Hello!As the curve flattens in many parts of the world and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sweden-lockdown-approach-example-for-us-2020-4">the movement to reopen the economy gains steam</a>, I keep finding myself thinking about this seating plan.As Holly Secon reported this week, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/south-korean-call-center-covid-19-outbreak-seating-chart-2020-4">44% of workers on one floor of a South Korean call center got the coronavirus</a>. The desks colored blue show where employees with confirmed cases sat.For some of you, that seating plan might look a little like your bank of desks at the office. It certainly looks like mine. A number of Business Insider reporters this week delved in to what a return to work might look like, and how offices will have to be reconfigured to make a return possible:<ul><li>Joe Williams talked to the co-CEOs of Gensler, the largest architecture firm. They described <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-will-offices-change-after-coronavirus-architecture-ceos-say-2020-4">the three ways that offices will change post-coronavirus</a>.</li><li>Alex Nicoll talked to seven real-estate experts about what to expect when you're back in the office. They explained <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-businesses-will-reopen-offices-how-go-back-to-work-2020-4">what the transition will look like, and why the workplace may never be the same</a>.</li><li>Mandatory temperature taking is largely seen as a critical way to return workers to offices. But Dan Geiger <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-effective-temperature-taking-will-be-when-offices-reopen-2020-4">reported that some big NYC landlords are worried about its effectiveness.</a></li><li>Alex and Meghan Morris reported that the coronavirus is a "nuclear bomb" for companies like WeWork. They talked to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-future-of-flexible-office-after-a-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-4">10 real-estate insiders about the future of flex-office, and how employers are preparing now</a>.</li><li>And as WeWork and flex-space rivals stumble, 18 million square feet of space in NYC is at risk. Dan broke down <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wework-and-peers-threaten-huge-vacancies-real-estate-market-recession-2020-5">what that means for the real-estate market.</a></li><li>Nationwide is permanently moving a chunk of its employees to remote work. Joe talked to the CEO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-nationwides-ceo-sees-digital-innovation-as-critical-post-pandemic-2020-4">about what that means for operations at the insurance giant.</a></li><li>Google will "stagger" its return to offices and extended work-from-home until June 1. Hugh Langley got his hands on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-will-stagger-a-return-to-offices-june-memo-2020-4">the email CEO Sundar Pichai sent to staff</a>. </li><li>And Ashley Stewart reported on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-amazon-others-share-tips-on-reopening-workplaces-2020-5">a guide to reopen your workplace</a>, that's based on best practice at Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, and Costco. </li></ul><div type="image" title="Contactless payment" height="2333" width="3500" msid="75520491" hostid="261"></div><h2>How we'll shop and pay</h2>There are other questions beyond whether we'll go back to the office, when, and what it might look like. How will be shop? How will we pay? What felt normal in February — queueing for Chipotle in a packed restaurant and paying by bank card — now feels anachronistic.<ul><li>Shannen Balogh talked to two investors at VC firm Andreessen Horowitz about the new ways we'll shop, bank, and pay, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/andreessen-horowitz-investors-future-ecommerce-banking-payments-2020-5">from livestreaming e-commerce to branchless banking</a>.</li><li>She talked to a Mastercard exec about a surge in contactless <keyword id="6359540" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="payments">payments</keyword> that's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/contactless-payments-mastercard-adoption-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-4">giving the company an unexpected boost as people rethink touching cash</a>.</li><li>And she talked to PayPal cofounder Max Levchin about the future of brick-and-mortar <keyword id="6354851" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="retail">retail</keyword>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/max-levchin-retail-ecommerce-brick-and-mortar-paypal-affirm-coronavirus-2020-4">and the "software fight" that will go on behind the scenes</a>.</li><li>Patrick Coffee and Tanya Dua reported on how Burger King, Chipotle, Domino's, and Subway <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-burger-king-chipotle-dominos-and-subway-market-in-pandemic-2020-4">are adapting their marketing as customers move to a delivery-based future</a>.</li><li>Shoshy Ciment talked to 10 CEOs from thriving DTC brands like Thinx and Magic Spoon <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-dtc-brands-winning-in-the-pandemic-ceos-reveal-how-2020-4">about their playbooks for how companies can succeed amid a global pandemic</a>.</li><li>Gary Vaynerchuk is charging up to $250,000 to help companies shake up their e-commerce operations. Lucia Moses <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-for-vaynercommerce-gary-vaynerchuks-commerce-consultancy-2020-4">got her hands on his pitch deck</a>.</li><li>Appointment-only stores, hand sanitizing stations, and robots stocking shelves. Mary Hanbury took <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-retail-could-change-in-the-wake-of-coronavirus-2020-4">a look at how our shopping experience could change in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic</a>.</li><li>Lastly, Irene Jiang reported that UBS expects restaurant sales to plummet 40%, undoing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ubs-restaurant-sales-to-plummet-after-pandemic-grocery-benefits-2020-4">20 years of growth for the industry as grocery stores dominate</a>. Kate Taylor talked to experts who <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-is-going-to-change-restaurants-for-years-2020-4">predicted customer temperature checks and new fears of crowds</a>.</li></ul><div type="image" title="masayoshi son 4x3" height="1501" width="2001" msid="75520495" hostid="261"></div><h2>Masa Son's biggest challenge</h2>Where did it all go wrong for <keyword id="357983" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Masayoshi-Son">Masayoshi Son</keyword>?From Dakin Campbell's story:In 2017, Son, the founder and CEO of <keyword id="163404" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Softbank">SoftBank</keyword>, upended the tech establishment with the creation of the $100 billion Vision Fund, the largest venture-capital fund in history. Over the next two years, it would deploy $75 billion across 88 investments, with Son holding an outsized <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/rajeev-misra-built-softbanks-vision-fund-now-he-has-to-save-it-11572536439">voice</a> on the three-person investment committee. Son earned a reputation among some venture capitalists and entrepreneurs who saw him <a href="https://brex.com/brexintheblack/episode-3/">pressuring</a> founders into taking more money than they needed, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-09-27/masayoshi-son-softbank-and-the-100-billion-blitz-on-sand-hill-road">elbowing</a> aside coinvestors, and <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e46a250a-4352-11ea-a43a-c4b328d9061c">warping</a> markets by seemingly pushing for growth at all costs. Venture capitalists kept investing alongside him, and founders took the money as valuations rose. The fund earned some wins, selling a stake in India e-commerce company Flipkart to Walmart and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/softbank-sells-entire-nvidia-stake-11549462246">making money</a> on an investment in publicly-traded chipmaker Nvidia. But as more than one company with billions of dollars in Vision Fund cash and no profits began to crater last year, the Silicon Valley community quickly turned against him.You can read the full story here:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-softbank-founder-and-vision-fund-guru-masayoshi-son-lost-his-way-2020-4">Masa Son is facing one of his biggest challenges yet as the SoftBank Vision Fund racks up billions in losses. 12 insiders reveal where it all went wrong.</a>Lastly, if you didn't catch the first installment of Starting Up, Business Insider's interview show, you should <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starting-up-drake-baer-slack-co-founder-cal-henderson-2020-4">check out Drake Baer's conversation with Slack cofounder and CTO Cal Henderson</a>. Below are headlines on some of the stories you might have missed from the past week. Stay safe, everyone.-- Matt<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/outlook-for-private-equity-energy-investments-oil-price-collapse-2020-4">Private-equity firms fueled the US shale revolution with $125 billion. Now they face a reckoning of epic proportions as the oil market melts down.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-recession-crisis-outlook-how-to-invest-david-rosenberg-2020-4">Famed economist David Rosenberg nailed the housing crash. Now he says this crisis won't end as quickly as it began and shares an investing strategy for the next 3 years and beyond.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insiders-explain-why-partners-are-departing-law-firm-boies-schiller-2020-4">The inside story behind a 15-partner exodus at elite law firm Boies Schiller</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zoom-blog-post-daily-active-users-meeting-participants-2020-4">Zoom quietly retracted a claim that it had 300 million daily active users, and it spotlights a huge area of confusion about its business</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/33-insiders-who-wield-the-most-power-at-youtube-2020-4">The 33 insiders who wield the most power at YouTube</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-triad-retail-walmarts-longtime-agency-2020-4">The cautionary tale of a marketing agency that ad giant WPP acquired for $300 million and shut down 4 years later</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stockx-employees-testing-positive-for-covid-19-centers-backed-up-2020-4">Leaked audio reveals StockX is facing a crisis in its authentication centers, with workers testing positive for COVID-19 and complaints of unsafe working conditions as product piles up</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airline-industry-after-coronvirus-when-will-it-recover-bankruptcy-layoffs-2020-4">Airline analysts and executives predict it will take up to 5 years for the industry to recover, but airlines as big as American may not survive. Read their bleak forecasts here.</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-business-stories-this-week-the-office-payments-masa-son-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

The future of the office, how we'll shop and pay, and Masa Son's biggest challenge

<ul><li>A 50:50 joint venture between Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd (CPRL) and <keyword id="6378093" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mcdonalds">McDonald's</keyword> India runs 169 outlets in North and East India.</li><li>In August 2017, McDonald’s terminated its agreement with CPRL, but the Indian venture is still operating while the dispute is being examined by the courts. </li><li>Domino’s Pizza operator <keyword id="129118" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jubilant-Foodworks-Ltd-">Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd.</keyword> profits more than tripled to 660 million rupees in the quarter ending December 2017. </li><li>Domino’s Pizza is slated to open up at least 30 additional outlets to add to its 1,127-strong network across 265 cities this year. </li><li>The market for fast-food in India is expected to expand 5.8 percent to $21.2 billion this year.</li></ul>While the world is veering towards healthy foods, Indians have not deterred from their dedication to their Domino’s chicken tikka pizza - a point made amply clear by the fact that parent company Jubilant FoodWorks’ profit more than tripled to 660 million rupees in the quarter ending December 2017. This may be because Indians prefer pizzas to burgers, but the more plausible reason could be that Domino’s is profiting off the bitter legal battle that McDonald’s franchise operator in India is embroiled in. The McDonald’s Downfall Led by <keyword id="193724" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vikram-Bakshi">Vikram Bakshi</keyword>, Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd (CPRL), a 50:50 joint venture between him and McDonald's India, runs 169 outlets in North and East India. A nasty legal battle ensued when McDonald's proposed to buy out Vikram Bakshi’s (MD, Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd.) stake in 2008. They offered him $5 to 7 million but Bakshi wanted $100 million after Grant Thornton valued CPRL at $331million. In August 2013, McDonald’s ousted Bakshi as managing director of CPRL over alleged financial irregularities. Bakshi in-turn filed a complaint with the Company Law Board (now the National Company Law Tribunal or NCLT) in September 2013 claiming that McDonald’s was trying to strong-arm him into selling his share to them at a lower valuation. In July 2014, <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Companies/PJVjPgc9oU6dtUFoNbRfcN/NCLT-reinstates-Vikram-Bakshi-as-MD-of-McDonalds-joint-vent.html">NCLT reinstated Vikram Bakshi as MD</a> of CRPL. In June 2017, <a href="https://qz.com/1058465/want-to-know-why-mcdonalds-may-shut-down-in-half-of-india-ask-its-first-indian-business-partner/">43 outlets of the fast-food chain were closed</a> in the capital following the expiry of its eating house licences. In August 2017, McDonald’s terminated its agreement with CPRL, though the Indian venture has kept running its 169 outlets while the dispute is being examined by the courts. In the middle of all this, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/over-half-of-mcds-outlets-close-down-in-north-east-india/articleshow/62246480.cms">in December 2017</a>, burger-loving Indians woke up to a rude shock when 84 McDonald’s in North and East India were shut down after its supply chain partner Radhakrishna Foodland discontinued supplies due to the alleged non-payment of dues. Most of the outlets subsequently reopened a month later. “Our growth has completely petered off,” Vikram Bakshi told The Economic Times. However, not all is bleak for McDonald’s. <keyword id="6211434" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Westlife-Development-Ltd-">Westlife Development Ltd.</keyword>, the other McDonald’s franchise partner that runs 271 stores in the Southern and Western parts of India plans to expand to as many as 500 outlets by 2022, according to a company spokeswoman. Domino’s Jubilant Story With all this unfolding, it is but natural that rivals like Domino’s, KFC, Burger King and Subway have been able to make hay while McDonald's sun has dimmed. In 2013, while Bakshi was busy fighting McDonald’s, Domino’s conveniently overtook McDonald’s as India’s largest fast-food brand. According to <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/food/mcdonalds-has-a-legal-problem-in-pizza-loving-india/articleshow/63498024.cms">the Economic Times</a>, shares of India’s Domino’s Pizza operator Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd. have more than doubled in the past year. And this year, it is slated to open up at least 30 additional outlets to add to its 1,127-strong network across 265 cities. According to a transcript of a conference call between analysts and investors and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Jubilant FoodWorks, Pratik Pota, the CFO said, “There is significant potential for the pizza business in the country, and we are committed to leveraging that potential.” As a result of India’s growing economy and its youth population, the market for fast-food in India is expected to expand 5.8 percent to $21.2 billion this year -- a 50 percent jump since 2008 -- according to Euromonitor International, a market research firm. Until McDonald’s promoters in India can resolve their dispute, which looks unlikely at the moment, its competitors can continue to forge ahead.

Battle of the fast food brands: How Domino’s is cashing-in on McDonald’s weak position

Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesApple is just one of many companies that are closing brick-and-mortar locations.<ul class="summary-list"><li>Corporate America will likely be reeling from the impact of the coronavirus for years to come. </li><li>While some ramifications will be short-term, others will be more profound and could force industries like health care and manufacturing to drastically change their operations. </li><li>The outbreak is also leading companies to accelerate digital overhauls or pivot more quickly to new technology, to meet the new reality of social isolation that could last months. </li><li>Follow all of Business Insider's latest updates on the coronavirus <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">here</a>. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here for more BI Prime stories</a>.</li></ul>On Wednesday, President Donald Trump made the decision to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/18/politics/trump-defense-production-act-coronavirus/index.html">invoke a law enacted during the Korean War</a> that could force automakers and others to <a href="https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-ford-ventilator-production/">pivot production lines</a> to meet demand for scarce items like ventilators.Some <a href="https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/03/nj-distillery-switches-from-making-spirits-to-sanitizers-during-coronavirus-outbreak.html">alcohol brewers</a> and luxury perfume makers - like <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51868756">Louis Vuitton's parent organization LVMH</a> - are also switching over to make hand sanitizer. Those shifts are likely to be temporary. But corporate America could be reeling from the impact of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">coronavirus pandemic</a> for years after the outbreak subsides. The crisis is forcing industries like gambling and tourism to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tourism-industry-asking-150-billion-aid-coronavirus-jobs-2020-3">press the federal government for hundreds of billions</a> of dollars of bailout funds to cover the impact.Companies that might have previously eschewed the idea of remote work have been forced to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-asking-employees-to-work-from-home-due-to-coronavirus-2020">embrace the system for thousands of their employees</a>. And industries like big tech that are reliant on foreign supply chains in China might have to rethink those structures. But it's also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-health-centers-tech-overhaul-was-key-coronavirus-plan-2020-3">accelerating the pace</a> at which organizations must adapt to the possibilities enabled by the digital economy. Sectors including media, retail, health care, and manufacturing have all changed aspects of their business since the outbreak began in ways that could last well-after the crisis subsides.We took a look at the industries facing the biggest disruption as a result of the pandemic and how some have already begun to change in response. <h2>Media &amp; Entertainment</h2>While <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-netflix-keeps-losing-best-picture-oscar-academy-voter-analysis-2020-2">streaming services like Netflix</a> have begun in recent years to challenge how films are typically released in theaters several weeks before becoming available in the home, legacy studios still operate under that model. But the coronavirus pandemic has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/movies-being-released-to-home-digital-rental-streaming-early-2020-3">forced multiplexes to shutter for several weeks</a> and put a major barrier in place to film-release schedules mapped out years in advance. NBCUniversal became the first non-Netflix player in the media space to release some titles on-demand at the same time they are playing in theaters - eschewing the typical 90-day release window before titles appear on digital platforms. Disney had crossed a similar line a few days earlier, releasing "Frozen 2," which already finished its run in theaters, on its Disney+ streaming platform months before it had planned to. While that <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nbcuniversal-breaks-theatrical-window-will-make-movies-available-demand-immediately-1284844">appears to be a temporary policy</a> on the part of NBCUniversal, the outbreak and subsequent social isolation policies <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/17/817214311/new-analysis-suggests-months-of-social-distancing-may-be-needed-to-stop-virus">might last into the lucrative summer months</a> and prompt more studios to join in, and maybe make longer-term changes to how studios release their films. Such a step would not be taken lightly. Entertainment giants have largely resisted changes to the traditional release process out of fear it could cut into the profits it makes from distributing films initially in multiplexes. And there are signs major industry players are trying their best to avoid it by <a href="https://atomtickets.com/movie-news/movie-release-dates-changed-for-coronavirus/">moving major releases further into the year</a>. The new "James Bond" movie now won't hit theaters until November, well past the initial release date of April 10. And Marvel's "Black Widow" movie, a major tentpole for parent company Disney, is delayed indefinitely.But as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-movie-theater-box-office-could-be-hurt-by-coronavirus-2020-3">box office totals drop to decades-long lows</a>, the industry is poised for even further disruption should the pandemic last as long as some experts are predicting - up to several months or even beyond that. Perhaps more titles will join NBC Universal's recent releases and "Frozen 2" on streaming, with untold box-office ramifications.<h2>Healthcare </h2>Business Insider Intelligence has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/telehealth-industry-explained">previously estimated</a> that up to 45% of the 1.2 billion outpatient visits that happen annually could be treated via telehealth. Achieving those numbers, however, would require a significant change in strategy for providers - including staffing the virtual centers with more clinicians. Yet the healthcare industry is <a href="https://hbr.org/2019/10/adopting-ai-in-health-care-will-be-slow-and-difficult">often slower than others to embrace technology changes</a>. The sector is highly regulated and profit margins can be slim - meaning <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aaron-gani-humana-cto-turned-behavr-founder-on-corporate-innovation-2019-9">less money is available</a> to fund more dynamic changes. The coronavirus pandemic is not just demonstrating why those digital transformations are critical, it's also accelerating the pace of change. The <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/17/telehealth-services-overwhelmed-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/">rapid surge in demand for telemedicine</a>, for example, could finally be the catalyst needed to encourage a more profound move towards remote medical examinations. At Providence St. Joseph Health, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-health-centers-tech-overhaul-was-key-coronavirus-plan-2020-3">new tools like an online chatbot</a> are making it easier to screen patients initially to prevent overwhelming of the emergency rooms - particularly as the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-18/hospital-makes-face-masks-covid-19-shields-from-office-supplies">availability of necessary equipment</a> like safety masks becomes more scarce. And as more Americans embrace the concept of social distancing to blunt the spread of the disease, the use of telehealth services is <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/16/telemedicine-companies-struggling-to-meet-coronavirus-demand.html">rapidly increasing</a>. So much so that companies are having difficulty finding clinicians to address the growing backlog of patients. Should that demand continue, it would require major changes for the industry. Doctors who have never worked with those digital tools would need to undergo training on the most effective ways to provide care remotely. And figuring out the best ways to coordinate care between the physical hospitals and the virtual world would take time. A few are already being addressed. Gaps in insurance coverage can make it more difficult for some to pursue telehealth solutions. But the federal government <a href="https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/medicare-expands-telehealth-coverage-to-curb-coronavirus">just took a major step</a> to allow Medicare providers to get reimbursed for virtual care at the same rate they do for visits to a physician - paving the way for more seniors to use these services. <h2>Retail </h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-concerns-could-drive-adoption-of-contactless-payments-2020-3">Hesitation to use paper money</a> for fear of germs could heighten consumer interest in mobile payments and force more retailers to adopt those platforms. The US has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/contactless-cards-coming-to-the-us-2019-10">lagged behind other countries</a> in the adoption of contactless transactions, whether that be tapping a physical card or a phone against the machine. The New York subway system, for example, only recently implemented such a system, while London instituted it in 2014. Most retailers are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/13-retailers-announce-temporarily-store-closures-to-fight-coronavirus-2020-3">shuttering operations in physical stores</a> to help prevent the spread of the disease. But even when the country is able to return to some sort of normalcy, concerns are likely to remain over how easily an outbreak could <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">once again spread rapidly</a>. That could force more companies to implement contactless payments in their brick-and-mortar locations. Payments research and consulting firm The Futurist Group found that consumer expectation for contactless features on cards surged 27 percent last year. "For the first time in these extreme circumstances, people are starting to think about everyday actions, from shaking hands to handing their credit card to the barista," cofounder Demitry Estrin <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-concerns-could-drive-adoption-of-contactless-payments-2020-3">said previously</a>.<h2>Big Tech </h2>The technology industry is not the only one that relies on China for critical goods. The trade war between the US and China <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/business/trumps-trade-tactics-spook-us-firms-relying-on-chinas-huge-marketplace">accelerated plans to move production out of the nation</a>. But the pandemic is once again highlighting just how dependent major tech firms like Apple are on suppliers in the region - and could once again force discussions in the C-Suite on whether to move supply chains to countries like Taiwan, India, or Vietnam. "It has become clear that many in the chain were woefully unprepared to react quickly" to the disruption, analysts at ABI Research wrote in a recent report. Companies "should consider diversifying production and reducing their reliance on a single country, manufacturer, or technology supplier." Apple CEO Tim Cook said earlier this year, for example, that it had a few providers in the area around Wuhan, where the coronavirus originated. Despite that, he said he was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ceo-tim-cook-optimistic-china-getting-coronavirus-under-control-2020-2">optimistic production would ramp up again</a>. There are signs that fears were exaggerated. While <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-new-ipad-pro-model-possible-delayed-coronavirus-2020-2">rumors circulated</a> that the company would delay the launch of a new line of iPads as a result of the outbreak, those appear to have been false. Apple on Wednesday <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/18/21184719/apple-announces-new-ipad-pro-price-release-date-availability">unveiled a new version of its signature tablet</a> that will be available as early as next week - indicating that its supply chain <a href="https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/02/10/why-apples-supply-chain-is-prepared-for-chinas-coronavirus">may be more resilient against disruptions in China</a> than some thought. Still, the decision by key iPhone supplier Foxconn to shut down production in China is projected to lead to as much as a <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ming-chi-kuo/">10% reduction in shipments</a> in the first three months of the year. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/bi-intelligence-daily?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_subscription&amp;itm_content=apple&amp;itm_campaign=bi-intelligence-daily"></a> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-symphony-seas-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-deals-with-waste-2020-3">How waste is deal with on the world's largest cruise ship</a></h3>

