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Thursday March 13,2014 : SCIENTIFIC GAMES REDUCES NET LOSS IN Q4:2013
WMS acquisition and Lottery division help growth.
In its Q4:2013 results just posted, Scientific Games reduced its net loss from $12.4 million in Q4:2012 to just $500,000 in the current quarter, and from $43.9 million in Q4:2012 to $25.6 million in 2013, thanks mainly to its acquisition of WMS and a good performance from its lottery division.
Overall group financial highlights included:
* Revenues in Q4:2013 at $401.9 million (Q4:2012 $246.8 million);
* FY revenues 2013 at $1090.9 million (FY 2012: $928.6 million);
* Operating loss of $67.5 million in Q4:2013 vs. a positive $10.1 million in same quarter 2012;
* Full year operating loss of $18.3 million vs. a positive $62.9 million in 2012;
* Net loss of $500,000 vs. loss of $12.4 million in the same quarter in 2012;
* Full year net loss of $25.6 million vs. net loss of $43.9 million in 2012.
* EBITDA for the quarter at $130.5 million and for the year $382.5 million vs. 2012 Q4 of $89.9 million and FY 2012 of $337.8 million.
President and Chief Executive Officer David L. Kennedy reported:
"Fourth quarter revenues reflect solid growth in our lottery business and a partial quarter of WMS results. We are focused on growing our customers' revenues and capturing new growth opportunities by accelerating development of innovative content and technology and continuously improving our core competencies.
"At the same time, we are focused on achieving the targeted cost synergies related to the acquisition of WMS and driving profit margin and cash flow improvements across all of our businesses."
Gaming segment financial highlights included:
* Interactive products and services revenue increased $27 million principally reflecting $25.6 million from WMS following the acquisition;
* Social gaming revenue is reported on a gross revenue basis before platform fees reflecting a change in the payment settlement process by Facebook, and this change to gross reporting represented $8.4 million of the revenue in the 2013 full-quarter period.
* Interactive gaming products and services generated revenues of $28.4 million in Q4 2013 (Q4 2012: $1.4 million)
* Average daily users climbed to 1.2 million, and MAUs were up at 4.2 million, with average revenue per day per user of 26 cents.
Gaming segment business highlights over the year included:
* Launched the Gold Fish social casino in the 2014 first quarter, a second interactive social gaming site;
* Signed new online gaming content agreements for real-money gaming services with Gamesys Group, which will enable the company's interactive gaming content to be available on several New Jersey online casino sites;
* Agreements with Ladbrokes, William Hill and Gala Coral that further expanded Scientific Games' interactive real-money B2B online gaming business.
Scientific Games expects the synergies generated by its acquisition of WMS to achieve at least $60 million of cost synergies on an annualised run-rate basis by the end of 2014 – an improvement on the previous estimate of $50 million.
Reflected in this amount is at least $45 million of cost synergies on an annualised run-rate basis from actions already initiated or completed:
* Approximately $37 million in savings in selling, general and administrative expense from reductions in headcount; lower stock-based compensation; the elimination of duplicative corporate and public company costs; and procurement savings.
* Approximately $6 million in reductions in cost of sales primarily from manufacturing procurement and component sourcing initiatives;
* Approximately $2 million in savings in research and development expenses from initiatives to rationalise hardware and software platforms and reduce duplicative functions, which is net of increased investment in projects to support longer-term revenue synergy initiatives;
* The company also has taken actions to further streamline operations by divesting non-core assets, divesting itself of an equity stake in Sportech plc for net cash proceeds of approximately $45 million, and has sold its online real-money U.K. B2C gaming operation.
It is in the process of exiting its Belgium managed services online gaming business to focus on its social gaming and B2B online real-money gaming opportunities
* Up to and including 2015, the company expects to incur integration and restructuring costs and capital totalling up to $40 million in 2014 and up to $15 million in 2015.
Jeffrey S. Lipkin, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, said, "We continue to expect to realise $100 million of annualised cost savings on a run-rate basis and $20 million of annualised capital expenditure savings by the end of December 2015."


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A POPULAR free Christmas fair is set to bigger and better than ever to celebrate its 10th birthday.
The Save the Children fair will be held at Leamington Town Hall this weekend (December 2 and 3) and has so far attracted more than 60 stallholders.
Homemade gifts incuding stationary, puppets, fudge, cakes stained glass work, Christmas wreaths, jewellery and skin care will be just some of the items on offer.
There will also be a giant tombola and refreshments along with performances by Morris dancers and live bands.
The fair is open from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and between 11am and 5pm on Sunday.

domain: news


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Trinity Square Video is excited to announce the support of AMD for artists working with virtual reality.
Trinity Square Video is excited to announce the support of AMD, a leader in high-performance graphics for gaming and virtual reality, as Trinity’s lead technology sponsor for a multi-year research and development project to present virtual reality (VR) applications in media art.
With the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, Trinity has commissioned four artists’ projects and developer teams to create new works that explore the potential of VR as an immersive artistic experience. AMD has generously provided technology support and VR-ready systems equipped with high-powered AMD graphics for the creation of the AMD VR Media Lab at Trinity. The new facility will be available to Trinity members and arts organizations interested in creating and presenting immersive works.
“We are thrilled to have the support of Canada’s leading technology company in this new area of media art,” says David Plant, Executive Director at Trinity Square Video. “The vision of our artists will push the boundaries of what is possible in virtual reality, and bring a new audience to this exciting technology.”
Trinity Square Video’s Artistic Director cheyanne turions states: “It is very exciting to be working directly with both technology creators and contemporary artists in this project to help promote new understandings of what the virtual can be. What does technology allow us to feel, what are its ethics, and what does it mean to be immersed in an artificial reality in a time of political urgency? These are important questions at this point where VR is about to enter into our lives in substantial, everyday ways. AMD’s support at Trinity shows a commitment to supporting deep investigations of how technology affects how we understand the world.”
“AMD’s VR technology empowers VR content creators and experience designers with amazingly powerful and capable development tools,” said Andrej Zdravkovic, Corporate VR of Software and Platforms Engineering, AMD. “AMD is immensely proud to be a part of this vibrant community and to enable Trinity Square Video members and arts organizations in creating impossible realities, giving life to imagination.”
Look forward to a paradigm-shifting exhibition of these works at Trinity Square Video in 2017, curated by John Hampton and Maiko Tanaka.
AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics, and visualization technologies for over four decades—AMD powers everything from the Microsoft® Xbox One™ and the Sony PlayStation 4, to powerful desktops and Windows 10-based laptops, 5K iMacs, the MacBook Pro and beyond.


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The second annual Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Festival will be launched at a press conference on January 14.
The three-day event, which showcases the rich tradition of coffee production in the Blue Mountain region, was launched last year and featured Blue Mountain coffee, coffee-related products, food stalls, tastings, demonstrations and workshops.
Held at Newcastle in St. Andrew in late March, the event saw approximately 1,000 patrons in attendance and was completely sold out.
Chairperson of the Tourism Ministry’s Gastronomy Network, Nicola Madden-Greig, said the festival is part of a strategy to have locals, as well as visitors, exposed to Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee where it is produced.
“We will continue to work with the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA), Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and the Tourism Linkages Network to push the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee through our hotels and attractions,” she said.
“Most of our gift shops sell it, a lot of our hotels serve it, but we want to see how we can improve on that and grow those numbers,” she added.
Mrs. Madden-Grieg was addressing a press conference to launch Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day and to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), at JAMPRO’S offices in New Kingston, on January 4.
The MOU, which was signed by JAMPRO, JACRA and the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association (JCEA), establishes a formal framework to guide a promotional campaign and marketing strategy to support the Jamaica Blue Mountain and Jamaica High Mountain coffees.
To be observed on January 9 by Jamaica and Japan, the Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day is being held in recognition of the formidable relationship forged between the two countries since 1953 when Jamaica sent its first shipment of coffee to the Asian country.
It also marks the day the largest shipment of coffee left the port of Kingston en route to Japan in 1967.


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Indian consumer companies have temporarily ceased operations in Egypt amid the on-going political crisis, adding to fears that prolonged unrest may take a toll on earnings.
Livemint reports that firms such as Marico, Dabur, Asian Paints have shut down their Egyptian units and are monitoring the situation. According to Livemint, Egypt has been quite attractive to Indian firms as it offers tax cuts, preferential trade treaties, and swift approvals for business, in addition to high growth.
"If the unrest in Egypt is resolved over the next few weeks, we would see a minor impact on business on the supply side. However, if it continues for a longer period of time then the slowdown in Egypt and the neighbouring economies could impact FMCG demand,” an analyst with Edelweiss Capital told Livemint.
MORE ARTICLES ON RISK MANAGEMENT


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REI plans to open a store in Silverdale, the Kent-based company announced this morning.
In a statement released today by the 74-year-old company, it announced the 24,500-square-foot store will be located at the intersection of Randall Way and Myhre Place. The store will include a bike shop, rental department and space for community meetings and classes.
“Our new Silverdale store will be much more convenient for more than 15,000 active REI members who reside along the Kitsap Peninsula,” Kevin Golic, an REI retail director, said in the prepared statement. “We look forward to providing REI’s quality products, advice and service to the many that consider the community the gateway to the Olympics.”
REI expects to hire 50 employees for the store. The store is scheduled to open in the fall of 2013.


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Last Thursday Reddit announced that it will be accepting Bitcoin as payment for Reddit Gold. In light of the recent exposure from Reddit I’m taking some time to revisit the crypto currency subreddits as they are growing both in number and in size. While r/Bitcoin is right up there with BitcoinTalk.org and the Bitcoin Stack Exchange in terms of activity, many of the lesser known subreddits could use some exposure. Given the recent increase in Bitcoin mining difficultly I’ve included subreddits for lesser known crypto currencies as well. These other crypto currencies are expected to become an attractive option to CPU and GPU miners as Bitcoin ASICS come online.
r/Bitcoin – 15,921 readers
With 15, 786 readers r/Bitcoin is the 715th largest subreddit according to stattit.com. After the recent reddit gold announcement and other positive Bitcoin news it isn’t unusual to see 200 or more users there at a time.
r/BitMarket – 1,395 Bitcoin traders
The second largest Bitcoin related subreddit, r/BitMarket is a place to sell your stuff for Bitcoin. With ASICs coming online, it might not be a bad place to look for a good deal on a graphics card in the next few weeks or months.
r/BitcoinMining – 1,324 readers
If you’re interested in getting involved in the more technical side of Bitcoin this may be a good place to start. Bitcoin mining is the process of using your computer’s resources or specialized hardware such as ASICs to help run the Bitcoin network and earn Bitcoin.
r/MtRed – 878 miners
MtRed stands for ‘Mining Team Reddit’ and is a Reddit oriented Bitcoin mining pool. You can check out the actual mining pool at MtRed.com. They have a decent enough hash rate that you’ll see fairly consistent payouts.
r/MtGox – 488 readers
MtGox is the largest and most established Bitcoin exchange. Consequently, r/MtGox is focused on discussion about Bitcoin trading. It is not all that active with the most recent post being one month old.
r/BitcoinTip – 428 readers
The Bitcoin tip bot is probably the best way to spread the use of Bitcoin through Reddit. The bot allows Redditors to tip other Redditors with Bitcoin and could serve as a model for how Bitcoin can spread through other forums.
r/BitcoinMagazine – 266 readers
Bitcoin magazine is likely the biggest, if not the only print publication dedicated to Bitcoin. If you’d like to discuss their articles or blog posts this is the place to go.
r/Jobs4Bitcoins – 65 subscribers
Need a website built or a logo designed? Jobs for Bitcoin lets you hire other redditors for Bitcoin or work for Bitcoin yourself.
r/Games4Bitcoins – 27 readers
Games for Bitcoin is pretty self-explanatory; trade Bitcoin for games with other Redditors.
r/MutualistsForBitcoin – 15 readers
Basically this is a subreddit for mutualists that would like to see Bitcoin transform the financial, political and economic sphere. It’s new.
Other Crypto Currency Subreddits
r/Namecoin – 540 Readers
Namecoin is a decentralized naming system that was based off of the the Bitcoin protocol. While it showed promise for awhile its use has begun to drop off. Many mining pools merge mine Namecoin with Bitcoin.
r/Ripplers – 197 Readers
In the words of its own website “Ripple is an open source person to person payment network”. R/Ripplers is a community of those that use it.
r/Litecoin – 168 readers
Litecoin is another digital person to person currency that is based off of Bitcoin. It uses a different encryption algorithm and has slight differences in reward and total number of coins. It currently trades on Btc-e for around 7 cents (USD) to one Litecoin.
r/Terracoin – 3 readers
Terracoin is very similar to Bitcoin with a few changes in block size and confirmation time. Terracoin is one of the youngest and thus newest crypto currencies.
r/Crypto – 8,175 readers
If you have an interest in cryptography then r/Crypto is a great resource. Also, if you have an interest in Bitcoin, Litecoin or any of the other crypto currencies then you might enjoy learning more about the cryptography they’re based on.
While this may not be an exhaustive list of crypto currency subreddits it does cover quite a few. I decided to excluded the NSFW subreddits. However, if that’s your thing you can find a listing of them on r/Bitcoin. If I’ve missed your favorite crypto related subreddit comment below and I’ll check it out.
Update: Thanks to Redditor Free_Alice you can check out this multiReddit of all the mentioned subreddits!


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Woolworths is investigating video of a large spider crawling around apparently trapped inside a packet of salad leaves purchased from one of its stores.
Zoe Perry posted to the supermarket's Facebook page the video of the unwelcome intruder that spooked her "arachnophobic family".
"Jesus crap," the young woman screams as the spider's eight legs squirm.
"It's reanimated," her mother adds.
The video has been watched more than 1 million times and a representative of Woolworths said the company was "very concerned" by it.
"We're very concerned about this Zoe, and take incidents like this very seriously," said a post by Woolworths' verified Facebook account.
"Please let us know your phone number and state … so that we can follow this up with you ASAP."
Ms Perry has been contacted by ninemsn for comment. It is not known whether she has yet made contact with Woolworths.
The video was posted hours after a nation-wide recall of pre-packed salad leaf products by both Coles and Woolworths.
The products grown and distributed by the Victorian-based company Tripod Farmers have been linked to a number of cases of salmonella.


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While Tesla’s pair of Semi trucks are usually spotted showcasing their tire-shredding acceleration and their impressive speed, a video taken of the two electric long-haulers in a CA freeway shows how the vehicles look when they are just cruising relaxedly on the road, almost as if they are in what Elon Musk dubbed during the truck’s unveiling as “Convoy Mode.”
The video was uploaded last week by YouTube user Sergey MoldovanAmerican, who stated that he spotted the Semi pair driving on a CA highway. The nearly 1-minute sighting featured the two electric Semis up close, giving a pretty good idea of the massive size of the electric trucks. The driver of the long-range, silver Semi seemed very relaxed, drinking and even candidly waving at the camera as the YouTuber’s vehicle passed his truck.
The 300-mile range, matte black Tesla Semi was just ahead of the silver Semi. From what could be seen in the video, the black Semi was pulling the same container it was hauling when it was spotted at a Supercharger earlier in March. The sighting was location-tagged at Danville, CA, which is 30 mins away from the Fremont factory via I-680 S.
The formation of the two electric trucks are reminiscent of what Elon Musk described as the Tesla Semi’s capability to drive in “Convoy Mode.” This particular feature enables a fleet of Semis to semi-autonomously draft in close proximity with each other, reducing energy usage from wind resistance.
“The convoy technology, the tracking technology, this is something that we are confident we can today do ten times safer than a human driver. I want to be clear, this is something we can do now,” Musk said during the unveiling.
Sightings of the Tesla Semi over the past month have become more frequent, with Tesla fans spotting the electric long-hauler on various locations across the country. Not long after the Tesla Semi pair were spotted on the Rocklin Supercharger, the long-range, silver version of the truck was sighted at the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis, MO. Later during the same day, the long-range Semi was sighted parked at a Supercharger in St. Charles, which is about 24 miles away from Anheuser-Busch’s facility.
A week after the MO sighting, the same Tesla Semi was spotted at the Dallas, TX Service Center, showing up a day later on a private demo event for PepsiCo employees at Reunion Tower. As we noted in a previous report, one of the r/TeslaMotors subreddit’s members, Ryan O’Donnell, was able to attend the private event. While in the demo, Ryan was able to speak with a PepsiCo employee, who noted that the company’s 100 orders of the Tesla Semi were just a “drop in the bucket” for PepsiCo’s overall plans.
Just recently, we also reported on FedEx placing reservations for 20 Tesla Semis, which the courier delivery service will deploy for FedEx Freight, the company’s less-than-truckload (LTL) service.
Overall, the Tesla Semi could very well disrupt the trucking industry the same way that the Model S disrupted the luxury sedan market. Equipped with four Model 3-derived electric motors, the Tesla Semi is capable of hauling 80,000 pounds of cargo, classifying it as a Class 8 vehicle. The instant torque provided by its multiple motors also enables it to go from 0-60 mph in just 20 seconds with a full load. Without any cargo, the Semi can hit 60 mph in as little as 5 seconds, which is close to muscle car territory.
Watch the Tesla Semi pair’s relaxed drive in the video below.


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The Club Superstore is open again today (Thursday), until 2pm.
Please note that card payments ONLY will be accepted. No cash will be taken.
Perspex shields have been placed on the counter top and there will be a limit on the number of people who can enter the Club Superstore at any one time.
The Club Superstore will be open on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, from 10am to 2pm, until further notice.
Orders can also be placed online here.


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cVidya launches solutions for mobile payments, app stores
cVidya Networks has launched its Revenue Assurance and Fraud Management solutions for mobile payments and app stores.
The mobile payments solution addresses the key concerns of serviced providers and financial institutions as well as their customers.
The app stores solution addresses challenges such as Revenue Assurance for Refund Settlement, Revenue Assurance for B2B, Revenue Share and Dispute Management and Subscription Fraud identification facing the CSP, subscriber and App owner.
Both solutions detect and prevent revenue leakages and fraudulent activities and automatically update the service platform to stop illegal or harmful activities.


