Finding the perfect summer dress that is both stylish and practical can be a difficult task However, shoppers may have found just the right piece at Next The high street retailer’s Scoop Back Mini Shift Dress is available in eight different prints and is reasonably priced at €4350 The Manchester Evening News reports that the dress has been receiving compliments and is available in a cream colour with a black floral print, as well as a trendy fruit pattern and an Italy-inspired design, among others The dress is cut to a mini length and comes in regular and petite sizes, making it suitable for fashion enthusiasts of all heights It is made from a lightweight linen blend, providing the benefits of airy fabric while also being easy to clean and less prone to wrinkles This dress is perfect for everyday wear during the warmer months, whether in the UK or on a holiday abroad It features a relatively high neckline at the front and a playful scoop at the back The dress is completed with a split side hem and pockets Next’s Scoop Back Mini Shift Dress has received an impressive 45 out of five-star rating from nearly 60 reviews, making it a hit with shoppers One satisfied customer said, “This is the perfect summer dress, I received many compliments while wearing it on my recent holiday” Another wrote, “The dress is fabulous The material is excellent The style and design are what attracted me to the dress It is excellent value for money” Another buyer added, “Really lovely dress and design I bought it for my holiday and received compliments when I wore it for the first time” However, one shopper left a three-star review, noting some fit issues: “The dress was lovely and would have been great for summer and holidays, but I was very disappointed that I had to return it because although I bought my usual size, it was gaping a lot under the arms I did try the next size down because I really wanted the dress, but sadly, this was too tight across the breast, so I ended up paying twice for postage with no dress to show for it” Another customer was thrilled with their purchase from Next, saying, “I loved the fabric The easy-to-wear style and the fit were just right I am happy with the quick delivery and the low price 

The sound quality is amazing and the touch controls are so convenient I’ve been using them for a few weeks now and I haven’t had any issues with connectivity or battery life Plus, they’re so affordable compared to other brands I highly recommend them!”

I used to be one of those people who couldn’t go anywhere without my AirPods The sleek case, instant connection, and subtle show-off of popping them in as I strolled around the supermarket were all part of the appeal However, after losing my second pair in just over a year, I couldn’t justify spending another €165 on a new pair

Since I had previously bought some “cheapies” from Amazon for my children, I decided to do the same for myself I found a pair that looked similar to AirPods from a brand I had never heard of and bought them for €1541 They arrived without any fancy packaging and had a basic design, so I didn’t have high expectations But to my surprise, months later, I’m still using them and I don’t miss my AirPods at all

The YHFvesv Wireless Earbuds have upgraded Bluetooth 53 technology, which provides a fast and stable connection They were easy to pair with my phone and automatically reconnect after charging The battery life is decent, lasting about 6 hours, but I do find that the case needs to be charged more often than my Apple AirPod case did

I’m not very knowledgeable about technical specs, but according to Amazon, these earbuds have “dynamic drivers” that deliver rich sound with deep bass, and four built-in microphones that provide clear calls by filtering out background noise For the price, they are a steal – the earbuds have a solid bass kick for music and clear audio for podcasts or streaming They also have touch controls for music, calls, and volume, which can be activated with a tap on either bud

I haven’t tested their water resistance yet, but according to Amazon, they are IPX8 rated, meaning they can withstand rain and sweat And the best part? They only cost €1541 I could lose ten pairs and still save money compared to buying AirPods I’m definitely taking them on holiday with me this year, and I even bought a case with a clip to keep them handy

But if you’re looking for other affordable earbud options, there are plenty available The soundcore by Anker P20i True Wireless Earbuds are currently on sale for €2962 on Amazon Very also has a great deal on JBuds Mini True Wireless Earbuds, with €17 off the original price of €4622, bringing the cost down to €2844 These earbuds may be small, but they pack a punch with their heavy bass and have been praised for their quality and value for money

Customers are also raving about the YHFvesv Wireless Earbuds One person said, “These are amazing airpods! They are worth the money – very light, look like Apple airpods, and have great sound quality They also fit comfortably in your ear and have a long battery life They are not too big and pair instantly Such a great purchase!” Another wrote, “These earbuds are a game-changer! The sound quality is amazing and the touch controls are so convenient I’ve been using them for a few weeks now and haven’t had any issues with connectivity or battery life Plus, they are so affordable compared to other brands I highly recommend them! 

A popular and contentious game, Revenge on Gold Diggers, sheds light on misogyny, inequality and the feeling among many men that they are economic victims.

近幾年大家在網購時，常看到「先買後付」的支付選項，而這背後的推手之一就是瑞典金融科技公司 Klarna。從 2005 年創立至今，合作商家已超過 79 萬家，更結合 AI 技術與數位銀行，在 2025 Q1 創下 7.01 億美元營收的亮眼表現。

靠著「先買後付」，服務全球 1 億用戶

Klarna 創立於 2005 年，最早在瑞典推出「Buy Now, Pay Later（BNPL）」，也就是「先買後付」的服務。這種消費方式能讓用戶在網購時，可以延後付款或選擇分期，而且通常不收利息。

於是 Klarna 靠著這種模式成功打進歐美市場，服務也擴展到 26 個國家、全球超過 1 億個活躍用戶，合作商家多達 72 萬間。2025 Q1 甚至來到 7.01 億美元，較去年同期成長約 15%，顯示整體規模仍持續擴大。

Klarna 為何重要？

據，Klarna 在美國的用戶基數快速增長中，2023 年在美國市場的活躍用戶超過 3,700 萬，年增 32%。而且合作商家達 2.6 萬家，年增 38%。此外，有根據調查，2024 年在美國有 12 % 的消費者在過去一年內使用 Klarna 進行支付，顯示用戶接受度持續攀升。

至於和大型業者合作方面， Klarna 也與沃爾瑪 (Walmart)、DoorDash 及 eBay 合作，並將 BNPL 整合進這些平台中。Klarna 執行長 Sebastian Siemiatkowski 更表示正強化 AI 導入自家業務的應用。

導入 AI 如何成為 Klarna 護城河？

Klarna 的護城河之一就是在 AI 和機器學習上的領先應用，先前 Klarna 就已成為 OpenAI 的早期，並推出「Klarna Shopping」的 ChatGPT 外掛，消費者只要在 ChatGPT 中輸入需求和預算，AI 就能快速幫助用戶在 Klarna 網站內搜尋並推薦符合條件的商品。

此外，Klarna 還推出 24 小時多語系的 AI 客服助理，能處理近 66% 的客服需求，把平均問題解決時間從 11 分鐘縮短至 2 分鐘， 重複詢問率也下降到 25%。這套 AI 系統能取代約 700 名真人客服的工作量，預計 2025 年可省下 4,000 萬美元。不過為了兼顧效率與服務品質，Klarna 最終採取 AI 與人工混合的客服模式。

此外，Klarna 還將 AI 導入行銷和工程部門，幫助行銷部門省下 1,000 萬美元，工程團隊則藉由 AI 輔助程式編寫與審查，加快開發速度。自 2023 年第一季以來，Klarna 每位員工的營收提升了 152%，正朝著「每位員工創造 100 萬美元營收」的目標邁進。

整體來看，Klarna 透過深度整合 AI 技術，不僅提升了信用風險管理的即時判斷能力，還在客服自動化方面取得明顯成效，這些技術優勢加上龐大的用戶和商戶生態系，形成強大護城河。

Klarna 與競爭對手之間的優勢？

市場上還有像是 Affirm、Afterpay 等 BNPL 的競爭者，但 Klarna 憑藉著更早進入市場、規模更大、技術更先進，以及產品線更豐富，在競爭中占有優勢。根據最新，Klarna 在美國支付交易量達 257.7 億美元，年增 17.2%，遠高於 Afterpay 的 101.6 億美元，年增 10.9%。

合作商家方面，Klarna 全球超過 79 萬家，且美國網站約 31.8 萬家，遠多於 Afterpay 全球 10.8 萬家和美國 4.8 萬家。Affirm 則主要聚焦北美地區，2025 年加拿大合作商家約 560 家，市占約 8%。

在產品和技術上，Klarna 除了提供 0% 利率的四期付款和 30 天後付款，還積極發展數位銀行與理財服務，產品線更豐富，且毛利率穩定在 47-49 %，高於Affirm 約 40%，顯示盈利能力較強。

Klarna 的未來挑戰？ 

首先 Klarna 也受到全球經濟不確定性與利率上升影響，2025 Q1 虧損近 9,900 萬美元，也已暫停在美國的 IPO 計畫。而英國將從 2026 年起強化 BNPL 監管，全球合規壓力也持續升高。

市場方面除了 Affirm、Afterpay 外，Visa、Mastercard 等支付巨頭也加入戰局。此外，Klarna 必須強化創新與成本控管，在小額付款與外送訂單的違約率也陸續上升，Klarna 的信用風險管理面臨挑戰，需仰賴 AI 技術強化風控。

雖然 Klarna 以 AI 降低客服成本，但近期因服務品質考量又重新聘用真人客服，顯示效率與客戶體驗仍需兼顧。 

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A sourdough baker turned entrepreneur in North Carolina has delayed his new product as he contemplates the prospect that higher costs will doom his company.

香港，一個全球房價最昂貴的前五大城市，正見證最具代表性的地產皇朝「新世界發展集團」陷入空前危機。從光輝歲月到深陷債務泥沼，集團最近再度完成 再融資，然而企業的危機依然存在。新世界面臨的不只是單一企業的困局，更可能象徵著香港人普遍的「房地產信仰」正全面崩塌。以下為綜合整理報導。

從大力擴張到虧損連連，新世界從第三代掌門人手上翻船

過去十年，新世界在第三代掌門人主導下大舉轉型，他將藝術文創文化引入商業地產開發專案，創辦 K11 品牌，投資虛擬資產 Azuki NFT、元宇宙遊戲、零售百貨、保險、醫療甚至香氛開發，包山包海什麼生意都做，他的豪華願景一度獲得市場青睞，也讓新世界公司股價攀升。然而好景不常，自從 2019 年香港人走上街頭抗議反國安法開始，到疫情封城、大陸內地經濟放緩等多重因素下，新世界的營運環境急轉直下。高負債槓桿策略迅速轉為企業風險，截至 2024 年底，新世界的債務與股東權益比高達 95 %，遠超同行。(來源：)

2024 財年，新世界財報顯示歷來最大虧損，虧損近 200 億港幣 （來源：大公報），這是集團自 1970 年成立以來首次出現年度虧損，象徵著地產王朝正式走向衰敗。

新世界變賣資產再融資展開自救

為自救，新世界啟動多輪去槓桿計劃。於出售資產方面，公司已先後出售愉景新城商場、啟德體育園 75 % 權益、數個工廈項目，合共套現超過 77億港幣，這些資金為集團注入部分現金流。

再融資方面，2025年初，新世界成功再融資約 178 億港幣貸款，暫時穩住短期償債壓力。(來源：明報與大公報）；集團最近再度完成 882 億再融資 (來源：香港經濟日報），然而，分析師指出，若房市持續低迷，資產出售難度將進一步提升，變現速度和金額可能無法如預期。

企業傳承危機

除了財務危機，新世界還面臨找不到接班人窘境。原本被視為第三代接班人的鄭志剛於 2024 年卸下執行長一職，其父鄭家純重新掌權。這一舉動打破外界對家族順利傳承的期待，也反映內部對鄭志剛主導的擴張策略出現分歧。

與此同時，其妹妹鄭志雯已負責家族的珠寶與酒店業務，包括紐約凱雷酒店與巴黎克里雍飯店，被外界視為潛在接班人。在企業仍陷於債務壓力與經營風險的情況下，誰將最終接掌新世界，目前尚無定論。

房地產信仰破滅？香港地產業的警訊

新世界的危機，可能只是冰山一角。過去數十年，香港經濟高度依賴地產，形成一套強勢、集中由富豪世家主導的市場結構，地產商透過土地儲備與政策關係創造巨額財富，進一步加強產業集中度。但當今的現實是人口增長停滯、大陸內地移民潮湧現、資金外流、利率高企，讓房地產不再是穩賺不賠的神話。

根據瑞銀 2024 年報告，亞洲近五成的家族企業將在五年內進行世代交接，涉及逾 1兆美元的資產，新世界的困局成為典型範例，讓其他亞洲富豪家族反思如何能保住家產，同時讓接班人領導家族企業。

新世界是否揭開香港房產黃昏序章？

新世界的危機不僅是企業的警訊，更可能是香港房地產即將全面崩塌的警鐘。過去華人認為有地私有財的核心經濟思維正受到考驗，而傳統華人家族企業的傳承模式也將進入轉型期。