How 4 multibillion-dollar industries hobbled by the pandemic are evolving to deal with the massive disruption

A new phone-tracing technology could tell if you've been exposed to the coronavirus - without sacrificing privacy. 130 researchers are offering it to countries for free.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Comixology</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Comic books have had to adapt to a rapidly evolving industry in recent years, and Amazon's digital-comics service, Comixology, could lead the way forward.</li><li>Since Amazon acquired the company in 2014, Comixology has introduced an Unlimited subscription program with over 15,000 digital comics, and Comixology Originals, books that are exclusive to the service.</li><li>CEO David Steinberger doesn't rule out that the original comics could be developed into TV series or films in the future, as Amazon has first-look rights, but the focus right now is on comics.</li><li>According to Sensor Tower, the Comixology app has been installed by 7 million Google Play and App Store users since 2014.</li></ul> Amazon is a <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword> and retail giant, but one industry it has sunk its teeth into that often goes overlooked: comic books.The company acquired digital-comics service <a href="https://www.comixology.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comixology</a> in 2014, when it was just a seven-year-old company with an iPhone app. Since then, it has launched a subscription service called Comixology Unlimited, that gives access to thousands of digital comics for $5.99 a month, and launched "Comixology Originals" this year, a selection of creator-owned original comic books exclusive to the service.As services like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix change TV-viewing habits, the comic book industry - which has for over eight decades been a mostly print industry - has had to adapt to unreliable sales and a changing media landscape, as well.According to ICv2, a comic-industry analysis site, <a href="https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/40845/comics-graphic-novel-sales-down-6-5-2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comic and graphic novel sales were down 6.5% in 2017</a>. The industry has slightly rebounded in 2018, but sales are still down 1% as of August compared to that time in 2017, according to industry-research site, <a href="http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2018.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comichron</a>. In response to a shifting status quo, DC Comics, home to some of the biggest characters in pop culture like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, launched its own streaming service this year, called DC Universe, with original TV series and a vast comic catalog.READ MORE: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dc-universe-streaming-service-launch-date-jim-lee-interview-2018-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A DC Comics exec gave us a rundown of its upcoming streaming service, and addressed the controversy over the violent 'Titans' trailer</a>Disney, which owns Marvel Entertainment, is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-plus-details-star-wars-rogue-one-prequel-loki-mcu-show-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launching a streaming service late next year called Disney+</a> and is already <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-developing-marvel-shows-for-streaming-service-starring-loki-scarlett-witch-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developing Marvel TV projects</a> for it that would spin off from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Image Comics, which publishes "The Walking Dead" and other creator-owned comics, launched comics subscription service Image Direct in 2015. And Dark Horse Comics, whose most popular property is "Hellboy," announced this year a service called Dark Horse Direct, which will focus on selling merchandise."The goal is getting our products into as many hands a possible," Melissa Lomax, the director of e-commerce for Dark Horse, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/22/business/media/comic-book-publishers-streaming.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> in July.If you apply that philosophy to the entire comic-book industry - getting the products into as many hands as possible - that's what Comixology is all about, according to CEO David Steinberger."Our mission at Comixology is to make everyone on the planet a comics fan," Steinberger told Business Insider. "We now lead digital comics worldwide for Amazon."Even though the publishers mentioned each have their own online services of some kind, they still see the value of working with Comixology. DC is the only major publisher that doesn't have its books on Comixology, which has a library of over 15,000 digital comics available for its Unlimited subscribers. And all of those comics are available on Amazon's other reading platforms like Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading.But if it sounds like Amazon could disrupt the comics industry like it has others (<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/can-amazon-change-books/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like the book business</a>), many creators disagree. <h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Comixology UnlimitedComixology Unlimited features a home page similar to streaming services like Netflix, with the latest comics and recommendations.</div></div></div>Creators say Comixology helps the comic business</h2>We've seen other media adapt to changing times: TV with Netflix, music with iTunes then Spotify, and so on. Comic giants like Marvel and DC have also embraced movies to supercharge their businesses. But actual comics have a loyal, often old-school customer base, some of whom fear a company like Amazon could be the end of the industry as they know it. This debate came to a head when comics website The Comics Journal published an opinion piece called "A Plague Comes to SPX" in September, and criticized Amazon and Comixology for attempting to "decimate" the industry. But comic creators and industry experts came to Comixology's defense.Some background: <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/comixology-sponsor-small-press-expo-2018-1141742" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comixology </a><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/comixology-sponsor-small-press-expo-2018-1141742" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sponsored the programming at this year's Small Press Expo</a> in Bethesda, Maryland and offered free copies of its comics history book, "Hit Reblog," which collects early web comics. The Comics Journal wrote "Amazon has proven time and again to be a straight-up reprehensible company" and "Comixology Originals and 'Hit Reblog' is doing what the tech industry almost always does - taking something that already exists and making it worse."Spike Trotman, a cartoonist with a Comixology Original mini-series called "Delver," tweeted in response, "deciding Amazon's sponsorship of SPX-- which, again, they've *already been doing for years anyway*-- is somehow the first step in their nefarious SPX takeover plot isn't just alarmist as hell, but utterly discounts decades of precedent." (You can read the <a href="https://twitter.com/Iron_Spike/status/1041292267217211392" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full thread here</a>.)Comics journalist Brigid Alverson wrote in a blog post, "Comixology Originals pays creators to make original comics, which makes a lot of sense in that context, because some of those young creators will grow up to be wildly successful authors, making lots of books that people will buy on Amazon. That's the sort of long-term thinking that frankly, we could use more of. I don't think this is part of Jeff Bezos' strategy, of course, but I do think the Comixology folks are strongly motivated by a love of comics as both a medium and a business."Richard Starkings, creator of the Comixology Original "Elephentmen," which had previously been published by Image, told Business Insider that it's "inevitable" for the comics industry to flirt with digital, and that it will only help the print business. "The beauty of Comixology is that your catalog can stay in digital for a long, long time, especially if you're the rights holder," Starkings said. "We didn't used to have that. The beauty of digital, everything stays."He added: "20 years ago there were 10,000 comic book shops. We have maybe 1,600 to 2,000 now? But I think you'll see a growth in comic-book stores. You have to be close to a hobby to enjoy it and once you're enjoying it you want more of it."<h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Comixology Unlimited</div></div></div>The future is now</h2>Steinberger wouldn't reveal how many subscribers Comixology has (except that "half of our new buyers are coming in through the Unlimited program, which is what we want"). But mobile-app analysis company Sensor Tower provided Business Insider with a look at how many times the Comixology app had been installed since 2014 on Google Play and the App Store.According to Sensor Tower, the app has been downloaded 7 million times in the last four years, with the US accounting for 41% of installations. India is the app's second-largest market at 11%.This past year saw 2.1 million installations (October 2017 to October 2018), which is 22% higher than the previous period between October 2016 and October 2017. Most of that increase came internationally, particularly in India.There aren't many similar apps to compare this to, but it falls in the ballpark of the apps for Marvel and DC Comics, which have been downloaded 8.2 million and 4.2 million times, respectively, according to Sensor Tower.As Comixology beefs up its unlimited plan and original comics, an increase is likely - especially with Amazon in its corner. Amazon has zeroed in on video in recent years, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-and-amazon-offer-best-value-to-film-buffs-according-to-study-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">going to head-to-head with Netflix as a streaming service with Amazon Prime Video</a>, and distributing some critically acclaimed films like "Manchester By the Sea" through Amazon Studios.It makes sense that Amazon would take advantage of the original stories in Comixology's library and develop them into TV or films in the future. Amazon has first-look deals on every Comixology Original."I think part of the reason creators like to work with us is that there is a direct line to being able to be looked at for something in Prime Originals," Steinberger said.Does Starkings ever imagine his comics adapted for the screen?"You ask any creative that question they'll always give you same answer: Yes," he said.READ MORE: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-plus-details-star-wars-rogue-one-prequel-loki-mcu-show-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disney revealed new details about its Netflix competitor, Disney+, including 'Star Wars' and Marvel TV shows</a>Amazon isn't the only major company that could move the industry in a new direction. Netflix acquired comics publisher Millarworld last year in an exclusive deal to develop TV shows based on Millarworld comics (which are included on Comixology), and even Spotify partnered with Nerdist to offer "Archie" motion comics this year ("I have yet to see [a motion comic] that makes reading better or tells a better story ... But I love the idea that we and others get to experiment," Steinberger said).Comixology doesn't see these emerging platforms as competition, but partnerships - its main focus is comics, and making them accessible for readers new and old. That means comics of all kinds, and Comixology is in the process of translating over 30 volumes of Japanese manga for the Unlimited service that have never been released in the English language before. The real competition would be with a platform that wanted to host an exclusive library of original comics digitally, like DC Universe.The comic business is in a constant state of flux, but with more and more companies investing in the industry, the future -and the present - look bright."The first time I ever saw someone reading a comic in public was on a subway train in New York, and it was on an iPad," Starkings said. "When I saw that, I thought 'the future is now,' and that was five years ago. To me it's not the future, it's the past and the present."<a href="http://read.bi/future-of-media"></a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fake-blood-how-its-made-movies-film-special-effects-2018-10">How Hollywood makes fake blood for TV and movies</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Amazon's Comixology has provoked a fierce debate in the comic-book world, but creators say it could help revitalize the industry

