Latest news with #Caramac
The Sun
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Deliveroo sees huge shares jump after £2.8billion takeover offer from US firm
A TAKEOVER offer of £2.8billion has lifted Deliveroo shares to their best day on the stock market. The takeaway delivery service — once called the 'worst listing in history' — saw the jump after saying it was minded to accept a rival's approach. 3 Deliveroo on Friday night signalled a deal with goliath US service Doordash would go ahead, following almost a year of on-off talks. Shares in the British firm yesterday rallied 23.4p higher — or 16.6 per cent — to 170.9p, which would value the business at £2.56billion. It is thought that a deal valuing Deliveroo's shares at 180p each in cash will be confirmed later this week. At that price, its founder and CEO Will Shu will land a £172million payday for his remaining shares. Just two months ago, Mr Shu quashed rumours he had plans to step down. He may choose to stay with the prospective combined business. It is understood that the Deliveroo brand name will not be leaving the UK. DoorDash previously kept the name Wolt going in Europe and Asia after its takeover of the Finnish delivery service back in 2022. The Deliveroo takeover marks the end of a City rollercoaster for the firm, and shows how DoorDash and its British counterpart — which have strikingly similar beginnings and business models — saw very different fortunes. They were both started in 2013 by entrepreneurs, and floated in 2021 on the back of the global Covid pandemic sparking a surge in demand for online food deliveries. From Campbell's soup to Caramac and Lilt - the iconic foods disappearing from supermarket shelves But while DoorDash has grown to operate in 30 countries to be now worth £58billion, Deliveroo has only just turned a £3million maiden profit and has been exiting some international markets. Deliveroo won back some confidence lately after broadening from just takeaways to retail deliveries with tie-ups with supermarkets, B&Q, and even Ann Summers. But it has never lived up to its £7.6billion stock market valuation from its initial listing in 2021. Despite being hailed by then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak as a 'true British tech success story', its shares lost 30 per cent of their value within the first few days, and it never recovered. The failure was blamed on poor timing as lockdowns eased, as well as the growth of rivals. There were also concerns over its zero-hour contracts model. The deal with DoorDash follows similar negotiations at other takeaway firms. In February, Just Eat was acquired by investment group Prosus for £3.5billion. BUSINESS ANALYSIS AROUND 100 years ago, food deliveries by bike were common. That's how Greggs started — with founder John Gregg taking eggs and yeast to Newcastle families on his pushbike. When Deliveroo started in 2013, cynics questioned if it was just squandering millions of pounds to do the same thing. It was hardly reinventing the wheel, they argued, even if a whizzy app meant it was considered a technology firm. At the time of Deliveroo's failed listing in 2021, there had just been an explosion of fast-growing rivals like Gorillas, Zapp, Uber Eats and Getir. At the same time, the easing of lockdowns meant a fall in demand for takeaways. A flurry of deals saw US service Gopuff shore up most start-ups, while investors at Prosus gobbled up Just Eat. What has become clear is that food delivery tech firms need plenty of dough. By combining with DoorDash, Deliveroo will have a better chance of keeping the wheels of its couriers' bikes turning. THEME BARK ON PAW Patrol will be 'there on the double' after Merlin Entertainments struck a deal for a theme park dedicated to the cartoon pups. The leisure giant, which runs Madame Tussauds and Legoland Windsor, said it had struck a partnership with Paramount to bring the animated characters to Chessington World of Adventures in South West London. 