News

SUKI's signature poke bowls and sushi burritos will soon be making their way to Bulimba.

Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart is continuing its Australian roll out with its second and third stores in New South Wales. The second store is set to open at Macquarie Centre on June 16, 2017, and the third branch will be launched at Westfield Burwood on July 3, 2017.

Amazon announced the $US13.7 billion acquisition on US upmarket grocery chain Whole Foods.

Rockpool Dining Group and Neil Perry AM will serve their house-made burgers on Edward Street.

QSR Media has gathered the top players and experts for the biggest event in the industry.

The coffee house chain is giving 100 lucky guests the chance to win free coffee for a whole year.

The Fair Work Ombudsman released a statement which reads as follows.

The Filipino BBQ & street food brand is coming back for Messina Eats.

SumoSalad puts two leasing entities in voluntary administration as talks with landlords over rental terms heat up.

The first quarter of 2017 was a tough one for Australian retailers as consumers tightened their wallets. According to Deloitte Access Economics’ latest Retail Forecasts subscriber report real (inflation-adjusted) retail turnover growth was 1.2% for the year to March 2017. Deloitte Access Economics partner and report author David Rumbens said: “The March quarter was a low point for retail spending, continuing what has clearly been a problematic 2016-17 for the retail sector." “The current challenges are also likely to remain in 2017-18, however we are forecasting that expected labour income growth will drive improved spending growth over the next few years.” Deloitte Access Economics expects total nominal retail spending to come in at 3.0% in 2016-17, and to moderate to 2.6% in 2017-18. However, more of the growth next year may come from volume growth, with prices increasingly under pressure. Retail volume growth in 2016-17 is expected to be 1.6%, rising to 2.2% in 2017-18. Big house prices mean big mortgages “When people in Sydney and Melbourne start talking about moving overseas because housing is more affordable, you have a problem,” Rumbens said. “Of course the surge in house prices has provided significant support for retail over recent years, with the wealth effect underpinning a declining savings rate and stronger consumer confidence amongst homeowners. But many are also being left with eye-watering mortgages to chase the housing they might have more comfortably afforded just a couple of years ago. Servicing these higher debts will eat into retail spending capacity going forward, and also create macroeconomic risks about which the Reserve Bank is increasingly becoming more vocal.” All the new jobs are for part-timers Jobs growth is steady in aggregate terms, but the ubiquity of part-time employment (which now accounts for 33% of jobs nationwide) is associated with rising underemployment. “Spare capacity in the economy is pushing down wage growth, which is in turn dragging down inflation. Pumped up wealth from the housing market may be keeping consumer spending afloat, but it isn’t enough to offset the impact of record low wage growth. And when wages aren’t growing, it means CPI inflation is also subdued,” Rumbens said. Risk is on the rise…and the big one remains Amazon ”There are plenty of technology, political, economic and competition risks on the horizon for Australia,” Rumbens said. “And for retailers, China’s economy stumbling badly would be a major concern. That said, a major US-China tariff war might not have the impacts one might expect, and significant upside potential exists in maturing Asian economies and the rise of middle class consumer power in the region.” “But the imminent arrival of US giant Amazon clearly presents a series of challenges for existing retailers in terms of heightened competition in both online and in-store sales. An effective omni channel strategy, as well as strong brand equity and excellent customer service will be crucial to keeping shoppers where retailers want them. Prices will get squeezed as Amazon has so much scale to absorb very low margins in most of its products." “The bigger the retailer, the more a threat Amazon’s entry will be. But on the other hand, small players have a chance to thrive by leveraging Amazon’s role as a consolidated marketplace.” Small players are already doing well in the online space, with Deloitte Access Economics identififying SME online retail growth in the order of 23% for the year to March 2017, and total online retail sales growth of 9.0%. Catered food keeps going strong Rumbens said that as consumer preferences moved away from goods and on to experiences, catered food was winning out. “Catered food spending grew by 4.0% over the year to March 2017, beating out all other retail categories,” he said. “And it’s café and restaurant expenditure, combined with rapidly growing technology in the takeaway online platform space, that’s driving this relatively strong growth.”

According to news.com.au, The Times food critic Sam Sifton had the 'life-changing' experience at the Kalimera Souvlaki Art.

Eating in is the new eating out!

When Adbox Australia, a 100% Australian owned and operated startup, finalised its flagship product late last year, the resulting food delivery box showed how serious the firm was in raising the country’s home delivery standards. The product design included smart adjustable compartments, rigorously tested thermal insulation and attractive LED panels. With these features, Adbox sought to keep food quality high while in transit and give QSR chains more advertising mileage from their home delivery boxes. High food quality To ensure that food quality remains excellent while they are transported to customers, the Adbox uses adjustable compartments to separate food. QSRs can place different meal orders in the Adbox and keep the aromas and flavors from mixing with each other. This also gives an added health benefit of reducing the incidence of food allergies. “Having different dishes delivered in same box can alter each other’s smell, and flavour. By adjusting the compartments, we can keep a vegetarian dish separate from a chicken curry,” says Kaan Ozer from Adbox Australia. “One of the biggest issues of our times is food allergies,” Ozer adds. “Our boxes can eliminate this problem by keeping a dish separate from others to avoid any airborne particles from risking the life of anyone – from a small child to an adult.” Another problem of home delivery is that food may become cool – or hot – in transit, making the meal less enjoyable for the customer. The Adbox solves this through an insulated insert which keeps hot and cold food separate, and a thin layer of aluminium foil provides an extra level of protection from outside weather. “We make sure the food gets to them as hot as it would be if they ate it in the restaurant,” says Ozer. “Our premium food delivery boxes affix to scooters and motorbikes, making hot and cold food delivery a breeze. Our solution can transport hot and cold food in special insulated compartments at the same time without affecting their temperature levels.” He adds that Adbox products were put the test before launch, and they have passed the stringent thermal decay standards set by Austest, a leading independent testing and certification company. Built to last longer Standard home delivery boxes do not have a long lifespan, given the frequency of home deliveries per day, which means QSRs will need to replace them quite frequently. Adbox, by contrast, was designed to be sturdier, made with fiberglass reinforced food grade plastic as well as Japan-made high quality stainless steel hinges and locking system. “Unlike similar products already in the market, our durable products have a long lifespan of several years, making these products great value for money,” says Ozer. “Some models come with air suspension system to keep the door up during delivery and also gives the ability to close softly.” Optimised for advertising The startup also recognised an opportunity for restaurants and delivery companies to promote their brands through delivery boxes. LED-powered light panels get the attention of vehicle passengers and passersby, enabling businesses to advertise new products and strengthen their brand awareness. “LED advertising has proven to be more effective than other advertising methods. The LED-illuminated advertising panels surrounding the box makes your product much more noticeable,” says Ozer. “It is cheap and easy to change panel films. Businesses can put their specials on every bike with a fractional cost. One could also sell advertising on the panels to get extra income from their delivery force.” A small, rechargeable battery powers the LED lights, which remain lit up even when the scooter is stopped and switched off. This maximizes the advertising potential of home delivery boxes. Customisation and creative production The idea of advertising through home delivery boxes and scooters might seem like a cool idea, but some businesses might be put off by the amount of creative work needed to pull it off. Seeing this hurdle, Adbox Australia also offers creative production services, including designing artwork and printing materials that go on the outside of each Adbox delivery box. Companies can email their high-resolution PDF photos, give design instructions, and indicate which Adbox model they are using (There are various types and styles of Adboxes available based on the scooter and business). The startup’s creative staff then handles the rest. “We also have combo deals; just contact us for deals of between two and ten Adboxes which will ensure your brand dominates the streets of your city,” says Ozer.  

The new store marks the 20th NSW Store for the gelato brand.

The move follows successful trials in the United States and the United Kingdown.

The speciality donut retailer will give away thousands of cups of free coffee around the country.