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Walmart Inc. of Bentonville announced Wednesday it will spend an additional $350 billion over the next 10 years on items made, grown or assembled in the U.S.
This action will support an estimated 750,000 new American jobs, John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., wrote in a blog post announcing the new investment.
“U.S. manufacturing really matters. It matters to our suppliers, to entrepreneurs and to the environment. It matters to our customers — more than 85% of which have said it’s important for us to carry products made or assembled in the U.S.,” he said. “And most of all, because of the jobs it brings, it matters to American communities and the people who live in them.”
Furner said company will focus on six item categories:
- small electrical appliances;
- food processing;
- pharmaceutical and medical supplies; and
- Goods Not For Resale.
He also said the retailer expects to avoid an estimated 100 million metric tons of CO2 emissions by sourcing closer to customers, providing an opportunity for 9,000 entrepreneurs to become Walmart suppliers and sellers through the company’s annual Open Call events.
“Open Call is one of my favorite days of the whole year at Walmart. We invite basically anyone with a shelf-ready product that supports American jobs to pitch it to us,” Furner said. This year’s event will be held virtually on June 30.
Walmart is launching a concept called “American Lighthouses” as well, which Furner described as a bringing together of suppliers (including manufacturers and non-governmental organizations), academics, government and economic development groups in specific regions to identify and overcome top-down barriers to U.S. production.
The plan aims to make the supply chain more efficient and bring U.S. manufacturing back in a sustainable, long-term way, the company said.
This is not the first time Walmart has made this kind of investment. In 2013, it made a $250 billion commitment to invest in products made, grown or assembled in America.


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The complaint alleges that the assurances to hotels have not been resolved
The matter has been scheduled for hearing on August 6
The hoteliers group in Bengaluru has asked OYO to take corrective action
The Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) has reportedly filed a complaint with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against Gurugram-based hospitality unicorn, OYO. The hotel body has alleged that three months after OYO promised its partners an 18% interest on delayed payments and launched complaint redressal solutions, the issues continue to be unresolved.
Pradeep Shetty, honorary joint secretary at FHRAI said, “No hotel or business wishes to turn down opportunities that may translate into revenues, but the environment created by Oyo has left hoteliers with no choice but to cut ties with it.” The matter has been scheduled for hearing on August 6.
The hotel lobby is yet to respond to Inc42’s queries on the matter.
The hotel owners have reportedly accused OYO of levying new charges on partners over the last two months on an ad hoc basis. A Bengaluru-based hotelier alleged that OYO had assured of no hidden charges, however, the rules have changed nearly every month. The hotelier further alleged that along with convenience fee and charges on walk-ins and online payments, OYO will now charge them extra depending on the guest ratings.
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The group has asked OYO to take corrective action as they now plan to organise a bigger protest with around 550 hotels in Bengaluru. Further, FHRAI is now advising its members to legally terminate contracts if they so desire and ensure that travellers do not suffer.
Notably, the protest against OYO now comes after last month, Delhi High Court issued an ex-parte interim injunction order restraining Hotelier Welfare Association from boycotting OYO. The case developed where hotel asset owners from across the country started coming together to voice their concerns against OYO’s unfriendly business practices.
They had been alleging disregard to agreed floor prices, deep discounting practices, non-transparent charges, irrelevant levies in addition to high-handedness and one-sided enforcement of the contract when it comes to deliverables by the hotel asset owner(s).
It issued notice to the associations on the suit and listed the matter for further hearing on August 5.
Prior to this, in December 2018, the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India said apart from breach of contract, most of its members have grievances with OYO, regarding endorsement of and hoarding illegal and unlicensed bed and breakfast apartments, flats in residential/commercial buildings, and such other independent structures as hotels.

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Amazon’s Robot War Is Spreading
Amazon’s Robot War Is Spreading
A slew of new automation specialists appear on the warehouse battlefield.
by Patrick Clark and Kim Bhasin April 5, 2017, 2:45 AM PDT April 5, 2017, 7:29 AM PDT
It was Amazon that drove America’s warehouse operators into the robot business.
Quiet Logistics, which ships apparel out of its Devens, Mass., warehouse, had been using robots made by a company called Kiva Systems. When Amazon bought Kiva in 2012, Quiet hired scientists. In 2015 it spun out a new company called Locus Robotics, which raised $8 million in venture capital. Last year, Locus unveiled its own warehouse robotics solution called the LocusBot—first using it for its own business, then selling them to companies that ship everything from housewares to auto parts.
Now, Locus has landed a bigger fish: It’s selling its robots to DHL Supply Chain (a unit of Deutsche Post DHL Group), the world’s largest third-party logistics company. DHL will use the machines at a Memphis, Tenn., location to help ship surgical devices to operating rooms across the country.
To do that, Locus’s software directs a LocusBot to a shelf where the specific item is located. A human worker meets it there, reads a description of the item off an iPad, and drops it into a plastic bucket mounted on the machine. The idea is that the robot does the majority of the traveling, while the worker simply patrols a specified zone.
“The first trend was to try to replace humans,” said Rick Faulk, chief executive of Locus. “Now it’s about humans and robots working collaboratively.” The sticker price on a LocusBot is $35,000.
Locus isn’t alone. Amazon’s acquisition of Kiva set off an arms race among robot makers and shippers across the U.S. who scurried to keep up with the e-commerce giant. That includes 6 River Systems, a Waltham, Mass.-based company founded by former Kiva employees, which this week is showing its robot at ProMat, an industry trade show in Chicago. There’s also Fetch, a company in San Jose, Calif., whose robot scuttles around warehouses and also does the walking for workers.
The big changes in warehouse robotics, said Adrian Kumar, vice president for solutions design at DHL, come in response to the rise of e-commerce. For decades, operators were focused on the task of loading pallets and shipping them to retailers, who broke up the shipments and routed them to retail locations. Fulfilling online orders, on the other hand, requires shippers to pack boxes with a diverse set of individual items and route them on to customers’ homes.
At the Quiet Logistics warehouse, the robots shorten the distance a warehouse worker travels on a typical day from 14 miles to less than 5 miles, Faulk said. The robots, meanwhile, park themselves directly in front of the shelf that the worker is supposed to pick from, decreasing the risk the human will pick the wrong item. That makes the job easier, and is appealing to employees. “Working with robots is a fun thing to do,” Faulk said.
What that means for warehouse humans is an open question. There were 939,000 people working in the industry in February, up 44 percent over the past 10 years, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rise of e-commerce has created a need for more hands to pick items and pack boxes. Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc.’s rapid shipping times have taught customers to expect goods on their doorstep in two days or less, fueling a warehouse boom as retailers scramble to amass distribution hubs closer to their shoppers.
Logistics firms can have a hard time hiring enough people, particularly during peak shopping seasons. Adding robots should ease some of the seasonal shortages, and may make the work less physically demanding. Working conditions at U.S. warehouses are often scrutinized for their grueling nature: Pickers complain of exhausting shifts, sometimes in oppressive heat or biting cold. Many of the jobs are temporary, fluctuating with the shopping calendar.
Across the economy, almost 25 million jobs will be lost to automation in the next 10 years, while the new technology will create 15 million jobs, according to research firm Forrester. In the logistics business, smarter warehouse bots will likely reduce the number of people it takes to run a fulfillment center.
“I don’t think people are investing in automation because of a near-term labor shortage,” said Karl Siebrecht, CEO at Flexe, a Seattle-based company that bills itself as the Airbnb of warehouse space. “It’s about improving productivity. Fundamentally, that means people will be replaced.”


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According to a new study conducted by British scientists, numerous agricultural pesticides may disrupt male hormones. This new study isn’t all that shocking. We already know that pesticides are linked to several health issues including learning disabilities and early puberty in girls. Not to mention that the EPA says that birth defects, nerve damage, cancer and other problems can occur due to pesticide exposure.
Researchers for the new study looked at many pesticides, including some that were previously untested. They found that 30 out of 37 pesticides have the ability to alter male hormones. Most of these disrupting pesticides included fungicides applied to produce crops such as strawberries, lettuce, grapes and other fruits and vegetables. After looking at all the data, the researchers found that many of these pesticides block testosterone in males. Testosterone, of course, is essential for male reproductive health. Right now, as a parent, the best way to avoid these pesticides, and their negative side effects is to purchase organic food, which is grown without the addition of harmful pesticides. If you do buy conventional produce for your family, you should wash it well before eating it — but know that it’s impossible to wash away all pesticide residue — which is why we recommend opting for 100% certified organic fruits and vegetables for your family.


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The dreaded “Red Ring of Death” is the most well-known and publicized system error for the Xbox 360. One lesser known, but still common enough defect is the Xbox 360’s nasty habit of scratching discs while inside the console, creating another undesirable type of ring of death.
According to a blog post on the Seattle P-I, Microsoft was supposedly aware of this hardware fault even before the system’s launch in November 2005. This was uncovered in newly unsealed documents (PDF) with declarations of Microsoft employees.
A Microsoft program manager was quoted in the declaration saying, "This is ... information that we as a team, optical disc drive team, knew about. When we first discovered the problem in September or October (2005), when we got a first report of disc movement, we knew this is what’s causing the problem."
The big issue was that the Xbox 360 would scratch discs if the console was moved with a disc spinning inside. Microsoft allegedly knew about the issues and considered three possible solutions, but none of which were put into place.
Microsoft has faced several lawsuits, the most recent one earlier this month, for scratched discs. More than 55,000 complaints are on file regarding the disc scratching issue, according to the P-I’s inspection of the motion.


