Archive for the ‘features’ Category

Barilla wants to eat his pasta to Chinese

October 22, 2011 - 8:32 am Comments Off

Pasta with pesto sold alongside kebab silkworm larvae or fried chicken feet? This is the crazy challenge of Italian Barilla, which hopes to soon be eating his pasta to the Chinese. "Fast food is an effective way to install the brand and a direct relationship with consumers, said Guido Barilla, chairman of the Italian group that carried out last year EUR 4 billion in sales. If food purchases for the home are traditional, there is now a real interest of people in the street to the kitchens of the world. "

In the Middle Kingdom as in the rest of Asia, food is becoming more and more often on the go, bought in the shops that fill the streets.Or international chains of fast food like McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken, which are present in large cities.

"The goal of Barilla is to be present in twenty years with an offer dedicated to Asia, which is consistent with the true Italian gastronomic tradition, says Guido Barilla. We look at different ways to adapt the offer to local habits with recovery modes that do not exist in the business portfolio of Barilla. "

Ready meals in Europe soon

Therefore no question of selling Barilla noodles Asian or to eat his pasta with chopsticks. The Italian group, which wants to reach consumers in major cities of the region is still at the beginning. He formed earlier this year a regional team of five people based in Singapore. He also sent ten people in Tokyo.All work closely with the headquarters in Parma.

In emerging markets, which account for only 7% of sales, Barilla also looking to South America. "Barilla is a family business, we are not pressed by the objectives of growth or profitability, says Guido Barilla. Our priority now is to install Barilla in new geographies. But we do not make shots. What matters are the group's financial stability and product quality. "

The internationalization of the Italian group has accelerated since the mid-1990s, when Guido and his brothers and sister took over the reins of the company at the death of their father, Pietro, grand-son of the founder.

After settling in France – its second largest market after Italy – and Germany in the 1980s, Barilla headed for the United States.Three years ago, he won first place in the pasta market. Barilla, which generates $ 500 million in sales in the U.S., it now holds 30% market pulp and posted growth of 4 to 5% per year. The Italian was offered four years ago a second plant in the country, near New York. The growth potential is enormous. If the Italians consume 27 kg of pasta per year per capita, Americans eat three times less …

Meanwhile, Barilla brand of pasta popular in Greece and Turkey. In Europe, where the group wants to expand its business scope, it introduced last year pasta with vegetables. This board today the launch of cooked pasta, bearing the signature of chefs.France, where the brand holds 20% of Barilla pasta market, would be among the first countries to sell this product.

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Moody's severe penalties for Spain

October 20, 2011 - 8:16 am Comments Off

The debt crisis in the euro area is growing. After Moody's threw the trouble on the debt rating of France, the rating agency has put his threat for Spain. Following in the footsteps of Standard and Poor's and Fitch, the rating agency lowered the credit rating of the fourth largest economy in the euro area by two notches to "A1" instead of "Aa2".

Moody's, however, shows more severe than its competitors. She attributed to Spain's fifth best mark where Standard and Poor's and Fitch gives it their fourth best. Moody's and depriving the country of the issuer status for high-quality issuers to the rank swallow solids but may be affected by changes in economic conditions. Like its competitors, the rating indicates the rating of Spain could again be lowered to medium term faxless payday advance.

To justify its decision, the agency said that "Spain continues to be vulnerable to market pressures" that economic growth should reach only 1% at best in 2012 (and not 1.8% as the Moody's previously thought), and that it "will make it more difficult to achieve the ambitious budgetary targets" of the country. Moody's also kept a "negative outlook" rating on the Spanish because of the "risk posed to the country for worsening of the crisis in the euro area."

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Worried about China, Asian stock markets fall

October 19, 2011 - 12:56 am Comments Off

The fear of a slowing Chinese economy weigh on Asian stock markets. On Tuesday, the day after a session, however encouraging, the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong and Shanghai Composite Index unleash respectively 3.34% and 1.67 points to 18,243.31% to 2399.58 points. Investors react to the publication of a slowdown in Chinese growth to 9.1% in the third quarter, against 9.7% and 9.5% in the first and second quarters.After this bad figure, other regional financial centers are also displayed down: the Nikkei of the Tokyo Stock Exchange lost 1.47% to 8749.08 points, the Kospi index in Seoul fell by 1.47% to 1837.73 points, the S & P / ASX 200 Index yields 1.82% at Sydney 4197.70 points, the BSE Sensex 30 in Mumbai fold from 1.66% to 16,742.80 points and the FTSE Straits Times of Singapore gives up 1.78% to 2729.51 points.

