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As summer turns to autumn, that means the 2020 holiday shopping season can’t be far away. And like everything else this year, it’s going to be different than any we’ve experienced before.
The impact of Covid-19 on ecommerce has been significant since this crisis began. There has been both a surge in traffic and ecommerce revenues as customers have shifted their buying online in an effort to stay safe. It is estimated that ecommerce growth has accelerated by 5 – 10 years in just a short period of time since the pandemic began. This growth coupled with the ongoing crisis will translate into changes for this coming holiday season. Here are our predictions:
Prediction #1 – The Shift Towards Digital Will Continue
Necessitated by the stay-at-home orders last spring, there was a rapid increase in the adoption of ecommerce as many retail stores shut down. According to data from the US Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce, YOY ecommerce sales grew a whopping 45% in the 2nd quarter of 2020. And this level of activity has remained constant even as restrictions were loosened over the summer. It has become apparent that many people who had been resistant to online shopping have overnight jumped into the fray. There’s simply no turning back. Their usage and activity will only increase as move forward.
What Can You Do
- In the short-term, get your existing website ready for the holiday season. That includes making last-minute adjustments to improve site speed, checkout flow, and infrastructure capacity.
- Longer-term, you should evaluate your ecommerce capabilities. Do I have the right staffing in place? Am I making the right investments? Is my ecommerce platform capable of handling this growth and changing requirements?
Prediction #2 – The Holiday Season Will Start Earlier This Year
While the holiday shopping season has been expanding in prior years, this year it will start earlier than ever. Some retailers wait until after Halloween has passed before they begin any holiday promotions. Many will wait until the traditional Thanksgiving weekend to kick off their promotions. However, due to several factors, we predict that the holiday shopping season will begin in early October this year.
First and foremost, is the shift of Amazon Prime Day to October this year. Expected to offer significant deals for consumers, it is anticipated to be the unofficial kickoff to the holiday season. Stoking consumer demand, other retailers will quickly follow up Amazon’s Prime Day with offers and promotions of their own. They’ll seek to capture consumer momentum and offset the drop in Halloween merchandising anticipated to occur as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak this year.
Another factor in extending the holiday season this year are the concerns relating to shipping. With the general surge in ecommerce due to Covid and the anticipated increase as a result of the holiday shopping season, there’s concern that the industry’s capacity to deliver all these orders may be stretched to its limit. Add in the problems occurring at the US Post Office and there’s a good chance shipments will be delayed this year. As a result, extending the season can build some “slack” into the system and help ensure deliveries reach customers in time for the holidays.
What Can You Do
- Prepare your website, promotions, and merchandising so that they are ready in early October.
- Extend your holiday return policies and customer service staffing to cover the earlier start date
- Explore regional delivery carrier options
Prediction #3 – Reduced Emphasis on Black Friday and Cyber 5 Weekend
While still important, the extended holiday season and the anticipated reduction in retail foot traffic this year will reduce the impact of Black Friday and the Cyber 5 (the 5-day period starting Thanksgiving and ending on Cyber Monday) on your overall holiday sales. Home Depot has already announced that they will “reinvent” Black Friday this year to reduce the stress of jamming holiday sales into one frantic weekend. Instead, they will offer Black Friday promotions spanning a two-month period starting in early November.
Another point of note. Many retailers have elected to remain closed on Thanksgiving this year allowing both shoppers and their employees to spend time with their families in light of the circumstances this year including Walmart, Best Buy, Target & Kohl’s.
What Can You Do
- Plan your promotions to start early and continue in earnest until the season is over
- Avoid overt sales promotions on Thanksgiving Day.
Prediction #4 – Supply Chain Issues Will Pose a Problem
The coronavirus not only wreaked havoc on consumers but on supply chains as well. As shoppers were quarantined at home, many factories were either shut down or had trouble staffing to full capacity. In addition, uncertainty surrounding consumer demand and anticipated cash flow led many retailers to curtail their inventory purchasing. Subsequently, high demand gift items may sell out quickly this year and replenishment options may be limited this holiday season.
What Can You Do
- Be proactive in monitoring your sales and inventory levels
- Resort merchandise frequently to avoid out of stock items appearing on category result pages
- Have alternative recommendations for out of stock products
- If possible, switch to local (or onshore) suppliers to reduce procurement time
Prediction #5 – Consumer Behavior Will Continue to Shift as a Result of the Pandemic
Within ecommerce, there have been two profound shifts in customer behavior that have occurred over the course of the pandemic. One of these is the shift to buying online and then picking up in-store (or BOPIS). A similar option is curbside pickup. Both options have allowed consumers to shop online, spending less time in the store, and then having their merchandise available for pickup at their convenience.
A second consumer behavioral change has been the shift in merchandise mix being purchased. As people have stayed at home categories such as travel, high-end apparel and entertainment saw significant sales declines. On the flip side, categories such as wellness, cleaning supplies, home furnishings, and office furniture saw big increases as people invested in their homes.
We believe these shifts will continue this holiday season and into next year.
What Can You Do
- Make investments into your ecommerce platform to support BOPIS and/or curbside pickup
- Follow the trends and where possible shift your product mix to categories in demand
The 2020 holiday shopping season will be unlike any we’ve previously encountered. However, we believe it will continue the positive trend in ecommerce sales that we’ve seen since the beginning of the pandemic. Investing in your online capabilities, responding rapidly to customer data, and delivering a strong customer experience should maximize the benefits to your business this holiday season. And if you find yourself constrained by your systems, platforms, or processes, then there’s no time like the present to invest in the future. Having the agility and flexibility to take advantage of these fast-moving ecommerce trends will be crucial to the future success of your business.


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Happy DNA Day! Today (25 April) is the anniversary of the publication of articles theorizing the helical structure of DNA. Ancestry is celebrating with a 20% sale on its DNA kit. (Thomas MacEntee has put together a list.) Normally priced $99, Ancestry is offering the kit for $79 (plus taxes and shipping) through 26 April 2017 at 11:59pm Eastern Time. While I sometimes see a $89 sale price, I don’t recall seeing the $79 price since DNA Day last year. After Thanksgiving the past couple years they have offered the kit for $69. It seems likely they will do the same this year. At RootsTech this year they were trying to overshadow the announcement of kits from other vendors by selling AncestryDNA for $49 (with no shipping since you purchased in-person). I don’t know that you will ever see that happen again.
Bottom line, if you aren’t willing to wait until after Thanksgiving, today’s the day to order AncestryDNA for $79.
To see what scientists, teachers, and students are doing to commemorate DNA Day, visit the National Genome Research Institute website.
Click here to order AncestryDNA for $79.

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Property company’s group makes $191 million offer
Just four months after picking up Lincoln Heights-based Forever 21 Inc., Simon Property Group Inc., is about to acquire another locally based retailer.
JetBlue said it will end service at Long Beach Airport in October and transfer flights and crews to LAX.
Lipstick sales fall as use of masks surges
It doesn’t take a cosmetics expert to guess that wearing face masks to fend off the coronavirus might be the kiss of death for the lipstick business.
Deal values KKW Beauty at $1 Billion
New York-based Coty Inc. paid $200 million for a 20% stake in KKW Beauty, bringing the company's valuation to $1 billion.
American Airlines is shifting its trans-Pacific flight hub from LAX to Dallas-Fort Worth International.
Nearly one-quarter of shops have yet to reopen
Almost a month after local shopping centers got a green light to reopen, about a quarter of their storefronts remain dark.
Fast-casual chain upgrades app's ordering capabilities
With the Covid-19 pandemic settling in for an extended run in much of the country, the phrase “adapt or perish” seems to be the mantra for many retailers and restauranteurs.
Mambetov aims for ‘modest, not Muslim’
For L.A. fashion designer Elle Mambetov, the Covid-19 outbreak has meant figuring out how to introduce a new fashion line without the benefit of a traditional live runway show.
Los Angeles World Airports interim Chief Executive Justin Erbacci moved one step closer to the permanent job.
More companies are filing Chapter 11, but the CARES Act helps others
True Religion Apparel Inc., the Manhattan Beach-based retailer that’s expected to reemerge from bankruptcy in August, is part of a growing wave of Chapter 11 filings hitting U.S. courtrooms.
Retailer says difficulties will continue in second quarter
Shares of Guess Inc. dropped 30% to a market value of $584.4 million last week after the downtown-based retailer reported a decline of more than 50% in sales revenue for the first three months of the year.
Pandemic, unrest tests their optimistic outlook
Marred by tepid consumer interest, countywide protests, curfews and looting, the retail reopening after the Covid-19 shutdown had a rough start to say the least.
Amgen, Mattel, Anastasia among companies embracing social justice
As protesters took to the streets across the U.S. recently to express their anger over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, a growing number of local brands chose to take part in the social justice conversation.
But unsecured creditors object to plan
True Religion Apparel Inc. estimates it will emerge from bankruptcy by mid-August, according to documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
In a sign that LAX is starting to rebound from the air travel slump caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Lufthansa resumed service between LAX and Munich.


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Toyota Denying the Rumors of Moving Jobs from California to Detroit.
Toyota Denying the Rumors of Moving Jobs from California to Detroit.The rumor has it that Toyota Motors may soon be moving some of its workforce out of California. The company was aiming for Kentucky and Michigan sites for the relocation.The move would place the departments closer to the company’s North American engineering and assembly sites.Bloomberg added that details of the proposed move will be ready over the next few months.Still, today Toyota released a statement refuting the claim that it would be moving any of its operations. The Japanese car manufacturer has no plans to relocate any of its departments from their current location. They claim that they will continue to find ways to further improve its efficiency.


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Local news stories affecting the auto body industry in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming
What was supposed to be a casual play date with a friend turned into a life-or-death situation in late December:
A West Seattle mom with two kids, trapped inside a burning car on a busy downtown street.
(Left to Right): Todd Hesford (of Mission Viejo Auto Collision), Adam Bock (sales leader, State Farm), Nancy Zavala (recipient) and son Zeke, Leonard Kaigler (VP Agency Sales, State Farm).
A local single mom determined to get her life back on track after recently living on the streets with her six-year-old son has been selected to receive a newly refurbished vehicle as part of Mission Viejo Auto Collision’s Recycled Rides Program.
Three new trucks sit in front of BudCo Custom Body and Paint of Kooskia. The business, owned by Bud Whitcomb, has allowed the company to expand services from small- to medium-sized vehicle tows to large trucks and logging vehicles.
One Kooskia, ID business aims to increase services while adding jobs in the community.
Daniel Lehmkuhl competing at WorldSkills London in 2011.
At the age of five, Daniel Lehmkuhl started working on cars with his father, who is an automotive instructor at San Luis Obispo High School.
Santa was a big hit with all of the children whose families received completely refurbished vehicles from Mike's Auto Body, complete with trunk loads of gifts and toys.
When Mike's Auto Body in northern California's East Bay gave away its first car back in 2000, did they ever imagine that it would become one of the largest Benevolence programs of its type run by a single family-operated body shop chain in the country? Without fail, Mike's Auto Body presents completely refurbished vehicles to deserving families and non-profit organizations from throughout the Bay Area, and this year, it marked its 16th straight year of involvement.
On January 5, City Attorney Mike Feuer took aim at two businesses alleged to have been involved in a catalytic converter theft ring.
On December 13, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones issued new Anti-Steering in Auto Body Repair regulations that increase consumer protections to prevent consumers from being misled or claims delayed when a collision-damaged vehicle needs to be repaired.
The grand opening at Service King's new 70,000 square foot shop in Milpitas, CA was attended by more than 200 people.
Service King Collision Repair Centers, together with automotive leaders from across Northern California, recently celebrated the grand opening of their new Milpitas location, which is one of the largest and most advanced collision repair facilities in the state.
The College of Alameda swept both first and second place awards at the 18th Annual and Final Toys for Tots/Model Truck Competition, where 130 people came out to support auto tech students from five Bay Area schools.
It is very hard for a team to win anything three years in a row.
The San Diego District Attorney's Office, along with 50 other California District Attorneys offices, announced a $9.86 million settlement against Missouri-based O’Reilly Auto Parts as part of a civil environmental prosecution alleging the company mishandled hazardous waste.
2016 Middlecott Sketchbattle Experiment Los Angeles winner, John Frye, receives his championship belt.
John Frye, a principal designer and digital modeling group leader for Honda R&D Americas, Inc., was named the winner of the Middlecott Sketchbattle Experiment™ Los Angeles, presented by BASF.


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Chevy’s Small Cars Are Beating Out the Competition
Who would have thought, just a few years ago, that some of the key players in Chevy’s lineup would be incredibly small? In fact, Chevy is one of two brands (the other is Scion) that sells both a subcompact and a minicar in the American marketplace—and Chevy does it well, too.
According to a report from Automotive News, Chevy managed to sell 34,130 Sparks in 2013, well past the prediction of 27,000 units. But the important thing to note here is that the Spark’s success isn’t hurting the Sonic. In fact, Sonic sales rose a total of 5 percent last year, even with the second-highest average transaction price of $17,585 in its segment, mostly because customers who are not interested in paying that much would have just gone with the Spark in the first place.
Road Trip Tips: Top Five Cities to Avoid Driving Through This Summer
But why are Chevy’s small cars selling so well? Because they’re appealing to their target demographic quite well, that’s why. Affordable and efficient cars laden with the latest technology (hello 7-inch touchscreen and Chevy MyLink, it’s nice to meet you)—just what the millennials ordered. In fact, one third of the buyers for both of Chevy’s small cars are 44 or younger.
To keep up with the competition, Chevy’s small cars are about to welcome in a third sibling: the 2015 Chevy Trax. This CUV is poised to do just as well as the Spark and the Sonic in the American market.
The Trax will be available next year.
All About Tech: Stop/Start Technology for 2015
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.


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Intralot to supply wagering solutions to the BCLC
Through the latest collaboration between the two companies, the operator will get access to Intralot’s innovative land-based sports wagering solutions, including its Orion interface and auxiliary management services.
BCLC will get two types of retail wagering machines distributed to its establishments, self-service terminals, and traditional ones. The latter will be available in the operator’s establishments immediately, while the former will get integrated in the near future. Through the machines, BCLC will be able to deliver both wagering and online lottery services to its patrons, further diversifying its offerings.
Moreover, this partnership will also introduce Intralot’s BYOD service, which will enable players to prepare wagering slips ahead of time before transferring their information to a terminal via a QR code.
In total, the collaboration will involve over 3400 traditional retail terminals and over 700 self-service ones across all of BCLC’s land-based wagering properties in British Columbia.
Intralot Board Chairman Nikos Nikolakopoulos commented:
“We are delighted to be able to expand our working relationship with the BCLC to include our sports wagering solutions. We are certain that local bettors will be quite fond of our retail betting services, and we are hoping to have a productive collaboration.”
This collaboration will further expand Intralot’s presence in the rapidly growing Canadian gambling market, allowing it to enhance its local operations.


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A forthcoming card available to the high-net-worth customers of UBS, the world's largest wealth manager, could set a lofty new standard in creating high-end experiences over and above the already cushy norm of personal concierges, spa trips and tee times at top-tier golf courses. In addition to the pro package, the UBS program includes such rarefied rewards as a trip to a vineyard to design your own wine.
A spokeswoman for UBS, which is issuing the card through Juniper Bank on both the American Express and Visa networks, declined to comment other than to say it would be launched in the next month.
Executives familiar with it say the card will come with a rewards program that's both highly customizable and so plush that those opportunities to golf with greats and create a vintage don't fall within even the highest tier of rewards.
Juniper, part of the Barclays Group, will issue an American Express charge card and a Visa Signature credit card with a consolidated rewards program that will take into account spending on both cards. The dual-card program for UBS Wealth Management USA clients was established because of complaints when rewards points are spread across cards.
Benefits of both
This kind of partnership "gets around the argument of what card you should carry," said Mary Pugh, director of marketing at Prime Resources Corp., Bridgeport, Conn. and a former executive at MasterCard. "It imbues the high-end qualities of American Express card and gives that to Visa and, meanwhile, you get that huge network of merchants that carry the card."
A 2004 court ruling opened the door for banks that issue Visa and MasterCard to also offer American Express. Now MBNA and Citigroup both issue cards with all three brands.
Since 1998, when Merrill Lynch first issued the Visa Signature card to take on American Express Platinum, then the gold standard in plastic, competition for the balances of the most affluent customers has been stiff.
In 1999, American Express fired back with its Centurian-or "black card"-exclusive enough that some of its holders complain that it's sometimes turned down. To be eligible, cardholders have to charge more than $150,000 a year and they pay a fee of $2,500. The terms of the new UBS offering were not immediately available.
As far as rewards go, air travel and catalog shopping has given way to private-jet travel and access to concierges that will do more than just book travel arrangements.
Black-card-holder Peter Shankman, an entrepreneur and CEO of PR firm Geek Factory, was traveling last year when his grandmother was hospitalized and she became depressed. He called his personal concierge and asked that something be sent to cheer her up.
The result? A 6-foot tall stuffed kangaroo that, Mr. Shankman said, lifted her mood and helped get her out of the hospital shortly thereafter.
"That's worth more than any reward," he said. "And it's worth every bit of the fee."


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Warzone Season 4 Map Isn't Going Down Well With Fans
Call of Duty fans are among the most demanding and difficult to please in pop culture, let alone the gaming space. So as you can imagine, the Warzone Season 4 map has rubbed its critics up the wrong way.
Over the years, fans have expected the AAA studios behind Call of Duty to cater directly to them and what they want to see out of the next shooter title. It's typical at this stage, and gamers have earned a pretty bad name for it. Whether it's Vanguard, Warzone, or the upcoming Modern Warfare 2, some think they know what's best for the gaming giant - and now they're getting angry all over again. Obviously.
What's New On The Warzone Season 4 Map?
Alongside the brand-new Fortune's Keep map that has been introduced to replace Rebirth Island (which you also aren't particularly gassed about), some minor changes have been made to the existing battle royale map in order to improve the Caldera experience for players.
The big sticking point of these changes is a 50% reduction of vegetation across Caldera, meaning that fewer players are able to simply squat in bushes and shoot out of them mostly undetected. Fans and influencers alike are delighted with the change, suggesting that this is a hugely sought-after switch-up.
But not everyone is so enthused. Pretend to be surprised. It's no secret that Caldera has hardly been the big hitter that something like Verdansk '84 was, and now that we know Warzone 2 is on the way, it seems some of you are just clinging on so you have something to play until Infinity Ward starts again.
What Have Fans Said About The Warzone Season 4 Map?
Though the changes have brought a lot of love Raven Software's way, there are still a lot of "fans" who have taken to the internet to express their disdain for the game, with some complaining that this change is too little, too late. Someone chuckled, "50% less vegetation! So maps going to be even less playable now, literally nothing to break line of sight."
Call of Duty will never please everyone, but it doesn't look like some Twitter users care. If there's a change in Warzone, there will be complainers. It's one of life's constants. Ultimately, it comes down to how much time the devs spent scrubbing out trees instead of fixing the myriad of glitches and hackers continue to swarm the map. Oh well, better luck next map.


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Following the announcement of a remaster of the original trilogy coming next year, BioWare announced that a brand new Mass Effect game is currently in development, in a surprise announcement for N7 day.
Not much is known about the next installment in BioWare’s epic space opera, but the studio says a team of veterans at the company is working on it. Do not expect the game to come out anytime soon as BioWare general manager Casey Hudson noted in a blog post that the game is in “early stages” of development and the studio cannot share any additional details at this time.
With the announcement of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and a new game confirmed to be in development, this is a nice win for fans of the series. Many wondered what would happen following the poor reception of the most recent title, Mass Effect: Andromeda, which struggled to gain the same traction from fans. A few months after Andromeda’s release, our sister site Polygon reported that the game was made in a year and a half and that production had reportedly restarted numerous times.


