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Belgium's family-owned consumer-sector focused investment company Verlinvest, a Limited Partner for private equity firm Everstone Capital, has picked up raised its holding in the food and FMCG arm of Kishore Biyani-led Future Group.
It picked up close to 2 per cent more in Future Consumer Enterprise Ltd or FCEL (earlier known as Future Ventures) for Rs 59 crore ($8.5 million) on Wednesday. This takes its holding to around 8.5 per cent, making the second largest institutional shareholder of the firm behind portfolio investor Arisaig.
Verlinvest had initially picked 2.9 per cent stake in Future Consumer last September from a foreign portfolio investor entity under BNP Paribas for around Rs 67 crore. Last quarter it raised its holding to 6.5 per cent for an estimated Rs 120 crore.
The latest stake purchase was also from the BNP Paribas entity, stock market filing shows. With this, Verlinvest has shelled out well over Rs 240 crore to buy the shares of Future Consumer.
Verlinvest lists Future Consumer as well as the fashion apparel and accessories company of the Future Group, Future Lifestyle, as part of its global portfolio. It could not be ascertained if BNP Paribas held the stake on behalf of Verlinvest. Verlinvest does not figure among the prominent institutional investors of Future Lifestyle but BNP Paribas entity was listed among those holding over 1 per cent stake in the firm as of June 30.
Verlinvest had not responded to a previous mail by VCCircle to clarify this.
It is also an investor in Future Retail, having built a 2.76 per cent stake in the second half of 2015.
Verlinvest that had separately partnered Everstone in February 2012 to build a portfolio of food and beverage (F&B) assets in India and Southeast Asia is its co-investor in several ventures such as Pan India Food Solutions, a restaurant operator and owner of Noodle Bar, Bombay Blue and Copper Chimney brands.
FCEL is a part of Future Group that operates a neighbourhood retail chain in 102 cities and 60 rural locations.
Besides its food product brands FCEL houses KB's Fairprice and Big Apple, convenience and supermarket chains, besides Aadhaar, a rural wholesale distribution unit. It is also into food parks business.
Last year, the company completed the buyout of convenience stores chain Nilgiri's run by The Nilgiri Dairy Farm Pvt Ltd by acquiring its remaining stake.
In May, it had bought the consumer products division of the diversified Aditya Birla Group firm Grasim Industries Ltd.
Around the same time, FCEL also announced that it is exiting from non-core beauty and wellness chain business, which is housed under its wholly-owned subsidiary Star & Sitara Wellness Ltd.
Shares of Future Consumer last traded at Rs 20.10 each, up 2.5 per cent on BSE in a strong Mumbai market on Wednesday.


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WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Consumer incomes outpaced a 0.1 percent rise in consumer spending in October, the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said Wednesday.
Incomes rose by 0.4 percent or $48.1 billion while disposable incomes climbed 0.3 percent or $30.2 billion.
Spending, however, rose by 0.1 percent in the month or by $15.5 billion, the department said.
Core spending, a figure that excludes the more volatile categories of energy and food, rose 1.7 percent on an annual basis, in line with expectations.
Private wages and salaries rose by $33.6 billion in October, compared to a rise of $28.2 billion in the previous month.
Payrolls at goods-producing firms rose by $6.4 billion in the month, a considerable jump from the $2.4 billion increase in September. Compensation at service industry jobs rose by $27.3 billion, higher than the $22.6 billion in the previous month.
With incomes rising faster than spending, savings has climbed month-to-month from $376.9 billion in September to $400.2 in October, the department said.

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CHICAGO: Redbox is fine-tuning its communications approach as both business and competition continue to grow in the on- and off-line video rental service arena. The company, owned by Coinstar, hired Zeno as its AOR, and it recently announced that it's gearing up to debut an online streaming capability sometime this year.
“Our team has been quickly evolving as our business quickly evolves, said Kate Brennan, senior PR manager at Redbox who joined the company from GolinHarris in October. She also refers to the appointment of senior director of communications Laura Dihel this past August, as well as the new agency partnership.
The company chose Zeno following a review involving a “wide group of agencies,” including Brennan's alma maters GolinHarris and Fleishman-Hillard, she said. The team invited incumbent JSH&A, also Dihel's former employer, to pitch for the business, but the agency chose not to participate.
“We loved the agency, but it was just time for us to explore new opportunities,” said Brennan. JSH&A could not comment at this time.
“We were seeking a public relations team that was smart, nimble, creative, and passionate and Zeno delivered on all fronts,” added Dihel, in a statement. “Redbox will work with Zeno to build awareness.”
Though unable to discuss the PR plans surrounding the upcoming streaming initiative, Brennan said that the company is currently leveraging its access to pop culture trends and hyper-local consumer data “to create PR stories.”
For example, for Valentines Day the company did a survey of its romantic comedy rental data to develop a list of the most and least romantic cities, and it's currently working on a similar spring break effort.
The agency will work on traditional PR, as the team handles its social media functions in-house.
News of the partnership comes as traditional online rental services heat up the competition. Netflix is attempting to boost its brand and stock, via marketing and content deals with major entertainment networks. It also comes as nontraditional networks like Facebook introduce movie streaming functions.
As reported in February, Redbox revenue grew 38% to $319.6 million for the quarter, year-over-year.


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Ecommerce & Marketplaces Newsletter – Oct 14th, 2022
Welcome to the 75th edition of the “Ecommerce & Marketplaces” weekly newsletter. We start this week’s edition with a blog on looking at Marketplace Performance Management through the best-selling Marketplace Best Practices book. MPM is the toolset that enables customers to embrace the best practices by providing a deep measurement of the often hard-to-read metrics that determine the difference between a strategic business asset and a project that fails to deliver on its promise. PYMNTS reports that around 44% of deal chasers used the online marketplace to make their most recent retail purchases. This comes from their September playbook, “At The Checkout: Deal Chasers Versus Loyal Customers,” a collaboration with checkout.com. It has a lot of insightful data – only 26% prioritize merchant loyalty and detailing the factors shoppers consider before checking out and deciding whether to return. Digital Commerce 360 reports that Goodwill Industries is launching a second marketplace for secondhand goods. This is the second online marketplace in the works after launching a marketplace 23 years ago. The plan is to launch 100,000 unique items and expand to 1 million next year. GoodwillFinds will see its revenue go to local Goodwill Industries affiliates in the new marketplace. Forbes has an interesting story on how to take personal branding to the next level. It is all about developing a unique brand voice and tone. Chris M Walker, the founder of Legiit Online Marketplace, the fastest-growing freelance marketplace in the world, shares some handy tips. Target is the latest retailer after Amazon and Walmart, enabling its customers to pay with their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits when shopping for groceries online. Tech Crunch story has more details. Albertson and Kroger merger looks pretty close to fruition and could happen as early as this week – CNBC reports. Kroger is the largest supermarket operator in the US, with over two dozen banners. On the other hand, Albertson has more than 2,200 supermarkets in 34 states with 290,000 employees. The CNBC story has more details. Adobe Analytics forecasts that digital holiday sales are expected to rise by 2.5% to $209.7 billion. This is significantly less compared to last year’s increase of 8.6%, primarily because of economic uncertainty and rising inflation. Read this and more in this week’s edition.
Notable news from the past week
Marketplace Performance Management Best Practices: Getting The Most From Multi-Vendor Commerce
With the Amazon-best-selling book, Marketplace Best Practices, McFadyen has set the standard for Marketplace Best Practices. We bring together all the insights customers need to manage and optimize the complex marketplace and commerce environment. McFadyen has a long history of establishing the benchmark for these more involved ecommerce environments. While some of the best practices defined are in the setup and structuring of the business, there are many operational aspects that cannot be achieved without effective measurements.
44% of ‘Deal Chasers’ Used Online Marketplace to Make Their Most Recent Retail Purchases
Inflation is top of mind for consumers. That’s no surprise. And with higher prices comes the desire to find the most bang for the buck, the offers that help stretch shopping dollars. As PYMNTS research done in collaboration with Checkout.com reveals, across more than 2,000 consumers, a variety of online features, taken, together influence just how and where consumers click on the buy button — and how loyal they are to merchants in an environment where “hyper-competitive” is a bit of an understatement.
The newest online marketplace in the secondhand goods industry comes from the organization that pioneered secondhand retail way back in 1902. Goodwill Industries International Inc., the national federation of nonprofit stores that sell donated items to raise money to help the disadvantaged, this week debuted an online marketplace of curated items from across its network. It’s the second such venture from local Goodwill affiliates.
An Effective Way To Upsell In A Digital Marketplace
Did you know there’s a brand called “You” just waiting to be discovered? Ever since it was first coined in 1997, the term “personal branding” has proven to be a popular catchphrase among marketers. Despite many seeing the concept as a way to stand out from the competition and to be heard, its trajectory toward being an essential marketing strategy was fraught with challenges—the requisite conditions were simply absent in the early phase after its conception.
Target is the latest national retailer to roll out the ability for customers to pay with their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits when shopping for groceries online. While the payment method has long been accepted in stores, online grocery retailers offering curbside pickup and delivery programs have only more recently begun to support the payment type in their online offerings.
Kroger could announce a deal to buy rival grocery company Albertsons this week, sources told CNBC’s David Faber. Shares of Albertsons jumped and were briefly halted on Thursday morning after news that two companies are deep in talks. The all-cash acquisition may be announced as soon as Friday morning, sources told Faber. Kroger is the largest supermarket operator in the country with about two dozen banners, including Fred Meyer, Ralphs, King Soopers, Harris Teeter and its namesake brand. It has nearly 2,800 stores in 35 states and about 420,000 employees. The company trails behind Walmart, which is the top grocer in the U.S. by revenue.
Adobe expects U.S. online holiday sales to hit $209.7 billion in the period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022, a 2.5% increase over holiday 2021. Adobe also expects more of this spending to come earlier in the season due to early shopping holidays such as the second Amazon Prime Day. The projected growth is significantly lower than the 8.6% increase last year, much of which was due to more shoppers returning to stores. In 2022, the impact of economic uncertainty, particularly in rising prices of non-discretionary expenditures like gas, food and housing, will rein in consumer spending. buck.
To subscribe to the Ecommerce & Marketplaces Newsletter, please complete the subscription form on this page (either to the right or below this article, depending on device). If you have any suggested content for this newsletter or would like to discuss evolving your organization’s digital commerce, please write to us at email@example.com.


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Fiat is considering the Grand Siena for India to replace the aging Linea Sedan. Could be displayed in the upcoming Auto fait in Delhi
The second generation of the Fiat Siena was unveiled in South America in 2012, under the Grand Siena name and since 2015 and currently very popular in the Brazilian Market.
Fiat is also considering the Agea platform based sedan to make it to India,but since it involves modification to LHD there seems to be a thought of bringing the Grand Siena for cost reasons.
Eitherways in 2018 Fiat will be revamping their products with a new platform , which will then make the Grand Siena / Agea Sedan will only be a stop gap arrangement. Fiat mulling new sedan to replace Linea | Car News | Mid-size Saloons | Autocar India


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In the Nokia Conversations blog, they’ve published some good news for Lumia Phone owners out there. It looks like there’s a new update coming soon for the current Lumia phones with some some cool features.
This would bump up the Operating System version from the current Windows Phone 7.5 to 7.8. Of course, we all know that the current Lumia devices won’t be getting the big Windows Phone 8 update, but the 7.8 update should give some existing users some features of the new Operating System.
Here’s the features which will roll out in the Windows Phone 7.8 update as mentioned in the Nokia Conversations blog post:
- A new Start screen look and feel, familiar from Windows Phone 8, giving you a whole new look the moment you unlock your phone
- Ringtone maker app to selected markets to create a personal ringtone
- Contact share app updated to support sharing over Bluetooth in addition to SMS and email
- Bluetooth file transfer to send media files via Bluetooth from your Lumia device to any other phone
Apart from this, the Nokia will will also bring Cinemagraph and updates to Smart Group Shot to the existing Lumia phones. The Phones which will get this update are the Nokia Lumia 900,800,710 and the 610. There’s no news of when the updates are going to hit devices, but as is the usual practise, it’ll roll out phases in different areas around the world.


text: FXStreet (Delhi) – Nikesh Sawjani, Financial Economist at Lloyds Bank, suggests that this week’s final print of Eurozone PMIs for December supported other Eurozone data releases of late, in suggesting that the pace of activity had picked up a little in Q4 2015. Key Quotes “This view is expected to be reiterated by today's December economic confidence and business climate indices which are expected to chime with a moderate strengthening of GDP in Q4. However, as the weaker-than-expected inflation numbers earlier this week highlighted, questions remain over the pace at which this pickup in activity will feed through into higher inflation, particularly given the amount of spare capacity within the euro area. This is expected to be highlighted by the release of the November labour market report, with the unemployment rate forecast to remain at 10.7%. Euro area retail sales data for November are due and we expect a third consecutive monthly decline. Ahead of these, releases from Germany in the shape of retail sales and factory orders will provide an update on the health of the euro area’s largest economy. In contrast to the wider euro area measure, a firm rebound of 0.5% in retail sales is expected to underscore the support to the German economy from private consumption, while factory orders are forecast to rise by 0.1%. In Canada, amidst the growing expectation that the Bank of Canada may be forced to lower its benchmark interest rate, a speech by Governor Poloz on policy divergence following last month’s Fed rate hike will provide this afternoon’s focus. While in the US, Richmond Fed President Lacker (non-voter in 2016) speaks on the US economic outlook at 13:45 GMT." For more information, read our latest forex news.


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The first touristic trip by a clean energy cruise ship sailed Saturday evening in the Nile between Egypt and Sudan, MENA news agency reported.
On its journey between Egypt and Sudan, the ship passed through Lake Nasser.
Moustafa Amer, deputy chairman of the Nile Valley Authority for River Navigation, told MENA that the ship is headed from Lake Nasser to Wadi Halfa in northern Sudan.
Amer said the trip is scheduled to arrive at the port of Wadi Halfa on 27 March, confirming that the newly launched 4-level cruise ship is powered by clean wind energy.
He explained that the ship has all the means of modern navigation to ensure arrival in Sudan.
He added that the cruise is the first of its kind to be launched between Egypt and Sudan and that it is different from commercial flight alternatives. Passengers can enjoy a number of tourist attractions along the Nile between Egypt and Sudan.


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Friday, August 19, 2016
It is a strange marketing and PR choice to ignore one's best customers yet Volkswagen is doing it in the diesel engine scandal that has overtaken the company. The conglomerate has spent billions settling claims for cheating on its smaller motors, but it has yet to take any action on its larger power plants that went into its Porsche and Audi brands. Porsche owners, particularly, are in a dudgeon over the lack of action on their high-priced vehicles, which are now devalued well below their selling points. Why has Volkswagen not addressed the problem? Probably because handling the fallout of cheating on its smaller engines is taking the company's entire time. However. ignoring one's best customers is never a good idea, especially if one wants to enhance the luxury brands. Volkswagen doesn't have much time left to rectify the situation. Lawsuits are pending and the corporation is not in a good position to defend against them.


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MrBeast Breaks the Internet
How a birthday post from the challenge creator overtook social feeds
Good morning. What’s your stance on lurking—the sometimes criticized act of consuming social media content without commenting? New York Times contributor Elise Craig wrote this: “When strangers share real stories about their lives, maybe one of the least intrusive things to do is not offer advice or platitudes, but to quietly lurk and listen.”
We’re curious: Do you lurk? If so, what’s your lurking platform (or online community) of choice?
Inside MrBeast’s Birthday Giveaway
MrBeast / Instagram
In celebration of his 25th birthday on Sunday, MrBeast announced a $50,000 Instagram giveaway split among five people (he’s since upped that to $100,000 among 10 people).
And it took off. The terms were simple: Follow MrBeast, share the post in a Story, and tag a friend in the comments for a chance to win. In 24 hours, the post gained upwards of…
19 million likes
13 million comments (for reference, the most-liked Instagram post of all time has 2 million comments)
MrBeast’s post is now the third most-commented Instagram post in history, and his Instagram followers have almost doubled to 40 million since he first posted the giveaway.
Context: MrBeast spends around $48 million a year on videos, and he often gives away large sums of money to his followers—from $10k for someone in the grocery store to $50k and an island for one of his subscribers. These videos often include a difficult challenge—staying in a circle for as long as possible, sitting in isolation, laying with snakes, etc. In comparison, this week’s growth-minded giveaway was relatively simple.
FYI: The post has since been taken down by Instagram for an alleged violation to the platform’s Terms of Service. MrBeast said his team kept track of participants before the post was removed and plans to announce the winners today.
Instagram Introduces Revenue Sharing for Reels
Instagram Reels / Chris Delmas
On Tuesday, Instagram parent company Meta announced that it’s replacing its “Reels Play” bonus payouts with a revamped ad revenue sharing program. The new Instagram program looks more like the updated payout structures of TikTok and YouTube.
What’s new: With this “Ads on Reels” program, for the first time Instagram will give creators a share of the ad revenue it makes.
How it works: The performance-based program, which will begin testing with select U.S. creators and advertisers in the coming weeks, will pay creators a share of ad revenue based on a Reel’s total plays—not other “variables outside of creators’ control,” Meta said.
The platform POV: Splitting ad revenue (which grew to $43.2 billion in 2022, a $1 billion increase from the previous year for Meta) better incentivizes creators and advertisers. “Creators can focus on the content that’s resonating with their audiences and helping them grow; advertisers get access to more ad inventory to reach more people,” Meta said.
Big picture: As TikTok faces increased scrutiny from the U.S. government, YouTube, Meta, and Snapchat are all jockeying for the lead spot in the short-form video space. And part of that competition? Wooing short-form creators with monetization methods that go beyond the traditional creator fund.
Keith Lee Reviews Kevin Hart’s New Vegan Restaurant…
Keith Lee / TikTok
…and it seems to have passed the test for TikTok’s favorite food reviewer, whose stamp of approval often drives surging sales for restaurants (see: Lee’s impact for Chipotle).
How it went down: In March, Hart asked Lee to come to the restaurant’s grand opening. Lee agreed, but only if he could give the plant-based sandwiches an honest review, the creator shared in a video Monday.
Hart took the gamble, and the bet seems to have paid off: Lee said the “chicken” sandwich was so good that he never would’ve guessed it was vegan.
🔥 Press Worthy
Amazon rolls out its TikTok-like Inspire shopping feed to all U.S. customers.
100 Thieves closes its content house.
Mark Zuckerberg shares Instagram photos from his first jiu jitsu tournament.
Apple launches video and audio editing software Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro on iPad.
Tucker Carlson plans to launch a show on Twitter.
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The future of UK trade policy after Brexit is of great importance to food consumers as well as to farmers and other food producers.
This is according to a November 2019 briefing from the House of Commons on the future of trade policy after Brexit, and how it could affect the availability, price and quality of food.
This briefing finds that:
- The UK exports around £22 billion of food and animal feed, and imports some £47 billion worth of food each year, therefore effective trade policies underpin the profitability and security of the agri-food sectors.
- Farmers and the food industry have strongly urged against a no-deal Brexit, because of concerns about the impact on the sector’s prospects of changes to tariffs and regulatory checks.
- Stakeholders have expressed concerns that future trade might allow divergence in the standard applied to food production in areas such as food safety and animal welfare.
- Farmers express concern on EU imposing third country tariffs on UK exports, and the impact this can have on their ability to sell products at competitive prices.
- The UK Government believe there are potential opportunities to develop the agri-food sector after Brexit. Having the flexibility to change food labelling after Brexit and, securing Geographical protections for UK product names are highlighted as way in which to develop the market post-Brexit.