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A California law that effectively bans foie gras sales in the state was limited in part on Friday. Californians can continue purchasing the controversial pate from out-of-state retailers, the ninth circuit court of appeals said in a ruling.
The law, which passed in 2004 and went into effect in 2012, bars the sale of foie gras if produced by force feeding geese or ducks, according to Courthouse News Service. As the mousse is traditionally produced from the engorged livers of force-fed geese and ducks, the legislation is a near-prohibition.
The ninth circuit’s decision upheld a lower court’s 2020 ruling, which also permitted the shipping of out-of-state foie gras through third-party delivery companies, according to the Associated Press.
This ruling is only applicable to people who purchase foie gras for their individual use; California law still bars retailers and restaurants from selling or giving away foie gras. The law has been challenged repeatedly since its enactment.
Animal welfare advocates, such as the Humane Society, backed California’s foie gras statute, contending that the food is inherently cruel. Foie gras means “fatty liver” in French. Some producers maintain that force-feeding merely mirrors a phenomenon that takes place in nature, as geese and ducks overeat to bank energy for migration.
Foie gras producers, such as Hudson Valley Foie Gras in New York, challenged California’s legislation. The foie gras producers contended that California’s state law clashed with interstate commerce, as well as federal food rules that permit force-feeding for foie gras.
The producers’ attorneys reportedly said that they would challenge the court’s 3-0 ruling, and would request another hearing before a larger ninth circuit panel.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Chef Sean Chaney said he still thinks the law is unconstitutional, but that “I’m also glad that 40 million Californians can continue to enjoy the foie gras products they buy online, and I hope to be able to cook it for them soon again.”
An attorney for the Humane Society told the newspaper that this ruling does not dramatically undermine the statute. “Only a narrow form of transaction – a sale by sellers outside the state, shipping to end-use consumers in the state – is still allowed,” the lawyer, Ralph Henry, said.


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- Luxury Tourism in East Africa Boom as Global Chains Pump Millions in Investments
- Blockchain for Employment: Africa’s Leap into the Gig Economy
- AFC unveils strategic partnerships to boost Africa’s mining sector
- Startups scaling Africa’s digital agricultural innovation seek fresh financing
- Malnutrition Crisis: 86 Million African Kids Affected, AU Urges Urgent Action
- Why Tanzania’s coffee beans are making a splash on the global stage
- Rwanda’s dairy sector challenges Kenya and Tanzania’s dominance
- Africa dominates the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies in 2024
Browsing: Cobalt Mining
Cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains crucial in meeting global demand due to its usage in electric vehicle batteries and electronic devices.
However, the industry is marred by grave human rights abuses, including unsafe working conditions and child labour. Efforts must be made to reform mining practices and address the challenges associated with informal or artisanal mining sites.…
- Lithium battery industry to grow over 30 percent annually from 2022 to 2030
- Market value for lithium batteries to exceed US$400 billion by 2030
- DRC, Zambia and Tanzania looking to refine cobalt, manufacture lithium batteries
The sale of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is booming in the transport industry of the developed world, and now Africa wants in.
Rather than continue to supply raw materials for the making of the electric vehicle, countries like DRC, Zambia, and Tanzania, want to refine the ores and even manufacture the final product, lithium batteries.
Their ambitions are well placed because the lithium battery industry is booming and will only keep growing. A 2022 analysis by the McKinsey Battery Insights team projected that the entire lithium-ion battery chain, from mining through recycling, could grow by over 30 percent annually by 2030 when it would reach a value of more than US$400 billion.
“Batteries for mobility applications, …
- Companies that purchase cobalt are said to engage in a “futile” exercise when they attempt to differentiate flows from industrial mines and the significant production from small-scale artisanal mining
- Buyers will only be able to fulfil an anticipated four-fold growth in global demand for cobalt by 2030 with ASM
- The DRC Congo was the world’s greatest producer of cobalt in 2022, producing 130,000 tonnes of the metal, roughly 68% of all cobalt mined worldwide
To meet the growing demand for the mineral used in batteries that power electric vehicles and consumer gadgets, changes are needed to legitimize the activities of unregulated artisanal mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Companies that purchase cobalt are said to engage in a “futile” exercise when they attempt to differentiate flows from industrial mines and the significant production from small-scale artisanal mining, or ASM, according to a paper released on Wednesday 8th Feb …
The search for Congo’s cobalt has shown how the clean energy revolution has taken a turn. It is to save the planet from rising temperatures in an age of enlightened self-interest. But it has become mired in a familiar cycle of exploitation, greed, and deception. This often benefits Africa little or not at all.
On November 24, 2021, a group of G7 countries, including Japan and the US made a decision. They stated they will withdraw crude oil from their Strategic Petroleum Reserve. (SPR). The SPR was an underground salt tank in Utah, turned into a recession and warproof facility. It was in reaction to the twin World Trade Center explosions on September 11, 2001.…
Jervois has completed its merger with eCobalt after receiving eCobalt’s nod from its Canadian shareholders and Supreme Court of British Columbia approvals. According to a joint announcement, following the successful completion of the Arrangement, all conditions precedent have been met and settlement of the A$16.5 million equity placement in Jervois has occurred.
The expanded company has projects in Australia, East Africa, and the US, including eCobalt’s Idaho Cobalt project, which boasts the highest combination of cobalt grade and scale in North America.
The acquisition of M2 Cobalt gave Jervois an entry into Uganda, complementing its East African strategy looking at opportunities around the historic Kilembe mine and Kasese cobalt refinery.
Idaho Cobalt Project has been renamed Idaho Cobalt Operations (“ICO”) to reflect its advanced stage of development and Jervois’s intention to transform the site into a mining operation. The site has had an estimated US$100 million invested to date in …


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TORONTO — Cybersecurity company NordPass, which sells password managements services, has published its list of the top 200 most common passwords in Canada and says too many Canadians are using passwords that can be easily guessed.
This year’s list of most common passwords in Canada was topped by the usual suspects, such as “password,” “qwerty,” “abc123” and different variations of “123456.” These passwords also dominated the list of most common passwords in other countries and around the world.
But there were a few entries that were unique to Canada. NordPass says Canadians had “perhaps the largest number of country-related passwords.” “canada” was the 15th-most-common password in this country. Other common country-related passwords on the list include “toronto,” “montreal” and “canada1.”
Sports was found to be another frequently occurring theme. Fittingly, “hockey” was the 11th-most-common password in Canada while “soccer,” ” baseball” and “basketball” ranked lower on the list.
There were also differences in the types of passwords preferred by men and women. Canadian men were more than three times as likely as women to use the password “hockey,” while passwords like “iloveyou,” “princess” and “sunshine” were far more common among women.
The researchers also found that many Canadians were using their own names as their password. “tiffany” was the eighth-most-common password in Canada. Names like “maggie,” “matthew,” “bailey,” “michelle” and “andrew” were also in the top 50.
NordPass says 144 out of the top 200 most common passwords in Canada can be cracked in less than one second. Of the 50 countries it analyzed, the firm says Canada had the eighth highest number of passwords leaked per capita.
“Unfortunately, passwords keep getting weaker and people still don’t maintain proper password hygiene,” NordPass Jonas Karklys said in a news release. “It’s important to understand that passwords are the gateway to our digital lives, and with us spending more and more time online, it’s becoming enormously important to take better care of our cybersecurity.”
NordPass recommends using a unique password for every account. A good password should be at least 12 characters long with a combination of numbers, letters and symbols.
Since the average user has more than 100 accounts, storing them in a password manager can make it easier to keep track of passwords, Nordpass says. Using multi-factor authentication, such as a text message code or an authenticator app, can also add an additional layer of protection.
THE TOP 20 MOST COMMON PASSWORDS IN CANADA
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Teva Takes A Further Hit On Value Of Actavis
Teva has registered a further impairment of almost $500m, largely linked to the value of assets acquired when it took over Actavis in 2016. Meanwhile, sales slid by 15% to $4.3bn in the first quarter.
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Teva, along with Mylan, Pfizer, Sandoz and 16 other generics manufacturers, have found themselves in the spotlight after a further multi-state US lawsuit has accused them of participating in a price-fixing conspiracy.
Teva has received FDA approval for the first US generic naloxone nasal spray after a 30-month stay linked to ongoing patent litigation expired. Launch plans have not yet been revealed. Meanwhile, the Israeli firm has also introduced the first generic version of VESIcare in the US.


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Leading heritage and lifestyle brand, Barbour, has opened a new shop in Guildford .
The doors to the 2,000sq/ft retail store opened to the public on October 21.
Home to the iconic wax cotton jacket, shoppers can pick up both Barbour’s men and women’s lifestyle collections which include knitwear, shirts, trousers, footwear and accessories.
The new store, located next to Holy Trinity Church in High Street, replaces the Barbour retail store that closed its doors in 2015 due to the renovation of Tunsgate Square Shopping Centre .
The new digitally integrated store is three times the size of the previous store with the ability for customers to order items from collections that are not available in store.
This allows Barbour to offer Guildford customers a wider selection from all of their collections.
Ryan Llewellyn-Pace, commercial director at Barbour UK and Ireland said: "We are delighted to be opening our new store in Guildford after the great success of our previous store in this town."
He continued: "We pride ourselves on having a strong connection with our customers in Guildford and we’re looking forward to providing them with a high level of service once again with our knowledgeable and experienced retail team."
The opening of Guildford means Barbour now has 10 retail stores.
Gemma Parks will be returning as the Barbour Guildford store manager after managing the previous Barbour retail store in Tunsgate Square Shopping Centre .
Keep up to date with the latest news from around the county via the free Get Surrey app.
You can set up your app to see all the latest news and events from your area, plus receive push notifications for breaking news.


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Apple is trying to crack down on leaks, according to a newly leaked memo.
In recent years, many of the company's plans have been revealed before it actually has a chance to tell people about them.
All of the details of the recent iPhones, for instance, came out when early software was accidentally placed online. And recently a new report revealed that the company would slow down new features in an attempt to make its software more reliable.
In recent years, almost every new Apple product has been widely revealed ahead of its release date. Such leaks mean that Apple does not get the chance to surprise people at its launch events or to decide how new products are described – a point that the memo makes in strong terms.
Now Apple has said in a leaked memo that it is looking to crack down on those leaks and that it will not tolerate them in the future.
It says, for instance, that people revealing the future of its devices may be arrested – or even more.
"Leakers do not simply lose their jobs at Apple,” the document, which was revealed by Bloomberg, reads. “In some cases, they face jail time and massive fines for network intrusion and theft of trade secrets, both classified as federal crimes.”
It also says that 29 people were found leaking over the last year, and that 12 of them have been arrested. Those numbers are thought to include the person who revealed the details of the meeting about software improvements, and the employee that gave details about new products including the iPhone X and AirPods to tech publication 9to5mac.


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GenZ doesn't care about you - yet.
The loyalty and trust and blind fanaticism of the past are now precious, hard-won and dependent on an alignment of the brand, heart and mind. In a new era where authenticity rules, attention spans cease to exist, technology permeates and transparency is king (or queen), what can your brand do to reach the all at once most informed and dismissive generation ever to contemplate a purchase?
Find out as we discuss what it takes to wake up, engage and win over not only your most coveted customers - but their friends, their followers and ultimately, their feelings.
Moderator Alexis Glick, CEO of GENYouth, talks with Susan Oguche, senior director of communications at Sleep Number; Harvard University student Michael Pankowski; and high school senior Andrew Carlton.


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For many years, OnStar has led the industry in providing safety, security, and GPS features. But if you didnâ€™t own a GM car, it was unlikely that you could take advantage of the service. Last night, OnStar announced that it will introduce a retail rear view mirror that can be mounted on most U.S. vehicles, both used and new, beginning in Spring 2011.
Currently, the OnStar mirror is certified to work on 99% of the top 20 selling non-GM vehicles from the last 10 years, or approximately 55 million cars and trucks, with more certifications on the way. The mirror will offer the same key features that OnStar has become known for, including automatic crash response, stolen vehicle location assistance, turn-by-turn navigation, and hands-free calling, among others.
It will cost $299, plus installation, which is expected to cost between $75 and $100 at BestBuy and other selected consumer electronics retailers. A range of service plans will be available, starting at $18.95 a month or $199 a year.


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Trump 'Halts' Trade War: China Agrees to Buy 'Very Substantial Amount' of US Goods, Regulate FentanylChris Menahan
Dec. 02, 2018
HATE HOAX: Native American Activist Approached Chanting Covington Catholic Teens, Got In Their Face
WashPo Writer Laments Jussie Smollett Case Falling Apart: 'I Need This Story To Be True'
Slap On The Wrist: Jussie Smollett Charged With One Count Of 'Disorderly Conduct'
New Mexico: Multiple Counties Vote to Become 'Second Amendment Sanctuary Counties'
Nick Sandmann Launches Lawsuit Against The Washington Post For Defamation
President Donald Trump agreed to temporarily halt planned additional tariffs against China after President Xi agreed to regulate fentanyl and purchase "a not yet agreed upon, but very substantial, amount of agricultural, energy, industrial, and other product from the US."
"Both parties agree that they will endeavor to have this transaction completed within the next 90 days," The White House said in a statement released Saturday. "If at the end of this period of time, the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the 10% tariffs will be raised to 25%."
Full statement via WhiteHouse.gov:
The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and President Xi Jinping of China, have just concluded what both have said was a “highly successful meeting” between themselves and their most senior representatives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Follow InformationLiberation on Twitter, Facebook, Gab and Minds.


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In-N-Out opens in Hanford
HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- We're in a double-double kind of mood because fast food chain In-N-Out burger is finally opening its restaurant in Hanford.
It all started to a desire to eat In-N-Out burgers in the South Valley. Now more than two years later, the building is here and in just a few hours, Valley residents will be able to order a Double-Double in Hanford.
Nearly two years ago, the effort to open an In-N-Out in Hanford got a major boost by Josh Elliott at Good Morning America. Elliott made the first of many pleas on Action News AM Live in October of 2011.
The effort started after Michael Lacrue created a Facebook page called "Bring In-N-Out to Hanford." The page quickly grew and then Josh heard about it.
For the past twenty years, Lacrue has been trying to get corporate to bring the restaurant to Hanford. He said if he was ever able to get the location in Hanford, he would get a tattoo to honor the move. Now Lacrue has the restaurant's iconic red palm trees tattooed around both his wrists.
hanford, kings county, in-n-out, business, amanda venegas
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Honda's pickup truck returns with new style and functionality. But is it a real truck?
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The spacious, versatile 2014 Honda Odyssey adds a standard 6-speed automatic transmission, plus a vacuum cleaner for the Touring Elite trim.
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As versatile as it is unique, the 2013 Honda Ridgeline fulfills the role of pickup truck and SUV.
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Our latest video takes a look at Honda's certified pre-owned program, which offers used vehicles with a little extra peace of mind.
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2013 Honda Fit: Used Car Review
The amazingly roomy yet fun-to-drive 2013 Honda Fit is proof positive that small cars don't have to be boring.


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It is a bit too sunny today to sit inside, so Xpress took the show on the road. Here are some of the food-related things we learned from hitting the pavement this afternoon:
Modesto has opened a bakery counter next to its main dining room. The counter offers rustic baked breads by the loaf for great prices. A baguette costs $2.50, olive-hazelnut sourdough costs $4 and a whole wheat boule goes for $3.
The bakery also turns out croissants and scones in various flavors and desserts like amaretto cheesecake, cannoli and a tiramisu to rival any I’ve tried in this town.
Right now the selection is slim, but owner Hector Diaz says that they’ll increase production come spring time.
Cucina 24 is now changing their menu nightly, according to an employee working at Cucina Deli, the Italian restaurant’s sandwich shop. Incidentally, that same employee mentioned that Cucina 24 Deli serves a house-made corned beef from a Thomas Keller recipe, which they pile on house-made marble rye.
The deli also offers some sizable chunks of Taleggio for only $5, and Castelvetrano olives for $5 a pint.
A menu from last night’s dinner service in the main dining room revealed some items, like crispy Hickory Nut Gap pork tongue and cheek with pickles and mustard and spaghetti alla chittara with rabbit meatballs.
Cucina 24 and Modesto are head-to-head in tiramisu quality, by the way.
Cúrate is wrapping up construction and looking like they’re getting closer to opening. The restaurant is likely to open next month.
Arcade Asheville has their patio open now — though the tables and chairs seem to disappear when the sun goes down for now. Co-owner Joshua Aaron reports that the permanent furniture is on the way.
In burger news (one of my favorite kinds), Mayfel’s offers half-priced burgers on Thursdays — Xpress staff reporter Jake Frankel reports that he just had a huge pimento-bacon burger with a side of slaw for only $5, plus tax.
And right down the street, in the bottom of the BB&T Building, the Sandwich Company has added seating for 12 and now boasts a rather delicious Philly cheese-steak sandwich for $6.99, as well as breakfast burritos in the morning for under $3.
Send your food news to firstname.lastname@example.org


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At what point do you admit your business isn’t working?
That’s what occurred to me after Peloton reported Thursday it lost $1.2 billion in the most recent quarter.
That’s a loss of over a billion bucks. In just three months.
It makes Peloton’s $313-million loss a year ago seem like a win by comparison.
The company’s CEO, Barry McCarthy, put a brave face on the latest setback.
“The naysayers will look at our financial performance and see a melting pot of declining revenue, negative gross margin and deeper operating losses,” he said in a letter to shareholders.
“But what I see is significant progress driving our comeback and Peloton’s long-term resilience,” he said, adding that “we still have work to do.”
Significant progress? Long-term resilience?
Maybe, if the current layoffs and store closures somehow improve Peloton’s fortunes. But it’s hard to see how the company’s operations are sustainable when the marketplace is clearly responding with a thumbs-down.
Peloton’s stock surged Wednesday after the company announced that some (but not all) of its fitness equipment will be available on Amazon.
But opening new marketing and distribution channels is just one piece of the puzzle. A more pressing concern for the company is consumers’ growing disinterest in high-priced home-fitness gear and a monthly subscription fee of $44.
That gear, and those subscriptions, are the bedrock of Peloton’s business model. And they’re just not working.
Not when the company lost $2.8 billion in the 12 months ended June 30, compared with a $189-million loss a year earlier.
Not when they’ve had six straight quarters of losses.
Not when the company’s stock is down by about 90% from a year ago.
In a call with analysts, McCarthy cited the example of Netflix triumphing over Blockbuster when it came to movie rentals.
What he seemed to be saying is that innovation is hard, but it will succeed in the end.
Point taken. Except, you know, Netflix is now rethinking its business amid growing competition in the streaming space.
Getting fit isn’t just about losing weight. It’s also about putting on muscle.
And that’s not easy.


