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Amazon Has an HVACR Distribution Problem
Amazon is on pace to become the largest company in the U.S. and eventually the world.
According to emarkerter.com, the Seattle-based conglomerate’s sales ($258 billion) are expected to account for more than 49 percent of all e-commerce transactions conducted in the U.S. this year.
In February, Amazon made headlines again through the creation of its Shipping with Amazon (SWA) delivery program. Not only will Amazon be manufacturing and warehousing products, it will soon be shipping them as well.
A Changing Marketplace
HVACR distribution absolutely has an Amazon problem; however, on the flip side, I believe Amazon has an HVACR distribution problem. Despite its apparent eminence, Amazon still lacks the knowledge necessary to size, install, and distribute mechanical equipment. It’s deficient when it comes to offering industry advice, holding personal relationships, connecting with manufacturers, offering warranties, and more.
That said, the walls seem to be cracking. While HVACR distributors currently man the channel’s joystick, they must be willing to adapt, or else. Here are a few areas to focus on.
Online sales: As online sales continue to soar, HVACR distributors must improve upon their online storefronts.
Watsco Inc. is a shining example of how distributors can utilize e-commerce, as nearly 30 percent of its 2018 sales occurred online.
“E-commerce is not just on the app,” said Albert Nahmad, CEO, Watsco, during a Q1 2018 earnings conference call. “E-commerce occurs on any device, including web domains. It’s getting close to 30 percent, which means customers are not only using it but enjoy using it and find value in it. We’re seeing that in the numbers as well.”
Shipping upgrades: While two-day shipping may seem like a pipe dream in the wholesale sector, it is attainable. Master distributor Neuco Inc.’s N2G program has guaranteed two-day shipping for more than 15 years.
“When we started the program, we considered how we could extend our reach beyond specific areas,” said Paul Neustadt, president, Neuco Inc. “Eventually, we elected to guarantee two-day shipping anywhere in the continental U.S. There is a sense of immediacy in today’s day and age, and our delivery time is crucial.”
Band together: There’s power in numbers. Trade organizations, such as HARDI, are designed to unite wholesalers by helping them identify mutual advantages, expound upon the value of two-step distribution, reinvent supplier incentives, etc.
HARDI’s Annual Conference is set for Dec. 1-4 in Austin, Texas. This is a great opportunity to bounce ideas off your peers. If you catch a Watsco or Neuco rep, ask them any e-commerce or shipping questions you may have. With enough willingness, courage, and fortitude, David can beat Goliath. As the saying goes, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
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We will be at the IAA in 2017 (14. - 24. September), the BMW i8 Roadster to see? This question has occupied us up to date, for now, a Teaser Video and photos have been published by the official page, the show all open Plug-in Hybrid sports car. And he is, according to BMW, in its final testing phase. A timely debut at the auto show in Frankfurt would be possible.
Let's look back on the previous rumors: The Roadster is already built on the next-i8-coupe-Generation. Therefore, we expect a subtle performance improvement with the 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo gasoline engine and the electric motor. Insiders speak of a system output of 372 HP (the current i8 comes to 362 HP). In addition, the pure electric range from the current level of 37 kilometres is expected to increase. Probably on 50 kilometres.
The latest images show that it could be in the roof of a variation in fabric. Whether the roof folds electrically, this must be done manually, or if you remove the fabric part, maybe even completely, and anywhere else in between camps, you can't tell.
If the i8 Roadster will debut really at the IAA, he could come in early 2018 to the market. The Price? The should not be less than the coupe, because the car manufacturer to acknowledge the Removal of a roof, often with a surcharge. The normal i8 strikes with 134,000 euros to the account.(ml)

domain: news


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The Board of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) will decide next week whether the FSA should review the current rules governing the sale and marketing of unpasteurised, or raw, drinking milk and cream. This follows developments in the sale of raw milk which have seen producers using new routes of sale for their products, such as the internet and vending machines.
An outline of the current controls and possible approaches to managing the risks associated with raw milk and cream has been published today and will be considered by the FSA Board at its next meeting on 20 March.
Most milk and cream on sale in the UK is heat-treated to kill any harmful bacteria or virus that could be present. However, restricted sales of raw drinking milk and cream are allowed in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
There is an inherent food safety risk associated with drinking raw milk because germs normally killed by pasteurisation may be present. The sale of raw milk is therefore strictly controlled. Older people, infants and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to food poisoning, so are advised not drink it.
The FSA Board will be asked to approve a review of the current controls. The review process will include consultation with industry and consumer groups.
Background to the rules
Currently in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, unpasteurised cows’ milk can only be sold direct to consumers from farms or direct from the farmer. This includes routes such as farmers’ markets and milk rounds, or as part of a farm catering operation. The sale of raw milk is not allowed in Scotland.
Raw milk must be labelled to let consumers know that it has not been pasteurised and may contain organisms harmful to health. Farms selling raw cows’ drinking milk direct to consumers are also inspected more frequently than businesses producing all pasteurised milk.
Cheeses made with unpasteurised milk, are more widely available for sale, and must be labelled as being ‘made with raw milk’ or ‘made with unpasteurised milk’. Cheese is subject to production processes which should reduce the risk from pathogens, these processes include salting, acidification and maturation.
Board meeting agenda: 20 March 2012 Agenda and papers


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Martin Shkreli, who gained national notoriety two years ago for jacking up the price of a drug used by AIDS patients, was convicted of securities fraud Friday for mismanaging two investment funds.
Traditionalists include George Clooney, whose awards – best picture for Argo and best supporting Actor for Syriana – are in his library at home, and Dustin Hoffman, whose two best actor awards – the first for Kramer vs. Kramer in 1980 and the second for Rain Man nine years later, are kept in his study.
They must understand in their bones that it is illegitimate to make temporary power permanent by rigging elections, suppressing contrary opinions or harassing the opposition.
?Bond has a keen eye for who to trust and who not to. This quality is frequently seen in sexually open-minded people, actually. 007 can tell when a lady is into him. And science agrees: handsome men are the best at identifying who is attracted to them.
《余秀华：从普通农妇到著名诗人》(A Chinese Poet’s Unusual Path From Isolated Farm Life to Celebrity)
《明迪烦事多》(The Mindy Project)：福克斯频道的这部明迪·卡灵(Mindy Kaling)创作的喜剧已经在播第三季，但仍不热门，不过这无关紧要，因为它在不断进步——从单个喜剧演员的独角戏发展成非常有趣的集体表演，部分原因在于第二季增加了亚当·帕利(Adam Pally)，并且对明迪的母校达特茅斯学院开起了玩笑。
The remaining of the top 10 were the University of Luxembourg (second), Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (fourth), University of Geneva (fifth), ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (seventh), University of St. Gallen (eighth), National University of Singapore (ninth) and Imperial College London (10th).
9.The Discovery of a New Planet
Comparatively, the increase rate is higher than income rise of urban residents for the same time period, which is 17.4%.
Exports from China to Brazil of everything from cars to textiles shipped in containers fell 60 per cent in January from a year earlier while the total volume of imports via containers into Latin America’s biggest economy halved, according to Maersk Line, the world’s largest shipping company.
To start with, a year before the first iPhone was released, LG had introduced a full touchscreen phone. Even that was not the first, though. The world's first touchscreen phone was IBM's Simon, which was released in 1992. And touchscreen technology even predates the Simon. The first touchscreen device was a tablet made by E.A. Johnson in 1965 that was used by air traffic controllers until 1995. Bent Stumpe and Frank Beck made the first capacitive touchscreen in the early '70s. Unlike Johnson's tablet, it could not be pressed with the fingers. Instead, it required a stylus. In 1971, Samuel Hurst developed the first resistive touchscreen, which he called the "elograph." It responded to the fingers as well as a stylus. In 1985, HP invented the world's first touchscreen computer, called the HP-150. In 1993, Apple also released its first touchscreen device—the Newton Personal Digital Assistant. The product was a flop, recording low sales.
They said he mismanaged money at the investment funds Elea Capital, MSMB Capital and MSMB Healthcare, as well as while he was CEO of Retrophin (, a pharmaceutical company he founded in 2011. )
Human bodies are frail, easily damaged packages full of parts that can never fully come back once lost. Luckily, researchers worldwide are working on replacing every bit of the body to make us all cyborgs.
It all started when Beatty opened the envelope to read the winner for best picture. He looked confused, took a long pause and then glanced at Dunaway. "Come on!" Beatty handed the envelope to Dunaway, who announced: "La La Land!"
"According to our survey last year, only 0.6 to 0.7 percent of students at universities were thinking about starting their own companies. The number among vocational school students was as high as 2.2 percent. However, the idea of vocational students starting businesses is related more to creating jobs for themselves, and the majority of them have chosen to have online shops."
Finding the skill sets and attitudes that support the culture of the brand you want to promote will foster innovation and enhance your reputation. Include folks from outside the company for the people you rely on. That will start a free marketing chain reaction that can build confidence and revenue.
Hillary stays on: Clinton’s CV is chock full of firsts: The only first lady to become a U.S. senator turned viable presidential candidate turned secretary of state. Now a private citizen, she continues to be one of the most watched and listened-to women on the planet. All bets on that she will be the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and the free world’s presumptive next leader. She’s done little to quiet the chatter, including hitting the speaking circuit last month at an estimated $200,000 fee per event and inking a reported $14 million book deal.
The private Facebook group chat that led to offers of admission being rescinded was named, at one point, "Harvard memes for horny bourgeois teens", the Crimson reported.
Attractions: Europe’s underrated gem.
Both the film and the television series are adapted from the Taiwan action role-playing game of the same name which was developed by Softstar Entertainment. The game is considered by many as simply one of the best Chinese RPG's ever created.
The city offers excitement beyond your expectations, with grand churches, a richly varied number of museums, a growing modern-art scene and streets that come alive with summer festivals.
9. "Vikings" (2.3 million)
The regulator said that although this year's growth will be slightly lower than 35 percent due to the Chinese currency's depreciation, the film market will still see robust growth.
In January of this year, he was “渠道+资本”风席卷LED产业 照企能否在危机中求机遇？ after making unwanted advances toward a magazine editor. He kept up his use of social media throughout the trial, posting videos on Facebook despite efforts by prosecutors and his own lawyer to keep him quiet.
The Magic have bounced between average and bad, and they're currently on a downswing. Now Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic are coming off the bench and Mario Hezonja is buried.
The controlled test takes two-and-a-half hours and, according to theories, Nishi's score and subsequentIQ of 162 would be two points higher than famous physicist Einstein.
Repurchasing shares helps boost stock prices and many analysts credit the boom in stock repurchases for pushing the Standard & Poor's 500 index to record highs.


