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Beatie Wolfe at Nokia Bell Labs: Art Meets Technology in an Extraordinary Performance
NJTechWeekly.com was invited to an unusual event that took place in early May at Nokia Bell Labs (Murray Hill). Beatie Wolfe, British singer-songwriter and digital art-innovator, was releasing an album called “Raw Space,” in collaboration with Nokia Bell Labs and interactive creative firm Design I/O (Cambridge, Mass.).
Kuenne to Princeton Tech Meetup: Pay Attention to Personality Types as You Grow Your Business
Chris Kuenne, the Princeton University lecturer who sold digital marketing agency Rosetta (Hamilton) for nearly $600 million in 2011, came to the Princeton Tech Meetup two weeks ago to talk about entrepreneurship and his new book, Built for Growth: How Builder Personality Shapes Your Business, Your Team, and Your Ability to Win, which he wrote with John Danner.
Technology Marketing in the Digital Age: Digital Marketing: Five Myths Explained
By now, I’m sure you’re no stranger to digital marketing. It’s the wave of the future—and it’s everywhere. But let’s face it: it’s still a relatively new discipline—one that’s not easily mastered. In fact, I’ve spoken to many colleagues and business professionals who’ve expressed frustration over the confusing nature of it all.
Shapiro Taps into Franchise Model to Spread His Online News Site’s Hyperlocal Mission
Michael Shapiro, who founded TAPinto.net in 2008, now operates a network of more than 65 franchised online local newspapers in New Jersey and New York, with a total of more than 5.7 million readers. Shapiro came to the Morris Tech Meetup in April to tell his story, and he told the audience that he expected to have about 250 TAPinto sites by the end of 2020, with 15 million readers. “We want to become the nationwide model for sustainable local journalism.
Sanjay Macwan Wants to Connect New Jersey to its Innovation Core And THIS is How He’ll Do It
The Holmdel Idea Summit (THIS), which will take place this Thursday at Bell Works (Holmdel), promises to expose its audience to a mixture of past, present and future innovations. The conference is designed to reconnect New Jersey with its tradition of innovation and to spur the state on to future creativity.


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Listen to our podcast episode with CPABC's economist, Aaron Aerts, and communications manager Vivian Tse. Part of our Coffee Chats with CPABC podcast series. Want the full story? Read CPABC's complete economic snapshot report.
After eleven consecutive months of job gains in BC, April marked a set back as both the province and the country as a whole saw total employment decline. In April, the province shed 43,100 jobs leading to an increase in the unemployment rate, up 0.2 percentage points to 7.1%. Meanwhile, Canada’s unemployment rate saw a larger increase, up 0.6 percentage points to 8.1%.
The job losses were largely attributed to an increase in business restrictions across the country in late March and early April (including BC’s “circuit breaker”) to combat the rising number of cases during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the job loss in BC was concentrated in industries directly affected by the new restrictions, such as accommodation and food services (-21,900), entertainment and media (-16,900), and wholesale/retail trade (-4,600). Job losses were concentrated within part-time positions, making up around 87% of the monthly decline.
Despite the recent setback, the provincial workforce still remained near pre-pandemic levels due to its strong overall recovery to date. In contrast, overall employment in Canada remains down by 2.6% in April 2021 compared to February 2020. The expectation is that this was a short-term blip, and as business restrictions ease, employment should rebound.
After falling to historic lows early in the pandemic, retail spending has seen a strong recovery. In fact, since June 2020, retail spending in both Canada and BC has been at least as strong as pre-pandemic levels. In BC, retail spending was over 10% higher in both January and February of 2021 compared to February 2020. While StatsCan data for March and April 2021 is not yet available, RBC consumer spending data shows the recent restrictions did have a negative effect on spending, but did not result in a significant decline in spending overall as seen in previous shutdowns.
Throughout the crisis, consumers’ basket of goods purchased at retail stores has shifted dramatically. Since late fall, social, business and travel restrictions put significant pressure on industries related to travel, office work, and social interaction. However, as of February 2021, total retail spending in all but two categories had increased compared to January 2020.
As Canadians continue to work from home in greater numbers and minimize social engagement, clothing stores continued to see sales well below pre-pandemic levels, with spending down by nearly a third (31.9%). Spending at gasoline retailers was also down by 10.2% despite recent strength in gas prices. The three retail categories that experienced the largest increases as of February 2021 were building/garden supplies (+26.7%), electronics (+18.5%) and miscellaneous (+17.2%) which includes services such as florists and office supplies.
Some of the most optimistic data continues to be found in BC’s commodity export market.
After struggling early on in the crisis, BC’s commodity export market has seen a resurgence in recent months. In March 2021, overall exports were up 25.3% compared to March 2020, led by increases in solid wood products (+71.8%), metallic mineral products (+22.7%) and agriculture goods (+3.9%).
The rebound has been driven by burgeoning prices for most of BC’s key export commodities. The top performer in terms of key BC commodities has been forestry products, which saw its prices more than double when compared to any period between 2019 and early 2020. Prices of energy, metals/minerals and agriculture products have also experienced gains thus far in 2021, with all three now higher than where they started in 2020. If global demand remains strong and commodity prices continue to perform well, BC’s commodity export market will be an increasingly important component of BC’s economic recovery.
The 2020 recession saw Canadian real GDP fall by 5.4% compared to 2019. While BC’s economy fared relatively better, real GDP is still estimated to have fallen around 4.8%. The unemployment rate also spiked, reaching 9.6% for Canada and 8.9% in BC for 2020 as a whole – well above the 4.7% rate seen in BC in 2019.
However, the forecasts expect both the Canadian and BC economy to bounce back in 2021 and into 2022. The economic picture improved considerably over the later half of 2020 and coming into 2021, with many indicators indicating a strong economic recovery is underway. This is expected to result in a strong rebound in 2021, with real GDP forecast to grow 5.9% in BC and 6.1% in Canada. While unemployment is expected to lower, it’s still expected to remain above pre-crisis levels. By 2022, GDP is forecast to be above pre-crisis levels in both Canada and BC, while the unemployment rate is expected to return to slightly above pre-crisis levels.
Read our full economic snapshot for more details.
Aaron Aerts is an economist for CPABC.

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Rachel Riley, Peter Egan, and Jasmine Harman are among celebs backing the Summer Vegan Pledge
Every year, Animal Aid runs a vegan pledge initiative to encourage those who are not vegan to give it a try – the Summer Vegan Pledge. It’s a 30-day vegan challenge that takes place throughout June.
Countdown star, Rachel Riley, and Downton Abbey actor, Peter Egan, are among the well-known faces backing this year’s pledge, and ahead of June, they are urging people to give veganism a try.
‘I feel really good’
Prior to the challenge, Rachel Riley speaks about her own journey to veganism. She says: ‘I found out that eggs and dairy were making me ill, and once I gave them up I felt like a new person almost overnight.’
‘As a big foodie, to still get my fix of dairy and egg-free puddings I started eating in vegan restaurants, and found that the food was delicious and interesting, and I didn’t need to eat meat.’
‘Then finally, after watching Blue Planet and going to the Galapagos in 2017 I learnt more about dodgy fishing practices and plastic pollution affecting wildlife, so I finally gave up fish for Veganuary and never went back to eating it.’
‘Now I feel really good, still get to eat a variety of really tasty food and can look every creature in the eye, it’s win-win.’
‘Best lifestyle in the world’
Peter Egan went vegan after opening his eyes to animal cruelty, he comments: ‘I decided to go vegan firstly because of the cruelty animals are subjected to, in order to provide me with a meal. I was appalled by the slaughter.’
‘Then, I realised that a plant-based diet was not only better for me ethically and physically, but it was healthier for our planet also. Once my head and my heart were in union, I realised that to be vegan is the best lifestyle in the world.’
‘Cured by a plant-based diet’
Philanthropist and V-bites founder, Heather Mills, speaks about how good veganism has been for her health, she says: ‘Initially, I became vegan 25 years ago because of health, after losing my leg.’
‘I was getting constant re-infection that only an introduction to a plant-based diet cured, after five months in hospital and endless antibiotics to no avail.’
‘Once vegan, I realised I wasn’t harming animals or the environment, it only takes us to care about one of these three reasons to become vegan, and then we naturally make a difference in all three arenas.’
‘It has never been easier’
Other celebrities, who are lending their support to this year’s Summer Vegan Pledge, are A Place in the Sun presenter Jasmine Harman, stand-up comedian Andrew O’Neill, Big Brother 2018 contestant and Vegan Fashion Futurist Kay Lovelle, and sports presenter Laura Winter.
Last year, celebrities including cricket legend Jason Gillespie and Made in Chelsea star Lucy Watson supported the Summer Vegan Pledge, encouraging others to try veganism. In 2018, more than 3,500 people took part in the Summer Vegan Pledge, with more than 50 per cent of them choosing to remain vegan thereafter.
Animal Aid campaign manager, Tod Bradbury, explains just how easy it is to take on the challenge, he says: ‘The Summer Vegan Pledge is the perfect opportunity for those who care about animals, the environment and their health to try a plant-based diet for a month.
‘It has never been easier to go vegan, with new vegan options coming to supermarket shelves, coffee shops, independent shops, health food shops and restaurants seemingly on a daily basis.’
‘By taking the Summer Vegan Pledge you will be helping animals and the planet, and also making positive changes for your health, so why not give it a go?’
If you’ve got friends, family or even work colleagues interested in veganism, why not send them details of this excellent initiative?


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Amazon’s Dash Button, the tool that lets Prime members reorder products at the push of a button, has been added to its website and mobile app.
According to a report, with the Dash Button, customers can order reoccurring staples, like laundry detergent, diapers and razors, with one click. By adding it to the website and mobile app, Amazon is upping the convenience factor for shoppers. The report noted that Amazon said customers of Prime can create a virtual Dash Button on millions of products that are eligible for Prime. It will also create Dash Buttons for products customers purchase at a frequent rate.
The announcement on the part of Amazon comes at a time when Prime is doing well in the U.S. During the holidays, in the U.S., Amazon set records in terms of sales of its Echo and with Prime. During the holidays, Amazon said more than 1 billion items were shipped around the world with Prime and Fulfillment by Amazon, with more people around the globe trying Amazon Prime this year compared to any of the years past. Amazon said the fastest Prime Now delivery happened on Christmas Eve and took 13 minutes to be delivered to a Prime member in Redondo Beach, Calif. Amazon said Dec. 23 was the biggest day in Amazon’s history for Prime Now deliveries worldwide, with Prime members ordering three times more items compared to a year ago with one- and two-hour delivery.
Earlier this month, it tapped Jamil Ghani, Target’s SVP of strategy and innovation, to head up the Amazon Prime membership business outside of the U.S. For Amazon, the move underscores the growing importance of Prime outside the U.S., given analysts are predicting Prime in the U.S. will slow during the course of the next few years. The report noted that analysts estimate close to half of all households in the U.S. subscribe to Prime. As a result, Amazon has been expanding the Prime service, announcing the launch of Prime in India and in China.


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Psst ? Wanna buy some ?organic? food?
The 2002 establishment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture?s National Organic Program was designed to eliminate ambiguous transactions. Nonetheless, some manufacturers are purchasing ingredients with nothing more than an assurance from their suppliers that the ingredients are organic. And when the products are finished, their labels proudly proclaim their organic status.
There?s just one problem: There?s a chance the ingredients aren?t organic, at least according to USDA standards.
?People are coming into the [organic foods] industry in larger numbers,? said Steve Taormina, standards manager for New Hope Natural Media, the Boulder, Colo.-based publisher of The Natural Foods Merchandiser. ?They don?t understand the rules and regulations of the NOP. They?re buying ingredients on good faith.?
Though veterans of the organic industry are intimately familiar with the organic rule they championed for so many years, newcomers are often unaware that there?s a central repository of information—the USDA?s Web site.
Chris Monnette, president of Caffe Botanica, a Eugene, Ore., producer of herb-infused coffees, found that out the hard way. When he submitted his product for consideration in a trade show, an official asked to see the certificate vouching for the coffee beans? organic status. ?It was organic. I just was not aware of how it was documented,? Monnette said.
While attending a coffee trade show, he noticed a booth encouraging attendees to learn about certification. ?I went in and asked. It was the first time I heard of ?certified organic,?? Monnette said. Fortunately, he found out before he had shipped any product.
?There?s probably medium to small companies that are not aware of [the organic rule],? said Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Association. ?It?s not until [a product] gets to a shelf or a show that we say, ?Well, prove it.??
And, sometimes, in the process of fielding questions about specific markets, OTA staffers find that new companies don?t know the ins and outs of organics. The industry has been proactive in educating manufacturers and retailers, DiMatteo said—?We?ve been contacting a lot of people saying, ?Did you know this,? when we?ve looked at their labels?—but acknowledged there?s always room to do more.
Laura Kline thought the teas she was importing from a family friend?s farm in Taiwan were good to go. She had a certificate from the Taiwanese government confirming there was no pesticide residue in the soil samples she submitted.
But for the U.S. retail market, that?s not enough. Without certification by a USDA-authorized third party, she can?t sell it as organic tea.
Having been in the organic industry only six months—and as a side job, at that—Kline is frustrated with what she perceives as a Catch-22. ?I do understand that you have to be able to trust the label,? she said. But, ?when you go from country to country everyone has a different definition of what?s organic.?
Kline sees the NOP as somewhat ethnocentric. ?The United States is saying, ?Our way of organic is the only way and the best way?? It?s a little bit frustrating, but I do understand there have to be rules.?
Like Monnette, Kline had not yet begun to market the teas to retailers when she found out she could not legally call her product organic. ?A lot of what I?ve been selling is to family and friends.? Now, Kline says she?s going to have to change her marketing strategy. ?I?m going to have to sell it, unfortunately, as a natural product and not an organic product [and] focus on selling it in bulk. If I?m selling it in bulk I can take my label off it and I can take it into a restaurant.? Alternately, she?s considering selling the tea ?to somebody else who likes it enough and can put their own label on it.?
Monnette and Kline agree there?s a steep learning curve in the organic foods industry. ?I think I would probably spend more time with trade associations ? asking a lot more questions,? if he were to do it over, Monnette said.
Despite Kline?s frustration, she remains committed to the organic lifestyle, and plans to open an organic restaurant in Los Angeles. ?I?m still very excited,? she said. ?I?m not going to let that deter me at all.?
Natural Foods Merchandiser volume XXV/number 4/p. 7, 16


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Have you voted? Ok, good! Now, it’s time for a little comic break.
After last week’s announcement that Walt Disney Co. purchased George Lucas’s Lucasfilm empire, several parody videos have
Last week’s news that Walt Disney Co. purchased the Lucasfilm empire spawned a flurry of tongue-in-cheek parody videos. Most of them are funny, if you’re in the right mood.
In this one, Princess Leia meets the Disney princesses.
In the Funny or Die video below, watch a trailer for Disney’s Star Wars 7: A Sock Puppet Musical.
The two videos below featuring Darth Vader were released earlier this year with the reopening of Star Tours but they’re making the rounds again with the recent announcement and now they seem more relevant.


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Beyond the day-to-day struggles of operating a business, manufacturers are presented with the issues of being in a state of flux. For many their digital transformation process has already begun. Yet it’s pretty far from complete.
With the recent disruption caused by COVID-19, there are now additional benefits to digitize manufacturing businesses with an eCommerce platform.
Digitalization has now become an integral part for B2B manufacturers. Latest study shows that around 98% manufacturers have, are implementing, or they’re planning to implement an online sales channel.
While most manufacturers are whole-heartedly embracing digital, businesses’ perspectives, initiatives, motivations do vary across channels. In addition to eCommerce, manufacturers are turning to various online channels to facilitate their sales strategies.
Manufacturers who know that eCommerce generates revenue are now prioritizing adoption as a recent study shows around 50% of overall revenue for manufacturers is generated via online sales channels.
However, making B2B eCommerce work comes along with multiple challenges that can sometimes break a business’ relationship with consumers.
Among those challenges is how to properly digitize customers’ journey. Manufacturers from decades struggling to know their customers. Manufacturers have tried multiple ways to mitigate or solve those challenges, particularly those that are related to customer experience.
Manufacturers across the globe have reported they tried dozen tactics to fix online customer experiences issues. To address online experience challenges, nearly half of the giant manufacturing businesses invested in a new eCommerce solution.
According to recent research, there are huge opportunities for manufacturers in this space. Previously, the term customer experience was solely associated with Business-to-Consumer companies like Amazon or Apple. B2C customers got highly accustomed to their specialized services that persuaded them to back and shop again and again.
Over the years, this became a popular concern in the Business-to-Business industry as well. Nowadays, manufacturers are shifting on online sales channels just to improve their customer experience.
Improving customer experience not only helps in acquiring new customers but helps in retaining and building a sound relationship with the existing ones.
To stay competitive and relevant in this cut-throat competition, it’s essential for manufacturers to focus on how to improve their customer experience.
If you’re one of those who’re facing similar issues then you have landed in the right place.
Today in this article, we’ll discuss how manufacturers can improve their digital customer experience.
So let’s get started
4 incredible ways to improve digital customer experience for manufacturers
1. Healthy customer relationships
Digital transformation and customer experience goes hand in hand. A recent research indicated manufacturers investing in eCommerce solutions are able to generate more revenue than those who don’t.
The same mindset (customer-centric) that encourages customers to shop online, is now being adopted and implemented in the B2B industry to improve customer experience. According to a recent research report published by Sapio, buyers value those businesses that offer seamless repeat order and faster and easier checkout services over other benefits that online purchasing offers.
This is what manufacturers view as the major benefit of using eCommerce platforms for doing business. The report further indicates that manufacturers are now very well aware of the fact how crucial easy and fast checkout is if they want to provide a good customer experience.
For the above reasons, 42% manufacturers have invested to streamline their online experience to acquire more customers and bring in more sales.
When it comes to the perks of eCommerce, there’s no sign these ROI will slow down anytime soon. Almost 50% of the manufacturers across the B2B industry believe that homegrown and third-party eCommerce solutions are their main driver of revenue in 2021 and will continue to be in the next 3 years, as well as in the next 5.
2. Evolution is essential
As manufacturers anticipate massive growth, they should start looking ahead to determine the new challenges and upcoming changes in this space. Because of changing technological advancements and customers’ preferences, strategic evolution has become an integral part of B2B business operation and ownership.
Due to the recent disruptive event COVID-19 that brought new challenges, 94% manufacturers have already changed their marketing strategies this year to sustain their businesses. Moreover, 57% of them have already implemented new online sales model while 32% of them are implementing one currently.
Those who are still in the process of implementing are actually running behind their competitors who are already taking full advantage of these online tools to build a strong and note-worthy relationship with their customers.
Therefore it’s highly essential to closely evaluate your online presence and all your offerings. Around 47% of large manufacturers reported they invested in a brand new eCommerce solution to address and solve their pain points.
On the other hand, if that’s fiscally impossible for small manufacturing companies, then it’s necessary to train your sales teams to help them to optimize your company’s online presence and experience.
That being said, investing in a scalable and highly effective eCommerce solution is essential to fulfill the changing preferences and demands of customers.
3. Prioritize personalization and ease
As we have already mentioned, B2B consumers highly value a seamless online purchasing experience as it allows them to make purchasing decisions quickly. This is certainly one of the biggest challenges for B2B manufacturers as the online B2B purchasing process is pretty complex.
Most of the manufacturers report the biggest challenges that eCommerce brings with itself are limited product data, and complicated and too long checkout processes. Manufacturers are aware of this fact that these issues can bring in hundreds of thousands of customers’ complaints and queries and there are many possibilities that buyers will start looking for other options to fulfill their business needs.
Therefore to address them, it’s highly essential to find an eCommerce solution that allows you to customize your online sales channel to improve customer experience. The chosen platform must be able to swiftly tabulate bulk order processes and complex discounts that are highly common in B2B orders.
Moreover, ensuring a seamless and simple checkout process. It should also provide updated and detailed product data that will automatically reduce the number of repeated consumer queries.
All of this will leave an embarking impression on your customers and will help you to improve your customers’ purchasing experience. It will not only help your brand to build a healthy relationship with them but it will turn them into advocates of your manufacturing business.
4. Ensure data integrity
The one culprit behind the major breakdown caused in a highly reliable and robust eCommerce system is none other than bad data. Whether it’s the system that’s unable to commute the data or human error, bad data can cause some serious issues for business efficiency.
Both manufacturers and buyers are well aware of this. Around 35% reported that they lost or missed orders because of having an unreliable and deficient eCommerce solution. Even 44% of buyers often complain about receiving wrong or incomplete orders from their top manufacturers at least once in two weeks.
Therefore, it’s essential to invest in an eCommerce solution that ensures reliable and accurate data throughout the process. Another solution is an eCommerce engine that’s directly integrated to the ERP software developed for manufacturers. This ensures that the data has to be changed once and it will automatically be across all the linked systems in real-time.
Looking at manufacturers’ priorities, business drivers, investments, and strategic business changes, one thing becomes clear: manufacturers are on the right path toward digitization.
The statistics highlight a clear focus from manufacturers on their customers, as well as on adopting the right technologies and strategies to keep them happy. But it also highlights key challenges along that journey, which manufacturers will need to be prepared to tackle moving forward. In particular, major issues that threaten to harm their relationships with customers.
A continued focus on digitization and customer-centricity could prove beneficial, especially as manufacturers recognize how big the payoff on their investments is. But it will require continued dedication as well as manufacturers constantly looking to go beyond their own comfort zones.
If you’re a WooCommerce B2B store owner and want to enhance your productivity, then B2BWoo is the best option for you. It’s a one-stop-shop for your every WooCommerce B2B eCommerce solutions.
- A Beginner’s Guide To eCommerce Analytics
- Top 5 B2B eCommerce UX Mistakes That Hurt Rankings and Sales
- eCommerce Automation: How To Automate For Your eCommerce Business?
- Why You Need A Minimum Viable Product Approach to B2B eCommerce
- How to Generate Sales Leads in Your Small Business?
- B2B Tactics Recommended by Alibaba that You Should Apply to Your Store
- Five Problems eCommerce Customers Face and How You Can Solve Them


