News Line

H & M will launch an upscale brand

March 30, 2012

The clothing giant Hennes & Mauritz (H & M) has, once again, makes investors wince and smile fashionistas. The chain has indeed saw its stock fall by 4% in session Thursday after yet displayed, for the first quarter, sales growth (+13%), to 3.14 billion euros and net income up ( 4.6%), 310 million, but below analysts' expectations. Its gross margin was down 2% year on year, to 55.8%.

H & M defends itself by arguing that its margins were impacted by higher production costs, including cotton and the wages in Asia, the group chose the least possible impact on prices offered to customers. Profitability has also been undermined by "long-term investments to expand our total supply," said the boss, Karl-Johan Persson, including "a completely new chain of stores" for 2013.

H & M intends to repeat the international success and very "profitable" for its first upscale brand, called COS (Collection of Style as) and launched 5 years ago. His second string, which will be launched to conquer major cities worldwide, will be even more upscale, but will remain open: "This brand will be positioned on a separate segment higher price than COS while offering the best price for each item" , said a spokesman.

A team dedicated to new concepts

If Spanish Zara (Inditex Group) dominates H & M and Gap others in terms of responsiveness to trends, however, Swedish wants to keep one step ahead in the "masstige", this complex cocktail of "mass- market "and" prestige ". Number of creators and signed lines for H & M, including Versace Marni recently.

Last stunt of the Swedish chain: at the London BAFTA ceremony, the "Caesars" British, Michelle Williams seemed dressed in haute couture. The actress, who plays Marilyn Monroe in the film, was actually a golden corset and organic cotton skirt and satin back crepe designer H & M. A similar holding will be sold soon to clients of the Swedish chain. Similarly, parades American stars on the red carpet in the middle of Oscar season, H & M has convinced celebrities to wear dresses of his online "Exclusive Conscious", which models will, in April, sold in a selection of 100 stores, in its new and larger collection "H & M Conscious."

In the world of fashion, the new concept of future H & M has not totally surprised: not long ago, a famous fashion designer Scandinavian Behnaz Aram, was hired by H & M to strengthen its teams dedicated to " new concepts. " A discreet but strategic cell that has already developed three brands: Cos, and Monki Day Weekend, and H & M Home.

Like SOC, which will open its first store outside Europe, Hong Kong, the new chain H & M will be a strong argument to fight against Zara and its upscale brand Massimo Dutti, especially on emerging market savvy luxury.

Oil: Toward an invoice record 2000 billion

March 28, 2012

2 trillion dollars, 1.5 trillion euros. This is the amount of the invoice World crude this year, according to estimates by the International Energy Agency, if oil prices remain at their summits in the coming months. Warming relative to GDP, oil purchases could represent 3.4% against 3.1% in 2011.

In the EU alone, the cost would be $ 500 billion, $ 426 billion for the United States and 250 billion for China. The weakness of the euro against the dollar increases because the oil bill, dollar denominated, for Europe. From $ 1.49 last May, the European currency is now worth $ 1.33.

Last year, with a barrel to $ 125 on average $ 107 in London and New York, purchases of oil in the world have cost 1.8 trillion. In 2008, when the barrel reached a historical peak of 147 dollars, the bill had risen to 1.7 trillion.

The invoice record concerned the president of the U.S. central bank, Ben Bernanke. He said yesterday in a television interview to ABC News, that the surge in gasoline prices, largely due to soaring oil prices, was a "major problem" in the United States, while affirming she did not put "at risk the economic recovery" of the country. According to the American Association of motorists AAA, the average price of regular gasoline at the pump in the U.S. yesterday showed an increase of 5.7% on month and 8.8% year on year. In France, the price of fuel will record after record and a liter of unleaded 95 has exceeded the 2 euros in Paris.

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The bank of the Queen pinned for laundering

March 27, 2012

"Violations unacceptable." Constable of the London Stock Exchange, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), a verdict without pity Coutts, a financial institution of the most prestigious yet. Founded in the late seventeenth century, the asset management company is famous for hosting the assets of many aristocrats, including Queen Elizabeth, as well as athletes and pop stars.

Apparently giving too much credit to the pedigree of its distinguished clientele, the bank, now a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Scotland, has failed to monitor the source of funds for new clients considered "at risk". The FSA has therefore imposed a fine of 8.75 million pounds (10 million) for its laxity in the fight against money laundering easy payday loans. Details of customers or transactions at issue were not disclosed.

