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NICE wants more info on Roche's MabThera for rare autoimmune disease
This article was originally published in Scrip
NICE, the health technology appraisal institute for England and Wales, is so far "minded not" to recommend Roche's MabThera (rituximab) for National Health Service patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis. However, Roche could still convince the institute to, say yes. It has asked for more information from ahead of the next appraisal meeting on 28 August .
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In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic fallout, pharmaceutical companies could face a range of measures designed to cut government spending on medicines. From relaxing intellectual property rights to delaying reimbursement, In Vivo examines what might be in store for industry.
The European public assessment report for Kaftrio shows that EU regulators had concerns about whether Vertex’s triple drug combination for cystic fibrosis represented a new treatment paradigm.


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News Briefs for January 31, 2019January 31, 2019
•Ste. Michelle Wine Estates posted sales down 1% to $691 million for its fiscal year ended in December, parent group Altria has reported. The sales decline accelerated in the fourth quarter, as revenues were down 11% as a result of a 15.1% decline in shipment volume. For the full year, Ste. Michelle’s shipments fell 3.3% to 8.2 million cases, while adjusted operating profit declined 29% to $104 million, weighed down by higher costs and lower volume. Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ longtime president and CEO Ted Baseler retired in October, and was replaced by Philip Morris International veteran Jim Mortensen. Parent group Altria recently made headlines with a $1.8 billion investment in Canadian cannabis group Cronos, taking a 45% stake in the company in December.
•Marietta Cellars founder Chris Bilbro passed away Jan. 27, after battling cancer for several years. He was 72. Bilbro founded Marietta Cellars in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley in 1978, renting an old cow barn as his first winery. Sourcing underrated grapes from gnarled old vines scattered around the county, he produced Marietta’s Old Vine Red at a time when consumers were increasingly turning to single-variety wines made from prestige grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon—but the brand took off through word of mouth. Today Marietta Cellars is owned by Bilbro’s son Scot and produces 75,000 cases annually. Bilbro is survived by four sons and six grandchildren. Wine Spectator has more on his life and career.
•Goza Tequila has formed a new sales partnership with Atlanta-based Blue Ridge Spirits and Wine Marketing. Goza’s Blanco ($30), Reposado ($35), and Añejo ($40) Tequilas are currently available in Georgia, New York, South Carolina, and Texas, and are slated to launch in Florida, Colorado, and Tennessee this year, as Blue Ridge welcomes the brand to its portfolio. Goza’s lineup is made from 100% agave, grown and distilled in Jalisco, Mexico.Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.

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Before heading out to trick-or-treat to satisfy that annual Halloween sweet tooth, remember that some popular Halloween treats are a lot worse for you than others.
While snack-sized Halloween candies can seem similar, some pack a lot more sugar compared to others. And that difference may matter: a new study released Tuesday declared sugar “toxic” and warned that it can cause health problems.
Of the 40 candies studied by Cooking Light, the one with the most sugar was Sugar Babies: the 21g snack size packet of candy-coated caramels amazingly contains 15g of sugar. Rounding out the top three were sugary candies including a single Charm’s Blow Pop (13g sugar) and a mini box of Nerds (12g sugar).
Here’s a chart of the sweetest treats:


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It looks like there could be another big change coming to Snapchat
The redesign hasn't gone down well with fans.
And while it may be here to stay, it looks like the folks behind the app are working to test one of the bigger issues in the update.
The recently released version makes it near impossible to find the stories that you actually want to watch.
So many people have become unhappy with the app's redesign that Snapchat has been getting a constant stream of one-star reviews in the App Store since it was released.
There's even been a change.org petition started, demanding that the company reverse the update. It's gotten more than a million signatures so far.
And many fans began to worry that the update would stick after Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said he was quite happy with the redesign.
However, according to Mashable, the latest beta version for the app hints that the company could be adding a new section for Stories.


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Bank fees have the power to make or break customer loyalty, according to a new survey from GoBankingRates.
Forty-five percent of Americans say that "low or no fees" is the banking feature or service that matters to them most, according the 2014 Banking Features Survey of 1,517 respondents. Online and mobile banking features are the highest priority for 17% of respondents. Convenient branch locations (14%), exceptional customer service (12%) and great interest rates (12%) also hold sway over many Americans.
While a majority of Americans across income brackets care more about fees than any other factor, the country's highest earners have a different set of priorities. Just 6.7% of people who earned between $100,000 and $149,000-the highest income group included in the survey-cited fees as the most important bank feature. Instead, a majority, 46.7%, of people in that group said interest rates mattered most when choosing a financial institution.
"These findings really speak to Americans' aversion to losing money," Jennifer Calonia, senior editor of GoBankingRates, said in a Tuesday press release. "However, this might be the very handicap preventing bank customers from succeeding at saving money and growing wealth. As interest rates rise, it will become more important for the average consumer to find high-yielding accounts."
The survey also found that bank customers' priorities break down along generational lines. People between the ages of 18 and 24 were the most likely to give precedence to online and mobile banking, with 23% selecting that feature. At the other end of the spectrum, 21% of people 65 and over prioritized customer service-a higher proportion than any other age bracket.


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Bhola is a Hindi language movie starring Ajay Devgn that was released in the theatres on 30th March 2023 and now the OTT release date and OTT platform have been revealed. Ajay Devgn’s film is making waves at the box office and is expected to soon go past Rs 100 Crores.
Ajay Devgn’s Bhola OTT Release Date
Bhola OTT release date is June 2023. The makers of Bhola have tied up with a big digital streaming platform which will release Bhola on its OTT platform in May 2023. Bhola is the remake of the South Indian film Kaithi which was also a huge blockbuster. The film follows a man who faces many obstacles in his way while going to home after being released from jail.
Also read: Bhola Box Office Collection Day 5
Bhola OTT Platform
Bhola will release on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video in May 2023. The film is being touted as a no nonsense action thriller that has upped the game for thriller movies in India.


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The poison fruit of catastrophic Democratic policies.
Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said that the recent epidemic of “flash mob” thievery going on in California will inevitably spread around the country.
“This is something now that I really unfortunately think is going to spread,” Ramsey told CNN on Thursday, via Newsweek. “Right now it’s in California, but it will spread, there’s no question about it.”
Just admit Democrat governance screwed the pooch so badly it will end retail shopping as we know it. There is no other way to spin this debacle. https://t.co/Pi1rpB3Xjr
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) November 28, 2021
How it started: How it’s going: pic.twitter.com/S5l5lREYOS
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) November 28, 2021
— Hoagyn #MAGA #KAG (@kevinhoagyn) November 28, 2021
L.A. on high alert after series of smash-and-grab robberies
By: OAN Newsroom, November 27, 2021
A citywide tactical alert was lifted throughout a majority of Los Angeles on Saturday after the city was hit with multiple smash-and-grab robberies. Los Angeles Police are on high alert after the city underwent at least six flash mob style robberies on Black Friday.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department continued looking for suspects Saturday after they said eight males barged into a Home Depot Friday night. According to officers, the group walked directly towards their pick of crowbars, sledgehammers and other tools, clearing out the stores entire hammer section.
Employees, however, said a group of up to 20 males believed to be 15- to 20-years-old pulled up to the storefront in about 10 cars prior to the incident.
Mobs running through stores stealing might be considered Biden’s Black Friday! Big Government Socialists do not understand that when you are soft on crime, crime will not be soft on you.
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) November 28, 2021
One employee said the group put on ski masks and rushed towards cars parked at the end of the lot before beginning to check the doors to see if they could gain access to them. Luis Romo then explained that once the cars wouldn’t budge, the group started jogging towards the front of the store where they began stealing the product.
“We tried to actually stop them. We closed the front entrance and they put their sledgehammers up like whoever got in the way they were going to hurt them,” said Romo.
Inter-agency collaboration toward a common goal: to ensure the safety of our community. CHP and LAPD came together at the Topanga mall for high-visibility patrol to deter flash mob/smash-and-grab robberies pic.twitter.com/OXxtl15b0C
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) November 27, 2021
Police told local news outlet KCBS this robbery was extra concerning as the tools could be used against more stores in the area. The Los Angeles Police Department later issued a tactical citywide alert after a large group robbed a Bottega Veneta in the Melrose area.
Police said an unknown amount of merchandise was stolen from the high-end clothing store and that one employee was pepper sprayed. Additionally, authorities said three armed men stole a Rolex watch from a store on Melrose Avenue.
The string of crimes come as the Golden State grapples a surge in smash-and-grab robberies from large groups and the LAPD has begun boosting its patrols in high-profile shopping districts. Cities in California weren’t the only ones struck with smash-and-grab robberies on Friday night as such violence has seemed to pick up in several areas across the country.
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Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Besides marking the official launch of pool party season, Angelenos love June for another reason: it's the month when the Joie, Current/Elliott and Equipment summer sale returns without fail. Just like last year and the year before that, the trio of cult-favorite fashion brands is set to bring mega deals to Hollywood, specifically Siren Studios Orange.
Taking place next Friday, June 20 from 9am to 8pm and Saturday, June 21 from 9am to 3pm, the blowout is expected to boast up to 75% off on over 8,000 styles. As always, handbags will be checked at the door, some bring a small wallet or clutch to avoid that altogether. No strollers; cash/credit accepted; merch sold as-is. Oh and get there early.
· All SaleWire Listings [Racked]
· Gilt City, Halston, More: 10+ LA Sales to Shop Now Thru Sunday [Racked]
· The 4 Rules of The Joie, Equipment, Current/Elliott Sale [Racked]
· The Equipment, Joie, Current/Elliott Sample Sale Returns in June [Racked]


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Mervyns to Open Five Stores in 2009
Hayward, Calif. Mervyns will launch an e-commerce site in the fourth quarter of 2008 and open five stores in the company’s core markets across California and the Southwest in 2009.
The retailer also plans to sell an estimated five to 10 underperforming locations, and has retained DJM Realty to manage disposition of this real estate. The company anticipates that its new online business will generate $50 million in sales.
Kroger reminds families about food safety
CINCINNATI As the summer grilling season approaches, The Kroger Co.’s family of stores is reminding customers about the four keys to safe grilling: chill, clean, separate and cook.
“Grilling out with family and friends is a terrific summer pastime we can all enjoy. At Kroger, we are partnering with our customers to remind them to follow these easy food safety tips so that every cookout is a success,” said Joe Grieshaber, group VP Kroger’s meat, seafood, deli and produce departments.
Retail pharmacies partner with Google for new health tool
NEW YORK Retail pharmacies such as CVS Caremark and Walgreens have partnered with Google to help consumers manage their health care information online through Google’s latest product, Google Health.
Using the Google Health tool, consumers can access vital health information, such as their prescription history. In addition, Google is working with the retailers to better integrate its product with their pharmacies. For example, patients who receive treatment at CVS’s MinuteClinic will be able to securely import their visit summaries into their Google Health Accounts. For its part, Walgreens is offering customers the chance to have their prescription history updated to Google Health on a daily basis.


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Li, State Council draft guidelines to encourage innovation in burgeoning sector
A guideline to further boost China’s sharing economy was approved on Wednesday at a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.
Under the guideline, the growing sector will have easier access, greater policy transparency and better protection of legitimate rights for platform companies, resource providers and consumers. The guideline is aimed at creating an environment that enables and sustains innovation.
“We should give credit to the sharing economy as a reinvigorating force in China’s economic growth,” Li said.
The sharing economy includes areas such as bicycle-sharing services, car hailing services and even shared basketballs and phone chargers.
“The country’s sharing economy, enabled by the Internet Plus, has been instrumental in absorbing excess capacity and creating new jobs through its various new business models,” Li said.
China’s sharing economy is likely to sustain 40 percent annual growth momentum in the coming years, according to a February report by the State Information Center and the Internet Society of China.
According to the report, the market turnover of the country’s sharing economy in 2016 reached 3.45 trillion yuan ($505.4 billion), up 103 percent year-on-year.
In 2016, the sharing economy served about 600 million people in China. There were 5.85 million people who were on the payroll of sharing economy platforms, 850,000 more than in 2015, it said.
“The regulation of the sharing economy should be tolerant while prudent, as there is still much yet to be learned about new business models,” Li said. “We should avoid simply applying traditional methodology on the sharing economy.”
Going forward, authorities are being tasked with improving public services in terms of data sharing, government service procurement, urban planning and resources management innovation, the guideline said.
Financial institutions are being encouraged to provide innovative financial services and products tailored to the demand of companies in the sector.
The government also will get creative with taxation and other measures to facilitate the sector’s growth, especially in creating new jobs.
Companies with cutting edge products are being encouraged to go global, establish their presences and build brand names.
However, companies that improperly manage their businesses — including illegally disclosing or abusing the personal information of consumers and illegally competing in the market — will face the full weight of law, the State Council decided.
“China is a country vast in size and with diversified demands, still industrializing and urbanizing. There are a lot of resources and capacities that could be put to better uses,” Li said.
“Government at different levels should take the initiative with the big picture in mind, striking a balance between ‘enabling’ regulation and risk preparedness, in our effort to build a level playing field for all to compete and excel.”
According to the February report, the sharing economy has covered areas such as transportation, housing, medical services and manufacturing. Its integration with the real economy has been accelerated, as the sharing model helps eliminate outdated production capacities, expand effective supplies and move traditional industries to high-end industries, the report said.


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Anarchy Online Reborn With Classic Server
Funcom announced this morning that the first Sci-Fi MMORPG, Anarchy Online will be launching a new 2019 server. This fresh start sever puts everyone back at level 1, going through their favorite moments again. They also announced that a level-cap system is in place, and the community at large will have a say in the progression of this server. That is in both terms of expansion releases and level-cap increases. Originally launched in 2001, Anarchy Online is one of the longest-running MMOs ever, and are celebrating their 18 years with this fresh-start server.
“With the launch of the new server, we wanted to give players our unique take on a progression server. I invite everyone to step into the familiar and surprising Rubi-Ka 2019,” said Producer Joshua Mills. “As we continue through the year of Anarchy Online’s 18th anniversary, we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to play in a way that brings together the old and the new, with a few twists mixed in. Thank you to everyone who has made these years possible and I hope you will join us on this brave new journey to Rubi-Ka!”
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According to London’s Centre for Economics and Business Research, Australia’s economy will become the world’s 11th biggest economy by 2026, thanks in large part to a growing population of skilled workers needed to keep up with the digital evolution of the world’s economy. Due to this projected growth, we decided to focus this month’s country spotlight on Australia and some of our client industries.
Travel & Hospitality
Over 8.7 million international visitors had arrived in Australia as of October 2017, spending a record $41.2 billion. Two of the areas we are interested in include vacation home rentals and online travel agencies. According to AirBnB’s own data, in 2017, Australia had $77 million in bookings for over 1200 villas, accounting for approximately 20% of the entire Asia Pacific Villa Rental Market. Major areas for these bookings include Sydney, Perth and Byron Bay. According to analyst group IbisWorld, the OTA industry in Australia has “grown phenomenally,” with expected double digit growth annually until 2020 expected, and we’re seeing expansion as well, with Webjet, a Melbourne-based OTA, is expanding into new markets including North America and South Africa.
Australia made the list of billion dollar markets for direct selling in 2015 and 2016 saw a continuation, with annual sales of $1.6 billion (AUD). According to Direct Selling Australia (DSA), approximately 641,000 independent sales people, of which 74% are women, are engaged in selling in Australia. Healthcare, cosmetics and personal care, and household goods account for the majority (82%) of sales in the market. Traditional person-to-person sales methods have come under threat from e-commerce retailers and with more millennials joining the direct selling business, and as a result, it’s noted that digital and social selling can’t be forgotten.
Another area seeing growth thanks to increased digital and internet adoption is the gig economy. Australian labor statistics show a growing workforce, almost 11.5 million workers in 2016, but with a rise in the number of Australians employed part-time, up 14% since 2011. A recent survey of 1,007 casual and contract workers noted that 87% consider work-life balance extremely or very important to them, the biggest driver of satisfaction for those in the gig economy. Those with control over work-life balance, expressed a 90% satisfaction rate compared to those without who only reported a 26% satisfaction rate. Australian workplace experts are beginning to note the need for more regulation in order to protect vulnerable workers and others note concern that workers in these jobs will be left without retirement protection from superannuation payments. Businesses will be smart to pay attention to developments in both of these areas even as the market continues to grow.
Australia’s online marketplace industry seeing big growth and big changes thanks to a number of recent developments. Amazon Marketplaces arrived on the scene in late 2017 to compete with eBay, the oldest and most dominant marketplace, and Catch.com.au, another large player who launched its marketplace in June of 2016. According to research from Neto, an Australian retail management platform, 95% of retailer’s surveyed plan to sell on Amazon in 2018 and 39% said they’d sell in as many marketplaces as possible in 2018. Consumer preferences are driving the need for retailers who want to be competitive to be on these marketplaces as shoppers are turning to online.
The Transpay Edge
Staying competitive in these growing markets requires a successful payout program. Transpay offers businesses the simplest way to pay, marketplace and direct sellers, gig economy workers and travel hosts and suppliers. We offer quick and cost effective payouts, in Australian Dollars (AUD) directly to local bank accounts in 48 hours. Let Transpay ensure your payees get paid how they want to be paid!
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Mumbai: Packaged consumer goods maker Marico Ltd on Friday reported a 24% increase in net profit for the quarter ended 31 March, largely in line with analyst estimates.
Consolidated net profit rose to Rs.138.43 crore in the quarter from Rs.110.03 crore a year earlier. An analysts’ survey byBloomberg had forecast a profit of Rs.135 crore.
Marico’s consolidated net sales increased 6.5% to Rs.1,302.78 crore in the March quarter from Rs.1,222.98 crore. TheBloomberg survey had forecast sales of Rs.1,310.7 crore for the maker of Parachute and Saffola oils.
Shares of Marico rose 2.77% to Rs.258.30 apiece on BSE, while the Sensex was nearly unchanged at 25,606.62 points.


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Russian aluminium producer UC Rusal reduced aluminium output by 1.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the previous quarter, to 927,000 tons, the company has said in a statement. Aluminium sales in the first half of the year decreased by four per cent, and the average price was affected by the reduction in premium pricing. Analysts warn that the low price of aluminium and the decline in sales of its value-added aluminium products (VAP) could lead to H1 financial results which are “one of the worst in company’s history”.
H1 2020 production levels remained at the same level as those for the same period of last year, at 1.867 million tons of aluminium.
Company sales of aluminium in H1 2020 fell 4.4 per cent to 1.89 million tons. Sales recovered by seven per cent to 976,000 tons in the second quarter of 2020.
The share of Rusal VAP fell to 37 per cent in the second quarter of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, compared with 46 per cent in January-March.
The EU region remains Rusal’s main customer for its aluminum supply (46 per cent), but the share fell by nine per cent amid the pandemic, while Asia, where the lockdown was less severe, now accounts for 27 per cent of sales, up from 15 per cent a quarter earlier. This shift in sales geography also contributed to the decrease of premiums in spot pricing.
The premium for the quarter fell 18 per cent to 128 US dollars per ton, which is also explained by the lower share of VAP. Compared to the data from a year ago, the premium is 10 per cent lower.
The London Metal Exchange (LME) price of aluminium fell by 10.7 per cent (to 1,526 US dollars) which drove the average selling price of aluminium in the second quarter down to 1,654 US dollars per ton, an 11 per cent decrease over the previous period, and an 18 per cent premium drop.
According to BCS GM estimates, the average price of Rusal aluminium suggests a discount to the benchmark of 32 US dollars per ton (in January-March it was four US dollars per ton, a year earlier – five US dollars).
The volume of alumina production in the quarter remained at the level of the previous quarter, amounting to 2.009 million tons, of which 35 per cent fell on domestic alumina.
Bauxite production in the second quarter increased by 8.8 per cent to 3.892 million tons, driven by higher volumes in Timan and seasonally low January-March levels.
Production and sales results were below VTB Capital’s forecasts, which is explained by a slight decrease in the utilisation of Siberian factories and a six per cent decline in Kubal production.
BCS GM considers Rusal’s operating results to be “expectedly weak,” although it notes that operating results may improve in the next quarter, which is partly dependent on the second wave of Covid-19 and possible related restrictions. However, the annual result will be weak, given the expected balance in the aluminum market for the remainder of the year, according to the BCS GM forecast.
The financial results for the half-year may turn out to be “one of the worst in the company’s history,” primarily due to the low price of aluminum, VTB Capital believes. The investment bank expects EBITDA to fall by 50 per cent from the previous half year, to 228 million US dollars. Despite the Norilsk Nickel dividend of 448 million US dollars, free cash flow will be in the negative zone (minus 58 million US dollars). Net debt will not decrease but will grow by more than one per cent compared to the beginning of the year, amounting to 6.54 billion US dollars, VTB Capital believes.
Rusal notes that during the second quarter of 2020, the market was recovering from the disruption caused by Covid-19. While manufacturing activity grew at its fastest pace in several months in the United States, Brazil, France, Turkey and China, recovery in other countries was slower. While a potential second wave of Covid-19 continues to create uncertainty in the market, most countries are more optimistic about the second half of 2020.
The demand for aluminium in the first half of the year fell by 6.6 per cent, to 30.3 million tons, while production increased by 1.8 per cent, to 32.1 million tons. In particular, China’s demand remained generally unchanged, while metal production increased by 2.8 per cent. Thus, the market has a surplus of 1.8 million tons in the first half of the year.
About 12 per cent of the world’s aluminium smelters outside of China operate at a loss producing approximately 3.5 million tons, and their costs are higher than current prices, says Rusal.
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[…] The EU region remains Rusal’s main customer for its aluminum supply (46 per cent), but the share fell by nine per cent amid the pandemic, while Asia, where the lockdown was less severe, now accounts for 27 per cent of sales, up from 15 per cent a quarter earlier. This shift in sales geography also contributed to the decrease of premiums in spot pricing.Source… […]


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It’s trying so hard to be a movement.
As an increasingly large phalanx of Christian right wingnuts express their anger over Starbucks’ new, all-red holiday-themed cups — which they feel is trying to take Christ out of Christmas — Sarah Palin has tried to insert herself into the ballyhoo with a recent post on Facebook:
Funny how some grinches on the Left take things too far in attempts to make all us jolly revelers look ridiculous, lumping us in the same box concerning misplaced outrage over a coffee cup’s non-controversy.
My daughters spent many summers employed as hardworking baristas; I love their take on faux concern over Starbucks red Christmas cup and why you should enjoy your festive cuppa’joe anyway!
Predictably enough, Donald Trump was quick to enter the fray, intimidating that he might ixnay the Starbucks storefront in Trump Tower:
“Did you read about Starbucks? No more ‘Merry Christmas’ at Starbucks,” he told a wildly booing crowd in Illinois at a Monday night rally. “I have one of the most successful Starbucks… in Trump Tower. Maybe we should boycott Starbucks? I don’t know. Seriously, I don’t care. That’s the end of that lease, but who cares?”
Goading the gullible crowd yet further, he crowed, “If I become president, we’re all going to be saying Merry Christmas again, that I can tell you. That I can tell you. Unbelievable.”
The problem with all of this is that the man who started this “non-controversy” was actually a self-proclaimed right-wing “Social Media Evangelist” named Josh Feuerstein, who went on CNN this week to accuse Starbucks of “trying to remove Christmas from Christmas!”
Fortunately, an unstoppered flow of hilarious memes have been popping up left and right all over social media, adding some much needed levity to the surreal situation.
Scroll down for even more Starbucks red cup anti-Christmas memes…


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U.S. prepares for national food labeling standard
Disclosure of genetically modified ingredients will soon be mandatory
U.S. consumers are beginning to see labels on food products indicating whether they contain genetically modified ingredients, thanks to legislation enacted this year. The new law requires USDA to establish by July 2018 a national mandatory standard for labeling genetically modified foods. It also prohibits U.S. states from enacting their own laws for labeling such foods.


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OnePlus aims to achieve that by making it smarter and better connected to smartphones, which are still our number one device in our lives. The company also makes some pretty stellar accessories such as backpacks, headphones, and more.
OnePlus, the China-based company known for its affordable line of premium phones is foraying into the television industry.
Speaking to Business Insider, Lau gave 2019 as the potential release window for the OnePlus TV, adding that software updates would make it smarter and more connected over the five years following the launch. With the OnePlus TV, the company's aiming to improve the human experience through simplicity, efficiency, and intelligent functionality.
Regarding the price, no information is available at the current time but we can expect it to be priced competitively to compete with its rivals like Xiaomi's Mi smart TVs. With the development of AI technology, our imagination is endless - and we are looking forward to the future, ' Lau said.
We want to bring the home environment to the next level of intelligent connectivity. If a winning name is selected from the suggestions, the victor will receive one of the first OnePlus TV products and a round-trip airfare and hotel for the first OnePlus TV launch event.
Killed After Syria Accidentally Shoots Down Russian Military Plane
A recovery operation in the Mediterranean Sea is underway, Konashenkov said. Israel has refrained from taking sides in the Syrian civil war.
OnePlus does a really good job at creating smartphones and while there isn't another product that is synonymous with the brand, a television from the Chinese smartphone manufacturer might be a reality soon.
A built-in camera will also be also play a big part in the OnePlus TV experience, and Lau quells fears of an invasion of home privacy: "we have this in mind, and we will have a solution". The latest Smart TV will be built with flagship design, image quality and audio experience. We don't know whether it is an Android TV set-top box, a Chromecast-like dongle, or an actual TV unit.
OnePlus TV under development.
What the OnePlus TV ultimately entails could be dependent on user feedback. The phone maker has announced today that it's building a smart TV and plans to launch it sometime next year. The executive also said to the publication that the offering would be a "premium, flagship TV".


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In a unique move, Flipkart on Friday announced that potential consumers can get access to select products between October 11-14 and pre-book these products at a minimal price of Rs 1 before the Big Billion Days sale event that begins from October 16.
The e-commerce marketplace, tied neck-to-neck with Amazon ‘Great India Festival’ and Snapdeal’s ‘Kum Mein Dum’ sales, said that once the pre-booking is confirmed, consumers can come back to the platform during the first day of The ‘Big Billion Days’ to pay the balance amount, either online or via cash-on-delivery.
Consumers will get access to a million products across categories such as home, lifestyle, beauty, babycare and electronic accessories, among others, as part of the pre-book collection.
“Consumers will not just get a sneak peak into the ‘Big Billion Days’ offers but will also be able to plan their purchases in advance by paying just Re 1,” said Nandita Sinha, Vice President–Events, Engagement and Merchandising at Flipkart.
The Flipkart BBD sale starts from October 16 till October 21 and is going to bring lakhs of sellers, artisans, and brands to come together and provide a wide array of products to more than 250 million consumers.
According to industry reports, the festive season shopping is going to witness huge demand from consumers with over 45-50 million shoppers coming online.
“With the pre-book store, sellers, artisans and weavers will be able to anticipate and fulfill what India wants to shop during the sale-event and give their consumers festive joy within the Big Billion Days event,” said Jagjeet Harode, Senior Director and Head – Marketplace, Flipkart.
The e-commerce platform has added over 3.4 million square feet space across its supply chain assets including fulfilment centres, mother hubs and delivery centres throughout the country in preparation of the upcoming festive season and the Big Billion Days sale event.
Flipkart earlier said it will unveil over 200 special edition products in partnership with more than 100 leading brands during its ‘Big Billion Days’ sale.
The e-commerce marketplace has also on-boarded over 50,000 kiranas to bring festive cheer to consumers across 850 cities.
The State Bank of India (SBI) will offer a 10 per cent instant discount for its debit and credit Card users during the six-day sale.
Furthermore, no-cost EMIs will be made available to consumers through offers from Bajaj Finserv EMI cars and other leading bank credit and debit cards.
Flipkart has also partnered with Paytm to offer assured cashback to consumers paying through Paytm Wallet and Paytm UPI.


