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As the Holy Month of Ramadhan fast approaches, traders at the historical Mackinnon Market famously known as Marikiti are gearing up for the Islamic fete, with hopes of increased business, amid a sluggish trading environment.
Ramadhan is the Ninth Month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide, as a period of fasting, prayer, reflection, generosity, and devotion.
Ramadhan typically lasts for 29 or 30 days, it is expected to begin in early March depending on the sighting of the moon.
It is one of the five pillars of Islam and is marked by abstaining from food, drink, and other physical needs from dawn until sunset.
The Marikiti Market Traders Association Secretary, Mahmoud Abdallah, said despite a slower start this year, traders at the Market remain optimistic about the upcoming Ramadhan season.
“In comparison to the past months before the Holy Month, we had customers at a time like this inquiring about specific goods and prices. This year, they have not started inquiring or purchasing the commodities,” said Abdallah.
He added that they import a lot of merchandise from India, Iran, and Tanzania, which are usually in high demand during the Ramadhan period.
Preparations are underway as most traders have already placed orders for Ramadhan goods, expecting them to arrive within the next 15 days.
Ramadhan is a profitable period for traders, the Secretary said small businesses that normally make a profit of Sh1,000 in a day in the month make more than Sh3,000.
Trading hours are extended in Ramadhan, with shops open from 7 am to 7 pm on weekdays, compared to the usual closing time of 5 pm. Additionally, the Market, a national monument, remains open on weekends, unlike normal months, when it closes on Sundays at 2 pm.
To ensure the safety of traders and customers, the leadership of the Market is working closely with the County Security Team, to deploy Police Officers to patrol and its vicinities.
The County Government have installed Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, for surveillance.
The traders welcomed Old-Town MCA Abdirahman Hussein’s move to provide drinking water and his intervention in ensuring accrued stall rates are waived by the devolved government.
“We had arrears of almost Sh6 million owed, but now it’s down to Sh 1.5 million,” the Secretary remarked, highlighting the MCA’s efforts in reducing debt burdens.
The Chairman of the Market Association, Muhammad Ali, encouraged members of the Muslim community, to demonstrate self-control, modesty, and wholehearted devotion to Allah, throughout the sacred Month.
By Mauta Jackie and Abdulrahman Allui


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Released just four days before the end of the year, the UK “Travel Trends 2016” report by ABTA (formerly the Association of British Travel Agents) is, for U.S. travel suppliers and receptive tour operators, a mostly encouraging portrait of the tour and travel industry landscape for the coming year. Even the downside to the report on travel by UK residents for the coming year might benefit the USA: that is, there is some concern over safety and security in the wake of terrorist attacks and activity in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, which just might make some British travelers seek out the United States, which is still perceived as a safe destination.
Poring through the 26-page “Trends,” we found very little that was discouraging, in fact, with the possible exception that slightly fewer Brits plan to travel at all in 2016, but this seems to have more to do with domestic travel in the UK than it does for travel abroad. Following are the key points that we culled from the report.
—During the summer travel period (July 2015 to September 2015), UK residents’ visits abroad rose by 9 percent compared with the corresponding period a year earlier and they spent percent more during this period.
—The most popular overseas destinations in 2015 for British holidaymakers were: Spain, France, the USA, Italy, Portugal, Greece, The Netherlands, Turkey, Ireland and Belgium.
—ABTA research shows a particular increase in the number of overseas holidays of 7+ nights … from 1.2 in 2014 to 1.5 in 2015
—The average number of holidays taken per person increased slightly from 3.0 holidays in 2014 to 3.2 holidays this year.
—However, the number of people cutting back on holidays, or not taking a holiday at all also increased: the total number of people taking a holiday fell slightly from 80 percent in 2014 to 77 percent in 2015.
—The outlook for 2016 is cautiously positive; economic recovery seems set to continue and almost a quarter (23 percent) of the population are expecting to spend more on their holidays in 2016, up slightly from 20 percent who said the same this time last year, according to ABTA research.
—Long-haul holidays are no longer the preserve of the intrepid traveler. According to TUI UK, its Thomson and First Choice holidays have seen a 350 percent increase in long haul customers over the last ten years with an 800 percent increase in families taking long-haul holidays.
—Early indications from industry figures show the number of overseas holidays booked to date are up 9 percent year-on-year.
—A third (33 percent) of people aged 16-24 and 28 percent of people aged 25- 34 are planning to spend more on holidays in 2016.
—Almost one in five people (18 percent) say they will travel to a country they have never been to before in 2016, compared to 9 percent who said this last year.
—Nearly a quarter (23 percent) says they will try a new resort or city (even if they have visited the country before) compared to 10 percent who said this at the end of 2014.
—All-inclusives also look to cement a strong position, with one in five people (20 percent) saying they may take an all-inclusive holiday in 2016
—ABTA Members have reported an increase in people seeking bespoke or tailor made holidays and 6 percent of people are planning to take a tailor made tour or holiday in 2016. This type of holiday is most popular with people aged 25-34 and over 65.
—The younger generation that is driving a trend towards more active holidays. Sixteen percent of 16-24 year olds and 13 percent of 25-34 year olds plan to take an activity or sporting holiday in 2016.
—Data from the research firm GfK reveals a 5 five percent increase in family bookings

domain: news


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In this special edition of its 5 Things series, Food Management highlights five recent technology-related developments affecting the foodservice world.
Here’s your list for today:
- Amazon One rolls out to Whole Foods stores across California
Amazon has stepped up its rollout of the Amazon One palm-recognition payment system to more than 65 Whole Foods Market stores across California, the first broad rollout of Amazon One at Whole Foods stores after launches in Seattle, Austin, New York City and Los Angeles. Amazon One adds to the company’s Just Walk Out cashier-less technology pioneered at Amazon Go convenience stores and, more recently, deployed at Amazon Fresh supermarkets. Amazon One payment will also debut as an option at the new Just Walk Out retail outlets slated to open at the Kyle Field football stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University this fall, with kiosks to enable individuals to sign up for an Amazon One account located just outside the stores.
- Why colleges tend to be early robot adopters
Companies are moving swiftly to roll their robots out in a quest for early market share and limited investor dollars in a food robotics market estimated to grow from $1.9 billion in 2020 to $4 billion by 2026, and colleges and universities have come to play an unexpectedly important role as early adopters. Colleges are the perfect test bed for robots because students tend to live well within a 30-minute radius, campuses are well structured, and administrations are able to approve rollouts that would often take many layers of bureaucratic wrangling at a municipal level.
Read more: Why do college kids get all the cool robots?
- University of Findlay adds 24/7 Simply to Go station, delivery robots
Henderson Dining Hall, the primary dining location at University of Findlay (UF) in Ohio, is adding an updated build-your-own burger station, international cuisine and a 24/7 Simply To Go station, showing how cutting edge automation is spreading to even smaller colleges and universities. This fall, UF students will be able to use the "Everyday" app on their phones and other devices to get their favorites delivered to them from one of 15 "kiwibot" sidewalk-faring autonomous vehicles similar to those that have been used for several years at nearby Bowling Green State University.
- Drones deliver Big Mac, fries and mail in Indiana
History was made recently in Lawrence, Ind. after a McDonald’s Big Mac and French fries were delivered by drone to tech company Schneider Geospatial while the United States Postal Service made its first traditional delivery to a smart mailbox designed by package security firm Dronedek. Deliveries to Dronedek’s app-controlled mailboxes can be kept hot or cold and users will be alerted when a parcel is delivered. The mailboxes can recharge drones and serve as an emergency alert that can be activated in cases of crime, fire and health crises.
- Robot bartender can make small talk as well as drinks
Researchers at University of Naples Federico II in Italy have recently developed a new interactive bartending robotic system called BRILLO that not only makes drinks but is designed to engage with customers in a personalized way, providing unique recommendations based on their preferences and processing both their verbal and non-verbal cues. In addition, the robot creates user profiles that allow it to adapt its topics of conversation for regular customers, for instance remembering their interests and whether they prefer to engage in serious or funny conversations.
Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]


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The Food and Beverage sector facilitates Greek extroversion
While the coronavirus pandemic is causing serious revenue losses in business sectors such as tourism and leisure services; the food and beverage industry leads extroversion activities and financially supports the country. In fact, export data show that the food and beverage sector is one of the few sectors that grew within the first 9 months of 2020. Specifically, according to the data provided by the Exporters Association of Northern Greece, food exports increased in the first nine months of 2020 by € 406,3 million (i.e. 11,5%) reaching € 3.931,9 million, with drinks and tobacco reaching € 46,5 million (i.e. 8,3%) and fats and oils € 110,6 million (i.e. 37,8%).The fact that 75% of food exports are absorbed by the European market, indicates that there are also significant growth opportunities in non-EU countries and areas.With these data, Greek companies aim within 2021 to further increase Greek extroversion by producing innovative goods of high added value.
According to EXPOTROF’s 2020 three awards winner for the pistachio of Aegina and his delicious proposals (Gold Award in the category “Best Dry Food 2020”, Gold Award in the category Best New Product 2020 for the “Peanut-free cream”, Bronze Award in the category Best New Product 2020 for ¨Pistachio Cream with sugar”), Mr. Koukoulis Alexandros, stated that through EXPOTROF he managed to expand his business by creating wholesale and online sale channels (www.aiakeion.gr).Through such stratigic moves Mr Koukoulis, expanded his 60 year retail store to an online store and invested to meet wholesale needs, exhibiting adaptability and evolution in order to withstand competition and the effects of the pandemic.2021 company’s goal is to empower the innovative initiatives, in order to gain further recognition of this particular local product on a National and Global scale. This is only one of the reasons for participating in the new digital exhibition “The DeliFair by EXPOTROF”.
With focus on innovation, the new digital exhibition “The DeliFair by EXPOTROF” aims to substantially contribute to the development of the Greek extroversion with an organized plan to promote the Greek and Mediterranean diet products, by connecting the industry with tourism.
The digital exhibition “TheDeliFair by EXPOTROF” through the specially designed platform www.thedelifair.gr, gives Greek producers the opportunity to hold B2B meetings with buyers from major brands and food market companies such as wholesalers and Super Markets in both the national and international market.
In addition, “TheDeliFair by EXPOTROF”, with the experience of 7 successful events of EXPOTROF is the top choice for Greek producers who aim to promote their products through organized live presentations, to create sales opportunities through One to One Online communication plans and by sending samples to industry professionals. Moreover through the exhibition they get informed about the latest trends, through workshops and educational webinars.