3 It will be the UK's first Paw Patrol-themed resort with four themed rides, dedicated hotels, plus a shop for parents to spend cash on merch for the kids. Fiona Eastwood, boss of Merlin Entertainments, said the partnership 'builds on our expanding offer to families with younger children, a key audience for us as part of our future growth plans'. Paw Patrol, which follows the adventures of Ryder and his team of heroic rescue pups ready to save the day, was first released on Canadian TV in 2013. UK fans first got to watch it on Channel 5's Milkshake! slot a few months later. It has since become a successful franchise with two theatrical films. Its most recent, The Mighty Movie, made £152million at the global box office from a budget of £22million. FRENCH FANCY ITV THE French entertainment giant which produces Peaky Blinders and Big Brother is said to be exploring a takeover of ITV. Banijay Group has held early talks with ITV bosses about a full acquisition or buying just its studio production business, according to the Financial Times. Analysts reckon ITV studios could be worth £3billion alone. Despite the takeover interest, shares in ITV yesterday dipped by 4.3 per cent, valuing the whole business at £2.89billion. A LIDL BIT MORE LIDL is investing half a billion pounds in Britain this year as it sets its sights on crossing the milestone of 1,000 stores. The discount supermarket, which already has 980 shops here, plans to open another 40 during 2025. It also wants a new distribution centre on top of its 14 existing locations. The chain has welcomed Government planning reforms — having previously complained about rivals blocking new stores. Lidl's Richard Taylor said it would aid the 'kind of growth we are working towards'. THE GOING RATES MINISTERS are ramping up their regulators bonfire by scrapping the Valuation Office Agency, which sets business rates and collects council tax. It will be rolled directly into HMRC from next April. Treasury Minister James Murray said it will end inefficient duplication of agencies, plus 'drive change faster and improve value for money'. The VOA has been criticised for inaccuracies and unfairness in setting business rates. But experts at Colliers fear politicising the VOA may cause issues for ratepayers. HACKERS HIT M&S FOR £28M MARKS & SPENCER has missed out on around £28million of sales since a cyber attack forced it to suspend online orders on Friday. Hackers first targeted the retailer over the Easter weekend, initially affecting contactless payments and click and collect orders. 3 But M&S paused online shopping via its website and app on Friday, which experts said showed hackers were deep in its systems. More than £700million has been wiped off the company's market valuation since the cyber attack started. M&S said customer data had not been affected but it could not say when normal service would resume. Staff are having to fulfil click and collect orders manually. Agency workers at its warehouse in Castle Donington, Leics, were told they were not needed yesterday because there was much less 'picking and packing' to be done. A.I'LL GO TO SHOPS CHATGPT maker OpenAI is launching a new search tool that turns its chatbot into a personal shopper. The function will allow it to trawl the internet for home, fashion, and beauty products — and produces personalised recommendations tailored to budget and reviews. Users can, for example, ask ChatGPT to 'find a T-shirt under £30 to match my red Adidas trainers' or to find a sofa or bookshelf to fit a certain space.
Scottish Sun
28-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Deliveroo sees huge shares jump after £2.8billion takeover offer from US firm
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TAKEOVER offer of £2.8billion has lifted Deliveroo shares to their best day on the stock market. The takeaway delivery service — once called the 'worst listing in history' — saw the jump after saying it was minded to accept a rival's approach. 3 A takeover offer of £2.8billion from Doordash has lifted Deliveroo shares to their best day on the stock market Deliveroo on Friday night signalled a deal with goliath US service Doordash would go ahead, following almost a year of on-off talks. Shares in the British firm yesterday rallied 23.4p higher — or 16.6 per cent — to 170.9p, which would value the business at £2.56billion. It is thought that a deal valuing Deliveroo's shares at 180p each in cash will be confirmed later this week. At that price, its founder and CEO Will Shu will land a £172million payday for his remaining shares. Just two months ago, Mr Shu quashed rumours he had plans to step down. He may choose to stay with the prospective combined business. It is understood that the Deliveroo brand name will not be leaving the UK. DoorDash previously kept the name Wolt going in Europe and Asia after its takeover of the Finnish delivery service back in 2022. The Deliveroo takeover marks the end of a City rollercoaster for the firm, and shows how DoorDash and its British counterpart — which have strikingly similar beginnings and business models — saw very different fortunes. They were both started in 2013 by entrepreneurs, and floated in 2021 on the back of the global Covid pandemic sparking a surge in demand for online food deliveries. From