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At the New York Auto Show, Honda surprised the assembled auto journalists and show goers with the eye catching bright green 2016 Honda Civic Concept, a car they say is spitting distance to the production model coming to showrooms soon.
The all-new 2016 Honda Civic will go on sale this fall in its 10th-generation, a model that will try to recapture the youthful performance image, styling excitement and status it has enjoyed in the past.
To be available in a sedan, a coupe like the sexy concept car shown here and a five-door hatch, it will not only be available in Si models but the long desired Type-R performance flagship which is most likely depicted by this concept car.
This will usher in a new range of powertrains, the most noteworthy being the first of multiple turbocharged VTEC engines to go on sale here in the United States.
One of them will be a new 1.5-liter VTEC turbo engine which will be available both with a short-shifting 6-speed manual transmission and a continuously variable transmission. The latter Honda says should offer class leading fuel economy.
A new chassis will underpin the 2016 Civic which we can hope brings back some of the high-feature dynamics that the tuner-import world loved so much about the iconic model in the past. But alas, we will have to wait.
While no specifications were offered at the 2016 Honda Civic Concept reveal, they did share its styling is near production intent. And it shows Honda has heard the critics of the last decade saying they were a bit less than exciting.
Designed here in the U.S., the 2016 Honda Civic has a longer wheelbase and a longer hood. This combined with shorter overhangs gives it a more planted stance with a cabin further set back from its nose.
Wheels are pushed out for a more aggressive look which ties into the theme pounded home by a rakish coupe roof line and deeply sculpted and charismatic front fascia. LED lighting is featured, specifically the headlamps with are rumored to be production intent.
That makes sense, as the Toyota Corolla to which it competes comes standard with LED headlights. At the rear, a more aggressive design can be found not only in the huge wing but in the continuous LED tail lamp bar.
Like most all new-cars this year, the 2016 Honda Civic will be available with improved safety including driver assistance systems for collision avoidance with warnings for about every little thing you could do wrong.
The 2016 Honda Civic we get here in North America will of course be unique to us in many ways. It was designed here, engineered here and will be built here in both Greensburg, Indiana and Alliston, Ontario. The five-door hatch will be built in the UK.


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Subway scores 4-star franchise rating
Subway Australia is the latest brand to be awarded a 4-star spot in the Australian Franchise Rating Scale and the largest fast food franchise chain in Australia to achieve this, thanks to a high level of transparency and franchise performance across seven categories.
An independent assessment conducted by FRANdata placed the business among the top performers in the Australian franchise landscape.
Subway Systems Australia country director Geoff Cockerill said the results reflected the brand’s 30-year legacy.
“FRANdata’s rating demonstrates to prospective franchisees that the Subway franchise system is a strong
investment opportunity,” Cockerill said.
He told Inside Franchise Business “It’s very pleasing. I think what helped us is the long history and success over 30 years in Australia: testcd and proven operations support, a whole raft of things for a long time that we are always revisiting and refining.
“Covid certainly sharpened us up and as our field teams couldn’t focus on restaurants, they took the time to look at the business which has led to positivity and that momentum is staying with us.”
The business just recently continued to unleash its innovations on the market, introducing a pilot for its 24/7 pick up service.
Subway joins a host of high performance brands which have been recognised for their strong levels of transparency and franchise performance, including foodie brands Pizza Hut and The Cheesecake Shop.
FRANdata’s Australian CEO, Darryn McAuliffe, said “Subway offers a highly structured initial training program and has a suite of highly developed support programs in place to optimise the performance of their Australian franchisees.
“This strong rating reflects not only the expected underlying strength of a longstanding and large global franchise system, but also a fierce commitment to the success of its franchisees.”
He said the current brand overhaul and rollout of the Next Gen store design has been a significant advantage to Subway.
“This is driving improved performance in what is a highly competitive market,” he said.


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The company has announced record profits, sales, turnover and revenue in the year to July 31 boosted by the gain in the paper value of its VW shareholding, which contributed €6.83bn (£5.7bn), plus dividends of €1.007bn.
Porsche Group profit rose 46pc to €8.57bn, which exceeded the company’s €7.47bn revenue from building sports cars.
The figures, the most successful in Porsche's 60-year history, sawy chairman Wendelin Wiedeking €7.74m bonus.
“We’ve been treated adequately,” he joked yesterday at the company’s presentation of its annual results.
He said the profits were the result of a sound industrial strategy of taking a controlling interest in Volkswagen, which is Europe’s largest and world’s fourth largest car maker.
He admitted that the profits were exceptional, however, and suggested that Porsche sales and revenues might fall in the coming year as a result of the severe financial down turn.
“We cannot have profit exceeding revenue every year,” said Mr Wiedeking, “this is the last year we will do this.”
Although Porsche is still being investigated by German financial regulator BaFin for its conduct in not disclosing its total share holdings and options during a recent trading spree, the company rejects any accusation that it is responsible for the losses experienced by short sellers.
Demand to cover short positions pushed VW’s share price so high at one stage that it became the world’s largest company by share capitalisation.
Referring to the hedge funds and banks that lost millions, Mr Wiedeking said: “We have not and will not take any steps deliberately to harm them… [but] he who speculates on the opposite despite better knowledge, should not be surprised at the result.”
Mr Wiedeking warned that the global downturn would produce winners and losers and attacked rival cars makers for their years of forcing “cars into the market by way of ruinous discounts or massively subsidized leasing rates.”
He reserved special criticism for General Motors, which he accused of “quite openly threatening the US Government that, failing the receipt of government assistance, they would become insolvent at the latest [by] the end of January.”
He said that Porsche’s strategy of gaining “dominant control” of VW was still the correct one. Describing the acquisition as a “game of chess”, he said Porsche SE intended to increase its VW holding to 75pc in 2009. It already controls 42.6pc of VW voting with a further 31.5pc secured and has secured a €10bn line of credit until March next year to purchase its share options.
“We are continuing our vision to forge Porsche and Volkswagen into a joint entity able to face increasingly fierce global competition,” said Mr Wiedeking.


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Coffee with Craig Show – daily CRE news covering the CEE region, Monday, October 17, with Winston Norman, Editor and Chief of EuropaProperty.com.
The value of the CEP parcel market in Poland exceeds PLN 17 billion
The courier, express and postal (CEP) parcel market in Poland has been enjoying continuous, double-digit growth for several years, and its value has already exceeded PLN 17 billion – according to the latest “Polish CEP Report 2022”, prepared by Last Mile Experts, 7R and Cushman & Wakefield. Among the factors that most significantly influence the development of the last-mile supply segment, experts point to the dynamic growth of the e-commerce sector, which has become one of the key purchasing channels for consumers.
Online retail sales have grown by an average of 28 percent since 2019 year-on-year. The largest share was recorded in consumer electronics, almost 24 percent, as well as fashion, which accounts for 15 percent of all orders. In turn, the fastest-growing segment in 2021 was e-grocery, with an increase of 30 percent.
“An equally interesting area of development is buying and selling used items on platforms such as Vinted or OLX,” emphasizes Mirek Gral, Vice President of Last Mile Experts.
According to the “Polish CEP 2022” report, InPost is the market leader, both in terms of volume and revenues. In the last year alone the company has grown by nearly 40 percent, and its key competitive advantage remains the largest network of parcel machines in Europe.
“It is true that we are still far from the developed German market, which achieves four times higher results, stresses Damian Kołata, Head of Industrial & Logistics Poland, Head of E-commerce CEE at Cushman & Wakefield.
The PRS market from various perspectives
The PRS market accounts for a mere 1 percent of all rental flats in Poland. Despite being in its infancy, it is likely to become a strong investment alternative and gain popularity in light of the current macroeconomic conditions and challenges facing the housing sector. The latest report prepared by experts of CRIDO and Savills looks at what’s next for this commercial real estate sector in the coming years and legal and tax issues that an investor needs to take into account in investment planning.
According to the report, the private rented sector is still in its infancy, with a very constrained supply of completed developments. The PRS market is gaining traction with investors, but it lacks scale. According to Savills data, there are currently just under 8,500 rental units available. Projects scheduled for completion in the next five to seven years are expected to deliver close to 54,000 units in the largest Polish cities alone.
Kamil Kowa, Savills Board Member, said: “With the number of home sales continuing to fall in recent months, some developers are considering alternative sales channels such as building their own PRS platforms, forward financing/purchase models or joint ventures with PRS investors. These are defensive and low-yield products requiring an appropriate long-term strategy.”
Maciej Dybaś, Partner, CRIDO, said: “The Polish rental market looks poised to grow further and to become institutionalized.”
Hybrid work gaining in popularity
According to Colliers, we are seeing new developments in the labour market – employees’ expectations towards employers are changing, as well as the way office space is designed, which today must meet the needs of a hybrid workforce. The Colliers report Hybrid and Beyond, prepared in association with partners HRK S.A. and Well.hr, shows the most important aspects of implementing hybrid work on the Polish market.
“Today, few companies work exclusively in onsite or fully remote modes. Research shows that to date up to 89 percent of organisations have implemented a hybrid work model,” says Karolina Dudek, Associate Director, People & Places Advisory, Colliers Define.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the way employers look for workers. They have opened up to candidates who are willing to travel long distances to work at the company’s office, for example, twice a week,” says Piotr Mazurkiewicz, Managing Partner, HRK S.A.
“Already, 71 percent of surveyed organisations say they are encouraging employees to work from the office more of the time than before, or they will start doing so shortly,” explains Dorota Osiecka, Partner at Colliers and Director of the Colliers Define platform.
“Today, organisations are faced with the challenge of creating a space that is not only a place for employees to perform their jobs, but also a unique experience – an experience of the company and its organisational culture, the team, and the workplace itself. I am talking here about social glue,” points out Małgorzata Michalczyk, Head of Administration, Colliers.


