EGS Biweekly Global Business Newsletter Issue 13, Monday, September 21, 2020
By William (Bill) Edwards, CEO of Edwards Global Services, Inc. (EGS)
“There are two kinds of companies in this pandemic: those doing clever things to deal with the new world….and those who are not”, Pilita Clark
“Every major difficulty you face in life is a fork in the road. You choose which track you will head down, toward breakdown or breakthrough.”, John C. Maxwell
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”, Alan Watts, compliments of Sylvia Adler
“I asked a wise man, ‘tell me sir, in which field could I make a great career?’ He said with a smile, ‘be a good human being. There is a lot of opportunity in this area and very little competition”., Compliments of Brad Weinstein from a LinkedIn post
Introduction
This biweekly newsletter focuses on what is happening in more than 20 countries that impacts new trends, health, consumer spending, business investment and travel. A few highlights:
- This issue we start off by thanking the people around the world who help us curate for our newsletter readers.
- The US$88 trillion world economy by country in one chart
- What happens every minute on the Internet, Articles and Charts section
- Global Trade Returns Faster Than Expected
- U.S. to Lift COVID-19 Designated Airport Restriction
- U.S. Small-business owners gained confidence in the U.S. economy last month, outpacing expectations, according to data from a survey compiled by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
- We have added a new section that highlights what well-known brands are doing to survive and thrive in these times
We constantly monitor 30+ countries, 40+ international information sources and six business sectors to keep up with what is going on in this ever-changing environment. Our team on the ground covers 43 countries and provides us with updates about what is happening in their specific countries. Please feel free to send us your input and sources of information. Our contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter.
Many thanks to the people around the world who help us curate our global business newsletter for our 500 global readers:
Ursula Alexio, Brasil, Craig Allen, U.S.-China Business Council, Rym Bedoui, Tunisia, Paul Cairnie, Middle East, Enver Celikbas, Istanbul, Franz-Josef Ebel, Germany, Lauren Ellermeyer, California, Manal El Masry, United Arab Emirates and Egypt, Ferenz Feher, Mexico, Ichiro (Roy) Fujita, Japan, Jason Gehrke, Brisbane, Stewart German, Auckland, Paul Jones, Toronto and China, Robert Jones, Miami and Spanish speaking countries, Gabor Kaczmarczyk, Budapest, Ned Levitt, Toronto, James Liu, Greater China, Simon Lord, Auckland, Iain Martin, United Kingdom and Ireland, Tarsicio Merin, Madrid, Rajeev Manchanda, India, Sean Ngo, SE Asia, Sethaphong (Seth) Phadungpisuth, Bangkok, Gordon Schaeffer, UCLA, Don Southerton, South Korea, Andrew Stearns, Milan, Enrique Tellez, Panama, Norcia Ward-Marin, Colombia, Chris Wingo, Shanghai, Steven Wolfson, Israel, James Young, Melbourne, Rod Young, Sydney and our highly valued U.S. Commercial Service Trade Specialists in 24 countries.
This issue’s chart is the US$88 Trillion World Economy on One Chart
Global Economic Recovery Projections – GeoPolitical Futures, September 18, 2020
Sharp recovery in GDP per country in 2021
International Travel Updates
“U.S. to Lift COVID-19 Designated Airport Restriction: For nearly six months, travelers from certain COVID-19 restricted countries have only been able to enter the United States by passing through one of 15 designated airports and undergoing enhanced health screening. The restriction currently applies to those arriving from, or with recent presence in, China (excluding the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau), Iran, the Schengen region of Europe, the United Kingdom (excluding overseas territories outside of Europe), Ireland, and Brazil. The 15 designated airports are Boston Logan International, Chicago O’Hare International, Dallas/Fort Worth International, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii, Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, John F. Kennedy International, Los Angeles International, Miami International, Newark Liberty International, San Francisco International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Washington-Dulles International. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has announced that starting on September 14, 2020, this restriction will be lifted.”, Airline Geeks, September 11, 2020
“Vigilance and trust essential if travel bans are to be lifted: If economies are to get moving again, governments will have to strike deals to allow people to cross borders without having to undergo extended periods of quarantine. Travel bans to protect populations from imported Covid-19 infections are preventing the resumption of international commerce and tourism, and cannot remain in place indefinitely. If economies are to get moving again, governments have to explore so-called travel bubbles by striking deals to allow people to cross borders without having to undergo extended periods of quarantine.
