Consumer insights from Samsung Australia reveals approximately 72% of Australians surveyed are turning to bulk cooking to ease grocery bills and stress.

More than a third say their fridge simply isn’t big enough to keep up.

SYDNEY, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Samsung Australia has today released a fresh batch of consumer insights that reveals bulk cooking, a habit long associated with cooler months, is extending into spring as Australians look to manage grocery costs and kick-start New Year health goals as the weather warms up.

The Samsung insights reveal that almost two in three Australian respondents (62%) say they have bulk cooked specifically to save money[1], while over two thirds (69%) believe that bulk cooking helps to reduce their weekly shopping bill[2]. Beyond the hip pocket, the insights also suggest Australians are turning to bulk cooking as weekly meal prep to support overall health and wellbeing. Sixty-two per cent of Australian respondents say they intend to start the New Year by eating healthier[3], with over half (59%) claiming that bulk cooking helps meet health and nutrition goals[4].

Furthermore, the insights reveal that bulk cooked meal prep is also emerging as a genuine stress reliever. Almost three quarters of Australian respondents (72%) agree it reduces their weekly stress[5]; a figure that climbs to 87% among 25 to 29 year olds[6]. Further, almost half of Australians respondents (46%) claim to bulk cook breakfast, lunch and dinners to save time and reduce the daily mental load.[7]

Conversely however, Australians are running into storage challenges, with the insights revealing a third (34%) of Australians want to bulk cook more often, but claim their fridge isn’t big enough[8]. Further, around a quarter of Australians (24%) admit to stacking containers dangerously to make bulk-cooked meals fit[9], spiking to 45% among 18- to 24-year-olds and 43% among 25- to 29-year-olds[10].

According to Phil Gaut, Director – Consumer Electronics, Samsung Australia, the national shift towards meal prep to support Australian lifestyles has been occurring subtly over the past few years, and is now firmly reflected in consumer retail trends. “In 2026, larger capacities and energy efficient performance rank as the two most sought-after features among Australians shopping for a new fridge[11]. This shows that bulk cooking and meal prep isn’t just a winter ritual anymore, it’s a genuine strategy for Australians to save money, eat better and feel less stressed as we head towards the end of the year,” said Mr. Gaut.

As Australians move further into spring, the insights show that 56% have plans to use their weekends to bulk cook, while one in three (37%) say they’ll continue to put healthy food at the front of their fridge to remind themselves to eat healthier.[12] With end of year sales coming up, Mr Gaut suggests that now is a good time for Australians to start researching larger capacity models and notes that many shoppers re-entering the market for the first time in years may be surprised by the technological leaps refrigeration technology has taken in that time.

“AI paired with new design approaches have been the biggest drivers of change in the premium refrigeration category, with smart features working to address some of Australians’ biggest pain points every day,” said Mr Gaut. “French-door refrigerators are incredibly popular amongst Australians who rely on bulk cooking to stay on top of bills and schedules because they benefit from large internal capacities, flexible shelving, and in-built beverage centres that give easy access to ice and water – all while fitting into most standard refrigerator kitchen cavities.

“Large capacity screen-enabled refrigerators like Samsung’s Family Hub go further by using AI to directly address common Australian concerns like reducing food wastage and saving time and energy every day. The Family Hub does this by automatically tracking what goes into the fridge to create shopping lists and bulk-cooking menus based on nutrition goals, while tracking and managing energy use via SmartThings.[13] Refrigerators like this are made for Australian lifestyles and are designed to offer long-term value by evolving with families and personalising to their unique routines over time,” said Mr Gaut.

Available in various styles and capabilities in plumbed and non-plumbed models, Samsung has a refrigerator solution to meet the needs of Australian homes. Australians can also shop with confidence knowing that in 2026, Australian consumers voted Samsung’s Refrigerator line-up ‘Top Value’, ‘Most Reliable’, ‘Top Performance’ and ‘Most Recommended’ in Finder’s 2026 Customer Satisfaction Awards.

To find out more about Samsung’s range of refrigerators, visit https://www.samsung.com/au/refrigerators/all-refrigerators/  

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, digital signage, smartphones, wearables, tablets, home appliances and network systems, as well as memory, system LSI and foundry. Samsung is also advancing medical imaging technologies, HVAC solutions and robotics, while creating innovative automotive and audio products through Harman. With its SmartThings ecosystem, open collaboration with partners, and integration of AI across its portfolio, Samsung delivers a seamless and intelligent connected experience. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.

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SOURCE Samsung Australia

SINGAPORE, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GTN, the global fintech powering limitless investment, and AmInvestment Bank Berhad (“AmInvestment Bank”), part of AmBank Group Berhad, one of Malaysia’s largest leading banking groups, today announced a partnership to expand the global investment opportunities available to AmInvestment Bank clients.

Powered by GTN’s co-branded global trading platform, GTN Trade, AmInvestment Bank will enable its clients seamless access to 13 global markets, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia.

Through a single integration, AmInvestment Bank can offer access to multiple markets without having to establish separate broker relationships or build the associated connectivity and post-trade infrastructure for each market. GTN Trade operates under AmInvestment Bank’s brand, while GTN provides the underlying execution, custody and settlement infrastructure, enabling AmInvestment Bank to bring its global investing offering to market more efficiently.

“At GTN, we believe access to global markets should be simpler and more accessible to investors,” said Julien Le Noble, CEO Asia at GTN. “Our infrastructure enables financial institutions to expand their investment offerings and connect clients to global markets without having to build the underlying capabilities themselves. By partnering with AmInvestment Bank, we are helping bring global investing opportunities to more Malaysian investors through a familiar banking relationship.”

