PlayStation Job Cut

 

Sony has announced it will lay off 8% of PlayStation employees globally, amounting to approximately 900 people. In addition to cuts in the US and Japan, the gaming giant said this would mean closing PlayStation's London Studio entirely. In a blog post sharing an email sent to employees, boss Jim Ryan called the move "sad news" and said it was "a difficult day at our company". "We have concluded that tough decisions have become inevitable," he said. "The leadership team and I made the incredibly difficult decision to restructure operations, which regrettably includes a reduction in our workforce impacting very talented individuals who have contributed to our success." The cuts come a month after rival Microsoft revealed plans to lay off 1,900 people in its gaming division, which included those at recently-acquired Activision-Blizzard.Sony's London Studio was founded in 2002 as a result of the merging of two other London-based studios under the PlayStation brand. Over the past two decades, it created several series including karaoke game SingStar and 2000s football title This Is Football. More recently, it made virtual reality (VR) games exclusive to Sony's headset, including VR Worlds and the well-received shooter Blood & Truth. According to LinkedIn, the studio has between 51 and 200 employees, and it was working on "an unannounced online co-op combat game" set in London before the announcement. Sony's PlayStation 5 has sold more than 50 million units worldwide, more than double Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S sales. But another gaming rival, Nintendo, which released its Switch console three years earlier, has sold almost 140 million units worldwide. And Sony said in its earnings report in February that it now expected to sell four million fewer consoles than expected by the end of March. Despite PlayStation's revenue being up by 16% compared to the same period one year earlier, its operating income had fallen by a quarter.

PlayStation Job Axe

Wendy's Denies Surge Price Plan

 

US burger chain Wendy's has denied it is exploring plans to raise prices on customers at busy moments, claiming its plans were "misconstrued". The firm had told investors this month that it was rolling out digital menu displays at its restaurants and expected to start testing features "like dynamic pricing" early next year. The term refers to the practice of rapidly changing posted prices. The plans quickly drew backlash and accusations of "price gouging". In a statement on Tuesday, Wendy's said the goal of the digital menu boards was to provide "more flexibility to change the display of featured items", including promoting discounts during slow periods. "This was misconstrued in some media reports as an intent to raise prices when demand is highest at our restaurants. We have no plans to do that and would not raise prices when our customers are visiting us most," the company said. It added that it had never used the phrase "surge pricing", as articles describing the comments by boss Kirk Tanner had. The idea that Wendy's, which claims more than 6,500 restaurants globally, might adopt a similar strategy sparked outrage online, where many people said they would simply take their business elsewhere. Left-wing Senator Elizabeth Warren was one of the most high-profile critics, saying on Wednesday that the plans meant people "could pay more for your lunch, even if the cost to Wendy's stays exactly the same"

Wendy's

Wonka Event Leaves Sour Taste

 

Police were called to an event described as a "Willy Wonka Experience" in Glasgow as angry families demanded refunds. The event was advertised as a "journey filled with wondrous creations and enchanting surprises at every turn". But one visitor told BBC Scotland News that it was little more than "an abandoned, empty warehouse". It was cancelled by organisers House of Illuminati mid-way through Saturday following complaints from parents. They have said full refunds will be given to everyone who bought tickets, reported to have cost up to £35. Eva Stewart, of East Kilbride, said she saw children crying with disappointment at the event which was scheduled to run on Saturday and Sunday. A post from organisers, House of Illuminati, in January described the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-themed event as where "dreams become reality". a House of Illuminati spokesperson said: "Today has been a very stressful and frustrating day for many and for that we are truly sorry. "Unfortunately, at the last minute we were let down in many areas of our event and tried our best to continue on and push through and now realise we probably should have cancelled first thing this morning instead. They added that they "fully apologise" and would be giving "full refunds to each and every person that purchased tickets."

Wonka Event

, external a House of Illuminati spokesperson said: "Today has been a very stressful and frustrating day for many and for that we are truly sorry."Unfortunately, at the last minute we were let down in many areas of our event and tried our best to continue on and push through and now realise we probably should have cancelled first thing this morning instead

Body Shop - Store Closure

 

The Body Shop is set to shut up to half of its 198 stores in the UK and cut the size of its head office, leading to hundreds of job losses. Closures will begin immediately on Tuesday, the firm that is overseeing the restructuring of the beauty retailer said. The Body Shop employs around 2,200 people in the UK, including 750 staff at its head office. The cuts would "help re-energise" the brand, the administrators said. The stores immediately affected include four in London, where rents and other overheads are highest. The chain's remaining shops and the website will trade as normal as the restructuring proceeds. Consumer expert Kate Hardcastle, who spent time with The Body Shop founder Dame Anita Roddick, said the closures were a stark reminder of the current "volatile" retail landscape. "However, relevance is equally crucial. A brand must evolve with its audience. The challenge lies not just in upholding these values but in communicating them effectively to a generation that demands authenticity and action," she said. FRP said: "A reduced store footprint, will coincide with a renewed focus on the brand's products, online sales channels and wholesale strategies." The Body Shop's Ambassador Programme, which allows representatives to sell the firm's products directly to customers, will also close, FRP said.

Body Shop

Golden Syrup Rebrand

The image of a dead lion being swarmed by bees is to be dropped from some of Lyle's Golden Syrup packaging. A rebranded image of a lion's head with a single bee will feature on products, including the firm's plastic syrup and dessert bottles. But the classic Lyle's Golden Syrup tin will be excluded from the rebrand, keeping its more than 150-year-old packaging design. The company said it was to refresh its appeal to modern shoppers. The original logo, which includes the biblical quotation "out of the strong came forth sweetness", is the world's oldest unchanged brand packaging, holding a Guinness World Record, having remained nearly identical since 1888, the brand said. Lyle's well-known Victorian-style tins were first introduced by Scottish businessman Abram Lyle more than 150 years ago, the same year as the first electric railway. According to the company's website, Lyle had strong religious views, which is why the logo depicts the story of Samson from the Old Testament, in which Samson killed an attacking lion, and later noticed a swarm of bees had formed a comb of honey in the carcass. He later turned this into a riddle: "Out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetness." The second half of the quote was used on the original branding of Lyle's Golden Syrup.The rollout of the new packaging design - a golden illustration of a lion's head - will begin this month and continue throughout the year across its full-sized bottles, breakfast bottles, dessert toppings and golden syrup portions, Lyle's Golden Syrup said. The company's brand director James Whiteley said the firm needed to show consumers it was moving with the times and meeting their current needs.Helen Edwards, adjunct associate professor of marketing at London Business School, said the rebrand would help to reduce the risk of excluding potential buyers.

Golden Syrup 

Coca Cola Lemon Refresh

COCA-COLA Europacific Partners (CCEP) has added a zesty touch to its Coca-Cola range with the launch of two new lemon-flavoured colas. Rolling out nationwide in March, Coca-Cola Original Taste Lemon and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Lemon combines the iconic cola flavour and the refreshing citrus fruit with consumers given the option of enjoying it with or without sugar. Packs feature a yellow gradient to help improve standout on shelf for the new launch, which CCEP reckons will catch the eyes of plenty of consumers as they scan store aisles. CCEP said by combining the much-loved flavour of Coca-Cola and Lemon, the new launches will be set to meet growing consumer demand for innovation in the colas category, with flavoured colas growing ahead of the segment as a whole, according to the soft drinks giant. This new launch is set to join the remainder of the flavoured cola portfolio from Coca-Cola which already includes Coca-Cola Original Taste Cherry, Zero-Sugar Cherry and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Vanilla. The rollout is also set to be supported by a large-scale integrated marketing campaign, including sampling, out-of-home advertising, experiential, social media content and in-store activations as well. Rob Yeomans, vice-president of commercial development at CCEP, said: “Coca-Cola and lemon are a natural combination. Consumers that order Coca-Cola in a pub will be used to seeing it served with “ice and a slice”, which for many is the ideal refreshment on a hot summer day.

Coca Cola Lemon

 

Disney Boss Bets Big On Swift

Disney's chief executive, Bob Iger, has announced a series of moves which he hopes will bring "significant growth" to the entertainment giant. The plans include streaming an exclusive version of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert movie on Disney+. The firm will also invest $1.5bn (£1.2bn) in Epic Games, the maker of the hugely popular video game Fortnite. Disney has been under pressure from activist investor Nelson Peltz, who has called for a shakeup of the business. The US billionaire wants Disney to boost profits from its streaming business as well as improve the box office performance of its films. Last year, a number of Disney films, including those from its Marvel franchise, failed to ignite the global box office. In its results for the three months to 31 December, Disney said that its streaming service had shed 1.3 million subscribers following a price increase in October. However, Disney still expects its streaming business to reach profitability by September this year. The deal with Epic means gamers will be able to interact with Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and Avatar characters.

