Purdys Chocolatier has added a new product to its No Sugar Added line in response to growing consumer demand for lower-sugar treats.
The Vancouver-based chocolate maker announced the launch of its No Sugar Added Salted Caramels, available in a 12-piece gift box. The assortment includes six milk chocolate and six dark chocolate pieces, and will retail for $30 in Purdys shops and online.
The new offering is sweetened with maltitol, a plant-based sweetener, and contains no added sugar. Each caramel is coated in no-sugar-added chocolate and topped with flaked sea salt.
CF Chinook Centre. Photo: Mario Toneguzzi
Inspired by Purdys’ Himalayan Pink Salt Caramels, the new confections aim to deliver a similar taste and texture experience. The company says the No Sugar Added Salted Caramels offer “the perfect balance of satisfying chewiness and a silky-smooth melt.”
The release builds on what Purdys says is one of its fastest-growing product categories. According to the company, its No Sugar Added Chocolate line has seen a 70 per cent increase in growth since launch.
“Over the years, our guests have consistently asked for more no-sugar-added products, both in-store and online,” said Kriston Dean, vice-president of sales and marketing at Purdys Chocolatier. “There is a loyal and growing community seeking more high-quality treats that fit their dietary needs, so we know they’re going to be absolutely thrilled to see our fan-favourite No Sugar Added Salted Caramels in the mix.”
While many zero-sugar confections rely on artificial sweeteners, Purdys says its No Sugar Added Chocolate line uses plant-based alternatives and only small amounts of natural sugars found in ingredients such as dairy. The chocolates are designed to emphasize the natural sweetness and flavour of sustainably sourced cocoa beans.
Kriston Dean
Dean said the brand’s classic caramels are a beloved staple for many of regular customers who come into Purdy’s shops or purchase online.
“So when we continued getting such enthusiastic demand to expand our No Sugar Added line due to a growing consumer base looking for no sugar added options for dietary preferences or health reasons, we knew we had to introduce a version of the classic caramels under this growing category,” she said.
“Purdys’ No Sugar Added line has built a loyal fanbase and a unique market position. When crafting our No Sugar Added Salted Caramels, we were committed to delivering the same high-quality taste our customers expect from the entire NSA collection.
“By carefully adapting our proprietary recipes with plant-based sweeteners, we ensure our NSA products deliver a satisfying flavour comparable to their traditional counterparts.
“The magic of NSA products, maintaining a similar taste and texture, lies in our process. Our team at the Purdys Chocolatier factory has perfected specific cooking procedures and temperatures to ensure these products meet Purdys’ high-quality standards.”
She said customers loved the taste of its past No Sugar Added products, which used maltitol.
“Because of this positive feedback, we knew we had to continue incorporating this plant-based alternative sweetener into our future recipe development. Maltitol is a popular choice and a common ingredient in the growing market for plant-based sweeteners,” explained Dean.
CF Chinook Centre. Photo: Mario Toneguzzi
“Our No Sugar Added line has consistently generated strong interest and enthusiasm from our customers. Over the years, we have received ongoing feedback, both in-shops and online, asking when new NSA products will be introduced. There is a loyal and growing customer base actively looking for more indulgent, high-quality treats that align with their low-sugar dietary preferences. Since launch, our NSA category has experienced +70% growth, with sales increases of over 30% year over year.”“As long as there is steady consumer interest, we’re continually exploring ways to innovate and expand our No Sugar Added product range – so we’re always open to growing our offerings.”
A new Canadian lingerie brand is preparing to launch with a focus on meeting the needs of women with breast augmentations, a market its founder says has long been overlooked.
Figiura, founded by Jessica Johnson, is set to go to market in early 2026. Johnson, based in Bowmanville, Ont., said the concept was born from her own experience struggling to find bras that properly fit her body after undergoing breast augmentation.
Jessica Johnson
“For the last 15 years, I struggled to find traditional bras that fit my augmented shape,” she said in an interview. “I was really confined to sport-style bras or bralettes.”
Johnson said the idea for Figiura came after a conversation with her husband, who questioned whether other women were also having the same challenges.
“He said, ‘You can’t be the only one feeling this way and having these immense fit issues,’” she recalled.
Though Johnson came from a social work background and was running a home care agency for seniors at the time, she began reaching out to women in her community who had undergone augmentation—cosmetic, reconstructive or restorative—to gather feedback.
“I started picking the community’s brain,” she said. “What are they wearing when they get dressed in the morning?”
She said the response was overwhelming and quickly confirmed that many women shared her concerns.
“There’s wonderful brands out there focused on the mastectomy community, or on large-breasted or small-chested women,” Johnson said. “This community is being left out of the fit revolution.”
Figiura incorporated in 2022, and has since spent over two years on research and product development. The company initially began prototyping in Asia to take advantage of cost-effective manufacturing, creating custom mould presses tailored to the anatomical differences of augmented breast tissue.
“These include rounder shapes with more tissue volume in the upper quadrant, greater forward projection—even in smaller sizes—and less malleable tissue,” Johnson said.
Due to shifting tariffs, Figiura has since relocated its manufacturing to North Africa, with production now taking place in Morocco and Tunisia.
“That best aligned with our premium luxury quality,” said Johnson. “We’re going to be in select luxury retailers.”
Jessica Johnson
Although the company will be ready by the 2025 holiday season, Johnson said they plan to officially enter the market in the first quarter of 2026 to avoid the crowded holiday rush and finalize distribution deals.
