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Napster will launch UK music store by end of SummerUniversal Music, the world's largest record company, said on Wednesday its European unit has converted its entire active catalogue into digital form so that some 300,000 songs can be sold in online music stores, according to Reuters.
" The songs will for now be distributed solely through OD2, Europe's largest digital music distributor. Universal also has deals with online music retailers, including Apple's iTunes and Roxio's Napster, although those companies have yet to launch their services in Europe."
Meanwhile, a second article on the subject quotes Napster, who said today that it plans to launch a UK version of its online music store "by the end of the summer".
The company is expected to be pipped to the post by Apple, which is rumored to announce its own UK service in the second quarter of 2004.
On Topic: General
- Kate Winslet, others rumored to join cast of upcoming Steve Jobs movie
- Led by Whole Foods shoppers, Apple Pay accounted for 1% of digital payment dollars in November
- Apple slams BBC report on suppliers, says provided facts were 'clearly missing' from broadcast
- Apple CEO Tim Cook gives 'substantial' sum to gay rights initiative
- Undercover video shows alleged worker rights violations at Apple supplier


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DENVER, Dec. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- After a few years of significant challenge, the outlook for U.S. milk producers is beginning to improve, according to a new report from CoBank. Despite projected supply increases, milk prices are poised for modest improvement in the years ahead thanks to new export opportunities and gains in processing and production efficiency.
"We're seeing dairy farm expansions, meaning producers are hopeful that prices will increase from today's levels," says Ben Laine, senior economist at CoBank. "These dairies are banking on the future and on global growth. We believe that there is cause for cautious optimism given prospects for strengthened international demand and the industry's long track record of innovation."
U.S. dairies will produce over 225 billion pounds of milk in 2020 – approximately 7 percent higher than today's output, according to projections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And domestic demand for milk and milk products will remain relatively flat, given the maturity of the U.S. consumer market. Nonetheless, Laine says, the industry is poised to benefit from overseas demand in Asia, Latin America and Africa driven by population growth and increased middle class consumption.
Exports now represent about 14 percent of all U.S. milk production, compared to less than 8 percent a decade ago. That increases the amount of exposure U.S. dairies have to currency risk, geopolitical events and other unpredictable factors. "The outlook for the next several years is positive, but precarious," Laine says.
One immediate challenge facing the industry is that processing capacity has not kept up with the growth in milk production.
"New processing plants and plant expansions over the next couple of years will provide some relief," says Laine. "Meanwhile, the U.S. dairy industry must do everything it can to maintain and develop domestic demand and evolve with customers. This includes the development of innovative products to adapt to changing consumer tastes."
Going forward the U.S. will need to position itself strategically to be able to compete with other mature dairy producing regions, the European Union in particular. Additionally, the U.S. dairy industry must invest in establishing relationships within sophisticated global supply chains to further develop demand and open new markets, according to the CoBank report.
"Success will hinge on the ability to balance innovation in domestic products with responsiveness and competitiveness abroad," Laine says.
A synopsis of the report, "Future of the U.S. Dairy Industry Hinges on Exports" is available at CoBank.com. The full report is available to media upon request.
CoBank is a $120 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 75,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.
CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking
For more information about CoBank, visit the bank's web site at www.cobank.com.
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/milk-prices-poised-for-modest-improvement-300375586.html

domain: news


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Fruit marketer Chiquita has extended its new multi-channel marketing campaign to Belgium this week, following similar launches in Germany, Greece and Italy.
The company’s European campaign, which was developed in partnership with Italy’s Armando Testa Group under the slogan ‘Always the best choice’, is due to run from April until the end of the year, and highlights a number of daily dilemmas apparently faced by consumers.
“After launching in Germany, Greece and Italy the Balance campaign has finally started in Belgium to bring the lighthearted dilemmas and the funny character of Chiquita bananas even closer to the Belgian consumers,” the company commented. “The campaign will be live until mid June all around the country.”
In the US, meanwhile, Chiquita has begun marketing a new variation on its iconic blue stickers. Featuring different letters of the alphabet, the labels are designed to be collected and used creatively by consumers.
“Do you remember that game with the Chiquita Blue Stickers in your childhood?” the company asked in a marketing press release. “Remember how much fun it was?! Recently, people have started to play this game again. They collect the Blue Stickers from their bunch of Chiquita bananas and stick them on yellow objects like tennis balls, letters, skirts and shirts.”
With the stickers reportedly popping up more frequently on social media channels, Chiquita is aiming to capitalise on the associated sense of fun by offering the special alphabet labels on its fruit.
“As soon as banana-lovers have collected the letters they need for composing a word or a sentence, they stick their creations on a funny place,” it suggested. “Chiquita is inviting all Chiquitize writers to take pictures of their designs and to post them on Facebook or Instagram and to challenge their friends to do the same.”
The so-called #yellowchallenge was already going viral, it noted, adding that the “funniest, most meaningful or most imaginative” creations would be posted on Chiquita’s websites and social media platforms.
“This amusing game underlines the fact that Chiquita is not only a remarkable brand for tasty and sustainably produced bananas, but also a modern, fun brand.”


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Two Cirrus Logic Execs Join CEA Panels16 Jan, 2002 By: Hive News
Two execs from digital entertainment semiconductor provider Cirrus Logic have joined the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) governing panels.
Matthew Perry, VP and GM of Cirrus' Crystal Products Division, has joined the Board of Directors, while Bob Bennett, VP of marketing for Cirrus' Wireless Division, was named as a board member to CEA's Home Networks and Information Technology (HNIT) Division. The division focuses on accelerating the adoption of networked consumer technologies. The two began their terms Jan. 1.
"From video to audio to wireless to mobile electronics, consumers are embracing the digital age," said Gary Shapiro, CEA president and CEO. "With Cirrus known as a leader of the digital entertainment revolution, having Matthew Perry on our board will provide unique expertise and strategic direction."
The Consumer Electronics Association represents more than 650 companies within the U.S. consumer technology industry and provides resources including market research, promotional and educational programs, technical standards and lobbying to promote and advance the concerns of consumer electronic companies.
In addition to Cirrus Logic's representation, the 2002 Board of Directors will comprise representation from Hewlett Packard, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba and Yamaha. The Home Networks and Information Technology Division of CEA will be composed of board members from companies including Compaq, Intel, Microsoft and Radio Shack.


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During a press conference in London on Tuesday 9th of February 2016 Vinexpo, organizer of the world’s largest wine and spirit exhibition, announced, that according to the Vinexpo/IWSR study volume consumption of wine in the UK will show above- average growth over the next five years. Data for UK wine and spirits consumption from 2013 and 2014, and forecasts to 2019, reveal wine consumption rising by 1.8% over the next five years compared with projected average global growth of 1.4%.
The UK wine marekt also consolidated its position as the world’s biggest importer of wine by value in 2015 when imports of both still and sparkling wine reached £11.85 billion ($17.2 billion). This is twice the value of imports to the USA, the world’s biggest volume consumer of wine. In contrast, between 2013 and 2014 the UK was fifth largest among wine consuming countries.
By 2019 the volume of UK wine imports will rise 0.5%, to reach 138 million 9-litre cases, whereas the volume of wines imported into the USA will fall by 1.2% over the same period.


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"We are interested in the future of resources," the duo told Dezeen. "Hair is one of the few natural resources that is increasing globally. Hair grows sixteen times faster than the trees used for tropical hardwood which can take 300 years to reach maturity."
For the Hair Highway project, the designers travelled to China to visit a hair market in Shandong and film parts of the hair trade.
"Since working with hair we have always wanted to follow the route back to the factories that process it, the traders that take it to market and the people that grow and sell it," they explained.
Exploring the potential of this abundant natural material, Studio Swine created a series of accessories to show off its properties and change preconceptions about using human hair in products.
"We are used to wearing silk, which comes from insects, and wool which is sheep hair – human hair too has that moment where it becomes dehumanised," the designers said.
They created a series of decorative pieces, which includes smaller items like a set of decorative boxes, vases and trinket holders, as well as a large inlayed screen and the base for a combined mirror and dressing table.
Asian hair was chosen specifically because it "grows faster, is better quality, and thicker than European hair", according to the studio.
The hair is sorted, brushed and packed in the factories, then dyed and bundled before shipping.
To create the items, the strands were laid out flat in a thin layer and coloured resin was poured over the top.
Once set into a solid block, the material acts like tropical hardwood. It was sawed into sections and glued back together to create patterns from the different colours.
The simple shapes of the pieces were influenced by the art-deco architecture and design found in Shanghai.
"We were inspired by the geometric lines of Shanghai Deco style," said the duo. "The 1930s were a golden age in Shanghai and it is still an aesthetic that is intrinsically linked with its character."
The project and items was presented by Pearl Lam Galleries at Design Miami/Basel earlier this month, where Studio Job showed a highway maintenance-themed furniture collection and Konstantin Grcic used seven tailgate doors from Audi TT sports cars to create a mobile pavilion.
Studio Swine's resource-based research has also lead the designers to create a mobile foundry used it to cast aluminium stools from drinks cans and a machine that transforms plastic picked up by fishing trawlers into chairs on board the boats.


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Tesla had 400,000 Storm Watch activations
In 2021, Tesla had 400,000 Storm Watch activations on Powerwall battery packs, according to the company. In the event of severe weather, the function assists households in avoiding power interruptions. Tesla began incorporating features for Powerwall and solar customers into its mobile app for vehicle owners in 2018. A year later, the business launched a new ‘Storm Watch’ to identify storms and prepare for power disruptions by storing energy.
The function rapidly proved handy, as Tesla Powerwall owners in Queensland, Australia, claimed that the feature was triggered ahead of a hurricane approaching. Tesla then utilized the feature to help ‘hundreds’ of Powerwall users affected by wildfires in California.
Tesla has enhanced its weather-based capabilities and expanded Storm Watch to many additional weather occurrences a few years after it was enabled:
- Hurricane (watch or warning)
- Tropical storm (watch or warning)
- Red flag (warning)
- Thunderstorm or severe thunderstorm (warning)
- Tornado (warning)
- Winter storm (warning)
- Blizzard (warning)
- High wind (warning)
- Ice storm (warning)
- Snow squall (warning)
- Wind chill (warning)
- Wind (advisory)
Part of the reason for the huge figure is the growth in the number of Powerwalls placed in the last year. Tesla said last year that it has installed over 250,000 Powerwalls throughout the world.
For more news and updates, visit WHEELive.


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beenz.com, creator of beenz, the web’s currency, announced it has appointed FCB Worldwide to launch the company’s first-ever global advertising campaign. Banks Hoggins O’Shea/FCB (BHO/FCB), in London, will be FCB Worldwide’s lead office on the account, setting the strategy for the campaign.
The account will focus on building awareness of the beenz brand and increase the rapidly growing number of beenz consumer accounts, which currently stands at more than three million worldwide.
FCB will handle beenz.com’s worldwide creative and advertising strategy. The start of the new campaign is scheduled for late fall of 2000. Leading up to the launch, beenz and FCB will be working on a program of strategic alliances. To set the example for the viability of beenz as a currency, the agency will receive part of its fee from beenz.com in the form of beenz.
Key to the global advertising campaign is maximizing the return on investment per advertising dollar spent by using the Internet as a key communications medium with consumers. An integral part of beenz.com’s global advertising campaign will be to use “network effect technology,” sophisticated viral marketing techniques which will increase consumer acquisition rates and word of mouth.
Nicolas de Santis, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for beenz.com, said: “Research has shown that traditional advertising by dot coms has failed because they have not been strategic. They have simply `thrown money’ at the media. beenz.com has grown its consumer base to date by working with its participating merchants, and through public relations, guerrilla tactics and smart marketing. We are now embarking on the mission to make beenz the definitive global digital currency brand.”
“We have appointed FCB because they have demonstrated a commitment to show return on investment, as well as devising an innovative ad/media strategy that maximizes the potential of the Internet. Their work for us will not stop there. They will be facilitating and brokering new business relationships for beenz.com.”
A recent survey conducted by market research group Greenfield Online showed that Internet companies spending up to 70 percent of revenue on advertising might still not be creating brand awareness. The survey asked consumers to list five names that came to mind when thinking about e-commerce and the Internet. The results showed many Internet companies were not “top of mind,” or easily recognizable, despite large advertising budgets. The survey concluded that for companies on the Internet, the winning brands would be those that allocate their resources in the most effective ways.
Steve Hastings, managing partner for planning, BHO/FCB, said: “The ambition and energy of beenz to become the first global digital currency was a very powerful magnet for BHO/FCB. We are delighted to be working on what we believe is a great business and consumer proposition, and we have in fact decided as an agency to take part of our payment in beenz. We really foresee that beenz has the potential to become an icon brand of the new economy.”
Launched just 16 months ago, the universal nature of the web’s currency is reflected in its rapid expansion across the globe, with offices established in 10 countries. More than 25 million beenz transactions have taken place to date and beenz can be earned and/or spent at over 300 web sites around the world, including US-based BarnesandNoble.com, CD Now, and MP3.com. In addition, EddieBauer.com, Garden.com and more than 100 web merchants are participating in the successful beenzBack Shopping program.
Consumers earn beenz by simply visiting, interacting with, or shopping at participating web sites, and they can then spend their beenz with participating traders on DVDs, sporting goods, vacations, books, downloadable music, clothing and thousands of other products and services. Consumers can also convert their beenz directly into cash stored on a “rewardzcard”, a beenz-branded MasterCard debit card that is accepted by 18 million merchants.
beenz.com, creator of beenz, the web’s currency(TM), is headquartered in New York with offices across North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. beenz is a powerful e-currency designed to attract and maintain the attention of consumers. beenz technology partners are Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ: ORCL), Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ: SUNW) and Exodus (NASDAQ: EXDS). For more information, please visit www.beenz.com.
About FCB Worldwide
BHO/FCB is one of the top 20 UK advertising agencies with annual billings of (pound)150 million, and part of the FCB global network with current worldwide billings of US$8.3 billion. FCB Worldwide is owned by True North Communications (NASDAQ: TNO).Details


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In Our Fast-Paced World,
The demand for convenience is impacting most industries – including communications, retail, tourism, and of course, foodservice. As our recent All About Dining Out report showed, more than a third (35%) of consumers eat out to save time.
In fact, a recent report by Technomic shows that 85% of consumers decide what to eat the same day – a surprising number that has led to the widespread availability of convenient meal solutions. Drive-thrus, food trucks, meal kits and prepared foods at grocery stores are all seeing dramatic growth, because just about every generation and every dining segment craves convenience.
You’ve probably seen businesses profiting from convenient options yourself. The proliferation of food halls, fast casual restaurants, grab-and-go markets and even restaurants within retail is happening before our eyes, and it’s proof that consumers crave quality meals on-the-go. This is especially true for Gen Z. The Technomic report found Gen Z – which tends to prefer spending on experiences over consumer goods – already out-spends Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation on dining out, and 58% go online to find restaurant deals.
Typically, those looking for quick meal options are less concerned about health or being able to share menu items with their friends or family members. Burgers and nuggets often win in these occasions.
We know pork can play a prominent role as a convenient meal solution. Portable options like pork tenderloin skewers, ground pork burritos, pork nuggets/tenders and pulled pork sandwiches are natural fits and will win over consumers looking for a fast dinner option that’s also flavorful. Multicultural options and handhelds can also be a star.
Packers can help make pork a convenient go-to by preparing flexible, quick-to-cook options. We can replace the all-too-common burger and fries by offering more handheld choices, and we can make pizza night more exciting with topping choices like pulled pork or pork belly. These cuts and preparations need to meet the needs of c-stores and food halls. That may mean smaller cuts, pre-sauced packs or pre-cooked options.


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by MarkLives (@marklives) BMW will be parting ways with its South Africa agency, Ireland/Davenport (a WPP agency), after a decade of working together. BMW was Ireland /Davenport’s founding client. The BMW business will be taken over by Openco (majority owned by TBWA\South Africa).
by Herman Manson. BMW Group South Africa has moved both its BMW and MINI brands to Wunderman Thompson South Africa.
by MarkLives. The ad agency managing director will be taking up the position of marketing director.
by Herman Manson. Openco caused a significant upset this year when it won BMW SA from long-time agency, Ireland/Davenport.
by Herman Manson. Ireland/Davenport has suffered its third significant account loss — SA Tourism — in just over two months.
by Herman Manson (@marklives) The Vodacom loss accounts for about 40% of Ireland/Davenport’s revenue, MD Sue Napier confirms, and will result in the agency contracting in size.
Industry sources have confirmed that Ireland/Davenport has won the Vodacom advertising account. It was announced earlier this week that Draftfcb had lost the business after 19 years. A formal announcement is yet to be made by Vodacom and/or Ireland-Davenport.
Ireland/Davenport describes itself as a boutique communications agency and clients include BMW, Investec and SA Tourism. Ireland/Davenport was founded by Executive Creative Directors Philip Ireland and John Davenport. Susan Napier is the Managing Director.
by Herman Manson. Collective ID, an ad agency best known for its former incarnation as Ireland/Davenport, has stopped trading, MarkLives has confirmed.
by Herman Manson. We list the most-read-about account pitches and new business wins on MarkLives during the course of 2019.
by MarkLives. John Davenport has joined Havas South Africa as its new chief creative officer.


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Alan Mutter provides an overview and commentary on a survey that indicates, as he puts it, “only” 51 percent of newspaper publishers in the United States believe they can charge successfully for access to their interactive content.
I would be astounded if 50 percent of American newspaper publishers somehow manage to extract direct revenue from online readers. I still think advertising, in one form or another, is their only hope, though it’s obvious to all that advertising isn’t getting the job done under the current circumstances.
I already pay enough for my broadband Internet access. I don’t relish the prospect of getting nickel-and-dimed as I traverse the web in search of news. I can tolerate web-based advertising, just as I am reconciled to print and television advertising, but it would be beyond my tolerance (financial and otherwise) to have to drop coins into virtual toll booths at every news site I visit on the web. Incidentally, I say that as a voracious reader and an individual who prefers to read and think about his news instead of passively consuming it as a television viewer.
Still, I would aggressively seek a news alternative rather than submit to an online mugging from the likes of plutocrat Rupert Murdoch.
I’m not only one who feels that way. According to the survey by industry consultants Greg Harmon and Greg Swanson, while 68% of the publishers responding to the survey said they thought readers who objected to paying for content would have a difficult time replacing the information they get from newspaper websites, 52% of polled readers said it would be either “very easy” or “somewhat easy” to do so.
Newspaper publishers were put into this conundrum by technological change, especially the rise of the Internet as a news-delivery channel. It was a disruptive change, one that wreaked havoc on their establish business models. The problem was exacerbated enormously by the severe economic downturn that struck with a vengeance last year and persists to this day.
As consumers continue to count their pennies and save at a rate unprecedented in decades, advertising is a tough sell, especially in obsolescent print media. It’s not going gangbusters online, either.
Even so, what on earth makes newspaper publishers think financially battered consumers are in any position to spend disposable income they no longer possess on a service that, while arguably important and valuable, is not essential?
Steve McCroskey, in the movie Airplane, famously said, “It looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking.” Newspaper publishers have picked a similarly inopportune time to ask for more money from beleaguered consumers.


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The news is that Google will soon launch its ‘Shopping’ tab in India soon. It is said that this will be a directive to e-commerce companies and commercial website platforms and to allow users to search for products.
The new tab that Google will introduce will be able to search the products they want, which will bring consumers to e-commerce sites. Google spokesperson responded to the e-mail about the possibility of the release of the tab by the end of the year.
Google’s Shopping Tab will typically help customers find the products they need, making this tab work with local merchants with customers. In addition to large e-commerce companies, Google has set a target of raising small and medium online businesses.
This news is another way viral, and some experts think that Google’s shopping tab will ultimately make Google step in the e-commerce market. It may also be intended to launch the Google Shopping tab looking at Amazon and Flipkart popularity.
Also Read:How to Build Your Health In PUBG Game?


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Microsoft Faces the Post-PC World. Microsoft Corp. is confronting the biggest challenge to its Windows franchise so far: a world where mobile phones and tablets are handling more of the computing chores once only done on personal computers.
Windows may be 25 years old, but it is no less critical to Microsoft's future. The software generated $19 billion in revenue last fiscal year and produced $12.3 billion in profit—nearly half of Microsoft's operating income. But Windows revenue has declined in each of the past two quarters. Meanwhile, sales of smartphones running Google Inc. 's Android software and Apple Inc. Microsoft partly blamed the weak Windows sales on a shift in PC demand to developing markets like China, from which Microsoft earns less money per PC due in part to high piracy rates. 43% of smartphones sold in second quarter ran on Google's Android software. 61% of tablets shipped in second quarter were Apple iPads. Sources: Gartner (smartphones); Strategy Analytics (tablets) New Look at Market Share. Anonymous hacks SF’s myBART website. Thousands of names, addresses & numbers released. - TNW Insider.
Anonymous, the online hacktivist group, has released thousands of names, email addresses, home addresses and phone numbers believed to be from myBart.org, an independent site that uses BART’s (San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit) open data services.
The hacking is part of a carefully planned effort by Anonymous to bring BART to its knees in retaliation for its shutdown of cell phone service Thursday night at some of its stations to disrupt planned demonstrations over a police shooting. A notice on BART’s website says the following: BART’s online services including web, mobile web, email and SMS are used by nearly 2 million customers every month. Anonymous has posted a list of all the names and addresses on a miscellaneous website (we won’t currently be linking to) and also included the following message (click for large version)
What is Google's real market share in the US? As the US government looks into Google from an antitrust context, a central question has to be what is their real search engine market share in the US?
As someone who runs a search engine, I've followed and studied the numbers floating around for a while. And yet they've never really sat right with me. Comscore and Hitwise are two primary providers of search engine market share numbers. Their twolatest reports peg Google's share at around 65% in the US, and that's generally what the press reports. That seems high indeed, but everyone I talk to "in the wild" who runs high traffic sites actually sees a much higher percentage of their search engine traffic coming from Google, usually from 80-90%. Scheme may thwart Internet censorship. U.
MICHIGAN (US) — New technology could beat Internet censorship at its own game by making it virtually impossible for a repressive government to block individual sites. “The Internet has the ability to catalyze change by empowering people through information and communication services,” says J. Alex Halderman, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan. Gunning for the Copyright Reformers. Jonathan's Card: Starbucks Shuts Down Social Experiment Over Fraud Concerns.
Jonathan Stark's community-giving Starbucks Card is no more.
At 7 p.m. The NYT doesn’t have a paywall; it’s a line of sandbags. If you follow the media sphere, you might have seen some news articles and blog posts recently about how the “New York Times paywall is working,” or words to that effect.
Windows Laptop Makers Can't Catch Up to the MacBook Air. Suspected Chinese spear-phishing attacks continue to hit Gmail users. News August 13, 2011 07:06 AM ET Computerworld - Months after Google said that Chinese hackers were targeting the Gmail accounts of senior U.S. government officials, attempts to hijack Gmail inboxes continue, a researcher said Thursday.
"Once compromises happen and are covered in the news, they do not disappear and attackers don't give up or stop. They continue their business as usual," said Mila Parkour, an independent security researcher based in Washington, D.C., on her Contagio Malware Dump website. In early June, Google announced it had disrupted a targeted phishing campaign designed to compromise Gmail accounts belonging to senior U.S. and South Korean government officials, military personnel, Chinese activists and journalists. Parkour had revealed details of the earlier phishing attacks months before Google's June announcement. China denied accusations that its government played a role in the attacks that accessed hundreds of accounts. Anonymous defaces BART site, leaks user data. Is this the end for books? In 1996, the US computer entrepreneur Brewster Kahle set up the Internet Archive, its mission being to provide "universal access to all knowledge".
This admirable project strives to store copies of every single web page ever posted: a ghostly archive of the virtual. So what are we to make of the fact that, a decade and a half later, this digital pioneer is turning from bytes to books?


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Metro AG (ETR:B4B3) received a €22.00 ($25.88) target price from investment analysts at Baader Bank in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock.
Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Sanford C. Bernstein set a €17.00 ($20.00) price objective on Metro AG and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 31st. Warburg Research set a €23.80 ($28.00) price target on Metro AG and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 31st. HSBC Holdings plc set a €18.50 ($21.76) price target on Metro AG and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, September 18th. Independent Research GmbH set a €11.50 ($13.53) price objective on Metro AG and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 4th. Finally, Commerzbank Ag set a €22.00 ($25.88) price objective on Metro AG and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 19th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of €20.74 ($24.40).
Shares of Metro AG (ETR B4B3) opened at 16.80 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of €16.61 and a 200 day moving average of €16.86. Metro AG has a 52-week low of €16.01 and a 52-week high of €18.70.
TRADEMARK VIOLATION NOTICE: This article was first published by Dispatch Tribunal and is the property of of Dispatch Tribunal. If you are accessing this article on another publication, it was illegally stolen and republished in violation of US and international trademark and copyright legislation. The original version of this article can be viewed at https://www.dispatchtribunal.com/2017/10/27/metro-ag-b4b3-pt-set-at-22-00-by-baader-bank.html.
About Metro AG
Metro AG engages in the wholesale and food retail business. As of March 31, 2017, it operated 751 METRO Cash & Carry wholesale stores under the METRO and MAKRO brand names serving hotel and restaurant owners, catering firms, and independent retailers, as well as service providers and public authorities in 25 European and Asian countries.
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The Government Plans to Ban Cryptocurrencies but Only ‘Private’ Ones
By Smita Kumar
For those crores of people in India who have invested in cryptocurrencies, there is some news! The Government of India is set to completely ban private cryptocurrencies soon and will introduce a bill in the winter session of the Parliament. The bill talks about banning all private cryptocurrencies except for the one issued by the Reserve Bank of India in the future. The above-mentioned bill is on number 10.
A report recently said that there are about 10 crores (about 8 percent of the population of India) Indians who have invested in cryptocurrencies. But this news shall not worry them, since if the bill becomes law, only private cryptocurrencies will be banned. As far as Bitcoin and Ethereum etc. are concerned, the investors can heave a sigh of relief as these are public blockchain-based cryptocurrencies. These are considered different from those known as private cryptocurrencies like Monero and similar ones. Even these private cryptocurrencies are built on public blockchains but do not make open the transaction information stating offering privacy to their users. Bitcoin on the other hand offers anonymity.
The bill says a framework will be made for the official digital currency of the Reserve Bank of India. Also, the motive of this bill is to ban all the private cryptocurrencies in India.
It is to be mentioned here that a regulatory ban may not affect the users’ ability to transfer cryptocurrencies from one wallet to another.
As of now, there are about 7,000 various types of cryptocurrencies circulating all over the world. Until 2013, only one cryptocurrency Bitcoin was in the world. Launched in the year 2009, Bitcoin’s value was not even 75 paise but today, it has a value of around Rs. 46 lakhs.
It is important to mention that in the last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that democratic countries in the world should ensure that this form of currency does not get into the wrong hands. The reason is that it is going to hamper the future of many youngsters.
Latest prices of popular cryptocurrencies in India on Wednesday:
|Cryptocurrency||Price (In Rupees)||Market cap (In Rupees)||24-hour change||Vol (24 Hours)- In Rs.|
|Bitcoin||42,23,963||79.1 T||-7.48 %||2.9 T|
|Ethereum||3,20,323||36.6 T||-4.41 %||1.6 T|
|Tether||75.20||5.4 T||-8.17 %||6.3 T|
|Cardano||126.91||4.4 T||-12.83 %||120.2 B|
|Ripple||78||3.6 T||-8.02 %||223.3 B|
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The Cato Corp.’s sales totaled $50.5 million for the four weeks that ended Jan. 28, declining 4 percent from $52.6 million a year earlier. Same-store sales for the month dropped 6 percent from a year earlier.
“January same-store sales results were in line with our recent trend with the exception of the last week of the month, which was negatively impacted by the timing of tax refunds,” says John Cato, the company’s chairman, president and chief executive.
The retailer’s sales for the fiscal fourth quarter ended Jan. 28 totaled $221.5 million, down 1 percent from $224 million during the same period the previous year.
The company’s sales increased 1 percent to $920.6 million in 2011 from $913.1 million in 2010.
Cato says the company expects its fourth-quarter earnings will be “will be near the midpoint of our original guidance range of 32 to 35 cents” per diluted share. That would be down from 37 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
For the full year, the company expects diluted earnings per share to be between $2.18 and $2.21 versus $2 in 2010, he says.
Charlotte-based Cato (NYSE:CATO) operates 1,287 stores in 31 states under three banners: Cato, Versona and It’s Fashion. The company opened five stores, relocated one store and closed four stores in January.
Jen Wilson coordinates the Charlotte Business Journal's online operations and social-media efforts.


