Columbia Sportswear aims Rs 170cr sales with 35 stores by FY18

US-based Columbia Sportswear would have 35 stores by FY 2017-18 in India and expects its domestic sales to go up to Rs 170 crore by then.

Chogori India Retail Ltd, which has distribution tie-up with Columbia Sportswear, would add 3 more stores in its retail network by the end of December 2015, taking its total count to 21.

Apart from that, Chogori would add other outdoor brands as Goal Zero, Nalgene, Buff, Black Diamond and Julbo, to be sold in a shop-in-shop concept at its existing Columbia Sportswear stores, making them as one stop destination for expeditionary marketing.

Disney aims nerf crossbows in global push for 'Star Wars' toys

Darth Vader stands amongst other Star-Wars figures on display in the Hasbro showroom during the International Toy Fair. Photo: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News.

For "Star Wars" fans, Christmas is coming early this year: on September 4, when the toys tied to Walt Disney's first film in the space-adventure series go on sale.

Three months before "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens in theatres, the company is staking its claim on gift lists, with everything from Captain Phasma action figures to Nerf crossbows and blasters. Disney on Wednesday unveiled plans for events leading up to next week's "Force Friday." They include a global unwrapping of "Star Wars" merchandise on YouTube by the company's Internet video division, Maker Studios, and coverage on the American ABC TV's "Good Morning America" program.

Spar man's shock as Exeter Pound snubs franchise businesses

The Exeter Pound has defended its decision to exclude branded convenience stores from the new local currency scheme.
Regional Spar retailer Clive Sheppard has spoken of his shock at having his appli 
 
But those behind the new currency have said it is intended to encourage people to spend money with local independent businesses which don’t benefit from the support of big name brands.
Due to be launched on Tuesday, September 1, the Exeter Pound aims to keep more money circulating within the local economy. Ninety traders and charities have so far signed up to accept the new paper currency.

Franchising provides great business opportunities, but do your homework before you sign up to be a franchisee In

brief - Franchising presents both opportunities and risks

A franchise should provide a comprehensive and virtually foolproof business model - however, problems can arise when the financial modelling underpinning the system is flawed.

What is franchising?

There are different types of franchise structures, including (as identified by the Franchise Council of Australia) product and trade-name franchises, where franchisees distribute a manufacturer's product within a specified territory or at a specific location, usually with the use of the manufacturer's identifying name or trademark.

However, the most common form of franchising is business format franchising, in which a franchisor provides franchisees with a format or system for the conduct of a business.

Donald Trump Made Millions From Multilevel Marketing Firm

Over the past decade, Donald Trump has earned millions of dollars for extolling ACN Inc., a multilevel marketing firm that has weathered regulatory investigations in three countries.
Mr. Trump not only endorsed ACN, he twice featured the company on his former reality TV show, “The Celebrity Apprentice.” Both episodes featured teams of entertainment figures competing to promote versions of a video phone sold by the North Carolina firm.
“I think the ACN video phone is amazing,” Mr. Trump said in an ACN news release just before a two-hour, prime time Sunday night Celebrity Apprentice episode on the product in 2011. “I simply can’t imagine anybody using this phone and not loving it.”

Martin Marietta Materials Director Sells $523,470.00 in Stock (MLM)

Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM) Director David G. Maffucci sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.49, for a total transaction of $523,470.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 16,599 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,896,359.51. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Multilevel Marketing Vs. Franchising

Knowing the differences between franchising and multilevel marketing -- also called MLM or network marketing -- is important when you're choosing the best business model for your background, financing and long-term goals. Running a franchise takes some business acumen to make the business profitable. Network marketing appeals to people with no previous experience in sales or business relationship development, as training is provided by the organization.