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Westland/Hallmark Beef Recall Lawsuit
143 million pounds of ground beef recalled - animals suspected of illness.
Westland/Hallmark Beef Recall
The recall is considered a Class II, with lower risk of illness than the Class I Topps recall last year.
The recall was instigated after allegations of mistreatment of animals by workers at the Westland/Hallmark plant, and the lack of due diligence when an animal destined for the human food chain is deemed to be ill, or suspected of illness.
There have been no known health effects or reports of illness from eating the recalled meat, most of which has already been consumed. However, much of the meat was consumed in school lunch programs, raising the health concerns for these children.
The US Department of Agriculture has come under fire for 21 recalls in 2007 related to the deadly e. coli pathogen, up dramatically from the 8 recalls in 2006 and the 5 in 2005. Lax safety protocols and mixing different lots of meat make it harder to track e. coli.
A disturbing video shows plant workers kicking animals and using forklifts to force them to walk. A cow that has trouble standing or cannot walk could be a candidate for Mad Cow disease or other diseases that would make it unfit for human consumption.
Animals unable to walk are supposed to be inspected by a USDA veteranarian to determine it's suitability for slaughter, but USDA officials claim that the Westland/Hallmark employees failed to notify the proper authorities when animals were unable to walk.
The plant has now been deemed by the Food Safety and Inspection Service to be producing food unfit for human consumption. Two employees have been fired for cruelty to animals.
The recall - more precautionary than urgent - is unlikely to cause illness, however many pounds of the meat are still in freezers, and the outcome is still unknown.
The recall includes all meat the plant has produced since February 1, 2006 - a atwo year supply.
Westland/Hallmark Beef Recall ArticlesItís Happened Again: Largest Beef Recall in US History
In a recall of staggering proportions, the US Department of Agriculture announced Sunday that 143 million pounds of ground beef have been recalled, easily representing the largest meat recall in US history.
Westland/Hallmark Beef Recall in the NewsFEB-18-08: Slaughterhouse video prompts recall of 143 pounds of ground beef when sick cows may have been slaughtered for human consumption. [TIMES ONLINE: BEEF RECALL]
Westland/Hallmark Beef Recall Legal HelpIf you or a loved one has suffered due to Westland/Hallmark beef, please click the link below to send your complaint to a lawyer to evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation.
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Inflation and business pressure weigh on India Inc growth, says S&P
Inflation concerns and competitive pressures stymied business confidence and weakened the optimism of private sector companies in February, said a report by S&P Global Market Intelligence, on Monday. However, the companies identified demand resilience, product diversification, advertising and pipelines of new work as opportunities.
The report titled ‘India Business Outlook’ said despite companies remaining positive about the output levels over the course of the year, optimism in February was below both the global and emerging market averages. Along with Brazil and Japan, the S&P Global India business activity net balance slipped to 21 per cent in January from 28 per cent in October 2022, highlighting a lesser degree of optimism, well below the global (32 per cent) and emerging market (33 per cent) averages.
“Investment targets were pulled back, in line with receding confidence for profitability,” the report added.

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Android, Devices- Cellphones, Devices- iPhone, Flash Lite 3, Mobile phones, OS- Windows Mobile/CE April 29th, 2009
According to a report in Wall Street Journal, Microsoft and Verizon are working on creating a phone that’ll compete with iPhone. The phone will be based on Windows Mobile and is scheduled to be released in early 2010.
So now its Microsoft’s turn. After iPhone and gPhone its now time for mPhone. Unlike the two platforms, mPhone will have support for Flash and already has a long list of applications available. The playing field is now getting even more interesting.


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Experian data reveals that struggling families are increasingly being targeted by fraudsters – Number of fraud victims in the UK has more than doubled in the last two years
LONDON, 02-May-2017 — /EuropaWire/ — Families in Britain who are struggling financially are increasingly becoming prime targets of financial fraud, according to new research from Experian. This group, made up of more than 4 million* people in the UK, have experienced the highest growth rate in fraud between 2014 and 2016.
Of all the fraudulent credit applications made using an individual’s personal details, this low-income demographic, which often faces financial pressures, experienced an increase at double the rate of any other group. Recognising that these families are often dependent upon credit and loans, and likely to make several credit applications per year, criminals are using this intelligence to their advantage.
“Analysis of Experian data from 2016 shows that fraudsters are unscrupulous in targeting young people and families who are already under financial pressure. When a person makes a credit application they are likely to receive information about the application, or a card and pin, in the post. Fraudsters are intercepting this post, to gain control of the credit facility.” explained Nick Mothershaw, Director of Fraud and Identity Solutions at Experian.
“Cyber criminals are making the lives of those struggling to make ends meet even tougher, that’s why we are encouraging people to take the time to think about the information they share with others.”
Representing 8% of the UK population, people in this vulnerable group are typically in their twenties and thirties, have very low incomes, or are unemployed or in low-skill and low-wage jobs. They usually rent their homes from a social housing landlord and have very limited savings, investments, pensions or retirement provisions.
Here’s how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud:
- Always shred or destroy documents that contain personal information before throwing them away.
- Never respond to cold phone calls or e-mails asking for account details, PINs, passwords or personal information.
- Don’t give too much away on networking websites. For example, pets’ names or children’s names could be used as passwords.
- Register to vote at your current address. If you don’t, thieves could use your previous address details to open new credit accounts, and run up debts in your name.
- Monitor your post regularly so you know when to expect important documents — and when to act if they don’t arrive.
- Redirect your mail via the Post Office / Royal Mail if you move house.
- Always use secure, unique passwords for as many online accounts as possible, and ideally all of them. At the very least have a unique password for each type of service provider such as financial services, retail services and email.
- Don’t store account names and passwords on your smartphone, either in email, as a note, or to ‘autocomplete’ when you open a website or app. It will be a goldmine for fraudsters if your device is lost or stolen.
- Read all bank and card statements regularly to check for suspicious transactions.
- Check your credit report, because it lists your credit accounts and what you owe, so you can spot applications and spending that are nothing to do with you.
“It’s very easy to lapse into the assumption that fraud is something that happens to someone else,” continued Nick Mothershaw.
“However, we all have a responsibility to be vigilant and take measures to protect ourselves, online and offline. The threat is growing and it requires us all to be extra vigilant.”
Experian’s ID Fraud Tracker, a quarterly analysis of fraud rates across a variety of consumer financial products, reveals a 203% increase in the total number of fraudulent credit applications over the last two years. Current account, credit card and loan fraud were the most common types of credit products that fraudsters applied for in other people’s names, making up 94% of the total.
Households with high salaries, large disposable incomes and accruing assets remained another priority target for criminals, accounting for 35% of all third-party fraud (fraud committed without the knowledge of the person whose identity is used) in 2016.
Young professional families with children, and mature families with older children, also continue to be fraud targets because of their higher levels of income. Making up 28% of the UK population, and representing 17 million individuals collectively, these groups tend to live in market towns and cities across England.
*Figure based on UK adult population from ONS 2011 census, Experian segmentation analysis of FSS Family Pressures group (85 of UK) and Hunter data on the number of third party applications made in 2016.
Heat map showing concentration of low income families across the UK available on request.
Information is based on 2016 Experian fraud data. Experian works closely with National Hunter, the UK’s leading fraud prevention system, operated by Experian on behalf of members. It enables financial institutions to cross-match applications against more than 100 million previous application records in order to spot commonalities and anomalies that are potentially indicative of fraud for further investigation.
Experian has combined the insight available from Hunter with FSS, Experian analysis on the financial behaviour and attitudes of the UK population. Each group exhibits different behaviour with regards to their attitudes to finance, lifestyle, social, economic and behaviour.
About Experian: Experian is the world’s leading global information services company. During life’s big moments – from buying a home or a car, to sending a child to college, to growing a business by connecting with new customers – we empower consumers and our clients to manage their data with confidence. We help individuals to take financial control and access financial services, businesses to make smarter decisions and thrive, lenders to lend more responsibly, and organisations to prevent identity fraud and crime.
We have 17,000 people operating across 37 countries and every day we’re investing in new technologies, talented people and innovation to help all our clients maximise every opportunity. We are listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and are a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Learn more at www.experianplc.com or visit our global content hub at our global news blog for the latest news and insights from the company.
SOURCE: Experian plc
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To mark the 150th anniversary of Dobbies garden centres, staff have pledged to cycle part of a 2,000 mile circuit as part of nationwide event.
The Barlborough branch, on Highwood Way, has its own five-strong team which is rolling out from 7am, on Thursday, June 18, and aims to complete a 120mile route to the company’s Northallerton branch, in North Yorkshire.
Nearly 300 staff from every one of Dobbies’ 35 stores nationwide have volunteered to cycle a total of more than 2,000 miles between each of the stores over a 21 day period.
A bespoke commemorative baton will be passed between riders at different stages of the tour.
The shortest distance between stores is Milngavie and Braehead at only eight miles, and the furthest is 140 miles, which is from Ponteland to Edinburgh.
The Cycle Tour will be raising money for local charities who are close to each stores’ hearts.
The ride, which is slightly longer than the Tour de France and just over twice the distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats, will take in the most southerly store, Ashford in Kent, and the most northerly, in Inverness.
The first cyclists set off from Dobbies’ Edinburgh store on Sunday, May 31.
Andy King, Managing Director of Dobbies, said: “To mark this amazing milestone of 150 years of trading, hundreds of our staff have volunteered to take part in Dobbies’ Charity Cycle Tour Around the UK to raise money for a charity that is close to their hearts.
“We aim to complete more than 2,000 miles in just over 21 days, and would urge people all around the country to dig deep and donate money to our very worthwhile local causes.”
The Barlborough branch is aiming to raise money for Chesterfield-based Ashgate Hospicecare.
To sponsor the Dobbies Barlborough branch call (01246) 571650 or to support the company’s fundraising drive visit https://www.justgiving.com/companyteams/dobbieschesterfield.