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Inmar today announced that it has acquired the MedEx product line from Aethon. The acquisition strengthens Inmar’s technology- and analytics-based offerings for hospital pharmacies to increase compliance, efficiency and safety. Inmar also offers analytics, pharmaceutical product returns/recalls management and/or pharmacy financial management solutions in more than 5,000 hospitals across the U.S. and Canada.
July 11, 2017
May 15, 2017
Inmar today announced that Ralph Maresco, Vice President, Manufacturer Promotions, received the “Industry Impact Award” at the 11th Annual meeting of the Association of Coupon Professionals (ACP).
Leaders from All Six Winston-Salem Universities/Colleges Announce at Inmar a Collaborative Program to Support Entrepreneurship
May 4, 2017
In an unprecedented and historic demonstration of solidarity, leaders from all six Winston-Salem-based colleges and universities shared the stage on May 4 at Inmar in support of the entrepreneurial efforts of their students and alumni. The announcement took place during the inaugural meeting of Venture Café Winston-Salem.
April 27, 2017
Inmar today announced that Melissa Parker, VP, Client Relations and Operations, has been named one of the Triad Business Journal’s 2017 Outstanding Women in Business. The Outstanding Women in Business program honors women based upon their accomplishments in their industries and communities, including philanthropic leadership. Recipients were recognized during a luncheon April 27.
April 4, 2017
OMERS Private Equity (“OPE”), the private equity arm of OMERS, the pension plan for municipal employees in Ontario, has agreed to acquire Inmar Inc. from ABRY Partners, a private equity firm. ABRY will continue to be a significant shareholder in Inmar.
March 23, 2017
Melissa Parker, VP, Client Relations and Operations, has been named to the 2017 Food Logistics’ Champions: Rock Stars of the Supply Chain.
February 14, 2017
Analysis by Inmar, Inc. of 2016 coupon activity reveals an ongoing “promotional transposition” with paperless, digital coupons beginning to overtake traditional paper coupons in popularity. Inmar’s analysis shows that, among the more than 2.2 billion coupons redeemed by shoppers last year, the share of redemption captured by offers that shoppers load directly to their retailer loyalty accounts (Load-to-Card) grew 20% between 2015 and 2016. In comparison, share of redemption for paper coupons found in the Sunday newspaper (Free-standing Inserts) fell 10% over the same period.
January 31, 2017
Inmar, Inc. and Collective Bias, Inc., an Inmar Company, announced today that the companies have achieved the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Largest triangle ensemble. On January 24, 2017, the companies shattered the existing record of 574 musicians when 876 Inmar and Collective Bias employees performed ‘I Heard it Through The Grapevine’ by Marvin Gaye on the triangle.
November 17, 2016
Inmar, Inc. through its directly owned subsidiary Carolina Promotions Services, Inc., and Collective Bias, Inc. announced today they have entered into a definitive agreement for Inmar to acquire Collective Bias, the leader in shopper-focused influencer marketing. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
November 16, 2016
Hy-Vee, Inc. and Inmar, Inc. announced today that they have agreed to a multi-year extension of their relationship. The two companies will continue to work collaboratively on efforts to provide industry-leading, shopper-focused, data and technology solutions that deliver a superior shopper experience throughout Hy-Vee’s more than 240 grocery stores across the Midwest.


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Honda has just recalled its 2001 Honda Civic, as part of an expansion of
an earlier recall involvingdefective driver’s side air bags. This
10-year-old model is the same one that college student Kristy Williams
was in on April 2010 when while stopped at a traffic light the vehicle’s
frontal air bags suddenly deployed, sending razor sharp metal pieces into
the left side of her neck as the driver’s side air bag exploded.
Williams’ carotid artery was cut and she began losing a great deal of blood. She also broke her left arm. She then spent two weeks in the ICU where she suffered from seizures and a heart attack while undergoing multiple surgeries.
Williams’ Georgia auto products liability attorney has said that Honda should have recalled the 2001 Honda Civic sooner and that this could have prevented the college student from getting hurt. Honda has settled Williams’ Georgia air bag defect lawsuit for an undisclosed amount. However, Williams has been left with a six-inch scar on her neck and because of her injury she will no longer be able to become a police officer.
Honda announced its expanded recall earlier this month–its fifth one over the same defect since 2008. 20 car accidents and 2 deaths related to this air bag safety issue have been reported in the US since 2009.
The automaker explained that should the driver’s side air bag go off with too much force, its metal inflator casing could rupture. Seeing as the casing holds an explosive propellant, the metal from the casing could turn into shrapnel pieces and fly into the driver.
The autos named in this month’s Honda air bag defect recall include the:
• Honda Civic (’01,’02,’03 models)
• Acura 3.2 CL (’03 model)
• Honda Accord (certain ’01 and ’02 models)
• Acura 3.2 TL (’02 and ’03 models)
• Honda Odyssey (“01, ’02, ’03 models)
• Honda CR-V (’02 and ’03 models)
Air bags are supposed to be designed to protect passengers, not cause them serious injury. For an air bag to deploy at the wrong time and without warning can prove extremely catastrophic and even fatal.
Serious air bag injuries can include traumatic brain injury, neck injuries, chest injuries, impact injuries, shrapnel injuries, hearing loss, blindness, thoracic trauma, burn injuries, lacerations, arm fractures, leg fractures, and abrasions.
How Honda’s faulty air bags maimed a Georgia student, USA Today, December 20, 2011
Honda Recalls 304,000 Cars Globally Over Air Bag Concerns, ABC News, December 2, 2011
More Blog Posts:
Air Bag Defect Prompts Honda to Recall another 273,000 Autos, Product Liability Law Blog, November 30, 2011
Serious Airbag Defect Leads Honda to Recall 440,000 More Civics, Accords, and Acura TL’s, Product Liability Law Blog, July 31, 2009
Texas Auto Products Liability: Air Bag Defect Lawsuit Seeks Damages from GM, Product Liability Law Blog, May 10, 2011
You want to work with an air bag defect law firm that is experienced in dealing with this type of auto defect and has the resources and skills to successfully pursue your financial recovery from an automaker and any other liable parties. The sooner you speak with an auto products liability lawyer to find out whether you have a case, the better.


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Fashion photography by Jillian O’Brien, a senior pursuing a B.F.A. in photography, will be on display in the Borland Gallery on the Penn State University Park campus, November 12-21. The exhibition, Couture Deconstruction, will feature photos from fall 2012 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, as well as images shot in American suburbia. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. An opening reception will be held Monday, Nov. 12, at 5:30 p.m.
According to O’Brien, who says she has always been fascinated by fashion and style, the photos shot in the suburbs “become displays of deconstructed reality, inspired by the clothes seen on the runway.” For example, the image below shows a portion of an old dunk tank behind O’Brien’s high school in Oakland, N.J. “The detail in the orange band and the glitter shellac, as well as the contrast of the two bright complimentary colors, are what drew me to create this piece to pair with a runway shot from the Jill Stuart show. I find it a perfect example of my intention to crop out reality to allow the eye to detect beauty in the objects that lie in the world around us.”
O’Brien was the house photographer for designer Leonid Gurevich’s runway show during Fashion Week, her first experience in that role. “It was an overwhelming few minutes of purely beautiful fashion. The color, geometry and immense amount of detail in this particular dress [on left] are what inspired the concept of this show.”
A native of northern New Jersey, O’Brien says her family always exposed her to diverse experiences, and today she strives to live as a well-rounded person. “Glitz and glamorous experiences are as equally enjoyable as those that are down and dirty and a little less polished,” explains O’Brien, who spent a lot of time in New York City as a child. “This show is meant to put that particular view of mine into visual representation through the comparison of high fashion and objects existing in my immediate surroundings.”
O’Brien says this exhibition is merging her two dreams: to attend a fashion show in the tents, and to become an artist. “At this particular point in my life, I am more than pleased to see the two merge in this context, and am extremely excited to show images representing the two in a way that reflects my life’s attitude, views, and experiences in such a personal way.”


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Online privacy is a growing concern. In this sense, Mozilla is launching a new service, Mozilla Monitor Plus, which promises to be an ally in this battle.
See also: Cell phone discharges quickly? There are two apps that could be the hidden bad guys
With online privacy becoming an increasingly sensitive issue, this service has become a reality Game changerThat is, it is capable of changing the rules of the game in the world of technology.
How will Mozilla Monitor Plus work?
Firstly, Mozilla Monitor Plus is a service that aims to provide more control over the privacy and security of personal data on the Internet. So, by subscribing, users will be able to check which sites are collecting and using their information without their knowledge, providing an additional layer of protection.
It promises to be a real shield against online data abuse. For a fee of US$8.99 per month (about R$44.00, depending on the dollar exchange rate), this service automatically monitors your information on more than 190 websites where intermediaries sell information collected from online sources, such as apps, browser trackers, Social Media. Locations. When your data is found, Mozilla will attempt to remove it. Information taken from The Verge website.
On the other hand, according to the same site, members of Basic Monitor – Mozilla's free service – who opt out will receive a free verification and one-time removal check. In addition, there will also be ongoing monthly checks of the data broker after that, Mozilla says.
How will the scans work?
Mozilla says the scans can find online details like your name and current and previous home addresses. However, they can dig a little deeper, where they can check details like the client's criminal history, hobbies, or school district.
It is worth noting that Mozilla has previously provided other services focused on digital privacy in recent years, such as Mozilla VPN and FireFox Relay.
*With information from The Verge
“Incurable thinker. Food aficionado. Subtly charming alcohol scholar. Pop culture advocate.”


