Scone, but not forgotten!

Greggs, the popular bakery chain has decided to stop selling scones across all of its 1,700 shops across the country and its customers aren't impressed. Greggs, which has sold scones for several decades has made the decision to remove them completely as it looks to reposition its product offer and move away from from baked goods to more trendy food-on-the go items as well as its rising emphasis on more healthy food options. The bakery is also moving towards more wraps and burrito's as it switches it emphasis away from sausage rolls and pasties. Greggs even announced that they may stop selling freshly baked loaves. Bosses at Greggs, which employs more than 20,000 people, said the popularity of scones had dropped off recently and a decision was taken to stop making them. However, it has left scone fans around the UK fuming after going to their local stores and finding the shelves bereft of the afternoon tea favourite.

Scones Gone!

Coke Revenues Loose Fizz

Coca-Cola's global revenues slid 7% in the three months to September as consumers kept the lid on fizzy drinks. The fall to $10.6bn (£8.67bn) was the sixth consecutive quarterly decline in revenue for the world's biggest soft drinks company.  The Latin America and Europe, Middle East and Africa regions both posted a 4% slide in revenues, although North America had 3% growth and Asia rose 4%. Water and sports drinks helped drive a 3% rise in still beverage sales. Net profit also fell 28% to $1.05bn (£859m) in the quarter. The launch of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar in the UK, which replaced Coca-Cola Zero, enjoyed "strong double-digit unit case volume growth". The company's new "One Brand" strategy, which gives Coca Cola, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, and Coca Cola Life a common visual identity, has now been introduced to 12 of its top markets.

Coke Revenue

Chocolate Pizza

Chicago Town has moved into puddings with the launch of the chocolate dessert pizza. Targeted at the family meal and 'big night in' sharing occassions the limited edition sweet pizza includes a mix of milk, dark and white chocolate toppings on a chocolate dough base - which Chicago Town claims is a market first. The pizza will be rolling out into the frozen aisle and be backed by PR, social and in-store activity. This shows a good example of consumer-led innovation and brand manager Richard Cooper said "It's a natural extension to our range". They have not commented on the calories. 

Chocolate Pizza

Rainbow Laces

This year, Aon, Adidas and Aviva are supporting the campaign  by joining a newly formed coalition called TeamPride. TeamPride will bring together organisations from different sectors to work together and with Stonewall to create inclusive and equal environments in sports of all levels for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people.   The return of "Rainbow laces" follows new ICM research for Stonewall which says that 18- to 24-year-olds are twice as likely to agree that it is acceptable to make homophobic remarks (21%), compared to 11% overall.Ruth Hunt, the chief executive of Stonewall, said: "We’re pleased that such powerful organisations have stepped up and given their support to our 'Rainbow laces' campaign, and now we urge more organisations to become part of our team. You can buy a pair of laces to support TeamPride for only £2.99.

Team Pride

Apple Stand Up For Values

Apple has fired a number of employees at a store in Brisbane, Australia, amid allegations they shared photos of female customers and colleagues and ranked their bodies out of 10. Brisbane's Courier-Mail, said dozens of photos were taken without knowledge or consent and that other images were stolen from customer phones. Apple confirmed an inquiry and said "several" jobs had been terminated. "Apple believe in treating everyone equally and with respect, and we do not ­tolerate behaviour that goes against our values," it said in a statement. The Australian Privacy Commissioner is also looking into the alleged privacy breach. "We are aware of the reports and will be making enquiries with Apple to seek further information," said commissioner Timothy Pilgrim. "This is an important reminder that all organisations that collect and manage personal information need to embed a culture of privacy and ensure employees understand their responsibilities."

Apple Values

Note 7 Costs Samsung Some Notes

The total cost of pulling Galaxy Note 7 smartphones off the market will be at least £4.4bn ($5.4bn), Samsung said. The South Korean tech giant had already lowered its third-quarter profit guidance by £1.9bn ($2.3bn). On Friday, it said it expected an additional hit of about 3.5 trillion won ($3bn, £2.5bn). The Note 7 was recalled last month after battery fires, but when replacement phones experienced the same problem, Samsung scrapped the device. The premium phone, launched in August, was meant to compete with Apple's new iPhone 7 at the top of the smartphone market. Despite the setback, Samsung Electronics still expects to make 5.2 trillion won (£3.7bn) in operating profit during the third quarter after the recall cost. In September, the company recalled about 2.5 million Note 7 devices after complaints of overheating and exploding batteries. It later insisted that all replaced devices were safe. However, that was followed by reports that those phones were catching fire too. On Tuesday, the company said it would permanently cease production of the device and urged owners to turn it off.