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Gulf launches Reviva Coffee and new shirt sponsorship with Swansea City Football Club
13 Jun 2023
Gulf is excited to announce the launch of a new brand, Reviva Coffee, which saw its debut unveiling in Monaco on 26th May 2023. We celebrate this launch with our new partnership with Swansea City Football Club. In a multi-year agreement, Reviva Coffee will be Swansea City’s front-of-shirt sponsor and official coffee supplier, from the start of the upcoming 2023-24 Championship season.
This exciting agreement will showcase the coffee brand on the club’s home shirt, solidifying a strong partnership between Swansea City and Reviva Coffee. In addition to the prominent shirt branding, the agreement includes an exclusive supply arrangement; enabling Reviva Coffee's premium quality blend to be enjoyed by fans across the Swansea.com Stadium, on the concourses, in hospitality areas, and for business conferences.
Reviva Coffee is an exciting UK-based coffee brand which is anticipated to launch globally in 2024. The brand aims to captivate coffee lovers with its signature blend made from 100% Arabica beans responsibly sourced from Rainforest Alliance farms in South America. Reviva Coffee's commitment to sustainability ensures coffee enthusiasts can savour their favourite beverage while supporting coffee-producing communities.
This partnership also marks a nostalgic reunion for Swansea City and Gulf Oil International Limited, the owner of the Reviva Coffee brand. Gulf was Swansea’s front-of-shirt sponsor from 1993 to 1996, including for the club’s historic 1994 Autoglass Trophy victory at Wembley Stadium. The iconic kits from that era continue to resonate with supporters. Fan favourites such as Roger Freestone, Jan Molby, Jason Bowen, Kristian O’Leary and Kwame Ampadu were among the players to wear those eye-catching designs, and Swansea City and Gulf are planning some special activations during the upcoming season to celebrate our shared history.
"We are thrilled to have Reviva Coffee prominently featured on the front of our home shirt throughout this multi-year agreement,” said Swansea City’s head of commercial, Richard Morris.
“This new addition to our partnership portfolio opens up opportunities for innovative activations that will resonate positively with our supporters."
Reviva Coffee's integration into the Swansea City family ensures younger fans can continue to wear the same shirts as their favourite Swans players for the fourth consecutive season.
"We are excited to reunite with Gulf, a globally recognised former club partner, and we look forward to building on the success of our original link-up 30 years ago," Morris added.
"Joining their prestigious list of associated sporting brands is a testament to the growth and ambition of Swansea City."
Reviva Coffee and Gulf CEO Mike Jones spoke of his enthusiasm for the partnership, saying, "We are delighted to support Swansea City as they continue their journey. This collaboration presents an excellent opportunity for us to engage with a passionate fanbase and contribute to the club's success both on and off the pitch.”
Look out for the release of the new Swansea City home shirt for the 2023-24 season, featuring the striking Reviva Coffee branding.


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National & World Ag News Headlines
Bulk Ocean Freight Rates Begin Lower in 2020
USAgNet - 01/10/2020
Ocean freight rates for shipping bulk grains fell during the first week of the year, compared to the previous week and the same period a year ago.
As of January 2, the rate for shipping a metric ton (mt) of grain from the U.S. Gulf to Japan was $45.75--2 percent less than the previous week and 3 percent less than the same period a year ago.
The rate from the Pacific Northwest (PNW) to Japan was $25 per mt-- 2 percent less than the previous week and unchanged from the same period last year.
Historically, ocean freight rate markets change little during December and January because of the various holidays.
Also, 29 oceangoing grain vessels were loaded during the week ending January 2, nearly as many as in the same week last year (30 vessels).
Rate changes depend on many factors including the recently enforced International Maritime Organization regulations on low sulfur emission by oceangoing vessels and other trade issues.
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Other National Headlines
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Hopper Barge Sinks on Upper Mississippi River
Poland, Germany Discussing New Plan to Prevent AFS Spread
USDA Recruiting Exporters for Philippines Trade Mission
U.S. Milk Production Rise During 4Q of 2019
Baldwin Asking FDA Commissioner to Join 'Dairy Labeling' Fight
Southeast Michigan Tuberculosis Exposure Investigated
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Facebook shares: Mark Zuckerberg rings Nasdaq bell
Social networking site Facebook has begun trading some of its shares, priced at $38 each, on the stock exchange.
The 8-year-old internet phenomenon has been valued at around $104bn (£65bn).
In one of the largest and most high-profile share flotations of recent years, founder Mark Zuckerberg rang the bell to open the Nasdaq index remotely from his HQ in California.
- BBC News


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FLO (formerly VERnetwork) just announced their X5 EVSE https://flo.ca/at-home/single-family/x5
will be discounted $500 from participating Nissan dealers with a purchase of a new Leaf between Jan 20 to March 21 .
Notice the new " Recommended by Nissan" logo . Apparently they formed a partnership with Nissan Canada.
Yet to be confirmed at the local dealership, but this a huge saving. Specs are further down the page.


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A vulnerability in a popular motion sensor system has recently caught the attention of cybersecurity experts. Designated as CVE-2023-34597, this vulnerability affects the Fibaro Motion Sensor firmware version 3.4. The Fibaro Motion Sensor vulnerability allegedly allows threat actors to launch Denial of Service (DoS) attacks through a crafted Z-Wave message. The Fibaro motion sensor vulnerability was first shared on GitHub on a public repository iot-sec23/IoT-CVE.
The Fibaro Motion Sensor is a wireless device widely used for home automation and security. Offering a range of features, including passive infrared (PIR) motion detection, temperature measurement, and light intensity measurement, it provides comprehensive information about the environment it monitors.
The device can be mounted on walls or placed on shelves. It uses Z-Wave technology, a renowned protocol for smart home devices; the sensor communicates wirelessly with other compatible devices within the network.
Exploiting motion sensor vulnerability: A classic market for hackers
The motion sensor market has been witnessing significant growth in recent years. According to Mordor Intelligence’s MOTION SENSOR MARKET SIZE & SHARE ANALYSIS – GROWTH TRENDS & FORECASTS (2023 – 2028), the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2021 to 2026.
The rise of Industry 4.0, the latest industrial revolution, has played a pivotal role in promoting the development of collaborative and AI-enabled technologies.
These innovations have allowed enterprises to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and eliminate errors, thereby fueling the growth of the motion sensor market.
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) data indicates a significant increase in global IoT connections, further contributing to the market’s growth.
Motion sensor market enter the hackers’ turmoil
Unfortunately, motion sensor systems have also become the target of cyber-attacks; in a special report by HackRead, an attack known as EarSpy exploits motion sensors on Android devices, allowing hackers to pry into users’ conversations.
This research, conducted by a team from Rutgers University, Texas A&M University, Temple University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the University of Dayton, highlighted the potential risks associated with eavesdropping through motion sensor data.
The researchers, including Ahmed Tanvir Mahdad, Cong Shi, Zhengkun Ye, Tianming Zhao, Yan Wang, Yingying Chen, and Nitesh Saxena, named this side-channel attack “EarSpy.” By capturing the audio from the ear speaker, attackers can deduce the caller’s identity, determine their gender, and secretly listen to private conversations.
The findings from this research emphasize the importance of addressing vulnerabilities in motion sensor systems. While the Motion sensors vulnerabilities are a cause for concern, it also serves as a reminder to implement better security measures across all smart home devices.
Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.


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Sanctum 2: Ruins of Brightholme DLC launches with new trailer
Undead Labs, the company that pumped out State of Decay on the 360 earlier this summer, has confirmed the PC version is hitting Steam’s Early Access Program in “a couple weeks or so.”
Nvidia wrote a little blog post announcing Nvidia and Ubisoft have joined forces to pretty up the PC versions of a few upcoming titles, including the surveillance pipe dream known as Watch Dogs.
City Interactive’s newly announced action RPG, Lords of the Fallen, reared its haggard, tattooed face at Gamescom today, but unfortunately that face was caked with a layer of CGI makeup.
In a recent interview with OXM, Payday 2’s director David Goldfarb promised a year’s worth of updates for Overkill’s bank heist simulator, one of which Goldfarb hopes adds female characters.


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On the 13th of November 2019, Dr. Vidy Potdar, Director, Blockchain R&D Lab at Curtin University, Perth, Australia conducted a guest lecture on the topic of blockchain technology and its practical applications. The session was very informative and informative as Dr. Vidy expertly charted a course through the myriad concepts of blockchain technology starting from what it is, to how it can be used to revolutionize and shape the businesses of tomorrow. Dr. Vidy spoke at length about his mission at the Blockchain R&D lab at Curtin University, which was set up in 2019; the lab was set up in order to provide cutting edge research, development, consulting and education services in the field of blockchain applications.
He took the time to educate us about the basics of blockchain; from the constituents of each block in a blockchain to the concept of proof of work and how it helps contribute to the infallible nature of the distributed nature of the blockchain. A section was also dedicated to explaining why people and businesses started adopting blockchain only in the late 2000s even though the underlying concepts and ideas existed in the early 1990s. This time gap can be equated to the following three reasons:
- Vast improvements in Technology
- Improvements in Storage devices specifically with reference to capacity
- Accessibility and penetration of the internet.
Dr. Vidy treated the audience to a practical demonstration of how a blockchain operates, this was supplemented with his attempt to demystify blockchain and debunk the many myths that are prevalent around the topic, the main two myths being
- Blockchain is equivalent to Bitcoins, and
- Blockchain is very energy intensive.
He also shed some much needed light on his work with the Blockchain R&D Lab, and provided a glimpse into all the possible industries which can and will be disrupted by blockchain in the near future this list included the domains of banking, supply chain management, cyber security, insurance, networking and IOT, governance and online data storage.
Dr. Vidy concluded the session by answering questions posed by the faculty and students, while also reminding us to focus on how we can utilize blockchain to solve problems emerging in the modern world.


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HeidelbergCement has completed the sale of its Martinsburg, West Virginia, cement plant, along with eight related terminals, to an affiliate of Cementos Argos. The Federal Trade Commission has previously approved the agreement.
“With the disposal of the US assets we fulfill the obligation of the FTC and improve the net financial position of HeidelbergCement after the acquisition of Italcementi,” said Dr. Bernd Scheifele, CEO of HeidelbergCement. “Thereby we have fulfilled all the obligations in the context of the Italcementi acquisition.”
HeidelbergCement and Cementos Argos announced the sale on 18 August 2016. The transaction purchase price is US$660 million on a cash and debt-free basis.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/01122016/heidelbergcement-completes-sale-of-assets/
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The GCCA has launched the third programme in its Innovandi brand, the Innovandi Entrepreneur Network.


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The vehicle also becomes the first Indian vehicle to score a four-star child safety rating, it added.
"This is a proud moment for Mahindra as the 5-Star rating reiterates our unstinted commitment towards safety. Today's conscious buyers rate safety as a top priority while making their purchase decision and we have designed the XUV300 to be one of the safest vehicles in India," M&M President-Automotive Rajan Wadhera said.
This recognition will further spur the company as well as the Indian automotive industry to achieve similar safety standards for the entire range of vehicles on Indian roads, it added.
The model comes with many first-in-segment safety features including seven airbags, disc brakes on all four wheels, front parking sensors and heated ORVMs.
Commenting on the development, Global NCAP CEO and President David Ward said the XUV300 has scored the highest combined crash test result of all the cars tested in India till date.
"We are delighted with this hugely positive outcome in our #SaferCarsForIndia campaign. It's a vitally important win for Indian consumers and sets a safety challenge that every manufacturer must now be measured against," he added.
Tata Motors' compact SUV Nexon and soon to be launched premium hatchback Altroz are the other models which have received highest rating from the Global NCAP in terms of adult occupant protection.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Companies & Sports
- RBI may Opt for a Smaller Rate Hike this Week: Experts
Easing inflation expectations both in India and abroad, indications of slower rate hikes in the US and worries over a global economic slowdown are likely to ensure a smaller interest rate increase by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) this week, bankers and economists expect.Rules for Indian Financial Sector Need to be Reviewed
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rules restrict Indian banks from lending to companies for takeovers. The Indian central bank always viewed lending against shares as a risky activity because a sudden collapse in stock prices could leave banks holding worthless paper. They can lend only up to Rs 20 lakh, a rule that was set after the so-called Harshad Mehta scam of 1992.Deadline for Filing Charge Sheet in Focus
A special CBI court judge, while dealing with a bail application in India’s biggest bank fraud case, called for legislation to extend the deadline for filing of charge sheets in “highly serious” cases, highlighting the difficulties faced by investigating agencies in completing complicated case probes.
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FREDERICKSBURG — You may know Fredericksburg in the Hill Country as the site of numerous spas, wineries and wildflower nurseries, but did you know it’s also a spirited holiday hub? The town takes on a festive glow just after Thanksgiving, when a 26-foot-tall, hand-carved wooden pyramid is lit in the main square.
Fredericksburg is part of the Texas Hill Country Regional Lighting Trail, a self-guided driving tour available Nov. 29 through New Year’s Day.
Plan to be there the first week in December, especially toward the weekend, for maximum merriment. But book now: The most popular B&Bs fill up early, often with repeat visitors, according to Amanda Koone of the Convention and Visitor Bureau.
The annual lighted parade — now called the Light the Night Christmas Parade and After Glow — takes place this year on Dec. 6. It's an entertaining spectacle, with a pre-parade laser show and lights on everything from antique cars to vintage farm vehicles, tuba players to a giant grocery cart.
People flood the streets before the parade, some tailgating for prime viewing spots. Pop-up shops are located in the Marketplatz (Market Square), and the shops on Main Street are decorated in a mix of rustic and kitsch.
Shops stay open late. Among them are Red, a purveyor of cool household accessories and retro games located in a former Buick dealership; eWay Furniture; and Fischer & Wieser on Main, the in-town location of the popular gourmet store. (Case Fischer and Mark Wieser have been known to drive the company’s signature red pickup in the parade.)
On Dec. 7, the National Museum of the Pacific War hosts a moving Pearl Harbor Day ceremony honoring veterans of World War II and other times.
Also on Dec. 7, Fredericksburg’s Pioneer Museum hosts a Kinderfest (children’s festival) and a tour of historic buildings and homes.
Other activities in the area during the first week of December include the annual Christmas Barbecue Cook-off (Dec. 7) and shooting competition using 1880s firearms, Dec. 6-8 at the Tin Star Ranch. Becker Vineyards’ annual Port & Stilton Tasting takes place Dec. 7-8 and 14-15; the Texas Hill Country holiday wine trail is open Dec. 6-15. Check the city’s visitor website for more events in the area.
MiChelle Jones is a freelance writer in Nashville.
When you go
For information, contact Fredericksburg’s Visitor Information Center at visitfredericksburgtx.com or 1-888-997-3600.


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According to the latest data released by the China Industry and Enterprise Information Publishing Center, in the first three quarters of this year, the prosperity of the beverage industry in China has declined. However, the herbal tea industry is a sudden rise, and herbal tea has exceeded Coca-Cola and has become China's best-selling bottling beverage.
China's industrial enterprise information release center released data. In the first three quarters of this year, the prosperity of China's beverage industry declined, but overall it still maintained rapid growth. From the point of view of consumption structure, the sales of healthy beverages are constantly rising, and herbal tea has surpassed Coca-Cola as the best-selling filling beverage in China.
Wan Donghua, director of the China Industry Enterprise Information Publishing Center: In recent years, China's beverage industry has generally exhibited a continuously optimized feature. The proportion of healthy drinks has been rising, and the share of carbonated drinks has shown a downward trend. There are four types of market share that have increased over last year. One is tea beverage, one is herbal tea, one is functional beverage, and the other is drinking water.
In the first three quarters of this year, JDB spent 73% of the entire herbal tea market, while Wong Lo Kat only accounted for 8.9 percent. At present, Wang Laoji and JDB's advertising marketing and channel competition has been fully launched. Economic reviewer Ma Guangyuan believes that China's herbal tea market can take the opportunity to enlarge.
Ma Guangyuan: The rapid growth in the past two years has laid a certain foundation for the future cultivation of the market. It is unlikely that Jiaduobao will kill Wang Laoji or Wang Laoji will kill Jiaduobao. Only the future competition space and ceiling will not come yet. . Everyone looks at this case to see if they can compete with each other to see if they can further expand and strengthen the Chinese herbal tea market.
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Intel's long-running fight against €1bn fine could put EU's winning streak in jeopardy
Intel's eight-year clash with the European Union over chip pricing has dragged on so long that the €1.06bn antitrust fine imposed in 2009, a record at the time, now seems like a distant memory.
But last Wednesday's ruling in the case at the EU Court of Justice could be a blast from the past if it ends the European Commission's decades-long winning streak in cases about monopolies.
Victory for Intel would encourage others "to switch to a fighter mode" said Georg Berrisch, a lawyer for Baker Botts in Brussels. Rather than agree to settle cases with the EU's antitrust enforcers, they would be more likely to head to court to appeal any fines, he said.
The Brussels-based commission has not lost a big antitrust case in court in more than 20 years. Knowing that and facing likely defeat, most companies being probed for monopoly abuse tend to cave in. They agree to a binding deal to change their behaviour, shutting down the EU investigation early to avoid fines or get a reduced penalty.
"This may be the case to disturb that trend," said Pat Treacy, a competition lawyer specialising in intellectual property and technology at Bristows in London.
Qualcomm could be the most directly affected by the ruling. The EU is probing whether the company unfairly paid Apple to only use Qualcomm chipsets in its products. Google, under investigation for inducing phone makers to use its Android software, will also be watching closely.
Intel continued its battle against the commission's 2009 penalty for using discounts to push out Advanced Micro Devices, and a decision by the EU's second highest court to back the regulator. Giving hope to the chipmaker, Nils Wahl, an adviser at the bloc's top tribunal, in October said the earlier ruling mistakenly dismissed the need for regulators to prove that Intel's payments to manufacturers - or rebates - for buying its chips were illegal.
Intel is one of the longest-running cases in the commission's history and one of the few to reach the EU's top court. It's been closely watched "because it deals with one of the most common and commercially relevant issues, rebates" and deals with "one of the current hot-topics in competition law" about the level of proof needed with infringements, said Ms Treacy.
The EU's investigation found that Intel impeded competition by giving rebates to computer makers from 2002 until 2005 on the condition that they buy at least 95pc of chips for PCs from Intel. Its antitrust fine was the EU's biggest at the time. The record stood until June, when the EU slapped Google with a €2.4bn penalty for skewing results to thwart smaller shopping search services.
Lawyers are hoping that the EU court will deliver clarity on issues raised by Intel. The advocate general did exactly this, chiding the lower court over its analysis on rebates, but also on procedural questions where Mr Wahl was critical of the EU's handling of evidence it gathered against Intel.
In October, Mr Wahl seemed to back Intel's arguments that its rights to a defence in court were harmed when the EU failed to note details of a meeting with a Dell executive to gather evidence. The lower court was mistaken to say the EU did nothing wrong and that any problems were remedied by providing the information later on, he said.
A ruling on this point could embolden pending court challenges by Apple and Ireland in which they argue that they were unfairly kept in the dark on the process of an EU state aid probe into their tax affairs.
Whether an Intel victory ends up emboldening companies to take on a long court appeal in the end comes down to money and stamina.


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Graphics cards have been difficult to purchase for the past two years or so, thanks to ongoing supply chain problems and cryptocurrency-induced demand. The high demand has kept prices high, but now that’s changing.
Graphics card prices and availability have significantly improved in recent months — most GPUs aren’t going for above their original prices anymore, and we’ve even started to see some sales. NVIDIA confirmed on a recent earnings call that the company is dealing with “excess inventory” of RTX 3000-series graphics cards, as supply finally starts to exceed buyer demand.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said the company has “instituted programs to price position our current products to prepare for next-generation products.” It’s unlikely that the company will drop the prices on its own NVIDIA-branded cards (previously known as “Founders Edition” cards), but NVIDIA is reducing prices for hardware partners like EVGA, ASUS, and MSI. Most GeForce graphics cards available today could become cheaper as a result, especially if partners are also dealing with excess inventory.
The price cuts come as NVIDIA is preparing to reveal new graphics cards in September, at the company’s GTC 2022 keynote. NVIDIA is also dealing with more competition than ever — the advanced M1 chips in Apple’s high-end MacBook Pro and Mac Studio workstations can handle many of the same workloads as GeForce graphics cards (though still lack support for most PC games), while Intel is slowly ramping up development of its own GPUs.
Source: Ars Technica
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The Crazy in Love singer will return to London as part of her huge concert tour
Felix Sanchez powered to 400m gold wearing sunglasses — and guess what, the sun is due back! So strap on your sunnies and get ready for action.
08 August 2012
Quintain has signed up its first high end fashion brand at its London Designer Outlet at Wembley.
20 July 2012
With Wimbledon in full swing, here are the top five accessories to pair with your obligatory champers and strawbs.
27 June 2012
The Prince of Wales joked that he has become an "icon" of British fashion as he hosted a reception at St James's Palace to launch a new exhibition of British menswear.
15 June 2012
Short ones or long ones? Spots or sheer? Whatever you choose, pull up your socks for the latest London look
14 May 2012
Brits who love that preppy Stateside look no longer have to get on a plane to acquire it. Karen Dacre introduces four US brands to fall for this summer
— and there isn’t a pair of Levi 501s among them
24 April 2012
22 April 2012
Charlie May is a fashion designer and blogger.
21 March 2012
Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence glittered in gold on the red carpet.
15 March 2012
Marina, 26, is a fashion designer from Victoria.
12 March 2012
- Frank de Boer turns down Tottenham
- Christmas gift guides
- Party people - the stars out in London
- Lorries to trial top-down CCTV system to cut London bike deaths
- Family 'devastated' after British doctor Abbas Khan dies in a Syrian jail
- Matthew Perry and Peter Hitchens go head-to-head in fierce Newsnight debate on drugs
- Closing stretch of M25 to build new Heathrow runway is 'unthinkable'


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CVS is working hard to develop more strategic personalization efforts with its ExtraCare customers. CVS recently announced that it will offer tailored versions of its weekly print circulars to ExtraCare loyalty program customers. This initiative, myWeeklyAd, will use data gathered from CVS ExtraCare members’ previous purchases. Users of the myWeeklyAd service will also be able to build digital shopping lists tailored to the store that they most often frequent; the list will even tell them what aisle they can find certain products. The service also gives customers customized coupons and offers.
CVS, like many retailers, relied heavily on the distribution of circulars to drive traffic and increase sales. Today’s technologies allow CVS to reach more customers at a less expensive rate, as well as make shopping easier for customers. CVS believes that the myWeeklyAd service will provide customers with increased convenience and create a more personalized shopping experience.
CVS has also created a “What’s Your Deal?” campaign to showcase the individualized attention that customers get. This ad features a mother of two children receiving deals on pain relievers and cleaning wipes, while a lovelorn man might receive deals for mints, candy, and hair gel.
However, some critics argue that making personalized recommendations to consumers can sometimes be intrusive and turn some customers off. Some Internet bloggers have also created memes imitating how some ExtraCare members receipts can extend up to five or six feet with all of the coupons. For many customers, that is just too much.
1. What is CVS’s myWeeklyAd?
2. Do you believe it will garner customer loyalty?
SOURCE:Stuart Elliott, New York Times, October 10, 2013


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May 30, 2023
BEIJING – A journey enriched with cuisine and culture
As reported by China Tourism News, the merging of culture and tourism has prompted several cities in China to explore their culinary heritage while transforming food tours into cultural experiences.
The recent surge in popularity of Zibo barbecue is testament to this effort. Zibo, located in East China’s Shandong province, was not widely known as a tourist destination. However, over the past three months the industrial city’s succulent barbecue has gained immense popularity and attracted a massive influx of visitors who have turned it into a tourist hot spot.
“I never expected Zibo barbecue to become so popular all of a sudden!” said Zhang Linlin, deputy director of the business management department at Shandong College of Tourism and Hospitality. “With the recent intensive publicity, many of my young colleagues have rushed to try it out. They all praised its great taste and reasonable price.”
Zhang is researching the Zibo barbecue craze to identify sustainable strategies that promote youth tourism and support the recovery of the tourism industry.
China boasts a diverse range of cuisine, and regions throughout the country have been actively exploring the potential of food as a catalyst for tourism growth.
In March, a monthlong festival featuring Dongpo food culture was held in Haikou, capital of Hainan province. The festival saw 10 cities that were once home to Su Dongpo, a renowned poet and gourmet during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), come together to showcase their unique Dongpo-related delicacies. The cities included Meishan in Sichuan province, Huanggang in Hubei province and Huizhou in Guangdong province.
In August 2022, at a festival featuring tourism and food in Fujian province, 126 booths showcased specialties such as smoked duck from Jian’ou, beef balls from Yongding and meat slices from Fuding, attracting throngs of locals and tourists to sample the fare.
Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, has been organizing high-profile food-themed events such as the Chengdu International Food Festival for years. Additionally, it has implemented a three-year action plan (2018-20) and a five-year action plan (2021-25) to establish itself as an international food capital.
Food plays a vital role in driving tourism spending and capturing a traveler’s heart. Wu Liyun, an associate professor at the China Academy of Culture and Tourism of Beijing International Studies University, illustrated this point by reflecting on her own experiences: “The tantalizing skewers of Dujiangyan, the crispy and spicy Yimeng stir-fried chicken of Linyi and the delectable grilled oysters of Guangzhou were not only among the most memorable and important components of my itineraries, they were the greatest motivators for me to return,” Wu said.
“When it comes to the most memorable city I have visited, the first one that comes to mind is Langkawi in Malaysia. It was the first overseas city I visited, where we ate creamy lobster on a beautiful afternoon at the beach. To some extent, the creamy lobster represents my most memorable experience in Langkawi and serves as a symbol of my trip there.”
Tourism experts suggest that enhancing the role of culture can enrich the overall tourist experience.
According to Zhang Linlin with Shandong College of Tourism and Hospitality, Zibo has undertaken initiatives to recommend local attractions to young visitors, including the Zibo Ceramic and Glass Museum and the Qi Heritage Museum.
Li Qinglei, vice-dean of the school of tourism and geography of Yunnan Normal University’s Faculty of Geography, suggested leveraging food industry associations and writers’ and artists’ associations to promote local food culture through initiatives such as soliciting food stories, organizing trips for literature and art personnel and new media creators, composing food guides, filming documentaries and applying for inclusion on intangible cultural heritage lists.


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PROVIDENCE – Nishita Roy-Pope, founder of WorldRoo Learning Lab, was named the winner of the Rhode Island Business Competition’s Elevator Pitch Contest on Nov. 10 at Venture Café.
WorldRoo Learning Lab is a multimedia, subscription-based app for ages 3-6 with a focus on key learning skills, including science, technology, engineering and math, global languages and building confidence.
Roy-Pope was selected among more than 28 entrepreneurs who pitched their business idea to a panel of three judges: Doris Blanchard, director of Small Business Programs at the R.I. Commerce Corp.; Alex Pirri, vice president and small-business banker at Bank of America Corp.; and Brian Spero, CEO and president of Beacon Mutual Insurance Co.
Participants had 90 seconds to present their idea to a panel of judges and an audience, with the format drawing from the concept of “the time you’d have to share an elevator ride with a potential investor,” according to organizers. A total of $1,000 in cash prizes was awarded.
Participants were judged on presenting a clearly defined problem and solution, financial potential, having an executable plan and the overall quality of their pitch.
Yuzhou Wang was the second-place winner. Her company, InterEye Therapeutics, is a startup whose mission is to develop IL-24 polypeptide as a treatment for uveitis, an eye inflammatory disease.
Diane Kamada was the third-place winner. Her product, The LapSnap, helps people in wheelchairs increase their independence by enabling them to do more tasks themselves, such as shopping and household chores.
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Microsoft lastly closed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard at the moment, however it seems like Bobby Kotick might be staying on as CEO by way of to the tip of 2023.
It could have taken about 20 months, however as of at the moment, Microsoft has formally acquired Activision Blizzard. That after all comes with a heap of questions, and one of many huge ones is clearly: what about Bobby Kotick? In an e mail despatched to all Activision Blizzard King staff, as reported by The Verge, Kotick seems to be staying on as CEO of the corporate, no less than till the tip of 2023. “Phil has requested me to remain on as CEO of ABK, reporting to him, and we've got agreed that I'll do this by way of the tip of 2023,” wrote Kotick. “We each look ahead to working collectively on a clean integration for our groups and gamers.”
Wanting again to our personal tackle the information of the acquisition.
It needs to be famous that previously couple of years, there have been requires Kotick to resign, partially due to sexual harassment and bullying allegations that led to a number of lawsuits. Kotick had reportedly additionally been conscious of stated allegations for years, and even had a number of allegations in opposition to him as nicely. With the deal now having gone by way of, it is also attainable that Kotick will obtain as a lot as $400 million from Microsoft as a payout.
With Activision Blizzard beneath the Microsoft banner, it now owns huge titles like Name of Obligation, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Sweet Crush Saga. That does not imply that these video games will all of the sudden be unique to Xbox, a number of offers (together with one with PlayStation) have assured that, and also you should not count on all of Activision Blizzard's catalogue to be obtainable on Sport Move till subsequent 12 months both.
Activision Blizzard joins builders like Bethesda, Mojang, Doublefine, and various others as Xbox first-party studios, in addition to all the builders it owns itself.


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Fenix Outdoor Group, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based outdoor goods specialist Fenix Outdoor International AG, has boosted its international, omnichannel growth strategy. Fenix Outdoor Group will standardise its order fulfilment on the Manhattan SCALE system with initial deployments in its distributions centres in the US and Germany, followed by the Netherlands, Norway, China and Australia.
Fenix Outdoor Group develops and markets high-quality, low-weight equipment and clothing for outdoor activities under its Fjällräven, Tierra, Primus, Hanwag and Brunton brands, and sells through a combination of its own stores, retail partner stores and a growing online operation. The company’s major markets include North America, Germany and the Nordics as well as Australia.
Established in the 1950s, Fenix Outdoor has grown organically and through a series of acquisitions. Its 2015 purchase of Globetrotter, a German retail group, transformed the company from a predominantly wholesale-oriented business to a multi-channel commerce operator. The multiple, disparate systems it had inherited over the years were, however, hindering its further development. Fenix Outdoor therefore opted for a new warehouse and distribution management system to optimise its expanded business operation and to support its broader international and omnichannel growth ambitions.
Global supply chain director at Fenix Outdoor Group Marcel Gerrits commented: “With today’s consumers requiring exceptional shopping service, we are building our capabilities to provide a ‘best in class’ omnichannel one – offering our customers the goods they want, whenever and wherever they want them. We selected Manhattan as our chosen partner and its SCALE system that allows us to serve multiple channels from a single inventory pool. It also has on-the-ground support teams in all the geographies where we will deploy.”
Opinion – Lisa McAuley
Attending the inaugural Alibaba E-Commerce Expo in Melbourne helped shed light on the opportunities e-commerce platforms like Alibaba present for small and medium-sized Australian businesses.
Already valued at over USD 16 trillion, online sales are one of the world’s fastest-growing retail channels.
Selling online gives businesses access to a whole world of new customers without many of the challenges, risks and expenses that often come with establishing a physical presence in a new market.
To harness this opportunity, it is imperative that small businesses invest upfront in developing and equipping themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills to make informed business decisions.
Success in online exporting, as in all business, relies on careful planning, risk mitigation and dedication.
Platforms like Alibaba offer new pathways to market in many ways, each of which may present new challenges for new-to-online manufacturers or retailers.
For example, bricks-and-mortar commerce requires a focus on location, merchandise assortment and display, as well as the in-store experience. E-commerce, on the other hand, requires a focus on order fulfillment, logistics, the online customer experience and customer lifecycle management.
Businesses must also ask themselves a number of new questions, such as: is growing a global business via online channels appropriate for my product or service, and what are the right platforms to consider? What tax or regulatory considerations need to be taken into account? What logistics and financing solutions will be required? How do I protect my intellectual property?
Alibaba’s Melbourne conference was a perfect opportunity for aspirational buyers and sellers to explore the cross-border export opportunities provided by ecommerce platforms such as Alibaba. Through exposure to a network of reputable and experienced service partners and buyers, businesses were able to advance the knowledge and skills needed to successfully export to China.
Alibaba is one of many established online marketplaces that Australian businesses can leverage to access the massive international consumer market, but there are also several tools available to Australian businesses who opt for more proprietary solutions to reach new consumers in overseas markets.
Starting a new business or extending market reach overseas is never easy, but by working with platforms like Alibaba and their partners, companies have a new opportunity to grow.
Of course, the Export Council of Australia is always here to help as well. We offer a range of services that can support you to successfully grow your online business, including our international business coaching service and various education programs.
I would like to congratulate Maggie Zhou, Alibaba Group’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand, for convening such a great event in Melbourne. The Alibaba platform is an excellent tool to assist Australian companies in accessing new opportunities, in particular small businesses interested in leveraging the global marketplace to fast-track their own growth. Lisa McAuley is the CEO of the Export Council of Australia.
With the arrival of Amazon causing heated debate among industry experts and retailers alike, new research reveals smaller online retailers are more likely to welcome the eCommerce giant than larger online retail businesses, and see it as an opportunity to grow their business.
Parcel delivery service CouriersPlease (CP) has conducted a survey among its online retailer customers to gauge sentiment about the arrival of Amazon.
Of 193 online retailers who took part in the survey – many of them small businesses – more than half (59%) see Amazon’s arrival as an opportunity to grow their business to Australian and international customers. The percentage consistently increased the smaller the size of the business: 62 per cent of micro businesses, 56 per cent of small businesses, 53 per cent of medium-sized businesses, and 33 per cent of large businesses would welcome Amazon.
The survey also revealed that 63 per cent of online retailers – and 74 per cent of small online retailers – believe Amazon will not compete with their business.
Attitudes among online retailers, however, are in stark contrast to shopper behaviour. CP research in June revealed that 90 per cent of Australian online shoppers admitted they would purchase from Amazon if it fulfils its promise to deliver low prices, vast selection and fast delivery.
CEO of CP Mark McGinley said: “Amazon is a disrupter and it’s likely that its arrival will change not only the retail sector, but also the logistics industry. Like every disruptor in the market, Amazon is customer-focused and local businesses wanting to compete will need to look at how they can add value to the customer. There is no doubt that the competition will make us all better at what we do.
“Australian online shoppers have told us that they will redirect their purchases to Amazon if it can deliver more of what customers want. It’s no surprise that smaller online sellers see Amazon as a partnership opportunity, to enable them to reach more local and overseas customers.”
Opinion – Dr Raymon Krishnan
In retail, the focus today is very much on e-commerce and there is much being said about how it is taking over traditional retailing. Lower costs, a wider selection of suppliers, and options with the convenience of access anytime or anywhere makes buying online an attractive proposition.
Like with many trends, the tide seldom moves in one direction. Take mobile phones for example. At a certain point, the market realised that phones needed to be big enough to be used comfortably and had to be practical. So phones (and not just smart phones) started getting bigger until they were right-sized.
Something similar seems to be happening in retail. In the US, brick and mortar retailers account for roughly half of online sales and related activity. Disruption of traditional commerce models continues to accelerate at an unprecedented pace and retailers are being forced to re-evaluate how they go to market, balancing front-end footprints with back-end fulfilment capabilities and their overall digital presence. At the same time, the uberisation of freight and FaaS (Freight as a Solution) offerings, and warehouse sites that combine prescriptive analytics capability, are resulting in flexible networks and infrastructure capabilities. These developments are elevating supply chains and logistics strategies into must-have, strategic differentiators.
In the experience economy, meeting consumer demand requires a seamless partnership between front-end retail service and back-end fulfilment capabilities. Additionally, retailers cannot rely on just one, ‘go to market’ channel. More and more companies are realising that an omni-channel approach is needed for long-term commercial sustainability. This does not mean that shopping malls are going to have people flocking back to them. What it does mean is that channels and resources to markets will need to be relevant and differentiated as opposed to ubiquitous.
Investing in e-commerce and digital marketing, often with insufficient focus and prioritisation alone is not what consumers want and the simple fact of the matter is that the majority of retail purchases, in virtually all categories starts online and till today, digitally influenced physical store sales are far bigger than pure online sales.
The future of omni-channel will not be evenly distributed across all channels, and challenges will still remain for brick and mortar malls and stores. Retailers need to have a well-sequenced roadmap of digital and conventional marketing, combined with channel integration initiatives rooted in a deep understanding of customer behaviour and underlying economics. The scattergun approach many have taken in implementing an e-commerce strategy has not proven to be successful. A laser focus, targeted at specific groups or areas, will be what results in success through the coupling of rich datasets and consumer insight.
This is good news to me. I am a little old school and still like the personal interaction brick and mortar stores afford the consumer. Being able to touch and feel what exactly I am intending to buy is another plus point, and I am sure I am not alone. E-commerce is not the be-all and end-all and the winning formula will be one that is balanced and measured. Dr Raymon Krishnan is the president of the Singapore Logistics & Supply Chain Management Society and editor-at-large of LogiSYM.
Australian courier service Sendle has partnered with eBay. Sellers can now link their eBay accounts directly with Sendle to create shipping labels and receive access to flat-rate pricing throughout Australia, with door-to-door service that includes pick-up at prices that are said to be significantly cheaper than the post office.
eBay sellers also have access to Sendle Premium, which provides an extra $1 off standard pricing and allows merchants to ship 500g satchels for only $6.95. A 2kg parcel from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast costs $9.95 with Sendle.
The partnership is targeted at small and medium-sized businesses and to launch the partnership, Sendle is giving away 25,000 free deliveries to the eBay seller community.
Director of small business & shipping at eBay Australia & New Zealand Amrita Blickstead said: “We hear from our sellers that shipping can be one of the biggest pain points in running a business. The integration with Sendle is designed to remove some of this friction, and will allow our 40,000 small-to-medium sellers to be more efficient and sell instantly without being locked into a contract or a minimum commitment.”
Co-founder and CEO of Sendle James Chin Moody said: “‘Sendle for eBay’ is levelling the playing field for small and medium-sized eBay sellers, giving them a new shipping option that is simple, reliable and affordable. With a deep understanding of eBay seller needs and working together with eBay, we are focusssed on eliminating frustrating pain points for both buyers and sellers, making the delivery process seamless.”
The countdown is on to the Retail Day at the GS1 Supply Chain Week as the event returns for its sixth year.
With less than two weeks to go, the event is being held at Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont, Sydney on Wednesday 6 September, and at Sumac & Sketch, Central Pier at the Docklands in Melbourne on Wednesday 13 September.
Head of customer engagement & business development at GS1 Australia Marcel Sieira said: “This event is bringing together industry experts and influencers who will share their experiences across a wide range of topics including evolving retail technologies, online marketplaces, RFID, inventory visibility for omni-channel effectiveness, and the future of Australian retail.”
Hosted by GS1 Australia, the retail program promises to deliver an interactive learning experience for supply chain professionals, operations and digital managers to explore the role GS1 standards can play to drive business efficiencies and reduce costs while meeting today’s supply chain challenges.
GS1 Australia’s head of marketing & training solutions Richard Jones said: “If you work in the retail sector, this event is an ideal opportunity to learn about the rapid changes in retail technology and the demands of the mobile consumer.”
A snapshot of some of the speakers and their topics includes:
Pier Smulders, Business Development Director New Zealand at Alibaba Group – Alibaba driving opportunity with big data;
Gareth Jude, Retail Industry Executive at Telstra – the potential of data to transform the retail supply chain;
Gary Stones, National Retail Operations Manager at Myer – RFID technology is the key enabler of inventory accuracy;
Kenta Sakakibara, Partner Management Lead, Ads/Commerce Partnership at Google – the power of GTINs in Google Shopping;
Julianne Westaway, Director, Client Service at Nielsen – real growth is still possible in the Australian retail sector.
Australians are shopping online more than ever and mainly from local retailers, with sales surging more than 11 per cent in the past year, according to new research from Australia Post. Australia Post has released its second annual Inside Australian Online Shopping Report – an overview of eCommerce in Australia, identifying who is buying what and where online.
The report, which draws on all of Australia Post and StarTrack’s customer and delivery data, showed online shopping sales rose 11.5 per cent in 2016 compared with 2015, and domestic retailers accounted for 79 per cent of the total online spending.
Australia Post’s general manager of e-commerce & international Ben Franzi said Australians’ love of fashion and department/variety store items continued, with the two categories accounting for more than half of all online sales.
“Price, range and convenience are the three main reasons why consumers shop online, and why growth rates remain strong,” Mr Franzi said.
“Online shopping empowers people to shop at a time that suits them.”
“Almost one third of all online purchases were made from 7pm-10pm, while 18 per cent were made from 2pm-5pm. Australians are increasingly using their smart phones to shop online, with purchases made from a mobile device growing 52 per cent.”
Other popular items included personalised goods, which grew 28.2 per cent. Mr Franzi said more online retailers were offering shoppers the ability to co-design and add their own personal brand to products such as watches, handbags and other accessories.
Point Cook in Victoria was the No.1 buying location for the second consecutive year, reporting 13.2 per cent growth, followed by Toowoomba in Queensland (7.6 per cent growth) and Liverpool in NSW (15 per cent growth).
Together, Australia Post and StarTrack deliver more than four billion items to 11.6 million addresses across the country annually. Mr Franzi said the data provided critical information for businesses looking to get ahead in a tough retail market.
“Here in Australia retail as we know it won’t ever look the same,” Mr Franzi said.
“The Inside Australian Online Shopping Report is a powerful tool to help businesses understand their existing and potential customers better, so they can create targeted offers and grow their sales by giving consumers what they want based on facts and data.”


