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British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to make a final attempt at persuading lawmakers to back her "new" Brexit deal on Wednesday but the agreement — and May's...Europe Politicsread more
Consumers in China are taking to social media to express their support for Huawei as the U.S. government looks to ramp up pressure on the Chinese smartphone maker.Technologyread more
Tensions between the two parties have heightened in recent months as the campaign for seats in the Brussels and Strasbourg-based parliament has crescendoed.Europe Politicsread more
Shares of Saudi shopping mall operator Arabian Centres were trading at 24.34 riyals ($6.49) in early deals in Riyadh.IPOsread more
There is at least one thing in common between the U.S. and Russia – their willingness to weaken the European Union, a top EU official said.Politicsread more
U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff increase — and Beijing's plans to counter them — are hitting U.S. companies in China, according to a joint survey this month by...China Economyread more
"We are also constantly watching whether the trade war will turn into a tech war," Ma said Tuesday, according to a CNBC translation of his Chinese remarks published by a locak...China Economyread more
TransferWise, the money transfer start-up, was valued at $3.5 billion after investors bought $292 million of shares in a secondary sale.Technologyread more
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's likely return to power for a second term will likely be positive for his country's growth, according to economists and investors.Asia Economyread more
Kohl's, J.C. Penney and Nordstrom release disappointing earnings news, putting a damper on their sector.Retailread more
"Pretty much the entire suite of apps that 'talk' over the internet could be vulnerable," said Tom Uren, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's...Cybersecurityread more
There will be no immediate easing of the easing.
In a dramatic shift, the October CNBC Fed Survey finds Wall Street expecting the Federal Reserve to maintain its $85 billion level of monthly asset purchases until April 2014. That's five months ahead of the average in the last survey.
What's more, the 40 respondents—economists, strategists and money managers—see the Fed buying about $650 billion of assets next year, up from $381 billion in the September survey.
The current program, known as quantitative easing, in which the Fed buys government bonds and mortgages in an effort to stimulate the economy by driving down interest rates, is expected to last until December 2014. Respondents to the previous survey had thought the Fed would end its purchases by August.
"Unfortunately, the U.S. economy in 2014 will look similar to 2013,'' Chad Morglander with Stifel Nicolaus wrote in response to the survey. "This will force the Federal Reserve to continue QE longer than consensus expectations."
Morglander looks for the Fed to taper in April but continue buying assets until March 2015. He's not alone: Forty percent of respondents envision the Fed continuing to purchase assets into 2015.
The change follows the Fed's surprise decision at its September meeting not to taper amid high interest rates, weak economic growth and concern of a government shutdown. It appeared to be the right move.
On average, respondents estimate the fiscal debate shaved 0.3 percent off fourth-quarter growth but see little impact beyond that. About 53 percent of the negative impact was viewed as the result of uncertainty and 44 percent from a decline in government spending.
"Federal government actions have ONLY added to slowing," wrote David Kotok of Cumberland Advisors. "Congress and the White House have only made things worse than they would otherwise be."
On the bright side, 67 percent believe the next fiscal debate will be "less contentious" than the last one.
(Read more: The Fed's 'hidden agenda' behind money-printing)
Respondents see the economy posting just 1.9 percent growth this year, down from an optimistic 2.7 percent at the beginning of 2013. They continue to hold out hope of a rebound next year, forecasting 2.5 percent growth year-over-year.
Wall Street forecasts an 18.4 percent chance of a recession in the next year. That's the third consecutive rise for the survey, up from the June low of 15.2 percent but below the long-run average of 22 percent.
Meanwhile, the financial industry is divided over the holiday shopping season: About a third say it will be worse than last year, while a third say it will be better and a third say it will be the same.
"The shorter holiday shopping season will not prevent a rise in holiday sales of 3 to 3.5 percent from last year,'' said Stuart Hoffman of PNC. "Two million more employed, high house and stock prices, and lower gasoline prices drive holiday sales higher."
—By CNBC's Steve Liesman. Follow him on Twitter: @steveliesman


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Barring any additional problems, Sony plans to bring the PlayStation Store back online next Tuesday, May 24, according to a memo sent to Sony's game developer and publishing partners.
The company has sent a tentative publishing schedule to partners detailing when their games, expansions and other releases will become available to players. In the memo, obtained by Gamasutra, Sony unveils plans to do two content pushes per week for the next two weeks to catch up with the backlog of content.
"We thank you for your patience as we work to resume service of the PlayStation Store," wrote PSN content manager Jack Osorno to developer partners.
The first push, set to coincide with the PlayStation Store's reopening, will distribute content that was originally scheduled to publish on April 26. Three days later on the 27th, another round of games will go live, which were originally scheduled for May 3.
The following week, pushes will take place on May 31 and June 3, using content that originally had been planned to be spread over three weeks. At that point, the company will be back on schedule and, presumably, return to a single content push per week.
While Sony is trying to maintain the queue that was already in place, the company says it is willing to move some titles around, depending on urgency. Seemingly, this would include DLC packs for existing titles that have already released expansions on other platforms.
"If there are concerns, we are willing to consider adjusting the release date of your content on this schedule," says Osorno. "Adjustments will be made on a case by case basis."
The launch of the PlayStation Store is one of the final steps to bringing the PlayStation Network back to full operation. Sony has said many times that it expected the network to be fully operational before the end of May.
Osorno's note does not detail what plans, if any, Sony has to assist developers who were impacted by the outage.
In some cases, that impact has been substantial. Capcom corporate officer and SVP Christian Svensson, for instance, has previously estimated
the company's lost revenue from the outage as being in the "hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars."
Other developers have remained more supportive of Sony, but have made public appeals to the company to assist them with marketing their titles
once the Store goes back online so that they might recoup any losses.
Sony, though, is actually in something of a power position -- especially with smaller developers. Despite the security crisis, the company remains one of the most powerful players in the video game industry, so few, if any, small shops are going to make a lot of noise complaining about the way they feel they have been treated. While some could jump to Microsoft's Xbox Live platform, they're unlikely to do so immediately.
For consumers, the relaunch of the PlayStation Store should get them one step closer to being able to claim the contents of their "Welcome Back" package. As detailed
on Sony's U.S. PlayStation Blog, PlayStation 3 owners with existing PSN accounts will be able to download two free games from a pool that includes Dead Nation, Infamous, LittleBigPlanet, Super Stardust HD
and Wipeout HD
Sony has said that those (and other) freebies would be made available once services are fully restored.

domain: news


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A and W Revenue Royalties Income Fund (AW_u.TO)
Latest Key Developments (Source: Significant Developments)
Oct 24 (Reuters) - A&W Food Services Of Canada Inc ::A&W Canada announces leadership transition.Co, A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund announce effective Feb 16, 2018, Susan Senecal will become CEO .Susan Senecal will succeed Paul Hollands, who will retire as CEO on February 16, 2018.Hollands will continue as chairman of board of A&W. Full Article
SEOUL, July 26 South Korean consumer appliance maker LG Electronics Inc said second-quarter profit jumped 16 percent, helped by strong television sales, but warned U.S. trade spats with China and Europe cast a cloud on its business outlook.


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New-age logistics and supply chain start-up Delhivery has filed for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of up to Rs7,460 crore. The proposed IPO would comprise fresh issue of Rs5,000 crore and offer for sale (OFS) of Rs2,460 crore by existing investors Carlyle, Japan’s SoftBank Vision Fund and Times Internet who are selling partial stakes. Of the five founders of Delhivery, three — Kapil Bharati, Mohit Tandon and Suraj Saharan — are also listed to sell their shares in the OFS. Delhivery is expected to be a publicly traded firm before the end of the current financial year.
Earlier this year, Sahil Barua, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Delhivery, had said that the logistics start-up would go public in India anytime between December 2021 and March 2022. The company joins a group of late-stage home-grown technology firms that are on course to tap the buoyant public markets. The logistics tech company had constituted a board sub-committee for its IPO and mergers & acquisitions in January. Delhivery is the third venture from SoftBank Group Corp’s India portfolio — after PolicyBazaar and Paytm — that is IPO-bound.
Talking about the rush of internet start-ups looking to go public, Sandeep Barasia, Managing Director and Chief Business Officer, Delhivery, said that he expects adequate interest as public market investors typically don’t plough all their money into one company in a sector. “We are a confluence between online and offline. We are one of the best ways to play the India online story,” said Barasia, who is confident the company will grow annually by 50-55% in the near future.
Aside from providing logistics to e-commerce firms, which accounts for the largest chunk of revenues, Delhivery’s B2B business operates part- and full-truck load freight, supply chain services and cross-border logistics. Supply-chain services, an 18-month-old business for Delhivery, contribute 10% of its total revenue, managing all supply chain needs of large companies.