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Here is a collection of highlights from this week’s news stream as reported by HPCwire.
Memristor Technology Holds Intriguing Promise
HP Labs this week announced advances in memristor technology that could fundamentally change the design of computing. Memristors could be the key that enables computers to handle the ongoing information explosion, where data from a slew of devices, both explicit and embedded, threatens to overwhelm our current computing limits.
So what is a memristor? According to the HP Labs announcement, it’s “a resistor with memory that represents the fourth basic circuit.”
If you’re familiar with electronics, you will recognize the language. The trinity of fundamental components encompasses the resistor, the capacitor, and the inductor. In 1971, a University of California, Berkeley engineer, Leon Chua, predicted that there should be a fourth element: a memory resistor, or memristor. However, when memristors were first theorized 40 years ago, they were too big to be practical.
It was not until two years ago, in 2008, that researchers from HP Labs rediscovered Chu’s earlier work. With the reduction of transistor sizes, even more capabilities of the memristor were realized due to the way properties behave at nanoscale.
What makes the memristor different from other circuits is that when the voltage is turned off, it remembers its most recent resistance, and it retains this memory indefinitely until the voltage is turned on again. It would take many more paragraphs for a full explanation, but if you are interested, I suggest this easy-to-understand primer at IEEE Spectrum Web site.
One of the advantages of memristors is that they require less energy to operate, and are already being considered as a replacement to transistor-based flash memory.
Researchers predict that in five years, such chips, when stacked together, could be used to create handheld devices that offer ten times greater embedded memory than exists today, and could also be used to power supercomputers for digital rendering and genomic research applications at far greater speeds than Moore’s Law suggests is possible.
Memristors work more like human brains. In fact, Leon Chua explained that our “brains are made of memristors,” referring to the function of biological synapses.
And according to R. Stanley Williams, senior fellow and director of Information and Quantum Systems Lab at HP:
Memristive devices could change the standard paradigm of computing by enabling calculations to be performed in the chips where data is stored rather than in a specialized central processing unit. Thus, we anticipate the ability to make more compact and power-efficient computing systems well into the future, even after it is no longer possible to make transistors smaller via the traditional Moore’s Law approach.
The promises this technology offers sound almost to good to be true. If even half of what is promised holds true, than this will go down in history as one of the great breakthroughs in computer technology.
48-Core Intel Processor for Educational Purposes Only
Intel announced plans to ship “limited quantities” of computers with an experimental 48-core processor to researchers by the middle of the year. The 48-core processors will be shipped mainly to academic institutions, an Intel rep said during an event in New York on Wednesday. And while the chip will probably not become commercially available, certain features may make their way into future products.
The 48-core chip operates at about the clock speed of Atom-based chips, said Christopher Anderson, an engineer with Intel Labs. Intel’s latest Atom chips are power-efficient, are targeted at netbooks and small desktops, and run at clock speeds between 1.66GHz and 1.83GHz. The 48-core processor, built on a mesh architecture, could lead to a massive performance boost when all the chips communicate with each other, Anderson said.
The new processor reportedly has a power draw between 25-125 watts, and cores can be powered off to save energy or reduce clock speed. The chip touts better on-die power management capabilities than current multicore chips and comes with power-management software to help lower energy consumption depending on performance requirements.
During the Wednesday event, researchers demonstrated the processor’s advanced power management features. While running a financial application, sets of cores were deactivated and the power consumption went from 74 watts to 25 watts in under a second.
The new 48-core chip is based on the 80-core Teraflop prototype created in 2007 by Intel’s Tera-scale Computing Research Program. And that chip is a runner-up to the 48-core “Single-chip Cloud Computer” announced in December 2009, also a product of the Tera-scale Computing Research Program.
Those processors, however, were only prototypes and were never released into the wild. However, the 48-core chips announced this week are almost ready to leave the research nest, and will be released if not into the fierce corporate jungles at least into the relatively tamer academic habitat.


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Today, Hyundai will reveal the. While the debut of a new crossover SUV is never a trivial matter, we are particularly excited about the new Tucson. Because? Teaser photos confirm that he will wear a bold, futuristic design, the Vision T Concept that premiered last year. Honestly, it’s amazing to see the concept car design translate into the production car.
If the world wasn’t involved in thepandemic, we would probably see the 2022 Hyundai Tucson in person, but instead we will be offered a live streaming debut. That̵
If the outside appeals to you, the inside should be just as beautiful and forward-looking. Hyundai said there’s a 10.25-inch touchscreen housed in the center console, and a floating digital instrument cluster sits in front of the driver. The singlepreview a really simple and clean cockpit that we can’t wait to see more of.
Hyundai plans to go live at 8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT to show us its latest creation.


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The husband and wife behind popular Moseley pub The Prince of Wales have been named the UK’s best licensees.
The British Institute of Innkeeping Licensee of the Year Award for 2015 has been given to Keith and Diane Marsden, who rose above the rest for a series of innovations which judges said created a unique atmosphere.
The Moseley village pub, which is known for its large beer garden, boasts a cocktail bar, alongside cigar and wine sheds.
Mr Marsden told the Post: “It is not bad for a small pub from suburban Birmingham taking on the creme de la creme of the British pub industry.
“It is pretty simple really – we have got a great team and we sell some great stuff.
It is second time lucky for Mr and Mrs Marsden, who made it to the semi-finals of the coveted awards in 2014.
The couple, who have worked in the industry for ten years, have run the Spirit Lease pub since 2007.
Mr Marsden, whose background is in advertising, said innovation was central to the pair’s approach to the pub.
He explained: “Running a pub these days is tough. There are 10 or 11 in Moseley alone, so there is a lot of competition – you have to be different.
“People aren’t just going to come when you can buy cheap beer from Tesco and stay at home – you have to give them a reason. That comes down to great service, a great atmosphere and great products.
“Like any business, we have to constantly innovate. It doesn’t matter if you are running JLR or a pub, you have to keep creating new experiences for your customers.”
Sue Allen, director of the British Institute of Innkeeping, said: “There was an excellent standard of finalists this year, but Keith and Diane really went the extra mile. With innovative ideas, together with their sheer passion for our industry and their huge focus on their people, the couple really stood out from the crowd.”


