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NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. –
As the largest Department of Defense distribution facility in the world, Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Susquehanna, Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million sq. ft. mechanized Eastern Distribution Center operates similar to any commercial distribution center in business today.
One thing that separates the government-run distribution center from its commercial counterparts, however, is how money is spent. While commercial facilities are able to make up for financial losses and inefficiencies by passing the cost onto their customers, DLA’s government-run facility relies on taxpayer money to operate. And, in a time of unprecedented budget restraints, it has become more important than ever to spend every dollar wisely. So when a team of employees found a way to save the organization nearly $4,000 per day, DLA Distribution leaders took notice.
“Here in the distribution center most of the pallets we use are called ‘winged pallets,’” explains Tim Frey, base supply supervisor for Distribution, referring to a pallet in which the upper deck of wood extends beyond the supporting boards below. “The reason that the winged pallet is significant for us is because most of our material is shipped to a DoD location and there’s a possibility that it could go onto a ship or it could be sling-loaded and transported by helicopter to a remote site. If we didn’t have this winged pallet that bar would have nothing to grip onto.”
In contrast to the winged pallet, Frey points to another stack of pallets.
“This is a stack of flush pallets,” Frey says, “and this is typically what you see in the civilian world. This is designed to simply hold material, pick it up with a forklift and move from Point A to Point B. A lot of material that we receive here at DDSP is bulk material such as boxes, envelopes, packing material…things like that come on a flush pallet. So what was happening was, we would receive material on a flush pallet, we would remove the material from the pallet and use winged pallets to ship material to non DOD locations. And, at $13 a pallet, this got to be very costly.”
Armed with these facts, Frey and his team set out to find ways to save money by using flush pallets, which were delivered to DLA free of charge with shipments from outside vendors, in place of winged pallets whenever possible. Since the automated cart line system for carrying ultra heavy materials uses the winged system, they set their sights on smaller parcels.
“Our Automatic Weight Offering System section is where our small items come to,” says Frey. “There, a shipping label is placed onto the item and then it goes onto these boxes that ultimately go to one of three [of the largest American commercial] shippers. Before our pallet initiative program, AWOS was using winged pallets for everything and the shippers were simply getting rid of those pallets and they weren’t coming back. We were spending a little over $2 million a year just on winged pallets. What we determined was, we could use a flush pallet in place of a winged pallet for non DoD customers. As a result, we cut our orders in half and we saved about $800,000 a year.”
According to Frey’s teammate, Lisa Schirmer, finance manager at DDSP, the discovery of cost savings with the pallets led them to explore other ways they could save the organization money. That’s when they began to look at what was loaded on the pallets.
“Between the price of the boxes [being loaded atop the pallets] and the price of the wingtip pallets,” Schirmer says, “we estimated we were spending about $3,900 a day just filling up [commercial carrier] trucks. So we changed from using a $30 box to a $7 box, which brought the cost down. Between that and getting this whole pallet recycling program up and running, we’ve saved about $1.3 million total since April.”
According to another member of the pallet initiative team, Gary Gift, DLA Distribution was able to use a portion of the money saved to broaden the organization’s capabilities.
“We hired a full time employee to go around the base, pick up all the pallets, separate them, organize them, repair the ones that can be repaired and put them back in the system,” Gift says. “Part of his training was wood packaging material training. In order for a pallet to ship worldwide it has to be certified, so we trained him on the heat-treat furnace. We’re one of two installations on the East Coast that actually has a wood kiln. So we can take pallets, lumber, boxes, crates…whatever, that are infested with different nematodes, beetles, bugs…heat treat it, kill it all, which then brings it into the WPM standards and compliance and allows it to be reused.”
Gift says finding ways to save money and increase DLA Distribution’s capabilities is part of the culture he and his teammates take very seriously.
“It’s a good way to be great steward of the taxpayer’s resources and their dollars,” Gift says. “That’s part of our oath that we take for our employment here, to be a good steward of the resources of the taxpayer’s dollar.”
Since the implementation of their pallet program, DDSP employees have visited other distribution centers in an effort to save the agency even more money.
“We visited San Joaquin, California and we pitched the initiative to them and they save about half a million dollars as well,” says Frey. “So our initiative has saved the organization a considerable amount of money and will continue to do so as we can identify other areas where they don’t have to use a winged pallet.”


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World Cup fever over for confectionery companies
26 June 2014
England's premature exit from the 2014 World Cup will no doubt have a negative effect on UK confectionery sales.
Prior to England’s first match against Italy, World Cup fever stuck the UK; the weather was good and consumers spoiled themselves with beer, wine and confectionery galore. Retailers have been predicting big things - forecasting huge boosts to sales with every England kick-off.
However, the England team outdid themselves and failed to win a single game, being knocked out of the World Cup at the group stages for the first time since 1958. The mood across many consumer groups has mellowed with consumers a lot less likely to impulsively purchase mass amounts of unnecessary treats and indulgences.
So what does this mean for UK confectionery?
A 2014 Canadean report shows that UK confectionery consumption is strongly influenced by consumers looking to indulge (39.8% of consumption), consumers seeking personal space and time (25.6%) and those searching for fun and enjoyment from their consumption (16.6%). If the mood is high among consumers, confectionery consumption will increase.
According to Kirsty Nolan, Canadean analyst: “Confectionery is inherently a treating food category, one in which consumers indulge, both to create moments of personal space and time, and to share fun times with friends and family. The joyous mood that accompanies the World Cup means consumers splash out on the more luxurious groceries, particularly confectionery.”
Confectionery companies embraced this, releasing World Cup special editions and promotions: Brazilian World Cup M&Ms, Maoam Tropical Edition Pinballs and Mars ran a promotional competition giving out England shirts to the winners. However, the team’s failure to progress in the World Cup had a dramatically negative effect on the shopping mood. Kirsty adds, “I don’t know who’s more disappointed: Roy Hodgson or convenience store owners. Less celebratory gatherings and fewer upbeat shopping trips will ultimately mean that the confectionery category witnesses lower than hoped-for sales for the 2014 summer season.”
These findings are based on the new Canadean report: Consumer Trends Analysis: 'Understanding Consumer Trends and Drivers of Behavior in the UK Confectionery Market.'
Please get in contact if you have any questions to this or other Canadean reports and data. Contact the Canadean press office on +44 (0) 20 3220 0818 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.

domain: news


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Search For "fmcg"
Updated : 1 week, 2 days ago IST
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 12 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Karkhana.io, a B2B on-demand manufacturing platform, announced its seed round financing of USD 1.5 million led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India (Vertex Ventures SEA & India).
Updated : 1 week, 3 days ago IST
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 11 (ANI): Equity benchmark indices were buoyant during early hours on Monday on the back of strong global cues and optimism on the corporate earnings season.
Updated : 2 weeks ago IST
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 7 (ANI): Mahindra Logistics Ltd (MLL), one of India's largest third-party logistics (3PL) solution providers, on Thursday launched a new service line of sustainable last-mile logistics and fulfilment for customers in e-commerce, FMCG and other markets.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 6 (ANI): Equity markets witnessed a wave of selling in IT and FMCG stocks on Wednesday with key indices being dragged down by heavyweight Reliance Industries.
Updated : 2 weeks, 1 day ago IST
New Delhi [India], January 5 (ANI/NewsVoir): BSE and NSE listed Vikas Multicorp Ltd., in their release to the exchanges, announced its agenda of the board meeting scheduled to be held on 12 January, 2021 in which, other than the 3rd quarter results that would be approved, the board is schedu
Updated : 3 weeks ago IST
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 31 (ANI): Equity benchmark indices traded at flat levels during thin year-end trading on Thursday with IT and FMCG stocks losing steam.
Updated : 3 weeks, 4 days ago IST
Ontario [Canada] / Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], December 26 (ANI/BusinessWire India): PackUniverse International Inc - MMIPL. has announced it will be opening its first-ever international facility in Ontario, Canada.
Updated : 1 month, 2 weeks ago IST
New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker has roped in actor Kiara Advani for his next film which will be based on the popular FMCG chain for Lijjat Papads.
Mumbai, Maharashtra, [India], December 2 (ANI/NewsVoir): Sunny Pandey, Chairman and Managing Director of Sunny Group, will be launching a national initiative in Mumbai soon, named "BLUMART".
Updated : 1 month, 3 weeks ago IST
Kochi (Kerala) [India], November 27 (ANI/PRNewswire): Haeal, a wellness FMCG brand from Kerala launched co-branded ayurvedic personal care products in association with Kerala blasters, one of India's top-rated football club.
Updated : 2 months ago IST
New Delhi [India], November 20 (ANI/NewsVoir): Amway, the world's largest Direct Selling Company, started its India operations in 1998 and today, with over two decades of presence in the Indian market, Amway India has emerged as one of the country's leading FMCG Direct Selling companies offe
Updated : 2 months, 1 week ago IST
Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 13 (ANI/NewsVoir): Wellington is growing internationally with organizations in different enterprises.


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It's only been a couple of weeks since Square Enix revealed
that they would be publishing doublesix's zombie-slaying title, All Zombies Must Die
, on the Xbox LIVE Arcade.
To celebrate the holiday season, they've released a trio of trailers, as well as details about when the game is launching and how much it will cost.
All Zombies Must Die
, a top-down, twin-stick game with light RPG elements, will be released on December 28th for 800 MSP.