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[FOUNTAIN] X-ray body scans due soonThe pioneer for looking into the body was Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen. On Dec. 22, 1895, about a month after discovering X-rays, he took a picture. That X-ray image, featured on the cover of a book about 20th-century science history, shows the bones of a living person. The subject was the hand of Roentgen’s wife, Bertha. With a ring on her ring finger, her bones were black and the flesh was transparent, wrote Heinrich Zankl in his book, “Pleasant Rebellions in the Science History.”
When Mr. Roentgen ran the image in a newspaper, he explained, “My wife is visible.” His ambiguous expression led to instant misunderstanding. People thought that X-rays could pierce clothing to make a person visible and reveal their naked body.
Some worried that photographers could take nude photos on the street. According to Arthur Sutcliffe’s “Stories from Science,” a rumor spread in Britain about X-ray glasses that could see through clothing, striking terror in women. A London-based company even made a small fortune by selling underwear that was guaranteed to prevent X-ray penetration.
In the early days of discovery, X-rays were used everywhere. People wished to look into just about everything. One of the first subjects was the foot. Teresa Riordan wrote in “Inventing Beauty” that a clever businessman turned X-rays into a foot-measuring device. Named “foot-o-scope,” this device was sold to local footwear stores. Shoppers stood inside the device and greatly enjoyed looking at the bones of their feet moving.
In 1925, X-ray hair removal salons sprang up all around the United States. The cost was $3 for a treatment. Six treatments could completely remove all the hair from the roots. For 20 years, X-ray hair removal devices enjoyed wide popularity. However, an atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima in 1945 made people finally become aware of the danger of radiation.
The controversial X-ray body scan is expected to become a reality before the end of the year.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration plans to test the Backscatter X-ray machines at Phoenix airport around Christmas. While certain body parts will be blurred, some passengers are complaining that the scanner will show their nude image.
The TSA will give the passengers the option of choosing between the Backscatter machine and the traditional pat-down search procedure.
After all, it is not easy to look into other people. And this time, the X-ray proof underwear will not be useful.
The writer is a deputy business news editor
at the JoongAng Ilbo.
by Yi Jung-jae


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Dow Jones index woes amid renewed trade war
The trade war truce apparently wasn’t meant to last as U.S President Trump has slapped China with another round of tariffs. Following the announcement, the Dow Jones Index has dropped by 3% and the outlook is grim for the U.S stock market.
The latest tariffs of 10% duties to be paid on $300 billion Chinese goods to which Beijing will purportedly retaliate with a trading embargo on all agricultural imports from the U.S.
It’s important to note that China is the top export market for U.S hay and soybeans – accounting for more than 18% of all U.S agricultural exports worldwide.
Bad news for U.S farmers
The trade war has hit farmers the most and while 2017 U.S farm exports to China totaled $19 billion, the post-tariffs 2018 revenues were decreased dramatically to $9 billion. The impetus to the renewed tariffs on Chinese imports to the U.S was none other than China’s failure to keep its promise to boost its purchases of U.S farm products.
China’s response, of course, was to block all agricultural imports from the U.S – cutting out the already struggling farmers from one of their largest markets.
Fear and uncertainty for the dollar and global outlook
While Trump has been criticizing China’s monetary policies of deliberately keeping the Yuan weak to gain an edge in exports, his latest announcements have sparked renewed volatility in the global markets sending the dollar on a nosedive. In fact, the DXY index, which tracks the performance of the dollar against that of all other major currencies, has shown a sharp decrease as well, mirroring that of the Dow Jones Index.
Trump may be denying any negative claims to his policies, but the escalating trade war is just starting to take its toll on the U.S economy which has been performing remarkably so far this year.
Tech companies on NASDAQ are also feeling the downwards pressure from the risk-avert investor sentiment with Apple and Nvidia plummeting by 4% and 6% respectively.
The effects of the trade disputes have also reverberated across the financial markets with the FTSE in Europe losing more than 2% of its recent gains and the Stoxx Europe 600 well on its way to its worst performance in more than a decade.
The stock markets in Tokyo and Hong Kong have also slowed down by 2% and with the Yuan forecasted to weaken even further, we can expect further volatility before and if a correction will take place.
Looking towards safe-haven assets
As is always the case when fiat currencies are struggling, Bitcoin enthusiasts rejoice. A sharp 22% increase in BTC/USD – currently trading at 11605.14 shows reinvigorated interest in Bitcoin since the beginning of the month and is proof enough that while major markets battle it out and emerging economies take the hit; investors look to diversify their assets into cryptocurrencies and other safe-haven commodities.


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There’s a U-Haul parked outside Uncle Sam’s Army Navy Outfitters store on 8th Street, because the thrift store closed yesterday after 20 years in Greenwich Village.
Owner Richard Geist was on hand to pack up the merchandise with the other staff. “We were more than a store, we were a service [for] veterans who want to bury their father in his military uniform, theater people, Halloween,” Geist said.
Geist, who moved from Toronto and opened the store at age 24, chose its location, between 6th and 5th Avenues, for its history. “The Village was the epicenter of the creative world,” he said. “Everything started here.”
Uncle Sam’s is just steps from Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios, where artists including Patti Smith, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Lorde, Adele and Frank Ocean have all recorded music.
Last year, Geist was part of a campaign with fellow 8th Street merchant Storm Ritter, whose store has also closed, to bestow West 8th Street with the honorary name of Jimi Hendrix Way, to acknowledge the legendary musician’s contributions to the neighborhood. Their petition currently has over 20,000 signatures, Geist said. Though it’s not final yet, Geist said the City has already indicated it would not accommodate their request, saying that Hendrix did not have enough of a good influence on New York. That, Geist said, is when he knew he had to leave 8th Street.
“Can you imagine people landing in JFK from all over the world, and they’re walking on these streets?” Geist said. “We’re worse than an empty mall; Starbucks, McDonalds, that’s all you see, just chains.”
Mayer “Mike” Ebbo, who owns Mind Boggler Shoes down the block, stopped by to ask Geist how much he’d paid for the U-Haul. “I don’t believe I’ll be here past 2019,” said Ebbo, who opened his store in 1988. “We do a lot of online business, but there’s no money in it.”
Monk thrift shop also recently closed its 27-year-old location at West 8th and MacDougal Street. A sign on the empty storefront directs customers to its locations in Williamsburg and Greenpoint.
Geist hopes to reopen Uncle Sam’s on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side. The store’s additional locations in Toronto and Buffalo will remain open.
At one point he asked my name, and rummaged through a pile for a second before presenting me with an engraved cutting board.
“There’s no J, but here’s an I,” he said.


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The Union Government exempted sanitary napkins from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) net and slashed the rates of many other commodities in the 28th GST Council meeting chaired by interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi.
In what comes as a major relief for women across the country, Goyal said the tax on sanitary napkin has been abolished.
At a press conference held after the meeting, the interim FM, who is handling the ministry in the absence of Union Minister Arun Jaitley, listed out the products which will now attract lower GST rates.
“GST on footwear up to Rs 1000 has been reduced by 5 per cent. There will be no GST on stone, marble, rakhi, wooden deities, sal leaves, etc,” Goyal said.
The minister said that Lithium ion batteries, vacuum cleaners, food grinders, mixers, storage water heaters, washing machine, head dryers, hand dryers, paint, varnishes, water cooler, milk cooler, ice cream coolers, perfumes, toilet sprays and toilet preparation will now be in the 18 per cent slab instead of the 28 per cent slab.
“GST on handbags, jewellery box, wooden box for paintings, glass artware, glass statues, stone eartware, ornamental framed mirrors, handmade lamps has been reduced to 12 per cent,” said Goyal.
Imported urea, hand-made carpets and floor coverings will now attract a reduced GST of 5 per cent.
Goyal said that the GST council will now focus on job creation as well.
The government also said that those with turnover of up to Rs 5 crore can file returns quarterly but will have to deposit GST monthly.
“GST council has cleared 46 amendments which will be passed in Parliament,” said Goyal.
In a major relief for traders in some north-eastern and hill states, the government also raised the exemption limit in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Sikkim from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
“Reverse charge mechanism has been stalled till 30 September 2019,” said Goyal adding that the RCM committee will study the system till that time.
“Simplification is our priority. Soon we will link RFID tags with Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) for transporters. This will reduce harassment of transporters,” said the interim FM.
“Registration will be cancelled on the day of application of cancellation and no return will have to be filed,” he said.
Goyal said that a special meeting of GST council will be held on 4 August in Delhi which will focus on MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).
The decisions taken at the GST meeting came a day after the NDA government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defeated the opposition led no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha. The decisions taken today will be applicable from 27 July.
Also Read: Govt abolishes GST on sanitary napkins


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Morocco exports 430,000 tons of citrus fruits
Morocco has exported 430,000 tons of citrus fruits during the 2003-2004, said the producers association which label this season as “one of the weakest averages in the last years.“
The association of citrus fruits producers ASPAM in Morocco ascribed the weak volume to several factors, including a lower production and stiff competition, MAP reported.
The association also expressed its fears that the decline in the volume of exported fruits would affect income and, therefore, the financial profitability of citrus fruits orchards whose operation fees are already very high. (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)


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MADI helps companies reduce physical risk and maintain operations that result from any type
of labor shortage or disruption.
As we turn the page on 2015 and transition into a new year, it's becoming more clear that...Read more
On an ongoing basis, a number of external forces have combined to effect gradual change in the...Read more
For many years in the United States, temporary employment was seen as something of a taboo subject....Read more


