 (@NorrieHarman) July 12, 2022
Visithra Manikam, aka VISSYART, is a self-taught visual artist and photographer from Malaysia. Her Modern Indian Expressionist and Pop Art/Surrealist paintings have been exhibited in LA, New York, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines and more. Manikam’s work stretching her imaginative muscles evolved into digital iPad drawings and eventually digital animation.
“I started making art seriously as a traditional acrylic-on-canvas artist,” she said in a press release. “Being in this (NFT) space allows me to explore and push boundaries that existed in the traditional world.”
Vissyuga is the age of Ikari faces.
Vissy is my nickname while the three letters on the back have a double meaning. In Tamil/Sanskrit – Yuga means age or a period of time.
— Vissyarts (@vissyarts) June 5, 2022
Interestingly, Manikam finds the virtual world freer from expectations.
“There is more freedom and a lot of inspiration to create any kind of art without thinking about what is collected from a particular country,” Manikam said. “Any kind of art is accepted here and that allows endless creativity.”
Tickets for the are available now Cross VIP Preview Event from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday, July 22 at the Seattle NFT Museum. Attendees can learn about the work and inspiration of several exhibiting artists.
This promises to be a hip arts weekend in the Emerald City as hundreds of contemporary and modern artists will converge at Lumen Field for the aforementioned Seattle Art Fair.


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O2 has announced a range of Black Friday deals on smartphones and this includes the latest handsets from Apple and Samsung.
The mobile carrier is offering savings of up to £400 on Apple’s and Samsung devices, you can see details on some of the deals below.
Building on the success of its original Black Friday deals which went live earlier this month, customers can now enjoy a whole host of brand new offers across handsets, sim only, tablets and smartwatches, with savings of over £400 on devices from Apple and Samsung. Throughout the Black Friday period, customers will also be eligible for a variety of O2 exclusives including six months of Deliveroo Plus and up to 12 months of Disney+ for new and upgrading customers. Existing O2 customers can add Disney+ to their plan for £5.99 a month and receive £2 off their monthly airtime bill.
To empower new and existing customers to make purchasing decisions that benefit the environment, O2 has a range of exclusive Black Friday offers on its ‘Like New’ handsets, including savings of up to £144 on the refurbished Samsung Galaxy S9.
You can find out more information about the O2 Black Friday deals over at the company’s website at the link below.
Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals
Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.


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Blog: Drinks group for sale, good runner, one careful owner, US$6bn O.N.O
Olly Wehring | 25 June 2007
The sale of Vin & Sprit, which includes one of the drinks industry’s brightest stars in Absolut Vodka, has at last been given the green light by the Swedish authorities.
The country’s parliament voted by 146 to 121 last week in favour of privatising six state-owned companies, including the liquor group.
The closeness of the vote, added to the latest opinion polls in Sweden that suggest almost half of the population don’t want to see the privatisation, demonstrates how politically sensitive this sale is going to be. All potential suitors are going to have to tread carefully.
But that hasn’t stopped the world’s major drinks groups preparing to slug it out to gain one of the most iconic brands in the spirits sector. Diageo and Fortune Brands have already demonstrated an interest. They are bound to be joined at the negotiating table soon by the likes of Bacardi, Pernod Ricard and a smattering of the world’s private equity groups.
With its existing commercial ties, Fortune remains the favourite at the moment and CEO Norman Wesley has been the most vocal suitor so far. "We believe that making the partnership we share with V&S permanent would be good for both companies,” he said last week, adding: "As a partner and not a competitor, we believe Fortune Brands is in a unique position to maintain the momentum of V&S, protect the heritage of the brands and preserve jobs in Sweden.”
The stakes are going to be high. Not only will Absolut add clout to whichever portfolio it’s added to – it’s 128 years old, but still growing at 7% in 2006 - but one analyst I spoke to last month believed this could be the last deal in the spirits industry of this size for some time. There are other companies out there of similar size and appeal, he argued, such as Brown-Forman, Bacardi and Fortune itself, but all are run by families who are loath to sell-out.
As such, an estimated price tag of US$5-$6 billion has already been linked to V&S. Add in the extra spice the political angle lends this story and we could have the most watchable bidding war on our hands since Allied fell to Pernod and Diageo.
Do you like whisk(e)y? And, I mean, really like whisk(e)y? Are you at a loose end in the first half of 2017? If so, then I've found just the job for you....
