Filled Under: Shops
Customer-Centric Development: It’s Now Or Never For IT Shops
In the last six months, my client inquiries about mobile development have become increasingly frequent but predictable. IT leaders schedule time to discuss mobile development technologies, and come in prepared to talk about the merits of HTML 5 or native device development. The first thing I do is take them back to square one: Whos the customer they want to serve? Choosing the right mobile development technology is ultimately a function of understanding the customer, their usage patterns, what devices they carry, and when they want to use them.
These IT leaders are lucky in one respect, though — at least theyre engaged in the conversation about the new generation of customer-centric apps that their business peers want. I also speak with chief marketing officers who have given up on their IT shops. Its bad enough that their IT shop doesnt have the skills to build iPhone and Android apps, but the larger problem is that IT leaders and the development team dont share the CMOs sense of urgency to get close to the customer.
Whittall’s buys 37 Oddbins shops
The administrator of Oddbins, the collapsed off-licence chain, has sold 37 stores to the group behind Whittalls Wine Merchants. Deloitte also said it was confident of an imminent deal to sell the remaining 48 Oddbins stores that remain open. The deal secures around 200 jobs.
Oddbins fell into administration after HM Revenue and Customs voted against a controversial insolvency procedure to restructure its debts and ditch under-performing shops.
The off-licences have been sold to European Food Brokers, which trades as Whittalls Wine Merchants. The company is a large independently owned wine retailer. Oddbins owed #163;8m to HMRC, which accounted for one-third of the chains debt. First Quench, the owner of the Threshers off-licence chain, collapsed in 2009.
Eldon Davis dies at 94; architect designed ‘Googie’ coffee shops
Eldon Davis dies at 94; architect designed Googie coffee shops
Davis incorporated aerodynamic designs into his whimsical midcentury coffee shops, including the original Norms on La Cienega Boulevard in LA and Panns in Westchester, to attract passing motorists.
Downtown Shops Targets of Robbery; Suspect Arrested
Timothy D. Holloway, 31, of Ashland, Ky., was arrested in connection with the robberies. He faces two charges of robbery and was taken to the Western Regional Jail.
Robbed were Mug and Pia, located across from Pullman Square, and Latta’s near the intersection of 4th Avenue and 15th Street.
Merchants told WSAZ.com that technology, including texting and social websites like Facebook, helped them quickly spread the word.
UPDATE 4/26/11 @ 8:30 pm
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) — A man was arrested Tuesday evening in connection with two robberies that happened earlier Tuesday in downtown Huntington near Pullman Square.
Timothy D. Holloway, 31, of Ashland, Ky., was arrested in the 900 block of 10th Street in Huntington, according to a Huntington Police Department news release. He will be charged with two counts of robbery.
It still is not known how much money was taken in the two robberies, which occurred at Mug and Pia along 3rd Avenue and Lattas near the intersection of 4th Avenue and 15th Street.
ORIGINAL STORY
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) — Two shops across from Pullman Square were targets of robbery.
Mug and Pia was hit about 4 p.m Tuesday.
The robber then tried to rob Lattas Toy Station next to Mug and Pia but was not successful.
Another robbery at the Lattas store along 15th Street happened about 1 pm Tuesday.
According to police, the robber is said to be a white male 250 to 300 pounds, wearing a dark T-shirt, white ball cap and possibly had tattoos on his arms.
He escaped in a 2002 green/gold Ford Taurus.
No information was released about how much money the man may have gotten away with during the robberies.
Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.
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Plastic bags out at San Diego SeaWorld gift shops
(04-26) 10:06 PDT San Diego, CA (AP) –
SeaWorld says it will stop using plastic bags at its San Diego theme parks gift shops on June 18 to cut plastic pollution in the ocean.
Company officials told the San Diego Union Tribune they hope to save a million plastic bags from being used. Customers will be offered paper and reusable sacks instead.
The ban on plastic bags coincides with the opening of the parks Turtle Reef attraction, which focuses on ecology. Officials say plastic bags can be a major problem for some types of sea turtles that mistake them for jellyfish.
There will even be side-by-side tanks showing what a turtle sees, with plastic sacks in one and jellyfish in the other.
___
Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, www.signonsandiego.com
Adjustors, repair shops face flood of vehicles after hailstorm
Victims of Thursdays storm that pelted hundreds of cars in the West Ashley area with pea- and golf ball-size hail are starting to show up in auto shops seeking repairs. And its causing a backlog as insurance adjusters and dent specialists try to keep up with hundreds of drivers seeking quick fixes.
If it wasnt under a tree or covered, they had some damage, said Todd Casteel, repair adjuster for Geico on Savannah Highway, describing the fleet of exposed vehicles pounded in neighborhoods and parking lots by last weeks fast-moving storms.
Ive got some people bringing in two or three cars, Casteel added.
By some estimates, the storm doubled the workload for adjusters to that of previous weeks. Cars began coming in Monday pockmarked with new collections of hail dents, some showing signs of 50 or more pounding hits.
The worst Ive seen is one that had so many dings, we have to replace the hood, said Quartreal Smith, manager of the Maaco shop on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard.
But just because claims were filed doesnt mean the repairs will be done quickly. Around Charleston, there is a shortage of qualified auto dent repair specialists, partly because hail storms here are so rare.
In fact, many of the dent workers now descending on South Carolina are contract workers who make their living traveling the country, following the paths of storms. They sign on to work at local repair shops when and where their skills are needed.
One of those nomads is Serghei Adam of Chicago, who was working Tuesday at the Fender Mender on Savannah Highway. In the past few weeks, hes been in North Carolina, Kansas and Missouri, repairing storm-damaged vehicles and carting an array of tools and instruments with him.
We have groups in each state, almost everywhere, he said, while gingerly smoothing out the damaged hood of a familys minivan, all the while examining the contours of the hoods surface like a pro golfer eyeing a putting green.
Many of those who have moved into South Carolina are reported to be in the Pee Dee region, where Sumter, Florence and Myrtle Beach-area residents also were pelted by hail recently.
They are just like hurricane guys, they follow the storms, said Jim Gabrish, manager of Fender Mender, who added that dent repair work is extremely time-consuming, with jobs sometimes measured in terms of days needed to fix all the dings.
While repairing dents may be the preferred method of fixing damage, the cost for other options can run much higher. Replacing a car roof can be especially expensive, with one shop operator estimating the job he saw running more than $6,000.
Some drivers with minimal damage may want to try to attempt fixes on their own. Over-the-counter kits are available from automobile parts stores, but some professionals say they are something to shy away from.
Its just a lot of glue and a suction cup, said Kevin Gross, a body technician in from Columbia. I dont see that working out.
Another Charleston area adjuster suggested that the daily afternoon heat will prompt a few hail dents to pop back out, but not all of them.
One victim of the hail damage who was getting a repair estimate Tuesday was Chris Geffert of West Ashley, who said his wife was driving their Infinity EX 35 in West Ashley on Thursday when the vehicle was pounded by hail, trapping her inside. When the storm ended, Geffert said he chalked it up to another of lifes inconveniences.
Youre safe. Its only a vehicle. Thats why you have insurance, he said.
Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551.
Google lets workers tinker in high-tech workshops
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Amid all the free food and other goodies that come with a job at Google, theres one benefit a lot of employees dont even know about: a cluster of high-tech workshops that have become a tinkerers paradise.
Workers escape from their computer screens and office chairs to weld, drill and saw on expensive machinery they wont find at Home Depot.
Besides building contraptions with a clear business purpose, Google employees use the shops for fun: They create elaborate holiday decorations, build cabinets for their homes and sometimes dream big like the engineers working on a pedal-powered airplane with a 100-foot wingspan.
Cigarette-making shops start drawing attention
RACINE COUNTY – Some states are looking at
make-your-own-cigarettes shops and smelling something foul.
The Wall Street Journal reported that New Hampshire sued several
retailers, contending they act as cigarette manufacturers and
should pay applicable fees.
Michigan recently warned shops there that using the machines
constitutes manufacturing; it said they must obtain a manufacturer
license and meet other requirements or face criminal and civil
penalties. Michigan also said retailers could not sell cigarettes
without a tax stamp or face penalties.
Wisconsin Department of Justice spokesman Bill Cosh said Friday,
The Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Department of Revenue
are aware of these machines and are examining the relevant legal
issues.
State Department of Revenue spokeswoman Stephanie Marquis said
the shops, if they are following the law, do pay their full share
of state and federal taxes.
There is a concern, she said, but we need more information:
Are they a manufacturer or a retailer? A manufacturer would have
more scrutiny and laws to follow, Marquis said, including one that
requires cigarettes have fire-retardant bands that many smokers
dislike.
Nick Patel, co-owner of Save On Cigarettes, 5201 Washington
Ave., acknowledged there are some questions about the matter but
said, Were currently on the legal side of it.
