Representative image Small Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies that operate at regional levels are struggling in the face of unprecedented inflation across categories. Several of these companies have witnessed a slump in sales, according to data from Kantar, the data analytics and brand consulting firm, despite the overall categories posting growth. For instance, Ponvandu and Oorvashi, noted South Indian detergent bar brands, lost 17 percent and 8 percent of their sales by volume, respectively, in February, March and April compared to the same period last year, shows data from Kantar. The overall detergent bar category, however, grew 2.3 percent in the period, according to Kantar. Other local brands are in a similar situation. (As shown below) Close Small brands ideally are expected to gain out of inflation, which typically prompts consumer to switch to smaller and cheaper versions when confronted with price hikes in products of daily use. The … [Read more...] about Small FMCG companies struggle despite consumers switching to cheaper products
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Macron Caught Breaking Some Bad News To Biden On G7 Sidelines
French President Emmanuel Macron was overheard at the G7 summit in Germany Monday afternoon telling President Joe Biden that neither the United Arab Emirates nor Saudi Arabia have much room to increase oil production capacity, according to Reuters. Macron’s comment comes as a major focus of the ongoing summit is to find ways to ease the energy strain on Europe resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both men would like to find ways to replace the roughly two million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and additional two million bpd of refined products that Europe had been importing from Russia that is now subject to sanctions, Reuters reported. Biden has been trying to get the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to increase oil supply for months, and plans to visit Saudi Arabia in July at least in part to force the issue. But, according to energy trader and market analyst Rebecca Babin, “Saudi Arabia and the UAE are bumping up against their … [Read more...] about Macron Caught Breaking Some Bad News To Biden On G7 Sidelines
Why Finland Is So Happy (and the U.S. Is So Depressed)
For the past two years, the United Nations has ranked Finland as the world's happiest country. The U.S. has never scored in the top 10 since the index was launched in 2011, and in 2019 it plummeted to 19th. While Finland seems perennially chirpy, the U.S. is seeing growing rates of depression, drug addiction, and suicide . Here are six reasons that residents of Finland (7.1 percent of whom are immigrants, BTW) are so happy when compared with their American counterparts: 1. Finns pay higher taxes but see more results. According to the conservative think tank the Brookings Institute, Finland collects 44 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in taxes versus the 26 percent of GDP that the U.S. collected in 2015. (For comparison, Denmark collects 46 percent and Mexico 17 percent.) So taxes are relatively high in Finland, which you'd think would tend to reduce overall happiness. However, higher taxes don't seem to bother the Finns, for two reasons: … [Read more...] about Why Finland Is So Happy (and the U.S. Is So Depressed)
This Leadership Trait Goes A Long Way
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Being an appreciative leader is not about giving compliments, gift cards or trophies. It’s not about recognition, rewards, kudos or “atta boys.” While these are certainly actions that can boost morale and egos, they are superficial. They’re the easy way out. Being an appreciative leader requires an uncommon kind of thoughtfulness. It requires entering another’s world, experiencing it and then letting that person know what you’ve seen. It’s about sharing the difference that a person’s unique contribution has had on you. Appreciation has a measurable impact on health and well-being Appreciation is not just warm and fuzzy; it has measurable health benefits, including reducing stress and rewiring the brain. When you express appreciation and receive the same, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for your emotions. They enhance your mood immediately, making you happy from … [Read more...] about This Leadership Trait Goes A Long Way
Color Differences Between The Sexes Driven By Simple Molecular Mechanisms
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Males and females of many bird species can look very different despite having nearly identical genes — how do they do this? Sexual dimorphism — physical differences between the sexes of the same species — is a widespread and fascinating, yet mysterious, natural phenomenon. It even captivated Charles Darwin and inspired him to propose the concept of sexual selection more than 150 years ago in his seminal work, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection , and to extensively elaborate on it in his definitive work, The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex , published in 1871. Yet despite Darwin’s early interest in this phenomenon, we still have much to learn about how sexual dimorphism arises from nearly identical genomes. One of the most conspicuous forms of sexual dimorphism are the different colors or color patterns shown by males and females within a species, a trait known as sexual … [Read more...] about Color Differences Between The Sexes Driven By Simple Molecular Mechanisms
US manufacturing shows resilience despite rising interest rates
- A + A WASHINGTON (June 27): New orders for US-made capital goods and shipments increased solidly in May, pointing to sustained strength in business spending on equipment in the second quarter, but rising interest rates and tighter financial conditions could slow momentum. The nearly broad rise in orders reported by the Commerce Department on Monday occurred despite deteriorating business and consumer sentiment, as well as heightened fears of a recession. The gains partly reflected higher prices. The Federal Reserve is aggressively tightening monetary policy to quell inflation. "There's some inflation behind the increase in orders, but, nevertheless, there are a lot of dollars flowing through the economy right now," said Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at FWDBONDS in New York. "Businesses would not order new equipment if they thought consumers and other companies were looking to pull back their purchases." Orders for non-defense capital goods excluding … [Read more...] about US manufacturing shows resilience despite rising interest rates
Yes, PPE can be reusable. AmorSui is making sure of it
Beau Wangtrakuldee, Ph.D., is a scientist, entrepreneur, and founder of AmorSui, a modern protective apparel company redesigning personal protective equipment (PPE) to empower women with greater function and protection in lab and medical settings. She spoke to Doreen Lorenzo for Designing Women, a series of interviews with brilliant women in the design industry. advertisement advertisement Doreen Lorenzo: Have you always had an interest in design? Beau Wangtrakuldee: The way I think about it, science and design are really closely related. You design to solve a problem. You conduct a science experiment to solve a problem. I’m a former Ph.D. scientist, so I’d work in the lab on drug discovery, antibacterial drugs, and material science. It’s all about problem-solving, creating something that can actually resolve an issue or a challenge. What inspired you to launch AmorSui? advertisement One day when I was conducting an … [Read more...] about Yes, PPE can be reusable. AmorSui is making sure of it
Remote work shouldn’t be the antithesis of in-person work. Here’s how to do the format correctly
The pandemic’s shift to remote work could have long-lasting positive implications—if we get it right. advertisement advertisement We can already feel that we’re in a period of change, even if we can’t quite analyze it with the benefit of historic context yet. As Brian Chesky recognized in AirBnB’s going fully remote: “You can’t fight the future, we can’t try to hold on to 2019 any more than 1950. We have to move forward.” During the pandemic, the US went from only a 6% remote workforce to 22% . That is an astounding increase in a dramatically short time frame. The most remarkable byproduct of this transition is just how much employees came to embrace this new format for work. In a continuous year-long survey of US workers published by the Chicago Booth Review , 60% said working from home was better, substantially better, or hugely better than they expected; 26% said about the same; and under 15% said worse. Now that remote work is becoming … [Read more...] about Remote work shouldn’t be the antithesis of in-person work. Here’s how to do the format correctly
Cyber Threats Beyond Earth: Securing In-Space Manufacturing
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Our global society is heavily dependent on space-based technologies. Most of us are aware that space positioning, weather and communications systems are critical to our transportation activities. I’m writing this article on a plane that is using GPS to route my flight safely around severe weather patterns that have been identified by satellites. If I finish this article inflight, I’ll upload it for publication at Forbes via a geosynchronous communications satellite. Still, many people would be surprised to learn that modern factories also depend on satellites . Manufacturing automation systems synchronize the operations of multiple robots on their production lines using the timing signals provided by GPS satellites . In fact, GPS is really a collection of 24 (plus spares) orbiting atomic clocks, each continually broadcasting time data. Your Uber is guided by tiny differences in the time signal emanating from four or more … [Read more...] about Cyber Threats Beyond Earth: Securing In-Space Manufacturing
1/OFF Paris: 400% Growth For The Upcycled Fashion Brand Taking Sustainability To Luxury’s Eco-Apathetic
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin One of the biggest challenges for any purpose-led brand pursuing game-changer status isn’t breeding a fanbase who ‘get it’ but selling a vital new narrative to the hardcore apathetic. For fashion, mired in climate crisis and battling the clock to cultivate a circular economy, retuning fans’ mindsets (America throws away and 2150 pieces of clothing every second and even people with positive eco intentions are loathe to sacrifice what they perceive as an identify-defining hobby ) is now mission imperative. Dutch fashion brand 1/OFF Paris, whose couturiers splice together or respectfully reinterpret iconic vintage garments to create ultra-covetable new pieces (think: a Levi’s denim jacket with Chanel’s quintessential ladies-who-lunch tweed; double layered jeans; or two oversized classic men’s blazers tailored into a freshly feminized silhouette) is doing just that. Selling to an audience including legions of the … [Read more...] about 1/OFF Paris: 400% Growth For The Upcycled Fashion Brand Taking Sustainability To Luxury’s Eco-Apathetic