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Tag : BMW
Our BMW plug-in hybrid estate gets tested on the family staycation. Martyn Collins reports.
Our new long-termer, the plug-in hybrid version of BMW’s compact executive estate, is proving both practical and efficient, says Martyn Collins
Plug-in tech promises low tax and running costs for the appealing X3. Jonathan Musk drives.
The latest 1 Series is nothing short of perfect, but it comes at a cost, finds Jonathan Musk.
BMW has built a fleet-friendly coupé, finds Jonathan Musk, with the addition of two extra doors and 1 Series efficiency.
Can the segment-defining X6 fend off a raft of new coupe-SUVs? Alex Grant finds out.
DriveNow UK’s operations in London will shut down by 29 February 2020, the company has announced.
BMW’s third-generation premium C-segment challenger offers more efficiency, space and advanced tech, says Martyn Collins.
Is the 318d the answer to the cost-conscious fleet manager, asks Martyn Collins?
BMW has launched the new and improved BMW 225xe Active Tourer plug-in hybrid (PHEV), featuring 25% more electric range and 15% lower CO2 emissions, taking it … Read More »
BMW’s 7 Series update is much more than just skin-deep, finds Jonathan Musk.
Jaguar Land Rover and BMW Group have confirmed a collaboration between the two companies to deveop the next generation of electric drive units (EDU).
New tech and an incoming plug-in hybrid model are the highlights of the facelifted BMW X1 range.
BMW’s latest 3 Series impresses at every level, finds Jonathan Musk, but with stiff competition does it remain top of the class?
BMW has warned that it may shift Mini production out of the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
BMW has taken the wraps off its latest range of plug-in hybrids to join its ranks, including the world premiere of the new BMW X3 xDrive30e, … Read More »
Now in its seventh generation, BMW’s latest updates ensure the 3 Series remains top of the class, finds Jonathan Musk.
Distinctive and more spacious, the new X4 is a serious coupe-SUV, says Martyn Collins.
The BMW Group and Daimler AG have formed a 50/50 joint venture to establish a standalone mobility services company, set to operate across Europe.
BMW is introducing wireless, inductive charging for the 530e iPerformance model from next month.
BMW’s fourth-generation X5 will go on sale in the UK later this month, priced from £56,710 on the road.
BMW hopes the X2 will stand out with keen styling and dynamics to match. By Martyn Collins.
Independent fleet management specialist Global Autocare is playing a vital role in ensuring one of cycling’s biggest races keeps on the road with the provision of … Read More »


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Hunt Forest Products of Ruston and its Canadian partner Tolko Industries will build a $115 million sawmill in LaSalle Parish in the heart of Louisiana timber country.
The project will eventually create more than 100 direct permanent jobs.
“We are excited to be bringing a high-tech sawmill, and the skilled jobs it will provide, to central Louisiana, and to provide a local outlet for the massive inventory of southern yellow pine that exists in this region,” said James D. Hunt, co-owner and vice chairman of Hunt Forest Products.
“We believe this is the right project, in the right place, at the right time,” Hunt said. “This will boost the local economy, bring a new generation of sawmill technology to our state, and provide a much-needed outlet for central Louisiana timber.”
Gov. John Bel Edwards said the new plant will create economic development waves throughout the region.
“This project is a great economic boost to the center of the state, in the heart of our historic timber industry, and it will help create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs across the forestry, industrial services and retail sectors in Urania and LaSalle Parish,” Edwards said.
Tolko, which produces a wide range of forest products for customers globally, will own a 50 percent share of LaSalle Lumber Company. Hunt Forest Products will manage and operate the plant.
“This is our first venture into the United States, and we are thrilled to be in Louisiana with Hunt Forest Products, a family-owned company like ours, and one that has played a vital, reliable role in this state’s forestry industry for more than a century,” said Brad Thorlakson, Tolko president and chief executive.
The companies will access the Louisiana Department of Economic Development’s FastStart workforce development program in coordination with Central Louisiana Technical Community College to build and train the workforce for the new mill.
LaSalle Lumber Co. will be situated in Urania on the 125-acre site of a previous mill and adjacent to one of Drax Biomass’ wood pellet plants.
Byproducts of LaSalle Lumber will supply the Drax Biomass’ plant, while the lumber produced at the mill will be sold to other companies and customers.
Drax Biomass announced earlier this month it was moving its corporate headquarters from Atlanta to Monroe. It also operates a wood pellet plant in Morehouse Parish as well as one in Mississippi.

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Today, I’m excited to announce our launch in Germany, as well as Sweden, Belgium, and Denmark.
These markets have seen the eCommerce sector boom over the past few years, and we’re thrilled to be in a position to offer our products and services to founders in these countries.
The current economic climate is a tough one for eCommerce businesses. We saw incredible growth in eCommerce sales at the start of the pandemic, but challenges like energy shortages, supply chain issues, and rising interest rates have created a testing environment for founders to operate within.
But despite the challenging macroeconomic conditions, there’s still huge growth potential ahead for eCommerce businesses.
To support founders and help the incredible eCommerce businesses operating in Germany, Sweden, Belgium, and Denmark, we plan to deploy at least $200 million in these markets over the next year to help brands scale and achieve their ambitions.
We’ve already worked with a range of customers across these countries and have seen some incredible results.
Lennart Rieper is the founder of design award-winning sporting goods brand Stryve. Revenue-based finance helped Stryve place larger inventory orders and avoid costly stockouts during peak sales periods. "Wayflyer understands eCommerce," the young Hamburg founder says. "This is reflected in the simplicity of its offers."
Another founder we’ve had the pleasure to work with is Clara Fiorella Teschner, owner of MyClarella — a Mannheim-based brand focused on expectant mothers and the special time after birth.
We've also seen brands we've partnered with in the UK and Ireland expand their offerings into the German market, with London-based menswear brand SPOKE and Irish fitness brand BionicGym launching there recently.
Since we launched in 2019, we’ve worked with thousands of eCommerce businesses to help them break through barriers and scale into thriving brands.
The businesses we work with want fast, flexible finance at great terms. Ever since we started Wayflyer, we’ve been committed to making this happen.
I'm thrilled that we can now support more founders in more markets across Europe, and I'm incredibly proud that we can do so at some of the most competitive in the eCommerce financing market.
If you are an eCommerce business looking to take your growth to the next level, let’s chat about how we can help.


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Adele‘s 21 is shining bright like a diamond. The set, the British songbird’s sophomore effort, has crossed diamond status after selling 10 million copies in the United States.
According to Billboard, 21 has achieved the sales milestone in its 92nd week of release, and, coincidentally, becomes the 21st album to reach 10 million in sales stateside since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.
“What an incredible honor,” Adele said in a statement. “A huge, huge thank you to my American fans for embracing this record on such a massive level.”
21 joins an elite club of albums to cross 10 million in sales in the SoundScan era, that includes Confessions by Usher, No Strings Attached by Nsync, Millennium by Backstreet Boys, 1 by the Beatles, Come On Over by Shania Twain, Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette, Supernatural by Carlos Santana, and the soundtrack to The Bodyguard, among others.
Earlier this year, Adele made a clean sweep at the 54th annual Grammys with 21, winning all six of the awards she was nominated for, including the big three: Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Album Of The Year.


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Sept 21 (Reuters) - Gold fell to its lowest level in overthree weeks on Thursday as a stronger U.S. dollar and theincreasing likelihood of another... ...http://www.sify.com/finance/precious-gold-hits-3-week-low-fed-rate-hike-outlook-weighs-news-others-rjvgDNegbhbgh.html
Others on the list include Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson ...http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/ratan-tata-among-3-indians-in-forbes-greatest-living-business-minds-list-117092000430_1.html
Richard Mille, a luxury Swiss watch-making firm, launched its $1 million McLaren-Honda watch, the lightest mechanical chronograph ever made and... ...http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/this-361-million-watch-sold-out-as-soon-as-it-was-released_9714701.html
A number of brokers in the Pakistan Stock Exchange are opposing the nomination of a Canadian citizen as its managing director, following a 40 per... ...http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/pak-brokers-oppose-chinese-nominee-as-psx-stock-market-md-117092000404_1.html
Sept 15 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 index is seen opening 8points lower on Friday, according to financial bookmakers. * ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND:... ...http://www.sify.com/finance/uk-stocks-factors-to-watch-on-sept-15-news-economy-rjpluggfdcbid.html
Richard Isaacs joined Kaiser...


