Cybertruck

Tesla has received almost 150,000 orders for its new pickup truck, boss Elon Musk has said, despite an embarrassing hiccup at its launch. Mr Musk was caught out on stage when the windows of the Cybertruck shattered during a demonstration supposed to show their durability. Tesla shares dived 6.1% after the event on Thursday and several bad reviews. With its distinct angular design, the electric truck was greeted with cheers but also bemusement. The demand had come despite "no advertising & no paid endorsement" for the truck, he said. No date has been given for the Cybertruck's release, but analysts said it would not be ready before the end of 2021 at the earliest. The pickup market represents a significant opportunity for Tesla as it improves its battery technology, meaning carrying heavier loads over long distances is now practical. Tesla's truck will be sold starting at $39,900 (£30,900), a model which has a range of 250 miles (402km), while the most expensive model, at $69,900, will have a range of 500 miles. The truck will seat up to six adults and haul a payload of 3,500lbs, Tesla said.

Cybertruck

Kylie Sells Stake

Kylie Jenner will sell the majority of her cosmetics company for $600 million (£463 million). The 22-year-old's brand, including Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin, will be controlled by beauty giant Coty.  Kylie says she is building the brand into an "international beauty powerhouse". Forbes reported that she made $360 million in sales in 2018, making her the youngest self-made billionaire ever.  The chairman of Coty's board called Kylie a "modern-day icon, with an incredible sense of the beauty consumer". The reality TV star launched her brand in 2015 with a line of lipsticks, and has since then branched out into face make-up and skincare. Although she's the youngest, Kylie is the highest earner in the Kardashian family. She faced backlash after being named a "self-made" billionaire, but defended herself saying that none of her money has come from inheritance. She has more than 151 million followers on her personal Instagram account, as well as 22 million on her Kylie cosmetics account. Coty, which owns brands like Max Factor and Hugo Boss, will have a 51% stake in the company. It said the deal will be completed in 2020.

Kylie

Hotella Nutella

In early 2020, an official Nutella hotel is opening in the US. Hotella Nutella (of course) will be a pop-up getaway experience offered on the weekend of January 10-12. During the stay, guests will get to enjoy massive Nutella jars and themed décor including alarm clocks, furniture and bedding including fluffy croissant pillows. Iron Chef’s Geoffrey Zakarian will serve up Nutella-based meals for dinner, while professional chef Tanya Holland will create a Southern-style savoury brunch using a little spread we like to call… Nutella. ‘Hotella Nutella reimagines the joy of the hotel stay with a special breakfast experience that allows fans to enjoy Nutella in new and different ways,’ Todd Midura, vice president of marketing at Ferrero, said in a statement. Curiously enough, entry to Hotella Nutella is a bit of a Willy Wonka kind of deal, with the accommodation available to just three people and their guests. Unfortunately, the competition is only open to US residents. If you fit the bill, record a one-minute video showing how Nutella ‘makes your morning special’ and submit it at www.HotellaNutella.com. Applications close on Sunday 8 December 2019.

Hotella Nutella

Mars Goes Vegan

Mars is to launch a vegan version of its best-selling Galaxy bar in the UK, the first move by a large mainstream confectionery brand to offer consumers a plant-based alternative to milk chocolate. The new variant, certified by the Vegan Society, will be available in three flavours: smooth orange, caramel and sea salt and caramelised hazelnut. It will go on sale online and in store at Tesco, Ocado and Amazon from Monday, costing £3 for a 100g bar, double the price of the regular Galaxy. Mars, the UK’s second-largest confectionery brand, says it has taken more than six months to reformulate its best-selling chocolate bar, which has involved replacing dairy with hazelnut paste and rice syrup. The UK vegan confectionery market has grown to a record £10m but is dwarfed by the size of the overall confectionery market, which is now valued at £4bn. It is also Mars’ first UK confectionery product to be wrapped in compostable film packaging. It is made from wood fibre and breaks down in home composting in a few months while the outer card sleeve is widely recyclable.

Mars Vegan

Huawei Foldable Mate X

Huawei's foldable smartphone, the Mate X, has, briefly, gone on sale in China. The handset went on sale for a price of 16,999 yuan (£1,900) via Huawei's online store and reportedly sold out out "within minutes". Phone fans who did not manage to buy a Mate X on Friday will get another chance on 22 November when a second batch will go on sale. Anyone buying one of the folding devices also gets 50% off screen-related repairs and replacements. Huawei said the phone was available in "limited quantities" for the first sale but did not give a precise number on how many were sold. Growing numbers of phone-makers are starting to offer foldable devices. Samsung, Xiaomi and Motorola have both made flexible devices alongside smaller players such as Royole. Other phone-makers, including Apple and Google, are known to be experimenting with their own designs. The phone is currently available only in China but Huawei has said it will be available in other countries at some point.

Mate X

Lynx Car

Unilever’s male deodorant and shower brand Lynx has teamed up with Custom Accessories Europe Ltd (CAE) to launch a premium range of car air fresheners.Each one carries the Lynx logo for added stand-out and comes in some of the brand’s most popular scents, including: Africa; Dark Temptation; Ice Chilll; Black; and Gold. The launch of the car air fresheners will be supported by activity across online, PR and social media platforms to help maximise sales. Julie McCleave, global licensing director at Unilever UK & Ireland, commented: “Lynx is an iconic brand with fragrances loved by millions, so by partnering with CAE, who are experts in the car accessories category, we are delighted to bring consumers the fragrances they love in a new and exciting format.

Lynx Car

Google Buy Fitbit

Fitness device marker Fitbit is being bought by Google for $2.1bn (£1.6bn). The move allows Google to expand into the market for fitness trackers and smart watches. It comes at a time when loss-making Fitbit has been looking to expand into other areas.  "Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission," said James Park, co-founder and chief executive of Fitbit. The bid values Fitbit at $7.35 a share, a premium of about 19% to the stock's closing price on Thursday. The company, one of the first sellers of tech-enabled fitness trackers, was valued at more than $4bn at the time of its flotation in 2015.  It has sold more than 100 million devices, but has struggled with waning demand for its products as other companies enter the market. It put itself up for sale last month. The transaction is expected to be completed in 2020, pending approval by the board and regulators. Regulators in the US and abroad have been taking a closer look at acquisitions by the tech giants, amid growing concerns about monopoly power. Fitbit said its "health and wellness" data would not be used for Google adverts and pledged to maintain strong privacy protections. But analysts said the health data was key the deal. 

Google Fitbit