Brands
McDonald’s India unveils minions-themed mango desserts in collaboration with Illumination’s Despicable Me 4
Mumbai: In a delightful blend of movies and sweet treats, McDonald’s India West & South announces its yet another collaboration with Illumination’s Despicable Me 4, releasing worldwide on 5 July. Celebrating both the mango season and the return of everyone’s favourite Minions, McDonald’s India has introduced an exclusive range of Minions-themed mango desserts.
This mango season, McDonald’s iconic McSwirl and McFlurry Oreo have received a delicious mango makeover, offering all mango lovers a delicious new reason to visit McDonald’s India restaurants. Customers can now dive into the fun with the new Mango McSwirl, Mango Sundae, Mango McFlurry with Oreo, and Mango McFlurry with Lotus Biscoff which promises to tickle the taste buds of both movie buffs and mango lovers alike.
Adding to the excitement, the McDonald’s Happy Meal will now have a new surprise in the form of an interactive book ‘Meet the Characters of Despicable Me 4’. This addition to the Happy Meal is sure to bring extra smiles and surprises, making mealtime a joyful adventure for the brand’s youngest fans. This is not all, these new mango-infused treats will be served in special Minion-themed packaging, making them irresistible for the fans.
McDonald’s India (W&S) CMO Arvind R.P. said, “Movies and McDonald’s are a classic combination best enjoyed with loved ones. With the introduction of our new Minions-themed mango desserts, we are excited to give this classic combination a new mango twist. These new irresistible treats are designed not only to delight the massive fan base of Minions but also to offer all our customers even more reasons to visit McDonald’s. At McDonald’s, we are continually committed to innovating our menu to cater to the diverse tastes of our Indian customers, ensuring that each visit is filled with fresh and exciting flavours.”
Available across all McDonald’s outlets in West and South India, these limited-time treats are perfect for enjoying a slice of summer while indulging in the playful tricks of the cherished Minion characters. The customers can now embrace the mischief and mango magic at their nearest McDonald’s restaurants.
The all-new Mango McSwirl, Mango Sundae, Mango McFlurry with Oreo, and Mango McFlurry with Lotus Biscoff are available for dine-in, delivery, takeout, drive-thru, on-the-go and on the McDelivery app.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