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More than 500,000 U.S. jobs, including about 35,000 in Pennsylvania, are threatened by a surge in unfair steel imports, according to a report Tuesday from the Economic Policy Institute and a Washington law firm.
Steel imports rose 13 percent from 2011 to 2013 and increased nearly 25 percent in the first two months of this year, according to the report.
It said that 583,600 jobs in the steel and related industries are at risk if the United States does not effectively enforce trade laws. Nearly 4,200 workers in eight states, including about 250 in Pennsylvania, have lost their jobs since the beginning of 2012 because of the wave of imports, the report said.
The warning comes as U.S. steel producers await final word on the outcome of a trade complaint filed last year against nine countries alleging they sold tubular steel in the United States for less than in their home countries or below their costs of production.
Domestic steel makers say foreign competitors can do that because many benefit from government subsidies. According to the new report, half of the world’s 46 biggest steel companies are government owned and they account for nearly 40 percent of global production.
Cheap imports have resulted in net losses for the steel industry in four of the last five years, said Robert Scott, director of trade and manufacturing policy research for the Economic Policy Institute and co-author of the report. The other authors are attorneys for Stewart and Stewart, a Washington, D.C., law firm whose specialties include trade issues.
“Our producers are increasingly losing business to companies that don’t play by the rules,” U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said during a conference call Tuesday discussing the report.
Mr. Brown said South Korea, one of the producers named in the complaint filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission in July, is one of the biggest offenders. It exports all of its so-called oil country tubular goods — steel tubes used by the energy industry — because it does not have a domestic market for the product, he said.
The report found U.S. imports of tubular goods more than doubled between 2010 and 2012. That happened while U.S. steelmakers ran their mills at reduced levels and overseas producers ran full tilt, creating a worldwide glut of steel. The United States is the natural target for the excess metal because of how large it is and how open it is to imports.
“They see us as a big, fat market that they can exploit when they’ve got trouble,” said U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who joined Mr. Brown and others on the call.
Texas, where U.S. Steel has major operations targeting the energy market, is the state with the most jobs at risk — nearly 60,000, according to the report. California comes next with 52,300, followed by Pennsylvania with 35,300 and Ohio with 33,900.
Len Boselovic: 412-263-1941 or email@example.com


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Qualcomm Promises a chip That Can Rival Apple’s M1
Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, said the company he led will offer laptop chips that compete with Apple’s latest SoCs within the next year, as well as give his views on Apple’s planned transition to chips. -modem produced “in house”.
Amon spoke to Reuters saying Qualcomm will have the best processors on the market thanks to a team of chip architects who have previously worked for Apple.
Earlier this year, Qualcomm bought Nuvia for $ 1.4 billion, a startup created by former Apple chip designers (Cupertino sued former employees for infringements of the competition ban ).
Qualcomm intends to offer its custom chips to create laptops based on Nuvia’s architecture by 2022, devices that are expected to boast low power consumption resulting in great battery life.
Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm’s new CEO since June 30, 2021
Instead of leveraging Arm’s licensed chip designs, Qualcomm wants to offer its own core design, similar to what Apple did with the M1 chips. If during the development phase things go as planned, Qualcomm’s plan B is to resume development starting from the design of ARM.
Relations with ARM have become complicated due to the acquisition by Nvidia, an operation for which Qualcomm is strongly opposed, an element that allows us to understand why the acquisition of Nuvia could be strategic: not only to counter Apple and its M1 chip but also to set foot in the profitable market of servers for data centers.
Although Qualcomm does not intend – at least at the moment – to design chips for data centers, it could license Nuvia’s projects (initially created to propose chips in the data center field) to server suppliers who could use them to design their chips starting from the basic architecture.
As for the rumors that Apple has long been referring to the design of its chip-modem, Amon explained that Qualcomm has decades of experience in the sector and that entering this market is complex for anyone.
However, he does not seem frightened by Apple’s possible move, reporting that the market potentially vacated by Huawei (due to the ban in the United States) is as large as Apple’s


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Hawaii will be the first state to make a key push for cashless cannabis payments. In September, Gov. David Ige and state banking institutions commissioner Iris Ikeda said CanPay, via an agreement with Safe Harbor Private Banking, will process sales transactions at retail shops in the state.
CanPay, a debit payment service, offers a payment method beyond cash. It facilitates electronic payments between consumers and retailers in highly-regulated and emerging markets, like the cannabis industry. Banking institutions pertain to be a part of the CanPay network and merchants with a bank account at one of those particular institutions can accept CanPay debit transactions from customers who may have enrolled for a CanPay debit account.
Still “near e-commerce” continues to be the norm in lots of areas, and it still offers benefits over bricks-and-mortar like online price comparisons, a wider selection, delivery and ordering online ahead for faster pickup with a dispensary, Brochstein says.
In California, Eaze, Meadow and GreenRUSH Delivery all in various ways connect dispensaries with consumers through the web. Getmeadow.com, for example, is surely an on-demand directory connecting patients to dispensaries for cannabis delivery. It also operates Meadow MD, a telemedicine platform connecting patients to physicians for online evaluations for buy marijuana hash online.
In 2016 Getmeadow launched Meadow Platform, an application-as-a-service platform for California dispensaries to provide cannabis retail sales and delivery. It contains tools for inventory management, analytics, on the internet and mobile ordering, delivery tracking and logistics, compliance and patient intake.
Eaze, meanwhile, which launched in 2014 and bills itself as being a marijuana technology company, connects cannabis product brands, dispensaries and doctors to customers using the web through its site and app.
To utilize the service, a consumer must register with her email and telephone number and submit a picture of her ID to verify her age. Eaze then texts her back once approved and she could order her goods for delivery, although she must pay if the item is delivered. The service, which started for medical marijuana users, connecting consumers with doctors and offering online medical forms, says it offers amassed 350,000 users in California. A comparable service, called GreenRUSH, also collects payments on delivery.
Marijuana delivery is popular among fans from the herb. In the Eaze Insights: 2017 State of Cannabis data report released today, Eaze says it delivered marijuana every 10 seconds in 2017, a 200% increase over 2016, when it was delivered every thirty seconds. The report is based on market research of 15,000 consumers and Eaze’s database of 350,000 consumers. An Eaze spokesman says it’s too soon for Eaze to discuss data on purchases through its site since cannabis was was created legal for recreational utilization in California on Jan. 1 .
“After Californians voted for adult [recreational] use within November 2016, many consumers shifted their mindset and have become more open to using cannabis to enhance their everyday lives,” says Jim Patterson, CEO of Eaze. “Americans are becoming better educated about the wellness benefits available from cannabis. As prohibition ends as well as a new era of marijuana emerges in 2018, we’ll see increased awareness drive diverse product adoption among new sets of people and then change lives for the better.”
“When federal law changes, this will modify the game entirely,” Canto says. “At that point, the distribution side in the industry should come out and flourish.” Federal law still prohibits marijuana sales.
The patchwork of marijuana laws, however, doesn’t stop the growers and sellers from sharing information about their products. Cannabis sellers can market their goods online via marketplaces like MassRoots. The cannabis rfvtdy has a lot more than 1.5 million app downloads as well as its website has tens of thousands of page views monthly, says a MassRoots spokeswoman. Consumers can see prices, find dispensaries near them, read reviews on different cannabis strains, and browse which symptoms the plant aids, including lower back pain, nausea or epilepsy.
“If it were legal to sell cannabis on the internet and ship it, it could start an entire new revenue channel and likely significantly accelerate our growth,” the MassRoots spokeswoman says.
As the National Cannabis Industry Association’s West is sure businesses would like to sell products straight to consumers online, the cannabis sector is extremely regulated and most of the association’s clients are centered on other priorities. Those priorities include legalization, taxation easement, open banking access for proceeds-as currently there is no law protecting financial service companies that provide services to marijuana-related legitimate business and many cannabis sellers have trouble receiving and looking after use of accounts-and clear digital marketing rules, she says.


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Updated from 1:01 p.m. EST to provide additional analyst comments regarding potential M&A.SUNNYVALE, Calif. ( TheStreet) - Yahoo! ( YHOO) may have finally appointed a new CEO, PayPal president Scott Thompson, but a question mark still hangs over the Internet giant's ability to to monetize its vast audience. Yahoo! has gone through two previous CEOs (Terry Semel, and, most recently, Carol Bartz), neither of whom was able to boost the company's share price. Shares of the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based firm are off 44% over the past five years, whereas Google's ( GOOG) stock has gained nearly 44% over the same period.
|New CEO Scott Thompson will try to monetize Yahoo!'s vast audience where others have failed.|
One area where Thompson may have an immediate impact is Yahoo!'s Right Media online advertising division, Dan Salmon of BMO Capital Markets wrote in a report. He believes that Right Media could help Yahoo! "stem the tide of momentum" the company has lost to Google ( GOOG) in exchange-based, real-time display advertising by bringing in top engineers. Salmon also believes that Thompson's experience in e-commerce could bring a new element to the conversation surrounding the Asian assets. The analyst notes that Taobao, Asia's version of eBay ( EBAY), and Alipay are core parts of Yahoo's Asian interests. He rates Yahoo! shares market perform with a $17 price target.


