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Green retailing is the focus of this week’s National Retail Federation’s annual convention and expo in New York. An article in Silicon Valley’s Mercury News describes the new trend towards greener retailing to lure back reluctant shoppers.
Retailers and experts from around the world are expected to discuss how merchants can alter their impact on the environment, practice sustainability, the future of green stores and “greentailing” in a challenging economy.
Goodwill Industries, since its beginning over 100 years ago, has had a singular focus on “greentailing,” with its business model of reuse. Your donated items to Goodwill stay out of landfills and get re-purposed or recycled to help put people back to work.
Goodwill of Central Arizona, for instance, saves more than 135 million pounds of items from going to landfills every year. The donated items that can’t be sold in its local stores go through its salvage system.
- Goodwill resells your donated items to help put people back to work
- What cannot be sold through Goodwill stores are sold in bulk for use around the world
- Clothing and hard goods that are not suitable for resale are recycled for their materials
- Goodwill International receives more than 23 million pounds of computers and electronic products annually and re-purposes or recycles it through their E-Waste initiative
- Goodwill is a partner in E-bay’s Rethink Initiative
What most people don’t know is that 100 percent of the the proceeds received through your donated items to Goodwill are used in your local community to help train and place people in the workforce. And most of the people Goodwill trains for employment are working in industries outside of Goodwill stores.
Ultimately, Goodwill recycles lives at every level. Now that’s what I call the quintessential “Greentailing!”


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Mayor's office sues Chipotle over violations of city's Fair WorkWeek Law
Mayor Bill De Blasio's office and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection are suing Chipotle over widespread violations of the city's Fair WorkWeek Law.
The legislation requires predictable schedules in the fast food and retail industries, as well as a pathway to stable, full-time employment.
De Blasio said that "no corporation can get away with blatantly violating the rights of New York City workers without consequences."
De Blasio said Chipotle must immediately stop its unfair labor practices and put its employees above profit.

domain: news


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Now, Lamudi, founded by Africa Internet Holding (AIH) and leading real estate player Lamudi has visualised trends in Africa’s internet usage. A global e-commerce venture operating in emerging markets, Lamudi has created an infographic comparing internet uptake in countries across the continent. An analysis by Lamudi reveals that Morocco has Africa’s highest internet penetration rate, with more than half the country connected to the web.
Over the past decade, internet use in Africa has been gaining speed. Across the continent, 16 per cent of the population now has access to the web, with more added every day as the region experiences strong economic growth and rapid urbanization. According to data from Internet World Statistics, the African countries with the most internet users are:
– Nigeria: 48.4 million online users or 28% of the population
– Egypt: 29.8 million users or 36% of the population
– Morocco: 16.5 million users or 51% of the population
– Kenya: 12 million users or 28% of the population
– South Africa: 8.5 million users or 17.4% of the population
Sacha Poignonnec, Co-CEO Africa Internet Holding, said: “The significance in the numbers of internet users in Africa indicate not only the scale of Africa’s online presence, but the perfect opportunity to be investing in e-commerce ventures in the emerging market. Internet usage is being integrated into Africa’s modern way of life and rising right across the continent. As more and more users head online to shop for and advertise homes, our platform will continue to expand with this growing internet audience, particularly in countries like Nigeria, Morocco and Kenya where we already have operate and hold a strong presence in the market.”
Whether people are looking for properties for rent or for sale, the internet platform Lamudi enables customers to easily find or sell their house, apartment, commercial property or land online. At the same time, property providers and agents get a trusted online presence through a personalized webpage. Key characteristics of Lamudi are its diverse property offers, the intuitive website set-up and the high security standards to avoid fraud.


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Volkswagen recalls 16,000 minivans
13 Jun 2010
(MENAFN) German automaker Volkswagen AG announced recalling around 16,000 Routan minivans, over fire concerns involving latches on the sliding doors, AP reported.
The carmaker said that the recall affects 2009 minivans, which are jointly developed with Chrysler LLC and built at Chrysler’s Windsor, Ontario, plant.
Chrysler recently announced a 285,000 recall of Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans due to fire concerns inside the sliding doors.
Volkswagen spokesman, Kerry Christopher, said that the automaker was aware of a couple of incidents indicating overheating in the minivans and the firm contacted Chrysler when it received the reports. He assured that no injuries or crashes have been reported yet.


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Smartphone makers are launching a slew of privacy-centric devices in a bid to take advantage of users' concerns about being spied on by governments.
Last year saw some of the largest cyberattacks in history, from Sony Pictures Entertainment to U.S. investment bank JP Morgan. At the same time, the public and businesses are scared that governments are spying on them, following revelations by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden about the U.S.'s surveillance activities.
One company riding this wave of fear is Lockphone, a Hong Kong-based company that showed off its 5.5-inch smartphone at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The smartphone, called Lockphone, uses Google's Android operating system, but both text and email communication benefit from strong encryption, four times the strength of that available on Apple's iPhone 6. The encryption only works between two Lockphones however.
"If you send one email from Lockphone to Lockphone it will be communication between the two phones only, so there will be no access for someone who wants to check," Kimy Bohorquez, Lockphone's manager for Latin America, told CNBC in Barcelona.
The phone will price at between $450 and $500 when it is released in March.
U.S. companies have expressed concern over their government's surveillance program and last year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke to U.S. President Barack Obama regarding his concerns over the NSA's conduct. Corporates are also concerned about the risk of cyberattacks from hostile foreign governments, following the hacking of Sony.
In this environment, Leandro Coletti, chief operating officer for Brazilian security company Sikur, said that businesses were approaching him for secure devices for their employees.
"We are seeing that in some markets, especially governments and any other international companies are looking for alternatives," Colettis told CNBC in Barcelona.
On Monday, Sikur unveiled the GranitePhone, a heavily encrypted smartphone. If the device is lost or stolen, users can remotely log onto the Sikur cloud and destroy all information on the handset.
On top of this, the device has a virtual "container" that keeps all privacy apps sealed from other apps such as Facebook or Twitter, in order to prevent data leakage.
Blackphone, which was one of the early movers in the privacy space, unveiled a "privacy-first" tablet in Barcelona on Monday, along with its latest smartphone, the Blackphone 2. Like other devices, these are aimed at businesses, and have features to keep personal and business apps separate.
In addition, Silent Circle, the encrypted communications company behind the devices, launched a host of enterprise apps designed to keep information secure.
In the wake of the Sony attack, the head of Silent Circle said that an increasing number of businesses would ditch their current devices and buy privacy-focused handsets instead.
"Once a government has compromised the network, you need a place that you can absolutely go to that is for secure communications," Bill Conner, president and CEO of Silent Circle, told CNBC by phone. "We think this is the next wave of what will be required as traditional security fails us."


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UAE: Jebel Ali Port Welcomes CSCL’s Giant
DP World’s Jebel Ali Port has welcomed for the first time China Shipping Container Lines’ (CSCL) giant new addition to its service linking the UAE with China and the Far East, the MV CSCL Uranus.
To mark the vessel’s maiden call to Jebel Ali, a red carpet welcome ceremony greeted the captain and crew of the 14,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) mega vessel. Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, presented a plaque to Mr. Victor Mykhaylov, Master of MV CSCL Uranus, marking the occasion. The function was attended by HE Zhan Jingbao, Consul General, People’s Republic of China in Dubai, Captain Wan Jun, President, China Shipping (West Asia) Holding, senior officials from DP World and representatives of shipping lines.
Jebel Ali is one of the few global ports with proven ability to handle mega container ships such as CSCL Uranus, which is 366 metres long and 51 metres wide. The port management rolled out a meticulous plan to discharge and load the vessel with clockwork precision with its highly trained workforce and state-of-the-art terminal technology, including Super Post Panamax (SPP) cranes to ensure top turnaround times.
China Shipping (West Asia) Holding DMCEST operates a weekly service between Tianjin in China, Far East Asia and Jebel Ali – one of the busiest trade routes between the Far East and the GCC region. Adding the CSCL Uranus brings welcome new capacity to the service. The company, an affiliate of Shanghai-based China Shipping (Group) Company, has been a partner of DP World since 2001.
Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region, said:
“As we welcome CSCL Uranus and her crew, we congratulate China Shipping on the addition of this modern mega vessel focused on serving the trade between this region and China. This marks a new stage in our decade-long relationship and is another sign of the expanding trade ties between China and the UAE and GCC region.”
Captain Wan Jun, President, China Shipping (West Asia) Holding, said:
“As the largest port in the Middle East, Jebel Ali has always been a destination of choice for us. CSCL Uranus is the first mega container vessel to be brought into service in the busy Far East-Middle East shipping route. This is a milestone in our long and enduring partnership with DP World, and we look forward to further strengthening this cooperation.”
Dredging Today Staff, April 10, 2012;


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Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban spent a family day out in New York on Saturday where they enjoyed shopping at some good old fashioned street markets.
The Urban girls looked so grown up walking alongside their famous parents and by the look of these photos the girls seem to have inherited their mum’s long curly hair. Sunday Rose,8 and Faith Margaret, 5 took particular interest in the vintage jewellery section. Both girls can be seen trying some rings on.
Their mum Nicole, was dressed in a sensible two piece outfit consisting of a long white blouse and a floral skirt. The actress topped off the look with sensible flat shoes and a straw hat to keep the sun off her porcelain complexion. She was also holding a Louis Vuitton bag indicating a recent purchase!
Nicole Kidman also has two adopted children, Bella and Connor, with her ex husband Tom Cruise.
Photos: Google images.


