DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although Vince Staples has been in the limelight for more than a decade, he still thinks fame is a weird thing. That’s what propelled the 30-year-old to make his first foray into filmmaking with “The Vince Staples Show,” a kind of autobiographical, genre-bending, dark comedy series, hitting Netflix on Thursday. As you get older, you learn about David Lynch, you learn about the Coen brothers, you learn about Roy Anderson. But I feel like, based on what you’re saying, I 100% agree that I’m a person who — I try things. So as you get older and you have this opportunity, I have a “Why not?” approach to the way that I view things.

Persons: Vince Staples, isn’t, he’s, you’ve, Oz, I’ve, David Lynch, Coen, Roy Anderson, Donnie Darko ”, it’s, who’s, —, it’ll, You've, art.I, you’re Organizations: ANGELES, Netflix, Associated Press, STAPLES Locations: Southern California, it’s

☆ L.A. poultry firm hired kids as young as 14 to work with sharp knives, Labor Dept. says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Laura Strickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The Exclusive Poultry and owner Tony Bran willfully withheld workers' hard-earned wages, endangered young workers and retaliated against employees to conceal their wrongdoing," said Jessica Looman, administrator of the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division. Labor investigators repeatedly went to the company's poultry processing locations and said in affidavits they saw young workers they estimated were 14 to 17 years of age, but the workers refused to talk and would run from them. The Labor Department told NBC News it subsequently confirmed that some of the workers were as young as 14. Workers allegedly told investigators that minors who worked at the company were hidden in closets and bathrooms when the investigators arrived so they would not be found. In fall 2022, the department found more than 100 children, some as young as 13, cleaning slaughterhouses for a Midwestern firm.

Persons: Tony Bran, Jessica Looman, Anthony McClaren, McClaren, Bran, Biden Organizations: Labor Department, Aldi, Ralphs, Kroger, Labor, NBC, NBC News, Department of Labor, Workers Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Kroger Agrees to Pay $1.2 Billion to Settle Opioid Claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Rebecca Robbins | More About Rebecca Robbins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Background: Pharmacy chains have been settling opioid claims. Three large pharmacy chains that compete with Kroger — Walgreens, CVS Health and Walmart — reached similar settlements last year totaling about $13 billion. The claims against Kroger and its competitors have focused on the role of their pharmacies in flooding communities with legal painkillers. Why It Matters: Opioid settlement money is funding recovery efforts. Kroger said on Friday that the opioid settlement agreement would not impede the merger.

Persons: Kroger, Walmart —, overprescribing, Josh Stein, ”, Harris, Jan Hoffman Organizations: Kroger, Walgreens, CVS Health, Walmart, Rite, Albertsons Locations: Washington State, West Virginia, North Carolina

☆ Slowing inflation is dragging on Kroger sales, even as consumers still feel a pinch
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But it has created risk that customers could turn to retailers known for lower food prices, such as Walmart, Aldi or Dollar General . Kroger reaffirmed its full-year guidance, saying it expects identical sales excluding fuel to range between 1% and 2%. In an earnings release, he said the grocer expects inflation to "continue to decelerate" and expects a tougher backdrop for consumers in the months ahead. Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said on an earnings call that slowing inflation could lift sales in another way. He said Kroger has stepped up security and added new tech to try to fight crime, but said Kroger expects the theft trends "will continue to be a challenge for the remainder of the year."

Persons: Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, King Soopers, Gary Millerchip, Rodney McMullen, McMullen, Millerchip Organizations: Kroger, LSEG, Target, Walmart, Aldi, Express, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Albertsons, S Wholesale Grocers, Grand Union Locations: U.S, Florida, Washington ,

☆ Kroger's secret weapon in the battle for your dining-out dollars is ... sushi
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kroger has quietly become the biggest sushi seller in the US, The Wall Street Journal reported. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Sushi sales at US retailers were up 72% in the past year, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. It began selling sushi in the early 1990s, but realized it had become the country's biggest sushi retailer in 2020 when reviewing data from the research firm Circana Group, the Journal noted. "The California Crunch roll is our most popular cooked sushi roll, and the Rainbow Roll is the most popular raw sushi roll," the spokesperson told Insider by email.

