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Giants, old and new has been saved
The field is set for a new, highly competitive game as firms from emerging markets with distinctive strengths take on longer-established corporations—which enjoy their own hard-won advantages.
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In the 1970s, American and European auto executives were shocked by the rapid appearance in their home markets of powerful Japanese competitors. In the following decade, new players from fast-growing Asian economies arrived on the global stage in several industries. And over the past 20 years, many “new global giants” have grown up in the fertile soils of emerging markets—firms such as Embraer, Tata, CEMEX, Grupo Bimbo, JBS, Bharti Airtel, Mahindra & Mahindra, Lenovo, and Haier. They have become serious, regular competitors to the Western multinationals that had long dominated their industries. This time around, the emergence of powerful new players should be no shock. In many industries, from beer brewing to automobiles to IT consulting, companies whose names were largely unfamiliar in the West just a decade ago are now firmly established in the top pack of global leaders. But it is not yet clear who will hold the advantage in the years ahead, as the newer players progressively increase their focus on winning in mature, developed-economy markets. As many Western businesses have experienced, expanding from one’s accustomed home markets to less familiar new ones is far from straightforward. Will the distinctive strengths of the new giants prove to be well-suited to the demands of the future? Or will the advantages of the longer-standing incumbents help them prevail?
The answer is likely to be “neither.” For we are seeing a trend: Market leaders from both the developed and emerging worlds are seeking to learn from each other to master a multi-dimensional game. They use certain moves as they venture into new territories, others as they compete with familiar rivals in their home markets, and still others as they defend those traditional markets against invasions by new entrants. To resort to a sports analogy, it’s as though some managers have been boxing and others wrestling, but now all are finding themselves in a mixed martial arts match. The best of them are learning fast. The least agile may go home losers.
The first generation of large, powerful industry leaders essentially emerged from developed economies. In the closing decades of the 20th century, these same players were also the early beneficiaries of the steady growth in globalization, having cut their teeth in demanding and sophisticated markets. Companies like Yum!, Colgate, and Unilever led the charge, pushing vigorously into emerging markets that provided them with substantial new growth opportunities—and that today account for the majority of their sales.1 Coming from similar business environments, these players had broadly comparable strategies, management methods, and theories of competition. And for a while, it appeared that the developed economies had perhaps discovered the ultimate formula for global business success. Indeed, as growth in emerging markets created opportunities for ambitious local competitors, many of these new players succeeded in part by becoming avid students of Western and Japanese management practices, often proving to be fast learners. However, these learners were also creating their own tricks, developing new and different capabilities as they served their own challenging markets. Over time, many have used these skills to become serious rivals to more established firms in markets all over the world. Take, for example, a classic strength of emerging-market giants: their ability to bring straightforward, no-frills solutions to customers who cannot afford or do not value premium offerings. Many have learned the art of “frugal innovation.”2 For example, JBS, originally based in Brazil, is the world’s biggest processor and exporter of beef, pork, poultry, and lamb.3 Its chief executive credits the company’s rigorous pursuit of efficiency for its success: JBS has developed techniques that allow it to take more “prime” meat off of the bone and leave fewer scraps (which sell for roughly one-tenth the price).4 The company has used this efficiency to gain a global advantage over better-capitalized peers based in advanced economies. According to Rajeev Batra, a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, we can expect to see more of the JBS-style formula from other emerging giants in the future.5 Emerging-market multinationals often have a better understanding of customers in the fastest-growing parts of the world.6 Haier’s electronic appliances, including refrigerators with rodent-proof wiring and clothes washers that can also clean potatoes, have been a hit with rural and middle-class consumers in China.7 The company, China’s number-one brand for the 12th year running,8 is now driving its unique approach into developed markets. One of its breakout products in the United States has been a low-end wine cellar (essentially a small refrigerator with special racking and humidity control). By addressing an underserved market segment previously not prioritized by domestic companies, this product has captured a 60 percent market share in the United States.9 Emerging-economy giants often view the relationships between government and private enterprise as symbiotic and constructive—a consequence of the typically close links between the two sectors. Histories of partnering with governments, donors, and civil society allow emerging-market companies to envision new opportunities to pursue business and social objectives—for example, by serving underdeveloped markets. As Grupo Bimbo grew in Mexico, the company needed a credit system for smaller, less creditworthy customers shunned by other companies. It turned to Fincomun, a community bank that provides micro-lending within local communities. Bimbo placed Fincomun loan officers on Bimbo delivery trucks to set up credit arrangements for store owners. As a result, Bimbo sold more baked goods, Fincomun processed more loans, and small businesses were able to grow.10 Finally, emerging-market giants are resourceful in tough business environments—a point emphasized by Mauro Guillén, director of the Joseph H. Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. In a recent interview, he noted that the new giants are accustomed to dealing with inconsistent regulations, unpredictable supplies of raw goods, infrastructure gaps, different standards and definitions of corruption, and substantial political and economic instability.13 There are balancing factors, obviously—for example, they often have less experience in dealing with tight environmental and labor regulatory regimes—but overall, the newer players often have “thicker skins” owing to the unique uncertainty and change with which they have been forced to contend. Family-owned business might have an additional advantage: greater flexibility to deal with these challenges, as they are sometimes more able to make fast decisions, take risks, and accept longer-term returns. The skills and capabilities forged in challenging home environments often translate into powerful advantages elsewhere. CEMEX provides one well-known example. Given the notoriously unpredictable traffic of Mexico City, wet cement too often solidified in delivery vehicles before reaching construction sites. So CEMEX developed one of the first GPS-enabled real-time truck routing systems.14 The innovation worked at home and in other traffic-choked capitals across the developing world—which helped fuel CEMEX’s global growth for more than a decade.15 Bharti Airtel, the Indian telecom giant, followed a similar pattern. After notable success in India, Bharti extended its operations into dozens of other emerging markets, mostly in Africa. Its innovative business model has allowed it to offer inexpensive but high-quality wireless service to less affluent consumers.16
In Deloitte’s globalization survey, 43 percent of emerging-market executives surveyed indicated that their firms partner extensively with nonprofits and local organizations when operating in developed markets, versus 33 percent of developed-market executives.11 And emerging-market executives are far more likely than developed-market executives to identify social and political issues (for example, environmental impacts, worker rights, or local community improvement) as critical factors in company decisions.12
The new giants seem mature and prepared. They have built obvious and distinct strengths in their home markets. Many are already deploying these in other emerging markets—potentially a profound advantage given the growth in South-South trade, which between 1980 and 2011 increased from approximately 8 percent of total global trade to over 26 percent while North-North trade declined from 46 percent to less than 30 percent.17 And today, some of these players are already competing effectively in developed markets too, with many more starting to make inroads.
The global mix of true industry leaders is far richer and more diverse than it was even a decade ago. Today, India’s three major IT consulting firms (TCS, Infosys, and Wipro)18 are among the largest in the world. The Tata Group is the United Kingdom’s largest industrial employer; Mexico’s Bimbo is the largest baker in the United States; and Lenovo has become the world’s largest PC maker.19 Brazil’s Embraer is the world’s third-largest aircraft manufacturer, drawing the majority of its revenue in 2012 from the United States and Europe.20 The list of the world’s largest and most influential companies is geographically distributed. The number of North American companies in the Fortune Global 500 fell from 215 in 2001 to 141 in 2013. The number of companies on the list based in Asia (excluding Japan) increased from 30 to 109 over the same period. And great businesses in other parts of the world, especially Latin America, are also on the rise.21 This shift is not over yet. Deloitte’s 2013 globalization survey suggests that it could continue apace: Two-thirds of executives expect competition from emerging giants to become more intense in both developed and emerging markets (figure 1).22
For the first time, global competition features organizations from a range of remarkably different backgrounds, traditions, and geographies. Given the shift in the location of economic power, some argue that the advantage has now switched firmly in favor of the new giants. Certainly, the distinctive strengths they have built are impressive. But the new story of global competition is very unlikely to be a one-sided onslaught from the emerging-market leaders. Established players from advanced economies have decades of experience operating in broadly competitive markets, with a focus on delivering value to shareholders—consistently, and sometimes against the odds. Comfortable with the sophisticated needs of customers in advanced economies, they have demonstrated outstanding capacity to manage their brands successfully.23 In the Interbrand 2013 list of leading global brands, only one of the top 100—Mexico’s Corona—came from outside the developed economies.24 Developed-market companies also benefit from deep reservoirs of intellectual property and enjoy privileged access to most of the world’s leading educational institutions. Partly as a result, they have created most of the “high end” innovations that secure premium prices from the wealthiest of the global middle class. Advanced-economy companies benefit from a long history that has allowed them to build strong organizational, management, and leadership capabilities. Many have also moved faster than their new rivals to reduce hierarchical and sometimes rigid structures that can hinder agility. They have invested heavily in multicultural, globally experienced, and cosmopolitan leadership—and place high value on diverse perspectives and viewpoints across their talent systems. And they typically have deeper experience in penetrating new markets, working with multiple cultures, and adapting to different regulations. In short, they are seasoned campaigners, used to overcoming serious challenges, with a history of evolving as they find themselves in new circumstances.
So are the new giants outgunned? Are the most ambitious of them overshooting by attempting to grow share in their local markets, take advantage of their relative strengths in other emerging markets, and aggressively penetrate the developed world too? Not necessarily. They might have to be smart about their sequencing and priorities: Learning and competing globally simultaneously is hard. But the game today is wide open. For companies of all kinds and origins, the years ahead hold substantial opportunity and challenge. For giants both new and old, learning will be at a premium—learning about new customers, competitors, regulatory regimes, business models, management styles, and more. In fact, the winners are likely to be the fastest learners, including those who can identify and replicate the most critical capabilities of their rivals. One obvious source of learning is through collaborations, joint ventures, and partnerships. In Deloitte’s recent globalization survey, 59 percent of emerging-market executives surveyed said they often form joint ventures with local companies when operating in developed markets.25 They are not alone: Western corporations have also been nimble on this front. For example, General Motors has partnered with SAIC, China’s largest auto manufacturer, not only in China but also in other emerging markets with strong potential for growth.26 The value of such across-the-globe collaborations can extend beyond simple access to local knowledge and best practices. Smart collaborations can also create new insights and capability. For example, in 2012, the United States’ Boeing and Brazil’s Embraer forged a technology-led alliance to enhance the safety and efficiency of military aircraft. This working relationship is likely to help both parties as they look for new opportunities. Embraer is seeking to secure further US defense contracts, while Boeing hopes to increase its presence in South American markets.27 Global players from everywhere will also build essential new capabilities directly by watching and learning from their foreign competitors. Many new giants have realized that their traditional management approaches might be limiting their flexibility and speed—and addressed the challenge head-on. Haier, for example, reduced its focus on traditional hierarchy and levels of command, and redirected its orientation towards fast, effective project delivery—a move that was probably key in enabling its global expansion.28 And this isn’t a one-way process: Many of the best Western firms have also made intelligent moves based on their awareness of the growing strengths of new competitors. GE has built its own deep capabilities in innovating for less affluent customers.29 Unilever was quick to learn the critical importance of addressing social impact issues in emerging markets, and has become widely admired as a world leader in this regard.30 These companies are all faster, smarter, and more effective today than they were 10 years ago. But the requirement for continued learning, greater range, and new skills will persist and intensify. As markets become global, companies’ standards of ethics and transparency must become higher and more universally applied. Some companies have decided to move their headquarters from their traditional home base. Others, wherever they are headquartered, are already benefiting from more balanced management and leadership systems composed of both home-country and in-market talent.31 Many leaders will have to challenge their habits of mind and learn to question their assumptions. Faced with such varied competition, they might have to rethink their risk appetites, realizing that aggressive entrants focused more on opportunity and less on protecting existing share often have a different risk calculus. Crucially, many companies might also have to learn how to engage more constructively with regulators, governments, and civil society. As Professor Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at the Harvard Business School and director of the Harvard University South Asia Institute, observed in a recent interview, there is a growing symbiosis or “détente” between the public and the private sectors that is likely to be increasingly important.32 However, regulatory requirements, consumer product and service standards, and political expectations can be extremely challenging in unfamiliar markets. More broadly, business might also be expected to contribute on topics that have often been regarded as the primary purview of governments—either through “direct” contributions to job creation, education, and health or “indirect” contributions to broader issues, such as addressing income distribution or immigration reform. There is an additional complication: The new era of competition might also be leading governments to construct policies that advantage native players. In recent years, there has been a clear rise in “back door” protectionism— or preferentialism—using novel mechanisms seemingly outside WTO norms and regulations.33 Possibly, learning to anticipate, influence, and adapt to regulatory change will become one of the most critical competences of all.
Most emerging-market players are in the relatively early stages of learning to operate in cultures beyond their home markets. For many, success is very far from guaranteed, especially as they enter the developed markets. But their unique strengths are matched by a willingness to try many different paths to global success34 and a confident mindset. Deloitte’s 2013 globalization survey confirms the mood: The surveyed emerging-market executives were more confident than their developed-market counterparts about future success (figure 2).35 Whether this confidence is fully justified remains to be seen. But there are well-established precedents. For example, when Tata Motor Group acquired Jaguar Land Rover, these two iconic brands had been previously owned by premier Western companies and managed by well-proven leadership systems and approaches. Yet within Tata, they have flourished with remarkable speed, not only as a premium brand in emerging markets, but also back in Europe and the United States.36 In the coming years, we will no doubt see similar successes—and also examples of failure. This will be true for both new and established global players. All will likely require a new approach to competing globally, one that draws from a fuller repertoire of homegrown and learned capabilities. This “best of both” orientation will reach beyond the traditional model of adopting “best practices”; it will generate new insights and a whole suite of “next practices,” too. And who knows where that might lead? Perhaps, a few years from now, we might see a new trend in management science: the emergent field of hybrid studies, defining how best to “mash up” and repurpose winning bits and pieces of insight and technique drawn from both near and far.
By Ruzbeh Irani, chief group communications and ethics officer and member of the group executive board, Mahindra Group
The birth of the Mahindra Group predates India’s independence. Founded in 1945 as a steel trading company, we entered the automotive space in 1947 by bringing the iconic Willys Jeep onto Indian roads. Over the years, we have diversified into many new businesses in order to better meet the needs of our customers. Our driving force—the thread that unites our diversified group—is our core purpose to challenge conventional thinking and innovatively use all our resources to drive positive change in the lives of our stakeholders and communities across the world: to enable them to rise. “Rise” is also Mahindra’s brand promise, connecting us to a remarkably diverse set of global stakeholders who share the desire to seize and shape their future.
Our emerging-market roots have equipped us with many valuable capabilities. Having lived through the “license-raj” in India, a period when growth was limited by quotas and price was often controlled, Mahindra has mastered the art of frugal engineering. The ability to design and manufacture a distinctive range of mobility solutions packed with accessible technology while keeping costs to a minimum continues to energize our global expansion.
The rugged DNA of Mahindra vehicles makes them suitable for and attractive to many markets, especially those where affordable durability is considered essential. As an end-to-end mobility player, we have the potential scale to become a major competitor in international markets. Mahindra has also developed significant capabilities in the electric vehicle space, which we will bring to markets across the world.
Three lessons seem particularly important to Mahindra’s past and future success.
First, market-appropriate product portfolios are a precondition of success. Exporting products developed primarily for India is a legitimate starting point, but will not guarantee success beyond India-like markets.
Second, market success typically comes with onshore presence. This is required not only to drive and grow the business, but also to gain an in-depth understanding of consumers and to stay abreast of regulatory changes. While there is a role for expats in such operations, the need to build a strong, locally recruited management team, as is the case with Mahindra USA and Mahindra South Africa, cannot be underestimated.
Last, entrenched powerhouses—who benefit from their global platforms, scale, presence, and advanced product development capabilities—have made large investments in manufacturing and branding. Newer global players like Mahindra must find creative ways to compete.
Looking to the future, Mahindra believes that competition will remain fierce as companies from emerging markets try to capture increased market share, particularly in relative white spaces like Africa. Given the importance of scale in our industry, we expect that strategies involving collaboration and acquisition (for example, between Renault and Nissan, Geely and Volvo, Tata and Jaguar Land Rover, and Mahindra and Ssangyong) will remain critical and continue to shift competitive dynamics.
Many firms from the emerging world have arrived on the global stage at an impressive speed and scale. Most bring with them significant strengths that have served them well in their home markets, and that in many cases also position them for expansion into growing markets elsewhere. Some are already experiencing success in developed markets, too—but, to date, the new giants have a more limited track record in this arena. Meanwhile, more established global corporations have important, hard-won, and long-standing advantages of their own—and they have not been slow to acquire new capabilities as well. The field is set for a new, highly competitive game between giants with different legacies and advantages.
The outcome ahead is unclear. It’s impossible to say which firms will prevail. But one result of this new competitive reality is quite predictable: The winners will be increasingly impressive and effective companies. They will learn fast and create new capabilities, often by spotting and themselves creating the advantages held by those from different geographies. They will be networkers, collaborators, and partners, aligned with societies’ needs and governments’ goals. They will be diverse in their management ranks and quick to question their managerial habits of mind. They will, in short, be those who truly step up to the new reality of being global giants.


