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Handbags aren’t their bag, baby!

Makers of pricey handbags are at risk of losing a generation of customers as millennials and Gen-Zers ditch purses, clutches and pocketbooks in favor of backpacks and even fanny packs and that’s if they carry a bag at all, according to a study.

Just 39% of women aged 18 to 35 said they carry a handbag for activities other than work or school, according to a survey from Circana, which tracks online and in-store retail receipts for some 150,000 consumers.

That’s compared with 60% of women aged 35 and older who say they always carry a handbag.

Younger women bought 2% fewer handbags during the 12 months ended in April compared to the previous year, while handbag sales by older women spiked 7% during the same time frame, according to the report.

That’s a major gap with profound long-term implications for luxury brands like LVMH and near luxury brands like Coach which depend upon handbags for the lions share of their revenues and profits, said Pamela Danziger, author of Meet the HENRYS: The Millennials That Matter Most for Luxury Brands.

Donning a fanny-pack, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to be the fashion faux pas it once was — despite Kim Kardashian being recently ripped for sporting one.

Sales of fanny, waist and chest packs were up 56% among younger women while sales of everyday backpacks were up 7%, according to the report. A Lululemon belt bag that sells for less than $40 has been especially popular, says Beth Goldstein, Circana’s footwear and accessories analyst.

Younger women who are “seeking both function and fashion” are also scooping up small crossbody bags, which is the most popular style, she said.

Sales of womens wallets year to date, meanwhile, are down just over 20% compared with the same period in 2019, while sales of credit card cases are up 16%, according to Circana.

We dont need to carry as much because we arent going to the office every day and our phones have become our wallets, Goldstein added.

Danziger attributed the bagless trend by young women to their desire to be hands-free, while older women carry bags with them out of habit.

Some older women including Martha Stewart is among the older women breaking the habit and embracing the trend.

What are handbags? the 81-year-old domestic diva told Vogue in a recent interview. “I have a Bandolier phone case, which is my pocketbook.

Younger women aren’t completely shunning bags, since showy, name-brand handbags are the preferred way for women to display their luxury status, Danziger added.

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Entertainment

Davina McCall reveals breast cancer diagnosis a year after brain tumour surgery

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Davina McCall reveals breast cancer diagnosis a year after brain tumour surgery

Davina McCall has revealed she has had breast cancer, nearly a year after she had surgery to remove a brain tumour.

The TV presenter revealed the diagnosis in a video posted to her Instagram on Saturday, saying she was “very angry” when she found out, but now is in a “much more positive place” after undergoing surgery to remove the tumour three weeks ago.

“I found a lump a few weeks ago. It came and went but then I was working on The Masked Singer and Lorraine, the TV show, and Lorraine Kelly had put signs on the backs of all the doors saying ‘check your breasts’ and every time I went for a wee, I did that,” she said.

“It was still there, and then one morning I saw myself in the mirror and thought ‘I’m going to get that looked at’. I had a biopsy. I found out it was indeed breast cancer and I had it taken out in a lumpectomy nearly three weeks ago.”

McCall, 58, said the “lump” was “very, very small” and was discovered early.

Davina McCall said she had surgery to remove the "lump" three weeks ago. Pic: PA
Image:
Davina McCall said she had surgery to remove the “lump” three weeks ago. Pic: PA

“I am so relieved to have had it removed and to know that it hasn’t spread. My lymph nodes were clear, I didn’t have any removed, and all I’m going to do now is have five days of radiotherapy in January as kind of an insurance policy,” she explained.

The former Big Brother presenter thanked her medical team, family and fiance for their support, before adding: “It’s been a lot. I was very angry when I found out, but I let go of that, and I feel in a much more positive place now.

More on Davina Mccall

“I think my message is: get checked if you’re worried. Check yourself regularly. If you are due a mammogram, then get it done.

“I have dense breasts and I had a mammogram in August, and I was postponing the ultrasound; I just couldn’t find time to do it. Don’t do that. Get the ultrasound.”

Her breast cancer diagnosis came nearly a year after McCall revealed that she had a benign brain tumour, a colloid cyst, which she described as “very rare”.

McCall revealed last November that she had a benign brain tumour. Pic: PA
Image:
McCall revealed last November that she had a benign brain tumour. Pic: PA

She said in a video posted in November last year that chances of having it were “three in a million” and that she had discovered it several months previously after a company offered her a health scan in return for giving a menopause talk.

McCall rose to fame presenting on MTV in the mid-1990s, and later on Channel 4’s Streetmate, before becoming a household name as the host of Big Brother from 2000 to 2010.

She’s gone on to present programmes across the networks, and currently presents ITV dating show My Mum, Your Dad.

In recent years, McCall has spoken regularly on women’s health and the effects of menopause in a bid to break taboos around the subject. Her 2022 book, Menopausing, won book of the year at the British Book Awards.

McCall's brain cancer was found after she was offered a health check-up as part of her menopause advocacy work. Pic: PA
Image:
McCall’s brain cancer was found after she was offered a health check-up as part of her menopause advocacy work. Pic: PA

The same year, McCall fronted the Channel 4 documentary Davina McCall: Sex, Mind And The Menopause, and told the BBC that perimenopausal symptoms caused her difficulties multi-tasking and she considered that she had a brain tumour or Alzheimer’s disease at the time.

In 2023, she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to broadcasting.

The presenter has previously raised money for Cancer Research UK by running the Race For Life in honour of her late sister, Caroline Baday, who died from lung cancer in 2012 at the age of 50.

