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Bloomberg has up a fairly grim article arguing that despite falling 78 percent, retail REITs have further room to drop. In the story, Howard Davidowitz ups the ante considerably in terms of what's at stake. He says more than 200,000 stores will close and that "thousands" of shopping centers will close. He's not the first to suggest thousands of shopping center closures. Burt Flickinger projected 3,000 would close in December.
The store closure number is a whopper, though. I think the store closure number has lost meaning the past 12 to 24 months. Previously, there were numbers reported by Merrill Lynch and ICSC that counted "chain store closings." In a report dated October 31, 2008, ICSC projected that there would be 6,100 "announced store closings." That number is inline with the range historically reported. (There's a chart in this story based on these figures.)
However, another number that gets tossed around is based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' record of actual store closures. Last year, the BLS counted 148,000 of these. To me it's confusing to have these two sets of numbers with such widely different ranges. The BLS estimate, for example, includes every mom & pop in every small town that closes. That's less meaningful to me because those tenants are less likely to be in shopping centers. The "announced closings", which come from the major retailers, are more telling. And it's useful to track those with what we know historically to get a sense of whether what we're seeing now is out of the ordinary or not. Normally, more than half of the announced closings occur during the first three months of the year. So far, my own count is 1,764 announced closings. That's actually in line with recent years.
Getting back to Davidowitz, he seems to be talking about the BLS figure and arguing that we'll see a jump from the 148,000 in 2008 to 200,000 this year. What do others think?
U.S. mall owners are coming off their worst-ever year of stock market losses as consumers cut spending and retailers shut stores. Vacancies at malls and shopping centers approached 10- year highs in the fourth quarter and will rise further, according to New York property research firm Reis Inc. More than 200,000 store closures are projected for this year by Howard Davidowitz, chairman of New York-based retail consulting and investment banking firm Davidowitz & Associates Inc.
“Thousands of shopping centers will close,” Davidowitz said in an interview. “It's a debacle.”
The global credit crisis has eroded retail profits worldwide and put REITs including General Growth Properties Inc. near bankruptcy as they sell assets and negotiate with lenders.


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The term “metaverse” has become popular recently thanks to Facebook’s name change. There isn’t one standard definition for “metaverse,” but it mainly translates to an expanded internet with online locations for a user to interact with in more of a virtual reality way. Thanks to Facebook’s name change to Meta, the interest and funding in the metaverse have significantly increased. Many venture capitalists, as well as big data companies like Meta, are now pouring millions into developing metaverse technology, like VR apps and other products.
For investors, there seems to be more of a hurry to invest in metaverse technology. Many investors are pivoting from other deep technology investments to metaverse products. Others are just diversifying their portfolios by adding funds in this new sector of deep technology. The market is extremely hot right now for investing in this technology, as many are trying to jump on the bandwagon started by Meta. While there are many different sectors that need to be funded in order to launch a real metaverse, many investors are working now to get this process started.
There are many subsectors within the metaverse, including video gaming. Before Facebook changed its name to Meta, investing in video games was already trending toward more metaverse-like technology. With popular games like Fortnite attracting metaverse attention, the video-gaming sector is sure to increase in the next five years with capital from metaverse enthusiasts.
If you’re an investor who is looking to invest in metaverse technology, there are many different methods to do this. You can obviously invest in different individual stocks from metaverse companies, like Meta, Roblox, or others. You can also own ETFs from companies like Meta. Other metaverse companies are actually being invested in using cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin. Many video gaming companies are using cryptocurrency as a way to get players to pay to play. While this is new, it will probably end up becoming adopted by other games as the popularity of bitcoin and the metaverse increases. You can buy into metaverse companies through various cryptocurrency websites, like Coinbase, or Crypto.com. Companies like CoinGecko actually rank these companies and their cryptocurrency value.
As the popularity of the metaverse increases, the investing process for the metaverse is sure to change as well, moving to a more digital, and possibly even virtual, realm.
Photo Courtesy of Freepik.com

domain: news


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Posted on Fri, 11th Jan 2019 iOS and online apps dashboard update
We have released an update to the dashboard UI for iOS and Online Apps to show more detail on your forthcoming events.
Posted on Thu, 20th Dec 2018 New iOS WhosOffice App available - Download today
We are proud to announce the brand new WhosOffice app available for iOS today. Taking the system you have come to know and depend on, from your desk to your mobile.
Posted on Fri, 24th Aug 2018 Features and updates coming this Autumn to WhosOffice
We are pleased to announce a number of new features and updates coming to WhosOffice shortly. Here we list each update which are currently undergoing final testing before launch to our live platform.
Posted on Wed, 04th Jul 2018 WhosOffice has answered France's leave conundrum
Over years of helping companies manage their staff leave all over the world, we’ve experienced different leave policies and regulations that companies / countries must follow. Lots of these rules are very different to our own here in the UK.


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Driving the growth and performance of the company is its Hoka One One brand that recorded sales on the rise by +45.4% for 223.1 million dollars. The UGG and Teva brands also registered a positive trend, respectively growing by +1.7% to 1.53 billion and by +2.9% to 137.4 million dollars. The brand Sanuck was instead down by -9.1% for a total of 82.6 million dollars.
The annual net profit for Deckers was equal to 264.3 million dollars, on the rise by 131.6% compared to the 114.39 million dollars recorded in 2018. “The 2019 fiscal year represented another successful year for Deckers, surpassing the milestone of 2 billion dollars in revenue with exceptional levels of profitability– declared Dave Powers, President and CEO of the group to MFF – while achieving our long-term targets a year ahead of schedule”.
In 2020, Deckers expects to record a sales revenue between 2.09 and 2.12 billion dollars.


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Energy drink brand ZOA launches two new flavours
ZOA, the top-selling new energy drink introduced the US in 2021, is eyeing a strong start to 2022 with the release of two new flavours, White Peach and Tropical Punch.
By adding two of the fastest-growing flavours in the energy-drink category, ZOA is finessing its portfolio with a focus on zero-sugar drinks, says Ron Worrell, senior portfolio manager for ZOA.
“Based on customer feedback and sales numbers, it’s clear what the consumer choice has been. Close to 70% of our volume is based in zero-sugar flavours,” he says. “You can’t deny what the consumer is telling you.”
Across the category, zero-sugar offerings are driving growth as health-minded consumers seek beverages they perceive as ‘better for you’, such as those made with natural ingredients and reduced sugar, Worrell says.
“Consumers are taking a good, hard look at what they put in their bodies,” he says. “Across the category, the growth has been with zero sugar. That is the future direction of this category.”
ZOA, which is marketed and distributed by Molson Coors Beverage Company, burst onto the scene in the spring with the backing of its celebrity founder, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, arguably the biggest movie star in the world.
Johnson’s influence has helped ZOA more the double its sales from mid-July, bringing in around $3.4 million for the last four weeks that ended Oct. 31, far exceeding the results of other new entrants, according to IRI multi-outlet and convenience store data.
The positive reception from consumers has made it one of the top 15 energy drinks in the U.S. and the top seller among new entrants in 2021.
With the addition of the two new sugar-free flavours, ZOA discontinued two of its flavours made with sugar, Original and Lemon Lime.
Worrell says ZOA aims to be in 70,000 retail locations by the end of 2022, including 22,000 new locations in the first quarter.


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The new pool is scheduled to launch Monday and will be managed by Consolidated Chassis Management on behalf of the North American Chassis Pool Cooperative.
The Institute of International Container Lessors appoints new chairman, Dayton Freight promotes three employees to service center positions, and Page International names director of sales.
Drewry’s investment research arm said it believes CMA CGM of France is best positioned among the major carriers to be a perfect suitor for Orient Overseas (International) Limited, the parent company of Hong Kong-Based OOCL.
Registration takes less than 1 minute.
The Floridian port is ready to launch a second round of investment - this time with the goal of increasing capacity and service levels within the container yard.
Starting next week, the terminal will be the first of six facilities within the Port of New York and New Jersey to roll out the port authority's new Truck Management System.
The Massachusetts Port Authority’s Paul W. Conley Container Terminal in the Port of Boston handled 248,391 TEUs in 2016, a 5 percent increase over the previous year.


