text:
Affluent middle class consumers in India demand greater recognition
In an increasingly competitive retail banking market, three-quarters of Indian affluent middle class consumers expect greater recognition and reward for their loyalty according to research by the Collinson Group. These consumers also expect more personalised communications and services, with 35% of Indian consumers feeling their bank does not know or understand them.
The study of 4,400 affluent middle class consumers (within the top 10-15% income bracket), in Brazil, China, India, Italy, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and USA, reveals the changing attitudes and expectations of this group towards banks. It has found that over half of respondents globally are not satisfied with their banks. This is especially apparent in India, where consumer satisfaction drops to 39% even though 81% consider themselves loyal to their banks.
Christopher Evans, Director at Collinson Group says, “Whilst today the percentage of customers switching their current accounts is low, it is rising year on year. Increased competition and the popularity of easy-to-use comparison websites and switching services, are providing greater choice and creating higher expectation amongst affluent middle class consumers. Knowing your customer and ensuring they feel valued are the key tenets of customer loyalty and banks need to act now if they are to retain their most affluent consumers.”
Banks are losing their position as a ‘one-stop shop’ for financial services, with savvy consumers choosing a range of financial service providers. Customers are increasingly looking elsewhere for additional services, such as travel insurance and benefits, identity theft protection and gadget insurance—all of which Indian consumers highly value. Only 25% of affluent Indian consumers purchase travel insurance through their bank, and figures are lower still for identity theft protection (14%), and gadget insurance (13%). However when a customer does buy additional products through their bank, they are more loyal, with over half (54%) of these customers globally less willing to switch provider. This highlights a dual benefit of offering more premium services such as insurance and assistance which will increase revenue as well as enhance customer loyalty.
“Our research found that not being rewarded for loyalty is the biggest frustration for consumers, as cited by two thirds of respondents globally, ahead of poor interest rates and charging unnecessary fees. Many banks offer standardised, transactional loyalty programmes which rely on traditional points-based rewards. Less than half of affluent middle class consumers are currently members of bank loyalty initiatives and this group are more likely to be members of supermarket, airline, credit card and hotel loyalty programmes ahead of banks, where these programmes offer greater value and appeal.
Evans continues, “With increased competition in the sector, encouraging the most valuable customers to become active members of loyalty programmes can be a powerful tool in improving satisfaction, retention and achieving repeat business.”
Personalised and consistent communications, rewards and service regardless of how customers choose to interact with a bank is also important for the affluent middle class. The study has found that customer engagement improves by a third amongst individuals who ‘feel known’ by their bank and a further third for those who say they receive a consistent multichannel service – whether in person, by phone or via digital channels.
Collinson Group research has previously highlighted how today’s affluent consumers place a higher priority on family, altruism and enriching experiences ahead of short-term satisfaction and this is reflected in their expectations of banks. Over two-thirds globally (68%) expect their banks to be ethical and this figure increases to 79% in India, 81% in China and 82% in the USA.
“Banks need to act now to stop their customers switching and to protect their current revenue. Middle class mass affluent consumers are increasingly mobile and demand more from their banks” says Evans. “Transparent, ethical behaviour is increasingly important and financial services organisations also need to demonstrate the value of their loyalty programmesto encourage active participation. Personalised, aspirational and more lifestyle orientated benefitsand rewards, which are more accessible to earn and redeem will enable banking brands to differentiate themselves and attract and retain the most affluent consumers.”
About the research
Research was conducted online by an independent research specialist, Research Now, on behalf of Collinson Group in Brazil, China, India, Italy, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the USA and UK with 4,437 consumers within the top 10-15% income during 2014 end.
About Collinson Group
Collinson Group (www.collinsongroup.com) is a global leader in shaping customer behaviour to drive revenue and value for clients.
The Group offers a unique blend of industry and sector specialists who together provide market-leading experience in delivering products and services across four core capabilities: Loyalty, Lifestyle Benefits, Insurance and Assistance.
The Group provides unrivalled insight and expertise around affluent consumers and frequent travellers, creating and delivering products and services that increase engagement, loyalty and value for customers. With 25 years’ experience, it is present across 28 global locations, servicing over 800 clients in 170 countries, employing 1,500 staff, and managing over 20 million end customers. Clients include: MasterCard, VISA, Diners, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Air France KLM and InterContinental Hotels Group.
Collinson Group comprises leading brands including: Priority Pass, Columbus Direct, ICLP, Collinson Latitude.


text:
EA Maxis will released the game digitally this summer.
Electronic Arts has more SimCity coming this summer. SimCity will be available for Mac exclusively as a digital release on August 29, 2013. SimCity is cross-platform compatible, so all players, whether on Mac or PC, will be able to play SimCity together in the online connected world and will be able to jump back and forth into their cities regardless of the platform. Those players who have previously purchased digital and boxed copies of SimCity for PC will receive an automatic entitlement for SimCity for Mac via Origin.

domain: news


text:
SOME members of Ryedale District Council have been in print in the last few weeks encouraging a mass turn-out of the anti-brigade at the long-awaited planning meeting tomorrow to make a decision on the future of the Wentworth Street car park.
I, too, would urge people to lobby councillors on the planning committee.
But I want those who believe that a supermarket on the site is a good idea to put their heads above the parapet and urge members of the committee to vote in favour.
Having talked to many people, including some local traders, who are in favour of the development, I know why more supporters don't speak out. It is because they fear being shouted down and bullied by the influential few who feel that they have the divine right to dictate the future of Malton.
It's about time that this issue was finally put to bed and the town moved forward into the 21st century rather than languishing in the past.
I enjoy shopping in Norton and Malton and I want to see the towns succeed. I also want choice as to where I am able to shop locally, both in the weekly supermarket run but also for a wider range of other goods. This is why I have always backed the district council’s plans to sell the car park.
As is seen in other market towns, once a major retailer invests somewhere it lifts the local economy and boosts confidence, encouraging other retailers to join them.
Examples of this can be seen in Beverley or Ripon, both bustling, busy market towns.
If we are to see Malton and Norton become secure as a growing economy and somewhere that people want to come to shop, we have to grasp the nettle, make a brave decision and take control of the future as well as supporting our existing excellent local shops.
The unique shops in our towns will not be threatened by a new supermarket as their uniqueness lies in selling products that you just can't buy in a supermarket. This is why I and many others use them.
So I hope RDC members hold their nerve and vote for a brighter economic future for Malton and Norton.
DI KEAL, Norton


text:
I think many of us here were really excited when Krispy Kreme came to Hong Kong about 2 years ago. I’ve been a regular ever since and I would visit any of their branches at least once a week. Unfortunately, unlike the US, Krispy Kreme here did not pass out free donuts while you line up … and I’ve always thought that an original glaze at HKD 10 (~ USD 1.3) is a little on the expensive side. I wonder if they would’ve done better pricing their donuts at a cheaper price. Can anyone remind me how much a Krispy Kreme donut in the States cost?
Funny thing was, I’ve always thought that business was doing well for them … but in retrospect, I don’t recall seeing many customers at any of the Krispy Kremes.
Here’s the article on from today’s newspaper, The Standard:
High Rents Blamed as Hole Blown in Doughnut Dream
Nickkita Lau and Timothy Chui
The Hong Kong franchisee of US doughnut giant Krispy Kreme is on the verge of closing all its outlets in the city.
Five of its seven stores – managed by Australian brothers Wayne and Brian Parfitt who bought the Krispy Kreme franchise two years ago – were closed yesterday.
Only two at the airport remains open, leaving a two-week window as management looks for a buyer. More than 120 people may lose their jobs.
One employee said she was surprised when notified about the closure yesterday morning because business had been fine the night before.
The local franchisee placed itself in voluntary liquidation.
The independent financial advisor appointed by the franchisee to help place the company into voluntary liquidation, Stephen Bricose, blamed the failure on high rents in places such as Causeway Bay and Mong Kok.
He said a buyer had not been found over the past six months despite strenuos efforts.
Briscoe said employees had been paid up to the end of last month. He did not have a concrete figure on how much debt the company had.
A meeting of creditors will be held on November 12 to appoint liquidators to deal with the assets and the claims of employees and creditors.
At least 12 Krispy Kreme employees have so far sought assistance from the Labour Department.
Krispy Kreme is the second-largest doughnut chain in the United States.
The Parfitt brothers also had the Macau franchise and had planned to open 20 outlets in five years.
The first branch opened in Causeway Bay in August 2006 and its international reputation attracted long lines.
The failure of Krispy Kreme has not deterred all owners of foreign franchises.
Ray Fung, operations manager of Canadian fast-food chain New York Fries, whose first branch in Hong Kong will open next month, said past experience has shown fast-food outlets are not especially sensitive to recessions.
“During recession, people typically spend less on luxury goods such as shark’s fin, but consumers will always want their comfort food, and fast food is an indulgence that doesn’t exactly break the bank,” he said.
The franchisee of two branches of American chain Burger King said it will continue with its plan to expand despite the financial turmoil.
According to an industry source, local eatery Cafe de Coral is planning to expand its network to 30 outlets …
RIP Krispy Kreme Hong Kong. To quote the bankers on Wall Street, “It was fun while it lasted” … I don’t know what I’ll do without you man. Is Hong Kong not ready for Krispy Kreme? The thing is, if its not ready now … I don’t think it ever will be.
Filed under: Central, Hong Kong | Tagged: Culture, Donut, Food, Hong Kong, Krispy Kreme, Restaurant, Restaurant Review, Review | 3 Comments »