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In late February 2012, the White House outlined a consumer data privacy framework that includes a “Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights” in a report entitled “Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World: A Framework for Protecting Privacy and Promoting Innovation in the Global Digital Economy.” In it, the administration sets out a plan for a four-element approach to protection of consumer privacy: 1) enumerate the consumer privacy rights; 2) encourage industry developed of codes of conduct; 3) strengthen FTC enforcement power; and 4) ensure interoperability with international privacy rules and regulations.
The Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights sets out seven individual rights that consumers have with respect to commercial uses of their personal data:
• Individual Control – consumers have the right to control both the kinds of data they share with a company and how the company uses that data.
• Transparency – consumers have the right to accessible, easy-to-understand policies governing the security practices of the commercial companies.
• Respect for Context – consumers have the right to expect companies to use their data in such a way that is consistent with the context in which the consumer is engaging with the individual company.
• Security – consumers have the right to reasonable, responsible protection of their data.
• Access and Accuracy – consumers have the right to access and correct their personal data held by a company.
• Focused Collection – consumers have the right to have companies impose reasonable limits on the kinds of data they collect from the consumer.
• Accountability – consumers have the right to have companies held accountable for any violation of their rights under the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.
Without legislative authority, however, the bill of rights outlined by the administration amounts to little more than an interesting academic exercise. Cognizant of the fact that there is little likelihood of passing sweeping, federal privacy legislation during an election year, the administration instead suggests that stakeholders (including individual companies, industry groups, consumer advocacy groups, State Attorneys General, and federal civil and criminal law enforcement), work to develop codes of conduct that will protect consumers’ right to privacy. The paper proposes empowering the FTC to, if not outright enforce the codes of conduct, at least strongly consider a company’s adherence to the codes of conduct in the event of any investigation or enforcement action.
Despite the fact that actual enforcement of the consumer privacy bill of rights is not imminent, companies doing any sort of business online should take this time to review their data privacy and security policies. Knowing how a business stands today with respect to these privacy and security issues will help to ease the transition to where it needs to go tomorrow.


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LOMA LINDA, Calif. -- After postponing a planned expansion in Northern California, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the fledging U.S. division of British supermarket giant Tesco is being very quiet about a Loma Linda store that never opened. Construction was finished several months ago, but the building sits vacant and the parking lot is empty, according to the San Bernardino Sun.
Fresh & Easy spokesman Brendan Wonnacott would not tell the newspaper when the store will open.
The Sun also reported Councilman Robert Ziprick said city staff members have asked company officials about an opening date, but have not received an answer.
"They have obviously taken a look at the local economy and the national economy and said, `Now is not a good time,'" Ziprick told the Sun. "We have to respect that it will be operational as soon as they believe it's prudent."
The two-acre site was recently sold for nearly $2.9 million. Downtown Gateway, a California limited partnership based in Los Angeles, bought the land from MV Investors Inc. in Los Angeles.
Fresh & Easy owns the 15,000-square-foot building and leases the land.
The store is on a busy corner passed by more than 42,000 vehicles per day and just south of the 10 Freeway, where traffic counts at its exit reach 400,000 vehicles a day, according to a real estate broker who represented the buyer and seller of the property.
-- Fresh & Easy Plowing Ahead Despite Losses -- April 22, 2009
-- Tesco Goes Slow and Easy with Fresh & Easy -- April 21, 2009
-- Fresh & Easy Launches Multi-Buy Discount -- April 17, 2009
-- Fresh & Easy to Enter Stockton, Calif., Market -- April 15, 2006


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HOLCIM Philippines, Inc. has launched its biggest promotion ever raffling off brand new Toyota Wigos and Vios and Ford Raptors!
Called Build to Win, the raffle promo will run from Mar. 1 to Nov. 30, and provide cement buyers and hardware store owners chances to win hundreds of prizes throughout its duration. The company will draw winners in June, September, and December and give out 10 cars, 14 motorcycles, 24 smartphones and tablets, and Php8.5 million worth of gift certificates.
A cement buyer earns a raffle entry for every 10 40-kilogram bags purchased of road infrastructure cement Holcim Solido, general-purpose cement Holcim Excel, or masonry cement Holcim Wallright or every five bags of Holcim Skim Coat or Holcim Tile Adhesive.
The hardware stores that sold the Holcim products also receive a price if their customers are drawn. Bulk cement buyers earn a raffle entry for every 800,000 kilograms of cement bought. More details are available on Holcim Philippines’ Facebook page.
Paulo Tan, Holcim Philippines vice president and head of sales for Visayas and Mindanao, said, “We are excited to hold this timely contest in Mindanao, which we expect to have a strong construction activity this year and moving forward. Aside from driving sales, the Build to Win contest is another way to reward our customers here while encouraging more people to try our various products.
“We at Holcim Philippines are confident that end-users will find that our offerings can help them build strong, durable, and high-quality structures and encourage them to become regular customers,” he added.
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Zoe's Kitchen reports preliminary estimates for 12 and 28 weeks ended 14 July 2014.
M2 EQUITYBITES-August 12, 2014-Zoe's Kitchen reports preliminary estimates for 12 and 28 weeks ended 14 July 2014
(C)2014 M2 COMMUNICATIONS http://www.m2.com
Zoe's Kitchen Inc (NYSE:ZOES), a fast casual restaurant chain, on Monday reported preliminary estimates on its results of operations for the 12 week and 28 week periods ended 14 July 2014.
For the 12 week period, the company estimates that total revenues will range between USD41.6m and USD41.8m and between USD87.9m and USD88.1m for the 28 weeks ended July 14, 2014.
Also, comparable restaurant sales are estimated to have increased between 7.3% and 7.5% for the 12 week period and between 6.4% and 6.5% for the 28 week period.
In addition, income from operations are expected to range between USD1.4m and USD1.6m for the 12 week period and between a loss of USD5.1m to a loss of USD4.9m for the 28 week period.
According to the company, these preliminary results remain subject to the completion of normal quarter-end accounting procedures and adjustments and are subject to change.
The company is expected to release financial and operating results for its 12-week period ended 14 July 2014 on or around 28 August 2014.
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Lapop, the Adams Morgan coffee bar lined with Afghan rugs and leather-bound books, is going the way of the all-day cafe.
Ownership announced today that, starting February 20, the underground space beneath Lapis bistro (1847 Columbia Road NW) will offer a 10-drink cocktail menu and small plates after 6 p.m. on Wednesday through Sunday. Lapop will serve lunch — think bento boxes and acai bowls — from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, and the Lapis brunch menu will be available downstairs on weekends.
The Popal Group (Cafe Bonaparte, Lapis, the Berliner) has brought in head mixologist Gordon Nester, formerly of Truxton Inn, to craft drinks that incorporate far-out ingredients like kiwi-ginger-habanero soda. Beer and a small selection of wines will be available, too.
According to the announcement, small bites will include turmeric-ginger shrimp, whipped feta with black bean salad, and lamb meatballs.
Formerly Sweet Science coffee, Lapop has been Popal’s pop-up for nearly a year. With large couches, shelves full of books, and a selection of board games, the drinking den is intended to be a cultural epicenter. That means there will be yoga — apparently that’s a thing now — dancing, and music.
The shift in the space represents more tinkering from the Popal Group, which has gradually shifted some of its properties from a French focus to one more reflective of the owners’ Afghan heritage. Napoleon Bistro transformed into Lapis in 2015. Malmaison became the Berliner — a German beer hall with nods to Afghan family in Europe — this past December.


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Australian Leather - Ugg
I was very pleased when the Australian government recently threw its weight behind protecting generic Australian names that could be registered by US corporations. Australian Leather is a manufacturer who sold a dozen ugg boots to American buyers. In doing so, they violated a US trademark owned by American conglomerate Deckers. Incredibly, Deckers own the rights to the word 'ugg' and claim that it's theirs to use exclusively around the world. For selling just a dozen uggs, the Australian Leather company is facing millions of dollars in penalties and legal fees. The fight continues, and it is now headed to the US Supreme Court. I'm very proud to say that it is now headed there with the backing of the Australian government.
The case turns on a legal anomaly. In the US, you cannot trademark generic terms in a foreign language, but you can trademark generic English terms. Go figure! This is an inconsistency, but it also cuts against the whole rationale for trademarks. They exist to prevent confusion between real brands and imitators. They should not exist to give conglomerates an exclusive right to use common words and prevent competitors from being able to describe their products. This is the very definition of unfair competition.
It's great that government understands why this matters to Australian businesses with a quality product that some will also hope to export. Nobody should be able to stand in the way of that at all. So it's absolutely appropriate the Australian government fight to protect that right, and I sincerely thank the Attorney-General for doing so.


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THE Sevenstone new retail quarter will not be open for business until 2015 at the earliest, it was revealed today.
If the project - a massive scheme to transform shopping in the city centre - had not been hit by the recession it would be preparing to open its door to its first customers.
The beleaguered project has been hit by a series of delays - the latest of which has been caused by completing legal agreements and other work behind the scenes.
The announcement is the first time the council has given a date for when the project is set for completion.
Sheffield Council chief executive John Mothersole revealed it will be two or two-and-a-half years before construction of the £600 million scheme begins.
But the project is to reach a significant milestone in the next few months as compulsory purchase orders are completed, Sheffield Council said today.
Mr Mothersole said: “All landowners will receive a letter at the start of July notifying them that compulsory purchase orders are being completed - but there are then a lot of issues that still need to be dealt with behind the scenes before the project can start.
“The actual cranes won’t arrive on site for another two to two-and-a-half years because negotiations have to take place with landowners about what compensation they will be paid under the compulsory purchase orders, and the developer, Hammerson, needs to ensure the original scheme doesn’t need any final tweaking.
“It is likely to be 2015 before the development opens.”
But Mr Mothersole added: “Major retail schemes across the country have stalled or gone through the same processes of review as Sheffield’s has.
“We are going to be one of the first schemes out of the traps as the economy recovers.”
Hammerson has just confirmed an agreement with Sheffield Council to ensure the scheme can progress.
The £600 million project has been on hold since 2008 due to the recession and proposals have been scaled-back.
The ‘project delivery’ agreement follows a decision by Hammerson to invest £10 million towards completing compulsory purchase orders - CPOs - for the development site, which expire in July.
The cash replaces Government funding which was scrapped. Sheffield Council is also borrowing £10 million towards the CPOs.
Coun Helen Mirfin-Boukouris, Sheffield Council cabinet member for business, jobs and growth, said: “We have been committed to this scheme since its inception and are now driving it forward, creating jobs, opportunities and economic growth for Sheffield.”
The development, between The Moor, Barker’s Pool and Pinstone Street, has been reduced in size but Sheffield Council said it will ‘still achieve what was originally intended’ and consist of a ‘retail-led mixed use development with an anchor department store’.
Changes to the scheme involve John Lewis department store remaining in its current building, which is set to be refurbished, and the planned New Burgess Street shopping street which is set to run through the heart of the new development is due to involve a single deck of shops rather than stores on two levels.
Hammerson project director Richard Brown said: “Formalising the development agreement is the latest milestone for the scheme and is a fundamental part of the project’s delivery.
“Following months of hard work, it demonstrates commitment from both sides to the continued regeneration of the city centre.”


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Boro to open online Wembley ticket service this weekend
STEVENAGE Borough will open its online ticket service on www.theboroshop.com this weekend ahead of the FA Trophy Final against Barrow on Saturday, May 8. The service was launched for last season s Trophy final an
STEVENAGE Borough will open its online ticket service on www.theboroshop.com this weekend ahead of the FA Trophy Final against Barrow on Saturday, May 8.
The service was launched for last season's Trophy final and was a huge success and the club has reduced the online booking fee by 50 per cent to �1 per ticket this year to encourage more supporters to book online.
Ticket prices have been set by the FA at �30 for adults and �15 for under-16s. Stevenage will be issued with 15,769 tickets and Barrow 15,040.
Stevenage chairman Phil Wallace said: "We're looking to open the online booking system this weekend so people can reserve tickets and coach travel. We won't allocate or send out any online tickets until April 20 to ensure that season ticket holders, staff and SA members get first choice but people can start ordering online from this weekend.
You may also want to watch:
"The ticket price is the same whether the seats are behind the goal or along the touchline, so we'll select tickets by choice on a first come, first served basis.
"We've said that we want to help our fans get to the game as cheaply as possible. For this reason we've reserved 40 coaches and will subsidise the overall cost by taking any Stevenage fan to Wembley and back on the day for a fiver.
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"The �5 return coach option will be on the online booking system and we'll also start selling the coach tickets with Wembley tickets when we go on sale."
Tickets will go on sale at The Lamex Stadium ticket office as follows:
Thursday, April 15: Season ticket holders and staff only, 4-7pm.
Friday, April 16: As above, SA members, Flexi ticket holders, Academy Youth, 4-7pm.
Sunday, April 18: General Public 11am - 3pm.
There after the Ticket Office will be open from Monday to Friday from 4pm to 7pm to personal callers.
Block bookings (over 20 tickets) can also be reserved by emailing firstname.lastname@example.org


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Accor to enter Salalah in Oman with Movenpick brand
Hotel chain Accor is set to make its debut in Salalah, Oman with a Movenpick property
Accor is set to open up its first hotel property in Salalah with its Movenpick brand as it plans to ramp up its development plans in Oman.
Speaking at the Arabian Investment Hotel Conference in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, this month, Accor’s vice president for development for the Middle East, Jean Baptiste-Recher told Hotelier Middle East that they have several hotels in development in the Sultanate.
However, they confirmed the imminent opening of one Movenpick brand in Salalah, one of the areas that the hotel chain is targeting with its expansion plans.
Currently Accor only has 2 properties open in Oman - an Ibis hotel in Muscat and a Mercure property in Sohar.
Recher said that leisure demand in Salalah prompted the hotel chain to open the Movenpick property.
“We are extremely keen about entering the Oman market,” Recher told Hotelier Middle East. “We have several hotels in development, mostly in Muscat and Salalah. Muscat is more of a corporate government driven market, while Salalah is mostly leisure.”
Accor has around 150 hotels in operation in the Middle East and 125 hotels under construction, mostly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia regions.
The hotel chain is also exploring the opportunity for Oman’s luxury segment despite not currently having any high-end properties in the Sultanate.


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CPI Corp. employees said they were notified last night that the portrait studio operator is shutting down its U.S. operations, and a message on the company's website today says that all locations are now closed.
Chris Gettys, who manages a CPI-operated PictureMe Portrait Studio inside Wal-Mart in Ashland, Ky., told the Business Journal in an email today that his district manager notified him by text message about 11 p.m. Wednesday night that CPI studios were closing nationwide. According to Gettys, employees received a letter via email from CPI President and CEO Jim Abel that said, “the decline of our business proved to great an obstacle to overcome” and the company “will be forced to discontinue our U.S. operations effective today, April 3.”
According to the letter, CPI’s “Canadian operations will continue as a standalone company until is is sold to another party.”
Gettys, who has worked for CPI for four years, said, "I am a little shocked but I knew CPI was having financial trouble for some time now."
Calls to CPI have not been returned, however the company's website now carries only the following two-paragraph statement:
"After many years of providing family portrait photography, we are sad to announce that all of our U.S. portrait studios are now closed. We appreciate your patronage and allowing us to capture your precious memories.
"We are attempting to fulfill as many customer orders as possible. If you’ve had a recent session, your portraits may be available at your Sears, PictureMe or Kiddie Kandids portrait studio. For assistance, please contact the customer service department at your local store."
The Sears Portrait Studios website was updated this morning to say that customers who currently have an album or have had a recent portrait session can order products at searsphotos.com through April 18.
Messages on the Kiddie Kandids Portrait Studios website, for locations in Toys R Us stores, and on the PictureMe Portrait Studios site for locations in Wal-Mart stores direct customers to myonlineportraits.com to order products through April 18.
Earlier this week, CPI shut down its PictureMe location inside the Wal-Mart in O'Fallon, Mo., and the Belleville location was no longer accepting appointments as of Saturday.
CPI, which has struggled as its sales were hit by the popularity of digital photography, is in violation of its lending agreements.
According to CPI’s most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as of March 13, CPI owed a total of $98.5 million, consisting of unpaid principal of $76.1 million, accrued and unpaid interest of $96,000, accrued and unpaid PIK (payment-in-kind) obligations of $8.4 million, letter of credit fees of $151,000 and letters of credit totaling $13.8 million.
The company has received a fourth forbearance agreement from its lenders and was given until April 6 to meet its loan obligations.
CPI Corp. reported a net loss of $20.2 million for its fiscal third quarter ended Nov. 10, compared with a net loss of $7.2 million during the prior-year quarter, according to the company's most recent quarterly filing. As of Nov. 10, CPI operated about 2,700 portrait studios in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, primarily in Wal-Mart, Sears and Toys R Us stores.
Social Engagement Manager Matthew Hibbard contributed to this report.


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It is now even easier to watch free TV on Google TV devices, thanks to a partnership with Pluto TV. Previously known as Android TV, Google TV is Google’s fresh take on a TV-optimized operating system and one that specifically looks to make it easier to see relevant recommendations and find content to watch. The Chromecast with Google TV already uses the new interface, while existing Android TV devices are slowly being updated.
With so many streaming services now available, and most of them requiring a paid subscription for access, the cost of streaming can mount up quickly. This issue has led to the rise of various free services which offer access to either select live TV programming or on-demand content for free. Pluto TV is one of those services and one that continues to prove popular with consumers.
Google TV devices are now gaining integration with Pluto TV, making it easier and quicker to see which live TV channels are available to watch for free, what’s on, and tune in. Google TV devices come with a ‘Live TV’ tab which displays a TV guide for apps downloaded on the device. These apps do need to support the Live tab integration for the TV guide to be visible and that’s exactly what’s now happening with Pluto TV.
Providing the device owner has the Pluto TV app downloaded on their Google TV-powered device then they will soon start to see Pluto TV listings appearing in the Live tab and can quickly tune in to any of the channels with a click of the remote. The same integration is already available to Philo and Sling TV subscribers. However, as both of these live TV services typically require a paid subscription, the Pluto TV integration will be a better option for those looking to avoid paying for a live TV subscription. According to the announcement, the Pluto TV integration is starting to roll out today, with the expectation that the feature will be available on all Google TV devices over the coming weeks.
As to be expected with a free service, the selection of channels available through Pluto TV is not going to be the same as what’s typically on offer with a paid live TV service. In this sense, Pluto TV won’t act as a direct replacement for many individuals and households as the channels are typically curated by the service. For example, various movie channels, or channels specifically dedicated to a genre or show type. Arguably, as it is not a replacement for a traditional live TV streaming service, it is likely to equally appeal to those already paying for a live TV subscription as those looking to avoid the cost altogether.


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SEARCHED FOR:SPICES BOARD
Spices Board of India selling spice-flavored chocolates
Spices Board starts selling chocolates infused with chilli, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and cumin in Kochi; to rope in partner for the venture.
Spices Board should encourage cultivation in Arunachal Pradesh: CM Nabam Tuki
Indian spices are very much preferred in the international mark...
Spices Board to set up e-platform for cardamom sale in Sikkim
The Spices Board of India will set up an electronic auction platform in next 6 ...
Now, spice chocolates and cosmetics for food lovers and beauty conscious people
People have started using various spice value products such as spice chocolates, spice teas and even cosmetic products like spice creams, shampoo, etc.
Charlie Chaplin by 200 cartoonists in Mumbai exhibition
Organised by the Piramal Gallery, NCPA, the three-day event has been organised by the Chaplin India Forum and the Spices Board of India.
Cloudy weather in Rajasthan and Gujarat impact jeera demand in mandis
After the recent rise in rates for jeera, profit booking took place at the higher levels in the futures market, even as spot rates remained firm.
Arunachal Pradesh village famous for organic spices still lacks a road
It has enough spices to ensure a better living for its residents but no road to take them forward.
Spice exports up 10% at Rs 10,916 cr in Apr-Dec FY15
Spice exports during April-December period of 2013-14 stood at Rs 9,910 crore, according to Spice Board of India's official data.
MCX, Spices Board organise seminar on price risk management for cardamom farmers in Gangtok
The speakers explained the need to manage risks and volatility associated with cardamom prices.
Spices Board to set up mint park in UP
The Spices Board will establish a 100-acre mint park in Uttar Pradesh under public-private partnership, besides setting up electronic terminals in five cities in the state to disseminate spot rates to growers.
India looks to double spices exports in five years, integrate value chain
India plans to more than double exports of spices in five years by persuading importers to ease trade barriers and integrating the value chain from sowing to shipping.
Re-emergence of El-Nino may push jeera prices beyond Rs 20,000 level
Last year also, prices had briefly touched the 20,000 level but was unable to sustain above that level.
Spices Board plans to invest in Rs 100-cr Gujarat project
The Spices Board of India will invest Rs 10 crore to set up a spice park in Gujarat.
Spices exports up 22% in FY'13 to 7 lakh tonnes
Spices exports rose by 22 per cent to 6,99,170 tonnes during 2012-13 on account of sharp jump in garlic shipments.
Spices exports cross $2 billion in 2011-12 fiscal
India's spices exports rose by 36 per cent to USD 2.04 billion in value terms in 2011-12 fiscal on account of increase in value realisation of spices, especially chilli and pepper.


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Shahid VIP will air the live matches of the Formula 1 season all in high-definition quality.
Shahid VIP subscribers will be able to watch ‘Emilia Romagna Grand Prix’ with English or Arabic commentary, from anywhere and on any device.
Jakob Mejlhede Andersen, Chief Content Officer at Shahid commented: “First, Formula-1 came to MBC Action; now it’s also coming as a standalone offering to Shahid VIP. This is an unrivalled opportunity to watch the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in full high-definition quality with no interruptions. We’re excited about introducing more sports content for our audiences, and we look forward to streaming more live events.”
Shahid VIP is the only Arabic streaming platform in the region that is bringing the best action from Formula-1 to sports fans around the region.


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Music Biz member CD Baby has announced a new partnership with legal services platform Cosynd to help creators get their works copyrighted fast. The major digital distributor’s deal with Cosynd allows CD Baby users to document ownership of their content. The legal services platform offers free and paid tiers of services.
Under the deal, users will receive a month of free access to Cosynd’s Essential and Premium tiers. This will allow CD Baby members to create unlimited copyright split sheets, full copyright ownership agreements, and work-for-hire agreements. According to the digital distributor, the partnership will help members avoid misunderstandings, improper exploitation of copyrights, and unpaid royalties. This will provide artists, producers, and songwriters quick copyright ownership agreements. It will also help them register with the US Copyright Office.
Click here to read more.


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INTEREST RATES: Figures indicate economy could be slowing
Sun | Business
* A drop in existing-home sales may be a sign of interest rate effects.
WASHINGTON - The U.S. economy surged ahead at a rapid 5.4 percent rate in the first three months of the year but growth may be slowing. Existing-home sales dropped 6.2 percent in April, a sign that the Federal Reserve's interest rate increases are beginning to bite.
The January-through-March increase in the Commerce Department's gross domestic product, the nation's total output of goods and services, was slightly bigger than many analysts expected but matched the government's estimate from one month ago. It followed the fourth quarter's 7.3 percent rate of growth, the best showing in nearly 16 years.
On Wall Street, stocks - little affected by Thursday's GDP report - tumbled. Financial stocks plummeted on fears that the stock market's continuing weakness will hurt their profits. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 211.43 points to close at 10,323.92. The Nasdaq lost 65.26 points to finish at 3,205.35.
In a second report, existing-home sales last month took their biggest dive since January. They fell to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.88 million, the National Association of Realtors said.
An upswing in mortgage rates helped account for the decline, which appeared worse than it really was because March's sales were revised sharply upward, economists said.
Still, "housing activity is weakening," said Merrill Lynch economist Karen Dexter. Existing-home sales "are down 13 percent from their June 1999 peak," she said.
The Federal Reserve has boosted interest rates six times since June, including a half-point increase last week, in an effort to slow the economy and consumer spending.


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Locus Performance Ingredients (Locus PI) has been awarded top newcomer for innovation and sustainability advancements in the surfactant industry by the Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS).
This recognition was given as part of the Surfactant Awards, where the startup was praised for its production technology and zero-carbon, 100% bio-based biosurfactant ingredients. The ICIS judging panel noted Locus PI's proprietary fermentation technology to produce the biosurfactants in a readily scalable platform and at a higher productivity rate than traditional fermentation.
Tim Staub, CEO of Locus PI, said “Over 30% of surfactants in the CPG market are based on ethylene oxide (EO) but Prop 65 trace chemicals like EO and 1,4-dioxane are being banned or require ingredient disclosures. These restrictions, along with initiatives to reduce carbon footprint and stop deforestation, are heightening the need for cost-effective and sustainable alternatives. ICIS is a powerful tool to showcase the new innovations available, like our biosurfactants.”
Staub contuined, “What sets aside Locus PI’s sophorolipids from others on the market are their incredibly low CMC and improved surface tension reduction, which result in lower dosage, lower in-formula cost and superior performance with a zero-carbon footprint. They provide an immediate solution to replace a broad range of surfactants, meet ingredient disclosure regulations, and address health and environmental concerns—with a cleaner label and fewer ingredients.”


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Doing It Right
In fact, he’s building it already. Parts of DoCoMo’s vision, such as the payment and identification schemes, are already being tested; more will be rolled out as the FeliCa phones, which will probably cost $200 to $300, are introduced this summer. To Morita, the barriers to full deployment are more societal than technological. “We could do most of these things today,” he says. “And we would be doing them today, if we weren’t worried about the security implications. And the privacy issues, too.”
Because Japan has more experience with mobile communications than the United States, it has virtually eliminated some cell-phone annoyances that continue to plague Americans. With the advent of text-messaging, says Ito, the anthropologist, “people just don’t talk on their phones on the subway anymore.” To avoid the nuisance of pealing phones in public spaces, she says, more and more Japanese “turn off the ringers when they leave their homes in the morning, and the ringers stay off all day long.”
The results of this socialization process are visible on any train platform in Japan. At any given time, a large minority of the waiting commuters-perhaps even half-will be using their phones. But almost nobody will actually be speaking on them. Instead, they will be sending or reading messages, checking weather or traffic websites, playing games, or (apparently a particular favorite among women) eliciting predictions about future romance from online fortunetelling programs.
To DoCoMo, the people staring into their phones are both an opportunity and a worry. The opportunity is to find more ways for them to use their phones, up- and downloading more packets of data. (DoCoMo charges roughly two-tenths of a cent for every 128 bits that go in or out of its phones; users may pay a penny per text message or a few cents to download a Web page.) One big new opportunity is shopping. Online users will be able to find items on i-mode websites and immediately buy them with digital cash stored directly in their handsets. Offline, in the real world, DoCoMo is focusing first on train stations, which are full of restaurants, department stores, and kiosks that sell the small, beautifully wrapped gifts of food that lubricate social occasions in Japan. In both cases, DoCoMo expects to generate more revenue as it sells more bits.
The peril is that as the phones grow more powerful, they will become targets for thieves and con artists. “We don’t want someone to walk around the platform with a stolen card-reader, downloading everyone’s money,” Morita says. “If people begin to think [the new phones] are insecure or violate their privacy, they will never use them.”
Critical to the security of the new system, he says, is the short transmission range of the FeliCa cards-only 10 centimeters, which makes it difficult for thieves to scan them. But according to Bruce Schneier, chief technical officer of Counterpane Internet Security in Mountain View, CA, this isn’t much of a defense. “People will steal and hack the card readers to make them more powerful,” he says. “You could probably get the read distance up to a couple of meters, and then you would be able to rob a roomful of people just by walking around them.”
Nonetheless, Schneier is cautiously enthusiastic about the phonesmart card combination. In 1999, he cowrote a now classic analysis of smart cards’ security weaknesses. “Most of the bad things happen because there is no good way of telling who the card belongs to-who is supposed to be responsible for it,” he says. But DoCoMo controls the FeliCa phones. “If somebody steals your money, they have to collect it through the phone company,” he says. “They have to explain what they are doing trying to get your money, and that’s hard.”
The flip side of DoCoMo’s control is that the company also controls the records of users’ behavior-not only what phone calls they make, but what e-mails they send, where they go (subway fares), what they buy (FeliCa purchases), and a host of other things. If the phones are successful, the personal information compiled by DoCoMo will grow to volumes guaranteed to alarm civil libertarians.
But Schneier downplays the privacy concerns, arguing that people have already given up control of their personal data to innumerable banks, credit agencies, and retail establishments. “Something like this is going to happen, and everyone knows it,” he says. “These Japanese companies have tremendously competent people. There’s a good chance they might do it right.”
Back at DoCoMo, Natsuno is confident that the company will not only do ubiquitous computing right but do it first, and do it profitably. U.S. companies are “years behind,” he says-but not because Japan’s technology is more advanced. Pointing to the automatic toll-collection devices in many U.S. cars, he says, “You could have put those in cell phones and built on that to introduce Web services, or almost any of the other things we have done.” The real reason for DoCoMo’s lead, Natsuno believes, “is that we have a business model. We will give the consumer ubiquitous computing and digital money and all of those other things the engineers want. But we will do it by giving people a way to get through the turnstile faster or to arrive at a house that is cooled to the right temperature and has a movie ready to play on the TV.”


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Even though South Korea announced a plan in 2014 designed to make the country a leader in the 3D printing industry, widespread adoption of industrial-scale additive manufacturing is still slow-going there, though research initiatives are much stronger. But a new collaboration between industrial 3D printer and materials OEM Essentium and South Korean 3D printing specialist Hephzibah could help speed up the process.
Essentium recently announced a distribution partnership with the industrial 3D printer business, which has been distributing additive manufacturing solutions since 2012 and has built up a strong industrial network in South Korea. Most manufacturing firms in the country know that they could potentially save a lot of money in production costs by adopting large-scale industrial 3D printing, but there are a lot of barriers to doing so, including economics, part strength, and production speed and scale.
By combining Hephzibah’s customer support skills, excellent service, wide network, and expertise with specific AM use-cases with its own industrial High Speed Extrusion (HSE) 3D printing platform, the Pflugerville, Texas-based startup believes that the two will be able to help South Korean manufacturing firms get past these widespread adoption issues.
“The speed, scale, and economics of the Essentium HSE 3D Printing Platform present huge efficiencies and improved time-to- market opportunities for our customers,” Joseph M.G. Lee, the President and CEO of Hephzibah said in a press release. “The fact that Essentium is an open platform means that our customers will benefit from greater innovation agility.”
Thanks to this new distribution partnership, Hephzibah will now offer its customers a complete range of Essentium’s materials, as well as the full Essentium HSE 180•S Series of 3D printers, which the company says are able to fabricate end-use parts with five times more accuracy, and 5-15 times more speed, than other FFF 3D printing systems. The series features low, standard, and high-temperature printer models, and would be a good choice of machine to use for applications in the automotive, consumer goods, and electronic manufacturing services industries.
By taking advantage of what the Essentium 3D printers can offer, in addition to the company’s planning, installation, support services, and training center, the company states that Hephzibah’s customers can invest in adding additive manufacturing to their shop floors without a high economic risk.
“The South Korea manufacturing industry – from automotive to consumer electronics and, more recently, aerospace – has a best-in-world reputation for quality and innovation,” stated Essentium’s CEO and Co-Founder Blake Teipel, PhD. “The integration of industrial-scale AM onto the factory floors of this manufacturing powerhouse has hugely exciting potential. I have no doubt that the combination of the Essentium 3D Printing Platform with Hephzibah’s rich customer knowledge and service infrastructure will ensure AM makes its mark in South Korea.”
(Images courtesy of Essentium)
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The fashion industry, like many others in Canada, has been hit hard by the impact the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has had on the country’s economy.
“When it just hit and everything just started shutting down, there was a big panic. I think through this whole pandemic it’s accelerated a lot of things for brands — things that maybe they were planning to do before but were waiting, anything that obviously involves digital and consumer experience that needed to be seamless,” said Milner. “This situation has definitely upped the ante so to speak and upped the standards of what brands and designers have to now do.
“Because you just couldn’t go into a mall and buy things, a lot of things just shifted to online when it comes to fashion. It’s not an essential service. So a lot of brands who weren’t positioned well in the ecomm space, or didn’t have strong social media presence or weren’t selling through social media, had to definitely pivot quickly to make sure that their exposure on all of those platforms was very strong.”
COVID-19 HAS IMPACTED PRODUCT LINEUP FOR RETAILERS
The impact to the industry has also been very specific to commodities and what companies are producing. So for example, an evening wear designer would have seen a big slow down in business because many events are simply not taking place. But a designer doing leisure wear or more comfortable clothes for home can’t keep their inventory in stock.
“People just shifted their buying habits tremendously based on what was going on,” said Milner. “Foundationally, I think people are right now strategizing what’s to come. Holiday season is coming up. How are they going to make the most of that if people are going to be scared to still go to the malls or if there’s an upswing in numbers (of COVID),” added Milner.
“The whole online kind of conversation is huge as I talk to many brands. They’re investing more in social media, marketing for sure. We’ve seen obviously a rise in live stream shopping. It’s been around for awhile overseas but it’s hitting here more now. There’s a few platforms out there that a lot of brands are now looking at to have that personal engagement with consumers through a live stream shopping experience to augment the ecomm experience as well. So that they can connect on a more personal level with consumers.”
The expectations of consumers has also shifted in how fast they want something. So to compete with the Amazons of the world, independent brands have to also be able to offer quick delivery, a seamless experience and perhaps free delivery where before they never considered that.
The Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA), which was formed to recognize, celebrate, and promote established and emerging talent within Canada’s fashion community, had to postpone its annual awards in May. All events across the country had to be postponed as well. The national awards were tentatively rescheduled for November but it’s now looking that the big event will take place next May.
CAFA HAS PIVOTED TO HOSTING ONLINE EVENTS IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19
CAFA has also pivoted to host more online events such as a shopping event in support of Canadian brands with 160 participating. It also held Live with CAFA where twice a week experts gave the industry advice on how to navigate the current situation.
“Fashion generally is quick to change in terms of how we do things. But there’s a formula in how we do things in terms of making things happen. The industry came to a quick halt I would say at the beginning of March where basically we were deemed non-essential in terms of operating businesses,” he said. “Many of my contemporaries here in Canada basically changed their basic structure to be able to create PPE (personal protective equipment) like gowns for hospitals (and face masks for the public).
“The fashion industry itself the normal process of creating a collection, showing a collection, selling it, distributing it, that whole process or sort of rhythm was broken. During March that’s a very significant month of the year for fashion in showing a collection, selling and distributing. The big months are March and September in a year.”
Dixon said that in Europe many designers are doing multiple platforms right now in getting their collections across. People are slowly getting back to their studios, trying to fill orders that were made or trying to rebuild what they had missed during that period.
“Right now in Europe, they’re showing couture, they’re showing men’s wear, they’re showing cruise wear. Things like that but they’re using different platforms,” he said.
Dixon said designers have to think how they can promote their product digitally. There will be innovation coming in how they will do exactly that.
“I think it’s a change for good. The fashion industry I think needed a little bit of a shakeup anyway. It will probably build itself into something a little bit stronger,” he said.
Glenn Dixon, Owner of Glenn Dixon Design and Strategist at Shikatani Lacroix Design, who is an Interior Designer specializing in Retail, Commercial and Residential design, said the impact of COVID has been huge in the industry but there is also opportunity coming out of it.
“It’s really important for retailers to still focus on their stores, their flagship especially,” said Dixon. “That’s the store that would send the image and tell the customer who they are. The opportunity there is to really put more effort into building an experience for customers where it’s not bricks and mortar anymore. It’s an experience. Retailers are going to have to go deeper into that more so than ever.
“People want to get out and shop still. The experience of shopping is always fun, provided that the consumers are treated well.
“One of the things I’ve seen a lot of is that the stores, or the retailers, have learned the value of their customers and their employees even more so during this. They’re really concerned about their employees’ safety and they’re looking after that. If you treat your employees well, they’re going to treat the customers well. So there’s this love affair going on with customers and employees again only because we were taught the importance of these people through this pandemic. So what that means ultimately to the consumer is a better shopping experience. They’re more likely to come back.”


