Adobe has released its predictions for the 2020 holiday season, between November 1 thru December 31, and online retailers are set to score big.
Adobe is predicting record-breaking online sales, totaling some $189 billion. This represents a 33% year-over-year increase. According to the company, this is the equivalent of two years’ worth of growth packed into those two months.
Should the government approve another round of stimulus, spending would be driven up further, likely passing the $200 billion mark. If this happens, it would be a 47% increase.
“As retailers adapt to consumers’ new behaviors in this pandemic, we expect earlier discounts, more shipping and pick-up options and uncertainty around in-store purchases to drive this year’s online holiday sales to record highs,” said John Copeland, head of Marketing and Customer Insights at Adobe. “This year is unlike any in the past, and for the first time we are no longer referring to peak holiday sales as Cyber Week – it’s now Cyber Month.”
While large e-commerce entities may seem to be the biggest beneficiaries at first glance, in reality it is small retailers that will benefit most. Accord to the report, small retailers will see their revenue increase 107%, vs 84% for their bigger rivals.
Curbside pickup will also grow in popularity, with BOPIS (buy online, pick up in store) expected to account for more than 50% of orders at retailers offering the service.
Although the pandemic may be forcing holiday shoppers online in record numbers, shoppers may develop a taste for the low-hassle benefits of online shopping and BOPIS. If so, it’s a safe bet that many shoppers’ behavior may be permanently altered over the next two months.
At its latest Un-carrier event, T-Mobile has unveiled TVision, its take on streaming and live TV.
Streaming TV services have been gaining in popularity as customers ditch cable and satellite services in record numbers, weary of their business practices. Many companies lure customers with introductory pricing that dramatically increases after the first year, while others charge “rental fees” for equipment.
T-Mobile is setting out to change the status quo, much as they did for the wireless industry, with its TVision service.
“People are ready for real choice and real change in home TV, maybe this year more than ever before. That’s exactly what TVision delivers… all at prices you’ll love. You can cut the cord for as little as ten dollars a month with TVision VIBE. Or if you want live news and sports, you can get it starting at just forty dollars a month with TVision LIVE. That’s TVision, and THAT is TV done right!” said Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile. “The Cableopoly holds TV fans hostage, bundling live news and sports into expensive packages with hundreds of other channels that people don’t want, and don’t watch. Something’s gotta change. And that’s what the Un-carrier does best — force change. Just like we changed wireless for good — today we’re going to change TV for good!”
TVision UI TV LIVE
The new service comes in several different packages, including TVision Live, TVision Vibe and TVision Channels.
TVision Live offers live TV channels, including local networks. There are three Live options—Live TV, Live TV+ and Live Zone—ranging from $40 to $60/mo and offering 34 to 66 channels. TVision Live plans will offer up to three simultaneous streams, along with 100 hours of cloud DVR. As an added bonus, Live TV+ and Live Zone customers will receive a free Apple TV+ subscription for one full year.
TVision Vibe is $10/mo and offers 34 lifestyle and entertainment channels. TVision Channels is designed to let customers pull together the a-la-carte streaming services they already use into one place.
The company is also offering TVision Hub, an Android-powered HDMI streaming device. Customers can install their favorite TV apps on the device, using it much like an Apple TV.
T-Mobile has been branching out, looking for opportunities to bring their customer-centric focus to other industries, such as their foray into banking with T-Mobile Money. Given the dissatisfaction with current TV options, it’s a safe bet T-Mobile will have another hit on their hands.
The service will be available to T-Mobile subscribers beginning November 1, and to Sprint customers on November 13.
Amazon has launched Amazon Shopper Panel, a program that will pay users for information on their non-Amazon purchases.
In addition to sales, one of the biggest benefits Amazon gains is access to customer and purchasing data. For purchases made outside Amazon, however, the company is largely in the dark.
To address that, Amazon has unveiled Amazon Shopper Panel. The program “is an opt-in, invitation-only program where participants can earn monthly rewards by sharing receipts from purchases made outside of Amazon.com and by completing short surveys.”
The company emphases its commitment to privacy, promising that Amazon only receives information that panelist explicitly share, and that panelists can stop at any time. In addition, panelist have the option to delete any previous receipts, and Amazon automatically deletes sensitive information, such as prescription receipts.
At this time the program is only available to a limited number of users, but those interested can join a waitlist to be informed when it becomes more widely available.
If there was a time to lean into delivery, this is the time. We’re going to be the global leader in that business. We’re going to expand beyond food into other categories such as groceries and pharmacy, essentially powering world commerce.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi discusses how Uber Eats is going to ‘essentially power world commerce’ in a Zoom call with the Wall Street Journal:
If there was a time to lean into delivery, this is the time,” We’re going to be the global leader in that business. We’re going to expand beyond food into other categories such as groceries and pharmacy, essentially powering world commerce.
The food delivery business is profitable in certain countries. For example, two of our top five international markets are profitable today and were profitable last quarter. The profitability really depends on how hard we are leaning in toward expanding supply and acquiring customers. The perspective that we have on this business is that even though it’s growing it’s actually very early in its development.
For example, Japan is a huge market potential for us and one of our leading growth markets. Less than ten percent of restaurants in Japan are signed up to use Uber Eats as a delivery service. When you have a situation where your penetration is ten percent of the ultimate market size you lean in as a company.
We are fortunate in that we’ve got very strong balance sheets, over $7 billion in cash and available capital. That allows us to lean into certain businesses. If there was a time to lean into delivery, this is the time. We’re going to be the global leader in that business. We’re going to expand beyond food into other categories such as groceries and pharmacy, essentially powering world commerce.
A survey about online shopping habits indicates that the massive shift to online shopping during COVID will continue after COVID. The increases in online shopping because of closures and fear are expected to be permanent.
