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Fiat Chrysler’s Jeep brand has gained a lot of success in China– a nation that has experienced a sharp boost in the number of cars on public roads during the last 10-15 years. Much like in the United States and Canada, Jeep’s popularity in China has inspired many to adopt the Jeep way of life by starting Jeep clubs, customizing their automobiles and going off-roading.
A new SEMA report looked into the growing Jeep pattern in China. The association spoke with Qian Guohui, a Chinese local who purchased a Compass in 2010 before upgrading to the more heavy duty Wrangler JK so he might go off-roading. In Guohui words, he’s a real “devoted Jeep fan.”
Guohi has upgraded the Jeep Wrangler with brighter Quadratech IPF off-road headlights, Cooper 285 off-road tires and an ARB rear bumper. As per Guohi, Chinese Jeep owners enjoy modifying their vehicles in the same way that American Jeep purchasers are, with American brand aftermarket parts attracting them particularly.
As per SEMA data, the Wrangler is among the most regularly customized automobiles in China. There are Wrangler owners clubs, one of which Guohui comes from, and nearly every Wrangler owner is looking to customize or upgrade their vehicle in some way. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) sells both the two-door Wrangler and four-door Wrangler Unlimited in China, in addition to the all-new Compass, the Renegade, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee.
As China’s middle class continues to increase, so will the marketplace for mid-range cars such as those offered by Jeep. The brand had a sales surge of 93% in the first 9 months of 2016 and with the introduction of the regionally produced Compass late in 2016, 2017 ought to be a similarly as strong sales year for the brand in the region.


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Power utilities across North America have been responding quickly to the COVID-19 outbreak, with many issuing both internal and external statements expressing support for customers, and suspending service cut-offs to minimise the rapidly-changing effects of the virus.
In California, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has announced the cessation of any cut-offs to residential and commercial customers, and is activating its pandemic plans.
A release issued by the utility states: “PG&E’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is focused on efforts to protect the health and safety of its customers, employees, contractors and the communities it serves. Actions the company has taken include providing guidance for employees who have direct customer contact to take social distancing precautionary measures, such as avoiding handshakes and wearing disposable nitrile gloves while in customers’ homes,”
In Canada, Alectra Utilities, based in Mississauga, Ontario, has issued a release noting “Recognizing the economic uncertainty for customers across the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area associated with the COVID-19 outbreak, Alectra will work with customers to provide flexible payment terms and will not disconnect customers during this time of uncertainty.”
CEO Brian Bentz assured customers “…we are focused on meeting their needs, and the needs of the communities we are operating in,” adding “We are closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds and will continue to take all necessary precautionary measures to ensure the safety of our customers, employees and the public.”
Alectra has initiated detailed pandemic plans to ensure the health, safety and physical well-being of customers, employees and the public, including closing payment drop boxes, restricting visitor access to facilities, as well as further internal hygiene steps such as frequent cleaning and social distancing, including work-from-home procedures for employees.
In Texas, Fox News 7 Austin reported the City of Austin Utility’s plan to discontinue any cut-offs in supply for commercial or residential suppliers.
In Illinois, Ameren has also assured customers of service and is also suspending disconnections.
“The COVID-19 pandemic may result in lost income for some of our customers, particularly the most vulnerable. We want all of our customers to have peace of mind that they will have energy service as we navigate through this unprecedented situation,” said chairman and president Richard J. Mark in a recent press release.
One the North America’s largest utilities, Xcel Energy, which serves consumers across eight US states also joined the move to ensure continued power supply, with CEO Ben Fowke saying: “The energy grid is a key part of our nation’s critical infrastructure, and we take our responsibility to our customers and our employees very seriously,” adding “Our customer care representatives will be ready to help if you have questions or requests for service. We also have easy-to-use tools so you have quick access to many of our services. Our automated phone system, mobile app and website make it easy to report power outages or take care of other business.”
Xcel further assured its customers and stakeholders that constant contact had been established with local and federal authorities to ensure rapid response to any developments, along with staffing revisions to ensure customer service is maintained.
A recent update from the Edison Electric Insitute noted ” Electric companies have a strong track record of preparing for many kinds of emergencies that could impact their ability to generate and/or deliver electricity to their customers and the communities they serve” however, they warn, that the sector could still be facing as much as 40% of its workforce either working remotely, sick or nursing loved-ones in the weeks and months to come.

domain: news


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Word of Mouth: What's trending in oral care
by Publication repost, on Nov 07, 2019
It is the latter attribute, however, that has witnessed a dulling of late as consumers seem to be slowing down their use at-home products that promise whiter smiles without dentist intervention. According to data from Information Resources, sales of tooth bleaching and whitening products such as strips fell 4.2% to $282.2 million during the past year.
In contrast, toothpaste sales overall rose 2.5%, and SKUs that offer brightening benefits fared well in the market too, an indication that having a bright white smile still matters.
Pain relief appears to be another main issue, as shoppers spent more money on treatments to dull tooth pain than in the previous year. According to IRI, oral pain relief sales jumped 5.5%, and toothpaste products that addressed sensitivity posted gains as well. For example, several Sensodyne toothpaste SKUs recorded gains over the past year, which is one reason why GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is the No. 3 manufacturer in the toothpaste category overall, trailing leader Procter & Gamble and Colgate (No. 2).
The major players continue to up their game when it comes to toothpaste formulations that deliver multiple benefits.
Last month, GSK rolled out Sensodyne Rapid Relief Whitening, a toothpaste that helps “beat” sensitivity in as little as three days with twice daily brushing, while also helping to whiten teeth by gently lifting stains and preventing new stains from forming. According to GSK, the formulation has been engineered to address sensitivity pain by quickly creating a protective barrier over the sensitive areas of teeth to keep outside triggers from reaching the nerves. According to GSK, sensitivity pain occurs when dentin, the softer inner layer of the tooth, becomes exposed revealing small canals known as tubules. Consuming hot or cold food and drinks can trigger the nerves inside the teeth when they reach the exposed dentin tubules, resulting in pain. Similar to Sensodyne Rapid Relief, which launched in the US last year, this new whitening formula also includes stannous fluoride that starts to form a gel-like scaffold over exposed dentin tubules, according to the firm.
“At GSK, we pride ourselves in creating multi-action products that hit on all consumers’ oral care needs,” Adam Sisson, head of oral health research and development at GSK Consumer Healthcare, said in a press statement. “With the success of Sensodyne Rapid Relief, the team worked to ensure sensitivity sufferers who need fast relief, but want to maintain a white smile, have a product that works for them.”
Earlier this year, Procter & Gamble’s leading Crest brand expanded its line with Crest Gum and Sensitivity, which targets the gum line to provide healthier gums and provides fast sensitivity relief. This formulation, which hit retailers in June, also contains stannous fluoride and targets the gum line to help neutralize plaque bacteria.
While the marketplace is dominated by big brands like Crest, Sensodyne and Colgate, smaller players also actively pursue periodontal consumers with their own formulations. For example, there’s New Orleans-based Theodent, which contends it has clinicals to prove its products provide relief better than market leaders thanks to Rennou, an active ingredient comprised of theobromine, calcium and phosphate.
“The ratio of these three ingredients in our formulation is proprietary and only efficacious in a specific combination,” said Jantzen Hubbard, director of operations and media. According to Hubbard, with Rennou, the theobromine combines with calcium and phosphate to remineralize the surface of teeth.
“Saliva naturally has calcium and phosphate in it, aiding in tooth remineralization. Introducing theobromine into the mix enhances enamel strength through natural remineralization,” he said.
The brand, which has been on the market since 2012, offers two formulations, Theodent Classic and Theodent 300, the latter of which is a clinical strength, professional product with a much higher price point. The formulations have different concentrations of its proprietary ingredient, Rennou, which traces its origins back to the 1980s when Dr. Tetsuo Nakamoto and Dr. Malektaj Yazdani collaborated on research that analyzed the effect of caffeine on pre-natal bone growth.
“Because of their research, we know now that pregnant women shouldn’t ingest caffeine because it stunts the bone development of the growing baby. As that research portfolio grew, variant molecules of caffeine were studied, namely theophylline (found in tea) and theobromine (found in chocolate). The original hypothesis proposed that all members of this molecular family, called methylxanthines, would have a similar effect, being harmful to pre-natal bone growth,” noted Hubbard.
Further research, however, led to an unexpected discovery: theobromine did not have a shrinking effect on enamel crystals; instead it increased enamel crystal size.
According to Hubbard, this previously unknown property in cacao “revealed an ironic truth: a component of chocolate actually enhances enamel strength.”
In the mid 2000s, Dr. Arman Sadeghpour looked at Nakamoto’s research in a new light; he applied a neural network analysis of enamel hardness responses to both theobromine and fluoride. He found that the theobromine treatment produced harder enamel than a similar treatment of fluoride.
Sadeghpour, Nakamoto and Joseph Fuselier together founded Theodent in 2007, and five years later launched its first toothpaste. Today, the brand can be found in places like Whole Foods, and Theodent’s true point of differentiation is the science that backs up its claims, according to Hubbard.
“We have quite a lot of research dating back to the early 1980s. Our big clinical trial conducted at the University of Texas San Antonio Health Sciences Center was conducted using Theodent Classic, which out-performed prescription strength Sensodyne NuPro5000 and Colgate in remineralization and hypersensitivity reduction,” he told Happi.
Ingredients and Ideas
Elsewhere in the oral care category, the NPD pipeline is filled with new, more naturally-focused ingredients and flavor profiles designed to pique consumer’s fancy.
Last month, indie oral care company Hello Products released its new collection with hemp seed oil. The on-trend range includes Hemp Seed Oil + Coconut Oil Extra Moisturizing Mouthwash, Hemp Seed Oil + Coconut Oil Extra Freshening Fluoride Free Toothpaste, Hemp Seed Oil + Coconut Oil Extra Freshening Fluoride toothpaste, and Hemp Seed Oil + Coconut Oil Infused floss, which is non-GMO, no PFAS, no shred and features natural vegan wax formulated with xylitol.
Another naturals brand, Schmidt’s, has made a foray into child oral care. The company’s new Kids Tooth+Mouth Pastes are plant-powered, fluoride-free formulas that include vitamin E, aloe, coconut oil, and tea tree, and come in three flavor profiles—Watermelon+Strawberry, Mint+Berry and Coconut+Pineapple.
While the latest news from market behemoth Colgate is a new partnership with Sarah Michelle Gellar who will pitch the Colgate Optic White line, the brand’s biggest endeavor is designed to have a more lasting and meaningful impact. Colgate’s “Save Water” Campaign, which commenced in 2016, has by some calculations, led to an estimated 99 billion gallons of water saved.
This September during the UN’s Climate Change Week, Colgate convened leaders in sustainable water for a panel discussion on the cumulative impact that individual action has on water conservation and climate action. In addition, Colgate has been recognized as a “Lead” company by the UN Global Compact—a designation given to companies that represent the highest level of engagement with the compact.
And just as this issue was heading to press, Colgate was set to promote “Imagine a Day Without Water” by partnering with the American Water Works Association and the Value of Water Campaign to further behavior change.
Whether with formulation enhancements, familiar faces or forward-thinking initiatives, leading marketers make sure their oral care brands stay on the tip of consumers’ tongues.
THE LEBERMUTH DIFFERENCE
Since 1908, The Lebermuth Company has been a leader in the mint essential oils, it is our passion. Our knowledge, expertise and capabilities allow us to go beyond just selling or formulating with mint oil, it allows us to create.
Lebermuth offers more than 50 variations of Organic and Conventional Mint Oils, which are also used in our customized mint formulations, flavors and fragrance.


