Across the globe, enough food is produced to feed 10 billion people, yet hunger and famine still prevail. Each year, around 931 million tonnes of food is wasted following production and processing; of this, 569 million tonnes (61%) is consumer waste, and 118 million tonnes (13%) comes from retail.

BIXOLON Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of BIXOLON, the global manufacturer of advanced receipt, label and mobile printers, welcomes visitors on stand 4/F80 at LogiMAT 2023 from the 25-27.04.2023, where it will be showcasing its advanced range of printing solutions for the intralogistics market.

Leibinger introduced what it describes as the world’s first intelligent coding & marking system – the IQJET – on May 3 in Düsseldorf, the day before the opening of the interpack trade show.

The low migration inks market size is projected to be worth US$ 1.4 billion in 2023. The market is likely to surpass US$ 2.8 billion by 2033. It is expected to showcase growth at an impressive CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period.

The peak season is renowned for Christmas cheer, retail opportunity, in store shopping, bustling shopping centres and queues. Additionally, shoppers and restaurant clientele are busy. They detest queues. Their time is precious. They have places to go and people to see.

BIXOLON Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of BIXOLON, the manufacturer of advanced receipt, label and mobile printers, has entered into a partnership with ACS Postal Services (ACS), the Greek courier service provider.

BIXOLON Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of BIXOLON, a global leader in advanced receipt, label and mobile printers, has partnered with G Rigging & Lighting Ltd, an independent event specialist based in the UK.

Brother UK has been named as a 'leader' in sustainability programs and services in the most recent IDC Sustainability MarketScape assessment.

This issue features a Special Technology Report looking in depth at the latest developments in the world of Printing and Labelling solutions.

Also included is a ‘Cover Story’: Gartner explains that by 2026, 30% of enterprises will automate more than half of their network activities, an increase from under 10% in mid-2023.

Printing and Labelling Technology Report

RetailTechnologyReview.com spoke with leading analysts, vendors and associations about current developments within the printing and labelling technology marketplace about recent developments and what to look out for over the next year or two.

Russia will build a line of struggle against the "terrorist enclave” in Ukraine similarly to the line that Israel is building in its struggle against Hamas. The world will again look at the double standards of the United States at their finest. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine of: bomb terrorism; financing of terrorism. The ministry said that investigative actions revealed Ukraine being behind the latest terrorist attacks in Russia. The department also demanded Kyiv should "arrest and extradite all persons involved” within the framework of the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings (ICBT) and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. The Foreign Ministry clarified that a note to Kyiv regarding the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall would be sent separately after the completion of the investigation.

As many as 3,000 Wagner fighters joined the Akhmat special forces of the 2nd Army Corps of the Russian Armed Forces. Their commander Ratibor gathers people who will carry out the "tasks of the state.” The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, reported on Telegram that one of the commanders of the Wagner Group with call sign Ratibor would join the Akhmat special forces and bring in 3,000 fighters along with him too. The agreement was reached as a result of negotiations between the deputy commander of the 2nd Army Corps of the Russian Armed Forces, Apta Alaudinov, and Wagner commander, Alexander Kuznetsov (Ratibor). The Russian Defence Ministry approved the initiative. Kadyrov spoke of Ratibor as "an old comrade with whom he had fought side by side before.”

Ukraine dreamed of becoming "the key to the security of Europe's gas supply,” the gas hub of Europe. Moscow found this unnecessary. Ukraine wants to become EU's gas hub According to Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Svetlana Grinchuk, imports usually account for up to 10 billion cubic meters of the total volume of Ukrainian storage facilities of 31 billion cubic meters. Ukraine stores gas from Poland, Norway, Hungary, and other countries, which they receive even from the Caspian region, as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG), which comes to Europe from the United States. "The EU aims to phase out the use of Russian gas and reduce the share of fossil fuels in the energy mix. Ukraine can help achieve these goals," Grinchuk told Euractiv.

Russian military social media began to promote the Sever (North) group of troops of the Russian Armed Forces. The group is known for its tactical sign N and its goal is an offensive on Kharkiv. North military grouping created for Kharkiv operation The creation of the group of troops North (N) means that the Russian forces are preparing personnel in the Belgorod region for an offensive on Kharkiv. Ukrainian sources say that the Russian Army does not need to capture Kharkiv, but this is not true to fact. Taking the city will let the Russian forces ensure the collapse of the entire eastern front of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In addition, keeping Kharkiv under control will ensure security for the Belgorod region of Russia that Ukraine has been shelling regularly. The Russian authorities can no longer ignore civilian casualties. There are other signs that indicate preparations for an offensive:

US Congress will provide $61 billion in military aid to Ukraine. Will Joseph Biden decide to transfer long-range missiles to Kyiv? Does Washington prepare for a terrorist war against Russia? Pravda.Ru asked these and other questions to Alexander Dudchak, candidate of economic sciences, leading researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries. The US Congress approved $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, but this money will be distributed between Ukraine, the American military-industrial complex and allies in Europe for arms procurement. What do you think of the bill? The decision did not come as a surprise. Of course, the bulk of the amount will be spent to support the US defence industry. The Americans say that they need long-term contracts to support the defence industry, and Washington is getting them by supporting Kyiv and the hostilities in Ukraine. A lion's share of those billions will be spent to support the US defence industry in the first place. In addition, they will allocate money for the National Nuclear Safety Committee and the Ministry of Health.

The actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region of Russia produced a bombshell effect in media space. Yet, Armed Forces of Ukraine are doomed to lose. The operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region came as a surprise for Russia. Ukraine was competent in conducting it tactically with quick breakthroughs and deployment of second echelons under the protection of electronic warfare. Ukrainian soldiers managed to dig in in a number of settlements, and it will take the Russian troops some time to annihilate the enemy there. The Russian Armed Forces have no other option but to create a sanitary zone in the Sumy region.

The crews of Uragan multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) of the Vostok group of forces of the Russian Army obliterated armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of ​​the Vremevsky salient. Artillery crews of the group of forces in the South Donetsk direction of hostilities struck a fortified area of ​​the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of ​​the Vremevsky salient. A salvo of 16 Uragan rockets (300 kilograms each) covers an area of ​​42 hectares — this is equivalent to six football fields. High-explosive shells are capable of piercing through concrete shelters 1.5 meters thick.

The Retail Technology Show (RTS), the leading industry event that connects retail’s changemakers and leading tech providers, has announced the shortlist of its 2024 Innovation Awards, which champion progressive, best-in-class technologies and solutions.

In the recent 2-3 years, an increasing number of malls and retail chains have adopted real-time video analytics and facial recognition to enhance security, customer experience and footfall analysis.

Some of these technologies are showcased this week at the NRF Protect Conference in Long Beach, California.

PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips Professional Displays and complementary hardware and software solutions, has announced the latest evolution of its multi-award-winning ePaper with Android SoC signage range, launching the new 13” Philips Tableaux 4150 at InfoComm 2024. 

Anthropics Technology has announced that its AI-powered fashion virtual try-on, Zyler, has won an award by Retail Systems.

A specialist logistics recruiter is celebrating, following its debut at industry trade show Multimodal. Innovate Freight Talent exhibited and also presented a key seminar on finding the best logistics talent for your business, at the UK’s leading supply chain conference and logistics expo at the NEC.

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. (NMFTA) served as the lead sponsor for the CyberTruck Challenge. This year marked the third year that NMFTA had served in this sponsorship role.

With e-commerce leaders such as Alibaba, Amazon, eBay, and TikTok on hand to share insights at the China (Shenzhen) Cross Border E-commerce Fair (CCBEC) from 11 – 13 September 2024, the show will welcome nearly 1,500 exhibitors from around the globe.

The International Safe Transit Association (ISTA), the industry developer of pre-shipment performance testing standards for packaged products, has announced programming for its annual European Packaging Symposium, which will be held 8-9 October at the Le Méridien Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany.

Minority Supplier Development UK (MSDUK) and the European Supplier Diversity Program (ESDP) have announced the final opportunity to register for 2024 Business Diversity Connect, the ethnic minority business (EMB) supplier diversity conference.

We Mean Business Coalition’s chief executive officer Maria Mendiluce, Zapmap’s co-founder and chief operating officer Melanie Shufflebotham, and co-leader of the Green Party England and Wales Carla Denyer are among those to have been awarded an inaugural Women in Green Business Award celebrating their work driving the UK's net zero transition.

PPDS is participating at EquipHotel 2024 (3-7 November), with the latest innovations in its portfolio of hospitality display solutions, plus the launch of a brand new ‘all inclusive’ streaming partnership for Philips MediaSuite TVs.

Major General Pavel Klimenko was killed in the zone of ​​the special military operation in Ukraine. He commanded the 5th separate motorized rifle brigade, which was previously part of the People's Militia of the Donetsk People's Republic. No circumstances of the general's death were provided. Pavel Klimenko held the title of Hero of the DPR, had two Orders of Courage, the Order of Alexander Nevsky and the Medal "For Bravery".

A two-seat version of the J-20 fighter, the J-20S, was unveiled at the Zhuhai Air Show in China. The J-20S is notable for being the only two-seat design built on a 5th-generation platform. The second seat in the airplane is designed for the UAV operator. This configuration allows the J-20S to control unmanned wingmen thus enhancing the role of the fighter as a central information hub in combat.

The authorities of the Republic of Abkhazia again put spokes in the wheels of the law that determines the procedure for Russian legal entities to invest in the country. Abkhazia protests against investment agreement with Russia The agreement between Abkhazia and Russia on investment activity was submitted to the Abkhazian parliament for consideration, but the "opposition" rioted near the parliament building demanding that its ratification be removed from the current agenda. The document is aimed at developing infrastructure:

Russian military correspondent Alexander Kots said that the Russian Armed Forces use Elon Musk's technology in military actions. According to Kots, the Russian military use Starlink satellites in the special military operation zone. "The troops actively use Starlink in the SVO (SVO is a Russian abbreviation for special military operation — ed.). We use it, among other things, for broadcast to command posts, to get images from reconnaissance UAVs,” the military correspondent said. This has significantly raised the level of Russian intelligence, the military correspondent added.

There's a new paper out on the brain of Homo floresiensis, which concludes that it really is a new species; there are a number of new article about the debate over the fossils; and the fossils have finally been returned to their owners.

The latest rounds have been fired in the war over the interpretation of the "Hobbit" fossils from Indonesia that were announced in 2004. The hobbit discoverers have published details on some new fossils: more arm bones from the original skeleton, another jaw bone, and many pieces from other individuals. According to them (and some other commentators), the new fossils confirm that the hobbit was a typical member of its population, and not an aberrant individual (in fact, some bones come from an individual smaller than the first hobbit). ...

A few months ago I attended a talk by Professor Colin Groves of the Australian National University: 'An update on Homo floresiensis, a.k.a. the "Hobbit"'. As is well known, there has been an unusually bitter scientific debate over the last couple of years as to whether the hobbit is indeed a new species, or just a small microcephalic human. The term 'microcephaly' covers a range of conditions which cause unusually small brain sizes. (Disclaimer: Groves is not a disinterested participant in this debate, having coauthored a paper which argues against the microcephalic interpretation.) Groves went over a long list of unusual features of the hobbit. ...

Added February 17, 2006:

Added September 28, 2006: The Discovery Institute selectively quotes Judge Jones' decision in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District in aid of its "bait and switch" claim of scientific evidence in support of intelligent design.

Added October 9, 2006: The newest addition to the Quote Mine Project shows how Casey Luskin of Discovery Institute misrepresents what Gould and others wrote in a brief for Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals.

Added October 19, 2006:

Fifty years ago, the first retail barcode was scanned, marking a pivotal moment in computing history by linking a physical product to its digital identity.

To commemorate this milestone and in conjunction with Cambridge Tech Week, Orca Scan has launched a new exhibition, ‘Celebrating 50 Years of Barcode Scanning’, in collaboration with Datalogic and the Centre for Computing History.

As the peak festive sales season approaches, retailers face greater cybersecurity risk during the fourth quarter than any other time of year. Last year the average cost of a data breach jumped up 10% between 2023 and 2024. For retailers the cost has increased beyond the global annual average and sits at an 18% YoY increase ($2.96m).

Digital banking platform Ibanera, spearheaded by CEO Michael Carbonara, has entered into a collaboration with Visa, the digital payment solutions provider. This opportunity will enable Ibanera to leverage Visa’s card issuing capabilities to support its clientele’s banking and finance needs.

British Business-to-Business (B2B) companies take on average 32 days to collect, collate and enrich all the necessary data for a new product launch, significantly impacting UK productivity and go-to-market times, according to research conducted by Akeneo, the Product Experience (PX) Company and leading provider of Product Information Management (PIM) solutions.

Jisp, the retail technology company, has marked the three-year anniversary of its Scan & Save app achieving high performance figures. Jisp reports that, since its launch in 2021, Scan & Save has earned retailers almost £6million while shoppers have saved over £2.2million in that time.

The Co-op Media Network (CMN) is to install 300 new front-of-store digital media screens to turbo-charge its retail media offering, taking the total number of screens to over 9,000 across its store estate.

A global study by Checkout.com, the global digital payments company, highlights the consumer buying behaviour which is powering today’s digital economy. The research, conducted across the UK, US, UAE and China, reveals a number of trends, including the growing spending power of Generation Alpha.

New research by BSI reveals growing public confidence in AI capabilities, with over half (51%) of respondents saying AI could perform some aspects of their job, up from 38% in 2023.

Whilst the survey highlighted some concerns related to deployment, it showed that people are optimistic about AI’s capabilities....

By Franklin Carpenter, freelance writer.

The importance of customer data in retail continues to grow, pushing businesses to seek efficient management strategies. Cloud computing has proven to be a powerful resource for tackling customer data challenges, enabling retailers to streamline their processes.

An American from California simultaneously contracted the coronavirus and monkeypox, reports NBC. Mitcho Thompson, from the town of Sebastopol, told the TV channel that he tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of June, and soon after noticed red spots on his back, legs, arms and neck. "The doctor was absolutely certain that I had monkeypox and that I had both," Thompson said.

According to the dietitian Li Yuanjuan, moderate consumption of eggs per week can contribute to a healthy diet. However, he warns about the possible danger of the product as it can increase cholesterol levels in the blood. The dietitian emphasizes that the key to a healthy diet is the correct amount of egg consumption - from three to six per week, no more than one egg per day. In his interview with the Chinese portal Sina, Li Yuanjuan notes that eggs are the main food for those who adhere to a healthy lifestyle, as they contain high-quality protein that is well absorbed by the body. According to the specialist, the proper consumption of eggs in combination with a varied and balanced diet, as well as regular physical exercise, can help reduce the risk of various diseases and elevated cholesterol levels in the blood. Therefore, adhering to the recommended amount of egg consumption per week is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle.