Big W

Asia Pacific Loyalty Programs Business Intelligence Report 2024: Market to Grow by 11% to Reach $52.05 Billion in 2024 - Forecasts to 2028

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, February 24, 2024

Loyalty market in the region is expected to grow by 11.0% on an annual basis to reach US$52.05 billion in 2024.

Key Points: 
  • Loyalty market in the region is expected to grow by 11.0% on an annual basis to reach US$52.05 billion in 2024.
  • The loyalty market in the region will increase from US$46.90 billion in 2023 to reach US$75.02 billion by 2028.
  • This report provides a detailed data-centric analysis of the loyalty market opportunities and risks across a range of industry categories.
  • With over 50 KPIs at the country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of loyalty market dynamics, market size and forecast, and market share statistics.

Why Heartstopper is Gen Z’s defining publishing phenomenon

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 6, 2024

To every generation a publishing phenomenon is born – and for Generation Z, it’s Heartstopper, which Oseman started writing aged 22 (she’s still just 29).

Key Points: 
  • To every generation a publishing phenomenon is born – and for Generation Z, it’s Heartstopper, which Oseman started writing aged 22 (she’s still just 29).
  • The rise of Heartstopper reads like a history of the last ten years in publishing tools and platforms.
  • Hachette Children’s Group picked up world rights for the series, publishing Volume One in 2019.
  • Heartstopper follows the sweet friends-to-lovers arc of Charlie and Nick, whom we first meet in Year 10 and Year 11.
  • It depicts the giddying highs and dizzying lows of being young, queer and in love.

Queer joy


Queer joy is defined by Oxfam as a positive feeling we get from encountering signs of progress in gender equality and gender diversity. In the Heartstopper series, the narrative engine runs on themes of love, identity, first times, self-discovery, friendship and allyship.

  • He mentions past bullying and there are moments of homophobia, but largely Charlie is accepted at school.
  • Charlie’s friend Elle has transitioned their gender and has been enrolled into the girls’ school across the road.
  • The shadow side of the themes of love, connection and community includes mental ill-health, body dysmorphia, trauma, family conflict and bullying.
  • Read more:
    Heartstopper depicts queer joy - here's why that can bring about complicated feelings for those in the LGBTIQ community

‘Felt gaps’: the magic of comics

  • In 1953, in his book Seduction of the Innocent, Frederic Wertham argued comics inhibit literacy, and called them “death on reading”.
  • Comics and graphic novels are, for some kids at least, the gateway to a passion for books.
  • Some of the magic of comics occurs in the gutter: the space between panels.
  • Because comics can show and tell two things at once, they are particularly good at representing the way identities are formed in relation to society and culture.
  • An examination of Google trends from 2004 to 2023 highlights a steep rise in queries about sexuality, with such searches surging over 1,300%.

Heartstopper Volume 5


By Heartstopper Volume 5, Nick is out to family and friends and Charlie is home and in therapy, but generally well. Charlie and Nick are in an established relationship, thinking about taking things to the next level.

  • (We’ll have to read Volume 6 to find out if he’s successful!)
  • Heartstopper Volume 5 focuses a lot on Nick who, as a final-year student, needs to make a decision about university.
  • The conversations demonstrate nuances of active consent and communication, and stand in stark contrast to Ben’s entitlement and aggression in Volume 1.

Normalising queer love

  • In Heartstopper, the representations of mental illness, trans identities and queer love are destigmatising and normalising.
  • Charlie’s queer and quirky friendship group reminds me of the young people who trail in and out of my house on a regular basis.
  • (My oldest daughter ran the queer club at her school, my middle child is non-binary.)
  • Oseman uses the comic form to alleviate the intensity, avoiding details about self-harm and restrictive eating, and never showing anything graphic.
  • For me, though, this is the queer joy of reading Heartstopper.
  • In its focus on the love and community that surrounds Charlie and Nick, the Heartstopper graphic novels create a space for the reader, who becomes an intimate confidante – another member of Charlie and Nick’s tight-knit friendship group.


Penni Russon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Why it's a good bet the RBA's Melbourne Cup Day interest rate hike will be the last

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 7, 2023

At its meeting last week, the US Federal Reserve kept its official interest rate on hold.

Key Points: 
  • At its meeting last week, the US Federal Reserve kept its official interest rate on hold.
  • Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock’s statement accompanying Tuesday’s hike in Australia’s cash rate makes it look as if we’re about to join that club.
  • It makes it look as if this hike from 4.1% to 4.35% – a 12-year high – will be the last.

The RBA has taken our insurance

  • The statement makes it look as if it wanted to take out insurance.
  • While the bank still expects inflation to continue to fall, it says progress now looks “slower than earlier expected”.
  • It isn’t that it thinks inflation won’t keep coming down; it’s that it wants to be sure it is.

