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Sports Revenues During The Holidays
networks hoping for holiday cheerThe NBA isn't the only professional sports circuit killing it on Christmas Day. The NFL is also aware of the advertising potential that arises after the gifts have been opened and set aside. According to an October 2003 Harris Poll, about 100 million Americans watch pro football on television — the highest viewership for any sport.
On Christmas weekend 2005, the NFL is offering fans a full plate of games. The best match-up on paper is scheduled for Christmas Eve between Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts and the surprising Seattle Seahawks. On Christmas Day, one of the league's oldest rivalries resumes when the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers take the field.
FOX will telecast that game, hoping for the same results that CBS enjoyed in 2004. On Christmas Day of that year, their broadcast of a contest between the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs had a 9 rating and 22 share, a slightly larger audience than the Lakers/Heat game drew.
Despite these coups of Christmases past, it's not clear whether networks will be taking advantage of increased viewership and charging higher ad rates during the 2005 holidays. And, in spite of the evidence suggesting an upcoming expansion in audience, they may have just cause to hesitate in doing so. A report published in the April 2005 online edition of Adweek indicated that sponsors are tapped out. As of the 2006 NFL season, ESPN will pay about twice the amount in television rights to air Monday night games than it did for Sunday games a year prior. But, according to Adweek, advertisers are not willing to tolerate any big bumps in rates. Instead, ESPN will hope to recoup the money with what Programming VP Mark Shapiro calls "24 hours of focused coverage," including HD and Spanish-language telecasts.
college bowls kicking off the new yearThe closer a college football bowl game is played to Christmas Day, the worse it usually is. The big action, including the elite games that form part of the Bowl Championship Series, take place on January 1, and in the days following.
Large corporations are more than willing to spend big bucks to attach their names to college bowls, knowing millions of people will be watching them. Sunkist got all this naming-rights frenzy started in 1985, when it became the title sponsor of the Fiesta Bowl (which, as of Christmas 2005, was known as the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl).
Sponsoring bowls allows a company to put its logo on virtually anything associated with the game. Furthermore, the company's name comes up every time that particular bowl is discussed in the media.
In 2001, Jeep paid a little less than $2 million to sponsor both the Aloha and Oahu bowls in Hawaii. According to industry analysts, more than 30 million people watched those two games on television and saw the Jeep brand. That's not a bad return on investment.
When Ohio State beat Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, it won the national championship. ABC, which broadcast the game, also came away a winner. The broadcast had a 17.2 rating, almost doubling the viewership of its closest competitor.
jolly sports holidaysFor many, Christmas and New Year's Day are times to gather with friends and relatives, and take a much-needed break from work. For television networks and sports leagues, however, these days are seen as prime money-making opportunities.
Millions of people are at home watching sports on television and the ads associated with them, and companies are willing to pay tremendous amounts of money to get those millions of eyes on their products and brand names.
Question: Between 2003 and 2005, which college bowl game drew the most television viewers?
Answer: The 2003 Fiesta Bowl.


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Tonight was always going to be a big night for Amazon, but it turned into a pretty big night for UK consumers too.
The American retailer finally gifted us its Kindle Fire tablet, with the brand new 7in Kindle Fire HD set to hit our shores on 25 October, alongside an updated version of the original Kindle Fire. The computer tablet version of the famous e-reader was launched in the US just under a year ago, but the silence regarding a possible UK launch had been deafening.
(opens in new tab)So deafening, that some thought it would never arrive. With quarter one and two sales slowing for the Kindle Fire in the States, analysts thought Amazon may shirk the European challenge and focus on living with the stiff competition on home soil first.
But unless analysts opt to state the absolutely bleeding obvious, which they often do, their predictions can be well wide of the mark, as Amazon proved emphatically this evening. Sceptics felt the arrival of the Google Nexus 7 along with the new iPad this year would deter the US firm, but the very characteristics and pricing structures of the tablets unveiled tonight show Amazon is boldly setting out to make the tablet market its own.
Taking on the market-leaders
The 7in Kindle Fire HD looks the popular Nexus 7 straight in the eye. The same-size screens both sport 1,280x800 pixels, but Amazon is claiming a “more advanced”, reduced-glare display, not to mention the “fastest Wi-Fi on a tablet” thanks to a first in ‘dual-antenna’ for increased bandwidth. Moreover, it’s undercut the 16GB Nexus 7 model by £40, with the 16GB Kindle Fire HD priced just £159.00. Spending that much only gets you the 8GB version of the Nexus 7. Piling more pressure on Google is the 32GB version of the Fire, doubling the memory capacity of the top Nexus 7 and coming in at just £199.
Considering the most remarkable aspect of the Google tablet launch this year was the low-end pricing, Amazon has pulled the proverbial rabbit out the hat with the costs of the 7in Fire. The retailer must be hopeful those pre-orders are already flying in (opens in new tab) ahead of the 25 October release.
Not content with making a scene in the 7in market, Amazon is making its move on the big boys too. Big in size and also big in clout, as the all-conquering iPad is challenged by the new 8.9in Kindle Fire HD – though only in the US for the time being. A glance at display specs sees the Fire's 1920x1200 resolution slightly behind the 2048x1536 on Apple’s larger 9.7in offering. But with the 32GB edition of this Fire priced just $369 compared to the $599 tag on the latest iPad, the latter will have to be thrashing the Fire all over the park to stop people considering a move to this well-priced alternative. Other specs, including its 1.5GHz dual-core processor and intriguing Dolby stereo speakers, suggest the Fire will not just be a cheap imitation either.
Entering 4G LTE territory
Amazon rounded off tonight’s proceedings with a flourish. Also hitting America is the 8.9in Kindle Fire with 4G LTE connectivity. Priced at $499, the device is bound to cause a stir in the 4G-ready US, especially as Amazon has stayed true to the value theme by offering a $49.99 a year price-plan for 250MB data per month, 20 GB of additional Cloud Drive storage, and a $10 Amazon Appstore promotional credit. With the UK’s much delayed 4G rollout due this month, 4G LTE products now warrant a bit more attention in our tech circles, and Brits will be hoping Amazon is planning a similar launch over here soon.
Before all the Kindle Fire news stole the show, Amazon also announced it was launching a new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader. The front-lit, super-thin and super-light device is also limited to the States for now, but going by the company’s general strategy, this should eventually be available in the UK too.
"People don't want gadgets. They want services"
It seems Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was in a buoyant, even bullish mood in California tonight. We often talk of companies 'raising the stakes' in various markets, but an early look at Amazon's offerings suggests such language is not mere hyperbole in this instance.
Happy to reference rivals, Bezos argued that Android tablets are floundering at present because they're gadgets, and people don't want gadgets. "They want services," he said. Bezos considers the Kindle Fire to be a service. As well as greeting you by name, it comes with pre-loaded content, makes recommendations, and stores everything in the cloud. What’s more, Amazon already has a multi-faceted ecosystem, and an untouchably extensive library of music, books, videos and more, which can really deliver that ‘service’. This could well be the trump card of Amazon’s renewed assault on the tablet market.
Needless to say, performance will be the true decider of the new Kindle Fires’ fate. Though ITProPortal will be sure to analyse all the new features and delve into the nitty-gritty of specs comparison with rival tablets soon enough, so we can assess just how much of a game-changer this new range will be come October.

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Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys has announced the recipients of the second call of the pilot Online Retail Scheme, which is administered by Enterprise Ireland.
A total of 29 retailers have been awarded €659,550 in funding as part of the €1.25 million fund, which is targeted at online retailers to 'strengthen their online offering' to enable them to reach a wider customer base.
The Online Retail Scheme was introduced by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation as part of the ongoing work of the Retail Consultation Forum, which Minister Humphreys chairs.
“As part of the Government’s Future Jobs Ireland framework, the pilot Online Retail Scheme is an important initiative to ensure that our retail businesses can remain competitive in a changing world where traditional business operations are increasingly being disrupted by new technology,” said Minister Humphreys.
The Scheme’s purpose is to support Irish retailers to strategically enhance their online sales capabilities to increase competitiveness and subsequently scale their businesses in international markets, the group explained in a statement.
"Increasing the international sales of Irish retailers through the online channel translates into sustaining and creating high-quality, sustainable jobs across the country," she added.
Strenghten Online Offering
Under this second competitive call, the successful applicants will receive funding ranging from €10,000 to €25,000 to strengthen their online offering.
Commenting, Stephen Hughes, head of consumer, Enterprise Ireland said: “While many smaller retailers are selling quality, in-demand products and services that will appeal to an international customer base, they need to invest in their digital presence to keep up with strong global competition."
"This scheme will provide Irish retailers with the additional resources to respond and adapt their business model to the upcoming challenges including potentially weaker consumer confidence and increasing business costs post Brexit.” He said.
The 29 retailers awarded funding, operate across a broad spectrum of sectors including healthcare, jewellery, fashion, sports, audio visual technology and marine equipment.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.


