Dubai Puts Casino Plans on Backburner as Abu Dhabi Pushes Ahead
The emirates of Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah have emerged as frontrunners to introduce casinos before their
2023-11-02 13:29
'The Five' host Dana Perino dubs Twitter's new updates 'confusing', engages in on-air debate over 'Following' and 'For You' tabs
Dana Perino said, 'I mean if you talk about the mind virus, look at what's happening in terms of antisemitism'
2023-11-02 13:23
Will Emily Balch and Brennan Shoykhet split? 'MAFS' Season 17 bride leaves groom stunned with 'cringe' details about bachelorette
'MAFS' Season 17 groom Brennan Shoykhet is hopeful for his marriage with Emily Balch
2023-11-02 10:56
Why did Megan Barton-Hanson quit stripping? 'Love Island Games' star mints money via adult content
Prior to her stint as a stripper, Megan worked as a personal assistant (PA) at a law firm
2023-11-02 06:53
Starbucks unveils pink holiday cups as fan favourite drinks return to seasonal menu
The wait is finally over. Starbucks has officially unveiled its new menu items for the holiday season, complete with pink holiday cups. Beginning Thursday 2 November, coffee lovers will be able to order their favourite festive flavours from Starbucks, as well as one brand new drink offering. Making its return for the holiday season is the classic Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, and Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte. A new addition to the holiday menu is the Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai, which takes the nostalgic flavour of gingerbread and combines it with creamy oatmilk and a blend of chai spices. The original Gingerbread Latte launched in 2000, and was a mainstay on the Starbucks holiday menu for nearly two decades. “It’s a love letter to gingerbread and ginger,” said Matt Thornton, senior beverage developer at Starbucks. “The gingerbread flavor amplifies the spice of the chai.” Starbucks stores in the United States that serve Oleato, Starbucks coffee infused with olive oil, will offer another new menu item - the Oleato Gingerbread Oatmilk Latte - for a combined flavour similar to freshly baked gingerbread and olive oil cake. “The combination of the Starbucks Blonde Espresso with the steamed oatmilk infused with olive oil is nice and balanced with the gingerbread syrup uplifting all those spice notes,” said Billy Altieri, senior product developer. “It’s cozy and warming with an enjoyable dash of holiday flavors.” To make matters even more festive, the American coffee chain debuted its design for this year’s holiday cups, which include a touch of pink. Bridget Shilling was the artist behind the 2023 holiday cup collection, which comes in four designs: party plaid, peppermint swirl, ribbon spool, and bauble wrap. Meanwhile, iced coffee cups come with ornament-inspired baubles and white sparkles. Each cup also features a gift tag to write notes or share a seasonal sentiment with friends or family. “When we were looking at trends when designing this year’s holiday, we kept seeing bright, bold, uplifting colours,” said Kristy Cameron, creative director at Starbucks. “We found that magenta alongside the holiday reds and greens lifts the traditional holiday colours and makes the red look even brighter.” The theme behind this year’s Starbucks holiday cup collection was “Share the Joy”, highlighting how the “shared human experience and togetherness” is what makes the season so special. “Starbucks red cups are like little wrapped gifts for our partners and customers,” Cameron said. “My hope is that they feel excitement and joy when they see the cups, and that they want to share them with family and friends.” As always, Starbucks included a few festive treats to its holiday menu. The gingerbread loaf, peppermint brownie cake pop, cranberry Bliss Bar, snowman cookie, and the sugar plum cheese danish are sure to get anyone in the holiday mood. Starbucks holiday beverages and pastries are available to order in the US beginning 2 November. Read More Four delicious ways to use up leftover pumpkin this Halloween Restaurant menus are spoiling eating out: ‘They’re supposed to entice, not humiliate’ Best burgers in London: Where to eat top patties in the city
2023-11-02 06:26
Why did Cely Vazquez and Johnny Middlebrooks split? Ex-couple seeks new romance on 'Love Island Games'
Cely Vazquez and Johnny Middlebrooks broke up months after they won 'Love Island USA' Season 2 runner-up title
2023-11-02 05:50
Spirit CEO Says Pandemic Losses Pushed It to JetBlue Merger
Spirit Airlines Inc.’s top executive told a judge that the low-cost carrier suffered years of pandemic-fueled losses that
2023-11-02 01:22
Luxury Group Lalique Acquires Sauternes Vineyard Near Bordeaux
Swiss luxury firm Lalique Group SA is adding the Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey vineyards in the Bordeaux region to its
2023-11-02 01:20
Transatlantic airplanes are flying at the 'speed of sound' right now. Here's why
Strong jet streams across the Atlantic are seeing passenger airplanes knock more than an hour off their flight times, as they hit speeds of 761 mph -- the speed of sound. However, they're not breaking the sound barrier -- here's why.
2023-11-01 23:59
Fast fashion retailer ASOS struggles to engage customers as losses balloon
We’ve all been there. A friend’s wedding is three days away and you don’t have anything to wear. The last thing you want to do is drag yourself around high-street shops, so it inevitably you turn to ASOS. After all, the company is known for its next day delivery and simple free returns service. Though many of us are reliant on the online fast fashion retailer for last-minute holiday purchases or big seasonal shops, a new report shows that ASOS’s pre-tax losses ballooned to almost £300m in the year to 3 September, compared with £31m the previous year, according to the results published on Wednesday (1 November). Despite its huge popularity, the once undisputed queen of online retailers now faces stiff competition from abroad, challenging economic headwinds, and a maturing clientele potentially seeking a more tailored experience. Leading some to ask, is ASOS in SOS? When ASOS was launched in 2000, the online retailer was considered revolutionary. It was like a supersize department store at your fingertips and became the first online retailer that UK customers could visit and find hundreds of dresses for £30 all in one place. But, in recent years, the company has been cutting its stock as it faces severe profit and revenue losses. In July and August, the retailer said it was hit by wet during the summer months, forcing the retailer to cut its stock by 30 per cent. Some experts now say that the holes within ASOS’s business model are becoming apparent. Rick Smith, Managing Director of business recovery firm Forbes Burton tells The Independent that ASOS’s business model of allowing large numbers of free returns makes the company susceptible to financial losses during challenging economic conditions. “The buying culture within their target demographic sees several items returned for each order placed, which can make for slim profit margins,” Smith explains. “ASOS has enjoyed a stratospheric rise since their inception, but have perhaps reached their ceiling now and need to cut their cloth accordingly, especially given the amount of economic headwinds [such as as the cost of living crisis] in play at the moment.” The buying habits of consumers have also shifted in the 23 years since ASOS launched. Smith says that sifting through hundreds of products has become a painstaking and often unenjoyable task for its customers. “Once large online retailers get to a certain size, it can become laborious for customers to scour their whole catalogue,” Smith explains. “The online fashion landscape is evolving now to a point that customers are looking for a more tailored service from websites.” With the rise of shopping on social media, too, young people are increasingly buying individual items from retailers on Instagram and TikTok or instead shopping directly from the brands that ASOS stocks, such as Pull and Bear, Stüssy and Bershka, which all have their own websites. “ASOS’s busy 20-something [target] market doesn’t necessarily have the time to sift through dozens of item pages,” adds Smith. “So curated collections and recommendations based on user input may be one of the changes they eventually look at.” ASOS, which originally stood for As Seen On Screen, initially started trading with the tagline “Buy what you see on film and TV” as it exclusively sold imitations of clothing worn by celebrities. That business model quickly expanded away from the world of replica products: ASOS now offers 850 affordable to mid-range high-street brands and ships to 196 countries. But the company is also now tackling a debt issue, with net debt including leases now at £648.5m, up from £533m the year before. Analysts predict that the online fashion site may need to raise quick cash soon – potentially through the rumoured sale of its Topshop brand, which ASOS acquired when the Arcadia Group went bust in 2021 and closed Topshop’s bricks and mortar stores. Despite the profit slump and predicted future losses, José Antonio Ramos Calamonte, ASOS’s chief executive, said in the report that the company has made “good progress” in “a very challenging environment” and would continue to invest in its brand and stock more fashionable lines of clothing. The company plans to spend £30m more on marketing and said it was going “back to fashion” with its products “geared around fashion and excitement”. As ASOS faces huge losses, it was reported this week that the Chinese-founded retailer Shein has acquired UK company Missguided, with plans to “reignite” the online retailer that was only bought out of administration by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group a year and a half ago. Despite calls for boycotts from anti-fashion campaigners, Shein is currently valued at around £53bn, having expanded globally and bought many of its rival brands. In 2022, it was the most-googled fashion brand in the world and made a reported £18.9bn in revenue, suggesting that fast fashion is not falling out of favour with consumers who want to find entire outfits on a budget. Read More The funniest and most unique celebrity Halloween costumes of 2023 Kim Kardashian’s ‘power-nipple’ bra isn’t empowering – it’s the stuff of nightmares It’s ‘Phoebe Philo’ day – here’s why fashion fans are so excited The funniest and most unique celebrity Halloween costumes of 2023 Kim Kardashian’s ‘power-nipple’ bra isn’t empowering – it’s the stuff of nightmares It’s ‘Phoebe Philo’ day – here’s why fashion fans are so excited
2023-11-01 23:55
Every incredible Heidi Klum Halloween costume through the years
Heidi Klum has blown away fans with her peacock Halloween costume for 2023, however, it's not the first time she's impressed with her fancy dress skills. In fact, Klum's annual New York Halloween party has become iconic for her costumes, which just last year, included a freaky 'rain worm' that left the model with just her eyes poking out. Other characters include Fiona from Shrek (complete with full prosthetics), and Jessica Rabbit. Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
2023-11-01 23:48
Matthew Perry 'admitting crush' on Jennifer Aniston goes viral following death
Friends fans have been left heartbroken after a clip has re-emerged of Matthew Perry admitting he had a crush on co-star Jennifer Aniston. The clip resurfaced following the death of the actor, and supporters have been left saddened that it'll never become a reality. “The time I realised I had a crush on Jennifer Aniston was way before the show started", he said at the time, citing that an 'indifference' forced him to get over it. "And how can you not have a crush on her?” Perry died at home on 28 October, aged 54. Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
2023-11-01 23:21