The bank agreed to review its procedures, which enabled him to obtain a 30% discount on its fine, but protested that no evidence of bleaching was found. If this sanction may be bad effect on the reputation of the very exclusive private bank, this is not the first difference: in November, Coutts had already fined 6.3 million pounds (7.5 million) for selling an investment product that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. Besides London, the bank has offices in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Dubai, Jersey, Isle of Man, Monaco and the Cayman Islands.

Corsica reduced subsidies of SNCM

March 25, 2012

The National Society Corse Méditerranée (SNCM) lost Friday the benefit of much of the subsidies it enjoyed. The Corsican Assembly voted Friday because the new methods of shipping services to the island. As expected, the recommendations of the Executive were followed. The new public service delegation (PSD) – the former was denounced by the Administrative Court of Appeal of Marseilles in November – no longer subsidize the transport 410,000 passengers a year against more than one million currently, and in 1600 linear meters of cargo, with rotations of 23 weekly frequencies between Marseille and the five Corsican ports. A reduction of 60% compared to the old contract. An endowment called "complementary service" financing maritime connections during peak periods, especially with the summer influx of tourists, will also be more funded Territorial Community of Corsica (CTC).

To justify its decision, the CTC relies on the argument used by the judges that the DSP can step in to fill gaps in the competitive sector, and therefore should not subsidize the boats during peak periods, especially in summer when no shortage of passengers. A so-called "welfare", denounced as a form of disguised subsidy to reduce the ticket prices, has finally been removed. The CTC also rejected the principle of territorial continuity Toulon harbor, stronghold of the private company Corsica Ferries, whose vessels fly the Italian flag and holds the key market share in passenger traffic, but where SNCM, has since recovered several months of rotations to develop its business in the transport of goods.

A study commission

These decisions may seal the fate of the shipping company. The company will have to separate at least two car ferries (which carried 540,000 passengers last year) and 800 employees in 2000, warned Marc Dufour, chief executive. Above all, he feared not being able to compete with its competitor. He says the Journal du Dimanche, as Corsica Ferries employs half as many employees it pays three to four times cheaper because it hires mostly foreign sailors in CSD.

Given the risk of new social plan, 400 jobs have already been abolished in 2008, unions are mobilizing. The CGT has filed a strike notice from Tuesday, March 27. Its manager, Frederic Alpozzo, called competitors to comply with the rules of labor rights and the French owners of SNCM, the Transdev group Veolia (66%) and state (25%) was bailing the company. If the state remains silent, Veolia, which began its withdrawal from the transport sector, has already proposed to the community of Corsica to regain its majority stake in the company privatized in 2005 for a symbolic euro. A proposal described as grotesque by the Transportation Agency of Corsica. Veolia representatives must meet the elected this week. CTC in turn did not close all doors. Creating a study commission to create a regional shipping company has also been adopted by the Assembly on Friday.

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The French press has its declining diffusion

March 23, 2012

No turnaround but no collapse either. Dissemination of the mainstream press has eroded again in 2011, an average of 2.26%, a decrease of similar magnitude in 2010, according to figures presented Thursday by the OJD, the body diffusion control of the press. According to the Observatory, the French have bought a total of just over 4 billion copies last year.

All families press record a slowdown in sales. If the decline is marked for magazines (-3.11%), it remains contained to the regional daily press (-2.28%) and the national daily press (-1.36%). Among the dailies, Francedemeure West title with the highest circulation (748,213 copies in France paid broadcast). Le Figaro (321,101 copies) and The World (292,062 copies) dominate nationally. Erosion is strongest for Sunday newspapers (-4%) and regional weeklies (-4.4%).

Among the major categories of magazines, newspapers television (TV Magazine, TV Z, Tele 7 Jours …), which represents 40.6% of volumes of magazines, fell by 3.3% between 2010 and 2011. This withdrawal explains to a large extent the magnitude of the decline of all magazines. The women, who had risen in 2010, this time displayed a drop of 2%. Hardest hit the tabloids, which had peaked between 2006 and 2008, accelerating its reflux of 4.6%. Only general news headlines (Paris Match, Le Figaro Magazine …) and news (Le Nouvel Observateur, L'Express …) take their game well, limiting their respective decreases of 0.55% and 0.76%.

Accessibility problem

In smaller classes, lower often exceeds 3%. The sporting press (Team Mag, France Football …) fell by 7.6%, the business press (Capital Challenges …) and the press room (Maxi Cuisine, Regal …) of 4.6% and children's press ( Scrooge Super Giant, Le Journal de Mickey …) 5%. Down sharply, the press photo-film-video-music (First, … Studio Ciné Live) fell by almost 8%. Among the most affected families, the computer press (14%) male and the press (27%) due to the shutdown of securities. However, the press auto-moto and one dedicated to science exhibit good resistance.

For Bartement Patrick, CEO of OJD, it is relative sector crisis. "The spread has declined 20% in five years, 500 million copies in less, he says. But this decline is entirely due to lower sales copy, that is to say, in kiosks and newsagents electronic check payday advance. For subscription sales remained stable, thanks to the portage. "The evidence, he said that the problem facing the press is the first of its distribution network. "When the press is available, the press is selling," says Patrick Bartement. The ongoing restructuring of NMPP, the first distributor of the press in France, is in this sense crucial if the sector is the trend.

More than 35 million readers a day

The French are big consumers of news. This is the main teaching of the first One study, presented Thursday at the 22nd Observatory of the press of OJD. One meets for the first time all the families of press in a single audience measurement, using the same methodology. Every day in France, more than 35 million people read at least one press title, 69% aged 15 and older. Better: they are 97% to pick up a newspaper in hand each month.

On average, 7.1 French read different titles: 1.4 and 5.7 daily magazines. Very fond of magazines, they skim regularly as TV news, but especially securities interests in the world of women, health, cooking, celebrities and family, not to mention the news, the titles "pictures" and economic or home-decor and garden.

Daily newspapers, logically, shorter life spans. At 8 am, 20% of readers of this press have already covered their favorite track. They are 70% at midday. In the family of magazines, weekly newspapers are read for 2.6 days, three days monthly and bimonthly (every two months) 3.4 days. The handling of securities, that is to say the number of times the reader reads the newspaper, reaching 6 to 7 times for magazines, against just over 2.5 for both national and regional newspapers, and 1.6 times for free daily.

All these reading habits are enriched by the rise of digital. The new study incorporates these new forms of reading, which increase the power of writing. One particular reveals that Internet users are also strong supporters of the press, with an average of 7.3 titles read.

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 Hunger Games: devouring a marketing

March 22, 2012

Literary phenomenon – 26 million books sold worldwide-, future successful film, Hunger Games has already rewritten the way the studios are promoting their films. The film should make the best start to the year in the U.S. and pocket this week between 82 million and $ 140 million. What hair briskly to post another fad adolescents film of the moment, Twilight. With a budget of $ 45 million, a team of 21 persons (where an envelope of 100 million and 100 people are the norm), the Canadian studio has fueled a fierce curiosity about the saga of Suzanne Collins, delicate yet for sale : Hunger Games follows 24 teenagers killing each other in an arena at game shows, in a post-apocalyptic America. Even before the triumph of Hunger Games, Hollywood hails a clever marketing plan.

First, the studio has provided a solid foundation. For a faithful adaptation, it instructed the novelist Suzanne Collins to write itself a preliminary scenario. The project budget was generous: $ 80 million, almost three times more than the first Twilight. Distribution also. Upon completion, Gary Ross (Big, Pleasantville), four time Oscar nominee, winning the bet, the end of 2010 bad credit payday advance. For the role of the heroine, Katniss, Lionsgate hesitates between rising stars, including Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) and Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men The beginning, Winter's Bone), cited at the Oscars 2011. Lawrence is finally chosen. These primary choice made, Lionsgate takes out his slow campaign plank on which he since 2009 and must make the fever Hunger Games for a year.

Fake websites, fake ads

First axis: social networks. A chronology established by matrketing services, which states hour by hour, platform by platform exclusives to reveal. In March 2011, the film's Facebook page distills the names of players who embody the tributes of the 12 districts of Panem. As in the book, they are advertised in pairs. Very popular, this page has more than 3 million subscribers. French equivalent totals, him 50,000 followers. In August, Lionsgate on Twitter encourages users to explore the site thecapitol.pn (the Capitol is the venue of the Hunger Games, ed) and to produce an identity card. 800 000 "citizens" meet present and elect their mayors in November.

The stylist Cinna (played by Lenny Kravitz) touts an eyeliner

A shortage of spread creates panic

March 21, 2012

New Zealand takes action … to a spread! Marmite, British brand of chocolate spread made from yeast prized by the Anglo-Saxons, becomes almost impossible to find in the "land of the long white cloud". This shortage is due to the partial destruction of the only plant in the country after the deadly earthquake of 2011 in Christchurch. Production lines should be operational again in July, but for the moment, no pot over fate of New Zealand site. What cause a real crisis, called "Marmageddon" by the media.