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As some Florida citrus officials predicted at the time, another spate of national news stories in late November about potentially harmful interactions between widely prescribed drugs and grapefruit juice appeared to have little negative impact on juice sales.
WINTER HAVEN | As some Florida citrus officials predicted at the time, another spate of national news stories in late November about potentially harmful interactions between widely prescribed drugs and grapefruit juice appeared to have little negative impact on juice sales.
U.S. grapefruit juice sales for the four weeks ending Dec. 22 fell 6.7 percent, but that represented a slight improvement from the previous four-week period, when sales fell 7 percent, according to reports from the Florida Department of Citrus.
The most recent figures reflect sales during the month following the Nov. 26 release of a new Canadian study co-authored by David Bailey, emeritus professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Western Ontario, showing drug companies have introduced 26 new medications during the past four years with potentially dangerous interactions if taken with grapefruit.
Bailey in 1991 published the first study establishing some oral drugs, such as cholesterol-lowering and heart medicines, can cause harm if taken with grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Middle-aged and older people, the biggest consumers of grapefruit products, also tend to take those drugs, and sales fell as a result.
“I think basically it wasn't new news to consumers of the product,” said Bob Norberg, an economist and Citrus Department deputy executive director, of the impact of the Nov. 26 study, which received national news coverage on television networks and major newspapers.
In many cases, safe alternative medications are available for cholesterol, heart and other medications with an interaction potential, according to the Citrus Department.
Consumption of grapefruit juice has declined steadily as doctors and pharmacists advised patients about the possibility of harmful interactions. Per capita U.S. consumption has fallen from 0.44 gallons in the 2000-01 season to 0.15 gallons in 2011-12, department figures show.
Record high prices for grapefruit juice has also played a role in recent years, Norberg said.
“I think pricing has a lot to do with it. Grapefruit juice prices are still at record highs,” he said.
Retail grapefruit juice prices averaged $6.84 a gallon during the period ending Dec. 22, up from $6.63 a year earlier.
Stubbornly high retail prices are also keeping orange juice sales in a rut, Norberg said.
Retail OJ sales fell 4.3 percent in the recent monthly period despite an average retail price increase of just 0.9 percent from a year ago, the report said. But retail OJ remained near record levels at an average $6.18 for the period.
Per capita OJ consumption in the U.S. has fallen from 5.2 gallons in the 2001-01 season to 3.2 gallons last season. Norberg and Matt Salois, the department's chief economist, had predicted an OJ sales rebound in 2012-13 with a drop in the average retail price.
Last month they revised a bullish October forecast but still predicting the average retail OJ price would fall 3 percent in 2012-13 with an equivalent rise in juice sales.
But Norberg backed off even the revised forecast on Monday as OJ prices showed no sign of coming down soon.
Juice processors are holding back on price decreases after the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Dec. 11 shaved its 2012-13 Florida orange crop projection by 8 million boxes, or 5 percent, Norberg said. That increased the farm prices processors will pay for this season's fruit.
“I think the market wants to get through the next couple of (monthly USDA) market reports and to see if there are any additional crop losses because of weather events,” Norberg said.
Harris-Mann Climatology of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, a private consulting firm followed in the Florida citrus industry, has predicted a stronger chance of a citrus freeze in the middle of this month.
[ Kevin Bouffard can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or at 863-401-6980. Read more on Florida citrus on his Facebook page, Florida Citrus Witness, http://bit.ly/baxWuU. ]


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Cisco’s strategy of diversifying into a more software-optimised business is paying off - literally.
Sky has turned to Google Cloud to shut down pirate sites showing English Premier League games, one of its most valuable content assets.
Apple finally refreshed its MacBook Pro line-up in August this year with a 13 and 15-inch version of the high performance laptop.
Google has unveiled a chip and edge software that could transform the enterprise IoT landscape while challenging competitors Amazon and Microsoft.
Voice tech and virtual assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa and Cortana are expected to make a big splash in the enterprise.
Bloomberg journalists have been breaking business news since 1990, but these days their reporting relies increasingly on data science.
More than three-quarters of the admins want Microsoft to release feature upgrades just once a year – or even once every other year.
After nearly four years of slashing at each other in court with legal swords Cisco and Arista have agreed to disagree, mostly.
The Salesforce board has elevated its former COO Keith Block to the role of co-CEO alongside founder Marc Benioff, here's how he got there.
IT admins surveyed by Susan Bradley, who moderates the PatchMangement.org mailing list, said Microsoft's current strategy is failing.
Once upon a time, Microsoft symbolised all that was wrong with the tech world: greedy, monopolistic and single-mindedly focused on profits.
The cyber attack on Equifax is a sobering reminder for any CEO of the perils involved with data breaches.
If the best revenge is living well, then Tim Cook is sticking it to everyone.
Google has a solid reputation as an engineering organisation with an open source culture.
Cisco has laid out US$2.35 billion in cash and stock for network identity, authentication security company Duo.


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Penrose Square, a 4-acre parcel on Columbia Pike that houses the Adams Square Shopping Center, will likely be redeveloped this summer — now that the project has closed on $80 million in construction financing.
The Arlington strip mall’s Giant Food store will close during construction, and a twice-as-large Giant will replace it. The redevelopment also includes an additional 30,000 square feet of retail and 299 luxury apartments, as well as 700 parking spaces, mostly underground.
B. M. Smith & Associates Inc., a 100-year-old management and development company in Arlington, owns the property, and Herndon based Carbon Thompson Development Co. is in charge of the new project.
Wachovia Bank and RBS Citizens made the loan. Foulger-Pratt Construction of Rockville will be the general contractor, and Heffner Architects PC of Alexandria is designing the buildings.
Penrose Square is the largest of the five mixed-use developments approved for the three-mile section of Columbia Pike.
The project now seems to be finally moving forward after the groundbreaking has “slipped a couple of times,” said Jim Whittaker, executive director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization. At one point, it was expected in February 2008.
Zoning delays, negotiations with Giant, and the search for a loan all contributed to the delay, but the financing piece only took the developers about three months, Whittaker estimated. The project should be completed by the fall of 2011.
“I think it’s a signature project, especially with the inclusion of the new public space,” Whittaker said.
A small plaza with benches, trees and a fountain will be deeded to the county as part of the deal.
Two other mixed-use developments are well under construction.
The Halstead, an eight-story building with 269 luxury apartments and ground-floor retail is substantially complete. Almost 20 percent of the apartments have been leased since marketing began in November. One-bedroom units range between $1,600 and $2,000 a month. The top of that range is $800 to $1,000 more than the older towers and garden apartment complexes nearby.
The Halstead is “the first new product to reach Columbia Pike in decades,” Whittaker said.
It replaced a closed hardware store and the Arlington Free Clinic, which will be on the building’s first floor once interior build-outs are done. Lost Dog Cafe will also be on the first floor, as will a T-Mobile store. Developer DSF Group of Boston is negotiating with an Irish restaurant and a gym.
“Everything’s going well,” said Jo Gavigan, Halstead’s property manager. “We we’ve got some really strong traffic.”
One block from Penrose Square is the $88 million Siena development, which is replacing a Safeway store. The Siena will be six stories with a floor of retail, a floor of office space and 188 apartments. The building should open by the end of this year.
“It’s great, even in this terrible environment, seeing a new floor added every week,” Whittaker said.
Both the Siena and the Halstead were originally planned for condominiums.
The Penrose and Siena are about a mile from the Pentagon Metro station.
Another luxury apartment building, with 235 units, is being built near the Fairfax County line, several miles away.
A busy bus line runs along Columbia Pike, and county planners hope one day to run light rail down the corridor.
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org Phone: 703/258-0827


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What affects the world affects us.
China's Leading Economic Index Rises for Fifth Month as Growth Stabilizes - Bloomberg: "An indicator of China’s economic outlook rose for a fifth month in September, adding to evidence the nation’s expansion has stabilized.
The Conference Board’s leading index rose 0.6 percent to 150.8, according to a preliminary report from the New York-based research organization, posted on its website today. The reading compared with a gain of 0.7 percent in August.
The gains “suggest the economy is likely to expand steadily through early 2011,” said William Adams , resident economist for The Conference Board China Center in Beijing. “However, weakening consumer sentiment and tighter monetary policy may be a concern going forward.”
A more-than-forecast acceleration in inflation to 4.4 percent, announced Nov. 11, stoked speculation that the central bank may further tighten monetary policy as the Chinese economy maintains momentum. Interest rates will rise again before year- end after an increase in October that was the first since 2007, according to a Bloomberg News survey of economists."


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REGINA — The union that represents hundreds of locked-out workers at a Regina refinery is calling for a nation-wide boycott of the facility’s owner, Federated Co-operatives Ltd.
Unifor announced Sunday that it would be launching a national boycott campaign with ads on TV, radio and billboards, and that there will be pickets at Co-op’s retail locations across Canada.
Unifor National president Jerry Dias says in a news release that the union wants local co-ops that own Federated Co-op to “speak out to the FCL board and use their power” to end the lockout.
The union says its TV ad will air at prime time in Western Canada, including during the men’s World Junior Hockey Championships over the holidays.
FCL responded to the announcement with a news release that called Unifor a “Toronto-based union” that “simply doesn’t understand the refining industry or the Western Canadian economy.”
More than 700 employees were locked out on Dec. 5 after Unifor issued a strike notice in a dispute where pensions are a key issue.


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Cosmetics giant Mamaearth has normally garnered headlines for its phenomenal rise in the Indian cosmetic sector market.
Given its acceptability among consumers and the near ubiquitous presence in urban markets, it is rather hard to believe that the brand is not even ten years old. It was only as recent as 2016 that the company was formed by IIM Bangalore passouts Varun and Ghazala Alagh.
Yet, such has been the performance of its skincare and babycare products that not just Mamaearth, the valuation of its parent company Honasa Consumer Private Limited has also skyrocketed. The companies operating profits have steadily moved towards Rs 20 crore per year. Its valuation has zoomed as well.
Mamaearth also became part of an unsavoury controversy courtesy actor Richa Chadda. Chadha. Chadha made a comment on Twitter apparently referring to the Galwan stand-off with China in which several Indian jawans also sacrificed their lives. The tweet was found by many to be offensive and disrespectful.
However, owing to Chadha’s association with Mamaearth, the brand also found itself dragged into the controversy.
“Brand Mamaearth does not support or subscribe to any offensive views or disparaging comments against our country or army. #saluteindianarmy” said the company in a Twitter post.
However, by that time many were already attacking the product. There were calls to boycott it.
A key question that arises is what should brands do to ensure that they are not stuck in similar confrontations.
Here are some takeaways from the Richa Chadha-Mamaearth affair:
Persona is part of the image
Brands often chose a celebrity based on the mass appeal of the person. However, it should be always kept in mind that celebrities are also people who like to be in news and are often at the centre of a controversy. Sometimes, these controversies are borne out of conviction, on others they are also created. So while choosing a brand ambassador, it is important that the brand examines to the personal, social and political conduct of the celeb they plan to rope in.
Do you want attributes to rub on to your company?
Maintain safe distance
During the Richa Chadha controversy, a lot of users on Twitter complained that Mamaearth tried to defend Chadha’s comments. It is important for a brand to know, that the celebrity has to lend credibility to the product and not the other way round.
If an action of the ambassador hurts the appeal of the brand – Disassociate.
This too shall pass
While keeping all this in mind, another facet that has to be noted is that the degree of reaction to controversy has to be measured. Brands have long lives, controversies do not. Every controversy has a shelf life. The brand has to ensure that it moves toward the right side of the debate.
Often, nothing drastic may be needed.
In the long run, the brand should become the celeb
Your customers are your customers because you have a product that gives them value. The celeb only brings attention to the product. In the long term, the value that the product brings should come to the centre stage.
Bisleri, Coca-Cola, Bata, Apple, and Gillette sell products worth millions, yet, they are not dependent on any one celeb backing them. The product is the celebrity.
Of course, celebs and stars have to play their role, but in the long run, it is the product that should get all the limelight.


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Samsung is working on launching the Samsung Galaxy M20 soon. If the recent reports are to be believed, the device will sport a massive 5,000 mAh battery making it the first device by the company to achieve such a feat.
To put it under perspective, the company’s current flagship, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 sports a 4,000 mAh battery.
Samsung Galaxy M20: Specifications we know so far
- Exynos 7885 chipset
- 3GB RAM
- 64GB of internal storage
- 6-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display with a waterdrop notch
- Dual rear camera (13MP + 5MP)
- 5MP front camera
- Rear mounted fingerprint scanner
- Expected Price: Eur 200
As far as the global launch is concerned, the Galaxy M20 is tipped to hit UK, Germany, France, Poland, and Scandinavia pretty soon.
As of now, there is no word on the official price of the device, but we can expect it to be priced somewhere around $300 – $350.
What are your thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy M20? Do let us know in the comments section down below. Also, do not forget to subscribe to Android Updated. To do so, just tap the bell icon at the bottom of your device screen.


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This is probably preaching to the choir but did everyone see the news about the air bag recall. Last nights evening news programs talked about it and it sounds serious as in shrapnel being fired at your face if the airbag goes off. There have been four deaths and numerous injuries. The link for the list of affected vehicles is http://www.nhtsa.gov For our favorite German car the list is 3 series 2000-2006. The part was made by a company in Japan. And we all thought our cars were pure German.
This airbag recall has been popping up in the news from time to time for months. IIRC, BMW announced it back in July or so and supposedly sent out notifications to the owners of affected cars. I remember seeing the announcement in the CCA weekly e-newsletter and also in the Roundel a couple of issues ago.
It’ll be interesting to see how this recall develops as more and more cars get drawn into it. The manufacturer is reportedly having trouble keeping up with demand for replacement units, with some people being denied appointments to have the work done because of lack of stock.


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CSC to Promote Use of Electric Vehicles in Rural India
The government’s Common Services Centre (CSC) scheme has launched a rural e-mobility campaign urging people to switch to electric vehicles and preserve the environment by reducing carbon footprint.
The CSC scheme is a special purpose vehicle under the Ministry of Electronics and IT. It aims to set up more than one lakh IT-enabled access points under a public-private partnership model.
“The programme at 100 CSCs will enable people to acquire e-scooters and e-rickshaws in rural and semi-urban areas,” said CSC Managing Director Dinesh Tyagi.
“Various e-vehicles manufacturers and financial institutions have been roped in to offer loans on affordable interest rates,” he said adding efforts are also being made to set up charging infrastructure at CSCs.
The e-mobility programme will contribute to economic growth in rural areas and generate employment opportunities across the country, said Tyagi.


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O2 has signed a deal with Napster, the online music site, that gives the mobile operator's subscribers access to 5 million tracks for download to both the phone and PC.
The service, which will extend O2's current limited music offering, prices individual songs at 99p and bundles of five at £4.
The mobile music market is attracting increasing interest from all mobile operators. Digital downloads to PCs and phones shot up by 50 per cent last year and is expected to outstrip the ringtone market, which was worth £250m in the UK last year.
The partnership with Napster is good for O2 because of both the strength of the site's brand, and because it gives customers access to a music library five times larger than that of its nearest mobile competitor. It also brings established relationships with music publishers.
"In dealing with the music industry it is important to have a partner with contacts with the leading labels because we need all the parts to come together," said Antony Douglas, head of entertainment content at O2.
Content deals with mobile operators are also central to music publishers' attempts to reinvent themselves in the face of rising online piracy. Singles sales, typically to young people, is the market most hard-hit by illegal downloads. The music industry is hoping that making individual tracks available digitally for dual download will help to recapture the youth spend.
"There is a paradigm shift from bricks and mortar to the digital world and O2 is essentially offering a retail space with 18.5 million customers," said Matt Ward, the firm's head of music.
Part of the attraction for Napster, which already runs a similar service in eight other regions of the world, is not only O2's market-leading position in the mobile music sector, but also future plans linked to wider sponsorship arrangements.
"O2 was an obvious partner because of its significant footprint in the music world, such as sponsorship of the Wireless Festival and the O2 Dome," Thor-sten Schliesche, Napster's European marketing dir-ector, said.
Possibilities include dir-ect marketing of exclusive live tracks or merchandising available for download via the phone immediately after a concert.
The track prices offered through the deal reflect an industry-wide trend to align prices with Apple's iTunes site. Windsor Holden, a principal analyst at Juniper Research, said: "All the operators are fishing around for a model that is attractive to customers and makes financial sense."Reuse content


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Final Brexit Nears | Uncertainty Looms Over EU-UK Tourism
LONDON: This month, just four weeks shy of the final Brexit, the UK and the U.S. signed a new bilateral open skies agreement to ensure flights between the two countries would continue as of January 1, 2021, without “interruption due to regulatory uncertainty” when European Union laws stop applying to the UK.
But uncertainty is exactly what European destinations are dealing with in the absence of clear guidance on how tourism will operate seamlessly between the UK and the EU starting in the new year.
“The lack of information we have so far is agonizing,” Luís Araújo, president of Visit Portugal and new president of the European Travel Commission, said at a recent webinar hosted by the European Tourism Association, discussing the impact of Brexit on travel between the UK and the EU. “The issues related with visas, the health system, insurances, traveling with pets, working permits, driving licenses, taxes all these issues have to be very clearly set up until the first of January.”
From this discussion among the UK’s major tourism markets, including Ireland, Germany, Spain, France, and Portugal, on the consequences of post-transition Brexit, the main takeaway is this: the lack of clarity on issues related to travel and tourism between the UK and the EU. So close to 2021 and on top of Covid restriction, that lack of clarity is likely to cause consumer and trade insecurity at the start of the year if travelers and travel companies have no idea what they need to do to be in compliance.
The final Brexit will particularly affect UK-based tour operators that sell the EU and send travelers to EU member states. “The only alteration will be that those companies based in the UK that sell Europe to people resident in the UK: they will no longer have to account for value-added tax (VAT) through the Tour Operators Margin Scheme,” Tom Jenkins, CEO of the European Tourism Association, told.
Despite the remaining uncertainty around UK-EU tourism, Brexit hasn’t dampened sales of leisure travel thus far; destinations such as Germany, Spain and France shared that they expect continued consumer travel demand between the UK and EU primary tourism markets. How much consumer confidence will be impacted by January 1 as a result of Brexit uncertainty, however, remains to be seen.
What’s really proving to be “a long slog” as the European Tourism Association Director of Policy Tim Fairhurst told, is “building consensus on comparable safe-to-travel protocols” and related technology such as testing and health passports.
“By far, the biggest obstacle to seamless travel is the management of public health precautions,” Fairhust said.
With the final Brexit stage less than a month away, it’s likely travelers and EU-UK tourism providers will face an initial period of uncertainty and inefficiency going into 2021, as the UK and the EU will be pushed to make rapid cross-border adjustments for the safe and smooth movement and flow of people and services.


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Autogrill’s chief executive said on Thursday he was upbeat about its long-term prospects although the Italian caterer booked a 480 million euro loss last year when the pandemic emptied bars and restaurants it runs in airports and motorways.
The group controlled by the Benetton family said adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) fell 82% year-on-year to 155 million euros ($185.75 million).
Sales came in at 2 billion euros, more than halved from 2019.
The Milan-based group said revenue fell about 65% year-on-year at constant exchange rates in January and February this year.
Despite a weak start to the year, it expects revenue to come in at between 2.4 billion and 2.8 billion euros this year and reach 4.7 billion in 2024.
Underlying operating margin, a measure of profitability, is seen touching 6.0% in 2024.
Autogrill, which plans to launch a rights issue of up to 600 million euros later this year, said it extended the covenant waiver period on some of its credit facilities through Dec. 31 2022, assuming the positive outcome of a covenant test in September 2022.


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The volume of whisky exports has also risen by nearly a third (32%) during the same period, revealed new analysis from the government, based on the latest figures from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
As revellers across the globe prepare to enjoy a wee dram (or more), as part of their New Year celebrations, the most lucrative top five markets for whisky exports were revealed to be: the US, France, Singapore, Spain and Germany.
Top export destinations
Ranked by the volume of sales, the top export destinations were France, the US, Spain, Singapore and Germany.
Scotland’s food and drink minister Richard Lochhead said: “Scotch Whisky is one of our most iconic products and these figures demonstrate the huge global demand for whisky. I’ve made growing the food and drink industry one of my main priorities since coming to office and I’m particularly pleased that these results show a 51% rise in the value of exports since 2007.”
Lochhead confirmed that Scotch whisky is exported to 173 countries, to destinations as varied as: Brazil, China, Bermuda, Papua New Guinea and the Vatican City. “This just exemplifies how important Scotch whisky is not only to the Scottish economy, but to our deserved reputation as a land of food and drink,” he added.
The Scottish diaspora was cited as another reason for the growing popularity of, what some regard as, the water of life. “It’s estimated that up to 50M people worldwide can claim Scottish ancestry, and many more have a connection with Scotland through visiting, working or studying in Scotland,” said Lochhead.
“I have no doubt that some of them will be raising a glass of Scotland’s finest as they bid a fond farewell to 2013 and look forward to the opportunities that 2014 can bring. Especially, as Scotland welcomes the world through Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Commonwealth Games and The Ryder Cup.”
Meanwhile, Scotch is now significantly more popular with French drinkers than cognac, environment secretary Owen Paterson told the Food and Drink Federation’s president’s reception in early December.
“I can’t resist telling you the great whisky fact, which you must all repeat whenever you see a Frenchman,” said Paterson. “The French drink more Scotch whisky in a month than they drink French cognac in a whole year.”


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Many consider China’s vast portfolio of U.S. Treasuries as their not-so-secret weapon in the ongoing trade war. And it some ways, that is certainly true. China could decide to liquidate much or all of its U.S. bond holdings in response to rising tariffs and use other tactics, like currency devaluation.
But such a move would damage their economy along with America’s. The Chinese are smarter than that.
China State Media Hints at Embargo
Besides, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has another, more tangible ace up its sleeve. As unbelievable as it sounds, China holds a near global monopoly on the supply —or more accurately, the processing capacity—of rare earth elements (REE).
Should China decide to impose an embargo against the sale of REEs to the United States, the American economy and the U.S. military would be scrambling to replace them, at least in the short run.
That’s not overstating this situation, by the way. As Foreign Policy magazine recently observed, “Beijing could slam every corner of the American economy, from oil refineries to wind turbines to jet engines, by banning exports of crucial minerals.” The list of REE-critical products includes smartphones, special alloys, navigation systems, and much more.
China, of course, is well aware of this. In fact, China’s state-run media have been promoting an embargo, or leveraging the threat of one, in response to the U.S. tariffs on Chinese products, and specifically, against the U.S. blacklisting of Huawei, China’s biggest telecom equipment manufacturer and a leader in 5G networks. Since all media in China is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it’s a certainty that this message is being sent to U.S. trade negotiators directly from the CCP.
China Made This Play Before
If China does stop selling REEs to the United States, it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve played that card. In 2006, China began limiting its exports of REEs, reducing them by 40 percent until 2010. The reduction caused the prices of non-China-sourced REEs to skyrocket. China also took advantage of its market dominance and stopped selling to Japan in retribution for a maritime incident.
After the United States, along with Japan and Europe, prevailed against China in a WTO fight in 2015, China dramatically dropped its REE prices and drove the only active REE processing plant in the United States, Molycorp, into bankruptcy. At that time China produced 95 percent of the world’s rare earth metals.
How Did We Get Here?
But how has the U.S. allowed itself to be put in such bind? Wouldn’t it make sense to have secured an American or at least a friendly source of these REEs on which so much of our military preparedness and our economy are reliant? Shouldn’t that have been a priority, say, decades ago?
Actually, it was. But that changed in 1980, when rare earth mineral mining and processing came under the purview of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Regulatory guidelines became increasingly restrictive, driving up costs, steadily decreasing U.S. producers’ competitiveness. By the mid-1990s, the U.S. was no longer producing RREs.
Today, China supplies 80 percent of U.S. REEs.
Rare Earth Elements Aren’t so Rare After All
Fortunately, REEs aren’t rare at all. In fact, they’re actually quite plentiful around the world, even in the United States. The 17 elements that are categorized as REEs have magnetic and conductive aspects and are typically unearthed as a result of mining operations, but most are present in only small amounts. There are few, if any, specific “rare earth mines.”
The costs and health risks of producing REEs are in the processing. For instance, since toxins and radiation are a by-product of processing REEs, many Western nations’ environmental and labor laws make processing them both costly and a health risk to miners. It has been easier much cheaper for other nations to let China produce them, since neither health codes nor environmental standards are significant factors there.
An REE Shortage Crisis?
But the costs of allowing China to gain the upper hand in the world’s supply of REEs are now becoming clear. If China does in fact restrict REE sales to the United States in the near future, it would certainly impact both the consumer product markets and the military.
The key question is, how long it would take to bridge the supply gap and find alternatives?
One mitigating factor is Australian-based Lynas, the world’s only major rare-earth producer outside of China. It has partnered with Texas-based Blue Line to establish U.S. operations by 2021. However, the United States still lacks any REE processing capacity, representing a critical and ongoing vulnerability in its military capabilities.
But the news isn’t all bad. The Mountain Pass mine in California is currently being prepared to ramp up REE processing operations by 2020. Coincidentally, Mountain Pass was previously owned by Molycorp, which had invested over $1.5 billion in the processing project, before being forced out of business by China in 2015.
The critical role that REEs play in both military and consumer products is impossible to overstate. The U.S. economy is dependent upon a steady and dependable supply. If America is to be successful in its bid to roll back China’s power and influence over the rest of the world, ensuring its own supply of strategic REE is not just an option, it’s a necessity.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.


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New York’s plastic bag ban starts Sunday. Here’s everything you need to know.
New York’s plastic bag ban takes effect on Sunday, and stores across the borough are frantically preparing, educating customers on the new protocol, buying paper bags in bulk and even creating incentive programs to encourage shoppers to bring their own containers.
Starting March 1, all New Yorkers will have to bring their own reusable bags to the grocery store or pay five cents for a paper one. (The fee will not apply to SNAP or WIC customers.)
The legislation, signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Earth Day of last year, will not only cut down on litter across the state, but will also protect wildlife from ingesting plastic and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic bag production and disposal.
Garment bags, trash bags and bags used to wrap foods like fruits and sliced meats are exempt from the ban.
In preparation for the ban, Union Market has created an informational campaign dubbed BYOBag to educate customers on the new law. Store management has also instructed all cashiers to speak to customers, and there are signs up all around the store. In addition, the chain will be giving a 10-cent discount to every customer that brings his or her own bag.
“It’s self-explanatory. It’s the right thing for the environment, and we really care,” said Carlos Alfara, director of produce for all Union Market stores. “Our clientele also appreciate the fact that we care about the environment. Yes, it’s going to be a little bit of transition for many stores — being a shortage of bags or whatever it may be — but we wanted to be proactive on it.”
For smaller mom-and-pop stores, however, the new ban has increased costs.
“The price difference is almost triple — paper bags are more expensive,” said Joe Kim, owner of Sunny Delicatessen in Brooklyn Heights.
“In the beginning it will be inconvenient for the customers, but I guess it’s something that you get used to, and then they will start bringing their own bag. I’m trying to get rid of what I have now.”
He said he would keep boxes on hand that he normally throws out just in case people need to carry groceries in them.
One of the owners of Deli & Grocery Fresh Fruit and Vegetables on Henry Street, who did not give her name, said, “We’re all ready. We bought plenty of paper bags.”
New York joins Hawaii and California as one of only three states in the country to enact statewide bans on plastic bags.
New Yorkers use more than 23 billion single-use plastic bags per year, and the average life cycle of a plastic bag is only 15 minutes, according to Riverkeeper, a water advocacy nonprofit.
Jeremy Cherson, legislative advocacy manager of the group, said that while the ban is a good first step, it’s not enough. He said the restaurant industry in New York City is massive and that delivery and food ordering services like Grub Hub and Uber Eats use a copious number of bags.
The organization leads an annual cleanup of more than 100 sites along the Hudson River and continually finds that plastic bags are the most-picked-up items.
Cherson warned that residents shouldn’t become equally reliant on paper bags — which come with their own set of environmental burdens.
He said that, because paper bags are heavier than plastic ones, they require more fossil fuels for transport, and they also take up more space in landfills, adding to an ongoing recycling crisis.
Some groups, like Bag the Ban, have criticized the new law, saying consumers will instead buy containers that require even more fossil fuels to create and that it could lead to paper bag shortages.
“They’re cheap, convenient, waterproof, strong enough to hold groceries but thin and light enough to make and transport using scant energy, water or other resources,” John Tierney wrote of plastic bags in The Wall Street Journal.
“Though they’re called single-use, most people reuse them, typically as trashcan liners. When governments ban them, consumers buy thicker substitutes with a bigger carbon footprint.”
There is also fear that the Coronavirus epidemic could affect New York’s supply of re-usable bags, since China is the largest exporter, according to the Staten Island Advance.
Still, the city, elected officials and stores across the borough are preparing for the new changes to take effect.
The Department of Sanitation will be joined by Assemblymember Robert Carroll in handing out reusable bags outside 1077 Coney Island Ave. on Friday, as well as outside the Windsor Farms Market in Windsor Terrace and the C Town supermarket in Park Slope on Saturday.
Follow reporter Scott Enman on Twitter.
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President Bill Clinton has announced a raft of proposals to head off the year 2000 crisis. Clinton wants companies which give year 2000 advice to be legally shielded from court action. Companies which...
Companies are challenging Amazon in retail and cloud
Cosmetics firm is undergoing a top-to-toe tech refresh with GDPR compliance thrown in
DFS resorts to cloud to help handle spikes in online demand
Economy and business performance not a problem, reckon small firms
Charity engages Braintree to move away from previous payment system which was in danger of failing and losing millions of pounds of donations, admits CTO


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Courier Company Picks Up Jumbo Jets on Taobao
The name of e-commerce platform Taobao can be literally translated as “digging for treasure.” But a recent sale on the site shows that treasure can be found in the clouds, as well as underground.
Chinese air freight company SF Airlines just bought a pair of Boeing 747 jumbo jets that had been seized by the Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court through the site’s judicial auction arm. The price tag was over 320 million yuan ($48 million).
- 1Power To The People: Pintec Serves A Booming Consumer Class
- 2Largest hotel group in Europe accepts UnionPay
- 3UnionPay mobile QuickPass debuts in Hong Kong
- 4UnionPay International launches premium catering privilege U Dining Collection
- 5UnionPay International’s U Plan has covered over 1600 stores overseas


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Smartisan took the wraps off the Nut Pro 2s in a ceremony held in China on Monday. The company also announced a number of other products which include a TNT Workstation, an Infinite screen as well as Bullet SMS. A new Smartisan OS 6.6.5 which has a new lock screen, frosted glass feature for privacy and a game acceleration mode was also announced. The Nut Pro 2s runs on the new OS.
Towards the end of the conference, Smartisan’s CEO Lao Luo released a blockbuster news that the company will be launching its next-generation OS development plan in the next six months. What makes the news interesting is the disclosure that the new operating system is not developed based on Android. Also, the OS compatibility will extend beyond mobile phones. The TNT workstation which was first announced during the Nut R1 launch and then during the Nut Pro 2S launch is an example of the multi-platform seamless operation experience which the new OS will offer. The Smartisan TNT Workstation reminds us of the Microsoft Surface Studio but doesn’t run on Window. However, it can be used as an interface to display the Smartisan R1 and Nut Pro 2s on the large display. Already, the Workstation comes with custom office programs (TNT Word, TNT PPT, and TNT Excel) with live animation preview, voice input, and command support, text drag and drop, and text style modification.
Apparently, Smartisan is now trying to unify the OS to create seamless operation across multiple platforms (smartphones and desktop PC). This is a lofty ambition which may likely not fly. At present, only Apple has been able to achieve its own software and hardware integration for PC and phones without reliance on other operating systems. All other OEMs in the smartphone industry rely squarely on Android OS. Samsung had attempted to take on Android with the Tizen OS but that project seems to have been abandoned, with Tizen currently being used only on Samsung smartwatches, smart TV and other smart home gadgets. Samsung phones are powered by Android OS while the budget Tizen-powered Z-series seems to have been rested. The major issue was the large app database available on Android. Well, Smartisan is postured as an innovative and ambitious company and so, it could actually have something up its sleeves that’ll rock the boat.


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IFS has delivered an exceptional Q1 performance, with ACV bookings up 78 percent year on year and recurring revenues up a significant 45 percent year on year.
The company continues to report growing demand for its cloud technology, resulting in an increase in cloud revenues of 67 percent year on year despite market challenges and geopolitical disruptions. Share of recurring revenue is now at 70 percent of total revenue, while software revenue growth is up by 25 percent year on year.
The company’s strong performance helps provide performance predictability beyond 2022, which, combined with the Hg investment in March at a valuation of $10bn, firmly secures its position as a leading global cloud enterprise software vendor.
Investments made into IFS Cloud continue to drive demand thanks to new functionality developed in the IFS Cloud April 2022 release, as well as the availability of Customer Experience Management, which is now integrated in the technology platform following the acquisition of Customerville just nine months ago.
Darren Roos, CEO of IFS, said: “For the last four years, IFS has consistently outperformed the market and Q1 is an extension of this trend. Our first quarter of 2022 has delivered exceptional results across the board, and I am proud that these continue to be a validation of our strategy. Both through our software and our success services, we are making it possible for customers to buy and consume technology in the way that creates the most value for them, so they can deliver amazing Moments of Service™ to their customers.”
Constance Minc, CFO at IFS, added: “Q1 is another quarter where IFS has delivered great performance. This is particularly significant because we are achieving this across all our metrics, which paints the picture of a strong and healthy business focused on growth and profitability. Q1 shows a continued shift in the quality of the revenue mix with 70 percent of the total revenue base now being recurring. These strong results highlight the relevance of IFS in its market and demonstrate we have the right growth strategy.”


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Korea’s Macrogen Joins Forces with Bigster to Create Blockchain-based Medical Data Platform
South Korea biotechnology company Macrogen, stated in their press release on Monday, August 6, 2018, that they will join forces with Bigstor, a local data company to create a blockchain-based medical genome data distribution platform.
The use of blockchain technology will help store and transmit large amounts of genomic data, enhance the security of personal genome information, and reliably handle large volumes of genetic data.
Genome information platform built on top of consortium blockchain technology
According to Business Korea, the genome information platform uses the consortium blockchain technology. Macrogen and Bigstor will work together with a network of health professionals including pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, gene-sequencing companies, and research institutions.
A consortium blockchain is a partly private blockchain. Unlike private blockchains, Vitalik Buterin mentioned on the Ethereum blog that consortium blockchains, “provides a hybrid between the low-trust provided by public blockchains and the single highly trusted entity model of private blockchains.”
A consortium blockchain would, therefore, appear like a centralized system with cryptographic auditability attached. While the consortium blockchain limits the participation of the group to several members, for Macrogen and Bigstor, it is straightforward to expand and manage.
In this situation, the use of blockchain technology will ensure high encryption of the information and provide significant data processing capabilities. These factors are essential to take into account gene data is highly sensitive since it carries crucial information concerning someone’s biological makeup and therefore requires high-security measures.
Protecting Personal Information
The Korea Herald reported that the companies plan to finish the platform by June in 2019. They, however, face many competitors since they are not the only company keen to launch a blockchain-based medical platform in South Korea.
However, “ although genomic data is widely used, it has not been easy to distribute and utilize because of the issue of protecting personal information,” said Yang Gap-Seok, the CEO of Macrogen. “We expect to create an ecosystem that can freely distribute big genomic data by building a distribution platform based on the blockchain.”


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April 30 (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co is in talks to buy
energy drink maker Monster Beverage Corp, the Wall
Street Journal reported on Monday, sending Monster's shares up
An acquisition of Monster, which had a market capitalization
of more than $11 billion, would be the largest brand acquisition
for Coca-Cola, according to the paper, and would give the
world's biggest soft-drink maker greater exposure to the growing
energy drink market.
A Monster spokeswoman said it is the company's policy not to
comment on rumors.
A spokesman for Coca-Cola was not immediately available to
Monster Beverage, earlier known as Hansen Natural, was taken
public by current CEO Rodney Sacks in 1992. Sacks still has a
7.3 percent stake in the company, according to Thomson Reuters
Speculation about whether Coca-Cola would buy Monster has
surfaced in the past, due to Monster's high growth and the fact
that Coca-Cola distributes Monster's energy drinks.
The company's shares nearly doubled over the past year even
before Monday's jump. As of Friday's close, the company's market
capitalization was about $11.4 billion based on the number of
share outstanding as of February 24.
Near midday, Monster shares were up $8.20, or 12.5 percent,
to $73.73 on the Nasdaq. Coke shares were down 63 cents, or 0.8
percent, at $76 on the New York Stock Exchange.


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Most grownup vapers of non-tobacco flavoured e-cigarettes overwhelmingly oppose flavour restrictions, in line with a current examine.
The examine, performed by the Worldwide Tobacco Management Coverage Analysis Undertaking at the College of Waterloo, examined whether or not common vapers from Canada, England and the US who solely use non-tobacco flavoured e-cigarettes, would help or oppose a ban on all non-tobacco flavours and the way they’d doubtlessly reply to such a coverage.
“Our study helps to fill the gaps in evidence of the possible impact of e-cigarette flavour bans, following from other studies that have predicted how smokers respond to tobacco control policies such as tax increases and menthol bans,” stated Professor Geoffrey Fong, co-author and the principal investigator of the ITC Undertaking.
The vaping trade produces 1000’s of flavoured vaping merchandise, comparable to tobacco, menthol, fruit, and sweet. With rising charges of youth vaping, regulators in some international locations are grappling with selections on learn how to greatest regulate vaping product flavours to guard public well being. A ban on flavoured vaping merchandise intends to discourage vaping amongst youth. However it isn’t clear whether or not a flavour ban would additionally discourage vaping amongst grownup people who smoke who vape, who additionally like flavours. Nevertheless, it’s unknown whether or not there may very well be unintended results of a flavour ban. For instance, might those that have used flavoured e-cigarettes to chop down or give up smoking threat relapsing to smoking if flavoured e-cigarettes are now not obtainable?
Within the examine, 82 per cent of the 851 vapers surveyed within the three international locations say they oppose a flavour ban, 13 per cent help it, and 5 per cent are not sure.
Vapers have been then requested what they may do if there was a ban on the flavours they have been at present vaping. Of the 57 per cent who reported they’d proceed vaping, half would vape an obtainable authorized flavour (tobacco flavour within the U.S., tobacco and menthol in Canada and England), and the opposite half reported that they’d discover a solution to get their most popular flavour(s) after the ban. About one in 5 vapers stated they’d cease vaping and smoke as a substitute, with 13 per cent reporting that they didn’t know what they’d do.
“Our findings raise the possibility that banning some flavoured vaping products may dissuade some adult smokers from vaping, with the possibility that they would return to smoking cigarettes, which are clearly much more harmful than vaping products, given that we know that at least half of regular smokers die of a smoking-caused disease,” stated ITC analysis assistant professor Shannon Gravely, who was lead creator of the examine.
The examine, “Responses to potential nicotine vaping product flavor restrictions among regular vapers using non-tobacco flavors: Findings from the 2020 ITC Smoking and Vaping Survey in Canada, England and the United States,” was not too long ago printed within the journal Addictive Behaviors.
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are usually not chargeable for the accuracy of reports releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing establishments or for using any info by the EurekAlert system.


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After a busy few weeks its good to be able to sit and take stock! Our next show will be the IMDPA in October so no more travelling for the time being! We’re getting busier at Canmaking News HQ, there’s certainly no sign that we’re slowing down for the summer. We’ve got some excellent podcasts and features in the works so keep an eye out on our social media channels for all the latest updates!
It’s festival season in the UK and we’re so pleased to see more and more people drinking out of cans! The market for canned food and drink continues to boom as more and more companies switch their packaging in favour of something far more sustainable. This trend shows no sign of slowing down which of course is excellent news for our industry.
You’ve been busy….
The canned spirits category has seen a boom in the last year – showcasing 123% growth – as consumers seek convenient and portable products to integrate into their lifestyles. In tandem with this growth, the flavoured whiskey category continues to grow at four times the rate of unflavoured whiskey. As a category creator and industry innovator, Skrewball Whiskey sought to merge these two areas of consumer demand with the introduction of their new 100ml can, the novel straight flavoured whiskey offering in this format. Find out more here.
Heineken is set to build a 1.8 billion peso, or $90 million, can manufacturing plant in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua near its brewery in the town of Mequoi, the company said this week. The plant, Heineken’s seventh in the country, will bring around 120 direct jobs after opening and around 150 during the construction phase, it said in a press release.
CCL Container has introduced a unique, matrix-shaped aluminium bottle that can be fully customised to brand specifications. With distinctive vertical lines and sharp angles, the container is a prime example of the unconventional shaping capabilities made possible with CCL Container’s proprietary BodyShapes technology. Read more here.
We were delighted to attend Paris Packaging Week from the ADF. Day 1 saw the event’s first sustainability eco tour kick off, a highly busy exhibition tour, the PCD awards ceremony, full conference rooms and a lot of conversations at the various networking bars, we very quickly found the champagne bar! Day 2 saw the award winners announced, find out who won here.
Stay tuned for all the latest news and insights from the Canmaking News team.
Get full access to the site and the latest industry news and insights delivered straight to your inbox – free. Canmaking News will keep you informed through our weekly news alerts.


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Alstom and Saft's innovative energy storage goes live at EDF's Concept Grid
BNEF's forecast to 2040 sees $2.2 trillion boom in small-scale solar as consumers seize control of their power, and weaker growth in electricity demand, but prospects for the climate are bleak
Company Emerges from Stealth with $50M in Private Capital and a Revolutionary New Technology That Will Slash Today's Lithium-Ion Battery Costs by 50%
A German company has ordered two fuel cell stacks of the S2 platform of 25 kW each.
CalCom Solar Recognized by Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development with California Competes Award
Cal Competes Spurs Additional Solar Deployment and Job Creation in Central Valley by Providing Tax Credits to Fast-growing Companies like CalCom Solar
Today, 24M emerged from stealth mode to introduce the semisolid lithium-ion cell, a revolutionary technology that solves the grand challenge of energy storage by enabling a new, cost-effective class of the lithium-ion battery. 24M’s semisolid lithium-ion is the most significant advancement in lithium-ion technology in more than two decades and combines an overhaul in battery cell design with a series of manufacturing innovations that, when fully implemented, will slash today’s lithium-ion costs by 50% and improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries. The technology will accelerate the global adoption of affordable energy storage. Until now, the energy storage field has had two options to try to drive down costs – build massive and complex factories to produce lithium-ion batteries in high volumes or pursue entirely new chemistries that may never move from the lab to the commercial floor. With the invention of the semisolid lithium-ion battery, 24M presents a third option – work with the world’s preferred energy storage chemistry and unlock new opportunities for cost reductions through new cell design and manufacturing innovations. 24M’s platform is the most significant advancement in lithium-ion technology since its debut more than 20 years ago.
UniEnergy Technologies Announces Commissioning of Largest Capacity Flow Battery in North America and Europe
The largest capacity flow battery operating in North America and Europe.
The conference and exhibition gave the energy industry the chance to celebrate achievement, tackle challenges and highlight future opportunities
Parker's energy transfer systems will connect energy from Alevo's battery modules as part of large-scale 200 Megawatt energy transfer operation
European Network for Cyber Security (ENCS) announces research project around Electric Vehicle (EV) smart charging with Enexis and ElaadNL
ENCS is conducting research as a consortium member of the FP7 AMADEOS project
The sun sets on the world's leading exhibition for the solar industry and its partners in Munich
ees Europe 2015 packs a punch with higher exhibitor numbers and dedicated conference
Following in the footsteps of Tesla and Mercedes-Benz, Nissan is now set to become the latest automaker to offer battery packs for stationary energy storage. Although pricing information has yet to be provided, the Nissan product should be relatively affordable, as it will incorporate used batteries from Nissan Leaf electric cars. Nissan designed the battery packs as part of the 4R Energy joint venture with Sumitomo Corp., and has partnered with commercial energy storage company Green Charge Networks to manufacture them. While Nissan is the source of the actual "second life" lithium-ion batteries that no longer meet the demands of automotive use, Green Charge is providing the power management software. According to Nissan, this is the first time that used EV batteries have been commercially utilized for such an application. "A lithium-ion battery from a Nissan Leaf still holds a great deal of value as energy storage, even after it is removed from the vehicle, so Nissan expects to be able to reuse a majority of Leaf battery packs in non-automotive applications," says Brad Smith, director of Nissan's 4R Energy business in the US. Cont'd..
The company's technology doubles the capacity, lowers the cost, and extends the life of lithium-ion batteries
By Richard Martin for The MIT Technology Review: A group of Stanford researchers have come up with a nanoscale “designer carbon” material that can be adjusted to make energy storage devices, solar panels, and potentially carbon capture systems more powerful and efficient. The designer carbon that has reached the market in recent years shares the Swiss-cheese-like structure of activated carbon, enhancing its ability to catalyze certain chemical reactions and store electrical charges; but it’s “designed” in the sense that the chemical composition of the material, and the size of the pores, can be manipulated to fit specific uses. The designer carbon tested at Stanford is “both versatile and controllable,” according to Zhenan Bao, a professor of chemical engineering and the senior author of the study, which appeared in the latest issue of the journal ACS Central Science. “Producing high-surface-area carbons with controlled chemical composition and morphology is really challenging,” says Bao. Other methods currently available, she says, “are either quite expensive or they don’t offer control over the chemical structure and morphology.” Cont'd...
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Energy Storage & Grids - Featured Product
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We're all familiar with QR codes by now. We’ve seen them printed nonchalantly on Car Magazine adverts, event tickets and glossy posters. Across Europe and the US, we recognise them as a way to access an event or engage with a brand, directing us to ‘find
out more’ via their webpages. Fundamentally, we consider QR codes to be convenient access points, but not until recently have we started to utilize their payment capabilities.
This differs us considerably from Asia and Africa, where QR codes are integral to financial networks and, indeed, financial growth. Fifteen million small and micro-merchants in China use Alipay QR code payments, whilst nine million member merchants use India’s
Paytm, the popularity of these apps only expected to gain more momentum over the next couple of years. In Africa, small business restaurant owners have taken to printing QR codes on receipts so customers can pay and leave as soon as they’ve finished eating.
There’s been such massive pick-up across these regions because QR codes are not only accessible to all, but they’re also incredibly versatile, especially for small businesses. All transactions can be completed through a smartphone or tablet, meaning merchants
are able to receive payment without needing to invest in installing a physical payment system.
There have been rumblings of QR-code take-up in the UK market, too. Consider China Town as an example. A bustling metropolis of steaming Asian food and chirpy tourists nestled in London’s beating heart. When passing corner shop windows and restaurant doors,
you’ll notice QR codes pasted across them, encouraging Chinese tourists to scan and consume. Harrods, meanwhile, has reported that £1 out of every £5 spent by Chinese visitors to London is spent within its walls, so could we expect to see more use of QR codes
there as well as in other high end department stores to cater for Asian customers in the UK?
One might argue not. Looking at the maturity of our banking systems, QR codes are unlikely to ever achieve the level of ubiquity they’ve enjoyed in Asia or Africa, where they’ve effectively replaced cash payments for P2P and small business transactions.
Whilst scanning a QR code seems a welcome novelty to us in the UK, we must consider the fundamental disparities between banking systems across the world. Banking systems in Europe have evolved differently; payment acceptance potential of QR codes was leap-frogged
long ago by the popularity of contactless cards, PAY apps and mobile wallets. As investment in this infrastructure has already taken place – and heavy investment at that – QR code payments here could seemingly be redundant.
On the other hand, there is another compelling role for QR codes to play across Europe, based on the wider change in expectations of fast, seamless payments, and a ‘tap and go’ experience. One successful application of QR codes has been by
Tesco, which linked its Clubcard loyalty scheme and mobile payments app, Pay+, enabling customers to earn and spend loyalty points on their shopping in its retail stores with the
simple scan of a code. The system has increased velocity at the checkout by removing the need for customers to carry a separate loyalty card, and ensures they see the benefits of shopping regularly in the store in terms of discount vouchers. Likewise, the
retail sector in Italy has broadened its payment options over the past twelve months, with SIA’s Jiffy now enabling QR code payments. Customers in a number of hypermarkets across
the country are able to use their smartphone to scan and pay. So, for the purpose of combining payments with loyalty schemes and data collection, we could argue QR has a place in our shops, restaurants and services, albeit somewhat limited.
Ultimately, the UK has become accustomed to contactless cards and mobile banking, which, in essence, do exactly the same thing as a QR code without the added effort of downloading bespoke apps. Once contactless is embedded, any form of payment attempting
to replace it must bring a major and unique advantage. For QR, those advantages are easy, cheap deployment for smaller businesses or the ability to add data or intelligence that connects to a customer loyalty system for larger ones. So, whilst there does exist
a role for QR codes in the payments space, we’re likely to continue associating them with event access and brand interaction for now.