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Consumer inflation in Ukraine accelerated to 2.6% in annual terms in October (from 2.3% in September). Prices rose by 1.0% in monthly terms, according to the press service of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU).
“Actual consumer inflation corresponded to the trajectory of the forecast published in the October Inflation Report. The weakening of the hryvnia, higher energy prices and worse crop yields created pro-inflationary pressures. Instead, inflation was restrained by an increase in the supply of other food products, some of which are of temporary character, as well as weak consumer demand for certain goods,” reads a report.
According to the National Bank, core inflation is expected to accelerate to 3.2% YoY. The growth rate of food prices rose to 3.4%.
At the same time, the central bank notes that consumer inflation remains below the target range of 5% + 1%. However, with the recovery of economic activity against the background of maintaining a soft monetary and fiscal policy, as well as due to rising energy prices, consumer inflation is expected to accelerate and reach the target range at the year-end. At the same time, due to a rise in the incidence rate of COVID-19 and the strengthening of quarantine restrictions, the return of inflation to the target range may be somewhat longer. (Ukrinform/Business World Magazine)


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8 Online shopping – what it means
Shopping online is already very big business, and is growing rapidly. This suggests that the concerns of consumers discussed earlier are being addressed by the industry. People wouldn't shop online if they didn't trust it. But in a way the most profound impact of online retailing is being experienced in the 'real' world. According to the Economist magazine, for example, the Internet is profoundly changing consumer behaviour in the real world.
One in five customers walking into a Sears department store in America to buy an electrical appliance will have researched their purchase online – and most will know down to a dime what they intend to pay. More surprisingly, three out of four Americans start shopping for new cars online, even though most end up buying them from traditional dealers. The difference is that these customers come to the showroom armed with information about the car and the best available deals. Sometimes they even have computer print-outs identifying the particular vehicle from the dealer's stock that they want to buy.
(Economist, 'A Perfect Market', 13 May 2004)
The same source reports a study by the consultancy firm Forrester Research which found that half of the 60 million consumers in Europe who have an Internet connection bought products offline after having first investigated prices and details online, and that different cultures had different habits. In Italy and Spain people are twice as likely to buy offline as online after researching on the Internet. But in Britain and Germany the numbers are more evenly balanced. Forrester reports that people begin to shop online for simple, predictable products, such as DVDs, and then graduate to more complex items. The strangest thing of all is that used-car sales are now one of the biggest online growth areas in America.
What this suggests is that the true economic significance of online shopping is finally beginning to emerge. Economists have always been interested in the phenomenon because they saw it as the beginning of more efficient markets. Although there is competition in all retailing markets, it is less than perfect because consumers are located in fixed locations (the fact that something is much cheaper in Aberdeen is no consolation if you live in Brighton) and because it takes time and effort (walking round shops) in order to compare prices. But with the Web – and free online price-comparison services like those provided by Kelkoo, Pricerunner, and SNAP.co.uk – it has become very easy to see who's selling what for less. This means that selling on the Web is intrinsically likely to be more competitive – because the cheaper price is only a click away. But it also means that retailers in the real world are having to compete not just with other shops in their locality, but with stores in Cyberspace.
Overall, the evolution of online shopping suggests that the real and virtual worlds are converging in interesting ways. Some of the UK's most successful online shopping operations, for example, are owned and run by bricks-and-mortar companies like Tesco. Some stores have online terminals in which customers can order (online) goods they have just seen and handled in the offline store – which suggests that we may get to a point where many retail stores are basically just showrooms for products which are then ordered online.


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Mall Of America Shares New Details On Indoor Waterpark Project
Move over, Nickelodeon Universe! There could be a big new attraction coming soon to the Mall of America. A new report says an indoor water park is in the works, with things still in the planning stages at the time of writing.
According to Blooloop.com, an indoor water park called Mystery Cove is in the works. As of now, there is not an expected opening date. The project is massive, and would cover about 320,000 square feet of space, according to the report. Your ordinary water park this is not. It will also feature a massive lazy river and an indoor "beach" to make us forget we live in one of the coldest places ever.
Plans for a water park in the Mall of America date back at least four decades. The owners of the mall have been interested in building an indoor water park since the 1980s. The new water park, while a big investment, has potential to bring nearly one-million visitors to the Mall of America each year, making it a worthy investment.
As for what we can expect from Mystery Cove, those working on the project say it will have something for everyone and they are designing the project so that people keep coming back time and time again, rather than just visiting once and never again. They also looked to the past when it came time to design the initial concept of the water park.
The inspiration for the theme of the water park and its corresponding art includes movie titles and magazines from the period of the 1930s to the 1950s. The images are meant to "evoke a sense of adventure and discovery" along with a sense of play at the park. The park will also avoid aging over the years by mixing in reused and reclaimed elements with its fresh new look.
A few other fun tidbits I learned from the report, and previous reports, include the following:
- There will be night and day, with a sundown ceremony happening each evening. Guests will have the chance to be part of this ceremony each night.
- There will be fun features during Halloween and Christmas time.
- There will be places for those that visit from different parts of the country and world to commemorate their stay at the actual location.
- There will be food and drinks.
- There will be five different areas of Mystery Cove: Fortune Falls, the Bizarboretum, the Cove, Eureka Reef and Peril Peak.
- There will be two levels of locker rooms and places to change.
- Tickets are projected to cost $60 with a discount for Bloomington residents.
- It will be built in a parking lot across from the mall and will be connected to it via skyway.
- It was originally set to open in 2024 but plans have not moved ahead yet and there is no opening date or projected opening date.


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AI will provide some much-needed resiliency businesses will need to manage their way through — and emerge stronger — from the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn.
Lomit Patel, Vice President of Growth at IMVU, looks are five key areas in marketing that are ripe for innovation during the coronavirus pandemic.
Automation allows marketers to scale up app growth significantly faster and manage thousands of paid campaigns across multiple advertising channels—without the expenses of extended manual labor and human errors.
With the burgeoning growth of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, today’s startups are faced with more challenges than ever before.…
IMVU’s Lomit Patel shows how to use AI and automation to provide an operational layer atop customer acquisition solutions to deliver amazing results for your company.
Big data, programmatic access to high-performance media inventory and the maturity of cloud-based AI tools and services are quickly changing the landscape for marketers – and the people who work in marketing organizations.
Launching and growing any new app has always been a challenging endeavor. Beyond having a great app and hiring a…
I’m excited to announce that my first book called Lean AI, which is part of Eric Ries’s best-selling “The Lean Startup” series is being published by O’Reilly Media.


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- Sierra Leone doctor fighting Ebola catches disease
- Iraq welcomes Russian fighter jets, helicopter gunships into ISIL fight
- John McCain laments: Obama’s ‘self-pity … is really kind of sad’
- GOP offer to fix VA gives $10 billion in emergency funds
- Paul Ryan offers to repair U.S. economic safety net with a single grant stream
- Kim Jong-un builds bond with Putin: $250M Russia-backed addition to key port opens
- Pope Francis meets Meriam Ibrahim, a Sudanese woman sentenced to death
- Detroit porch shooting trial: Suspect says he didn’t know gun was loaded
- U.S. Navy admiral ‘receptive’ to giving Chinese counterpart a tour of carrier
- Islamic State orders female genital mutilation for Mosul girls, U.N. says
Report: Apple cutting orders for iPhone 5 parts
Question of the Day
NEW YORK (AP) - Apple shares fell in premarket trading Monday after The Wall Street Journal reported that the company has cut its orders for iPhone 5 components due to weaker-than-expected demand.
The newspaper said that two people it did not identify by name told it that Apple’s first quarter orders for iPhone 5 screens have dropped to about half of what the company had previously planned to order.
It said one of the people told the newspaper that the Cupertino, Calif., company has also cut orders for components other than screens. The Journal said it was told Apple notified the suppliers of the order cut last month.
Apple didn’t immediately return an email seeking comment before business hours Monday.
The move is a sign that sales of the new iPhone haven’t been as strong as previously expected and demand may be waning. It comes as the company has been facing increased competition from Samsung Electronics Co. and other makers of smartphones that run Google Inc.’s Android operating system.
South Korea’s Samsung, which sells Android-based models at various price points, has already overtaken the U.S. company as the world’s largest smartphone vendor by market share.
Android devices accounted for 75 percent of smartphone shipments during the three months ending in September, up from 58 percent at the same time in 2011, according to the research firm IDC. The iPhone’s share stood at 15 percent in September, up from 14 percent in the previous year.
Google says more than 500 million Android devices have been activated since the software’s release four years ago. By comparison, Apple had sold about 271 million iPhones through last September.
Last week, the Journal reported that Apple is trying to decide whether it makes sense to offer a cheaper iPhone as it tries to boost sales in less-affluent countries and reclaim some of its lost market share.
Apple Inc. shares dropped $17.45, or 3.4 percent, to $502.85 in premarket trading Monday.
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Check out the recently revealed wave of DC Multiverse figures from McFarlane Toys featuring The Merciless as a Build-a-figure and a Infected Superman
Tagged: Dark Nights: Metal
DC Comics recently announced the official title for the Dark Nights: Metal sequel called Dark Nights: Death Metal with Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.
DC Comics has been releasing a couple more Dark Nights Metal encore teasers featuring more evil Batmen and a brand new evil looking Superman!
Did Greg Capullo just drop the first teaser for the Dark Nights Metal Sequel/encore?
Today we take a closer look at the upcoming McFarlane Toys The Batman who laughs action figure which will be part of the first DC Multiverse toyline
Funko is set to release three new Batman pops including Red Son Batman funko pop, a Bat-Mite and a Merciless Funko Pop from Dark Nights Metal
Jock offers a cool look at the Grim Knight in his cover for Batman Who Laughs: Grim Knight # 1 which will be written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV
The evil Batman/ Joker hybrid known as the Batman Who Laughs will be getting his own Funko Pop and it looks great. The dude was the de facto leader of the Dark Knights who...


