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The events of shared vehicles, the firms that deploy them, and the locations in which they are deployed have dominated much of the e-scooter debate. However, Carson Brown, co-founder and chief designer of Taur Technologies, a London-based e-scooter company, believes it is time to distinguish scooter sharing from scooters as cars.
Taur debuted in 2019 with a pre-order campaign for its luxury, sleek, white e-scooters, which include a foot deck that allows users to face ahead while riding and a set of big ol’ tyres. Although the goal was to start in London, the United Kingdom has yet to legalise privately owned e-scooters.
Taur is instead debuting in Los Angeles, thanks to a $1.75 million investment from Trucks VC, a San Francisco-based venture capital group focused on the future of transportation. While it would be a stretch to call the electric scooter market mature, it is far enough ahead that the arrival of a new business is noteworthy, if not thrilling.
“I believe sharing was pretty common when we began, and we took the bold, daring, and dumb choice to say, yeah, we think it’s going to transition to ownership,” Brown said. “So we’re taking advantage of areas that are embracing these cars, and we view LA as a terrific location to be, not only because of the product, but because we see branding as a significant part of our work.” We’re going to alter the way scooting seems to the average individual. We’ve done our duty if we can do it.”
In other words, Taur aims to foster a culture change that views scooters as aspirational modes of mobility rather than specialised or “second-class citizen activities.” According to Brown, most scooter firms don’t have much in the way of personality, and they definitely haven’t contributed anything to the culture.
He said, “It’s always been manufacture it as cheap as you can and sell as many as you can.” “The possibility to offer something that was really cutting edge and at the forefront drew us in, and it ended up being the product that everyone referenced.”
Unagi scooters have been dubbed the “iPhone of scooters” by some. The Model Eleven, the brand’s latest version, is a smart scooter featuring sophisticated rider aid capabilities such as object recognition and warning, as well as built-in speakers and other amenities. The Model 3 will cost roughly $2,860, while the Model 1 will cost around $990.
While Unagi has enlisted the help of celebrities such as Iggy Pop to boost the cool aspect of their scooters, Brown believes the firm hasn’t pushed the form factor far enough. Taur’s approach of designing a well-thought-out scooter that looks seductive and is priced on the high end ($1,495), he hopes, will assist create the required cultural change to promote ownership.
The front-facing deck, which enables riders to ride in a “dual ski” posture with both feet on two fold-down foot platforms, is certainly at the heart of that plan. This, according to Brown, offers riders an equal perspective of the road, something they wouldn’t have on other scooters if they stood half sides and half forwards. He went on to say that it also helps with steadiness.
“If you think about skiing, you can vary how much weight you put on each foot, and that, in addition to the handlebars, directs the vehicle,” Brown said. “It has a distinct feel about it.” I’ve had a number of individuals who were typically adamant and said, ‘No, I prefer it the way it is,’ and then tried it and said, ‘OK, I really understand it now.'”
The Continental tyres on Taur’s scooter are 50 percent bigger than those on ordinary e-scooters. It also comes with three lights: the front light is a wrap-around, giving the rider excellent visibility while also allowing other road users to view the light from the side and rear. A specialised brake light is also included, as well as a projection light in the back that beams upward onto the ride to make them completely visible. The scooter also folds up well for convenient storage and ease when travelling.
For the time being, it’s only available in white, but Brown said that this was both an aesthetic and a utilitarian decision, since a white scooter not only sticks out among the sea of black and silver scooters on the market, but also makes it more visible to other road users.
According to Brown, too many scooters on the market are unserviceable by a typical bike store and have inadequate customer service channels. Taur’s scooter is modular, meaning it is made up of five different components that can be switched out for easy maintenance.
“‘Built for ownership’ was there from the start,” Brown said. “You can change a tyre in under five minutes with a spoon if you don’t have a tyre lever.” When you’re a user and creating these cars, you know what the bar is and that no one is going to reach it.”
Taur will begin distributing pre-orders for its scooter this summer, and starting in August, the company will only sell directly to customers in Los Angeles. A 30-day money-back guarantee and a warranty will be included with the scooters. Customers outside of the United States may reserve a seat on Taur’s waitlist by putting down a $100 deposit.
Subtly charming pop culture geek. Amateur analyst. Freelance tv buff. Coffee lover


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BREAKING: New BS6 Jawas Are Less Powerful
- Jun 12, 2020
- Views : 13669
It was a momentous occasion for Classic Legends, which relaunched the iconic Jawa brand in our markets, as the first Jawa bike was delivered yesterday. The first lot of Jawa bikes will be delivered to customers based on the online booking sequence (starting from November 15). At the time of launch last year, Jawa had announced that the first lot of bikes will be handed over to customers in March and the brand kept its word.
Classic Legends also held a special auction for 13 chassis numbers, proceeds of which will be handed over to the Indian Armed forces. The winning bid was a whopping Rs 45 lakh for chassis no.1 and in total, the brand managed to rake in Rs 1.43 crore. Jawa has two bikes on sale in the Indian market - Jawa & the Jawa Forty Two. The base Jawa Forty Two retails for Rs 1.55 lakh, while the dual-channel ABS model has been priced at Rs 1.64 lakh. The Jawa carries a sticker price of Rs 1.64 lakh while the dual-channel ABS model retails for Rs 1.73 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom, Delhi). Jawa currently has 95 dealerships across India.
Here's the official statement from Classic Legends:
Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd. is proud to announce the commencement of delivery of Jawa motorcycles to its customers from today. The motorcycles will be handed over to customers who had made bookings online from 15th November 2019 as per the booking sequence.
Handing over the first motorcycle, a Jawa, Anupam Thareja, Founder, Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd. and Founder and Managing Partner, Phi Capital, said, “This is the most important milestone yet in this journey as the first Jawa motorcycles hit the road today. Since we launched the brand and our motorcycles in November last year, it was not just a tremendous response that we received from our customers, but also unparalleled trust in the form of bookings, starting from day one. Today, we enter the next phase of our journey where we set out to begin fulfilling our commitment towards our customers.”
Ashish Joshi, Chief Executive Officer, Classic Legends Pvt. Ltd. said, “The last few months were really action packed for us at Jawa Motorcycles as we worked round the clock to set up our dealership network across India and start production simultaneously to meet our delivery commitments. Now that we are ready with our network, we begin deliveries of motorcycles to our customers and appreciate their trust and patience. As we move ahead, we will be reaching out to customers who have booked their Jawa motorcycles online as their names comes up in the delivery sequence.”
Prior to this delivery announcement, Classic Legends followed an aggressive approach towards setting up its sales and service network. The company now operates 95 Jawa Motorcycles dealerships across 77 cities in India. The brand has made this massive expansion across the country in a span of just three months, making this the fastest for any automobile manufacturer in India. With this vast nationwide dealership base, Classic Legends is now best poised to deliver the motorcycles to its customers from every part of the country as per the committed timeline. Customers can continue booking the motorcycles by visiting a nearby showroom.
The company also announced an industry first motorcycle exchange program across all its dealerships through Mahindra First Choice Wheels – India’s No. 1 pre-owned vehicle brand. This will allow interested customers to walk into the dealership with any old bike and get it exchanged for a brand new Jawa.
The company will also be offering the largest number of financial tie-ups with best in class finance schemes for its customers. The list of financial partners include HDFC Bank, Tata Capital, ICICI Bank, Mahindra Finance, Capital First (now IDFC Bank), L&T Finance Limited and Hinduja Leyland Finance at the national level in addition to regional partners.
The Jawa Motorcycles are powered by an all-new 293cc, liquid cooled, single cylinder, DOHC engine nestled within a double cradle chassis that is tuned to bring out the superlative handling and class leading stability, making the new Jawa a true modern classic. The Jawa and Jawa forty two are priced at INR 1,64,000/- and INR 1,55,000/- respectively (ex-showroom, Delhi) and the Dual Channel ABS variants will be priced at INR 1,72,942/- & INR 1,63,942/- respectively. The motorcycles are manufactured at the company's Pithampur plant in Madhya Pradesh.
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The hundreds of distributors who sell sweetened beverages to Philadelphia businesses need to register with the city before Jan. 1 to be in compliance with a new tax, city officials announced Friday.
The city launched a website, www.phillybevtax.com, where distributors need to register. The website also offers information on the tax for both distributors and the retailers who purchase and sell beverages.
The sweetened beverage tax, often referred to as the soda tax, adds 1.5 cents per ounce to the cost of most sugary and diet beverages. The tax, which goes into effect Jan. 1, is applied at the distributor level. The first tax bill is due Feb. 20.
Mayor Kenney sought the tax to pay for expanded early-childhood education and a number of other initiatives. The tax is expected to generate about $92 million a year.
The tax immediately faced criticism from the beverage industry. A group of industry associations, Philadelphia businesses, and residents filed a lawsuit against the city over the tax, arguing it is unconstitutional.
Common Pleas Court Judge Gary S. Glazer is reviewing the lawsuit. He vowed to make a ruling before Jan. 1.
On Friday, Kenney said his administration is moving forward with the tax, despite the pending lawsuit.
"We believe we have a solid case," Kenney said at a news conference Friday. "We are moving forward because our children can't wait."
Kenney said the city will add 2,000 prekindergarten seats in January. Those seats are expected to be paid with the beverage tax revenue.
City spokesman Mike Dunn said the city was confident it will win and "anything beyond that is hypothetical." He declined to say how the city would fund pre-K if the tax is struck down by the court.
Revenue Commissioner Frank Breslin said Friday that city officials will be doing outreach to the various businesses in the city that sell sweetened beverages. Those retailers must buy from distributors who have registered with the city's sweetened beverage tax program. If not, the retailer would be on the hook for the tax.
Anthony Campisi, spokesman for the Philadelphians Against the Grocery Tax coalition, which opposes the tax, said that the outreach efforts "don't change the fact that this onerous tax will hurt working families and small, family-owned businesses by drastically raising the prices of more than a thousand products, including soft drinks and teas, as well as no-calorie and low-calorie options."
The tax is to be paid monthly through the city's new beverage tax website. Though the tax is self-reported, distributors must keep copies of invoices for six years, said Marisa Waxman, deputy revenue commissioner.
Waxman said the city estimates there are about 1,000 distributors that sell beverages to Philadelphia businesses.
Distributors will be fined $1,000 per untaxed invoiced sale. Plus, they will have to pay the skipped tax, Kenney said.
The tax applies to any distributor, even those outside of the city and state, that sell sweetened beverages to a Philadelphia business.
The city plans to enforce the tax by selecting stores randomly and checking invoices to determine the source of taxable sweetened beverages. City auditors would check the distributors against the registration list.
If the retailer did not pay the tax nor purchased the beverages from a registered distributor, that business would be fined and liable for the tax. If the retailer purchased from a registered distributor that did not pay the tax, that distributor then would be on the hook for the tax and the penalties.
"As with all tax delinquencies, enforcement actions may include placement with a collection agency, filing a judgment, and closure of the business," Dunn said.