“We’re in early discussions with global licensee and distribution partners,” she said. “Capitalizing on that first-mover’s advantage and creating that community is something we’ve had our eye on right from the beginning.”
Figiura’s go-to-market strategy includes an omnichannel approach—direct-to-consumer sales through its online platform, clinical partnerships with plastic surgeons and breast reconstruction specialists, and retail expansion in select luxury stores across North America.
“We’re just about to close off our seed round raise,” Johnson said, adding that the funding will help ignite clinical partnerships and fuel growth.
Johnson emphasized that Figiura is more than a bra company—it’s aiming to establish a new category within lingerie. She said the brand seeks to move beyond traditional marketing approaches in favour of body-positive messaging.
“There was a line that tried to launch 20 years ago,” she said, referencing a failed attempt at a similar product. “It really just came down to how it was marketed. It was very ‘sex sells’ right up front.”
She said her brand’s approach will be different.
“It’s so important that conversations around body confidence and the way that women define that are more openly spoken about,” she said. “These women are demanding products that honour not only their bodies but their choices.”
The brunch will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Waterloo restaurant, which is operated by the Charcoal Group of Restaurants.
Jody Palubiski. Photo credit: Charcoal Group
“Anna Olson carries a contagious passion for authentic and approachable cooking,” said Jody Palubiski, chief executive officer at the Charcoal Group. “Her recipes are thoughtful and inspiring – and bringing her to Solé allows us to combine her culinary expertise with our commitment to seasonal, locally-inspired cuisine.”
Guests attending the event can expect a seasonally inspired, chef-curated brunch menu featuring dishes such as Maple Pumpkin Pancakes with Cranberries, Crab & Corn Frittata with Simple Green Salad, and Autumn Apple Slab Pie. These items will be offered alongside Solé Uptown’s regular brunch menu.
Anna Cooks includes more than 125 recipes designed to be approachable for home cooks, with options for every meal of the day, including weekday breakfasts, quick lunches, one-pan dinners and indulgent desserts.
“Food is about connection, community and sharing moments that bring people together,” said Olson. “I can’t wait to connect with food lovers at Solé and celebrate the joy of cooking in a space that values creativity and seasonal flavours.”
Guests will have the opportunity to purchase a copy of Anna Cooks during the event. While tickets are not required, seating is limited. Solé Uptown encourages guests to reserve a table by calling 519-747-5622.
Charcoal Group is an inspired group of full-service restaurants located across Southern Ontario with over 65 years in the hospitality industry. Our restaurants include Solé Uptown, The Charcoal Steakhouse, Martini’s, Dels Italian Kitchen, Wildcraft Grill & Long Bar, The Bauer Kitchen, The Bauer Bakery & Café, Moose Winooski’s, Beertown Public House, and Sociable Kitchen & Tavern.
Earlier this year, I reviewed a cost segregation study for a client who had just acquired a Class B office complex in Phoenix.
The report had been delivered on time and looked professional, but when we started reconciling the numbers against the construction details, several major systems were missing from the accelerated schedules. No parking lot improvements, no specialty electrical, no HVAC zone breakdown.
The provider was a large national firm, but they’d assigned the project to a junior analyst using templated assumptions and no site visit. The client thought they had saved money. In reality, they left six figures in deductions on the table.
That situation underscored something I’ve seen repeatedly. The biggest risk isn’t hiring a bad firm, it’s hiring a good one that’s wrong for your asset type.
When it comes to cost segregation, details matter. The best cost segregation companies in 2025 are the ones that treat every property like it’s their own.
Quick Take: Three Best Cost Segregation Companies for 2025
RE Cost Seg: Best for Strategic Real Estate Portfolios
Portfolio-level tax planning
National reach with local insight
Engineering-grade, audit-ready studies
Maven Cost Seg: Best for Investor-Owned Multifamily Properties
Boutique focus on multifamily assets
Strong feasibility modeling
Investor-aligned reporting style
CohnReznick: Best for Institutional and Large Commercial Assets
National tax advisory powerhouse
Deep bench of CPAs and engineers
Ideal for REITs and complex structures
For full reviews on all the firms we analyzed, including their specialties, strengths, and selection criteria, read the full breakdown below.
5 Smart Filters for Choosing a Cost Segregation Firm
The cost segregation market is crowded, with firms that range from boutique specialists to high-volume operators. Here are the key things to look for to maximize your results.
The key is choosing one aligned with your asset type, reporting needs, and of course, risk tolerance. Here’s what I’d look for
1. Know What “Engineering-Based” Actually Means
It’s a common marketing pitch, but not all engineering-based studies are created equal. Ask who conducts the site work, whether they review blueprints, and if real engineers sign off.
True engineering support is more than just a buzzword. It’s the backbone of audit confidence. Providers who rely solely on cost databases without property-level analysis often miss key site-specific elements that affect accelerated deductions.
2. Match Their Strength to Your Property Type
A firm specializing in industrial warehouses won’t automatically understand the depreciation potential in student housing or the medical space. Look for clear evidence and a track record in your category. Ask for sample reports and real outcomes in your vertical or similar industries.
3. Evaluate How They Handle Multi-Asset Projects
If you’re managing a portfolio, even a small one, ask how the provider handles project coordination. Can they standardize reports across asset types? Will they track overlapping improvements across similar buildings? That level of organization often separates good from great.