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Copper River Grill opens in Greer
City administrators touted the new Copper River Grill on Wade Hampton Avenue as a welcome addition to the city's business community while the owners - including the founder of Fatz Cafe known throughout the Upstate - said last week's grand opening was "on pace" to be the fledgling restaurant chain's biggest yet.
At least 1000 people dined at the mainstream American restaurant, with a broad menu featuring steaks, seafood, chicken and pasta. The interior's exposed beams, river rocks, a wide open show kitchen and central fire pit are reminiscent of an Alaskan lodge where co-owner Jimmy Rogers first envisioned the restaurant while visiting the state's Copper River Delta, said business partner Dan Angell.
"Jimmy took a trip up there one day and had an idea for a restaurant that was fresh, bold and American and named it after the region," said Dan, former chief executive officer of the company that owns California Dreaming.
Fatz founder Rogers sold his interest in that restaurant about 7 years ago. The third co-owner and "food guy" in the group is John Angell, former owner of several independent restaurants.
"Jimmy ate in one of John's restaurants in Garden City at Myrtle Beach and liked it and the way it was operated and they ended up partners," Dan said.
The Greer location is the fifth Copper River Grill since summer 2005 when the first restaurant opened in Seneca. Since then two others - Easley and Boiling Springs - have opened in the Upstate and another in Columbia.
Menu selection as well as the wide range of prices is appealing to a varied group of customers, Dan said. With meals priced as low as $13 to the highest priced menu item a $23.95 9-ounce filet mignon. Favorites include the Copper River Grill burger, topped with bacon, jack cheese, barbecue sauce and signature copper river onions, thinly sliced, floured and flash fried.
The undisputed favorite dessert is a $8.95 family-sized white chocolate banana pudding that serves a minimum four people. "We serve 25-30 of those a day in each location," Dan said.
The new restaurant offers more diversity in swiftly growing Greer, said Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer John Kimbrell. He was among attendees at Copper River's pre-grand-opening VIP party along with former Clemson football great Coach Danny Ford, Mayor Rick Danner and a handful of other city employees and local celebrities. An estimated 2000 people attended the four-hour drop-in Feb. 15.
"We like to see new diverse businesses and this is another option for citizens," Kimbrell said. "We see a lot of commercial growth and this success we're experiencing in the community is a result of what we have to offer."
Copper River Grill owners said they're jubilant about their ongoing success and the warm reception in Greer.
"We've been called crazy once or twice but we prefer to be called passionate about food and service," Dan smiled.

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Studies have shown that the problems of fake drug proliferation in Nigeria have affected the credibility of the Healthcare system and can exert very harmful effects on the consumer resulting to illness; disability and even death and anyone can be a victim. Some of the incidences have resulted in death even among children because most times the consumers do not know the quality of what they are buying or taking.
Genuine Beecham Ampiclox capsules suspension or drops is produced by GlaxoSmithKline, a British multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Brentford, England but with subsidiaries all over the world. The drug is indicated for the prophylaxis or treatment of bacterial infections. It is also appropriate for the treatment of respiratory tract infections: Bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema, lung abscess and infections associated with cystic fibrosis. Ear, nose and throat infections: Tonsillitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, otitis media and quinsy. Pelvic infections: Septic abortion, salpingitis, puerperpal pyrexia and caesarian section prophylaxis. Urinary tract infections: Cystitis and pyelonephritis. Skin and soft tissue infections: Abscesses, boils, carbuncles and post-operative wound infections. Gastro- intestinal infections, Septicaemia, endocarditis and orthopaedic infection.
However, fraudsters and criminals have denied many the benefits of this drug by producing counterfeit versions which can contain the wrong amount of active ingredient (too little, too much, or none at all). Some fake medicines have been found to contain mercury, arsenic, rat poison or cement according to Interpol.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says 42% of all fake medicines reported to them between 2013 and 2017 were from Africa. But there’ve been several seizures in recent years, which give an indication of the size of the problem in West Africa:
- Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone seized 19 tonnes of counterfeit medicines in 2018
- Smugglers in Ivory Coast were intercepted trying to bring in 12 tonnes of counterfeit pharmaceuticals from Ghana in 2019
- An Interpol-led operation in seven West African countries seized more than 420 tonnes of illicit pharmaceutical products in 2017
- Nearly 19.88 tonnes of fake medicines were seized in Mali between 2015-18
The accounting firm PwC says the proportion of fake pharmaceuticals in some countries can be as high as 70%, in developing regions such as Africa. The WHO estimates one out of every 10 medical products in low- and middle-income countries, which includes most of Africa, is sub-standard or fake.
The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) previously arrested five persons in connection with forgery and manufacturing of substandard and counterfeit drugs in Nigeria. The packaging materials for fake Ampiclox, Augmentin, Fake Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) code labels and GSK Hologram were recovered from the suspects.
How To Spot Fake Beecham Ampiclox (GSK)
The Mobile Authentication Service an SMS-based Mobile telephony technology is currently being used by the consumers right on the spot of purchase to detect the genuineness of pharmaceuticals products in Nigeria. To verify the authenticity of an Ampiclox Beecham, the consumer simply sends an SMS to 38353 to confirm the genuineness of the drug.
Every MAS enabled drug like Ampiclox Beecham comes with a unique 10-digit number covered by a panel. All the consumer needs to do is to scratch off the panel to reveal the 10-digit number. Then the consumer should text the 10-digit number to 38353 and in a few seconds they will receive an SMS on their mobile phone informing them whether the drug is original or fake. ALSO READ: How to Spot Fake Augmentin
This service pioneered by NAFDAC, is provided in partnership with GSM operators and pharmaceutical companies. It offers an anti-counterfeiting solution for drugs to protect consumers from the menace of fake and adulterated drugs. The technology for the anti-counterfeiting solution is provided by Sproxil a company focused on brand protection for emerging markets. READ: Can Ampiclox Prevent pregnancy?


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Netflix is the reigning leader of the streaming television world, and when it comes to creating buzzy programs Sarandos doesn’t believe he has much competition among other online players like Amazon. “It doesn’t appear they’re gaining much traction against all that spending,” he told investors Monday at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference in New York. “Maybe it sells Prime memberships or other things I’m not privy to, but right now it just looks like they’re spending a lot of money.”
Netflix, which has nearly 87 million subscribers worldwide, is spending a lot of money, too. The streamer has said it would spend $6 billion on programming next year. According to Sarandos, that means more than 1,000 hours of original programming, including upping its production of unscripted fare to 20 shows.
Sarandos sounds especially high on a new series called Ultimate Beastmaster, an international competition series that when it premieres next year will be released with local versions in six countries. “It’s a new model for us,” he said, later noting that he wants to elevate the competition format “by bringing the global scale and global production to it.”
Inevitably, the conversation turned to Netflix’s interest in live sports programming. But Sarandos reiterated that Netflix is unlikely to bid for live sports rights. “At the risk of being repetitive, to the extent that the live-ness is the selling point, we’re really not a great solution,” he said. But he wouldn’t go so far as to rule out spots programming entirely, teasing that “league creation might be interesting” in addition to noting that the concept of near-live could change the landscape of sports coverage in the future.
Netflix, which is frequently the subject of acquisition speculation, saw its stock shoot up in October after talk of a tie-up with Disney, although a deal seemed unlikely. When asked about whether Netflix would thrive inside a larger company, Sarandos avoided speaking directly about whether the company would sell. Instead, he noted that Netflix is focused on one product, its streaming video service, and thus avoids the conflicts that can occur inside larger conglomerates, including many media companies that both buy and sell content. Those conflicts, he said, “would make it difficult to stay as disciplined as we have.”
During the wide-ranging interview, Sarandos also spoke about Netflix’s recent Gilmore Girls revival (“In Germany, Gilmore Girls was hugely popular”); the move to allow offline viewing (“We developed it for our entry into markets with slower broadband”); and whether Netflix will move more aggressively into the merchandise business (“We don’t look at it as a revenue source as much as a marketing driver”).
Netflix shares, which closed Friday at $120.81, are currently down nearly 2 percent during midday trading.
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I was watching football sitting near my husband while he watched a football game on Sunday, and he alerted me to something awersome: Burly football men, on TV, wearing pink for Breast Cancer awareness!
Here’s a statement from the NFL:
Throughout October, NFL games will feature players, coaches and referees wearing pink game apparel to raise awareness for the campaign, as well as on-field pink ribbon stencils and special K-balls and pink coins. All apparel worn at games by players and coaches and special K-balls and pink coins will auctioned off at NFL Auction (www.NFLAuction.NFL.com), with proceeds benefitting the American Cancer Society and team charities.
This is an issue that has directly touched the lives of so many in the NFL family, and we are committed to helping make a difference in breast-cancer prevention.
Hooray to the NFL!!!!


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Cornwall’s biggest beer festival will soon return, showcasing over one hundred beers from some of the best brewers in the business, from the south west and beyond.
St Austell Brewery will be welcoming beer lovers back to its ancient Victorian cellars for the much-loved festival on Saturday November 25 (11am-11pm).
All profits from the event and ticket sales will be donated to St Austell Brewery’s Charitable Trust which supports charities and good causes in communities throughout the south west.
From cask ales and stouts to craft beers, there will be a variety of beers on offer, kindly donated by top brewers including Wiper & True, Harbour Brewing, Adnams, Mondo and Hook Norton. There will also be food and musical entertainment throughout the day.
The Fisherman’s Friends, who have partnered with St Austell Brewery for over a decade, will be performing, as well as other local bands including Morpheus, Guilty Pleasures, 3 Minute Warning, DM Street, Black Friday and The Stowes.
Brewing director, Georgina Young, said: “We’re delighted to be announcing the return of our Celtic Beer Festival, for the first time since the pandemic. It’s always been a popular event, so we hope people will be as excited as we are that it’s returning this year with over 100 beers from a host of fantastic breweries on offer.
“We can’t wait to welcome everybody back again, to celebrate good beer, good music, and good times together.”
Tickets are £30 on the door at St Austell Brewery, 63 Trevarthian Road, and include two pint tokens. Doors open from 11am.


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Vasta thanks community for overwhelming response to flood care packages
Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, today extended his sincere thanks to all members of the local community who so generously donated goods for inclusion in special Flood Care Packages.
Mr Vasta said his office had been overwhelmed by the community’s generosity in responding to the call for donations of hygiene products and other sanitary goods that are so often forgotten in care packages for those in hardest hit areas.
“While the majority of residents in Bonner were not directly affected by the floods, the local community’s heartfelt response to those that were has been truly inspiring and I take this opportunity to sincerely thank and commend local residents for their donations,” said Mr Vasta.
“Thousands of much needed hygiene and basic sanitary products have been received by my office and these have been divided into over one hundred care packages which will this week be donated to assist flood victims who have lost everything,” he said.
Mr Vasta said the community spirit that has emerged in the face of this disaster is a true testament to the generosity and kindness of local residents.
“These care packages, which contain practical but much needed products, will make a real difference to those in need and without such overwhelming support from the Bonner community, we would not have been able to make such a meaningful contribution to the flood relief appeal,” said Mr Vasta.
“Once again I would like to sincerely thank all those who have donated so eagerly and with such generosity to these care packages. I encourage residents to keep up the great work and continue donating in any way that they can to the flood relief effort,” he said.
The Bonner electorate office will this week continue to collect donated goods for more flood care packages. Items being called for include such things as deodorant, razors, shampoo and conditioner and other basic hygiene products.