The challenge is ensuring that restrictions make communities feel safe, but are not so cumbersome that travellers are deterred.”, South China Morning Post, September 9, 2020
“These are the 40+ countries Americans can visit: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados Belarus, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Costa Rica (some states), Croatia, The Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, French Polynesia, Honduras, Ireland (sort of), Jamaica, Kenya, Kosovo, The Maldives, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Namibia, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Panama, Rwanda, St. Barths, St. Lucia, Saint Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovenia (maybe), South Korea (sort of), Tanzania, Turkey, Turks and Caicos, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (Dubai only), United Kingdom (sort of).”, The Points Guy, September 13, 2020 See this link for the ‘details’.
“Around the World, Flights to Nowhere Grow in Popularity: How much do you miss flying? Not, mind you, flying to a specific destination — just the act of boarding a flight and spending several hours in the air? With many countries restricting travel due to the pandemic, a new phenomenon has taken root in a few spots around the globe: the flight to nowhere.”, InsideHook, September 19, 2020
“Cathay Pacific and Prenetics to launch London-Hong Kong digital health passport in October in bid to ease travel: Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong start-up Prenetics are set to launch a digital health passport that allows travellers to show their negative Covid-19 test results on a mobile app before boarding, potentially easing international travel and establishing a new model to help airlines and airports ride out the health crisis. The pilot will kick-off on the Hong Kong-London route from October, Prenetics told the South China Morning Post. The partners are working in collaboration with Swiss-based non-profit The Commons Project, which is backed by the Rockefeller Foundation.”, South China Morning Post, September 18, 2020
“United Airlines Is Launching 3 New Nonstop Routes to Africa: Plus new flights to Bangalore and New Delhi in India and Kona and Maui in Hawaii. “We’re really focused on rethinking the network,” says Patrick Quayle, United Airlines’ vice president of international network and alliances. ‘We’re not just looking at adding everything back the way it was prior to the coronavirus, and so what we’re looking at trying to do is come up with more convenient travel.’ Part of that strategy includes launching new nonstop routes to Accra, Ghana, and Lagos, Nigeria, from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. The routes will operate three times a week on Boeing Dreamliner 787-8s starting in spring 2021. The airline is also launching a year-round, daily nonstop from Newark Liberty International Airport to Johannesburg. When the route launches next spring, it will be the only roundtrip nonstop to the South African city operated by a U.S. airline. Typically, U.S. fliers heading to countries in Africa have to connect in Europe or the Middle East.”, Conde Nast Traveler, September 9, 2020
“Second Carnival Corporation Ship Returns To Cruising in Europe: The second Carnival Corporation cruise ship, Costa Diadema, is returning to service on Saturday, another sign that slowly but sure, the industry is getting back on track. Costa Diadema is among the first of Carnival Corporation’s ships to return to service. This is the second Costa Cruises’ ship to return to the sea with passengers.”, Cruise Radio, September 19, 2020
Global Trade Update
“Global trade is rebounding much more quickly this year than it did after the 2008 financial crisis, lifting parts of the world economy and defying predictions the pandemic could send globalization into permanent retreat. When the new coronavirus hit earlier this year, international trade in goods suffered the biggest year-over-year drop since the Great Depression. Economists warned of rising protectionism, and some companies said they would reassess overseas supply chains that were vulnerable to unexpected shocks. Trade remains below pre-pandemic levels. Still, it has snapped back robustly—and had recovered about half of this year’s historic loss by June, according to calculations by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German think tank.”, The Wall Street Journal, September 21, 2020
Australia
“Victorian Government announces unprecedented $3 billion support for businesses: An extra $3 billion in cash grants, tax relief and cashflow support will be made available to Victorian businesses in a bid to keep them afloat during the extended coronavirus shutdown. In what Premier Daniel Andrews described as “the biggest package of business support in the history of this state”, more than $1 billion of that funding will support small and medium sized businesses that are most affected by the restrictions.”, News.com.au, September 13, 2020