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Twice a year, Tokyo holds a massive comic book convention called Comiket.&#xa0;Over the course of last year's three-day event, <a href="http://otakumode.com/news/55cf3445d87503983f024321/This-Summer%E2%80%99s-Comiket-Brings-in-550-000-in-Attendance-Over-3-Days!?lang=en">more than 550,000 people</a> showed up, nearly three times the number of&#xa0;people that&#xa0;attended last year's Comic Con in San Diego.Normally, those kinds of numbers might send an event planning team into a frenzy. But as the video below illustrates, Comiket's crowd control was flawless. People waited patiently no matter how far the line snaked or how many times it wrapped around itself.But it's not anything unique to Comiket that allows for such calmness. It's Japanese culture.<div></div>Japan's love of line-forming begins with <a href="http://www.socialstudies.org/system/files/publications/yl/1003/100306.html">the lessons kids learn as early as kindergarten</a>: self-discipline, cooperation, and respect.For example, it's not uncommon for&#xa0;Japanese nursery and elementary schools to host group performances of more than 100 students. While one age group plays an instrument, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQmFZMAkTV8">another sits quietly</a> and listens. The kids that are playing learn to keep time with the other students. The ones listening practice patience and restraint.Now fast-forward to young adulthood. Japanese teenagers have started interacting with society-at-large. And since <a href="http://www.newgeography.com/content/002808-world-urban-areas-population-and-density-a-2012-update">Japan's population lives in tightly-packed c</a>ities, people learn very quickly that in order to get something, they'll have to wait.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>After many years of learning&#xa0;this behavior - showing respect for the group by waiting quietly - the end result is a cultural custom that spans nearly all circumstances, even disaster.In the wake of the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/japan-victims-show-resilience-earthquake-tsunami-sign-sense/story?id=13135355">Japan's response</a> wasn't to loot or steal. When the opportunity finally arose for people to pick up basic goods like fruit and clothes at local stores, throngs of Japanese citizens dutifully lined up, single file.<div></div>The virtues of standing in line aren't universally recognized.&#xa0;As author Tjaco Walvis <a href="http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/BNJjwjj3Ao3onUDfsDhv6I/The-art-of-standing-in-line.html">explained a few years ago on LiveMint</a>,&#xa0;traveling in Japan is nothing like traveling in, say, India, where custom dictates people bite their tongue when line-cutters jump ahead.When this happened to Walvis in the airport one day, he asked the man ahead of him, who had just been cut in line, why he allowed it."'Some people are really offended when you tell them to wait in line,'" the man told Walvis.In Japan, the opposite is true. Lines are seen as sacred because they&#xa0;embody the values preached early on.It's no accident, in other words, that a massive gathering like Comiket looks more like a military operation than a disordered mess. There simply is no other way. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tokyo-japan-police-drones-net-2015-12">Japan is using police drones to snatch illegal drones right out of the sky</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="ZsOXdqeTqvsHW4x7lsT1oXaSUadjdgmx" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Japanese people are insanely good at standing in lines

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson ReutersA red Starbucks cup sits on the counter of a Starbucks in New York</div></div></div>Subway and McDonald's are the top two restaurant chains in the world, and have seen their fair share of controversyNow Starbucks, the number 3 coffee chain, is struggling to stay true to the premium reputation that put it on the map.With more than 21,000 locations in 65 countries, Starbucks is indisputably a global phenomenon. However, as chains grow internationally, they often loses their sense of authenticity - something that is essential to Starbucks' brand. McDonald's is a case study in the polarizing effect a global brand can have. The chain has sparked <a href="http://gothamist.com/2015/11/10/brooklyn_fast_workers_walk_off_the.php">protests</a> <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=82649">around</a> the <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/anti-mcdonalds-protests-korea-battle-low-wages-unfair-working-conditions-say-labor-1809904">world</a>, with critics shaming the chain for everything from not paying employees enough to the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/debunked-mcdonalds-uses-worm-filler-2016-1">definitively false</a> claim the chain puts worms in burgers. For a while, it seemed that McDonald's negative reputation was finally catching up with the chain. Up until last year, the chain was seriously struggling, with slumping sales and decreased traffic in key markets around the world, including the US and China. However, today it looks as though McDonald's is turning things around - in part because the chain made some <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-changes-in-the-past-year-2016-1">reputation-boosting changes</a> like testing healthier options, improving food quality, and increasing employee wages.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Matt Rosoff/Business InsiderA barista at a Starbucks in India</div></div></div>Still, McDonald's is a brand that has built its reputation on speed and affordability. Starbucks, on the other had, values speed, but has managed to ratchet up prices with elaborate lattes and a growing food menu. Positioning itself as an <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/panosmourdoukoutas/2014/10/26/starbucks-from-a-third-place-to-another-first-place/#1ae6051d6f8c">"affordable luxury,"</a> the coffee chain is selling atmosphere just as much as it is selling beverages. Spending more than a couple dollars on a cup of coffee is essentially a luxury purchase. Yet, it is one that Starbucks convinces millions of people to make a year. If the brand is no longer seen as a reliable and authentic indulgence worth spending money on, this all could come crashing down. In recent years, Starbucks' reputation has evolved from premium coffee to super-sugary lattes. In other words, the chain that invented the Pumpkin Spice Latte may be becoming too basic to convince the average customer that beverages are high-quality enough to be worth the extra dollars. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-better-coffee-plans-2015-4">Widespread popularity</a> is the "kiss of death for trendy... brands, particularly those positioned in the up-market younger consumer sectors," industry expert Robin Lewis <a href="http://therobinreport.com/the-coming-crash-of-michael-korstake-it-to-the-bank/">writes on his blog</a>.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Marina Nazario/Business Insider</div></div></div>To maintain its modern, authentic reputation, Starbucks needs to maintain at least some degree of hipster credibility. Gaining and retaining coffee snobs' respect has been a major investment for the company in recent years, especially as it grows Starbucks Reserve. The coffee chain opened its first <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tour-starbucks-reserve-roastery-2014-12">Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room</a> in Seattle in late 2014, as a means of showcasing the company's more gourmet coffee offerings. Now, the company is opening 500 Reserve locations around the world, serving a cup of plain, black coffee for $4. "We continue to elevate and bring premiumization to the entire coffee category with our Starbucks Reserve brand," Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said in an<a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/3624326-starbucks-sbux-howard-s-schultz-q4-2015-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single"> earnings call </a>last October. "The Starbucks Reserve offers consumers the finest assortment of exclusive micro-lot coffees from around the world and is now available in thousands of Starbucks stores globally, reflecting a diversity of origin and sourcing capability that only Starbucks can deliver."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/espresso/flat-white">www.starbucks.com</a></div></div></div>The quest to maintain a premium reputation also affects what drinks Starbucks introduces to the menu. Since last January, Starbucks has introduced the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-new-latte-macchiato-2016-1">Flat White and the Latte Macchiato</a> - two espresso-based beverages that provide a more minimalist take on coffee than over-the-top, super-sweet Frappuccinos and lattes. Hopefully for Starbucks, the premium touch of espresso drinks and the Reserve brand can influence customers' perception of the company as a whole. If Starbucks becomes a global McCoffee as the chain expands, the company would be unlikely to make a McDonald's-inspired recovery. Instead, it's key that Starbucks continues to highlight its roots and authenticity - even if most customers would rather drink a Pumpkin Spiced Latte than a premium cold brew. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/make-flat-white-coffee-starbucks-2016-1">How to make a 'flat white' - the Australian coffee drink that has Americans all confused</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="pncDBxczq4EiQTJwGKS59fxYZtRJ4Gfk" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Starbucks has a grand plan to avoid becoming the McDonald's of coffee

