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IRN looks at the latest developments in rental software and IT.
28 September 2010
Result Group says the new ‘Rules Engine' function now being introduced for its rental software will "cut costs and deliver massive productivity gains."
The system provides automatic prompts and questions for rental depot staff to ask when taking orders and in many other routine rental tasks. Result says it will "drive absolutely consistent behaviour across the enterprise and ensure that the rules set by management are actually being realised on the ground."
The genesis of the Rules Engine came when one of its big US rental customers approached it for a solution to the problem of having complex product and non-expert staff. The problem was "leading to slow and inaccurate quotations for their customers and restricting their growth potential", says Result.
Result's development team, working with the customer, created a system that
allows a salesperson to offer the best product to the customer based on the
answers to a logical question flow. The software company says the system "de-skills the quotation process and maximises the technical knowledge held by a few individuals."
Having been initially developed for staff taking orders, the Rules Engine has now been extended to cover a wide range of applications, including CRM script manager, customer service call, asset pricing optimisation, free days rules, customer service call creation, geographical rules engine and campaign management rules.
"This means a client could control employee workflow for every interaction they are likely to have...whether it's with a customer, chasing a debt, managing an asset etc.", says Result, "This is beyond workflow, KPIs, dashboards etc. It's about driving absolutely consistent behaviour across the enterprise and ensuring that the rules set by management are actually being realized on the ground.
The Rules Engine is available when existing customers upgrade their software.
Meanwhile, Result Group reports that German rental company MVS Zeppelin is now planning to implement the rentalresult solution at its depots in Austria having completed implementation in Germany.
The latest addition to Wynne Systems' RentalMan software is the Asset Adviser, a web-based application that allows equipment rental companies to plan, document and manage fleet sales and purchases.
"Asset Adviser enables users to make informed decisions about the purchase, sale and transfer of equipment in future time periods, using detailed analysis of the rental fleet", says the California-based company, "An additional benefit is the ability to extract fleet planning and performance information from RentalMan and integrate it with an external business tool such as InfoManager."
Meanwhile, the company says Loxam is now moving forward with a full-scale implementation of RentalMan in all their locations "following a successful pilot of the system in Belgium." See also page XX for new appointments at the company.
Orion Software offers
Montreal based Orion Software has added a new ‘Distribution module" for its Sirius Pro product to make it easier for multi-depot rental companies manage re-rentals, branch transfers and purchases of new fleet.
"The idea", says Orion's president, Andre Gilbert, "is to empower operation and purchase managers in order to efficiently fulfill customer needs using different equipment sources. Branch transfers, sub-rentals and purchases will be facilitated and prioritised in order to satisfy the rental center's customers' expectations."
Mr Gilbert reports that one of Orion's most recent contract wins is with Link Attempt Ltd, a Hong Kong based powered access rental company.
Alias gets ready for
Rental2k global launch
Italian rental software firm Alias is launching its Rental2k software system in Europe and worldwide, with ‘Equipment' and ‘Vehicle' versions being offered initially.
Rental2k, which is offered exclusively as SaaS (software as a solution) with web access over a secure connection, has become a well-established system in Italy over the past six years. Alias says it is now ready to promote the product outside its home market.
"Fees start from €50 per month for rental companies, regardless of the number of users", says the company, "This covers the use of the software, storage of data, and continuous updates. The software, used extensively today by many users, is available online so can be accessed from any PC or navigation device with internet connection. No installation is necessary, and so problems associated with malfunctioning software or company hardware are excluded."
The system can be used with phones that have an internet connection. Alias says it is now identifying partners who will be able to offer service outside Italy.
Solutions takes on
new look as SBC
Solutions by Computer in the US has moved to a new brand focusing on the initials SBC and simultaneously launched a new website offering additional information for customers.
SBC says the new brand offers fresh visuals and new company slogan, ‘Experience Matters', which aims to communicate SBC's almost 30 years of rental experience and its commitment to providing software that helps rental businesses better service their customers.
"At SBC we are focused on helping rental businesses provide a seamless, stress-free and enjoyable rental experience for their customers," says Jack Shea, SBC chief executive officer. "That starts with our award-winning software but goes beyond to help rental operators get the advice they are looking for to optimise their business and grow. Our new brand and website reflects this focus."
Visitors to www.solutionsbycomputer.com will meanwhile find a "user-friendly and content-rich site, with the ability to draw on SBC's...experience via a knowledge blog and white papers."
Lawson Software has launched release 10.1 of its M3 Enterprise Management System and says it is the "most significant" update yet for M3 with more than 100 enhancements and 600 detailed functional changes, including features for the Equipment Service Management & Rental version.
Enhancements include improved links to Microsoft Outlook tools; a new ‘Internet-like' search tool for users to find data quickly and easily; a rental equipment planning board; and an automatic "inventory levelling' tool to balance inventories across a dispersed network.
Henrik Billgren, vice president of M3 Industries and Application Product Management for Lawson, says; "We're focused on further simplifying the Lawson M3 system to help drive down the total cost of ownership for our customers by bringing new technology, simpler operation and user interaction - and an easier path for upgrades."
Lawson is introducing the latest version of M3 in 39 countries, including five new markets: Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Argentina and South Africa.
Software specialist inspHire launched digital pen technology for the rental industry at the UK's Executive Hire Show (EHS) in early February.
The system uses a digital pen that captures written information and transmits it via a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to a rental company's rental management system. InspHire says a perfect image of the document, including all handwritten additions, is stored and can be reprinted at any time, removing the need to file hard copies of documents such as proof of delivery sheets.
"We are really excited about this Digital Pen Technology", says Graham Dobbs, inspHire's managing director, "Not only can our customers save time and money on both filing and retrieving signed documents, they get a confirmation of delivery or collection in the system almost immediately, knowing what time equipment was delivered or collected." (Chris Branson, former inspHire managing director, is now chief executive officer and director of development at the company, focused on longer term projects and business strategy.)
At the same time, inspHire now offers a scan to PDF function that allows users to print documents, add written comments, notes or signatures, and then scan and automatically file the document and attach it to the original contract, sales order or workshop job. The documents can be accessed by the customer using inspHire's WebPortal.
InspHire reports that it has recently won software orders from Height for Hire (Ireland, UK and Slovakia), ITT Water & Wastewater (for its pump-re-rental business, with the software initially being used in the US), Industrial Supplies Development Co Ltd (ISDC, heavy equipment in Saudi Arabia), Atlas Plant Hire (South Africa) and Liftrite (access and forklift rental in western Australia).
The new Smart ‘Alerts system' now being offered by MCS for its MCS-rm software go "much further" than conventional business alerts, says the company.
Smart Alerts continually checks a wide range of parameters, data criteria and events to keep managers aware of how a business is functioning. MCS says managers can define what they want Smart Alerts to check, along with the specified circumstances and time intervals.
The company gives the example of customer retention, where Smart Alerts can tell a manager if a particular company's level of business drops below a pre-set value or volume.
"We recognise the highly competitive nature of today's market place and the need for hire managers to have control of even the smallest aspect of their operation", says MCS sales manager, Nick Thomson, "As a result, we developed Smart Alerts to equip them with the ability to become more proactive and better informed - making their business less vulnerable to market and competitive forces."
The new system has been tested at several customer sites in the UK and is now ready for its full launch. The company is also now offering simplified business intelligence dashboards using InfoCaptor, a tool developed by RudraSoft in the US.
Higher Concept Software in the UK has signed up several new customers in the Middle East with both Johnson Arabia and Byrne Equipment Rentals having invested in the company's Syrinx software. Johnson Arabia rents cranes and aerial platforms from offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi while Byrne Equipment Rentals is a general equipment and events rental firm based in Dubai but with operations also in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. The software firm has expanded functionality of Syrinx, adding a document scanner option, allowing companies to scan time sheets, invoices and other documents directly into the system. Syrinx was first launched in 1999 and there are now 500 users of the system, including as many as 80 rental firms in Australia, where Syrinx is sold by Melbourne-based Software Link Pty Ltd.


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GHENT, Belgium, April 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Deliverect (www.deliverect.com), the Belgian start-up streamlining the restaurant industry with its online food delivery management software, today announced that it has raised €16.25 million in its Series B funding round, led by OMERS Ventures, with existing investors Newion, Smartfin, and the company's founders also participating.
Deliverect is a subscription-based service that integrates third-party online ordering platforms like Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Glovo, and Doordash into restaurants' point-of-sale systems, automating the inbound online order flow through a single point. It eliminates the requirement for restaurant staff to monitor multiple devices and manually re-enter orders into their existing system, dramatically reducing both staff workload and the probability of errors.
Deliverect is also used by 'virtual' kitchens. These are essentially delivery-only restaurants where, assuming good food is standard, efficiency is paramount and technology plays a critical role in helping to build up brand loyalty with customers. With the number of virtual kitchens on the rise and an increasing number of FMCG businesses and food retailers entering the delivery marketplace, Deliverect aims to become the global gateway for online food ordering and delivery.
With the provision of online restaurant delivery at its core, in order to address the impact of COVID-19, over the past few weeks Deliverect has been on a mission to help hospitality businesses rapidly pivot to online ordering, following the closure of restaurant dine-in services enforced by local governments across Europe. The company has waived all set-up fees for its solution and launched new monthly – instead of annual – subscription plans which can be cancelled at any time. Deliverect has also waived set-up fees for its Click & Collect online ordering module, and is not charging anything for the first six weeks of use.
Deliverect, founded in 2018, has processed more than 3.5 million orders since its inception, with UK customers including Absurd Bird, You Me Sushi, Taqueria, and Crêpeaffaire. In addition, the company works with Unilever, which through Deliverect is able to integrate with Deliveroo and Uber Eats and deliver Ben & Jerry's and Magnum ice creams directly to customers.
Read the full story about this funding, including quotes from Deliverect CEO Zhong Xu and OMERS Ventures Managing Partner Jambu Palaniappan, here.

domain: news


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Apple of China
Take a look: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 8274AB 2.3GHz processor, Adreno 330 450MHz GPU, 2GB LPDDR3 RAM, 441 ppi, eMMC 4.5 flash memory, 34,000-plus on the AnTuTu benchmark.
Does this blizzard of jargon really sends customers into an orgasmic tizzy? Why then did the Flipkart website crash in the little over half an hour that it took to sell Xiaomi's first budget smartphone Mi3 in India?
Could it be the "Apple of China" branding that made people pay attention to Xiaomi, catapulting the Mi3 into the headlines?
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak said earlier this year Xiaomi was "good enough to crack the American market". But we Indians are suckers for brands - unless the price seems perfect.
Text: Vipul Vivek, Business Standard
Images: Xiaomiworld and Mi India


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by Corrie Driebusch and Ian Thomson
Stocks to watch this morning include Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Cisco Systems and more.
Green Mountain Coffee’s fiscal fourth-quarter profit nearly tripled on higher revenue, led by continued strong sales growth for K-Cup portion packs. But shares of the company plunged 30% to $47.11 in recent premarket trading as revenue missed the company’s expectations. Shares of small coffee bean seller Coffee Holding Co., one of Green Mountain’s suppliers, lost 5.5% to $9.35 premarket.
Cisco Systems Inc.’s fiscal first-quarter profit fell 7.9%, but the company’s core results topped its expectations and it gave an upbeat outlook for the current quarter. Shares of the San Jose, Calif.-based networking giant climbed 6.6% to $18.78 in premarket trading.
Kohl’s fiscal third-quarter profit rose 20% as the department-store chain reported continued sales growth and as its focus on private and exclusive brands helped boost margins. The company also raised its full-year earnings forecast. Shares added 3.2% to $56 in light premarket trading.
Pegasystems Inc.’s third-quarter profit rose 58% as the software company saw double-digit sales gains in its professional service and maintenance businesses, though adjusted earnings fell. Shares plunged 16% to $31.25 in recent premarket trading as results missed expectations.
Delta Petroleum Corp. said it would likely restructure its debt and warned any deal it reaches could be highly dilutive to existing stockholders. Shares in the oil and natural gas exploration and development company plunged 65% to 72 cents in premarket trading.
C&J Energy Services Inc.’s third-quarter revenue grew 26% year-over-year, primarily due to timely delivery and deployment of the company’s fifth hydraulic fracturing fleet. Shares rose 8.6% to $21 premarket.
Advance Auto Parts Inc.’s fiscal third-quarter profit rose 20% as the parts retailer posted higher sales. Shares added 1.6% to $67.40 premarket.


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TO hear the chief executive, Gerald M. Levin, tell it, a main rationale for the multibillion-dollar merger that created AOL Time Warner was subscriptions: from Time Warner's magazine and cable businesses and from the America Online Internet juggernaut.
But based on the company's latest financial report, some big investors and analysts are asking: ''Where's the growth?''
Investors had expected some drop in advertising spending in the third quarter, a disaster that has damaged every media company's earnings, not simply AOL Time Warner's. But what disappointed some investors was the slow growth in the AOL online unit's subscriber revenues, despite a 9 percent fee increase by AOL in July.
Before the third quarter, AOL's monthly online revenues from each subscriber had declined in every quarter except one since the merger of America Online and Time Warner was announced in January 2000. Last summer's price increase helped stem the per-subscriber revenue decline. But for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, fees from each subscriber were up only 2.8 percent over the second quarter -- far short of the upturn that two Merrill Lynch analysts, Henry Blodget and Jessica Reif Cohen, had been expecting.
Because AOL receives about three-quarters of its revenue from subscriber fees, the 9 percent increase should have had a greater impact, Mr. Blodget and Ms. Cohen wrote. ''Per-subscriber figures (excluding the impact of the price increase) have been declining for the last several quarters, and it was supposed to have stabilized by now,'' their report said.Continue reading the main story
Basically, the numbers indicate that special offers and bundling deals with computer makers are enabling AOL to add subscribers at a faster rate than those subscribers are helping fill AOL's coffers.
By some important measures, AOL Time Warner itself is doing fine. Its revenues were up 6 percent in the quarter, to $9.3 billion, and cash flow rose 20 percent, to $2.46 billion. For a media company, cash flow -- as measured by earnings before interest, depreciation, taxes and amortization and known as Ebidta -- is the figure most people watch. That is why few analysts batted an eye at the fact that AOL Time Warner lost $996 million in the quarter, reflecting interest expenses, losses from write-downs on equity investments and merger write-offs.
But the AOL unit draws special scrutiny because its $2.2 billion in quarterly revenue makes it the largest revenue producer, and its $742 million in cash flow puts it behind only the cable television unit. And as AOL matures, analysts and investors are focusing with more worry on the per-subscriber figures.
The company's explanation for the slow growth in AOL's per-subscriber fees, is its strategy of giving the service away through bundling deals with the PC maker Gateway, for example. In fact, AOL Time Warner's chief financial officer, J. Michael Kelly, said in a telephone interview last week that he was pleased with the numbers. ''We added 800,000 new subscribers in the U.S. in the face of a price increase,'' he said, adding that many subscribers are renewing at full price once their free ride is over.
But Ms. Cohen and Mr. Blodget at Merrill had expected stronger numbers than the $1.37 billion in subscriber revenue the company reported in the quarter. And Douglas Kass, the general partner at Seabreeze Partners, a hedge fund that is shorting AOL Time Warner stock -- betting that the share price will fall -- said the subscriber revenue squeeze was likely to become tighter, because the most enthusiastic Internet users had already signed up, and new subscribers would have much less commitment to the service.
Certainly, AOL Time Warner's stock price indicates that many investors are concerned. Last May, when investors were still expecting the company to fulfill its forecast of 20 percent to 25 percent cash flow growth for the year, the stock was in the high $50's. The close yesterday of $32.15 a share reflects far lower expectations.
A number of analysts, including Scott Davis of Wachovia Securities, are comfortable with a slower growth rate and still recommending the stock. But even at that price, ''the stock is still trading at a rich multiple,'' said Bruce Greenwald, professor of finance and economics at Columbia University Business School.
The company has forecast 2002 cash-flow growth in the ''double digits'' -- 10 percent or more. That is still ahead of what its peers, including Viacom and the Walt Disney Company, are expected to do. But there are questions about the AOL unit's growth rate going forward.
''There is risk of further deterioration because of the online advertising and revenue per subscriber trends,'' Mr. Blodget, the Merrill analyst, said.
The AOL unit's third-quarter revenue grew by 13 percent, somewhat slower than the 15 percent pace of the first six months. And cash flow growth dropped to 22 percent in the quarter, compared with 36 percent during the first half of the year. Mr. Kelly attributed the slower growth in the quarter to lower online advertising revenues.
Mr. Blodget said that it might prove hard to rebuild the online advertising business. ''If you were to book the deals today, unit prices for advertising would probably be lower,'' he said. ''Online ad prices have generally decreased at least 75 percent from the peak of the tech bubble.''
Other Internet uncertainties include an agreement with Bertelsmann of Germany that would force AOL Time Warner to buy the 49.9 percent stake in AOL Europe it does not already own for $6.8 billion from Bertelsmann.
The European operation, valued at about $13 billion during the height of the Internet bubble, is now believed to be worth no more than $5 billion. If AOL Time Warner is forced to buy Bertelsmann's stake, Mr. Blodget said, the transaction would dilute earnings per share next year by about 4 percent. AOL Time Warner would also, for the first time, have to incorporate AOL Europe's losses on its income statement.
Mr. Blodget is assuming that AOL Europe can reduce its losses next year to about $200 million, from $300 million to $400 million this year. But he acknowledges that the financial data is not public. And at least one expert, Scott Smith who follows European media for the Yankee Group, a consulting firm, said he doubted AOL Europe could cut losses that much, because ''the overall costs of developing content services is high, and labor costs of running the business are higher in Europe as well.''
Holly Becker, a Lehman Brothers analyst, sees positive elements in the prospect of AOL Time Warner's acquiring the entire European unit, because she said it would give the company greater control of its overseas expansion.
Subscriber behavior is a concern not only at AOL but at the cable unit as well, several experts said. New digital cable subscribers rose only 26,900 a week in the quarter, down from 28,500 a week in the comparable quarter a year earlier. But Mr. Kelly, the chief financial officer, said the company was expecting a big push in digital cable in the fourth quarter, during the holiday season.
Mr. Kelly was quick to point out the strong quarterly performances from the businesses America Online acquired when it bought Time Warner. But while cash flow at the filmed entertainment division, the networks and the publishing business jumped sharply, revenue growth was more modest -- leading analysts to ask how much of those gains came from a series of one-time savings.
The quarter had some winners, including the movies ''Rush Hour 2'' and ''Cats and Dogs.'' But the company also closed its money-losing Warner Brothers stores this year and cut costs for online development, improving profitability. ''The jump from eliminating those losses will not be there to enhance next year's growth rate,'' said David Londoner, a veteran media analyst. ''Duplicating those margins could be tough.''
If the other divisions continue to perform well even after the one-time benefits, that will be good news for investors. But investors will be more intent on the growth of the AOL online business.Continue reading the main story