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Niagara-on-the-Lake is rich with family businesses growing flowers under glass.
But what was a thriving local industry a short time ago is threatened by COVID-19, as flowers come into bloom, ready to be cut and sold, but nobody to buy them.
Orders of cut flowers have largely been cancelled, says Tim Moes of Virgil Greenhouses, as they approach what should be their peak season.
Pim Boekestyn and his brother Tom started growing freesias all year round almost three decades ago, and Virgil Greenhouses has become the largest producer of cut freesias in North America.
Tom has since retired, and Pim has brought his son Peter and his son-in-law Tim Moes onboard.
Their cooler is now full of thousands of cut freesias and ranunculus, ready to go to market.They cut about 7,000 a week, ready if orders do come in, but they have no hope of selling the numbers they are growing.
With four acres under glass, at least one greenhouse is full of flowers that will not be harvested — there is no point cutting what you can’t sell, says Moes.
Last week, The Watering Can in St. Catharines came through in a huge way for them, lowering prices, as did the greenhouse, to sell 2,500 freesias in 24 hours. But with the shut-down of essential services, Moes says, as of Tuesday there was some confusion over whether florists were allowed to stay open — live produce can be grown and sold, but they were waiting for clarification about whether flowers were included. Some florists have shut down already, others are gearing up to take orders online and deliver them to porches.
Moes says they’ve been dropping boxes of cut flowers at lower income housing and long-term care homes, just leaving them outside, and other greenhouses are doing the same.
They are also selling flowers from a roadside stand set up outside their Hunter Road greenhouses, and after posting a photo on Instagram last week, Moes says he’s been “blown away” by the response. “We didn’t expect we’d get this kind of support.”
They’ve organized it as a drive-through flower shop, with no need for drivers to get out of their car, and they are in the process of setting up payment online so there will be no money exchanged. They will continue to sell from the stand unless they learn they are not permitted to do so.
They were expecting seasonal workers to arrive last week, but that didn’t happen, and at this point, it’s just as well, Moes says. They don’t have work for them to do, and without a crystal ball, no way to know what will happen in the coming weeks. “At this point, it’s not looking good.”


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A lawsuit is expected to be filed against Amazon Monday on behalf of the family of a delivery driver who was killed in December when a tornado struck one of the company's facilities in southern Illinois.
Austin McEwen, 26, an independent Amazon contractor, was one of six people who died Dec. 10 when a tornado hit the Edwardsville distribution center.
According to a news release from Clifford Law Offices, the law firm representing McEwen's family, he and others were required to continue working instead of being told to evacuate when a major tornado became a possibility.
Lawyers cited reports that indicated Amazon directed McEwen and the five others who were killed to shelter in a bathroom. The attorneys claim Amazon knew or should have known that this location would not protect them.
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"Initial reports from those that survived this avoidable tragedy are disturbing," Jack Casciato, partner at Clifford Law Offices, who represents McEwen's family, said in a news release. "We certainly intend to discover what precautions Amazon could have taken to save lives. Certainly, this entire facility could have bene evacuated when it was believed a tornado was en route. It appears that holiday profits took precedence over safety,”
A complaint, which is expected to be filed Monday, alleges Amazon failed to adhere to Occupational Health and Safety Administration preparedness plans, chose to have people continue working during the peak holiday season and failed to have a facility that contained a basement shelter.
OSHA announced that it had opened an investigation in the days following the collapse.
Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, released the following statement:
"“This lawsuit misunderstands key facts, such as the difference between various types of severe weather and tornado alerts, as well as the condition and safety of the building. The truth is that this was a new building less than four years old, built in compliance with all applicable building codes, and the local teams were following the weather conditions closely. Severe weather watches are common in this part of the country and, while precautions are taken, are not cause for most businesses to close down. We believe our team did the right thing as soon as a warning was issued, and they worked to move people to safety as quickly as possible. We will defend against this lawsuit, but our focus continues to be on supporting our employees and partners, the families who lost loved ones, the surrounding community, and all those affected by the tornadoes.”


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THELOGICALINDIAN - Room 77 the German bar and restaurant that claims to be the aboriginal retail accouterments in the apple to acquire bitcoin payments has shut bottomward Cypherpunk Holdings arch economist Jon Matonis bankrupt the account on Twitter Bar buyer Jorg Platzer after accepted it on Reddit
“Room 77 is closing for good,” Platzer revealed in a rather futuristic, celebratory column on Oct. 18. “We anticipate our mission is able and it is time to go aback to our home planet. Thanks for all the angle and the acceptable tips!”
No official acumen was accustomed for the cease of the Berlin-based joint. But there’s suspicion this may accept been accompanying to the coronavirus pandemic. Lockdown restrictions affiliated to Covid-19 accept hit the all-around accommodation industry hard.
In Berlin, austere restrictions on the auction of booze abide in place, with bar operators banned from affairs the artefact from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. The measures accept badly afflicted profits.
Located in Kreuzberg, Berlin, Room 77 began accepting bitcoin (BTC) as a agency of acquittal in 2011, acceptable the aboriginal bar, and best acceptable the aboriginal clandestine retail outlet, in the apple to do so. Since then, the bubbler atom has developed into article of a crusade armpit for bitcoiners, who patronize the abode for its BTC payments and more.
“Before we did that (accept BTC), all media advantage about bitcoin was about hackers burglary acclaim agenda capacity and affairs them on the atramentous markets,” Platzer said in a 2018 interview, highlighting how the enactment had afflicted media perceptions and advantage about the top cryptocurrency.
In the crypto community, bodies responded to Room 77’s cease with addicted memories of the past.
“End of an Era: Room 77 in Berlin closes doors permanently!” tweeted Jon Matonis, the Cypherpunk Holdings arch economist. “Blame it on Covid or accusation it on gentrification. Either way, this Kreuzberg battleground has served as a Bitcoin watering aperture for over 10 years, with bags authoritative the binding pilgrimage. Thx for the memories, Joerg!”
Redditor @etrnetm said: “Thanks for accouterment the actionable admiral of Bitcoin in Berlin to us earthlings. We shall accommodated again.”
In his Reddit post, Platzer concluded:
What do you anticipate about the abrupt cease of Room 77? Share your thoughts in the comments area below.
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons


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Recycling up 650% over 15 years
There has been a 650 per cent increase in package recycling since 1998, according to a new Repak survey.
This is an increase from 101,000 tonnes of packaging recycled in 1998 to 651,000 tonnes in 2011.
There has also been a 7 per cent increase in both home and work recycling in the last year.
The figures show 65 per cent pf homes recycled in 2012, up from 58 per cent the previous year, while work-based recycling jumped from 56 per cent to 63 per cent.
Despite the increase, there is still more to be done to increase recycling efforts in Ireland, according to Darrell Crowe, head of marketing and sales for Repak.
“We are all doing a reasonable level of recycling at home and at work, but we need to get to the stage where we are recycling all the time,” he said. “It has been a phenomenal success and we compare favourably to the rest of Europe. We have gone from the bottom to near the top.
“There are three main reasons that explain why there is such an increase in recycling. People are better educated, there is better infrastructure and there are greater financial incentives.”
The study conducted by MRBI, which surveyed 1,000 people, shows 70 per cent of respondents are against a visible fee on packaging to support their recycling.
Some 70 per cent of people think that producers and retailers should pay towards the recovery and recycling of packaging they supply.
Ireland has completely transformed how it recycles packaging in the last 15 years, according to Repak chief executive Dr Andrew Hetherington.
“The progress Ireland has made through collaboration of all stakeholders, our participating members and the buy in from the consumer, makes it the one of the most successful Producer Responsibility schemes in Ireland and an exemplar within the EU,” he said.
The survey was conducted to launch Repak Recycling Week, which began today.
For more information on Repak Recycling Week, visit repak.ie.