Welcome to <keyword id="34991" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="transportation">Transportation</keyword> &amp; Logistics Briefing, a new M-W-F morning email providing the latest news, data, and insight on how digital technology is disrupting transportation and delivery, produced by BI Intelligence.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/top-5-disruptive-trends-shaping-transportation-and-logistics?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=content_marketing&amp;utm_term=content_marketing_subscription_text_link_transportation-and-logistics-briefing-gms-first-self-driving-car-model-new-regulatory-guidelines-for-self-driving-cars-thermal-sensors-for-fully-driverless-vehicles-2017-9&amp;utm_content=content_marketing_subscription_text_link&amp;utm_campaign=content_marketing_subscription_link&amp;vertical=transportation">Get the free Top 5 Disruptive Trends Shaping Transportation &amp; Logistics report and start receiving our brand new Transportation &amp; Logistics newsletter.</a>Have feedback? We'd like to hear from you. Write me at: <a href="mailto:jcamhi@businessinsider.com">jcamhi@businessinsider.com</a> .UBER SETS ITS COURSE TOWARD IPO: Uber's board agreed to several new resolutions this week to steer the world's most highly valued startup towards its much-anticipated IPO:<ul><li>Uber's board resolved to go public by 2019. Last month, new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said that he would aim to go public in the "next 18 to 36 months," but the board's new decision provides a more concrete target. Khosrowshahi also said that Uber must cut its losses before going public, so it will need to significantly improve its finances in the next year to meet its 2019 target for an initial public offering (IPO).</li><li>The board also cleared the way for a massive investment by Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank. The previously reported investment could be worth more than $10 billion, according to media outlets. That will include a direct investment of around $1 billion by SoftBank and partner Dragoneer Investment Group, Business Insider <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-board-says-it-approved-equality-among-shareholders-and-to-move-forward-with-softbank-deal-2017-10">reported</a>. Beyond the direct investment, SoftBank and Dragoneer will purchase shares from existing investors and employees to up their total stake in Uber to about 15%.</li><li>The board also made significant changes to the company's governance. Those changes included expanding the existing number of board seats from 11 to 17. Additionally, the board annulled the special voting privileges associated with the "supervoting" shares belonging to the company's earliest employees, including controversial former CEO Travis Kalanick. That move diminishes Kalanick's control at the company, where he and his close associates still held major sway after he stepped down from the CEO role thanks to their supervoting shares and board seats.</li></ul>The announcements come just a week after Reuters <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/transportation-and-logistics-briefing-lyft-reportedly-exploring-first-step-towards-ipo-us-roads-need-upgrades-for-self-driving-cars-grabs-latest-moves-to-combat-uber-2017-9">reported</a> that rival Lyft is exploring hiring an advisory firm to help with its own IPO. Uber likely does not want to IPO much after its competitor at the risk of driving up interest in Lyft among investors seeking to get an early jump in the expanding ride-hailing industry.The SoftBank-Dragoneer investment and governance changes should help the company move towards its IPO goal. One early investor <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/03/uber-board-approves-proposed-softbank-investment/">announced</a> plans to launch a class action lawsuit against the company for stripping the privileges around supervoting shares. However, decreasing Kalanick's influence was likely necessary to convince potential investors that Uber is turning the chapter on its past controversies and making serious changes to its much-criticized culture. Meanwhile, the new investment gives Uber some extra funds to invest in defending its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/transportation-and-logistics-briefing-uber-and-lyft-in-talks-with-new-investors-autoliv-to-break-off-tech-business-barriers-to-drone-adoption-in-construction-2017-9">declining</a> market share in the US while it <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-travis-kalanick-resignation-leadership-2017-6">fills</a> vacant executive positions and formulates a strategy to balance its finances before its IPO.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="BI Intelligence" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59bc1e7038d20d2a008b6cc6-960/uber lyft rides updated logo.png"></a>BI Intelligence</div></div></div>AMAZON TESTING NEW DELIVERY SERVICE: Amazon is trialing a new service on the West Coast called Seller Flex, which provides deliveries for third-party merchants that sell goods on its platform, according to <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=5&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiHy_vs8NnWAhUGMyYKHfXFAQwQFgg-MAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2F2017-10-05%2Famazon-is-said-to-test-own-delivery-service-to-rival-f">Bloomberg</a>. The e-commerce giant, which started testing the program in India two years ago, plans to expand the trials throughout the rest of the US next year. Seller Flex takes delivery decisions out of the hands of third-party merchants and puts them into the hands of the e-commerce giant. Amazon already operates its own logistics network for third-party sellers, known as Fulfillment by Amazon, which allows sellers to store their goods in Amazon warehouses and choose between different logistics providers - including UPS and FedEx - to get their goods to customers. With Seller Flex, Amazon picks up the goods from sellers' warehouses, and then decides the best way to route the goods to the customer. Amazon could route the goods through its own logistics network, which includes 16 planes, 76 warehouses and thousands of delivery trucks, or to turn the deliveries over to FedEx or UPS.While Amazon has <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/01/28/amazon-ups-fedex/">denied </a>that it wants to build a full-scale logistics business that could rival UPS or FedEx, taking more control of its sellers' deliveries is certainly a step in that direction.<ul><li>It'll help the company deliver more of the goods sold on its platform faster. The primary purpose of Seller Flex is to allow third-party sellers on Amazon to deliver their goods to customers as quickly as possible. Gaining a greater expertise in quickly delivering greater package volumes would be essential if Amazon wanted to rival UPS or FedEx.</li><li>Amazon will start taking ownership of more of the delivery process. The company will be picking up goods from sellers' warehouses, an important first step of the delivery process. Expanding its control over that part of process is a natural step towards becoming a full-fledged logistics provider, as Amazon could theoretically provide deliveries for other businesses then that don't sell on its marketplace.</li><li>Additionally, Amazon will be able to analyze vast amounts of information related to Seller Flex deliveries that can help it optimize the scheduling, routing, and costs for its own logistics network. That could also help Amazon become less reliant on its existing logistics partners like UPS or USPS - the data could be used to identify more opportunities where it makes sense for Amazon to handle fulfillment using its own service.</li></ul>Enjoy reading this briefing? <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/transportation-and-logistics-briefing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sign up and receive Transportation &amp; Logistics Briefing to your inbox.</a>HOW MOOVEL'S APP FITS INTO DAIMLER'S MOBILITY STRATEGY: German auto giant Daimler is positioning itself for the disruption of car ownership by turning its Moovel app into a one-stop shop for urbanites' transportation needs, Business Insider <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/daimler-moovel-uber-competitor-2017-10">reports</a>. Moovel, Daimler's mobility services subsidiary, originally launched in the US in April 2016 after Daimler merged the subsidiary's RideScout route planning services business, with a Portland, Oregon-based mobile ticketing service called GlobeSherpa. It also houses Daimler's Car2Go car-sharing service.Since that launch, Daimler has grown the Moovel app's utility by incorporating an increasing variety of transportation options, including public transportation, ride-hailing, and car- and bike-sharing services. That allows users to combine these different options - taking a Lyft part of the way then taking a subway train, for example - to get to their destinations quicker. Users can plan their trip and pay for all of these different options within the Moovel app, and Moovel takes a cut of ticket sales. Additionally, Daimler can offer its own urban mobility services like Car2Go and its MyTaxi ride-hailing service within the app.Moovel's app still has a small user base though - numbering 3 million across the US and Germany - and it faces significant challenges to growing that base. Right now the service has 16 public transportation partners across 11 cities, and growing those partnerships to expand the service to new cities has proven challenging, according to Moovel CEO Nat Parker. Many public transit agencies are starting to see ride-hailing and other mobility services as a threat to their own business, as some startups, including <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lyft-shuttle-public-transit-bus-2017-7">Lyft</a>, launch shuttle services for transporting larger numbers of riders. Moovel, however, offers its public transit partners important data around its users' trips, helping those partners see popular locations for pickups and drop-offs.Building its mobility strategy around offering a useful and competitive app is a smart move though for Daimler. Many automakers, including Ford and GM, have launched mobility services to attract urban consumers. These services are dwarfed though by popular ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. As automakers grow their mobility services, those services will come into more direct competition with those ride-hailing companies, which have millions of monthly active users. In order to gain mainstream adoption for their mobility services, automakers will need to offer apps that differentiate themselves from ride-hailing apps and entice people to download and use them. Turning its Moovel app into a one-stop shop where users can access many different transportation options - including the popular ride-hailing and public transportation services they already use - is a clever way for Daimler to wedge itself into the future of urban mobility.In other news…<ul><li>The Senate Transportation Committee sent a bill regulating self-driving cars to the Senate floor for a vote, according to <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/04/senate-panel-approves-self-driving-car-bill/?sr_source=Twitter">Engadget</a>. The bill is very similar to legislation recently<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/transportation-and-logistics-briefing-house-passes-federal-self-driving-car-legislation-best-logistics-upcoming-ipo-nissans-new-leaf-challenges-tesla-2017-9"> passed</a> by the House of Representatives. If passed and signed by President Donald Trump, it would make the guidelines <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/transportation-and-logistics-briefing-gms-first-self-driving-car-model-new-regulatory-guidelines-for-self-driving-cars-thermal-sensors-for-fully-driverless-vehicles-2017-9">issued</a> last month by the Department of Transportation legally enforceable regulations. The Senate has yet to schedule a vote on the bill.</li><li>Cruise Automation, GM's self-driving car division, has more than doubled the total number of self-driving cars it's testing over the past three months, according to <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/10/04/gm-self-driving-car-california/">Fortune</a>. Many of these new vehicles are being <a href="https://www.recode.net/2017/10/3/16413068/testing-self-driving-cars-san-francisco-challenging-necessary">deployed</a> in San Francisco through a trial ride-hailing service for Cruise employees, where the sloping, windy roads can be a challenge for the cars' self-driving systems. However, mastering this challenging environment can accelerate technological progress, and could help GM become one of the first companies to deploy self-driving cars in a commercial capacity, as Deutsche Bank <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/25/gm-developing-autonomous-vehicles-at-a-fast-pace-deutsche-bank-says.html">predicted</a> last month.</li><li>Voyage, a self-driving car startup founded earlier this year by several former employees of computer science education firm Udacity, is testing its self-driving cars in a retirement community in San Jose, California, according to <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/04/udacity-spin-out-voyage-is-testing-self-driving-cars-in-retirement-communities/">TechCrunch</a>. The company could be targeting the community for an eventual commercial launch of a self-driving taxi service, as a number of residents can't drive and might be willing to pay for self-driving taxis for mobility purposes. Additionally, smaller deployments in limited, specialized settings like college and retirement campuses are a natural first step for deploying autonomous mobility services before expanding them to serve the general population.</li></ul><div id="categorypromo"><h2><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/top-5-disruptive-trends-shaping-transportation-and-logistics">Click here to receive a FREE download of The Top 5 Disruptive Trends Shaping Transportation and Logistics from BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service.</a></h2></div>

TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS BRIEFING: Uber sets course to IPO by 2019 - Amazon testing new delivery service - Daimler's mobility strategy

<table class="image-container float_right" width="200"><tr><td><div class="image"></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/laihiu/6260827340/">Flickr/laihiu</a></td></tr></table><keyword id="6354427" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Apple">Apple</keyword> Inc's iconic iPhone is losing some of its lustre among <keyword id="21718" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Asia">Asia</keyword>'s well-heeled consumers in Singapore and Hong Kong, a victim of changing mobile habits and its own runaway success.
Driven by a combination of iPhone fatigue, a desire to be different and a plethora of competing devices, users are turning to other brands, notably those from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, eating into Apple's market share.
In Singapore, Apple's products were so dominant in 2010 that more devices here ran its iOS operating system per capita than anywhere else in the world.
But StatCounter , which measures traffic collected across a network of 3 million websites, calculates that Apple's share of mobile devices in Singapore - iPad and iPhone - declined sharply last year. From a peak of 72 percent in January 2012, its share fell to 50 percent this month, while <keyword id="6355645" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="android">Android</keyword> devices now account for 43 percent of the market, up from 20 percent in the same month last year.
In Hong Kong, devices running Apple's iOS now account for about 30 percent of the total, down from about 45 percent a year ago. Android accounts for nearly two-thirds.
"Apple is still viewed as a prestigious brand, but there are just so many other cool smartphones out there now that the competition is just much stiffer," said Tom Clayton, chief executive of Singapore-based Bubble Motion , which develops a popular regional social media app called Bubbly.
Where Hong Kong and Singapore lead, other key markets across fast-growing Asia usually follow.
"Singapore and Hong Kong tend to be, from an electronics perspective, leading indicators on what is going to be hot in Western Europe and North America, as well as what is going to take off in the region," said Jim Wagstaff, who runs a Singapore-based company called Jam Factory developing mobile apps for enterprises.
Southeast Asia is adopting smartphones fast - consumers spent 78 percent more on smartphones in the 12 months up to September 2012 than they did the year before, according to research company GfK .
<h3>IN WITH THE YOUNG CROWD</h3>
Anecdotal evidence of iPhone fatigue isn't hard to find: Where a year ago iPhones swamped other devices on the subways of Hong Kong and Singapore they are now outnumbered by Samsung and HTC Corp smartphones.
While this is partly explained by the proliferation of Android devices, from the cheap to the fancy, there are other signs that Apple has lost followers.
Singapore entrepreneur Aileen Sim, recently launched an app for splitting bills called BillPin (), settling on an iOS version because that was the dominant platform in the three countries she was targeting - Singapore, India and the United States.
"But what surprised us was how strong the call for Android was when we launched our app," she said.
Indeed, 70 percent of their target users - 20-something college students and fresh graduates - said they were either already on Android or planned to switch over.
"Android is becoming really hard to ignore, around the region and in the U.S. for sure, but surprisingly even in Singapore," she said. "Even my younger early-20s cousins are mostly on Android now."
BillPin launched an Android version this month.
Napoleon Biggs, chief strategy officer at Gravitas Group , a Hong Kong-based mobile marketing company, said that while Apple and the iPhone remained premium brands there, Samsung's promotional efforts were playing to an increasingly receptive audience.
For some, it is a matter of wanting to stand out from the iPhone-carrying crowd. Others find the higher-powered, bigger-screened Android devices better suited to their changing habits - watching video, writing Chinese characters - while the cost of switching devices is lower than they expected, given that most popular social and gaming apps are available for both platforms.
"Hong Kong is a very fickle place," Biggs said.
Janet Chan, a 25-year-old Hong Kong advertising executive, has an iPhone 5 but its fast-draining battery and the appeal of a bigger screen for watching movies is prodding her to switch to a Samsung Galaxy Note II.
"After Steve Jobs died, it seems the element of surprise in product launches isn't that great anymore," she said.
To be sure, there are still plenty of people buying Apple devices. Stores selling their products in places such as Indonesia were full over the Christmas holidays, and the company's new official store in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay has queues snaking out of the door most days.
But the iPhone's drop in popularity in trendy Hong Kong and Singapore is mirrored in the upmarket malls of the region.
"IPhones are like Louis Vuitton handbags," said marketing manager Narisara Konglua in Bangkok, who uses a Galaxy SIII. "It's become so commonplace to see people with iPads and iPhones so you lose your cool edge having one."
In the Indonesian capital Jakarta, an assistant manager at Coca Cola's local venture, Gatot Hadipratomo, agrees. The iPhone "used to be a cool gadget but now more and more people use it."
There is another influence at play: hip Korea. Korean pop music, movies and TV are hugely popular around the region and Samsung is riding that wave. And while the impact is more visible in Hong Kong and Singapore, it also translates directly to places like Thailand.
"Thais are not very brand-loyal," says Akkaradert Bumrungmuang, 24, a student at Mahidol University in Bangkok. "That's why whatever is hot or the in-thing to have is adopted quickly here. We follow Korea so whatever is fashionable in Korea will be a big hit."
<div class="nc_footer">
Copyright (2013) Thomson <keyword id="76338" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Reuters">Reuters</keyword>. <a href="http://thomsonreuters.com/products_services/media/brand_guidelines/legal_notice/">Click for restrictions</a>
</div>

You Searched For "subway store in india" and got 10 results

The future of the office, how we'll shop and pay, and Masa Son's biggest challenge

Matt Turner

Battle of the fast food brands: How Domino’s is cashing-in on McDonald’s weak position

Kavita Majumdar

How 4 multibillion-dollar industries hobbled by the pandemic are evolving to deal with the massive disruption

Joe Williams

A new phone-tracing technology could tell if you've been exposed to the coronavirus - without sacrificing privacy. 130 researchers are offering it to countries for free.

Dave Mosher

Amazon's Comixology has provoked a fierce debate in the comic-book world, but creators say it could help revitalize the industry

Travis Clark

Japanese people are insanely good at standing in lines

Chris Weller

Starbucks has a grand plan to avoid becoming the McDonald's of coffee

KATE TAYLOR

TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS BRIEFING: Uber sets course to IPO by 2019 - Amazon testing new delivery service - Daimler's mobility strategy

Jonathan Camhi,Nicholas Shiel…

The iPhone Isn't Cool Anymore In Asia's Trendiest Cities

Reuters

Maharashtra identified 14 districts as red zones— here’s the complete list of containment zones in Mumbai and Pune

Navdeep Yadav