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Institute for War and Peace Reporting | Giving Voice, Driving Change
Boom in Sandzak Capital Turns to Bust
On market day in Novi Pazar the streets along the riverbank hum with the activity of hundreds of traders touting goods that range from berries, herbs and the region’s famous white cheeses, to sports shoes and leather jackets.
In the clothing section, sellers of imitation Timberland and North Face rucksacks, as well as Puma and Nike tennis shoes, try to tempt passers-by into parting with their cash.
But while the traders are legion, potential buyers are relatively few. The merchants say the good old days are long gone and business has stalled. “I can’t sell these rucksacks even for 10 euro each,” one woman lamented, her weather-beaten face attesting to years spent on outdoor stalls. “Look, these are Timberland – well, they are good copies!”
The market traders offer several reasons for their predicament, from the influx of Chinese rivals, who undercut everyone, to the imposition of customs on the border with nearby Kosovo and Montenegro, which were once the destinations for most of Novi Pazar’s exported clothes.
“I blame the Chinese,” said the unhappy rucksack saleswoman. “We all hate them, though they are good for some with no businesses of their own.”
The grumbles heard in the market echo all over Novi Pazar - a sprawling town of 90,000 - mostly inhabited by Bosniak Muslims, which for centuries has survived on its wits and its inhabitant’s trading skills.
In the 1990s, under the Serb nationalist regime of Slobodan Milosevic, those skills were tested to the limits. With no support from the state, many locals grew surprisingly prosperous on a textile boom, manufacturing quantities of imitation Levi jeans, in particular, for export. Many of these firms started on the proceeds of smuggled goods and petrol from Turkey and Bulgaria – a trade the sanctions-hit Serbian government turned a blind eye to.
But now the local textile industry is in freefall and, according to local economists and NGOs, about 70 per cent of Novi Pazar’s production outlets are scarcely working.
Local analysts agree with some of the complaints cited by the market traders. The economy has suffered from market shrinkage, caused by the break-up of Yugoslavia and then the de facto secession of Kosovo. The arrival of cheap Chinese goods has added to the problems, while other towns in Serbia have now become competitors in clothes production.
Belgrade – never enthusiastic about promoting the Bosniak Muslims of Sandzak – does nothing to alleviate the problem, the analysts agree, though whether the government is motivated by active malice, or plain indifference, is disputed.
Novi Pazar's Muslim leader, Mufti Muarem Zukorlic is in no doubt that Belgrade positively thwarts Sandzak's economic and political progress.
“Serbia is waging a silent war against us,” he told IWPR, from the head office of the town’s new, privately-founded, university, of which he himself is rector. “The people here are seen as an enemy of the state.”
But not everyone believes Novi Pazar’s decline is the fruit of Belgrade’s direct intention. Rasim Lajic, minister for ethnic minorities in the government of Serbia and Montenegro, and head of a local party, the Sandzak Democratic Party, says government neglect of Sandzak – reflected also in minimal press coverage of the region – stems from indifference, not enmity. “It can be a ‘plus’ to be ignored by the Serbia media,” he added, wryly.
“We need to open this area up,” he continued. “It’s a strategic border area, close to Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro…but we cannot just live off textiles.”
Lajic’s opinion, shared by many local observers, is that the local merchants invested too heavily in a single industry, believing jean production would guarantee them what he called a “golden age” for ever.
Aida Corovic, of Urban In, a local civic NGO, recalls the impact of the “golden age” very clearly. “I was shocked at how much money there was in the town in the mid-1990s,” she said from her town centre office. “People were just throwing it around.”
The turning point, she remembers, came soon after NATO’s air war with Serbia ended, “The goods were all going to Kosovo, but after 1999, when Kosovo became a protectorate, it all changed. Suddenly we had a smaller market, and also for the first time people were expected to pay taxes.”
One by one, local journalists say, the small factories built in the prosperous 1990s closed their doors; the machines fell silent, the little family firms unable to cushion themselves against the impact of several years of recession.
“The market in Bosnia, Kosovo and Montenegro is virtually closed now,” Ishak Slezovic, of Novi Pazar’s Radio 100 Plus, told IWPR. “Nothing can be taken there now without paying customs and taxes. We are left with too much capacity and a smaller market.” He added, “People who built up a capacity to make 1,000 items a day are only selling around 50.”
The net consequence of the slowdown, Slezovic added, is that average salaries in Novi Pazar have slumped. Once well higher than the Serbian average of around 200 euro a month, they are now only about 150.
Combined with the rumble of confessional and ethnic tension that continues between Orthodox Serbs and Bosniak Muslims beneath the surface of Sandzak society, it becomes clear that the region – if not quite a proverbial Balkan “tinder box” – remains in a fragile state.
Minister Ljajic says Serbia could at least remove some of the discord generated by the uncontrolled, and apparently untaxed, influx of Chinese goods and traders.
“The state is losing about 460 million euro a year owing to the failure to collect import taxes on Chinese goods,” he claimed. “We can’t stop those people coming in, but we could at least rectify that [the taxes].”
Others maintain that Chinese traders, though undoubtedly unpopular (many were attacked in a small riot earlier this year) are a diversion from the town’s deeper economic malaise.
Interestingly, on the day IWPR toured the market in Novi Pazar, the famous Chinese traders were not even visible. If they were present at all, they were well hidden and hardly the crushing economic force that some might lead visitors to believe.
Aida Corovic, of Urban In, is most concerned by the growing radicalisation of both young Serbs and Bosniaks in the Sandzak region. “The chasm is ever greater between the two sides,” she said. “The mistrust is spreading.”
Back at the new university, Mufti Zukorlic says he fears young people are alienated from the Serbian state, and that he may not be able to contain their frustration for ever.
“I can only fight against radicalism and extremism if I have the arguments to do so,” he said. “During the time of [former prime minister Zoran] Djindjic, I had them. But not now.”
Dragana Nikolic-Solomon is IWPR Belgrade project director and Marcus Tanner is IWPR Balkan editor/trainer.
As coronavirus sweeps the globe, IWPR’s network of local reporters, activists and analysts are examining the economic, social and political impact of this era-defining pandemic.
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New Pirate Card System Debuts This Fall
There has been a flurry of activity across campus this summer as Southwestern prepares to debut a new “One Card” system this fall.
The new card system will replace a variety of other cards on campus such as ID cards, meal cards and library copy cards. The new cards that can be used throughout campus are called “Pirate Cards.”
“We currently have a dozen cards of different types that show up on campus,” said Gary Logan, associate vice president for finance. “All those will eventually go away and we will have a new system that will provide much better customer service for our students.”
The new Pirate Card program is part of a $3 million technology enhancement program approved by the Board of Trustees in January 2004.
The first step in implementing the new system involved installing the necessary hardware and connecting these machines to the University network. New registers have been installed in the Commons and the Cove, and new card readers have been installed on most of the vending machines, copy machines and laundry machines on campus. Card readers also have been installed in the coffee bar located in the library and the concession stand in the Robertson Center.
The next step is to issue Pirate Cards to everyone on campus. Faculty and staff were offered the opportunity to get their cards in early August. New students will have cards made when they arrive on campus Aug. 18, and returning students will be given cards the following week. A special station will be set up on the first floor of the McCombs Center to issue cards.
There are several ways that card users can add money to their cards. One is by bringing a check to the Cashier’s Office in the Cullen Building, just as has been done in the past. A temporary card office also is being set up in Room 102 of Mabee residence hall. Pam Conger has been named the new Pirate Card Office Coordinator.
ATM-like machines also have been installed in the McCombs Center and the Library Periodicals Room. In addition to allowing students to add money to their cards, these machines will enable campus visitors to purchase temporary cards. Later this fall, students and parents will be able to access a Web site at piratecard.southwestern.edu to add money to accounts and review accounts.
Logan said students today are so accustomed to Web-based commerce that they should be easily able to adapt to the new system.
“Students want convenient access to our services and this system provides that,” he said.
He encourages students to “hang on to their cards and treat them like they are cash - which they are.” In the event that cards are lost or stolen, several offices on campus will be able to “deactivate” them. It will cost $10 to replace a Pirate Card, just as it did to replace the old ID cards.
The new Pirate Cards are just the first phase of Southwestern’s “One Card” system. In the future, Logan said, Southwestern may install a card-based access control system for dorms and offices throughout campus. The University may also approach selected Georgetown vendors about participating in the Pirate Card program.
“I would love to see the program expand,” Logan said. “It would be good for Southwestern and good for the community.”
For questions about the new Pirate Card program, call 512-863-1600 or visit the Pirate Card web site.


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Today's Must Read
Solid Balance Sheet, Revenue Rise Aid American Express (AXP)
Unit Growth to Aid Starbucks (SBUX), Coronavirus Woes Stay
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Apple (AAPL), American Express (AXP) and Starbucks (SBUX). These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.
Apple’s shares have outperformed the S&P 500 over the past year (+90.1% vs. +20.7%), with the momentum expected to continue despite the China challenges resulting from the virus outbreak. The Zacks analyst believes that iPhone sales benefited from trade-in programs, which doubled on a year-over-year basis. Wearables’ top-line growth was aided by strong demand for Apple Watch and AirPod.
Apple’s first-quarter fiscal 2020 results reflected continued momentum in the Services segment and a rebound in iPhone sales, which grew on a year-over-year basis. Wearables’ top-line growth was aided by strong demand for Apple Watch and AirPod. AirPod sales benefited from the launch of AirPod Pro, which features active noise cancellation.
Moreover, Apple Watch’s adoption rate grew rapidly. However, the company doesn’t expect to achieve second-quarter revenue guidance due to COVID-19, which is expected to hurt iPhone supply and demand in China.
Shares of American Express have gained +9.3% in the past six months against the Zacks Financial Miscellaneous Services industry's rise of +7.2%. The Zacks analyst believes that the company’s expanding presence in the business-to-business market and investment in technology should drive long-term growth.
Its revenue growth is driven by a strong brand, continued efforts toward building business in new growth verticals, shift toward digital and a strong economy, which are driving consumer spending. Its strong capital position and disciplined capital management are impressive.
However, the company's reward expenses have been increasing over the past many quarters, which weigh on margins. Cost of card member services has been increasing over the years, indicating higher engagement level across its premium travel services.
Starbucks' shares have gained +6.7% over the past three months against the Zacks Food & Restaurants industry's rise of +9%. The Zacks analyst believes that Starbucks' business is rapidly growing in China, courtesy of innovative store designs and the success of the MSR program.
The company reported first-quarter 2020 results, with earnings surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate and revenues missing the same. However, the top and the bottom-line increased year over year owing to robust performance of Americas and international segments, store openings, enhanced customer experience, and digitalization.
The company believes that China and the Asia-Pacific region will drive business growth over the next five years. Notably, more than half of the company’s stores in China have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include CVS Health (CVS), Goldman Sachs (GS) and BCE Inc. (BCE).
Today's Best Stocks from Zacks
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This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000 – 2019, while the S&P averaged +6.0% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +54.7% per year.
Director of Research
Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview reports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>


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NEW YORK, May 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks opened lower on Friday as major tech shares slid, weighing on the market.
File photo: AFP
Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 431.99 points, or 1.77 percent, to 23,913.73. The S&P 500 was down 57.78 points, or 1.98 percent, to 2,854.65. The Nasdaq Composite Index decreased 187.10 points, or 2.10 percent, to 8,702.45.
Amazon shares tumbled more than 5 percent in early trading. The U.S. e-commerce giant on Thursday posted a first-quarter profit that missed analysts' expectations and pledged to spend entire second-quarter operating profit on coronavirus response.
Shares of other big tech names, including Apple, Netflix, and Google-parent Alphabet, were also under pressure.
All the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors dropped, with both the energy and consumer sectors down more than 4 percent a few minutes after the opening, the two worst-performing groups.
Wall Street's major averages ended lower on Thursday after data showed the United States shed about 30 million jobs in six weeks, as lockdown measures began to bite across the nation.


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December 2013 statistics were released today from The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) “December’s 8 per cent year-over-year increase in sales volume in the city of Calgary capped a year that saw an 11 per cent growth in sales volume for the entire 12 months. City residential sales totaled 1,172 units in December, bringing total sold units […]
November statistics were released this week from The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB). City residential sales totaled 1,730 units in November, a 19 per cent increase in sales volume over the previous year. To read the full statistics article please click here.
October statistics were released last week from the Calgary Real Estate Board. “Residential sales activity totaled 1,953 units in October, an 18 per cent rise over 2012 and pushing year-to-date volume increases just over 10 per cent.” To read the rest of the October statistics, read the full article here.
September statistics were released last week from the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB). “The City of Calgary residential sales totaled 1923 units in September, 19 per cent higher than last year and 14 per cent higher than long-term averages for the month.” To read the rest of the September statistics please read the full CREB […]
April statistics were released on Wednesday from the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) and show that sellers’ market conditions push up prices across all categories. “The benchmark price of single family homes reached a new high of $452,900 in April, as market conditions that favour the seller finally drove prices about the unadjusted peak in […]
March statistics were released on Tuesday from the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) and show that first quarter sales improve in the condo market, while declining in the single family sector. “The inventory of active homes for sale in Calgary are the lowest March levels in more than five years. The decline in new listings […]
Why have confidence in The Fraser Group? We were one of the Top Teams in our office for 2012!
If you are visiting our website for the first time, welcome! If you recently heard our new ad on ShineFM thank you for taking the time to discover who we are. We do believe that a home is more than just walls. It is the place where memories are created and treasured. We value […]
City of Calgary residential sales continued to rise in March 2012, reaching 2,167 units, an increase of 12.6 per cent over last March. “The rise in activity is related to the continued improvement of our economy and consumer confidence, as some concerns regarding the global economy have eased,” says Ann-Marie Lurie, CREB® chief economist. After […]


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On a the latest episode of “Influencers with Andy Serwer,” Sonia Cheng, the CEO of the Rosewood Lodge Team, acknowledged the worldwide resort enterprise has faced “labor troubles” but suggested it is ultimately commencing to uncover staff eager to join the hospitality business.
Irrespective of fears of a looming economic downturn, the labor sector continues to be restricted with a U.S. unemployment level of 3.7%. In accordance to the newest knowledge, there have been two open up work for every single individual out of perform. What is more, leisure and hospitality personnel created up a huge proportion of the “good resignation.” In November final 12 months, 1 million leisure and hospitality personnel in the U.S. stop their work opportunities.
Still, the U.S. labor force participation charge ticked up past month, suggesting the availability of additional staff.
“So we are going through labor worries, I believe as with every person else in the hotel room and travel industry,” Cheng advised Yahoo Finance’s editor-in-main. “On the other hand, in the very last couple of months, we’re in a position to recruit the expertise that we have been looking for. I feel that it is really extremely significant to reintroduce the beauty of the lodge market to the talents out there.”
Cheng included that simply because of the pandemic, a lot of staff members temporarily still left the business, but actually required to come back to function.
“I imagine it truly is essential to target on making an corporation where by we are communicating to our talents that this is a discovering firm,” she added. “What is your occupation route?”
‘Tremendous expansion in our pipeline’
Whilst the pandemic wreaked havoc on quite a few industries, vacation and hospitality were amid the most difficult strike. U.S. resort occupancy plummeted to 25% in April 2020 from 63.9% in April 2019, according to STR Worldwide.
Nevertheless, Cheng proposed there is optimism in the potential of the travel business.
“Shockingly, while COVID has had major impact in the hospitality marketplace, we have professional remarkable expansion in our pipeline in the final two years,” Cheng


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The conventional supply network got disturbed because of novel coronavirus lockdowns. Agritech startups are serving farmers to get connected with buyers, automate supply chains and automate the next layer of data analytics to get productivity by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT).
On the basis of Nasscom 2019, report India has more than 450 agritech startups growing at a fast pace. Agritech startups such as Clover and Bijak have raised funding during COVID-19 calamity.
“Covid-19 and the lockdown have hit the core logistics and supply chain in agriculture in ways which was not measured in traditional distribution setups, and they were technologically insufficient to overcome this situation. Many agritech companies came up with innovative ways to help farmers and save their crop and harvest from complete loss and in this, they also gained farmers’ confidence” said Ananda Verma, co-founder, Fasal.
Fasal assists farmers with the help of its AI-powered IoT-SaaS platform that catches real-time data on the growing state from on-farm sensors and delivers farm-specific, crop-specific applicable knowledge to the farmers with the help of the mobile in their vernacular languages.
QZense company, which is based in Bengaluru, is using IoT to develop solutions for the fast and exact ranking of fresh food, by getting in-depth data on ripeness, spoilage and shelf life.
Gurugram based Bijak is serving rural commodity traders and buyers transformation to digital trade. The greenhouse agritech platform Clover is helping greenhouse farmers avoid financial instability at the time of delivering fresh vegetables to grocery shops.
“With the onset of covid, an already fraught fresh-produce supply chain saw huge volatility, with farmers losing market access resulting in significant dump of the produce. On the other hand, consumers faced limited choice with concerns on origin of produce, handling of the produce till it reaches their doorstep.
The robust fresh-produce supply chain of Clover was able to channel a lot of these farmers into its network for serving the end consumer demand in a traceable, hygienic manner. We’ve done this across Bangalore and Hyderabad,” said Avinash BR, co-founder, Clover.
“Indian agriculture is an over $350B industry powered by close to 100 million small and independent farmers. This industry is on the brink of a massive transformation with ease of regulation, farmers getting organized and increasing smart phone penetration and DeHaat is leveraging these trends to build the next-gen product in the agricultural supply chain”, said Abhishek Mohan, vice-president at Sequoia Capital India.


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Nissan is boosting production in Russia as the collapse in the ruble hits its profits.
The company started production of its X-Trail SUV at its St. Petersburg factory this week and will add the Qashqai next year as part of a 167 million euro investment that has doubled the plant's annual capacity to 100,000 units.
Colin Lawther, Nissan Europe's head of manufacturing, said exporting the Qashqai to Russia from the company’s Sunderland, England, factory is "is not as attractive as it once was."
"The ruble is just crazy at the moment and beyond everyone's expectation," he added.
The weakening ruble is causing "a lot of stress" to automakers importing cars into the country, Lawther said.
A Toyota Europe spokesman also said the ruble’s decline is “having a negative effective on our overall European profitability.”
The Toyota RAV4 SUV is Russia’s top-selling imported passenger vehicle with sales of 34,114 through November, according to data from the Association of European Businesses in Russia (AEB).
For Nissan, Russia is one of the Qashqai’s two biggest markets along with the UK, and the crossover is Nissan’s No. 2-seller there after the locally built Almera compact sedan. Nissan sold 27,323 Qashqais, 22,251 X-Trails and 42,220 Almeras in Russia through November.
Lawther said the exchange rate issue will be less important when Nissan starts building the Qashqai in St. Petersburg at the end of next year. Nissan prioritized local production of the new X-Trail SUV over the Qashqai.
By 2016, 90 percent of the cars Nissan sells in Russia will be built in the country. The automaker builds the Murano and Pathfinder large SUVs, and the Teana midsize sedan at the factory.
Lawther said Nissan still makes a profit selling the Qashqai in Russia despite the ruble’s declining value.
Russian-built vehicles qualify for scrappage discounts from a government program to support the auto industry. The program helped to limit a decline in new-car sales to 1 percent in November compared with 10 percent in October. Through November, sales are down 12 percent to 2.22 million, according to the AEB.