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Nestle S.A, Switzerland, the parent company of Nestle Nigeria Plc and the majority shareholder of the company, has increased its stake in the Nigerian subsidiary, as it purchased about 748,047 additional shares in August.
This was disclosed by the company in a notification sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, which is seen by Nairametrics.
This disclosure is a regulatory requirement which must be reported to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, especially when a major shareholder or director of a publicly quoted company purchases shares in the company they own.
The analysis of this development shows that the purchase consideration for the 748,047 additional shares at an average price of N1,174.74 is put at N878.8 million.
Importantly, this purchase increases the ownership percentage of Nestle S.A, this adds significantly to the multinational’s investment in the company as the parent company now owns 66.27% of Nestle Nigeria Plc.
The 66.27% ownership share of Nestle S.A. total amounts to 525, 307, 504 ordinary shares worth N617 billion out of the 792, 656, 252 shares outstanding.
Meanwhile, insiders’ transactions both sales and purchases are often an indication of how shareholders perceive the company’s valuation. It could also mean a possible capital raise or the majority shareholders strengthening their existing holdings.
About the company
Nestlé Nigeria PLC is one of the largest food and beverage companies in Africa. Nestlé Nigeria Plc engages in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of food products including purified water. It also exports some of its products to other countries within Africa.
It has three product segments: Food, Beverages and seasoning. The Food segment engages in the production and sale of Cerelac, Nutrend, Nan, Lactogen and Golden Morn. The Beverages segment engages in the production and sale of Milo, Chocomilo, Nido, Nescafe and Nestlé Pure Life. While the seasoning segment engages in the sale of Maggi cubes.
Key takes on Nestle financials
Nairametrics had earlier published after perusing through the company’s half-year unaudited financial report that the increase in the cost of sales, Administrative expenses, low finance income coupled with high costs coloured the bottom line of the company as earnings per share dipped from N33.11 to N27.53.
This shows the knock-on-effect of the pandemic on a giant like Nestle, despite grappling hard to keep revenues flat year on year, the increase in key costs still ebbed earnings.
Unilever earmarks N62 million as remuneration to its Non-Executive Directors in 2021
Unilever Nigeria has fixed its remuneration to the Non-executive Directors of the company in 2021 at N62 million.
One of Nigeria’s leading FMCG companies, Unilever Nigeria Plc, is set to pay out a total of N62 million as remuneration to its Non-Executive Directors for the year ended December 31, 2021.
This disclosure was made by the leading consumer goods company as one of the key resolutions that would be considered and passed at the Company’s ninety-sixth (96th) Annual General Meeting, which will hold on Thursday 6 May 2021 at 10.00 am.
The famed manufacturer of Sunlight detergent also revealed that in addition to the N62 million remuneration, sitting allowances will be paid at standard agreed rates for each meeting attended and the Chairman of the company will be entitled to a vehicle allowance of N12 million gross per annum.
Short-term benefits paid by Unilever in 2020 to its Directors
Despite the fact that Unilever Nigeria Plc has not paid its shareholders dividends for about two years now, the FMCG company paid out short-term benefits of about N511 million and N73 million to its Executive and Non-Executive Directors in 2020 respectively, compared to a sum of N590 million and N59 million it paid out in 2019 respectively. The members of the leadership team, excluding the Executive Directors of the company, were paid a total of N867 million short term benefits in 2020, down from the N1.04 billion they received in 2019.
On the flip side, the total payout as wages and salaries to the company’s employee in 2020 was N5.05 billion, this is down from the N5.99 billion which the company paid out in 2019.
In case you missed it
According to a recent result by Unilever Nigeria Plc, the company made a loss of about N492 million in the first quarter of 2021. This figure is 144.1% lower when compared to the profit of N1.114 billion made by the company in the corresponding quarter of 2020.
Unilever’s revenue however surged by 45.7% during the quarter. However, the growth in the cost of sales, and the huge 63.3% increase in marketing and administrative expenses pressured the profits down to a loss of N492 million in the first quarter of 2021.
What you should know
- Shares of Unilever Nigeria Plc are currently valued at N12.95 per share, placing the YTD loss in the shares of the company at -6.83%.
- Unilever Nigeria Plc is the sixth most valuable consumer goods company listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, with a robust market valuation put at N74.4 billion, higher than Guinness Nigeria Plc, NASCON Allied Industries Plc and PZ Cussons.
- The shares of the top FMCG brand is trading 23.8% lower than its 52-week high price of N17, and 23.3% higher than its 52 week low of N10.5.
COVID-19, VAT, FX scarcity adversely impacted our operations in 2020 – Nigerian Breweries boss says
NB Plc’s operations in 2020 were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, VAT increase and FX devaluation.
The management of Nigeria’s leading brewer, Nigerian Breweries Plc has revealed that its operations in 2020 were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, VAT increase, FX devaluation and scarcity of foreign exchange.
This statement was made by the Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Mr Jordi Borrut Bel, at the company’s pre-AGM media briefing for the financial year-end 2020, which held in Lagos this week.
He noted that the increase in the brewer’s cost in 2020 was due to the COVID-19 pandemic which disrupted the company’s operations, as well as the increase in VAT, devaluation and FX scarcity which has put pressure on input cost.
The Nigerian Breweries boss explained further that the increase in cost could not be fully attributed to currency devaluation and foreign exchange scarcity.
He explained that the increase in costs of goods sold, as reported in its audited financial results, could also be linked to the increase in the volume of goods sold, as the company’s sales volume in 2020 increased by almost the same percentage as the cost of goods sold.
To deal with this challenge going forward, he revealed that the company is focused on the supply chain, and will continue to seek out ways to mitigate any of the price increases coming from FX scarcity.
The company’s profitability in question?
An analysis of the company’s result revealed that despite the 4.3% increase in net revenue from N323.00 billion recorded in 2019, to a total of N337.01 billion in 2020, the company’s profit declined significantly by 53.3% to N7.53 billion.
Speaking on this, Jordi Borrut in his statement at the press briefing noted that the brewer’s business performance in 2020 was quite impressive especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession. Despite these challenges, the company maintained a strong and healthy balance sheet.
“There was a slight reduction in profitability but compared to the previous year, the business witnessed an improved growth in revenue. The significance of this is that the business became more stable and healthier,” he said.
What you should know
- Nigerian breweries, being the largest brewer in the country, maintained its stance in terms of generating profits year-on-year. The company emerged as the only brewer to record a profit of N7.37 billion from its operations in 2020, 54.3% lower than 2019 figures (N16.1 billion).
- From this, the leading brewer was able to pay shareholders a total dividend of N7.5 billion, translating to a dividend of 94 kobos per share – a dividend payout in which exceeds 100%.
- While Guinness and International Breweries made a loss of N12.6 billion and N24.9 billion respectively, this reality impacted their ability to pay their shareholders dividends in 2020.
Nairametrics | Company Earnings
Access our Live Feed portal for the latest company earnings as they drop.
- 2020 FY Results: Guinea Insurance Plc reports a loss of N227.7 million.
- 2020 FY Results: Unity Bank Plc posts profit after tax of N2.09 billion.
- Guinea Insurance Plc reports a loss of N142.13 million in 9M 2020.
- Unilever Nigeria Plc set to hold Annual General Meeting on 6th of May.
- UBA Plc posts profit after tax of N38.16 billion in Q1 2021.


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Business confidence is growing with two fifths saying they will expand and nearly a third planning to hire new staff, according RSM Tenon’s “business barometer”.
By James Moore
The accountancy firm also said that three in five business owners felt confident about the potential opportunities for their business over the next three months - a rise of 13 per cent from the previous six months.
The Business Barometer, questioned over 300 business owners throughout the UK at the end of January 2010.
While 47 per cent do not plan to make any changes in the next 12 months, against 39 per cent planning expansion, just 11 per cent expect to cut back.
Nationally, 43 per cent of entrepreneurs expect demand for their services or goods to increase over the next three months - an increase of 12 per cent over the previous six months.
At the same time, 21 per cent plan to increase the price of their goods or services over the next three months while only 8 per cent think they will have to cut prices.
Andy Raynor, Chief Executive of RSM Tenon, said: “We believe that business leaders have made a key contribution to the fragile recovery we have witnessed to date.
"Active investment into businesses is a key indicator of confidence and our barometer shows planned spending has been steadily growing over the last nine months. This survey suggests a brighter than expected outlook."
The survey was carried out by YouGov.Reuse content


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"Despicable" fraudsters tricked a vulnerable pensioner into handing her card over to a "courier" before attempts to spend almost £10,000 with it were made. The 88-year-old woman, from Wrexham, was sent a text message about a pending transaction, purporting to be from HSBC, a court heard on Friday.
Ion Ghinea, 40, of Redbrook Street, Liverpool, was jailed for 14 months at Mold Crown Court for his involvement in the "sophisticated" scam. The court heard the pensioner had called a phone number to discuss the supposed transaction, listened to music while she was on hold, but gave her address after being asked security questions by a scammer.
Prosecutor Emmalyne Downing said the victim was informed her bank card had been “blocked”. But she was tricked into handing over the card and PIN to a man who soon turned up at her home in the Wrexham area to collect it.
“She then received a text saying the card would be disposed of,” said Miss Downing. However, the victim’s card was used successfully in a £4,817 spree, with an attempt to spend almost £10,000.
The lost sum had been reimbursed by the credit card company. Ghinea, originally from Romania, was traced through shop CCTV footage.
He admitted conspiracy to defraud. Judge Niclas Parry told him: ”You were part of a sophisticated fraud targeting a vulnerable person. "This was a despicable offence.”
Andrew Green, defending, said there was “deep remorse.” The defendant’s family had relied on food banks at the time. He’d been approached by someone who offered him a modest amount of money to commit the offence.
“He’s sorry and ashamed for what he has done,” counsel added.


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Michelin and Goodyear Dunlop Chosen for Pan-Govt Supply Agreement
Michelin, with its service partner ATS Euromaster, has been appointed as one of two suppliers of tyres and associated services in a three-year framework agreement for a pan-government tyre sourcing initiative led by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA), in conjunction with the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). The other supplier is understood to be Goodyear Dunlop who will service the agreement through its HiQ and Truck Force retail networks. According to sources close to the arrangement, the contract is divided equally between the two suppliers.
Available to all Public Sector Organisations (PSOs) across the UK – encompassing a combined vehicle parc of more than 300,000 vehicles, ranging from cars and motorbikes to vans, trucks and earthmovers – the deal represents the largest tyre framework agreement of its type ever established in the UK. It also includes the option of a 12 month extension until January 2011 and is estimated to be worth tens of millions of pounds.
The agreement has been set up to deliver significant efficiencies as a result of combined volumes, additional leverage and collaborative working between central government departments and wider public bodies nationwide.
The contract will see a complete range of Michelin Group brands fitted, including Michelin, BFGoodrich and Kleber tyres, together with Remix remould truck tyres. The contract will be serviced through nationwide distributor ATS Euromaster, also part of the Michelin Group, which has 490 service centres across the country and a fleet of 1,200 mobile service vans.
Steve Newton, Procurement Manager in the OGC Fleet Commodity Team, explains: “We are very pleased to be awarding this framework, as part of our strategic approach to management of the fleet category on behalf of the public sector. Collaborative deals like this are key to the Government’s strategy for delivering best value for money for the taxpayer.
“This tyre framework agreement has the potential to change the way every PSO views tyre expenditure, with benefits ranging from combined group purchasing strength to cost efficiencies for individual organisations by avoiding time-consuming duplicate procurement processes. This new framework agreement gives all PSOs access to framework suppliers which have been selected following a comprehensive evaluation of their product quality, service quality, value for money and environmental credentials,” he adds.
The new framework agreement is open to all PSOs across the UK, including the Environment Agency, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, British Fire and Rescue Services, Ambulance Trusts, Her Majesty’s Prison Service and more than 600 local authorities.
As part of the framework agreement, all cars and light commercial vehicles visiting ATS Euromaster centres will benefit from the option of a free, no obligation, ten-point health check covering tyre tread depth, tyre condition, tyre pressure, primary brake inspection, battery, exhaust, shock absorbers, oil, lights and windscreen wipers and screen-wash levels.
Michelin was selected as an approved supplier following an extensive 12-month tendering period. Throughout the process the OGC worked closely with NHS PASA, which was identified as the lead authority as work had already commenced on its own framework agreement, ensuring it had the capacity and expertise to guide the project.


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Articles By Industry Articles
Bell Inc. will open its first eastern-U.S. facility in Central Ohio and create 275 new jobs, generating $9.2 million in new annual payroll. The Sioux Falls, SD-based company will invest $30 million in a 165,000-square-foot paperboard carton manufacturing facility in the Columbus area.
Looking to meet one-on-one with economic developers from across North America to discuss your specific location needs? LiveXchange 2016 is the premier event for corporate site selectors. Find out more!
Tile and ceramics company Wonderful Group will invest $150 million and create 220 new jobs in Lebanon, TN, the largest-ever capital investment made in the state by a Chinese company.
Eli Lilly and Company will expand its global R&D headquarters in Indianapolis, IN, adding 130,000 square feet to the company’s existing complex.
Orgill, Inc. will invest $15 million to build a new 100,000-square-foot world headquarters facility in east Shelby County, TN, creating 115 new jobs.
Ohio-based GE Aviation will invest $200 million to build a pair of plants in Huntsville that will produce silicon carbide materials used to make ultra-lightweight ceramic matrix composite components for jet engines.
Geoengineering will be a growth sector in the age of climate change. The latest global warming “miracle cure” for the big CO2 problem is a new technology said to be able to extract carbon from the air and condense it into fibers that could be used as building materials or to produce components for electronics, cars, clothing and other manufactured goods.
Two years later than the original plan, the $5.25-billion expansion of the Panama Canal is set to be completed in April, dramatically altering the global shipping paradigm.
SaarGummi Tennessee, Inc. will expand its manufacturing operations in Pulaski, TN by purchasing additional finishing equipment, improving existing infrastructure and creating more than 150 new jobs over the next five years.
Mobile-based freight brokering for trucking can reduce empty miles travelled, lower operating costs, and improve asset utilization and productivity, finds Frost & Sullivan.


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Fox advertiser: Fox viewers are ‘f-ing idiots’
The CEO of SCOTTeVEST recently claimed that his company advertises on Fox News because the network’s viewers are “extremely gullible” and “f**cking idiots.”
Scott Jordan, whose company sells a vest which features multiple inside pockets designed to carry items such as a phone, tablet, water bottle and more, posted his derogatory comments on Facebook, Breitbart News reported.
“I love meeting new people that recognize me and my company from all of our television commercials,” Jordan wrote. “I am on a ski lift and the following exchange just happened and happens often.”
Jordan wrote that he asks the person where they saw his advertisement. “Invariably people say FOXNews.”
“I laugh to myself,” Jordan wrote, “and tell them that we primarily advertise on Fox because we find their viewership to be extremely gullible and much easier to sell than other networks.”
Jordan then mocks his potential customers. “The look on their face at that time is priceless. I am not kidding you. I get to tell them they are fucking idiots while getting rich off them.”
In response to Jordan’s post, SCOTTeVest released a statement calling his remarks “offensive and inexcusable.”
“The recent offensive and inexcusable social media post by Scott Jordan does not reflect the views of SCOTTeVEST. In 2017, Mr. Jordan stepped down from the management of SCOTTeVEST and he is not involved in our daily operations,” the statement read. “We are extremely sorry for his unacceptable comments. Mr. Jordan’s post was impulsive and inappropriate for too many reasons to list, and rightfully offended so many people. We strongly disagree with the views expressed by Mr. Jordan.”
Jordan has since deleted his Facebook and Twitter accounts.
On Friday, Jordan published an apology on Medium.
“I am profoundly sorry for my horrible and offensive remarks,” Jordan wrote. “This past Sunday, I posted on my personal Facebook page an incredibly rude and inaccurate statement about SCOTTeVEST’s TV advertising on Fox News. On Monday, I removed the offensive post and posted an apology on Facebook. I have since deactivated my Facebook account and the apology is no longer available, so I am writing it here. To those that I called gullible and idiotic, I am truly sorry.”
Jordan also apologized to the people at SCOTTeVest.
Medium commenters were apparently not swayed by Jordan’s apology.
One commenter noted that, while insulting viewers of Fox News, Jordan was also denigrating his own product. “[A]pparently he’s saying that you have to be ‘gullible’ (i.e. a sucker) to buy his product. Like they’re not worth it. How stupid is he? He’s seriously damaged the company’s reputation.”
Another wrote, “To me the mistake wasn’t in saying what you felt about customers but actually feeling that about customers.”
“You’re only sorry you got caught,” wrote another commenter. “The company can remove you without paying you a dime or you’ll see the hashtag calling for your companies [sic] boycott start trending on Monday.”
A spokesman for SCOTTeVest said that Jordan is CEO “in name only.”
Trending on DML News
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Disneyland Resort in California is getting hit with a class-action lawsuit filed by workers of the park, alleging that they are not being paid a living wage, as dictated by local tax laws according to LA Business Journal.
- Filed in Orange County Superior Court, the lawsuit alleges that the Disneyland Resort has violated “Measure L,” a measure that took effect January 1st, 2019, which requires hospitality businesses in Anaheim’s resort district that are benefiting from a city subsidy pay workers a minimum of $15 an hour
- The lawsuit states that Disneyland is benefiting from a city subsidy since Anaheim is using tax dollars, most of which come from Disney’s $35 million in revenue from the parking garage (and some from bed taxes throughout Anaheim) to pay off construction bonds for a six-story parking garage at the resort. After the 40-year bond has been paid off, the city has agreed to transfer ownership of the garage to the Disneyland Resort
- Officials from the city of Anaheim as well as Disney have argued that their agreement that dates back to 1996 to build the garage does not actually fit the definition of a subsidy because it doesn’t return any of the taxes directly back to the Disneyland Resort.
- Unite Here Local 11, which represents workers across the Disneyland Resort, has argued that the financing deal for the garage actually does fit the description of a city subsidy.
- Disney had an agreement with Anaheim that allowed it to be reimbursed $267 million in hotel taxes if it went through with construction of a luxury hotel at the resort. In another deal, the city of Anaheim agreed not to adopt any entertainment taxes for 30 years as long as Disney agreed to invest one billion dollars into the resort. Months before Measure L’s approval by voters in November 2018, Anaheim City Council voted to end the two tax-subsidy deals.
- Measure L also says that every January 1st until 2022, there must be an increase in wages by 1.00 until wages reach 18.00 an hour, when annual raises would be attached to cost of living increases.
- The class-action lawsuit also names various subcontractors of the Disneyland Resort, including Sodexo and Sodexomagic who operate restaurants and coffee shops around the resort.
- The lawsuit was filed by 5 different employees, one from a Starbucks operated by Sodexo, a bellhop, a makeup artist, a cashier, and an event server, who along with 400 current and former employees who can collectively be owed millions of dollars in back-pay if the this is approved as a class-action lawsuit.
What They’re Saying:
- Disneyland spokeswoman Liz Jaeger in a statement to the L.A. Times: “We have yet to see the lawsuit, but the union coalition is well aware that the [Anaheim] city attorney has previously looked at the issue and clearly stated that Measure L does not apply to the Disneyland Resort.”


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During yesterday’s QuakeCon at Home 2021 live stream, Bethesda revealed that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will get a new release to celebrate the iconic RPG’s tenth anniversary.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One – plus PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S via back compat – on November 11, 2021.
As you might expect, the new edition is packed with a host of upgrades and bonuses. The release includes every visual and technical enhancement from 2016’s Special Edition, plus the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn content expansions.
The best news is that more than 500 Creation Club elements – featuring quests, dungeons, bosses, weapons, and spells – will also be included.
No, wait. The actual best news is that Skyrim is also getting a fishing minigame as a free upgrade for all players. (You can catch a glimpse of a Pogfish around three minutes into the video below.)
Owners of the Special Edition will be able to upgrade to the Anniversary Edition for an as-yet-unannounced price. PS5 and Xbox Series X|S owners can also look forward to a next-gen update at a later date.


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Search Result For
Result(s) found: 274
Fashion & nature forging new harmony
Fulgar, Italy’s leading international producer of man-made fibres, is once again working side by side with Eco-designer Tiziano Guardini with its green EVO® and Q-NOVA® products.
R|Elan™ Millennial Maharanis collection unveiled
The R|Elan Millenial Maharanis collection, the outcome of a collaboration between the new age fabric R|Elan and one of India’s leading designers, Nachiket Barve, was showcased at a glittering event - Source India 2018, in Surat very recently.
Invista to build ADN facility in China by 2023
Kyle Redinger, VP of Invista Intermediates, Asia Pacific, and 2017 Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award winner, has accepted a newly-created role dedicated to meeting China’s long-term needs for ADN through capital investments, asset development and commercial arrangements.
Thai Acrylic Fibre launches Radianza fibre
Thai Acrylic Fibre (TAF), a leading manufacturer of acrylic fibres and owner of the Birlacril brand, has launched a unique solution to the challenges of strict environmental laws imposed on the textile industry with its Radianza acrylic fibre.
LENZING redefined as speciality industrial brand
The Lenzing Group (Lenzing at Techtextil Atlanta, on May 22, 2018, introduced LENZING as the specialty industrial brand, which provides smart solutions from botanic origins that are made in environmentally sound production processes.
Lenzing to invest €100 mn in sustainable technologies
The Lenzing Group is expanding its environmental leadership commitment. As a leader in wood-based cellulosic fibres, the Austria-based company is continuing its ambitious roadmap towards sustainability in textile and nonwovens industries, by investing more than €100 million in sustainable manufacturing technologies and production facilities until 2022.
Archroma’s acquisition of M Dohmen complete
Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today announced it has acquired all remaining minority shares in M Dohmen SA, an international group specialising in the production of textile dyes and chemicals for the automotive, carpet and apparel sectors.


