But according to one Aussie CEO, “free” is actually anything but for a huge chunk of the population. Speaking at the 2018 Online Retailer trade event, Kogan.com founder and CEO Ruslan Kogan said the offer was little more than a gimmick — and that Sydney and Melbourne residents were paying the price. • Never type this in a work email • Macca’s experiment blows up in its face • ‘Suck it up’: Expert slams housing myth “People love free shipping, so customer-focused businesses have free shipping — but we know it doesn’t exist,” he said. “We know that sending something to Broome or Cairns costs more than sending something to metro Sydney or Melbourne. “But on the website, it still says ‘free shipping’ — so they punish metro customers and make them subsidise those Broome and Cairns customers.” In a nutshell, the cost of providing shipping for customers across the … [Read more...] about Kogan.com CEO says metro customers forced to subsidise rural shoppers
Regional trade shows
ECA to launch online investment information tool in more African countries for investment
Video PlayerClose ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on Wednesday announced that it is currently working with more African countries in developing the joint online information project, dubbed "iGuide", an easy-to-use tool providing potential investors with useful information concerning investment opportunities, costs, and applicable laws and procedures. With a view of supporting investment flows and by jointly working with the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Commission has already launched the iGuide projects in seven countries, including Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Zambia. The Regional Integration and Trade Director at ECA, Stephen Karingi, said progress has been registered in the area of investment in many African countries though the regional distribution show that foreign direct investment (FDI) is concentrated in a handful countries, including Egypt and South Africa. He underlined the need to change the existing situation by … [Read more...] about ECA to launch online investment information tool in more African countries for investment
Netflix’s Indian ambitions face hurdle of cheaper services
Netflix Inc., whose shares plunged after it reported the worst drop in US users since 2011, is looking for new subscriber growth in India, a rapidly expanding streaming market. Trouble is, so are a raft of ambitious local players with cut-rate programming packages.Already wrestling with global giants such as Walt Disney Co. and Amazon.com Inc., Netflix now also contends with broadcasters and Bollywood powerhouses allied with billionaire-backed wireless carriers, who are luring users with free offers or as low as 40 cents a month. That tactic has put them directly in the India growth path of the world’s largest paid online streaming service.The intense competition could derail Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings’s goal of 100 million customers in India -- almost 25 times Netflix’s estimated subscriber base there this year. The world’s second-most populous country is a priority for the streaming service, which is effectively … [Read more...] about Netflix’s Indian ambitions face hurdle of cheaper services
China-Vietnam economic forum held in Vietnam’s HCM City
Video PlayerClose HO CHI MINH CITY, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnam-China Economy and Trade Cooperation Forum was held here on Wednesday. The event was organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. At the forum, over 200 Chinese and Vietnamese firms discussed market demand and cooperation potential between the two countries' enterprises in the fields of electric and electronic equipment, construction and indoor and outdoor decoration. The forum is part of the 2018 Vietnam International Trade Fair, which kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday, with the participation of 750 companies from 20 countries and regions. At the four-day expo, the companies from such countries as Belarus, China, Britain, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey and the United States are showing their latest products in various fields, including electric and electronic equipment, industrial machines and components, construction … [Read more...] about China-Vietnam economic forum held in Vietnam’s HCM City
Spotlight: Turkey threatens to send troops to Libya amid east Mediterranean tensions
Video PlayerClose by Burak Akinci ANKARA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country would have the right to deploy soldiers in Libya if it was invited by the internationally-backed Libyan government, a move which could open a new stage in the power struggle in the Mediterranean, experts said. Erdogan's remarks came after a controversial gas deal between Ankara and Tripoli which has already upset Turkey's antagonists in the region. "The activity of sending soldiers in response to such a call from Libya's national government can never be interpreted" as a violation of the UN embargo, Erdogan said Monday in an interview with state-run TRT television. On Tuesday, during a speech in Ankara, the Turkish strongman reiterated his views on sending troops to Libya, speaking of "sufficient" soldiers, without elaborating further. His remarks came weeks after Ankara signed a defense and maritime boundaries agreement with Libya, which aimed at strengthening … [Read more...] about Spotlight: Turkey threatens to send troops to Libya amid east Mediterranean tensions