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Digital media player vendor, Creative Technology, has asked a US court to block sales of Apple Computer's iPod devices, claiming they violate one of Creative's US patents.
Google has set its eyes on the nation's top IT talent as the company looks to rapidly expand numbers in its Australian operation.
Hitachi GST has joined Seagate in shipping a notebook hard drive using perpendicular recording technology. Its Travelstar 5K160, like the Seagate Momentus 5400, spins at 5400rpm and holds 160GB. HItachi claims the drive is the most reliable of its ty...
The U.S. Supreme Court has set aside a lower court decision to stop eBay from using a prominent feature on its Web site because of a patent dispute.
A former U.S. government security auditor has been sentenced to 10 months in jail and home confinement, after pleading guilty to snooping on his supervisor's computer.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has approved a new top-level domain suffixed ".tel," awarding a contract to Telnic, an Internet communications company based in London.
Developers are getting their first chance to play with a Web layout and design tool which Microsoft hopes will lure developers from Adobe Dreamweaver.
A "vigilante" Trojan, that attempts to protect infected PCs from the effects of malware caught while using peer-to-peer file-sharing networks, has been discovered.
It sounds like a throwback to the 1980s, but security company Sophos has reported the existence of a new "prank" worm that hijacks network print queues to perform a uniquely ludicrous stunt -- it attempts to print a large picture of an owl.
Sony plans to unveil new client software next week that will extend its LocationFree TV platform to Macintosh computers and a wider range of mobile devices.
Sun's JavaOne conference this week will highlight a growing embrace of open source and a move toward making Java-based applications link more tightly with legacy systems as the programming language plays a key role in the accelerating move toward Web...
Search engines deliver links to dangerous Web sites that download spyware and adware to visitors' PCs, exploit security vulnerabilities and attempt to scam users and include them in spam lists, a new study has found.
Symantec is toying with the idea of delivering a new service that would allow users to automatically back up digital files to the Web, according to Symantec Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Thompson.
Apple Computer released its third major patch this year for the OS X operating system on Thursday, fixing 31 software vulnerabilities in a range of products that could be used by remote attackers to compromise Mac OS systems.
Software development and engineering roles had the highest growth in April, according to the latest Olivier Internet Job Index. Listings for these positions grew 31 per cent during the month compared with the figures for March.
Learn how to protect your digital lifestyle. A must read for all those who are active online.
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A study of 137 new product launches in 16 European countries shows the persistence of major regional disparity in the era of the European Union, according to an article in a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS®).
"While we expected some differences, we were surprised by the size of the differences," the authors write. "We were also surprised by the fact that Scandinavian countries tend to have the shortest `time-to-takeoff´ of all European countries. In contrast, the large economies of Europe – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom -- turned out to be less "innovative" than the Scandinavian countries."
Based on their research, the authors recommend that European marketers introduce new products first in a few countries, employing what is called a waterfall strategy, rather than in many countries at once, what marketing literature calls a sprinkler strategy.
Because managers are under great pressure to pull the plug on a product that has not taken off, the authors suggest that introducing a product in a few countries that are expected to show early takeoff can win internal corporate support. The strategy allows lets marketers use sales data in one country to forecast sales in other countries where they plan to launch the product. Unfortunately, the authors observe, most European marketers do not introduce new products gradually and pay a penalty in failure.
The authors analyzed the takeoff of 10 consumer durable categories across 16 Western European countries. The study is one of the largest on international new product growth.
The countries included in the study are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The products are refrigerators, washing machines, freezers, dishwashers, color televisions, dryers, VCR´s computers, CD players, and microwave ovens.
The authors used data on product sales made available by Euromonitor, GFK, The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), TableBase of Responsive Database Services, the archives of appliance manufacturers in various European countries, and a private observer.
The authors of this study were recently recognized with an award by INFORMS for research that helped Whirlpool plan the launch of its Personal Valet Clothes Vitalizing System.
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Astronomers from Bonn and Tautenburg in Thuringia (Germany) used the 100-m radio telescope at Effelsberg to observe several galaxy clusters. At the edges of these large accumulations of dark matter, stellar systems (galaxies), hot gas, and charged particles, they found magnetic fields that are exceptionally ordered over distances of many million light years. This makes them the most extended magnetic fields in the universe known so far.
The results will be published on March 22 in the journal „Astronomy & Astrophysics“.
Galaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally bound structures in the universe. With a typical extent of about 10 million light years, i.e. 100 times the...
Researchers at the Goethe University Frankfurt, together with partners from the University of Tübingen in Germany and Queen Mary University as well as Francis Crick Institute from London (UK) have developed a novel technology to decipher the secret ubiquitin code.
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Silicon nanosheets are thin, two-dimensional layers with exceptional optoelectronic properties very similar to those of graphene. Albeit, the nanosheets are less stable. Now researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have, for the first time ever, produced a composite material combining silicon nanosheets and a polymer that is both UV-resistant and easy to process. This brings the scientists a significant step closer to industrial applications like flexible displays and photosensors.
Silicon nanosheets are thin, two-dimensional layers with exceptional optoelectronic properties very similar to those of graphene. Albeit, the nanosheets are...
Enzymes behave differently in a test tube compared with the molecular scrum of a living cell. Chemists from the University of Basel have now been able to simulate these confined natural conditions in artificial vesicles for the first time. As reported in the academic journal Small, the results are offering better insight into the development of nanoreactors and artificial organelles.
Enzymes behave differently in a test tube compared with the molecular scrum of a living cell. Chemists from the University of Basel have now been able to...
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Had investors watched insider transactions for Carvana (CVNA -6.88%), they may have avoided a 90%-plus fall in its share price. What is trading by company executives telling us now?
Actions speak louder than words
Carvana stock was a pandemic darling. With consumers flush with stimulus cash, and stay-at-home restrictions leaving folks unable to visit used car lots, car-buyers turned to online platforms like Carvana. Sales in 2019 had alerady reached $3.9 billion but were dwarfed by its 2020 sales of $5.6 billion.
That's when things really started heating up for Carvana. When new car makers began finding it harder to find chips to produce new cars, demand for used cars skyrocketed. Low interest rates added fuel to the fire for Carvana sales. From 2020 to 2021, revenue more than doubled to $12.8 billion.
During the second quarter of 2021, the once-in-a-lifetime situation for Carvana led to its only profitable quarter. On top of that, the stock had risen from around $30 in March 2020 to a head-turning all-time high of $370 in August 2021.
From December 2020 to August 2021, insiders sold 15,183,340 shares, amounting to $4.2 billion. The stock sales were transacted at share prices between $227 and $370. The vast majority of the shares were sold by Ernest Garcia II, an early investor in the company and father of CEO Ernest Garcia III. All his sales occurred on shares received via stock options. Others making sales included directors, legal counsel, C-suite executives, and other key employees.
Cracks began to show after the insider sales. In its Q1 2022 quarterly call, the company cited lower sales volume and rising interest rates for a decrease in its margin. In addition, Carvana reported lower profit per unit, saying that shipping costs and refunds were the culprits.
Then in May of this year, the company announced it would lay off 2,500 employees -- for which CEO Garcia III apologized. Interestingly, Carvana had nearly doubled its head count from 10,400 in 2020 to over 21,000 by the end of 2021.
Since the insider sales, the stock is down over 90% to under $26. Company insiders may have seen the writing on the wall.
What are insiders saying now?
The insider sales in question seemed to have happened during a perfect storm for the company, which concluded with an incredible run-up in the stock. After the precipitous drop in Carvana's stock price, insiders may now see value.
For instance, since May 17, insiders have purchased 2,239,008 shares at prices between $39.14 and $21.18. Most insiders buying shares, including Ernest Garcia II, also sold shares before the stock's fall from grace.
Insider transactions can give investors a good starting point for stock ideas but might not tell the whole story. Though recent insider buying may indicate good times ahead, you may want to follow the company's fundamentals before jumping in.


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More than the Galaxy Note 4, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha has captured the attention of tech enthusiasts recently, as the device is expected to be Samsung’s first foray into making a metallic phone powered by Android. We’ve already seen a slew of photos of the Galaxy Alpha and heard about some of its specs, and today the metal-clad handset is in the news once again as photos of the white model have emerged online, along with more detailed specs thanks to a UK retailer who has jumped the gun and listed the device before launch.
The white model looks pretty similar to the black version, though it looks like the new photos could be showing a more finished version of the device, as it looks more polished than the black model. There’s something of an iPhone vibe going on here, especially on the sides where there is a chamfered rim that looks rather attractive. The overall look isn’t exactly impressive, but it certainly is somewhat a departure from Samsung’s generally boring and stale design language.
In addition to the new images, we are also getting more details on the phone’s hardware, thanks to UK retailer MobileFun’s listing. The Galaxy Alpha is priced at £549, and according to the listing, will feature an Exynos 5 octa-core processor “for unprecendented speed and multitasking”, a 4.7-inch 720p Super AMOLED display, 32GB of storage, a 12-megapixel rear camera with “superfast autofocus,” fingerprint and heart rate sensors, 4G LTE connectivity, and Android 4.4.2.
Now, there’s no telling if MobileFun actually has official details or whether it has simply listed what previous leaks have said. However, with the Galaxy Alpha slated for an August 13 announcement, it won’t be long before we find out just what Samsung’s upcoming metallic phone offers (hopefully a lot given that high price tag, or devices like the HTC One M8 will contine to be better choices for those looking for a premium smartphone.)