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Saks department stores go unique on up end, competitive on mass product
June 18, 2003,
New York — Proprietary product now makes up more than a quarter of the merchandise at Saks Inc.'s Saks Department Store Group in its efforts to combat the issues, such as sameness of product, the department store industry has been facing. The division will also compete with discounters on certain branded products.
Speaking at Credit Suisse First Boston's Retail, Apparel, Food/Drug, Restaurant and REIT conference here this week, Brad Martin, chairman and ceo, said that merchandise differentiation includes procuring merchandise from unique vendors, selections from emerging suppliers or exclusive product from core vendors. The private-label programs, which were at 17 percent two years ago, now account for 26 percent of the overall assortment.
SDSG has also addressed pricing issues, and 15 percent to 20 percent of its branded merchandise that is also available through the mass channel will be competitively priced. "We will not be undersold on products of that nature."
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Trade supplier Rock Insurance has welcomed a new entrant into the supplier failure cover market saying it brings much-needed choice for travel agencies.
Spanish firm Mapfre Group has struck exclusive agreements with both Rock and Advantage to sit behind new policies.
This means that there are now three providers in the market, Mapfre, which last year bought Insureandgo, joining NWIC and IPP.
Antony Martin, managing director of Rock Insurance, said : “What they [Mapfre] are trying to do is show some commitment to the sector.
“They are doing travel insurance and other product lines, so supplier failure cover was a natural evolution.
“They are keen to partner with people in the UK, they are quite dynamic and entrepreneurial in their approach.”
Rock Insurance has of late been working only with NWIC, which Martin had proved itself as a “highly creditable” underwriter.
Rock will continue to offer products backed by NWIC which he expected to continue to be popular due to the reputation it has built up.
“NWIC has been in the market three years. There is a trust and loyalty thing there. I’m a big believer in if it’s not broken don’t fix it.
Martin said the new Mapfre insurance product means agents will be able to earn additional commission from selling the new cover.
Martin said: “It’ really important that the agents have choice. It’s a very simple product to purchase, there is not a long-winded claims procedure.
“Plus it’s a policy of first resort so it does not sit behind a credit card when there’s a claim.
“We have put in a really sold business plan. We showed them the trends in the industry and obviously while there are issues because we are not in a very god trading environment we think all the big failures have happened.
“The important thing on this product is it protects the agent. As we saw when XL Leisure Group went down and claims really ramped up for agents and this could put them out of business.”
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After revealing its plans to enter the cryptocurrency debit card segment last week, Binance has officially debuted its Binance Card for users based in the United Kingdom and European countries, the blockchain behemoth told CryptoPotato on Tuesday.
According to the release, the debit card allows holders to make crypto payments at more than 60 million merchants across 200 regions globally. Users will also be able to convert their crypto assets to fiat with ease.
At launch, the Binance card will support four cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC), Binance’s native token BNB, Swipe (SXP), and Binance USD-pegged stablecoin BUSD. Holders of the card will be able to fund their card wallet directly from their Binance spot wallet.
Application Starts August
Interested users within the European Economic Area will be able to apply for the Binance Card starting from August, while UK-based users will follow shortly after. As for users in other territories, the company said they could register their interest via its website.
Binance claims its Bitcoin card works like a regular debit card, unlike competitive products that are prepaid and require users to convert their crypto assets to fiat manually before making payments or transactions.
Promoting Crypto Adoption
Speaking on the development, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) noted that the move would boost the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies while making it easy for people to use crypto.
“By providing a tangible way to transact, convert and spend crypto for everyday use, we are furthering our mission of making crypto more accessible to the masses. Giving users the ability to convert and spend their crypto directly with merchants around the world, will make the crypto experience more seamless and applicable,” he said.
Binance Acquires Swipe
The Binance card is powered by Swipe, a Visa debit card platform that was officially acquired by Binance for an undisclosed amount last week. Both firms plan to work together to bridge the gap between fiat and cryptocurrencies to further promote the mainstream adoption of digital currencies.
Following the acquisition, the crypto exchange listed Swipe’s native cryptocurrency (SXP) for trading. The token is also one of the cryptocurrencies that will be available on the upcoming card.
“We are looking forward to making the Binance Card available to users in other regions, as well as introducing new features to enhance the Binance Card experience through our partnership with Swipe,” CZ concluded.


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OpTic CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez revealed his upcoming venture into the cannabis industry with ‘Pine Park,’ an upcoming label of premium products.
Located in Aromas, California, Pine Park HQ is going to be the center of H3CZ’s growing operations for his new label with the help of partners at Union Electric’s Coastal Farms.
H3CZ said he wants his products to focus on “high-potency, thick, dense buds” and will use Coastal Farms’ hybrid grow setup to makes use of California’s natural sun spots as well as in-door lighting to make up for darker hours.
The OpTic CEO gave a look into everything from Pine Park’s grow rooms to the trimming, and even a look at how partners POSBIL Project maintains its clones and dry rooms.
The 5600-square-foot facility that houses Pine Park HQ can produce up to about 1800 plants per run, and will spearhead production of the new label.
H3CZ’s decades-long community cultivation in gaming and esports will now open up a major opportunity for his next venture.
“We’re not going to slap a label on this thing and call it ‘H3CZ.’ This is an amazing opportunity for you to introduce cannabis in a really fun, responsible way,” CEO of Union Electric, Max Goldstein said in a June 6 episode of The Eavesdrop Podcast.
As for H3CZ, this will be his way of finding and cultivating premium cannabis products that has creators at the center of it all.
“I want to bring exposure to the artists that happen to be the farmers,” H3CZ said. “The ones that create the beautiful, powerful plants we get to enjoy.”
Pine Park has yet to reveal its first line of products, but the OpTic CEO teased a bit of what consumers can expect to see when the full operations get going.
“As I’ve been saying, I want to do things a little bit differently through Jason and [Coastal Farms], that super tight-knit farm we have over there at Pine Park Headquarters,” H3CZ explained in the reveal video. “What I want to do there is drop literally like 200 lbs. of very exclusive stuff, which to me is part of the coolness of it. We’re also going to have something that’s available year-round, different price points for different folks.”


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BloodShot was just released in theaters, but thanks to the coronavirus, it will be available on all digital platforms on March 24th! From Deadline, here is what the Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group, Tom Rothman, had to say: This is a unique and exceedingly rare circumstance where theaters have been required to … Continue reading ‘Bloodshot’ Will Be Available Digitally On March 24!
Sony released the second Bloodshot trailer this morning, and surprisingly it wasn't that bad. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R-qIOGyEcw This should've been the first trailer. This trailer shows Bloodshot with his gray skin and red eyes, also it showed a lot less info compared to the first trailer. The visuals and action look great too, so … Continue reading ‘Bloodshot’ Second Trailer Has Dropped!


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Throughout the first half of 2022, no topic has been discussed more in the financial media than inflation. Unprecedented government stimulus to help individuals and businesses in the U.S. manage through the coronavirus pandemic, coupled with supply chains running well below full capacity, has resulted in surging prices across the economy. And companies are feeling the effects.
One such business, streaming specialist Roku (ROKU -8.91%), has been dealing with inflationary pressures in one key area. And this is partly why shares are down 76% over the past 12 months. Based on recent news, I suspect this trend will continue, making profitability seem like a far-off dream.
Let's take a look at what Roku shareholders need to know.


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Growth in the US service industries UU It cooled more than expected in November after the fastest expansion since 2005, as orders relaxed and supply chains normalized after two hurricanes, according to a survey by the Supplies Management Institute.
November's withdrawal shows that services are being established at a more sustainable pace, although weaker than the badysts expected for the month. Even with the slowdown, which follows an increase in activity related to hurricanes, the index is above the average of 57 for this year through October.
The four-point drop in the group's supplier delivery index was the largest since the end of 2015, which shows that service providers are making progress after the hurricanes interrupted schedules and delayed work in the two months before Now, delivery times are improving as the supply chain returns to normal.
The report compares with a smaller drop in the latest ISM factory survey, which showed that manufacturing expanded at a healthy pace in November amid an explosion in production and increasing orders.
The service sector covers sectors such as retail, public services, medical care and construction, and represents approximately 90 percent of the economy. The measure of business activity of the group, which is parallel to the production index of the ISM factory, has expanded for 100 consecutive months.
"Still confident that the year will end strong," Anthony Nieves, president of the non-manufacturing ISM survey, said in a conference call with reporters. This rate of growth will continue for the rest of the year and "should continue until January."
- The employment index fell to 55.3 from 57.5
- The indicator of paid prices decreased to 60.7 from 62.7  The measure of the pending orders was reduced to 51.5 from 53.5
- The measure of export orders fell to 57 from 60
– With the help of Alexandre Tanzi


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McDonald’s announced on Monday that it would hire 23,000 people in Texas, including 1,800 workers in Dallas-Fort Worth.
The announcement is part of an effort to hire 260,000 workers in the United States this summer. A spokesman says McDonald’s did not lay off any employees during the coronavirus pandemic. There are some 21 million people on unemployment and more than 44 million have applied for benefits since the pandemic began, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
McDonald’s president and CEO Chris Kempczinski took a 50% pay cut on his $1.25 million base salary, the Chicago Tribune reported in early April.
The 1,800 positions available in D-FW are at over 300 local McDonald’s restaurants. Employees can apply for a program called Archways to Opportunity, which has given $100 million to workers going to college.
While the openings present good news amid a tough job market, McDonald’s has battled image issues recently. The company has been criticized for inequalities among Black franchisees for almost a year. The company pledged to donate $1 million to the NAACP and the National Urban League after George Floyd’s death. A Business Insider story from December 2019 revealed that black business owners at McDonald’s make $68,000 less a month than the average franchisee.
In a conversation about the inequality, the CEO told Jim Cramer on CNBC that “McDonald’s has created more millionaires within the Black community than probably any other corporation on the planet, but there’s still work to do.”
The open positions at McDonald’s will involve training to understand McDonald’s COVID-19 protocols. Joy Silmon, a McDonald’s franchisee in North Texas, says McDonald’s has a list of tactics to attempt to keep customers and employees safe from the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Greg Abbott recently tightened restrictions on restaurants and bars to try to curb the spread. In the past few weeks, restaurants in North Texas are reporting an increased number of positive COVID-19 cases in their kitchens.


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Minebase, the energy-efficient algorithmically managed blockchain, has announced that it reached 800,000 users in just two months after its official launch.
Minebase started in 2017 with the aim of creating a coin backed by gold. But with 2018's new stablecoin regulations, the project could not continue. As an entrepreneur, Dr. Seiz set out to create a token like Bitcoin with an algorithm that won't massively pollute the environment. With its unique Creative Token Production (CTP) algorithm, the tokens are released into circulation through transaction fees that existing blockchains already generate.
The protocol has received extraordinary growth throughout its first month of operations and is set to celebrate it with a blockchain-wide competition where participants can win up to 10,000USDT by completing simple tasks.
About $MBASE and CTP
The Minebase Token ($MBASE) is an ERC20 token released into circulation through Creative Token Production (CTP), an energy-efficient algorithm that controls the token supply and floor price. The smart contract controls the algorithm to adjust the token price based on the crypto market's behaviour. Minebase releases new MBASE tokens from the transaction fees its users generate.
Blockchains like Bitcoin use the proof-of-work algorithm that consumes much energy to mine cryptocurrencies. Minebase aims to change this with the in-house developed CTP algorithm. The algorithm makes it possible to generate $MBASE tokens through the transaction fees on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the top 20 decentralized exchanges.
MBASE mining does not require expensive hardware equipment and has zero power consumption compared to Bitcoin. Minebase has demystified the concept of crypto mining, and users can earn $MBASE tokens with a smartphone or computer. Users need to create a Minebase account and wallet address. Then, all the fees used to trade on supported blockchains will be deposited in the wallet address and can be used to create $MBASE.
In addition to generating $MBASE through transaction fees, CTP will also allow users to generate $MBASE through walking. Users need to walk 6 kilometres with their smartphones to generate one $MBASE token. Also, the speed of Minebase token generation depends on how fast they are walking. The mobile application is set to launch in the third quarter of 2023.
Users can also earn $MBASE tokens by staking a principal. However, the total supply of Minebase tokens is fully controlled by CTP, and the Minebase team can not alter it. So, users need not worry about oversupply and a lack of demand in the market.
This is the beginning of a new crypto era that requires a new revolutionary cryptocurrency. Minebase was founded as an ecosystem of tools, applications, games, and utilities that add to the world of crypto and make it more vibrant. Minebase combines the expertise of tool development, application development, crypto, and NFT games. This is an area where a few possess the skill combination that Minebase has. In addition, Minebase's energy-efficient cryptocurrency is immune to external factors like market demand and supply.


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Pontiac is pairing traditional ads on the Lifetime cable TV network with vignettes produced by the female-oriented channel that depict women's use of Pontiac vehicles.
Pontiac calls the four 30-second vignettes a nontraditional way to appeal to female consumers.
Lifetime says it designed the vignettes to attract more advertising dollars from the General Motors division.
Pontiac advertising manager Mary Kubitskey predicts Lifetime viewers "will notice the vignette more so than they would a traditional ad."
"The whole nontraditional area is where Pontiac is committed in the future," Kubitskey says. "I'll trade traditional media dollars for more effective nontraditional opportunities anytime."
She declined to say how much Pontiac is spending on the effort.
The vignettes will air through the summer.
Lynn Picard, general manager of Lifetime Television, says women are exerting more influence over vehicle purchases.
Picard calls the collaboration with Pontiac "a great opportunity for us."
"Money was out there to be had," she says. "By coming up with this idea and this partnership, we were able to get a bigger share of (Pontiac's) money."


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Batelco names winners of social media contest
Manama, October 1, 2013
Batelco, a leading telecom group in Bahrain, recently named the winners of its Ramadan Social Media Contest, which rewarded the winners with Samsung 46-inch Smart TVs.
Batelco’s photo and video contest invited customers to take photos or make a video clip of their favourite meals and share them on Instagram. A second competition titled My Favourite Show, which used the popular Keek Social Media video clip App, was also held. To enter, customers had to act out a scene from their favourite TV show, capture in on their phone and share it.
The winning entries were those that received the most ‘likes’ from Batelco customers.
Batelco Consumer Division senior manager Marketing and Communications Abdulla Abuidrees presented the winners with vouchers to collect their TVs. – TradeArabia News Service
More IT & Telecommunications Stories
- CSPs to face big revenue challenges
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- Batelco wins eContent award
- Trend Micro in cybersecurity deal
- Etisalat may revive talks to sell Sudanese unit
- Bahrain TRA to boost customer contact
- Batelco yet to receive Seychelles nod for CWS deal
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Poor stock availability is biggest turn-off of store shopping
The lack of stock is shoppers’ biggest complaint when it comes to shopping in physical stores.
That’s according to the report by retail IT consulting and technology firm REPL Group in which 48% of respondents said that stock availability is their biggest frustration when shopping in malls. Making matters worse, 69% of consumers said they have experienced being sent a coupon from a store only to find that the product was out of stock once they got there.
In other findings, 25% of shoppers cited the inability of stores to match online deals as a further frustration. However, 44% of shoppers expect stores will be able to match the pricing and offers of their online counterparts by 2022.
“With so much choice online, consumers can afford to shop around to find the best price. Retailers must recognize this and act to rebalance the scales in order to offer more competitive pricing in-line with their online counterparts,” said Mike Callender, executive chairman, REPL Group. However, it’s important to state that price isn’t everything and stores are in a position to market something that online retailers can’t – a premium shopping experience in which customers can touch and try on items and get a level of information on products they can’t online.”
More than half of retail workers (66%) in the survey said their store has been left unprepared for unforeseen spikes in demand. And 34% said that they believed that more accurate forecasting would improve their job satisfaction – a sentiment echoed by 34% of consumers who feel that stock levels being available via an app would enhance their shopping experience.
“Retailers must address these frustrations with stock availability as not only is it causing them to miss out on those immediate sales, but it could also deter shoppers from visiting their store in the future,” said Callender. “By adopting new technology, it is possible for retailers to see real-time stock updates and replenish as is required. They could also make this information available via apps which can be accessed by the consumer to ensure they aren’t making wasted trips to the mall.”


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Livestock are biological creatures and producers have to figure out ways to keep them healthy and their products safe. One of the ways to do that is through feed additives, something Iowa company Diamond V has been manufacturing for decades.
This week, the company celebrated its 75th anniversary with a visit from Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, Congressman Rod Blum, and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.
In a tour of its plant in Cedar Rapids, Diamond V showed products it says boosts immune systems and optimizes animal health and performance.
Think of it as a multi-vitamin for humans, which instead goes into animal feed all around the U.S. As an example, Diamond V says 70 percent of eggs in the United States are supplemented by its products.
Secretary Naig says businesses like these are important to maintain Iowa's agriculture, "We are concerned about our farmers, we are concerned about the businesses that support our farmers, and the communities that surround our businesses and so making sure that we have markets for our products is critically important. Making sure that our farmers and our businesses have the regulatory environment where they can operate and thrive and grow and making sure they have the workforce that they need to take advantage of all the opportunities. These are the things that we need to continue to work on to keep building that stronger future for ag."
Diamond V is growing it is increasing space to keep up its business, they are getting more partners interested in incorporating their products.
Despite working for 75 years, the company is still finding new benefits for its products. Research from Iowa State University as well as other third-party studies says immune support products from Diamond V can it reduce cases of pathogens like Salmonella by up to 96 percent. It can also reduce anti-biotic resistance for commonly used animal medicines.


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W.W. Grainger Inc. said its first-quarter profit edged up 2.3% as the industrial-goods supplier reported revenue growth in its U.S. business and strength online, masking lower sales in Canada.
Grainger, which offers goods ranging from lighting to janitorial products, has had earnings growth in recent quarters thanks to rising demand from businesses and institutions trying to consolidate suppliers.
The company is sometimes seen as a bellwether for the national economy because of the breadth of its offerings. It has continued to expanded through acquisitions.
Chief Executive Jim Ryan highlighted the strong finish to the quarter in March following weather-related disruptions in the first two months. Sales last month increased 8%.
Mr. Ryan also said Grainger is pleased with the performance of its U.S. business and its online operations in the U.S. and Japan, but it is facing economic and foreign-exchange headwinds in Canada. He said the company is unhappy with its current performance there as sales in that country declined 10% to $254.3 million in the quarter.
Overall, Grainger reported a profit of $216.7 million, or $3.07 a share, up from $211.8 million, or $2.94 a share, a year earlier.
Revenue increased 4.6% to $2.39 billion.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters recently expected per-share earnings of $2.97 and revenue of $2.39 billion.
Sales in the U.S., by far the largest contributor to the company overall revenue, rose 6.9% to $1.9 billion. Sales from its other-businesses segment--which includes operations in Asia, Europe and Latin America--increased 11% to $274.9 million.
The company backed its forecast for the year.
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