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Tileyard residents Fresh Air Production have just announced their exciting new partnership with Pacific Content.
As leading podcast consulting companies in Europe and North America respectively, a truly global partnership is on the way!
Combining their expertise in podcast production, measurement, promotion and distribution, will allow them to better serve global brands and make podcasts an integral part of their communication strategy. Together they will create global partnerships with the podcast and tech platforms, global media agencies and brands to make their podcasts more creative and effective for their clients.
The two companies are collaborating on big commission and new creative projects to deliver podcasts that tell remarkable stories with global perspectives.
For more information on Fresh Air Production:
For more information about Pacific Content:


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More than 100 jobs are in jeopardy with Frankton retail institution Forlongs considering closing its doors for good.
Forlongs Furnishings Limited has been in operation for 70 year.
Managing director Terry Forlong said it was still business as usual for now and that Forlongs gift cards, Forlongs loyalty rewards, orders and warranty claims would continue to be honoured.
He said the business was working through a consultation process with employee.
"We have seen many changes in the retail environment in recent years, including competitors with bigger buying and discounting power making it harder for a single store operator to compete," said Mr Forlong.
"In addition there is a personal element to the decision to consider closure as the company directors are facing retirement age and this is impacting upon the management of the business."

domain: news


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Governments have to get their acts together to address the global problem of climate change. Adopting cleaner vehicles should be on the top of their lists. While countries have collectively agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, present efforts are way off the mark.
It’s good to know that things are about to change in some parts of the world – starting in the land of fjords.
Norway targets 2025
Call it ambitious, but Norway’s goal is clear – to remove internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles from their roads and ensure that only zero-emission new cars will hit the market by 2025. But that’s barely three years away! Yes, and the Norwegians are closer to their mark than you think. The market share of e-cars was 31.2% in 2018 and increased to 42.4% in 2019 (60,316 out of 142,381). Sales analysts project at least a 55% market share for EVs this year. Norway is clearly in the right direction – it has rolled out free charging stations and is offering attractive tax and usage incentives for EV sales.
Israel banning ICE cars in 2030
The Israeli government has announced early this year the phasing out of fossil-fuel vehicles by 2030 and its shift to renewable energy. It plans to reduce taxes on e-car sales and order replacing fuel stations with charging stations. It will ban the import of ICE cars and will fund over 2,000 charging infrastructure across the country. The country’s mid-term projection is 177,000 EVs by 2025, a step towards its grand goal of 1.5 million by 2030.
Phase-out in the UK moved earlier
The UK government makes a new commitment – instead of banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040, they have moved their target closer to 2035. Also, the government committed to clean up the roads of all gas-emitting vehicles by 2050.
Iceland commits to 2030 timetable
In Iceland’s bid to attain its climate goals of reducing CO2 emissions by half in 2030, the government announced its action plan to ban the sales of ICE cars by 2030. This commitment includes abolishing gas-powered vehicles by 2050.
Other countries with plans to disallow gas-fuelled cars
The following countries have also announced plans to ban diesel and petrol cars in the future.
- China – no time commitment
- Costa Rica – 2050
- Denmark – 2030
- France – 2040
- Ireland – 2030
- Netherlands – 2030
- Singapore – 2040
- Slovenia – 2030
- Sri Lanka 2040
- Sweden - 2030
These countries have expressed that the ban would only affect the sale or registration of new cars. Most of them have set a later date for the abolishing of existing gas-powered vehicles altogether. Some countries not on this list, like Belgium, NZ and Canada, have not made a commitment as a nation. They have, however, at least one city that has expressed compliance to this global goal.
What about Australia?
Sadly, the national government currently has no policy taking up this goal. Some advocates, like the NRMA, call for banning the sale of gas-powered vehicles as early as 2025! That sounds like an aggressive target by any standard, considering that there were only 7,300 electric vehicles in Australia as of last year, and EV sales made up a pitiable 0.2% of the total new car sales.
In what looks like a twist of fate for the EVs, however, the March 2020 sales figures seem promising. While the total year-to-date sales fell by 18%, the new car sales in the electric/PHEV and hybrid segments significantly increased overall. Electric/PHEVs (both private passenger and light commercial classes) sold around twice of last year’s sales. The rest of the EV segment, except for the SUV non-private class, also surprisingly improved over the previous year’s performance.
The industry needs a government-led strategy
So what’s Australia’s pulse about this effort to revolutionise the automotive industry? Are we on the same page as these 14 countries? Our local car parts manufacturing is a thriving industry, but its dependence on the traditional ICE market puts it in a vulnerable position.
On the other hand, there’s only one Earth, and it’s our responsibility to protect it for future generations. Also, signs are rife that consumers are slowly warming up to the idea of electric vehicles. The federal government is expected to make public its climate strategy later this year, and we will be following developments in this area.
For updates on this issue and the latest automotive news around the world, we invite you to browse our website regularly. If you need car parts or accessories, you will find our auto parts finder easy to use. Simply fill in the request form, send it, and wait for the offers from sellers and suppliers. It will make searching and buying easier, quicker, and safer!


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Is the Australian Dollar Really Overvalued?
No, the Australian dollar is definitely not overvalued – it only looks that way to some people because it has hovered around US$0.75 for 30 years, but as the world economy has changed over the last few years, so have the values of world currencies relative to each other. This has resulted in the Australian dollar being where it is currently at. In this article, we will explain why.
The Australian Labor Government under Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Treasurer Paul Keating floated the Australian dollar on 12th December 1983. They did this to make our currency more competitive and to give it the freedom to respond to changes in the global and local economy. Since then, it has been doing just that.
Since the start of the Global Financial Crisis in late 2007, foreign currencies have lost value, making our currency more valuable relative to theirs. The USA along with the UK, Eurozone and Japan embarked on a program of drastic interest rate cuts and Quantitative Easing as part of their desperate attempts to kick-start their economies. Both of these actions have reduced the value of their currencies on the foreign currency markets. Australia’s economy has been much healthier, so those measures like those were not needed here.
In addition the the weakness of foreign currencies, other factors have worked to push the Australian dollar upwards. Australian resources have been in high demand over the last few years, mainly from China – a very rapidly growing economy. Australia has also been a major gold producing country and the price of gold has also surged over the years from $273 at the end of 2000 to $1579 today.
Therefore, newspaper reports calling ours the “most overvalued currency” are complete hogwash.
In fact, having a higher Australian dollar has resulted in many benefits to the local economy:
1. The Appreciated Australian Dollar has Made Import Businesses More Competitive
Businesses that import goods/materials/ingredients/components for resale in Australia pay less for these and generally pass their savings onto Australian consumers, subject to the next point:
2. The Appreciated Australian Dollar has Exposed Inefficiencies in the Australian Economy
Australians have traditionally been overcharged for many imported consumer goods. The previously low Australian dollar and our remoteness from the rest of the world were frequently cited as excuses for local and foreign-owned outlets to charge higher prices to Australians.
The emergence of e-commerce and digitally-delivered products, combined with the appreciation of the Australian dollar, have exposed these excuses for the fallacies that they truly are.
With the increased patronage of eBay and other overseas-based online stores, a number of large local retailers like Harvey Norman have been forced to justify or reduce their large mark-ups to consumers.
Recently, the Australian government forced Adobe, Apple, Microsoft to appear in front of a committee to explain why Australians are being charged more for software products that can be downloaded over the Internet.
I doubt these things would have taken place without the Australian dollar reaching parity with the US dollar.
3. A Higher Australian Dollar Makes Tools of Production Cheaper for Businesses
Businesses can purchase imported tools, machinery and computers at vastly improved prices. These high-tech tools can be used to improve quality and productivity, leading to increased economic growth.
4. A Higher Australian Dollar Allows Australian Investors to Purchase Distressed Assets Overseas at Rock-bottom Prices
The property market has crashed in various US and European cities. Astute Australian investors who are cashed-up have been snapping up bargains in these areas.
Foreign stock markets have largely recovered from the worst of the GFC, so those who were brave enough to get in early have done very well.
The higher Australian dollar has made these even cheaper for locals to invest in.
5. A Higher Australian Dollar Makes it Easier For Australian Businesses to Expand Offshore
The higher Australian dollar makes it cost less for an Australian business to expand overseas and open a foreign branch, for example, an office or factory in the USA.
If this new branch can obtain the materials/goods/ingredients/labour it needs at a competitive price in the foreign currency of the local market, e.g. US dollars, this will further increase the profitability of the foreign branch compared to if they had to ship their materials/goods/ingredients/labour from Australia.
6. A Higher Australian Dollar Makes it Cheaper for Businesses to use Internationally-Outsourced Labour
Everyone knows that Australia is an expensive place to hire labour – we lost any competitiveness in this area long ago. This is why the local textile industry has largely disappeared and the auto industry is also on its way out.
The higher Australian dollar is making it cheaper to outsource manual labour overseas.
7. A Higher Australian Dollar Allows Australians to Live Overseas
Australia has become a very expensive place to live, especially here in Sydney. Some people are selling their homes to cash up and relocate to cheaper cities overseas, assisted by the higher Australian dollar.
This reduces the local population, which helps to increase the supply of Australian housing and reduce the excessive demand on infrastructure including roads and public transport.\
Isn’t the High Australian Dollar Hurting Tourism and Export Businesses?
Yes, tourism from GFC-affected countries is taking a hit, as Australia is more expensive to travel to, and the wealth of savings of citizens of GFC-affected countries has dropped – no question about that.
My advice to the Australian tourism industry is to concentrate on marketing to the Chinese and South-East Asian countries. It is much cheaper for them to travel here and some of them have gotten quite wealthy during this last decade.
The effect on export businesses is more complicated:
On the one hand, you have businesses who import ingredients/materials/components, transform them and resell them overseas. These businesses should not be affected that much, as the cost of their inputs has been reduced and they should be able to pass on their cost savings and drop their prices.
On the other hand, you have export businesses who rely on local labour and materials. These include the mining and farming sectors. No doubt they will be hit, but they can still benefit from those things covered in point 3 above.
The cold fact is that changes in economic conditions will always result in some people being winners and others being losers to various degrees.
What Risks Are There To The Value of the Australian Dollar?
I see the following risks:
- Over the last year, we have already seen a huge drop in demand for minerals from China, as indicated by the Mineral Resources Rent Tax hardly raising any money.
- Stock markets around the world have been recovering. I do not believe that this will be a sustained recovery, as the enormous debt problems of Europe and the USA have yet to be addressed. Nonetheless, a prolonged stock market recovery would reduce the demand for gold, or even lead to the selling of gold, which would likely result in the Australian dollar depreciating.
- The Reserve Bank is lowering local interest rates far more than I think it should. I believe that they are trying to maintain our expensive property prices. Affordability is very low and a property crash would be devastating. The act of lowering interest rates puts downward pressure on our currency, as it reduces the interest rate differential between Australia and those of key foreign markets – the USA, Europe and Japan.
Should the Reserve Bank Actively Intervene to Lower the Australian Dollar?
No, I don’t believe it’s appropriate. I would only support their intervention in order to counteract deliberate market manipulation. I advise the Reserve Bank board to keep an eye on George Soros. He has been known to enjoy aggressive speculation on currencies, including the Australian Dollar.
Is there Potential for Further Upside to the Australian Dollar?
- China’s economic growth has slowed over the last year, but it could pick up again – after so many years of growth, it is normal for have a “breather”. This will increase demand for Australian dollar, pushing our currency upwards.
- America, Europe and Japan have yet to sort out their debt and spending woes. I expect their interest rates to remain low. They may even have more rounds of Quantitative Easing. This will further devalue their currencies and make ours more valuable relative to theirs.
- if there is an Australian property crash, some people will either have their loans called in and others will be hurriedly trying to reduce their gearing. This will result in a drop in discretionary consumer spending, especially for imported goods. Then again, the Reserve Bank would probably drop interest rates further, so I cannot predict the net effect.
- In these crazy times we are in, Australia is more or less a democratic, politically stable and financially secure country, distant from much of the strife around the world – we could be considered the Switzerland of the Southern Hemisphere. More people may choose to park their money here in Australian dollars.
What are your thoughts?


