Global Business Development

EGS Biweekly Global Business Newsletter Issue 7, Monday, June 29, 2020

Posted on Jun 29th, 2020 in World Economy | Comments Off

By William (Bill) Edwards, CEO of Edwards Global Services, Inc. (EGS)

“Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” — Zig Ziglar, An American author, salesman, and motivational speaker.

“I’ve always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.” — James Baldwin

“Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.” — Colin Powell

Introduction

The goal of this newsletter is to provide an update on the economic and business situation around the world. We monitor 30+ countries, 25 daily international information sources and six business sectors to keep up with what is going on in this ever-changing environment. Our team on the ground covers 43 countries and provides us with updates about what is happening in their specific countries.

Several newsletter readers have asked what our company has been doing during the COVID-19 crisis. We are currently working with U.S. franchisors in the auto service, education, fitness, F&B, senior care and other service sectors, expanding their brands into new global markets. Since March 2020 we have kept in touch with existing Client licensee candidates in Australia, China, Italy, the Philippines, Spain, Thailand and the United Kingdom. We have increased our market research and market intelligence efforts, using our on-the-ground team covering 43 countries. We are able to provide in-country Mystery Shopper services, as well as unit franchise audits using our in-country Associates.

Many of our newsletter readers send us their input and perspectives to help us publish a balanced overview about the world every other week. Our contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter.

Highlights In This Issue

This issue focuses on what is happening in 20+ countries that impact consumer spending, business investment and travel. A few highlights:

At the request of several international readers, we are also including updates on what is happening in the U.S., while staying far away from politics.
See the important multi-sector report from McKinsey on the COVID-19 Implications for business and download the excellent telecommuting infographic during the COVID-19 crisis near the end of this newsletter.
A global analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on franchising is also included by John Wiley and Sons legal firm under the Brazil entry.
Saudi Arabia will limit the annual Hajj to 1,000 pilgrims, down from the normal more than 2 million who attend in one year.
The return to international air travel remains spotty and restricted as international airlines slowly start adding cross border flights.

The coronavirus effect on global economic sentiment

“Since early April, a growing number of businesses and governments around the world have begun to reopen, ushering in a new—if tenuous—phase of the coronavirus situation. Likewise, the results from our latest McKinsey Global Survey on the economy (conducted from May 4 to May 8, 2020) point to an and increased growth rates in the months ahead The online survey.….. garnered responses from 2,514 participants representing the full range of regions, industries, company sizes, functional specialties, and tenures.”, McKinsey report, June 2020

International Travel Updates

“How To Safely Fly On An Airplane: Airlines have stepped up cleaning and social distancing measures at the airport and on the plane. Travelers should bring a mask and check with their carrier for new policies on seat assignment, boarding, and food and beverage service on the plane. Pro tip: Open the air vent above your seat.”, Chelsey Zhu, Forbes, June 26, 2020

https://bit.ly/ForbesSafleyFlying

“Europe Travel: US Banned, But Here’s 54 Countries Who Can Visit: Americans remain banned from Europe travel as the EU opens its borders to international tourism in July. A draft list of 54 low-risk Covid-19 countries to be welcome includes Australia, Canada and Costa Rica. The US along with Brazil, Russia and Qatar are not included.”, Forbes, June 28, 2020

“Asia-Pacific makes a tentative return to international travel: Asia will embark on an ultra-cautious return to international travel when about 440 Japanese businesspeople will take “exceptional” flights to Vietnam over the next three days. According to officials involved in the negotiations, countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Australia and New Zealand are struggling to agree on broader rules for travel as they try to protect the advances they made in controlling coronavirus.”, The Financial Times, June 24, 2020

“With travel restrictions set to be lifted, sales of air tickets are rocketing: The rush to the beach is back on after the government allowed summer holidays to go ahead, with travel operators seeing an explosion in bookings in the past 24 hours. Demand was so high that the Eurotunnel website crashed briefly yesterday, with the channel tunnel operator reporting three times the usual level of bookings for this day of the year. Ministers are expected to announce this week the opening of quarantine-free “air corridors” to at least 15 countries including Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Germany and Croatia from July 6.”, The Times of London, June 28, 2020

“Turkish Airlines (TK) has announced the restart of flights to the U.S. The announcement comes just days after international flights were resumed to some destinations within the North American country. All destinations will be operated with three weekly flights, with the exception of New York, which will be served with five weekly flights. The airline will increase the number of services to 24 per week during July.”, Airways magazine, June 22, 2020

“EasyJet Returns Route Network To 75% Of Capacity Amidst Coronavirus Recovery: One of Europe’s largest low cost carriers is scaling up its route network and capacity as passenger traffic returns to the continent.”, Forbes, June 27, 2020

A new global dining Trend, post-COVID-19?

“First Paris, soon London, what of Hong Kong? Outdoor dining expands after the Covid-19 lockdown, and for the French the change could be here to stay. Paris has brought in temporary rules allowing bistros and cafes to extend their pavement terraces to help them recoup earnings after a coronavirus lockdown. Outdoor seating has taken over car parks and whole streets. A Parisian restaurateur until recently in Hong Kong says city could allow more al fresco dining too.”, South China Morning Post

https://bit.ly/SCMPOutdoorDining

Australia

“The foodservice, gym, yoga, and personal services like hair and beauty, spas and retail businesses were effectively shut down by Government direction and the population was advised to stay isolated at home. Working from home was widely adopted and printer sales went through the roof.

Australia’s borders were shut and every arrival required to pay for 14 days of isolation in a government allocated hotel secured by the armed services. Only supermarkets were open and enjoyed record online and in-store sales. City streets were deserted and offices, schools, childcare and shopping centres were closed.

Money formerly spent on travel and dining out was diverted to online entertainment and home improvements as families worked and cocooned at home. Home delivery skyrocketed with fast food and restaurant home delivery increasing by 100 to 150% while eat-in was completely banned.

The imposition of a lockdown has contained the virus and the number of cases detected from mass testing is less than 80 per day Australia-wide with the southern State of Victoria responsible for 80% of new cases detected over the last week of June as restaurants and bars and family gatherings contributing to a small spike in detected Covid cases as restrictions lifted since early June. From early June the economy has slowly reopened, kids are back at school and day care and franchise and economic activity is picking up.

About 1 million people (about 10% of the workforce) are on the government-funded JobSeeker unemployment benefit program which is providing another form of economic stimulus. This widespread Government support will continue to the end of September where it is likely that while some sectors will lose these grants at that time, a new suite of stimulus initiatives are expected to continue to provide liquidity into Christmas and the New Year.”, Rod Young, Chairman, DC Strategy Group, Melbourne and Sydney

“A number of large Australia retailers are refusing to re-open marginal stores while rent relief negotiations remain unresolved, according to a media report. Despite an increase in consumer spending and foot traffic at shopping centres, and an easing of COVID-19 restrictions, chains such as Sussan Group which operates Sussan and Sportsgirl are keeping a significant number of stores closed and are trading on reduced hours at others.”, news.com.au, compliments of Jason Gehrke, Managing Director, Franchise Advisory Centre, Brisbane

Bahrain

“Bahrain’s government said on Monday it would pay 50% of salaries for private company workers in sectors that were hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, state news agency BNA reported. The new payments would start in July, BNA said, adding that the government would extend its assistance to Bahraini citizens by also paying electricity and water bills. Bahrain had said it was spending $570 million on paying salaries to all 100,000 of its citizens employed in the private sector from April to June to help soften the economic blow from the coronavirus outbreak.”, Reuters, June 29, 2020

Belgium

“Belgium to reopen pools, cinemas, theme parks from July: Belgium will further ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions on July 1, allowing swimming pools, theme parks and party venues to reopen, Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes said on Wednesday, although social distancing measures will remain.”, Reuters, June 24, 2020

Brazil

“The impact of COVID ‐19 on franchising in emerging markets: An example from Brazil”, a detailed global COVID-19 impact report on franchising from John Wiley and Sons legal firm, USA

https://bit.ly/WileyGlobalFranchiseImpact

Cambodia

“Cambodia’s New Tourism Rules Include $3,000 Entry Deposit to Cover Coronavirus Costs: Like many nations, Cambodia is figuring out just what its tourism future looks like in a world dealing with coronavirus. But, rather than limit guests or ban tourism altogether, it came up with a new idea. And that new idea includes travelers plunking down a $3,000 travel deposit before entering the country to cover any coronavirus-related costs while you’re there.”, Travel And Leisure magazine, June 22, 2020

Canada

“Air travel is about to go through its biggest transformation since 9/11 — and passengers will pay for it. Reopening Canada: ‘Faster, cleaner’ experience could include facial scans so passengers can glide through airports in less time.”, Financial News

https://bit.ly/FNAirTravelTrasnformation

Mainland China

“China starts reconnecting to the world by air as pandemic eases: Travelers in Europe and New Zealand will find more China options as airlines resume scheduled service after Chinese regulators relaxed strict, months-long restrictions amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, the largest German airline, Wednesday operated its first scheduled passenger flight since January after obtaining approval from Chinese regulators to resume services. The weekly flight took off from Frankfurt Wednesday afternoon to land at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai Thursday noon local time. A return flight was to depart from Shanghai the next day. Lufthansa is among four European airlines approved to resume passenger services to China over the past week. Air New Zealand restarted weekly passenger services linking Auckland and Shanghai. American carriers Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Airlines Inc. also received approval to resume flights to China.”, Caixin, June 26, 2020