text:
APL Logistics, global provider of supply chain services, has won the award for the Best Innovation for 2002 from prominent retailer Limited Brands.
Limited Brands has more than 4,000 stores throughout the United States and markets it products under seven leading brands, including Victoria's Secret, The Limited, and Bath & Bodyworks.
Limited's Best Innovation in Systems and Service Offerings 2002 award was based on APLL's emphasis on providing creative solutions in the evolving world of logistics, leading the system development that improved the value of information to Limited Brands and its brand customers.
"What really impressed us is the way APLL responded to changing market conditions and regulatory requirements by consistently finding solutions that support our organization," said Richard Jackson, Limited's senior vice president of operations, who presented the award in Hong Kong recently.
"Many of our service providers have done an admirable job of innovating and presenting new service offerings, but overall it was felt that APLL deserved top recognition in this category for having consistently demonstrated the characteristics embodied in the award," Jackson added.
"It's an honor to receive this recognition," said Vin Gulisano, APLL's senior vice president of sales and marketing. "We see it as recognition of our unwavering commitment to providing our customers with the service and operational support they need to be successful."
APL Logistics performs a range of logistics services for Limited Brands, including origin shipment consolidation in Asia, Europe and Latin America, and helps ensure vendor compliance with Limited's logistics requirements. APLL also supports Limited's purchase order management requirements with its data exchange and supply chain visibility tools.
About APL Logistics APL Logistics is a global provider of supply chain management services. The company has some 4,500 employees in 55 countries. Sister company, APL, provides global container transportation services. Both are units of the Singapore-based NOL Group, a global logistics and transportation company engaged in shipping and related businesses.
Thank you for taking the time to read this fashion industry news on the Apparel Search website.
ASAP Fashion News Fast - Fashion news for the apparel industry
and consumers to learn more about the clothing business. Apparel Search
ASAP Fashion News Fast - Fashion news for the apparel industry and consumers to learn more about the clothing business.
Apparel Search ASAP News[borders/disc4aftr.htm]


text:
The lockdowns due to COVID-19 have definitely affected businesses the world over, and it has become almost impossible for many people to grab a hold of their daily medication. While developed nations may not have big problems regarding the order and delivery of medical items and equipment, developing nations, such as Nepal, obviously face a huge obstacle making it work. The main issue with online pharmacies in Nepal is the lack of awareness amongst a vast majority of consumers. To make matters worse, the number of pharmacies and secondary pharmacy markets that offer their products and services through online measures can be counted in the fingers of one hand. For sure, this figure is going to rocket within 2020 given the rise in need of such services in Nepal; there is no doubt about that!
In the case of 24Seven, we were already delivering our products to the doorsteps of customers even before the pandemic started. However, that doesn't mean that we haven't had to change our working procedures. We've now been able to deliver medical products to our customers using top-notch safety precautions. For example, our delivery specialists wear gloves and masks and carry hand sanitizers with them. Before the order is dispatched, every delivery professional has to go through a 2-step medical check-up that includes recording their body temperature for possible fevers, and a Q&A session where we ask them simple questions to find out whether they've been in close contact with any sick individuals over the last two months and to learn if they've recently travelled to an infected area.
That's not all. Since our facility is situated inside hospital premises, the area is already following the safety precautions put forward by the WHO (World Health Organization). This means that customers can walk in without any fear of contracting any type of viruses. We believe that we have been very strict when it comes to checking the health conditions of any of our employees, visitors and delivery guys. This has been possible due to the fact that we only employ qualified and certified pharmacists at our store; these individuals have received a well-planned induction and training from us before they started working with us.
The most important thing to let you know is that our delivery professionals have been trained differently after the lockdown started in Kathmandu. To expand on that, I'm very happy to let you know that even these hired hands talk to the customers in order to find out whether they're safe and to check that they have no travel history in the last two to three months.
All this has been possible due to the advisors in our team who have been in the medical line for more than a decade. In fact, we have doctors and nurses who have studied coronavirus and other viruses in detail and offer medical advice and treatment if needed. We also offer online medical counselling to people that need them, and we have been able to promote this service through digital platforms on a daily basis.
Customers in Pokhara and Kathmandu valleys can order medical products and cosmetic items as well as medical equipment from the comfort of their homes. For this purpose, we have a well-built software application which can be downloaded by iOS and Android users. In addition, they can visit our website and other online handles, such as Facebook and Instagram, to place an order. For individuals who are not familiar with smart devices, we have started taking telephonic orders so that no one misses out on the opportunity to consume our products during such dire circumstances.
To help everyone, we are even offering a 10 to 15 per cent discount currently on orders, and we have taken into consideration how customers select the items they want to order. We are open 24/7 and deliver products between 9 in the morning until 5 in the evening.
Find more information about our services by accessing one of the following:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/24sevenHnB/
Instagram Handle: https://instagram.com/24sevenhealthandbeauty
Play Store (Android): bit.ly/24SevenApp
App Store (iOS): bit.ly/24SeveniOS


text:
(Bloomberg) -- UL Solutions Inc.’s initial public offering may raise as much as $812 million for its sole shareholder, as the US market for first-time share sales gathers momentum.
The safety testing and inspection company’s owner, ULSE Inc., plans to offer 28 million shares for $26 to $29 each, according to a filing Tuesday. The listing could give the company a market value of about $5.8 billion, based on the number of shares outstanding in its filings. Its fully diluted valuation could be more than $6 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The company will not receive any of the proceeds of the IPO, which will go to ULSE, a nonprofit arm of the Underwriters Laboratories group, the filings show. Norges Bank Investment Management, Norway’s $1.6 trillion wealth fund, indicated an interest in buying as much as $75 million in shares, according to the filings.
The company joins a growing pipeline of candidates pursuing significant IPOs, after successes last month by social media platform Reddit Inc. and semiconductor connectivity company Astera Labs Inc. Digital marketing software firm Ibotta Inc., commodities dealer Marex Group Plc and cloud and data security startup Rubrik Inc. are among the companies that have filed for IPOs since then.
UL Solutions is the owner of the iconic UL-in-a-circle certification mark that appears on products around the world, the filings show. The company saw $276 million of net income on $2.7 billion of revenue in 2023, down from $309 million on $2.5 billion of revenue in the previous year. It reported a compound annual revenue growth rate of about 7% over the last 12 years, according to the filings.
The company traces its roots to 1894, when it was founded as part of the nonprofit Underwriters Electrical Bureau, the precursor to UL Research Institutes, which was reorganized into three units in 2021, according to the filings.
UL Solutions, the for-profit arm, has more than 15,000 employees and over 80,000 customers, which includes about 60% of the Fortune 500 and the Global 500, the filings show.
The offering is being led by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. The company plans for its shares to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ULS.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.


text:
Australians keen on the Edge phablet will have to wait nearly a fortnight more for the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge.
Attackers have used rogue applications for both OS X and Windows to infect iPhones and iPads in China with a malware program that steals contact information and other private data.
Apple has acted quickly to address a malware threat to iOS and Mac OSX computers, saying Thursday it has blocked apps from running that are infected with the WireLurker malicious code.
There's a scary new piece of malware that collects call logs, phone-book contacts and other sensitive information from Apple iPhones and iPads. Should you be worried?
The 5K monitor price war has begun even before a stand-alone monitor based on the display technology has actually shipped. Dell, which has announced but not yet shipped its UltraSharp 5K monitor, says it will cut its price, in the wake of Apple's lat...
Researchers at Palo Alto Networks said they've discovered an impressive malware attack against Apple devices, which for now appears to be limited to users of a Chinese application store.
Google's newly completed Apps suite can't beat Apple's improved iWork or Microsoft Office
Google released a tool that can be used to test whether the SSL/TLS encrypted connections opened by applications or devices are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks.
Apple's security technologies for Mac OS X may still miss iWorm, a piece of malware discovered in late September that infected thousands of computers.
Some of the most widely used messaging apps in the world, including Google Hangouts, Facebook chat, Yahoo Messenger and Snapchat, flunked a best-practices security test by advocacy group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
Apple has handed the first Mac OS X Yosemite update to developers for testing, and is reportedly asking them to focus on three areas, including Wi-Fi connectivity, which have been problematic for many users.
Apple has hired the company that represented it in its battle against Samsung Electronics to represent it in Washington, D.C., and lobby the government on a range of competition and intellectual property issues.
Several major national and international banks are planning to launch their own mobile payments apps next year.
RCA unexpectedly jolted an otherwise slowing tablet market in the third quarter as Apple's iPad shipments continued to decline.
Despite a continued shipment decline for its iPad product line, Apple maintained its lead in the worldwide tablet market...
Most Popular Reviews
- 1 HP Stream 11 laptop
- 2 B&O BeoPlay A2 portable Bluetooth speaker
- 3 Acer Chromebook 11 (CB3-111)
- 4 Asus Zenbook UX303LN Ultrabook
- 5 Samsung's Galaxy Alpha review: A peek into the Galaxy S6
Best Deals on GoodGearGuide
Latest News Articles
- Reports: North Korea's Internet access, mobile networks down
- PlayStation Network recovering after outage
- Hackers target Tor as PlayStation disruption continues
- Connected, self-driving cars in the front seat at CES
- MIT unifies Web development in a single, speedy new language
GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


