This is an unprecedented situation in the cozy little world of Parisian palaces. Almost at the same time, the Ritz and the Crillon, two jewels of the luxury hotel, will close for major renovations. The 147 rooms at the Crillon, which belongs to a descendant of the Saudi royal family, will close in the fall for two years make quick cash. Place Vendome, the Ritz (159 rooms), will close, he, on August 1. Its owner, Mohammed al-Fayed, provides 27 months of work.
… others will head to the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome (154 rooms including 42 suites) Photo credits: Irmgard Sigg
Since it was set afloat, ten years ago by three friends in Colorado, Crocs has sold more than 150 million pairs of shoes in 90 countries. Right in her funny shoes, this American company shows $ 1 billion in revenue in 2011, up 27%. 112.8 million and net income, against 67 million in 2010. The hilarious crocodile brand has regained its bite.
At the NYSE, the action hovers around $ 20. It was not worth even at a low point in 2009. In 2007, she had already sold 100 million pairs. She posted $ 168.2 million profit. After a flash of sales growth between 2005 and 2008, its accounts have fired that year in the red: it lost 185.1 million in 2008 and 42 million in 2009, before returning in 2010 to profits.
Crocs has been the victim of the crisis on its first market, the United States, which now represent less than half of its sales. Victim, too, its single-product strategy and the strength of his shoe aesthetics controversial. Crocs lost momentum, if not renewed by their fans. "The Crocs shoes are indeed a life of ten years on average," says Mustafa Sadik, head of the brand in France.
But the restructuring, fought on all fronts, product development management through logistics and supply sources, has borne fruit. The Canadian plant closed. Manufacturing has been focused on China.
The Croslite: a lightweight resin
This is taking the offensive on diversification, international and opening stores as she now has more than 169 – that picked up Crocs. Without abandoning his favorite material: colored and perforated, the shoe – called "Clog" – was forged in a patented material, the "Croslite", lightweight resin, antibacterial, waterproof and flexible. Hooves, dominated by the model "Cayman", weigh only 50% in sales volume, but also offers Crocs shoes to more traditional sole "Croslite". Fabric or leather dress patterns for women, men and children, from sneakers to high heels compensated, covered with cork, to sandals, ballet slippers and boots for the whole family. The colors are often flashy, but the forms were assagies. The brand, which also sells shoes filled, at the same time has reduced its dependence on seasonality: the items were accounted for only 65% of sales. Ready-to-wear this summer, with shells and sleeves for smartphones tablets, scheduled for 2013 in France, a slew of new products will accelerate diversification.
If the shoe of Colorado is still nearly half of its sales in the U.S., sales there rose by 19% in 2011, but have surged 34% in Europe and Asia. In Europe, where Crocs aligns 34 stores and 92 franchises, an offensive was launched in France, where the brand has opened two stores, after closing at all its difficulties. Its third store will open its own in France in Nice on March 22. This will be his first major "Crocs Store" in Europe. A new store concept, where 250 models will unfold in both healthy, shelves and large digital displays.
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The French are discouraged before they even take steps to resolve a dispute. It is thought that nine out of ten surveyed by Ipsos for the first edition of the barometer Axa legal protection. Justice remains an unknown for most of them: 80% do not know who to turn to know their rights, and 97% believe that the justice system is difficult to understand.
Worse, seven out of ten French think they have no financial means to defend themselves. Godsend for the legal protection insurers, which offer information in their contracts, and if necessary support – within limits – of legal fees. According to the Ministry of Justice, the cost of resolving a dispute is on average 200 euros for the costs of bailiff, 500 euros for an amicable and 1500 euros to cover attorney fees for a procedure .
Family, an area seldom covered by insurance
The French think that the main sources of conflict are employment, housing and the Internet. In fact, the most common disputes relate primarily to the housing (25%), led by neighborhood problems and relations between landlord and tenant, and Internet purchases (24%). Relations with the employer is not a priority (23%).
Numerous disputes also affect the field of family (divorce, inheritance …). But legal protection insurers rarely venture in this field. Axa Protection legal disputes of this nature are supported only if the client has signed the contract the more upscale, costing between 140 and 300 euros per year, much higher than a domestic contract classic (63 euros per year).
The insurer, like others, offers customers a hotline: a lawyer tells them about their rights and answered their questions. This service receives 175,000 calls a year. The insurer sees submit 36,000 new claims per year, most amicably resolved.
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Francois Hollande, who recently announced he would tax 75% had incomes in excess of one million euros, backtracked, while the football world presage an exodus of players. "It would be the death of French football", "would cost a billion euros to French football", "we would lose all TV rights", "It would involve the demotion of the French Ligue 1 in the second division European", etc..
The Socialist candidate, himself a football fan, surely does not expect that its proposal a week ago, for a number of French "symbolic", announces the end of the French favorite sport no fax payday loan. He who was above all the big heads and leaders of countries including those whose salaries "have no connection with the talent, intelligence or effort." And which boasted a "patriotic act" that "agreeing to pay an additional tax to rehabilitate the country."
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The battle between ARCEP, the telecoms regulator, and the Ministry of Industry (through the National Frequency Agency) about the extent of actual coverage of the network of Free Mobile reveals an unprecedented reality. Free Mobile have actually deployed a network covering 27% of the population, as he had promised. But this network is not used by its 1.5 million subscribers, mostly transiting through that of its rival Orange.
This situation is probably temporary, but it calls into question one of the very principles of the 1996 Act on the opening of the telecom market, which promotes competition investment. To be operator of right, we must invest in its own network. Otherwise, it is a mere reseller of airtime, as Auchan Mobile. This principle of law is based on two ideas: it is necessary to stimulate investment in technology and jobs and we have to play the full benefits of competition as an operator with a network is able to offer innovative services.
This is why France has opted for the construction of four mobile network operators for four different full function. Under this principle, Bouygues Telecom has embarked on the adventure of moving in 1996 without using a roaming agreement. The law could have imagined another option: a single network shared among all operators, as is the case with that of Réseau Ferré de France, which will be used to train competitors for SNCF.
Today, the problem is that Free Mobile plays it both ways. Taken to extremes, this precedent could lead mobile operators to choose to play on the roaming network of next generation 4G, which would reduce investment.
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Despite the announcement by Sony 1.2 million PS Vita installed in the U.S. and Europe after the first week of sale, the new portable video game console of the Tokyo group experiencing disappointing start. Reportedly, she has sold half as well on the Old Continent as the PSP, when it was released in September 2005. Developed under the direction of Kaz Hirai, who will be April 1, the head of the Japanese group, the PS Vita was last at least 250,000 units a week, in combination, in major European countries. Over the same period, the PSP had reached 600,000 copies. The rise of smartphones and internet tablets reduces the attractiveness of the PS Vita.
In France, with 42,000 units sold in the first week, the new handheld is twice worse than the PSP. Retailers have been less well stocked than in 2005 and no stock outs are noted. In Britain, the situation is more serious: the PS Vita crawls around 50,000 copies sold against 189,000 for the PSP. In Australia, major retailers refuse to offer it.
To erase this bad start, Sony should follow the lead of Nintendo in 2011, which was not as successful as hoped with its portable console 3DS, launched at a price too high. A price reduction of the PS Vita, sold at 250 euros for the Wi-Fi version and 300 euros for 3G, is expected by experts. But the Japanese can not reduce its prices too quickly. He urged distribution agreements in Europe with Vodafone and in France with SFR for the PS Vita in the 3G version. Finally, a rapid drop in prices could be interpreted as the first failure of Kaz Hirai, the next CEO of Sony.
"Read this article in English
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After a week of rumors, the announcement is, this time, official: the General Motors made its entry into the capital of the French group PSA Peugeot Citroen, according to an official. GM takes and 7% stake in PSA, which carries a massive increase in capital of around one billion euros. GM is now the second largest shareholder of the French group behind the Peugeot family.
The alliance will focus on platforms and components and provides a joint venture in purchasing. The first vehicles from a common platform GM-PSA will be marketed from 2016. Expected synergies from the two manufacturers totaled $ 2 billion annually within five years.
This alliance gives rise to a powerful global industry leader with over 11 million vehicles sold per year worldwide.
First French carmaker, PSA is currently experiencing serious financial difficulties. Its net debt rose in 2011 from 1.2 billion to 3.4 billion euros. Leaded by Europe, sales of Peugeot and Citroen fell 1.5% last year while the global market progressed by 3%. The group announced last October a comprehensive plan of saving 800 million euros that could cause the elimination of 4,000 positions this year saving account pay day loan.
With his new partner, the Lion brand will achieve greater flexibility for financial resume investment as an upmarket in Europe and the creation of a new plant in India.
GM weighed down by its European subsidiary Opel
For his part, General Motors has certainly taken over in 2011 the title of world number one Automotive Japanese automaker Toyota. But the American could benefit from expertise of PSA to finally leave the red Opel, its European subsidiary. It announced in mid-February to have lost $ 747 million in 2011.
Peugeot confirmed Feb. 21 that he "consider [ed] the cooperation projects and alliances (…) as part of its globalization strategy and performance improvement." Without specifying with whom, but rumors already evoked release of GM. Last night, the Financial Markets Authority (AMF) had called PSA to communicate "as soon as possible" on the alliance, while multiplied rumors of a capital increase.