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Acer just announced the world’s first 802Elementul central este Wi-Fi ad-ul și vitezele de până la 711ad router to arrive at the market and take it by stormTP-Link Talon AD7200 Online reviewsWarranty LT PriceThe product was announced atThere's one simple reason for this: this is the first router
although recently TP-LinkI just got a Nighthawk X10 Router today which cost me USD 680 This is supposed to be the best router out there now with support for the new AD7200 I then switched back toThe Talon AD7200 does a good job of standing out on those groundsI didn't think I'd be seeing another 802A best seller, the NETGEAR Nighthawk R7000 is a high powered smart wifi router optimized for gamingAt its CES booth, TP-Link set up a Talon AD7200 router and connected it to an Asus laptopRise of the tomb raider cold darkness awakened.
The 2-in-1 device works as both a cable modem and a router, replacing yourIn fact, this router is the world’s first router to support theTP-Link Talon AD7200Birthday party ideas for 11 yr old girl.
The product was announced at11ad Wireless Router And It Is Not Cheap According to a source, TP-LINK Talon AD7200 will be running in between the 57-66GHzTP-LINK Talon AD7200 is TP-LINK highest end consumer router currentlygetting its name out there to those who do not know TP-Link's brand yetdiamond yellow gold wedding bands11adFaster Than Anything You Have Ever SeenTalon AD7200 uses the latest, most powerful wirelessIt can effortlessly achieve 450Mbps in the 5GHz close range area i
Both models are pure Qualcomm solutions (i


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|FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2002
Release # 02-186
|Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 531-9531
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Mountain Safety Research, of Seattle, Wash., is voluntarily recalling about 9,700 cans of white gasoline stove fuel. Corrosion can cause the can to leak fuel, posing a fire or injury hazard.
Mountain Safety Research has received 20 reports of leaking fuel cans. No injuries have been reported.
The recalled fuel includes MSR White Premium Blend Stove Fuel. The fuel is packaged in red metal cans. The words "MSR...White Gas" and "1 Quart/.95 Liter" are printed across the front of the can. This recall includes batch number 2003-2. The batch number is printed on the lower front of the can. The fuel cans were made in the U.S.
REI and other sporting good stores sold the stove fuel nationwide from March 2002 to June 2002 for about $4.
Consumers should check their stove fuel cans for leaks immediately. If the can is leaking, consumers should move it to a location free of ignition sources, then transfer the fuel to an approved fuel container. Whether or not the can is leaking, consumers should contact Mountain Safety Research to receive a replacement fuel container. For more information, consumers can contact Mountain Safety Research at (800) 531-9531 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or visit the firm's web site at www.msrcorp.com
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.
Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.
For lifesaving information:
Please use the below phone number for all media requests.
Phone: (301) 504-7908
Spanish: (301) 504-7800


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Dongfeng Motor Corporation, one of China's largest commercial
vehicle producers, said Tuesday it will cooperate with the world
leading auto maker AB Volvo in making medium and heavy-duty
Sweden-based AB Volvo will invest in the medium and heavy-duty
commercial vehicle and engine business of Dongfeng Motor, a joint
venture owned by Dongfeng Motor Corp. and Japan-based Nissan Motor.
The four companies have signed a framework agreement, Xinhua
learned from Dongfeng Motor Corporation's Beijing office on
The non-binding agreement says Nissan Motor will focus on
long-term cooperation with Dongfeng Motor Corp. in passenger
vehicles and light-duty trucks.
Last March, Nissan Motor sold most of its 19 percent stake in
Dongfeng Nissan Diesel Motor Co., which produces heavy-duty trucks,
chassis and cement mixers, to AB Volvo for 1.5 billion kronor
Dongfeng will forge competitive alliances with Nissan and Volvo
to develop products that reflect each partner's specialist
expertise, said the company.
As China's top producer of both medium and heavy-duty trucks,
Dongfeng Motor was established in 2003 by Dongfeng Motor Corp. and
Nissan Motor, who each have a half stake in the company.
AB Volvo is the world's second largest producer of heavy-duty
commercial vehicles. Its products include trucks, buses,
construction equipment, drive systems and aerospace components.
(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2007)


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Once a year, downtown Redmond businesses showcase Redmond student’s artwork during the Youth Art Walk. And what a better way to kick off Redmond’s Third Friday Stroll. This year’s art walk will take place Friday, May 15 from 4-8pm with 25 plus businesses participating.
The Redmond Chamber of Commerce has organized the Youth Art Walk for 17 years and placed the focus on the talented students in Redmond School District. The students who participate ranging from Kindergarten to high school, come from the private and public schools, as well as homeschoolers.
“The Youth Art Walk is a great family and community event,” said Karen Sande with the Redmond Chamber of Commerce. “Everyone is welcome to enjoy a showcase of visual, written, performing arts, demonstrations, live music.”
The Third Friday Strolls are to encourage people to come downtown and see what Redmond has to offer. Local products, shops and services are all within reach in our downtown core. This is a great opportunity to socialize with neighbors, meet business owners, and keep dollars working in the community we love to call home. We have over 25 businesses that will be participating from the Y to the Y on Sixth St.


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Midnight liquor sales curfew will get committee OK, but Council approval uncertain, alderman says
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s compromise plan is up for a vote in the License Committee on Thursday.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s revised plan to require liquor, grocery and convenience stores to cut off liquor sales at midnight has the votes to get through committee, but it’ll be touch and go on the City Council floor, an influential alderman said Wednesday.
“I’m sure of the votes through the License Committee. Let me say that much. I won’t be sure about the [full] Council,” where 26 votes are needed, License Committee Chairman Emma Mitts (37th) told the Sun-Times on the eve of Thursday’s committee vote.
The candid assessment was significant, considering the fact that Mitts is a chief proponent of the mayor’s midnight curfew and even supported Lightfoot’s original plan to cut off the citywide sale of liquor sold by stores licensed to sell “packaged goods” at 10 p.m.
In announcing that initial proposal, the mayor had said her goal in cutting back on late-night sales was to address “quality of life issues that sometimes creep up around these businesses,” pointing to loitering and “other illegal activity.”
Why not just use the tools the city already has to go after problem establishments?
“If you did just that, people are still gonna do what they’re doing,” Mitts said.
“If you were to close [at midnight] in areas where we have these problems, it will help. That’s from residents and what I hear them saying. They’re [opposed] to these liquor stores in the neighborhood that allow noise, hanging out around them all night long. They call the police. That’s not working.”
Earlier this week, Lightfoot rolled back her proposed 10 p.m. liquor moratorium.
The mayor announced the “compromise” she had reached with influential alderman and said it would be directly introduced to the License Committee on Thursday, when she hoped to pass it with the chairman’s help.
“We believe a midnight closure is a reasonable compromise that addresses the serious nuisance issues raised by late-night liquor sales without unduly burdening our business community,” Lightfoot was quoted as saying in a news release.
Aldermen from across the city had called the 10 p.m. closing time a non-starter, saying the city would be better off cracking down on problem businesses and not penalizing all of them as they struggle to get back on their feet.
It was clear that had Lightfoot continued to push the 10 p.m. moratorium, she was headed for her first Council defeat.
Rob Karr, president of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, had hoped to land at “something far closer to their original licensure,” which is a 2 a.m. closing time.
But, Karr told the Sun-Times he was willing to swallow the proposed midnight curfew because it was two hours better than the mayor’s original version.
“We are OK with it. We’re neutral,” he said.
“Everybody would prefer that the licenses stay the same. But given the discussion that has occurred between us and [the city’s department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection] and aldermen, midnight is a workable solution.”
Karr said he has little doubt the proposed 10 p.m. curfew would have been rejected by the Council.
“That was seen as just too draconian. … Chicago wants to get back to what it once was. Chicago was a top tourist destination. With that comes night life. It’s a night city. You have to be realistic,” Karr said.
“Based on the data we’ve seen, it’s a small percentage of licensees that seems to be the problem. … There are a lot of tools available to them to crack down on those problem licensees.”
Pat Doerr, managing director of the Hospitality Business Association of Chicago, said he still hasn’t seen the language of Lightfoot’s compromise, so he still has questions.
“We still don’t understand how it would address combined stores … that hold tavern licenses and packaged good licenses,” Doerr said. “This could potentially be a huge windfall for them. They are stores, but they also deliver to homes. I don’t know if they would be able to continue that after midnight,” Doerr said.
Although the midnight curfew is “progress,” Doerr said, “It’s still offensive to Chicago’s many responsible retailers, many of whom were looted and are now trying to recover post-pandemic that [now] will have earlier sales curfews than many suburbs.”
He added: “We’re Chicago, a global city with a decades-long reputation for being an around-the-clock town. None of this should be passing. And none of this is Chicago.”


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He now opened a new space named THE PARK・ING GINZA taking up the two basement floors of the Sony building in Gingza on 26th March 2016. Hundreds of people queued up from the early morning for its opening. While the B3 floor hosts a record shop “bonjour records“, and “CAFÉ de ROPÉ“ that Hiroshi loved back in his old days in Harajuku, the B4 level is set to be a concept store designed like a basement car park of Tokyo.
Go to PARK・ING’s official website for more details about its offerings.
THE PARK・ING GINZA
B3F Sony Building, 5-3-1, Ginza, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo, 104-0061


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COAST SALISH TERRITORY (Vancouver, BC) June 23, 2020 The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is pleased to receive $1.95 million for their sales and marketing recovery budget, thanks to an enduring partnership with Destination Canada.
Since 2015, Destination Canada and ITAC have exchanged knowledge, expertise and market intelligence; facilitated, educated and consulted together on product readiness. Destination Canada has also assisted ITAC in connecting travel trade to export-ready products through available programs while cooperating in marketing programs in countries of mutual interest.
Canadas tourism sector has been hit hard by COVID-19, and Indigenous tourism has been particularly affected, says the Honourable Mlanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages. Indigenous tourism operators welcome visitors to the lands theyve called home for millennia, and its not hard to see why this was the fastest-growing part of our tourism industry before the crisis. This investment will help Indigenous tourism come back strong, supporting good jobs and playing a key role in our economic recovery.
This additional funding is critical for ITAC to support the recovery of the Indigenous tourism industry across Canada, says ITACs President and CEO, Keith Henry. These funds will not only support a national awareness campaign, they will also be distributed to our provincial and territorial Indigenous members to support their own local and regional marketing efforts.
This additional funding comes in time to support and enhance ITACs Destination Indigenous marketing campaign. Destination Indigenous includes the release of a new experience booking web platform that will link travellers with export-ready Indigenous tourism businesses who are welcoming visitors this summer; a series of Zoom backgrounds showcasing Indigenous-experience imagery from each province and territory; and a video campaign called Virtually Yours to entice Canadian travellers.
Helping Indigenous tourism recover and become more resilient heading into summer is critical. Prior to 2020, Indigenous Tourism across Canada:
- was outpacing all other tourism sectors in Canada for growth;
- was one of the largest single employers and economic drivers of Indigenous communities;
- contributed more than $1.6B annually to Canadas direct GDP (in 2019; up from $1.4B in 2015)
Without significant financial and marketing support, Indigenous tourism operators are forecasted to go out of business before the end of the (non-existent) summer season with potential losses of $1.4B in GDP Contribution and more than 20,000 job losses.
Indigenous visitor experiences are very important to our national tourism brand, says David Robinson, Interim President and CEO, Destination Canada. We value our partnership and the expertise ITAC brings to product development and marketing. Providing this needed support not only helps our sector but is also key to the recovery of local economies across the country including in many rural communities.
ITAC thanks Destination Canada, the Honourable Minister Joly, the Honourable Minister Bennett and the Honourable Minister Miller, and their teams for continuing to listen and respond to the unique needs of the Indigenous tourism industry across Canada.
More than ever, the tourism industry needs to work collaboratively and support each other, while reminding Canadians of the amazing cultural experiences available in their own backyards, says Henry.
About the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada
The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is the lead organization tasked with growing the Indigenous tourism industry across the country. Inspired by a vision for a thriving Indigenous tourism economy sharing authentic, memorable and enriching experiences, ITAC develops relationships with other groups and regions with similar mandates. By uniting the Indigenous tourism industry in Canada, ITAC works to enable collective support, product development, promotion and marketing of authentic Indigenous cultural tourism businesses in a respectful protocol. Prior to 2020, Indigenous tourism was outpacing Canadian tourism activity overall, and international demand for Indigenous experiences was at an all-time high. Due to COVID-19, ITAC recently released a report on the financial challenges facing Indigenous tourism operators and recommended stimulus solutions. As well, a 2020-2021 revised action plan focused on sustaining Indigenous tourism in the face of COVID-19 was released in March, which is now complemented by the 2020-2024 Recovery Strategy.


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Companies can expect more feedback on how they treat their customers through email, social media and online reviews. High opinion visibility means that customer service is more crucial than ever in maintaining success.
Consumers are more likely to share their experiences with company customer service, and have high expectations. A recent Spherion Staffing Services survey shows that 47 percent of those that interacted with customer service are likely to contact a company representative, 17 percent will use social media to talk about the experience, and 15 percent will write a review about it. In 2010, the same survey showed 40 percent will talk to the company. It is becoming more normal for customers to communicate with a company about how they are retreated, and they are reflecting this trend in varying ways.
Consumers are using public channels to critique customer service
With a negative experience, 36 percent of consumers write a complaint directly to the company, a quarter will use social media, and 19 percent will write an online review. A smaller percentage (around 10 percent) will also contact the media. Greater opinion visibility means greater impact, according to Sandy Mazur, Spherion's franchise and licensee division SVP. Nevertheless, in this economy, businesses are tempted to cut corners, and customer service performance seems to be falling - 41 percent of people had good experiences less than 60 percent of the time and 26 percent had positive experiences 80 percent or more of the time. This last statistic fell from 32 percent last year.
Experience relates directly to brand loyalty and social referrals
Another direct impact of customer service is brand loyalty. Nearly all (97 percent) of respondents who have a great experience are more likely to buy products or services again. Conversely, a bad experience can be costly - 22 percent want an apology, 10 percent want a refund, and 8 percent want deals or coupons, but 46 percent want all three to earn back their business. Additionally, 15 percent would not return to the brand regardless of these offers. Furthermore, many consumers will decide which companies to patronize based on the experience of someone they trust - 49 percent negatively and 61 percent positively. And what do customers appreciate most? Communication, courteousness and efficiency.


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Brightcove, the Cambridge, Mass-based video services provider today announced the introduction of Brightcov...
Brightcove, the Cambridge, Mass-based video services provider today announced the introduction of Brightcove 3, a new video publishing platform which has already been adopted by several big publishers including Showtime, Lifetime and FEARNet****.
Jeremy Allaire, Brightcove Chairman and CEO, visited Beet.TV recently to demonstrate the new platform. For this interview, we have published the video in the new Brightcove 3 environment. Check out full screen to see how well the player works. It uses a new kind of dynamic delivery which adjusts the bitrate to the viewers' bandwidth.
Brightcove 3 has enhanced workflow functionality, which is appealing to big publishers.We understand that some big publishers will announce using the platform over the next few days.
The new solution provides a three-tier offering geared for small, medium and enterprise-sized customers. The three tiers offer different pricing schemes and publishing control tools. As Brightcove had been geared toward bigger publishers, the new lower-end service might appeal to many smaller companies and institutions for which is cheaper and easier to use, we are told.
-- Andy Plesser, Executive Producer


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Art Harvey has 20 years of home brewing experience. Two years ago he decided to take his passion and go pro. He and a friend, Larry Picchiotti, who has 20 years of home brewing experience as well, decided to team up. The long-time Lakewood residents formed the Westlake Brewing Company, the newest craft beer maker to come to East Dallas.
The two friends ratcheted up operations about six months ago.
“It’s something that’s just been growing in the back of my head,” Harvey says about getting serious about the business. “I just thought, eventually I would absolutely love to be doing this with my time, 100 percent of my time.”
He’s not there yet. He has two other jobs and two young children at home. But this weekend the company is taking a step forward. They’re participating in BrewFest this Saturday. The beer-centric event at the Dallas Farmer’s Market features hundreds of brewers, a handful of which are local.
“This is kind of like our coming out party,” Harvey says.
While this weekend is big for the young company, there is still progress to be made. The duo hope to eventually find a storefront that they can set up as a taproom, but finding the right spot at the right price in Lakewood isn’t easy.
So, for now, they’re continuing to boost their operations any way they can. They’ve even started an Indiegogo campaign to help.
“Right now we’re just trying to make good beer and share it with our friends,” Harvey says.
Click to sign up for the Advocate's weekly news digest and be the first to know what’s happening in Lakewood/East Dallas.


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Dutch charging infrastructure maker EV Box has announced that its 500 charging points will be installed in car parks across the UK. British Charging Station Operator Franklin Energy will supply these to parking operator Q-Park.
According to EV Box, 500 charging points are set to be installed in car parks in Great Britain by 2022. It says the move will “accelerate the transition to electromophilia in Great Britain, while at the same time revolutionizing the management of public parking space”.
The 500 charging points are said to be the “Businessline” model and the “Icon” AC charging station. Both offer charging capabilities of up to 22 kW. While the “Icon” is a charging station with a touch screen and fixed charging cables, the “Business Line” is a very low charging point without a display, usually mounted on a pole. However, the exact distribution of the two models is not clear from Evebox’s announcement.
This is not the first collaboration between Franklin Energy and Q-Park: Franklin has already installed 66 “businessline” charging points in Q-Park locations, the first of which was in 2016 in Liverpool. As Franklin Energy boss Robert Byrne points out, E.V. Drivers can get a 30 percent discount on the regular price with the Q-Park Charging Card.
“At Q-Park, we always strive to be at the forefront of technological advancement in our market and we are pleased to partner with Franklin Energy to bring the latest EV charging technology to new parking garages across the country,” said Chairman John Denton. Sales and marketing at Q-Park. “We are already planning our next phase of installations with Franklin Energy, including our first car parks in Scotland and Birmingham.”
Franklin Energy says it wants to expand its charging network to 5,000 charging points by 2025 – some of which will continue in collaboration with Q-Park. This has not been confirmed, but it looks like the EVbox charging points will be re-installed.


