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  • Nestlé To Cut 16,000 Jobs Globally In Cost-cutting Initiative

    Nestlé To Cut 16,000 Jobs Globally In Cost-cutting Initiative

    Nestlé, a global leader in the food and beverage industry, has recently announced plans for a significant reduction in its worldwide workforce. Over the next two years, the company intends to eliminate approximately 16,000 positions as part of its ‘Fuel for Growth’ cost-cutting initiative.

    Workforce Reduction Plan

    In a bold move to streamline operations and achieve financial targets, Nestlé’s management has decided to cut costs by raising the ‘Fuel for Growth’ program’s objective to CHF 3.0 billion (equivalent to US$3.8 billion) from the previously set goal of CHF 2.5 billion (approximately $3.1 billion) by the close of 2027.

    The proposed downsizing, which will be implemented following applicable consultative processes, is expected to affect around 12,000 salaried professionals across various functions and geographical locations. The company believes that this measure will facilitate annual savings of up to CHF1 billion ($1.26 billion) by 2027.

    In addition, Nestlé plans to layoff 4,000 employees as part of ongoing productivity efforts in its manufacturing and supply chain operations.

    Adapting to Change

    “The world is evolving rapidly, and to stay ahead, Nestlé must adapt at an even faster pace,” stated CEO Philipp Navratil. He acknowledged the necessity of making tough decisions, including reducing staff numbers, over the coming two years.

    Emphasizing the company’s commitment to handling these changes with respect and transparency, Navratil affirmed that these actions are crucial to securing Nestlé’s future as a leader in its industry.

    Financial Focus

    Beyond workforce reduction, Nestlé also plans to intensify its focus on driving cash generation. This shift is designed to ensure sustainable returns to shareholders, with the aim of delivering free cash flow exceeding CHF8 billion within the current year.

    In terms of sales growth, Nestlé reported an organic growth of 4.3% in the third quarter. The company also noted ongoing challenges in the Greater China region, which is now managed by a new team focused on business transformation. The first nine months of the year saw organic sales growth of 3.3%, with real internal growth (RIG) at 0.6% and pricing at 2.8%. There were sequential improvements across major markets, global businesses, and categories during this period.

    Despite a more challenging comparison base expected in the fourth quarter, the company anticipates recording annual organic sales growth for the full year.

    Leadership Changes

    Earlier in the month, Nestlé’s chairman Paul Bulcke stepped down from the board ahead of schedule. Vice chairman Pablo Isla is set to assume the role.

    Questions & Answers

    What is Nestlé’s ‘Fuel for Growth’ program?
    This is the company’s cost-cutting strategy aimed at achieving financial targets by streamlining operations and reducing expenditures.

    How many employees will be affected by Nestlé’s workforce reduction plan?
    The plan entails a reduction of approximately 16,000 positions worldwide over the next two years.

    What other financial plans does Nestlé have in place?
    Aside from cost-cutting, the company also intends to concentrate on driving cash generation to ensure sustainable returns to shareholders.

  • Ios 26 Update Revolutionizes Apple Wallet With Enhanced Card Information Storage

    Ios 26 Update Revolutionizes Apple Wallet With Enhanced Card Information Storage

    The recent iOS 26 update has unveiled a host of minor enhancements, including a significant upgrade to the Apple Wallet. The digital wallet can now store detailed information about all your credit and debit cards, enhancing the user experience and accessibility.

    Storing Card Details in the Wallet App

    The iOS 26 iteration of Apple Wallet now allows detailed storage of physical card information alongside their digital counterparts within the app. This empowers users to access essential information such as the card number, expiry date, and other specifics, even in the absence of the physical card.

    Previously, the Wallet was somewhat limiting, offering no option to store comprehensive physical card information for debit and credit cards—a feature exclusive to the Apple Card. This update simplifies and enhances the user experience, positioning the Wallet app as a comprehensive replacement for a physical wallet—a functionality competitor apps like 1Password have been offering for a while.

    Manual Data Entry

    However, while this feature enhances convenience, Apple Wallet does not automatically store all card details. Users must manually input the information into the app. This can be done through a straightforward process:

    1. Open Wallet and select a card.
    2. Click on the ‘123’ button in the upper right corner and authenticate with FaceID or a passcode.
    3. Select “Add Physical Card information.”
    4. Scan the card or manually input the details to be saved.
    5. Confirm by tapping ‘Done.’

    Users can store the card number, expiration date, security code, cardholder’s name, and even add a specific description. Aside from the card number, all other details are optional, allowing users to customize what gets stored. This feature is particularly useful for cards with dynamic security codes.

    Apple has assured users that the saved data is both encrypted and stored in the user’s iCloud Keychain, accessible only by the particular user. Importantly, this information does not get used for Apple Pay transactions.

    A Competitive Edge

    The addition of detailed card information storage to Apple Wallet effectively eliminates the need for many users to stick with 1Password instead of transitioning to Apple’s own Passwords app. This development underlines Apple’s strategy of integrating features of utility apps into its operating systems, rendering separate apps superfluous.

    Questions & Answers

    What new features does the iOS 26 update bring to the Apple Wallet?
    The iOS 26 update allows users to store detailed information about their physical credit and debit cards within the Wallet app.

    How does one add physical card details to the Apple Wallet?
    Physical card details can be added manually by selecting a card within the Wallet app, clicking on the ‘123’ button, selecting “Add Physical Card information,” scanning the card or manually entering the details, and confirming the action.

    Is the card information stored in Apple Wallet secure?
    Yes, Apple assures users that all stored data is encrypted and kept in the user’s iCloud Keychain, accessible only to the user. The stored card information is not used for Apple Pay transactions.

  • Sea Ltd Surges Past Market Projections: Shopee Demand And Gaming Division Fuel Growth

    Sea Ltd Surges Past Market Projections: Shopee Demand And Gaming Division Fuel Growth

    Sea Ltd, a formidable player in the digital commerce and gaming industries, exceeded market projections for quarterly revenue. The considerable surge was fueled by high demand for its Shopee e-commerce platform and its gaming division, leading to a near 19 percent increase in the company’s US-listed shares during initial trading hours.

    Phenomenal Growth for Shopee

    Shopee, a favorite among online shoppers in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, has been experiencing a significant increase in consumer demand. This is largely attributed to the company’s commitment to providing competitive prices and enhancing the overall customer experience. The company has focused its efforts to boost user recruitment, traffic, and engagement on the Shopee app, employing innovative strategies such as incorporating social aspects like live-streaming features and mini-games that offer redeemable coins and prizes.

    The revenue from Sea’s e-commerce division, which became profitable last year, saw an impressive 33.7 percent increase, amounting to US$3.8 billion for the second quarter. The gross merchandise value, which reflects the total value of products sold on the platform, increased by 28 percent, reaching $29.8 billion. The company’s executives expressed optimism over Shopee’s annual GMV growth, stating it would surpass the company’s initial forecast of a 20 percent increase.

    Strong Performance across Divisions

    Sea’s CEO, Forrest Li, expressed satisfaction with the company’s performance, stating, “All three of our businesses have delivered robust, healthy growth, giving us greater confidence of delivering another great year.”

    The company’s digital entertainment segment, which includes the popular mobile shooter game “Free Fire” developed and published by Garena, saw a 28.4 percent increase in revenue, reaching $559.1 million. Garena reported a 17.8 percent increase in its paying user base and a 23 percent rise in bookings for the second quarter.

    The company’s third division, the digital financial products arm which includes the Monee app offering services like payment processing and credit products, reported a significant 70 percent rise in revenue, totaling $882.8 million.

    Exceeding Expectations

    Based in Singapore, Sea Ltd recorded a 38.2 percent increase in its overall second-quarter revenue, reaching $5.26 billion, surpassing estimates of $4.98 billion.

    Questions & Answers

    What contributed to the improved performance of Shopee?
    The company’s concerted efforts to offer competitive pricing and improve the customer experience played a significant role in this. Introducing social elements like live-streaming and mini-games also helped enhance user engagement.

    What is the significance of the gross merchandise value?
    The gross merchandise value is a measure of the total value of products sold on the platform. It is an essential metric for e-commerce platforms as it reflects the volume of transactions.

    Which of Sea Ltd’s business segments showed the most significant growth?
    While all segments witnessed considerable growth, the digital financial products arm recorded the most significant rise in revenue at 70 percent.

  • Amazon Australia launches B2B store it says will help businesses cut costs

    Amazon Australia launches B2B store it says will help businesses cut costs

    Amazon Business, a new platform designed to streamline operations and decrease expenses for organizations of various sizes, has been introduced by Amazon Australia. The platform will feature focused sections for kitchen and pantry goods, cleaning and sanitation products, alongside stationary, IT commodities, and maintenance solutions.

    Addressing Business Needs

    Amazon Business aims to cater to the specific needs of business buyers, offering them tailored features for convenience. These include exclusive business pricing and volume discounts on eligible items. The platform also provides options for single or multi-user business accounts, Business Prime, and dedicated customer service.

    The introduction of this platform comes at a critical time when inflating expenses have been impacting small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Australia. Research reveals that 92% of these SMBs have experienced a rise in operational costs over the past three years. Consequently, 83% of them have been compelled to transfer these expenses to their customers.

    Furthermore, the same research unveiled that over 80% of Australian SMBs have had to increase their prices by an average of 13% due to the escalating cost pressures.

    Gearing Up for Expansion

    Lena Zak, Country Manager of Amazon Business Australia, expressed excitement about the new platform. Zak emphasized the benefits of Amazon Business, stating that this development would be highly advantageous for the numerous SMBs operating across Australia. Zak further highlighted that Amazon Australia has substantially invested in enhancing its operations network to facilitate a smooth, speedy, and reliable shopping experience for its customers.

    With this latest launch, Australia becomes the eleventh country to offer Amazon Business, joining the ranks of countries like the U.S., U.K., Germany, Japan, among others. Since its debut in 2015 in the U.S., Amazon Business has expanded its customer base to over 8 million worldwide. The platform reportedly generates approximately $35 billion in annual gross sales.

    Questions & Answers

    What is Amazon Business?
    Amazon Business is a platform designed to simplify operations and reduce costs for organizations. It provides business-only pricing, quantity discounts, and options for single or multi-user business accounts, among other features.

    What does the launch of Amazon Business imply for Australian SMBs?
    The launch comes at a time when rising operational costs have been impacting Australian SMBs. It aims to offer them a streamlined, cost-effective way of procuring necessary items, thereby helping them manage their expenses.

    How has Amazon Business performed since its inception?
    Since its launch in the U.S. in 2015, Amazon Business has grown to more than 8 million customers globally. The platform reportedly generates approximately $35 billion in annualized gross sales.

  • Microsoft Teams will be getting a helpful search feature named ‘Top Hits’ soon

    Microsoft Teams will be getting a helpful search feature named ‘Top Hits’ soon

    Microsoft has been working hard on improving its chat and collaboration app Teams since last year when many people were forced to work from home. Alongside many improvements and new features, there’s one improvement set to make users’ lives way easier. Microsoft Teams will be updating its search.

    A new entry to the Microsoft 365 Roadmap has now been published regarding the Microsoft Teams search functionality. According to the entry, the search experience on Teams will be improved by ‘Top Hits’ results that would be automatically generated.

    Microsoft stated that the new section will autosuggest the most relevant results across people, chats, files, and other content stored or shared in the app.

    The new feature is still under development, but it is expected to roll out to users by the end of this month.

    Microsoft has been investing a lot of effort into bringing new features to the Teams platform since the start of the pandemic. It has brought together video conferencing, file sharing, project management, and other features to Teams, further expanding its range of functionality.

    This expansion necessitates a better search functionality, though. Currently, the autosuggest in search provides a few possible results by type, and users can apply filters to them for a more specific search. However, the Top Hits section is expected to bring another layer of intelligence to the existing search options. This will make it easier to find exactly what you’re searching for on the first try, therefore reducing your search time and boosting your productivity.

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  • AirAsia Beauty launches in Malaysia and Indonesia as part of expansion plan

    AirAsia Beauty launches in Malaysia and Indonesia as part of expansion plan

    AirAsia.com’s Super App has launched its latest AirAsia Beauty product offering in Malaysia and Indonesia. Acknowledging the growing market demand for beauty and skincare products, AirAsia beauty has revealed a rapid expansion plan within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

    AirAsia Beauty has curated a range of products including skincare catering to all skin-types and fragrances, bath and body supplements for pampering.

    Accessible via the AirAsia super app (under the beauty tab) and at airasia.com/beauty, the platform features a wide range of brands including History of Whoo, Dr. Morita, Mediheal, The Mineraw, farmskin, Clio, Dashing Diva and Cosrx.

    AirAsia beauty currently delivers within Klang Valley, Malaysia and Jakarta, Indonesia by Teleport, AirAsia digital’s logistics venture.

    Lim Ben-Jie, Head of Commerce, AirAsia Super App said: “E-Commerce and home shopping has now become part of our daily life. From our experience with AirAsia shop, we observed remarkable demand for our beauty products, and we decided to carve out AirAsia beauty as a standalone service, offering authentic beauty products delivered to your doorstep.

    “We hope to share our products to the people of Asean by leveraging on AirAsia’s unique internal talent, none other than our cabin crew and grooming instructors who are the perfect beauty ambassadors. Beauty is part of their everyday regime and they are experts on always looking great and flawless.

    “The addition of AirAsia beauty will further diversify our Super App lifestyle offering, bringing us a step closer to becoming Asean’s leading one-stop lifestyle and travel app.”

    AirAsia beauty is currently offering up to 50% off selected brands and free delivery within Klang Valley. Shoppers can also pay with BIG Points to save more and earn BIG Points each time they spend on AirAsia beauty.

    Ben-Jie added: “With AirAsia beauty, consumers can look forward to an integrated online shopping experience supported by real personal beauty tips, product reviews, and favorite picks from our Allstars and other users.

    “Beauty is a continuous journey; besides providing consumers with the best items for their skin and delivering them to their doorstep, we are also here to give more resources in helping one to become their best self.

    “Kicking off in the Klang Valley in Malaysia and Jakarta in Indonesia, we have plans for nationwide expansion in Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asean markets. We are working closely with various brands to introduce new products and exclusive bundles soon, so stay tuned for more exciting developments from AirAsia beauty.”

  • Google Assistant brings back handy parking location functionality

    Google Assistant brings back handy parking location functionality

    Google’s industry-leading virtual assistant can be of great help not only when you’re actually behind the wheel, but also to remind you where you’ve parked your car at the end of a nice day walking around town. There are in fact a number of ways in which Google Assistant can lend a hand with locating your parked vehicle, and one feature, in particular, has caught our attention after first being spotted.

    That’s because this was apparently a thing back in the Google Nowadays of 2014, going away for some reason several years ago only to recently return in modernized fashion. You don’t have to actually do anything to get your digital assistant to estimate where you probably stopped driving and started walking.

    Based on your location history, your Android phone will let you know where you may have parked, and although the feature is unlikely to wow you with its accuracy, the fact it can loosely determine the whereabouts of your car with absolutely no effort on the user’s part is pretty cool… and a little scary. Of course, if you happen to often forget where you’ve parked or need perfect precision from this Google Assistant skill, you can always manually save your exact location by saying “Ok Google” and one of several magic phrases before leaving your vehicle behind.

    That’s especially useful if you want to keep a record of your precise parking spot in a crowded lot, but otherwise, the automatic feature is likely to prove fairly convenient as well. Particularly if you forget both where you parked and to manually command your voice assistant to save the location of your car, in which case this could prove an outright life-saver.

    As always, not everyone appears to have gained access to the newly added revived functionality straight off the bat, so for the time being, it might be wise to continue using the manual parking location reminder.

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  • Shoppers prefer human interaction over bots, says study

    Shoppers prefer human interaction over bots, says study

    New research reveals 75 per cent of shoppers prefer live-agent support for customer service verses 25 per cent support for self service and chatbots. The research, from cloud contact-centre operator NewVoiceMedia, identified consumer concerns about sharing sensitive information, a lack of understanding of bots and their inability to resolve issues.

    “Chatbots can provide customers with quick answers to frequently asked questions or issues, and the survey notes the benefit of chatbots for certain interactions, such as 24-seven service,” the survey’s authors concluded.

    But when it comes to handling sensitive financial and personal information, most customers are more comfortable with a live agent, and just 13 per cent say they would be happy if all service interactions are replaced by bots in the future.

    Foremost among consumer concerns about using chatbots include:

    • A lack of understanding of the issue (65 per cent).
    • The inability to solve complex issues (63 per cent).
    • The inability of chatbots to provide answers to simple questions (49 per cent).
    • The lack of a personal service experience (45 per cent).

    While less than half of the people surveyed (48 per cent) said they would be willing to use chat bots for service – versus the 38 per cent who wouldn’t – 46 per cent also felt that bots kept them from reaching a live person.

    Banks (82 per cent) and medical services (75 per cent) were the businesses that people were least likely to want to deal with bots.

    Customers prefer live agents for technical support (91 per cent); getting a quick response in an emergency (89 per cent); making a complaint (86 per cent); buying an expensive item (82 per cent); purchase inquiries (79 per cent); returns and cancellations (73 per cent); booking appointments and reservations (59 per cent); and paying a bill (54 per cent). However, when asked about buying”a basic item”, 56 per cent would choose a chatbot over a live interaction.

    The top benefit cited for dealing with chat bots was 24-hour service.

    “When a situation becomes emotional or complex, people want to engage with people”, says Dennis Fois, president of NewVoiceMedia. “As businesses add more customer service channels, conversations are becoming more complex and higher value, and personal, emotive customer interactions play a critical role in bridging the gap for what digital innovation alone cannot solve,” he said.

    “For this reason, companies must find the right balance between automation and human support to deliver the service that customers demand. Frontline contact centre teams will continue to be the difference makers on the battlefield to win the hearts and minds of customers, and organisations deploying self-service solutions should ensure that there is always an option to reach a live agent”.

    There is a sense consumers may warm to chatbots in the future, however, given that younger respondents (aged 18-44) were more open to using chatbots overall and across the individual scenarios compared to older consumers (45-60+).

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  • DHL encourages employees to help local communities

    DHL encourages employees to help local communities

    Deutsche Post DHL calls upon its 500,000 employees to participate in Global Volunteer Day (GVD) for the sixth year in a row. During this year’s official GVD period, employees from all business units will again team up with independent organizations and charities to help in numerous non-profit projects to benefit the local communities in which they live.

    As Christof Ehrhart, Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications and Responsibility at Deutsche Post DHL Group, explains, the Global Volunteer Day 2016 motto – “Working Together for a Better World” – stresses the importance the company places on collaboration: “Employee volunteerism lies at the core of our efforts to connect people and improve their lives. Our GVD activities highlight the fact that when our employees join forces, not only do they donate their energy and skills to help their local communities, but they also grow together as a team. They achieve common goals, they enjoy and are proud of what they do, and they incorporate the GVD spirit into their daily work.”

    In addition to a wide range of specially planned activities for the core GVD period, many employees remain active year-round, cementing lasting ties with the charitable organizations with which they work. Entirely separate from GVD, more than 13,000 Deutsche Post DHL Group employees in Germany have volunteered to participate in initiatives to help refugees. The Group thus operates a dedicated fund to which employees can apply for financial support on behalf of the projects they themselves commit to all year round.

    The vast majority of GVD projects at Deutsche Post DHL Group focus on one or other of the company’s long-standing GoTeach, GoHelp and GoGreen initiatives. Many activities take place in kindergartens and schools, while others take the form of job application workshops.

    However, others see employees volunteer to help people in need, becoming involved in restructuring efforts to rebuild homes in the wake of natural disasters or by organizing donation drives. And as environmental protection remains a major concern for many employees, some choose to plant trees, clean waste from beaches and parks, and support the upcycling trend by turning old, discarded materials into something useful and new.

    Deutsche Post DHL Group launched Global Volunteer Day in 2008. By 2015, over 110,000 employees were involved in providing support to non-profit projects in their local communities as part of the GVD program, contributing more than 260,000 volunteer hours in more than 2,000 individual projects in 114 countries around the world. As an integral component of our Corporate Citizenship activities, Global Volunteer Day supports our sustainability strategy to serve the company’s economic interests and those of our stakeholders’ while balancing these with social and environmental needs.

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