A new study from the secure payment solution provider PCI Pal shows that millions of Americans have become online shoppers during COVID and that this behavioral shift will last long beyond the COVID-19 era. With over 70% of respondents reporting plans to continue shopping online for some or most of their shopping even after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
“Retailers face an unpredictable and unexpectedly challenging year due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Geoff Forsyth, CISO, PCI Pal. “What they can control, however, is delivering a seamless, secure shopping experience in-store and across digital shopping channels to offer customers much-needed peace of mind this holiday season.”
A few other trends for retailers to pay attention to:
New year, same habits. Despite 2020 bringing many changes and unexpected turns, one thing remains constant: consumers’ loyalty. 86% of respondents reported they still plan to shop with their same favorite retailers this holiday season, with 54% planning to do so online and 32% in-store.
Sincerely Securely, Santa: It’s no surprise that data security is a top concern for consumers going into this holiday season, with 60% of those surveyed reporting they feel more concerned about their data security as a result of COVID-19. However, one slip-up from a business could have more dire consequences than ever before: 70% of respondents reported they would stop shopping with a brand for a few months or even permanently if it suffered a data breach ahead of the holidays.
Safety supersedes security: While 70% of consumers plan to continue shopping online after COVID-19, some still feel uneasy about how it could impact their personal data security. Nearly 20% of consumers perceive online shopping as the least secure method for making purchases, while in-store shopping is still seen as the most secure by 57% of respondents. If online shopping is the future, then businesses must take steps to ensure their customers feel as secure shopping on their website as they do in-store.
The social shopping dilemma: Given new features on Facebook and Instagram, consumers are increasingly turning to social media for their shopping. According to research from Salesforce, purchases from a social channel referral saw big increases in Q2 2020, growing 104% across the entire industry. Yet, just like online shopping, consumers feel insecure shopping on these platforms: 46% of respondents reported they find social media to be the least trusted shopping channel. It seems that when it comes to their sensitive financial information, consumers are not yet ready to divulge their credit card information on social media.
Customer experience should be on Santa’s “Nice” list: Just as shopping has shifted online, so, too, has the demand for excellent customer service. With a majority of respondents reporting a preference for email (about 36%) or phone (33%) for their customer service needs, retailers will need to ensure that both of these channels are set up to offer a smooth customer journey.
A huge survey by Alibaba of 5,015 US B2B SMBs and SMB manufacturers indicates a significant pivot to digital. Small and medium manufactures have traditionally been slower to integrate digital into their businesses. However, according to the survey, SMB manufacturers have been digitizing at twice the rate of other industries during the pandemic – to support other manufacturers as they accelerate their digitization.
Key findings from the full U.S. B2B SMB survey:
SMBs accelerated their pivot to digital: 93% of B2B companies are now conducting some portion of their business online, up from 90% in December, and 43% are utilizing ecommerce, an 8% increase over the same time period.
SMBs are finding opportunities internationally: even with supply chain disruptions during the pandemic, 63% of B2B companies report conducting some amount of cross border B2B trade, up from 59% in December.
SMB manufacturers surpassed other industries in digitization: amid the pandemic, manufacturers’ online B2B trade increased 8% – twice the rate of the overall 4% increase in all industries for the same period and tied with retail as the industries with the most digital growth. In December, U.S. manufacturers’ online B2B trade volume lagged all other industries except construction but have now passed multiple industries in their pivot to digital.
“We were happy to see the increasing digitization of US B2B companies and that many are increasing trade despite the pandemic, showing the resilience and grit of American business owners and entrepreneurs,” said John Caplan, President of North America and Europe of Alibaba.com. “Our research finds that digitization is no longer a nice-to-have, but a must-have for companies in every industry to bridge from surviving to thriving in the next era of business.”
Zoom COO Aparna Bawa says that Zoom is open to experimenting with transaction fees for its new OnZoom service targeting video delivered services like piano lessons.
“We still are watching and waiting to see what the economics look like,” said Zoom COO Aparna Bawa at WSJ Tech Live. “We want to make sure that the customer base that we’re serving finds it helpful, it’s priced at the right point, it’s beneficial to all,”
When asked about getting a cut of online video services Bawa said: “We’re not quite sure how that’s going to work. “For us, it’s a long game. The more and more we can build our user base and establish trust with folks like you, the more sort of legs we have as a company.”
OnZoom, currently in beta, is a service for paid Zoom users to create, host, and monetize events like fitness classes, concerts, stand-up or improv shows, and music lessons on the Zoom Meetings platform.
“We were humbled and inspired by all of the amazing ways the world adapted to a literal shutdown of in-person events amid COVID-19,” says Zoom product manager Aleks Swerdlow. “When business owners, entrepreneurs, and organizations of all sizes had to find some way – any way – to stay the course and continue providing services to their customers, many turned to Zoom. OnZoom simplifies that experience.”
In short, OnZoom is Zoom for paid events or services. It has the potential to vastly increase Zoom revenues by tapping into entrepreneurs and small businesses that want to provide a service specific to individuals or groups and not just give it away on YouTube. Think personalized Yoga training, tutors for your kids, computer support, and cooking classes personalized to you. It also includes event discovery features and can be used for free events as well.
Verizon partners with Microsoft to create new ways for enterprises to accelerate the delivery of fast and secure 5G applications to enable state of the art low-latency IoT solutions.
Verizon’s on-site 5G Edge network integrated with Azure edge services can enable ultra-low latency, many times faster than the blink of an eye, according to Verizon, which can help businesses tap into real-time data analysis and delivery. Applications incorporating computer vision, augmented, mixed and virtual reality, digital twins or machine learning can be enhanced with 5G and MEC on the customer premise, helping transform the way industries such as retail, transportation, and logistics operations.