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Before Hitting Pause On HQ2, Amazon Sent a “You’re Welcome” To Area Residents
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Long-time Slashdot reader theodp shares a fresh perspective on how the “pause” announced for building Amazon’s HQ2 headquarters could impact the local community:
Falls Church News-Press
notes that Amazon’s pause announcement came just days after a 12-page glossy mass mailing entitled Capital Region Community Impact Report went out to thousands in the region.
Beginning with a statement from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, the report spelled out “Amazon’s philanthropic commitments in the Capital Region,” including $32M donated to 150+ local organizations in 2021, $990M+ committed to create and preserve 6,245 affordable housing units. 13,700 people supported by Amazon-funded affordable housing investments and 23,000 students who received food, clothing, school supplies, hygiene items and other urgent support through Amazon’s Right Now Needs Fund.
According to the report, the commitments also included benefits to 75,000+ students across 343 schools who received computer science education through the Amazon Future Engineer program, to 166,000+ students who participated in the CodeVA K-12 CS education program during the 2021-22 academic year, the 5.3 million free meals delivered to underserved families in partnership with Northern Virginia food banks, 10,000 meals purchased from local restaurants and donated to support Covid-19 first responders, $350,000 contributed to local community theaters and arts-focused non-profits, to 6,000 students who explored cloud computing solutions at the Wakefield H.S. Think Big in the 2021-22 academic year, the 200,000 children and families from underserved communities who received free access to the National Children’s Museum through a $250,000 gift from Amazon, and the 16,700+ students served by Amazon’s support for local youth sports leagues.
Not to look an Amazon philanthropy gift horse in the mouth, but should politicians be reliant on Amazon philanthropy to meet their communities’ basic needs? Amazon’s 2022 income taxes, by the way, were -$3.217B.


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Bank poised for Hong Kong float
STANDARD Chartered is to push ahead with plans for a Hong Kong listing, despite the recent plunge in Asian stocks. Details are expected before the end of the month following the approval of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
The issue, postponed last year in the post-11 September fallout, is expected to raise between £350m and £500m for the bank to expand in what it sees as a key growth area.
The London-listed bank is exploring ways to avoid diluting existing shareholders. Goldman Sachs and Cazenove plan to launch the sale on 21 October. The price is expected to be at a modest discount to the London-listed shares.
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Oh boy, time to put on our microeconomic hats (which we never get to wear, and it makes us sad) to explain why it is, exactly, that people who don’t show up for their reservations are so infuriating to chefs. (So infuriationg, that restaurants have resorted to publicly shaming their guests via Twitter.) A recent study from the Wharton School of Economics shows that customers who blow off reservations end up hurting a restaurant’s bottom line. The UPenn smarties even came up with a model that shows the severity of the damage done by inconsiderate, no-show dicks.
What it all comes down to is the concept of perceived value — here, the cost of the meal from the consumer’s perspective versus the restaurant’s. When a reservation is made, customers commit at that moment to spending money to eat at a restaurant — but only because they feel like doing so at that moment. But, “as far as the restaurant is concerned,” write the folks at Knowledge@Wharton, “the meal or meals have already been sold and managers will adjust their staffing and supply levels accordingly.”
They go on to explain that the restaurant industry’s attempts at solving this conundrum, such as charging $50 for a no-show at, say, Le Bernardin, or resorting to public Twitter shame like Red Medicine famously employed, aren’t going to work. Using theoretical models, the study’s authors, Xuanming Su and Jaelynn Oh, proposed a system that “involves both punishing customers who break their reservations and rewarding those who keep them.” For instance, Le Bernardin shouldn’t just charge $50 for a no-show — they should just charge the entire cost of the tasting course dinner, in order to maximize profits and punish people who don’t keep their word.
How can smaller restaurants where guest’s spending habits fluctuate wildly deal with no-shows? Don’t take reservations at all, the authors suggest, or create a hybrid model that keeps tables open for both reservations and walk-ins (which sounds like the model currently being used at every restaurant we’ve ever heard of.)
The entire study can be found here — so restaurateurs, start plotting your Excel spreadsheets. (We know you love Excel, don’t lie.)
Have a tip we should know? email@example.com


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TAG Heuer, a Swiss watchmaker owned by LVMH, and online marketplace Shopify now accept crypto payments, which is a huge step forward for crypto adoption.
The announcement comes only days after Gucci, the luxury brand, began accepting cryptocurrency payments in the United States.
In the United States, there is a growing interest among brands and shops in embracing bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Several additional businesses, including AMC Theatres and Starbucks, accept cryptocurrency in some manner.
TAG Heuer, a Swiss luxury watchmaker, has joined with BitPay to accept cryptocurrency payments for online sales in the United States, according to a news statement. TAG Heuer will accept cryptocurrency payments up to $10,000 per transaction, with no minimum amount.
Customers can use 12 cryptocurrencies to purchase timepieces and accessories. Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Shiba Inu are some of them (SHIB). BUSD, USDC, DAI, GUSD, and USDP are among the five stablecoins accepted.
TAG Heuer CEO Frederic Arnault stated that the company has been closely watching cryptocurrency developments since Bitcoin first began trading. TAG Heuer, as an avant-garde watchmaker with a pioneering attitude, realized that despite the swings, they would adopt what promised to be a globally integrated technology in the near future, one that would profoundly impact their business and beyond.
Surprisingly, Shopify’s move into crypto for payments has the potential to accelerate cryptocurrency acceptance. Shopify has joined with Crypto.com Pay to allow businesses to accept payments in over 20 cryptocurrencies. Strike, Coinbase Commerce, and BitPay are all options for accepting cryptocurrency through Shopify.
As a result, with an increasing number of customers regularly using or earning digital currencies, brands and retailers want to lead the e-commerce and retail spaces through the coming transformation.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have plummeted from their all-time highs. As a result, “Buy-the-Dip” chances are now available to investors. Acceptance of cryptocurrencies marks the beginning of the Web3 ecosystem’s shift. Many brands have even made their way into the metaverse.
© 2015-2023 Coinposters. All rights reserved!


