Plumber Meets With Chancellor To Talk About Trade Growth

Posted on 2015-02-21 by nelliersmith

A local plumber from Newtownabbey along with other tradesmen was recently invited by Chancellor George Osborne to talk about the business growth for various tradesmen.

Raymond McKnight was just an average plumber who operates as Hill View Heating when he won Screwfix’s annual search for Britain’s Top Tradesman. The search would eventually earn him and 9 other finalists the chance to talk to Chancellor George and give their views regarding business growth.

McKnight and the other finalists did not only discuss the business growth for tradesmen but they also shared their thoughts on how the government could help keep the business alive for tradesmen and other professionals.

He commented that it was truly an honor to have met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and talked about their thoughts on how small businesses could remain booming and successful this 2015. He also said that 2014 had been a busy year for his business and that it was probably the same with many others.

Raymond McKnight believes that although there are already initiatives that are set in motion, there could still be more ways for the government to help. He also acknowledged how the government’s initiative had helped him and other businesses in the past years.

Chancellor George said that it was a great experience for him to have welcomed the finalists of the competition done by Screwfix to Downing Street. He also said that the small businesses are the lifeblood of the economy and that the positive discussions were a testament to prove that the long-term economic work plan is working.

The chancellor further commented that it is the very reason why they are reducing the business rates that have burdened many businessmen so that they could have improved access to finance.

“We can always do more.” Chancellor George acknowledged.

Andrew Livingston, CEO of Srewfix, said that they are constantly communicating with various tradesmen and that it is nice to see their business performing successfully. He said that many of their customers are a lot busier than they had ever been and that it is important that the government to think of new ways to help small businesses maintain their success.

The Increasing Demand Of Construction Jobs In UK

Posted on 2015-02-16 by nelliersmith

The ministers in United Kingdom happily announced the surge of construction jobs in the country. This will include skilled workers particularly carpenters, painter and decorator, plumber and many more. The report showed that more than 200,000 jobs will be created in over 5 years. This is good news for the growing number of population engaged in construction related services.

Recent data gathered from the Construction Industry Training Board shows that as much as 224,000 positions will be needed in the building construction sector between this year until 2019.

The demand for construction jobs will continue to escalate every year factoring in the construction of different housing developments across the country and building of elaborate infrastructures. Skilled workers are on demand and it is said that at least 44,000 roles need to be filled up every year. The number could still sky-rocket though.

Support from the government

The Employment Minister was very much elated to relay the news to the public and has encouraged skilled workers to continue on doing their job excellently. Over the past few months, the increase of the demand has brought a positive impact to the country’s economy. Esther McVey also added that it is part of the government’s long term plan to secure regular wages and jobs for the dominating skilled worker force.

Economic growth

Analysts have predicted that Wales will grow its economy rapidly, however, with the positive news of boom in construction jobs, it is now expected that the rest of United Kingdom will share in the economic growth. Other regions will also perform strongly with a foreseen growth annually.

North West England is reported to employ at least 288,000 skilled workers by 2019. This is their strongest performance in the sector since 2009. The regions in Humber and Yorkshire are also expected to perform strongly in the coming years. The construction jobs in the said regions will likely total to at least 200,000 by 2019. Greater London is likewise predicted to grow its employment in the construction industry at an average of 2.4% annually. On the other hand, Scotland would not grow as much as other parts of the United Kingdom. It is predicted to grow only at an average annual rate of 2.9%.

Flybe Is Currently Experiencing Setback

Posted on 2015-02-15 by nelliersmith

Flybe, a regional airline, is reported to be currently suffering from setback. The airline which has flights to and from Southampton has warned that its results regarding its full-year operation is expected to be weaker than anticipated.

Shares in the firm which is based in Exeter has lowered by a fifth after revealing that its revenue is down by 3.8 percent. The revenue is down to £126.8 million during the last quarter of 2014. Flybe also revealed that it won’t be making any profit for the first quarter of the financial year 2015.