Read more from Sky News:
Kendrick Lamar leads Grammy nods
Celebrity Traitors star reveals double-bluff

Married twice, McCall has three children, two daughters and a son, with her second husband, presenter Matthew Robertson.

She lives with her fiance, hairdresser Michael Douglas, and presents a weekly lifestyle podcast with him, called Making The Cut.

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Science

Scientists Identify Oxygen Trapping Weakens Sodium-Ion Battery Performance

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Researchers have identified oxygen trapping in high-sodium cathodes as the main cause of voltage decay. Using EPR spectroscopy, the team uncovered structural changes and trapped O2 accumulation, providing guidance for designing more stable sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage.

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Environment

New Mitsubishi Eclipse electric crossover gets real with 370 miles of range

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New Mitsubishi Eclipse electric crossover gets real with 370 miles of range

This one is bound to upset the DSM purists still out there — meet the all-new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, an all-electric crossover with over 370 miles of range that’s rolling out to European dealers as you read this. (!)

First unveiled last month, the all-new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross EV is one of the first fruits of the Nissan- Mitsubishi- Renault alliance to wear the Mitsubishi badge and early production versions of the new SUV have already begun rolling out of Renault’s ElectriCity Douai Plant in Cuincy, France.

“Following the launch of the Outlander plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) and the Grandis hybrid EV (HEV), rolling out the all-new Eclipse Cross marks a crucial step in our electrification strategy in Europe,” said Takao Kato, president and chief executive officer of Mitsubishi Motors, at the vehicle’s debut. “Having developed the world’s first mass-produced BEV, Mitsubishi Motors has made it a mission to provide environmentally friendly vehicles and has been working toward achieving carbon neutrality. We will continue contributing to the realization of a decarbonized society by expanding our lineup of electrified vehicles, as well as addressing the diverse needs of our European customers.”

Smart Armor styling


Mitsubishi calls its latest Eclipse’ design language “Smart Armor,” and says that its design, “conveys robustness and security by incorporating powerful, armor-like design elements into an advanced and sophisticated smart EV design.”

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I don’t know about any of that, but the design is certainly a noticeable, modern update on the Outlander and Outlander Sport that have dominated the struggling Japanese car brand’s North American product line for the last decade. So, while it may not win any awards or make into a “future classics” coffee table book, the latest Eclipse would certainly look “new” in a modern American Whole Foods parking lot.

Modern outside, modern inside


Inside, the new Mitsubishi Eclipse EV offers a comforting mix of buttons and touchscreens angled, cockpit-style, towards the driver and finished in a color palette that will be familiar to any 1st-gen DSM driver, paired with the chunky steering wheel and diamond-quilted seats that drivers familiar with Mitsubishi’s more recent SUV- and crossover-heavy are used to.

Like the exterior, the new Eclipse EV’s probably won’t win any design awards, but it seems comfortable and practical enough and — I can’t state this enough — looks to be a noticeable improvement over the previous generation. The car’s tech, connectivity, and infotainment features, too, also seem thoroughly modern:

The all-new Eclipse Cross is equipped with a vertical 12.3-inch Smartphone-link Display Audio (SDA) system, offering the latest infotainment experience. As it is a vehicle with Google built-in1, drivers can use apps like Google Assistant and Google Maps the moment they step into the car and even download additional apps via Google Play. Simply saying “Hey Google” enables drivers to operate the air conditioner, search for destinations, make phone calls, and play music—all hands-free. Both Apple CarPlay®4 and Android AutoTM are supported with wireless connectivity, offering a seamless connection to smartphones. The audio system features a Harman Kardon premium sound system with five selectable listening modes to suit any mood or preference, delivering an immersive, high-quality sound experience. In addition, four drive modes, Personal, Eco, Comfort, and Sport can be selected at will through the SDA, depending on the driver’s preferences and driving conditions. The Mitsubishi Motors mobile app enables remote access to the vehicle, including locking and unlocking, charging, and checking the parking location, all from a smartphone, enhancing everyday convenience. The model supports Firmware-Over-The-Air (FOTA) wireless software update technology, enabling drivers to easily update to the latest software environment by simply following the instructions on the SDA screen.

The all-new Eclipse Cross features up to 20 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)5. Ultrasonic sensors, cameras, and forward radar constantly monitor the vehicle’s surroundings to support safe driving. With a range of advanced safety technologies, including the MI-PILOT2 same-lane driver assistance system for highways and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)2 system, it offers a safe and secure driving experience.

MITSUBISHI

The new Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross EV features an 87 kWh battery good for up to 600 km (~375 miles) of range on the European cycle. That battery sends electrons to a capable 160 kW (~215 hp) electric motor that delivers 300 Nm (220 lb-ft) of torque at 0 rpm. DC fast charging can happen at up to 150 kW of charging, which (by my math) works out to something like a 25 minute 10-80% charge time.

Spanish-language site Motorpasión was able to get their hands on a preproduction version of the new Mitsubishi Eclipse and gave it a pretty solid review. You can check that out here, but we’ll be holding back our review until Fred or Micah can get their hands on one. Stay tuned.

Electrek’s Take


2026 Mitsubishi Eclipse EV; via Mitsubishi.

I’ve alluded to this a few times in this article, but it’s worth saying again: the new Eclipse Cross EVs aren’t wining awards or setting any performance records here, but they’re perfectly adequate and zippy enough to more than keep up with modern traffic. And, frankly, that’s a refreshing change of pace from an automotive market that seems to be constantly chasing the cancerous mantra of, “bigger, faster, more.”

If Mitsubishi’s US dealers aren’t positively begging for the parent company to bring this new EV to North America, they have truly lost the plot.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Mitsubishi.


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