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☆ Companies like Airbnb can ban customers based on a criminal background check: Here's how to dispute it if you think yours is in error
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Companies like Airbnb say they use background checks to help protect the community. Background checks have proliferated but there are common flaws in the system, experts say. Here's what criminal justice experts say about inaccurate background checks and how to file appeals. "They're not really looking at potential risk in terms of public safety, per se," Stewart told Insider. "I think part of it is companies being able to determine their own criteria," Stewart told Insider.

☆ I visited the flagship stores of Nike and Adidas in NYC to compare the shopping experiences and it was clear which store was more popular
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

I visited the flagship stores of two of the world's largest athletic brands, Nike and Adidas, to see which shopping experience was better. Adidas' flagship store was soccer heaven and paid homage to the FIFA World Cup. Nike's store took me to an otherworldly space and wowed me with its Sneakerlab collection. Loading Something is loading. With that in mind I felt it was worth visiting both flagship locations to compare the shopping experience.

☆ Gen Z and millennials are driving growth in the luxury-goods market, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gen Z and millennials are the largest drivers of the luxury-goods market, per Bain & Co.Gen Zers purchase luxury items three to five years earlier than millennials, the study found. The luxury-goods market is valued at more than a trillion dollars and is expected to withstand a recession. The luxury-goods market is forecast to be "recession-proof" in 2023, in part because of millennial and Gen Z consumers, who accounted for the growth of the market in 2022, the report found. Gen Zers are buying luxury goods earlier than past generations, and Gen Alpha is expected to follow suit. The luxury industry is more "customer-centric" and "multi-touchpoint" meaning there are more ways to access the luxury market, including digital and virtual shopping experiences.

☆ Why corporate leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, and Evan Spiegel are all apologizing for the massive layoffs at their companies
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Since the pandemic, the largest tech layoffs have been at Meta, Getir, Booking.com, Twitter, Uber, Better.com., Peloton, and Groupon, Layoffs.fyi data show. Now companies in tech are reversing some of the huge hiring that they did in the past couple of years, Lee said. Mark Zuckerberg, MetaFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks about "News Tab" at the Paley Center, in New York on October 25, 2019. In the memo he wrote: "Many people predicted this would be a permanent acceleration that would continue even after the pandemic ended. Jack Dorsey, ex-CEO TwitterTwitter CEO Jack Dorsey testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in Washington, DC, in 2018.

☆ Peloton co-founder John Foley launches business selling custom rugs directly to consumers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Peloton co-founders are starting Ernesta, a direct-to-consumer business selling custom rugs. The business is launching in spring 2023 and entering a global market anticipated to reach $130 billion by 2030. The company will be entering a global carpets and rugs market anticipated to reach $130 billion by 2030. Foley is Ernesta's CEO, with fellow Peloton founders Hisao Kushi serving as chief legal officer and Yony Feng as chief technology officer. He relinquished his executive chairman title in September, following months of controversy and reduced global demand at the beleaguered company.

☆ Starbucks holiday cups are back. See how the designs have changed over the last 25 years.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Starbucks has released the latest holiday cups. See photos of the last 25 years of Starbucks holiday cup designs – including two purple ones. Starbucks introduced its first holiday cups in 1997 – and they haven't always come in the familiar red. The Starbucks holiday cup has generated its share of controversies here and there. Here's a look at Starbucks holiday designs over the years:

☆ Walmart is offering a half-off deal for its Amazon Prime competitor, Walmart+, and it includes early access to Black Friday deals
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Shoppers can access early Black Friday deals with a new Walmart+ membership offer. Insider previously reported on the Walmart+ membership in its entirety, including membership perks, and a side-by-side comparison of Amazon Prime and Walmart+. The comprehensive list of Walmart+ benefits are below:Early access to Walmart's online Black Friday deals: Walmart+ members loved getting early access to Walmart's online Black Friday deals last year and this year, Walmart is offering extended shopping hours. Walmart+ members loved getting early access to Walmart's online Black Friday deals last year and this year, Walmart is offering extended shopping hours. Unlimited free delivery : Walmart+ members can select free standard delivery from stores, and free shipping with no order minimum required.

☆ The craziest Airbnb designs that just won $100,000, from a ghost town gondola and acorn treehouse to a salt cave and Koi fish dome-house,
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Airbnb awarded 100 recipients $100,000 each to design out-of-this-world properties. But for those looking to step inside an Airbnb and have their minds blown, there's a specific category for that: the OMG! Judges representing Airbnb chose 100 winners from more than 20 countries to award $100,000 each to bring their designs to life. properties. Common themes submitted included stargazing experiences, musical themes, fruit-, mushroom- and wine-inspired, treehouses, and solar panels to boost sustainable energy.

☆ Nike likely to see biggest boost in the aftermath of Adidas cutting ties with Kanye West, footwear analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

With the Adidas and Yeezy partnership terminated, other shoe brands could see a boost in sales, an expert says. "I think the most obvious beneficiary is Nike," Tom Nikic, senior vice president of equity research at Wedbush Securities, told Insider. Adidas became the latest company to cut ties with Kanye West following antisemitic remarks and controversial behavior. "I think the most obvious beneficiary is Nike," Nikic said. "They either had to take the hit financially or they had to take the public relations hit," Nikic said.

