How does Apple sell record number of iPhone 4S when companies including Lowe's continue to layoff people and health care costs continue to soar, with Wellmark hiking premiums by a (un)healthy 9.35%? Is it the "1%" effect, or are people's priorities in a mess?
Apple and its phone company partners started selling the iPhone 4S on Friday in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Britain. They are coming to 22 more countries by the end of the month.
When Apple launched the iPhone 4 last year, it sold 1.7 million in the first three days.
There are two more launch countries than last year, and there are also more phone companies that sell the phone. In the U.S., Sprint Nextel Corp. is the new carrier, joining AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless.
On Friday, both AT&T and Sprint said the new phone had broken sales records. At Verizon Wireless, a lot of pent-up iPhone demand was satisfied with the February launch of the iPhone 4, the first iPhone for that company."
Lowe's to close 20 stores - Yahoo! Finance: "MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- Home-improvement retailer Lowe's Cos. says it will close 20 underperforming stores in 15 states and cut 1,950 jobs in a move that it says will allow it to focus on more profitable locations.
Ten locations were closed Sunday; the other 10 will close in a month.
Before the closures Lowe's operated 1,725 stores."
Wellmark proposes 9.35 percent hike in premiums - Yahoo! Finance: "Customers of insurance giant Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield could pay up to $45 a month more for health insurance under a proposal announced Monday by the Des Moines-based company.
Wellmark proposed a 9.35 percent increase for more than 70,000 individual Iowa customers age 65 and under, citing rising health care costs.
"The real reason here is the cost of health care is going up and continues to rise," said David Brown, the company's chief financial officer. "The largest driver is utilization, people are using services more and unfortunately people in Iowa are getting less healthy."
Brown said that is, in part, because of the growing obesity epidemic. Laura Jackson, a vice president of health strategy and policy, said obesity is linked to 20 chronic conditions and cancer and the costs of treating those conditions keeps rising with new treatment innovations.
Wellmark insures about 1.8 million Iowa residents, most through employers. A public hearing on the increase is scheduled for Dec. 10 at the Urbandale Public Library."
Ten locations were closed Sunday; the other 10 will close in a month.
Before the closures Lowe's operated 1,725 stores."
Wellmark proposes 9.35 percent hike in premiums - Yahoo! Finance: "Customers of insurance giant Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield could pay up to $45 a month more for health insurance under a proposal announced Monday by the Des Moines-based company.
Wellmark proposed a 9.35 percent increase for more than 70,000 individual Iowa customers age 65 and under, citing rising health care costs.
"The real reason here is the cost of health care is going up and continues to rise," said David Brown, the company's chief financial officer. "The largest driver is utilization, people are using services more and unfortunately people in Iowa are getting less healthy."
Brown said that is, in part, because of the growing obesity epidemic. Laura Jackson, a vice president of health strategy and policy, said obesity is linked to 20 chronic conditions and cancer and the costs of treating those conditions keeps rising with new treatment innovations.
Wellmark insures about 1.8 million Iowa residents, most through employers. A public hearing on the increase is scheduled for Dec. 10 at the Urbandale Public Library."
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment