From CSR to marketing might: 6 proven strategies to boost your bakery and snacks business

Business News

How to capitalize on Brits’ growing passion for pastriesDélifrance’s new ‘Extra-Ordinary’ product rangeA new study from Délifrance – called ‘Prove It: Viennoiserie’: based on a survey of 1,000 UK adults and insights from food trend experts Harris & Hayes – reveals that British consumers’ love for pastries is stronger than ever, with viennoiserie outpacing the overall bakery market.“We look at the trends and products shaping this vibrant category, from continued consumer demand for exciting and indulgent treats to the role of sustainability and pricing,” said marketing director Stéphanie Brillouet.“We also examine the key factors driving purchasing decisions in both foodservice and retail,​​ including where consumers are buying their pastries, where and when they are eating them, and what they are looking for from viennoiserie.”By leveraging these insights, your business can ride the wave of this thriving category.With more shoppers making spontaneous pastry purchases, position eye-catching displays near checkout areas. Attractive packaging and appealing product presentation can boost impulse sales.Price is now the second most important factor after quality. Offering competitively priced, high-quality pastries can entice budget-conscious consumers without sacrificing their demand for indulgence.Seven out of 10 pastry consumers want more information on sustainability. Showcase eco-friendly sourcing and packaging to align with this growing consumer priority.While classics like croissants and pain au chocolat remain favorites, there’s room for creative twists. New flavors or limited-time offerings (LTOs) can keep customers coming back for more.Understanding when and where your customers consume pastries, whether at home or on the go, can help tailor your offerings and marketing strategies.

Tourism new driver for enhancing Saudi Arabia’s rating: S&P

Travel

The tourism sector currently accounts for about 4% of Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product (GDP), and was a highly promising and productive sector in 2023, Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper quoted Zahabia Gupta, Head of Sovereign Ratings at S&P Global Ratings, as saying. She affirmed that it is one of the new factors supporting the Kingdom’s credit rating.Gupta explained that S&P’s sovereign ratings are based on five main factors: institutional assessment, economic assessment, external assessment, fiscal performance and flexibility, debt level, and monetary assessment.She noted that the Kingdom’s non-oil GDP share currently stands at around 70% (including government spending) and 50% without it. When Vision 2030 was announced, the non-oil GDP share stood at 65% and 45%, respectively. The Saudi economy is undergoing a significant and rapid economic and social transformation under the Vision, said Gupta, expecting investments to accelerate developing new industries such as tourism, helping to diversify the economy away from hydrocarbons.Moreover, increasing oil volumes from 2025 and strong growth in the non-oil sector will support medium-term growth prospects. Gupta expects a recovery in construction activities for infrastructure projects and the services sector, driven by consumer demand and an expanding workforce.She also predicts an average growth rate of 4.3% between 2025 and 2027. However, lower oil prices or production, due to weak Chinese demand or other supply factors, could heighten funding pressures and execution risks for Vision 2030.According to data available on Argaam, S&P recently affirmed Saudi Arabia’s long- and short-term foreign and local currency unsolicited sovereign credit ratings at “A/A-1,” revising outlook from “Stable” to “Positive”.

[Exclusive] [Herald Interview] MBK incapable of running Korea Zinc’s Australia business: Aussie renewable energy CEO

Business News

Private equity firm MBK Partners and Young Poong’s envisioned takeover of Korea Zinc would wreak havoc on the world’s biggest zinc refiner’s business in Australia, according to the chief of Ark Energy, an Australian renewable energy arm under Korea Zinc.“Even if MBK Partners and Young Poong succeed in taking over management control of Korea Zinc, it will not be easy for them to take on the ongoing business in Australia,” Ark Energy CEO Choi Ju-won, also known as Michael Choi, told The Korea Herald in a phone interview held Friday.Ark Energy is a subsidiary of Sun Metals, Korea Zinc’s refinery business in Australia. It focuses on renewable energy, specializing in wind and solar energy generation to provide the needed electricity for the zinc refinery.Choi is part of the Choi family who run Korea Zinc. He is also the chief financial officer of Sun Metals.“Zinc smelting is not a business that can yield short-term profit. It requires long-term investments based on technology and personnel training. MBK Partners is a private equity firm that pursues profit through an exit. How can entities such as MBK and Young Poong do what Korea Zinc has done over the years?” Choi said.Though MBK said it respects Korea Zinc’s push to expand renewable energy production in Australia in a press conference held Thursday, Choi remains skeptical.Sharing Choi’s concerns, Australia-based Townsville Enterprise, a peak business development representative group, has called on the Australian government and the Foreign Investment Review Board to block the takeover bid. Sun Metals Zinc Refinery is located in the city of Townsville in North Queensland.“Local politicians and authorities were shocked over Young Poong executives serving a jail term over a safety-related death. From an Australian perspective, it does not make sense for such an entity to pursue business.”In August, the chief executive officer of Young Poong and another senior staff member were arrested over a fatal accident last year at the company’s smelter.“The FIRB may not be able to block the bid itself, but it could take action. For instance, even if the takeover succeeds, MBK and Young Poong are likely to come under tight scrutiny when they apply to renew the operation license (on Australian soil).”Zinc smelters are categorized as a Major Hazard Facility in Australia and the operation license has to be renewed every three to four years under the control of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, according to Choi.Korea Zinc’s business in Australia takes up roughly 10 percent of the total sales of the company, according to the earnings reports. Though the number may seem small, the Australian expansion will be a pivot of Korea Zinc’s future growth, Choi insisted.“Zinc smelting requires enormous pools of electricity. The big picture is to produce sufficient renewable energy to generate the zinc smelter here. If the production is successful, we will be able to power larger operations and create a virtuous cycle for Korea Zinc and beyond,” Choi said.On Sept. 13, MBK Partners announced that it will acquire shares in Korea Zinc through a tender offer, aiming to secure a 15 percent stake in the company with a budget of 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion).

Friday Flyover: Lane Tech High School

Technology

CHICAGO (WLS) — This week, ABC7 Chicago is featuring Lane Tech High School on Friday Flyover.ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watchLane Tech College Prep Facts:-According to Chicago Magazine, Lane Tech is currently ranked 3rd in Chicago’s best public high schools reader poll.-Lane Tech is currently ranked 5th in Illinois according to US News and World Report.-Lane Tech’s Flag Football team won the state championship for 2023-24 school year.-Lane Tech offers 33 Advanced Placement courses.-Lane Tech had 16 National Merit Scholars in 2023-2024-Lane Tech had 18 Semi-Final National Merit Scholars in 2023-2024-Lane Tech has 68 different native languages spoken by our student body.-Lane Tech Sports Lane Tech 2023-24 Sports City Championships:-Lane Tech earned 23 City Championships for 2023-24 school year.STATE ACHIEVEMENTS:Girls Flag Football State ChampionshipDance Team Hip Hop State ChampionshipSECTIONAL Champs = Boys TennisREGIONAL Champs = Wrestling, Boys Bowling, Girls Soccer, Boys VolleyballLANE TECH CHESS TEAM: The Lane Tech Chess Team has a long and proud history. In 1969 the Lane Tech Chess Team traveled to New York City and won the first ever National High School Chess Championship. In 2003 the Lane Tech Girls Chess Team won the first ever All-Girls National High School Chess Championship. Last year, the Lane Tech Chess Team finished 8th in state out of 130 teams competing in the IHSA State Championship Tournament. Our team is led by seniors Avi Kaplan and Whitman Kosak and we’re looking to build on our strong finish from last year for an even better tournament this year.LANE TECH ACADEC:Lane Tech has been competing in the United States Academic Decathlon since the program’s inception in 1985. Since then, Lane has made a name for itself by consistently placing second in the City Championship and State Championship competitions. These past two years Lane’s team has proudly represented the school of champions at the National Championship competition. This past year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Lane’s team made history by placing 1st in our division. We are NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!! Our current team is led by student captain Elijah Jackson (class of 2025) and officer Em Molina (class of 2025). We are ready to make history again this year, taking on Whitney Young for the City and State titles this upcoming spring. Go Lane Go!!LANE TECH JROTC:1.2 million dollars in scholarships were received by Lane Tech students in 2024.LANE TECH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION:Lane Tech just celebrated their 90th birthday at Lane Tech campus on Addison! Lane Tech originally opened on the corner of Sedgwick and Division in 1908. Lane Tech was ALL BOYS until 1971. Lane Tech’s SY 2024-25 enrollment is 4,599.OLAS:OLAS is the Organization of Latin American Students and is one of the International Day’s Clubs here at Lane Tech. OLAS competes year round and just recently won the The Chicago Salsa Congress for the 7th time. OLAS is happy to be here today to participate in the fly over and celebrate their culture during Hispanic Heritage Month.Game Day Info:-LANE TECH FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS-LANE TECH FLAG vs WY @ 5:00 PM-LANE TECH TACKLE vs WY @ 7:30 PMLane Tech FLAG football game: Senior NightGates open at 4:00 PM. GAME at 5:00 PM.ENTRY: Northeast Gate ( facing Addison

Peter James releases landmark 20th book in the Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series

Arts & Culture, Books

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565Visit Shots! nowOne Of Us Is Dead, the landmark 20th novel in the Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series by Peter James, hits the book shops on September 24.Pretty good going for what started as a two-book deal in which Peter expected to introduce Grace in book one and return to him just the once.“I never dreamt that I would now be writing the 21st. I think my readers have been very kind to me and very generous to me but I do also think part of the success is that I have always believed that people who read books are intelligent. They don’t just want a page-turning book. They want to learn things as well and what I’ve always tried to do with every book is to look at different aspects of human nature, aspects of psychiatry, aspects of what it is that makes us human. I try to learn new things myself and draw on things that I find interesting.“For instance in the latest book, One Of Us Is Dead, I didn’t realise that you could 3D print guns and that fascinated me. Over the course of the books I have introduced things that people didn’t necessarily know, things like forensic gait analysis, the fact that the way that a human being walks is as unique as their fingerprints. And also four or five Grace books back I was approached by the commissioner of the Met who asked if I would put a super-recogniser into my next Grace so that police in other parts of the UK would recognise the value of having one, these extraordinary people who can pick out someone just by looking at their earlobe. It just completely fascinated me and I had a letter from somebody who read the book and told me that they had applied to become a super-recogniser for the police and had been accepted.”Peter James (pic by Helen Maybanks)The point is that Peter tries never to write the same book twice. In Dead Man’s Time for instance it was the antiques world of Brighton & Hove that gave him the context; in Dead At First Sight it was internet romance fraud: “And I just got so many letters from readers saying thank you for writing about this. You wouldn’t believe just how many people in Sussex have been fleeced.” But the starting point for One Of Us Is Dead was quite something else: “At least once a fortnight somebody says to me ‘I’ve got an idea for a book that you are just going to want to write’ and I would say ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah’ and often it’s a really nice idea but wouldn’t necessarily make a novel. But I’ll always listen but then one day the son of a friend of mine came up to me and told me that he had a story that I would absolutely want to write. He told me that he had been at a funeral at a country church in the pelting six months ago and there wasn’t a seat to be had. It was absolutely packed and he turned up five minutes late and then halfway through he realised that six rows in front of him was somebody standing there whose funeral he had been to two years before and at whose funeral he had actually given the eulogy.”The guy speaking to Peter hadn’t managed, after the funeral, to find the man who had seemingly returned from the dead, but for Peter: “It was definitely a story that I wanted to write!” Continue Reading

Yudhra review: Siddhant Chaturvedi film drives on action but lacks originality

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Siddhant Chaturvedi, Raghav Juyal starrer Yudhra Full Movie Review & Ratings: The new actioner starring Siddhant Chaturvedi, Malavika Mohanan and Raghav Juyal has hit theatres. Check out our review here!

Yudhra Full Movie Review & Ratings: Siddhant Chaturvedi film drives on action but lacks originality

Yudhra
Critic’s Rating:

3 / 5
Cast: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Raghav Juyal, Malavika Mohanan, Ram Kapoor, Gajraj Rao, and Shilpa Shukla.
Director: Ravi Udyawar

New Delhi: Siddhant Chaturvedi and Raghav Juyal’s Yudhra is just another action film that Bollywood has to offer. High-octane action sequences intertwined with revenge drama. Siddhant Chaturvedi pulled off his character in a promising way and Raghav Juyal slays as a villain once again after Kill. However, the film lacks depth and substance. In fact, some sequences even seem illogical and out of the storyline.
However, the film can potentially pull audiences to theatres especially if you love action flicks. The film directed by Ravi Udyawar, also stars Malavika Mohanan, Ram Kapoor, Gajraj Rao, and Shilpa Shukla.
Yudhra movie review: What’s the storyline?
Yudhra chronicles the life journey of Yudhra (Siddhant Chaturvedi), who deals with anger issues. It also shows the backstory of Yudhra where his parents die and then he is born but her mother’s accident while she was pregnant with him, left some damage. He is adopted by his father’s colleague, Gajraj Rao. However, his violent and aggressive nature always brings troubles for him and creates a crack in his relationships.
To solve his anger issues, Rehman (Ram Kapoor) reveals the truth about his parents’ death to Yudhra and asks him to unleash his anger in busting the drug racket and drug mafia Firoze (Raj Arjun) and his son Shafaq (Raghav Juyal).
Yudhra and Rehman strategise and the former enters the drug mafia gang as a confidant but only to take revenge for his parents’ murder.
Yudhra movie review: What works?
Siddhant Chaturvedi channels an angry young man vibe as he kicks and punches during high-octane action scenes. The best part of the film is its action sequences and it seems like the makers have put a lot of energy into getting the perfect punches on-screen. The film from the very start builds up the audience for the final face-off between Siddhant and Raghav. It is a slick action film with intense performances.
Yudhra movie review: What doesn’t work?
As the movie progresses, one might feel that it lacks originality and coherence. At one point, it seems like a recycled version of Bollywood actioners, leaving with a sense of repetition. Some of the scenes also remind you of Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan and Hrithik Roshan’s War. However, the film does have some whistle-worthy moments. However, it still feels underwhelming given the high standards set by Lakshya Lalwani’s Kill or Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan.
Yudhra Movie Review: Performances
Siddhant Chaturvedi shines as an angry young man while Raghav Juyal stands out as a baddie in the film. The cinematography is quite well but the music seems to be forgettable.
Yudhra Movie Review: Conclusion
Overall, Yudhra starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Raghav Juyal is a one-time watch. Siddhant and Raghav get the film going on their shoulders throughout the narrative.

Latest Stories

Next Article

Follow us on social media