netrashetty
Netra Shetty
Midway Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets.
The company's predecessor was founded in 1958 as Midway Manufacturing, an amusement game manufacturer. In 1973 it moved into the interactive entertainment industry, developing and publishing arcade video games. The company scored its first hit with the U.S. distribution of Space Invaders in 1978. Midway was purchased and re-incorporated in 1988 by WMS Industries Inc. After many years as a leader in the arcade segment, Midway moved into the growing home video game market beginning in 1996, the same year that it made its initial public offering of stock. In 1998, WMS spun off its remaining shares of Midway. Midway was ranked as the fourth largest-selling video game publisher in 2000.[2] Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage and NBA Jam. Midway also acquired the rights to video games that were originally developed by Williams Electronics and Atari Games, such as Defender, Joust, Robotron 2084, Gauntlet and the Rush series.
After 2000, Midway continued to develop and publish video games for home and handheld video game machines, but it experienced large annual net losses and engaged in a series of stock and debt offerings and other financings and borrowings. Sumner Redstone, the head of Viacom/CBS Corporation, increased his stake in Midway from about 15%, in 1998, to about 87% by the end of 2007.[3] In December 2008, Redstone sold all his stock to Mark Thomas, a private investor, for $100,000, who assumed $70 million of Midway debt.[4]
The GfK Network Intelligence Solution (GfK NIS) service has highlighted the significant variations in between different operating systems in terms of mobile web activity. The pioneering research method analyses mobile behaviour via operators' IP traffic.
GfK NIS is already installed in several European markets and during the autumn of 2010, GfK measured more than 20 million website visits in four European countries to discover that the intensity of web usage differs significantly between operating systems.
Android users were the most 'web intensive' with an average of 9.1 daily site visits per user, compared to iphone (8.0), BlackBerry (5.7) and Symbian (5.2), the latter utilised more as a ‘feature’ phone as opposed to a ‘smart’ phone.
GfK NIS also uncovered the variations in mobile usage in terms of handset screen size; <2" displays saw an average of 2.8 site visits per day per user, whereas >4" displays exhibit a marked increase, with 10.4 visits per day, per user.
"GfK NIS provides operators with an exclusive opportunity to monetize mobile web usage as it enables all stakeholders of the mobile internet access to unique information" explained Fredrik Hallberg, Managing Director at GfK Retail and Technology, responsible for GfK NIS. "GfK is linking usage information with the feature of the model, enabling insight and analysis on these areas that were previously unavailable."
Social networking sites continue to dominate the mobile internet picture, with a 28% share of all site visits. The importance of Facebook for example depends heavily on the operating system utilised. For users with a Symbian operating system, Facebook accounts for 24% of all visits while elsewhere the significance is lower; iphone (17%), Blackberry (16%) and Android (13%).
Similar variations can be found for other popular sites; Google for example is hardly used at all by users with Symbian phones.
The GfK NIS tool measures all websites visited using mobile internet regardless of the device; mobile phones, Smartphones, PC tablets and 3G Cards are all monitored and will be rolled out globally during 2011.
About GfK Network Intelligence Solution
The GfK Network Intelligence Solution offers comprehensive coverage of internet activities and metrics for both mobile phone operators and the media industry. GfK NIS delivers accurate, reliable, real-time statistics and guarantees subscriber privacy protection.
Market Demand
The increase in the UK birth rate has driven demand and expenditure levels on the infant and children’s clothing markets. Current demand also benefits from a higher rate of per capita spending on children. Market analysts anticipate that spending on children’s products, including apparel, will rise in the medium term.
Demand in the UK children’s wear market has seen a rise in ‘luxury’ brands. This is a trickle-down effect from the growth in the luxury markets for men’s and women’s wear, as well as other categories such as home décor. Other fashion trends influenced by adult clothing are vintage chic and prints. These trends have made their way to kids’ wear as simplified versions of previous season’s women’s wear collections. Other strong performing areas of the children’s wear market are branded and character-licensed wear. While parents seek value for their children’s basic everyday clothing, they are willing to pay more for unusual and special occasion outfits. These items tend to command premium prices.
Market Data
Since 2001 there has been a year-on-year rise in spending on children’s wear, despite deflationary pressure on prices in this sector. Market analysts predict some price recovery in the UK children’s wear market through 2010. There are limits to the absolute cost reductions that can be gained on an item of clothing with price points at the lower end of the children’s wear market. Therefore, suppliers will be looking to move price points upwards over the medium term, in order to maintain margins as cheap sourcing becomes more difficult. Initially, this will mean a rise in the lower price points, but retailers and distributors will also be looking to add value.