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Colliers has brokered a total of $255 million worth of properties on behalf of Westfield in recent months.
The most recent was the $81.7 million sale of the Westfield Pakuranga mall in Auckland’s eastern suburbs.
It follows the sale of Shore City in Takapuna to Aviva Investors Asia Pacific Property Fund for $83.5m in June, and the Downtown Shopping Centre which was sold for $90m to Precinct Properties in September.
Westfield first entered into the New Zealand market in 1997 after purchasing the St Lukes Group portfolio.
Before its most recent sales, Westfield had an interest in 10 shopping centres valued at around $2.6 bilion with more than 1400 retail outlets over 377,000m2.
The company is committed to developing its Newmarket, Auckland property.
This article is tagged with the following keywords. Find out more about MyNBR Tags
- Sky shares tank on subscriber warning
- Clinton shows she has bite in social media scrap with Trump
- Zespri ordered to reconsider collaborative marketing proposals
- What's going on with NZ's private equity and venture capital scene?
- Has Uber snookered itself? Air NZ executives cash in, National’s double-edged sword
Most listened to
- NZVCA executive director Colin McKinnon on the deals and divestments of 2015
- Lee Buchheit of US law firm Cleary Gottlieb explains why the crisis in the eurozone may not be over yet
- BNZ CEO Anthony Healy on his bank's falling margins, dairy woes and the mortgage market
- Toulouse School of Economics professor Thomas-Olivier Leautier says electricity retailing would be more profitable if retailers offered real-time pricing but few do
- David Seymour says the government is hypocritical to believe EVs are next big thing but also need help


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solar power, without all those panels
Today, the main way for families to take advantage of solar energy is by adding roofs or bulky panels mounted on the ground.
However, the company is now offering alternatives to these fixtures in a less obvious form, with wooden tiles, tiles and other building materials, in which photovoltaic cells are sealed.
\"The new materials are part of the building itself, not the additional materials, and they push PV to a new level --
It\'s an aesthetic, \"said Alfonso Velosa III, research director at Gartner and co -.
The author of an upcoming report on the market in this new area, called building-
The company is making solar tiles and wooden tiles that are suitable in color and shape, for example, the popular terracotta tile roof in the Southwest, or the gray wooden tiles in the coastal salt box hut.
Martin R. says the Philadelphia ad srs Energy is making curved solar roof tiles designed to blend with traditional clay tiles in Southern California
Low, CEO of SRS.
He estimates that a solar tile system that meets half of the power needs of a typical California home will take about $20,000 to install after a tax refund, or 10 to 20% more power than the solar panel does. AdvertisementU. S.
Ceramic tiles in Corona, California
Steve Gast said clay tile makers will sell SRS\'s Sol é Power tiles, initially in California, and then the president of the company in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and other states
He said it may accept orders as early as November for shipment on January.
SRS Energy purchased photovoltaic cells covering the roof from the manufacturer of flexible solar modules in Rochester Mountain, Michigan, United Solar Ovonic.
J. says SRS connects silicon batteries to curved Solé tiles made of the same basic material as the car bumperD.
Albert, engineering director, SRS.
The batteries have been installed at several demonstration sites, including a home in Bermuda Dunes, California.
Homeowner Bill Thomas, a roofing contractor who did not create a brand new roof with solar tiles, chose to insert them into his existing roof and replace the Terracotta Warriors of approximately 300 square feet;
The job took about four hours, he said.
The solar plug-in on the roof will generate about 2,400 KW hours of electricity a year, enough to pay for a quarter to a third quarter of a typical electricity bill.
Said Albert of SRS.
The global solar company in Ariz Tucson is producing a different kind of building roof and side solar material.
The atomization layer of the photovoltaic coating known as CIGS is deposited on the sheet.
\"We offer this film and other companies like Dow design it into a product,\" said Timothy Tich, vice president of sales and marketing . \".
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Crystal photovoltaic cells are the same type as in fixed panel installation and are used in ceramic tiles provided by Italian company System Photonics.
Stephen L said the cells were secured in place by a transparent plastic protective layer made by DuPont and protected against moisture.
DuPont global director of photovoltaic packaging business Clough.
There are 13 colors for tiles. Mr.
Velosa says it\'s built in.
In the United States, solar power generation has just started, and most of the devices are still in the experimental stage.
But it will change, he said, because \"we see that the construction industry has realized,
Efficient Building is an opportunity for growth.
\"Paul Markowitz, senior analyst at South omarkets L. C.
A research firm in Glen Allen, Virginia
Agree to the market for the building-
Integrated products look promising.
But he says it depends largely on when the construction industry and the real estate market will start to recover.
He said that from the cost and design point of view, the best time to install photovoltaic is during the construction of the building.
AdvertisementAkhil Sivanandan research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, a consulting firm in Madras, India, said the speed of government subsidies passed construction-
Integrated Photovoltaic in the United States, Europe already has.
\"You need government incentives,\" he said . \"
\"Even if prices fall and technology advances, the cost is still too high.
In France, Germany and other countries,
He said the integrated solar market is growing rapidly as subsidies and projects pay homeowners the electricity they generate and feed back to the grid.
\"In Europe, architecture --
In the solar market, integrated PV has accounted for about 3 to 4% of the share . \"
Sivanandan added that the incentives helped homeowners repay system costs in five to seven years.
But another quality is critical to the popularity of the building.
Sir, integrated solar cellsVelosa said.
\"Aesthetics is the key,\" he said . \"
\"They must look good. ”E-
Email: New York Timescom.
A version of this article was printed on page BU3 of The New York edition on September 27, 2009 with the title: No solar energy for all of these panels.
Order reprint | today\'s newspaper | subscribe we are interested in your feedback on this page.
Tell us what you think.


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A production spec 2020 Hyundai Creta was spotted testing on the outskirts of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, recently. The Creta has been an absolute hit for Hyundai in India and the model is due its generation update that is expected to debut at the 2020 Auto Expo. This is only the second generation of the Creta and this new model is based on the same platform as the Kia Seltos. The Kia Seltos is also its primary rival in the Indian market.
The 2020 Creta is larger than its predecessor and it will also come with BS-6 compliant engines. The second generation of the Creta has debuted in China and while the India-spec model will look largely similar, there will also be certain differences. For example, the honeycomb mesh grille seen on the China-spec model will be substituted with a slatted grille like we see in the Venue. The headlamp unit is completely new with a split headlight setup with LED DRLs and projector lamps. In profile, the 17-inch alloy wheels and the glass area look similar to the existing Creta. Moving on to the back, you can notice the split tail lamps that come with LED elements.
On the inside, the cabin in completely new as we have seen in the China-spec model. The dashboard gets a Tesla-like huge horizontal touchscreen infotainment system along with a digital driver’s display. There are minimal use of buttons. Just like the Seltos, the 2020 Creta will come loaded with features like BlueLink connected car tech, a panoramic sunroof, cruise control, climate control, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless phone charger, ventilated seats, powered front seats as well as keyless entry with push-button start.
Under the hood, the 2020 Hyundai Creta will be powered by 1.5 liter BS-6 petrol and diesel engines. The diesel engine develops 115bhp and 250Nm while the petrol engine puts out 115bhp and 144Nm. Both engines will most likely come with a 6-speed manual gearbox. As for the automatics, the diesel engine could be paired a 6-speed torque converter while the petrol variant could get a CVT like the Seltos.
In another spy image, the Creta was seen with dual-tone exhaust tips at the rear. Could this mean that Hyundai might introduce a turbo-petrol engine for the Creta juts like Kia has for the Seltos. We will have to wait for more information on this. The new model will be more expensive than the current Creta which starts from Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). When launched, the Creta will renew its rivalry with the Kia Seltos, MG Hector, Tata Harrier and Mahindra XUV500.


