Funny idea that this loyalty program that focuses on infidelity … the customer! Yet it is betting that the Prufrock Coffee, a trendy café located in east London, has dared to face. Since late 2009, the hotel offers its clients a "Disloyalty Card", a map of "disloyalty" which invites them to take eight bars cafes in the neighborhood and make this famous stamp card. Once the "Disloyalty Card" filled the Prufrock Coffee offers coffee consumer "infidel" who for any coffee paid off again with a new card.
This concept has been designed by the owner of Prufrock Coffee, Gwilym Davies, also won the title "World Barista Champion (world champion of the coffee) in 2009. He imagined this card when friends decided to open their own cafes in the area."Initially, our clients have found this strange idea card advising them to go to our competitors," says Jeremy Challender, the manager of Coffee Prufrock at Figaro.fr. "But this concept amuses both consumers and the community café in the neighborhood."
In six months, the Prufrock Coffee has distributed some 6,000 cards "disloyalty". A success for Jeremy Challender, who intends to pursue the initiative. "Especially since I do not count the cards that are still in nature and will return once we met," laughs the cafe, which ensures that bars competitors play the game well and dab the card. "This is a healthy competition," he says."We're well aware that our customers will enjoy more cafes in other locations, which requires us to constantly innovate to improve the quality of our products."
Trade competition against the current
The Expert Group LaSer, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas and Galeries Lafayette that specializes in marketing and customer relations, identify in their monthly newsletter that the objective of this initiative is "to encourage customers to regularly attend teaches, but to give them the habit of going for a coffee, even in competing institutions. In sum, the common focus for everyone to "benefit from a greater overall abundance.
Within weeks, the idea of Gwilym Davies had already crossed the Atlantic. In Toronto, Canada, seven patrons of bars in April formed a sort of alliance called "Toronto Coffee Conspiracy.The principle of this partnership is somewhat different from how the map of "disloyalty" proposed by Coffee Prufrock. In fact, most customers choose this time the coffee, among the seven members of the "Toronto Coffee Conspiracy" in which they will return once their card filled. In Seattle, the United States, no fewer than 10 brands of cafes and bars, located in 13 different districts of the city have come together around a similar card program.
French cafes in lack of customers
This type of initiative has not yet made its way to France. French Café owners could do with finding parades down attendance which they suffer, especially since the smoking ban in public places. Many institutions have also put the key under the door in recent years.The second edition of the Observatory of independent trade wholesaler Metro Cash & Carry France, in partnership with BVA, it remains that 50,000 pubs in France in 2010, against 510,000 in 1914. This study shows that 82% of French people prefer these to traditional franchised cafes. However, only 2 out of 10 people go there regularly.
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• Transport
– Station: Ticket prices for trains Coral, Intercity and TER (Regional Express Train) will increase an average of 2.5%. This will result in higher ticket from 10 cents to 2.30 euros depending on distance traveled during the trip.
As for the discount cards (cards 12-25, Senior, and Child Escapes +), their prices remain unchanged.
– RATP: The price of individual tickets will go from 1.60 euro to 1.70 euro.
Subscriptions Navigo will also increase, except for packages zone 1-5 and 1-6.The monthly Zones 1 and 2 (Paris and suburbs) rises from 56.60 to 60.40 euros (+6.7%), the zones 1-3 of 74.40 to 78.20 euros (+ 5.1%) and the zones 1 to 4 from 91.70 to 95.50 euros (+4.1%).
• Energy
– Gas: After an initial increase in April, prices will increase again by 2% to 4.7% (about 8 euros per year for those who use gas for hot water and cooking 45 per year for those who use it also for heating)
– Bulbs: As part of the scheduled end of incandescents in the EU to promote energy saving, incandescent lamps of 60 watts are removed from store shelves.Those whose power was 100 watts or more have disappeared from shelves in 2009.
• Bonus for scrap
The premium case is lowered to 500 euros instead of 700 for any car ordered until December 31.
• Stamps
The price of postage for mailings of letters under 20 grams, will increase by two cents from 56-58 cents, an increase of 3.5%.
• Retirement
The index points which is the basis for calculating salary in three public (state, territorial and hospital) must be revalued by 0.5%.
• Unemployment benefits
Allowances of approximately two million unemployed by unemployment insurance compensation will be revalued by 1.2%.
• Communication
– Hadopi: It is from this Thursday that the first warnings will be mailed to users in violation of the law on downloading.
– Phone: The price of calls made and received from another EU country (roaming within Europe) will be reduced to 39 cents per minute excluding VAT cons 43 cent today. Receiving a call will be charged € 0.15 per minute instead of EUR 0.19.The SMS tariff remains unchanged for its 11 cents per message.
• Business and Disability
Firms with more than 20 employees employ any disabled person and took no action to promote employment of disabled people will have their penalties tripled to about 13,000 euros per person missing.
• Livret A
Currently at its lowest level since its inception to 1.25% – Return of the booklet A should move to 1.50% or 1.75% from 1 August by Budget Minister Francois Baroin.
Iter barely get under way. The international program which provides for the construction of a thermonuclear fusion reactor could be delayed again. The European Commission should in fact announce Wednesday that it does not sign the document which puts the project on track, says Les Echos published Wednesday.
The European Union has failed to obtain the financial commitment of the twenty-seven member states until 2040 to ensure the viability of the project. The European contribution for 2007-2020 has almost tripled from 2.7 billion euros expected in 2001 to 7.2 billion euros this year. For 2012-2013, a European envelope further 1.4 billion euros is needed.
Diplomatic issues
However, this explosion of the budget falls very ill, while the finances of European countries are seriously affected by the economic crisis and the recent austerity plans.One familiar with the matter told the Echo that the project has become important diplomatic: "Because of security issues in terms of global energy supply, the fight against climate change and investment, its status is more only scientifically. It is now a political project where the game of diplomacy is as important as the result of research equations.
The ITER project aims to provide a solution to the global energy crisis by reproducing the energy production inside the sun. The fusion of hydrogen nuclei would provide an inexhaustible energy, cheap and clean (it produces little radioactive waste, unlike the mechanism of nuclear fission).The reactor built on the site of Cadarache Provencal begin operation in 2018 but will be fully operational in 2026.
Seven partners (the European Union, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States), representing over half the world population, are involved in the project that meets the opposition Greens. Time is running out for Brussels. Tired of difficulties, the United States plans to reduce 40% of their financial contribution to the project and other countries could follow suit. The Commission hopes to resolve the problems of the project's contribution today and in the other two European meetings on 21 and set June 25
Laurence Parisot is now the only candidate to succeed himself at the head of MEDEF. Her rival, Sophie de Menthon, president of the employers' movement Ethic officially confirmed on Monday morning on BFM radio that throws in the towel, not wanting to go to court to assert his candidacy. The opponent has indeed encountered a stumbling block in his plan to run for President of the MEDEF: it accuses of late payment of contributions to Medef, and therefore can not seek the presidency as announced in Le Figaro April 13 last.
"I brought a check to pay my dues Medef late, said Sophie Menthon on BFM. They told me that before I can file my application, a preliminary investigation was necessary, and that the MEDEF could not decide on my application before JuneI will not lead employers in a legal battle. "
She believes however that the Board of Medef could meet quickly to endorse its regulation, and allow it to occur. It therefore deplored the reluctance of the employers' organization to focus on his record, leaving the way open for Laurence Parisot Guaranteed unsecured personal loan.
"It's a huge strategic mistake, says Sophie Menthon. Fear has won. There was no reason not to campaign.There's more dirty linen to wash the MEDEF. "She promises to give its program and its positions by means other than a campaign.
Thibault Lanxade "will not go"
Lanxade Thibault, head of the SME Aqoba, who had called for a "primary challengers last fall, has also withdrawn from the race for President of the MEDEF.
"I will not," he said on BFM Monday. Its share was "convinced" by Laurence Parisot as the debate that he dearly wanted to be actually carried out in case of re-election of outgoing President, and he should remain internal to the MEDEF.A rally that he claims to have made "without any pressure," believing that "the unit of employers is more than ever necessary" because of the crisis.
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The week starts well for the Asian market. On Monday, all financial markets appear to increase sustained. At the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the Nikkei opened up 1.53% and growth is accelerated in mid-session (1.80%) before finishing on a gain of 2.09% to 10,567.25 points. This is its highest level in six weeks.
The morale of Japanese investors is supported by sound macroeconomic statistics, published Monday. Japan has indeed registered in January of a current account surplus of 899.8 billion yen (6.9 billion euros), after having suffered a record deficit de132, 7 billion yen last year, according to the Ministry of Finance . This figure is higher than the forecasts of economists who were expecting on average a surplus of 750 billion yen.
In addition, Asian markets continue to react positively to the figures of U.S. employment, less bad than expected on Friday.The United States lost 36,000 jobs in February. The consensus of analysts foresaw from 50,000 to 67,000 job cuts. The unemployment rate remained steady at 9.7%, consistent with him, anticipated savings account payday advance . The announcement Friday, coupled with an increase in consumer credit (4.96 billion dollars in January, the first increase in a year), led by Wall Street and European financial centers, close to the green.
Exchanges in the region follow suit
In the wake of Tokyo, the benchmark Hang Seng Stock Exchange of Hong Kong climbed 1.92% to 21,186.09 points. The Shanghai Stock Exchange is 0.74% at 3053.60 points.
The other exchanges in the region follow. Korea's KOSDAQ is up 0.73% to 1267.63 points. The Bombay Stock Exchange posted an increase of 0.92% to 17,150.53 points.The S & P 200 Australian climbing 0.85% to 4807.90 points.
The increased gross
As for commodities, crude prices were trending upward in Asia on Monday. The barrel of light sweet crude for April delivery gained 47 cents to 81.97 dollars, reaching the highest at 82.04 dollars before retreating.
The barrel of Brent North Sea at the same maturity, took 47 cents to 80.36 dollars.
After the acceleration, braking. Toyota Motor has already recalled 2.3 million vehicles suspected of being equipped with a faulty accelerator pedal. The group had calmed the controversy by presenting apologies. But Wednesday, she reflects, about this time of the braking system of the hybrid model, the Pruis.
Toyota says its dealers in Japan and North America have received complaints by the dozen, deploring the failure of the braking system of the new Prius on bumpy road or icy.
Within the group, these discontents are known since December, said a spokeswoman in Tokyo. Toyota provides to address the issue."The company will decide what action to take after realizing what has caused this problem."
The Japanese Ministry of Transport has himself received letters about the problem of braking payday loan . There are fourteen complaints, including one following an accident in July and thirteen others between December and January.
This third-generation Prius is the top seller in Japan and has enjoyed great success in many other global markets. However, customers are beginning to shun U.S. concessions after the case of defective accelerator pedals. In January, the market share of Toyota in the United States and has eroded from 18% in December to 14%.And these disappointed consumers are turning to domestic manufacturers: GM and Ford are the two main beneficiaries of this disaffection for Toyota.
"Toyota wants to get out as quickly as crisis accelerators
China takes the issue of energy efficiency head on. The central government announced Wednesday the creation of a National Commission of Energy. Its mission: "to strengthen the strategic and policy coordination in the energy field.
This Commission will be chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao and co-chaired by Vice-Premier Li Kegiang. Among the 21 members it will have included several ministers.She will be responsible for developing "a national strategy on energy, key issues relating to security and energy development" for the overall coordination in domestic and international cooperation in this field, explains the central government, in his statement.
A voracious appetite for energy
During a visit to the headquarters of the National Commission of Electricity Regulation in Beijing, January 14, the vice-premier Li Kegiang stressed the need to intensify efforts to ensure security of supply China's energy. The country has experienced sharp drops in temperatures and heavy snowfall this winter, which boosted energy demand and tight supply, said Li Kegiang.
After the winter, the supply remains a critical issue for China.Driven by economic and population growth over the past thirty years, Chinese energy consumption has exploded. China has become the second largest energy consumer in the world behind the United States pay day loans .
The critical issue of supply
Its energy dependence is increasing accordingly. Thus, the country has been dependent to 52% of its crude oil imports in 2009, against 47% in 2006, says AFP. According to Wang Xudong, president of the National Commission of Electricity Regulation, Chinese consumption of electricity could rise by 7% this year if the country maintains its economic growth rate of 8%. Consumption had increased by 6.44% in 2009 compared to 2008, according to figures from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.Coal, however, still represents 70% of the energy consumption of China.
Focus on efficiency of energy policy
For Beijing, centralization is the answer to this challenge of supply. "Energy policy is now conducted by various ministries and local authorities," said Xu Bei, economist at Natixis. "The creation of this new body will respond to an emergency security of energy supply." The main domestic priority.
Ultimately, the Commission could also help Beijing to seal agreements on international cooperation, said He Jun, of Anbound Consulting. Provided that his role is really detached from that of many other government agencies that account China.
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We do not know who or when. But Anne Lauvergeon, president of Areva, confirmed Monday the micro radio RMC that SWFs foreign capital should enter the public group. She adds that even some of these funds have been chosen: "This is a subject on which we are working actively. We have several investors who have been selected. No news on their nationality or the date of entering the capital. Anne Lauvergeon reiterated his plan to increase the capital of Areva to raise funds to the tune of 3 billion euros. This money should help fund the "12 billion" investment with "more than half in France," said Anne Lauvergeon. In exchange, the news is welcomed.The title Areva takes 1.83% to 356.75 euros.
Without giving details, the president of Areva said that the funds selected are discussing with the government: "Everyone wants to come in and they are talking with the state of both terms and price.
Opening the capital of the group up to 15% was a government decision of June 30, 2009. According to Le Figaro, investors should be concerned the Japanese Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the sovereign fund of Qatar and his counterpart from Kuwait.
Number 1 of uranium production
In addition, Anne Lauvergeon took the opportunity to reaffirm that Areva has become the largest producer of uranium. She said there are 70 years of proven uranium reserves for the third generation of nuclear reactors and 5,000 years of uranium reserves for the fourth generation.
The fourth generation of reactors, including the industrial launch is planned for 2040, would provide significant savings in resources and produce less waste.
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Banks represent a risk that ultimately the States are obliged to assume, especially when it comes to very large financial institutions. This fact, proved from bank rescues of 2008, coupled with the poor state of public finances in major western economies, has given birth to the idea of additional taxation of the banking sector.
This Friday, the president of the U.S. Federal Reserve has certified the principle. "Any cost incurred by rescue of the government should be covered by a levy on the financial industry, not taxpayers," said Ben Bernanke.
Today, there are already in the United States a fund federal deposit insurance, the FDIC is funded by premiums paid by banks for deposit.The organization monitors the credit risks taken by banks and traditional acts to seize and liquidate those who make the balance sheet (hundreds since the beginning of the year). Not only did the FDIC reached its limits in terms of resources, but it has no counterpart for investment banks, specialized crafts markets, which do not collect public savings. Ben Bernanke would therefore address this deficiency.
The statements by the Fed chief may find an echo in Europe, where governments, or parliaments, are weighing the idea of charging the banks a kind of "insurance premium" in exchange for funding last spring that the State gives them, even implicitly. The Belgian federal budget was the first to explicitly.The United Kingdom is considering the at least one major institution, the Lloyds Banking Group.
In France, the same argument that has been brandished by members (see sidebar). At European Commission Tuesday urged that a dialogue on ways of resolving banking crises, has indicated its preference for funding by the "private sector".
Equity strengthened
In Washington, the debate focuses on the legal means available to the authorities to treat cases of collapse. This Friday, Ben Bernanke highlighted the adoption by Congress of the proposed reform of finance presented by the White House is pressing. The plan for accreditation before the end of the year is not acquired, would allow federal authorities to seize troubled financial institutions, even if they do not have the status of banks.The lack of a framework for such intervention was sorely felt last year when the insurer AIG found itself on the brink of bankruptcy.
Occasionally, this Friday, a conference organized by the Boston Fed, Bernanke also defended the principle of minimum capital requirements more stringent for banks whose health is essential to the stability of the financial system. The Federal Reserve, in consultation with its foreign counterparts, is working to develop rules requiring these banks to raise capital in the form of shares. In all cases, the idea is to shift priority to shareholders and creditors of banks that take risks, to reduce the likelihood of injecting public funds. Bernanke also promised that the Fed would sanction the compensation that would encourage taking undue risks.
"AIG is a burden for America