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Event honors grads
Published 3:00 am Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Members of the Class of 2015 in Pike County and surrounding areas are invited to Troy Bank & Trust’s inaugural Grad Night on Thursday.
The event, which takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Cattleman’s Complex, is designed to celebrate the soon-to-be college students and introduce them to vendors and activities that are important to their lives.
“We are excited about this,” said Dianna Lee, marketing and public relations officer for Troy Bank & Trust. “We just want to make sure that (young people) this age know about TB&T and know that we are here for them. And, we just want to tell them congrats and plan a really fun night for them.”
The fun includes, games, food and prizes, all free of charge. There will be chicken wings, pizza, sub sandwiches, a nacho bar, an ice cream bar and more – all provided by local restaurants. Students will be entertained with games such as inflatable football, basketball, golf, skeeball and nine square in the air, a combination between volleyball and four square.
Vendors from all over Troy will be there, showing the students what Troy has to offer to them. Clothing stores, gyms, coffee shops, tanning salons, hair salons, nail salons, media outlets and many other vendors will be there Thursday night to develop relationships with the future Troy University students.
“This is something that we have never attempted before, but we think it is a group of kids that could benefit by having a relationship with TB&T,” Lee said, adding that representatives of the bank will be on hand to share information about checking accounts and services geared toward students.
“They can even start the process of opening up a checking account,” Lee said. “We’re pretty excited about that.”
But that is not all of the fun that will be at Grad Night 2015. A DJ will be there to keep the party going, and the students can capture all the fun memories in a photo booth.
Door prizes will be given away every 15 minutes, and an iPad Air will be given away at then end of the night.
“I hope to see a lot of seniors Thursday evening,” Lee said.


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Since then Anil Agencies, the Indian representative of Italy-based Emmeci, has installed more than ten rigid box machines in India.
Hyderabad’s Pragati Offset, Ahmedabad’s Utility Print Pack (Now Manipal Utility Packaging Solutions), Agra’s Royal Packers, Manesar’s Rave Packaging, Chennai’s Label Kingdom and Noida’s Any Graphics are some of the top names who have installed the machines.
According to Mohit Jain of Anil Agencies, the representation and penetration of the Emmeci machines in India was a natural progression for the company – from commodities (paper) to special equipment. When it came to Emmeci, Jain said the machines are world-class, user-friendly and they have a great future in India.
Jain is right. For example, some of the print packaging firms, which commissioned the machines, did not stop at just one unit. Once, the first unit was up and running, they went for another.
Two of the biggest customers of Anil Agencies, Rave Packaging, and Label Kingdom both have installed and ordered three Emmeci machines each. For the record, Pragati Offset was the first Indian firm to invest in an Emmeci about five years ago.
This is a clear proof that Indian print firms are expecting a rise in the demand for rigid boxes and they believe an Emmeci can help them meet this demand more efficiently.
“We see a rising demand for rigid boxes in India, including boxes such as high-end confectionery boxes, perfumes and cosmetic boxes, and boxes for electronic items. We are focusing on this particular segment,” said Shiv Bhatnagar of Rave Packaging. For this, the company, with three Emmeci machines, is ready. “We can produce more than 12 lakh boxes per month,” he added. “Many MNCs are coming to the country and they need quality rigid boxes, which are not possible manually.”
Label expert Any Graphics is a new entrant to the segment, and the company shows its confidence in Emmeci.
Naveen Goel of Any Graphics with his Emmeci
Naveen Goel of Any Graphics, the PrintWeek India Label Printer of the Year 2015, said, “Investments apart, what makes Any Graphics stand out in the competition is its ability to provide value addition to its customers. You need to be unique to be successful. Our priority has been to provide value edition to my customers and not do mass replication of a process which has already been carried out elsewhere.”
Goel said the company settled for Emmeci because it is involved in producing high-end and at some point of time an very high-end boxes, and it felt that Emmeci is the right machine for such products.
Nagpal family, owner of Azure Press
Meanwhile, Bahadurgarh-based Azure Press, a family-owned company, chose Emmeci not only to enter into the specific segment but also to make itself stand apart from the crowd.
“The mono carton segment is full of giants. We don’t have the power to compete with them. Moreover, it doesn’t make business sense to be a part of a crowded market,” said Sanjay Nagpal of Azure Press, adding, in Emmeci, we found a perfect machine to establish a niche in the market.”
The company, run by Nagpal, a first generation printer with creative backgrounds, and his two sons, Siddhant, and Sarthak, has commissioned the machine, which is yet to be installed.
There are also other options in automatic rigid box machines, especially from China, which are understandably cheaper. These include Zhengrun, represented by Sodhisons Mechanical Works and Zhongke India.
According to Jain, the USP of the machine is that it can produce boxes of varied shapes, besides the standard square and rectangular boxes. “There is a huge demand for rigid boxes in the mobile and confectionery segment, and this machine serves the purpose,” he added.
Rising demand for rigid boxes
The rigid box market is varied and highly fragmented. This is a market where quality is more important than quantity. While there has been constant, if limited, demand for rigid boxes from the high-end luxury segment, in the recent years, there has been a rise in demand for high-end boxes for the retail consumer segment. The rise of high-end mobile handsets is a category, which is fuelling this demand.
The mobile handset retail market is booming and it will continue to do so for some time, as today, mobile handsets are both an essential commodity and a lifestyle statement.
Several multinationals and local companies, including Karbon, HTC, Gionee, Lava, and Intex have setup assembling or manufacturing units for mobile handsets in India. This, in turn, is propelling the demand for rigid boxes.
At the same time, quality remains a priority. “The rigid box market is on an upswing, with the brands insisting on high standards of packaging. There is a clear distinction and edge in rigid box packaging,” said Jain.


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ACCC chairman Allan Fels believes he is in the trenches fighting the forces of darkness trying to water down Australia’s competition laws. And trench warfare dictates using whatever weapons are available – including the media. John Arbouw tours the battlefield to check on progress.
Allan Fels admits he has been in the job a long time. In an era when CEOs rarely last more than five years, Australia's competition regulator has been fighting the bad guys for around 13 years. And he says no one should take for granted that when his term as chairman of the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission ends in two years time that he will re-apply. This will be welcome news for the myriad enemies he has made over that time and lamented by those consumers and small businesses he has helped to protect. It will also be a loss to the Government, as Fels proved a welcome lighting rod for ill-feelings about how GST price increases worked in practice. At the moment Fels and the ACCC are in the spotlight over what some in the business community believe is his overstepping of the mark in the raid for evidence of price collusion at the offices of Caltex and other oil companies. At the same time the Government has ordered a review of the competition provisions of the Trade Practices Act (Dawson Inquiry) to determine how the TPA affects Australian businesses to be internationally competitive, to review how excessive market concentration and power is used and the need for certainty regarding compliance.
The TPA is a creature of history. When the US industrial revolution was in its infancy more than 100 years ago, the machine age was characterised by businessmen who were collectively called robber barons. Businessmen such as Rockefeller and Carnegie initially convinced governments to give them monopolies to build badly needed railways and factories then used their subsequent immense wealth to bribe politicians (now called political donations) to help them maintain their monopolies by ruthlessly eliminating any potential competitors. Eventually public outrage at this abuse of business power forced politicians to draft the Sherman anti-trust laws and it is upon that legislation that Australia's competition law is based. The TPA was also a child of the protectionist ideals that created the tariff walls around Australia for the bulk of the last century. The rationale behind this was simple and correct. If you have a protected marketplace, then it is wise to have some rules so the players in that market do not abuse their position.
Yet in every boardroom there are discussions on how to get rid of or neutralise competitors. For small- to medium-sized businesses this discussion is a matter of survival. In large corporations it is a question of fulfilling the obligation to create shareholder wealth. Any company that does a SWOT analysis (strength, weakness, opportunities, threats) inevitably lists competition as a threat. The art of war and business dictates fighting these threats. And even a casual observation of events over the past 10 years or so would confirm that competition rules are necessary. There are any number of instances of price fixing, market collusion and predatory pricing. When governments used to own and operate monopolies, they were the biggest perpetrators of unfair pricing by subsidising consumer prices of electricity and water and asking business to foot the bill. Competition rules are aimed at protecting small companies from big companies and consumers from all companies. It is a laudable aim that no one would have serious objection to.
So the question for the Dawson Inquiry is that as we move into the 21st century are the competition rules formulated in another century still appropriate now and are those rules too broad and providing the enforcer of those rules too much discretionary power? Certainly Commonwealth Bank CEO David Murray thinks so. He told an American Chamber of Commerce luncheon last month that the ACCC was guilty of "false and misleading behaviour" in regards to the raid by the ACCC on Caltex. (see story below). In the past few weeks, Caltex chairman Dick Warburton, Woolworths CEO Roger Corbett, Harvey Norman's Gerry Harvey and others from the so-called big end of town have taken turns at criticising the ACCC and Allan Fels. The competition regulator may be in the spotlight but it is a position he understands well – and one he uses assiduously to push his views concerning the perceived abuses of business. "I must be doing something right, because both sides of politics have re-appointed me over the past decade," Fels says. "You can be independent and still be sensitive to politicians. They are happy that you are independent but that they are not responsible for decisions.
"If it goes politically wrong they can blame you. Where they are sensitive is where you recommend changes in the law and they don't know about it and the media arrive at their doorstep asking for an explanation. "I am very careful about any recommendations I make to government. This hasn't always been the case with my predecessors who have not handled this aspect of the job on some occasions very well. "I don't feel any hostility coming from the government and they in fact increased our budget by 28 percent." But while the Government may be happy, the big end of town is less than pleased with the manner in which Fels has interpreted and used the provisions within the TPA to go after anti-competitive behaviour. Their principle beef is that in the absence of any substantiated evidence, Fels uses the media to impugn the reputations of companies before they have had a fair and just hearing in a court. While there have been calls to sue the ACCC over loss of reputation, it profits no one but the legal profession to take a corporate regulator to court.
It is why the Dawson Inquiry takes on added meaning and raises expectations that this will become the stick with which to beat the ACCC down to size. Not surprisingly Fels has a different view. "I see the inquiry as a means to air some of the views on how the Act works and that will not be harmful to the Act or the ACCC," he says. "Importantly, it is a chance to bring our law into line with best international practice. "My own belief is that it is basically a sound piece of law including the procedures and processes. There were a few concessions made to the big business lobby in 1974 during the deliberations over the present Act. Justice Lionel Murphy wanted criminal sanctions put in place but he couldn't get them. "The US, Canada, Japan and the UK have criminal sanctions in place for hard core collusion by big business, so why not align ourselves with world best practice." And this is the battlefield at the moment. Fels believes that the inquiry will accede to his wishes to impose criminal sanctions on company officers found guilty of hard core collusion in fixing the market.
Fels says claims that the inadequacies of the TPA legislation has given him with too much discretionary power – and that he has abused this power is merely a distraction by big business to avoid the prospect of jail sentences. "The fact is that the ACCC is more accountable than most regulators," he says. "We can't affect anyone's legal rights against their will without a court order. We can't get an injunction or a fine without going to court. "We are currently involved with 70 cases in the Federal Court in the face of steep resistance from businesses which hire the best consultants and councils to argue their case. We happen to win around 90 percent of the cases. "We are not particularly radical in the cases we take to court and we are accountable to the courts. For instance if a company has anti-competitive form of conduct that you believe is in the public interest it can apply for authorisation. Those decisions are frequently appealed to the Australian Competition Tribunal which is headed by a judge. One of the reasons the TPA has survived over the years is that there is always a right to challenge our decisions.
"I have been here for around 13 years and I can tell you that we are heroes one day and enemies the next. In 1991, I was the hero for Santos because we deregulated LPG prices. A little later we were the villains because we opposed the Santos merger. Similarly the banks applauded us for deregulating credit cards in 1992 but now that we are looking at credit cards and the issue of retailers we are castigated. "With the oil companies we have spent immense amounts of time trying to convince a sceptical public that oil price rises were due to the Gulf War. We deregulated petrol in 1998 but now we are the enemy of the oil companies."
If the ACCC is spending a huge amount of time and effort on competition matters should the consumer protection functions be hived off into a separate entity? Fels says no. He says competition and consumer protection are inter-related. Consumer protection involve issues of market failure and a competition regulator is more likely to have such an outlook than a separate consumer protection regulator whose daily work does not involve markets. He is also dismissive of the view that there should be a separate mergers panel in the same way that a Takeovers Panel has been constituted. "There are already a number of entities looking at mergers including the courts," says Fels. "Who would be on such a panel? Would it be representatives of business groups? Who would appoint them? What would this body do? Is it an appeals process? "The main question in the public's mind is whether this is a crude attempt to nobble an effective regulator or a genuine attempt to improve the TPA. If the latter then let's discuss the issues. "Mergers always create tensions with the regulator but the fact is that we are not giving business a bad deal on mergers. Most mergers go through. There were 216 mergers last year of which we opposed 13 – and 10 of them were resolved through undertakings." Without doubt Fels has fought the good fight against anti-competitive behaviour. The struggle however has taken its toll. For Fels the enemy is the big business interests which he feels have only one aim and that is to weaken the competition rules.
Every action and every statement by big business regarding the ACCC is filtered through this prism of suspicion. It inevitably creates a siege mentality. It is why he is conducting a media blitzkrieg decrying the motives of big business in not wanting to have jail penalties for cases of hard core price collusion. The question for the Dawson Inquiry will be to determine whether the Trade Practices Act as it is presently constituted still serves the needs of the 21st century. In the process, it will also judge whether Fels is an effective guardian of the competition gate, or an obstacle to better co-operation between a regulator and those being regulated.
The AICD is preparing a submission to the Dawson Inquiry.
The purpose of this database is to provide a full-text record of all articles that have appeared in the CDJ since February 1997. It is aimed to assist in the research and reference process. The database has a full-text index and will enable articles to be easily retrieved.It should be noted that information contained in this database is in pre-publication format only - IT IS NOT THE FINAL PRINTED VERSION OF THE CDJ - therefore there might be slight discrepancies between the contents of this database and the printed CDJ.
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Takata Settles Airbag Cases to Reorganize
Last week, every major news outlet had an article about the news that Takata has settled its airbag litigations with everyone from injured victims to car makers. They did this to move out of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and reorganize. The overall settlement sets up a trust fund that will be used to settle the many lawsuits still outstanding. Thus far, the faulty airbags have caused 16 deaths and caused nearly 185 injuries. That is tragic for those whose loved ones were lost due to the company’s failures to inform consumers and auto manufacturers about this problem or to correct this defect until it was too late. Their lives cannot be restored. Our trust in parts manufacturers might be restored over time.
We depend on car manufacturers and those who provide parts to our vehicles, to live up to the safety standards established under American laws and regulations. It shakes our trust when a device that is supposed to protect the driver and passengers from harm or injury in an auto crash, instead causes harm or death. Airbags have saved many lives since they were required in American vehicles. But when we get into our vehicles we don’t think that a safety device can malfunction and harm us, either by detonating for no reason or detonating in a car crash but causes additional harm. Over forty million American cars have these potentially faulty airbags. Any many many vehicles are still on the roads with them, since replacements have been difficult to obtain.
Takata’s Fraud Impacts Consumers
As many readers will recall, Takata turned out to have done some very bad things. Last year, the Japanese company was hit hard by the United States Department of Justice, which had charged them with some very shameful conduct including crimes involving fraud and falsifying data on the defective airbags. They paid a great deal in reputation loss and fines amounting to about $1 billion to the regulators and to the car makers who had to expend dollars on a major recall of the airbags.
Airbag Crisis Continues
As Forbes has noted, the settlement doesn’t solve the airbag problem for many consumers. This means that there could be more airbag tragedies in the future, since removing these airbags is critical to keeping drivers safe. The airbags can inflate without warning and place drivers and passengers at risk.
As part of the Forbes report, it was revealed that thousands of Ford pick ups are in danger of harmful airbag inflation. The danger with Ranger trucks is imminent and the company has taken drastic action to manage it. They have asked their dealers to retrieve owners’ trucks and provide a loaner at no expense. Ford will then replace the airbags for the Ranger owners. We hope that anyone driving a Ford Ranger will heed this warning and get in touch with or respond to dealers’ requests.
Scholle Law is solely dedicated to the health and safety of our community. Our Gwinnett County injury lawyer team is at the ready to help those injured by defective products or otherwise. Contacting us is the first step in getting the legal support needed after an accident or injury.


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South Africa is the most cryptocurrency-friendly country in Africa, according to the 2018 World Payments Report by French banking group BNB Paribas and IT company Capgemini. Compared to other major economies on the continent, South Africa has allowed digital currency-based payments, trades and investments to flourish almost unhindered.
As Digital Payments Rise, Leading African Economies Trade Cautiously on Cryptocurrency
The report, released Oct.17, concluded that digital payments, including cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, have grown sharply all around the world, and “are experiencing a boom, driven by developing markets”, including Africa.
Ghana and Kenya, the 11th and 9th biggest economies in Africa, respectively, are still in the consultation phase. Nigeria, the continent’s biggest economy, with a GDP of $376 billion, is opposed to virtual currency, officials have said. The central banks of Kenya and Nigeria have both likened cryptocurrencies to a “pyramid scheme.”
“The central bank of Nigeria has also imposed a complete ban on bitcoin and the likes, while Brazil also has banned cryptocurrency,” said the report, which detailed that global cashless transactions rose 10.1 percent to 482.6 billion at the end of 2016. Non-cash transactions include checks, debit cards, credit card payments, credit transfers and direct debit transactions.
South Africa Leads in Crypto Regulation, Adoption and Development
Africa has steadily accelerated the switch to modern technologies. Cellphone-based payments have expanded particularly fast in countries like Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. But it is South Africa, the continent’s most sophisticated economy, that leads the pack where cryptocurrency regulation, adoption and development is concerned.
The economy is home to a number of bitcoin ATMs and digital currency exchanges – including Luno, which has two million customers throughout the world – allowing people to buy and sell digital coins in the local fiat currency, rand. Domestic financial companies, including banks, are starting to step into the space. On Monday, Standard Bank said it is looking to establish a number of events to help explain the benefits and risks of cryptocurrency and the blockchain.
This is all thanks to the open-mindedness of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). Although the regulator does not recognize cryptocurrency as legal tender, it has not prevented trade in such. In April, the bank announced plans to create guidelines for cryptocurrency markets in the country. SARB has also tested an inter-bank settlement system code named Project Kohka, which runs on the Ethereum blockchain, aiming to speed up payments.
Emerging Markets See Sharp Growth in Cashless Transactions
Meanwhile, the World Payments Report – based on data from the World Bank, the Bank for International Settlements and the European Central Bank’s statistical database – showed that developing markets are at the forefront of a global boom in digital payments, with Russia (annual growth of 36.5 percent), India (33.2 percent) and China (25.8 percent) as notable movers in the 2015-16 period.
Mature markets maintained steady growth of more than 7 percent in the period under review. Developing markets are seen growing 21.6 percent, led by Asia at 28.8 percent over the next five years. By 2021, developing markets are expected to account for around half of all non-cash transactions worldwide, overtaking the mature markets for the first time, whose current share stands at 66.3 percent.
Anirban Bose, CEO of Capgemini’s Financial Services, said it is critical for banks to find ways to tap into cryptocurrencies and other non-cash payment methods if they are to remain relevant.
“With their significant market share in the payments industry and implementation of new technologies, banks are in a unique position to shape the marketplace. They can also create new revenue streams through innovative, collaborative relationships with fintechs and active participation by the broader financial services community,” Bose said in a separate press release.
The report further indicated that high numbers of non-cash transactions can provide benefits to the society, addressing growing challenges of corruption – especially in Africa. This is because non-cash transactions share a positive linear correlation with corruption perception index.
This probably emanates from the fact that digital transactions from financial institutions and mobile money can be more easily traced than cash, hence can allow law enforcement agents to investigate and prosecute the suspicious transactions. The WPR report also noted that the more payments are shifted to cashless instruments, the more likely that huge cash transactions can be “flagged and investigated, reducing the possible means of accepting illicit or fraudulent payments.”
“Governments should create the necessary supply-side push for such transactions by creating the supporting infrastructure, bringing positive change with regulations, and promoting non-cash transations to create a conducive environment for digital transactions to grow,” the report warned.
What do you think about the cryptocurrency landscape in Africa? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock.
Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH and other coins, on our market charts at Satoshi Pulse, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com


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Earlier this month, Xiaomi introduced its first Black Shark gaming smartphone. And today the sale of new items in China started. But not all had time to recover, as in a matter of seconds the goods were sold.
What is known
General Manager of Black Shark Technology Wu Shimin (Wu Shimin) said that the company did not expect such love and support of customers for their first product. In addition, Shimin said that now they and the partners are looking for opportunities to increase production. According to the official website, the next batch of devices will be on sale on April 27. For the configuration at 6/64 GB, you will have to pay 2,999 yuan (~ $ 477), and for the mall - 3499 yuan (~ $ 556). In addition, it is written that the first 50 thousand buyers will receive a gift Black Shark Gamepad.
Recall Xiaomi Black Shark received 5.99-inch screen with an aspect ratio of 18: 9 and a resolution of 2160 × 1080 pixels. The flagship Snapdragon 845 processor with Adreno 630 graphics is responsible for the device's performance. In addition, the smartphone has a cooling system for the chip with a large heatsink and water coolant. If we talk about cameras, then it's a dual core of 12 Mp + 20 Mp and a front one at 20 Mp. For the autonomy of the novelty the battery responds to 4000 mAh.
Xiaomi Black Shark was created as a competitor to Razer Phone and Nubia Red Magic . The latter, by the way, was presented yesterday. Soon to this three will also join the smartphone company Asus with the name ROG E-Sports.


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Sudan has begun allowing private traders to export gold, a move expected to crack down on smuggling and attract foreign currency into the country’s cash-strapped treasury. Until January 1st 2020, when the decision was made, Sudan’s Central Bank had been the sole body legally allowed to buy and export gold and set up centers to buy the metal from small-scale miners. Hajooj Kuka, Analyst and Activist joins CNBC Africa for more on what the country is doing to revive the economy.
Get the best of CNBC Africa sent straight to your inbox with breaking business news, insights and updates from experts across the continent. Sign up here.


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A re-imagined alternate history dating back to ashes of the Korean War documents the fall of one global superpower – and the rise of another, driven by the ruthless APEX Corporation in a world with chilling parallels to our own.
“The core premise of Homefront – an occupation on American soil – remains unchanged, ” said Hasit Zala, Game Director at Dambuster Studios. “But we have created a brand new fiction that offers a very different interpretation of how we got there.”
The full story behind the rise of APEX is told in the gripping 2026 documentary,APEX and the Technology of Control
And you can discover more about the world of Homefront via the in-depth Timeline at:
Homefront: The Revolution is scheduled for release on 17th May 2016 in North America, and 17th May 2016 in all other territories on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft. , PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.
Native Mac and Linux versions are also in development.
For more information and to get the latest updates on Homefront: The Revolution, visit the official website at www.Homefront-Game.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @HomefrontGame or on Facebook at Facebook.com/HomefrontGame.


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R&D expenditure in Andalusia reached 1,627.2 million euros in 2020, which is 5.8% more than the previous year, the highest increase in the last decade. This figure places the region in third place nationally behind only Madrid (4,253 million euros) and Catalonia (3,619 million euros). This increase is the highest of all Spanish regions, followed […]
The Advanced Centre for Aerospace Technologies (CATEC) and the Sevillian company Airvant have developed the PrevenZAL project, which consists of the design of a drone to disinfect critical spaces in the logistics sector in a short time and an automated manner. This drone, which will be used by Correos at its logistics centre in Malaga, has represented a technological breakthrough as it is an effective solution for future outbreaks of COVID-19 that may arise.
The President of the Government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, and the Vice President and Regional Minister of Tourism, Regeneration, Justice and Local Administration, Juan Marín, have pointed out this week, during the inauguration of the Andalusia pavilion at the World Travel Market in London, that this community is ready and fashionable to attract foreign investment, continue to attract tourists and achieve full economic recovery in the field of tourism in 2022 to generate greater possibilities in the field of progress, employment and welfare.
The Minister for Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities of the Government of Andalusia, Rogelio Velasco, recently highlighted the growing trend in ICT activities in Andalusia, with an increase of 9.8% and a 7.6% growth in the number of companies registered with the Social Security in the first half of this year.
Extenda-Andalucía Exports and Foreign Investment organised the participation of a dozen Andalusian firms in the Smart Agrifood Summit, the leading meeting in the industry for the creation of innovation ecosystems in the European agri-food sector, which was held between 30 September and 1 October at the Trade Fairs and Congress Centre in Malaga. This is a new area of innovative business linked to the agri-food complex in which Andalusia has exported 147 million euros between January and July 2021, with a growth of 16.2%, its second-best figure in history.
Olive grove production next season will exceed one million tonnes of olive oil (1,050,300 tonnes) and 5.25 million tonnes of olives for milling in 2021-2022. In the case of oil, this quantity represents a reduction of 5.5% compared to 2020-2021 and a decrease of 4.5% compared to the average of the last five seasons. This was announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Sustainable Development of the Government of Andalusia, Carmen Crespo in Expoliva.
A total of 31 companies from the eight provinces of the region will compete for the Alas Awards for the Internationalisation of Andalusian Companies, organised and awarded by Extenda-Andalucía Exports and Foreign Investment.
Andalusia leads agri-food exports in the first half of 2021 with 23.4% of Spain’s total and almost 7,000 million euros sold on the foreign market. This means that one out of every four euros of agri-food products exported from the country, in the period from January to June 2021, originates from the Andalusian region.
II Global Business Trip: 40 Andalusian technology companies to be promoted in the Chilean and Mexican markets
The Regional Ministry of Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities and the Andalusian Council of Chambers of Commerce has selected the 40 technology companies that will participate in the second edition of the Global Business Trip, which aims to promote business opportunities for the Andalusian ICT sector in the markets of Mexico and Chile. The programme, which this year takes place in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, begins training in internationalisation and marketing for the participating companies on 13 September.
Andalusia registered the creation of 1,317 companies in July, 3.1% more than those registered in the provincial mercantile registers in the same month in 2020. These are data provided by the Institute of Statistics and Cartography of Andalusia (IECA). According to this information, the capital subscribed for their incorporation exceeded 63.7 million euros, 125.6% higher […]


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Japanese-type sandwiches, or sandos, and treats are exploding in recognition in Chicago during the pandemic, and now two community sector veterans with wonderful dining chops are leaping into the sando fray with a pop-up they hope to completely transform into a actual physical restaurant. Cat-Su Sando, a new undertaking from cooks Will Schlaeger (Subsequent, Saison, Blackbird) and Shawn Clendening (Oriole, Saison, Blackbird), debuted Monday as a virtual kitchen area featuring sandwiches, grilled skewers, savory Japanese pancakes, and more.
Customers can opt for from five sando selections, such as the signature Cat-Su Sando (fried pork cutlet, Cat-Su sauce, fermented jalapeno, cabbage, milk bread) and smoked fish salad sando (smoked fish, marinated ikura, celtuce, yuzu kosho, barbecue shrimp chips, milk bread). There’s also some fairly regular kushiyaki, or grilled skewers, okonomiyaki (savory pancakes), and treats like onigiri (stuffed rice balls) and a “Green Eggs and SPAM” musubi (smoked SPAM, environmentally friendly tamago, nori). Wrap it up with packaged treats like Pocky and Hello there Panda biscuits.
“We want persons to enjoy SPAM,” says Schlaeger. “It’s rather fantastic!”
Schlaeger and Clendening bonded whilst functioning at Blackbird. The desire is to inevitably open up a restaurant, and jogging a ghost kitchen will hopefully enable them to create a basis. Neither have visited Japan, but have witnessed the country’s affect on American places to eat: “Saison is quite significantly a Japanese cafe,” Schlaeger suggests of their time at the Bay Space Michelin-starred restaurant.
Schlaeger, who if Filipino, grew up in suburban Glencoe. Clendening grew up in North Carolina. The two say they’re not modeling their technique to Japanese foodstuff like Paul Virant has above at Gaijin in West Loop. That is, having an appreciative outside perspective to Japanese delicacies and sharing it with Us citizens and homesick Japanese in Chicago.
The chefs want to see how what they’ve figured out in Michelin-starred kitchens will translate to exciting Japanese food. The two do not want to do a “bastardized” variation of Japanese meals, but want to have entertaining with the preparations.
Cat-Su’s menu riffs on yōshoku, or a category of Japanese foods motivated by European and American dishes which is intended to suit Japanese tastes — feel omurice, a sensitive and gooey omelette served around rice, or korokke, a well-known spin on French croquettes. There are other sub-groups that aspect a lot more straightforward, much less adulterated usually takes on Western dishes, but yōshoku bears a distinctly Japanese sensibility.
Carryout and shipping are available via UberEats.
Cat-Su Sando, 3220 W. Grand Avenue, Open up 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.


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NEW YORK -- Coca-Cola wants FIFA to clean up its act.
The company, a major sponsor of soccer's international governing body, urged FIFA to submit itself to reforms by an independent third-party commission following reports of financial corruption in FIFA's upper ranks, the company told The Huffington Post.
"We believe that establishing this independent commission will be the most credible way for FIFA to approach its reform process and is necessary to build back the trust it has long," Coca-Cola wrote in a July 9 letter to FIFA, according to the BBC, which first reported the news on Friday.
"We can confirm that The Coca-Cola Company has asked FIFA to support an independent, third-party commission overseen by one or more eminent, impartial leaders to manage the efforts necessary to help reform FIFA’s governance and its human rights requirement," Coca-Cola spokeswoman Ann Moore wrote in an email to HuffPost.
In May, seven FIFA executives were arrested in Switzerland on bribery and racketeering charges, at the request of American federal agencies.
The arrests highlighted FIFA's questionable track record in other areas, such as its decision to grant the next two World Cup tournaments to Russia and Qatar. Critics have pointed to the horrendous mistreatment of migrant workers tasked with building stadiums to host the Qatar games.
Like most FIFA sponsors, Coca-Cola has been under intense pressure to urge the organization to reform itself. Most recently, the AFL-CIO wrote a letter to Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent insisting that the company push FIFA to submit to an independent commission.
"As a major sponsor, we urge you to demand an independent FIFA Reform Commission to restore transparency and integrity to international football, and ensure that major sporting events uphold the highest possible human rights standards," Cathy Feingold, AFL-CIO's international director, wrote in the letter.


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Pacific trade pact praised, panned as Obama urges approval
THE Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal between the U.S. and 11 other Pacific nations is drawing potential new members from Asia and criticism from those excluded, as it heads for a tough ride in the U.S. Congress.
Leaders of the trade grouping that spans the Pacific Rim met alongside a regional economic summit on Wednesday in the Philippines and President Barack Obama urged them to ratify the deal “as quickly as possible.”
The leaders issued a statement acknowledging interest among other countries in joining the pact, which currently represents about 40 percent of global trade.
“This interest affirms that through TPP we are creating a new and compelling model for trade in one of the world’s fastest growing and most dynamic regions,” the statement said.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Manila, met with Obama and sought his help in eventually joining the accord, which aims to reduce barriers to trade and also set labor and environmental standards.
“If the whole idea is to broaden trade, making it exclusive actually defeats the whole purpose of why you enter into all of these agreements,” Aquino said earlier in the week.
Indonesia and South Korea are among other countries that have expressed interest in joining the trade arrangement, which is envisioned as a foundation for an even bigger region-wide trading bloc.
The Pan-Pacific trade deal has drawn criticism, however, from China and Russia, which are not part of it.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday that world trade rules should be drafted within the framework of the World Trade Organization, not regional groupings.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also alluded to the potential conflict between regional deals and global trade rules.
“We need to encourage equal footing participation and extensive consultation and make free trade arrangements open and inclusive to the extent possible,” Xi said in a speech.
U.S. officials have insisted the trade pact will be open to other countries, as long as they are willing to commit to its rules.
“We welcome China, we welcome Russia, we welcome other countries who would like to join, as long as they want to raise the standards and live up to the highest standards of protecting people and doing business openly and transparently and accountably,” Secretary of State John Kerry said in a Nov. 2 interview with the Russian TV network Mir, according to a transcript posted online by the State Department.
Still, ratification of the deal by the U.S. Congress is not certain.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, whose recently ousted predecessor Tony Abbott strongly supported the agreement, said after Wednesday’s meeting that the biggest cause for concern appears to be gaining ratification in Washington.
“That’s President Obama’s challenge,” Turnbull said.
Republican lawmakers who had supported the deal appear to be backing off as a U.S. presidential election looms next year. Many Democrats, including the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Rodham Clinton, oppose the trade pact, which can only be approved or rejected by Congress with no amendments.
Obama acknowledged negotiations were challenging.
“This is not easy to do, the politics of any trade agreement are difficult,” he said.
Apart from the U.S. and Australia, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam have signed on to the accord.
Chinese online commerce mogul Jack Ma had his own suggestion for how to get around the tortuous negotiations process.
His Alibaba e-commerce platform has grown to annual sales worth $500 billion in China, “Almost the same size as Wal-Mart,” he said. “If we had negotiations with all the governments and provinces this would go nowhere,” Ma told the business leaders.
“Because we never negotiated with them we made this thing happen,” he said.


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This is the Newsletter of the Hamburg News Edition 44/2018
E-mobility is one of the most important topics of the future. Jungheinrich, one of the world’s leading intralogistics companies, has been driving this topic for years and has been selling its own electric forklifts since the 1950s. Today, 95 per cent of the vehicles sold by the Hamburg-based company are electric. The spread of lithium-ion technology means a revolution in mobile work equipment is now imminent, said Michael von Forstner, Program Manager Lithium-Ion at Jungheinrich in an interview with Hamburg News.
These and other daily business news reports can be found on the bilingual web site Hamburg News in German and English. If you like our newsletter, please recommend it to new readers. The news team at Hamburg News would also welcome your comments and tips, which can be sent per email to email@example.com.


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No matter what, your furry four-legged friends never fail to love you unconditionally. And now it’s time for you to shower them with some love and attention over the weekend! One of the biggest pet festivals in India, Pet Fed, is back this year with its fourth edition. The two-day event will be held in Delhi on December 2 and 3, while Mumbaikars can enjoy the extravanganza in the capital city of Maharashtra on December 16 and 17. This year, the organisers of pet festival also plan to create India’s first record of the Biggest Dog Gathering with around 2,000 to 3,000 pet dogs that are expected to participate in it.
Sharing more details about attempting the world record, Akshay Gupta, Founder and Managing Director of Pet Fed, told us, “While such records have been made abroad with 6,000 to 7,000 pets gathering at an event, no such record has been made in India so far. So we thought, why not attempt it at Pet Fed this time?”
“The ‘Biggest Dog Gathering’ will take place on both the days between 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM and we are expecting around 2,000-3,000 pet dogs to turn up along with 20,000-25,000 pet parents,” he added.
The other activities lined-up for the event include an Off Leash play area with trampolines, ball pools and doggo slides for pet dogs; a Discover Dogs section with some interesting facts about various dog breeds; and shows like the Security Dog Show, Good Dog Citizen Program and Obedience Display!
Pet parents can enrol their pets in Pet’s Got Talent and showcase their pet’s cool tricks, or dress them up for a Fashion Show exclusively for pets too. “We have a Secutiry Dog Show and multiple skits showing their talent, which is something new which we have planned for this year. Also, similar to India’s Got Talent we have organised a Pet’s Got Talent wherein proud pet parents can display their pet’s talent. As for cats and cat-lovers, we have a designated area for cats to play with special toys for them. We also have fashion shows for both cats and dogs,” Akshay said.
And if you don’t have a pet but plan to own one, then Pet Fed has something for you as well. “Pet Fed has tied-up with 9-10 NGOs this year and we’ll help people in adopting stray cats and dogs. The NGOs will follow the standard protocol for adopting a pet— participants need to bring an ID proof and fill a form. Later the NGO will do a verification check before sending the pet to the new pet parent’s home,” he said.
So what are you waiting for? Head to Pet Fed 2017, because there is something for everyone at this pet festival.


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July 1, 2013 - Social media is a constantly growing base that comes in many forms, from posting tweets to sharing videos and sharing with your friends where you are - and now, you can even share your progress on an online shopping site. Collaborative shopping takes consumers on a whole new journey now that you can involve your friends while shopping online. All of this is because of advanced technology that BevyUp has developed for online retail outlets.
Read more: RM Exclusive: A New Way To Shop
July 1, 2013 - OfficeMax Incorporated, a leading provider of office supplies, technology and services, today announced it has expanded its line of OfficeMax private brand writing products by 75 percent with new pens, highlighters, mechanical pencils and markers. The expansion coincides with advances to additional writing products within the private brand line to deliver improved quality and style to customers.
Read more: OfficeMax Expands, Advances Line of Private Brand Writing Products to Help Customers Get More...
June 28, 2013 - Have you heard about the newest way to shop online? Facebook flash sales are emerging as the most exciting way for consumers to purchase products, and Accessory Mercado is at the cutting edge of this exhilarating, dynamic trend. Launched in May, Accessory Mercado sells designer-inspired accessories such as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, scarves, and even watches exclusively on Facebook.
Read more: Facebook Flash Sales from Accessory Mercado Offer High-End Style Accessories for Low-End Prices
June 27, 2013 - Art imitates life in Stuart Weitzman's Fall 2013 ad campaign, as fashion icon Kate Moss serves as both the face and the muse. The styling of the dramatic black and white images, photographed by Mario Testino, aims to mirror Moss's effortless signature look.
Read more: Stuart Weitzman's Fall 2013 Advertising Campaign Inspired by Kate Moss's Street Style
June 27, 2013 - Poppin announced today that Staples will be the first U.S. retailer of its fashionable yet affordable work-lifestyle products. Previously available exclusively on poppin.com, Poppin products are immediately available on Staples.com and in a select number of Staples stores.
Read more: Poppin Partners with Staples to Reimagine the Office Products Shopping Experience
June 27, 2013 - Stride Rite Children's Group announced the opening of its newest retail store at Easton Town Center in Columbus, OH on June 19. This marks the latest opening since the launch of the new store design called "Milestone" premiered in Burlington, MA in March 2012, and is part of the brand's commitment to providing the best shoe-shopping experience for kids and families.
Read more: Stride Rite Unveils New Store in Columbus, OH with Milestone Design
June 27, 2013 - The Affiliated Business Group, a division of DSW Inc., and Loehmann's announced a joint agreement this morning for ABG to operate as the sole supplier for Loehmann's footwear departments in its U.S. locations and e-commerce site loehmanns.com.
Read more: DSW's Affiliated Business Group and Loehmann's Announce New Shoe Agreement
June 27, 2013 - Janam Technologies LLC, a leading provider of rugged mobile computers that scan barcodes and communicate wirelessly, today announced that Buy For Less, an Oklahoma owned and operated independent grocer, recently selected Janam's XG100 rugged handheld for in-store and backend operations at all of its fourteen stores.
Read more: Buy For Less Selects Janam Mobile Computers
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China’s economy contracted in the three months ending in June compared with the previous quarter after Shanghai and other cities shut down to fight coronavirus outbreaks.
But the government said a “stable recovery” is underway after businesses reopened.
The world’s second-largest economy shrank by 2.6%, down from the January-March period’s already weak 1.4%, official data showed on Friday.
Activity was “much weaker than expected”, Rajiv Biswas of S and P Global Market Intelligence said in a report.
Asian stock markets were mixed following the news. The Hong Kong was down 0.8% at mid-morning while Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul gained.
Anti-virus controls shut down Shanghai, site of the world’s busiest port, and other industrial centres starting in late March, fuelling concerns global trade and manufacturing might be disrupted.
Millions of families were confined to their homes, depressing consumer spending.
Factories and offices were allowed to start reopening in May, but economists say it will be weeks or months before activity is back to normal.
Economists and business groups say China’s trading partners will feel the impact of shipping disruptions over the next few months.
“The resurgence of the pandemic was effectively contained,” the statistics bureau said in a statement. “The national economy registered a stable recovery.”
Data on factory output, consumer spending and other activity suggest overall growth was even weaker than the headline figure, Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said in a report.
“Even accounting for June’s strength, the data are consistent with negative y/y (year-on-year) growth last quarter,” Mr Evans-Pritchard wrote. “This isn’t the first time that the official GDP figures have seemingly understated the extent of an economic downturn.”
The slump hurts China’s trading partners by depressing demand for imported oil, food and consumer goods.
China’s infection numbers are relatively low, but Beijing responded to its biggest outbreak since the 2020 start of the pandemic with a “zero-Covid” policy that aims to isolate every person who tests positive. The ruling party has switched to quarantining individual buildings or neighbourhoods with infections but those restrictions covered areas with millions of people.
The ruling Communist Party is promising tax refunds, free rent and other aid to get companies back on their feet, but most forecasters expect China to fail to hit the ruling party’s 5.5% growth target this year.


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TiVo hires Nielsen exec
August 14, 2013
TiVo Research and Analytics, the largest provider of single-source TV viewing and purchase data for advertisers and networks, announced the addition of Sheryl Harkins, previously a 17 year veteran with Nielsen, as its SVP of CPG Sales.
TRA launched its leading single-source advertising optimization solution in 2008 and since then has served over 45 CPG brands as customers of TRA’s Media TRAnalytics single source platform. Sheryl brings to TRA 25 years of experience delivering advertising and audience measurement solutions for brand advertisers and media agencies.
“Sheryl has many years of experience, unmatched expertise and a proven track record for successfully providing advertising solutions for major CPG advertisers. Sheryl joining our team is a big win for TRA and an even bigger win for our customers,” said Mark Lieberman, CEO of TRA.
Harkins has spent the last 17 years working for Nielsen, progressing from an Account Executive in 1996 to most recently SVP of Ad Solutions Sales and Marketing. Prior to Nielsen, Sheryl spent a decade working in Media Research for The Leo Burnett Company. Sheryl is on the External Advisory Board of The University of Wisconsin A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research MBA program. Sheryl will office out of Chicago, Illinois to maintain a close proximity to TRA’s major CPG customers.


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Officials from Rockstar have confirmed that an illegally obtained version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
has been posted to various online sites, ahead of its U.S. release on Tuesday 25th November.
joins a long list of other major titles, including Half-Life 2
, Doom 3
and Halo 2
, which have had pirated versions leaked to the Internet before their intended release date, albeit all at differing stages of development.
Although no official confirmation has been given, a boxed copy of the game is believed to have been extracted while being prepared for distribution to retail stores in the U.S. - this illegal distribution did not involve a pressing plant or internal leak of any kind, unlike some of the aforementioned games.
Although, as mentioned, San Andreas
is due for release next week, Rockstar are still treating the theft as serious and are urging those with information on the thieves or any site hosting the images or software to contact them at [email protected]


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Jordan textile exports to USA up
The total exports of by the textile factories located in Jordan's Qualified Industrial Zones amounted to US$1.058 billion in 2010 compared to US$ 447.7 million for the same period of 2009.
The Minister of Industry and Trade Amer Hadidi isaid n a statement that this significant increase was not seen by the clothing sector for the past 4 years. The highest increase was posted by Al Hassan Industrial City in Irbid.
Hadidi attributed this increase to the full implementation of the articles included in the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, which started early last year. The minister predicted the continuing rise in the Kingdom's exports by the apparel sector during 2011. The number of workers in these facilities hits about 35,000 workers asthe number of Jordanian workers is put at about 8500.
- Can privatization save Lebanon's economy?
- Between a rock and a hard place: are poor fiscal policies perpetuating poverty in Jordan?
- Tarnished: How "golden" is the current era of GCC economies?
- Let them eat bread: Lebanese youth urged to build their own future
- The list of the top ten highest salaries in the UAE reveals that they are not as high as they once were


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Early results from the MSC’s latest survey of more than 16,000 seafood consumers show that more than half (55%) doubt the seafood they consume is what it says on the packet.
The UK government has published draft legislation for a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, which is set to begin from April 2018.
Making consistently good food choices can set your family on the road to good health, says Marlene Schmidt, registered dietitian for Nestlé’s Nutrition, Health and Wellness Centre of Excellence.
Everything from chocolate bars and cereal to mayonnaise will be hit as the slump in the pound pushes up the cost of imported goods and the petrol used for transportation.
Middle-aged people in England face a health crisis because of unhealthy lifestyles, experts have warned.
Research from the Children’s Food Trust has revealed that pizza is the top pick for children when eating out.


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The Royal Mint has released a new £5 coin to commemorate the 95th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.
As part of their special 2021 coin collection, the silver piece depicts the royal cypher "EIIR" above the words "my heart and my devotion" — a nod to the Queen's first televised Christmas broadcast in 1957.
During her reign, The Royal Mint has created five different effigies of the Queen, as she resides on every British coin in circulation.
"Each year The Royal Mint unveils a series of commemorative coins to celebrate key moments and milestones that helped shape Britain," Clare Maclennan, Divisional Director of the Consumer Division at The Royal Mint, says.
"This year's annual set marks some of the biggest anniversaries in 2021, including Her Majesty The Queen's 95th birthday and John Logie Baird's legacy of innovation. Each coin is a miniature work of art and has been designed as a treasured keepsake or gift."
As well as the special £5 coin, The Royal Mint is also releasing a £2 coin to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir. Walter Scott, a 50p coin to honour the life and work of John Logie Baird, a £2 piece for the life of H.G. Wells 2021, and another 50p coin to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Decimal Day 2021.
Clare explains the importance of honouring Decimal Day, explaining it's one of "the biggest milestones in our 1,100-year history".
She says: "This was one of the largest and most intensive public awareness campaigns ever staged by the government, and introduced the coins that we know today. Decimalisation was the birth of modern coin collecting, and it is fitting that the anniversary has been celebrated on a 50 pence – which is Britain's most loved coin."
The commemorative set will be available to purchase online in a range of precious metal and base proof finishes, with prices starting from £30.
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Many distributors are under the assumption that if they load a bunch of content onto their website and/or into one-off marketing emails, they’ve done their job. But such a Create It and They Will Come strategy can be a waste of time and resources.
Latest In E-Commerce
And other critical reasons why e-commerce investment is the smart choice for nearly all distributors, from Channel Marketing Group's David Gordon.
How owning customers’ attention and their data pays off big for the massive e-commerce site.
Five questions to ask yourself that will help measure the effectiveness of your e-commerce capabilities.
U.S. manufacturers are digitizing at twice the rate of other businesses, Alibaba.com survey finds.
How the online juggernaut uses AI-backed search expertise to improve its e-commerce effectiveness and overcome competitors.
Amazon’s success is not an accident. It is the result of imaginative planning, technological enablement and top-notch execution — that distributors can emulate.
MDM’s most-read blogs of September 2020 center around capitalizing on ways to enhance your distribution business.
Redesign to create role specialization within the organization, invest in digital tools, separate market-making from market-serving activities and create a clear value proposition.
It all starts with your website — but it doesn't end there. B2B online marketing strategist Bob DeStefano shares how distributors can make the most of your small business online.
Thirteen lessons from distributors who are finding the silver linings in COVID-19.
Wholesale distribution finds innovative ways to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic that are remodeling business operations.
These reps are now in position to play a key role in distributor revenue recovery plans.
Align your online and offline presence, stop putting product first and prioritize user experience, recommends distribution marketing veteran Lindsay Young.
Ludwig Meister took an uncommon path on its digital journey, beginning with the backend processes and then focusing on the front-facing, sales-friendly site. CEO Max Meister explains why.
Distributor excels in difficult environment with streamlined technology and new 3D printing capabilities.
Digital offering for customers is one of the four levers that distributors can pull to help them take share during the pandemic — or amid any disruption.
The B2B market is looking for better e-commerce tools and a wider product assortment. Applico’s Alex Moazed outlines three avenues for distributors to meet customer needs and achieve channel enablement in the process.
Amazon, the world’s largest retailer and distributor “frenemy,” is considering placing fulfillment centers in malls where department stores once operated, adding another level of potential threat for the wholesale trade industry.
Identify strengths and weaknesses across three business sectors — process, technology and people — to improve ongoing company performance.


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[ui!] to explore new market of digital lightning with senior expert Matthias Weis
[ui!] to explore new market of digital Lightning with senior expert Matthias Weis
Berlin/Darmstadt, January 24, 2018. Matthias Weis (43), senior manager at the South-German energy giant ENBW, is going to lead the newly founded Urban Lighting Innovations GmbH (that sounds good for me) seated in Berlin, Germany. As member of the [ui!] group, the new company is heading for market leadership in digitalization of lampposts worldwide. “Leading Urban Lighting Innovations is the logical next step to further capitalize on my experience. We will lead cities and communities into the new age of digital lighting and explore new opportunities for cities, technologically and financially”, said Weis.
[ui!], market leader of integrated smart city solutions, sees the foundation of Urban Lighting Innovations GmbH as an opportunity to bundle its competencies in integrated multifunctional street lighting and expand worldwide. [ui!] already assists customers in the digital transformation of street lighting both nationally and internationally. In March 2016, the first national standard for digital street lightning (DIN SPEC 91347) was developed through a process chaired by Professor Dr. Lutz Heuser, CEO and founder of [ui!]
„Today we made an important move towards the digitalization of our cities. With Urban Lighting Innovations GmbH and its future General Manager Matthias Weis we will strengthen our specialist competencies and offer them to producers and providers of street lightning“, said Heuser.
In upcoming years, more than 45 million street lights in Europe have to be changed or modernized. Three out of four street lamps are more than 25 years old -- a total of 60 million street lights. The old street lights consume too much energy. Worldwide over 73 million street lights have to be changed. But streetlighting will be much more than just light – With streetlighting as an integrated multi-functional street lighting infrastructure cities can create an unique digital infrastructure for the Smart City: from the simple street light to the integrated multi-functional street lighting infrastructure with public WLAN, possible sensors and electric car loading stations. Citizen can benefit from new services based on anonymous data such as improvement of traffic flow, health or environmental information.
About Matthias Weis:
Matthias Weis has more than 25 years experiences in the energy industry and is seen as a highly regarded expert on street lightning. In his role at Energie Baden-Württemberg (ENBW) he managed the development and the go-to-market of a new digital lamppost which opened the promising new business segment of infrastructure for the smart city at ENBW.
In 2012, Matthias Weis successfully managed the largest communal installation of sensor controlled street lightning („following light“). The worldwide first climate neutral light point was initiated by Weis. Matthias Weis, a professional electronic engineer for energy plants and business administrator, was recognized as a “Digital Leader” by the Federal Minister of Economy and Technology, Brigitte Zypries, in 2016. One year later, the German national business newspaper Handelsblatt acknowledged Weis as one of the 100 most intelligent people in Germany.


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How’s the jobs recovery? Depends on the sector of the economy.
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We got a decent — but not great — economic report Friday to kick off the weekend. The Labor Department told us that employers kept bringing jobs back in July, extending the recovery from the mass layoffs we saw when the COVID-19 pandemic started back in March and April.
The economy added 1.8 million jobs overall in July. The unemployment rate fell to 10.2%. That’s a tad higher than the rate’s peak in the Great Recession but a marked improvement from April, when it hit almost 15%.
So which jobs are coming back, and which are going away?
If the losses early in the pandemic were a torrent — 22 million jobs washed away in just about six weeks — the rebound since then has been more like a steady current: around 9 million jobs gained back.
And the back-to-work flow has been strongest in low-wage service jobs that were savaged early on, according to Julia Pollak, labor economist at ZipRecruiter.
“The largest gains were in leisure and hospitality, and in retail,” she said.
Jobs stocking shelves at reopened stores, serving drinks at bars and restaurants, cleaning people’s teeth at dentists’ offices.
But job gains slowed considerably in July, compared to June.
“And that’s because as many cities and states had to pause their reopenings to fight back surges in COVID cases, businesses couldn’t really resume business as usual,” Pollak said.
The jobs recovery is doing better in sectors less affected by government COVID restrictions and consumers’ caution, said Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.
“Home construction — and construction in general — is doing well, manufacturing is doing relatively well,” Frick said. “A lot of those are important to the economy because it supports service jobs.”
But Pollak has a warning for professionals whose jobs depend on the consumer economy.
“Among high-wage occupations where most workers can work from home, that typically are recession-proof, we see stagnation and even continued decline,” she said.
COVID-19 Economy FAQs
What’s going on with extra COVID-19 unemployment benefits?
It’s been weeks since President Donald Trump signed an executive memorandum that was supposed to get the federal government back into the business of topping up unemployment benefits, to $400 a week. Few states, however, are currently paying even part of the benefit that the president promised. And, it looks like, in most states, the maximum additional benefit unemployment recipients will be able to get is $300.
What’s the latest on evictions?
For millions of Americans, things are looking grim. Unemployment is high, and pandemic eviction moratoriums have expired in states across the country. And as many people already know, eviction is something that can haunt a person’s life for years. For instance, getting evicted can make it hard to rent again. And that can lead to spiraling poverty.
Which retailers are requiring that people wear masks when shopping? And how are they enforcing those rules?
Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, CVS, Home Depot, Costco — they all have policies that say shoppers are required to wear a mask. When an employee confronts a customer who refuses, the interaction can spin out of control, so many of these retailers are telling their workers to not enforce these mandates. But, just having them will actually get more people to wear masks.
You can find answers to more questions on unemployment benefits and COVID-19 here.