Samsung 7 BackFire

Black Lives Matter

"All lives will not matter until black lives matter" Ben & Jerry’s, the popular Vermont-based ice cream company, is making an effort to take a stand against institutionalized racism. The company announced their support for the Black Lives Matter movement on Thursday and released an accompanying seven-point list that spells out the realities of systemic racism. They also said that people who choose to be silent on the issues affecting the black community are also complicit in those problems. “It’s been hard to watch the list of unarmed Black Americans killed by law enforcement officers grow longer and longer,” the company wrote in a statement. “We understand that numerous Black Americans and white Americans have profoundly different experiences and outcomes with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. That’s why it’s become clear to us at Ben & Jerry’s that we have a moral obligation to take a stand now for justice and for Black lives."

Black Lives Matter

Recruitment Agency Criticised for Sexist Ad

A recruitment agency has been criticised for advertising jobs only for "attractive women", as well as specifying bra size.  Matching Models in London describes itself as "an international temp agency for beautiful and talented people". It advertised for a personal assistant with "a classic look, brown long hair with b-c cup". The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) called it "appalling, unlawful and demeaning to women". Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of the EHRC, said it would be writing to Matching Models "asking for them to clarify their hiring practices immediately".  Meanwhile, women's equality campaigners said its ads were "straight out of the 1970s". Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, said: "It is extraordinary that they are taking this approach and almost certainly falls foul of equality legislation. "If we ever wonder why the battle for gender equality hasn't been won, this is a timely reminder."

Sexist Job Advert

Business Live!

The first of our Business Live events is scheduled for Thursday 20th October in the Library at 12:45pm where we will be pleased to welcome Tony who is the owner of the new micro brewery 'The Dog & Rabbit' in Whitley Bay. The business is a recently set-up small, family-run Ltd and you will get to hear about the many risks and rewards that have gone into setting up the business so far and also get to ask some of your own questions. The event will be a tickets only and they will be available  from the Business office by the end of this week. 

Dog & Rabbit

Real Business Challenge

The Real Business Challenge (RBC) is an exciting enterprise competition for students who will be in Year 9, Year 10 over the 2016/2017 academic year. The RBC challenges students to tackle a business task set by Coca-Cola Enterprises. If you are interested in finding out more and taking part in this years challenge then come along to A77 this Friday at break-time or come and speak with Mr.Cox.

Real Business Challenge

The Apprentice is Back!

The Apprentice is back with a new batch of ambitious entrepreneurs seeking to demonstrate their commercial insight and business sense to stay out of the firing line. There’s a £250,000 investment at stake and the chance to go into a business partnership with Lord Sugar. Over the course of 12 tough tasks, the 18 candidates will be whittled down until just one victor remains. And plenty of sparks are set to fly in the boardroom along the way! Check out this years candidates before the first episode starts this Thursday on BBC1 at 9pm with a car boot style task.

Apprentice

Pudding Crackdown

The times of decadent puddings you love to eat in full knowledge they are bad for you could soon be over. Restaurants, cafés and pubs have reportedly been ordered to make their food and drink healthier or face being named and shamed for contributing to the obesity crisis. Major chains including Pizza Express, Starbucks, McDonald’s and Gourmet Burger Kitchen, must cut sugar from their dishes or reduce the size of their cakes and pastries. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said restaurants should join supermarkets and food manufacturers to tackle UK massive obesity crisis which Action on Sugar said could “bankrupt the NHS”. Consumers will be able to check the companies' efforts on a website, although exactly how they will be compared has not been decided.

Pudding Crackdown

Garlic Doritos

Introducing a new version of Dorito which is as dark as a moonless night and laden with garlic flavor. All you have to do is eat a bunch and then breathe in the direction of an attacking vampire to scare it off.  The chips are out in time for Halloween celebrations and feature a snarling vampire on the bag along with images of tombstones and bats.The garlic Doritos are available in Japan. If you live elsewhere and desperately want them for your Van Helsing lifestyle, then you'll have to order them through a retailer specializing in global delivery of Japanese treats.

Vampire Doritos