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K-Chemicals is hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, organized by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Korea Specialty Chemical Industry Association (KSCIA), and has been operating permanently since its opening on March 22nd this year.
In the current situation where the spread of COVID-19 has not subsided, about 270 companies are participating in the promotion in the second half of this year for global expansion of the Korean chemical and beauty industries.
Beauty products that are in the spotlight internationally as well as industrial chemicals such as high-quality paints, adhesives, surfactants, additives, and plastics are showcased at the exhibition.
High-quality paints and adhesives, surfactants, additives, and plastics are on display at the Industrial Chemical Hall, while products from various fields, including cosmetics that are in the spotlight around the world, are on display at the Beauty Product Hall.
The two virtual exhibition halls consisting of industrial chemical products and beauty products are implemented in 2D and 3D, so buyers can view them in the form they want. Buyers can use video conferencing systems, chat functions, and counseling reservation functions at any time. It is designed to allow international buyers to visit anytime, anywhere without any inconvenience, and to make it easier to search for participating companies and items.
In addition, conference videos on Korean chemical industry trends, K-BEAUTY innovation, EU-REACH, K-REACH, and Korean export systems were released in the first half of the year to help buyers understand domestic and overseas export trends.
The online exhibition in the field of chemistry and beauty will be promoted to suit the target market through overseas media and YouTube channels and will also be introduced to Asian markets including China and the Americas, which are target markets for companies’ demand. It is attracting buyers from all 129 overseas trade centers owned by the KOTRA, and video counseling will be conducted for buyers discovered for a month from December.


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Teatulia Organic Teas Expands Distribution
Teatulia, the award-winning, Denver-based organic tea brand, has gained shelf space at Stop & Shop, Cash Wise and Coborn’s.
Last month, Teatulia launched its popular Teatulia Energy in 400 Stop & Shop locations across New York and New England. Shortly thereafter, the brand introduced its full classic lineup – including Black, Green, Jasmine Green, Earl Grey, Lemongrass and Chamomile, as well as Teatulia Energy – at Cash Wise and Coborn’s locations, marking its first foray into major Midwestern retailers. Teatulis is distributed by Davidsons, UNFI, KeHe and DPI.
“Our business is selling tea, but our passion is changing the world,” said Linda Appel Lipsius, CEO and founder. “Our continued retail expansion means we get to cultivate another plot, employ hundreds more women and further restore the environment while delivering delicious tea to new consumers across America.”
Teatulia’s teas and herbs are sourced directly from the company’s USDA-certified organic tea garden in Northern Bangladesh – and other like-minded gardens – and are never touched by chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Teatulia’s Energy line is powered by Eleuthero Root and is enjoyed cold or hot.


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Two new studies have revealed that despite growth in brand and agency commutes, the marketing industry is still working from home more than the average American. Compared to marketers and agencies, the average American is exposed more frequently to billboards, digital signage, out-of-home advertising, and AM/FM radio ads.
In March 2023, the number of U.S. air travelers matched volumes from the same month in 2019. This is the first time since the pandemic that air travel volumes have equaled 2019 levels. Meanwhile, Kastle Systems, the firm that runs the security systems for major office buildings in the top ten cities, reports security card swipe volumes are half of pre-pandemic levels. What is the latest on the state of media agency and marketer commuting patterns?
Two studies have revealed that despite growth in brand and agency commutes, the marketing industry is still working from home more than the average American. Compared to marketers and agencies, the average American is exposed more frequently to billboards, out-of-home advertising, and AM/FM radio ads.
Office worker commutes recently hit new highs, powering AM/FM radio listening increases in Nielsen’s September Portable People Meter reports. Here is the latest on the state of the American consumer and audio.
Two recently conducted studies reveal the average American is exposed more frequently to billboards and AM/FM radio ads compared to marketers and media agencies. This is because twice as many marketers and media agencies are working from home as the average American.
Nielsen recently released the results of a national consumer study of 1,000 adult 18+ respondents conducted March 2022. It was the eighth in a series of studies released since April 2020 measuring the pandemic’s impact on consumer movement, spending, attitudes, and media usage.
PlaceIQ, the leader in geo-location and consumer foot traffic measurement, issued a report last week predicting a surge in retail foot traffic and consumer shopping by late February/early March. Here are the results of the report and highlights the latest data from Google, Nielsen, and Apple Maps to show how the country’s “Third Reemergence” is on the way.
As 2021 comes to an end, we’re looking back at the blog posts that resonated the most. Here are our top 5 most popular audio insights posts of the year.
Nielsen held a client webinar this week to reveal the findings of their seventh COVID consumer tracking study since the start of the pandemic. Here are the key findings.
Just-released Nielsen AM/FM radio listening data reveals the recovery of AM/FM radio listening continues. Google search trends and consumer driving behavior from Geopath and Apple Maps have predicted AM/FM radio audience growth.
Nielsen held a client webinar this week to reveal the findings of their sixth COVID consumer tracking study since the pandemic. Their findings are validated by just-released June data from Apple Maps, GeoPath, Google Trends, and Moody’s Analytics.
Nielsen’s just-released the May 2021 Portable People Meter data for the top 48 markets in the U.S. revealed yet another month of strong AM/FM radio audience growth amidst a surge in auto traffic.
To help in determining a path forward for advertisers as America emerges from the pandemic, CUMULUS MEDIA | Westwood One analyzed a recently released Nielsen study to uncover which media audiences have the greatest purchase propensity.
Nielsen's just-released April Portable People Meter data for the top 48 markets in the U.S. shows AM/FM radio's audience reach was the strongest since the start of the pandemic.
To analyze the national employment ecosystem and profile the passive job seeker, CUMULUS MEDIA | Westwood One commissioned MARU/Matchbox to field a study to explore changes in the labor market since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the economy recovers and consumer confidence is restored, auto dealers have the opportunity to ramp up advertising efforts to sell cars. An AM/FM radio attribution report released by LeadsRx shows how AM/FM radio campaigns generate significant auto dealer website traffic.


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You will soon be able to send tweets on Twitter with a 10,000-character restriction. Elon Musk acknowledged the most recent development on Twitter. Blue subscribers can post tweets of 4,000 characters.
With this microblogging platform, Twitter users can submit incredibly long tweets. Elon Musk, the CEO of the business, has acknowledged through his Twitter account that the platform is working on allowing users to write tweets with 10,000 characters, adding that this function will soon be made available to users. Those who are more expressive and desire excellent character support to send long-form tweets would be much relieved.
This new cap is higher than what the business now provides to Twitter Blue users. A membership fee permits users to post tweets with 4,000 characters. Just 280 characters can be used in a tweet by a regular Twitter user.
It is still being determined whether a forthcoming feature will only be available to customers who subscribe to Twitter Blue or whether non-paying users can utilize it. Given Elon Musk‘s prior actions, there is a reasonable probability that he won’t give it out for free because the subscription will likely allow lesser character support than what a regular user receives. This is a significant feature that many users will undoubtedly adore.
The social media site may give the new 10,000-character limit to paying customers while reducing the character restriction for normal Twitter users by a set amount. As soon as the latest feature is available to the public, we will learn more about it. Elon Musk stated that this capability would be implemented “soon” and did not offer a timeframe for its arrival.
Those who purchase the Twitter Blue membership already have access to several unique features. The blue verified symbol that a user receives when upgrading to a premium Twitter membership is one of the most well-known advantages of having it.
The Blue customers can post 1080p videos up to 60 minutes in length, but only for the online version. Before a tweet is visible to others on Twitter, users can delete it from the platform. According to the corporation, it is not an edit button but rather an opportunity to preview and amend a tweet before it is published for everyone to see. Access to two-factor authentication using SMS allows you to secure your account further. You may check out more advantages on the website.
Also read: This full length article provides briefing about virtual data room for startup. You too can contact if you are new at your business.
Also read: If you are looking for online help for your school and college assignment, we provide genuine essay writing services in the UK.


