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☆ What really is plus-size fashion? Experts weigh in on the term’s meaning
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

But what’s really considered a plus-size body or garment? Mike Coppola/Getty ImagesThough there are no universal criteria for plus-size clothing, the general perception of what constitutes plus-size has changed over time. Sixty-seven percent of US women are considered plus-size, Downing Peters said. The dearth of plus-size clothing adds to a stigma that makes people with bigger bodies feel marginalized, she added. Other stores have meanwhile stopped separating standard and plus-size clothing into different departments, which may help eliminate stigma, Keist said.

Persons: Ashley Graham, Paloma Elsesser, Precious Lee, Tess Holliday, what’s, ”, Lauren Downing Peters, Mike Coppola, “, Marilyn Monroe, ’ ”, Carmen Keist, —, Downing Peters, Monroe wouldn’t, ” Downing Peters, it’s, Emma McClendon, Keist, Jeff Greenberg, ” Keist, ” “, Tim Wimborne, Mina White, White, Jacopo Raule, we’ve, lionizing, ’, Fang, Lane Bryant, Christian Siriano, Michael Kors, I‘d Organizations: CNN, Columbia College Chicago, New York, Bradley University in, Bettmann, Getty, St, John’s University, El, Fashion Group, Reuters, Vogue, Brands, Universal, Dia, Co Locations: Bradley University in Illinois, Korea, United States, United Kingdom, British, New York, El Corte, Spain, Sydney, Florence, inclusivity, Meijer

☆ Sweaty Europe can kill two birds with one pump
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Pamela Barbaglia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

What may be less immediately obvious is that heat pumps are the best way to do both. In Europe, currently only 16% of residential buildings use heat pumps, according to a study from the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) based on data from 21 countries including non-EU Britain and Norway, with 20 million heat pumps installed. On average buying and installing a heat pump could cost up to $13,000 compared to $2,500 for a gas boiler. Heat pump sales rose 35% in Italy last year, making it Europe’s second-biggest marketplace after France, EHPA data shows. To meet net-zero targets by 2030 EHPA estimates Europe would need 60 million more heat pumps installed by 2030.

Persons: Remo Casilli, Olaf Scholz’s, Joe Biden’s, António Guterres, George Hay, Oliver Taslic, Streisand Neto Organizations: Popolo, REUTERS, Remo Casilli LONDON, Reuters, International Energy Agency, IEA, European Union, Pump Association, Reuters Graphics, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Carrier, Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin Industries, El, El Corte Inglés, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, Europe, EU Britain, Norway, France, Germany, Poland, Brussels, Britain, United States, U.S, U.N, El Corte

[1/3] A man called David checks his phone as he stands near a fan to cool off, during a heatwave across Italy, in Rome, July 14, 2023. A heat wave has hit southern Europe during the peak summer tourist season, breaking records - including in Rome - and bringing warnings about an increased risk of deaths. Spain is expected to endure higher-than-average temperatures this summer, with two heatwaves already baking the country in June and July. Amazon Business, where companies can order supplies, saw more than a 20% increase in portable air-conditioning unit sales across Spain, Italy, and France this month compared to July last year. Smaller devices, like hand-held fans and fans worn around the neck, were also selling in their thousands.

Persons: David, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Angela Lonardo, Leroy Merlin, Elisa Anzolin, Corina Rodriguez, Helen Reid, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, El, El Corte Inglés, Amazon Spain, Amazon, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, MADRID, MILAN, Southern Europe, Europe, United States, El Corte, Madrid, Spain, Seville, Sensibo, France, Corte, Milan, London

In Germany, the HDE retail association is forecasting the strongest slump in Christmas sales since 2007, with retail sales in the crucial November-December period seen dropping by 4% year on year on a price-adjusted basis. In the United Kingdom, a raft of surveys indicate half or more Britons plan to spend less this Christmas. Should September's sharp drop in retail sales be repeated in December, it would be the worst outcome since comparable annual records began in 1989. Official data showed UK retail sales volumes, excluding fuel, dropped 6.2% year on year in September. Another association Acotex expects retailers to offer slight discounts during the holiday season as consumer demand slows.

☆ Energy crisis dims festive sparkle in Europe's shops
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Mimosa Spencer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

PARIS, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Retailers in Europe are having to strike a delicate balancing act with this year's Christmas displays: how to create enough festive sparkle to loosen cash-strapped customers' purse-strings, while acknowledging the impact of the energy crisis. However, the energy crisis has accelerated plans to "reduce consumption to be a good citizen both socially and environmentally", he added. He said the store was moving faster to reach its goal of shifting entirely to LED lighting and began turning lights off at night in September. "It makes a big difference," said Eleanore de Boysson, region president of Europe and the Middle East for LVMH's travel retail division DFS. Other "small" gestures include only partially lighting the store and its offices during early morning cleaning hours, she added.

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