The airline has previously revealed a turnaround plan that will last for a span of three years and it is just on its first year. The plan includes cutting over a thousand jobs and taking on routes that are found to be unprofitable. This plan was developed after the airline experiences a lower number of passengers during the financial crisis. Flybe is considered to be the largest regional airline in Europe that flies 67 planes around 14 countries with 199 routes.

The seat capacity was also reduced by 6.1 percent in 2014’s third quarter while keeping the fares low thereby resulting in a 5.2 percent passenger yield reduction. Despite a City analysts forecast of around £9 million in profit before taxes, the company declared that it will break-even this 2015 thereby resulting in the company shares reducing to almost 22 percent.

The routes in London City Airport begun in October last year and has not reach maturity according to an analyst. Its books will also contain unwanted aircraft for a longer time. From £8.8 million, the broker cut down the tax before profit to a forecast of £100,000.

Flybe revealed that the company will not be experiencing any positive effect from the fall in the price of oil due to its policies for long term hedging which will not be in effect until the financial year 2016 or 2017.

The first three quarter of 2015, the airline is expecting a rise in the seat capacity of about 14 percent thought the revenue in every seat will lower by around 3 percent. This summer, Flybe is adding 20 additional routes. Nine of which are from Bournemouth, its new base while three are domestic routes coming from London Stansted.

A service called hop-on, hop-off was also introduced last October which links Leeds Bradford, Aberdeen, Jersey and Southampton.

A Program Helps Businesses Clean Their Storm Drain For Less

Posted on 2015-01-13 by nelliersmith

Last October, more than 100 businesses have participated in the mass storm drain cleaning. Namely four cities from Oregon – Gresham, Wood Village, Troutdale and Fairview – organized a program for businesses to avail a storm drain cleaning at a lesser cost. This was spearheaded by SCAP or the Storm Drain Cleaning Assistance program and started last October before the heavy rainy season. The organizing cities hired a private contractor to perform the storm drain cleaning. The participants only paid a fixed fee of $44 per drain which is a big difference from the usual charge, $130 or more.

The program was a big help especially for businesses who only have one or two drains to be cleaned. The savings is a big help especially for small businesses.

A storm drain or catch basin is common to every business’s parking lot. It looks like a metal grate and needs to be cleaned periodically to avoid flooding. Flooding is not very ideal for business since customers might have a hard time navigating through a flooded parking lot and may also cause accidents. The property owner is the one responsible for maintaining the storm drain, making sure that no dirt and debris are stuck inside that may carry pollution and contaminate the storm water system. It also helps in maintaining the water quality of the streams.

The $44 fee for the private contractor only covered the basic cleaning of the drains. Any additional maintenance work and repair was charged separately. The property owners were also given the option to take no action after the cleaning last October but required to fix the problem immediately. Storm drain cleaning is also another way to detect any problems in the drain system and be resolved before the heavy rains.

This storm drain cleaning program was only for storm drain privately owned by businesses since the cities are responsible for drains that are on public streets. Drains on public streets, on the other hand, are cleaned by the city’s public works department to ensure no flooding and road accidents. They also aim on keeping the water quality of streams and ground water.

Ever since 2003, Gresham has been offering this storm drain cleaning program to help businesses and a few years ago they included three other cities in the program. This type of program should be imitated by cities all over the world.

Consumer Electronic: The Best In Tech

Posted on 2015-01-12 by nelliersmith

Technology has become indispensable in everyday living. Wherever you go, you cannot do away with technology. Even in hotels, keys are now outdated. Magnetic cards are being used. These cards are used to open your room, or turn on the light in your room.

Consumer Electronic Show

The annual CES or Consumer Electronics Show took place in Las Vegas this week. The giants in the world of technology participated in this gathering. Showcased in this show are televisions, cars, washing machines, mobile phones, wearable gadgets, audio effects and many more. Thousands of people from all walks of life strut from one lane to another carefully scrutinizing the unique gadget right before their eyes.

