India's quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry is showing early signs of demand recovery, but Macquarie highlights rising costs and intensifying competition from food-delivery aggregators as reasons for its cautiousness. According to Macquarie, post-fourth-quarter trends indicate a gradual improvement in dine-in demand across restaurant chains. Within the sector, Macquarie remains most constructive on franchise operators Devyani International, Sapphire Foods and Westlife Foodworld. However, the recovery remains uneven and is being overshadowed by inflationary pressures and the growing dominance of delivery platforms such as Zomato and Swiggy. The brokerage said same-store sales growth across the listed QSR universe is tracking broadly in line with or slightly ahead of fourth-quarter levels. However, restaurant brands continue to trail delivery aggregators in growth, highlighting a structural shift in consumer behaviour. To counter this trend, restaurant operators have increa...
All eyes are waiting for the clock to strike midnight, as we welcome 2024 with loads of anticipation. Along with the new year, comes a bunch of predictions from astrologers and mystics. Nostradamus, the 16th-century French astrologer, is believed to have made predictions for the future, including the year 2024. Citing his 1555 text “Les Propheties” (“The Prophecies”), a New York Post report said that Nostradamus predicted that 2024 will witness severe weather events and global strife. Let's take a detailed look at his predictions for 2024: A naval battle Nostradamus had predicted a “naval battle” and said that a “red adversary will become pale with fear, putting the great Ocean in dread.” The New York Post said that by “red adversary” Nostradamus could be referring to China and the nation's red flag. It went on to claim that the “naval battle” could be hinting at China's tensions with the island of Taiwan. Royal turmoil As per IFLScience , one passa...