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EA has delayed the release of Titanfall on Xbox 360 for the second time.
While the outsourced Xbox 360 edition of the shooter was originally expected to launch alongside the Respawn-developed Xbox One and PC versions on March 11, it was delayed by two weeks in early February to allow Bluepoint Games "time to put the finishing touches on the game".
Today, executive vice president of EA Studios Patrick Söderlund confirmed a further two week delay to the game, which will now hit North America on April 8 and Europe on April 11.
"I've been playing the game a lot, and it is fantastic," he said in a statement. "But we see a few things that can be made even better, so we're giving Bluepoint a little more time to do just that and deliver an epic Titanfall experience for Xbox 360 players.
"The game will feature the same 6v6 gameplay, maps, modes, weapons and Burn Cards as the Xbox One and PC versions of the game. We appreciate everyone's patience as we get the last details right."
EA has yet to address rumours that the Xbox 360 version of the game will render at sub-720p and output at 30fps.
Titanfall debuted at No.1 on the UK all formats chart on Monday after enjoying the biggest launch of 2014 to date.
CVG's Titanfall review concluded: "Thrillingly chaotic and expertly tuned, Titanfall is a fairly orthodox FPS elevated to greatness by dozens of intelligent design choices." See what other critics thought of the game in our Titanfall review round-up.


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SFPD to Lead Organized Retail Crime Initiative
Recently, Mayor London Breed announced San Francisco’s new Organized Retail Crime Initiative, which aims to increase reporting, investigating and solving of retail theft
cases and the criminal enterprises that bolster them. The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) will head up the effort via a partnership with local retailers and regional law enforcement agencies.
“Retail theft and commercial burglaries are not victimless crimes,” said Mayor Breed. “They hurt working families due to reduced work hours, shuttered stores and lost jobs.” She added that these crimes also hurt customers and seniors “who are losing convenient access to prescription medications and vaccinations because of pharmacy closures” and also hurt neighborhoods “suffering from fewer local retailers and more empty storefronts.”
The mayor said that the initiative “brings the full partnership of state and local law enforcement and retailers to bear to aggressively pursue, investigate and deter organized retail crime in San Francisco.”
According to the mayor’s office, the initiative has three key aspects:
Expanding and reallocating police investigative resources: Per the mayor’s office, this includes increasing the SFPD’s Organized Retail Crime Unit from two to five investigators and adding one dedicated lieutenant to better investigate crimes locally and to work regionally with the California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force.
Strategic restructuring of publicly and privately funded deployments: This involves dedicating SFPD personnel to ensure tightly-coordinated field operations and
communications with retail partners; tripling the SFPD Community Ambassador program—which employs retired SFPD officers to patrol and serve as deterrence—and
expanding geographic area served; and managing privately funded deployment of 10B officers to focus on deterrence, per the mayor’s office.
Public-private partnerships aimed at reporting, investigating and solving cases: According to the mayor’s office this involves increasing the reporting of crimes through expansion of Teleserve Unit, which was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to take reports without in-person contact.
“Mayor Breed directed us to develop a plan to maximize the impact of SFPD’s resources by strengthening our partnerships with retailers and law enforcement agencies, and leveraging our successes from such previously announced strategies as our Mid-Market Vibrancy and Safety Plan and Tourism Deployment Plan,” said SFPD Chief Bill Scott.
“The result is our Organized Retail Crime Initiative, and we are incredibly grateful for the participation of local retailers whose partnerships are making this endeavor truly groundbreaking. This collaborative approach reflects the full promise of community policing—not solely to support our City’s economic recovery, but to better protect public safety that is too often endangered by retail theft crews and the sophisticated criminal enterprises funding them,” the chief added.
Learn more about the mayor’s Organized Retail Crime Initiative plan here.


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Ex-Google exec: Sun may be setting on Silicon Valley
Section 32 founder Bill Maris
Former Google Ventures CEO Bill Maris, who currently runs a San Diego-area VC firm called Section 32, offered some words of warning today during a Wall Street Journal tech conference:
It wouldn't surprise me if the sun is setting on the golden age of Silicon Valley.
Maris added that he also wouldn't be surprised if federal regulators try breaking up tech giants like Google or Facebook, saying that such companies "are more powerful than AT&T ever was."


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Yahoo is channeling its inner patent troll.
The internet giant is cracking down on companies that have been using its patents without permission as its seeks to sell off a big chunk of its patent portfolio.
Yahoo has fingered about 140 companies that it believes are infringing on its patents and has started conversations with some of them, said a source close to situation.
“There are three things you say when someone tells you that you are infringing on a copyright,” the source said. “Your patents are invalid; the patents may be invalid and if they’re not, then sue me; or let’s talk about a number.”
Yahoo hired Black Stone IP to help it sell about 3,000 patents that cover a range of technologies including online payment services, mobile messaging, data mining and behavioral ad targeting.
The patent trove, called Excalibur, is attracting interest from several tech players, including Amazon, Salesforce and Microsoft, the source said.
But the estimated value of the portfolio varies widely — anywhere from $1 billion to $4 billion — in part because of questions about the strength of the patents.
In July, TurboPatent released a report that suggested many of Yahoo’s patents were too weak to enforce or were susceptible to a legal challenge. The report implied that the portfolio would fetch far less than the high end of the range.


text: News Business & Policy Cutting Out Meat and Dairy Is the Best Thing You Can Do for the Planet By Katherine Martinko Katherine Martinko Twitter Senior Editor University of Toronto Katherine Martinko is an expert in sustainable living. She holds a degree in English Literature and History from the University of Toronto. Learn about our editorial process Updated October 11, 2018 This story is part of Treehugger's news archive. Learn more about our news archiving process or read our latest news. Share Twitter Pinterest Email CC BY 2.0. K-State Research & Extension -- Beef cattle at Kansas State University News Environment Business & Policy Science Animals Home & Design Current Events Treehugger Voices News Archive Huge new study reveals that going vegan offers far greater benefits than quitting flying or driving an electric car. Meat and dairy, delicious though they may be, are terrible for the planet. We've known about this for a while, but now a new study has completed an even more in-depth analysis of their environmental impact. Conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford and published in the latest issue of Science, the study concludes that avoiding meat and dairy products is the single most effective way to minimize one's footprint on the world. What makes this study different is its approach. The researchers worked from the ground up, assessing individual data from over 38,000 farms in 119 countries and analyzing 40 food products that represent 90 percent of what people eat worldwide. They "assessed the full impact of these foods, from farm to fork, on land use, climate change emissions, freshwater use and water pollution (eutrophication) and air pollution (acidification)." What they found is that even the most sustainable form of meat and dairy production is considerably more damaging to the planet than the least sustainable form of vegetable and grain production. From the Guardian's report: "The analysis also revealed a huge variability between different ways of producing the same food. For example, beef cattle raised on deforested land result in 12 times more greenhouse gases and use 50 times more land than those grazing rich natural pasture. But the comparison of beef with plant protein such as peas is stark, with even the lowest impact beef responsible for six times more greenhouse gases and 36 times more land." The study revealed that meat and dairy provide only 18 percent of calories and 37 percent of the protein that humans consume; and yet, they occupy 83 percent of agricultural farmland while generating 60 percent of the industry's greenhouse gas emissions. Within this context, it's clear that switching to a vegan diet (or, at the very least, drastically reducing one's consumption of animal products) is far more effective at helping the planet than any other green lifestyle decisions. Study author Joseph Poore told the Guardian: “A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use. It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car,” he said, as these only cut greenhouse gas emissions."Agriculture is a sector that spans all the multitude of environmental problems. Really it is animal products that are responsible for so much of this. Avoiding consumption of animal products delivers far better environmental benefits than trying to purchase sustainable meat and dairy." It is, however, a tough switch for many people to grasp, who may not know how to prepare meatless food, worry about potential dietary complications, or are attached to the deep cultural associations that go along with many meat-based dishes. Certain measures could incentivize meat reduction or avoidance, such as labels revealing the environmental impact of individual foods; think of it as a nutritional label for the Earth. We could also pull a portion of the subsidies paid out to the U.S. livestock industry ($10.3 billion between 1995-2016) and reassign it to vegetable growers to make produce more affordable. Environmentally-damaging foods should be taxed according to their impact. Indeed, investors in the meat industry have already been warned of this likely change in the near future: "If policymakers are to cover the true cost of livestock epidemics like avian flu and human epidemics like obesity, diabetes and cancer, while also tackling the twin challenges of climate change and antibiotic resistance, then a shift from subsidisation to taxation of the meat industry looks inevitable. Far-sighted investors should plan ahead for this day." Over the past four years of his research, Poore has cut animal products out of his own diet, affected by what he sees as a completely unsustainable way of eating. The question now is, how many of us can do that, too?