☆ From Apple AirPods and Squishmallows to 'Encanto' toys, here are some of the most anticipated gifts this holiday season, according to Adobe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"The shape of the holiday season will look different this year, with early discounting in October," Patrick Brown, Adobe vice president of growth marketing and insights, said in a statement. Here are the toys, gaming devices, games, and other gifts that Adobe predicts will be the most popular items this holiday season. SquishmallowsThe stuffed animals come in all sizes, shapes, and colors and are expected to once again be popular this holiday season. Xbox Series XThe Xbox Series X is the fastest, most powerful Xbox yet, per Microsoft. Apple Watch Series 8/UltraThe new Apple Watch Series 8 comes in eight different colors, with either a 41-millimeter or 45-millimeter case.

☆ Amazon reporter Eugene Kim shares how he gets inside one of the most powerful — and feared — companies in the world
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This week, Sarah Belle Lin, an Insider fellow, interviews Eugene Kim, our Amazon reporter and chief tech correspondent, about covering the US's largest online retailer. You're an Amazon reporter whose expertise lies in Amazon, Jeff Bezos, Andy Jassy, e-commerce, and cloud computing. I started out as an enterprise-tech reporter in 2014 covering business software like Salesforce, Oracle, and Dropbox. We didn't have a full-time reporter covering Amazon at the time because it wasn't as big. Both of those things have been integral to Amazon's corporate culture for a very long time, so it's fair to say they are key parts to the company's success.

☆ Photos: See inside the San Francisco dog cafe serving seven-course meals with blue spirulina cake and chaga mushroom soup
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Dogue is a dog-food brand that offers pastries and five- to seven-course meals at its 'pawtisserie' in San Francisco. Rahmi Massarweh, a classically French trained chef opened Dogue (pronounced like "rogu e''), a dog-food brand serving food and meals out of a cafe in San Francisco last month with his wife, Alejandra. "While operating the daycare, we started to get more inquiries about our dog food," Massarweh. "I'll never forget the very first client who asked us to make food for their dog." In 2015, couple started offering small batch, artisanal meals for their clients.

☆ Walmart and Kroger customers can now buy plant-based Beyond Steak, which company describes as 'seared to perfection' and 'chopped into bite-sized pieces'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Beyond Steak is plant-based food company Beyond Meat's newest product. The product arrives in more than 5,000 Kroger and Walmart stores amid a decline in sales of plant-based meat. The company says the $7.99 product is "designed to deliver the juicy, tender and delicious bite of seared steak tips with the added nutritional and environmental benefits of plant-based meat." It says the product is "seared to perfection and chopped into bite-sized pieces," has 21 grams of protein per serving, is low in saturated fat, has 0 milligrams of cholesterol. The product rollout comes amid declining sales of plant-based meats.

☆ Chinese American movie star Anna May Wong will be the first Asian American on the US quarter
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Anna May Wong will be the first Asian American to be on a US quarter. The American Women Quarters Program is a four-year initiative that will feature five different women each year on the flip side of the coin. Heads up: The next US quarter will feature the first Asian American to appear on a circulating coin in the US. Starting on Monday, Chinese American movie star Anna May Wong will appear on the reverse side of the quarter, as part of the American Women Quarters Program. The American Women Quarters Program is a four-year initiative, overseen by the United States Mint, that started in 2022.

☆ Ulta, Bath & Body Works, CeraVe, E.l.f. Cosmetics, and SheaMoisture among beauty favorites for female teens, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ulta is still the most popular beauty store for all female teens, according to a semiannual survey. Out of the 6,670 female teens surveyed, 29% of upper-income female teens and 40% of average-income female teens chose Bath & Body Works as their favorite source for fragrances. Upper-income female teens are spending slightly less for perfumes at $62 every year compared with $67 a year spent on perfumes by average-income female teens. While female teens with wealthier incomes spent $93 last fall on hair care products, female teens with average income spent $91 a year. However, Olaplex was the most popular hair care brand for 14% of upper-income female teens, and the second most popular for female teens with average incomes.

☆ Even financial analysts should be interested in delivering pizzas, Domino's CEO says. 'Because our drivers become franchisees.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Domino's CEO Russell Weiner touted career opportunities for delivery drivers in a call with analysts. "Maybe there are people who are listening to the call now who are interested in drivers' positions," Weiner said. 95% of Domino's franchisees started out as employees making pizza or driving, he said. Domino's delivery drivers earn around $31,962 annually, ZipRecruiter estimates, and a Domino's franchise owner in New York City can make a base salary of $88,200 a year, according to Glassdoor. Domino's is primarily a franchiser, with approximately 94% of US Domino's stores owned and operated by the company's independent franchisees, according to Domino's 2021 annual report.

☆ Lululemon is the clothing brand gaining the most popularity among wealthy female teens in the US – by far
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Athleisure brand Lululemon is the clothing brand growing most in popularity among wealthy female teens. Other popular clothing brands for female teens in the upper-income bracket are American Eagle and Zara. The investment bank's "Taking Stock with Teens" report tracks teens' brand preferences, behavior, and habits. Seventeen percent of teens chose Lululemon as their favorite clothing brand during Piper Sandler's fall 2022 survey, as well as during its spring 2022 and fall 2021 surveys. Below are the five "top brands starting to be worn" by wealthy female teens.

☆ CVS lowers prices on store-brand menstrual products by 25% in pharmacies nationwide, covers 'tampon taxes" in 12 states
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The company's initiative also includes paying sales taxes on period products on customers' behalf in 12 states. Advocates are working towards legislation to address sales taxes on period products. People who menstruate require around 40 period products per cycle, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies. The nonprofit group PERIOD., which is partnering with CVS on the initiative, directed a message towards states that still tax menstrual products. "If you are one of the last 22 states to tax period products, it's time to repeal your antiquated law.

☆ For 12 years, Nike has reigned supreme with teens as their favorite clothing brand
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Nike is the most popular clothing brand for teenagers in the US, according to a semiannual survey. Nearly a third of Gen Zers identified the brand as their favorite. The investment banking firm surveyed 14,500 teens about their brand preferences, behavior, and habits for the fall 2022 study, and 31% ranked Nike as their favorite clothing brand, up from 30% in spring 2022. Below are the five clothing brands American teens most prefer to deck out in. A push for 'casualization'In 2019, Insider asked 1,800 young Americans about their favorite places to shop for clothing.

☆ Chick-fil-A remains teens' favorite restaurant chain in US
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chick-fil-A is teenagers' favorite US restaurant chain, a study finds. Fast-food chicken restaurant Chick-fil-A was ranked by 15% of respondents as their favorite restaurant, the same as in the spring 2022 and fall 2021 surveys. Read on to find out the top five restaurant chains where teens prefer to spend their money. In 2019, Insider asked more than 3,000 readers of our fast-food coverage to tell us their favorite chains. Chick-fil-A ranked third-highest in sales among chain restaurants in the US in 2021, just after McDonald's and Starbucks, according to The NPD Group's 2022 restaurant report.

☆ Walmart expands fertility benefits in US amid rising demand from millennial and Gen Z workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart employees across the US will soon have access to dozens of fertility clinics. Fertility benefits are becoming a weapon in the war for talent, Fortune recently reported. In a Fortune poll, 45% of workers said fertility benefits are an important component when considering a new job. A fertility survey conducted by Carrot, a global fertility healthcare company, found that millennial and Generation Z employees value fertility benefits: 77% of respondents said that they would stay at a company if it offered fertility benefits, and a large majority of them said they would even consider changing jobs for better benefits. Mercer also has found that DEI values are a key motivation in expanding fertility benefits.

☆ AMC CEO Adam Aron asks if he should lead the movement to urge a four-day workweek in the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AMC CEO Adam Aron recently floated the idea of a four-day workweek on his Twitter. "Should I be out front urging a 4-day U.S. work week?," AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron asked in one of two polls recently posted on Twitter. In his first poll, posted on Sept. 22, Aron asked Twitter users for their thoughts on four-day workweeks. In another post the same day, Aron's polled Twitter users on whether he should be a leading voice advocating for shorter workweeks. More than 70 companies in the UK recently started four-day workweek trials in June, Insider reported.

☆ The biggest new feature on the iPhone 14 Pro — the 'Dynamic Island' — is now available for Android phones too, thanks to a copycat app
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Android developer Jawomo released a copycat version of the iPhone 14 Pro's newest multitasking feature. The 'Dynamic Island' is only available for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The copycat version, called dynamicSpot, was created to fill a need for a 'camera island' on Android phones. They can check alerts, control music, set a timer, manage AirDrop connections, and follow Map directions on the Dynamic Island. Dynamic Island is only on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which the company described in a news announcement as "a new design that introduces an intuitive way to experience iPhone."

☆ 24 GOP attorneys general warn Visa, AmEx, and Mastercard about using a code that identifies purchases at gun stores
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AGs from 24 states sent a letter threatening to take action over a new merchant code for gun stores. The attorneys general warned that tracking the data could lead to misuse, whether intentional or unintentional. They said using a merchant code for gun stores would be an inaccurate method for keeping track of firearms purchases. The coordinated move came after the Geneva-based nonprofit International Organization for Standardization (ISO) approved the creation of the merchant code earlier this month. Gun rights advocates, including the NRA, have expressed concerns that the new merchant category code would effectively create a gun registry, and put gun owners at risk.

☆ How an Xprize-winning group developed an AI assistant to help African farmers increase their crops and adapt to the climate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-10 | by ( Sarah Belle Lin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Penn State's PlantVillage uses technology solutions and field teams to increase farmers' crop yield. As warming temperatures spawn more crop pests, groups, including PlantVillage, are increasingly using artificial intelligence to protect agriculture. Each year, plant diseases cost the global economy more than $220 billion, while invasive insects cost at least $70 billion. The climate crisis increases crop diseases and pests — like the desert locust, which could spread because of warming temperatures. Farmers are encouraged to plant trees with biochar, a soil additive that can store carbon dioxide for centuries.

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