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You say Target, we say EMV—how’s that for a conversation-starter?
The recent mass hack of retail giant Target—it’s estimated that more than 100 million consumers’ information might have been compromised—has generated considerable attention, as does every data breach that cuts to the bone. Expect to see the usual hand-wringing and calls for newer and more effective procedures, and with good reason. It’s entirely fair to ask why and how a multimillion dollar security network of the kind Target surely has could be brought to its knees—allegedly—by a software tool created by a teenager, written in a common scripting language and widely available on underground sites for barely $2,000.
That’s why we should expect to be hearing a lot more about EMV. For the record, the acronym represents Europay, MasterCard and Visa, and it first saw life as a joint effort between those conglomerates to enable greater security and interoperability in chip-based payment cards. The specification covers everything from POS terminals to ATMs, meaning every store and bank simultaneously. The standard is now defined and managed independently, and Integrated Circuit (IC) or chip cards based on it are being rolled out throughout the world. The chip and related software ensures that each customer’s account number and other details are essentially invisible. The suggestion here, and it would be label the potential benefit any differently, is that it would help contain the damage wrought by the Target hack.
Of course, when something is a global standard, that doesn’t mean it covers every market—there are always exceptions. And in the case of EMV, there’s a big one: The USA. Many regions across the pond have embraced the new technology, but magnetic-stripe cards, which are far more vulnerable to data theft of the kind we saw at Target, remain the norm on these shores. Credit card companies, who are among those hardest hit by data theft at market-facing outlets like banks and stores, have been stepping up pressure on their partners to adopt the EMV specification and introduce IC cards. But it’s probably not going to happen for a while.
There’s a good reason for this, or perhaps 8 billion reasons. That’s the dollar figure attached to the estimated cost of a full-on conversion to EMV technology adoption.
The simple truth is that through sheer size and economic heft, the U.S. is the world’s largest market for just any product it embraces. That gives it enormous standalone power—it’s why, for example, music stars who sell out globally barely make a dent on the charts here, or the World Cup can be the biggest sporting event while remaining a second-tier event for American consumers. The U.S. plays by its own rules, because it can.
It’s also worth noting that while credit card companies are rightly concerned about data fraud and consumers have reason to fear identity theft, the retail industry can make the case that the cost of conversion to the EMV spec, despite the benefits, isn’t justified by the potential prevention of fraud, (losses from this type of attack has been estimated in the $1 billion a year range.) Besides, federal statutes protect consumers from having to pay for purchases made fraudulently with their credit and debit cards.
Most importantly, it’s always premature to see any technology as a panacea. Protecting financial information is an ongoing struggle, a non-stop effort to stay ahead of the bad guys. Whatever measures we put in place, sophisticated cybercriminals will find a way to circumvent. However, the fact that credit card fraud rates in America, previously among the lowest anywhere, have doubled since IC cards began proliferating in Europe is cause for concern.
Whatever the merits of the argument, the current interest in EMV makes for a case study in market leadership. The fact that the U.S. retail and banking economies are so massive and complex should not automatically be a reason for them to be technologically behind the curve. We always need to be doing better. The EMV specification is one option that seems to provide enhanced security, but that’s it—one option. Being the biggest, and arguably the best, means it’s our responsibility to lead the way identifying, developing and implementing many more.


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No matter the newest mobility trend or PC sales numbers, security and risk management are always vital. What can your company do to ensure users stay aware of the risks in their daily business lives? How...
Growing cloud market pushing customers toward advanced technologies like AI, automation and analytics, research finds
Daily tech news and analysis channel partners need to know now, including Kaseya's MSP survey, Cytracom's intelligence engine, Fortinet's warning and more
Research finds steep climb in smartphone use for UCC
'Online shopping malls' for IT solutions may be taking business from the channel, but they are also a 'Wild West' of offerings, experts note


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Iran's top automaker, Iran Khodro, is set to present a new car at the country's fourth exclusive exhibition in Minsk, a manager says.
The showcased models will include custom-made Samand LX, Soren ELX, and Runna, International Relations Manager Hassan Bananej said in a statement on Tuesday.
Iranian officials are expected to open the exhibition on December 9, Bananej said, adding that since the company had trading partners in the Belarusian capital, the exhibition was expected to "play a significant role in developing industrial cooperation between the two countries."
IKCO and Unison, its Belarusian trading partner, began their cooperation in 2005 and launched a Samand production line in Minsk three years later.
Iran's potentiality in automotive, food, and textile industries as well as construction raise the possibility of cooperation with Belarus, which has special capabilities, the statement added.


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Starbucks and 7-Eleven in Hong Kong drawn into ‘gutter oil’ scandal
More big chains have been drawn into the scandal over the use of old or tainted cooking oil in Hong Kong, as it emerged on Monday that cakes made with “gutter oil” had been sold by 7-Eleven, Starbucks and Café Express among others.
Four importers in Hong Kong have been found to have bought oil from Chang Guann, the Taiwan-based supplier accused of buying at least 240 tonnes of gutter oil – recycled from kitchen waste, by-products from leather processing plants and offal from slaughterhouses – from an unlicensed factory.
The Hong Kong importers are Dah Chong Hong, Synergy Foods, Angliss Hong Kong Food Service and Urban Food.
On Monday, Maxim’s Group confirmed it had been using gutter oil supplied by Urban Food to make some 9,000 pineapple buns a day for the last three years.
About 85 per cent of the buns had then been supplied to its Maxim’s Cakes outlets and to the convenience chain 7-Eleven. Another 15 per cent had been supplied to popular shops including Arome Bakery, the Café Express shop in Central MTR and two Starbucks shops – one on Duddell Street in Central and the other on Sai Yee Street in Mong Kok.
Maxim’s said it purchased a total of some 34 tonnes of oil from Urban Food.
“For safety reasons, we have stopped using the oil since September 5, and have recalled all pineapple buns. Samples have been given to independent testing organisations for tests. We have also returned the 0.9 tonnes of Chang Guann oil we had to Urban Food. We will be using lard imported from Holland to make pineapple buns,” the statement said.
Maxim’s said that, apart from the pineapple buns, the affected oil had not been used in the making of any other food items, or at any of its restaurants.
The Centre for Food Safety has said that so far there was no evidence to show that the oil purchased by the three other Hong Kong importers was tainted.
The centre has refused to release the number or names of restaurants and bakeries that the three other importers sold oil to.
Maxim’s has given the government “verbal confirmation” that its mooncakes were not made with the affected oil, but labouratory tests are being carried out to confirm that.
Supermarket chain Wellcome has taken two Taiwanese food items off its shelves – Bull Head BBQ Sauce and Long Kow Traditional Tiny Noodles – as a precaution.
The scandal was uncovered on September 1 when police raided the unlicensed factory in Taiwan.
Wilson Chau Cheuk-fung, a lecturer in applied science at the Institute of Vocational Education, said on Sunday that gutter oil may contain a cancer-causing chemical.
“It’s hard to tell how much of that chemical [would be needed to] cause cancer,” he said. “But what is also important is that gutter oil often contains metal contaminants. That can damage your nervous system even in the short term.”


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People in the strath are being asked to make the most of their blue bins over Christmas and New Year to reduce waste.
A list of festive products which can be recycled has been released, such as Christmas cards, wrapping paper, envelopes, cardboard and cans.
This is on top of the usual recyclable items including paper, food tins and cartons, aerosols and clean plastic bottles, pots tubs and trays, as long as they are not black.
Allan Henderson, chairman of the environment, development and infrastructure committee, pointed out this saves space in general rubbish bins, as well as being good for the environment.
"Christmas is a busy time for most households and this generates a lot more rubbish than usual," he said.
"We are encouraging everyone to do their bit and use their blue recycling bins.
"We would like to ask everyone to think about recycling rather than stuffing everything into plastic bags and throwing it away."
As well as the blue bins, Councillor Henderson is encouraging people to use food waste bins, take glass to their nearest recycling centre and to donate all unwanted gifts instead of throwing them away.
"Most towns and villages have great charity shops that will welcome your unwanted items after Christmas.
"Electrical and battery-operated items can be accepted for recycling at recycling centres as can clothing, textiles and shoes.
"Hogmanay is traditional time of celebration and generates lots of glass bottles and jars! Please don’t put these in your green refuse bins, take them to your bottle bank or recycling centre."


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The Corona-crisis has led to the evaluation of the Dresden Ifo Institute, in the first half of a massive economic downturn in Eastern Germany. Accordingly, the gross domestic product decreases in the East, according to the forecast, in this year of 5.9 percent, said the Economist and Deputy Director of the Institute, Joachim Ragnitz on Thursday. In Saxony, the economy could go back to power because of the larger industry share by as much as 6.4 percent. Nationwide, the Ifo Institute, gross domestic product, expects this year with a Minus of 6.7 percent.
The Corona-pandemic and measures to mitigate, which would have plunged the German economy into the "deepest recession of the post-war history," says Ragnitz. Were affected, all regions of Germany. The economy, breaking performance in the East a little less than in the West, has to do, according to the Economists, especially with the structure. The Eastern German economy is, therefore, fragmented and less dominated by large industrial companies.
The employees get to feel: The economic Institute expects that the number of the employed in the East this year to 80 700 - minus one percent - goes back. Also in the next year the number goes according to the forecast only slightly up (0.3 percent). Although the Instrument of short-time work, so Ragnitz active currently. The question is not whether the work is lost but, at some point.
The Economists expect, however, that with the loosening in the second half of the year, the economy in East Germany is slowly recovering again. The pre-crisis level will be reached according to the Ifo Institute, but most likely not until the end of 2021 and again. The Economists predict for the next year in Saxony, an increase in the gross domestic product to 6.3 percent, in the whole of the East of 5.8 percent.dpa Updated Date: 09 July 2020, 09:27


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So it’s official – as a nation we are still riding the wave of the online revolution and boy aren’t we enjoying ourselves?
Ofcom’s recently released Communications Market Report 2016 might not sound that riveting to read but it really does reveal some interesting facts about our relationship with the digital world.
Ofcom reports that faster internet access is more widely available than ever before as a result of superfast broadband and 4G connectivity. This means more of us are spending time online – with 75% of internet users saying the web is important to their daily lives. Nearly eight in 10 agree it helps to keep them up to date with current affairs and social issues, whilst 63% said it inspires them to try new things such as travel destinations or recipes.
It seems the internet is such an important part of our lives that adult users in the UK currently spend an average of one day per week (25 hours) online – with 11% of users saying they access the internet more than 50 times daily.
Smartphones have overtaken laptops as the most popular device for getting online with nearly two-thirds of people now owning one and using it for nearly two hours a day to browse the internet, access social media, bank and shop online.
There is no doubt that our love of all things social media continues to flourish, with some of the reported user figures somewhat staggering – the use of instant messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp have grown significantly over recent years, with Snapchat now enjoying more than 7 million users.
The popular sites by users in the UK
· 38.9 million Facebook
· 22.5 million Facebook Messenger
· 21. 8 million LinkedIn
· 20.9 million Twitter
· 16.7 million Whatsapp
· 16.5 million Instagram
· 12.8 million Google +
· 11.5 million Pinterest
· 7.1 million Snapchat
As a team of public relations and communications professionals this all makes for fascinating reading. There is no doubt that digital marketing and online PR should form a key part of communications strategies, as there is clear evidence to suggest our relationship with the internet is now intrinsic to our society.
If your audience is online then you should be online - enhancing your reputation and engaging your customers. There are so many ways you can communicate to your customers online. The social media user figures demonstrate just a few of the platforms available for businesses to use. By identifying your target audiences, your key messages and business goals you can share your news and updates via the most relevant channels for your business as every marketing plan is unique. Once your audiences and messages are identified they can be added to an editorial content planner so that you can easily reach out to audiences through a variety of ways. All it takes is a little creativity and organisation.


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The Black-led, community-owned grocery store Detroit People’s Food Co-op is getting ever so close a 2024 opening and is currently looking to hire several individuals for full-time and part-time positions.
A job fair was held January 5 to fill roles in customer service, operations, purchasing, stocking and more. Last year, organizers from the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network — the group behind the development — announced ambitions to open the much-anticipated grocery cooperative in August 2023. According to Axios Detroit, supply chain issues contributed to delays in construction. In a newsletter published Sunday, January 7, 2024, co-op leadership said an opening date could come sometime this spring, but did not offer any further specifics. The co-op is several years in the making as organizers worked to raise the $15 million initially needed for construction of the 34,000 square-foot community development complex known as the Detroit Food Commons where the co-op will operate on the southeast corner of 8324 Woodward Avenue at Euclid in the city’s North End.
Planted Detroit salads are returning
One of the saddest closures of 2023, according to Metro Times writer Randiah Camille Green, came in August when Islandview indoor hydroponics site Planted Detroit announced it was ceasing operations, effective immediately. The company — which since 2018 has been growing and harvesting fresh micro-greens that has served as the basis for the brand’s delicious boxed salads — is now taking online orders of bundles of five or more throughout metro Detroit. In a January 5 article, Green writes that the salads will also become available inside local Meijer locations sometime this year. The August closure — which company leaders attributed to “unsustainable operation costs,” according to MT — was the second shutter for the business.
To make reopening a reality, Planted Detroit Founder and CEO Tom Adamczyk told the alt-weekly that they partner with a few local collaborators. Assembling the salads will be JLM Manufacturing — a subsidiary of Lipari Foods — while companies Carmela Foods, Frog Holler, and La Grasso Brothers Produce will be tasked with distribution. For the salads’ toppings and dressings, those will be handled by Lipari Foods and local delivery will be done with FULFLLD. Salad greens will continue to be grown in the facility in Islandview and some of the 40 or so workers laid off last summer have been hired back. Prior to the pandemic, Planted’s business model was mostly focused on supplying local restaurants with micro-greens.
Ben’s Friends Relaunches at Freya
Chefs, bartenders, wait staff, and others employed in the hospitality industry who are struggling with issues related to substance abuse are invited to attend weekly meetings each Monday, hosted by the national support group Ben’s Friends, at Freya at 2929 E. Grand Boulevard. The group launched a chapter at Frame in Hazel Park in 2021. Beginning today, January 8, following a weeks-long winter break, the Detroit chapter meetings will be held at Freya moving forward. Anyone dealing with addiction or substance abuse is welcome to attend, however, keep in mind Ben’s Friends is geared toward folks who work in the restaurant industry.
Update: January 9, 2024, 11:45 a.m.: This article was updated to include a detail from Angela Lugo-Thomas, a Detroit People’s Co-Op board member who handles communications for the organization. She says that the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network changed its name to the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network in late 2023.


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Toyota Dealers to Replace Pedals at Customer Request
TORRANCE, Calif. — If a Toyota customer is not satisfied with the modification to repair his accelerator pedal under the recent recalls, dealers will replace the pedal at no charge, the automaker confirmed Tuesday.
Toyota issued a statement responding to apparent media confusion, "Some news accounts have misinterpreted a letter sent by Toyota to its dealers regarding an improved parts ordering process for accelerator pedals to suggest that this represents a change in Toyota's policies regarding the remedies for its recent recalls.
"Toyota is confident that the remedies it has announced to address sticking accelerator pedals and floor mat entrapment represent a comprehensive solution to these issues. However, if a customer is not satisfied with the modification to his or her repaired accelerator pedal, dealers will replace at no charge," according to officials.
Apparently this policy was included in the automaker's Defect Information Reports filed with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in November regarding floor mat entrapment and in February regarding sticking accelerator pedals.
Officials also pointed out that the policy is also contained in the official owners' letters sent out about those recalls.


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Women entrepreneurs are not just adding a new perspective to the way businesses work; they are also breaking the ceilings that exist in the male-dominated world. SCORE now aims to help women entrepreneurs fulfill their goals and achieve a greater level of success. Besides offering resources and tools designed especially for women, Score also provides free advice concerning business matters. That said, recently, SCORE released amazing stats on women entrepreneurs to highlight women's progress over the past couple of years. Here is what you need to know.
Top Stats on Women Entrepreneurs
Businesses that are owned by women act as a vital and growing segment of every economy. Ushering new innovations and introducing new products in the market is the ultimate goal of women-led businesses. Here are the stats that are worth sharing with our readers.
1. The chances of women starting a business are slightly more than men
The data released by Score revealed that while only 44% of men were found investing in startups, the rate for women-led businesses was 47%, slightly higher than men.
2. 62% of women consider entrepreneurship as their primary source of income
According to reports, 62% of women rely on businesses as their source of income. This is very surprising because it challenges the age-old assumption about women not having enough caliber to run a business.
Of course, this figure was slightly lower in comparison to men entrepreneurs. However, that does not rule out that women entrepreneurs have successfully aced the growth process by proving their competencies and capabilities. This fact is enough to suggest that businesses are more than just “hobbies” for women business owners.
Also read: Aditi Balbir Talks About Female Entrepreneurship
3. Women are more likely to launch businesses that are related to services
Women entrepreneurs’ score stats suggest that businesses run by female entrepreneurs are more likely to be in services that are professional in nature. For instance, in the health care sector, the percentage of businesses owned by women is 10% compared to 5% in the case of male entrepreneurs.
Moving on to the education sector, again, the rate of businesses owned by women entrepreneurs was 9%, while that of men entrepreneurs was 5%. Studies show that men are more likely to have their business setups in the manufacturing and construction arena.
4. Some women entrepreneurs are looking forward to rapid growth in their business
Even though the percentage of male respondents looking forward to rapid growth in their business was slightly higher than the female entrepreneurs, businesses led by women showed equal signs of growth, with 5% expecting massive growth in the coming years.
5. The percentage of women expecting their revenues to increase in the coming years is 57%
There is no denying that women are now walking at shoulder level with men. The businesses led by women are as likely to grow as businesses owned by men. Stats on women entrepreneurs highlighted the growth rate of their revenue by 59%.
6. Women-owned businesses are now hiring more employees
Besides growing in numbers, women-led businesses are also growing in terms of team members. Reports showed the number of employees hired by women entrepreneurs has gone up to 27% in the last year.
Also read: 10 Creative Female Entrepreneur Ideas
7. Longevity for both men and women-led businesses was comparable, with established businesses being the only exception
While 13% of female respondents owned a business for 20 years or more, the rate for men entrepreneurs was 17% for the same period of time.
8. Only 25% of women opt for resources that help them to fund their businesses
The figure in this respect is slightly less in comparison to male entrepreneurs, which is as high as 34%. Acquiring funds to finance startups can become super challenging for entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs who are still a victim of gender bias and inequality due to the prevailing patriarchal mindset.
9. The percentage of women who are successful in securing funds for their startup is 31%
While men are more likely to be successful than women entrepreneurs in their quest to finance their businesses, women entrepreneurs have proven to be more successful than men.
10. 80% of women-led businesses were successful because of the presence of a mentor
SCORE also announced that women entrepreneurs who received support from people in the form of mentors had a better chance of success than entrepreneurs without mentors.
Mentors are experienced people who make significant contributions to businesses and provide useful insight that helps drive the business forward.
Also read: Encouragement of Women Entrepreneurship
The above stats by SCORE show that women entrepreneurs are as successful as men entrepreneurs, with gender bias standing as the only difference between them. Businesses run by women are not just impactful but are also a fast-growing force making significant contributions to the economy of a country. These amazing stats on women entrepreneurs expose the reality of the societies that we are a part of, where gender-based barriers and misconceptions about women entrepreneurs make it very challenging for them to easily access the market opportunities that men have.
Lack of mentors, the prevailing gender pay gap, and of course, unequal access to funding still stand as obstacles for women entrepreneurs. These setbacks are one of the main reasons why the facts and figures are still slightly lower in the case of women entrepreneurs.
However, the good news is that women entrepreneurs are now coming forward to speak about their personal experiences, including the struggles that they had to undergo while paving their path to success. As more women share their views on the existing gender pay gap and the means they adopted to fight the same, other women are getting inspired by them.
SCORE has been in existence since 1964 and has been making continuous efforts to provide opportunities to aspiring women who want to shape their careers. They have helped over 11 million entrepreneurs and continue to provide free mentoring sessions and workshops to clients across the globe.
It also dedicates 3.6 million hours every year to creating thousands of business opportunities, especially for people who are unemployed. It’s time that more organizations come forward and take initiatives to empower women.
Also read: Female Entrepreneurs' Success Secrets


