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The briefcase

Here's everything you need to know about business this week

Everyone was talking about Chinese beer, a Dunnes Stores shock and Stripe’s billions.

Romania Udrea Corruption AP Photo / Vadim Ghirda AP Photo / Vadim Ghirda / Vadim Ghirda

EVERY WEEKEND, TheJournal.ie gives its readers the chance to put their feet up and take a look back at all the goings-on from the world of business.

Once again it’s time to delve deep inside The Briefcase for the important – and sometimes less-important – financial news that has come out this working week:

The world’s biggest beer brand is cheap and tastes like cardboard. You probably haven’t heard of it unless you’ve spent time in China, but Snow now outsells its nearest rivals by a ratio of nearly two to one. Similarly, sales of Corona have been booming in the US – despite it sharing some very underwhelming reviews with the Asian brew

Enlightened Beer Brandon Brandon

Dunnes Stores shocked staff with the sudden closure of its Wexford branch. There were fears for 100 workers after they were reportedly told the store would be closed “until further notice”, although some were asked to continue behind closed doors on Friday. It appears the decision stems from a dispute with the Gorey shopping centre’s management

An Irish-owned startup closed in on a €4.5 billion valuation. Stripe, founded by Limerick brother Patrick and John Collison, has gone on another fundraising drive with a potential $500 million stake in the business up for grabs. Not bad when you consider the payments-processing company was started only five years ago

167724968GH00084_TechCrunch Stripe's John Collison TechCrunch TechCrunch

JD Wetherspoon plans to open three pubs in Ireland in three months. The UK pub giant revealed the timetable for the scheduled openings, which include its first venue in the Republic outside Dublin – The Linen Weaver in Cork. It has also bought another four sites with a fifth sale likely to close soon

Copenhagen’s mayor has banned 45,000 staff from flying Ryanair. Frank Jensen said he was taking the stand because of the airline’s low wages and lack of a collective bargaining deal in Denmark. Ryanair responded by calling Jensen’s comments “inaccurate” and surprising

RyanairHotels.com launch John Phillips / EMPICS Entertainment John Phillips / EMPICS Entertainment / EMPICS Entertainment

Ireland’s biggest companies aren’t very Irish. Microsoft this year dethroned building-materials firm CRH as Ireland’s largest company by turnover, according to the latest Irish Times Top-1000 list. Only three Ireland-founded firms made it onto the list, which was heavy with US tech companies and drug manufacturers

A global Prosecco shortage is on the way. In news high up on the first-world problems list, several poor harvests of the glera grapes used to make the sparkling Italian wine will mean a likely undersupply in years to come

Cheezburger Giphy Giphy

Unemployment hit single digits for the first time in nearly seven years. Official figures from the CSO put the seasonally-adjusted jobless rate at 9.9% for the first three months of the year – the lowest since January 2009. There are now over 1.9 million people in work, although the number leaving the workforce also continues to rise

And one for the road…

As far as digital blobs with insatiable appetites go, Pac-Man has had a good run.

One of the original video-game hits turned 35 this week, which – as one commentator insightfully pointed out – means the yellow sphere is now old enough to run for president, regardless of the referendum’s outcome.

It has also spawned spin-off games, a song, a movie and countless videos all based on those well-worn pixels:

CollegeHumor / YouTube

First published 23 May

MORE: Have a look at our business wraps from previous weeks >

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