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The start-up Modern Fertility sees "a world where getting fertility tested is as routine as getting a pap smear," says founder Afton Vechery. It’s one of a clutch of tech companies looking to crack the fertility tech market in Silicon Valley.
Backed by $7 million in venture capital, Modern Fertility just launched a $199 at-home testing kit much like those sold by ancestry websites. It tests for 9 hormones related to ovarian reserve and reproductive health. It can’t tell you when to try to conceive or what your chances are, but it promises bespoke insights into when a woman will likely hit menopause, and options for egg freezing and IVF. At $70,000 in pre-orders, the information, however limited, is selling.


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Anand Mahindra’s latest tweet on ‘technology to dry clothes’ leaves Twitterati in splits
New Delhi: Business tycoon Anand Mahindra has shared a picture of a ‘latest technology to dry clothes on Twitter, and it has left Twitterati amused and in splits.
On the microblogging site, Mahindra posted a cartoon of two women conversing by an ordinary rope with washed clothes drying over it suspended from both ends in a yard.
“It dries the washing using the latest technology — a combination of solar and wind power,” a woman was seen telling another one.
“Sometimes, the ‘latest’ technology is just about going back to the basics,” Mahindra captioned the image.
The caricature immediately struck a chord with Twitter users. Many of them filled the comments section with relatable tales.
“Yeah, it should be… the best technology, which make the world a better place to live along with taking care of the environment as well,” a user wrote.
“And, it is much more sustainable, the keyword which was always there without we realising but the one which matters most now due to development,” another user wrote.
Recently, the chairman of Mahindra Group donated a new home to an 85-year-old K. Kamalthal of Coimbatore, fondly called ‘Idli Patti’ or ‘Idli Grandmother’.
Mahindra group handed over a 300 square feet house with a single-bath attached bedroom, a living room, and a dining hall at Vadivelampalayam in the outskirts of Coimbatore on Mothers Day to the octogenarian.
Idli Patti was selling idlis at 25 paise per piece when she started it and hiked it by 50 paise to sell it at Re 1 per piece.


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Here’s What a Pair of Buscemi’s New Diamond-Studded Sneakers’ll Run You
Someone says Yeezys? Ha. Those are for paupers.
Jon Buscemi (no relation to actor Steve) makes shoes.
Really, really spendy shoes.
His most coveted design — the 100MM, made with premium materials and and heavy on the design flourishes — regularly runs for $890. But in celebration of the opening of his new flagship store in Manhattan, he decided to add a couple bells and whistles.
Bells and whistles like: 11.5 carats of diamonds and Buscemi’s signature 18-karat-gold padlock set on tumbled white Italian leather. The sneaker is only available in-store at the Manhattan location … for a mind-bending $132,000.
The Buscemi team confirms that this is the most expensive leisure kick in circulation right now, and like us, you’re probably now weighing a very difficult decision: Do you get a fully loaded Tesla Model X, or these?
via High Snobiety
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Facebook's initial public offering (IPO), which will be launched later on Friday, has stirred up much investor interest in Asia with many enquiring ways to procure the stock. However, question marks regarding the company's ad revenue business model may prove a dampener on its long-term financial viability.
Matthew Lewis, head of trading at CMC Markets Singapore, told ZDNet Asia in a phone interview Thursday that in terms of interest in impending stock listings, Facebook had created the "most excitement" he had ever seen among his Singapore investors. Some questions the company had to field in the leadup to the IPO included queries about whether his firm would be handling opening day trades, when the window for trade would close, and when the secondary market would open trading, Lewis revealed.
"Investors are looking at Facebook as a feel-good story in the industry at the moment," he said, explaining the heightened interest.
Asked if this excitement was confined within mature, tech-savvy markets in Asia such as Singapore, Lewis said it was "not uncommon to see the same excitement" among CMC Markets' other regional offices. Besides Singapore, the company has outposts in Australia, China and Japan to cover the Asia-Pacific market.
The company announced Friday that more than 421 million shares, priced at US$38 per share, will be made available at IPO. Trading begins on Nasdaq today and is expected to close on May 22, 2012, subject to customary closing conditions. This means the company will raise US$16 billion and puts its estimated value at between US$104 billion and US$107 billion, making it the biggest Internet IPO ever, according to reports.
Facebook initially projected a US$5 billion IPO filing according to its preliminary prospectus, but high demand for its stock meant, to date, it had made eight amendments to its filing papers with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Long-term viability in doubt
Despite the ongoing market excitement, Lewis noted Facebook's public listing was a case of "excitement blocking out the fundamentals". He said for most investors looking for value, they would "steer clear" from buying into the social networking giant.
This was because the company's advertising revenue model in terms of attracting companies onboard and effectively helping them to monetize their products remained in question, he noted. The trading chief pointed to the fact that Facebook's first-quarter earnings recorded the company's first ever quarter-on-quarter slide in advertising revenue, falling 7.5 percent.
Since ad revenue was the company's main contributor, this latest showing posed a clear question mark over its long-term prospects, he stated.
With regard to General Motors' (GM) pulling out of its advertising dollars--amounting to US$10 million--from the social media platform, according to a Wall Street Journal report Wednesday, Lewis said the automaker's decision should be seen from the perspective that its Facebook presence was mainly used for branding purposes and not for increasing sales.
After all, Facebook was not really the right platform from which consumers would purchase cars, he said. "Facebook is more of a place for compulsive buys of items such as Starbucks [coffee], and less so for a car," he added.
Strong "distrust" in Facebook
In a separate study by Greenlight Research, 30 percent of respondents polled "strongly distrust" Facebook with their personal data while 44 percent said they would "never" click on its sponsored ads. The global survey collected responses from 500 people--including students, law enforcement professionals, accountants and the unemployed--to assess how they would engage with online advertising, search engines and social networks.
The study noted that Facebook had spent the last 12 months developing its advertising program, moving from offering just branded advertising for fan acquisitions to become a "serious" direct acquisition channel.
"Many of the developments are appealing to retail brands, especially with retail being the most active in the space," said Hannah Kimuyu, director of paid media at Greenlight Research, in the statement. "Most recently, we have seen one high-street retailer achieve a 15 percent higher average basket value and 20 percent increase in conversion rates on Facebook when compared to its search activity."
Kimuyu added that while 44 percent said they would never click on sponsored ads on the online platform, it was "interesting" to see that those who did, found the targeting "effective and engaging". He said he expects to see more people clicking on such ads this year.


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Kuju Entertainment has announced the latest in a series of development deals with important publishers. The new studio created when Kuju attained Brighton developer web games. The new prototype work announced by Kuju is a separate project, which was mentioned by the company when it originally acquired Wide Games. Kuju now has 4 studios within UK, as well as Surrey, Goldalming, Brighton and development locations in London and Sheffield. The expansion will result into better and more creations by Kuju. Be expected to hear more about this company in the near future.
News source: gamesindustry.biz


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1 Matching Annotations
- Mar 2019
Office Depot, Inc. and a California-based tech support software provider have agreed to pay a total of $35 million to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that the companies tricked customers into buying millions of dollars’ worth of computer repair and technical services by deceptively claiming their software had found malware symptoms on the customers’ computers.Office Depot has agreed to pay $25 million while its software supplier, Support.com, Inc., has agreed to pay $10 million as part of their settlements with the FTC. The FTC intends to use these funds to provide refunds to consumers.
Lovely fraud scheme. Good thing that Office Depot and support.com are paying for this.