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A new report claims that Xbox wanted to bring Halo to PlayStation 4, and may actually still be looking to. Microsoft has been taking a very different approach with its Xbox brand in recent months, pushing for cross-platform play and working with once-rival companies. Just recently it was confirmed that the Xbox-owned Banjo-Kazooie is joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, marking a huge change in the way Microsoft handles its first-party IP.
While Nintendo is embracing Xbox's willingness to create partnerships, Sony has always been reluctant to do so. Understandably so, since PlayStation 4 is the clear frontrunner in the "console war." Why take the risk of allowing a game that allows log-ins to Xbox Live when you're already on top? Despite this stance, that apparently hasn't deterred Microsoft from trying.
It turns out that Xbox was even exploring the possibility of bringing Halo: The Master Chief Collection to PS4. This is according to a new report from former IGN staffer Colin Moriarty, who made the claim during a recent episode of his Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast. "I have it on good authority that Master Chief Collection was being talked about on PS4 years ago. Like, I have that on great authority," said Moriarty to co-host Chris Ray Gunn.
Seeing Master Chief run around on PlayStation 4 would be something akin to an episode of The Twilight Zone. Still, it's clear that Xbox is looking to play ball with the other hardware manufacturers as long as it's able to bring some sort of Xbox Live compatibility to the games it ports. Apparently, Nintendo is fine with the idea of doing so, and the company has begun reaping the rewards for just that as a result.
There are now rumors that Xbox Game Pass is on its way to Switch. While that service hasn't been confirmed for Nintendo platforms yet, Cuphead coming to Switch (alongside the aforementioned appearance of Banjo-Kazooie in Smash Ultimate) are the blossoming emblems of a wonderful partnership. Xbox will likely keep pushing PlayStation to work with them, especially now that Microsoft and Sony are working together on Azure game streaming technology. Only time will tell if Halo will come to PlayStation (or Nintendo Switch for that matter), but with the next generation of game consoles is going to be interesting.


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The Democracy video player made its official debut today! Brought to you from the folks who started the Participatory Culture Foundation in their efforts to bring you a way to experience online video and internet television in a new and centralized way where you can watch your favorite shows, reccomend them to other people, experience new content through their channel guide, and explore new content that you may not even know is out there.
The application is available for Mac OS X and Windows, and you can even bring in your own favorite video shows, podcasts, and other online media, and will go out and get it while you’re watching other things. It’s definitely the best way to experience web video someone’s come up with to date. Head on over and check it out today.


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Mercedes-Benz launched the series production version of its eActros 600 battery-electric long-haul truck last week, signifying its intent to assist in phasing out diesel counterparts in the coming years.
Joining the likes of Tesla, which has been hogging column inches thanks to the fact it has been beating rivals from Nikola, BYD and Volvo during real world range testing data, the Mercedes eActros 600 is said to have an official range of 500km - or around 310 miles, before it requires charging.
This is thanks to the inclusion of three lithium iron phosphate cell technology (LFP) battery packs, each with a 207kWh output. With a gross combination weight of up to 44 tons, the 800-volt electric axle and two electric motors (both with a peak output of 600kW) can happily haul the massive heavy goods vehicle for more than 1,000km in a single day.
This is made possible with intermediate charging during the legally prescribed driver breaks, even without the introduction of megawatt-charging. Once the infrastructure is in place for this, Mercedes-Benz says its eActros 600 can be charged from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes.
While this is all movement in commercial EVs, for consumers the developments and improvements in range and charging infrastructure an filter down into standard electric cars, all paving the way for greater adoption of EVs over, say, hybrids.
With many years of trucking experience, Mercedes-Benz is serious about the uptake of its electric truck, pointing out that the eActros 600 achieves CO2 savings of around 40% compared to a comparable diesel Actros and, with fully renewable energies, of more than 80% over the entire product life cycle of ten years from raw material extraction.
On top of this, it has designed the eActros 600 to meet the same requirements surrounding the durability of the vehicle and components as a comparable conventional heavy-duty long-haul Actros. This means its LFP battery technology is slated to be able to cover 1.2 million kilometres in ten years of operation.
Even after this point, the German marque believes the battery state of health should still be over 80 per cent.
What's more, the eActros 600 is packed with the brand's latest safety systems, including six installed sensors - four short range radars and one long-range radar - as well as a multifunction camera in the windshield. This suite pairs with numerous active emergency brake assist technologies, as well as the ability to support semi-automated driving.
Power take-off points have also been implemented, so the eActros 600 will happily power things like tipping, sliding floor or silo semitrailers, as well as refrigeration units, allowing it to haul pretty much anything its diesel counterpart can.
The race for range
As we previously mentioned, Tesla has been grabbing headlines thanks to its Semi Truck managing to cover over 1,000 miles in a single day during recent testing by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE).
It "beat" competition from Volvo, Freightliner and the Nikola Tre BEV, but it was unclear whether all brands were running the same routes and hauling the same average weight.
Mercedes says around 60% of long-distance journeys of Mercedes-Benz Trucks customers in Europe are shorter than 500km, which means charging infrastructure at the depot and at the loading and unloading points is sufficient in such cases.
Range is clearly not the be-all and end-all when it comes to freight logistics, with the onus on affordability and profitability for most fleet owners arguably more important. The ability to scale up to meet customer demand is also a major issue, with industry analysts suggesting Tesla is yet to scale Semi production.
With regards to the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, a fleet of around fifty prototype vehicles is currently being built, some of which are also to be put into practical testing with first customers in a next step. The start of series production is planned for the end of 2024.
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A new free trade agreement with the United Kingdom will deliver more Australian jobs and business opportunities for exporters, bringing both countries closer together in a changing strategic environment. Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson have agreed on the broad outlines of an Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The FTA is the right deal for Australia and the United Kingdom, with greater access to a range of high-quality products made in both countries as well as greater access for businesses and workers, all of which will drive economic growth and job creation in both countries. Australian producers and farmers will receive a significant boost by getting greater access to the UK market.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- UK Capital: London;
- UK Prime minister: Boris Johnson;
- UK Currency: Pound sterling;
- Australia Capital: Canberra;
- Australia Currency: Australian dollar;
- Australia Prime minister: Scott Morrison.


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“Our very own best pages has fico scores less than 650,” told you Skylar Woodward, the latest Chief executive officer out of Puddle and you will a great co-maker of the microfinance group Kiva. “People who the present day program claims is actually untrustworthy or highest-chance are really paying at over 95 %.”
In addition to city of Bay area runs Pay check And SF, hence lovers having regional credit unions to add quick-term borrowing from the bank within lower interest rates than simply many cash advance
If you find yourself r/borrow as well as these complete-fledged people stick to the fresh new fringes from user lending, the notion of directly matching private borrowers and you may lenders you can expect to changes the brand new economic industry with time. Now, the new intermediary anywhere between borrowers and you will lenders is frequently a lender, and you can banks, in exchange for taking this particular service, get a cut-out amounting so you’re able to more than $step 1.5 trillion per year. Very, among claims off peer-to-peer financing, into the a larger level, is that it could help reduce banks’ roles while the intermediaries, and you may bequeath this new deals so you’re able to consumers and lenders the exact same.
If you are banking companies however remain the latest public’s (therefore the government’s) best loan providers, such the brand new fellow-to-peer organizations and you may efforts, for the most part, have the implicit or explicit recognition away from regulators. Based on Lauren Saunders, new member movie director of the Federal User Legislation Cardio, brand new Government Trading Percentage enjoys standard authority to regulate unjust otherwise inaccurate lending techniques, and for lenders making more than 25 finance in Massachusetts student loans forgiveness programs the a schedule season, therefore does an individual Economic Safeguards Bureau, which is in the process of developing a unique selection of laws and regulations requiring you to definitely pay check lenders, on top of other things, take a look at borrowers’ capacity to pay off money. Leer más


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PE Weekly: B2B Services in Focus, Midmarket Companies Embrace AI
Signs of a tech rebound emerge for M&A dealmakers and middle-market business investments
Signs point to a strengthening tech market after months of volatility. This week, several M&A transactions center around tech-enabled business services, while new research from Deloitte finds middle-market companies are growing their technology investments, especially when it comes to artificial intelligence.
EagleTree Capital Acquires Marketing Firm from Peninsula Capital. EagleTree Capital a middle-market private equity firm, has acquired marketing company MMGY Global, according to a recent press release. MMGY offers travel, tourism and hospitality-focused marketing services. EagleTree is acquiring the company from its previous owner Peninsula Capital Partners and other shareholders. In a statement, EagleTree senior partner Michael Struble pointed to MMGY’s “data-driven approach” to its marketing solutions.
Sheridian Capital Forms Plastic Surgery Platform. Healthcare-focused middle-market private equity firm Sheridian Capital Partners announced this week the formation of a plastic surgery platform, Ascend Plastic Surgery Partners. The platform is the result of the combination of five plastic surgery practices and two MedSpas. In a statement, Sheridian Capital partner Nicholas Rowland said the platform “is an early mover in the highly fragmented plastic surgery market.”
Performant Capital Acquires Event Management Company SquadUP. Private equity firm Performant Capital, which focuses on SaaS, software and tech-enabled services, announced its acquisition of ticketing and event management company SquadUP. The investment target serves a variety of end-markets including food and wine festivals, film festivals and publication events. Performant said it plans to grow the company through strategic add-on acquisitions.
Boyne Capital Acquires Manufacturing Company ProFusion Industries. Boyne Capital, a lower middle-market private equity firm, announced its acquisition of Profusion Industries, which manufactures polymer-based film and sheet products. The company services a variety of end markets including hospitality, transportation and military.
MPE Partners Forms Car Care Platform. MPE Partners, a lower middle-market investment firm, announced the formation of Appearance Technology Group (ATG) following the acquisitions of Hi-Tech Industries and 3D Products in 2022. In addition to the new platform launch, MPE announced ATG’s add-on acquisition of RBL Products, which supplies consumable protective plastics, paint preparation products and other products used by the automotive OEM market.
Trilantic’s Outdoor Living Supply Acquires Masonry Distributor. Outdoor Living Supply, an outdoor living products distribution platform backed by middle-market private equity firm Trilantic Capital Management, has acquired Apache Stone. The investment target, which is a subsidiary of Halquist Stone Company, distributes masonry, hardscape and landscape supplies. In its announcement, Outdoor Living Supply said the acquisition expands its geographic footprint in the Southwest.
Gemspring’s Amplix Acquires Small Business Tech Advisor nQuery. Amplix, a portfolio company of Gemspring Capital that provides technology advisory services and software, announced its acquisition of nQuery Communications. The investment target provides cloud advisory services to small and medium-sized businesses, offering internet, IT and cybersecurity solutions, among others. The add-on expands Amplix’s existing footprint and Florida, the announcement noted.
Cloyes Gear & Products Acquires Rotomaster. Cloyes Gear & Products, which designs components for the automotive aftermarket, has announced its acquisition of turbocharger and component specialist Rotomaster. In its announcement, Cloyes said that the two companies will complement each other as Tier One aftermarket suppliers. BMO Capital Markets advised Rotomaster on the transaction, a press release said.
Monomoy Capital Exits Manufacturing Business. Monomoy Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity and credit investing firm, announced the sale of Shaw Development, which manufactures sensors and fluid management systems for diesel exhaust fluid applications. The company was acquired by Madison Dearborn Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm.
Brynwood Partners Closes Ninth Fund. Brynwood Partners, a consumer products-focused private equity firm, announced the close of its ninth fund with more than $750 million in capital commitments. The fund, Brynwood IX, marks the largest in the firm’s 39-year history. The fund will be used to continue the firm’s existing investment focus on control investments in consumer products businesses across North America.
AI Fuels Middle Market Tech Investment: Deloitte. New data from Deloitte finds that C-level executives at middle-market companies are increasing their investments in technology, with artificial intelligence emerging as a top priority for businesses. According to Deloitte Private’s “2023 Mid-market technology trends report,” more than half of survey respondents said they are spending more than 5% of revenue on technology this year. That’s an increase from only 20% of c-suite executives who said the same thing in 2021 during the pandemic. Forty percent of respondents said AI is their top tech investment priority.
Middle Market Growth is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.