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Airline chief warns attack on Iraq would devastate weakened industry
Published 10:00 pm, Wednesday, September 25, 2002
NEW YORK -- The chief executive of American Airlines yesterday joined a chorus of airline executives warning that a war in Iraq would be a devastating blow to the already-distressed industry.
Don Carty, speaking to analysts and reporters, said a war would be like having an "economic anvil dropped on the industry." He said that more bankruptcies were likely without more financial assistance from the federal government.
Talk of war with Iraq has caused airline-stock prices to plummet in recent weeks on fears that demand for international travel would suffer and that rising oil costs would keep the jet fuel costs high.
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- Young entrepreneur Blake Pyron heads to UN Fox4
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Analysts, who expect the industry to report about $7 billion in losses by the end of the year, have become increasingly worried that United Airlines might have to file for bankruptcy, a move already made by US Airways.
"The whole industry in Chapter 11 isn't something the country would tolerate," said Carty, who addressed the Wall Street community one day after he and other airline executives lobbied Congress for a wide range of assistance.
Carty emphasized that the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier would do whatever was necessary to avoid bankruptcy, which he said would drain management's time and weaken the airline.
The trouble at major airlines began more than a year ago when corporations slashed their travel budgets in the face of an economic downturn. Last September's terrorist attacks further reduced the demand for air travel, while increasing carriers' expenses for security and insurance.
Only by offering cheaper fares have airlines been able to stimulate traffic, which has remained about 10 percent below year-ago levels for months.
Airlines have aggressively cut capacity in the past year and Carty said AMR Corp., the carrier's parent company, would be forced to make further cutbacks in the event of a war, particularly in its trans-Atlantic flight schedule.
Carty said the severity of the war-related cuts depended on the duration of any military operation in Iraq and just how much further travel demand might fall.
International travel declined by 20 percent for about two months during the Gulf War a decade ago and then gradually came back, Carty said, but because demand is already so weak the decline this time could be less sharp.
"The question is how do we get through those couple of months," he said.
Carty said lawmakers were receptive to several of the industry's pleas Tuesday, including financial assistance for terrorism insurance, the ability to carry packages again for the U.S. postal service (a privilege taken away after Sept. 11) and the extension of a $10 billion loan guarantee program in the event of a war.
Airline executives also asked the House aviation subcommittee to consider fuel tax relief and reimbursement for airport security costs, issues that are likely to be more controversial.


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Plenty of incredible machines will cross the auction block at RM Sotheby's special Ferrari-only auction event next month, though this is an outlier. It's not an actual Ferrari 812 Superfast, but a 1:12 scale model of one, and it too will seek a buyer.
Obviously, since it's a model, it doesn't actually run and has no engine. However, that hasn't stopped RM Sotheby's from estimating a sale price higher than an actual Ferrari 812 Superfast. While the real car stickers for $315,000, this model is expected to fetch up to $385,000. Just a quick recap: it doesn't run, it's not a real car, and it's more expensive than an actual Ferrari.
But, we get the sentiment behind the piece. The model was used by Ferrari engineers to improve fluid dynamic results in the wind tunnel. It's built from carbon fiber and various other prototype materials and features handwritten marking all over, etched during the 812 Superfast's development. In that respect, it's a very cool piece of history.
The auction will take place on September 9, 2017, at Ferrari's Maranello headquarters in Italy. It's one of many ways the iconic marque is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.
Additionally, Ferrari announced plans it will build one last LaFerrari Aperta for charity to cap off its celebrations. This final LaFerrari variant will also be auctioned off during the RM Sotheby's event.


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Revenues dropped 15 percent, despite the "first signs of improving trends in Mainland China.”
SJP's unexpected strategy to face celeb fragrance fallout.
The event drew a host of New York social fixtures to Lincoln Center on Monday night.
Improved retail sales and appealing fall trends are expected to boost business at the upcoming Dallas Market Center.
A source reports a deal was reached to sell J. Jill within the past week although the identity of the buyer could not be learned.


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The employees have earned their cereal box debuts by helping to fight hunger “from the heart.”
ShopRite of Medford customers may see some familiar faces on Cheerios boxes when they visit the store in March. Pictures of three associates, along with others from 40 winning ShopRites, will appear on the back of limited-edition Cheerios boxes for their work in helping to raise $1.4 million to fight hunger.
The associates earned those spots after joining thousands of other ShopRite associates last September in a friendly competition sponsored by ShopRite and General Mills, the annual “ShopRite Partners In Caring Cheerios Contest.” The month-long fundraising effort by ShopRite associates raised $1.4 million to support regional food banks in communities served by ShopRite stores, and now ShopRite and General Mills are recognizing that dedication and hard work with a prized spot on a special-edition Cheerios box.
For the second year in a row, the ShopRite of Medford took first place in fundraising out of the top 40 winning stores, and selected Jodi Lattiere of Clementon, Beth Ann Peterson of Medford and Sue Schembri of Medford to be featured on 150,000 special-edition Cheerios boxes. These three spearheaded the 2016 fundraising efforts that resulted in $40,004 being raised. ShopRite associates collected donations at check-out and held fundraisers that included bake sales, weekend hot dog sales, a silent auction, a 5K walk/run and many other activities.
Each winning store will also receive prize money ($3,000 for the top five stores, and $500 for the remaining winning stores) that will be presented to local food pantries chosen by the respective store teams.
“The ShopRite associates featured on this year’s Cheerios box are passionate about fighting hunger and helping people in need in the communities where our ShopRite stores operate. Our associates know that working together as a team to raise money and awareness is the most effective way to make a difference,” Christine Magyarits, spokesperson for ShopRite Partners In Caring, said. “Since 1999, $43 million has been donated to local food banks through the ShopRite Partners In Caring program. The Cheerios contest is one of our favorite annual events and highlights our ‘partners’ in the fight against hunger, including our dedicated ShopRite associates, our generous customers and General Mills, a longtime vendor partner who shares our passion for helping those in need of food assistance.”
The Cheerios box will be unveiled during a ceremony at the store on Wednesday, March 8 at 11:30 a.m. at the ShopRite of Medford, located at 208 Route 70 East. For more information on the event, call (609) 953–7700.


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Germany-based payments startup Bitwala is now offering crypto banking services in the country.
Blockchain startup Bitwala is working with Berlin-based fintech company solarisBank to launch Germany's first "blockchain bank account."
Bitwala raised almost $14.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Sony Financial Ventures and NKB Group.
Blockchain startup Bitwala has raised €4 million in new funding that will help develop a planned blockchain bank account offering.
European bitcoin debit card providers say they were told to suspend their services by card network Visa on Friday.


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MUMBAI: ICICI Bank is eyeing a Rs 5,000-crore business in financing one lakh water plants across India. These plants would primarily concentrate on providing safe drinking water to the rural populace.
Speaking at a Ficci-IBA conference on Global Banking, Nachiket Mor, ICICI Bank's deputy managing director, said, "Once these plants are installed, the key challenge is to ensure proper maintenance, execution and management of such plants and installation of appropriate filtration devices."
Mr Mor pointed out that in order to prevent spread of diseases and ensure maintenance of hygiene standards, most people in rural India spend huge amount of money on buying water that has been purified. Hence, if ground water is easily available in rural areas, building water purification plants will ensure that people have access to clean drinking water without spending on purchase of water from external agencies.
The bank is also looking at specific rungs within the supply chain ladder, such as providing basic inputs, cultivation, storage, processing and retailing of products. Mr Mor banished the idea of dependence on government subsidies as most states were managing their finances on shoe-string budgets.
He also highighted the need to involve external players such as trusts, venture capital firms, citizen sector organisations, financial and microfinance institutions and government agencies for the purpose of rural penetration. M Balachandran, chairman and managing director, Bank of India said that fostering agricultural entrepreneurs (in short agripreneurs) happens to be the need of the hour.


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Up until this point, Apple never sold refurbished iPhones on its online store. You could always pick up a refurbished iPad, Mac, or even AirPort Extreme, but never an iPhone.
Typically, Apple keeps refurbished units for repair/replacements when devices get sent through the Genius Bar. However, today Apple has begun selling refurbished iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus through their online store.
Previously, Apple sort of sold refurbished through third-party retailers such as eBay but never acknowledged it. This is the first time Apple is selling refurbished iPhones through their own online stores.
Unfortunately, the iPhone 6s can be found at 16GB storage options at $449. While the larger iPhone 6s Plus can be found at 16 or 64GB at $529 and $589, respectively. Both devices are available in all colors which includes Silver, Space Gray, Gold, and Rose Gold.
Customers who opt to go refurbished save roughly 15% ($110). It’s also worth noting that these devices come with a full 1-year factory warranty from Apple.


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Oklahoma Considering Sunday Liquor Sales During Meeting Today
UPDATE: Oklahoma officials voted this morning to allow this on the ballot on March. The citizens will vote as to whether they want liquor stores open on Sunday.
Changes could be coming to Oklahoma after a meeting today.
It looks like Oklahoma officials will be discussing today to allow the sale of liquor on Sundays throughout the state. The meeting and vote today will determine if this goes on the March ballot. News 9 is reporting it looks like the state will have the 2/3 vote needed to get it on the March ballot.
Grocery and convenience stores can sell beer and wine on Sundays in Oklahoma. Dale Blackburn is the owner of a liquor store in the state. He thinks this will help level the playing field. "Alcohol as far as wine went from 700 outlets to 3700 outlets so it took some of our business away," said Blackburn. "All I'm asking if they're open let us be open."
"They don't understand why we're not open, by state law we can't be," he said. "We're just trying to get this loop hole fixed." We will keep an eye on the meeting today to see how the vote goes.