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Photo via The Food Trust
Mark your calendar, the Headhouse Farmers’ Market Opening Day is coming up on May 4th, 2014. The city’s largest open-air farmers’ market will be back with 30 of the area’s best farmers and artisan producers. Favorites like Birchrun Hills, Queens Farm, Blooming Glen Farm and Three Spring Fruit Farm will return. They will be joined by newcomers like of Michael Falcone’s Heart Food Truck and Shore Catch.
And for the opening Sunday, meet local cookbook author Marisa McClellan who will be offering tastes from her new book, Preserving by the Pint.
Headhouse Farmers’ Market [The Food Trust]
The Oval returns to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with Farm Fest. This Thursday, April 17th through Saturday, April 19, the Parkway will once again a gathering place for people looking for games, music, food and some Victory Brewing Company beers.
Thursday’s event takes place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with food trucks and Victory Brewing Company’s brewpub on wheels showing up at 5 p.m. Farm Truck, Street Food Philly, Reuben on Rye, Little Baby’s Ice Cream and Calling Card Confections from the Greensgrow Commissary will all be on hand. TJ Kong & the Atomic Bomb will be performing.
More Farm Fest at the Oval events »
Shoppist covers your shopping game plan for the Clover Market in Chestnut Hill this Sunday. We’re here to explore the food options. A caravan worth of food trucks will be on hand and there will be brunch.
Food trucks and brunch »
Dining Out for Life is just under three weeks away and in addition to all the restaurants donating 33% of all proceeds to AIDS related charities, Philadelphia food trucks are hosting a round-up.
More than ten food trucks will descend on 13th and Locust between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 24th where they will be offering lunch and helping a good cause.
Read more »
Mark your calendars, the Food Trust has announced its 2014 Night Market dates and locations. Night Markets are a celebration of food, drink and neighborhood. The first night market for 2014 will be on Thursday, May 15th, in Old City. Subsequent Night Markets will be held in June, August and October.
Mark your calendar »
Vernalicious will be among the food trucks parked at 13th and Locust for Dining Out for Life on April 24th.
Big news for Center City lunch-goers. ActionAIDS just announced it will host an afternoon “food truck roundup” in the Gayborhood on Dining Out for Life day, April 24th, giving you an opportunity to give to the annual event at lunch and dinner.
Read more »
The Navy Yard has just announced it’s March 2014 food truck schedule. The trucks will be either at Crescent Park or 15th and Kitty Hawk. Two trucks are on location every day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain or shine.
Read more »
As we continue the Year of the Cheesesteak, we’ll be taking a look at cheesesteak spots that are new, been flying under the radar or been suggested to us. Today, we visit the SPOT Burgers truck at The Porch at 30th Street Station. Yes, SPOT Burgers has gotten plenty of rightful ink for their hamburgers but you cannot sleep on owner Josh Kim’s cheesesteaks.
The Tale of the Tape »
File this one under positive thoughts. Here’s the March schedule for food trucks at The Porch at 30th Street Station. We’ll be dining outside in no time.
This month, breakfast will be served on Mondays and Tuesdays. Lunch will be served, each weekday but Thursday.
Read more »
Matthew Feldman launched his Lucky Old Souls Burger Truck in late 2011. His burgers and shakes were well received and he was a popular truck wherever he set up. So it was a surprise today to see that he’s shutting down the truck. No word on what’s next for Feldman who at one time hoped to open a jazz club in Newbold.
His note on Facebook »


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Privacy concerns over Google Glass are certainly nothing new. Every since the device was announced, there have been plenty of skeptics worried about possible invasion of privacy, particularly towards those who are not using the product. Now, 10 privacy authorities from all over the globe have submitted questions to Google CEO Larry Page, hoping to have their concerns addressed officially. No privacy concerns have been aimed at the individuals wearing Google Glass, but rather those that come into contact with users sporting the device. The authorities are particularly concerned about the camera functionality and how it could be abused.
Austrailia in particular has had a big hand in getting to the bottom of Google Glass’ privacy issues. South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi has had a particularly negative view towards the device calling it “the end of privacy”. Furthermore, Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim has already submitted requests to Google asking for a briefing on the device back in April. He joins the nine other authorities from various countries including Canada, New Zealand, Israel, Mexico, and Switzerland.
The authorities are also upset at the fact that most of the information has been coming from media outlets as opposed to Google themselves. The problem with this is that the media tends to exaggerate and speculate at times, making it difficult to figure out what will actually happen. They believe that Google should approach them while the product is in its developer phase, before mainstream release.
Among the questions asked, they want to know if the device has specific safeguards in place and how it complies with privacy laws already on the books. They then shift to a hot topic that has been on everyone’s minds lately. They want to know what data is collected from users and who that data will be shared with. This is a very real concern as there is no doubt that data collection will indeed take place and that it will in fact be a very different type of data than normally collected by Google.
They go on to ask for the opportunity to test the devices themselves to play out these concerns. As we all know the models that are out currently certainly wouldn’t answer any of these questions as they currently have very basic functionality and are simply not too limited to provide any real data. They close the letter by saying “We are aware that these questions relate to issues that fall squarely within our purview as data protection commissioners, as well as to other broader, ethical issues that arise from wearable computing. Nevertheless, we feel it is important for us to raise all of these concerns.” You can catch the full letter to Larry Page in the source
So what do you think? Do you think Google owes anyone an in-depth explanation? Do you think Glass will catch on enough to really cause a major issue?


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Local roaster Cuvee Coffee's new "retail coffee bar" has set an opening date: August 11. According to a press release, the shop will offer offer pour-over coffee, espresso, as well as their nitrogenated cold brewed coffee on tap. There will also be nine taps for craft beer, because no self-respecting Austin coffee shop can open without craft beer.
In the release, founder Mike McKim cryptically says, "Our new concept will challenge people at first, because it is different than what they are used to in a coffee shop." Brace, Austin.
· Cuvee Coffee Launches New Retail Concept in East Austin [Cuvee]
· All Cuvee Coffee Coverage [EATX]


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Earnings numbers reported by the company for the quarter ending on Sept. 30 peg Samsung as the no. 1 smartphone maker by revenue, after the Korean company’s telecom division pulled down about $13.5 billion (technically, 14.9 trillion won). That’s a 37 percent increase over what Samsung reported last year during the same period, according to a story from TechCrunch.
Largely, those big increases are probably at the feet of the Samsung Galaxy S II, the company’s flagship Android-running smartphone. As Pocket Gamer points out, the device is expected to have raked-in 10 million sales since its launch, which is definitely a tidy sum for a device that’s not the iPhone. By way of comparison, Apple announced it had sold 4 million iPhone 4S units in the first weekend, including about a million pre-orders within the first 24 hours they were available.
But while Samsung has taken the lead from Apple in terms of revenue earned by its devices, both companies are still behind Nokia in terms of units actually sold. And the comparison of Samsung to Apple isn’t a 100-percent fair one, given that Apple releases but one smartphone every year and still manages to compete against Samsung’s many devices.
Still, Samsung should be commended for its numbers. The company didn’t release its actual sales figures, but did say it had quadrupled smartphone sales over the previous quarter. One analyst estimates they could be as high as 28 million for the quarter (Apple’s were but 17 million, a decline of about 3 million units sold during the same time the previous year).
Samsung’s smartphone business accounted for 36 percent of the total 41.3 trillion won it reported earning for Q3 (about $35 billion). Not bad for a company currently fighting Apple in the patent courts of several countries.
In the next quarter, in order to stay on top, Samsung will have to successfully slay (or at least surpass) the iPhone 4S, which sounds like no easy feat. The company could have an ace in the hole with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, however. It’s the next device in the Nexus line of Google-branded phones and will be the first phone to pack Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which the two companies introduced a couple weeks ago and surely has customers excited.


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Kate Middleton dress up for auction (2:20)
Mar 7 - Amid speculation who will design Kate Middleton's wedding dress, the see-through lace dress she modeled when she caught Prince William's eye at a university fashion show is due to be auctioned. Joanna Partridge reports ( Transcript )
Hard-edged reporting, insight and analysis, Reuters TV breaks ground creating informative news and financial videos. Showcasing Reuters’ 3000 award-winning journalists, Reuters TV delivers high-energy investigative journalism with concise explanations. Check it out and let us know what you think.


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- Visa Inc. is among backers of an $80-million investment in Currency Cloud Ltd., whose software runs cross-border payments for financial apps, primarily in Europe. The funding round, co-led by Visa and SAP’s venture-funding unit Sapphire, included backing from Google. The funding follows Visa’s $5.3-billion deal to acquire Plaid, whose software enables fintechs to connect to users’ bank accounts.
- A ransomware attack on the city of Dunwoody, Ga.’s computer systems is expected to cost the Atlanta suburb at least $80,000, a local newspaper reported.
- Iguazio Ltd. announced that payments provider Payoneer Inc. has selected its machine-learning platform to help predict and prevent fraud.
- Remitly Inc., whose mobile-payments service allows users to make international remittances, announced a deal with Chinese mobile-payments provider Alipay in which Remitly users will be able to send money that can then be received by Alipay users within the Alipay app.
- Skrill USA Inc. launched the Skrill Visa Prepaid Card for consumers using its digital wallet. The card enables U.S. consumers to draw on their Skrill account balances for in-store and online purchases, and cash withdrawals. Skrill USA is not affiliated with Skrill Ltd. outside of the United States, which is owned by Paysafe Group.
- In a speech, Ripple Labs Inc. chief executive Brad Garlinghouse hinted Ripple could be among initial public offerings for cryptocurrency companies in 2020.
- Financial Data Exchange LLC (FDX), a non-profit founded in October 2018 that oversees an application programming interface and technical standards governing control, security, and transparency in the exchange of financial data, said 25 new organizations have joined FDX, including Discover Financial Services and credit-reporting agency TransUnion. FDX now has 82 members and says 8 million of their customers use the API.
- Mercator Advisory Group released its “Digital Gift Cards: U.S. Market, 2019,” report that found digital gift card fraud amounts to $950 million in annual losses.
Ria Money Transfer, a unit of Euronet Worldwide Inc., said its services will be available …


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I would also like to announce the high possibility of us continuing our original plans from the summer of 2009 and adding a "The Sims 3" section to the website. The modders and crew working for EA have really been improving the game - I would like to applaud them for their hard work. I'm going to start experimenting around with The Sims 3 for the next month or so and maybe there will be another section for downloads on the site =)
Since it is now almost April, please expect a LOT of updates for The Sims 2 Downloads and The Sims Downloads. April and May is the 5th anniversary of Heaven's Territory & our 5th anniversary of playing the Sims 2. Stay tuned - lots of updates coming!
- A new outfit for teen males has been released! Preview below, as always.
- A new preview has been added to the coming soon page.


