неделя, 30 септември 2012 г.
Sportscotland to fund SGA coaches
In pictures: Andy Murray's journey to his US Open win
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Azarenka wins despite dizzy spell
DNA solves teen's 1974 murder
NFL referees reach pay agreement
Ewiniar (Pacific Ocean)
There are a number of things happening under the hood of Tropical Storm Ewiniar's clouds ...
Kenya military reports success in fight for Somali port
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ND0928124
NEW YORK ? An increasing number of shoppers are using mobile as part of their in-store experience, EConsultancy reports.
A new EConsultancy survey reveals the number of U.K. consumers who made a retail store purchase with a mobile device roughly doubled since 2011, from 13% to 25% of consumers. In the U.S., the figured jumped from 12% to 28% in the same period.
Other mobile-related figures include:
- Nearly one-third (32%) of U.K. consumers and 41% of U.S. shoppers used a mobile device to locate a store or a store?s opening times,
- Forty-three percent of U.K. respondents and 50% of U.S. shoppers said they used their mobile device to compare prices and read product reviews while shopping, up from 19% (U.K.) and 20% (U.S.) in 2011.
Afghan girls take brave first step
ND0927124
SONOMA, Calif. ? A convenience store staple is getting a makeover. Beef jerky has been gussied up in gourmet flavors to appeal to a growing consumer base, the Wall Street Journal reports.
With its high protein content, jerky has become a favorite workout snack food, as well as those looking for a low-carb snack. Flavors like Lemon Garlic and Basil Citrus have helped drive sales of beef jerky up 13.6% to reach $760.2 million for the 12 months ending Aug. 12, according to SymphonyIRI Group. Sales rose 13.4% last year.
Oberto Brands has been on a crusade to rehabilitate the perception that jerky is, well, not a very healthful food. ?We call it jerky shame,? said Tom Ennis, Oberto CEO. The company has revamped its jerky products with seven ?all natural? flavors, such as Spicy Sweet and Hickory Beef.
?There's just this nasty perception out there? that the food has way too much sodium and preservatives, plus artificial ingredients, said Ennis. His company took out corn syrup, dextrose, sodium nitrite and MSG from its jerky products.
Jack Link?s Link Snacks changed its packaging to catch the female consumer?s eye. Slim Jim by ConAgra Foods added a Steakhouse line.
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ND0926125
WASHINGTON - A record 170 million people plan to celebrate Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Foundation?s (NRF) 2012 Halloween consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight.
?By the time Halloween rolls around each year it?s safe to say Americans have already spent two months preparing for one of the fastest-growing and most widely-loved holidays of the year,? said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay, in a press release. ?Retailers know that when it comes to Halloween, new costume ideas for children, adults and pets, and the latest in home and yard d�cor top people?s shopping lists.?
Seven in 10 Americans (71.5%) will get into the haunting Halloween mood, up from 68.6% last year and the most in NRF?s 10-year survey history. Consumers are expecting to spend more too; the average person will spend $79.82 on decorations, costumes and candy, up from $72.31 last year, with total Halloween spending expected to reach $8 billion.
?Almost as soon as people bring down their fall and winter apparel from the top shelves in their closets, Halloween becomes top of mind,? said Phil Rist, BIGinsight executive vice president of strategic initiatives. ?There?s certainly pent-up demand for having some fun this year and shoppers are planning to spend their hard-earned dollars on items that help them get into the Halloween spirit.?
Of the people celebrating Halloween this year, more than half (51.4%) will decorate their home or yard, up from 49.5% last year, and 45% plan to dress in costume, also up from last year (43.9%.) More than one-third (36.2%) will throw or attend a party and 33.2% will take children trick-or-treating. Additionally, 15.1%will ensure their furry friends are part of the fun, too, by dressing their pet in costume.
събота, 29 септември 2012 г.
VIDEO: 'Excellent' Chelsea please Di Matteo
Venezuelans fight for right to vote
ND0925123
MINNEAPOLIS, MN ? Minnesota?s ethanol producers recorded their second losing quarter in a row, the Star Tribune reports. Their losses come amidst high corn prices and lagging prices for ethanol.
"The conditions are tough at best," said Brian Kletscher, CEO of Highwater Ethanol, whose plant in Lamberton, Minn., posted a net loss of $1 million last quarter.
According to Christianson & Associates, a firm that tracks ethanol producers, the production of ethanol is no longer a break-even proposition. "The big story is that the cost of the corn is higher on a per-gallon basis than what we can sell the ethanol for," said John Christianson, principal at Christianson & Associates. "That dynamic happened in the first two quarters of 2012."
To improve their fortunes, ethanol producers have been relying more on the sales of an animal feed byproduct, called distillers? grains, and industrial corn oil. Some plants also sell carbon dioxide captured from fermentation.
Sales of these byproducts accounted for 23% of ethanol plant revenues in 2012, up from 16% in 2008, Christianson said.
One of Minnesota?s hardest hit plants is BioFuel Energy Corp. in Fairmont that reported nearly $11 million in losses on revenues of $123 million.
Small producers have also been hit hard, with Granit Falls Energy losing $566,000 in the second quarter, which followed a profitable first-quarter, the only company to report a profit in the Star Tribune?s first-quarter survey. Two other single-plant companies also reported losses.
Ethanol prices have dropped up to 16% compared with the year-earlier quarter, with part of the decline the result of fuel blenders who went on a buying binge at the end of last year in order to collect expiring federal tax credits. That created an oversupply in the market that had lasting effects into the second quarter.
Larry Johnson, an ethanol industry consultant, said corn prices recently dipped below $8, which bodes well for the industry. To save money on corn, many ethanol producers are purchasing directly from farmers and adding storage facilities to hold it.
Minnesota has 21 ethanol plants, including one that is closed.
VIDEO: 'Incredible' Suarez impresses Rodgers
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Hiker talks about his days in Iran
Road cars with F1 tech
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Kenya military reports success in fight for Somali port
Hamilton wins as Alonso extends lead
Ma Yansong's sinuous towers
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NASA Hurricane Updates on Twitter
Check NASA's Hurricane Twitter feed for a daily behind the scenes look at storms in the tropics.
Rossi's replacement named
Teddy bears dive for 'democracy'
Petrova takes Pan Pacific title
Disabled athletes aspire for more
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A 'sound' idea to reduce poverty
ND0921124
CHICAGO ? This week, Groupon unveiled its payment service for credit card transactions, Online Media Daily reports. For U.S. merchants participating in its daily deal, the company charges 15 cents per transaction, plus 1.8% of the transaction for Discover, MasterCard and Visa cards and 3% for American Express cards.
Other companies not Groupon customers can use the service for the 15-cent fee plus a 2.2% rate for Discover, MasterCard and Visa cards. PayPal charges 2.7% per plastic payment and Square users pay 2.75% per swipe or a monthly flat fee of $275.
?In addition to slashing transaction fees, Groupon Payments offers services that most of the traditional processors don?t. Rather than waiting the typical two or three days for credit card payments to hit an account, Groupon Payments users get paid overnight,? blogged Mihir Shah, Groupon?s vice president, mobile and merchant products.
The new Groupon payment service offers businesses the ability to see live transaction histories, daily sales, account deposits and revenue trends. The service has a card reader for iPod Touch and iPhones compatible with the Groupon Merchants app. This week, PCI released guidelines for mobile payment transactions to provide more security controls.
VIDEO: Final Score 2 - Programme 7
петък, 28 септември 2012 г.
ND0925123
MINNEAPOLIS, MN ? Minnesota?s ethanol producers recorded their second losing quarter in a row, the Star Tribune reports. Their losses come amidst high corn prices and lagging prices for ethanol.
"The conditions are tough at best," said Brian Kletscher, CEO of Highwater Ethanol, whose plant in Lamberton, Minn., posted a net loss of $1 million last quarter.