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Helios and Matheson Analytics Inc. News
Stay Away From AMC: It May Be the Riskiest Stock Around
Be careful if trading AMC, cheap stocks are not always inexpensive.
MoviePass angers some customers by overriding their service cancellations
The struggling company says it was a bug that prevented users from discontinuing their MoviePass subscriptions.
Market Madness: There's a Silver Lining for Facebook
Let's go over the market on Monday.
Disney Fans Angry, Excited About New Guardians of the Galaxy Ride
The theme park company has opened Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and not everyone is happy despite the ride getting wonderful reviews.
Aurora Cannabis Slashing Weed Capacity in Profitability Push
Aurora is slashing its production capacity as it builds a runway toward positive Ebitda a year from now.
Costco Beats Q3 Sales Forecast, Membership Revenues Near $1 Billion
Costco took in $984 million in new membership fee in its fiscal third quarter, helping the bulk retailer top Street forecasts for topline revenues.


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Missguided awarded ‘Amazon Digital Business of the Year’
Courtesy: Lloyds Bank National Business Awards
Missguided, a global fashion online retailer, has been awarded with the ‘Amazon Digital Business of the Year’ award at the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards gala dinner ceremony recently. The award recognises the optimising aspects of e-commerce to achieve growth and strong financial performance through exceptional customer experience.
According to the judges, the success of Missguided has been built on a deep understanding of their customers and relentless innovation on their behalf. With millions of followers across social media and a recent move in to physical retail, Missguided is a truly inspirational British digital business.
“We are delighted to have won the Amazon Digital Business of the Year award. 2017 has been a great year for the brand with the launch of our second retail store at Bluewater, Kent and the launch of our global campaign with model Jourdan Dunn. The teams have done an amazing job and this award is testament to that,” said Rachael Dennis, brand marketing manager of Missguided.
“It’s great to see digital technology enabling growing businesses like the team at Missguided to raise the bar when it comes to customer satisfaction,” said Simon Donegan, head of Seller Services, Amazon UK. “Missguided is a fantastic example of how digital businesses are boosting the overall economy, creating high quality jobs up and down the UK. We are delighted to congratulate them on their success.”
Founded in 2009 by Nitin Passi, Missguided is aimed at females aged 16 to 35. The brand is on a mission to empower females globally to be confident. It opened its first flagship store London in the year 2016. (VM)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India


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Entertainment spending fell by 11.3 per cent as Australians returned to work and school following the first “normal” summer break since Covid, with household budgets constrained by cost-of-living pressures and higher interest rates.
Retail spending also fell a further 9.8 per cent following a large decline in January. With inflation at 7.4 per cent over the past year, weakness is building in the retail space particularly in items such as household goods which continues to be impacted by falling home prices and lower turnover.
While travel spending fell 8.9 per cent in original terms, it recorded a slight increase when seasonally adjusted, suggesting there is still pent-up demand for travel.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia Senior Economist Belinda Allen said February’s CommBank HSI Index showed a further brake on discretionary spending, but that Australians were willing to make sacrifices to prioritise holiday spending.
“We are seeing the growing impact of higher interest rates, with consumers taking stock and prioritising what they are spending their money on. Despite this, there is still demand for travel which indicates Australians are willing to sacrifice spending on other discretionary categories to enjoy a well-earned holiday following the pandemic.
“Recent RBA commentary suggests it is close to pausing the hiking cycle and interest rates are now restrictive. We expect a continued slowdown in consumer spending over coming months, with the large volume of fixed rate mortgages expiring this year adding pressure on household budgets from higher mortgage payments,” Ms Allen said.
Large falls in discretionary categories was offset by an increase of 21 per cent in home buying, which remains 20 per cent lower than a year ago. The rebound in February was driven by a normal seasonal increase in home loan applications and Google searches for property inspections and appraisals following the Christmas break.
CBA’s economics team forecasts one further 25bp interest rate increase by the Reserve Bank of Australia in April 2023 to a peak cash rate of 3.85 per cent, prior to an expected 50bp of rate cuts in Q4 23 and a further 50bp of easing in H1 24.
The CommBank HSI Index combines analysis of CBA payments data (Australia’s largest consumer spending data set covering approximately 40 per cent of payment transactions), loan application information and Google Trends publicly available search activity data. To access this powerful insight into spending trends, visit: commbank.com.au/hsi


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CHICAGO — Three people were shot Wednesday evening in a Walmart parking lot on the South Side of Chicago.
According to police, the shooting was reported around 7:20 p.m. in the 10900 block of South Doty Avenue when a dark colored sedan pulled up and occupants inside opened fire, hitting three people who were loading groceries into a vehicle after shopping at a retail store.
Police said one victim was a 25-year-old male who was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition after being shot in the chest and back. Two other victims, a 27-year-old male and a 19-year-old female, were also shot and taken to local hospitals in good condition.
No other information is available at this time.


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The Dutch Gaming Authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has issued a reminder to operators active in the country’s marketplace of the immediate ban on ‘role models’ in marketing.
From 30 June onwards, Dutch market incumbents will be prohibited from using any public figures familiar with younger consumers in their marketing and advertising campaigns.
This will include footballers and other prominent sports stars, as well as YouTubers and other social media influencers, in recognition of changing consumer habits between different demographics.
“In letters, the KSA points out the stricter rules that will apply from 30 June. From this date, role models are no longer allowed to appear in gambling advertisements,” the KSA’s statement outlined.
“This concerns all persons who enjoy some form of public fame, such as (former) professional football players, influencers and models. Only the charity lotteries, the state lottery and the lotto are exempt from the ban.
“The gambling providers receive the letter because they are responsible for their advertising. The selected marketing and influencer agencies and industry associations have been informed because they are important links in the advertising sector.”
The Authority further emphasised that it will closely monitor betting firms’ compliance with the ban from 30 June onwards, adding that ‘enforcement will be immediately initiated’ in the event of any violations.
Marketing of sports betting and gambling products have become a key focus of both the KSA and Dutch politicians in recent months, as the country’s online market continues to mature since regulation under the KOA Act last October.
There are currently 11 licensed operators active in the Dutch online market, with some predicting that this could expand even more over the coming years to reach at least 20.
Dutch advertising spend subsequently reached €23 million by the close of last year, and the Minister for Legal Protection, Franc Weerwind, noted that ‘the number of gambling advertisements has increased sharply’.
This ‘sharp increase’ in the prevalence of televised betting commercials is partly one of the reasons behind the decision to implement a ‘role model’ ban.
However, Weerwind has also acknowledged that there has been positive engagement between betting and the government on advertising issues, such as operators agreeing to ease advertising on the radio, outdoors and in print media.
In an update yesterday, the Minister also showed confidence in the provisions of the KOA Act relating to advertising, but did add that ‘excessive and untargeted advertising that could jeopardise the safeguards of vulnerable people’.
Meanwhile, the KSA has also announced an evaluation of Dutch advertising standards, launching a two part investigation assessing whether adverts have been sent to minors and young adults and the prevalence of social media marketing targeting this demographic.


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Optimal Health Group Team
Visual artist Cherie Dowdie started Kingston’s first mobile juice bar in March.
Live! Juice Bar boasts freshly made fruit and vegetable smoothies “that are not only crafted for maximum health benefits but also meant to be delicious”.
To fulfil this promise to customers, juices are made when ordered instead of made and stored.
All ingredients are sourced locally (except strawberries and apples). Local produce is healthier and in a better position to offer maximum benefits to the bar’s customers, particularly those on one of the business’s health plans.
Cherie Dowdie – Live! Juice Bar can be contacted at 876-276-5074
or by email: Mail Us


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Target Corp. (TGT) - Get Target Corporation Report posted stronger-than-expected third quarter earnings Wednesday, and lifted its full-year outlook for same-store sales, but noted margin pressures linked to supply chain disruptions and labor costs.
Target said adjusted earnings for the three months ending in October were pegged at $3.03 per share, an 8.6% increase from the same period last year and well ahead of the Street consensus forecast of $2.83 per share.
Group revenues, Target said, rose 13.3% to $25.65 billion, again besting analysts' estimates of a $24.78 billion tally. Gross profit margins for the quarter, however, narrowed by 2.6 percentage points to 28%.
Target said same-store sales rose 12.7%, well ahead of the Refinitiv forecast of 8.4%. Comparable digital sales, as store traffic rose nearly 13% as customers returned to traditional shopping in the wake of pandemic-era restrictions. Digital comparable sales were up 29%, Target said.
Looking into the final months of the year, Target said it expects same-store sales to rise by a 'high single digit to low double digit' percentage, a modest increase from its prior forecast.
"The consistently strong growth we're seeing in our business, quarter after quarter, is a testament to the passion and commitment our team brings to serving our guests, and the trust we've built with them as a result," said CEO Brian Cornell. "Following comp growth of nearly 21% a year ago, our third quarter comp increase of 12.7% was driven entirely by traffic, and reflects continued strength in our store sales, same-day digital fulfillment services and double-digit growth in all five of our core merchandising categories."
"With a strong inventory position heading into the peak of the holiday season, our team and our business are ready to serve our guests and poised to deliver continued, strong growth, through the holiday season and beyond," he added.
Target shares were marked 4.3% lower in early Wednesday trading following the earnings release to change hands at $255.00 each.
Target's larger rival, Walmart (WMT) - Get Walmart Inc. Report, posted stronger-than-expected third quarter earnings Tuesday, while boosting its full-year profit forecast, but noted that overall profit margins that were pressured by rising supply chain disruption and labor costs.
The world's biggest retailer said adjusted earnings for the three months ended in October rose 8.2% from last year to $1.45 per share, as group revenues rose 4.3% to $140.5 billion.


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Auto industry startups were already struggling to access new capital before the March 10 collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, an influential player in the country's innovation economy. Its demise could make those problems even worse.
Accessing fresh funding for growth is an existential need for startups. Financing is required to mature from vulnerable infancy to stability and, hopefully, success. Without it, the end is all but certain unless a larger player or well-funded rival steps in as a savior. Self-driving truck company Embark Technology, for example, couldn't raise new capital, laid off hundreds of workers and now faces liquidation. Argo AI, another autonomous technology company, closed in October after backers Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen Group pulled the plug.
Ripples from the bank's collapse are already affecting the auto tech sector.
The cost of capital will be higher for auto tech and battery startups, Martin French, managing director at German auto industry consultancy Berylls Strategy Advisors, told Automotive News, while venture capital firms will be shrewder with their investments.
"The industry still needs these startups, they still need these companies to be well-funded in terms of the transition to electrification," French said. "It's just a question of whether or not the relationships are going to be there with other banks, with the VCs, to be able to help startups and give the startups what they need."


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SOME of the world's biggest food companies are not doing enough to tackle the diet-related health crisis, a report warns today.
The study points to retail as the sector doing the least towards encouraging healthy eating.
Only four of the 25 companies investigated was taking action to reduce fat, the report says.
This rose to five companies taking action on sugar and 10 out of 25 working to cut down on salt levels.
Two companies were working on portion sizes while eight of the 25 were taking action to reduce unhealthy transfats.
Kraft was the only company found to be acting on all five issues.
The City University report focuses on the world's top 10 food manufacturers, the top 10 food retailers and the top five food service companies.
Researchers studied the companies' annual reports, accounts and websites to find out whether they were acting on World Health Organisation (WHO) advice.
Even the smallest company investigated for the report had an annual turnover five times that of the WHO's annual budget.
The WHO's governing body passed a global strategy on diet, physical activity and health in May 2004 setting out what companies could do to tackle the diet crises.
But only six out of 10 manufacturers, one retailer and four food service companies had policies which made a commitment to healthier food ranges, the City University researchers found.
And just six of the 25 companies had a board member responsible for health.
Report co-author Tim Lang, professor of food policy at City University, said, "The findings of this report suggest that the world's food companies are not yet fully engaged with the seriousness and urgency of the demands to tackle diet-related ill-health worldwide.
"A luke-warm response from food companies to the enormity of the public health evidence amassed by the WHO and researchers risks engendering some cynicism."
A spokesman for the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which represents UK manufacturers, said companies were already taking positive action to improve consumer health.
He said, "If the report's authors want the food and drink manufacturing industry to take more action on food and health, they are pushing at an open door.
"FDF's food and health manifesto is a clear demonstration of industry's commitment to help tackle the problems surrounding food and health."
But Mary Ann Gilchrist, Western Mail columnist and chef at Carlton House, Llanwrtyd Wells, in Powys, said retailers are just catering for consumer taste.
She said, "If the retail companies cut down on the sugar and fat content of food, their products might become less appealing to the consumer and therefore won't sell.
"These companies need to be able to make a profit and to do that they have to satisfy consumer taste.
"We all know we have to cut down on our sugar and salt intake to lead healthier lifestyles, however many people are still refusing to accept the health messages aimed at them because they are so confusing.
"One minute we get told that consuming alcohol is bad for us, the next we hear that drinking two glasses of red wine a day can help to reduce heart disease.
"The French eat far more animal fats and consume more wine with their meals than we do and yet they are much healthier as a nation than we are."


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Britain is in the grip of a winter vomiting outbreak which has already seen many thousands fall victim to the debilitating virus.
Figures from the Health Protection Agency show the number of confirmed reports of the virus is up 52 per cent on last year.
There have been 1,975 cases since July - compared to 1,301 this time last year.
More top news
The term 'photobomb' has been named the Word of the Year 2014 by lexicographers at Collins English Dictionary.
A Swiss supermarket has apologised for its "unforgivable blunder" after selling coffee cream with pictures of Hitler and Mussolini on.
The Tonight programme looks at government efforts to improve our general wellbeing, and offers tips on how we can all boost our happiness.


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Entrepreneurs Capitalize on Shoppers’ Road Show
At QVC, the only all-shopping channel that offers the likes of Snor-Ban and Armadillo Skin Barrier, the sales executives aren’t satisfied with simply rolling in dough.
These days, they prefer to roll toward it, in a 45-foot-long orange and yellow bus. They call it the QVC Local, a sort of Goodyear blimp with its own studio, which they parked in front of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Tuesday night for a national broadcast as 20 California entrepreneurs pitched home-grown products to 52 million living rooms.
It was another night at QVC’s traveling circus, a woolly road trip that has taken home shopping from the glaciers of Alaska to the cornfields of Iowa. The $3-million Los Angeles stopover marked the 49th destination in the cable channel’s 50-state, 50-week quest for the country’s “best new products.” They include the Savore Perfume Enhancer, invented by John Cella III, a La Mesa neurologist, and an air-pump kit from a Santa Monica resident who calls himself “the Balloon Man.”
One by one, the 20 California vendors, chosen from trade shows in August, marched onto the Pavilion stage with eight minutes apiece to show their wares in front of viewers and an in-house audience. Hosts Judy Crowell and Kathy Levine took turns selling. A producer aboard the bus, which has a direct link to the channel’s West Chester, Pa., headquarters, relayed to the hosts which products were selling.
In this particular broadcast, half the products sold out. QVC officials say 551 of the 960 items offered on the channel’s earlier three-hour “Quest for America’s Best” shows were out of stock by the end of the broadcasts. Since the bus began its transcontinental voyage in January, the tour shows have become QVC’s third-highest rated program, with orders raking in $49.7 million. Prices vary wildly among the oddities gleaned from the nation’s far corners, but the pride of America, with shipping, often goes for less than $39.99.
The 50th broadcast will emanate from Hawaii on Dec. 16. “We’ve been very satisfied with the products we’ve found,” said QVC President Douglas S. Briggs. “I think the biggest surprise has been the customers who want to come out and see the hosts and see how we do it.”
About 1,000 shoppers, some wielding QVC-provided cellular phones to place orders while away from home, sat transfixed in the auditorium as inventors and small-business owners talked with the ever-perky hosts, Crowell and Levine, about the importance of a good windshield de-icer and the versatility of the air-ball exercise device.
Robert Hammering of Ventura stepped to a table at center stage and rubbed some Armadillo Skin Barrier cream on his hand.
“The whole secret to its success is that it doesn’t wash off, Judy,” Hammering said as he dripped some acid onto his hand (he said he’d never done it before, and showed no signs of pain). He then dropped some acid onto a piece of aluminum foil, which quickly melted. The crowd applauded enthusiastically. The channel moved more than 1,000 units, which sell for $20.17 apiece.
The biggest star of the evening, however, turned out to be Stopain pain reliever spray, which sold 4,004 units in about four minutes, much to the contentment of Robert Waldman of Long Beach. Waldman began marketing the spray after partnering five years ago with a retired pharmacist who developed it.
“You can just spray this on,” Crowell said. “It instantly gives soothing relief to painful areas.”
The three-hour show also included several feature segments on various California attractions (some well-known and some not) and the occasional shot of QVC correspondent Paul Kelley, who trolled the audience for interesting shoppers.
With her wide-brimmed hat made from QVC bills and packaging material, Libby Quackenbush of Northridge was hard to miss. The mother and actress said she spends about $3,000 each year on QVC items and has enjoyed most of the previous 48 “Quest” broadcasts.
“I really like to see the diversity of things. I’d like to see more things for people who are more athletic,” she said. She purchased a can of the Stopain spray with a cellular phone.
Loretta Stewart, a Sun Valley receiving clerk, said she completed her holiday shopping by watching the tour shows, including the most recent one that was beamed from South Carolina. Included among the list of items she purchased from the broadcasts was a log that, when properly cared for, sprouts mushrooms. She said she bought it “from one of the Dakotas. I thought it would make a lovely gift.”


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After launching OnePlus 6 the Chinese smartphone maker is once again looking to disrupt the market with a new smartphone OnePlus 6T. According to a report by CNET, citing sources familiar with the company’s launch plans, OnePlus 6T will debut in October this year. Additionally, T-Mobile will be the sole carrier in the U.S. to offer the OnePlus 6T, when it makes its debut in October.
OnePlus will continue to sell the unlocked version in the U.S. The Chinese company is popular in Asian markets including India, however, it has still not become a household name in the US. Reportedly, the phone will retail at $550, which is just a measly $20 higher than the cost of the base version of OnePlus 6, which features 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. However, these details are not final and may change. Rumours surrounding the OnePlus 6T are still slim and there is not much that we know about the device right now.
Two new videos have recently surfaced on the Internet showcasing the possible renders of OnePlus' next smartphone, the OnePlus 6T. The videos have been put up by two different channels and carry slight differences, while many of the features shown on the device are also similar in both the videos. The obvious upgrades from the OnePlus 6 shown in both the videos include changes to the notch at the top of the display, a triple camera setup at the back, as well as an in-display fingerprint sensor, just like the one on the Vivo X21.
In the first render video, the OnePlus 6T can be seen with a drop-like notch at the top as opposed to the slim notch seen on the OnePlus 6. In addition, the device can be seen housing a triple-camera setup at the back, skipping the fingerprint sensor at the back. The video also assumes that the smartphone will be using an under-display fingerprint sensor as an upgrade to the OnePlus 6. The triple camera setup seen on the phone is aligned vertically in the render video.
The second video, however, even skips the drop-like notch and instead, showcases a very slim bezel at the top housing the front camera as well as the receiver sensor. The components at the back are the same as seen in the previous video and even the fingerprint sensor is the same, embedded inside the display.


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BOOSTING REGIONAL TEXTILE INNOVATION WITH REGIOTEX
Europe’s textile and clothing sector will boost competitiveness through the EU regional Smart Specialisation Strategies and a better connection of regional innovation clusters.
Well over 100 participants from 23 regions across 19 EU countries attended the public launch of the RegioTex initiative held on 13-14 April at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels. The event co-organised by the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (Textile ETP) and EURATEX - the European Apparel and Textile Confederation, was embedded in the 11th annual public conference of...
INVESTMENT PLAN FOR EUROPE TO SUPPORT EUROPEAN SILK SECTOR?
Textile and fashion industry in the Investment Plan for Europe
EU TRADE IN TEXTILE & CLOTHING GOODS WENT UP IN 2015
According to CITH, the Textile and Clothing Information Centre, the EU textile and clothing exporters succeeded in gaining further market shares in Third countries (+3.6%). On the imports side, the EU imports picked up by +9.6% in value terms, due to sharp increases from Asian countries. On the contrary, imports from the Mediterranean area (Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia) achieved a modest growth or even decreased over the period. This 2015 evolution impacted the overall trade balance of the EU-28 which deficit deteriorated further in value, by + 14% (+29% for textiles and +13% for...
More digitally connected companies with eBIZ
In May 2015, the European Commission launched the Digital Market Strategy which includes digitalising European industry, standards and interoperability. European top officials recognise the importance of digital data exchange enabling effective communication or traceability along the supply chain, from raw material to point of sale. eBIZ is the European initiative for the use and greater interoperability of digital communication in the fashion supply chain; some 400 companies have already gained from it.
Launched in 2008, eBIZ is a public-private initiative enabling companies to...
4th EURATEX Convention devoted to sustainable innovation
The event was held on 18 November in Milan, Italy
DISASTROUS IMPACT OF COUNTERFEITING ON EU TEXTILE & CLOTHING – CALL FOR ACTIONS
A new report of the OHMI on the economic cost of IPR infringement in the clothing, footwear and accessory sector reveals that annually the industry loses more than €26 billion of revenue which leads to approximately 500.000 jobs lost.
For many years now, the textile and clothing industry represented by EURATEX, the European Apparel and Textile Confederation, alerts the EU institutions and the national authorities about the disastrous consequences of counterfeiting and piracy for our industry and for the whole European economy. The report of the Office for Harmonization in the...
Commissioner Bieńkowska Heads the First Forum on Fashion & High-End Industries
Participating in the high-level Forum on the fashion and high-end industries led by the Commissioner Bieńkowska, EURATEX underlined the importance of support to SMEs’ internationalisation and access to innovation funding.
In December 2013, an Action Plan for fashion and high-end industries was adopted to set out concrete actions to strengthen the competiveness of the European fashion and high-end industries. The Action Plan also established a multi-stakeholder Forum aimed at monitoring the implementation of Plan’s actions and outlining the future developments.
NEW GENERATION OF TEXTILE & FASHION ENTREPRENEURS
The round table organised by EURATEX during its General Assembly on 28 May 2015, became an exceptional opportunity to meet young entrepreneurs sharing their views on the challenges and opportunities for creating and running a manufacturing SME in Europe. Five fashion and textile start-up companies from UK, France, Belgium and Spain came to Brussels to present their ideas, new business models and innovative methods of production.
The round table guests proved that there is a new generation of innovative and talented textile and fashion entrepreneurs – they have different set of...
AT FRANKFURT FAIR ON SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
On 4-7 May 2015, EURATEX joined the Techtextil/ Texprocess fair in Frankfurt to present its major initiatives, meet companies and learn about the latest developments. The sustainable use of resources is among EURATEX’ key priorities for the years to come, therefore special focus was given to the Energy Made-to-Measure (EM2M) campaign.
Launched in 2014 by EURATEX in collaboration with dozens of organisations across Europe, Energy Made-to-Measure campaign promotes key results of successful initiatives for energy efficiency in the sector. This aims at supporting the textile and clothing...
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TECHNICAL TEXTILES MARKET
On April 29, at the press conference hosted by Techtextil and Texprocess, Euratex President Serge Piolat presented an overview of the latest developments in the European textile and clothing sector with a special focus on technical textiles.
In 2014, 173.000 EU textile and apparel companies reached a turnover of about €165 billion and generated a value added of €44 billion employing more than 1.6 million workers. Mr. Piolat noted that 2014 was a positive year for our industry that increased its production. The total textiles production grew by 2.6%, when manufacturing of...


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Samsung India has dropped the price of its flagship smartphone the Galaxy S III, as well as the hot-selling phablet the Galaxy Note II.
Samsung Galaxy S III is now available in official retail stores across the country for Rs. 28,990, with the Galaxy Note II now retailing for Rs. 34,990. Some dealers have been spotted selling at even lower prices online as well as offline.
Samsung launched the Galaxy S III
in India back in May last year for a MRP of Rs. 43,180. The phone comes with a 4.8-inch display and is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor alongside 1GB of RAM. It features a 8-megapixel rear camera as well as a 1.9-megapixel front camera. The phone shipped with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich but has since received the Jelly Bean Update.
Samsung Galaxy S III has been runaway success for Samsung, with the company revealing in November that it had sold over 30 million units
since the phone's launch in May. The phone briefly became the best-selling phone in the United States before Apple launched iPhone and reclaimed the crown it has held for a very long time.
Samsung Galaxy Note II is the successor to the Galaxy Note original phablet that started the craze of large-screen phones.
The Galaxy Note II was introduced at IFA 2012. The phone was launched in India
last September carrying a price tag of Rs. 39,990. The Galaxy Note II sports a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD display and is powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. It has a 3100mAh battery and has 16GB internal storage expandable up to 64 GB via microSD card.
It features an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front camera. Like its predecessor, the phablet comes with the S-Pen stylus for taking notes on the device. In terms of connectivity, Samsung Galaxy Note II offers 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, NFC, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 4.0.
In November, Samsung announced sales of this phablet had topped 3 million units
in the first 5 weeks. By the end of the month, the Korean manufacturer reported that the sales of its device topped 5 million
, barely two months since the phablet started shipping.
Together, the Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, along with other Galaxy series smartphones, powered Samsung to record profits
Samsung Galaxy S Duos also received a price cut and is now available for Rs. 12,990.


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The largest and fastest-growing car market in the world is going to ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars. China has announced plans to join the rapidly expanding list of countries with plans to phase out fossil fuel-burning cars, a list that includes the UK, France, Norway, and India.
“These measures will promote profound changes in the environment and give momentum to China’s auto industry development.”said vice minister of industry and information technology, Xin Guobi, at a recent Chinese forum on cars. China has moved swiftly to be the world’s largest producer and buyer of electric cars — motivated by a desire to reduce urban air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and oil imports.
Read the full article by Joe Romm, published by RenewEconomy on 12/9/17, at http://reneweconomy.com.au/china-gears-ban-new-fossil-fuel-powered-cars-57459/


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India Gets Its First Linux Publication
It costs a dollar, is almost a hundred pages thick and comes with a wide range of information on the world of free/libre and open-source software, as some term it here.
India's first Linux magazine recently hit the stands, and free software enthusiasts are looking to the Delhi-published magazine to help build interest in non-proprietary software in a country that likes to call itself a (potential) software superpower.
Titled LINUXForYou, the magazine claims to be "the complete magazine for Open Source". It is just drawing the attention of FLOSS enthusiasts scattered across the many LUGs across the country.
By late February, LFY claimed its first issue "completely sold out", with a print run of 20,000 copies. A letter to advertisers said LFY's subscriptions "crossed the 1,000-mark even before the magazine was launched", and it promised advertisers that the free-software enthusiasts who read the magazine "are IT savvy and...the most influential segment of IT buyers".
India has a number of computer magazines that are read beyond the country's borders, including PCQuest, Digit (formerly CHIP), DeveloperIQ, Computers@Home and others. But this is the first magazine entirely dedicated to GNU/Linux.
LINUXForYou comes from the same people who publish Electronics For You, a 34-year-old magazine for the electronics hobbyist and professional that already has a strong anchor in the home-grown technical publications market.
"We believe that Linux, not just the main operating system, but the entire gamut of open-source software and allied concepts, have now reached the stage where these can be deployed across businesses and even homes," commented LFY editor Rahul Chopra while introducing the maiden issue.
This, he clarified, did not mean a shift into the no-money zone for a magazine that has been in business for three decades.
"We believe the best way of making some money is by helping others save their's", said Chopra, who added that the launch of a Linux magazine has "nothing to do with Microsoft" but meant reduced costs, higher RoI (return on investment) and better technology.
LFY's launch has been in the news for some weeks now. It was expected to come out in January, but the first issue is dated February 2003, understandable given the pressures of launching a new magazine.
Some other magazines have been toying with venturing into covering GNU/Linux in a more encompassing manner. (Local mainstream magazine PCQuest gave a boost to GNU/Linux in the mid-1990s by putting out CDs with free software.) But lately, plans for special issues or special supplements have been scaled down, as doubts have been raised about the viability of such a venture in the market.
LFY, however, seems to have few doubts on this score. The first issue contains a CD of the popular load-it-from-your-CD Knoppix distribution and news inputs come from a wide range. Responses to the magazine seem to have been mostly appreciative, apart from a few questions asking why it was not being named GNULinuxForYou or something similar.
So far, the magazine has reported on a couple of schoolboys, who having won a fonts-creation contest, "spurned Microsoft" and opted for the LGPL license. Likewise, it mentions plans for two GNU/Linux-based handhelds from the South Indian city of Bangalore. (The Simputer, delayed in hitting the market in a big way, has gained much attention, but few here have noticed the Kaii.)
For techies, there's a tutorial on how to create an apnalinux (Hindi for "our Linux") distribution by using Anaconda and tweaking a Red Hat distribution.
There's also TechnoInfosys' GNU/Linux-based net management system from Bombay (see www.technoinfosys.com); storage strategy software for GNU/Linux from Veritas, Delhi; Websight's Dodobase, instant web catalog publishing product (www.websight-tech.com) and Rolta's security and messaging products for Indian corporate networks (www.rolta.com).
Bicnet, another Indian firm, announced its eBiz integrated solution (pre-sales management, sales catalogue, shopping cart, auction floor, general ledger and financial accounting, inventory, e-recruitment, and customer relationship management).
Octopus (Bombay) promises a complete enterprise management system. There's an e-mail manager from Data Impex (Delhi). The Indian government is reportedly moving to "let in Linux", even as RTLinux is gaining support in India.
LFY has announced its own plan for certification that could help "sell your products to the Linux community". This certification plan is "free, as of now". Under it, GNU/Linux-based products, tested and tried by LFY Lab, will earn Linux Friendly certification. Other common IT products that work without any hassles to get a Tested OK mark. More details can be obtained from firstname.lastname@example.org.
In the past, there has been some discussion about reprinting the China-published international edition of the Free Software Magazine in India. Likewise, GNU/Linux enthusiasts here are keen to republish some technical books with non-restrictive licensing policies, in order to help boost knowledge about non-proprietary software in this part of the globe.
Computer magazines generally are priced around Rs 100 in India (around $2 US). These come with at least one CD each month that, in turn, perhaps pushes up costs. LFY is pricing itself at only Rs 50 ($1 US), and subscribers in India get the magazine for about three-fifths that price.