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The company is targeting 25 per cent growth in sales during festival season as compared to sales it clocked during last festival season.
Exports for July 2016 stood at 4,153 vehicles, a growth of 16 percent. Its total auto sales (domestic+exports) performance for July 2016 stood at 39,458 vehicles compared to 34,652 vehicles during July 2015, a growth of 14 percent.
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On-Air with MoneyFM
CCCS’s Consumer Protection division partnered with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) for a series of four radio talkshows on MoneyFM 89.3FM discussing pressing consumer issues and unfair trade practices.
On 17 January 2019, CCCS officers Jack Teng and Davina Wong discussed the topic “The Beauty Industry Remains the Most Complained About Industry” and shared stories and feedback to illustrate key consumer grievances and common sale tactics, along with consumer and supplier tips.
The second session was aired on 29 January 2019. The topic on “Perils of Online Shopping and Prepayments” highlighted common tactics employed by online retailers such as hidden charges, pre-ticked boxes and drip pricing during the sharing on online shopping, as well as the infamous closure of California Fitness and the resultant $1.09 million in prepaid monies lost by consumers. CCCS officers Lena Soh and Anthea M Tan shared with listeners some of the common complaints to encourage consumers to take extra care and for suppliers to be more transparent.
“The Errant Contractor and Motoring Sectors” was discussed on 31 January 2019 with CCCS officers Henry Lee and Siru Chen highlighting another problematic industry and educating consumers to use resources such as CASE checklists to better understand the transactions and terms and conditions. Suppliers were encouraged to take on the CASETrust Accreditation and to be upfront about the provision and condition of goods and services supplied.
The last session of the series was aired on 21 February 2019 with CCCS officers Angus Xie and Davina Wong who talked about “The Errant Electronics Sector and Protecting the Elderly”. This final episode touched on the rising issue of the electrical and electronics industry, and schemes targeting the elderly that warrant extra attention. Complaints received were also shared to remind consumers what they should be careful of and how they should navigate situations, along with good practices suppliers can adopt.


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The 2015 State of the Speech Technology Industry: Voice Biometrics
Laugh all you want at your parents for keeping their passwords on yellow sticky notes, but it's a common enough scenario—and it's a convenient, albeit messy and unsecured, solution. But how can you possibly remember the password to your bank account, health portal, personal computer, work computer, smartphone, iPad, and myriad Web sites? Suddenly your folks seem like geniuses. But as with Beatrice, the elderly woman in Esurance's commercials who posts vacation pictures to her living room wall instead of her Facebook wall, that's not how it works...or should work. According to Nuance Communications, 67 percent of consumers have more than 11 user names and passwords. With voice biometrics, your voice is your password, which lets customers—and increasingly our moms and dads—simply speak their password, whether it's saying their name or some other word or phrase. The voiceprint is securely enrolled and stored in a biometrics engine, making all those sticky notes truly obsolete.
While growth may have been slow initially, even in 2013, ordinary people were expressing interest in voice biometrics. An Opus Research/Nuance survey found that 85 percent of those polled said that they were not happy with their authentication method. Additionally, 90 percent were willing to use voice biometric solutions versus mainstream forms of authentication if proven secure. Increasingly, some of those unhappy individuals' voiceprints are being enrolled in voice biometrics solutions; currently, there are roughly 150 voice biometrics deployments worldwide that have processed roughly 70 million voiceprints, according to Opus.
In a November 2014 report, Opus analysts predicted that the market will continue on an upward trajectory. "[The] industry closed 2013 with over $165 million in annual revenues, and is poised to exceed $584 million in annual revenue in three years, representing a hefty 37.2 percent compound annual growth rate. This compares to the 42.7 percent growth we've observed between 2012 and 2014," the report states. The report also ranked Nuance, VoiceTrust, Auraya Systems/ArmorVox, Agnitio, SpeechPro, and VoiceVault as industry leaders.
Dan Miller, founder and lead analyst at Opus Research, maintains that there's a lot of incentive for businesses to move from the knowledge-based authentication that is predominant, namely PINs, passwords, and answers to security questions. "The good news for the voice biometrics community is that voice is being considered as a legitimate form of authentication," he says.
"Voice biometrics has earned more respect in the business community over the past year," Miller adds. "From talking to executives, both customer experience and security decision makers see the need for biometrics to be used for easier authentications. As they look at candidates, voice is in that mix."
The View from the Top
Without doubt, Nuance Communications leads the voice biometrics industry. Opus calculated that the company has more than 45 million voiceprints deployed by worldwide customers, representing in excess of 80 percent of the commercial market.
"Voice biometrics is definitely a segment of our business that keeps growing," says Brett Beranek, senior principal solutions marketing manager of enterprise at Nuance. Miller echoes that thought.
"Supernormal growth in voice biometrics adoption is being driven by several large-scale implementations," Miller says. "The technology has proven that it works and it can scale. It's been just a matter of getting ducks in a row for enrolling individuals by the millions."
The largest sectors for voice biometrics continue to be in the financial and telecommunications realms, and Nuance has scored big wins in both sectors. Nuance's biggest worldwide contact center voice deployment to date has been with Turkish mobile phone carrier Turkcell, which has more than 10 million voice deployments. Beranek believes that one of Nuance's larger financial customers, U.K.-based Barclays Wealth & Investment Management, will soon have the most enrolled voiceprints among Nuance's customers; the organization is set to deploy voice biometrics across its entire retail customer base, adding 12 million people.
In the financial institutional arena, Nuance announced in May that Banco Santander Mexico had deployed Nuance's Vocal Password voice biometrics solution, which now has more than 3 million voiceprints. The bank had significant fraud prevention issues; it had an authentication failure rate of 60 to 65 percent for calls processed in the contact center, and agents spent as long as 72 seconds
In our first State of the Speech Technology Industry issue, we reveal the latest trends and developments in eight market categories.


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Microsoft (MSFT) reported its fiscal Q3 2021 earnings after the closing bell on Tuesday, beating analysts' expectations on the top and bottom lines. Here are the most important numbers from the report compared with what analysts were expecting for the quarter.
Revenue: $41.7 billion versus $41.05 billion expected
Earnings per share: $2.03 versus $1.78 expected
Intelligent Cloud: $15.12 billion versus $14.9 billion expected
More Personal Computing: $13.04 billion versus $12.6 billion expected
The company's stock was down more than 3% following the release of the report.
Microsoft’s biggest growth driver, and the component of its business that has pushed its market capitalization close to $2 trillion, is its Azure cloud division. For the quarter, the company saw $15.12 billion in revenue from the segment, a 23% year-over-year increase.
“Over a year into the pandemic, digital adoption curves aren’t slowing down. They’re accelerating, and it’s just the beginning,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. “We are building the cloud for the next decade, expanding our addressable market and innovating across every layer of the tech stack to help our customers be resilient and transform.”
Analysts had been looking to Azure's performance to get a sense of where Microsoft stood a year after the pandemic began.
“With workforces expected to have a heavy remote focus on the other side of a vaccine being deployed, we believe the cloud shift is just beginning to take its next stage of growth globally,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a research report ahead of Microsoft’s earnings announcement.
“We believe this disproportionally benefits the cloud stalwart out of Redmond, as [Microsoft CEO Satya] Nadella & Co. are so well positioned in its core enterprise backyard to further deploy its Azure/Office 365 as the cloud backbone and artery,” Ives added.
In his own analyst report, UBS’s Karl Keirstead noted that he is hearing through industry checks that Microsoft’s Azure is gaining ground among larger enterprises.
“Overall cloud adoption is so strong that it’s a tailwind for all three of the big cloud providers, but on the margin we heard more anecdotes suggesting that Microsoft Azure is gaining ground among larger enterprises, likely as it monetizes its installed base and sells a broader cloud suite (Office 365, Teams, etc),” Keirstead said.
In addition to Azure, Microsoft saw year-over-year growth of 19% in its More Personal Computing segment thanks to a 10% year-over-year increase in Windows OEM revenue, a 10% year-over-year increase in Windows commercial products and cloud services revenue, and a 35% jump in Xbox and gaming revenue.
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TL;DR: New MacBook Pro models are $300 off at Amazon, including the 16-inch i9 MacBook Pro(opens in a new tab) that just came out in November. These prices beat Best Buy's Presidents Day sale prices.
If you missed Feb. 17's Presidents Day sales, we don't blame you — most people associate such holidays with deals on mattresses, furniture, and whatever other products local TV commercials can fit into 30 seconds.
But tech retailers have been going hard on these long weekend sales over the past few years. Best Buy was one of Presidents Day 2020's biggest participants, offering $200 off nearly all MacBook models(opens in a new tab). Most are gone by now, but Amazon has since one-upped them: You can take $300 off the 2019 13-inch MacBook Pro (i5, 512 GB)(opens in a new tab) or $300 off the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro (i9, 1TB)(opens in a new tab).
The swapping of the long-hated Butterfly Keyboard to the new Magic Keyboard is reason enough to opt for this pricey model. But less-obvious internal upgrades could lead to plethoric entertainment experiences that MacBooks weren't previously known for. Adding a few inches to the laptop's coverage area made room for six speakers plus a new mic system with 40% hiss reduction. Bass is booming, sound is natural, and it's some of the best audio that any laptop on the market puts forth.
Armed with the fastest consumer processor in the world(opens in a new tab) and new AMD Radeon Pro 5500M, this 16-inch Pro might be the first MacBook that's actually decent for gaming.
The newest 13-inch Pro(opens in a new tab) came just a bit earlier in May 2019. While Apple had never released a 16-inch model before, the 13-inch has been a favorite for years and simply saw upgrades like faster 8th-generation processors and beefier TurboBoost. The shitty keyboard is still technically there, but Apple said the new "keyboard mechanism" is less likely to get stuck and easier to get fixed.
You'll get a free year of Apple TV+(opens in a new tab) with any model that you choose.