Think of automated high-precision asset localization, tracking and positioning in manufacturing. In healthcare, the increased speed, reduced latency and high bandwidth connectivity of 5G networks could enable real-time precision medicine leveraging mixed reality and AI capabilities as well as seamless and fast sharing of large files to improve patient care.
“We have built a network that provides real-world, 5G-enabled solutions TODAY,” said Rima Qureshi, EVP and Chief Strategy Officer at Verizon. “By bringing together Verizon’s 5G network and on-site 5G Edge platform with Microsoft’s expertise in cloud services, we will enable the development of the next-generation technologies everyone has been envisioning.”
The collaboration brings Azure cloud and edge capabilities together with Verizon’s on-site 5G Edge, a mobile edge computing platform designed to enable developers to build applications for mobile end-users and wireless edge devices with ultra-low latency. By utilizing on-site private 5G, businesses will be able to realize increased power efficiencies and reduced costs of end user devices while addressing their privacy and security needs.
Logistics and supply chain solutions company Ice Mobility is already testing on Verizon’s on-site 5G Edge platform, integrated with Microsoft Azure. The company is using 5G and MEC to help with computer vision assisted product packing. By gathering data in near real-time on product packing errors, the company has the potential to improve on-site quality assurance and save 15% to 30% in processing time.
“We are especially excited to join Verizon and Microsoft to test how 5G and MEC can improve the quality assurance process,” said Mike Mohr, CEO of Ice Mobility. “They truly have listened to our needs to provide automated real-time quality oversight and feedback, which will enable us to cost-effectively launch unique new products, while maintaining the highest execution standards, significantly increasing throughput and reducing costs. And, this is just the beginning.”
“By leveraging Verizon’s 5G network integrated with Microsoft’s cloud and edge capabilities, developers and businesses can benefit from fast, secure and reliable connections to deliver seamless digital experiences from massive industrial IoT workloads to precision medicine,” said Yousef Khalidi, corporate vice president Azure for Operators at Microsoft.
Moving forward, Verizon will explore opportunities to co-innovate with Microsoft to deliver new value to industries ranging from manufacturing to healthcare.
Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network enables throughput at least 25 times faster than today’s 4G networks*; delivers ultra-low latency; and offers very high bandwidth. Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband is expected to eventually enable 100 times larger data volumes than 4G; and the ability to connect more than a million devices per kilometer. Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband service is available to people in 55 cities and its 5G Nationwide service is available to more than 200 million people in more than 1,800 cities around the U.S.
Alibaba today announced it will invest $3.6 billion in Sun Art Retail Group, a huge hypermarket and supermarket operator in China. Sun Art is the largest retailer in China and competes head to head with Walmart. The transaction will give Alibaba a 72% controlling interest in the China-based brick and mortar retailer. Alibaba says that this purchase furthers its ‘New Retail’ strategy of integrating online and offline retail in China.
“Alibaba’s strategic investment in Sun Art in 2017 was an important step in our New Retail strategy,” says Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang. “The alliance we formed with Auchan Retail and Ruentex was instrumental in building a robust infrastructure to create opportunities and value in China’s retail sector. Led by Chief Executive Officer Peter Huang, Sun Art has achieved impressive results in its digitalization and pursued promising synergies with businesses across the Alibaba digital economy. As the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating the digitalization of consumer lifestyles and enterprise operations, this commitment to Sun Art serves to strengthen our New Retail vision and serve more consumers with a fully integrated experience.”
In 2017 Alibaba entered into a strategic alliance to digitalize and introduce New Retail solutions at Sun Art stores. The company says that since then “Sun Art has made significant progress in the digital transformation under a fast-changing market environment by leveraging resources and technology from the Alibaba ecosystem, to capitalize on the growth opportunities in China’s hypermarket and supermarket space.”
This acquisition reflects a growing retail trend in China. Euromonitor International said in a report earlier this year that merger and acquisition activities are expected to continue in the forecast period. As China’s retailing industry modernizes it is undergoing a drastic digital transformation. The forecasting firm also said that sun Art held a 14.1% share of the country’s hypermarket sales last year. That compares to Walmart’s 10.3% market share in that category.
As of June 30, 2020, Sun Art operates 481 hypermarkets and 3 mid-size supermarkets in China, with a focus on strengthening its position through small and offline community stores.
Here is the official joint announcement of the acquisition.
Amazon wants to emulate the success of Prime Day every day with ‘Holiday Dash,’ a new section on Amazon with daily deals that “equal Black Friday.”
Amazon says that “with new deals dropping every day starting October 16, customers can shop early and with confidence that they are getting Black Friday-worthy deals and incredible savings on a huge selection of products.”
Here are the announced details on Amazon’s Holiday Dash deals:
Amazon Brands
Save up to 30% on select kid’s clothing and more from our brands including Amazon Essentials, Spotted Zebra, and Simple Joys by Carter’s
Save up to 30% on select men’s and women’s clothing and more from our brands including Amazon Essentials, Daily Ritual and Goodthreads
Save up to 20% on AmazonBasics
Save 40% on Wag dog food, and treats
Save 20% on household and personal care products from Solimo
Save 20% on Presto! Refillable Cleaners
Save 20% on baby care products from Mama Bear and Solimo
Save 20% on Belei skincare
Save 20% on nutrition and wellness products from Amazon Elements and Revly
Save 20% on coffee, snacks, and other grocery essentials from Solimo, Happy Belly, and Amazon Fresh
Toys & Games
Save up to 40% on Star Wars toys
Save up to 40% on Collectible toys from L.O.L. Surprise!, Calico Critters, Fingerlings, and more
Save up to 30% on Hot Wheels toys
Save up to 30% on Building Sets from LEGO, Magna-Tiles, and PlayMonster
Save up to 30% on Marvel toys
Save up to 30% on Fortnite, Pokemon, Roblox and more
Save up to 40% on Tegu Building Blocks
Save up to 30% on Funko POPs!
Save up to 30% on Arts & Crafts sets
Save 30% on Evenflo Pivot Explore Wagon
Save up to 30% on preschool toys from Jazwares, Spin Master, Hape, and more
Save on AmScope 52-piece kids beginner microscope STEM kit
Fashion
Save up to 40% on select apparel from Calvin Klein
Save up to 40% on select Levi’s apparel for the whole family
Save up to 40% on Star Wars apparel
Save up to 30% on select New Balance footwear and apparel
Save up to 40% on select Tommy Hilfiger apparel
Save up to 40% on select kids’ clothing from Gerber, Hudson Baby, and more
Save up to 50% on select watches from Citizen, Bulova, Anne Klein, and more
Save up to 30% on select Lacoste apparel, shoes, and accessories
Save up to 30% on Marvel apparel
Save up to 30% on select seasonal fashion trends
Save up to 25% on select Nautica men’s and women’s apparel
Save up to 48% on select Hanna Anderson pajama sets and underwear styles
Save up to 30% on select styles from The Drop
Save up to 40% on select women’s shoes from Shopbop
Save up to 15% on select women’s accessories from Shopbop
Household, Kitchen, Home Improvement & Smart Home
Save on Le Creuset Cast Iron and Stoneware, including up to 48% on select Le Creuset 3.5Qt Oval Dutch Ovens
Save up to 50% on select Bissell Vacuums
Save up to 40% on SharkNinja Shark Navigator Lift-Away
Save up to 35% on Eufy by Anker RoboVac
Save up to 30% on Eureka Stick Vacuum
Save on iRobot Robotic vacuums and mops
Save up to 30% on iLife Robotic vacuum cleaner
Save up to 25% or more on Samsung vacuums
Save up to 36% on select Blueair air purifiers
Save up to 20% on select Molekule air purifiers
Save up to 40% on KitchenAid tools
Save up to 20% on the Instant Pot Duo Mini Plus
Save up to 30% on Hallmark gift wrap, ornaments, and cards
Save up to 20% on select Breville Smart Ovens
Save up to 20% on OXO BREW coffee makers
Save up to 30% on Tineco floorcare products
Save on Ninja AF161 Air Fryer and Ninja FG551 Foodi Indoor Smart Grill
Save on select SodaStream Fizzi Sparkling Water Maker Bundles
Save on the Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker
Save up to 20% on OXO Good Grips Smart Seal and bakeware
Save up to 35% on Ayesha Curry Cookware
Save 30% on Linenspa 10″ hybrid mattresses
Save up to 30% on Zinus furniture and mattresses
Save 30% on Sweetnight mattresses
Save up to 30% on Moen bathroom fixtures and up to 20% off on Moen kitchen products
Save up to 25% on select Hansgrohe products
Save 15% on GE Profile Ice Maker
Save 20% on select Broan appliances
Save up to 15% on select Delta Faucet products
Save up to 15% on Whirlpool softeners
Save 15% or more on gaming, home education and home office furniture
Save on select August Smart Locks
Save on select Kwikset Smart and Mechanical Locks
Save on Smart Home products from Emerson, Kasa TP-Link, and more
Beauty, Health & Personal Care
Save up to 50% on your favorite Premium Beauty brands from Elemis, Mario Badescu, Redken, and more
Save up to 40% on Premium Beauty appliances from T3, Foreo and more
Save up to 40% on Waterpik and Colgate oral care appliances
Save up to 45% on skin care from NIVEA, Aquaphor, and Eucerin
Save up to 30% on hair dryers and products from Revlon, Bed Head, and more
Save up to 35% on razors from Braun, Gillette, and more
Save 33% on Panasonic and Norelco shavers
Save up to 20% on Fitbit Activity and Fitness Trackers
Electronics
Save up to 33% on select Nintendo Switch games
Save up to 35% on Nixplay Digital Frames
Save up to 30% on Kodak Instant Cameras and Printers
Save 25% on Adobe Creative Cloud Entire Collection
Save up to 20% on Samsung TVs
Save up to 20% on Sony TVs
Save up to 50% on JBL Speakers
Save up to 33% on Sony Headphones
Save up to 33% on Bose Headphones
Save up to 40% on select Mynt 3D printing pens and accessories
Save 30% on Mynt 3D PRO Pen with OLED Display
Save up to 30% on VAVA 4K Projectors
Save up to 30% on TaoTronics Headphones
Small Businesses on Amazon Launchpad
Save up to 50% on Kids Against Maturity: Card Game for Kids and Families
Save up to 30% on the SOLIOM S600 Outdoor Security Camera
Save up to 25% on the Zen Laboratory DIY Jumbo Slime Kit for Kids
From October 26 to November 19, Prime members can save 10% or more on select unique products from small brands on Amazon Launchpad like: Mobile Pixels Duex Portable Monitor for Laptops and Scentered Travel Essentials Aromatherapy Balm gift set
Entertainment: Amazon Music, Audible, Books & Prime Video
Amazon Music: Beginning October 23, new Amazon Music Unlimited customers can get three months of the premium streaming tier free, to enjoy unlimited access to more than 60 million songs, ad-free and a wide selection of popular podcasts.
Amazon Music: Beginning October 29, current Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can upgrade to the Family Plan free for three months, with access for up to six accounts.
Audible: Between November 1 and December 31, new members save nearly 40% on the first six months of an Audible Plus membership at just $4.95 per month. Membership includes unlimited access to more than 10 thousand Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
Books: Deals on select multi-genre books and ebooks throughout the season
Prime Video: This holiday season, Prime Video will offer up to 50% off select popular Halloween, family and holiday movies to rent or buy. Deals will roll out over the next few months, so be sure to check www.amazon.com/pmd for updates.
Amazon Gift Cards
Starting today, customers using Amazon Reload to replenish their Amazon Gift Card balance for the first time will receive a $10 bonus with their reload of $100 or more. Offer available through December 31.
Starting October 26, first-time Amazon Gift Card shoppers will receive a $15 promotional credit with the purchase of $50 or more in Amazon Gift Cards. Offer available through December 20. The promotional credit expires on February 6, 2021. Other restrictions apply.
Amazon Credit Cards:
Now through December 22, with an eligible Prime membership, customers who apply and are approved for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card will instantly receive a $100 Gift Card. Prime Cardmembers earn 5% back at Whole Foods Market and Amazon.com. Additionally, starting November 1 through December 22, customers without a Prime membership can apply for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card and receive a $60 Gift Card upon approval, in addition to earning 3% back at Whole Foods Market and Amazon.com as a cardmember. Restrictions apply. Visit amazon.com/visa for details.
Automotive, Tools and Lawn & Garden
Save 50% on tire installation
Save up to 25% on Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro concentrated planting mix
Save 25% on Castrol GTX Conventional motor oil
Save 20% on Select Tonno Pro Tonneau covers
Save up to 20% on select Streamlight flashlights
Save on select DEWALT cordless drills and tools
Save up to 30% on select SKIL tools
Save up to 15% off on select ZGrills Pellet Grills & Smokers
Save up to 15% on Shintenchi 4 piece wicker rattan outdoor patio furniture set
Save on select Renogy monocrystalline solar panels
Sports & Outdoors
Save up to 20% on Select Coleman Tents & Gear
Save up to 20% on select CamelBak kids water bottles
Save up to 25% on select Sawyer Products water filters
Save up to 30% on select Stanley drinkware
Save up to 28% on select Segway scooters and kids bikes
Save up to 30% on select Stiga table tennis rackets and Zume badminton set
Save up to 30% on select Legendary Whitetails apparel
Save up to 30% on select Osprey Outdoor Packs
Pets
Save 20% on Catit Creamy cat treats
Save on Petsafe electronic dog toys
Save on The Honest Kitchen human grade pet treats
Save on Friends Forever donut pet beds
Whole Foods Market:
Both in-store and online, Prime members can receive discounts on customer favorites including 35% off Bare Bones broths and 35% off all packaged teas, available now through October 27.
Available now through October 20, customers can get 20% off pumpkins and gourds – excluding squash.
Microsoft has ended support for Office 2010, as well as Office 2016 for Mac, and is instead pushing users toward Microsoft 365.
Office 2010 is one of the most popular versions of the venerable office suite. In fact, as recently as 2017, a survey showed it was in use among 83% of organizations around the world.
In spite of that, Microsoft has officially ended support for Office 2010, as well as the corresponding Office 2016 for Mac. Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365, explainedthe decision:
As we first announced back in April 2017, this decision aligns with our broader commitment to providing tools and experiences designed for a new world of work. If this year has taught us anything, it’s that we need to help our customers stay agile and connected despite constant change. And that means delivering cloud-connected and always up-to-date versions of our most valuable apps to every person and every organization on the planet. With Microsoft 365 Apps, we do that in three big ways. First, the cloud enables real-time collaboration across apps and within Microsoft Teams, the hub for teamwork. Second, AI and machine learning advance creativity and innovation in everything from PowerPoint design to Excel analysis. And finally, built-in, cloud-powered security protects your data and provides the peace of mind that comes with knowing your business will not only be productive, but also secured.
We understand that everyone is at a different stage of their journey to the cloud, and we’re committed to supporting our customers throughout their transition to Microsoft 365 Apps. For those customers who aren’t ready for the cloud and have a specific need for on-premises or hybrid deployment, such as fully disconnected or restricted environments, we offer Office 2019, the perpetual version of Office that does not receive feature updates. But for everyone else, we’ve created a set of resources to help you transition to the Microsoft 365 Apps and innovations designed to help keep your environment up to date once you’ve made the transition.
As more companies move to the cloud, as well as engage in remote work, Microsoft 365 is increasingly becoming a critical option for many companies. This move will no doubt accelerate its adoption.
“We’ve benefited from a tremendous relationship with theatrical exhibition for many years,” says Disney CEO Bob Chapek. “However, there are a lot of consumers that want to experience a movie in the safety, comfort, and convenience of their own home. We want to accelerate our transition to a real direct-to-consumer priority company. Ultimately, the consumer is going to be making the decision in terms of how they consume our media as opposed to some arbitrary decision that we may make from a distribution standpoint.”
Bob Chapek, CEO of Disney, discusses how Disney is transitioning to a direct-to-consumer company with less focus on the theatrical distribution of video content:
Accelerating Transition To Direct-To-Consumer Company
We want to accelerate our transition to a real direct-to-consumer priority company. We’ve got the opportunity to build upon the success of Disney+ which by almost any measure has been far and above anybody’s expectations. We really want to use this to catalyze our growth and increase shareholder wealth. In every territory and every platform, our expectations with Disney+ have been exceeded and exceeded every month. We’re thrilled with the way it’s going. We just think that this reorganization is going to catalyze growth even further.
I would not characterize (our reorganization) as a response to COVID but COVID accelerated the rate at which we made this transition. This transition was going to happen anyway. Essentially, what we want to do is separate out the folks who make our wonderful content based on tremendous franchises from the decision making in terms of where the prioritization is and how it gets commercialized into the marketplace.
We want to leave it to a group of folks who can really see objectively across all the constituents that we have and the various different considerations that we’ve got and make the optimal decision for the company. This is as opposed to somehow having it be predetermined that a movie is destined for theaters or that a TV show is destined for ABC. So really what we want to do is provide some level of objectivity and really make it a decision that benefits the overall company and its shareholders.