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The apple industry is buzzing as momentum builds for Cosmic Crisp® WA 38 cv., the new variety that many observe is seeing unprecedented support from Washington State apple growers. At the Cosmic Crisp® Marketing Advisory Group meeting in September, growers and sales companies learned that the consumer launch campaign, led by Proprietary Variety Management (PVM), is now officially underway.
As growers plan for a Fall 2019 harvest and sales, PVM said it is organizing an integrated launch for Cosmic Crisp®. This includes everything from packaging and in-store marketing to influencers and a digital campaign. Sponsored programs and high-profile events will also be used to help showcase the apple. The launch is on track to be the largest investment in consumer marketing of a single apple variety. Preparations for the launch are being initiated immediately with the ultimate investment to be well over $10M once there is the WSU Regents expected fall approval.
Kathryn Grandy, Director of Marketing for PVM explains, “The Cosmic Crisp® apple is a one-of-a-kind variety. Our marketing campaign will build consumer awareness and demand to match the caliber of this high value apple. We’re in a unique position to set the bar, and we have the industry and partner support to make it happen.”
PVM has selected firm McDill Associates as the lead agency for the marketing campaign.
“With a deep history in produce, I can honestly say we know a game changer when we see it. Cosmic Crisp® is everything that a consumer is looking for—and creates a differentiator for retailers. We’re looking forward to partnering with PVM to bring Washington State apple growers an effective launch, and ongoing success,” said McDill Associates’ President and Creative Director, Melissa McDill.
Growers say Cosmic Crisp® volumes for the first season next Fall look promising, with 2020 poised to bring an estimated 2.2 million boxes on the market. The apple has already gained the attention of major food media. Washington growers, shippers and sales companies will get their first look at the campaign in March 2019.


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“The effort to bring the fastest, most satisfying user experience to smartphones has pit company against company and consumer against consumer. Today, one of the most covered wars raging in that industry is between tech goliaths Google (Nasdaq:GOOG) and Apple Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL). Last Friday Apple’s (Nasdaq:AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs took to the stage to defend his newest “trendsetter,” the developmentally challenged iPhone 4. Since the launch of the phone, it has faced massive criticism regarding its antenna. Technology journalists, bloggers, and consumers have taken to various media outlets to claim that its unique design has led to reception issues and even an increase in dropped calls. As I, like many others, followed the live feeds hosted by a number of tech blogs, I was reminded once again how essential smartphones have become to our everyday lives,” Don Dion Reports From Dion Money Management.
Dion goes on to say, “In a relatively short period of time, the cell phone, which was once used to stay in contact with friends and family, has evolved into the smartphone. These mobile devices have moved beyond the business realm and into the general public. Equipped with an iPhone, Blackberry or Droid phone, consumers can not only make phone calls around the world, but also text, play games, watch and send movies, and keep up to speed with the fast paced world around us. In one corner of this competitive landscape is the Apple iPhone. Since its early 2007 debut, Apple’s iPhone has taken the mobile market by storm and is currently hailed by many as the gold standard in the smart phone industry. Although flaws concerning the phone’s most recent design have been noted, it has not stifled growth of the product’s fan base. Although it has been available for less than a month, more than 3 million users have already jumped in line to purchase the fourth- generation version of the phone.”
“In the opposite corner is Google (Nasdaq:GOOG). This search company is parent to the Android operating system, which is quickly gaining ground on Apple (Nasdaq:AAPL). Unlike Apple (Nasdaq:AAPL), which continues to rely solely on the iPhone for its smartphone dominance, Google’s Android operating system can be found on phones hailing from a number of other companies around the world, including Motorola (Nasdaq:MOT), HTC and Samsung. Even China, which has recently been at odds with Google (Nasdaq:GOOG) over its censorship, appears to be warming up to the company’s operating system. Despite not seeing eye to eye, China has incrementally sanctioned Android handhelds, which have hit the Chinese market in droves”
“ETF investors confident of Apple’s sustained market dominance may find the PowerShares QQQ (Nasdaq:QQQQ) attractive. Apple represents the single largest chunk of this fund, making up nearly 20% of its portfolio. On the other hand, the First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index ETF (NYSE:FDN) can be seen as the best ETF play for investors forecasting global Android dominance. Google (Nasdaq:GOOG) represents close to 10% of the fund’s index, making the search giant its largest holding. While determining the outcome of this heated battle using ETFs can be exciting, it can also lead to shortcomings. Both (Nasdaq:QQQQ) and (Nasdaq:FDN) have their own unique strengths beyond (Nasdaq:GOOG) and (Nasdaq:AAPL) and together can provide broad exposure to a diverse collection of top technology players. Therefore, rather than picking either (Nasdaq:FDN) or (Nasdaq:QQQQ) based on personal smartphone preference, investors may instead want to hold both as a general play on the technology industry,” Dion Reports.
Here is a closer look at the PowerShares QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQQ) and the First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index ETF (NYSE:FDN) below:
PowerShares QQQ Trust ETF (Nasdaq:QQQQ) Visit Our (QQQQ) Category: HERE
The investment is a unit investment trust designed to correspond generally to the performance, before fees and expenses, of the Nasdaq-100 index. The fund holds all the stocks in the Nasdaq-100 index, which consists of the largest non-financial securities listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The fund issues and redeems shares of Nasdaq-100 Index Tracking Stock in multiples of 50,000 in exchange for the stocks in the Nasdaq-100 and cash.
|TOP 10 HOLDINGS (46.89% OF TOTAL ASSETS)|
First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index (Nasdaq:FDN) Visit Our (FDN) Category: HERE
The investment seeks to track the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Dow Jones Internet Composite index. The fund normally invests at least 90% of assets in stocks that comprise the index. The index is designed to include only companies whose primary focus is Internet-related. To be eligible for inclusion in the index a company must generate at least 50% of revenues from Internet commerce or services and must be currently included in the Dow Jones U.S. index. The fund is nondiversified.
|TOP 10 HOLDINGS (49.37% OF TOTAL ASSETS)|


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(LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21, 2005) — Gasoline prices in Southern California declined for the second straight week led by lower demand, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los AngelesLong Beach area is $2.901, which is 5.6 cents lower than last week, five cents lower than last month and 44 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.932 6.1 cents below last week's price, five cents below last month and 47 cents above last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.991, down 3.4 cents from last week, six cents lower than last month and 43 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $2.914, down 6.5 cents from last week, six cents below last month and 46 cents higher than last year.
"Since gasoline prices neared $3 per gallon a few weeks ago, motorists have cut back driving," Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp said. "Most people can't reduce essential driving, such as commuting to work. But it's easy to save money by cutting back discretionary driving if motorists follow simple tips: If you have two cars, use the more fuel efficient car for weekend business, and combine errands so you make one trip along a route instead of several trips. Other gas saving tips include: Keep your tires inflated to their recommended pressure, and drive your car more smoothly by using a light foot on the gas and brake pedals."
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., Oct. 21:
|Los Angeles–Long Beach||$2.901||- 5.6 cents||$2.999 (9/6/2005)|
|Orange County||$2.848||- 5.0 cents||$2.970 (9/6/2005)|
|San Diego||$2.932||- 6.1 cents||$3.060 (9/5/2005)|
|Santa Barbara–Santa Maria–Lompoc||$2.991||- 3.4 cents||$3.111 (9/7/2005)|
|Riverside–San Bernardino||$2.914||- 6.5 cents||$3.030 (9/9/2005)|
|Bakersfield||$2.951||- 6.0 cents||$3.167 (9/9/2005)|
|Las Vegas, NV||$2.761||- 7.7 cents||$2.968 (9/8/2005)|


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Ace designer Manish Arora is known for seamlessly fusing traditional crafts with innovative modern fits and silhouettes in his designs. For over two decades, Arora has been redefining Indian by placing it in a global context. In 2007, his Spring Summer-’08 collection marked his debut at the Paris Fashion Week (PFW), putting the Indian subcontinent on the global fashion map. A decade later, in 2017, he celebrated his 10th anniversary of showcasing at the PFW with a magnificent show at the Grand Palais that was an interplay of colours, quirk and everything quintessentially Manish.
Guardian 20 recently caught up with Arora to talk about his journey and his decade-long association with the PFW. He said, “I am honoured to have been a part of the prestigious Paris Fashion Week as the only Indian designer showcasing since the last 10 years. The platform is an important one as it has given me the opportunity to represent India in its pure vibrancy.”
He continued, “I was discovered by Maria Luisa in 2003 during my show in an Indian fashion week, from where my journey into the international fashion world began.”
The designer also talked about his latest collection. He said, “My Autumn Winter 2018 collection, ‘Orange is the new Zen’, is about spirituality, inspired from Zen Buddhism and meditation. It takes you on a journey from beautiful cherry blossom to the mystical creatures from pagan legends.”
Arora has been bestowed with titles like the “King of Kitsch” and “the Indian John Galliano” during his journey in the world of fashion. About this, he said, “When people look at creative work they give it different names and identities. I believe that I am an original and I
The designer’s association with the PFW has been a fruitful one—from presenting his unique technicolour vision to the fashion world to helming Paco Rabanne, a French fashion house. He spoke to us about how Paris influenced his work: “Paris has taught me a lot, it taught me exactly where and when to stop. Since my Paris experience, every millimetre is significant when I am designing anything.”
Arora also talked about his experience of working with Paco Rabanne. “I learnt how to take fashion seriously when I worked for Paco Rabanne, and most of all it also taught me how to live in Paris,” he said.
Celebrating the wonderful history of Indian civilisation through his designs, Arora continues to add to his already impressive body of work.
What are the factors he keeps in mind when designing for French buyers, and how do they differ from Indian buyers? Arora told us, “I do not design for any particular person or people from a particular territory. I design what I want to offer to the world.”
On the evolving fashion sensibilities of Indians, he said, “I would say that they are on their way and they would take some time, as our tradition and culture is very deeply rooted, which is extremely good, but to find a balance between innovation and tradition can be hard.”
Arora marked his beginnings in the international fashion industry with the London Fashion Week in 2005. London, as we all know, is a highly competitive fashion market. Did Arora face any challenges there?
“London was very kind and supportive to me, both in terms of sponsorship and introducing me to the international fashion week scene. I must thank London for helping me with my groundwork to face Paris,” he answered.
The designer also gave us some insight into the emerging fashion trends of 2018. “Being yourself has always been and will always be the biggest trend,” he said.
Does he see menswear becoming more popular among Indian designers in the near future? “It’s not entirely true that menswear designing is not popular among designers. It’s just that the demand for women’s clothes is more compared to men’s. Although this difference is now quickly diminishing.”
Arora has recently ventured into perfume design as well. He has launched a new series of fragrances in collaboration with Designer Parfums. They come in three different scents—intense red, hot pink and deep orange. About the collaboration, he said, “Fragrances are a part of my world and of my culture. They contribute to making life beautiful and this is my credo in everything I am doing. The process of creating the fragrance has been a beautiful journey and I look forward to sharing it with everyone soon.”
Having dominated the European fashion scene, he is now looking East to expand his eponymous label. With strong sales in China, he has already opened two stores in Shanghai and Suzhou in December 2017 and plans to open three more this year, consolidating his place as a formidable force in fashion.
Arora also unveiled his new creative studio in Delhi earlier this year. Speaking about his design studio in Chhatarpur, he said, “The space is my design studio, epitomising happiness, joy, and glorious celebrations, illustrating what makes life truly beautiful. Fashion is not all about glamour—at the end of the day, it is a job.”