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This month’s stories illustrate that the automotive industry is undergoing one of the most challenging periods in its history. The US’ electrification timeline is complicated by the enduring relevance of the internal combustion engine, global supply chain turbulence persists, and the collapse of GM-backed Wejo highlights that connected vehicle data is not inherently the new oil.
However, sustainability has never been a higher priority. Mercedes-Benz is convinced that there is a strong business case for integrating the circular economy, prompting the development of a dedicated battery recycling facility in Kuppenheim, Germany. Renault is exploring a similar approach: Philippe Bahuaud, Chief Executive of the automaker’s The Future is Neutral brand, is aiming to achieve a turnover of €2.3bn by 2030 through circularity. Meanwhile, BMW’s quest to transition half of its global production to battery electric by the start of the next decade is taking it to Mexico, where its sunny San Luis Potosi facility is set to drive battery production using 100% solar power.
In this issue:
- Sustainability sells: spotlight on Mercedes
- Daimler taps post-scandal Hino in scale pursuit
- Low carbon concerns extend to websites
- Where does Mexico fit in BMW’s EV vision?
- The modular Blanc Robot: a recipe for commercial AV success?
- Solar tonneau covers could lower grid dependency for pick-ups
- Night-time operations are essential for robotaxis’ future
- Industry turbulence: how can automakers weather the storm?
- ‘When’ and ‘how’ of truck electrification hotly debated
- Canada wins EV production with green energy, skilled workers
- What’s holding back circularity in the tyre industry?
- Will co-creation hubs accelerate tech innovation?
- What does Wejo’s collapse mean for vehicle data brokerage?
- Renault’s circular economy brand targets €2.3bn turnover
- The death of the internal combustion engine has been delayed


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Revealed: All the winners from the glittering Norfolk Business Awards
PUBLISHED: 00:01 22 November 2019 | UPDATED: 23:43 22 November 2019
Simon Finlay Photography
The best of Norfolk business has been celebrated at the county’s premier awards ceremony.
The Norfolk Business Awards, organised by the Eastern Daily Press, were presented at the Norfolk Showground Arena on Thursday evening and Angling Direct - Britain's biggest specialist fishing retailer - landed the Outstanding Achievement Award sponsored by the Norwich Research Park.
The company - founded in Wroxham in 1986 - won the award in recognition of a period of sustained growth which has seen it register a like-for-like sales spike of 13pc and a total of 31 stores across the UK.
The award winners were:
- The Customer Care award sponsored by Greater Anglia: Holkham
- The Tech Innovator award sponsored by Computer Service Centre: Solder
- Small and Medium Business award sponsored by Archant: Indigo Swan
- Large Business award sponsored by City College Norwich: East Anglian Air Ambulance
- Knowledge Pioneer award sponsored by the University of East Anglia: Cornwall Insight
- Breaking Boundaries award sponsored by Lovewell Blake: Leaf Expression Systems.
- Investing in Future Growth award sponsored by Lovell: Richardsons Leisure
- Best employer award sponsored by Pure and Birketts: MHA Larking Gowen
- Director of the Year sponsored by Dipples: Carole Osborne of bourne.
- Business of the Year sponsored by Barclays: Richardsons Leisure
The awards were hosted by television and film star James Nesbitt, who entertained guests after dinner before revealing the winners.
In total, 11 awards were handed out to the cream of Norfolk's business community in front of more than 500 guests.
Guests were welcomed by Richard Porritt, the EDP's business editor, who focussed on the theme of the 2019 awards which was 'changing lives' and also urged Norfolk's business community to shout louder about its successes.
"We are living through a time of political turmoil," he said. "A period that has made simply existing in business very tough. So the fact that you are all here and are bravely innovating, experimenting and ultimately succeeding is something we really must shout about.
"A lot of your businesses have changed and that can be very painful. But it also offers opportunity. It offers a chance for growth and progress.
"And being adaptable is something we will all have to embrace in the coming months and years as we begin to fully understand the impact and opportunities of leaving the EU.
"It is time to sling your modesty in the bin Norfolk - it is time to flex our muscles and scream about the incredible opportunities in the East and the awe-inspiring work we are doing right here, right now. We need to fight for that investment, fight for the chance to do even better than we already are."
Money was also raised by guests for the nominated charity for 2019, Norfolk cancer charity Big C. A special winners supplement will be printed in next Wednesday's EDP.
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Eastern Daily Press. Click the link in the yellow box below for details.


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SEOUL, April 4 (Korea Bizwire) – Chinese travelers’ preference for South Korea plunged over the past year, a survey showed Tuesday, apparently from the tension between the two countries over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system.
A poll by Ctrip, a leading online travel services agency in China, ranked South Korea 16th in the list of favored destinations by Chinese travelers, a big fall from third place last year.
Japan, Thailand and the United States were the most preferred countries. England, France, Italy and New Zealand joined the top 10.
South Korea decided to host the U.S. anti-missile shield Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD for short, on its soil despite China’s fierce opposition. Relations between them have since deteriorated as China launched retaliatory measures by turning back imports from South Korea, ordering the suspension of South Korean businesses in China, and canceling cultural and entertainment events.
As of March 15, Beijing banned travel agencies from arranging group package tours to South Korea.
Such retributions have severely hurt South Korea’s tourism and services industries that have grown reliant on big Chinese spenders. The Ctrip survey said 50 percent of the respondents expected to spend more than 10 percent of their income on travel. Fifty-seven percent answered they have set aside over 10 percent of their earnings for trips scheduled for the year.
Factors considered in selecting tour destinations included safety, the highest at 31 percent, reflecting growing concerns over terrorist attacks. Environment came next at 25 percent, followed by 15 percent who cared about people’s friendliness toward the Chinese.
Quality of offered services (33 percent), credibility of the travel agency (24 percent), and price (18 percent) mattered when choosing the agency and tour programs, the survey showed.
Preference for free travel over package tours, 59 percent to 30 percent, indicated that Chinese trip makers have built up enough experience and information to arrange their own trips.
“It appears that the focus should be on free travel or tailored travel programs rather than group packages when it comes to attracting Chinese tourists,” an official at the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency’s office in Chengdu, China, said. “We would also need to be attentive to safety issues, environment and cost effectiveness.”


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It’s undeniable, 2020 really has been a tough year for everyone – but in recent weeks, there have also been lots of positives when it comes to our collective health and wellbeing…
It seems many of us have used the opportunity of the lockdown to concentrate on our eating habits and fitness, which is so refreshing to hear. There have been so many changes, worries and pressures on everyone’s time that getting through has been an achievement in itself, but it’s so heartening to see so many people using the time to incorporate some healthy habits into their day!
Sport England has reported an increase in the number of people taking up regular walking, cycling, or exercising at home in a bid to keep themselves healthy – and 60% of people intend to keep up their new active routine as lockdown continues to ease1. 🚴♀🚶♀
Meanwhile, department store John Lewis revealed in the first few weeks of lockdown there had been a 315% increase in yoga and Pilates equipment sales, 496% more gym equipment purchased, and even a rise in skincare sales (183%) as UK consumers looked to take more care of themselves2 – amazing! 🙌
Flour sales were reportedly up 93% as people turned to home baking3 – and there were certainly fewer options when it came to fast food and takeaways. Many small farms, including ones in the Midlands, were reporting demand rocketing as families opted to eat locally-produced fruit and vegetables4; and social media was full of pictures of people trying new recipes.
But how do we keep up the momentum as lockdown eases and the ‘new normal’ begins? We’ve asked the Paycare team for their best healthy living tips and here are a few of our favourites:
- Make achievable goals – it’s so hard to stick to a huge goal like running a marathon, but if you break it down into smaller goals (like running a 5k or a 10k by a certain date), it’s much easier to stick to ✅
- Nail your sleeping routine – sleep is such an integral part of health that is sometimes overlooked – ensuring you get enough hours of sleep can provide huge benefits to both your physical and mental health. Check out our most recent blog, ‘Sleeping Well During Uncertainty’ for more sleeping tips! 💤
- Make it fun – creating your own mini-allotment, exercising with a friend, or getting the whole family involved in a healthy cooking competition can stop you from feeling bored with your new routine! 😃
- Congratulate yourself – sometimes we focus too much on how far we’ve got left to go rather than how far we’ve come and what we’ve achieved. Make sure you reflect on your progress along the way and remember how well you’ve adapted and adjusted to unprecedented changes. You’re amazing! 👏
It’s so important to focus on the positives regularly, practising self-love, appreciation and gratitude. Now more than ever, let’s continue to adopt and implement healthy, and happy habits in our lives – whether that’s a bit of self-care and pampering here, or making simple changes to our eating and fitness there 😊
Our physical and mental health and wellbeing should always be a priority, especially during 2020. Take care and remember to #PayCAREforyourself… 🧡


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Google has released an Android app to help you shorten URLs and provide insight as to who is clicking your links.
The company that first brought the public instant film photography has a low-cost action camera that's about capturing everyday moments, not extreme experiences.
Holders of verified Twitter accounts can register for URLs beginning Friday, while nonverified accounts will have to wait until December 23.
Because who doesn't want their very own custom Google+ URL?
Previously available just for brands and businesses, the vanity URLs will now be an option for all Google+ users who fit certain minimal criteria.
The president's social media accounts temporarily directed people who clicked on compromised links to a video titled "Syria facing terrorism."
Life is tough if you're a new iPhone. A torture test goes into cold territory and follows it up with a blow from a sledgehammer.
The streaming service is amping up its own original content with its programming slate so far, finding visitors spend more time when they have more than just slick music videos to dive into.
The search engine's Transparency Report shows that takedown requests for piracy and copyright infringing URLs are increasing at a breakneck pace.
Not to be left behind in the supertelephoto zoom department, Sigma literally one-ups one of its main rivals with the announcement of two different 150-600mm zoom designs.