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OMG Dramafever Just Shut Down :(
There was no warning, just this morning the website closed :( With the closure of DramaFever, about 20% of the unit’s 110 employees (or around 22) will be laid off.
According to a source familiar with DramaFever, licensing costs for U.S. distribution commanded by top K-dramas have rapidly increased in recent years, bid up by larger players like Netflix and Amazon — making the genre-focused over-the-top video business unsustainable. A show that used to cost $800,000 to license for streaming now goes for around $1 million per season, according to the source. I can't remember the last time I watched a K drama, but back in the day I love them so much and dramafever was the site I watched the most. So sad to see them go and hoping the people who lost their jobs are okay :(


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Apr 5, 2013 While some are calling Facebook's big announcement on Thursday 'the fanciest screensaver anyone's ever seen,' Farhad Manjoo at Slate Magazine thinks 'Home' will work for a lot of people, including teens.
Stacey Vanek Smith
Apr 4, 2013 Every purchase, online web search and even cellphone call generates data that companies hope to use to boost sales. But storing all that data is becoming a big expense, and it has spawned a multibillion-dollar industry.
Apr 4, 2013 Facebook reveals a way to turn your phone into a direct extension of your Facebook account.
Apr 2, 2013 Lindsey Turrentine, editor-in-chief of CNET Reviews joins Marketplace Tech host David Brancaccio to discuss what a Facebook smartphone would look like and why it might sell.
Apr 1, 2013 In the digital world, an Easter egg is a hidden message snuck into a computer program, video game, or website where it shouldn’t be.
Mar 28, 2013 Does Uber properly share the bounty with drivers and does it operate in accordance with rules that govern taxis and limos in various cities?
Mar 25, 2013 Apple's purchase of an indoor mapping startup shows the competition for technology to help people navigate inside airports and stores -- as well as let marketers track consumers more closely.
Mar 20, 2013 For years, Oracle's business has been selling big, expensive computers to hold all your data. The cloud has upended that business model and Oracle's latest profit report could tell us if the company is adjusting.


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George Karafotias, the CEO of Wellnex Life, expressed excitement in entering the rapidly growing cannabis industry which has seen an increase in consumer demand and recognition of the legitimacy of
The German government is advancing a revised proposal for legalizing cannabis, which aims to safeguard the health and well-being of youth.
Despite medicinal cannabis being legalized in Australia for seven years, discussions regarding its usage, effectiveness, accessibility, and expense persist.
With aspirations to win a position in the upper house of New South Wales, the Legalise Cannabis Party is transforming from an inactive group to a potential advocate for altering
Read this article by Popsugar on some CBD beauty products that are currently available for purchase in Australia.
Cann Group experienced more than a twofold increase in losses during the first half of the 2023 fiscal year as a result of notable rises in administrative, corporate, and research


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Most don’t see Walmart as a family business in the traditional sense, but it is, and it’s going to stay that way. At Friday’s annual shareholders meeting at Bud Walton Arena at the University of Arkansas, Walmart announced that Chairman Rob Walton is stepping down and will be succeeded by Greg Penner, who is his son-in-law. Walton is the son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, while Penner has been serving as the company’s Vice Chairman.
Rob Walton had been under a great deal of pressure as of late from labor groups to name a successor with no association with the founding family. Those demands from labor groups are related to Walmart’s involvement in a bribery scandal in Mexico. However, Walton did not succumb to pressure, and decided to keep the business in the hands of a family member, albeit one who married into the Walton family.
Penner will be just the third Chairman in Walmart’s 53-year history. Walton has held that position since 1992 when he took over for his father after his passing. He will continue to serve as director, while Jim Walton will continue to serve as a member of Walmart’s board of directors. As for Penner, he has previous experience as the senior vice president of finance and strategy for Walmart.com and as the chief financial officer of Walmart’s Japanese operations. He’s been on the company’s board since 2008 and been its chairman of technology and e-commerce since 2011.
Walton says that Penner brings to the role of Chairman, “an ideal blend of finance, technology, and international business – as well as a deep knowledge and love of Walmart.” Walmart’s chief executive officer, Doug McMillon, echoed those feelings, saying that Penner’s experience will help Walmart “move into the future.”
However, Penner, who officially took the reigns at the end of Friday’s stockholders meeting, does face several challenges, as Wal-Mart battles competition both foreign and domestic, in addition to the company’s stock price being down roughly 15% for the year.


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As the Canadian federal government gears up to implement its new anti-slavery legislation, a recent KPMG survey reveals that 62% of Alberta businesses are anxious about meeting the required reporting timelines.
The law, titled “Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act”, is set to take effect on January 1, 2024. Under its provisions, both public and select private companies must assess working conditions in their supply chains and provide an initial report on their efforts to eradicate forced and child labour practices by May 31, 2024.
Thereafter, annual progress reports will be mandatory.
Jana Hanova, a Calgary-based Global Infrastructure Advisory partner in ESG at KPMG in Canada, noted the impending legislation has added an urgency for businesses to scrutinize their supply chains. “The new modern slavery law requires companies to identify potential forced and child labour risks and act accordingly,” Hanova said.
Although Alberta companies are making strides to identify and rectify gaps in their supply chain management, they remain the most concerned about adhering to the forthcoming reporting schedules.
From the survey’s key findings:
- 62% of the 78 Alberta companies surveyed expressed apprehensions about the May 2024 deadline. In comparison, this figure stands at 58% for the 700 SMBs surveyed nationwide.
- 75% of these businesses already have strategies in place to counteract modern slavery in their extended supply chains, as opposed to 59% on a national level.
- 50% are concerned about managing risks of forced and child labour throughout their entire supply chain, slightly below the national average of 54%.
- 53% fear potential exposure in their supply chain that could lead to consumer backlash or financial penalties, a sentiment mirrored nationally.
Despite these concerns, Hanova emphasized the significance of understanding how these disclosures on modern slavery integrate into a company’s broader supply chain and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy. She added, “With a growing understanding of ESG risks, companies are now more proactive in tracing their source materials, strengthening the resilience of their value chains, and making sustainability-centric decisions, which will be beneficial in the long run.”
The survey, which ran from August 30 to September 25, 2023, targeted business owners or executive-level decision-makers from 700 small and medium-sized Canadian firms. Notably, 82% of these companies are privately held, with 18% being publicly traded.


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Seven months after Fitbit recalled all of its Ionic smartwatches in March, many customers say they have still not received compensation for the potentially defective product.
Fitbit sold about 1 million Ionic watches in the US, in addition to nearly 700,000 internationally before ceasing production in 2020, with the company reportedly planning to release an updated version in the future. Still, consumers continued to use the product and a small percentage of users began to complain that the battery was overheating. That prompted Fitbit to recall all of its Ionic devices due to a potential fire hazard. Fitbit had received at least 115 reports of the watch’s battery overheating in the US. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 78 people in the US reported burns, 2 reported third-degree burns, and 4 reported second-degree burns. Internationally, 59 people reported that the watch had overheated and 40 reported burns.
In the recall notice, the agency said customers should immediately stop using the watch and contact Fitbit to return the device. After returning the device, Fitbit – what was acquired by Google—said consumers would get a $299 refund and a coupon code for 40% off select Fitbit products. After registering for the refund and verifying their account, Fitbit said the money would be spent in three to six weeks, according to an email viewed by londonbusinessblog.com.
It is impossible to say exactly how many customers have still not received their promised payments. But the topic has become a recurring theme on Fitbit’s community council and social media, where consumers complain about customer service every day. “This whole process has been ridiculous from the start,” said one user on the company’s board. “The longer it takes, the less likely I’ll ever buy from them again,” wrote another.
Eva Lantsoght, a Fitbit customer living in Ecuador, wanted to be strategic in starting the return process for her Ionic. Lantsoght waited until June when she made a long journey to the Netherlands to return and replace her device.
While in the Netherlands, Lantsoght deactivated the Ionic she bought before the pandemic, ordered a new device with the discount code provided by Fitbit, and filled out the necessary information for a refund. Fitbit gave a generic message that it would take three to six weeks. When six weeks passed without any information, Lantsoght contacted the company. The company said it had many requests and it could take a little longer.
Lantsoght has since returned to Ecuador and still has not received the discount. “I especially want to know what to expect. If they tell me now, ‘We are really overwhelmed, it will take three months’, I’ll take that; and then I’ll continue in three months’, she says.
A Fitbit spokesperson says: londonbusinessblog.com that the company has received a large sum of false refund registrations, causing a time-consuming backlog of refund requests.
“We apologize to customers affected by delays in device refunds. Unexpected issues affect our ability to process customer refunds as quickly as we would like. We continue to work to make the process as easy as possible for our users and have added dedicated service agents to validate and process claims faster,” the spokesperson said.
Other customers say: londonbusinessblog.com they’ve experienced equally long wait times with little guidance from Fitbit. “I called them three to four times, jumping from call center to call center,” said another via Twitter DMs.
Product recalls are a common occurrence for both new and existing goods. When something is recalled, companies often have to bear the cost of replacing or refunding those with affected goods. Therefore, recalls can lead to millions or billions of dollars in losses. It’s not clear how much Fitbit is putting into these efforts. Fitbit, of course, has one of the largest lenders to shoulder those costs: Google closed its acquisition of Fitbit last year for $2.1 billion.
But product recalls can also lead to dissatisfaction with the company and its products. After Fitbit recalled the Ionic devices, two women filed a lawsuit in California federal court said many of the company’s smartwatches were prone to overheating and burning their users. Within that same lawsuit, the complaint also refers to the company’s recall process, saying, “It’s just a facade to show that Defendant is ‘doing the right thing,’ but in fact the recall only protects Defendant’s profits by suppressing refunds by using methods and techniques that make it difficult for consumers to obtain compensation for their defective watches.”
Fitbit declined to comment on the suit.


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Expensive hair dryer taken from beauty store
A Dyson Airwrap hair styler system valued at $600 was stolen from the Bloomfield Township Ulta store by a woman who walked in, removed the security tag and took it out of the store on Friday, November 10.
Employees at Ulta Beauty, 2161 Telegraph Road, contacted Bloomfield Township police to report that around 4:30 p.m., an unknown white female who was between the ages of 18 and 26 years of age, about five-feet, six-inches tall, with brown hair, had selected a Dyson Airwrap from a shelf. The hair styling system retails at the store for $599.99. They saw her remove the security tag from the Dyson and then walk out of the store with it.
Bloomfield Township police reported the case is currently under investigation by the Bloomfield Township Investigations Unit, and they are asking anyone with information to contact the Bloomfield Township Police Department at 248.433.7755.


