Latest news with #Fix
Time Out Dubai
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out Dubai
OG Dubai chocolate brand FIX launches new flavour and pop-up
FIX Dessert Chocolatier (also known as the OG Dubai chocolate) has launched its newest flavour. Known for taking the world by storm with its pistachio and kunafa filled bars, the dessert brand also has a range of additional flavours, from chocolate brownie to pecan. And now, the OG Dubai chocolate brand has added a new fruity bar to its range. 'Time to Mango' is a white chocolate bar with a bright, summery filling of mango, passionfruit and popping candy. If you like this: Can't get knafeh of it? Where to find the original Dubai chocolate (and great dupes) Thousands of people attended a pop-up celebrating the launch at Mall of the Emirates between Friday June 13 and Sunday June 15. After the pop-up, the bar will be available exclusively on Deliveroo from Monday June 16 and be priced at Dhs72.25. #dubaichocolate #popup ♬ original sound – Hans – 𝟑𝟎𝟑 Hans @timeoutdubai People are queuing up to try Fix Dessert Chocolatier's new flavour. You could be one of the first to try the new bar: Time To Mango. It's a mango and passionfruit white chocolate bar with popping candy, and you can try it at its pop-up in Mall of the Emirates or on Deliveroo. The pop-up is available from Friday June 13 to Sunday June 15, from 10am to 12am. Will you be visiting? #dubai If you're heading along to the pop-up, expect a free cotton candy machine, games with chances to win freebies and all the Fix flavours available to purchase and more. Sarah Hamouda, Co-Founder of FIX Dessert Chocolatier, described why the brand chose its latest flavour. She said: 'When we're developing a new recipe, we think of each bar as having its own unique sensory experience. 'How does it look? How does it taste? How does it feel? More importantly, how does this progress with each bite?' The new Time to Mango Dubai chocolate flavour (Credit: FIX Dessert Chocolatier) 'The best thing about 'Time to Mango' is that each moment is different – from breaking into the perfectly tempered chocolate, to finding the vibrant fruity filling, then ending with the bursts of popping candy. It's a feeling of indulgence and nostalgia that never gets old.' The brand also reopened its stand inside Dubai International Airport in May, which will be serving passengers throughout the summer. Jun 13-15, 10am-midnight. Mall of the Emirates, Al Barsha. In other Dubai news 6 surprising ways the new dirham symbol will affect you Including where it'll appear on your keyboard When is the next UAE public holiday? Your guide to every day off in 2025 Another public holiday is fast approaching 22 rare photos that show Dubai's epic transformation since the 1950s Get ready for a wild journey
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SFIX Q3 FY25 Earnings Call: Revenue Beats Expectations as Client Engagement Initiatives Drive Growth
Personalized clothing company Stitch Fix (NASDAQ:SFIX) reported Q1 CY2025 results exceeding the market's revenue expectations , but sales were flat year on year at $325 million. On top of that, next quarter's revenue guidance ($300.5 million at the midpoint) was surprisingly good and 4.3% above what analysts were expecting. Its non-GAAP loss of $0.06 per share was 48.5% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy SFIX? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $325 million vs analyst estimates of $314.6 million (flat year on year, 3.3% beat) Adjusted EPS: -$0.06 vs analyst estimates of -$0.11 (48.5% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: -$2.71 million vs analyst estimates of $9 million (-0.8% margin, significant miss) Revenue Guidance for Q2 CY2025 is $300.5 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $288 million EBITDA guidance for the full year is $45 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $43.93 million Operating Margin: -3%, up from -7.7% in the same quarter last year Active Clients: 2.35 million, down 280,000 year on year Market Capitalization: $616.9 million Stitch Fix's third quarter fiscal 2025 results were shaped by its ongoing transformation strategy, particularly efforts to enhance client engagement and expand product offerings. CEO Matt Baer attributed revenue growth to larger Fix shipments, stronger merchandise assortments, and higher average order values, noting, 'Larger fixes have directly contributed to our AOV growth.' The company also saw continued momentum in its Freestyle channel and reported improvements in client retention and new client spending. Management credited these gains to investments in brand positioning, flexible service options, and deeper stylist-client relationships. However, they remained cautious about the macroeconomic backdrop, highlighting efforts to manage inventory efficiently and navigate ongoing pressures on consumer discretionary spending. Looking ahead, Stitch Fix's revenue guidance reflects confidence in the sustainability of recent client engagement strategies and assortment enhancements. Management cited increased flexibility in the Fix model and the introduction of themed shipments as key drivers for anticipated growth in the upcoming quarter. CEO Matt Baer explained, 'We believe we are well delivering the most client-centric and personalized shopping experience.' CFO David Aufderhaar emphasized that ongoing investments in marketing and assortment are expected to support growth, while also acknowledging external risks, including tariff changes and macroeconomic uncertainty. The company does not anticipate major cost impacts from tariffs in the next quarter, but is actively scenario planning for potential headwinds in the following year. Management attributed the quarter's return to revenue growth to larger Fix shipments, expanded product variety, and rising client engagement, while also addressing ongoing challenges in client acquisition and the broader macroeconomic landscape. Larger Fix shipments: Management highlighted that allowing clients to receive up to 8 items per Fix increased average order value and deepened customer engagement, with CEO Matt Baer noting these larger shipments are now being tested with new clients as well. Expanded merchandise assortment: The company broadened its product range, especially in athleisure, footwear, and accessories, contributing to higher keep rates and incremental revenue in both Women's and Men's segments. Sneakers saw particularly strong demand, up 35% year-over-year. Freestyle channel growth: Stitch Fix's direct-buy Freestyle channel posted its second consecutive quarter of revenue growth, driven by curated selections and more flexible shopping options that appeal to both existing and new clients. Brand and client experience investments: Ongoing investments in the 'retail therapy' brand platform and new engagement features, such as themed Fixes and assortment flexibility, led to improved new client acquisition and higher spending from recently acquired customers. Navigating external headwinds: Management addressed macroeconomic uncertainty and tariff risk, outlining a proactive approach that leverages supplier flexibility, private brand strength, and advanced data analytics to mitigate future cost pressures. Looking forward, management expects client-centric service enhancements, product variety, and proactive risk mitigation to drive revenue and margin performance, while acknowledging persistent macroeconomic and tariff-related uncertainties. Client engagement strategies: Management expects continued gains from larger Fixes, themed shipments, and personalized product recommendations, which are designed to increase wallet share and retention among both new and existing clients. Assortment and marketing investments: The company is increasing investment in marketing and merchandise variety, including non-apparel categories, with the expectation that these efforts will support sustainable client growth and higher average order values, though they could pressure gross margins near term. Tariff and macroeconomic risks: Leadership reiterated that current tariffs are not expected to materially impact costs in the next quarter, but they are closely monitoring the situation for the following year. Scenario planning, supplier diversification, and flexible merchandising are intended to mitigate potential headwinds if trade policies tighten or consumer spending weakens. In coming quarters, the StockStory team will monitor (1) whether new client acquisition and recurring shipments translate into active client growth, (2) the impact of continued product assortment expansion on average order value and keep rates, and (3) Stitch Fix's ability to offset potential tariff and macroeconomic pressures. Progress on digital engagement features and operational efficiency will also be key indicators of future performance. Stitch Fix currently trades at a forward EV-to-EBITDA ratio of 13.4×. Is the company at an inflection point that warrants a buy or sell? The answer lies in our full research report (it's free). The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How the Consequences of Defaulting on Student Loans Became So Harsh
ROBYN BECK By the time Patricia Gary contacted a lawyer to help her deal with her student loans, she'd paid $23,000 towards them and still owed $3,882. That was the case even though she only borrowed $6,000 in the first place. What prompted the call was a notice in 2019 that the government planned to take some of her Social Security check in order to repay the debt. Gary needed that money to afford food and medications, so she raced to figure out how to stop the feds from taking it. Stay up-to-date with the politics team. Sign up for the Teen Vogue Take Gary first took on student loans in the 1980s to attend a for-profit beauty school. She left after about a year, amid concerns she wasn't receiving a valuable education. The school later collapsed in scandal. Still, the debt Gary took on to attend followed her for years. She would periodically hear from debt collectors and make agreements with them to throw some money at the loan each month. There were stretches where Gary didn't hear from anyone about her loan and so she assumed she'd handled it, but somehow it would always pop up again. In the meantime, she went back to school with help from her employer and later paid out of pocket to earn a master's degree. Those credentials helped her make a career of working with foster youth. So how did someone who helped others escape their circumstances find herself at risk of struggling to afford basic needs because of her student loan? The answer, I found in researching my book, Sunk Cost: Who's to Blame for the Nation's Broken Student Loan System and How to Fix It, is decades of rhetoric that fueled an image of student loan borrowers who didn't pay as people shirking their responsibilities. The result is that a program meant to help low- and middle-income Americans attend college features consequences for falling behind that are harsher in some cases than those credit card users face. Now those penalties are looming over borrowers as the Trump administration restarts student debt collection following a five year pandemic-era pause. About 5 million borrowers are at risk of having their Social Security checks and tax refunds taken as well as their wages garnished over defaulting on student loans. But the march towards these punitive consequences began decades before the Trump administration. Over the years, lawmakers layered on policies that made it nearly impossible for borrowers to escape their student loans and delivered punishing penalties when they fell behind. This pattern started in the mid-1970s when Congress changed the way the bankruptcy court treats student loans. Probably one of the most well-known facts about student debt is that it's nearly impossible to discharge in bankruptcy. But that wasn't always the case. About 10 years after policymakers created the broad-based student loan program, newspapers across the country chronicled how seemingly easy it was for borrowers to get rid of their student debt. There were stories of graduates with professional degrees and from elite law schools discharging their loans through bankruptcy. One article in Pennsylvania newspaper, the Lancaster New Era, told the story of a woman in Ohio who got rid of her $4,100 in student debt by filing for bankruptcy. Ultimately, she found a job that would have paid her enough to repay the loan. A major source for that story was the executive director of a state-backed organization that worked for the government as a middleman in the student loan program. In other words, the organization had an interest in ensuring it would be difficult for borrowers to escape their loans. The head of the organization described to the paper what he called 'pre-planned bankruptcies.' They, 'really make you sick,' he said. According to the article, he worked with a congressman in his region to draft a bill that would ban borrowers from discharging loans in bankruptcy within five years of graduating. During congressional debate around this idea, it became clear that stories of widespread efforts from borrowers to get rid of their loans were just that — stories. For example, one congressman cited data indicating a 225% increase in student loan-related bankruptcies over one year in Pennsylvania. That really amounted to an uptick to 13 cases from four. Despite this evidence, the proposal became law. Lawmakers ultimately expanded the provision to make it nearly impossible to discharge student debt throughout the lifetime of the loan. Roughly two decades after members of Congress first changed the treatment of student loans in bankruptcy, lawmakers quietly pushed through another change that would make it nearly impossible for borrowers to escape their student loans. For most consumer debt, there's a maximum amount of time a lender can sue to collect, called a statute of limitations. But in the early 1990s, lawmakers eliminated the statute of limitations on federal student loans. In other words, borrowers can be sued or face collections on the debt until they die. This decision was made without much fanfare. Lawmakers used a process that was meant for technical, non-substantive law changes to push it through. In their limited comments around the decision, members of Congress wrote that student loan borrowers shouldn't be able to escape their debt because their ability to repay the loan would theoretically increase over time. The wording echoed arguments in favor of making student loans more difficult to discharge in bankruptcy, portraying borrowers who weren't paying their student loans as people looking to escape their debt. That logic was part of what drove lawmakers to allow the government to take borrowers' Social Security benefits and tax refunds to repay defaulted student loans. In the mid-1990s, a bipartisan pair of lawmakers was looking to make it easier for the government to collect on debt of all kinds to help the federal budget. In defending the proposal, Carolyn Maloney, then a Democratic congresswoman representing New York, wrote in the New York Times that 'many delinquent debtors are able to pay,' with little data to back up the assertion. Mainstream media outlets fueled that perception, sometimes calling those who owed the government money — including former college students, military veterans and foreign governments — 'deadbeats.' To address these concerns lawmakers passed the Debt Collection Improvement Act in 1996, which among other things allowed the federal government to take a borrower's Social Security check and tax refund to repay a defaulted student loan. Years later, borrowers like Patricia Gary have coped with the fallout from decades of policies that assumed borrowers who didn't pay were doing it simply because they didn't want to. In my reporting on the student debt crisis for MarketWatch I've spoken with borrowers who wrestled to navigate the student loan system and then had their Earned Income Tax Credit — a tax credit with bipartisan support that largely helps working parents — taken, making it more difficult for them to afford the basics like shoes for their children. The data on borrowers who default indicates that most people who fall behind on their student loans are people like Gary or other borrowers I've encountered. They aren't paying because they don't have the money or are struggling to navigate the complexity of the student loan system — not because they're trying to shirk their debt. Borrowers in default are more likely to be unemployed and less likely to have finished school. Despite this, the government keeps using harsh consequences to essentially pull blood from a stone. That's because the groundwork has been laid for decades to prime policymakers and ordinary Americans to believe that borrowers defaulting on student loans are trying to outrun them, even though the data indicates otherwise. That begs a question Gary asked me about the efforts to collect her debt during the interviews we conducted for Sunk Cost: 'Does it ever stop? 'Or they just want to keep taking money because they can do it?' Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue Check out more Teen Vogue education coverage: Affirmative Action Benefits White Women Most How Our Obsession With Trauma Took Over College Essays So Many People With Student Debt Never Graduated College The Modern American University Is a Right-Wing Institution
CNBC
31-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Why everyone is selling Dubai chocolate bars
As a new chocolate trend takes over the globe, U.S. companies like Shake Shack and Crumbl have worked quickly to capitalize on its continuing popularity with limited edition spinoffs, while other chocolate manufacturers have created dozens of dupes sold at Target, Costco, Amazon and now Trader Joe's. The idea for "Dubai chocolate" was first sparked in 2021 by Fix Dessert Chocolatier founder and CEO Sarah Hamouda's pregnancy cravings, she told CNBC. The original chocolate bars are filled with a mixture of pistachio cream, kadayif (shredded phyllo dough) and tahini. "All I knew in my head is that I wanted to create this chocolate bar that's essentially a dessert encased in chocolate, but looks and feels like a chocolate bar," Hamouda said. In December 2023, the bars went viral on social media. "Instead of getting one order every week, we started to get 10, 15 orders," she said. "It was exciting, but it was also like, you know, oh my God, like, how is this happening." The Fix bars are only available in Dubai and drop twice a day on local delivery service Deliveroo. They're periodically available at Dubai International Airport's Duty-Free shop, which reported that over 1.2 million bars were sold in April, generating $22 million in sales. Yet, the United Arab Emirates isn't part of the international trademark treaty that would secure protection for the Dubai chocolate name, which makes it easy for any company to make an imitation of the bar. Chocolate manufacturer Lindt, which posted $6.2 billion in its full fiscal-year 2024 earnings, sold a limited-edition bar in December 2024, and said it's developing a new permanent Dubai chocolate recipe "in response to overwhelming demand." Shake Shack launched a limited-edition milkshake in April with the flavors. Crumbl is working on a brownie spinoff. Starbucks didn't create an official product, but promoted a customer's idea for a Dubai chocolate-inspired drink, which it later said boosted sales among Gen Z consumers. Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin', which are owned by Inspire Brands, have each launched Dubai chocolate-inspired desserts in other countries like Malaysia and the Netherlands, but wouldn't confirm if they were bringing them to the U.S. markets. Nuts Factory, a New York City based dried fruit and nuts store, says it was the first company to make a dupe of the bar in the city. It launched in July after testing out different versions in just a couple of days, according to its CEO Din Allall. The bars are made by hand, and it had to impose a one-bar-per-customer limit in stores that summer. "People just started calling nonstop. We couldn't meet the demand, and we just turned the world upside down to make sure we meet the demand. And I think now we're in good shape," he said. Allall said the company used to make a "couple hundred" bars per day. Now it makes a "few thousand" daily, as the stores have added more flavors, hired additional workers and bought more machines to meet demand. Nuts Factory has also created other Dubai chocolate-inspired desserts. So far the trend has lasted for 18 months, and companies are still joining in. Trader Joe's just launched arguably the cheapest Dubai chocolate dupe at $3.99 per bar. It's too early to track "Dubai chocolate" flavor combinations on restaurant menus, says food service consulting firm Technomic, but chocolate-pistachio flavor combos on restaurant menus were up 22.3% between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the same period in 2024, and increased 5.9% the year prior. Watch this video to learn more.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
EV tax credit elimination: What it could mean for Tesla and the US auto industry if it ends
The reconciliation bill working its way through Congress would eliminate the electric vehicle tax credit created under the Inflation Reduction Act. The removal of the credit, created to incentivize U.S. consumers to purchase electrified vehicles, would likely lead to a drop in EV sales and production. However, Tesla sales would likely remain largely unaffected, one expert predicts. "Getting rid of this $7,500 tax credit should not impact [Tesla] sales," automotive expert Lauren Fix told FOX Business. "People buy Teslas because they like the product… They know what their customers want, and those that like Teslas will continue to purchase that product." The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was approved by the House on May 22 in a 215-214 vote. If the measure passes the Senate and is signed into law by President Donald Trump, the $7,500 new-vehicle tax credit and $4,000 used-vehicle tax credit incentives on EVs would be killed, along with subsidies for battery manufacturing, the text of the bill says. The EV tax credit, which started during the Obama administration, is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2032. The new provision "accelerates the expiration to December 31, 2025." Trump Team Reportedly Looking To Kill Biden's $7,500 Ev Tax Credit Ending the clean vehicle tax credit would result in a sharp decrease in EV sales in the U.S., Fix said. "Once that tax credit goes away, I'm expecting [electric vehicles] to be about 2% of sales," Fix said, noting that EVs currently account for around 8% of total car sales in the U.S. "There will still be electric vehicle sales, Tesla will still survive and [Elon Musk] will do well. And other brands will make what consumers want." Read On The Fox Business App Federal Ev Tax Credit Slashed In Half For Some Tesla Model 3S In 2024 Tesla, the leading EV manufacturer in the U.S., has focused more on selling carbon credits to other automakers than it has on consumer tax incentives. The company, which has moved the bulk of its production to Texas, has also become "more efficient and effective" in its manufacturing, according to Fix. "What Tesla has done, and they don't really care about the $7,500 tax credit, is they were selling carbon credits to all the other car manufacturers," Fix said. "That's where they've made their profits." Trump Wants To Roll Back Biden's Ev Push: Here Is How It Would Affect Consumers Meanwhile, other leading EV automakers like Hyundai and Ford may decide to reduce production of electrified vehicles if the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is signed into law, she said. "You're going to see their production quantities drop dramatically," Fix said. "The only reason the manufacturers are building electric vehicles to begin with is because they were mandated to do so." Trump in January issued an executive order to "eliminate the electric vehicle mandate and promote true consumer choice." Click Here To Get Fox Business On The Go Tesla, Hyundai and Ford Motor Company did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for article source: EV tax credit elimination: What it could mean for Tesla and the US auto industry if it ends 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