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In recent years, red wine has received some pretty good press. When we think of a healthy form of alcohol, red wine tends to be the top choice.
But why - and does it deserve all the attention?
Scientists agree that there is something in red wine that, when drunk in moderation, can help to protect the heart, reduce 'bad' cholesterol and prevent blood clots.
But there is little agreement of what is causing those beneficial effects.
Recently, Uruguayan chemists went to such great lengths to discover the secret of their healthy home-grown red wine that they sequenced the genome of the Tannat grape from which it is made.
That was prompted by the discovery that those wines contained high levels of procyanidins - a class of flavanols found in plants, fruit and cocoa beans.
Roger Corder, professor of experimental therapeutics at Queen Mary University of London and author of The Red Wine Diet, made the discovery and confirms that the Tannat wines contain three to four times more procyanidins than Cabernet Sauvignon.
He says they - alongside the high concentration of tannins, which combat the ageing of cells - are likely to be behind its health-giving properties.
Other scientists are excited about a compound found in the skin of red grapes called resveratrol.
For many years, it has been hailed as a kind of wonder drug - an anti-ageing compound, which could extend life, combat obesity and cure cancer.
But, so far, studies on resveratrol have taken place in the lab - as yet there is no evidence that it can be effective in humans.
Dr Emma Smith, science communications officer at Cancer Research UK, says it is a mistake to drink red wine and believe it is doing good.
"Red wine only contains very small amounts of resveratrol and people shouldn't drink wine in an attempt to get any health benefits.
"It's important to remember that, even in moderate amounts, alcohol increases the risk of several cancers and has been estimated to cause around 12,500 cases of cancer a year in the UK."
Researchers at the University of Leicester are, however, looking at whether resveratrol, on its own and not in red wine, could one day be developed into a cancer-preventing drug.
Experimenting on mice in the lab, they have found that a daily amount of resveratrol equivalent to two glasses of wine can halve the rate of bowel tumours.
They now want to take their findings further and find out how the compound might work in humans by carrying out clinical trials.
Prof Karen Brown, from the department of cancer studies and molecular medicine at Leicester, says her research must not be misconstrued.
"We're not saying red wine can prevent cancer - we are looking at the pure compound.
"Alcohol is not good for cancer - but it just so happens that red wine contains resveratrol."
Even in red wine, Prof Roger Corder says there is little evidence that resveratrol is an important ingredient.
"It's a myth that resveratrol has anything to do with the health benefits of red wine.
"Most red wines contain only negligible amounts of resveratrol and those that do contain some have too little to have any effects."
Instead he says it's the pips, and not the grape skin, which are key.
When the grapes are fermented for several weeks or more, that is when flavanols can be released from the pips and these evolve into more complex molecules.
But the bad news is that doesn't always happen with all wines, he says.
"Most modern style wines don't take that approach to wine-making."
What people should focus on, he says, is drinking wine in a healthy way.
"It's very hard to say wine is a healthy drink when people consume too much alcohol, at the wrong time of day and without food."
The best way to drink wine is in moderation with food, Prof Corder says.
Taken in this way, wine is more likely to have a beneficial effect on our health - not an adverse one.


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Bringing its hugely successful squeezable sauces concept to the UK from Europe is Manna Slott Sauces.
The concept allows up to 20 flavours of sauces to be easily dispensed, hygienically onto fries at ambient temperatures, via hanging, cow udder look bottles.
Working equally well as toppings for burgers and hot dogs too, the sauces are quick and easy to dispense, allowing a fast turnaround of large customer numbers. Available in the UK via Saucy Fries, the distributor believes chip shops can charge a premium for twice fried chips and for the lashings of sauces too.
Geoff Dixon of Saucy Fries comments: “We have been doing streetfood trials for over six months now and 80% of our customers preferred to pay extra for flavoured fries compared to 20% who went for traditional chips. With thousands of outlets around the world successfully selling flavoured fries, the trend is starting to bite in the UK too.”
Across Europe, over 2,000 fries outlets sell up to 1,000 portions of sauce covered, twice-fried Belgian chips a night.
Franchise opportunities for the popular saucy Belgian fries are also available.


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You have searched for Bob Skube
in the news | LAST UPDATED : Jan 20, 2018, 12.06PM IST
- BoB launches supply chain finance solutions
State-run Bank of Baroda has launched a supply chain finance solution to offer working capital loans to small and medium enterprise and large corporate clients. The solution will cover pre and post shipment products - dealer or channel finance, vendor finance and payable finance.
- BoB net falls 36% to Rs 355cr as bad loan provisions spike 26%
Mumbai, Nov 14 () The second largest state-run lender Bank of Baroda today reported a 36 per cent plunge in net profit at Rs 355 crore in the quarter to September, driven down by higher provisions for bad loans. Total provisions rose 25.
- BoB, Tata Power fall up to 3% on exclusion from Nifty 50
New Delhi, Aug 29 () Shares of Bank of Baroda, Tata Power, Tata Motors DVR and ACC Ltd fell up to 3 per cent lower today as these companies will move out of the NSE's benchmark Nifty 50 index from September 29. The scrip of Bank of Baroda slipped 2.91 per cent to Rs 140.05, Tata Power fell 2.
- Consumer forum issues recovery order against BOB’s regional manager
The district consumer forum has issued recovery order against Bank of Baroda’s regional manager for not adhering to the order pronounced in March. The court had asked the bank to pay Rs 1 lakh to the complainant along with other compensation. The order was issued after the bank failed to give life insurance amount to the kin of a customer following his demise.


