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Survey: E-commerce customers generally satisfied

admin — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:58:43 +0000

The customer satisfaction score of the embattled video rental company fell 14% in the last year, says the American Customer Satisfaction Indexs annual e-Commerce report released today. Its one of the largest drops in the indexs history.

The index, founded at the University of Michigan but now run as a privately held company, measures customer evaluations of products and services for 225 companies in 47 industries in the US, based on a 100-point scale. Customer satisfaction with e-commerce websites inched up 1% to 80.1.

Consumer expectation continues to increase for e-commerce companies, says Larry Freed, author of the report and CEO of consulting firm ForeSee. However, When you walk into a retail store, you dont expect to get better service, he says.

Total e-commerce sales rose 16% to $194.3 billion in 2011, says data from the US Census Bureau.

Amazon remains the top online retailer in customer service, though its overall score dropped slightly. The company invests heavily in subsidizing the cost of shipping and new technology, such as its e-readers, to keep consumer prices low. Its the gold standard for e-commerce in many different ways, says Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst at Forrester Research.

Netflixs score reflects the turbulent changes it introduced last year by raising prices and announcing a plan, which it eventually dropped, to split its DVD and streaming rental services. Netflix shot themselves in the foot, Mulpuru says.

Newegg, an online retailer that specializes in electronics, registered the fastest rate of growth in satisfaction scores.

Online travel agencies average score, at 78, was slightly lower than retailers. But the sluggish economy has unleashed a flood of deals and new web features to attract more customers, says Douglas Quinby of PhoCusWright, a travel technology research firm.

Travelocity tops the category, replacing last years leader, Expedia. Priceline, which has moved beyond its auction model to traditional travel agency businesses, registered the biggest increase in customer satisfaction among travel companies.

Customer satisfaction with online brokerages fell 3% to 76. Fidelity, Charles Schwab and E-Trade tied for the lead in the sector.

Kate Middleton reportedly vacationing with family on private Caribbean island

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:04:13 +0000

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, is reportedly on vacation with her family on a private Caribbean island called Mustique.

People reported Friday that the Duchess is on the island with her parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and her siblings, Pippa and James.

People adds that a photographers blog reported Thursday that the Middletons flew to the Caribbean on a British Airways flight to St. Lucia before going to Mustique.

According to Us Weekly, the Middletons went on vacation to celebrate Carole’s 57th birthday on Jan. 31. The vacation also comes days after Kate’s 30th birthday on Jan. 9.

Mustique is a frequent vacation spot for the Middletons, who last visited the island in August. According to Us Weekly, Kate was not able to go at the time, but People notes that she and husband Prince William have frequently visited in the past.

E! News confirms that William will not be going on the vacation since he is spending the week at the Royal Air Force Base in Anglesey, Wales. William is currently working as a search and rescue helicopter pilot for the RAF.

According to The Daily Mail, William will be able to stop at the Caribbean island after his weekly shift at the base is over, though.

Last month, the prince and princess decided to cancel a vacation, believing that it was not a good time due to the difficult economic climate, notes the Daily Mail.

The Palace has not confirmed the reports of Kate’s vacation.

Rihanna Poses In Bikini; Proves Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:18:12 +0000

Oh, its just Rihanna, posing in a skimpy outfit for her Twitter fans again. The We Found Love singer found time while vacationing in Hawaii to post a series of photos that offer insight into her daily routine: posing outside in a white bikini; posing on an elliptical machine in a white bikini; and joshing around with her gal pal in a white bikini.

But thats not all. RiRi also manages to respond to Khloe Kardashians suggestive Tweet — Shake your tits for this woman! LOL — with a succinct Haaaa!!! Come tap this before posting the running-on-an-elliptical-machine picture of herself again.

PHOTOS (Credit: Rihanna/Twitter):

Sales of Video Games and Accessories Fell in January

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:23:07 +0000

Retail sales of video game hardware, software and accessories in the United States fell 34 percent in January, to $751 million, compared with a year earlier because of a lack of new games, the market researcher NPD Group said Friday. An NPD analyst, Liam Callahan, said the dearth of new games most likely resulted in fewer people going to stores and buying other recent releases on impulse. “Shoppers were not drawn to stores due to new launch activity,” he said. Mr. Callahan said sales of games released before the holidays were down 31 percent in January compared with a year ago. Sales of console and portable software — the video games themselves — fell 38 percent, to $356 million. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 from Activision was the top seller for the third consecutive month after its release in early November. Hardware sales fell 38 percent, to $200 million, while accessories sales were down 18 percent at $195 million.

Wayne Rooney’s world-class total: 213 goals in 500 games

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:02:13 +0000

Wayne Rooney celebrated his 500th game for club and country in peak form on Saturday when he helped Manchester United to victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford.

His two goals took his total in his last nine league games to eight from 23 shots on target.

In the eight games before that, Rooney failed to score and had just eight shots on target.

It was Rooney’s first double against Liverpool.

Starbucks Offically Opens in Arnold

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:37:36 +0000

The Starbucks cafe and drive-thru officially opened Monday at noon with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with a handful of Arnolds elected officials attending.

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âWeâre so excited that youâre here and weâre going to work together to make it out of this bad economy,â Ward 3 Councilman Phil Amato said to Starbucks District Manager Robert Wise and the employees at the store.

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The cafÃ opened, unofficially and without fanfare, in a soft opening on Jan. 21 to give the store employees experience working the equipment and meeting customers.Â

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Ward 1 Councilman Christine âCrickyâ Lang and Arnold City Treasurer Dan Kroupa also attended the ribbon-cutting event at 3884 State Route 141.

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Part of the decision to open an Arnold store was the large number ofÂ residents who commuted to the other Starbucks locations in South St. Louis County, Wise said.

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âThis is also a very vibrant area with a tight community and a feeling of home,â Wise said about Arnold.

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He said the company wants to be in communities where it can support the residentsâ projects.

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In Arnold, Starbucks will donate food to the Arnold Food Pantry and find ways to support the Arnold Branch of the Jefferson County Public Library, Wise said.

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The retailer also hopes it can create a few programs with the Fox C-6 School District. The retailer could display studentsâ paintings and drawings as a way to support teenagersâ and childrenâs art interests for example, Wise said.

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âWeâre really more than just selling coffee,â Wise said about the company.

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He does expect the Arnold store to be busy because the drive-thru cafÃ is the only Starbucks on Interstate 55 between St. Louis County and Cape Girardeau.

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In terms of advertising on I-55, Wise said the State of Missouri has the final decision.

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Starbucks can apply to place its logo on a roadside Missouri sign, which are usually near highway off-ramps, and then the state would look for available space.Â

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The Arnold Starbucks will have about 20 employees, Wise said. Â

Aishwarya Rai Takes Beti B on Beach Vacation to Goa

admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:30:10 +0000

February 08, 2012, (Sawf News) – Aishwarya Rai and husband Abhishek Bachchan are currently vacationing at Benaulim beach in South Goa with their new born daughter Beti B.

They arrived in Goa on Tuesday, February 7 on the two day vacation, and are staying at the Bachchan familys favorite hotel, Taj Exotica at Benaulim beach.

The family attended a wedding on arrival in the city, a source tells Sawfnews.com exclusively.

Reportedly, the Bachchans stayed in the same hotel last year too. When we inquired with the hotel, they said they are not authorized to reveal the identity of their in-house guests.

It was earlier reported that the mini vacation is to celebrate new daddy, Abhisheks 36th birthday, which was on February 5.

Abhishek is currently on a break from filming of Rohit Shettys Bol Bachchan with co-stars Ajay Devgn, Asin and Prachi Desai.

News Copyright Â Sawf News. May not be reproduced without explicit written permission

Should you adopt another dog?

admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:59:57 +0000

Readmore: Local, Business, Community, Dr. Klabunde, The Pet Page, 74 News Today, Northwood Animal Hospital, Pet Talk

TRAVERSE CITY — During Pet Talk with Dr. Jen Klabunde on 7amp;4 News Today, Dr. Klabunde answered your questions about your dog or cat. Dr. Klabunde sat down with Brody OConnell to answer questions that viewers sent in regarding their pets health and well being.

Dr. Klabunde comes on 7amp;4 News Today every Wednesday at 6:23 am She is from Northwood Animal Hospital in Grand Traverse County.

To see the complete interview check out the video clip. For a direct link to Northwood Animal Hospital click here.

Suit filed in deadly Kauai glider crash

admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:01:33 +0000

LIHUE, Hawaii — The widow of a Southern California man who died when his motorized hang glider crashed off Kauai is suing the flight company and aircraft manufacturer.

Cynthia Foreman says defective equipment prevented her husband, 53-year-old Ray Foreman of Vista, Calif., and pilot Steve Sprague from freeing themselves when the glider went into the ocean off Honopu Beach on May 17.

Foreman and Sprague died. Cynthia Foreman and her husband were vacationing on Kauai at the time. The National Transportation Safety Board has said witnesses heard a loud pop as the aircraft turned toward the ocean.

According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser ( http://bit.ly/walcjz), Cynthia Foreman filed the lawsuit on Friday in federal court in Honolulu.

A call to a listing for the flight company, Kauai Aerosports, on Saturday was not immediately returned. No one picked up the phone at the UK-based aircraft maker, PM Aviation.

IBM Completes Acquisition of Emptoris to Expand Smarter Commerce Initiative

admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 04:23:04 +0000

ARMONK, NY,: IBM today announced it has completed its acquisition of Emptoris Inc. The acquisition expands IBM’s cloud-based analytics offerings that provide supply chain intelligence leading to better inventory management and cost efficiencies.
Emptoris solutions bring more intelligence to procurement and supply chain operations with spend, supplier and contract management for Smarter Commerce. Smarter Commerce helps organizations that are struggling to meet the demands of a rapidly changing market. The acceleration in online connectivity and speed, combined with the explosion of information and unprecedented access to it, is reshaping globally interconnected commerce systems. This new digital marketplace requires companies to respond rapidly to customer demands by automating their buying, marketing, selling and service processes.
Developing the right procurement strategy and an adaptive supply chain are keys to achieving the business objectives of Smarter Commerce, said Craig Hayman, general manager, IBM Industry Solutions. Together, Emptoris and IBM’s integrated solutions will transform how clients manage compliance and mitigate supply risk.
With this acquisition, IBM builds on its capabilities in the procurement aspect of Smarter Commerce and extends it to a new line of c-suite executives – chief procurement officers. Procurement and sourcing professionals increasingly need better supplier management, spend analysis and contract management solutions to lower sourcing costs and risks. Emptoris is a leader in delivering these benefits by automating vendor selection, negotiation, management and compliance.
Emptoris’ solutions complement multiple IBM offerings. They supplement the existing B2B integration and supply chain management capabilities IBM acquired through the purchase of Sterling Commerce in 2010. They also complement IBM’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) capabilities, a services offering available to clients through IBM Global Process Services (GPS). Emptoris technology combined with IBM GPS BPO capabilities help accelerate cost savings and speed to benefit.
With the closing of this acquisition, approximately 725 Emptoris employees will join IBM’s software group, which is a key driver of growth and profitability for the company.
About IBM
For more information on IBM Smarter Commerce, visit: http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/smarter_commerce/overview/.