Car Loo

Chinese carmaker Seres has been granted a patent for what it calls an "in-vehicle toilet" that slides under a passenger's seat for visits to the loo while on the road. The feature is meant to "satisfy users' toilet needs on long journeys, while camping or while staying in the car", engineers wrote in Seres' patent filing in China on 10 April. Seres, based in the south-west city of Chongqing, has not announced any cars that have toilets and it is uncertain if any will be made. Chinese electric vehicles have become increasingly packed with unconventional features, like built-in massage seats, karaoke systems and a fridge, to stand out in a highly competitive market. The patent filing shows Seres' plans for an onboard toilet that slides out from the bottom of a passenger's seat with a push or through voice-activated commands. The loo will come with a fan and exhaust pipe to channel odours out of the car. In-vehicle toilets are rare - mostly found in long-distance coaches - but are not unheard of in cars. Most of the company's cars are sold in mainland China, though Seres has also expanded to Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

BBQ - What innovation would you suggest for a car?

Car Loo

Pokémon Cards Rising Value

A series of smash-and-grab robberies have hit Pokémon card shops across the UK as the increasingly popular collectible cards soar in value. Celestial Collectables in Warrington, Cheshire is one of the latest stores to be targeted after robberies in Rugby, Bristol, Bournemouth, Peterborough and Nottingham among others in recent weeks. Pokémon cards have been collected and traded for 30 years but since Covid, they have attracted more attention online, with some of the rarest selling for huge sums. A recent auction by specialist auction house Stanley Gibbons Baldwins saw over £1.5m in "Pokémon assets" change hands. While most cards are not worth thousands of pounds, high-profile sales of the rarest items have driven both collector and investor interest. However, as the value grows so does the cards' appeal to criminals. Earlier this year, the YouTuber, wrestler and boxer Logan Paul auctioned an ultra-rare, high-quality Pikachu card for a record-shattering $16.5m (£12m).

BBQ - Why do Pokemon cards have such high values?

Pokemon Cards

Cheaper Doritos Boosts Sales

Cutting the cost of Doritos and Lays crisps helped PepsiCo win back snackers after a backlash over rising prices. The food and drinks giant said on Thursday sales had jumped 8.5% in the first three months of the year to $19.4bn (£14.4bn). It followed a series of price cuts ahead of the Super Bowl, some worth as much as 15%, on products including Doritos, Lays (known as Walkers in the UK), Tostitos and Cheetos. PepsiCo chief executive and chairman Ramon Laguarta said the "affordability initiatives" had helped improve the firm's performance. The company had been struggling after angering customers with a series of price hikes in response to its own soaring costs in 2022. To win back snackers, it launched its latest wave of price cuts to coincide with the Super Bowl on 8 February, one of the most lucrative days of the year for snack makers. As well as a jump in sales, the company on Thursday said operating profit rose by a quarter to $3.2bn. PepsiCo's shares jumped by 2% in early trading on the results. The boost also comes as PepsiCo grapples with the rising use of appetite-suppressing weight-loss jabs, which are driving changes in eating habits and portion sizes.

BBQ.- How could you apply PED to this story?

Cheap Doritos

Just Eat & Autotrader Fake Reviews

 

Food delivery giant Just Eat and motoring site Autotrader are among five firms being investigated as part of a probe into fake and misleading online reviews by the UK's competition watchdog. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which is also investigating reviews site Feefo, funeral firm Dignity and Pasta Evangelists, is looking at whether they have broken consumer law. The investigation will focus on how reviews are obtained, moderated and presented to customers. Online reviews influence billions of pounds of spending each year, yet many consumers worry about misleading content online. Under new powers announced in 2024 the CMA can fine firms for violating consumer law, without needing to go through the courts. While the CMA is investigating the five businesses, it said it had "not reached any conclusions about whether consumer law has been broken". With household budgets under pressure, people need to know they're getting genuine information – not reviews or star-ratings that have been manipulated to push them towards the wrong choice.

BBQ - How much do other customer reviews influence your purchase?

Fake Reviews

Huel bought by Danone for €1bn

 

The British meal supplement maker Huel is being bought by Danone for €1bn (£864m). Founded in Buckinghamshire in 2014, Huel is best known for its shake powder, which it says is a nutritionally complete replacement for a regular meal. Its investors include actor Idris Elba and broadcaster Jonathan Ross. It has since expanded its range to include ready meals, nutrition bars, and health drinks, all of which are plant based. The company has previously got into hot water with the UK advertising watchdog, which has banned some of its adverts for making "misleading" claims. One such advert made misleading claims about the cost savings associated with replacing a normal diet with meal replacement shakes, the watchdog said. Huel (a portmanteau of "human" and "fuel") products are mostly sold direct to consumer, with some sales from shops and supermarkets, but it said the Danone deal would allow it to expand into new markets. The market for so-called complete nutrition products, aimed at time-poor, health-conscious consumers, is thought to be worth $5.9bn (£4.4bn). The deal is subject to closing conditions including regulatory approval. Danone is best known for its yoghurt drinks – in addition to its Danone-branded drinks, it also owns Actimel, Activia and Alpro.

BBQ - Is this a good deal for Danone?

Danone

Minecraft World

 
A Minecraft world is set to open at Chessington World of Adventures in 2027. The attraction, which is officially called "Minecraft World", will be the first of its kind in the world, based entirely on the game. For anyone who hasn't played, Minecraft is a video game where players explore block-shaped worlds, build structures and go on adventures. As of last year it has sold more than 350 million copies and is the best‑selling video game of all time.The new Minecraft World will aim to bring parts of the game into real life, including its environments, known as "biomes", and its creatures, called "mobs". Visitors to the theme park, based in south-west London, will be able to try several new attractions. These include a rollercoaster described as a "world-first Minecraft coaster", as well as interactive activities and play areas built to look like the game. There will also be themed shops and places to eat. But all of that isn't cheap, the project is expected to cost £50 million to create. Theme park operator, Merlin entertainments described it as one of their "most ambitious theme park developments in recent years".

BBQ - How do you think they made this decision to go for Minecraft?

Minecraft World

Joybuy Launches in UK

A Chinese online retailer that is seeking to challenge the likes of Amazon is launching in the UK. JD.com announced its new Joybuy platform will run from distribution sites in Milton Keynes and Luton. The company sells technology, home appliances, beauty products, homewares and groceries. The move comes after the £30bn e-commerce firm pulled out of talks to buy Currys in 2024 and Argos last year. US and Hong-Kong listed JD.com is China's largest retailer by revenue. It said it would offer next-day delivery to about 17 million UK households from its launch. Bosses said the business planned to establish itself in the UK for "a long time" and they believed a combination of its product range, value and convenience would entice new customers. Matthew Nobbs, managing director of Joybuy UK, said the firm was confident about its growth prospects in the country. The company is simultaneously launching in six new European markets, with the others being Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

BBQ - Is it possible for Joybuy to rival Amazon?

JoyBuy