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Editor's note: Global economic recovery in 2021 faces many challenges, not least because of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, emergence of new variants of the novel coronavirus and vaccine inequity. The pandemic is changing how we think about economies and societies. So what will the global economic landscape be like next year? Four experts share their views on the issue with China Daily:
Uncertainty over the economic outlook has risen dramatically over the past few days. Has that prompted us (at Oxford Economics) to shift our baseline view of the world economy?
For now, information on the health implications of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus is scarce, making the economic repercussions highly unpredictable. At the time of writing, about 30 economies have reported cases of Omicron, but the number of countries where it is present is likely to be substantially higher.
In South Africa, for instance, it's estimated that Omicron has accounted for about 70 percent of the total COVID-19 cases over the past four weeks. Based on this, it seems possible that Omicron may take over from the Delta variant as the dominant strain globally.
Nonetheless, the World Health Organization has cautioned that there is not yet sufficient evidence that Omicron is more transmissible.
The other key uncertainty is the degree to which it reduces the efficacy of existing vaccines. While some of those infected have reportedly been fully vaccinated, it's too early to judge whether this is indicative of lower vaccine efficacy. In addition, even if vaccine efficacy is reduced, it's unclear whether some vaccines will offer better protection than others.
The main repercussion that's clear at this stage is that governments have already reacted to the Omicron news by re-imposing restrictions, particularly on foreign travel. More generally, the latest development underscores that the path to normalcy will continue to be bumpy and uncertain.
What is a plausible best-case scenario?
In a best-case scenario, Omicron could turn out to be a blessing in disguise if the efficacy of the vaccines against serious health outcomes remains high and the symptoms of those infected are generally less serious. In such a scenario, the spread of Omicron could help to expedite the transition back toward normalcy, and any near-term weakness in economic activity due to renewed restrictions might be quickly caught up early next year.
The emergence of a less serious virus strain and the rapid deployment of modified vaccines (Moderna has already said that by early 2022 a reformulated vaccine to tackle Omicron could be available "in large quantities") might reassure people and enterprises that, although COVID-19 is set to linger, its economic impact will lessen over time.
And a plausible worst-case scenario?
Although far from inevitable, we can't discount the possibility of Omicron having greater transmissibility, similar or worse symptoms to Delta, and greater resistance to vaccines.
So, what might be the plausible economic consequences of a more worrisome variant?
In our current COVID-19 downside scenario in which new novel coronavirus variants trigger a protracted period of restrictions and lengthen the disruption to global supply chains, world GDP growth slows to 2.3 percent in 2022 and financial markets weaken.
In this scenario, advanced economies are particularly hard hit with the GDP growth of the United States and eurozone in 2022 being about 2 percentage points below our current baseline forecasts of 4.5 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively.
Based on the current relationship with lockdown stringency, a downward revision of that magnitude would be consistent with restrictions ratcheting up to levels similar to those seen globally from May to September this year. This would lower calendar year global growth from the current 4.5 percent to 4.2-4.3 percent.
In the nearer term, it is likely that governments will tighten measures that restrict international travel or make it more inconvenient and expensive, which may help to push down oil prices and thus energy price inflation globally over the coming months. That would support our view that global consumer price index inflation will ease sharply over the course of 2022.
But greater restrictions, particularly in China and other Asia-Pacific economies that are likely to continue to pursue zero-COVID-19 policies, may add to supply chain strains in the short term and slow the speed at which bottlenecks are cleared.
In addition, tighter restrictions are also likely to result in a more gradual transition of spending from goods back to services. These two factors combined would likely result in goods price inflation in 2022 remaining higher than our current baseline envisages.
The impact on core inflation will also depend on the extent to which an Omicron wave affects demand. While demand effects outweighed supply-side effects during the global lockdown, supply effects typically dominated demand effects in subsequent shutdowns.
On balance, the latter episodes are likely to be more representative than the former when it comes to future inflation trends unless we end up in our worst-case scenario. In that case, demand effects might dominate.
Beyond 2022, though, the impact on inflation is likely to be governed by two factors. The first is the extent to which Omicron enhances or diminishes labor bargaining power. For now, we see the risk of sustained high wage growth as limited. And the second is the extent to which policymakers step in to protect demand.
If the Omicron variant ends up having a significant impact on the economy, then governments and central banks would likely focus their response on the demand impacts rather than the more ambiguous inflation impact.


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WASHINGTON — A recent batch of government and business reports shows a U.S. economy emerging from winter's deep freeze.
Economists had expected the growth to accelerate in 2014 after two years of slow and steady improvement. But an unusually bitter winter sent factories, hiring and consumer spending into hibernation.
Now, as temperatures rise, the economy is regaining momentum. Factories are busier. Consumers are spending more. Banks are making more loans to businesses. Companies have bigger plans to invest in plants and equipment.
"The weather really played havoc. There were ice storms in Georgia. That is not something you see every day," said Michael Dolega, senior economist at TD Economics. "Now, as Americans have dug themselves out and everything has melted, you're going to get a bounceback."
An index based on several leading economic indicators — including employment, consumer confidence, stocks and interest rates — shot up for the third straight month in March. The Conference Board, a business research association, said Monday that its index's 0.8 percent gain to 100.9 "suggests accelerated growth for the remainder of the spring and the summer," said Ken Goldstein, a Conference Board economist.
Many economists expect the economy to grow at an annual rate of 3 percent or more from April through June, up from an estimated 1.3 percent the first three months of the year. Helping to drive the growth have been recent increases in manufacturing after tumbling in January. Factory production climbed 0.5 percent in March, after a 1.4 percent surge the previous month, the Federal Reserve reported last week. This suggests that manufacturers anticipate that demand from businesses and consumers will increase.
Weekly government reports on unemployment benefits show that most employers are prepping for stronger growth in the months ahead. Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs. The four-week average for unemployment claims have plunged to a 61/2-year low, according to the Labor Department.
The number of claims is consistent with job gains of "200,000-plus" this month, said Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.


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The members of Beta Upsilon will hold their annual garage sale Thursday, Oct. 10 through Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Oasis apartments. The sale begins at 7 a.m. each day. Proceeds from the sale will go to benefit St. Judes Children’s Hospital.
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© Lemon squeezer
While it once tolerated account sharing, Netflix has finally decided to crack down on the practice, in order to boost its growth (to encourage people to subscribe instead of asking for passwords of their friends). Obviously, SVOD has come under some criticism. And some were afraid that the decision would have a counterproductive effect. But as Netflix's results for the last quarter of 2023 demonstrate, it was ultimately a good decision.
During the last three months of 2023, SVOD added 13.1 million new subscribers worldwide, which is above Wall Street forecasts. On the other hand, this is a record increase, for a fourth quarter, and a level of growth comparable to that observed during the pandemic, according to the Financial Times. Revenue was also up 12.5%.
During the conference call, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos also indicated that The company is excited about its engagement trends, whether in the United States or the rest of the world. However, due to the end of free password sharing, engagement numbers have been impacted. “Think of it like fewer households using the same account. So as these people break off and get their own accounts and we gain them through our programming, it will become normalized and continue to grow”, he explained.
Advertising is also a hit
Netflix’s other great innovation is advertising. As a reminder, SVOD ended up changing its mind regarding online advertising and today offers a subscription which is partly financed by advertising.
Currently, this advertising-supported offer already has 23 million subscribers. And during the conference call, Netflix indicated that it saw a 70% increase in subscribers from one quarter to the next.
Netflix has already made many efforts to make this ad-supported offer attractive. And in the coming months, the company should continue to improve it. “[…] I think it’s fair to say that we still have a lot of room for growth in all the markets that we operate in”, explained Greg Peters, Netflix's other co-CEO, on the ad-supported Netflix subscription.
A big budget for content
When it comes to content, Netflix users shouldn't be disappointed. SVOD still plans to spend $17 billion per year on its content. And among the big announcements, there is a licensing contract to broadcast WWE's Raw program in 2025. The agreement, lasting 10 years, would be valued at $5 billion.
- In the last quarter of 2023, Netflix added over 13 million subscribers
- This is record growth for a last quarter and is comparable to that observed during the pandemic
- Netflix demonstrates that by putting an end to free password sharing, it made the right decision
- Netflix is also banking heavily on its new affordable and partially funded by advertising, which now has more than 23 million users
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It's common for young, growing companies to lose money. They invest nearly every cent they have back into the company, spending on sales, marketing, research, and hiring to increase revenue as fast as possible.
But there comes a time when the tide begins to turn. Eventually, a business must show that it's capable of being profitable. Otherwise, it will be considered a flawed company and investors are sure to turn away.
This exciting milestone may be just around the corner for cloud services company Cloudflare (NET 2.14%). Let's take a look at the big "tell" that suggests this company could soon turn a profit -- and dig into why that news couldn't come at a better time.
The big "tell" of what's to come
Many investors may glance at earnings-per-share (EPS) when evaluating a stock and dismiss a company if its EPS is negative. But this only reveals so much, as bottom-line profits are often the last metric to turn positive. By digging deeper into a company's financials, you can find more substantive clues that its business is heading toward profitability.
One massive hint that profits are on the way? Free cash flow (FCF), or the cash profits that are left after a company's done spending on its business. This metric is typically used to pay for things like dividends, and may end up as cash on the balance sheet if unused. Once a company generates free cash flow, it probably won't need to issue new shares -- though, companies sometimes do it anyway to raise extra cash. Positive FCF is a significant step in becoming a financially healthy business.
Cloudflare is now generating positive free cash flow; you can see the company's steady progress over time in the chart above. A few years ago, Cloudflare burned $0.45 for every revenue dollar it brought in, a percentage that would be unsustainable over time. But Cloudflare has grown revenue from $287 million in 2019 to $656.4 million in 2021, outpacing its expenses and bringing the company closer to profitability. In the fourth quarter of 2021, Cloudflare produced positive free cash flow of $8.6 million, or 4% of revenue.
Cloudflare is not yet profitable on the bottom line because of some non-cash expenses like share-based compensation for employees. But the company's ability to create positive cash flow is a huge step forward. If revenue continues to grow over time, we can expect FCF to increase as well. A look at Cloudflare's revenue growth trajectory may give investors additional confidence that positive earnings are around the corner.
Why it's excellent timing
Many companies begin to slow down growth as they become larger. However, Cloudflare seems to be ramping up revenue growth, hitting a 52% year over year increase in revenue this past fiscal year.
Perhaps the more important question to ask is: What's causing this growth? Cloudflare started as a content distribution network (CDN) with worldwide servers. Over the years, Cloudflare has added to its CDN offering and steadily built a suite of new products, like security and computing services. These innovative features have expanded Cloudflare's total addressable market from $32 billion in 2018 to $86 billion in 2022. Cloudflare customers have embraced the company's new products and spent more on Cloudflare's services over time, as reflected in the 125% dollar-based net revenue retention rate in fourth quarter 2022.
Management forecasts $932 million in revenue in 2022, up from 2021's $656.4 million. Meeting this target would represent 42% year-over-year growth, a slight slowdown from the 51% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2016 and 2021. However, Cloudflare has beaten analyst revenue estimates every quarter since going public, so it wouldn't be a shock to see actual growth at 50% or more once again by year's end.
The market holds Cloudflare in high regard: the stock currently carries a high price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of just under 60. Some may argue that Cloudflare's lack of profitability and 50% revenue growth fail to justify a P/S like that.
However, as illustrated in the above charts, profitability might be just around the corner. Investors can also look forward to more growth as Cloudflare continues innovating. By 2024, management believes its addressable market will reach $100 billion.
Paying a premium valuation for a stock carries additional risk, but Cloudflare's track record of launching new products and beating analyst estimates speaks for itself. This web performance and security company is headed for profitability; my guess is that Cloudflare will continue to justify a premium valuation and grow its financial fundamentals over time.


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SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PCH International, the product development and supply chain orchestration company for the world's best brands, today announced that Jim Rowan, former CEO of Dyson, will join its Board of Directors, effective immediately.
"I've long admired Jim for his deep understanding of the power of design and brand," said PCH CEO Liam Casey. "Jim has brought innovative category-defining products to market globally and has transformed the consumer experience. Jim will be invaluable to PCH as we continue to help brands bring premium products to market with speed, end-to-end visibility, sustainability and a great consumer experience."
"Jim has tremendous insight into the market dynamics that brands face today. His experience in building a direct-to-consumer business will be a great support to our customers who are competing in a world where consumer expectations are rising, brand power is essential, and supply chains must be flexible, responsive and intelligent," said Mike McNamara, PCH chairman.
"I've followed the PCH story for many years. I'm impressed by PCH's unique product development and supply chain platform that returns value to brands," said Jim Rowan. "PCH's asset-light business model has been ahead of its time and is leading the industry with the most flexible, responsive and transparent product development and supply chain services. Brands require this agility and intelligence to deliver unique experiences that consumers expect. I look forward to working with Liam, Mike and the PCH team," said Rowan.
About Jim Rowan
Jim Rowan was appointed as Chief Executive Officer at Dyson in 2017 after five years as Chief Operating Officer at the company. He implemented the strategy and investments that allowed the company to "pivot to digital" quickly building this into a substantial channel for the company. He drove product and service innovation to the next level allowing Dyson to successfully enter new markets and geographies. He spearheaded Dyson's complex transition into a digitally enabled global technology organization.
Prior to joining Dyson, Jim was Chief Operating Officer of Research in Motion, (BlackBerry), Executive Vice President of Worldwide Operations for Celestica and Vice President of Operations for the Flextronics European region.
Jim founded two successful start-ups which were acquired, after which he took positions within the expanded organizations.
Our customers are passionate about design, brand and the consumer experience and come from a variety of sectors. PCH takes products from the initial concept phase of product development, to the delivery of products direct to consumer and retail. PCH provides end-to-end visibility and intelligence across the entire product journey, allowing our customers to better operate their business and delivery unique consumer experiences and services.
With a unique business model, PCH is an "asset light" company that works with a network of over 1000 supplier partners. PCH operates its own product development, strategic sourcing, personalization, customization, fulfillment and global logistics services, which are highly differentiated in the industry and provide value to brands.
Founded in 1996 by Irish entrepreneur Liam Casey, PCH is a privately held global company with core operations in Cork, Ireland, San Francisco and Shenzhen, China.
SOURCE PCH International


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IOS chief executive Jimmy Zhong is explaining IOST blockchain project at a press conference.
Singapore-based blockchain startup IOS has chosen South Korea as its next destination to carry out a joint project to build a new blockchain ecosystem with local developers.
The company said on Wednesday it is forming a Korean team responsible for app development and marketing with an aim to launch collaboration with several Korean blockchain companies in the first half of this year.
IOS already expanded its reach to New York, San Francisco, Beijing and Tokyo. Singapore is one of the global hotbeds for initial coin offerings (ICO). Although virtual coin creation is banned in South Korea, the country remains heated in cryptocurrency trade.
“Korea has the best IT infrastructure and lots of talented people. We want to build a new blockchain ecosystem by attracting many blockchain developers and related companies," said IOS chief executive Jimmy Zhong at a press conference held in Seoul.
IOS founded last year attracted investments from renowned early stage investors such as Sequoia Capital and Zhen Fund during its initial coin offering launched late last year.
IOS is currently creating a next-generation blockchain platform under an IOST project, aiming to gradually replace game, social network, messenger and other internet services as blockchain-based services that use the Proof of Believability (POB) algorithm which is totally different from existing blockchains. Under this algorithm, app developers randomly choose verifiers from users and payers. Verifiers are eligible to validate the system to ensure there is no leakage of personal information or hacking problem in return for receiving cryptocurrencies issued by IOS.
By Oh Chan-jong and Minu Kim
[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]


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Korean Automotive Component Manufacturer Plans Headquarters and Plant in Southeast Alabama
Yura Corp., a Seoul, South Korean manufacturer of automotive electronic and ignition components, will open its U.S. headquarters and build its first manufacturing facility in Dothan, Alabama.
While the total amount of Yura’s expected investment has not been determined, the project will initially create 60 jobs, with the ultimate total number predicted to be higher.
Yura takes great pride in the rapid advances in the development that Korea’s automobile industry has made, a company spokesman said. Recent use of automotive electronic components with highly advanced semiconductor chips is on the rapid rise, as vehicles become more intelligent and complex in their functionality. The importance of the wire harness, the connecting pathway that Yura produces, has become more important in eco-friendly cars. Yura strives to develop technologies and components for eco-friendly cars with a goal of maximizing fuel efficiency and going-green in ignition system parts such as stick coils.
-From the press release issued by the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce
Southeast Alabama is extremely fortunate to have Yura join its local manufacturing base and we look forward to forming stronger partnerships with automotive suppliers in the future.


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Nintendo is looking seriously at removing region locking from future systems, said company president Satoru Iwata during a recent investor question and answer session.
Thanks to NeoGAF user Cheesemeister, we have an unofficial translation.
The investor asked:
At the financial results briefing 6 months ago, you said that you would consider removing region-locking in response to a question asking about it. Could you please provide an update on the progress of that deliberation?
Removing region-locking from current game machines presents various issues, so we don’t consider that to be very realistic. However, regarding NX, given the customer feedback and proposals from the market, while nothing has been decided yet, we’re currently investigating internally what problems there would be in realizing it. You can think of that as the current situation. I understand your desire, so I’d like to look at it optimistically going forward.
Cheesemeister also notes that Iwata used the same word for “looking forward optimistically” when answering a question about recent theme park deal with NBC Universal, which suggests that this is a realistic option for the company.
As one reply to the initial post notes, 3DS modders have found a variety of software hacks to remove the region locking in place on Nintendo’s handheld, so it seems like the “various issues” are more of a business issue than a technical one. Sony’s PlayStation 4 doesn’t have system-based region locking – only certain games like Wolfenstein: The New Order have region locking, and in that case Germany’s laws about Nazi-related content are responsible. At least Nintendo is looking forward at this point, but we hope they’ll still look into it on current systems so that modders don’t have to keep coming up with workarounds, because we know they will.
Nintendo informally announced the NX console this year alongside the announcement of the company’s decision to start making mobile games as a way of reassuring investors and customers that they weren’t moving away from traditional gaming as they looked into mobile. Nintendo has said we won’t hear about NX at this year’s E3, but we can probably bet on hearing something at E3 2016.


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Ford’s self-driving cars are heading south.
In order to better understand how its vehicles can deliver things like pizza and groceries directly to your curb, the automaker is launching a series of self-driving tests in Florida.
Ford’s autonomous vehicles will not be driving humans–at least not yet. And they won’t quite be self-driving. Ford will be running two eight-week pilots with Domino’s Pizza and Postmates to make deliveries around the city using regular vehicles modified to look like self-driving vehicles. A human will be making all the deliveries. A spokesman for the company says Ford is trying to understand what the user experience will look like. Since a self-driving vehicle will follow all the rules of the road, he said, Ford’s human drivers will need to figure out the best way to deliver a pizza without double parking. While these cars will have a human behind the wheel, don’t expect them to get out of the car to deliver your pizza. They’ll be busy pretending to be autonomous cars.
Who will get to interact with these faux self-driving cars? Ford says it will pick deliveries randomly from orders placed online. The Domino’s pilot will be limited to the Brickell neighborhood.
Ford will have self-driving cars on the road in Miami, both mapping streets and testing their capabilities–they just won’t be making deliveries. The company will also experiment with maintenance infrastructure for its self-driving vehicles, setting up an operations terminal where cars can be inspected and cleaned. Ford will also tap its network of dealerships to make repairs.
Ford is just the latest company to host its initial self-driving tests in a U.S. city or state. Waymo is now operating in a self-driving ride-hail program in Arizona, while Uber has used both Pittsburgh and Arizona to try out it self-driving fleet on passengers. NuTonomy and Lyft launched self-driving ride hailing in Boston last year. Lyft also ran a pilot in Las Vegas with Aptiv for CES.
In Ford’s case, the tests are meant to prepare the company for its self-imposed 2021 deadline. That is the date by which it wants to have self-driving cars ready for deployment, with the customer experience and business model nailed down.


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Welwyn Garden City travel agents launch package holiday brochure
A TRAVEL agent is celebrating the launch of its first ever package holiday brochure, just weeks after taking over an office in WGC. Holidaymakers can now book their summer travels for next year by popping into Co-Operative Travel, in the town centre,
A TRAVEL agent is celebrating the launch of its first ever package holiday brochure, just weeks after taking over an office in WGC.
Holidaymakers can now book their summer travels for next year by popping into Co-Operative Travel, in the town centre, which is one of 550 outlets across the country offering its own package holidays for the first time.
Only last month, the Co-Operative Group took over the travel agents in Fretherne Road, after previous owners Andes Travel sold the branch after 36 years in WGC.
Despite several large travel companies cutting back operations through the recession, the company believes the timing is perfect.
You may also want to watch:
Travel consultant Jenifer Greenslade said: "It's a much bigger company to work for, and business has improved since we became Co-Op.
"Some people may think it's strange to open a tour operator in this difficult financial climate, but actually the timing couldn't be better.
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- 6 Puddingstone Distillery launches new Ultrasonic gin to help Herts charity protect bats
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"We offer redundancy cover, which means you will get your money back if you are unfortunate enough to lose you job.
"So you can book your holiday and know you're financially safe."
For more information visit www.co-operativetravel.co.uk or call 01707 325474.