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Despite markets currently experiencing a drastic correction, the number of retailers willing to accept cryptocurrency payments continues to grow with the steady increase in the volume of online crypto purchases in the e-commerce sector.
Crypto payment volume in e-Commerce exceeded 60% in 2022!
As a matter of fact, cryptocurrency payment processor CoinGate discovered in its research report published on Jan. 4 that despite the “crypto winter”, the use of cryptocurrencies for online transactions is increasing in 2022.
The research shows that in 2022, merchants using CoinGate received 927,294 crypto payments, which is about 2.7 times the annual average and represents a 63% increase over 2021. This figure is equivalent to CoinGate processing a paid cryptocurrency order every 34 seconds.
CoinGate payments include crypto every year. Source: coingate.com
Bitcoin is the most popular crypto for payment
According to research findings, Bitcoin (BTC) was responsible for more than half or 48% of all transactions in 2022. Notably, it’s 7.6% lower than in 2021, suggesting that altcoin payments marginally diminish Bitcoin. dominance in payments despite the increasing number of transactions.
USDT became the second most popular cryptocurrency used for shopping with a dominance of 14.8% in 2022. It was followed by Ethereum (10.9%), Litecoin (9.6%) and TRON (5.8%).
Despite the overall decline in the market, CoinGate saw a 48% increase in the number of new registered traders in 2022 compared to 2021. This includes industry giants like NordVPN on the list of businesses willing to accept cryptocurrency payments.
Retailers adopting crypto payments
Every year, the most popular argument put forward by retailers for accepting cryptocurrency payments is the same: improving access to services for consumers who don’t have a bank account or are concerned about their privacy, which eventually leads to increased sales.
Since modern payment processors reduce the problem of crypto price volatility by allowing fast payments in fiat currencies, there are several reasons why merchants looking for creative ways to boost their companies should not consider implementing crypto payments.
In particular, in December, CoinGate CEO Justas Paulius revealed in an exclusive interview with Finbold that the frequency of paying with cryptocurrency has not changed due to the cryptocurrency winter, it has changed “a bit” rather than reducing the frequency of people’s purchases.


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Mozambique to produce 4 mn tonne of cement
Armando Inroga, Minister for Industry and Trade, Mozambique, said that the country is expected to reach production of approximately 4 million tonne of cement by 2013 when two more factories are due to start operations. Mozambique currently has five factories, which each year produce 1.3 million tonne of cement, and Cimentos de Mozambique, of the Cimentos de Portugal (Cimpor) Group, is the biggest producer, with around 600,000 tonne per year. The Cimentos de Mozambique plant, located in Matola, a city close to the capital Maputo, is now installing new equipment to increase production to one million tonne per year. As a result of the new factories, the minister said he expected cement prices to fall by 2013. Several companies are investing in the cement sector in Mozambique, including Chinese, Portuguese and South African companies. South African company Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) announced an investment for this year of $200 million to set up a cement plant. Several Chinese companies have asked Mozambique's ministry for mining resources for licences to prospect and survey for limestone and clay, raw materials that are essential for cement production, namely Africa Great Wall Cement Manufacturer and China-Mozambique Cement & Development Company. The China International Fund and SPI have set up a joint venture company CIF-Moz, which will set up a cement factory in the Matutuine district, with an investment of 1.25 billion meticals ($35 million).


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As I was scrolling through TikTok the other day, I received a text from a friend.
“I take back everything bad I said about TikTok Shop,” she said. “I just bought a Staub Dutch oven for like $100. And it’s normally like $400.”
I had no idea what a Dutch oven is used for, but I thought I might need one too. I mean, I had to at least check — the deal was too good to be true. Thankfully, I came to my senses and did not buy one.
But I did spend almost $100 on other items from TikTok Shop that day.
Ever since TikTok officially launched its in-app shopping feature in the U.S. in September, it’s quickly turned the video-scrolling app into a budding e-commerce marketplace. The new feature sells about $7 million worth of products a day in the U.S., with a goal of reaching $10 million a day by the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal reported last month.
As the Biden administration weighs a ban on the app, many budding entrepreneurs fear losing a tool that has helped them build a robust customer base.
Although TikTok Shop has a ways to go before it can truly match up to the likes of e-commerce giant Amazon in terms of sheer volume, customer trust and delivery logistics, what it does have is unparalleled command over eyeballs.
TikTok has 150 million users in the U.S., 35% of whom are ages 18 to 24. Teens in particular spend an average of nearly two hours a day on the app.
And TikTok Shop is proving to be remarkably effective at turning that screen time into shopping time.
It’s impossible to spend any amount of time on TikTok these days without encountering an ad or a video that has a product linked for commission.
And not just any product. I routinely see the same slew of items — specifically targeted to blend into my feed of fashion, mental health and art content — over, and over, and over again until I could practically market them myself.
A brown faux leather shoulder bag, big enough to carry someone’s laptop, a few books, phone, wallet. The Beachwaver, a rotating curling iron that will curl your hair in minutes. A shadow work journal to help you heal your inner child. The OQQ three-piece women’s body suit that will cinch your waist, even if you just gave birth. A 100-color watercolor set that comes with 35 metallic colors and three water brush pens.
Repetition as a promotional strategy is nothing new, but on TikTok Shop it feels like a form of psychological warfare. I’m losing the battle — or at least my credit card is.
This endless onslaught of product videos is being generated by a growing number of creators who almost exclusively focus on recommendation or review videos. They talk directly into the camera while unboxing or trying out a new product. They’re chatty and affable, and they seem like regular people who are genuinely recommending something they’ve found useful or enjoyable in their everyday lives.
TikTok’s design encourages manic performance and a false sense of intimacy — all of it obscuring the power of its invisible algorithms.
Now one video on its own isn’t going to persuade me to buy something, but scrolling through 10 or 20 videos featuring real-life testimonials about the same product might be enough to get me to cave.
“This is the toner that was ranked No. 1 in Korea for months and months and months and months,” a woman tells me knowingly, her hair freshly wet from the shower and two white toner pad squares on her face. “When I was in Korea I stocked up back in March.”
She held up a bottle that I had already seen recommended by two other accounts. All three women had smooth, shiny plump skin — the kind of skin that stays tantalizingly out of reach for me.
Los Angeles creator Dina Asprer said she doesn’t consider herself an “influencer” or a “TikTok person” but had always been passionate about Korean skincare, having lived in South Korea for five years after college.
The 31-year-old quit her banking job during the pandemic to spend more time with her kids and only made TikToks for fun. She started putting links to products in her videos in June when the option became available to some users.
One particular item took off — a snail mucin essence from popular Korean brand COSRX. At one point, she was earning commissions from selling 600 bottles a day, and now still sells around 1,000 bottles a month.
Meet Lynette Adkins. She’s part of a new crop of creators focusing their content on the how-to of the business: making money from an online following.
“I never considered this as a job, but I’m starting to take it more seriously,” Asprer said. She’s even attended a few workshops that TikTok offers to help creators grow, traveling to its office in Culver City.
In another video that pops up on my feed, a woman demands my attention.
“Listen to me,” Katelyn Beaupre says urgently. “If you have eczema or dry skin, I’m about to put you on.”
I don’t have either, but for some reason, this information feels important to know.
Beaupre explains that she works at a daycare and has OCD, which means her hands are extremely dry from washing them frequently. Other products made her hands greasy, but this one — which she purchased after seeing it all over TikTok — was so good she was bringing it in for her co-workers to try.
“I was a little skeptical at first because I really didn’t like the smell,” Beaupre says. “To me, it smells like oregano.”
That video, featuring a lotion by the brand the Ocean Healed My Eczema, has 3.6 million views. She posted about it a few more times. Last month, she made about $20,000 in commissions.
The 22-year-old from Massachusetts has a little more than 95,000 followers on TikTok and makes videos when she has time, outside of working at a preschool full time and going to school part time. But the commissions she’s earned in the last two months has helped her to pay off her credit card debt and student loans.
Worsening economic conditions could be a stress test for the burgeoning influencer economy. But online creators are pivoting by telling viewers what not to buy.
Commissions range from 20 cents to $7 a purchase and can fluctuate if a certain product, like the rotating curling iron for example, starts trending, leading to more influencers making videos about it, Beaupre noticed.
“Sometimes I try to go for things that are a little bit higher in commission,” she said.
She also indicates in her profile that she’s a “UGC + lifestyle creator,” which means her videos are available for companies to use as user-generated content in paid TikTok ads.
The eczema lotion that Beaupre promoted first offered a $4.99 commission, or 20% of the price, before the amount was lowered to closer to $3.
Maybe that’s why there are countless other videos of creators raving about the very same product. Yet they still feel honest. People showed before-and-after pictures of their hands, legs and elbows, some using it for eczema and dry hands and others for psoriasis.
The company has made it simple for sellers to make products eligible for commission and creators to request free products and post videos with a direct link to generate sales, streamlining a process that otherwise might have required more business-savvy from both sides. TikTok Shop has just two requirements for commission-eligible creators: you must be over 18 and have at least 5,000 followers.
Gen Z’s QVC shopping channel
Every week, Brandon Hurst sells more than 1,200 plants from his 800-square-foot apartment in Van Nuys.
He carefully packages each one — golden pothos, string of hearts, trailing hoya — with a small team of employees, slaps on a bright sticker that reads “live plants,” and ships them across the country. Then the next batch arrives at his apartment, ready to be sold.
His secret? Live selling.
Hurst makes a majority of his sales through TikTok livestreams every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when he greets loyal customers, welcomes newcomers and talks about the plants available in his shop. He joined TikTok Shop in April before its formal launch, and he’s sold more than 30,000 plants since — more than the number he sold in the three years before joining the platform.
“I try to turn it into kind of like a show, a little bit like QVC,” Hurst said of his livestreams. “Literally within the first five minutes, we already are at like 10 or 15 orders. It’s incredible.”
The story of how the internet was made doesn’t begin and end with Silicon Valley. It runs right through Hollywood.
Although he already had viral plant videos on the app before joining TikTok Shop, it “didn’t equal sales the way that it now can, with the link right there in the video,” Hurst said.
Live selling online first emerged in China several years ago and exploded during the pandemic. Two-thirds of Chinese consumers purchased a product via livestream within the previous year, according to a 2020 survey.
In 2022, an estimated $500 billion in goods were sold via livestream in China, accounting for about 23% of all e-commerce sales in the country, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Two of China’s top live-streamers were able to sell $3 billion worth of goods in one day in October 2021.
Although the phenomenon hasn’t quite reached that scale yet in the U.S., platforms like Amazon, EBay and Poshmark have all launched their own live shopping features. The U.S. live selling market was expected to reach $32 billion in sales this year.
Whenever I scroll through TikTok these days, I stumble upon at least one livestream pitching me a product I didn’t know I needed.
Lately, it’s been a fast-talking man extolling the virtues of an electric scrubber. As he demonstrated its efficacy on a shower door recently, I pondered whether I should be deep-cleaning my bathtub.
“Thank you for your new orders, thank you thank you,” he said as he aggressively rang a bell. “You are doing a fantastic job.”
Next, a woman was holding up the OQQ bodysuits that have been viral on TikTok for a while. I had been thinking about buying them for months. She wore one herself, as did another model who slipped in and out of frame.
“Go ahead and snag them while they’re hot for sure,” she said. “We are already selling out today.”
I entered my height and weight into the chat to ask what size I should purchase. I was surprised to hear her address me by name.
“Jaimie, we’re out of stock of the extra small, so I’d go with the small,” she said. With her blessing, I tapped “buy,” selected my size, and checked out with Apple Pay.
Thirty seconds later, my brain humming from the dopamine hit, I’m back to scrolling through my usual TikTok feed and looking for the video that will pique my interest next.
Pitching the pitchers
I did not make my first purchase on TikTok Shop without a fair bit of skepticism.
Were all these products low-quality, drop-shipped items from overseas? Were they cheap knockoffs from unknown Chinese companies, like many listings on Amazon?
The social app’s Shop marketplace, key to its growth strategy, is so far hard to navigate.
Given some of the cut-rate prices, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to companies like Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Wish, where it’s often a toss-up whether the item you just ordered will be of durable quality or complete junk.
The biggest barrier to more widespread adoption of social e-commerce is consumer trust, said Laura Gurski, North America commerce lead at Accenture Song. This is especially true among people in older demographics who are used to buying from reliable retailers and brands.
This is why sellers earnestly pitching their own products can do so to such great effect through TikTok videos. They’re in part borrowing tactics you might see on shopping channels like QVC, where trained hosts create intimacy with the viewer by gushing over products like they’re gossiping with a friend. But unlike perfectly polished QVC hosts in a studio, the TikTok entrepreneur is unfiltered and up close — sometimes even awkwardly so — right there on your phone screen.
Father-son duo Michael and Daniel Jay of San Diego started their brand Lazy Butt Club as a revamp of Michael’s old T-shirt designs from decades ago. They went from less than 100 orders a year to 3,000 in a few weeks after their first viral TikTok video in 2021.
“Ever since we switched to being more personal and showing you what we’re doing and our story, it’s been a lot easier to resonate with people,” said Daniel, who runs the TikTok account.
In one video, I watched Michael pull one of his hand-drawn rough drafts of a T-shirt design out of a box. In another, he screen printed “Tyrannosaurus Wrecks” onto a crew neck, telling viewers that it would be the first one he’s printed in 25 years.
They joined TikTok Shop over the summer, generating a few thousand orders since then through both the platform and their website. It’s opened up new avenues of business for them.
“One of the intimidating things about trying to work with influencers is having that business side already figured out, like how to pay them,” Daniel said. “I kind of didn’t even know how to formulate a message and ask people, like how much should they get paid or whatever.”
Sellers like the Jays help TikTok establish trust, so the platform has been aggressively courting them with a variety of incentives, such as covering the cost of free shipping for some buyers and offering frequent sales and coupons.
“When we first signed up, we were like, wait — free shipping, like what do you mean free shipping? What is this sale?” Daniel said. He was amazed to learn that a customer could purchase one of their shirts for as low as $8, while his company received the full price.
With all the perks, several sellers said they don’t even list items on Amazon because they consider the process too complicated or time-consuming, and the site generates too few sales.
Chief Executive and founder Jay Nagy launched the Ocean Healed My Eczema in July directly on TikTok Shop.
In just three months, he said, he’s sold more than $1 million worth of eczema cream through the platform. It went viral with the help of creators like Beaupre, and through Nagy’s videos about his own experience with eczema.
“TikTok Shop is so smart, it just puts it in front of the right people. It’s really wild,” Nagy said. “They gave me the platform to really tell my story with my struggle with eczema.”
When I first discovered Nagy’s product, it was through a series of videos from creators that appeared during my daily TikTok binge-scrolling session. I have watched enough testimonials — more than 10 — to be convinced of its effectiveness.
But I haven’t bought the cream.
After all, I don’t have eczema.
So I obviously don’t need it.