Campbell's soup to Caramac and Lilt - the iconic foods disappearing from supermarket shelves But while DoorDash has grown to operate in 30 countries to be now worth £58billion, Deliveroo has only just turned a £3million maiden profit and has been exiting some international markets. Deliveroo won back some confidence lately after broadening from just takeaways to retail deliveries with tie-ups with supermarkets, B&Q, and even Ann Summers. But it has never lived up to its £7.6billion stock market valuation from its initial listing in 2021. Despite being hailed by then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak as a 'true British tech success story', its shares lost 30 per cent of their value within the first few days, and it never recovered. The failure was blamed on poor timing as lockdowns eased, as well as the growth of rivals. There were also concerns over its zero-hour contracts model. The deal with DoorDash follows similar negotiations at other takeaway firms. In February, Just Eat was acquired by investment group Prosus for £3.5billion. BUSINESS ANALYSIS AROUND 100 years ago, food deliveries by bike were common. That's how Greggs started — with founder John Gregg taking eggs and yeast to Newcastle families on his pushbike. When Deliveroo started in 2013, cynics questioned if it was just squandering millions of pounds to do the same thing. It was hardly reinventing the wheel, they argued, even if a whizzy app meant it was considered a technology firm. At the time of Deliveroo's failed listing in 2021, there had just been an explosion of fast-growing rivals like Gorillas, Zapp, Uber Eats and Getir. At the same time, the easing of lockdowns meant a fall in demand for takeaways. A flurry of deals saw US service Gopuff shore up most start-ups, while investors at Prosus gobbled up Just Eat. What has become clear is that food delivery tech firms need plenty of dough. By combining with DoorDash, Deliveroo will have a better chance of keeping the wheels of its couriers' bikes turning. THEME BARK ON PAW Patrol will be 'there on the double' after Merlin Entertainments struck a deal for a theme park dedicated to the cartoon pups. The leisure giant, which runs Madame Tussauds and Legoland Windsor, said it had struck a partnership with Paramount to bring the animated characters to Chessington World of Adventures in South West London. 3 Merlin Entertainments has struck a deal for a Paw Patrol theme park It will be the UK's first Paw Patrol-themed resort with four themed rides, dedicated hotels, plus a shop for parents to spend cash on merch for the kids. Fiona Eastwood, boss of Merlin Entertainments, said the partnership 'builds on our expanding offer to families with younger children, a key audience for us as part of our future growth plans'. Paw Patrol, which follows the adventures of Ryder and his team of heroic rescue pups ready to save the day, was first released on Canadian TV in 2013. UK fans first got to watch it on Channel 5's Milkshake! slot a few months later. It has since become a successful franchise with two theatrical films. Its most recent, The Mighty Movie, made £152million at the global box office from a budget of £22million. FRENCH FANCY ITV THE French entertainment giant which produces Peaky Blinders and Big Brother is said to be exploring a takeover of ITV. Banijay Group has held early talks with ITV bosses about a full acquisition or buying just its studio production business, according to the Financial Times. Analysts reckon ITV studios could be worth £3billion alone. Despite the takeover interest, shares in ITV yesterday dipped by 4.3 per cent, valuing the whole business at £2.89billion. A LIDL BIT MORE LIDL is investing half a billion pounds in Britain this year as it sets its sights on crossing the milestone of 1,000 stores. The discount supermarket, which already has 980 shops here, plans to open another 40 during 2025. It also wants a new distribution centre on top of its 14 existing locations. The chain has welcomed Government planning reforms — having previously complained about rivals blocking new stores. Lidl's Richard Taylor said it would aid the 'kind of growth we are working towards'. THE GOING RATES MINISTERS are ramping up their regulators bonfire by scrapping the Valuation Office Agency, which sets business rates and collects council tax. It will be rolled directly into HMRC from next April. Treasury Minister James Murray said it will end inefficient duplication of agencies, plus 'drive change faster and improve value for money'. The VOA has been criticised for inaccuracies and unfairness in setting business rates. But experts at Colliers fear politicising the VOA may cause issues for ratepayers. RENTS outside London have hit a record high of £1,349 a month after a 0.6 per cent increase in the last quarter, according to Rightmove. The average in the capital rose to £2,698, despite more properties coming on to the market. HACKERS HIT M&S FOR £28M MARKS & SPENCER has missed out on around £28million of sales since a cyber attack forced it to suspend online orders on Friday. Hackers first targeted the retailer over the Easter weekend, initially affecting contactless payments and click and collect orders. 