“Wal-mart to sell caskets and urns online - Thaindian.com” plus 4 more |
- Wal-mart to sell caskets and urns online - Thaindian.com
- Lingle heads for China to push tourism, trade - Honolulu Advertiser
- Aetna's 3rd-quarter profit rises 18 percent but medical costs continue ... - Newser
- Research and Markets: Construction Site Supplies Market in Turkey ... - Yahoo Finance
- MORE FROM THE BUSINESS JOURNAL - Central Penn Business Journal
| Wal-mart to sell caskets and urns online - Thaindian.com Posted: 29 Oct 2009 08:32 AM PDT
Wal-Mart has started selling caskets online on its website at discounted prices that undercut many funeral homes who have been the major seller of caskets for long. Wal-Mart quietly followed the pattern set by discount rival Costco, which also sells caskets on its site. Prices range from $999 steel caskets to the mid-level $1,699 "Executive Privilege." All are less than $2,000, except for the high-end Sienna Bronze Casket, which sells for $3,199. "I think it's great," said Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, R-Moore. He had attempted 2 years ago to change the laws which prevent Oklahoma companies from selling caskets online was rejected by a state legislative committee. "If someone wants to buy a casket online from Costco in California, they have to accept it," Wesselhoft said. "But the funeral homes hate it because they (the national retailers) charge a third of what they charge here." Wesselhoft still scoffs at such talk. "There is nothing mystical about what you're buying," he said. "They're either wood or aluminum and can be made in a number of shops at far less expense. People who are grieving are being pressured to buy caskets they really can't afford." Sphere: Related ContentRelated Stories
This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Lingle heads for China to push tourism, trade - Honolulu Advertiser Posted: 29 Oct 2009 09:00 AM PDT Gov. Linda Lingle will leave tomorrow on a two-week trip to China to promote tourism, trade and clean-energy projects. The governor will lead a delegation of state business development and tourism officials on a six-city tour, with visits planned for Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Lingle is scheduled to meet with executives at Hainan Airlines, which is expected to offer the first nonstop flight service from Beijing to Honolulu early next year. The flights, which will start at one a week but could expand based on consumer demand, could bring more than 10,000 new visitors to the Islands each year. The governor is also scheduled to meet with Jon Huntsman, the U.S. ambassador to China, about potentially expediting the visa application process for Chinese visitors to the Islands and the Mainland. The governor may ask for specific interview times for Chinese visitors at U.S. consulates and a process that would make it easier for last-minute travel arrangements. The governor is expected to speak with Chinese commerce officials about opening a "Hawaii House" in Shanghai to showcase Island products, and about a Hawaii presence at the Shanghai Expo, an international fair next year. Lingle acknowledged she will be leaving the state during debate about the impact of teacher furloughs and a projected $1 billion budget deficit through June 2011. The governor is scheduled to return on Nov. 13, the day layoffs are expected for up to 1,100 state workers to reduce labor costs and help balance the budget. Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona will be acting governor during Lingle's trip. "We can't just sit by and muddle through these very difficult times and hope things all go OK. We need to move the ball forward on all fronts," Lingle said at a news conference at the state Capitol. While the immediate budget shortfall is important, she said, equally important is positioning the state for economic recovery. "This is our opportunity to continue to cement relationships for the state of Hawaii with one of the most important countries in the world, and the largest market for products and services that exists on the planet," she said. Marsha Wienert, the state's tourism liaison, said an increase in tourism from China would help reduce the state's dependency on visitors from specific regions, such as the western United States and Japan. She also said surveys have shown that Chinese visitors spend more per person in the Islands than other visitors. New visitors, she said, are also more likely to want to take in all of the Islands' attractions. "We believe that China has phenomenal potential for us, not only to bring more visitors to the Islands, but to help us diversify our market mix of visitors," Wienert said. "So when we have downturns in the economy like this from one particular country, we're not so dependent on one geographic area of the country for our tourism industry." Lingle and Ted Liu, the director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, will use state government money to cover airfare of about $1,870 each. Hotel and other expenses are being paid for by Chinese officials. Lingle and Liu will be using