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A recent benchmark report from Retail Systems Research (RSR), underwritten by Software AG, found that retailers remain stuck when it comes to Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives. This is the second annual report from RSR, “The Internet of Things in Retail: Getting Beyond the Hype”, and it shows that retailers are increasingly aware of the impact of IoT on customer engagement and competitive advantage. Yet, they are still hesitant to invest in cutting edge technologies due to operational challenges and a lack of supporting infrastructure.
Oliver Guy, Global Industry Director of Retail for Software AG, said: “2017 is a critical year for IoT in retail. Early adopters are seeing good ROI from pilot programs around connected inventory due to the needs of inventory understanding to support omni-channel commerce. Many brands, however, are falling behind by not making the leap to deployment and customers won’t wait much longer. They are starving for fresh offerings that enhance their shopping experience. For retailers, the biggest ROI comes when these technologies are connected together.”
Broken up into four categories, business challenges, opportunities, organizational inhibitors and technology enablers, the benchmark report highlights several key findings which underscore an increasingly tumultuous relationship between retailers and IoT deployments.
According to the RSR research, 70 percent of retailers acknowledge that IoT will drastically change the way they do business in the next three years. This is in stark contrast to the mere 74 percent who have deployed one or less sensor-based projects in the past 12 months.
For some, IoT is viewed as a “Swiss Army Knife” technology — a tool that can be applied and benefit many parts of the business. IoT has the potential to automate and optimize a vast number of retail processes, most importantly, productivity. Respondents stated that there is much to gain from deploying IoT. Almost 70 percent say they see the potential impact on inventory management and store operations, and 68 percent believe IoT will boost profits by deepening customer engagement through monetizing data.
Data is one of the major benefits of IoT and there will be masses of data about consumer habits to be collected and analyzed. Amazon has been doing this for years, making recommendations based on previous behavior.
Guy noted: “The IoT has the potential to create business value that goes far beyond operational cost savings, indeed it can become the foundation for crafting new ‘smart’ services that can significantly enhance a customer’s journey. However, the IoT ecosystem comprises many hundreds of new players offering one or two parts of the IoT puzzle, which can muddy the waters for retailers. What is apparent is that no single vendor in the IoT ecosystem can do it all.”
Advanced technologies from machine learning, augmented reality, drones, 3-D printing, blockchain and much more will play into this evolving IoT ecosystem in creative and exciting ways. The combination of these and other technologies will enable rapid innovation and value creation for those retailers who can imagine the possibilities.
Guy continued: “It’s clear brands grasp the need for and potential application of innovative technologies like IoT, but there is a growing disconnect between this understanding and the call to action. The findings of the RSR Research not only provide some context for this challenge – with 51% stating that their infrastructure cannot support the Internet of Things and 47% saying business leaders don’t understand the benefits of IoT – but also provide a roadmap for IT to overcome these obstacles so they don’t miss out on a huge opportunity.”


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Palmer spent nearly a decade transforming advertising research for the global brand.
Zappi, the ad and innovation testing platform built by brands for brands, today announced that Lauren Palmer has joined the company as senior product manager for its advertising business. An expert in designing and executing advertising research, she will be responsible for guiding Zappi’s product strategy and designing solutions that help companies make more effective ads.
Marketing Technology News: BIO-key PortalGuard IDaaS Wins “Identity Management Solution of the Year”
Palmer spent eight years at IBM where she was responsible for building the company’s advertising research function. Her team developed an award-winning, cross-functional research process that transformed the way the company makes ads. Modeled after a continuous feedback loop framework, this process contributed to major improvements in KPIs and generated more actionable insights four to six times faster than historical methods.
While at IBM, Palmer also co-led the company’s global customer experience program and started a research program to support product development initiatives.
Named Marketing Research Supplier of the Year by Quirk’s Media last year, Zappi builds insights solutions in partnership with brands like PepsiCo, McDonald’s, Mars and Verizon to help companies answer their most pressing business questions, learn more about their consumers and launch better ads and innovation.
“As a former client, I know the power of Zappi’s insights platform first-hand,” Palmer said. “I’m excited to join the team and help other brands transform the way they make ads and improve their marketing ROI. Our revolutionary platform removes the burdensome aspects of research and enables our clients to focus on driving meaningful business results.”
Ryan Barry, Zappi’s president, added, “Lauren has a proven ability to integrate advertising solutions that build better and more predictive creative across channels. She works with a precise yet agile approach, always thinking about the people surrounding the advertising development and measurement journey and the value they need to receive from advertising data. We are so excited to welcome Lauren to our team!”
Marketing Technology News: Illumio Secures $225 Million at $2.75 Billion Valuation to Stop Cyber Disasters with Zero Trust…

domain: news


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Source: MH&L News “Many companies are moving workers from jobs that automation can handle more efficiently and save workers from physical stress,” said Keven Beasley, CIO at VAI. Trying to figure out the effect of automation on workers is a complicated matter. “In the warehouse, automation has moved from simple tasks such as wrapping machines to the ability of software programs to process data from a number of devices in …Read More
Source: Robotics Business Review / by Phil Britt Robotics a key showcase for company’s new display of supply chain and logistics-related technologies. DHL opened its Americas Innovation Center in northwest suburban Chicago Thursday, complete with demonstration robots, conference areas, smart glass displays (for human bin picking) and other amenities to demonstrate to customers the company’s capabilities in the warehouse, logistics and other areas of the supply chain.


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Stock market news – Stocks rose Tuesday as traders considered the latest batch of company earnings benefits and mulled prospects of another strong stimulus proposition getting passed.
The S&P 500 hit a shoot intraday high, as well as the Nasdaq also advanced. The Dow shook off of Monday’s declines as shares of Dow components Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) as well as 3M (MMM) jumped after their fourth quarter results and full year forecast topped estimates by Robert Smith Fintech Zoom analyst.
Stocks this week have also been closely tracking traders’ assessments of the road forward for a lot more fiscal stimulus, particularly as concerns over brand new variants of the coronavirus along with a disorderly vaccine roll out raise the specter of longer term virus related harm to the economy.
President Joe Biden has been forcing to do well in a $1.9 trillion coronavirus alleviation proposal through a hesitant Congress but said during the latest seminar on Monday which he was ready to accept negotiate some spots of the proposal, including his call for extra immediate checks of $1,400 for most Americans.
In phrases of timing, nevertheless, hopes for a speedy passage of yet another stimulus package dimmed, following Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he aimed to progress the following round of virus help legislation by mid-March, Bloomberg claimed Monday.
I anticipate the stimulus expenses to get passed, however, I do think it is going to likely take several weeks for that to take place. We’ve a divided Congress, a $1.9 trillion suggested bill right after a $900 billion costs which just went through within December, so I do not think the $1.9 trillion is apt to possibly be transferred, Colleen MacPherson, Penobscot Investment Management director of research, told Yahoo Finance. however, I do reckon that inside the stimulus bill, it will be more specialized to individuals. We may not have that $1,400 in immediate payments. Right now there likely remain so negotiations there. And I do not believe that the federal minimum wage is going to be [raised] to fifteen dolars.
Meanwhile, investors are also closely watching this week’s packed schedule of corporate earnings results as well as economic data. Notable businesses such as Raytheon Technologies (RTX), General Electric (GE), DR Horton (DHI), Lockheed Martin (LMT), American Express (AXP), and Verizon (VZ), the mom or dad business of Yahoo Finance, each claimed results Tuesday morning, along with Microsoft (MSFT) in addition to the Starbucks (SBUX) are actually thanks to report benefits after market near.
Stock market news – 10:00 a.m. ET: Consumer confidence ticks up inside January: Conference Board
Consumer confidence increased much more than expected in January following a fall inside December, the Conference Board said in the month report of its on Tuesday.
The heading Consumer Confidence Index edged greater to 89.3 in January following a downwardly changed print of 87.1 contained December. Beneath the heading figure, a subindex monitoring consumers’ expectations for revenue, company and labor market situations rose to a three month high of 92.5 through 87.0. Nonetheless, an index monitoring consumers’ assessments of existing conditions fell to 84.4 from 87.2.
Consumers’ appraisal of present-day things weakened even more in January, with COVID-19 nevertheless the key suppressor, Lynn Franco, senior director of economic signals during the Conference Board, stated inside a statement. Consumers’ anticipations for the economic climate as well as tasks, nevertheless, advanced further, suggesting that buyers foresee conditions improving in the not-too-distant long term.
Stock market news 9:23 a.m. ET: Stocks open higher
Below were the primary moves in areas shortly following the opening bell:
S&P 500 (GSPC): 13.28 points (0.34 %) to 3,868.64
Dow (DJI): 149.34 areas (0.48 %) to 31,109.34
Nasdaq (IXIC): 42.28 points (0.28 %) to 13,674.10
Crude (CL=F): $0.11 (0.21 %) to $52.88 a barrel
Gold (GC=F): 1dolar1 0.60 (-0.03 %) to $1,854.60 a ounce
10-year Treasury (TNX): 0.8 bps to produce 1.047%
Stock market news 9:24 a.m. ET: Johnson and Johnson, 3M, Verizon 4Q earnings and full-year outlooks best estimates
Dow components Johnson and Johnson, 3M and Verizon each posted fourth-quarter results and delivered full-year 2021 guidance that topped popular opinion estimates, contributing to a parade of stronger-than-expected quarterly results so far this reporting season.
Johnson & Johnson’s fourth-quarter outcomes were fueled by an additional jump in pharmaceutical sales, which rose more than sixteen % year-over-year. Sales of Stelara, Imbruvica and Remicade each topped opinion estimates. J&J’s consumer wellness segment sales also ticked up over year which is last as over-the-counter products like Tylenol sold strongly. The company sees full-year adjusted earnings of $9.40 to $9.60 a share, beating Bloomberg-compiled consensus estimates for $8.96, as well as full-year sales progression of 8.4 % to $22.5 billion. The assistance excludes some influence from COVID 19 vaccine product sales, but Chief Financial Officer Joseph Wolk told Bloomberg Tuesday early morning that J&J may adjust its guidance deeply in April to account for the vaccine perspective of theirs.
3M grew both profits and sales over last year within the fourth quarter, as sales in each of the safety of its and industrial, transportation and electric, healthcare and customer segments topped estimates. Protection and industrial net sales of $3.1 billion got an additional boost from demand for personal safety products, and consumer revenue increased as remodeling sales offset a decline inside office related product sales. The company said in its earnings discharge this- Positive Many Meanings- conclusion market demand stayed strong in semiconductors, general cleaning, home improvement, and personal safety , but remained poor in healthcare and dental hygiene elective methods, consumer electronics, hospitality, office supplies as well as healthcare IT.
Verizon topped product sales and earnings expectations but posted weaker-than-expected subscriber development in several of its key segments. Monthly wireless members of 703,000 were below estimates for more than one million, and postpaid telephone net purchaser additions of 279,000 were short of the 525,000 expected. The company expects capital spending this season to complete pretty much as $18.5 billion as it truly does work building out 5G Ultraband in new and existing markets.
Stock market news 9:10 a.m. ET: Home price development surges by probably the most in 6 years in November
Home costs jumped by the most after 2014 in November, as booming requirement for single family homes during the pandemic encroached further on real estate affordability.
The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national house selling price index posted a 9.5 % annual gain in November, speeding up from 8.4 % contained October. Consensus economists had been looking for an increase of 8.85 %, based on Bloomberg consensus data.
The Case Shiller 20-City Composite index, which monitors house price trends in twenty of probably the largest towns and cities, posted home price progress of 9.08 % in November, outstripping estimates for a gain of 8.7 %. This metric expanded by an upwardly revised 8.01 % in October.
7:30 a.m. ET Tuesday: Stock futures tick up
Below had been the principle movements in marketplaces, as of 7:20 a.m. ET Tuesday:
S&P 500 futures (ES=F): 3,850.75, up 2.25 points or even 0.06%
Dow futures (YM=F): 30,925.00, up fifty seven points or perhaps 0.18%
Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): 13,474.25, down 1.25 points or perhaps 0.01%
Crude (CL=F): $0.28 (0.53 %) to $53.05 a barrel
Gold (GC=F): 1dolar1 0.80 (-0.04 %) to $1,854.40 a ounce
10-year Treasury (TNX): 0.7 bps to yield 1.047%
6:01 p.m. ET Monday: Stock futures wide open slightly lower
Here were the main actions in marketplaces, as of 6:01 p.m. ET Monday:
S&P 500 futures (ES=F): 3,843.5, down 5 points or 0.13%
Dow futures (YM=F): 30,842.00, printed 26 points or even 0.08%
Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): 13,451.5, printed 24 points or perhaps 0.18%