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POPAI ANZ announced the winners of the 2014 marketing and retail awards at the Hilton Hotel on the October 1.
The awards recognise the best of shopper and retail marketing. Darren Pinks, POPAI managing director, said: “Congratulations to all our winners, this year awards were one of the toughest ever with so many great campaigns showing creativity, innovation and design. Shopper marketing is moving so fast, it’s rewarding to see so many case studies through our awards.”
POPAI awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Indians for specific channels and elements of Shopper and Retail Marketing across four separate categories: In Store Craft, Path to Purchase, Retail Marketing – Temporary Display and Retail Marketing – Permanent Display. In addition to these were the Pinnacle Awards which are given to the overall best in category and the grand Prix the Tom Harris Best of the Best.
“We introduced some changes this year that raised the benchmark required to win a coveted Indian,” said Pinks. “We had 2 tiers of judging and set criteria that looked at innovation, creativity, design, use of insights and ultimately results in the marketplace. This is really important to continue to push the boundaries, ensure credibility for the awards and establish the Indian as a mark of excellence across the industry.”
ApolloNation on behalf of VB took home the Tom Harris Grand Prix for the VB Scoreboard Wins the Ashes campaign, as well as the overall Path to Purchase category.
The additional overall Category winners were:
- TRO Australia on behalf of Telstra took home the best of In Store Craft category for their Telstra 2013 Interactive Christmas Windows
- Active Display Group on behalf of Walt Disney Studios won the best of Retail Marketing- Temporary Display for Frozen Snow Blower standee and tower
- Id8 Studio on behalf of Microsoft Australia won the overall Retail Marketing – Permanent display category for the Microsoft Windows Reinvention campaign
“The POPAI Gold, Silver and Bronze Indians are becoming the benchmark of quality work across the industry,” said Pinks. “As the marketing discipline continues to evolve and retail marketing becomes increasingly important. It’s good to see so many integrated campaigns addressing brand and retailer objectives to deliver for shoppers. The industry should be proud of what it is achieving right now and we expect further development in the future.”
Australian owned and operated email and SMS marketing software company, Vision6, announced the launch of its first-ever national brand campaign and new brand platform “Simply Reliable”. Founded in 2001, Vision6 was one of the first email marketing software providers in Australia and has since been relied upon by thousands of Aussie businesses and organisations for […]
Out-of-Home media company JCDecaux New Zealand has appointed business growth specialist Adam McGregor in preparation for its bid to win upcoming local government street furniture tenders across the country. With contracts for the provision of street furniture including bus shelters across New Zealand up for renewal from late 2022, they collectively represent the biggest advertising […]
Fetch TV has announced that ABC iview will soon be available as a dedicated Virtual Playlist Channel on the Fetch platform. Virtual Playlist Channels (VPCs) were developed by Fetch to promote content discovery, and to provide a clear bridge between the traditional world of linear TV and the growing availability of on demand content via […]
Jackie Gillies, businesswoman, psychic medium and cast member of The Real Housewives of Melbourne is bringing her sassy, inspirational and adventurous spirit to her new podcast Shine It Up, With Jackie Gillies, which launches today via Acast. Hosted and distributed by the creator-first podcast company Acast, the show will offer listeners inspiration and motivation to […]
Crowdsourcing platforms DesignCrowd and BrandCrowd are promoting vaccination efforts in a unique way, launching a logo redesign contest among their networks of designers. The initiative saw iconic Australian brands such as Hungry Jack’s, Jetstar, JB Hi-Fi, and Bunnings undergo a redesign. “We thought it would be fun to see some other iconic Australian brands back […]
Jillian Davison has been named editor-in-chief of the recently relaunched Harper’s BAZAAR Australia. She will oversee all content, development and creative direction across the iconic magazine’s digital and brand platforms. Davison (pictured) succeeds Eugenie Kelly, who recently stepped down to pursue other opportunities. The announcement was made by Maureen Jordan, publisher of Harper’s BAZAAR Australia […]
Freedom Foods and 72andSunny Sydney have launched the first advertising campaign for Australia’s Own range of plant-based beverages. The campaign introduces a new visual world and identity for the brand and captures the healthy, positive feeling you get when spending time in nature and when consuming Australia’s Own certified-organic, plant-based beverages. As well as featuring […]


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Coursera, the world’s leading online learning platform, today announced several new customers as part of its fast-growing enterprise business. In 2019, large organizations initiated or continued partnerships with Coursera for Business.
Interchange of knowledge and perspective creates new knowledge that is personal to the learner. With social learning, the learner is not merely a passive recipient of information but an active contributor to his or her learning.
There is a unilateral need to stay current, relevant and competitive within organizations and their industries. Keeping up with technologies, business innovation, product development and compliance standards are all ongoing issues.
Data and marketing professionals across the UK can now benefit from the UK DMA’s world-leading learning solutions being delivered online, driven by the Institute of Data & Marketing (IDM).
Thought Industries, one of the fastest growing online learning SaaS companies, has announced its expansion in Europe with the launch of an office in Dublin to provide additional support to European-based customers.
For many years, e-learning designers have relied on chatbots — those handy little digital “helpers.” With the introduction of faster internet connections and better development tools, chatbots are no longer just digitized voices behind animated...
Despite significant investment in going digital, e-learning presents several challenges, including disengaged learners and lower learning effectiveness. Turn to neuroscience to understand how the brain learns and how to create optimal learning conditions.