personal funds to cover expenses in Hong Kong. Kelvin Bloom, the chairman of the board of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, will travel only to Beijing and Shanghai. His airfare will be covered by the HTA, according to the governor's office. Reach Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Aetna's 3rd-quarter profit rises 18 percent but medical costs continue ... - Newser Posted: 29 Oct 2009 07:27 AM PDT Operating earnings for Aetna's commercial business slipped 43 percent due in part to a "significant increase" in medical costs, the Hartford, Conn., company said in a statement. This segment includes employer-sponsored group coverage and individual policies and brings in most of the insurer's revenue. Aetna's commercial medical benefit ratio, which measures the percentage of premiums paid to cover medical claims in that segment, swelled to a higher-than-expected 85.6 percent from 80.3 percent a year ago. The insurer attributed that in part to swine flu costs and expenses tied to people who continue their employer-sponsored insurance coverage under the federal law known as COBRA. COBRA customers are generally money-losers for health insurers because they generate more in medical claims than the insurer receives in premium revenue. Aetna CEO Ronald A. Williams said the quarter's results don't reflect "decisive actions" the company is taking to improve its medical benefit ratio. That includes improvements to pricing and underwriting. The insurer did not disclose profit expectations for 2010, but Williams said he expects that ratio to improve heading into the new year. "We view 2010 as a repositioning year, a year that does not fully reflect the earnings potential of our business," he said. Third-quarter enrollment gains helped offset some of the cost increases. Aetna saw its commercial enrollment climb about 7 percent in the third quarter compared to the same quarter last year. Total medical membership rose 8 percent to more than 19 million. Health care premiums rose 10 percent to $7.1 billion. Overall, the managed care company said it earned $326.2 million, or 73 cents per share, up from $277.3 million, or 58 cents per share, in last year's third quarter. Revenue grew 9 percent to $8.7 billion from $7.98 billion. Operating earnings, which exclude capital gains and other items, fell to $308.2 million, or 69 cents per share. The results topped Wall Street expectations for operating earnings of 66 cents per share on $8.68 billion in revenue. Analysts typically exclude one-time items in their estimates. Wells Fargo analyst Matt Perry called the insurer's performance weaker than other diversified managed care companies. "Until we see more evidence that margins are stabilizing or improving, we prefer companies whose margins seem to have already bottomed," Perry wrote in a research note. Aetna once again bucked an industry trend toward declining enrollment. Membership has slumped throughout the health insurance sector as employers cut jobs, reducing the number of people covered under employer-sponsored plans. Aetna rivals UnitedHealth Group Inc. and WellPoint Inc. both recently said they saw enrollment declines in the third quarter. They also were hit with rising costs related to swine flu treatments. Aetna, the third largest publicly traded managed care company, also did better than its competitors with enrollment gains in the second quarter. But the insurer saw higher-than-expected medical costs in that quarter too. The insurer said it expects full-year operating earnings per share of $2.75. In July, it forecast operating earnings of $2.75 to $2.90 per share, which was down from prior guidance of $3.55 to $3.70 per share. Analysts expect $2.86 per share. Aetna shares climbed $1.64, or 6.5 percent, to $26.96 in morning trading. The stock has ranged from $14.21 to $34.87 in the past year. ___ AP Business Writer Damian Troise contributed to this story from New York. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Research and Markets: Construction Site Supplies Market in Turkey ... - Yahoo Finance Posted: 29 Oct 2009 09:36 AM PDT DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8c0e53/construction_site) has announced the addition of the "Construction Site Supplies Market in Turkey: Business Report 2009" report to their offering. This report is a comprehensive research of construction site supplies market in Turkey. The first two chapters of the report feature the country profile by giving general information on Turkey and by thoroughly studying its economic state, (including key macroeconomic indicators and their development trends). The third chapter covers common business procedures in the country: from starting a project to closing a business. This chapter elucidates the country's fiscal system, existing labour practices, property rights regulation peculiarities and other issues vital for running business in this country. Further, the report analyses construction site supplies market in the country by identifying key market players, (including major producers, traders, etc), as well by evaluating foreign economic relations within the sector in the recent three years. Related news bulletins update and add the finishing touch to an overview of economical situation in Turkey. The aim of this study is to provide a tool which will assist strategy group and the management team specialists in making correct decisions as how to penetrate the Turkey market and how to catch the maximum commercial opportunities in dealing with business partners in this country. Key Topics Covered:
The above Business Report is a half-ready report. It means that we have all necessary data in our database to prepare the report but need 3-5 days to complete it. During this time we are also updating the report with respect to the current moment. So, you can get up-to-date version for the same price. For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8c0e53/construction_site This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| MORE FROM THE BUSINESS JOURNAL - Central Penn Business Journal Posted: 29 Oct 2009 09:51 AM PDT Pennsylvania is leading a five-state coalition in trying to secure $300 million in stimulus funds to upgrade railroad tracks that could speed commerce while removing excess truck traffic from highways. Most of the upgrades would be to Norfolk Southern Corp.'s tracks, tunnels, bridges and rail yards between New Jersey and Louisiana as part of a $2 billion upgrade to the so-called Crescent Corridor. Norfolk Southern also is spending about $27 million to replace tracks between Harrisburg and the Maryland state line as part of its corridor improvements, said railroad spokesman Rudy Husband. The upgrades and additional engineering will increase train speeds by 5 to 10 mph, he said. "These upgrades will improve transit times to move goods north and south along the East Coast," he said. That should help businesses save time and money in shipping and receiving goods, he said. The railroad's lines in the Crescent Corridor closely parallel the Interstate 81 corridor, which runs through Cumberland and Dauphin counties. Local governments have seen an increase in truck traffic and warehouses close to residential areas. If the states receive the competitive U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) grant, about $61 million would go to Pennsylvania for the Harrisburg and Greencastle rail yards, projected to cost a total of $147 million, according to PennDOT. Virginia-based railroad Norfolk Southern would pitch in $46 million for the two projects and PennDOT would contribute $40 million for a new rail yard in Franklin County. The Harrisburg rail yard stretches across the eastern side of the city and into Susquehanna Township. Norfolk Southern will add track for loading and unloading trains, as well as parking spaces for trucks being loaded or unloaded, Husband said. Corridor-wide upgrades are expected to generate a broader impact, according to Norfolk Southern. Those benefits include:
It's unlikely increased rail use for long-haul freight will hurt trucking companies, said Jim Runk, president and chief executive officer of the Camp Hill-based Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association. Some firms could put their loads on the train anyway because of the driver shortage for long-haul trucking, he said. The issue is whether the consumer can wait additional time to receive products, the distance involved and the cost, he said. It's not set in stone that rail improvements will reduce truck traffic by the millions, Runk said. "It remains to be seen," he said. "It might take some long-haul off the road, but it's not automatic that this is going to occur." Short-haul trucking firms shouldn't be affected because they're taking freight off rails to deliver to stores and other customers anyway, he said. Other firms are getting business that never needs to go on rails, Runk said. Although trucking and railroads companies compete about 40 percent of the time for business, they often work in conjunction as part of a larger freight system, he said. "One of the greater values is that over time tremendous amounts of through-freight can be diverted from the highway and onto rail," said Rick Rovegno, a Cumberland County commissioner and member of the Interstate 81 Corridor Coalition. The group of state and local officials, transportation experts and businesses organized two years ago to help guide transportation initiatives and development around I-81. With many warehouses, trucking firms and highways, Cumberland County is a focal point of transportation improvements. Business leaders, local officials and residents have been pushing for improvements that could reduce truck traffic without locking out trucking or warehousing companies, a staple in the county's economy. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
Bentonville, Oct 29 (THAINDIAN News) Wal-Mart is expanding and its latest offerings include caskets and urns, which it will sell online. It sells around 15 caskets and dozens of urns on its site.| You are subscribed to email updates from Business - Bing News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment