KFC Chicken Shortage

KFC has apologised to its customers for running out of chicken - in a pretty cheeky way. The fast-food chain took out a full page ad in the Sun and Metro newspapers which shows an empty bucket of chicken with crumbs spilling out. The chain was forced to close hundreds of stores this week following a problem with its chicken supplier. The closures followed KFC's decision to switch suppliers from Bidvest to DHL, which is using a single warehouse near Rugby for deliveries nationwide. KFC admitted there would be "significant losses", as a result of the problems but said "we can't put a precise figure against this". It also said "regrettably some chicken had to be scrapped", but added "we are doing everything we can to avoid wastage".

KFC Chicken Shortage

Are You 'Sooo Over' Snapchat?

Reality TV star Kylie Jenner wiped $1.3bn (£1bn) off Snap's stock market value after tweeting that she no longer used its Snapchat messaging app. Celebrity Kim Kardashian's half-sister posted: "sooo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? Or is it just me... ugh this is so sad." Snap's shares sank after Ms Jenner's tweet about Snapchat's re-design to her 24.5 million Twitter followers. One million people signed a petition demanding Snap roll back the change. After dropping almost 8%, shares in Snap closed 6% down on Wall Street, and are now back near the $17 price at which the shares were listed when the company floated on the stock market in March of last year. Snapchat is facing intense competition from Facebook's Instagram - especially for celebrity users - and Ms Jenner's attack comes at a time when investors are already worried.

Snapchat Share Drop

Capsule Hostel

Nothing comes cheap in London. Hotels and hostels aren't generally affordable compared to many European cities. But now, there's a new cheap way to stay in London short-term: in a capsule hostel. They're commonplace in cities across China, Japan and Singapore, but St Christopher's Inn in London Bridge is bringing the pod experience to the UK. The hostel, which claims to be the first in the country to offer this budget travel concept, is offering rooms – perhaps better described as pods – from as little as £25 per night. There are 26 capsules in total, which each come with coloured "mood lighting" controlled by an LED touchscreen wheel, free Wi-Fi, plug sockets, USB charging points and (thankfully) a ventilation system, which the hostel says helps to keep the pod cool. Would you stay in one?

Capsule Hostel

Norway Bottle Recycling

A Scandinavian deposit-based system for recycling bottles is thought likely to be adopted in the UK. Advisers to government say the schemes have massively reduced plastic litter in the environment and seas.  And a ministerial delegation has been to Norway to see if the UK should copy an industry-led scheme that recycles 97% of bottles. In the UK, figures show that only around half of all plastic bottles get recycled. Norway claims to offer the most cost-efficient way of tackling plastic litter. It works like this: The consumer pays a deposit on every bottle - the equivalent of 10p to 25p depending on size.  They return it empty and post it into a machine which reads the barcode and produces a coupon for the deposit. If the careless consumer has left liquid in the bottle, the machine eats it anyway - but hands the deposit to the shopkeeper who'll need to empty the bottle. Similar schemes are in operation in other Nordic nations, Germany, and some states in the US and Canada. The managers of the Norway operation say it could easily be applied to the UK.

Norway Recycling

Diet Coke Revamp

Coca-Cola is depending on millennials who don't drink Diet Coke to turn around the struggling soda brand. Diet Coke's brand revamp has already put millennials front-and-center. The sleek cans and new flavors, such as Feisty Cherry and Twisted Mango, aim for a trendier drinker than Coca-Cola Classic.  For the last few years, Diet Coke has been the weakest link in the company's cola lineup. Industry publication Beverage Digest reported Diet Coke US sales by the dollar dropped 1.9% in 2016. Despite being a zero-calorie drink, Diet Coke has struggled to win over many health-conscious shoppers. Coca-Cola plans to launch "communication and engagement" aimed at both new and loyal Diet Coke drinkers in the coming months. 

Diet Coke Revamp

Happy Meal Cuts

McDonald’s will soon banish cheeseburgers and chocolate milk from its Happy Meal menu in an effort to cut down on the calories, sodium, saturated fat and sugar that kids consume at its restaurant. Diners can still ask specifically for cheeseburgers or chocolate milk with the child’s meal, but McDonald’s said that not listing them will reduce how often they’re ordered. Since it removed soda from the Happy Meal menu four years ago, orders for it with Happy Meals have fallen 14%, the company said. The Happy Meal has long been a target of health advocates and parents who link it to childhood obesity. 

Happy Meal

McValentines Day

Yes, you heard right, just like the famous bakers and Swedish furniture specialists, McDonald’s is playing Cupid this year by inviting couples to have a romantic night at its Newcastle restaurant. Revealing all on Facebook, McDonald’s posted ‘Book a table for you and your loved one this McValentine’s Day right here on Northumberland Street, we are going all out providing the most romantic dining experience in history. ‘We are offering 3 courses of McValentine’s perfection for £20 per couple.’ Starters will include Cheddar Bites, four nuggets and carrot sticks with Philadelphia. Mains, which are all served with fries and a drink, consist of the following choices: A Big Mac, the Signature Collection Burger, Chicken Legend, Fillet-O-Fish, Veggie Burger, 20 chicken nuggets to share, or any other burger available on the McDonald’s menu at the time. Finally, for dessert, you can opt for a McFlurry, a fruit bag, an apple pie, or a muffin.

McValentines

Most Complained About Ad

KFC’s campaign featuring a chicken “dancing” to DMX’s X Gonna Give It To Ya received the most complaints of any advert in the UK last year, gaining 755 – with viewers objecting that it was disrespectful and distressing. The ad, called The Whole Chicken, aimed to focus on the quality and provenance of KFC-sourced chicken but instead outraged viewers told the advertising watchdog that it was “disrespectful to chickens and distressing for vegetarians, vegans and children”. In the case of KFC and Moneysupermarket, the ASA dismissed the complaints, saying that the campaigns were not likely to cause widespread offence and did not break the UK advertising code.

KFC Advert

Shrinking Snacks

Many of the nation's favourite treats are getting smaller, but BBC research has found that some prices are falling too. Manufacturers often blame the rising cost of ingredients. But whether it is the ingredients, exchange rates, or saving us from obesity and bad teeth, all manufacturers insist that they give customers value for money.The price of a product is driven by all kinds of factors such as packaging, transport and marketing which might not change with alterations in weight.But many consumers will be concerned simply with the price they pay at the checkout per pack or bar.

Shrinking Snacks