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SolCloud Delivers Updates and Essential Info on Pacific Games via Android and iOS Devices through Mobile App
In a significant development, SolCloud Ltd, a locally based tech company in the Solomon Islands, has introduced the SolCloud PG2023 App, an extensive event application aimed at enhancing the experience for attendees and enthusiasts of the Pacific Games currently taking place in Honiara.
SolCloud Ltd has utilized its cloud service to create a user-friendly platform that consolidates essential information related to the Pacific Games 2023. The app includes critical details such as game schedules, venue information, real-time results, and a dynamic medal tally.
The distinctive feature of the SolCloud PG2023 App lies in its ability to offer a seamless experience for users globally. The app is not confined to the local audience but has a global reach, attracting sports enthusiasts and followers of the Pacific Games from around the region.
The SolCloud PG2023 App is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, catering to a broad spectrum of users with smartphones and tablets. Users can easily download the app from the Google Play Store for Android users and the App Store for iOS users, ensuring accessibility for the majority of mobile device owners, including those with iPhones and iPads.
The app’s intuitive interface and streamlined navigation facilitate quick access to information, keeping users updated on the latest developments throughout the Pacific Games. “Whether checking the schedule, reviewing venue details, or staying informed about medal standings, the SolCloud PG2023 App serves as a centralized hub for all Pacific Games-related information”, says Jerry Tengemoana, SolCloud’s Project Manager.
The App was formally launched on Sunday 19 November 2023.


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Thailand will enjoy over 4% gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year, mainly due to its strong growth in exports and tourism.
This was what the private and the public sectors voiced as they made adjustments on their estimated GDP growth for this year.
According to Dr Thanawat Polvichai, director of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting, this year could mark the first in more than six years that the economy achieves growth in GDP of more than 4%.
He forecast the economy to rise to 4.6% this year, attributing to recovery in the global economy as a result of the upward trend in US interest rates, plus growing Thai exports and tourism income.
Earlier he estimated the growth at 4.2%.
He forecast exports to grow by 6% this year while inflation will stand at 1.3% corresponding to the national policy rate which has been pegged at 1.5%.
He said the baht will be average out at 31 baht to the USD and tourist numbers to hit 38.6 million.
Dr Thanawat said his revised growth estimate also took into account stability in the country’s politics, as a general election has been promised under the government’s roadmap for to democracy.
Meanwhile the National Economic and Social Development Board said that 2017’s economy grew by 3.9% following a sustained rise in the GDP in the 4th quarter due primarily to a rise in consumption and private sector investment.
Agricultural sales which in 2016 were 2.5% in the red also grew by 6.2% which is a dramatic improvement. Exports similarly reached a 6 year peak growing by 9.7% allowing Thais to enjoy an average annual income of 228,371 baht/person.
For 2018, the economic think-tank projects that the GDP will grow by 4.1% or at least hover between 3.6 4.6%.
It readjusted its estimate to account for exchange rate fluctuations which is expected to result in an appreciation of the national currency to around 31.5 -32.5 baht to the USD.


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Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) showcased its existing and new tourism product portfolio as part of its strategic move to transform Thailand’s tourism towards high-value and sustainable tourism to the global tourism market at Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+) 2023.
Presenting the diversity of tourism products and services including luxury tourism experiences, wellness tourism, and tourism towards sustainability, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, TAT, said “TAT is illustrating Thailand as offering meaningful-driven travel to improve visitors’ experience. Encompassing discovery, transformation, fulfilment, and engagement between people, cultures, and nature, this underscores TAT’s direction to making a destination for protecting the country’s vast natural and scenic beauty and instigating a range of environmental initiatives.”
Chattan detailed about Bangkok Life, Phangnga and Phuket, wellness tourism and its possibilities including wellness breaks in Chiang Mai and Ko Samui, Surat Thani.
Highlighting the significance of sustainability, the Deputy Governor talked about a wide range of destinations and activities that deliver sustainability experiences, including exploring local community by bike at Bang Krachao, Samut Prakan; adventurer travel in Umphang, Tak; slow life at low- carbon destination on Ko Mak in Trat; and exploring the Little Amazon and surfing at the Memories beach in Takua Pa, Phangnga.
Moreover, the Authority is also developing a national drive that encompasses the entire Thai tourism industry with the development of the Sustainable Tourism Goals (STGs) of the United Nations. Among new initiatives include a STAR (Sustainable Tourism Acceleration Rating) system to certify sustainable tourism businesses.
TAT continues to develop a new tourism ecosystem and elevate supply through such initiatives as the Thailand Tourism Awards, ‘Up- Skill Re-Skill’ human resources development project, and ‘CF Hotels’ online platform for hotel and lodging operators to sustainably manage businesses.
Chattan said “Key marketing strategies include the “Great Resumption Episode II” for short haul markets, focusing on the return of Chinese market, the growth of source markets and new segments, the integration of Amazing Thailand brand seamlessly in the tourist’s slice of life, responsible tourism, and expanding new markets. While for long-haul markets, TAT continues to collaborate with strategic partners and increase air connectivity, expand markets, and promote Thailand as an all-year round destination.”
Thailand celebrated a milestone achievement in 2022, welcoming a total of 11.15 million international arrivals, which generated revenue of 589 billion Baht, and recorded 189 million domestic trips, which generated revenue of 641 billion Baht.
For 2023, TAT hopes to see around 80 percent of the tourism revenue generated in 2019, which is expected to be 2.38 trillion Baht, which 1.5 trillion Baht will be generated from the overseas market and 880 billion Baht from the domestic market.
Thailand welcomed 10,378,457 international arrivals generating 428 billion Baht during January 1 – May 27, 2023. The top five tourism markets were from Malaysia (1,606,373), China (1,098,604), Russia (734,995), South Korea (627,760), and India (583,319).


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Solar market specialist Sungevity has secured USD15m in new equity financings, including an investment from venture capital firm GE Ventures.
The funding will be used to accelerate the company’s capital efficient growth initiatives with a primary focus on the development of new service offerings that will diversify Sungevity’s business and grow the company’s global footprint.
The new funding follows an announcement by Sungevity in January that it had secured USD125m in combined venture capital and project financing.
The company currently services nine US states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. The company also has a presence in Europe through Netherlands-based Zonline and in Australia through a joint venture called Sungevity Australia.
"We are very pleased with our continued upward trajectory domestically and internationally," says Andrew Birch, Sungevity chief executive. "Our sales have doubled over prior year and we are starting to see significant volume from Europe, with utility partnerships and customer referrals driving the uptake. Our scalable model allows us to capitalise on new growth opportunities faster and with fewer dollars."
"GE Ventures is pleased to invest in Sungevity for its sophisticated technology platform, capital light business model and strong potential for growth as rooftop solar hits meaningful scale," says Colleen Calhoun, senior executive director for GE Energy Ventures.


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BANGKOK • Uber yesterday offered its first motorbike service, launching a pilot in Bangkok which could spread across Asia as it takes on chief regional rival Grab Taxi.
Motorbikes have long been a popular commuting option in the Thai capital, which has horrendous traffic jams due to increased car ownership and poor city planning. Ubiquitous motorbike taxi drivers, found at stands across the city wearing bright orange jackets, weave in and out of stalled traffic with both skill and knuckle-whitening speed.
An Uber motorbike which collects passengers from their office or home could prove popular, Agence France-Presse reported.
But Uber is up against both Singapore-based Grab Taxi, which began offering a Bangkok motorbike service alongside its cabs last year, and the tens of thousands of regular motorbike taxi drivers who jealously guard their turf.
"I'm really excited to say Thailand is the first country to launch a two-wheeled motorcycle product in all of our cities," Mr Douglas Ma, Uber's head of Asia expansion, said.
The US company has become one of the world's most valuable startups, worth an estimated US$50 billion (S$70 billion) and with a presence in 68 countries.
But it has faced regulatory hurdles and protests from established taxi operators in most locations where it has launched.
Both Uber and Grab Taxi have shaken up the taxi industry in Bangkok, providing an alternative to the city's often mercurial cabbies who routinely decline fares or refuse to use their meters.
Uber will initially roll out the bikes in three commercial districts, and says the fares should be cheaper than regular motorbike taxis'.
It will focus on Thailand but does not rule out launching similar services in other traffic-clogged Asian megacities like Jakarta and Manila.
"This is the first time we're doing it in any market in the world, so our hope is to develop it and innovate it," Mr Ma told AFP. "If it makes sense, absolutely we want to look at other markets."
He declined to say how many motorbike drivers Uber had signed up but said it was in the thousands.
At a stand in the commercial district of Chidlom, motorbike taxi driver Winai Bunprueng said he was unlikely to join up. "If I joined the app and I refused to go, they would reprimand or sack me - but for me now, if I can't agree with passengers on the prices, I won't go," the 37-year-old told AFP.
Mr Chalerm Changthongmadan, head of the Association of Taxi Motorcyclists of Thailand, is concerned by the arrival of start-up competitors, saying: "I think it will bring conflict among people who do these jobs."
UberMoto said its riders would be provided with a helmet to comply with regulations, would be insured and would have undergone an extensive screening process, including a police background check.
Uber's vetting of drivers was the subject of scrutiny in the US earlier this week, after one of its drivers in Michigan shot and killed six people. Uber said the driver had passed a background check, and police said he had no criminal record.
Correction note: An earlier version of this article converted the value of US$50 billion to S$70 million, when it should have been S$70 billion. We are sorry for the error.


