Marketing

Thefts from UK convenience stores surge to record level

Theft from convenience stores in the U.K. reached record levels last year, according to a trade body, blaming criminal gangs and a cost-of-living crisis.

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), which represents 48,000 stores, said there were more than 1.1 million incidents in the last 12 months.

Consumption of milk is in further decline this year

The soaring retail prices of milk have led to a further decline in the consumption of the commodity this year, by 5.3% in sales volume terms in the year to April, following the drop registered for the first time in 2022.

Inflation has forced consumers to cut down even on basic food items, also switching away from branded products toward supermarkets' private label offerings.

E-kalathi to be Cyprus’ tool for smart shopping

Based on the Cypriot government's timeline, the introduction of e-kalathi, a new digital platform for monitoring retail product prices, is expected to take place around early 2024. The bill has been given the green light by the Council of Ministers and will soon be presented to the Parliament.

Once passed, e-kalathi will be available as a smartphone application for consumers to use.

Private-label products grow

The share of private-label products reached historic highs in the first two months of 2023, with consumers looking for cheaper solutions due to inflation, while their participation in the Household Basket measure has been considerable.

Streaming films more diverse than cinematic releases

Films released by streaming services are more racially representative and more likely to have female leads than those that debut in theatres, a study released on March 30 showed.

Movies destined for the small screen were almost entirely reflective of the U.S. population, the Hollywood Diversity Report said, with majority-minority casts doing especially well with audiences.

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