Entertainment

Animation Dance E-Sports Entertainment/Celebrity Film Music Radio Restaurants Sports Television Theater Video Virtual Reality
News Release Digital Asset Direct

News Release

Streaming Habits and Trends in the UK 2022/2023

Intelligiants

How many services and how much are consumers willing to pay? Streaming trends on social media and interaction What users expect to see more of in the future 1500 UK citizens between the ages of 18 to 54 took part in a survey conducted by PartyCasino on 8 December 2022. The competition for national on-demand TV providers and Netflix has surged in the last 24 months and there are constantly new alternatives and options surfacing on the market. What effect will the abundance have, and how many monthly subscriptions will the UK audience pay for? The results show that 66% of the participants were signed up for 2-3 services (2 services - 38.13%, 3 services - 27.93%), while 9% have 4 subscriptions and only 5% a total of 5 different services. The majority (65%) responded that they have not cancelled any subscriptions in the last 12 months, while 24% have cancelled 1 service and 7% have cancelled 2 subscriptions. Will these numbers change in the next year with customers jumping from various networks and providers, due to what shows and movies are being offered? 74% also responded that the price is a major factor when signing up for a new service. This means that the big draw of what shows are offered might not be the only factor and we could potentially see a price war between the different service providers in the years to come. The survey also reveals how much the participants currently spend on various subscriptions, with some paying up to £200 per month. A few of the questions also targeted some of the biggest TV series that was aired during the year, where a total of 38% answered that they watched the entire season of Stranger Things, released in May 2022. Can you guess what the second most popular show was? See the result for TV series here. For the online based entertainment industry, it is also important to understand what trends can be expected and the survey gives insights into what other streaming habits are trending now, such as live streams on social media, and live gaming events on Twitch and YouTube. The results also indicate that audiences are open to in-app promotions and offers and that recommendations and interaction from other users could be out of interest. The full 15-question survey can be found in its entirety in a blog post by PartyCasino, posted here. Contact Details Intelligiants Ltd Freddie Kvarnebrink +44 7889 314155 press@intelligiants.com

December 20, 2022 09:17 AM Eastern Standard Time

Queen Studios: Hyper-Real Statues and Figures Leave Event-Goers In Awe!

Queen Studios

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 20 December 2022 - Recently an award-winning statue and toy company held intimate events for some of the US’ and Asia’s largest pop-culture collectors. The limited edition hyper-real collectibles displayed left attendees in awe before going viral online. Queen Studios, the makers of these collectibles, since announced that more of these collectibles will be available for pre-order in the US, with plans on making them more accessible for US collectors. In Fall 2022, Queen Studios brought a collection of their hyper-real collectibles capturing the likeness of characters and actors from Marvel and DC blockbuster movies. Queen Studios, also known as QS, has a well-earned reputation for recreating iconic cinematic moments in a variety of scales and styles. Of the statues on display, the Spider-Man (Tom Holland) life-size bust, and the Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) life-size bust particularly caught the eyes of fans. These busts are both made of platinum silicone, creating a skin-like look and feel which is soft to the touch. The clothes on the Strange bust are expertly tailored, and both feature hand punched hair and glass eyes that bring them both to life with a scary realism. Fans of Warner Bros. and DC, fans also lined up for the opportunity to see these ground-breaking collectibles in person, stealing the opportunity to share the images and videos online with fans and collectors around the world. From QS’ statue brand, the Arthur Fleck 1/3 statue from Todd Phillips Academy Award winning movie Joker stole the show. The statue depicts Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) as he dances gracefully along the white and green tiled bathroom floor just like the movie. To create this statue, the team worked tirelessly hand painting each piece to create a flawless skin texture, before layering fine sheep’s wool on the head sculpt to create a realistic look. INART, the company’s 1/6 scale action figure brand also debuted at the event. These sixth scale figures will probably bring back fond memories of the superhero toys from your childhood, and that’s part of the appeal. Made from the finest materials, these collectible figures are near perfect recreations of movie characters, such as the Heath Ledger Joker, Robert Pattinson’s The Batman and Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) from Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of The Rings. While these types of figures have grown in popularity in recent years, the INART brand has taken the character likeness to another level. INART incorporate magnetic bases with movie elements to allow collectors to pose and display their figures just how the character looks in the movie. As the event came to a close, collectors both in attendance and online had one burning question, “how can I order these collectibles?”. For US Collectors, some of Queen Studios’ Marvel collectibles can be ordered from Sideshow, the go to place for collectibles in the US. International collectors, and US collectors can also visit Queen Studios’ official store and order directly from the company or click to be redirected to a local retailer. In 2023, QS is expected to release a limited-edition Michael Jackson life-size bust and a Terminator T-800 bust with the likeness of Arnold Schwarzenegger. All these collectibles are limited and tend to sell out quickly. #queenstudios #doctorstrange #spiderman #tomholland #benedictcumberbatch #warnerbros #dc #arthurfleck #joker #joaquinphoenix #heathledger #marvel Queen Studios: https://queenstudios.shop/ About Queen Studios Queen Studios is the first company in the world licensed to make hyper-real silicone busts for Marvel, and the first company in China to do so for DC. In the 5 years since the company was established, the team have pushed the boundaries of what’s possible for these collectibles, blurring the lines between art and life. Contact Details Brand Director Echo Tang echo@nwatoy.com