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Not long ago I observed that the technology industry is rapidly consolidating. I noted that consolidation-to-oligarchy is a multi-industry phenomenon: “six companies control nearly the entire mixed-media industry. Four airlines control 80% of the market. Five banks control 50% of the industry. Ten companies control most of the world’s food supply.”
The technology industry is already consolidated. Most Internet ad revenue belongs to a couple of companies – Google and Facebook – and retail essentially belongs to Amazon (which also owns an increasing percentage of the cloud computing market). Access to the Internet is in the hands of five companies (Comcast, AT&T, Time Warner, Verizon and CenturyLink), and the lion’s share of the world’s computer chips are made by Intel and Samsung. How by anyone’s definition is this not digital oligarchy?
The oligarchs maintain their kingdoms by sometimes fighting among themselves but more purposely through aggressive investment and acquisition strategies designed to control the technologies they control. Corporate venture capital has exploded over the past five years which provides seed stage funding for companies that eventually might challenge incumbents. A perfect oligarchic storm? You bet.
The government has helped the oligarchs by upending net neutrality regulations and by “de-classifying” web browser data the oligarchs can further monetize. Tax subsidies are also often used to lure companies to locations where they might employ lots of people. But these subsidies tend to go to the larger digital companies (like the recent Foxconn deal, where the state of Wisconsin will provide $3B in tax breaks to the Taiwanese company).
Regulators are always looking to see if antitrust lines have been crossed. Trends forecasters are always looking at future states: have we already arrived? Should we care?
There are implications of digital oligarchies. The first refers to consumers – both personal and business – that are at the pricing mercy of the oligarchs – especially when an oligarch-friendly government is in control. Privacy is also at risk. Since digital performance is often about big data, regulations about what’s fair game are critical to profitability. But innovation is the largest casualty of digital oligarchies.
Entrepreneurs who live in oligarchies set their sights accordingly. Are there lots of entrepreneurs out there right now who believe they can displace Amazon, Google or the Facebook family? No, more than likely they target acquisitions by the oligarchs as their preferred exit strategies. In fact, CBInsights reports that the oligarchs are, for example, the most active acquirers of AI start-up and early stage companies: “corporate giants like Google, IBM, Yahoo, Intel, Apple, and Salesforce are competing in the race to acquire private AI companies, with Ford, Samsung, GE, and Uber emerging as new entrants.” Venture capitalists – never keen on waiting around for a company to find its way – love acquisitive oligarchs. Entrepreneurs and their investors try to insert themselves into the technology roadmaps of the oligarchs seducing them with shortened time lines and even greater market share – if only they acquire the entrepreneur’s patents and team. While all this is clever and lucrative, it alters the innovation quotient. Instead of building companies that can rule the world, entrepreneurs develop technologies to help others rule the world. Said a little differently, they’re driven by someone else’s dream.
The rise of corporate venture capital and overt government help have accelerated the formation of oligarchies in the key digital areas. Let’s also not discount the moat effect, as Warren Buffett likes to describe it: big gets bigger.
Regulation always lags digital best practices. We need to decide what industry structure we want based on models that simulate the effects of oligarchies, monopolies and purely competitive markets on consumers, companies, privacy, pricing and especially innovation. But we have to move fast: the market is closing faster than anyone dreamed it would.


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Indocean Developers, promoter of the rapidly-rising Altair twin tower in Colombo, was among 138 top notch exhibitors from 37 countries at the Luxury Property Showcase (LPS) in Shanghai recently.
Considered one of the best showcases in the global properties sphere, the LPS invites the cream of high net worth investors, property funds and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) looking for attractive investments around the world.
“The recently proposed investment incentives linked to Residency Vissa generated a significant level of new interest in Sri Lanka as a location for investment,” Altair Director Pradeep Moraes said. “This was the second occasion that we participated in a forum of this nature in China, and the results were quite encouraging.”
Altair’s Head of Sales and Marketing Jay Dias also addressed an Investor Forum that was part of the LPS programme.
Now constructing its 42nd storey, Altair, designed by the global architectural celebrity Moshe Safdie, will on completion comprise a distinguishing 63-storey ‘leaning’ tower and a taller 68-storey vertical tower. It will have 400 luxury apartments that offer spectacular views of the Beira Lake, the Indian Ocean and the city of Colombo. Intended to be a one-of-its-kind development in South Asia in terms of architectural design, structural engineering, and living experience, Altair’s 1.5 million square feet of high-end eco-friendly living space will be supported by 40,000 square feet of supportive up-market retail space.


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Privateer Press has launched their holiday sale over in their webshop. If you'd like to go and get your minis for a lot cheaper than usual, now's your chance.
They have special Holiday Bundles on various faction forces, which includes some extra dice as well as one of their pins. Also available, while supplies last, are their convention exclusive minis. So if you missed out getting one of those at any of the shows this past year, you can have another chance now. Lots of other products have been discounted as well.


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Cyber Monday hit a record-setting $6.6B in revenue. That was an increase of 17% year-over-year. The momentum began with Black Friday and continued through the week of Cyber Monday with no signs of a slow down.
Domain investors using Above’s Maximizer Advertising Channel reaped the benefits as direct advertisers bid aggressively for direct navigation traffic from Above.
What led to some individual domains and even entire portfolios making as much as 400% more than what they made during last year’s Cyber Week?
- Record-setting $6.6B being spent on Cyber Monday.
- Increased payout rates from Maximizer.
- Strong demand for traffic from direct advertisers due to our long-standing reputation for quality.
There is still time to get in on these massive payouts! Experts predict historical holiday season spending will continue as daily online sales will hit the $2b mark at least 10 more times this year. (source: adobe news)
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Don’t miss this outstanding revenue opportunity!


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On April 24, consumers will be able to buy it online or by appointment in shops including trendy fashion boutiques in Paris, London and Tokyo.
If you are rushing for high yielding fixed deposits when rates are trending downloads, think twice.
The Centre has pushed for tax sops to reduce the cost of credit, debit and online payments. The plan will be implemented gradually after June 29.
The S&P BSE Sensex plunged as much as 315 points in trade on Monday, after Greece voted 'No' to harsh bailout conditions.
The company, which achieved a turnover of Rs 2,750 crore in 2014-15 is targeting to double it in the ongoing financial year.
Reportedly spending the bulk of one’s salary on e-shopping has already given birth to a sunrise industry: online shopping de-addiction and counselling programmes.
On-demand electronics services startup HandyHome has raised Rs 4 crore in seed funding from Bessemer Ventures and Kae Capital.
Sales of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S6 smartphones reached 6 mn units at end-April, less than a month after its launch, research firm Counterpoint said.


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Stephanie McClain is a NYC-based writer and fashion stylist. She has been plant-based for nearly two years. Her hobbies include vintage shopping, hiking and hanging out with her rescue cat Silky.
Starbucks, Dunkin’, and Peet’s Join the Oat Milk Revolution
Both Starbucks and Dunkin' recently announced that they would be adding oat milk to their menu, with Starbucks' launching in 1,300 participating stores throughout the midwest. Dunkin' is rolling out oat milk at participating California stores...
Panera to Unveil New Menu Items in an Effort to be 50 Percent Plant-Based by 2021
Panera Bread restaurants across the US are committing to a new menu that is fifty percent plant-based, up from their current offerings which sit at around a quarter of the menu, Business Insider reports.


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Turning the whole world into an interactive billboard with AR
Augmented reality campaigns are taking off internationally with progressive brands using the technology to turn every available surface into a virtual billboard.
As cellphone manufacturers plough money into AR capability, local brands should be looking to do the same.
Tech and media companies have invested more than $7 billion into virtual and augmented realities since 2010 in both acquisitions and stakes in VR- or AR-related startups. Apple and Samsung have been strong contenders with eight acquisitions from Apple and nine investments from Samsung.
Apple has also quietly been assembling a heavy-hittingAR team, including engineers who have worked on Facebook’s Oculus Rift and Microsoft’s HoloLens projects. Samsung, meanwhile has also acknowledged that AR will be where it focuses its attention in the near future.
The power of AR is all around us
The beauty of AR for brands is that it can turn the device in people’s hands into an interactive platform which bridges the online and the offline worlds.
In December 2016, Covent Gardens in London, turned their entire venue into a giant AR shopping destination. Working with visual discovery app, Blippar, the shopping district used AR to create a digital journey for shoppers.
Using the free Blippar download, visitors could unlock prizes as they took part in a digital treasure hunt. More practically, each of the 140 participating stores allowed shoppers to discover possible holiday gifts with bespoke beauty and fashion guides.
By superimposing the digital world over the real one, shoppers increased the time spent at the destination and created a fun environment for the whole family.
The best outdoor opportunities right on our doorstep
For local retailers, this sort of innovation could provide real opportunity. Traditional outdoor advertising has not undergone significant improvements over the years. Even the digital advertising billboards are a hard sell for media agencies. Moreover, it’s impossible to assign a measurable return.
Using AR could turn our wealth of beautiful landmarks into brand experiences. Imagine Table Mountain turning into a giant, iconic billboard when viewed through your phone’s screen. Hotels could become interactive buildings, allowing passers by to explore rooms and amenities and, with a clear, ‘book now’ button, be taken directly to an online reservations screen.
Districts such as Newtown would be perfect as an AR experience. Collaboration between retailers, theatres and even smaller vendors would boost foot traffic and sales for the entire precinct collective.
Taxis, which have often relied on advertising as additional revenue, could be used as moving AR billboards including a gamification element to boost the user interaction – the same way Pokémon Go did.
Augmented reality billboard at Canberra Airport invited visitors to pat cheetah, spot whales in Deceber last year. Image: ABC News, Ewan Gilbert
The most important aspect of AR campaigns is the ability to extract valuable data. This includes not only who is viewing the ads, but also their behaviour once inside the app.
Tracking what users are interested in, combined with their details and movements (obviously coupled with a strict opt in proviso) allows companies to shift campaigns and prices on the fly. Agile marketing based on realtime data is one of the main advantages of true experiential marketing.
The opportunity for local companies to launch AR campaigns has never been greater. Smartphone penetration is growing exponentially, allowing for marketing campaigns across a wide range of demographics.
The simplicity of the apps and the relatively low cost of implementation mean even smaller brands could create innovative ways to win and retain new customers. Most importantly it would be measurable and assist in building valuable data for future use.
Dare to create different at European Sign Expo 2017
Co-located with FESPA 2017 and Printeriors, the fifth iteration of European Sign Expo, from 8-12 May at Hamburg Messe, will be 30% bigger than the 2016 event due to unprecedented growth in visitor traffic experienced at the last show.
Leading names from the European sign industry will show the latest developments in equipment, software, signage materials and systems, fittings and fixtures, channel lettering, illuminated signage, dimensional signage, engraving and etching at the event.
Signmakers and signage buyers will also be able to discover the future of the industry through the show's ‘Ask the Experts’ feature, a networking event where visitors and exhibitors can attend daily panel discussions and debate a range of topics focused around digital signage.
To learn more about how a visit to European Sign Expo could benefit your business in 2017, visit: www.europeansignexpo.com. Visitors can get free entry to the exhibition by registering to attend via the website, and quoting reference code: ESEH701.
Johan Walters heads up C2C Labs.
How to decorate hats with anything, anywhere including 3D embellishments
We speak to Andy Rogers, Marketing Director at Stahls' UK & Europe about decorating hats and specifically the 360 IQ hat press at FESPA Global Print Expo 2024 at the RAI in the Netherlands.
How to increase heat transfer efficiency with consistently accurate positioning
We speak to Andy Rogers, Marketing Director at Stahls' UK & Europe about the Pro Place IQ and the technology behind it. Andy shares how the Pro Place IQ projects the image on the screen, down onto the platen.
FESPA Brasil 2024 breaks records and establishes its position in Brasil
FESPA Brasil Digital Printing 2024 established its position as the main digital printing trade show in Brasil and Latin America. The exhibition took place from 11th – 14th March 2024 at the Expo Center Norte, in São Paulo, Brasil. The exhibiton was organised by both APS Eventos and FESPA.
Global audience of decision-makers firm up investment plans at FESPA 2024
FESPA Global Print Expo 2024, European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience and the inaugural Sportswear Pro (19 – 22 March 2024, RAI Amsterdam) attracted a global audience of senior decision-makers prioritising investments for business growth.