“Australia’s COVID-19 hotspot on track for easing curbs, faces three lawsuits: Australia’s Victoria state on Wednesday said the daily rise in infections in its coronavirus hot spot of Melbourne has eased further, putting it on course to relax an extended hard lockdown in the city by the end of the month. Construction sites, manufacturing plants, warehouses and childcare facilities can reopen, allowing more than 100,000 workers to return to their jobs, if the 14-day rolling average is under 50 cases as of Sept. 28. The state has set a much tougher target of a 14-day average of five cases for lifting a nightly curfew, allowing people out of home for more than two hours a day, and reopening more businesses in Melbourne from Oct 26.”, Reuters, September 15, 2020
Canada
“Air Canada to Offer Travelers Free COVID-19 Insurance: Air Canada (AC) will offer complimentary COVID-19 insurance in partnership with Manulife, a Canadian insurance company, to travelers with new international trip bookings made in Canada between September 17 and October 31, 2020, with the coverage applying to travel completed by April 12, 2021.”, Airways magazine, September 20, 2020
Canada
“Ottawa extending its widely criticized pandemic rent-relief program: Ottawa will extend its widely criticized pandemic rent-relief program for small businesses for a final month as officials weigh options to overhaul it. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland confirmed the news in a press release Tuesday. The Globe and Mail first reported on Saturday that the program would be extended through September while Ottawa considered changing its structure. Many small businesses saw revenue collapse immediately as jurisdictions entered pandemic lockdowns in March. Main Streets all over the country are now dotted with for-lease signs as entrepreneurs spent the past six months struggling to keep up with fixed costs – the biggest of which is usually rent. Ottawa announced the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program in late April to help with these costs by offering landlords forgivable loans worth half their tenants’ rent if they absorbed a quarter of the rent and the tenants paid the final quarter. But the program required that landlords make the application – and very few did.”, The Globe and Mail, September 8, 2020
Mainland China
“China economy’s broad recovery from coronavirus continues, as retail sales grow for first time in 2020: Industry, retail and investment all showed marked improvements in August, as the Chinese economy continued its broad-based recovery from the ravages of the coronavirus earlier this year, according to new data released by the National Bureau of Statistics…”, South China Morning Post, September 14, 2020
“Chinese Car Sales Rise at Fastest Rate in More Than Two Years: Heavy discounts and new-model debuts propel a second-half recovery in the world’s largest auto market. Retail passenger-car sales in the country increased by 8.9% last month from a year earlier to 1.7 million vehicles, the China Passenger Car Association said Tuesday, marking the strongest rate of growth since May 2018. It represented the second straight month in which sales outpaced those of the same month last year. Car sales to individual customers had declined by 3.4% in the April-to-June period compared with a year earlier before bouncing back in July with a year-on-year increase of 7.7%.”, The Wall Street Journal, September 8, 2020
“Occupancy Rates for China’s Hotels Show First Year-Over-Year Growth Since Pandemic’s Start: Even if recent occupancy gains are tied to a blip in the holiday calendar, Chinese hotels continue to see a coronavirus economic recovery pattern that is the envy of the world.”, Skift, September 18, 2020
“China’s retiring ‘baby boomers’ a shot in the arm for tourism, fitness and insurance sectors: Credit Suisse: China’s “baby boomers” are nearing retirement and will spend more on travel, health foods and commercial insurance than earlier generations, according to Credit Suisse. The upcoming retirement of about 245 million people – about a fifth of China’s population – will lead to business opportunities for a host of industries, the Swiss investment bank’s China Quantitative Insight (CQi) team said in a report recently. Much like the United States after the second world war, China witnessed a spike in birth rates in the 1960s following the end of the Great Famine. This was a lucky generation, entering adulthood when China began its great reform and opening up in 1978 that would eventually led to the economy ballooning 90 times in the following four decades.”, South China Morning Post, September 14, 2020
“AmCham China Charter Flight Arrives in Beijing: History was made on Sunday as AmCham China’s Back to Work Charter Flight became the first such flight from the US to fly directly into Beijing since the pandemic began, as well as the first multi-company charter flight from any country to fly directly into the capital, as 87 passengers made the trip from San Francisco. The charter flight – a Boeing 787-9 aircraft – has been months in the making since China first effectively closed its borders to foreign nationals at the end of March. Since that moment, the Chamber has led extensive efforts to bring member executives and their families back to China, first through surveying the wider membership to find out where the most members were located, and then through lengthy negotiations with key stakeholders, most notably the Beijing government, who gave the green light for this charter flight at the end of August.”, AmCham China, September 14, 2020
Colombia
“Spirit Airlines Becomes First International Carrier to Resume Operations to Colombia
From Sept. 19, Spirit Airlines will restart direct flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), to Cartagena, Colombia. Spirit will be the first international airline to resume operations to Colombia. This flight will arrive to Cartagena at 12:36 (UTC-5) and would leave again to Fort Lauderdale at 13:36 (UTC-5). Additionally, Spirit will restart flights from Bogotá, Medellín and Cali to Fort Lauderdale from Sept. 21.”, Airline Geeks, September 20, 2020
El Salvador
“Avianca To Resume Its International Operations From El Salvador: After more than six months without operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Avianca has announced it is ready to gradually resume its flights from its hub in El Salvador on September 19, once the authorities allow the arrival and departure of international flights to the country.”, Airline Geeks, September 14, 2020
France
“France tries to salvage failed StopCovid tracing app as cases surge: When the pandemic was raging across Europe last spring, many politicians and health experts were optimistic that a new generation of tracing apps could eventually help keep COVID-19 at bay. France was one of the many countries to seize on this idea, but its controversial approach has failed to have an impact and is instead becoming a cautionary tale. In a report issued this week, a national committee charged with reviewing the nation’s COVID-19 response called for the government to reinvest in promoting the app, which has so far generated few notifications. In theory, someone who has the app installed on their smartphone will receive a notification if they have recently crossed paths with someone who reported a positive diagnosis via the same app.”, Venture Beat, September 18, 2020
Israel
“Emirates to Begin Flights Between UAE and Israel: As relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel continue to improve, Emirates has received approval to launch flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv.”, Airlines Geeks, September 18, 2020
“Israel marks Jewish New Year with second lockdown: Israel is entering a second nationwide lockdown to curb surging coronavirus cases, just as people begin to mark the start of Jewish New Year. Rosh Hashanah is traditionally a time for big, family get-togethers. But under the new three-week lockdown, Israelis must stay within 1km (0.6 miles) of their homes, with exceptions, and the number of people allowed in synagogues has been greatly reduced.”, BBC News, September 18, 2020
Italy
“Rome Fiumicino Airport Awarded 5-Star SkyTrax COVID-19 Airport Rating: The COVID-19 pandemic that has wreaked havoc on commercial aviation over the past months has caused the traveling public to modify the parameters used to evaluate the service they receive when they board an aircraft or they transit through an airport. Therefore, SkyTrax Ratings — the World Airline and Airport Star Rating program that has been providing their ratings since 1999 — has launched a new airport ranking aiming to evaluate airport based on its COVID-19 procedures and facilities.”, Airlines Geeks, September 21, 2020
Japan
“Tokyo lowers alert level as coronavirus fears ease: Tokyo’s government on Thursday dropped its coronavirus alert by one notch from the highest level as cases continue to trend down, opening the path for a loosening of restrictions on night-time activity. ‘Regarding the infection situation, we have lowered one level down to orange from the highest level of red. But, we need to be cautious about increases again,’ Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said at a coronavirus response meeting.”, Reuters, September 10, 2020
New Zealand
“New Zealand ends all pandemic restrictions outside main city of Auckland: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday lifted all coronavirus restrictions across the country, except in second-wave hotspot Auckland, as the number of new infections slowed to a trickle. Some restrictions were also eased in Auckland to allow gatherings of up to 100 people, but the country’s biggest city needed more time before all curbs could be lifted, Ardern said.”, Reuters, September 20, 2020