"Economic growth is currently facing a more complicated on both external and internal plans," said the spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Sheng Laiyun commenting on the growth of China. In fact, Chinese exporters are beginning to suffer from particular sovereign debt crisis in Europe, their largest market, a difficult economic situation in the United States.The Chinese economy is also impacted by rising wages and strong yuan, has appreciated by 7% in a year against the dollar. "The number of factors of instability and uncertainty increases," says Sheng Laiyun.

The concern weighing on Europe

In this context, the correct figures for China's industrial production have gone unnoticed cheap pay day loans. This has increased by 13.8% in September year on year, according to BNS.

In addition, concerns about the debt crisis in Europe grew yesterday and weigh Surles markets. The German Minister of Economics Wolfgang Schäuble has indeed warned that the EU summit to be held in Brussels Sunday will not lead to a definitive solution to the debt crisis. And, while the central bankers of the euro zone had promised a response "comprehensive and lasting peace" to the crisis at the G20 finance this weekend in Paris.

China Eastern Airlines to Hong Kong and Tepco

On the corporate side, China Eastern Airlines (-7.02% to 2.65 Hong Kong dollars) on Monday announced an agreement to acquire 15 Airbus A330 family for a selected list price of $ 2.5 billion, for delivery between 2013 and 2015.

Note that Tepco, the operator of the nuclear accident in Fukushima, yields 1.38% in Tokyo, after asking the first tranche of public assistance of some 700 billion yen (6.7 billion euros) for finance part of the compensation of victims, according to Japanese media on Tuesday.

On the front of currencies, the euro rose 0.28% to 1.377 dollars on Tuesday. Oil is meanwhile down in Asia after the confirmation of a slowdown in Chinese growth in the third quarter against a backdrop of skepticism about a speedy resolution of sovereign debt crisis in the euro area.The barrel of "light sweet crude" for delivery in November, up in the early electronic trading, lost 9 cents to 86.29 dollars, around 6:00.

Coca-Cola launches cans of cold coffee in France

October 17, 2011 - 8:32 am Comments Off

Cold coffee "ready to drink" in a can? This is the new Coca-Cola hopes to drink from the French. Accustomed to swallow their little black zinc, they have already converted to coffee to drink in paper cups with the arrival of Starbucks and other coffee Columbus.

Since this summer, the world leader in soft drinks, combined with specialist Italian Illy coffee, launched its cans of coffee at Daily Monop 'and Monop' (Monoprix). Illy issimo named this new drink is declined "caffe" and "cappuccino". "This drink is not far from the tastes of the French, it's just a new way to drink coffee as was the case some years ago with the iced tea in cans," said Ilaria Presotto, marketing director of Ilko, the joint venture created in 2007 by Coca-Cola and Illy.

With this coffee "ready to drink," Coca-Cola wants to meet new consumer needs.He hopes to reach young and urban assets, on the road, often of tiredness during the day. "This is a premium drink that matches the new lifestyles, says Ilaria Presotto. This is a niche category that did not exist in the French market, so we need to educate consumers and encourage impulse buying. "Suddenly, the price of Illy issimo (2.20 -3 euros) is aligned with RedBull, alongside which he finds himself in the rays in the absence of competitor.

As with VitaminWater, the world leader in soft drinks has chosen a selective distribution. He wants to know Illy issimo by word-of-mouth.He focused primarily on fresh produce stores so that its drinks are lost on the shelf.

Starbucks and PepsiCo in ambush

These cans of coffee, which are now available in 400 outlets in France, were first sold exclusively at Colette, La Grande Grocery of Paris (Le Bon Marché) in several luxury hotels in the capital as the Hotel George V and the Côte d'Azur. "With these first months of launch, we will expand our offering next year and increase the distribution of our products to major retailers, says Ilaria Presotto, currently in talks with Carrefour. We hope to at least double our sales in France in 2012. "In the Hexagon, Illy issimo – which is produced in Denmark – is sold by the sales of Illy. In Barcelona and London where Illy issimo was launched along with Paris, the distribution strategy was the same.In the British capital, the drink is sold in stores in the chain Waitrose premium, in addition to sandwiches. It is also found in company canteens as Disney or head of the Daily Telegraph.

In Europe, Illy and Coca-Cola inspired by the success of Illy issimo Japan and the United States, where the drink was launched two years ago. In Japan, the first market issimo Illy, the coffee is sold in cans hot or cold in the millions of vending machines in the country. The country accounts for 70% of world consumption of coffee "ready to drink." A market of 17 billion dollars which increased by 5% in five years. In the U.S., too, is a high potential market. From year to year, sales have doubled in the country. But Coca-Cola is facing a strong competitor, Starbucks Coffee, combined with another heavyweight soft drinks, PepsiCo.After the United States, China, Britain or Germany, their coffee "ready to drink" Frappuccino will land next year in France.

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Rents will increase by 1.90% this year

October 14, 2011 - 12:24 am Comments Off

The benchmark rents (IRL) continues its momentum. Indexed to inflation, the index increased by 1.90% yoy in the third quarter 2011, according to INSEE, its largest increase since the first quarter of 2009.

Following the same curve as the price index, the benchmark rents had fallen sharply during the crisis, before recovering from the first quarter of 2010. However, according to figures released Wednesday by INSEE, inflation emerged up 2.2% year on year in September, despite a slowdown during the past month.

Consequence of this increase in the IRL, the owners can raise rents to their tenants under lease, 1.90% maximum per year. This ceiling is not to be confused with the increase that may require the owner at the end of the lease, and which itself is not subject to this limit.

Rising rents slows

They are also in the process of marking time, like the sale price. The latest observation Clamor, the rents charged to new tenants were up 0.9% over the first eight months of the year, against 1.4% a year earlier. In 34% of cities in France, this trend is even negative. This is for example the case in Paris (-0.1%), Bordeaux (-0.9%) or Toulouse (-0.4%).

In other cities of the Hexagon, however, rents remain strong on the upside. This is the case in Lyon (+1.2%), Nantes (+1.7%), Lille (1.9%) or Le Havre (+2%). For the full year, Clamor expects an average increase of 1.5% to 1.8% against 2.5% in 2010.

The Observatory notes wide disparities between the cities but also between the quality of rented accommodation.Owners who make improvements before entering into a new lease rent on average well 9.3% more than the previous occupant. However, when the property is rented without work, its rental value decreases by an average of 5.4%.

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"Managing e-mails takes two hours a day"

October 6, 2011 - 4:04 am Comments Off

Lefigaro.fr – messaging has it become a stress factor?

François Fatoux – Yes, definitely. The study we just completed, 38% of users receive over 100 emails per day. With the massive use of email, employees are saturated with information, most often to treat in an emergency. Because the immediacy of information has sometimes a perverse consequence: we are given less time for reflection. Faced with the constant flow, it is not uncommon that the employee feels outdated, it has the feeling of doing wrong. A situation even more difficult to live as e isolates, by discouraging physical conversations.

There are, as a result of addiction to e-mails, as measured by the researchers, maintains that stress.65% of users say they check email every hour, but actually do every five minutes! And smartphones, which allow employees to access their e-mails anywhere, increasing still potentially stressful situations. Have a blackberry was once a privilege to lead. It has become the door open to requests cascade.

Finally, the electronic mail increases, or harm their productivity?

It is very difficult to make a full and final conclusion. The mails are also many beneficial effects on work organization. In reality, everything depends on how a company and its employees use it. Very different practices coexist. All managers not only send such emails in 23 hours. But it is true that this is a very time consuming activity.More than half of the users spend more than two hours daily to manage their mailbox freecreditscore. The stress is relentless. When we know that an employee is 64 seconds to regain his train of thought after receiving an email, we have a sense of loss of concentration occasioned by email.

Another of his perverse priorities is to disrupt. The urgency tends to take the place of hierarchy. The employees work is undeniable, but spend more time on tasks accessories. Productivity is affected.

How to fight against these negative effects?

It is important for companies to seize this issue and are considering the use it makes their mesagerie mail. Should we encourage the use of mails to professionals outside the office? Should we require employees to respond instantly? The rules must be defined.

As for employees, a few simple rules can help minimize these adverse effects. Set the parameters so that every email that arrives is not reported, for example. Or take the time to reflect before answering. Or consider before each shipment: would it be more effective to pick up the phone? Is it necessary to put this or that person a copy? In terms of dependence on the tool, the answer seems to me, however, not individual but collective. Is to leaders to lead by example.

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Dexia France and Belgium in support

October 4, 2011 - 6:08 pm Comments Off

The story is she about to repeat itself? As in 2008, when Belgium, France and Luxembourg had given government guarantees the bank Dexia shareholder governments pledge to support the Franco-Belgian bank which could be dismantled. "The Belgian and French States will meet present as in 2008," assured the French minister of Finance, Baroin, on the sidelines of a meeting with his EU counterparts in Luxembourg. Luc Frieden, Luxembourg's finance minister, also said that his country would play an active role in restructuring the bank.

Governments will particularly seek to support the activity of deposits in Belgium "by a guarantee of the deposits."Concerning the activity of loans to local authorities, which represents about 80 billion euros of assets, Baroin ensures that "whatever happens, we set up a quick and effective solution that will ensure a lack of drop charge this important activity. "

A cash injection, similar to that of 2008 which had led to bail out the bank to the tune of 6.4 billion euros is it to the agenda? No response yet from the French minister who is content to repeat that "States will meet present as in 2008." A source close to the talks for his part, told Reuters that recapitalization was not provided.

The creation of a "bad bank" proposed

Most talkative, the Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders confirmed discussions around the creation of a "bad bank" structure that will isolate the non-performing assets and portfolios of the bank. "There was much talk of a bad bank, a few possibilities," he said business card. "We need to look at how to change this group. We must remove all the dangerous parts of the bank, this is where the state guarantees come into play then we can give guarantees to customers, both depositors or solicitors of credit. "

Intended as reassuring, Didier Reynders recalls that "there is no reason to be of major concern about this group if we continue to accelerate the disposal of assets.Both France and Belgium are ready to provide a guarantee for Dexia's funding, regardless of the form it takes. "

Replica

Earlier in the morning, France and Belgium had already declared their support for the bank. "As part of the restructuring of Dexia, the Belgian and French, in conjunction with central banks will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of depositors and creditors. To that end, agree to bring their guaranteed funds raised by Dexia, "explained a joint finance ministers of two countries. Baroin said that the crisis in Franco-Belgian bank "is a replica of the Great Depression of 2008."

At the Paris Bourse, these guarantees seem to be a little effect.Dexia shares had lost up to 38% in the morning, cut its losses and was down from 16.46% to 1.086 euros on a market down 2.84% to 13.30. But caution is when a special meeting of the Belgian government is expected Tuesday evening "to take stock."

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The G20 mobilized to reassure the financial world

September 24, 2011 - 9:36 am Comments Off

Unity is strength. Armed with this saying and to respond to the stock market crash that plagues the financial markets around the world, the twenty richest economies in the world decided to act jointly. Thus, after a dinner Thursday in Washington, finance ministers and central bankers from the G20 pledged to provide "a strong and coordinated international response" to the crisis.

No statement should be issued initially. But given the urgency of the situation and "the common observation of the need for a collective response," said French Finance Minister Baroin, the G20 is prepared to take "all necessary measures to maintain stability banking systems and financial markets. " For banks, countries ensure that "they have adequate capital," they keep "sufficient access to finance."Central banks provide them with "the necessary liquidity."

At the same time and in response to a request by the G20 in September addressed to Nicolas Sarkozy, the euro zone countries have pledged to implement "necessary measures to increase the flexibility of the European financial stability and maximize its impact to prevent contagion bad credit unsecured personal loans. "

And G20 members say they are committed to act on all fronts: against "increased risk of deterioration" due to soaring public debt, against "the weakened financial system" and "turmoil" growth "low" and "unacceptable level of unemployment." To do this, they will take action to "support growth" while adopting "credible fiscal consolidation plans."And the time is short since the club 20 is the adoption of "an ambitious collective action plan before the summit in Cannes," in early November.

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Toxic Loans: how to get rid

September 22, 2011 - 7:20 am Comments Off

Very touched by the toxic loans, these loans whose interest rates can soar, the Socialist Mayor of Saint-Etienne, Maurice Vincent, claimed that the government take responsibility. "The Ministries of Economy and Interior are asking us to manage ourselves the question with the banks negotiating with them. But this can not be a solution! "Storm elected.

St. Stephen was able to renegotiate certain loans: from toxics declined from 70% to 34% of its debt. But not all. Because in some cases, banks are asking the community to pay a cash adjustment to transform the high-risk loans in a normal loan. The principle of the balance is logical: the bank must be "compensated" as she would have received in interest rates high – up to 24% in Saint-Etienne with toxic loans.But its amount, which varies according to market conditions, may be prohibitive. "For a loan of 20 million, Deutsche Bank in early 2010 we asked a cash payment of fifteen million. It had no advantage for us, "said Maurice Vincent. Which concludes that most communities are in this case. The Court of Auditors number between 7 and 12 billion the amount of toxic debt, total debt of a community of 160 billion. The mayor of Saint-Etienne believes that the cash payment to pay to get out is now about ten billion euros, given the market conditions. Or communities can not afford to pay such a sum to get rid of loans at risk.Or more precisely, they could afford at the cost of tax increases – from 15% to 20% in Saint-Etienne after its mayor – and lower public spending.

"That's why I want the government set up a bad bank," concludes Maurice Vincent. This structure would take over the toxic loans communities, which would then be freed of the problem. This would be the banks that finance the bulk structure défaisande. And so that would take the loss. So far the government has been opposed to this idea. And the Court of Auditors as well.

Communities have, however, a weapon used today: the trial. Saint-Etienne sued the Deutsche Bank and RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland), including failure to board. The first verdict next year.And in the meantime, the payment of interest is suspended.

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FNSEA challenges the candidates of 2012

September 12, 2011 - 7:32 am Comments Off

FNSEA (National Federation of Farmers' Unions) is back in service Tuesday Space in Rennes, the second largest European exhibition of livestock. Beyond the hot topics of the moment, like the crisis in the hog sector, the Central Agricultural eyes on May 2012. It intends to be present in the debate of the presidential election. It prepares a summary document together its proposals for meeting the challenges of French agriculture during the next five years.

This platform will be closed in mid-November. "The French agriculture is a key sector and must be present in the Presidential debate, said Xavier Beulin, a number of FNSEA. We will ask the candidates to express themselves and engage in relation to our proposals. "

Important themes, four stand out.On the top of the stack, that of improving the competitiveness of French agriculture. It has been deteriorating over the past five years. So much so that France, land of all agricultural production has shifted from first to third place behind Germany and the Netherlands in the field of agri-food trade. Fills a gourmet meal while the French end of 2010 was listed as World Heritage Heritage of Unesco, the Hexagon now imports many of its fruits and vegetables, cheaper to produce outside our borders.

To make France more competitive firm, offers FNSEA implementation of VAT "social antidélocalisation." Its goal: to reduce by at least 30% of the hourly cost of agricultural workers to align with that of its European competitors.A key position when you know that 60% of the cost in this sector, employing 200,000 people, from the cost of labor. Such a measure would cost $ 300 to 350 million euros to the state budget.

To finance it, the future tax soft drinks would not be sufficient. "This requires an increase in VAT terms to be defined. In addition this measure would also apply to imported products as opposed to an increase in the CSG, which again would penalize French farms, "says Xavier Beulin.

Second major issue, increased efforts in research and development in agriculture on G20.With, for example, the introduction of new varieties of animal and plant more to meet consumer expectations.

For a new irrigation policy

The third point concerns the inclusion of the entrepreneurial dimension of the French farm, including the creation of new legal status and accounting standards with the possibility of bankruptcy without affecting personal property.

Finally the fourth theme relates to the environment. FNSEA advocates a new irrigation policy to create water reservoirs to store winter and summer re-use rather than let her go to the sea This implies a reduction of administrative .

FNSEA does not give instructions to vote.The responses of presidential candidates will help farmers, who are no longer systematically acquired the right to guide their choice.

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