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Online retailers sold goods worth $3 billion during the recently concluded six-day festive sales on top e-commerce marketplaces, posting a growth of 30% over last year despite a challenging macro environment, analysts said.
The number is, however, less than $3.7-3.8-billion gross merchandise volume (GMV) that analysts had predicted prior to the start of the sales. The record sale in a challenging macro environment indicates that "consumer sentiment on online shopping remains bullish," said Anil Kumar
, founder of management consulting firm RedSeer
RedSeer estimated that Flipkart
emerged the big winner, accounting for more than 60% of the total sale during the period while its archrival Amazon
India could manage only about 30%. It said Flipkart's sales grew 58% year on year during the sale period against Amazon's 22% growth.
An Amazon spokesperson, however, strongly denied these numbers. "We cannot comment on speculative reports that lack robust and credible methodology," the person said. Flipkart did not respond to an email seeking comment as of press time Tuesday. Last week, both Flipkart and Amazon had claimed leadership in India’s ecommerce space, attributing a spurt in their festive sales to new customers from smaller towns and cities.
According to Counterpoint Technology Market Research, average price of smartphones - which is the most contested category on online - sold during the festive sales was 15-18% higher than last year.


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Jon Favreau is to write and produce a new live-action Star Wars series for Disney’s forthcoming streaming service.
No stranger to a galaxy, far far away, the actor and film maker has a role in upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story and previously starred in The Clone Wars animated series.
Favreau said it was a childhood dream to be able to tell stories within the Star Wars universe, which comes as Disney ended its distribution agreement with Netflix as they plan their own streaming service to launch next year.
He said: “If you told me at 11 years old that I would be getting to tell stories in the Star Wars universe, I wouldn’t have believed you. I can’t wait to embark upon this exciting adventure.”
LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy added: “I couldn’t be more excited about Jon coming on board to produce and write for the new direct-to-consumer platform.
“Jon brings the perfect mix of producing and writing talent, combined with a fluency in the Star Wars universe.
“This series will allow Jon the chance to work with a diverse group of writers and directors and give Lucasfilm the opportunity to build a robust talent base.”
Favreau directed Iron Man and Iron Man 2, and served as executive producer of the Iron Man and Avengers films which Disney gained when taking over Marvel Entertainment.
He also directed and produced the Oscar-winning The Jungle Book and is working on the highly-anticipated reimagining of The Lion King which is set for release in 2019.
The untitled Star Wars live-action series does not yet have a release date.


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Honiton Hearing Centre moves to new premises
PUBLISHED: 08:16 03 September 2008 | UPDATED: 22:16 15 June 2010
A BUSINESS that started from the boot of a car has moved into a prime site retail unit.
A BUSINESS that started from the boot of a car has moved into a prime site retail unit.Independent hearing aid audiologist Colin Eaton has relocated his business, Honiton Hearing Centre, to premises formerly occupied by estate agent Pennys, in New Street.The move, from an alleyway at the side of A Dimond & Co, in High Street, signifies the progress made by Mr Eaton and underlines his ethos of running a "centre of excellence"."I started my business from the boot of a car in 1999, visiting people in their homes," he said."Eventually, I realised I was so busy that I was spending all my time on the road."On Boxing Day, in 2003, my wife and I sat down and plotted on a map where all my customers were."We decided the clear place to be would be in Honiton."By chance, retired businessman and former Mayor of Honiton Arthur Dimond was one of Mr Eaton's clients."I happened to mention it to him and the next thing I was moving into premises at the side of his family business," said Mr Eaton.Honiton Hearing Centre was established four years ago and Mr Eaton, a Fellow of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists, has taken pride in investing in cutting-edge technology."I've always wanted a shop front, because the business is a centre of excellence," he said."Honiton Hearing Centre was the first in the area to offer many hi-tech services, and I have invested in cutting-edge equipment."The people of Honiton have been absolutely brilliant and when the opportunity arose to relocate to a prime site we took it."Mr Eaton's wife, Samantha, a member of the Institute of Legal Cashiers and Administrators, has joined him in the business and will be concentrating on administration.Honiton Hearing Centre provides three main services -hearing tests, hearing aids and hearing protection.It provides specialist earplugs for staff at Fabric nightclub in London.The Herald asked Mr Eaton what the single biggest cause of hearing loss is. "Getting older, sometimes coupled with exposure to loud noise in industry," he replied.For teenage readers, who may think this story has nothing to offer them, the Herald asked: Is it true that listening to loud music can damage hearing?"That's my pension!" Mr Eaton replied.He said hearing could be impaired even in young people. "If you can identify a song being played by someone through headphones, they are damaging their hearing," he said.So, even young people may need hearing tests!When asked why his business has been such a success, Mr Eaton says he provides a service that is considered more discreet, more personal and with more technology than the NHS.Honiton Hearing Centre moved out of its former premises last weekend and re-opened in New Street on Monday.Watch this space for details of future open days.n A Dimond & Co, which is closing its High Street shop on Friday, September 5, to concentrate on the supply of stationery, along with sales of photo frames and a photocopying service, will re-open on Monday, September 8, in premises formerly occupied by Honiton Hearing Centre at the side of the shop.
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Midweek Herald. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


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Roku today reported that its latest software release, Roku OS 10, has started carrying out and will begin making toward all supported devices in the coming weeks. “Roku OS 10 introduces a variety of new features getting users to content faster, improving network and input configurations, offering new ways to customize the experience and performance enhancements,” the company said in a press release.
The main new feature of Roku OS 10 is moment continue: presently, streaming applications can get from where they left off when you last exited them. This appears to require some work on the designer’s part, as a couple applications (counting the Roku Channel) are offering moment continue out of the entryway — yet none of the gigantic players like Netflix or Prime Video are supporting it yet.
Next is the thing that Roku calls “automatic Wi-Fi detection.” If you have separate Wi-Fi networks in your home for 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz, a Roku gadget will presently suggest the better choice at arrangement. What’s more, if there’s any buffering or other stream interferences, you may see a brief show up prescribing that you hop over to the next, less congested network.
Roku is additionally adding programmed game reassure design. Beginning with Roku OS 10, when you plug a support into a Roku TV, the tile will change to the correct name and the Roku TV will enter game mode. “Depending on the Roku TV model being used, settings that get automatically configured may include HDR gaming, auto low latency mode (ALLM), variable refresh rate (VRR), high frame rate, and THX certified game mode.”
AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support will be stretched out to more gadgets with the dispatch of Roku OS 10. Previously, these Apple highlights came to 4K-viable Roku items and 4K Roku TVs, however now the organization says they’ll both currently be accessible “on HD Roku streaming devices, such as the Roku Express, and select HD Roku TV models.”
Roku OS 10 allows you to customize the live TV channel guide if you’ve got an antenna plugged into your Roku TV. Furthermore, it additionally presents support for HDR10+ on the Roku Ultra and new Roku Express 4K Plus. It likewise adds virtual encompass sound to the Roku Smart Soundbar and new Roku Streambar Pro.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Guardian Talks journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.


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07/30/2021 7:49 PM
Updated 07/30/2021 7:49 PM
Association of Automotive Dealers
(ACARA) reported that
zero kilometer vehicles
were patented in July
, which represents a rise of
July of last year.
In this way, in the accumulated seven months of the year,
more than in the same period of 2020.
"The July numbers reflect that the market is experiencing a noticeable increase in demand that has not been fully satisfied since the supply is restricted due to the shortage of vehicles," said the head of ACARA,
. Four of the five best-selling models last month were locally manufactured, in keeping with the government's policy of "stepping on" unit imports through
the Integrated Import Monitoring System
"The situation seems important to mention because it is already impacting the year-end forecasts, today we see a market close to
" added the businessman.
At the beginning of the year, ACARA itself had forecast sales of
for all of 2021.
"Anyway, we are going into an active second half of the year, the exchange rate situation in recent weeks has made people go out and buy because they know that it
is a good time to buy a vehicle
and take advantage of the opportunities that are generated by
the gap. existing, "
It should be noted that the list price of vehicles (both finished units and auto parts for their manufacture) is established from the official dollar.
So when the gap between different dollars shoots up, more buyers appear willing to sell their dollars on the parallel market to buy a unit.
"Beyond these issues, we continue to work from the value chain with national authorities on substantive measures that allow greater predictability in a strategic sector such as the automotive industry in which we employ more than 75,000 people," he concluded. Salome.
The best-selling models in July, once again, were led by the Fiat Cronos, the Toyota Hilux, the Volkswagen Gol Trend, the Ford Ranger and the Peugeot 208. Except for the Gol, the other models are locally made.


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HK can relax some of its Covid rules, says health expertHong Kong | 21 Jun 2021 1:29 pm
Leading microbiologist Ho Pak-leung said Hong Kong’s Covid rules can be slightly relaxed after two weeks of zero infection, including allowing more diners per table in restaurants.
As of yesterday, Hong Kong has seen no untraceable local infections for 15 days in a row.
Speaking on a radio program today, Ho said the easing may see restaurants on “type D” arrangments accomodating a maximum of 12 vaccinated customers per table.
However, he stressed that the safest way is to wait until the city achieves 28 days of zero infections before the relaxations.
The microbiologist also said cross-border travel between Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland could gradually resume, allowing quarantine-free travel for vaccinated individuals.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is expected to announce the latest anti-epidemic measures this afternoon.
Reports suggested that the latest tweak of the Covid rules may see social distancing measures at bars and karaoke establishments eased, along with changes made to measures at catering businesses.


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Thailand has joined a European initiative aimed at clearing plastic from oceans around the world, making it the first Asian country to join the project.
Preliminary efforts will see work focused in the most tourist-friendly areas of the nation which includes Koh Samet, Koh Samui, Hot Tao and Phuket.
The project called Upcycling the Oceans is based in Spain focuses on teaching fisherman to remove plastic from the oceans while they are out working.
The plastic items they collect will then be recycled into products that will be sold to fund the initiative.
The project which began in 2012 estimates that so far 70 million plastic bottles have been removed from the sea and recycled.
The project began in Thailand this month saw over half a ton of plastic waste removed from the ocean in five hours in Koh Samet, mostly plastic bottles and old discarded plastic fishing nets.
The project is expected to last three years with the first year focused on collecting the plastic from the oceans and the second year focused on recycling the waste into items for sale.
The project is said to be aimed at promoting sustainable tourism as well as anti-littering ideals.
Source : Coconuts
Content : LovePattayaThailand


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Sep 14, 2021, 1:48 pm93 ptsCaregivers say the lobbying efforts come down to a lack of understanding and greed. By Marla R. Miller, Michigan Advance Medical marijuana caregiver Ryan Bringold has been involved in Michigan’s grassroots efforts to legalize cannabis for years. But as larger licensed recreational and medical cannabis grow…
Trending Today on NewsBudz
NewsBudz is a marijuana and medical cannabis news app. The site delivers a daily feed of the latest cannabis news. We aggregate over 30 of the web's best sources for news about marijuana, hemp and legalization to keep you informed.
Stay on top of the latest news headlines, trends and developments worldwide around recreational and medical marijuana. Sit back and relax, while you read learn and share. On the web or your mobile device, NewsBudz is your cannabis news stream.


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Americana Restaurants, the leading restaurant platform in the MENA region, announced today that it has signed a Franchise Agreement with Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company, to develop and operate Pizza Hut restaurants across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, except for Jeddah city. With over 54,000 restaurants in more than 155 countries and territories, Yum! Brands is widely known for operating iconic global restaurant brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
As part of the agreement, Americana Restaurants is set to relaunch the much-loved Pizza Hut brand across the Kingdom’s largest cities and regions. To fully tap into the growing demand for great quality pizzas and omnichannel restaurant experiences in the Saudi market, Americana is planning to open up to 30 Pizza Hut locations by early 2023, and approximately 100 branches over the next three years. Pizza Hut will also offer pizza enthusiasts in Saudi Arabia an opportunity to try its ‘first in the world’ Artisanal Pizzas, which are baked to perfection in a cupola-style hot stone oven.
Commenting on the announcement, Amarpal Sandhu, CEO of Americana Restaurants, said: “Today marks a new beginning for Pizza Hut in Saudi Arabia, one of our core markets and one that continues to offer unique and exciting growth potential. We are confident that Americana Restaurants will provide customers and families across the Kingdom with a reimagined and fresh take on Pizza Hut’s world-famous and iconic pizzas. Improvements across ingredient quality, speed of service, and an overall unmatched pizza experience are very significant!
“Our plans for KSA and Pizza Hut do not stop here. As part of our commitment to easy and frictionless experiences at Pizza Hut we will introduce a range of innovative technology solutions that empower our customers to order on-the-go by using our “Super-App”, QR codes, and self-service Kiosks.”
Ewan Davenport, Pizza Hut – YUM Managing Director – the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, commented: “We’re excited to continue our growth across KSA, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be partnering with our preferred partner, Americana Restaurants, to bring Pizza Hut and our world-famous pizzas to diners across Saudi Arabia. We are confident that the partnership represents the beginning of an exciting growth journey for us in KSA and we will endeavor to win the hearts of our customers by serving delicious pizzas, starting from the first branch in Riyadh, Al Narjis area, whilst also continuing to offer product innovation and relatable, real, and lighthearted fun.”


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Men’s underwear made with Banana fibres.
The Brunei Times ( March 6 2010 ) reported that AussieBum (http://www.aussiebum.com.au/shopfront.php ) an Australian company has “ recently unveiled a range of men’s underwear made with bananas.
The new eco-friendly banana range of undies incorporates 27 per cent banana fibre, 64 per cent cotton and nine per cent lycra, said Lloyd Jones, a company official. The banana fibre used in the underwear is made from a bark weave from the banana plant and makes the underwear not only lightweight, but also very absorbent, he said.
“Wearers did not have to worry about real monkeys, as the underwear does not smell like a banana.”
Maybe next time we would have men’s underwear made with Oil Palm fibres ?
Filed under: Product Promotion, Small Business Issues | Leave a Comment


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Movie ticket provider Fandango has created a new movie theater marketing campaign featuring SNL comedian Kenan Thompson in the starring role.
The brand's first foray into content creation marketing campaigns, the movie theater commercials feature Thompson as Miles Mouvay; an eccentric character promoting in-theater perks and more.
The commercial promo is set to release immediately with the advertisements playing in theaters across the nation to help the brand expand into the consumer experience further.
Adam Rockmore, SVP and Head of Marketing at Fandango, explains the team's excitement behind the new promos: "Our new brand ambassador Miles possesses an infectious enthusiasm that will spark excitement for Fandango’s ticketing innovations, perks like our VIP rewards program, our original movie-related programming, top-ranking trailers and clips and many other services."
Comedian Theater Marketing Campaigns
More Stats +/-
Macho Beer Bars
Colorful Airline Rebrands
Immersive Movie Marketing Kiosks
Anti-Smoking Cat Ads
Web-Based House Paint Simulators


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The official also said rubber futures contracts will be available for compulsory delivery for investors who are keen to trade in rubber quality of ”Ribbed Smoked Sheets4” for a minimum lot size of 1
Leading commodity bourse MCX on Wednesday said it has received approval from markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for the launch of futures trading in natural rubber.
“Today, we have received Sebi’s approval to launch rubber future contracts,” a senior MCX official told PTI.
The exchange will launch the rubber futures at the earliest as this product holds special significance for market participants given the huge market size for natural rubber in India in terms of production and imports, the official said.
The official also said rubber futures contracts will be available for compulsory delivery for investors who are keen to trade in rubber quality of ‘Ribbed Smoked Sheets4’ for a minimum lot size of 1 tonne.
The price to be quoted will be for 100 kg as per the ex-warehouse rates, exclusive of all sales and GST with the delivery centre at Palakkad in Kerala, the official added.
The launch of rubber futures trading will provide a hedging tool for stakeholders in the rubber value chain comprising growers, traders, exporters, importers and end-users like the tier industry.
The MCX is the country’s leading commodity exchange that offers futures and option trading in both agri and non-agricultural commodities.


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How ‘Outlander’ Fans Can Spend Cinco de Mayo With Sam Heughan
Outlander star Sam Heughan wants fans to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with him this year. The actor is encouraging fans to join him virtually for a special celebration, where he will toast the holiday with his recently launched Sassenach Select Tequila. Here’s how you can spend Cinco de Mayo with the Outlander star.
The ‘Outlander’ star launched Sassenach Spirits in 2020
As many Outlander fans already know, Heughan is the owner of a company called Sassenach Spirits. The Scot launched the brand in early 2020 by introducing a premium blended Scotch whisky — The Sassenach — that he created. And it’s been so successful that Heughan is expanding.
In late 2021, the Outlander star announced that he was launching his Sassenach Select Double Wood Reposado tequila in collaboration with Mexican tequila distillery El Tequileño.
“So thrilled and so excited to introduce our latest @SassenachSpirit baby! The Sassenach Select,” Heughan tweeted. “The perfect blend of our cultures and passion, a partnership steeped in tradition, heritage, and a love of good tequila!”
How can ‘Outlander’ fans join Sam Heughan for Cinco de Mayo?
The Sassenach Select social media team recently announced that Heughan would be going live on May 5 — Cinco de Mayo — to celebrate the day with his recently launched tequila. In an Instagram post, they invited Outlander fans to join the actor for a virtual toast and encouraged them to buy their own bottle of Sassenach Select so they could join in.
“It’s time to get your bottle of award-winning Sassenach Select!” the Sassenach Select team wrote. “Cinco de Mayo is around the corner and in celebration of this very special day, Sam Heughan will be live on Instagram for a toast and a sip (or three). Join us on Thursday May 5th at 1PM PST / 4PM EST / 9PM BST and enjoy a sip of the Sassenach Select.”
For fans who don’t know, Cinco de Mayo is a celebration held annually on May 5 to commemorate the anniversary of Mexico’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
Sam Heughan’s new tequila has already won an award
Heughan’s Sassenach Select tequila is officially called El Tequileño: The Sassenach Select. The Scotsman discovered the Mexican spirit during a pre-pandemic visit to Tequila, Mexico, and the El Tequileño distillery. And that visit led to a collaboration.
Even though the combination of a Scottish brand with a Mexican spirit might seem a bit odd, Heughan says there are a lot of similarities between the two cultures.
“It’s a very dear place and they’re very similar actually, the Mexican culture and the Scottish culture. This love of storytelling and celebration and family. We just feel really honored to be part of that family,” Heughan told Forbes.
Just weeks after the tequila’s launch, Heughan revealed that it won a Masters Medal from the Global Spirits Masters, making it clear this is top-shelf liquor.
“We in the UK don’t really understand tequila and I’m trying to educate,” Heughan wrote on Twitter. “It’s incredible stuff.”
Sam Heughan and the rest of the Outlander crew are currently in production on season 7.


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Bonita Springs, Fla.
“We’re in the worst economy in our lifetime, and I don’t think it’s going to get better in the next year,” Reed Holden, president of Holden Advisors Corp., Concord, Mass., said at a conference here.
Holden spoke about strategies for maintaining realistic prices in the face of a brutal recession during the annual disability insurance conference sponsored by JHA, Portland, Maine.
He called for a calm, analytical response to the recession. “My advice to you is, as quickly as possible, get over it,” Holden said.
“Getting over it” should mean improving products and services and working hard to find genuinely qualified prospects, not cutting prices to unprofitable levels, Holden said.
“You can’t price your way out of a recession,” Holden said.
One way to increase sales reps’ ability to sell based on something other than price is to train them to understand the products they are selling. Another way is to put more effort into using simple screening questionnaires and other techniques to filter good prospects from those who are not actually likely to buy, Holden said.
“Not all customers want and are willing to pay for value,” Holden said.
Building sales reps’ confidence is also important, he said. Effective sales executives “are not banging the ‘we’re going to die’ drum,” Holden said.
If executives at a disability insurer think the reps are focusing too much on price, that may be a symptom of other company problems, Holden added.
Holden recommended that executives who are dissatisfied with their sales reps try going out on sales calls for a day. “You have no idea what it’s like out there,” Holden said.
Holden recalled working with a client company in the electronics industry that thought it was having problems because its sales reps were too quick to discount. In reality, the reps were discounting because the company was unreliable and failed to support them adequately, Holden said.
Holden also emphasized the importance of firing bad customers, including customers who spend a disproportionate amount of time complaining.
“The squeakiest wheel is usually the least profitable,” Holden said.


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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — For the first time ever, the Connecticut House of Representatives is debating Sunday Liquor sales and will vote to approve it sometime tonight.
The Association that represents hundreds of small package stores around the state gave up on opposing Sunday sales, and now the Governor has given up on getting everything he wanted in the bill.
"The reality is that we are on the cusp of doing something that's never been done in the history of the State of Connecticut, and that's add 55 days of sales and consumer ease," said Governor Dannel P. Malloy.
The bill clears the way for package store sales and beer sales at supermarkets every day of the year except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
But the bill does not tackle the issue of making Connecticut prices more competitive with the states that surround Connecticut. That was an issue Malloy wanted to have tackled in the bill.
"I'd like more, you know, but if it's a multi year, if it's a two year process to get the consumer, to protect the rights of consumers, if that what it has to be, it has to be," said Malloy.
"I think there's overwhelming support for the compromise, yes," said Rep. Larry Cafero (R) Minority Leader.
Both Republicans and Democrats are supporting the bill which will call for the quick establishment of a special task force to investigate why Connecticut liquor prices are so high.
"I think the task force is a great idea because these issues have not been talked about, never studied since prohibition," said Rep. Kathy Tallarita (D) Enfield.
"If you're talking about price structure, you're talking about other substantive changes in the liquor industry, it's the up stream source, that's the issue, it's the wholesalers, the manufacturers, we have to buy it from somebody," said Carroll Hughes/CT Package Store Association.
That will be tackled next year and the compromise gives the Governor the power to appoint five of the fifteen members of the task force. The rest will be appointed by the legislative leadership.
The package store association had fought this because many are small operations, and said that Sunday sales wouldn't justify the extra cost of staying open. Some research indicated the state is losing a lot of Sunday business to New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Malloy today released the following statement after House passage of a bill to amend Connecticut's Blue Laws:
"Tonight, the House voted in favor of one of the most significant changes to our state's blue laws in recent memory. Under the current law, we lose millions of dollars over the border every Sunday. It's a bad policy that inconveniences consumers and makes businesses less competitive. But after tonight, there will be an additional 55 days where sales will be permissible. It's a good first step.
I continue to believe there's more we can do to make our package stores more consumer friendly. I am encouraged that the legislature will study this issue, a sign I hope that there may be more we can accomplish in the near future. This much is certain - the more we can lower prices for consumers, the more competitive our businesses will be. And the hundreds of millions of dollars our state would recapture will unquestionably benefit our economy."
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Lawmakers in Connecticut and New York are calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to take immediate action to try and prevent another deadly train crash like the one that happened last weekend in New York City.
Members of the Machinists union who work at jet-engine maker Pratt & Whitney have approved a new three-year contract.
Manchester police are investigating what lead one man to allegedly kill three women and then take his own life.
The University of Connecticut has awarded the first two scholarships under a program launched to help those affected by last year's massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
A student accused of setting off a lockdown and massive police response at Central Connecticut State University by wearing a ninja-like costume on campus is set to face a judge for the first time.
Newtown police officers rescued two people from a house fire, early Sunday.
Enfield resident Harold Slater was just 20-years-old the day he witnessed the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Two men were arrested after breaking into a home then driving at officers during a pursuit in Waterbury on Saturday night.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut's governor is calling for houses of worship to mark the first anniversary of the Newtown school shooting by ringing their bells 26 times — once for each of the victims killed inside Sandy Hook Elementary …
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The two youngest members of the U.S. Senate are co-sponsoring a bill aimed at lowering college costs that includes withholding federal funds from schools that don't meet affordability and quality standards.


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Less than a year after it won an Emmy for its virtual reality short film Henry, Oculus Story Studio is being shut down.
What's notable here is that a lot of people's livelihoods will be affected; it also showcases how Oculus VR is changing how it spends money. In a company blog post, Oculus exec Jason Rubin stated that "we'll be winding down Story Studio" in an effort to focus more on funding "content creation" from folks outside the company.
"We’ve decided to shift our focus away from internal content creation to support more external production," wrote Rubin. "This helps us turn our internal research, development, and attention towards exciting but unsolved problems in AR and VR hardware and software."
An Oculus representative told TechCrunch that roughly 50 jobs are expected to be lost as Oculus Story Studio is shut down; the company intends to try and find affected staffers new jobs within either Oculus or Facebook.
While Oculus Story Studio produced a number of VR shorts during its roughly two-year lifespan (Dear Angelica, Lost) it was best known for the aforementioned Henry, which was the studio's public debut. In 2015 it even publicly released the UE4 assets used to make Henry.
If you or someone you know was affected by this development you can email Gamasutra to tell your story confidentially.


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Hospital medical equipment rental and service partner continues expansion to meet extraordinary demand from for on-demand access to equipment as flu season beginsRead Press Release
StickyTrades.com is thrilled to announce an unprecedented partnership with Trade Ideas.
Trade Ideas has been a marketing intelligence industry leader for over 20 years. They have a track record of pioneering cutting-edge real-time alert scanning, event-based backtesting, advanced charting, and AI-based trading signals. StickyTrades.com boasts over 40 years of invaluable experience in the trading industry, honing its expertise through the guidance of renowned coaches like AJ Monte.
Original research from developers of leading payment protection software finds majority of 500-plus finance professionals concerned about undetected fraud and escalating cybercrime threats.Read Press Release
Celligence, a leading tech company at the forefront of innovation, is thrilled to announce its sponsorship of two remarkable athletes set to compete in the World Para Surfing Championship in Huntington Beach, California, from November 4th to 11th.Read Press Release
The Collaboration Sets a New Benchmark in Real-World Validation and Commercialization of EEG Biomarkers for Optimizing Psychiatric TreatmentsRead Press Release
CredHub Perks is powered by Paylode’s industry-leading customer perks platform, delivering deals and discounts to renters who use CredHub’s innovative resident credit reporting service.Read Press Release


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Last night eBay held the presentations for the eBay for Business Awards in London which were hosted by Jenny Campbell of Dragons’ Den fame.
As expected at any awards ceremony, there were some winners and some trophies were presented, but that’s not what really mattered on the night. It was a coming together of an amazing group of people and the message that I took away was that eBay changes lives.
So many stories spoke of eBay being a last chance and a final throw of the dice when life took a turn for the worse. Some of the stories spoke of failing businesses hit by UK recession who turned to eBay wondering if it could add a revenue stream. Others spoke of personal circumstances needing a diversion from being a new parent or having to look after family members and as carers being unable to take on a full time nine to five job. Many spoke of desperate times wondering if they’d be able to keep a roof over their heads and, at least in one case, an award winner started from literally nothing to being able to run a business, get his own flat, pay his bills, pay for food and pay for his own mobile phone.
eBay changes lives. eBay changes lives in truly amazing ways and we too often forget when we are dealing with the frustrations of seller releases and new mandates coming down from on high that eBay has given us opportunities that just a few short years ago simply didn’t exist.
Personally, many moons ago, eBay changed my life when I was made redundant just as I was buying a house and was left with no way to pay the mortgage. Just as eBay gave me an income, 300,000 business sellers make their living in part or in all on eBay and and the opportunity eBay has given you is worth celebrating.
Last night’s eBay for Business Awards celebrated 11 unique eBay stories, but it didn’t stop there. Many of the previous awards winners were back to present the awards and their eBay stories go on.
eBay isn’t just a place to make money, eBay is an amazing opportunity for those who take a chance and when you hear stories such as the grand prize winner who started out with just £50 to his name and turned it into £150,000 in sales setting a base to look after his baby, his parents and his older brother who he cares for, it reminds us why we love eBay. It’s an opportunity that doesn’t care about race, gender, personal circumstances, how much you may have messed up your life in the past and even if you have a history that for many would make you unemployable. eBay is there and an opportunity for anyone and everyone. The eBay for Business Awards were about more than the 11 winners, they were a celebration of how eBay has changed millions of lives and carries on doing so today.
We’ll be publishing the names of the eBay for Business Awards winners shortly and will profile each of them on Tamebay over the next few weeks. But today it’s time to celebrate eBay and how it has changed our lives.


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Deal Gives MySpaceTV’s Viral Tendrils Global Reach
MySpace has tapped ShineReveille to distribute its original television content internationally, opening new channels for overseas markets. MySpace intends to use its reach in television as a launch pad for testing out new content. Major studios might see it as a low-cost way to get a feel on whether a new show might be a hit, rather than filming a more expensive pilot episode.
MySpace on Thursday announced a new partnership with ShineReveille International under which original content developed for MySpaceTV will be distributed internationally. The information was revealed at the MIPTV conference in Cannes, France.
Under the plan, online shows such as “Prom Queen,” “Quarterlife” and “Roommates” will receive deluxe distribution treatment and make their way into overseas markets on international television and DVDs as well as merchandise.
Full story: technewsworld.com


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Ferrero Rocher chocolate and hazelnut confectionery seen in a grocery store.
Alex Tai | SOPA Photographs | LightRocket | Getty Photographs
No reservations are required this Valentine’s Day, because the pandemic makes romantic dinners out much less seemingly. However chocolate will nonetheless be a key a part of the celebration, as individuals specific their love not just for their romantic companions but in addition shut household and mates as nicely.
Eighty-six % of Individuals are planning to buy chocolate or sweet for this yr’s Valentine’s Day, in keeping with information launched from the Nationwide Confectioner’s Affiliation.
“It can in all probability look slightly totally different in 2021 than different years however definitely that acknowledgement of mates continues to be going to be very significant on this season,” mentioned Phil DeConto, vp of class administration and shopper insights at chocolate maker Ferrero, in an interview with CNBC.
Spending this Valentine’s Day is predicted to be down, with customers spending a mean of $165 on items and celebrations this yr, in keeping with a survey by the Nationwide Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. That is down $32 from final yr, largely as a result of individuals celebrating primarily at dwelling.
However chocolate gross sales, particularly for premium merchandise, have been rising. In response to DeConto, whole chocolate consumption through the previous 52 weeks has elevated by 4.7% and premium chocolate is up double that, with the development persevering with into Valentine’s Day.
“Premium chocolate has been in a position to play a job in offering a degree of normalcy or a psychological well being break,” mentioned Deconto. Ferrero owns manufacturers like Kinder, Nutella and Butterfinger, but in addition has premium merchandise like Ferrero’s Golden Gallery.
With these various sweet manufacturers in its portfolio, Ferrero is ready to attraction to a wide selection of customers through the vacation outdoors of conventional romantic relationships. For instance, mother and father might shock kids with a novelty-shaped field of sweets, whereas themed assortment baggage may go for a Galentine’s Day celebration with mates. (Sometimes celebrated on Feb. 13, Galentine’s Day was popularized by the sitcom Parks & Recreation greater than a decade in the past and continues to have a following.)
Ferrero has additionally been seeing elevated demand for its Nutella chocolate hazelnut unfold as customers cook dinner breakfast at dwelling. DeConto mentioned persons are shopping for larger jars of Nutella and extra items as nicely.
“Individuals are making fewer journeys out however after they’re out, they’re making these journeys depend and the 2 methods we have seen that depend was the general basket measurement has elevated and the scale of the unit persons are shopping for has elevated,” he mentioned.
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Soda drinkers and vendors at SF State may soon find sugary drinks sold on campus will have a label to warn against negative health effects.
State Senator Bill Monning introduced a bill Feb. 13 which could require that soda companies place a warning label in clear view on all beverages containing 75 calories or more per 12 ounces, according to the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Safety Warning Act.
The label, created by a panel of nutrition and public health experts, would read: “STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.”
Lobby Shop Manager Elsa Ramos said that if the bill gets passed, it will have a drastic effect on the sales of sugary beverages at her store. The Lobby Shop sells a variety of drinks from Red Bull to Arizona Tea.
“We could promote it,” said Ramos, who added that she has a few solutions in mind to increase the sales. “We can also find an alternative product to sell, such as all natural or organic beverages.”
Holistic health studies Professor Erik Peper agrees with the proposal and thinks that the University should also raise the price of sugary beverages to use the funds for health education classes.
“The warning label is a great way to make students more aware,” said Peper. “But, we need to stop making unhealthy drinks easily accessible.”
The possible warning label would have some students reconsider their options before purchasing a sugary beverage.
Justin Gacula, a senior kinesiology major, said he will drink lemonade and iced tea once in a while, but would stop drinking certain beverages if they contained a warning label that shows how the drink can adversely affect his health.
“I like to create healthier eating and drinking habits as I get older,” said Gacula. “It’s important to take care of your body.”
However, the warning label will not prevent all students from drinking sugary beverages.
Albert Hsieh, a graduate nursing student, said he likes sugary beverages, but usually doesn’t drink them more than three times per week. He added that he thinks the label will affect student’s decisions before purchasing sugary beverages because it will remind them to think about their beverage choices.
“If saw a warning label, I would say I don’t drink these that often, so it’s okay,” said Hsieh. “But, I think sometimes I would still put it down and get something else. It’s all about changing habits and sometimes it’s the little things that make people think.”
The bill, if passed, would go into effect on July 1, 2015.


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Posted Nov 09, 2010 04:09 pm CST
A bargain Omega watch sold by Costco has spurred a Supreme Court case that could have outsourcing implications.
Costco was able to sell an Omega watch for $1,299, despite a suggested retail price of $1,995, because it bought the watches overseas where they were sold more cheaply, Bloomberg News reports. Omega, in an argument supported by the U.S. government, claims copyright infringement.
At issue in the case is whether copyright owners can assert rights over imported goods that are manufactured abroad and sold through overseas distributors.
Costco is asking the court to extend a 1998 decision that said copyright owners can’t prevent the resale of goods after they are manufactured in the United States and then sold abroad. Costco says the decision should also apply when goods are made abroad. The case turns on an interpretation of the first-sale doctrine, which holds that copyright holders can’t stop the resales of their products.
Some justices expressed concern that a ruling for Omega would favor outsourcing, according to Bloomberg and Courthouse News Service.
“What earthly sense would it make to prefer goods that are manufactured abroad over those manufactured in the United States?” asked Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.


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The extension of the preferential car loan program for next year was announced by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. This year, applications for subsidies are accepted until December 20, and from January 1, 2023, banks will resume accepting them.
More than 34,000 cars had been sold under the preferential car loan program by November, according to the ministry. The expected annual sales are 50 thousand cars, and the program budget for the current year is 9.7 billion rubles.
Families with underage children, doctors, teachers, those who buy a car for the first time, as well as military personnel, including mobilized ones, their families, and those who rent a car over six years old for trade-in, can buy a car on preferential terms, provided that owned it for at least a year. You can buy passenger cars and light commercial vehicles of Russian production Lada, UAZ, GAZ, and Chinese Haval, assembled in Russia, as well as Evolute electric vehicles from the Motorinvest Lipetsk plant.
Author: Roman Yakimchuk


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CFA, WELLS FARGO: Invitation to next "Crystal Ball" breakfast session, "Private Label vs Branded Manufacturing."
STOKES ME: SIMA Humanitarian Fund campaign kicks off this week with "Add-A-Buck" promotions in 76 core-store doors.
Details on Industry Insight.
O'Neill is opening a new store in Santa Monica on the corner of 2nd Street and Broadway. Big Grand Opening festivities are planned for Friday and over the weekend.
Above are some photos of the new store.


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CDN Women of the IT Channel Ecosystem 2014
CDN’s fifth annual list of Women in the IT Channel Ecosystem selected top personalities from all sectors of the channel.
These senior women executives are shaping the economy of IT in Canada. This year CDN broke down its list into sections to properly represent each area of the channel. They are leaders, channel chiefs, distributors, trusted advisors and a special category called mavericks, which features executives in sales and marketing roles. There are 23 returning executives from 2013’s list.
There are just three non-Canadian born executives who made the cut. As for the Canadians, some hold worldwide roles, while others have a specific North American responsibility.
Our first category is: Leaders
President, Microsoft Canada
When Janet Kennedy arrived in Canada to take on the role of president of Microsoft Canada, she told CDN that this is her “dream job.” As the face of Microsoft in Canada, Kennedy has one main mission: to transition Microsoft and its channel to the cloud.
After a full year on the job, the Purdue University graduate has worked through a litany of changes at the Canadian subsidiary. She told the Canadian partner ecosystem not to build solutions in a silo anymore and instead integrate big data, social, mobile and look for holistic solutions.
The big piece for most solution providers selling the Microsoft stack is that everyone will have a score card that will be based on cloud consumption in Azure and Office 365. The old licensing sales model will not be a factor anymore.
One of the key things is the better the performance with Azure and Office 365 the more likely Microsoft will invest in your business.
General Manager, Sage Software Canada
Most people are surprised to learn that Simply Accounting was developed in Richmond, B.C. One of the leading brands in software was acquired many years ago and is now one of Sage Software’s flagship products. Nancy Harris’ role at Sage is to build the Sage brand and grow market share in the country by driving the strategy and day-to-day operations for the small business portfolio that also features Sage 50—Canadian Edition and Sage One—Canadian Edition.
Harris lives in Richmond even though she has a North America role with Sage. She was recently appointed vice president and GM of Sage Simply Accounting. One of her mandates is to cultivate an exceptional customer experience for Sage’s partner channels and small business customers.
Connie Certusi, executive vice president at Sage, said Harris brings an entrepreneurial spirit that will resonate within the Sage Simply Accounting community of partners and customers.
Read more: Sage strategic partnerships drive SMB growth
Senior Managing Director, Apple Canada
Apple Canada is leaving their home in Markham, Ont., after more than 30 years for a swanky new downtown Toronto office. Leading this exodus is Wendy Hayes, senior managing director of the Canadian subsidiary. Hayes returned to lead Apple Canada after a two and a half year absence from the Canadian IT industry.
Hayes ran Apple Canada for more than a decade and retired in early 2009. While Apple may not be the friendliest of computing vendors for the channel, they do have a significant Mac dealer network across the country. Hayes’ strengths are strategic planning, sales and marketing along with channel distribution.
Hayes is also a senior board advisor for CEO Global Network, a group dedicated to improving the success and lives of CEOs, their families and companies through networking, mentoring/coaching and a supportive advisory group.
Read more: New Apple Canada president a familiar face
President and CEO, Xerox Canada
Mandy Shapansky is responsible for all Canadian business operations for Xerox including finance, customer service, marketing and sales.
As the former CFO of Xerox Canada, Shapansky usually is a staple on most Top 100 Women’s lists in Canadian business and there is no surprise that she, again, makes the CDN list of Women in the IT Channel Ecosystem.
Shapansky has been praised for her customer-first management style learned from Anne Mulcahy, the savior of Xerox. Shapansky has enabled Xerox Canada to consistently grow its revenue and market share, while capturing significant recognition such as being named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for best practices in inspiring and valuing employees.
The University of Waterloo alum also serves as a director on the boards of Catalyst Canada, the Conference Board of Canada and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters’ (CME) Manufacturing Council of CEOs.
COO, SAP Canada
Leagh Turner has been called Bob Elliott’s right hand woman. Elliott is the president and CEO of SAP Canada.
In the COO’s role, Turner is focused on operations, coordinating the company’s cross functions in the pursuit of unified customer demand strategies, increased pipeline and sales, and, ultimately, happier customers. She leads a comprehensive portfolio of teams including value and solution engineering, marketing, as well as the industry solution group.
The University of Western graduate also spearheaded the opening of a new data centre for SAP in Markham, Ont. this year.
VP and Country Manager, F5 Networks Canada
Most people know Nicole Wengle from her days as a senior leader at Softchoice, who routinely claimed the No. 1 position on CDN’s Top 100 Solution Providers list. Wengle left the organization she called home since 1997 for a new challenge as the vice-president and country manager for F5 Networks Inc. F5 Networks is a high profile application delivery networking vendor based in Seattle, Wash.
In 2014, F5 Networks had another solid year as customers and channel partners responded favourably to its Synthesis architecture, the array of new products the company rolled out in 2013. The company is currently expanding its portfolio of security offerings with the launch of WebSafe and MobileSafe anti-malware solutions.
President, Cisco Canada
New to the list and new to the Canadian market is Bernadette Wightman, the former GM of Cisco Russia.
Wightman became the first woman president of Cisco Canada on Nov. 24 replacing Nitin Kawale who left the subsidiary after six years to be the new president of Rogers Enterprise Business Unit.
Not much is known about Wightman, but she did lead the sales organizations in developing markets for Cisco in countries such as Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
Wightman does have significant channel experience, having run the channel and commercial sales teams for Cisco’s Emerging Theatre. According to the company, the Emerging Theatre is the largest Cisco commercial theatre outside of the Americas. It covers 84 countries and more than 10,000 channel partners.


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Singapore-based mobile VoIP vendor REVE Systems is participating in India Telecom 2010: The 5th International Exhibition and Conference, which will be held in New Delhi Dec. 9-11, 2010.
The company is showing its IP-softswitch, billing products and mobile VoIP solutions during the three-day long event. Company officials say this year they’ll exhibit their IP-softswitch iTel Switch Plus and mobile VoIP tools.
ITel Switch Plus has class 4 and class 5 switch features, and is a carrier grade softswitch with an integrated billing platform that, according to company officials, fits “the business needs of all VoIP service providers irrespective of their scale of business.”
Also on display will be tunneling products, billing tools and other products for IP telephony service providers. Rezaul Hassan, CEO of REVE Systems says, “We are excited to participate in India Telecom 2010 as India is one of our potential markets. We believe that the launch of 3G services in India will bring a remarkable change in consumer behavior in terms of data usage and will accelerate the growth in the number of mobile connections. The introduction of 3G will provide the Indian mobile users a better data experience on mobile.”
There will also be a live demonstration of the iTel Mobile VoIP tools during the event. Visitors can register online or meet company officials at stand 1461 in Hall 14 of Pragati Maidan (the exhibition center).
In September, TMC’s (News - Alert) Stefania Viscusi reported that REVE Systems has announced the release of the latest version of iTel Mobile Dialer Express with g.729 codec for Windows Mobile. According to company officials at the time, iTel Mobile Dialer Express is a softphone for making mobile calls using VoIP, aimed at Internet telephony service providers who are looking to offer a complete suite of advanced Mobile VoIP capabilities to their customers.
In addition, this softphone can be branded according to a service provider’s requirement for their specific IP Telephony services.
The latest version of the Mobile VoIP dialer now also includes support for the g.729 codec on Windows Mobile 6.0 operating system and further releases and because of its low bandwidth consumption feature, among all audio codecs, g.729 is widely used in VoIP applications.