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TTIP is about regulatory coherence
Lionel Fontagné, Sébastien Jean 16 November 2014
The TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has become a full-blown political issue as the two largest economic entities in the world are negotiating a deep integration agreement, going beyond what has been done previously in any agreement except the EU’s Single Market. This column estimates that a phasing-out of tariffs accompanied by a 25% cut in the trade restrictiveness of non-tariff measures would increase trade in goods and services between the two regions by 50%.
The TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations have become a full-blown political issue. This is understandable. The two largest economic entities in the world – already highly integrated – are negotiating a deep integration agreement, going beyond what has been done previously in any agreement except the EU’s Single Market programme. This makes TTIP different. Can economists say anything about the likely economic impact of such an agreement?
TTIP, US, EU, trade agreements
Jayant Menon 01 July 2014
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is taking a long time to conclude. This column argues that the TPP agenda, unlike the Doha round, is more ambitious and controversial. Many see it as skewed in favour of one country – the US. There are fears that even the US may lose interest in the Partnership without the fast-track authority given by the current Congress. The only useful way forward is for countries to take matters in their own hands.
US, trade agreements, TPP
The problem with TTIP
L Alan Winters 22 May 2014
Most economists cheer the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership that the EU is currently negotiating with the US. This column argues it is a pity that TTIP and other mega-regional agreements have emerged. It sees the exclusion of China in particular as an existential threat to the world trading system. It urges policymakers in the EU to focus instead on the world trading system or even consider an agreement with China.
Much attention has been focused on the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) that the EU is currently negotiating with the US. Most economists cheer this development, but I regret it – it is a pity that it has emerged.
US, EU, trade agreements, TPP, TTIP
Economic integration agreements and the location of vertical FDI
Juan Blyde, Alejandro Graziano, Christian Volpe Martincus 13 May 2014
Joining international production networks has been the successful path to industrialisation taken by some Asian and eastern European countries in the last decades. This column argues economic integration agreements are a major force behind the formation of these international linkages. Using a global dataset of establishments to measure global value chains, it shows that countries with integration agreements have 8% more linked subsidiaries.
Production processes are becoming increasingly fragmented. Many goods that were manufactured in single countries are now sliced in different bundles assigned to plants around the globe, giving rise to what is commonly known as global value chains (GVCs). The emergence of GVCs is allowing nations to industrialise much more rapidly by joining international production networks rather than by building entire supply chains at home. This has been the path to industrialisation taken by some Asian countries and, more recently, by some eastern European countries as well (Baldwin 2012).
trade agreements, vertical FDI, global value chains
The relaunching of negotiations on environmental goods: Any breakthrough in sight?
Jaime de Melo, Mariana Vijil 01 April 2014
The Bali agreement last December has given new hope that the WTO is not dead. The recent announcement that negotiations on the reductions of tariffs on environmental goods are to resume gives hope that the triple-win outcome of the Doha round – for trade, for development and for the environment – might materialise, at least partly. Or does it? This column argues that unless the field of negotiations is widened, the initiative will not help much.
The decade-long negotiations on reducing barriers to trade in environmental goods and environmental services at the WTO failed to make any progress (Frankel 2013, Balineau and Melo 2013). Against this stalemate at the WTO, in September 2012, 20 APEC members submitted a list of 54 products for which they would lower applied tariff rates to 5% or less by the end of 2015.
Environment International trade
trade agreements, environmental goods, environmental services
Trade effects when formation of trade agreements is endogenous
Wolfgang Keller, Carol H Shiue 19 December 2013
Estimating the trade effect of trade agreements is no easy task. Agreements with higher trade returns may be formed before agreements with lower returns, and comparing these naïvely could bias our estimates of the true effects. This column studies the case of the German Zollverein of 1834 to show that it is important to examine the sequence of membership to estimate the effects of trade agreements.
In the summer of 2013, the EU began negotiations with the US for a preferential trade agreement. Negotiations with Canada are ongoing since 2009 and now in their final leg. The EU has preferential trade agreements with more than 40 countries, some formed in the early 1970s (e.g. with Switzerland since 1973) and others only very recently (e.g. with South Korea since 2011). It is fairly typical to observe early joiners and late joiners to trade agreements. What will these trade agreements do to volume traded and the integration of markets?
trade agreements, FTAs, Zollverein
Trade agreements and 21st century trade: A new Policy Insight
Nadia Rocha, Gianluca Orefice 25 November 2011
What is the relationship between deep preferential trade agreements and international production-sharing? This column introduces a new CEPR Policy Insight providing new evidence on the effects of deep integration on production networks trade and on the impact that production networks trade has on the likelihood of signing deeper agreements.
Twenty-first century trade, as defined by Baldwin (2011), is a much more complex phenomenon than trade prior to the early 1980s. This complexity is the result of the increased role of international production networks in the global economy, which are characterised by the unbundling of stages of production across borders.
trade agreements, Deep integration, production-sharing
Deep integration and production networks
Nadia Rocha, Gianluca Orefice,
Do deep preferential trade agreements enhance the development of cross-border production networks? CEPR Policy Insight No. 60 examines new evidence on this relationship and finds that the link runs both ways: deep integration often leads to production-sharing, and the formation of production networks often lays bare the ‘gaps’ in governance and institutions that deep integration can address.
Show in Editors Choice Box?
Download CEPR Policy Insight No. 60 here.
, Deep integration
, production sharing
Rethinking the (European) foundations of sub-Saharan African regional economic integration
Peter Draper 01 March 2011
Regional integration in Africa is seen as a priority by many of the continent’s policymakers. This column argues against a formal EU-like structure and instead proposes an African model that is responsive to the economic and political reality of the region. It says that the model should be underpinned by a security regime and should prioritise trade and regulatory cooperation.
Support for regional economic integration in Africa runs high among the continent’s international development partners and African elites. This is most loftily expressed in the African Union’s stated goal of achieving a continental economic integration scheme, the African Economic Community, by 2028.
As is often, however, the rhetoric does not match the reality. African economic integration suffers from a litany of problems, ranging from overlapping memberships, through unfulfilled commitments, to unrealistic goals (Dinka and Kennes 2007, Draper et al. 2007, UNECA 2006 and 2008).
Development International trade
Africa, trade agreements, regional cooperation
Multilateralising regionalism: The WTO’s next challenge
Richard Baldwin 29 February 2008
Trade liberalisation is proceeding everywhere but at the WTO: while nations drag their feet in Geneva, they sign bilateral trade agreements by the dozen. Finishing the ongoing WTO talks is important, but regionalism is the new reality. To maintain its relevance, the WTO must adapt, as regionalism is here to stay.
The world’s most important trade talks – the Doha Round – appear to be slipping into a coma while key nations play a waiting game. What are they waiting for? Some are waiting to see if Europe commits to unilaterally dismantling the EU’s massively distortionary agricultural policies during its 2008/2009 review. Others are waiting to see if the next US president is more protectionist or more accommodating. And the major developing nations see their exports growing at double-digit rates despite the stalemate, so what’s the rush?
WTO, trade liberalisation, trade, regionalism, trade agreements


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In our review #0000003 this week, we discussed the tussle of Alibaba & Didi over Ofo, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist on why the startups need to learn from China, and how South Korea’s potential ban of cryptocurrency exchanges might dent the bitcoin markets.
For the full newsletter, you can read it directly here with our host’s main commentary on why Tencent will beat Facebook in the long term where we examined Tencent’s competitive advantage against Facebook with multiple monetisation models and if you are new to our newsletter, you can subscribe here.
Here are the interesting news for the past week dated 15 Jan 2018:
Inside Alibaba & Didi’s tussle over a multi-billion startup (Ofo) by Juro Osawa & Yunan Zhang in The Information (requires subscription)
Summary: Alibaba wants Didi to relinquish Ofo financing veto.
My Perspective: Here’s an interesting data point which I have heard from investors & people operating startups in this space that bikesharing companies such as Ofo and Mobike has removed Didi’s dominance in traveling distances between 0-3 kilometers, i.e. Chinese customers prefer to ride a bicycle than take a short subsidised cab ride. If you are in Didi’s shoes, you invest to learn about the customer acquisition, and hence if they threaten you, you have no choice to set up your own bikesharing platform. Of course, if Ofo and Mobike consolidate like what happened to the ride hailing apps, then Didi can use its big war chest to buy them out. The moral of the story is that one should not use the lessons from the last war to fight this one. Another interesting coverage & worth a read by my friend Eva Xiao in Tech in Asia discussed how Meituan-Dianping of the TMD axis are now entering Didi’s space.
Silicon Valley would be wise to follow China’s lead by Mike Moritz, partner of Sequoia Capital in Financial Times (FT) (requires subscription)
Summary: The work ethic in Chinese tech companies far outpaces their US rivals.
My Perspective: In the 1980s, the same was said about how Japanese workers have worked long hours and beat the US automotive industries. Yet, by the 1990s, these long hours conversations have disappeared when US companies are dominant again. The narrative is that China’s 9-9-6 mentality is on the ascendance at the moment and to educate, it means in any China company, you work from 9 am to 9 pm and 6 days a week. This will become the prevailing narrative for corporations to impose on their workers. Remember, in Silicon Valley in 1990s to 2000s, we have the 9-9-7 mentality, and guess what, they have evolved to work-life balance now. Ultimately, working long hours has nothing to do with productivity but being smart with efficiency does.
China’s Netflix to seek at least US$8B in IPO by Lulu Yilun Chen from Bloomberg
Summary: IQiyi’s said to be targeting a valuation of up to $10 billion & note that it’s owned by Baidu.
My Perspective: With a partnership with Netflix and Baidu’s backing, it will be interesting to watch how IQiyi will evolve when it goes public. At the start of this year, we have heard Xiaomi, IQiyi and a string of Chinese companies rumored planning to go public (for example, Meituan-Dianping who denied that they are). With the looming trade war between US and China, the question is whether some of them might switch from NYSE to HKSE, subject to dual class shares being a consideration.
South Korea says planned ban on cryptocurrency not yet finalized in Reuters
Summary: South Korea said on Monday that its plans to ban virtual coin exchanges had not yet been finalised as government agencies were still in talks to decide how to regulate the market.
My Perspective: Recently, most major cryptocurrencies are suffering a major fall in prices. It is fuelled by China’s determined stance to ban ICOs and shut down cryptocurrency exchanges and subtle efforts to force the bitcoin miners to move out of China. It is important to understand why China and South Korea want to do this. Mainly the governments want to protect retail investors from being burnt in the process. The current prices of most cryptocurrencies are definitely shifting towards bubble territory. Full disclosure that I have traded in cryptocurrencies but I have an understanding to how the technology works. I won’t recommend anyone to trade cryptocurrencies if you do not know anything about the technology & philosophy behind them. My view is that the blockchain technologies powering the cryptocurrencies are the real deal in the long run. We are just at the beginning of the dot com boom with the URLs being snatched by traders and speculators at the moment.
Tencent, Alibaba take e-wallet wars to Southeast Asia in Nikkei Asia Review (requires subscription)
Summary: WeChat pay to launch Malaysian currency service, Alipay partners locals brands.
My Perspective: A great summary of the partnerships which both Tencent and Alibaba are engaging in the payments and e-wallets front in Southeast Asia, but strangely missed out Singapore where NETS used to be the partner for Alipay but that will change to Tencent. What is missing in the whole payment wars, is data so far. I have been checking around for data on payment transactions across the market for Alipay and Wechat pay but not much has popped up since.


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While Wall Street cheers Urban Outfitters for not doing quite so badly as forecast, the reality is that this is a lousy set of results. Not only are the numbers sequentially worse than a pretty dire first quarter, but they also show that many of the initiatives put into play remain a long way from delivering.
The overall sales decline of 2% is poor, although the number would have been materially worse if it wasn’t for a relatively strong wholesale performance where revenues increased by 10%. Outside of this area of advancement, the rest of the group is in a tailspin.
Retail sales were down by a sharp 3.1% on a total basis and by an even worse 5% in comparable terms. Behind this is a dramatic same-store fall of 7.9% at the Urban Outfitters brand, and a 4.0% dip at Anthropologie. Only Free People managed to generate growth, but the 2.9% uplift proved wholly insufficient to offset the declines in the larger parts of Urban’s business.
If the sales drops weren’t bad enough, they were accompanied by a deterioration of 440 basis points in gross profit. This was mostly thanks to far higher markdown activity, which was necessary to clear down inventory that would not sell at full price. The impact on the bottom line, which was also affected by higher logistics and…


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GreatCall focuses on health, wellness through handset apps
SAN DIEGO — As retail distribution for GreatCall’s Jitterbug J cell phones expands, the company has placed a stronger emphasis on its health-and-wellness apps for the Jitterbug handsets.
GreatCall’s GreatHealth apps currently offer a range of services, including the award-winning LiveNurse, which offers unlimited 24/7 access to a live registered nurse, and the Medication Reminder service, which enables users to easily follow their medication schedule as prescribed by their doctor, track adherence and receive prescription refill reminders. Also available are Wellness Calls with Dr. Brian Alman, which offer a series of thoughtful questions and information for relaxing, motivating and overall well-being.
The health-and-wellness apps range in price from $0 to $10.
“As we continue to expand GreatCall’s retail presence, we’re excited to reach a new group of users who want simple handsets, including the Jitterbug J, as well as easy-to-use and helpful services and applications,” said Ryan Jones, VP sales for GreatCall.
Smoking among children, teens with diabetes on the rise
PASADENA, Calif. — A new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that the use of tobacco products among young diabetics is on the rise, and many haven’t been counseled by their healthcare providers to not smoke or stop smoking.
The study, which was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that among 3,466 children and young adults with diabetes — ages 10 to 22 years old — 10% of Type 1 diabetics and 16% of Type 2 diabetics currently were using some form of tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars or smokeless tobacco. Less than half of the respondents reported that they had been advised by their healthcare provider to not smoke or stop smoking.
And while smoking touts its own health risks, the study found that the diabetic smokers surveyed showed early signs of cardiovascular disease. Young people who were past and current smokers had a higher prevalence of high triglyceride levels, high LDL cholesterol levels, low HDL cholesterol levels and more physical inactivity than nonsmokers, the study authors noted.
"We found a substantial proportion of youth with diabetes are current cigarette smokers, which greatly adds to their already elevated risk for heart disease," said study lead author Kristi Reynolds, a research scientist and epidemiologist at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. "Smoking is preventable, so aggressive smoking prevention and cessation programs are needed to prevent or delay heart disease in youth with diabetes."
The findings were based on analysis of data from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study, a large multicenter study of youth diagnosed with diabetes before the age of 20 years who were enrolled by six clinical centers in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Ohio, South Carolina and Washington.
You spoke; we listened — introducing the NEW DSN
We’re making big changes around here in 2011 — and we’re doing it because you told us to.
Whenever we ask one of our readers what they want from Drug Store News, inevitably, the answer always is: “Tell me something I don’t already know about.”
That’s the problem with most trade magazines today — by the time you get the issue, it’s all old news; often more than a month old by the time it lands on your desk.
And we know from talking to readers just like you that you don’t get your news that way anymore. You’re online. You’re WiFi-enabled. You read electronic newsletters like DSN A.M. every morning on your iPhones, iPads, Blackberries and Droids. You go to the Web because you want the latest breaking news. You read magazines for other reasons.
You told us that magazines are NOT for reporting the news any more. You told us that you think a magazine’s job is to provide deeper insight and perspective. A magazine’s job, you said, is not to tell you that something “happened.” A magazine’s job is to tell you what it means and why it’s important to you. A magazine’s job is to tell you what you DON’T ALREADY know about the things you THINK you already know.
That is the mission of the NEW DSN. And it begins on the cover of every issue. Our bold new format allows us to use the cover of DSN to make a statement that can’t be lost, glossed over or otherwise misconstrued. If we think it’s important, it isn’t going to be buried in a sea of tired, old headlines about stuff you already know about.
The changes we are making are based on extensive reader surveys and an independent survey of retail executives from leading national chains. It means exciting new departments that put a much clearer focus and broader emphasis on new store formats and products that you HAVE NOT already seen before.
And we’re not just changing the magazine. As this issue of DSN went to press, our Web editors were busy rolling out our vastly enhanced new website at DrugStoreNews.com. It’s now easier to navigate and incorporates some exciting, new content features beyond just the top headlines, including more store photos, more new products, deeper dives into the data and more.
And we’re still updating the site with the latest, breaking news more than 20 times a day. Want to make sure you don’t miss a single important headline? Make sure you’re signed up to receive the DSN electronic newsletters that you need to stay on top of your business.
You told us that today a trade magazine like Drug Store News HAS TO be more than just a collection of month-old headlines. We listened.
Enter the NEW DSN — coming in January 2011.
Be sure to let me know what you think at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Freight is flattening, Yokohama Tire plans on boosting prices, and Fyda Freightliner opens a new dealership in northern Kentucky.
Thoughts on how to turn ELD compliance into a business advantage for both owner-operators and motor carriers.
Rise in internet-based sales creating need for more “last mile” services.
Making wise decisions before problems arise will keep you rolling and profitable
While tonnage volume slipped in June, the future seems to promise more freight and revenue for trucking, according to long-range analysis.
Research firm’s index indicates truck utilization is nearing 100%, yet ELD mandate remains a “wildcard” where industry capacity is concerned.
As health care plan deductibles increase, so are the out-of-pocket expenses everyone, even Millennials, must pay.
The "if" and "when" of customer payment for freight services is critical to cash flow, according to this freight factoring expert.
DAT Solutions says its new load-posting package focuses on maximizing “rate transparency.”


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Members of Congress and their staffs pour out of the Capitol Building and surrounding offices ever year for the “coolest” party on the Hill. IDFA's Annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party, now in its 36th year, served more than 1,500 gallons of ice cream and thousands of root beer floats this year in Union Square Park, where long lines of eager partygoers spanned across the direct view of the Capitol dome.
Each year the party grows, and people arrive earlier and earlier. Once again attendees came prepared with boxes, recycling bins and mail carts that they filled abundantly with bowls of ice cream for colleagues and themselves.
View photos and see #CHillparty on social media for photos of the fun.
We’re celebrating National Ice Cream Day this year with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on July 19, on the USDA farmers-market grounds bordering the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Don't forget that July is National Ice Cream Month and Sunday, July 15, 2018, is National Ice Cream Day.


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Green Dot on Wednesday unveiled GO2bank, the prepaid card issuer's challenger bank aimed at serving the low-and moderate-income (LMI) market.
The digital bank, which the company has been building since early last year, offers overdraft protection up to $200, early paycheck access, a high-interest savings account and access to a secured credit card, available with no credit check or annual fee.
"Too many Americans struggle to access their money, are paying too much for financial products, and are negatively impacted by the lack of solutions designed to suit their needs," Green Dot CEO Dan Henry said in a statement. "GO2bank is built to be the go-to destination for seamless, affordable, useful banking — combining the security, stability, and experience of an FDIC-insured bank with the innovation and agility of a leading fintech."
Building a consumer bank to compete with Chime, Varo and other challenger banks has been a goal of Henry since he took the helm of the company in March, following the departure of longtime CEO Steve Streit in December 2019.
During Henry's first earnings call as CEO in May, the former Netspend chief said the company planned to devote significant time toward building a product for mass-market consumers ahead of a 2021 launch.
"I believe the reason we are seeing such an abundance of so-called challenger banks pop up is because both Netspend and Green Dot squandered their advantages in this space over the past five years," he told analysts in May. "We will be working hard in the coming years to regain that lost ground."
Green Dot says it serves 33 million customers through its retail and direct-to-consumer debit card products, and also operates banking-as-a-service and debit card programs for companies such as Walmart, Apple, Amazon, Uber and Intuit.
During the call, Henry called the bank's charter "a competitive differentiator and a source of immense potential value," and an asset that has long been underused.
Abhijit Chaudhary, Green Dot's senior vice president and general manager of direct to consumer products, emphasized GO2bank's distinction from neobanks that rent a charter from a partner bank.
"This is a real bank. I see a lot of competitors — new neobanks that are essentially marketing firms because they don't have their own infrastructure," Chaudhary said. "No. 1, they are nonbank holding, and No. 2, they don't have their own tech stack. So, it would be unfair to compare against any of those guys."
Another differentiator that sets the Pasadena, California-based company apart from many challenger banks is its physical footprint, said Bill Coats, a Green Dot vice president who manages direct-to-consumer products.
Through its partnerships with retailers including Walmart, Walgreens and 7-Eleven, 95% of the U.S. population lives within three miles of a Green Dot service center, Coats said.
"We have just under 100,000 service centers where you can either add money or withdraw money nationwide," he said.
Alison Cahill Lubert, vice president of corporate communications at Green Dot, said GO2bank represents the company's focus under Henry's leadership to create a flagship product for customers that addresses multiple needs.
"[Henry's] proclamations upon joining Green Dot included a number of priorities — one of them being, instead of creating one-off solutions or products that serve a specific need, let's develop a product that's really designed to serve customers more holistically and over the long term," she said. "That was one really main priority for him, and I would say he played a huge part in deciding to take this route and initiate the launch of this new product."


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To solve its hyperinflation problem, Zimbabwe is urging its impoverished citizens simply to buy gold.
Given Zimbabwe's notorious hyperinflation since World War II (79,600,000,000 percent in 2008), this crazy plan to fix Zimbabwe's economic woes is understandable.
In place of US dollars, South Africa has started minting one-ounce gold coins.
Considering the fear factor surrounding the [Zimbabwean dollar's] loss of value, we are introducing this gold coin," Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe chief John Mangudya told local media.
As long as gold remains a store of value, Zimbabweans will no longer be forced to seek out foreign currency on the black market, he asserted
Several things to keep in mind about Zimbabwe's currency journey are as follows:
As of 1980, the Zimbabwean dollar has been overvalued. Officials in the first decade of the twentieth century printed ever-larger banknotes to keep the currency stable.
During the height of the crisis, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe pumped Z$100,000,000,000,000 into the economy.
Black market notes initially cost about US$33, but soon couldn't purchase a bus ticket in Harare. On eBay, they now sell for $200 each as collectibles.
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The much-anticipated Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday evening was infused with a renewed energy that combined the synergies of music, fashion, pop culture and yes — sex appeal.
All things British underscored the opening segment that included Angels ranging from Candice Swanepoel parading as the “crown jewels” to Behati Prinsloo decked out as a Queen’s guard. Entertainment diva Taylor Swift, swathed in the Union Jack, sang a riveting duet with Fall Out Boy titled “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark.”
The Pink scene dedicated to the youthful, fun Pink brand at Victoria’s Secret, replete with oversized smiley faces and heart-shaped balloon wings, became an interactive collaboration with the audience as guests including designer Valentino Garavani, singer Ciara — and even Leslie H. Wexner, the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Victoria’s Secret parent company, L Brands Inc. — flashed mini pink flashlights to the beat of Neon Jungle, an up-and-coming British girl group.
The Snow Queen finale culminated with thousands of faux snow flakes released from the ceiling of the great hall of the 69th Regiment Armory that literally turned the show into a winter landscape.
At the same time, the global media was ensconced backstage where 40 Victoria’s Secret models — including some 10 Angels such as Adriana Lima, Lily Aldridge, Alessandra Ambrosio, Karlie Kloss, Doutzen Kroes and Swanepoel — blew kisses at photographers as they primped in Victoria’s Secret signature pink satin robes during hair and makeup rotations.
Ed Razek, chief creative officer of Victoria’s Secret, said of Swift’s practice session: “She was clearly amped up today.”
Razek described it as a serendipitous twist of fate that led Victoria’s Secret to Swift, who will headline the show’s entertainment with A Great Big World and British group Neon Jungle.
“I was having dinner with Lily Aldridge and told her it would be great if Taylor Swift would do the show. Lily said, ‘We both live in Nashville and we’re friends.’ I was incredulous, like you are friends with Taylor Swift? That’s like something imaginary, like you’re friends with Harvey the Rabbit. Lily sent her a note, and Taylor Swift said she would love to do the Victoria’s Secret show,” said Razek.
“Some of these Angels have walked nine, 10 or 12 shows, and to be able to do that you have to be in top physical condition.…Angels like Adriana train throughout the year, just as any world-class athlete would. The Summer Olympics has 10,500 athletes, the NFL has 1,760, MLB has 600 and the NBA has 400. Victoria’s Secret, which is the hardest show in the world to get booked for, has 40 word-class models who are also athletes,” stated Razek.
The vetting process to be a Victoria’s Secret model — and hopefully earn Angel wings — is “extremely tough.
“It’s not an easy task.…John Pfeiffer [bookings and casting director for VS] attends fashion shows worldwide, and whittles it down to the top 100 models in two days, and maybe, just maybe, a dozen girls might make it to a show. It’s not an easy show or an easy walk,” explained Razek.
Regarding the angelic look of this year’s models, lead hair stylist Orlando Pita described it as “tussled, but also very glossy.”
“A bed head is a little matte and less shiny. I have to keep it underdone, silky and in pieces, but not overworked,” commented Pita, as he brushed Kloss’ tresses. “It has to look shiny and beautiful.”
EXCLUSIVE: @tomford is opening its first-ever beauty store. The boutique, which opens November 20 in London’s Covent Gardens, was designed with the over-the-top glam Ford is known for. Read the full story on WWD.com, link in bio. #wwdbeauty #wwdnews (📷: Simon Wagner) #TomFordBeauty
New York-based DJ @harleyvnewton threw a party to celebrate the holiday collection of her dress and pajama line @hvn at the Ladurée Beverly Hills. It Girls @katebosworth, @rashidajones and more joined in on the fun, which included cocktails, croque monsieur sandwiches and a photo booth. #wwdfashion (📷: Owen Kolasinski/BFA.com)
For the holidays, @Burberry partnered with 20-year-old artist @blondeymccoy on a series of three outdoor murals in downtown Manhattan. The murals are McCoy’s interpretation of a Christmas eve party, the idea of charity and the spirit of family. His third mural, pictured here, is the most personal. The image depicts McCoy’s grandparents and father in London’s Trafalgar Square in the Seventies. “My work often features lots of sentimental objects.” #wwdeye
For spring 2018, designers applied bold colors and cartoonish motifs on everything from sneakers and belts to key chains. See all the top men’s accessories trends on WWD.com. #wwdtrends (📷: George Chinsee; Prop Styling by @rnasti; Market Editor: @luiscampuzano)
The @dior-sponsored @guggenheim international gala pre-party has a history of drawing cool-girl musical acts to serenade the crowd –– and last night was no exception. @haimtheband performed songs both new and old, and lured a star-studded audience with the likes of Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Mamoudou Athie and more. #wwdeye (📷: @lexieblacklock)
In a partnership between the @metopera and the @englishnationalopera, “Marnie” was born. The opera, with costumes sponsored by @mrporterlive, is an adaptation of the 1961 thriller by Winston Graham. Arianne Phillips, who created the costumes, is no rookie: She’s styled Madonna for her tours and created costumes for a myriad of films in the past. Read WWD’s interview with Phillips, where she talks about her inspiration for the opera’s costumes on WWD.com #wwdfashion
@barneysnyc took a different approach to their holiday windows this year. Instead of Christmas decor, Barneys tapped @thehaasbrothers to tell a story of positivity, gratitude and inclusivity via heartwarming silliness and humor. “It’s about kids and it’s about coming together and being family and loving each other,” said Simon Haas. #wwdfashion (📷: @joshuascottphoto)
Beauty influencer @kandeejohnson makes her foray into hair care with a collaboration with @ogx_beauty — making it the first time that OGX has teamed up for a product creation. The collab includes shampoos and conditioners in three scents. At 39 and a mom, Johnson is a different profile than the emerging social media stars, but is considered one of the pioneers of the digital beauty influencer world. Read WWD’s interview with her on wwd.com, including the strangest beauty product she’s ever tried #wwdbeauty