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Zannaland reports the Imagination Park Disney Store at International Plaza Tampa has reopened. The store was closed in recent weeks due to burst pipe flooding the space with 15,000 gallons of water. Check out her report on the store and learn a more about Disney Store president Jim Fielding.
Zannaland: Disney Store International Plaza Tampa Has Reopened!
by Laughing Place Disney Newsdesk | Dec 10, 2010 10:21 AM Pacific Time


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This weekend, retailers, car clubs and community organizations are among those hosting car shows and events that offer shops the opportunity to show off builds, meet new customers and support great causes. Here’s information on 10 such events. Additional car shows and events will be posted on Hotrod & Restoration‘s Twitter throughout the week.
The 23rdAnnual Ontario Camaro Nationals takes place Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The event will feature a show-and-shine open to all Camaros and Firebirds, as well as vendors, a silent auction, autograph sessions with the Camaro development team and other Chevrolet VIPs, and giveaways. Attendees can also take a tour of the GM Canada Plant on Friday. An “88” Camaro die cast signed by Dale Earnhart Jr. will be raffled off at the event. Proceeds will benefit spina bifida charities. For more information, visit www.ontariocamaroclub.com.
The Elegance at Hershey antique car show takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The inaugural event will feature a re-running of the Hershey Hillclimb, renamed The Grand Ascent, Saturday, with dozens of pre-1959 vehicles taking part. Following is a dinner party and charity auction. On Sunday, approximately 60 antique automobiles will be on display in the hotel’s formal gardens. Proceeds will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, the AACA Museum and the AACA Library & Research Center. For more information, visit www.theeleganceathershey.com.
The 25th Anniversary Manchester Antique & Classic Car Show takes place Saturday and Sunday at Dorr Farm in Manchester, Vermont. The two-day show will highlight Corvette and Mercedes models, with those vehicles receiving special judging. The show will also feature various competitions, a miniature antique toy car exhibition, a flea market, parade and live entertainment. Lenny Schaeffer of Chop Shop Customs will talk about the ins and outs of good car restoration during the Saturday night dinner. For more information, visit www.manchestercarshow.com.
The Automobile Driving Museum is hosting the 4th Annual Ed! Car Show on Saturday in El Segundo, California. The event will highlight Tri-Five Chevys and T-Birds, but also feature a variety of antique, classic and special interest vehicles. A limited number of special-edition Hot Wheel cars will be sold at the event. Proceeds will benefit El Segundo Schools. For more information, visit www.elsegundoedfoundation.org.
Factory Five Racing is hosting its Summer Open House Saturday in Wareham, Massachusetts. The event will feature a car show, scratch-and-dent parts sale, the introduction of the company’s new Project 818 chassis, vendors, prizes, food and refreshments. Thirteen awards will be presented to vehicles participating in the car show. For more information, click here.
The 2011 Gettysburg Region Car & Truck Show takes place Saturday at the Latimore Valley Fairgrounds in York Springs, Pennsylvania. The show will highlight Ford Model A and Model T vehicles, but is open to all vehicles from 1990 and earlier. First-, second- and third-place trophies will be presented in 16 classes. The event will also feature a flea market, cars for sale and food. For more information, click here.
The Montana Benefit Car Show takes place Saturday at Karl Tyler Chevrolet in Missoula, Montana. All vehicles are welcome to the event and awards will be presented to the top 35 entries. Food donations will be accepted for the Montana Food Bank Network and proceeds will benefit local children’s charities. For more information, click here.
The West Michigan Mustang Club is hosting its 30th Annual Mustang & All Ford Car Show Saturday at Tony Betten & Sons Ford in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The show is open to all Ford-powered vehicles, and awards will be presented in 11 classes for original/restored and modified vehicles. The show will also feature a swap meet, Pony Corral with vehicles for sale and concessions. For more information, visit www.westmichiganmustangclub.com.
Summit Racing is hosting Super Summit 2011 Saturday in Tallmadge, Ohio. The event will feature a non-judged cruise-in, vehicle displays, a racing simulator, a parts sale, vendors, music, prizes and concessions. The cruise-in is open to all muscle cars, street rods, tuner cars and customs. For more information, click here.
The North Jersey Thunderbird Association is hosting the 29thAnnual Thunderbird Car Show Saturday at the Pompton Valley Presbyterian Church in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. Trophies will be presented at the Thunderbird-only show in classes from 1955-2005, and participation awards will be given to all entries. The show will also feature an informal swap meet, vendors, concessions, a 50/50 drawing and door prizes. For more information, visit www.njtbird.com.


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On April 11, 2023 Thats Cheap Richards will become a Falling Prices for Platinum Members ONLY!
We are excited to announce the opening of Falling Prices Tracy in West Valley Mall. The store will be open 3/7/23, we look forward to seeing you there!
The Falling Prices at 1005 E Pescadero Ave Ste 127 Tracy, CA 95304 is now closed. We will be opening a new location in the West Valley Mall next week.
Check out the new Falling Prices opening in Santa Rosa on Tuesday, April 19th!
Our Falling Prices Folsom Blvd at the Premium Outlets location will be opening March 22nd!


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Tesco is restructuring its middle management in a shake-up that could lead to positions at the UK’s largest grocer being cut.
Tesco is shaking up management a level below senior management to remove duplication between central and local country operations, the Financial Times reported.
The restructure is expected to impact roles at its head office in Cheshunt and its Welwyn Garden City office.
Retail Week revealed last year that Tesco had made cuts to executive level management. The departures included Tesco Clubcard marketing director Ian Crook and Tesco Mobile chief executive Roger Fogg.
Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke has said the grocer is studying the impact of the changes that multichannel is having on retail skills.


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Bitcoin.com Exchange, one of the leading authorities in cryptocurrency exchanges announces the details of the upcoming public sale of the Atari Token (ATRI).
Atari is evolving and envisioning a new mission to conquer the crypto space by creating a token to power the videogame industry, enabling access to as many platforms and users as possible via atarichain.com, the Atari wallet and more generally the creation of a blockchain-based ecosystem around the Atari brand.
Atari’s objective is to progressively develop the adoption and the use cases of the Atari Token throughout the ecosystem. The Atari Group has recently entered into many partnership agreements to progressively develop the adoption and the use cases of the Atari Token. The first use cases are in the domains where the Group is already active: video games or blockchain games, with objectives to expand into DeFi for game financing. The list of such partnerships is available at www.atarichain.com.
The Atari Token is issued by Atari Chain, Ltd (Gibraltar). For more information about the Atri Token, please visit www.atarichain.com.
Prospective purchasers of the Atari Token can already register and proceed with KYC/AML procedures, using the registration page set up on the Bitcoin.com Exchange IEO platform here.
Details of the Upcoming Public Sale
Token Name: Atari Token (ATRI)
Token Type: ERC-20
Public Sale Date: October 29, 2020
Offered Price for 1 ATRI: $0.25
Hard Cap: $1,000,000 (one million US dollars)
Circulating Supply before the public sale: 68.7 million ATRITokens
Valuation of the Circulating Supply before the public sale, based on the Offered Price for 1 ATRI: $17.2 million
For more information, please visit the Bitcoin.com IEO platform here.
With the upcoming IEO, Atari and Bitcoin.com Exchange will coordinate educational and mass awareness campaigns via AMAs, direct interviews, guides, media casts and all other applicable means or direct, and indirect marketing.
“Teaming up with Bitcoin.com was a natural choice for Atari” said Frédéric Chesnais, CEO of Atari Chain. “Both teams are working hand in hand to reach mass adoption of the Atari Token, with a goal of delivering the ultimate experience in the video game and interactive entertainment industry”.
“The upcoming launch of Atari Token’s public sale has got the team and I ecstatic” said Danish Chaudhry, Head of Bitcoin.com Exchange. “The launch of the IEO platform supplies both teams with a foundation to push marketing efforts across the industry. The platform provides all the necessary details for our community to understand more about the Atari Token, while also giving traders the ability to pass KYC before the public sale, for a speedier process once live.”
Be Part of the Progress
Bitcoin.com Exchange has initiated the process by opening a portal where users will be able to go through KYC/AML verification before the token sale to take place in…


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DPD has signed coffee maker Nespresso up for another three-year logistics contract in Belgium and Luxembourg.
The Geopost subsidiary has been working with Nespresso for years, but went through a new competitive tender process earlier this year to win an extension of the partnership.
The deal should see DPD delivering many thousands of packages to Nespresso’s corporate clients over the next three years, DPD said, including coffee machines, parts and supplies.
It will also involve reverse logistics with empty coffee capsules collected as part of Nespresso’s recycling programme.
Nespresso said it chose DPD for the contract as a result of its primary focus on quality of service, and the company’s innovation in providing features like its DPD Predict service, which allows customers control over when deliveries are made.
“As our logistics partner, DPD is ‘the last mile’ in our supply chain. The drivers literally visit our customers’ homes. It’s only logical to require impeccable service,” said Jornt Depreter, Procurement Manager for Nespresso Benelux.
“We appreciate DPD for how they innovate in their market. We want to stay a step ahead of our competitors; new applications like DPD Predict, which arranges delivery when it’s convenient for the customer, help us achieve that goal.”
DPD said that sustainability was also key to winning a continuation of its deal with Nespresso. The company, owned by France’s La Poste Group, launched a new carbon offsetting programme this year that makes its shipments carbon neutral without an extra fee for customers.
The firm said its Total Zero programme contributes to Nespresso’s own “Ecolaboration” initiative of reducing corporate environmental impacts.
Marc Morioux, Managing Director of DPD BeLux: “Sustainability is an important priority for DPD, a core principle that we clearly share with Nespresso. Through our Total Zero programme, we guarantee that every package sent via our network will be completely carbon-neutral, without additional costs for the client.”


