Brands
Skoodle and Bildago unveil 2025 toys packed with festive fun
MUMBAI: With Christmas around the corner, parents searching for gifts that spark joy and nurture curious young minds have plenty to look forward to. Home-grown toy brands Skoodle and Bildago, part of SSIPL, have unwrapped a vibrant 2025 line-up that blends imagination, learning and hours of holiday fun in one festive sweep.
For children who dream in horsepower, Bildago’s Hyper Cars Collection delivers buildable thrills. Kits like Scorcher DS, Nitro X and Mud Storm Racer invite young engineers to assemble and reassemble sleek sports cars complete with steerable wheels, opening doors and smooth glide movement. Designed for ages six and above, they encourage Stem thinking, fine motor skills and screen-free immersion.
Space lovers can set their sights higher with the Stellar Space Series, which features the Space Shuttle, Rocket Launcher, Moon Rover and Space Craft. Each kit offers three building possibilities and an extra surprise for collectors who buy all four, as the full set transforms into one mega model. The series nurtures curiosity, problem-solving and a love for the cosmos, all at an accessible price point.
For children with adventurous imaginations, the X-Terrain Off-Roaders bring rugged energy to playtime. Models like the Dune Sports Car, Mud Blaster and Geo Rover come with articulated mechanisms and smooth gliding wheels, while the full range can also be combined into a multi-part mega build. These sets are ideal for storytelling and technical exploration.
Skoodle, meanwhile, brings festive nostalgia with Stackrr, a family favourite that turns Christmas nights into block-stacking laughter. With 54 premium beechwood blocks, it blends strategy, coordination and light-hearted competition for players of all ages. The fun continues with the Spider-Man Sling Puck Game, a fast-paced crowd-pleaser that keeps the excitement high during holiday gatherings and helps children practise collaboration and turn-taking.
For quieter moments, the Skoodle Colouring Series offers a charming dose of creativity. Filled with crayons, tempera colours, sparkles, pencils and activity sheets, the kit is designed for children aged three to twelve and makes the perfect stocking filler. Completing the line-up are the Bildago Rocket X1 and X2 pull-back cars, high-speed racers built for instant festive thrills with powerful movement, crisp design and sturdy construction.
Together, these toys highlight what Skoodle and Bildago do best: blending creativity with purpose. This Christmas, their thoughtfully designed range aims to give families more than just wrapped gifts. It promises moments of discovery, imagination and joy that last long after the tree comes down.
Brands
Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