Persons: Kroger, sushi's, Stuart Aitken, it's Organizations: Street Journal, Service, Wall Street, Circana Group, Kroger Locations: Wall, Silicon, West Coast, California, Ohio, —, New York

REUTERS/Patrick T. Fallon/File PhotoAug 7 (Reuters) - Beyond Meat (BYND.O) cut annual revenue forecast and missed second-quarter net sales estimates, as slowing demand for its pricier plant-based meat products shows no signs of recovery, sending shares down 8% in extended trading on Monday. Bogged down by inflationary pressures, customers are opting for lower-priced animal protein over alternatives such as plant-based products. The ambiguity around the health benefits of plant-based meat is also weighing on growth, said CEO Ethan Brown in a post-earnings call. The company forecast 2023 revenue between $360 million and $380 million, compared with its prior expectation of $375 million to $415 million. Beyond Meat's quarterly net revenue fell nearly 31% to $102.1 million, missing analysts' average estimate of $108.4 million, according to Refinitiv data.

Persons: Patrick T, Ethan Brown, Arun Sundaram, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Kroger, REUTERS, CFRA, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ I'm a 21-year old student living in Scotland. I have no student debt, and my $900 monthly budget pays for my fitness club, nights out, and frequent travel.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Joshua is a 21-year-old from Berlin who lives in Glasgow, Scotland to attend school. We asked Joshua, a 21-year-old Berlin resident who attends the University of Glasgow, about his biggest spending categories and cost differences between Europe and America. Occupation: Student and university employeeMonthly income: £700 (about $900), plus a £200 (about $250) stipend from his parentsStudent debt: $0. Now I live in Glasgow, Scotland for school. What's the biggest cost difference you've noticed between Germany, Scotland, and the US?

Persons: Joshua, Gen Zers, I'm, we're, we'll, I've, she's Organizations: Service, University of Glasgow, Occupation, Student, University of Glasgow ., Student Enterprise, Tesco, Asda, European Union Locations: Berlin, Glasgow, Scotland, Wall, Silicon, Europe, America, Germany, Sainsbury's

☆ Kroger will stop mailing weekly grocery advertisements in newspapers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Atlanta CNN —Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the United States, is ditching its long-running weekly newspaper ad circulars announcing the latest grocery specials. The ads for Kroger (KR) stores and subsidiaries, including Ralphs, Fred Meyer and King Soopers, will shift online. “Kroger is joining many retailers in shifting the way our weekly ads are distributed,” a spokesperson told CNN. The move could deal a blow to shoppers who plan their store trips based on weekly newspaper ads. Some companies, such as Walgreens (WBA), stopped printing coupon catalogs and moved their weekly advertisements online.

☆ Here are the states where egg prices have doubled — and the lucky few where they've risen by just 50%, according to new data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Alex Bitter | Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Egg prices in some states doubled in December, compared with the same month in 2021, according to data from Instacart. Even so, the highest prices for a dozen eggs were in other states, such as Hawaii and Florida. Egg prices increased the most in upper Midwestern states year-over-year in December, according to Instacart. In 2019, chickens on its farms produced just over 17 billion eggs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Despite the increases, states like Iowa still had some of the lowest egg prices in the US.

☆ Kroger hikes forecast after stronger grocery sales top estimates
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Kroger on Thursday raised its forecast for the year after stronger third-quarter sales topped Wall Street expectations and inflation continued to push up the prices shoppers pay for milk, eggs and other groceries. Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said the company is attracting shoppers by offering value. At Kroger, identical sales rose 6.9%, excluding fuel, in the third quarter. For the full year, Kroger now anticipates adjusted net earnings to range from $4.05 to $4.15. Kroger announced in October that it plans buy its competitor, Albertsons , in a deal valued at $24.6 billion.

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Skeptical lawmakers from across the political spectrum questioned executives at grocers Kroger Co (KR.N) and Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N) on Tuesday about their planned $25 billion merger amid concerns the tie-up could boost already-high food prices. The deal will be reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission to ensure it is legal under antitrust law. Stores under the Albertsons umbrella include Balducci's, Haggen, Kings, Safeway, Star Market, Tom Thumb, United Supermarkets and Vons, among others. The companies have also been criticized for a plan to give Albertsons' shareholders a $4 billion dividend payment. Senator Tom Cotton, a conservative Republican, criticized Kroger for the company's aprons with a design that appeared to support gay pride.

