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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Data security is a CX issue, too
This story was originally published on CX Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CX Dive newsletter. Adidas informed customers of a breach last month. An unauthorized entity 'obtained certain consumer data through a third-party customer service provider,' the sportswear retailer said in a statement. Adidas isn't alone. In recent months, retailers have suffered a string of cyberattacks. Nearly 2,900 North Face customer accounts were breached. Cartier was hacked and some client data stolen. Incidents like these weaken customer trust and brand reputation, Sheryl Kingstone, research director of customer experience and commerce, at S&P Global Market Intelligence, and Stuart Vaeth, SVP of strategic business development at Trua, said during a Wednesday webinar. The result can be lost business. 'It absolutely impacts the reputation of that service provider,' Vaeth said. 'Obviously, it erodes trust. People may not come back to your site if your data has been breached.' Customers are worried about their data — and for good reason. Nearly 2 in 5 customers have been the victim of two or more breaches, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. One-third have been the victim of identity theft within the past three years. More than three-quarters are concerned about the risk of trying digital experiences or products that require sharing personal data online. With customer data essential to providing personalized experiences, the safety of that data is as much a cybersecurity issue as it is a customer experience one, Kingston said. 'Because one of the top goals of businesses is to use the growth of this customer data to create more intelligent experiences, right?' Kingston said. The mistake, Kingston said, is that businesses often look at this data in a silo. 'When we do take a look at things like what [chief information security officers] want or what privacy experts want versus what your marketing and your customer experience teams want, it becomes very complicated, because we need to mind the gaps,' Kingston said. 'There's trade-offs between compliance and the customer experience.' Businesses need to balance customer experience with risk and compliance. 'When we do look at how we're measuring and how businesses are measuring the metrics around it, security compliance teams look at ensuring risk and compliance, and what the CX leaders within an organization really wants to do is reducing customer friction points.' While CX leaders in the U.S. are under the impression that they must aim for zero friction to prevent drop off, some friction can be beneficial, Vaeth said. Collecting customer data directly or asking customers for verification can offer that. 'Having this balance of some friction to give stronger safety and keep the user involved … is perfectly acceptable and will not impact drop off rates,' Vaeth said. In fact, S&P Global Market Intelligence found that nearly three-quarters of consumers state that more transparency and control into how their personal data is being used would improve their brand loyalty. 'By building trust, you can really improve repeat purchases, improve that loyalty and satisfy customers so that they're likely to return,' Kingston said. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Hindu
What did you do this weekend?
Every Monday morning, in the liminal space between work and routine, a familiar question drifts through India's cities. It's heard in the offices of Bengaluru, on the terraces of Bandra, in the awkward silence before Zoom calls begin: 'So… what did you do this weekend?' It sounds innocent enough — small talk, a social placeholder. But like all good rituals, it's loaded. For many young urban Indians, it's less about plans than projection, and more about who you were while doing it. This is the hidden psychology of modern leisure. In the language of Erving Goffman, the 20th-century Canadian-American sociologist who likened life to a stage, we've moved our weekend from the backstage of anonymity to the frontstage of performance. The weekend used to be a breath. Now it's a brand. I first noticed it in Mumbai, walking past a sunlit studio in Bandra where a dozen 20- and 30-somethings were shaping clay into mugs. They worked in silence, brows furrowed in concentration. Later, I'd hear from a participant who said, 'It just feels good to use my hands for something.' She didn't say she liked pottery. She said she liked using her hands. That's the language of intentionality, of meaning-seeking — a telling linguistic tic of a generation that wants its free time to say something about its inner life. And this isn't unique. From sourdough starters to film cameras, salsa classes to stargazing meetups, young Indians are filling their weekends with activities that are, consciously or not, acts of self-curation. Psychologists might call this narrative identity: the stories we tell ourselves (and others) about who we are and why we matter. We measure rest. We track joy. We optimise the weekend. In resisting the 9-to-5, we've built a 5-to-9 that looks eerily similar. The harder we try to escape productivity's grip, the more we reinvent it. Access and instant gratification To understand how we got here, it helps to look at the numbers. India is now home to over 600 million people under the age of 35, according to an S&P Global Market Intelligence study. In cities such as Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad, a new class of young professionals — many unmarried, many living away from their families — have both the income and the autonomy to shape their downtime. This demographic shift is seismic. A generation ago, weekends in India were not individual experiences; they were communal and obligation-heavy. Visiting relatives. Catching a movie with cousins. Running errands for the household. The idea that you would 'do something for yourself' on a weekend was, if not selfish, then certainly rare. But today's urban Indian is surrounded by different signals. Time has become a currency, and weekends are seen as investments: of energy, of identity, of social capital. The stakes are high because the time is short. And into this temporal vacuum has stepped an entire industry. To really understand the psychology of today's curated weekend, you have to travel back — not to the last decade, but to the 1950s and 60s, when India's middle-class was forged in the quiet discipline of scarcity. As Surinder S. Jodhka, a sociology professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, points out, 'Consumer goods then weren't just hard to afford, they were often impossible to find.' Desire wasn't about acquisition. It was about patience. The good life was deferred, not displayed. Urban India, even then, set the tone — what was aspirational in Delhi eventually became meaningful everywhere else. But the post-liberalisation shift cracked that model open. The Nehruvian ethic of restraint gave way to a new moral order: one that celebrated access, aspiration, and immediate gratification. Today's weekend, in many ways, is a symptom of that transformation. The people shaping their Saturdays around calligraphy classes and handmade pasta aren't just spending — they're rewriting the script of middle-class aspiration. The good life is no longer about waiting. It's about choosing. The value of variety This growing demand for meaningful, shareable moments has sparked a surge in curated experiences. The idea once captured by the iconic Tata Safari ad — 'Reclaim your life' — no longer calls for a road trip or an SUV. It's happening in two-hour workshops and weekend retreats, micro-escapes designed to restore a sense of control, creativity, and self. According to Prof. Anirban Chakraborty of IIM Lucknow, 'This is part of a broader shift among young professionals: the urge to close the gap between the real self and the ideal self through curated, meaningful experiences.' He calls it an 'experience-seeking economy' — where value isn't just about relaxation, but variety, novelty, and narrative. The more diverse the activity, the richer the self-story. And in this context, even leisure becomes a kind of emotional labour. Borrowing from American sociologist Arlie Hochschild, we could say we're toggling between shallow acting (performing interest) and deep acting (genuinely feeling it). Pottery isn't just about clay — it's about who you are while shaping it. As Akash Biswas, a 29-year-old consultant in Gurugram, explains, there's a constant pressure to appear interesting — to have hobbies that spark conversation or shine on social media. 'Sometimes, in pretending to be curious, you actually become curious,' he says. He once tried a sushi-making class, signed up for improv comedy, and even joined a weekend hiking group. 'Improv really stuck with me,' he admits. 'It felt freeing to just respond in the moment, without overthinking — kind of like a break from the polished version of myself I usually present [to everyone].' And he's still exploring. 'I want to be the guy who picks up odd, cool hobbies — and who knows, maybe I'll actually like one of them.' Economic impact of curated leisure You can trace much of how Indians spend their weekends today back to the pandemic — a moment that forced millions indoors, nudging them towards slower, more tactile experiences. Suddenly, the kitchen wasn't just where you ate; it was where you created. Across cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Pune, boutique studios began to crop up, offering everything from ceramics classes in Koramangala to calligraphy workshops tucked into Mumbai's Kala Ghoda Festival. Last month saw a series of pop-ups inviting people to try their hand at cyanotype photography or even brew their own kombucha — a strange, artisanal rebellion against the instant and disposable. Meanwhile, micro-retreats promising 'peace in 48 hours', complete with sound baths and journaling, have taken hold in places like Goa and Auroville. Behind this burst of activity lies a bigger truth: where identity lives, economy follows. India's 'experience economy' in Tier 1 cities is growing 30% year-on-year, fuelled by millennials and Gen Z, according to a joint study by Boston Consulting Group and the Retailers Association of India. This isn't just consumption; it's participation in a narrative economy — where your weekend is a chapter in the story of who you want to be. But it's more than just business, it's psychology. The modern urban professional never truly clocks out. Work seeps into phones, chats, even dreams. So free time becomes sacred. And it can't just be empty — it must be meaningful. A hike is wellness. A photo walk isn't just about light; it's about taste and style. Even 'doing nothing' comes with hashtags such as #DigitalDetox or #SlowLiving. Leisure has become a soft performance review — not of skills, but of sensibility. It isn't all performance Still, for some, the appeal isn't performance at all. It's access. 'Growing up, most of these things were either unavailable or unaffordable,' says Priya Yadav, a 31-year-old graphic designer in Bengaluru. 'Now I can try a pottery class on a whim. It feels like having a cultural buffet right in my neighbourhood.' That sense of possibility is echoed by Arjun Mehra, a finance professional in Mumbai. 'Growing up, eating out was reserved for special occasions — a treat, not a routine. Now, with food clubs and casual meetups, it's become a part of everyday life. I get to explore new cuisines and spots every weekend.' And it's not just about eating out; it's about being experimental, about tasting the world — from Korean BBQ pop-ups to Ethiopian injera dinners — and reconnecting with regional traditions. There is something undeniably hopeful here. After years of screen saturation, the return to analogue — the handmade, the slow — is more than a trend. It's cultural therapy. The people shaping clay or writing poems aren't posing; they're recovering something lost. 'The return to analogue is an intentional choice for many. There is something quiet about it. You have to zone in; you cannot be lost in your devices,' shares Varun Gupta, co-founder of the Chennai Photo Biennale (CPB), whose workshops, from cyanotype photography, film development and printing to Van Dyke Brown printing, are always sold out. He doesn't feel that the people CPB attracts are there to merely check boxes or share posts on social media. 'It's about tactility. People want to work with their hands; they are tired of typing and scrolling. Just being able to paint chemicals on paper is such a unique feeling that it kicks off a separate set of endorphins in your brain. It helps you rescript your day to day, and heal your soul,' adds Gupta. Building a new yet similar 5-to-9 And yet the paradox remains. The harder we try to escape productivity's grip, the more we reinvent it. We measure rest. We track joy. We optimise the weekend. In resisting the 9-to-5, we've built a 5-to-9 that looks eerily similar. Sociologist Hartmut Rosa calls this search for 'resonance', our deep craving to feel connected and alive. When leisure hits the mark, it does just that. But when every moment must resonate, it stops feeling real. It becomes performance. So, where does it go from here? If curated leisure is a response to burnout and alienation, its next phase may not be about more options, but a quieter kind of honesty. In the West, signs of this shift are already visible. 'Nothing clubs' in London gather people simply to be, while movements such as 'bare minimum Mondays' in the U.S. push back against hyper-efficiency. India isn't far behind. The same generation that gamified rest is now bumping up against the fatigue of constant optimisation. The next iteration of leisure may hinge less on what we do and more on how we feel doing it. Less proof, more presence. Because maybe the ultimate luxury isn't a kombucha workshop or a calligraphy kit. It's being boring — and being okay with it. So the next time someone asks, 'What did you do this weekend?', perhaps the most honest — and subversive — answer is: 'Nothing much.' And let that be enough. The author works in consulting by day and writes about culture, business, and modern life.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Apple exports 97.6% of iPhones to US from India amid tariffs: Report
In a bid to preempt higher tariffs on imports from China, Apple's exports to the US from India made up 97.6% of all iPhone exports in March 2025, up from 81.9% in the three months to February 2025, according to a S&P Global Market Intelligence report.S&P said iPhone exports increased 219% in March as Apple ramped up production in India as the tariff announcements, and eventual trade turmoil, loomed large over Trump administration announced a 10% base tariff on imports from most countries, and additional reciprocal tariffs on countries it runs a trade deficit with, including China and Vietnam which exports majority of consumer electronics products to the US. With Beijing retaliating against the US action, the reciprocal tariff on China has gone up to 245% for some products. However, consumer electronics items including smartphones and laptops have been exempted from reciprocal tariffs. The Trump administration will announce special tariffs for these products, sometime in May. Following the reprieve, S&P said Apple is planning to replace entirety of its sourcing of iPhone for the US market from mainland China, from India in 2026. The move marks a further scale-up on its bet on the South Asian market as a production hub, despite potential challenges. "The move requires substantial investment and collaboration from contract manufacturers including Tata Electronics , supported by India's production-linked incentive schemes. While India has streamlined foreign investment processes, actualising these investments could take months," S&P said. Tata Electronics, Pegatron and Foxconn Hon Hai are the three iPhone suppliers from India. The market research firm said expanding iPhone production capacity would enhance India's reputation in global supply chain, particularly if a US-India bilateral trade agreement is secured by the third quarter of 2025, despite potential challenges like labour strikes. Apple's market for iPhones in the US is also much larger than what it has been exporting from India. S&P said iPhone sales in the US were 75.9 million units in 2024, while exports in March from India came up to 3.1 million units. This suggests a need to double shipments either through new capacity or by redirecting shipments bound for the domestic market. Production in India is also largely dependent on components sourced from China, which made up 71.3% of all shipments from China in the first quarter of 2025. A new facility of Tata Electronics in Hosur, Tamil Nadu will soon start exporting iPhones for Apple. Foxconn has also invested$2.6 billion in a new plant in Bengaluru, set to become operational from May, which will substantially increase export capacities for Apple. To hit the March target, Apple primarily redirected shipments bound for other regions to the United States. According to data from a leading market research firm who did not wish to be named, iPhone exports from India to the US hit 4.43 million units in March, a sharp jump from 1.71 million units in February 2025. Apple's exports to other regions in the same period went down marginally for some regions, but drastically for others. For example, iPhone exports to Japan went down from 170,000 in February to 38,000 units in March. Similarly, exports to the Czech Republic went down to 141,000 to 30,000 units in March. Exports to some markets like Australia, Chile, Israel and others were stopped altogether, with shipments going to those regions from China instead, according to data accessed by ET. S&P said if the tariffs on China remain higher than others in the long run, other firms may also choose to diversify away from China, resulting in "a degree of regionalisation without localisation." That said, key electronics manufacturing regions - Vietnam (9.9% of global supplies), India (8.4%) and South Korea (1.2%) all lag significantly behind China's 76.6% share, S&P said.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Apple exports 97.6% of iPhones to US from India amid tariffs: Report
With Beijing retaliating against the US action, the reciprocal tariff on China has gone up to 245% for some products. However, consumer electronics items including smartphones and laptops have been exempted from reciprocal tariffs. The Trump administration will announce special tariffs for these products, sometime in May. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads In a bid to preempt higher tariffs on imports from China , Apple's exports to the US from India made up 97.6% of all iPhone exports in March 2025, up from 81.9% in the three months to February 2025, according to a S&P Global Market Intelligence report.S&P said iPhone exports increased 219% in March as Apple ramped up production in India as the tariff announcements, and eventual trade turmoil, loomed large over Trump administration announced a 10% base tariff on imports from most countries, and additional reciprocal tariffs on countries it runs a trade deficit with, including China and Vietnam which exports majority of consumer electronics products to the Beijing retaliating against the US action, the reciprocal tariff on China has gone up to 245% for some products. However, consumer electronics items including smartphones and laptops have been exempted from reciprocal tariffs. The Trump administration will announce special tariffs for these products, sometime in the reprieve, S&P said Apple is planning to replace entirety of its sourcing of iPhone for the US market from mainland China, from India in 2026. The move marks a further scale-up on its bet on the South Asian market as a production hub, despite potential challenges."The move requires substantial investment and collaboration from contract manufacturers including Tata Electronics , supported by India's production-linked incentive schemes. While India has streamlined foreign investment processes, actualising these investments could take months," S&P Electronics, Pegatron and Foxconn Hon Hai are the three iPhone suppliers from market research firm said expanding iPhone production capacity would enhance India's reputation in global supply chain, particularly if a US-India bilateral trade agreement is secured by the third quarter of 2025, despite potential challenges like labour market for iPhones in the US is also much larger than what it has been exporting from India. S&P said iPhone sales in the US were 75.9 million units in 2024, while exports in March from India came up to 3.1 million suggests a need to double shipments either through new capacity or by redirecting shipments bound for the domestic market. Production in India is also largely dependent on components sourced from China, which made up 71.3% of all shipments from China in the first quarter of 2025.A new facility of Tata Electronics in Hosur, Tamil Nadu will soon start exporting iPhones for Apple. Foxconn has also invested$2.6 billion in a new plant in Bengaluru, set to become operational from May, which will substantially increase export capacities for hit the March target, Apple primarily redirected shipments bound for other regions to the United to data from a leading market research firm who did not wish to be named, iPhone exports from India to the US hit 4.43 million units in March, a sharp jump from 1.71 million units in February 2025. Apple's exports to other regions in the same period went down marginally for some regions, but drastically for example, iPhone exports to Japan went down from 170,000 in February to 38,000 units in March. Similarly, exports to the Czech Republic went down to 141,000 to 30,000 units in March. Exports to some markets like Australia, Chile, Israel and others were stopped altogether, with shipments going to those regions from China instead, according to data accessed by ET.S&P said if the tariffs on China remain higher than others in the long run, other firms may also choose to diversify away from China, resulting in "a degree of regionalisation without localisation."That said, key electronics manufacturing regions - Vietnam (9.9% of global supplies), India (8.4%) and South Korea (1.2%) all lag significantly behind China's 76.6% share, S&P said.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tariff uncertainty prompts analysts to slash earnings estimates: Report
Good morning. As earnings season continues, new data from S&P Global Market Intelligence takes a look at the dialogue around tariffs and their impact on forecasts. Tariffs have dominated investor discourse since April 2 when President Trump announced sweeping tariff reform. Trump announced on April 9 a 90-day pause on certain tariffs. Meanwhile, a 10% tariff on nearly all global imports, a 25% levy on imported cars and certain auto parts, and a 145% tariff on goods imported from China are still in effect. S&P Global Market Intelligence finds that, out of 423 earnings calls, 42% have included a discussion of tariffs, with 22% citing material risks. The analysis from April 1-16 is based on the S&P Total Market Index for U.S. companies. And data from the S&P Global Broad Market Indexes for the U.K., Canada, Europe, Australia, China, India, Japan, Mexico, and emerging countries. According to the findings shared with CFO Daily, analysts are lowering earnings forecasts to account for tariffs. Consensus full-year revenue estimates for 40% of companies worldwide have now been revised lower. This is most notable in the U.S., Europe, and the U.K. For U.S. firms, analysts are downgrading earnings projections the most for those in the energy sector (61%), consumer discretionary (59%), materials (59%), and financials (57%), according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Fueled by growing economic worry due to the trade war, oil prices are falling to the lowest levels since 2021. And economic uncertainty is pressuring consumer discretionary spending. This week, Big Tech kicks off its quarterly earnings season. Tech analysts are focused on Tesla today as it's scheduled to report Q1 earnings after the closing bell. Sheryl This story was originally featured on Sign in to access your portfolio