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If you’re looking to build wealth, it might be wiser to rent a home in Dallas-Fort Worth than to buy.
That’s the finding of a study by economists at Florida Atlantic and Florida International universities. Their research compares two North Texas consumers starting out with the same pile of money, with one buying a home and the other renting and reinvesting in stocks and bonds over an eight-year period
The renter would come out ahead financially, the economists concluded.
That’s because Dallas-Fort Worth has the most “overheated” residential real estate market, in terms of price appreciation, among the 23 largest metro areas in the U.S., according to the economists. They don’t think the region’s home price growth is sustainable.
“I can’t tell you when it’s going to happen, but there’s going to be some downward [pricing] pressure,” said Ken Johnson, a real estate economist at Florida Atlantic University and co-creator of the Beracha, Hardin & Johnson Buy vs. Rent (BH&J) Index. “There’s 50 or 49 other times this has happened, and prices always come down. The prices of the houses will eventually get too high. I can’t tell you when, but I know they’ll come down.”
Not surprisingly, one of the nation’s top home sellers disagrees with basic thesis of that study.
Johnson’s index is based on a statistical calculation that assumes the buyer and renter have access to comparable properties and their only deciding factor is how to generate more wealth at the end of eight years.
In many of the most popular North Texas neighborhoods that choice is simply not available.
And the study doesn’t take into account the intangibles of home owning, such as your love of that designer kitchen.
Johnson concedes that, in the long term, homeownership wins out because your home loan is paid down each month while rents can rise each year.
The index ranges from minus 1, where you’re better off owning, to plus 1, where financially you’re better off renting. The Dallas area had an index score of .888 in June, the closest score to 1 among the 23 metro areas.
“At .888 … there’s a very limited chance of acquiring more wealth by owning and building equity as opposed to renting and reinvesting,” Johnson said. “Renting and reinvesting should win in Dallas.
“You can think of it as a measure of how overheated is the market,” he said. “When you’re at .888, it’s pretty overheated. I hope I’m wrong, but there are just indications that the Dallas market is priced too high right now.”
There are reports indicating that the red-hot pace of home price acceleration in North Texas is cooling.
The most recent Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Index showed that Dallas-area home prices in June grew by the smallest percentage in almost six years. Dallas prices were up only 5.2 percent from a year ago, less than the 6.2 percent nationwide home price gain from June 2017.
North Texas home price increases have been decelerating in recent months as the supply of houses for sale has grown and purchases have slowed.
The Dallas-Plano-Irving metro saw a year-over-year increase of more than 32 percent in housing inventory — homes, new and old, available for sale — during the April-June period, according to a report from home listing site Trulia.
That means the Dallas metro’s inventory grew to include 14,875 houses, up from 11,653 in the first quarter — and up from 11,234 houses for sale in the second quarter of 2017.
The Fort Worth-Arlington metro was similar, with nearly 35 percent inventory growth in that time period.
Johnson said he thinks the decline is due more to consumers reacting to prices than to an increase in supply.
And rather than a bubble explosion, Johnson predicted the market will see a number of “pricing events,” such as houses taking longer to sell.
The strong local economy should protect against a pricing free-fall, he said.
Ben Caballero, founder and CEO of Addison-based HomesUSA.com, makes his living based on consumers buying homes. He holds a Guinness World Record for the most annual home sales transactions through MLS by an individual sell side real estate agent.
What he’s not buying is the notion that North Texas is facing a housing bubble.
“I don’t see that nationally or locally that there’s any fear of a bubble,” he said, echoing the sentiment that prices are easing locally as supply picks up. “I haven’t talked to anybody in the industry that’s concerned about a bubble and that’s Realtors, everybody. If you’re talking about a bubble, I don’t see it.”
He also thinks that, even at eight years, owning a home would still win out financially in most cases.
“I would say there’s been very few times in history where you have an eight-year period that if you held a home for eight years you’d be in a negative [financial] situation,” he said. “You could cherry pick. You might find an isolated case or two but not a random eight-year period.”
Caballero said he bought a home near the beginning of 2006, “right near the top of the market in Dallas. … It’s been 12 years. I’ve enjoyed considerable appreciation and I’ve had a nice place to live. If I had rented, I would not be a couple hundred thousand dollars up.”


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The Shelby GT500 did very well in Car and Driver's Lightning Lap contest, but C/D's test drivers apparently couldn't keep up with Ford's, and there is proof on the Internet.
In fact. we've posted video of the company's 2:58.5 run at Virginia International Raceway--the same one used by the magazine. And for good measure, we've posted video from our sister site, Motor Authority, from editor Nelson Ireson's own run around VIR.
[Ford via YouTube]


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Social Media Strategy at Burger King
Burger King marketers face a significant challenge. McDonald’s remains the world’s largest restaurant company, and its sheer size has pushed Burger King to take marketing risks to stay competitive. In 2014, McDonald’s had roughly five times Burger King’s ad budget, with money for Super Bowl ads and sponsorships of the FIFA World Cup and the U.S. Olympic team. However, the budget size advantage doesn’t go as far as it used to because of social media. If marketers can utilize social media as part of their marketing plan, it can generate more buzz than paid media.
Burger King likes being edgy and it has proved that it doesn’t mind doing things that might make other brands blush. In 2015, as the company pushed a new spicy version of its chicken fries it tweeted a picture of what appeared to be a stack of adult magazines. The magazines, their cover images blurred, were set next to a box of Fiery Chicken Fries, and the tweet read: “Hotter than your summer reading list. #fierychickenfries.” Less than a week later, a similar tweet featured blurred-out images of bikini-clad women with this message: “Hotter than your browsing history.”
In an age when office chatter has moved from last night’s TV episode to the latest viral video, part of Burger King’s marketing advantage has been its willingness to move quickly to exploit a constantly churning Internet news cycle. After the company reentered France in 2013, following a 16-year absence, social media there were besieged with negative comments from French customers complaining about long lines at the restaurants. Burger King didn’t waver in the face of the apparent customer service crisis. Instead, it printed some of the “angry tweets” on construction panels at the new locations as proof it had heard the negative feedback. That gambit generated millions of retweets, won a marketing award, and again showed Burger King to be a brand that isn’t afraid to ignore conventional wisdom.
In June 2014, Burger King’s chief financial officer, said the company would rely more heavily on data to make sure its marketing was cost-effective and reaching the right customers, and was “shifting channels toward more digital and social media.”
The huge ad budget differential is one reason Burger King is likely to continue rolling out marketing stunts such as its open letter to McDonald’s in August 2015, asking its longtime rival to help it create a hybrid burger from the two chains’ ruling sandwiches; its sale would benefit charity. For the price of two full-page newspaper ads, Burger King and its hypothetical “McWhopper” lit up the Twitterverse and quickly generated chatter around its brand across social media.
Source: Craig Giammona. “In Social Media Marketing, the Burger King Has It His Way” Bloomberg.com, October 1, 2015.
1.Are there any other restaurants that you think do an effective job utilizing social media marketing?
2.Do you think companies will spend less on advertising in the future due to the power and cost effectiveness of social media?


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 24, 2020
SC Johnson and Milwaukee Brewers Team Up to Take on Plastic Waste; Stadium Cups to Become New Scrubbing Bubbles Bottles ®
Game-Changing Initiative Removes Key Barrier to Plastic Recycling by Creating New Market for Plastic Waste Stream
Milwaukee, Wis., January 24, 2020 – In a first-of-its kind partnership that provides a local solution toward the global crisis of plastic waste, SC Johnson is teaming up with the Milwaukee Brewers to create a new market and new recycling model for one of the biggest sources of waste at their ballpark – the more than 1 million plastic cups used each season.
Starting with the 2020 season, fans at Miller Park will be able to place plastic drink cups branded with the SC Johnson logo in specially designed receptacles to separate them from other waste. SC Johnson will collect the cups and use the recycled plastic in Scrubbing Bubbles® bottles.
This is the first U.S. professional sports team to link a waste stream to a specific product, closing the recycling loop and tackling one of the biggest barriers to plastic recycling in the U.S. and globally – the lack of markets for recycled material. Today, only 13 percent of plastic packaging in the U.S. is recycled, and much of what is placed into mixed recycling bins is not recyclable at all.
“We all need to work together to help close the plastic recycling loop, and I hope this first-of-its-kind initiative with the Brewers will serve as a model for other major league teams, companies and even other sports leagues,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson.
SC Johnson’s partnership with the Brewers is one of many actions the company has taken to tackle plastic waste focusing on three separate fronts: reducing plastics in its products, reusing recycled plastic and creating compostable plastics.
The partnership officially kicked off today at Miller Park, where Rick Schlesinger, Brewers President of Business Operations, and Fisk Johnson, joined Brewers pitchers Brent Suter and Corey Knebel. Suter, who holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Harvard University, recently launched his own initiative, Strike Out Waste, to help his teammates reduce plastic use inside the ballpark and in their personal lives.
“I am excited that the Brewers and SC Johnson are teaming up to bring greater awareness to important issues like recycling and ocean plastics,” said Suter. “We can all make a positive impact in our homes, our communities and with this program in place, we can now make a direct impact at the ballpark.”
SC Johnson and the Brewers will continue to partner throughout the 2020 season, with additional promotions including organized “Clean Up Days” and philanthropic contributions with select players for heightened education and awareness. Further, for each save recorded by a Brewers pitcher, SC Johnson and the Brewers will make a donation to the “Players for the Planet” initiative, which works to reduce ocean plastic.
“The Green Sports Alliance commends the Milwaukee Brewers MLB leadership team and SC Johnson for demonstrating the power of collaboration in creating a closed loop business model that decreases landfill waste,” said Green Sports Alliance Executive Director Roger McClendon. “This sets a great example for sports and business industries to pause and evaluate the traditional mindset of the ‘make, take, consume, and throw away pattern,’ and move toward a zero waste circular economy.”
For decades, SC Johnson has been incorporating post-consumer recycled plastic from a variety of sources into its packaging. Since 2015, the company has used 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic in its iconic Windex® line, and last year, it announced that Windex® packaging would be made entirely from 100 percent recycled ocean-bound plastic. The company’s offerings also include liquid concentrated refills, compostable plastic bags, recyclable paper bags and fully reusable silicon bags.
About SC JohnsonSC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 134-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com
About Green Sports AllianceThe Green Sports Alliance leverages the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities where people live and play. The Alliance inspires professional sports leagues, sports governing bodies, colleges, teams, venues, their partners and millions of fans to embrace renewable energy, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, safer chemicals and other environmentally preferable practices. Alliance members now number over 400 organizations and fans representing 17 leagues in 16 countries. Visit https://www.greensportsalliance.org for more information.