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Quote To Start The Day: During the darkest days of the Model 3 program, I reached out to Tim Cook to discuss the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla (for 1/10 of our current value). He refused to take the meeting.
Source: Elon Musk
One Big Thing In Fintech: Jack Miller, head of trading at Baird, expects innovation to continue in US equity markets after new exchanges launched this year, new order types were approved and the US Securities and Exchange Commission adopted plans to modernize the market data infrastructure.
Source: Traders Magazine
Other Key Fintech Developments:
Watch Out For This: Zoom has been one of the technology high-performers for 2020, supporting the way people communicate and stay in touch around the world in this pandemic-hit climate. But the company now valued at US$100 billion could see all its forward momentum crushed by allegations that it cooperated with the Chinese government to monitor and to, in some cases, interfere with users’ video calls.
What sites need to win local leads.
Schwab was fined over its security.
Startups lost in the 2020 pandemic.
FDA sent Whole Foods a warning.
Hunger, food insecurity not equals.
Zoom is being probed by the SEC.
Stimulus takes on illegal streaming.
Kevin O’Leary on marketing trends.
CMC’s founder joining government.
Substack on its content moderation.
Traditional-, digital-asset behaviors.
Market Moving Headline: The landscape for big tech companies is growing more challenging. Recent U.S. congressional reports have signaled bipartisan agreement on some new antitrust regulations —a development that, while no sure thing, some industry observers think could end up strengthening antitrust enforcement in possibly narrow but consequential ways. But the fact is, regulation isn’t likely to dethrone America’s top tech companies. Let’s remember: rapid change at the top is the way it works in the technology industry.
Source: Harvard Business Review
See more from Benzinga
© 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Canada’s credit unions are often leaders on the technology front.
The system was the first to make it possible to deposit cheques via smartphone and has been quick to introduce innovative payment alliances. Yet despite these advances, financial services disruptors pose a growing threat to traditional bricks-and-mortar providers.
As Monique Leroux noted at a recent meeting of the European Association of Cooperative Banks, new payments and money transfer players such as PayPal, Apple and others don’t just operate on the Internet. In many ways, they also built it into what it is today. Leroux, CEO of Desjardins Group (7 million members, $229 billion in assets), added that as younger consumers get comfortable transacting and storing money with these innovators, they will increasingly demand other services such as loans. That prospect exposes longstanding financial services organizations to risk.
“Banking services have always existed … but not necessarily banks,” Leroux said. In fact the field known as FinTech is growing at a remarkable rate, reflecting the revolution that software technology is bringing to all financial services providers. According to a recent report produced by the consulting firm Accenture, global investment in FinTech ventures trebled in 2014 to USD$12.21 billion, compared with USD$4.05 billion in 2013.
“Banking services have always existed … but not necessarily banks”
—Monique Leroux, CEO, Desjardins
The emergence of tech co-ops
This staggering expansion is giving credit unions a heightened and urgent interest in tracking developments on the technology front — and surprisingly, they have an advantage over banks. The key to meeting these new challenges may well in banding together with IT providers that share a like-minded culture. Cooperation is a major and often underestimated driver of software development, the Internet and more recently, digital payments: workers in these fields have long collaborated to advance projects. And when widespread layoffs hit the tech industry in 2008, the downturn significantly accelerated the growth of a new sub-sector: technology cooperatives.
Cooperation in technology is nothing new. In fact, it has deep historical roots says Peter Cameron, co-op development manager at the Ontario Co-operative Association. Cameron cites Gosfield North Communications Co-operative, which supplies telephone and Internet residential and business services to customers in Cottam, Ontario, as an example. The firm has been operating since 1907. And to this day, telecommunications firms comprise the Ontario Co-operative Association’s largest category of technology-related members.
But a new breed of tech co-op is springing up now. Reid van Melle of Brierwood Design Cooperative agrees that credit unions can counter disruptive threats through more effective collaboration with these emerging groups. “We’re strong believers in the [cooperative] model and its future,” says van Melle, senior iOS developer of the Ontario-based mobile app consulting organization.
“We’re strong believers in the [cooperative] model and its future”
—Reid van Melle, senior iOS developer, Brierwood Design
Founded six years ago, Brierwood provides userexperience design, engineering, quality assurance development programs and other services to small, medium and some large organizations. The company, which has developed several applications for Apple, has seen its revenues grow rapidly — by more than 80 per cent last year alone.
Van Melle, like many people who have a co-op mindset, is also a big believer in “inter-cooperation” — that is, in doing business with other cooperatives to advance the sector as a whole. In fact, Brierwood makes sure to deal with credit unions for its financial services and is hoping that the ball will come back in his court one day. “We’ve done assignments in the insurance industry, so doing work with credit unions would seem like a natural step,” he says.
Montreal is the site of Koumbit, another tech group with high ideals. The 12-member Koumbit cooperative, which provides webhosting, content management systems and crowdfunding services to clients across Canada and in Africa, makes its position clear on its website.
“We believe,” Koumbit’s values state, “that each individual should have equal weight in collective decision making. Every worker should have the most autonomy possible in the management of their work. An organization should evolve in a climate of mutual aid and respect for the integrity and dignity of its members.
“Above all,” the group adds, “our work is to assist those who are addressing the social and environmental issues of our time. Our organization must also be a place of learning and skill sharing.”
Read more: “5 tech co-op ventures worldwide”
Emmanuel Décarie is project manager of Koumbit. “We like to work with organizations that have similar missions,” says Décarie. “For example, our clients range from a community group that wants to reduce the sounds caused by trains running through neighbourhoods, to another that provides health services in poor areas, to unions and student groups.”
Décarie enthusiastically supports the use of open-source software, which is collaboratively developed and shared. The model has several advantages that may be of interest to credit unions from a security standpoint. Users can download open-source products such as Linux, Drupal and Apache, then modify and change the application to suit their needs. “It’s more secure,” says Décarie. “When code is open source there are better guarantees that there are no back doors, because there are a lot of eyes looking at your code.”
Advantages for techies
Tech co-ops can help members overcome one of the chief industry challenges: recruiting and retaining top talent. That’s the view of Jonathan Poirier, president of Montreal-based Caravan Web Worker Cooperative, a web design and development enterprise. He cites several advantages that the cooperative model afforded the developers and designers who first bonded together to form Caravan in 2012. Like Koumbit’s Décarie, he says autonomy, independence and a democratic working environment were among the appeals.
“Because everyone is working towards the same objectives, people help each other instead of competing,” says Poirier. “The results speak for themselves. Staff at the firm has more than doubled from four to 10 during the first three years, a trend we expect will continue.”
Endless tech co-op possibilities
While almost everyone that Enterprise spoke with says that the number of technology cooperatives is growing, no one can provide precise statistics. A reason for this is likely because the term technology co-op covers a wide range of possibilities.
Those in the field choose to collaborate in a number of ways. Some, such as the members of Vancouver’s Bitcoin Co-op, create multi-faceted organizations based on a common pursuit. Bitcoin Co-op bills itself as a “voluntary and inclusive association of individuals united by a shared interest in Bitcoin” and has an education and networking format.
According to Andrew Wagner, a director of the registered British Columbia cooperative, the group includes partners such as Bitcoin Marketers, CryptoBiz Magazine and Quadriga CX, a bitcoin exchange. Their goal: to work together to advance this relatively new digital currency with a payment technology that often bypasses financial institutions altogether. The relevance of groups such as these to the credit union sector remains to be seen. (See: “Coin of no realm,” Enterprise, May 2014.)
Sleeping with the enemy
For all the potential good work of technology co-ops, the threats facing Canada’s credit unions from new technology disruptors are so broad, vast and quickly emerging that they will likely need to adopt a range of strategies. For example, at Desjardins Group, Leroux has already expressed a willingness to consider working with new online payment competitors, particularly Apple. For its part, Apple claims that it has no interest in getting involved in traditional banking services. However credit unions would be wise to remember that Apple also once said that it had no interest in getting involved in the music business — which it then proceeded to dominate.
Perhaps that’s why Desjardins is seeking alternatives should Apple not come to the bargaining table. It has already formed Monetico, a technology partnership with France-based Crédit Mutuel. Together, they’ve developed a way to help local entrepreneurs and international businesses deliver payment services via in-store terminals, the Internet, mobile devices or other technological media. Transaction management, network stability, merchant and consumer privacy, security, end-to-end encryption and fraud protection are all part of the package.
Smaller credit unions might need smaller solutions, however readily accessible and closer to home. Paul Maclean, a partner in Code Studio, a London Ontario-based web application co-op, has already worked with credit unions to set up e-commerce sites. He also believes that inter-cooperation is the way to go. “We all adhere to the same triplebottom line objectives — people, planet and profit,” says Maclean. “So the fit is great.” ◊
Want to establish a tech co-op?
A few rules apply for setting up a technology cooperative. One guideline is to devise a business plan that accounts for the broader objectives of the cooperative movement.
Do an environmental scan to make sure that there is a legitimate market or social need for your product or service.
Select members carefully
Involve the right people in the right roles at the right time. The greater your co-op’s skill set, the greater your chances of success.
Make sure that all members are involved in defining the cooperative’s vision and provide guidance so that everyone is rowing in the same direction.
If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll never get there. Establish concrete targets that are practical and achievable.
Organize the structure
Define the roles and responsibilities of all co-op members and ways to select and (if needed) change managers. Choose the right business model, whether it be a non-profit corporation, a registered cooperative or an informal partnership.
Keep accurate accounts
Many new cooperatives tend to keep records as an afterthought. Make it a priority instead. Good, timely information will provide members with clarity as to whether the organization is on track. ♦