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New generation of designers create authentic examples of modern Native fashion
Beyond Buckskin blog is at heart of movement to promote Native fashion
First Beyond Buckskin look book features 17 designers and artists from Indian Country
Editor: Look book is a "indigenous response to the rip-offs being marketed in mainstream media"
Growing up in rural North Dakota, about 13 miles from the Canadian border and a 90-minute drive from the nearest McDonald’s, Jessica Metcalfe relied on magazines for her pop culture fix.
The young Turtle Mountain Chippewa never saw anyone in the pages of Seventeen who looked like her. But as an adult, she’s working to change that, promoting the work of Native American fashion designers and artists.
She began with the 2009 launch of Beyond Buckskin, a blog that highlights Native designers and discusses their place in media and pop culture. Even Metcalfe was surprised by its initial success – by the size of its audience, the positive feedback, the readers asking, “Where can I buy that?”
The blog expanded to include an online boutique last year, placing Metcalfe at the center of a growing movement to reclaim what fashion labels “Native American.” She’s surrounded by a group of passionate Native designers, artists, stylists, photographers and bloggers who have already proven that by raising their voices they can hold companies accountable. Instead of just reacting to controversies, Metcalfe and her cohorts want to promote authentic examples of modern Native fashion. Their work reflects the diversity of North America’s indigenous communities, from the southeastern United States to Canada’s Pacific Northwest, but their message is clear: True Native fashion is more than what’s for sale at Urban Outfitters or Forever 21.
When blogger Adrienne Keene of Native Appropriations outed Paul Frank last year for holding a powwow-themed party, the company not only apologized but invited Keene and Metcalfe to speak at an upcoming industry panel on cultural appropriation. The company is also working with Metcalfe to develop collections featuring four Native designers.
Whenever a celebrity dons a feather and long braids for a photo shoot, or a fashion brand releases a gaudy collection of “totem pole print” tracksuits, bloggers like Metcalfe and Keene are slammed with questions about why they’re offensive. Metcalfe says they should be showing better examples – tasteful, appropriate use of Native iconography, and talented Native designers.
It’s the work of Taos designer Patricia Michaels, the first Native American to appear on “Project Runway;” the art of Virgil Ortiz, a Cochiti Pueblo artist and designer who collaborated with Donna Karan; the sexy couture gowns of Bethany Yellowtail and other designers who appeared in the first Beyond Buckskin Lookbook launched earlier this month to spotlight Native-made fashion from couture to street wear.
“Creativity is our tradition and there’s a lot of talent in Indian Country waiting to be exposed,” Metcalfe said.
Part of the work is advancing mainstream America’s perception of Native fashion, going beyond headdresses, fringed jackets and, yes, buckskin. On a practical level, it’s about finding places to market and sell Native-made goods, Metcalfe said.
The clothing and jewelry isn’t only intended for Natives. It’s meant to appeal to wide audiences, even if people don’t know the significance of a pattern or design.
“These are not your stereotypical Native American designs. They’re very contemporary, which is the point: to present new visions of what Native American fashion means,” said Shelby Tisdale, the vice president of curatorial and exhibitions at Los Angeles’ Autry National Center, a Native American history museum.
“They incorporate designs that have a lot of meaning to them, but to the average viewer they might just look like a dragonfly or zigzag lines, and that’s OK.”
Metcalfe was a guest curator for a show about Native couture at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico, while Tisdale was the museum’s director. Metcalfe was completing her dissertation about modern Native American fashion.
“She’s done a fabulous job of researching Native fashion’s roots, but now she’s taking it into the 21st century,” Tisdale said. “She’s moved it into the digital age, which not might seem like a big deal, but it’s new and forward thinking for Indian Country.”
The work occurs beyond Metcalfe’s website. They’re using fashion shows, pop-up boutiques and speaking engagements to spread their message. In March, Metcalfe was in Las Vegas, Santa Fe and Portland for events promoting Native fashion. Keene joined her for a talk this week, aptly named “More Than Just Trend,” at Reed College – one of many stops they make on college campuses.
Earlier this year, Metcalfe staged a three-day photo shoot of the latest looks in Native fashion, from couture to street wear, with fashion photographer Anthony Thosh Collins and L.A.-based designer Bethany Yellowtail. The result was the Beyond Buckskin Lookbook, which Metcalfe says is the first compilation of modern Native fashion produced exclusively by Natives. They launched the book in March at the Reservation Economic Summit in Las Vegas, an annual gathering of tribal leaders, state and local elected officials and top CEOs from Indian Country.
“The lookbook is a brilliant indigenous response to the rip-offs being marketed in mainstream media,” said Valerie Taliman, a citizen of the Navajo Nation and West Coast editor of Indian Country Today Media Network, the largest Native-operated media organization in the country. “Here, you have a collection of 17 Native artists with all Native models, photographers, graphics artists and business management – the whole package on their intellectual and cultural terms.”
So, instead of jewelry that’s all turquoise and silver, metalsmith Kristen Dorsey creates pieces she says honors the aesthetic traditions of the Chickasaw people. She works with copper, using the same relief sculpture techniques as her ancestors. Her signature “serpent cuffs” resemble reptile scales, referring to a deity from southeastern Native American spirituality. The cuffs are adorned with black freshwater pearls harvested from the Mississippi River watershed, a nod to where her tribe lived before the Trail of Tears. Each cuff starts at $700.
“If you have a family or tribal connection it becomes very personal,” Dorsey said. “It’s more than making jewelry; it becomes working for a culture that you want to pass on to future generations.”
Then there’s Jamie Okuma, who contributed two skirts and a jacket to the lookbook. She began working with beads and sewing as a child on the La Jolla Luiseno Reservation in California, and at 22, became the youngest artist to earn best in show at New Mexico’s Santa Fe Market, the largest crafts fair in Indian Country. She makes elaborately beaded high heels, colorful jackets and dresses that evoke the patterns of the Luiseño and Shoshone-Bannock.
“Clothing is wearable art and I want to use my skills to create something beautiful that reflects the cultural heritage of my tribe,” Okuma said.
Okuma said anyone who wants to interpret Native patterns and motifs should be allowed to do so, but they should do it in a respectful way.
“As long as they understand the importance of the symbols or patterns being utilized and they do so in a tasteful way, why not?” Okuma said.
Still, on major store shelves, Native fashion is still most likely to be “Navajo-inspired” prints, feathered headdresses or fake turquoise jewelry. The lookbook represents authentic, modern Native imagery, designer and co-creator Bethany Yellowtail said.
“It’s disheartening to see Native American fashion as cheap knockoffs,” Yellowtail said. “To change that, we have to be the voice for what Native American fashion is, instead of just complaining about it.”
Growing up on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Yellowtail’s aunties taught her how to bead and make shawls in the tradition of her people, the Crow and Cheyenne who share the vast tribal territory. Thanks to a high school teacher who encouraged Yellowtail and helped her find a design school, she moved to California, where she broke into a career as a pattern maker. Five years after arriving in Los Angeles, she now divides her creative efforts between a full-time job designing for mass market retail brands and her own line, which is inspired by her love for Native culture and high-end couture, she said.
Yellowtail wants to inspire other Natives to follow their passion and show the rest of the world that Native Americans are a thriving, modern people that have plenty to contribute, especially in the fashion world.
“When I was in high school I never imagined that I could be a mover and shaker in the fashion industry as a Native woman,” she said. “But now that I’m a part of the industry, there’s this window of opportunity for me to be a voice for our communities.”


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An anonymous reader writes: A secretive EU body has agreed to develop a device to be fitted to all cars allowing police to cut off any engine at will, it emerged today. The device, which could be imposed within a decade, would also allow police to track a vehicle's movements as well as immobilise it. According to The Daily Telegraph a group of senior EU officials, including several Home Office mandarins, have signed off the proposal at a secret meeting in Brussels.
Sign up for the Slashdot Daily Newsletter! DEAL: For $25 - Add A Second Phone Number To Your Smartphone for life! Use promo code SLASHDOT25. Win a FREE Moto Z2 Force Edition smartphone from Wirefly ×


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How to make money from your wardrobe: Founder of preloved fashion app Troopas reveals how you can turn your old clothes into a lucrative side hustle
- It’s Second Hand September, an initiative started up by Oxfam to reduce waste
- Preloved fashion app Troopas encourages fashionistas to sell their old clothes
- Offers charity shops without retail website to sell secondhand clothes online
Having been confined to our homes for much of the past 18 months and no longer working in an office five days a week, many of us have piles of clothes lurking in our wardrobes that haven’t seen the light of day for over a year.
But rather than bagging them up and chucking them, the founder of a preloved fashion app is encouraging us to turn our old threads into a lucrative side hustle.
To mark the start of Second Hand September, an initiative introduced by Oxfam where people commit to only buying preloved for the entire month to reduce waste, Nikki Trollope – who started up Troopas with school friend Maria Pavli during lockdown – is urging us to give our clobber a second chance at life, while making a few quid at the same time.
Nikki, 31, who is originally from Bulawayo in Zimbabwe but now lives in Surrey, works in the travel industry which was hit hard by the pandemic.
To mark the start of Second Hand September, an initiative introduced by Oxfam where people commit to only buying preloved for the entire month to reduce waste, Nikki Trollope, left – who started up Troopas with school friend Maria Pavli (right) during lockdown – is urging us to give our clobber a second chance at life, while making a few quid at the same time
Having been put on furlough in March last year, Nikki teamed up with Maria, 32, to bring her idea for a second-hand clothing site to life.
‘At work I have to go to so many functions with clients, which are often cocktail parties and black tie events, and because you’re always with the same people you don’t want to wear the same outfit twice,’ she explained.
‘Not only that, if you go to a wedding these days so many people share photos on Instagram that it puts you off wearing the same dress to another wedding because everyone’s seen it.
‘I found I was constantly buying new stuff and ended up with a wardrobe full of clothes I’d only worn once or twice, which had cost me a fortune.’
Inspired by the likes of Depop and Vinted, and with months of no work stretching out before her, Nikki set about bringing Troopas to life, with her and Maria investing £2,000 out of their savings to get it up and running
Nikki and Maria, an operations manager in the gaming industry, have recently introduced a third membership – Star Troopas – for charities that are store-based and don’t have an online marketplace to sell clothes (pictured: two wedding dresses currently for sale on Troopas)
Inspired by the likes of Depop and Vinted, and with months of no work stretching out before her, Nikki set about getting Troopas up and running, with her and Maria investing £2,000 out of their savings.
‘I wanted to keep busy and have a side project because we didn’t know what would happen with the travel industry,’ she told FEMAIL. ‘So it was a little side industry, if my own didn’t recover as fast as I hoped.’
How to become a Super Troopa and turn your wardrobe into a side hustle
Register and complete your profile: the more information you provide the more comfortable potential buyers will be. So, tell everyone a little bit about yourself, upload a profile image and let the buyers get to know you and your style.
Add products! Add the items you would like to sell. Don’t forget you must include your shipping cost in your final product price.
Prepare your item: the more attractive it looks, the more likely it is to be sold. So, iron it or steam it, straighten the collar and button it up. Always use a white or light grey backdrop to take a photo of your item, as this makes it stand out and capture the colours as accurately as possible. Rolls of white paper are ideal, cheap, and readily available. Take photos next to a window for natural light.
Take photos of the item from the front, back and side: Your aim is to create a shopping experience for the buyer; create a tangible effect by adding pictures such as a close up of the fabric texture, tags, buttons, patterns, tags and stitching. Work those poses and add a picture of you wearing it to showcase how it looks on.
Get shipping sorted: always send items tracked to keep yourself protected and your buyer connected.
Delivery time: Provide your potential buyers with accurate information on delivery and stick to it – the last thing you want is negative reviews.
Set up a verified PayPal account so that you can receive your payments.
If you’re a buyer: first register and verify your account then browse what we like to call your ‘Dream Wardrobe’ where items are just hanging out and waiting for you to give them a brand new home!
Next step is payment, hand over the cash using our secure payment methods. Wait for your new purchase to reach your doorstep, then put it on and strut your stuff wherever life takes you.
Unlike its competitors, the site offers three different types of memberships. The basic free plan is catered to ‘adhoc’ sellers who choose to sell the odd item now and again.
Their ‘Savvy Troopa’ plan, which costs £10 a month, is geared towards thrifty members who regularly sell items on the platform as a side business to make some money.
‘This membership provides you with additional features like a featured profile on the Troopas website, homepage display and a newsletter,’ Nikki explained.
‘It’s great for those people who love digging out unique, unusual pieces at vintage markets, car boot sales and charity shops and selling them on. We’ve found the more one-off items like limited edition sneakers and vintage designer clothes give you a better return than run of the mill high street stuff.’
Nikki and Maria, an operations manager in the gaming industry, have recently introduced a third membership – Star Troopas – for charities that are store-based and don’t have an online marketplace to sell clothes.
‘For the first 20 charities that sign up, we aren’t charging a monthly fee,’ Nikki said. ‘The goal is to attract the smaller charity shops that don’t have an online shopping presence.
‘All our prices include shipping, so there are no extra charges when you get to the checkout.’
Billions of tonnes of clothes end up in landfill every year, but buying preloved is becoming increasingly fashionable, with a growing number of consumers embracing the old, be it vintage, pre-owned or upcycled, because it provides a more sustainable approach to shopping.
Sales of clothes and homeware on eBay went up 30 per cent during lockdown. Traffic on Depop more than doubled from April 2020 to November, and Vestiaire Collective, the go-to destination for pre-loved designer styles, saw a 144 per cent spike in orders compared to 2019.
Even before lockdown fuelled a million wardrobe clearouts — and the economic toll of the pandemic rendered us all more money-conscious — the fashion resale market was booming. In 2019, it grew 25 times faster than traditional retail.
Brands are also getting on board, with COS — the chic, grown-up member of the H&M Group — and Gucci launching dedicated resale platforms last year.
Selfridges also launched Resellfridges to let customers buy and sell pre-loved designer pieces, while luxury online retailer Farfetch has offered pre-loved pieces since 2010.
Nikki said: ‘Our mission with Troopas is to make your wardrobe work for you and make you some money. It allows you to change up your look and wardrobe at reasonable prices, and build relationships by selling or buying clothes.
‘We are committed to playing our part in curbing fast fashion, we are all about increasing and fully utilising the lifecycle of clothing and accessories, no matter the brand. Let’s save the environment, one garment at a time.’
For more information about Troopas visit troopas.co.uk or follow them on Instagram.
Source: Read Full Article


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With RG3 taking the league by storm and showing no signs of slowing down, Fanatics.com, a leading online retailer of officially licensed sports merchandise has seen his jersey fly out of the warehouse at an astonishing rate recently.
According to Cyber Monday sales, RG3 was the highest selling jersey of any athlete in any sport yesterday, beating out the likes of Peyton Manning, Aaron Rogers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Kobe Bryant among others. Below is the complete top ten jersey sales list from yesterday to show the type of company he has been looped in with after his hot start.
Cyber Monday Jersey Sales according to Fanatics.com:
This seems to coincide with that report that a lot of Dallas Cowboys fans are also RGIII fans.


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Ecuadoran banana exporters lost a key market after President Daniel Noboa waded into Russia-Ukraine war politics.
Working with Equifruit, Ecuadoran banana grower Asoguabo achieves GlobalGAP Produce Handling Assurance (PHA) standard.
dVida Company, an importer specializing in tropical fruit, announces year-round availability for their mango and dragon fruit programs
Ecuador remains the king of bananas, both conventional and organic, and the U.S. is its top export market.
From January to September 2022, Ecuadorian banana exports were at 256,590,000 boxes, reflecting a decrease of 8 percent when compared to the same period last year.
Ecuador’s nationwide general strike has hit produce commodities hard.
A new avocado supplier to the U.S. has just been added.
What does the war in Ukraine have to do with the price of bananas in Ecuador? It sounds like a joke, but it’s not.
Ecuadorian banana sales recovered in July, registering a record figure for the month over the last five years.
The Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor) released data showing a decrease in banana exports the first quarter of this year while citing a slow economic recovery in destination countries and the impact of confinement measures in some countries as the two main factors.


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Daniel D. Hyman sold a three-bedroom, two-bath home at 7863 Steamboat Springs Court, in Las Vegas (Unincorporated), to Omar M. Cano for $316,500 on Dec. 18.
Built in 2003, the 1,208-square-foot, one-story home last sold for $163,340 in July 2003. It is located in the Blue Diamond Ranch subdivision.
According to BlockShopper, there have been 19,988 home sales in Las Vegas (Unincorporated) during the past 12 months with a median sale price of $140,000.
Address: 7863 Steamboat Springs Court
Buyer(s): Omar M Cano
Seller(s): Daniel D Hyman
Sale date: Dec. 18, 2013


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latest news releases from the newsroom
Xlibris Releases 'As I Tarry Along Life's Road'
BRONX, N.Y., May 30, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Xlibris, a leading print-on-demand online book publishing company, announced today the release of As I Tarry Along Life's Road, a touching new book featuring the poetic talent and insights of author Jerusalmi Streete.
Entertainment Games, Inc.
Burger Island Fires Up the Grill Online
LANGHORNE, Pa. and BOTHELL, Wash., May 30, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Casual games publisher and developer eGames, Inc. (Pink Sheets:EGAM), in conjunction with casual games industry pioneer Sandlot Games(r) Corporation, announced today that its new fast-food themed game Burger Island(tm) has launched on Yahoo! Games as part of a two-week exclusive arrangement with Yahoo! Burger Island will be featured on the main Yahoo! Games webpage, exposing the title to millions of Yahoo! Gamers.
American Insulock Inc. Signed Distribution Contract With Exocore of Edmonton, Alberta
BURNABY, British Columbia, May 30, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- American Insulock Inc. (Pink Sheets:AILKF) (CNQ:AIKI.U) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed a contract with Exocore Industries Inc. for the exclusive rights to the Edmonton area of Alberta, Canada. Exocore is purchasing block molding equipment from the Company and will have exclusive rights to sell Insulock Blocks in that area. It is agreed by both parties that Exocore will be permitted to sell the Insulock Blocks anywhere in Alberta and surrounding areas until those territories are sold. The Exocore agreement includes the first right of refusal to purchase additional territories in Canada.


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Before the next wave of TV deals will be negotiated, the NFL will surely be doing its biggest deal yet in the environment where much of what used to be viewed on TV is now being consumed.
Via NBCNews.com, the NFL could move its out-of-market streaming rights to Amazon or Disney. Amazon already streams Thursday Night Football, and Disney would surely love to boost the offerings of its in-house streaming service, ESPN+.
Recent tensions have emerged between the NFL and AT&T, which has purchased DirecTV. Meanwhile, ESPN has worked hard to rebuild bridges to 345 Park Avenue, and Amazon has become a behemoth in the streaming/sales space. Its value comes from the merger of viewing preferences and purchase habits, enabling Amazon to tailor commercials to viewers, who can make a purchase with the click of a button while otherwise watching a game.