4. Don’t Overlook Report Usability
Some firms generate technically sound reports that are hard for non-accountants to navigate. Look for structured schedules, labeled asset groups, and summary-level data your CPA can plug directly into Form 4562 without needing translation. Great reporting should reduce the burden on both your CPA and your internal team.
5. Clarify What Happens If You Get Audited
Every provider promises “audit-ready” studies, but few explain what happens when an audit actually arrives. Who defends the work? What’s included in documentation packets? Is audit support built into the price or billed separately?
Clear deliverables are non-negotiable. The best firms have internal processes, archived documentation, and a track record of representing clients successfully.
Top 6 Cost Segregation Firms Worth Considering This Year
1. RE Cost Seg: Best for Strategic Real Estate Portfolios
Founded: 2022
Headquarters: Houston, TX
Why RE Cost Seg is the best cost segregation company: RE Cost Seg brings a portfolio-minded approach to cost segregation, making them ideal for investors managing multiple property types or long-term acquisition pipelines. Their engineering-grade studies are paired with tax planning tools that show owners how reclassification impacts liquidity, refinance timing, and reinvestment capacity.
Their deliverables go beyond depreciation schedules. They include summary dashboards and pro forma integration that support real estate decision-making. RE Cost Seg also offers white-glove onboarding, with client managers who coordinate directly with CPAs and legal teams for seamless implementation. The firm’s emphasis on measurable ROI has made it a go-to for property groups serious about maximizing every aspect of their assets’ financial performance.
2. Maven Cost Seg: Best for Investor-Owned Multifamily Properties
Founded: 2023
Headquarters: Sterling Heights, MI
Maven Cost Seg focuses exclusively on real estate investors, with particular depth in multifamily, student housing, and small mixed-use portfolios. Their reports are structured to show impact at both property and investor levels, making them especially valuable for syndicators and passive LPs.
They also offer strong feasibility analysis up front, helping sponsors understand the projected tax benefits before closing. Clients appreciate that the team brings both engineering expertise and real estate investment fluency, helping sponsors model after-tax IRR more accurately during deal underwriting.
3. CohnReznick: Best for Institutional and Large Commercial Assets
Founded: 1919
Headquarters: New York, NY
CohnReznick is one of the few national tax advisory firms with an in-house cost segregation team. Their work spans large office campuses, healthcare facilities, and ground-up developments with layered capital stacks.
Clients benefit from multidisciplinary teams (CPAs, engineers, and tax credit specialists) who deliver tightly integrated reports designed for audit confidence and board-level scrutiny. Their institutional background also makes them an asset during financial reviews and M&A transactions, where depreciation positioning can influence deal structure.
4. Expert Cost Segregation: Best for Owner-Operators and Single-Asset Buyers
Founded: 1987
Headquarters: Houston, TX
Expert Cost Segregation or O’Connor & Associates is built for speed and accessibility. They serve small-to-midsize commercial owners with a streamlined intake process and flat-fee pricing. Their engineering reviews are site-based, but the firm stands out for making the reporting process unusually transparent and digestible, even for first-time users.
They also deliver unusually fast turnaround times for asset classes like retail strips, single-tenant NNNs, and medical condos. Ideal for business owners trying to meet filing deadlines while managing day-to-day operations.
5. Haynie & Company: Best for Tax-Integrated Advisory Services
Founded: 1960
Headquarters: Salt Lake City, UT
Haynie & Company offers full CPA services with in-house cost segregation, making them a solid fit for owners who want all tax matters handled under one roof. Their team includes engineers and tax professionals who understand how depreciation schedules interface with broader compliance obligations, including 1031 exchanges and entity restructuring.
Because they manage both preparation and implementation, Haynie is especially effective at helping clients align cost segregation with long-term tax planning strategies. Particularly for those going through ownership transitions or succession planning.
6. Cost Seg EZ: Best for Small Commercial Property Owners
Founded: 2015
Headquarters: Princeton, NJ
Cost Seg EZ offers a simplified service model designed for owners of small commercial assets (typically under $2 million). Their cloud-based intake and straightforward deliverables make them a practical choice for entrepreneurs and first-time investors.
For straightforward properties like small offices, franchises, or local retail centers, Cost Seg EZ balances speed, simplicity, and compliance. They’re not built for institutional complexity, but for many smaller owners, that’s exactly the point.
From Deduction to Strategy: Choosing With Intent
Cost segregation has matured over the last decade, but the market hasn’t.
Too many providers still treat it as a checkbox exercise, delivering technical reports without strategic thinking.
Whether you’re running a single asset or managing a multistate portfolio, the goal isn’t just to shorten depreciation schedules. It’s to improve cash flow, reinvestment timing, and tax positioning. That takes a provider who thinks like an operator, not just an engineer.
The firms in this list aren’t interchangeable. Each excels under specific conditions. Choosing the right one starts with clarity about your own goals, and ends with a partner who can help you reach them.
In luxury retail, the relationship between branding and marketing is being rewritten. Once treated as separate disciplines — one strategic, one tactical — they are now inseparable. The most successful brands in 2025 are those that market through the strength of their brand rather than attempt to build a brand through marketing spend.
The Performance Plateau
A decade of performance marketing promised data-driven growth. For high-street retailers, it delivered: precise targeting, measurable conversions, instant gratification. Yet when the same formulas are applied to luxury, the results flatten. Algorithms reward urgency; luxury thrives on restraint.
High-end consumers are not persuaded by repetition alone. They seek reassurance of quality, heritage, and taste — none of which can be conveyed through a fleeting ad impression. When luxury retailers chase clicks, they often find that visibility comes at the cost of desirability. Each sale secured through discounting chips away at the very exclusivity the brand is meant to protect.
The outcome is a familiar one: higher marketing budgets, lower margins, and a diluted aura of prestige.
Desire Over Discount
The lesson from enduring luxury houses is clear: sustained growth comes from desire, not discounts. Whether it is a jeweller redefining its heritage, a boutique fashion label entering global retail, or a lifestyle brand repositioning around craft, the winners have rediscovered the value of patience.
Their communications no longer shout for attention; they curate it. Photography, tone, and pacing echo editorial craft rather than advertising urgency. Instead of saturating feeds, they create anticipation — a pause between each release that allows meaning to build.
Luxury retail is, at its core, a theatre of feeling. The way a brand speaks, moves, and presents itself determines whether customers experience it as a transaction or as belonging to a world they aspire to join.
The Shift to Brand-Led Marketing
Across boardrooms and flagship stores, a quiet realignment is taking place. Marketing teams are recognising that every short-term performance spike must eventually be underpinned by a deeper brand narrative. Brand strategy is returning to the centre of decision-making — not as an aesthetic layer, but as the growth engine itself.
This shift doesn’t reject data; it reframes it. Instead of obsessing over cost per click, leaders are analysing qualitative signals: how often the brand is mentioned organically, how consistently its tone appears across markets, how it makes customers feel after purchase.
When brand leads, marketing becomes a continuum — a conversation, not a campaign.
Building From the Inside Out
Boutique agencies specialising in luxury have long practised this philosophy. The work begins not with media planning but with clarity of purpose. A strong brand identity, expressed through consistent design language and narrative, becomes the foundation for every subsequent activation.
At SUM, a London-based luxury marketing agency, projects start with strategy and end with coherence. The process aligns business objectives with creative execution so that each channel — physical, digital, or experiential — reinforces the same central idea.
This approach values precision over volume. A single brand film with emotional truth can outperform a dozen tactical ads. An editorial-style campaign that celebrates craftsmanship can generate more authentic engagement than any flash sale. The cumulative effect is a brand that grows quieter yet stronger — commanding attention without demanding it.
Lessons for Retail Leaders
Rebalance investment. Dedicate equal budget to strategy, content, and brand expression as to performance media. Without that balance, acquisition costs rise while equity falls.
Audit coherence. Every image, line of copy, and customer interaction should sound like the same voice. Fragmentation is the enemy of trust.
Champion craft. Treat marketing assets as cultural artefacts, not disposable content. Luxury audiences notice the difference.
Design for longevity. Each campaign should build upon the last, contributing to a lasting narrative rather than a quarterly KPI.
The Digital Layer of Desire
Luxury retail’s digital transformation was once defined by technology; now it is defined by feeling. The next evolution will see digital experiences mirror the intimacy of the in-store encounter. High-net-worth consumers expect seamless e-commerce, but also curation, discretion, and narrative depth.
Brand-led marketing provides the framework for that. A website built on strategic storytelling feels like a flagship window. A social channel guided by design principles feels editorial rather than algorithmic. Even automated CRM can feel personal when it speaks in the same refined tone as the brand itself.
Retailers investing in digital branding today — design, UX, motion, and content systems that reflect their identity — are not just modernising; they are future-proofing desirability.
Beyond Campaigns: Toward Cultural Relevance
Ultimately, luxury retailers are not competing for attention but for significance. Culture moves quickly, and brands that rely purely on visibility risk fading into noise. The alternative is to become culturally fluent — to understand design, art, and social context well enough that every campaign feels inevitable, not opportunistic.
Brand-led marketing makes that possible. It allows a retailer’s message to evolve with the world around it while maintaining the core that customers fell in love with in the first place.
The New Standard for Luxury Retail
The luxury sector’s most successful retailers share a quiet discipline: they spend less time trying to be seen and more time being remembered. They measure loyalty by repeat emotion rather than repeat purchase. In an age of instant everything, they remind us that the rarest currency is attention freely given.
Marketing that begins with brand — and ends with meaning — will define the next decade of luxury retail. The brands that embrace this shift now will not only weather algorithmic change; they will shape the culture their customers choose to buy into.
Customers value consistency more than promises. Any delay, missed check-in, or milestone reached slightly out of order can destroy months of trust. The importance of providing trust with the speed of today’s ever-changing market is that it is no longer a competitor differentiator—it is a foundation of customer loyalty.
The best project management tools are designed to make reliability repeatable. They bring order to complex projects, connect people to information, and ensure every delivery follows a predictable rhythm. Lark helps organizations achieve this by turning collaboration into a controlled, visible process—where every task, decision, and communication contributes to dependable outcomes.
Here’s how each of Lark’s connected features helps teams deliver consistent results that customers can count on.
Lark Base: Building structure behind every promise
Reliable deliveries stem from visibility. Lark Base provides the structural basis that keeps teams organized and aligned, even across departments or clients. It is a central repository for all customer-related information—project timelines, deliverables, resources, and metrics—so everyone is working from the same live information.
