Tropical Smoothie Cafe unveiled a new brand identity featuring brighter colors and a palm frond icon as it prepares for aggressive expansion under Blackstone's ownership. The chain, which surpassed $1.6 billion in system sales, plans to grow from 1,800 locations by year-end to thousands more domestically and internationally, while investing in digital ordering, loyalty programs, and operational improvements.
A creator announces tools with a reverse pricing model where costs decrease with repeated use, minimum £/$5, positioning the offering as an alternative to subscription services that charge regardless of actual usage.
Andrei Klepach, chief economist at Russia's state-controlled development bank VEB, was fired after delivering a May speech criticizing Russia's wartime economy, warning of social crisis and stating Russia cannot win a prolonged war with Ukraine. His dismissal, reportedly ordered by the Kremlin, reflects its growing intolerance for dissent among senior officials and contradicts Putin's claims of successful economic management amid mounting fiscal pressures and Western sanctions.