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Nottingham pub owners are battling on as it was revealed that 150 ale houses have closed across England and Wales in the first three months of the year. Soaring energy bills and the rising costs of beer and food have driven many operators out according to official government data, which was analysed by real estate intelligence firm Altus Group.
Since the pandemic Nottinghamshire has seen a number of pubs call time for good. The Crafty Crow in Friar Lane, Nottingham city centre, and the Hand & Heart in Derby Road, are amongst them.
Operators have resorted to a number of measures to help them keep afloat such as shutting up shop at quieter times and bringing out a house beer at a more affordable price. Colin Wilde, the MD of Castle Rock Brewery which has 16 pubs across Notts include the Canalhouse and VAT & Fiddle, said: "We are always looking at opening hours. If we are opening our doors and customers aren't coming in at that time, clearly we're paying people to be there.
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"It's just trying to tweak at the margins. Our overall thing is we are very passionate about what we do and believe people want to come and see us and enjoy our beers in our pubs. It's just trying to run as lean as we can so we can continue to provide the right price points to attract people back. It's a balancing act trying to keep costs under control and make hay when the sun shines and make sure you're saving for a rainy day at the same time."
Prices were increased in January to combat the rising costs of supplies and the increase in the minimum wage. Around 30p was added to a pint of Harvest Pale, one of the company's best-selling beers, making it in the region of £4.20 (prices vary from pub to pub).
Mr Wilde said: "It's been a very difficult time and a clearly a difficult time to put prices up when consumers are hurting with their own battles at home in making ends meet. We have tried to keep the increases as reasonable as we possibly could do. We have mitigated that by increasing discounts on our loyalty scheme so people get significant benefits from that."
The brewery has also launched a slightly weaker (3.6% ABV) and cheaper house beer, priced at £3.80 so cash-strapped customers can still enjoy a pint.
But there's a further storm brewing with Castle Rock's energy contract due for renewal on October 1. "We have been cushioned from that until then. It's the not knowing of what that's going to be which is tricky. Also we have 12 months left of the government's discount on business rates so when that ends that's another thing to worry about. It's not a business in terms of getting rich quick, it's just trying to make long-term sensible decisions so we are still here in five years time and focussing on giving customers what they want at the price point they can afford," added Mr Wilde.
Hucknall-based Lincoln Green Brewing Company is a growing business that appears to be bucking the trend. It started the year with five pubs and is about to take over its seventh, adding the White Lion in Beeston to the list which includes Sir John Borlase Warren at Canning Circus, and the Brickyard in Carlton.
Founder Anthony Hughes said: "It’s definitely challenging for the hospitality and brewing businesses at the moment. Many are caught in a perfect storm; massive increases in utility costs, business rate rises, increases in National Living Wage and virtually every supplier also putting prices up as a direct result of rising inflation. Add to this the impact that the pandemic had on the sector – many pubs and brewers had to take on additional debt to survive, so for some a tipping point is reached where their businesses are no longer viable.
"It’s not all doom and gloom though. People still want to socialise – it was the one thing everyone missed during lockdown and there’s strong evidence that many are returning to a normal pattern of going out. It’s my belief that any business that puts the customer at the heart of everything they do will be in a strong position to attract footfall."
Award-winning Nottingham restaurant creates monster gourmet burger
New traveller site planned for community who 'want somewhere to call home'
£3,500 worth of Boots skincare products stolen from Nottinghamshire store
Driver claims nurse 'just shot out' moments before fatal crash


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Huaweiâ€™s Kirin 950 Chipset Gets Benchmarked, Scores Better Than Exynos 7420
It seems that Samsung’s mobile platform will soon be getting some competition from the likes of LG and Huawei. The NUCLUN 2 octa-core processor manufactured by LG has recently popped up in benchmarks and showed an improved performance compared to Exynos.
And now Huawei’s upcoming Kirin 950 has been spotted by the folks of Wccftech going through benchmarks too, so we can compare it to the Exynos 7420 as well.
The Kirin 950 is expected to be made using TSMC’s 16nm FinFET processes and will be running an octa-core processor, with four cores being of the Cortex-A72 variety with a clock speed of 2.4GHz. By contrast, Eyxnos 7420 features four Cortex-A57 cores. So here’s how the two compare against each other in the Geekbench benchmarking website...

domain: news


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Each year, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism tracks user trends in online news across multiple countries. This supplementary report focuses on six new European countries, and is an addition to the 2015 Digital News Report. Our findings are unparalleled in breadth and depth.
The future of journalism is already being defined by the digital age. Discover how it’s impacting consumers of news with insights into:
- How readers are using mobile data to access the news
- The growth of online news brands – and how they’re impacting traditional media outlets
- Who’s willing to pay for their news – and who isn’t
Countries covered by our new supplementary report are: Austria, Netherlands, Portugal, Czech Republic, Poland and urban Turkey.


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BANGALORE: Thursday was one of the few days when you could hear a cycle bell on Commercial Street or Chickpet or Gandhi Bazaar. The bustling commercial hub of MG Road and Brigade Road wore a deserted look, with almost all shops, apparel stores, eateries and cafeterias downing their shutters. Business was hit, but the traders' associations bore losses in crores to register its protest against the petrol price hike.
Commercial Street Traders' Association supported the bandh and about 250 stores were shut through the day. "About 3,000 employees work in shops on Commercial Street and are affected by the fuel price hike. Such a steep hike increases their living costs and they either shift their business or die down. We're not supporting any political party but protesting the steep hike in petrol prices," Ajay Motwani, president of the association, told TOI.
Trade bodies were putting together bandh-related losses. Commercial Street rings up business of about Rs 15 crore on a average weekday, said Motwani. The Gandhi Bazaar Traders' Association M Venkatesh said they too supported the bandh and losses here are estimated to be around Rs 2 crore.
The silence around the MG Road-Brigade Road area was broken by evening. Crowds came in their bikes and cars once the dawn-to-dusk bandh ended at 6pm. But bigger shops and establishments remained closed the entire day and only eateries opened.
"We had no choice but to close down shops because public transport was crippled completely. We wouldn't have done much business anyway. The average weekday earning of 127 shops here would be around Rs 10 crore, which is likely to be a loss for Thursday," said Suhail Yusuf, president, Brigade Road Shops and Establishments' Association.
Eateries and hotels remained shut from morning to evening. Around 6,000 hotels under the Hotels' Association of Bangalore (HAB) remained closed till 6pm. "The running costs in our business cannot be avoided. We have to pay waiters and cooks for the whole day, anyway. The loss incurred from morning could run up to crores if all hotels are considered," said Vasudev Adiga, president, HAB. Adiga himself shut his 15 outlets in the city for the whole day.
However, Russell Market remained open and businessmen said the situation was peaceful through the day. KR Market was closed up to 6pm and a few shops opened late evening.


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Filipino firm Lloyd Laboratories and US-based DifGen Pharmaceutic have signed a joint venture agreement that will entail up to US$20 million to boost local production of medicines in the Philippines.
Lloyd Laboratories and DifGen Pharmaceutical presented their signed agreement to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Francisco on the sidelines of his participation to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.
In his remarks after the presentation, President Marcos said, “(i)n the pharmaceutical sector, Lloyd Laboratories and DifGen Pharmaceuticals have formed a joint venture for the product development and export of pharmaceutical products to the US.”
“It is a significant step toward expanding the country’s local production and promoting a competitive and robust local pharmaceutical industry,” he said.
The joint venture will cover mutual interest in collaborating on the filing of Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) and the marketing of jointly developed pharmaceutical products within the United States.
An investment of up to US$20 million will be undertaken by Lloyd Laboratories for the establishment and operation of the first USFDA approved manufacturing facility in the Philippines, contributing to the advancement of the Philippines’ position as a key player in the global pharmaceutical industry.
The signatories for Lloyd laboratories included Dr. Lloyd Balajada, Christopher Bamba, Atty. Rafael Calinisan, and Atty. Oliver Baclay. Ramandeep Singh Jaj signed for DifGen Pharmaceuticals. PND


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Two big contract wins in 2012 helped boost 2013 revenue by nearly 16 percent at myMatrixx.
Michael Geis has been promoted to chief information officer for myMatrixx, a pharmacy and ancillary benefit management company in Tampa.
Steven MacDonald, CEO of myMatrixx, began beefing up his executive and sales team last year to sharpen the focus on growth.
• Creative Contractors, headquartered in Clearwater, completed a new $3.3 million training facility for the Philadelphia Phillies designed by St. Pete ...
Winners were named for the Tampa Bay Technology Forum’s 9th annual Industry Achievement Awards Gala Nov. 16.
The Tampa Bay Business Journal will honor 45 businesspersons under the age of 40 as the 2012 Up & Comers.
Innovation is a key driver for economic development. We asked some of the local finalists for the Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 Awar ...


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Sky is fined over lack of 'cooling-off period'
Sky Ireland has been slapped with a €117,000 penalty by telecoms watchdog Comreg for not giving customers a 14-day 'cooling off period' when they signed up for television and broadband contracts.
The TV company was also condemned for not giving people a 'durable' type of contract that they can check or refer to when they want to look something up.
In all, 79,000 customers weren't afforded their rights under consumer law, the regulator said.
"Sky has accepted that it breached the Consumer Information Regulations 2013 and has paid the penalty in full," said a Comreg spokesman.
"A customer who has entered a distance contract has a right to a cooling off period of 14 days to withdraw form their contract.
"Furthermore, service providers must also provide such customers with a contract on a durable medium that the customer can store and later retrieve for inspection to see what their key terms and conditions ar, including their cooling-off rights."
Sky now has to communicate to 79,000 customers to tell them about the situation and "provide them with confirmation of their contract in a durable form".
The move comes after Comreg commissioner Jeremy Godfrey said that the watchdog will take action against key Eir wholesale broadband rates in rural areas.