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Top executives at Kroger Co (KR.N) and Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N) on Tuesday defended their planned $25 billion merger before skeptical lawmakers who fear the deal would push up food prices at a time of high inflation. "A combined Kroger and Albertsons will remain at number four as we will continue to compete with these companies to sell groceries. Those same three competitors have nearly three times the share of grocery sales of Kroger and Albertsons combined," he said, according to written remarks. In that case, the companies were forced to sell 168 stores to ensure that competition would remain fierce and prices would not rise. The companies have also been criticized for a plan to give Albertsons' shareholders a $4 billion dividend payment.

☆ Albertsons, Kroger CEOs to defend $25 bln merger to skeptical U.S. senators
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Top executives at Kroger Co (KR.N) and Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N) are expected to face tough questions on Tuesday from lawmakers who worry the grocers' planned $25 billion merger will push up food prices at a time when inflation is a concern. Kroger Chief Executive Rodney McMullen and Albertsons' chief, Vivek Sankaran, will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel, some of whose members have already criticized the deal. Senators Amy Klobuchar, chair of the Senate antitrust panel, and Richard Blumenthal were among those who signed a letter to Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, saying the merger "raises considerable antitrust concerns." Ideally, they would like to find buyers for the facilities but could also put them into a new company that would be owned by Albertsons' shareholders. The companies may also draw fire on Tuesday for a widely criticized plan to give Albertsons' shareholders a $4 billion dividend payment.

☆ Kroger and Albertsons want to create a grocery empire. The last supermarket mega-merger backfired
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

With the FTC’s blessing, Haggen, a small supermarket chain in the Northwest with just 18 locations, bought 146 of the former Albertsons and Safeway stores, including the one where Martinez worked. In an weird twist, Albertsons bought back dozens of the same stores it previously sold to Haggen in bankruptcy court — at a lower price. Now she worries Kroger will divest Ralphs as part of its merger with Albertsons in a repeat of the Haggen 2015 deal. To address antitrust concerns that the merger will stifle competition in local markets where they overlap, Kroger and Albertsons plan to divest stores. In 2015, Haggen bought a Vons grocery store (owned by Safeway at the time) in Carpinteria as part of the Albertsons and Safeway divestitures.

The hearing was called by Klobuchar along with Senator Mike Lee, the top Republican on an antitrust panel of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "The hearing will examine the impact of the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons, the two largest grocery chains in the country," the statement said. The FTC is expected to aggressively review the deal to ensure it complies with antitrust law. While the two are the largest standalone grocers, Walmart is the market leader. Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ What's open and closed on Thanksgiving
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Many stores that were once open on Thanksgiving have changed policy since the pandemic, shuttering for the day before Black Friday sales. Here are the businesses and institutions that will be open and closed on Turkey Day. We’ll again be closed on Thanksgiving,” Walmart (WMT) US CEO John Furner said in an October interview on NBC. Costco (COST), Home Depot (HD), Nordstrom (JWN), Publix, Sam’s Club, Trader Joe’s and others have been closed on Thanksgiving for many years. As for retail pharmacies on Thanksgiving Day, CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid will be open with varying hours.

☆ Beyond Meat misses quarterly estimates on slowdown in faux meat demand
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Beyond Meat products are displayed on grocery store shelves inside Kroger Co.'s Ralphs supermarket amid fears of the global growth of coronavirus cases, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Patrick T. Fallon/File PhotoNov 9 (Reuters) - Beyond Meat (BYND.O) on Wednesday missed estimates for quarterly results as consumers looking for more affordable alternatives in the face of decades-high inflation trade down from its pricier plant-based meat products. Value-oriented consumers have been curbing spending on discretionary products such as the pricer plant-based meat products and look for pocket-friendly options, including animal meat. In October, Beyond Meat cut its full-year revenue forecast for a second time as the company sees demand soften specifically in its refrigerated sub-segment. Net revenue fell 22.5% to $82.5 million, missing analysts' estimates of $98.1 million.