Televisions, Gadgets and automobiles

For the television category, unlike previous years wherein the televisions presented where somewhat identical which bored the onlooker, this year was different. There was a wide array of television you could choose from with distinguished specs and unique features. One head turner was the Panasonic 65 inch Organic LED (OLED). It had excellent color contrast, right vibrancy of colors and had intense responsiveness. Motion blur is a thing of the past with this television. Images are sharp. There were also Samsung’s S UHD models, LG’s stunning television and Sony’s Android television.

The Consumer Electronics Show also presented trendy mobile phones. Although CES is not a mobile phone show, one cannot do away with the presence of cellular phones as the market for this is ever increasing. Samsung, LG and HTC were some of the brands that were present. The G Flex 2 of LG was quite remarkable. It had a curved screen and its features were awesome.

During the CES trade show, cars were everywhere. There were visually appealing cars, tempting you to take a seat on the driverless car. There were electric mobiles with interesting applications. Not only cars were present but other transport vehicles like the bicycles, scooter and motorcycles.

Babandoo.com

You have a wide array of gadgets and technology to choose from. How would you know what to purchase? Which is the better product? Try visiting Babandoo.com. It will tell you more of the products that you want. There are honest, professional reviews in Babandoo.

LikeThatDecorApp – A Unique Way Of Looking For Design Ideas

Posted on 2015-01-11 by nelliersmith

Game apps are very popular with web users but have you ever heard about décor apps that will provide you design ideas as well as an opportunity to connect with some of the world’s greatest interior designers? Superfish which is one of the pioneers in visual search technology has introduced Designer’s Corner that provides shoppers with LikeThatDecor app for decorating ideas that have been assembled by the world’s rock stars in interior decorating.

How does the LikeThatDecor app help shoppers? Consumers gain a unique type of access to famous designers. Shoppers can easily choose from thousands of photographs of items they can use for home design. Shoppers gain a different experience from the unique way of choosing decor from the suggestions of experts in design. Pictures tend to inspire shoppers who are able to buy whatever catches their attention. Designer’s Corner which is a part of the free app can be downloaded from Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

When you find an interesting piece of décor, LikeThatDecor app will help you research about the certain piece of fixture or furniture that can be perfect for your home. Sometimes, when you simply take pictures of items you like, you frequently forget where you have found the items. Through the app developed by Superfish, you can easily find the source as well as lots of related items that will complete the home design you desire.

LikeThatDecor app is the digital solution for homeowners who want to create a unique look for their homes through painters/interior decorators. With the app, choices are not limited to local stores but global online shops that provide different bold and tailored designs. Apps make it easy to create an authentic and beautiful interior by simply using photographs. Not only do the apps save you a lot of time, it minimizes the effort of travelling to different stores to choose among their offerings.

Superfish have patented technology in the way images are searched, seen, utilized and shared. The LikeThatDecor app is shared by millions all over the world who want to buy what they see. The app is similar to Pinterest that inspires a lot of people through the images posted in the site.

An Awesome Luxury Shell Toilet Found By Jason Godfrey

Posted on 2015-01-10 by nelliersmith

Everyone who has experienced using a public restroom at a gas station knows how awful and horrible these places can be. Public restrooms looks like someone has gone berserk in releasing his artistic creativity by drawing all sorts of graffiti on the walls and doors. Unimaginable curse words are highlighted with different numbers if you want to try escort service.

The floors of public restrooms stink and you would hardly believe that these facilities were built for humans. Do these people have a hatred for janitors or were they extremely drunk? Public restrooms are the worst places to relive yourself and even if you are not fussy, you would rather use the open wilderness.

However, Jason Gofrey got the surprise of his life when he came upon a bathroom at a Shell station in an undisclosed place. According to Jason Godfrey, the restroom looked more like a bathroom in a Playboy mansion than a remote gas station. The video that Jason shared through YouTube gives us an idea on how the public restroom looked like. The walls were literally covered with different framed paintings instead of graffiti which was contrary to what Jason expected. The paintings were carefully arranged in an extremely clean and tidy restroom which will make you forget the reason why you got yourself inside. Jason Godfrey found the Shell toilet as ridiculous and awesome, something that he never expected to find during his travels.