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Approved in December, “Golf Quarantine” aims to attract high-end travelers to the kingdom as it faces a new wave of COVID-19 infections while also building confidence that the country can safely welcome tourists over the long run.
“We want to build a good image, a brand that we are a golf paradise,” Thapanee Kiatpaibool, the deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), told VICE World News. “When people see it, they will make Thailand the number one golf destination after the COVID situation normalizes.”
In 2019, Thailand saw about 40 million foreign visitors, who helped bring in more than $60 billion in tourism revenue. About 800,000 of them were international golfers, said Mark Siegl, the managing director of GolfAsian, one of the region’s leading tour operators for the sport.
While that only makes up a percentage of total visitors, Siegl said foreign golfers spend about three times as much as non-golfing tourists.
“They’re more luxury and that type of tourist that has a lot lower environmental impact. They’re not going to the sensitive environmental places like national parks and islands that are very sensitive to a large number of people,” Siegl said.
So far six resorts in the country, whose pristine courses have hosted international tournaments and nurtured the talents of several top Thai pros, have been approved to take part in the unique idea.
Starting at around $3,800 for an individual package, the price already limits itself to visitors in the upper-income bracket. Target travelers are luxury tourists with spending power from nearby, lower-risk countries like Japan, China and Korea.
With fresh waves of infection hitting many countries around the world even as vaccination campaigns ramp up, Thailand, which recently dealt with its own surge of cases, is not expecting golf quarantine numbers to skyrocket. But it is more about preparing for when COVID recedes in a part of the world where golf is only getting more popular.
The six certified resorts are the Mida Golf Club, Evergreen Hills Golf Club and Blue Star Golf Course, Artitaya Golf and Resort, Sawang Resort and Golf Club in and Artitaya Chiang Mai Golf. More courses including ones in Phuket, a beach town and former tourist hotspot pre-COVID, are currently being evaluated and may soon join the program.
While it may seem fancy, relaxed and no-frills, rules are strict.
Golfers will have to undergo a total of three COVID-19 tests during their mandatory two-week quarantine. The first swab happens as the visitor arrives in the country. After receiving a negative test result, they will be allowed to head out and golf on the course connected to their hotel. The second swab occurs on either the fifth or seventh day while the last one happens on the thirteenth or fourteenth, and final, day.
COVID-free, golfers can play up to 14 rounds, each with 18 holes. They will also have most of the course to themselves as players will be scheduled for different tee times throughout the day. While they can still play in groups, social distancing will be monitored.
Caddies come assigned to each guest. They have to wear protective gear, including face masks and gloves. They must also wash and change clothes before re-entering public spaces.
Quarantine guests cannot just freely roam around, however. The golf courses will be divided into zones and there will be designated areas where golfers can participate in other leisure activities.
There is also a load of paperwork to complete before anyone even steps on a plane. Preparations include obtaining either a Single-Entry Tourist Visa (TR) or a Special Tourist Visa (STV), medical and travel insurance, a fit-to-fly health certificate and a Certificate of Entry from an embassy or consulate. The golfer must also provide a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to their arrival to Thailand.
While golfers can reach out to the hotels to book their quarantine themselves, the tourism authority has also partnered with Golf Digg, a startup platform for golf bookings, to make the reservation process easier.
So is anyone signing up?
According to the tourism authority, about 40 to 70 Korean travelers are scheduled to be the first group to undergo Golf Quarantine at the beginning of February. They are currently in the process of preparing necessary documents.
Since March last year, the pandemic has throttled Thailand’s vital tourist industry, which represents about one-fifth of the country’s economy. According to the World Bank, Thailand’s GDP is estimated to have dipped by 6.5 percent last year.
What’s more, 90 percent of the kingdom’s golf revenue comes from international travelers. They spend more time at the course’s pro shop buying souvenirs as well as eating and drinking at the clubhouse. Meanwhile, domestic golfers usually play at a discounted rate then leave to dine at local, more affordable restaurants.
The pandemic has been economically devastating for the kingdom’s golf industry. In the first two months of 2020, about 200,000 visitors visited the kingdom to play golf. After Thailand closed its borders to battle the COVID-19 pandemic in March, however, that number dwindled to zero.
Golf resorts that are participating in the quarantine are hopeful about the new initiative.
Sisamai Janhom, the coordinator at Artitaya Golf and Resort, sees the golf quarantine as a way to revive their business that she said has lost over 70 percent of their customers, mostly Korean travelers.
“I think this will be good because a lot of our employees had to take leave. ...There’s a risk but we must comply strictly to safety measures. We have to support the business in whatever way we can,” she said.


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Honda’s Lincoln plant is removing prepared to furnish a new 2018 Odyssey minivan.
Last night, a final models of a stream era of a Odyssey rolled off a public line in Lincoln. The impulse was distinguished with a tweet.
— Honda Mfg of Alabama (@HondaAlabama) April 14, 2017
Earlier this year during a North American Auto Trade Show, Honda denounced a new chronicle of a Odyssey. Honda President Takahiro Hachigo pronounced a new Odyssey was “created to make each member of a family happy.”
The new Odyssey was designed with several facilities to minimize cabin sound and concede for preference with families sitting in 3 rows of seating. The minivan facilities “magic slide” seats that adjust front and behind and side-to-side.
It also has an inner mic and camera complement permitting motorist to promulgate with passengers and demeanour in on them, as would a primogenitor with children.


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Electronic Eyelashes Control Mobile Devices With A Wink [Video]
Beauty tech designer Katia Vega developed cosmetics that can activate various equipment.
Beauty tech designer Katia Vega has developed a line of cosmetics that can activate electronics using the body as an input device.
Vega developed metallised false eyelashes and conducting eyeshadow that can help activate an LED display or launch a mini drone. By winking or blinking, the user completes a very low voltage circuit that can send information and activate specific electronics.
The designer recently presented her “beauty technology” at the Interactive Tabletops and Surfaces conference at the University of St. Andrews in the UK. Her beauty technology aims to take wearable technology to a new level by bringing it closer to the body and making it more inconspicuous.
Vega has developed other beauty tech products like nails with embedded RFID tags, small magnets, or conductive nail polish to allow the wearer to interact with other objects.
Vega is currently a PhD candidate in Computer Science at the Department of Informatics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. You can find out more about her projects from her website.
The video below by New Scientist demonstrates Vega’s electro-cosmetics.


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Jawa Electric Motorcycle In The Making; Debut In 2021
As per a recent report, Classic Legends is working on an electric Jawa motorcycle and it is expected to make world debut in 2021. Resurrected on November 15, 2018, Jawa motorcycles reentered the game with the launch of two new motorcycles namely Jawa 42 and Jawa Classic 300.
Exactly after one year, the brand launched the Perak Bobber on November 15, 2019. In terms of the design, the brand’s all-electric bike is expected to retain the retro looks of the current Jawa lineup. As of now, no further details available regarding the upcoming electric Jawa motorcycle.
In one of the recent updates, Jawa has officially revealed the complete technical specifications of the Jawa Standard and the Jawa Forty Two. Mechanically, the BS6-compliant models are powered by the same 293cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC engine which now generates 26.51 PS of maximum power and 27.05 Nm of peak torque.
In comparison, the BS4 model was good for 27.37 PS (27 BHP) of power and 28 Nm of torque. So the power has dropped by 0.86 PS and the torque has been dropped by 0.95 Nm. As per the official website, the weight of the motorcycles now stands at 172 kgs, making the BS6 models heavier by 2 kgs as the BS4 models were listed with a weight of 170 kgs.


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A Vancouver man has created a lighting system for motorcycle helmets in the style of the movie Tron: Legacy, and has raised funds through a Kickstarter Internet campaign to get his products onto the market.
Thomas Plywaczewski told the Province newspaper that he developed the helmet modification idea while he was studying engineering physics at Simon Fraser University. He formed a company, LightMode, built a prototype, which the Province says “turned heads wherever he rode,” and when he graduated he set about building the helmet gear for sale.
He said he’s received queries about the helmet kits from around the world, and hopes to ship thousands of them to customers.
So far, he has raised more than $10,000 through Kickstarter.


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Size and fit are two of the leading reasons for online returns, according to e-commerce software company Narvar Inc., translating to costs that further reduce retailers’ already slim profit margins. From 3D body-scanning apps like MTailer and My Size, to startup Shima Seiki’s machines that knit garments with less than 1% variation, a plethora of companies has recently emerged to combat the issue of inconsistent sizing. Women’s sizes in the U.S. range from 00 to 18, yet there are no standardized body metrics across these sizes. This type of variation is not represented in online sizing guides, and few explain the stretch or texture of the fabric, which may also affect fit. Solutions like those offered by True Fit Corp.—which uses a data platform and AI-driven personalized recommendation engine to help consumers find their right size and taste-tailored items—are growing in demand from major retailers. Others, like RedThread, use 3D mobile body-scanning and tailoring algorithms to best determine fit.
Why it’s important:
Some executives, like Levi Strauss & Co.’s CEO Chip Bergh, believe sizes will become obsolete in the next decade. Smartphone-conducted body scans will offer precise measurements that automatically populate online retail platforms. From there, fits can be matched with existing designs or tailored with programmed sewing machines. Offering an even more personalized fit, 3D-printed garments are also on the rise, changing the economics of mass manufacturing. As retail sales continue to migrate to online platforms, virtual try-on software is slated to decimate returns—now a major pain point for both retailers and consumers. Yet the convergence of these technologies will not only cut costs, but will also dramatically reduce the environmental toll of shipping, packaging, and textile waste.


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January 5, 2015
Hankook Tire appointed Hee-se Ahn as the president of Hankook Tire America Corp., effective Jan. 1. Ahn will also function as the company’s chief operating officer for business operations throughout the Americas.
March 24, 2014
Hankook Tire will launch its new Smart Flex DL12 Long/Regional Haul Drive position truck and bus radial tire for fleet customers at the Mid-America Trucking Show this week.
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Commercial Vehicle Group Launches Corsair Seat
Loading Ramp Swivels Internally and Externally
Visi-Chek Shows Out of Compliance Brake Strokes
Vacuum Equipment Available on Ford and Freightliner Chassis


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The Junior League of Honolulu is holding an event next week at the DFS Galleria in Waikiki that will feature an appearance by Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece at the children’s boutique that bears her name.
What the notice about the event didn’t mention is that the princess is more than a member of European aristocracy — she is duty-free-shopping royalty.
Marie-Chantal’s father, Robert Miller, co-founded Duty Free Shoppers — also known as DFS — in Hong Kong in 1960 with partner Chuck Feeney, who, along with two other partners, sold his shares to LVMH in 2007. Miller, who still jointly owns DFS Galleria with LVMH, is worth $1.5 billion and is one of the richest men in the world, according to Forbes magazine.
The Marie-Chantal boutique has three London locations. The Waikiki boutique is Marie-Chantal’s only U.S. location, although her company sells its products to Saks Fifth Avenue and a handful of children’s boutiques on the Mainland.


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FRAMINGHAM, Mass. , June 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Bose Corporation, a US-based multinational company and global leader in audio systems, and Flex, a global leader in manufacturing, announced they've reached an agreement to expand their existing strategic partnership. As part of the new agreement, ownership and operation of Bose's manufacturing and development operations in San Luis, Mexico and Penang, Malaysia will transfer to Flex, and Flex will assume current and planned Bose production in both facilities. The agreement also grants Bose greater access to Flex's supply chain solutions, accelerating speed-to-market around the world.
"Bose has a diverse product line in ever-changing industries," said Bryan Fontaine , executive vice president, Bose Global Operations. "We've always used independent manufacturers to support our global business, and have used Flex in that capacity for over a year. Now, we've chosen them to assume the work in two of our plants because their deep expertise and infrastructure will help us keep pace with our current and future product plans, and meet our projected growth in current and emerging markets. They're also innovators and can meet our quality standards. But just as importantly, we think that Flex's corporate culture is most aligned with ours, and that's important for our employees."
Bose's San Luis and Penang plants were opened in 1990 and 2013, respectively. Their production includes select headphones, wireless speakers, home theater systems and professional products. Combined, they have approximately 3,500 employees, and under the terms of the agreement, Flex will retain the vast majority of both teams.
"Bose is an iconic leader in audio performance, innovation and quality," said Mike Dennison , president, Consumer Technology Group at Flex. "We're pleased to expand our strategic relationship, and help them get to market at an even faster rate with our world-class global supply chain solutions."
Operations will transfer upon the transaction's closing. It's subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is scheduled to occur during 2016. Bank of America Merrill Lynch acted as Bose's exclusive financial advisor in connection with the sale. Additional information, including financial and transition details, will remain confidential.
About Bose corporation
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bose-corporation-to-extend-strategic-partnership-with-flex-300285716.html


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An innovative new out-of-home project in Finland is providing a useful service during the coronavirus pandemic by turning billboards into disinfectant terminals for phones.
The terminals, developed by Nordic health company Terveystalo and agency TBWA/Helsinki, claim to clean a phone in only 15 seconds using UVC light. Coronavirus is thought to survive for up to four weeks on smartphone screens, but existing consumer solutions for disinfecting phones can take up to 15 minutes.
The billboards, located in shopping centers in Helsinki and Turku in southern Finland, are designed with a small hatch where people can place their smartphone for cleaning. Because exposure to UVC light can be harmful, causing skin irritation and in extreme cases loss of sight, the user is protected by the UVC light in the billboards turning on only when the hatch is closed.
"We're surrounded by structures everywhere that can be re-thought to offer some relief to the current Coronavirus situation. Here we wanted to bring up a topic less talked about, then offer a way to solve it. What better way to tackle both of these than OOH advertising spaces located in public areas,” says Juhana Hokkanen, innovation director from TBWA\ Helsinki.
“We at Terveystalo see health in a wider context," adds Veera Siivonen, marketing and communications drector at Terveystalo. "Not only do we cure diseases but concentrate on preventing them. In the midst of a global pandemic, having a strong immune system and practicing proper hand hygiene is highly important. This project is also a reminder for people to take care of all aspects of their health and billboards are a great way to spread this important message."


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A year ago, President-elect Donald Trump criticized Toyota and threatened hefty tariffs against the Japanese automaker if it built its Corolla sedan for the U.S. market in Mexico.
"Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax," Trump posted on Twitter in early 2017.
Toyota and Mazda announced plans for a new plant in August. Toyota said it would shift production of Corollas from Canada to the new venture rather than in Guanajuato, and would build Tacoma pickups in Mexico instead. Mazda plans to build new crossover SUVs at the plant.
Trump praised the joint venture announcement, saying in August on Twitter: "Toyota & Mazda to build a new $1.6B plant here in the U.S.A. and create 4K new American jobs. A great investment in American manufacturing!"
In October, Toyota said it would scale back investment in a planned plant in Mexico by 30 percent to $700 million and cut planned annual capacity in half to 100,000 vehicles as it shuffles its production plans to meet market demands.
Toyota has 10 U.S. plants in eight states in an arc running from West Virginia through Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.
Toyota and Mazda announced a capital alliance in August and are exploring joint development of technologies for the basic structure of competitive electric vehicles.
Over the last 30 years Toyota, along with German and Asian automakers, has built a second auto industry in the United States, rivaling the operations of the Detroit 3 automakers in size and employment, but with newer, and fewer unionized, plants.
States covet auto assembly plants because they typically pay above-average wages and spin off jobs at suppliers and service companies. Southern U.S. states have the advantage of good transportation infrastructure, business-friendly regulators and generally anti-union politicians.
The Alabama Department of Commerce shows 150 of the large automotive suppliers operate in the state, providing the logistical strength that Kristin Dziczek, a researcher at the Center for Automotive Research in Michigan, said helped land the plant.
Dziczek said that Alabama in 2017 was tied for fifth among U.S. states in auto production, at 9 percent with Tennessee. It was behind Michigan at 19 percent; Indiana at 12 percent, Kentucky at 11 percent; and Ohio at 10 percent.
"The impact of an auto assembly plant extends beyond its immediate economic impact, and that's why states offer robust incentives," said Dennis Cuneo, a site-selection consultant and former Toyota executive. "It creates a halo effect that in turn helps attract other projects."
Alabama spent an estimated $250 million to woo Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz to put an auto plant in Tuscaloosa two decades ago.


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Investors wiped greater than $1bn off Nintendo’s stock marketplace price on Wednesday after the Japanese video game maker delayed the release of a key title until next year, skated around the recent subject matter of video games streaming, and failed to give any updates on a new edition of its Switch machine. Shares inside the Kyoto-based totally company closed 3. Five in line with the cent decrease in Tokyo, marking the perennially unstable inventory’s largest one-day decline on account that April. The slide, stated analysts, illustrated the acute knife-edge of investor sentiment on which Japan’s largest video games maker lives because the industry undergoes tectonic adjustments.
The fall came after Nintendo said the ultra-modern iteration of its popular Animal Crossing franchise might no longer be launched for its Switch console till March 2020 rather than this year. It made the statement in a YouTube video published to coincide with the employer’s presentation at this week’s E3 games expo in Los Angeles. The buzz around the annual event, which units the tone for lovers, developers, and traders, has been video games streaming — the capability to play superb games through cloud-primarily based services in a manner that has the capacity to disrupt the conventional console version. Google, Amazon, and others have touted themselves as new entrants to the video games market through streaming.
Although speculation has been growing that Nintendo and Microsoft would possibly shape some partnership in this location, Astris Advisory Japan analyst David Gibson mentioned that Nintendo did no longer talk over this in its video and said it could have dissatisfied buyers. But he also questioned why the marketplace was not extra excited about one part of the presentation. Nintendo revealed it became operating on the sequel to Zelda: Breath of the Wild — a launch title for the Switch that bought greater than 14.3m copies. The delay to Animal Crossing: New Horizons way Nintendo ought to have a smaller roster of titles to pitch to game enthusiasts during the key Christmas length.


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Xtremepush, the leading customer engagement platform, has inked a comprehensive deal with The Pools, a renowned British brand, to provide a unified platform for its digital transformation.
The partnership encompasses the integration of Xtremepush's suite of solutions, including optimisation and automation CRM tools, and a real-time customer data platform (CDP) to enhance player engagement across sports betting, casino, and lottery products.
Following its recent rebrand from The Football Pools, The Pools aims to adopt a player-centric approach utilizing technology for a modern gaming experience. Xtremepush's platform will play a crucial role in delivering personalized and relevant messages to The Pools' users.
In addition to CRM tools and the CDP, Xtremepush will also create exclusive free-to-play (F2P) games for The Pools, solidifying a fully unified omnichannel solution. The first F2P game, Football Squares, is a bingo-style scratchcard covering various football events on a given day, providing real-time triggers and insights through Xtremepush's CRM platform.
This partnership is particularly significant for Xtremepush, marking one of the first integrations since its acquisition of Thunderbite in September 2023. The deal aims to redefine player engagement, gamification, and loyalty in the iGaming industry.
Rob Pryce, Chief Revenue Officer at Xtremepush, expressed the importance of the deal, stating, "The Pools is a truly iconic brand, and we are honored to be working with them at this vital stage of their life cycle where they are digitally transforming their business.
We share the same values when it comes to a customer-focused approach, and the potential of the bespoke free-to-play games we are creating...are incredibly exciting for both companies."
Steve Talbot, Chief Commercial Officer at The Pools, highlighted the significance of Xtremepush's unified platform, stating, "The Pools is such an iconic and well-loved brand in Britain...We've been really impressed with the range of solutions Xtremepush offers and particularly the bespoke free-to-play games they have developed for us. We're sure they will be really well received by our players."
The collaboration signifies a strategic move for both companies, leveraging technology and innovative gaming experiences to capture the modern gaming audience.


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Apple and Orange have finally confirmed that Orange will be the exclusive French carrier partner for the iPhone.
The two firms also confirmed the device will go on sale in France on 29 November.
“We are excited to partner with Orange and bring iPhone to France in time for the holidays,” said Apple CEO Steve Jobs. “iPhone is an amazing product and we hope mobile users in France will love it as much as we do.”
“The iPhone is a marvelous product and will change how people think about mobile. I’m delighted that it is launching in France through Orange, and I’m sure that our customers share my excitement. Our partnership with Apple is a natural fit because we are two global brands who share the same values of simplicity and innovation. It’s going to be a very merry Christmas for Orange customers all over the country,” said Didier Lombard, CEO, France Telecom.
Apple and Orange had been thought to be at loggerheads as a result of Lombard's September declaration that Orange would carry the iPhone.
iPhone will be sold in France through Orange’s online and direct retail stores. It will be available in an 8GB model for €399 including VAT for any subscription to one of the dedicated rate plans and will work with either a PC or Mac.


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DARK HORSE DIGITAL COMICS CATALOG GOES GLOBAL
More than 1,000 Dark Horse monthly comics are now available on Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble NOOK, Comixology, and Google Play, including Fight Club 2, Hellboy, and more
New York, NY/Portland, OR—Dark Horse Comics, the leader in independent entertainment publishing, announced the expansion of its monthly single-issue comics catalog across five new platforms, making Dark Horse the most widely distributed comics publisher digitally.
“We’re very pleased to offer our line of single-issue comics digitally to fans across the world,” remarked Dark Horse president and publisher Mike Richardson. “Dark Horse Digital has been at the forefront of the digital-comics movement through our own app-development team as well as our digital storefront, but now our growing relationship with our digital-publishing partners expands the choices for our readers to choose the platform and format they like best.”
All your favorite Dark Horse comic books, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Halo, Aliens, and more, are now available on your favorite digital platform the same day the print versions hit comic shops.
“We are very excited to be on these new platforms,” said Mark Bernardi, Dark Horse director of digital publishing. “Now, along with the Dark Horse Digital website and apps, there will be several other places for fans to get their digital comics the same day that print versions hit stores. We think this expanded distribution will be a boon to Dark Horse fans as well as the creators and licensors we partner with to create the amazing comics we publish each week.”
In 2011, the company celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in style, with the launch of an all-new proprietary digital-comics app, boasting thousands of titles for download through both the iTunes store and the Dark Horse Digital storefront at Digital.DarkHorse.com.
Just under a year after the launch of Dark Horse’s digital initiative, the company expanded the number of platforms on which comics fans can access their favorite Dark Horse graphic novels. Stemming from a successful partnership with Apple’s iBookstore, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble’s NOOK, Dark Horse announced a partnership with Google Play. In June 2015, Dark Horse Comics launched their graphic novel catalog on Comixology.
About Dark Horse Digital
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has grown to become the third-largest comics publisher in the United States and is acclaimed internationally for the quality and diversity of its line. In 2011, the company that revolutionized the comic industry proudly presented its groundbreaking digital-publishing program, Dark Horse Digital. Dark Horse Digital offers its most popular titles at an unprecedented value, while providing the highest-quality reading experience possible. Single-issue comics are priced as low as just $0.99, and there is also an extensive list of free introductory #1 issues. Additionally, DH Digital’s “bundles” group together story arcs spanning multiple issues into affordable packages, allowing readers to get all the issues that comprise a complete narrative, starting at just $3.99 and up. And through cloud-based technology, Digital Store purchases can be read and enjoyed online on your computer or, mobile browser, and through the Dark Horse Bookshelf apps, available on iTunes App Store and Google Play.
To get started, simply log on to Digital.DarkHorse.com or download the app to create an account, and begin building your collection today.


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Solar stocks seem to have bounced back on the TSXV as the week comes to a close. Volume and trades have gradually increased as the week has progressed, after a slow Monday when US markets were closed. Today, a solar tech stock is dominating the TSXV and currently has over $11 million in trade volume—far surpassing the rest.
Why is this solar tech stock doing so well? Let’s dig a little deeper and find out!
EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp. (TSXV:EHT)
EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies designs, develops, manufactures, assembles, and distributes structural building systems with integrated alternative energy technologies. The company works specifically in Canada. EnerDynamic offers solar panels and fiberglass reinforced insulated panels, and it operates out of Welland, Ontario.
EnerDynamic focuses on alternative energy and holds strategic partnerships with Elevate Export Finance and StormAid. In the last 24 hours, the solar tech stock announced two big announcements, which likely caused the sharp spike in its shares.
Nearly 24 hours ago, EnerDynamic announced that Brock University has selected the company to supply solar technology to the University. This solar tech will be used to power six campus directory signs.
Jerry Foster, the Sign Consultant coordinating the project on behalf of Brock University, said:
“EHT’s lighter weight and extremely durable solar panels provide the required solar power and tangible benefits that traditional solar panels could not. The potential of integrating EHT’s solar technology into illuminated signage has significant global market potential. In fact, entire signs can be designed to be constructed using the EHT ENERTEC material.”
In addition to the University announcement, EnerDynamic released another piece of news this morning. The company signed an even larger solar deal with the Government of Ghana. EnerDynamic will provide up to 100,000 rooftop solar systems under the Nation’s OPS program.
John Gamble, CEO of EHT, commented:
“We have been working with the Ghanian Ministry of Works and Housing on this project for a number of months and we are very excited to get this project moving and helping the people of Ghana.”
These announcements are likely the cause for the $11 million in trade volume of the solar tech stock today on the TSXV.
Solar Tech Stock Movement
According to Yahoo Finance, EHT is currently trading at $0.06 a share, up +$0.02 (+50.00%).
Featured Image: Depositphotos © Droidworker


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Next month, the Lehigh Valley’s beer scene will grow even bigger when Sherman Street Beer Company opens its doors at 1825 E. Tremont Street on Allentown’s east side.
The new brewery on the corner of Tremont and Sherman streets will be housed in the former Mink’s candies factory. It will feature different kinds of beers, along with mixed drinks and wine. Food offerings will include specialty hot dogs and paninis.
The renovation will allow for indoor seating for up to 98 people, a news release states, along with outdoor seating for about 60 to 70.
The operation will be run by award-winning brewmaster Beau Baden and partner Casey DeCeia, who secured a small business loan from Lehigh Financial LLC to help finance, outfit and equip the brewery and taproom.
Baden is the current brewmaster for Susquehanna Brewery in Pittston, Luzerne County. He previously served as brewmaster for Fegley’s Brew Works, overseeing the build and design of the Allentown location.
The Sherman Street property “checked a lot of boxes in what we were looking for,” Baden said in the release.
Accommodations indoors and outside will be limited for now due to pandemic restrictions. To meet current state guidelines, Baden said more off-premise wholesaling and distribution will take place once the brewery opens.
“Hopefully, the taproom business comes back by the fall,” he said.
The opening of Sherman St Beer Co. will boost the number of the Lehigh Valley breweries to 26.


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AUSTRALIAN horticulture is looking to make a bigger footprint overseas with the launch today of an ambitious plan to significantly grow exports by 2025.
Horticulture Innovation Australia (HIA) will commit more than $10.5 million into trade activities over the next year towards research and development to grow market access, and increased support for current and aspiring exporters.
The domestic launch was held in Sydney this morning.
A key component of the initiative is the new "Taste Australia" in-market export activity, which will help promote premium Australian produce in current and future markets.
Developed in consultation with growers, State and Federal Government agencies and other trade stakeholders, Taste Australia will be launched with more than 200 industry representatives at Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong next month.
That will kick off a six-month tour of trade show events in Dubai, Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo.
HIA chair, Selwyn Snell, said the potential for growth is significant given Australia’s solid reputation for producing high-quality produce, wide untapped opportunities, and the industry’s appetite for trade.
“Australia is known for delivering high-end produce that has undergone the most rigorous food safety inspections along all stages of the supply chain,” he said.
“We want to build upon that. The first way we are doing this is through Taste Australia, which tells the unique story of Australian horticulture products.
“Our country is known for our great lifestyle with our sunshine, appealing farms, beaches and landscapes, all of which is conveyed through this new in-market activity giving international consumers a sense of Australia every time they buy and eat Australian fruit, vegetable and nuts.”
Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Anne Ruston, launched the trade push.
“Our horticulture industry today made a bold statement about its intent to seize the opportunities global food demand presents,” Ms Ruston said.
“Global food demand alone will require a 75 per cent increase in world food production by 2050, compared with 2007 levels.
“In China, food consumption is projected to more than double between 2009 and 2050. Much of this demand will be for the high-value, high-quality produce Australia is known for.
“Taste Australia is a new brand and export campaign to promote premium Australian produce overseas.
“This brand promotes our longstanding reputation for quality produce, the cleanliness of our environment, the desirability of our lifestyle, and the trust that can be placed in our commercial supply chains and biosecurity."
Mr Snell said this year, HIA will invest 40pc more on trade show efforts than last year and growers and industry representative participation in overseas promotional activities will rise by 30pc.
“The focus will be on getting Australian produce and growers, exporters and other industry representatives in front of potential buyers, and building on those networks,” he said.
HIA will also continue to collectively work with a number of R&D corporations including Dairy Australia, Wine Australia and Meat and Livestock Australia to showcase premium food and beverages at events overseas under the "Taste Australia" banner.
Australian Made Campaign chief executive, Ian Harrison, said whether or not businesses intend to market their products as Australian domestically or abroad, consistency was key.
“A collaborative, cohesive approach to country-of-origin branding for all Australian product categories would serve our farmers and manufacturers well,” Mr Harrison said.
“A single logo that establishes the national identity of all Australian products is an important step towards an effective strategy for 'brand Australia'.
“The Australian Made, Australian Grown logo is already being used globally by thousands of Australian farmers and manufacturers, so it makes sense to leverage that brand equity collectively."
On home soil, HIA will invest more than $10.5M in trade-related R&D activities over the next year and is set to boost its investment across areas such as biosecurity, pre-export produce treatments, and supply chain efficiencies.
The push to better market Australian produce comes as West Australian mining identity and beef producer and processor, Andrew (Twiggy) Forrest, recently made comments that Australia’s food and marketing message to Chinese shoppers, in particular, is chaotic and confusing.
Despite efforts by Austrade to encourage exporters to adopt certain “brand Australia” labelling protocols, the Fortescue Metals Group chairman repeated his concerns at a recent Melbourne agribusiness event, saying clear and generic branding messages were badly needed to promote our quality, premium-priced food exports.
Australia’s horticulture exports reached record levels of $2.6 billion in 2015–16, and are forecast to continue to increase to $3.3 billion by 2021–22.


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ABB Robotics, the robotics division of Swiss-Swedish multinational electrical equipment firm ABB, has introduced 3D printing software to its robotics simulation program.
With this new feature, the company states that users will be able to program ABB robots to begin additive manufacturing production in 30 minutes.
Available as an add-on in its RobotStudio software, ABB aims to eliminate manual programming for its customers with the new 3D printing software, in order to enable faster prototype production.
“With our new 3D Printing software, we are offering customers a faster and more streamlined 3D printing process,” states Steven Wyatt, Head of Portfolio and Digital at ABB Robotics and Discrete Automation. “Coupled with the high performance of our robots, this means manufacturers can now produce high-quality 3D printed objects for a variety of industrial applications more efficiently.” The usage of ABB robotic arms in the 3D printing industry Headquartered in […]
DLR, German’s space agency and NASA equivalent, is doing what it can to support the global shortages of personal...


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DC Shoes has teamed up with Singapore’s legendary SBTG to create something special for the Chinese New Year in the form of a commemorative plate set. To mark the Year of the Dragon, SBTG has re-imagined the DC logo into this classic porcelain artwork which will also appear on limited-run tees that will be made available across Asia and the U.S. in white and red. While the tees will go on sale January 16, those pining for the “Enter the Dragon” Plate Set must head over to DC’s Facebook page to have a chance at the festive offering.
Source: Sneaker Freaker


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SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) — Santa Clara County will begin Phase 2 on Friday.
The county was hit the hardest with COVID-19 and will now allow retailers to open for curbside pickup after two months under the shelter in place order.
At historic Murphy Avenue, many businesses shuttered its doors because of the pandemic. While the new order officially takes place Friday, one business owner got permission from the city of Sunnyvale to get a head start with reopening.
Customers stopped by Leigh’s favorite books in downtown Sunnyvale to pick up orders Thursday afternoon.
Leigh Odum is the owner, she’s been relying on delivery the past two months to keep her store afloat.
Odum says she spoke to Sunnyvale city officials who gave her the green light to offer curbside pickup early.
“We really had to change our system and completely change the way we do business,” she said.
Changes like shifting online.
“We’re doing everything from updating our website to helping customers by email, sometimes video chat, Facebook posts curating selections for customers,” Odum said.
Santa Clara County was ground zero of COVID-19 but county public health officials say there’s been significant progress in controlling the spread of the virus.
On Monday, officials announced the county will be moving to Phase 2 of the state’s guidelines that allows retail shops to offer curbside pickup.
For Raj Parker, the manager of off the rails brewing company, he hopes more foot traffic will bring people in.
“We don’t have any business at all and it’s very difficult in terms of the rent and utility bill expenses,” Parker said.
Parker says the restaurant just started curbside services this week while other restaurants offered takeout or just stayed closed during the shelter in place order.
“We are taking extra precaution, make sure that all the food and things we follow the rules and regulations,” Odum said.
Other businesses and activities that can reopen Friday include outdoor museums, car parades and historic sites can reopen as long as visitors remain outside.
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A Project Reclaims an Abandoned Stretch of New Jersey Coast
SAYREVILLE, N.J. — A bleak expanse of coastal New Jersey, polluted by paint pigments and deserted for many years, is present process a makeover that can convey a significant improvement of housing, retail house and workplace house a half-hour’s drive from Lower Manhattan.
In coming weeks, the O’Neill Properties Group will formally break floor on the 5.eight million-square-foot challenge, The Pointe. The 418-acre web site, south of Staten Island, is on the coronary heart of a freeway community that already carries some 400,000 automobiles a day instantly previous the positioning, and on summer time weekends, tons of of 1000’s extra.
The groundbreaking will make method for the anchor retail tenant, Bass Pro Shops, to construct a 200,000-square-foot retailer. The retailer is predicted to open in June 2017 as the primary stage of a deliberate 2.four million sq. ft of retail house.
The developer has additionally agreed with Regal Cinemas to construct a 55,000-square-foot movie show complicated, and is in talks with about 20 different potential retail tenants.
Over the subsequent seven to 10 years, the event is so as to add 750,000 sq. ft of workplace house, as much as 1,000 resort rooms, and a pair of,000 flats overlooking the Raritan River.
By mid-2017, the complicated is to have its personal freeway interchange, which is able to present 12 on- and off-ramps for the adjoining Garden State Parkway and U.S. 9 and Route 35 close by. Together, these highways carry some 600,000 individuals a day to and from jobs in New York City or to Jersey Shore cities to the south, in line with information from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the state’s Department of Transportation and Maser Consulting, an engineering agency engaged on the challenge.
The excessive quantity of visitors, and the accessibility of the brand new improvement to the main Northeast market, symbolize an uncommon alternative for potential tenants, mentioned the developer’s chief government, Brian O’Neill Sr.
“One hundred p.c of New Jersey shore guests cross by way of this intersection if they’re coming from the 5 boroughs of New York City, northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut,” Mr. O’Neill mentioned, in an interview in a trailer on the sting of the positioning.
“In summertime, there are days when there are one million automobiles, or two or three million individuals, coming by way of this intersection,” he mentioned, “which makes for one of the spectacular alternatives for retailers to reveal themselves to their clientele.”
The challenge is a three way partnership of O’Neill Properties and Prudential Real Estate Investors, and is predicted to price no less than $2.2 billion by the point it’s completed, Mr. O’Neill mentioned. The interchange is being constructed at a price of $85 million, $15 million of which is being paid by the developer and the rest by the state.
New Jersey, America’s most densely populated state, has lengthy sought to redevelop its so-called brownfield websites, deserted and sometimes contaminated tracts previously used for business or industrial functions. O’Neill Properties, based mostly in King of Prussia, Pa., focuses on brownfield redevelopment.
O’Neill purchased the Sayreville web site for $80 million in 2008, some twenty years after it was deserted by NL Industries, previously National Lead, which had manufactured paint pigment there since 1934. In early 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency directed the corporate to pay $79 million to scrub up a 40-acre lagoon on the east facet of the positioning, the place Bass Pro Shops will construct its new retailer.
NL Industries was discovered to be no less than partly answerable for contamination there, which included PCBs, titanium dioxide and technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials. This required a multiyear environmental remediation challenge costing $45 million, and involving the elimination or remedy of 360,000 cubic yards of soil.
Cleaning up the lagoon turned out to be far tougher than the corporate anticipated when it purchased the property, mentioned Brian O’Neill Jr., Mr. O’Neill’s son, who manages the Sayreville challenge.
“We have been unaware of the depth and consistency of the fabric that was within the lagoon,” Mr. O’Neill Jr., 29, mentioned. “In some locations it turned out to be 10 ft thick of this acidic paintlike substance, like quicksand.”
The answer was to inject 38,000 tons of portland cement into tons of of cells within the lagoon, an operation that took a yr and a half and has now created a secure web site the place Bass Pro Shops can construct. Remediation on different components of the positioning is continuous, and a few environmental permits are nonetheless pending, Mr. O’Neill Jr. mentioned.
Before O’Neill Properties bought the positioning, it was the topic of a variety of lawsuits between NL Industries, Sayreville’s financial improvement company and the state Department of Environmental Protection, all of which have been resolved by the acquisition, Mr. O’Neill Jr. mentioned. NL Industries didn’t reply to requests for remark.
The firm says that the pricey and time-consuming strategy of reclaiming the positioning from its poisonous historical past is justified by the distinctive alternative to personal such a big parcel of developable land within the midst of one of many nation’s greatest markets.
“The actual property fundamentals of this web site are unparalleled,” Mr. O’Neill Jr. mentioned, noting that the waterfront property promised to be a further attraction for future residents.
Matt S. Krauser, senior managing director in northern New Jersey for Integra Realty Resources, a nationwide valuation firm, agreed that the provision and improvement of an enormous parcel in a chief location have been uncommon and promising.
“To be capable to purchase 400 acres proper off the parkway with ease of accessibility each north and south, it’s actually an uncommon challenge in an uncommon location,” he mentioned. “It’s roughly a once-in-a-lifetime alternative to have the ability to assemble one thing like this.”
He mentioned that the challenge was a departure from the city middle sort of improvement that had dominated in recent times. With its workplace and residential elements, the Sayreville challenge may very well be seen as a hybrid, he mentioned.
“It’s constructing its personal downtown within the suburbs,” Mr. Krauser mentioned.
When the challenge is full, Mr. O’Neill Sr. mentioned, 221 million individuals yearly will drive by 4 digital billboards measuring as much as 44,000 sq. ft. Each will dwarf the one on the facet of the Marriott Marquis resort in Times Square, which was one of many largest on the planet when it was put in in 2014.
Combined with seven digital media towers, additionally alongside the Garden State Parkway, the event will create 226,000 sq. ft of digital signage, all of which has been accredited by state and native authorities, the developer mentioned.
The indicators symbolize a significant alternative for advertisers to achieve hundreds of thousands of individuals at a decrease price than different types of mass promoting, Mr. O’Neill Sr. mentioned. And hundreds of thousands of shoppers driving alongside the parkway, he added, “can’t block it out.”
The new improvement was welcomed by Kennedy O’Brien, Sayreville’s mayor, who mentioned the borough’s officers accredited it as a result of it was a mixed-use challenge with a residential ingredient. That affords Sayreville the prospect of reviving its depressed middle, he mentioned, which was constructed greater than 100 years in the past and has scarce parking and little or no financial alternative.
“It’s not a gathering place for the individuals of Sayreville anymore,” Mr. O’Brien mentioned, in distinction to the brand new improvement, which he referred to as “a pure evolution for a city like ours.”
Sayreville, which previously made bricks for the development of Manhattan and munitions for World War I, is a middle-income group of some 43,000 individuals the place homeownership is excessive, foreclosures are low and church attendance is widespread, Mr. O’Brien mentioned. “It’s a Norman Rockwell American city,” he mentioned.
Mr. O’Brien added that the event can be a very good supply of recent tax income to bolster the native economic system.
“This will present an incredible injection of additional cash into our tax base,” Mr. O’Brien mentioned. “It will present employment alternatives, and Bass Pro Shops will present an incredible place for husbands to go when their wives buy groceries.”


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One of the many, many contentious issues that make up the ongoing pointless battles between the Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C. is the Solyndra case, about how the now-bankrupt solar-power company got loan guarantees. Republicans say the Obama Administration pushed the loans through in a less-than-honest manner. The Administration and the DOE say everything was aboveboard.
The U.S. Congress will be seeing a bill this week that, if adopted, would allow automakers the ability to obtain $20 billion in federally backed loan guarantees. The bill is open to any auto manufacturer including foreign-based Toyota and Honda, but it's clearly targeted at the domestics. As the credit ratings of the Big 3 continue to drop, this bill could potentially save them hundreds of millions of dollars while fomenting the development of clean-air technologies. U.S. Representative Mike Rog
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No charges filed in fight in the city
POTTSVILLE — No charges were filed after Pottsville police responded to a report of a fight in the parking lot of the Coney Island Restaurant, 2286 W. Market St., on July 27.
Arriving at the scene after being called around 1:45 a.m., police said, officers spoke with two men involved in the incident and that neither wanted to press charges against the other.
Police investigate motorcycle crash
POTTSVILLE — Pottsville police investigated a crash involving a car and a motorcycle that was reported around 4:20 p.m. July 26 at the intersection of 18th and West Market streets.
The motorcycle driver, a 42-year-old Port Carbon man, was not wearing a helmet and was thrown from his vehicle, witnesses reported.
The man was sitting up and conscious, police said, adding that he was treated by Schuylkill EMS and taken to a local hospital for further treatment.
Patrolman Christopher Hamilton investigated the crash and determined that the motorcycle driver was traveling west on West Market Street and legally entered the intersection as Michael Lawrence, 67, of Schuylkill Haven, was driving a 2018 Chevrolet Trax east on West Market Street.
Lawrence attempted to make a left turn onto North 18th Street and turned into the path of the motorcycle.
As a result of the crash, police said, Hamilton will be citing Lawrence for vehicles turning left.
Man arrested for theft at Walmart
HOMETOWN — A Coaldale man was arrested by state police at Frackville and charged with retail theft after an incident at the Walmart store around 5 p.m. July 31.
Police said Paul Wierich, 32, was seen marking merchandise to a lower price and taken into custody by store security after paying for the items with the improper prices.
Wierich was arraigned on a felony retail theft charge by Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer, Tamaqua, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $2,500 straight cash bail.


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Home Sweet Home for Business
Have you got budding entrepreneurs in your local area who want to start a home based business, but don’t know how?
The NSW Small Business Commission has a new online resource with all they need to know about getting started, where to find help developing a business plan, requirements for hiring staff, accessing government grants and staying connected.
In October the Small Business Minister Damien Tudehope launched the resource Running a Home Business at the Home Based Business (HBB) Forum in West Lindfield which was co-hosted by the City of Ryde and Ku-Ring-Gai Councils.
The Commission developed Running a Home Business after surveying 460 home business owners - startups to industry ‘veterans’ of more than 10 years - to understand their challenges and identify what they need.
“We’ve listened to business owners who’ve told us loud and clear they need a one-stop-shop for information to help them set up and run their businesses successfully,” Mr Tudehope said.
“Home businesses are a growing trend for many independent professionals and a vital and growing niche of the NSW economy.”
Read our home based business resource.


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Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman launched his “special purchase acquisition company” (or SPAC) on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Wednesday (July 22), positioning the vehicle as a better alternative for taking a promising private company public.
Ackman raised $4 billion in an initial public offering (IPO) for the new Pershing Square Tontine Holdings (PSTH), even though the business has no actual assets yet. Instead, the firm is what’s called a SPAC or a “blank check company” — an entity that raises cash first and then goes out and buys a business or businesses with the money.
In PSTH’s case, the SPAC intends to buy just one promising private company and take it public. Ackman said whatever business PSTH purchases will find selling itself to the SPAC preferable to doing its own IPOs because it’ll know ahead of time how much money it’s getting.
With an IPO, the amount raised depends on what price investors will pay for a new stock. But Ackman told CNBC that if a company sells itself to PSTH, “we come to an agreement on the value of the company [and] we buy only a minority interest in the business, so they’re not afraid to leave a little money on the table.”
Even though Ackman has yet to say what the SPAC might buy, IPO investors shelled out $20 per share (or units) for stakes in the company, which trades under the ticker PSTH. The units rose 6.5 percent in their first day of NYSE trading on Wednesday to close at $21.30.
Ackman had offered the public 200 million units through the IPO, raising $4 billion in total. His own hedge fund is buying another $1 billion of units and reserves the right to buy as much as $2 billion more. That will give the SPAC as much as $7 billion for an acquisition.
“PSTH will be one of the largest sources of cash equity capital for a private, single-company, minority investment in the world,” the SPAC said in a statement. “When PSTH’s IPO proceeds are combined with the Pershing Square Funds’ forward purchase agreement, PSTH will have a minimum of $5 billion of cash equity capital. While comparably-sized or larger investment funds generally seek to acquire controlling or 100 percent interests in diversified portfolios of companies, PSTH intends to merge with one private company and take it public through a transaction in which our stockholders will own a minority interest in the newly public company.”
While Ackman has yet to say exactly what company the SPAC might buy, he’s indicated that he’s seeking a “mature unicorn” that has opted to stay private because its investors had not yet been looking to sell their shares.
In the meantime, all money that Ackman raised will go into an interesting-bearing trust until the SPAC makes an acquisition.
“If you don’t like the deal, you get your money back with interest,” Ackman told CNBC.
An ‘Instantaneous IPO’
Private companies that take the traditional IPO route often face an arduous and uncertain process.
When a “hot” company files an IPO prospectus, employees who stand to make money on their pre-IPO stock options often get inundated with calls from financial advisers offering advice or real estate brokers peddling homes. The press also starts reaching out to current and former staffers in search of news.
“Everyone starts focusing on things that have nothing to do with running the core business,” Ackman told CNBC.
Companies then file a revised prospectus with additional details and start a “road show,” where they meet with potential investors. But management doesn’t know how much capital the company will actually raise until the IPO’s last day, when the underwriters handling the transaction set a price for the shares based on investor interest.
By contrast, Ackman said that any private company that teams up with his SPAC will in essence enjoy an “instantaneous IPO” — without the traditional hassles or uncertainties.


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I fly to Seattle, WA to rent a car from Brooke Stabbert of classicautorentals.com. He stores his collection of cars at an amazing “man cave” The Shop, Seattle, WA. Brooke takes us on a tour of The Shop and explains the pricing and features.
More info on The Shop – Seattle, WA
The Shop - Seattle, WA - BingNews Search results
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A Leeds restaurant has served up a treat after it was named best newcomer at a national awards ceremony.
Red’s True Barbecue, which now has two sites in Leeds and one in Manchester, scooped the award at the prestigious Catey’s in London.
The well-respected ceremony showcases some of the hospitality industry’s highest flyers and hottest brands.
Award-winners are nominated, selected and rewarded by their industry peers at the glittering event.
Red’s, which is set to open a new restaurant in Headingley, picked up best newcomer.
The accolade is awarded to a business showing promise within the industry and other finalists included The Truscott Arms and The Genuine Dining Co, both based in London.
Kevin Watson, managing director at Amadeus and one of the judges, said: “I chose them because of their commitment to research, the focus on the product, their fantastic results on their first opening and their second opening, and the fact they have never had any experience in this sector before.”
The first-time restaurant amateurs James Douglas and Scott Munro, who co-founded Red’s, said they were delighted with the award.
James said: “This October we will have been in business just two years, and it still continues to surprise and amaze both Scott and I just how much Red’s has captured the imagination of the public and industry peers.
“We knew nothing about running restaurants when we got into this game, but ridiculous amounts of passion for American barbecue and a commitment to creating a restaurant experience that we think is cool and would enjoy to eat in is what’s driven this business.
“We’re honoured to receive this award; it’s as much for us as it is for the 130 people who work within our business and the 40,000 believers who continue to turn up each month to worship at Red’s.”
Red’s True Barbecue has one venue at Cloth Hall Street near the Corn Exchange in Leeds and another in Manchester.
The business sells 40 tonnes of meat to over 35,000 customers each month
Red’s has recently announced strong full-year trading figures, with turnover up 70 per cent and restaurant-level operating profit increasing by 102 per cent.