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Having spent tens of millions of dollars promoting the autumn 2012 launch of its 2013 model year Lincoln MKZ, Ford had high hopes for the vehicle, which was the subject of a huge marketing campaign, including Super Bowl advertising. Alas, those hopes had to be deferred and the advertising investment all but lost when deliveries to dealers were scaled back in the wake of parts shortages and production problems. Further delays came from the need to ship vehicles produced at Ford’s Hermosillo assembly line in Mexico to Detroit for detailed quality inspections before final customer delivery.
It was a drastic measure, but one deemed necessary to avoid the embarrassing problems that dogged earlier launches of the company’s Fusion and Escape 2013 models, which included faulty fuel lines regarded as capable of causing a fire. In all, it was to be six months before Lincoln MKZ vehicle volumes reached planned levels, with Ford reportedly mulling an expensive relaunch to signal an end to its difficulties with the model.
All of which serves to highlight the fact that for any manufacturer, new vehicle launches can stress and challenge inbound and outbound supply chains in unexpected ways, placing heavy loads on parts suppliers, freight links, plant operations, quality inspectors and vehicle shipment facilities. At their worst, as Ford and many other manufacturers have discovered, those stresses and challenges can be significant enough to affect launch schedules.
While a carmaker’s production and quality functions have their own issues as they master the intricacies of building and inspecting a new model, logistics operations are also uncomfortably exposed. “Logistics issues are usually accountable for 30% of the delays in automotive product launches, and represent up to 10% of its costs,” says Fathi Tlatli, president of the automotive sector within DHL’s Customer Solutions and Innovation division. “Launch after launch, we see a spike in expedited freight, special charters and other exceptional – and costly – measures.”
The logistics function must, after all, orchestrate the inbound delivery of parts, while many suppliers struggle with their own new-model challenges. Likewise, the logistics function has to orchestrate the flow of manufactured vehicles to dealers to support marketing and launch schedules decided months in advance. That’s before taking into consideration complications like transporting demonstration vehicles to motor shows and dealer previews.
"Logistics issues are usually accountable for 30% of the delays in automotive product launches, and represent up to 10% of its costs. Launch after launch, we see a spike in expedited freight, special charters and other exceptional – and costly – measures"
– Fathi Tlatli, DHL Customer Solutions and Innovation
These challenges have always existed for the automotive supply chain, but the industry has entered a phase of shorter and more aggressive launch cycles. According to IHS Automotive, there will be around 37 launch programmes in North America during 2014 and about 220 between now and 2020, an almost unprecedented pace. On top of that, a high number of assembly lines in North America – even those in parts of Europe, despite the prolonged downturn – are running three shifts, seven days a week. That output raises the issue of supply and logistics bottlenecks and the role that logistics providers can play, whether in the form of special launch services or by participating in more advanced planning.
The hard and the soft for outbound logistics
On the outbound side, the vehicle logistics challenges are clear enough. Toyota Motor Sales USA (TMS), for instance, differentiates between ‘hard’ vehicle launches – the launch of a brand new or significantly enhanced vehicle – and ‘soft’ launches, which are normally for mid-lifecycle model year changes and vehicles with minor ‘refresh’ enhancements.
“A soft launch typically requires no special transportation priority, and new production vehicles are allowed to flow through the normal supply chain,” explains Brian Mason, national strategic planning manager at Toyota Logistics Services, the outbound arm at TMS. “A hard launch typically requires a set number of new vehicles to be physically delivered to all dealers nationwide, usually with a 24 to 72-hour time window.” It’s this one-to-three day window, he adds, that is likely to cause the most disruption to existing logistics flows.
That said, he notes, the disruption associated with a model launch has to be balanced against the commercial benefits that a new model delivers. “We’re always mindful that while hard product launches can sometimes impact the logistics network, they are also an integral component of a successful product sales and marketing strategy,” he sums up. “We work hard to provide information and education to our sales and marketing groups to help them understand both the benefits and the operational and cost implications of choosing a hard launch scenario.”
Higher utilisation, but lower flexibility
Take a look at inbound logistics, though, and industry observers are less sanguine about the disruption caused by new model launches – not least because the perceived effects seemingly last for much longer than the initial three-day delivery window (plus associated recovery period) cited by Toyota's Mason. Indeed, there is a sense that the pain caused by new model launches is becoming a semi-permanent feature of the industry.
That is at least partly because the financial crisis and ensuing recession saw capacity shuttered, and with that capacity went the flexibility that helped the automotive industry cope with new vehicle launches.
“Carmakers and automotive suppliers both took a hit during the recession, and consequently cut back on resources; as vehicle sales have recovered, it’s put a strain on the supply chain,” notes Jeff Kosloski, group director of customer logistics in the automotive, aerospace and industrial division at Ryder System. “The recovery is good news, but the fact is that there isn’t the capacity that there was four or five years ago. When problems arise, they throws thing into a tail spin.”
Those problems – and the difficulty of recovering from the consequent tail spin – shouldn’t be underestimated, stresses Scott Grady, senior vice-president of corporate sales solutions at logistics service provider Landstar.
“We have one tier one customer with a tier two supplier supplying multiple tier ones that is struggling to keep up with demand,” he says. “It’s not a problem that we had prior to the recession; if they hit any production problems, then they will cancel the scheduled pickup, but if they defer a 4pm milkrun pickup to 6pm, there’s no way we can catch up if we wait. The shipment has to be by expedited freight, which adds cost and causes problems at the receiving dock.
“At another tier two, which is four months into a new product launch, the scheduled single shipment each day has been replaced by three or four shipments – each at a premium, because the assembly plant needs the product – but as the supplier is currently running seven days a week, there’s no opportunity to catch up.”
Grady adds that carriers are similarly constrained in their post-recession ability to recover from adversity. Landstar, for example, does not have spare trucks on standby; if it misses a pickup, that results in an expedited shipment at premium rates. Day-to-day problems with shipments are expected, he adds, but a new product launch exacerbates them.
“Today, with plants running at maximum output, those problems are worse,” Grady emphasises. “Post-launch, there’s a continual need to re-plan the routes and re-plan the docks. With the frequency of model launches that we’re seeing at the moment, that process of re-planning and adjustment becomes almost continual.”
Frequency, costs and global platforms
Many in the automotive industry have faced up to the uncomfortable realisation that issues surrounding new vehicle launches are not getting any easier, but there’s also a distinct possibility that they’re becoming more serious.
“New vehicle launches have always been stressful, but what has changed is the frequency of launches,” says 35-year automotive industry veteran Jens Möller, senior vice-president for automotive at UTi Worldwide. “Longer supply chains add to the problem. Post-launch, the rate of engineering change is always higher, raising the risk that in-transit inventory can suddenly become obsolete, requiring expedited shipments via air freight to recover.”
Automotive analyst Michael Robinet, managing director of IHS Automotive consulting, agrees. “The industry has always had launch issues,” he notes, “but they’re more pervasive now. Manufacturers are pushing things closer to the limit in terms of model launches; cost-down pressures are seeing more global sourcing and more global platforms, which add to the logistics challenges. There are more resource constraints in the supplier base and the rate of change in automotive manufacturing technologies, such as joining and bonding, is truly breakneck.”
In isolation, he admits, each of these developments is largely to be welcomed as a sign of progress – a slimmed-down industry is rolling out more new models than ever, adopting practices such as global sourcing, global platforms and new assembly technologies to drive costs down – but the side effects of such developments aren’t always benign. New model launches, which cause change and dislocation in the supply chain, bring these impacts into sharp focus.
“As the industry moves to having fewer, but global platforms, more and more of the global automotive industry is being forced to march at the same pace,” says Robinet. “One result is that it’s pushing complexity out into markets such as Brazil and India that might not be ready for it. Another is that in the short term, we’re going to see more product launches – despite the issues that they bring – as platform cycles move to become synchronised.”
As Bloomberg noted in December 2013, worries over the pace of model launches are even starting to impact carmakers’ stock prices, as their costs are making investors nervous. Ford, for instance, plans to introduce 23 new vehicles globally in 2014 – more than double its 2013 total – but with costs mounting as revenue growth stalls, the carmaker had no choice but to warn stock markets last year of a likely fall in pre-tax profits. And even that’s assuming there is no repeat of the problems with the earlier launches.
“A public admission of a vehicle launch delay, or reduced vehicle production on a popular model, sends the stock price of tier one manufacturers and carmakers into a tumble,” notes Kerry Zielinski, vice-president for business development at Ceva Logistics. “A launch that delays a product will show up in metrics and in the press, with the assumption that revenue may be lost. We do not live in a patient marketplace.”
Planning launch logistics
While the pace and complexity of model launches have increased, supply chain managers tend to agree about what needs to be done to ease the pain they cause. Ryder’s Kosloski, for instance, points to a growing understanding of the need to better plan inbound parts flows.
“We’re seeing a growing acceptance by automakers that a more formal launch planning process can help reduce the adverse impacts of vehicle launches,” he says. “They’re seeing that putting effort into better planning can have a very positive outcome. From a logistics perspective, having a better handle on production forecasts, the ramp-up schedule, where suppliers are located and any packaging stipulations, can make a real difference. Something as simple as how parts are put on a vehicle can have a considerable impact on the number of parts carried and the ergonomics of loading and unloading.”
Similarly, on the outbound side, timely planning can also make a difference, says Jan Bures, executive vice-president of group aftersales and services at Volkswagen Group of America. Volkswagen, he explains, has a formal planning process that calls for early decisions on questions such as export markets, transport routes to market and the likely ratio of built-to-order versus built-to-forecast production.
“Such questions can have a considerable impact on issues such as storage capacity, transport modes, transport capacity, and customs capacity,” he notes. “So it’s important to decide these things early on and think through the logistics issues, otherwise you might find that either you can’t supply certain markets, or that you can supply them only at a significantly higher cost.”
Toyota’s Mason agrees that thorough planning and advance communication help minimise launch challenges. “Setting appropriate expectations is important, as it is unanticipated impacts to vehicle deliveries that usually generate the most concern during a launch process,” he says.
Consequently, some logistics providers are seeing an opportunity to help carmakers better plan vehicle launches. DHL, for instance, has introduced a three-stage modular service for launches, which aims to cover the entire cycle from prototype to flying demonstration models to motor shows, and reduce the supply chain incidents that can dog a launch.
"It’s important to think through the logistics issues, otherwise you might find either you can’t supply certain markets, or you can supply them only at a significantly higher cost"
- Jan Bures, Volkswagen Group of America
“Overall, the opportunity is for smoother vehicle launches, less costly launches and less risky launches,” says DHL’s Tlatli. “The challenge is equally clear: to design the supply chain proactively, rather than responding reactively.”
The main objective, he explains, is to get logistics issues thought through earlier. Traditionally, logistics has been involved very late in the process. Tlatli believes that by taking advantage of opportunities to design supply chains in a slightly different way, including more consideration for risk, sourcing and integrating transport modes, costs and delays in launches can be greatly reduced.
At Ryder, too, Kosloski says, new service offerings aim to help carmakers deliver smoother and less costly new model launches, such as advanced network planning of material sourcing; lifecycle logistics costing; and redesigning supply chains as launch volumes accelerate.
“Today, we’re embedding some of our supply chain and logistics engineers in customers’ launch teams, helping them to plan launches,” he sums up. “We also have people on site at customers’ headquarters, sometimes two years ahead of a launch. Five years ago, we didn’t offer any of this as a service. Now, there’s a real need, and we do.”