We’re Putting The Consumer First
What it says is that we’re putting the consumer first. The consumer is actually going to be who’s going to make this decision. They’re going to lead us with how they make their transactional decisions. Right now, they’re voting with their pocketbooks and they’re voting very heavily towards Disney+. We want to make sure that we’re going the way that the consumers want us to go.
Certainly, COVID has impacted all of our traditional distribution businesses. But this is even more than reactionary, this is really progressive. This is looking out with a vision towards where we see the world going and how we see that consumers are interacting with Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu and where it’s going to go in the future in our international business with Star. We’re trying to as they say skate to where the puck is going to be.
Less Theaters, More DTC
We’ve benefited from a tremendous relationship with theatrical exhibition for many years. As dynamics change in the marketplace though we want to make sure that we’re giving consumers who want to go to theaters, to experience everything that a theatrical release can give them, we want to make sure that we continue to give them that option.
At the same time, there are a lot of consumers that want to experience a movie in the safety, comfort, and convenience of their own home for whatever reasons they do. We want to make sure that we put the consumer first. Ultimately, the consumer is going to be making the decision in terms of how they consume our media as opposed to some arbitrary decision that we may make from a distribution standpoint. We want to look at ourselves as consumer enablers.
AMD is in talks to buy chipmaker Xilinx, with a deal possible as early as next week.
Xilinx is a chipmaker based in San Jose, California, specializing in the programmable chips used in wireless networks. The acquisition, will help AMD better compete with Intel in the datacenter market.
As Bloomberg points out, Xilinx has historically made chips for the telecommunications industry. In recent years, however, it has been branching out to the datacenter market. This market is a high-profit market that has caught the attention of AMD and Nvidia, a factor in the latter’s acquisition of Mellanox Technologies and potentially Arm.
Given Intel’s recent supply chain issues, not to mention bugs that have delayed the move to 7nm chips and Zombieland flaws that some experts have deemed “unfixable,” more options would likely be welcomed within the industry.
“The impact of the pandemic to us in the broader market is rides being down about 50% now,” says Lyft co-founder and President John Zimmer. “They were down 75%. So we are halfway recovered across the board. That impacts individual drivers as well. If you look at how some drivers have shifted, we actually have higher driver earnings now per hour than even pre-pandemic.”
John Zimmer, co-founder and President of Lyft, discusses the impact of the pandemic on Lyft, noting that daily rides are still down by half since March 2020:
Lyft Rides Still Down 50%
Drivers 4 to 1 want to remain independent contractors and want to retain flexibility. Depending on the market, 80 to 90% drive less than 20 hours a week. We think there is a much better way forward than saying (in California) that everyone should become employees. That way forward is to say let’s retain the flexibility and let’s add more protections and benefits like we are pushing for in California.
The impact of the pandemic to us in the broader market is rides being down about 50% now. They were down 75%. So we are halfway recovered across the board. That impacts individual drivers as well. If you look at how some drivers have shifted, we actually have higher driver earnings now per hour than even pre-pandemic. There’s equilibrium between demand and supply, between riders and drivers.
Impact Of Lockdowns And The Virus Is Real
The impact to the broader economy and the impact with lockdowns and the virus is real for our business. Transportation is directly tied to people’s movement and the broader economy. That said, we’ve continually week over week seen incremental improvements going from negative 75% to now above 50%.
We see markets like Toronto back to 80% of where we were before. As countries get better and as states get better at living with the conditions we have because of the virus I see continued improvement. Driver earnings per hour are higher today than they were pre-pandemic. We are looking right now for more drivers.
Regulation Has Been Part Of Our History From Day One
Regulation has been a part of our history from day one. We are as much in the transportation business as we are in the technology business and transportation historically has been a regulated industry. Within our first year of operation, we worked with California regulators to create a new category for regulation.
It’s been part of our business and will always be part of our business. It’s part of how we think about the path to profitability but we are just moving forward on that path despite anything that is going to change around us in terms of regulation.
Largest Bike-Share Program In North America
We also have a diversified set of transportation that we offer. We have the largest bike-share program in North America with City Bikes in New York City and Bay Wheels in the Bay and Divvy in Chicago. Our bike systems are in many cases above where they were pre-COVID. They are a great way to get around and get some fresh air and not be next to someone else.
Lyft Co-Founder John Zimmer Says Rides Are Still Down 50%
Landry’s CEO Tilman Fertitta said on CNBC that at only 25% maximum capacity New York restaurants are going to go out of business:
New York Restaurants Are Not Going To Last
Restaurants are not going to last at these kinds of numbers. Anybody who has a restaurant in New York that is full-service casual dining at 25% is going to go out of business. It’s really a shame. People have taken years and years and years to build these restaurants up. I have a huge company with restaurants in 40 states. I have casinos that are doing well. But if you are a New York restaurateur you’re in for a long haul right now.
I will say it again. I don’t think that the government officials realize it because they get their paycheck every single week. They don’t realize that these cooks, these waiters, these hostesses, and then the managers at these restaurants, and how difficult it is when you are not getting a paycheck every week. And you don’t get that $600 kick from the government anymore. So you are going to see unemployment stay probably where it is until we get through the winter months and we start to improve things hopefully or the vaccine comes out.
Don’t Punish Me Just Because I’m Big
My whole problem has been I definitely want to take care of the small mom and pop businesses. I think we should also take care of the airlines. But you can’t leave people out like me. I’m a 100% owned family business. Don’t punish me just because I’m big and I provide 60,000 jobs out there. I can’t make a 60,000 payroll if they shut us down again. I don’t want to have to lay my employees off again. There has got to be something that treats everybody. Forget about the ownership.