3 Marks & Spencer has missed out on around £28million of sales since the Easter cyber attack Credit: Getty But M&S paused online shopping via its website and app on Friday, which experts said showed hackers were deep in its systems. More than £700million has been wiped off the company's market valuation since the cyber attack started. M&S said customer data had not been affected but it could not say when normal service would resume. Staff are having to fulfil click and collect orders manually. Agency workers at its warehouse in Castle Donington, Leics, were told they were not needed yesterday because there was much less 'picking and packing' to be done. A.I'LL GO TO SHOPS CHATGPT maker OpenAI is launching a new search tool that turns its chatbot into a personal shopper. The function will allow it to trawl the internet for home, fashion, and beauty products — and produces personalised recommendations tailored to budget and reviews. Users can, for example, ask ChatGPT to 'find a T-shirt under £30 to match my red Adidas trainers' or to find a sofa or bookshelf to fit a certain space. Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
Metro
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Shoppers go wild as retro favourite sweet from 80s returns to supermarkets
A number of retro treats have returned to supermarket shelves over the last few months – from the 80s Tunis cake to chocolate bars discontinued in the 90s. And now another firm favourite is back and shoppers couldn't be more excited to nab themselves a pack. If you were born before 1998, you might remember sweets called Opal Fruits – which today are better known by a very different name, as they were rebranded as Starburst in the late 90s. Well good news if you miss the OG version, as Mars Wrigley has just brought the original Opal Fruits back and they'll be available to buy in Sainsbury's, Tesco and Morrisons stores. However, there is a catch. Opal Fruits will only be back for a limited time, so you'll have to be quick if you want to enjoy a hit of fruity nostalgia. The sweets, which were incredibly popular in the 70s and 80s, will be sold in 138g pouches containing strawberry, lemon, orange and lime flavours. First launched in 1960, the rebranded treat has made several brief comebacks over the years, being sold in 2021 and 2024. Mars Wrigley previously said the last time would be the 'final time' they returned, but clearly they've had a change of heart. Florence McGivern, Skittles Senior Brand Manager commented: 'Our new limited-edition Opal Fruits will be as iconic as it was in the 90's, giving fans the chance to revisit the strawberry, lemon, orange and lime flavours from decades ago. 'The nostalgia trend continues to resonate strongly with consumers, and we are giving them the chance to reconnect with memories from that time.' She added: 'This limited edition follows successful runs in 2021 and 2024, and we are especially excited about this release as we continue to celebrate the rich heritage of an iconic brand.' Shoppers were thrilled by this, with many saying they 'needed' to grab a bag, the sweets 'made their mouth water' and that it was a 'reset'. More Trending For those that don't manage to get their hands on the sweets, you could always head over to your nearest Iceland, where Opal Fruits ice lollies are being sold. And if you're more of a chocolate person that a sweet lover, you might prefer to know that a discontinued chocolate bar also made a comeback recently. Caramac, was axed by Nestlé in 2023 after being produced for more than 60 years and many were distraught to see it go. However, it has since been spotted in Heron Foods. The retailer is currently selling the chocolate bar in packs of three for just £1 – and with more than 340 stores nationwide, you'll likely be able to nab yourself some. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ View More » MORE: How many of these 90s TV and movie icons do you recognise today? MORE: 'Extremely good' Morrisons wines under £13 you need to try this summer MORE: Why does Hawaii love Spam so much?