Whenever we read anything about Millennial consumers, there is almost always mention of the personalisation trend as well as the importance of social media....
Ever wondered what fuels Anheuser-Busch InBev's acquisitional drive? Is it naked ambition? Faith? The good of mankind?...
Anheuser-Busch InBev is reportedly calling a halt to its Seth Rogan and Amy Schumer Bud Light campaign in the US....
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- Interview - Loch Lomond GTR head Andre de Almeida
- Absolut and Smirnoff's conflicting Millennial view
- Brown-Forman's H1 performance by region, brand
- Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent set to stand down
- Diageo wine assets integration head to leave TWE
- Brown-Forman's barrel sales take Scotch hit
- Absolut not "sufficiently focussed" on Millennials
- Angostura places CEO on administrative leave
- Luxury Alcoholic Drinks: The Spirit of Premiumisation
- Global gin insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
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Have you ever noticed that Queen Elizabeth II always carries the same handbag for all her formal events? Do you know why so?
According to New Idea Magazine, the queen has been carrying a near identical version of same handbag for almost 60 years now. The bag is designed by British brand Launer and the 77-year-old monarch has made a seemingly simple bag her trademark-style. CEO, Launer, Gerald Bodmer reveals the reason behind the Queen's decision.
"She doesn't feel fully dressed without her handbag. But if the Queen doesn't like what we've made for her, she won't wear it. She definitely knows what she wants," New Idea Magazine quoted Launer as saying. He also claims that the Queen's faithfulness to the style of her handbag has to do with heritage.
Launer soon acquired a reputation for exquisite craftsmanship and luxury store Harrods began stocking his bags.
The Queen's Mother bought her first Launer bag in the 50s and gave one to her daughter, who found them to be the perfect size to loop over her arm during walkabouts. Since then, the royal has stayed loyal to her elegant bags.
Sources : indiatimes
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International Human Rights watchdog Amnesty International hit o
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As many as 72 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Rajast
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Spy poisoning: Russia says UK is 'p
Russia has accused the UK of inventing a "fake story" a


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Equities research analysts predict that Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:CORE) will report $0.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Two analysts have issued estimates for Core-Mark’s earnings. The highest EPS estimate is $0.39 and the lowest is $0.38. Core-Mark posted earnings of $0.34 per share during the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year-over-year growth rate of 14.7%. The company is expected to announce its next earnings report on Friday, March 6th.
On average, analysts expect that Core-Mark will report full-year earnings of $1.64 per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.63 to $1.65. For the next financial year, analysts forecast that the company will report earnings of $1.72 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.66 to $1.81. Zacks Investment Research’s EPS averages are an average based on a survey of research firms that that provide coverage for Core-Mark.
Several brokerages have weighed in on CORE. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Core-Mark from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $29.00 to $28.00 in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of Core-Mark from $42.00 to $31.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 8th. TheStreet cut shares of Core-Mark from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Zacks Investment Research cut shares of Core-Mark from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, ValuEngine upgraded shares of Core-Mark from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Core-Mark currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $33.00.
In other news, CFO Christopher M. Miller sold 3,436 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.22, for a total value of $90,091.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 28,366 shares in the company, valued at approximately $743,756.52. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of CORE. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Core-Mark by 45.0% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,399,053 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $79,674,000 after buying an additional 1,054,117 shares in the last quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Core-Mark during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $18,772,000. Advisory Research Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Core-Mark by 46.4% during the 4th quarter. Advisory Research Inc. now owns 1,991,486 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $54,149,000 after purchasing an additional 631,629 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank grew its holdings in shares of Core-Mark by 43.3% during the 4th quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 498,826 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $12,037,000 after purchasing an additional 150,682 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Natixis Advisors L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Core-Mark by 56.2% during the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 306,948 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $8,346,000 after purchasing an additional 110,442 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.50% of the company’s stock.
Core-Mark Company Profile
Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc markets fresh and broad-line supply solutions to the convenience retail industry. The company sells and distributes food products, including fast food, candies, snacks, and groceries, as well as beverages and fresh products, such as sandwiches, juices, salads, produce, dairy, and bread; and non-food products comprising cigars, tobacco, alternative nicotine products, health and beauty care products, and general merchandise and equipment.
Further Reading: How Do You Calculate Return on Equity (ROE)?
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Melvin has an answer to seasonal fatigue: a seasonal program on steroids.
Through their Rotational Imperial IPA program, one of their six Imperial IPAs will be on "rotation" in a given market -- every two months.
"With this ground breaking rotational program, the next thing in the rotation is always the freshest and most innovative IIPA, only available in small batches and select markets," per announcement.
HOW DOES IT WORK? One Melvin RIIPA will be released in select markets in cans and on draft every two months through 2018. Retailers and consumers can figure out which brews will be in which markets during which months through this site.
BUT, HOW DOES IT WORK? We thought that sounded kinda cool -- but also, kind of a logistical nightmare. We wondered how the releases would rotate in and out of markets in such a short time frame, with different Melvin IIPA brands in different markets at the same time. And how many UPCs?
Sales chief Ted Whitney said they brew to sales expectations per market. "At the brewery we're making between 60 and 120 barrels of each beer each month (depending on the size of the market it's heading to) and we're able to keep fresh beer flying out the door. ...
"In a perfect world we're out at the distributor warehouse for a week and the new one lands," he said. The intent is to have only one of these beers in a market at a time.
National account manager Lauren Young broke it down further. "The key to the RIIPA series is that they share a UPC and price point. I set up the new item so that the tag reads 'RIIPA' on the shelf, and the Imperial IPAs will rotate through. ...
"Our distributors understand the importance of selling through the initial RIIPA style before moving onto the next," Lauren added.
BUT WHY? But why do it this way? To capitalize on craft's hallmarks of freshness and novelty, basically.
"Freshness is the top goal, keeping people excited is secondary and lastly we fear boredom," said Ted.
In fact they've already been doing the program. It "wasn't without its bumps in the first year, but we're feeling really good about the bright spots and our ability to fix the opportunities we found," he said.
WSJ EXAMINES WHAT'S TAKING BOSTON SO LONG TO FIND A CEO
Boston Beer founder Jim Koch addressed it on the last earnings call. But still, the Wall Street Journal recently examined why the Sam Adams maker hasn't found a new CEO after having announced Martin Roper's imminent retirement a year ago.
When Boston announced Martin's retirement, they did say it would be about a year off [see CBD 02-03-2017].
That hasn't stopped analysts and the like from "worrying" about the time it's taking to replace him. Jim told one person on the last earnings call that the search has been lengthy because the company is sometimes "fanatically focused on product quality" and innovation … and those are "hard skill sets" to find.
A good culture fit is important to Boston, too, he said. The WSJ expanded on this thought, reporting that Jim is apparently "concerned that corporate 'climbers' won't fit in with the company's lighthearted culture or mesh well with him" -- those are the WSJ's words, not a direct quote from Jim.
As for qualifications, Jim had said they're looking for "omnicompetence" during the conference call. No pressure.
The WSJ story says Jim shared that they're looking for "outsiders with strong backgrounds in consumer products." That would fit with many of the leadership appointments we've seen in craft lately, from PGA vets at Oskar Blues' CANarchy [see CBD 01-23-2018] to foodservice gurus at Dogfish [see CBD 01-09-2018].
And he'd "like the next chief executive to be sales-and-marketing oriented, to balance out his focus on the beer."
But one "person familiar with the situation" intimates that Jim's "long shadow" and continued, major involvement in the company may be daunting to CEO prospects: "Where there's 'the long shadow of a dominant figure in a business, not every outside [CEO] candidate will take a look at it,'" they said.
Harry, Jenn and Jordan
"Some people will never learn anything because they understand everything too soon." - Alexander Pope
---------- Sell Day Calendar ----------
Today's Sell Day: 21
Sell days this month: 23
Sell days this month last year: 22
This month ends on a: Wed.
This month last year ended on a: Tues.
YTD sell days Over/Under: +1
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Samsung sold more Galaxy S IIIs than Galaxy S4s in the Middle East
Market research company IDC last week released some figures that puts Samsung’s smartphones ahead of the competition in the Middle East region. According to the report, Samsung smartphones contributed to almost 50 percent of the smartphone sales in the Middle East in the second quarter. The most startling fact of the report is that the Galaxy S III sold more in the same quarter compared to Samsung’s current flagship – Galaxy S4 and even Apple’s iPhone 5.
While Nokia still leads the overall mobile phone market with 45 percent market share, Samsung’s share stood at 18 percent followed by Apple at 11 percent.


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While Bitcoin is still digital gold, some of the most innovative developments in the crypto space are happening in Ethereum and DeFi, said Jason Urban, co-head of Galaxy Digital Trading at Galaxy Digital.
Galaxy Digital is a multi-functional financial services company founded by Michael Novogratz, with operations in investment banking, trading, asset management and core investments.
Urban told Kitco News editor-in-chief Michelle Makori that Ethereum’s adoption period is much shorter.
“Some of the smartest people in traditional finance, along with my time in crypto, are trying to make developments there and do things that are going to change the way all traditional markets operate. It’s progress, and you can’t stay ahead, ”he said.
The crypto space eclipses the rest of the tech industry in terms of the number of innovative engineers in the industry.
For more details on Jason Urban’s outlook for Ethereum and how to invest in the DeFi trend, watch the video above. Follow Michelle Makori on Twitter @MichelleMakori (https://twitter.com/MichelleMakori).


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Wal-Mart is upping the ante on price matching.
The world's largest retailer said Wednesday that it's expanding its online tool that compares prices on thousands of products with those of some of its competitors to cities nationwide.
Wal-Mart also plans to offer thousands more products on the online tool, called Savings Catcher. Customers also will be able to use Savings Catcher on Wal-Mart's mobile app.
The expansion comes after Wal-Mart rolled out Savings Catcher in seven markets in March, allowing customers to go to Walmart.com
and compare prices of 80,000 products with many of its competitors with physical stores.
-- from wire reports


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The International Finance Corporation (IFC) wants to facilitate the process of the readymade garments (RMG) sector becoming more competitive, compliant and environment friendly. After Rana Plaza disaster and Tazreen Fashions fire, the IFC, ... Financial Express Bangladesh, 2 weeks ago
1 images for "tazreen fashions"
Home Nature News Share the joy A relative holds a picture of a missing garment worker, who was working in the Rana Plaza building when it collapsed. Nothing positive can be said about the 2012 Tazreen Fashion factory ...News EasyBranches.com, 3 weeks ago
By Rachel Abrams, New York Times After more than 1,100 deaths exposed dangerous labor conditions in Bangladesh in 2013, brands like H&M , Wal-Mart and Gap were among the most powerful companies that pledged to improve the safety of some of the ...AllGov, 3 weeks ago Top Retailers Fall Short of Commitments to Overseas Workers ACQ Magazine, 1 month ago Overseas worker welfare poor: Report CNBC, 1 month ago
As the main focal point of the readymade garment (RMG) industry has shifted from in-house production by foreign retailers to manufacturers and exporters in the form of outsourcing and offshoring, it is not only the quality parameters which attract ...Financial Express Bangladesh, 4 weeks ago
BANGLADESH ADB offers loan to Bangladesh to support garment industry upgrade The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a loan agreement with Bangladesh'sBRAC Bank to finance the construction and upgrade of ready-made garment factories in ...4 Traders, 1 month ago
Bangladesh's manufacturing sector has grown steadily as the country has industrialised. Manufacturing now accounts for 30 percent of GDP, nearly double the share of agriculture. That industry is largely driven by the readymade garment (RMG) sector, ...Bangladesh Daily Star, 1 month ago
A least three people including a Pakistani national were killed and eight were injured in a fire at a textile factory in Narshingdi on Saturday morning. The deceased Pakistani national, Asib Ali, 42, was assistant colour master at Mom Tex Limited, ...New Age Bangladesh, 1 month ago
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Written by Jen Finn
The number of National Marine Protected Areas has risen by 82 sites, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced recently in a Federal Register notice. All but two of the new sites are in California and were nominated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife; the other two were nominated by the National Park Service.
The MPA Center found them eligible for the national system and placed them on the List of National System MPAs, which now numbers about 1,700 sites in all. Sites in the national system are managed independently, but national system MPA managers collaborate regionally and nationally to conserve important natural and cultural resources.
Read the full story at Environmental Protection Online>>
National Fisherman Live: 3/10/15
In this episode, Online Editor Leslie Taylor talks with Mike McLouglin, vice president of Dunlop Industrial and Protective Footwear.
National Fisherman Live: 2/24/15
In this episode:
March date set for disaster aid dispersal
Oregon LNG project could disrupt fishing
NOAA tweaks gear marking requirement
N.C. launches first commercial/recreational dock
Spiny lobster traps limits not well received
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is partnering with restaurants throughout the region for an Out of the Blue promotion of cape shark, also known as dogfish. Starting Friday, July 3 and running until Sunday, July 12, cape shark will be available at each participating restaurant during the 10-day event. Cape shark is abundant and well deserving of a wider market.
As a joint Gulf of Mexico states seafood marketing effort sails into the sunset, the program’s Marketing Director has left for a job in the private seafood sector. Joanne McNeely Zaritsky, the former Marketing Director of the Gulf State Marketing Coalition, has joined St. Petersburg, FL based domestic seafood processor Captain’s Fine Foods as its new business development director to promote its USA shrimp product line.


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Payment systems. Amazon is expanding its palm-scanning payment system to a Whole Foods store in Seattle, the company announced Wednesday, the first of many planned rollouts at other locations. Amazon will initially roll out Amazon One at the Whole Foods in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, not far from the company’s headquarters, before launching the system at seven Seattle-area Whole Foods in coming months. Amazon is bringing palm-scanning payment system to Whole Foods stores (msn.com)
Payment systems. Business technology company Deluxe (DLX) has agreed to acquire First American Payment Systems for $960 million in cash, the company said in a statement. Deluxe believes that this deal will accelerate the company’s transformation into a leading payments technology company as part of its “One Deluxe” strategy. Deluxe To Buy First American Payment Systems For $960 Mln Cash | Nasdaq
The market opening. The rates to start your day ….
As of 9:40 am EST, Bloomberg reports that the yield on the three-month Treasury note is at 0.03% while the two-year note comes in at 0.15%. The ten-year and thirty-year Treasurys are trading at 1.56% and 2.25%, respectively.
The Federal Funds rate, the rate at which banks lend to each other overnight in support of their reserve requirements, is at .07%, while the Fed Funds target rate is still at .25%. The prime lending rate is 3.25%.
Exchange rates of interest as of 9:55 am EST….
Rates as of 9:55 am EST 21 April 2021
The Opening Takeaway: Could banks become mere currency agents?
Yesterday I shared my expectations on the possibility of the Federal Reserve, the US Treasury, and other central banks and finance ministries prohibiting cryptocurrency as a medium of exchange. Using the policy rationale of the government being the sole issuer of currency, cryptocurrency issuers may find themselves limited to generating digital assets for sale as investments or safe havens. But what about the banks? What would their role be?
Wall Street appears to be hedging its bets on digital currencies (see second link above) as they prepare for the disruption a central bank issued digital currency could cause. Cryptocurrency exchanges such as Coinbase (Nasdaq: COIN) were receiving big boosts from what appears to be growing acceptance of cryptocurrency as at least a digital asset. Uncertainty in the markets drove capital toward bitcoin and other crypto-assets, making crypto the equivalent of gold in some minds. But with the vaccine rollouts and increases in the number of people, at least in western European countries and the United States on the increase, “risk on” seems to be the quiet rally cry accompanying a pullback in crypto prices. Acompanying the pull back are an increasing number of central banks exploring issuing a digital currency.
One arguable benefit from a central bank issued digital currency is the likelihood of turning more consumers into bank deposit holders. Rather than holding a deposit at a commercial bank, the “unbanked” along with those already holding commercial bank accounts, would have a default account at one of the Federal Reserve’s 12 central banks. yes, more account holders but not necessarily account holders at commercial banks. If the efficiencies promised by a central bank issued digital bank come to fruition, then why bother with holding another account? As part of the payment system, the check I write to and deposit into my son’s account goes through the Federal Reserve’s payment system anyway so why include another middle man? Commercial banks will have to consider these scenarios spawned by digital coin efficiencies when contemplating their new roles.
I see the larger banks easily leveraging their scale to ramp up already existing roles. They could focus more on lending, hopefully in a higher yield environment. They could also lobby for relaxation of Dodd-Frank restrictions on proprietary trading, opening up additional income making opportunities to offset income (if any) made currently from depositors. Large banks will not want to waste investments in their infrastructure by being relegated to mere currency issuer status, competing with check cashing facilities located at Walmart or around the corner at a pawnshop.
For the smaller banks, they will want to leverage their community relationships to counter any new found competition from larger banks as they face the irony of central bank issued digital coin taking away their customers.
