Did you know ...? The fanfare around Margot Robbie-starrer 'Barbie' could jolt the iconic Mattel doll's sales out of a year-long slump, but Wall Street thinks the party in pink will be short-lived, reports Reuters. While Mattel will report second-quarter results on Wednesday, days after the theatrical release of the movie, analysts say the boost for Barbie sales will be most pronounced in the quarter ending 29 September before tapering off. The company will likely get a small cut of the movie's box-office innings, though the biggest benefit is expected to come from toy sales following the marketing blitz around its release. Retailers worldwide have also pitched in, with brands from Zara to H&M and Gap rolling out themed merchandise like Barbie hoodies, perfumes and toothbrushes.
Did you know ...? COP28 president designate Dr Sultan Al Jaber has called on all countries to join the Global Cooling Pledge, which seeks to expand the availability of cooling systems to protect the most vulnerable communities from extreme heat, reports ESMmagazine.com. It will focus on communities in the global south, small island states, and least developed countries. The pledge, announced earlier this year, is a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the COP28 Presidency.
Did you know ...? Canadian retail sales underperformed expectations in May and were likely unchanged in June, data showed on Friday, pointing toward a slowdown in economic growth that would allow the Bank of Canada to leave interest rates unchanged. Sales rose 0.2% in May from April, less than the 0.5% increase forecast by analysts in a Reuters survey. The rise was led by increases at motor vehicle and parts dealers as well as food and beverage retailers, according to Statistics Canada. Sales were up in five of nine sub-sectors, representing 94.5% of retail trade. In volume terms, retail sales increased 0.1%. "This data suggests that the economy is slowing in line with the Bank of Canada's forecasts," Tiago Figueiredo, an economist at Desjardins, said in a note. "As such, Canadian central bankers will view this as part of the process and will likely not see the need to raise rates further this year."
Read More: Did You Know ...? 18 July 2023
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