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Chinese handset manufacturer Xiaomi set foot in the Indian market in 2014. Over the years, it has established a stronghold in the Indian smartphone industry. As per recent industry estimates, Xiaomi led the smartphone segment with a 29 per cent market share during the first quarter of 2019, followed by Samsung with a 23 per cent share. According to IDC, Xiaomi was the fastest growing smartphone brand in 2018. In fact, India accounts for more than a third of Xiaomi’s smartphone sales globally.
Xiaomi’s success in India can be largely attributed to the company’s astute pricing, marketing and distribution strategies, which have been fine-tuned time and again to align with Indian demands. Of course, all these strategies have been backed by substantial investments. According to regulatory filings, in 2019, Xiaomi has already invested Rs 35 billion in its India business, one of the largest investments made by the company since it began its Indian journey. These funds are expected to be used in expanding the company’s offline presence, enhancing its manufacturing capabilities as well as developing newer business avenues in the country.
A look at Xiaomi’s growth strategies in India…
Focus on offline retail
During its initial years, Xiaomi followed an online-only retail strategy, but it soon realised the importance of the offline mode of distribution in a market like India and forayed into the offline retail segment in 2017. It has acquired over 50 per cent share in the online retail segment, and is now betting big on offline retail to bolster its growth in the smartphone and smart TV segments. At present, the company operates around 1,500 Mi stores across 14 states, including Tier 3 cities and rural areas. In fact, rural has now emerged as one of the key target markets for Xiaomi. It plans to open over 5,000 small-format exclusive Mi stores across India by the end of 2019. The move is likely to increase the share of offline sales in the company’s retail mix from 35-40 per cent in the third quarter of 2018 to close to 50 per cent by the end of 2019.
In addition, Xiaomi’s offline retail portfolio includes Mi Preferred Partners, Mi Studio and Mi Home stores. At present, the company has over 5,000 Mi Preferred Partners, which are multi-brand stores focused on Xiaomi products. It also operates over 75 Mi Home stores across the top 10 cities and plans to take this number to 100 by the end of 2019. At the Mi Home stores, Xiaomi sells products like power banks, fitness bands, accessories, smart TV sets and audio products. Xiaomi is also planning to explore the white goods space so as to expand its product portfolio by the end of 2019. In this space, the company will focus on air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, laptops and small appliances such as vacuum cleaners and water purifiers. All these products will be smart devices and significantly contribute to the company’s overall growth in the country.
The Mi Studio store is a new concept although its features are similar to those of the Mi Home store. These stores are slightly smaller in size and so are easy to manage and operate. At present, Xiaomi is operating two Mi Studios at Bengaluru and Mumbai. Depending on the success of these, the company might add several hundreds Mi Studios across the country.
Enhancing manufacturing capability
Xiaomi has also been investing heavily in enhancing its manufacturing capabilities in India. Recently, in March 2019, Xiaomi launched a new manufacturing plant in Tamil Nadu. This is the company’s seventh smartphone manufacturing plant in India. The other six smartphone manufacturing facilities are spread across four campuses and have been set up in partnership with contract manufacturers such as Foxconn, Flex and Hipad.
With this new plant, the company will now have a combined production capacity of up to three smartphones per second during operating hours. Currently, the company is focusing on meeting the domestic demand through these manufacturing facilities, but expects to soon start exporting to markets globally.
Exploring new business avenues
While Xiaomi still holds the leadership position in the Indian smartphone market, the volume of annual shipments has started dwindling. As per Counterpoint Research, Xiaomi had a market share of 29 per cent in the first quarter of 2019, as against 31 per cent in the same period in 2018. The company’s shipment also declined by 2 per cent during the quarter for the first time since it started operations in India.
In this scenario, just focusing on devices and hardware would bring little growth to the company. Industry analysts predict that Xiaomi can only derive single-digit growth from these segments. As a result, Xiaomi now plans to foray into newer business streams like internet services, financial services and gaming in India. In fact, a significant proportion of its recent Rs 35 billion fund infusion has been earmarked for the digital content and services business.
Xiaomi plans to monetise the streaming content from Mi Video, Mi Music and Mi Drop as part of its digital content and services business. Mi Drop, a file transfer tool, has so far received around 100 million downloads. The company has also launched the Mi Pay platform in partnership with ICICI Bank and PayU, and has recently received the National Payments Corporation of India’s approval for large group usage of this platform. Xiaomi has already conducted trials and testing of Mi Pay, and has now invited beta testers for its payment service. Initially, Mi Pay would be integrated with contacts, SMSs, scanner apps as well as the app Vault in MIUI (the company’s Android interface). With the help of Mi Pay, consumers will be able to make payments using the unified payments interface, debit cards, credit cards and internet banking. In addition, Mi Pay will allow utility payments for services such as phone recharge, water bills and electricity bills with just one tap. Meanwhile, Xiaomi is planning to commercialise Mi Credit, which is a marketplace that provides consumers access to instant loan from partners like KreditBee and ZestMoney.
Xiaomi is also planning to enter the consumer finance and business-to-business lending business in India. To this end, the company has floated a non-banking financial company (NBFC), Xiaomi Financial Services India. The NBFC was incorporated as a subsidiary of Xiaomi Finance HK Limited and Xiaomi Singapore Fintech on October 10, 2018. It focuses on providing loans to consumers for purchasing electronics and home appliances and gives credit to firms for the purchase and acquisition of goods, merchandise and assets. Xiaomi Financial Services India will be providing these services through online platforms.
With a fine-tuned retail strategy and a focus on new business areas, the future seems bright for Xiaomi in India. On the smartphone retail side, Xiaomi plans to expand its presence both geographically as well as in terms of its service offerings. The company wants to focus more on catering to the rural market.
Its new businesses such as content, digital service and fintech will get a much-needed fillip from the surge in data uptake. The mainstreaming of internet of things will also help increase revenues from Xiaomi’s Mi Homes stores as the adoption of connected smart devices is expected to increase in the future. s


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Following in the gin-drenched footsteps of Sun Liquor’s Michael Kleeback, Kirby Kallas-Lewis plans to open a Capitol Hill tasting room for his distillery—Oola—within 60 days. And he hopes to have a vodka and a gin listed in Washington State liquor stores by Christmas (provided there are still WS liquor stores in which to list them).
Yes, all you people who care about such things, he makes his own mash. And not just for the aged spirits. "Even with vodka, there’s a lot that happens in fermentation that affects the product," says Kallas-Lewis. Amen to that, Kirby.
Future plans include a pisco-style brandy made with wine from Eastern Washington (Kallas-Lewis has a yet-to-open boutique hotel in Waitsburg, Washington). The wine he’ll use in the brandy was originally slated for bottling but got repurposed as bulk thanks to the sad economy. Sad economy=good wine for pisco. He also plans to roll out an Irish-style whiskey.
Kallas-Lewis learned the distilling dark arts at the Dry Fly apprentice program in Spokane, and at workshops around the country.
I will update you on the exact address of the tasting room as soon as I get the go-ahead.


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The British-built Vauxhall Vivaro is proving to be a huge success with the van-maker announcing it has built one million models.
In addition, 52% of Vauxhall’s output is for export to help make it a van-making success story.
The one millionth model has been handed over to BT Fleet which is the biggest customer for the Vauxhall Vivaro.
So far this year, customers have snapped up 24,500 Vivaro vans and Vauxhall has shifted nearly a quarter of a million of them since its launch.
The Vauxhall Vivaro is successful
Vauxhall’s managing director, Rory Harvey, said: “Our workforce produces vehicles of exceptional quality so it’s no surprise that the Vauxhall Vivaro is successful and we are proud to celebrate this milestone.”
BT has bought more than 13,000 Vivaros over the last 11 years.
BT Fleet’s manager, Mike Langford, said: “The Vivaro has evolved to meet our workforce’s changing needs and I believe these vans are the best yet.”
With around 30,000 commercial vehicles in the BT Fleet, Mr Langford said that they work closely with vehicle manufacturers as well as their workforce to find the right product that meets their needs.
The new Vauxhall Vivaro secured 1,500 jobs
Launched in 2014, the new Vauxhall Vivaro secured 1,500 jobs at what is the UK’s last remaining manufacturing plant for vans.
However, the van’s success also boosts other UK manufacturers since 40% of the van’s content comes from local suppliers who have benefited from around £600 million of business.
Since Ford closed its Transit factory in Southampton in 2013, Vauxhall is now the number one UK van manufacturer.


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The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) have voiced their support for central bank-backed digital currencies (CBDCs), arguing that its adoption could foster global development.
In a paper jointly released by the three institutions on Friday, they claimed that projects like the United States digital dollar would ease global development by eliminating dependence on the costly and time-consuming transfer services currently being used for financial transactions around the world.
Indermit Gill, the Group Vice President of equitable growth, finance, and institutions for the World Bank said:
Faster, cheaper, more transparent and more inclusive cross-border payment services would deliver benefits for citizens, businesses, and economies worldwide.
The G20 study also considered the risks associated with using digital currencies, stressing that easy cross-border transactions “could increase risks for runs on both local banking sectors and currencies.” According to Gill, the risks are particularly obvious for emerging markets and developing nations.
The use of digital currencies will undoubtedly enable easier communication and exchange between retailers and banks.
With China taking the lead, several countries have made efforts to join the race to launch a CBDC. A few days ago, Ukraine passed a law that places the country’s CBDC on the same level as fiat.
Check our guide of the most promising crypto


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The Loveland Sustainability Council’s annual One Stop Drop event will be held Saturday, Oct. 7 from 1-4 p.m. at multiple locations. This is a free event for City of Loveland and Symmes Township residents.
The event is your chance to drop off reusable/recyclable items sitting around your home. These are a few of the services that will be offered:
- Shredding truck
- Battery collection
- Paint collection
- Car tire and car battery collection
- Scrap metal collection
- Locations accepting donations of furniture and household items
- Electronic collection
For a list of accepted items and locations, click here.
Questions? Please contact firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Mahindra will have to face a mass lawsuit which was filed on June 4, 2012 in the District Court of Atlanta by automobile dealers across the US market. US dealers claim they were duped by Mahindra of more than $60 million in cash and trade secrets, according to a PRNewswire release. Mahindra denies these allegations.
The dealers apparently say that Mahindra did not deliver the utility vehicles including the Scorpio-based pick-up trucks as promised. And further, the dealers stated in the lawsuit that they had invested in setting up showrooms and incurred marketing expenses and apart from this, Mahindra had allegedly collected $9.5 million in fees from them.
Mahindra has refuted the allegations of the US dealers. “Mahindra unequivocally denies all allegations of fraud, misrepresentation and conspiracy,” says a company statement. It added that some US dealers had earlier filed a suit against them in a District Court in Missouri and the court dismissed all claims against Mahindra in that suit.
In February 2011, Global vehicles, the distributor of Mahindra utility vehicles dropped the case against the Indian utility vehicle maker for retaining the import rights to distribute Mahindra pick-ups in the US. And now, for the second time, the issue has cropped up with dealers filing a lawsuit against Mahindra.


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“Have been it not for Apple’s anticompetitive acquisition and upkeep of an unlawful monopoly over iOS app distribution, customers at present would truly be capable of select how and the place to find and acquire iOS apps, and builders would be capable of use the iOS app distributor of their alternative,” the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit was filed in federal court docket in Northern California and Cydia is represented Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan.
Apple is going through an onslaught of lawsuits and scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators all over the world for the way in which it allegedly makes use of its energy to take care of its dominant place over its App Retailer. Epic Video games, the maker of “Fortnite,” sued Apple in August for allegedly monopolistic conduct, and a coalition of software program builders taking over Apple’s energy has been rising in membership. Apple is going through investigations in Europe, spurred music streaming service Spotify and different rivals, over allegedly anti-competitive conduct. And in the US, lawmakers scolded Apple and its friends in a report on the facility of enormous Silicon Valley corporations.
Apple spokesman Fred Sainz stated the corporate will evaluation the lawsuit and denied that the corporate is a monopoly. It says it faces competitors from Google’s Android working system, which is utilized competing handset makers like Samsung and Google itself. And Apple says it should tightly management the way in which software program is put in on the iPhone to guard its clients from inadvertently downloading viruses and different safety threats and from putting in apps that invade its clients’ privateness.
The Cydia lawsuit represents a brand new sort of problem to Apple’s energy. Whereas Epic, Spotify and different corporations say they’re victims of Apple’s alleged App Retailer monopoly, they aren’t direct rivals to the App Retailer itself. Cydia, which was common within the early days of the iPhone, presents a real-world instance of what competitors would possibly appear to be.
The App Retailer has been an enormous success for Apple, producing round $15 billion a 12 months in income, in accordance with analysts’ estimates. Whereas the sum represents solely a small portion of the corporate’s roughly $275 billion in complete income, it has turn out to be an necessary springboard for the corporate’s fast-growing providers enterprise, which might assist the corporate via slowing progress of iPhone gross sales. Apple usually takes a 30 p.c minimize of income earned app builders on its platform.
The App Retailer’s success has come least partly due to the way in which it controls the software program on iPhones and iPads. Not like the corporate’s Mac computer systems, which permit clients to put in software program in quite a lot of methods, together with through the Mac App Retailer, different competing app shops and instantly from web sites, the iPhone’s software program prohibits all strategies of software program distribution besides one: the Apple App Retailer.
Apple should approve each app that’s out there for the iPhone, and software program builders should abide a protracted record of guidelines that outline precisely what an iPhone app can and may’t do.
It wasn’t at all times that means. Jay Freeman was consulting as a software program developer in Santa Barbara, Calif., when the iPhone launched in 2007.
When a colleague purchased Freeman an iPhone, he examined it out and was at first disenchanted, he stated in an interview. The cellphone lacked options like slicing and pasting textual content, and the flexibility to ship textual content messages to multiple particular person at a time. The iPhone provided no means for its homeowners to put in new software program, comparable to video games or different Net browsers.
Nonetheless, the iPhone’s potential as a very cell, Web-connected laptop had shortly captured the eye of software program builders who started tinkering with it. One in every of Freeman’s mates satisfied him that, as a substitute of complaining in regards to the iPhone’s lack of software program, he ought to get to work and create software program of his personal.
Freeman shortly discovered himself on the middle of a burgeoning neighborhood of builders constructing new options atop the iPhone. These additions required eradicating software program boundaries on the cellphone in order that new functions would run on the working system, very similar to a standard laptop. The act of getting previous the cellphone’s restrictions on this means turned referred to as “jailbreaking.”
Freeman needed to make jailbreaking and putting in new software program straightforward, even for patrons with little technical information. The hassle resulted in Cydia, an app retailer the place clients might set up video games and options, together with the flexibility to chop and paste textual content.
Freeman stated that Cydia, which he named after an agricultural pest that impacts fruit crops, was an instantaneous hit. There have been so many individuals utilizing it that he estimates half of early iPhone clients should have been “jailbreaking” their telephones to reap the benefits of the extra options it provided. In 2010, Freeman instructed The Washington Publish that Cydia had 4.5 million folks trying to find apps each week.
In 2008, Apple got here out with its personal model, referred to as merely “The App Retailer.”
Apple additionally started including extra protections to the cellphone’s working system and warning its clients that jailbreaking their telephones might put them prone to safety vulnerabilities. Sainz reiterated the warning in a press release Thursday. Freeman stated he remembers seeing bodily indicators in Apple retail shops with such warnings. Freeman says the safety dangers are overblown. Such downloads are much like these on a PC, which might embrace software program that invades a consumer’s privateness or gathers their knowledge. And even Apple-approved apps can expose clients to privateness dangers.
“Morally talking, it’s your cellphone and it is best to be capable of do no matter you need with it,” Freeman stated. “It’s best to get to resolve which functions you placed on it, and it is best to be capable of resolve the place you get these functions from.”
“The power of individuals to jailbreak and put their very own software program on units is a vital one which has allowed folks to do a whole lot of cool and fascinating issues,” stated Kurt Opsahl, deputy government director and common counsel of the Digital Frontier Basis, a nonprofit know-how advocacy group that helped acquire the authorized exception for jailbreaking. Opsahl stated that, with just one app retailer to put in software program on iPhones, he’s involved about whether or not the method for putting in apps is truthful. “How are they going to make use of that monopoly energy?” he requested.
After shedding its argument in entrance of the Copyright Workplace, Apple continued its makes an attempt to cease Cydia. It made jailbreaking tougher including extra barricades towards exterior software program being put in on the cellphone. On the similar time, Apple added new options that had beforehand been out there on Cydia. Apple’s Management Middle, its bubble notifications and the flexibility to right away reply to textual content messages on the house display screen all originated on Cydia.
In keeping with the lawsuit, Apple used “coercive” phrases to attempt to forestall Apple clients from utilizing Cydia or any different means to put in software program and discouraged builders from utilizing providers like Cydia.
Cydia’s income peaked in 2011 and 2012, when it introduced in about $10 million, Freeman stated. Cydia, like Apple, charged Apple builders a fee on gross sales. In 2013, as Apple’s personal App Retailer gained extra energy and prominence, Cydia’s enterprise started to dry up.
Apple additionally started hiring former “jailbreakers” to work on its safety staff. Freeman stated a few of these folks have been his mates, and he stated these discussions have been awkward. “When Robin Hood is prepared to go work for the sheriff of Nottingham as a result of they’ve cool crossbows, it’s like, ‘What have been you doing?’ ” he stated.
Jailbreaking an iPhone has turn out to be so troublesome that many within the jailbreaking neighborhood have basically thrown within the towel and moved on, and a few have declared the observe basically useless.
Freeman remains to be working in software program growth however spends much less time on Cydia, which nonetheless exists however is way much less common than it as soon as was. He’s head of know-how for a privateness software program firm referred to as Orchid and he’s an elected official in California, serving on the board of the Isla Vista Neighborhood Providers District in Santa Barbara County.
Freeman’s attorneys at Quinn Emanuel, the identical regulation agency that represented Samsung in its blockbuster patent struggle with Apple, say that now’s lastly the time for Cydia to tackle Apple in court docket.
“The authorized local weather for this declare has been altering,” stated Stephen Swedlow, the lead legal professional for Cydia. Swedlow stated he’s been watching different lawsuits, together with the one filed Epic, and he believes Cydia could possibly be the “excellent claimant” for an antitrust case towards Apple. Swedlow stated that if the swimsuit is profitable, Cydia would intention to as soon as once more compete with Apple, this time with out the necessity for jailbreaking.
Swedlow filed an antitrust case towards Fb final week on behalf of people that use the social community, and Quinn Emanuel is representing Blix, a maker of electronic mail software program, in one other antitrust case towards Apple, which was lately dismissed in federal court docket.
Different lawsuits level out that Apple has no rivals in the case of iOS app distribution. However Cydia was that competitor, Swedlow says. And it had hundreds of thousands of followers. Then, he stated, Apple took anti-competitive measures to snuff Cydia out.


