Marubeni Signs Contract to Build Pulp Mill

http://www.marubeni.com/company/index.html

The Japanese firm Marubeni is gearing up to build a 1.2 million tonne/yr pulp mill in the Krasnoyarsk area of Russia, following negotiations between the Japanese trading firm and the greenfield plant's Russian owner, Angara Paper.

A contract for Marubeni to build the pulp facility was signed after a trade and economic relations meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Japanese prime minister Yoshihiko Noda at the 2012 APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) conference in Vladivostok, Russia, on September 8.

Judge Refuses to Approve Pacific West Plan

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/09/10/ns-cra-newpage-mill-ruling.html

Pacific West Commercial Corp.’s order for the Nova Scotia Supreme Court to sanction its restructuring plan in order to buy the NewPage Port Hawkesbury mill in Point Tupper, Nova Scotia, was refused on Sept. 10, reported CBC News on Sept. 10.
Justice John Murphy declined to give his approval for the plan of compromise and arrangement, saying he disapproved of some of the broad releases for the creditor protection process, such as taking away the rights of “as-yet unidentified parties” to make claims.

China Names Additional Mills on Closure List

The Chinese government has released a supplementary list of targets in a 1.15 million/tonne capacity closure drive, focusing on old pulp and paper capacity. This raises the country's closure goal for this year to more than 9.95 million tonnes/yr.

The document is a follow-up to the first list, which detailed the shutdown of 8.80 million tonnes/yr of old pulp and paper capacity. It was released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in July.

SFI Partners with Time, National Geographic & Others

http://www.sfiprogram.org/newsroom/?p=1490

Four leaders of the North American publishing industry announced today they will partner with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) to help spur the growth of certification to preserve and protect forests.

Time Inc., the National Geographic Society, Macmillan, and Pearson will become Founding Partners of the SFI Forest Partners Program. The alliance was announced at the SFI annual conference in Milwaukee, attended by foresters, land owners, conservation groups, First Nations, industry and government agencies.

Holiday Retail Sales Forecast Positive

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-12/u-s-holiday-sales-expected-to-rise-on-more-store-visits.html

Holiday retail sales in the U.S. may rise 3.3 percent as more confident consumers increase their trips to the mall, according to researcher ShopperTrak.

Michael Grancis Joins Gap Inc.

http://adage.com/article/news/michael-francis-join-gap/237136/

Michael Francis is taking on a new retail challenge, advising the Gap Inc. stable of brands. The former Target CMO and JC Penney president will join Gap Inc. on Sept. 17 in an advisory role, Ad Age has learned. According to an executive close to the company, Gap Inc. CEO Glenn Murphy recently announced the news to a select group of executives.

Source Interlink Acquires CarDomain

http://www.pubexec.com/article/source-interlink-media-acquires-cardomain-network-inc/1

Source Interlink Media ("SIM") announced today the acquisition of CarDomain Network Inc. (“CarDomain”), a leading provider of online social sharing tools and content for automotive enthusiasts. CarDomain.com, StreetFire.net, and Autoholics.com join SIM’s industry leading media portfolio including notable automotive brands such as Motor Trend, Hot Rod, Four Wheeler, and Motorcyclist.

"Marie Claire" Features Video in Print Ad

http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2012/09/10/Marie-Claire-Dolce-Gabbana-Video-Ad-091012.aspx

The September issues of fashion magazines tend are closely watched because of September's annual fashion frenzy, but at least one October fashion magazine issue is garnering attention. And not for its take on hemlines and the new runway collections, but for one of its ads, which will play a video. In print.

"Harper's Bazaar" Launches New Platform

http://www.adweek.com/news/press/harpers-bazaar-lauches-e-commerce-platform-143647

This morning, Harper’s Bazaar editor in chief Glenda Bailey took a break from the madness of fashion week to unveil ShopBazaar, the magazine’s new e-commerce platform (and brainchild of publisher Carol Smith).

HarperCollins Reaches eBook Price Deal

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120912/ENT05/209120387/HarperCollins-reaches-deal-lower-e-book-prices?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

A new and uncertain era of e-book prices has begun.
HarperCollins Publishers announced Tuesday that it has reached new price agreements with sellers that conform to a settlement with the Justice Department over allegations that five publishers and Apple colluded to set prices for e-books. Such new works as Michael Chabon's "Telegraph Avenue" now can be purchased on Amazon.com for $9.99, a price publishers and rival booksellers fear will give Amazon dominant control of the e-market.

Amazon Response to State Sales Tax; New Warehouses

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/technology/amazon-forced-to-collect-sales-tax-aims-to-keep-its-competitive-edge.html?ref=business

The building of new warehouses marks the relentless quest by the online mall Amazon.com to become all things to all shoppers.

A million-square-foot warehouse stocking razor blades and books, diapers and dog food will soon rise on this spot, less than a mile from the highway that will deliver these and just about every other product imaginable to customers 85 miles away in San Francisco.

A similar distribution center is being built on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Others are under way in Indiana, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

This multibillion-dollar building frenzy comes as Amazon is about to lose perhaps its biggest competitive edge — that the vast majority of its customers do not pay sales tax. After negotiations with lawmakers, the company is beginning to collect taxes in California, Texas, Pennsylvania and other states. But Amazon hopes that the warehouses will allow it to provide better service, giving it the ability to up-end the retailing industry in an entirely new way.

TheStreet Acquires The Deal

Financial Media Company The Deal Acquired by TheStreet, Inc.:
Financial media enterprise The Deal LLC has been acquired by TheStreet, Inc.
Terms of the acquisition were not announced in the release, but multiple reports say the sale was worth $5.8 million.
The Deal, publishers of TheDeal.com, The Deal magazine and industry news and analysis service The Deal Pipeline, had been in discussions with multiple strategic buyers over the past five months, according to Reed Phillips of DeSilva+Phillips who brokered the sale.