NewPage Disclosure Statement Approved

NewPage Disclosure Statement Approved: (USA) NewPage Corporation (the Company) announced today that the Disclosure Statement for its Fourth Amended Chapter 11 Plan (the Plan) has been approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

APRIL Disputes RAN's Statement on Disney

The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) issued a media release on 11 October, 2012, claiming that The Walt Disney Company had "cut ties" to APRIL following changes to its Paper Sourcing and Use Policy. Disney's own announcement on its paper sourcing policy did not mention APRIL and to our knowledge, APRIL does not directly sell paper to Disney and has never done so.

Both the RAN announcement and the Disney announcement mentioned that Disney's new sourcing policy was designed to have particular impact on Indonesia.

Finnish Forest Industries Reports Q3 Results

Finnish paper and board production decreased by 3% year on year to 2.8 million tonnes in the third quarter, according to figures from the Finnish Forest Industries Federation (FFIF).

This is an improvement compared to the approximately 2.6 million tonnes produced in Q1 and Q2, respectively, which were equal to a year-on-year drop of 12% and 8%, respectively.

Production of printing/writing paper fell by 8% year on year to 1.8 million tonnes in Q3, while board manufacturing levels rose by 4% to 705,000 tonnes. Finnish pulp producers churned out 3% more pulp in the third quarter this year compared to last year, at 1.7 million tonnes (see table below).

According to the FFIF's year-to-date figures, Finland saw its biggest drop in printing/writing paper, where production was down 11% to 5 million tonnes in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period last year.

P&G Announces New Fiber Sourcing Goals

P&G Releases New Fiber Sourcing Goals for Tissue-Towel and Absorbent Hygiene Products: The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) today announced new fiber sourcing goals for the pulp it purchases for its tissue-towel, baby care, and feminine hygiene brands. These new goals help deliver progress toward P&G’s long-term environmental sustainability vision, which includes having all products and packaging made from 100% sustainably sourced renewable or recycled materials. The new fiber sourcing goals, developed in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), will be published in P&G’s 2012 Sustainability Report issued on November 12th.

Arctic Paper Makes Offer for Rottneros

Arctic Paper to Form an Integrated Pulp and Fine Paper Group With A Leading Position In Europe – Launches Recommended Public Offer to the Shareholders of Rottneros: Arctic Paper S.A. has announced a public offer to acquire all shares in Rottneros AB, a non-integrated and customized supplier of high quality paper pulp listed on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm. Rottneros’ Board of Directors has unanimously recommended the offer.

Dawn Zier Leaves Reader's Digest

http://www.foliomag.com/2012/dawn-zier-leaves-readers-digest-become-ceo-nutrisystem

Dawn Zier has stepped down as president of Reader's Digest's international division to become president and CEO of diet and weight loss company Nutrisystem. She will also be joining the company's board of directors. Her last day at RDA will be November 14.

Global Ad Budgets Up 2.7%

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/186895/global-advertising-budgets-up-27.html

Although the global advertising business has been primarily "cautious" in the current economy, it is not universal when it comes to all major advertising categories.
Nielsen Global AdView Pulse says for the first half of 2012, telecommunications lifted spending by 7.9% -- the biggest category gain -- with the largest pushes in Latin America, up 32.5%, and the Middle East & Africa, 28.3% higher.

Williams-Sonoma Launches Mark and Graham

http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/08/4397593/williams-sonoma-inc-announces.html
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM), the North America-based retailer that specializes in high-quality products for the home, today announced that it has launched its newest direct-to-customer brand, Mark and Graham, specializing in personalized gifts and accessories. As the newest brand to join the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio, Mark and Graham will offer colorful and timeless products personalized with a choice of more than 50 custom monograms and creative type treatments. The brand will offer its products through an exclusive direct mail catalog and an e-commerce website markandgraham.com.

HMH Announces Acquisitions

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/11/08/houghton-mifflin-harcourt-acquires-award-winning-c/

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced that its Trade & Reference division has acquired the assets of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s (NYSE: JWa, JWb) culinary portfolio, in addition to classic reference titles Webster's New World Dictionary and CliffsNotes.

HarperCollins Closing Operation in Throop, PA

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/harpercollins-closing-warehouse-almost-200-will-lose-jobs-1.1400529

HarperCollins Publishers will close its warehouse and distribution operation in Throop next summer and put close to 200 people out of work.
"The industry is changing," said Erin Crum, spokeswoman for HarperCollins, a book publisher based in New York. "It just makes sense for us to go this route as we shift to a more digital industry."

Q3 Retail Spending Strong

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/186801/online-retail-spend-soars-15.html

Boding well for the holiday season, new data shows that online retail shopping remained strong in the third quarter of the year.
 Year-over-year, online retail spending increased 15% to $41.9 billion in the third quarter, according to new estimates from comScore.

That represented the 12th consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth, and eighth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni said Wednesday.

Northern Tool & Equipment Buys Sportsman's Guide, Golf Warehouse

http://www.twincities.com/business/ci_21956682/northern-tool-buying-sportsmans-guide-golf-warehouse-215?source=rss

Burnsville-based Northern Tool and Equipment said it is acquiring The Sportsman's Guide, a catalog supplier of outdoor goods based in South St. Paul.

It is also purchasing The Golf Warehouse, an online golf equipment retailer based in Wichita, Kan. Together, the deals are worth $215 million, Northern Tool officials said Thursday, Nov. 8.

USA TODAY/National Geographic Produce Tribute Edition

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/08/4970459/usa-today-and-national-geographic.html

USA TODAY and National Geographic Channel have partnered on a special tabloid edition:  50 Years Later – A Salute to the Veterans of the Vietnam War. The special edition marks the 50^th anniversary of the start of the Vietnam War.
The 48-page all color special edition is on newsstands now.

Macmillan Dictionary Goes Digital

Macmillan Dictionary goes digital:
Revealing the end of its printed editions, which are produced by the publisher's Hong Kong-based print firm MPAL, Macmillan said that the final copies were already "rolling off the presses".

Postmaster General Forecasts 20% Jump

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/08/4970969/us-postal-service-forecasts-record.html
The Postal Service projects the record-breaking increase in its competitive package business due to consumers' growing fondness for shopping online. In total, nearly 18 billion cards, letters and packages will be delivered between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.

USPS Promotions and Incentives Web Page

https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=mobilebarcode&inf_contact_key=8946c7a89b1f2c54635cd8108a2e6cf552c9ef165d6ddeef8d1d6f6550a3fe18

The USPS has a dedicated web page to provide information for promotions and incentives. Available on that page are details regarding these proposed promotions, but the best place to get detailed information is at their Promotions Calendar Overview.