NEW REDBRIDGE RESEARCH REVEALS FINANCIALLY STRESSED AUSTRALIANS WILL HURT THE MOST FROM LABOR’S VAPE BAN

The Australian Association of Convenience (AACS) has publicly released the most comprehensive survey report into Australian voter attitudes towards regulating nicotine vaping products. The results from the RedBridge Group survey commissioned by AACS in February reveal a damning assessment of the Albanese Government’s policy failure to regulate vaping products effectively. Key Findings: With 74 per cent of voters agreeing that treating nicotine vapes as a medicine sends the wrong signal to the community, these results serve as a stark warning for the Albanese Government that their impending vaping legislation is deeply unpopular with voters and extremely out of touch with community expectations, AACS CEO Theo Foukkare said. “As Australians battle against a cost-of-living crisis, Health Minister Mark Butler’s laws will cruelly hit the 13 per cent of adults – who are under the most financial stress with a tripling of costs when they are forced to pay $150 for a…

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BP LAUNCHES MADE-TO-ORDER BREAKFAST AND LUNCH OFFER

BP has launched a new food for now concept, offering freshly made breakfast and lunch options with seating areas, The Grocer can reveal. Jo Hayward, VP for convenience in Europe at BP, said it followed a trial at two company-owned sites in Holborough and Byron in 2023, with the concept set to be rolled out to a further 10 sites by April. As an extension of its Wild Bean Cafe brand, which is known for its ‘heat to eat’ pastries, baps, and coffee, the latest evolution consists of an in-store kitchen offering freshly prepared food that is made to order. The new menu includes fish finger sandwiches, avocado, halloumi and egg baps, crispy herby chicken burgers and its bestseller, the ‘big breakfast bap’. Hayward explained the range could be customised to customers’ tastes, such as switching mild mustard mayo for spicy gochujang ketchup, choosing rye or white bread, or requesting a runny egg yolk. “Gone are the days when a Coca-Cola…

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IN JAPAN, 7-ELEVEN TESTS A STORE AIMED AT WOMEN AND FAMILIES

7-Eleven unveiled a new store in a suburb of Tokyo that will have more than twice the number of products and is almost double the size of regular 7-Elevens. “Our stores are currently not as popular with women, families and younger people,” Keisuke Yamaguchi, an executive officer of Seven & i, said. “How to balance that is our biggest concern when choosing what items to have in the store.” According to the Business Times, the new trial 7-Eleven carries easy-to-prepare groceries, baby products, trendy makeup and other items that are not usually carried at 21,500 outlets across Japan. At the new store are about 2,000 additional products, including fresh fruit, diapers and hair-care products. There will be a larger cafe menu, as well as freshly baked breads and pizza. 7-Elevens in Japan offer everything from fresh food to concert tickets to delivery packages in one place, said the Times. Still, the retailer…

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WHOLE FOODS TO DEBUT NEW SMALL-FORMAT STORES

The Amazon-owned grocer’s Whole Foods Market Daily Shop concept aims to offer urban residents a scaled-down shopping experience. Dive Brief: Dive Insight: Several years after shuttering its 365 store concept, Whole Foods is taking another crack at small-format grocery stores. Whole Foods Market Daily Shops will range between 7,000 and 14,000 square feet, about a quarter to half the size of Whole Foods’ traditional 40,000 square foot stores. The new concept will offer grab-and-go meal and snack options as well as grocery essentials, according to an emailed press release.   The smaller locations will also house produce, meat and seafood, bread, alcohol, supplements, local products and Whole Foods’ 365 private brand products. The Manhattan location opening this year will also offer Juice & Java coffee, tea, fresh pressed juices, sandwiches, soups and desserts. The first small-format location is slated to open later this year on the Upper East Side of Manhattan at…

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FIVE TECH TRENDS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN 2024

In the early 2000s, accessing the internet was through a dial-up connection which could take anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes to establish a connection. In 2023, generative AI tools can generate poems, short stories and complex legal and medical documents in a matter of seconds. The pace of technological change is accelerating and it’s reshaping just about every aspect of how we live, work, socialise and play. While Xero’s Future Focus research reveals small businesses are more optimistic, and even intrigued, about the potential of emerging technologies than doom and gloom, many wish there was more education and resources to navigate a rapidly changing world. To help small businesses and their advisors plan ahead, I’ve looked at separating the hype from reality to uncover the top five technology trends that may impact the small business landscape in 2024. Trend #1: The AI-augmented creativity boom This year saw generative AI…

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SIX PEOPLE ARRESTED OVER ALLEGED $15 MILLION ILLICIT TOBACCO IMPORT INTO VICTORIA

Six Melbourne men including some with alleged links to a suspected Middle Eastern crime family have been charged for allegedly trying to import 10 million illicit cigarettes into Victoria after a 16-month, extensive investigation. The AFP and Victoria Police, under the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF) with seconded members from the Illicit Tobacco Taskforce, will allege some of the men work for freight and transport logistics companies in trusted positions. The six men will face the Melbourne Magistrates court today (28 February 2024), and face up 10 years’ imprisonment for the alleged importation, which had an estimated value of $15 million. It will be additionally alleged the syndicate attempted to avoid paying millions of dollars in Commonwealth excise. They have been charged as part of the ongoing JOCTF investigation, codenamed Operation Tyers. Search warrants were executed yesterday (27 February 2024) at a number of businesses and homes in Melbourne’s…

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