Peru
“Peruvian Government Announces Oct. 1 Restart of International Flights: Peruvian Minister of Transport and Communications Carlos Estremaydoro indicated that the country’s sanitation protocols necessary to begin international service will be defined this month in concordance with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and airlines representatives. As a result, airlines should be able to begin international flying on Oct. 1.”, Airline Geeks, September 8, 2020
Singapore
“Singapore August exports rise 7.7% year/year, higher than forecasts: Singapore’s August non-oil domestic exports (NODX) rose 7.7% from a year earlier, beating forecasts, official data showed on Thursday, helped by items such as non-monetary gold and specialised machinery.”, Reuters, September 17, 2020
“Singapore rolls out Covid tracing tokens: Singapore is distributing thousands of devices that can track where a person has been and who they have interacted with. The small bluetooth device is meant for those who do not own smartphones and cannot use a contact tracing app that was previously rolled out by the Singapore government. While there are some concerns over about data protection, authorities say the token helps vulnerable groups to feel safer when out and about. For instance, the token helps elderly people keep a precise record of their whereabouts.”, BBC News, September 19, 2020
Sweden
“Sweden beating coronavirus with herd immunity, expert claims: Evidence is mounting that Sweden has beaten the coronavirus epidemic with herd immunity rather than lockdowns, according to a renowned expert on the spread of disease. Sweden’s infection rate has remained low and stable at a time when other European countries are facing a strong resurgence. In Britain there are 69 cases per 100,000 people compared to just 28 for every 100,000 in Sweden which did not implement stringent lockdown measures this spring. The infection rate in France is almost seven times higher than in Sweden and the virus is ten times more prevalent in Spain, both countries that implemented strict lockdowns.”, The Sunday Times of London, September 21, 2020
Thailand
“Thailand Woos Tourists With A New Long Stay Visa: The popular Asian destination has seen a reduction of Covid-19 cases and wants to welcome back foreigners. On 15th September 2020 the Thai Cabinet, as proposed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, created a new “special tourist visa” for long-stay visitors. One precondition, which is certainly achievable by most, is to agree to a 14 day state quarantine on arrival in Thailand. To qualify for the visa, long-stay visitors are required to show evidence of accommodation beyond the quarantine period. This can be in the form of hotels or other licensed lodging, so long as they comply with the health stipulations as mandated by the Ministry of Public Health.”, Forbes, September 17, 2020
United Kingdom
“The economy recorded its third consecutive month of growth in July, growing 6.6 per cent month-on-month, according to data released this morning by the Office for National Statistics. City economists had forecast a 6.7 per cent month-on-month rise in gross domestic product (GDP), following 8.7 per cent month-on-month growth in June. More than two thirds of the growth came from service industries — including pubs, restaurants and hotels — as lockdown restrictions eased, the ONS reported. Despite the growth, however, the ONS calculates that the UK economy is still 11.7 per cent smaller than in February, before the full impact of the coronavirus hit.”, The Times of London, September 10, 2020
“UK’s Johnson to levy 10,000 pound fine on COVID-19 rule-breakers: People in England who break new rules requiring them to self-isolate if they have been in contact with someone infected with COVID-19 will face a fine of up to 10,000 pounds ($12,914), Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday.”, Reuters, September 19, 2020
“Downing Street threatens to shut bars that let in too many people: Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty will warn this morning that the nation is at ‘a critical point in the pandemic’. Last night Downing Street warned the UK is ‘in the last chance saloon’ as coronavirus cases continue to rise. Boris Johnson expected to set out plans for new restrictions this week which could last for up to six months. Health Secretary Matt Hancock was today unable to guarantee that pubs will still be open at the weekend.”, The Daily Mail, September 21, 2020
United States