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News is spreading that Yahoo’s mail service is down, reportedly by users at micro-blogging site Twitter  to complain about the downturn today – the reason is not clear that how the widespread the problem is, Flickr staff member told users who are complaining of slow load times that “There was an outage in one of Yahoo!’s datacenters that has been resolved now.” The monitoring site Downrightnow.com reported a service disruption.
A company spokesman told CNET, “We worked quickly to resolve the issue, and are pleased that Yahoo Mail is restored to full functionality.” Adding, “We apologize to affected users.”
Similarly, a representative sent The Verge following statement, “Yahoo Mail was inaccessible to some users in certain locations for a short period of time. We worked quickly to resolve the issue, and are pleased that Yahoo Mail is restored to full functionality. We apologize to affected users.”
(Image Source: Yahoo logo)


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Japanese mobile phone carrier Softbank on Tuesday said it will begin accepting pre-orders for Apple's fourth-generation iPhone on June 15 with the launch date set for nine days later.
But Softbank, Apple's exclusive partner in Japan, stayed quiet about the retail price and usage fee after the California-based company unveiled its new device on Monday.
The iPhone 4, which features video chat and a crisper screen, goes on sale on June 24 in Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the United States and will cost 199 dollars for the 16 gigabyte model and 299 dollars for the 32GB model.
The touchscreen smartphone, which comes in black and white versions, will be available in 18 other countries in July and 24 more in August.
The iPhone 4 includes more than 100 new features including a front-facing video camera to allow for video-conferencing between iPhones, an improved camera and battery and a screen with significantly higher resolution.
The iPhone 4 can also shoot and edit HD video. The 3.5-inch screen is the same size as previous models but features 326 pixels per square inch, four times more than the earlier iPhones.
Some analysts are sceptical of the amount of demand in Japan for the new gadget as all iPhone users in the country are still locked in two year contracts under Softbank.
The carrier has not disclosed whether there will be any early upgrade option.
The launch will come just over a month after the touchscreen iPad went on sale globally to scenes of giant queues snaking around stores. Apple said it has sold more than two million units of the device.
Explore further: Apple unveils iPhone 4 with video chat and crisper screen


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Brexit fallout slammed by Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin
Figures published by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) show significant traffic diverted away from the traditional routes between Dublin and Britain to some of 32 new ferry services direct to ports such as Le Havre, Cherbourg and Dunkirk in France and Zeebrugge in Belgium. Earlier in the year, the French Ambassador to Ireland, HE Vincent Guérend took to Twitter to gloat about ferry routes between the Republic of Ireland and France in an attempt to demonstrate strengthened ties between Paris and Dublin.
In his tweet, the head of the French mission to Dublin said: “A very concrete link between our two countries. We now have more than 44 weekly sailings between Cork, Dublin, Rosslare and French ports.”
The IMDO report shows freight volumes from Dublin port to Liverpool and Holyhead in Anglesey down 19 percent in the first three-quarters of 2021 compared with 2020 and down by 30 percent on the two routes from Rosslare in south-east Ireland to the Welsh ports of Pembroke and Fishguard.
The report said: “It is clear that the new trading arrangements between Ireland and the UK have had a significant and negative effect upon ro-ro [roll-on roll-off lorry haulage] freight traffic between the two countries.”
It added: “Underpinning all of these trends are the new customs and trading arrangements between Ireland and the UK that came into force on 1 January 2021.”
Trucks heading to Europe avoiding the UK are up by over 50 percent
Traffic for the second and third quarters of this year show Irish Republic to EU traffic is already up by 52 percent compared with the entirety of 2019, it added.
The decline in demand for the ferry services to Wales and Liverpool has also seen Northern Irish ports receiving a Brexit dividend, with freight volumes hitting “unprecedented highs in 2021."
Historically, Northern Irish hauliers have preferred the Dublin-Holyhead route as the quickest way to access markets in the south and south-east of England, but some have now eschewed the route “to avoid the new customs requirements involved between Ireland and UK ports”, the reports said.
On Saturday, Rosslare Europort said, it had the busiest day in its history. Its general manager, Glenn Carr, put the increased demand down to the desire to avoid the UK, but also a reduction in trade with Great Britain because of Brexit red tape and cost.
Speaking to Journal.ie Mr Carr said: “In particular industries, we’re definitely seeing where traditionally a lot of goods were sourced in the UK or exported to the UK, there’s been a switch to Europe.”
He added: “We definitely see it in the port in terms of the mix of goods that are there now – ingredients, food, dairy, pharmaceuticals.”
Following the announcement from the French ambassador to Dublin earlier in the year, many Britons praised the move rather than condemn it.
Commenting on the news, Express.co.uk readers pointed out several key points.
Rejoiners blame Brexit! Musk explains 'supply chain nightmare' [REPORT]
Killed by her ‘daddy’ - man who murdered two-year-old girl jailed [REVEAL]
Britain’s intelligence networks not affected by Brexit [INSIGHT]
Diversity said: “Great news from a UK point of view, saving wear on tear on our roads and far less pollution.”
BKS stated the journey times would now be longer. He said: “Going from Dublin to Paris via the Landbridge takes 13.4 hours with multiple daily sailings.”
He added: “Going Dublin to Paris by sea will take 22.5 hours 5 sailings a week… So a return journey will take an extra 18 hours a week plus waiting for sailings and cost about £2000 return ferry only.”
Although many said it was good for congestion on the roads, several pointed out the fact that many small businesses on the route between Ireland and France via the UK relied on the trade the logistics companies brought with them.
Truckers from Northern Ireland are also using the route to avoid Britain.
According to the haulage industry, many Northern Irish businesses are following lead.
They are taking advantage of extra routes to mainland Europe from Dublin, Rosslare and Cork and avoiding passing through Britain.
Gary Lyons, a haulier who supplies both to Britain and the Continent, says clients who ship chilled goods to Europe are wary of delays at Dover.
He said: “Beef, offal and dairy producers will not go through the land bridge.”


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Well over a year after Grado Labs unveiled its “zero-compromise” wireless headphones, the company is unleashing a new offering that will easily stand out from what feels like a never-ending list of competition. Grado Labs’ Hemp Headphones find yet another way to use hemp, and perhaps unsurprisingly, this product is the first of its kind. The company describes its limited edition Hemp Headphones as producing “a brilliant, warm, and precise sound.” Continue reading to learn more.
This morning Grado has unveiled a new limited-edition pair of white headphones, continuing a legacy of made in America products out of its unassuming Brooklyn brownstone. Grado’s tradition of using wood as a main feature in its products rolls on here with maple at the center of today’s announcement. Of course, there’s the usual attention to detail on the brand’s first entry-point into painted cans with a leather headband and white stitching. This limited run will only be available through the end of the year, so hit the jump to find out how you can grab a pair for yourself before inventory runs dry.
In what was an inevitable move, Grado has officially taken the wraps off its first pair of wireless headphones in the company’s history. Throughout our coverage over the years, we’ve always asked when this blessed event would occur and the response always returned boiled down to, wireless wasn’t ready for Grado sound.
Born out of a town house in Brooklyn, each pair of Grado headphones is made by-hand with that iconic sound. Staying true to what brought Grado here has always been priority number one. Today’s news that its first wireless release, the GW100, is just around the corner tells us that they are finally happy with the product. More below.
Back in May, Grado Labs introduced the GS2000e over-ear headphones, the latest creation to come out of its unassuming Brooklyn factory. These new cans sit atop the Statement Series with a fresh design that marries two woods – mahogany and maple – with a hefty $1,400 price tag. But as they say, you get what you pay for…
They feature wireless Bluetooth connection with your mobile devices, 8 hours of music playback and calls, over/under ear fit options, lifetime sweat-proof warranty, foam ear tips, carrying case, charging cable, cord management clips and more. Rated 3.7/5 stars from over 2,100 amazon customers. You can get even more details in our hands on review.
Grado Labs out of Brooklyn, NY recently introduced a new pair of flagship wooden headphones, the GS2000e. True to form, these fresh high-end cans marry a classic design with iconic craftsmanship. This pair bumps the previously released GS1000e at the top of the company’s Statement Series. Head below for more and a gallery of images.
High-end Brooklyn-based headphone manufacturer Grado has announced its newest set of in-ears. Unlike the GR8/10e that were released last year, this is the first pair of earbuds from Grado to feature a built-in microphone and remote control for iOS devices. The iGe’s are Made for iPhone with dedicated buttons for playback and Siri.
This new release steps outside of Grado’s heritage of vintage-inspired headphones for a modern take focused on commuters. We spoke with Jonathan Grado, VP of Marketing, on the thought process behind this new release:
Amazon is once again offering the Jabra MOVE Wireless Bluetooth headphones in black for $69.79 shipped. That’s $30 under the average $100 selling price, $10 under the next best price, matching our previous low and the best price we can find. The MOVEs have a stainless steel headband and are made from dirt resistant materials.…
There are a few companies that we’ve come across that really standout in our search for the best gear for our readers. One of those is Brooklyn-based headphone manufacturer Grado Labs. We’ve shared their story before, highlighting the attention to detail that goes into every pair of headphones in their handcrafted line of products.
Today Grado has announced a new a line of headphones that pay special attention to the family’s heritage from Brooklyn.
Update (3/28 12:15pm): @IAmTimBaker is our winner, thank you to everyone that entered our Grado giveaway!
Since Grado first announced its newest generation of in-ear headphones, we’ve spent sometime putting the GR10e’s through the paces. Starting at $299 for the GR8e’s and $399 for the 10e’s, these in-ear headphones come at a premium price in comparison to other options on the market. But the magic of the Brooklyn manufacturer is clearly evident in this latest iteration of in-ears.
After a complete re-vamp of its line of over-ear headphones, Grado Labs has announced that its popular in-ears have received the same treatment. The GR8e and GR10e are follow-ups to its previous generation cans designed for on-the-go listening. For this Brooklyn-based headphones manufacturer, this is just another step in its legendary story.
Guitar Center is offering the AKG K 44 Headphones for just $15 shipped. That’s $65 under the original price tag, $20 better than Amazon and the best price we can find on these cans. They feature a closed-back circumaural design with a self adjusting headband, patented variation speakers, leatherette/velvet ear pads, and a 18Hz to 20.000Hz…
Sonos has announced today that it is bringing previously European-only streaming service Deezer to the United States, wrapped in a new service dubbed Deezer Elite. Deezer is known for its high resolution streaming of over 35 million songs, utilizing a format of music known as FLAC. The deal between Sonos and Deezer is beneficial to both companies, as it fills the high quality streaming void left left by Mog when it was purchased by Beats earlier this year. It also gives Deezer a solid name to tag onto in America. But ultimately, why is this a big deal?
Update (8/30): Thanks for all of the entries into our first Small States giveaway, @omar_cruz is our winner and he has been contacted.
Small States is a new series on 9to5Toys that features small companies that design and manufacture within the United States.
The first time you pick up a pair of Grado headphones, you know that something is different. The first time you speak to John Grado, you know why. Hearing this man tell the story of the headphones, the handshake agreements with men he’s worked with for 50 years and the passion for what they do, it is easy to fall in love with their product. The simple packaging, the smooth wood of mahogany and the clean look all bring you in before you ever plug in a pair of Grado headphones.
It all starts with John. He bought the company from his uncle in the 80’s, and designs each headphone on the top floor of the factory in the listening room. Carrying on the Grado tradition of “good ears”, he sits listening to three carefully selected songs, his self-described reference points: Red Garter by Duke Ellington, Night in Tunisia by Ella Fitzgerald and Before You Accuse Me by Eric Clapton. By utilizing the same equipment since he began his craft 25 years ago, John Grado knows what he’s listening for and sometimes it just takes him a while to find it.


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While restaurants are seeing a drop in customers this Mother’s Day weekend, food delivery companies are bracing themselves for a huge surge in orders.
Starting on Saturday (May 8), the size of social gatherings will be cut from a maximum of eight to five. As such, many diners have opted to cancel their family plans in favour of dining at home, and for many, that means ordering in.
In order to prepare for the inevitable rush, delivery platforms are using specialised algorithms to match the number of delivery partners to the number of orders.
How it works, a spokesperson for foodpanda explained to AsiaOne, is by taking past data to estimate the expected number of orders. The company is then able to ensure an optimal number of riders – prepared to meet demand at different timings over this festive weekend.
“To minimize delays, we encourage our customers to place pre-orders if possible,” the foodpanda spokesperson added.
For Deliveroo, their algorithm takes into account such as the weather conditions and distance in order to ensure orders are delivered pronto.
Similarly, Grab monitors the demand and supply of orders using live data to make real-time adjustments to help merchant-partners that are facing difficulties in fulfilling orders, their spokesperson shared.
AsiaOne understands from some of Grab’s delivery partners that incentives are also offered on days when high demand is expected.
“Festive occasions like Mother’s Day, Christmas and Chinese New Year always spark an increase in orders,” a Deliveroo spokesperson said.
“We do expect an increase in orders over this coming weekend, especially with the new government restrictions.”
Drop in dine-ins
Restaurants Today spoke to have mentioned that they were estimating at least a 30 per cent drop in customers, after receiving numerous calls to cancel their booking. Those that catered to large families, in particular, were hit the worst.
Speaking with AsiaOne, Wong Jing Kai, one of the head honchos over at Scaled by Ah Hua Kelong, said he’d seen the number of customers drop as fast as the number of delivery orders shot up.
While preparing a large number of delivery orders isn’t new to the business, Kai says there’s a limit to how many they can fulfil.
Unlike the previous year, when dining in wasn’t allowed during the Circuit Breaker hence allowing Scaled to fully focus on deliveries, they now have to cater to dine-in consumers too.
“There’s a limitation to what our kitchen can produce and want the best quality for both our deliveries as well as dine-in consumers.”
The measures were tightened as the country experiences its worst spate of Covid-19 community cases in almost a year. One died due to Covid-19 complications on May 1.
Of the 10 active clusters, the largest one is the nation’s first hospital cluster and comprises of staff, patients and their close contacts.


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Romanians and Bulgarians among lowest in EU for online shopping
Photo by Ju1978/Shutterstock.com
Online shopping is continuing to increase in the European Union, a Eurostat survey released on April 20 shows. But numbers in Bulgaria and Romania are among the lowest.
Bulgaria has the lowest online shopping figures in the EU. Photo by Ju1978/Shutterstock.com
Large numbers of people who shopped online during the previous year were recorded in particular in Scandinavian countries. The highest shares were found in Denmark (84%) and Sweden (82%), followed by the Netherlands (81%), Germany (79%) and Finland (73%).
Romania (23%) and Bulgaria (22%) were ranked at the bottom of the online shopping chart.
The highest increase over the last 10 years was in Estonia, with the share of online shoppers up 51 percentage points from 17% in 2009 to 68% in 2019.
Sixty percent of people in the EU aged 16 to 74 shopped online during the year prior to the 2019 survey, compared with 56% in the 2018 survey, Eurostat said.
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Game Boy Advance Gets a SNES/Super Famicom-Themed Comeback With New Units Coming in July
Rose Colored Gaming, known for recreating and releasing their own versions of classic game consoles, is back at it again with a new refresh of the Game Boy Advance that also happened to call back to Nintendo’s classic history.
The company announced that limited edition SNES and Super Famicom-themed Game Boy Advance consoles will be making their way to their online store later this month, with the new units designed and colored like the two classic Nintendo consoles. Prices have not yet been announced for the units, though RCG mentioned that they will be slightly more costly than their previous models (ranging from around $165 and up).
Rose Colored Gaming’s new GBA units will be available shortly – in the meantime, you can check out more on the classic vintage units here and lookout for pre-orders soon.


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DEARBORN, Mich.– Ford Motor Company reported its August 2017 sales results.
Ford will begin its monthly sales call at 10 a.m. ET this morning when Erich Merkle, Ford U.S. sales analyst, will host a conference call for the investment community and news media to discuss the results and related market trends. He will be joined by Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service, and Bryan Bezold, Ford senior Americas economist.
The August report shows that Ford Motor Company’s U.S. sales totaled 209,897 vehicles for August, a decline of 2.1 percent; fleet sales were down 0.2 percent, and August retail sales totaled 164,067 vehicles, down 2.7 percent compared to a year ago.
But Ford F-Series sales totaled 77,007 trucks for August, a 15 percent gain. Demand remains strong for high trim-level super duty trucks, with Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum accounting for 53 percent of retail sales last month. This, together withdemand for Raptor, translates into a $3,400 gain in F-Series average transaction pricing versus 2016, now $45,600 per vehicle.
August marked the start of sales for the new 2018 Ford F-150. Initial sales are strong for high series trucks.
“We continue to see customers choosing high trim-level F-Series trucksfor Super Duty and with new 2018 F- 150 orders. We are seeing high demand overall for our F-Series lineup this year, outpacing full-size truck segment growth 2 to 1 with a 15
percent increase for August,” said Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service.
Read the full report at Ford Motor Company.
Source: Ford Motor Company press release


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Simply Fit Food links up with other businesses to extend its online offering
View original article here
Several Irish food producers have partnered with Louth start-up Simply Fit Food to sell their goods on the ready-made meal company’s website.
Simply Fit Food, founded by Evelyn Garland and Luke Judge three years ago, sells a range of ready-made meals and recently launched a new line of soup products.
Due to current pandemic, the firm’s retail sales have taken a significant hit, with the Louth-based company now fully focused online.
Speaking to the Business Post, Garland said the firm has linked up with several small Irish food producers to create an all-in-one lunches and snacks offering that can be delivered nationwide.
She said Simply Fit Food has partnered with Dr. Coy’s, which produces a range of chocolate bars, Dublin-based producer Blendi Snacks and Kildare drinks firm Pro Kulture Kombucha.
“If any small producer is struggling and they have a snack type of product, get in touch with us. We can house their products on our website and promote them as part of our offering,” Garland said.
“It will be a co-promotion with Simply Fit Food. We plan on selling it as a care package and bundle for customers.”
Garland said she is particularly looking for breakfast options and drinks in the health category to add to their existing offering online.
“They can list on our website and we can add them to our meal packages and meal plans.”
Garland said the other products would be available to purchase individually on the Simple Fit Food website, but the main aim is to sell all the products as a bundle.
Garland and Judge have also raised €4,500 since the beginning of pandemic, with the funds put towards delivering meals to healthcare and other frontline workers.
Through the donations, the firm has been able to provide 5,200 meals and 2,800 cold-pressed juices to test centres and frontline workers to date.
“Read the original article here.
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