Why should an employee (not get helped out) because you work for a billionaire and you don’t? Or, a person that isn’t the front person of the company. I know people that have billionaires that really own restaurants and the chef only owns a small percentage but they were all able to take PPP money because they are not at the forefront like I am. I just want to see everybody treated the same. The government definitely needs to come in and help everyone but it should be for all employees of all businesses, especially restaurants and retail. Don’t look at ownership. Make the money go to the employees. Don’t worry about me.
“When are the rest of the countries in the world going to catch up to China?” asks IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond. “When is Hollywood going to feel comfortable releasing their blockbuster movies globally where the rest of the world is like China. In China, people feel safe and in fact, they are safe. They really want to resume their lives. They want to go back to the movies. They want to go back to restaurants. They want to do a lot of things. China in particular, but Asia in general, is ahead of the western world.”
Richard Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, says that China and Asia, in general, are ahead of the rest of the world in feeling safe and resuming their lives including going to the movies:
When Is The Rest Of The World Going To Catch Up To China?
It’s remarkable that cinema capacity is constrained to 75% yet we did 25% better than our best year which was last year. That’s clearly an indication that people feel safe and in fact, they are safe. They really want to resume their lives. They want to go back to the movies. They want to go back to restaurants. They want to do a lot of things. China in particular, but Asia in general, is ahead of the western world. It hasn’t gone as smoothly in a lot of businesses as it’s gone in China but the indications are quite good that they want to get back to normal.
I don’t think that the message in the rest of the world is survival. From the China experience, we know that there’s a pent-up demand for going to the cinema. We know that when people feel safe and healthy they’re going to go. In the United States, on the other hand, that’s the other end of the spectrum, where people just don’t feel comfortable at this point in time. I don’t believe it’s an existential issue.
The lessons of China, not just from the National Day this weekend, you go back a few weeks ago to when the ‘The Eight Hundred’ came out and that did $115 million dollars in its opening weekend. That is in the top 10 Chinese local language movies of all time. The proof points are there. The question is when are the rest of the countries in the world going to catch up to China? When is Hollywood going to feel comfortable releasing their blockbuster movies globally where the rest of the world is like China.
China Is Largest IMAX Market In The World
We’ve done very well in China. We have about 700 plus screens open. We have another 300-ish in backlog. We’ve also signed a few deals this year in China, one with Wanda Cinemas and another one with a number of other operators. There’s great demand in China and as we speak we’re opening new screens there. There’s also a lot of dialogue going on. China is our largest market in the world for IMAX. It’s about 40% of our screens globally even though we’re in 82 countries. As a reference point, in North America, we have 400 screens.
In China, we have 700 screens with several hundred still to go. So the demand is growing there. The Chinese consumer really wants to go to the movies. The Chinese consumer is also brand conscious. They also want something innovative, the next forward-looking thing. It’s a terrifically promising market for us.
Saudi Arabia Is A Rapidly Growing Market
Japan is another market that has gone very well for us in recent years. We have about 30 to 35 theaters open with a backlog opening. In Korea, we just signed a large deal with CGV, the largest cinema operator there. We have 16 open now and we’re opening another eight or ten in Korea. Saudi Arabia is also a rapidly growing market. There was no cinema in Saudi Arabia until about a year ago.
Since it’s opened it’s been very successful. We have 25 theaters slated to open in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, we can’t build them fast enough. Western Europe, also once it starts to feel safe again and cinema gets back to normal, that’s a very good market as well.
Non-IMAX Cinemas Have Short-Term Cash Issues
What happens between now and the vaccine? For IMAX, we have a very strong balance sheet. We have over $315 million in cash and our cash burn is less than $9 million a month. But now that China’s open it’ll be significantly less than that. So for us, we have a long runway and a lot of staying power. For cinemas, in general, they tend to be much more levered than we are so there will be some short-term cash issues.
What they’re going to have to do is just manage their spend rates until there’s a vaccine and Hollywood releases more films so they can come back in a direct way. Most of the major ones have raised capital during the last several months with the financial markets being very amenable. So I suspect a lot of them will make it through it but it’s a matter of cost control and how soon they reopens.
America Didn’t Open Theaters Up As Quickly As China
In China, there is a lot of local content as well as in Japan. IMAX has been in China since around the year 2000. We have lots of relationships with filmmakers and studios in China. We have 10 local language films available between now and the rest of the year. So there’s a lot of content going on there. I think movies got pushed because, in North America, it didn’t open up as quickly as China opened up.
There are a few reasons for that. One is people just don’t feel as good about the virus and they’re leerier about going to out-of-home experiences. It didn’t happen the same way it happened in China. Also in China, they were very intelligent about the way they reopened. They opened about a month before some of the blockbuster movies came out so people got comfortable going to theaters. Then when the movies opened it was just a natural progression.
In the US, because of local regulation, it happened very suddenly and then the movies came out right away. People really weren’t conditioned to go. A lot of people, if you read the polling data, didn’t even know the cinemas were open. In terms of Disney’s Mulan, the results were not as good in China as was expected but I think that probably had more to do with how the movie played rather than any safety concerns.
IMAX CEO: When Is The Rest Of The World Going To Catch Up To China?
“The barriers have broken down now in digital transformation because of people working from home and the need to adopt faster,” says Brenda Harvey, General Manager at IBM Asia Pacific. “We see continued growth of hybrid cloud and of cloud services after the pandemic. It’s touching every element of a company’s business processes from the inside out and the outside in.”
The benefits coming from new personalized services, workflow automation, infusing AI to help drive this more personal experience, are actually driving better business impact. When we think about hybrid cloud which enables you to leverage all of your investments across your infrastructure we’re actually seeing two and a half times value than traditional models. We’re also seeing the benefits from regulatory cloud and capabilities that we’re putting into our platforms. We just announced a financial services cloud and we’ll do the same with insurance and healthcare.
We’ll take the costs out of the regulatory risk and compliance while providing more value from a business perspective. We’ve had a number of relationships across multiple industries including BNP Paribas, MUFG Bank, Adobe, across telecom with Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel, Verizon, and even Schlumberger and Ernst & Young. Companies are seeing the value of these platforms. In fact, in the study, 94% of the respondents said that by 2022 they would have a new business platform model that would continue to power their business.
Barriers To Digital Transformation Have Broken Down
We see continued growth of hybrid cloud and of cloud services after the pandemic. It’s touching every element of a company’s business processes from the inside out and the outside in. The inside out includes HR, finance, risk compliance, procurement, supply chain. Then the outside in, marketing, sales, customer engagement, and customer service. With marketing at marketing events, we saw a 3X response into our Think Digital than previous years because we could have more reach. So now marketing is taking into account a digital transformation of the clients’ needs.
Customer service and engagement are the number one priority of our clients. They are building and investing in the contact center to improve the experience and drive more value. This cloud platform will bring in new capabilities with 5G such as IoT (internet of things), blockchain, and of course quantum capabilities. We’ll see the technology advance while the cultural change is advancing too. The barriers have broken down now in digital transformation because of people working from home and the need to adopt faster.
IBM: Barrier To Digital Transformation Have Broken Down
“We really doubled down on digital,” says Bed Bath & Beyond CEO Mark Tritton. “We weren’t easy and we weren’t convenient. Life’s tough at the moment and you really want to make it simple, easy, and frictionless for customers. The introduction of BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store), curbside, and now same-day to really facilitate ease and frictionless shopping starting with digital or in-store, wherever the customer wants to go.”
Mark Tritton, CEO of Bed Bath & Beyond, after releasing their earnings report discusses how the company is driving success by leveraging digital with frictionless brick and mortar stores:
Doubling Down On Digital
Our (6 million) new customers coming on board are about six years younger which is great news for us as we expand our customer profile. The key to that is our omni-always strategy. We talk about understanding our customer, how they shop today, and this was pre-COVID. Even more important, we know that 80% of our customers pre-shop online and either purchase there or go to store.
We had a really broken paradigm. We had a fantastic digital business that was very large. We did about $1.8 billion last year. We already beat that by this time this year. We’re large, but we are growing. We really doubled down on that digital aspect. But we weren’t easy and we weren’t convenient. Life’s tough at the moment and you really want to make it simple, easy, and frictionless for our customers.
Stores Are Key To Profitability
So we looked at our website and our integration with our stores which is an ability to leverage our store asset and connect those strongly to an omni environment. It’s really worked out. The introduction of BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store), curbside, and now same-day to really facilitate ease and frictionless shopping starting with digital or in-store, wherever the customer wants to go.
We know that if we have a digital side that is BOPIS, curbside, or same-day, our margin is actually equivalent to a store. We are driving behaviour, driving engagement, and driving those three assets. That’s helping to leverage out our gross margin. As we rapidly expand our digital business the stores are a key to this profitability.
YouTube.com has restored iOS picture-in-picture (PiP) functionality after disabling it in September.
iOS provides the ability to watch video in a mini-window while working in other apps. While this feature has been available on iPads for some time, iOS 14 finally brought the feature to iPhones.
As MacRumors reports, Google appears to have restricted the feature to Premium YouTube subscribers in September. While Google appears to have reversed the decision, it only applies to watching YouTube via Safari on iOS 14. The YouTube app does not support PiP, nor has it ever supported it.
MacRumors makes the point that there is no way to know if this reversal is permanent, as Google has not made any announcements either way. In the short term, at least, iOS users will be able to enjoy some video-watching multitasking.
Google has at times been at odds with news publishers over the years, but is now trying to smooth things over to the tune of $1 billion.
Google has long been accused of using its search dominance to strong-arm news publishers into letting it use their content without compensation. Google has claimed news publishers benefit far more than Google does by linking to and using their content. In contrast, both Apple and Facebook pay publishers for their news. Recent regulation, however, has increasingly put the pressure on Google to make adjustments.
In a blog post, CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted Google’s strategy change:
It’s equally important to Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Over the last several years, we’ve taken many steps to support the news industry, from sending 24 billion visits to news websites globally every month, to the Google News Initiative’s $300 million commitment, including emergency funding for local publishers globally to help with the impact of COVID-19 and our Digital Growth Program aimed at small and medium-sized publishers to accelerate their business growth.
But there is more to do. Today I’m proud to announce Google is building on our long-term support with an initial $1 billion investment in partnerships with news publishers and the future of news.
This is a welcome development for publishers and may also help the company answer increasing allegations it is improperly using its search monopoly.
Google made a surprise announcement today, unveiling its take on television: Google TV.
In the blog post announcing the release, Google acknowledged the myriad of options people have to watch TV. From movies, to live TV to streaming and DVR content, the supply of content is virtually limitless. Unfortunately, the plethora of services can make it difficult to find content. In addition, it can be an annoyance switching back and forth between a bunch of different services.
Google is looking to address these issues, with a service that pulls content from a variety of sources and serves as the central hub from which to watch it. The new service will be heavily integrated with Google Assistant, providing the ability to interact via voice.
“The new Google TV experience brings together movies, shows, live TV and more from across your apps and subscriptions and organizes them just for you,” writes Shalini Govilpai, Senior Director, Google TV. “To build this, we studied the different ways people discover media—from searching for a specific title to browsing by genre—and created an experience that helps you find what to watch. We also made improvements to Google’s Knowledge Graph, which is part of how we better understand and organize your media into topics and genres, from movies about space travel to reality shows about cooking. You’ll also see titles that are trending on Google Search, so you can always find something timely and relevant.”
The new Chromecast with Google TV is available for $49.99 and comes with a remote and 4K support. The Google TV app will begin rolling out to Android devices in the US today, and will start showing up on Sony televisions and other Android TV OS-powered devices starting next year.