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Upscale retailer Neiman Marcus Group Inc. on Thursday said revenues at stores open at least a year fell 3% during the holiday season.
The company said that among the merchandise categories that performed well in December were designer jewelry, contemporary sportswear, women’s shoes, handbags, and cosmetics, it said.
The Dallas company said total revenues for the five weeks ended Dec. 29 fell 1.9%, to $475 million from $484 million a year earlier. Revenues in the specialty retail stores segment, which includes Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, fell 4.4%.
Neiman Marcus Group said total revenues for the 22 weeks ended Dec. 29 fell 5.7%, to $1.41 billion from $1.50 billion a year earlier, while same-store revenues fell 6.7%, to $1.40 billion from $1.50 billion.
The strongest performances in revenues in December were in stores in the Midwest, it said.Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
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Hand over your wristwatch, 007: Cash-strapped MoD sells off its spies’ luxury watches – and thousands of other items – to plug £36bn ‘black hole’
For James Bond, a watch does far more than tell the time. It can kill your enemies with a single shot, fire wires into the air so you can swing between buildings, and even undo the zip on your sultry opponent’s dress.
In the real world, expensive timepieces have long been handed out to spies, undercover SAS troops and female intelligence operatives working at British embassies abroad so they could more easily pass themselves off as well-heeled diplomats.
But now these luxury watches – and an extraordinary array of thousands of other items from clothing to ships and aircraft – are being sold off at knockdown prices as the Ministry of Defence tries to fill a £36 billion hole in its budget.
Stylish: James Bond actor Daniel Craig promoting an Omega watch
The ‘unused as new’ watches do not carry an asking price on the defence agency website on which they are advertised. But with other items in the ‘sale’ on offer for a tenth of their original price, it is thought that the watches will fetch only a fraction of their true value.
They include a Raymond Weil Tango men’s watch – ‘Stainless steel case, black dial with red accented hands, luminous Arabic numbers, sapphire crystal glass’ – that would normally sell for £1,000, and a ladies Crystal Dior watch – ‘Bezel set with 48 diamonds 0.24 carat, black lacquered dial, black rubber strap set with black sapphire crystal’ – worth £4,000.
The MoD is also offering a gents Maurice Lacroix three-dial chronograph watch – ‘Sapphire crystal scratch resistant glass, white square dial with luminous hands’ – that would normally retail at about £5,000.
On tick: A Raymond Weil Tango (left) and a Dior ladies' watch
For comparison, when Daniel Craig reprised his role as James Bond in Quantum Of Solace, he was wearing an OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m Co-Axial Chronometer with a black dial. Its price new is £4,275.
A source said: ‘These watches were bought for SAS and defence intelligence operatives who work at our embassies abroad, so they look the part when they go to events and parties attended by diplomats and local dignitaries. It’s all part of creating the right image.’
Among the other items on the MoD’s Defence Equipment & Sales website are brand new combat jackets ordered for the SAS (£350 new, on sale for £30); boxes of pencils, knives and forks; a £6,000 fridge on sale for £920; ships’ mattresses; and even a portable dentist’s chair.
The goods are being sold in addition to scores of warships, aircraft and military vehicles that were put up for sale or scrapped under cuts announced in last year’s Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Timeless: A Lacroix watch up for sale
But now the MoD is trying to raise even more money by offering everything from Army braces, bush hats, foot warmers and Scottish regimental kilts to trainers, socks, a Guards peaked cap and a host of office and medical equipment.
A source said: ‘The MoD is so desperate to balance the books that they’re selling everything imaginable.’
Conservative MP Patrick Mercer, a former infantry commander, said last night: ‘The one thing of which you can be certain is that once precious defence equipment is sold, it will be needed again within the week. It is like selling the family silver. These goods have cost us millions and now they are being sold for peanuts. That cannot be right.’
By the time the sales of aircraft, ships, military bases and tanks are added, the sale could bring in around £4 billion – still leaving the MoD well short of its savings target, despite cutting thousands of military and civilian jobs. In a separate venture to generate revenue, the MoD has catalogued its extensive art collection, which includes famous oils of Nelson – and is selling prints at £18 a time online.
Senior military officers are said to be furious at the sell-offs, which they claim are giving away quality equipment while the forces need everything they can get.
Among the hardware on sale is the carrier HMS Ark Royal, which originally cost £200 million and is being sold in an eBay-style auction, with the latest top offer of £3.5 million.
Aircraft for sale include 14 Gazelle helicopters expected to raise £100,000 – the original cost was £5 million.
For the more technically minded, the MoD is offering a helicopter cockpit simulator or a 100ft-wide girder bridge used by the Royal Engineers.
An MoD spokesman said: ‘We are committed to delivering the best possible return for the taxpayer when disposing of surplus equipment.
‘Last year alone the Disposal Services Authority (part of Defence Equipment and Support) secured £84 million from sales.’
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Jailbreak Hack Puts 'Chat Heads' on iPhone the Way Facebook Intended
The Verge reports on a new jailbreak hack for the iPhone that puts Facebook's new 'Chat Heads' feature above all other content on the device, similar to how Facebook Home works on Android.
On Android, Facebook's Chat Heads float above all other content so users can quickly jump in and out of conversations while they continue to use their phone for other tasks. On the iPhone, Chat Heads are normally only active when users are actually using the Facebook app.
The trick, according to [developer Adam Bell], was isolating the Facebook app from the Chat Heads living inside it. Chat Heads inhabit a separate layer inside the Facebook app, so it was just a matter of finding that layer and making the rest of the app transparent. "The hardest part was getting this all to render on top of everything else," Bell says, which means Facebook is always running on your phone. Apparently, Bell's tweak doesn't take much of a toll on battery life. "It doesn't seem very resource intensive," he says. "Only when you move the Chat Head is it actually doing anything."
The hack will be released on jailbreak app store Cydia and Github in the next few days.
Facebook executives were asked at a recent conference if they had spoken with Apple about bringing the full Chat Heads experience to the iPhone, but they demurred.
Top Rated Comments
It would be nice for iMessage, but I don't even like Facebook chat while in Facebook, much less outside of it.
I personally like this feature. Maybe I'm crazy.
To each his/her own... I accidentally ran into this feature in the new iOS Facebook app, and it annoyed me. It was just like pop-up ads. All it really did was block content.


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The Hottest men in the world
SIGHT FOR SORE EYES:
Julián Gil was present for the launch of a new publicity campaign at the Hotel Brick in Mexico City, as the Argentinean actor was selected to be the new face of a sunglasses brand throughout Latin America and Mexico.
MASTER AND APPRENTICE
DARK AND DREARY
Star Tracks: Monday, May 14, 2012 -
LIAM HEMSWORTHToluca Lake (LA) -- 12 May 2012


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The world changed drastically in 2020 as we grappled with the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in financial situations and stay-at-home orders caused a temporary — and in some cases, longer-term — shift in how consumers prioritize their payment obligations. When consumers can’t meet their financial obligations, they make decisions about which loan product they pay first. We call this the consumer payment hierarchy.
The payment hierarchy is not about understanding trends in delinquency for a single product. Instead, it analyzes how consumers are rank ordering their payments, particularly in times of financial strain. Under the analytic approach used in this study, if consumers with credit cards and other products in their wallet default on credit cards at lower rates relative to other products, they are prioritizing their credit card payments.
In our study, we identified four trends in the payment hierarchy across the globe:
- The pandemic spurred shifts in the delinquency spread between cards and personal loans
- Consumers with only one credit card in wallet prefer to pay their card over personal loans
- Consumers say they don’t prioritize their secondary cards
- The younger generations’ payment hierarchy differs from older generations
The payment hierarchy before and during the pandemic in the United States
Prior to 2020, consumers in every region prioritized their personal loans over their credit card. This trend was largely driven by the presence of multiple cards in wallets, which allows consumers to go delinquent on one or more of their credit cards, while paying their primary card and preserving its use. As digital transactions became more common and necessary during the pandemic, we observed variability in the spread between card and personal loan delinquency rates in response. In the United States, consumers consistently prioritized their personal loan repayments over credit cards before and after the pandemic. However, the gap between personal loan and card delinquency narrowed following the COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding economic crisis.
When consumers have only certain credit products in their wallet, their payment behaviors can change. While consumers with more than one card prioritize personal loans in the United States, the payment hierarchy reversed for single cardholders. In the United States, consumers with one credit card prioritized their personal loan until Q1 2020, when consumers shifted to prioritize their credit card in the wake of the pandemic. This trend has continued through Q3 2020.
To understand why consumers make the choices we observed from our data, we also commissioned a global behavioral survey to decode consumers’ choices. Across all of the regions, our survey found that consumers ranked their primary card (defined as the card they use most frequently) or personal loan as the most valued product. The likelihood of a consumer choosing to prioritize repayment of their secondary credit card in the United States is only 27%, well below the likelihood that they will prioritize either their primary card or their personal loan.
Finally, we analyzed how the payment hierarchy changed or remained consistent for younger consumers in the Millennial and Gen Z generations. In the United States, younger consumers’ payment hierarchy remained consistent with the older generations.
As lenders recover from the recent crisis, they need to decode the payment hierarchy to better address consumer needs across the credit lifecycle. To access the full report and our recommendations for lenders, visit Global Payment Hierarchy page.


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Singapore has announced plans to regulate all cryptocurrency activity from here on out.
Singapore to Oversee All Crypto Businesses
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has issued new guidance on crypto usage and states that all companies that engage in crypto transactions or offer crypto trading and custody services will have to garner a license through the Payment Services Act. This new rule was passed in early January of this year. The idea is to put a halt on all crypto-related financial crime including money laundering.
Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung explained during a reading of the act’s bill to Parliament:
This will help minimize the risk of DPT service providers being exploited by criminals to launder illicit proceeds or hide illicit assets.
He further stated concerns about the use of crypto in cross-border payments, saying that this enhances the risk of terrorism funding and other wrongful payment protocols.
As it stands, the MAS is typically only tasked with overseeing cryptocurrency transactions. However, the new bill will alter the organization’s powers to become much longer, giving them the power to monitor all crypto activity within the region and implement their laws upon all companies and firms that have a hand in digital currencies.
In most cases, this will even include businesses that do not even have cryptocurrencies in their possession. However, if these companies offer crypto-based services, they will be subject to the rules and regulations of the MAS.
Ong Ye Kung further stated:
The bill will broaden the definition of cross-border money transfer service to include facilitating transfers of money between persons in different jurisdictions, where money is not accepted or received by the service provider in Singapore. That way, such service providers will come under the regulatory ambit of MAS even if the moneys do not flow through Singapore.
In addition, crypto companies will now be required to implement new measures to ensure customers’ identities and funds are protected. This will include know your customer (KYC) protocols and potentially insurance for digital exchanges and firms offering related services.
More Attention for an Expanding Arena
However, Ong mentioned that he is not terribly worried about the dangers or risks associated with the crypto space given that activity is relatively limited when compared with that of standard financial markets in Singapore, though he acknowledges that the space is growing and thus requires further attention and consideration. He comments:
We have seen the recent development of new forms of DPTs whose values are pegged to stable assets to gain users’ confidence. It is therefore important for MAS to be able to respond to market developments and address new risks in a timely manner… This could include, for example, requiring a DPT service provider to segregate customer assets from its own assets.


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Chinese electronics and home appliance maker Xiaomi today announced the launch of “Long-term strategic cooperation” with the German manufacturer of cameras and lenses Leica. Against this background, Huawei announced the termination of a multi-year partnership with Leica.
“We can confirm that the cooperation between our companies ended on March 31”– said a representative of Huawei in response to a request from representatives of the Android Authority portal regarding future cooperation with Leica.
That means the Huawei P50 smartphones, which went on sale outside of its home market earlier this year, are the Chinese manufacturer’s latest devices to be built with Leica. Most likely, the devices of the Mate 50 series, which will be launched later this year, will no longer be able to boast cameras from Leica.
The partnership between Huawei and Leica began in 2016, and the first joint smartphones were devices P9, and later Mate 9. The period of joint work of the companies coincided with the period of strong growth of Huawei’s cellular business, which, among other things, was supported by high-quality cameras made possible by Leica. While US sanctions imposed in 2019 haven’t hampered Huawei’s ability to build smartphones with quality cameras, as the recent P50 Pro confirms, the restrictions have hurt the supplier’s sales, especially outside of China.
Xiaomi has become a new partner of Leica. According to available data, the first flagship device developed as part of this partnership will be unveiled in July this year. The vendor is expected to launch a productive device aimed at photography enthusiasts.


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The iPhone 15 Pro would finally have physical buttons, Apple
Apple accused of selling faulty Apple Watches that are dangerous for wearers
Apple is accused of marketing defective Apple Watches. According to a complaint filed in California, the battery in some models suffers from a serious design flaw. This defect risks damaging the screen and endangering the wearers of a connected watch.
This Thursday, December 9, 2021, a collective complaint was filed against Apple in a California court. According to the complainants, the Apple Watch, the brand’s connected watch, represents a hidden threat to user security. All models in the range, from the Watch 0 and the recent Apple Watch Series 7 to the Apple Watch Series 4, are the subject of the complaint.
Apple Watch does not have enough internal space to house, says class action a swelling battery. Indeed, it happens that the batteries of certain watches, in particular the first models marketed, start to swell after a few years of use.
On the same topic: The Apple Watch saved the life of this woman with heart problems
The Apple Watch would represent a danger for wearers
The battery then dislodges the touch screen from the structure. Apple technicians must then replace the AMOLED panel as part of a free repair program. In some cases, buyers have gotten a newer Apple Watch in exchange. The complaint claims that this design flaw endangers users.
The cracked screen could injure the wearer of the Apple Watch with its sharp edges, advances the class action. The complaint assures that Apple could have avoided endangering its customers by increasing the space of the internal cabin of the watch. “’Apple has not allocated enough space inside the Apple Watch for it to expand freely without affecting the face of the screen”, regrets the lawsuit, which emphasizes that the manufacturer has not thought of any protection.
The appeal asserts thatApple is aware of battery design flaws of its smartwatches. “Apple failed to disclose that the watches contained the defect that would cause them to fail and pose an unreasonable danger to the safety of the wearer. This makes the watches unfit for the uses advertised by Apple ”, tackle the complaint. The plaintiffs demand that Apple admit its wrongs. Unsurprisingly, they are also claiming damages and interest from the American firm.


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Hyundai is the first automaker to offer Google’s Android Auto system.
The 2015 Hyundai Sonata allows Android smartphone users to connect their devices to the car and access applications, such as Google Maps, by voice, touchscreen, or steering wheel controls.
Currently the feature only works with Android devices running Lollipop, the latest version of the Android OS.
Android Auto is premiering on the 2015 Sonata with Navigation at dealerships nationwide.
The car’s 8-inch touch screen can link to an Android device to show features such as navigation, messaging, and calls.
“Android Auto also will offer many popular third-party audio apps that owners have on their phones, including iHeartRadio, Spotify, TuneIn, NPR, Stitcher, Skype, TextMe and many more,” Hyundai said.
Owners of existing 2015 Sonata with Navigation can get the Android Auto software update free of charge at Hyundai dealers starting today.
A micro USB cable is required to connect an Android phone to the car’s USB port. The first time an owner plugs his or her phone into their parked Sonata, the phone will prompt the download of the Android Auto companion app from the Google Play.
Last January Google announced that it was working with car companies such as Hyundai and Honda to integrate the system in their dashboards.
Google said that by 2016 model year the system would be available in 28 different brands.
The tech giant’s main rival, Apple, has also struck similar partnerships with automakers, including General Motors and BMW.
The South-Korean automaker said that it plans on integrating the feature in other models soon, along with Apple’s Carplay system, which offers features similar to Android Auto, but for iOS.
Hyundai believes that the feature will also play an important role in safety
In a statement the automaker said:
“The smartphone’s screen becomes locked, so drivers are not tempted to look down and interact with their phones directly while Android Auto is in use,”
“Android Auto aligns with Hyundai’s core interior design principles of safety, intuitiveness, and simplicity,” Dave Zuchowski, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, said in a statement.


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Fairphone is designed for a circular life-cycle, because every component can be replaced, plus it utilizes recycled plastic.[wonderplugin_video iframe=”https://youtu.be/S0fbZerTUjY” lightbox=0 lightboxsize=1 lightboxwidth=960 lightboxheight=540 autoopen=0 autoopendelay=0 autoclose=0 lightboxtitle=”” lightboxgroup=”” lightboxshownavigation=0 showimage=”” lightboxoptions=”” videowidth=600 videoheight=400 keepaspectratio=1 autoplay=0 loop=0 videocss=”position:relative;display:block;background-color:#000;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto;” playbutton=”https://www.ginkgoumbrella.it/wp-content/plugins/wonderplugin-video-embed/engine/playvideo-64-64-0.png”]
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has appointed the London office of Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) to drive greater awareness of the circular economy.
Based in the Netherlands, Boldking has created a product / service for environmentally conscious customers with an attractive design at half the price.
“In a new plastics economy, plastics will never become waste or enter the ocean in the first place,” said Ellen MacArthur, an ex-sailor who began her eponymous foundation in 2009.
“These winning innovations show what’s possible when the principles of a circular economy are embraced. Clean-ups continue to play an important role in dealing with the consequences of the waste plastic crisis, but we know we must do more. We urgently need solutions that address the root causes of the problem, not just the symptoms.
“To get there will require new levels of commitment and collaboration from industry, governments, designers and startups,” she continued. “I hope these innovations will inspire even more progress, helping to build a system in which all plastic materials are reused, recycled or safely composted.”
thanks to dezeen.com
Here’s some useful links:


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Nokia announced its users are now downloading 5 million apps per day from the Ovi Store.
Nokia today announced that its Ovi Store has grown by nearly eight times over the last year and now reaches up to 5 million downloads per day, propelled by the latest Symbian devices - the Nokia N8, Nokia C6-01, Nokia C7 and Nokia E7 - which account for about 15 percent of the daily downloads.
Increased demand for apps from the approximate 200-million-strong Symbian consumer base has seen the Ovi Store catalogue grow to more than 40 000 apps, with about 1 000 added per week. This momentum has resulted in 158 developers from 41 countries now surpassing the million download milestone each for their apps.
Nokia's new monetization opportunities for developers are tailored for local markets and include integrated operator billing with 112 operators in 36 markets, more than 25 times more operator billing integrations than Nokia's nearest competitor. Ovi Store has seen integrated operator billing increase consumer transactions by up to four times and this, coupled with Nokia's beta programs for in-app billing and in-app advertising, means more revenue opportunities for developers on Symbian.
These opportunities are also being extended to Nokia Series 40 devices, which will enable apps for the next billion mobile phone consumers. The refreshed Ovi Store experience, previously available only for the new Symbian devices, has resulted in more than 35 percent growth in downloads for Series 40 devices in the last two months, making up about a quarter of the total downloads.
Developers and publishers, large and small, are using Ovi Store's global reach and rapid growth to cultivate new communities. These communities are driven by deeper user connections within their apps, further driving downloads and potential monetization opportunities for developers.


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Free Fishing Day: Fish license-free in California on July 6
LOS ANGELES (FOX 11) - Get ready, anglers, the state of California is offering a license-free fishing day on Saturday, July 6.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife offers two Free Fishing Days each year, the second will be held on Saturday, August 31. On these days, you can fish without a sport fishing license.
"Free Fishing Days provide a great, low-cost way to give fishing a try," CDFW said.
In Los Angeles, the CDFW offers a "Fishing in the City" program where you can go fishing in the middle of major metropolitan areas perhaps just a few blocks from your home.
Fishing regulations such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements, fishing hours and stream closures will remain in effect on the Free Fishing Days.
On Free Fishing Days, every angler must have the appropriate report card if they are fishing for:
- salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity River Systems


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Strong August sales – Olympics or no Olympics
While the latest industry reports from the CBI show lower than usual August trading figures in London, wine sales at FINE+RARE have bucked the trend with a significant increase on the equivalent period last year, suggesting that the fine wine market remains buoyant despite concerns in the wider economy.
Bordeaux sales remain sluggish, especially at the very top end
The market’s focus has shifted significantly since this time last year. In August 2011, Bordeaux represented almost 60% of sales revenue while this year the region’s share dropped to 47%. Within this, trade has been concentrated at lower price points. In August 2011, 30% of cases were sold at over £1000 a case; this year, only 25% were above that benchmark. With prices for most recent vintages of first growths down at least 20% on this time last year, buyers of big ticket items continue to be wary and sellers need to offer at sharp prices to attract interest.
Italy and Spain step into the breach
Interest in regions outside France has been strong. Sales of Italian wine are up over 50% and sales of Spanish wine up over 25%, with customers increasingly recognising the value that other European regions can offer.
Demand for Burgundy continues to be strong
Fuelled by an excellent but very small 2010 en primeur vintage earlier this year, increased Asian interest and ongoing limited supply, demand for Burgundy continues to be strong, with sales up for the year to date and 60% up compared to August last year.
What the critics are saying
In the Wine Advocate, Robert Parker tastes a vertical of La Mission Haut Brion, giving an extra point to 2005 and 2008, while Antonio Galloni looks at 2010 white Burgundy and both 2011 and 2010 Chablis. Neal Martin reports on Rioja, finding a divide between modern and traditional styles and also tastes verticals of Pingus and Vega Sicilia.
James Suckling finds some excellent wines from 2009 both in Bolgheri and in Chianti.
Jancis Robinson compares Bordeaux 2011 and 2008, takes a first look at Rhone 2011 with Chapoutier’s Selections Parcellaires and reports on the anxiety amongst Burgundians about the sale of Ch de Gevrey Chambertin to a Chinese businessman for 8 million euros.
In the wine regions
Burgundy was hit by a third hailstorm in August, following on from early severe storms in July which have reduced yields dramatically and indicate further supply pressures to come.
Warm August weather in Bordeaux has helped improve a damp early season and producers are hoping it will continue up to harvest.
The Rhone has fared better than either of the above, with fine weather for much of the summer. Leading Rhone critic John Livingstone-Learmonth has suggested that if *"France** is to have a viticultural champion in 2012, then it could well be the Rhone on current evidence."
Elsewhere in Europe, harvest is likely to be earlier than in France, and has indeed already started in some Spanish regions such as Priorat. In Italy, notably hot dry conditions make a smaller 2011 vintage look likely with yields in Tuscany potentially 10% down according to a key producer in the region.
If you are interested in advice on your portfolio or selling your wine, call us on 44 (0)20 7089 7468 or email email@example.com.
If you are interested in buying from us, call us on +44 (0)20 7089 7400 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Syracuse University is a longtime affiliate of the Fair Labor Association, which has been nominated for a 2021 Classy Award that will be announced in September.
The Classy Awards honor the world’s most innovative nonprofit organizations and social enterprises. The Fair Labor Association is one of 50 finalists in the People’s Choice award category.
Rachel Duffy, director of trademark licensing at Syracuse University, serves as the University’s liaison to the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC). Duffy, who also serves on the monitoring committee of the FLA and is a member of the WRC Board of Directors, works closely with these organizations to ensure that products licensed by the University are made by workers who are fairly treated and compensated.
Read the full story at Syracuse University News.


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Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) today announced its financial results for the quarter and fiscal year ended March 31, 2019.
“More and more, Alibaba is becoming synonymous with everyday consumption in China, growing our base to 654 million annual active consumers and extending our penetration in less-developed cities,” said Daniel Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Group. “Our cloud and data technology and tremendous traction in New Retail have enabled us to continuously transform the way businesses operate in China and other emerging markets, which will contribute to our long-term growth.”
“We delivered another strong quarter and excellent fiscal year, led by fiscal year revenue growth of 51% as well as robust user growth and engagement across our ecosystem. Excluding the effects of consolidating acquired businesses, revenue would have increased by 39% year-over-year,” said Maggie Wu, Chief Financial Officer of Alibaba Group. “Over the years, our steady profit growth and cash flow have enabled us to strengthen our core business, invest in new businesses and create unique value for our customers. These investments have expanded our total addressable market and positioned us well for long-term growth. Looking ahead to fiscal 2020, we expect revenue to be over RMB500 billion, reflecting our confidence and positive momentum going forward.”
In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019:
- Revenue was RMB376,844 million (US$56,152 million), an increase of 51% year-over-year. Excluding the effects of consolidating acquired businesses, revenue would have increased by 39% year-over-year.
- Annual active consumers on our China retail marketplaces reached 654 million, an increase of 102 million from the 12-month period ended March 31, 2018.
- Mobile MAUs on our China retail marketplaces reached 721 million in March 2019, an increase of 104 million over March 2018.
- GMV transacted on our China retail marketplaces was RMB5,727 billion (US$853 billion) for fiscal year 2019, representing a year-over-year growth rate of 19%. Excluding unpaid orders, total physical goods GMV from our China retail marketplaces grew 25% year-over-year, Tmall physical goods GMV increased 31% year-over-year and Taobao physical goods GMV increased 19% year-overyear.
- Income from operations was RMB57,084 million (US$8,506 million) and adjusted EBITDA increased 15% year-over-year to RMB121,943 million (US$18,170 million);
Source: Alibaba Press Release


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Kroger, the parent company of Fry’s, announced it will phase out all single-use plastic bags by 2025. The transition begins at a Seattle store. No word yet on when it will start in Phoenix-area stores.
“We are phasing out use-once, throw-it-away plastic bags and transitioning to reusable bags in our stores by 2025,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO. “It’s a bold move that will better protect our planet for future generations.”
“Some estimates suggest that 100 billion single-use plastic bags are thrown away in the U.S. every year,” Kroger said in a statement. “Currently, less than five percent of plastic bags are recycled annually in America, and single-use plastic bags are the fifth-most common single-use plastic found in the environment by magnitude.”
Homes for Sale in North Phoenix
See the latest photos and most accurate information on all homes listed in 85085, 85086 and 85087.


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‘Something Is Not Adding Up’: Owner of New Canaan Valet Seeks Clear Answer on Forest Street Proposal
The Police Commission at its most recent meeting put off a yes-or-no vote on a proposal from a New Canaan business owner seeking to operate a valet stand on Forest Street on weekend nights for a trial run, saying there could be legal reasons for denying the request.
Commission Chair Paul Foley during the appointed body’s Oct. 20 meeting that he’s uncomfortable with the idea of “giving up public parking spaces to a private company.”
“I can’t go along with this, because I cannot give up public parking spaces on our street to a private business,” Foley said during the meeting, held at police headquarters and via videoconference. “I think it works great at a Roger Sherman Inn. I think it works great at a private party, and I think it works great in a parking lot where you have a restaurant and a private parking lot, if you will, at a mall or something where you pull up, you get out of your car and they valet your car. Or you pull up to a hotel, they valet your car.