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As cyber-attacks increase, are cash payments the extra security your business needs?
13 December 2021
With more and more high-street businesses providing online shopping and click and collect services these days, we’re inevitably all becoming more exposed to cyber-crime.
Businesses have borne the brunt of this particular online crime for many years, but as the online demand continues to increase, the retail industry, who previously only had to worry about shoplifting, are now becoming more and more vulnerable to cyber-related theft and fraud as attacks become more frequent and ever-more sophisticated.
And while it’s easy to assume that cyber-attacks affect online businesses, the threat of cyber-crime is just as real for bricks and mortar businesses, with point-of-sale attacks being particularly rife.
According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey, published in March 2021 by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), 39% of all UK businesses (approximately 2.3m) reported a cyber breach or attack during 2020/21 - a worrying statistic that all businesses need to be mindful of.
The problem with card-only payments
With businesses currently so reliant on card payments, particularly after the misinformation spread about accepting cash during the pandemic, the ongoing threat of cyber-attacks has the potential to derail any business at any time – something that no establishment can afford in the current climate.
The biggest target for the perpetrators of cyber-crime is of course customer data – primarily card payment details and general personal information. Retailers have access to a wealth of sensitive data about their customers, and the more they collect and retain for sophisticated marketing campaigns that are the norm these days, the more the retail industry becomes exposed to cyber-crime.
The effects of this kind of cyber-attack were demonstrated loud and clear in recent weeks when a chain of convenience stores in the UK were hit by a network outage that impacted their tills, credit cards and back-office systems. Such was the severity of the outage that some stores were forced to close, and those that remained open could only accept cash payments for a day or so afterwards.
While the company acted as quickly as possible to rectify the situation, the attack serves as an important lesson for retailers that when systems are affected by a cyber-attack (or even a less serious but still impactful I.T outage), being set up and prepared to accept cash could prove to be a lifesaver.
Why cash is always reliable in a cyber-crisis
Cash has had a rough ride over the past couple of years, with fears that using cash could spread COVID. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now stated categorically that cash bears no more of a threat than using a credit/debit card or a mobile phone for payment, yet still some stores and leisure outlets are reluctant to change their policy on this.
But with the threat of cyber-crime ever-present, it’s time for stores to face the reality of the situation and not only take steps to try and prevent themselves from being at risk, but also to have a contingency plan for such an attack. However sophisticated a retailer’s I.T systems are, no one is immune to this threat, with the likes of Amazon, Costco, and even Microsoft and Facebook falling victim in recent years.
A report by Keeper Security research found that successful cyber-attacks against retailers resulted in either severe disruptions to partner and customer operations (34%); their supply chain (33%), and a retailer’s ability to trade (29%) – and these worrying statistics are sure to grow.
So what can retailers do to protect themselves from this tidal wave of online crime? Increasing their online security is the obvious answer, but retailers should also consider offering customers a wider choice of payment options to avoid closure if impacted by a major cyber-attack.
Secure cash handling thanks to Volumatic
Quite simply, retailers need to recognise that accepting cash is a safe and reliable form of payment from their customers - plus it’s reassuringly resistant to cyber-crime.
And if cash handling is also seen as a risk by retailers, Volumatic has the solution.
Offering a wide range of cash-handling devices that are proven to improve efficiency, security and save money, Volumatic are experts in their field and already work with the likes of Tesco, Morrisons, The Coop Food Group, Wilko and Nisa.
From their simple CountEasy cash counting machines to the sophisticated one-touch cash handling system, the CounterCache intelligent (CCi), and everything in between, including secure CounterCache storage devices and cash trolleys, Volumatic products are built to last, boast an unrivalled warranty and can save businesses cash handling costs by an incredible 75%.
Volumatic’s Sales and Marketing Director, Mike Severs says: “Retailers need to be prepared for any eventuality when it comes to cyber-attacks. As our recent Cash and Covid whitepaper found, it’s dangerous for businesses to rely solely on card payments, as it not only alienates customers who want to pay with cash, but also means they are even more vulnerable to cyber-crime.
He added: Accepting cash cannot stop these attacks of course, but if your company is taking cash payments, it can also help to minimise the impact of cyber-attacks and keep your business ticking along until the threat is dealt with.”


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Indian operator Reliance Jio Infocomm is planning to use Wi-Fi hotspots to facilitate 4G data usage once it rolls out its 4G network in December.
As many Indian consumers don’t yet have 4G-enabled devices, Jio plans to expand the addressable user base by allowing customers to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots to stream data through 4G networks. It aims to drive adoption of this technique by discounting Wi-Fi compatible devices, dubbed ‘Mi-Fi’ devices.
Mi-Fi devices typically cost around INR3,000, as opposed to the INR5,000 ($75) that 4G smartphones generally cost. While prices for all handsets have fallen significantly in the last 2 years, Jio is now set to slash the price of Mi-Fi devices by as much as 50%, according to telecom analyst Sandip Agarwal.
Jio’s goal is to grow its 4G customer base by encouraging its rivals’ heaviest data users to switch onto its network. However, it has its work cut out for it – Airtel already offers Mi-Fi access via hotspots, and it will launch nationwide 4G services in the next few months, along with rival heavyweights Vodafone India and Idea Cellular. Aircel and state provider BSNL will also roll out 4G in a similar timeframe.
Airtel has already stated that it aims to push its 4G coverage across almost 300 urban areas in India by the end of the year, while Vodafone India is launching 4G in 5 major Indian cities by year-end. Aircel is aiming to deploy in 8 telecom circles within the same timeframe, while Idea and BSNL hope to have rolled our 4G by early next year.


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BSNL prepaid subscribers have to dial USSD code 5117 # to generate a request. After this, a message will appear on the screen, in which the subscribers will be asked to choose the loan amount.
Earlier the limit of this loan was only up to 10 rupees.
Now options of Rs 20, Rs 30, Rs 40 and Rs 50 are also offered
To avail special USSD code has to be dialed
BSNL Talktime Loan
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has reportedly extended the facility of lock time loan up to Rs 50. As the name suggests, BSNL prepaid subscribers will get loan facilities in emergency situations in this offer. Earlier the limit of this loan was limited to only Rs 10, but now, according to the news, this limit has been increased to Rs 50. Customers who are not able to get their recharge due to any reason, the telecom company has introduced this facility, giving relief to those customers. All users will have to dial a special USSD code to avail of this facility.
BSNL Talktime Loan
BSNL prepaid subscribers have to dial USSD code 5117 # to generate a request. After this, a message will appear on the screen, in which the subscribers will be asked to choose the loan amount. Earlier BSNL used to offer credit loans of up to Rs 10 only under this offer, however now four other options have been introduced for customers – Rs 10, Rs 20, Rs 30, Rs 40 and Rs 50. Subscribers will have to choose one of these options to get the amount. After this, BSNL will immediately send the selected amount to the subscriber’s account. However, information about how the users will pay the loan amount is not available at the moment. It is believed that on the next recharge of the user, the telecom company will automatically deduct the loan amount. The amount of loan extended by BSNL is first reported by OnlyTech.
It is worth noting that recently, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) announced that the company is expanding the validity of prepaid customers so that users can “receive incoming calls without any hindrance”. The decision was announced to provide relief to BSNL customers facing lockdown due to the Coronavirus epidemic. The company launched a talk time of Rs 10 only for its prepaid customers, whose mobile balance fell to zero during the lockdown.


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While most carmakers are posting positive sales compared with the abomination that was 2020, Lamborghini has gone a step further and posted a best-ever first half in 2021.
The Italian marque delivered (we’ll call them sales) 4852 vehicles around the world during the first half of 2021, which is not only up on last year, but also up on its previous record first half in 2019. Specifically, the figure is up 37 per cent on last year and up 6.6 per cent on 2019.
As you’d probably expect, the Urus has been the best-seller so far. It made up 2796 of those total units, up 35 per cent from the same period last year. The Huracan came in second spot, contributing 1532 sales, up 46 per cent. Sales of the flagship Aventador hit 524 units, up 21 per cent.
In terms of regions, the USA has been the most popular market, making up 1502 units, followed by China (including Hong Kong and Macau) with 602 units. Germany contributed 391 sales, with UK following with 318, and Japan reporting 258 sales to round out the top five. Speaking about the results, Lamborghini president and CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, said:
“This exceptional result is a double confirmation for us. It is proof of the solidarity and strength of this brand, which is enjoying growing appeal despite a period of continuous challenges and uncertainty. It also endorses the positive reception to our new industrial plan for future electrification of our product range, in which we will invest over 1.5 billion euros by 2024.”
In regards to that latter comment about electrification, Lamborghini confirms its next-generation Aventador will feature a hybrid powertrain, and confirms it will arrive in 2023. It also says this summer (northern hemisphere) will bring the unveiling of “another new product”. Details are yet to be revealed.
Here in Australia, Lamborghini sold 81 vehicles in the first six months of this year. That’s up an impressive 50 per cent on last year. Compared with its key rivals, Ferrari sales (87 units) are down 20.9 per cent across the same six-month period in Australia, while McLaren sales (45) are up 50 per cent.


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San Antonio and Selma Texas Locations Now a Part of the Growing MobilityWorks Family
Back in May, we announced an agreement to purchase Alamo Mobility with two store locations in the San Antonio Texas area. The wait is finally over! We are now officially licensed by the State to operate Alamo Mobility as a part of MobilityWorks.
We want to officially welcome Alamo Mobility staff and clients to the MobilityWorks family! We are glad to be a part of the San Antonio community and look forward to serving the needs of Alamo’s loyal customers. Ty Beck will continue to be the General Manager for both locations.


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Competitive intelligence (CI) aims to understand the decisions and actions of a company’s competitors. It tracks a competitor’s products, services, marketing, sales deals and overall performance, helping a company compare and modify its own strategies accordingly. Every company must track its competition and understand how it handles its business, consumers and the market. CI services help track competitors’ activities, enabling a company to learn from their mistakes, improve its strategies and leave competitors behind.
A complete CI report enables a business to remain competitive in the market and stay ahead of the curve. However, it must include these seven key components if it is to give an all-encompassing view.
Latest news and headlines
The most critical component of a CI report is the latest mentions of competitors in the news and headlines. These indicate what is happening in the industry and whether the competitor is making headlines for positive or negative reasons. It gives a current overview of the competition so that other businesses can take advantage at the right time to learn or leverage the situation.
Any change in the competitor’s human capital provides insight on its operations, indicating whether it plans to reduce or expand its efforts. If the competitor improves its human capital, it may indicate an increase in its workforce capabilities. If it trains staff, buys new equipment, implements new technology or mandates new skill certification, its employee productivity will increase, and competitors would need to enhance their own operations.
Shifts in competition
A competitor’s shift out from or into direct competition may prompt other companies to change their marketing strategies. They may decide to leave the market or enter a new one. Monitoring competitors’ shifts helps a company know whom it is up against. Accordingly, it must adjust its strategies to stay efficient and relevant in the market.
A competitor’s job openings can provide substantial information. Companies list new vacancies for different reasons: they may be expanding and require staffing for the new roles. Companies looking for candidates to fill operational and management positions may be planning to work on a larger scale. Those looking for applicants in a new region may be planning to begin operations there.
CI services provide the latest and most relevant news on trade events, necessary to stay informed on the latest technologies in the industry. New technologies could disrupt the industry, and competitors need to keep abreast of such changes if they are to survive.
A competitor’s online reviews indicate its audience size. With customers spending a lot of time online and on social media, online reviews in CI reports reflect a company’s customer base and provide customer perception of the company first-hand. The CI report must include both positive and negative reviews so the broader customer perception could be ascertained.
Stock indices help track a competitor’s performance effectively, giving a quick view of the company and other relevant information.
CI services are excellent tools for understanding the competition and viewing the industry as a whole. These seven components are critical when conducting competitor analysis and for making informed decisions.


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The beauty industry is not exempt when it comes to diversity.
Due to consumers’ demand for more inclusivity stores are offering more brands to provide a more accurate reflection of their shoppers.
Retail company Nordstrom has announced the unveiling of its “An Inclusive Beauty” category for both in-store and online after the request for more Black-owned and founded brands.
“We heard from our customers that they are looking for Black founded brands as well as beauty products created for everyone’s needs no matter their skin or hair type, tone, complexion, or texture, said Autumne West, Nordstrom’s national beauty director, in an interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We worked to broaden our assortment based on this customer feedback.”
Their new category has been able to propel numerous Black-owned businesses which include Afro-Dominican entrepreneur Lulu Cordero with Bomba Curls.
“They appreciated the fact that Bomba Curls is a brand on a mission to broaden the spectrum of beauty and also celebrate the beauty of our natural hair textures,” said Cordero in an email to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “ I am also extremely particular about the quality of our ingredients – Nordstorm loved the pride and attention to detail that goes into manufacturing our products. We were aligned on all levels.”
Cordero also expresses that the move into Nordstrom’s stores has not only elevated her brand but has also allowed more customers to try her products.
“The opportunity to work with Nordstrom has been a huge blessing for us,” said Cordero. “Our products are now accessible to customers across the country and new customers can discover us every time they set foot into stores.”
“I feel so proud that Bomba Curls is not only bringing representation to retail shelves but also showing that Black-owned brands also create stellar products and belong in retail.”
We can’t wait to head over to Nordstrom’s to get our hands on some Bomba Curls and all other black-owned businesses on their shelves!


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The health of our members, allieds and the public are of utmost importance to the MLOA and as such we have created this page to act as a COVID-19 Information page for any releases, and news that affects the Resource Based Tourism Industry. Check back frequently for updates and news as it comes available.
Updated public health orders will come into effect Nov. 20 to further limit residential gatherings and retail operations to help halt the spread of COVID-19 and protect Manitobans, Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, announced today.
“The public health orders introduced when Manitoba moved to Critical (red) on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System were the most restrictive we had introduced since the beginning of this pandemic,” said Pallister. “However, despite those orders and strong recommendation from Dr. Roussin to ‘stay home’ at this critical point in our fight against COVID-19, too many Manitobans are gathering or shopping for non-essential purposes and creating a greater risk to public health. We are now at a point where even tighter restrictions are needed to significantly limit social contact in order to protect one another.” Read the release in it’s entirety right here.


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BY SATYAPRIYA VERMA
READ THIS ARTICLE TO:
- Know how B2B s are changing the e-commerce landscape
- Understanding the intricacies in B2B strategies
- Be aware of what organizations should do to succeed in the marketplace
Do B2Bs have a future, or are they are bubbles waiting to be burst? While the media and researchers offer conflicting views on this, without a doubt the dotcom bust has taken the sheen off net-based business models. New players are now treading a cautious path. But B2Bs are definitely here to stay. What should the players do to remain in the game?
THE PRESS does play favourite … sometimes! Dotcom obituaries (read B2C) have given way to essays on B2Bs. Hardly a day passes when our senses are not impinged with B2B strategies, success stories, disintermediation and the impending B2B doom (boom). Consider what various research and consultant groups have to say.
v Money spent on B2B transaction already surpasses consumer transaction10- 1 (Aberdeen Group)
v B2B is estimated to become a $2.7 trillion worldwide industry by 2004 (Forrester research)
v India has potential to earn revenues from e-business solutions worth $10 billion by 2008 ( Nasscom-McKinsey study 1999)
Unlike B2Cs, B2Bs are better evolved; the technology is more sophisticated and entry barriers are greater. Critical mass is achieved with greater difficulty and business models are more defensible….
…. The greatest opportunity these exchanges offers is for the existing companies as it will not only significantly improve their performance – since in India supply chains are highly inefficient and fragmented -but also help companies in significant ‘supply consolidation.’ Larger suppliers will gain from this consolidation, while many small and complacent suppliers will be pushed out. “It is the SME segment that has gained the most from B2B initiatives. SMEs have not only expanded there business reach across India but are actually generating revenues from it,” says Brijesh Agrawal, CTO,Indiamart.com, an online marketplace that focuses on the SME Segment.
Benefits: Are they for real ?
Industry players believe that the introduction of e-commerce and online exchanges have definitely brought about benefits in more ways than one. Apart from lower running costs, many feel that there is better coordination between upstream and downstream operations along the supply chain. There is also greater transparency when it comes to price, even for equipment and services. With the increased ability to track inventory, companies can now reduce their minimum inventory levels, thus saving storage costs… B2Bs have also expanded in an unprecedented manner, enabling the market reach of both buyers and sellers, even making price negotiations (auctions, discussions, RFQ/RFP, etc.) from remote locations distinctly possible.
Sanjeev Bhat, CEO, Radico Export and Import Ltd. which is listed with Indiamart.com claims to have closed orders through Indiamart worth $100,000 since 1997. “The same orders that took us 30 days to close, we now close within 48 hours,” he informs….


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Imagine the crisp, refreshing sensation of peppermint chewing gum. Now, imagine it without the mint.
That's a possibility proposed by researchers who've created a compound that delivers a more potent version of the cooling sensation of menthol, without the minty taste or smell.
Thomas Hofmann and his colleagues at the German Research Center for Food Chemistry in Garching, Germany, recently identified four natural cooling compounds in malt. The team has now synthesized 26 compounds similar to the natural ones and tested the new compounds on trained tasters.
The researchers found that substituting an oxygen atom for a carbon in one of the natural structure's rings increased the compound's cooling power. Other alterations, such as adding carbon and hydrogen atoms, decreased the cooling sensation.


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Thanks to their efficiency and practicality, gift cards and pre-paid charge cards are common purchases among some consumers. And according to a recent study from the payment processing firm First Data, they were bought and redeemed at a swift pace in the second quarter.
First Data states between April and June, volume growth for gift card activations, redemptions and reloads grew in each category, likely spurred by holidays and special occasions like Mother's Day, Father's Day and graduations.
However, the pace of growth was slower than the first quarter, which may be due to the downturn in the economy.
"We continued to see positive dollar volume growth of activations, redemptions and reloads throughout the second quarter," said Silvio Tavares, senior vice president and division manager of First Data. "While the economy's effect on consumer spending has impacted gift cards, they remain a popular payment choice among consumers."
The most significant jump in activations, redemptions and reloads came in June, when they jumped 13.7, 15 and 27.5 percent, respectively, in year-over-year growth.
While these cards are used like a credit card, they sport a pre-paid credit limit and must be re-loaded once that limit is reached. Some consumers find such cards convenient, as they aren't reported to credit bureaus, do not impact credit scores, and can be easily acquired by those with poor credit scores.


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Pinterest seems to be on its way to becoming the first tablet-first social network. That isn’t a bad place to be considering that tablet penetration still has room to increase while the smartphone market is getting saturated in the most developed economies.
Pinterest’s mobile dependence is easy to glean from comScore’s recent multi-platform audience data.
Let’s first look at total mobile audiences — visitors who access the site on smartphones or tablets but may also do so on desktop and laptop computers.
In February 2013, Pinterest had 23 million mobile unique visitors or UVs. In the next four months, Pinterest grew that audience 10% to 25.3 million for June 2013, the last month for which data was available.
So, mobile visitors now account for 55% of Pinterest’s audience.
Now let’s look at mobile-only visitors — users who accessed the platform only via a mobile device.
Pinterest had 18.2 million mobile-only UVs in June 2013, 28% more than it had in February; mobile-only now represents 35% of Pinterest’s audience.
(For comparison, mobile-only represents just 21% of Facebook’s audience.)
ComScore does not break down its mobile data between tablets and smartphones, but according to a recent ShareThis study, Pinterest accounts for 48.2% of all social network-sharing on iPads, more than any other service, including Facebook. It’s clear that tablet usage is driving a robust portion of Pinterest audience activity.
At BI Intelligence, Business Insider’s paid subscription service, we recently analysed over 15 datasets culled from a variety of sources to probe the viability of tablet-heavy Pinterest and other social media as commerce and retail-drivers. We published our insights in a recent report, “The New Art Of Social Commerce: How Brands And Retailers Are Converting Tweets, Pins, And Likes Into Sales.” We also publish regular coverage and in-depth reports on tablet commerce and Pinterest.
Subscribers also gain access to our library of over 100 in-depth reports and hundreds of charts and datasets on mobile, social, and their impact across industries, including retail.
To access BI Intelligence’s full report, The New Art Of Social Commerce: How Brands And Retailers Are Converting Tweets, Pins, And Likes Into Sales, as well as our tablet commerce coverage, sign up for a free trial subscription here. Subscribers also gain access to over 100 in-depth reports on social and mobile, and hundreds of charts and datasets.


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The report, which Netflix updates each month, has been tracking the average connection speeds by Aussie ISPs since the streaming TV service launched in April.
TPG and iiNet have battled for top spot since the beginning of the reporting period, while Optus maintains it place as a close third. All ISPs appear to offer average speeds of between 3.2- and 3.4Mbps.
This result is all the more impressive when you consider that iiNet and Optus both offer Netflix streaming without counting the download data against customer allowances. This may encourage these customers to use the service even more than customers subscribed to the competition.
Dodo is one of the most improved in the latest index, and is now tied with Exetel for fourth. Just two months ago Dodo was offering customers an average connection of 2.4Mbps, but now this figure has increased to 2.9Mbps.
The biggest surprise comes from Australia’s largest broadband supplier. Telstra has been in last place for each report so far, but appears to be slowing further. Currently BigPond customers enjoy speeds just over 2Mbps, down from 2.3Mbps in May.
Netflix Australia ISP Speed Index
To calculate these results, Netflix analyses the average bitrate for each ISP during three-hours of peak activity each day. Speed is counted across all available devices, though Netflix concedes that this excludes "a small number of plans, devices for which we cannot record accurate bitrates and streaming over identified mobile networks."


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Also: how startups are tracking you to build a cyber reputation; how living room PCs will take on video game consoles.
Google’s lost social network [BUZZ FEED]
The rise and fall of Jeremy Hammond: Enemy of the state [ROLLING STONE]
A vault for taking charge of your online life [THE NEW YORK TIMES]
They know what you’re shopping for [WALL STREET JOURNAL]
Don’t miss the latest tech news. Sign up now to get Today in Tech emailed every morning.


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In his attempt to “go shot for shot with world hunger,” rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has enlisted a big ally: Big Red, that is.
The company that makes the Texas-based legacy soda brand will take on a sales and distribution role and a minority partnership stake in the new Street King Energy Shot, which Jackson is releasing along with product innovation house Pure Growth Partners.
The shot’s makers say that each sale will provide a meal for a hungry child. Pure Growth Partners founder Chris Clarke said the company will donate the cost of a meal to the United Nations World Food Program for each shot sold.
Big Red CEO Gary Smith said he was excited by the prospect of the philanthropic aspects of the brand, as well as the marketing campaign that was backing Street King.
“It is exciting to bring a brand with this much purpose to retailers,” Smith said.
Pure Growth Partners initially hired Big Red as the production facility for Street King, but Smith told BevNET that after discussing the brand’s go-to-market plans with Pure Growth he became interested in having Big Red play a larger role.
According to Clarke, the brand will rely on Jackson’s strong social media presence as well as the social media fan base of several other celebrities, including boxer Floyd Mayweather and New Age luminary Deepak Chopra. In addition to a viral platform, the brand will also use billboards and other physical advertisements, Clarke said.
“You’ve got the viral videos, and you add 50 to the mix and it’s very interesting what’s going on,” Clarke said.
Its marketers describe Street King as being designed to provide energy from caffeine, gingko biloba and vitamins. It is expected to retail for between $2.49 and $2.99 and comes in two flavors: Orange Mango and Grape.
This is not the first time that Jackson has been involved with a beverage company. He famously made an estimated $100 million from a partnership with Vitaminwater-maker Glaceau, with whom he had a product-development and promotional deal in the brand’s early days.


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Apple reportedly caused display shortage that delayed RIM PlayBook 1 month
Taiwanese publication DigiTimes reported Thursday that RIM's 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook, which is set to launch on April 19 for $499, may have had trouble acquiring sufficient supply of touch display panels to manufacture the device because Apple consumes the lion's share of larger touch display production capacity.
Citing sources from touch screen panel makers, the report alleged that PlayBook shipments were postponed for roughly a month "due to a delay in software testing as well as shortage of touch panels because Apple already booked up most of the available capacity."
RIM's answer to the iPad had originally been scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2011. Instead, the PlayBook will ship more than one month after Apple shipped the second-generation of its successful tablet.
Late last year, one Wall Street analyst suggested that RIM was having trouble engineering the PlayBook to get more than "a few hours" of battery life. RIM quickly denied the claim, promising that the tablet would have "superior performance with comparable battery life."
The BlackBerry maker recently revealed that the PlayBook will support Android OS 2.3-compatible applications in addition to existing BlackBerry apps. A 4G version of the device is scheduled for release on the Sprint network this summer.
For its part, Apple is believed to have reserved a large portion of the world's available production capacity for touch screens with a $3.9 billion secret long-term investment. With over $50 billion in cash reserves, the iPad maker has been known to pre-pay for components in order to guarantee priority and favorable pricing.
According to a recent Bill of Materials estimate from iSuppli, manufacturing challenges have driven up the cost of the touchscreen on the iPad 2 to $127, $30 more than the original iPad.
Last week, rumors swirled that Apple had inked a deal with AU Optronics to supply LCD screens for the iPad 2, though AU executive vice president Paul Peng denied the rumors.


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SINGAPORE - Wooing start-ups to Singapore hinges on getting four crucial factors right, said labour chief Chan Chun Sing on Thursday (May 19).
SINGAPORE - Singapore fintech start-up 4xLabs has raised US$1.5 million (S$2.1 million) in its latest funding round.
For many, taking a drastic 70 per cent pay cut would be a financial nightmare, but Ms Candice Ong is "super glad" she did just that.
New Startup SG Founder scheme will provide mentorship support and S$30,000 in startup capital grants to first-time entrepreneurs. Some of the partners say it is a "long overdue replacement" for...
SINGAPORE - The private sector is chipping in to help technopreneurs and start-ups in areas of deep-tech such as artificial intelligence, cyber security and digital health.
SINGAPORE tech startups are pursuing regional expansion more aggressively than ever.


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16th Annual Donald Driver Football Camp to be Held in Houston Texas at Dyer Stadium
Fitness company supports foundation founded by Green Bay Packers all-time leading Receiver and Super Bowl champion
HOUSTON – June 23, 2016 – Frog Fitness today announces its sponsorship of the 2016 Donald Driver Foundation Football Camp in Houston on June 23 –24. The foundation, which was founded by former NFL pro, Donald Driver, has a core focus of serving underprivileged children and families by addressing health, wellness, safety, education and career development. The organization hosts an annual camp to teach players, ages seven to 17, the essentials and objectives of the game. Frog Fitness is assisting the foundation at this year’s Houston camp, providing food, water and teaching participants the rules of football.
Frog Fitness is dedicated to supporting organizations which display outstanding values, such as those of the Donald Driver Foundation. At this year’s camp, Driver is instructing campers on the rules of the game, along with passing, blocking, tackling, hand-offs and the everyday basic objectives. Through the sponsorship, Frog Fitness drives the Foundation’s mission to display “Strong Hands, Strong Minds, and Loving Hearts” and serve as a hand up, not a hand out.
“Supporting our local community is of utmost importance to us,” said Richard Pearce, founder of Frog Fitness. “In addition to providing food and water to all the campers, we created a ‘Frog Challenge’ that consists of various drills that teach coordination and technique. I believe wholeheartedly in the benefits of imparting values of teamwork at a young age. We are humbled to share in this goal and witness Donald’s generous nature and humanitarian spirit.”
After overcoming homelessness himself, Driver became an elite force on the field for the Green Bay Packers, winning multiple awards such as achieving a Super Bowl Championship, becoming a “Dancing with the Stars” champion, and being named a recipient of the prestigious AMVETS 2013 Humanitarian of the Year award. The Donald Driver Football Camp is an experience each participant will remember for a lifetime.
The camp takes place at Dyer Field on June 23-24, 2016 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. For additional information about the camp, please visit www.donalddriverfoundation.com/events/2016-donald-driver-foundation-houston-football-camp-2/
For additional information about Frog Fitness, please visit www.frogfitness.com.
Uproar PR for Frog Fitness
Frog Fitness Launches New Website, Bringing All-Inclusive Fitness and Health Platform to the Community
Fitness leader unveils new site with e-commerce platform and access to expert fitness and health advice
HOUSTON – June 15, 2016 – Frog Fitness, creators of The Frog total body training device, today announces the launch of its new website. The website features a new e-commerce platform, video gallery, events calendar and blogs with health and training tips from world-renowned fitness experts. Frog Fitness’ new site provides consumers with a seamless online shopping experience for purchasing Frog equipment, in addition to acting as an informational resource for the fitness community.
“We’ve focused on making strategic improvements to our company this year, from opening our headquarters to naming Clark Bartram as our president. Our new online presence is the next step in building our brand, while delivering a unique, high-quality product to fitness enthusiasts and athletes,” said Richard Pearce, founder of Frog Fitness. “Due to The Frog’s initial success and the influx of orders, our chief of information and technology, Jesse Perry, and his team worked around the clock to release the new and improved website. It gives consumers a closer look at our team, provides the community with tips for becoming healthier versions of themselves and makes purchasing Frog equipment easier than ever.”
“A brand new way to train is right here in our backyards,” said Richard Pearce, Founder of Frog Fitness. “Scientifically proven by Jacob Wilson, Ph.D., of the University of Tampa to be the single most effective total body training device ever invented, The Frog Fitness 60-second challenge works every single muscle group in just one minute. Athletes and fitness enthusiasts at any level now have the ability to experience fitness with a completely different approach.”
A leader in the fitness industry, Frog Fitness’ new website includes resources for both the dedicated Frog user and those looking to begin their fitness journeys. With the new e-commerce platform, consumers can log on and make purchases through an SSL secured environment. Additionally, the newly implemented PayPal credit system allows shoppers to purchase The Frog online with no money down. Once Frog equipment has been purchased, consumers have direct access to downloadable videos, including an assembly guide and tutorials for proper form. The gallery also includes testimonials and videos about The Frog’s involvement in various fitness and sports realms.
To give back to the fitness community, the company launches two new blogs which are featured on the website: The Frog Pond and Hoppin’ Happenings. The Frog Pond offers workout techniques and healthy lifestyle tips from top experts in the field. Hoppin’ Happenings gives readers a recap on recent fitness events. Frog Fitness also provides consumers an inside look into its team and whereabouts through its new “Meet the Team” feature, events calendar and option to download all recent press releases.
“We’re working to make our company a viable resource for all things fitness,” said Pearce. “Our hope is that the new website will help gym-goers, athletes and fitness professionals of all kinds learn more about the industry, while reaching their personal fitness and health goals.”
Frog Fitness will continue to make additions to the website, including an apparel section and add-on products, a virtual tour of the facility and big-name blog contributors. There are also plans to add an interactive feature for affiliates of Frog Fitness. To learn more about upcoming additions and see the new content, visit https://frogfitness.com/.
About Frog Fitness:
Frog Fitness is a company dedicated to creating truly unique breakthrough products that allow previously unimagined styles of training and enabling faster more effective total body training. The Frog offers both fitness beginners and professional athletes a revolutionary device that is scientifically proven to work every muscle group in the body simultaneously.
Uproar PR for Frog Fitness


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M&A Leisure deal flow bulletin - August 2019 edition
29 August 2019
Welcome to the latest edition of our bulletin – the BDO M&A Leisure team's overview of the latest M&A activity in the leisure space.
Restaurants and Bars
- August 2019, Sukhothai – BDO M&A advised the management team and shareholders of the seven-strong Thai restaurant group to facilitate a partial MBO. The group, which operates under Sukhothai and Zaap brands, opened its eighth site shortly after completion of the transaction. HSBC supported the MBO. View deal details here
- August 2019, Harry Ramsden’s – Boparan Restaurant Group divested their 34-strong fish and chip restaurant brand to Deep Blue Restaurants.
- August 2019, Giggling Squid – Propel reported that Giggling Squid, the BGF-backed Thai restaurant chain with 32 sites across the south of England had called off their search for new investment following a period of testing the market. Andy Laurillard, managing director, said: “We have a fantastic business that continues to perform well. While we had significant interest in Giggling Squid, the shareholders felt none of the offers received were strong enough. We will revisit our options in due course.”
- August 2019, Gather & Gather and Creative Events – CH&Co has agreed to acquire catering services providers from Mitie Group Plc, outsourced facilities management company for £79m.
- August 2019, Cabana Restaurants – MCA reported that Jamie Barber's Rio-inspired street food brand, has appointed administrators. Five of the 12 sites have been sold to another Jamie Barner group, Hush Mayfair. Five further restaurants remain after two sites were closed.
- August 2019, Taylor St Baristas – the London-based coffee shop chain has appointed administrators after selling eight of its sites to Black Sheep Coffee earlier in the month.
- July 2019, Busaba – Muzinich has taken its stake in Busaba, the Thai restaurant group, to above 75% following a restructuring of its debt. In May 2019, per the Company’s accounts: “The Company also undertook a refinancing exercise which put in place additional facilities of £1.4m to support the ongoing development of the business and some restructuring costs”. Muzinich had initially acquired a significant minority stake in October 2017 by swapping its debt for equity.
- June 2019, Pod – Azzurri Group has acquired Pod, the healthy eating concept, in pre-pack administration for £1.6m. 14 of Pod’s 22 restaurants will remain open while eight will close. There is an intention to convert a number of the sites into Azzurri’s “Coco di Mama” brand in the near future.
- June 2019, Tonkotsu – YFM has made a £5m investment for a minority stake in the ramen restaurant concept, Tonkotsu. The group, led by Stephen Evans, currently operates 10 sites, with two further openings due in 2019. Sarah Willingham, formerly of PizzaExpress and Bombay Bicycle Club, will chair the restaurant group.
Pubs and Brewers
- Whose round is next? M&A continues at pace in the Pub sector.
M&A continues at pace in the Pub sector with the latest transaction being CK Asset Holdings’ (“CKA”) acquisition of Greene King, the Bury St Edmunds-based pubco & brewer, known for its IPA & brands such as Old Speckled Hen & Abbot Ale. The transaction is the third deal of scale since Fuller’s Brewery was acquired by Asahi in January for £250m and TDR Capital backed Stonegate’s acquisition of Ei Group just last month for ~£3bn.
Please click here to read the full article
- August 2019, Greene King – CK Asset Holdings has made an offer for the entire share capital of Greene King, the 2,700 strong Bury St Edmunds-based pub operator and brewer, which is valued at c.£4.6bn. The offer values the share capital at £2.7bn (a 51% premium over the closing share price on the Friday prior to the announcement). The offer represents a 9.6x CY EBITDA multiple.
- August 2019, Wadworth – Aaron Brown and Mark Grunnell-led Red Oak Taverns acquired 18 leased and tenanted pubs from brewer and retailer, Wadworth, which operates over 200 pubs across South West of England and London.
- August 2019, Upham – the 15-strong premium pub operator has completed a sale and leaseback of 14 of its pubs with CBRE Global Investors.
- July 2019, Ei Group – TDR Capital-backed Stonegate Pub Company has agreed to acquire Ei Group for c.£3bn, representing a 11x CY EBITDA multiple. The deal, priced at a 38% premium to the closing share price one day prior to announcement, will see Ei Group CEO, Simon Townsend, stepping down post-completion.
- May 2019, Ian Allan Travel – BDO M&A advised business travel experts, Clarity Travel, on the acquisition of travel management specialist, Ian Allan Travel, which focuses on the corporate, education and charity sectors.
- August 2019, Thomas Cook – the UK-listed travel group has reached “substantial agreement” over key terms to recapitalise the Company. China-based Fosun Tourism Group and incumbent lenders are to inject £900m of new cash, as well as agreeing to debt for equity swaps. Thomas Cook’s share price has dropped over 90% in the last 12 months.
- August 2019, Vacations by Rail – Great Rail Journeys, the Duke Street-backed escorted worldwide rail holidays provider, has agreed to acquire Chicago-based Vacations by Rail. The acquisition will improve Great Rail Journey’s standing “as the world’s leading escorted rail company and is a key part of its plans to expand both internationally and into new product areas” per a statement from Great Rail Journeys.
- August 2019, On the Beach – the UK-based travel retailer has appointed Adam Hansen as Corporate Development Director, signalling appetite for European acquisitions. Adam Hansen previously held a position as a Director at Rothschild.
- August 2019, Malvern Group – the parent of Super Break and Laterooms.com, which is 49%-owned by Cox & Kings, has been placed into administration following news of Cox and Kings’ loan default in July, resulting in the withdrawal of additional funding for Malvern Group.
- May 2019, Away Resorts – PE House, Freshstream, agreed to acquire a majority stake in Away Resorts, operator of UK holiday parks, from LDC.
- August 2019, Social Entertainment Ventures – Bounce and Flight Club USA operator, Social Entertainment Ventures, has appointed Cameron Chartouni, CEO of private family investment office, Acropolis Capital, as a director.
- August 2019, Energie Fitness – Bridges Fund Management backed the MBO of Energie Fitness, the UK-based low-cost gym franchise business. Energie Fitness has over 100 sites across the UK & Ireland, and post-transaction plans to roll out a further 30-40 new gyms per annum.
- June 2019, Ten Health & Fitness – Boutique wellbeing and clinical fitness operator Ten Health & Fitness secured £4m in funding from Foresight. Foresight’s investment was made with a view to grow the London-based estate from eight to 16 sites over the next three years.
- June 2019, Merlin Entertainment – the owner of Legoland and Madame Tussauds has accepted a bid from the Danish family who own Lego (Kirkbi), private equity firm Blackstone, and CPPIB, the Canadian pension firm, representing an Enterprise Value of £5.9bn. The 12.0x HY EBITDA offer was a 14% premium over the closing share price one day prior to announcement.
- June 2019, Puttshack – The tech-enabled mini-golf social entertainment concept, Puttshack, has revealed accelerated roll-out plans following the completion of a £30m equity raise with lead investor Promethean Investments. Joe Vrankin, former Topgolf CEO, has been appointed as CEO to lead the expansion across the UK and North America. Former CEO of Vapiano UK, Roberto Moretti, has since joined Puttshack as COO, and Logan Powell, formerly of US family office Copper Beech Capital, as CFO.
Please contact one of the M&A Leisure team if you would like to discuss any of the topics raised in more detail.
To view our recent M&A Leisure sector credentials, client testimonials and team contacts download our M&A Leisure Credentials brochure. To view our complete Corporate Finance experience in the Leisure sector, explore our latest deals.
Our team works with a range of ambitious public, owner managed and private equity backed businesses across a wide range of leisure sub-sectors including pubs, restaurants and bars, travel and alternative leisure. Our specialists combine deep industry knowledge and technical experience to support businesses' growth journeys domestically and internationally, bringing together entrepreneurial passion and institutional rigour.
Our team of sector specialists is integrated across accounting, audit, tax, other advisory and Corporate Finance, which means we are able to help our clients in many complementary areas throughout the transactions.
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