Industry News

NACSOnline Jul 19, 2012 Ikea has introduced a private-label beer at its U.K. stores — no assembly required. NEW YORK – Ikea recently launched a private-label beer at some of its stores in England, Geekosystem.com reports. ÖL Mörk Lager, emblazoned with the Ikea logo, is available for sale in stores only. The dark lager contains 4.7% alcohol and is sure to make those long nights fumbling with allen wrenches as one assembles bookcases and a stand for a flat-panel TV more palatable (if slightly more challenging). The beer has received somewhat favorable reviews: beer review site Untapped gave it an average rating of 3.46 rating out of five, based on 11 reviews.

Tim Colebatch July 20, 2012 The Age THE international legal campaign against Australia’s controversial plain cigarette packaging laws is spreading, with a third country joining in a formal challenge at the World Trade Organisation. The WTO announced overnight that the Dominican Republic, a leading cigar exporter, had joined Honduras and Ukraine in claiming that the plain packaging legislation breached Australia’s commitments under global trade rules. The case is shaping up to become the biggest trade dispute Australia has ever faced as a defendant. And while anti-smoking campaigners see it as driven by the big tobacco companies – Ukraine has not exported tobacco to Australia for years – it has the potential to overturn the anti-smoking law. The WTO was set up to spread free trade, and defendants rarely win cases before its disputes panels. In recent times WTO panels have ordered Australia to end export subsidies (the Howe Leather case),…

Jul 18, 2012 CSNews ROCKVILLE, Md. — The prepaid card industry has a bright future, according to usage trends and debit-driven regulatory change, according to “Prepaid and Gift Cards in the U.S.,” a new report from Packaged Facts. The report estimates that prepaid card payment volume will rise 22.4 percent to $247.5 billion this year, up from $202.2 billion in 2011, on the strength of almost 10 billion transactions. Yet continued growth depends on how the financial industry responds to certain challenges, such as approaching consumers’ dissatisfaction and distrust of banks, and striking a balance between checking account profits and migration to prepaid programs. Consumers dissatisfied with their consumer banking experience are natural targets for emerging prepaid programs, according to David Sprinkle, publisher of Packaged Facts. If a particular prepaid card product functions like a checking account but without the fees, disgruntled customers may be open to trying it. The…

Jul 18, 2012 CSNews INTERNATIONAL REPORT — 7-Eleven is the place to go for Slurpees and Big Gulp drinks. But at many of the chain’s convenience stores overseas, it’s also a good place to go when you have a craving for mashed potatoes and gravy, according to media reports. A unique mashed potatoes-dispensing machine manufactured by food and condiments company Maggi has drawn considerable attention recently from those not used to seeing the comfort food available at a convenience store – from a dispenser, no less. The machine mixes instant mashed potato powder with water and dispenses it into a disposable tub, then tops the potatoes with gravy. The whole thing costs only a dollar or two. While it might be a bizarre sight for U.S. consumers, the dispenser is reportedly a common feature at 7-Eleven stores in Europe and Asia, especially in Singapore. A 7-Eleven representative declined to provide…

July 18, 2012 The Age In honour of renowned author Stephen Covey, who died this week at age 79, we’ve decided to succinctly break down the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People from his all-time best-selling book, which sold 20 million copies. Here’s the short version, but we recommend you buy his book: 1) Be Proactive As human beings, we are responsible for our own lives. We have the independent will to make our own choices and decisions, and the responsibility (“the ability to respond”) to make the right choices. You have the freedom to choose your own fate and path, so having the independent will, imagination and self-awareness to make the right move makes you a proactive, and not a reactive, person. 2) Begin With The End In Mind Mental visualization is extremely important. Covey says that all things are created twice: first, the mental conceptualization and visualization and…