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Relatively few pharmacies in Uruguay are interested in selling recreational marijuana, even though it will soon be legal for them to do so.
So far, only 50 of the country’s roughly 1,200 pharmacies have registered to begin selling recreational cannabis in the coming weeks, the Associated Press reported.
The reason? They don’t want to be robbed or run afoul of the country’s black market dealers. That’s on top of the additional pain of paperwork, higher business costs, and general customer opposition to cannabis.
Meanwhile, sales are expected to begin by late July, according to two government officials, who added that having only a small number of pharmacies selling cannabis may make the system easier to control. One official added that the government is “not ruling out using other networks or even vending machines in the future.”
Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana in 2013, but it’s taken this long to get its distribution system up and running.


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RBI makes punching PIN mandatory for debit card transactions done every time
With an aim to minimize frauds, RBI has made it mandatory for debit card holders to punch in their PIN numbers every time they use the card. In June 2013, the central bank had extended the deadline for implementation of mandatory PIN punching at Point-of-Sales (PoS) and merchant outlets till November 30, 2013 following representation of banks.
Why this step by the RBI to make punching PIN mandatory for debit card transactions done every time?
The PIN functions as another layer of security for the debit card which reduces the chances of fraud. While using it at PoS, merchants will first swipe the cards at a PIN enabled PoS terminal and punch in the transaction amount. That will be followed by customers punching their PINs to complete the transaction.
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In April 2019, a class-action lawsuit
was filed against Kate Spade & Company for allegedly misleadingly advertising “grossly overstated” discounts on merchandise sold at its outlet stores. Specifically, the complaint claims that the outlets deceptively represent that consumers are getting a significant percentage off of an advertised regular price when, according to plaintiffs, the merchandise was never sold at the represented regular price. (Calderon et al v. Kate Spade & Company, LLC
, Case No. 19-cv-674, S. D. CA.)
For more of TINA.org’s coverage of Kate Spade stores, click here.


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The Czech newspaper Lidové noviny reported this summer on Bohemia Classic, a new Czech beer maker which doesn’t yet have a brewery. The thrust of the story was that four former employees from Prague’s Staropramen had founded a new brewery to take on their former company.
Considering that Bohemia Classic currently has to rent kettle time at North Bohemia’s Pivovar Konrad in order to produce their beer, it seems unlikely that the upstarts will do much harm to the country’s second-largest brewer, part of global megaproducer InBev. But to judge by taste alone, Bohemia Classic has already pulled ahead of the brand from Smíchov. In fact, Bohemia Classic seems to be one of the rare cases when a beer actually lives up to its name.


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While much attention has been focused on the latest overall UK unemployment figures, published last week by the Office of National Statistics, the association which represents businesses in the nation’s supply chain is concerned that the status of European workers within the UK’s logistics sector, and elsewhere in vital industries, is still be settled in the ongoing Brexit negotiations.
FTA, which represents more than 17,000 logistics businesses nationwide, is calling on the government to provide clarification on the working position for European employees after the UK leaves the European Union, in order to provide some stability for a sector already facing significant skills gaps across key roles.
“Logistics is the nation’s unsung hero industry,” explains Sally Gilson , FTA’s Head of Skills, “which keeps food on the shelves, medicines in our hospitals and raw materials in our factories – as consumers, we just expect goods and services to be in place when we need them. In fact, logistics businesses keep Britain trading. But this situation could change drastically if the government does not allow continued access to seasonal workers. 43,000 HGV drivers, 30,000 van drivers and 113,000 warehouse EU workers currently help to keep the supply chain moving. However, due to the seasonal nature of logistics, access to temporary staff is crucial and this gap has been filled by many EU workers. We know the plan for those EU workers wanting to gain settled status but not for those who come to the UK for seasonal work – the ones which businesses rely on to keep goods and services flowing.
“Employers need clarification on who they will be allowed to employ, and the work these staff will be eligible to undertake, now, rather than in March 2019. And with a significant shortage of available British staff to take up the slack – there are currently more than 52,000 vacancies for HGV drivers alone – it is clear that the logistics industry would be unable to move the goods and services the nation needs if the government’s Brexit plan does not allow access to seasonal workers from the EU. Preventing them from working would create a fracture in the supply chain which could not be mended easily.”
One of the solutions to the skills shortage in logistics could be the provision of apprenticeships via the government’s Levy system, to aid employers with recruitment of new staff. But as Ms Gilson continues, this is a flawed argument:
“Logistics is being seriously hindered by a lack of specialist, appropriate apprenticeships. Although the sector has worked hard to develop appropriate qualifications, the process is being prolonged by the Institute for Apprenticeship’s bad administration. We have been waiting for vital new standards to be approved for a year now and without them, businesses are prevented from spending their levy monies appropriately. The government’s own target of three million apprenticeship starts will continue to be unattainable until the apprenticeship system is overhauled to deliver what business needs.
“Logistics operators will do everything in their power to keep the nation’s trade flowing after Brexit, but must have access to the staff to actually do the jobs as required. Without them, the supply chain is set to fracture and disintegrate.”
Efficient logistics is vital to keep Britain trading, directly having an impact on more than seven million people employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc. A champion and challenger, FTA speaks to Government with one voice on behalf of the whole sector, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers.


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DTCC has named a managing director who led its FinTech and business innovation strategy as its global head of strategy and business development.
Jennifer Peve will now be responsible for the market infrastructure firm’s global corporate strategy, digital product development and strategic partnership and alliances.
She will report to DTCC president and CEO, Michael Bodson, and will also join the DTCC management committee. The appointment is effective 2 July 2021.
Peve originally joined DTCC in 2015 as executive director for business development and co-head of FinTech strategy. Prior to that, she served as executive director, OTC product management at CME Group.
In a time where technology advancement, especially in digital innovation, continues to cause industry-wide change, Peve will be responsible for maintaining strategic alignment across DTCC and ensuring coordination and adaptability of the firm’s strategy.
Peve will also be responsible for leveraging new technologies to enhance the post-trade environment and position DTCC as the bridge between legacy and emerging technologies, building on initiatives she has led previously, including Project Ion – DTCC’s future vision of an alternative digital settlement service – and Project Whitney – DTCC’s digital product offering for private securities.
“Jennifer is a proven leader who has the unique ability to understand, conceptualise and shape the future of the post-trade environment as well as the application of new and emerging technologies to drive the creation of creative and effective products and solutions for our clients,” said Bodson.
“Jennifer will bring together our corporate strategy, digital product development and strategic partnerships and alliances as we continue to make significant advances in transforming the post-trade environment and introducing and utilising new technologies to drive down costs and risks for our clients.”


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Silent food product recalls remain the order of the day in some instances in South Africa and this places the most vulnerable portion of the country’s population at risk.
Ronél Burger, head of the Food Safety Initiative at the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, has called for a centralised database that food wholesalers, retailers, suppliers and manufacturers should use when recalling any type of food available to consumers.
The population in rural areas are most effected by silent recalls, as the notice doesn’t reach the retailers and smaller traders in outlying areas in time – or at all – to stop consumers from purchasing the damaged product.
‘In this way, the majority of consumers have the potential to be reached via the various media channels, thus reducing the risk of becoming exposed to the damaged food product. A centralised database would enable transparency; trending of incidents to assist Government and industry with research; and ensure appropriate regulations and systems are implemented. It will also allow industry to measure improvement.’
Burger said that some retailers and some suppliers are under the impression that quietly recalling damaged or contaminated food products reduces reputational risk and damage. ‘Nothing could be further from the truth,’ she emphasised. ‘Trying to do it quietly and then being found out would be far more damaging to the commercial reputations of suppliers, manufacturers and retailers.
‘We’ve seen instances where responsible suppliers and retailers have gone public with their recalls and the public has responded positively and there’s been no reputational damage. In fact, consumers perceive the supplier and retailer as being responsible.’