The announcement by Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee antitrust panel, and Republican Senator Mike Lee confirmed a previous report by Reuters. A Kroger spokesperson said the company looked forward to the hearing. "We welcome the opportunity to outline how this transaction will benefit America’s consumers by expanding access to fresh, affordable food," the company said in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSeparately, Klobuchar and fellow Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Cory Booker released a letter expressing concern about the deal. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by David Shepardson and Diane Bartz; Editing by Franklin Paul, Josie Kao and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A merger with Albertsons could bring Kroger's tech initiatives, like automated warehouses and smart carts, to over 5,000 locations
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Alex Bitter | Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Kroger is building its own tech infrastructure, including automated warehouses for delivery orders. Here are Kroger's biggest e-commerce and technology initiatives:A ClusterTruck ghost kitchen inside a Kroger in the Midwest. The delivery-focused ghost kitchen touts a Cheesecake Factory-inspired menu of 80 to 100 food items. Over the last few years, ClusterTruck opened locations inside Kroger stores in Indiana and Ohio. Another partnership, this one with the autonomous-car startup Nuro, has stationed self-driving vehicles to deliver grocery orders in certain cities since 2018.

☆ Premarket stocks: The housing market is a mess, but this isn't 2008
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But within those reports, investors found ominous clues about the future of the housing market, underscoring fears of an upcoming crisis. “We’ve had a time of a red-hot housing market all over the country,” Fed President Jerome Powell told me in September. “For the longer term what we need is supply and demand to get better aligned so that housing prices go up at a reasonable level…and people can afford houses again. “This is the sharpest turn in the housing market since the housing market crash in 2008,” said Redfin’s chief economist, Daryl Fairweather, last month. What’s next: Investors will next look to housing starts data next week as an indicator of where the housing market is headed.

A 20-ounce packet of Sara Lee Classic White Sandwich bread goes for $2.50 at Kroger, compared to $2.24 at Walmart. Nearly two-thirds of Kroger's 2,700 stores are unionized, like a "majority" of Albertsons stores, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union says on its website. Grocery stores such as Kroger, Albertsons, in contrast, are often forced to rely on coupons or buy-one-get-one-free promotions funded by companies like P&G and Conagra in order to compete. Euromonitor data shows that 25.2% of all dollars spent on groceries in the United States last year went to Walmart, while Kroger got 8.1% and Albertson's 4.8%. Walmart shoppers have a median income of $73,000.

A 20-ounce packet of Sara Lee Classic White Sandwich bread goes for $2.50 at Kroger, compared to $2.24 at Walmart. Nearly two-thirds of Kroger's 2,700 stores are unionized, like a "majority" of Albertsons stores, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union says on its website. Grocery stores such as Kroger, Albertsons, in contrast, are often forced to rely on coupons or buy-one-get-one-free promotions funded by companies like P&G and Conagra in order to compete. Euromonitor data shows that 25.2% of all dollars spent on groceries in the United States last year went to Walmart, while Kroger got 8.1% and Albertsons 4.8%. Walmart shoppers have a median income of $73,000.

☆ Kroger has to win over Wall Street and Washington on its Albertsons deal – here's how it plans to do that
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In this article ACIKR Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA customer shops for eggs in a Kroger grocery store on August 15, 2022 in Houston, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty ImagesKroger knows it needs the blessing of investors and federal regulators to pull off its $24.6 billion deal to buy rival grocery company Albertsons . If approved, the grocers would become a more formidable second place in terms of grocery market share behind Walmart . Together, the companies would capture nearly 16% of the U.S. grocery market, according to market researcher Numerator. That's because Wall Street has already seen a spree of grocer acquisitions — including some by Kroger and Albertsons — but no meaningful changes in profit margins.

From a broader national perspective, a combined Kroger and Albertsons does not pose any major threat to the competitive dynamics of the market." Kroger said it expects to reinvest about half a billion dollars of cost savings from deal synergies to reduce prices for customers. "The merger will accelerate our position as a more compelling alternative to larger and non-union competitors," Kroger Chief Executive Officer Rodney McMullen said. Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse were the financial advisors to Albertsons, while Citigroup and Wells Fargo advised Kroger. Kroger will have to pay Albertsons $600 million if the deal is terminated.

☆ U.S. grocer Kroger in talks to merge with rival Albertsons - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 13 (Reuters) - U.S. grocery giant Kroger Co (KR.N) is in talks to merge with smaller rival Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N), Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of Albertsons rose 7% on the report, while Kroger's stock slipped. Kroger, which also houses supermarket chains such as Fred Meyer, Ralphs and King Soopers, trails Walmart Inc (WMT.N), the top grocer in the country. A deal could be reached as soon as this week, Bloomberg reported, adding that no final decision has been taken and talks could still be delayed or falter. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "Ralphs"

25 mentions found