brands

The most drunk beer brands in each autonomous community of Spain, gathered on this map

by

Beer does not pass through his best moment in Spain, but that does not mean that ours continues to be a country of reeds in which per capita consumption exceeds on average 50 liters. Yeah we go down to detail and we analyze what brand those rods or bottles are, however, things change from one community to another. In Galicia and the Balearic Islands Estrella Galicia reigns, in Andalusia Cruz Campo does it, in Catalonia Estrella Damm and in the Valencian Community and Cantabria Amstel. There is, however, one logo that dominates a good part of the map: Mahou. What has happened? That we have a new ‘photo’ of the beer sector in Spain. It does not show us data per capita consumptionevolution of demand or billing of the sector, but it does give us a clue about another equally interesting topic: the struggle between brands at a territorial level. He latest report ‘Brand Footprint’, prepared by Worldpanel by Numerator and published by Mahou San Miguel itself, reveals two interesting facts about the Spanish map. The first is that it remains highly segmented at a territorial level, with brands consolidated by region. The second is that, despite this diverse scenario, there is one brand that clearly leads: Mahou. Worldpanel by Numerator report. What exactly does it show? The Worldpanel by Numerator (formerly Kantar) report basically shows which brand is “the most chosen” in each autonomous community. To find out, the technicians carried out a survey with a “representative” sample of 12,500 homes spread throughout Spain, including the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. The result, which you can see in the map that heads this post, is that Mahou leads in Asturias, Navarra, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Community of Madrid and Extremadura. And the rest of the country? It is dominated by brands that have become strong at a territorial level. Estrella Galicia stands out, for example, in Galicia and the Balearic Islands, Amstel in Cantabria and the Valencian Community, San Miguel in the Basque Country, Estrella de Levante in the Region of Murcia, Cruzcampo in Andalusia, Estrella Damm in Catalonia, Ambar in Aragon and Cerveza Tropical in the Canary Islands. The question remains as to what is happening in La Rioja. There the sample did not allow the authors of the report to reach a clear conclusion. It is not a bad balance for Mahou, who wanted to emphasize that the Worldpanel study proves that the brand has strengthened its presence “throughout the national territory” and maintains leadership in half a dozen regions. If compared with the 2025 study The firm loses the leadership of Cantabria in favor of Amstel and takes over Navarra, a territory that San Miguel controlled last year. The Madrid company also boasts of the weight of its brand in the shopping basket, establishing itself as one of the most popular in its branch. But… And Galicia star? The Worldpanel by Numerator map may catch your attention if you remember another on the same topic published in September and produced by Data Centric. It showed a ‘photograph’ quite differentwith Mahou based mainly in the Community of Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha and Estrella Galicia monopolizing Galicia, Asturias, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Cantabria, the Basque Country, Navarra, La Rioja, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands and Melilla. What is the reason for this difference? To focus. Because? Although both reports are based on a quantitatively similar sample (DataCentric conducts 14,053 digital surveys), they do not seek exactly the same thing. The Worldpanel study points to “the most chosen beer” by Spaniards. DataCentric “favorite brands”. In his report he states in fact that the Hijos de Rivera brand receives “42% of the votes” compared to 14% for Mahou and leaves behind a reflection: despite how well positioned both Estrella Galicia and Alhambra are in their ranking, this status of “favorite brands” does not then translate to sales. “Both have significantly lower positions.” If we look at billing, for example, the business ranking of theEconomist shows that Mahou is in the lead, followed by Damm, Heineken and in fourth position Hijos de Rivera, the parent company of Estrella Galicia or 1906. In general, both the DataCentric and Worldpanel reports should be taken for what they are: studies with their strengths and weaknesses that help to better understand a sector that faces a challenging landscape. Although Spain is one of the EU countries that consume more beerthe industry deals with a youth that is changing their consumption habits and approach to alcohol and a market in which they are gaining more and more strength ‘without’ drinks. Via | DAP Image | Mahou-San Miguel In Xataka | Young people are stopping drinking beer like crazy. That’s why Mahou wants to sell you water as cosmetics

Western brands are looking for the perfect car. Their way of achieving this is to sell us renowned Chinese cars

by

There was a day when China lured Europe with the promise of vacant land and cheap labor. Today those days are over. Today the automobile industry has taken the road back. Today, more and more Western manufacturers are partnering with Chinese companies. And the reason is obvious: to sell you a rebuilt Chinese car as your own. What is happening? That traditional manufacturers are assuming Chinese technology to simply sell their product to you cheaper. A product that has little of its own and a lot of Chinese, for better and for worse. The reasons They are different: Pressure to jump to the electric car Complications in making that leap (either due to monetary issues or internal difficulties) Duty A Chinese technology that is above Brands that are on the verge of bankruptcy For some of these reasons (or the sum of several), more and more traditional manufacturers are intertwining with Chinese companies to advance their products. Products that, as we say, are sometimes pure Chinese cars “disguised” as Western. The Stellantis case It is the most recent but far from unique. It is also probably the most complex. The automobile conglomerate has faced serious financial complications in recent years. The cost reduction in many of its models led to the PureTech scandal. With the obligation to manage 14 brands, some of them have lost all types of identity. And their partnership with Leapmotor has shown them that they can get a lot of juice out of the Chinese electric car. During the presentation of its latest strategic plan, the company confirmed that they have reached an agreement of 1,000 million euros with the Chinese manufacturer Dongfeng to produce Peugeot and Jeep cars in China. They will be New Energy cars (NEV). This is what they call electric cars and plug-in hybrids in China. At the moment, not many more details have been given but a key detail does seem confirmed: These are cars designed to be sold in China and exported. That is, they are not cars manufactured in China whose main market is Europe. This suggests that they will probably be entirely Chinese cars that adopt the design language of these two Western brands. Chinese production is not the only one that is compromised. The agreement opens the possibility for European plants to produce Dongfeng cars, specifically the Voyah brand. This allows Stellantis to keep the work committed in its plants (specifically, the Rennes plant in France is targeted) and Dongfeng could sell these electric cars without paying tariffs, as is happening right now. But in addition to this latest news, China has become more and more rooted in the bowels of Stellantis. Since 2023, this automobile conglomerate manages the distribution and sale of Leapmotor outside China. This company is one of those that seems to have greater potential when it comes to selling electric cars at a low price. For now, Stellantis has already confirmed that some of these cheap cars will be produced in Europe. Specifically, Figueruelas (Zaragoza) has been one of the chosen locations. This plant, therefore, will carry out small electric cars from Peugeot, Citroën and Opel and, in parallel, those from Leapmotor because they do not share a platform. However, the latter has already begun to be debated. Tianshu Xin, director of Leapmotor International, pointed out a few weeks ago that “Leapmotor vs Stellantis They are two independent manufacturers and have their own platforms. However, one of the strategic objectives of this alliance is to generate synergies, which could include platforms and their components. “About 65% of Leapmotor components are manufactured in-house, and there are synergies that would allow Stellantis to use Leapmotor parts in its future platforms,” ​​in words reported by forumelectriccars. A few days ago Stellantis presented its STLA Onethe new modular platform that will replace STLA Small for segments B, C and D. This leaves the door for the smallest size, that of segment A, just where the new Citroën 2 CV will arrive, which has fueled rumors about a greater presence of Chinese components or software in the car. To this we must add that A new Opel electric car from 2028 will have Leapmotor technology but German dress. And the relationship between Stellantis and China does not seem to end here. In recent days the rumor has gained strength that the automobile conglomerate could look to JAC for a collaboration to move Maserati forward. The Italian sports car firm has already thrown away billions of euros in its jump to the electric car and JAC manufactures luxury cars together with Huawei in China. Producing them would allow Stellantis to put an electric Maserati on the street without taking more risks. Are you sure it’s western? That a car uses Chinese technology and is re-bodied like a Western one does not have to be bad in itself. In fact, automotive conglomerates such as Stellantis or the Volkswagen Group have made their synergies between brands one of the keys to building their success. However, in some cases yes it can be a problem. When a brand boasts of being different and unique, it has a problem if it only uses a “disguise” to camouflage that what is under its body comes from outside its factories. This is what can happen to Maserati and what Mazda is playing with. Until now, the Maserati customer has bought Maserati because, quite simply, their product was a Maserati. Italian elegance with a heart inherited from Ferrari to conquer a public that preferred its cars to, for example, Porsche. When you buy this type of car, not only buy numbersbuys an aesthetic and a sound and boasts of going against the grain compared to the majority German options such as Porsche or Mercedes. Just give up the engines ferraristas It was a serious problem for his image.. The Mazda 6e and CX-6e have a Chinese heart and soul despite the fact that the brand defends the Japanese philosophy in both cars If Maserati only … Read more

‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ is simply a very long advertisement for fashion brands

by

Twenty years ago, the click of heels echoing through the offices of runway It was enough to make us tremble and laugh in equal measure. The original 2006 film emerged as a scathing critique, a sharp portrait of a frivolous world ruled by a toxic, hilarious and biting boss. However, two decades later, the industry has decided to betray its own work. The relentless public relations campaign of The Devil Wears Prada 2 suggests that the story’s original satire has been “defanged” and deliberately sanitized. What was once a clever mockery of the fashion industry is today a giant, shameless promotion for luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Balenciaga and Dior. The sequel has been stuck in an uncomfortable limbo, torn between the hypocritical sanitization of its own mythology and the absolute glorification of that amoral universe that, paradoxically, gave it success in the first place. The film as a luxury catalogue. The hype that has surrounded this sequel is unprecedented, transforming the plot into a mere vehicle to sell products and experiences. As the criticism of Le Mondeproduct placements and cameos They are much more elaborate than the script itself; the parade of outfits orchestrated by the wardrobe department matters far more than any narrative thread the film attempts to weave. disney has worked for years to secure partnerships with top-tier brands, with the goal of building the best marketing program ever launched. Executives boast of having created a “fashion collection” where each brand fits perfectly. And the celluloid is the least important thing; the premiere has been conceived like a huge playground for advertisers. We see Starbucks create menus inspired by characters, while giants like Diet Coke, Samsung and Lancôme engulf the narrative of the universe runway. The paroxysm of this bargain sale reaches pharmacy productsstamping the movie logo on Tweezerman brand nail clippers; an ordinariness that the real Miranda Priestly would never have tolerated. When consumption devours fiction. The industry has crossed the Rubicon: brands no longer make a simple product placement In essence, they now demand a “full narrative participation”. The film’s intellectual property has been hijacked as a long-term sales strategy. All this perfectly represents what the philosopher Guy Debord defined in his work The Society of the Spectacle. For Debord, “the spectacle is capital in such a degree of accumulation that it is transformed into an image.” The film is no longer fiction, it is a commercialized social relationship, mediated by images designed to sell. The world we see on screen is purely and exclusively the world of merchandise, confirming that all human and social life has been reduced to simple appearance. The spectator enters the cinema believing he is consuming culture, but becomes a “consumer of illusions”where the merchandise is the only thing that is actually real. Visual coldness: cinema without soul. This commercial colonization requires a corresponding aesthetic, that is, aseptic and prefabricated. Today’s romantic comedies have no soul because They operate under financial profitability algorithms. We’ve lost the real, imperfect characters of the ’90s and ’00s, replaced by mannequins holding cell phones. On a visual level, the screen oozes coldness. Modern films abuse darkness and blur, using shallow depth of field and an excess of digital effects (CGI) that make environments appear a plastic decoration. For the theorist Fredric Jameson, in his essay on postmodernismthis cultural phenomenon reflects a new “lack of depth” (depthlessness) and a “fading of affections” (waning of affect), where the flat surface and the culture of the image or simulacrum replace historical reality and genuine emotion. The film looks dead because, narratively, it is. The nostalgia trap. Where does this model take us? Directly to a “capitalist necromancy”. Hollywood, mired in an alarming creative drought, resurrects dead franchises like cultural zombies, stripping them of their original risk to squeeze the box office. We’re stuck in what Jameson calls “nostalgia mode.” in the magazine The Drum They argue that this extreme dependence of brands toward nostalgia is diluting genuine emotional connections, trapping culture in an amnesiac loop unable to imagine anything new. As he explains Mackenzie Groffcommodified nostalgia is a trap that deceives us into believing that the lost past can be recovered simply through consumption. It is the era of “pastiche”, a term that Fredric Jameson uses to describe the neutral imitation of dead styles or masks of the past. Unlike the original parody, which had a critical and satirical purpose, the pastiche of this sequel is a “blank parody” lacking conviction, condemning us to consume a mirage of our own past through prefabricated pop images. They sell us the illusion of recovering the comfort of the 2000s, but they only give us a purchase receipt. The triumph of ‘fandom’. Despite the obvious lack of soul and visual flatness, the machinery works. The paradox is that the general public continues to buy the illusion. The sequel has achieved an outstanding rating A- in Cinemascore, far surpassing the rating that the original installment obtained from viewers. The premiere sparked a wave of massive digital conversationdemonstrating that talent (Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway) and nostalgia are unmatched organic communication assets that brands know how to capitalize on perfectly. psychology behind this blind success: fan phenomena (the fandom) provide avenues for escapism, emotional regulation, and identity formation. These parasocial connections with fictional worlds and characters are deeply satisfying for an audience seeking refuge from an increasingly uncertain world. The triumph of the two-hour spot. The real tragedy is that the machinery works. The public, anesthetized by the fan phenomenon, continues to flock to theaters, seeking refuge in nostalgia from an uncertain world, and giving outstanding ratings to a product designed in a boardroom. The sequel to The Devil Wears Prada It is the definitive and obscene triumph of our era. We no longer laugh at consumerism; We give in to him. Today we gladly pay for a movie ticket to sit in the dark and binge a 120-minute infomercial. If the film is perceived as empty, it is not due … Read more

Researchers analyzed 280 samples of bottled water. Only one of the brands was free of microplastics

by

Better taste and smell and health reasons. Those are the two main reasons why people drink bottled water, according to a study from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Spain is, in fact, the third European country that consumes the most bottled water (up to 107 liters per inhabitant). That clashes with one thing: that bottled water is not only much more expensive than tap waterbut now we know that it also has micro and nanoplastics in quantities much greater than estimated. The original study. Some researchers from Columbia University analyzed three popular bottled water brands in the United States (whose names have not been revealed) in search of micro and nanoplastics. To do this, they used a new technique called Raman stimulated scattering microscopy based on probing samples with two simultaneous lasers tuned to resonate specific molecules. Analyzing seven common plastics, the researchers developed an algorithm to interpret the results. According to Wei Min, co-inventor of the technique and co-author of the study in question, “it is one thing to detect and another to know what you are detecting.” The findings. On average, this study found that one liter of bottled water contains 240,000 detectable plastic fragments, between ten and 100 times more than previous estimates. Specifically, the researchers state that they found between 110,000 and 370,000 plastic fragments in each liter, of which 90% were nanoplastics. In that sense, it is important to remember the difference between micro and nanoplastics: Microplastics: those whose size varies between 100 nanometers and five millimeters. Nanoplastics: those whose size is equal to or less than 100 nanometers. The most common plastics. To no one’s surprise, one of the most common plastics was polypropylene terephthalate, better known as PET. It is the material that many bottles are made of. “It probably enters the water by breaking off pieces when the bottle is squeezed or exposed to heat,” say the researchers, who cite another study that suggests they can also break off when repeatedly opening and closing the cap. Usual. And although the presence of PET is common, this plastic is surpassed by polyamide, a type of nylon that “probably comes from the plastic filters used to supposedly purify water before bottling it,” says Beizhan Yan, researcher of the study. Other common plastics the researchers found were polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride and polymethyl methacrylate. And the rest? The technique used includes the seven most common plastics, but there are many other plastics. According to exposes Columbia University, “the seven types of plastic the researchers looked for only represented about 10% of all the nanoparticles they found in the samples; they have no idea what the rest are. If they are all nanoplastics, it could be tens of millions per liter.” And what about those sold in Spain? That’s what he wanted to find out a study by the CSIC and the Barcelona Institute of Global Health. They have developed a technique to quantify particles between 0.7 and 20 micrometers, as well as the chemical additives released into the water and, for this study, they analyzed 280 samples of 20 commercial water brands. Only one of the brands did not contain microplastics, but all 280 samples contained plastic additives. More specifically. The result is that, on average, one liter of water contains 359 nanograms of micro- and nanoplastics, an amount comparable to that obtained in the tap water found in a previous study made by the same group. “The main difference we found is the type of polymer: in tap water we found more polyethylene and polypropylene while in bottled water we detected mostly polypropylene terephthalate (PET), although also polyethylene,” said Cristina Villanueva, ISGlobal researcher and author of the study. Lots of microplastic. Considering that we drink two liters of water a day, the authors estimate “an intake of 262 micrograms of plastic particles per year.” Regarding additives, 28 plastic additives have been detected, mostly stabilizers and plasticizers. According to the researchers, “our toxicity study showed that three types of plasticizers presented a greater risk to human health and, therefore, should be considered in risk analyzes for consumers.” In that sense, other studies have discovered the presence of microplastics in atheromatous plaques in the arteries, which increases the risk of heart attack. From the American Diabetes Association they also ensure that some components found in bottles, such as BPA and the aforementioned microplastics, increase insulin resistance, thus reducing its effectiveness. Images | Jonathan Chng in Unsplash In Xataka | The US has decided to abandon paper straws because everyone hates them. The problem is the alternative: plastic In Xataka | After the failure of the yellow container, the Government has reached a conclusion: it is time for returnable bottles *An earlier version of this article was published in February 2024

Brands are eager to turn our cars into a subscription service. Honda has reminded us again

by

Buying a car today can be a whole box of surprises. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes, as recently happened to a Honda Passport owner, for the worse. And just as has shared user on Reddit, the function to open your garage that previously came as standard, has become an option included in a subscription package offered by the firm. The story has some nuances that are worth mentioning, but the reality is that this example has become another reflection of something that has been happening for years in the automobile industry: manufacturers are determined to turn your vehicles into recurring revenue platformsand software is your main tool to achieve this. From opening the garage with a little button in the car, to doing it from an app The Honda Passport in question has removed the rearview mirror with integrated Homelink, the system that allows the car to be synchronized with the garage receiver via radio. In your place now offers the function as standard through the MyQ applicationintegrated into HondaLink. For it to work, the user needs an internet connection in the car, Apple CarPlay or Android Autoand you must also install a MyQ receiver connected to the home Wi-Fi at home. The result is a system that provides more technical complexity to do something that was previously solved with a small radio control attached to the visor. Sling confirmed According to CarBuzz, customers receive a free 30-day trial period, after which they must contract a three- or five-year subscription. If they don’t, the feature is still accessible through the standalone MyQ app, and Honda also sells a rearview mirror with Homelink as an additional accessory for around $170. That is to say: What used to come as standard now has to be paid separately. The main advantage of the new system (being able to check if you have left the garage open from anywhere with a connection) makes some practical sense. But the price of the subscription, between $129 and $179 for three or five years, plus the possible connectivity costs of the vehicle itself, turns something so simple into a payment chain that is difficult to justify. BMW and heated seats: the case that started it all To understand where we are today with the issue of subscription services in vehicles, it is worth remembering the most talked about episode in recent years. In 2022, BMW began to offer in some markets (South Korea, the United Kingdom, Germany, among others) the possibility of activate seat heating through a monthly subscription about 18 dollars a month. The problem here is that the hardware is already installed in the car from the factory, and it is the owners who had to pay a monthly subscription to unlock this feature. Both the press and the users attacked them so much that they had to back away. In September 2023, BMW Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Pieter Nota will confirmed to Autocar the end of that practice: “What we no longer do, and it is a well-known example, is to offer seat heating in this way. Either it comes from the factory or it doesn’t.” But BMW did not abandon the subscription model, but rather reoriented it. The brand confirmed that it would continue to expand the services and functions it offers through subscriptions, but that it will stop charging for hardware functions already installed in the vehicle. After the move, the firm continued with its plans to add subscription services, but this time only in its software, such as driving or parking assistance systems. Through your ConnectedDrive platformoffers functions such as adaptive suspension, high beam assistant, adaptive cruise control or even welcome animations with the lights, through subscription. Mercedes: up to 80 horses per subscription BMW’s example ended up spreading to many other firms. Mercedes-Benz launched its “Acceleration Increase On-Demand” function in 2023 for the electric EQE and EQS models: for $60 per month or $600 per year in the case of the EQE, or $90 per month and $900 per year in the EQS, owners could unlock between 60 and 80 additional horsepower and cut the acceleration time from 0 to 100 km/h by up to one second. They also added a single payment option for life, which is around 2,000 or 3,000 euros, depending on the model. Mercedes’ logic with which it tried to distance itself from BMW’s case was that standard hardwired functions, such as seat heating, would not be offered as “digital extras”, leaving subscriptions for software upgrades. However, the principle is the same– The car has the necessary hardware, but the feature is blocked until the user pays. Mercedes-Benz aimed reach 2,000 million euros of revenue from software subscriptions in 2025, with plans to reach between 7,000 and 9,000 million euros before 2030. This growth would be driven above all by its own operating system (MB.OS) and its autonomous driving system. If we think about it coldly, electric cars usually have lower maintenance costs than combustion cars, which reduces the income of dealers and the brands themselves. Software subscriptions are presented as a way to compensate for that loss. Tesla, GM and Ford: the model that already works Tesla has been the benchmark for this model for years, and in its case the discussion has important nuances. Your system Full Self-Driving Supervised (supervised autonomous driving) could be purchased for about $8,000 as a one-time payment or as a monthly subscription. And we tell it in the past tense because earlier this year, Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla would offer this mode only as a subscription service and not as a one-time payment. The good news is that those who had paid to get the lifetime feature will continue to have this feature. The subscription option costs about $99 per month. Perhaps the main difference here with BMW or Mercedes is that Tesla updates its software continuously with new capacities, which gives greater meaning to the recurring fee model. In the case of General Motors, … Read more