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Kylie Jenner not only slays photos and apparel but the business world as well. With the aid of her Kylie product line, she successfully made $18 million last year. Forbes then hailed her as one of the youngest entrepreneurs to be included in its 30 under 30 list this year.
It appears that even in her business dealings, Kylie Jenner faces scrutiny. It was mentioned that Kylie Jenner is presently facing a crisis owing to their faulty website that made irate consumers voice out their complaints.


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UK Moves On Digital Services Tax
London, England: The UK government has announced plans for a 2% digital services tax on the revenues of global tech giants.
The tax will be introduced from 2020 with the aim of collecting £400 million a year in tax revenues.
The levy, which is expected to hit the media giants like Facebook, Apple and Google, has been widely anticipated since the UK Treasury floated the idea of an ‘Amazon Tax’ to target the UK profits of the US e-commerce giant.
The companies targeted are those who generate GBP500 million + (USD650 m) in worldwide revenues annually or in the words of UK Chancellor Philip Hammond, “the revenues of specific business models, designed for established technology giants rather than start-ups.”
The 2% tax will target revenues earned in the UK, regardless of whether or not those companies have a taxable presence there. However, Chancellor Hammond emphasized that the new tax would not be applied to online sales of goods and services, as he believes this would be unfairly passed on to the consumer. As such, it is the UK turnover made on these sales that will be taxed instead.
The decision is no co-incidence on the back of the criticism Facebook received in UK media and political circles last month, for paying £15.7 million of UK corporation tax on revenues of £1.2 billion whilst Amazon’s UK division paid £1.7 million in taxes last year, despite trebling its profits to £72.3 million.
The chancellor added that the government has been working with the OECD and the European Commission to reach an international agreement on a digital tax for large tech companies. But he explained that progress towards consensus had been “painfully slow” and that he “cannot talk forever therefore, we will introduce a UK digital services tax ourselves”.
Seattle’s Rover.com Acquires UK Dog-Sitting Platform
Seattle, WA: Seattle based dog-sitting firm, Rover.com has acquired UK’s DogBuddy – a dog boarding, day care and walking offering similar to its own.
London based DogBuddy was founded in 2013 and it has raised about USD10 million since its then, including a USD5 million series A round last year. Following its acquisition, founder Richard Setterwall will head up Rover’s European division, from London, under the DogBuddy brand.
The acquisition gives Rover access to pet owners in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
UK Fintech Monzo Raises USD110 million
London, England: UK Fintech company, Monzo has raised £85 million (USD 110 million) in a Series E funding round, giving it a valuation of GBP1 billion and making it the third British Fintech to reach Unicorn status this year, following Revolut and OakNorth.
The funding round was led by US investors General Catalysts and Accel with existing backers Passion Capital, Goodwater, Thrive Capital, Orange Digital Ventures and Stripe also participating.
Monzo launched in 2015 and announced last month that it had reached a customer base of 1 million.
The company says it will use the new funding to further expand its reach and develop new features for its mobile banking platform.
Dutch Travel Booking Platform Suspends Operations
Amsterdam, Netherlands: TravelBird, the Dutch website that sells low cost holidays online, has suspended operations and applied for court protection from its creditors.
The company raise more than USD $20 million in funding over the past decade and says it turned its first profit in H1 2018 but that it had been in discussions with investors to raise additional funding, before it ceased trading.
The company has a workforce of 310 and 7 million consumers booked a holiday via TravelBird over the past 8 years.
Electric Scooter Startup Raises $12 million
Berlin, Germany: Unu, a Berlin based electric scooter startup, has raised $12 million in a Series B funding, led by Ponooc, with participation from Capnamic Ventures, IRIS Capital, Michael Baum, and NRW.BANK.
Unu currently promotes its scooters as environmentally friendly, travel and traffic time-savers.
However, company says it is potentially looking to use some of the new funding to tap into the rapidly growing market for e-scooter rentals and scooter sharing services, both in its domestic market and beyond.
Ipsos Buys US Social Media Firm Synthesio
Paris, France: French market research firm Ipsos has acquired, the U.S social listening and audience insight company, Synthesio.
Synthesio’s platform, featured as a leader in the most recent Forrester Wave report on that sector, allows brands to monitor what is being posted about them and their competitors on social media and to discern trends accordingly.
Founded in 1975, Ipsos is a market research and opinion leader, headquartered in Paris, with over 16,000 employees and a presence in 89 countries.
German Smart Home Startup raises $50 million
Munich, Germany: German smart home startup Tado, has secured $50 million in funding from Amazon, E.ON, Total Energy Ventures, Energy Innovation Capital, Inven Capital, the European Investment Bank, and others.
The company – known for its wall-mounted and radiator thermostats – has raised a total of $102 million to date.
Its main smart thermostat products allow consumers to manage their heating and air conditioning via the internet and the company claims its machine learning algorithms, enable its thermostats to save up to 31 percent on heating costs.
The AI engine developed by Tado takes into account when residents are leaving or approaching their home and also incorporate weather forecasts.
The company currently has presence in Austria, Benelux, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the UK, where it has partnered with some 30 European utility providers, including E.ON in the UK, Germany, and Italy and SSE in the UK.
Mobileum Acquires UK Fraud Software Firm
Bristol, UK / Cupertino, CA: Californian firm Mobileum, a provider of analytics-based roaming and risk management, has acquired UK based Evolved Intelligence.
The acquisition serves to enrich Mobileum’s portfolio and strengthen its presence in Europe.
Following the close of the deal, the existing EI platform and architecture will be maintained and developed for further integration with the Mobileum Active Intelligence platform.
Evolved Intelligence, founded in 2017, is a UK based provider of roaming, fraud and security solutions to wireless operators and signalling providers worldwide and has 35 UK based employees.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed.


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With markets closed for 10 days are we going to see some middle of the night FX volatility…?
3M huge cut in pre-market yesterday, now sees FY19 EPS at $9.25-9.75 vs. prev. $10.45-90, Exp. $10.53
Turkey’s hard currency reserves fall despite billions in borrowing. Net foreign currency reserves fell to $26.9bn in the week to April 19, down from $28.7bn in the previous week and Turkish Central Bank removes pledge for further tightening if needed, dragged TRY lower
INR : RBI may join global peers in buying more gold…a new version of QE ?..
US March prelim durable goods orders +2.7% vs +0.8% expected….so much for rumours of weaker data (that said, durable goods orders show weakest yearly gains In 2 years despite MoM rebound, and they will be revised)– we get Q1 GDP today, few months ago expectations were sub 1pct, now back to 2.1%, rumours have it around 2.4%.. US Initial Jobless Claims Apr-20: 230K, surprise weaker though (exp 200K; R prev 193K)
U.S. data remains strong and U.S. rates are ‘’miss-priced’’ because of weakness in Europe and other places, hard not to stay short EURUSD, long USD/Europe
Samsung this week said it intends to spend $116 billion by 2030 in order to beat the likes of Intel, Qualcomm, and TSMC for a lead role in logic chip manufacturing.
ECB's de Guindos keeps door open to more QE 'if needed'
Chinese group sparks oversupply fears in steel market - Concern grows as country’s biggest producer Baoshan suffers profits plunge
Tesla says it won’t be profitable until Q3, and it only has itself to blame
Trump's offshore oil-drilling plan sidelined indefinitely, as Interior Department grapples with recent court decision to block Arctic drilling
USD firmer overall, though USDJPY/CROSSJPY’s weakened (JPN holiday for 1week or so now), USDTRY nearer to 6 on CB comments, AUDUSD retested the Jan lows (pre flash crash), Q1 US GDP today (expected to be strong though), but could trigger another USD buying phase if it comes out closer to 2.5%, FOMC next week
Bonds pretty quiet
Equities initially dragged down by 3M/Dow, though overall held well, any excuse around further USD strength, and perception if PBOC does less to stimulate economy (as mentioned on Monday), EMG (TRY, ARS, ZAR, BRL all getting into levels where further weakness will be noticed), will be key going forward, keep an eye on SHCOMP too for the mood in China
WTI would appear to have stalled $66.50 area, key support $64/65 now


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Apple Watch Outsold The Entire Swiss Watch Industry In 2019The Apple Watch outsold the entire Swiss watch industry in 2019.
Next Apple Watch May Have Cellular DataA year after its debut, the Apple Watch may soon break free from the iPhone. The tech giant is reportedly adding cellular connectivity to the device.
Tag Heuer Partners With Intel, Google For $1,500 SmartwatchA leading Swiss watchmaker and two technology titans have combined forces to produce a computerized wristwatch billed as the "world's smartest luxury watch."
Universities Fear Apple Watch Could Be Used For Cheating, Ban Wearable Tech For FinalsWith Apple and other tech giants releasing smartwatches, universities in Australia have placed bans on the wearable technology, fearing the devices could be used to cheat on final exams.
Initial Apple Watch Inventory Sells Out On First Day Of Online OrderingWithin half an hour, the company appeared to sell out the initial batch of watches that were available for the first official day of shipping on April 24.
3 Reasons The Apple Watch Will (Or Won't) Change The Game For Cupertino Tech GiantThree reasons the Apple Watch will finally move the needle in the smartwatch industry -- and three reasons it might not.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Says ‘Sitting Is The New Cancer,’ Plugs Health Features Of New SmartwatchWhile promoting his company’s upcoming smartwatch, Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook said one of the device's features would remind users to avoid prolonged stretches of sitting.
Performer will.i.am Unveils Smartwatch At San Francisco Dreamforce ConferencePerformer will.i.am unveiled a wearable device that can make calls, email, text, and stream music at the Dreamforce Conference in San Francisco Wednesday.
Apple Expected To Reveal iPhone 6 And 'iWatch'Apple is expected to take the wraps off several new consumer products on Tuesday morning—everything from new iPhones to a possible “ iWatch.”
Will Apple Finally Reveal Its Next Big Thing At Tuesday Event In Cupertino?Apple is poised to reveal its next big thing in a crucial attempt to prove its technological tastemakers still have the power to mesmerize the masses.
Samsung Unveils New Gadgets Ahead of Apple's Anticipated New ProductsSamsung unveiled two smartphones and a virtual-reality headset Wednesday in a bid to draw consumer attention before its fierce rival, Apple, announces its holiday lineup next week.
Apple Posts Biggest Earnings Gain In Nearly 2 YearsApple's growth prospects are looking brighter as anticipation builds for the upcoming release of the next iPhone, a model that is expected to cater to consumers yearning for a bigger screen.
Google Shows Off Android Auto Interface, Wearable Gadgets At I/O Conference Some 1 billion people are now using Android devices, Google said as the company kicked off its two-day developer conference Wednesday in San Francisco.
Larry Magid: Is Samsung’s Smartwatch Ad Misleading?Ads for Samsung's new Galaxy Gear smartwatch feature a host of fictional futuristic characters ranging from George Jetson to Captain Kirk, but they may not accurately portray how the new device actually works.
Samsung Unveils Smartwatch That Makes CallsNearly 70 years after Dick Tracy began wearing a two-way wrist radio in the funny pages, the technology that once seemed impossibly futuristic will be widely available by Christmas.


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ITALIAN car maker Fiat has unveiled plans to take over Vaxuhall, insisting the British-made cars are still not quite rusty and unreliable enough.
Fiat wants to buy General Motors' UK and German brands to a create a new pan-European third-rate car giant to compete with the likes of Volkswagen in its dreams.
A Fiat spokesman said: "If you kick a Vauxhall Astra only the rear bumper falls off, while the Corsa does not have the same all-over, reddish-brown hue of a typical Italian hatchback.
"On the other hand, if you so much as cough near the new Fiat Punto, both the bumpers literally fly off in opposite directions, the doors drop off their hinges and the headlights fall out like some kind of clown car. And then it explodes."
He added: "Under our plans Vauxhall will produce a range of exciting, eco-friendly cars that may not get you to the end of the street but will provide a useful storage space for people who don't have attics."
British brands have an impressive history when it comes to foreign takeovers. In 1994 BMW bought Rover, before offloading it six years later as if it was emptying a chamber pot into a gutter.
Fiat pointed to its strong track record in rescuing troubled manufacturers. Alfa Romeo now makes stylish cars that are bought by discerning drivers who appreciate good design but have no desire to go anywhere, while Lancia has not sold a new car since 1977.
Meanwhile Fiat is also hoping to acquire the US giant Chrysler with a view to integrating its staggeringly unsuccessful technology and useless design know-how into its inexplicable strategy.


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NEW YORK — Herbert Gallen and Linda Allard, the dynamic Seventh Avenue couple who dressed America’s first generation of female executives in working clothes that grew up — along with their customers — from innocent 1950s sportswear to the sophisticated bridge apparel of today, have reached another career milestone.
They are retiring, leaving the next phase of Ellen Tracy in the hands of its new owner of 11 months, Liz Claiborne Inc. Gallen and Allard built the company from a manufacturer of unremarkable blouses with a made-up name into a $171 million business that is now the leading department store vendor for the bridge category, and they fell in love along the way. Gallen, who founded Ellen Tracy in 1949, and Allard, who was hired as a designer in 1962, have often referred to their lives as a long story, one with many chapters and each of those reflective of the evolving careers of the customers they dressed.
“This has been an amazing story for us, yet all good stories do come to an end,” Allard said in a statement on Monday.
Gallen, who is 87, had indicated he would retire as chairman in the near future following the sale of the company to Claiborne for $180 million in September 2002, although Allard, 63, had been less specific about her plans as design director. On Monday, the company said both had retired, and the couple had already left en route to their 163-foot yacht, The Mystique, and could not be reached for comment.
“Herb and Linda pioneered the idea that a designer label could also be a sizeable commercial success,” Paul Charron, chairman and chief executive officer of Claiborne, said in the statement. “We will miss them greatly, but they leave us with a terrifically talented team, many of whom have worked alongside of them for the past 20 years.”
Allard fostered an unusual loyalty and dedication among her design staff, although not universally. Charles Nolan designed for the label for more than a decade before joining bridge rival Anne Klein in 2001, where he worked for two years, and Karen Harman, once the well-known designing partner of Dana Buchman, was recruited to the company recently but only lasted a short time.
In June, two longtime members of Ellen Tracy’s design teams were promoted to oversee the collections and the coordination of design teams for its separate labels, and are expected to lead the design going forward. Joni Storgion-Knight, an 18-year veteran of the company, was named vice president of design/product development for the Linda Allard Ellen Tracy collection, and Donna McKenzie, who worked there for 17 years, was named vice president of design/product development for Company Ellen Tracy, the more sportif collection.
Claiborne’s plans to incorporate and leverage the brands in its existing portfolio are already well under way. Glenn McMahon, who was president of Claiborne’s Kenneth Cole women’s sportswear line, was named president of Ellen Tracy shortly after the acquisition, and Gail Cook oversees Ellen Tracy as group president of bridge brands. The company is looking for additional licensing opportunities, expanding the casual apparel line, opening Ellen Tracy stores and expanding internationally. One of the first projects Claiborne has launched for Ellen Tracy is a line of jewelry and handbags that will debut for fall, continuing the momentum of the business where Gallen left off.
Gallen’s dedication to the brand, and the hiring of Allard, is one of the most romantic tales of Seventh Avenue lore.
Although his grandfather owned a silk mill and his father was a fabric manufacturer, Gallen had no intentions of entering the apparel business. After graduating from high school in Paterson, N.J., he went to work for an uncle who owned 27 R&S Auto Supply stores in the state, before joining the army and marrying Betty Barr, who worked in a small retail shop nearby.
During World War II, when fabrics were difficult to come by for apparel manufacturers, Gallen then decided to capitalize on his family resources and put together a line of blouses under his first wife’s name. In 1949, he established Ellen Tracy as a new firm with a made-up name, making printed blouses with a basic shape and no designers involved.
“As long as you had fabric, you designed them,” Gallen said in a recent interview. “We took prints and made blouses out of them. When we got a designer, they got pretty.”
Dorothy Avazian was among the first designers there, but she often aggravated Gallen with designs he didn’t like. It was after one argument that Gallen suddenly became receptive to a young design applicant who had been knocking on hundreds of doors, looking for any job she could find in the garment center.
After graduating from Kent State University, Allard had come to New York with only $200 and no connections, and was about to give up when she received a call from a sales manager at Ellen Tracy, who set up a meeting with Gallen.
“It was 2 p.m. on Sept. 27, 1962, a fateful day,” Allard said in an interview last year. “I sat across from Mr. Gallen and it happened to be a really lousy, New York, rainy, drenched day. I think he felt I was desperate for a job. He looked at my portfolio and asked, ‘How much money would you like to make?’ Well, I hadn’t even thought about that. So I said, ‘I would like to make $50 a week.’ He said, ‘Sorry, but if you’ll take $60, you can have a job.’”
Allard assisted Avazian for a little over a year when the elder designer decided to move to California, and Gallen promoted her to take over the collection. She was young, but she was also the personification of the market that Ellen Tracy was looking to address — an independent, strong-spirited woman looking to make it in the corporate world.
After much convincing, Allard introduced sportswear into the collection with T-shirts and peacoats, which were so successful that the brand moved quickly into the junior sportswear arena, competing with Youth Guild, then designed by Liz Claiborne, in the growing market for less formal apparel thanks to the burgeoning youth revolution. They were sweet and ladylike clothes, but also more sportif than the strict uniform of suits, gloves and hats that women wore in the Fifties.
As more lifestyle elements were introduced to Ellen Tracy, and as women started to go into the workforce in large numbers in the late Seventies and early Eighties, the look of the collection similarly adapted to the need for a wardrobe that accommodated the changing roles of women in society and were accessibly priced.
“Women needed to have more serious clothes,” Allard said last year. “That’s when bridge began. At the beginning, we were emulating what men wore. Women felt that in order to be taken seriously, they had to dress like men. We’ve come a long way from that — they were assistants and secretaries then and now there are women ceo’s and women running businesses. The role of women in the workforce has changed dramatically, but that masculine-feminine look has always continued to intrigue me. I consider myself a serious business woman and I designed for what I needed. In many ways, Ellen Tracy reflects how I have changed in my life.”
Sharing the ideals of many of her customers, Allard took the same dedicated approach to her job as would any man, including Gallen, himself famous for an intense involvement in all aspects of the company. Gallen taught Allard about the commercial side of the apparel industry, helping her to formulate designs that would sell. They traveled to trunk shows together and both were frequently involved in the formulation of ad campaigns, being on-site for the shoots. Gallen had a reputation for being a tough boss, but he and Allard worked together so closely that they considered their company a family.
Three years ago, Gallen, then a widow, proposed to Allard, who married him after working together for nearly 40 years.
In recent years, he had floated the idea of a public offering or a sale of the company many times, but his notoriously tight control prevented any deals, including a near sale to Bain & Co. eight years ago, from coming to fruition, until Claiborne was able to construct a lucrative package last year. The couple appeared to be winding down their involvement in the brand then, looking to spend their retirements traveling, cooking and gardening — the passions of Allard, who published a cookbook, “Absolutely Delicious!” in 1994. Gallen and Allard have homes in Washington, Conn., and Demarest, N.J., as well as The Mystique, the fourth in a series of increasingly big boats he has commanded since 1970.


