APAC cities continue to be some of the world’s most connected and prominent as emerging hubs in South Asia gain ground
Asia Pacific (APAC) cities, spearheaded by Tokyo, Beijing, Singapore, Melbourne, and Hong Kong, continue to assert their influence as some of the world’s most connected and prominent urban centers, according to Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report. The report reveals that APAC maintains a strong foothold in the top 10 of its Global Cities Index (GCI), claiming five coveted spots.
Food Delivery Service CoLab Joins List of Firms in Ceasing Operations in Australia
CoLab, the Australian food delivery service, has announced winding up its operations last week. CoLab, is the seventh food delivery brand that have closed their operations in Australia in the last one year.
CoLab is a direct-to-customer retailer website and has entered voluntary administration last Thursday after failing to gain a fresh round of funding. failing to gain financing to continue its operations. It was launched as part of a collaboration between ChefPrep and Co-lab Pantry.
In a LinkedIn post, CoLab’s co-founder and CEO Josh Abulafia said that the company’s staff had been made redundant. “It’s been a tough day for CoLab and unfortunately we have had to let the team go,” he posted.
“As a quick background we (were) in the process of closing out a new round of financing that fell through. We then had significant interest for the company to be acquired and decided to put the company into VA to help, but due to unforeseen events our timelines became truncated,” Abulafia added.
One of the major reasons for the closure of these brands is said to be challenging economic conditions resulting in a rise in the cost of living where consumers have less money to spend.
Other Firms
Earlier, Sydney-based MilkRun, which was in the headlines for promising to deliver groceries within 10 minutes a customer placed order. The firm raised more than $5759 million from some of the biggest names in Australian venture capital, including Atlassian billionare Mike Cannon-Brookes.
In an internal email to the employees on Tuesday last, MilkRuns co-founder and chief executive Dany Milham said: “I am writing to let you know that we have made the difficult decision to wind down the business, and as a result, MilkRun will cease trading this Friday.”
According to Australian media reports, despite banking an impressive $75 million funding round led by a US venture capital firm in 2022, Milham blamed worsening economic conditions for the shock collapse.
Dany Milham had already found success with fast-delivering mattress company Koala. Less than a year ago he was confidently predicting MilkRun would be bigger than Coles or Woolworths within ten years.
The other five delivery service firms, which shut down in the Australian market, included three local startups promising 10-minute deliveries – ‘Send’ in May 2022, ‘Voly’ and British-owned ‘Deliveroo,’ both of which ceased operations in November 2022.
DashMart, which was launched in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane by food courier platform DoorDash in January 2023 claiming it would succeed where its rivals had failed, closed its operations last month.
While Melbourne food delivery platform Providoor became the sixth delivery firm to enter liquidation last month, Germany’s Foodora collapsed in August 2018.
Bank of Japan makes surprise policy tweak
The Bank of Japan has slightly loosened the shackles on its 10-year yield target and said it will review the operation of its yield-curve control policy, surprising financial markets and sending the yen sharply higher.
Chipmakers revive stocks as euro struggles after freefall
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Analysis: Up-ended global LNG markets deepen Australia’s power woes
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Dollar shines, euro droops as Omicron spreads while Fed hawks circle
The U.S. dollar hovered near the highest since July of last year against major peers on Monday after a Federal Reserve official signaled a first pandemic-era interest rate hike could come as early as March.
Asian shares tick up but Omicron worries leave markets on edge
Asian shares edged higher in choppy trading on Thursday, helped by advances in Chinese real estate shares, though fears about the Omicron variant of the new coronavirus capped gains regionally.
EXCLUSIVE Indigenous group seeks stake in Woodside’s $12 bln Scarborough, Pluto LNG project
A Western Australian Indigenous group is in talks with Woodside Petroleum (WPL.AX) over obtaining a stake in its $12 billion Scarborough and Pluto LNG expansion to help secure the future of the local traditional owners, a senior Indigenous official told Reuters.
Australian economy likely already slowing in Q2 before Delta downturn
Australia’s economy was likely already slowing before wide-scale coronavirus restrictions shuttered swathes of business and jobs, setting the stage for a vicious contraction this quarter.
BHP lays down goals to cut own emissions by 30% by FY2030
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – BHP Group BHP.AX will focus on cutting its operational emissions by 30% by the 2030 financial year from 2020 levels, and will link executive bonuses to its progress, its chief executive said in a climate strategy update on Thursday. The world’s biggest listed miner will focus on using cleaner forms of power supply as […]