Apple, Xiaomi and more brands with up to 72% discount

by

Spring has already started and although Amazon launched its Spring Sale Festival campaign about ten days ago with good discounts on technology, today you can also find very good discounts. These are the best deals on technological devices that we found today on Amazon. Apple 2025 13-Inch MacBook Air with M4 Chip The price could vary. We earn commission from these links smartphone Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G by 254 euros: 6.77-inch AMOLED with 108 MP camera. sound bar Ultimea Poseidon M60 Boom by 139.27 euros: 5.1 channels, 340 W and Dolby Atmos. Pack of two surveillance cameras Tapo C410 by 79.99 euros: wireless and IP65 certified. Apple MacBook Air M4 by 899 euros: 13.6 inches and M4 chip. Robot vacuum cleaner Levante M3 MAX by 359.98 euros: with a power of 21,000 Pa and up to 210 minutes of autonomy. Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G Smartphone If you want to change your mobile, but you don’t want to spend a fortune, this Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G now has a 15% discount on Amazon. Its recommended RRP is 299.90 euros, but it is now available for 254 euros. This Redmi note 15 Xiaomi 5G is a mid-range mobile with a screen 6.77 inch AMOLED with FullHD+ resolution. Its processor is the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 and its main camera is 108 MP. XIAOMI REDMI Note 15 5G – 8+256GB Smartphone The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Ultimea Poseidon M60 Boom Sound Bar If you want to turn your living room into a real movie theater and you already have a TV, what you need is a sound bar. This one from Ultimea is cheap but offers good features. Is the best seller on Amazon right now and it has a 39% discount. Now you can get it for 139.27 euros. This is a 5.1 channel sound bar and is compatible with Dolby Atmos. The maximum power it offers is up to 340 W and incorporates VoiceMX technology. It has an HDMI eARC connection and also Bluetooth 5.4. ULTIMEA 5.1ch TV Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Pack of two Tapo C410 surveillance cameras Now that the good weather is starting, it is a good time to equip your face when it comes to safety. If you want to keep an eye on the porch of your house and know what is happening at all times, this pack of two Tapo C410 surveillance cameras It’s perfect for you. Its recommended price is 159 euros, but now it is half price: 79.99 euros. This surveillance camera Tapo is easy to place anywhere with wireless installation. It offers superior 2K and 3 MP images and features night vision. They run on batteries and are weather resistant, as they have IP65 certification. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Apple MacBook Air M4 If you’ve been thinking for a while switch from Windows to macOS or you want to renew your old Mac, this Amazon offer is for you. Now you can take the MacBook Air M4 13 inches by 899 euros. This Apple laptop comes with a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display16 GB of unified memory and a 256 GB SSD internal storage. Its M4 chip is designed to Apple Intelligence and you can buy it in four different colors. Apple 2025 13-Inch MacBook Air with M4 Chip The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Lefant M3 MAX Robot Vacuum Cleaner If what you are looking for is a top robot vacuum cleaner, this one from Lefant is a real bargain now on Amazon, thanks to the 72% discount that has been applied. It used to cost 1,299.99 euros and is now available for 359.98 euros. This is a robot with self-emptying base and with an enormous power of 20,000 Pa. It offers a autonomy of up to 210 minutes and vacuum the floor and also mop. It is compatible with Alexa and works with 2.4 and 5 GHz WiFi networks. LEFANT M3 MAX Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Floor Mop The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Javier Penalva (Xataka), Apple, Tapo, Lefant, Ultimea and Xiaomi In Xataka | The best mobile phones, we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best mobile phones in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and seven recommended models