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The rise in worldwide subscribers on 4G LTE has far exceeded expectations. In just three years since its nascent beginnings, the mobile technology has skyrocketed -- going from 600,000 users in 2010 to nearly 100 million subscribers in 2012.
Now, in a new report, market research firm IHS iSuppli is projecting that global users will double in 2013 and that by 2016 LTE will claim more than 1 billion subscribers.
"With LTE emerging as a true global technology standard, its ecosystem now faces both challenges and opportunities," iSuppli's senior analyst for wireless communications, Wayne Lam, said … Read more
The Overland Park, Kan., company listed Paris, Texas; Branson, Mo.; Oxford, Miss.; and other smaller cities in its latest update. It didn't specify what "coming months" means, but as CNET has reported, that could be as much as six months.
Sprint has been playing catch-up in terms of 4G LTE, lagging far behind rivals Verizon Wireless and AT&T. It earlier made a bet on … Read more
Prepaid carrier MetroPCS is rolling out a new line of wireless plans that it's dubbing "simpler" 4G LTE plans. All three plans offer unlimited data and are available on several of the smartphones MetroPCS offers.
The cheapest plan is $40 per month and includes unlimited data with the first 500MB of data running at 4G LTE speeds. The next unlimited data plan is $50 per month and the first 2.5GB of data runs on 4G LTE. And the final $60 per month plan offers complete unlimited data at 4G LTE speeds. All three plans include unlimited … Read more
T-mobile CEO John Legere delivered quite the show at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Not only did he unveil plans for the carrier's own 4G LTE network; Legere also derided rival AT&T's wireless network in New York City as "crap."
Attending the press conference in Las Vegas, CNET's Roger Cheng documented the spectacle via Twitter, noting that T-Mobile's CEO seems determined to revamp the reputation of the carrier.
"If you thought T-Mobile went away, think again," Legare said. As it tries to bring back the "cool" … Read more
T-Mobile USA said today that it had enhanced its coverage in several cities, allowing unlocked iPhones to tap into the network's highest speeds.
The carrier said it has built out its HSPA+ network in four cities -- Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, and Virginia Beach, Va. -- utilizing the 1900MHz spectrum. That's important because the iPhone is compatible with 1900MHz, but not the other frequencies that T-Mobile uses.
In total, T-Mobile's 1900MHz footprint covers 46 metro area and about 126 million people.
T-Mobile also fast-tracked the carrier's 4G LTE plans and plans to cover 100 million … Read more
Research In Motion and InterDigital have extended an existing patent licensing agreement to cover 4G LTE technology.
Under the deal announced today, RIM will be able to use InterDigital's patents in its upcoming line of BlackBerry 10 products, which are set to debut later this month.
The deal comes just a few weeks after RIM settled a patent dispute with Nokia. In that case, RIM agreed to a one-time payment to Nokia and ongoing royalties for the use of its technology.
RIM is clearing the decks of any complications as it focuses on what is possibly the most important … Read more
Dish was recently given a thumbs up by the FCC to build its own LTE network, but the company is up against some stiff obstacles along the way.
Last week, the Federal Communications Commission granted Dish's request to allow it to use 40 MHz of spectrum in the 2 GHz band to create a 4G LTE network. At the time, the FCC indicated that some restrictions would apply, though it didn't reveal the specifics... until now.
The satellite TV provider must finish 40 percent of its LTE network within the next four years, and 70 percent within seven … Read more
Verizon has added 29 new LTE markets to its service.
The company announced today that Selma, Ala., and Port Angeles, Wash., are among the many markets getting access to its LTE service today. With those cities added, Verizon now offers its LTE service in 470 markets across the U.S. Verizon said today that it's also expanding its LTE availability in 36 existing markets, bringing its total coverage to more than 250 million people.
Shipments of 4G LTE smartphones will triple next year, research firm Strategy Analytics predicts.
The research firm sees shipments rising to 275 million next year from this year's 91 million, a rise of 203 percent resulting in a record year for LTE phone vendors. Companies that stand to benefit the most include Apple, Samsung, and LG, with the iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S3 among the most popular handsets.
But other vendors will participate in the LTE push, such as Nokia, HTC, Motorola, Blackberry, Huawei, ZTE, and Pantech. Growth in LTE smartphones will be driven by demand in … Read more


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Today’s hot rumor has nothing to do with private equity. Well, at least not yet.
Savvis, the information tech services provider, has hired Qatalyst Partners, three sources say. Savvis, which denied in January that it was in sales talks, is now in discussions with several potential buyers, one person says.
However, another source says that Qatalyst’s hiring isn’t “definitive.”
Having Qatalyst as your financial advisor would be a major coup for Savvis. San Francisco-based Qatalyst is led by legendary banker Frank Quattrone. Quattrone, in case you forgot, is the banker who was found guilty in 2004 of obstructing justice and witness tampering but had the conviction overturned on appeal in 2006.
Quattrone has advised on some major deals including the IPOs of Amazon.com and Cisco. More recently, Qatalyst advised 3Par last year when HP and Dell were dueling for the company. 3Par eventually sold to HP for $2.35 billion, more than triple its business market value.
“We don’t comment on rumor and speculation,” a Savvis spokesman wrote in an email.
With Quattrone/Qatalyst advising, Savvis could get a good price. Rumors of the company’s sale began in January after Verizon Communications announced its $1.4 billion takeover of Terremark Worldwide. Time Warner, five days later, then followed up with a $230 million deal for Navisite.
“Terremark was first, Navisite is second,” a banker says. “Now it’s Savvis’s turn.”
In January, Savvis CEO Jim Ousley told my coworkers at Thomson Reuters that it was eyeing a partnership rather than a sale. Savvis, Ousley said at the time, does talk to IB’s but hadn’t put any on retainer.
“Savvis has been out looking for a banker,” a PE exec tells me.
Any sale of Savvis would be quite hefty. The company has a $1.86 billion market cap. Fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA, as of Dec. 31, was $67.8 million. Long-term debt was $747.2 million.
Private equity could be a buyer but any offer would likely come from the mega buyout shops like KKR, TPG or the Blackstone Group. Savvis will likely draw interest from strategics which could include SunGard. (SunGard is owned by a consortium of PE firms: Silver Lake Partner, Bain Capital, Blackstone, Goldman Sachs Capital partners, KKR, Providence Equity Partners, and TPG).
Also telecom service operators like AT&T could be interested or even regional providers like Windstream or Cincinnati Bell. A traditional service company, like IBM, could also be in play.
But don’t expect Savvis to sell for the same multiples as Terremark. One-third of Savvis’s revenues comes from network services which is more of a traditional IP transit solution, a separate source says. “That business has very minimal growth,” the person says.
Terremark sold for 14X 2011 EBITDA, while Savvis is trading at 9.5X. The 14X multiple would be the ceiling for any Savvis sale, the source says.
Qatalyst did not return calls for comment.


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Russia to ban some imports of seeds from Europe and Canada
MOSCOW, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Russia will ban imports of some seeds from several locations in Europe and Canada from Aug. 15, its agriculture safety watchdog said on Thursday, citing non-compliance by suppliers with phytosanitary requirements as the reason.
Imports of tomato and carrot seeds will be banned from a nursery of Satimex Quedlinburg GmbH, in Germany, as well as seeds for corn from a nursery of Limagrain Europe, in France, tomato seeds from a nursery of Axia Vegetable Seeds, in the Netherlands, and seeds for soybeans from a nursery of Semences Prograin Inc, in Canada, Rosselkhoznadzor said in a statement.
Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, has long aimed to become less dependent on imported seeds for a number of crops but it still relies on foreign seeds for corn, some vegetables, sugar beet and sunflower.
Last week, Russia's agriculture ministry proposed that the government limits seed imports by setting up quotas, aiming to stimulate domestic production. (Reporting by Reuters;)
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DENHAM SPRINGS, LA (WAFB) - Denham Springs residents are gearing up for the grand opening of a new grocery store.
Rouses Market will be opening to the public on January 21 at 7:30 a.m. The store will be located at 10130 Crossing Way at Juban Crossing. This Rouses will also include a drive-thru grocery line.
This will be the first Rouses in the metro area. Several stores have popped up as part of a major development project that has seen an Academy Sports, Bed Bath and Beyond, Old Navy and Belk store open for business in the last six months.


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The rumours surrounding a HD remake of Shenmue? They’re true, apparently.
Speaking to Gamerzines, our old favourite – the source – states that both the original and the sequel are “real”, “finished” and have been so for “well over a year”.
Not that this should have too much of a shock value, the first game showed up on PartnerNet back in 2010 but was quietly brushed under the carpet.
According to the rumour here, though, SEGA are currently sitting on the two remakes until the company decides what it’s doing about a third Shenmue game.
Similar to what happened with ICO and Shadow, presumably, although chances that The Last Guardian appearing now are probably on par with Shenmue III.