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Travel OS: How Innovation Is Reinventing the Travel Experience
Presented by Expedia
Featuring Peter Kern, Vice Chairman and CEO, Expedia Group
Interviewed by Stephanie Mehta, Chief Content Officer and CEO, Mansueto Ventures
As online travel becomes more commoditized, it has also become more transactional, with customers often simply resorting to the cheapest option. But planning the right trip at the right price involves more than choosing the lowest deal—it relies on trusted partners and innovative solutions to help travelers curate the best experience for their needs. As part of Expedia Group’s end-to-end transformation over the past year, the company has simplified its brand strategy and leveraged cutting-edge technology to increase booking confidence for consumers and businesses alike.
In this fireside chat, Fast Company will join Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern to discuss the company’s industry-leading efforts to prioritize the traveler experience, from price-tracking flights to smart-shopping hotels to B2B microservices and beyond.


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E-invoices in Europe. How this works in other countries [Unifiedpost Group report]
A report by the Unifiedpost group indicates that the European market is only now moving towards the widespread use of electronic invoicing. In Italy, which was the only one of thirteen analysed countries to implement the requirement of making settlements exclusively via e-invoices, over 2 billion of these documents were issued between January 2019 and April 2020. The other European countries are at various stages of implementation of these new solutions. In some of them, e-invoices are still issued solely for transactions within the public sector.
Image author: Unifiedpost Group
In accordance with European regulations (Directive 2014/55/EU), an electronic invoice means an invoice that has been issued, transmitted and received in a structured electronic format to enable its automatic processing. In order not to confuse them with the “ordinary” e-invoices used in Poland to date, they are referred to as structured invoices. “The Digital Invoicing Wave in Europe” report drawn up in Belgium by our experts covers the use of the latter. The report describes the legal status in force in 2020 within thirteen major European markets: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the aforementioned Italy.
In the report we analysed the extent of e-invoice use in transactions between businesses (B2B – Business-to-Business) and between businesses and public administrative bodies (B2G – Business-to-Government). We also reviewed major stimulating circumstances and obstacles to the implementation of new solutions at European Union level and in individual countries.
Above all, the fight against the VAT gap
Until recently, businesses held the initiative in regard to the implementation of electronic invoices. Today, however, it is the legislative bodies at EU and national level that strive to implement e-invoices as quickly and as widely as possible, both in B2B and B2G transactions. This is one of the elements in combating losses of state revenues, a significant part of which comprises Value Added Tax. The VAT gap in the entire European Union reached a level of no less than EUR 137.5 billion in 2017. It is no wonder then that the Member States are trying to strengthen control over the financial settlements of businesses in order to reduce that gap.
EU legislation has also a stimulating effect on individual countries. In addition to the above-mentioned e-Invoicing Directive, an important role is played by the guidelines on communication between authorities, business and citizens within and between Member States, which are included in the European Interoperability Framework (EIF). Peppol is another initiative – a unified standard for the international electronic exchange of documents (including e-invoices) in public procurements conducted by European government institutions. This standard has already been adopted in 31 European countries, as well as in Australia, China, Japan, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States.
Italy and Scandinavia are in the lead with the United Kingdom at the rear
The number of structured electronic invoices issued in the majority of the countries covered by our study is still very small, or even marginal. Italy is, of course, the exception, as it has already implemented a requirement for making settlements exclusively in this way. When compared to other countries, a high number of e-invoices is in circulation in the Scandinavian and Baltic countries. For example, in Sweden over half of the transactions within the public sector are already concluded with the use of e-invoices. In Estonia 30% of all invoices is electronic, although in B2B transactions this percentage falls to 10%. The worst situation in this respect is observed in the United Kingdom. Some public entities in that country are implementing the use of e-invoices, but these initiatives are impeded by the absence of regulation within central government. The entire situation is additionally complicated by separate national legislations in all the constituent nations of the United Kingdom.
In conducting the review of legal regulations in the thirteen countries analysed in the report, our experts focused on whether they implemented the requirement of using e-invoices in three cases. The first case concerns the requirement of state entities to accept this type of settlements: there are no differences between the countries as it has been implemented in all of them. Then, it was analysed whether businesses have to issue electronic invoices to public entities. Only Luxembourg, Latvia, the United Kingdom and part of Belgium have not implemented this requirement. The final criterion concerns the requirement for businesses to use e-invoices in their B2B transactions, with transmission via dedicated government portals, or potentially the transmission of key elements of the invoices issued to the tax authorities . As has already been mentioned, only Italy has implemented that requirement.
Positive impact of the pandemic
Although the short-term shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a negative impact on the entire economy, our experts believe that in the medium to long term, positive effects can be expected within the context of the widespread use of electronic invoicing. Growing debt and limited financial liquidity will motivate businesses to implement optimisation projects, specifically projects for automating business processes and improving financial management. Moreover, pressure will increase on the largest companies, which to a large extent already use e-invoices, and on their contractors to implement these solutions as well. At the same time, state authorities, in seeking to minimize losses caused by tax fraud, will be accelerating the option, or obligation, to use e-invoices, which will give them greater control over financial flows.
Our report shows that structured electronic invoices are not yet widely used in the countries surveyed. However, it can be expected that this will change quite quickly, because both entrepreneurs and administrations, especially the tax authorities, see the advantages of this solution.
The full report [EN] can be downloaded here:


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The decision by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to extend the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) by six months to October could provide short-term relief for running solar projects. With this, Chinese module makers can supply Indian non-governmental solar projects for the next six months.
However, the introduction of import tariffs or the Basic Customs Duty (BCD) of 40% on modules and 25% on cells that came into force on Friday could be a drag on Chinese panel buyers, according to analysts.
On March 28, the MNRE extended the ALMM implementation deadline to October 2022 from April 1. Under the amendment, all open access, net metering and government projects for solar development were required to use only ALMM-approved modules.
So far, the ministry has approved 10.9GW of capacity only for domestic manufacturers, barring all Chinese and foreign players from participating in Indian projects. It is widely seen as a non-tariff barrier to promote domestic manufacturing.
Manjesh Nayak, director at Oorjan Cleantech, said the postponement of the deadline is a temporary relief for running projects and addresses developers’ concerns about network connectivity. However, for the policy to be effective, it is important to enroll brands in the ALMM in a transparent and time-limited process. It must also be in step with technological advances.
It should be noted that India’s 3 GW cell manufacturing capacity is less than 1% of China’s manufacturing capacity.
“Capacity building should be our main focus. A more systematic solution to addressing our reliance on imports is to incentivize supply, through means like the PLI, rather than discouraging or restricting demand,” Nayak said.
The MNRE’s decision on January 14, 2022 to include open access and net metering projects in the approved list of ALMMs for solar modules meant that Indian non-residential rooftop projects were prohibited for Chinese manufacturers. On January 14, MNRE amended the ALMM standards, stating that only BIS-approved ALMM modules would be eligible for use in open access and net metering projects. Previously, the ALMM entry was must-have for government supplies and government-supported projects. The changes will come into effect on April 1, 2022. Chinese solar panel makers supply 85% of India’s module needs.
The ALMM was seen as a protective hedge to prevent developers from hoarding panels ahead of the implementation of import tariffs from April 1. reduce negativity around ALMM,” said Puneet Goyal, co-founder of SunAlpha Energy.
“We are seeing a 20% increase in panel prices from the March price of Rs 22/wattpeak due to the basic tariffs in April,” Goyal said.