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Tekken 7 is getting a fourth season.A video announcing Season 4 of Bandai Namco’s PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One fighting game reveals plans for a complete balance sweep, with every character getting new moves. For example, Korean Taekwondo expert Hwoarang has a new hop kick, and American hothead Paul Phoenix has a new shoulder charge.There’s also a new online ranking system called Tekken Prowess to work towards, as well as an improved online experience, although we don’t know much about exactly what that entails. We do see a glimpse at the new opponent found screen, which now lets you see if your opponent is on a Wi-Fi connection and their disconnection rate before you accept the match.And at the end of the video a new character is teased. Is that Kunimitsu? The ninja silhouette certainly fits. Tekken 7 Season 4 is set for release this autumn.
- Apex Legends launches its first season, introduces new character Octane
- Nintendo announces new games at E3, including 'Star Fox Zero' and 'Super Mario Maker'
- Apex Legends is getting another new character this season
- Google will hold Oct. 9 event to announce new hardware: Report
- The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part trailer shows new characters in a wasteland
- DLC Adds New Character, Music and Loot
- Pokémon Go is rolling out new characters for Halloween
- Apple announces new $499 iPad Air and $399 iPad Mini, both with Pencil support and faster A12 processor
- Google Cloud announces new partnerships, expanded global footprint
- Google announces new AI, smart analytics tools
Tekken 7 Season 4 announced, new character teased have 255 words, post on www.eurogamer.net at August 1, 2020. This is cached page on Game Breaking News. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


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Sunday, February 2, 2003
New York Filling a closet with 1 million pairs of shoes is an ambitious goal for any fashionista -- and it becomes a worthy goal when the closet belongs to Help USA, a provider of housing and services for the homeless.
Kenneth Cole is collecting gently worn shoes to donate to the New York-based charity for the 11th year. So far, with partner Tower Records, 800,000 pairs of shoes have been collected, and this year, the goal is to hit the 1 million mark.
Anyone who brings in a pair of shoes to any Kenneth Cole New York or Tower Records store by Feb. 17 will receive 20 percent off their next purchase from either retailer.


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Telecoms company Swisscom is reportedly the last company standing for a potential tie-up with Vodafone’s Italian business.
A combination with Swisscom’s Fastweb Italian business is the last remaining option Vodafone has been working on to rescue its own division in Italy, according to three anonymous sources cited by Reuters.
Last month it snubbed an offer from French telco Iliad, which had tabled a 50/50 joint venture. Vodafone would have received a cash payment of €6.6bn (£5.6bn) and a shareholder loan of €2bn (£1.7bn).
At the time, it said discussions with other operators were ongoing.
Vodafone declined to comment and City A.M. has approached Swisscom, who also declined to comment to Reuters.
In a subsequent trading update, Vodafone boss Margherita Della Valle omitted mention of specific parties and instead stated that the company was just engaged in “active discussions.”
An agreement with Swisscom’s Fastweb would establish Italy’s second-largest fixed-line broadband provider. It would likely face softer regulatory barriers than a deal with Iliad but with lower cost benefits, analysts said.
A recent report by Enders Analysis said a joint venture between Vodafone and Swisscom would give both
companies “better scale-economics in a challenging market.”
In October last year, Vodafone sold off its Spanish business to London-based but European outfit Zegona for £3.6bn.
The global telco giant is currently trying to merge its UK operations with Three UK, which is owned by China’s CK Hutchinson.
A European Commission document, seen by Reuters, suggests that EU regulators might relax their restrictions on mobile telecom mergers and encourage contributions from big tech towards the deployment of 5G.
But Vodafone and Three will still need the approval of the UK’s competition watchdog.


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Model Rhian Sugden has revealed her 2020 calendar in now on sale.
The Page 3 stunner took to her Instagram account to tell fans they can now get their hands on the calendar.
Rhian, 33, was seen posing in a nude see-through bra for the calendar's front page.
She teamed this with an oversized gold chain. Rhian also rocked immaculate makeup in the steamy snap.
This consisted of smokey eyeshadow, fluttery lashes and a splash of highlight.
Meanwhile her golden locks were styled in to bouncy curls.
Rhian told fans that as well as a normal calendar, they could even get a personalised on.
The beauty, who dates actor Oliver Mellor, wrote: 2020 Calendar is now on sale over at @calendargirlsuk.
"For personalised ones there’s a link in my story."
Fans were loving the post, with it racking up hundreds of likes within minutes.
One told her: "Gorgeous every day of the week."
While another added: "Excellent, that's Christmas sorted."
A third keen follower even told her that he's "got it already". It will certainly make a good stocking filler.


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BMW Italy launched its satellite team at Monza on Monday, which will see James Toseland partnering with WSBK rookie Ayrton Badovini, on BMWs that are only barely removed from the factory effort. According to Bernhard Godmayer, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, “Now we can count on two teams, and we want to establish an excellent relationship between them, allowing for a constant exchange of data.
The German engineers will have a chance to compare themselves to the Italian engineers, and vice versa. The first step in development will be given to the factory team, and once it is tested and approved, it will be passed on to the Italian team.”
As such the major engine development for the BMW Superbike effort will fall on factory riders Troy Corser and Leon Haslam. Toseland is on his second season back in WSBK after a failed effort in the satellite Monster Yamaha Tech3 MotoGP squad. His experience and double world championships should help BMW in its effort to improve beyond what Godmayer called the team’s “not satisfactory” 2010 season.
BMW approved this Italian arm of the BMW Superbike effort on September 21st, according to team director Andrea Buzzoni, in an effort to improve the company’s overall standings in World Superbike.


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The gears driving Hindustan Motors’ Uttarpara factory, which builds the iconic Ambassador sedan, ground to a grinding halt on the 24th of May, 2014, heralding a flurry of hurriedly written epitaphs for one of India’s automotive legends. The epitaphs don’t appear to be without reason, for Hindustan Motors is unlikely to restart production at Uttarpara given the Indian automaker’s precarious cash position.
That Hindustan Motors had to borrow cash to pay its 2,500 strong workforce – who hadn’t been paid for the last 6 months – is reflective of the advanced stage of sickness the automaker finds itself in. The company met representatives of the West Bengal government yesterday to take a call on its future, which increasingly looks bleak. The meeting doesn’t seem to have thrown up anything positive though.
Even as the Indian car industry, like much of the economy, opened itself to foreign automakers and a more liberal economic regime that encouraged competition, Hindustan Motors continue plugging on with the Ambassador, which was past its sell-by date even in the 1990s. Even the automaker’s chief patron, the Government of India, began considering other modern cars in place of the Ambassador to ferry its officials, leading to plummeting sales.
With cash flow drying up, Hindustan Motors has had to pull the shutters on its Uttarpara factory, which also happens to be prime real estate. With the factory shutdown in an extended state of limbo, the fate of upcoming products from Hindustan Motors, such as the compact sub-4 meter sedan based on the Ambassador, and a revamped version of the car remain unknown.
Along with the new products, the livelihoods of 2,500 workers at Uttarapara, and Hindustan Motors’ dealerships remain under a cloud. Hindustan Motors has a joint venture with Mitsubishi in India. The solitary product of this joint venture is the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport SUV, which is built at Hindustan Motors’ Tiruvallur factory. As Hindustan Motors has put this factory on the block, the future of this SUV remains unknown. An automatic variant of the Pajero Sport was to be launched later this year. It remains to be seen whether the launch will go ahead on schedule.


