AGP Executive Report

Food Safety: Kayem Foods is recalling more than 1.5 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products over possible temperature abuse. No illnesses have been reported; customers should discard or return affected items. Packaging Update: Seven-Up Bottling says new yellow caps on Pepsi, Mirinda, 7UP and other drinks are official, after the unannounced change sparked fears of fakes. Smart Home: Apple’s Home Collection adds cameras, thermostats, sensors, a video doorbell and a smart lock, priced from $199; sales begin in December, with some products coming in early 2027. Retail Expansion: Carrefour plans to open in Addis Ababa within two weeks as it rebrands 15 Queens Supermarket branches, with a longer-term goal of 31 stores. New Treats: M&S has added a pistachio version of its Big Daddy chocolate bar and a 24-day advent calendar to the range. Phone Demand: Apple Store staff reportedly expect little or no walk-in stock of iPhone Duo at launch, with preorders already facing long waits. Food Claims: India’s food regulator has issued notices to Nestlé India and HUL over alleged misleading claims and compliance issues on products including Horlicks.

Retail Experience: Watsons Malaysia opened its biggest store yet in Kuala Lumpur, stocking more than 17,000 health, beauty and lifestyle products alongside pharmacy consultations, beauty services and local food. New Vehicles: Renault launched the Duster strong hybrid in India, priced from ₹16.99 lakh, with claimed fuel economy of 29 km/l and a 160 PS combined output. Home Tech: AiMOGA will unveil Mobo, its first family companion robot, on October 21, with global pre-orders opening the same day. Features include voice interaction, object recognition and reminders. Design & Drinks: Japan’s BRAND JAPAN is preparing a Kickstarter launch for a compact Makabe granite lantern, while Indian brand Pour’d Cocktails won a product launch award for its Picante and Mojito ready-to-serve drinks.

Foldable Phones: Apple opened India preorders for its first foldable iPhone, Duo, priced from ₹2,99,900, with sales starting Oct. 23. Separately, research finds 69% of smartphones launched in India this year now cost more than at launch. Retail & Deals: Chinese platforms are simplifying Singles Day discounts, with instant price cuts replacing complicated offers as retailers court cautious shoppers. New Finds: Recent launches include Hoka’s Arahi 9 stability shoe, Nespresso’s seasonal Maple Pecan coffee and Orbitkey’s limited-edition Winnie the Pooh collection. Pet Products: Nulo is expanding into 179 Hollywood Feed stores, bringing its dog and cat food lines to more shoppers. Customer Update: Stop & Shop is offering 10% off in-store purchases through Oct. 22 after a security issue took its website and app offline.

Coffee & Drinks: Javvy Coffee is taking its Peppermint Mocha Protein Coffee to more than 4,000 Target, Kroger, Hy-Vee, Rouses and Wegmans stores in November, alongside a new protein creamer. BLOODY Drinks has also expanded, launching its canned Bloody Mary in 360 Morrisons stores. Consumer Tech: Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo is open for pre-orders in India, with prices starting at ₹2,99,900 and deliveries due October 23. NVIDIA RTX Spark laptops are now available from ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft and MSI, combining RTX graphics with on-device AI features. New Ranges: PACK’D is adding four frozen products at Ocado, while Pick n Pay has launched its Real Cosmetics makeup range, with products priced below R90. Coming Soon: Redmi says its K100 phone will launch in China later this month; a 10,000mAh battery is tipped, but full specifications are still under wraps.

New Vehicle Details: FREELANDER outlined the 8’s Middle East specs: a plug-in hybrid with up to 886 km of combined range, six seats and a wide 8K cabin display. Retail & Food: Lindt opened its first Southeast Asian store in Malaysia, with two more Kuala Lumpur locations planned next month; Reliance Consumer Products also launched Joyland flavoured milk at Rs 20. Product Safety: More than 53,000 Scotch thermal laminators were recalled after reports of overheating and fires. A separate skin-care recall was raised to the highest risk level over a toxic metal concern. Beauty Demand: Rhode co-founder Hailey Bieber says the brand’s frequent sellouts reflect forecasting challenges, not intentional scarcity, as customer demand outstrips expectations.