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What is Uber? Uber is a dabbling with eCommerce with a test offering called Corner store in Washington D.C, Where you can order any thing like diapers, toothpaste allergy medicine and many thing more than 100 items via its application and then this can be delivered by the Uber drivers.
We can say this is an experiment which is in initial stage, and this application is slated to last a few weeks, but the more you love it, the more likely it will last, According to the company this new thing is available only in the Washington D.C due to initial stage. In order to toggle to the Corner Store option on Uber’s app. If a driver is available, you will receive a text message with a link to the items available for purchase.
There will be no fee for delivery. If this became success definitely Uber will expand this service in new areas, even Uber recently tested bicycle courier service which is called as Rush and also they tested pedestrian service too. Whether or not Corner Store gets to the point where it can properly compete with Amazon Fresh or Google Shopping Express is another question altogether.
Similar to this Google has also started expanded Google shopping express with delivery on the same day in Los Angles as well as New York in the month of May. Previously this service was available in San Francisco. Amazon also started this same day delivery this year which was huge success. Stay tune for more information


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‘Booze curtain’ in doubt after 'robust' meeting between minister and Independents
PLANS to force retailers to segregate alcohol products from other food and drink are in serious doubt after a “robust” meeting between the Independent Alliance and Minister of State Marcella Corcoran Kennedy.
Alliance TDs told the minister that the move is “a step too far” and they are in “total opposition” to it.
The dispute comes after as many as 20 Fine Gael TDs and senators aired their opposition to the legislation at a private party meeting on Wednesday.
The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill will require alcohol to be separated other products in shops by means of a physical barrier, through which alcohol products and advertising are not readily visible to members of the public.
Independent Minister of State Sean Canney and Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran led the charge against the so-called ‘booze curtain’ during a meeting with Ms Corcoran Kennedy yesterday.
Mr Canney said it would be “a retrograde step” simply “inoperable”, while Mr Moran said the proposed laws were akin to a “nanny state”.
The Alliance described the conversation as “robust”, but Ms Corcoran Kennedy told the Irish Independent that in her view it has been “very cordial”.
“I’m delighted to engage with everybody as I have been doing in recent weeks. I said’ I’d take on board everybody’s concerns,” she said.
“We have to listen to everybody. People are making suggestions and I’m investigating those suggestions.”
Fifty-two amendments to the Bill have been submitted ahead of a debate in the Seanad in the coming weeks and sources expect its passage through to the Oireachtas to be “extraordinarily slow”.
Fine Gael sources said the pressure on the minister from her own backbenchers is “monumental”, although she was backed up by Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald at the party meeting.
Both Independent Alliance members said they left Minister Corcoran-Kennedy under no illusion as to their total opposition.
“Segregation like this will add nothing to the control of drinking. Drinking is an issue in this country and education about alcohol needs to start in the school,” Mr Canney said.
Mr Moran added: “It is ridiculous that small retailers and corner shop owners are being expected to invest thousands of euro in their businesses just to segregate alcohol products from other products.”


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Yesterday, Amazon.com announced a new business line selling the technology behind its cashier-less convenience stores to other retailers. This is reported by none other than the renowned Thomas Reuters. Amazon said that it has “several” signed deals with its customers. A new website called Just Walk Out technology by Amazon will invite others to inquire about the service from Monday onwards.
It seems that Amazon is currently looking forward to building its internal capabilities like warehouses to help with package delivery and cloud technology to support its website and then turning those into lucrative services.
Amazon’s chain Amazon Go has brought shopping without checkout lines into the mainstream. Along with it, it has also made the market for retails without cashiers. Interestingly, this is the most common vocations in the United States currently. US venture firm Loup Ventures has estimated that this market could grow to the US $ 50 billion.
Dilip Kumar, Amazon’s vice president of physical retail and technology said “Do customers like standing in lines?” he asked. “This has pretty broad applicability across store sizes, across industries, because it fundamentally tackles a problem of how do you get convenience in physical locations, especially when people are hard-pressed for time.”
Now, let us come to the point that how will this system work? Unlike Amazon Go stores, shoppers will have to insert a credit card into a gated turnstile to enter. The turnstiles will display the logo “Just Walk Out technology by Amazon” but all other branding and store aspects will be controlled by the retailer who is using the service. As usual, all the items picked up by a customer or guests will be added to the shopper’s virtual cart and the store will then bill the credit card once the customer leaves the store. This means neither bar code scanning nor checkout lines will be required.
Media reports have suggested that currently Amazon trying to collaborate with Walmart or Target to bring its technology to airport stores. Kumar said Amazon “potentially” could sell the service to big-box rivals but would not speculate.
According to Kumar, Amazon will save the email address and tie that to the credit card information in order to charge the customer. He further said, “We prohibit the use of Just Walk Out technology data for anything other than supporting Just Walk Out retailers.”


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In an agreement reached today, the organizers of the Atlantic Challenge Cup are proud to announce that the Kamui brand have agreed to sponsor this event. Kamui, best known for its chalk and tips have joined the list of companies who have already shown their support.
Kamui’s CEO Xiaoyang Zhang had this to say „We feel that the best way to predict the future, is to create it. We are inspired by the proactive leadership of the EPBF & BCA to make this opportunity available for the youth and this will be a great promotion for our sport. The Kamui Brand is very excited to be a part of the Atlantic Challenge Cup, and we look forward to the start of what surely will be a fabulous event“.
The event takes place at Patricks Canadian Tavern in Rankweil Austria from the 1st to the 4th of July 2015. The official match table is supplied by Dynamic Billard and the official cloth is Iwan Simonis 860. Saluc will supply the Aramith TV Pro-cup balls for the inaugural staging of the Atlantic Challenge Cup.


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GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Downtown Market is getting a fresh sushi bar that will open in the Market Hall in July, officials there announced on Thursday, May 29.
Sushi Maki will serve sushi, maki rolls, sashimi and seaweed salad made onsite, as well as mochi and Japanese soda. They will also have catering services available for parties and gatherings.
The sushi bar will be located next to Fish Lads, the Market’s fishmonger, to leverage potential collaborations between the two vendors, according to a news release. The restaurant joins two other new business openings announced this month at the Downtown Market: Penelope’s Creperie and Relish Green Grocer.
“The foot traffic and visibility of the Downtown Market made it a perfect location to branch out with our new restaurant,” said Shun Chen in a news release. “We think there is a market for fresh sushi in downtown Grand Rapids, and we look forward to being a part of the community of small business owners at the downtown Market”
The new restaurant will be co-owned by Chen, Johnny Lin and Wen Wang. Chen is the owner of Fuji Yama, a Japanese restaurant at 1501 East Beltline Ave. NE. Lin and Wang will serve as the lead sushi chefs.
“We’re flattered to have another successful local business opening a second location in the Market,” said Mimi Fritz, the market's president and CEO. “The sushi bar concept fits perfectly into our mix of restaurants and stores featuring freshly prepared, delicious food.”
The $30 million Downtown Market entered its second year of operation with an outdoor market earlier this month. The indoor Market Hall, which opened last summer, has space for 24 vendors.
The market also includes several kitchens for small-scale food processing and educational programs. A full-service restaurant and a micro-brewery are “coming soon,” market officials said.


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Wal-Mart made an assumption to increase its revenue rate by 40 percent until the end of fiscal year. Alongside, it will also improve the number of online grocery shops in the US. It’s going to give a tough antagonism to its rival company Amazon.
Wal-Mart’s revenue share raised by 4.3 percent last year. Brett Biggs, CFO of Wal-Mart says, “From now we are going to essence more on international stores, technology, and e-commerce.” It allows users to select their items from 4,700 different online stores.
The company has already started to work on this revolution. As of now, it has announced to offer free two days shipping. Online sales might reach up to $11.5 billion until the end of next year. It still has to struggle a lot to compete with the sales rate of US e-commerce.
According to UBS, “Wal-Mart today has a strong tool, that is digital marketing and will work with same enthusiasm till the fiscal year 2019.” “Growth in terms of profits through e-commerce is going to take time but that’s going to be a huge revolution of Wal-Mart.”
The company made an approximation of capital expenditure that comes out to be $11 billion for the fiscal year 2018 and 2019. Late in August, Amazon increased its revenue by cutting off the prices by offering Whole Foods at an upmarket grocer.
Increase in Wal-Mart’s revenue profit will increase by 5 percent in 2019 with increased earnings of $4.40 per share forecast from December 2018 to next succeeding year. This is really going to put back Wal-Mart’s $20 billion programmes that were announced back in October last year. Wal-Mart made a great effort to hold back its shares worth of $15.10 billion.
The company aims at expanding its business by setting up 15 more supercenters and 10 markets in the adjacent cities of the US next year. This year the number will be immense but it will be less as compared to last year. The count will be 40 supercenters that were 60 in 2016.


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Shares in luxury-goods group LVMH rallied Wednesday after strong first-quarter sales indicated that wealthy customers aren't afraid to splurge thousands of dollars on a new handbag or watch even as the global economy has worsened.
Sales would have been even stronger if not for unfavorable exchange rate moves, LVMH said, adding that organic growth for the period was around 12%.
The swiftest growth was in watches and jewelry, where revenue rose 12% to 211 million euros. The fashion and leather-goods arm reported revenue of 1.45 billion euros, up 7%.
Shares in the company rose 3.5% in Paris, having gained as much as 5% in early trading.
"These performances provide further proof of the group's solid fundamentals and efficient strategy," said analysts at Natixis Securities in a note to clients.
"LVMH is, in our view, the group best placed to weather the economic downturn thanks to the diversity of its portfolio and its geographic exposure," Natixis added.
The only unit to report a slowdown was the wines and spirits division, where sales fell 7% to 640 million euros. The unit, with brands including Dom Perignon champagne and Hennessy cognac, reported flat sales excluding the impact of exchange rates as higher prices offset a drop in volumes.
Champagne sales, however, still made good progress in emerging markets such as Russia, Asia and Latin America.
Customers in Asia, where the credit crisis has had a more muted effect, also helped drive growth in other divisions. LVMH said the increasing number of Chinese tourists and the increased spending power of Japanese tourists, for example, contributed to higher sales at its DFS retail stores.
"Thanks to the strength and creativity of its brands and its expansion into new markets, LVMH will continue its growth in 2008 despite the challenging monetary environment and an uncertain economic climate at the beginning of this year," the group said in a statement.