text:
Apple Watch Olympic edition bands will only be available in Brazil (Source: Trayvon Bromell, Twitter)
It is almost time for the Rio Olympics 2016, and all tech companies are trying to cash in on Olympics inspired accessories. Apple plans to sell Apple Watch bands in national flag colours of 14 countries when the games start in August. For example, if you are from the UK, you will be able to cheer your athlete or team while sporting a ‘Union Jack’ inspired wristband on your Apple Watch.
The catch, these national flag Apple wristbands will only be available in Brazil – specifically at the Apple Store at Village Mall (the sole location that will sell them) in Barra Da Tijuca, according to GQ. The report also states the bands will be available starting early August. The limited-edition nylon straps will be extremely exclusive, and only…
Apple Watch sales have stumbled and the entire smartwatch market has seen a decline of 32 per cent: IDC. (Source: AP)
The smartwatch market has seen a 32 per cent decline in shipment in second quarter of 2016, reports research firm International Data Corporation (IDC). Apple remains market leader, but was the only vendor in top five to see an annual decline in shipments, adds the IDC report.
IDC’s data shows smartwatch vendors shipped 3.5 million units in the second quarter of 2016, much below the 5.1 million shipments in Q2 of 2015. However, Apple which saw its first annual decline in shipments, is still the number one vendor with 1.6 million watches shipped.
According to IDC, Apple Watch is still the same device that was launched in 2015, and the comparison for year-over-year is with the initial launch quarter.
IDC analysts say c…
Your smartphone can send out information in airplane mode, or even if it is switched off
Edward Snowden, and well-known hardware hacker Andrew Huang have announced a plan to present designs for a case-like device for Apple’s iPhone, which will check for surveillance. The device will keep a constant check-on what data is transmitted via an iPhone’s radio antennas.
Snowden and Huang claim this device will be more trustworthy, than simply putting your phone on “airplane mode,” which can be spoofed or hacked. The duo is hoping to offer strong privacy guarantees to iPhone owners by shielding them from surveillance, and advanced hacking.
“One good journalist in the right place at the right time can change history,” Snowden told the MIT Media Lab crowd via video stream. “This makes them a target, and increasingly tools of their trad…
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 powered by Intel Core m3 processor is available on Amazon India at Rs 58,890 under special discount offer (Source: Nandagopal Rajan)
Microsoft is now offering a limited period discount on Surface Pro 4 in collaboration with Amazon India and Reglobe. As part of the offer, the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 powered by Intel Core M processor will be available for Rs 58,890 in exchange of their old tablet or laptop.
The offer is very easy to redeem. Consumers first have to buy a Surface Pro 4 with Core M processor on Amazon India and then enter the order ID and details of the device they want to exchange on Reglobe’s website. Once the order details get verified, consumers will be notified on the exchange value of their old device. Microsoft says there will be an additional cash bonus of Rs 20,000.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is a…
Xiaomi Mi Band 2 could feature a curved LCD display, a physical home button and come with heart rate sensor (Source: My Drivers)
Xiaomi could launch the successor to its super cheap Mi Band on May 8. According to My Drivers, the company will launch the new fitness band alongside Mi Max smartphone at an event in Beijing.
Mi Band has been one of the most affordable fitness tracker in the market for quite a long time. And now Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun has posted a picture of what looks like the Mi Band 2.
The picture posted by Lei Jun suggests Mi Band 2 will feature a curved LCD display and physical button. The addition of LCD display should allow users to view their activity stats right on the tracker rather than digging on the app.
Xiaomi had launched Mi Band Pulse in China with a heart rate sensor so it is likely Mi Band 2 will feature heart rat…
Transcend DrivePro 50 is a dashcam capable of recording Full HD images and also has a G-sensor emergency recording function
Transcend has launched DrivePro 50, its latest car video recorder in India. The DrivePro 50 is the successor to DrivePro 220 and now comes with built-in WiFi and better image sensor.
Transcend DrivePro 50 features an image sensor with larger f/1.8 aperture for better image reproduction in low-light. It also comes with built-in WiFi and a built-in battery.
Transcend DrivePro 50 is a dashcam capable of recording Full HD images and also has a G-sensor emergency recording function. The DrivePro 50’s built-in G-Sensor instantly triggers the Emergency Recording mode when it detects an impact during recording.
Transcend DrivePro 50 comes bundled with 16GB microSDHC card slot and starts recording once th…
Google and Levi’s have developed a new jacket that lets users interact with their smartphones by swiping at the garment (Source: Google)
Google and denim jeans company Levi’s have developed a new jacket that lets users interact with their smartphones by swiping at the garment in various ways, a media report said.
Called the ‘Commuter Trucker Jacket’, the garment is aimed at cyclists who may be too busy riding and concentrating on their surroundings to reach into their pockets and fiddle with their phones, Forbes reported on Friday citing Paul Dillinger, company head of global product innovation.
The jacket is apparently waterproof – except for a detachable electronic smart tag that activates a wireless connection between the clothing and a mobile device.
“If you get this thing dirty, you put it in the washing machine,” said…
Noble Skiodo can be connected to with four USB and three HDMI ports
Noble Skiodo TV has announced the launch of its UHD (4K) Noble 42KT424KSMN01 LED TV. The TV’s built in Wifi will allow you to stream live videos, surf the web, or watch YouTube.
Noble Skiodo’s remote has a built-in keyboard that allows you to type in your URL with ease. Noble Skiodo has a special feature entitled Sports Mode – promising to enhance the experience of viewing a game.
The 4K TV allows for a wide viewing angle. Additional features include volume adjustment through bass and treble adjuster along with an auto volume leveler. You can also connect any device to open files, play music, watch videos, etc. using a USB drive. The in-built digital media player supports various media formats.
Noble Skiodo can be connected to with four USB and three HDMI ports. VGA po…
Corning claims that Gorilla Glass 5 survived up to 80 per cent of the time when it was dropped face-down from 1.6 meters
Corning Incorporated – the company that makes Gorilla Glass for smartphones – has unveiled Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The new cover glass is designed to provide further protection against breakage from everyday drops. In the Corning labs, the Gorilla Glass 5 survived
In it’s press release Corning Inc said, “Rigorous lab tests show that Gorilla Glass 5 survives drops onto rough, unforgiving surfaces up to four times better than competitive glass designs.” Corning claims that Gorilla Glass 5 survived up to 80 per cent of the time when it was dropped face-down from 1.6 meters onto rough surfaces compared to other glass designs.
“With each successive generation of Corning Gorilla Glass, we have taken cover glass te…
Mi India has announced a couple of new offers for its Mi 5, Mi 4 smartphones, Mi power bank and Mi in-ear headphones.
Xiaomi, which entered the India market in 2014, is celebrating its second anniversary in the country. Mi India has announced a couple of new offers for its Mi 5, Mi 4 smartphones, Mi power bank and Mi in-ear headphones. Mi Anniversary discounts will be available from July 20 to July 22 on Mi.com online. Some offers are also available on Flipkart. The company also unveiled several new products including Mi power bank with 10,000mAh capacity and Mi Capsule earphones.
Xiaomi is offering a discount of Rs 2,000 on its Mi 5 smartphone, which is now available at Rs 22,999. Mi 4 gets a discount of Rs 4,000; which now costs Rs 10,999. The smartphone is originally price at Rs 14,999. Mi Bluetooth speaker now costs Rs 500 and can be bou…


text:
It's no secret that 2019 has been a bit of a roller coaster ride for Disney Parks. The year started off with low crowds, which then led to a guest level crash during the summer months, with Disney explaining away this phenomenon with promises of blockbuster attendance after the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. However, when this new land failed to move the attendance needle at neither Walt Disney World nor Disneyland, Disney went in to cost-saving mode, cutting entertainment all around the resort in response to the low crowd levels.
However, it looks like crowds have returned to Walt Disney World just in time for fall and the upcoming holiday season, and we can't help but notice some early indicators that seem to point towards the end of 2019 being a very busy time for the resort.
1. Disney extends holiday hours at several parks
Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom have all extended their hours in November and December, according to the most recent updates to Walt Disney World's official calendar, with all of these parks now open for an extra hour or two most evenings this holiday season.
These extra hours will be especially crucial for Disney's Hollywood Studios, which may see higher guest levels thanks to the December 5 opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the much-anticipated "E-Ticket" attraction many have been waiting to experience at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
2. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party already sold out for opening date
Though we're still in the midst of the Halloween season, the opening night of the Magic Kingdom's Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party on November 8th is already sold out. All other dates currently remain available, but if you are wanting to experience this special holiday offering, you'll want to purchase tickets soon. In case you need a reminder, here are the big changes coming to this year's holiday event
A new fireworks show called Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks will debut. Here's the official description: Hosted by Minnie Mouse, Minnie's Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks show will celebrate the magic of Christmas with medleys of beloved holiday songs, from “Joy to the World” and “Deck the Halls” to “Up on the House Top” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor will have a new show
- Space Mountain will be filled with lighting and high-energy holiday tunes
- Tomorrowland Speedway will be filled with thousands of lights and stylized décor
- Mad Tea Party will feature four new holiday combos of lights and music


text:
We now have a better idea of what’s coming in the second season of Fall Guys. Developer Mediatonic took part in Geoff Keighley Gamescom’s Opening Light Live segment and revealed what’s in store.
If you thought that the lovable bumble royale was Takeshi’s Castle inspired before, it certainly looks like Mediatonic is leaning into that now. There are various wizard and knight themed skins coming, and several of the new levels feature castles, too. One of the levels also looks like it involves pushing blocks around, which is neat. If you’d like to see this all for yourself, then you can check out the video down below.
Thankfully, we have a decent idea of when the Fall Guys season 2 release date is. The first season is set to end October 6, so we reckon that the next season should, more or less, kick off right after. Fall Guys came out just this month, so it’s somewhat surprising to be talking about a new batch of content. That said, the multiplayer game has built up a lot of hype, so it seems wise to keep that going with new content.
The lovable indie game has swiftly become the surprise hit of 2020. The Fall Guys Steam sales have already surpassed seven million, and the game is the most downloaded PlayStation Plus game, too.
If figures aren’t your thing, the game’s success can also be measured by the number of game industry folk who want to collaborate with Mediatonic to get a skin. Nier Automata’s Yoko Taro is a personal favourite. What’s sweet, though, is that Mediatonic has turned the wave of popularity into something positive and is challenging people to donate to charity. The brand who donates the most, wins the the Fall Guys skin contest.
There’s plenty more on the horizon, too. Some members from the Mediatonic team caught up with our sister site The Loadout for a chat, and game designer Joe Walsh says that the team wants to introduce private lobbies to help people run tournaments of their own, though there’s no exact timeframe on this just yet.


text:
Chinese tech companies venture into unmanned convenience stores
Out of curiosity, Teresa Chen recently went to an unmanned convenience store, EasyGo, near the China Plaza shopping mall in Guangzhou, China. She used her WeChat app to scan a QR code to get into the store, where she found imported snacks, candy and soft drinks. Every product had a price tag powered by radio-frequency identification, a technology that can automatically track and identify tags attached to objects. After she selected a box of crackers, Chen stood in the payment area and the bill automatically appeared in WeChat. Once Chen paid using her WeChat Wallet (a mobile payment service developed by Tencent), the door opened to let her leave the store.
“The whole experience was seamless, as I didn’t even need to scan the price tag to pay,” said Chen, a product manager for a nutrition supplement company in Guangzhou. “I think the biggest advantage of unmanned stores is cost control, as labor is getting more and more expensive in China.”
Staffless stores like EasyGo are an emerging phenomenon in China, as e-commerce companies big and small are investing lots of financial, technology and product development resources in this area. Hans Tung, managing partner for GGV Capital, which invested in unmanned store startups BingoBox and CityBox in China, said this trend can be partly ascribed to the country’s growing population of urban commuters in metropolitan cities who value convenience and efficiency.
“If you visit cities like Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo in Japan, you will see vending machines everywhere. You can think of unmanned stores as vending machines, but much more intelligent,” said Tung. “In China, you will first see the concentration of unmanned stores in office buildings and subway stations, and potentially residential properties. There will be lots of experimentation with the staffless model.”
For instance, Alibaba opened its first autonomous store, Tao Café, in Hangzhou this year, where the company is headquartered. Shoppers scan a QR code with their Taobao app to enter. Sensors and cameras scattered throughout the store detect the items a shopper selects and automatically charge the person on their Alipay (a mobile payment service developed by Alibaba) when they go through a “payment door.”
In September, Alibaba’s e-commerce competitor JD also started testing two unmanned convenience store models in its Beijing headquarters. One model, developed by JD’s logistics innovation lab JDX, is an end-to-end unmanned store solution similar to Alibaba’s Tao Café. Another model, developed by JD’s artificial intelligence team, serves as a third-party solution to help store owners better manage inventory and product displays. Both stores are supported by RFID and facial- and image-recognition technologies, according to Josh Gartner, vp of international corporate affairs for JD. “It’s about using big data and AI to increase efficiency, so people don’t need to wait in checkout lines,” he said.
In November, JD will debut staffless warehouses, which Gartner said will help the company “keep up with the increasing demand, add capacity more quickly and get more orders out” as e-commerce grows rapidly in China. He added that JD doesn’t have a set number of unmanned stores that it plans to open there this year.
Amazon introduced staffless stores in the U.S. last December, but the company’s Amazon Go store has not yet opened to the public. Amazon’s store of the future idea is becoming a craze in the e-commerce and venture capital communities in China, however. “You don’t have the same concentration of people in the U.S.,” said Tung. “And the size of mobile payments like WeChat Pay and Alipay in China is around 11 times bigger than that in the U.S. because credit cards are not as popular in China.”
In addition to tech giants like Alibaba and JD, Chinese startups like BingoBox, F5, Take Go and Eat Box have all jumped onto the staffless store bandwagon. BingoBox, for instance, reportedly secured 100 million yuan (around $15 million) in series A funding this year. The company plans to open 3,000 unmanned stores in China over the next three years, according to China.com.
It’s still unclear if unmanned stores are truly the future of retail in China. At the very least, Tung believes the technology that unmanned stores provide facilitates more efficient management of inventory and logistics. But the stores still require humans to clean them and stock products. Plus, an education problem exists, as staffless stores are a new concept for many shoppers.
“Most people don’t have a habit of shopping at cashierless stores, as many may still want the human touch provided by regular convenience stores,” said Chen. “And I think selling fresh produce will be a big hurdle for unmanned stores.”
Image courtesy of L’Atelier BNP Paribas
The Rundown: Amazon steps up its courtship of brand advertising dollars at Unboxed
Amazon's announcements at Unboxed, its advertising conference, show how focused its pursuit of brand advertising dollars is.
Member ExclusiveDigiday Guide: How publishers and marketers can use the blockchain in their businesses
You may have heard the term "crypto" or "blockchain" come up during a recent business meeting and felt like a fish out of water. This guide will help both media execs and marketers prep for the expected blockchain revolution.
Why senior execs and employees are disagreeing on returning to the office and how DE&I initiatives fit into plans
When it comes to attitudes toward returning to the office full time, there is a disconnect between what senior executives want, and the rest of the workforce.
SponsoredHow advertisers are navigating advanced TV and premium video convergence
Nicole Schumacher, vice president of product marketing, Xandr Advertisers have a number of priorities and considerations as premium video content for viewers evolves. Media types are converging as audience behaviors diverge, adding nuance and complexity to each phase of campaign workflows. It’s the age of innovation for all types of video advertising, including convergence — […]
Member ExclusiveMarketing Briefing: Why influencers could help market around this holiday’s supply chain issues
Marketers are also increasing the investment in influencers and creators for this holiday season, according to influencer marketing and agency execs.
‘We have a business perfectly aimed at the future’: CEO Lee Trink on FaZe Clan’s decision to go public
How FaZe Clan is planning for its next stage of growth after going public.


text:
The individuals who convey you video leisure might be in for a tough time: A looming recession may damage each their promoting income and shopper spending on subscription TV streaming providers. However they’re additionally dealing with a foe that has nothing to do with the financial cycle: TikTok is coming for his or her eyeballs.
The free, Chinese language-owned video-sharing service typically will get described as a social community, however that description masks what it truly is: a colossally highly effective leisure app that retains viewers glued to an infinite stream of clips.
And TikTok is getting larger day-after-day: It now says it has 1 billion month-to-month customers, however even that quantity doubtless understates its significance, as a result of TikTok customers spend a lot of time on TikTok — a yr in the past, the corporate was telling advertisers its customers had been spending almost 90 minutes a day on the app. In contrast, US TV and streaming watchers had been spending almost 5 hours a day watching their reveals and films — however TV skews very outdated, and TikTok could be very younger. You possibly can’t ascribe TV’s long-running viewer losses to a brand new app, however it’s very straightforward to see the way it’s going to make it tougher than ever to coach younger would-be viewers to observe conventional TV and even streaming.
“It’s protected to say that TikTok has quickly grown to be one in all — if not the — largest social/communication/video apps in America by way of time spent,” analyst Michael Nathanson wrote in a report final week.
Conventional media has been coping with — and shedding to — the aggressive menace from the web for years. Keep in mind NBC’s freakout when Saturday Evening Dwell’s “Lazy Sunday” sketch went viral on YouTube approach again in 2006? TikTok, although, appears each extra harmful and tougher for media execs to identify, like a largely submerged iceberg.
If you happen to run a media firm, you’ve been telling your self for years that your community or service has stuff individuals merely can’t discover on YouTube or Fb or Instagram or Reddit. However TikTok eviscerates most of these arguments: It’s a direct competitor for video eyeballs; it’s extra compelling than the stuff you’re programming; and, identical to a slot machine, it guarantees viewers that there’s all the time one other dopamine hit only a swipe away.
“Tiktok is a lot enjoyable, and it’s so addictive — rather more than something you’ll be able to see on TV,” says Wealthy Greenfield, a Wall Road analyst at LightShed.
So what’s Massive Media doing to counter or reply to TikTok’s menace? Nothing greater than hope it’s a fad that goes away, from what I can inform. However I wished to verify I wasn’t lacking something, so I known as round and heard … crickets. I triple-checked by asking Nathanson, who simply dug deep into TikTok’s impression — did he know of any media corporations doing something attention-grabbing in response? His one-word, all-caps reply: “NOPE.”
Give the media corporations this, although: In contrast to YouTube a technology in the past, they’re not making an attempt to sue TikTok out of existence. And so they have realized that something with that many eyeballs is an effective place to promote.
Proper now, at the very least, they don’t should pay to do it: Whereas TikTok is comfortable to take their cash — it expenses as much as $3 million for an advert on the prime of its feed that it says can attain all of its customers within the US and Canada — the service’s advert enterprise is simply starting to ramp up. Proper now, it actually expects media corporations to behave identical to its customers — by giving it content material it may use to entertain different customers.
And many them are up for it, says Catherine Halaby, a TikTok government whose job is to assist networks and streamers set up a presence on the service. She says her three-person workforce works with greater than 300 accounts, up from 100 a yr in the past.
“By the point they arrive to us, they’re 100% purchased in on the concept they should be on TikTok,” she says. “However there’s a number of confusion about how to do this.”
Halaby says there are a few issues for media corporations to unravel after they put their clips on TikTok: The primary is solely understanding that whereas TikTok customers can actively observe and search for creators and movies they like, the good majority of movies are served up utilizing TikTok’s vaunted knowledge set and algorithm. That’s supposed to choose stuff a person person will like, no matter whether or not they knew they wished it.
The second is the tempo: TikTok customers flit shortly from development to development. Which suggests an organization that wishes to capitalize on a brand new viral dance or audio clip — just like the “Jiggle Jiggle” music that has turned documentarian Louis Theroux into an unlikely star — implies that a company account that wishes to do the identical has to do it quick. “Shifting at that pace is the most important adjustment,” Halaby says.
She cites Netflix, with its 24 million subscribers to its foremost account making it the most important streamer on the service by far, and Paramount Photos, which maximized its shirtless seaside soccer footage from High Gun: Maverick, as leisure corporations which have discovered that TikTok is for leisure.
Nonetheless, it’s not clear if the leisure corporations placing free content material on TikTok are serving to themselves or serving to TikTok. Omar Raja, a social media star at ESPN, says he goes out of his option to discover stuff to point out TikTokers that isn’t conventional sports activities highlights.
“I’m making an attempt to make content material that typical sports activities viewers wouldn’t sometimes watch,” he says. That looks like a superb technique for making movies that work on TikTok — however it’s tougher to know how that helps a media property that caters to typical sports activities viewers.
And a studio government I granted anonymity to with a view to converse candidly says TikTok is “extremely efficient” at driving consciousness for a movie — identical to a TV advert or a billboard — however says TikTok customers are impossible to see a clip for a movie after which go buy a ticket. “They only don’t go away,” he says.
However, Sylvia George, who runs efficiency advertising and marketing for AMC Networks, says TikTok has been a superb device to immediate viewers to enroll in the corporate’s streaming providers, like Shudder or AMC+. “It hasn’t confirmed to be this tangible menace that’s taking individuals away from our platforms,” she says. “In some methods it’s the other.”
There’s a subset of media corporations that doesn’t want a wake-up name about TikTok: Tech corporations have been taking note of TikTok for a very long time. Now they’re paying it the last word praise, by copying its format (and utilizing its movies) for their very own TikTok clones like Fb and Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. Fb can also be reportedly set to revamp its foremost newsfeed to be extra TikTok-y.
The tech corporations are additionally telling traders they’re paying consideration, and have been more and more loud about it on earnings calls, per Michael Nathanson:
In the meantime, Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings has been musing about TikTok’s potential as a “substitution menace” to his enterprise for a few years. And you’ll see slightly of Netflix’s TikTok envy floor in its “quick laughs” function, which provides you a endless stream of humorous/funny-ish clips from Netflix comedies in its cellphone app.
However simply seeing the issue doesn’t imply you’ll be able to resolve it, as numerous corporations have realized through the digital age. And TikTok’s large ambitions are rising: At first, you can solely place clips that ran for just a few seconds on the service; now it’s as much as 10 minutes. TikTok has its eyes set on shifting past the cellphone, to your related TVs, the place you’re watching an rising quantity of video. If that works, it could compete much more instantly with the streamers and networks.
I can consider one potential answer for the established media corporations: hope that the US authorities bails them out.
Whereas the Trump administration’s try in 2020 to ban TikTok, or at the very least drive it to promote to a US bidder, was ham-handed and transparently jingoistic, there are many considerate individuals who have considerations about TikTok’s presence within the US, and suppose it shouldn’t be right here.
One argument focuses on the potential for abuse of personal knowledge, since Chinese language-owned tech corporations in the end should reply to the Chinese language authorities; one other focuses on the truth that TikTok might be an enormously highly effective propaganda device, if the Chinese language authorities wished to make use of it for that purpose.
“Donald Trump was proper, and the Biden administration ought to end what he began,” my former colleague Ezra Klein wrote within the New York Instances final month. A jaw-dropping sentence. However when you perceive what TikTok is and might be, jaw-dropping concepts don’t appear so wild.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sign Up for the Washington Business Journal Afternoon Edition Newsletter
Send this story to a friend
Airports authority cuts back dramatically on travel
- Staff Washington Business Journal
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has cut back dramatically on travel after months of rebukes from Virginia and federal officials for lavish spending on global travel, the Washington Examiner reported.
The chastised board, which is overseeing the construction of the $6 billion Metrorail line to Dulles International Airport, spent less than a quarter of the $260,000 it budgeted for travel in 2012 and reduced its travel budget by 31 percent for 2013, down to $180,000.
- Most popular
- 8 things wrong with Rosslyn (and how to fix them)
- More Qatari money for D.C. projects? Deputy mayor says yes
- Springfield Town Center update: More retailers, more progress
- Check out 10 of the most expensive homes for sale in the D.C. area
- Hoffman sells NSF project to USAA; residential tower also for sale
- The nine toughest golf holes in Greater Washington
- By the numbers: What the Redskins marketing deal means for Loudoun
- New restaurant roundup: Uprising Muffin Co. and Barrel open
- D.C. rents among fastest rising in the nation
- Design of proposed Inner Harbor skyscraper unveiled, praised
Email Newsletter Signup
A look at the day's business stories from media outlets around Washington, D.C.


text:
amazon: Amazon probing bribery complaint: Report
“We have zero tolerance for corruption,” an Amazon spokesperson said. “We take allegations of improper actions seriously, investigate them fully, and take appropriate action. We are not commenting on specific allegations or the status of any investigation at this time.”
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which has been opposing ecommerce comanies such as Amazon and Flipkart for years over deep discounts, has demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged bribing of officials.
As per a report on news portal, The Morning Context, Amazon launched an internal probe after a whistleblower complaint alleged that a part of the fees paid to New Delhi-based independent advocate Vikas Chopra, who represents the company as an outside counsel, has been used for bribing government officials.
The investigation is looking into the conduct of Chopra and Rahul Sundaram, an in-house counsel who has been sent on leave, the report said.
Amazon is one of Chopra’s biggest clients, with yearly billings of upwards of ₹20 crore, it said.
He is known to have represented Amazon’s logistics business Amazon Transportation Service.
In a letter to commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, CAIT demanded a CBI inquiry into the allegation and said Amazon should be directed to suspend its ecommerce portal during the probe period.
It also said it is moving a representation to US Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Gary Gensler, who heads the repository body of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and the corporate governance committee of Amazon board, demanding a fair and independent investigation into this issue.
The FCPA prohibits businesses from paying foreign government officials for obtaining or retaining businesses.


text:
By Harry McCracken | Monday, January 12, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Over at VentureBeat, Dean Takahashi is reporting that this year’s Consumer Electronics Show drew 110,000 employees, down 22 percent from last year’s event. The official, audited attendance figures won’t arrive for a few months, but unless they’re sharply higher it looks like this may have been the smallest CES in a decade or more. For those of who made the trek to Vegas, smaller is in some ways better–it’s fewer bodies to compete with in taxi lines, and fewer bodies trying to elbow their way by you on the show floor. But it may also be one more piece of evidence that the era of humongous trade shows is coming to a close. We’ll know for sure next year, if the economy is in at least slightly more robust shape and CES 2010 shows a similar decline in attendance.
I’m not predicting the imminent death of the show, and if it goes away I’ll miss it. But in my time in this business I’ve seen the death of Comdex (which was once held twice a year), PC Expo (ditto), and Macworld Boston–and hey, the first CES I attended was the last Summer CES in Chicago, which was held back in 1994. I fully expect to outlive the current CES, too–at least in its current overwhelming and exhausting form.


text:
Aug 3 (Reuters) - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc raised its full-year adjusted sales forecast after beating quarterly estimates on demand for its videogame franchises such as “Grand Theft Auto” and “NBA 2K” from people sheltered at home due to lockdowns.
The company on Monday lifted its full-year adjusted revenue forecast to a range of $2.80 billion to $2.90 billion, from $2.55 billion to $2.65 billion earlier. Analysts had expected sales of $2.75 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data. (Reporting by Ayanti Bera in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


text:
Trade wars between the US and China. Supply Chain reorganisation following the pandemic. Reshoring. War in Europe. An absence of A-Listers at Davos(!). Globalisation is dead.
But is this really the case? And what are the implications for a globally invested portfolio?
Earlier this year, our colleagues David Price and Arthur Ntale delivered a myth-busting presentation, to highlight the continued importance of global trade and the growing wealth and skills of emerging markets.
Timing is everything
As an analytical bunch, we start with the numbers. At first glance, these suggest that trade has indeed stagnated since the global financial crisis, falling from 50% of global GDP to 42%1. So, if not full deglobalisation, then “slowbalisation” at the least. However, delve deeper and the picture becomes more nuanced. Around 60% of this decline can in fact be attributed to the fall in the price of fuels and mining goods2 as the commodities super-cycle of the late 2000s and early 2010s came to an end3.
Could the consensus be muddling trade volumes with values?
Taking a longer time horizon, as the first chart below demonstrates, the volume of global trade has expanded at a consistent, albeit unexciting, 4% growth rate since the World Trade Organisation was established in 1995, contrasting with the more volatile value of trade in the second chart below4.
Evolution of World Trade, 1995-2022
Volume Index, 1995=100
Value Index, 1995=100
The transition to renewable energy could boost trade volumes further from here. It will require vast amounts of raw materials, such as lithium, copper and nickel, many of which have concentrated supplies in very different locations from existing energy infrastructure. Kuehne & Nagel estimates that the logistics spend alone associated with the energy transition will total $200 bn.
It’s not all about goods
Mention trade and we tend to think of ships piled high with goods, forgetting about the services that have come to dominate modern economies. Trade in services, including offshoring, grew 11-fold between 1990 and 20205. Talk of this ending may be misplaced: workers in India design around 20% of the world’s semiconductors, but mostly for foreign companies who own the intellectual property6.
As one CEO said to us (in his inimitable style) “Love the Irish, love their beer, but we can get 2D animators cheaper in Bangladesh”.
Travel is another huge element of services trade, and emerging market growth will be a key driver in the decades ahead. Forecasts suggest that by 2040, 8 billion air passenger journeys will be taken every year, with Asia-Pacific the fastest-growing region7.
Emerging markets: The Sleeping Giants
There seems to be less excitement these days about emerging markets as a global growth driver, yet they are expected to account for two-thirds of global GDP growth between 2023 and 20288. Demographics plays a key role: the average age for citizens in Europe today is 42 whereas in Latin America and in Asia-Pacific it is 31. In Africa, it’s 189.
With this growth comes a rising share of global consumption, forecast to rise from about 40% today to over 50% in 203010. As emerging market appetite for higher value goods grows and upskilling continues, the impact on global trade could be considerable. This is reflected in the capital allocation decisions of companies like Kerry Group, which chose Indonesia for its most recent ‘Taste’ manufacturing and R&D facility.
The giant panda in the room
Programs like ‘Made in China 2025’ are often used to argue that China is stepping back from the world. But what if China is just changing who it chooses to trade with? Chinese exports to Belt and Road countries have increased from 14% to 38% of total exports11.
China is also deliberately moving up the value chain. For example, when the iPhone 3G launched in 2009, only 3% of the components came from China. By 2018, with the iPhone X, this figure had jumped to 24% and included key items such as touchscreens and camera parts12.
Finally, China is emerging as a major player in sustainable technologies. China State Shipbuilding Corp is building the world’s largest offshore wind turbines. Each can power 40,000 homes and is as tall as One Canada Square in London’s Canary Wharf13. Driven by demand for their electric vehicles, China now exports more cars than both Germany and Japan14.
Word on the ground
We use our conversations with companies to ensure they have the systems and resources to operate in today’s complex world. We ask questions such as: how is the Board thinking about the risks posed by evolving trade networks?
We also take a close look at how businesses are structured. For example, Thermo Fisher Scientific have adopted a “made in China for China” approach to manufacturing, to simplify supply chains and avoid getting caught up in the worst of the trade wars. Meanwhile, when Amphenol’s CEO visited our offices earlier this year, we discussed how they deliberately maintain a structure of 250 facilities worldwide. This means they can manufacture sensors and connectors very close to the site of use and, critically, tailor their offering for local markets.
Globalisation is dead; long live globalisation
China’s rise has triggered a bipartisan push in Washington to re-assert US tech supremacy, epitomised by efforts to limit China’s access to semiconductors – “the new oil”. It strikes us that, rather than signalling the death of globalisation, we are entering a new era of “weaponised interdependence”15. An era where governments use their control of certain choke points in global networks (semiconductor know-how in the US, oil and gas in Russia, renewable energy technology in China) to put pressure on others.
So, while economic and political disruption has unquestionably reshaped global trade, talk of deglobalisation seems premature. Instead, we see a reconfiguration of global trade, with complex dynamics and changing landscapes, that continues to promote global integration overall.
- https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/peak-globalisation-myth-part-2-why-goods-trade-ratio-declined ↩
- Ibid ↩
- A commodity super-cycle occurs when prices of commodities rise above their long-term averages for long periods of time. ↩
- https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/trade_evolution_e/evolution_trade_wto_e.htm ↩
- https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/peak-globalisation-myth-part-4-services-trade-did-not-peak ↩
- https://www.wsj.com/articles/indias-manufacturing-push-takes-an-audacious-gamble-on-chips-11670946984 ↩
- https://internationalbanker.com/brokerage/global-airline-industrys-forecasts-brighten-as-passenger-travel-numbers-soar/ ↩
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/805546/gross-domestic-product-gdp-in-the-emerging-market-and-developing-economies/ ↩
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1226158/median-age-of-the-population-of-africa/ ↩
- https://www.worldeconomics.com/Regions/Emerging-Markets/ ↩
- Bernstein, The long view, EU logistics and China+1, 17 July 2023 ↩
- https://ig.ft.com/taiwan-economy/ ↩
- https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1822899/worlds-largest-onshore-wind-turbine-launched-chinese-manufacturer ↩
- China overtakes Japan as world’s top car exporter – BBC News ↩
- https://direct.mit.edu/isec/article/44/1/42/12237/%20Weaponized-Interdependence-How-Global-Economic ↩


text:
Oct 18, 2016
Nimblechapps has just launched a breakthrough mobile fitness app for iPhone named ProWell Calendar.
Sep 27, 2016
Nimblechapps has recently come up with its new immersive mobile game Dream Destroyer. The game incorporates a unique gaming concept based upon curing a person of the habit of daydreaming.
Sep 09, 2016
Save Contact Form 7 since it has been launched by Nimblechapps a fortnight ago has achieved more than 1000 installs.
Sep 06, 2016
Nimblechapps, the nimble and future-ready game and app developer company from Ahmadabad once again startled us with a brilliant 2D puzzle game released on Google Play.


text:
Kanye West made a trip to Toronto a few days ago to support girlfriend Kim Kardashian, who was launching her new jewelry collection. The duo stopped at The Bay for the unveiling and to pose for a few pictures. As expected, Yeezy was dressed in his designer threads, rocking everything from his favorite Balmain Zip Hoodie and Black Lacquer Denim Jeans, to a pair of sick Hermès Sneakers in crocodile leather, and what looks like a T by Alexander Wang Crewneck Tee.
The Hermès sneakers, which are rumored to have retailed for around $900 when it was released a few years back, is already sold out. But you can still cop the rest of his look, including his Balmain hoodie at Mr. Porter for $800 and the jeans at Ssense for $1,025. As for that tee, drop by the Alexander Wang website to purchase for $82.
[images via Rap-Up]
Follow @ComplexStyle for the latest drops, info, and lifestyle news.


text:
Look for Fifth Third Bank as a potential tenant in a new office building in downtown Pittsburgh.
The Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bancorp (Nasdaq: FITB) is facing the end of its lease for its 30,000 square foot regional headquarters in the Gulf Tower next year and is scouting the market, with one potential prospect expected to be The Gardens development just off Market Square.
Julie Fallon Hughes, Fifth Third Bank’s Pennsylvania market president, wouldn’t discuss where it was looking but did confirm the search, and that the bank is closing in on a choice.
While Millcraft has established a couple restaurants in the building’s first floor, the company is still seeking to land office tenants beyond Turner Construction, which will also be the construction company for the project. My sources familiar with the bank’s search but who spoke anonymously to protect their business relationships tell me that Millcraft is courting Fifth Third for The Gardens, a new development that could offer the opportunity for both office and retail space, giving the bank a potential branch location in a thriving part of downtown.
Millcraft Investments President Lucas Piatt wouldn’t comment about Fifth Third Bank. Piatt said he expects to be able to announce some new deals with tenants, both office and retail, soon.
“It’s going well,” he said. “We have several letters of intent out which we expect to have executed shortly.”
Construction on The Gardens is expected soon.
Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh in July authorized the sale of what is now an open plot on Forbes Avenue where the development firm expects to build The Gardens.
The Gardens is expected to include a 198-room Hilton Garden Inn, 120,000 square feet of office space, 25,000 square feet of retail and a 300-space parking garage. It’s a development with a price tag now pushing $100 million.


text:
While North Texas lost out on Amazon’s H2Q, construction has begun on a new Amazon Air regional hub at Fort Worth Alliance Airport. Hillwood, owner and developer of the 2,600-acre AllianceTexas mixed-use project, is developing the project for Amazon.
The air hub will be in Haslet, TX, which is in Tarrant and Denton counties in North Texas, and already contains an Amazon fulfillment center. The facility is scheduled for completion in 2019, and could create hundreds of jobs in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
The air hub will have sortation capabilities and infrastructure capable of handing multiple daily flights of Amazon Air. It is being designed for Amazon Air’s larger-scale regional needs. “The new facility is the first of its kind for us, and we’re thrilled to ensure we have the capacity to continue to delight our customers,” stated Amazon Air Director Sarah Rhoads.
Source: Connect Texas commercial real estate news
Good news provided by The Seay Realty Group, dedicated to service and exceeding your expectations. Call us today!


text:
Rising Media announced the launch of the Frontier Tech Forum, an umbrella brand encompassing the Inside 3D Printing, RoboUniverse, and Virtual Reality Summit global conference and expo series. The Frontier Tech Forum is set to debut in San Diego on December 14-15, 2016.
(San Diego, California – October 18, 2016) – Rising Media announced the launch of the Frontier Tech Forum, a new worldwide event series dedicated to accelerating frontier tech innovation to enhance business success across a variety of sectors.
Launched in 2013, Inside 3D Printing is the largest professional 3D printing and additive manufacturing event worldwide. Inside 3D Printing is hosted in more than 10 countries annually, including Germany, Japan, China, India, the United States, Australia, France, Brazil, South Korea, and more.
RoboUniverse debuted in 2015 as the premier professional robotics conference and tradeshow series dedicated to innovation in service robotics and has hosted events in New York, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, San Diego, Singapore, and Berlin.
Launched in April 2016 in New York City, the Virtual Reality Summit is the newest event in the Frontier Tech Forum portfolio and focuses on leveraging VR/AR technology to enhance branded experiences and creative opportunities in entertainment, marketing & advertising, media, education, healthcare, and more.
“With the launch of the Frontier Tech Forum brand, we’re excited to offer innovators across a myriad of industries the opportunity to exchange ideas and establish powerful strategic alliances that will contribute deeply to the future of technology,” said Adam Kahn, Chief Operating Officer, Rising Media.
“By offering attendees the opportunity to seamlessly explore 3D printing, robotics, and virtual reality at one event, we aim to break down barriers and encourage invention and innovation that highlights these industries’ synergies. We look forward to seeing what the next frontier of innovation brings,” he continued.
The Frontier Tech Forum launch event in San Diego features two days of conference sessions across five simultaneous tracks; keynotes from Amazon, Samsung, Columbia University, Wohlers Associates, Inc., and more; a robust expo hall; plus a full day of pre-conference workshops on December 13. The event is aimed at facilitating relevant training and industry updates, as well as critical connection building and networking opportunities among innovators, investors, business leaders, practitioners, and more.
The Frontier Tech Forum also features the Frontier Tech Showdown, a pitch competition which brings together early-stage startups in 3D printing, robotics, and virtual reality. The winner of the competition will be awarded a $15,000 Uncapped SAFE courtesy of Asimov Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in 3D printing and robotics. The competition takes place on December 14 and is sponsored by Asimov Ventures. For more information and to apply to compete in the Frontier Tech Showdown, visit frontiertechshowdown.com.
Rising Media also announced the Frontier Tech Hackathon, a multi-platform hackathon hosted by Paul Cutsinger of Amazon Alexa, which will focus on building voice-enabled technology. If your company is interested in participating in the hackathon alongside Amazon, contact email@example.com.
Prices for Frontier Tech Forum San Diego increase on October 28, so register before to save. For more information and to register, visit frontiertechforum.com.
If your company is interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at Frontier Tech Forum San Diego or an upcoming event, please contact firstname.lastname@example.org.
About Rising Media
Rising Media is a global events and media producer excelling in Internet and technology-related events and content. Events include Inside 3D Printing, RoboUniverse, Virtual Reality Summit, Inside Fintech, Data Driven Business, Building Business Capability, Predictive Analytics World, Text Analytics World, eMetrics Summit, Conversion Conference, Email Innovations Summit, AllFacebook Marketing Conference, Search Marketing Expo, Affiliate Management Days, Influencer Marketing Days and Web Effectiveness Conference in the USA, Brazil, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, India, China, Korea, Singapore, Australia.
For more information, please visit www.risingmedia.com.
For press inquiries, please contact email@example.com.


text:
Rumor: Lamborghini May Make All Electric, 4-Door GT
Hot on the heels of its first-ever hybrid model, Lamborghini is getting serious about making an all-electric car, according to a report from the UK’s Autocar.
That car, according to the report, is likely to be a four-door grand tourer. The car would be the fourth in Lamborghini’s lineup and, according to the brand’s R&D chief, it’s increasingly tempting to make that electric.
“If you look at the timing for a fourth model line, there is the potential that this will be the right time for a full-electric vehicle,” Reggiani told Autocar, adding that a platform from the wider VW group could be used.
Since Porsche and Audi are working together on a platform for four-door grand tourers that may be sold to other high-performance manufacturers, it stands to reason that Reggiani is talking about the PPE platform.
And why not? Already, it under the Porsche Taycan, which gets a range of roughly 280 miles (WLTP) and churns out 700 hp, so Lambo wouldn’t have to worry about performance. And by 2025, when such a car would be launched, performance will have only gotten better.
“Performance will be important [in a 2+2],” Reggiani told Autocar. “We must be fast but not quite in the same way as we need to be in our super-sports cars. A fourth model line will be something a little bit different.”
Lamborghini already shares many of its platforms with other VW Group brands. Of course, the Urus shares its platform with the Cayenne et al and the Huracan shares its fundaments with the R8.
Although a decision has not been reached yet, Autocar reports that Lamborghini is serious about this question. Whatever their decision, the brand will have to make up its mind soon, since production has to start at least four years before launch, according to Reggiani.
[lead image: Lamborghini_Estoque_2.JPG: Neef – 2 derivative work: Hic et nunc [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons]
Source: Read Full Article


text:
There was a time in 2012 when people were betting on Apple (AAPL) stock to reach $1000 before Google (GOOG). Since then Apple is down from it’s over $700 peak while Google is making new highs over $1000. In the mean while, Microsoft (MSFT) stock is up about 40% in one year while Apple is essentially flat.
So what changed? Which stock looks the best going forward? These are the questions I hope to answer with this article by looking at revenue and earnings growth for all three.
5 year TTM Revenue change charts for Google show that in the last five years, Apple has handily beat both Google and Microsoft. But from the chart, it looks like Apple’s growth has flattened, while it hasn’t for the other two.
Looking at the last one year, it seems both Google and Microsoft have Apple beat for revenue growth.
Apple’s 5 year earnings growth is equally impressive:
However, the last one year has been even worse for Apple earnings than it was for their revenues while Microsoft and Google have shown much better progress. Especially Microsoft.
So what happened at Apple? Well the answer to that is simple. Apple’s growth was tied mainly to the demand for iPhones and then iPads. In the last few years, Apple’s improvements to the iPhone have been incremental from the user perspective, especially considering the dramatic improvement in Android phones. The iPad also now has significant competition from other tablets.
The iPhone was introduced in 2007, the iPad in 2010. In theory, to keep up that spectacular growth that Apple has been enjoying, it would have made sense to launch a new line of products – an Apple television set or a significantly redone and completely re-imagined “magical” Apple TV box. Or something else.
Alternatively, Apple could have stepped up the competition by introducing a larger variety of phones, tablets and computers in different sizes. With it’s vast resources and ungodly amount of money Apple could have executed its product strategy better.
Apple is trying to improve margins by selling a premium priced, yet not made from the usual premium materials, iPhone 5c. It also marks a departure from their usual tactic of just making the previous generation the cheaper model. My personal opinion is that if they had kept the old iPhone 5 alongside the new iPhone 5s, nobody would have paid extra for the iPhone 5s. After all as far as the user goes, the only meaningful difference is the fingerprint sensor. I can’t imagine anyone paying $100 for that.
For the next iteration of iPhones, what I would like Apple to do, is have two product lines: the normal line and the “c” line and give the user screen size choices in both lines like this:
Normal Line: iPhone 6-4, iPhone 6-5 with the only difference being the screen size, the rest of the internals being the same
“c” Line: Similarly iPhone 6c-4, iPhone 6c-5 and if they really want to keep their low end phone as a 6c-3.
The iPhone just looks dated compared to the new 1080p screen 5″ phones from the competition. Similarly with the iPad. Keep the specifications of the 10″ and the mini the same except for screen size.
For computers, Apple really needs to start competing with convertible ultrabooks.
Short term, Apple will probably get a significant boost from it’s deal with China Mobile and the launch of the new iPads and iPhones in this quarter and I expect the negative EPS growth trend to slow down, if not reverse.
As evidenced from the charts above, Google’s revenue and EPS have continued to grow steadily for the last five years and unlike Apple, there has been no perceptible slowdown in growth. Google is the undisputed leader in web search, online advertising and mobile advertising. Google also is the most innovative company on the planet, period. Also, Google brings in 10% of total worldwide advertising dollars. That includes all forms of advertising, not just internet based. Google is the undisputed leader of web adertising and also owns half of mobile ad revenue.
Unlike Apple, which focuses on a few products and services, Google goes in all directions at once, sees what sticks, and then develops on that. This makes Google a very agile company to meet customer needs. What makes Google unique is their acceptance of out of the box ideas, even in non-core areas such as self driving cars, being an ISP, generating green power etc.
Also finally, the fruits of their Motorola acquisition can be seen with the new Moto X and Moto G phones.
Going forward, I expect the same level of growth from Google as they take more global advertising dollars, launch more products and services and take market share from other online services like Facebook and enterprise products from Microsoft.
For someone who follows the media, the charts for Microsoft would be surprising. All we hear is that nobody wants a Windows Phone, Office products are being replaced by the cloud, mobile devices are eating Windows market share. But in spite of all this, Microsoft has surprisingly manage to grow both revenues and profits!
Microsoft also followed Google’s footsteps in acquiring a phone company, Nokia (NOK) and I think that is a great step forward for Microsoft as it attempts to compete with Apple and Google. I have covered Microsoft before and presented the view that Microsoft is the one company that competes with almost every tech company in some way and with the Nokia addition they just added to that list.
Even though the changed in Windows 8 were very unwelcome, I think Microsoft’s new unified strategy is a big step forward with one “Modern” interface across all product lines. I’d say it was the opposite of too little too late – too much too early.
Looking forward, with growing Windows Phone market share, growingenterprise product market share, succes of the XBox One and growingBing market share – at the expense of Yahoo (YHOO), a growing cloud presence, fantastic new convertible Ultrabooks running Windows Microsoft seems to be turning around and their stock performance from this year might continue.
|P/E||P/S||Ex Cash P/E||Dividend|
It looks like Apple and Microsoft are currently similarly valued by earnings and Google is valued over twice as much. We can see that Google’s growth is steadier and higher than the others (with the exception of TTM EPS growth by Microsoft). This just about justifies the P/E premium that Google commands. Amongst Apple and Microsoft, the numbers logically make Microsoft seem the better bet for now. However, the impact of Apple’s new products remains to be seen.
Longer term, Apple needs a new line of products or significantly more diversification in their existing product lines. Just financial engineering as suggested by Carl Icahn is a mere distraction. Apple needs to get back to growing earnings and revenue.
Disclosure: Long AAPL, GOOG. May open a position in MSFT


text:
Science fiction writer Neil Stevenson, in an interview with the Financial Times, called the conditions for the popularity of the metaverses and talked about the future of virtual reality.
He doubted the prospects of technology until people themselves decide to live in a digital world. This will require a unique “experiences that millions of people find worth having” to go to the metaverse.
According to Stevenson, reaching this level is extremely difficult. As an example of the successful implementation of the virtual world, he cited the 2021 Valheim video game. This is an open world survival sim that is procedurally generated on each playthrough – locations never repeat.
“I think people who spend a lot of time playing, especially multiplayer online games, are becoming accustomed to the idea of moving around in shared three-dimensional spaces. Which is clearly the most basic idea of the metaverse,” Stevenson said.
He also acknowledged the existence of games in which quality worlds are handcrafted. However, the writer is convinced that in the case of the metaverse, complete freedom of action and decentralization will be required.
Recall that in February, the manuscript of the cult novel “Avalanche” by Neil Stevenson was put up for auction at Sotheby’s. In the work of 1992, presumably, the term “metaverse” appeared for the first time.
In June 2022, Stevenson announced the launch of his own Lamina1 blockchain focused on virtual worlds and augmented reality. The project also involves the former president of the Bitcoin Foundation, Peter Vessenes.


text:
Online Gambling Now Legal in Michigan
It’s official! Michigan is the sixth US state to legalize online poker and the fifth to regulate online casino gambling. We reported last week that the state legislature had passed a measure regulating various forms of online gambling. On Friday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the package into law, allowing Michigan to start offering various online gambling products starting in 2020.
The passage of the bill makes Michigan the second US state to regulate online poker in 2020. However, it appears that everything will stay intrastate for the time being. There is a chance that online poker could join the interstate network, but that’s not guaranteed.
Whitmer Signs Michigan Gambling Bill Into Law
After Governor Rick Snyder vetoed a gambling regulation package at the end of 2018, lawmakers wanted to guarantee that a similar fate would not happen this year. As a result, lawmakers have worked extensively with the governor’s office to ensure that H 4311 actually passed.
This resulted in several concessions being made, including a change in the tax structure. In the end, the changes appeased Governor Whitmer and on Friday, she signed the package into law. Under the package, online casinos gambling to include online slots, table games, video poker, and online poker are now legal. Also, online sports betting was legalized under the package.
Details of the Bill
This bill has seen quite a few changes since it was initially proposed, but the final product guarantees a balanced industry for both commercial casinos and tribal casinos. Under the bill, all 23 tribal casinos and the three commercial casinos in the state can apply for online casino, online poker, and sports betting licenses.
Each casino can have two brands, one for poker and one for online casino. Casinos must pay a $50,000 application fee, followed by a $100,000 one-time investigation fee. After approved, casinos must pay $50,000 annually in renewal fees.
Casino revenue will be subject to a tiered tax structure starting at 20 percent with a max of 28 percent. While higher than the original proposal, it is much less than what was proposed by the Governor and less than what we see at Pennsylvania online casinos.
One advantage that casinos can take is a deduction on free play. Any free play given for online casinos or sports betting can be deducted from gross gaming revenue. However, there is a cap on the total that casinos can deduct.
Interstate Compacts May Not Happen for Poker
It is important to note that the bill does not allow for interstate compacts for online casino gambling or sports betting. However, the is an exception for online poker. Lawmakers are not completely averse to interstate compacts in general, but there are concerns regarding interstate progressive slot jackpots.
While you don’t have the same types of jackpots with online slots, there are still concerns regarding the Federal Wire Act. The DOJ is presently appealing their case and if they happen to win, then Michigan will be proven wise to hold off on compacts.
What Brands to Expect in Michigan
It’s a bit too early to know exactly which brands will appear in Michigan, but the one brand we can almost guarantee is PokerStars. Odds are that the MGM Grand Detroit will partner with PokerStars for online poker and casino gambling with Fox Bet. This would make Michigan the third state to offer PokerStars for online poker.
Other brands you can likely expect to see in Michigan is partypoker and Pala Poker. With 23 tribal casinos in the state, you can almost make Pala a lock. Now that Michigan online poker is a reality, you can expect companies to start announcing partnerships with casinos in the state over the next couple of months.
While a timeline has yet to be announced, we estimate that online poker in Michigan will launch by Fall 2020.


text:
Dairy firms Lakeland and LacPatrick agree terms on merger
Dairy processors LacPatrick and Lakeland have agreed terms on a merger.
The deal comes after LacPatrick put itself up for sale earlier this year.
The Monaghan-based business had cut the milk price it paid to farmers just before the announcement, saying there was "continued weakness" in the dairy market. It had previously undertaken a £30m (€33.8m) investment in a new plant at Artigarvan in Tyrone.
The new company will be the second-largest dairy processor on the island of Ireland, behind Glanbia.
LacPatrick chairman Andrew McConkey said the deal would give the co-op's farmers "the necessary security to make long-term business decisions and provides stability for continuing progress in dairy farming for the next generation".
"The board of LacPatrick is unanimously recommending our shareholders to approve this merger at our forthcoming SGM.
"With an enlarged milk pool and well invested dairy processing sites on both sides of the Border, the new co-operative will be a co-op of scale working in the long term best interests of dairy farmers, ensuring global market access and serving our valued customers with an even greater capability and an expanded range of high quality, value-added dairy products," Mr McConkey said.
Exclusive discussions between the parties started in June.
In August, LacPatrick announced that CEO Gabriel D'Arcy was leaving the business "following discussions".
Regulatory approval as well as shareholder approval on both sides will be required.
The combined business will have turnover in excess of €1bn. The Lakeland Dairies name will be maintained for the new entity.
Lakeland CEO Michael Hanley said the new group would have "substantial cash flow to underpin the development of the business".
"The business will have considerable potential to increase revenues and generate the cost savings necessary to ensure competitive milk prices for our dairy farmers in the future. It will continue to ensure market access to the United Kingdom, Europe and the world.
"Both co-operatives have excellent facilities, technologies and resources with strong synergies across our milk processing footprint and in the markets we serve at home and abroad.
"We will be able to expand the potential of our overall portfolio of products, covering food ingredients, food-service and consumer foods," Mr Hanley added.


text:
“In Australia, we’ve never really had a tipping culture. [Unlike the US] We haven’t had a minimum wage situation where people are really struggling to make a few bucks an hour, but where we’ve definitely seen tipping culture start to emerge is through apps.
Bring up the subject of tipping in many online forums or social circles, and the backlash against tipping being a ‘norm’ in Australia is fierce. Mortimer says this could be fueled by prompts on payment platforms, particularly when people are asked to tip before receiving a meal or service, which risks turning customers off completely.
“Tipping should really be an inherently voluntary transaction,” he says. “Australians are relatively individual types of consumers. We don’t like being told to do things or forced into situations, so I’m not sure if these types of apps provide good customer service. I wouldn’t be surprised if it creates negative sentiment and consumers vote with their feet [and go elsewhere].”
But data obtained from many menu apps and payment platforms shows that tipping is alive and well after the pandemic.
Food ordering and payment platform me&u, which works via QR codes on restaurant tables, passed on $2.2 million in tips to hotel staff across Australia last year. This represents around 1-2% of the total transactions made on the platform. This was a 672% increase in tipping compared to 2020 (when the company first launched its tipping feature).
me&u chief executive Katrina Barry said some restaurants have seen 50% growth in tips since adding the tipping feature to the app, while some restaurants that have never collected tips before were now getting a decent stream.
“The Boatbuilders Yard at South Wharf was never used to getting tips, and thanks to me they now generate over $2,000 in tips a month,” she said, noting that the data of his business showed that the most generous dumpsters in Victoria were at South Wharf, Melbourne. CBD, Brunswick, Portsea and Falls Creek.
Data from tech firm Square, which provides financial services products to restaurants and other industries, showed the average tip size in Australia was around 10% before the pandemic and has fluctuated since, affected by broader economic trends.
Statistics show average hospitality tips nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels in January, hitting 9.5%, but then fell to 8.1% in May as cost of living pressures have settled down.
Tipping data also shows other trends. According to Square, Victorians tip more than customers in New South Wales and Queensland (10.7% on average in May, compared to 6.6% in Queensland and 6.3% in New Zealand). South Wales). Tipping is most common in New South Wales, according to Mr Yum, a rival food ordering and payment platform.
A spokesperson for Mr Yum said the ACT had the second highest number of tippers, followed by Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and then Western Australia.
Mr. Yum, me&u and Square all allow restaurateurs to determine how tips paid through their platforms are split among staff, while Uber said 100% of tips paid to it go directly into the accounts of drivers and customers. delivery men.
Punters who wish to tip at Blacher’s restaurants in Melbourne now do so via eftpos machines by naming a percentage at the end of their meal, and those tips are distributed to all staff working the shift, in addition to their base salary.
While he admits it killed some of the “romance” of tipping, Blacher says numerical tipping can make the process of calculating a 10 or 15 percent tip easier, and it’s simple enough for people to click “no” if they don’t. feel that a tip was warranted.
“We’re not like America where it’s a big part of our economy, but hopefully some tipping will stay in Australian culture in some way,” he said. “It is intended to reward good service and excellent hospitality.”
A cultural guide to go out and love your city. Sign up for our Culture Fix newsletter here.
#Big #Bucks #Loose #Change #Counting #Cost #Tipping #Trends


text:
With the Kampala Beer Festival around the corner, the organizers behind the highly anticipated event held a media launch yesterday at Yujo, Japanese restaurant.
According to Thecla, La ‘Tenak International representative, they pride in bringing the legitimate Ugandan beer experience and heritage to the initiated and the uninitiated reveler.
‘We were able to give our people an opportunity to interact with the producers and distributors of our own locally brewed beer and get a taste of some of the foreign froths, Thecla said.
She further added,
‘The Kampala beer festival is about our pride and heritage as Ugandans who love a good beer and also at the same time give an opportunity to the visitors of the pearl of Africa an appreciation of our celebrated beer brands.’
‘As La’ Tenak international Ltd, we are happy to contribute to the promotion of Uganda in another social light by fronting the beer heritage in Uganda.’
With the event slated for November 28th at the Uganda museum grounds, all roads will definitely lead to the grounds the day.
As the Kampala beer festival continues to grow they endeavor to shine a light on a social cause affecting the community. Last year they fronted the ‘don’t drink and drive’ campaign, this time round they partnered with not for sale Ale. Not for sale beer is a non-governmental organization that is fighting human trafficking and recognizing the dangers and pain that has been inflicted on families. The reason for the partnership was to bring home the dangers of this act and to support all those who are in the business of rescuing these people.


text:
London (AFP) – Staff in hundreds of post offices are starting industrial action on Monday in a bitter row with the government over jobs, pay and closures.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said the strike -- the 12th since Easter -- will affect up to 4,000 staff in 372 offices in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and most of Scotland.
A handful of other branches in Scotland will follow suit on Tuesday.
The CWU is against plans to franchise or shut down 75 post offices.
"If the Post Office thinks this dispute will simply fade away they are sadly mistaken. Our members are fiercely opposed to the company's plans to close and franchise offices, slash jobs and impose a pay freeze," Dave Ward, CWU deputy general secretary, said.
"The company's plans are to downgrade the network, reduce services to local communities and hit jobs in the network. There is no mandate for this course of action and customers across the country are appalled at the reckless attitude of the Post Office towards these public services."
The Post Office said strikes only add to the financial burden and cause disruption to customers.
"We must reverse this loss of public money. Strike action can only cost our people money, cause disruption to customers and threaten our plans to turn the business around and keep our branches on high streets and in city centres across the UK," Kevin Gilliland, network and sales director at the Post Office, said.
The government plans to privatise more than half of Royal Mail -- the delivery service which was split from the Post Office last year -- which is due for an initial public offering (IPO) next month.
The state-run postal delivery service is expected to be valued at up to ??3.3 billion when it launches on the stock market.
The IPO is expected to be between 260 pence and 330 pence a share.