The New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has thus taken to respond to this national tragedy. He said this morning he felt personally the impact of this crisis. "He left me a little bit in my office, and once it runs out, I know that the reserves will be almost finished" in the country, he told the New Zealand television . For his part, Pierre Van Heerden, CEO of the Sanitarium, the group that produced Marmite in New Zealand (as production is also managed by Unilever), spoke on public radio. He recommended to the gourmets to ration: "With the toasted bread, which is a bit hot, it can be more easily spread thinly." The leader says that one should not "panic" because "we have the product again in the same, that we all love."

Orchestrated a buzz?

Too late. The rush to the pot has already begun. The Kiwis went to the supermarket to buy the latest pots still on the shelves direct payday lenders. But not everyone could get their hands on the coveted dishes and they are then folded on auctions sites. Trade Me, the first site for buying and selling in New Zealand, and has served in numerous exchanges of the famous spread. Some sellers offer pots over NZ $ 100 (about 62 euros), or twenty times the usual price of sale. Others do not hesitate to sell pots already started!

And information has already been around the Web. The term "Marmageddon", popularized by the press and Twitter, has its "hashtag" preceded by "#" sign, Marmageddon becomes a key word on the microblogging site, and the topic is the subject of many reactions. "Marmite" is even the first topic of conversation on social networks in New Zealand on Tuesday, Twitter and Facebook. Fans of the sandwich spread to share their tips for dealing with the scourge. Some advise to rationing while others say they turn to its Australian equivalent, the Vegemite.

Many Internet users do not, however the magnitude of the buzz. A New Zealander living in France is surprised on her Twitter account: "The last 20 tweets from my contacts in New Zealand all deal with the shortage of # Marmite. Seriously, nothing happens in my country, "he quips. So much so that many users suspect a well-orchestrated marketing campaign.

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20 ways to reduce public spending

March 18, 2012

TO LOSE WEIGHT IS

1. Freeze the salaries of officials

With € 285 billion, salaries and pensions of the public are the first state budget. Although the "index points" (which is the reference to general increases) is frozen this year for the second consecutive year, the remuneration of officials will progress even when 2 to 3% in 2012, according to iFRAP Foundation (liberal) . And, through seniority, categorical increases, the small revaluation of treatments. Contrary to popular belief, the public is already better off than the private. The iFRAP advocates a true gel.

2. Continue the non-replacement of staff on two retiring

In five years, this measure reported € 7 billion, half of which was reinvested in the state in the form of salary increases. Any relaxation would be disastrous even if the pensions of baby boomeurs is essentially behind us, we must expect fewer departures from 2013. The "one in two 'will save between 800 and 970 M € / year between 2011 and 2013, according to the Court of Auditors, which suggests that in future a lesser amount be passed on to officials in the form of wage increases no teletrack payday loan.

3. Apply the "one two" to all public

They are close to 600, employing 375,000 people and were spared by the scissors of Bercy. The "one in two" is applied to them since 2011. And again, those who depend on Higher Education and Research (58% of total) are exempted. They therefore took the opportunity to increase their workforce (1.5% in 2010)! Can they remain forever outside the norm?

4. Accelerate property disposals

Palace expensive to maintain and inappropriate functioning of a modern office buildings empty, deserted barracks … The state sold for € 500 million building in 2010. It remains what to do (list still contains 1700 local) and must be accelerated tempo. It is especially important to assign a higher share of sales proceeds to reduce debt (15% today). Do not forget the beautiful residences of French diplomacy abroad: some are worth several million euros.

France spends 6% of GDP to Education Photo credits: MELANIE FREY / Le Figaro Magazine

Flammarion has shaken the publishing industry

March 17, 2012

Sell, not sell? The sale of Flammarion stirred microcosm of the French edition, while officially opens the 32nd Book Fair. That same Friday, the board of the Italian Rizzoli Corriere della Sera (RCS), owner of the prestigious, will meet in Milan to validate and formalize its 2011 accounts – or not – the sale of its publishing subsidiary , which weighs more than a third of its business books and two-thirds of operating profit of the division. A nugget with Italian giant RCS Mediagroup, which owns the daily Corriere della Sera and El Mundo, could sell to reduce debt.

Currently, only Gallimard and Editions Albin Michel have formally submitted applications. However, Editis-Media Holdings, Europe's leading BD (Dargaud, Dupuis, Le Lombard …), the British HarperCollins (NewsCorp) and investment funds may be interested. The case is also closely monitored by the Strategic Investment Fund (ISF), which plans to support other investors. For the latter, the idea would be to find a French solution, which advocates or Albin Michel Gallimard, and dismisses a priori Editis, which belongs to the Spanish Planeta. "Gallimard can go alone," says a banker. The ties that bind the current patron of Flammarion, Teresa CREMISI, Antoine Gallimard, she was the editorial director from 1989 to 2005, could weigh in the decision. But the two groups each have a distribution tool. Albin Michel, who does not seem more complementary Flammarion.

The house founded in 1876 by Ernest Flammarion is one of the champions of the French edition, behind Hachette Livre, Editis, Media-Participations and La Martiniere-Le Seuil, but at Gallimard free 3-in-1 credit report. In 2010, the group Flammarion, publisher of the Prix Goncourt Michel Houellebecq and sells 36 million pounds per year, achieved a turnover of 278 million euros (219 million excluding distribution), against 241 million for the Gallimard Group (Denoël, Mercure de France …). He has nice assets, as Casterman (Tintin), and displays a nice profit, with an EBITDA of approximately € 30 million.

Numerical uncertainty

Everything to play. The sale could take months, hoping RCS Mediagroup remove between 220 and 300 million euros of the operation entrusted to the Italian bank Mediobanca, which itself owns nearly 14% of RCS. In 2000, the Italian group had taken control of Flammarion by paying about $ 160 million. The difficulty is to develop an activity whose visibility is parasitized by the development of digital books. While the share of sales of e-books is still marginal, in the order of 2 to 3% of market value, according to Livres Hebdo. But sales of reading lights, which took off in late 2011, shook the area. The book publisher Harlequin romance of France, 50% owned subsidiary of Hachette Livre and a lot of direct sales, and expects to achieve 15% of its business in the digital within two years. 3000 of its securities should be downloadable in late 2012.

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Rhone-Alpes, the preferred region for young professionals

March 15, 2012

Young graduates and young professionals dream of living and working in the Rhone-Alpes region, Lyon is their favorite city. This is the result of a survey of APEC conducted among 750 managers and 500 graduates, published Thursday. According to them, "Rhone-Alpes region appears to be the best combination of economic vitality and quality of life. It is cited as the first region for the quality of life and the second in terms of economic dynamism, "said Apec.

Rhone-Alpes is followed by Midi-Pyrenees, Aquitaine and Paca, which are cited by over a quarter of executives. A total of ten regions appear attractive to this population, if we add the Languedoc-Roussillon, the Loire Valley, Brittany, Ile-de-France, Alsace, Nord-Pas de Calais. A map of the regions combining economic dynamism and quality of life that was consonant with some of the INSEE forecasts according to which, "Rhone-Alpes, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrenees, Paca, Loire and Aquitaine know the evolution of their most dynamic workforce by 2030. "

As for the Ile de France, it occupies a special place in the heart of managers and young graduates. As stated in Apec, "it is the most attractive region for economic dynamism with rates above 90%, but in terms of quality of life, the region ranks only eighth, also among both executives than for graduates. " It is true that in the eyes of this population, an unattractive region is a region that concentrates a number of disadvantages such as "a living environment degradation (pollution …), a real estate market saturated or too expensive, time transport home / work or too great a high unemployment rate. " Many criteria that may affect near or far the Ile de France guaranteed online payday loans.

Attractiveness criteria: transportation and climate

In total what are the criteria for this population to judge "attractive" region? In terms of quality of life, to attach great importance to the travel time between home and office (over 49% among the two categories of people surveyed), the living environment (34% for graduates and 40% in frames), climate (31% for graduates and 39% for managers) and the range of leisure (41% for graduates and over 33% among managers). From the perspective of dynamism is mainly a regional economy dense (over 62% for graduates and 67% for executives), the presence of head offices (45%), transport infrastructure (more 40%) and wage levels (44%).

To live in an attractive region, it is often willing to move. This is the case of young professionals and graduates surveyed by Apec: 76% of junior managers and 69% of graduates are ready to take the plunge and go to work in another region. Candidates are the most mobile people currently residing in Ile de France, with nearly nine out of ten positive responses. For many of the young workers, it is "not just a wish-list" notes Apec: third make a short-term and 28% long term. Still, the fact of life made their finger on a number of constraints. "For many young professionals and young graduates, geographic mobility is simply not an option because employment opportunities are few in the area of ​​their interest" and it is often necessary, in addition, find a job for spouse.

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