When a new client project starts, Base becomes the operational blueprint. Teams document tasks, dependencies, and critical dates, each associated with an owner and outcome. As work progresses, updates will automatically cascade across the shared workspace, enabling managers to see real-time performance. This destroys blind spots—everyone knows what’s done, what’s stuck, and what’s still to do.
Base turns chaos coordination into predictable execution. When leaders can see every moving part, they can intervene early, change priorities, and honor commitments. Customers experience better execution not because there weren’t problems, but because problems were handled before they became problems.
Lark Messenger: Keeping communication continuous and clear
When communication is inconsistent, operational delivery becomes inconsistent. Lark Messenger keeps your conversations connected and trackable as part of your project. Your team doesn’t have to manage their work across emails, chat threads, or document links that are wedged into places where it gets hard to bring them back into your work.
When an urgent communication needs to happen with a customer, you have the right people on the line via group chats or messages. A customer success manager can tag the delivery team on a change request for a client, link the relevant Base record in Lark Messenger, and have a discussion about changes all at the same time. The rest of the customer success team can observe the discussion as opposed to relying on second or thirdhand after phase updates.
This free-flowing discussion marred by confusion gets in the way of work, create delays in execution, and hinders confidence in your team and with your clients. Clients can feel the difference too: responses are quick, updates are accurate, and all interactions are clear, calming, and coordinated as opposed to chaotic.
Lark Tasks: Turning planning into predictable action
Any customer delivery hinges on the successful execution of thousands of small tasks—tasks that have to be done on time. Lark Tasks makes sure those actions don’t just happen—they happen in the right order, with the right people and with visibility. It turns execution in the daily into a reliable system that can deliver ongoing consistency.
For example, when a project milestone is due, Tasks will alert owners, update the status of the task, and mark it as completed within Base. If a dependency is delayed, the entire chain will be updated and teams can rebalance workloads in real time. Managers don’t even need to ask for progress reports—they can see them in real time.
Tasks provide discipline with little friction. This keeps workflows visible, deadlines predictable, and accountability natural. Over time, this rhythm of planning and delivery will yield customers a track record they can trust; every commitment met, every timeline honored.
Lark Docs: Keeping documentation aligned with delivery
A common challenge facing the ability to deliver for customers consistently is outdated or piece-meal documentation of knowledge. Lark Docs will eliminate that by making knowledge and collaboration fluid. Every specification, proposal, and progress report share the same dynamically-updated document in one place.
Teams are co-editing Docs in real-time. Project managers, engineers, and clients all have a view of the same document that they can all provide feedback into and track changes to. If a client has a change of scope, it only needs to be updated once, and that update appears everywhere. Linked dashboards from Base or status summaries from Tasks will always connect the document to the current status.
When documentation is always continuous, delivery teams are all aligned and the customer is informed. There are no ‘version mix-ups’ or lost ‘gems of detail’, only a living and transparent record of the work evolving in real-time. Lark Docs gives things physicality in communication, and repeating truthful accuracy, the two most important aspects of a consistent delivery experience.
Lark Calendar: Coordinating schedules for seamless execution
To maintain consistency, one must manage time effectively. Lark Calendar keeps all timelines visible and aligned. From implementation kickoff meetings to reviews, everything is clearly established so that commitments and milestones are not omitted.
When you schedule a meeting with a customer, Lark Calendar will automatically coordinate it with the timeline you have established for your internal tasks. Team members see upcoming deliverables corresponding to their daily calendars, so they can proactively prepare. Likewise, if priorities change, Calendar will synchronize every body’s view in real time—no double-bookings, no conflicts at the last minute.
Clients experience this consistency as meetings happen on time, handovers, and communications are predictable. Similarly, behind the scenes, Calendar creates a steady tempo to operations that aligns every promise, and keeps commitments in synch with time. The result is commitments are met on time, expectations are exceeded, and customer relationships prosper on the basis of reliability.
Lark Approval: Ensuring quality decisions, made faster
Delays often stem from unclear or slow approvals. Lark Approval removes that friction with structured decision flows that keep projects moving without sacrificing quality. It turns reviews and authorizations into transparent, trackable processes.
Imagine a design agency reviewing client feedback on new branding materials. Instead of waiting on email approvals, the creative director submits the final draft through Lark Approval. The workflow automatically routes it to the account manager, legal, and the client representative for sign-off. Each step is timestamped and visible, with reminders sent automatically if deadlines are missed. The automated workflow ensures decisions move forward while maintaining accountability.
This structure builds confidence both internally and externally. Clients see decisions happening quickly and professionally, with no confusion about what’s approved or pending. Predictable decision-making becomes part of the delivery promise—a quiet guarantee of consistency.
Conclusion
Consistency doesn’t happen by accident—it’s created with clarity, visibility, and discipline. Lark provides that framework by connecting every team, every task, and every timeline into one cohesive rhythm.
From the structured data we capture in Base, to the continuous communication we create in Messenger, from the visible execution we see in Tasks, to the consistent governance we manage in Approvals, Lark will help companies transform coordination into trust. Every delivery, big or small, demonstrates trustworthiness.
In an era where customers expect precision as much as innovation, Lark stands out as project management software built not just to manage projects—but to deliver consistency. Because true customer satisfaction isn’t just about exceeding expectations once—it’s about meeting them every single time.
M5 is Apple’s next-generation system on a chip built for AI, resulting in a faster, more efficient, and more capable chip for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Apple Vision Pro. Photo: Apple
Apple has introduced M5, its next-generation Apple silicon chip, framing it as a significant performance leap designed to accelerate on-device AI workloads while improving graphics, power efficiency, and memory throughput across its premium hardware lineup.