The benefits of clean restrooms are more than just aesthetics or compliance with local guidelines. Upgrading the bathroom does not necessarily mean imitating the public restroom that Jason Godfrey found but putting to order the common trouble spots. For example, the most complaints of users are odor, empty toilet paper dispensers, dirt on the floors and a flush that is not working. A win-win strategy is to create a solution that will eliminate the source of complaints. A fresh and attractive bathroom will provide a more comfortable environment and morons will be ashamed to write their curses on the walls. If the public bathroom is immaculately clean and odor-free, people will be ashamed to mess it up.

Boosting The Power Sector Through Huge Investments

Posted on 2015-01-09 by nelliersmith

2014 was not a good year for power sector players in India. The Supreme Court has cancelled captive coal blocks which resulted into adequate fuel supply for the power sector. According to Debasish Mishra, Senior Director, Consulting, Deloitte, India, there were no offers for longer term power procurement bids and short term power rates have been dropping rapidly with inadequate tariff hikes. However, according to outlookindia.com, the government is looking at an investment of Rs 3 lakh crore which is about US$50 billion to boost power transmission and distribution business.

The newly elected Power Minister Piyush Goyal is extremely confident that 2015 will provide a new ray of hope to the power sector that has been facing issues with lack of investments, congestions in fuel supply and transmission problems. With the investment of Rs 3 lakh crore, it is expected that the whole transmission and distribution system will be enhanced to make sure that everybody gets their share of adequate power. Deen Dayal Grameen Jyoti Yojana of Integrated Power and Development Scheme believes that if the increase in coal production continues on the right track, all households will enjoy 24/7 power supply by March 2019, a target that is four years away.

Coal production which was among the reasons for the power issues faced in 2014 is on the upswing and electric generation has significantly increased. It is expected that the power sector will regain the confidence of investors. The power minister is positive about future investments to the tune of US$250 billion (Rs 15 lakh crore) in the next 4 to 5 years out of which US$100 billion will be for renewable energy to harness wind and solar energy. This will also speed up the growth of clean power generation. Power transmission which has not gained so much support in the past years will now be enjoying a significant role.

The objective is to modernize transmission and distribution infrastructures in order for targets to be accomplished. Distribution which is the weakness of the power sector will be receiving a new lease in life through amendments in the Electricity Act. Competition in the power sector will be encouraged by allowing the consumer to choose the power distribution company.

New Water Limits Implementation For The People In Visalia California

Posted on 2015-01-08 by nelliersmith

The known agricultural community of Visalia California has now implemented the regulation of water use. The word of this water limits came out late December. It was announced with emphasis on the dos and don’ts of water usage by the people in the community of Visalia. The start of the whole setup had starter last Thursday. Everyone is expected to abide to the rules assigned by the officials of the community.

The implementation of the new regulation of water use prohibits the people to do big scale watering using machines and waterways. It is strictly implied that this should be followed in the months of January and February. The only exception for the watering part is the use of hand operated methods such as the use of hose and cans for watering the plants, trees and shrubs. However, it is very important for the people to look out for their hoses and not leave them unattended because of possible overflows which can be compromise the new rules for water limitations. There is also a watering schedule. People cannot have their own ways for the time being with regards to this situation. The prohibition of sidewalk washing and even driveways wash offs are also inclusive in the new regulation.

Some people of the community are maddened about this setup; especially those who own properties that need constant watering such as golf courses. They cannot fathom how difficult it would be to maintain the beauty of the surroundings that needs the use of watering systems. What bothers them more is the alternating system that states the use of water in areas having odd numbers during Tuesdays and Saturdays while those with even numbers will have Wednesdays and Saturdays. There will also be a monthly shift of these schedules to favor the people in Visalia.

With the new water regulation, there are many questions about how the people in the city known for agriculture are taking this new water usage rules. Many also ask when the system will change and how long this kind of setting will take effect. People of Visalia are now on a lookout for the changes that may still occur.

Shoppers Fill Up Malls And Department Stores As Last Weekend Before Christmas Ends

Posted on 2014-12-29 by nelliersmith

US — December 20, 2014 — Shoppers are continuing to fill up malls on the last weekend before Christmas. With Christmas just a few days away, crowd buildups in many stores are increasing giving a chance for a hopeful finish to this holiday season.

Various stores all around New York, Chicago and other areas are continuing to flow with customers. The reasons for this are varied. Some say it’s because of the great deals while others owe it to the lower prices for gas pumps. Discounts and deals are longer and deeper this year.

A retired schoolteacher from Chicago had said that she usually only buys fun things on Christmas but because of the great deals and discounts that many stores are offering, she was able to buy a few extra things like t-shirts for her husband.

Analysts say that a lot of retailers are expecting an increase of shoppers and weekend sales. Some were even preparing for overflow parking spaces. Many people are willing to spend a little more this holiday season because of the lower gas prices and corporate profits.

The weather was good for most of the areas besides a little rain. The temperatures were cold enough in the East to boost sales of winter items and sweaters. This just goes to show how the weather affects the varying movement of sales.

Midday was the peak of the consumer buildup for most of the stalls. Consumers are quick to remark that the deals were very good. Some were even offering 50-70% discounts on many shirt brands and items. When compared to last year’s deals they immediately said that the deals this Christmas season far encompasses that of last year.

Other consumers who chose to have their Christmas shopping on the final weekend say that they are still getting great deals on various merchandise from many different stores. Some deals are very convincing and hard to pass up. Unplanned and unprecedented purchases are prevalent this year.

ShopperTrak, a group that surveys brick and mortar stores, have called it Super Saturday and predicted that it would surpass Black Friday as the busiest shopping day of the year.

A New Lineup Of TV And Movie Costumes And Shirts Offered By TV Store Online

Posted on 2014-12-27 by nelliersmith

New product lineups are coming to you from TV Store Online. With the release of new critically successful blockbuster movies this 2014, TV Store Online has decided to treat their beloved customers and fans to a new lineup of creative movie costumes and shirts.

Fans of blockbuster films like Ironman, Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Trek will now get to enjoy t-shirts and costumes inspired by these films. Products such as I am Rocket Raccoon Costume and hoodie, Spock inspired hoodie, Ironman light up emblem hoodie will be served soon fresh on tvstoreonline.com along with other creative and interesting TV and movie based costumes and shirts.

The company has been catering the needs of TV and movie enthusiasts providing them with great quality shirts, costumes, hoodies, pants and other merchandise that seem relevant to television and film. These memorabilia are both a way for fans to support and showcase their favorite movie or TV show.

If you are thinking of a place that offers creative costume ideas and for a party, or just want to give your fellow nerds a treat, then the site is the right place for you. This uncommon online retail shop has recently partnered with Spiderman News in giving away cool shirts of the web slinging anthropomorphic spider hero.

It continues to adapt to the ever changing styles and current trends to help their customers be updated. They have a long selection of products, ranging from shoes, accessories, clothes and different merchandise related to the different films and TV shows. TV Store Online is also a good place to go when looking for costume ideas for parties, gigs and events. They also cater to women’s needs providing an assortment of clothing and accessories for the female gender.

There is no age limit for their customers. Young or old, as long as you have a heart for films and TV shows, then they will cater to you. You can choose from many different categories for their products.

If you are interested in visiting their site, then just go to tvstoreonline.com. You will find all sorts of treats for you to enjoy.

Reality Stars Increase Purchasing Aspirations Of Fans

Posted on 2014-12-26 by nelliersmith

Australia’s reality experts conducted a survey last July which focused on how reality shows on television affects the purchasing dynamics of viewers. Emma Ashton is one of them and another is a social insights specialist named Julie Houston. The survey ended up with results that tend to increase the trend that favourite television stars especially those in reality program boost sales of some products and services. The survey says that 94% of the viewers were influenced by the reality TV shows that they watch. The data is as follows:

60% bought a product
68% tried a food
20% travelled to certain spots
40% bought books

Without the merchandising, manufacturing, and servicing companies even knowing it, a part of their sales is caused by the ability of reality stars to influence the buying options of fans. An example of a well-followed reality show is all about the Real Housewives of Orange County which stars women who are living in Orange County California. The reality show focuses on their personal lives. There are a lot of housewives out there who stay at home, do chores, and take good care of their family. It may appear special to them seeing real housewives like them in the limelight. As a result, women tend to follow the way of life of the real housewives – from what food they eat what place they go to, what product they use for skin care, and many more. These purchase aspirations tend to increase the sales of many products and services that the reality stars patronize.

This reality TV craze has opened the eyes of the business people on where to put their advertising costs into. More and more businesses choose reality TV stars to endorse their product. And it would not even appear as an endorsement because just by mere post or update on social media, the fans will eventually search for it, and buy it immediately. That is how influential the reality television stars now to the way people live. Other than endorsements, business owners are already placing their product on the reality show itself as a technique.

Important Tips In Winterizing Your Home

Posted on 2014-12-24 by nelliersmith

Winterizing the home is a home improvement that does not impact on aesthetics but it provides benefits like making the home more comfortable and warm, reducing the carbon footprint and saving money on utility bills. If the home is not well maintained, some appraisers estimate that it will fall in value by 10%.

How to winterize the home

The first step is to get an energy audit where a professional technician checks insulations, inspects ductwork and the furnace and in some cases use an infrared camera to see behind walls to reveal places that cold could sneak in. Energy assessments are free through the Mass Save Program and you may eventually gain some rebates of up to $2,000 with approved insulation improvements.
Fall cleaning is just as important as spring cleaning because the home must have good air quality and healthy environment when it is sealed up. Fall cleaning goes beyond the usual vacuuming since the undersides of furniture catch all sorts of stuff. There are also lots of items around the home that needs a good dusting.
Walk outside and check the gutters because they probably need storm drain cleaning since the extra weight of debris can compromise the gutters and cause them to develop leaks inside. There are contractors that provide storm draining cleaning and as well as maintenance for the parking lot drain if you have any. According to the Insurance Information Institute, winter storms are third largest catastrophes that causes loses to homeowners.
Another task at winterizing your home is to insulate because drafts can increase energy use by 5 to 30% annually. Fill in gaps and cracks with sealant so that air will not be leaking out of the home or into the attic. Insulations and caulking can make a big different in ensuring that your home is tightened up.
Check for uneven payments on walkways and driveways because they can be dangerous during a heavy snow. Check the roof for any possibility for ice dams to form at the roof’s edges. Make sure that melted snow will drain properly.

Be prepared and make sure that you double-check all the smallest details that you may have overlooked before winter arrives.

A Holiday For Monaco As It Welcomes Its First Twins

Posted on 2014-12-23 by nelliersmith

Her Serene Highness, the present-day Princess of Monaco, gave birth to twins through a Caesarian section on a Wednesday afternoon. Princess Charlene Lynette Wittstock of Monaco gave birth to a boy and a girl on December 10, 2014 at Monaco’s Princess Grace Hospital Centre which was named after her mother-in-law. The baby girl came out of the princess’ womb at 5:04 PM while the baby boy followed two minutes after. To welcome the royal babies, churches in the state rang their bells for 15 minutes followed by boat horns. Forty-two canon shots were also fired at Fort Antoine to mark the arrival of the babies.

The baby girl’s name is Princess Gabriella Therese Marie and the baby boy is named Prince Jacques Honore Rainier.

Princess Gabriella Therese Marie will be referred to as the Countess of Carlades and the hereditary prince Prince Jacques Honore Rainier will be called the Marquis of Baux which he inherited from his father.

Princess Charlene is an Olympian Swimmer from Zimbabwe. She and Prince Albert II married last July 1, 2011. The announcement of the pregnancy of Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene happened last May 30, 2014. It was confirmed that it would be twins last October 9, 2014. The royal couple decided to keep the gender of the babies from themselves at first so it would be a surprise when they come out. Both were joyful and excited as the twins would be their first children together.