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A Colorado travel company will pay nearly $665,000 in refunds to several hundred Minnesota music students after their trip to Europe was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, under a settlement reached with Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Some 344 students in Minnesota signed up for an "Ambassadors of Music" tour to Europe last summer arranged by Voyageurs International of Wheat Ridge, Colo. But as the coronavirus spread abroad, the trip was canceled.
Students paid $6,345 each, while adults were charged $6,745 to cover airfare, lodging, meals, event and concert itineraries, guides, transportation and other fees in Europe. An additional $2,075 to $2,265 was charged some students and adults to cover an extended tour in Greece.
When the trip was called off, Voyageurs alerted customers that it would retain a $1,900 "cancellation fee" for every participant, according to court documents filed Friday in Ramsey County District Court.
"The company told consumers that the large cancellation fee was necessary because the company 'made payments for travel arrangements that [it would] not be able to recoup,' " court documents state.
After receiving dozens of complaints, Ellison's office launched an investigation into whether the company "fairly and truthfully" communicated with customers about cancellation fees.
John Flanders, an attorney representing Voyageurs International, had no comment on the settlement.
The complaints detailed how many of the students had worked to earn enough money for the trip, "only to be left holding the bag once their trips were canceled through no fault of their own," Ellison said in a news release.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on businesses and consumers alike — but that doesn't give businesses the right to treat consumers unfairly," Ellison said. "Minnesota students and their families paid hard-earned money for these travel packages."
All told, Voyageurs agreed to pay $664,835 to Minnesota consumers in the settlement.
The company also agreed to pay $464,000 in refunds to consumers, according to an agreement announced by the Washington state attorney general late last year. More than 11,000 consumers signed an online petition on change.org calling for a refund as well.
Voyageurs has been organizing yearly travel tours to Europe for high school music students and their parents since 1970, according to its website.
Janet Moore • 612-673-7752


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ABI Research forecasts that over 24 million new cars will be fitted with CarPlay by 2019, as Apple’s new in-car smartphone system will overtake MirrorLink, even though the adoption of MirrorLink will still be strong.
There is one alternative scenario, says ABI. Since Google’s newly announced Android Auto smartphone platform for the car will reach the market starting this year, and since it is an open source platform, it is possible “that the uptake of the Android Auto standard could be more aggressive that CarPlay,” said ABI analyst Filomena Berardi.
“…, love it or hate it, with Apple on the scene it certainly draws greater attention to in-car apps and now with the Android Auto standard on the scene both will certainly drive adoption of in-car apps,” she added.
The findings are part of ABI’s Automotive Infotainment Market Research.
Source: ABI Research


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Idea Cellular has launched a 3G capable dual SIM (GSM+GSM) Android handset ID – 918. The device is priced at Rs. 5,994 and is bundled with benefits worth Rs 2300/- in form of free minutes, 6GB data free Idea TV subscription. This is the third Android handset by Idea but the first ever dual SIM Android handset.
The device has been manufactured by Alcatel and post purchase service will be provided by Alcatel and not Idea. It comes with a 1 year warranty from the manufacturer. The launch appears to be in line with Idea’s stated approach to 3G, of encouraging adoption by launching low cost 3G devices.
Features and Specifications
- Google’s Android 2.3 Gingerbread
- 3G capable
- 2GB SD card
- 3.2 Megapixel camera on the back end
- 3.2-inch Capacitive (Multi Touch) screen,
- Micro SD support up to 32GB
- GPS Navigator software
- FM radio and MP3 Player
- Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, Social Media Apps
- Changable covers in black and white
Content and social network
The handset comes with data services worth Rs. 2300 with Rs. 259 Idea TV pack. The Idea TV pack offers free subscription to Idea TV for 3 months, 2 GB of data download per month for 3 months, and 10 minutes free every day for 90 days. However, this only a special introductory offer is available for both prepaid and postpaid users.
The device comes pre-loaded with social networking apps such as Twitter, Facebook, Orkut, and content apps such as YouTube apart from the Idea TV feature.
Though the device is based on Android operating system the device doesn’t come pre-loaded with Google Play — Android app store from where users can download third party apps. However, users can install Google play separately.
Idea has previously launched two other single SIM android devices — Blade and ID-280. Idea informed us that Idea has sold more than 100,000 devices of Blade and ID-280 as of May 2012. Idea currently has about 9 million 3G subscribers and has more than 25,000 sites setup mostly in tier II and tier III areas.


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(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Major retailers and hypermarkets in Dubai have been asked to report suppliers manipulating prices of essential commodities. The move is aimed at protecting customers from price increases during the holy month of Ramadan.
While prices of certain essential commodities are fixed in Dubai, a few retail outlets have been observed to increase prices over the last 15 days. According to an official at the Department of Economic Development (DED), one major hypermarket was found to increase the price of sugar by as much as 39 per cent.
"We noticed price differences in a few commodities like fresh milk, meat, sugar, fruits and vegetables," said Mohammed Ali Rashed Lootah, Deputy CEO, Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection Sector, DED.
In a meeting with officials from major hypermarkets in Dubai, the department addressed the issue of price change in essential commodities as it called on suppliers to avoid manipulating prices and price dumping.
"We have asked retail outlets to provide us information on suppliers who have forced price increases. This is a very serious issue and we will make every effort to protect the consumer," added Ali Lootah. The official cited examples of price changes as he said some suppliers had increased prices of products before Ramadan, and then announced discounts during the holy month. Prices of dairy products and meat products were also differentiated across major retail outlets.
"Hypermarkets will provide information about suppliers found to impose unapproved price increases. We will also continue to co-ordinate with various parties to ensure better transparency in prices," said the official.
Suppliers found to manipulate prices will be reported to the Ministry of Economy, which will take necessary action.


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Robots in the kitchen, sounds like a dream right? Well, 2018 brings the dawn of a new era in the foodservice industry, automation.
Automation, as defined by Techopedia, is the creation of technology and its application in order to control and monitor the production and delivery of various goods and services.
One particular area that’s booming for foodservice automation, is pizza.
Startups like Silicon Valley-based Zume Pizza was founded in 2015 with the idea of cutting out laborious work for its employees, allowing them to move into more creative roles. The pizza startup has a total of six robots in its line of production to alleviate repetitive work.
Up and coming pizza restaurants aren’t the only ones adding robots to their concepts. A Pizza Hut branch located in South Korea has introduced a robot waiter, Dilly Plate. The addition to the restaurant is an effort to lessen staff pressures.
This boom in pizza technology is not the end. According to Technavio, the market for robots in the foodservice industry will experience a 29% compound annual growth rate from 2015 through 2019.
However, it may pose a threat to restaurant employees. A 2017 report from Cornerstone Capital Group states, between 6 million and 7.5 million U.S. jobs are at risk “in the coming years” due to automation, but Zume Pizza CEO Alex Garden doesn’t see it that way.
“For the first time in 20 years, we have more job openings than jobless people. We have to solve that problem,” Garden said. “When we automate a dangerous, repetitive task, we don’t get rid of that person. We train them and promote them and allow them to do more meaningful work.”
To learn more about how automation is impacting pizza restaurants, be sure to watch the video above an read more at Forbes.


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By James Ratemo in Nairobi
Software maker Microsoft Corportaion has launched its latest version of the world’s most-used browser, Internet Explorer 9 in 40 languages around the world, including English, French and Portuguese for Africa.
Internet explorer 9 enters the fray already dotted by other browsers including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and earlier versions of Internet explorer.
“By reimagining the role of the browser, Microsoft has designed Internet Explorer 9 for a more immersive, more beautiful web experience that brings websites front and center. As a result, Internet Explorer is now faster, cleaner and more trusted than ever before,” reads a statement from Microsoft in part.
Designed to take full advantage of the power of your computer’s hardware through Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer 9 delivers dynamic experiences that are as fast and responsive as native applications installed on your computer.
Because the web is increasing less secure and even less private, Internet Explorer 9 is also designed to be the most trusted browser available. Internet Explorer 9 has a robust set of built-in security, privacy and reliability technologies that keep customers safer online.
“What people care about on the web is the site, not their browser,” said Kevin Connolly, Windows Business Group Manager, Microsoft West, East, Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands.
“With features like Pinning and JumpLists, Internet Explorer 9 makes it quick and easy to check your inbox, change the music station, accept a friend invitation or see breaking news directly from the Windows 7 taskbar, without even having to open the browser first.”
Partners from around the world, including more than 250 top websites from around the globe, are also using the capabilities of Internet Explorer†9 and Windows to deliver new experiences that reach more than a billion active internet users on the Web.
“Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Microsoft have a long history of bringing meaningful innovations to our customers. Today we celebrate with Microsoft the launch of IE9, a new milestone in enabling faster and more visually compelling web experiences,” said Tony Prophet, Senior Vice President of Operations, Personal Systems Group, HP. “IE9 is really a superior browser and we’re pleased to make it available on most of our consumer PCs.”
Internet Explorer 9 is now the most-downloaded browser beta of all time with over 40 million downloads since September 2010, but its roots can be traced all the way back to a web browser developed in 1987 called Mosaic, which was the first browser to use a graphical user interface.
Users can downloading Internet Explorer 9 here: http://www.beautyoftheweb.com


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What’s The Best Way To Defend Yourself? A Gun Or An Iphone.
This morning’s email feed from The Trace contained a link to an article in the online Forbes Magazine about the sale of a new iPhone case that looks like a gun. The article wasn’t particularly pos…
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King Turns a New Page
July 9, 2004
- The Sun Lowell, By Dan O'Brien (Sun Staff)
Lowell book maker makes mark in competitive
- As King Printing Company Inc. surpassed its 20th year
in business during the late 1990's, executives of the
high-tech book manufacturer saw a storm on the horizon.
"We could see that tech was in for tough times,"
recalled Thomas Campbell, King's senior vice president
of sales. "Tech companies were either being gobbled
up, or going out of business. We needed to look for
another way to generate revenue."
The company, which to that point had made its name by
publishing such items as annual reports and high-tech
textbooks and manuals, embarked on a new market: self-publishing.
This is the concept of working with an individual aspiring
writer who wishes to publish his or her own work.
"People can be surprised at what they can do,"
said campbell, who estimates King has worked with about
2,000 new authors over the past four years.
Indeed, the motto for King and ADI Books, the sister
operation that does the actual manufacturing, is "There's
a Book in You."
Campbell says that at King Printing, aspiring authors
can order as few as 100 books. A typical run is 2,500
and can take anywhere from two to 18 days.
"It could cost you as little as $300 total, just
put it on your credit card," Campbell said. "The
catch is, it's up to you to sell the books."
Some are better at that than others. Haverhill resident
Christopher J. Haraden published "Storm of the
Century," a memoir of the Blizzard of '78 that
sold some 10,000 copies. But Campbell says there are
others who insist on publishing several hundred copies
and find there simply isn't sufficient demand for them.
The result is a pile of unread books in their respective
"Some people can't bear the fact that their books
might not be interesting to a wide audience," Campbell
said. "But that doesn't mean they can't publish
on a smaller scale for self-enrichment."
Campbell says estimates of the size of of the so-called
"self-publishing" industry run anywhere from
$11 billion to $36 billion.
And where there is self-publishing, there is sure to
be "short-run" publishing. Short runs represent
as few as just a couple hundred copies of any given
title - exactly the market that King hopes to corner.
But it's competive. Jim Conway, CEO of Courier Courp.
in Chelmsford, estimates that the number of publishers
doubled, from 32,000 to 65,000, from 1990 to 2000. Similarly,
the number of titles being printed went from about 850,000
to almost 2 million. Thus, run lengths "have dropped
pretty markedly," Conway said.
"Publishers don't want to make the investment in
inventory," Conway explained, meaning they don't
want to be stuck printing more books than is in demand.
"But King, they're one of the small shops that
is better run. Whereas we would be considered short-
to medium-run, they're more like ultra-short."
Conway said publishing a book at Courier costs about
$1 to $1.50 a copy for a 300-page paperback, including
cover. He said it generally takes two to four weeks,
depending on the season. Right now, with publishers
getting ready for the fall academic season, non-shool
books may have to wait a bit longer.
Conway said short-run publishing makes up about 5 percent
of his company's annual revenues, which were $202 million
in the most recent fiscal year, and that topics "cover
Campbell says hot topics can change, but he has recently
noticed an interest in publishing self-help books. Religion
and travel-related topics have also been popular subjects
Privately held King doesn't disclose profits, although
Campbell said annual revenues are "not more than
15 million." But that's still way up from the $9
million cited in a Sun article on the company in 1995.
The company operates three shifts.
Campbell said King has lured prospective authors somewhat
by advertising at trade shows and magazines, but mostly
through "word of mouth."
"We offer end-to-end service here, from how many
books you should publish to what might make a good cover,"
Campbell said. "We do it quick and we offer a competitive
Because after all, he concluded, "Anybody can be
the next Jack Kerouac."
Dan O'Brien's email address is firstname.lastname@example.org.
Press Releases <


