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☆ Back-to-school US spending set to hit record high in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The National Retail Federation, a retail trade group, predicts spending will surpass $135 billion, an increase of more than $24 billion from last year. “The larger the school, the more they are needed,” said Leslie Sparacello, a school superintendent in Austin, Texas, whose former school required clear backpacks. Clear backpacks available on Amazon.com's (AMZN.O) marketplace are priced starting at $9.97, according to its website. A spokesperson said Walmart has recorded an increase in demand for clear backpacks in the last two back-to-school seasons, specifically in Texas, Florida and Mississipi. The company has a separate section for clear backpacks under its backpack category starting at $4.89.

Persons: Mike Blake, jean, ”, Chip West, Melissa Cohen, Polo Ralph Lauren, Nikki Mcneri, Mcneri, Leslie Sparacello, Calvin McDonald, West, Matthew Bilunas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, National Retail Federation, MBC Consulting, Walmart, Kailyn Rhone, Thomson Locations: Encinitas , California, U.S, Georgia, jorts, Austin , Texas, Canada, Texas , Florida

☆ Rising caffeine levels spark calls for ban on energy drink sales to children
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO-Prime energy drink cans sit on a shelf at Target in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., August 18, 2023. Rival products like Anheuser Busch InBev-backed (ABI.BR) Ghost energy drinks and Kim Kardashian's “Kimade” energy drink also have 200 mg of caffeine. In the U.S. and UK, no national regulations ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks. She added: "Any energy drink with a high dose caffeine in it, such as Prime Energy, is unsafe for children." “I got confused because when you first see the can, it’s hard to see where it says energy drink.

Persons: Kim Kardashian's, Holly Benjamin, Dr, Benjamin, Chuck Schumer, Alani, Logan Paul, KSI, Shick, ”, “, Bonnie Patten, TINA, GNC, Vanessa O'Connell, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Prime Energy, Anheuser Busch InBev, Monster Energy, University of Chicago, American Academy of Child, Psychiatry, FDA, U.S, Ghost Energy, Congo Brands, American Medical Association, Walmart, Target, Energy, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Target, Brooklyn , New York, U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Congo, Florida, Kailyn Rhone, New York

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsChocolate makers are banking on the traditional resilience of their product to price increases. The data showed Hershey's sales volumes increasingly declined during the period as the company hiked prices. "We are seeing consumers starting to react more than before, I'd be very cautious with price increases," said Dan Sadler, a candy expert at U.S.-based market researcher IRI. Barry Callebaut (BARN.S), the world's biggest chocolate maker supplying most major brands including Nestle (NESN.S), doesn't expect any growth in sales volumes this year. Pennsylvania-based Hershey, is hoping that as it eases off the rate of price hikes, its sales volumes will reverse their current downtrend.

Persons: Nielsen, Dirk Van de, Luca Zaramella, Patrick Folan, Mike Blake, Mondelez, Hershey, Zaramella, Bernstein, I'd, Dan Sadler, Barry Callebaut, Hershey's, Michele Buck, Matt Scuffham, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Nielsen, Hershey, Reuters, Consumers, Cadbury, Barclays, REUTERS, IRI, Nestle, Rabobank, El, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Europe, United States, North America, Encinitas , California, U.S, Pennsylvania, El Nino, West Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kailyn Rhone, New York

"The increase in sugar and cocoa specifically is material," Mondelez CFO Luca Zaramella said in July. The data showed Hershey's sales volumes increasingly declined during the period as the company hiked prices. Barry Callebaut (BARN.S), the world's biggest chocolate maker supplying most major brands including Nestle (NESN.S), doesn't expect any growth in sales volumes this year. In the U.S., private label sales volumes grew nearly 9% in the year to mid-June despite near double-digit price rises, IRI data shows. Pennsylvania-based Hershey, is hoping that as it eases off the rate of price hikes, its sales volumes will reverse their current downtrend.

Persons: Mike Blake, Dirk Van de, Luca Zaramella, Patrick Folan, Mondelez, Hershey, Zaramella, Bernstein, I'd, Dan Sadler, Barry Callebaut, Hershey's, Michele Buck, Matt Scuffham, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Hershey, Reuters, Consumers, Nielsen, Cadbury, Barclays, IRI, Nestle, Rabobank, El, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Encinitas , California, Europe, North America, U.S, Pennsylvania, El Nino, West Africa, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kailyn Rhone, New York

☆ U.S. fast-food chains add automation to boost speed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

With mass shortages of low-cost labor due to the pandemic, chains shifted to technology investments in their kitchens to fill the gap. The addition of automation tools in restaurant chains could cut down on wait times, driving higher consumer engagement and increasing sales for the rest of the year, restaurant executives say. Thirty-six percent of 1,000 U.S. people told HungerRush in a survey in May that they believed major restaurant chains don’t have enough staff to take orders, prepare food, and handle deliveries. Last year, Domino's Pizza Enterprises announced an automated pizza prep device in partnership with Picnic Works, a Seattle-based food-automation startup. "Anytime there's new automation, it creates new kinds of jobs," said Gaurav Kachhawa, chief product officer at Gupshup, a conversational messaging platform.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Rachel Ruggeri, HungerRush, Aaron Nilsson, Chipotle, Brian Niccol, Domino's, Gaurav Kachhawa, It's, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Siren, Starbucks, National Restaurant Association, Society, Pizza Enterprises, Picnic, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Michigan, Colorado, Houston, Seattle, Indiana, Indiana , Illinois, Wisconsin

☆ Major global firms warn of slow China sales as post-pandemic surge fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Aug 2 (Reuters) - From consumer goods giant Unilever (ULVR.L) to automaker Nissan (7201.T) and machinery maker Caterpillar (CAT.N), global firms have warned of slowing earnings in China as the world's second-largest economy loses its post-pandemic bounce. A continued rebound has been limited to a handful of sectors such as dining and luxury goods, driving double-digit China sales growth for the likes of Starbucks (SBUX.O) and LVMH (LVMH.PA). Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) cut its full-year sales target last week due to a sales dip in China, its top market. "Unfortunately, our (China) sales outlook is now falling far below our production capacity," Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida said last week. "We mentioned during our last earnings call that we expected sales in China to be below the typical 5% to 10% of our enterprise sales.

Persons: Graeme Pitkethly, we're, Makoto Uchida, Jim Umpleby, Jacob Stausholm, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Jean, Jacques Guiony, Mimosa Spencer, Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh, Richa Naidu, Melanie Burton, Daniel Leussink, Victoria Waldersee, Miranda Murray, Rishav Chatterjee, Deborah Sophia, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Yuvraj Malik, Miyoung Kim, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Unilever, Nissan, Caterpillar, Starbucks, Procter, Gamble, L'Oreal, Global, Volkswagen, Samsung, SK Hynix, Apple, Rio Tinto, Tinto, Yum, HK, KFC, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: China, KS, Rio, Yum China, Kailyn Rhone, New York, Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, London, Melbourne, Tokyo, Victoria, Berlin, Bengaluru

☆ Starbucks misses quarterly sales estimates as demand wavers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Starbucks sign is shown on one of the company's stores in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 19, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoAug 1 (Reuters) - Starbucks (SBUX.O) missed market expectations for quarterly comparable sales on Tuesday, signaling dull demand for its coffees and cold drinks both in the North American and international markets. However, the company recorded a sharp recovery in China, with comparable sales surging 46% even as average ticket - or the average amount spent per customer on a visit - declined 1% in the quarter. Global comparable sales at Starbucks rose 10% in the third quarter, compared with analysts' expectations for a 11.8% rise, according to Refinitiv IBES data. In its international segment, same-store sales rose 24%, also missing estimates of 25.7%.

Persons: Mike Blake, Deborah Sophia, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, American, Starbucks, Java, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Seattle , Washington, United States, North America, China, Bengaluru, Kailyn Rhone, New York

☆ McDonald's beats sales estimates as cheaper burgers draw consumers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 27 (Reuters) - McDonald's (MCD.N) beat market expectations for quarterly comparable sales on Thursday, as the restaurant chain's relatively cheaper burgers and fries attracted cost-conscious diners in an inflationary environment. While U.S. restaurant chains including McDonald's have had to raise prices to offset a hit to profit from higher costs, the company has still managed to keep its prices lower than its competitors. Those moves, coupled with improved staffing levels at its chains, have helped McDonald's gain market share from its peers. In contrast, overall traffic at fast-food and quick-service chains climbed just 1.2% in the same period. Easing costs of key ingredients including chicken, cheese and pork have also helped McDonald's, whose total restaurant margins in the United States climbed 12% in the quarter.

Persons: McDonald's, Deborah Sophia, Anil D'Silva Organizations: U.S, McDonald's, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, Bengaluru, Kailyn Rhone, New York

[1/2] The logo of Chipotle is seen on one of their restaurants in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoJuly 26 (Reuters) - Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.N) missed Wall Street estimates for quarterly sales on Wednesday as a pause in months-long price hikes hurt its top line, sending the company's shares down nearly 9% in extended trading. California-based Chipotle also projected current-quarter comparable sales to grow in the low- to mid-single-digit range, while analysts on average expected a 6.01% increase. Like other restaurants, Chipotle has hiked menu prices to offset the impact of higher input costs of everything from beef to potatoes. Chipotle was not seeing any weakness in the lower-income consumer despite high inflation, CEO Brian Niccol said in a post-earnings call.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Chipotle, Brian Niccol, Scott Boatwright, Peter Saleh, Sante Faustini, Deborah Sophia, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Intelligence, Science, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, California, Bengaluru, Kailyn Rhone, New York

NEW YORK, July 23 (Reuters) - It is Barbie’s world, and U.S. small businesses hope their social-media marketing can help them cash in on it. But as Mattel-licensed Barbie marketing and products flood big companies' stores, hotel suites and social media posts, small firms also seek to capitalize on the hype. “Small businesses may look at the Barbie promotions and dream of that kind of budget and mass brand awareness,” said Brianne Fleming, an adjunct marketing instructor at University of Florida. MoonFire, an arts boutique based in Dallas, Texas, hosted a Barbie-themed collaboration in person with ten small businesses selling hot-pink, Barbie-inspired products. So, for small businesses, the strategy is to be a quick follower,” he said.

Persons: Barbie, “ Barbie, Inditex’s Zara, ”, Brianne Fleming, there's, Iris, Wilglory Tanjong, Kimberly Wagner, Ken, Mica Garbarino, “ Barbie ”, Walker Smith, Smith, “, gatekeepers, Josie Kao, Nick Zieminski Organizations: YORK, Google, Mattel, University of Florida, Monday, Kailyn, Thomson Locations: Malibu, Friday’s, Airbnb, Instagram, New York City, New York, Blue Curacao, grenadine, Dallas , Texas, Soho, Kailyn Rhone

☆ Top Colleges for High-Paying Jobs in Law
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Stanford B.A.s who go into law earn a premium of more than $49,000 a year on average over 10 years compared with the median earnings of a college graduate in the field . Photo: Jeff Chiu/Associated PressGraduates of Stanford University who go into law earn higher salaries than other schools’ graduates in the field, according to a ranking compiled by the Burning Glass Institute, a nonprofit that researches employment trends. The top public university for law salaries in the new ranking is the University of California, Berkeley.

☆ Does Your Résumé Pass the Six-Second Test?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

No pressure, but your résumé has six seconds to make an impression before it is sent to the don’t-even-bother pile. That is how long a recruiter typically skims a résumé to decide whether to pass it on to a hiring manager, said J.T. O’Donnell, chief executive of career-coaching site Work It Daily. Recruiters often have hundreds of online applications to wade through, even with algorithms helping filter many of them out. They will likely give yours little more than a glance to judge whether you make it onto the shortlist of candidates.

☆ Top Colleges for High-Paying Jobs in Management Consulting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Harvard graduates in management consulting earn over $61,000 a year more than the median B.A. graduate in the field, according to the Burning Glass InstituteGraduates of Harvard University who go into management consulting earn significantly more than young professionals from other schools who enter the field, according to a ranking compiled by the Burning Glass Institute, a nonprofit that researches employment trends. The top public university in the new ranking is the Georgia Institute of Technology.

☆ Top Colleges for High-Paying Jobs in Finance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ The Class of 2023 Faces a Jittery Job Market: ‘The World Seems to Have Flipped on Its Head.’
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Lindsay Ellis | Kailyn Rhone | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Class of 2023 is getting ready to enter a job market that is suddenly less eager to hire new grads. Many employers are taking a go-slow approach to employing graduating seniors this year, college career offices say. The cautiousness marks a sharp reversal from the past two years, when companies often made offers barely weeks after school began and staged bidding wars over interns and graduating seniors.

☆ One Way to Actually Make Money on YouTube and TikTok: Get Behind the Camera
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Now some aspiring influencers are finding it more profitable to assist others in the industry. Many young Americans dream of making a living off creating YouTube, TikTok or Instagram content. Yet being an influencer doesn’t always mean an easy supply of free swag, trips and brand-endorsement deals. Few come close to the earning power of TikTok stars such as Charli and Dixie D’Amelio or the most popular videogame streamers on Twitch, who earn millions annually. Even small changes to a platform’s algorithm can derail a creator’s visibility, and income, overnight.

☆ Aspiring YouTube and TikTok Stars Turn to Support Roles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Washington, D.C., Has More Tech-Job Openings Than Silicon Valley
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Lindsay Ellis | Kailyn Rhone | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The hottest job markets for software developers and programmers now are thousands of miles from San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Washington, D.C., and New York have more job openings for software developers than those California markets do, as nontechnology companies load up on engineering talent while startups and tech behemoths cut back.

☆ Silicon Valley Layoffs Mean Washington, D.C., Is a Hotter Tech Hiring Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Lindsay Ellis | Kailyn Rhone | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Journal Reports: College Rankings
▼ + stars: | 2022-03-09 | by ( Kailyn Rhone | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The region has the country’s No. 3 public school and five of its top 20 schools overall in the WSJ/THE College Rankings

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