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WASHINGTON (AP) - A jump in the stock market and rising home prices are bringing Americans closer to regaining the wealth they lost in the recession.
CUPERTINO (AP) - With a touch of geek whimsy, Google Maps warns anyone who seeks walking directions to Mordor -the land of evil in "The Lord of the Rings"- to use caution. "One does not simply walk into Mordor," it says. Apple is finding this week that creating an alternative to Google Maps isn't a simple walk, either.
NEW YORK (AP) - Groupon launched a payment service Wednesday that allows businesses to accept credit cards using an iPhone or iPod Touch, becoming the latest company to enter the growing mobile payments market.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Real estate website operator Trulia Inc. said Wednesday it has priced its planned initial public stock offering at $17 each, above its expected range.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Monthly premiums for popular private insurance plans through Medicare are only inching up next year, the Obama administration said Wednesday, trumpeting good news for skeptical older voters on a closely watched election-year issue.
NEW YORK (AP) - Apple's stock closed above $700 for the first time on Tuesday, the day after it announced that orders for its iPhone 5 topped 2 million in the first 24 hours.
CUSTOMS PROBES USE OF HELICOPTER FOR SCHOOL STUNT: McLEAN, Va. (AP) - After a government helicopter was used in an over-the-top invitation to a high school dance, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials are reviewing the incident and an agency pilot has been reassigned.
TOKYO (AP) - Japanese trading company Itochu Corp. said Tuesday it has agreed to buy Dole Food Co.'s worldwide packaged foods and Asia fresh produce businesses for $1.7 billion.
DETROIT (AP) - Ford CEO Alan Mulally said Tuesday that he hasn't told the company's board when he plans to retire.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - It's not much - $878 - but Sina Takafua isn't balking at her first annual payout from Alaska's oil savings account.
NEW YORK (AP) - Elmo, Big Bird and the rest of the "Sesame Street" crew have always talked to kids. Now, they'll try to have a two-way conversation with their pint-sized audience using Kinect, the motion and voice-sensing controller created by Microsoft.
NEW YORK (AP) - FedEx Corp. says the global economy is stalling, and it's going to get worse next year.
DALLAS (AP) - American Airlines is sending layoff warning notices to more than 11,000 employees although a spokesman says the company expects job losses to be closer to 4,400.
BEIJING (AP) - China filed a World Trade Organization case Monday challenging U.S. anti-dumping measures on billions of dollars of kitchen appliances, paper and other goods, adding to worsening trade strains as global demand weakens.
CUPERTINO (AP) - Orders for the iPhone 5 topped 2 million in their first 24 hours, more than double the amount of its predecessor over the same period.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States is appealing a World Trade Organization decision that would make it harder for U.S. consumers to know where meat in the grocery store came from.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Many immigrants in the United States illegally who apply for work permits under President Barack Obama's new executive actions would be eligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits upon reaching retirement age, according to the White House.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Twitter said it is now tracking what other apps its users have installed on their mobile devices so it can target content and ads to them better.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Redbox is raising its DVD rental prices by 25 percent in an effort to wring more revenue from the shrinking audience that still watches movies on discs rather than online.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - In an exception to Southern California's lackluster real estate market, sales of homes costing $2 million or more are hitting record levels, according to a report.
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - From nine to five, seven days a week, Robert Schill plays video games while sitting on a plush, brown sofa in central Florida.
NEW YORK (AP) - Hellmann's mayonnaise has some egg on its face.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Reynolds American Inc. is launching a cigarette that heats tobacco rather than burning it, hoping to capitalize on the growing appetite for alternatives to traditional smokes.
WASHINGTON (AP) - With many seniors facing high medical bills, a congressional investigation has found that federal government websites meant to give Medicare patients basic consumer tools instead fail to provide adequate information on out-of-pocket costs, and even quality of care.
NEW YORK (AP) - Pay phones on New York City streets would become a thing of the past under a plan announced Monday that would replace them with stand-alone devices offering free Wi-Fi and nationwide phone calls as well as mobile phone charging capability.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Federal regulators said a respected Internet privacy company gave its seal of approval to commercial websites and mobile apps but failed to check whether they were indeed meeting standards for safeguarding customers' data.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Monday embraced a radical change in how the government treats Internet service, coming down on the side of consumer activists who fear slower download speeds and higher costs but angering Republicans and the nation's cable giants who say the plan would kill jobs.
DETROIT (AP) - Emails showing that General Motors ordered a half-million replacement ignition switches nearly two months before telling the government of a safety recall will be heavily scrutinized by federal prosecutors, who are investigating GM's conduct, according to legal experts.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Monday waded into the debate over "net neutrality" by suggesting that Internet service should be regulated more heavily to protect consumers.
BALTIMORE (AP) - A federal administrative law judge in Baltimore has given preliminary approval to a $6.6 million settlement for more than 570 current and former Social Security Administration employees with disabilities.


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If your business is experiencing a labor shortage, it may be time to consider the benefits of outsourcing in Cincinnati with Goodwill!
How does thrift shopping help the planet? Here's a look at three ways shopping at Goodwill makes a difference for sustainable good.
Everyone deserves the dignity of employment and the chance to discover a career path that’s right for them. Here’s a closer look at the benefits of on-the-job skills training.
For the first time in 2022, Ohio Valley Goodwill participated in a virtual accreditation survey through the Commission on Accreditation...
Team Goodwill at Community Recognition Awards The evening of June 14th marked the occasion of the 2022 Community Recognition Celebration presented by...
If you’ve never celebrated Flag Day before, be sure to shop at Ohio Valley Goodwill in Cincinnati for great ways to go red, white, and blue!
Father's Day 2022 is almost here, and you can save by shopping at Goodwill in Cincinnati for these great gifts!
This year’s Goodwill Celebrity Golf Outing welcomed almost 200 players and celebrities on a beautiful day at the Glenview Golf...
10600 Springfield Pike
Cincinnati, Ohio 45215


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Morrisons surges after £5.5bn offer
Shares up 34% as investors anticipate higher bid
Shares in Wm Morrison surged by a third yesterday after a giant American private equity firm tabled a £5.5 billion offer for Britain’s fourth largest supermarket chain.
The FTSE 250 group dismissed the approach from Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, but shareholders expect the buyout firm to return with a higher offer.
The New York-based predator, which employs Sir Terry Leahy, the former Tesco boss, as an adviser, has four weeks to sweeten its 230p-a-share bid or walk away.
The raid threatens to shake up the British grocery industry further after the recent takeover of Asda by Zuber and Mohsin Issa, the petrol station tycoons, and TDR Capital, the American private equity firm. Sainsbury’s shares rose by 3.8 per cent and those of Tesco added 1.7


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Old apartments saw a general increase in asking prices during the last 12 months, while new ones were cheaper in some cases, according to data by Imobiliare.ro. The increase was not equal across Romania, though, with Bucharest recording a 2.2 percent rise y-o-y, while Timisoara and Cluj-Napoca rose over 10 percent.
In September the average asking price for apartments on sale nationwide (old and new) increased by 1.5 percent over August, and year on year there was a 5.7 percent increase. In August 2015 the average asking price stood at EUR 950 per square meter, in September it went up to EUR 964 per square meter, while the month of September of the previous year recorded an average of EUR 912 per square meter.
In Bucharest claims remained steady at EUR 1,086 per square meter. The current level is 3 percent higher than the one achieved in the fall of 2014 (EUR 1,054 per square meter).
Old apartments had an average price of EUR 1,030 per square meter, 0.4 percent higher than last month (EUR 1,026 per square meter) and 2.2 percent over the similar period of the previous year (EUR 1,008 per square meter). After a drop of 0.9 percent in September (from EUR 1,134 to EUR 1,124 per square meter), new residential dwellings were 0.3 percent more expensive than 12 months ago (when they could be purchased for an average of EUR 1,121 per square meter).
In Brasov prices fell 1.6 percent compared to the previous month (from EUR 875 to EUR 861 per square meter), but stood 2.5 percent above the level of the previous year (EUR 840 per square meter).
In September 2015, the decline has been felt for old apartments (down 1.3 percent from EUR 871 to EUR 860 per square meter) and new ones also (a drop of 2.8 percent from EUR 895 to EUR 870 per square meter). However, compared to 12 months ago old apartments were 4.2 percent more expensive, while new ones were 2.7 percent cheaper.
In Cluj-Napoca prices in September (EUR 1,124 per square meter) stood 1.9 percent above the August level (EUR 1,103 per meter square) and 12.4 percent above September 2014 (EUR 1,000 per square meter).
Old apartment prices rose by 2 percent last month, from EUR 1,121 to EUR 1,143 per square meter, now hovering above the 15.5 percent achieved in the last 12 months (EUR 990 per square meter). After an advance of 2.4 percent in September (from EUR 1,077 to EUR 1,103 per square meter), new housing now costs 8.6 percent more than in 2014 (when it reached EUR 1,016 per square meter). Overall, Cluj is the city with the most expensive housing compared to last year, both old and new.
In Constanta owner claimed prices were 1.3 percent higher over the previous month (going from EUR 895 per square meter to EUR 907). Year on year, prices stood 7.2 percent over the level recorded in 2014 (EUR 846 per square meter).
With an average price of EUR 901 per square meter, old apartments are 1.3 percent more expensive than at the end of August (EUR 889 per square meter) and 7.9 percent higher compared to September 2014 (EUR 835 per square meter). After an advance of 0.9 percent last month, from EUR 910 to EUR 918 per square meter, new residential homes have seen an increase of 3.7 percent in the last 12 months, from EUR 885 per meter square.
In Iasi asking prices recorded a drop of 0.8 percent against last month, from EUR 857 to EUR 850 per square meter, the current value being 4.7 percent higher than the one recorded during the autumn of 2014 (EUR 812 per square meter).
Old apartments rose by 1.4 percent in the last 30 days (from EUR 806 to EUR 817 per square meter) and by 6.2 percent in the last 12 months (EUR 769 per square meter). Iasi is the second city (along with Brasov) where new dwellings are cheaper now than last year, a difference of 2.2 percent, with an average of EUR 892 per square meter (compared to EUR 912 per square meter); during September, prices fell by 1.7 percent, from EUR 907 per square meter in late August.
In Timisoara, owners’ claims increased by 0.9 percent in September (from EUR 915 to EUR 923 per square meter) and is now 10.8 percent higher than the same period last year (EUR 833 per square meter).
After an advance of 0.9 percent in the last 30 days (from EUR 909 to EUR 917 per square meter), old apartments are 11.2 percent more expensive than last autumn (EUR 825 per square meter). Newly built houses, on the other hand, rose by 0.7 percent last month (from EUR 944 to EUR 951 per square meter) and 5.9 percent in the last year (EUR 898 per square meter).