DENVER – New product innovation abounded at the Newtopia Now tradeshow, held Aug. 18-20. Exhibitors ranged from startups not yet in the market to established brands promoting new concepts ready for market. But as one speaker noted, there is a wide divide between being consumer ready versus retail ready.

Several brands stood out at the show. For example, early-stage brand Lil’ Melts, Austin, Texas, showcased its beef tallow cooking cubes. The cubes are intended to melt quickly, require no scooping and simplify portioning for home cooks.

Boca Raton, Fla.-based startup Notchee introduced a dairy spread promoted as a clean label condiment featuring protein. The perishable spread comes in 5.5-oz glass jars in three varieties: original, garlic herb and date honey.

And GoodBelly from NextFoods, Boulder, Colo., a 20-year-old refrigerated probiotic drink brand debuted For a Clear Mind. The no-added-sugar beverage is formulated to support mental clarity through the gut-brain connection, the company said. It is formulated with L-theanine, green coffee extract, fruit polyphenols and postbiotics.   

While each innovation is unique, that’s not enough to make it in today’s marketplace, said Brian Gould, founder and chief executive officer of TruLife Distribution, Boca Raton, Fla. Retail readiness is becoming just as important as product innovation.

Having a great product is only the first step, Gould said. Retailers are evaluating businesses, not just products. Strong ingredients, attractive packaging and consumer interest are important, but buyers also assess whether a company can consistently deliver product, maintain margins, support demand and become a reliable long-term retail partner.

“Retailers evaluate the entire business behind the product,” Gould said. “Brands need to demonstrate not only what makes their product different, but why it belongs on that retailer’s shelf, who will buy it and how the business will support a successful launch.”

Retailers are evaluating businesses, not just products when considering bringing a new product into its stores.

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While emerging brands have more tools to develop products, build direct-to-consumer audiences and generate online sales, achieving sustainable retail growth requires a different level of preparation and infrastructure, Gould said. For international brands, the challenge is often even greater. Companies entering the US must adapt to different retailer expectations, regulatory requirements, pricing structures and distribution economics.

“Success in another market is valuable validation,” Gould said. “But the US retail ecosystem is unique. Strategies that work elsewhere often require significant localization and preparation before they can succeed here.”

The distinction highlights the difference between being consumer-ready and retail-ready.

“Some of our most productive conversations (at Newtopia Now) were not about whether we liked a product,” Gould said. “They were about what steps would make that product truly compelling to a major US retailer.”

For some brands, the steps may involve refining pricing or positioning. For others, it may include strengthening retail materials, improving operational capabilities or identifying the most appropriate retail channel.

“The goal is not simply to get products in front of more buyers,” Gould said. “It is to ensure the right product reaches the right buyer at the right time.”

Some Bluesky users reported difficulty accessing the social media platform Wednesday, according to outage-tracking service Downdetector, marking at least the third significant disruption the decentralized network has faced this month.

Downdetector posted on its official account on the social platform X that “user reports indicate problems with Bluesky since 11:51 AM EDT,” tagging the post with the hashtag #BlueskyDown and directing affected users to its outage-tracking page. The post had drawn more than 1,600 views within roughly the first hour of being published.

Independent status monitoring offered a somewhat measured picture of Wednesday’s disruption compared with some of Bluesky’s more severe recent outages. According to StatusGator, Bluesky was listed as operational as of a check conducted around noon UTC Wednesday, though the service had logged 35 user-submitted outage reports over the preceding 24-hour period, a notably elevated figure suggesting genuine, if not necessarily platform-wide, connectivity issues affecting at least some portion of Bluesky’s user base.

Wednesday’s reports add to a pattern of recurring instability that has affected Bluesky throughout August. The platform experienced a significant outage Aug. 16, when thousands of users across the United States and other countries, including the UK, Portugal and Canada, reported being unable to load feeds, log in or use the app at all. According to IBTimes UK, complaints on Downdetector began climbing sharply around 10:37 a.m. EDT that day, with reported issues surpassing 2,000 complaints within about an hour. According to Windows Report’s coverage of that same incident, Bluesky’s own status account identified the disruption as affecting accounts connected to a specific server component within its infrastructure, known as the suillus.us-west.host.bsky.network personal data server, suggesting the outage did not affect every account on the platform equally.

Just two days later, on Aug. 18, Bluesky confirmed a separate, day-long disruption was caused by a distributed denial-of-service attack, commonly known as a DDoS attack, which flooded the platform’s servers with junk traffic specifically intended to overwhelm its infrastructure and knock the service offline. Bluesky confirmed the attack in a post acknowledging the incident had unfolded over the preceding 24 hours. “We have upgraded our defenses in response, and we continue to monitor the situation,” the company said, without disclosing further technical detail regarding the source or scale of the attack. A Bluesky spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions from TechCrunch regarding the incident at the time.

An earlier disruption on Aug. 5 similarly affected Bluesky’s backend infrastructure. According to Windows Report, the company confirmed at the time that multiple instances of its Personal Data Server fleet, the distributed backend components that store and serve user data across Bluesky’s decentralized network, had gone down simultaneously, suggesting the issue stemmed from core platform infrastructure rather than isolated individual account problems. User reports on Downdetector spiked sharply during that incident as well, jumping from a normal baseline of roughly one report to 589 reports within about half an hour.

Bluesky’s decentralized architecture, built on what the company calls the AT Protocol, has occasionally raised questions among users about why a distributed system remains vulnerable to widespread outages in the first place. According to TechCrunch’s earlier reporting on a separate 2025 outage, the answer lies in how most users actually interact with the network in practice. While the underlying protocol is designed so that different organizations and communities can theoretically run their own independent infrastructure, including personal data servers and relays, the vast majority of Bluesky’s current user base still relies on the company’s own official app and centrally operated infrastructure, meaning problems affecting Bluesky’s own servers can still cause widespread disruption for most users, even though the platform’s underlying protocol is technically decentralized. Users who have set up and rely on independently operated infrastructure outside Bluesky’s own servers have generally remained unaffected during these company-side outages, according to TechCrunch.

The recurring nature of Bluesky’s outages this month has generated visible frustration among users, many of whom have questioned why similar disruptions have continued occurring in relatively close succession. According to Rolling Out’s coverage of the Aug. 16 outage specifically, most affected users at that time reported problems primarily with the platform’s mobile app rather than its browser-based version, with some users describing being repeatedly logged out of their accounts or experiencing the app working briefly before crashing again.

Given Wednesday’s more moderate spike in reports compared with the platform’s more severe mid-August incidents, the current disruption may reflect a more limited or regionally concentrated issue rather than a full-scale, company-wide outage comparable to the Aug. 16 and Aug. 18 incidents. Users experiencing difficulty accessing Bluesky Wednesday were generally advised by monitoring services to check the platform’s official status page directly, restart the app, or verify their own internet connection before assuming a broader, confirmed outage is underway.

As of this report, Bluesky had not issued a public statement specifically addressing Wednesday’s reported issues, and the underlying cause, if any beyond routine, isolated connectivity problems, remained unconfirmed. Given the platform’s documented pattern of recurring outages throughout August, including at least one confirmed DDoS attack and a separate backend infrastructure failure affecting its Personal Data Server fleet, users and industry observers are likely to continue closely monitoring whether Wednesday’s reports represent another isolated incident or the beginning of a further, more significant disruption to the platform’s service.

Available for over a year

“More Chinese companies are put out of business by other Chinese companies. Chinese companies are not put out of business because of Western companies, so this whole competition is not, from a Chinese guy’s mind, like a US-China competition. It’s more ‘how do I survive this gym?’ because it’s damn hard to keep staying alive at home. That in turn makes you very competitive in the rest of the world.”

Maura Fogarty speaks to Joe Ngai, Chairman of the China region for global consulting firm McKinsey.

He advises senior management at Chinese and multinational corporations in the region which gives him a unique insight into the world’s second-largest economy.

Having written numerous books and reports on China’s economic landscape, Ngai’s expertise has been recognised by accolades from the likes of Forbes China and Bloomberg.

In this interview, we hear his thoughts about how the Chinese market has changed in the 25 years since the country joined the World Trade Organisation, and on how AI is developing and managing tensions with US competitors.

Thank you to the Asia Business team for their help in making this programme.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with tech billionaire Reid Hoffman, director Chloé Zhao, and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, head of the World Trade Organisation. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Maura Fogarty
Producers: Ben Cooper and Jaltson Akkanath Chummar
Editor: Damon Rose

Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

(Image: Joe Ngai. Credit: Getty)

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have arrived back in the United Kingdom, landing in Birmingham shortly before midday Wednesday just days after their office confirmed plans for the couple’s extended return, BBC News reported.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with their children, Archie and Lilibet, are believed to have flown into the country privately from California. A spokesman for the couple declined to comment on the arrival, telling the BBC only that “this is not something we would comment on.” According to a source who spoke with the BBC, there did not appear to be a police presence as Harry and his family left the airport.