Girls’ wear accounts for the largest share of spending in the children’s wear market, despite the fact that the female child population in the United Kingdom is smaller than the male child population. Additionally, per capita spending on girls tends to be higher, as girls are more likely to take an interest in their appearance and wear a greater variety of clothing than boys. The girls’ wear market is often divided on the basis of age group. The split tends to occur around the age of nine. Under-nines are more easily slotted into the traditional children’s wear market, with items still tending to a carry a high degree of licensed characters and images from other media. This has been the most appealing end of the market for the newer players, such as the supermarkets, as this age group is less likely to dismiss something bought during a family food-shopping trip.
Over the age of nine, the client base is more vocal and discerning, and fashion is a larger and growing influence. For example, in 2005 a number of UK suppliers adapted trends taken from the women’s wear sector for the wear market. The over-nines are also more brand-conscious and eager to perform their own shopping.
Clothing for boys has also experienced growth, generally outperforming the overall clothing market. Many of the same factors affecting the girls’ wear market are evident in the boys’ wear sector, with increased fashion and brand awareness, and trading up boosting market values. As mentioned, the rise in the UK birth rate since 2002 has had a positive influence on children’s wear sales. Infant wear is important strategically to suppliers, who hope that consumer loyalty at this stage will engage long term buying. This has encouraged the introduction of children fashions by major supermarket chains such as Tesco and ASDA, as well as value retailers such as Primark.
Children in the UK are expected to wear some type of uniform to school. This applies to both public and private schools. For this reason, school wear is one of the most competitive segments of the children’s wear market, resulting in a current price war among value retailers. All retailers have been keen to differentiate their product lines. In 2005, “George” became the first retailer to offer Advanced Teflon across a number of garments, to aid durability and stain prevention. The same year, Woolworths upped the fashion element in its range by adding combat pockets to school uniform trousers and three quarter sleeves on cardigans.
In April 2007, National Schoolwear Centres launched the UK's largest sized school uniforms. The range included a 52-inch blazer, trousers with a 42-inch waist and a shirt with a 17.5-inch collar. The company stated that it had experienced a 25% rise in demand for 50-52 inch blazers year-on-year. Its uniforms, which were previously only distributed via mail order, are now available through the retail market. According to the Health and Social Care Information Center, between 1995 and 2004, obesity among boys aged 11 to 15 rose from 14% to 24% and, among girls, it rose from 15% to 26%. However, according to National Schoolwear Centers, the issue is not solely one of obesity but the fact that children are taller and bigger generally.
For families there is a further issue, insofar as children’s wear, under certain sizes, is exempt from VAT. Consequently, larger sizes are higher priced, owing to the additional cost of VAT. As a result, the Schoolwear Association, which represents school-uniform suppliers and manufacturers, is lobbying for the abolition of VAT on all school-specific children’s wear.
Buyer Characteristics
Since the late 1990s, there has been a reduction in the percentage of women buying children’s wear. This has been due in part to the aging child population and as a consequence, fewer children. However, the recent rise in the birth rate may lead to a slight uplift in the market over the medium term. On average, the majority of buyers spend less than $100.00 per trip on children’s clothing, a statistic that includes most gift purchasers. Women account for the largest share of spending on all price points, as they are more likely to be responsible for managing their children’s wardrobe. Overall, approximately two men in ten buy children’s clothing (20.7%). Likewise, two out of ever ten shoppers are likely to be light spenders (less that $100). Within many two-parent households, both parents are likely to be purchasing items, although one of the two will take the lead.
The age group with the highest purchasing profile is the 25-45 years group. Buying is least likely at either end of the age spectrum: the under-20s and over-65s. While around one in ten is active in the market in each of the age groups, few are spending more than $100 per year, indicating that, for the most part, purchases are for gifts.
PURCHASE OF CHILDREN’S CLOTHING BY AGE (% OF SHOPPERS) - 2006
NONE Under $100 $100 - $148 $150 - $198 $200 or More
Age
15-19 88.3 6.7 1.4 1.5 2.1
20-24 70.9 10.6 9.2 3.5 5.9
25-34 46.9 15.1 12.0 6.4 19.6
35-44 42.6 14.2 11.4 8.7 23.2
45-54 71.4 10.8 6.2 3.6 7.8
55-64 82.9 10.4 3.1 1.7 2.0
65+ 91.9 5.2 1.8 0.6 0.6
Best Prospects
As indicated earlier in this report, girls tend to have a larger and more varied wardrobe than their male counterparts. This makes girls’ clothing the largest segment within the children’s wear market. However, the following segments also demonstrate strong possibilities across the children’s wear market:
Sports/athletic wear for children
Licensed characters apparel (i.e. Barbie, Dora the Explorer, etc.)