Adjustors, repair shops face flood of vehicles after hailstorm
Victims of Thursdays storm that pelted hundreds of cars in the West Ashley area with pea- and golf ball-size hail are starting to show up in auto shops seeking repairs. And its causing a backlog as insurance adjusters and dent specialists try to keep up with hundreds of drivers seeking quick fixes.
If it wasnt under a tree or covered, they had some damage, said Todd Casteel, repair adjuster for Geico on Savannah Highway, describing the fleet of exposed vehicles pounded in neighborhoods and parking lots by last weeks fast-moving storms.
Ive got some people bringing in two or three cars, Casteel added.
By some estimates, the storm doubled the workload for adjusters to that of previous weeks. Cars began coming in Monday pockmarked with new collections of hail dents, some showing signs of 50 or more pounding hits.
The worst Ive seen is one that had so many dings, we have to replace the hood, said Quartreal Smith, manager of the Maaco shop on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard.
But just because claims were filed doesnt mean the repairs will be done quickly. Around Charleston, there is a shortage of qualified auto dent repair specialists, partly because hail storms here are so rare.
In fact, many of the dent workers now descending on South Carolina are contract workers who make their living traveling the country, following the paths of storms. They sign on to work at local repair shops when and where their skills are needed.
One of those nomads is Serghei Adam of Chicago, who was working Tuesday at the Fender Mender on Savannah Highway. In the past few weeks, hes been in North Carolina, Kansas and Missouri, repairing storm-damaged vehicles and carting an array of tools and instruments with him.
We have groups in each state, almost everywhere, he said, while gingerly smoothing out the damaged hood of a familys minivan, all the while examining the contours of the hoods surface like a pro golfer eyeing a putting green.
Many of those who have moved into South Carolina are reported to be in the Pee Dee region, where Sumter, Florence and Myrtle Beach-area residents also were pelted by hail recently.
They are just like hurricane guys, they follow the storms, said Jim Gabrish, manager of Fender Mender, who added that dent repair work is extremely time-consuming, with jobs sometimes measured in terms of days needed to fix all the dings.
While repairing dents may be the preferred method of fixing damage, the cost for other options can run much higher. Replacing a car roof can be especially expensive, with one shop operator estimating the job he saw running more than $6,000.
Some drivers with minimal damage may want to try to attempt fixes on their own. Over-the-counter kits are available from automobile parts stores, but some professionals say they are something to shy away from.
Its just a lot of glue and a suction cup, said Kevin Gross, a body technician in from Columbia. I dont see that working out.
Another Charleston area adjuster suggested that the daily afternoon heat will prompt a few hail dents to pop back out, but not all of them.
One victim of the hail damage who was getting a repair estimate Tuesday was Chris Geffert of West Ashley, who said his wife was driving their Infinity EX 35 in West Ashley on Thursday when the vehicle was pounded by hail, trapping her inside. When the storm ended, Geffert said he chalked it up to another of lifes inconveniences.
Youre safe. Its only a vehicle. Thats why you have insurance, he said.
Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551.
Norfolk Southern Roanoke Locomotive Shops Log 1 Million Injury-Free Employee-Hours
ROANOKE, Va., April 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Norfolk Southerns (NYSE: NSC) Roanoke Locomotive Shops achieved 1 million injury-free employee-hours in March. The facility near downtown Roanoke, which employs about 200 people in the heavy maintenance and overhaul of the railroads locomotive fleet, reached the milestone March 12 after 3-1/2 years without an injury.
Chuck Sloan, shop manager, attributed the achievement to TEAMWORK in all capital letters. Its a cooperative effort between labor and management that focuses on safety, operating performance, and customer service. We have strong, proactive safety committees to support these efforts. The dedication, commitment, and teamwork of everyone in the shop made this possible.
This is the first time the Roanoke Locomotive Shops achieved the million-employee-hour mark. The facility, where employees log more than 900 employee-hours a day in activities that include operating heavy machinery, had not had a reportable injury since Oct. 9, 2007.
For 21 years in a row, Norfolk Southern has won the E. H. Harriman gold medal award for employee safety for achieving the rail industrys lowest employee personal injury ratio. Norfolk Southern has won the award every year since 1989. (The awards for 2010 have not yet been announced.) The Harriman awards are presented annually for outstanding performance in railroad safety to the US railroads whose employees have the lowest number of injuries for every 200,000 employee-hours worked.
Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nations premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.
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