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Etisalat launches F1 promotion
Abu Dhabi, August 7, 2010
Etisalat, the leading telecom service provider in the UAE, has launched a promotion which offers customers a chance to race in an F1x3 car, an original racing car.
With the upcoming Formula 1 season in its second year, Etisalat’s promotion entitles lucky customers to race in the F1x3 car with a professional race driver during October.
Etisalat customers can avail raffle draw entries by simply sending a text message 'F1X3', to 1110, to get one draw entry and one week race alerts for free, a statement said.
Etisalat has bought exclusive rights to the F1x3 car especially designed to accommodate a driver and two passengers at a time, a statement said.
The car specifications are similar to a real racing car, including the engine capacity, acceleration, maximum speed as well as the look and feel, it added. The car is capable of hitting speeds of over 300 km/hr and accelerations from 0 to 200 km/hr in 4.8 seconds.
The race features a completely controlled and safe drive by professionals experienced in international championships, enabling them to hit extraordinary speeds in the safest way possible. Passengers will be equipped with FIA homologated overall, boots, gloves and helmet and medical units will be operational at the track.
“We are delighted to bring back the popular F1x3 promotion for our customers this year,” said Haitham Al Kharusi, vice president of marketing communications & loyalty at Etisalat.
“This is in response to the tremendous feedback we received from them on this unique experience where they can truly experience the speed, performance and reliability of an F1 race car.”
The car will be displayed for the motor enthusiasts at malls in the Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi during October. – TradeArabia News Service


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There are officially more than 400,000 licensed vehicles on Malta’s roads, fresh data published by the National Statistics Office has revealed.
At the end of September 2020, the number of licensed motor vehicles stood at 400,586. The majority (76.8%) were passenger cars, while commercial vehicles made up 13% and 8% were motorcycles.
Buses and minibuses made up less than 1% of Malta’s total fleet.
Around 56 new vehicles were added every day in the last quarter of 2020.
There is some good news for the environment though.
The NSO recorded an increase in electric and hybrid motor vehicles in 2020, accounting for 1.4% of vehicles in Malta, with 5,495 registered in total.
That’s a 13% increase in hybrids and 9.9% increase in electric and petrol hybrids compared to the previous quarter.
This data stems from a period just before the UK withdrew from the European Union in December.
People in Malta often purchase second-hand cars from the UK to drive down themselves or obtain through second-hand auto dealers. However, this local industry is predicted to suffer major blows with new bureaucracy, tariffs and other barriers introduced as a result of Brexit.
What do you make of these new figures? Comment below


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Hyperloop One Has Huge Ambitions For New Sci-Fi Transport System
As if building a revolutionary transportation system using magnets and vacuum tubes was not insanely ambitious enough, Hyperloop One has now extended its high-wire innovation act by claiming it will create an autonomous system to take passengers and cargo door-to-door.
The company unveiled what it is calling the Hyperloop One System in a series of events around the globe. The concept expands on the central idea — originally proposed by Silicon Valley godhead Elon Musk — to run train-like vehicles through tubes at insanely fast speeds.
Now Hyperloop One says it will eventually allow users to call on-demand autonomous pods that will pick them up and take them to a Hyperloop terminal, where the pods will glide into the larger train system. At the other end of the journey, the pod will exit the Hyperloop train and take the cargo or passenger to their final destination.
“We’re not just a train in a tube company anymore,” said Hyperloop One cofounder Josh Giegel. “We solved the 400-mile problem with the tubes. And now we’re solving the last-mile problem with the pods. We’re now an autonomous transportation company.”
Giegel was speaking at this month’s Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, where he appeared on stage and gave a press conference with cofounder Shervin Pishevar.
Since starting the company two years ago, the founders have been on a wild ride, one that has been bumpy at times.
Several days after the two appeared at Web Summit, Hyperloop One announced it had settled a messy lawsuit with a third cofounder, Brogan BamBrogan, and several former employees. Following the first successful test of Hyperloop One last spring, BamBrogan was thrown out of the company, resulting in a lawsuit that charged the other cofounders with financial misconduct, physical threats, and general mismanagement. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
That turmoil has at times eclipsed the rapid development of a system that many still place in the category of dreamy science fiction. Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, originally suggested the idea of building a hyperloop system between San Francisco and Los Angeles in a 2013 white paper, but he promptly open-sourced the idea for anyone who wanted to try to make it reality.
That’s where Hyperloop One came in. Pishevar, a partner at Sherpa Capital, is best known as an early investor at Uber. Giegel is a former SpaceX engineer.
“Anything that comes from Elon is interesting and potentially world-changing,” Pishevar said, in explaining his interest.
The company has now grown to 200 employees and has raised $160 million in venture capital. Based in Los Angeles, Hyperloop One is building an extensive testing system in the Nevada desert.
For now, executives are sticking to their prediction that this Nevada system will be ready in Q1 2017 for the first full-scale test of a hyperloop system carrying cargo.
Meanwhile, the company announced earlier this month that it has signed a deal with the United Arab Emirates to build the word’s first hyperloop system to whisk people along the 99 miles between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes. Despite Musk’s original intention to see the system in California, Giegel said starting in the UAE would be cheaper and faster, thanks to fewer regulations and relatively new urban centers.
“I think the whole country is acting like a startup,” he said. “It’s as close to terraforming a planet as you can see here. And they have a deep belief that technology can make the world better.”
Besides the UAE, the company has letters of understanding with the Finnish and Dutch governments to begin researching the feasibility of the concept in their countries. However, the cofounders said that even as they explore more potential sites, they are primarily focused on design, development, and testing over the next eight months.
Of course, there remain plenty of unknowns about the company and its prospects. Chief among them is how financing arrangements will evolve over time and who is going to foot the bill for the billions of dollars it will take to construct hyperloops. Will it be investors? Governments? Public-private partnerships? The answer will determine just how affordable and accessible the systems will be.
For now, the company says the price of a ride will be equivalent to a “bus ticket.” But it’s also emphasizing that the massive savings in time will factor into prices.
“We’re selling time,” Pishevar said. “We’re unlocking space and time for people.”
While much of the public focus is on passengers, the company’s initial focus is on building systems that move cargo. Pishevar said the ability to place cargo on a hyperloop at a port could transform delivery times. And down the road, when the infrastructure is in place to carry passengers, the time savings will not just be a convenience for passengers, he hopes it will revolutionize how people build cities, and where.
“If you view transportation at the next broadband, and you can move people and things much faster, then you begin to push the boundaries,” he said. “When you bring in the idea that you can travel 700 mph and you can live and work anywhere, the ideas of cities and states and governments begin to reorient themselves.”
For more about hyperloops, watch:
Of course, the other selling point will need to be safety and comfort. The idea of whisking the human body at 700 mph over long distances still seems hard to fathom, and it has led some to joke that the system is a ticket to “puke city.” Giegel and Pishevar insist that the acceleration and turns will be controlled enough that the experience will seem uneventful.
“It’s a smooth experience that will feel like an elevator ride,” Giegel said. “This grandma-friendly, kid-friendly, and vomit-free.”
This article originally appeared on VentureBeat. All rights reserved.


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Changes at Toys R Us: Consider the Impact Across the Supply Chain
As consumers of the toys and games carried at Toys R Us, many people I know are eager to take advantage of closeout sales as the largest independent toy seller in the United States prepares for liquidation. However, while it can be good news in the short-term for some consumers’ wallets and perhaps for competitors Wal-Mart and Target in the longer term, the impact of this month’s changes on the Toys R Us supply chain will be far-reaching.
Let's consider the upcoming changes for various players in the supply chain.
After 70 years of Toys R Us as an outlet, toy makers and other suppliers are losing a key channel to get to market. For larger suppliers like Mattel and Hasbro, estimates are that the loss of Toys R Us will impact about 10 percent of their annual volume; however, industry experts expect them to be able to bounce back fairly quickly via other retail and online stores. But for smaller suppliers, the future is much less certain, and some may not survive the loss of this key sales outlet.
Also this month, Claire’s, a chain of jewelry and ear-piercing stores for teens and tweens, has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. And while Claire’s is predicting a hopefully happier outcome than Toys R Us, in September 2014, the two stores announced that more than 100 Claire’s branded shops would open in Toys R Us stores globally. With Toys R Us closing its locations in the U.S., Claire’s stores within the stores will be impacted.
In response to the Toys R Us news, the CEO of MGA Entertainment, Inc., which makes Bratz dolls and credits Toys R Us with 18 to 19 percent of his company’s sales, has launched a $1 billion crowdfunding campaign to try to raise funds to #SaveToysRUs and up to 400 stores. After only four days, the campaign has raised more than $200 million.
Emotions are running high in some former Toys R Us customers who have “eulogized Toys R Us as a temple to playtime.” For many, it’s seen as more than just a retail outlet; it was a place where memories were made. In fact, #SaveToysRUs has become a trend on social media.
With Toys R Us closing its stores, 30,000 employees will be left without a job, and there will likely be no severance due to the bankruptcy restrictions. The disruption for families and communities will likely be felt in ways beyond the loss of income.
The changes will likely result in 700 stores closing in many types of shopping properties—from standalone locations to community strip centers to large regional malls. And in the current economic climate, landlords may face significant challenges in finding replacement tenants.
At first glance, Toys R Us looks to be in a similar situation to many other struggling retailers, but an important piece of its supply chain may have contributed to its challenges relative to its key competitors. According to the Wall Street Journal, Toys R Us CEO reportedly cited the firm’s “inability to provide expedited shipping options, and our lack of a subscription-based delivery service” as contributing to its problems. Compared to competitors whose logistics functions are flexible and streamlined, Toys R Us’ supply chain hadn’t kept pace technologically. And those competitors are now poised to benefit from this liquidation.
As the saga of Toys R Us continues to unfold and play out in real time, there have been and will continue to be ripple effects up and down the supply chain.