DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ How we test, review, and recommend products
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Insider Reviews Team | Les Shu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Janelle LeesonBelow is a sampling of some of the core products and services the Reviews team tests. Reporters enlist their cats, dogs, and other pets to help test products, while pet health articles are medically reviewed by veterinarians and supported by expert interviews. Insider Reviews' health articles are medically reviewed by doctors and other health professionals, and supported by expert interviews. Molly Allen/InsiderThe Reviews team tests products the way people would use them in everyday life. In addition to our in-house and freelance testers, we also have an internal council of volunteers and freelancers who help us test products and offer additional perspectives.

Persons: Janelle Leeson, Antonio Villas, Sally Kaplan, Molly Allen, James Brains, Erin Brains, Amir Ismael Organizations: Business Insider's Service Journalism, Tech, Samsung, Boas, Health

☆ Wayfair's losses narrow by more than $100 million after layoffs, even as sales dip
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Wayfair's sales slid during its first fiscal quarter, but the online furniture retailer reduced its losses after cutting 13% of its workforce at the start of the year, the company announced Thursday. The steepest drop off came from Wayfair's international segment, where sales fell nearly 6% to $338 million compared to the year-ago period. The restructuring – the third Wayfair implemented since summer 2022 – was expected to save the company about $280 million, it said previously. During the quarter, Wayfair's active customers grew 2.8% to 22.3 million, slightly ahead of the 22.1 million that analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount. On average, orders were valued at $285 during the quarter, compared to the $275.07 that analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount.

Persons: Wayfair, Niraj Shah, Shah, – Organizations: LSEG

☆ We're entering advertising's new era
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In today's big story, we're looking at the biggest topic at this year's TV upfronts , and how it's a sign of advertising's new era. What's on deck:Markets: Morgan Stanley's new wealth boss outlines the bank's playbook for hitting $10 trillion in client assets. Andy Kiersz/Business InsiderYou might be wondering what retail data has to do with television advertising.

Persons: —, Morgan, Don Draper's, Burton, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Business Insider's Lara O'Reilly, Lucia Moses, Andy Kiersz, Andy Jassy, hasn't, Finn, Morgan Stanley, Michael M, Tyler Le, Jed Finn, Andy Saperstein, there's, Joseph Stiglitz, Jerome Powell, Justin Sullivan, Wells Fargo, Kevin Scott, Satya Nadella, Bill Gates, Pablo Declan, Shari Redstone's, tanked, BI's Peter Kafka, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Business, Service, Tech, Wall, Getty, Google, Amazon, Disney, Kroger, Walmart, Big Tech, US Department of Labor, Apple, Department, Paramount, Trump Media Locations: China, OpenAI, New York, London

Plenty of retailers have kicked off Mother's Day sales to make it easier to get a thoughtful present without breaking the bank. No matter what type of mom you have, we've gathered the best Mother's Day deals on flower delivery, jewelry, smart photo frames, and more. It's still early, so we expect plenty more Mother's Day sales to kick off as the holiday approaches. 5 best Mother's Day sales 1-800-Flowers: Get up to 40% off Mother's Day arrangements. More Mother's Day salesFrequently asked questionsWhen is Mother's Day?

Persons: we've, It's, Mason, Farmgirl, they're Organizations: Business, Mother's, Apple

☆ Amazon, Starbucks show how jittery US customers are about the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said the coffee chain's customers were growing more cautious. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementUS consumers are becoming more prudent with their spending, executives at Amazon and Starbucks said on Tuesday. "A challenging macro environment including rising interest rates and elevated costs continues to create volatile consumer confidence levels and put pressure on consumer spending," Borden said then. Representatives for Amazon and Starbucks didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Brian Olsavsky, Laxman Narasimhan, —, Olsavsky, Narasimhan, Ian Borden, Borden Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Amazon, Bank of America, BI

☆ Sam's Club says getting rid of physical receipt checks at the door has been a big success
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Sam's Club's new AI-powered purchase verification tech is now in more than 120 locations across the US. The Walmart-owned warehouse club says it has helped get shoppers out the door 23% faster. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementSam's Club's new verification tech, which ditches physical receipt checks for an AI-powered scan of shoppers' carts, has now been rolled out to more than 120 locations across the US. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Sam's, — Organizations: Walmart, Amazon, Service, Business

☆ Brexit border checks: Britain braces for less choice and higher prices on food imports
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Hanna Ziady | Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The new regime for food imports is perhaps the starkest example of the painful border bureaucracy that UK and EU businesses must contend with in the wake of Brexit. An additional cost of that scale will “significantly increase food prices and reduce choice,” the federation’s CEO Phil Pluck wrote in a letter to environment and food minister Steve Barclay earlier this month. But here too Brexit hasn’t helped, ending as it did the free movement of EU workers on whom British farmers had relied for decades. In addition to Brexit-related challenges, UK farmers have been squeezed by soaring input costs, including those of fertilizer, energy and labor. “I’m not hugely in favor of subsidies, I’m in favor of fair food prices,” Maddocks said.

Persons: Eddie Price, ”, Phil, Steve Barclay, Andrew Aitchison, Andrew Opie, “, Jack Bobo, “ It’s, Price, hasn’t, ” Tom Bradshaw, “ You’re, Chris Ratcliffe, Brexit, ” Philip Maddocks, I’m, ” Maddocks Organizations: London CNN, European Union, EU, Britain, Birmingham Wholesale, CNN, Chain Federation, British Retail Consortium, University of York, Food Systems, University of Nottingham, Birmingham Wholesale Market, Bank, National Farmers ’ Union, Bloomberg, Getty, PDM Locations: United Kingdom, Britain, France, Spain, artichokes, Italy, Birmingham, Dover, Port, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, North Africa, England, Sandwich, Australia, New Zealand, English, Shropshire

☆ GM and Ford's gas-powered profits and hybrid successes show how hard it will be for Tesla to weather an EV slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla finally has to deal with the EV slowdown. The EV company can't rely on hybrids and gas cars like competitors. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Both Ford and GM exceeded analyst expectations for the first quarter thanks to cost cutting and stronger demand for gas-powered cars. But the tables have turned now as traditional automakers are able to tap into a newly popular segment unoccupied by Tesla: hybrids.

Persons: Tesla, Musk, —, Elon, Mary Barra, Barra, ruffle Musk Organizations: EV, Service, Ford, GM Locations: North America

For most of its 27 years as a public company, Amazon investors have been asked to sacrifice profit for growth. In its first-quarter earnings report on Tuesday, Amazon's operating margin reached double digits for the first time on record. Operating income more than tripled in the quarter to $15.3 billion, while net income also jumped more than 200% to $10.4 billion. Almost two-thirds of operating income for all of Amazon came from AWS, which is now generating over $100 billion in annualized revenue. Operating income will be $10 billion to $14 billion, up from $7.7 billion a year earlier.

Persons: Andy Jassy, Andy, Andy Jassy's, Tom Forte, CNBC's, Brian Olsavsky, Olsavsky, That's, Jassy, he's Organizations: Amazon, Seattle, Maxim Group, Revenue, Amazon Web Services, AWS, Technology, Microsoft, Google Locations: Seattle

☆ Walmart launches new grocery brand, as it tries to hang on to inflation-fueled growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

And its low-priced reputation has helped the company attract higher income grocery shoppers as inflation pinches budgets. On Tuesday, the big-box retailer said it will roll out a private label called BetterGoods, a line of more trend-and chef-driven foods. Walmart is debuting a new grocery brand, as the discounter tries to retain the shoppers it has attracted during a period of high inflation. Another grocery brand it debuted, Favorite Day, is made up of creative takes on ice cream bars and trail mixes. The new private brand will join Walmart's existing collection of private brands in the grocery department, which includes Great Value — the country's largest private grocery brand by revenue, according to Numerator, a market research firm.

Persons: Costco's Kirkland, Kroger Organizations: Walmart, Aldi, Grocers, Target, Smart Locations: U.S

☆ My husband and I have a Costco executive membership. Here are 10 things we buy for our family of 4.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Ellen Ranta Olson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

My husband and I use our Costco executive membership to buy food for our family of four. The Kirkland Signature chicken street-taco kit is a yummy, filling meal my kids and husband love. AdvertisementMuch like over half of Costco's shoppers, we have children to feed and like to buy our family's favorite foods in bulk. My husband is a Costco general manager, so he gets a free executive membership as an employee. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: rotini, — Organizations: Costco, Kirkland, BBQ Company, Service, Business

☆ Amazon says more packages are arriving in a day or less after hefty investment in speedy fulfillment
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Products are seen at an Amazon fulfillment center where they are being sorted and shipped out as same-day orders during Cyber Monday at the Same-Day Delivery Facility Fulfillment Center in Tampa, Florida, on Nov. 27, 2023. The company has said it wants to make same- and next-day delivery the standard, and it plans to double the number of same-day delivery facilities in the U.S. within the next few years. Amazon has already stood up more than 55 same-day delivery sites in the U.S., primarily clustered around major metro areas. Same-day sites also condense the fulfillment process, typically spread across multiple Amazon facilities under one roof. Amazon has bolstered investment in fast shipping as traditional retail rivals Walmart and Target have stepped up their delivery game.

Persons: Andy Jassy Organizations: U.S, Amazon, Amazon's, RBC Capital, Walmart, Target Locations: Tampa , Florida, U.S

☆ Secondhand Birkins are grabbing Gen Z's attention
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Hermès, a luxury Italian brand that's existed for decades, is getting Gen Z's attention, a new poll says. The company is known for its highly-coveted Birkin bag that's dominating the resale market. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The luxury Italian brand is known for its exclusive and highly-coveted handbags like the Birkin and Kelly bags. Despite the attention from Gen Z, Hermès doesn't have an official TikTok account.

Persons: Birkin, —, Kelly, TheRealReal, Gen Organizations: Service, Ad

☆ Embattled grocery startup Getir exits the U.S. and Europe, will refocus on Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Companies such as Getir and Gorillas promise to deliver items to shoppers' doors in as little as 10 minutes. Grocery delivery startup Getir announced on Monday that it is quitting international markets including the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands and the U.S., marking a major setback for the once hyped online grocery industry. The Istanbul, Turkey-based firm said in a statement that it was withdrawing from its U.S. and European markets and would now refocus its financial resources on Turkey. The company said it raised a new investment round led by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and venture capital firm G Squared "to bolster its competitive position in its core food and grocery delivery businesses in Turkey." Getir said it generates 7% of its revenues from the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands and the U.S."Getir expresses its sincere appreciation for the dedication and hard work of all its employees in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and the U.S.," the company said.

Persons: Abu, Getir Locations: Germany, Netherlands, U.S, Istanbul, Turkey, Abu Dhabi

☆ I couldn't deal with Costco when my kids were little, but I love it now that we're empty nesters
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Beth Harpaz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I'd often do the weekly grocery shopping at a 24-hour supermarket on Fridays at midnight after the kids and their father fell asleep. Even though we may have saved money shopping at Costco — and most Costco shoppers have kids — going there felt out of the question in those early days of parenthood. Related storiesSo, as empty nesters, we figured we'd try Costco — and we fell in love. We store some bulk Costco buys at the bottom of our pantry. And I don't regret not going to Costco when our kids were small.

Persons: —, I'd, Costco's, Beth Harpaz, It's, we've Organizations: Service, Business, Costco Locations: New York City

☆ Australia’s problem with male violence is getting worse. So, what’s the solution?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Late Monday, new figures showed a 28% jump in intimate partner homicide in 2022-23, compared to the previous year – ending what had been a decades-long trend of decline. Around 4,000 people marched through the streets of Brisbane on April 28 to call for action on gendered violence. The deaths took the toll to 27 women allegedly killed by a partner or former partner so far this year, according to the Counting Dead Women project. “We don’t have good programs for men with mental illness and personality disorders who use these types of violence. We don’t have a lot of really accessible drug and alcohol treatment programs for men who use violence.

Persons: Daniel McCormack, Daniel Sloss, “, ”, McCormack, Samantha Bricknell, we’ve, Anthony Albanese, –, Hilary Whiteman, wasn’t, Lukas Coch, Hayley Boxall, Albanese, ’, ” Albanese, ” Boxall, ” Bricknell, Emily Garnett, there’ll, ” McCormack, he’s, “ I’ve, ‘ That’s Organizations: Australia CNN, Australian, of Criminology, ”, Australia, CNN, New South, Australian National University, Wales, Nations, First Nations, Brisbane Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Scottish, Bondi, Sydney, New South Wales, Canberra, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Australian, Melbourne, England

☆ 3 things Costco shoppers should know before buying gold bars
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Costco sells an estimated $200 million worth of gold and silver bars per month. Gold expert Taylor Huff says with the popularity, some buyers might not know what to expect. Huff recommended three things Costco shoppers should keep in mind when buying gold. Each new batch of gold bars sells out "within a few hours" of being released for a small mark-up over its spot price. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Taylor Huff, Huff, — Organizations: Costco, Service, Street Journal, Business

☆ Williams-Sonoma to pay $3.1 million after FTC sued it, saying it falsely labeled products as 'Made in USA'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Williams-Sonoma must pay $3.1 million after the FTC sued it over a violation. AdvertisementWilliams-Sonoma will pay $3.1 million after settling with the US government over accusations of falsely labeling products manufactured in foreign countries as "Made in USA." A July 2021 FTC press release notes that the order was implemented to discourage fraud. AdvertisementCourt documents attached to the press release showed that Williams-Sonoma admitted the allegations brought forward in the complaint were true. AdvertisementWilliams-Sonoma has also agreed to stop using "deceptive claims and follow Made in USA requirements," the press release said.

Persons: Williams, Lina M, Khan, —, Sean Zanni, Scott Olson Organizations: FTC, Service, Federal Trade Commission, US Department of Justice, DOJ, Williams, Sonoma, Business Locations: Sonoma, United States, USA, Williams, America, China

☆ Young parents with more than $5,000 in disposable income are the future of luxury shopping, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

YouGov published a report about Americans' desire for luxury goods despite concerns over inflation. Future luxury shoppers are young parents with disposable income and an optimistic outlook. Respondents said they're more likely to pay for luxury goods in 2024 compared to 2021. A report published this month by YouGov, a market research company, explored Americans' hunger for luxury goods and brands. "As more Americans purchase or consider purchasing luxury goods, luxury brands need a holistic understanding of their evolving and broadening customer segments."

Persons: YouGov, they're, —, Chris Melchiorre Organizations: Service, YouGov America, Business Locations: America

☆ Say goodbye to Ruby Tuesday and Chili’s. These are the hot new restaurants at the mall
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

As anchor department stores left malls, so did some name-brand chains like Ruby Tuesday, Chili’s, Applebee’s and others. What’s taking their place illustrates a large shift in US tastes: There’s a boom in smaller and regional restaurant chains with a local following. At the same time, many national chains are prioritizing drive-thru locations over their sit-down restaurants in malls. Chick-fil-A restaurants were only located in mall food courts for the company’s first 20 years. “Traditional mall restaurants were casual dining chains like Chili’s, TGI Fridays, and quick-service restaurants in food courts.

Persons: Ruby, What’s, Paul Hennessy, ”, Chris Simms, Simms, Gabby Jones, Mark Hunter, CBRE, RJ Hottovy, ” Hottovy, David Kim, ” Kim, It’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Anadolu Agency, Getty, “, Food, JCPenney, Nordstrom, Green, Westfield Garden, Bloomberg, Deloitte, NV Locations: New York, Applebee’s, Orlando , Florida, Paramus , New Jersey, United States, Greenbriar, Atlanta, Korean, Henderson

☆ It's already hard to get your Fisker fixed. Bankruptcy could make it impossible.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Grace Kay | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementBusiness Insider spoke with seven Fisker Ocean owners who shared their anxieties about what will happen to their cars if Fisker is no more. AdvertisementSome Fisker owners said they are already struggling to get service and parts. Three Fisker ocean owners described instances where the vehicle was bricked for days after their 12-volt battery died. What Fisker's failure would mean for its competitorsIf Fisker files for bankruptcy, there are likely to be ripple effects for other EV startups, Fiorani said. "If Fiskers start falling off the side of the road in the next few months because there's no one to update them, that's going to put fear into a lot of electric vehicle owners — not just Fisker owners," Fiorani said.

Persons: —, Henrik Fisker teeters, Sam Fiorani, Kurt Mechling, Mechling, Fisker, Chris Salvo, Salvo, Henrik Fisker, Mario Anzuoni, Fiorani, Patrick Burrell, Tesla Organizations: Service, Business, AutoForecast Solutions, BI, Reuters, EV Locations: California

☆ Walgreens has a cult ‘peelable’ candy, courtesy of a Tik Tok craze
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

For the beleaguered drugstore chain, the odd “Gummy Mango” candy is a much-needed win. Walgreens said it didn’t work with any paid influencer to hype up its mango gummies but that it took off organically. Walgreens is quickly following up on the success of its mango gummy with a new peelable banana gummy candy. As Esarte and his team rushed to restock the mango gummies last last year, a bigger challenge emerged. After weeks of scrambling and rushing, Walgreens is better prepared to make a bigger splash with the mango gummies.

Persons: It’s, Keonhee Kim, TikToker @Trinhdoesthings, ”, Marty Esarte, Esarte, we’ve, ” Esarte, Anthony Behar, Gen Z, China grinds, “ We’ve, Kim, Tim Wentworth, Tim, ” Kim Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walgreens, CNN, National Confectioners Association, Food Institute, Millennial, Morningstar Locations: New York, Asia, China

☆ All the data so far is showing inflation isn't going away, and is making things tough on the Fed
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Finally, consumers are dipping into savings to fund those purchases, creating a precarious scenario, if not now then down the road. With unemployment under 4%, it shouldn't be that surprising that prices aren't" going down, said Joseph LaVorgna, chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities. So you might have a sticky inflation scenario." "If inflation remains higher, the Fed will be faced with the difficult choice of pushing the economy into a recession, abandoning its soft-landing scenario, or tolerating inflation higher than 2%," Sanders said. "To us, accepting higher inflation is the more prudent option."

Persons: Justin Sullivan, Joseph LaVorgna, LaVorgna, Donald Trump, Biden, Mike Sanders, Sanders Organizations: Getty, Federal Reserve, Commerce Department, Nikko Securities, National Economic Council, Madison Investments Locations: San Rafael , California, U.S

☆ Why Emily Blunt’s turnip dress is part of a fashion tradition
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Turnips, radishes, potatoes… This is not the beginning of Emily Blunt’s shopping list, but rather the items that appeared all over her latest red carpet outfit. And while radishes rarely get a turn on the red carpet, fashion has been committed to making sure we get our greens lately. “Luxury fashion houses are including more and more food/ grocery adjacent items this season because food is a luxury category,” wrote master’s student @kfesteryga. And while we may be seeing more food-themed fashion on runways and in retail stores, the reality is edible patterns are far from new. The turnip, potato and radish two piece is just one of Anderson's many food-themed fashion creations.

Persons: Emily Blunt’s, Guy, ”, Blunt, Ganni, Loewe, Jonathon Anderson didn’t, Jess Cartner, Morley, piquantés, Gabbana's, Chris Moore, Hubert de Givenchy, Cynthia Rowley, Phoebe Philo, Marc Piasecki, JW Anderson —, “ Organizations: CNN, Northwestern University, Gabbana, Milan Fashion, Getty, Vogue Locations: Paris, Danish, New York, ”, artichoke, Gabbana's Milan, TikTok

☆ Buick, GM’s low-key pseudo-luxury brand, is suddenly hot
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In the 21st Century, though, Buick, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, has been a quiet spot in GM’s North American brand strategy. Last year, Buick sales rose more than 60% in the US compared to 2022. The Buick Envista introduced last summer is, essentially, a modified version of the well-received Chevrolet Trax, GM’s cheapest crossover SUV. The 1938 Buick Y Job is generally considered the auto industry's first "concept car." Last year, Avenir models, which get some fancier interior materials, more features, and distinctive paint colors, made up almost a third of Buick sales, the highest levels yet, Aldred said.

Persons: Louis Chevrolet, “, it’s, ”, Ivan Drury, Jason Barlow, Envista, Bob Boniface ,, Duncan Aldred, Drury, It’s, Buick, that’s, Aldred Organizations: CNN, Buick, GM, Riviera, Chevrolet Trax, GMC, Chevy, Cox Automotive, Cadillac, General Motors, Liverpool Locations: GM’s, China, the, America, Europe

Search resuls for: "Shoppers"

25 mentions found