Lifestyle

News on consumer habits, trends, and lifestyle spending.

Lifestyle
Monterey Car Week to test the collectible car market
Up to US$400 million (A$613.1 million) worth of cars will be sold as part of the auction block in Monterey and Pebble Beach this week, marking the greatest test for the collectible car market and wealthy owners. “Pebble Beach is the annual health check on the market,” said Simon Kidston, a classic car advisor and dealer. “Everybody waits to see what happens at Pebble Beach before committing to a major decision the rest of the year.” An estimated 1,140 cars will be up for auction at Monterey Car Week, which is an annual gathering for car collectors from all around the world. Sales are estimated to reach $367 million and $409 million, according to Hagerty. The midpoint of that range of $388 million would mark the third year of decline in sales and a steep 18% drop from the recent peak of $471 in 2022. The high-end market is also falling short, as the Monterey auctions normally feature at least a half-dozen cars priced at US$10 million or more. This year, there was only one. The average sale price has also dropped from $477,000 last year to $473,000 this year. The decline in prices follows a similar trend to other collectibles, like the art market. Overall, collectible prices have fallen 2.7% over the last
Lifestyle
Temple & Webster net profits grow by over 500%
Homewares company Temple & Webster reported record financial results in fiscal 2025, including a 532.8% jump in net profit after tax. The company reported net profit after tax of A$11.3 million, greatly surpassing the A$1.8 million it reported in FY24. Revenues for the company also grew 20.7% from A$497.8 million in FY24 to A$600.7 million in FY25 and increased its share in the Australian furniture and homewares market to 2.7%. The company pointed to a 43% rise in home improvement as a key reason for the jump in revenue. Temple & Webster CEO Mark Coulter said this financial year’s results are pushing the company further forward toward its goal of becoming Australia’s largest retailer in furniture and homewares. “June was a particularly strong month, with checkout revenue up 28%, highlighting that our customer proposition centred around price, range and convenience continues to resonate with the next generation of shopper in our category,” Coulter said. “Home improvement was again a standout performer, with revenue growth of 43%, and private label penetration in this category increasing markedly, approaching 20%.” As of 30 June 2025, the company has a cash balance of A$144 million with no debt. The active cu
Lifestyle
Star finally completes deal to seal crown jewel
Star Entertainment shares have surged after it finalised a deal that looked dead two weeks ago with its half share of Brisbane’s new casino and resort sold to its Hong Kong-based joint venture partners for A$53 million (US$35 million). Star said it had entered into binding long-form documentation with Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium International (FEC) in relation to the Destination Brisbane Consortium (DBC), Destination Gold Coast and other assets. Star (ASX:SGR) shares jumped two cents (18.3%) to 11 cents, capitalising the company at $312.05 million, in response to the announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange. The transaction involves Star selling its 50% interest in DBC, consolidating its position on the Gold Coast and transferring other Brisbane assets and interests to its partners. The company’s subordinated lenders Bally's Corporation and hotel industry billionaire Bruce Mathieson support the transaction, which will be completed in two stages. The first stage, the sale of the DBC interest, has a sunset date of 30 November 2025. The sale of the other assets (Treasury Brisbane Car Park, Treasury Brisbane Hotel and 50 of the Charlotte St Car Park in Brisbane) is expected to be compl
Lifestyle
Treasury Wine Estates boosts profit, revenue
Treasury Wine Estates posted a 15.5% rise in underlying profit today due to the strong performance of its luxury portfolio. Australia’s largest winemaker reported A$470.6 million in net profit after tax for the fiscal year, which is higher than last year’s A$407.5 million, marking a 15.5% increase. Despite the growth, it missed Visible Alpha’s estimate of A$472.1 million. Revenue for the company grew 6.5% to A$2.99 billion year-over-year. These results were boosted by Treasury Wine’s luxury wine portfolio, which now accounts for 55% of revenues, as well as the re-establishment of Penfolds and other products in China, after Beijing lifted punitive tariffs. Treasury Wines also announced a final dividend of A$0.20, which is higher than the A$0.19 posted at the same time last year. The winemaker also announced a buyback of up to A$200 million, which is to be completed throughout fiscal 2026. At the time of writing, Treasury Wine Estates (ASX: TWE) stock was trading 0.63% higher than the previous close at A$7.63. Its market capitalisation was A$6.19 billion.
Lifestyle
Rapper to entertain packed Aussie footy joint
American rapper Snoop Dogg will perform before the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final. The AFL on Tuesday announced the singer, songwriter, actor and entrepreneur as the pre-game entertainment at a venue which is likely to be filled to capacity on 27 September. The league, which generated a net profit of A$41.327 million (US$26.9 million) on revenue of $1.029 billion in 2024, did not disclose the cost of hiring the performer, but it could be as much as $2 million to $3 million, based on previous Grand Final performances and his hiring rate. “Snoop Dogg is a pioneer, a performer, and a true entertainer. He’s played to packed stadiums around the world — but we think 100,000 fans at the MCG might just be his most iconic crowd yet,” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said in a media release. “We want Grand Final Day to be an unforgettable celebration of footy — and beyond the four quarters of the match, a celebration of culture, energy, and entertainment. Snoop fits that brief better than anyone.” Born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr but nicknamed Snoop Dogg because of his childhood likeness to Peanuts cartoon character Snoopy, he rose to fame in the 1990s as a singer but has since branched into film, television, business and e