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Soundwave to unveil instant messenger feature
Updated music discovery app will allow users to chat and create private groups to share music
Soundwave CEO and founder Brendan O’Driscoll: “One of the biggest pieces of feedback we received about our app was that there was no way to chat. So we have been working on that for the last six months.”
The company is releasing an updated version of its app, often referred to as the “instagram of music”, which will feature new design, additional product features and cleaner usability.
Soundwave users will be able to create private groups to chat and share music with friends and followers.
“One of the biggest pieces of feedback we received about our app was that there was no way to chat. So we have been working on that for the last six months,” said Soundwave chief executive and founder Brendan O’Driscoll.
“The instant music messenger will be similar to Whatsapp. You can chat and share music on it. You can also create a playlist with friends adding songs from YouTube, iTunes, Spotify etc.”
The updated app will have “music on tap” whereby users will be able to play the full YouTube video for any song directly within Soundwave or open it in Spotify/Rdio/Deezer with one click.
“You can take all the songs shared and open them on your preferred player,” O’Driscoll said.
Unlike typical music apps that aim to promote manual sharing, the Soundwave app has the unique ability to pull in a user’s song plays from their Android, Apple and other streaming apps and sync these songs to their Soundwave profile to show others what songs they listen to.
Soundwave users can then follow friends, family, musicians, sports stars and celebrities to see what songs they are playing and therefore discover new music.
The app also allows users to instantly see what songs are playing at any location.
O’Driscoll said the app has just recently celebrated its first birthday and the release of Soundwave 2.0 is yet another major milestone for the company. The free app has been downloaded more than one million times in 190 countries worldwide.
The company is expanding its footprint in the United States, with the opening of a new office in San Francisco. Its founders have been nominated in the emerging category of the 2014 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.


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By Sarah Kingsbury
Last week, Apple released iOS 10.3.1. The update addressed a serious security Wi-Fi vulnerability discovered by Google Project Zero. Surprisingly, the update reinstated support for the iPhone 5 and 5C (the last 32 bit processor devices made by Apple) allowing those with the older iPhones to protect themselves from the security weakness. And now, Apple has also stopped signing iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 10.3, which means it's no longer possible to downgrade from iOS 10.3.1.


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A Birmingham food manufacturer and retailer has secured £150,000 in new funding to support its employment programme in the city.
Miss Macaroon has been awarded the capital by the John Lewis Partnership's Community Investment Fund and will use it to pay the wages of recent and future graduates on its company scheme.
Called Macaroons that make a Difference or MacsMAD, it is a ten-week programme split between training and on-the-job experience, with individuals able to choose between catering and retail.
It is aimed at those aged 18 to 35 and courses are tailored to address each individual's personal barriers to employment like anxiety and learning disabilities.
Corporate partners such as Hotel du Vin, McDonald's and Michelin-starred restaurant Purnell's have previously provided support and mentor talks to inspire trainees to reach for a career in hospitality.
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Miss Macaroon founder Rosie Ginday, who was awarded an MBE in 2018, said: "Like many businesses, covid-19 has caused us lots of issues and things have been very tough but we have been able to keep the MacsMAD course going during the lockdowns.
"This latest funding boost from John Lewis means we can extend the level of support we can offer our most recent graduates and some of the 60 young people we expect to support over the next two years.
"They are the people we set the business up for and they remain our main priority. The shop and our sales just go into funding the programme and the assistance we can give them once they're graduating. They're the real heart of our social enterprise."
Miss Macaroon, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this week, was founded by Ms Ginday with a £500 grant in kitchen space at University College Birmingham.
She trained under Purnell's owner Glynn Purnell as a pastry chef and launched the company with the aim of helping young people into work.
Including its latest intake, more than 80 people will have been assisted in fields such as cooking, administration and marketing by the firm over the past decade.
The company opened a prosecco and macaroon bar in Birmingham's Great Western Arcade in 2016 and counts celebrity chef James Martin, TV presenter Jeremy Vine and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle among its fans and customers.
Post-lockdown plans to mark the tenth birthday include a grand reopening of its bar and launching new vegan macaroons.
"There has been a 195 per cent increase in online sales during covid-19 so our macaroons have been going further than ever before and this is something we'll look to build on going forward," Ms Ginday added.


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STOCK TRADE: Buy RSH at market price (approx. $2.67), good for the day. Place a protective stop-loss at $1.50 and a pre-determined sell at $5.00.
by Ian Harvey
February 12, 2014
There have been several major occurrences surrounding RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) in the past couple of weeks, which should have a significant positive action on its stock price. These are:-
1. Jamie Zimmerman's Litespeed Management LLC, last Friday, disclosed an 8.1% stake in RadioShack Corp. Zimmerman is a famed hedge fund manager known for her incredible market-beating performance in the early 2000s. Most sources quote her firm Litespeed LLC as managing around $1.0 billion in assets and specializing in special situations, distressed securities, and bankruptcy.
This makes RadioShack a perfect candidate for her firm and could be a bullish sign for investors in the struggling retailer going forward. Zimmerman is known for being an astute analyst and if her track record holds up it could be good news for embattled RadioShack shareholders.
2. During the Super Bowl, Radio Shack ran a (highly praised) 30 second ad about how they're abandoning their 1980s image to unveil a "new" Radio Shack. The ad featured 80s celebrities like Mary Lou Retton, Hulk Hogan, CHiPster Erik Estrada, Alf, the California Raisins and "Cliff" from Cheers.
3. Zacks upgraded their recommendation on RadioShack to Neutral from Underperform despite disappointing third-quarter 2013 financial results of the company. Both the top and the bottom line significantly missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. RadioShack's core Consumer Electronics retail business is on a secular downtrend. Nowadays, consumers prefer making online purchases to visiting retail stores. The rising trend of shopping through tablets and smartphones is lowering profits of the retail industry. This has also led to declining foot traffic, which has severely affected RadioShack's business. However, the company intends to extensively invest in the launch of several concept stores as a turnaround strategy. This is expected to significantly improve footfall at stores.
As for its stock, RSH has been stuck in a severe downtrend since 2010, dropping from highs near $24 to a low just above $2. However, while the July lows were eclipsed on the downside by the January decline, volatility did not make new highs. A bullish divergence like this is often a sign of price stability and a base forming, and the stock has rebounded almost 25% from the lows made less than a month ago.
RadioShack Corporation (RadioShack) is engaged in the retail sale of consumer electronics goods and services through its RadioShack store chain.
The Company’ segments include U.S. Radioshack Company-Operated Stores and Others.
As of December 31, 2012, the Company operated 4,395 U.S. company-operated stores under the RadioShack brand located throughout the United States, as well as in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These stores are located in strip centers and major shopping malls, as well as individual storefronts.
As of December 31, 2012, the Company had a network of 1,008 RadioShack dealer outlets, including 32 located outside North America. The Company's North American outlets provide name brand and private brand products and services.
|Current P/E Ratio (ttm)||-|
|Relative P/E vs. SPX||-|
|Earnings Per Share (USD) (ttm)||-2.5341|
|Est. EPS (USD) (12/2013)||-2.1000|
|Est. PEG Ratio||-|
|Market Cap (M USD)||267.43|
|Shares Outstanding (M)||100.16|
|30 Day Average Volume||3,341,806|
|Dividend Indicated Gross Yield||-%|
|Cash Dividend (USD)||-|
|5 Year Dividend Growth||-|
|Next Earnings Announcement||02/26/2014|
RSH has traded in a channel from $4 to $2 since mid-2012. An upside breakout of the range targets a move to $6. Buying at such discounted prices is attractive to traders wishing to position themselves for a recovery in the stock.
RadioShack Corp. last released its earnings data on Tuesday, October 22nd. The company reported ($1.11) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.36) by $0.75. The company had revenue of $805.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $893.44 million.
During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.33) earnings per share. RadioShack Corp.’s revenue was down 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that RadioShack Corp. will post $-2.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Besides the upgrade by Zacks, RadioShack has been the subject of a number of other recent research reports:-
• S&P Equity Research upgraded shares of RadioShack Corp. (NYSE:RSH) to a hold rating in a report released on Thursday, 9th January.
• Separately, analysts at Wedbush reiterated an underperform rating on shares of RadioShack Corp. in a research note to investors on Wednesday, October 23rd. They now have a $1.00 price target on the stock.
Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have issued a hold rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $2.28.
RadioShack is set to report earnings in late February and any surprises will surely bring large stock price moves. Investors should keep a careful eye on how same-store-sales are performing at remodeled stores. Until then, investors can take comfort in one acclaimed fund manager jumping on the RadioShack bandwagon.
Therefore, based on the facts above the following stock trade is recommended…..
**STOCK TRADE: Buy RSH at market price (approx. $2.67), good for the day. Place a protective stop-loss at $1.50 and a pre-determined sell at $5.00.


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With social conscience becoming an increasingly valued part of a brand, it was only a matter of time before charities decided to get in on the action. That way, they can finally make some real scratch.
UK Vogue is reporting Oxfam’s first designer boutique in London’s Westbourne Grove. An all-star team of British designers contributed to the store, which combines donated designer clothes with unique and reworked pieces from the London College of Fashion. Of course, it’s all sustainable and fair traded to within an inch of its life. After all, they’re still about fighting poverty.
It’s a branding move, plain and simple. As Greenery has become more popular over the past few years, most fashion brands have been left in the dust. There have been a few success stories, most notably on the younger end, but most established brands haven’t been agile enough to catch up. In fact, it’s unlikely that people will ever feel that they’re doing a good thing by buying Gucci. As a result, the market’s wide open for carpet-bagging brands like Oxfam—which has goodwill to spare—to step in as the humanitarian alternative to the big bad luxury corporations you’ve read so much about.
Which explains why Oxfam chose to go into fashion rather than prepackaged meals.


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Rocket Internet’s e-commerce site Lazada has received more investment today, this time from Swedish investment firm Kinnevik for a sum of $40 million. Lazada, which was just launched in March this year, operates in five Southeast Asian countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand. Maximilian Bittner, the regional CEO of Lazada, noted:
Kinnevik has a proven track-record of investing in emerging markets and we are very excited to have such a knowledgeable and experienced investor on board. In addition to capital they will provide us with invaluable strategic insight of operating in such markets. It is also a strong testament to what we have accomplished so far and verifies that we are on the right track to achieve our aggressive strategic goals
TechCrunch rightly pointed out that it is interesting to see Lazada disclose the amount of its investment to the public. Previously, the Amazon clone has been quite vague when publishing any numbers. Magnus Ekbom, Lazada Indonesia’s managing director told me during our recent talk that they were unable to speak about any numbers in detail due to a number of reasons.
Kinnevik acquired a quarter ownership from Rocket Internet during the first quarter of this year. This latest investment move might be part of the bigger financial deal agreed between the Swedish and German companies. This is also the second investment Lazada has received recently, as you may recall that J.P. Morgan also invested in the company a couple of months ago.


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Home > Lifestyle > Food > Features
Tuesday June 17, 2014 MYT 5:10:00 PM
Tuesday June 17, 2014 MYT 11:06:23 AM
New research sheds light on how taste preferences are instilled through memory and cautions against large portions. – shutterstock/AFP
Food memories have a role in determining eating habits.
According to recent research, that last bite of food is pure taste sensation that will instill a lasting memory of the food in question and determine when you’ll crave it again.
The study published in the journal Psychological Science sheds new light on how food memories are created and their role in determining eating habits.
“Research has told us a lot about factors that influence what foods people want to consume, but less is known about factors that influence when they want to consume a particular food again,” explains researcher and lead author Emily Garbinsky of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
The results are of interest to food companies whose profits are determined by the frequency of sales.
The study called on 134 undergraduates to select their favourite of three different flavoured Nut Thin crackers. The students were then given varying portions of their favourite flavour.
The test group that consumed the largest portion size of 15 crackers reported less enjoyment than the group whose portion size was limited to three crackers.
This reflects a well-established understanding that bites become successively less enjoyable.
After consuming a small portion, participants were quicker to ask for a giveaway box of their favourite Nut Thins than those in the group that was given larger portions.
This meant that the memory of the last bites interfere with that of the first, according to Garbinsky.
Yet verbal reminders put the memory back on track during the next part of the test in which students were asked to drink a glass of juice.
Having been verbally reminded of how good the first sip tasted, the participants were quicker to ask for a giveaway juice-box than their counterparts who received no reminders.
“This finding is important in that it suggests that large portions may be somewhat detrimental to companies because they extend the amount of time that passes until repeat consumption occurs,” says Garbinsky. “And it’s also important to the public, as eating too much of a favourite – or healthy – food may increase the delay until one wants to eat it again.”
Garbinsky cautions that the results of her laboratory experiments might not correspond to real-life settings and that further research will be necessary to confirm her findings. – AFP Relaxnews
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2008 packaging targets face upward revision
Packaging recycling and recovery targets for 2008 will almost certainly need revising after obligated businesses last year reported handling 500,000 tonnes less packaging than the Environment Department (DEFRA) expected.
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The 52 countries of the Commonwealth are launching a first-of-its-kind fashion initiative to boost sustainability, partnerships and trade across the group, with the long-term aim of also promoting female empowerment.
The National Chamber of Italian Fashion has published its provisional schedule for the fall/winter 2018-2019 shows at Milan Fashion Week. The event opens February 20 at 7pm with the first coed show from Moncler.
Thai students with huge banners and caricature puppets on Saturday delivered the latest satirical swipe at the junta's number two -- known as the "Rolex General" for his collection of undeclared luxury watches.
After 10 days of menswear and womenswear shows in New York, February 5-14, the fashion world will be heading to London, February 16-20, for a new round of shows from the likes of Mulberry, JW Anderson and Burberry.
Dutch designer Martijn van Strien and his initiative The Post-Couture Collective have won a Henry van de Velde award. The Belgian prize celebrates positive impact on the economy and society through design.
Eco-Age has launched a new project connecting designers and artisans from the Commonwealth’s 52 countries. The project will see designers collaborate on a series of looks which will be presented in London in February.
Luxury goods authentication start-up Entrupy has announced the expansion of its operations to Japan, positioning it to combat the distribution of counterfeit high-value goods in one of the largest luxury resale markets.
These days designers are considered extremely lucky to remain in charge of any house for a decade. Last week, Kris Van Assche wrapped up his 11th year in one of the industry’s most watched labels, Dior Homme.


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Apple iPhone 5 comes sooner than expected?
Until now September was the consensus in the Apple rumor mill as launch timeframe for the new iPhone 5. BGR just reported that they have confirmed with their sources that Apple is already announcing the iPhone 5 already in August and it will have a radical new case design.
Don't Miss: Sam's Club Black Friday 2016 Details
Apple may already hold the iPhone 5 announcement in early August and ship the iPhone 5 in the last week of August.
Apple needs to really produce a ton of iPhone 5 to not have a chaos launch. If they really would already launch in August, the mass production would need to commence very soon. There are no indicators yet when Apple will start that.
In regards to the radical new case design of the iPhone 5, Joshua Topolsky over at This Is My Next has a guess on how the new iPhone 5 would look like. It would slim down towards the bottom and as widely rumored would have an edge-to-edge screen.
Buy Now: Sony PlaysStation VR In Stock Here
The larger home button on the iPhone 5 would be used as a gesture area. I am not sure about this one. I actually like the no button touchscreen interface shown today on the Nokia N9.


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As per reports, Sony’s concept for Android will allow 10,000 owners of Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact to beta test new Android Marshmallow version. This new software is made on the basis of feedback Sony received from the initiative which was launched earlier this year. Those who want to try it out can check in with the Concept Sign-up application. The initiative is on the basis of first come, first serve basis so there is an element of urgency.
This test is limited to just the selected European countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, United Kingdom, Ireland or Germany. If you have signed up for the test and got selected, you will get notification in the next few weeks. And the software will start rolling out soon after that.
Sony has plans to update the complete Z3 family including the Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet and several other devices to the Android 6.0 Marshmallow version.


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The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Wednesday elaborated on which shops and services could continue to operate in Greater Bangkok under the maximum and strict Covid-19 control measures now in force.
CCSA spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangson said businesses affected were in Bangkok city, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Phathom, Pathum Thani, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan.
The four southernmost provinces also under maximum and strict Covid-19 controls were not included.
She said that inside shopping centres, department stores, community malls and the likes, the closure order applied to shops selling books, eyeglasses, clothes, shoes, electrical appliances, office equipment, stationery, utensils, sports gear, cosmetics and animal feed.
It also applied to pet grooming shops, animal clinics, beauty salons, hairdressers, beauty clinics, tattoo and piercing shops, manicure shops, dental clinics, fertility treatment clinics, carwashes and laundries.
Businesses that were allowed to open were mobile phone and service shops, computer shops, shoe repair and locksmith shops, car repair centres and watch and clock shops (for repairs only).
The closure was aimed at preventing crowds gathering at department stores, shopping centres, community malls and the like, Dr Apisamai said.
Outside these shopping complexes, the only shops allowed to remain open are beauty clinics, beauty salons, dental clinics and fertility treatment clinics, with the consent of local authorities, Dr Apisamai said.


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New EV policy would maintain and increase level of sales: BOI
Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) is planning to propose to the new government that it implements measures to promote the purchase and manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs) in Thailand under the EV 3.5 policy until 2025.
BOI secretary-general Narit Therdsteerasukdi said on Wednesday that the EV 3.5 policy would help maintain the momentum of EVs in the automotive market which has been growing thanks to the previous EV 3.0 policy.
The EV 3.0 policy, which exempts taxes for EV importers and provides subsidies for purchasing electric vehicles at a maximum of 150,000 baht per vehicle, is set to expire on December 31, 2023.
However, the funding for EV purchase subsidies will end this September due to increased public interest in electric vehicle purchases, leading to the depletion of the support funds before the end of this year.
Narit said the BOI has discussed the details of the EV 3.5 policy with the National Electric Vehicle Policy Board (EV Board). These largely focus on providing discounts for imported CBU (complete built-up) electric vehicles and setting manufacturing targets for EVs in Thailand.
He said that under the EV 3.5 policy, the government would provide subsidies of approximately 100,000 baht per vehicle for imported EVs from 2024-2025, while car manufacturers would be required to establish EV manufacturing plants in Thailand at a ratio of 2-3 times the number of imports from 2026-2027.
Narit estimates that the EV 3.5 policy will be finalised around November to December, and the new government could implement it from January 2024.
According to the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT), some 37,000 electric vehicles have been registered in Thailand in the first seven months of this year. This number is already far higher than in 2022, which saw some 9,600 registrations.
The association expects purchases to continue to rise until the end of the year despite the lack of an EV purchasing subsidy, as importers are still enjoying tax exemptions and fuel prices continue to rise.
“Furthermore, as Thais have become more familiar with EV technology, new buyers will have fewer concerns and that will make their decision easier,” EVAT president Krisada Utamote said.