The Irish Sun
24-04-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Chocolate and coffee giant Nestle confirms huge price hikes of supermarket favourites
KITKAT and Nespresso maker Nestle has revealed it's hiked the cost of its coffee and chocolate for customers. The Swiss company said it's raised its prices by 2.1% overall - but for some items the hikes are in the double digits. 1 The chocolate and coffee maker says it has seen costs increase so has passed on these hikes to customers It blamed surging costs of coffee beans and chocolate. "Despite the significant level of the increases in many markets, the actions were implemented with limited customer disruption," Nestle said. Nestle produces a range of products, including chocolates, sweets, cereals, drinks, ice cream and pet foods. Among its popular brands are Aero, Milkybar, Smarties, Nesquik, Milo, Haagen Dazs, San Pellegrino, and Felix cat food. The company said it had better-than-expected sales growth of 2.8% in the first three months of the year. The higher prices accounted for much of the rise. Nestle said it had seen demand drop significantly following the price increases but it is now bouncing back. It also warned there could be further impacts on customers due to higher global tariffs. Most read in Money US President Donald Trump recently launched a global trade war when he announced major tariffs on dozens of countries. The move has raised fears of a global recession, sent stock markets tumbling and caused economic uncertainty for businesses trading internationally. Nestle brings back Caramac bars for a limited time Mr Trump has called on American companies to produce their products in the US to avoid costly tariffs. But for chocolate makers this is near impossible as the key ingredient, cocoa, can only be grown in tropical climates. On top of this, the price of cocoa has soared in recent years. Farmers in West Africa, where 70% of the world's cocoa is harvested, have been struggling with climate-related issues that have decimated their cocoa production. It's estimated 400,000 tons less of cocoa has been produced over the last few years, hiking the price significantly. Over the last few decades, cocoa had cost around $2,000 a ton. Last year it peaked at more than $12,000. Nestle is not the only chocolate maker to have been forced to hike its prices as a result. America's biggest chocolate producer, Hershey, last year raised the prices of its products. It then saw falling customer demand and had its worst profit in seven years in 2024. Swiss brand Lindt also said last month it would need to increase its prices by double digit percentages to offset the high cocoa prices. Read more on the Irish Sun It had already hiked its prices by 6.3% in 2024. Chief financial officer Martin Hug said at the time: "Chocolate in the future will be more expensive than it has been two or three years ago. That's not just Lindt chocolate, that's chocolate in general." How to save money on chocolate We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar. Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs... Go own brand - if you're not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you'll save by going for the supermarket's own brand bars. Shop around - if you've spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it's cheaper elsewhere. Websites like let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you're getting the best deal. Look out for yellow stickers - supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they've been reduced. They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged. Buy bigger bars - most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar. So if you've got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.
Express Tribune
18-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Toblerone discontinues iconic dark chocolate bar in UK, disappoints fans
Listen to article Toblerone has confirmed it has discontinued its iconic dark chocolate bar in the UK, sparking disappointment among loyal fans of the iconic triangular treat. The Swiss chocolate brand, owned by global food giant Mondelez, revealed it has stopped the production of the Toblerone Dark 360g bar. A spokesperson for the company stated: 'We have made the difficult decision to discontinue Toblerone Dark (360g) bars in the UK. While we understand that this may be disappointing for some consumers, we continue to invest in Toblerone and its core range.' The decision follows weeks of speculation on social media, with fans noticing the bar's disappearance from shelves and online retailers. Some consumers even reached out to Toblerone on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, asking where they could find the product. 'Has dark chocolate Toblerone been discontinued in the UK?' asked one user, echoing the concern of many. Despite being a favorite for those who prefer a more bitter chocolate experience, the dark chocolate Toblerone joins a growing list of discontinued confectionery in the UK, including Mars' dark chocolate Bounty and Nestlé's Caramac. However, milk and white chocolate versions of Toblerone remain widely available in UK supermarkets and duty-free outlets. Fans have expressed frustration and sadness, with some turning to online platforms like Amazon to secure remaining stock—where prices have surged to as much as £25 per multi-pack. While Mondelez has not specified the reason beyond business considerations, the move reflects broader industry trends where niche or lower-selling products are phased out in favor of more popular items. Despite the backlash, the company assures consumers that the brand continues to innovate and evolve. 'We remain committed to offering high-quality chocolate experiences,' the spokesperson added. For now, dark chocolate lovers may have to look elsewhere for their cocoa fix.
