December 13th, 2019 by Steve Hanley

Just the other day, we reported on General Motors’ secret plan to transition to electric cars — to sell larger gas-guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks. If that strategy works out, Cadillac may be the primary beneficiary. Steve Carlisle, president of the Cadillac division, told the press in Detroit this week it could be an EV-only brand by 2030, according to a report by CNET Road Show.

The end of the next decade could be “the end of the ICE age,” Carlisle joked. Emphasis on “could.” First, a number of things need to happen, primarily a groundswell of consumer demand for electric cars. Note that Cadillac has no plans to lead that groundswell, only a plan to be ready to ride the wave if it happens. Even if that doesn’t, Cadillac will still be offering mostly electric vehicles and the division’s focus will be on electric cars by 2030, Carlisle said.

“The performance you’ll get on each and every EV is exciting. We’re looking forward to a much higher level of performance on everything across the range,” Carlisle said. Well, duh. It’s really no surprise that electric cars, which can access gobs of smile inducing torque with the touch of a toe, outperform their gasoline power equivalents in most cases. Welcome to the 21st century, Cadillac.

GM’s flagship division is busy developing an electric car toolkit similar to the MEB platform introduced recently by Volkswagen, which will allow various size vehicles to be built using the same basic architecture. But its first EV offering will be a large crossover SUV that so far has been seen in concept sketches on the internet. Carlisle says the development of that car is “moving along very well.” He promised more news about the car early next year. It is expected to have a range of at least 300 miles, although 400 miles is a goal that is being pursued.

Carlisle ruled out any hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or fuel cell powered Cadillacs but acknowledged there may be gas and battery powered vehicles of similar dimensions sold beside each other during the coming decade. The company is also working on a battery powered version of the gargantuan Escalade, so Cadillac will not be downsizing its vehicles any time soon.

Why will Cadillac be the face of electric cars for General Motors? That’s simple. Carlisle says new tech is expensive and luxury consumers are “demonstrably more open minded to electric cars and automated driving. [Cadillac] is at its best when it’s leading in technology and innovation.” Some of us who still remember the ill fated Cimarron and Catera may beg to differ with that notion.

Carlisle teased that Cadillac could enter new markets with “really cool electric cars.” He got a glimmer in his eye at the suggestion of a new Cadillac quad motor electric sports car, although it will have to dig deep into the division’s engineering pool to come up with anything that can compete with the upcoming Tesla Roadster 2.0. Looking back at Cadillac’s dismal track record with two-seater sports cars, starting with the dreadful Allanté, the division might want to think long and hard about that plan. (READ MORE)

Press Trust of India  |  Bengaluru Last Updated at December 11, 2019 16:36 IST

Founded in 2015, Ninjacart moves over 1,400 tons of fresh produce per day, having doubled its volumes in the last four months, it was stated.

Walmart and Flipkart on Wednesday announced a joint strategic investment in Ninjacart, a fresh produce supply chain startup.

The three partners aim to help ensure better access to high-quality fresh produce for more retailers and consumers across India while also creating economic opportunities for farmers, a joint statement said.

Partnering with Ninjacart will help Walmart and Flipkart strengthen direct sourcing of fresh produce for Walmart India's Best Price B2B cash-and-carry stores and Flipkart's online grocery business Supermart, it said.

"The investment will also support Ninjacart to expand its customer base, reach new cities and gain exposure to global best practice to enhance the efficiency of the local fresh produce ecosystem", the statement added.

Founded in 2015, Ninjacart moves over 1,400 tons of fresh produce per day, having doubled its volumes in the last four months, it was stated.

The paperless Ninjacart supply chain creates a seamless link between its more than 44,000 farmer suppliers and its customer base of 60,000 kirana stores and restaurants across seven cities, according to the statement.

"Ninjacart provides 100 per cent traceability along the supply chain and has slashed food wastage to less than one per cent, compared to 35 per cent in traditional supply chains", it said. (READ MORE)

Business | December 12, 2019, Thursday // 14:37

German automotive giant BMW has announced that it has signed a deal with a Chinese supplier to cover all its lithium needs for battery electric vehicles over the next five years.

“The projected order volume totals €540 million. In this way, the BMW Group is securing 100% of its lithium hydroxide needs for fifth-generation battery cells in its high-voltage batteries.

Alongside cobalt, lithium is one of the key raw materials for electromobility. With the signing of this contract, we are securing our lithium needs for battery cells. We aim to have 25 electrified models in our line-up by 2023 and more than half will be fully electric. Our need for raw materials will continue to grow accordingly. By 2025, for lithium alone, we expect to need about seven times the amount we do today.” Andreas Wend, a BMW board member responsible for the deal said.

Due tot the rigorous new EU emissions regulations from next year and the growing public concern about climate change, BMW - like other German car makers - plans to produce a number of all-electric and hybrid car models in the coming years.

The group is expected to offer 25 electrified vehicles in its lines by 2023 - more than half fully battery-powered.

"Our need for raw materials will continue to grow [...]. By 2025, for lithium alone, we expect to need about seven times the amount we do today,"  Wend said.

The extraction of metals vital for the production of batteries, such as cobalt and lithium, has been subject to increased public scrutiny since car manufacturers around the world began to increase their proposals for electric vehicles.

BMW said Ganfeng's lithium is being mined in Australia according to the "strictest standards of sustainability".

In the meantime, it became clear that next year, the company’s cobalt battery will come directly from mines in Australia and Morocco.

ZACHARY KARABELL BUSINESS 12.11.2019 09:00 AM

Holiday season may be full of cheer, but it’s also a time of intense pressure for retailers, especially in electronics. More than 20 percent of annual sales for things such as televisions, phones, cameras, and games occur between Thanksgiving and Christmas. One likely beneficiary is a company that most assumed would be long gone by now, consumed by the retail holocaust that has seen so many once-proud chains go the way of Chapter 11. Far from facing extinction, Best Buy is poised for another year of solid growth. Its relative success stands in sharp contrast to the fate of retail in general, and its formula should serve as a reminder that retailing may be changing, but not everything will be ecommerce.

The tectonic shift from brick-and-mortar retail to online commerce has entered its middle phase. While ecommerce still accounts for little more than 10 percent of overall retail sales, those sales are growing roughly five times as fast as traditional stores; and if you factor out things like fuel and restaurants, ecommerce is more than 15 percent of total sales. So at some point in the coming years, ecommerce could become the majority of retail sales.

But Best Buy’s resurgence suggests that humans will continue to value the physical experience of stores—provided that stores offer a vibrant experience combined with a conduit to services consumers need and value. In a world where just about anything can be bought online and shipped to your door, stores that offer more ephemeral things that can’t be packaged in a cardboard box and that meet needs will find a brighter future than most expected even a few years ago.

In 2012, Forbes confidently declared “Best Buy is going out of business; it’s only a matter of time, perhaps a few more years.” Given the trends at the time, that was a reasonable conclusion. Its main competitor, Circuit City, had already closed its doors, and Best Buy was losing momentum fast; its stock had lost more than 40 percent of its value in a short time, and its market cap was below $10 billion. Its stores were looking increasingly sad, with a sales staff that was forced into untenable quotas and trained to sell rather than serve. And, of course, the drumbeat of Amazon was ever in their ears, drowning out Christmas carols even in the normally robust holiday season. Its holiday sales in both 2012 and 2013 actually declined year-over-year, which more than confirmed that the death knell was near. (READ MORE)

• HubSpot is the best place to work next year, according to  Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work 2020 Employee’s Choice Awards.
•  Dell Technologies, Slack, and SurveyMonkey are included for the first time in Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work rankings.
• 31 of the 100 best places to work are tech companies, over 3 times more than any other industry.

These and many other fascinating findings are from Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work 2020 Employee’s Choice Awards announced today.  During the year-long eligibility period, employers considered for the large list must have received at least 75 ratings and employers considered for the small & medium list must have received at least 30 ratings, respectively, for each of the eight workplace attributes (overall company rating, career opportunities, compensation and benefits, culture and values, senior management, work-life balance, recommend to a friend and six-month business outlook) taken into account as part of the awards algorithm. Glassdoor’s award methodology is defined here. Among the more than one million employers reviewed on Glassdoor, the average company rating is 3.5.

The Best 31 Tech Companies to Work For In 2020

There following are the top 31 tech companies among this year's Best Places to Work by rank with their average company rating shown to the right along with a link to their open positions:

1. HubSpot ( 4.6 rating) See Open Jobs

3. DocuSign (4.6 rating) See Open Jobs

8. Ultimate Software (4.5 rating) See Open Jobs

11. Google ( 4.5 rating) See Open Jobs

12. LinkedIn (4.5 rating) See Open Jobs

16. MathWorks (4.5 rating) See Open Jobs

20. NVIDIA (4.4 rating) See Open Jobs

21. Microsoft (4.4 rating) See Open Jobs

23. Facebook (4.4 rating) See Open Jobs

32. Compass (4.4 rating) See Open Jobs

33. SurveyMonkey (4.4 rating) See Open Jobs

34. Salesforce (4.4 rating) See Open Jobs

35. Kronos Incorporated (4.4 rating) See Open Jobs

36. VMware (4.4 rating) See Open Jobs

39. Adobe (4.4 rating) See Open Jobs

45. AppFolio (4.4 rating) See Open Jobs

48. SAP (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

51. CDW (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

53. Yardi Systems (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

57. JDA Software (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

64. Nextiva (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

65. Paycom (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

67. Dell Technologies (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

69. Slack (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

70. Intuit (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

75. Noom (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

76. UST Global (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

77. Cisco Systems (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

84. Apple (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

96. Epic (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

100. Intel Corporation (4.3 rating) See Open Jobs

The overall top ten Best Places to Work in 2020 are:

1. HubSpot (4.6 rating)

2. Bain & Company (4.6 rating)

3. DocuSign (4.6 rating)

4. In-N-Out Burger (4.6 rating)

5. Sammons Financial Group (4.5 rating)

6. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (4.5 rating)

7. Intuitive Surgical (4.5 rating)

8. Ultimate Software (4.5 rating)

9. VIPKid (4.5 rating)

10. Southwest Airlines (4.5 rating)

(READ MORE)

KYLE WIGGERS@KYLE_L_WIGGERS DECEMBER 9, 2019 4:00 PM

Keeping abreast of shopping trends online is straightforward enough — whole categories of startups achieve this with predictive modeling. But what about when that shopping takes place in-store? Tracking the behaviors of mall, outlet, and department store shoppers is of critical importance to physical store brands, particularly considering that the percentage of brick-and-mortar sales increased by 2% from $2.99 trillion in 2016 to $3.04 trillion in 2017.

To meet this need, Miron Mironiuk founded Cosmose AI, a Shanghai-based analytics software provider that anticipates how people shop offline. Brands like Subway, Samsung, Walmart, Airbnb, Tencent, Burberry, Omnicom, Mercedes-Benz, Anheuser-Busch InBev, LVMH, Kering, L’Oréal, Gucci, Cartier, P&G, Nestle, and Coca-Cola use its tool suite to granularly track offline visitors’ purchasing habits and target them with online ads via WeChat, Weibo, Facebook, Google, and over 100 other internet platforms. (READ MORE)

Over the weekend, longtime Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) analyst turned venture capitalist Gene Munster put out a research note to investors, which included updated estimates on the Mac maker's booming wearables business. That segment was a key driver of growth in the third quarter, helping to offset weakness in the core iPhone business.

For competitive reasons, Apple aggregates its wearables segment with its home and accessories products, obfuscating financial details around wearables. Instead, the company likes to make cryptic comparisons to the Fortune 500, the most recent of which would peg trailing-12-month (TTM) wearables revenue at approximately $18.9 billion.

Apple Watch Series 5. Image source: Apple.

Here's what Munster expects for 2020.

Beating the Mac

Munster believes that wearables will overtake the Mac in terms of revenue in 2020. The Mac is a very mature business that isn't growing much anymore while broader wearables adoption continues to march higher. Wearables, home, and accessories brought in $24.5 billion in revenue last fiscal year, while the Mac generated $25.7 billion in sales.

AirPods Pro. Image source: Apple.

"We now expect wearables to account for 11% of revenue in CY20, up from 8% in CY19, slightly exceeding Mac revenue at 10% of total next year," Munster wrote. "Our model suggests wearables growth of 45% next year down from 58% in CY19."

AirPods and Apple Watch are the tech company's flagship wearables products, and Loup Ventures is modeling for 60% and 30% growth in unit volumes next year, respectively. Apple is expected to ship 95.8 million AirPods units and 36.8 million Apple Watches in the coming year, according to the firm's model. Average selling prices (ASPs) for AirPods should climb while Apple Watch ASPs are expected to dip modestly.

Data source: Loup Ventures estimates.

Beats is a much smaller contributor to the business, expected to generate just $800 million in revenue. That should all translate into total wearables revenue of $30 billion in 2020, according to Loup.

Apple's attach rates for its wearables products are a closely guarded secret. CEO Tim Cook declined to provide that metric on the last earnings call when asked directly, but the chief executive was willing to share that 75% of Apple Watch buyers are first-time purchasers, suggesting that the product is still early in the adoption curve. Apple Watch is "relatively young," Cook said, so there haven't been "enough upgrade cycles to really establish a pattern as yet." (READ MORE)

There’s a perfect drink for your “Silicon Valley” finale party.

Diageo, the spirits conglomerate that owns Don Julio and Casamigos, founded by George Clooney and Rande Gerber, launched a tequila from another “celebrity”: fictional billionaire Russ Hanneman (played by Chris Diamantopoulos) on the HBO comedy.

In last week’s episode, Hanneman showed the Pied Piper crew a “Max Max-style trailer for “Russfest,” a Burning Man-slash-Frye-Festival-esq festival “on a plot of land so far out Nevada barely wants it.”

When the show cuts from the commercial back to the guys watching, Richard Hendricks is cradling a bottle of Tres Comas tequila, the name a nod to the three commas club, a “club” Hanneman has been obsessed with belonging to — it stands for the three commas needed to separate all the zeros in $1 billion.

The (hilarious) news release from Diageo was written as if Hanneman were a real person who has created the “only acceptable tequila for billionaires.”

“Without risk, there can be no reward. Without reward, there can be no billionaires. There is only one tequila created for the very rich, and those on the cusp of greatness. A tequila that was imagined by a visionary and raised by boldness. Tres Comas. Finally, a tequila crafted just for those mavericks ready to crush their third comma,” the release said. (READ MORE)

PAUL SAWERS@PSAWERS DECEMBER 6, 2019 7:13 AM