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The International Consumer Electronics Show, which took place in Las Vegas, ended on Friday, January 11. There were around 150,000 people that visited the different booths at the event to see the more than 30,000 products that were presented by diverse tech companies. The whole idea of CES is to introduce the technology of the future, and in some cases it can seem like science fiction, and others are simply technological oddities that are quickly forgotten. However, a lot of what is there is a good indication of what is to come. Let’s review some highlights from CES 2013.
All the technological advances from the last few years is being applied on a mass scale to the automobile industry, whose major advance in recent years was GPS integration – far short of the enormous possibilities when it comes to user experience inside the car.
Google’s self-driving car still seems to be a ways away, but Audi, Lexus, and Ford presented models with a lot of promise. Audi presented the Audi A3, which integrates a computer chip that gives the car LTE connectivity (the fastest wireless Internet connection), and would allow you to access a variety of advanced web features from within the vehicle.
Meanwhile, Lexus presented a very interesting product: a car equipped with a series of devices and software designed to assist the driver. It comes with high definition cameras and sensors that are capable of adjusting the suspension to the terrain, preempt a traffic accident, and even automatically put on the brakes, for example.
TV sets with even higher resolution
Undoubtedly, where the greatest new technology was presented was in the TV arena. The Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV, based on 4K technology, offers a series of quality images that goes way beyond the standards of current HD. It was the star of the event, and all the big TV manufacturers presented their respective UHD devices.
Samsung introduced an 85-inch TV that amazed not just for its size but also for its features. But what was even more amazing was the OLED 55-inch Curved Display TV, which offers a stunning panoramic effect, and whose curved features provide the same viewing experience from any angle.
Panasonic and Sony also showed off their 4K OLED TVs. It remains to be known when these TVs will be available for mass consumption, because, for example, LG’s 85-inch TV will be released in November of this year with a price tag of $20,000.
Just as you would expect, there was a lot of new technology in the tablet arena, as well. Toshiba, Sony, and Gigabyte showed off some hybrid models that transform into notebooks using a system similar to that of the Microsoft Surface product line. Panasonic and Lenovo, on the other hand, introduced a “Table PC” – a device that falls somewhere between a tablet and a desktop computer with a focus not on the mobile sector, but to be used as a multimedia center for the home. This 20-inch or bigger touch screen can be used as a video game console, computer, or TV.
On the other hand, small mobile devices are the big thing in the next generation of hardware. Micro-PCs were also a big hit, endorsed by Gabe Newell himself, who is the founder of Valve and father of the Steam platform. He spoke and gave much detail for some time about the Steam Box computer, in addition to how small computers similar to the Mac Mini are going to replace traditional desktops, just as in the case of the Xi3 prototype.
New generation of smartphones
In the smartphone arena, many new devices with different features were introduced, but the product that got everyone’s attention was the Samsung Youm with a flexible AMOLED display. This technology has been around for a while, but now we were able to see it in action. There are many that believe this type of display is very useful because it is makes these types of devices resistant and malleable. Nonetheless, there is still a long way to go before these smartphones arrive in stores.
Nvidia presented its Tegra 4, a new step for high-performance mobile devices that consume very little energy. Qualcomm, meanwhile, updated its SnapDragon line of processors with new devices, the most advanced of which is 75% more powerful than its predecessors. But the processor that hardware fanatics were really interested in was Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa, powered by 8 cores.
Covering everything that was presented at CES would be impossible, and we’ve shown you just a glimpse of some of the more noteworthy products at the event.


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Cranswick lifts dividend as FY profits rise
Food producer and supplier Cranswick lifted its dividend after reporting a 10.4% rise in annual profits as sales to retail customers offset a fall in food service due to Covid lockdowns.
The company on Tuesday said pre-tax profit came in at £114.8m from £104.0m a year ago on revenues up 13.9% to £1.9bn. It lifted the full year dividend by 15.9% to 70.0p a share, marking 31 years of unbroken dividend growth.
" Working closely with customers we were able to optimise service levels to meet this increased demand and the rising prominence of the online channel. Employment levels were maintained and there has been no call on the government Job Retention Scheme or other government-backed assistance," said outgoing chairman Martin Davey,
Cranswick said it had not encountered any problems from Brexit, but said it was experiencing continuing “short term challenges relating to the supply of products to Northern Ireland and in securing Export Health Certificates”.


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Ethical audits and inspections of global supply chains for multinational corporations is “working” for corporations, but labor abuses, poor working conditions and environmental degradation within global supply chains remain widespread, according to a new report.
Many key questions and serious concerns hang over the ethical audit regime, say researchers from the University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They include: are audits effective in identifying non-compliance and driving up standards, what does the audit regime mean for governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), where does power lie within the audit regime, and, ultimately, in whose interest is the ethical audit regime working? To investigate corporate supply chains, researchers from the Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute (SPERI) at the University of Sheffield interviewed supply chain auditors, business executives, NGOs and manufacturers in North America, the UK and China, and also visited factories in the Pearl River Delta region of China.
“Recent disasters such as the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh have put the spotlight on supply chains [of global corporations], but what has been less reported is that labor, safety and environmental abuses often take place within ‘certified’ and audited supply chains,” says Dr. Genevieve LeBaron, co-author of the report and Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Sheffield and a current visiting professor at Yale University. “Our interviews reveal how corporations have designed an inspection and auditing system for global supply chains that is ‘working’ for them, but badly failing workers and the planet.”
Among the key findings in the report are that some corporations have designed a system of self-regulation which allows their suppliers to cover-up abuses and easily cheat a weak inspection system. The research also found that audits may be ineffective tools for detecting, reporting or correcting environmental and labor problems in supply chains, and actually reinforce existing business models and preserve the global production status quo, the report explains. The report goes on to note that the audit system, with the involvement and support of NGOs, increasingly reduces the role of states in regulating corporate behavior and reshapes global corporate governance toward the interests of private business—and away from the public interest and social goods.
“Arguably, it’s the unsustainable business models of large corporations, which are reliant on cheap labor and environmental degradation, that drive abuses within supply chains,” says Dr. LeBaron. “And yet, corporations, by working with a growing audit industry, are presenting themselves as the solution to the abuses.”
This report should be a “wake-up call” for governments, international organizations and NGOs because it raises serious questions about the effectiveness, legitimacy and accountability of a system of supply chain monitoring that is increasingly being designed, implemented and reported on by corporations themselves, says Dr. LeBaron. Unless concerted effort is taken to strengthen non-corporate led inspections, it seems highly likely serious abuses will continue within the supply chains of major global brands, she says.
Co-authored by Jane Lister, Senior Research Fellow and Associate Director of the Centre for Transportation Studies at the Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, the report is the first publication in a new series of SPERI Global Political Economy Briefs. SPERI intends for the series to present the expertise of its academic researchers and enable SPERI to influence and contribute to public debates on major contemporary global political economy issues.
I’d like to know your thoughts on the study and the use of ethical supply chain audits. Do you think use of weak self-regulation allows suppliers to cover up abuses?


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Katy Perry just took her love for vegan burgers to a whole new level.
The singer-songwriter recently attended the 2019 Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City, where the event is held.
This year’s theme was Camp: Notes on Fashion. Perry attended the gala dressed as a chandelier, complete with more than a dozen lights. Keen to make the most of the occasion, the entertainer snuck to the Metropolitan Museum of Art bathroom to swap outfits, where she was filmed climbing into a giant hamburger costume. The look was complete with a lettuce-looking dress, burger-themed shoes, and a large stick on her head.
Perry shared an image of the creation on Instagram where she tagged plant-based meat company Impossible Foods, hinting that the meaty burger outfit was vegan. Vegan musician Miley Cyrus shared photos of Perry on her own Instagram, where she and Dua Lipa can be seen embracing and biting Perry’s burger buns. Cyrus tagged vegan meat brand Beyond Meat in the image, so while it’s not clear whether the meat-free snack was inspired by Impossible Foods or Beyond Meat, it’s evident the patty is meant to be plant-based.
Celebrities and Impossible Foods
Perry has celebrated meat-free burgers in the past. In 2017, during the tour of her album “Witness,” Perry shared online what was being served backstage: vegan Impossible Burgers. “Thanks for feeding us well tonight,” she wrote to the company, adding that “maybe one day” she would give up In-N-Out for her “fave vegan Impossible Foods burger.”
In 2018, Perry said that her then-boyfriend, now-fiancé Orlando Bloom, who is rumored to be vegetarian, was encouraging her to eat more plant-based food. “He’s always trying to get me to go hike, or do yoga or eat vegan,” she said to Entertainment Tonight.
Impossible Foods has won the hearts of other celebrities, too. Cyrus was seen enjoying the company’s burger last year on Independence Day and vegan actor Ruby Rose serves up Impossible Burgers to her friends. Actor Nina Dobrev, former star of “The Vampire Diaries,” said that Rose was inspiring her to ditch animal products. “I hadn’t truly, truly considered veganism until I met you,” Dobrev said to Rose last year. “But hanging out with you and eating these Impossible burgers definitely inspired me to consider it more seriously because [vegan food] is so yummy and delicious.”