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Want to join the conversation?
$FAST's Nov. net sales increased by 4.1% to $298.17MM from $286.29MM in the previous year month. However, daily sales in Nov. fell 1.1% to $14.91MM from $15.07MM last year. Daily sales from Manufacturing end market declined 1.5% in Nov. 2015 and that from non-residential construction end market fell 5.1%.
$PYPL jumps 6% in after hours on strong results. I am bullish on this stock.
$TSCO stock remained active in the after hours trading and rose more than 2% after the retailer posted better than expected 1Q17 results.
Instagram has reached 700 million monthly active users. Looks like it will hit 1 billion soon. That would make it $FB’s fourth billion-user platform.


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Breville Shares Surge After Punt On Excess Inventory
Breville shares have surged after a punt on delivering excess inventory ahead of the coronavirus, to beat US tariff’s on goods manufactured in China has paid off.
Breville who also own the brand names Sage and Kambrook saw their shares soar 27.6 per cent yesterday to close at a record $25.50 after the maker coffee machines, blenders, toasters and microwaves forecast double-digit profit growth this year.
The 88-year-old Australian appliance maker now sells products in almost 60 countries is now expanding into new European markets including Germany, Austria, Benelux, Switzerland and Spain.
Currently several of their competitors are struggling to confirm when their China based factories will return to work or when they can guarantee supply to retailers.
According to their latest financials, Breville sales rose 25.4 per cent to $552.03 million, with revenue rising more than 10 per cent in North America and Australia/New Zealand, and sales soaring 63 per cent in Europe. Sales from Europe are now bigger than those from Australia/New Zealand and are set to grow as Breville expands into France in the June-half.
Earnings rose 28.5 per cent in the distribution business, which distributes Nespresso, Breville and Kambrook appliances, and 13 per cent in the global product business, lifting group earnings before interest and tax by 17.1 per cent to $72.98 million.
According to the Australian Financial Review Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments now faces pressure to sell its 28 per cent stake in Breville and return the cash to investors.
This investment is now worth more than $1 billion.
Mid last year Breville shares tumbled 20 per cent to $15.35 after analysts became concerned about the risks associated with the production inventories.
Since then, the shares have soared 66 per cent, and have now more than doubled since touching a 52-week low of $11.94 on February 13 last year according to the AFR.
Premier’s stake, most of which was acquired at $1.50 a share, is now worth $900 million compared with a book value of $239 million, and Mr Lew’s personal stake is worth about $183 million.
“We ask the question and the general impression is they’re great believers in the long-term future of [Breville],” said Airlie Funds Management’s head of Australian equities John Sevior.
“You could have said that at any point in the last few years – why not sell it and give back the money – but the business of Breville has got better and better.”
“They’re very patient investors… they tend to think much longer term than stockbrokers and merchant bankers,” said Blue Ocean Equities analyst Philip Pepe.
“They exist to invest in retail brands. What they have got out of this is an investment that’s produced pretty good results in dividends and capital gains.”
Breville chief executive Jim Clayton expects full-year earnings to rise at least 13 per cent after interim net profit rose 14.1 per cent to $49.7 million, underpinned by demand for new products such as the Barista Pro, the Bluicer (a combination juicer and blender) and an air fryer.
The company expects EBIT of about $110 million for the full year, up from $97.3 million last year and in line with consensus forecasts. Earnings growth will slow in the June-half due to increased spending on marketing and research and development.
Breville increased its interim dividend 2¢ to 20.5¢ a share, payable on March 18.


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Facebook knows who your friends are. Google knows what you’re interested in finding on the internet. Amazon knows what you’ve bought, and has a pretty good idea of what you might want to buy next.
If you were an advertiser, which company’s data sounds most valuable to you? If you had a product you wanted to sell, which of those things would you most want to know?
In a digital economy where some of the internet’s biggest companies and the country’s richest people have built their fortunes on the ability to more precisely target ads, one company sits on a trove of data it has barely started to exploit. In internet advertising-speak, visitors to Amazon.com are further down the purchasing funnel than visitors to Google or Facebook. “The opportunity is huge,” says Marcus Pratt, director of insights and technologies for Mediasmith, a San Francisco digital ad agency. “With rich data on its users, Amazon is uniquely positioned to match advertisers with shoppers.”
In a recent note to investors, analysts at Baird Equity Research said they estimated Amazon would generate anywhere from $500 million to $1 billion in advertising revenue this year. Amazon won’t break out those numbers, and the estimate doesn’t put Amazon anywhere near the tens of billions Google makes from ads every year. But for a company whose main business isn’t selling ads but selling stuff, a billion dollars is far from nothing. And Amazon is just getting started.


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Scorpion surprises shopper buying bananas at Wal-Mart
A Wal-Mart customer said a scorpion pinched his thumb when he reached into a box of bananas at a store in Scott.
The man, who asked not to be identified, wasn't stung and was uninjured.
Wal-Mart representative Betsy Harden said the company alerted its food safety team, produce suppliers and third-party pest control provider. She said the pest control team searched the rest of the bananas and the store and found no other problems.
“We believe this was an isolated incident,” she said.
Megan Guza is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-388-5810 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Cooper reports $6 million 2Q loss, international business beat 2019 result
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company reported a second quarter 2020 net loss of US$6 million on 3 August 2020 compared with net income of $9 million in the same period last year. Net sales decreased 26.9 per cent to $496 million. Operating profit was $5 million, or 1.1 per cent of net sales, compared to operating profit of $32 million (4.7 per cent of net sales) in 2019.
Goodyear expanding direct online tyre sales across Europe
Goodyear has been marketing its passenger car tyres in Germany directly to end users for fitting by a listed partner for roughly six months. And for years before that there has been a noticeable trend towards online selling. Following on from our online preview article, Tyres & Accessories’ German group publication Neue Reifenzeitung interviewed David Anckaert, vice president Commercial Europe at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and began by asking: is it too early to draw initial conclusions? And where’s next?
Goodyear Tire & Rubber reported a Q2 2020 net loss of $696 million ($2.97 per share) compared to net income of $54 million ($0.23 per share) a year ago in financial results released 31 July 2020. Goodyears second quarter 2020 sales were $2.1 billion, down 41 per cent compared with a year ago. According to the company, the decline was driven by “lower industry volume and reduced sales from other tyre-related businesses.” However, there are signs that demand is improving.
At the end of July a significant chapter in the history of Tyres & Accessories came to an end, with the closure of the companys offices in Clacton-on-Sea. The closure has been hastened by the effects arising from the coronavirus pandemic, and means that all editorial, administrative and advertising functions are now handled exclusively by the companys head office in Stoke-on-Trent. This meant that T&As two longest-serving employees could enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Advertising manager Alan Day joined the magazine early in 1990, while company secretary Pat Aldous was employed for six weeks maternity cover in 1977. It proved to be a long six weeks, as she never left! Alan and Pats friends and colleagues - both in the UK and in Germany and Italy - wish them all the best for a long and happy retirement.
Tencent and Linglong partner in online marketing drive
On July 10, Linglong Tire signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Tencent Cloud and Huazhi. As a result, the three parties will cooperate on smart marketing and industrial digitalization based on “the world’s first industrial Internet platform for the tyre industry, aiming at helping Linglong realize the transformation from traditional manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing, while seizing the aftermarket and improving the overall digital marketing and service level.”
Magna Tyres Group has opened a sales office in the Czech Republic. It said the move has been in response to demand for the Magna range of OTR ad specialist tyres in Eastern Europe. It added that it has been encouraged by “unutilised market potential in this region.” The region was previously serviced by its Polish office.
Mitsubishi is withdrawing from the UK and Europe, confirming it will not bring any new models to the continent. Stocks of existing models, including the popular Outlander PHEV and L200 pick-up, will continue to be sold until they no longer meet emissions regulations. Aftersales support will be provided by existing dealers and the Colt Car Company, which imports Mitsubishi vehicles to the UK.
Falken launches ‘Pass the Wheel’ social media campaign
The coronavirus pandemic has put many visits to dream destinations on hold, but Falken Tyres is using its social media feeds to provide some vicarious thrills. The Sumitomo tyre brand’s new ‘Pass the Wheel’ campaign comprises three beautifully shot videos to provide a virtual road trip along some of Europe’s most beautiful roads and passes. The videos show the drive from Zell am See in Austria, across Switzerland, Italy and France, and into Monaco. The campaign trailer has already clocked up 1.7 million views on Falken’s YouTube Channel.
Yokohama to supply Advan Sport V107 to new Mercedes AMGs
Yokohama has been chosen by Mercedes-AMG to supply original tyres on several new models. The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ Coupé, GLE 63 4MATIC+, GLE 63 4MATIC+ Coupé, GLA 35 4MATIC, GLA 45 4MATIC+ and GLA 45 S 4MATIC+ will all run on the Japanese tyre manufacturer’s Advan Sport V107.
Michelin sales contract 20.6% in first half of 2020
Michelin sales contracted more than 20 per cent in the first half of 2020 due to coronavirus affected markets. The 20.6 per cent contraction in sales resulted in an operating result of 310 million euros – 3.3 per cent of sales – 78.5 per cent less than in 2019 (1,438 billion euros). Volumes fell by 22.4 per cent. Operating income went from 1.381 billion to 177 million euros, while net income fell from 844 million to a loss of 137 million, with earnings per share going from 4.74 euros to a loss of 0.75 euros.
GRI reiterates role of sustainability in a post-Covid world
Global demand for natural rubber is outpacing supply, so stakeholders in the global tyre industry need to ensure sustainability is a guiding ethos in its operations, GRI states. The Sri Lankan manufacturer says sustainability in sourcing, production and disposal are key to its goals.
Shifts in leading tyre manufacturer rankings, 2015-2019
Over the last five years of data collection for the Tyres & Accessories’ ranking of the leading tyre manufacturers, a few trends can be observed – see accompanying graphs for more details. Firstly, it is easy to see that there are a few separate groupings of rival companies within the top ten. In our first chart, we can see that Continental has continued to progress in narrowing the tyre sales gap with Goodyear, partially because Goodyear has yet to regain the level of sales achieved in 2015, despite improved results on its half-decade low in 2017. Tyrepress noted in 2018 that based on tyre volumes, Conti looked likely to overtake Goodyear in light vehicle (passenger car and light truck) tyre volumes, showing how it has gained ground on the previous ‘Big Three’. Regardless of their order, it has been appropriate to talk of a global Big Four tyre manufacturers for a few years.
Mahansaria Tyres Private Limited (MTPL) completes acquisition of EATD
Mahansaria Tyres Private Ltd (MTPL) has completed the previously announced acquisition of a majority stake in European Agriculture Tyre Distributor (EATD). As a result, EATD has relocated its operations from Strijen, The Netherlands, to Wallenhorst in Germany.
Engine products and drive systems supplier Dayco has opened a food bank at two of its Italian facilities, in order to further support those in need via the Italian Red Cross. The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the world economy and had serious consequences on a regional level, which has also affected many communities.
Cooper Tire expands Kruševac, Serbia factory by a third
Cooper Tire has invested in increasing production capacity at its Kruševac, Serbia tyre manufacturing plant. – Cooper Tire Serbia, a subsidiary of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, is managing the US$55 million equipment upgrade and facility upgrade project. As a result of the investment, Cooper’s Kruševac facility will expand to more than 882,000 square feet, adding 118 new jobs.