“International airlines are starting to resume flights to China after a loosening of aviation restrictions brought in as part of the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Lufthansa, part of Europe’s largest airline group, restarted flights to the mainland this week, flying once a week between Frankfurt and Shanghai in the first regular scheduled flights operated by the German carrier since the pandemic began. United Airlines will resume its route between San Francisco and Shanghai, via Seoul, beginning July 8, according to a company statement, while fellow US carrier Delta Air Lines restarted its China flights this week with twice-weekly trips into Shanghai.”, South China Morning Post, June 27, 2020

Colombia

“Colombia’s lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus will continue until July 15, President Ivan Duque said in a nightly broadcast on Tuesday. ‘The current conditions of obligatory isolation, where we are returning to productivity and moving towards the re-opening of businesses, will continue as they are today until July 15,’ Duque said.”, Reuters, June 23, 2020

Hungary

“The Hungarian government has lifted almost all the restrictions for Hungarian citizens with regards to the COVID-19 virus. Shop, restaurants, companies, government offices are open, although they have to ensure social distancing, and people have to wear face masks in public places (e.g. shopping malls, customer service offices, etc.). Certain travel limitations still apply: in general, EU citizens can enter Hungary without restrictions, and people from Japan and South Korea can enter for justified business purposes. People from other countries (e.g. US, Canada, etc.) can only enter if they file an exemption request with the Hungarian authorities – once it’s approved, they can travel to Hungary. Unfortunately, the request can only be submitted in Hungarian – for assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time. For more information about the regulations, please visit the website of the Hungarian Consular Service at https://konzuliszolgalat.kormany.hu/information-on-hungarian-entry-requirements-due-to-covid-19-situation.”, Gabor Kaczmarczyk, Your Concierge, Budapest

India

“While rules differ in each state, guidelines released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on June 4 direct restaurants to run at 50% of their capacity. Many states have allowed restaurants to open from June 6, but the restrictions imposed are making it unviable for them to operate. Social distancing, sanitization at the time of opening and closing of the restaurant, curfew (restricted movement) after late evening, restricted use of air-conditioning to maintain temperature and average temperature of 24C to 30C with a humidity level between 40% to 70% in many states is impacting dine-in business, which is why restaurant are trying to sustain on delivery and takeout orders. Moreover, as the people working in the F&B sector went back to their hometowns amidst lockdown, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the restaurant owners and operators to find staff to run these establishments after they reopen. The problem of getting migrant workers back to big cities to revive the economy is turning out to be as big of a problem as handling Covid-19 throughout the country.

On the other hand, as malls reopen, many retailers are finding it difficult to get customers because of the rising number of Covid-19 cases in big cities, while retailers who have not yet reopened their stores are negotiating rent with the mall owners in a bid to make their operations viable. Gaming areas, cinema, play areas are still not allowed to open.”, Rajeev Manchanda, Managing Director, Inventure, Delhi

Japan

“Tokyo Disney Resort to reopen July 1 after coronavirus shutdown; Three types of tickets will be offered with different entry times. For the time being, Oriental Land Co., the operator of the resort, announced Tuesday that Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, will run under limited capacity and guests will have to reserve tickets online prior to arrival.”, Fox Business, June 23, 2020

“Currently, 85 percent of businesses in Japanese retail industry have experienced an negative impact from COVID 19, pandemic on their corporate activities. In Japan, there are over 60,000 convenient stores and majority of those stores are represented by independent franchisees. In order to protect their customer from virus, majority of those stores are now taken specific measures by installing transparent plastic sheets hanging between cashiers and customers to block any pathogen – laced droplets produced by coughing and sneezing. Local people are coming to convenient stores to get their daily minimum necessities rather than visiting supermarkets which are typically located in distance. Deliveries of meal kits are also becoming very popular as well.

Major trends are more cooking at home, shopping online and working remotely utilizing zoom or skype, avoiding direct contacts with the people. Eat-at-home demand is soaring as e-commerce sites draw numbers of customers. This is not a temporary trend but could be call as permanent trend. Drug stores have climbed 7.5 percent in monthly basis. Simultaneously, supermarket continue to grow a well with 7.4% in monthly basis due to “Stay home “ lifestyle for the past several month.

The Japanese government continue to exercise 14 days of quarantine and restrict the travel people from certain countries including United States. The majority of retail and restaurant business are saying that their sales are now back by 60%-70% and hopefully 100% by July, providing the numbers of infected virus patients continue to slow down.”, Ichiro (Roy) Fujita, Founder and President, I. Fujita International, Tokyo and Torrance, California

“Japan Airlines (JAL) announced on June 18 that it will further increase its domestic flight offerings in July. During June, a 20% recovery is expected, and in the first half of July, 40%. At the peak in May 24- June 13, JAL reported a 72% reduction in flights flown within Japan. These numbers include all flights operated by the JAL Group. In comparison, between July 1-16 JAL Group expects a reduction of only 47% in its normally scheduled flights. Some unused passenger aircraft will be used to fly cargo-only flights.”, Airways magazine, June 21, 2020

Mexico

“Mexico City reopening shops, street markets, sport complexes: Mexico says it will allow more businesses to reopen in parts of the country despite continued high infection and death rates.”, ABC News, June 26, 2020

New Zealand

“’Stronger Together’ is our theme for the latest issue of Franchise New Zealand – published today. We look at how franchises offer strength in numbers; finding funding; financial resilience; and the future for franchising. Get a free print or digital copy at https://lnkd.in/fydzwAD”, Simon Lord, Publisher, Franchise New Zealand, June 26, 2020

Saudi Arabia

“Millions barred from 2020 hajj pilgrimage to Mecca due to pandemic: In normal years, more than 2 million of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims travel to Mecca to perform the hajj, which is considered the fifth and final Pillar of Islam. Every Muslim adult who is financially and physically capable must complete at least one hajj, and for many, it’s the trip of a lifetime. This year, however, experts estimate that only 1,000 of Saudi Arabia’s 29 million Muslim residents will be allowed to attend.”, National Geographic, June 23, 2020

Singapore and Malaysia

“Singapore and Malaysia to Create Rules for Cross-Border Travel: Singapore and Malaysia agreed to establish reciprocal arrangements for essential business travel and periodic commuting, following a call between their respective prime ministers on Friday.”, Bloomberg, June 28, 2020

“Singapore Residents Can Soon Collect Free Face Masks From Vending Machines

Starting on Monday, June 29, and running until July 12, each resident in Singapore will be able to collect two free masks at any one of the island’s 1,200 mask vending machines.”, Vice.com, June 35, 2020

Spain

“The Spanish government has agreed to extend the country’s emergency paid leave schemes for an additional three months to the end of September — a costly measure that business and unions say is essential to prevent the widespread collapse of companies and job destruction. The temporary schemes, known as ERTEs, had been due to expire on June 30 and currently cover more than 2m people who hope to return to their jobs as the crisis eases but who are far from sure of doing so. At their peak, the ERTEs provided payments to almost 3.5m people of up to 70 per cent of their normal salary.”, The Financial Times, June 25, 2020

Thailand

“On June 27, 2020 Thailand has had 33 consecutive days without a domestic case of COVID-19. Thai Government set July 1st for the lift of all business and activity lockdowns across the country. School will be permitted to start the semester on July 1st. Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand director assumed that Thailand’s international flights are not likely to resume until September and may limit the number of foreign tourists. The domestic flights were previously allowed to return and to charge up almost twice the original fare since they had to leave many seats empty to ensure social distancing.

The Monetary Policy Committee, the Bank of Thailand decreases the GDP growth rate Y2020 to -8.1% from -5.3% while International Monetary Fund estimates the Thailand’s GDP growth rate will be contract by -7.7%. Thai Government has issued the economic policies to stimulus the consumptions, domestic investments, and government spending.”, Sethaphong Phadungpisuth, CFE, MD of Gnosis Company Limited, Bangkok

United Arab Emirates

“Dubai Will Reopen to International Travelers on July 7: According to a press release shared by the government on Sunday, international arrivals will be required to present the documentation of a negative COVID-19 test, taken within four days of departure, or undergo testing at a Dubai airport. Travelers from abroad will also have to download Dubai’s COVID-19 DXB app and register their details before arrival to facilitate, ‘easy coordination and communication with health authorities if they experience COVID-19 symptoms.’”, Travel And Leisure magazine, June 23, 2020

United Kingdom

“”More lockdown restrictions are being lifted from Saturday 4th July, the most significant of which, is the reduction of the 2m social distancing requirement to 1m. This is very good news for the hospitality sector, and especially F&B franchises. A track & trace system is in place, but my own sense is that it is far from robust, but probably better than nothing! Consequently, although we all want to believe that the worst is behind us, there is a strong possibility of local ‘spikes’. We are required to wear face masks on public transport, and ‘use our common sense’. There is an expectation of many redundancies when the government support for employees’ wages finishes in the Autumn – historically, this has been good for franchisee recruitment.”, Iain Martin, QFP, Intentional Franchise Consultants, The Franchising Centre, United Kingdom

“Travelers arriving from France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Greece are among those who will soon dodge UK quarantine. And vice versa. But the United States, Portugal and Croatia are not set to make it onto the list of countries with whom Britain is setting up quarantine-free “air bridges”, according to British media reports. Air bridges will be established with countries that have coronavirus testing and tracing systems on a par with Britain’s, transport secretary Grant Shapps said Wednesday. This means quarantine-free summer holidays for Brits, and for many travelers headed to the U.K.”, Forbes, June 25, 2020