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Worldwide Partners is excited to welcome another new agency partner to the global network of independent agencies, Dragonfish. Dragonfish is a culture and performance consultancy based in Southampton, U.K.
Dragonfish was born from sister agency Five by Five, which also recently joined Worldwide Partners. Seeing a growing need to provide a more comprehensive offering to advise brands on organizational culture, Five by Five’s employer branding services evolved into Dragonfish’s full-service culture capabilities, helping to unite stakeholders across an organization and make work more meaningful.
“We maintain Five by Five’s ‘Strength & Clarity’ philosophy and have adapted a slightly different approach based on culture,” said Niall Cluley, Managing Director of Dragonfish. “We believe that sustainable brand growth comes from building stronger brands from the inside out. We believe that culture can be shaped, managed, and measured. It’s the ultimate weapon for competitive advantage.”
Dragonfish’s capabilities have never been more relevant. In the wake of the pandemic, global uncertainties and political and social issues, brands are being forced to think about their brand purpose, to build it into their culture and to truly enact change. “The pandemic has thrown a massive spotlight on culture right now,” said Cluley. “Leaders are under more pressure to make the right organizational changes.”
To help brands determine which changes are right for them, Dragonfish uses inclusive research approaches, an evidence-based practice, and healthy pragmatism. Each year they conduct a benchmarking study with 3,500 organizations across 20 sectors to link culture attributes to performance. Using their proprietary research and industry benchmarking data, they’ve developed a culture and performance tracking tool, which measures successful culture transformation, ROI tracking and predictive performance improvement decision making. “We have a unique set of capabilities to help ambitious brands move faster and scale up quickly, making culture their competitive edge,” Cluley shared.
Dragonfish recently provided this competitive advantage to the iconic Savoy Hotel in London. Facing increased competition in the luxury hospitality sector, and challenged by COVID regulations, the hotel needed to develop a new vision that would transform the guest experience. By diving into perceptions from management, analysing insights from guests and colleagues, studying market trends, and hosting workshops with key stakeholders, Dragonfish was able to develop a new vision and roadmap that will shape the hotel’s focus over the next three to five years, and helped them to reopen successfully and adapt to the challenges brought by the pandemic.
Dragonfish, along with Five by Five, is part of Lawton Communications Group (LCG), an independent, family-owned communications group employing 100 people across their agencies and offices. All agencies within the group are looking forward to the benefits that being part of the WPI network will bring. “The WPI network provides exposure to new and different markets, the ability to learn and share experiences, and to understand how a culture consultancy can help and be translated across multiple Cultures globally,” said Cluley.


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Prices are rising. This isn’t a Green Industry thing, prices are just going up. While that sounds bad, it’s actually good news. No, I’m not crazy. It’s how things work.
Labor is an issue this season, and that means people are doing more. It also means most employees are earning more as well. On top of this, distributors are raising prices (or will be soon) because vendors and manufacturers are raising prices. Everything just costs more.
Americans are Earning More
On average, Americans earned about a quarter of a dollar more per hour in January of this year, up from last year at the same time. That’s with the adjustment from inflation (the dollar loses about 2 percent of it’s value each year). As everyone knows, higher wages bring up the cost of everything else, as buyers can afford it. As we’ve seen thus far, the average American can and will handle the price increases.
Our nation’s economy is based on consumption, not production, so everything is based on consumer confidence, and in 2018 consumers seem to be very confident.
Where is the confidence coming from? Tax cuts led some companies to give more raises, or bonuses. The job markets are strong, there are more people looking for work in various industries with more jobs than workers. When there are more jobs than people, companies pay more to get the right employees. This extra money in the hands of main street creates confidence. And where there’s confidence, the economy grows.
Tariffs on the Rise
Last year we saw tariffs on washing machines increased the cost of products made in China, Mexico, and South Korea coming into our country. A 20 percent tariff on lumber imported for Canada increased the cost of new single-family homes. Tariffs on imported aluminum and steel (10 and 25 percent respectively) also effected prices. The current administration is looking to put a 10 percent tariff on about $200 billion imports coming to the States from China any day now.
For the past three or so decades, we’ve been building the economies of other nations as they tax good coming from us, while offering rebates to their manufacturers shipping products to us, tax free. The current administration is looking to end the free-for-all into the US, tired of seeing US manufacturers punished for shipping American made goods into these foreign countries. By putting tariffs on goods coming onto our shores they level the global playing field for US manufactures shipping out. The side effect is that it also rises the cost of goods entering the US, affecting US buyers.
How will this Affect Me?
When we get down to it, the one question on everyone’s minds is: how will this effect me? You’re likely already feeling it. As stated, too many in our industry are struggling to find workers. The workers we’re finding want more money, and if they’re worth it we’re paying them very competitive wages to keep them. With vendors charging more, distributors are charging more, and smart contractors are charging more too. Keeping with the status quo pricing means less income for the business. Less revenue when everyone else is increasing simply isn’t good business.
A smart business owner realizes that the value of their service isn’t tied to the price, it’s tied to the service they provide. Low price shaves more than dollars, it also eats away at the quality of what one is buying. After all, quality is the easiest thing to sacrifice with when trying to compete solely on price. Quality, integrity, and the building blocks of success come at a premium. You should be charging for it, especially when consumer confidence is high. Your home owner clients want the best person for the job, to insure their investment (their house and property) keeps and increases value. And they understand that comes at a price. Do you?


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Regardless of Powertrain, 2024 Hyundai Kona Benefits from EV-First Design Plan
Hyundai’s new entry-level SUV was planned to have an electric powertrain, with the ICE powertrain taking the back seat.
The 2024 Hyundai Kona will be sold in the U.S. with either electric or ICE propulsion, while a hybrid option will be available in other markets. The new Kona isn’t the first model available with a choice of powertrains, but Hyundai’s small SUV is different because there’s an unusual story to how the fresh-and-freaky, youth-oriented SUV was designed and engineered. The 2024 Kona is, first and foremost, an EV.
As Hyundai was starting design work on the new Kona in March 2020, the company decided to focus on making the SUV’s design work for the EV version, with the idea that, later on, the ICE and hybrid powertrains could be adapted to fit.
“Normally, you look at ICE and you have an EV version,” said Kevin Kang, senior design manager for Hyundai Design North America. “The EV design is kind of an afterthought, but for the Kona, we decided to design it first as an EV model, and that really let us break free from the norm.”
Designing a vehicle around an electric drivetrain while keeping in mind room for ICE components resulted in two main areas of improvement, Kang said: better aerodynamics and more interior space.
The outgoing Kona Electric, while successful, “almost looked like a facelift. It was like a band-aid kind of a thing,” compared to the gas model, Kang told SAE Media. He said the 2024 Kona has a more cohesive front end, with a right-sized grille and an overall aerodynamic and efficient shape.
“Duality is probably a better way to phrase it, where we tried to capture characteristics of both EV and ICE,” he said. “It’s like a new way to design a car, almost. We thought that’s something that we wanted to play around with.”
Kang said his design team took input from the engineers to define the height of the suspension shock towers to ensure that the hood was low and sleek, for example, and to determine the minimal possible size for the grille.
“When you design an internal-combustion SUV, for example, one of the typical things you do is actually exaggerate the height of the hood,” he said. “I mean, even if there’s nothing in there, you want to make sure that it looks really brutal and almost very masculine. But we wanted to go the other way, and it actually does start from mechanicals, where we talk to the engineers and optimize [the design] so that the front of the hood is as low as possible. Because we went in the EV-first direction, both EV and ICE are able to benefit from a basically lower drag coefficient.”
The 2024 Kona will have a cD of 0.30, compared to the previous model’s 0.32. The Kona Electric also has active grille shutters for improved aerodynamics. Kang said the EV-focused design work found that the grille’s sweet spot, sizewise, meant it didn’t have to be as large as other OEMs use for their SUVs.
“We were kind of happy to find out that ICE vehicles don’t need a big grille,” he said. “Believe it or not, internal-combustion engines and EVs actually share a lot of things that go in front of the hood. But when you calculate all this mass, you end up at a certain point where it’s very similar between the modern ICE and EV, so we just set a direction and then locked down aesthetics that way.”
The ICE-powered 2024 Kona will use one of two engines in the U.S. The base model has a 2.0-L Atkinson-cycle 4-cyl. that produces an estimated 147 hp and 132 lb-ft (179 Nm). The more powerful option in the N Line and Limited trims is a 1.6-L direct-injected, turbocharged 4-cyl. that produces an estimated 190 hp and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm). The Kona Electric’s motors produce either 99 kW (133 hp) and 188 lb-ft (255 Nm) in the shorter-range model with a 48.6-kWh battery or 150 kW (201 hp) and 188 lb-ft In the extended version with a 64.8-kWh battery.
The EV-first design also resulted in more interior cargo space, Kang said. Since EVs can have a completely flat floor, the design team asked the powertrain engineers if they could optimize the transmission tunnel for height. That meant playing around with the size of the battery pack, the thickness of the carpet and the sheet metal beneath.
“When you look at a big, all-wheel drive vehicle, there’s almost no console storage because the tunnel is so high because all of the drivetrain is in there,” he said. “But for this car, we’re able to push that down and optimize the console storage so that it conveys a sense that it’s more airy. [We tried] to sandwich and squish it as much as possible. And, of course, when you talk to the engineers, we have to basically give them the guideline: is it possible to drive it down 100 millimeters? If not, then how much can we gain back? What will it take? How much money is it going to take? How much time? It’s complex, but I’m proud to say that, in the end, it’s a lot better than a typical ICE, all-wheel drive vehicle.”
Hyundai started designing the 2024 Kona in March 2020. That particular start time led to the vehicle being referred to internally as “our COVID car,” according to Hyundai Motor America product planning manager Melvyn Bautista.
“Our designers had to pack up their computers, their monitors, their VR goggles, and pretty much set up shop in their kitchen, closet, garage wherever they could get,” Bautista said. “What you see today is a collaboration between Korea, Germany and California.”
For Kang and his team, the shift to remote work turned out to be exciting once the company procured VR goggles for the designers.
“We now have this flexibility where if people can’t work from the studio, we’re completely capable of sculpting stuff in the digital world,” he said. “We would find a sweet spot in time, then put our goggles on and be able to tweak digital design on the spot.”
Kang said the EV-first design brief that created the new Kona might apply to other models, but he would not give any details. “Stay tuned,” he said.


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A long-vacant building on La Brea Avenue near the West Hollywood/Los Angeles border has been given new life through a renovation project, and its owner hopes to soon fill the five-story building with tenants.
The building, located at 960 N. La Brea Ave., was built in 1933 and had once been used as a General Motors new car showroom. It has since had many retail uses until it was vacated at least a decade ago, and has remained abandoned since.
The property was purchased a few years ago by BMB Investment Corp., which is headed by developer Benjamin Soleimani. The renovation project took a couple of years to complete, according to the developer, and the building is now nearly ready for occupancy. Located at the southeast corner of La Brea Avenue and Romaine Street — just outside of the city of West Hollywood — the structure is across the street and just south of the La Brea Gateway shopping center.
The building is also located across the street from a cement manufacturing plant at 1000 N. La Brea Ave. that is owned by Cemex. The concrete plant dates back more than 60 years and serves large building projects throughout the local area. Plant manager Eric Rodriguez said it produces approximately 600 yards of concrete each day, which translates into 60 truckloads. The plant has produced concrete for projects such as The Grove, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Hollywood and Highland. Rodriguez said sand and other raw materials are brought to the plant, and the concrete is mixed on-site. Its close proximity to large projects in the area makes it a prime location in the local construction industry, Rodriguez added.
West Hollywood community development director Stephanie De Wolf said there are no plans currently pending for the Cemex site. She added, however, that it stands out on La Brea Avenue, across the street from Target and Best Buy stores.
“It’s an interesting thing to have an industrial use in an urban environment,” De Wolf said. “I think it is a desirable area [for development], but nothing has been proposed there.”
Soleimani said he envisions the entire block to the north of his building being redeveloped at some point, and added that La Brea Avenue is has become a hotbed for new projects. He added that he doesn’t think the Cemex plant will have any impact on his newly renovated building.
“That’s been there for years. I think one day, that will be developed,” he said. “I think La Brea has been discovered. From Sunset to Wilshire, there are probably fifteen or sixteen building sites.”
The building offers approximately 11,500 square feet of ground level retail space, and 33,000 square feet of office space on the upper floors. An additional 8,600 square feet of retail space was constructed adjacent to the building, making it more than 50,000 square feet in total, with more than 150 parking spaces on-site.
Soleimani said some portions of the former showroom have 18-foot ceilings, and there is still an operational vehicle lift inside the building. The developer said the space would be ideal for a “creative” company, such as a studio or entertainment-related business. He said the ground floor retail space could accommodate a restaurant, and added that the company is awaiting a certificate of occupancy before any plans can be announced about potential tenants.
“It was a major transformation,” he said. “The building did come alive.”
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New ONS figures reveal UK trade with the EU fell sharply again in August, even though it increased with the rest of the world.
August’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) UK Trade figures reveal Brexit is still having a huge impact on Britain’s businesses. British exports to the European Union (EU) tumbled by £300m in August, a collapse of -1.5% against July.
The international delivery expert ParcelHero says the ongoing impact of Brexit shows no sign of declining. Coupled with today’s economic results showing a 0.3% fall in GDP, August’s trade figures highlight the scale of the problems Brexit has caused UK manufacturers and retailers.
ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: ‘UK exports to the EU continued to tumble in August, down £300m. In contrast, exports were up by £700m (an increase of 4.1%) to non-EU countries.
‘Imagine the kind of export volumes the UK would now be achieving worldwide had Brexit negotiations not led to such disastrous new tariffs and red tape. Trade in this Brexit-less multiverse would be booming. Had our EU exports continued to increase at their pre-Brexit levels and our non-EU exports shown this month’s rise, UK plc would be soaring.
‘Likewise, UK importers sourcing stock and materials from the EU have also suffered substantially. UK imports from the EU fell by £500m in August, a collapse of -1.9%. Again, that’s in contrast to a rise of £3.5bn in imports from non-EU countries – a staggering 13.3% increase over July.
‘As things stand, however, we live in a troubled post-Brexit universe where the combined loss of £300m in exports and £500m in imports equates to a £800m collapse in total UK-EU trade during August. We all know the Government has enough financial troubles to deal with, but it cannot afford to neglect the deep problems caused by the flawed Brexit deal it signed up to.
‘Key to repairing trade relations with the EU will be the outcome of the revived UK-EU Northern Ireland Protocol discussions. By mutual agreement, these must end the pointless red tape and checks imposed on goods shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, in this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Liz Truss once more threatened the UK will act unilaterally if it fails to reach a negotiated agreement. She insisted: “I would prefer to achieve that through a negotiated solution with the EU but if we are not able to do that, we can’t allow the situation to drift. We have to proceed with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.”
‘If the Government decides to make up its own rules on this vital issue, it will drive a deeper wedge between Britain and the EU.


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Debrett's announce 20 most influential people in British fashion
Movers and shakers in the British fashion industry
As part of its yearly Debrett's 500 list, Debrett's has catalogued 20 of the most influential people in British fashion - celebrating the crème de la crème of those who play an important role in shaping the fashion industry.
The list features a mixture of renowned names, such as Kate Moss and Stella McCartney, and also the likes of Cara Delevingne, who is a relative newcomer to the fashion circuit.
Starting the list is founder and executive chairman of The Net-a-Porter Group, Natalie Massenet. Massenet, who launched the luxury online site in 2000 from her home, went on to sell a 93 per cent share in the company in 2010 for £50 million. The business savvy Massenet also heads up the British Fashion Council in her role as chairman.
The list is also made up of many key fashion designers including Sarah Burton, Phoebe Philo, Christopher Bailey, and Victoria Beckham – who stars in a new fashion trailer, recently released by skype.
12 out of the 20 names listed have been awarded an OBE or MBE from the queen for their contribution to the industry.
Check out Debrett's 20 most influential names in British fashion below:
Natalie Massenet, MBE. Founder and executive chairman of The Net A Porter Group
Prof Louise Wilson, OBE. Course director Central St Martins
Christopher Kane, Fashion designer
Katie Grand, Stylist and editor-in-chief LOVE
Christopher Bailey, MBE. Chief creative officer Burberry
Kate Moss. Model
Cara Delevingne. Model
Sarah Burton, OBE. Creative director Alexander McQueen
Russell Marsh, Casting director
Pat McGrath, MBE. Make-up artist
Charlotte Tilbury. Make-up artist
Sam McKnight. Hairstylist
Tamara Mellon, OBE. Co-founder Jimmy Choo
Phoebe Philo, OBE. Creative director Celine
Stella McCartney, OBE. Fashion designer
Nick Knight, OBE. Fashion photographer
Victoria Beckham. Fashion designer
Lulu Kennedy, MBE. Founder and director Fashion East
Dylan Jones, OBE. Editor British GQ
Alexandra Shulman, OBE. Editor-in-chief British Vogue


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NEW YORK, United States — Sportswear giant adidas has teamed up with sustainable footwear brand Allbirds in a pioneering move placing purpose over profit.
The collaborative project, which aims to accelerate solutions to reduce the 700m metric tons of carbon dioxide emitted by the footwear industry annually, will see the two brands coming together to innovate on manufacturing and supply chain processes in addition to exploring renewable material resources.
The goal is to create the lowest carbon footprint ever recorded for a sports performance shoe and in the process, unlock the opportunity to set a new industry standard in the fight against climate change.
The groundbreaking collaboration, which has been in the works for the past 9 months, has seen both brands opening the doors to their suite of sustainable innovations — in a move that is highly uncommon for two businesses competing within the same space.
However, according to Tim Brown, co-CEO of Allbirds, the urgent need to reduce the global carbon number is bigger than just Allbirds or adidas.
He added: “Whether we realise it or not this is a race that we are all running together as a planet and it is one that trumps the day-to-day competition of individual companies. I am hopeful that this partnership will be an example for others to follow as we pursue a more sustainable, net-zero carbon future.”
In line with Allbirds’ previous sustainability efforts, the finished product and its innovations will be open-sourced, to encourage others to copy and improve upon it. This will include innovations across the entire supply chain – from material choices to manufacturing facilities and transportation methods that utilise renewable energy and fuels.
“Our great hope is that this partnership will catalyse other people to share both their best ideas and research so that we can work together in the fight to live more sustainably,” said Brown.
“This is a problem that won’t be solved by one company alone.”
For adidias, the project feeds into its growing commitment to sustainability, as seen in recent product launches including the Parley collection made from at least 75% intercepted marine trash and its 100% recyclable Futurecraft.Loop trainer.
The brand has also committed to a 30% reduction in its carbon footprint by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 as part of its End Plastic Waste initiative.
Allbirds’ “Tread Lighter” program, meanwhile, represents its ongoing practices to measure and reduce emissions across the entirety of the business, offsetting anything remaining to maintain a 100% carbon neutral business. This appears on every product, online and at retail so customers know each shoe’s carbon impact throughout its life cycle, empowering them to make more conscious choices.
“The recent progress that our brands have made in the name of sustainable innovation has created the perfect momentum for this partnership to influence industry practices forever,” noted James Carnes, VP of adidas Brand Strategy.
“Our brands don’t want to just participate in the sustainability conversation, we want to continue being catalysts and creators of substantial improvement,” he added.


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Why Pep Boys, Brink's, and Safeway Tumbled Today
Tuesday was a day of wild swings for the stock market, with triple-digit moves in both directions finally settling out to sizable gains for the major market benchmarks. Even as investors continued to hope for better economic conditions around the world to improve prospects for global companies, several stocks failed to follow the general trend of the market higher. Among them were Pep Boys , Brink's , and Safeway , whose share prices fell dramatically today -- although with Safeway, there's a catch that investors need to be aware of before drawing the wrong conclusion.
Pep Boys plunged 15% after the auto merchandise and repair chain announced disappointing quarterly results this morning, including a surprise loss when investors had expected a modest profit. Same-store merchandise sales fell 3%, largely offsetting gains in service-related revenue and reflecting lower retail prices for tires. The bigger question for Pep Boys, though, is whether its hybrid parts-and-service model will prove to be more effective than the pure-play parts strategy that many of its rivals use. Given the age of cars on the road today, there's little doubt that many auto owners need Pep Boys and its peers, but whether they'll actually take advantage of parts and service retailers is another question entirely.
Security specialist Brink's dropped 11% after the company said that it would have to write down the value of its Venezuelan operations using the devalued exchange rate for the Venezuelan bolivar. U.S. investors might not be aware of the international nature of Brink's security services, but Brink's got almost 45% of its revenue last year from Latin America, almost doubling its North American revenue. Moreover, with Latin America giving Brink's more of its operating profits than any other, the hit from the Venezuelan asset writedown will be much more extensive than most investors in Brink's expect.
Safeway's share price fell by 10% today, but the drop merely reflected the grocery chain's spinoff of its Blackhawk Network Holdings shares, which was completely yesterday afternoon. Under the spinoff, Safeway shareholders received about 164 shares of Blackhawk for every 1,000 Safeway shares they held, worth roughly $4 per Safeway share and matching today's price drop in Safeway stock. Blackhawk's high-growth prepaid payment and product services businesses gave Safeway an interesting level of diversification, but the transaction will help Safeway focus more on maximizing the value of its grocery business as it works to complete its merger with Albertsons later this year.
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Top seafood and aquaculture economists will lecture at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Center of Excellence June 16-June 27.
Experts from the United States, Norway and the Philippines will speak during a specialized course during a session entitled, “Frontiers of Fish/Seafood Marketing and Market Modeling: Economic Theories and Estimation Techniques.”
“The purpose of this graduate-level intensive course is to provide participants with economic theories and quantitative techniques necessary for conducting fish/seafood marketing and market modeling analyses,” said Madan Dey, professor of aquaculture economics and marketing at UAPB. “It will be taught by top global leaders in the field of fish/seafood marketing and market modeling.”
Principal instructors are professors Frank Asche of the University of Stavanger in Norway, Cathy Roheim of the University of Idaho, Gunnar Knapp of the University of Alaska, U-Primo Rodriguez of the University of the Philippines at Los Banos, and Carole Engle and Madan Dey of UAPB.
“The course will include in-depth coverage of theories of economic principles and quantitative techniques, and their application in aquaculture and fisheries using hand-on exercises,” Dey said. “We are expecting about 15 people, including six to seven international participants representing Asia (Bangladesh, India, and Malaysia/Vietnam), Africa (Nigeria) and Europe (United Kingdom).


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Sean Heitmar is able to feed both his creative and business sides with his new venture, Vivid Auto Graphics. Vivid, on Millar Avenue, does vehicle wraps, decals and paint protection films for business and personal use.
"I've been in the sign industry for a number of years," Heitmar said. "It's very creative, and I have a business background.
"It is an emerging market and there are so many directions you can take it," he said.
Heitmar's initial focus has been on the commercial side, looking after small businesses. But there is also the individual market of car enthusiasts who want to customize their vehicles. "There are all types of designs," he said.
Customers can choose from computer cut wall and window graphics, murals for flat or textured surfaces, floor graphics and coloured or frosted window films.
There are hundreds of colours to choose from, Heitmar said, adding they range from textured metal to snakeskin.
"People come in with an idea and I try to guide them in a direction."
And it's not just cars and trucks that work with wraps. Heitmar has done quads, snowmobiles and boats.
He also can do floor, wall and window operations.
The wraps can last up to 10 years and it can take up to 20 hours to do a wrap.
"There is a fair amount of training and time involved," said Heitmar, who has gone through 3M training to do wraps.
Vivid has been open since the fall and Heitmar said there is a growing number of vehicles on the road that have been through his shop.
"There is quite a few I can now point out to my kids," he said.
Vivid Auto Graphics is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
VIVID AUTO GRAPHICS Owner: Sean Heitmar Address: 117 2834 Millar Avenue Phone: 306-381-3108 Website: vividautographics. comVitalii and Myroslava Kushnir have opened Smak Ukrainian Store and Coffee Shop.
Located on 22nd Street, the store features a wide variety of hard-to-find Eastern European foods. Products come from Ukraine, Russia, Latvia, Germany etc.
"We have always had a dream of bringing a piece of Ukraine to Saskatoon," Myroslava said.
The pair miss specialty items like specific types of mushrooms or smoked fish that is unavailable at the local grocery store.
The store offers a variety of food native to that region of the world including mushrooms, jams, buckwheat, soups, jellies, dry fruits, snacks, herbal teas, sugar and chocolates.
They also have sausage, caviar, smoked mackerel and other meats, soft drinks, varenyky, breads and all kinds of candies.
"People can come here and have a taste of Ukraine," Vitalii said.
The pair also own Gloria Ventures, a post construction cleaning service, and they have decided to transition into the retail business. Vitalii said it is a place where people can shop and also stop and interact.
"You can come in have a coffee or tea and sit down," he said.
The couple have been in Saskatoon for the past seven years after emigrating from Ukraine.
They said the economic and political turmoil in Ukraine made them decide to come to Canada.
"We had to start from scratch," he said.
Smak is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
SMAK UKRAINIAN STORE & COFFEE SHOP Owners: Vitalii and Myroslava Kushnir Address: 1002 22nd Street W. Phone: 306-373-3646 Website: smakshop.ca
If you have purchased, started or moved a small business in Saskatoon within the last few months, let us know by calling 657-6293 or faxing 657-6437, attention Scott Larson. Submissions can also be emailed to firstname.lastname@example.org. Home-based and temporary businesses, as well as those without physical locations, will not be considered for publication. Businesses must be located in Saskatoon.


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Boux Avenue set to open at Chapelfield
Published: 15 February, 2012
Chapelfield, the Norwich shopping centre owned by Capital Shopping Centres, is introducing yet another new brand to its mix with the opening of Boux Avenue, the lingerie, swimwear and nightwear brand launched by Theo Paphitis in April 2011.
Paphitis will open his eleventh Boux Avenue store and the fifth in the CSC portfolio, with a 2,670 sq ft unit at unit 236 on the Upper Mall, adjacent to Superdrug and Levi’s. He already has stores in Lakeside, The Trafford Centre, St David’s and Metrocentre. The store, which is aimed at lingerie lovers looking for quality underwear at affordable prices, is due to open in late April 2012.
The arrival of Boux Avenue follows the launch of a 7,530 sq ft H&M Kids store last Autumn and the opening of Menkind and Trespass before Christmas. The Fragrance Shop and Baguette Station also opened towards the end of last year at Chapelfield.
Martin Breeden, asset management director for CSC, said: “Boux Avenue is yet another example of an exciting new brand that we have introduced into Chapelfield over the last 18 months. Other recent debuts for the city at Chapelfield have included new stores for Superdry, Hollister, Apple, and Ark all of which have provided significant uplifts in footfall and sales and confirming that Chapelfield is the place to be.”
Chapelfield was represented by Francis Darrah and Lunson Mitchenall. Boux Avenue was represented by Briant Champion Long.


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Sony has officially revealed the price of the upcoming PlayStation 5. Starting on November 12, PS5 will be available in seven key markets. This includes the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea. The global rollout will continue on November 19 with launches throughout the rest of the world including Europe, the Middle East, South America, Asia, and South Africa, Sony said.
The price of the upcoming PlayStation 5 was announced yesterday and it starts at $499. The digital edition will cost $399. The company will provide choice to gamers with two PS5 console options at launch, depending on if the consumers want a digital-only experience or prefer disc-based gaming.
As previously reported, pre-ordering a Playstation 5 will be limited to one per household, even though the company revealed that it would double its production of units to around 10 million for the year. Sony opened pre-orders to select players at the end of August. Sony gave invitations to players based on their “previous interest and PlayStation activities.”
The main difference between the PS5 and the PS5 digital edition is that you can physically put games into one while you can only digitally download games in the other. Both of the consoles are white and black and can be used vertically or horizontally.
During Wednesday’s PS5 event, Sony also announced a slew of new games that will be available to play on the new console, including a few games that are exclusive to Playstation 5. Final Fantasy XVI and Deathloop will both be exclusive to the PS5 when they launch next year.
Other games announced during the event include Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition, which launches the same day as the PS5; Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which will both be available this holiday season; Resident Evil VIII and Hogwarts Legacy, which will be available in 2021; and Oddworld Soulstorm, which does not have a release date yet.
For PlayStation Plus members, Sony will have a special new offering on PS5 – the PlayStation Plus Collection. PS5 owners with PS Plus will be able to download and play a curated library of PS4 games like Batman Arkham Knight, Bloodborne, and many more. The PS Plus Collection will be an added benefit to the existing PS4 benefits that PS Plus members receive for a single subscription price.
PS5 pre-orders were available from a range of retailers today, but with the overwhelming response to Sony’s next-gen console, many are now out of stock at the time of writing. You’ll want to stick around if you’re unlucky here because we’ve seen retailers replenish their inventory throughout the day – meaning all is not lost. With stock shifting almost minute to minute, you’ll need to keep refreshing these feeds if nothing is available at first glance.