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Audio streaming service Spotify (SPOT 0.72%) reported fourth quarter 2020 earnings before the market opened on Feb. 3. The company missed analysts' earnings expectations, sending the stock down 8% for the day.
While investors mostly focused on subscriber growth, current gross margin, and fiscal year 2021 guidance when reading the report, the most important metric for Spotify's future was hidden at the bottom of the earnings letter. Here's what the metric is, and why it's so important for Spotify's future.
Engagement with podcast content
The metric I alluded to above is what Spotify calls "engagement with podcast content." It is not a requirement for them to report it, but management has been kind enough to release the percentage of users that listened to podcasts each of the last few quarters. This quarter, that number grew to 25% of total monthly active users (MAUs), up from 22% of MAUs in the third quarter of 2020. That equates to over 86 million users engaging with podcast content on Spotify, a tremendous feat for a service that didn't even have podcasts on its platform until 2015.
One reason for this increased engagement could be that The Joe Rogan Experience went exclusive on Spotify during the quarter. The podcast gets tens of millions of downloads each month and will hopefully convince many of those listeners to switch to Spotify for their podcast needs. If the Spotify podcast charts are any indication (the show is consistently the top-ranked show on the platform), the exclusivity period is going well so far.
Why/when it will matter
Podcast engagement is vital to Spotify's success with original content and advertising technology. With original content, Spotify has bought and built out a podcast content team with CEO Daniel Ek saying there are now close to 1,000 people working on producing content for the company. Since Spotify owns this content, it can choose to put it behind its premium paywall, theoretically increasing the value of that subscription and the company's ability to raise the cost of premium subscriptions. Podcast engagement connects to this goal, because in order to increase the value proposition of the original content, Spotify needs as many users as possible listening to shows on its platform.
With advertising, Spotify is working to grow its streaming ad insertions (SAI) technology to help monetize its 199 million ad-supported users. Right now, the technology is only being used for shows it owns, but management says it will eventually roll out to third-party content played on Spotify and even other podcast platforms if they integrate the technology from the Anchor and Megaphone hosting platforms that the company now owns. As with original content, the more users that listen to podcasts on Spotify, the more it will be able to monetize them with its SAI technology.
But when should investors expect these efforts to boost the financials? Well, without access to a crystal ball, my best guess would be not to expect anything material for a year or two, if not longer. SAI is currently limited to original content and only available in four countries. It also just acquired Megaphone late in 2020, and it will likely take more time to integrate its capabilities. Investors need to have patience here. Podcasts can help Spotify grow its business and increase gross margin, but it will not happen overnight.
The podcast industry is similar to where streaming TV was a decade ago. On-demand audio continues to take listening hours from linear radio, a trend that should continue over the next decade.
Whether it puts this content behind a paywall, supports it with advertising, or both, Spotify can be the leader in monetizing the podcasting industry. But first, it has to capture the most listeners. That's why investors should closely follow the percentage of users that engage with podcast content on Spotify.


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Crisis planning program planned for businesses
Apple Valley Business Watch will present “Business Lockdowns and Crisis Planning Training” on Thursday, Jan. 31, at LaGrand Conference Center – GrandStay Hotel, 7083 153rd St. W., Apple Valley.
• 8 to 8:30 a.m. – Coffee and treats.
• 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. – Presentation by a Bloomington police officer who has trained businesses at the Mall of America on this topic.
RSVP to Officer Michael Tietz at (952) 953-2709 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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It might be time to ditch that bulky, black suitcase for a modern piece of luggage that almost guarantees an easier travel experience.
Hundreds of cutting edge travel products were unveiled this week at the massive Travel Goods Show in Phoenix. The products are designed with your comfort and safety in-mind.
Here’s a look at just some of the newest items.
Keep important document safe on the road. IWallet released a new line of lightweight aluminum wallets and passport cases that can be opened only with the swipe of your thumbprint. The cases also have GPS capabilities and protect your credit cards from being hacked while in your pocket.
Traveling to China anytime soon? ReadiMask offers paper thin, medical-grade masks that can instantly be adhered to your face to protect you from smoke or chemicals.
For those who want extra protection in a hotel room, the Door Jammer gives you a sense of security by easily adding an additional lock to any door. You just wedge the clamp underneath a closed door and it prevents it from being opened.
Comfort is Key
Many of us travel by pulling a standard, suitcase on wheels with an extendable handle. It serves its purpose, but after a long day of pulling it around you can end up with the dreaded lock arm and shoulder pain.
Pivotal unveiled an all-new line of bags with a 360-degree handle that swivels. It allows you to bend your arm and pull or push the bag in any direction. The design is such a hit it won first place at this year’s Travel Goods Association Innovation Awards. Not bad for a company that is brand new.
Even if you're stuck at the airport, you can catch some shut eye. Nap Anywhere released an alternative to that bulky travel pillow you can never seem to find the room for. The Nap Anywhere starts out nearly paper thin. You bend it into the shape of your neck and it supports the entire weight of your head. Ideal for napping and preventing cramped necks during a long flight.
Travel in Style
Hit the jet way in style. Fashion designer Issac Mizrahi unveiled his first line of luggage in bright patterns, metallic and bold colors.
“There are a lot of people that are sick and tired of carrying plain black, wheeled boxes around,” said Jamie Stoltz, Signal Brands associate designer. “They’re looking for something that they can express themselves, their personalities, their fashion.”
For fashion forward travelers of all ages, Cuties released a new line of animal-themed suitcases featuring built-in pillows, drink holder and lots of storage.
Made in the USA
Randa Luggage president Frank Fenton told FoxNews.com the new production will create dozens if not hundreds of jobs across America.
“This is a great opportunity to launch new products but also reintroduce colors, patterns and things like that,” said Fenton.
Matt Finn is a Fox News correspondent based in the Chicago bureau. Follow him on Twitter: @MattFinnFNC


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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — If you have waited until the last minute to buy Christmas gifts, workers at Richmond’s Amazon Prime Now say they are ready to bail you out.
“There is hope, yeah, especially in Richmond where we’ve been going for a year now with Prime Now,” Justin O’Kelly, with Amazon Prime Now said. “You can order until Christmas Eve for one hour delivery for $7.99 or for free, two hours up to $9.45.”
It appears Richmond is known for year-round last minute shopping.
“People use this a lot here in Richmond, we’re actually the third city out of the 30 in the country that have Prime Now in terms of the quantity of one-hour orders processed each week,” O’Kelly said. “Yeah I don’t really know why. Midlothian, Glen Allen and the Fan, you people love to leave things to the last minute. We love to help you get whatever you can off the shelves.”
Whatever you can imagine, the facility just might have it stocked in its Richmond warehouse, regardless of the time of the year.
“So, out of the holiday season, we find Haribo Gummy Bears, Ben and Jerry Ice Cream, bananas, and eggs are what people in Richmond love to get at the last minute in the holiday season … things change from the beginning of the month to the end,” O’Kelly said. “In the beginning of the month, people are looking for games they love … the kind of bonding experiences when they’re planning for Christmas Day. By the time we get to Christmas Eve, they’re just heads-down focused on party supplies and devices.”
This is a developing story. Stay with 8News online and on air for the latest updates.