Australian hikes hit harder than in the US

  • The US, the UK, the EU, Canada and New Zealand all have higher official rates than Australia.
  • Here’s why: almost all US home borrowers are on fixed rates, meaning their required mortgage payments don’t increase.
  • And US fixed rates are nothing like Australian fixed rates.
  • The typical term in the US is 30 years, rather than the two to three years common in Australia.
  • This means that, as long as borrowers in the US don’t refinance or move homes, their payments are fixed for the entire term of their loans.
  • After a year of less-high Australian rates, Australian consumers are buying 1.7% less.

‘Painful squeeze’

  • She also noted others were benefiting from rising housing prices, substantial savings buffers and higher interest income.
  • Bank calculations suggest one in 20 variable-rate borrowers are now going backwards – paying more for essential expenses and housing than they earn.

A frugal Christmas, before possible rate drops in 2024

  • It is also looking like prices scarcely increased at all last month.
  • The Melbourne Institute inflation gauge, which comes out ahead of the Bureau of Statistics gauge and broadly tracks it, fell 0.1% in October.
  • It’s pointing to a frugal Christmas in which retailers are going to have to discount if they want to move goods, taking further pressure off inflation.
  • Read more:
    Petrol is holding up inflation – the 7 graphs that show what's happening to prices and what it will mean for interest rates


Peter Martin is Economics Editor of The Conversation.

Yowie Chocolate Celebrate Culinary Arts Month with First Ever Cake Decorating Contest

Retrieved on: 
Friday, July 14, 2023

CHICAGO, IL, July 14, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - To celebrate Culinary Arts Month, Yowie Group, the Surprise Inside Chocolate company, invites bakers in the United States and Australia to participate in their first-ever Cake Decorating Contest!

Key Points: 
  • CHICAGO, IL, July 14, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - To celebrate Culinary Arts Month, Yowie Group, the Surprise Inside Chocolate company, invites bakers in the United States and Australia to participate in their first-ever Cake Decorating Contest!
  • Culinary arts are all about making food look beautiful and this is a chance for professional and amateur bakers alike to showcase their talent, creativity, and love for Yowie through their passion for cake decorating!
  • Take inspiration from the Yowie characters themselves or from any of the adorable baby animals included in the latest series.
  • You can also check the store locator on YowieWorld.com to find a nearby store or learn more about Yowie.

Not all porn is created equal - is there such a thing as a healthy pornography?

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 27, 2023

“Many of the discussions around … the putrid effects of porn on real-world sex … come back to teaching about sex and consent and starting that teaching young”.

Key Points: 
  • “Many of the discussions around … the putrid effects of porn on real-world sex … come back to teaching about sex and consent and starting that teaching young”.
  • Read more:
    Big W has withdrawn Welcome to Sex from its stores to protect staff – but teen sex education can keep young people safe

Modern pornography

    • That’s resulted in an explosion in the variety of pornography you can consume.
    • There still exists – although less – expensive glossy mainstream pornography.
    • To answer this question I worked with a team, including Welcome to Sex author Melissa Kang, to establish an expert panel of sexual health experts, adolescent health experts, sex educators, pornography researchers and pornography producers.

A different kind of pornography

    • The experts identified four explicit websites that potentially supported healthy sexual development, all of which feature a slightly different kind of pornography.
    • PinkLabel.TV favours queer indie materials which are often slightly punk in their orientation, with a range of different sexualities, genders and body types, presenting their sex in unashamed ways.
    • Both of these points match well with non-expert critiques of pornography.

Diversity and realism

    • This is an interesting finding because unlike the first two it doesn’t match up so well with non-expert critiques.
    • A lot of discussions about “porn literacy” at the moment critique pornography for being “unrealistic” – and when you dig down into the details often they mean pornography shows too much variety in sex – group sex, anal sex, kinky sex – rather than vanilla, monogamous loving sex.

Negotiation of consent

    • A fourth criterion on which the experts agreed was the value of showing the negotiation of consent on screen.
    • This is also an interesting one because most pornography doesn’t show the negotiation of consent.
    • However it doesn’t often show negotiation of consent – pornography is set in a world of fantasy where everybody enjoys everything they do sexually, all the time.

Navigating pornography

    • In this world where so many different kinds of people are producing different kinds of pornography, don’t assume it’s all the same.
    • If you want to find healthy pornography - or you want to advise young adults in your life about how to find healthy pornography - then here are some of the questions you should be asking.

Big W has withdrawn Welcome to Sex from its stores to protect staff – but teen sex education can keep young people safe

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 19, 2023

However, Big W “stands by” Welcome to Sex, which it calls “educational, age-appropriate and inclusive”.