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In his quirky online corporate profile, CEO Stephen Jones says he joined soft-drink company Jones Soda because “it is the real deal, … not some corporate giant that hires a kid with a piercing and tattoo to be held out as a badge of cool.”
As a former executive with Coca-Cola, Jones (who has no relation to the name of the company) should know about corporate giants in the soft-drink industry. But what he may not have been prepared for was just how “real” his experience at Jones Soda was going to be. The fact is Jones Soda—the wild child of Seattle’s growing soft-drink industry—has gone flat and just may be in a fight for its retail life.
Best known for its unique advertising campaigns and outrageous holiday packs with flavors like Turkey & Gravy (yes, a soft drink that tasted like Thanksgiving dinner), Jones Soda exploded onto the investment radar in 2006 as its ambitious founder and CEO Peter van Stolk pushed to take the fringe company mainstream.
It was everything Wall Street wanted: both a potential demographic hit with the teen and young-adult crowd, as well as a cool, edgy appeal for the counterculture. The hype machine went into overdrive, stoked by van Stolk. Jones Soda was featured on all the investment shows and publications, and the company’s share price responded, jumping from about $8 in August 2006 to a high of $32.60 per share in April 2007.
But like most companies that benefit from a meteoric rise, Jones Soda ended up crashing just as fast. Hobbled by distribution and production problems, limited marketing and an inexperienced management team, Jones Soda never saw the jump in sales that it expected. The stock went into free-fall. Van Stolk was forced out and was replaced by industry veteran Stephen Jones as the business faced mounting losses and rising expenditures. By mid-September of this year, Jones Soda’s stock price hit a 12-month intra-day low of $1.25 a share.
While the quirky brand retains a strong following, and marketing ploys have generated almost unlimited free publicity, the problem appears to be that customers aren’t buying what Jones Soda has to sell.
Now, it’s up to Stephen Jones to stabilize the brand and bring much-needed structure to the organization before the company becomes just another in a long line of forgotten one-hit wonders on both Wall Street and Main Street.
Founded in Canada in 1987 by van Stolk—a ski instructor turned businessman—Jones Soda began life as the Urban Juice & Soda Co.
Initially, Urban Juice didn’t manufacture beverages, but distributed other lines, such as AriZona Iced Tea and Thomas Kemper sodas. In 1995 and 1996, the company launched two of its own brands—Wazu Natural Spring Water and Jones Soda—and made its entrance into the “New Age” or alternative beverage category, which includes energy drinks, sport drinks, single-serve-fruit beverages and premiums sodas.
From the beginning, the Jones Soda brand was unique. Instead of a standard, ubiquitous label, Jones Soda labels featured pictures sent in by consumers. These images changed regularly, depicting ironic slices of life that added to the brand’s hip status. Early distribution for the soda was just as unusual. Rather than focus on big chain stores, Jones went where its target demographic hung out: surf, skate and snowboard shops; tattoo and piercing parlors; and music stores. The company also began using independent distributors to get the product on retail shelves in convenience stores, delicatessens, sandwich shops and select supermarkets.
By 2000, Urban Juice spun off its hot new brand into its own company, and Jones Soda was born. The new company set up shop in Seattle and began to market its drink by using “guerrilla” techniques, such as poster, sticker and hat giveaways. They also asked consumers to send in their photos to be considered for a feature spot on a label.
In addition, the company launched a tour featuring two tricked-out recreational vehicles with flames painted on the sides. The RVs visited skate parks and extreme sports venues and—sometimes without permission—local schools, so Jones staffers could hand out samples.
Jones Soda officials then hit on what turned out to be a brilliant marketing ploy: brewing bizarre, attention-getting flavors—such as Mashed Potato & Butter and Dinner Roll—for special events and holidays. There was no national advertising, just point-of-sales promotions, samplings, guerilla marketing and soon, an online presence.
The ploys worked and Jones Soda quickly developed into a recognizable brand, and behind that brand was CEO van Stolk.
By all accounts, van Stolk was a leader willing to take risks and play by his own rules. He was a visionary, he was crazy, he was excited and he could sell anything to anyone, say former employees. But they also say for all his gifts, van Stolk lacked true business sense. Where the marketing excelled, the execution failed. Ironically, despite the fact that van Stolk began his soda career in distribution, getting Jones Soda on the shelves appears to have been one of his biggest downfalls.
A can without a plan
It was 2003 when Jones Soda first garnered a national audience with its holiday-themed soda flavor, generating an unexpected deluge of free media. Also in 2003, the company expanded beyond its local distribution channels to larger, national retail outlets. Two years later, Jones landed a place on the shelves of mega-retailer Target. Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart followed in 2007. Such success led van Stolk to seek a bigger market. By 2004, the company was looking to move beyond the $16 billion alternative beverage market and toward the $70 billion carbonated soft-drinks industry, dominated by Coke and Pepsi.
Known for its distinctive glass bottles, Jones also decided to add cans to its lineup. In 2004, as part of an exclusive agreement with Target, 12-ounce cans of Jones Soda began appearing on the retailer’s shelves. Two years later, as the deal came to an end, Jones—which by then had annual sales of about $39 million—took its can plan nationwide, signing an exclusive manufacturing and distribution agreement with National Beverage Corp.
Unfortunately, that is when the real troubles began to surface. Through the arrangement, the company was to identify the retailers, secure relationships and handle all marketing and promotions. National Beverage—makers of Shasta and Faygo—would use concentrate supplied by Jones to manufacture the soda and then sell it to the retailers. Sadly, it seems, it was a can without a plan.
“When you’re a strong regional business and you go national, it’s a very complex business,” says Stephen Jones. “You have to make sure you have a strong sales force, distribution source and strong merchandising, and the company didn’t have the infrastructure for merchandising the product inside the store.”
Instead, the company went to the retailers, paid the slotting fees that get the product on the store shelves, but didn’t have the local or regional sales force to make the execution happen. That lack of support meant Jones’ drinks were often hard to find or weren’t restocked regularly. Another important problem was that Jones Soda was more expensive than its competitors and there were few coupons or special offers in the new distribution areas to lower the price or attract interest.
The canned soda also proved problematic because, according to some observers, the packaging lacked the visual appeal of the bottles. More importantly, cans were being distributed nationally, into markets that had no familiarity with Jones Soda.
Nor was Jones doing much to introduce the product to the local market. No big brand campaign or street-level efforts supported the product’s launch. According to one former member of the team, requests for such promotions fell on deaf ears. In the end, it appears the cans beat the brand to the shelves.
The result was that instead of growing the brand and opening sales to a whole new market, the cans may have ended up cutting into Jones’ bottle sales. While Joth Ricci, Jones’ COO, and others argue that cans are helping broaden brand awareness, he acknowledges there are problems: “Between the combination of the decline in the soft-drink business as a category, the economy and premium beverage products—premium items in general are seeing some softness—and then the launch of cans, probably the combination of those three factors is cannibalizing our glass business.”
Losing its fizz
By the end of 2007, Jones Soda was in trouble.
After all the hype and the new distribution deals, the expected jump in sales never materialized. Revenues had grown from $39.5 million in 2006 to $45.3 million for 2007—a nice increase, but nothing near the rise Wall Street had expected. Jones Soda was beginning to look like a regional hit that couldn’t transition to a national success.
In January, van Stolk resigned at the board’s request and was replaced by industry veteran Stephen Jones, who has an exceptional résumé. From 1986 to 2003, Jones had served in various executive positions with Coca-Cola, including chief marketing officer, director of operations in Great Britain and president of Coca-Cola Japan. He also had a stint as CEO of Coca-Cola’s Minute Maid Co. More recently, Jones became the owner of Calabria Mia Fine Foods, an Italian food producer and distributor. He also founded and was CEO of Brand Ignition Group, which works with private-equity funds to identify and acquire emerging high-growth consumer products companies. In the months before taking over for van Stolk, Jones was president and partner at Denneen Jones and Co., a Boston-based strategy consulting company.
With that kind of background, Jones appears to be the right guy to sort out the drink company’s extensive woes, which includes the bottom-line reality that they simply aren’t selling enough soda. Sales for the second quarter of 2008 were up 5.7 percent to $14 million, compared to $13.2 million in the same period a year ago. Jones reported a net loss during the quarter of $2.7 million, or 10 cents per diluted share. During the same quarter a year ago, the company roughly broke even, with a net income of $40,726. Its net revenue for the second quarter of 2008 was $11.7 million, down about $1.3 million from the same period in 2007. The net revenue was reduced in part because $2.3 million was spent on promotional allowances and slotting fees. By comparison, the company paid about $250,000 in promotional and slotting fees during the same quarter the year before.
In their second-quarter financial report, company officials acknowledged that while overall business in the Northwest and Southwest is growing, case sales of 12-ounce bottles is down. Executives say that the decline of 12-ounce bottles in the Midwest and West was likely due to the introduction of cans in those regions. Meanwhile the company was (and still is) bleeding money into regional marketing campaigns—some of which have been successful, others of which seem to be questionable.
Take, for example, the company’s highly publicized five-year agreement with the Seattle Seahawks to be the sole soft-drink supplier at Qwest Field. While financial terms of the agreement are undisclosed, rumor has it the sponsorship will cost Jones millions of dollars over five years. In exchange, Jones gets pouring rights at the field and promotional opportunities.
To some businesses, the arrangement could be a bargain, but for a company whose expenditures exceed profits, engaging in what seems like an expensive—and very regional—marketing campaign may be questionable. For their part, Jones officials are pleased with the relationship. They even won a similar contract to be the sole soft-drink provider for the New Jersey Nets when the team moves into its new Brooklyn arena in 2009. Jones management maintains that the deals will give the company national exposure, thanks to the broadcasts of the games and other promotional opportunities. “An association with the Nets will bring the brand credibility and relevance, which is essential to attracting new drinkers,” says CEO Jones. “To see the [Jones Soda insignia] in a big public forum like that gives the brand credibility.”
One deal no one seems to question is Jones’ partnership with Alaska Airlines. In April of this year, Alaska began serving complimentary canned Jones pure-cane cola, sugar-free cola, lemon-lime and sugar-free cream sodas—with additional flavors offered periodically—on all flights. For Stephen Jones, it’s the ideal way to do sampling.
“They have about 26 million fliers each year, and about 16 million of them drink a soft drink, and they’re going to drink Jones, many of them for the first time in their lives,” the chief executive says.
Still, with so much marketing focused on regional programs, it begs the question of whether Jones can gain the kind of traction necessary to gain a national audience.
Can Jones Soda pop again?
So, can Jones Soda pull out of this tailspin?
Stephen Jones believes it can. He’s implementing a strategy to build the distribution program, strengthen and streamline the sales force, and put more focus on execution. He also promises to improve the supply chain, concentrate on marketing programs that drive purchases, and invest in the equipment and systems that make the business work. But overriding all these strategies is the company’s focus on cutting costs.
Jones Soda reorganized the sales team to marry the force that sold cans with the force that sold bottles. Regional representatives are merchandising the local market, making sure shelves are stocked, keeping cold cans in the cooler and going after other local retailers. So far, the program appears to be working. Of course, all this is going to take time and money, two things that Jones Soda can’t afford to waste.
“We said when we came in here that this was an 18-month turnaround,” COO Ricci says. “In order to grow a business, we knew we were going to have to invest in some areas to make this business viable long term.”
While the company has put itself into growth mode, Nicole Miller Regan, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray—who used to cover Jones Soda—said earlier this year that revenues weren’t keeping pace with the increase in costs. “The strategy is taking a lot longer [than expected] and there’s really not a clear path to profitability right now,” Regan told Seattle Business in an August interview.
Clearly, the company is in a bind and has to sell more soda to survive. But can it afford a new marketing push to reach a larger audience? “It’s the marketing expenditures—which they’re using to build the brand—that are weighing on the company, but if they cut costs, then they potentially lose revenue,” Regan said. “Yet if they move forward with the way they’ve been spending, then there’s no profitability until sales increase.”
In fact, at the end of the second quarter, Jones recorded a depressing situation with its overall sales. Total case sales for bottles were 940,000, down 7,000 cases from the same quarter in 2007. But the whopper was that can sales for the same quarter fell to an anemic 679,000 cases, down almost 41 percent from the same period in 2007.
In addition to distribution issues and poor marketing execution, the company may also lack focus. Jones has more than 80 flavors spread across seven different product lines—bottled soda, canned soda, natural products, organic beverages, energy drinks, 24C (a multivitamin drink) and candy.
“I think they tried to do a lot of things at once,” says Regan. “I think they’re a lot more focused today, I’ll give them that, but they did have a lot going on, whether it was bottles and cans, cans and then an energy drink, an energy drink and then the organic tea drink—whatever that thing was—and I don’t think any one product line has ever reached maturity.”
Jones isn’t done yet. The company is going back to its alternative-beverage roots with its next venture: “Gaba,” an alternative drink that will incorporate a naturally produced form of the amino acid gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This new product will be on shelves early next year. Gaba, which is patented by Mitsubishi in Japan, is said to increase focus and concentration. Because Jones Soda acquired two-year exclusive rights to Gaba in 2007, the company sees it as an opportunity to establish the energy drink category and really develop it. While this drink category is growing fast and is expected to exceed $10 billion annually by 2010, Jones will have to spend money promoting the product. Some observers wonder if this isn’t one more example of Jones spreading itself too thin as it enters yet another drink category.
Buzz + love = purchases?
As far as marketing goes, the company is still primarily focusing on the online world, which caters to the young demographic that is attracted to the soft drink.
But Jones is also trying new, more elaborate promotions, including sponsoring this summer’s Boom Boom Hawk Tour, with skateboard legend Tony Hawk. The tour went to 24 markets around the country.
At the same time, the quirky holiday packs that have been a staple of the company’s guerrilla marketing strategy will take a back seat to actually creating products that consumers want.
“The other things were fun and they did a great job of putting the company on the map, but we’re probably going to spend more time on developing flavors that people want to come back and drink,” says Ricci.
Whether new promotions and restructuring can help Jones get back on its feet, only time will tell. But shareholders’ patience may be wearing thin with weak sales and a falling share price.
Jones isn’t on life support, says a former sales person, but it could be. In fact, the best bet for the struggling company and its long-suffering investors might be for a major brand to step in and buy the label. Before that would happen, Jones has some work to do, says the former employee, who wished to remain anonymous.
“They’re a great brand with a great product and a cool label,” says the former employee. “It would help if they could stabilize the company and then sell it off to Coke or Pepsi. Those guys are notorious for buying boutique brands.”
Whatever final exit strategy may develop, Jones Soda hasn’t given up its roots as a promotional dynamo. Recently, in an attempt to generate buzz around its new “pure-cane cola,” Jones launched “Campaign Cola.” The website promotion (campaigncola.com) is selling limited-edition six-packs or single bottles that bear the pictures of Barack Obama, John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Ron Paul. Consumers can “vote” for their candidate of choice by buying the beverages. Jones officials estimate that the promo has generated more than $3 million in free media coverage.
“Our goal this year is buzz, love and purchases,” says CEO Jones. “We’ve been great creating buzz for years.”
To survive, Jones Soda is going to have to prove it can complete the other two parts of that equation, as well.
“They’re a great brand with a great product and a cool label.
It would help if they could stabilize the company and then sell it off to Coke or Pepsi. Those guys are notorious for buying boutique brands.”


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Welcome to the 2017 Power 50 list, which ranks the most influential people in the industry.
#31: Kevin Plank, Under Armour
2016 Rank: 13
Industry Experience: 2 years
Birthplace: Kensington, MD
While Under Armour has an intriguing relationship with the promo industry through its alphabroder partnership, Plank drops on this year’s list amid his firm’s shrinking global sales and recent restructuring that led to 280 layoffs. Plank’s fall could be a one-year blip if Under Armour makes a bigger push into the promotional apparel segment.


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Sitting in a café in North Tel Aviv’s quaint Basel Square on a warm October evening, Jonny Caplan is feeling overwhelmed. After two years of intense hard work, the British-born entrepreneur has just launched his new TV series on emerging global start-ups, kickstarting the series by showcasing dozens of Israeli innovators.
His series TechTalk, just released by Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, features a range of different technologies and business sectors. Sone of the innovations covered are flying cars, 3D holographic surgery, the Israeli robot soccer team, cannabis scanners and mind-controlled gaming. It’s the future, as made in Israel.
Caplan moved to Tel Aviv six years ago, giving up grey London to move to the vibrant, technology-friendly, fast-paced start-up capital of the world. There, he set up a media company with his partner Ronald R. Hans. The company, which produces other independent titles on tech, science and lifestyle, now has offices in LA, New York City, London and Tel Aviv.
Caplan serves as the writer, executive producer and co-host of Tech Talk, together with Israel’s The Voice finalist, Jessy Katz, who is the daughter and niece of Nancy and Steven Spielberg respectively.
“We chose Israel to launch the show as it is the start-up nation and the only location on earth that has such a vibrant mix of innovators and technologies in one space,” says Caplan. Future seasons will come from London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, New York and Silicon Valley.
He calls Israel’s culture of innovation, individuality and sheer determination “multi-potentialism”, a concept coined by career coach Emilie Wapnick in a popular TED talk to define people and places with many different interests and creative pursuits in life. Caplan strongly identifies with this on a personal level.
“Defying the norm, ‘multipotentialities’ have no single definitive skill, yet we have a multitude of talents and creativity which we can pursue simultaneously,” he explains. He adds that when he was first introduced to Jessy Katz he recognised instantly this quality in her, knowing she possessed the range of talents that made her an ideal partner to co-host the series.
He likes that she is determined to work hard on her own account and not trade in her family connections and describes it as a “meeting of minds”. She has just returned from Madrid as a voice-over artist for the Spanish TV drama Money Heist.
Caplan’s foray into business and entertainment started early in life. Growing up in Southgate, North London, his creative talents were recognised by his parents early on. He was singing, dancing and acting on stage and TV, and appeared on a BBC schools programme with Timmy Mallet at just eight years old. He is also a talented artist, guitarist, pianist and writer.
In his teens he took a MENSA test and was told he had an IQ in the top one per cent in the UK. Perhaps this is why he found his time at Hasmonean High School for Boys boring. To break the tedium, Caplan divided his time between studying for exams and developing his first business. Aged 14, he developed digital games platforms as well as trading comics, before setting up a car-wash business with a group of friends, the following year.
Following his degree in Interior Architecture, he got the real entrepreneurial bug as the internet developed in the late 1990s. His first successful venture MoneyGaming, saw substantial investment from UK-born Michael Spencer’s ICAP Group, among other notable stakeholders. The company developed revolutionary online games, clients included Orange, FHM and Trinity Mirror.
Caplan credits his successes to the challenges he has had to overcome. When he was just a day away from his first birthday he was seriously burnt when a boiling hot drink spilled on his neck. The accident resulted in treatment at burn clinics across London for many years of his childhood.
“This taught me early on that life is not easy, and that we aren’t perfect as human beings and we only strive through self-reflection and continual growth,” he says.
Then, when he was in his mid-twenties he experienced the “unjustified takeover” of his company MoneyGaming, while he was abroad in Israel for a friend’s wedding.
“It was a harrowing experience, after achieving such a huge feat at a young age. However, looking back, this traumatic event was the very pivot of my business success. Setbacks and hurdles force you to learn to adapt and find new and innovative ways to achieve your goals.”
He promptly embarked on a new venture, building patented electronics-based gaming devices, stocked by industry giants such as Argos and Target. He set up the business in the UK, with production in China, and software development in Eastern Europe, receiving much media attention. Since arriving in Israel, he has provided strategic direction and resources to several leading Israeli start-ups.
Airing initially on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, then rolling out to a host of worldwide broadcasters, season one of TechTalk focuses exclusively on Israeli companies. While all the Israeli start-ups showcased are impressive, a few stand out as exceptional. EyeRon Systems are makers of toughened first responded drones that fly indoors into burning buildings to give fire fighters first warnings. The CEO and founder Nimrod Ron is an artist and one of Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30”.
Then there is Multitouch Technology (MTTech) founded by Gal Hamburger and Gabriel Galerenter. The company produces touchscreen smart devices for surfaces. The products were first produced in their garage, while the workers had other jobs. Today, their products are found in Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen dealer showrooms across the world.
Then there’s CityHawk, a flying car in development by Metro Skyways, a subsidiary of Israel’s Urban Aeronautics, which is due to take its first flight in 2021.
On the medical side, RealView Imaging makes a holoscope machine; a surgical device that enables the surgeon to look through a piece of a glass while operating. They can see a huge life sized 3D hologram of the organ that is being operating on, and move it around via voice commands.
Always working on the next project, Caplan has just been interviewing many high-profile cannabis related brands and figures, including the Israeli minister for agriculture, Uri Ariel, for his latest documentary series The Cannabis Biz.
The show profiles the burgeoning medical cannabis industry both in Israel and abroad, and will be released next year.
“Living in Israel is like an oasis for entrepreneurs, and a tropical paradise to reside in,” he says. “As the fastest growing hi-tech country in the world, there’s no other region in the world like it.”


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With the recent announcement of the new Wheelsandmore Lamborghini Aventador, the tuning firm has also released this Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione package. While this car is extremely popular in Europe, it’s too bad the states never were able to get a taste of its beauty. This unique sports car was hooked up with a new white foil wrap, black accents and 21-inch forged alloy rims wrapped in Hankook S1 Evo high performance tires on the exterior.
Pop the hood and you will find the factory 4.7-liter V8 powerplant has been tuned with a revised ECU. This was able to increase the power output by 20 PS and 30 Nm of torque to bring the final numbers to 470 PS and 500 Nm of torque. If that is not enough for the average car tuning enthusiast, Wheelsandmore offers a Stage II kit which includes a sport exhaust system. This brings the specs to 485 S with 520 Nm of torque. Be sure to check out more Alfa Romeo 8C tuning projects we’ve covered.


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Carphone Warehouse has been fined a record £29.1m by the financial watchdog for mis-selling its "Geek Squad" mobile phone insurance.
The Financial Conduct Authority said the mobile phone retailer failed to properly train staff to "give suitable advice" to customers. It was the biggest penalty it has imposed on a retailer.
Carphone had told staff to recommend its Geek Squad insurance and technical support product to shoppers even if they were already covered by home insurance or bank account policies.
The firm made £444.7m from selling Geek Squad policies, although 35pc were cancelled within the first three months, the FCA said.
Mark Steward, executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the watchdog, said: "Carphone Warehouse and its staff persuaded customers to purchase the Geek Squad product, which in some cases had little to no value because the customer already had insurance cover. The high-level of cancellations should have been a clear indicator to the management of mis-selling."
The watchdog said it was tipped off by a whistleblower and had investigated the sales made between 2008 and 2015.
Alex Baldock, chief executive of parent group Dixons Carphone, said the company was "obviously disappointed that Carphone Warehouse fell short in the past. But we're a very different business today; as the FCA acknowledges, we've made significant improvements since 2015."
As Dixons Carphone did not contest the FCA's findings it qualified for a 30pc discount. The fine would otherwise have been £41.6m fine.
Dixons Carphone said that it had already made provisions of about £30m last year to cover the potential charge and there would be no consequence to its profit guidance as a result.
The company said it had carried out two customer redress programmes, covering complaints and cancellations, and invested in its customer service with enhanced employee training and compliance monitoring.
In December Dixons Carphone was forced to write down the value of Carphone Warehouse by £344m as the loss-making division struggled with competition and a shift in consumers holding on to their smartphones for longer and opting for cheap SIM-only contracts.
Shares in Dixons Carphone dipped by 0.7pc, or 0.9p to 131.9p.
The biggest fine imposed by the FCA came in 2015 in the form of a £284m penalty on Barclays for foreign exchange failings.


