Media Roundup: Death of an icon, Trump's Meta win, SoftBank's AI boost and Aussie's favourite TV presenter named
See the top industry stories trending today.
Retail
Adore Beauty opens its first physical store
Adore Beauty is stepping beyond the screen. This weekend, it will launch its first-ever brick-and-mortar store at Westfield Southland in Melbourne.
As Kaycee Enerva reports in Inside Retail, the boutique will blend digital innovation with hands-on beauty experiences. It will offer a curated selection of 300+ brands, in-store beauty services, and digital skin analysis.
CEO Sacha Laing says the move brings the brand’s much-loved online experience to life, giving beauty lovers a chance to explore, learn, and play in person.
Lovisa hit with class action over 'exploitative' workplace culture
Costume jewellery giant Lovisa is facing a class-action lawsuit over claims of a toxic work environment, unpaid hours, and harsh dress code policies targeting young female staff.
The suit alleges workers were forced to train on their own time, adhere to "unrealistic and unsafe" dress rules -such as wearing high heels and open-toe shoes - and even buy and wear at least five Lovisa jewellery pieces per shift.
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As Eli Greenblat repots in The Australian, staff who didn’t comply with strict shoe rules were reportedly sent home without pay, while others missed legally required breaks.
Tech
SoftBank eyes record-breaking $40bn investment in OpenAI
SoftBank is in talks to pump up to $40 billion into OpenAI, positioning itself as the ChatGPT creator's biggest backer and deepening ties on a massive AI infrastructure push.
As Arash Massoudi, David Keohane and George Hammond report in The Australian Financial Review, the potential $25 billion direct investment in OpenAI comes on top of SoftBank’s $15 billion commitment to Stargate, a $100 billion data centre project set to scale up to $500 billion over four years.
Sources close to the deal say the final investment figure remains fluid, but if it goes through, SoftBank’s total outlay could surpass $40 billion - marking one of the most aggressive bets yet on AI’s future.
Singer and actress Marianne Faithfull dies at 78
British music icon Marianne Faithfull has passed away at 78, leaving behind a career that spanned six decades and a legacy far beyond her famous ties to Mick Jagger.
A spokesperson confirmed the news, saying Faithfull died peacefully in London, surrounded by family.
Discovered at a Rolling Stones party in 1964, she became a Swinging Sixties muse - but proved to be much more.
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