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VRgineers and Leap Motion jointly announce on Thursday a newly formed partnership that takes virtual reality to the next level of realism, combining true-to-life imaging in VR with natural and intuitive hand tracking interaction.
VRgineers is a virtual reality engineering company producing enterprise-grade VR headsets as an enterprise platform for engineering and design professionals. Leap Motion is a developer of hand-tracking technology for virtual reality and augmented reality, empowering people to experience new worlds.
VRgineers is currently working on bringing the next generation of its professional VR headsets to market later this year with integrated Leap Motion technology, making it the first of its kind in the world.
“VR as an enabler of totally new ways to work is a major disruptor across all industries. Our combined technology creates a new professional tool that will accelerate this revolution,” adds Martin Holecko, VRgineers co-founder. “VRgineers’ mission is to empower trailblazing professionals with cutting-edge VR technology, and together with Leap Motion we will bring enterprise VR forward to new levels.”
Since its founding in 2010, Leap Motion has become the recognized leader in motion tracking for VR and AR. Leap Motion products are used by leading technology companies, such as Qualcomm, and by industrial designers, innovation labs, and academic researchers throughout the world to integrate motion tracking into a multitude of applications – from desktop and the Internet of Things, to virtual and augmented reality.
VRgineers is presently marketing its VRHero 5K Plus headset that features double Quad HD OLED displays, each with resolution and pixel density greater than the new iPhone X Super Retina display. The resulting image is the highest level of quality and realism available, designed to go far beyond gaming. The crisp 5K resolution and full 24bit RGB colors, together with the unique custom-built optics and 170º FOV, give the VRHero 5K Plus, according to analysts, the most true-to-life image in VR to date.
“Embedding Leap Motion’s next generation hand-tracking technology directly into future VRgineers headsets will allow professional users to interact with VR applications completely naturally using their hands,” says Marek Polcak, CEO and co-founder of VRgineers. “Having this technology is especially important for us because our high-resolution headsets allow users to see 170º horizontally. Now they can move their virtual hands throughout the headset’s entire field of view without losing sight of them.”
“Hand tracking is essential to the future of VR experiences. VRgineers is pushing the envelope of what’s possible in VR image quality and fidelity, and embedding Leap Motion technology adds a new dimension to that sense of immersion and realism,” adds Michael Buckwald, CEO and co-founder of Leap Motion.
Image fidelity in VR is particularly important for professionals such as designers, engineers, medical/surgical practices, motion picture set designers, and architects. The VRHero 5K Plus allows them to see reality before it actually happens in the physical world – a virtual representation of the future product or situation portrayed down to the smallest details with realistic design details.
The VRHero platform is presently used by automotive designers in companies, such as BMW, Audi, and Volkswagen, for design validation and evaluation, allowing them to accelerate the development of new prototypes.


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Industry/Media Day, Thurs., Jan. 26 OEM announcements, industry commentators, SAE Conference and the Sneak Peek
Thursday, Jan. 26, Industry/Media Day at the Washington Auto Show (WAS) onsite at the W. E. Washington Convention Center. Automaker press conferences were punctuated by a keynote address by the CEO, president and chairman of HARMAN, the connected car technology company, a government keynoter, the Green Car awards and SAEês Government/ Industry Conference. Capping the day was the Sneak Peek Reception where the Auto Show hosted notables from Congress, the administration, the regulatory agencies and industry for a three hour special tour of the displays.
After the Media Breakfast sponsored by WAPA (Washington Automotive Press Association) and IMPA (International Motor Press Association), WAS show producer John OêDonnnell, introduced the keynote speaker, Dinesh Paliwal, chairman and CEO of HARMAN. As the industry makes cars cool for all ages, said OêDonnell, millennials are going to be able to take their technology and put it in the car.
Paliwal took up the theme in his presentation on humanizing the autonomous car. Cars are indeed cool, and theyêre just about to get even cooler, he said. Among the megatrends transforming the car are smart audio, cockpit convergence, cloud connectivity, artificial intelligence, shared mobility and autonomous driving. Autonomous cars, Paliwal said, will take many years to develop fully.
He talked about the building blocks to autonomy, including an intuitive user interface, effective noise cancellation and, of particular importance, strong cybersecurity and data protection.
Without cybersecurity, we canêt have the autonomous experience, Paliwal said.
The expensive infrastructure for autonomous cars will require public-private partnerships. Successful autonomous mobility overall will require partnerships between government, industry associations, academia, automakers and diverse technology players, said Paliwal. And it will be critical to invest in education.
Spending on research and development of autonomous cars is currently $1.5 trillion and is about to double to $3 trillion, Paliwal said. This is the best time to be in the automobile industry. But what he called the revolution full vehicle autonomy is at least a decade away.Download Bulletin PDF


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GroundLink, a global private car service, has launched a mobile app that allows people around the world to order private cars with their smartphones. For the first time, consumers can access the network of ground transportation providers through both the Android and iOS smartphone platforms, Groundlink says.
New York metro residents, for example, can now order private car service, whenever they want—either immediately or at a scheduled time – at extremely competitive prices, GroundLink says. It can deliver a car within hours to passengers anywhere else in the world.
GroundLink’s flat rates are based on distance; there are no traffic surcharges.
To celebrate the launch, GroundLink is offering customers who book through the iPhone or Android apps the chance to win more than $15,000 in cash and other prizes.
GroundLink’s fleet will be stacked with a variety of prizes for five days including two envelopes containing $1,000 in cash each day. Other prizes include tickets to special events and gift cards.
GroundLink’s “Ride Now” location-based mobile technology allows registered users to order a car within minutes. GroundLink’s “Ride Later” feature provides users with the opportunity to set a specific date, time and location for pickup.
Consumers can track the car’s location or exact arrival time and communicate directly with the driver at all times. GroundLink’s social sharing tool also equips riders with the option to update friends and followers on their travel whereabouts.
“GroundLink is much more than an app. We are the first company to deliver access to a global fleet of more than a hundred thousand cars through an app. Until now, business travelers had no way to find a reliable and competitively priced private car service around the country and the globe, ” added GroundLink CEO Charlie Fraas. “With the launch of our mobile apps on iPhone and Android, we’re embracing a multi-platform business model that is unique in our industry.”
To download the iPhone / iPad applications visit http://bit.ly/groundlink
To download the Android applications visit http://bit.ly/GlinkAndroid


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MAHWAH, N.J. — Powerhouse Gym will be opening its new location next month on McKee Drive in Mahwah.
Owner Erik Santiago opened Powerhouse Gym in South Hackensack in 2009.
Santiago is the private security guard for former UFC and WWE champion Brock Lesnar.
Powerhouse Gym's brand new facility will offer group fitness classes, flight hot yoga, spinning classes, kids conditioning, chiropractic/massage services, a full-service juice bar and more.
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


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The Nissan Qashqai is a small SUV, a crossover to be more specific, and likely the genesis of all small SUVs. When it first launched more than a decade ago, who could have predicted its tremendous success? Not to mention the sheer number of rivals and imitators it would generate.
There’s no denying that SUVs are popular across the globe but in Europe, the Nissan Qashqai is a symbolic car considering it’s been the best-selling SUV in the region for consecutive years. It lost the title in 2019 but the automaker plans on changing that with the next-generation Nissan Qashqai. However, the launch largely depends on how the coronavirus pandemic will play out.
One of the most popular SUVs is set to change the dynamic in 2020 with the new Nissan Qashqai showing more style, better engines and an interior second to none. While all of this sounds impressive and highly exciting, there is no confirmation yet whether these updates will be available in South Africa.
What To Expect From The 2020 Nissan Qashqai
Although Nissan hasn’t revealed too many details about the 2020 model, we have it on good authority that the design will feature similarities to the IMx concept they introduced in October 2017. Based on the IMx concept reviews, there are several predictions for the future Nissan Qashqai.
The Japanese automaker introduced the IMx concept to reveal the next design language of Nissan SUVs. Although they’ve kept the lid on the car’s cabin design, it could have larger touch instrument panels as seen in the prototype of the Nissan X-Trail (Rogue). In terms of design and space, the new Nissan Qashqai is expected to be similar in size but the development of existing supports could mean more room for passengers.
Among other exciting updates, a big focus is on the engines and rumour has it that diesel probably won’t be an option. Likely, Nissan will only sell the compact crossover with petrol and plug-in hybrid engines while a fully electric version is not yet on the agenda. However, there could be a zero-emissions midsize crossover based on the production version of the 2019 Aryia concept but nothing has been confirmed.
New Nissan Qashqai Design Inspiration
According to the company, the next-generation Nissan Qashqai took some design inspiration from the Nissan Juke but based on the larger screens and interior, it also involves the new Nissan X-Trail / Rogue model.
The larger screens in the next-gen Nissan Qashqai will be a great convenience for drivers and there may even be another digital instrument panel behind the steering wheel. Further evidence indicates that the third generation Nissan Qashqai will have a new modular CMF-C / D platform which is the same infrastructure as in the Nissan X-Trail.
Whenever the new model is launched, in South Africa or abroad, one can expect the same agility and responsiveness with super smooth handling. Safety and security will also be next level thanks to Nissan’s advanced Chassis Control technologies and Nissan Intelligent Mobility.
The world premiere was initially scheduled for September 2020 with a public debut at the Paris Motor Show but all will be confirmed at a later date based on what happens with the coronavirus pandemic. If you want to keep updated on any developments with the 2020 Nissan Qashqai, keep following our blog or join the conversation on our Facebook page.


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Ardian, a private equity firm based in Paris, has agreed to purchase SLV, a maker of residential and commercial lighting fixtures, for an undisclosed amount from Cinven Group Ltd.
Headquartered in Übach-Palenberg, Germany, SLV manufactures home and technical lighting products for indoor and outdoor use. As part of the deal, SLV will focus on digitalization opportunities, new online sales channels, and international expansion. The target’s founder and private equity firm HgCapital sold the company to Cinven in May 2011.
London-based Cinven is an international private equity firm that targets European and global investments in sectors that include: business services, consumer goods, financial services, healthcare, industrials, and technology, media and telecommunications. The firm has more than €14 billion ($17 billion) in assets under management to date and has invested in more than 118 companies since the firm’s inception.
Dominique Senequier founded the private equity group of French insurer Axa in 1996 and spun it off in 2013, renaming it Ardian. Today, the firm boasts $60 billion in assets under management. Ardian has 160 companies in its current portfolio to date, including: Air Medical Group Holdings, Esim Chemicals, HR Path, IMV Technologies, and PetSmart Inc.
The PE firm recently tapped Seven Mile Capital Partners to establish a direct investment business, further expanding the firm’s presence in North America. Earlier in 2016, Ardian raised its fourth infrastructure Fund IV with €2.65 billion ($2.88 billion) to back European infrastructure companies. In 2015, Ardian raised its fourth co-investment fund with $1.17 billion as well as a $2.25 billion European debt fund. In 2014, the firm purchased a $1.3 billion limited partnership portfolio from GE, which consists of limited partner interests in U.S. buyout funds.