Product ties-ins to film, television and other digital media
Infant wear
Ethical (eco-friendly) labels for children
The company's predecessor was founded in 1958 as Midway Manufacturing, an amusement game manufacturer. In 1973 it moved into the interactive entertainment industry, developing and publishing arcade video games. The company scored its first hit with the U.S. distribution of Space Invaders in 1978. Midway was purchased and re-incorporated in 1988 by WMS Industries Inc. After many years as a leader in the arcade segment, Midway moved into the growing home video game market beginning in 1996, the same year that it made its initial public offering of stock. In 1998, WMS spun off its remaining shares of Midway. Midway was ranked as the fourth largest-selling video game publisher in 2000.[2] Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage and NBA Jam. Midway also acquired the rights to video games that were originally developed by Williams Electronics and Atari Games, such as Defender, Joust, Robotron 2084, Gauntlet and the Rush series.
After 2000, Midway continued to develop and publish video games for home and handheld video game machines, but it experienced large annual net losses and engaged in a series of stock and debt offerings and other financings and borrowings. Sumner Redstone, the head of Viacom/CBS Corporation, increased his stake in Midway from about 15%, in 1998, to about 87% by the end of 2007.[3] In December 2008, Redstone sold all his stock to Mark Thomas, a private investor, for $100,000, who assumed $70 million of Midway debt.[4]
The GfK Network Intelligence Solution (GfK NIS) service has highlighted the significant variations in between different operating systems in terms of mobile web activity. The pioneering research method analyses mobile behaviour via operators' IP traffic.
GfK NIS is already installed in several European markets and during the autumn of 2010, GfK measured more than 20 million website visits in four European countries to discover that the intensity of web usage differs significantly between operating systems.
Android users were the most 'web intensive' with an average of 9.1 daily site visits per user, compared to iphone (8.0), BlackBerry (5.7) and Symbian (5.2), the latter utilised more as a ‘feature’ phone as opposed to a ‘smart’ phone.
GfK NIS also uncovered the variations in mobile usage in terms of handset screen size; <2" displays saw an average of 2.8 site visits per day per user, whereas >4" displays exhibit a marked increase, with 10.4 visits per day, per user.
"GfK NIS provides operators with an exclusive opportunity to monetize mobile web usage as it enables all stakeholders of the mobile internet access to unique information" explained Fredrik Hallberg, Managing Director at GfK Retail and Technology, responsible for GfK NIS. "GfK is linking usage information with the feature of the model, enabling insight and analysis on these areas that were previously unavailable."
Social networking sites continue to dominate the mobile internet picture, with a 28% share of all site visits. The importance of Facebook for example depends heavily on the operating system utilised. For users with a Symbian operating system, Facebook accounts for 24% of all visits while elsewhere the significance is lower; iphone (17%), Blackberry (16%) and Android (13%).
Similar variations can be found for other popular sites; Google for example is hardly used at all by users with Symbian phones.
The GfK NIS tool measures all websites visited using mobile internet regardless of the device; mobile phones, Smartphones, PC tablets and 3G Cards are all monitored and will be rolled out globally during 2011.
About GfK Network Intelligence Solution
The GfK Network Intelligence Solution offers comprehensive coverage of internet activities and metrics for both mobile phone operators and the media industry. GfK NIS delivers accurate, reliable, real-time statistics and guarantees subscriber privacy protection.
Market Demand
The increase in the UK birth rate has driven demand and expenditure levels on the infant and children’s clothing markets. Current demand also benefits from a higher rate of per capita spending on children. Market analysts anticipate that spending on children’s products, including apparel, will rise in the medium term.
Demand in the UK children’s wear market has seen a rise in ‘luxury’ brands. This is a trickle-down effect from the growth in the luxury markets for men’s and women’s wear, as well as other categories such as home décor. Other fashion trends influenced by adult clothing are vintage chic and prints. These trends have made their way to kids’ wear as simplified versions of previous season’s women’s wear collections. Other strong performing areas of the children’s wear market are branded and character-licensed wear. While parents seek value for their children’s basic everyday clothing, they are willing to pay more for unusual and special occasion outfits. These items tend to command premium prices.
Market Data
Since 2001 there has been a year-on-year rise in spending on children’s wear, despite deflationary pressure on prices in this sector. Market analysts predict some price recovery in the UK children’s wear market through 2010. There are limits to the absolute cost reductions that can be gained on an item of clothing with price points at the lower end of the children’s wear market. Therefore, suppliers will be looking to move price points upwards over the medium term, in order to maintain margins as cheap sourcing becomes more difficult. Initially, this will mean a rise in the lower price points, but retailers and distributors will also be looking to add value.
Girls’ wear accounts for the largest share of spending in the children’s wear market, despite the fact that the female child population in the United Kingdom is smaller than the male child population. Additionally, per capita spending on girls tends to be higher, as girls are more likely to take an interest in their appearance and wear a greater variety of clothing than boys. The girls’ wear market is often divided on the basis of age group. The split tends to occur around the age of nine. Under-nines are more easily slotted into the traditional children’s wear market, with items still tending to a carry a high degree of licensed characters and images from other media. This has been the most appealing end of the market for the newer players, such as the supermarkets, as this age group is less likely to dismiss something bought during a family food-shopping trip.
Over the age of nine, the client base is more vocal and discerning, and fashion is a larger and growing influence. For example, in 2005 a number of UK suppliers adapted trends taken from the women’s wear sector for the wear market. The over-nines are also more brand-conscious and eager to perform their own shopping.
Clothing for boys has also experienced growth, generally outperforming the overall clothing market. Many of the same factors affecting the girls’ wear market are evident in the boys’ wear sector, with increased fashion and brand awareness, and trading up boosting market values. As mentioned, the rise in the UK birth rate since 2002 has had a positive influence on children’s wear sales. Infant wear is important strategically to suppliers, who hope that consumer loyalty at this stage will engage long term buying. This has encouraged the introduction of children fashions by major supermarket chains such as Tesco and ASDA, as well as value retailers such as Primark.
Children in the UK are expected to wear some type of uniform to school. This applies to both public and private schools. For this reason, school wear is one of the most competitive segments of the children’s wear market, resulting in a current price war among value retailers. All retailers have been keen to differentiate their product lines. In 2005, “George” became the first retailer to offer Advanced Teflon across a number of garments, to aid durability and stain prevention. The same year, Woolworths upped the fashion element in its range by adding combat pockets to school uniform trousers and three quarter sleeves on cardigans.
In April 2007, National Schoolwear Centres launched the UK's largest sized school uniforms. The range included a 52-inch blazer, trousers with a 42-inch waist and a shirt with a 17.5-inch collar. The company stated that it had experienced a 25% rise in demand for 50-52 inch blazers year-on-year. Its uniforms, which were previously only distributed via mail order, are now available through the retail market. According to the Health and Social Care Information Center, between 1995 and 2004, obesity among boys aged 11 to 15 rose from 14% to 24% and, among girls, it rose from 15% to 26%. However, according to National Schoolwear Centers, the issue is not solely one of obesity but the fact that children are taller and bigger generally.
For families there is a further issue, insofar as children’s wear, under certain sizes, is exempt from VAT. Consequently, larger sizes are higher priced, owing to the additional cost of VAT. As a result, the Schoolwear Association, which represents school-uniform suppliers and manufacturers, is lobbying for the abolition of VAT on all school-specific children’s wear.
Buyer Characteristics
Since the late 1990s, there has been a reduction in the percentage of women buying children’s wear. This has been due in part to the aging child population and as a consequence, fewer children. However, the recent rise in the birth rate may lead to a slight uplift in the market over the medium term. On average, the majority of buyers spend less than $100.00 per trip on children’s clothing, a statistic that includes most gift purchasers. Women account for the largest share of spending on all price points, as they are more likely to be responsible for managing their children’s wardrobe. Overall, approximately two men in ten buy children’s clothing (20.7%). Likewise, two out of ever ten shoppers are likely to be light spenders (less that $100). Within many two-parent households, both parents are likely to be purchasing items, although one of the two will take the lead.
The age group with the highest purchasing profile is the 25-45 years group. Buying is least likely at either end of the age spectrum: the under-20s and over-65s. While around one in ten is active in the market in each of the age groups, few are spending more than $100 per year, indicating that, for the most part, purchases are for gifts.
PURCHASE OF CHILDREN’S CLOTHING BY AGE (% OF SHOPPERS) - 2006
NONE Under $100 $100 - $148 $150 - $198 $200 or More
Age
15-19 88.3 6.7 1.4 1.5 2.1
20-24 70.9 10.6 9.2 3.5 5.9
25-34 46.9 15.1 12.0 6.4 19.6
35-44 42.6 14.2 11.4 8.7 23.2
45-54 71.4 10.8 6.2 3.6 7.8
55-64 82.9 10.4 3.1 1.7 2.0
65+ 91.9 5.2 1.8 0.6 0.6
Best Prospects
As indicated earlier in this report, girls tend to have a larger and more varied wardrobe than their male counterparts. This makes girls’ clothing the largest segment within the children’s wear market. However, the following segments also demonstrate strong possibilities across the children’s wear market:
Sports/athletic wear for children
Licensed characters apparel (i.e. Barbie, Dora the Explorer, etc.)
Product ties-ins to film, television and other digital media
Infant wear
Ethical (eco-friendly) labels for children
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