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Inspired by the concept of virtual competition in 2014, Zwift co-founder Eric Min set out to improve the indoor cycling experience.
A Friday report indicated that Apple was having trouble with its rumored AR/VR headset due to overheating, camera, and software challenges, which could make the company delay its plans to unveil its Mixed Reality headset this year.
Virtual reality is more accessible than ever, even to those who don’t consider themselves particularly tech-savvy — and its potential as a fitness game changer is increasingly clear.
Keep your headset from getting gross
Facebook wants the Quest 2 to be known as more than a game console for your face.
Supernatural, the Beat Saber-like VR app for the Oculus Quest and Quest 2 that gets you to work up a sweat by beating targets with virtual bats
Learn more about VR Fitness here.
Can virtual reality games count as exercise? Sure. Do they give you a good workout? Depends.
People from all around the globe joined us for a day of virtual sports as the inaugural Olympic Virtual Series reached its exciting final day!
According to the report published by Portland based research firm, Allied Market Research, the global online/virtual fitness market was estimated at $6.04 billion in 2019 and is expected to hit $59.23 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 33.1% from 2020 to 2027.


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McDonald’s announced they would be adding a new section to their menu. It will highlight menu items seen on TV or movie screens. The offer starts on August 14th.
What’s is the as featured in meal?
The fast food chain is partnering with Marvel to showcase this new menu. Highlighted menu items consist of ten piece chicken McNuggets, a quarter pounder with cheese, a big mac sandwich, medium fries, and sweet n sour sauce. And that’s not the only thing McDonald’s is offering.
You can scan the QR code on the sweet n sour sauce to open an AR experience on Snapchat. The restaurant says there will be new content with each as featured in partnership with movies and TV shows.
McDonald’s merch partnership
PALACE is a skate and streetwear brand based in London. They’ve collaborated with Marvel to create Loki merch. You can access the apparel by scanning a QR code that will be on packaging containing As Featured In menu items.
PALACE will also be having a pop up shop in a McDonald’s location. Specifically the very first restaurant located in Downey, CA.
McDonald’s also created Grimace merch to celebrate the purple mascot’s birthday. The items sold from the golden arch website weren’t as popular. However, vintage Grimace merch was sold rapidly for as high as $720.
A worldwide experience
McDonald’s has been trying to expand their restaurant globally. The as featured in meals will be sold in more than a hundred countries.
As we’ve previously shared, accelerating the organization is an initiative to re-imagine how we work to bring the full breadth of McDonald’s skill and experiences together to come up with the best solutions that can be scaled.Chris Kempczinski, CEO
Thank you so much for reading this article! If you’d like to read more about trending food topics or find recipes, be sure to subscribe below.


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Vietnam, China localities promote friendship in border area
|Vietnam, China localities promote friendship in border area: The Chinese delegation visits Mong Cai city, Quang Ninh province. (Photo: VNA)|
At the reception for the Chinese delegation, Chairman of the city People’s Committee Ho Quang Huy noted that the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership as well as the traditional relationship between Mong Cai and Fangcheng have continuously been consolidated and promoted.
Mong Cai attaches importance to and makes efforts to maintain and enhance its cooperation and friendship with Dongxing and Fangcheng across spheres, he said.
Briefing his guests on Mong Cai’s socio-economic development and external affairs, the official stressed that the coordination and comprehensive cooperation of Dongxing and Fangcheng have contributed to the Vietnamese city’s achievements over the past time.
Huy expressed his hope that the sides will step up economic collaboration and trade promotion, and foster cooperation in cross-border crime, disease prevention and control, and border management.
Joint efforts should be made to remove difficulties for exporters and importers, and soon officially restore and upgrade the quality of border tourism, he continued.
The Chinese officials also noted their resolve to enhance the traditional relationship and cooperation, wishing that the friendship between Mong Cai and Dongxing and Fangcheng will be consolidated and grow further in the time ahead.


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Recently, the Xiaomi 12 Ultra and Xiaomi 12S series were spotted on the site of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (CMIIT) of China. The listing indicates that the launch of these smartphones may happen soon.
Newly, Xiaomi’s two new devices have been passed by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. It is reported that the new devices are coming to the home country.
According to the report, the two new devices are listed in the CMIIT website under the model numbers 22081281AC and 22081212C. The letter “C” in the model number indicates the Chinese version. The report indicates that Xiaomi may launch these smartphones very soon.
As per the report, the 22081281AC is the next generation of the Xiaomi Tablet 5 Series (M2105K81C). Furthermore, the 22081212C is a relatively high-end new phone that is powered by the Snapdragon 8+, which is in line with the previous revelations of the Redmi K50 Ultra or Redmi K50S.
Also, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (CMIIT) site indicates that the Xiaomi 12 Ultra (L1), Xiaomi 12s Pro (L2S), and Xiaomi 12s (L3S) were added a 12GB + 512GB large-capacity version.


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The RED HYDROGEN ONE has finally gotten a release date from Verizon, and it is going to be launching this Friday, November 2. The device is going to cost $1295.99, and if you decide to purchase it on an Equipment Installment Plan, it'll cost you $53.95 per month for 24 months for the black and "Shadow" color model. That makes this the most expensive smartphone on Verizon's network, while the Apple iPhone XS Max 512GB does come in at $1449, that is not the starting price for the iPhone XS Max, but this $1295 is the starting price for the RED HYDROGEN ONE. And there's a good reason for this smartphone to be so expensive from RED.
RED is well-known as a cinema camera maker, many YouTubers and Hollywood studios use RED's cameras like the Gemini 5K or Helium 8K. RED is a bit different from the other camera makers out there, and this is because all of its cameras are module. What happens is you buy, what is essentially the "computer" of the camera, which looks like a brick. Then you can buy different lenses and such to add onto the body. Which includes up to 8K sensors. Now when it comes to the RED HYDROGEN ONE, you aren't going to be shooting 8K footage with this smartphone, but RED does want to be able to sell lenses that it can attach to the backside of the phone, and take even better images with the RED HYDROGEN ONE. The phone also has that holographic display, which reminds you a bit of the HTC EVO 3D from back in 2011, but we'll have to wait to see just how good it is. Now since the RED HYDROGEN ONE was delayed so much, the specs are a bit dated. It sports a 5.7-inch Quad HD+ 3D display, the Snapdragon 835 chipset, 6GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. There are dual 12.3-megapixel cameras on the back with dual 8-megapixel cameras on the front. And this is all powered by a massive 4500mAh capacity battery.
Background: RED actually announced the HYDROGEN ONE back in January of 2017, and it was slated to come out early 2018. It saw plenty of delays, and it was also kept under wraps pretty tightly. Over the summer, RED came out and said it would be available later this summer, and that it had two carriers on-board, which included AT&T and Verizon – the two largest wireless carriers in the country. RED has had a few small events for media to check out the phone, but it would not let them film certain aspects of the phone, including the screen. This seemed odd, but the reason is that the screen doesn't show up on video all that well, since it is a 3D or 4-view display here. It makes sense, but still seemed a bit odd. Finally, Verizon has announced that it will be available later this week.
When the RED HYDROGEN ONE was announced it saw a ton of hype for the device, particularly among film makers that already use RED's cinema cameras. This is because RED is not a big camera company like Sony, Nikon or Canon, so it's not as popular as some other companies. But it had a lot of hype, due to how much cameras really mean for smartphones these days. Many smartphones take some really great pictures these days, and taking RED's camera expertise to a smartphone is a pretty big deal. Seeing as the smartphone is the only camera that most people keep in their pocket for taking pictures everywhere. And imagine not having to pick up and carry your big camera to go out shooting, if you are a YouTuber or Vlogger. But the RED HYDROGEN ONE does not include RED's camera expertise, it's largely the same 12.3-megapixel sensors that you'll find on any other smartphone camera these days, with a bit of software optimization included. So you won't notice a whole lot of a difference between the RED HYDROGEN ONE and other smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or LG V40 ThinQ.
Impact: The RED HYDROGEN ONE is a pretty niche smartphone for a lot of people. If you aren't a YouTuber or a film maker, you likely won't be picking up the RED HYDROGEN ONE. It's unfortunate for RED, but not a huge surprise. One reason for this is the price $1295 is a pretty steep price tag for a smartphone, especially for a company's first smartphone. Companies like Samsung and Apple can get away with it a bit, because they have been making smartphones for a number of years already and are pretty popular. Many also won't be interested in having a 3D display, as we've seen those on smartphones already, and they really weren't that great. And according to early reviews of the RED HYDROGEN ONE that appears to be the case again, even with a much higher-resolution display.
Verizon Wireless is offering the RED HYDROGEN ONE beginning this Friday, November 2 for $1295 or $53.95 per month for 24 months. Surprisingly, Verizon is not doing a pre-order period for this smartphone, so you can head to Verizon's website or to a local Verizon store to pick up the RED HYDROGEN ONE. Verizon will be offering it in black and shadow colors. Both sport anodized aluminum bodies, with the shadow color being more gray than black. The titanium model, RED decided to not mass produce because it was just too expensive and the yield was not great on it either. So it made sense to focus on the aluminum versions, especially seeing as the phone is already $1295 alone without adding in titanium which would add a couple more hundred to the price tag here. In fact, RED says that the titanium is a "highly limited edition", and it is only going out to those that pre-ordered the titanium model, nearly a year ago. The aluminum models come with 128GB of storage, and there is also a micro SD card slot, so you can really shoot a lot of content on the RED HYDROGEN ONE.


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September 30 - Safmarine says the addition of Beira and an eastbound Toamasina call on its weekly shipping service between Southern Africa and Asia (the Safari 3 service)will help boost trade between southern Africa and Asia.
The summer holiday season did not slow down the increase of charter rates for the multipurpose shipping sector, according to Toepfer Transport, with further increases seen over the last month.
Hapag-Lloyd has added to its West African network with the opening of an office in Dakar, Senegal.
Four polyethylene reactors, the largest of which weighed 227 tons (206 tonnes), have moved through DP World’s Jebel Ali Port in the UAE.
Tschudi Logistics has opened a project transport department in Oslo, Norway.
Rope and Sling Specialists (RSS) has named Tony Teeder as a company director.
The Rhenus Group will acquire Poland-based freight forwarding and logistics company C. Hartwig.
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HHHS expresses gratitude for big donation at a special celebration
On Thursday, June 23, staff members of Helping Hands joined Petco to celebrate the gift at their store on Wanamaker Rd.
Grace Clinton, HHHS Director of Business Development and Special Events said the donation will go toward giving pets the health care they deserve.
“Primarily, what we are going to use it for is upgrading some of our medical equipment at the shelter’s facility,” according to Clinton. “It has been an ongoing need that we have had for a while to be able to provide the best medical care that we can to animals before they find their forever home. Keeping them happy and healthy is part of our mission, so we are glad we get to do that.”
Clinton also wanted to remind pet owners to keep pets safe from the summer heat and make sure they do not suffer a heat stroke. Plus, with the Fourth of July coming soon, also consider buying anti-anxiety medications for pets who might get tense around fireworks.
According to HHHS, Petco Love has invested a total of $330 million towards the adoption process and life-saving efforts at shelters ever since it began in 1999.
“Our investment in Helping Hands Humane Society is part of more than $15M in investments recently announced by Petco Love to power local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to creating a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love. “Our local investments are only part of our strategy to empower animal lovers to drive lifesaving change right alongside us. We recently celebrated the one-year launch anniversary of Petco Love Lost, a national lost and found database that uses pet facial recognition technology to simplify the search for lost pets.”
HHHS says it has found homes for 10,972 dogs and 13,204 cats since 2014 and has helped return 9,422 lost pets to their respective homes.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved.


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DTC to promote e-vehicle
As pollution rises in the capital, Delhi Transport Corporation has joined hands with Okinawa Scooters to spread awareness about ‘Green Mobility.’ Electric two-wheeler manufacturing company, Okinawa Scooters will promote e-vehicle culture among DTC’s employees and encourage them to use electric vehicles by hosting an awareness campaign across all DTC depots. It will also show its e-vehicle products across 45 depots of DTC in Delhi.
DTC has decided to play its role in helping the capital become a cleaner and greener place by associating with Okinawa Scooters and giving it a mandate to facilitate green transportation for DTC staff’s internal commuting purposes.
Through this association, Okinawa Scooters would generate more awareness about the benefits of e-vehicles to the masses, help DTC’s employees adopt green mobility and inform the users about different e-scooter options offered by them.


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White Site released for sale to Master Developer by public tender
Jurong Lake District will be progressively developed into Singapore’s largest business district outside the city centre to cater to business needs and support decentralisation. It will be a model sustainability district with a goal to achieve net-zero emissions for new developments around 2045.
Today, the area around the Jurong East MRT interchange station comprises spaces for office, retail and institutional uses. By 2028, a new Jurong Region Line station and an Integrated Transport Hub comprising offices, community spaces and retail amenities will be built next to the Jurong East MRT interchange station.
The Government will sustain the development momentum at Jurong Lake District, through the release of sites for sale, with the supply carefully paced to take into account economic and market conditions.
To kickstart the next phase of development in Jurong Lake District, the Government has released, via the 1H2023 Confirmed List, a 6.5 hectare White site in the precinct for sale to a Master Developer.
This comprises three plots of land linking the existing commercial centre at the Jurong East MRT interchange station to the new precinct and the future Jurong Lake District station of the Cross Island Line. The intention is for a single developer to comprehensively master plan the site and use district-level urban solutions (such as a district cooling system and district pneumatic waste conveyancing system) that will be integrated within the mixed-use development.
Location of Master Developer site at Jurong Lake District.
With a potential yield of about 146,000 sqm of office space, 166,000 sqm of residential use and the remaining gross floor area for complementary uses such as shops, restaurants, entertainment, hotel, community or more offices, the proposed integrated development will be progressively completed over the next 10 to 15 years and provide the critical mass to propel the development of this future business district. The successful tenderer will be required to build at least 70,000 sqm GFA of office space and 51,000 sqm GFA of residential use as part of the first phase of the development, but will have flexibility to phase out the remaining supply according to market demand via an option scheme drawn up by URA.
View the media release here.


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Master Details have released a resin control column for the B-17 in 1/32nd scale
Master Details have released a superdetailed kit of a Norden bomb sight. With 11 parts in 1:32, it sounds pretty phenomenal!
Have you missed out on buying a limited edition kit, or are you chasing an item that's long out of production? Master Details may have the answer with their new range of hard to find kits and accessories.
Master Details have announced a beautifully detailed new kit of a Luftwaffe bomber pilot. The seated figure is ideal for the growing number of largescale kits available.
New release from Model Details.
Hot on the heels of their recent P-47 turbo-supercharger, Master Details have released a highly detailed replacement landing gear for 1:32 Thunderbolt kits:
Master Details have released two highly detailed 1:32 resin turbo-supercharger upgrade sets for the Lightning and Thunderbolt:
New from Master Details comes a highly detailed 1:32 pilot for WW2 US Navy/ Marine Corps models:
Master Details have released an updgrading set dedicated to German bombers in 1/32 scale.
Master Details have announced the release of a highly detailed 1:32 resin kit containing parts for a pair of Mk. VIII gunsights.
Master Details have released a highly detailed resin cockpit interior for Revell's 1:32 Heinkel He 111.
Master Details is proud to announce the launch of our newest model detail kit. a P-47D Thunderbolt Horizontal Stabilizer and Elevator Assemblies set for the Hasegawa 1/32nd P-47D Thunderbolt kit.
Following their acquisition of Master Details from USA as reported last month, Maulcor has announced the first new kit in the revitalized Master Details range.
Master Details from USA has now been taken over by Maulcor Incorporated and the Company is now MASTER DETAILS. They are currently building their new website, but the great news is that MASTER DETAILS is scheduled to be open for business on the 15th of March 2011.
There's sad news from Master Details From USA effective immediately.
Master Details from U.S.A. are running a superb masterclass on correcting the 1:32 Trumpeter F-100D Super Sabre. The standard of modelling by Steven Frank is fantastic, and the techniques he demonstrates will be useful for aircraftt modelling projects of all types.
Master Details From USA have just a few sets left of their upgrade for the Trumpeter F-100D.
Master Details From USA Have announced a set of replacement stabilizers and elevators for Hasegawa's 1:32 Fw 190 kits.
Master Details have announced a special discount to celebrate the 4th of July.
Master Details from USA are expending their range of 1:32 scale aftermarket products with this P-40 D to N Warhawk Horizontal Tail Surfaces resin replacements for the Hasegawa kit.
Master Details from USA have sent us some photos and infos about their new 1:32 scale WWII RAF and British Commonwealth Fighter Pilot in Desert and Tropical Service figure. Perfect to add scale comparison to a Hurricane, Spitfire, Beaufighter, Mosquito, Buffalo or other R.A.F. or British Commonwealth model fighter plane.
Master Details from USA have a special offer until Midnight today. This is interesting if your are searching for seated 1:32 scale pilot figures.
Here is a product overview of Master Class' new video tutorial: "Building and Painting Small Scale Figures". The DVD includes a 1:32 scale WWII Marine Pilot figure produced exclusively by Master Details from USA.
Master Details From USA have released a new replacement set for the Hasegawa 1:32 scale Bf109G and later series of kits.
Master Details from USA have sent us some infos about their latest 1:32 scale resin figure: U.S. Army Air Force Ground Crew (WWII and Korea) in Cold Weather Gear with B9 Parka (Cat. 32020 - MSRP: $12.95 USD).


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Retail sales fell by 11.5 percent in London in August compared with the same month in 2004 as shoppers avoided the British capital after the July 7 bombings, according to industry figures published Monday.
The drop was the largest year-on-year drop since the London Retail Consortium began compiling figures in October 2002.
"These figures give the lie to any suggestion that the effects of the terrorist incidents in July have largely worn off," said director Kevin Hawkins.
The group said several sporting events and good weather, which encourages people to head for other centers, also kept consumers out of London.
Retail sales in London fell by 8.9 percent in July compared with the same month last year.
War negates human nature and societal peace and harmony. H.G. Wells manifested the declaration of human rights in 1939 and wondered "What are we Fighting for?"


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These days, a magazine redesign doesn't just involve a magazine — it also includes its website, tablet edition and mobile apps. Such is the case with Self's redesign. The title, which has heretofore concentrated primarily on health and fitness information and advice, is unveiling a punchy new look in its March issue, featuring bolder text, brighter hues, more fashion and a greater focus on the reader's point of view.
"The idea is to broaden the demographic we currently serve," Laura McEwen, Self's publisher, explained in an interview at Self's offices last week. The title, which McEwen says appeals primarily to the "thirtysomething" demographic, is seeking to attract younger women whose interests span fashion and beauty as well as fitness. "We've given it a bolder, more irreverent voice, written in the way women talk to each other nowadays," she added. "Its more extroverted."
Self has a paid circulation of more than 1.5 million, according to the latest figures from the Alliance for Audited Media. It publishes 12 issues per year — and unlike sister Conde Nast titles W and Lucky, which just announced that they would only be printing 10 issues this year, respectively, Self has no plans to downsize. According to McEwen, website traffic hovers around 7 million uniques per month, nearly a fifth of which comes from Pinterest.
To bring fashion into the fold, Self will begin linking runway looks to fitness and beauty regimes. In the March issue, for instance, runway photos of bare midriffs are accompanied by an ab fitness routine and a recommendation for a self-tanner. Higher-priced fashion items will also make increasingly frequent appearances.
Throughout the issue, users will be prompted to scan pages with their smartphones to pull up workout videos and shop items featured on the pages.
Self's website, unveiled Tuesday, is getting a more gradual makeover. The new site design is cleaner, brighter and bolder, matching the aesthetic of its print counterpart. Photos are larger and less links are crammed onto the home page. Content, including videos, can be more easily swapped in and out to promote different offerings at different times.
Self's blogging structure has been "ripped apart" so that Self can go deeper on core topics, says Lucy Maher, Self's web director. Instead of several separate verticals (food, celebrity, etc.), posts have been streamlined into a single feed, dubbed Flash. Maher says she and her team will see how users navigate the new site before making additional changes.
Elsewhere, Self is working on building outs its mobile and events offerings. McEwen says Self will add more content to the social workout game it launched last March, and plans to release a second mobile game in 2014. Self-branded products are also on the horizon, she said. Unlike sister publications Allure and Lucky, Self isn't integrating e-commerce onto its online editorial pages — yet. For now, shopping recommendations are confined largely to a separate microsite.
Image courtesy of Self


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Study: Up to half of customer experience budgets wasted
B2B brands are doing a good job of enhancing the customer experience on their websites, but according to new data out from Accenture, a large amount of the budgets for customer experience are still wasted.
Researchers polled more than 1000 B2B sales and service execs in 13 countries and found that about 76% of these companies are wasting up to half the dollars earmarked for customer experience matters.
It's all about the experience, that is what many experts are saying about cultivating new customers and keeping existing customers happy. This has pushed many brands into creating a better online experience - more personalized content, simpler check-outs and on-site search. But new data from Accenture more than half of the execs surveyed reported 'little, flat or negative' ROI on customer experience initiatives.
"The relationship between company and supplier has changed," said Robert Wollan, global managing director of Accenture's Sales and Customer Services practice. "Business customers are acting more like consumers. They know more about the services on offer, expect more customized solutions, and are more price sensitive. "Companies say they recognize this but the majority are not designing and executing the necessary changes effectively. This creates a drain on profitability and missed opportunities. Getting B2B customer experience right increasingly determines market success, but too many companies are 'playing not to lose' rather than 'playing to win.'"
Some interesting takeaways from the report include:
• 43% say they'll increase customer experience spending
• 85% say the customer experience is 'very important' to their plans
• 70% say customer experience initiatives will play a larger role over the next 2 years
Image via Shutterstock
- Localytics: App engagement up, retention declines
- Knowledge of marketing automation low among senior-level marketers
- Study: Data tools don't stop cross-channel challenges
- Reports: Mobile economy flourishing
- Top 3 trends to push marketers ahead in 2015
- Consumers want marketing email based on previous purchases
- Kenshoo highlights rise in Facebook ad spend
- Study: Americans don't understand their health plan
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The college’s Marketing Communication Department recently published its first edition of “The Journal of Need and Want,” a look at life in the consumer world through a collection of short stories, journal entries, poems and letters submitted by Columbia students, faculty, staff
As a child, Margaret Sullivan, chair of the Marketing Communication Department, knew advertisers wouldn’t get far if they didn’t listen to their research. It’s a lesson she said she learned from a scene in “A Hard Day’s Night,” in which Beatles member George Harrison couldn’t be persuaded by an advertiser about white shirts being the newest fad.
Sullivan, who was its editor-in-chief, said the journal is meant to serve as a forum about living in a consumer-based world.
“[‘The Journal of Need and Want’] is to help people make conscious choices,” Sullivan said. “To help them make some relatively spontaneous, impulsive, highly programmed choices. It’s about getting people to take ownership about their relationship with their possessions, [find out] what their needs are and help them differentiate what means something to them.”
Sullivan said the criteria considered when deciding what submissions would be published were originality, relevance, provocativeness and interest level.
She said the journal was a way to publish student work with faculty submissions.
A research-based piece titled “American Dream Changes American Values” was submitted to the journal by senior marketing major Laura Nedbal.
“I really started to think the line between needing and wanting was something critical for marketers to follow as the years went on,” Nedbal said. “It’s critical to us being successful and being able to market to certain people. I researched it and saw that line change throughout history.”
Nedbal said people will always have the “American Dream” mentality because of the recent recession.
“It’s going be a huge reality check to [college graduates] having to find jobs,” Nedbal said. “Once people realize credit cards aren’t the answers and you can only afford what you can afford, I think people are going to have to buy what they need.”
Sullivan said her father taught her at an early age she couldn’t only think about herself but also about what other people were thinking, which she said is essential if you want to communicate.
She said advertisers should think on a global scale and compare America in 1967 to America today.
“We didn’t have the diversity celebration we have now,” Sullivan said. ‘“Leave it to Beaver’ was on television, ‘The Mickey Mouse Show,’ everyone was white. That was the culture which my dad was trying to let me know was going to change and anyone entering the next generation better be thinking about that early.”
Dan Dinello, an associate professor in the Film and Video Department, submitted “Spirits in the Material World” to the journal about his Day of the Dead altar dedicated to his mother.
“It didn’t really relate to advertising and specifics in the consumer world,” Dinello said. “But it related to something I’ve treasured and things that can’t be replaced obviously in a consumer [aspect]. Things you purchase are reusable and easily replaced. They may have sentimental value but ordinarily, they are easily replaced.”
Dinello said he’s not generally a religious person, but he believes altars are beautiful works of art and his submission could also inspire people to look into the aspect of Mexican culture.
Sullivan said submissions for the second volume of the journal are being accepted.
Free copies of “The Journal of Need and Want” are available to students, faculty and staff in the reception area of the Marketing Communication Department.


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On 1 September this year, new Cabinet Office rules came into force that sought to prevent late-paying contractors from winning profitable public sector construction contracts. Late payment has long been rife in construction (30% of all late payments occurring within this sector), with small and medium-sized businesses often bearing the brunt of unfair payment conditions. A report published by Construction News in March this year revealed that contractors are taking an average of 43 days to pay invoices (30 being the standard across most industries), while an average 28% of invoices are not paid according to the original terms set. So, how will the new rules (otherwise known as the ‘prompt payment initiative’) seek to tackle this endemic practice?
While originally, the rules sought to block out any contractor who could not prove they were paying 95% of their invoices within 60 days in at least one of the two previous reporting periods, they were watered down at the last minute amid fears that no major contractors could meet these requirements. A new 75% threshold was introduced, with the aim of gradually increasing this to the originally planned figure.
Why is construction particularly badly hit?
Subcontracting is a common practice in construction, occurring when a larger contractor appoints smaller firms to perform sections of the contracted work. This means that construction projects often involve long supply chains with money passing through multiple hands, leading to potential issues when payment is held up at any point in the chain. To make things worse, main contractors will often withhold payment as a way of financing works when they don’t have sufficient capital, or to deflect payment risks away from themselves and onto other suppliers in the chain.
Basically, if a contractor doesn’t have cash readily available or is waiting to receive payment from another contractor, it may be unable to pay its supplier within the allotted payment period. This can be extremely destablilising for suppliers and all too often causes smaller firms to go out of business. According to research published last year by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), if all payments were made on time it would prevent the collapse of over 50,000 SMEs every year.
A litany of laws and regulations
A considerable number of laws and acts have been passed over the years in an attempt to prevent late payment, but they appear to be having limited success. The Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2013, building on the previous Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act, imposes limits on payment periods that should in theory prevent late payment from occurring. The Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 also includes provisions to enforce prompt payment along the supply chain.
More recently, the Prompt Payment Code, established by the government in 2008, was created in an attempt to bring about a change in payment practices across the commercial sector. The Code sets out principles for fair and timely payment, which its 1,700 signatories have committed to following. In April 2019, six firms were actually suspended from the Code, with one company, John Sisk & Son, being struck off altogether. However, the sanctions for failing to adhere to the principles are limited to the reputational damage a firm might suffer if its poor payment practices are exposed by the media. And one has to wonder how effective the Code really is when construction giant Carillion, a signatory to the Code which famously folded in January 2018, ended up owing £2 billion to subcontractors and suppliers upon its collapse, none of which was paid when it went into liquidation.
Enforcing prompt payment
It would appear that current laws and sanctions aren’t punitive enough to quash the late payment epidemic, but the recently introduced prompt payment initiative does appear to have raised the bar by blocking poor performers from tendering for lucrative government contracts. With awareness of the issue at an all-time high since Carillion’s collapse, however, it’s likely that more measures will be introduced in future. We can only hope that putting in place stricter regulations will eventually lead to the change in payment culture the industry is crying out for.


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The burglary occurred just before midnight, Lt. James Perry said. The store was closed, and officers responded to the store’s alarm.
The store’s front door was shattered.
Officers searching the scene found Carrollton man William Beasley Jr., 36, slumped over in a car nearby, and police said they have reason to believe he is one of two perpetrators.
Beasley has been charged with burglary and driving with a suspended license.
Perry said CPD is not releasing the name of the other suspect until it has more information.
Also over the weekend, CPD arrested two residents for attempting to take $1,587 worth of merchandise from Target.
Robert White, 45, and Cokethea Russell, 43, both of Carrollton, were arrested Saturday after they passed all points of sale with a shopping cart full of merchandise.
The most expensive item was a sheet set costing $442, with the remaining items ranging from pajamas to children’s shoes.
Loss prevention officers stationed at Target recognized the two from a previous offense and watched them via the store’s surveillance system until they attempted to leave the store.
White and Russell were arrested on felony shoplifting charges.