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Concord Orthopaedic Notifies Individuals of Security Incident

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CONCORD, N.H., March 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Concord Orthopaedic (“COPA”) is an orthopedic clinic located in Concord, New Hampshire that specializes in orthopaedic and rheumatology care.

On November 21, 2024, COPA was notified by a third-party vendor that the software COPA uses to check-in patients and prospective patients for appointments was potentially accessed by an unauthorized actor. COPA immediately took steps to ensure the security of its environment, shut down all access to and reset passwords for the third-party software, and engaged external cybersecurity specialists to assist with investigating the nature and scope of this matter.

Through this investigation, COPA determined that an unauthorized party accessed this third-party software and potentially viewed and/or acquired patient registration and appointment intake information stored there. The investigation found no evidence of compromise to COPA’s internal environment or its electronic health records system, which is hosted in a separate application.

The information that may be involved varies for each individual, and the types of information impacted depends upon what patients and prospective patients provided during registration and appointment intake.  However, the types of information that could have been collected and stored on the third-party software include name, date of birth, Social Security number, appointment information (including appointment type, treating physician name, and date and location of appointment), health insurance information (including health plan beneficiary number, health plan number, and insurance eligibility information), and driver’s license or state identification number.

Individuals who have questions related to this incident can call our dedicated call center at 1-855-659-0098, between 9am – 9pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Alternatively, individuals may also visit https://www.concordortho.com/storage/components/clearwave_databreach_websitenotice_1.pdf for additional information about this incident.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/concord-orthopaedic-notifies-individuals-of-security-incident-302411224.html

SOURCE Concord Orthopaedic

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76% of Nordic Consumers Say Temu Strengthens Competition and Lowers Prices as It Marks Two Years in the Region

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DUBLIN, March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — More than 3 in 4 Nordic consumers say Temu is driving price transparency and competition in the region, with over one-third of respondents calling the impact significant, according to a new survey by Kantar Media.

The survey, supported by Temu, polled over 4,000 consumers across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, highlighting the platform’s role in increasing access to affordable, quality products while offering consumers greater choice.

The main findings include:

Brand Awareness:

86% of Nordic consumers have either shopped on Temu or are familiar with the platform.

Affordability as a Key Advantage:

50% of respondents identified Temu’s competitive pricing as its biggest strength.

Unique Product Selection:

65% of Nordic shoppers said they discovered items on Temu that are difficult to find elsewhere, with the sentiment strongest in Finland (73%).

Making Shopping More Accessible:

Over 50% of Nordic residents say they cannot buy all essential items within walking distance, and nearly 30% must drive to the nearest store, with Finland facing the biggest challenge—only 19% have a store within walking distance.

Bringing Unaffordable Products Within Reach:

43% of Finnish consumers say Temu makes previously unaffordable products accessible.

“We’re honored that so many Nordic consumers have embraced Temu as a smarter way to shop,” said a Temu spokesperson. “In a time when people are looking to make their money go further, we’re proud to help make everyday essentials and unique finds more affordable and accessible. As we mark our second anniversary in the Nordics, we remain committed to delivering unbeatable value and expanding choices for consumers across the region.” 

Launched in the U.S. in September 2022, Temu has since expanded to over 90 markets across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

“There is no doubt that Temu is pushing prices downwards in the Nordic markets, making products less expensive for consumers just by their appearance,” said Peter Nordgaard, supply chain expert and author of Supply Chain ABC 2025. “Temu is also part of a broader shift to online markets. We sometimes tend to forget that outside the bigger cities, consumers have to move distances to do their shopping. Temu is bringing the world of their products close to customers, no matter how far away from the city you live.”

Since its European launch in April 2023, Temu has gained widespread popularity in the Nordics for its ultra-competitive prices. By connecting consumers directly with cost-efficient manufacturers, the platform eliminates middlemen and reduces costs.

The Kantar survey also asked respondents to rank their top reasons for choosing Temu. The four most-cited factors were competitive prices, a wide product selection, unique finds, and free shipping.

“Low price does not always equal poor quality. I believe some get it wrong here. It’s often the exact same products available elsewhere, but without the middlemen. It’s maybe not what you want to hear but it’s often the truth,” said Bengt Wessborg, a Stockholm-based e-commerce expert.

“The fact that 86% of consumers are aware of or have interacted with Temu in some way within a relatively short timeframe of its Nordic market entry is a significant indicator of rapid market penetration. Notably, awareness in Denmark is even higher at 88%,” said Andre Veskimeister, logistics veteran and smart lockers expert.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2651478/Photo_for_Nordic_Release__EN_only.jpg 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/76-of-nordic-consumers-say-temu-strengthens-competition-and-lowers-prices-as-it-marks-two-years-in-the-region-302412987.html

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ChloroPlant Secures Major Green Hydrogen Plant Contract in Sarawak, Malaysia

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SEOUL, South Korea, March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Chloroplant Co. Ltd., a member of the Marcon LC group of companies specializing in systems integration and project management in the alternative energy sector, announced today it has secured a contract with H1Hydro Group, a Singapore-based clean energy investment firm, to design, construct, and operate a 10 MW Green Hydrogen plant in Sarawak, Malaysia, valued at approximately USD 17 million.

The plant will be constructed using advanced modular technology for optimized efficiency and scalability, with Phase 1 scheduled to commence operations in Q1 2026. The plant will utilize advanced European electrolysis technology, and the hydrogen storage and transportation technologies to be used are currently under discussion with companies from Korea and Malaysia. The expected production cost of hydrogen from this plant is competitive compared to other facilities in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring strong competitiveness in the global hydrogen market.

Sarawak, Malaysia, has a long-term vision to become a clean energy hub in Asia and is actively developing its hydrogen economy ecosystem. Leveraging abundant renewable resources and strategic geographic positioning, the Sarawak government is investing heavily in green hydrogen to build sustainable future industries.

This project aims to enhance Sarawak’s hydrogen ecosystem, stimulate local economies, and contribute significantly toward global carbon neutrality goals. Rapid progress is expected, and the successful commercialization of Phase 1 in 2026 will facilitate further expansions. Plans include additional expansions and establishing a green hydrogen container distribution business targeting Northeast Asian markets, including Korea and Japan.

Headquartered in Seoul South Korea, with offices in London and Singapore, ChloroPlant specializes in the construction and operational management of advanced process plants within the alternative energy and sustainable fuels sectors.

H1Hydro Group leads the global clean energy transition, actively involved in green hydrogen production and distribution globally.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/chloroplant-secures-major-green-hydrogen-plant-contract-in-sarawak-malaysia-302413022.html

SOURCE Marcon LC; ChloroPlant Co.Ltd.

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Record surge in international skiers drive tourism growth in Japan: Visa

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International visitors account for nearly 50% year-on-year growth in visits and over 90% of overall spend[1]Niseko, Hakuba and Furano within Japan are top ski destinations across Asia Pacific, [2] as shown by cardholder spend Post ski activities show international visitors going beyond ski destinations, extending their stay in Japan and spending about 35% more daily[3]

SINGAPORE, March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — With peak ski season transforming to Spring blossoms, Visa, a world leader in digital payments, today revealed data showing growing popularity of Japan as a ski holiday destination among international travellers as number of visitors surpassed pre-pandemic levels, setting a fresh record.

Based on analysis of Visa cardholders’ spending patterns during the winter peak (November 2024February 2025) in the top ski destinations in Japan,[4] the data shows around 40% year-on-year increase in number of domestic and international visitors as well as an uplift of about 25% in total spending. International visitors accounted for about 80% of total visitors and around 90% of total visitor spend.[1] 

Growing international allure of Japan as a ski destination 

Visa data shows ski tourism in Japan is on the rise with the overall number of visitors having almost doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels.