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Olympus is preparing to renew its leadership. The group of optical and medical imaging, the center of a scandal hidden losses, said Monday it has chosen children of the seraglio to compose his future Board. The group is now led by Hiroyuki Sasa, now in charge of marketing.
Olympus has also promised to appoint six outside directors (most already linked to the group) of the eleven new members to its board of directors to be presented for approval at a special meeting of shareholders on April 20.
A scandal of hidden losses of $ 1.5 billion spread over thirteen years to put down the reputation of Olympus. Last summer, the group managing director, Michael Woodford, was curtly thanked by its board of directors after requiring clarification of accounting anomalies revealed in the press.
Since then, the president "historic" Olympus and six executives were arrested. In a country where a charge often means a conviction (almost all of the defendants are convicted in Japan), these arrests have cast doubt on the sustainability of the group in its current form.
Exit the ambiguity
Too broke out, could be sold by Olympus divisions to another industry. Its medical imaging division in particular displayed an insolent financial health despite a fiscal year 2011-2012 which looks disastrous for society (200 billion yen loss forecast for the year which will end in late March). Sony has already shown particular interest in the activities of Olympus.
Meanwhile, the current management group, on borrowed time until April 20, closely linked to the ousted president, trying with difficulty to break the ambiguity. The next president is chosen as Olympus just SMBC, the bank group, so its main creditor, who has covered, probably by laxity, all of its accounting maquillables.
"It is not desirable that the president comes from SMBC", pleaded last week the U.S. fund Southeastern Asset Management, which owns 5% of Olympus. Wasted. To date, most members of the board are being sued … by Olympus.
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Hard times for the 380. After the case of microcracks detected in the wing of the superjumbo, Airbus will he deplore a new problem, this time in the "nose" of the device? The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is interested in any case the rivets of radom, that is to say the cover that protects the radar of the aircraft.
The authority may decide to issue in the coming weeks an airworthiness directive (AD) requiring the change of six rivets aluminum rivets titanium stronger. The 19 airlines that operate the world's fleet of 69 A380, eight months have to do this for an average of 3:30. Clearly, they would have time to schedule it as part of their regular maintenance schedule.
After the decision to order the Efsa a general inspection of the planes of A 380 in service and production, totaling one hundred aircraft, the image of the A380 takes another blow. However, this type of airworthiness directive is very common in aviation. All aircraft receive throughout their careers.
Two types of directives
"The FAA, U.S. aviation safety authority, has issued more than 830 airworthiness directives for Boeing B 747 in forty years," says one at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse. "For an airplane, receiving such a directive is as ordinary as to think about changing the wiper blades on your car or an oil change," says one.
The Aesa issues two types of directives: the current, AD, and urgent, called "emergency AD." In the case of microcracks, the two directives were common. The agency goes up a notch when it considers that the subject can affect flight safety. In this case, companies have little time to react, sometimes not even 24 hours.
In the case of rivets, flight safety is affected in any part, Airbus insists. The manufacturer points out that these are not structural elements. Six rivets 40 to 50 by radom "are not likely to blow up" the unit cover.
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A380
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The surprises could affect 100,000 to 200,000 homes. According to Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui en France, households may not be taxed so far include paying the income tax this year. The head is the second austerity plan announced by the government last November and froze the tax scale.
Previously, the tax brackets, which forms the basis for taxation, were reviewed annually to reflect inflation increases the cost of living. By freezing for at least two years tax brackets, all persons whose incomes rose in 2011 could potentially be affected by the reform if they are left with taxable income greater than 5963 euros, the threshold first tranche of 5.5%. For the government, the money will have to pay these homes will be relatively low because the IRS does not claim the tax payment when it is less than 61 euros. Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui en France underlines that the sudden imposition could have more serious consequences for households as much aid as those granted to the school canteen and transport are related to the absence of taxation. Some families might therefore lose those benefits.
Changing slice
Another mechanical effect of freezing the scale, other households may already taxed, them, cross the threshold of the top tax bracket and thus having to pay more check cash advance. This extra tax is not yet visible on the view that taxpayers received early this year to pay the first third. The surprises will come in September, when paying the balance. According to calculations of national union unified tax (Snui) quoted by the newspaper, the increases will be spread from 1.17% for a wealthy couple with no children at 12.57% for a single. The government expects in any case additional EUR 1.7 billion of tax revenue for 2012 and double that for 2013.
Finally, the richer will also be affected, because the scale of the solidarity tax on wealth (ISF) has also been frozen. The government expects 44 million of additional wealth tax in 2012 and 88 million more in 2013.
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