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Unsurprisingly the Chinese are coming back over the same issue and taking American subsidies to the WTO the same way that Americans took China over the very same thing a few weeks ago. The result is predictively that the whole industry will suffer.
According to the WTO subsidies are legal therefore the complain that the PV industry made was out of place. Now with China retaliating in what is obviously a political protectionist measure which they each want the WTO to ratify, the whole industry might suffer as a result. An eye for an eye, everybody blind.
The PV industry haven´t managed to get their case through to the EU commission at the moment, and they are said to be unlikely to succeed due to the fact that the EU are heavily reliant on Chinese money to get out of the latest crisis. Let´s hope that common sense prevails in Europe at least, even if for the wrong reasons.
The news piece in the FT today: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/22d9033e-174b-11e1-b20e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1eipEdROd


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Wives and girlfriends, lock up your men. This sale is definitely going to fill your garage with a ton of tech stuff that nobody needs.
eBay has slashed its prices on technology products as part of an eight day long sale.
The heavily reduced prices are set to offer consumers hundreds of dollars’ worth of savings and some killer deals all across the realm of tech products.
The magic word is ‘PROXY’, and all you need do is enter this promotional code at the checkout and a cool 20% off is all yours.
EVEN BETTER: If you’re an eBay Plus member, you’ll bag yourself an extra 5% off! And that right there is a pretty good reason as to why this sale has come about.
Many keen eyed observers have spotted how conveniently the sale time coincides with Amazon’s Prime Day which is set to start on the 16th of July. Its well known that eBay has been trying to challenge Amazon Prime’s market base (which it directly competes with) for a while now with its eBay Plus subscription service, and this sale looks like its latest effort to keep up with the might of Amazon.
Prime Day offers a straight 30 hours of new bargains, and it appears as though eBay is trying to snatch a bit of business away from Amazon’s first ever Prime Day in Australia by slashing its prices a couple of days early, how cheeky.
Well, no matter what eBay’s motivations, us consumers sure as hell can’t be complaining.
eBay reckon the best deal you’ll find is this LG OLED TV: 2018 LG 55″ OLED55C8PTA OLED Smart TV – originally $3290, now $2,632, SAVE $658
And have pointed out these cracker deals too:
- Bose QC35 II Headphones – originally $460 now $345, SAVE $115
- Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones – originally $382.80, now $287, SAVE $96
- New UE BOOM 2 Waterproof Bluetooth Speakers Deep radiance Limited Edition – originally $159.01, now $119.21, SAVE $39.80
- Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus – originally $975.99, now $732, SAVE $243.99
- Huawei P20 Pro (Dual Sim 4G/4G, 6GB/128GB) – originally $1196.99, now $897.99, SAVE $299
- Dell XPS 15 Laptop 7th Gen i7-7700HQ Quad Core 256GB SSD 8GB RAM GTX 1050 FHD – originally $2,499 currently on sale at $1,999, now $1,500, SAVE $499
Be sure to check out the deals fellas, they’re around until the 18th of July!


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Sony is working on a new flagship smartphone, and going by the naming convention the company has been following lately, it might be called the Xperia I III. So far, the phone has been surrounded by mystery, and the only detail we knew so far was a rumored February 2021 launch. Now, leakster Steve H (aka OnLeaks via Voice) has shared hi-resolution renders of the upcoming Sony flagship, showing the device in all its glory from various angles.
Sony is still not giving up on 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card slot
Starting with the design, the core aesthetics remain familiar. The Xperia I III appears to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, flaunting a glass-and-metal build with a few refinements. The bezels are slimmer and there is now a new physical shortcut key on the side. Sony is retaining the dual front-firing stereo speakers, and thankfully, the 3.5mm headphone jack is still there. The display is reportedly a 6.5-inch OLED panel with what appears to be a 21:9 cinematic aspect ratio and likely 90Hz or higher refresh rate.
As per the leak, the Xperia I III will support 5G, and there is also a microSD card for storage expansion. And just like its predecessors, the fingeprint sensor is embedded in the power button. Over at the back, Sony has equipped its upcoming flagship with a triple rear camera camera system accompanied by a 3D ToF sensor and ZEISS T anti-reflective coating on top.
6.5-inch OLED display with a familiar tall design and three cameras at the back
But there is one notable change. The telephoto camera at the bottom has a rectangular lens opening, which is a clear sign that Sony is going with a periscope or folded lens camera system for the zoom camera on Xperia I III. As we’ve already seen on devices such as the Galaxy S21 Ultra, the periscope system helps achieve a higher optical zoom output. Details about rest of the internal specifications are not known, but being a flagship device, we expect it to come equipped with Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 888 processor.


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The Hard Rock Cafe in London — which houses an Eric Clapton guitar and one of Madonna’s credit cards — is turning to tech to address its food waste problem. The iconic restaurant installed the Eco-Safe food waste digester by BioHiTech Global to cut costs and divert organic material from local landfills. The food waste digester not only … Continued
Food & Agriculture
When faced with a tough financial decision, Harpoon Brewery opted not to sell to a large investor, and instead put almost half the company into an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Two years later, with Harpooners at the wheel, the company is growing — and its founder is now a champion of ESOPs as a solution for craft brewers nearing retirement.
Western fast food is on the decline in China, according to research from McKinsey, suggesting that consumers in the world’s most populous nation are seeking a healthier lifestyle.
The oddly emotional campaign sheds light on the sad reality that more than 40 percent of all food purchased in the U.S. each year goes to waste.
Starbucks issued $500 million worth of notes whose proceeds will benefit its sustainability programs in coffee-growing regions. Called Senior Notes, they include the first U.S. corporate sustainability bond.
This week, Kashi announced a “certified transitional” standard to recognize “organics in training” in order to help farmers financially as they switch from conventional to organic farming methods.
Cotton is a particularly demanding crop with a complex supply. And while the solutions to complex issues are never simple, forward-thinking brands are collaborating to make the cotton supply more transparent and sustainable.
Darden Restaurants, which owns the popular Olive Garden chain, has been accused of cutting costs at the expense of its employees by issuing problem-plagued payroll cards.
The Malaysian palm oil producer IOI Group is suing the RSPO in a Zurich, Switzerland court, over what it says is an unfair suspension from the global standards board for sustainable palm oil.
TerraVia, formerly known as Solazyme, announced that it is entering the aquaculture sector with an algae-based feed product that it says can help reduce destructive overfishing in the world’s oceans.
Leaked documents reveal that Nestlé had the opportunity to get ahead of the curve and start a global conversation on water consumption. Instead, the company confused “non-confrontation” with leadership.
Nespresso says its recycling program — which it plans to expand to the contiguous 48 states of the U.S. — mitigates the environmental impact of single-use coffee pods. But not everyone is buying into the company’s communications plans.
Earlier this week, General Mills’ social media team reminded the public about the new Trix cereal in a cute video posted on the company’s Facebook page. While the bunny scored some points, the post was overwhelmingly panned by commenters.
One of the largest palm oil companies in the world, Singapore-based Golden Agri Resources (GAR), has announced a four-year plan to trace more than 7 million tons of palm oil all the way back to its point of origin.


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Welcome to Britain’s most stark ghost town – where one in three shops is empty.
Burslem, in Stoke-on-Trent has a shop vacancy rate of 31.5%, nearly three times the national average of 12.2%.
Where once stood a bustling array of local traders, many buildings are now boarded up, left to decay and a magnet for graffiti artists and vandals.
Business leaders say the town has been left deserted due to the demise of the once thriving pottery industry, which gave the area its nickname, as well as the impact of Brexit.
In recent years, Burslem has seen the closure of its historic indoor market as well as a glass museum and around 30 shops in total sit empty.
Amit Patel, 42, who has run the Booze and News Convenience Store for nine years, believes there is no incentive for new businesses to set up in Burslem.
“There are too many empty shops – far too many,” he said. “Every month, I’m looking at it and saying ‘this shop is going, that shop is going’, it goes on and on. Now there’s nothing here any more.”
Patel said parking was a big issue, with double yellow lines “everywhere”.
He added: “If people want to go to a shop for a pint of milk, they don’t want to pay for an hour’s worth of parking.
“When it is so difficult to park, and when there are no banks, there’s no attraction to come here.”
The shopkeeper said people were drawn to nearby Stoke city or Newcastle-under-Lyme, where there is free parking.
A study by the Local Data Company showed the alarming vacancy rate for shop premises in an 11,000-strong community.
It was compiled by visiting 2,700 towns and cities, and also revealed the number of shop openings in the second quarter of 2017 has fallen by 80%.
Traditional ‘bricks-and-mortar’ town centre shops have been struggling to compete with out-of-town megastores and also the boom in internet shopping.
Independent councillor Alan Dutton, who represents the Burslem Central ward of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the decline of the potteries has contributed to the shocking figures.
He said: “The fact of the matter is that Burslem is not what you would call a ‘destination town’.
“I think we have been working to serve the people that live and work here, rather than looking to bring in new people.
“That’s a mentality that maybe we need to change now.
“During the heyday of the potteries, this would have been a hustling, bustling place to go.”
He said once the pottery industry went, nothing had been lined up to replace it – and that remains the case today.
“There are still empty factories where the potteries would have once been, and you could easily convert those into houses and add an extra 4,000 pairs of legs,” he said.
He wants to see landlords lower rents to encourage business to take and risk and attract more shoppers.
The British Retail consortium said high business rates and out-of-town shopping centres were behind the nationwide decline of high streets.


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From Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia to Boston and finally Mexico. Such is the trajectory of the team behind Reserbus.
Reserbus is an online bus-ticketing platform where users can check schedules, compare prices and make reservations online. It has been in the works since late 2012, officially kicking off in September of last year and operating live with two integrated partners since December.
Andres Sucre and Sebastian Gomez came up with the idea for the startup while completing the MBA program at MIT Sloan. Having interned in Mexico with Rocket Internet e-commerce endeavor Linio, the two recognized a major opportunity. Online retail in the country was (and still is) taking off, but certain industries lag behind others in terms of adoption. One arena is the bus transportation sector, where technology is lacking severely.
Apparently not a group to back down from a challenge, Reserbus started selling just in time for the holidays last year, initially onboarding two local operators. Since then, they’ve signed on five operators, representing a total of 7,000 buses. And three more companies are expected to join the platform in the weeks to come.
As to be expected, the bus industry in Mexico isn’t exactly in a rush to hop onto the technology bandwagon. However, they’re warming up to the idea. “They used to be run in a very old-school way until recently, where there’s been a transition of management teams that are more keen on adopting technology,” Gomez explained. “We’re seeing a push in the channel of online sales. It depends on the operator, but the channel represents from 5-15% of total sales.”
Traditionally, they haven’t been as keen on adopting technology, but the recent growth in online sales and the use of technology in the past two or three years has made them take a better look at it and include some initiatives. That’s helped us a lot, particularly with operators who see value in a partnership with a company like us that will help them grow their online segment and provide a better service to the traveler.
Some of the operators with which Reserbus works have their own online ticketing portals as well – something the startup seeks as a complement to its service, not competition. And for operators, utilizing the Reserbus platform represents another channel to market and sell their services, upping brand recognition among consumers. “Ultimately, what’s enticing is for people to prepay and preorder tickets, and that grows the whole market,” Gomez affirmed.
Beyond individual operators, Reserbus may soon be facing competition from another entity: Wanderu. The U.S.-based startup announced a US$2.45 million funding round led by Mexico’s Alta Ventures last year, and the Mexican market is definitely on the radar. So is the Reserbus team worried? In a word, no.
While they monitor competition, they are focused on moving as quickly as possible in the Mexican market and offering a top-line local product in terms of seat availability and the usability of their site. “Our team really understands the needs of Latin America,” Gomez remarked.
For the time being, Reserbus will keep all of its attention on Mexico, though they may consider other options later down the line – perhaps opening up geographically or expanding into a related vertical. But it’s got its work cut out for it in Mexico, where buses transport nearly 500 million people each year.


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Oakdale, Minn. — Imation announced today it would be closing its Camarillo, Calif., plant by the end of the year.
The company said it would focus all tape coating in its Weatherford, Okla., plant.
This follows the announcement in May 2007 of the consolidation and outsourcing of its tape converting operations resulting in the exit of its Wahpeton, N.D. plant by the end of 2008.
Imation said the closing of the Camarillo plan would result in approximately 140 positions being eliminated. It anticipates it will incur up to $20 million in restructuring and related charges associated with the Camarillo closure, the majority of which will occur in the second half of 2008.
Approximately half of the charges, said Imation, are anticipated to be cash payments associated with severance benefits and costs of exiting the site; it’s expected the closing will result in $15 million to $20 million in annualized cost eliminations.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Imation’s president/CEO Frank Russomanno said in a statement: “Imation remains committed to maintaining our leadership position in the removable data storage industry serving commercial customers. As we said in the past, this management team will take all steps necessary to maintain our competitive advantage.
Steve Moss, Imation’s chief marketing officer,
to discuss some of the changes the company had undergone in the previous 12 months.
, the company announced it was acquiring XtremeMac.
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Booming Auto Sales Help Infrastructure
Special to The
Experts and consultancy agencies are unanimous —
Between January and June 2008, Russians spent $33.8 billion on 1.65
million cars, compared to 1.63 million vehicles in
Experts predict that Russian auto sales could reach 3.8 million this year if the present level of growth is sustained. The country currently accounts for 12 percent of the total global auto market, and by 2015, the country’s car sales are expected to account for one fifth of global sales growth, or a maximum 6 million cars per year.
“Sales will continue to grow at this pace for two or three years as rising incomes fuel demand,” Mikhail Pak, an automotive analyst at IFC Metropol in Moscow, was cited by Bloomberg as saying.
Many analysts have suggested that the growth in car sales is due to
soaring property prices in
Dozen of foreign automakers have already opened factories in
Russians are also trying to develop the production of their domestic
brands, which is outnumbered by the booming demand for foreign models. Ladas
and Volgas are still produced, but sales of these traditional Soviet cars are
stable only in the provinces and small towns of
The main obstacles facing
According to observers, the first phase will see a new highway connect
“Government spending on improving transport infrastructure will also be an important factor in stimulating demand for cars,” said Pak.
Growing sales of foreign cars is also an indicator of the booming Chinese auto market. Fast cars have proven popular with young Chinese businessmen, with Mercedes Benz leading the market. By May 2007, the German carmaker had sold more than 300 of its sport models there, Bloomberg reported.
“In other developed countries this market is growing, at best, only slightly each year. The current economic conditions, characterized by high oil prices and the credit crunch, do not facilitate global automotive market development,” said Stanley Root, a partner at PWC’s automotive practice.
¦? The first in a series of new terminals designed to increase the
volume of cars carried by rail across the country was unveiled 90 kilometers
Double-decker car transporters loaded with KIA hatchbacks on both levels
were on display at the $50 million Mikhnevo terminal. The wagons are the first
of their kind in
“This will help take pressure off the overburdened roads by shifting more freight traffic onto our railway network,” said Viktor Ivanov, general director of RailTransAuto, the company that is setting up the terminals.
A spokeswoman for RTA said the Mikhnevo depot can currently store about 5,300 cars.
There are seven other hubs in the intended network, including one in


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Budget 2020 expectations: In the difficult economic times that the country is facing, all attention goes towards the strategy government will be adopting at the Union Budget. Industry is seeking guidance from the government for a positive tone for the future bringing the country out of the crisis.
In the Financial year 2018-19, the Government of India witnessed a shortfall of Rs. 50,000 crores in direct taxes collection. Consequently, this year the shortfall in tax collection is expected to be over Rs. 2 lakh crores. ] At the same time counterfeiting, smuggling & illicit activities are resulting in loss of more than Rs. 1 Trillion loss of sale to industries & economy every year adding to the difficulty for businesses. According to reports, the estimated tax loss to the exchequer from counterfeiting products is approximately Rs 39,239 crores.
WATCH – Budget 2020: Those with income from simple sources should not file ITR
Considering these circumstances, plugging counterfeiting can help Government increase Tax Revenues, safeguard businesses & prevent social security frauds. Till now a few steps have been taken towards anti-counterfeiting, but no government has adopted it as a strategy for economic wellbeing of the country. Magnitude of the counterfeiting problem in the country cannot be undermined. Policies ensuring implementation of active anti-counterfeiting measures across sectors can bring a huge turnaround for the economy by contributing to the revenues of both the government and businesses. This considerable amount of added government revenue can be invested towards schemes for citizen wellbeing such as education and health.
We look forward to the policies from the government to curb counterfeits across sectors that impact revenues and safeguard ‘Made in India’ labelled products by securing the supply chain. As per a recent report we launched, incidents of counterfeit cases in India increased by nearly 15% in 2019 as compared to 2018. Currency followed by Liquor, FMCG (Food & Beverages), Pharma, FMCG (Personal Care), Documents, Tobacco, Automotive, Construction Material and Chemical are top victims of counterfeiting in the country. When we analyse States, Uttar Pradesh is most affected by counterfeit incidents followed by Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab and Gujarat.
Statistics show that:
? In terms of currency, approximately 25% of cases are reported from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. ? 65% of liquor counterfeit cases are from UP & Jharkhand
? Over 50% of food adulteration cases are from UP, Rajasthan & Punjab ? Over 50% cases of pharma duplication are from UP & Bihar The impact of counterfeiting when studied for specific industries bring out astonishing information on how grave the impact is. For example, alone in the tobacco market, due to various factors, illegal smokes have grown rapidly and now account for 1/4th of the Cigarette Industry in India. This is causing an annual revenue loss of Rs. 13,000/- crores to the exchequer. Policies and regulations effectively reducing illegal products in this sector alone can be a huge step towards public welfare and create goodwill.
Similarly, in the Health Sector, there is an instant need to secure and strengthen the current supply chain to reduce the circulation of counterfeit and substandard medicines and medical equipment. Currently, there are more than 3,600 Jan Aushadhi stores across the country. It is vital that any plans to scale up the number of stores also ensure security and streamlining of the entire supply chain. It will not only ensure delivery of quality medicines to the patients but will also help build confidence in the patients’ minds regarding the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana Kendra (PMBJP). There is no way to track products beyond the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) warehouse up to the Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs), which makes the system vulnerable to spurious and substandard medicines sneaking into the system.
The upcoming budget should include measures and regulations to plug in the holes and make the system stronger. Including provisions in these directions in the upcoming budget can be a huge reform for the economy and a big step towards ensuring public welfare.
(Written by Nakul Pasricha, President, Authentication Solutions Provider’s Association (ASPA). Views expressed are his personal)


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Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth's much hyped Kochadaiyaan is making waves much before its release. Slated for an end of year release, already the movie's satellite television rights have been sold to JayaTV, seen as the ruling AIADMK's mouth piece channel. Eros International, the producers have not disclosed the price yet, but industry sources say it is a huge deal. Five years ago, Rajinikanth's blockbuster Sivaji's TV rights were sold to Kalaignar TV reportedly for around Rs 5 crore. The then ruling party DMK's mouth piece television wasn't even launched at that time.
There's more in store for fans. Five lakh mobile phones with embedded behind-the-scene clippings and the film's trailer would be launched around September. The highlight would of course be Rajinikanth's autograph on the back of the phone. A mobile manufacturer has been roped in for this.
Kochadaiyaan is an adventure movie that would feature Deepika Padukone as Rajinikanth's lead lady. Directed by the superstar's younger daughter Soundarya R Ashwin, Oscar winner A R Rahman scores music.
Though originally, Rajinikanth was scheduled to make Rana, the project was temporarily shelved after the actor's kidney ailment that took him to Singapore for treatment. The innovative monetisation drive is expected to make good the losses, besides promoting the superstar's brand value.


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FreightWatch International is warning the supply chain of a new trend consisting of cargo thieves attempting to use jamming devices to defeat tracking technology on tractor-trailers.
The organization cites a few recent examples. In one, a tractor and trailer hauling pharmaceutical products was stolen from a truck stop in Georgia. The truck was equipped with more than one tracking device concealed within the cargo. Evidence suggests that the thieves attempted to deploy two separate jamming devices to interrupt the communication of possible tracking devices on the shipment, according to Heavy Duty Trucking.
The jamming was unsuccessful and law enforcement was able to track the shipment and recover the product intact. There were no arrests, though the investigation continues.
FreightWatch notes that this incident follows closely on the heels of another, in which suspected cargo thieves were apprehended in possession of jamming equipment in Brevard County, Florida.
“These two incidents may indicate the beginning of a trend in which cargo thieves are attempting to utilize jammer devices in the U.S. as a counter-measure to covert GPS tracking,” says the company, which sells also tracks and analyzes cargo thefts and trends.
“While the recent jamming events have not proven to be successful, the use of jamming technology represents a potential challenge to the theft recovery process and should be taken seriously,” FreightWatch says.


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IHS: 50% of Q1 TV Shipments 'Smart'29 Jun, 2016 By: Erik Gruenwedel
Fueled by Chinese and North American consumer demand, more than 50% of televisions shipped globally in the first quarter were so-called “smart” units connected to the Internet. While 80% of Chinese TVs shipped were Internet-enabled, in North America, 56% of units featured apps.
“China and North America continue to experience growth in the share of smart TVs, and the feature is now established in entry-level products,” Paul
Gray, principal analyst with IHS Technology, said in a statement. “It’s a remarkable result.”
By contrast, only 38% of sets shipped in Japan are Internet-connected, the lowest percentage since 2011. European Smart TV shipments have remained stable, approaching 45% over the past two years.
“It’s all about content,” said Gray, “where the local [content] offering is relatively weak, consumers are reluctant to pay extra for built-in Internet TV services. Good streaming content in local languages remains the key to value in smart TV.”
IHS said the Android operating system accounts for nearly 50% of smart TVs shipped, while open-source Tizen OS leads all other regions and accounts for 43% of smart TVs shipped outside China.
North America has an additional Smart TV platform option: Roku. For Chinese brands, the addition of the Roku TV capability significantly bolsters product value. In fact, Chinese brands are typically shipping around 10% to 20% of products with smart features in Europe, whereas Roku partners in North America ship over 90% with the features.
“Smart TV is becoming a critical factor in Chinese brands’ export development,” Gray said. “Roku TVs in North America have proved a powerful way for aggressive brands to build share with consumers confident of the value of their purchases."


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Bobby Lee gave way too conservative a prediction stating 20 years. It works on a peer to peer network, where no intermediaries are involved. Because bitcoin cash initially drew its value from bitcoin's market cap, it caused bitcoin's value to drop by an amount proportional to its adoption on launch. Until just before the decision, the solution known as Segwit2x, which would double the size of bitcoin blocks to 2 megabytes, seemed to have universal support. John McAfee, the founder of the popular McAfee software and an ardent Bitcoin follower predicted that Bitcoin will hit 1 million by 2020 following last years prediction of 7000 which was well surpassed. True to its origins as an open, decentralized currency, bitcoin is meant to be a quicker, cheaper, and more reliable form of payment than money tied to individual countries. But that doesn't mean the value of investors' holdings will double. The future of bitcoin and bitcoins price remains uncertain. Bitcoin power brokers have been squabbling over the rules that should guide the cryptocurrency's blockchain network. 21 Million, bitcoin is unique in that there are a finite number of them: 21 million. On one side are the so-called core developers.
Mitä se tarkoittaa minun bitcoin, Miten perustaa tietokoneen louhia bitcoins, Paras bitcoin debit-kortteja, Lopullinen bitcoin avain,
As we know, its the market forces and the adaptability that leads to the ranking scenarios, which means crypto enthusiasts never gave up, and always stayed optimistic regarding the largest cryptocurrency in the world. Bitcoin and other coins, including ethereum and ripple, saw a big sell-off on Tuesday, however. Unlike US dollars, whose buying power the Fed can dilute by printing more greenbacks, there simply won't be more bitcoin available in the future. #8 Cameron Winklevoss, bitcoin Price Prediction, cameron Winklevoss, co-founder of the crypto exchange - Gemini and the fourth wealthiest cryptocurrency investor predicted that BTC will go up by 40 someday. Why bother using it? Bitcoin is divorced from governments and central banks. Click here to buy Bitcoin at best rate from CoinSwitch. Bitcoin Price Prediction will be bullish for Bitcoin, as by then the adaptability will be higher as more people will start believing in the technology behind Bitcoin. The inflow of investment coming from institutional investors developing cryptocurrency based financial products geared at offering mass users indirect exposure to the digital assets market will likely set cryptocurrency prices on an upward trajectory. It's easy as well as advanced. Every time anyone buys or sells bitcoin, the swap gets logged.
Bitcoin usd 5 vuoden kaavio


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A Grenoble, France-based company has unveiled a new fleet tracking system that installs chips in trailers and then tracks them using a special radio network. Eliot SA has put together a fleet management system that uses an iChip in a mobile data collection terminal, which is then installed on tractor-trailers. The system uses Internet protocol (IP) technology to provide trucking companies with real-time online tracking via what's called a General Packet Radio Service network (GPRS). The iChip is designed to funnel tracking information over a wireless radio connection and onto the Internet, where fleet operations personnel can tap into it. This technology is designed to take full advantage of what chip maker ConnectOne calls the higher speed, lower cost and immediate access of GPRS connectivity.
However, the suggested pricing for iChip is $20 for over 10,000 units, which may prove too pricey for the U.S. market. Such tracking services are part of the growing market in telematics wireless delivery of voice and data automotive services to vehicles. Forrester Research, a consulting firm, predicts that telematics will become a $20-billion industry worldwide by 2006.


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Now that the holiday season is underway, retailers are on track to hire more workers than they did last year, according to a report from global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Holiday retail hiring, which remained flat in October, surged last month as employment in the sector increased by 423,500 in November - partly because of aggressive Black Friday promotions that enticed consumers to spend ahead of schedule. See the U-T story on local holiday hiring here: [Where to find holiday jobs in San Diego County]
“While we expected holiday retail hiring to be about the same as a year ago, stronger-than-expected sales on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday could result in a late hiring surge that could push December employment gains up over last year’s levels,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer.
That is the largest November employment gain since 2007, according to the firm's analysis of non-seasonally adjusted data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 423,500 seasonal workers added to retail payrolls last month was nearly double the 213,500 retail workers added in November 2008, at the height of the recession.
So far this holiday season, retailers have added 547,200 workers, compared to 476,800 workers added in October and November 2010.
“Retail employment grew by 150,800 in December 2010. Even if retailers simply match that level of hiring activity, seasonal hiring (in 2011) will exceed the 2010 total of 627,600 extra holiday workers,” he added.
According to the National Retail Federation, brick-and-mortar retail stores saw a 7 percent increase in Black Friday sales, which hit a record high $11.4 billion.
Meanwhile, IBM reported that the average amount of money spent per consumer on Cyber Monday increased a whopping 33 percent.
It is not just retailers who are adding workers. According to Challenger tracking of hiring announcements, shipping giants FedEx and UPS planned to add a combined 75,000 workers to help them deliver holiday packages.