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With the assistance of the Chinese authorities, NGL now intends to fully enforce its rights against many of these so-called synthetic nicotine brands at their point of manufacture, and will take the lead with national customs agencies to limit the flow of fake synthetic nicotine products...
SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) March 22, 2021
Next Generation Labs LLC ('NGL'), the world’s largest manufacturer of S-isomer, R-S isomer and R-isomer synthetic nicotine sold under the federally-registered brand name TFN® is pleased to announce that the Company has just received its Notice of Allowance from the China Patent Office for its process for The Preparation of R-S [Synthetic] Nicotine, Issue number: 201580069647.2.
Since 2014, NGL has been the leading developer of tobacco-free synthetic nicotine for the vaping, oral nicotine and smoking markets. The Company is pleased that its Chinese patent has now been approved, as this will give NGL the ability to better enforce its rights against many of the Chinese vape liquid and device manufacturers who either falsely claim to be directly producing synthetic nicotine for resale, or for use in further manufacturing of vaping devices destined for sale in the United States and South Korean markets - many of which are likely in violation of NGL’s intellectual property rights.
Unfortunately, both the US and Korean markets have been inundated with dozens of fake synthetic nicotine products and brands, and many manufacturers have misleadingly labeled bulk pure nicotine, bulk vape liquid mixtures, and vaping and oral nicotine products as made with TFN®. In many instances, the nicotine contained in these products is not synthetic, tobacco-free or non-tobacco, but is in fact derived from tobacco sources.
For almost a decade, NGL has spent considerable effort establishing a strong global intellectual property portfolio that has become distinctive of the Company’s goodwill and of the high-quality adult consumers expect of TFN®-branded nicotine. NGL has been taking direct action in the United States (and through its sole South Korean distribution partner NextEra), to limit the misleading claims of unscrupulous sellers of pseudo-synthetic nicotine, and against manufacturers and brand owners who misrepresent that their product contains TFN® branded synthetic non-tobacco-nicotine.
"With the assistance of the Chinese authorities, NGL now intends to fully enforce its rights against many of these so-called synthetic nicotine brands at their point of manufacture, and will take the lead with national customs agencies to limit the flow of fake synthetic nicotine products at trade exit and entry points in China, the US, EU, UK, South Korea, India, Canada, and Australia."
About Next Generation Labs ('NGL'): Since 2014 NGL has been the world’s largest manufacturer of S-isomer, R-S isomer and R-isomer synthetic nicotine under the federally-registered brand name TFN®. NGL has helped brand owners develop next generation products using TFN® nicotine that offers smokers and tobacco users a real alternative to combustible tobacco products, as well as true alternatives to tobacco through its creation of a synthetic nicotine that is free of all tobacco. Unlike some other nicotine, NGL’s TFN® product is devoid of any tobacco constituents from point of selection of raw material inputs through to the completion of its manufacturing process. NGL’s TFN® products are manufactured under strict conditions to meet cGMP, USP and EU standards to achieve a level of 99.97% pure synthetic nicotine.


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As you’ve probably heard, Kate Middleton is in labor. While some royal watchers are wondering whether the baby will be a boy or a girl, or what its name will be, the good folks at IHS Global Insight have turned their thoughts to a more important matter: how will it affect the economy?
In a client note, the group’s chief European and United Kingdom economist, Howard Archer, writes that he thinks the birth event will have a positive but “limited” effect on the economy as people potentially spend a few more pounds to celebrate the event:
The most obvious support to the economy coming from the royal birth will be some boost to retail sales through people buying souvenirs and commemorative items, while there is also likely to be a small lift to alcohol sales as some people will want to toast the Royal Baby. There has also been a boost to the bookies through people betting on the sex of the baby and its name. However, even the boost to retail sales from the royal birth needs to be qualified by the possibility that the buying of souvenirs and commemorative items may be displacing some other discretionary spending. There will also likely be few if any street parties that the Diamond Jubilee and the Royal Wedding encouraged, so the boost to food and alcohol sales will likely be much more limited.
Mr. Archer notes that the royal wedding and Diamond Jubilee may have actually had a negative impact on British economic output because both involved “the granting of an extra day’s public holiday to celebrate the events,” meaning offices and stores were closed. Some of that loss may have been recovered thanks to the tourism that the wedding and the jubilee generated, which Mr. Archer does not believe the impending birth will do (at least not now; maybe the international coverage of the new baby could attract travelers’ attention in the future).
The royal birth, like those other House of Windsor events, could also temporarily help increase local consumer confidence through its “feel-good factor,” Mr. Archer writes, especially on the heels of other good economic and sports news, including Andy Murray’s winning Wimbledon and Chris Froome’s taking the Tour de France.


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What do you lack for a comfortable life – a warm living-room, a cozy couch or a new washing machine? Doesn’t matter. What matters is that now all of these are more accessible to you regardless of which part of Armenia you live in.
FINCA is now offering a new consumer “Aparik” loan that will let you acquire products and services from various stores and organizations in your own region.
You can access the list of the partner stores here. Don’t forget to revisit the link in a few days as the list is rapidly growing.
You can see the details of the “Aparik” loan here.
“Aparik” loan – your key to comfortable life.


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It’s finally here. After an investigation that lasted more than a year, a U.S. House antitrust subcommittee has come up with a robust game plan to rein in the biggest tech giants. In a report issued Tuesday, the panel accused Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., Facebook Inc. and Google parent Alphabet Inc. — whose collective market value is more than $5 trillion — of abusing the power of their platforms to cut off competitors and extend their dominance. It calls for a structural breakup of their businesses. I can’t argue with the logic, especially when it comes to Amazon.
“These firms have too much power, and that power must be reined in and subject to appropriate oversight and enforcement. Our economy and democracy are at stake,” the nearly 450-page final report said. “Our laws must be updated to ensure that our economy remains vibrant and open in the digital age.”
Each of the company’s anticompetitive practices were presented in excruciating detail in the document. Facebook, for instance, was accused of maintaining its monopoly power among social networks by using its data advantage to stifle and identify potential competitors and then “acquire, copy, or kill these firms.” Google was said to have used its dominance in search and online advertising to bolster its own vertical offerings and create an “ecosystem of interlocking” monopolies. Further, the internet behemoth allegedly used third-party app usage data from its Android operating system to inform the creation of its own apps. And Apple was stated to have “significant and durable market power” with its iOS mobile operating system, exerting a monopoly-type hold with its App Store, the panel said.
ALSO READ: Factbox: How the four Big Tech companies gain and maintain dominance
Out of the group, though, Amazon seems to have engaged in the most egregious anticompetitive behavior, especially in regards to third-party sellers on its marketplace platform. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported Amazon’s employees used these vendors' data to inform the development of its own products. The company had previously vowed it would not use individual seller data to launch its private-label offerings, but the House investigation confirmed through several interviews with former employees and current sellers that Amazon had misused seller data and “routinely bullies and mistreats” them. And while Amazon publicly called third-party sellers “partners,” the investigation showed that behind closed doors, it referred to them as “internal competitors.” This is not great news for the nearly 2 million small and medium-sized businesses that sell on Amazon’s platform, roughly 40% of which rely on the company’s marketplace as their sole source of income.
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The WCF (World Cocoa Foundation) Announced that 33 Companies Representing 85% of the World Cocoa Product Development Agreed on a Common Plan.
The clearing of forests is a global problem. For this reason, the World Cocoa Foundation in partnership with the private sector and a couple of African governments decided to face this problem, and also mitigate climate change. The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) announced that 33 companies representing 85% of the world’s cocoa-based products announced a common plan, along with Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, countries that produce 65% of the grain in the world, to reduce deforestation.
Source: Costa Rica News


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The Roast Of James Harden’s New Sneakers Is So Vicious
Here are the highlights we know you want
James Harden signed a $200 million endorsement deal with Adidas last summer and given that he’s one of the more colorful personalities in the NBA, one wouldn’t be out of line for expecting his first signature sneaker to be a little zany. But a photo of the shoe apparently leaked to the internet Wednesday afternoon, and the only way this shoe is zany is if you’re a construction worker who thinks it’s bold to wear boots without a steel toe on the work site.
— SneakerWatch (@sneakerwatchcom) August 22, 2016
Esquire speculates that the shoe that leaked may be an unfinished version, and for Harden’s sake, we hope that’s true. But in the meantime, Sneaker Twitter isn’t waiting around for a verdict on that, dishing out sicker burns than it had for even the Under Armour Curry 2s, which were famously annihilated after leaking.
— Jared Benson (@JayB03GetAtMe) August 24, 2016
— Mario A. Lopez Jr. (@mrmarito) August 24, 2016
The new James Harden's look like the minimum wage 11s.
— Chris K (@ck1trey) August 24, 2016
James Harden with the "Loafers, Former Gophers" Burns2's pic.twitter.com/gTOfZRMWw4
— Gavin Russell (@GavFredRuss) August 24, 2016
James Harden's shoes and Steph Curry's shoes will be one of those couples that die holding hands in a nursing home. pic.twitter.com/YJL9Y4a1BT
— Gnetz (@TheNighthawkBG) August 24, 2016
The new James harden show comes with coupons for free early bird specials at Denny's pic.twitter.com/O9qYPiYVxj
— DRUMMOND (@Flossini) August 24, 2016
— Caleb Hamernick (@calebhamernick) August 24, 2016
James Harden's new shoes come with a rake and leaf bag. pic.twitter.com/R4o71eGTSg
— SmittyD (@smitty300) August 24, 2016
James Harden got those Coal Mining 7's #JamesHardKnockLifen
— Joe Mulea (@JJ_Mulea) August 24, 2016
QUIZ: Can you pick James Harden's new Adidas shoe out of a lineup? pic.twitter.com/7JaQeFfkXG
— The Ringer (@ringer) August 24, 2016
Whose idea was it to drill holes in burned baked potatoes and call it a James Harden signature shoe? pic.twitter.com/F5kmjGr2HB
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) August 24, 2016
This has been your much-needed report on the roast of James Harden’s new sneakers.


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Pharmacy Alliance has added four new Bundaberg pharmacies to its banner group
The four pharmacies were previously owned by the Coral Coast Pharmacy Group, and Pharmacy Alliance now plans to rebrand them as Alliance Pharmacy.
The addition of the four new pharmacies means Pharmacy Alliance now fully manages seven stores in Bundaberg.
Pharmacist, co-founder and executive chairman of Pharmacy Alliance Simon Reynolds says that the group has identified Bundaberg as an area where there is great room for growth.
“The acquisition of these pharmacies will see our brand, Pharmacy Alliance, have a strong presence in this area, and will allow us to introduce new services to meet the growing health needs of the Bundaberg community,” Mr Reynolds says.
Pharmacy Alliance now has 600 members across the country.
With the addition of the four Coral Coast pharmacies, it now fully manages the operations of 75 pharmacies.
The addition of the new Bundaberg pharmacies will also build the Alliance Pharmacy branded network to 120 pharmacies nationally.


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Ever wonder who puts the tips on the ends of shoelaces? I'll admit it's a bizarre thing to think about, but someone is responsible for it and hopefully makes a living at it.
In the same vein is Paxar
For the quarter, Paxar's results were not terribly impressive -- sales and earnings were essentially flat with last year. However, the company's balance sheet is still solid, and last year's results were very strong after backing out restructuring charges.
Part of the company's pain this quarter stems from a long-term trend that Paxar has been living with. As customers continue to move their sourcing and operations to lower-cost locations, Paxar needs to do the same. That means less of a presence in North America and Europe and more of one in Asia. This will continue to affect earnings this year as some operations in the U.K. are closed down. The positive about all of these changes and moves -- despite the initial pain -- is how the company now has operations literally around the globe and offers its customers a great deal of flexibility as their sourcing of products evolves.
Paxar is not exhibiting tremendous growth, but the company has evolved to match the world it lives in. More importantly, the shares are priced as though Paxar doesn't have much of an opportunity for growth. Given the company's geographic flexibility and technological prowess, growth at some point seems likely, even if it's not obvious today. For investors who want a solid business at a reasonable price along with an opportunity for future growth, Paxar is worth checking out.


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Midlands based developer Hodgetts Estates has completed construction of two new warehouse and general industrial units at its 700,000 sqft business park scheme Core 42 Tamworth, near Junction 10 M42 and adjacent to Birch Coppice.
The units have been constructed to the highest energy performance standards and incorporate the latest technology for sustainability. Cycle storage and shower facilities have also been installed to encourage employees to use sustainable travel from local settlements.
The units also benefit from secure private yards, large power supplies, mains gas, EPC ‘A’ rating, 10%-15% rooflights, siphonic drainage, Hormann Level Access Doors, and market leading cladding to Chill Store specification.
Now complete, the new units will provide much needed supply of high specification smaller units into a market which has been dominated by larger ‘big-box’ warehouses more recently, and should be of interest to local and national operators looking to upgrade or expand their current facilities. The chill store cladding specification also means that the units could be of interest to companies operating in the food retail sector.
Edward Hodgetts said, “We’re pleased to have reached completion of these units on time and on budget. The devastating global pandemic has understandably increased levels of online retail and subsequently the need for warehousing. Most importantly these units will provide a modern, sustainable, and energy efficient workspace for businesses to operate from and provide employment opportunities in these uncertain times.”
To date, Hodgetts Estates have constructed over 305,000 sqft at the prime logistics location Core 42 Tamworth. Local occupiers to the area include Aldi, Greencore, OCADO, Volkswagen, Sainsbury’s, FEDEX and UPS.
Interested occupiers should contact agents Richard James-Moore or Carl Durrant at JLL and Adam McGuinness and Nick Waddington at MWRE.


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Tourists from mainland China dressed in traditional Thai costumes visit Wat Arun in Bangkok on Wednesday. (Photo: Reuters)
About 40% of Chinese travellers aren’t planning to venture overseas this year despite the sudden easing of restrictions, mainly because of the financial impact of Covid, according to a survey published on Thursday.
Health concerns, the inconvenience of applying for travel documents, busy work schedules, worries over safety and destinations seen as unfriendly to Chinese were also among factors deterring overseas travel, the Dragon Trail International survey of 1,058 people in 49 cities found.
The survey was conducted from Jan 4 to 7, just before the lifting of curbs such as mandatory quarantine came into effect.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics released on Tuesday showed consumer spending in China fell last year on a per-person basis as households saved more money and income growth slowed. The economy as a whole expanded by only 3% in 2022, the second-slowest since the 1970s. This year’s growth should be close to 5%, economists forecast, but consumer confidence is near record lows.
Also, airfares globally have been rising as the world emerges from the pandemic and people travel again. Airlines are struggling to bring back capacity fast enough to cope with the rebound in demand, driving up prices.
China’s international flight capacity is only at about 13% of pre-Covid levels, according to the data provider VariFlight, while domestic activity is back to 100%.
Survey respondents intending to head overseas are mainly looking past the coming Lunar New Year holiday and to the second half of the year, the data and marketing agency Dragon Trail said in its report — one of the first snapshots of Chinese outbound travel demand after three years of zero-Covid restrictions. China was the world’s biggest source of tourists before the pandemic.
The recovery will pick up gradually and then accelerate from July and into the national holidays in September and October, Dragon Trail said. “The big winners” will include Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand, while border policies make Japan and South Korea “look decidedly less friendly and accessible”.
The top seven destinations are in Asia, followed by France, Australia and Russia.
About 71% of the respondents who plan overseas travel are considering trips of 5 to 10 days, while 45% said they’ll keep budgets within 20,000 yuan ($2,950). Online travel agencies are the most popular for planning outbound travel, followed by the official channels of airlines and hotels.
The survey findings were echoed by Jane Sun, chief executive officer of Trip.com, China’s biggest online travel platform. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, she said outbound travel should recover by the second half of the year. A lack of international flights poses a challenge for now, she said.


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Renault Kadjar remains out of the picture for Australia as French brand plans SUV strategy
If there’s a message that buyers are sending sellers in the Australian automotive industry, it’s that SUVs are what they want.
However, some brands – such as Renault Australia – aren’t rushing to add new models. The French maker’s recently revealed Kadjar SUV, which is a cousin of the Nissan Qashqai, isn’t on the brand’s local radar at this point in time because the company says it wants to get its current line-up right first.
Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar told CarAdvice at the launch of the new Trafic van that the company can’t afford to flood buyers with too many options - instead it needs to focus on what it has now.
“Relative to our size right now – 10,000 units and one per cent market share – what’s the best strategy to offer a product to that buyer type and get the most traction with right budget,” he said.
“We don’t have a huge vehicle park of people to go to, and we’re still conquesting and growing. I would like to be able to have a Koleos, current- or next-generation, at a very attractive price and a good level of specification, and still be able to cover the segment’s buyers.”
When asked why Renault wouldn’t follow a similar path to allied brand Nissan – which offers the Juke as its smallest offering, the Qashqai as a middle-ground model and the X-Trail as a more sizeable choice – Hocevar suggested that is an enticing proposition.
Indeed, the brand could do just that – the Captur would be an ideal entry-level SUV, with Kadjar as the next step up and the new-generation Koleos (which is set to grow in size and add a third-row seat option) as the biggest SUV in its ranks.
“That would be the most logical positioning of the three,” he said, before suggesting that buyers don’t think the same way.
“The very interesting thing about the SUV line-up for the brand here in Australia – if we just look at that medium SUV segment, which we all in the industry love to categorise and pigeonhole – when you look at the customer data, and how they shop around price, it’s very clear that examples of two medium-sized SUVs, which we tend to classify differently, [buyers] tend to go ‘that’s all the same for me; that one’s a little bit bigger, but I can get that one which is smaller with a higher level of specification’.
“Given that propensity, particularly in that medium-sized SUV market, for people to go either way: are you just better to go with one model to make sure you’ve got really good coverage, so let’s say from the high $20,000s to the low $40,000s, and get good volume out of that?” he posited.
In short, it appears price is still the key for Renault, not offering more models in different sizes.
“In Nissan’s example – they’re a very well established brand, and it’s a brand that 99 per cent of Australian households would know has a very good SUV line-up. And they’ve got scale, and they’ve got a huge customer base.
Hocevar was open about the costs involved in launching a new model, and just how easily that investment could go bad.
“Every time you launch a new model you’re investing millions of dollars. Every time you launch a new model you have to tell people about its nameplate, where it’s positioned in the market, what its feature/function/benefit is,” he said. “I would say the average SUV would cost upwards of $4 million to let everybody know about it.
“So that’s why at this point in time – relative to our scale, our network, our product portfolio – I don’t want to add too much complexity, and I want to make sure we get good performance out of what we’ve got before we start just putting products in.
“If you look back to what we could source, there’s a multitude of different models: Scenic, Twingo, and various others,” he said. “But at the moment we just have to focus not too much on product proliferation, but on the right products at the right price in the market. Build our customer base. Build our network. Then we can start looking at how we address scale.”
Hocevar admitted, however, that the new Kadjar could form part of the line-up if the brand’s growth continues on its current trajectory. Since the company’s most recent low point in 2010, Renault sales in Australia have increased from 1907 units to 10,014 in 2014. The brand claims it was the first French maker to eclipse the 10,000 unit mark in Australia, ever.
Hocevar said the brand needs to maintain steady growth.
“That’s probably the key reason you’re not seeing us go ‘oh yeah, Kadjar’s available, we’re going to go for it’. We just need to make sure Captur is going right, Koleos – current and future – are going right, and then when or if the time is right we could put another product in,” he said.
“I think we have to be really disciplined with that decision. It’s very tempting. I’m so tempted to go ‘give it to us!’,” he said.


text: …Or not. Cheesecake Factory scams aren't new, but according to Facecrooks, there's an uptick today in rogue "Eat for Free at Cheesecake Factory!" wall posts. Sadly, there is still no such thing as a free lunch: it's a survey scam with no payoff. Well, not for you. The scammers seem to be doing quite nicely out ... Read More.


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Following a successful pilot program that started in 2019, the Loop circular shopping platform from TerraCycle has expanded its online operation to provide an unlimited number of US consumers from coast to coast with home delivery of products packed in reusable packaging, as well as pickup of the empty packages.
Loop also made its brick-and-mortar debut recently, in France. “Carrefour just brought Loop into its first store,” says Eric Rosen, publicist, US public relations, for Loop/TerraCycle. “We anticipate Loop being in-store in other retailers in 2021.” Carrefour’s online Loop service launched in Paris last year.
In the United States, consumers will find Loop products at Kroger stores starting in 2021. Also in North America, Burger King and Tim Hortons restaurants plan to launch Loop pilot projects next year.
*************You might also be interested in listening to the 20-minute podcast where TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky tells Packaging Digest's Lisa Pierce about the challenges of Loop's expansion, the COVID-19 impact, and plans for the future.*************
Loop’s online scale-up coincides with an explosion in internet shopping and home delivery fueled by the COVID-19 virus, though it’s also a natural next step considering the success of the pilot program. More than 100,000 people have signed up for the service to date.
With the online version of Loop, consumers buy products that have been filled into reusable packaging made, for example, of metal or glass. They then return the empty packages to Loop, which cleans the packages for refilling by Loop’s brand partners.
Loop packs consumer orders into reusable totes for delivery, and consumers return the empty packaging to Loop using the same totes. Loop products are packed and shipped from the company’s New Jersey warehouse to all US ZIP codes. (Frozen products are only shipped to locations where delivery can be made within 24 hours.)
The platform launched in 2019 as a pilot program in the Mid-Atlantic United States and Paris, France. In July 2020, Loop launched online in the United Kingdom, working in partnership with retailer Tesco. A Canadian online launch is planned for Toronto in February 2021.
Loop has expanded rapidly vis-à-vis brand partners and product selection, now offering more than 80 brands and 400 products in the United States and Europe. Product categories include grocery, beauty, health and personal care, and household essentials. Brand owners range from giants like Nestlé and Procter & Gamble to start-ups like Soapply.
Next year will be an important one for Loop in brick-and-mortar restaurants and stores. Burger King plans to start a pilot Loop program in 2021 that will offer eat-in and to-go customers sandwiches and drinks packed in returnable, reusable food containers and cups.
Consumers who choose the reusable packaging will pay a deposit when they place their order and get the deposit back after returning the packaging to Burger King. The pilot will start in select Burger King restaurants in New York City; Portland, Oregon; and Tokyo, with additional cities to join in the months that follow.
Canada’s Tim Hortons quick-service restaurant chain has announced a similar Loop pilot. The program will start in 2021 at select Tim Hortons restaurants in Toronto.
Also starting next year, US consumers will be able to visit Loop in-store at select Kroger locations. The plan for Loop in brick-and-mortar stores is not only to sell Loop products but also to collect the empty packaging for cleaning and reuse.
Loop publicist Rosen discusses the program’s burgeoning expansion, both online and in-store, in this exclusive Packaging Digest Q&A.
How many brick-and-mortar retailers in the United States will be selling Loop products in 2021? Is this a channel Loop is interested in exploring further? What have consumers said about their willingness (or not) to take empty packages back to a physical store?
Rosen: As of now, in the United States, there will be one brick-and-mortar retailer, Kroger, selling Loop products in-store in 2021. There are, however, many retailers who are and will be integrating Loop into their ecommerce platforms.
Yes, [in-store] is a channel Loop is pursuing and will continue to pursue. In fact, Loop just opened in its first brick-and-mortar retailer — Carrefour in France.
As for consumers’ willingness to take empties back to a physical store, while we haven’t surveyed consumers, we believe returning empty packaging will be embraced.
When will Loop be expanding into additional markets in Europe and Asia, either online or via brick-and-mortar stores?
Rosen: Loop will be launching in Canada, Australia, and Japan in 2021. We will continue to seek opportunities to launch in other countries and will be announcing more as we solidify plans.
How will Loop, brand owners, and/or retailers educate consumers about how in-store Loop works and its benefits?
Rosen: Loop, brand owners, and retailers educate consumers through websites, social media, and earned media placements in outlets worldwide.
Now that the Loop program is national in the United States, how many locations are cleaning the empty, returned packages?
Rosen: In the United States, the cleaning facility is in Pennsylvania. We will be adding facilities as we scale.
What, if anything, has changed in the logistics of the Loop program (outgoing and incoming packages)? What, if anything, has changed with the lifecycle analysis of the packages sold in the Loop program because of the additional distances?
Rosen: Nothing has changed in the logistics. Based on Loop’s third-party lifecycle analysis, creating a durable (or “reusable”) container uses more energy and resources than creating a disposable (or “single-use”) container. However, over time, the reusable container has a lower environmental and economic cost, as it does not need to be remanufactured on every use.
Instead, it is transported and cleaned, which is a much lower environmental cost. According to Loop, the efficiency of a reusable package in Loop is even more evident as consumers participate repeatedly. After two to three uses of the packaging, the environmental impact is breakeven. By 10 uses, there is a more than 35% reduction in environmental impacts.
Are all products still being shipped to consumers from Loop’s New Jersey warehouse? Is that still the plan moving forward, to have just one warehouse?
Rosen: Loop’s New Jersey warehouse ships all products in the United States. As we scale, we intend to have additional warehousing in other parts of the country.
The Loop warehouse in France is in Lille, and the one in the United Kingdom is in Crick.
How well are the durable packages holding up to use, cleaning, and reuse? Are the brands getting the number of uses they hoped they would?
Rosen: The durable packaging is holding up well as it goes through Loop cycles. I can’t comment on the brands, and what their expectations were/are.
Is UPS still Loop’s only partner for deliveries/pickups? Are there any plans for additional delivery services to be involved, especially as volumes and delivery areas are growing?
Rosen: Yes, Loop’s US logistics partner is UPS. In France, it’s Colisweb, and in the UK, it’s DPD. There are no plans for additional delivery services to be involved.
The allergen warning on the Loop website states: “Please note that the Loop Tote is packed in a facility that may have handled wheat, milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, and soy, and may contain traces of the same. If you or someone in your family has a serious food allergy, Loop may not be for you.” Are there any plans to address this, so people can safely order Loop products without worry from allergens?
Rosen: There are no current plans to address this.
Who designs the Loop packages?
Rosen: Each brand partner is responsible for the design of its packaging. All packaging must be approved by Loop.
What is the size range of Loop packages?
Rosen: The smallest container is 20 ml (less than an ounce) for Tea Tree Oil from The Body Shop. The biggest package is an 8-lb container for kitty litter from Purina.
How have consumers reacted to Loop since its launch last year?
Rosen: We have had an overwhelmingly positive response to Loop since its launch. In fact, meeting consumer demand is what led to the rapid expansion — from 10 states to every ZIP code in the contiguous 48 states. We have more than 100,000 sign-ups, and that continues to grow.


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Following the landmark approval of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded finds (ETFs) on January 10, BTC is now available on Wall Street, available for purchase by investors looking to trade shares in trusts that hold large pools of digital currency. In an interesting turn, Googles policy is going for this criterion as part of its next update.
Also Read: XRP spot ETF will only come after a futures investment product like its Bitcoin counterpart
Google has a scheduled crypto and related ads policy update on Monday, January 29, an update that will see some digital asset products feature on the search engine’s advertisement board. Bitcoin ETFs are likely to feature, considering the meet the selection criteria.
Google handles approximately 100,000 searches per second, accounting for nearly 90% global population. With such a vast reach Bitcoin ETF awareness is expected to rise significantly. The update to allow ads from “advertisers offering Cryptocurrency Coin Trust targeting the United States” is expected to increase the reach of this class of investment products.
With this calendar event due on Monday, market players in the crypto arena are already anticipating how it could bode well for the industry. Among them, renowned X user Crypto Tony says this is bullish for the industry.
It comes as marketing wars in the cryptocurrency space continue to escalate, with BlackRock, Bitwise, and Hashdesx already having their ad commercials out.
Also Read: Spot Bitcoin ETF filers issue high-quality messaging, marketing wars heat up even before approvals


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Year in Review: Top tech/health stories of 2013
Our reporters are wrapping up the top five stories on their beats in 2013. Below are reporter Katharine Grayson's picks from the technology and health sectors.
Medtronic buys to diversify
Medtronic Inc. this year made two big moves signaling the company wants its business to be about more than making medical devices.
In August, Medtronic entered the disease-management business through its $200 million acquisition of Cardiocom, a Chanhassen-based firm that provides patient-monitoring services to hospitals and insurers. Cardiocom tracks patients suffering from chronic conditions — particularly heart failure — while they’re at home. It uses scales and other products that are low-tech and cheap compared to the implantable devices that have been Medtronic’s bread-and-butter business.
In September, Medtronic launched its hospital solutions business unit, which will provide services such as cath-lab management to hospitals. The venture primarily targets the European market and already has deals in place with two hospitals in England.
Medtronic CEO and Chairman Omar Ishrak said he doesn’t expect the company’s foray into services to generate a lot of revenue in the near-term. However, the move could pay off as the health care system shifts away from a fee-for-service business model.
Not every medical-device maker is eager to follow in Medtronic’s footsteps. Crosstown rival St. Jude Medical Inc. has indicated it will stick with a strict focus on developing medical technology.
Katharine Grayson covers med tech, clean tech, technology, health care and venture capital.
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Today, it will be dry and bright with the odd patch of cloud but plenty of sunshine throughout.
Remaining mild for the time of year.
Tonight, it will remain dry with clear spells and the odd cloudy patch.
Feeling chilly, with temperatures dropping under mainly clear skies.
There is the chance of mist or fog patches:Copyright: BBC
Thousands of behind-the-scenes store roles at West Yorkshire-based supermarket chain Asda are at risk as the firm launches a consultation over a major restructuring, it's been confirmed.Copyright: Rui Vieira/PA Wire
The company, which has its HQ in Leeds, has launched consultations with about 5,000 staff in total, saying the restructuring is necessary due to a "structural shift" towards online grocery shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.
The grocery firm said it also plans to create around 4,500 separate jobs in its online operations this year and will look to hire staff affected by the potential cuts.
Nevertheless, Asda said the consultations will impact about 3,000 back office store workers, particularly affecting staff with cash and administrative roles amid the continued slump in cash transactions.
It added that around 1,100 of its store management roles will be changed to support online grocery operations as more picking takes place in stores.
Roger Burnley, Asda chief executive and president, said: "The pandemic has accelerated change across the retail sector, especially the shift towards grocery home shopping, and our priority is to serve customers in the way they want to shop with us.
"We know these proposed changes will be unsettling for colleagues and our priority is to support them during this consultation process."
Mr Burnley added it was Asda's aim to ensure as many workers as possible stayed with the company.
This morning will be dry with decent sunny spells.
Broken cloud and a scattering of showers will develop this afternoon, but still with intermittent sunny spells. Still mild for the time of year.
Dry and mostly clear tonight, allowing temperatures to drop away, making it much less mild compared to recent nights.
Under the calm conditions, some mist and fog patches may develop in places:Copyright: BBC
A very mild day with outbreaks of rain and blustery winds.
Tonight, rain and blustery winds will continue, becoming dry later in the night.
Winds easing towards morning:Copyright: BBC
Today will be windy, with brisk winds and occasional rain.
This afternoon will be mostly cloudy, with some bright spells and very mild.
It'll continue very mild night tonight under cloudy skies and with brisk southerly winds:Copyright: BBC
Overcast at first today, with some spells of rain edging east and clearing.
In the afternoon, it will brighten up with spells of sunshine breaking through.
This evening will be dry and mainly clear, turning chilly for a time:Copyright: BBC
Four cinemas in Yorkshire will receive grants to help them recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.Copyright: Google
The money is part of the government's £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund.
Today, the British Film Institute announced 30 cinemas would receive a share of £5m in funding.
The Light Cinema Bradford and The Light Cinema Sheffield will both receive just under £300,000 each, while Reel cinemas in Hull and Wakefield will each receive about £115,000.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has received a £296,000 award from the government’s £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund.Copyright: Graham Staples
The money will go towards its Yorkshire's Magnificent Journey (YMJ) project which has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The cash, awarded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is one of a number of targeted grants aimed at heritage organisations to help them restart planned work that has been delayed or which faces increased costs because of Covid-19.
The heritage railway said the grant means it can continue with a major element of the YMJ project - the renewal of two bridges at Goathland Station in January next year.Copyright: Chemical Engineer
Other Yorkshire beneficiaries of the funding include the Thackray Medical Museum in Leeds, which has been awarded £174,000.
Meanwhile, a £285,000 grant will enable the Hyde Park Picture House, in Leeds, to begin its redevelopment project in the spring.
The project, combining restoration work with new accessible facilities, has been on pause for 10 months due to the pandemic.
The cinema, which opened in 1914, is the only remaining gaslit cinema in the country.
A distribution centre in Leeds is to close with the loss of 400 jobs as a result of the collapse of the Arcadia fashion empire, according to the GMB union.Copyright: Getty Images
The union said the former Burton factory has been in operation since 1922, most recently as a distribution centre for Arcadia stores including Dorothy Perkins and Burton.
A consultation period will begin on 24 February and run until 30 April, when the site will close.
Jake O'Malley, from the GMB, said: "A century of history and hundreds of good jobs down the pan, while Philip Green is living it up on his private yacht and the administrators pick the bones of the business clean.
"The GMB will fight tooth and nail to make sure workers get what they deserve from this mess."
It will be a cloudy and breezy start to the day. With showery spells of rain pushing in from the south-west later. Those downpours could be quite heavy in places, with strong gusts.
This evening the outlook remains unsettled. The winds will be slightly lighter, but showery spells of rain will continue sweeping in from the south-west.Copyright: BBC
Welcome to Yorkshire's boss has admitted the organisation made mistakes in the way it spent taxpayers' cash.Copyright: BBC
The comments come after it emerged the tourism body spent over £430,000 on the investigation and removal of its former chief executive Sir Gary Verity (pictured).
He left in March 2019 after a decade in charge following concerns over expenses claims and the way staff were treated.
Two independent investigations followed his departure.
Welcome to Yorkshire is funded by tourism businesses and councils and the current chief executive James Mason said it was important that "money given by the taxpayer should be properly scrutinised".
He admitted "big mistakes" regarding finances had been made in the past, but said "some great things" had also been achieved.


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Musk's goal is to spur electric vehicle development by his competitors. The theory is that if other automakers can piggyback on Tesla's knowledge to build new models or technology that creates greater demand for electric cars, eventually Tesla will benefit by being able to sell more of its vehicles.
Last year, just 96,000 electric vehicles were sold in the U.S., less than one percent of the industry's total sales of 15.6 million vehicles.
Even Musk, perhaps the biggest cheerleader for electric vehicles in the U.S., admits he's disappointed with the lackluster pace of sales and EV technology.
"I thought things would be much further along than they are," he said. "We unveiled the roadster in 2007 with a 250-mile battery range and it has been seven years, and there is no other electric car in production with that range level. That's not great."
Read MoreEyes on Mars: SpaceX unveils capsule for astronauts
Recently, Musk said at the company's annual meeting he plans to stay at least another four to five years as Tesla's CEO. Musk also said that Tesla will not pick a final site for its long-awaited "Gigafactory" until the end of the year. The goal of the plant is to mass-produce lithium-ion batteries and lower their cost.
Read MoreMusk: I will remain CEO for at least another 5 years
— By CNBC.com staff and Phil LeBeau, with Reuters


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E-books Coming Online This Month In China
The B2C e-commerce website Dangdang.com reportedly plans to launch a new e-book business channel in the second half of December 2011.
According to reports in Chinese local media, while preparing for the new sector Dangdang.com will also launch apps targeting Apple’s iOS operating system and Google’s Android operating system. In the future, the online retailer may cooperate with terminal device manufacturers to launch its own branded e-book reader.
In November 2010, Dangdang.com established a digital publications business department, led by Li Guoqing, joint president of Dangdang.com. According to Li, the digital reading business has become a strategic business unit for the website.
Li previously said during an interview in June 2011 that Dangdang.com will not launch its own branded e-book reader, instead it prefers cooperation with terminal device manufacturers on the iOS platform, Android platform, and mobile Internet browsers. However, an insider has revealed to local media that Dangdang.com is actually considering making its own e-book reader which could put it in direct competition with Chinese companies like Shanda.
For the pricing of e-books, Li once said the average price will be only 30% of the same paper books. He also revealed that after the sale of these e-books, the writers can gain 10% of the income as royalties, and the publishers gain 10% as well.


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This week, eBay experienced this lesson first-hand when news broke that the online auction site had been hacked, putting the personal details of up to 15 million users at risk.
With the “heartbleed” virus having made headlines recently, public tolerance towards breaches in online security is dropping fast. However, the crux of the eBay story lies not in the fact that it suffered a security breach, but that it had known about a potential vulnerability since late February.
Moreover, with many eBay customers hearing the news via social and mainstream media – and not from the business itself – the way in which eBay handled the incident and its communication with its users has drawn heavy criticism.
Maintaining the trust of its client base, particularly during the management of a crisis, is critical to a business. This is not just for its credibility, but where financial transactions and personal details are concerned, security and trust are paramount.
How this data infringement occurred is yet to be discovered, but what is clear is that with the rise of social media, communications must be dealt with promptly and delivered by a trusted source. Since eBay’s business is built upon the loyalty of millions of buyers and sellers, this incident could impact more than just its reputation and it will have to work hard to win back the loyalty and trust of its users.


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Mercedes Turkey to import cars in Turkish liras
Emre Özpeynirci ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
Süer Sülün of Mercedes-Benz Turkey poses for cameras in this file photo. Hürriyet photoSince April 1, Mercedes Benz Turkey has been paying in Turkish Liras instead of euros for cars imported from its German headquarters. The company will also sell its cars in the Turkish market for a lira price tag.
“Last year we bought 250 million Euros worth of Mercedes cars from Germany and expect the same this year. This means this year we will send at least 600 million liras to Germany,” said Mercedes-Benz Turkey Marketing and Sales Director Süer Sülün to daily Hürriyet. According to Sülün, the company’s total turnover was 2.5 billion euros.
“In time we expect to increase this amount to 6 million liras. By switching to the lira we hope to finance the country’s current account deficit,” he added.
Mercedes Turkey had been discussing the switch to the lira with its German headquarters since December.
“Now we have Daimler, which also conducts its business in liras,” said Sülün explaining that Daimler’s decision demonstrates that company’s belief in the strength of the lira. In the past two years Mercedes has made similar decisions regarding the Russian ruble and the Mexican peso.


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NU Online News Service, July 8, 2004, 9:53 a.m. EDT
Principal Financial Group Inc., Des Moines, Iowa, has developed a new consumer education package.[@@]
The package, “From Here to Security,” includes printed pamphlets that explain life and disability insurance, life and disability needs-assessment worksheets, and a set of Web-based needs-assessment calculators. The package also includes an electronic version of the pamphlets stored on a CD-ROM.


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Crypto advocacy group criticizes UK Treasury Committee recommendation to regulate crypto like gambling
A crypto advocacy group has criticized the U.Ok. Parliament Treasury Choose Committee’s suggestion to control cryptocurrency buying and selling as playing.
Treasury Choose Committee lampoons crypto
In a report published on Might 17, the Committee urged the federal government to cease losing taxpayers’ funds on improvements comparable to digital property till it exhibits their advantages.
The Committee in contrast cryptocurrency investing and buying and selling to playing by way of its potential to be addictive. In line with the report, buying and selling cryptocurrencies is just like “betting on unbacked tokens,” including that merchants ought to know they will lose all their cash.
“Whatever the regulatory regime, [crypto] value volatility and absence of intrinsic worth implies that unbacked cryptoassets will inevitably pose vital dangers to customers. Moreover, client hypothesis in unbacked cryptoassets extra carefully resembles playing than it does a monetary service.
We’re involved that regulating retail buying and selling and funding exercise in unbacked cryptoassets as a monetary service will create a ‘halo’ impact that leads customers to consider that this exercise is safer than it’s, or protected when it isn’t.”
The report additionally criticized the latest try by the federal government to create a non-fungible token (NFT) by the Royal Mint. In line with the Committee, the federal government shouldn’t promote explicit technological improvements for their very own sake.
In the meantime, the U.Ok. authorities needed to scrap the NFT plan as a consequence of a scarcity of demand.
Nevertheless, the Treasury Committee conceded that blockchain expertise may gain advantage the monetary providers trade. The Committee stated:
“Probably the most convincing use case now we have heard is the potential for cryptoasset applied sciences to enhance the effectivity and cut back the price of making funds, particularly cross-border and in lower-income international locations with much less developed monetary sectors. An efficient regulatory framework would help the event of such applied sciences within the UK whereas additionally mitigating a few of the dangers cryptoassets pose.”
Advocacy group disagree
A professional-crypto advocacy group, CryptoUK, has printed a statement disagreeing with the Committee’s conclusion, saying they’re “unhelpful, false, essentially flawed and unsubstantiated.”
CryptoUK stated the Treasury Choose Committee assertion didn’t “mirror the true nature, function and potential of the crypto trade,” the affiliation added.
Ian Taylor, Board Advisor at CryptoUK, requested if the federal government was keen to miss the “tens of tens of millions of kilos in tax revenue from good points made by the shopping for and promoting of unbacked crypto property?”
The submit Crypto advocacy group criticizes UK Treasury Committee suggestion to control crypto like playing appeared first on CryptoSlate.


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Is Sega set to go beyond Sonic Frontiers?
Ever since being released by Sega in 1991, Sonic has been going strong. Fans of the popular platform game are still enthralled with its fast-paced races and captivating puzzles. Nearly a quarter of a century later, Sonic Origins has been launched and will be followed by Sonic Frontiers. So, what about after? Well, in order to go forwards, we have to first go backward.
Sonic the Hedgehog was a platform game released by Sega in 1991, for its Genesis console, which was known as the Mega Drive, outside of North America. Before that, Sonic had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance in Rad Mobile, an arcade game that’s featured on https://www.volocars.com. People were impressed with the visuals, audio, and general gamer experience when playing Sonic the Hedgehog. As such, it was well received and is widely thought of as one of the greatest video games.
Sonic was intended to be Sega’s company mascot, as can be seen at https://www.looper.com. After deliberations about what type of animal Sonic should be, with options including a dog, porcupine, and armadillo, it was decided that he’d be a hedgehog. By the time Sega finished creating this landmark character, Sonic was designed to be easy for children to draw, thanks to his huge spikes and big eyes, and was blue, in line with Sega’s brand color.
Fast-forward from some of the more iconic Sonic games, such as Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), and Sonic Generations (2011), fans of this super-speedy blue hedgehog now can get their hands on Sonic Origins. This is a remaster of the first four platform games in the Sonic series but has a few more game modes and missions that when completed can unlock bonus material. But if that wasn’t enough, Sonic fans have the release of Sonic Frontiers to look forward to. It’ll be available on different consoles, meaning it’ll reach a wider fan base, further putting an end to console exclusivity.
In this game, Sonic explores Starfall Island, collecting Chaos Emeralds. With an initial release date in 2022, there has already been plenty of information around it on sites such as https://win.gg, but there are sure to be more details leaked as it gets closer to release. It’s thought that Sonic Frontiers will have a more serious undertone than its predecessors, as the plot has been developed with the intention of being thought-provoking. This is a different approach to the past Sonic games, so it’ll be interesting to see how it’s received by gamers and Sonic fans, alike.
Sonic fans will want to see their favorite blue hedgehog on the move, fighting the evil Dr. Ivo Robotnik, otherwise known as Eggman. Many want another adventure game, simply because they can’t get enough of Sonic, although there are plenty of other ideas fans have as well. Takashi Iizuka, Head of the Sonic Team and vice president of product development for the Sonic the Hedgehog Sega series, seems to think there will be more Sonic games to come but has yet to provide any further details. We guess it’s a case of fans playing the waiting game, which is a lot slower than any of the Sonic games they play. But at least they know something may be released beyond Sonic Frontiers. Someday.
There’s a popular consensus among different quarters for Sonic to continue on his adventures. What’s more, he seems to be gaining more and more fans and players of different ages. As long as this continues, we reckon Sonic will be around for many more generations to enjoy. With him available to play on varying consoles, it looks like there’s life in the blue hedgehog, yet!


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Lack of free tonnage keeps charter market insulated against freight rate falls
While a softening in consumer demand has weakened global freight rates, the containership charter markets ...
Switzerland-based carrier MSC has roundly rejected complaints made by Pennsylvania home décor supplier MCS Industries and says it was “shocked to learn of the accusations”.
MSC said today the notice from the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) of the complaint lodged by MCS was published on Tuesday, but the carrier had received “no formal complaint by MCS Industries in advance of the filing”.
The shipping line believes the accusations by MCS Industries regarding a breach of antitrust laws are “vague and unsubstantiated and incorrectly targeted at MSC”.
The company added: “While MSC is still studying some of the contents of this particular complaint, the company does not recognise the alleged shortcomings in booking the cargo allocations provided for this shipper. Furthermore, MSC is not illegitimately selling space allotted to MCS Industries under its service contracts to other shippers.
“MSC and the shipping line Cosco are not in the same container-carrying alliance and as such have no operational co-operation by way of vessel-sharing agreement or slot charter agreement anywhere in the world.”
The shipping line said it had made “great efforts to provide its customers with continued service during extraordinary market conditions”.
MSC said it would consider the allegations “through the appropriate channels, with a view to refuting baseless claims and providing accurate sets of facts”.


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New Brampton shop offering sweet and savoury Indian street-food treats opening soon
Published July 9, 2021 at 5:20 pm
A new shop promising sweet and savoury street-food treats from India will be opening soon.
Located at 50 Sky Harbour Dr., just north of Steeles Ave., off Mississauga Rd., the store promises everthing from Indian street food to Thai ice cream rolls.
Other promised specialties include exotic milkshakes and sandwiches.


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Besides constantly checking for a BlackBerry 10 update on my PlayBook, I always like to dive into BlackBerry World to check out what’s new. Being the app tester that I am, I can tell you one thing, there are a lot of quality apps being ported to BlackBerry from Android and the gaming experience now […]
BlackBerry keeps moving this year as the BlackBerry 10 experience slowly unfolds to the world. It all began with the launch of the much awaited BlackBerry 10 operating system and devices and now BlackBerry has partnered with a formula 1 team. We all saw the superbowl ad and most didn’t get it. BlackBerry showed you […]
It’s not just the name. It’s not just the phone. It’s a shift from then to now, a top to bottom makeover. While BlackBerry (ex-RIM) was known to continue advancing in mobile device management security and solutions, many felt that on the mobile phone front they had gotten stuck in time. Under Thorsten Heins’ leadership […]
Everyone is curious about the pricing and the availability of the BlackBerry 10 devices that were just announced not over an hour ago. RIM now BlackBerry showed off the new BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 devices and now here are all the official details for you below of where and when you can get your hands on one.
I know the concern with most about the upcoming BlackBerry 10 operating system is the number of quality apps that will come with it, particularly multi-platform communication apps, which form the bulk of everyday mobile tools. Well as we mentioned earlier this month that ooVoo will be coming to BlackBerry 10, we have a press […]
Last Tuesday, a British electronics distribution specialist Context claimed that the BlackBerry PlayBook outsold the latest iPad during the last two months of 2012. Although this might receive a lot of skepticism, it is important to note that the sales channels monitored by Context make up most of the electronics distribution in the UK, so […]


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Continuing growth in pallet shipments has convinced Sigma Stretch to expand its Tulsa, Okla., operation.
Sigma has added 43,000 square feet to its Tulsa facility, boosting the footprint to 174,000 square feet, and has scheduled a grand opening of the new space for Oct. 5. The new space will be devoted to warehousing and office space, allowing better configuration of the manufacturing area, explained Sigma Stretch director of marketing Brian Fraser in a phone interview.
“It will allow more efficiency to support our business in the central United States and Mexico,” Fraser noted. “We have been very short on warehouse space.”
Fraser said that although North America imports a lot of manufactured goods, those goods must by organized on pallets and reshipped within the continent by distributors. Purchasing activity is brisk, growing faster than gross domestic product, and this activity is fuelling demand for plastic stretch packaging film to provide secure shipments. Domestic manufacturing, of course, also requires high volumes of stretch film for pallet wrap.
Fraser said about 800 distributors have learned the latest packaging technologies at Sigma Stretch's Shelbyville, Ky., Packworx facility where the company shows packaging principles. Sigma Stretch has organised those principles in its Rite-Gauging methodology, which it claims provides a holistic approach to industrial packaging. Sigma Stretch introduced Rite-Gauging several years ago and is expanding the Packworx audience into the original equipment manufacturing sector.
Sigma Stretch purchased the Tulsa facility in 1998 after the former owner, Atlantis Plastics Inc., decided to sell it. Tulsa processes a range of polyethylenes in cast and blown film lines that can churn out 120 million pounds of film per year.
It has invested about $25 million at the Tulsa site since the acquisition.
Sigma Stretch is part of Sigma Plastics Group, a diverse plastic and film and sheet producer that logged sales of $2.35 billion in 2015, according to Plastics News data. That sales figure makes it the third largest film and sheet producer in North America.


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Turn Leads Into Brand Advocates in 4 Steps [Infographic] – Social media marketing provides many opportunities for lead generation, sale conversion, and creating engaged brand advocates. An new infographic from Bluenose, a customer success platform provider, demystifies lifecycle marketing and shows marketers each step in the journey. SocialTimes
Study: Accurate Location Can Boost Mobile Conversions By More Than 2X – Mobile ad platform Thinknear’s latest location accuracy report contains a variety of findings about the impact of location accuracy on consumer behavior and ad performance. Overall, the report says that the availability of location for mobile display campaigns is expanding but geo-accuracy is being diluted or degraded by a new influx of programmatic impressions. Marketing Land
YouTube’s Mobile Growth Reaches 80 Percent – YouTube’s CEO says daily users are up by more than 40 percent year-over-year, while mobile growth reaches 80 percent. ClickZ
Bing Now Showing Mobile Friendly Label In Mobile Results – If you search using Bing on your mobile device, Bing may now start labeling mobile-ready web pages as mobile-friendly, similar to Google. Search Engine Roundtable
Mobile-Only Internet Users Surpass Desktop-Only Users For First Time Ever – ComScore reports that, for the first time ever, the amount users who use the internet exclusively on mobile devices has exceeded the amount of users who exclusively use desktop devices. Search Engine Journal
Report: Mobile Display Ads Outperformed Search In Delivering New Customer Calls – A fascinating new report from Marchex analyzed 1.8 million calls to compare the performance of different mobile ad channels in driving new sales prospects in the Financial Services and Insurance categories. The ad channels examined were directories, search engines, Marchex’s “voice search” network and mobile display ads. Marketing Land
Pinterest Launches Developers Platform – A few days after launching its Marketing Developer Partners program, Pinterest announced its Developers Platform, a suite of application programming interfaces for developers to build apps and integrations. SocialTimes
Google to Discontinue PageSpeed Services as of August 2015 – Google has announced that, after 4.5 years, the PageSpeed Service team will be “refocusing their efforts” and PageSpeed services will be turned down as a result. Search Engine Journal
It’s Official: Google Says More Searches Now On Mobile Than On Desktop – Company officially confirms what many have been anticipating for years. Search Engine Land
Facebook Releases Tools for Audience Network Native Ads – Facebook released a host of tools to ease the creation of native ads for its Facebook Audience Network and allow developers and publishers to reach users outside of the social network. SocialTimes
Google Enhances Its Social Capabilities With Google+ Collections – The tech giant introduced Google+ Collections today, a tool that allows users to categorize their posts, just like Pinterest. ClickZ
Google Launches New Mobile Ad Units, Reveals Mobile Search Has Overtaken Desktop – Two bits of news came out of the Google camp this week, both of which are related to mobile search. Find out what they had to say. Search Engine Journal
What were the top online and digital marketing news stories for you this week?
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!


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LAST UPDATED : Dec 06, 2019, 01:56 AM IST
- Up to 30% discount on highly-rated washing machines on Amazon
Several leading washing machine brands, including LG, Whirlpool and IFB are available at up to 30% discount in the ongoing sale on Amazon. Along with the discount, on purchasing these washing machines from the online portal you can avail the benefits of timely delivery, highest quality, honest ratings and brand authenticity.
- Washing Machine buying guide: Factors to consider before buying one
A good number of washing machines differ in terms of features, capacity and load and function. These also have unique features such as quick wash, wash programs, protective rat mesh, child lock, hot wash/temperature control, digital display and so on.
- Smart TV users, FBI has tips for you
- Confirmed: Nokia to launch its first smart TV in India on December 5
The buzz around Nokia-branded TVs coming to India has been prevalent since a month or so and now we have the official date of launch. The TVs will be launched in the country on December 5 in partnership with Walmart backed-e-commerce major Flipkart, which will be the exclusive seller for the new product category from Nokia.
- Pune: Twin townships to get sports centre, poly clinic
A multi-facility sports centre and a development operation maintenance and management of village plaza at Pimple Gurav are among a number of facilities to be developed by the Pimpri Chinchwad Smart City Limited on the public private partnership model.
- LG, Samsung, Bosch and other top rated washing machines perfect for Indian households
In case you have been wanting to purchase a washing machine, here we have shortlisted the best of washing machines which are available online right now. It is to be noted that we have chosen here only washing machines coming with a capacity ranging from 6 Kgs to 8.5 Kgs.
- Plan in place to develop Amritsar into smart city
People visiting Heritage Street in the vicinity of Golden Temple will soon have access to free high speed Wi-Fi network — a move along with other initiatives including setting up of reverse vending machines, sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators — to make Amritsar a smart city.


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(by Andres Rojas)
Coronavirus has dealt a massive blow to the hospitality industry. With travel restrictions and fear of contagion keeping occupancy rates at a record low, most hotels today are barely scraping by.
To make matters worse, the lack of a working vaccine in production means there’s still no guarantee that the next year will be any better. And yet, with 2020 coming to a close, hoteliers still have reasons to look towards 2021 with hope.
Although predicting the future isn’t an exact science, most experts forecast a slow recovery for the travel industry starting next year. So, while the coronavirus isn’t going anywhere yet, hoteliers must understand the new business opportunities that 2021 will bring and tweak their hotel marketing strategies accordingly.
The hospitality industry will slowly recover in 2021
In many ways, the industry’s recovery has already started. Indeed, leisure travelers are already driving growth as they flock to scenic destinations to escape the dull reality of life in a quarantined city.
Hotels located near beaches, mountains, and other natural attractions have already seen a surge of new visitors in the last months of 2020.
So, while things might never be the same, the travel industry is already showing encouraging signs of recovery.
The travel industry will fully recover by 2024
Most experts predict that we won’t reach full recovery until 2023 or 2024 at the latest. By that time, STR and Tourism Economics predict that consumer demand will reach 2019 levels in all market segments.
Since the industry’s decline isn’t caused by underlying weaknesses, hoteliers can expect to see a meaningful increase in the occupancy rates in the first half of 2021. Still, the speed of the recovery will depend on the availability of a vaccine and the strength of any virus recurrence.
Recovery rates will vary widely among hotels
While there is light at the end of the tunnel, occupancy rates will vary widely across sectors. According to research done by McKinsey, economy hotels will recover much faster than luxury or boutique hotels. Indeed, the report showed that while luxury hotels are more likely to be closed, economy hotels have higher occupancy rates (40% vs. 15%).
Hotels in 2021 will face the same challenges caused by travel restrictions and people’s unwillingness to travel. However, economy hotels’ lower operating costs make them an attractive destination for truck drivers, extended-stay guests, and other similar market segments.
Luxury hotels, on the other hand, employ more people and need 1.5 times more guests than economy hotels just to cover their costs. Furthermore, the road to recovery will be longer for upscale hotels that rely on conference and MICE travelers, as corporate traveling on a whole is down.
Overall, luxury hotels will have to adapt their hotel marketing to the new virtual office environment if they wish to remain competitive.
These traveling trends will change the hospitality industry in 2021
The Coronavirus pandemic has brought sweeping changes to the hotel industry. Whether they are legal requirements or consumer-driven changes, this “new normal” of hospitality will bring both challenges and opportunities for hotels in 2021.
Indeed, the post-COVID world is rife with opportunities for smart hoteliers whose hotel marketing strategy meets the newest traveling trends. And just to give you a taste of what’s to come, here are three developing trends in the travel industry that will change hotels in 2021.
Safety is now a luxury
Confined to their houses and bored out of their wits, most people would do anything to escape their routine. Yet, the fear of contagion often holds them back from checking into the nearest hotel.
Hoteliers can attract bookings by implementing strict hygiene measures and using their online presence to show they’re taking the COVID threat seriously.
Indeed, some of the guests’ most demanded safety measures include:
- Intensive room sanitization using UV rays and sanitizer.
- Free hand sanitizer.
- Quick COVID-19 tests for every guest who checks in.
- Daily temperature checks for every guest.
- More cleaning downtime between stays.
Social distancing takes over the hospitality industry
The need for a contactless customer experience means restaurants, gyms, spas, and other common areas might remain closed. However, with most guests eating in their rooms, the quarantine presents a golden opportunity for hoteliers that would like to use robots, chatbots, and AI to reduce customer-employee interactions.
Indeed, many luxury hotels now use apps or emails for digital check-ins and check-outs. Furthermore, customers’ fears of interacting with strangers mean that hotels can use robots to deliver pre-packaged meals, beverages, toiletries, and the like without looking like they’re cutting corners.
Local travelers will gain increasing importance
With international restrictions still standing, traveling will take an increasingly local character. After months of staying indoors, the good food and service of a local hotel can offer a much-needed break from the boring homely routine.
To attract local customers, online hotel marketing campaigns must use voice search to increase their hotel’s visibility while also highlighting every aspect that makes their hotel an attractive destination.
Our recommendation? Hope for the best, but be prepared for anything
While no one knows for sure what 2021 will bring, there are good reasons to remain hopeful. At last, people’s fear of contagion is being outweighed by their wish to travel. So the New Year will bring some much-needed business opportunities for the hospitality industry.
However, if 2020 has taught the travel industry anything is to never take growth for granted. So make sure you optimize your hotel marketing strategy for the post-COVID world, and follow Hashtag Lilac’s blog to find out everything about the latest trends making waves in the luxury hospitality industry.


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3 Metro supermarkets make room for family farmers
Last year we published the results of a survey by Leger Marketing that showed that Canadian consumers do most of their grocery shopping at one or two places of purchase. The most frequented place of purchase? The supermarket. The same survey showed that although many of us favour buying local, we aren't willing to spend much more time searching for local products.
That's why we're so pleased to announce a new pilot project in which three Metro grocery stores will serve as drop-off points for family farmers in our community supported agriculture (CSA) network.
Customers will now be able to pick up weekly baskets of certified organic, locally grown produce in the parking lots of three participating Metro stores, in Granby, Joliette and Trois-Rivières.


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Ocado Group PLC (LON:OCDO) may not have surprised many investors when it unveiled its latest fundraising this week, but it raised some familiar questions about the gap between its poor financial performance and sky-high valuation.
While the online grocery company’s shares have rocketed around 400% since mid-2017 since delivering a series of overseas contracts for its technology, many see the stock yet to prove the economics of its core business.
One such critic is Clive Black, head of research at Shore Capital.
Bagging some bonds
After raising £324mln in equity issues last year, receiving £750mln from M&S in exchange for half of its UK retail business, Ocado announcing a £500mln convertible bond issue was questioned by Black in light of the “sustained erosion” of the company’s financial forecasts over the years and “frankly poor cash flow generation, earnings profile and RoCE”.
“Ocado, remarkably, as a FTSE-100 company, is one where few others match the persistent downgrades by its house brokers,” says long-time bear Black in a note to clients, noting that such timely downgrades preventing earnings warnings by the company.
“Indeed, we do not know of a major stock that has been more consistently downgraded, especially where it is normally met by a mark-up in the share price.”
In fact, a few more analysts have trimmed their numbers of late, including JPMorgan, while the shares continued to notch up gains.
How analysts treat the convertible bond will be important, says Black, as on a fully diluted basis with all the bonds converted into equity, “this could lead to a major downgrade to ongoing EPS”.
Furthermore, as convertible equity capital, group return on capital equity “should be notably depleted”, says Black, admitting his “surprise” at Ocado’s need for the capital, which the company said was largely relating to its Solutions business
“What this suggests to us is that Ocado remains very ambitious but also highly cash consumptive. The group simply does not fund its ambitions from anywhere near its operating cash flow after approaching twenty years of trading, which depletes RoCE, an important measure of how management earns from its assets.”
Whether the convertible bond issue ends up being dilutive to metrics such as RoCE and EPS will depend on the success of Ocado’s various overseas deals and the extra earnings they may bring, counters Richard Hunter of broker Interactive Investor.
Rates of return
Return on capital employed, or RoCE, connects the profit and loss account to the balance sheet, in other words the level of assets needed to generate profitability
It is a metric beloved of many investors, including star fund manager Terry Smith, as a measure of a management team’s capability in converting assets into returns for shareholders.
By capitalising research and development costs, companies’ costs are treated as capital expenditures, or ‘capex’ for short, and so will be accounted on the balance sheet as an asset, rather than expensed, which would see them accounted on the income statement as a negative to reduce profits or extend losses. Assets that are capitalised are then amortised over a period of years.
On the side of defence, companies developing their product or technology such as Ocado need to spend heavily on research and development as a prime part of their long-term progress, but as many analysts and investors focus on headline figures, such as earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), this amortisation figure is therefore largely overlooked.
Launched in 2002 by three former Goldman Sachs bankers, including fast-talking ex bond trader Tim Steiner as chief executive, and joining the market in 2010, Ocado ascended to blue chip status within less than a decade.
(Black says he gives “great credit” to Steiner for his “largely singlehanded creation of a FTSE 100 company”, which “is no mean feat and deserves proper recognition and congratulation”.)
For many years Ocado was losing money as it poured many millions in its robots, software and other delivery technology and when it did turn a profit in 2014 it was thanks to a money-spinning deal with Morrison’s.
“Ocado has always been a capital hungry business,” as Black notes, with its heavy R&D costs tending to be capitalised.
“Such an accounting practice is ordinary and permissible, but it is important to keep in mind that capitalised costs flatter the near-term pre-tax profit/(loss) figure, as a proportion of the outlay moves to the balance sheet with P&L costs subsequently booked over the amortisation period, which most analysts ignore.
“Additionally, the impairment of capitalised costs needs close attention too, as such activity tends to be below the line and, again, ignored by analysts but flatters the P&L,” he says.
Returns from its UK business to date have been less than impressive so far, but Ocado sold 50% of this to M&S this year and as it migrated from being a proprietary retailer to a technology solutions provider to the online grocery market, it has sought to reduce the capital outlay on CFCs through smaller units, Black acknowledges.
Still, the group remains a heavily capital-intensive as part of its overseas contracts, needing to spend up front on fixed assets and technological development before it gains revenues from with its international retailer clients.
How important is profitability?
Almost a decade on from its IPO and Ocado remains largely unprofitable, but “does that matter?” Black wonders.
He notes the success that the company has achieved in generating value for shareholders in the last couple of years and its long-term ambition, but says next year is an important one for Steiner to deliver on his promises.
Needing to deliver a seamless switch of supply from Waitrose to M&S products for the UK retail business by September, operational delivery of the first international CFCs in Paris for Group Casino, in Canada for Sobeys, in the US for Kroger and in Sweden with IC, this needs to be done in a “flawless” manner, says Black, given a that the equity is valued against “minimal earnings [and] seems to be priced for perfection”.
He is not the only analyst with a bearish stance, with the market consensus recently downgraded to a ‘sell’ rating.
JPMorgan Cazenove said a few weeks back that Ocado’s £9bn valuation was “stretched”, with around around £4bn of it coming from the Retail joint venture and the overseas projects.
This means the rest of the market’s valuation is “ascribed to potential new signings (i.e. m,ore clients/more CFCs with existing clients) and suggests at least additional 126 CFCs will be contracted” compared to 38 announced at that state and just three operational.
Ocado has since signed up Japan’s largest grocery chain but it’s fair to say many long-time bears will keep growling for some time yet.


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Boonty Inc., a digital game distributor and a seller of PC casual games, has announced two new executive-level hires. The company has appointed a new Executive Vice President of Business Development, as well as a new Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer.
The new executive VP of business development is Kevin Malone, whose last position was Vice President of Sales and Distribution at Liquid Media, another digital content delivery company. Prior to that, Malone worked as international business development manager for Silicon Graphics and in sales at IBM and Control Data.
Hired as the new chief marketing and strategy officer is Gabe Zicherman, who previously worked as vice president of strategy and communications for Trymedia Systems, which handles digital content delivery for services such as Gametap, MSN, and Yahoo! Games. Prior to that, Zicherman was head of marketing for the CMP Game Group, which handles Gamasutra.com, Game Developer Magazine, and the Game Developers Conference.
“The addition of Kevin and Gabe to our executive team underscores our commitment to the American market and the tremendous demand for our unique brand of global, digital game services,” said Romain Nouzareth, CEO and Co-Founder of Boonty Inc.