logo
ENFRع
#

Latest news with #pricing

Microsoft backtracks on $80 The Outer Worlds 2 pricing
Microsoft backtracks on $80 The Outer Worlds 2 pricing

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • Yahoo

Microsoft backtracks on $80 The Outer Worlds 2 pricing

There's hope that the gaming industry won't follow Nintendo's lead with $80 pricing. (Well, at least not yet.) On Wednesday, Microsoft backtracked on the price increase for The Outer Worlds 2. The game now costs $70, which itself was considered outrageous only a few years ago. Microsoft toldWindows Central that those who already pre-ordered Obsidian's shooter at $80 can get refunds at the point of purchase. Unfortunately, you can't simply get a $10 price adjustment. You'll have to refund the full $80 and then pre-order again for $70. I'm beginning to think consumer-friendliness isn't the priority here. The $80 pricing push began with Mario Kart World. Comments by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford initially suggested Borderlands 4 might have followed. Fortunately, 2K Games saw something in the backlash that made it balk; it's launching at $70. A Bluesky user summed it up in a reply to Obsidian's U-turn. "Consumer advocacy in this awful state of the industry WORKS," ‪@johnbrebbia posted. The gaming industry is caught in a godawful whirlwind of layoffs, studio closures and price increases. That's happening against a backdrop of rising costs for consumers. Meanwhile, the gaming industry is projected to reach $189 billion this year, a 3.4 percent increase. That's a combustible mixture if ever there was one. Ironically, Obsidian's sci-fi RPG deals with themes of late-stage capitalism. The developer even deployed in-world satire to announce the pricing change: "Dear Galactic Citizens! We have received your SOS via skip drone about the pricing..." Winking at one's audience is usually a good thing, but this strikes me as more of a "dude, read the room" moment. Regardless, The Outer Worlds 2 is set to arrive on October 29. It will be available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.

Bean vs. cup: Where is the most expensive takeaway coffee in Europe?
Bean vs. cup: Where is the most expensive takeaway coffee in Europe?

Yahoo

time10 hours ago

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Bean vs. cup: Where is the most expensive takeaway coffee in Europe?

For many of us, a cup of coffee — or maybe a few — is an essential ritual that powers us through the working day. In 2023-24, approximately 10.62 billion kilograms of coffee were consumed worldwide, a slight increase from about 10.38bn kg in the previous year, according to Statista. While for some, a cheap cup of instant coffee made in the work kitchenette will suffice, others have developed a taste for 'a posh coffee' — often made by a hipster in a work apron. But how much is a cup of this sweet nectar costing us, are we being ripped off, and how does pricing vary across Europe? How much coffee is Europe buying? Of the 27 EU countries and the UK, surveyed in Pressat's workplace coffee survey between January and March 2025, workers in the UK are buying the most takeaway coffees, at an average of 1.96 cups per day. This was closely followed by Belgium (1.79 cups), Poland (1.77 cups), France (1.76 cups) and Romania (1.68 cups). At the other end of the scale, the most frugal with their coffee buying are workers in Luxembourg, buying an average of 0.82 cups per day. Also controlling their takeaway coffee expenditure are workers in Hungary (0.83 cups), the Czech Republic (0.84 cups) and Sweden (0.9 cups). It then may be surprising to discover that as the fourth biggest buyer of takeaway coffees in Europe, France is paying the most per cup, at an average price of €3.42. Stereotypes usually lead us to believe that the French like their coffee short, dark and strong. However, of the workers surveyed, just 8.94% of them were buying an espresso to take away. In fact, the most popular takeaway coffee choice was a caffe latte (17.02%), followed by a caffe macchiato (16.17%). The second most expensive takeaway coffees can be found in Lithuania, where the average cup price is €3.39 and the most popular style of drink is split between a cappuccino and a cortado (both are preferred by 14.87% of respondents). The cheapest cup can be found, perhaps surprisingly, in Denmark, with an average price of €1.89. The Danes have a medium coffee addiction, with average workers buying 1.32 cups of takeaway coffee per day — and preferring to sip an Americano. In fact, Denmark was the only country where the average cup price was under €2, with their closest competitors being Slovakia (€2.08) and Cyprus (€2.09). Related Does coffee fight ageing? What the science really shows about it being good for your health The cost of love: Europe's most expensive and cheapest cities for a date Cappuccino index A slightly different picture emerges from data on the average price of a cappuccino in Europe's capital cities, collected by It turns out that the highest price in Europe for the milky coffee is paid in Copenhagen. In the Danish capital, a cappuccino costs an average of €5.81 — considerably higher than the average price of an unspecified type of coffee in Denmark. Only in two other countries does a cappuccino cost more than €5: that's Iceland, with a price of €5.33 per cup, and Switzerland with a price of €5.27. More than €4 per cappuccino is paid in Scandinavia, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Austria. At the other end of the scale are the countries of Eastern Europe, the Balkan Peninsula and Italy. In its homeland, a cup of cappuccino costs only €1.53 — but the cheapest cup can be found in Kosovo (€1.27) and Ukraine (€1.36). Poles, who often complain about the high prices of coffee in cafes, are somewhere in the middle of the European scale, with a cup of cappuccino in Warsaw sold for €3.64. This does not mean, however, that Polish grievances are completely unjustified. Apart from Germany, all of Poland's neighbouring countries have lower coffee prices. 'A cappuccino in Warsaw costs 18 zlotys (€4.24), while in Bari it costs €1.50. We can see that Warsaw prices, which have spread across the country, are definitely higher than elsewhere. And it doesn't have to be that way at all,' Janusz Piechocinski, an economist and former Polish economy minister, told Euronews. 'Poland is the fifth largest producer and exporter of coffee in Europe. Polish companies import more than 200,000 tons of beans, roast and then export also in the modern e-commerce channel. So we have an efficient production chain created, and yet prices for the customer are high. Why? It may come from higher real estate prices and taxes than elsewhere, which raise the cost of maintaining restaurants and cafes.' Are we overpaying for our coffee? It takes around 7 to 9g of coffee to make a single espresso which equates to €0.00009 worth of coffee at current arabica bean trading prices (for a 9g serving). That seems like a huge markup, but of course, that would be a huge oversimplification. Coffee shops also need to factor in the cost of staffing, as well as, takeaway cups, energy to power the venue, and coffee additions like milks, syrups and chocolate. Though it's hard to compare exactly how much businesses are paying for their energy, the average cost of electricity for non-household, medium-sized consumers in the EU is €155.80/MWh. That's according to Eurostat data from 2024. The data showed that Ireland paid the most for electricity in the EU, at €254.30/MWh. Only three other countries tipped over the €200 mark: Croatia (€216.90), Hungary (€205.50) and Luxembourg (€204.10). Among the EU's big four economies, the prices varied dramatically: France (€163.90), Spain, (€121.70), Italy (€151.50) and Germany (€197.60). The cheapest energy in the EU could be found in Norway (€79.10) Related Cost of living: Which are the cheapest and most expensive countries in Europe? UK wine duty: Are hotter countries really being taxed more on their wine? Do coffee prices in Europe align with incomes? If we take a look at takeaway coffee pricing versus salaries across the continent, who is getting the best value for money? France, which has the highest cup price, had an average take-home pay for a single person without children just above the EU average, with French singles taking home €32,354 per year, according to Eurostat 2024 data. This means the average coffee is about 0.0106% of take-home pay. Meanwhile in Denmark, where net pay is €43,913, coffee is proportionately even cheaper, at just 0.004% of a salary. And home to the second-most-expensive coffee in Europe, consumers in Lithuania are getting particularly bad value. Citizens' average net salary is €15,909, meaning a cup of coffee costs around 0.021% of their annual take-home pay. The higher-earning countries appear to be getting better value for money. Workers in Luxembourg on average take home €50,410 per year and pay around €3 per coffee. That's just 0.005% of their salary. Cappuccino index by salary Using the data on the average monthly salary after taxes in European cities, we can take a closer look at how many cups of cappuccino the residents can buy. In terms of cappuccino affordability, Italy ranked highest. In Rome, the average monthly salary can buy 1,399 cups of this type of coffee, while Switzerland's Bern (1378 cups) and Luxembourg (1347 cups) fared marginally worse. The cappuccino index also clearly divides the continent in half. In Western European countries (with the exception of Portugal), a salary is enough for at least 750 cups of cappuccino, while in Eastern Europe, takeaway coffee is more unaffordable. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Marketing pro reveals ‘decoy' trick cinemas use to make you spend more – it's the same with restaurant wine & phones
Marketing pro reveals ‘decoy' trick cinemas use to make you spend more – it's the same with restaurant wine & phones

The Sun

time12 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • The Sun

Marketing pro reveals ‘decoy' trick cinemas use to make you spend more – it's the same with restaurant wine & phones

DO you find going to the cinema an expensive time out as you always spend more than you had intended? A marketing expert has revealed the clever psychological 'decoy' trick brands do to make you part with more cash, and it explains why you want the large popcorn. 3 They shared how cinemas often offer three sizes of popcorn - small, medium and large - but offer strategic pricing. They shared how if a small popcorn is $3.50, a medium is $6 and a large is $6.50, you are likely to go for a large. They explained on the @curatedtips account: 'Most people go for a large. Why pay $6 when $6.50 gets you more? 'But here's the trick, medium isn't meant to be picked. 'It's a decoy. Its only job? Make the large look like a no-brainer. 'You think you are choosing freely, but your choice was framed.' They added that this trick isn't just used in the cinema, and claimed restaurants do it too with wine. They also said that you can see it with phone deals too, where companies sometimes upsell you on a pricey phone as it seems like a better deal than the 'middle' one. The marketing expert added: 'It's not about value. It's about contrast. 'We choose what feels smart next to the dumb one.' What you see first in this mind-bending optical illusion reveals if you are an optimist or a pessimist They added that nobody wants to select the decoy, but it is there to 'push' you to spend more. SOCIAL REACTION Over 106,000 people liked the video and were quick to give their views in the comments. One said: "I will admit i have fallen for this trick many times.' A second added: 'I mean I totally believe this is true, but I honestly picked the medium popcorn for the amount it had.' 3 3 And one commented: 'I'm sneaking my snacks in lol.' Meanwhile, one person chimed in: 'I worked at a theater, and sometimes a family would come in and order 4 Small popcorns. 'I'd tell them to just get a Large because it comes with a free refill. Then just divide it in boxes. 'I'm not a good business man, but I do like to help people.' Five secret branding messages you may have missed LOTS of brands have secret messages on their logos - so which ones have you spotted? Amazon Most people either have Amazon Prime and/or regularly order from the site, so are used to seeing the logo. But have you ever noticed the little arrow underneath the word Amazon? It starts at the 'A' and finishes at the 'Z' - showing that they sell everything from A to Z! Toblerone It caused a stir a few years ago when people realised the Toblerone logo - which they'd thought was a mountain - is actually the image of a bear. The reason for this is that a bear is the official symbol of the Swiss town of Bern, the original home of Toblerone. Ray-Ban The brand is arguably one of the most famous sunglasses companies in the world. But have you ever spotted the sunglasses image in the logo? If you look carefully at the letter 'B' in Ray-Ban and tilt your head to the side, you will see it looks like a pair of sunnies. Hyundai You'd be forgiven for thinking the 'H' logo for Hyundai is just meant to be a jazzy letter. In fact, if you look again, you might see that the vertical lines of the H are actually meant to show two people shaking hands - a salesperson and a satisfied customer. Apple Again, one of the most familiar logos in the world. But why does Apple's apple logo have a bite taken out of it? Apparently, it's down to the fact that when the logo is made smaller, they didn't want it to look like a cherry. So having the bite taken out of it means it is always identifiable as an apple.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store