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Pharmacies in Bihar remained shut on Wednesday as the Bihar Chemist and Druggist Association (BCDA) 3-day statewide strike that began against alleged harassment and exploitation by drug inspectors in the wake of a state government directive that only trained and licensed pharmacists could operate drug stores in Bihar.
Around 35,000 retail and 20,000 wholesale chemist shops across state would remain shut for three days, the BCDA said.
Pharmacy and drugstore owners have alleged that inspectors from the government enforcement agencies harass them unnecessarily.
"Inspectors have asked for every chemist shop should have atleast one pharmacist. Our shops have been run for so long. Despite knowing that there are fewer pharmacists and everyone can not have one in their shops, the government is shutting our shops. It is harassing us," said a member of BCDA.
Rishi, a member of BCDA said, "According to my knowledge, there about 7,000 trained and licensed pharmacists in Bihar and most of them have government jobs so why would they open shops in a small town or village."
"We have called this strike against the harassment of drug department. This strike is for three days and if government does not meet our demands, we will hold indefinite strike and shut our wholesale and retail shops for an indefinite period," he said.
Meanwhile, people in the state are facing difficulties in procuring medicines.
Sanjay Kumar Madhav, a costumer said, "I need to buy medicines for my son, otherwise he will fall more ill and all shops are closed, what would I do now." (ANI)


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Door to Door Publishing, owned by Carol Davis and Jan Rasmussen, recently released A Door County Night Before Christmas. It’s a Door County twist on a traditional story.
Included in this new book are pictures of Cana Island Lighthouse, Hill 17, cherry trees, car ferry, Belgium pies, Eagle Tower and more.
“The response has been overwhelming! We had to wait until the book was physically in hand before marketing. Carol spent several hours going door to door the first week – before it was even advertised – and it was in over a dozen premium shops. We thank our retail partners who believe in our product,” said Rasmussen. For more information, call 920.559.0273, visit adoorcountynightbeforechristmas.com, or find A Door County Night Before Christmas on Facebook.


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New Delhi - India has large avenues of growth to sustain a GDP increase of 7-8% for two decades, unlike any other major economy, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Wednesday.
He said that obstructionist ideas and technology naysayers need to be “smashed” and quick decision making would help India stay on higher growth trajectory.
“One of the foremost efforts has been that you take quick decisions, you implement quick decisions, if some of them by hit and trial process turn out to be erroneous make the correction, you take the criticism in right spirit.
“And once you are able to do that, most decisions have proved us to be right. If you look at where we stand today, we are the only major economy in the world growing at 7-8 per cent,” Jaitley said.
He was speaking at the launch of a book ‘The Path Ahead' authored by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant.
Jaitley said India is perhaps the only large economy in the world which in the next 10-20 years, by 2030 and 2040, will have the ability to sustain 7-8% growth.
“Developed economies have very fewer avenues of growth. We still have very large avenues of growth. .... India's largest impact on the world over the next 2 decades will be on the strength of consumption,” he said.
The economy grew at 8.2% in the April-June quarter of current fiscal. It grew at 6.7% in 2017-18.
“...when you have a consumer base of this kind, your middle class will become larger than the population of any other country other than China. And therefore every investor is compelled to come to you, and are expected to put in money into the country,” he said.
The path ahead for India is to shun “obstructionists who had become so used to of India living in poverty”..
“Why must you have EVM, let's go back to paper, why must you have digitisation let's go back to cash currency, why must you have Aadhaar, let's have manual way of checkng. So the obsolete thinking in these areas need to not only defeated but smashed,” Jaitley added.


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Musk, the Tesla Motors chief, made Time's list of the world's 100 most influential people, and it is Branson, who also founded the Virgin Galactic space-exploration company, is feting Musk for his leadership of SpaceX. "His Tesla Motors and SolarCity companies are making a clean, renewable-energy future a reality," Branson writes in Time. "It's a paradox that Elon is working to improve our planet at the same time he's building spacecraft to help us leave it."
Earlier this month, Tesla said it just completed its first-ever profitable quarter. And in February, Musk said his company would pay back its $465 million loan from the US Department of Energy in five years, or half the time previously projected. Check out Branson's write up here.


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The intelligentsia are attacking homeschooling. This isn’t new, but the intensity of the attack is rising. Most recently, an article published this May in Harvard Magazine calls for an explicit ban on homeschooling due to supposed harms to the child.
At the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown, I stopped by my local gun shop to see how they were faring. As is typical during periods of unrest or political uncertainty, the shop was limiting the amount of ammo a patron could purchase


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Toyota City, Japan, Dec 23, 2019 – (JCN Newswire) – Toyota Motor Corporation and the MS&AD Insurance Group’s Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co., Ltd. jointly developed the Telematics(1) Damage Service System, a new accident response service that uses driving data acquired from connected cars(2) to enable visualization of driving conditions such as driving route and driving behavior at the time of an accident, and uses AI to achieve advance accident detection. The Service will be made available starting in March 2020 on Toyota and Lexus brand connected cars(3), with supported models to be expanded in stages.
Toyota and Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance will continue their efforts to achieve a safe and secure traffic environment for society through the use of data acquired from connected cars.
(1) Derived from the words “telecommunications” and “informatics,” “telematics” refers to systems that provide various types of information and services using vehicle onboard devices, such as navigation systems and GPS, and mobile communications systems.
(2) Vehicles equipped with onboard Data Communication Modules (DCM) that can acquire driving data.
(3) Toyota brand connected cars launched in June 2018 or later and all Lexus vehicles launched in September 2015 or later are eligible. Inquire with an Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance agent or Toyota dealer for details on eligible vehicles.
To know more visit https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/corporate/31088545.html
About Toyota Motor Corporation
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.
Copyright 2019 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com


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Customer experience is always top of mind, and with two major shows coming up in the next few weeks (NACS, kicking off Saturday, October 1st in Las Vegas, and ISSA, running October 10-13 in Chicago), the connection between how the cleanliness of an establishment impacts customer experience has come up a lot.
Among our convenience and retail clients, FeedbackNow is embedded into one of the largest travel stops in the US, where our feedback sensors and analyzed data help to optimize store operations and ensure their stores are kept up to the level of cleanliness their customers expect. Customers will go out of their way to stop at their location vs. a competitor’s because they know it’s clean.
Our clients often cite that the most important detail to a customer in any store is the cleanliness of the restrooms. This finding is echoed in an article from CStore Decisions. In the piece, a key quote is pulled from a familiar expert:
“ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association), a global cleaning industry association, found, according to multiple studies, customers value cleanliness more than many other factors when deciding to do business with an establishment.”
The article goes on to follow a successful US convenience store chain, who’s foray into freshly-prepared to-go items had them thinking hard about how the state of their restroom facilities will reflect the quality of their food services.
To learn more about FeedbackNow’s ability to boost operations at c-stores worldwide, check out our dedicated convenience and retail info page.


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Uganda Coffee Exports Climb to Six-Month High as Prices RiseFred Ojambo
Coffee exports from Uganda, Africa’s biggest robusta shipper, climbed to a six-month high in January as prices rose.
Shipments climbed 13 percent to 391,514 60-kilogram (132-pound) bags from 345,114 bags a year earlier, the state-run Uganda Coffee Development Authority said today by e-mail from the capital, Kampala. Robusta coffee for May delivery rose 7.6 percent in January on NYSE Liffe in London.
Uganda mainly ships beans to the European Union, the U.S., Sudan, Switzerland, India, Singapore and Russia. Robusta accounts for at least 70 percent of the country’s beans.
January’s shipments were the highest since July and surpassed an earlier forecast for 280,000 bags and December’s 257,976 bags, according to the authority. The beans fetched $38.88 million in January compared with $42.56 million a year earlier, it said.
Exports from Oct. 1 through January climbed to 1.12 million bags worth $113.79 million, from 990,715 bags valued at $125.49 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Uganda is Africa’s second-biggest coffee producer, after Ethiopia, and consumes about 3 percent of its annual crop, according to the African Fine Coffees Association.


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Bankers face grilling over delays
THE bosses of Britain's four main clearing banks were expected to come under fire from MPs today over the length of time it still takes to clear a cheque. The lack of progress on making it easier to move current accounts and the treatment of small business customers were also likely to be raised as the bosses faced a grilling by MPs on the Treasury select committee.
Chief executives Matt Barrett of Barclays, Bill Dalton of HSBC, Peter Ellwood of Lloyds TSB and Fred Goodwin of Royal Bank of Scotland were due to give evidence today.
Some members of the committee are unimpressed by the progress made by the banks in the two years since Don Cruickshank's report into the banking industry. MPs in particular want answers on why in the electronic age it still takes between three and five working days to clear cheques, standing orders and other payments. Other transactions are now routinely handled at the click of a computer mouse.
The banks' clearing house, the Association of Payment Clearing Services, claimed this month that the delay costs consumers only £20m in lost interest, but this appears to grossly understate the true cost. Cruickshank said APACS, BACS and other bank clearing systems were operating as a cartel and called for an independent regulator, Paycom, to protect consumers. That idea was dropped by the Government, which handed the job to the Office of Fair Trading.
Online bank Egg last month criticised the clearing system and said it was at the mercy of the 'clearing cycle monopoly'. MPs are also concerned about the lack of progress on introducing more competition into the current-accounts market. Since Cruickshank, the share of current accounts held by the big four has stayed roughly constant at near to 70%.
Customers still report that switching current account provider can take weeks and lead to costly mistakes when direct debits and standing orders are paid twice or not at all.
In her Treasury-commissioned report last year into account switching, DeAnne Julius recommended banks be given a five-day deadline to begin transferring accounts, with completion within five weeks rather than the average 12 weeks with a £50 payment to the customer for missed deadlines.
On small firms, the Government recently backed the Competition Commission conclusion that banks should pay interest on business current accounts or provide free banking.
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Sub my car
Cars are set to become a subscription good in 2018, with users eschewing ownership and paying a monthly fee – often covering insurance and maintenance – to drive a car for as long as they like, according to CB Insights. “This takes away the pain of having to sell your car – an asset with a value that begins to depreciate the minute you buy it – and eliminates the need for maze-like leasing contracts,” the research firm explains.
CB Insights points to Fair, a start-up able to boast the likes of BMW i Ventures among its backers, which claims to offer drivers a way to quickly get a car for a low, all-in, month-to-month payment, with the option to change vehicles at the drop of a hat.
“With Fair, you are not locked into your car any longer than you'd like to keep it,” the outfit say. “Whether you want to drive your Fair car for three months or six years, the choice is yours. Simply give us five days' notice when you are ready to return.”
Volvo recently rolled out a subscription-based service for its XC40 SUV, promising to make running a car ‘as easy as having a smartphone’. And Porsche has also launched a subscription service, including insurance, roadside assistance, plus a personal concierge who will look after each car.
“These programmes are bets that a business model can be built around the fact that many consumers don’t care about actually owning a car – they merely want to use it and have someone else handle the headaches,” says CB Insights.


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CHONGQING, China — GAC Motor, angling to become the first homegrown Chinese automaker to export light vehicles to the U.S., says it may have to ice those plans after President Donald Trump's threat to level tariffs on imported vehicles.
Li Shao, deputy general manager of parent company Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., said the decision hinges on whether tariffs make its vehicles too expensive to be competitive stateside.
Li noted that while the threatened tariffs are under study, "We believe the U.S. and Chinese leaders have the wisdom to deal with these conflicts."
But he acknowledged that enacting duties could derail GAC's plan to start selling its seven-passenger GS8 crossover in the U.S. in late 2019. GAC has begun recruiting American dealers.
"If they did increase the tariffs, it will have some effect on our plans," Li said through an interpreter last week on the sidelines of the Global Automotive Forum here in western China.
"It's still under discussion, so we will have to wait and see," Li said. "We have to investigate whether we would be competitive enough in the American market. If our price competitiveness were not enough after a tariff increase, maybe we would delay our plans."


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- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 05:27 06:45 12:12 15:10 17:32 18:51
A drug firm asked Indian officials for permission on Thursday to make cheaper generic copies of cancer drugs for export to poor countries in a case watched closely by global pharmaceutical giants.
Indian firm Natco Pharmaceuticals made the plea for the country's first so-called "compulsory license" to the patent office as it bids to make generic copies of Pfizer's Sutent and Roche's Tarceva cancer drugs.
"This is the first case in India. A compulsory license will allow companies like ours to manufacture and export drugs to least developing countries," said M Adinarayana, the secretary of Natco Pharmaceuticals, as the hearings began.
The global drugs patent system allows countries to make cheaper generic copies of patented drugs in certain situations, such as public health emergencies, under compulsory licenses.
Experts said Natco's request for permission to make and export copies of Sutent and Tarceva to Nepal tested those regulations, amid a wider debate about whether poor countries have enough access to key but often pricey medicines.
Tarceva was granted a patent in India in 2007 following a new patent law passed in 2005, which brought the world's largest maker of generic drugs in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) guidelines on intellectual property.
Compulsory licenses have been granted since 2005, but so far none have been issued in India, making Hyderabad-based Natco's plea a potentially landmark case.
Canada allowed a generic copy of a patented AIDS drugs to be exported to Rwanda in October. Thailand also issued domestic compulsory licenses last year, but was criticised over claims it was not responding to a public health emergency.
An Indian Patent Office official, who declined to be named, said the hearing had started over the Roche case and that the Pfizer case would be held Friday. He expected representatives from Roche and Pfizer to attend.
Roche or Pfizer did not immediately respond to a emailed requests for comment.
Many India activists have complained that the cost of patented drugs is too high and that provisions should be made to allow generic drugs to be supplied to the country's legion of poor.
"If compulsory licensing is not resorted to, 98 per cent of India's population will not be able to afford any of the patented drugs," said YK Sapru, the president of the non-profit Cancer Patients Aid Association.
But industry groups object that if Natco is granted a compulsory license for Nepal, then it could lead other firms to push for generic domestic sales of patented drugs.
Pharmaceutical giants often argue protecting patents are crucial to stimulating the research and development of new drugs. (AFP)
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clearly as I've mentioned, in the area of being a major supplier of labor and ability to develop software onshore and outsource with the U.S. and other countries. That's one aspect of being a player in this economy. But in terms of, you look at India with a population of around a billion people, you also take a look at what are people looking for in the digital economy. Well, they're looking for new digital markets. And in fact, India is very low in terms of measurement of percent of population on the Internet today, and things like that. And in fact, interestingly enough, while we were there at this meeting, some U.S. companies did ask the question. They said, well, why should we be concerned about India as offering us a digital market, because Internet penetration is so low? And the technology minister made some wonderful comments about changes in government regulation, deregulation really, of telecommunications, and their goal to get 30% of their population online within a few years. And dealing with issues of literacy and lots of other things that they have concerns about. And while 30% sounds quite low, the technology minister made a wonderful statement. He said if we get 30% of our population online, that's larger than the population of the entire United States, effectively. So in fact, in terms of digital markets, looking at countries such as India, and even looking at China, as those countries start to ramp up penetration of the Internet, they will offer wonderful opportunities. So if you look at the numbers in the U.S. today, you find that one out of every two households, roughly, has online capability. If you start to look outside the U.S., the global number is one out of 30 households have online capability, and that's sort of the global number. The opportunity for increased penetration is much greater outside the U.S. than in the U.S. So in terms of a country like India, their interest is how can they maintain their position as an outsourcer and work force supplier in the global digital economy, and they're also very interested in developing themselves as a global market force, based on the strength of their population, hopefully improved quality of life and economics.
Carol: It's very interesting, because I know a lot of people who are from India that come here, will be retained in the United States a lot of times for a year, and then will take a lot of money back and be some of the richest in the nation there. It's very interesting to me to take a look at the countries like India and China, which we would normally kind of think of as emerging countries, where they've got some of the poorest living conditions, and at the same time some of the highest tech, at some of the lowest prices. And it's probably very interesting to manage a nation like that, with such a diversity and such an absolute polarization of haves and have-nots.
Howard: That's right. They have more than their own digital divide. There are lots of levels of economic divide there. But you find that the nation is focusing on the most pressing problems they have today, which have to do with health and education and basic economics. But they're seeing that the digital technologies are going to offer them an entrée to perhaps impacting those areas all at once. And actually the global digital divide initiative is about that, using digital technologies to transmit health information and everything. So people can access it. The Philippines


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2.45 million cars produced in 2012, projected to rise to 2.5 millions in 2013 NeutralAuto Sector
2012 record high in every market… highest auto production at 2.45 millions, growing 68.32% YoY
The Thai Automotive Industry Association has reported the auto production
volume in December 2012 at 221,353 units, increasing by 122.63% YoY but
decreasing by 13.73% MoM due to low working days. In the domestic auto
market, the total auto sales stand at 144,676 units or 165% YoY while the
export market has made it through 86,297 units or 146.24% YoY increase.
Accordingly, Thailand has become the world's 10th biggest car producer,
growing by 68.32% YoY due to benefits from the government's first car policy
that has boosted the auto sales to hit the record high at 1,436,335 units or
80.9% YoY increase. For the export market, it has made the record high in
25 years with 1,026,671 units or 39.6% YoY increase which has made
Thailand become the world's 7th biggest car exporter.
Growth of 2013 auto production projected at 2% to 2.5 million units
According to positive factors from 2012, 2013 should be another year for Thai
auto industry to hit the record high for both the auto production and export.
The domestic market is currently out of support from the first car policy that
had attracted advance demand for cars, so 2013 domestic auto sales might
decline. However, the production in 1H13 is projected to stay continuously
high from late-2012 due to the back orders that have to be transferred in
2013 over 500,000 units. After 2H13, the auto sales are likely to decelerate
gradually, so car producers have to apply the strategy via new car model
introduction and work on sales promotion to sustain the level of domestic
sales, together with more production for export. For the overall look in 2013,
the total auto production is projected to stand at 2.5 million units, increasing
only by 2% YoY.
Recommend "Neutral"…. SAT and STANLY chosen as top picks
We reiterate our recommendation of "Neutral" for the auto sector, believing
that the operation of 6 companies under our coverage would grow along the
with the auto production. The profit from operation in 2012 stands at B3.5bn
or 1.37x increase, but growing at a slower rate to 20.7% or B4.26bn in 2013.
Our top picks are SAT (FV@B40.64, based on 13x PER) and STANLY
(FV@B268.34, based on 13x PER).