Foreign exchange, India. Currency exchange rates can turn out to be a real dealbreaker and can cause a dent in an individual’s pocket who is traveling overseas. Even a difference of a few paise while doing currency conversion can make a huge difference in the budget for the trip. It becomes crucial to be aware of the various options while doing currency exchange. Currency Exchange and the related details (msn.com)
The Takeaway: Soon after issuing a statement on the fed funds rate and how warranted attention paid to rising yields should be, Federal Reserve Board chairman Jerome Powell remarked today about the need to further strengthen the global payments system with emphasis on its cross border nature. Mr Powell also provided an update on the testing of central bank digital currencies. Stakeholders in the payments system may want to pay attention to how intermediaries are treated in a central bank digital currency regime.
Central Banks: Both of the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England vowed to keep liquidity plentiful and not to taper support in the face of rising inflation until they see prolonged signs of an economic recovery. The FOMC served up a surprise with the majority of the dots flat through 2023. Both USD and GBP fell sharply after their respective central banks’ decisions before later stabilizing. Fed, BoE step back, yields push up (fxstreet.com)
Currency pairs that include top countries with foreign direct investment in the US …
The majority of foreign direct investment in the United States is held by Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Luxembourg. Since the Biden administration has taken office, the dollar-yen and dollar-euro have seen appreciation (4.9% and 1.5%, respectively), while the dollar-pound and the dollar-loonie have fallen, 2.4% and 2.3%, respectively.
20 January 2021
19 March 2021
Source: OANDA (1) The euro is the currency of France, German, and Luxembourg
With expectations for inflation and growth taking flight, traders are signaling that they anticipate the Fed may have to respond more quickly than it’s indicated. Eurodollar futures now reflect a quarter-point hike in the first quarter of 2023, but they’re starting to suggest that it could come in late 2022. Fed officials have projected they’d keep rates near zero until at least the end of 2023. Bond Traders Go All-In on U.S. Treasury Market’s Big Short Bet – Bloomberg
Earlier, there was an impression that it was due to pent-up and festival demand. But now, it is genuine demand that is visible. The vaccination drive is giving greater confidence to consumers, so the demand is expected to sustain. The only downside risk is the recent spike in the number of Covid cases in certain parts of the country. Central banks in no rush to raise rates, will back growth: Shaktikanta Das (msn.com)
Due to bitcoin’s potential to satisfy the three functions of money, bitcoin users expect them to replace paper currency in the long run. However, all of the above may be some of the reasons why Central banks and monetary authorities have been worried about the increasing adoption of Cryptocurrency around the world. Moreover, economists have been worried about how cryptocurrencies could transform the role of Central banks. Wait a minute! Can cryptocurrencies replace paper money? (msn.com)
With insane prices, Bitcoin makes its headlines every year. In fact, we forget that each beginning of the year, Bitcoinsoars to new heights, as investors seek new means and assets on which to bet and scale. This year is no exception, but the increase is stronger than ever. And this is not related to the covid, but rather to its indirect effect on central banks. Bitcoin can thank central banks (housseniawriting.com)
As the world is moving towards a cashless society, the payment system around us is transforming into a digital economy. Currently, only a small percentage of global money is expressed as physical forms of currency, with the majority of money being exchanged electronically through online payment apps, online, or using debit cards. Despite the fact that society today is on the verge of becoming an advanced economy, only a small percentage of people understand how cryptocurrencies vary from fiat currencies. Difference Between Fiat Currency and Cryptocurrency – Goodreturns


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Nissan has finally released pricing for the refreshed Nissan Rogue, which was unveiled just over a month ago. While every trim level has risen in price, Nissan does pack a few extra goodies to ease the pain. The Rogue S and SV models both carry the smallest price increases at $530 and $500 respectively, regardless of whether they’re equipped with front- or all-wheel drive. This means the front-wheel-drive S starts at $24,760 and the front-wheel-drive SV starts at $26,180. The SL jumps $1,270 across all drivetrains and starts at $32,250 for the front-wheel-drive version. Pricing for the hybrid model has yet to be released.
On the Rogue S, you now get a standard motion-activated hatch, a sporty-looking flat-bottom steering wheel, and a shifter with sport mode. The SV gets all of those features as well, but adds a six-speaker stereo, heated seats, remote start, and blind spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert. The top level SL then adds headlights with high-beam assist, a Bose nine-speaker stereo and Nissan’s suite of Nissan Connect features and services, which include items such as voice recognition, automatic collision notification, remote access via smartphone and more. The SL also has optional radar-equipped cruise control and forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection.