The family is expected to base themselves at a private property outside London in the Cotswolds, according to the BBC. Archie and Lilibet have been enrolled in school, with the new academic term due to begin next week. Harry and Meghan will not resume official royal duties during their time in Britain, continuing instead as private, non-working members of the royal family, consistent with the arrangement they entered when they stepped back from senior royal roles in early 2020 before relocating to California that March.

King Charles III was informed of the couple’s return plans earlier this month. The family had visited the king at his Highgrove residence in July, though it is understood the planned move was not discussed during that visit. Prior to that July reunion, Harry and Meghan had not been in the UK together since attending Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022. The Prince and Princess of Wales have also been informed of the couple’s plans, according to the BBC.

The question of security arrangements for the Sussexes while in Britain has remained a significant point of debate since news of their return first broke. Harry lost a legal challenge last year over the level of security afforded to him and his family in the UK, after seeking to overturn a decision that had downgraded his security detail once he stopped serving as a working royal and relocated to the United States. It remains unclear what specific security provisions will be made for the family during their UK stay, or who will bear the cost of arranging them.

Following the announcement of the Sussexes’ intended return, a Home Office spokesperson addressed the broader security process without confirming specific arrangements for Harry’s family. The spokesperson said decisions regarding the security of royals are made by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, commonly known as Ravec, and characterized the UK government’s overall protective security system as “rigorous and proportionate.” Harry has previously said that concerns about safety have been a central factor preventing him from bringing his wife and children to Britain in the past.

The couple’s return also comes amid significant ongoing legal costs stemming from a separate case. Last month, Harry and six other public figures lost a High Court privacy case against the publisher of the Daily Mail and MailOnline. According to the BBC, the group faces paying up to £34.5 million in legal costs to Associated Newspapers, with the seven claimants required to pay an initial £9.54 million within seven days of the ruling.

Beyond the security and legal questions surrounding the family’s return, speculation has continued to build regarding what Harry and Meghan’s day-to-day life in Britain might actually look like. The BBC has separately reported that Meghan is in talks for a role in Netflix’s series “The Gentlemen,” which would mark her first significant acting role since her marriage to Harry. Sources close to the couple have not denied those reports.

The return also raises renewed questions about whether Harry’s relationship with his brother, Prince William, might improve now that the family is based in the same country for the first time in years. According to the BBC’s own reporting on the matter, however, William remains in no mood to forgive and forget, with the underlying hurt he feels toward Harry described as still lingering, suggesting any reconciliation between the two brothers is unlikely to happen quickly or easily despite their newfound geographic proximity.

Harry’s broader relationship with Britain has continued evolving in other respects as well. The duke recently stepped down from the board of an African wildlife charity, according to related BBC coverage, part of a broader recalibration of his public commitments as the family transitions into this new chapter based in the UK.

With Harry, Meghan and their children now physically back on British soil, attention is likely to shift toward how the family settles into their new life in the Cotswolds in the coming days, including how the unresolved security question is ultimately addressed, whether King Charles and the couple have any further private engagements planned, and whether Meghan’s reported talks over the Netflix acting role move any closer to a formal announcement now that the family has completed their relocation to Britain.

One of the country’s largest fast-food chains has reclaimed its “throne” as the nation’s No. 2 burger chain, with Burger King betting that better food without higher prices can keep cost-strained customers coming through the door.

“You can outrun costs with traffic if you’re building your business and that’s what we’ve been doing and that’s what we’ll continue to do in each chapter of elevation as we move through the menu… to elevate everything on there,” Burger King U.S. and Canada President Tom Curtis told FOX Business.

“We’ll ask our owners to hold tight because consumers need it right now,” he added.

AMERICA’S FAVORITE FAST-FOOD CHAIN NAMED: MCDONALD’S WINS HEARTS BUT NOT BEST BURGER, SURVEY SAYS

In this photo illustration, a Whopper meal is seen at a Burger King restaurant on Oct. 25, 2024 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Curtis joined “Mornings with Maria” alongside Burger King U.S. and Canada Head Chef Amy Alarcon as the chain celebrates reclaiming the No. 2 spot from Wendy’s in U.S. systemwide sales, behind industry leader McDonald’s, while posting 8.5% U.S. same-store sales growth in the second quarter.

The comeback has been years in the making. Burger King launched its “Reclaim the Flame” plan in 2022, investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the brand to improve restaurant operations, food quality and company culture, Curtis said.

BURGER KING FANS SWEAR A SIMPLE TRICK GETS YOU A FRESHER WHOPPER, BUT NOT EVERYONE IS CONVINCED

Organic ground beef from the supermarket is shown in a bowl. Ground beef prices have soared recently, with President Trump announcing a plan to import beef from outside nations. (Daniel Karmann/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Really the last nine months have been about us telling that story, and it’s really resonated with consumers,” he added.

A key part of that strategy has been listening to customers, even when their feedback is tough to swallow.

After customers offered what Curtis described as “sometimes scathing feedback” about the chain’s chicken nuggets, Alarcon and her team went back to the kitchen. The result is a revamped nugget recipe designed to be crispier on the outside and juicier on the inside.

The “elevated” nugget is rolling out nationwide Sept. 1, along with revamped dipping sauces.

“It hurt me to the core,” Alarcon said of the criticism. “You don’t ever want someone saying that about your food. So we fixed it.”

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The nuggets follow Burger King’s effort to upgrade its signature Whopper, a change Curtis said required franchisees to absorb additional costs rather than immediately pass them along to customers.

“We asked our franchisees once again when we relaunched the Whopper, when we elevated the Whopper, ‘Hey, we need you to hold price here. Consumers are hurting, and we’ve got to be there for them in these tough times,’” he said.

That strategy is being tested as soaring beef prices squeeze restaurants and consumers alike. Curtis acknowledged that the pressure has been difficult for Burger King franchisees but said the company is trying to offset higher costs by attracting more customers rather than simply raising menu prices.

“I think it’s just holding the line and giving people more for the same amount,” he added.

KANSAS CITY — The sports nutrition segment continues to expand, with sales of energy and sports drinks rising over $35 billion in 2025, according to data from SPINS. The category is growing with innovations targeting a broader range of active consumers and applications, ranging from beverages and powders to bars and even pastas.

“Sports nutrition is evolving,” said Floor van der Horst, global marketing director, performance and active nutrition for FrieslandCampina Ingredients. “It’s no longer just about performance in the gym or on the track, but about supporting the body and mind as a whole to fuel performance. Athletes and active consumers increasingly want to feel their best to help perform at their best, and they’re starting to understand that the two are intrinsically connected.”

The Coca-Cola Co. is aiming to bring its BodyArmor brand to more consumers and consumer occasions with a ready-to-drink canned product. BodyArmor Fit is formulated with 290 mg of electrolytes, 60 mg of caffeine, choline and green tea extract, with zero sugar per serving.

“BodyArmor Fit represents a natural evolution of our portfolio as we continue to meet consumers where they are,” said Sara Weaver, vice president of brand marketing, BodyArmor. “People are staying active in different ways throughout the day, and BodyArmor Fit was designed to fit seamlessly into those routines with a new sparkling format that still delivers the functional hydration expected from us.”

For consumers seeking alternatives to protein shakes, PepsiCo, Inc. developed Propel Clear Protein. The beverage powder combines protein, fiber and electrolyte benefits into one product, with 20 grams of whey protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving.

“Our priority was solving a real human need through a science-backed, multifunctional product,” said Damian Browne, senior vice president of research and development, US Beverages at PepsiCo. “What we’ve created with Propel Clear Protein is a real breakthrough for consumers, who can now get their protein, fiber and hydration in one great-tasting beverage, without the heaviness of a traditional protein shake.”

Creatine also is becoming more prevalent as an ingredient beyond the supplement category. SPINS identified creatine as one of the fastest growing functional ingredients, with 44% year-over-year growth.

“It’s an interesting ingredient because it was so heavily in just the powdered version, or capsules full of powder,” said Scott Dicker, senior director and head of research and insights for SPINS. “The new forms, such as bars, gummies and ready-to-drink beverages, have taken it more mainstream.”

KA-EX, a manufacturer of functional beverages and supplements, is experimenting with creatine in the beverage aisle with its Creatine EAA + Booster. The product is intended to combat creatine degradation in beverage formats with its push-cap technology, which preserves a dose of powdered creatine separately in the cap until users dispense the powder before consumption. The drink features 3 grams of creatine, 105 mg of caffeine, 500 mg of sodium, 57 mg of magnesium, 370 mg of potassium, 115 mg of calcium, 1 gram of L-citrulline and essential amino acids.

“Creatine is having a mainstream moment,” said Pedro Schmidt, chief executive officer and founder of KA-EX. “Awareness has expanded well beyond the gym, driven by a growing body of evidence around cognitive performance, healthy aging, and everyday energy, amplified by consumer education. The category is no longer niche. Now, we’re providing consumers with an option they haven’t had before — creatine in a convenient ready-to-drink format that actually delivers what it says on the label.”