Latest news with #Scandinavian-inspired
Scotsman
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Win a Dorset holiday home & £69k Audi for just 99p with BOTB
The stunning Dorset holiday home and sleek Audi RS6 up for grabs in BOTB's dream prize draw. | BOTB This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. A luxury holiday home, a £69k Audi, and £30k furnishings could be yours for less than £1 — here's how to enter BOTB's latest dream prize draw. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Imagine owning a luxury lakeside holiday home in Dorset worth £725,000, complete with £30,000 of designer furnishings and a £69,000 Audi RS6 on your driveway — all for less than the price of a coffee. BOTB is giving you the chance to make it happen, and tickets are just 99p if you enter by Monday, July 28. This four-bedroom, Scandinavian-inspired retreat sits on the exclusive Silverlake estate near Dorchester, surrounded by nature, walking trails, tennis courts, and its own spa. Inside, it's a masterclass in modern design: open-plan living, a log burner, balcony views and three sleek bathrooms, all opening out to a west-facing garden and deck. You'll also enjoy the peace of mind of a secure, private estate, with access to beautifully landscaped grounds, lakeside views, a boat store, and even a membership to the luxurious Hurricane Spa. Whether you're entertaining friends on the full-width decking or soaking up sunsets on the balcony, this home is designed for total relaxation and style. And the Audi RS6 is no less impressive. This Ibis White German powerhouse boasts a twin-turbocharged V8 engine with 591bhp, roaring from 0 to 60mph in just 3.6 seconds. Its striking 22' Golden Vossen alloys and aggressive stance make it a head-turner everywhere you go — a perfect companion for your new luxury lifestyle. That's not all: BOTB also offers three alternative prize options if you'd prefer cash in the bank — including a full cash alternative of £571,000. But with tickets at just 99p, why not take your shot at the full dream package? Don't miss out — enter now at BOTB for just 99p and you could be unlocking the door to your dream lifestyle. MySweetSmile Get wedding photo-ready with MySweetSmile's gentle teeth whitening range £ 20.99 Buy now Buy now Wedding season is here — and so are all the photos you'll treasure forever. Whether you're the bride, the groom or just a guest, you'll want a confident, glowing smile in every shot. That's where MySweetSmile comes in. This UK best-seller promises peroxide-free, gentle whitening that fits effortlessly into your routine. From their teeth whitening powder for brides to quick-fix strips for guests and a handy pen for grooms, you'll be ready for your close-up on the big day. Shop the full MySweetSmile wedding-ready range here.
Scotsman
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Win a Dorset holiday home & £69k Audi for just 99p with BOTB
The stunning Dorset holiday home and sleek Audi RS6 up for grabs in BOTB's dream prize draw. | BOTB This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. A luxury holiday home, a £69k Audi, and £30k furnishings could be yours for less than £1 — here's how to enter BOTB's latest dream prize draw. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Imagine owning a luxury lakeside holiday home in Dorset worth £725,000, complete with £30,000 of designer furnishings and a £69,000 Audi RS6 on your driveway — all for less than the price of a coffee. BOTB is giving you the chance to make it happen, and tickets are just 99p if you enter by Monday, July 28. This four-bedroom, Scandinavian-inspired retreat sits on the exclusive Silverlake estate near Dorchester, surrounded by nature, walking trails, tennis courts, and its own spa. Inside, it's a masterclass in modern design: open-plan living, a log burner, balcony views and three sleek bathrooms, all opening out to a west-facing garden and deck. You'll also enjoy the peace of mind of a secure, private estate, with access to beautifully landscaped grounds, lakeside views, a boat store, and even a membership to the luxurious Hurricane Spa. Whether you're entertaining friends on the full-width decking or soaking up sunsets on the balcony, this home is designed for total relaxation and style. And the Audi RS6 is no less impressive. This Ibis White German powerhouse boasts a twin-turbocharged V8 engine with 591bhp, roaring from 0 to 60mph in just 3.6 seconds. Its striking 22' Golden Vossen alloys and aggressive stance make it a head-turner everywhere you go — a perfect companion for your new luxury lifestyle. That's not all: BOTB also offers three alternative prize options if you'd prefer cash in the bank — including a full cash alternative of £571,000. But with tickets at just 99p, why not take your shot at the full dream package? Don't miss out — enter now at BOTB for just 99p and you could be unlocking the door to your dream lifestyle.
Boston Globe
10-07-2025
- Boston Globe
Night sky lessons from a leading astronomer, and a floating spa on Vancouver Island
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Havn Saunas, located in a renovated World War II barge (pictured here), offers an unplugged, pampering experience in the heart of Victoria, B.C., with cedar saunas, cold plunges, Jacuzzis, a salt scrub room, and a cozy relaxation room. (Kari Bodnarchuk) Advertisement THERE Visit this floating spa on Vancouver Island Step off a wharf in downtown Victoria, B.C., and onto a historic barge that's been transformed into a Scandinavian-inspired floating wellness sanctuary. Havn Saunas, located in a renovated World War II barge, offers an unplugged (no phones allowed) pampering experience in the heart of the city with cedar saunas, cold plunges, Jacuzzis, a salt scrub room, and a cozy relaxation room. The two-story ship, built in Tacoma in 1943, was renovated in part using old-growth cedar collected along beaches on Vancouver Island. Relax in the rooftop mineral pools and watch water taxis as they crisscross the harbor, small float planes resting at a nearby dock, and views of the city's grandiose Parliament Buildings and Fairmont Empress Hotel. Then order a rejuvenating elixir and healthy snack at the first-floor café and recline on oversize loungers. Anyone 19 and older can enjoy Havn's hot-and-cold therapy experience. One of the many highlights: The salt scrub room, where you can scoop fine-grained salt from a barrel and use it for an exfoliating body scrub. Guests book a two- or three-hour time slot, which helps prevent the facility from getting overcrowded. Rates: approximately $67 for a three-hour entry during the day and $60 for a two-hour pass at night (times vary). Open year-round. , Advertisement Sonos has released its first-ever headphones, the Sonos Ace (pictured here). Sonos EVERYWHERE Enjoy superb sound with these headphones Whether traveling by train, plane, or automobile, consider the Sonos Ace headphones, which deliver outstanding high-fidelity sound and one of the best experiences I've had with Active Noise Cancellation technology. The over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones — Sonos' first foray into the headphone market — incorporate spatial audio with head tracking, meaning super realistic three-dimensional sound (you'll feel like you're in the middle of a theater) and top-notch ANC features that tamps down the sound of engines and unwanted ambient noise; set it for Aware mode if you need to maintain awareness of your surroundings. Music sounds well-balanced and crisp with robust bass that's not overly punchy. The headphones have a smooth and easy-to-use switch that lets you adjust volume, pause sound, skip forward or backward for songs, and answer, decline, or end calls. They also have built-in sensors that pause playback when you take them off and resume when you put the headphones back on. The Sonos Ace hug your head and offer enough spaciousness on the ear cups so they're comfortable on long-haul flights (those ear cups are magnetically attached and can easily be replaced if needed — a handy feature). The headphones weigh about 11 ounces, have swivel ear cups so you can easily pack them for travel (in the included hard case or in your bag), and come with a USB-C-to-3.5mm cable that lets you plug the Ace into the headphone port on your smartphone or computer for a wired option. Their internal battery lasts up to 30 hours so you can enjoy them while crossing the globe. $449. Advertisement KARI BODNARCHUK Kari Bodnarchuk can be reached at
The Irish Sun
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Major clothing retailer loved by Kate Middleton collapses into administration and website is shut down
A MAJOR clothing retailer beloved by Kate Middleton had crashed into administration. Seraphine, the maternity fashion retailer beloved by the Princess of Wales, has stopped trading leaving the "majority" of its 95 staff redundant. Advertisement 3 Seraphine became a household name after Kate Middleton wore its designs during her three pregnancies Credit: Getty 3 But the retailer, founded in London in 2002, was hit hard by 'rising costs and brittle consumer confidence', according to its administrators Credit: Getty 3 Cécile Reinaud, who founded the company but left in 2021, has been critical of the direction it took after her departure Credit: Richard Pohle Known for its stylish maternity wear, Seraphine became a household name after Kate Middleton wore its designs during her three pregnancies. The brand's popularity soared, with items selling out after she was spotted in them. At its peak, Seraphine had 10 stores around the world, including in New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Paris. However, consultancy firm Interpath confirmed on Monday that it had been appointed as administrators for the company. Advertisement The retailer, founded in London in 2002, was hit hard by "rising costs and brittle consumer confidence," according to Will Wright, UK chief executive of Interpath. He said these economic challenges had proved "too challenging to overcome." Seraphine's flagship store on Kensington High Street and its online shop are now closed, with its website previously offering discounts of up to 60% before becoming inaccessible to shoppers. The retailer's goods were also stocked in well-known outlets like John Lewis and Next. Advertisement Most read in Money The company had been struggling financially for some time. After listing on the London Stock Exchange in 2021 with a valuation of £150m, Seraphine was taken back into private ownership in 2023 when its value had fallen to just £15.3million. Despite a relaunch in April focusing on "form, function and fit," the brand was unable to recover. Popular retailer to RETURN 13 years after collapsing into administration and shutting 236 stores Interpath says it is now exploring options for the business, including selling its assets and the Seraphine brand. If no buyer is found, the company will be shut down entirely, and its saleable assets liquidated. Advertisement Cécile Reinaud, who founded the company but left in 2021, has been critical of the direction it took after her departure. She recently opposed the loss of Seraphine's "unique British heritage" and its signature regal purple branding, which were replaced with a Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic. She said: "My original vision was to create clothes you'd want to wear even if you weren't pregnant. What does it mean when a company goes into administration? ADMINISTRATION is when all control of a company is passed to an appointed to a licensed insolvency practitioner. It doesn't necessarily mean the end of the business. Instead, administrators will try to help a company find ways to repay debts or solve its cashflow problems. Administration can last anywhere from a few weeks to up to a year or more. But if the administration process can't rescue the company or find a new owner, this can lead to liquidation. Liquidation is the process of selling all assets and then dissolving the company completely. "That guiding principle seems to have vanished now." Advertisement Despite its struggles, Seraphine was once a darling of the high street, dressing celebrities like Anne Hathaway, The Princess of Wales even wore the brand for the first official family portrait after Prince George's birth. Staff who lost their jobs because of the company's closure will be helped to make claims for redundancy payments, Interpath said. What are my rights if I'm made redundant? YOU are entitled to statutory redundancy pay if you have worked for your employer for two years or more. The statutory rate is based on your age, weekly pay and number of years in the job. You will get: Half a week's pay for each full year you worked aged under 22 One week's pay for each full year you worked aged 22 or older, but under 41 One and half week's pay for each full year you worked while aged 41 or older. You cannot be paid less than the statutory amount. If you were made redundant on or after April 6 2025, your weekly pay is capped at £719 and the maximum statutory redundancy pay you can get is £21,570. The government has a You may get more than this statutory amount if your employer has a redundancy scheme. Customers are unlikely to receive their orders unless they've already been shipped. Advertisement However, certain card protections will grant you the power to get a refund. If you paid via finance, then you must contact the provider directly. If you've paid for an order via a credit card , you should contact your provider and claim the deposit under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. To make a valid claim the goods or service you bought must have cost over £100 and not more than £30,000. Advertisement It means that if you pay for a big purchase on your credit card and something happens - like the goods aren't delivered or the shop goes bust - your card provider is just as responsible as the retailer for refunding you. Section 75 also applies to goods bought in-store, online, over the phone or mail order. To make a claim, contact your credit card provider - your first port of call should be its customer services phone number - and tell them you want to make a claim under Section 75. It should then send you a claim form, which you can fill in, and your provider will use to process your application. Advertisement You cannot make a Section 75 claim if you paid by debit card. However, these customers have another means to request a refund. Chargeback is a consumer protection mechanism that allows individuals to request a refund from their bank or card issuer if they encounter issues with a purchase made using a credit or debit card. While chargeback is not a legal right in the UK, it is part of the voluntary schemes run by card networks like Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, and is widely supported by banks and financial institutions. Advertisement Here, your bank will try to get your money back from Seraphine's bank. You typically have 120 days from the date of the transaction to submit a claim. Usually, it's just a phone call where you tell the card firm what happened and ask it to do a chargeback. Once you've spoken to your bank you'll need to provide the full details of your transaction with Carpetright. Advertisement Some banks will ask you to fill out a claim form. The chain's administrators haven't confirmed how to claim cash refunds yet. Why is the retail sector struggling? The retail sector has struggled in recent years due to the onset of online shopping and lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic. Higher inflation since 2022 has also hit shoppers' budgets while businesses have struggled with higher wage, tax and energy costs. Advertisement Last month, Polish owner Pepco Group sold Poundland to US investment firm Gordon Brothers for £1 after a downturn in trading. The new owners are now asking the court for permission to close 68 stores and negotiate lower rents on others, with up to 82 more stores potentially shutting in the future. Both Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop are also shutting branches as part of restructuring efforts. Higher inflation since 2022 has also hit shoppers' budgets while businesses have struggled with higher wage, tax and energy costs. Advertisement Read more on the Irish Sun The Centre for Retail Research has described the sector as going through a "permacrisis" since the 2008 financial crash. Figures from the Centre also show 34 retail companies operating multiple stores stopped trading in 2024, leading to the closure of 7,537 shops. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce showed that more than half of companies planned to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms also found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.
Straits Times
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Labubu T-shirts, sweatshirts to be launched in Singapore by Uniqlo in September
The tie-up with Uniqlo will consist of 14 styles of T-shirts and sweatshirts. PHOTO: UNIQLO Labubu T-shirts, sweatshirts to be launched in Singapore by Uniqlo in September SINGAPORE - Come September , fans of the wildly popular Labubu cartoon characters in Singapore will be able to buy T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring the playful elves in the latest special collection from Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo. The tie-up with Uniqlo will consist of 14 styles of T-shirts and sweatshirts , and will be priced between $14.90 and $39.90 . Uniqlo said the collection will be in women's and girls' sizes, and suggested that male customers check sizes when making a purchase. Uniqlo added that it is expecting high demand for the collection but will not be implementing a purchasing limit for each customer. Labubu characters – said to be elf-like creatures that live in a Nordic forest – were created in 2015 by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung as part of his Scandinavian-inspired series The Monsters. Prices for the collection range from $14.90 to $39.90. PHOTO: UNIQLO Pop stars including Rihanna and Dua Lipa have been seen with Labubu dolls, which are sold by Chinese toymaker Pop Mart. They are now highly popular collectible merchandise in Singapore and around the world. On June 28, snack-themed Labubu dolls attracted about 160 fans at Pop Mart's Ion Orchard store, with some customers arriving before dawn. The queue for the last Labubu release at the same store in April 2025 started forming at 2am . Limited-edition Labubu dolls are often sold for exorbitant prices on the resale market. A check by The Straits Times on online marketplace Carousell on June 30 found limited-edition Labubu dolls being resold for as much as $8,000 . The high demand for the dolls has also led to the growth of counterfeit products and smuggling of these items. Uniqlo's past tie-ups include clothes featuring animated characters such as Mofusand and popular anime series Demon Slayer, and collaborations with luxury designers like J onathan Anderson , who most recently worked with Dior for its men's summer 2026 collection. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