Nissan’s refreshed Rogue will also be entering a very competitive field and it is priced as such. It falls extremely close to current competitors such as the 2017 Ford Escape and 2016 Mazda CX-5, which both start at $24,495 for automatic models. It also undercuts the $25,850 2017 Toyota RAV4. Both the 2017 Kia Sportage and 2017 Hyundai Tucson come in below the new Rogue, with starting prices under $24,000. One advantage the Rogue does have is an optional third-row seat, a feature that is only shared with the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander, which starts at $24,390. The Rogue can’t rest on its refreshed laurels, though, as it will soon have to contend with the completely redesigned Honda CR-V and Chevrolet Equinox.


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Experience #TripleTheFun at physical stores now!
After its initial online sales launch on Shopee, Malaysians can now look forward to experiencing and purchasing the newly launched HONOR 20 Lite at HONOR Experience Stores and partner stores nationwide! Priced at an accessible RM 949.00, each purchase will come with a branded drawstring bag and flip cover*. Available in both Phantom Red and Phantom Blue with a striking gradient design, the HONOR 20 Lite is the latest addition to the HONOR number series. *while stocks last
The HONOR 20 Lite offers #TripleTheFun!
Featuring a triple-lens rear camera, 120-degre ultra-wide angle lens, and breakthrough 32MP selfie camera, the HONOR 20 Lite first hit Malaysian shores early this month on 17th April. Targeting youths, the smartphone’s wide range of camera capabilities are perfect for capturing important moments of Malaysians’ daily life.
For more information on HONOR Malaysia, please visit HONOR’s official e-commerce website and information portal at http://hihonor.com/my, or drop by their official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HonorMY/ for other exciting updates.


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VAILLANT GROUP “FAMILY GATHERING”
NEWS – Vaillant Group Turkey held a “family gathering” from 4-6 February in Cyprus which aims to motivate the authorized dealers for the new year and share the 2019 prospects of the company.
Vaillant Group Turkey, one of the leading companies in the heating sector, held a “family gathering” from 4-6 February in Cyprus.
200 authorized dealers attended the meeting which aims to motivate the dealers for the new year and share the future expectations of the company.
Vaillant Turkey managers evaluated 2018 and announced the brand’s 2019 vision.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting Alper Avdal, Vaillant Group CEO said they left behind a successful year.
Stating that the company will continue to grow in 2019 with the Vaillant Group Turkey products, Avdal said: “Our goal is to maintain market leadership we have achieved in the boilers and also to increase our market share in other product groups”.
Sales and Marketing Director Erol Kayaoglu at the meeting said “As Vaillant in Turkey we have prepared to ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) since 2015. Turkey has left behind a challenging era when the game that redefined the rules. Despite all as one of the leading companies in the industry, Vaillant has left behind a succesful 2018 and this motivated us for 2019” in his speech.
Hazmi Bumin, Vaillant Turkey Marketing Director, gave information about the new product groups and Vaillant Turkey’s digitization work. Bumin also announced that they will launch many new products in 2019.


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Ladbrokes profits from favourites' loss
THE failure of a string of favourites at the Grand National and the Cheltenham jump-racing festivals has seen a profit boom in the springtime for Ladbrokes.
The layers' winnings for Britain's biggest bookmaker were up 11% in the first four months of the year Ladbrokes said today.
'We have had a positive start to the year,' said chief executive Chris Bell. 'As we approach the busiest part of the sporting year with the Epsom Derby meeting, the World Cup in Germany and Royal Ascot to look forward to, I am confident about the prospects of the business.'
After rising operating costs, Ladbrokes is on course to book profits up 5% for the four months to the end of April.
Winnings from running books on the internet are up 26%, while its Ladbrokes telephone betting operations rose 43%.
The figures are Ladbrokes' first trading statement since the £3.3bn demerger of the Hilton hotels group.
Ladbrokes is the world's largest betting shop chain and has said that this summer's World Cup "promises to be the biggest betting event ever".
Ladbrokes said that total costs for the whole group were up 12% and 'in line with expectations' driven by new licences and soaring energy bills.
Ladbrokes was part of Hilton International until February when the hotels and leisure business was sold to United States-based cousin Hilton Hotel Corporation in a multi-billion pound deal which reunited the Hilton chain after more than 40 years apart.
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