According to Christianson & Associates, a firm that tracks ethanol producers, the production of ethanol is no longer a break-even proposition. "The big story is that the cost of the corn is higher on a per-gallon basis than what we can sell the ethanol for," said John Christianson, principal at Christianson & Associates. "That dynamic happened in the first two quarters of 2012."
To improve their fortunes, ethanol producers have been relying more on the sales of an animal feed byproduct, called distillers? grains, and industrial corn oil. Some plants also sell carbon dioxide captured from fermentation.
Sales of these byproducts accounted for 23% of ethanol plant revenues in 2012, up from 16% in 2008, Christianson said.
One of Minnesota?s hardest hit plants is BioFuel Energy Corp. in Fairmont that reported nearly $11 million in losses on revenues of $123 million.
Small producers have also been hit hard, with Granit Falls Energy losing $566,000 in the second quarter, which followed a profitable first-quarter, the only company to report a profit in the Star Tribune?s first-quarter survey. Two other single-plant companies also reported losses.
Ethanol prices have dropped up to 16% compared with the year-earlier quarter, with part of the decline the result of fuel blenders who went on a buying binge at the end of last year in order to collect expiring federal tax credits. That created an oversupply in the market that had lasting effects into the second quarter.
Larry Johnson, an ethanol industry consultant, said corn prices recently dipped below $8, which bodes well for the industry. To save money on corn, many ethanol producers are purchasing directly from farmers and adding storage facilities to hold it.
Minnesota has 21 ethanol plants, including one that is closed.
Hamilton to join Mercedes
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Sources: FBI can't get to Benghazi
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AUDIO: Llambias on Pardew's long-term deal
Ewiniar (Pacific Ocean)
There are a number of things happening under the hood of Tropical Storm Ewiniar's clouds ...
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Key signing for Roy Hodgson's England?
NASA Requests Proposals for Initial Contracts to Certify Commercial Crew Transportation Systems
Ferrari 'could pull out of Formula One'
ND0924121
WASHINGTON ? Recent government data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that unemployment rates rose in 26 states from July to August.
Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in August. BLS also reports that 12 states and the District of Columbia posted rate decreases, and 12 states had no change. Forty-two states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, seven states experienced increases, and one had no change. The national jobless rate edged down to 8.1% from July and was 1.0 percentage point lower than in August 2011.
Nevada continued to record the highest unemployment rate among the states, 12.1% in August. Rhode Island and California posted the next highest rates, 10.7% and 10.6%, respectively. North Dakota again registered the lowest jobless rate, 3%.
In total, 21 states reported jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 8.1%, 12 states had measurably higher rates, and 17 states and the District of Columbia had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.
Nine states reported statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate changes in August, of which seven were increases and two were decreases. The significant increases occurred in Connecticut (+0.5 percentage point), Michigan (+0.4 point), New Hampshire and Vermont (+0.3 point each), and Iowa, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania (+0.2 point each). Hawaii and Utah registered the only significant declines over the month (-0.2 percentage point each). The remaining 41 states and the District of Columbia recorded jobless rates that were not measurably different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.
Sixteen states and the District of Columbia reported statistically significant unemployment rate decreases from August 2011, the largest of which occurred in
Mississippi (-1.8 percentage points). New York experienced the only significant over-the-year increase in its unemployment rate (+0.8 percentage point).
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Mexican navy: Zetas leader captured
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Disabled athletes aspire for more
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четвъртък, 27 септември 2012 г.
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ND0921121
WASHINGTON ? This week U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced S. 3574, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2012, which calls for a less burdensome approach to unnecessary federal menu-labeling regulations outlined in the health-care law.
Blunt was joined by fellow Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), John Boozman (R-AR), Scott Brown (R-MA), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Mike Johanns (R-NE) and Jerry Moran (R-KS).
The health-care law includes a provision that creates a national, uniform nutrition-disclosure standard for foodservice establishments such as chain restaurants, ?similar retail food establishments? and vending that have 20 or more locations.
The establishments must provide specific nutritional information: posting calories on menus, menu boards and drive-thru boards, and providing caloric information ?adjacent? items on buffets, salad bars and other self-service items. The establishments must also provide additional nutrition information in writing (e.g., a brochure) upon request.
On April 6, 2011, the FDA published proposed regulations to implement the new law. These regulations would define a ?covered entity? as any retailer where more than 50% of the store?s floor area is devoted to selling food. However, the FDA?s definition includes pre-packaged food that is already required to include nutritional information on its packaging.
NACS believes that any menu-labeling regulations must account for differences between the convenience store business model and a chain restaurant business model. The FDA?s proposed regulations are tailored to the restaurant business model, and unless they are revised to reflect our industry, they should not apply to convenience stores.
NACS recommended to the FDA that a floor space calculation should be replaced with one based on revenues, and that an entity should be covered only if revenues from restaurant-type food sales exceed 50% of the store?s overall sales. In evaluating this ratio, pre-packaged food should be excluded from the ?restaurant-type food? revenues and fuel sales should be included in the store?s overall sales.
NACS worked with Representative John Carter (R-TX) to introduce H.R. 6174, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, which is the House companion measure to S. 3574. The bills are identical, and seek to bring a less burdensome approach to menu labeling by limiting the provision in the health-care law to establishments that derive 50% or more of their revenue from food that is (a) intended for immediate consumption, or (b) prepared and processed on-site. Prepackaged food would not be considered in this equation.
NACS urges you to contact your senators and ask them to support S. 3574. Also, if you have yet to do so, reach out to your House member and him/her to support H.R. 6174.
Questions about the legislation can be directed to NACS Government Relations Director Carin Nersesian.
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ND0920124
WASHINGTON ? In a comprehensive report on how financial regulatory reform affects community banks and credit unions, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that these financial institutions have benefitted since reform of debit swipe fees, which went into effect on October 1, 2011.
Banks with less than $10 billion in assets are exempt from debit swipe reform, which limits the fees charged by the big banks for each debit transaction. In its report, GAO noted that approximately 99 percent of all banks in the U.S. had less than $10 billion in assets in 2011 ? and that 14,300 banks, credit unions, savings and loans and savings banks qualified for the debit swipe fee exemption last year.
?This report should lay to rest once and for all the myth that debit swipe reform is harming the majority of American banks,? noted Doug Kantor, counsel to the Merchants Payments Coalition. ?Debit swipe reform is working for community banks and credit unions, just like it?s working for merchants and consumers across the country. The only ones crying foul are the big banks who are no longer reaping windfall profits from a broken system.?
The GAO report found that:
- ?Initial data collected by the Federal Reserve indicate that card networks largely have adopted a two-tiered interchange fee structure after the implementation [of the debit swipe fee reforms] to the benefit of exempt issuers.? (emphasis added)
- Swipe fees received by exempt banks ?increased, in aggregate, on a quarterly basis after the [swipe fee] rule became effective.?
- ?The aggregate interchange fee income reported quarterly by these [exempt] banks from the second quarter of 2011 through the first quarter of 2012 was about $532 million, $547 million, $575 million, and $585 million, respectively from the second quarter of 2011 through the first quarter of 2012.? This represents a consistent increase over each quarter with a total increase of $53 million over that time period.
- ?Unlike the large banks, community banks and credit unions generally have not, on average, experienced a significant decline in their debit interchange fees as a result of the Federal Reserve?s implementation of [the debit interchange fee provision of the Dodd-Frank Act].?
GAO also noted that the average debit swipe fee received by banks exempt from the reforms was 43 cents in the fourth quarter of 2011, compared to 24 cents for the big banks. Both rates are well above the average 4 cents per transaction cost to process debit transactions, which is based on data from the Federal Reserve.
?One year after debit swipe reform was implemented, there is more competition in the payment processing system and lower swipe fees are helping consumers save money as merchants offset rising costs of things like gas and food and keep prices down. That?s good news for businesses, consumers and our economy,? said Kantor.
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The winning Formula for success?