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The United Auto Workers Union strike against the Big 3 carmakers will have a limited impact on the U.S. economy—for now, experts say.
But the ripple effect of the strike will grow if it expands to other plants or goes on for weeks, said Steve Wyett, chief investment strategist for BOK Financial®.
"I think we'll see more intense negotiations," he said. "The decreased GDP from the strike won't be enough to tip us into a recession. However, once we add up the impact from all the feeder industries, it could have a ripple effect."
After weeks of negotiations with Ford, GM and Stellantis (the owner of Chrysler and Jeep), the UAW on Friday called out 13,000 employees to strike at three locations: a Ford factory in Wayne, Michigan; a GM plant in Wentzville, Missouri; and a Stellantis plant in Toledo, Ohio.
The union is asking for its share of the industry's highly profitable years during the COVID pandemic. The demands include a pay raise, more paid time off and the return of pensions for new employees.
Looking to target the automakers' most profitable models, the UAW chose the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado and Ram pickups production plants. Depending on how negotiations go, the union may expand the strike to other sites.
With such a targeted approach, economist Gabe Ehrlich of the University of Michigan expects reduced spending in the communities surrounding the three plants. Though autoworkers will receive $500 a week in strike pay, they won't earn a paycheck, meaning tighter budgets and fewer dollars flowing through the local economy.
Anderson Economic Group predicted that a short 10-day strike could cause $5.6 billion in economic losses.
If all 150,000 workers were to go on strike for eight to 10 weeks, U.S. GDP would likely reduce by 0.2%-0.3%, economists say.
Implications for American workers
You're not wrong if you're feeling like there are more strikes in the news lately. A study from Cornell found that strikes were up by 52% in 2022, and in summer 2023, 11,500 screenwriters represented by WGA were joined by 160,000 striking actors.
And they're not the only ones. In June and July, 3,000 Starbucks workers and 6,000 Los Angeles hotel workers went on strike over disagreements about working conditions and pay. Using a possible strike as leverage, UPS workers and United Airlines employees were able to negotiate significant contract wins this year as well.
"Everyone is watching the UAW strike," said Wyett. "If the union gets the unprecedented 40-45% wage increase that it's demanding, it will impact other organizing campaigns."
With low unemployment rates, the demand for labor is exceeding supply, and workers are seizing the opportunity to bargain for higher wages, expanded benefits and a larger share of the economy. "If the UAW strike is successful and the labor market stays hot, we could see a continued increase in collective action," Wyett said.


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SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ - A surprisingly good deal just in time for the holidays has made its rounds on Facebook this past week, advertising 40 percent off your entire order at ShopRite.
The voucher appears at a convenient time for residents getting ready for the holidays.
The only downside: it's fake.
In response, ShopRite issued statements on Saturday through their Facebook page, alerting potential shoppers of the fraudulent coupon.
“Please be advised that the Giveaway-Coups.com coupon, pictured here, is fraudulent and will NOT be honored at our stores,” the post read.
Additionally, a banner atop the ShopRite website warns visitors of the coupon, reading, “It has come to our attention that an invalid coupon offer is being shared via Facebook. This invalid offer states you can receive 40% off any order by sharing and liking. Please disregard this fraudulent offer as it will not be honored in your local store. We apologize for any confusion this may cause.”
Alternate versions of the coupon link to Free-Giftes4u.xyz and wideawaygifts.xyz. Those have also been confirmed as fraudulent.


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UMNO Youth chief Akmal Saleh is against the proposal to introduce what has been dubbed as Madani rice, which aims to combine local white rice and imported rice under one category.
According to Akmal, the proposal by Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz only benefits certain businesses that already control the rice market.
“Don’t deceive people with this Madani rice proposal.
“If the Madani rice is sold, traders will no longer sell local white rice priced at RM26, they would likely sell the one being priced at RM30 because it is more profitable,” he said in a video posted on his FB on Saturday.
Akmal also claimed that the proposal would hurt the sale of local white rice if it were implemented.
He said the government should stop “cartels” from mixing local white rice with imported white rice.
“If Madani rice is implemented, I am sure there will be no local white rice in the market as we already have issues of shortages of local white rice,” he said.
Akmal said the government should focus on improving local rice instead of benefiting the cartels and burdening the people.
The Madani rice idea was recently floated by Syed Abu, one of six MPs from Bersatu who had bucked his party’s stand to declare support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s government.
Syed Abu, who has been appointed chairman of the Task Force (Food Cluster) in the National Cost of Living Action Council (NACCOL), said that the government will introduce a single category for white rice to replace local and imported white rice in the domestic market to be known as Malaysian Madani White Rice.
He added that the government will also set a ceiling price for white rice at RM30 for 10kg of rice, RM15.50 for 5kg, and RM3.50 for 1kg packs.
The NACCOL is scheduled to meet and decide on rice price controls this week, Anwar told reporters on February 16.
Malaysia grows rice but production is insufficient to meet domestic demand and has been affected by the global rice shortage after India, the world’s largest producer, limited its rice exports since July 2023.


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Michigan: Protect this anti-animal cruelty law!
Don't let lawmakers betray farmed animals
In 2009, Michigan lawmakers passed historic legislation requiring meat and egg producers to eliminate the cruel confinement of mother pigs, egg-laying hens, and baby cows.
Over 200 major food and supermarket brands (like Kroger) have put policies in place to phase out this regressive practice from their supply chains.
However, Michigan’s landmark law is now in jeopardy, as factory farm lobbyists are urging lawmakers to weaken or reverse it.
If these lobbyists succeed, millions of animals will suffer in abusive cages indefinitely.
Tell Michigan lawmakers to protect or strengthen this crucial law.
Join us in ending this needless attack on farmed animals.


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F13 Works Is Creating a Powerful Way for New Brands to Scale
It’s thrilling when a startup has an idea so powerful that it influences a shift in a $400 billion industry. That’s the vision behind F13 Works, an e-commerce distribution business that connects product companies to influential online stores.
With a robust, intelligent technology that grows smarter with every transaction, F13 Works provides a plug-and-play channel that helps increase online sales for both brands and online stores.
“We are building the future of commerce by giving brands and online retailers a reach that they otherwise wouldn’t have and helping make e-commerce a natural part of everyday life,” said Chris Sentz, F13 Works CEO.
“Columbus is amazing from a retail perspective,” he said. “This place has such an intelligent business-based retail community. From my board members to mentors, it’s a wonderful place to gain industry perspective and influence.”
F13 Works provides a new way for brands and online stores to grow.
With growth rates that are as much as seven percent higher than the retail sector as a whole, online channels have produced most of the gains in retailer revenue for the last five or so years.
Convenience, price, and the ability to buy products from different brands at the same site are three of the top reasons consumers like to shop online. That third preference represents an excellent opportunity for e-commerce sites who have a loyal audience who could buy more. But it’s a challenge for these sites to identify, much less vet and signup new brands or lines that are complementary to the products they already sell.
“As online evolves,” Sentz said, “we have e-commerce retailers who are great at marketing, getting traffic, and building brands. They are always looking for new products and suppliers. They want to integrate new product categories into their sites, but there’s no easy way to do that, especially without taking inventory. F13 Works is the bridge between these online retailers and new brands.”
Brands have the problem in reverse. “Let’s say you make bath bombs,” Sentz said. “It’s fairly easy to put up your own site and to sell on Amazon or eBay, but what about the other hundreds of online sites that sell bath bombs and other products to audiences that might also buy bath bombs? If you could find them, wouldn’t you want them selling your product, too?”
With F13 Works, brands upload their product listings, and they are connected to the startup’s e-commerce distribution network that, in less than two years, already reaches more than 300,000 online stores that influence millions of customers every day.
Using intelligent analytics to predict buyer behavior.
“As an example of how we work,” Sentz said, “We are currently working with a brand of male products that is really high quality at a reasonable price. It fits into the market between Old Spice and Kiehl’s. We want to match them with influential stores that are already reaching the male audience. It’s a powerful way for a new brand to get to market.”
Sentz says that F13 Works is working to scale to thousands of shops. “The more traffic our proprietary intelligence sees, the smarter it gets,” he said.
“If a brand is able to scale up, we can get them into online shops and seeing orders in four to seven business days,” said Sentz. F13 Works has developed an efficient and repeatable vetting process and in this early stage chooses to focus on domestic suppliers to better ensure quality.
“We are having explosive growth but always shifting through what is real and what is not,” said Sentz, who has been involved in multiple startups as well as traditional companies.
“We try to make sure that we are doing things the way they should be done,” he said. “Our initial business plan was one way. We expected the market to act as our first five customers acted, but then we realized there was a much larger market that we could reach. We help brands and online stores achieve sales by giving them a plug-and-play reach they wouldn’t have had. That’s empowering.”