December 20, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Image

Global C-Pop star Tia Lee hits 100 million views with animation series and launches female focused #EmpowerHer campaign

Redhill Asia

WASHINGTON, D.C., US - Media OutReach - 20 December 2022 - Today, global C-pop star Tia Lee Yu Fen launched her new charitable campaign “#EmpowerHer” hot on the heels after a record breaking 100 million views of her animation series and over 50 million views on her new single“ Goodbye Princess ”. The campaign will donate up to HKD3.8 million to selected beneficiaries include Daughters Of Tomorrow in Singapore, Beats By Girlz and Women in Music in the United States, Teen’s Key in Hong Kong, and more. Inspired by Tia Lee’s personal journey with self-doubt and society’s expectations, both the “ Goodbye Princess ” single and her subsequent #EmpowerHer campaign aims to encourage young women to embrace their authentic selves. The #EmpowerHer campaign will split up to a maximum of HKD3.8million (approximately USD$480,000) between the selected charities. Each view of Tia’s “ Goodbye Princess ” music video will help to empower women around the world. Every time a viewing benchmark is met a donation will be made to the #EmpowerHer campaign, one of the biggest initiatives to support the empowerment of women worldwide. Tia Lee has always been a vocal advocate of female empowerment throughout her career as a C-pop star. Using her international platform, Tia last month talked about the importance of female empowerment in influential publications Vogue and Rollacoaster. New single “ Goodbye Princess ” and the #EmpowerHer campaign marks her biggest initiative in support of women around the world. As “ Goodbye Princess ” MV continues to grow beyond its 50 million views, it is set to become one of the most viewed C-pop campaigns across social media. This provides a strong foundation for Tia’s #EmpowerHer campaign to reach the benchmark. Contact Details Redhill Asia Media Contact +852 6077 7342 global@redhill.asia