Lifestyle
Paramount smacks down UFC pay-per-view model
Paramount Skydance Corp will pay US$7.7 billion (A$11.8 billion) for exclusive United States broadcast rights to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for seven years and is on a global hunt for more rights to the mixed martial arts sport. The global media and entertainment company made the announcement with UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings only days after Paramount Global finalised its $8.4 billion merger with production studio Skydance. Paramount Skydance said it would exclusively distribute UFC's 13 marquee numbered events and 30 Fight Nights via its direct-to-consumer streaming platform Paramount+ from 2026, with some events to be simulcast on its broadcast CBS network. The company said it would move away from UFC's pay-per-view model and instead make these events available at no additional cost to Paramount+ subscribers. “This shift in distribution strategy will unlock greater accessibility and discoverability for sports fans and provide an important catalyst for driving engagement and further subscriber growth for Paramount+,” Paramount said in a news release. “Paramount intends to explore UFC rights outside the U.S. as they become available in the future.” Chairman and CEO David Ellison said live s
Lifestyle
Adidas faces Mexican claims of cultural appropriation
United States fashion designer Willy Chavarria has issued an apology after a shoe he created in collaboration with Adidas Originals faced criticism for cultural appropriation. The Oaxaca Slip-On, inspired by traditional leather sandals called huaraches made by Indigenous artisans in Mexico, sparked backlash when it emerged that the footwear was reportedly manufactured in China without consultation or credit to the originating communities. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum was among the voices condemning the design, stating, “Big companies often take products, ideas and designs from Indigenous communities.” She added, “We are looking at the legal part to be able to support them.” Adidas has reportedly reached out to Oaxacan officials to discuss “restitution to the people who were plagiarised”, according to Mexico’s deputy culture minister Marina Nunez. In a statement provided to the BBC, Chavarria said, “I am deeply sorry that the shoe was appropriated in this design and not developed in direct and meaningful partnership with the Oaxacan community.” He noted that his intention was “to honour the powerful cultural and artistic spirit of Oaxaca and its creative communities - a place whose beauty and resistance have
Lifestyle
Founders: People Haircare's Ruiz has skin in the game
The Founders showcases the inspiring journeys of visionary entrepreneurs who turned ideas into thriving businesses. Dive into captivating stories and insightful interviews with founders and CEOs, as they share their challenges, triumphs, and industry insights in this ongoing series. Australians are spending more and more on quality beauty products, from skincare to haircare. Founder of supermarket hair care brand, People Haircare, Katherine Ruiz says the haircare industry in particular has become competitive, following suit with the massive rise in popularity of skincare. “I think that haircare is definitely going to be the next skincare,” she tells Azzet. “Skincare really paved the way of building out an understanding of different people's skin types, and hair is definitely now moving into that. So there's a lot more knowledge around different people's hair types.” The Australian haircare industry generates US$1.07 billion in revenue in 2025, with a projected annual growth rate of 2.51%. The industry was also worth US$106.91 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to US$213.27 billion by 2032. This follows the blueprint of skincare which is currently worth US$180.3 billion globally and is estimated to generate
Lifestyle
E.l.f CEO defends price hike amid drop in net income
E.l.f CEO Tarang Amin defended the company’s decision to raise prices by $1 to combat U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. In the interview with CNBC’s Jim Cramer, Amin said consumers were not put off by the price hike that was implemented on 1 August. “We had about 98% positive sentiment from our consumers,” Amin said, suggesting customers appreciated E.l.f’s transparency about the change. “Even after the price increase, 75% of our portfolio is $10 or less, so still a phenomenal value.” However, E.l.f CFO, Mandy Fields, said the company was still monitoring how consumers were reacting to the price increase. “We're still reading how the consumer will respond to that,” Fields said. She acknowledged that “they’re continuing to be choiceful with how they’re spending.” This comes as E.l.f shares dropped following its earnings announcements. In the three months ending in June, the company reported net income of US$33.3 million, representing a 30% decrease from US$47.6 million. The company also declined to offer full-year guidance until the U.S.’s approach to trade with China is clearer. Instead, it opted to issue guidance for the first half of the fiscal year. In the first half, the beauty brand expects