Lifestyle

News on consumer habits, trends, and lifestyle spending.

Lifestyle
Words-of-mouth: BookTok reignites a love for reading
Reading is back on the rise thanks to social media, particularly TikTok, with #BookTok amassing over 60 million views after taking off during the pandemic. “The rise of BookTok really coincided with the pandemic, and I think it was this wonderful way for other book lovers to sort of find each other,” RMIT lecturer of writing and publishing, Angela Meyer, tells Azzet. According to NPD BookScan, print book sales increased by 9% from 757.9 million in 2020 to 825 million in 2021, the highest jump since they started tracking in 2004. NPD BookScan largely attributed this to “BookTok” and said no other social media platform had impacted sales like this before. A key findings report of 2,001 16 to 25-year-olds in the UK found that the phenomenon that is BookTok has also encouraged more young people to read. Almost two-thirds of respondents said book influencers have helped them discover a passion for reading, 55% rely on BookTok for recommendations, and nearly half of the respondents said they had visited a physical book shop to buy a book they had seen on BookTok.What books are popular on TikTok?Meyer says backlist titles are often capturing the attention of BookTok users as opposed to newly published books. Backlist title
Lifestyle
Private cinema experience launches in New York City
A new chapter in moviegoing is about to unfold in New York City, where Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League is launching Metro Private Cinema - a bespoke, upscale take on the classic night at the movies. Opening soon in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood, the concept merges private screenings with high-end culinary service, all inside a purpose-built 20-screen facility designed for group bookings. Rather than selling individual tickets, Metro Private Cinema allows hosts to reserve entire screening rooms that accommodate between four and twelve guests. Visitors can select the film, the time, and an optional multi-course dining experience tailored to match the theme of the movie. Rates begin at US$50 per person with unlimited popcorn, rising to $600 for the largest rooms, while food packages add $100 per person - with optional alcoholic beverages adding at least $50 more. “It’s a night out,” League told The Hollywood Reporter. “If you want to have what we’re trying to create — a very special experience with dinner, friends and a movie — I think there’s an audience for it here.” The initiative, financially backed by Alamo Drafthouse and supported by League in his role as a strategic advisor, will debut at 131 Eighth Aven
Lifestyle
Victoria Cross auction highlights military medals boom
A Victoria Cross posthumously awarded to Private Robert Matthew Beatham for gallantry at the 1918 Battle of Amiens will anchor Noble Numismatics' auction next week for an estimated £500,000. The auction runs from Monday 28 July to Friday 1 August 2025 at Sydney's State Library and showcases 4,800 lots, including medals, coins, and artwork. The star (or cross?) of the show, Beatham's Victoria Cross represents the apex of military collectibles investment and medals' increasing worth.Credit: Noble NumismaticsMilitary medals outpace traditional investmentsVictoria Cross auction prices have surged dramatically in recent years. Thomas Henry Kavanagh's medal sold for £930,000 in 2022 - more than twice its guide price - establishing new benchmarks for the 1,358 Victoria Crosses ever awarded. Recent sales demonstrate sustained market strength. Henry Peel Ritchie's WWI Naval VC fetched £240,000 in July 2024, while Captain Noel Chavasse's VC and Bar commanded £1.5 million in 2009. The military medals sector benefits from unique market dynamics unlike traditional collectibles. Medal collecting attracts passionate enthusiasts who view themselves as custodians rather than investors. This creates stable demand at the prem
Lifestyle
Lindt melts on earnings miss as cocoa prices weigh
Lindt & Sprüngli fell to a multi-month low on Tuesday after the Swiss chocolate maker missed earnings expectations and trimmed its full-year profit margin outlook, citing the impact of persistently high cocoa prices. The company reported first-half earnings per share of CHF806.5, slightly below the 813 that analysts had forecast. While revenues beat expectations, coming in at 2.35 billion versus 2.3 billion expected, the company’s operating profit dropped 11% to 259.2 million, missing the 270.9 million anticipated. Chocolate manufacturers have been contending with sharply rising raw-material costs following a record surge in cocoa prices last year. Although prices have eased from their December 2024 peak of nearly $13,000 per metric ton, they remain historically elevated. Cocoa currently trades above $8,000 per ton - still more than double its level at the start of 2024. The price rally was driven by weather-related supply concerns in Ghana and Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producers. But the rally has since reversed as demand destruction sets in, with confectioners cutting back purchases in response to high input costs. Lindt has attempted to offset these pressures through price hikes, but they have fai
Lifestyle
Tesla misses estimates as delivery numbers plummet
Tesla missed estimates last quarter, with revenue and gross profit plummeting as deliveries fell. Its total revenues were US$22.50 billion, dropping 12% year-over-year and below LSEG estimates of $22.74 billion. Adjusted earnings per share were $0.40, down 23% and missing estimates of $0.43. “We continue to make progress preparing for the launch of additional models this year. Our entire model lineup is better than ever with recent updates,” wrote Tesla. “Our ongoing focus on supply chain robustness has enabled a resilient vehicle capacity base despite trade and policy uncertainties.” Automotive revenue fell 16% year-over-year, while energy generation and storage revenue was down 7%. Only its services and other revenue segments reported revenue growth, rising 17% to US$3.05 billion. Its total gross profit was US$3.88 billion, dropping by 15% year-over-year. Operating income was $0.92 million, down 42%. Tesla delivered 384,122 units last quarter, falling by 13%. Deliveries increased during 2024 but have fallen sharply in 2025, driven partly by backlash against Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s alliance with U.S. President Donald Trump. Its overall vehicle production numbers were roughly stable at 410,244, though production fo

Lifestyle
BBC plans to make Bluey a lifestyle brand for all ages
The BBC plans to turn the world’s most popular Blue Heeler, Bluey, into an all-encompassing “lifestyle brand” for all ages after the success of her bite-sized adventures. Bluey has already driven a record £2.16 billion in sales from commercial operations last year through brand deals for everything from headphones to baked beans. Now, BBC Studios' head of global consumer products, Suzy Raia, says the company plans to make Bluey a lifestyle brand for both children and adults. “We’re just at the beginning of something that I hope will be a generation-defining brand for children and then families today,” Raia told the Guardian. “From a retail sales standpoint, we are generating about $3.6 billion (£2.7 billion) in global retail sales across our entire portfolio and Bluey is a really, really big chunk of that.” Due to the BBC’s ability to exploit digital channels like YouTube and TikTok, executives determined that Bluey could appeal to parents and young adults. Bluey’s official YouTube channel now has 21 million subscribers and 13 billion lifetime views. The TikTok account also has almost 5 million followers. “Within seven months, we had a million TikTok subscribers,” Raia said. “That was a moment where we were
Lifestyle
GM sees tariff drag, adjusts EV push for resilience
General Motors (GM) reported second-quarter 2025 earnings that reflect a challenging operating environment, particularly in North America. Revenue declined 1.8% year-over-year to $47.1 billion, still exceeding Wall Street's estimate of $45.84 billion, while net income attributable to stockholders fell sharply by 35.4% to $1.9 billion. With certain items removed, earnings per share came to $2.53. Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting $2.34. EBIT-adjusted dropped 31.6% to $3.0 billion, and net income margin narrowed to 4.0% from 6.1%. Automotive operating cash flow and adjusted free cash flow also saw steep declines, down 39.7% and 46.6% respectively. The company attributes part of the pressure to increased costs, including a $1.1 billion tariff hit. Despite the quarterly setback, GM’s year-to-date performance has shown resilience in some areas. Total revenue for the first half of 2025 edged up 0.2% to $91.14 billion, although net income dropped 20.9% to $4.68 billion. EBIT-adjusted for the six-month period fell 21.5% to $6.53 billion. Notably, diluted EPS rose 3.5% to $5.28, while adjusted EPS declined 6.5% to $5.31. GM reaffirmed its full-year guidance, projecting net income between $7.7 billion and $9.
Lifestyle
WNBA stars demand higher pay at All-Stars game protest
WNBA players sent a message to the league in front of millions of viewers demanding more pay ahead of their All-Star Game in Indianapolis last weekend. All of the players on Team Clark and Team Collier donned shirts that read “Pay us what you owe us” in front of a sold-out crowd of over 16,000, with millions more watching at home. “We get a very tiny percentage of all the money that’s made through the WNBA, which obviously is made through the entertainment we provide,” said Napheesa Collier on the decision to wear the shirts. “So we want a fair and reasonable percentage of that.” At the end of the game, the crowd erupted into chants of “Pay them!” and some fans held up signs that read “Pay the players” during the game. "We didn't, at least as players, we didn't know that was going to happen. So it was a genuine surprise. Those chants tonight, those signs, it just shows that as players, we are united, but the fans are united in believing what we're seeking,” Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum said of the crowd's support. The protest comes just days after more than 40 players were with the WNBA and failed to reach a new bargaining agreement. Players weren’t satisfied with the outcome regarding a better revenue
Lifestyle
Burberry sales rebound thanks to music festival goers
Burberry sales are once again on the rise to its best sales performance in 18 months, thanks to musical festival goers. In the three months leading to the end of June, the luxury British brand’s sales fell by 2% to £433m, a 3% increase from the previous quarter and the best performance since Christmas 2023. Burberry shares also rose by more than 4%, a better-than-expected result as CEO Joshua Schulman attempts a turnaround. Sales rose across Europe and the Americas but continue to fall in Asia, including the Chinese market, which accounts for 30% of sales. Schulman was appointed as CEO last year, and the company said they are showing “encouraging early signs” of progress under his Autumn 2025 collection, which highlighted stronger performance in core categories like outerwear and scarves as well as an increase in online sales. “It's a tough macro [environment] out there, and we are taking things step by step but we are optimistic about the quarters ahead and the business in general,” Schulman said. Schulman said the company aims to appeal to a “broader range of luxury consumers” through marketing towards both younger, high-spending, extroverted consumers and the more mature brand loyalists. This comes after th