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Tsogo Sun warns profits will fall due to tough economy
The group warns profits will fall as much as 45% as it battles a tough economy and rising costs, including utilities
SA’s largest hotel group, Tsogo Sun, expects revenue to have marginally increased by between 1% and 3% for the year to end-March, it said on Thursday.
Trading during the first nine months of the group’s financial year was affected by the depressed macro-economic environment, both locally and with its African operations, and with demand by corporate and leisure groups, as well the transient traveller, showing little sign of recovery.
Earnings per share is expected to be between 84c and 89c lower.
The coronavirus pandemic has also made an impact on the group’s fourth-quarter trading, with international demand retracting as early as February 2020.
“The group’s entire portfolio, in SA, Africa and the Seychelles, has been deactivated with the exception of those designated as quarantine facilities or as accommodation for essential service providers, and persons awaiting repatriation,” Tsogo Sun said in a statement.
“Despite strict cost controls during the year to counteract the above-inflationary increases in administered costs, including property rates and utilities, the shortfall in revenue as a result of the decline in demand, which was further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, has meant that earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortisation, and restructuring or rent costs (ebitdar) are expected to decline by between 8% and 10%, and by 11% and 13% once the inorganic impact of the Sandton hotels are excluded,” the group said.
The share price jumped 8.15% to close at R1.46.
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for greater brand exposure and design a color brochure that helped create the right image for the company, which is important in the development of our business and, quite frankly, any business that wants to experience and maintain growth.”
In 1994, Davis received a $500,000 SBA-guaranteed loan with Commerce Bank N.A. of South Jersey. In a market where contract payments take two or three months to roll in, the money helped him fund the projects currently under way and permitted him the flexibility needed to go after larger contracts. “We used those funds as working capital,” Davis says. “We purchased equipment and paid employees.”
According to reports published by the SBA’s Office of Advocacy, small businesses are spending more money on information technology and are embracing e-commerce to expand their customer base and increase profits.
In 1999 alone, small businesses spent nearly $156 billion on IT products. But James G. Martin, CEO of NOAH Communications, a $200,000 telecommunications company in Washington, D.C., says that companies don’t have to break the bank to get in on this new technology. “E-commerce allows a small business with limited capital to reach a wider audience by putting their business online,” he says.
Martin’s firm, which also provides companies with DSL connections, says he offers cost-effective IT packages that cost anywhere between $49 and $500. “One unique thing that distinguishes our storefront solution is that it allows small businesses to process payments instead of just taking orders,” he says. Although having an Internet site offers an easily accessible presence, Martin says that for his business, good customer relations are just as important in staying one step ahead of his competitors. “We find that a lot of people aren’t satisfied with the service they’ve gotten in the past,” he says, “because of the poor job other firms have done with managing their expectations. You have to keep the customer happy. For us, it has been the satisfied customer that we installed a line or built a storefront for who told five or six of their friends about us.”
Martin also keeps his eye on the constantly changing state of technology in order to continually position his company as a leader in its field. As Internet access goes through the evolution of DSL hook-ups and cable modems, Martin believes that the future will be in wireless and satellite connections. “I think that the companies that are positioned to provide that kind of access, are going to be the ones that will be successful over time,” he says. “We’re looking to build out our own network using wireless and satellite access and we’re trying to position ourselves to do that.
NOAH’s current arrangement with Verizon allows it to lease equipment and in turn provide Verizon with a fee from each customer NOAH assigns to Verizon’s network. “This is an important alliance toward reaching our goals,” Martin says.
Such an alliance, which is a rare partnership in the industry, puts NOAH one step ahead of the competition in having immediate access to new technology


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HMV has relocated its headquarters from London’s West End to the Blackfriars area of the capital.
The move follows a downsizing of the workforce after redundancies were made at head office as part of the redundancy process. HMV collapsed into administration in January, and was later acquired by restructuring firm Hilco in April.
HMV’s new offices are at Mermaid House, Puddle Dock, Blackfriars. The retailer has moved from Eastcastle Street, located behind its flagship Oxford Street store.
The news comes as it emerged that Sports Direct is set to acquire the Oxford Street flagship from HMV, which will relocate to the store on the street presently occupied by Footlocker. It would be a return to its roots for HMV. Sir Edward Elgar opened his first His Master’s Voice shop on the site, at 363 Oxford Street.


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Sony announced on Tuesday that it has invested in California-based startup Cogitai to collaboratively develop artificial intelligence (A.I.) technology. Specifically, the two firms have their sights set on a novel area within the field: using deep reinforcement learning with prediction technology. They believe this could be used as the basis for the next generation of A.I. applications and products.
Sony has quite a bit of experience with A.I. technologies, but much of it has been fairly limited to specific tasks, i.e., facial recognition. Partnering with Cogitai could turbocharge its efforts. And for the startup, being able to tap Sony’s extensive resources will enable it to grow far beyond its own limited reach.
Engadget wrote:”It’s great to partner with Sony who builds so many devices for so many homes and has access to data across the world,” said Dr. Satinder Singh, co-founder of Cogitai. “The biggest boost we can get is access to data, devices and opportunities. It will help us learn and provide value to create a positive feedback cycle for our research questions.”
The 2015 BCLS panel Automation, Artificial Intelligence, and the Economy explored the promises and dangers of A.I. While noting the impressive benefits that A.I. could bring, the experts cautioned that we need to pay much more attention to its ethical and economic implications. They called for the establishment of universal safeguards among A.I. developers to lower the danger of existential risk — the danger that self-aware intelligent machines will turn against and eliminate humanity. That doomsday scenario might be far off, but it’s important to keep in mind as A.I. systems learn in more advanced ways. Let’s hope Sony and Cogitai pursue their advances in a responsible way.


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Kinsale has been dubbed the 'safest town in Ireland' to visit this summer thanks to guidance from a global pandemic expert.
The town is known for being the food capital of Ireland however it has now gained a new reputation as possibly the safest place in the country to spend time this summer.
That is because the reopening of the town is being guided by Dr Ian Norton, formerly of the World Health Organisation.
The West Cork man is a specialist emergency physician and served on the front line of the Ebola outbreak and is now based in Australia.
The global pandemic expert has been guiding the popular tourist town as they reopen their award winning restaurants, cafes and hotels.
These businesses have now been able to open up once more in full confidence that they are taking the right precautions to return to work.
Kinsale is one of the most idyllic locations in Cork if not the country and the ideal spot for a break away with the family, your other half or maybe a solo trip!
Now you can try all the delicious food and take in the beautiful sights while feeling completely safe in your surroundings.
You can find out more about what you can getup to in the seaside town on their website.


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Latest DP World News
Jan 11, 2022
Smart logistics solutions provider DP World has announced it is to fast-track the construction of a speculative 119,000ft2 warehouse its London Gateway Logistics Park to meet the demand for space. DP World plans to complete this warehouse facility in less than a year to support the logistics and distribution services based at the freeport. The new [...] The post DP World fast-tracks London Gateway warehouse appeared first on Parcel and Postal Technology International.


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True story: When Steve Austin first went to WWE Creative asking for a name that would reflect the cold, emotionless and dangerous personality of his character, the suggestions that came back to him included Baron Von Ruthless, Ice Dagger, and Chilly McFreeze.
Fortunately for the pro-wrestling world, Austin went with “Stone Cold” and would go on to make the WWE a global phenomenon with an audience the likes of which it had never seen before or since. Steve Austin’s incredible rise to prominence and worldwide recognition is the stuff of legend and, as such, he has been chosen to be the cover star of this year’s upcoming WWE 2K16.
“Not only will Austin grace the video game’s cover, but he’s involved in shaping its creative direction,” says VP of 2K marketing Chris Snyder. Whether or not this means Austin’s walking round the 2K Games office drinking beer and giving the suits Stone Cold Stunners remains to be seen. But here’s hoping.
WWE 2K16 is scheduled for release in October on the PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360.


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The t-sleeve family is excited to share some exciting news with you! T-sleeve has been invited to join Walmart's fourth annual open call! Only 10 Arizona-based companies were invited to pitch their products to Walmart executives for an opportunity to join nearly 500 other companies nationwide. Julie Wentz, CEO and inventor of t-sleeve has joined her fellow entrepreneurs in Bentonville, Arkansas at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) headquarters to participate in Walmart’s annual Open Call. Read more about t-sleeve's exciting adventure below.
One diverse owner is Arizona’s own Julie Wentz, who will be pitching her T-Sleeve, an all-in-one tea bag holder, tea bag steeper and squeezer. The T-Sleeve is currently available on the product’s website and Wentz says she is excited for the opportunity to showcase her product on a larger platform.
Wentz confirmed that the T-Sleeve will be available on Walmart’s website in the near future, a positive move for the local company and a step to further increase the presence of not only Arizona-based manufacturers, but American manufacturers as well.
The appeal for Wentz is not only the fact that Walmart is the largest retailer in the world but that the company is focused on bolstering U.S. manufacturers. For her, the opportunity allows her product to assist more individuals throughout the nation.
“Something that’s really important is not only that theT-Sleeve is made in the USA but it’s helping people,” said Wentz.
She donates ten percent of T-Sleeve’s net profits to foster children through various charities in the nation and said, “the more sales, the more we help people,” an opportunity that appears to be on the horizon.
Enjoy a cup of tea anywhere, anytime with t-sleeve. Order your free sample or purchase t-sleeve today!
SRC: Click to read more about Walmart's Open Call.


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Geely Auto has announced that their new car owners will receive car keys contactlessly via drone as part of their new online sales system.
Here's the full announcement
from their website:
2020 March 23rd, Hangzhou, China. On February 10th 2020 Geely Auto launched its own proprietary online sales system that offered consumers the complete one stop solution for ordering online that included the modification of vehicle specifications, online financing and insurance as well as giving the option of establishing a home delivery in a contactless solution.
Geely Auto has also improved upon its contactless home delivery system which looks to directly deliver new vehicles to consumers’ homes or place of work rather than collecting from dealerships. The new system will now use drones in select locations to pass new car keys to consumers by delivering directly to their door or balcony, furthering the distance between staff and consumer and creating a truly contactless process.
Since the platform was launched in February, just over 10,000 consumers have ordered and paid for vehicles on Geely’s online mall with a further 110,000 users registering their interest to buy a Geely vehicle in the short term. All confirmed orders and confirmed leads are a sent to local dealers who process orders and begin the home delivery process.
All Geely Auto vehicles are thoroughly disinfected by the dealership including through ionization prior to delivery in order to ensure customers enjoy a safe and healthy purchase experience. As part of Geely’s commitment to developing healthy cars, Geely Auto has set aside a 370 million RMB fund that will focus on the development of cleaner, healthier vehicles providing clean cabin air and using materials that are antimicrobial in nature. The first mass produced vehicle equipped with anti-bacterial filters, the Geely ICON, was launched in late February 2020.
Victor Yang, Vice President of Geely Auto Sales Company commented: “Geely Auto’s constant change to market requirements and consumer concerns is the driving force behind Geely’s continued success in the Chinese market.”


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Despite profits declining 2.3%, retailer Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM) said revenues jumped 6.1% to $1.28 billion in the second fiscal quarter. Overall, strong results from the first half of 2018 has caused the company to raise its full-year guidance.
Textile leader Sunbrella has partnered with home furnishings brand Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams for a new co-branded collection, debuting in stores and marketing efforts this month.
The National Sleep Foundation has announced its Sleep Show, a three-day expo to be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX, March 8-10, 2019.
Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB), the nation’s largest mattress producer, and online mattress heavyweight Tuft & Needle (T&N) have entered into a definitive agreement to merge the two companies.
Fairfield has announced the debut of its Conneaut Crypton Leather video, showcasing the company’s new performance leather.
The Saatva Company, an online mattress retailer, has been named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 list for the fourth consecutive year.
XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO) has announced an agreement to sponsor the Carolina Panthers professional football team for the 2018 season.


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October 28, 2012
Frankenstorm Forces Cancellation Of Monday’s Android Event
redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports - Your Universe OnlineSlashgear's Chris Davies in a statement. “We will let you know our plans as soon as we know more. Stay safe and dry.”
According to Davies, the event was expected to showcase a new Nexus smartphone, the LG Nexus 4, and a new tablet, the Nexus 10 manufactured by Samsung. CNET reporter Casey Newton said that both seven and 10-inch versions of the tablet are anticipated, and that the company was also expected to unveil Android 4.2.
"As the storm gathered strength, Google faced mounting questions over whether it would continue with the event as planned," Newton explained. "The waterfront pier where the event had been scheduled is now in an evacuation zone. Yesterday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency."
While the public will have to wait a little longer to officially catch a glimpse of these new Android products, Davies and Newton report that there have been several leaks linked to the Nexus devices.
Google executive Vic Gundotra used the Nexus 10 to post vacation photos on Google+, and images supposedly showing what the tablet looks like surfaced on the Internet late last week.
Likewise, a supposed "final rendering" of the Nexus 4 handset surfaced on Twitter recently, and a working unit of the smartphone was reportedly discovered by a San Francisco bartender.
No make-up date for the event has been announced as of Saturday evening.
According to an October 27 forecast by redOrbit Meteorologist Joshua Kelly, Sandy was on track to hit "in between the DELMARVA peninsula and New York City" and was expected to make landfall "as a minimum CAT 1 or strong Tropical Storm."
As a result of the so-called Frankenstorm, Kelly said that the New York City would see "winds start to get around 20mph later on Sunday night and then will stay that way until late into Wednesday night with the strongest sustained winds around 45mph with the highest gusts to be near 55mph."


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ABP will double Humber container capacity as part of £50m spend
TOWERING INVESTMENTS: The cranes at Hull Container Terminal.
By Hull Daily Mail | Posted: 3 Apr 2017
ABP is more than doubling the capacity of its two Humber container terminals in what will amount to a £50 million phased investment in response to continued growth in demand.
Upgrades at Immingham and Hull will allow it to handle 550,000 units, the company has confirmed.
The kitty includes the three large crane installations completed in 2016 across both banks – equating to around £15 million – as well as a further additions of equipment and technology, with two more cranes set for Hull in 2018.
It comes as Britain's largest sector event, Multimodal, launches in Birmingham.
ABP Humber’s investment case is based on figures showing that across the dual container terminals there has been a 41 per cent growth in volumes since 2013. Improved customer service, quayside handling and reduced waiting times for hauliers has also been flagged up.
The business plan the company is working to anticipates significant continued growth in this area and discussions with current and potential customers have given ABP confidence that this trend looks set to continue in a post-Brexit economy.
“We have seen significant growth at our Humber container terminals in recent years and all the indications are that this will continue despite Brexit,” said ABP Humber director Simon Bird, pictured, who took back the Hull terminal from PD Ports in May last year.
“We anticipate growth in container shipping in the coming years and ABP in the Humber is keen to position itself to take advantage of that growth. This is a huge vote of confidence in the economy of the North of England at this crucial time.”
Last month shipping line A2B increased its presence at Immingham’s Container Terminal from nine to 11 calls per week, and in a major interview, port manager Mark Frith underlined the growth potential there.
Humber operations make up around half of ABP’s revenue and roughly 13 per cent of all of the UK’s seaborne trade.
While being situated in the middle of the country is a huge benefit, it is also one of Europe’s best-connected roll-on roll-off and lift-on lift-off hubs, with a multitude of services providing links to a high number of destinations.
ABP is also looking closely at the possibility of new Free Trade Zones post-Brexit. These could allow for goods and parts to be imported, manufactured and re-exported from the designated zone without incurring the usual import procedures or tariffs.
“Brexit represents opportunities for port-based, export led manufacturing, particularly if the Government was able to introduce Free Trade Zones at ports,” said Mr Bird. “This would provide great opportunities for customers to reduce costs for inbound materials and also take advantage of spare capacity in containers, trucks and ships, to re-export.”
East Yorkshire's new Siemens factory gets 1.5bn deal to build London Underground trains


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Despite second quarter results that showed less than $10 million in sales, marijuana producer Tilray Inc.‘s stock (NASDAQ: TLRY) continues to rise and its market value is fast approaching $5 billion.
The Nanaimo, B.C.-based company is just one of several marijuana companies that’s attracting valuations far ahead of its revenue. And with a 40% jump in its stock price in the last week, Tilray is on a roll.
In the 3 months ended June 30, the company reported a net loss of $12.8 million on sales of $9.7 million. Still, that was about double the $4.9 million of sales the company reported in the second quarter of 2017. Tilray sells medical cannabis to patients in 11 countries and is ramping up to supply recreational marijuana to the Canadian market when the drug is legalized on October 17.
“We are very pleased with our strong start to 2018,” Chief Executive Officer Brendan Kennedy said in a media statement. “Tilray is well-positioned to continue to pioneer the development of the global medical cannabis market and to become a leader in the adult-use cannabis market in Canada.”
Tilray’s current market capitalization of $4.8 billion makes it the third largest cannabis company after Canopy Growth Corp. and Aurora Cannabis Inc. Canopy Growth currently has a market value of $12.4 billion and reported revenue of about $26 million in Q2.
It’s not uncommon for companies in emerging sectors to generate high valuations despite little profits. For example, electric car maker Tesla Inc. loses hundreds of millions of dollars every quarter and boasts a market value of $55 billion.
Tilray’s revenue is forecast to grow considerably over the coming years. Added to that is the number of deals going on in marijuana, such as Canopy Growth’s $3.8 billion deal with Corona beer maker Constellation Brands Inc., which is just one of many more tie-ups expected between the alcohol and cannabis industries.
Some analysts see Tilray as a potential target for a deal with an alcohol company to manufacture cannabis-infused beverages. Tilray’s brand portfolio, focus on clinical trials, and access to consumer data makes it an attractive target of alcohol companies, say some analysts.
The opinions provided in this article are those of the author and do not constitute investment advice. Readers should assume that the author and/or employees of Grizzle hold positions in the company or companies mentioned in the article. For more information, please see our Content Disclaimer.


