Quibi

A deep-pocketed new streaming service has revealed it will launch in the US on 6 April. Quibi has raised $1bn (£763m) in funds and commissioned some of Hollywood's biggest names to make content for its mobile-only service. Each show will be 10 minutes or shorter. The firm intends to charge $4.99 (£3.80) per month for basic access and $7.99 for an ad-free version. In addition to entertainment, the service intends to screen bespoke news bulletins from NBC, BBC and Telemundo, among others. Quibi which stands for "quick bites" is commissioning videos running from four to 10 minutes in length. One of Quibi's biggest challenges will be persuading the public to pay for an additional streaming service. Quibi said it would target viewers aged between 18 and 44 years old.

Quibi

Trainer Entrepreneur

Can you remember your 12th birthday? There was probably some cake - maybe even in the shape of a caterpillar - and, if you were lucky, friends, family and a few presents. Whatever you did that day, the chances are it's not affected the rest of your life very much.  But for Joe Franklin, who possesses a trainer collection so exclusive he's become one of the go-to suppliers for the UK rap scene, that day is when it all began. He saved up some birthday money and put it towards a pair of Jessie J's signature Nike Air Max 90s, trainers he says he only wanted to impress his friends. "Later that day someone offered me double what I paid. So obviously I took it and I made double my money". Since then the most expensive pair of trainers he's sold went for £62,000, after he flew to LA and bought them from a collector for £45,000. Joe says on an average week he now makes anywhere between £5,000 and £20,000.  He was making half of that while still at school - so it's probably not surprising he ended up dropping out of college at 16 with just a couple of GCSEs.

Trainers

Cereal Change Up

Lidl is to remove cartoon characters from its own-brand cereal ranges to help parents resist pester power and tackle Britain’s growing childhood obesity crisis.The discount retailer, which has almost 800 UK stores, pledged to remove cartoon characters from eight of its cereal ranges by spring. The company said it was prompted to take action after nearly three-quarters of parents said their children pressurised them to buy certain items in the supermarket, with more than half believing cartoon characters on packaging encouraged this.Many of Lidl’s cereals have unhealthy-sounding names that will not be changed – such as Choco Rice, Cereal Cookie, Choco Shells and Frosted Flakes – but the company says that over the last four years it has reduced the sugar content by 20%.Georgina Hall, Lidl’s head of corporate social responsibility, said: “We want to help parents across Britain make healthy and informed choices about the food they buy for their children. We know pester power can cause difficult battles on the shop floor and we’re hoping that removing cartoon characters from cereal packaging will alleviate some of the pressure parents are under.”
Cereal Change

Veganuary

Greggs, the UK’s largest bakery chain, will end speculation about its hotly anticipated new vegan snack by launching a meat-free version of its popular steak bake. Since the runaway success of its meatless sausage roll, the chain – which serves more than 6 million customers a week from its 2,000 outlets – has been working to develop vegan versions of its other bestselling items. The new product arrives on Greggs’ shelves at the start of Veganuary – a growing movement that encourages people to embrace plant-based diets during January. The vegan steak bake has been created to mirror some of the original snack’s features, including 96 thin layers of puff pastry but without the egg glaze. The filling is made with pieces of the fungi-based protein Quorn instead of beef, mixed with diced onions and meat-free gravy. Costing from £1.55, it will go on sale in 1,300 shops from Thursday before being rolled out to the remaining 700 outlets on 16 January. The launch comes as retailers expand their vegan and plant-based offerings amid the growing popularity of flexitarian diets – where a largely vegetable-based diet is supplemented occasionally with meat.

Veganuary

Death of Saturday Jobs

The number of working teenagers has almost halved in the last 20 years, a study suggests, sparking fears of the "death of the Saturday job". A Resolution Foundation report suggests a quarter of 16 and 17-year-olds were in work between 2017 and 2019 - falling from 48% in 1997-99. Young people were instead prioritising studies over part-time work, it added. The think tank says the number of people who have never worked increased by 52% over the last 20 years. The report says 8.2% of people aged 16-64 - some 3.4 million people in total - had never had a paid job. That is a 52% increase since 1998 when 5.4% had never worked, the report added.

Saturday Job

Calorie Count

Food packs should display how much exercise a person would need to take to burn off the calories contained in the product, UK researchers say. Appreciating it would take four hours to walk off the calories in a pizza or 22 minutes to run off a chocolate bar creates an awareness of the energy cost of food, they say. The labels would help people indulge less, exploratory studies suggest. The aim is to encourage healthier eating habits to fight obesity. Prof Daley said many people would be shocked to realise how much physical exercise would be required to burn off calories from certain snacks and treats. Tom Quinn, from the eating disorder charity Beat, said: "Although we recognise the importance of reducing obesity, labelling food in this way risks being incredibly triggering for those suffering from or vulnerable to eating disorders.

Calories On Packet

Game Changing Cardboard Box

Online orders account for billions of square metres of cardboard every year. Many objects packed very inefficiently, leading to waste. However, a new machine being trialled in Dijon, France, can customise cardboard boxes for specific objects. DS Smith's revolutionary Made2fit technology improves operational efficiency, eliminates void fill & lowers transportation costs. This innovation has been developed to specifically tackle the e-commerce challenge of void space, as shipping air is a waste of resources. Creating the right-sized pack lowers costs for e-tailers by reducing both operational and shipping costs: saving storage space, cutting labour costs and order administration, and significantly cutting assembly and packing times. It also significantly reduces product movement, helping to reduce damage.

Made 2 Fit