“Uncancel culture: British arts reopen: After struggling through lockdown, Britain’s culture sector is finally returning. This week Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, announced that cinemas, galleries and museums could reopen from July 4th. One-way systems, pre-booked tickets and half-empty venues are likely to become part of cultural life. Theatres and music venues, which remain shut, have appealed for a similar reprieve.”, The Economist, June 28, 2020

“Holiday season back on with travel ‘traffic light’ plan: Britons are about to be given the go-ahead to have summer holidays in more than 15 countries in a significant easing of the government’s travel restrictions. Ministers will announce on Wednesday a new “traffic light” system that allows travel to certain low-risk countries without the need to go into quarantine for two weeks on return. Large parts of Europe will be open to British holidaymakers for the first time in more than three months, with quarantine-free travel allowed to countries…”, The Times of London, June 26, 2020

United States

“Here are five charts illustrating the U.S. economic recovery amid the coronavirus pandemic: Though states are reporting new surges in Covid-19 cases, pausing reopening measures and even re-instituting business restrictions, specific economic sectors have continued to see improvement. Consumers are eating out at restaurants, traveling more and visiting hotels amid the official start to the busy summer season. These five charts illustrate trends in important industries that help track reopening progress in the U.S.”, CNBC, June 28, 2020

https://bit.ly/5USCharts

“Hair salons in New York City have long waitlists as coronavirus restrictions ease: Top hair salons in New York City are being bombarded with appointment requests now that salons and barber shops are allowed to reopen.”, Fix Business, June 28, 2020

“Last night, Disneyland indefinitely postponed its reopening plan. After being closed for four months since mid-March due to COVID-19, the California theme park was tentatively scheduled to reopen on July 17, the 65th anniversary of when the park first opened in 1955. Disneyland’s reopening plan was announced on June 10, but things move fast in 2020, and since then, coronavirus cases have spiked in several states around the country, including within California.”, The Points Guy, June 25, 2020

“Shake Shack returns to unit growth, sticks to limited menu for now: After pausing unit growth during the coronavirus pandemic, Shake Shack has started to open new locations, again…..Shake Shack is adjusting its service model by developing Shack Track stores. These restaurants have been modified to include drive up lanes designed for pickup of digital orders. Some will have walk-up windows as the brand pushes “convenience” at all Shacks. The company said it will continue to outfit stores with kiosks, though it will monitor usage given that some people might not want to touch screens during a pandemic. Throughout the health crisis, the chain has turned to a limited menu to ease operations for kitchen staff.”, Nation’s Restaurant News, June 25, 2020

“Texas puts reopening on hold in face of new Covid-19 outbreak: Texas slammed the brakes on its economic reopening in the face of a leap in coronavirus cases, halting plans to ease lockdown restrictions and banning elective surgeries in its four biggest cities to free up hospital beds.”, The Financial Times, June 25, 2020

“Coronavirus: Delta to extend caps on passenger numbers: The boss of Delta Air Lines says the carrier will continue to limit the number of people on its planes beyond September. So far the airline has been capping the numbers on board its flights to no more than 60% of capacity. Chief Executive Ed Bastian told the BBC that some of the details of the plan still need to be worked out. He told the BBC: “We will be extending the cap on the planes post September, whether it’s 60% or a slightly higher number I don’t know, but yes we absolutely will.”, BBC, June 26, 2020

“American, United Airlines Will Go Back To Packing Flights Despite Covid-19 Coronavirus.”, Forbes, June 28, 2020

“The (U.S.) federal government’s multibillion-dollar Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been very beneficial in helping KFC and Pizza Hut franchises stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kevin Hochman, who serves as KFC’s president and Pizza Hut’s interim president, said Thursday. The PPP program for our franchisees, who most are small business owners or entrepreneurs, have been really helpful to get us through this as well as keep people employed,” Hochman told Maria Bartiromo during an interview on ‘Mornings with Maria’.”, Fox Business, June 25, 2020

Vietnam

“Virus-Free Vietnam Would Like To Stay That Way and Won’t Welcome Tourists Yet: Despite successfully containing its COVID-19 outbreak, Vietnam has no plans to open up to international tourists yet over fears that doing so could lead to a second wave of infections, the Southeast Asian country’s prime minister said on Wednesday. ‘There is no story of rushing to open the doors,; Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said in a statement posted to the government website on Wednesday.”, Skift.com, June 25, 2020

Articles About Doing Business in The Times Of COVID-19 and Beyond

Important multi-sector report from McKinsey on the COVID-19 Implications for business:

https://bit.ly/COVIDBusinessImplications

Click below for an excellent U.S. telecommuting Infographic at Global Political Futures:

https://bit.ly/GPFWorkingFromHome

About US

Edwards Global Services, Inc. (EGS) provides a complete International solution for U.S. businesses Going Global. From initial global market research and country prioritization, to developing new international markets and providing operational support around the world. Our U.S. based executive team has experience living and working in many countries. Our Associate network on the ground overseas covers 40+ countries. EGS is known for our extensive country, cultural and sector research and publications, including our quarterly GlobalVue™ country ranking chart which can be found at the following link.

https://bit.ly/EGSGV0520

Find out more about the services we provide U.S. companies Going Global at: www.edwardsglobal.com

William Edwards has 46 years of international operations, development, executive and entrepreneurial experience and has lived in 7 countries. With experience in the franchise, oil and gas, information technology and management consulting sectors, he has directed projects on-site in Alaska, Asia, Europe and the Middle and Near East. Founded in 2001, Edwards Global Services, Inc. (EGS) takes U.S. businesses global and currently has activity in 25 countries. Our Clients are all consumer-faced brands.

William Edwards, CFE, is CEO and Global Advisor to Chief Executives, of Edwards Global Services (EGS). Contact Bill at bedwards@edwardsglobal.com or +1 949 224 3896.

EGS Biweekly Global Business Newsletter Issue 6, Monday, June 15, 2020

Posted on Jun 15th, 2020 in World Economy | 1 comment

By William (Bill) Edwards, CEO of Edwards Global Services, Inc. (EGS)

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King Jr.

“The Chinese word for “crisis” is frequently invoked in Western motivational speaking as being composed of two Chinese characters signifying “danger” and “opportunity” respectively.”, Wikipedia

Introduction

Many of our newsletter readers send us their input and perspectives to help us publish a balanced view about the world every other week. Our contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter.

The Focus of This Issue

This issue focuses on what is happening in more than 30 countries that impact consumer spending, business investment and travel. The themes of this issue are the continuing reopening of businesses around the world, travel restarts and restrictions as well as government aid programs for businesses.

At the end of this newsletter are links to reports on how governments are spending US$10 trillion on pandemic projects, the future of work in Europe and what retailing will look like post-pandemic in Asia.

In Summary, Europe opens travel without isolation periods except from the United Kingdom and the USA. Business is coming back in mainland China. The United Kingdom continues to have a high number of virus cases and is very slowly reopening. Please go to the link to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), interactive Travel Regulations Map below to learn the details about travel between over 100 countries.

A Coronavirus Country Status Map for June 15, 2020

Based on our research and input from our Associates around the world for this issue of our newsletter, we created this map showing where countries are in the COVID-19 process. Since our June 8^th map there have been several changes. Spain and Italy have gone from blue to green. Sweden has gone from red to blue and Peru has gone from blue back to yellow. Latin America remains the region with the fastest growing case, led by Brazil.

International Travel Updates

“The International Air Transport Association (IATA), an authoritative trade association for airlines around the world, has created an interactive Travel Regulations Map powered by Timatic solutions that allow both airlines and travelers to quickly see current COVID-19 travel restrictions for each country around the world. On the map, countries are color-coded based on their current travel restrictions (which will be continually updated by IATA) and are sorted into four categories: totally restrictive, partially restrictive, not restricted or under review.”, Travel & Leisure June 10, 2020

https://bit.ly/TLInteractiveTravelMap

“Delta has received approval from Shanghai government to resume flights: Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) has received approval from the Shanghai government to resume flights from June 18, a company spokeswoman said on Monday, paving the way for the carrier to resume services to China after months of suspension due to COVID-19.

It is still awaiting for the decision from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on how many flights it can resume and when it can do so, the airline said. Delta has filed an application to operate two weekly flights from Seattle to Shanghai via Seoul, it said.”, Reuters, June 15, 2020

“Virgin Atlantic to Resume Flights to the U.S. and Asia in July: The airline will once again start flying to New York City, Los Angeles, Orlando, Hong Kong and Shanghai, beginning either July 20 or 21.”, Travel And Leisure, June 5, 2020

“United plans to shutter three overseas flight attendant bases as international travel suffers. United is closing its flight attendant bases in Frankfurt, Tokyo and Hong Kong.”, CNBC, June 5, 2020

“China and Singapore’s Air-Travel Experiment: A ‘Fast Lane’ With Lots of Waiting: Rules for travel now include coronavirus tests before departure and on arrival, as well as some isolation. Travel between China and Singapore will require coronavirus tests on each end of the trip.”, The Wall Street Journal, June 4, 2020

“Iberia Express Resumes Flights To Six Major European Cities: n July and August, Iberia Express (I2) will gradually recover greater connectivity, both nationally and internationally. Within Spain, I2 will offer 5 weekly frequencies to Santiago de Compostela and Seville. For its part, from mid-July, the airline will resume flights to European cities such as Amsterdam (with 4 weekly flights), Dublin (with 3 weekly flights), Paris and London (with 4 weekly flights from the end of August.), Berlin (with 4 weekly flights from August 1st) and Manchester (with 2 weekly flights from the end of August. In any case, this flight schedule will be adapted to existing demand and may be increased if further positive signs of recovery are seen.”, Airways Magazine, June 6, 2020.