Product Safety: QR2HD launched a tool that lets shoppers check where a QR code leads before clicking, while helping brands authenticate products and fight counterfeiting. Grocery Shopping: Morrisons refreshed its More Card app with six personalized weekly offers, barcode-based shopping lists and aisle-by-aisle guidance. Food & Beverage: Reliance Consumer Products entered ready-to-drink dairy with Joyland flavoured milk, launching in Tamil Nadu at Rs 20 and planning a wider India rollout. Food makers are also exploring nutrient-dense products as GLP-1 medicines reshape appetite and eating habits, with potential appeal beyond medication users. Kitchen & Home: Consumer Reports introduced a “#1 in Brand Reliability” designation for top-performing kitchen appliance brands, giving shoppers a new signal when comparing major purchases. Popsmith’s stovetop popcorn poppers are set for a nationwide Williams Sonoma launch in Q4.

Smart Home: Apple has introduced its HomeView hub and new smart-home devices, alongside an Apple TV update. Watches: Citizen’s Tsuno chronographs are now listed in Canada in four dial colors for CA$350 each—about 44% above the pre-tax Japanese price. Beauty: Trinny London’s new two-step overnight hand treatment costs $130 and targets dark spots, lost volume and crepey texture. Food and Drink: Caffè Nero and Myprotein have launched protein lattes in the UK, while Reliance Consumer Products is entering India’s ready-to-drink dairy market with Joyland flavoured milk. Cars: SAIC Motor Malaysia plans to launch locally assembled MG ZS SUVs this month, priced from RM105,000 for the turbo model and RM115,000 for the hybrid. Footwear: Sparx is promoting a new sneaker and sports-shoe range aimed at young consumers.

Retail & Rewards: Tesco has expanded Clubcard’s partner network from 13 brands to more than 500, including Nike, Boden and Ticketmaster, giving members new ways to earn points through the app or website. Food & Drink: Caffè Nero and Myprotein launched iced matcha and coffee drinks with 24–25g of protein and fewer than 160 calories; more products are planned for January. Reliance Consumer Products has also entered Tamil Nadu’s dairy market with ₹20 Joyland flavoured milk, with a wider rollout planned. Smart Home: Apple debuted its HomeView smart hub, starting at $299, alongside updated Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini devices featuring upgraded Siri. Consumer Protection: The UK’s CMA fined Wayfair, Appliances Direct and Gold’s Gym a combined £6 million over misleading promotions, automatically added extras and unclear membership pricing. Customers of Appliances Direct and Gold’s Gym will receive refunds.

Smart Home: Apple unveiled its HomeView smart display, starting at $299, alongside an upgraded Apple TV 4K. Its new HomePod mini launches without Siri AI. Coffee On the Go: Costa Express is upgrading more than 13,000 machines nationwide, aiming to improve the grab-and-go coffee experience. Wellness Products: TopGum is rolling out probiotic, prebiotic and postbiotic gummies with no added sugar, including an Akkermansia-focused product, as it targets growing interest in gut health. Shopper Rights: A Seattle judge partly approved class certification in a lawsuit alleging Amazon’s vendor pricing policies caused shoppers to pay more on competing marketplaces; the claims remain contested. New Food Launch: Reliance Consumer introduced ₹20 Joyland flavoured milk in Tamil Nadu, with a wider India rollout planned.

Smart Home & Streaming: Apple unveiled HomeView, HomePod mini 2 and a new Apple TV 4K. The streamer adds an A19 chip, faster processing and a redesigned remote, while HomePod mini 2’s promised Siri AI features won’t be available at launch. Food & Nutrition: GLP-1 use is steering product development toward higher-protein, higher-fiber options and controlled portions, as Symrise expands its AI platform to connect consumer insights with food concepts and product design. Home & Living: Mosslab’s Moss Hexa, a modular system of living-moss panels with adjustable lighting, launches on Kickstarter today. Drinks: The Straw Hat’s new Mediterranean-style Blush Rosé arrives in UK stores from October 19 at a £6 recommended price, positioning rosé as an all-year choice. Apparel: Fabletics and Lizzo introduced a limited-time edit of her favorite YITTY shapewear, basics, denim and cozy layers.

Smart Home: Apple is reportedly preparing to launch HomeView on Oct. 13, marking a bigger push into connected-home products; reports say the hub won’t include an App Store. Retail Launches: 7-Eleven has debuted a Hispanic-inspired private-label range, while South Korea’s Emart24 added a fan-requested Kleenex edition. Shopping Trends: China’s National Day trade-in subsidies helped lift sales of home appliances and audiovisual equipment 40.1% year over year, while communications-device sales surged 119.8%. Packaging Innovation: DIC is rolling out ECOVART, a lower-solvent gravure ink designed to cut emissions and simplify packaging production.

Consumer Tech: 1010music’s free Bento firmware update adds sidechain ducking, stem exports and track automation. Google is also reportedly preparing a TV Streamer refresh with hands-free Gemini access and a redesigned remote; Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Pro and Ultra may add brighter displays, with higher prices expected. Product Safety: More than 82,000 rechargeable HotHands and Gobi Heat hand warmers sold at Target, Home Depot and Amazon are recalled over battery fire and burn risks. Stop using them and contact the brands for a refund. Retail & Food: Oregon bakery Ocemiam has opened its first permanent kiosk at Portland’s Washington Square, selling French Baby Cakes in five flavors. Auto Launch: Hyundai has revealed its India-spec Bayon SUV ahead of its October 26 launch; bookings are open. Grocery Brands: PG Tips is rolling out a major brand refresh across UK retailers.

Apple Watch: Apple is reportedly preparing an Oct. 27 event for an OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro, refreshed M6 Macs and an upgraded iPad mini. Separately, suppliers have reportedly been asked to cut iPhone 18 Pro component orders by at least 15% amid softer-than-expected demand. Product Safety: Nigeria’s standards agency is rolling out phone-based checks to help shoppers verify certified goods and spot counterfeits. Serbia will require more fruit in jam from 2028, with clearer fruit-content labelling. Auto Market: Chinese carmakers’ exports surged in September even as domestic passenger-vehicle retail fell 24.6% year over year; BYD, Geely and Chery all reported sharp export gains. Home and Pets: Levoit Singapore marked its pet-focused campaign with an S$18,000 donation to SPCA Singapore, funded partly by sales of its Vital Series air purifiers. The event also showcased its Vital Pet Pro purifier.

Smartphones: Gadget & Gear has launched Apple’s iPhone 18 series in Bangladesh, offering up to BDT 20,000 cashback, 0% financing and a trade-in bonus. Eligible buyers also get two years of warranty coverage and a choice of AirPods. Automotive: Geely launched its first electrified off-road SUV in China, pairing a purpose-built platform with all-terrain capability and everyday comfort. Food: South Korea’s shift to smaller meals is driving new instant-rice formats, including CJ CheilJedang’s 110-gram mini bowl; small packs are gaining market share. Retail: Tesco is rolling out an AI meal-planning assistant for Clubcard customers, suggesting recipes based on budgets, dietary needs and ingredients at home. Snacks: Australian maker Ferndale is taking its JILA mints into South Korea, starting in 16,500 CU and Olive Young stores, with wider distribution planned for 2027.

Phone Accessories: Xiaomi has launched its 10,000mAh UltraThin magnetic power bank in China, adding 45W USB-C charging, faster wireless charging and battery-safety protections. Foldable Phones: Apple’s iPhone Duo is due October 23 at a starting price of A$3,499. Analysts are watching to see whether buyers are holding off on upgrades for the foldable or simply spending less. Retail Expansion: Style Baazar opened a store in Naini, Prayagraj, bringing its network to 285 locations. Pricing Promise: Walmart CEO John Furner says the retailer won’t use shoppers’ personal information to charge different customers different prices for the same products. Wearables: Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 keeps the previous design but improves battery life, display brightness and fitness features; it sells in India for ₹64,999.

Audio Launches: CMF will introduce two speakers, the Speaker S and Speaker M, on Oct. 12; pricing, features and availability are still under wraps. Festive Shopping: Flipkart’s Big Billion Days opened with large-appliance sales up 30% year over year and tablet sales up 73%, while premium phones also drew shoppers using exchange offers and no-cost EMIs. Lifestyle Products: DailyObjects raised ₹332 crore to fund product development and research, with plans for 150 stores across India over five years. Food Retail: Giant Eagle and Market District are teaming with chef Curtis Stone on an exclusive range of prepared meals.