“Our goal is to make global investing simpler and more accessible for our clients. Through this partnership with GTN, we are enhancing our investment offering by providing convenient access to 13 global markets, enabling clients to diversify their portfolios and capture opportunities across different geographies and sectors. More importantly, this is a strategic step in strengthening our wealth and investment services, empowering Malaysian investors to look beyond domestic markets with greater choice and flexibility. By combining AmInvestment Bank’s market expertise and established presence in Malaysia with GTN’s global trading infrastructure, we are well positioned to deliver a more seamless and integrated investment experience that supports our clients’ evolving financial needs and long-term investment aspirations,” said Christopher Ng, Chief Executive Officer of AmInvestment Bank.

The partnership reflects the growing importance of international market access as investors look beyond their domestic markets to diversify their portfolios. By combining AmInvestment Bank’s established presence in Malaysia with GTN’s global brokerage infrastructure, the partnership will make it easier for AmInvestment Bank clients to access investment opportunities across major global markets and the wider Southeast Asian region.

About GTN

GTN is the global fintech infrastructure powering limitless investment through a unified API-first architecture. By combining cloud-native technology with deep institutional expertise, GTN provides brokers, banks, asset managers, and fintechs with brokerage infrastructure spanning 90+ markets and up to 8 asset classes across GTN’s six regulated entities, through a single API, enabling partners to create the next generation of investing and trading experiences. From fractional trading and micro-portfolios, including $1 fractional bonds, to full-service brokerage, GTN automates the investment lifecycle from digital onboarding to post-trade settlement. As a single counterparty, GTN reduces technical and regulatory burdens, enabling investment banks, brokerage firms, and wealth management firms to scale without having to build technology from scratch.

GTN has over 700 professionals across 14 countries and serves more than 500 clients worldwide, united by one mission: transforming the accessibility of investment and trading opportunities. GTN operates through six regulated entities, each authorised in its own jurisdiction: FCA in the UK, DFSA in the DIFC, MAS in Singapore, SEC and FINRA in the US, FSCA in South Africa, and SFC in Hong Kong. Strategic investors include IFC (World Bank Group) and SBI Ventures Singapore. To learn more, visit www.gtngroup.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

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Former Global CTO of Banco Santander, former Group CIO of Currys, former CEO of IBPAP, and former Microsoft CVP and CTO of AI join the advisory community

Advisors will provide guidance on AAVA platform innovation, AI strategy, C-suite alignment, and enterprise adoption across Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and the UK

The growing community of advisors will bring practitioner perspective closer to Ascendion as enterprises move AI from experimentation to governed, production-scale outcomes

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ascendion, an AI-native software engineering company, today announced the appointment of four global business and technology leaders to its AI Advisory Community: Andy Gamble, Jack Madrid, Julieta Ross, Ph.D., and Joseph Sirosh, Ph.D. 

The advisors bring perspectives rarely found in one group: executives who answered to Boards, regulators, and C-suites for what technology actually delivered; a builder of AI and data platforms at global scale; and a leader who shaped one of the world’s largest technology-services and talent ecosystems. Their experience spans banking, high-tech, media, and retail. Each will work directly with Ascendion’s regional and engineering leaders, so their counsel reaches the decisions it is meant to shape. 

“We are changing how software gets built. Enterprise leaders have moved past experiments. They want AI that delivers outcomes boards can measure and risk they can manage. Andy, Jack, Julieta, and Joseph have the experience and know where transformation succeeds. They will challenge our thinking, raise our ambition, and help us navigate a period of intense — and exciting — change,” said Karthik Krishnamurthy, CEO, Ascendion. 

Each advisor will map to a different part of the business, strengthening Ascendion’s alignment with leadership communities across the globe. 

Julieta Ross, Ph.D., former Global CTO of Banco Santander, brings two decades of leading technology inside global banks, along with public-company board experience. She will work with Ascendion’s leadership on executive relationships, go-to-market strategy, and growth, and will help the company meet the governance, regulatory, and risk expectations that banking and financial services leaders place on AI. Andy Gamble, former Group CIO of Currys plc, has spent nearly three decades as a technology buyer and transformation leader across consumer electronics, industrial, and retail businesses. He will advise Ascendion’s work across Europe and the UK, with a focus on consumer goods, manufacturing, and retail, and will share what executive teams and Boards expect from a technology partner. Joseph Sirosh, Ph.D., former Microsoft CVP and CTO of AI, has spent his career building and scaling machine learning platforms in the high-tech industry. He will advise Ascendion’s engineering leadership on the evolution of AAVA and its broader platform strategy as AAVA becomes an orchestration and harness layer for enterprise AI. Jack Madrid, former President and CEO of IBPAP, spent five years leading the industry association behind one of the world’s largest technology and business-services ecosystems, centered in the Philippines. He brings robust experience working across industries, including banking, high-tech, and media, and will advise Ascendion on Asia-Pacific markets and on how AI is reshaping global delivery, skills, and workforce models. 

Together, the advisors give Ascendion an outside perspective on the full spectrum of enterprise AI, from agentic platform strategy and product engineering to industry alignment and delivery. They will add capacity to Ascendion’s ongoing work on AI governance, helping ensure trusted impact from AI-native software engineering, and their practice-based insight will inform how Ascendion applies its Engineering to the Power of AI™ approach to commercial models, platform design, service execution, and workforce development. 

About Ascendion

Ascendion is a global AI-native software engineering company delivering trusted business outcomes – capital unlock, innovation velocity, lower risk – to 250+ enterprise clients. The company delivers business outcomes at scale by combining expert engineers, AI agents, and AAVA, Ascendion’s agentic AI platform. Together, they design, engineer, and operate production-ready software that improves everyday work and life. Learn more at www.ascendion.com.

Engineering to the Power of AI™, Engineering to Elevate Life™, and AAVA™ are trademarks or service marks of Ascendion. AAVA™ is pending registration. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

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