“U.S. Small Business Optimism Up In August: Small-business owners gained confidence in the U.S. economy last month, outpacing expectations, according to data from a survey compiled by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). The NFIB Optimism Index rose 1.4 points in August to 100.2, slightly above the historical 46-year average. Seven of the 10 Index components improved, two declined, and one was unchanged. The NFIB Uncertainty Index increased two points in August to 90, the second-highest reading since 2017. “Small businesses are working hard to recover from the state shutdowns and effects of Covid-19,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “We are seeing areas of improvement in the small business economy, as job openings and plans to hire are increasing, but many small businesses are still struggling and are uncertain about what the future will hold.’”, Franchising. Com, September 17, 2020
“Study Finds Consumers Returning To Stores, But Shopping Habits Have Changed: As Covid-19 lockdown measures continue to be scaled back around the world, almost three-quarters of global consumers (71%) now report feeling comfortable returning to physical stores, according to research by Mood Media entitled ‘Shopper Sentiments: A September 2020 Global Mood Survey.’ But their shopping habits have changed and they see a “return to normal” as still being a ways off.”, Franchising.com, September 9, 2020
“Planning to fly for the holidays? 6 things to know before you book: Airfares may be much lower, but passengers who book for Thanksgiving or Christmas should make backup plans, too…. For those willing to buy a ticket, the flying future is shifting in more dramatic ways, too—for this season and beyond.”, Fortune, September 19, 2020
Brand News – a new section highlighting what major brands are doing to survive and grow in these times
“Burger King unveils ‘touchless’ store concept with suspended kitchens, conveyor belts and canopies: Burger King has unveiled a new ‘touchless’ concept store, designed to meet the challenges of doing business during a pandemic, and adapt to the ‘new normal’. The new stores will feature physically contactless experiences, such as mobile ordering and curbside pick-up areas, as well as drive-in and walk-up order areas. ‘In March our in-house design and tech team accelerated new restaurant design plans and pushed the limits of what a Burger King restaurant could be,’ said Josh Kobza, COO at Restaurant Brands International. ‘We took into consideration how consumer behaviours are changing and how our guests will want to interact with our restaurants. The result is a new design concept that is attractive to guests and will allow our franchisees to maximise their return.’ The ‘touchless’ store is expected to provide multiple ordering and delivery modes, and boast a physical footprint 60% smaller than a traditional Burger King restaurant.”, Smartcompany.com.au, September 8, 2020
“Chili’s parent company CEO says new virtual delivery-only restaurant first of other, similar concepts: Brinker International, parent company of Chili’s and Maggiano’s, discussed the concept behind It’s Just Wings during calls with investors and the media, Restaurant Business Online reports. According to him, the delivery-only restaurant is just the first of a developing portfolio of similar concepts that the company is developing. It’s Just Wings is reportedly already generating revenue at an annual rate that will exceed $150 million. The delivery-only restaurant uses kitchens across various Chili’s and Maggiano’s restaurants and makes deliveries through DoorDash, MarketWatch reports.”, Fox Business, August 16, 2020
“Chipotle’s Chief Says the Online Boom Will Outlast the Pandemic: CEO Brian Niccol wants to protect employees, but won’t require them to get vaccinated. As the pandemic made people hesitant or unable to eat inside its restaurants, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. saw its online orders and delivery business take off. CEO Niccol thinks much of that digital business is here to stay.”, Bloomberg, Businessweek, September 16, 2020
“Starbucks continues on the road to recovery as sales performance is almost completely back to normal in China; with flat sales in August representing a major improvement from negative 10% sales in July, according to chief financial officer Patrick Grismer who gave an update on the company at the J.P. Morgan Gaming, Lodging, Restaurant & Leisure Management Access Forum. Starbucks’ U.S. performance, however, has a longer road ahead, and Grismer predicted that it will take six more months to completely recover. Sales incrementally improved from negative 14% in July to negative 11% in August as the company continues to reopen cafes and dining rooms. At this point, about 3% of their stores remain closed, and about half of the stores have seating available. Grismer noted that at cafes that have opened, drive-thrus — which represent about 60% of the company’s portfolio — have boosted sales significantly at a time when food traffic is still low. ‘We’ve seen that as we’ve progressively opened our ordering and sales channels, from drive-thru to entry way pick-up to in-store ordering and seating, sales have improved and they’re continuing on that path,’ Grismer said. ‘Looking ahead, we expect three key initiatives will fuel our future recovery in the US: first, the deployment of handheld POS at the drive-thru; second, the roll-out of curbside pick-up where we have convenient parking; and third, today, the launch of Stars for Everyone.’”, National Restaurant News, September 16, 2020, compliments of Paul Jones, Jones & Co., Toronto and China