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Euro Car Parts has posted record-breaking profits for 2009.
The factor and retailer chain’s pre-tax profits rose to more than Â£17m in 2009, almost triple the Â£6.6m figure it reported in 2008.
Sukhpal Singh, ECP chairman, said: “We are delighted to announce these results. However with the profit, we aim to improve our business and provide more services and products to our customers.
“Therefore we have continued to re-invest our cash flow into the building blocks for future growth.”
Last year, ECP added 9 new branches to its network and the company plans to chase further growth in 2010.
It wants to achieve 98% coverage of the UK aftermarket and is currently buildng a new 400k sq ft logistics facility, which is due to open this August.

domain: news


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North Derbyshire Cottage Garden Society is famous for its popular plant fair each May.
This year the event will go ahead in a slightly different format. The venue is still Arkwright’s mill yard in Cromford, but the date has moved forward a month to Saturday 12 June. Sales start at 11 am but last until mid-afternoon. A larger new marquee on site will allow a flow of socially-distanced customers around the stalls. All other Covid precautions will be in place.
Customers are asked to bring their own bags and boxes. Cash can be used, but there will also be a card machine, and payment will be at a checkout.
The plants are guaranteed to be as good value as ever!


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Two new Xiaomi-related leaks have revealed some interesting details about the brand’s next Mi 5c and Mi 6. Both have been the subject of numerous rumors over the past few months with no concrete launch date in sight as yet.
Starting off with the Mi 5c, the handset recently got China’s 3C certification which could be taken as an indication that the phone will be out soon. The device will probably be a lower-specced variant of the Mi 5. It’ll be the second spinoff of the original flagship phone after the higher-specced Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus.
Xiaomi is apparently going to fit the smartphone with a screen size smaller than 5.5-inch and stuff it with a 3200mAh battery. A Snapdragon 625 processor might power its operations, supported in its endeavors by 3GB of RAM and 64GB of ROM. As for photography, users may get to take advantage of a 12MP rear and 8MP front camera.
Moving on to the Mi 6, speculation so far suggests that the phone may come out in April or March carrying the Snapdragon 835 SoC. However, the CPU’s presence in the handset was thrown into question recently when reports of Samsung buying out the first batch emerged.
It seems Xiaomi is intent on sticking to its plans by utilizing an underclocked version of the Snapdragon 835 for the Mi 6. It had previously used a similar strategy for the Mi 5. Doing so will likely aid in battery performance and make sure the phone doesn’t get overheated.


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People dressed as reindeer rehearse their dance moves and work crews in cherry-pickers add lights to Sleeping Beauty Castle as the Disneyland Resort prepares for the holiday season.
Each year, Disney’s theme parks, hotels and Downtown Disney undergo a transformation that begins right after the last visitor clears the gates from Disneyland’s Mickey’s Halloween parties on Oct. 31st.
Over two weeks, during off-hours, pumpkins give way to wreaths, lights, trees and even snow machines.
Some attractions, like “it’s a small world,” get a holiday makeover; “small world” adds lights its annual holiday overlay. A projected video is shown on its outdoor facade each evening, “The Magic, The Memories and You.”
There is a holiday fireworks show, too, “Believe … in Holiday Magic.”
“Watching fireworks in front of ‘it’s a small world’ is the best kept secret at Disneyland,” said John Addis, senior show director for Disneyland Creative Entertainment. “During the fireworks, we just decided to paint the building with projected images.”
Here’s a video look at the preparations underway for the holidays at the Disneyland Resort:
To prepare for “A Christmas Fantasy,” a parade that will roll along Main Street, U.S.A., final dress rehearsals are held in the middle of the night. The parade includes Disney characters and other dancing troupes, such as roller-skating snowflakes. As is tradition, the Toy Soldiers from “Babes in Toyland” front the parade.
“We have a couple of new costumes, but the heart of the parade is the same. It’s still the traditional parade that all of our guests have come to know and love,” said Denny Newell, senior show director for the Disneyland Resort.
The resort puts up 100 artificial holiday trees. Some attractions, like the “World of Color” water-and-light show in Disney California Adventure, add holiday cheer as well.
The holiday season officially starts at the Disneyland Resort on Monday and runs through Jan. 8.
Times vary for the various holiday shows and fireworks displays.
For information about show times, park hours and admission prices, check the resort’s website.
Recent Disneyland Resort news:


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Zscaler is seeing strong momentum with reseller partners as the security service edgeprovider continues working toward reaching $5 billion in annual recurring revenue, Founder and CEO Jay Chaudhry said Monday.
Initially, “VARs were slow to adopt Zscaler,” Chaudhry said during the company’s quarterly call with analysts. However, that has changed as “the market has moved” to focus on zero-trust security and Channel Chief Karl Soderlund has come aboard to launch new partner initiatives, he said.
As a result, “we’re seeing very good progress” with resellers right now, Chaudhry said. Later in the call, he characterized Zscaler’s sales efforts as centered around “working side-by-side with our partners.”
“Almost all of our business [goes through] channel,” Chaudhry said, with the exception of “a few” customers that insist on going direct with the vendor.
The Zscaler CEO made the comments as the San Jose, Calif.-based company reported results for the first quarter of its fiscal 2024, ended Oct. 31, which beat analyst estimates on both revenue and earnings.
The company also announced the hire of a pair of new C-level executives Monday, including a new CRO, Mike Rich, who’d most recently been the president of ServiceNow’s Americas business. Rich had spent more than 12 years in total with ServiceNow.
Zscaler will continue to work up to achieving its target of $5 billion in ARR with Rich at the helm of its sales strategy, Chaudhry said. The company is currently generating more than $2 billion in ARR, he said during the call Monday.
Rich will take over the sales leadership responsibilities at Zscaler from COO Dali Rajic, who’ll now be mainly focused on the company’s business operations, the vendor said.
Zscaler also announced the hire of Joyce Kim as its new CMO. Kim had most recently been CMO at Twilio, a role she’d held since mid-2022, and before that had led marketing at tech companies including Genesys and Arm.
For Zscaler’s fiscal Q1, revenue climbed 40 percent year-over-year to $496.7 million, well above the Wall Street analyst consensus estimate of $437.4 million. Non-GAAP net income was 67 cents per share, beating analyst estimates by 18 cents per share.
Zscaler achieved the expectations-beating results “in a challenging macro environment,” Chaudhry said. “The elevated scrutiny of large deals remains mostly unchanged.”
Zscaler’s stock price was down 6.7 percent in after-hours trading Monday, to $179 a share.


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With every holiday season, customers’ expectations for free and fast delivery increase, and traditional retailers must raise their standards yet again to stay relevant. This year, retailers also face the challenge of providing shoppers with a good fulfillment experience, one that is flexible, reliable and seamless. In this issue, we examine what we’re calling the “fulfillment frenzy.” In particular, we look at how retailers—including grocers—are modernizing their supply chains in response to consumers’ demands; and we look at the questions they need to ask to prioritize these pricey investments.
Macroeconomic indicators remain favorable, but retailer results are mixed
Recent macroeconomic indicators suggest consumers continue to have money to spend:
- Disposable personal income was up 2.7% in September compared to last year. Moreover, that growth was much stronger than the year-over-year growth last September of just 0.4%.
- Unemployment continued to fall in October as US employers added 271,000 jobs. The unemployment rate fell to 5%, the lowest rate since 2008 and close to what many consider to be full employment. This news came after slower-than-expected job creation for September, which was reflected in a weaker Consumer Confidence Index last month.
- October was one of the strongest months for the stock market in the last four years. The S&P 500 Index was up 8.3% in October over September.
Despite these positive factors, sluggish sales momentum and mixed third-quarter results may temper holiday sales growth:
- The Census Bureau reported 3.2% year-over-year growth in October retail sales, down from last year’s 4.6%, driven by softer sales in select categories including electronics and general merchandise.1 Consumers continue to spend more outside traditional retail sectors. Sales of motor vehicles, for example, were up nearly 6%, and restaurants sales grew almost 7%.
- In the last week, disappointing earnings reports from select retailers—among them, department stores (Nordstrom, Macy’s) and specialty players (Gap and Urban Outfitters) —have driven down retail stocks, as investors fear lower-than-expected third-quarter results may translate into weak holiday sales. Despite this anxiety, growth in certain sectors, including off-price (TJX), home improvement (Home Depot, Lowes), and e-commerce (Amazon.com), exceeded analyst expectations. Mass merchandisers (Target, Walmart) and more value-oriented department stores (Kohl’s) also reported improved earnings, confirming their outlook for the year.
While the gifting tradition is alive and well and shoppers have money to spend, they have been hesitant to open their wallets to date. With Thanksgiving only a week away, we expect to see retailers turn to promotions—lots of them—to clear out excess inventory and push holiday merchandise. The success of these efforts will determine if the season lives up to its potential or if lackluster momentum prevails.
Online shoppers are finishing their holiday shopping faster
- “Sticklers for stores”: 30% of our panelists are loyal to shopping the traditional way, making more than 80% of their purchases in stores. Not surprisingly, this group wants to see and touch products before buying them, and shoppers tend to be older than those in other segments.
- Omnichannel shoppers: 60% of our survey respondents regularly shop both in stores and online. These shoppers are more likely to buy purchases online and pick them up in-store this holiday—nearly 50% recall taking advantage of this program in the last year.
- “Online fanatics”: 10% of our shoppers make more than 80% of their purchases online, largely to avoid the hassle of the store and for the convenience of delivery. Of this group, 40% are millennials, and 50% are Amazon Prime members.
To date, more than 75% of our panelists have kicked off their holiday shopping (see Figure 1). Interestingly, “online fanatics” over-index on early-bird behavior: They’ve already completed more than two times as much holiday shopping as their more traditional counterparts.
In upcoming newsletters, we’ll continue to report on the groups’ shopping progress, spending, channel behavior, best deals and memorable shopping experiences. If there are questions you’d like us to ask our panel, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you.
Supply Chain 3.0: The holiday stakes rise from free and fast to "good experience"
UPS and FedEx anticipate double digit growth in holiday season deliveries this year—UPS alone expects to deliver a whopping 630 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, up from nearly 570 million last year. It wasn’t that long ago that retailers were scrambling to develop direct fulfillment capabilities. In short order, though, Amazon shifted the basis of competition to faster delivery at low or no cost to consumers, and retailers have had to invest to keep pace. This holiday season, the fulfillment frenzy continues with unprecedented levels of free-shipping promotions and faster delivery options at record volumes. Now the fulfillment battleground has expanded beyond fast and free to also include customer experience—making the process of getting products to shoppers flexible, reliable and seamless.
The free and fast fulfillment frenzy continues, with stores playing a starring role. Roughly 45 million Americans subscribe to Amazon Prime, most joining for the “free” two-day delivery, according to the Vision Critical/Bain survey. As of early this month, Prime Now, Amazon’s one- and two-hour delivery service, is available in 20 cities across the country. Amazon fuels these capabilities by investing in highly automated fulfillment centers that are located closer and closer to customers. In the past year alone, the company built 14 new fulfillment and sortation centers in the United States, bringing its US count to more than 100.
To compete, retailers are being forced to invest. Internet Retailer suggests that 85% of retailers will offer free shipping this holiday season, and a review of free-shipping thresholds suggests that they have dropped over the last two years (see Figure 2). Bain partnered with Quad Analytix to examine how free-shipping offers spike during the holidays.4 In 2014, the number of promotional emails related to free shipping increased by nearly 40% over the rest of the year as the holidays swung into full gear.
These promotions seem to be working. According to a survey of 7,000 shoppers conducted by the National Retail Federation in October, more than 90% plan to use a free-shipping promotion when shopping for holiday merchandise this year.
Bain also partnered with StellaService, a company that tracks customer-service performance across retailers, to evaluate how standard delivery times have changed over the years.5 Across 39 major retailers, excluding Amazon, the average number of days for delivery—from order placed to delivered—decreased from 4.7 in 2013 to 4.1 in 2015. At the same time, the percentage of retailers allowing customers to place an online order on or after December 21 for guaranteed Christmas delivery went up from 30% in 2013 to 50% last year.6
Increasingly, omnichannel retailers are competing with Amazon’s distribution footprint by tapping into their networks of brick-and-mortar stores. When asked to make a trade-off, consumers generally choose free shipping over fast shipping. But fast from a store costs much less than fast from a fulfillment center, enabling omnichannel retailers to provide both benefits. Target has more than tripled the number of its ship-from-store locations, greatly increasing the likelihood of packages getting to shoppers within two days. At the same time, both Kohl’s and Macy’s extended ship-from-store fulfillment capabilities to their entire fleet this year (see Figure 3).
Many retailers are also partnering with local crowdsourced delivery services like Deliv, Postmates and Instacart to offer same-day deliveries (see Figure 4), which means they don’t have to build their own last-mile capabilities. Delivery is even making inroads into grocery, one of the largest and least digital of all retail sectors. Although penetration rates are still a fraction of those in the United Kingdom (2% to 3% in the United States vs. close to 10% in the UK), retailer investment and third-party partnerships are fueling consumer trial and adoption. Instacart, for example, now partners with Whole Foods on same-day delivery in 54 metropolitan areas. Bain analysis suggests e-commerce growth in the US grocery sector will top 15% annually over the next 5 to 10 years, with penetration reaching close to 4% overall, and north of 10% in dense markets.
Buy online and pick up in-store typically is the most economical fulfillment option for retailers, and one that more retailers are implementing this holiday season. In-store pickup saves retailers additional shipping costs; it also brings shoppers into stores, which often translates into additional purchases. Kohl’s rolled out in-store pickup across its 1,100-plus stores this year, up from just 100 stores last year. With 90% of Americans living within 15 minutes of a Walmart store, the company has opted to promote its same-day pickup program this holiday season in lieu of dropping its $50 free-shipping threshold.
Grocers are also getting into the buy online and pick up in-store game as a way to offer online convenience without the expense and complexity of chilled and frozen delivery in what is already a low-margin sector. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy here given the realities of cost positions, market and customer dynamics, and retailers’ brand positioning; but more holiday shoppers than ever have the option to add groceries to their online baskets. Walmart has expanded click and collect to 23 markets and plans to continue rollout in the coming months. The company currently absorbs the added costs of picking, packing and loading groceries into customers’ cars. Peapod, Ahold’s online offering, now has both home delivery and pickup at 200 locations. Other grocers, including Kroger and Publix, are starting to outsource pick, pack and last-mile delivery capabilities. It seems US grocers are facing a classic prisoner’s dilemma: Playing online will erode margins, but not playing online leaves them vulnerable to share loss to first movers, including entrants like AmazonFresh, Thrive Market and Relay Foods, restaurant-delivery players, like UberEATS, Caviar, GrubHub and Seamless, and meal-delivery services, including Blue Apron, Plated, and Sakara Life.
Speed and cost don’t matter if the customer’s experience isn’t a good one. The goal for retailers this holiday season is more than fast and low-cost fulfillment. They also have to make the experience flexible, reliable and seamless. That means addressing shoppers’ frustrations with high free-shipping thresholds, packages left on doorsteps, yet-to-be-updated tracking links and “we missed you” notifications. This is where traditional retailers can leverage stores to gain a leg up on Amazon.
Omnichannel retailers are actively promoting buy online and pick up in-store. Customers get products quickly and conveniently, typically don’t pay a shipping fee and have complete control over the retrieval process. And in-store pickup seems to appeal to shoppers: A recent survey found that nearly 35% have bought online and picked up at a store in the last year. But almost half of those customers reported problems.
Imagine this: You place an order online for in-store pickup. You’re told your order will be ready within an hour. Two hours later, you haven’t heard from the retailer, so you drive to the store. There’s no designated pickup area, so you wait in the customer service line. Fifteen minutes later, a confused customer service rep disappears to go look for your order. Another 10 minutes go by. The manager arrives. “Are you sure you selected this store for pickup?” he asks. You nod yes. He makes some calls, but still no order. Then you come up with a suggestion: “Why don’t I just go to the aisle and find the product myself?” You find the product but at a higher price. You head back to the manager to cancel your online order and persuade him to ring up your in-store purchase at the online price. After 45 minutes in the store, you finally head home with your product in hand.
Operational challenges around inventory systems, staffing levels, training, incentives, space and signage for pickups are creating a host of new frustrations for customers this holiday season. Third-party providers, like Curbside, offer consumers an alternate means for ordering and retrieving online purchases and are expanding partnerships with industry stalwarts, including Target and Best Buy. Walmart has added pickup department managers in more than 3,500 of its stores to accommodate the large number of buy online and pick up in-store customers anticipated this holiday season.
Even Amazon is taking a lesson from the omnichannel playbook. Concerns about theft, privacy and weather mean customers don’t always want packages delivered to their front door. Amazon continues to invest in its Lockers, self-service pickup sites where shoppers can retrieve their orders, expanding from 200 to 300 locations in the last year. The problem for the online retailer is finding and retaining retail partners to house its lockers. In February, Amazon also opened its first staffed pickup and drop-off facility on the campus of Purdue University—a response to the difficulty students in dorms have receiving packages. Since then, the company has expanded to four more universities.
Considerations for retailers moving forward
Investments in modernizing supply chains aren’t small. Some retailers, including Target, Walmart and Nordstrom, have committed a significant chunk of their capital plans (from $0.5 billion to $1.5 billion) to the technology, inventory management upgrades and infrastructure needed to fuel digital growth.
Moving forward, the challenge is how best to balance consumers’ demands for free, fast, flexible, reliable and seamless fulfillment with real capital and operating expense thresholds. To achieve that balance, retailers are going to have to answer a number of questions:
- What really matters to our most valuable customers? Winners will tailor their fulfillment capabilities to the needs of their most valuable segments, prioritizing where to be best in class in service (speed, flexibility, reliability, shipping fees) vs. where to be best in cost internally. What’s important is delivering an exceptional experience to the best customers, not rewarding the worst customers.
- What are the full system economics associated with delivering this strategy? As omnichannel retailers evaluate the cost of building ship-from-store capabilities vs. building a new warehouse or partnering with a third-party logistics provider, variables like the cost of labor differentials across stores and warehouses, and existing warehouse capacity may start to tip the scale. Also a factor is the trade-off between shipping costs and speed: How quickly can retailers get products to customers for free? Best-in-class operators are also evaluating how inventory congruency across channels can improve the economics of store fulfillment—reducing split shipments and simplifying in-store pickups and returns—and how congruency levels should vary by category. Finally, advanced analytics are key to optimizing costs: demand shaping to steer customers toward lower-cost fulfillment options, predictive inventory placement to better align supply with localized demand, online insights to localize store assortments and dynamic order-fulfillment algorithms to identify in real time when it makes sense to ship centrally vs. locally.
- How can we adapt store operations to ensure a high-quality customer experience? Staffing, layout and technology all help stores compete with the efficiencies of large-scale fulfillment centers; they also drive shopper loyalty. Winners this holiday season will balance staff specialization with flexibility at peak times, ensuring optimal service levels for in-store pickup customers. They also will reconfigure space and invest in tools to make pickups and deliveries more convenient and productive while balancing the overall square footage and format type of their stores.
- What new technology will give us a competitive edge? Integrated and synchronized systems and technology are required for seamless fulfillment. For example, links among warehouse management systems, inventory systems, planograms, order management systems and POS systems are becoming more complicated but also more essential. And looking forward, innovators must ask, “How can we do this even better?” Radio frequency identification (RFID), microrobotics and other new technologies, for example, can help retailers pick and pack orders in stores more accurately and quickly, which could have a significant impact on the economics of fulfillment. But disruptive technologies—drones, robots and 3-D printing—are also on the horizon. The challenge is to identify what’s needed and then to invest in a timely fashion in order to create new sources of competitive advantage.
The countdown to Black Friday is under way
Black Friday is turning into Black November again this holiday season. A number of US retailers promoted Singles Day (11/11) this year, and several have announced early Black Friday sales. Best Buy held a pre–Black Friday sales event on November 7; Sam’s Club offered exclusive holiday sales on November 14; and Kmart is hosting Black Wednesday sales throughout November. And early this month, Amazon began offering 30,000 “lightning deals,” twice as many as last year.
As online sales become increasingly important on Black Friday, omnichannel retailers will have to decide how to tie their Black Friday promotions into a seamless shopping experience. For example, should online Black Friday deals also be available in stores? And should doorbusters also be available online for pickup in stores?
Looking forward: Future release dates and topics
We wish you all success over the upcoming Thanksgiving shopping weekend. We’ll be back soon thereafter to explore all things Amazon, including how perception of the online giant stacks up to reality.
Here’s what we’re planning for the next few issues:
- Issue #3 (early December): Half-time report and "All eyes on Amazon"
- Issue #4 (mid-December): Digical® retail and why stores matter
- Issue #5 (late January): Holiday recap and 2016 outlook
Please let us know if you have any questions or would like to arrange a follow-up discussion on modernizing retail supply chains, grocery delivery models or other retail topics. We look forward to sharing news of other innovations and strategies with you throughout the holiday season.
1 Retail sales include North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) categories 442 (furniture and home furnishings stores), 443 (electronics and appliance stores), 444 (building materials and garden equipment and supplies dealers), 445 (food and beverage stores), 446 (health and personal care stores), 448 (clothing and clothing accessories stores), 451 (sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores), 452 (general merchandise stores) and 453 (miscellaneous store retailers), and e-commerce and mail-order sales across these categories.
2 Vision Critical provides a cloud-based customer intelligence platform that allows companies to build engaged secure communities of customers they can use continuously, across the enterprise, for ongoing, real-time feedback and insight. Vision Critical’s Consumer, Retail, & Shopper Insights Consulting Practice used its proprietary national community, Springboard America, to provide longitudinal insight on the consumer holiday shopping journey.
3 Between November 6 and 10, 2015, we surveyed 1,500 consumers representative of the general US population using an interactive online survey. The same group of individuals will be surveyed for subsequent newsletters to provide a longitudinal view.
4 Quad Analytix provides retailers with market intelligence to inform their business decisions. According to the company, it captures and analyzes product, pricing, placement and promotion data from hundreds of retailers and presents the information in an easy-to-use software-as-a-service application. For this newsletter, Quad Analytix tracked promotional emails from more than 70 retailers across a range of retail sectors, comparing the average number of shipping promotions from November 17 through December 28, 2014, with the average the rest of the year.
5 StellaService measures the performance of retailers’ customer service operations. Through a network of mystery shoppers, the company evaluates the performance of retailers’ shipping and returns, as well as the speed and quality of customer care provided by phone, email and live-chat agents. The data collected through these daily evaluations are made available through the company’s Stella Metrics data platform. This platform enables retailers to measure their own service performance as well as track the performance of competitors and other leading retailers. For this analysis, standard delivery times are defined as the basic, nonexpedited shipping options made available by retailers.
6 Based on Christmas cutoff shipping dates for 23 retailers tracked by StellaService in both 2013 and 2014. Cutoffs are for “standard shipping” options that require no additional payment or minimum basket size to qualify.
Digical® is a registered trademark of Bain & Company


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The tourism industry has a technological ally for hotel searches and online reservations. This is Google, through tools such as Google Hotel Ads, which allows customers to book the room of their choice through the Internet.
A study conducted by the company Roiback specialized in the area concluded that currently, a high percentage of accommodation reservations are made through metasearch engines. In this sense, Google Hotel Ads has allowed hotels an increase in sales of 70%. The reserves come mostly from Spain, the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy and Portugal.
The use of technologies allows speed in transactions, security, transparency and time savings. Today, travelers can conduct searches, bookings, payments from the comfort of home or office. They do not need to travel to a travel agency, bank or even the airline counter at the airport to obtain a ticket, as it is issued in electronic format.
Google Hotel Ads is located above Trivago and Tripadvisor, with 65% in the online booking segment. According to the Roiback study, 75% of travelers book packages, flights and hotels for their holidays via Internet.
For its part, Google Ads remains the main marketing channel in various industries, not only in the field of tourism. Felipe Bravo, digital marketing manager of Roiback, proposes a combination of Google Ads and Google Hotel Ads to obtain optimal results.
Bravo highlighted the facility to connect with Google users who actively seek accommodation, the capture of direct clients and their subsequent loyalty, and the reduction of distributors, wholesalers, bed banks and online agencies.
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The e-commerce sector has seen a boom over the last few years. Many businesses have started to shift their working operations to digital platforms. Performing activities while sitting at home is the new norm in society which has made life easier for many customers. On the other side, fraudsters have also become sophisticated in conducting illicit activities during this time. They create obstacles for companies who want to provide their clients with maximum satisfaction. Identity verification service determines that only real clients are onboarded and evaluate any risks associated with them.
Different Types of Online Identity Thefts
Customers feel less trusted towards those institutions which are at risk of getting attacked by the fraudsters. Criminals are now using various technologies to devise new ways to manipulate individuals and companies. This has given a rise to online identity thefts to prevail. Companies are looking forward to finding stringent solutions to overcome identity theft. Regulatory authorities are making it mandatory for businesses to verify identities to protect them from any hefty fines. Online ID verification services are deployed to provide customers with a seamless experience.
Synthetic Identity Theft
In this kind of identity theft, the scammer combines a piece of authentic information about an individual with some fake details. Synthetic identity fraud is difficult to get detected since some parts of it is containing real information. Fraudsters can add fake addresses, names, or any detail which can easily be altered. It is generally carried out to conduct unauthorized activities in a more sophisticated manner on digital platforms.
Financial Identity Theft
Multiple financial institutions are becoming a victim of identity theft at an alarming rate. Scammers hack the passwords or pin code details of the user’s account. Moreover, stealing the credit card credentials of users and faking identities while performing transitions can lead the company to severe dangers. A value of a bank can get degraded as a result of these scams. Similarly, the social security number should also be protected for avoiding any mishaps of registering fake businesses and avoiding taxes.
Medical Identity Theft
Cybercriminals are leaving no stone unturned to attack every sector of the world. The Healthcare industry is also getting affected by the malicious attacks of fraudsters. Impersonating the identity of a patient to gain benefits by availing of free services is a heinous crime. In accordance with Shufti Pro News, hospitals are facing problems of data breaches as systems are getting hacked. Identity verification services are needed by the healthcare sector at an immense rate.
Online Identity Verification Services – A Short Description
Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA)
It is a comparatively old method for verifying the identities of individuals. Banks generally used this process by asking specific questions to the users. It can be any question comprising of what is their name or what was the name of the last car they bought?. A simple method of verification is not competent enough to detect fraudsters. They can easily dodge the KBA authentication process by telling fake details while opening an account or applying for a loan. It is not a secure option for verifying identities as the information required is quite basic.
Biometrics Identity Verification System
Artificial intelligence has taken over the world and greatly plays an integral part in combating fraudsters. Businesses enforcing a biometrics identity verification system can get a customer’s verified identity by mapping out their facial features. Moreover, biometrics can help in the process of age verification to determine the age of the users. The live detection technology enables it to differentiate between a real client and a person who is faking through spoofing tricks. It has gained immense popularity due to which many businesses are showing reliance on them just like Shufti Pro Fundings.
Wrapping it Up
To sum everything up, businesses are adopting new tactics to satisfy their customer needs. Companies need to prevent their customer from becoming victims of identity theft. Ensuring high data security and identity validation can improve the digital onboarding process. Synthetic identity fraud and financial thefts need to be minimized before it further worsens the situation. Finding the right balance between fulfilling the customer’s needs and protecting the firm from crimes is essential for every business to flourish successfully.


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The USDA’s latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report shows a slight uptick in corn prices, a 125-million-bushel increase in projected corn exports and a 9 percent drop in corn stocks.
The report, released on Wednesday, indicated an 8 percent jump in corn exports to 1.3 billion bushels.
“Continued strong export sales and a rising weekly shipment pace for U.S. corn during March support the higher expected export level as does an increase in projected global corn demand,” the report said.
The 2013-2014 season-average farm price for corn was raised to $4.40 to $4.80 per bushel, compared with $4.25 to $4.75 per bushel reported in March. Despite the increase, this price forecast is still 30 percent lower than corn prices seen in 2012-2013.
Globally, the USDA sees corn production increase by 6.4 million tons with a 2-million-ton increase for Brazil and a 1-million-ton increase for both South African and Russia.
The report also showed a 30-million-bushel increase in U.S. soybean supplies for 2013-2014, projected at 3.49 billion bushels. Exports were forecast higher as well, adding 50 million bushels to reflect a record year-to-date shipment and large outstanding sales.
“Despite relatively high prices and record harvests in South America, U.S. exports have remained strong, especially to China, where imports from the United States have already exceeded the previous marketing-year record,” the report said.
The range of season-average soybean price was narrowed $12.50 to $13.50 per bushel.


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PRESCOTT – The town is on a roll with its north-end industrial park.
For the third time in as many months, Prescott has announced the sale of a parcel of industrial land to a company that wants to expand into the area.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Kemptville-based Blacks Creek Innovations has offered to buy a 4.5-acre parcel of land on Development Drive for $25,000 an acre.
Council is expected to approve the sale at its next meeting on Sept. 21.
Blacks Creek, which makes firewood processors, equipment and conveyers, wants to use the property for an equipment showroom, retail parts shop, equipment assembly and maintenance.
Outside, the company will use the property to showcase its equipment and storage.
Blacks Creek has committed to using a number of local contractors and suppliers during the construction, town officials said in a statement announcing the deal.
“The development will provide employment opportunities over the short term and initial growth period with potential long-term increases anticipated,” the statement said.
The Blacks Creek sale follows two other industrial park deals approved by the town this summer.
Earlier this month, council endorsed the sale of about 55 acres to Toronto-area developer Dhavel Patel, who plans a commercial truck/car travel plaza on Development Drive.
The deal brought $1.54 million into the town’s coffers. Under it, Patel has three years to obtain a site plan agreement from the town and three years after that to build his travel plaza on at least 25 acres of the property.
In July, the town sold 10 acres in the park to Alantra Leasing, which plans to build its Eastern Ontario distribution centre for mobile office trailers and modular buildings. That deal was worth $250,000 to the town.
Marcus de Winter, president of the New Brunswick-based company, said Alantra intends to build a 10,000-square-foot building for the repair and refurbishing of the mobile units as they come back off leases.
The three deals combined mean the town’s industrial land sales this summer total about $1.9 million.


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Hi, Everybody: A quick reminder that there will be NO LAKE BALBOA NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MEETING IN THE MONTH OF JULY! We'll look forward to seeing you again on August 11th at 9:00 AM at the Flyaway. Be safe and healthy and have a great Vacation!!!
Also, a heartfelt request to ENJOY YOUR DINNER FROM DEL TACO RESTAURANT THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 22, FROM 4:00 TO 7:00 pm! Twenty Percent of your purchase will be donated to the Southern California Preparedness Foundation, producers of the Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair, whether you make your purchase at the drive-thru window or inside. You do not have to say anything or bring our flyer. It happens automatically! The Fair this year is on Saturday, September 29th, from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM at the Northridge Fashion Center, 9400 Shirley Ave., just south of Plummer (NW corner of the Fashion Center in the Pacific Theaters Parking Lot).
Registration for the Fair opens online on July 1st. (www.SoCalPrep.us) Registration is also available at the Fair. Remember, the Fair is completely free to attendees -- parking, admission, lunch*, starter family Emergency Preparedness kits* (*as long as supplies last), demonstrations, speakers and presentations. Nothing is sold at the Fair -- vendors are not even allowed to take orders! So it's a fun-filled, family-oriented day for all! Come be with us and be part of the fun!
See you at Del Taco this Friday!?!?!?
Call Linda Pruett, Co-Chair, LBNC EP Committee and
Corporate Secretary of the So. Cal. Preparedness Foundation


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Consumer goods company Thrasio entered into a restructuring support agreement with approximately 81% of its revolving credit facility lenders and approximately 88% of its term loan lenders that will eliminate approximately $495 million of the company’s existing debt.
Ebix reached a “stalking horse” agreement to sell its North American Life and Annuity assets to Zinnia, an Eldridge business and life insurance and annuity technology and service company, as part of its efforts to strengthen its balance sheet and position the company for sustainable growth.
Cyxtera, a data center colocation, interconnection services and digital infrastructure company, entered into an asset purchase agreement under which Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and its institutional partners will acquire substantially all of Cyxtera’s assets for $775 million.
Businesses of all sizes have faced mounting pressure this year, whether due to tightened lending standards or continually increasing interest rates. Representatives from several turnaround management firms spoke with ABF Journal to explore the factors driving restructuring activity in 2023 and beyond.
Shift Technologies, a consumer-centric omnichannel retailer for buying and selling used cars, and its subsidiaries intend to file a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to implement an orderly wind down of its business.
AlixPartners welcomed Paolo Rinaldi as its new partner and managing director in the firm’s Italian turnaround and restructuring practice.
Instant Brands, a houseware and appliance manufacturer with brands like Pyrex and Instant Pot, received a commitment for an additional $30 million in new term loan financing from its existing lenders, increasing the amount of the company’s term loan credit facility to $162.5 million.
AlixPartners released the findings of its 18th annual Turnaround and Transformation Survey, which revealed that the world’s turnaround executives expect a prolonged and intensifying period of restructuring on the horizon.
Instant Brands Files for Chapter 11, Appoints Hollerbach of AlixPartners Chief Restructuring Officer
Instant Brands filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Additionally, the company appointed Adam Hollerbach, partner and managing director at AlixPartners, chief restructuring officer.
Cyxtera, a provider of data center colocation and interconnection services, initiated a pre-arranged court-supervised process under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.


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Businesses across the world are coming to terms with the revelation that daily procedures are quickly changing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether your company has temporarily halted all business or has decided to implement a telework routine, how you approach your digital marketing presence should be adjusted in response to this current health crisis. Message tones, current campaigns, and the effect that the pandemic has on your industry should all be carefully considered before posting or sharing digital content. Here are a few tips on steering your digital marketing presence during COVID-19 Lockdown:
Be Mindful of Your Tone
The beauty of social media during this pandemic is its ability to build companionship through digital platforms. A change in routine, different work settings, and social distancing have been tough for many. But there is a level of hopefulness in knowing that we can and will continue to communicate with each other with the help of the internet. The tone conveyed by businesses and individuals has varied, but it is important to remain optimistic while not making light of the situation when navigating your digital marketing presence during this time. Read on to know how you can steer your digital marketing presence during COVID-19 Lockdown.
Identify Campaigns that should be paused
Maybe you had scheduled a stellar email marketing campaign to alert customers of a new product or service your company was currently offering. In trying times like these, it’s crucial to recognize that it’s OK to hit the pause button on advertising non-urgent matters. Consider shifting your focus to ways that your service can help out current customers amidst his health crisis. Despite a cutback in businesses that can stay open right now, it is encouraging to see many big companies advertise their products while recognizing the impact that COVID-19 is causing on our daily lives. For example, Uber Eats neglected to post about St. Patrick’s Day deals or delivery specials. Instead, they highlighted a different campaign — their current effort to keep small businesses afloat. Through this campaign, any Uber Eats customer who orders from a local restaurant in the U.S. or Canada can expect zero delivery fees.
Inform Customers of COVID-19’s Effects on Your Industry
The continuation of business during this unprecedented ordeal varies across industries. Companies that conduct a good amount of business online have been able to shift to teleworking, while some small restaurants have resorted to shutting down temporarily. However, this pandemic is affecting your business or industry overall, be sure to share announcements with your customers. This could mean pinning a banner to your website, sending out an email blast, or posting on social media platforms. Notifying customers of your business’ current tweak of processes will relieve any panic they may have, and alert them of limitations in services before they decide to pick up the phone and inquire. Even if your business hasn’t seen much change as a result of the pandemic, it’s still a good idea to recognize this crisis and show your support for those who are ill. A simple email or social media post will remind customers that you have their backs — and that your company values much more than just its bottom line.
Show Support for Other Businesses
Regardless of the industry you work in, several businesses are getting hit equally as hard — if not harder — as yours during this pandemic. Companies across the globe are utilizing social media to inform others of their current pain points due to the government’s mandatory shutdowns. Many small businesses are currently seeking loans to help cover payroll, bills, and fixed debts. Luckily, the power of the internet has helped spread messages from establishments in need. In trying times like the COVID-19 pandemic, we must rally together and acknowledge priorities other than promoting business. Major companies are backing their workers and fellow small businesses by waiving fees on services, providing employees with sick leave, and offering free meals to those in need. For some inspiration on how you can make an impact, check out this list of fifty ways that companies are leading the charge in giving back during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fact of the matter is if COVID-19 hasn’t significantly affected your business yet…it will. This pandemic is impacting all of us, but we do have the ability to decide how we will respond. Fortunately, there is some good news. Every challenge brings new opportunities. Uniworld Studios can help you rethink your campaigns, figure out how to work with and around Coronavirus, and make the most of a tricky situation, your business can emerge from this pandemic stronger than ever.


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85.72 -0.03 (-0.03%)
After hours: 6:51PM EDT
|Bid||85.15 x 900|
|Ask||85.75 x 1800|
|Day's Range||84.90 - 86.00|
|52 Week Range||58.76 - 92.35|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||51.07|
|Earnings Date||Oct 17, 2018 - Oct 22, 2018|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y Target Est||96.05|
A new app called Extend makes expensing business charges easier. Yahoo Finance's Seana Smith, Dion Rabouin and Julia La Roche talk with Extend CEO, Andrew Jamison about the venture.
With Square (NYSE:SQ) shares priced 91 times next year’s projected profits and 11 times its trailing 12-month revenue, SQ stock won’t be winning any value awards anytime soon. Right or wrong, Square has turned itself into a story stock and a lifestyle company — a la Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) — that inspires investors to ignore fundamentals and focus on the importance of its ever-growing vertical and horizontal reach. Much like Amazon, Square is poking its finger into a lot of pies, becoming a centerpiece of personal money management.
Square’s (SQ) peer-to-peer payment service Cash app is now more popular than PayPal’s (PYPL) competing service Venmo, according to data from app research firm Sensor Tower and Wall Street firm Nomura Instinet. Cash app’s accumulative downloads hit 33.5 million at the end of July, surpassing Venmo’s cumulative downloads of 32.9 million, Nomura wrote in a research note cited by CNBC. The Cash app has never racked up more downloads than Venmo, so the data indicate a milestone for Square in its race with PayPal to dominate the peer-to-peer payment market.
Square (SQ) issued its earnings guidance for the third quarter and for 2018, which were both below the consensus estimate. It sparked a sell-off in the stock. The company is expecting its third-quarter adjusted EPS to be $0.08–$0.10. The market expects EPS of $0.13. For 2018, Square has forecast a loss per share of $0.17–$0.21, which is more than a $0.16 loss per share expected by the market.
Square (SQ) has updated its payment card readers to process chip card transactions faster, allowing sellers who use the readers to speed up the lines at their checkout terminals. Customers also benefit by not having to wait so long in line.
Since Tesla produced the first Roadster sports car in 2008, Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) and its chief executive officer (CEO) Elon Musk have cemented their status as icons of technology and innovation. Now with big corporations like PepsiCo., Wal-Mart and Anheuser-Busch Inbev placing big orders for the electric semi-autonomous truck, Tesla is digging in deeper. While automakers such as Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) and General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) have dabbled in electric vehicles as part of their larger lineups, Tesla is the most well-known name focusing solely on electric cars.
One of these two companies is growing its top and bottom lines at a torrid pace. The other looks to be a rare value stock in today's bull market. But which is a better buy now?
Amazon (AMZN) invested in at least six strategic firms over the four months ended July, according to CrunchBase data. The majority of the firms Amazon has recently invested in are in India, the country in which it has lined up more than $5.0 billion to grow its business.
Charter Communications (CHTR) is raising more funds that may end up in the pockets of its shareholders. The company recently said that it was selling notes maturing in 2024 to raise about $500.0 million. It said it intends to use the net proceeds from the notes sale for activities that include buying back some of its shares and paying down its outstanding debt.
Some options traders are betting shares of PayPal, Inc. ( PYPL) rise by over 7% over the next few weeks. Analysts see the payment processor’s stock rising too, by as much as 13% in the coming months. Forecasts are calling for strong earnings and revenue growth for the company over the next three years.
It’s been a stellar summer for payment processing company Square Inc. (NYSE:SQ). The company has released good news after good news, which has sent SQ stock 10% higher over the course of just 1 month.Safe Investments to Regularly Earn 12%-Plus
In April, Amazon (AMZN) said it was hiking its Prime membership fee from $99 per year to $119 per year. That move appeared to divide observers, with some expressing concern that a price hike could spark an exodus from Prime membership. Others supported a price hike that could help Amazon garner more revenues.


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OnePlus launched the 9RT on the 13th of October only in China. Its predecessor, the OnePlus 9R also launched only in India and China. Several reports stated that OnePlus will launch the 9RT in India around Diwali season. But that was not the case. India is a huge market for OnePlus. Hence, they always tend to launch exclusive products to cater to the Indian audience. Indian consumers have been waiting for a while for the launch of the OnePlus 9RT in India. Looks like their wait is going to end soon.
Latest Report On OnePlus 9RT
Reliable leaker, Mukul Sharma, reported that the OnePlus 9RT has been listed as OnePlus RT on the Google Supported Devices list and Google Play Console listing. This could be true as he also reports that the same model number OP5154L1 had been listed on BIS Certification. While I do believe that OnePlus can do such a thing so that the Indian audience does not feel that they are getting a device launched a month ago. But, we’ll see how it pans out. Maybe they do launch it as the OnePlus RT and also launch different colorways for some exclusivity.
What’s So Exciting About OnePlus 9RT?
Well, the excitement of the Indian consumers is justified. I would also be up for it if it were to launch in my country. The device runs on a Snapdragon 888 5G chipset paired with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage. It features a 6.62″ E4 OLED display with minimal bezels and a 120Hz refresh rate. The device also packs a 4500 mAh battery which charges quickly with 65W charging. In terms of build and design, OnePlus checked all the boxes. It is a glass and metal sandwich and retains the beloved Alert Slider. In the camera housing at the rear, there lies a 50MP Sony IMX766 main lens that supports OIS and EIS. Apart from that, it also has a 16MP wide-angle and a 2MP macro lens with a 16MP selfie shooter. Overall, it has all the ingredients of a great flagship phone.
Launch Date And Pricing
According to tipster, Yogesh Brar, the OnePlus 9RT will launch at around 40000 INR to 44000 INR. There are no reports as yet about the exact launch date but it could launch around the first 15 days of December. Otherwise, considering the competition in India at this price, this device won’t make sense if they delay it.


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In today’s edition of Sneaker Me Dope, I have a couple of celebrities who are showing that their sneaker game is dope . So far this week, Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa were both spotted wearing dope sneakers with a cool outfit. Kanye was wearing a pair of Air Jordan 6’s; which we have been seeing him wearing lately. Who am I to complain, they’re hot and comfortable. Wiz Khalifa was spotted wearing a pair of the most highly anticipated sneakers of 2010; the Cool Grey 11’s.
This has to be one of my favorite outfit I’ve seen Kanye in. Since this past summer, Kanye has been wearing suits, so seeing him dress down on his day off; with a mean outfit is cool. Kanye was wearing a grey beanie (available at Urban Outfitters), plaid shirt (available at Forever 21), light jeans (available at Levi’s), and a pair of Air Jordan 6 (Flight Club).
2010’s breakthrough artist Wiz Khalifa was recently spotted at one of his shows wearing a pair of Cool Grey Air Jordan 11, with a Ilthy crewneck (available at Ilthy Clothing), a Mitchell & Ness snapback (available at Mitchell & Ness), Levi’s jeans (available at Levi’s), and a fox tail (available at Doll Skill).
Pictures Credit: Sneaker Watch
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Kanye West was spotted at the NBA All Star Game this past weekend in Los Angeles, California. Kanye was wearing a pair of Air Jordan 6’s. Kanye seem to enjoy wearing Air Jordan 6’s more than his own line of Louis Vuitton and Nike sneakers. In the last few Kanye siting, Mr. West was wearing a pair of Air’ Jordan 6’s. I will not complain about his sneakers of choice because I also own the same pair. Peep Kanye wearing Air Jordan 6’s:
Kanye West was spotted walking through the airport in a pair of Air Jordan 6’s
Friday (February 11) rapper/producer Kanye West was spotted seating court side at the Knicks Vs. Lakers game at Madison Square Garden in NYC.
The Air Jordan 6’s was released in 1991 and comes in Black/Varsity Red colorway.
2nd Picture Credit: KanyeWest.Us
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NEXT PAGE: MICHAEL JORDAN PLAYING A GAME IN THE AIR JORDAN 6’S AND AN ACTUAL PICTURE OF THE SNEAKER
This weekend in the states, most people are celebrating the 63rd Annual All-Star Game. The 3-point contest was held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center; which is the home of the Lakers. With participants from all around the league; including Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Cleveland’s Daniel Gibson, Miami’s James Jones, Goldenstate’s Dorrell Wright, and the raining 3-point champion Paul Pierce and his teammate Ray Allen all came out to participate in this year’s contest. None of the contestant came empty-handed. They all came with their A-Game. Check out the pictures above and below:
James Jones was spotted wearing a pair of Nike Air Max LeBron 8
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NEXT PAGE: MORE PLAYERS AND EXCLUSIVE SNEAKERS…


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ConsumerLab.com has obtained results of the FDA's inspections in 2014 of 483 dietary supplement manufacturing facilities, showing that most -- 62% -- received letters indicating noncompliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs). Manufacturers are required by law to follow cGMPs, but only a small fraction of facilities are inspected by the FDA each year. The results, by manufacturer, are posted on the ConsumerLab.com website (member sign-in required) and include results for manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad, listed by country. Manufacturers which passed inspection without a citation are highlighted in green, while those receiving a letter of noncompliance, known as a Form FDA 483, are highlighted in red.
ConsumerLab.com received the results on March 29, 2015 under the Freedom of Information Act and expects to report these results annually.
The FDA noted an average of 6 infractions at facilities which received notices. Although specific infractions found at each facility were not disclosed, the most common infractions -- observed at nearly 20% of noncompliant facilities, were:
- not conducting at least one appropriate test or examination to verify the identity of a dietary ingredient and/or
- not establishing product specifications for the identity, purity, strength, and/or composition of the finished dietary supplement
Among 483 sites inspected around the world, 62% received citations of noncompliance. Most of the inspections (255) occurred in the U.S., where, also, 62% received citations. The country with the most inspections after the U.S. was China, where 16 facilities were inspected. Results in China were somewhat better than in the U.S., with 9 (56%), receiving citations of noncompliance.
Among countries in which at least four inspections were performed, the percentages of facilities which received noncompliance letters were, from best to worst, 0% in Hong Kong, 33% in Switzerland, 43% in Japan, 75% in Mexico, 78% in India, 80% in Spain, and 88% in South Korea.
The Form FDA 483 letters do not represent the FDA's final determination regarding compliance. Companies may respond to the observations in the letters. If responses are insufficient, the FDA may issue a Warning Letter. ConsumerLab.com regularly posts these Warning Letters on the Recalls and Warnings page and in its free newsletter.
Some of these findings were reported in a March 21 article in Natural Product Insider which noted "a modest improvement in cGMP compliance rates in recent years. In FY12, 70 percent of dietary supplement firms inspected received a 483. The figure fell to 65 percent in FY13."


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BUDGET store Poundland has confirmed it will be opening in Rhyl.
But bosses last night remained tight-lipped about where it will be based and said they didn’t want to “raise anticipation” until plans are finalised.
It has been suggested the retailer will take on part of the Marks & Spencer site when it leaves for Prestatyn next March – but this has not been confirmed.
All they would tell the Daily Post yesterday was: “We can confirm that a Poundland will be opening in Rhyl, however the organisation is keen not to raise anticipation for a new store before plans are finalised.
“Therefore, Poundland cannot disclose any more information at this stage. As soon as all details have been confirmed, Poundland will immediately release this information.”
Poundland serves products across “17 shopping categories” including food and drink, health and beauty, household, gardening, DIY, stationery and toys.
The news comes after clothing retailer Next pulled out of the High Street to follow Marks & Spencer to the new retail development in Prestatyn. But hope has been instilled by Poundland, who are setting up shop in both towns.
Welcoming the announcement last night, John Bellis, chairman of Rhyl Business Group and Rhyl Town Centre Management Group, said: “From both towns’ point of view this is very good news and shows that high street chains are still willing to show faith in Rhyl.
“We’ve worked to increase the offer in Rhyl and we hope to entice more names to the town. The market at the moment shows there is a demand for reasonably priced goods and I think Poundland will do very well here.”
There was a mixed reaction to the news on Facebook yesterday. Sarah Tait said: “It’s better than an empty store.”
Nicky Southern said: “Another cheap shop – by the time M&S and Next go, we will have nothing. That’s what Rhyl will be known for – the cheap shops. We need decent shops – we’ve already got B&M and Home Bargains and they virtually sell the same stuff.”
Gemma Queenbabes Atkins said: “Yes we need one. Saves me money on going to the one in Llandudno.”


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Hormel Foods has launched a limited edition FIFA World Cup SPAM can in supermarkets across the UK, hoping to tap into the hype surrounding the sports event.
No advertising budget has been attached to the promotion but nevertheless sales have been strong, Hormel said. “The special edition can has been on sale a week and stocks will run out before the World Cup begins,” Hormel Spokesperson Sophie O’Mahony told just-food.
Swen Neufeldt, General Manager, Europe, Hormel Foods commented: “We wanted to do something special to celebrate World Cup 2006 and felt that a SPAM Special Edition World Cup Can offered consumers a fantastic way to support their team as well as enjoying the great taste and versatility of the product.”
Hormel expressed hopes that the World Cup can will attract new and lapsed users to the brand.


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Microsoft says it's testing a change to the Mail app on a small set of users, requiring them to use Edge to open external links. No one's happy.
Plus: Pillars of Eternity II is delayed a month, someone beat the Dark Souls trilogy without getting hit even once, and EVE players pay tribute to Stephen Hawking. This is gaming news for March 12 to 16.
A little-known security firm claims that AMD's Ryzen and Epyc architectures are subject to major exploitable flaws. While AMD said it hasn't had time to confirm or deny the claims, CTS-Labs has already published "clarifications."
Many dash cams cost north of $100, but Amazon is selling the Fliiners Mini LCD dash cam for just $30.59.
You can get a two-pack of the Keewifi Kisslink smart plug for $20, a 50 percent savings.
Make your new Galaxy S9 as useful as possible by exercising these software features and options.
The $35 Raspberry Pi micro-PC can be used for all sorts of imaginative projects. Here are some of the coolest Raspberry Pi creations out there.
If you want a case for your new Galaxy S9, check out our list to find the one that's right for you.
The next Microsoft Windows 10 update is always around the corner. Check here for the latest news, reviews, video, and more.
Google has announced that it's changing the name of Android Wear to Wear OS, but it needs more than new branding to fix what ails it.
Google has released its annual Android security support and it's done well to lock down the Play Store and phones running Oreo.
Amazon is selling a pair go Photive TWS-01 wireless earbuds with a charging case for just $33.
Looking to get started with the Raspberry Pi, Raspberry Pi 3, or Raspberry Pi Zero? These easy and practical projects are good for all levels, even beginners. Streaming. Gaming. Networking. Even printing!
from our new site, Greenbot


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If you are considering developing and building applications for the innovative and revolutionary new Google Glass eyewear you are sure to be interested in this sneak peek of the new Google Glass app-development kit which has been demonstrated this week.
Via Timothy Jordan Google has given developers a sneak peek of the brand new Glass Developer Kit, which can be seen in action in the video after the jump and follows on from SXSW, where Google announced the Glass Mirror API.
The new Google Glass Developer Kit contains plenty of features enabling developers to make a variety of applications and includes a new user facing feature called “live cards” which has been designed to provide users with an immersive experience whilst wearing Google Glass devices.
Another demonstration within the video reveals a new Google Glass-enabled version of cooking and recipe app All The Cooks which combines voice activation and the ability to swipe through recipe pages hands free as you cook.
If you are based in San Francisco Google is allowing developers to have a sneak peak at their new Google Glass App-Development Kit and is looking for users to start testing out the software to iron out an issues and bugs that might be still present before it is release as a full product.
Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals
Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.


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GILBERT, Ariz. (September 11, 2023) — Footprint, a global materials science and technology company focused on creating a healthy planet, is excited to announce changes to its leadership team and Board of Directors, setting the stage for continued growth and advancing the company’s position as a leader in sustainability by eliminating single-use plastics.
Don Thompson will assume the newly established role of Executive Chairman of the Board. The other members of the Board of Directors are:
- Manu Bettegowda, Managing Partner at Olympus Partners
- Stefan Kirsten, Chief Financial Officer, Co-Founder at Monarch
- Hilla Sferruzza, Chief Financial Officer, Executive VP at Meritage Homes Corporation
After serving as Chief Operating Officer and interim CEO for the past six months, Corey Berends has been promoted to the role of Chief Executive Officer. With a deep commitment to Footprint’s mission of fostering a healthier planet and population, Corey will lead the company’s strategic vision and drive its business objectives.
Yoke Chung, Co-Founder and Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, will continue to lead research & development as well as the development of innovative material sciences solutions.
Footprint also announces the promotion of Steve Burdumy to Chief Business Officer and General Counsel. In this dual capacity, Steve will continue to lead all legal functions and will now oversee targeted strategic business development initiatives.
Earlier this year, Mark Pedro assumed the role of Chief Financial Officer at Footprint. Mark is an experienced financial leader with extensive knowledge of manufacturing and consumer products. Prior to joining Footprint, Mark held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Ball Metalpack, a private equity-sponsored manufacturer of tinplate steel cans.
Todd Landis will continue to serve as Chief People Officer and lead the global human resource administration and talent development.
“These leadership changes underline Footprint’s ongoing commitment to advancing sustainable solutions that create a healthier planet and society,” said Don Thompson, Executive Chairman of the Board. “Footprint’s innovative technology, combined with the collective expertise of its leadership team, will drive the company’s mission forward, ultimately leaving a positive and lasting imprint on the world.”
Footprint is a global materials science and technology company with a clear vision to create a healthier planet and healthier people. Our mission is to provide solutions to eliminate single-use plastics in our food chain. Footprint’s engineers use plant-based fiber technology to design, develop, and manufacture bio-based products. Footprint is rapidly expanding into new categories with customized and patented solutions for customers. While working with leading global consumer brands, Footprint’s products have already led to a worldwide redirection of millions of pounds of plastic waste from entering the environment.
Footprint was founded in 2014 by co-founders Troy Swope and Yoke Chung. Today, the company employs about 2,000 employees with operations in the U.S., Mexico, Europe, and Asia. Footprint was named to Fast Company’s “Brands that Matter” list in 2022, CNBC’s “Disruptor 50” list in 2021, and Fortune’s “Change the World” list in 2020.
For more information on Footprint’s sustainable solutions, visit www.footprintUS.com.
VP Communications, Footprint
+1 (480) 209-1064


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Economists tell us that no one ever wins a trade war, but it is safe to say that some of the losers lose more than others.
Today, Xinhua reports:
“Continuing the steady growth momentum, China's foreign trade of goods exceeded 20 trillion yuan (about 2.8 trillion U.S. dollars) from January to August, up 3.6 percent year on year, according to the latest figures by China's General Administration of Customs.” [my highlighting]
Meanwhile, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis reports:
Year-to-date, the goods and services deficit increased $28.2 billion, or 8.2 percent, from the same period in 2018. Exports decreased $3.4 billion or 0.2 percent. Imports increased $24.9 billion or 1.4 percent.
While there is some good news in the month-to-month data, the year-to-year data shows that, although no one ever wins a trade war, China is suffering less so far than the US, which most likely goes to show that 1) The Trump tariffs have not deterred Americans from buying necessary imports from China, and 2) China trades with many countries other than the US.
Xinhua also reports:
“China's trade with the Belt and Road countries totaled 5.83 trillion yuan for the January-August period, up 9.9 percent year on year.”
“China's exports to Russia grew by 11.5% in the first month of 2019 and exceeded $4.3 billion.”
The US deficit increased less in June over May but much of this owed to shale oil and gas exports, and that has a major drawback. The fact is, most shale oil investors have been losing their shirts and many have gotten out of the market, as we detailed here.
It is therefore hard to imagine that US shale oil will continue to fuel a further increase in US energy exports. And energy is the sector that Trump was counting on to make America great again.
This leaves a big question mark dangling above the euphoria over America’s future.


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The October Feature Pack was released to all Cloud customers on Sunday, October 18th. Be sure to review the release document below:
M1011 E-Codes: Users are now able to enter E-codes into OASIS question M1011.
Client Caseload Report: The client’s cert period will now properly appear on the Client Caseload Report.
New York Medicaid: New York Medicaid rate code changes have been applied.
Texas Medicaid: Updated HCPCS codes have been applied for Texas Medicaid.
HH-CAHPS Vendors: Modifications required for HH-CAHPS vendors due to the implementation of ICD10 have been applied.


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Thursday, 30 April 2020
By Bethan Wilkins
Pig prices in Britain have barely moved so far this year. This week, the SPP remained at 164p/kg, just over 1.5p above the start of 2020 and nearly 27p above the five-year average for the time of year. The stability contrasts with developments in the wider world, where the coronavirus pandemic has led to widespread disruption.
A significant global shortage of pork continues to underpin the market. China has been battling African Swine Fever (ASF) since 2018 and last year Chinese pork production fell by over 11 million tonnes (21%). This meant that worldwide, pork production was 10% lower. In 2020, Chinese production is expected to decline similarly, further constraining global supplies.
Suppliers to the Chinese market, including the UK, would be expected to reap the benefits of another year of strong export demand. However, the coronavirus pandemic throws a number of challenges into the mix that threaten to derail this optimistic outlook.
What challenges is the British pork industry facing?
Maintaining pig meat production
Self-isolation requirements mean there are concerns staff availability at abattoirs could start to limit slaughter capacity. However, this has not been the case so far.
In the first quarter of 2020, UK pig meat production was 6% higher than last year. Slaughter was particularly high in March; producers were encouraged to send pigs for slaughter a little earlier where possible, to reduce the risk of a backlog generating if slaughter capacity was subsequently limited.
Finished pig supplies have therefore tightened in recent weeks, also influenced by typical seasonal patterns, and stagnating herd performance in late 2019. However, breeding herd expansion last year means slaughter levels should remain higher in 2020 overall.
With the pandemic ongoing, risks of disruption to slaughter remain. In the US, reports indicate COVID-19 cases in abattoirs have led to the closure of at least 20% of pork processing capacity, causing significant disruption in the supply chain and depressing farmgate pig prices. President Trump has recently ordered meat processing plants to remain open, but exactly what impact this will have on slaughter capacity remains unclear.
Export competition and logistics
UK pig meat exports (including offal) were stable in volume across January and February. However, higher prices meant the value of these shipments was up by 20% on last year. This largely reflects strong Chinese demand boosting market values.
Nonetheless, the lack of export growth highlights challenges here too. Large pork imports for Chinese New Year, coupled with the coronavirus lockdown, led to significant backlogs in Chinese ports and limited demand. Although trade has started to move again more recently, container availability remains a logistical challenge, placing constraints on the volumes that can be sent.
On top of this, US pig prices collapsed following the closure of foodservice and difficulties with slaughter capacity. Low-priced US pork has presented significant competition on the Chinese export market. But of course, this could all change if US slaughter capacity is constrained for too long.
We would still expect to see our pork exports rise this year, but it is possible that the volumes and prices achievable are not quite as high as previously anticipated.
Changing domestic demand
Domestically, demand for pig meat has also changed following the closure of most foodservice outlets during the “lockdown”. Normally, approximately 14% of pork consumption in Britain is out of home.
Initial estimates suggest that pork has switched reasonably well into the increased retail demand, though whether higher retail sales will entirely compensate for lost foodservice demand remains to be seen. Kantar data shows bacon and sausage retail sales remained strong even after the initial panic-buying period ended, with volumes up 10-35% compared to 2019 in the first three weeks of April. Primary pork sales volumes are also higher, but the growth has not sustained as well, with roasting joints a challenging area.
It’s also important to remember that the UK is a significant net importer of pig meat products, which account for about 60% of consumption. Anecdotally, the foodservice market disproportionately uses imported product. With this in mind, the British pork market is also perhaps somewhat shielded from lost foodservice demand.
Nonetheless, in some areas the changing face of British demand, coupled with some export challenges, seem to have led to building stock levels, particularly of belly and shoulder cuts. Getting an overall picture on this is tricky due to a lack of national data, and anecdotal reports have been variable. However, if supply chains struggle to move product, prices could come under pressure. Stocks are also reportedly building in some key EU producers, such as Germany, where prices declined. As a net importer of product from the EU, price trends there will affect developments here.
Equally, the cull sow market is heavily exposed to developments on the continent, as Germany is the key destination for sow carcases. You can read more about this here.
Altogether, continued Chinese demand means the pork market outlook is still positive this year. Exports are still expected to be higher than in 2019, helping compensate for any decline in domestic demand. But, we mustn’t ignore the risk of stock levels building, or slaughter levels being compromised. In such unprecedented times, we should be cautious about being too optimistic.
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Some of the world's top brands have achieved tremendous success with a marketing strategy known as 'influencer marketing.'
In 1921, an advertising manager named Fred R. Barnard famously wrote: "One picture is worth ten thousand words." The phrase struck a chord with the public and it has remained part of our lexicon ever since.
Geron Associates Limited recently completed a major project to install industrial LED lighting throughout its approximately 35,000 sq. ft. office/manufacturing facility in Markham, Ontario. The new LED lighting system replace fluorescent lights in the office and incandescent lights in the shop area. All existing light fixtures have been retrofitted with energy-efficient T5 and T8 LED lamps, and several new fixtures have also been added.
Geron Associates Limited is pleased to announce the launch of its brand new website. After four months of hard work and dedication, the company is delighted to officially announce the launch on December 11, 2015. The new site launch is available and the URL is www.geron.ca.


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Bengaluru-based warehouse robotics startup Accio Robotics has raised $1.8 million in its pre-Series A round led by BIG Capital, Unisync Angels, Daniel Fitzgerald along with existing backers such as Roots Ventures, and Anuj Bihani.
Accio Robotics had previously raised investment from 100X.VC, CIO Angel Network and a clutch of angel investors led by renowned angel investors Ajay Sarupria and Uday Sodhi.
According to Accio, the funds will be used towards reinforcing the technology and product team, establishing channels for international growth and to enable more robot deployments.
Founded by Pranav Srinivasan and Tuhin Sharma, Accio Robotics offers warehouse automation solutions and claims to have developed a robotics system that is set to transform how businesses manage order picking in their warehouses. The robotic solutions not only help drive order fulfilment productivity, but also help in hyper optimisation of space utilization.
The Bengaluru based startup plans to officially launch and showcase their product globally in February 2024 and will be targeting a global market presence beyond that.


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UAE - Australia's national brand Woolworths will now be supplying its Macro Wholefoods Market and Macro Organic brands exclusively to UAE retail major Al Maya, providing pure, wholesome food that makes eating healthy, tasty and easy.
Macro is Australia's largest healthier food brand, built on the philosophy of "what's inside matters", placing great importance on products containing only real, wholefood ingredients and nothing else.
Woolworths has been supplying its range of grocery products on an exclusive basis to Al Maya for more than a year now. During this time, Woolworths has supplied Al Maya with around 200 individual SKUs across all grocery categories - including breakfast foods, snack foods, cooking needs, condiments and canned goods.
"We have introduced Woolworths products, Australia's prime brand throughout the UAE. Woolworths products are available in all of our supermarkets and have been very well accepted by our customers," said Kamal Vachani, group director of Al Maya Group.
"We are happy and excited to introduce Woolworths' innovative health brands Macro Wholefoods Market and Macro Organic exclusively at our outlets," added Vachani. "We look forward to introducing more and more products from Woolworths Australia, and pushing our relationship to new heights in the years to come."
Copyright © 2020 Khaleej Times. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).


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Fashion is always a few steps ahead of the rest of the world thanks to its seasonal calendar, and although we’re nearing the end of 2018, plenty are already looking ahead to 2020.
Last week, Louis Vuitton announced that it would show its Cruise 2020 show in New York and now Prada has followed suit with an announcement that it will also show its next seasonal collection in the American city.
This will mark the second time the brand has shown in the Big Apple, following its Resort 2019 show there this May. Next year’s show is only the third Resort collection the brand has ever produced, having launched its first in 2017.
It is unknown exactly where in the city the show will take place however it has been confirmed for May 2.
Stay tuned for more.
Until then, find out how Miuccia Prada will be honoured at the upcoming Fashion Awards 2018.


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Friday, March 27, 2009
Digital Matrix Extends Relationship
Addison-based Digital Matrix Systems, a provider of credit decision and analytics software, said Thursday that the firm has extended an agreement with software provider IA Systems. According to Digital Matrix, IA Systems will continue to use the firm's CreditServer product within a loan origination system offered by IA. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. IA's products are used for web-based loan origination.


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** If you would like to donate clothing or household goods, please visit thriftstore.ca. **
Donations are urgently needed to help the Salvation Army Thrift Store overcome an unprecedented shortage of clothing and furniture.
“We would normally have mountains of clothing. Now, we have nearly bare floors,” said thrift store manager Kathy Lippert. “It’s hard to keep up with the needs when nothing’s coming in.”
The new year has presented new challenges at the Wyandotte Street store. Usually, furniture donations are made in January, as many people will donate the items after getting new furniture around Christmas. Read full story…
Source: Orillia Packet