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WASHINGTON — Volvo Cars of North America is recalling 3,911 2016 Volvo XC90 SUVs because the third-row side curtain airbags may not fully inflate, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"Underinflated airbags may not fully protect third-row occupants, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash," said NHTSA in its recall summary.
A stop-sale order on the 2016 XC90 went into effect on August 4, according to Volvo documents filed with NHTSA.
The automaker said there are no reports of injuries, crashes or fatalities linked to the recall.
The affected XC90s were built from January 27, 2015 to July 10, 2015.
Volvo dealers will modify the D-pillar interior panels to allow full inflation of the third-row airbags. The recall is expected to begin on September 14. Owners can contact Volvo customer service at 1-201-768-7300.
Edmunds says: NHTSA said a retailer-information package regarding this recall was sent to Volvo dealers on August 12. Your dealer will be happy to answer any further questions.


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Customers who stopped by McDonald’s on West Center Street in Manchester on Monday were treated to a pleasant surprise: rollback prices.
The privately owned and operated franchise turned 50 on Monday.
Franchise owner Edward Walsh discounted burgers, fries and drinks to 50 cents in honor of the milestone.
Longtime customer George Irwin was there to join the celebration.
“The price was right,” Irwin told NBC Connecticut, recalling the restaurant’s early days. “I think the originals were 15 cents and we could afford it.”


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Galaxy Nexus is highlighting the Android’s latest and greatest features in a new advertisement.
The “Calling All” advertisement asks for “all faces,” “all visionaries,” “all meters and greeters” and “all scientists” to use the phone’s features.
Some of the Galaxy Nexus’ features, such as video chat, voice-to-text, and Face Unlock are featured in the one-minute spot.
The advertisement shows a young girl holding the Galaxy Nexus to her face to unlock her phone. It also shows two people on bikes beaming information to each other by touching the phones together. Meanwhile, a bike rider uses navigation while peddling on a street.
The Samsung Galaxy Nexus went on sale at retail stores in the United Kingdom on Nov. 17; however, those who pre-ordered their handsets online may not receive them for several days.
The handset is the first to run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich software, Google's newest major upgrade to its Android operating system. The handset and the OS debuted together at a Google-Samsung event in October.
The Galaxy Nexus, with its curved and bottomless exterior, was praised for its attractive exterior. Technology website CNet called the design "sharp" and the 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED screen "gorgeous"
The large vivid display is supposed to make viewing videos and playing games easier and more pleasant. Galaxy Nexus also features a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU processor that reportedly makes the handset speedier. It works with HSPA+ that allows high speed web browsing, according to Samsung.
Another exciting feature is the 5 megapixel low light optimized camera that records video at 1080-pixel, and it introduces a new time-lapse video mode. Besides the camera in the back, the Galaxy Nexus also features a front facing 1.3-megapixel camera with video chatting.


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Star Trek is now two weeks away (less than that for the those going to Thursday early shows), and the buzz keeps on building. Today we have the first indications of ticket sales (going well), a DVR notice for an ET exclusive tonight, more interviews, some interesting review perspectives, and more. Plus, did Nathan Lane get cut from Star Trek?
Back home from his global tour promoting Star Trek, JJ Abrams came to the Paley Festival in LA tonight to talk about his TV show Fringe, and he brought along his fellow Star Trek/Fringe team of Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Bryan Burk, along with show stars Anna Torv, John Noble and Joshua Jackson. One of the subjects of the Q&A was Leonard Nimoy. [FRINGE spoilers below]
Paramount has been busy today, with an update on their official Star Trek site ( startrekmovie.com) of four new ‘dossiers’, plus they have sent out ten new official images. There are also new ships in the Enterprise Gallery and new downloadable icons for your Mac or PC. Check it all out below.
With all the news going on in the world of Star Trek it is only natural to ask, what is William Shatner up to? And if adventure had a name it wouldn’t be Indiana Jones – it would be William Shatner. This edition of ShatWatch tracks the Shat’s latest adventures on horseback, in a Phaeton, with Gonzo (not the Muppet Gonzo), and more. Oh and there may be news on how William Shatner does tie into all this new movie stuff.
After a flurry of updates at the beginning of the week, the Star Trek ARG fell strangely (ominously?) silent for over 48 hours, with no new clues. Until, today with a lot of new chatter and a possible Romulan sighting in the UK. See belove for a full breakdown of the latest in this intriguing viral game.
Since we first found a promotional sheet for "Star Trek DAC" a few weeks ago the new game has been a bit mysterious, until now. Today TrekMovie was given the exclusive first look at the official announcement and new screenshots for the arcade shooter inspired by the new Star Trek movie. See all that below, plus we have a quick update on the latest on that other game, Star Trek Online.
Another day and another flood of news related to the new Star Trek movie. Firstly there is an imporant new review from trade pub Variety, that bodes well. Plus we have all the new interviews of the day (both text and video) and some new images. Also have a fun new ‘Enterprise Morph’ video, and the mos important news of all: Star Trek: The Spork!
In the first weekend of May, the final new episode for the Star Trek Remastered series in syndication will finally air. Just in time for the buzz around the new Star Trek movie, comes the remastered version of the first pilot for the Star Trek TV series, "The Cage". CBS has given TrekMovie a first look at the promo trailer, check it out below.
For fans who like ‘classic’ Trek, there are a great many products from Diamond Select Toys and Art Asylum on the way during the next few months. TrekMovie has all the details, including exclusive images of reissue two-packs and information on brand new Toys R Us exclusives.
It has been only four days since our last tidbits and even with all the other news about Star Trek, there still are a few things that fell between the cracks, until now. Today we have photos for the Star Trek scoring session, new updates on the business and marketing buzz around Star Trek, lots of interviews, clips and pictures…oh and ‘Star Trek The Cereal.’
Back in September 2006 CBS commemorated the 40th Anniversary of Star Trek by going back to the original film and digitally remastering the series for the HD era, cleaning up the images and adding new CGI special effects. Previous HD-DVD & DVD releases were available with only the new. But now thanks to the benefits of Blu-ray, fans have a choice (original or CGI), and can see Trek in 1080p.
Today the Star Trek ARG took a big step forward with the revelation of ‘Malak0’ on video, showing off an interesting alien-looking device. There is also more ‘chat’ going on at the viral site. So just one day after our last update, we have a whole new update and analysis of the exciting Star Trek alternative reality game. [4/22 UPDATE: One more clue added, see below]
Last week we previewed the special ‘mystery’ issue of WIRED Magazine guest edited by Star Trek director JJ Abrams. The issue is now on all newsstands and WIRED has put some more content online, including a behind-the-scene video with Abrams, the entire 6-page "When Worlds Collide" comic written by Trek scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, plus some concept art by monster creator Neville Page.
On Tuesday night (UK time) JJ Abrams and his cast came to the London gala premiere of Star Trek, the final stop on their global tour before coming back to the states. TrekMovie was there every step of the day and has a full report from the premiere and the press conference. Plus we have a summary of the first reviews coming from the UK.
One of the final pieces of the Paramount marketing partner blitz went live today with the launch of the Nokia/Verizon site joinstarfleetacademy.com. This new site is quite elaborate and even includes a game with a prize for a ‘trip to space’ and promises more exclusive content in the future .
The Star Trek Alternative Reality Game has been abuzz with activity over the weekend and into today. TrekMovie has already done three articles on this game, but it is very complex and so TrekMovie has designated one of our community members to try and sort it all out in this fourth update.
After a drought of nearly 9 years, 2009 is certainly shaping up to be the year of the Star Trek board game. Today TrekMovie has all the details and full reviews of three new Star Trek games from Fundex, ‘Star Trek UNO’, ‘Star Trek Scrabble’, and ‘All About Trivia: Star Trek’.
[UPDATED] Today the Star Trek world tour is in the UK. Earlier there was a live chat in Playstation home, and running right now there are UK junket interview clips running live, awaiting coverage of the UK red carpet. We also have new video of other Star Trek world tour events from Paris, Berlin, Kuwait and Australia.
With Summer fast approaching, in this week’s genre news roundup, we have lots of news and new images and vids from those other two big May movies, Wolverine and Terminator, and the big June movie Transformers 2, plus updates on projects down the line like Hobbit, Green Hornet, Ghostbusters 3 and more. In TV news we have news that Dollhouse and Terminator: TSCC may not be dead, updates on Fringe, Lost and Heroes, finales and much more.
Another magazine devoting its May cover to the new Star Trek is Geek Monthly. The issue contains a number of in-depth interviews and special features all about Star Trek — past, present, and future. Our friends at Geek have provided us with exclusive excerpts from the interviews with Star Trek director JJ Abrams and with writers Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman. Check them out below (with SPOILERS).
On Friday the Star Trek world promotional tour stopped in Madrid, Spain to hold a press screening and press conference. On hand were JJ Abrams and many of his Star Trek stars. With the help of our Spanish partners, TrekMovie has compiled a report from the event and how Star Trek is playing with the Spanish media.
We’ve seen some of the new Captain Kirk’s fighting sprit in some of the new trailers, and according to his Dossier, the new Kirk is an instructor in hand-to-hand combat. This all fits with grand Star Trek history, and so with that in mind, TrekMovie has taken a look back at the original Kirk fight moves in a little something we like to call: TrekMovie’s official guide to Kirk-Fu.
On Sunday all the Star Trek toys from Playmates should be available at Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart and other retailers. Today we finish up our week long look at all aspects of Playmates first wave of Star Trek toys, with the TrekMovie review of the big action figures: the 6" ‘Warp Collection’ and the 12" ‘Command Collection.’
In the last week two new TV commercials have started airing in the US, and one in Germany, all of which are now available online. At this point most of what you see in commercials is from the theatrical trailers or previous TV spots, but there are some snippets of new stuff. View the new commercials below, with our usual caps and analysis.
The nice people at Wired Magazine sent TrekMovie their May issue which has a very special ‘guest editor’…the director of the new Star Trek movie, JJ Abrams. The issue is filled with the stuff JJ loves, especially mysterious puzzles. Abrams also writes an essay about mysteries and spoilers. Plus the issue contains a Star Trek mini-comic written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and also ‘production notes’ from ST09 the DP . See our Abrams WIRED preview below.
TrekMovie continues with our stop by stop coverage of the Star Trek world tour. On Thursday JJ Abrams and his team were in Berlin Germany for a gala premiere of Star Trek (see previous report). Before that event they held a press conference. Today we bring you inside that with a full report below, including images, quotes and video.
Yesterday we had excerpts from JJ Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman from the new issue of SciFiNow magazine (#27), going on sale this week in the UK. Today we have excerpts from the cast interviews, including Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Bruce Greenwood and Simon Pegg. We also have some excerpts and links to a couple of other interviews with John Cho and Zachary Quinto.
A couple of days ago we had an update on the Star Trek ARG. Today there are more clues, but still no answers. We have a quick report below on today’s developments.
After all the early premieres and early shows on Thursday the big opening day for Star Trek in the US and many countries around the world is exactly three weeks from today. In a quick Friday morning tidbits we have news on a special event at Playstation Home, more details on Trek marketing tie-ins, early box office predictions from Ad Age, and news on an Irish early premiere.
Welcome back to another exciting edition of Science Friday! This week, discover the hand of Apollo, see Antarctica bleed micro-organisms, learn to speak dolphin, and see the effects of the recent Italian quake. All this plus our gadget of the week: EXACTO super bullets!


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Canadian securities regulators are once again proposing to require fund dealers to deliver the new mutual fund disclosure documents known as Fund Facts before an investor choses to buy.
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) Wednesday published proposed proposed amendments to National Instrument 81-101 Mutual Fund Prospectus Disclosure (NI 81-101), which would require point-of-sale delivery of Fund Facts.
This was the original intention of the regulatory reform effort that resulted in the creation of the simplified, plain language disclosure document, Fund Facts, but the regulators backed away from pre-sale delivery requirements in the face of industry opposition.
Instead, regulators have gone about finalizing the document and introducing its use in place of the traditional prospectus. Last year, they finalized rule changes requiring firms to deliver Fund Facts within two days of a purchase, and that takes effect in June of this year. Now, they are proposing to move to pre-sale delivery.
“Pre-sale delivery of the Fund Facts will provide investors with the opportunity to make more informed investment decisions by giving investors key information about a mutual fund, in a language they can easily understand, at a time that is most relevant to their investment decision,” the CSA says in its notice.
To respond to industry complaints that the original delivery requirements were too complex and would be too costly, the CSA is seeking to require pre-sale delivery for all sales. This includes purchases made through discount brokers, sales made without advice, regardless of asset class, including money market funds.
It was previously contemplated that pre-sale delivery wouldn’t be required for certain types of trades. Now, the CSA is aiming to make it simple by requiring delivery for all trades. There is a provision for a limited exception to that blanket requirement, but it only applies where the client demands an immediate trade without disclosure, and this exception can only be claimed on a trade-by-trade basis.
The proposals are out for a 60-day comment period.
The CSA also indicates that in the fall it will also be proposing a rule requiring exchange-traded funds to deliver a summary disclosure document, similar to the Fund Facts, within two days of a purchase. Regulators are also currently reviewing the risk disclosure component of Fund Facts.
“Requiring pre-sale delivery of the Fund Facts document is an important investor protection initiative as it will give investors a better opportunity to make informed investment decisions,” said Bill Rice, chair of the CSA and chair and CEO of the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC).
The CSA says it continues to “be committed to consulting with investors, representatives from the mutual fund industry, dealers, sales representatives and service providers on implementation issues related to pre-sale delivery of Fund Facts”; and that it will continue to work with self-regulatory organizations (SROs) on issues arising from the transition to pre-sale delivery of Fund Facts. It is currently proposing a one year transition period for pre-sale delivery requirements.


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Hankook Tire Revs Up 2012 Marketing Initiatives in the U.S.
Continued consumer promotions and increased sports sponsorships highlight Hankook's 2012 consumer engagement efforts
WAYNE, N.J., April 2, 2012 - Hankook Tire, the seventh-largest and one of the fastest growing tire companies in the world, today unveiled its planned 2012 marketing activities for the U.S. Through its expanded marketing efforts, Hankook looks to build on the significant inroads made in 2011, which culminated in $1 billion in U.S. market sales for the first time in its thirty year history in the United States.
This boost in brand awareness and resulting sales can be attributed to a number of factors, including several new OE agreements with leading vehicle manufacturers such as BMW and Lincoln, numerous marketing initiatives spread out across various sport platforms, and a continued commitment to R&D. Hankook has also broken ground on two new manufacturing facilities in China and Indonesia, to increase product availability in the United States-50 percent of the Indonesian plant's output will be dedicated to the U.S. market.
"We have increased our marketing investments significantly over the past few years and we are seeing the ROI through a surge in sales and overall brand awareness in the U.S. market," said Soo Il Lee, president of Hankook Tire America Corp. "Through continued investment in R&D, industry leading product and technology advancements, and a concerted effort to reach consumers directly via fully integrated marketing campaigns, we are confident that we will achieve continued success in 2012."
Consumers can expect to see the Hankook brand in a range of media and events this year, including:
Baseball Related Advertising: The Hankook brand can be found behind home plate at 26 big league ballparks across America, up from 11 in 2010, including Yankee Stadium and Busch Stadium, home of the defending World Series Champions, St. Louis Cardinals.
College Basketball Advertising: Hankook can be seen courtside at some of the biggest pre-season Men's and Women's college tournaments, as well as over the course of the regular season and into conference championship play.
Motorsports: Hankook has garnered enhanced visibility and sales as a result of its motorsports sponsorships and special racing programs. In 2011, Hankook became an official sponsor of Formula Drift, and will continue its sponsorship for the 2012 season. In addition to being an official Formula Drift sponsor, Hankook will also sponsor five teams for the 2012 season. Furthermore, Hankook will support teams competing in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Off-Road racing and 25 Hours of Thunder Hill.
New Facebook Site: Hankook will be debuting its new Facebook social media site and consumer hub for fans and followers to enjoy and interact this April. This consumer-focused site launches with new content, features, Hankook motorsports video highlights and Facebook tabs designed especially for current and upcoming retailer-supported promotions and sweepstakes. First-up, Hankook's "Great Catch" Rebate & Sweepstakes.
Consumer Promotions: Tens of thousands of consumers participate in Hankook's rebate and giveaway promotions each year and the company continues to extend its baseball-themed marketing in 2012 to support those efforts. On April 1, Hankook kicked-off its 'Great Catch' giveaway promotion that will award one lucky winner a 2012 MINI Cooper S Convertible. In addition, consumers who purchase four qualifying Hankook tires of any size from an authorized Hankook dealer between April 1st and June 30th of this year are eligible for a mail-in rebate of up to $80.
Times Square Billboard: Hankook's unique tire shaped billboard will continue to be on full display in the heart of Times Square in New York City, generating significant visibility amongst the 1.5 million consumers that pass through on a daily basis; a number greatly increased during New Year's Eve celebrations televised around the world.
About Hankook Tire America Corp.
Hankook Tire America Corp. is a growing leader in the U.S. tire market, leveraging investments in technology, manufacturing and marketing to deliver high quality, reliable products that are safer for consumers and the environment. Headquartered in Wayne, N.J., Hankook Tire markets and distributes a complete line of high performance and ultra-high performance passenger tires, light truck, SUV tires, as well as medium truck and bus tires to more than 400 independent dealers through 3000+ retail sales locations in the United States.


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When we talk about loyalty in commerce, what we’re really talking about is whether customers are loyal to specific companies. We gauge this customer loyalty with measures such as the share of their spending they dedicate to products from those companies.
The Covid-19 crisis has upended the normal flow of that relationship. In countries including the US and hard-hit parts of Europe and Asia, shoppers have slashed their spending on non-essential items such as clothing and sneakers, raising the question of how companies selling these goods maintain a connection with customers when they aren’t in a position to buy anything. Many are realizing that, if they want to sustain a relationship in the long-term, it’s companies that need to be loyal right now.
What that loyalty looks like varies from company to company, but the clearest examples go beyond generic condolences. It’s a time for companies to figure out how they can actually support their customers by doing more than just selling them stuff.
What shoppers want from companies now
Of all the activities Covid-19 has put on pause, marketing has not been one of them. Companies have sent a torrent of emails telling customers how they’re responding to the crisis, and airing formulaic television ads with piano soundtracks and messages of solidarity.
The VAB, a research group serving advertisers and agencies, says by the third week of April 326 companies had run television ads tied to the pandemic. At the start of the month, it also surveyed about 1,000 US consumers to gauge their feelings about ads related to Covid-19. It found 52% had a positive impression of the companies running such ads—not terrible, but also leaving 48% without a favorable impression.
On the other hand, 55% said they were more likely to actually purchase the product or service of a company lending its resources or helping communities in the crisis. While the survey didn’t get into the subject explicitly, it’s not hard to imagine consumers being more willing to patronize companies finding genuine ways to support them personally.
“I think what [customers] do want are things that actually help them though the crisis in some way or another,” says Kalinda Ukanwa, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. “It becomes more tangible than, ‘Hey we’re thinking about you.'”
Companies aren’t taking these steps purely out of the goodness of their hearts. They’re businesses with financial motivations. But in a crowded marketplace of companies competing for attention, and the balance of power between companies and customers tilting toward the latter, supporting shoppers in ways beyond pushing product is good business.
There’s no one way for a company to achieve that aim, but it can help to leverage strengths. Nike is a company shoppers turn to for sports products and related services, such as its Nike Training Club app. The free version of the app provides training programs and a variety of different workouts, while the premium version, which normally costs $15 a month, has additional features such as on-demand workout classes and tips from Nike’s experts on topics such as training and nutrition.
When Covid-19 began spreading through the US, Nike started adding more workouts, including some designed for small spaces and others for families, to the apps and made the premium version temporarily free to all US users. The company also put workouts on YouTube, and used its social media to share relevant tips.
“Our ultimate goal is to build unbreakable relationships,” says Heidi O’Neill, president of Nike’s direct-to-consumer business. “Providing consumers experiences and services beyond a transaction, it becomes essential.”
O’Neill says the idea came from Nike’s previous experience with the new coronavirus in China. It doesn’t have a premium version of the app there, but it saw how popular its free version became after Nike employees in the country began sharing it with friends, family, and on social media channels such as WeChat. With most of its stores closed, Nike leaned into that momentum, adding new workouts and features such as livestreaming. By the end of March, weekly active users in China were up 80% across all its activity apps, which also include Nike Run Club, versus the beginning of the quarter. It has used the experience as a playbook for navigating the crisis as it’s spread to other regions.
Food companies have similarly released recipes so consumers can make some of their items at home. Car insurance companies are refunding premiums to customers as they stay off the roads. Utility providers and phone and internet companies are offering free service and waiving fees.
But the support a company extends to its customers doesn’t have to relate directly to its core business.
Levi’s may make its money selling jeans, but it has also built connections in music as part of its marketing aimed at positioning itself at the center of culture. So in March, it launched a concert series using those connections to entertain those stuck at home while also aiding charities. The 5:01 Live series features live performances at artists’ homes every weekday at 5:01pm PST. Artists such as Questlove, Snoop Dogg, Doja Cat, and more have taken part.
“It’s not directly related to what Levi’s provides, but it’s providing entertainment, which is in high demand right now because people don’t know what to do with themselves at home,” Ukanwa says. “Again, it is something that goes beyond, ‘We’re thinking about you.'”
In the same vein, several of luxury fashion’s top names have been hosting online chats, live performances, and other programming with celebrities and creatives.
Immediate responses with long-term returns
Before the pandemic, Nike had been working to increase the services it offers, in stores and through its ecosystem of apps. Nike’s O’Neill says the most important measure of their success isn’t necessarily revenue; it’s engagement. But she adds consumers who work out with Nike and shop with Nike do become more valuable customers over time. “There’s definitely a business play in services and experiences,” she says.
By supporting their customers now, companies can strengthen those relationships. If shoppers get into the habit of using a service in this moment, they may continue using it even after life returns to normal.
“It starts with the relationship,” O’Neill says. “What we know is that if you’re building a relationship and you’re building it for the long run, consumers will transact with us. But they need more.”
Whatever companies decide to do, the most important thing is that they do something. ”People will look back,” Ukanwa says. “Were you a brand that actually did something to make a difference, to help the world, or did you sit on the sidelines? Or did you take advantage, which is definitely the wrong space to be in.”
Eventually the coronavirus crisis will end. In all likelihood, shoppers will be cautious with their spending, at least for a time, meaning companies will find it harder to earn their dollars. If they want their customers to be loyal to them in the future, they may need to be loyal to their customers now.


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Akamai: 17% of U.S. Is ‘4K Ready’
With 4K streaming services starting to trickle into the market, Akamai added a “4K Readiness” metric to its first quarter State Of The Internet Report, finding that 17% of the U.S. is prepared to deliver those services via broadband – not quite enough to break into the global top 10.
In the report, Akamai noted that 4K/Ultra HD adaptive bit rate streams generally require 10 Mbps to 20 Mbps of sustained data, and, in the report, highlighted the percentage of connections to Akamai that generate speeds above 15 Mbps. Its 4K findings don’t factor in other “readiness” components, such as the availability of 4K-encoded content or 4K-capable TVs and media players. Akamai also acknowledged that the 15 Mbps threshold could change as more efficient codecs, such as HEVC or VP9, become more widespread.
Across the U.S., a total of 39 states had 4K readiness levels of 10% or more, with Massachusetts (27%) and Delaware (26%) having over a quarter of their connections to Akamai at speeds above 15 Mbps, according to Akamai. Hawaii (6.2%) and Kentucky (6.1%) had the lowest 4K readiness rates, as seen through Akamai’s speed-focused lens.
For the full story go to Multichannel.com.
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Vewd, the world’s largest independent provider of OTT software, has partnered with Novatek, one of the world’s premier chipset design companies, to enable Vewd OS on chipsets powering Linux-based smart TVs.
Adding Vewd OS, the leading independent smart TV OS, to Novatek chipsets provides manufacturers (OEMs) with a pre-integrated Smart TV OS containing the most requested advanced smart TV features. These features which significantly reduce CapEx and time-to-market are:
Both Novatek and Vewd provide OEMs with world-class features while ensuring the independence and platform flexibility they won’t find with other OS vendors. From this perspective, Vewd OS is completely customizable by the OEM so they can truly differentiate their platforms in the market.
“Vewd OS has been designed to put the manufacturer back in control,” said Aneesh Rajaram, CEO, Vewd. “By collaborating closely with NOVATEK to pre-integrate Vewd OS, this control comes without compromise. Manufacturers can advance their own brand while offering consumers a world-leading smart TV OS.”


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In the World Bank’s Doing Business 2015 report, Croatia ranked 65th, much higher than neighbouring Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina, but what really stands out is the enormous progress the country has made over the last years. The 2015 position actually means a leap up by 23 places within two years and by 53 places within just a decade.
For example, between 2005 and 2015, the time spent on starting a business was shortened by 80 per cent, on registering a property by 92 per cent and on obtaining a construction permit by 51 per cent. It’s a great achievement but we’re doing our best to be even more competitive for investors.
In order to create an increasingly attractive legal framework and competitive business environment, the government has implemented a comprehensive set of measures and legislative amendments. Croatia now has one of the most attractive Investment Promotion Acts in the entire European continent. The country offers a wide range of incentives: direct support for creating new jobs of up to €18,000 per each new job created; support of up to €1 million for capital expenditure; support of up to €0.5 million grants for R&D activities and tax holidays for periods up to 10 years or until the maximum aid intensity of incentives is reached. The Strategic Investments Projects Act is also critical as it enables faster implementation of investment projects declared of national interest.
We are continuously working on encouraging and strengthening sectors in which domestic companies show competitive advantages with special emphasis on those with the highest growth potential. Our key sectors with opportunity for growth and investment are tourism, ICT, automotive, food, precision engineering and textile industries, as well as logistics and pharmaceutical industry.
Tourism and its subtypes — such as nautical, family, high-end, gourmet and health is Croatia’s largest sector, generating every seventh Croatian kuna (16.5 per cent of GDP) and employing almost 83,500 people.
The Croatian ICT industry ranks 45th out of 142 countries in the competitiveness ranking according to the Networked Readiness Index 2012 by the World Economic Forum and reaches an operating gross profit rate of 24.6 per cent, while the average for the EU27 is 20.9 per cent.
The pharmaceutical industry is one of the sectors of the Croatian economy where investment in research and development is remarkably extensive. About 90 per cent of revenues in the Croatian automotive industry is generated through exports. According to Eurostat, the operating gross profit rate is above the EU27 average — 8.9 per cent compared to 7.9 per cent in the EU.
There are many more investment opportunities in the aforementioned industries. Apart from its very convenient geographic position, natural resources and stable economy, Croatia has excellent infrastructure, equipped business zones and educated, creative and competitive human capital.
Attracting foreign direct investments is one of our most important strategic goals. Our primary focus is to attract FDI that will create new jobs, bring higher added value and stimulate development in less developed parts of our country. Also, it is of great importance for us to encourage new technology investments and those investing in research and development, with special emphasis on innovation, social responsibility and environmentally conscious investment projects.
The views expressed in this opinion editorial are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Emerging Europe’s editorial policy.


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Husqvarna has decided to shift its production facility from Varese, Italy to one of the KTM factories in Austria. The company has laid off 211 workers and only 30-odd people who belong to the sales and marketing functions are on the company’s pay roll.
As per some reports the losses were mainly because the company has been sitting on more than a year’s worth of ready to sell motorcycles. Also few of their suppliers moved to different countries which directly increased the input costs added to their woes.
Husqvarna was recently bought by KTM CEO Stefan Piere’s holding company, Pierer Industrie AG from the BMW Motorrad for an undisclosed amount. We are expecting that the company will manufacture the high capacity motorcycles in one of the KTM’s factory in Austria and the smaller capacity motorcycles will come from Bajaj’s Chakan plant in Pune.
Stefan Piere also plans to have a common platform that will be shared by KTM, Bajaj and Husqvarna. He wants to go the Volkswagen way which owns many car brands under them and share the same platform and engines. This results into a low cost of manufacturing and building economies of scale.


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Weber Shandwick recently conducted research to evaluate how effectively Fortune 100 companies used Twitter to its full potential as an engagement platform.
I just downloaded it. The report, called “Do Fortune 100 Companies need a Twittervention?” starts with some numbers: more than 20 million people use Twitter in the U.S. and 50 million worldwide.
Ample opportunities for audiences to engage with corporations and brands, Weber Shandwick says. However, are Fortune 100 companies also using Twitter for engagement purposes?


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Developer cites weak Wii U sales of previous Need for Speed game as reason why Rivals is skipping the platform.
Codemasters is bringing F1 Race Stars arcade racing game to the Wii U.
EA officially announces Need For Speed Most Wanted for the Nintendo Wii U console.
Project Cars developer reveals new downloadable, arcade racing title inspired by Road Rash and MotorStorm.
The newest Project Cars screenshots confirm the game looks absolutely gorgeous. And it’ll feature the new Pagani Huayra.
There have been rumors out there suggesting that the Wii U would get Sonic & All Stars Racing
Developer Slightly Mad Studios has released a batch of new Project Cars screenshots. The screenshots are from the
Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Zelda and Super Mario, recently shared his thoughts on a few Nintendo subjects
Nintendo is working on a new Wii U racing game, according to latest rumors. It appears that new
Developer Slightly Mad has revealed that their upcoming racing title Project Cars will be coming to the Wii


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Family entertainment giant Walt Disney Co has agreed a $7.4 billion (GBP4.1 billion) deal to buy Pixar Animation Studios.
The purchase has made Pixar Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steve Jobs the biggest individual shareholder in Disney.
Disney's lucrative distribution deal with the studio behind hit movies Toy Story, The Incredibles and Finding Nemo was set to be terminated at the end of the year (06) - after the partners failed to agree on how to split profits.
However, ROBERT IGER has pulled off a major coup after Jobs fell out with previous Disney boss Michael Eisner and promised to walk away from their partnership following the release of upcoming feature CARS.
Jobs says, "Disney and Pixar can now collaborate without the barriers that come from two different companies with two different sets of shareholders."


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Release dates: every game confirmed for 2016 and 2017
Pokemon Sun & Moon guide: walkthrough, best starter, QR codes, TM locations, tips
Ubisoft has opened up an official 3DS portal on its website, featuring major upcoming games for the machine.
Official Website headlines
Official Website latest
Ubisoft opens online 3DS Portal


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If you've been holding out for a white iPhone 4, I'm sad to report that your wait just got even longer.
According to a statement by Apple, the white models are still suffering from manufacturing challenges, and will not be available until later this year:
"White models of Apple’s new iPhone 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected …"
I'm not sure what type of challenges Apple is facing, but the latest delay is causing people like Kevin Tofel to speculate that perhaps this time Apple is going to take advantage of the delay and fix the antenna, too.
My guess is that it's just some weird process issue that they're having making the casing white. If Apple was to suddenly release a white version with a fixed antenna, they'd have to do a lot more than offer up a free case to calm down the masses.
It's currently unknown when a white iPhone 4 will finally ship. So, if you've been holding out, you might as well put your order in for a black iPhone 4, since at this stage it's definitely going to be way after September before the white ones show up.


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Totally different airways have totally different home airfare. Nailing down the cheapest airfare might be powerful. In accordance with a report his company launched this fall, the airways made greater than $eighty two billion in ancillary revenue — charges from passengers and other payments from companions like credit card corporations and hotels — in 2017.
Whether or not you’re flying cross-nation or throughout oceans, one of the best airfare websites make it easy to search out the correct flight. Solely bide your time if your flight is not too full and you recognize the price is a lot larger than it needs to be.
Whereas value is probably a very powerful issue for the perfect journey websites, don’t discount the significance of being able to verify amenities, verify for versatile dates, and examine flights. Christmas is extra versatile because folks choose totally different days off.
American Airways launched a price for a passenger’s first checked bag in 2008. Past providing low-cost airfares, we’re additionally devoted to company accountability. announced the results of its annual airfare examine on Wednesday, analyzing 917 million fares from practically 3 million trips to determine when the best deals are usually out there for domestic flights in the U.S.
Webjet will make it easier to compare and guide discount premium economic system fares and enjoy financial savings on premium seats en path to a few of our most popular journey locations together with Singapore, Bangkok, Los Angeles and London. You’d be crazy not to chase down certainly one of our enterprise class specials Reap the advantages of flying enterprise class with impeccable service, extra comfortable seating and plenty of leg further room, and save on a reduced business class airfare.


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Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, Ind.
WWR Article Summary (tl;dr) Michelle Leffert, the Chief Executive Officer of “Foppers Pet Treat Bakery” says she was shocked to hear that her company was selected to be on the shelves of Walmart.
Foppers Pet Treat Bakery, 1005 W. Broadway, will soon have its products sold on Walmart’s shelves.
Last week, hundreds of entrepreneurs and small businesses lined the halls at Walmart’s Home Office last week to pitch their U.S.-manufactured products to Walmart buyers, hoping to land on store shelves and create more American jobs.
During the sixth annual Open Call event, more than 100 companies moved on to the next step, with several dozen getting deals on the spot to go on Walmart store shelves.
The Logansport-based manufacturer was among the companies hoping for a chance to get their products on Walmart’s shelves.
Foppers Chief Executive Officer Michelle Leffert told Inside Indiana Business she was shocked to hear her company was selected.
Leffert said being selected means growing the company more quickly than it had previously anticipated.
“We have to do more investigation and work with Walmart to see exactly what our distribution will be and how fast they will ramp up with that, but that still means that we have to start ramping up at Foppers right away,” Leffert told Inside Indiana Business. “We had positioned ourselves for (an) opportunity like this so it’s going to be a matter of also still searching for employees that have our core values and dedication that will come into Foppers and continue to produce quality items.”
The 15-year-old company expects to begin distribution through Walmart in the second quarter of 2020.
In addition to pitch meetings, the two-day event hosted at Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, provided informative sessions for supplier-hopefuls, according to a Walmart press release. These included a supplier mentoring session, a discussion on how suppliers can grow their businesses and a presentation on how to get products ready for retail.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon — who once worked as a buyer for the company — also addressed the eager entrepreneurs. He shared why buying local products makes economic sense and is good for the communities Walmart serves: “If we can create great local jobs, we’re going to have better stores and better, stronger communities,” McMillon said. “We love to buy things that are close to our distribution centers and our stores because it creates those jobs, while also helping us be more efficient. So, this is strategic and something we should be doing as a business. But we also bring an emotional component to this because we care about people. We want everybody who has anything to do with Walmart — whether they’re a customer or an associate or a supplier of ours — to benefit.”
In April, the Cass-Logansport Economic Development Organization (CLEDO), announced it was working in partnership with Foppers on expanding its Logansport operation. The company currently occupies a 45,000-square-foot facility that it purchased in 2009. The business has been family owned and operated since 2004.
“My husband told me to go online and look for businesses for sale,” Michelle explained in an April interview with the Pharos-Tribune. “It was supposed to be a home-based business. That lasted about nine months and then we moved to a lease facility in Lafayette where we were living at the time.”
Leffert’s husband, Clark, who was raised in the Logansport area, originally bought the company for $90,000.
“Today we’ve grown to a multi-million-dollar a year operation,” Clark Leffert stated.
Foppers currently sells its products directly online and through retail partners which include Petsmart, Big Lots, Kroger, Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Walgreens.
In the spring, the company proposed an investment of more than $1 million that includes real estate, improvements and equipment. Currently, they have 25 full-time employees, with plans to hire more, though exactly how many remains unclear now with the announcement of the Walmart deal.
“Right now, we have a phenomenal team of employees,” Michelle Leffert told Inside Indiana Business. “They are just phenomenal workers and really care about what we’re doing. We know employees are getting more difficult to find but we are trying to still be selective because we want them to interact and be a positive influence on our current employees. We do have a huge influx of seasonal business, so we will bring in some seasonal employees which also gives us a great foundation to find those select few that we want to continue to keep full-time.”
More than 100 companies were selected to continue in the open call process and will have conversations with a Walmart buyer. The companies in attendance represented a broad geography, including 48 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and Australia. Collectively, their impact on the U.S. manufacturing sector can be felt across the country, as they are manufacturing their products in 44 different states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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The US-bound LG G Flex was unveiled at CES 2014, but today we’ve finally received word that Sprint will start selling the curved Android smartphone on January 31 through its website for $300 when paired with a two-year contract. Retail store availability is scheduled for February 7. Off-contract pricing for the LG G Flex is set at $649.99 – significantly cheaper than the $850 price tag we’ve seen from multiple online retailers. Those willing to sign a two-year contract can pre-order the device today from Sprint.
The insane price of the LG G Flex is mainly attributed to the handset’s 6-inch 720p curved display; the 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 13MP camera, 3,500 mAh battery and Android 4.2.2 can be found in over a half dozen other, less expensive devices currently available.