(RTTNews) - Latvia's trade deficit narrowed in November amid a rise in both exports and imports, data from the Central Statistical Bureau showed on Monday.
The trade deficit fell to EUR 76.1 million in November from EUR 128.0 million in the same month last year. In October, the trade deficit was EUR 76.5 million.
Exports rose 9.1 percent annually in November and imports increased 4.1 percent.
The major export partners were Lithuania, Estonia, Germany and Denmark and those of import were Lithuania, Poland, Germany and Estonia.
MIAMI, Jan. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Park West Gallery is pleased to announce that Mandi Romine has been recently promoted to Director, Shipboard Operations. In her new role, Romine will manage Park West's partnerships within the cruise line industry and oversee operations, compliance, and more.
"Park West is the world's largest dealer of art, and has been growing and expanding even with the challenges of 2020. In 2021, we are excited to grow the cruise segment of our business as our cruise line partners return to service," Romine said.
Romine joined Park West Gallery this year as Marketing & Production Manager for the company's new online telecast program which is a massive success. Previously, Romine worked 18 years in the cruise industry where she managed marketing & revenue operations for spa, gym, art auctions, port shopping, photo, & wedding programs. Prior to that, she worked 13 years in supply chain, logistics, and transportation.
Romine has taken over the role formerly held by Maria Marsh, who worked for Park West in various capacities for nearly 20 years. Marsh's last title was VP, Shipboard Operations.
Speaking about her new role, Romine said, "Park West has an ability to adapt and innovate to the ever changing needs of their clients, partners, and team members. This is what has made the company successful since Albert Scaglione founded Park West in 1969, and is what will continue to drive the business into future."
About Park West GalleryPark West Gallery is the world's largest art dealer, bringing the experience of collecting fine art to more than 3 million customers since 1969. Whether it's masterpieces from history's greatest artists or the latest artwork from leading contemporary icons, Park West offers something for everyone through its accessible art exhibitions and auctions all over the world. You can learn more about Park West Gallery and its over 50-year history at https://www.parkwestgallery.com.
Park West also hosts live-streaming online art auctions every weekend. To learn more about Park West's online collecting events, visit https://www.parkwestgallery.com/online/.
Contact: Tom Burnstburns@parkwestgallery.com
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/park-west-gallery-promotes-mandi-romine-to-director-shipboard-operations-301204693.html
SOURCE Park West Gallery
Panera catering promo
Panera BreadRoughly, 49% of restaurant operators say catering sales have decreased during the pandemic, according to market research firm Technomic.
Panera Bread is leveraging its much-envied tech stack to create a Virtual Catering program for remote workers. The voucher system rolls out next week.
"It provides this sense of community that when you're having the meeting that everyone is sharing this meal," Panera Breach executive Chris Correnti told Insider in an exclusive interview.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Catering is a $60 billion business - an important foodservice revenue channel that cratered during a prolonged pandemic that has forced offices to host remote meetings and discouraged social gatherings like birthday celebrations.
For Panera Bread, the pandemic has impacted its robust catering program, which normally represents 10% of sales. To revive this important revenue segment, Panera Bread is rolling out next week two new off-premise ordering programs.
The company is unveiling Virtual Catering after testing the program in December with about 50 customers, ranging from pharmaceutical representatives to medical facilities. The new catering program is geared for remote workers.
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It allows companies or individuals to buy digital vouchers and send them to remote workers or clients ahead of a meeting or networking event. The vouchers can be used to buy a sandwich, salad, or flatbread pizza from a local Panera Bread that can be eaten during a video conferencing meeting.
"It provides this sense of community that when you're having the meeting that everyone is sharing this meal," Chris Correnti, senior vice president of off-premise channels at Panera Bread, told Insider in an exclusive interview. "So regardless, if you're 10 miles away from each other, or 1,000 miles away from each other, we can make this a reality."
Since the pandemic swept the nation last March, Panera Bread has been leveraging its much-envied tech stack to find new revenue channels to accommodate the growing demand for off-premise orders. Years before consumers were forced to shelter at home, Panera Bread's more than 2,000 locations were offering guests new ways to order from kiosks to rapid pick up through its app.
The company was also one of the first fast-casual brands to add fast-food style drive-thrus lanes to boost off-premise sales.
Besides Virtual Catering, the company plans to also roll out Panera To You, geared for batching group orders into one delivery.
Flatbreads from Panera Bread
Panera Break
On Wednesday, Panera Bread also announced plans to add two more flatbread pizzas to its menu after selling 5 million since the delivery-centric food item rolled out nationwide in late October.
"It's been extremely well received, and we're excited about this new platform," Correnti said.
With the addition of the two new flavors, Panera Bread plans to add them as an option to the chain's Family Feast program.
Like other chains creating meal kits during the pandemic crisis, Panera's program bundles menu items geared for families looking for value-oriented take-home orders. The new bundles offer two flatbread pizzas and two salads for $23 or three flatbread pizzas and three salads for $29.
"Those [family meals] offer both value and convenience with products that are really highly desirable and travel really well and deliver really well," Sara Burnett, vice president of food values, sustainability and public affairs at Panera Bread, told Insider.
Panera's latest moves are aimed at capturing consumers whose "off-premise" buying habits have been amplified during the pandemic. At Panera Bread, off-premise sales, which includes delivery, carryout, catering, and drive-thru sales, went from 40% of sales to 85%.
But catering has been the one off-premise segment that has challenged the industry during the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, off-premise catering represented more than $60 billion in annual sales for restaurants, retail, and independent caterers, according to market research firm Technomic.
While the market research firm hasn't calculated the economic impact the pandemic has had on catering, a recent survey suggests it's been a sore point for restaurant owners. Roughly 49% of operators said catering sales have decreased, according to Technomic.
"As a general standard, the catering industry has been almost cut in half based on market research that has been shared with us. And you know, we've seen our sales also be impacted by that," Correnti said.
That's why Panera Bread knew it had to recapture catering in a new way.
Unlike a gift card program, Panera Bread said companies or sales workers looking to meet with clients or remote workers over Zoom can buy 10 vouchers for $20 each, as an example.
Some third-party delivery operators such as DoorDash and Grubhub have implemented similar programs to help corporate America give remote workers access to free meal delivery. DoorDash for Work, for example, allows businesses to buy gift cards in bulk as a reward for remote workers.
At Panera Bread, the perk works differently.
The digital voucher is timestamped so it is only valid for the day of the meeting. Instead of giving a gift card, Virtual Catering is meant to bring meeting attendees together by sharing the same meal, Correnti said.
This way, the voucher does not act like a gift card, which can be problematic for some professionals who are precluded from accepting a gift, Correnti said.
Also debuting soon after testing last month is Panera To You. This will be aimed at workers who are back in the office or educational institutions who might want to bundle the delivery of meals on a certain day of the week.
Each employee can order their food, but Panera will bundle those orders and charge one delivery fee.
Correnti said these new off-premise services are permanent, not temporary pandemic-fueled solutions. According to a Harvard Business School study, at least 16 percent of employees will remain at-home workers long after COVID-19 recedes.
In a post-vaccinated world, Correnti said he doesn't see off-premise gains made during the pandemic subsiding substantially.
"Off-premise through all of these digital enhancements is here to stay," he said. "It's reasonable to think there's going to be some channel shifting as offices open back up."
For Panera, there's been an 'incredible surge" of new customers discovering new ways to order food during the pandemic - whether it's through curbside pick up or using one of 850 Panera Bread restaurants equipped with drive-thru.
"It's very likely that the progress off-premise has made from a buying journey will all be retained," Correnti said.