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What a tournament! Congratulations to our newest champions – singles winner, Sloane Stephens and doubles winners, Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic.
2016 presented many firsts for the Volvo Car Open, but one thing was unchanged: world-class tennis on Daniel Island. With Volvo Car USA as the title sponsor, fans got a whole new look at the Charleston WTA stop. Brand new activations included live streaming of outside and practice courts, an emcee and live music on the beloved Althea Gibson Club Court, an added jumbotron video board inside Volvo Car Stadium, improved on-the-grounds fan engagement, new dining and shopping experiences and much more.
Save the dates for the 45th celebration of our tournament, April 1st – 9th, 2017. We hope to see you then on Daniel Island!


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Advance Auto Parts stock was tumbling Tuesday, following the retailer’s disappointing second-quarter earnings report.
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ATLANTIC CITY, NJ—Southern belle Mellanie Monroe is bringing her best-selling DVDs to Atlantic City, where the MILF performer will appear at the Pornstar Tweet booth during this week's Exxxotica Expo.
"I'm so excited to attend Exxxotica for the first time,” said Mellanie. "I can't wait to interact with my fans at the Pornstar Tweet booth. I'm sure it will be a fun, exciting weekend."
Pornstar Tweet informs fans of adult entertainment about the daily comings and goings of their favorite stars as they tweet about their lives and careers. Not only are fans given an opportunity to interact more closely with their favorite adult performers, but Pornstar Tweet also updates followers about the star’s latest films, galleries and websites.
Fans of Mellanie Monroe will be thrilled with the recent announcement about her plans to launch a member's site next month. The website promises to impress viewers with new hardcore scenes, steamy webcam shows and sexy images. To join Mellanie's network and get exclusive updates on the website launch, go here.
For more information on the 2013 Exxxotica Expo, click here.
Mellanie Monroe at the Pornstar Tweet booth at the annual Exxxotica Expo from 12-8pm EST on Saturday, April 20 and 12-6pm EST on Sunday, April 21.
Mellanie Monroe is represented by LAX Models.


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According to ETNews, the Samsung Galaxy S9, will have some significant upgrades over the Galaxy S8. It has reported that the S9 will feature Animoji-style 3D emoji. That will mimic users facial expressions. Samsung’s Galaxy S9 to Come with Animoji Style 3D Emoji.
According to the report, Samsung Galaxy S9 will also feature dual stereo speakers on the top and bottom of the phone. The new speaker setup means that it is too easy to cover up the speaker when playing games or watching videos.
Samsung’s Galaxy S9 to Come with Animoji Style 3D Emoji
The report claims that the on the left of the screen infamous Bixby button will remain. That indicates Samsung is still working towards improving Bixby to the point where it can compete with the likes of Siri and Google Assistant.
The ETNews report said that the overall design was basically the same as the S8, the corners of the S9 are a little more gradual and the phone was a little thinner overall.
The report has also revealed that the phone comes with a clear plastic case similar to the one that was included with the Note 8. According to Mashable, Animoji were one of the most highly anticipated features of the iPhone X, and the S9’s corresponding technology may mean it’s gearing up to be a serious competitor.
Read Next: Galaxy S9 & S9 Plus Leak in Lilac Purple


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Lagos - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) are confident a Memorandum of Understanding they have signed will bring fraudulent mortgage, and other scammers of consumers to book.
The agencies signed the MoU on Wednesday in the back of an escalation of such crimes.
Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, and the Director General of the CPC, Dupe Atoki, signed the MoU, with the Director, Legal and Prosecution at EFCC, Chile Okoroma, and the Director of Legal Services at CPC, Emmanuel Ataguba, witnessing.
“It is very important that the EFCC partners with the CPC particularly in the areas of intelligence sharing, investigation, prosecution and engaging in campaigns to educate consumers,” Lamorde said.
He urged the CPC to cooperate with the EFCC in investigating and prosecuting financial crimes and consumer abuse.
Also Read: EFCC ordered to release Fani-Kayode's passport
Lamorde commended the efforts of Atoki, adding that her dedication to her work got her awarded US citizenship by the State of Georgia.
Atoki noted that the MoU between the two agencies would ensure consumers and victims would receive appropriate redresses, restitution and compensation in a competent court of law.
She stressed the need for joint investigation and enforcement cooperation between the two agencies of government, particularly on matters affecting consumers’ economic and financial well-being.
“The collaboration is aimed at protecting consumers and combating scams using a three-pronged approach: Complaint data analysis to establish patterns, trends and hotspots; consumer education and sensitization campaigns across the country, and case investigations, prosecution and redress,” Atoki said.
- CAJ News


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BetStars Goes into Czech Republic’s Regulated Bingo Market
BetStars is the first global online casino games online real money activities betting trademark to enter often the Czech Republic’s newly minimized market. Local poker information outlet Poker-online Arena said on Weekend that the brand’s name possesses appeared among the list of licensed vendors of iGaming services. Stated list are available on the website of your country’s Financing Ministry.
As stated above, BetStars, a new sister brandname online poker place PokerStars, is among the most first registered operator regarding betting solutions to enter the neighborhood market since online casino real money app its regulation at the beginning of the year. Heihei is important to see that for February, PokerStars became often the first international operator for being granted a security guard license by hometown regulatory body and to be allowed to target community poker participants.
BetStars was launched back in 2015 as part of the parent industry’s strategy to grow its footprint across additional online online casino games for real money usa gambling honnête . BetStars is a sibling brand so that you can PokerStars, plus they are both possessed by Canadian gambling crew The Stars Group, recently re-branded from Amaya Inc. Often the launch of your company’s athletics betting split was and the roll-out online casino with free signup bonus real money of gambling house games. While online poker has remained The Stars Group’s most fantastic product, it is online bet and game real money online casino offering includes performed rather effectively over the past 2 yrs since initial added. Continue reading “BetStars Goes into Czech Republic Real Las Vegas Online Casino ‘s Regulated Bingo Market”


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Fast food chain Wow! Momo today said it has raised Rs 44 crore in series B funding from venture capital firm Lighthouse Funds and angel investor group Indian Angel Network (IAN).
The latest round of funding led by Lighthouse Funds, which invests in mid-market consumer-driven firms, values the company at Rs 230 crore, the Kolkata-based firm said in a statement.
Besides, it also provided "a highly profitable" exit to the tune of Rs 10 crore to some of the IAN investors who decided to sell their shares partly/completely to Lighthouse, it added.
Commenting on the development, Wow! Momo co-founder and CEO Sagar Daryani said: "Funds raised in the current round will be used for expansion and building of back-end infrastructure for the brand."
The company said it has a long-term goal of doing an IPO by around six to seven years from now and a 1,000 Wow! Momo stores across India in the near future is a definite possibility.
It currently has 115 outlets in eight cities, including Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune.
Job portal Naukri.Com founder Sanjeev Bhikchandani, who has been the lead investor in Wow! Momo on behalf of IAN since the earlier round in 2015, said the chain has sustained positive cash flows in geographies where they have achieved economies of scale.
"This company is now going national and might possibly even go overseas. At IAN, we recognise the market potential, talent, and the urge to disrupt the ecosystem," Bhikchandani said.
Partner at Lighthouse Funds Sachin Bhartiya said Wow Momo presents a great opportunity to participate in the fast- growing Indian food services space which is witnessing strong demand-side tailwinds.
Lighthouse Funds has earlier invested in brands like Fabindia, Cera Sanitaryware, Xseed Education, Bikaji Foods and Kama Ayurveda, among others.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(As published in business standard on Tue, on Tue, June 13 2017)


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Science and technological breakthroughs; a booming economy; growing strength in international politics; aid to developing nations hardly a day passes without a mention of China in the news in Nigeria.
However, not all of the news goes down well with the people.
Relations between Nigeria and China go back several years. I was able to confirm this recently when I noticed that the porcelain toilets in my 35-year-old university building are all made in China and have weathered the years.
It is very likely that Nigeria's imports from China started even before China opened up to the international community.
A Chinese, Cha Chi-ming from Hong Kong, was a pioneering industrialist in the textile industry in Nigeria, producing quality wax materials and employing hundreds of Nigerians. He died in March this year at the age of 93.
Because I have lived in China in the recent past I can attest to the high quality of products made in China and the efforts of the Chinese government to ensure the good quality of these products.
I also know that products in China are tailored for the masses and therefore are low-priced.
Many of these products can be found in Nigeria and because of weather conditions and frequent use, they rapidly deteriorate. But beyond this many substandard products also enter the country, but not necessarily from China.
Some could have been manufactured locally and stamped Made-in-China. Therefore it is not uncommon in Nigeria to hear consumers complain about the low quality of products from China.
I have on several occasions tried to put right this erroneous belief. To buttress my defense I use the recently launched Nigeria Communication Satellite, produced and launched by China, and several Chinese products that are well suited to our country, for example, the Jincheng motorcycle.
If Chinese products were that bad, then why do we see so many Nigerian officials visiting China to woo investors.
However, the Nigerian government is becoming increasingly concerned about the alarming rate at which unregistered, counterfeit and smuggled products are entering the country.
It appears some dubious Nigerian businessmen collude with their Chinese counterparts to perpetrate this illicit trade. This trade cuts across several products, including textiles, drugs, computer soft and hardware, household appliances and many more.
In late 2006 "China town," a sprawling business district in Lagos, Nigeria was closed down by the Nigerian Customs. The explanation: It was a haven for smuggled products, especially clothing and shoes.
During the period "China town" was shut down, many Nigerians and Chinese traders were made jobless.
This month the Nigerian food and drug control agency announced a ban on all imported toothpaste. It specifically mentioned those imported from China because they contained Ethyl glycol, an anti-freeze that causes cancer.
However, the recent effort of the Chinese government in curbing the activities of illegal manufacturers and traders needs to be praised.
A few weeks ago the Chinese public security bureau in collaboration with private organizations and some international agencies raided syndicates in southern China and seized counterfeit computer software.
The syndicates had been identified with the distribution of more than US$2 billion worth of Microsoft software to more than 27 countries, including Nigeria.
It will be worthwhile if the Chinese government could extend this type of clampdown to other products such as drugs, textiles, home appliances and electronics.
Few Nigerians have the opportunity to visit China to confirm that goods made there are not necessarily of low quality.
A majority of Nigerians only know China through the products imported from that country. To this majority they should be able to purchase quality products that enter the country through legal means.
Although checking most products imported into Nigeria lies with Nigerian Customs, the combined effort of this agency and the Chinese agencies for quality control and export/import licenses will yield better results.
Nigeria has an estimated population of 150 million people, and offers a huge market manufacturers cannot afford to ignore.
By S. Idowu Ola
The author is with the Department of Animal Science in the Faculty of Agriculture at Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
(China Daily August 22, 2007)


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KARACHI / UNITEDNEWS: In a bid to fight back and increase its share in mango exports, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has said it has finalised a plan to ship maximum quantity of mango this season.
Despite huge potential, PIA’s share in mango exports is just 15% while rest of the market is in the hands of private and international airlines. However, this year the national flag carrier aims to push its share to 30%.
“This year will be the best for mango shipments as we have designated special managers who will look after all mango export operations,” PIA General Manager Cargo Shahid Khoso said on Saturday.
Khoso, who was visiting the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Association (PFVA) office along with a seven-member team, assured traders that the airline would take every possible step to increase mango exports this year.
“This year, we have acquired new equipment that we were lacking to facilitate cargo operations because of which I am hopeful that the reservations of fruit exporters can be addressed,” added Khoso.
On the other hand, PFVA Chairman Waheed Ahmed assured the PIA team that exporters would prefer PIA over other airlines in sending export orders. “We will prefer PIA and only give orders to private and international airlines when we see that PIA has no further capacity and it cannot take more export orders,” said Ahmed.
He also said Pakistan could significantly increase its mango exports to Europe if PIA started chartered cargo flights to Amsterdam, a city from where the fruit could be supplied to all major destinations of Europe.
“We receive huge orders from Europe but since we have limited cargo operations we fail to grab most of the opportunities,” he said, adding this problem could be resolved if PIA started chartered cargo flights to Europe in mango season.
According to PFVA, last year Pakistan exported 30,000 tons of mangoes through air route, providing the airlines an income of approximately Rs3 billion in freight charges. However, since PIA has limited cargo operations, it could not lift more than 15% of the fruit and hence lost a lucrative opportunity.
Resultantly, international airlines mostly capitalised on the opportunity as they have far better cargo handling equipment and facilities than local airlines.
Leading exporters, who attended the meeting, said PIA was their first choice among the airlines because they wanted to support the national carrier. It was in the interest of both PIA and exporters to support each other so that both could grow together, they said.
They also urged the GM cargo to improve fruit export facilities, enabling exporters to meet the growing demand for mango, especially in European countries.


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Danone has announced that its high protein yoghurt, YoPRO, has signed world #1 female Tennis Player, Ash Barty; Olympic Gold Medallist Swimmer, Kyle Chalmers and Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist High Jumper, Brandon Starc, in the lead up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The trio will star in a series of campaign videos that build on YoPRO’s ‘Fuel Your Journey’ platform – encouraging Australians to choose the right fuel in order to get the most of their bodies. Barty, Chalmers and Starc will feature in both an individual and collective creative, produced by Emotive, highlighting the importance in every millimetre when it comes to competing on the world’s largest sporting stage.
Last year, YoPRO announced they had signed on as an Official Partner for the AOC, pledging to support the Australian Team by fuelling their journey in the lead up to and during the Olympic Games.
As the momentum around Tokyo 2020 continues to build, YoPRO has also signed an additional line-up of top-tier athletes, including Slalom Canoeist, Jess Fox; Beach Volleyball Player, Mariafe Artacho del Solar; Diver, Domonic Bedggood; Swimmer, Brianna Throssell; Triathlete, Matt Hauser and Gymnast, Mitch Morgans. YoPRO will work closely with these athletes as they continue their journey to the Games.
Upon signing with YoPRO, Barty said: “Any opportunity to wear the green and gold is special and I’m hoping to be selected for my first Olympic Games this year. I’m excited to partner with YoPRO as they help fuel me on the journey to Tokyo. Being included in YoPRO’s Olympic campaign with other Aussie athletes is something different for me and I’ve loved the opportunity to be involved.”
On the new partnerships, YoPRO brand manager, Xavier Gonzalez said: “We are excited to be partnering with Australia’s brightest stars as well as young up and coming talent for what is the pinnacle sporting event in the world. YoPRO’s high protein, no added sugar products are the perfect training partner to keep them fuelled on their journey.”
The first creative of the series will feature swimmer and Rio 2016 Olympic Gold Medallist, Kyle Chalmers – set to be released in March. A series of campaign videos supporting the partnership will also be rolling out across YoPRO’s digital platforms throughout the year.
The brainchild of co-founders Gina Williams-Folau (main photo) and Greer Bland, the talent agency Liquorice was born out of a desire to make things easier for brand managers. Liquorice offers social talent for brands wanting to hit the sweet spot with Kiwi audiences. Launching with a roster of big names on board including Millie Elder-Holmes, Athena […]
9000 Western Australians experiencing homelessness are about to face cold winter nights. To call for donations to the 2021 Winter Appeal, Anglicare WA has released a chilling video with renowned actor Liam Graham, best known for his starring roles in Greenfield and The Heights, experiencing mild hypothermia after spending one hour in a commercial freezer. […]
Blackmagic Design has shared how its products were used to shoot the latest commercial campaign for Chris Hemsworth’s fitness training app, Centr. The new campaign, which promotes the progressive 10 week workout plan ‘Power’ replicates the same protocols used to prepare the actor for his latest appearance in the upcoming Marvel franchise film, Thor: Love […]
Airtasker has chosen leading independent digital growth consultancy, Webprofits as a strategic partner to help them expand to new markets. Following a successful IPO in early 2021, Airtasker set its sights on the next strategic objective — expansion and growth in the UK market. After careful review, they partnered with the growth marketing specialists at […]
Cresta Awards has announced that despite having a few more weeks before entries close, this year’s Cresta Awards has surpassed its entries for the whole 2019 Season. Cresta sees this as evidence, not just of evolution in its own awards but of a wider measure of industry confidence and resilience in many markets. The awards […]


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- Chinese fintech giant Ant Group is preparing a dual public offering in Shanghai and Hong Kong, the company announced Monday.
- Ant is the parent company of Alipay, and was founded by billionaire Alibaba cofounder Jack Ma. Its public offering would bypass a New York listing as tensions rise between the US and China.
- The company is reportedly seeking a $200 billion valuation, which could make it one of the largest public offerings in history.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Ant Group, the Chinese fintech firm founded by billionaire Jack Ma, is preparing dual public offerings in Shanghai and Hong Kong, the company announced Monday.
With a reported valuation of $150 billion, Ant – which owns popular fintech platform Alipay – is one of the most valuable unicorns in the world. Sources told The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg that Ant will seek a $200 billion valuation for its IPO, which could be one of the most valuable public offerings in history.
Ant’s dual listing would bypass a public offering in New York as geopolitical tensions rise between the US and China. Washington recently imposed sanctions on China after it implemented a far-reaching national security law in Hong Kong, and US lawmakers have moved to kick Chinese companies off US stock exchanges unless they submit to audits.
Ant has not clarified a timeline for its public offering. The firm said in a statement that the listings “will help the company accelerate its goal of digitizing the service industry in China and driving domestic demand.”
"Becoming a public company will enhance transparency to our stakeholders, including customers, business partners, employees, shareholders and regulators. Through our commitment to serving the under-served, we make it possible for the whole of society to share our growth," executive chairman Eric Jing said.
Alibaba, the popular web retailer also founded by Ma, owns 33% of Ant's shares. Alibaba had one of the largest public offerings in history at the time with a $25 billion valuation. Its market capitalization has since grown to roughly $660 billion.


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November 11, 2010 |
In the first major change to cigarette packaging in a quarter-century, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it would require graphic warning labels that cover half a package's front and rear and the top 20% of all cigarette ads. The labels will feature either drawings or photos illustrating graphically the dangers associated with smoking and will be accompanied by text stating that smoking is addictive or that it kills. The pictures feature such things as a diseased lung, a corpse and a man smoking a cigarette through a tracheotomy tube.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
March 3, 2010 |
An Orange County jury Tuesday declined to hold Botox maker Allergan Inc. liable in the death of a 7-year-old Texas girl being treated for cerebral palsy because it found the company's warning labels adequate. The closely watched case is believed to be the first to go to trial over allegations that the botulinum toxin-based drug contributed to a death. At issue was the safety of the blockbuster cosmetic drug in the higher dosages that are used in pediatric cerebral palsy cases and the adequacy of the Irvine manufacturer's warning labels.
August 10, 2009
If there's anything good about putting warning notices on packages of frankfurters, it's that the labels could say: Beware of Dog. A New Jersey lawsuit demanding cigarette-pack-type warnings on hot dogs is mainly a crank case by a veganism advocacy group, the sort of legal action that makes for headlines rather than meaningful consumer protection. That suit -- and another one filed just a day later in New Jersey demanding that Denny's restaurant menus include the sodium content of all its dishes (as well as a warning label about the dangers of salt)
July 23, 2009 |
"Warning: Consuming hot dogs and other processed meats increases the risk of cancer." That's the label that a vegan advocacy group wants a New Jersey court to order Oscar Mayer, Hebrew National and other food companies to slap on hot dog packages. The nonprofit Cancer Project filed a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of three New Jersey plaintiffs asking the Essex County Superior Court to compel the companies to place cancer-risk warning labels on hot dog packages sold in New Jersey.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
July 18, 2009 |
A state panel will not require warning labels on metal cans, plastic bottles and other products that contain bisphenol A, despite more than 200 studies that have linked the chemical to cancer and reproductive problems. Wednesday's unanimous decision may speak to the limitations of the state Environmental Protection Agency's Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee. Dorothy Burk, chairwoman of the committee, acknowledged its reach is limited.
March 14, 2009
It's hard to imagine a more sympathetic victim than Diana Levine, a guitarist who lost her arm to gangrene after she was negligently injected with Phenergan, an anti-nausea drug. Last week, the Supreme Court by a 6-3 vote upheld a Vermont jury's decision that Wyeth, the manufacturer of the drug, should pay Levine nearly $7 million because the label on the drug didn't adequately warn medical personnel about the risk of a particular method of injection.
December 20, 2008
It's tempting to judge a U.S. Supreme Court decision by whether it favors the "good guys." By that populist standard, the court made the right call this week when it ruled 5 to 4 that tobacco companies could be sued in state courts for minimizing the health dangers of "light" cigarettes. But by more important measures -- including basic fairness and a respect for Congress' power over interstate commerce -- the majority got it wrong.
November 4, 2008 |
On the day before the nation elects a new president, the Supreme Court debated an important legal legacy of the outgoing Bush administration. Two years ago, the administration said drug makers should be shielded from being sued by injured patients if federal regulators had approved warning labels that weigh the risks of a prescription drug. Until then, consumers in most states could sue if they were hurt by a dangerous product, even if it had been approved by the federal government.
October 7, 2008 |
More than 45 million Americans are smokers, and nearly 85% of them buy "light" cigarettes such as Marlboro Lights, which are advertised as having lower tar and nicotine. The Supreme Court, on the opening day of its term, heard arguments Monday on whether the tobacco industry can be held liable for allegedly perpetrating a massive fraud on the smoking public. In recent decades, many smokers switched to "light" cigarettes, believing they posed less of a danger to their health.


text: ALEXANDER WANG is leaving Balenciaga as creative director. Following weeks of rumors, WWD reported Wednesday that Wang's contract at the Kering-owned label will not be renewed, and that a search for his successor has already begun. According to the trade, the American designer's spring 2016 show — which will walk this fall during Paris Fashion Week — will be his last. Wang took the creative lead at Balenciaga in December 2012, replacing Nicolas Ghesquière when he decamped to Louis Vuitton. In his time at the label, Wang redesigned Balenciaga's retail stores, introduced a hit new handbag ("Le Dix"), and has released memorable ad campaigns starring the likes of Gisele, Kate Moss and Daria Werbowy. However, his seasonal collections were met with mixed reviews.


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Galp opens Europe’s first autonomous store
Galp Energia, a multinational energy company headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, has launched Galp Smart Store,the first autonomous store of a filling station in Europe. The store, located at one of Galp’s locations in Lisbon, Galp Gago Coutinho, is a joint venture between Galp and Sensei.
Sensei, which is also based in Lisbon, launched the first fully autonomous retail store in Europe in May 2021. The system of cameras and sensors installed in the store allows you to do your shopping autonomously and without cashiers. The store will operate 24/7 starting in June.
The Sensei Shop & Go app, which can be downloaded on your mobile phone from either the Apple Store or Google Play Store, creates and keeps track of each person’s virtual shopping bag and charges them automatically via the app upon exiting the shop. Sensei plans to add a credit card payment feature on the app as well.
“The newly opened petrol station convenience store is a shining example of how we have expanded our reach beyond powering bespoke autonomous stores for large grocers to now also offering modular and mobile “Plug & Play” Pods that can be easily adapted to suit any and all retail needs,” said Vasco Portugal, Sensei CEO.
“We are thrilled to be pioneering this concept in Europe with Galp. It is also the first of many petrol and service station stores that we look forward to launching with different partners in the coming months.”
“We are also eager to capitalise on the data captured through Sensei which will help us make the store increasingly better by implementing a highly efficient restocking operation and offering the most attractive products for each specific location,” said Teresa Abecasis, Galp COO. “For example this fully autonomous store will allow for smaller gas stations in lower-traffic locations to offer non-fuel products to customers through a profitable operation,” she added.


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In recent years, Apple has moved to keep the older iPhone models around at lower price points. The iPhone 5 is currently the flagship, obvs, but you can also grab a shiny new iPhone 4S or even an iPhone 4 if you prefer.
New data from CIRP suggests that combined sales of the two older models are roughly matching those of the iPhone 5 – in the US, at least.
The CIRP table above shows that for the past three quarters, the iPhone 5 has accounted for a modest 50%, 53%, and – most recently, in the quarter ending June 2013 – 52% of all iPhone sales.
In the quarter of the iPhone 5’s release, that figure was significantly higher, at 68%.
According to CIRP, the iPhone 4S (right) was still accounting for close to 75% of iPhone sales nearly a year after launch – that’s despite being pretty much identical to the iPhone 4 on the outside.
Times are clearly changing, and Apple will inevitably be well aware of the figures. But does that mean we should expect the Californians to go a step further and introduce a budget iPhone?
Not according to CIRP co-founder Josh Lowitz. He tells AllThingsD: “We don’t see the need for other lower-priced iPhones in the U.S. The legacy iPhones at reduced prices are selling well and doing an outstanding job of introducing new customers to the iPhone and Apple ecosystem.
“While 55 percent of iPhone 5 buyers already owned an iPhone, only 30 percent of iPhone 4S buyers and 22 percent of iPhone 4 buyers were prior iPhone owners.”


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The COVID-19 global health emergency has been hard on businesses of all sizes, breaking down industry barriers and worsening trading conditions almost universally. Despite a fairly negative outlook across the board, there can be little argument that the entertainment industry has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
With the UK government working towards what Prime Minister Boris Johnson has described as “significant normality” by Christmas, the nation’s nightclubs and soft play areas instead face ruin following indefinite closure and a wholesale lack of support from the authorities.
As businesses across the UK begin to welcome customers after 2020’s mandatory hiatus, what’s really happening behind the closed doors of our oh-so-missed nightclubs and indoor play facilities?
When can nightclubs and soft play centres reopen?
That’s the £70 billion question – quite literally too, because that’s how much Britain’s night-time industry generates for the economy each year. Without even accounting for the many millions of pounds earned by children’s indoor play centres, it’s clear that the UK’s physical entertainment providers offer an undeniable benefit to society – and yet they now find themselves unable to open and with no indication of when they might be permitted to kickstart their comeback.
Despite the Prime Minister paying lip service to our night-time and playtime economy, his July announcement that theme parks and outdoor play areas could reopen contained a sad affirmation that nightclubs and indoor play areas would remain closed. With other leisure venues given the green light to reopen from 1 August, how can our favourite night-time haunts and rainy-day child entertainment saviours hope to survive?
Indoor leisure’s unique challenges
Although it’s disheartening to hear the news (or lack thereof) about the reopening of nightclubs and soft play areas, there are legitimate reasons for the government’s stance. Both clubs and children’s indoor play centres are based on close-up social interaction – something that is plainly incompatible with socially distant life.
From pulsing dance floors flooded with cheerful clubgoers to the padded landings of soft play facilities awash with excited children, it’s very difficult to impose strict hygiene standards at leisure venues which thrive on interpersonal contact. Some might argue that non-essential shops, pubs and cinemas operate on a similar basis to nightclubs and that there should be parity between the measures affecting these venues – but the truth is that shoppers don’t generally congregate in ball pits and pub-goers are now subject to a comprehensive regime of COVID-secure rules.
One proposal floated to nightclub and play centre operators has been to reopen with a limited capacity that allows for socially distant fun. Whilst this might solve the issues keeping the venues closed, however, it is not necessarily viable and arguably contends with the social purpose of such businesses. In addition, many constituents of the night-time and playtime economies depend on the sheer scale of their visitor numbers to survive financially – and so the added costs of coronavirus safety measures coupled with decreased revenues from lower visitor numbers could prove fatal.
What can nightclub and play centre operators do?
As there has been no hint of when these businesses may be permitted to welcome back patrons, it follows that many industry-insiders are reluctant to take any potentially costly action. A considerable portion of the UK’s nightclub and play centre operators have understandably consigned themselves to an extended period away from trading and are quite sensibly conserving the funds needed to survive rather than investing them back into their premises.
For those who do feel that they have the mental bandwidth and resources to make adjustments in anticipation of a future reopening date, there’s lots that can be done to make your business an attractive destination even despite social distancing guidelines reigning in on the fun. Installing guard-like screens at touchpoints between staff and customers could help you to bring a sense of safety to your premises, whilst installing contactless-enabled card machines such as the state-of-the-art devices offered by UTP Group will bring your payment solutions up to date in a safe and convenient way.
Ultimately the aim of the game is to reduce physical contact between the people who come onto your premises. With some pubs having to close their doors within just weeks of reopening due to the attendance of a COVID-19 positive patron, it is absolutely critical for nightclub and soft play centre operators to put rigorous policies in place to mitigate the new risks brought about by coronavirus.
The restrictions imposed on the UK’s indoor leisure industry are undoubtedly frustrating, but they are in place for a good reason and few would deny that it’s better to be safe than sorry. The nation’s dancers, drinkers and clubgoers are desperate to return to nights of fun after an extended period of lockdown isolation, whilst many parents will be delighted to get some respite by taking their children to a soft play centre as soon as they reopen. The custom is there, and so provided that our businesses are ready and raring to go as soon as they are allowed, there’s no reason why we can’t revive the leisure industry.


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NESCAFE has proven that it is a brand with an increased interest in the digital space and by extension the youths especially in a continent like Africa where the youths make up the largest percentage of the population. The brand has taken the bold but strategic step of inviting selected African bloggers to Accra, Ghana for a 3 day conference tagged “The Start Conference 2014” with the theme “the role of the youth in reshaping the new Africa.”
Below are the bloggers that attended the conference:
- Yomi Adegboye, Nigeria, Mobility.ng
- Ameyaw Debrah, Ghana, AmeyawDebrah.com
- Yehni Djidji, Ivory Coast, 225nouvelles.com
- Naa Oyoo Quartey, Ghana, naaoyooquartey.com
- Basile Niane, Senegal, socialnetlink.org
- CFA, Nigeria, ICTwithCFA.com
- Edith Brou, Ivory Coast, lactuwebdedith.com
- Ato Ulzen-Appiah, Ghana, mightyafrican.blogspot.com
- Cyriac Gbogou-Cyryky, Ivory Coact, cyriacgbogou.ci
- Muazu Adamu, Nigeria, Winner of the NESCAFE Get Started Africa 2014 competition (received a price of $20,000)
The guest speaker at the conference was Fred Swaniker, a Ghanaian serial entrepreneur and leadership development expert who founded the African Leadership Academy, South Africa.
The event was truly remarkable as it was a indeed a time of brainstorming for what we believe to be the new Africa – we jointly came up with a manifesto for Africa which we are going to promote massively to our various audiences. We also came up with some action plans that will ensure that all our efforts during the conference is not thrown into the bin for whatever reason – so you’d see more from our coordinated efforts in the days to come.
Invited bloggers received the latest Samsung Galaxy Pro 12.2 inch Tab with their names engraved on them – an honour indeed!
The three day event started on the 12th and ended on the 14th of December, 2014 with a video shoot where the selected bloggers where requested to encourage and motivate African youths.
“….. let me thank you guys specially for pulling #StartCon14 off, it would have taken a lot of explanation and assurances to get an approval for an event like this. You guys by this move have indeed boosted the morale of the invited bloggers to first be an advocate for your brand and secondly to appreciate that blogging is indeed a profession that has come to stay and to prove that bloggers are indeed influencers.”
Also, a big thank you to the Now Available Africa team comprising of Prince, Irene, Adunni, Tina, Anna etc. You guys were simply awesome.
Nubi Kay you performed some miracle with this – grateful man!
Finally, these guys have taken the first visible steps in supporting bloggers with literally no strings attached neither were any outrageous requests made. Time will intend show the benefit of this smart move to the growth of the NESCAFE brand or otherwise, #startcon14 and it sure did start and end #withanescafe


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Becky Miller had been up since 3 — but with an almost entirely empty table in front of her by 10:30, it had been a successful morning.
The strawberries and asparagus had sold quickly. Gone too were the pies, cinnamon rolls and loaves of banana bread she and her daughter had baked in the days before and then transported the 57 miles from their home at the Amish settlement in Garnett.
“We obviously didn’t bring enough,” Miller joked.
Miller was just one of dozens of vendors selling their goods at the opening day of the 35th season of the Overland Park Farmers’ Market on Saturday. And with summer-like temperatures, she found no shortage of customers.
“It’s a great place to come and see where your food comes from,” she said.
Indeed, what started as a cobbled-together handful of tables in downtown Overland Park on June 5, 1982 has grown into one of the metro area’s most vibrant farmers’ markets.
“The downtown merchants got together and wanted to do something to draw more people to the area, so they decided to invite local farmers to sell their products there,” said Kristina Stanley, recreation supervisor with the city of Overland Park. “They charged a stall fee of $5.”
From there, the market has blossomed to draw more than 160,000 patrons per season. More than 80 vendors will set up shop at the market at some point during the season, selling everything from fresh seasonal produce to grass fed meat to kombucha. None of the vendors travel more than 125 miles.
“It’s very local,” Stanley said. “It’s food that’s from the area.”
But it’s not just the food that draws patrons. As the market grew, organizers started adding entertainment options to make it an attractive destination for an outing for families. There are now cooking demonstrations and live music.
“You’ve got two types of people who come — the person who is dedicated to buying locally and wants to be able to get to know the farmers, and this is their weekly or bi-weekly shopping trip,” Stanley said, “and then you get people who just like the experience. We try to cater to both crowds.”
And the evolution of the market is set to continue. The city recently approved the hiring of a consultant to explore options for additions to the market space in the near future.
“They’ll be looking at possible transient space and event space,” Stanley said. “The plans might entail expansion. They might entail rebuilding. They might entail a bunch of different recommendations.”


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The booze business bigwigs are shaking, and it’s not from alcohol withdrawal. The IWSR, a leading global source of alcohol market data which gathers information from more than 150 years, says that cannabis is one of the biggest threats to the industry.
The big problem, according to a report from IWSR and BDS Analytics, is cross-fading. More people, they say, are becoming users of both cannabis and booze. In the past, apparently, more people tended to use one or the other. In the words of Fortune, which reported the story, the fear is that this “could cut into long-term loyalty efforts by beverage makers, especially those in the beer and spirits fields.”
“Our research shows that up to 40% of adults 21 and over consume cannabis in states where it’s legal,” said Jessica Lukas, vice-president at BDS Analytics. “Cannabis presents substantial opportunities across consumer industries, including new occasions that alcohol cannot and will not play. Consumers will continue to look to cannabis products over alcohol for occasions when they are feeling creative, need to get motivated, or seeking health, medical or wellness benefits.”
For several years now, alcohol consumption in the United States has been on the decline. Meanwhile, weed keeps getting more and more legal.
But weed getting big is not all bad news for distillers, fermenters, and brewers. The IWSR also notes in another report that “Legal cannabis presents substantial opportunities across consumer industries—new occasions that alcohol cannot and will not play, new and different product forms, pairing opportunities, new consumers, and more.”
Many in the alcohol industry have heeded that advice and decided that if they can’t beat the budtenders they might as well join them. Last year giganto craft beer manufacturer Lagunitas released a THC beverage, and Budweiser has made headlines for its partnership with Canadian cannabis company Tilray. Our hunch is that there will probably always be enough people who like to get fucked up to go around.
Photo via Flickr user sittered