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Global Alliance group briefs WTO on concerns
September 28, 2004,
GENEVA — The Global Alliance for Fair Trade in Textiles held a full-day meeting today in Switzerland, where it briefed representatives from 15 countries and about a dozen World Trade Organization missions.
Executives from the U.S. textiles and apparel industry also added that a minimum of three threat-based China-safeguard petitions — broken down by category — will be filed with the U.S. government by the end of next week. They did not specify which categories they will target.
During Friday's meeting, the WTO will discuss the economic ramifications (labor and social concerns) associated with the expiration of quotas on textiles and apparel products scheduled for Jan. 1.
Governments in attendance include Great Britain , Italy , Germany , Portugal , Turkey , Indonesia , Peru , Mexico , Tunisia , Jordan, Sri Lanka , Bangladesh , Madagascar , and representatives from the European Union.
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The Countdown to the ICON Honors Continues featuring Christophe Pourny


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Refrigerated trucks with perishable goods are now powered by new electric plugs instead of diesel-fueled generators at Trinity Port Services.
- Filed Under
An industrial permit trade-off that cranked up new boilers at DuPont's Edge Moor plant has dramatically wound down noise and air pollution in neighborhoods around a busy refrigerated trailer hub near the Port of Wilmington.
DuPont agreed to pay $250,000 toward an electrification project that eliminated the need to run dozens of diesel generators round-the-clock at Trinity Port Services on Rogers Road off New Castle Avenue, a national distribution center for fruits and vegetable delivered to the port.
DuPont was obliged under the state's Coastal Zone Act to more than offset the new ...


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*Iconic model #NaomiCampbell, the timeless beauty and slayer of fashions, recently opened up about racism in the fashion industry.
During a candid sit-down, Naomi Campell revealed instances of being stereotyped because of her race.
Naomi Campbell’s career has spanned more than 30 years after being discovered by a model scout in London’s Covent Garden. She’s graced the covers of more than 500 publications and has landed campaigns with Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Prada, just to name a few. Although Campbell took the fashion industry by storm, it was not without hurdles to jump and hills to climb.
The London native of Afro-Jamaican descent admitted she refused to wear clothing that was “stereotypical” of her heritage and refused jobs that paid her less than her white counterparts.
“There were a couple of times back in the day in Europe when I had to say: No, I’m not going to wear this outfit because it was very stereotypical. I’m not going to go on the runway looking like a Rastafarian.”
Naomi Campbell added that she missed out on magazine covers because of her “skin color” and was labeled “difficult” when she pointed out on-the-job discrimination. When asked if she has any regrets looking back on her career, she says it was
“Right to stand up for my rights and keep my integrity as a black woman, but I should have spoken out more, but back then if you spoke out, people wouldn’t work with you.”
OTHER NEWS ON EURWEB: Caitlyn Jenner Supports Anti-Transgender Sports Restrictions [VIDEO]
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Published on August 1st, 2018 | by The GC Team0
UK debut for world’s third largest TV manufacturer
Chinese TV brand TCL, reportedly the world’s third largest TV manufacturer, has announced its official entry into the UK market with its UK debut range now available in retail channels and fully supported.
TCL entered the European market in 2004 by partnering with Thomson in France to create the joint venture TTE Europe, selling televisions under the Thomson brand. In 2009, TCL-branded products became available across several European territories.
The TCL collection launched in the UK includes 4K Smart TVs ranging from 43” to 65”. Products are fully compliant with terrestrial broadcasting services and applications combining catch-up, on-demand services and live television in one place with no monthly cost, including programming from BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, Demand 5 and UKTV Play alongside 70 TV channels and 15 HD channels.
TCL UK Country Manager Bernie Chen, who was appointed to the role early 2018, said: “We see the UK market as one of great opportunity for TCL and are delighted to be up and running now, continuing the global success story that is TCL.”
Chen added that TCL believes the UK will appreciate its high quality and technically excellent products and their “unique design aesthetic.”
TCL was created in China in 1981 and now considers itself a major player in the global consumer electronics market. In 2017 it became the third biggest selling brand in North America, with LCD TV volumes rising by 16.4% to 23.3 million units, including 15.1 million smart TVs and 5.8 4K TVs representing a year-on-year increase of 42.5% and 46% respectively.
In February this year, TCL announced a deal with Paris Saint Germain and Brazil football superstar Neymar Jr., who will be the brand’s global ambassador.


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Sony is finally ready to take on one of the largest emerging markets in the world: China. A report in China Daily details Sony Computer Entertainment's plans on expanding into the Asian mainland. According to the report, Sony recently signed a letter of intent detailing plans to implement training...
Posted on Oct 20th 2014 3:30PM
Posted on Oct 20th 2014 12:49PM
Posted on Oct 18th 2014 1:30PM


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Almond Review – November 2016
Today the Almond Board of California released the October 2016 position report
October shipments were 235 million lbs. vs. 163 million lbs. in 2015 – UP 45%
October sales were 183 million lbs. – a mediocre figure which is approximately 9% of the crop.
Total shipped & committed almost reached 1.194 billion lbs. – approximately 60% of the projected marketable crop and nearly 50% of total supply (crop + carry-in).
USA (+19%, +14% YTD) continues to improve. Pasteurization facilities are booked up way in advance, indicating the strong trend is continuing into November.
China (+128%, +89% YTD) is reacting well to lower prices.
India (+17%, +64% YTD) took a slight breather following the big start. We hear local Diwali sales were excellent and consumption is benefiting from high cashew pricing ($4.80/lb. range).
The Middle East (+152%, +135% YTD) continued to refill the barren pipelines.
Western Europe (+14%, +18% YTD). New sales slowed to the region as traders aggressively re-sold from their positions. Forward coverage in Europe is unclear.
THE 2016 CROP
Receipts reached 1.559 billion lbs. – up 7.6% vs. a year ago. This is on the low end of expectations, pointing toward a crop similar to NASS’ 2.05 forecast, though after last season, most will be cautious as to what kind of “tail” is on the end of receipts. Expectations seem to be in the 2.05 to 2.10 billion lb. range.
Hulling & Shelling capacity has increased greatly in recent years so we hope to have a good window into the size of the crop with the following position report.
NASS’ Nursery Survey
Results showed at least 14.5 million almond trees were sold from June 2015 to May 2016. The actual figure is higher as only 9 out of 10 nurseries participated. The estimated increase (from the 9 nurseries) is 77,000+ acres of new plantings and 27,000+ acres planted to replace existing orchards. New plantings are up 7% from the prior year. Replacement plantings are up 50% as many growers are removing old orchards due to the drought and lower almond prices.
In anticipation of a perceived “big crop” buyers world-wide postponed purchases during the summer, which brought a large wave of buying this fall. The market has been quieter in recent weeks as buyers retreated after more sellers returned. Following a few quiet weeks, and today’s bullish report, we may see another wave of activity.
Next position report: Wednesday December 7, 2016


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The ways in which disruptions and imbalances in the ecosystem of bacteria, Demodex mites and other microorganisms on the skin, known collectively as the skin microbiota, may be involved in the development of rosacea were discussed at the summer meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in New York.
“If we think of our skin as a barrier – not just to keep antigens and allergens out but also to keep water in – we need to think of the microbiota as part of that barrier,” said Dr. Adam Friedman, associate professor of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine. In healthy skin, the microbiota helps protect the body from harmful pathogens, but when the skin becomes compromised in some way, such as through injury or inflammation, the make-up of the microbiota may change.
“[Almost] everyone has Demodex in their skin – the question is how much do you have, and there seems to be a correlation between the number and the disease severity,” Dr. Friedman said. “But note this is a correlation, not necessarily causation.”
Research has revealed that inflammation plays a significant role in rosacea, including causing changes in the skin’s composition. “As the skin changes due to inflammation, maybe Demodex is proliferating not because it’s causing the problem but because this new environment is facilitating its survival and growth,” he explained.
Dr. Friedman noted that further study is required to confirm this possibility. “I think at this point, investigators have proven that something is going on with the cutaneous microbiota, that when there is skin disease – whether the microbiota is affecting that skin disease or vice versa – there’s clearly a relationship.” He said the next step is to examine how medical therapies and skin care products change the microbiota in rosacea.


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Latest Credit card Stories
Allows businesses to "go digital" without manually inputing each transaction by hand WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Jan.
New Payment Solution Can Help Increase Dealership Efficiency, Improve Customer Satisfaction, and Offer More Secure Transactions DAYTON, Ohio, Jan.
PaymentVision announced they will participate in the upcoming Debt Buyers Association 2015 Annual Conference in February. Gaithersburg, MD (PRWEB) January 28,
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Interest rates on new credit card offers didn't budge this week, according to the CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report.
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Android App Update Version 1.4.0 Offers New Advanced Features in the Point of Sale Application Glendale, Calif.
DUBLIN, January 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets ( http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6zm56g/consumers_and) has announced the addition of the "Consumers
ABA Raises Awareness for Data Privacy Day Jan. 28 WASHINGTON, Jan.
ProtectMyID® now includes payment card fraud monitoring at consumers' fingertips with the BillGuard mobile app COSTA MESA, Calif., Jan.
Speed, Accuracy, Security and “Cool’ Factor for Consumer Mobile Payments Cited as Primary Reason for Integration. Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) January 23, 2015
- totally perplexed and mixed up.


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How has the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Ugandan Businesses? Results from a Business Climate Survey
The Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has continued to spread across the world leaving death and economic devastation in its wake. Although the number of confirmed cases in Uganda remain very low in comparison to other countries, the containment adopted to curb the spread of the virus have affected business operations. This report, based on a survey of firms using the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC)’s business climate index (BCI) methodology, examines the effect of the risk presented by COVID-19 pandemic on Uganda’s businesses. The results indicate that small and medium businesses have experienced the largest effects of the risk associated with COVID-19 compared to large scale businesses. The decline in small and medium businesses is due to inability to cope containment measures instituted by government. Specifically, nine out of ten businesses report experiencing an increase in operating expenses due to preventive measures instituted by government to curb the spread of the virus. Agriculture enterprises have been worst hit due to challenges of accessing inputs arising from transport restrictions and the ban on weekly markets. In addition, prices of agricultural outputs have declined due to lost demand and the shift from consumption of fresh agricultural produce to dry rations. With respect to the future outlook, the major concerns highlighted by businesses—in the event that the COVID-19 situation persists for more than six months—relate to reduced product demand and potential inability to meet costs of operations. In particular, majority of micro and small businesses indicate that they would exit business in 1 to 3 months in the event the current situation persist. On the other hand, majority of the medium and large firms do not foresee closure. Furthermore, there is a slightly higher resilience among agriculture and manufacturing firms compared to service sector firms. Finally, the report projects that in the event that COVID-19 persists for the next six month, about 3.8 million workers would lose their jobs temporarily while 0.6 million would lose their employment permanently. Over 75 percent of employees projected to lose their jobs permanently are from the service sector and mainly from Kampala.


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When finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the setting up of a fund with blended capital to be facilitated through the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in her Budget speech, she indicated the government’s serious inclination towards agritech.
The segment, which, according to a Bain & Company report titled Indian Agriculture: Ripe for Disruption, will be worth $30-$35 billion by 2025, is indeed buzzing. In fact, global collaborations and cross-border ventures are redefining the sector. In the ongoing Expo Dubai, several Indian agritech companies are pitching to global players—while TraceX Technologies’ Brighu Ravi Bhattrahalli is trying to promote his blockchain-powered digital platform to connect players in the food and agri supply chains across geographies, Ramarao Peddi of Greentatwa Agri Tech is pitching his sustainable integrator for the promotion of chemical-free food products. More than 500 start-ups from India are at the expo showcasing their innovations.
There are already a few successful examples of foreign forays in the form of AgNext, CropIn Technology Solutions and Intello Labs. CropIn, a geo and crop-agnostic deep-tech intelligence platform, claims to receive 80% of its new revenue bookings from international markets. The company works with over 250 organisations in 56 countries across the globe. “We are digitising over 16 million acres of farmland and building intelligence for more than 400 crops and over 10,000 crop varieties, thereby impacting the lives of nearly seven million farmers globally,” says Krishna Kumar, founder and CEO, CropIn.
Experts believe it is only a matter of time before the trickle of Indian agritech turns into a torrent abroad. “There is a lot of potential in Africa, China and Southeast Asia with their small landholder farmers,” says Hemendra Mathur, chairman of the FICCI task force on agri start-ups, and venture partner, Bharat Innovation Fund.
Organisations such as the NITI Aayog, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rabo Foundation have also been promoting cross-border agritech collaborations between India and countries like Indonesia, Malawi, Malaysia, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia. The African-Asian Rural Development Organization, too, has been engaged in creating an ecosystem for cross-border technology transfer and businesses.
Nimrod Israely, Biofeed founder, demonstrating a device to reduce fruit fly infestation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2017
Foreign start-ups, too, like their Indian counterparts, are trying to find a stronghold in India. The trend is cross-border. International agritech companies like Indigo Ag from the US, Plantix Agritech from Germany and Pessl Instruments from Austria have entered India. Netafim from Israel has been around for a while.
“Our app uses artificial intelligence to offer diagnosis with 92-95% accuracy for problems which experts may even fail to detect,” says Sawan Patidar, vice president, marketing, Plantix Agritech India. The mobile app for crop advisory for farmers claims to diagnose about 600 crop diseases from photos uploaded by farmers and offers treatment in 18 languages to more than 20 million users.
Israel’s Biofeed offers a solution that reduces fruit fly infestation by 99.9% without using chemical sprays. Indian fruit growers suffer a 30-80% crop yield loss due to the overuse of pesticides. Biofeed poses as an answer to their losses with its solutions.
The Agency for International Development Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel is also at work to promote the use of Israeli technology in agriculture in India. Israel is planning to create villages of excellence and 13 centres of excellence to promote advanced agricultural technologies across the country. “These centres are increasing Indian farmers’ yield, productivity and quality while diversifying local crops,” says Yair Eshel, agriculture attache, Embassy of Israel.
The increasing investments in agritech bear the testimony of its bright future. Agritech start-ups raised $700 million-$1 billion in 2021, according to industry estimates. “The pandemic has catalysed the growth in agriculture because it was largely the only performing sector. The fact that it is unorganised also helped,” says Vijay Pratap Singh Aditya, who co-founded Ekgaon, a network integrator which uses mobile phone apps to transmit verified information across the farm value chain, helping enhance farm productivity and saving cost.
The agritech market is projected to become worth $30-$35 billion by 2025 with opportunities for establishing integrated agritech platforms, incubation hubs for developing new business models and transforming old business models, according to the Bain & Company report.
Bain & Company is not alone in projecting high growth for the sector. The deployment of technology to overcome challenges in the conventional value chain offers a market potential of $24 billion by 2025, found a 2020 EY report titled Agritech: Towards Transforming Indian Agriculture. The segment can be broken down into supply chain technology and output market linkages ($12.0 billion), financial services ($4.1 billion), precision agriculture and farm management (3.4 billion), quality management and traceability ($3.0 billion) and market linkages-farm inputs ($1.5 billion).
“The exciting announcement about NABARD, which is already very active, launching a fund of funds to support start-ups is very encouraging. It will have a positive impact on the whole ecosystem,” says Mark Kahn, managing partner at venture capital firm Omnivore. Besides, this year’s budget has also committed to promoting Kisan drones for crop assessment, digitisation of land records and spraying insecticides and nutrients. The government’s focus on creating an enabling ecosystem for the promotion of digital technology has sent an important signal to the industry.
It is a shot in the arm for companies like Marut Drones and IG Drones. The former offers services like unmanned aerial vehicle-based hyper-spectral and multi-spectral imaging, data analytics and machine learning to aid crop diagnostics and targeted spraying. IG Drones carries out activities like plant counting, irrigation monitoring and planning, crop damage assessment and pesticide spraying.
This year’s budget has given a catalytic push to agritech. “It is a very clear and positive message that you are part of the India growth story. All the players in the agritech ecosystem are more confident now that the government is also aligning its effort to strengthen an enabling ecosystem,” says Ashok Varma, partner, PwC India.
Agritech is enhancing productivity by facilitating real-time linkage between input providers, digital marketplace and physical infrastructure, and access to credit facilities for input procurement and equipment. “We offer 360-degree solutions related to advisory, sowing, growing, harvesting and forward linkages,” says Arvind Godara, co-founder, AgriBolo, a marketplace which offers seeds, fertilizers and pesticides with home delivery. It offers farm equipment, like the tractor, on pay-per-use basis.
Hedging against nature-linked risks is provided by using weather and geo-spatial data as also internet of things (IoT) to track and provide ecosystem information about weather, humidity and soil conditions. Promoting insurance of crops also follows the availability of weather-related data.
Besides, increasing the use of technology is helping reduce wastage and is enabling farmers to pursue sustainable agricultural practices. “We use IoT to generate and provide actionable information at the farm level on select crops across multiple geographies. Our devices are affordable and user-friendly,” says Shailendra Tiwari, founder, Fasal. The company claims an increase in yield of up to 40%,reduction in water usage of up to 50% and pesticide usage of up to 60%.
“World Wide Fund for Nature–India, too, has had a similar experience about water savings,” adds Murli Dhar, director of the sustainable agriculture programme at the WWF-India, which works with cotton growers in Jalna, Maharashtra. The farmers are provided information through a technology and data science-enabled decision support system called Cotton Doctor.
Future of Agritech
“A number of trends are supporting the agritech growth story, but to accelerate the growth rate at scale, it is necessary to ensure that the benefits accrue to all stakeholders. For example, the value proposition of income enhancement should be clear to the farmer,” says S. Sivakumar, group head of agri and IT business at ITC Limited.
However most of the agritech initiatives being point solutions may not translate to more money for farmers. Information needs to be followed up with advisory. It can lead to action if input supplies are available. It, in turn, calls for access to finances, which should be covered by insurance. Point solutions need to be integrated by platforms, he says.
The government needs to set standards to enable interoperability between collaborators and digitise land record data and make it available. Such initiatives can be anchored best by the government, adds Sivakumar of ITC Limited.
Omnivore’s Kahn, too, says that there is a huge challenge and opportunity around the issue of digital land records which are practically non-existent.
This will go a long way in facilitating what the public and the private sectors are trying to do ensuring that subsidies go to right beneficiaries and accelerating the growth of the agritech ecosystem. It can also enable farmers to control and monetise their data.


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Even though the Big 3 were born in Detroit, Michigan residents can’t buy cars directly from car companies. Instead, they have to go through dealerships. But the FTC says that Michigan’s dealership protection laws are anti-competitive and could hurt consumers.
“The competitive process gives the manufacturer the incentive to pick the distribution option that it believes will be the most responsive to consumers. . . .
When manufacturers respond to competitive pressure by choosing to vertically integrate, consumers usually benefit through lower prices and/or higher quality.”
If law-makers take the FTC’s recommendation and repeal Michigan’s dealership protection laws, it could open up the market for another innovative manufacturer to move into Michigan: Tesla. Recently, the maker of zero-emission vehicles announced it had purchased Rivera Tool, LLC, in Cascade Township, Michigan. It plans to rename the facility Tesla Tool and Die Factory and manufacture its Model X electric crossover vehicle.
But even though Teslas will be manufactured within the state, Michigan residents may have to drive out of state to buy one. That is because the vehicles are only sold directly by the company to consumers – often through mall store-fronts. Unless Michigan changes its laws, this soon-to-be Michigan automaker won’t be able to sell its cars where it makes them.
And that is exactly what the FTC is trying to avoid:
“The system limits competition among existing, well-established manufacturers, all of whom must sell through the established network of independent auto dealers. A direct sales ban deters experimentation with new and different methods of sales by current auto manufacturers, and also by future entrants to the market. Michigan’s consumers are paying the price of such a dictate.”
That’s why the FTC is urging Michigan law-makers to do more than approve SB 268. It is calling for an overhaul of the Michigan dealership protection laws so that the market will be open to new strategies and new sellers bringing high-quality vehicles to Michigan consumers. Dani K. Liblang is a lemon law attorney at The Liblang Law Firm, P.C., in Birmingham, Michigan. She represents consumers who are harmed defective vehicles. If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident involving a defect, contact The Liblang Law Firm, P.C., for a free consultation.


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The Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) has today announced Yalago as their most recent associate member. Yalago is a global leisure bedbank that is part of the Emirates Group.
Key to Yalago’s ongoing growth is their dedicated business to business (B2B) approach that is set to expand across the Australasia region.
CATO Managing Director, Brett Jardine confirmed Yalago’s willingness to expand into Australasia through tour operators was a sign of confidence in the quality of CATO’s membership whilst at the same time said “CATO Members would benefit from ongoing technology advancements when working with organisations that have the ability to deliver cutting edge systems.”
Business Development Manager Australasia for Yalago, Virginie Michaud said “As a global leisure bedbank we contract over 12,000 hotels directly, offering volume-driven rates and availability in selected properties throughout the year, to Tour Operators across the world. These rates are negotiated by a dedicated team of over 70 contractors and made available to tour operators through direct connectivity to Yalago’s state-of –the-art online reservations system.”
Michaud will be in Australia early 2019 to speak directly with CATO Members.


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TransFirst’s timing of its IPO is intriguing given the number of payments companies with IPO announcements, says Kurt Strawhecker, managing partner of Omaha, Neb.-based The Strawhecker Group, a payments advisory firm.
“The list includes Worldpay, First Data and Square,” Strawhecker says via email. “This would appear to indicate the overall strength and continued growth potential of the payments industry—especially in the face of a few other IPOs so far this calendar year.”
It may not hurt that payments is getting a lot of attention this year, especially among the broader consumer press because of the EMV migration and mobile commerce, he says. “Current public payment stocks such as Visa, Vantiv and MasterCard have been strong performers, so it may feel like a ripe time from the perspective of these investment entities to get these companies back into the public markets,” he says.
Click here to read more.


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The first country to officially commercialize 5G is South Korea back in April 2019. This means that the latest 5G network has been around for over two years. However, despite the fact that it’s been over two years since the commercialization of 5G, this network is not very popular. There has been widespread construction of 5G base stations. In addition, most smartphone manufacturers have been producing 5G smartphones. Nevertheless, users seem to prefer to use these 5G devices with the pre-existing 4G network. According to Mobile China, even though it’s two and a half years since the first commercial 5G hit the road, there are still a large number of mobile phone users who have not upgraded their mobile phone packages to 5G packages. Why are users skeptical about upgrading their internet packages to 5G packages? Today, we have the top 5 reasons why users are still reluctant to upgrade to 5G packages
Reasons why many users refuse to upgrade to 5G
No access to a new 5G smartphone:
We agree that most of the newly released smartphones from different manufacturers support 5G networks. Nevertheless, there is still a large number of users using mobile phones from two years ago. These smartphones do not support 5G networks, thus, these users are stuck with the 5G network. In fact, they do not have the opportunity to upgrade to 5G packages. In this regard, it is important to not look at the data coming out of China. This is because China has the highest 5G adoption rate globally and there are many cheap 5G devices in the country. Recently, market data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology shows that from January to July this year, the total number of mobile phone shipments in the Chinese market hit 203 million units.
Out of the 203 million units, 151 million units are 5G smartphones. This means that 74.3% of the total smartphone shipment within the first seven months of this year are 5G smartphones. At present, the cumulative Chinese 5G mobile phone shipments have reached 327 million units. This means that over 300 million 5G smartphones have been shipped within the past two years. Of course, the 5G smartphone is very popular in China snd its popularity is increasing.
5G packages are too expensive:
While a lot of people already own and use 5G devices and packages, the greater portion of people does not have access to this network. One of the major reasons behind this is the price of 5G packages. Taking China as an example, as of now, the three major mainstream operators in China have launched their own 5G packages. Although upgrading to a 5G package does not require changing the number or changing the physical card, the high monthly fee of one hundred yuan ($15) still scares off many users who intend to upgrade to 5G. In the U.S., 5G packages cost anywhere between $15 and $65. While many users will consider this fee to be cheap, the greater number of potential users can not afford to be regularly paying $15 – $65 every month.
Gizchina News of the week
Incomplete 5G coverage:
When it comes to 5G coverage, China is well ahead. However, even then, the country is still struggling to make this network available for everyone. Although the three major operators in China are accelerating the construction of 5G signal towers, there are still many areas where 5G signals are very weak or even absent. In this case, the 4G signal that has been built for many years is much more stable than 5G. South Korea is also massively boosting its 5G coverage. According to data from the Ministry of Science, Information, and Communication Technology of South Korea, 5G users in the country hit 15.15 million in April 2021. This is an increase of 617,000 from the end of March 2021. The proportion of 5G users in Korean mobile communication has also increased significantly.
The ministry’s data also reveals that there are currently 71.27 million mobile communication users in South Korea. This means that 5G users account for 21.25%. We can now see that despite the massive adoption of 5G in South Korea, a huge chunk (>75%) of South Koreans still do not have 5G.
As for Europe, the 5G adoption rate is so slow that a city in China has more 5G base stations than all of Europe. China’s Shenzhen 5G network already has 46,000 base stations. In Germany, there are only 850 mature 5G base stations. In other words, the number of 5G base stations in Shenzhen exceeds that of Germany by 50 times. Presently, in terms of 5G deployment, China is ahead of not just Germany but the whole of Europe put other. As of the end of last year, China had 718,000 5G base stations, accounting for 70% of the world’s total. This year, the country will have well over 1 million 5G base stations. From this, we can see that most of the world’s 5G are concentrated in one region, China.
5G applications are immature:
For the current mobile terminal, there has not yet been an application that can fully utilize the 5G network speed. What 5G networks are capable of, most 4G networks can handle them. This makes users even less motivated to upgrade. In all honesty, 5G has applications that can “wow” the world at large. However, the pace of development of these applications is pretty slow. This means that proper 5G applications in aspects of mining, health, and other areas which will attract users are still immature. Not until the 5G network exclusive applications hit the public, 4G will still have a huge place in users’ hearts.
Apart from the four reasons stated above, there are some other reasons why users ignore 5G technology. For instance, the 5G network consumes more power than 4G. There is no reason to use a network that will drain your battery faster and it will not offer you more than what 4G offers. Furthermore, 5G network makes mobile phones generate more heat, and so on. These are some other reasons that make users ignore 5G network.
In general, although there are still some users who have not upgraded to 5G networks, with the maturity of 5G technology, the construction of signal towers, and the drop in package tariffs, it is believed that more users will upgrade to 5G networks. Are you currently using the 5G network? If no, why? Let us know your reason in the comment section below


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Out-Law News | 14 Mar 2019 | 12:05 pm | 2 min. read
Eglantine Lioret, an expert in French tax at Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said: "There is a risk that France's rushed implementation of its new digital tax without the agreement of other EU members will result in a law which will not be compatible with the EU principles of freedom of establishment and more generally of free competition."
The French government introduced a bill on 6 March to impose a 3% tax on revenues deemed to have been generated in France by digital companies where the user is essential for the creation of value. The tax was announced in December last year, although at that stage it was not clear what the rate of the tax would be.
"The French government has decided to take unilateral action in the face of slow progress from the EU and following other unilateral action from the UK, Spain and Austria," Lioret said.
EU proposals for a wide ranging tax on the revenues of digital companies stalled last year in the face of opposition from countries including Ireland, Sweden and Denmark. Earlier this week EU finance ministers agreed to abandon the proposal and to focus on international discussions at the OECD and G20 level. Romanian Minister Eugen Teodorovici said that if progress is not made by the end of 2020 on global efforts to revise the international tax system, the EU will revisit the issue at that time.
"The new French tax has been nicknamed 'GAFA tax' as it is thought that it could catch around 30 companies including Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon," said Valérie Farez, another expert in French tax at Pinsent Masons.
The digital tax will catch advertising revenues from services that rely on data collected from internet users, revenues from the provision of a linking service between internet users and the sale of user data for advertising purposes.
Online sales and the digital provision of digital content for buying and selling would be expressly excluded from the tax.
It will catch businesses, wherever they are established, which make annual supplies of taxable services of more than €25 million in France and €750m worldwide.
"The double threshold is designed to limit the impact of the new tax for most French digital start-ups, but it will not help all start-ups," Valérie Farez said.
It will apply to income from 1 January 2019 and the first instalment of the tax will be due in October 2019. The digital tax will be deductible from the taxable profit for corporate income tax purposes. The bill will be examined by the National Assembly under an expedited procedure.
Last month the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published a consultation document asking for views on possible international solutions to the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy.
The consultation document set out three proposals for revising the profit allocation and nexus rules: user participation; marketing intangibles; and significant economic presence. It also contained two proposals to address global anti-base erosion by ensuring that internationally operating businesses pay a minimum level of tax, namely: an income inclusion rule; and a tax on base eroding payments. The OECD intends to produce a final report in 2020 aimed at providing a consensus-based long-term solution to the issue.
The UK has also been consulting on the design of its digital services tax which will be introduced in April 2020. This will be a 2% tax on the UK revenues of providers of social media platforms, search engines and online marketplaces.
Austria is proposing a 3% tax on the advertising revenue of technology companies. Spain and Italy are also proposing a 3% tax on digital revenue.


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Our eBook shares key insights on the impact COVID-19 has on e-commerce consumer behavior.
It’s no secret that COVID-19 has affected everyday life for individuals around the world. People and businesses are adjusting to a new normal unlike anything they’ve experienced in the past. With non-essential businesses being forced to close their doors and stay-at-home orders in place until at least the end of April, consumers are turning to online shopping to fulfill their needs.
We found that buyer behavior has changed in different ways globally. Retailers, in general, experienced a surge in online purchases in the first quarter of 2020, even with the spread of the pandemic.
New technologies in the apparel e-commerce space continue to evolve on a regular basis. We’ve sourced 4 of the hottest technologies to fuel growth online.
There is a hot spot in e-commerce innovation – and it’s apparel. These days, customers expect to interact with products in a variety of ways, on and offline. From smartphone inspiration to AI personalization, we selected four of the hottest e-commerce tech trends we think apparel and footwear retailers should use in 2020.
How Machine Learning Delivered 355 Million Size Recommendations in 5 Days.
The trends across retail and e-commerce continue to evolve every year. After a busy week of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, changes in the industry became even more clear. This year brick and mortar retailers saw a steady decline in foot traffic. Customers turned to online shopping – through both mobile and desktop. Purchases through mobile devices saw a 21% increase from last year. Mobile accounted for 39% of all e-commerce sales – totaling $2.9 billion in sales from smartphones alone (source: Retail Dive). According to the Shopify Plus Fashion Industry Report, retailers are driving growth through machine learning, artificial intelligence, and personalized customer experiences.
We are excited to announce that Aéropostale is now live with Fit Finder. Aéropostale, a global lifestyle brand, represents inclusive, modern and collaborative youth culture.
We are excited to announce that Aéropostale is now live with Fit Finder. Aéropostale, a global lifestyle brand, represents inclusive, modern and collaborative youth culture. The retailer specializes in effortlessly stylish, everyday apparel and on-trend accessories for young men and women. They provide authentic jeans and comfortable fashion and fashion basics at compelling values in an exciting store environment on and offline.
A two-month A/B test with Fit Finder showed positive results for Swedish outdoor retailer Ridestore. Customers using Fit Finder showed a 9% increase in value per visitor and a 4% increase in conversion rate.
Everyday explorers need extraordinary gear – Ridestore is where they go to get it. Founded in Sweden over 10 years ago, Ridestore is known for its impressive selection of outdoor brands. With customers at the heart of its operational strategy, the company offers regional online shops in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, The Netherlands, and the UK.
Fit Intelligence is an advanced insights platform offering deep analyses of customer data. Fit Intelligence harnesses the power of machine learning to make Fit Analytics’ partners more profitable.
Prevent Profit Loss with Fit Intelligence
The interactive Fit Intelligence portal translates Fit Finder data into actionable analyses, allowing fashion companies to identify new revenue opportunities. Fit Intelligence unlocks customer demographics and reveals areas for commercial optimization.
eTail East is ramping up to be one of 2019’s hottest industry events on the East Coast. With registration up 35% from last year, it is sure to be an exciting week full of learning, collaboration, and opportunity.
The conference starts on Monday, August 19 with a welcome reception, followed by 3 days full of insightful conversations and inspiring networking events. eTail East promises action packed days featuring keynotes from top retailers and tracks focused on trending industry topics.
With Independence Day just around the corner, we’d like to present a quick round-up of four iconic apparel companies who Fit Analytics is proud to support on sizing.
Look for Fit Finder while browsing and, once you’ve locked in the perfect fit, be sure to take advantage of the generous seasonal discounts being offered by all these great brands through July 4th and beyond.
VTEX Day 2019 is just around the corner and we’re looking forward to meeting many current and future Latin American sizing partners in just a few days time in Brazil. Building on the success of past events, VTEX have expanded this year’s Expo Area to handle more than 15,000 attendees over an action-packed two days in São Paulo.


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Good Monday, fellow nerds! 👋🏻 It’s time to start the week with some industry headlines from the agtech sector. 👨🏻🌾🚜 There’s a lot going on to excite anyone’s inner nerd, so I’ll just delve right in.
USDA Supports Development of CEA Training
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is growing fast. (Pun intended.) So fast, in fact, that the USDA recently gave the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ School of Integrative Plant Science a grant specifically to launch a program providing the technical training necessary for successful CEA operations. The benefit? More CEA applications — like vertical farms — could mean shorter supply chains and healthier populations worldwide.
Germany’s AgrarCycle Bolsters AgTech Innovations
Speaking of vertical farming, Germany is throwing its hat in the ring with the AgrarCycle network. The brainchild of researchers at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, AgrarCycle aims to make vertical farming more sustainable and economical so that fresh produce can be available to consumers close to where they live — especially in areas where traditional farming isn’t possible. 👨🌾
Fifth Season’s Massive Vertical Farm Serves Produce to Pittsburgh
Futuristic, low-waste vertical farming has already arrived in Pittsburgh, PA, courtesy of Fifth Season. Leafy greens and herbs grow abundantly in the company’s 60,000-square-foot indoor facility, monitored with AI and tended by robotics. Locals can order produce directly from the Fifth Season website, and a surprising new partnership is providing the opportunity for the company to start expanding into new varieties.
India Eyes ERP Platforms for a Better Food System
Does the term “enterprise resource planning” bring to mind images of suited C-level execs in board rooms? (Or, in the current state of things, donning their Zoom shirts for a conference call? 👩💼👨💼) It’s time to broaden that mental picture to include farmers. In India, ERP platforms designed specifically for farm applications are bringing transparency and traceability to the food supply chain.
This Huge Urban Farm in Paris Uses No Soil
Meanwhile, in Paris, some residents need go no farther than a local rooftop to get fresh greens, veggies and fruit.🥗🍓🍅🍆🌿 Nature Urbaine has taken over an area just shy of 16,000 square feet of rooftop space in the city and turned it into an aeroponic farm. There’s no need for soil or irrigation; a wide variety of food grows in coconut fiber and, believe it or not, thin air with the help of some nutrient-rich mist. And Nature Urbaine has its sights set on growing even more — as many as 35 different kinds of plant foods. (Excuse me; I’m getting hungry!)
That’s your peek into agtech for today. Stay tuned for another edition of The Modern Health Nerd! 🤓🌱
Delight someone else’s inner nerd! 👇🏻👇🏻


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Jite buys back plant from new owners
TORONTO — Electronics supplier Jite Technologies Inc. is buying back a tooling and molding operation it spun off last year, because of problems completing that sale.
Jite struck a deal in June 2010 to sell 60 percent of its molding and tooling plant in Shenzhen, China, to companies owned by its employees. It announced Aug. 11 that it will buy back the division because increased cost for labor and raw materials meant that the new owners could not raise enough money to ensure they could meet payment terms of a loan.
The move ensures that Jite, which makes connectors and other electronic parts, will have no interruption in supplies, the company said in a news release.
Jite has its headquarters in Toronto, but manufacturing in China, both in Shenzhen and at a new plant in Kunshan that opened in December. It listed US$20.3 million in sales for fiscal 2010.
Saint-Gobain to buy Solar Gard films
AURORA, OHIO — Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics has struck an agreement to buy Bekaert Specialty Films from NV Bekaert SA of Kortrijk, Belgium.
The films business, which operates as Solar Gard Specialty Films, has plants in San Diego and Zulte, Belgium, and is working on a footprint in China. It posted 2010 sales of $150 million.
Solar Gard makes coated films used in homes and commercial buildings, automotive and industrial applications, including solar-control films, tinted films and security films.
Aurora-based Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics said the deal fits into its strategy to concentrate on the “sustainable habitat” market. The firm is a unit of Paris-based Cie de Saint-Gobain.
McDunnough gains recycling equipment
FENTON, MICH. — Plastics recycler McDunnough Inc. purchased assets of another Michigan recycler and moved the equipment in mid-July to Fenton.
Fenton-based McDunnough bought the assets of USA Recycle in Hastings, Mich., which had closed down, said owner Darren McDunnough. The transaction closed in late June, he said.
The additional equipment increases McDunnough's capacity for shredding, grinding, baling and material handling.
Last year, McDunnough increased its manufacturing space by moving from a 45,000-square-foot building in Whitmore Lake, Mich., to a 75,000-square-foot plant in Fenton. The plant is a former Lear Corp. automotive seating factory.
“This purchase fits extraordinarily well into our growth and expansion plans,” McDunnough said. “Additional capacity certainly increases the opportunity for more business, which in turn leads to additional hiring in all areas of the company.”
The recycler brought over 15 employees when it moved to Fenton last summer. McDunnough said the firm has expanded employment by 40 percent this year and wants to hire more people.
Daikin to add fluoropolymer capacity
ORANGEBURG, N.Y. — Daikin America Inc. is investing $60 million to expand fluoro(ethylene-propylene) copolymer and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer melt-processible fluoropolymer capacity at its Decatur, Ala., plant.
The project, which is scheduled to be finished in October 2012, will boost capacity there by more than 50 percent, according to the Orangeburg-based subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Daikin Industries Ltd. The company cited demand from wire and cable, photovoltaic, aerospace and automotive customers.
Daikin America said in a news release that the project had been planned prior to the 2008 recession, but had been delayed.
Daikin Industries also plans to build a $38.2 million fluoroelastomer factory in Changshu, China, to meet automotive demand.
All American Poly's Staszczak dies at 57
NEWARK, N.J. — Walter Staszczak, corporate manager and purchasing director for film and bag maker All American Poly Corp., died Aug. 7 of cancer at age of 57.
He was born April 17, 1955, in Irvington, N.J. He had been at the Piscataway, N.J.-based company since its inception in 1979.
“Walter was well-respected throughout the plastics industry, as he was known for his tireless work ethic and his humble approach for someone in his capacity,” the firm said in a news release.


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An extra monitor attached to a desktop workstation can make you more efficient, but laptops need to be portable. Designers have tried to shoehorn a second display into laptops for years, but Asus might have gotten closer than ever to making dual-screen laptops practical with the new ZenBook Duo series. These laptops will start at $1,000 when they begin shipping later this month.
Asus has made a few devices in the ZenBook Duo line, which feature a secondary display above the keyboard and abutting the bottom of the primary display. The 2021 Asus ZenBook Duo lineup features 14 and 15-inch (technically 15.6-inch) models, both of which include the redesigned “ScreenPad Plus” hardware — that’s what Asus calls the secondary display.
The ZenBook Pro Duo 15 has a 15.6-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) OLED panel, and the ZenBook Duo 14 has a 14-inch 1080p LCD. Both devices will support Intel’s 10th or 11th Gen processors, and the 14 will have the latest Iris Xe integrated graphics by default. A version with a GeForce MX450 will also be available. The Pro Duo 15 will have support for up to a Core i9 CPU (10th gen) and GeForce 3070 GPU.
These laptops are more than just a spec bump, though. The new ScreenPad Plus occupies the same place on the computer between the keyboard and screen, but the ScreenPad is no longer flat on the keyboard deck. It tilts up to sit at a more comfortable angle and align with the bottom of the primary screen. Asus had to create custom software for the ScreenPad, which was a sore point for the last-gen Duos. Asus says it has improved the “Screen Xpert” suite that manages content on the secondary display. For example, there’s a new window flick feature that lets you quickly move windows between the two displays, and there are customizable touch controls for apps like Photoshop.
The main drawback to this design isn’t solved by the new screen design — your keyboard is still displaced toward the front of the laptop. With no wrist rests, it’s not going to be pleasant to type on this device for long periods of time, but that’s the price you pay for adding a second display to a laptop form factor.
The ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED will launch in April, but pricing is unknown. The ZenBook Duo 14 will be available for pre-order on January 14th and will ship on January 22nd. The base $1,000 model has a Core i5-1135G7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and Intel integrated graphics.
In Massive Shift, Apple Announces New Macs With ARM-Based M1 Chip
Apple saw huge success the last time it switched architectures to Intel, but this time? The jury's still out, but one thing is certain: Apple is about to make a lot more money.
Micron Announces 176-Layer NAND, Volume Shipments Underway
Micron has announced its 176-layer NAND today in an impressive step forward for the industry.
Asus Announces Chromebox 4 With Support for 10th Gen Core Processors
Chromebooks are so plentiful these days they might as well grow on trees. There are fewer Chromeboxes, but Asus has been keeping its line updated and just announced its latest version.
Seagate Announces Its Own RISC-V Cores for Future Storage Controllers
To hit its 50TB per-drive target over the next few years, Seagate decided it needed a custom storage controller. RISC-V offered a solution.


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The funding, which forms part of the Commodity Credit Corporation, includes $1.3bn for establishing a Regional Agricultural Trade Promotion Program and $1bn dedicated to commodity-based international food aid.
Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack said: “The Commodity Credit Corporation and USDA’s market development and aid programs are critically important at this time, and with this additional support we can strengthen U.S agriculture’s presence in existing markets, open up new market opportunities, and build on our relationships and connections to ensure that high-quality American agriculture and food products reach where they are needed in the world.”
According to USDA, the agricultural trade deficit for the 2023 fiscal year is $19bn; this is projected to rise to $27.5bn in the next year. Added to this is increased competition in key export markets for the US such as Asia and Africa, providing further justification for investment in export market development.
“Analysis has shown that for every $1 invested in export market development, exports are increased by $24.50,” the USDA said in a statement. “Increased agricultural exports means income directly back to producers. Trade promotion investment helps keep existing markets open and creates access to new markets. Further, investing in non-traditional markets will help the US diversify away from dependence on a handful of large markets.”
The new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (to be known as RAPP) will allow exports ‘to break into new markets and increase market share in growth markets’. Meanwhile, to bolster international food aid, USDA will purchase commodities from producers and work with the federal agency on international food aid programs USAID to distribute these around the world.
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), US Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and other agricultural leaders are advocating for Congress to double funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development program – the two programs have not received a raise in over 16 years, despite offering consistent returns on investment.
Commenting on the announcement, NMPF president and CEO Jim Mulhern said: “The US dairy community is grateful for the USDA’s decision to invest in supporting the cultivation of enhanced international market opportunities for America’s dairy farmers and cooperatives. We thank Senators Stabenow and Boozman for their initiative in encouraging USDA to pursue this course of action.
“Now more than ever, the U.S. dairy industry relies on exports. If distributed to those sectors that are presently underfunded such as dairy, the new export promotion funding will put us in a better position to compete globally and grow our consumer base.
“NMPF encourages Congress to build on today’s announcement by USDA to also deliver additional funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program in the development of the next Farm Bill.”
USDEC president and CEO Krysta Harden added: “We’re thankful that USDA is taking this important step to support American Agriculture and appreciate Senators Stabenow and Boozman elevating the importance of using CCC resources to fund programs that will strengthen the US dairy industry through the creation of new markets and the promotion of nutritional dairy-containing products in food aid. We look forward to continuing to work together to level the playing field for America’s dairy farmers and producers.”


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Home Page - Latest News
As 8K seems to be the end goal for most manufacturers, can projectors reasonably keep up or will they be lost in the next wave of mainstream TVs?
James Loudspeaker has appointed industry veteran John Bishop to a newly created consulting role as Director, Architectural Audio Services.
The Sony UBP-X700 is a new UHD Blu-Ray player that supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision via a firmware update later this summer.
The HIFIMAN Shangri-La Jr. is a slimmed down version of the company's powerful headphone amp that doesn't lose much of the performance.
ProSource has added OneVision Resources and Parasol as two new vendors that support members' adoption of an RMR service provider business model.
Vanco International has promoted Vice President Mark Corbin to President, effective immediately, along with a strategic restructuring of the executive team.
No stranger to whole-home audio solutions, AudioControl has added to its Director D-Series Multi-Zone Amplifiers, launching the 16-channel D4600 and 8-channel D2800 at ISE.
Home Technology Specialists of America is gearing up for a successful spring conference thanks to a potent combination of factors.
Niles has launched its new 8ohm/70Volt/100Volt Landscape Audio Series, which includes weatherproof landscape satellite speakers and two burial subwoofers.
Just a few hours between both New York and Philadelphia, Easton was a crucial spot for the California-based Access Networks to continue their meteoric success.


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One million dollars.
That could be the fine slapped on businesses that sell cannabis illegally after the Ontario government installs its own retail network next July – assuming newly tabled legislation goes through.
The proposed law is aimed at eliminating Ontario’s illegal cannabis dispensaries, Attorney General Yasir Naqvi said.
"We are going to work very hard towards that," he said.
"We have put very strict penalties in that regards....We feel very comfortable that the regime that we will put in place will be a significant deterrent for these illegal businesses."
Penalties for corporations that continue to sell cannabis illegally will range from $25,000 to $1 million. Individuals caught distributing cannabis illegally – i.e. street dealers – could face fines of up to $250,000 and/or jail of up to two years less a day. This same penalty structure will apply to landlords who knowingly permit illegal cannabis sales on their properties.
The Ontario government announced last month that it would open 150 cannabis retail stores, which will be operated by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario under the name ‘Ontario Cannabis Retail Corp.’
The minimum age for purchasing, possessing, growing and using cannabis in Ontario has been set at 19. Those under 19 caught breaking any of these laws could be fined up to $200, or they could be sentenced to complete an educational program.
"I want to be very clear that there will be no criminal record, it's under a provincial offence...our purpose is not to punish our youth but to educate our youth," said Naqvi.
Before introducing the bill, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne reaffirmed that the Liberal government is committed to shuttering illegal cannabis dispensaries
"I think that there needs to be a regulation of cannabis and we have a history in this province of regulation of alcohol and I think that doing this in a safe, responsible way means that we put some parameters around the distribution of this substance," she said.
"As resources are identified to deal with enforcement and education we recognize that municipalities need to have a substantial share of that because they are actually on the ground going to be doing enforcement."
If passed, the bill will also ban cannabis consumption in public spaces or workplaces. Medical marijuana patients can rest assured, however, that their medicine will be regulated differently. Medical marijuana consumption will only prohibited in areas where tobacco smoking is already forbidden.
While the Ontario government hasn’t landed on a pricing scale yet, they’ve said any decision will be made in the interest of squashing black market sales.
"This actually isn't about money, from my perspective," Wynne said. "This is about making sure that a substance that needs to be regulated is regulated in a safe and responsible way."
h/t CTV News


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And now, with the world a few more months into the COVID-19 crisis, we continue to see new behaviours emerge that go beyond simply addressing daily essentials. With more than 65% of viewers saying that YouTube content feels like real life,1 it’s no surprise that people are using the platform to access and explore the things they’re passionate about while forced to stay at home. Here are four specific ways we’re seeing people turn to YouTube to experience things they love during this time.
Indulging in the arts
As this year’s slate of gigs and music festivals have been postponed or cancelled to curb the spread of coronavirus, online video and live streams have quickly emerged as a digital replacement.
In Australia, music is trending as some of the most watched content on YouTube.2 Since the outbreak, there has been a significant lift in Aussies turning to the platform for film and entertainment.3
Traditional music video releases have also been transformed: Tash Sultana’s Pretty Lady featured fans dancing to the new tune at home during the pandemic, while special unplugged performances from the likes of Australian artists Tones and I and much-loved Kiwi band Fat Freddy’s Drop have seen hundreds of thousands of views.
While live shows will always have a place, online video has allowed music lovers to connect with their favourite artists during lock-down in a whole new way.
Communal concerts and experiences
In mid-April, hundreds of thousands of live viewers around the globe tuned in to #OneWorldTogetherAtHome, a star-studded concert series produced by social movement Global Citizen and the World Health Organisation.
Other organisations have taken to offering free live broadcasts on a regular basis, too. The Sydney Opera House, for instance, streams talks and performances several days a week, and The Australian Ballet has evolved its magical theatre shows into full-length screenings and at-home ballet tutorials.
And it isn’t just prominent institutions making live music and performing arts available virtually. Since March 15, more than 1,500 videos with “virtual choir” in the title have been uploaded to YouTube, earning over 9 million views.4 Take Australia’s Pub Choir, which truly went virtual last month. Over 1,000 people from 18 countries submitted a video of their performance of “Close To You” by The Carpenters for a collective rendition that has had more than 725,000 views.
Gardening has long held a reputation as a balm for stress, anxiety, and depression.
As the pace of life has slowed and we’ve seen a rise in creative pursuits at home, Aussies and Kiwis are spending more time in their backyards.
Seed suppliers and plant nurseries across both countries have been overwhelmed since the pandemic hit and on YouTube, people tuning into gardening videos have reached an all-time high, with average daily views up 120% in Australia since March 15.5
Channels like Great Home Ideas and Self Sufficient Me have gained over 700,000 subscribers each with more signing up by the day, and when it comes to learning how to grow your own vegetables, it’s hard to find a better example of upskilling via YouTube than West Australian couple Cree Monaghan and Tim Hall.
Following a move from the city to a blank canvas of 100 acres in the Margaret River Region in 2014 with their three children, the duo learned how to build a sustainable 1,600 m2 orchard with over 40 fruit and nut trees and a 1,600 m2 kitchen garden via streaming online videos.
Travelling near and far
The opportunity to take a trip — to an exotic, international location or simply to a neighbourhood coffee shop — has all but vanished during this pandemic. As a result, we’ve seen an uptick in viewers turning to YouTube for a temporary alternative to venturing out.
Many are gravitating toward branded content to cure their wanderlust. Airbnb’s new virtual series, Online Experiences, features one-of-a-kind travel videos by Airbnb hosts across the globe who share their own passions with viewers through classes. Online Experiences will include courses on meditation, cooking, magic tricks, coffee making, and even workouts led by professional athletes. TripAdvisor's tour and travel experiences brand Viator also recently launched #RoamFromHome, creating over 100 virtual walking tours, cooking classes, and other experiences to help keep viewers exploring new places while under lockdown.
For those craving the things we loved to do more every day — such as hitting up your local Thai restaurant for Friday night takeaway — cooking tutorials and YouTube videos from creators like Marion’s Kitchen are providing a fix. So far this year, people are watching videos related to recipes and cooking at a rate over 45% higher than the same period last year.6
As we’ve adapted the way we live and do the things we love, online video has emerged as a resource for keeping passions alive. Whether it’s connecting with leading artists or enjoying a virtual choir performance, learning how to build a chicken coop or participating in an Asian street food cooking class, video is helping a world under lockdown feel a little less restricted.


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Sustainable packaging legislation coming in 2020
Looking at the year ahead and potential 2020 environmental legislation aimed at the packaging industry
Sustainable packaging legislation coming in 2020 – A new decade begins and with it comes a renewed approach to environmental legislation and a reinvigorated debate over the sustainability of the packaging industry.
2019 was a milestone year for laws aimed at improving the environmental impact of packaging. New York City, for example, started the year off by enacting a ban on polystyrene foam packaging products. And 2020 has all the indicators of another year of serious debate over sustainable packaging legislation.
Environmental legislation going into effect this year
2020 kicked off with Oregon enforcing a statewide ban on single-use checkout bags (HB 2509) on January 1st, 2020. The state of New York will follow them with the enforcement of their own plastic bag ban on March 1st, 2020.
In addition, Vermont passed a comprehensive ban on single-use plastics and foam packaging products last year. Starting July 2020, the state will prohibit expanded polystyrene food packaging containers as well as single-use plastic bags, cups, and stirrers. The bill had “overwhelming bipartisan support” with very little opposition, leading to a quick signature from Governor Phil Scott.
While many states have passed bans on single-use plastic bags, Vermont’s bill marks a notable step forward as it included polystyrene foam packaging with single-use bags and cups for the first time. More and more, states look to achieve greater sustainability by passing comprehensive bans that reach all problematic plastic packaging products instead of attacking polystyrene packaging separately.
Sustainable packaging legislation coming in 2020
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo launched a proposal to ban single-use Styrofoam™ packaging statewide during his State of the State address this past December. The proposed ban targets the use of expanded polystyrene packaging materials, including food containers and loose-fill EPS packaging, commonly known as packing peanuts.
Additionally, it grants authority to the State Department of Environmental Conservation to review and even ban other packaging materials found to be damaging to the environment. The bill builds off of the city of New York’s ban on polystyrene foam food containers as well as a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags that will go into effect March of 2020.
Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY)
“Styrofoam is one of the most common pollutants and a public health hazard that impacts humans and the environment alike,” declares Governor Cuomo. He has made it a core part of his legislative agenda to reduce waste and establish forward-thinking programs to improve New York’s impact on the environment.
California at the forefront of the debate
California’s State Legislature continues to drive the national conversation when it comes to environmental laws and regulations. Last year California legislators debated Assembly Bill 1080 and its partner, Senate Bill 54, which proposed aggressive new standards for recycling, specifically targeting single-use packaging.
The legislation would effectively phase out all unsustainable, single-use packaging products by 2030. Although the bill never came to a vote, it opened the door for far-reaching environmental policies that have the potential to have a significant impact on the packaging industry.
The plan for 2020
The environmental impact of packaging remains a key topic among policymakers and citizens in the Golden State. This past November, Michael Sangiacomo, CEO of Recology, submitted an extensive environmental initiative called the California Recycling and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act of 2020.
The ballot measure aims at eliminating waste from product packaging, with a goal of an 80% reduction from 2020 to 2030. It mandates that packaging is either reusable, compostable, or recyclable. The law also prohibits both “unnecessary” packaging as well as virgin plastic material and requires that producers use recycled content in their packaging. The law also gives regulators the power to levy a Plastic Pollution Reduction Fee of up to one cent ($0.01) per plastic product on producers.
Michael Sangiacomo, CEO of Recology
The initiative will appear as a state statute on the 2020 ballot if it receives 623,212 signatures, or 5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. Sangiacomo’s proposal comes with a pledge of $1 million to galvanize citizen support.
Sustainable packaging is future-proof
The trend towards sustainability gains strength in local and state governments, with new legislation passed every year. The packaging industry is a top priority for lawmakers and will unquestionably feel impacts from policies this coming year. Companies will have to adjust their packaging methods now if they hope to keep up with changing legislation and customer expectations.
EPE USA has stood at the forefront of the sustainable packaging landscape for decades. We have established proven solutions across a variety of industries, replacing unsustainable materials with environmentally sound designs and processes.
EPE’s solutions replace traditional foams with stronger materials that allow for repeatable impact and are 100% recyclable and reusable – dramatically improving both sustainability and product protection. Our engineers create optimized designs that reduce material usage, eliminate waste, and minimize a package’s impact on the environment. EPE implements truly future-proof designs, which feature optimized designs and eco-friendly materials to ensure maximum sustainability.
Make your packaging future-proof today. Talk to one of our experts about how EPE can redesign your packaging.
EPE is ISTA-Certified and a proud member of the Amazon Packaging Supplier and Support (APASS) network.
Photo from WAMC.org
Photo from USFCA.edu


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The Center Rotary Club’s 28th annual Fun for Funds auction will be held tonight at the Windham Civic Center. Monies raised from the auction benefit the Catherine Pinkston Roughrider Scholarship Fund to help students at Center High School pursue a higher education. Rotary club president J.J. Ford says there's something for everyone, and to view a list of auction items go to www.funforfunds.org.
Ms. Ford said "Fun for Funds' pulled in $40,000, and they'd like to beat that amount by at least $10,000 tonight.
Many more items will not be announced until the auction begins. Registration for the Fun for Funds auction is open, and there's already early bidding. The live online benefit auction begins at 6pm tonight. The number to use for bidding tonight is 936-598-9320.
The auction will be viewable online via a live webcast at fundforfunds.org. The event is also broadcast on Center Broadcasting Company stations KQBB FM 100.5 and KDET AM 930 and on television via Suddenlink Cable Channel 2.


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Ipswich man fined after string of 20 supermarket thefts in town
An Ipswich man has been fined £250 after he admitted to a string of 20 supermarket thefts.
Darren Wragg, of Campbell Road, appeared at Suffolk Magistrates' Court on Friday after admitting to stealing from three Co-op stores between September and December last year.
The first incident was on October 21 when Wragg hid coffee and pork, to the value of £45.92, within his clothing. He then left without paying.
The next day, he stole two gammon steaks worth £8 from the Clapgate Lane store.
On December 7, he stole £66.82 worth of sweets and coffee from the store in Foxhall Road.
After having been charged with the three offences, Wragg admitted to 17 other thefts from Ipswich supermarkets which occurred during the same time period.
The 31 year old was fined £250 and ordered to pay costs of £105.
He was also ordered to pay £120.74 in compensation and a victim surcharge of £34.
Police Constable Tim Barrell from the Op Converter team said: "Darren Wragg was approached while on court bail and he was given the opportunity to engage with the TIC process.
"He made voluntary admissions to 17 further offences involving theft from supermarkets in Ipswich and he asked for them to be Taken Into Consideration at court.
"He was remorseful for his actions.”