The company says M5 will power the newest versions of the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Apple Vision Pro, all of which are now available for pre-order in Canada ahead of their broader retail rollout.
“M5 ushers in the next big leap in AI performance for Apple silicon,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies, calling out gains across the GPU, CPU, Neural Engine, and unified memory bandwidth.
A GPU Designed to Run AI Faster—Not Just Render Graphics
Apple is leaning heavily into the idea that the next era of consumer computing will be defined by how quickly devices can run AI locally—without sending workloads to the cloud.
M5’s biggest architectural change is a next-generation 10-core GPU that includes a Neural Accelerator in each core, a shift Apple says dramatically improves GPU-based AI performance. Apple claims M5 delivers more than 4x peak GPU compute performance compared to M4 for AI workloads, alongside major gains compared to older M1-based systems.
For Canadian professionals and creators, the significance isn’t just benchmark performance—it’s what that enables day to day: faster diffusion-based image generation, smoother AI-powered editing workflows, and the ability to run large language models locally on a laptop or tablet without relying entirely on cloud tools.
Apple is also pushing GPU performance in traditional creative and entertainment use cases. The company says M5 includes third-generation ray tracing and improved shader performance, with graphics performance claimed to be up to 45% higher than M4 in ray tracing workloads.
CPU and System Performance Gains Target Real Workloads
Beyond AI, Apple says M5 includes the “world’s fastest performance core,” and supports up to a 10-core CPU configuration with up to four performance cores and six efficiency cores. Apple claims up to 15% faster multithreaded performance compared to M4.
This positions M5 as an incremental but meaningful step forward for workloads that remain CPU-heavy, including code compilation, multitasking across multiple pro applications, and handling large creative projects where responsiveness matters more than pure peak performance.
Neural Engine and Memory Bandwidth Move the AI Bottleneck
M5 includes an updated 16-core Neural Engine, continuing Apple’s emphasis on pushing AI acceleration into dedicated silicon. The Neural Engine supports Apple Intelligence features and improves performance for tasks like image generation and system-level automation, while maintaining low power consumption.
A critical upgrade is memory. Apple says M5 increases unified memory bandwidth to 153GB/s, nearly 30% higher than M4, allowing larger models and datasets to move faster between the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine.
For Canadian enterprise, education, and creative users, memory bandwidth is often what separates “it runs” from “it runs smoothly”—particularly for large AI models, high-resolution video timelines, and 3D workflows. Apple is clearly messaging that M5 is built for the realities of modern computing: multiple apps open, large files moving, and AI tasks happening constantly in the background.
Vision Pro, MacBook Pro, and iPad Pro: One Chip, Three Strategies
Apple is positioning M5 as a shared foundation across three flagship products, each with a different role in its ecosystem:
MacBook Pro becomes Apple’s most direct answer to AI-heavy laptop workflows, with on-device model support positioned as a differentiator for developers, analysts, and creators.
iPad Pro gets a performance boost aimed at extending its laptop replacement narrative, especially for creative tools and AI-assisted productivity.
Apple Vision Pro uses M5 to drive higher fidelity spatial experiences, smoother display performance, and faster AI-powered system features.
The strategy signals Apple’s broader direction: AI performance is not being treated as an add-on feature, but as a core capability that will define premium hardware upgrades moving forward.
What the M5 Launch Means for Canada’s Premium Device Market
For Canadian consumers and businesses, M5’s arrival reinforces Apple’s approach to hardware differentiation: not just faster chips, but tighter integration between silicon, operating systems, and AI frameworks.
Apple’s messaging also signals a shift in how “pro” computing is being defined. The benchmark is no longer only faster exports or higher frame rates—it’s whether a device can run increasingly complex AI workflows locally, efficiently, and consistently.
As Apple rolls M5 across Mac, iPad, and spatial computing hardware, it is betting that the next upgrade cycle will be driven by AI capability as much as industrial design or display quality. For Canadian retailers, resellers, and enterprise IT buyers, the key story is that Apple is turning AI performance into an upgrade trigger across multiple categories at once.
Supercharged by the powerful M5 chip, the new 14-inch MacBook Pro delivers even more performance and takes the next big leap in AI for the Mac. Photo: Apple
Apple has introduced a new 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by its M5 chip, positioning the update as a major performance jump for AI-driven workflows and professional computing. The new model is available to pre-order in Canada today and will be available in stores beginning Wednesday, Oct. 22, through Apple Retail and authorized resellers.
Apple says the M5 chip delivers a “next big leap in AI” for the Mac, with a redesigned GPU architecture and faster overall system performance. The update also targets mobile professionals, with Apple claiming up to 24 hours of battery life—a figure that, if reflected in real-world use, reinforces the company’s competitive advantage in performance per watt.
“MacBook Pro continues to be the world’s best pro laptop, and today, the 14-inch MacBook Pro gets even better with the arrival of the M5 chip,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.
M5 Focuses on AI and Graphics Performance
The M5 chip introduces a next-generation GPU that includes a Neural Accelerator in each core, which Apple says boosts AI performance significantly. Apple claims the new MacBook Pro delivers up to 3.5x faster AI performance than the previous generation, alongside up to 1.6x faster graphics performance.