“Britons could be holidaying in Turkey by July 15 as officials hint deal for an ‘air bridge’ to spare tourists 14-day quarantine is close. An air bridge allows for quarantine-free travel between two countries to resume. If agreed, it means Britons could enjoy a holiday in Turkey within just six weeks. More than 2.5million Brits flocked to Turkey last year to enjoy their holidays.”, The Daily Mail.com, June 6, 2020

“On May 27, South Africa tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said at a briefing that the country’s reopening date for international tourists would likely be early 2021. “Based on the COVID-19 epidemic expected trajectory, the first phase of the recovery for the sector will be driven by domestic tourism, followed by regional tourism and international tourism next year,’ Kubayi-Ngubane said, multiple international media outlets, including The Telegraph and the Evening Standard, reported.

Australia

“Australia is just opening up with restaurants able to have 50 patrons as long as social distancing of 4SqM per person. This has limited the numbers far below 50 in many smaller restaurants. Gym’s are opening with the same person/space restrictions but Australia is in recession. The government JobKeeper program is supporting almost 60% of the workforce here with a payment to businesses of $1500 per fortnight and this will continue to September 2020. Many here are concerned that when this is withdrawn we will be at an economic cliff. Franchising is recovering and our franchise lead generation has increased from March to May by over 60% and we will grant several new franchises in June. High unemployment is driving some of this demand as well as the realisation that being an employee is no longer secure.”, Rod Young, Chairman, DC Strategy, Sydney

Brazil

“The most active economic sectors in Brazil are agriculture, drugstores and supermarkets. The most hardly hurt are traditional education and entertainment. Retail is expected to restart operation in most states these next few days. President Jair Bolsonaro is a strong defender of the reinstatement of economic activities. Against all evidence, he minimizes the effect of the corona growth, defending the use of chloroquine. Because of states autonomy, the situation is not uniform over all regions.’”, Ursula Aleixo, Managing Director, Fastdezine Team, Bello Horizonte

“Brazil’s Sao Paulo, the country’s largest city and the first to report a coronavirus case, has authorized car dealers, law firms and accounting companies to resume activities as of Friday, the mayor’s office said, after approving health protocols they had developed. According to the protocols, car dealers will have to control customer traffic to avoid gatherings, adopt a rotating system for employees, and respect the use of face masks and hand sanitizer.”, Reuters, June 5, 2020

Canada

“Ontario to reopen restaurants, hair salons outside of virus hot spots. The reopenings will begin as of midnight on Friday in 24 of the 34 health regions in Canada’s most populous province and the country’s economic engine, as it moves into the second phase of slowly reopening its economy. The province will also increase the maximum of social groups to 10 people from five in permitted health regions, which include Ottawa, Canada’s capital city.”, Reuters, June 8, 2020

Mainland China

“China’s auto sales surged 14.5% in May, a second straight month of growth as the global industry’s biggest market gradually recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said Thursday that sales of passenger cars jumped 7% from a year earlier to 1.67 million, an improvement over April’s 2.6% contraction.”, Reuters, June 11, 2020

“On the comeback trail? Chinese consumers emerge from Covid-19”, The Economist Intelligence Unit, June 2020

https://bit.ly/ChineseConsumer0620

Recent development in the franchising sector in China: “The Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (“MOFCOM”) released its most recent biweekly bulletin of franchise registration on June 3, 2020 (http://txjy.syggs.mofcom.gov.cn/). According to the data revealed in the bulletin, as of June 3, 2020, the total number of franchisors that have completed the MOFCOM franchise registration is 5,730. Beijing is still the top destination with 1,008 franchise registrations, leaving Shanghai with 608 franchise registrations as the second place, and Guangdong province with 470 franchise registrations as the third place. And the number of franchise registrations by foreign franchisors (excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) is only 119, which is surprisingly smaller than the number of the domestic mainland registrations. Among all the industries, the number of the franchise registrations in the restaurant and catering industry is 2,260, accounting for almost 40% of all the registrations, leaving the retail trade with 1,699 registrations as the second place.”, Xu (Leo) Xin, Jones & Co., Toronto, Ontario. Canada

“Investors eye business opportunities as China focuses on convenience store development: Although a permanent fixture in mega cities like Shanghai, convenience stores are scarcely seen in smaller cities. “China’s convenience stores are at their fledgling stage of development,” Ouyang Jianyu, an analyst with Chuancai Securities, said. ‘They are mainly established in big cities, local brands are yet to be exploited and the scale of value-added services is relatively small.’ There are only 130,000 chain convenience stores in China, which is far from enough to satisfy people’s needs, Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said at a press conference on May 18.”, Beijing Review, June 8, 2020. Compliments of Paul Jones, Barrister, Solicitor & Trade-mark Agent, Jones & Co., Toronto

“Chinese businesses adapt to post-lockdown reality. Deep cleaning, temperature checks and smartphone apps all deployed to stop a second wave. China’s big cities have started to come back to life but worries remain about a potential second wave and businesses are struggling with a shortage of customers. Most urban centres are free from the virus yet companies are implementing disease control measures, ranging from checking guests’ temperatures and having staff and customers wear masks to conducting regular deep cleans of facilities.”, The Financial Times, June 8, 2020

https://bit.ly/ChineseBusinessesPostLockDown

Czech Republic

“The Czech government agreed to fully open its borders with neighbours Austria and Germany and allow unrestricted travel to and from Hungary from noon on Friday, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said. It fully opened its border with Slovakia on Thursday. ‘People who visit these countries do not need any coronavirus test nor quarantine,’ Babis told a news conference shown live on television.”, Reuters, June 4, 2020

Denmark

“Denmark plans to lift the limit on public gatherings from 50 to 100 people in July and to 200 in August as it eases measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, the government said on Monday. Earlier on Monday, the government raised the limit on public gatherings from 10 to 50 and allowed fitness centres and public swimming pools to reopen.”, Reuters, June 7, 2020

The European Union and The United Kingdom

“Here are all the European countries reopening today – and who can actually visit

Nations including France, Greece and Iceland are relaxing border restrictions from this week.” Timeout, June 15, 2020

https://bit.ly/EUCountriesOpening

“Coronavirus infections haven’t spiked since Europe loosened lockdowns… In Italy and across most of Europe, countries have restarted their economies and resumed a degree of socializing without visible signs of the dire health consequences forecast by many… Europe’s experience, at least so far, suggests that sending children back to school, reopening restaurants and even making way for large outdoor protests does not lead to an inevitable resurgence of the virus.”, The Washington Post, June 5, 2020

“Cafe society returns to Europe – where two metres isn’t the social distancing rule – as Britain’s restaurants, bars and coffee shops remain closed. France opened restaurants partially in Paris and fully in the rest of the country. Germany has a 1.5 (metres) social distancing rule but all sized-shops are allowed to open. Italy has opened bars and restaurants with new social distancing measures,”, Daily Mail.com, June 14, 2020

France

“France will begin to lift travel restrictions on 15 June. As France continues to ease its lockdown measures, the government has announced it will lift border restrictions with European countries on 15 June.”, Lonely Planet, June 12, 2020

Greece

“Greek Prime Minister Promises Tourist Safety as Country Reopens to Foreign Visitors…. International flights to and from the country’s main airports will resume on June 15, after a nearly three-month lockdown. Accounting for about 20% of Greece’s economic output, tourism is vital for the Mediterranean nation, which emerged from a decade-long debt crisis in 2018.”, Skift, June 13, 2020

Ireland

“Irish hotels are set to be allowed to reopen at the end of the month, three weeks ahead of schedule, under a proposed speeding up of the government’s post-coronavirus reopening plan being discussed by cabinet on Friday, the Irish Times reported. It also reported that, instead of the planned extension of a travel limit to 20 km (12 miles) from 5 km (three miles) to keep the spread of the coronavirus under control, the cabinet were discussing allowing people to travel anywhere within their county.”, Reuters, June 5, 2020

India

“The future of restaurants and bars in India in the time of COVID-19The central government has given a nod for restaurants to open….You enter the restaurant; your temperature is checked and the smile of your server is hidden behind a mask. He will take you to your table but will he bring the menu or take your order? Probably not. You can’t sneak a glance to see what the next table has ordered because it is six feet away. Technology will rule, your table may have a QR code that will help you scan and browse the digital menu, the order will be placed and the bill paid via the app.”, Lonely Planet, June 13, 2020

Indonesia

“Indonesians in Jakarta returned to mosques on Friday for prayers after the city relaxed rules on attending places of worship as part of a loosening of restrictions in place since late March to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Jakarta’s governor on Thursday announced some easing of restrictions including attending mosques for communal prayers but warned the fight against the outbreak was far from over in southeast Asia’s biggest city.”, Reuters, June 5, 2020

Italy

“Italy was one of the first countries to adopt the joint Apple/Google API for its coronavirus contact tracing app, and early signs are that this is helping reassure people. Immuni contact tracing app downloads hit more than 25% of those given access in the first ten days.”, 9to5Mac, June 12, 2020

Japan

“Japan’s service sector sentiment index rose in May, a Cabinet Office survey showed on Monday, although the coronavirus pandemic continues to weigh on firms’ business confidence. The survey of workers such as taxi drivers, hotel workers and restaurant staff – called “economy watchers” for their proximity to consumer and retail trends – showed their confidence about current economic conditions rose 7.6 points to 15.5 from a record low marked in April.”, Reuters, June 7, 2020

Malaysia

“The new normal: Malaysia’s pandemic politics: Malaysians are ready to get moving again. From tomorrow the country will advance into a more relaxed phase of controls to combat covid-19. It will last until the end of August. A stringent lockdown began on March 18th, before easing somewhat on May 4th. Travel between Malaysian states now will be allowed (with a few exceptions), though the country’s international borders remain closed.”, The Economist Expresso, June 9, 2020

Middle East Region

“The Middle East is fighting a second wave of covid-19. Countries that thought they beat the coronavirus discover they have not…. Several countries have seen, if not yet a second wave, at least a worrying resurgence of cases…. However, governments are reluctant to shut down again just as their economies are sputtering back to life.”, The Economist, June 13, 2020

https://bit.ly/MiddleEastCasesRise

“For the business in the UAE, all malls, restaurants and cafés are currently operating in the UAE but of course, there are still restrictions in the number of people accessing restaurants. Business is still very low, malls are empty. Churches, mosques, and swimming pools at all hotels and compounds are still closed. For Egypt, malls are open but all restaurants, cafés, sport clubs, churches and mosques are still closed. Curfew is from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am. Number of cases in Egypt are on the rise, beds available at all private and public hospitals are very limited; if any. Expected that hotels at resorts at the North Coast, Hurghada, and Sharm El Sheikh start to operate beginning of July but no confirmation as of today. No business travel is allowed for Egypt and the UAE till now. Pharmaceutical companies in the UAE advised their employees that there will be no travel permitted till September.”, Manal El Masry, Genera; Manager, Ideate Project Management Services, Dubai

New Zealand

“New Zealand lifts all Covid restrictions, declaring the nation virus-free. Under new rules, social distancing is not required and there are no limits on public gatherings, but orders remain closed to foreigners.”, BBC.com, June 8, 2020

“Air New Zealand (NZ) will resume, from June 25, the Auckland (AKL) -Tokyo Narita (NRT) route. Quoting the Airline’s General Manager Networks Scott Carr, the announcement mentions that NZ will operate one return service per week from the 10 operated before the Coronvirus crisis.”, Airways Magazine, June 15, 2020

“New Zealand said on Friday that it was extending its wage subsidy scheme to help an additional 40,000 businesses keep staff employed as they recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. After feedback from businesses, the government decided to change the required revenue drop threshold for firms to apply for wage subsidy to 40% from 50%, finance minister Grant Robertson said in a statement.”, Reuters, June 4, 2020

Norway

“Norway Opens Border To Most Nordic Countries, Sweden Restrictions Remain. New travel rules: Citizens from Denmark, Finland and Iceland will be welcome in Norway from June 15 without being subject to quarantine rules.”, Forbes, June 12, 2020

Panama

“Panama reinstated severe measures, including transit restrictions, due to an increase in infections. As of June7, personal movement is restricted to three days in each week with different days according to sex. At the same time, there is a gradual opening some businesses but buyer traffic is limited due to movement restrictions. Copa, a regional airline, will reopen in July with 10-15% of its previous flights.”, J. Enrique Tellez, Senior Franchise Consultant, Panama City

Russia

“Moscow, Center of Russia’s Coronavirus Crisis, Emerges From Lockdown…Residents of the Russian capital emerged Tuesday from a strict coronavirus lockdown, a day after Moscow authorities announced they would lift key restrictions in a move Kremlin critics say is meant to project safety and normalcy ahead of two key events—even as infections in the city remain high. Muscovites, who had been ordered to remain at home for more than 10 weeks, can now go outside without limitation, visit hair salons and take part in certain other activities—the beginning of what officials say will be a phased reopening of the city. By June 23, most businesses and other parts of ordinary life are expected to be fully up and running.”, The Wall Street Journal, June 9, 2020

“McDonald’s will open in Russia institutions with enhanced security measures: They will have divorced flows for couriers and guests, self-service kiosks, numbered tables and disinfectants. the restaurant will be marked, regulating the distance between people. McDonald’s employee in protective gloves will open the door for visitors. At the first stage of leaving the self-isolation regime, no more than 10 people will be allowed into the institution, at the second – no more than 20. But even after the complete removal of restrictive measures, the company promises to comply with increased safety rules. Flows of couriers and guests will be divided into different queues, as well as different entrances and exits. Upon entering McDonald’s, the guest will be asked to disinfect their hands and will be given a table number plate. It will be possible to make an order using the self-service kiosk. McDonald’s employees will bring the finished order.”, Vedomosti.ru, June 1, 2020. Translated for the EGS newsletter by Paul Jones & Co., Toronto

Saudi Arabia

“Saudi Arabia has reimposed a curfew in the Red Sea city of Jeddah 3 p.m. to 6 a.m. for two weeks starting on Saturday due to the spread of the coronavirus, and suspended work in offices, state news agency SPA reported. SPA said prayers in the city’s mosques had also been suspended.”, Reuters, June 5, 2020

Singapore

“Singapore will allow small gatherings and the reopening of restaurants and shops from June 19, its health ministry said on Monday, in a major easing of the city-state’s coronavirus restrictions. Social gatherings of up to five people will be permitted from Friday, when the majority of activities resume after more than two months of restrictions, dubbed “circuit breaker” measures. Social distancing requirements will remain in place.”, Reuters, June 15, 2020

South Africa

“Schools reopen in South Africa as parents worry about safeguards: Children began returning to classrooms in South Africa on Monday as part of a gradual loosening of COVID-19 restrictions, even as some parents worried not enough had been done to guard against infections.”, Reuters, June 7. 2020

Spain

“Back to school for some, clubbing for others as Spain loosens restrictions: Pupils returned to school in some areas of Spain on Monday and nightclubs opened in others in a further easing of the country’s coronavirus lockdown… Nightclubs reopened in much of Spain though a widely mocked ban on dancing will be enforced to prevent infections.”, Reuters, June 8, 2020.

“Spain after COVID-19: From resilience and reimgaination”, McKinsey & Company, June 4, 2020

https://bit.ly/SpainReimagined

Switzerland

“Switzerland plans to open its borders to European Union countries, EFTA members and Britain on June 15, the government said on Friday, bringing forward its timetable as cases of the novel coronavirus ebb.”, Reuters, June 5, 2020

Thailand

“Thailand eases more coronavirus restrictions, ends curfew…The new measures, which take effect Monday, were announced after more than six weeks in which the daily increase in cases was usually less than 10, and almost all new infections originated abroad.”, ABC News, June 12, 2020

Turkey

“As of June 2, Turkey has started testing the normalization process. Accordingly, intercity travel bans have been lifted. Parks and other recreational spaces are reopened (people are expected to continue social distancing though). Children under 20 can go outdoors on Wednesdays and Fridays (this used to be one day only) and restaurants are reopened. We will see the outcome of this normalization attempt in 10-15 days. Meanwhile, international flights of Turkish Airlines opened for domestic flights on June 4^th.”, Enver Celikbas, Istanbul

From the Turkish Airlines website on June 14^th: they will start flying to Chicago and Washington DC as of June 19, 2020, to Los Angeles as of June 24, 2020 and to Miami as of June 22, 2020. They will fly to Hong Kong and Seoul as of June 24^th. Turkish Airlines will expand their Middle East flights between June 14-24. They started flying again to Europe June 11 and will expand these flights through June 21^st. No date for flying to the United Kingdom has been set.

United Arab Emirates

“Punjab Grill is now open for dine-in business in Abu Dhabi. Reservations are mandatory!”

https://bit.ly/AbuDhabiDineIn

United Kingdom

“After Friday’s GDP number for April, which showed the economy crashed by an unprecedented 20% in a month, all eyes will be on the Bank of England. Jill Treanor, our City editor, reports that Governor Andrew Bailey is expected to unleash up to £150bn of extra stimulus into the system– on top of £645bn already carried out through money-printing, or quantitative easing. Meanwhile, jobs data is forecast to show the unemployment rate jumped from 3.9% to 4.5% in the three months to April.”, The Times of London, June 14, 2020

“Coronavirus: All shops can reopen from Monday if ‘Covid-secure’. Alok Sharma, the business secretary, confirmed that from June 15 non-essential retailers, such as clothes stores and bookshops, would be able to welcome customers for the first time since March 23 — but only if they had made their premises “Covid-secure”. Mr. Sharma said that other businesses, including pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and gyms, would remain shut until July 4 at the earliest. The announcement appeared to remove the idea that pubs with beer gardens would be allowed to open on June 22.”, The Sunday Times, June 10, 2020

“Apple will reopen a select number of its retail stores in the United Kingdom beginning June 15. All Apple Stores outside of Greater China closed on March 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have been gradually reopening across the world since April.”, 9to5Mac, June 12, 2020

“Sunday trading laws will be suspended for a year and cafés and pubs will be given fast-track approval to serve food and drink outside under plans to boost the economy. Downing Street is drawing up a package of measures in response to mounting concern that Britain will face mass unemployment as it emerges from the coronavirus lockdown. The government is preparing legislation that will enable larger supermarkets to open for more than six hours on Sundays.”, The Times Of London, June 5, 2020

“Coronavirus in Scotland: Two hours to be served as McDonald’s opens again: Police were called to several branches of McDonald’s as the reopening of drive-throughs yesterday caused traffic congestion around the country. The fast-food giant opened 31 outlets for takeaway only in Scotland at 11am, triggering enormous queues. People waited in cars, on a day when temperatures reached 22C, for up to two hours to satisfy their cravings for burgers.”, The Times Of London, June 3, 2020

Articles About Doing Business in The Times Of COVID-19 and Beyond

“The $10 trillion rescue: How governments can deliver impact: Governments have announced the provision of trillions of dollars in crisis relief, but translating that into sustained recovery will not be easy.”, McKinsey report, June 4, 2020

https://bit.ly/US10TNRescue

“Beyond COVID-19: How Asia’s retailers can navigate the post-pandemic new normal.” A detailed report from Fung Business Intelligence, dated May 2020

https://bit.ly/FBICAsiaRetailUpdate

“The future of work in Europe”. A discussion paper by the McKinsey Global Institute, The future of work in Europe takes a longer-term view of the situation, to 2030. Through a detailed analysis of 1,095 local labor markets across Europe, including 285 metropolitan areas, it examines profound trends that have been playing out on the continent in recent years and will continue to do so in the future.”, McKinsey, June 10, 2020

https://bit.ly/FutureOfWorkInEurope

“Consumer sentiment is evolving as countries around the world begin to reopen. As restrictions lift and pockets of spending return, consumer behavior begins to adapt to the next normal. As the COVID-19 crisis continues and geographies around the world begin to reopen, consumer behavior has started to change.”, McKinsey, June 5, 2020

https://bit.ly/ConsumerBehaviorChange

About US

Find out more about the services we provide U.S. companies Going Global at: www.edwardsglobal.com

William Edwards, CFE, is CEO and Global Advisor to Chief Executives, of Edwards Global Services (EGS). Contact Bill at bedwards@edwardsglobal.com or +1 949 224 3896.

EGS Biweekly Global Business Newsletter Issue 5, Monday, June 1, 2020

Posted on Jun 1st, 2020 in World Economy | Comments Off

By William (Bill) Edwards, CEO of Edwards Global Services, Inc. (EGS)

“’I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo. ‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’” —J.R.R. Tolkein

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” —Maya Angelou

Introduction

Many of our newsletter readers are sending us their input and perspectives to help us publish a balanced view about the world every other week. Our contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter.

The Focus of This Issue

This issue focuses on what is happening in 26 countries that impact consumer spending and travel. As with newsletter issue #4, the three themes of this issue are the continuing reopening of businesses around the world, travel restarts and restrictions.

In Summary, many more countries are starting or expanding reopening of businesses than the last report on May 20^th. There is some progress in restarting business travel in the Asia Pacific and in Europe without 14-day isolation periods once a passenger arrives. The Americas and the Middle East remain largely closed down due to increasing virus cases, tight government restrictions or both.

A Coronavirus Country Status Map for June 1, 2020

Based on our research and input from our Associates around the world for this issue of our newsletter, we created this map showing where countries are in the COVID-19 process.

International Travel Updates

“How Travel Will Change: Airports will have more security and screening; hotels and homes rentals will prioritize cleaning but keep the personal touches; local travel is set to boom in the next year; we’ll be spreading out across bike lanes, buses, and public transportation; restaurants and bars will operate with distance, for now; and car rental pickups will get a lot more seamless. Conde Nast Traveler, May 29, 2020

https://bit.ly/HowTravelWillChange

“U.S. airlines continue to add back long-haul international routes, albeit at a snail’s pace. June is typically a banner month for international travel as schools are out and people take off on summer holidays the world over. Not this year as mandatory quarantines and travel restrictions will keep most would-be travelers near home. For June, these are the 40 long-haul routes to Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and far South America that U.S. carriers are flying with passengers.”, The Points Guy, May 27, 2020. See the U.S. carrier international flight adds at this link:

https://bit.ly/TPGUScarriersaddintlflights

“Singapore-China to open essential travel corridor in early June: Singapore and China plan to reopen essential travel for business and official purposes between the two countries early next month, they said in a joint statement on Friday. The so-called “Fast Lane arrangement” will be first applied between the Southeast Asian city-state and six Chinese provinces and municipalities – Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang – before being gradually expanded.”, Reuters, May 29, 2020

“Qatar Airways said on Twitter on Tuesday that it planned to fly a summer schedule to over 80 destinations worldwide.”, Reuters, May 26, 2020

“United Airlines to return to 11 cities in Asia, Europe and South America in July: United Airlines will resume flying a quarter of its schedule in July as the carrier builds back its route map from the depths of its coronavirus pandemic cuts. The Star Alliance carrier will return to 11 long-haul cities in Asia, Europe and South America, United said on May 29. Destinations include Brussels (BRU), Buenos Aires (EZE), Delhi (DEL), Dublin (DUB), Hong Kong (HKG), Lima (LIM), Munich (MUC), Seoul Incheon (ICN), Singapore (SIN), Tokyo Haneda (HND) and Zurich (ZRH).”, The Points Guy, May 30, 2020

“Ryanair has announced that it will ramp up flights to 40 per cent of its normal schedule to the ‘key holiday airports’ in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Cyprus.”, The Daily Mail, May 26, 2020

“Countries try ‘travel bubbles’ to save post-lockdown tourist season: Facing the loss of a significant part of their economies, some countries in Europe are banding together to ease travel restrictions and avoid quarantines. The European nations of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia have already created what they are calling a “Baltic travel bubble,” allowing one another’s citizens to travel among the three states without having to self-isolate on arrival. Greece, a major beach destination for Europeans said Wednesday that citizens of Balkan and Baltic countries, Germany and regional neighbors such as Israel and Cyprus are expected to be in the first wave to be allowed to enter the country without going into quarantine, but could be subject to random testing. Some countries might be excluded depending on the situation with their coronavirus outbreaks, Greek officials said.”, NBC News, May 25, 2020

The various sources on travel to mainland China below seem to offer different views on when ‘normal’ business travel to that country will be possible. And at present there is a 14-day isolation period when you arrive before business meetings can be done.

Australia

“NSW Pubs, Cafes And Restaurants Will Be Able To Welcome 50 People By June 1: The New South Wales government has declared that bars and pubs in the state will be allowed to welcome up to 50 people by June 1. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the latest round of coronavirus case figures prove it is becoming safer for people to reenter the community. Establishments have previously been restricted to just 10 people and the actual public bar sections have been shut, meaning people wanting a beer or wine would have to have it with a meal. Under the new guidelines, the bar section will be permitted to open and welcome five times the number of people previously allowed.”, LAD Bible, May 22, 2020

Canada

“While B.C. has succeeded in lowering its numbers, Ontario and Quebec, Canada’s first and largest provinces respectively, have stubbornly higher numbers and therefore no set date for re-opening. But with warmer weather it is becoming harder for the governments to hold people back. Still in Toronto, there are no restaurants (except for take-out), no hair salons, and no gyms. Other retail stores with street access (in other words no malls) have been allowed to re-open.”, Katya Logunov (Stepanishcheva), Barrister & Solicitor, Jones & Co., Toronto

“Quebec, Canada’s hardest-hit province, is also the most aggressive about reopening

It’s home to more than half of Canada’s coronavirus cases and more than 60 percent of its deaths. Retail businesses, manufacturing, construction and schools are all up and running.”, The Washington Post, May 23, 2020

Mainland China

“Chinese civil aviation authorities plan to extend until June 30 their curbs on international flights to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the U.S. embassy in Beijing said in a travel advisory on Friday. China has drastically cut such flights since March to allay concerns over infections brought by arriving passengers. A so-called “Five One” policy allows mainland carriers to fly just one flight a week on one route to any country and foreign airlines to operate just one flight a week to China.”, Skift, May 29, 2020

“Delta And United’s China Plans Get Lift As Chinese Airlines Propose More U.S. Flights If Coronavirus Curbs Ease: Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are frustrated they cannot add flights to China due to coronavirus-related restrictions. Those same curbs are holding back Chinese airlines, which are limited to one weekly flight each but propose a far larger summer schedule. China Eastern could fly 45 weekly China-U.S. flights, China Southern 38 and Xiamen Airlines nine, the carriers told the U.S. government. Under rules introduced March 29, foreign airlines have been allowed to fly just one flight a week to China while Chinese airlines have been limited to one flight a week to individual countries. Delta intends to fly daily to Shanghai from Detroit and Seattle. United told employees it wants to fly daily from its San Francisco hub to Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai, and have a fourth flight from Newark to Shanghai. American Airlines has not disclosed plans.”, Forbes, May 29, 2020

“Global travel disruptions remain the top concern for American companies in China, with 90% of respondents to AmCham China’s new Flash Survey saying this has impacted their business operations, up from 77% last month. Meanwhile, both the short and long-term effects of the pandemic are now becoming clearer to companies, with 60% of respondents cutting costs (up 10pp from last month)…over one-third of respondents – rising to 53% in the Technology sector – are allowing managers to implement flexible work policies; just under one-third say they will not continue flexible work policies going forward. Nearly one-third of respondents say they are freezing or deferring internal promotions, while 28% of respondents say they will cancel or defer salary increases, and 18% say they will reduce or cancel bonuses in 2020.”, AmCham China, May 29, 2020

“Shanghai’s Hongqiao airport became the first airport in China to get an outlet of New York City-based fast-food chain Shake Shack. The burger brand opened for business at the airport’s T2 terminal on Thursday. Apart from its classic ShackBurger, the outlet sells cheeseburgers with pork and egg, juice, coffee and other breakfast choices to cater to business travelers. The outlet is decorated with elements of the city’s landmark Yuyuan Garden and air travel. Karina Lai, a retail management official at the airport, said the opening showed the airports ambition to restore business vitality and bring back customers to stores in the terminal buildings. They had been hit by the cancellation of flights due to the coronavirus pandemic. About 77 percent of the airport stores have reopened and the number of travelers has also been rising. The airport handled over 60,000 travelers in May, about 60 percent of the usual.”

https://www.shine.cn/news/metro/2005289077/

Colombia

“Colombia to begin easing restrictions from the start of June: Colombia will begin easing restrictions put in place to control the spread of the coronavirus starting from June, President Ivan Duque said Wednesday, though he asked the public to continue isolating at home and keep using measures to contain the disease.”, Reuters, May 27, 2020

Czech Republic

“The country’s state of emergency ended on 18 May. On 25 May, shops in shopping centres, business premises over 2,500 m2, restaurants and other services re-opened. Smaller retail units were partly or fully operational already prior to this. Wearing masks continues to be compulsory in inside public space, public transportation etc. Travel restrictions are being slowly being lifted with some “safe” countries (where the pandemic situation has improved / is comparable to that in the Czech Republic). It continues to be uncertain to which countries people will be able to travel for holiday, but popular near destinations such as Slovakia, Austria and Croatia are almost certain. The tourism industry, especially in Prague which is otherwise normally full of foreign tourists, of course critically suffers. Besides travel agencies, restaurants, hotels etc., also the real estate market is strongly affected because thousands of Airbnb apartments have been put out on the market for normal lease.”, Gabor Kaczmarczyk, Your Concierge, Budapest

Ecuador

The highest amount of virus cases and deaths have been in the region of Guayas (where the city of Guayaquil is located – the country’s largest). The stats have now stabilized and the country is beginning a phased reopening schedule. With 3108 deaths Ecuador’s situation has been similar to Peru’s, but worse than in Colombia where the virus was better controlled. Ecuador has indeed been quite impacted by Covid-19. As of right now, every city has its own protocol to go back to normal, as some cities have been more impacted than others. We have a red, yellow and green phase. Quito is in red, Guayaquil just moved to yellow. 30% of international flights will resume operations starting June 1st.”, Sandra Tinajero, U.S. State Department, U.S. Embassy in Quito

France

“Restaurants due to reopen across France: Édouard Philippe, the French prime minister, is expected to authorise restaurants outside Paris to open next week. Mr. Philippe may also allow the country’s 8,000 campsites to reopen as France prepares for the summer holidays. He is due to unveil the second stage of exiting lockdown this afternoon. Museums, cinemas and theatres are hoping that they will be given permission to open for the first time since March. The lockdown was imposed on March 17 and partially lifted on May 11.”, The Times Of London, May 28, 2020

“Paris cafes, bars and restaurants to reopen to outdoor space row: Temporary use of pavements or parking spots to be allowed for outdoor-only service, says mayor (Anne Hidalgo). ‘We have adopted a plan to help bars and restaurants for at least six months from March until the end of September,’ Hidalgo told Le Parisien. ‘One of these measures is the free occupation of a part of space in Paris. It could be pavements where possible or parking places. We could also close certain roads to traffic for some weekends to allow bars and restaurants to have more space.’”, The Guardian, May 31, 2020

Germany

“Germany to lift virus-related travel warning for EU countries from June 15: Germany will lift a warning against travel to 26 fellow EU countries from June 15, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Wednesday, adding that Berlin would decide later on its travel guidelines for other countries, including Turkey.”, Reuters, May 27, 2020

Greece

“Greece is to open up to tourists from 29 countries in two weeks – but not those travelling from the UK. Tourists from EU countries including Germany, Austria, Denmark and Finland will be able to visit from 15 June, the tourism ministry said in a statement on Friday. But some of the world’s worst-affected countries – including the UK, France, Italy and Spain – are not on the list. More countries could be added before 1 July, the ministry added. Only airports in Athens and Thessaloniki will open on 15 June. Tourists from 16 EU countries will be allowed into the country, including the Czech Republic, Baltic countries, Cyprus and Malta.”, BBC.com, May 29, 2020

Hong Kong

“Travelers can transit through Hong Kong airport beginning in June: Hong Kong International Airport will reopen to transit travelers in June after a more than two-month closure to connecting passengers to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Beginning June 1, travelers can connect between flights on the “same airline group” at Hong Kong (HKG), according to the airport. Passengers must be checked in through to their final destination prior to landing in Hong Kong, and must wear a mask while they are in the airport. Non-residents are still barred from arriving in Hong Kong. In addition, travelers cannot transit to destinations in mainland China, reports the South China Morning Post.”, The Points Guy, May 30, 2020

“Hong Kong should form ‘travel bubbles’ with neighbours that have pandemic under control, tourism board chief says. Creating links with nations such as South Korea, Thailand and even mainland China could bring visitors back to city, according to Dane Cheng.”, South China Morning Post, May 22, 2020

Hungary

“The Hungarian government lifted most of the limitations on May 30: shops could re-open a couple of days earlier, and restaurants can receive guests even inside their premises if their ventilation doesn’t only circulate the air, but constantly adds fresh air from outside. Patients can now visit their doctors again for non-COVID-related examinations as well. Larger events, however, will most likely not be allowed before September. People must wear masks inside of public buildings (e.g. shopping malls, shops, government offices, etc.), as well as when using public transportation. The Hungarian government pays great attention to the recovery of the economy, and provides interest-free loans as well as non-refundable grants to companies to keep up the employment. The tourism industry suffered probably the most because of the epidemic, and it will take a while until the hotels recover, especially in Budapest. Restaurants are not in an easy situation either, although many of them started a delivery service, including fast food restaurants like Burger King and McDonalds. As far as travel is concerned, citizens from outside the European Economic Area (e.g. the U.S.) are still not allowed to enter the country, even if they reside here.”, Gabor Kaczmarczyk, Your Concierge, Budapest

India

“India is extending lockdown restrictions to June 30 in what the home ministry is calling “containment zones,” while allowing restaurants, malls and religious buildings to reopen in other parts of the country, Reuters reports. The order comes as India reported a record number of daily new Covid-19 cases a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initial lockdown order was set to lift, according to Reuters. India is allowing hospitality and retail businesses, along with places of worship, to open on June 8, while those buildings must keep social distancing rules in place, Reuters reported.”, CNBC, May 30, 2020

Japan

“After months of closures because of the coronavirus pandemic, some Apple Stores in Japan will reopen this week.”, iMore, May 25, 2020

Mexico

“New cases are still mounting each day in Mexico City, and there’s been a lot of chatter and criticism recently about the country’s handling and reporting of the virus. Some parts of the country are easing restrictions despite the increase in new cases because they cannot afford to be shut down economically. Most of these issues are taking place in and around Mexico City, one of the world’s most populated cities with about 21 million residents in its greater area. That said, other areas in Mexico are not as contaminated by the virus. In fact, Mexico’s plan calls for the country to reopen region-by-region, based on the number of local cases. Nearly 300 municipalities around the country, nicknamed “municipalities of hope,” have already begun to open.”, Forbes, May 26, 2020

New Zealand

“Small businesses and the self-employed have claimed almost $1 billion in ‘‘low or no interest’’ government loans offered to help them get through the Covid-19 crisis. Cinemas and restaurants can welcome up to 100 people, but they can take bookings for groups of no more than 10, while abiding by strict social distancing rules. From midday Friday, group sizes will increase from a maximum of 10 to 100, as part of revised gathering restrictions under alert level 2 – the change welcomed by religious groups and those involved in community sport. Until then, up to 50 people can attend tangi and funerals.”, extracted from a New Zealand government report on May 26, 2020 courtesy of Stewart Germann, Stewart Germann Law Office, Auckland

Panama

“Panama to relax coronavirus measures in second stage of re-opening; The Panama government said on Tuesday that in June it will start to relax some measures imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, permitting sectors such as construction, nonmetallic mining and pharmaceuticals to resume operations.”, Reuters, May 26, 2020

The Philippines

“Philippines capital emerges from lockdown into economic uncertainty, fears of second wave of infection. After 76 days of a coronavirus quarantine that shut down the Philippines’ economic heart and kept millions under virtual house arrest, Metro Manila will spring abruptly back to life on Monday with the easing of restrictions on transport and work. The change has been met with both relief and trepidation: businesses cheer the restarting of an economy on life support, but analysts worry that the rate of Covid-19 infection in the country is still too high and easing restrictions might lead to a spike in new cases.”, South China Morning Post, May 31, 2020

Poland

“Poland is still under lockdown due to the coronavirus, however the government consequently introduces new phases of its easing strategy launched in March (the restrictions have been gradually eased since late April). Since 30 May, under the new relaxed rules, Poles are no longer required to wear protection masks when outdoors in public places. On May 18 the government allowed consumer services, including hotels, food service, rehabilitation and beauty centers. The government maintained travel bans, school closures and a shutdown of Polish borders. Schools are expected to remain closed until the end of June when children also start the summer holidays, while borders will remain effectively closed until at least mid-June.”, Gabor Kaczmarczyk, Your Concierge, Budapest