December 20, 2022 04:34 AM Eastern Standard Time

Image

Playmaker Named One of the Best Employers in Sports by Front Office Sports

Playmaker

Playmaker, a leading social media sports and entertainment content platform, was included on Front Office Sports’ 2022 Best Employers in Sports list. The list recognizes companies across the sports industry who exhibit strong leadership, as well as a commitment to diversity and inclusion, employee wellbeing and philanthropy. Playmaker became the first social media-based content platform to receive the honor since TwitterSports was included on the inaugural list in 2019. Despite a series of market challenges brought on throughout 2022, Playmaker’s year was highlighted by strong growth across several key areas of the business. The rising sports media platform saw a 300% jump in year-over-year revenue anchored by significant growth across its 30 social media channels, reaching more than 18 million followers and gaining new strategic partnerships with companies such as Pepsi, PointsBet and No House Advantage. Playmaker supported its financial growth by investing in people — specifically operational, marketing and financial employees — as well as new popular and emerging content creators such as Adam Garfield, Cam Smith and Nyrie Iskandarian. This expansion of talent brought Playmaker’s headcount from 12 to 60 in 2022 – a 400% increase. “Putting our team in a position to both have a great time and thrive professionally has been a priority of Playmaker’s since our inception in 2018,” said Playmaker CEO Brandon Harris. “Empowering employee innovation, creativity and freedom enabled us to post our most successful year to date. The value in this type of constructive work environment is underscored not only by positive results, but also our staggering employee retention rate of 95%. We’re looking forward to capitalizing on the momentum we’ve created for ourselves and providing a new perspective on how sports fans engage with content in the future.” Front Office Sports established its annual list in an effort to recognize premier organizations across the burgeoning sports industry that are doing the best for their employees. Winners are selected following an application process analyzing employee sentiment in response to a set of open-ended questions designed to uncover how employees truly feel about their employer. Notable previous winners of the Front Office Sports Best Employers in Sports Award include: the Denver Broncos, Charlotte Hornets, LaLiga, Opendorse and Tipico, among others. About Playmaker Founded in 2018, Playmaker is a new-age media, talent & merchandise company. The company currently influences more than 18 million followers across its social media, 50+ athletes under management and more than 20 original shows on Snap Discover. In addition to its flagship sports content, Playmaker operates independent branded verticals including betting, entertainment, basketball and esports. For more information, please visit Playmaker’s official website. Contact Details HPL Digital Sport for Playmaker Alex Shapiro +1 732-770-9395 ashapiro@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://homeofplaymakers.com/

December 19, 2022 12:30 PM Eastern Standard Time

CleverTap appoints Satyadeep Mishra as Chief Human Resources Officer

CleverTap

CleverTap, the World's #1 Retention Cloud today announced the appointment of Satyadeep Mishra as their new Chief Human Resources Officer. He joins from the hospitality-technology platform, OYO where he worked as the Chief Human Resources Officer for its technology, product, global functions and international markets teams. With over two decades of experience working with the likes of Jio, Barclays and Bajaj Finserv among others, Satya brings with him a demonstrable history of leading teams and conceptualizing innovative HR strategies across domains of talent acquisition, training & development, and performance management. He also played a pivotal role in the transformational growth journey of Jio’s core telecom and digital initiatives. “We are excited to have Satya onboard. Having nurtured some of the industry’s leading experts, quality talent has always been a top priority for CleverTap. And with Satya’s immense experience, I have no doubt that he will lead our People Strategy and continue to build on our culture which puts employees first, as we go from strength to strength in our journey as global MarTech leaders”, said Sidharth Malik, Chief Executive Officer, CleverTap. “It's an absolute pleasure to be part of such a dynamic and exuberant team. The growth of CleverTap over the past few years is a testament to the capabilities and dedication of everybody involved with the team. The roles that HR functions play, not just in people strategy, but even in business, have become significant for more companies, especially within the era of work from anywhere. I am elated to be working with like-minded individuals that understand the importance of retaining and nurturing bright talent. I am confident that together, we can scale new heights and break conventional barriers while creating value not only for our customers but also for our employees the world over”, said Satyadeep Mishra, Chief Human Resource Officer, CleverTap. About CleverTap CleverTap is the World's #1 Retention Cloud that helps app-first brands personalize and optimize all consumer touch points to improve user engagement, retention, and life-time value. It's the only solution built to address the needs of retention and growth teams, with audience analytics, deep-segmentation, multi-channel engagement, product recommendations, and automation in one unified product.The platform is powered by TesseractDB™ - world’s first purpose-built database for customer engagement, offering both speed and economies of scale. CleverTap is trusted by 1500 customers, including Gojek, ShopX, Electronic Arts, TED, English Premier League, TD Bank, Carousell, AirAsia, Papa John’s, and Tesco. Backed by leading investors such as Sequoia India, Tiger Global, Accel, and CDPQ the company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with presence in San Francisco, New York, São Paulo, Bogota, London, Amsterdam, Sofia, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, and Jakarta. For more information, visit clevertap.com or follow on LinkedIn and Twitter. Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements in this press release may represent CleverTap's belief in connection with future events and may be forward-looking statements, or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. CleverTap cautions that such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties that could result in the actual outcome being absolutely different from the results anticipated by the statements mentioned in the press release.Factors such as the development of general economic conditions affecting our business, future market conditions, our ability to maintain cost advantages, uncertainty with respect to earnings, corporate actions, client concentration, reduced demand, liability or damages in our service contracts, unusual catastrophic loss events, war, political instability, changes in government policies or laws, legal restrictions impacting our business, impact of pandemic, epidemic, any natural calamity and other factors that are naturally beyond our control, changes in the capital markets and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different, from those anticipated by such statements. CleverTap does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or updated or revised status of such statements. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will CleverTap and its affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction Contact Details Sony Shetty sony@clevertap.com Company Website https://clevertap.com/

December 19, 2022 07:59 AM Eastern Standard Time

QUEEN OF VERSAILLES REIGNS AGAIN FINDS SECOND WINDOW ON HBO MAX

Full Scope PR

HBO Max announced the second window run of the hit series Queen of Versailles Reigns Again. The series premiered earlier this year on discovery+ and will be available to stream again in a second window run, beginning Wednesday, December 14 on HBO Max. The series follows Jackie Siegel as she reveals the renovation journey of her family’s famous 90,000 square-foot home. In 2012, the world was introduced to Jackie Siegel and her quest to build the largest single-family home in America in the hit documentary The Queen of Versailles. After a stock market plummet nearly killed her dream home, Jackie and her family are ready to return to their famous 90,000 square-foot home. Offering the first glimpse inside the home since the documentary premiered a decade ago, the series will chronicle a vast renovation project, including the completion of five kitchens, a 35-car garage, 150-person dining room, ballroom and the family’s very own British-style pub. As an intriguing fixture in pop culture, Siegel has made headlines with mainstream media and has appeared on hit television shows like Bravo’s Flipping Out, Below Deck Mediterranean, Watch What Happens Live, ABC’s Nightline & The Doctors. Siegel is also a dedicated philanthropist and founded the Victoria’s Voice Foundation in honor of her late daughter, Victoria, who passed of a drug overdose at 18-years-old. The tragedy has trajected her family into a new life purpose: to save lives through drug prevention programs. The foundation aims to bring drug prevention education into the schools, offer healthy social media opportunities for young people, and assist first responders in receiving and administering Narcan to overdose victims. The former Mrs. Florida America is also involved in the national Mrs. America organization and many of the contestants have become outspoken advocates of Victoria ’ s Voice. Queen of Versailles Reigns Again is produced by AMPLE Entertainment. About AMPLE Entertainment Founded by Ari Mark and Phil Lott, AMPLE Entertainment is a production company dedicated to hands-on, filmmaker led premium content. Since launching six years ago, the company has produced multiple series, specials and documentaries including The Invisible Pilot (HBO) with Adam McKay, 9 Months with Courteney Cox (Facebook), Could You Survive The Movies? (YouTube Originals), Murder in the Heartland (Discovery+), Lost Gold of World War II (History), The Lost Women of NXIVM (Investigation Discovery), Cold Case Files (A&E, Netflix), Queen of VersaillesReigns Again (Discovery+) among many more. The company is developing and producing a slate of premium films and series, including the natural-history film Kangaroo Valley (Netflix), the feature documentary After the Fyre with Fremantle Media, and several unannounced premium stranger-than-fiction limited series. Ample has won Emmy Awards for their YouTube series Could You Survive the Movies? and 9 Months with Courteney Cox for Facebook. In 2020, the company launched Ample Nature, the first dedicated Los Angeles-based natural-history unit. Contact Details Full Scope PR Jack Ketsoyan +1 323-321-2004 jack@fullscopepr.com

December 15, 2022 10:31 AM Pacific Standard Time

Image

Origin Dollar OUSD V2 Launch to Attract Users Burnt by FTX, BlockFi, and Voyager With Safer Alternative

Benzinga

By Ryan McNamara, Benzinga Contributor At a time when uncertainty in crypto is at an all time high, Origin Protocol launched OUSD V2, allowing users to take full control of their yield directly from their crypto wallet. Users that hold OUSD see their token balance grow in their wallet –– the entire process is passive. After diving into the mechanics of Origin Dollar, it’s clear that Origin’s decentralized solution is a secure alternative to risky centralized finance (CeFi) interest alternatives. The protocol’s new yield generation strategies are audited by OpenZeppelin, the auditors of Coinbase, Aave, and the Ethereum Foundation. In response to recent CeFi failures, Origin seeks to give power back to users through true asset ownership. Origin Dollar is completely transparent, fully collateralized, and has instant liquidity at all times via Ethereum’s blockchain. With the implementation of new Convex and Morpho strategies for OUSD V2, Origin Dollar now provides the highest stablecoin interest rates available on a risk-adjusted basis. “Origin has been building OUSD with a security-first philosophy for years. For a long time, the yield on OUSD was inline with what’s found on USDC and DAI, and it’s incredibly exciting to see the improvements made to the protocol this month. Over the last 30-days, OUSD has earned holders over 6% APY. That’s over twice the rate of the prior month with no additional risk, thanks to OUSD V2,” said Josh Fraser, co-founder at Origin Protocol. OUSD has deployed two new strategies for yield generation using the Convex protocol. As evidence of Origin’s ongoing commitment to prioritizing security, both strategies have been audited by industry leading auditing firm, OpenZeppelin. View the full audit findings here. The strategies are designed to provide liquidity to decentralized stablecoin exchange Curve’s 3Pool (3CRV) via different mechanics. 3CRV comprises USDC, USDT, and DAI – the three stables that act as collateral for OUSD. Origin’s long-standing partnership with both Convex and Curve has allowed us to implement these strategies and innovate on their efficiency. "OUSD empowers individuals to own their crypto, which has been brought into the limelight in 2022. And for new users, OUSD is the perfect way to dip one’s feet into DeFi. There’s no need for active management, and yield is passively earned and deposited to one’s web3 wallet daily.” Nicolau continued, “OUSD is also a great tool for DAOs. Most DAOs want to stay decentralized and directly own their assets, so it’s hard to manage funds off-chain or trust another party to manage a DAO’s treasury. With OUSD, DAO treasuries can directly own their assets like any other token, and interest from OUSD’s collateral will be deposited into the DAO treasury daily.” - Andra Nicolau Head of BD, OUSD As centralized crypto alternatives must fight to gain back investors’ trust, decentralized finance and OUSD offer an opportunity to eliminate trust completely. With funds managed by code instead of humans, the risk-profile of DeFi is far different than the risks on centralized exchanges. OUSD remains fully collateralized, transparent, and permissionless on Ethereum. OUSD is only one of six projects that have received a AAA security rating from premier decentralized insurance platform InsurAce. All smart contracts are meticulously audited prior to deployment, as has been done with the convex strategies via OpenZeppelin. OUSD is a constantly evolving protocol. Origin is consistently working to build new strategies on top of Curve, Convex, Aave, and Compound to deliver the best possible yields to holders. These strategies and allocations can be viewed via OUSD’s governance portal and will be subject to the same rigorous security measures currently being utilized. As part of Origin’s commitment to transparency, all OUSD allocations and statistics can be accessed via the analytics dashboard. Holding OUSD allows you to benefit from incredible APYs using the space’s hardest collateral, deployed to premier, battle-tested DeFi protocols. Yield is delivered straight to your wallet – no lockups required. About Origin Protocol Founded in 2017, Origin Protocol is a web3 pioneer developing innovative products in the crypto industryâs fastest growing verticals of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized finance (DeFi). Originâs NFT platform, Origin Story, the platformâs NFT product, has powered NFT sales like 3LAU's $11.7M record-breaking music sale, the Charlie Bit My Finger viral video sale that generated global headlines, Paris Hiltonâs iconic âPast Lives, New Beginningsâ series drop, and many more. Origin has worked with top NFT creators like Trevor Jones and Alotta Money as well as brands like Rolling Stones and Inspiration4/SpaceX, in addition to developing branded marketplaces for beloved NFT collections, including Pudgy Penguins and Karafuru. Contact Details ORIGIN PROTOCOL MEDIA CONTACT Denis Serikov | ThronePR denis@thronepr.com Company Website https://www.originprotocol.com/