Since the palace of Monaco favors men when it comes to passing of crowns, the baby prince will be the next in line after his father.

Prince Albert’s father, Rainier III, who had already passed away, had stated in a rewritten constitution that any of his daughters’ children could be the next successor and inheritor in case his son could not bear a legitimate child. This addresses the issue that the prince already has two illegitimate children. This constitution amendment was done in 2002 when the prince’s father fell very ill.

The twins are the first set born to the principality’s ruling and their birthdate is declared a public holiday by the palace.

Growth Of Online Retail – An Opportunity For The Packaging Industry

Posted on 2014-12-22 by nelliersmith

Ever since the advent of online retail, brand owners had to face the challenges of packaging their products to ensure both aesthetics and functionality. When the product is shipped to the buyer, it must be provided with sufficient protection through durable packaging but it should also provide the customer with a positive brand experience. According to US eCommerce Forecast from2013 to 2018 from Forester Research Inc. it is expected that online sales in the US alone will reach $294 billion which is approximately 9% of US total sales. This data presents a perfect opportunity for packaging companies like papermart.com.

The challenges faced by the packaging industry

How will an online retail store ensure that the product will reach the customer’s doorstep in good condition? StellaService which is headquartered in New York has outlined the results of a 12-month study on 125 online retailers to measure their quality of shipping and the returns experience. StellaService explains that it is important to use packaging that exactly fits the size of the product. Not only will this type of packaging leave a better impression, it can save on the costs of shipping and reduce the possibility of damaged products. Retailers proficiency with packaging is measured as poor and extremely wasteful or excellent and highly efficient. Most of the packaging materials used for shipping are corrugated boxes, polybags, padded envelopes and customized packaging.

Packaging ideas from luxury brands

When it comes to quality packaging, many luxury brands excel in delivering an experience that is far and beyond. One example is Brooks Brothers that uses 25 different sizes of boxes with one sized to contain three dress shirts which is the most frequent order. Ralph Lauren ensures that each purchase is personalized and delivers its orders in a sturdy pizza-box style shipper with the iconic company logo. These luxury brands understand that their customers are spending a substantial amount of money for their products and they have to be ensured that their business is highly appreciated. For online retailers who are shipping low-value items, they have to put their brands on the shipping boxes to extend their marketing as the box passes through the supply chain. Amazon puts its smile on the outside of its boxes.

The Importance Of Technology In Online Retailing

Posted on 2014-12-08 by nelliersmith

Black Friday was phenomenal in the United Kingdom with online retailers having to deal with the sheer volume of clicks on their websites. However, online retailers still have to go through a lot of immense pressure with the coming holidays since UK shoppers are expected to spend an overwhelming £7.4 billion to £17.4 billion on online shopping. How will retailers cope up after the mad rush of Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Technology will come to their rescue.

The importance of technology in online retail operations

The physical side of retailing must be optimized and orders have to be processed in two hours and not two days. Optimization of retailing is a challenge that has to be faced because customers have to be provided with a seamless shopping experience whether they do it online or in brick and mortar stores. Retailers need to know what to stock and one of their sources of information is social media. Mining social media will allow retailers to know what is trending and what products consumers are planning to buy for the holidays. Retailers need to come up with the best sources for fast distribution and delivery and instead of using the stocks coming from their own store, they can get it from an outsourced supplier to save on time. Orders must arrive as fast as possible at the most convenient time and place to ensure that customers are happy.

Technology options to ensure fast delivery

Today’s stiff competition among couriers is giving retailers a lot of choices when it comes to delivery. MetaPack which handles most of the delivery for online stores in the UK uses technology to work out the available options in every location for the goods that have been ordered. It decides on the carrier that will offer the best value to retailers and handles all the tracking data so that consumers will know exactly where their parcels are during its journey. Two-hour windows are now becoming commonplace because it is a better incentive for online shoppers. Their convenience is extremely important and accuracy in delivery must be ensured to keep customers loyal. Other technology-driven innovations are expected to provide consumers a better shopping experience for this holiday season.

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