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After being live in the iTunes App Store for three months, the Pizza Hut app for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch has garnered more than $1 million in sales. As the featured icon in the iTunes Lifestyle Category, the app is an option for customers seeking an interactive way to order their pizza, pasta, and wings from Pizza Hut.
"We are very excited to see our customers respond so positively to our Pizza Hut app," says Brian Niccol, Pizza Hut chief marketing officer. "Reaching $1 million in sales with the app emphasizes the value of ordering innovation to our customers and how important it is for Pizza Hut to continue to create successful new ways to engage with them."
Pizza Hut is the first national pizza chain to introduce an ordering app for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch, and is approaching one million downloads. This year, the Pizza Hut app was the winner of an OMMA award and a finalist for one MOBI award and two MMA awards.


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The Canadian Press – Jul 19, 2023 / 7:45 am | Stories: 437555
Photo: The Canadian Press
Canada’s competition commissioner is doubling down on his claims that the country’s largest cinema chain is using “deceptive marketing practices” to sell movie tickets.
In a new filing with the Competition Tribunal, Matthew Boswell accused Cineplex Inc. of “mischaracterizing” the ticket purchase process again.
Boswell has been alleging since May that fees applied to some Cineplex movie tickets bought online constitute price dripping, a deceptive practice where customers are drawn into a purchase without full disclosure of the final cost.
However, Toronto-based Cineplex has said the bureau’s claims are “without merit” and should be thrown out with costs awarded to Cineplex because it is upfront with the fees.
Boswell now says consumers are not being presented with the full price of a movie ticket on the very first page of Cineplex’s website and app like the company has told the tribunal.
Boswell says this leaves it for consumers to figure out that their ticket cost has increased, when they make it to later screens, constituting price dripping.


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No graded structure, base parking rates likely to remain unchanged
Times of India | 18 November 2023
KOLKATA: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to keep the parking rates unchanged and call a fresh tender to select an agency to operate them. The move comes after the state refused to increase the rates.
Sources in the KMC car parking department said the civic body was set to invite a fresh tender for officially fixing the parking rates where there will be no change in the existing parking fee structure.
"We have decided to invite a fresh tender to select an agency to run the parking lots. Whoever participates in the tender will need to abide by the tender rules. We have decided to keep the parking rates unchanged despite a demand from the agencies that have been running the parking lots," said a civic official.
According to a KMC official, the rates have been finalised and the tender procedure will end by the second week of December.
At present, the parking fee for two-wheelers is a uniform Rs 5 per hour with no provision to hike the charge as per the number of hours a bike or a scooter is parked. Similarly, for cars, it is Rs 10 per hour.
However, a proposal that had been placed and approved at the KMC House early this year had hiked the initial parking rate for the first two hours by two times - from Rs 5 per hour to Rs 10 per hour for two-wheelers and Rs 10 per hour to Rs 20 per hour for cars. Thereafter, from the third to the fifth hour, the rate would have jumped by four times - to Rs 20 per hour for two-wheelers and Rs 40 per hour for cars. Beyond five hours, the increase would have been a whopping 10 times - to Rs 50 per hour for two-wheelers and Rs 100 per hour for cars.
In shopping zones, the average time of parking a vehicle is between two and three hours. A shopper who arrives in a car would have to cough up Rs 80 against Rs 30 at present. For those who add a meal to shopping, the time spent could be up to four hours and parking fee under such circumstances would have shot up to Rs 120 instead of Rs 40. Those who combine a meal with cinema and spend up to five hours would have seen the parking fee increasing from Rs 50 to Rs 160.
It would have hit office-goers the hardest. Parking for 10 hours that sets motorists back by Rs 100 would have cost Rs 660. "We have decided to do away with the graded structure that would have put the motorists in trouble," said a KMC official.


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Land Registry: House price falls hit 8%
House price falls almost doubled year-on-year to 8% as the average property lost £5,700 in September, according to the Land Registry.
Down: Property prices are falling across England and Wales
The average home fell by 2.2% in September, which led to the annual rate of decline accelerating rapidly from 4.6% in August.
An average property now costs £168,814, according to the Land Registry, with all regions across England and Wales seeing prices dip in September.
Latest house price news
This led to the largest annual decline recorded since the monthly figures began in 2001.
The biggest monthly fall was seen in Wales, where house prices tumbled by 5.5% in September, as annual falls hit 10.7% and the average home declined in value to £126,530.
London has proved the most resilient market over the past year, with prices down by 6.1% on average to £328,927, although homes in the capital lost 1.5% in September.
As house prices fall across the nation, there have been some surprise packages however, with Hartlepool registering a 4.7% rise over the past year to an average value of £115,018.
The only other risers have been Windsor and Maidenhead, Stoke-on-Trent, Neath Port Talbot and Rochdale, which all saw prices rise annually by 1% or less. Worst hit has been Conwy, in Wales, where prices have tumbled by 10.6% annually and Wolverhampton where prices have fallen by 10%.
Average prices have fallen across most London boroughs, with only Barking and Dagenham, Camden, Westminster, Hackney, Harrow, Kensington and Chelsea, Lewisham and Southwark seeing prices rise.
The number of properties sold for more than £1m also dived during the month, dropping by 47% year-on-year to 516 homes.
Howard Archer, chief UK economist at analysts Global Insight, said: 'The fundamentals continue to be largely stacked against the housing market, and it seems odds-on that prices will fall considerably further.'
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In a letter to House and Senate leadership, Business Roundtable (BRT) urged Congress to build on the strong bipartisan momentum evidenced by votes in the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways & Means Committee, by approving permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Russia before the August recess. On behalf of all BRT CEOs, Jim McNerney, Chairman, President and CEO, The Boeing Company, and BRT Chairman; and Doug Oberhelman, Chairman and CEO, Caterpillar Inc., and Chairman of BRT’s International Engagement Committee, wrote:
Last week the legislation was approved 24-0 by the Senate Committee on Finance, and today [yesterday] it was approved by voice vote by the House Committee on Ways and Means. These back-to-back, strong bipartisan votes confirm what all of us in the business community already know—that passing the Russia PNTR legislation will be a major win for the U.S. economy and workers in the United States.
Next month Russia will join the World Trade Organization and start to significantly open its markets to other countries. Congress can either pass PNTR now so that, from the outset, the United States can fully benefit from better trade relations with Russia, or Congress can fail to act and put American companies and workers at a competitive disadvantage in Russia. That’s why your acting with a sense of urgency on this issue is so important.
With the world’s 6th largest economy in terms of purchasing power and 142 million people, Russia offers significant opportunities to sell more U.S. goods and services.
With or without PNTR, Russia will join the World Trade Organization (WTO) on August 22nd and all other WTO countries will start to fully benefit, including through Russia’s lower tariffs, stronger IP protections and adherence to WTO trade rules.
If Congress does NOT approve PNTR before then, the United States will not have the same benefits, putting us at a competitive disadvantage to our foreign competitors in Russia.
Click here to learn more about Russia PNTR and BRT’s “50 Days for Trade” campaign.
Business Roundtable (BRT) is an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with over $6 trillion in annual revenues and more than 14 million employees. BRT member companies comprise nearly a third of the total value of the U.S. stock market and invest more than $150 billion annually in research and development – nearly half of all private U.S. R&D spending. Our companies pay $163 billion in dividends to shareholders and generate an estimated $420 billion in sales for small and medium-sized businesses annually.
BRT companies give nearly $9 billion a year in combined charitable contributions.
Please visit us at www.brt.org, check us out on Facebook and LinkedIn, and follow us on Twitter.