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Rootstock Sydney the sustainable and artisan food, wine and cultural festival returns to Carriageworks for the weekend of 26th and 27th of November 2016.
The first Rootstock Sydney event brought over 3,500 wine and food lovers to Leichardt’s Italian Forum for Australia’s first celebration of natural wine and artisan produce. In 2014 Rootstock Sydney moved to its current home, Carriageworks Sydney, and hosted 13,500 people for Australia’s largest food, wine and arts event of its kind. In 2015 the program expanded, and we welcomed even more winemakers, farmers, chefs and producers and included one of Australia’s largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander installations on indigenous produce and farming.
Rootstock Sydney’s focus is to promote sustainable farming in food and wine production and little/no additions in winemaking. Rootstock Sydney is a Not For Profit organization and event.
Building upon the enormous success of the past two years, Rootstock Sydney 2016 promises to be the most anticipated food and wine festival in the country. This is the only event of its kind – fun, informative, a touch wild, with a focus on organic, biodynamic and natural growing and the beautiful produce that results.
Carriageworks Director Lisa Havilah said: “We’re excited to present the return of Rootstock Sydney at Carriageworks for its third year. This world-class event is an opportunity for visitors to engage first-hand with some of the best chefs and creative leaders in the food and wine industry, from around the country.”


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Placester Raises $5.5M Series A Funding Round to Enable Publishers to Reclaim Online Real Estate Ad Revenue
Romulus Capital Invests as Placester Closes the Loop between Real Estate Professionals Looking to Make Smart Digital Ad Investments and Publishers Seeking Local Real Estate-Driven Ad Revenue
BOSTON, April 22, 2014-- Placester, the real estate advertising network, today announced a $5.5M Series A financing round led by Romulus Capital, which also led the company’s seed round, with additional participation from existing investors Dave Anderson (Kiva, Silverpop), Josh Summers (Clypd, Where.com), David Cohen (Founder of Techstars), Adam Berrey (Curoverse, Brightcove, Allaire) and Angel Street Capital. With this round, Placester also announced a new product for local media companies with a nationwide deal with Hearst Corporation. The end-to-end, white-labeled consumer real estate portal combines listing data, powerful free-text search technology and a native advertising platform designed for the needs of the industry.
Together with its website product for real estate agents, Placester is realizing its long-term vision of connecting local publishers to the world’s real estate professionals. These publishers have long been out of reach to most real estate professionals due to market fragmentation and antiquated advertising choices. For publishers, this represents a fresh opportunity to garner more of the enormous digital advertising investment made each year by real estate professionals, estimated to reach $14.5B by 2017.
“Real estate is one of the largest online ad categories and, as our network of real estate professionals has grown to nearly 100,000, we’ve proven that a straightforward way to market one’s self is essential. Professionals can reach buyers through local advertising yet the publishers’ lack of available systems has made it difficult to deliver the digital ad products that today's professionals seek,” said Matthew Barba, Co-founder and CEO, Placester. “By delivering our technology to networks of local publishers like Hearst, publishers are able to offer the right ad products to the right people within a sophisticated portal. We’re thrilled to be working with the tremendously innovative Hearst team as they’ve been industry leaders in the transition to digital and the implementation of native advertising. For many publishers, we’re bringing their real estate sections into the 21st century, which provides them with new revenue opportunities.”
For publishers, Placester’s platform seamlessly transforms existing digital real estate sections, optimizing revenue via a single solution to manage consumer search, real estate inventory information and associated ad products. Hearst’s nationwide-network of local newspapers, such as The Connecticut Post, are the first to adopt Placester’s platform in place of legacy real estate sections. Through this partnership, Placester unlocks new advertising opportunities for Hearst’s existing and future advertising.
“When we first invested in Placester, we all knew that the solution they were offering to real estate professionals at scale had important implications for other industry stakeholders like local media companies and hyperlocal publishers. These publishers have seen their real estate ad business cannibalized by emerging digital platforms in the last decade and seek a partner for real change. We love giving market players the technology to disrupt their own massive traditional industries. It’s exciting to be a further part of Placester’s growth as they bring their technology to publishers in addition to real estate agents,” said Krishna K. Gupta, Founder and General Partner, Romulus Capital.
With today’s investment, Placester has raised a total of $8M in total funding.
Placester, the real estate advertising network, partners with leading publishers to quickly and effortlessly deliver secure digital ad products that today’s agents and brokers desire within a user experience that is optimized to increase consumer engagement and conversion.
For more information, please visit: https://placester.com/
Kate Gundry, 617-797-5174
Venture Capital Database


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“Event-driven value investor” Daniel Loeb viewed Herbalife (NYSE:HLF)’s stock price drop due to Bill Ackman’s $1 billion short announcement as an opportunity to buy a lot of the company. GuruFocus Real Time Picks reports that Loeb has purchased 8.9 million shares of Herbalife, an 8.24% stake in the company, on Jan. 3, 2012. He filed a 13G with the SEC, meaning he does not have activist intentions.
Shares of Herbalife tumbled as low as 38% in December after Bill Ackman unveiled Pershing Square’s short position in the company. On Dec. 20, Ackman lambasted Herbalife in a 342-slide presentation at a Sohn Conference event in New York, calling it a “pyramid scheme” and saying that it preys on the most vulnerable, low-come segments of society. He has even set up a website dedicated to unmasking its supposed business transgressions.
"Herbalife inflates the suggested retail price of its products and overstates retail sales… recruiting worth is substantially greater than the retail profit that they generate,” Ackman said.
The doomed-to-fail company has a price target of zero, according to Ackman, whose team spent a year researching it.
Irate Herbalife CEO Michael Johnson countered Ackman’s claims on CNBC on Nov. 19, saying Ackman was attempting to manipulate the markets, and the company will discuss them further in their investor conference tomorrow.
The stock’s price has since returned to almost its pre-presentation price, with an additional 9% lift on news of Loeb’s stake, to trade for $40.34 on Wednesday. Loeb’s fund is up 21.2% through December, boosted by gains from Greek government bonds, successes with his activist position in Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) and the resurgence of AIG (NYSE:AIG).
- Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Signs with HLF. Click here to check it out.
- HLF 15-Year Financial Data
- The intrinsic value of HLF
- Peter Lynch Chart of HLF
HLF data by GuruFocus.com
In the past ten years, Herbalife has increased its revenue almost every year, and produced a profit in nine out of the ten years. It has produced free cash flow for the past ten years as well, generating a record $419 million in 2011.
The company has been aggressive about repurchasing shares in recent years. Since 2006, its shares outstanding declined from 143 million to 112 million.
Herbalife has a P/E of 10.3, P/B of 10.7 and P/S of 1.5, according to its 10-year financials.
GuruFocus Real Time Picks alerts you for the stock purchases and sales that Gurus have made within the last two days. Follow your favorite Gurus closely with GuruFocus' Premium Membership! If you are not a Premium Member, we invite you for a 7-Day Free Trial.


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It is recently reported that the Board of Investment (BOI) has turned down the investment plan of the German auto manufacturer, Audi. Reports indicate that the government has refused to make any change in the Auto Policy 2016, which has been devised to attract new players in the auto industry to improve competition and vehicle quality.
BOI Spokesman, Shah Jahan Shah while speaking to a group of journalists on Tuesday said ‘Audi representatives visited Pakistan and wanted to invest in MKD (medium knocked down) model with only vehicle assembly in Pakistan. It is against the current auto policy.’
‘Although we encourage new entrants, our primary goal is to ensure the growth and strength of Pakistan’s vendor base and dealer network, besides creating employment’ Shah added.
The rationale behind the new Auto Policy 2016 is to improve the emission and fuel consumption standards while discouraging the booking of cars against full payments with extended delivery dates.
“Pakistan has already been criticised for an inconsistent policy, therefore, the government is not in a mood to amend the policy under any pressure to accommodate some auto players,” Shah Jahan explained.
His remarks come at a time when Pak Suzuki Motor has already hinted that the company is reviewing to scrap its investment plan worth approximately $460 million, if the government did not pay heed to its request for incentives. Shah pointed out that new players like Renault, Ghandhara Nissan, Nishat Group, Kia and Hyundai had contacted the BOI and applied for incentives.
Reports indicate that Audi’s representatives have been asked to come up with a new proposal while considering key points that are mentioned in the new Auto Policy 2016. In any case, we’ll keep a track on the upcoming trends of the company to keep our readers updated.