Apple is increasingly emphasizing on-device AI processing as a differentiator for the Mac, suggesting that users can run more sophisticated workloads locally, including large language models (LLMs), without relying as heavily on cloud computing. The company says AI performance improvements will benefit a broad user base—from students transcribing lecture notes to developers running local models in tools like LM Studio.
For pro workflows, Apple says M5 delivers faster performance for tasks such as AI video enhancement, 3D rendering, and code compilation. The company also highlights improvements to unified memory bandwidth, which it says supports faster manipulation of large datasets and more responsive multitasking in demanding applications.
Battery Life and Storage Get Attention
Apple says the new 14-inch MacBook Pro delivers up to 24 hours of battery life, reflecting a continued effort to position the device as a truly portable workstation. The company also notes improvements in SSD performance, which it says will accelerate tasks like importing large photo libraries or exporting high-resolution video projects.
Storage capacity can be configured up to 4TB, a spec aimed at professionals working with large creative files or local AI models.
macOS Tahoe and Apple Intelligence Expand the Software Pitch
The new MacBook Pro ships with macOS Tahoe, which Apple says includes productivity improvements across the system. The company highlighted updates to Spotlight search, new Continuity features that improve integration with iPhone, and interface changes built around a new Liquid Glass design language.
Apple also continues to layer its AI strategy into the operating system through Apple Intelligence, framing it as privacy-focused intelligence built directly into macOS. Apple says Live Translation features will work across Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, while Shortcuts gains additional automation capabilities tied to Apple Intelligence models.
Display, Camera, and Ports Stay Central to the Value Proposition
Beyond silicon and software, the new 14-inch MacBook Pro maintains Apple’s core hardware positioning in the premium laptop market. It includes a Liquid Retina XDR display with an optional nano-texture finish, a 12MP Center Stage camera, and a six-speaker system with Spatial Audio support.
The notebook will be offered in space black and silver, with Apple continuing to highlight its port selection as a key advantage for professional workflows.
Pricing and Availability in Canada
Apple says the new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 is available to pre-order starting today, with full availability beginning Oct. 22. The starting price remains positioned as a value-driven entry point for pro users relative to the performance gains Apple is claiming.
For Canada’s premium computing market, the M5 launch reinforces Apple’s intent to keep the MacBook Pro at the centre of professional workflows—while aligning the hardware roadmap more tightly with AI-driven software capabilities.
With the M5 chip, the new iPad Pro delivers a huge boost in performance and takes the next big leap in AI for iPad. Photo: Apple.
Apple has introduced a new iPad Pro powered by the M5 chip, positioning the device as its most advanced tablet yet for AI-driven workflows, graphics-heavy tasks, and professional multitasking. The new iPad Pro is available for pre-order starting today and will arrive in stores on Wednesday, Oct. 22, according to the company.
Apple is framing the M5 iPad Pro as a major performance jump over prior generations, particularly for AI and graphics applications, while also expanding connectivity capabilities through Wi-Fi 7 and a new Apple-designed cellular modem.
“Powered by the next generation of Apple silicon, the new iPad Pro delivers our most advanced and versatile iPad experience yet,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.
M5 Targets AI Performance and Graphics-Heavy Workflows
Apple says the M5 chip delivers up to 3.5x the AI performance of the M4-powered iPad Pro and up to 5.6x faster AI performance than the iPad Pro with M1. The company says the gains come from a redesigned GPU architecture that includes a Neural Accelerator in each core, alongside a faster CPU and Neural Engine.
Apple is positioning the new iPad Pro as capable of handling on-device AI tasks such as diffusion-based image generation and AI-powered video masking—use cases it connected to apps like Draw Things and DaVinci Resolve.
The M5 also introduces a third-generation ray-tracing engine, which Apple says supports more realistic lighting and reflections in visually demanding applications and games. The company claims iPad Pro delivers up to 1.5x faster 3D rendering with ray tracing compared with the previous iPad Pro generation, and up to 6.7x faster rendering performance than the iPad Pro with M1.
Faster Memory, Storage, and New Fast-Charging Support
Apple says the new iPad Pro increases unified memory bandwidth to more than 150GB/s, which it describes as nearly a 30% increase over the previous generation. Storage read and write performance is also claimed to be up to 2x faster.
Apple is also increasing baseline memory configurations, with the 256GB and 512GB models now starting at 12GB of unified memory, which Apple says is 50% more than before.
Fast-charging has also been added, with Apple saying the new iPad Pro can reach 50% charge in around 30 minutes when paired with a higher-wattage USB-C adapter.
Apple Debuts New Wireless Chip and Brings C1X Modem to iPad Pro
Beyond silicon performance, Apple is pushing deeper into vertical integration across connectivity components.
The new iPad Pro introduces N1, an Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, which Apple says improves performance and reliability across features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.
On cellular models, Apple is also introducing C1X, its Apple-designed modem, which it says delivers up to 50% faster cellular data performance than the previous generation, with lower power usage for frequent cellular users. Apple is also emphasizing GPS and 5G support for mobile productivity.
Ultra Retina XDR Display, Thin Design, and External Display Enhancements
The new iPad Pro will continue to ship in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes in space black and silver, with Apple emphasizing industrial design as a differentiator. Apple says the 11-inch model is 5.3 mm thin, while the 13-inch model is 5.1 mm thin.
The device continues to feature Apple’s Ultra Retina XDR display with tandem OLED technology, including high brightness output and support for nano-texture glass as an option for glare reduction.
Apple also adds support for driving external displays at up to 120Hz, and introduces Adaptive Sync support for compatible displays—moves aimed at professional creative workflows as well as gaming performance.
iPadOS 26 Adds New UI, Windowing System, and Pro Features
Apple is pairing the new iPad Pro with iPadOS 26, which introduces a new visual design built around “Liquid Glass,” along with an overhauled multitasking experience.
The company says iPadOS 26 adds a new windowing system, a menu bar for app commands, and expanded file management tools through an updated Files app. Apple is also bringing the Preview app to iPad, enabling native PDF viewing and editing with features such as Apple Pencil markup.
Apple is also emphasizing pro-focused capabilities including Background Tasks and more advanced audio and recording features, alongside Apple Intelligence enhancements such as Live Translation and expanded automation functions.
Pricing and Availability
The new iPad Pro with M5 will be available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations.
Pricing begins at:
$999 (U.S.) for the 11-inch Wi-Fi model
$1,199 (U.S.) for the 11-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular model
$1,299 (U.S.) for the 13-inch Wi-Fi model
$1,499 (U.S.) for the 13-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular model
Apple says the device will be available in Apple Store locations and through Apple Authorized Resellers beginning Oct. 22.
With the launch, Apple is continuing to position iPad Pro as a laptop-adjacent productivity device, with an emphasis on AI acceleration, advanced graphics performance, and higher-end multitasking features that increasingly blur the line between tablet and traditional computing.
The upgraded Apple Vision Pro features the powerful M5 chip, the comfortable Dual Knit Band, innovative features with visionOS 26, and all-new spatial apps and Apple Immersive content.
Apple has introduced an upgraded Apple Vision Pro featuring the company’s new M5 chip, a redesigned Dual Knit Band aimed at improving comfort, and visionOS 26, adding new spatial computing features ranging from widgets to expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities.
The updated headset is now available for pre-order, with retail availability beginning Wednesday, Oct. 22, including in Canada, according to Apple.
Apple says the new Vision Pro delivers a performance boost through M5, including faster system responsiveness, improved graphics, and longer battery life—positioning the device as its most capable spatial computing platform to date.
“With the breakthrough performance of M5, the latest Apple Vision Pro delivers faster performance, sharper details throughout the system, and even more battery life,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
M5 Brings Faster Performance, Sharper Rendering, and Higher Refresh Rates
Apple says Vision Pro with M5 is built on third-generation 3-nanometer technology and includes a 10-core CPU and a next-generation 10-core GPU, with support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. The company framed the graphics improvements as a step forward for immersive gaming and high-detail environments, pointing to titles like Control as an example of enhanced lighting and reflections.
The headset’s display output is also being pushed further. Apple says the updated Vision Pro now renders 10% more pixels on its micro-OLED displays compared to the prior version, aiming for sharper text and clearer visual detail.
Apple also says the device can increase refresh rate up to 120Hz, which it says can reduce motion blur during passthrough viewing and improve experiences such as Mac Virtual Display.
The updated headset continues to pair M5 with Apple’s R1 chip, which processes input from the device’s cameras and sensors and displays new images within 12 milliseconds, according to Apple.
Longer Battery Life and Faster On-Device AI
Battery performance is another focus in the update. Apple says the headset now supports up to 2.5 hours of general use and up to three hours of video playback per charge.
The M5 also brings AI performance gains through a 16-core Neural Engine, which Apple says can run AI-powered system features up to 50% faster, and up to 2x faster in third-party apps compared with the previous generation.
Apple highlighted enterprise and professional applications as a key part of the Vision Pro roadmap, citing developers such as JigSpace, which is using Apple’s Foundation Models framework to bring on-device AI workflows into spatial interfaces for complex visualizations and data exploration.
Dual Knit Band Targets Comfort and Longer Wear Time
Apple also introduced a new Dual Knit Band, designed to improve comfort and balance for longer sessions. The band uses a dual-strap design with 3D-knitted construction and a Fit Dial system for adjustment.
The Dual Knit Band will ship with the new Vision Pro and is also compatible with the previous-generation headset. Apple says it will be sold separately for $99 (U.S.).
visionOS 26 Adds Widgets, New Personas, and Jupiter Environment
The updated Vision Pro will ship alongside visionOS 26, adding persistent widgets that reappear in the user’s space each time the headset is worn, along with updates to Personas and expanded spatial media playback formats.
Apple says visionOS 26 also adds an interactive Jupiter Environment, while extending Apple Intelligence features to more languages.
Later this fall, Apple says a dedicated Apple Vision Pro app is coming to iPad, enabling users to discover content, queue downloads, and manage Vision Pro experiences from a second device.
Pricing, Availability, and Retail Rollout
Apple Vision Pro with M5 starts at $3,499 (U.S.), with storage options including 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.
Pre-orders are live in Canada and other markets including Australia, the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, and the UAE. Apple says additional rollout will follow later in China mainland, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Apple is also continuing its in-store demo strategy for Vision Pro, with customers able to book demonstrations at Apple Store locations in markets where the headset is sold.
While Vision Pro remains positioned as a premium category product, Apple’s M5 upgrade, software roadmap, and expanding immersive content catalog signal that the company is still investing heavily in turning spatial computing into a long-term platform—one that spans entertainment, productivity, and enterprise adoption.