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IFC-World Bank's Lowell Campbell and Deloitte's Monish Shah on regulating technology in financial services industry
Bengaluru: Financial services is the most heavily regulated industry, technology is anything but. So, when finance and technology are joined, where is the centre point of regulation? How do regulators try and understand whether they should facilitate the development of the industry, and when they should regulate?
Lowell Campbell, principal global specialist digital financial services, alternate delivery channels, The International Finance Corporation-World Bank Group, and Monish Shah, senior director at Deloitte, comment on the issues in an interview.
What’s new in fintech? What’s happening globally?
Campbell: Globally, what we’re seeing is, more people are trying ‘to problem a solution’ rather than actually ‘solution a problem’. Everybody believes that cash is the problem, but to the people using cash, it is not a problem. We’ve been approaching it quite incorrectly. Is the ultimate goal to get to a cashless society? Absolutely. But we’ve got to do it in a systemic way. We’re sending consumers to transact digitally, but the process is not as smooth. How do we get merchants to accept cashless or digital with the idea to unlock the data to make more responsible lending decisions, to use consumption data? The key focus right now, globally, is to see how we can reorder the retailer, the merchant side of the business. Make that profitable, make that more accepting to this infrastructure and it will then drive towards cashless.
Where do the regulators stand on this?
Campbell: Regulators are doing a fantastic job. I think where the challenge comes is that there are incredibly intelligent minds but we have regulators who don’t get the exposure. We have regulators who don’t know what they don’t know so they tend to over-regulate and over-compensate for the lack of knowledge.
In marketplace lending—p2p lending—there are two strands of thoughts, one that says leave them alone, and one that says they should be as regulated as banks. India has taken a middle of the line approach. Is this the right path?
Shah: I would think that while regulation will evolve, the basic principle of making customer interest paramount will remain strong. As far as p2p goes, it is in the right direction. RBI (Reserve Bank of India) should play the role of an enabler and leave the rest to the marketplaces to figure out. In P2P lending, the credit risk is between two parties per se. It is about finding your own balance both from a risk taking perspective and risk giving perspective. It will be extremely difficult to monitor.
In the payments segment, what is your take on the RBI vision document?
Shah: On the payments side, we will see a lot of changes happening. The payment banks themselves are going to make a huge amount of difference. By creating this huge push from a supply side, that’s going to create its own demand and this kind of payments bank which we will see now is going to be a very different animal than the way we have seen traditional banks approaching customers, pricing. The technology itself will change the way transactions are being done and we will see a new class of specialist payment providers in this.
Campbell: I didn’t think there was anything radically new in the document. I like the fact that there’s an emphasis on acquiring infrastructure and how you drive people in that direction, I thought that was really good. I also thought that the emphasis on what it feels to me what the regulator’s trying to do now is interoperability is critically important.
What should the regulatory approach be? A principle-based approach or a rule-based approach? The US, the UK have had to evolve to a consumer protection mindset, right?
Campbell: In developed economies, people just do it and then somebody comes up with a class action suit and then things change, etc.
We need to figure out a way where the regulators say, let’s put trust back in the market. We’re expecting customers who’ve seen people on TV, Bollywood stars, etc, with a gold card, platinum card, we’re telling them forget all that stuff, just go to a mobile phone. I think that’s one step too far. We have to take people through a natural journey, it doesn’t have to be 10-100 years it could be six months, two months, but we need to keep that flow going and that’s where the regulator could help us.
How do you see this fintech ecosytem evolving?
Shah: We will see larger ecosystems evolve. From a customer perspective maybe its akin to the way we have 3-4 large credit issuers. The same way we will see 4-5 payment ecosystems emerging and the customer will be part of one.
Who’ll be a part of the ecosystem? Could be a universal bank, it could be a wallet player, it could still be a payments bank, it could be an NBFC, it could also have a retail company or petroleum company part of the ecosystem. We will see collaboration happening between existing players and start-ups to make more meaning customer value propositions.
Campbell: I think India is doing really, really well. In China, you get to see everything deployed. But I always wonder what’s the underlying business model to make it commercially viable? In India, people are probably thinking more around “What is the business model to make it viable?" and I think that’s a significant contrast.
I think for the next year or two, we need to double down on what we already have. We need to execute. We need to get down to the nuts and bolts of it, make more people use these systems, because more people using these creates a bigger network effect, greater utilisation, rather than these disparate approaches.


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Actor Heath Ledger, 28, hasn't wasted any time moping about on the singles market.
Just two weeks after I revealed the Brokeback star was separating from the mother of his child, actress Michelle Williams, he has been spotted escorting some very glamorous women around New York.
Scroll down for more ...
Newly-engaged Bungalow 8 owner Amy Sacco took Ledger for a night on the tiles during New York fashion week, and he was also spotted dining with supermodel Helena Christensen.
So he obviously has some very sexy shoulders to cry on.


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What’s particularly interesting about Brookfield’s venture into Alexa-enabled homes is how simple it will be for families to adopt cutting-edge home automation technology. Instead of researching the ins and outs of various smart home gadgets and devices, Brookfield does all the work for them. Furthermore, integrating this smart home tech with Amazon’s Alexa not only makes it an easy transition but one which doesn’t require a steep learning curve for entry.
“This was the perfect venue, and we couldn’t be happier with the reaction,” said Brookfield’s division president, Robert Hubbell. “The developers are energized, and many already have great ideas for new technology that can be incorporated into the home. The best part about the Brookfield Residential Smart Home is that it will adapt as new technology appears. If the home buyer wants to incorporate the latest device in the months and years ahead, the home will immediately recognize it.”
Buyers of these innovative new Smart Homes can expect to operate a wide range of their home’s features with just their voice. From checking security camera footage and changing the thermostat, to unlocking the door, turning on the lights, or turning on their favorite music, Brookfield’s new houses are the definition of smart. Additionally, the company has included a series of custom actions which allow the homeowners to set skills and voice-enabled rules geared toward letting them tailor the home to their specific needs.
It’s unknown when exactly the first batch of Alexa-integrated homes will be available for purchase but considering the announcement boasted a clear path for what’s going to be offered, the Brookfield Residential Smart Home shouldn’t be terribly far off.
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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Tuesday approved a settlement with computer manufacturer Lenovo over charges that it had violated user privacy with software that came preloaded on its computers.
The commission voted 2-0 to approve the settlement it reached in September with the company.
“Lenovo compromised consumers’ privacy when it preloaded software that could access consumers’ sensitive information without adequate notice or consent to its use,” acting FTC Chairwoman Maureen Ohlhausen said in a statement at the time. “This conduct is even more serious because the software compromised online security protections that consumers rely on.”
Between August 2014 and February 2015, Lenovo laptops came preloaded with software called VisualDiscovery, a program developed by the now-defunct advertising company Superfish. The FTC found that VisualDiscovery delivered pop-up ads from its retail partners to consumers while accessing their sensitive personal information, like Social Security numbers and financial data.
Lenovo said in a statement that it's aware that the settlement was approved Tuesday. In September the company pointed users toward a guide on how to remove the software. In a statement at the time, it said it stopped pre-installing the program on devices after questions were raised about privacy violations.
“While Lenovo disagrees with allegations contained in these complaints, we are pleased to bring this matter to a close after 2-1/2 years,” the company said in the statement.
“To date, we are not aware of any actual instances of a third party exploiting the vulnerabilities to gain access to a user’s communications.”
The settlement does not include a fine but requires Lenovo to develop a tougher security program and to obtain consumer permission before running pre-installed software on its laptops. It also must submit to regular third-party audits.


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Flash-sale e-retailer Rue La La goes dancing
March 21, 2016 03:59 PM
A flash-sale retailer is hoping hit ABC show “Dancing with the Stars” will help it waltz—or tango, perhaps—to big sales.
Rue La La, No. 84 in the Internet Retailer 2015 Top 500 Guide, on Monday began offering a selection of men’s and women’s apparel with a “Dancing with the Stars” theme. The online-only apparel retailer’s promotion will run for the next four weeks starting today, with selections changing on Mondays, the day the popular TV show airs. Looks on RueLaLa.com will center on the theme of each show. The boutique has a countdown clock at the top to show shoppers how long they have to buy that particular week’s look.
The move has the potential to introduce Rue La La, which had Internet Retailer-estimated 2014 online sales of $480 million, to a much larger audience. According to Nielsen, “Dancing with the Stars” was the tenth most popular regularly scheduled prime-time television show in 2015, drawing an average of 14.6 million viewers per week.
"Rue is approachable and fun with a little sass thrown in, and ‘Dancing with the Stars’ has embodied the same spirit for 21 seasons,” a spokeswoman for the e-retailer says.
The tie-in with “Dancing with the Stars” already has boosted Rue La La’s social media reach The show retweeted Rue La La’s tweet announcing the “Dancing with the Stars”-themed apparel to its more than 775,000 followers, garnering Rue La La 12 retweets and 36 “likes” in the first hour the tweet was up. By comparison, Rue La La had generated a total of 25 retweets and 51 “likes” on all of its previous tweets combined over the past week. Rue La La has just over 46,000 followers on its Twitter account.