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he bingo, casino and online gaming firm, said that, in the six weeks to October 12, like-for-like revenue rose by 5 %, reflecting the passing of the anniversary of the introduction of the Gambling Act in September 2007 and actions taken to address its negative effects. However, in the 41 weeks to October 12, like-for-like sales had declined by 8 %.
Rank was hit hard last year by both the Gambling Act and a smoking ban. Those factors, along with the economic downturn, led to a sharp decline in attendances. The group said like-for-like sales at its 102 Mecca bingo clubs declined by 12 % in the first 41 weeks with admissions down 12 % and spend per head level with the same period the previous year.
In the six weeks since the start of September, like-for-like revenue grew by 2 %, with an 8 % rise in spend per head offsetting a 5 % decline in admissions. Rank said Mecca had benefited from the granting of licensing permission for 83 adult gaming centres located within Mecca Bingo properties, of which 64 are operational. That has enabled it to increase the amount of B3 high jackpot gaming machines that it operates to 660 from 406 at the start of the year.
However, the Gambling Commission is currently reviewing its guidance to local authorities over the centres. Rank said trading at its 11 Top Rank Espana bingo clubs had continued to be affected by difficult economic conditions. At its 34 Grosvenor Casinos, like-for-like revenue fell by 3 % over the 41 weeks, but was up 14 % in the last six weeks of the period.
Rank’s sports betting and online gaming business, Blue Square grew revenue by 1 % during the 41 weeks, with a strong performance from meccabingo.com offsetting an 11 % decline from sports betting.
Shares in Rank have outperformed the FTSE All Share Travel & Leisure Index .FTASX5750 by 3 % since the start of the year, with concerns over the consumer downturn overshadowed by takeover speculation following stake building by Asia-based Guoco Group, which now has a 24 % holding.


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Unconventional Spiced Rum brand, Dead Man’s Fingers, has announced that it is extending its range to include a new 1.75l bottle format across six of its flavoured variants.
Dead Man’s Fingers is now the number-one premium rum contributing to total rum growth, delivering £11.2m year on year, and is the fastest growing spiced/flavoured rum family within the top 10 performing brands.
Its new bottle format, which is 2.5 times larger than the traditional 70cl format, has been created in response to ongoing demand from fans across the brand’s social media channels. The move will see Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced, Pineapple, Mango, Raspberry, Passionfruit and Lime all available in the new, larger size.
“As the popularity of flavoured rum continues to grow, we’ve seen strong results for the Dead Man’s Fingers range, and fantastic engagement with the brand,” said Brand Manager Samantha Caulfield. “For some time now, fans across our social media channels have been calling out for us to introduce a larger format, so we’re naturally very pleased to announce this latest news.
“Our new 1.75cl bottles are the perfect sharing size for barbeques and big nights in, whether that be with a simple mixer, or as a base for a range of tasty cocktails. Therefore, as we begin to approach the Spring/Summer season we’re confident that this hugely versatile and much loved range in the new 1.75L format will provide retailers with a significant sales opportunity”.
The new 1.75cl bottles are available for order now, RRP £50.
 Total Coverage, MAT Data to 02.01.21


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A KIRKLEES company is proving a big hit in Scandinavia.
Cleckheaton-based Ferno, a world-leading manufacturer of equipment for the funeral and mortuary sector, has reported record sales of one of its latest products in Norway and Sweden.
The firm’s Model 11-T stretcher has been specifically developed from its successful Model 11 design and features an innovative track system that allows it to be used on stairways with more control – reducing the risk of injury to funeral and mortuary personnel.
Ferno managing director Jon Ellis said: "Since the Model 11-T was launched we have had some amazing feedback and it’s proving to be a popular solution.
"We found there was a gap in the market for a stretcher in the funeral and mortuary sector which would provide easier transportation over uneven ground and down stairs.
"In the past six months we’ve had record sales in these countries and we expect this to continue as more of those in the industry recognise the usefulness of such an innovative product."
The Model 11-T Stretcher is sturdy and lightweight with two front wheels and a narrow track-to-ground clearance for easy manoeuvring over all surfaces, even with the tracks deployed.
It folds in half when not in use for easy carrying and storage and includes two five-inch quick release patient restraints, a foot rest and carrying case.
Ferno, which has more than 40 years experience in the medical equipment sector, provides equipment including removal trolleys, scoops and transfer boards, trestles and biers.
The company also makes equipment for the emergency services and exports to more than 75 countries.
It is also looking to introduce its products to the military sector, workplaces, visitor attractions, schools and universities.


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No-Li Brewhouse’s Frost Fest is back for another year
SPOKANE, Wash. — The weather is getting frostier and that means NoLi’s Frost Fest is coming up.
The annual beer festival is set for December 21 from 8 to 11 a.m. at the brewery.
Beer lovers will be able to enjoy hazy IPAs, hard seltzers and the new Hooptown Hopped Up Golden Ale.
Only 200 tickets will be sold for this year’s events. They will cost $30 each and go on sale December 2 at 9 a.m. Each ticket includes five, four-ounce pours, a Frost Fest pint glass, a Frost Fest sweatshirt, crowler and patch beanie.
RELATED: No-Li Brewhouse introduces ‘ Impossible Burger’ to menu
RELATED: No-Li releases new beer with proceeds benefiting firefighters
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Notwithstanding apprehensions concerning the timing of a recovery in the semiconductor cycle, one analyst at Benchmark is upbeat about the prospects of ON Semiconductor Corp ON.
Ruben Roy initiated coverage of ON Semiconductor at Buy with a $26 price target.
ON has executed well in recent years to shift the company's product mix to higher value markets, analyst Roy said in a Friday morning note. This shift in exposure to higher-end markets such as automotive, industrials and cloud/data center markets should ultimately yield margin leverage, he added.
As opposed to the broader semiconductor market, which is expected to grow at a 4% CAGR through 2022, ON expects CAGRs of 9%, 6% and 13%, respectively for its strategic target markets of automotive, industrial and cloud/data center, Roy noted.
Despite the expected demand recovery not materializing, the analyst said he is encouraged with continued inventory corrections and the company's belief it is under-shipping true end demand.
This, according to the analyst, should support a strong recovery when demand improves.
"...many of ON's focus market design wins are single-sourced as opposed to being multi-sourced in the computing and consumer markets, which ultimately should lead to more stability in top-line performance, in our view," Benchmark said.
The firm sees the company's valuation as attractive ahead of earnings acceleration.
"As ON continues to execute on its longer-term product road-map and end market targets, we expect continued multiple expansion to follow," the firm added.
ON shares were up 0.46% to $19.64 at time of publishing.
© 2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Sydney Ifergan & TCA Impressed with New Decentralized and non-Hackable 2FA CardJune 12, 2019
The leading cryptocurrency news platform The Currency Analytics has some great news to share. Mr. Sydney Ifergan, crypto expert and founder of TCA, recently had a meetup with a new company from Vilnius that has developed a new decentralized and non-hackable 2FA SIM card to protect mobile data & digital identity. Titled “FIX Network,” the company is a joint venture of 5 international firms that are renowned innovation leaders in 4 major industries (telecommunications, cybersecurity, mobile application development as well as business management).
It was a strategic meetup hosted in Tel-Aviv and leaders from several fields were represented. Two of the five companies were from Israel and included one of the top names in cyber industry. The FIX Network team traveled all the way from Vilnius to Tel Aviv.
How Would FIX Network Help?
The recent news of a million dollar theft from businessman Robert Ross’ account has raised serious concerns about security issues of a 2FA SIM card. Modern hackers have already found the loophole to break into 2FA system and access customers’ mobile phone, email and bank accounts. Unfortunately, the security levels offered today do not seem to be adequately effective to protect your digital data. According to TCA and Mr. Ifergan, FIX Network claims to offer a powerful solution here.
“FIX Network is designed with the idea to make the existent cellular infrastructure more secured through its new blockchain-powered security protocol. This new infrastructure is engineered to help mobile operators leverage the security of customers identities and digital assets like cryptocurrency. We have met with the team (FIX Network) coming and I was impressed by their professionalism,” stated Mr. Sydney Ifergan.
Blockchain-powered PoS-based Infrastructure
A blockchain network comes with a decentralized structure which makes hacking quite a challenge. Any data that are entered into the blocks (after validation) cannot be manipulated or altered. Moreover, a blockchain system enables users to embed permission-based access that too helps to bypass hacking. Besides, the FIX Network will work with PoS, using masternodes. According to Mr. Ifergan, PoS (Proof of Stake) algorithm lessens threat of 51 percent attacks.
Only SIM Holder Can Confirm identity
With FIX’s SIM card, the identity can only be confirmed by the cardholder. No one else can confirm the identity of the cardholder. In the case of Rob Ross, his identity was stolen by the hacker via an agent in AT&T (his network carrier). But there is no such feature with FIX’s card.
The SIM will also act as a 2FA for B2C and B2B, like a Yubico key or a Titan security key. It can assure secure access to several places and lastly can also act as a crypto currency wallet. FIX’s state of the art technology will enable safe transaction for the users by signing by the SIM card itself and there is no need to reveal the user’s private keys.
Operators Will Earn for Transactions
FIX Sims will offer directly to users across 177 countries with a one-time payment and with lifetime service that carries unlimited signatures/transactions. The company will release its product components in open-source format so that operators can implement its cutting-edge technology and update their subscriber’s SIM cards remotely. Participant’s operators willing to offer the technology will also earn from the transactions.
“With an affordable one-time payment and lifetime service, FIX Network stands as a great competitor to cold wallet products,” Mr. Ifergan added.
For more information about FIX Network, please visit https://fix.network/


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BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Pledges by college students to eschew drugs and alcohol are old hat. Now they're meditating, working out, practicing yoga, eating healthfully, and at least one school, the University of Vermont, it has become a bona fide lifestyle.In UVM's Wellness Environment, known as WE, students live in a new, big substance-free dorm, take a required class in what affects the health of their brains and bodies, and are given incentives to stay healthy like access to a free gym membership, nutrition and fitness coaches and an app that tracks their activities."We created an environment where we believe if we offer young people healthy foods, healthy choices, they'll make them.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
JANUARY 25, 2013
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
2013 - HEALTHY NOURISHED BODY, LLC
2013 - WELL NOURISHED BODY, LLC
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How much can we trust those who Claim to Protect us!
Not so recently, the Italian security company, “The Hacking Team” which develops and sells surveillance software to government agencies and private companies around the world was hacked and there was a huge data breach that exposed their customers, emails and other critical data. It is been exposed that the company had also built in “backdoors” in its products that they can use to spy on the agencies and companies.
And it has come to light that Adobe’s Flash had a big security hole that the company was not aware of but “The Hacking Team” knew and may well have been used by the company. Now that all of this is in the public domain, not only has “The Hacking Team” advised its customers to stop using its products but also companies like Adobe are fixing the holes in their software that was used by this company. This brings into focus the question, “How can we trust a security company that aims to protect us from hackers”.
Is the open source way the only way to ensure that a software does what it claims to be. Are proprietary closed software now vulnerable and can be exploited by these security companies. Very recently, a software company that develops and markets operating systems was found to have installed snooping updates to its latest OS as well as older versions. According to rumors from the “Dark Web”, another security company much bigger than “The Hacking Team” has faced a similar but bigger hack.
And the data that was exposed in these hacks were also personal information and pictures of employees and their family. Which begs the question; if these high profile, reputed security companies cannot protect themselves, how can they protect the rest of us.
Source: Google Image Search


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Apple spoiling for trial on e-book pricing
- Cromwell Schubarth, Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal
Apple Inc. lawyers told a federal judge Wednesday that the company is looking forward to a trial over charges that it colluded to raise prices on e-books.
"Our basic view is that we would like the case to be decided on the merits," Reuters reported that Daniel Floyd, a lawyer for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), told Judge Denise Cote. "We believe that this is not an appropriate case against us and we would like to validate that."
Two of the publishers that Apple is alleged to have conspired with — Macmillan and Pearson Plc's Penguin Group — took similar positions earlier this week.
Cote scheduled a hearing on the matter for June 22.
Government lawyers said Apple and publishers colluded to raise prices in early 2010 when the iPad was introduced.
Before then, Apple argues that Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. had a virtual monopoly on e-books and the higher prices were the result of publishers finally having a strong alternative marketplace.
Three publishers, however, have said they will settle federal charges rather than fight. They are News Corp.'s HarperCollins Publishers Inc., CBS Corp.'s Simon & Schuster Inc. and Lagardere SCA's Hachette Book Group.
They have said they will allow Amazon to set lower prices for their books once again.
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Samsung has decided to withdraw a patent claim from its legal tussle with Apple before the U.S. International Trade Commission, according to a report.
The company on Friday filed a motion with the U.S. ITC requesting the removal of U.S. Patent No. 6,897,843, describing a "device and method for storing and reproducing digital audio data in a mobile terminal," from its case with Apple, FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller is reporting. According to Mueller, the withdrawal now leaves four patents at play in the hearing with Apple.
Apple and Samsung have been waging a … Read more


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Promoted by Confindustria Ceramica in cooperation with BolognaFiere and organized by Edi.Cer SpA and Promos, Cersaie annually attracts more than 83,000 international attendees. With nearly 1,000 exhibitors, it is a platform for design-driven products and state-of-the-art architectural solutions.
Last year’s event featured product displays from exhibitors who hailed from 31 countries. Tile manufacturers comprised approximately 172,480 square feet of internal exhibition area, with ceramic product, equipment and installation companies occupying approximately 15,239 square feet of the available outdoor exhibition space.
Highlights of this year’s “Building, Dwelling, Thinking” conference program include: a keynote speech by 2011 Pritzker Prize winner Eduardo Souto de Moura on Friday, September 28, a talk on “Design Goes Sci-Fi” with American science fiction writer Bruce Sterling and Italian designer Cini Boeri on Tuesday, September 25, and a presentation by Heike Hanada on her design for the new Bauhaus Museum in Weimar on September 27.
Some of the trends expected at this year’s show include monolithic porcelain slabs and self-laying floors, bold geometric patterns, textured tiles inspired by terra-cotta, wood, concrete and stone, and three-dimensional ceramic wall tiles in a monochromatic color palette. In terms of designer collaborations, Italian tile manufacturer Ricchetti will introduce its second tile collection with fashion icon Roberto Cavalli, Refin will launch a new collection called “Frame” with graphic design firm FM Studio, and Mosaico+ will unveil a new 4-mm-thick mosaic with artist Carlo Dal Bianco.
In addition to a large contingency of Italian tile manufacturers, it is expected that 152 Tile of Spain-branded manufacturers will also be exhibiting at Cersaie 2012.
This year marks the 30th edition of Cersaie — the annual International Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings Exhibition in Bologna, Italy — that will take place from September 25 to 29, 2012.
A glimpse at Cersaie 2012: SEE SLIDESHOW


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Aeropostale targets India for online growth
July 7, 2015 03:03 PM
Details still are forthcoming, but beginning next year clothing retailer Aeropostale Inc. plans to launch an e-commerce site in India.
Aeropostale’s new licensing agreement with Arvind Lifestyle Brands Ltd., a subsidiary of Arvind Ltd., a large Indian textile manufacturer and retailer, calls for the two companies to launch an e-commerce site in India under the Aeropostale brand. The companies also would open up to 50 Aeropostale stores and 150 shop-in-shop stores across India over the next five years.
Under another licensing arrangement, Aeropostale, No. 150 in the Internet Retailer 2015 Top 500 Guide, also will work with Pt Mitra Adiperkasa, an Indonesian retailing company with more than 1,800 stores across Asia, to open up to 12 Aeropostale stores in Indonesia by 2020. The first store opening will be in Jakarta in the fall of 2016, but Aeropostale didn’t say if the licensing arrangement included e-commerce.
“We anticipate ending the year with over 300 locations across 17 countries,” Aeropostale CEO Julian R. Geiger says. “Our aggressive international growth underscores the strength and recognition of the Aeropostale brand.”
Aeropostale didn’t disclose specifics about the launch of its e-commerce operation in India. But India represents a growing e-commerce market with estimated web sales that grew 112% to $3.40 billion in 2014 from $1.60 billion in 2013, according to Forrester Research. By 2019 e-commerce sales could reach an estimated $19.1 billion while the number of online shoppers may grow over the next five years to a projected 124.6 million in 2019 from 35.9 million in 2014.
“We anticipate that India's online retail spending will increase at a compound annual growth rate of more than 51% over the next five years as more Indian consumers start purchasing online, especially via mobile devices,” Forrester research analyst Satish Meena wrote in a recent report.
Aeropostale looks to grow online overseas through new licensing arrangements as it tries to shore up its sagging financial performance.
Aeropostale stopped breaking out e-commerce as a separate metric, but even with its online results grouped into its comparable store sales the retailer saw a big drop in revenue for the first quarter.
For the first quarter ended May 2:
- Total revenue dropped 19.5% to $318.6 million from $395.9 million in the first quarter of 2014.
- Comparable-store sales, which include e-commerce, declined 11%.
- Net loss was $45.3 million compared with a net loss of $76.8 million in the first quarter of 2014.


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Rogers sets Canada iPhone prices, customers complain
By Susan Taylor and Wojtek Dabrowski
OTTAWA/TORONTO (Reuters) - Rogers Communications Inc, owner of Canada's biggest wireless carrier, announced pricing plans on Friday for Apple Inc's 3G iPhone, prompting an outcry about prices from angry customers.
The sleek, multimedia device will hit Canadian stores on July 11. But soon after Rogers unveiled its plans, a protest website began collecting signatures and comments that its creators plan to send to the company on the day of the launch.
"This plan is a joke compared to other countries," wrote one complainer, while another wrote: "What a rip off!!!"
Canadians have long bemoaned high cost of wireless service compared to those in the United States, and many blame lack of competition in a relatively thinly populated country that stretches across six time zones.
Aside from Rogers, only Telus Corp and BCE Inc are national carriers, and Rogers is the only one of the three with the GSM wireless technology that the iPhone uses.
Rogers and its Fido wireless unit said they were offering voice and data plans ranging in price from C$60 ($59) to C$115 ($114) a month for the iPhone, a price that includes unlimited Wi-Fi access at Rogers and Fido hotspots.
The top-end C$115 plan will buy 800 weekday minutes for voice calling and unlimited time at evenings and weekends.
It will allow users to send 300 text messages and have 2 gigabytes of data usage -- something that Rogers says is enough for about 1 million text e-mails, or 16,000 Web pages, or 7,000 photo attachments. Continued...


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James Qian isn’t afraid of jumping on planes, trains and automobiles to meet his clients face to face, wherever in the world they may be located. “Two to three times a year I fly from China to Chicago, before connecting to a shorter flight to Minneapolis.
Then I drive for an hour without seeing another car to visit a client in remote Minnesota,” the President of Suzhou Etron Technologies Co Ltd (Etron) says from his base just outside of Shanghai.
As experts in electronics manufacturing services for markets such as health, IT and telecommunications, industry and automotive, Etron’s clients include global names such as Dewalt, Stanley Black & Decker and Polaris, as well as many lesser known, but just as important, companies.
“Every year, I make sure I take time to meet key customers and suppliers in person,” he continues. “Face-to-face meetings are crucial as it allows our clients to understand what we are up to in the company.”
While COVID-19 travel restrictions has put these in-person meetings on hold for the foreseeable future, the importance of the personal relationships James has cultivated across his career have recently come to the fore as global demand for capacitors, resistors and other crucial parts outstrip the pace of manufacture.
“The industry is facing a shortage of almost 50 different electronic components,” he explains. “But the support we are receiving from our manufacturers and distributors has put us in a much better position than our competitors as we face this.”
A physics graduate from Nanjing University, one of China’s premier tertiary institutions, James joined the company as General Manager in 2004 and oversaw a significant increase in revenue and profitability before becoming President in 2011.
In 2017, he led Etron through another important change as it shifted from private to public holding when it was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Today, as he guides the business towards its objective of becoming a global leader in high-mix low-volume (HMLV) manufacturing, James has his sights set on another fundamental transformation, this time led by technology.
“The world is changing and the older industrial-style generation is facing the challenge of digitalisation,” he explains. “Upgrading our operating systems is my main area of focus.” James adds that he first appointed a member of his team to manage the project in late 2018, but the very nature of the HMLV industry means that it’s a transition that requires much patience.
“At this very moment, I have approximately 260 customers for around 5,000 different kinds of products, which require about 50,000 various materials,” he says.
What’s more, it’s not uncommon for customers to change their initial order – a request that may seem simple on the surface but becomes increasingly complex when James and his team have sourced the necessary components from dozens of suppliers located across the four corners of the globe. “We buy 90% of our material from abroad,” he says.
Managing customer requirements and the transmission of this information to his suppliers, James adds, is one of his biggest challenges in the role. “If our business simply involved receiving and fulfilling an order, if would be quite easy,” he smiles.
At this very moment, I have approximately 260 customers for around 5,000 different kinds of products, which require about 50,000 various materials.
“Of course, we always make the customer happy and deliver on time. The problem, however, is at what cost in terms of our inventory and P&L.” This is an issue that has not only proved an IT challenge, but also a “management challenge,” James says.
Revised order processes, “which are more transparent and logical”, are helping to ease the pressure, as are the new digital solutions being implemented. “The communication with customers and suppliers has been sped up,” he continues.
Looking forward, he hopes that these investments, coupled with Etron’s existing dedication to servicing its customers, will help drive his goal of revenue growth: the target he has set is RMB10 billion (US$1.55 billion). From his Suzhou offices, it looks like James couldn’t be better positioned to achieve his ambition.
“As demand for electronic devices grow, I see Chinese electronic components manufacturers becoming the world leaders in the next five years,” he predicts.
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Paradox Interactive has released a launch trailer and some screenshots for its latest grand strategy game, Europa Universalis IV. It's been five years since the third installment in the series, and Paradox has definitely improved on the formula since then. The company's last release, Crusader Kings II, is by far the best-looking game they have put out and they plan on improving beyond that.
Paradox also released a developer diary that discusses how they are remaking the map feel more organic. They want the territories to be more accurate to historical and geographical borders.
|2:03 PM on 06.12.2013|
Europa Universalis IV arrives August 13
After spending two whole days playing Europa Universalis IV in Stockholm last month, Paradox's flagship grand strategy title has become one of my most anticipated upcoming games. The Swedish studio recently announced a ...more
|3:00 PM on 05.31.2013|
Europa Universalis IV: Rule, Britannia!
Paradox Development Studios' grand strategy titles are not known for their multiplayer, but the Swedish developer is working hard to change this. Way back in cold January, I had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours with...more
|5:45 PM on 04.25.2013|
Europa Universalis wants your love
With Europa Universalis IV -- which is looking pretty groovy so far -- launching in Q3 of this year, Paradox Interactive are sending out a call to arms to fans of the series. Now, before you grab a pike or a musket (I know y...more
|3:00 PM on 02.14.2013|
Europa Universalis IV: The betrayal of Venice
A wee while ago, I was struggling through blizzards raging across Iceland to cover the Paradox Convention in Reykjavik, hence all the previews I've been drip feeding you over the last week or so. The greatest struggle didn't ...more
|6:30 PM on 11.07.2012|
Preview: Europa Universalis IV
If any grand strategy title is going to make me feel like a Machiavellian genius one minute, and a gibbering idiot who couldn't take care of a bank account -- let alone the economy of an entire nation -- the next, i...more
|4:00 PM on 08.11.2012|
Paradox: Past, present, and future
The Paradox Development Studio has been keeping me ruling over peasants, fighting holy wars, and forging empires for over a decade. Their latest game, Crusader Kings II, was recently on Metacritic's "best games of 2012 s...more
|2:00 PM on 06.17.2013|
Tiny Barbarian DX is a retro soundtrack that you must own
Our top pick for this month's issue of Note Worthy is the NES-flavored soundtrack for Tiny Barbarian DX, composed by Jeff Ball. There's a variety of styles presented, but all of it is super catchy and melodic, and fans of ret...more
|7:00 PM on 06.16.2013|
I ran around and then died at E3
This was a historic year at E3. The 8th gen console wars have officially started, independent developers are infecting Sony like a disease that makes you feel awesome, the Xbone caught more heat than a Alabama volcano in the...more
|4:45 PM on 06.14.2013|
Tower of Guns? More like Tower of Funs!
I really like rogue-likes. There's something about their uncaring difficulty that appeals to the "HxC" gamer in me. With this in mind I got super-excited to check out Tower of Guns. The game's creator Joe Mirabello described...more


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CRA Innovation & Technology Explored – Canada
Toronto, Ontario — COVID-19 has accelerated the industry’s adoption of improved online repair and digital payment infrastructure, according to the results of a recent Collision Repair survey.
Nearly 50 percent of respondents said their business has implemented improved online repair updates and improve digital payment infrastructure since the outset of the coronavirus outbreak, while zero percent said they would consider phasing out the new services following the pandemic.
Services implemented include improved online estimation systems and digital payment options—from integrated systems to PayPal and E-Transfer—as facilities face the challenge of catering to the customer amid social distancing protocols from the federal government.
Since virus protocols were introduced in mid-March, questions have been raised on exactly which accommodated services could stick around.
While zero percent plan to abandon their improved online infrastructure, 57.8 percent of businesses have implemented vehicle home pick-up and drop-off procedures to accommodate customers. After the pandemic passes, 80 percent said they will continue offer the service.
CARSTAR Brampton is one of the many facilities that has implemented a contactless drop-off procedure. The facility is using the ProgiPhoto system for estimating and has “a hope and a dream” to keep offering the service after COVID-19.
“We’ve been discussing the opportunities there,” owner Frank Sotille told Collision Repair. “The customer could drop off their car, snap some photos with the Progi system and drop off their car without any staff at the shop. That’s a hope and a dream away, but it may be something we continue to use in the future.”
Credit to CollisionRepairmag.


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Singhvi Dev & Unni LLP acted as the sole financial advisor for the transaction representing Hi Fabrique Group to ensure seamless closure of the transaction involving multiple geographies.
The Monti group was established in Italy in 1911 and is currently the finest manufacturer of processed luxury and high value cotton fabric in the world. “It has a customer base of more than 1,500 customers with a long-standing customer relationship,” informed the company in a release.
The Tessitura Monti Italy group is made up of five brands with five textile production plants and three garment manufacturing ones. International brands like Hugo Boss, Charles Tyrwhitt, Polo Ralph Lauren, Hackett, Prada, Gucci, Thomas Pink, Tailor man and Café Coton etc., are customers of Tessitura Monti India.
Tessitura Monti India Pvt. Ltd. (TMIPL) installed a facility in India at Kolhapur, Maharashtra. “With a complete hold on the trends in local production as well as in global markets, a goal was set to provide very high premium yarn-dyed fabrics to cover the demand for fine shirting fabric. With over 900 employees the facility covers an area of 20,000 square meters. The state of art facility was set up mainly for exports, but also supplied locally. The Kolhapur unit supplies 20 percent of its production to domestic markets which, in turn, is being used by brands like Blackberry, Zodiac, Raymond's, Louis Phillipe, Van Heusen, Nautica, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger etc. The employees in the unit are trained by their Italian counterparts and hence the legacy and expertise of a hundred years is well reflected at every step of production,” the company said.
It added: “HF commands significant market share in the high-value yarn-dyed shirting fabrics market in India and the same management will help build Monti India's brand across the globe, also making it profitable.”
Started in 1993 by Jodhraj to cater to garment exporters in Bangalore, HF Group is India’s largest stockist of 100% premium cotton shirting ready fabric. Other than India, HF sources its products from Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, China and Vietnam. “Pre-Covid 19, HF was consistently selling over 6 million meters of high value yarn dyed shirting fabrics in India and neighboring countries. It caters to 500+ high end brands like Louis Phillipe, Van Heusen, Blackberry, Park Avenue, Siyaram, Peter England, US Polo, Arrow, Basics, Pan America, Turtle, French Crown, Hamer cop, Amazon, Myntra, Lifestyle etc., also, with a presence in over 3500+ over-the-counter stores across the country such as Pothys Chennai, Kalyan group Trichur, Jai hind Group Pune, J S Mohammed Ali Kolkata, Diwan Saheb, Heritage, Studio Firang Delhi, Benzer, Kachin’s, Gabbana Mumbai, P N Rao, Prestige Bangalore etc,” the company release stated.
Jodhraj, the Chairman of Tessitura Monti,said “This exciting move represents a significant step forward for our company, as we expand our offerings and strengthen our position in the textile industry. With this acquisition, we will be able to leverage the strengths of both companies to create a more robust and diversified product portfolio. By combining our expertise, resources, and talent, we will be better positioned to meet the evolving needs of our customers and deliver innovative solutions that exceed their expectations.”
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