“This week Texas Chicken™ (Church’s Chicken™) had a virtual conference success story. While everything seems to be online nowadays, being online isn’t always negative! Texas Chicken hosted a multi-day International Virtual Summit that spanned 16 time zones while promoting a “Stronger Together” theme to unite teams worldwide. The event brought franchisees, corporate brand leadership, and field team members together to celebrate their alignment on strategic goals accompanied by an energetic display of faces on a single platform. Through this event, Texas Chicken honored their people worldwide through various awards. ‘We respect and recognize our international franchisees in the 26 countries in which we operate. Their commitment and ability to face the challenges of 2020 is worthy of applause and recognition,’ said Joe Christina, Chief Executive Officer.”, Franchising.com, September 14, 2020, compliments of Brianne Barbakoff, Ink Link Marketing
Articles And Charts About Doing Business in The Times Of COVID-19 and Beyond
“Here’s What Happens Every Minute on the Internet in 2020: Data never sleeps”, Visual Capitalist, September 15, 2020
“The Shape of Economic Recovery, According to CEOs: Is the glass half full, or half empty? Whenever the economy is put through the ringer, levels of optimism and pessimism about its potential recovery can vary greatly. The current state mid-pandemic is no exception. This graphic first details the various shapes that economic recovery can take, and what they mean. We then dive into which of the four scenarios are perceived the most likely to occur, based on predictions made by CEOs from around the world.
“It’s Go Time for Digital Transformation: If people had doubts about the new capabilities that companies everywhere are implementing as part of digital transformations, the response to the COVID-19 crisis appears to have put them to rest. The vast majority of both managers and employees believe that these capabilities helped counter the effects of the pandemic and will aid businesses in getting back on their feet once the crisis is over, according to a new survey commissioned by Boston Consulting Group.”, August 4, 2020
“What 12,000 Employees Have to Say About the Future of Remote Work: Although the COVID-19 pandemic has led to economic, health, and social devastation, it has also created an unprecedented opportunity: to run the world’s biggest-ever workplace experiment. This experience is yielding fascinating insights that have significant implications for the way we should organize work. To assess employee sentiment on these changes, from the end of May through mid-June we surveyed more than 12,000 professionals employed before and during COVID-19 in the US, Germany, and India.”, Boston Consulting Group, August 2020
Who We Are And What We Do
Edwards Global Services, Inc. (EGS) provides a complete International solution for U.S. businesses Going Global. From initial global market research and country prioritization, to developing new international markets and providing operational support around the world. Our U.S. based executive team has experience living and working in many countries. Our Associate network on the ground overseas covers 40+ countries.
Founded in 2001, Edwards Global Services, Inc. (EGS) takes U.S. businesses global and currently has activity in 25 countries. Our Clients are all consumer-faced brands. Edwards Global Services, Inc. (EGS) has twice received the U.S. President’s Award for Export Excellence
Find out more about the services we provide U.S. companies Going Global at: www.edwardsglobal.com
William Edwards, CFE, is CEO and Global Advisor of Edwards Global Services (EGS). He has 46 years of international operations, development, executive and entrepreneurial experience and has lived in 7 countries. With experience in the franchise, oil and gas, information technology and management consulting sectors, he has directed projects on-site in Alaska, Asia, Europe and the Middle and Near East. Mr. Edwards advises a wide range of companies on early to long term global development of their brands.
For global cross business sectoral updates and advice, contact Mr. Edwards at bedwards@edwardsglobal.com or +1 949 224 3896.