Portugal

“Portugal to (Slightly) Delay Lisbon Malls Reopening as Virus Cases Increase: Malls in the area will remain closed until June 4, while they will reopen on June 1 in the rest of the country as planned, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said at a press conference on Friday. Portugal on Friday reported the biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases in three weeks due to new infections in the region”, Bloomberg, May 29, 2020

Saudi Arabia

“Saudi Arabia to end curfew on June 21, except in Mecca: state news agency

Saudi Arabia will revise curfew times this week, and lift it entirely across the Kingdom with the exception of the holy city of Mecca starting June 21, state news agency reported in a statement early on Tuesday.”, Reuters, May 25, 2020

Singapore

“If local virus transmission levels remain low and businesses put in place the necessary precautions, a second phase that includes the gradual resumption of social activities and dining out at eateries could start before the end of June, said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong. The government will then render a decision after assessing the first two weeks of phase one, which begins June 2, Wong said at an online press conference on Thursday. Broadly speaking, phase two will entail the resumption of a wider range of activities and we expect almost the entire economy to reopen by the start of phase two,” he added. Higher-risk activities and venues such as religious congregations, large-scale events, bars and cinemas will require discussions with stakeholders and may not be able to start immediately. “We wanted to take a more cautious approach for activities in these areas to resume,” Wong said. In the second phase, households may be able to receive up to five visitors per day. Within hawker centers and restaurants, tables will have to be kept at least one meter apart and limited to no more than five people in phase two. Retail outlets, gyms and swimming pools and dining in at restaurants are included in the second phase, as are social activities and family gatherings in small groups.”, Bloomberg, May 28, 2020

South Korea

“More than 500 schools closed again Friday to students after briefly reopening, as South Korea moves to stamp out a resurgence of the coronavirus in the capital, Seoul, and its surrounding metropolitan area. Parks, art galleries, museums and theaters operated by the government in the Seoul metropolitan area — home to about half the country’s population of nearly 52 million — have also been closed to the public for the next two weeks. Government hosted events in the metropolitan area will be canceled or postponed as well, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said Thursday. The authorities have recommended that private academies and internet cafes there close too until June 14.” CNN, May 29, 2020

“Bridging Culture Worldwide has announced the results of a targeted bilingual survey of how South Korean companies view opportunities for F&B growth and expansion in 2020 and 2021. The first of its kind survey was conducted by BCW and Tierra Advisors—both advocates, long engaged in South Korean business and market entry. BCW Founder and CEO Don Southerton noted, ‘The study was conducted to gauge the overall market mood and more specifically future F&B growth plans in response to the uncertainty and disruption of COVID-19.’ As background, BCW and Tierra point out that unlike most of the world, Korea appears to have reined in the outbreak without some of the strict lockdown strategies deployed by many other countries in the world. Still, the economy and businesses like restaurants and coffee shops have suffered. Although Korea never experienced mandated widespread closures, Koreans pro-actively stayed away from eateries and Starbucks. The restaurants did remain open, eagerly waiting for customers who seldom came. Fast forward, Korea’s everyday life today is now resembling something closer to normal. There are lines outside restaurants during lunchtime; malls are bustling, and the streets are busier. As a positive indicator, major Korean food brands like SPC have also recently announced plans to open new locations as well as add additional western fast-casual brands.

https://bit.ly/2MdwxkP

Sri Lanka

“Sri Lanka plans to reopen its tourism sector on Aug. 1 by allowing only small groups of visitors to begin with, a tourism official said on Sunday. A limited number of small groups from around the world would be allowed to visit from August and stay in approved five-star hotels that have put strict safety measures in place, Fernando told Reuters.

He confirmed that tourists will be required to carry a COVID-19-free certificate issued either by their governments or a reputed agency, as reported by the Sunday Times which quoted Sri Lanka’s Tourism Ministry Secretary S. Hettiaarachchi. Tourists would also need to wait on arrival at the airport for coronavirus testing.”, Reuters, May 31, 2020

Spain

“After ten weeks under one of the world’s strictest lockdowns Spain is opening up again. Residents of Madrid and Barcelona can this week meet socially as well as patronise non-essential shops and café terraces. Under the complicated three-stage deconfinement plan of Pedro Sánchez, the Socialist prime minister, much of the rest of the country is a step further on, with beaches and shopping centres opening. The relaxation reflects the virus’s retreat.”, The Economist, May 26, 2020

“The Spanish government has assured foreign tourists that they will not be forced to self-isolate for 14 days when the country throws open its doors to holidaymakers at the start of July. In an effort to urge visitors from abroad to plan a return to the country’s beaches, Arancha González Laya, the foreign minister, tweeted emojis of a bikini, sunglasses and a suitcase and the message: ‘In July we will gradually open Spain to international tourists, lift the quarantine, ensure the highest standards of health safety. We look forward to welcoming you!’ The news that quarantine measures would not apply followed an announcement on Sunday by Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister, that borders would reopen to foreign tourists in July.”, The Sunday Times, May 26, 2020

Thailand

“Many businesses in Thailand will re-open on June 1, including exhibition centers, amulet markets, massage parlors, childcare centers, fitness centers, sport complexes, beauty clinics, bowling alleys, dance halls, water sport centers, performance art and movie theaters, and zoos. The government still remains the curfew in place to prevent the drinking alcohol group but shortens the time to 11 pm – 3 am as the situation improved. So, I believe this re-opening period will help ease franchisees to be back on their businesses. However, each business has to provide hand sanitizer and practice social distancing in the store. There are some businesses that are still waiting to be reopened in the last phrase, in mid of June, including group steaming, bathing, and facial massages, and sport competitions. International air travel is allowed on June 30. Currently, only domestic flights are allowed to operate in Thailand.” Thanyathorn Voravongsatit (Nan), Commercial Specialist, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bangkok

“Thais took in a movie and enjoyed foot massages in a welcome return on Monday to some pampering and popular pastimes as coronavirus restrictions further eased and new infection numbers remained low. Shopping malls stayed open later, a curfew was shortened and more businesses reopened, among them fitness clubs, spas, traditional massage centres and cinemas.”, Reuters, June 1, 2020

United Kingdom

“Lockdown restrictions in the UK are being lifted gradually, but as you would expect there are those that think that the changes are too little and too slow – and others who think its too much, too quickly! One example which is a major issue for F&B brands is the requirement of 2m for social distancing – compared to 1m in a number of other countries – this has a huge impact on restaurant layouts, and potential revenue. Cleaning franchises are very popular currently!”, Iain Martin, QFP, International Franchise Consultant, The Franchising Centre, United Kingdom

“British stock markets soared this morning, with the retail sector leading the charge after Boris Johnson’s announcement last night. The prime minister confirmed that outdoor markets and car showrooms would be able to reopen next week and all other non-essential shops would follow suit on June 15.”, The Times of London, May 26, 2020

“760 reopenings this week for takeaway/delivery. The highest number of reopenings came from McDonald’s, followed by KFC UK & Ireland and Costa Coffee. New entries to the list include: Ottolenghi & NOPI & ROVI, Bewiched Coffee, Bar Douro and Brindisa Kitchens. Reopened sites to date account for 21% of the brands’ combined estates totalling 13,000 sites”, from a LinkedIn post by Peter Backman on May 28, 2020

“Wagamama aims to reopen 67 restaurants for deliveries by end of June: The pan-Asian restaurant chain launched a trial at five of its delivery kitchens earlier this month. It will reopen 24 sites this Thursday, with a further 20 reopening on Thursday May 28. The chain said it hopes to have 49 sites open for delivery by the start of June, with this expanding to 67 by the end of the month.” Belfast Telegraph, May 19, 2020

Articles on Moving Through and Past the COVIF-19 Crisis

Three game-changing ideas for our post-pandemic world, John Thornhill, The Financial Times, May 28, 2020

https://bit.ly/3GameChanginIdeas

“Coronavirus won’t kill globalisation – but a shakeup is inevitable”, new study by the World Economic Forum as reported by The Conversation on May 24, 2020 at this link:

https://bit.ly/ConversationGVCs

“Franchisor and Franchisee Crisis Management Post-CoV: The pandemic crisis of corona (Covid-19) has recently impacted the franchising industry in ways that have never been imagined and that brings up some very interesting questions that need to be answered by all companies in the franchising industry. How can franchisors and franchisees manage a crisis of this proportion?”, excellent article on managing businesses post COVID-19 by Sean Ngo, Co-Founder and CEO of VF Franchise Consulting, Ho Chi Minh City

https://bit.ly/VFCCOVIDCrisisMgmt

About US

Edwards Global Services, Inc. (EGS) provides a complete International solution for U.S. businesses Going Global. From initial global market research and country prioritization, to developing new international markets and providing operational support around the world. Our U.S. based executive team has living experience living and working in many countries. Our Associate network on the ground overseas covers 40+ countries. EGS is also known for our extensive country, cultural and sector research and publications, including our quarterly GlobalVue™ country ranking chart.

Find out more about the services we provide U.S. companies Going Global at: www.edwardsglobal.com

William Edwards, CFE, is CEO and Global Advisor to Chief Executives, of Edwards Global Services (EGS). Contact Bill at bedwards@edwardsglobal.com or +1 949 224 3896.