A popular ski destination for overseas travellers with international arrivals growing nearly 50% year-on-year, accounting for around 80% of all ski travellers during recent winter peak.[1]A substantial influx of visitors from the region and beyond: Australia tops the list accounting for around 30% of total international visitors, followed by the United States (around 20%) and Southeast Asia, especially from Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, collectively accounting for around 12%.[2]Japan is now the preferred ski destination for Mainland Chinese travellers. For Australian travellers, Japan ranks second after New Zealand.[2]Niseko and Hakuba remain top picks (nearly 50% and approximately 35%, respectively) for international ski travellers, while Furano is shown as a preferred destination for local visitors yet sees the fastest growth with around 70% year-on-year increase in overseas visits.[1]

 

International travellers drive overall spend and venture beyond ski destinations

While on average domestic visitors show a slightly longer stay (about 5 days), international travellers spend more than 3 times as much per day, contributing to about 90% of overall spend.[1] The uplift in spend is extended beyond ski destinations as international travellers continue their journey to other locations and spend in dining and retail shopping.

Entertainment, lodging, and restaurants accounted for about 50 to 70 percent of spending by both overseas and local travellers.[1]Ski resort experience spending[5] takes up over 40% of overall spend by international travellers.Growing preference of contactless shown as they take up over 80% of total spend among international visitors. Nearly half of these transactions were mobile-based, showing a growth of about 30% from a year ago. [6]Over 90% of overseas travellers extend trips beyond the slopes by an average of 9 extra days in Japan, driving around 35% more post-ski spending per day in cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Chiba, with the bulk of post-ski spending being on shopping such as at department stores, discount stores, and for groceries (around 40% in total) and dining (around 20%).[7]

Prateek Sanghi, Head of Visa Consulting and Analytics, Asia Pacific, said: “Our data not only indicates the growing appeal of Japan as a ski destination among international travellers but also can provide a powerful lens that can help better understand shifting travel and spending patterns of both domestic and overseas visitors. By leveraging data-driven consumer insights, governments and especially local businesses can better optimise their offerings, enhance traveller experiences, and modernise payment methods for the varying visitor segments.”

Visa’s payments data, consulting services and in-house data science capabilities enable organisations with key insights to help them enhance visitor experiences, optimise business strategies, and drive economic growth across the travel and commerce ecosystem. 

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at https://www.visa.com

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[1] Identified by comparing both resident and non-resident cardholders who made in-person transactions at the ski destinations during two distinct periods: 16 November 2024 to 15 February 2025, and 16 November 2023 to 15 February 2024. For resident cardholders, only those who had not made any transactions at the same ski destination in the previous six months were included.

[2] Identified by examining the top outbound countries by number of cardholders based on international in-person card spending for countries in the Asia Pacific region between 16 November 2024 to 15 February 2025.

[3] Identified by comparing in-person transactions made by non-resident cardholders at ski destinations between 16 November 2024 and 15 February 2025, with their in-person transactions at non-ski destinations after visiting the ski destinations.

[4] For simplicity in this analysis, ski destinations are defined by the specific city, town, village, or ward where popular ski resorts are located, using the most granular level available. The regions covered include: Niseko, Kutchan, Rankoshi, Yamanouchi, Yamagata, Furano, Nozawaonsen, Hakuba, and Yuzawa.

[5] Refers to spendings on entertainment like onsens (hot springs), childcare, and local tours unique to each ski resort.

[6] Identified by examining in-person contactless transaction volumes by non-resident cardholders at ski destinations during two distinct periods: 16 November 2024 to 15 February 2025, and 16 November 2023 to 15 February 2024.

[7] Identified by comparing in-person transactions made by non-resident cardholders at ski destinations between 16 November 2024 and 15 February 2025, with their in-person transactions at non-ski destinations after visiting the ski destinations.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/record-surge-in-international-skiers-drive-tourism-growth-in-japan-visa-302413024.html

SOURCE Visa Worldwide Pte Ltd

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