Key Points: 
  • However, Big W “stands by” Welcome to Sex, which it calls “educational, age-appropriate and inclusive”.
  • One side argues the book is a graphic sex guide that’s “teaching sex” to young children.
  • The other side is celebrating Welcome to Sex for providing comprehensive and inclusive sex education.
  • I am a researcher on texts for young people that deal with issues around sex, sexuality and gender.

Sex education books aren’t new

    • Paul Venzo’s research shows there are now more than a thousand sex education books for young people, in English alone.
    • present sex and gender in binary and heterornomative ways, sex education books have expanded to include diverse sexualities and genders – with a greater focus on race, disability, culture, and religion.
    • Read more:
      'We haven't been taught about sex': teens talk about how to fix school sex education

Sex education for young people is valuable

    • Sex education books can be used by parents and caregivers to guide tricky conversations about puberty, sex, gender and sexuality.
    • However, the basics of sex education, such as bodily autonomy and consent, can be taught to primary-school aged children – and younger.
    • Whether it’s through the internet, media, or friends, young people access sexually explicit material from a young age, with many learning about sex from pornography in harmful ways.
    • Comprehensive and inclusive sex education that begins at a young age can prevent child sex abuse, decrease rates of domestic violence and intimate partner violence, and reduce homophobic bullying.

So, what’s in Welcome to Sex?

    • Welcome to Sex is the latest in the “Welcome” series by former Dolly Doctor Melissa Kang and broadcaster and mother Yumi Stynes.
    • The series also includes Welcome to Your Period, Welcome to Consent and Welcome to Your Boobs.
    • Welcome to Sex treats teenagers seriously and meets them where they are.
    • Sex education books combat misinformation – and empower young people with essential information to keep them informed and safe.

SmartestEnergy and Woolworths Ink Landmark Agreement to Achieve 100% Renewable Electricity in NSW and ACT in 2025

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 6, 2023

The agreement will enable a transition to 100 per cent renewable supply in 2025, securing the supply needed for Woolworths Group to achieve its 2025 renewable electricity commitment in the two states.

Key Points: 
  • The agreement will enable a transition to 100 per cent renewable supply in 2025, securing the supply needed for Woolworths Group to achieve its 2025 renewable electricity commitment in the two states.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230705546188/en/
    Woolworths Group and SmartestEnergy Australia ink landmark agreement to achieve 100% renewable electricity in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory in 2025.
  • The electricity retail agreement is in the form of an innovative framework that enables Woolworths Group to procure electricity and renewable electricity certificates through SmartestEnergy, incorporating renewable generation projects.
  • The agreement will allow Woolworths Group to develop a portfolio of power purchase agreements (PPAs) through SmartestEnergy across different generation technologies and locations with renewable generators within NSW and ACT.

Surprise Inside Chocolate Company Hatches Baby Animal Series Just in Time for Easter

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Just in time for Easter, Yowie, the surprise-inside confectionary company unveiled its eighth series - Baby Animals!

Key Points: 
  • Just in time for Easter, Yowie, the surprise-inside confectionary company unveiled its eighth series - Baby Animals!
  • The Baby Animals series highlights the vulnerability of young, endangered wildlife, while demonstrating the fascinating differences between the baby and adult stages of different species.
  • "I'm exceptionally happy to launch this fan-requested series," says Cynthia Thayer, the Chief Marketing Officer of educational chocolate brand, Yowie.
  • The 18-animal series will include:
    - And many more adorable endangered and vulnerable baby animals from around the world.

Australia Gift Card and Incentive Card Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) - Q1 2023 Update - ResearchAndMarkets.com

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 9, 2023

The "Australia Gift Card and Incentive Card Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) - Q1 2023 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Key Points: 
  • The "Australia Gift Card and Incentive Card Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) - Q1 2023 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
  • Such gift card solutions are expected to accelerate the growth of the gift card industry from the short to medium-term perspective.
  • Moreover, global gift card providers are also entering into mergers and acquisition deals to strengthen their position in the growing Australian gift card market.
  • With over 75 KPIs at country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of gift card market dynamics, market size and forecast.

Australia Gift Card and Incentive Card Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) - Q1 2023 Update: Multi-Brand Solutions Gain Traction in Growing Market

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 8, 2023

DUBLIN, March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Australia Gift Card and Incentive Card Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) - Q1 2023 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Key Points: 
  • DUBLIN, March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Australia Gift Card and Incentive Card Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) - Q1 2023 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
  • Such gift card solutions are expected to accelerate the growth of the gift card industry from the short to medium-term perspective.
  • Moreover, global gift card providers are also entering into mergers and acquisition deals to strengthen their position in the growing Australian gift card market.
  • With over 75 KPIs at country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of gift card market dynamics, market size and forecast.