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USDA releases requirements for beef exported to China
Written specifications for US beef exported to China is a big step forward, according to Iowa Cattlemen’s Association CEO Matt Deppe.
“We’ve been hearing for some time that China would re-open to US exports, but until recently, the details were unclear,” says Deppe. “The requirements released by the US Department of Agriculture on Monday give the industry a much better understanding of the nature of the beef products that will be accepted.”
The requirements are more stringent than most other international destinations for US beef. The beef must be from cattle:
-less than 30 months of age
-born, raised in the US, Mexico or Canada
-slaughtered in the US
-free of growth promotants, feed additives and other chemical compounds including ractopamine
These requirements may initially challenge some producers and processors, but various voluntary process-verified programs exist that would meet the specifications.
“There can be more costs associated with these programs, but there may also be more profit,” says Deppe. “Regardless, the programs are voluntary and it will be up to individual producers to decide whether participation in a process-verified program works for them.”
International trade has been a priority for the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, which represents 10,000 members in the state of Iowa on legislative and policy issues such as this.
“Beef exports have the potential to dramatically increase Iowa cattle producers’ bottom lines. Most of the products exported, like tongue, hides and offal, are not valued to US consumers, and would become waste products without international markets,” says Deppe. US beef has not been allowed in China since 2003.
ICA has encouraged governmental leaders to expand beef trade through policy agreements, and is appreciative of the emphasis the White House has placed on agricultural trade with China. ICA President, Mike Cline and Deppe will travel to China in July with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to further expand the market for US beef there.
Other key importers of US beef include Japan, Mexico, South Korea and others. ICA’s regional meetings this month feature a “Tour of the World” taste-testing event, where participants can sample traditional beef dishes from international destinations and learn about the beef products enjoyed there.
For more information on policy priorities and ICA’s Regional BeefMeets, visit www.iacattlemen.org.


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A new appointment to Napster's( NAPS) board of directors indicates that the company is stepping up its efforts to shop its fledgling online music service.
Napster said in an 8-K filing with the
Securities and Exchange Commission
last week that it added one more director to its board, Ross Levinsohn, the former president of
Fox Interactive Media.
While there, Levisohn spearheaded the acquisition of the wildly popular MySpace.com, gaming site IGN Entertainment and sports site Scout.com, among several other companies.
"This guy is not a low-profile guy, especially being involved in MySpace," says Darren Aftahi, an analyst with ThinkEquity who follows Napster. "I think it's an interesting turn of events given the fact that he's not really taking a permanent seat."
According to the filing, Levinsohn's term will expire at the company's annual stockholder meeting later this year.
Napster spokeswoman Becky Farina said that there was "no cloak-and-dagger" explanation for abruptly bringing on Levinsohn. Board members are appointed for three-year terms, and "he's just joining the group of board members who will be up for revalidation by the shareholders" at the meeting, she says.
When asked why Levinsohn doesn't just join the board at the annual meeting, Farina said that the company has an "interest in bringing him in sooner rather than later."
That might be because investors are growing impatient for a sale.
Napster said it was
exploring the idea when it hired banker UBS last fall. Shares had a nice run after the UBS announcement, but have sagged as months have passed without a buyer.
Napster shares were trading Tuesday at $3.97, up fractionally.
Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffrey, says that the high-profile board appointment does not signal an imminent deal but that Napster's "intentions are very real to sell the company. It kind of puts an exclamation point on what they said back in September."
"Right now they're not getting what they want," Munster says. "This is the next step. They need to step up the efforts."
Munster is confident that someone will buy the company, because the Napster brand "absolutely" has value, he says.
Everything from MP3-player manufacturers to cell phone makers or carriers to broadband-providers could be eyeing Napster, Munster says. But even with the well-known brand, a buyer could end up spending oodles of cash to compete with the reigning digital music king.
"The overall space has been a one-company show with
," says Munster, who has a buy rating on Napster. He doesn't own shares, and his firm does not have a banking relationship with the company.
"The problem is in acquiring Napster you're stepping in front of a freight train, and the freight train is Apple," he says.
If a sale does not materialize, Think Equity's Aftahi says the company has "a lot of irons in the fire that will pay off in the back half of 2007." Aftahi doesn't own Napster shares, and his firm does not have a banking relationship with the digital media firm.
Napster recently announced a deal with
AOL to be its
exclusive online music provider and it will absorb AOL's existing subscription music customers.
The company also has signed deals with
Cingular in the U.S., and
, the two largest mobile networks in Japan.
By beefing up the board and signing the slew of strategic partnerships, "I think they are trying to boost the valuation for a takeout," says Mark Harding, an analyst with Maxim Group.
Harding upgraded the company to buy from hold in mid-January after the AOL deal, believing that the company has improved its partnerships to the point at which Napster would still survive if it weren't acquired.
"The cash burn rate certainly should come down significantly in the next few years, compared to what it's been," says Harding, who does not own shares and whose firm does not do banking with Napster, but it makes a market in the company.
Harding says Napster has cut back on sales and marketing, with plans to leverage the partnership with AOL instead. Subscriber growth should also help.
Napster CFO Nand Gangwani said on the
latest earnings call that the company should conclude its fiscal year in March 2007 with about $60 million in cash and short-term investments, adding that "we feel comfortable that we have sufficient cash to fund operations at least through the end of calendar 2008."
Even though he believes that Napster could make it on its own, Maxim Group's Harding sees "the most upside provided by the takeout possibility."


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New York—How smart are you?
Apple’s introduction last week of its Apple watch has had the media buzzing more than ever about wearable technology—from watches to bracelets to eyeglasses. But what do consumers actually think of these new products?
EMarketer reported today according to a new September report by Cowen and Company forecast the lifestyle and entertainment “wearables” category—including multifunctional smartwatches, glasses and even jewelry—would maintain the highest total wearable device sales in both the United States and worldwide between this year and 2020. “And smart watches were expected to rule the segment, accounting for around 60% of US lifestyle and entertainment wearable device sales in 2014 and expanding that share to nearly 72% by 2020.”
In another study, Canalys recently estimated that the number of wearable band shipments worldwide would jump 129% between 2014 and 2015 to hit 43.2 million units, with smart bands and watches—devices like the Apple Watch, which are capable of running third-party apps—accounting for 28.2 million of that total.
Moreover, there discrepancy among leading nation’s consumers about just what they want and expect from these smart devices. According to August 2014 polling by GfK, price was the top criteria when it came to purchasing a smartwatch among smartphone users in the UK, US, Germany and South Korea. However, cost didn’t even land in the top three in China—but brand did—and respondents in the country cared most about accuracy. Functionality was important to those in the UK, US and Germany, while consumers in South Korea cared about ease of use.
Smartphone users from each nation cited activity trackers among the top smartwatch purchase criteria, so it comes as no surprise that being able to monitor activity was the No. 1 use case for such devices in every country. Using a smart watch to actually tell time landed in second in the UK, US and Germany, while respondents from South Korea and China ranked passing phone calls as No. 2. Basic apps were the third most popular use case among respondents in the US and smart South Korea, while using smart watches for navigation took third place in the UK and China. South Korea, while using smart watches for navigation took third place in the UK and China.


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“SUFFERING” A MODEST RECOVERY
The North Carolina economy will continue a sluggish recovery for the rest of this year and into 2012, UNC Charlotte economist John Connaughton predicts in his quarterly Babson Capital/UNC Charlotte Economic Forecast. John reports that the state economy expanded by only 1% in 2010, following a ?contraction of .8%? in 2009 . (Would we call that ?false labor??) North Carolina?s economy experienced a modest increase in GSP of 2% during Q1 2010. But in Q2, state GSP dipped 1.5%. So what does it all mean, John? ?Overall, the NC economy suffered through a modest recovery (an interesting turn of phrase) during 2010,? John says. ?While the US economy maintained a modest record of economic growth, the NC economy started strong but had very weak growth during the spring and summer quarters.?


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Amazon.com’s recent acquisition of Whole foods has set off a round of chatter about what they are really trying to accomplish with this move. Following are my thoughts:
- Nail Groceries: Amazon.com has been struggling with groceries for while. The reason – groceries have short shelf life, and so distributing groceries require a different kind of logistics that Amazon has not been able to figure out. One of the key element of the grocery logistics is having local distribution and storage. Whole foods gives Amazon.com a great distribution network for delivering groceries and a shot at finally nailing this critical segment down. (The grocery business in the U.S. is about $675 billion. Virtually every household shops for groceries and over 90% of households shop for groceries once a week or more. Many products are now regularly bought online that were thought to be impossible to be converted to online shopping. Yet online grocery sales continue to be a small fraction of the industry. Depending on who you ask, online grocery sales this year will be 1-3% of industry sales – this makes groceries the last bastion for existing brick and mortar retailers and why the Whole Foods deal such a threat for existing players).
- Revive Whole foods: Amazon.com wants to revive Whole foods by bringing “Organic food” to everybody. “Everybody should be able to eat Whole Foods Market quality,” Jeff Wilke, chief executive of Amazon Worldwide Consumer, said last week after regulators approved the $13.7 billion takeover. “We will lower prices without compromising Whole Foods Market’s long-held commitment to the highest standards.” The price cuts at the launch are targeted to bring back users who had given up on Whole foods because of their “whole paycheck” reputation.
- Cross-promote and engage: Amazon.com is looking at leveraging its “prime” program to drive loyalty and engagement at Whole foods. This means prime members get discounts, special offers and Amazon gets to understand brick and mortar behavior of consumers. Already you can see Amazon selling other products in the stores and trying to integrate consumer experiences based on prime membership. In a few quarters, after Amazon has had the chance to integrate point of sales and distribution logistics – they will have the perfect laboratory to test out campaigns, offers and pricing strategies. In addition, this deal allows Amazon to become a life bundle for its harried and busy users. They already do TV, streaming, shopping, tech and now groceries. Word on the street is that Amazon.com is looking to launch a mobile wallet soon as well. Having a place that enables single-tap loyalty and payments and a lab to run experiments in order to drive engagement is a going to be important.
I am really curious to see how it plays out but I would not bet against Amazon. Executives at Walmart, Kroger’s, Target etc. are right to be losing their sleep over this – they should be looking at ways to partner or invest in tech to compete with Alexa, Prime, supply chain technologies and other Amazon.com assets for engaging customers/delivering great value to customers.
2 thoughts on “Amazon & Whole foods”