Disney Plans

 

Breakaway Bar Axed

Once a staple of school lunchboxes, the classic Breakaway bar has been axed by maker Nestlé. The chocolate biscuit bar was launched in 1970 but Nestle said it had made the "difficult decision" to discontinue it after a decline in sales. The company also said it was axing the Yorkie Biscuit bar, not to be confused with the Yorkie chocolate bar, which is "staying for good". Fans on social media mourned the end of the road for Breakaway. Breakaway will no longer be produced from March, Nestlé said, to make way for investment across other products. "We know fans will be disappointed to see it go, but it's time for us to say goodbye to Breakaway," a Nestlé spokesperson said. "We have seen a decline in the sales of Breakaway over the past few years and unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to discontinue it." The spokesperson added that the company had plenty of new products lined up for 2024, adding: "Watch this space."

Breakaway

End of Veggie Pret

 

Sandwich chain Pret A Manger is abandoning the idea of vegetarian-only outlets, saying people are buying veggie options at all its branches. The final three Veggie Pret stores, in London and Manchester, will switch to normal Prets by the end of this month. The specialist outlets, first launched eight years ago, were no longer needed, the company said. "Every Pret is a Veggie Pret shop," said Katherine Bagshawe, UK food and coffee director at Pret A Manger. One in every three main meals sold was now vegetarian or vegan, she said. The veggie stores had acted as an "innovation hub" Pret added, launching new products including most recently a "VLT" sandwich which replaces the bacon in a traditional BLT with mushroom "rashers" and a Thai-inspired sticky mushroom Banh Mi baguette and meatless meatballs. There has been a huge rise in interest in vegan and vegetarian food in recent years, prompted by both health considerations and concerns over the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from meat and dairy production. Pret first launched its veggie outlets in 2016, helping to boost its image as a vegetarian-friendly brand. Most of the 10 veggie shops were in London, with some in Oxford and Manchester.

Veggie Pret

Aitch Launches Syps

 

British rapper Aitch has launched a fizzy water brand called Syps. The Syps range comprises strawberry, peach and lemon & lime flavoured fizzy waters. The zero-sugar, zero-calorie range of drinks (rsp: £1.50/330ml) will launch in 1,200 Iceland and The Food Warehouse stores this week. Aitch – real name Harrison Armstrong – said he was inspired to launch Syps after struggling to drink more water and overcome a “fizzy drink addiction”. Frustrated with “the lack of credible alternatives” in the market, he enlisted a British flavour house to develop Syps – a range of drinks that had “all the flavour standard and fizz sensation of a fizzy drink but none of the sugary downside”. “I needed to drink more water but was addicted to fizzy drinks,” Armstrong said. “Water just wasn’t hitting the spot in the same way. So, I thought why not make the best fizzy flavoured water in the world?” To mark Syps’ retail debut. Armstrong is to launch a “Fizzy Drink Free” challenge in February, nominating two celebrity peers to quit carbonated drinks for a month. These peers would in turn nominate two others to do the same, helping to “build a social movement towards healthier hydration”, according to the rapper.

Syps

Kidult Toy Market

Sales to so-called "kidults" rose by 6% last year, bucking the 5% downturn in toy sales as a whole in the UK. Adopting a "can't beat them, join them" approach means this group is buying enough games and toys to account for more than a quarter of the market. Analysts suggest that is now worth more than £1bn a year. "The main reasons adults said they were buying for themselves was because toys were fun and also good for their mental health," said Melissa Symonds, executive director at toy data tracking company Circana. Toy manufacturers and retailers had a year to forget last year, with the number of sales down by 7% and a 5% drop in the value of toy trading. A wet summer particularly hit outdoor toys and games sales, while cost of living pressures put a lid on small, impulse buys. However, the UK market remains one of the biggest in Europe, worth £3.5bn last year. The annual Toy Fair, a three-day trade show at London's Olympia, has just ended. Observers would have noted that many of the big companies are increasingly targeting a range of age groups, not just primary and pre-schoolers. Kidults are defined as aged 12 and over, but Ms Symonds said it was the over 18s driving the increase in sales to this group. The enthusiasm of older players, via specialist events, shops and cafes accounts for part of the rise in popularity of kidult games. Lockdown days during the pandemic also saw families stuck at home dust off the games cupboard. Simple economics were also at play here, she said. A falling birth rate means there are fewer children for whom to buy toys. The toy sector has had a tough year, but second childhoods may just have provided a new seam to exploit. 

Kidult Toys

National Apprenticeship Week

 

National Apprenticeship Week brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to celebrate the achievements of apprentices and the positive impact they make to communities, businesses, and the wider economy.  National Apprenticeship Week 2024 is taking place from 5th to 11th February 2024. The theme is Skills for Life, reflecting on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and employers to develop a workforce with future ready skills. This is the week if you want to try and find out more about what is available there are several online events taking which are showcasing the various industries and opportunities available. Take a look at the example below.

Meet Daisy