Marta Ortega prepares the move of the offices of four Inditex brands, but not to Galicia: to Barcelona

by

The price of land within large cities makes it impossible for companies to develop their corporate infrastructure in them, and they are forced to look for that space at a more reasonable price. on the periphery. Inditex has decided to do exactly the opposite. The textile giant founded by Amancio Ortega has opted to take the opposite path and bring Barcelona closer to its next big corporate campus and build it next to the iconic Three Chimneys, in one of the enclaves of the metropolitan area What else is changing? in recent years. The project plans to move the offices that four of its brands currently have in Tordera (Maresme) to this new space, converting an old industrial land into the new business heart from an area that has been waiting for its opportunity for decades. An industrial floor that is reinvented. The land chosen for this project is the old site of the Schott Ibérica factory, in Sant Adrià de Besòs, which Inditex acquired in 2018. The local town council has approved initially an Urban Improvement Plan that covers nearly 90,000 square meters of land, where the new brand campus and a hypermarket Alcampo relocated to a new building. The new business proposal establishes a clear separation between the commercial use area, to the north, and the Inditex corporate campus, which will occupy most of the complex in the southern area, with 67,243 square meters intended entirely to house different offices of the Inditex brands. Four brands, one campus. The facilities that Inditex has in Tordera and Palafolls (Maresme) today house the headquarters of Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Oysho and Lefties. With the move to Sant Adrià, these Maresme facilities will be able to dedicate themselves exclusively to logisticsstrengthening the group’s distribution capacity for those four chains in all its markets. The Zara and Zara Home offices are the only ones that do not change their location on the Arteixo campus, in its headquarters in La Coruñawho has also experienced a significant expansion with a complex of about 170,000 square meters. In Sant Adrià, the new Inditex campus will add a total of 164,098 m2 built distributed in four buildings with a ground floor and four floors, organized around three interior patios connected on the ground floor. These buildings will house offices, pattern-making workshops, pilot stores, audiovisual production and technology spaces. The locomotive that the neighborhood is waiting for. However, the importance of this move lies in the impact on the local economic fabric that the presence of an industrial giant like Inditex provides. The mayor of Sant Adrià, Filo Cañete, considered that the arrival of Inditex represents an exceptional opportunity to position the municipality as a benchmark for innovation and business activity in the metropolitan area, and highlighted that among the reasons that the company has valued most are the location and “good connectivity in public transport with metro, tram and train.” The campus will bring with it the arrival of around a million workers to a municipality that aspires to become one of the new economic districts of the Barcelona metropolitan area. To this end, the promoters undertake to pay the Sant Adrià City Council some nine million euros to finance two bridges that will connect the campus with the future audiovisual hub of Catalunya Media Citytransfer 10% of the urban use generated and restore the chimney of the old CELO factory, cataloged as Cultural Asset of Local Interest. Our sights set on 2030. The project still has to overcome some steps before becoming a reality. As and how I collected The Newspaperthe town councils of Sant Adrià and Badalona must consolidate the urban plan for the area, necessary by Catalan legislation to authorize large commercial areas of more than 2,500 square meters in municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. With the municipal decree approved on February 27, 2026, a one-month public information period was opened to present allegations. If the deadlines are met, the partial opening of the campus is planned for 2028, with complete completion of the set towards 2030. Inditex has more than 8,500 employees and more than 170 stores in Catalonia, and this new campus will reinforce the axis between Galicia and Catalonia as the backbone of its global activity. In Xataka | Amancio Ortega is the landlord of Amazon, Primark and Zara: he has charged them almost 1,000 million euros in rent Image | Wikimedia Commons (Margavela), GTRES

The problem is that, until now, Korean brands ignored 90% of the planet

by

A South Korean cosmetics brand was recently forced to apologize after promoting one of its blushes by describing the shade as the “adorable cheeks of a Mongolian baby.” Controversy broke out when content creator Khaliun reported on Instagramin a video that surpassed 270,000 views, that the brand was exploiting an outdated stereotype. Faced with global pressure, the company modified the text for “a beautiful deep mocha pink color that appears gently warmed by the sun.” This incident is not an isolated anecdote. It is the reflection of an industry that exports its products to the entire planet, but that has historically designed its cosmetics with a single demographic in mind, systematically excluding most of the world’s population. The Western fascination with Korean beauty began in the 2010s. This first wave of K-Beauty focused almost exclusively in skin careexporting concepts such as double cleansing or the coveted “glass skin”. As these were facial routines, inclusion was not an obvious challenge. In parallel, K-pop and K-dramas became the perfect vehicle for soft power. “The visibility of K-pop and K-dramas reinforces the perception of the effectiveness of K-beauty,” explains Professor Hye Jin Lee to cnn. The consequence was immediate: in 2024, South Korea surpassed France as the main exporter of cosmetics to the United States, with 1.7 billion dollars in shipments. The problem arose with the arrival of the second wavewhen the trend expanded into color cosmetics and hybrid makeup. Traditionally, Korean brands They launched their makeup bases in just three to five extremely pale shades, baptized with names such as “porcelain”, “ivory” or “sand”, designed for its domestic market. When making the international leap, darker-skinned consumers found themselves facing a wall: the most innovative industry of the moment, simply, I didn’t make products for them.. The standard that excludes without shouting The K-pop industry has been celebrated for challenging gender norms — male idols wearing makeup or traditionally feminine clothing — but it has not been as racially disruptive. The dominant standards They continue to emphasize light skin, a small V-shaped face, big eyes, and a slim body. A recent academic article, published by International Journal of Social Humanity & Management Research, defines these standards as a form of cultural racism: not an explicit discrimination, but a symbolic system that presents an aesthetic as natural and universal while excluding other corporalities. The mechanism does not need to proclaim “we don’t want dark skin.” It is enough to define beauty as something incompatible with them. In the Asian context, the preference for light skin has historical roots linked to social status and neo-Confucian traditions where whiteness symbolized respect for its principles. This is summed up in the Chinese term bai fu mei (white, rich, beautiful), which is still commonly used to describe a perfect woman. But when that standard becomes a global consumer product, the reading changes. The globalization of K-Beauty has caused cultural clashes evident. On YouTube, the video series “Black Girl Tries Korean Makeup” made the frustration visible of black creators in the face of the lack of dark tones and the omnipresence of whitening products, pointing out a bias of “anti-blackness”. In response, part of the Korean audience defended the brands by arguing that Korea is a monoethnic country and that its standards should not be judged by “the western prism”. another study by researcher Andrea Gómez shows how “Asian beauty” is associated in Latin America with youth, health and clear skin. The concept of whiteness is not just chromatic: it implies status, modernity and privilege. In their interviews, salespeople and makeup artists acknowledged that many clients requested shades lighter than their real skin. Not necessarily to look Korean, but to get closer to an ideal historically linked to social advancement imposed since colonial times. This is where K-beauty fits in as the perfect piece: it sells scientific innovation and, at the same time, reinforces an aspiration for clarity and neatness that was already established. As Vogue Business points outthe global beauty industry “thrives on insecurity and the allure of attainable ‘improvements’ that privilege white skin.” And in many cultures, light skin continues to function as symbolic capital. A deep or strategic inclusion? The real change came when diversity was shown to be enormously profitable. The most representative case is that of the brand THROW. When African-American YouTuber Miss Darcei tried her popular foundation in cushion On social networks, she showed that the initial offer of extremely pale tones left her out. The brand responded by creating new ringtones and sending them to him; In a matter of months they expanded their range to 40 colors. The result of listening to a diverse audience was an astonishing increase in 55.465% in brand sales in the United States. Since then, other brands they have reacted. Dear Dahlia expanded the shade range of its liquid blushes and foundations to reach deeper complexions. K-Brown was born in Seoul focused exclusively on the care of melanin-rich skin. Yepo Beauty launched foundations designed for darker tones under the tagline “inclusive K-beauty.” In addition, corporate discourse also changes. Global giants like Unilever and L’Oréal they have already announced the elimination of explicit references to “whitening” or lightening of the skin on its packaging in the face of international criticism. But not all adjustment is virtuous. When the Youthforia brand released a tone 600 Described by critics as a pure black with no undertones resembling human skin, the product caused a stir and was discontinued. A poorly executed inclusion can quickly become a caricature. The tyranny of beauty The racial and aesthetic debate intersects with another axis of oppression: the obsession with eternal youth. The global popularity of collagen—in powder, cream or capsule—reflects growing anxiety and pressure not to age. This is despite experts such as Dr Afshin Mosahebi questioning the scientific soundness of many of these ambitious anti-aging promises. This demand to stop time falls disproportionately on women. Psychology Today remember that the standards of whiteness and bodily perfection present in K-Culture They are not … Read more

There is only one market in China where European brands dominate. Exactly, the one that no one cares about

by

Much has been written about the decline in sales of European and traditional manufacturers in China. Volkswagens, Porsches and Mercedes have collapsed in a market that, until very recently, was key when it came to presenting results year after year. Have they collapsed? Not in all markets. In one they are still leaders. Exactly, the one that no one cares about. Leaders. A ranking where 18 of the 20 best-selling cars in China are not Chinese? Yes. It is the extra-luxury market, the one where cars that cost more than a million Chinese yuan are collected, almost 122,000 euros in direct exchange. They collect in CarNewsChina that in this list only BYD has made it among the best sellers. The rest, 90% of the list, is made up of the so-called traditional brands. If we remove Lexus, which is Asian and enters with its Lexus LM (a minivan with a screen that crosses the entire width of the car) and its Lexus LS, the rest are European brands. Yes, Europe also rules in China but it does so in a market of ridiculous volume. Porsche dominates here. The best-selling car over one million yuan is the Porsche Cayenne. Before its renewal that will offer an electric version, the Porsche SUV leads this table with 17,194 units sold in 2025. Land Rover closes the podium, which has placed the Range Rover and the Defender as the second and third best-selling car in this group. Below, Porsche repeats again with the Panamera (fourth classified) and will appear again with the Taycan. But the brand that is most repeated is Mercedes. Cars signed by the brand appear up to seven times, although, yes, it accumulates the sales of the AMG and Maybach divisions separately. Their S Class (fifth, signed by Maybach, and sixth classified) are the best sellers. It also appears with the G-Class and the GLS. The exception. From the Chinese market, only BYD penetrates this hyper-luxury market. It does so with the YangWang U8 and its even longer version, the U8L. This car, both versions of which have exceeded a thousand units, is a gigantic SUV with extended range options (plug-in hybrids with very wide electric range) that has become famous because it is capable of floating on rivers thanks to the enormous power of its wheels. A drop in the ocean (1). There are two problems for European manufacturers. The first is more than evident: its sales are very low. Porsche, which in 2020 shipped almost 89,000 units in China has closed 2025 selling less than half (it has fallen short of 42,000 units). The drop compared to 2024 is 26%. Mercedes boasted when it comes to presenting results of continuing to lead the extra-luxury market in the Asian country. The accumulated sales in this list exceed 38,000 units but the fact that the twentieth place is the Mercedes-AMG GLS with 83 units sold throughout the year gives an idea of ​​its size and its competition. Yeah, Mercedes sold almost 460,000 units in China last year but it is 12% less than the previous year and is very far from the almost 775,000 units placed in 2020. A drop in the ocean (2). This market, if we analyze its best classifieds, almost entirely lacks electric cars. The closest thing is the plug-in hybrid versions, like those offered by BYD. They are automobiles, pure gasoline ones, that are clearly declining in China. Where in 2020 17.8 million gasoline cars were sold Today 10.85 million cars of this type are sold. New energy cars (plug-in hybrids and electric) already account for 60% of sales in the Asian country. In Autohomeexplain that this situation has weakened brands that have collaborations with European automotive companies. They give as an example the case of Maiteng, a company associated with Volkswagen that was a symbol of status and recognition and that has had to lower its prices to continue selling. Right now, the market where European manufacturers succeed is the niche of the niche. They don’t even consider it. But there is also another reason why Europeans succeed in this market. The Chinese don’t even consider entering it. With the market clearly betting on its local manufacturers, they are offering their most advanced cars at “affordable” prices compared to foreign manufacturers. Already in his presentation, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra highlighted its price difference with the Tesla Model S (DEP) and Porsche Taycan Turbo. While the first one came on the market with a price of 814,900 yuan (it would not be included in the previous list), the German one cost almost two million Chinese yuan. The price war in China has pressured all companies to reduce their prices drastically. This has left out traditional companies that have found an evident loss of competitiveness in all types of markets, from general to luxury, where Chinese manufacturers are offering features and equipment typical of hyper-luxury segments in cars that, due to price, do not fall into that category. Photo | Hong Wei Fan and Arthur Wang In Xataka | We tested the Ojo de Dios with which BYD wants to break the market: autonomous driving for a 9,000 euro car

China is telling us what a future full of electric cars looks like. And we already know which are the most reliable brands

by

The conquest of China in the automobile industry global has made us increasingly pay attention to the country’s manufacturers and the models that are coming out every year. China leads in new energy vehiclesalthough the reliability of their cars has always been questioned. The latest report Quality test launched by the analysis firm LandRoads offers us a very interesting perspective, as it studies the models that have initially caused the least problems since their purchase. In this aspect, the ranking places the Xiaomi SU7 as the most reliable large sedan, while the Tesla Model 3 dominates among the midsize models. Below these lines we tell you all the details. What is the ranking about?. LandRoads has published its annual report on quality in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the Chinese market, analyzing 6,950 incidents reported by users. According to the report, 3,687 were quality problems and 3,263 were design-related. In the overall ranking by brand, AITO tops the list with a quality risk index of 123 points, followed by Mercedes-Benz (126) and Tesla (146). Image: ChinaEVHome. Source: LandRoads Why does it matter? The Chinese electric vehicle market is immersed in a frenetic race to incorporate more technology and functions. However, the study gives us clues that not all manufacturers are facing this battle completely well. The three main problems reported were noise (24.6% of complaints), exterior components (18%) and failures in intelligent systems (17.3%). Together they represent more than 60% of incidents, pointing out the critical points where the industry needs to improve. Categories. Highlights of the report indicate that: In medium-large sedans and above, the Xiaomi SU7 wins with an index of 108 points, well ahead of the Stelato S9 (218) and the IM L6 (237), according to LandRoads data. In midsize and compact sedans, the Tesla Model 3 leads with 104 points, followed by the Nio Firefly, BMW i3, Geely Galaxy Xingyuan and BYD Seal 06 GT. Among large SUVs, the top three spots go to AITO models: the M9 (88 points), M8 (98) and M7 (135), with the Li Auto L8 and Voyah FREE completing the top five. In medium and compact SUVs, the Avatr 07 stands out (92 points), ahead of the BYD Sealion 05 EV, Yuan UP, Tesla Model Y and Yuan Plus. In MPVs, the Voyah Dreamer records the best result with 192 points. Balance. The report also points out a phenomenon he calls a “high-equipment, high-risk concentration zone.” And according to LandRoads, as some manufacturers rapidly accumulate new features, the maturity and stability of the systems does not advance at the same pace, amplifying the risk of vehicle quality. According to the study, AITO, Xiaomi, NIO, Zeekr, Li Auto and Voyah have managed to maintain low risk rates despite offering high levels of equipment. More mature electronic architectures, better coordination with suppliers and exhaustive validation systems in all types of scenarios come into play here. Looking long term. LandRoads concludes in its study that the electric vehicle industry is moving from simply adding features and functions to the integration capacity and long-term stability of all these novel systems. Furthermore, seeing Aito above manufacturers like Mercedes or Tesla gives us clues about the transition we are experiencing and the ability of Chinese manufacturers to produce a product that lives up to it. Cover image | aboodi vesakaran and Aito In Xataka | Aid for electric cars is complicated: the Auto+ Plan comes with less money, more demands and a key question to resolve

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.