December 15, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

COMCAST IS LAUNCHING NEW MULTI-GIG INTERNET SPEEDS TO DENVER AREA HOMES AND BUSINESSES

Comcast Colorado

On the heels of increasing internet speeds for the majority of customers in Colorado, today Comcast launched an additional multi-gig internet speed tier for Xfinity and Comcast Business customers throughout the Denver Metro Area. Comcast is now delivering download speeds up to 2 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) and up to 5x to 10x faster upload speeds to customers throughout the Denver metro area. “Our network is made for anything, so you can do anything,” said J.D. Keller, Senior Vice President Comcast Mountain West Region. “Comcast continues to be ahead of customer demand, which enables our network to meet our customers’ needs for fast, reliable internet connections. My own kids and family are working, learning, chatting, watching movies or playing games online whenever we are in the house. I know others have the same experience. Comcast’s investments in our network will provide peace of mind to Coloradans that they can stay reliably connected through the technology they have today and be able to meet their needs tomorrow.” The new multi-gig tier and faster upload speeds are part of the largest- and fastest multi-gig network and WiFi deployment in the United States, which Comcast launched earlier in 2022. As an additional component of this initiative, the company plans to introduce multi-gig symmetrical services in the second half of 2023. As markets launch, Xfinity Internet customers who subscribe to xFi Complete will have their upload speeds increased between 5 and 10 times faster. xFi Complete includes an xFi gateway, advanced cybersecurity protection at home and on the go, tech auto-upgrades for a new gateway after three years, and wall-to-wall WiFi coverage with an xFi Pod included if recommended. “By investing in infrastructure upgrades that ensure secure, reliable connectivity for all our residents and businesses, installing free Community WiFi Lift Zones in neighborhoods with the most connectivity needs, and supporting area families with their Internet Essentials Program, Comcast has shown a commitment to the Denver metro area to ensuring Colorado is prepared for tomorrow – today,” said J. J. Ament, President and CEO, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. Speeds Supported by an Unbeatable WiFi Experience While fast speeds are table stakes, Comcast is regularly introducing new capabilities to help our customers manage their increasingly connected homes: Next-Level Cybersecurity: Advanced cybersecurity that blocks threats at the gateway, before they reach devices, to keep everyone safe and secure online. WiFi Controls: A dashboard for all the devices connected to the home network with built-in capabilities to pause access, set up parental controls or automate screen-time rules. Wall-to-Wall Coverage: A reliable connection for all connected devices and coverage throughout the home with Xfinity xFi Pod WiFi extenders. Most Recommended Mobile: A top-ranked mobile service according to the ACSI, Xfinity Mobile combines the most reliable 5G with more than 20 million WiFi hotspots to deliver the fastest mobile speeds in Comcast service areas and save people hundreds of dollars per year. Unbeatable Entertainment: 4K streaming to enjoy content in one place and an award-winning voice remote to navigate between them seamlessly. Plus, thousands of hours of free entertainment. More information about the industry’s efforts toward a 10G future can be found here. Visit Xfinity to learn more and sign up for these exciting new products. Facts about Comcast in Colorado: • Comcast has more than 1,200 miles of fiber in the City of Denver – nearly 9,000 miles throughout the state of Colorado. • More than 2.3 million homes and businesses have access to Xfinity and Comcast Business products and services statewide. • Comcast has invested more than $1.2 billion in its network in Colorado alone in the last three years. • We make continuous strategic investments in building broadband network capacity to stay ahead of demand — effectively doubling our capacity every 2.5 years. • Since 2011, Comcast has connected nearly 600,000 income-constrained Coloradans to the Internet through its Internet Essentials Program – the nation’s largest and most successful private-sector low-income broadband adoption program. The program provides income-eligible people the ability to connect to the Internet for $9.95 per month. Additionally, Comcast participates in the Federal Affordable Connectivity Program which provides those who are eligible a $30 per month credit for the Internet service. • As part of Comcast’s ongoing commitment to help connect low-income families to the internet, Comcast also worked with our network of nonprofit, community, and city partners to equip nearly 100 locations across Colorado with WiFi connected Lift Zones where students and adults can get online, participate in learning and workforce development trainings, and access critical resources. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on connectivity, aggregation, and streaming with 57 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Leslie Oliver +1 303-810-6326 leslie_oliver@comcast.com Company Website https://colorado.comcast.com/

December 14, 2022 11:00 AM Mountain Standard Time

Image

Holiday Season Retail Sales Forecasts Are Down – Yoshitsu Could Be Well Placed To Make The Most Of Potentially More Robust Wholesale Trends As Demand Is Pulled Forward

Benzinga

Consumer behavior has changed in many ways since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020. One of the key changes was in the way people did their shopping. Most people had to work from home at the time and due to the stay-at-home orders and multiple lockdowns, consumers looked for avenues to shop online and avoid indoor venues like shopping malls and restaurants. E-commerce witnessed an all-time peak in 2020 increasing by $244.2 billion or 43%, rising from $571.2 billion in 2019 to $815.4 billion in 2020. Two years on, these consumer behavior changes continue to be evidenced and e-commerce seems to be here to stay with many brands pivoting their business strategies to include e-commerce in a more significant way to remain competitive. Even with e-commerce, the holiday season is usually the perfect time for a boost in sales, when holiday discounts, gift-giving, festivities, parties and social pressures create a massive influx of consumer spending. Holiday Ecommerce Sales Growth In 2022 Could Likely Drop Below Pre-Pandemic Levels Although the fabulously high levels of e-commerce sales reached during the pandemic and its corresponding holiday season may have been something of an exception, typically the U.S. has always seen a double-digit increase in e-commerce growth during the holiday season. During 2021 the increase in retail e-commerce sales dipped to below pre-pandemic levels to 8.6%, seemingly on account of the post-pandemic economic slowdown –- with cash-strapped consumers being hesitant to open their wallets. The downward trend may continue this year, with reports estimating that U.S. consumers will spend even less in the 2022 holiday season. E-commerce sales seem set to grow by an underwhelming 2.5% according to Insider Intelligence. One of the factors affecting this number could be the sales events that e-commerce giants like Amazon and Walmart initiated in October, ahead of the holiday season which have likely pulled demand forward. While the retail e-commerce scenario seems not so encouraging, wholesale e-commerce could continue to thrive regardless of seasonal trends, as the key drivers of the business are quite different for wholesale e-commerce as compared to retail. Wholesale Businesses Might Benefit Greatly From Using Ecommerce Wholesale e-commerce is a business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce model where businesses sell products in bulk at a discounted price to other businesses, instead of selling products individually to consumers – essentially acting as the intermediary between the manufacturer and the distributor or retailer. A significant advantage of e-commerce for wholesale businesses is that they aren't bound by physical location and can reach customers all around the globe via their website, social media and various marketplaces. Moreover, e-commerce makes life much more convenient for wholesalers by enabling them to research options and make their purchases right from their mobile phones while on the move, without having to involve sales. In addition, by using e-commerce platforms, wholesalers can lower or even eliminate unnecessary costs even as they expand their online presence, resulting in improved profitability. Yoshitsu’s Wholesale Businesses Could Help It Sail Through The Holiday Season Tokyo-based Yoshitsu Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: TKLF), a Japanese retailer and wholesaler of beauty and health products, home goods and food has seemingly benefitted from its mixed model approach of straddling both the wholesale and retail business worlds and selling its products through the use of e-commerce as well as via brick and mortar stores. Yoshitsu has an extensive business network both in Japan and abroad, including over 200 wholesale clients, numerous online stores in China, Korea and Japan, several franchise stores in the United States, Canada, China (Hong Kong) and the United Kingdom, apart from company-operated stores in Japan. The company’s online stores, franchised stores and wholesale operations account for up to 95% of its revenue, which hit $221.51 million in 2021, up from $139.57 million in 2020. The company has been expanding its warehouse operations to support its wholesale businesses and as part of its proposed global expansion in Europe, recently leased its first 2,362-square-foot warehouse in London. Yoshitsu also recently opened a new retail store in China (Hong Kong) as part of the company's long-term plan to expand its presence in China. China reportedly contributed 75% of the company's annual revenue in 2021 and the company was also featured as one of the top five stocks to buy to invest in China in a recently published article on WealthyVC. The health and beauty products market in Japan is expected to grow from $24.6 billion in 2022 to $29.7 billion in 2025. In North America, it is projected to do even better and reach $455.1 billion, and in China it's expected to grow to $137.7 billion during the same time frame. With its growing footprint in all the right markets, and a strong wholesale and retail presence straddling both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar approaches, Yoshitsu could be positioned for growth in the coming years. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

December 14, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

1 ... 95 96 97 98 99 ... 166