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☆ A gig worker says the Lyft CEO's depiction of easy earnings is nonsense
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Take one of Risher's latest LinkedIn posts, which details driving Lyft riders around Napa Valley on a Sunday in early summer. But one Pennsylvania-based Lyft driver told Business Insider that the reality is far different than what Risher describes. AdvertisementDuring one recent week driving in Pennsylvania, the driver told BI that he completed eight rides over about three hours and drove 85 miles. Uber and Lyft workers say they're regularly offered rides that pay $3 or less each. Do you work for Lyft, Uber, DoorDash, or another gig rideshare or delivery service and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, David Risher, Risher, They're, aren't, Lyft, Uber, they're, that's Organizations: Service, Business, Lyft Locations: Napa Valley, Pennsylvania, Napa

☆ A gig worker says the Lyft CEO's depiction of easy earnings are nonsense
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Persons: —, David Risher, Risher, They're, aren't, Lyft, Uber, they're, that's Organizations: Service, Business, Lyft Locations: Napa Valley, Pennsylvania, Napa

☆ A millennial who got retail shift work using a gig app explains why he's never going back to that
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The worker worked for Circle K and Parker's Kitchen, a South Carolina-based chain of convenience stores and gas stations, by claiming shifts through Shiftsmart. I am homeless, and gig work is pretty much the only thing that kept me above water. I would go to Circle K and work as a cleaner and merchandiser. I realized that, at the pay rate Shiftsmart and Circle K were offering, it was putting me further into a hole financially. I don't know the exact numbers, but Shiftsmart has to be getting paid by Circle K whenever someone takes a shift.

Persons: —, I'm, Shiftsmart, they're Organizations: Service, Shiftsmart, Google, USPS, Business, Circle Locations: South Carolina

☆ Lyft's CEO faces pushback after driving for the app and posting about how great it was
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewSome Lyft drivers are deriding a LinkedIn post by the company's CEO after he spent an hour and a half shuttling customers around Napa Valley over the weekend. The CEO, David Risher, posted on Monday about a series of rides he completed in California's wine county. Related storiesSome comments on the post lauded the CEO for seeing what the job that keeps his company running is actually like. "Some people claim that Lyft drivers are friendlier, but that's a misconception since most of us drive for both companies." AdvertisementA Lyft spokesperson told Business Insider that Risher completed the rides without a status boost under the Lyft Rewards program.

Persons: —, David Risher, Risher, LinkedIn Risher, Lyft, Uber, commenter, Dara Khosrowshahi, He's, Khosrowshahi Organizations: Service, Lyft, Business, LinkedIn, Gilbert AZ, Tempe AZ, Drivers Locations: Napa Valley, California's, Napa, Gilbert, San Francisco

☆ Chipotle customers are roasting the chain for its portion sizes — and filming their orders in hopes of getting more food
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. In response, they're pulling out their smartphones as Chipotle employees add chicken al pastor, steak, or another one of their preferred proteins to their order. In the video, Lee samples multiple Chipotle items, including a bowl he ordered with chicken al pastor. "There have been no changes in our portion sizes, and we have reinforced proper portioning with our employees," Chipotle Chief Corporate Affairs and Food Safety Officer Laurie Schalow told Business Insider. Chipotle hasn't given employees instructions on what to do when customers start filming, a spokesperson added.

Persons: —, guacamole isn't, influencer Keith Lee, Lee, fajita veggies, Chipotle, Laurie Schalow, Schalow Organizations: Service, Business, Corporate Affairs, Food Locations: Chipotle

☆ I used bots to work for Instacart. You need one to make the job worthwhile.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Business Insider has verified his identity and his use of two bots designed for gig delivery apps. I found this guy who writes some articles on gig work, and he talked about having access to bots for Instacart. AdvertisementThe biggest reason I purchased it was because you just have to keep refreshing the screen to get orders on Instacart. AdvertisementAn Instacart spokesperson told BI: "This shopper was deactivated from our platform for blatant and abusive violations of our terms of service." Do you work for Instacart, DoorDash, Walmart Spark, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea to share?

Persons: Ted Rosner, That's, Instacart, I've, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Walmart Locations: Washington, DC, Instacart, DoorDash

☆ Hackers really, really like trying to take over your food delivery apps
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewYour DoorDash or other food delivery apps are a prime target for hackers. One reason: food delivery apps use two-factor authentication — like those codes texted to you before you can log in — less often than other kinds, Sift found. Just 3.5% of log-ins on food delivery apps asked for that kind of verification, making it easier for hackers to get in. Related storiesHackers also target food delivery accounts since many customers only use them periodically — meaning they're less likely to notice if someone takes control. AdvertisementDo you work for DoorDash, Instacart, Uber Eats, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, Brittany Allen, Allen, fraudsters, Uber Organizations: Service, Business, Facebook, Walmart Locations: cryptocurrency

☆ Shoplifting's biggest enablers might be the retailers themselves
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Alex Bitter | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But Walmart, Target, and other chains's own policies and practices could be worsening the problem. From conflicting policies to understaffing, retailers can make it hard for workers to prevent theft. That's because major retailers, including Walmart, Target, and others, have policies that sometimes prevent their own staff from addressing shoplifting at their stores, current and former employees told Business Insider. Among the report's recommendations for retailers: Hire enough employees at stores, and make sure they aren't constantly overworked. Do you work at Walmart, Target, or another major retailer and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, Rhea Gordon, Gordon, Lululemon, Calvin McDonald, Santino Burrola, Thea Sebastian, Hanna Love, Sebastian, Love, everything's Organizations: Walmart, Target, Service, Business, BI, CNBC, company's, Futures Institute, Brookings Locations: North Carolina, Colorado, California, Montana

☆ Instacart, DoorDash, and other apps appear to be trying to roll back Seattle's new laws for gig workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Instacart, DoorDash, and other apps seem to be trying to roll back Seattle's new gig worker pay law. They say Seattle gig workers are making less and delivering fewer orders after many raised prices. But in the preamble to the survey, Instacart indicated it already had thoughts about how things were going. One poster, who included screenshots of the message, encouraged other Instacart shoppers to turn the pre-written letter to the city council around. Uber Eats and Grubhub have also put out statements saying that things have gotten worse for their gig workers since Seattle's law took effect.

Persons: —, Instacart, they've, That's, PayUp, DoorDash, Dashers, Anna Powell, GeekWire, Powell Organizations: Service, Seattle City Council, Business, Instacart, BI, Walmart Locations: Seattle, Seattle's, DoorDash

☆ Some Walmart Spark drivers are getting hundreds of dollars in tips they never received due to the retailer's buggy system
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewSome drivers for Walmart's Spark delivery service are now getting hundreds of dollars in tips that they were owed after the retailer fixed a glitch. Some Spark drivers got an email informing them of the payment on Tuesday, according to emails seen by Business Insider. Related storiesOne driver posted a screenshot of a $179.77 adjustment payment on Tuesday to Spark Driver Community, a Facebook group for Spark drivers with just over 30,000 members. AdvertisementTips have long been a contentious topic for Walmart's Spark drivers. Do you work for Walmart Spark, DoorDash, Instacart, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, wouldn't, Adrian Youngblood Organizations: Service, Business, Walmart, Driver, BI Locations: Ohio

☆ People are getting taxed for gig work they've never done
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It claimed that his wife, Kelly, hadn't paid about $10,000 in taxes on income from her work on DoorDash. None of them referenced Gardner's actual Social Security number, though all included the last four digits of other people's Social Security numbers. The hack gave the attackers access to Social Security numbers and other personal information about the drivers, the retailer said. Gardner, who had previously used DoorDash as a customer, said she ultimately ignored the 1099s she received. Do you work for DoorDash, Instacart, Walmart Spark, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea?

Persons: —, Brandon Emerson, Kelly, hadn't, DoorDash, Brandon, She's, @Uber I've, Michael M Organizations: Service, Business, Social, Uber Locations: Rochester , New York

☆ 10 popular McDonald's menu items that cost up to 168% more now than a decade ago
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Collectively, the cost of a group of the most popular McDonald's items has doubled in that time. FinanceBuzzAmong the biggest McDonald's price hikes was for the McDouble sandwich, which went from an average price of $1.19 in 2014 to $3.19 in 2024 — a 168% increase. McDonald's has increased prices multiple times over the past decade. Executives acknowledged in February that McDonald's price increases had put off customers who made $45,000 a year or below. The fried-chicken chain Popeyes increased prices by 86%, while Taco Bell hiked them by 81%, the study found.

Persons: McDonald's, Price, —, FinanceBuzz, Burger, Taco Bell, Daniel Roccato Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Mac, Burger King, Business, Taco, University of San, Knauss School of Business Locations: McDonald's

☆ Amazon's Just Walk Out technology relies on hundreds of workers in India watching you shop
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewAmazon's Just Walk Out technology had a secret ingredient: Roughly 1,000 workers in India who review what you pick up, set down, and walk out of its stores with. But Just Walk Out was still very reliant on humans, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing an unnamed person who has worked on Just Walk Out technology. The revelation comes as Amazon is planning to replace Just Walk Out at Amazon Fresh stores with its Dash Carts, The Information reported. Twenty-seven of the 44 Amazon Fresh stores currently have the tech. Do you work for Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods and have a story idea to share?

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business, Amazon's, Amazon, Fresh, Foods, Aldi, Dollar Locations: India

☆ The great myth about dollar stores
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But recent earnings for Dollar General and Dollar Tree show both companies have hit rough patches. But four years later, Dollar General — and Dollar Tree, its main rival — are seeing a slowdown. AdvertisementAnd rival Dollar Tree is closing 1,000 Family Dollar stores after spending nearly a decade trying to integrate the chain into its business. Messy stores and understaffing have caught up to Dollar General and Dollar Tree. Do you work at Dollar General, Dollar Tree, or Family Dollar and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, Todd Vasos, Vasos, Robert Ohmes, It's, Michael Lasser Organizations: Dollar, Service, Shoppers, Bank of America, Business, UBS Locations: Minnesota

☆ Dollar stores are supposed to do well regardless of the economy. Turns out, that's not true.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Persons: —, Todd Vasos, Vasos, Robert Ohmes, It's, Michael Lasser Organizations: Dollar, Service, Shoppers, Bank of America, Business, UBS Locations: Minnesota

☆ I got deactivated from the Walmart Spark app after I got in a car accident. I wasn't even working when it happened.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Business Insider has verified Youngblood's identity and former work for Spark. That's when I got a "pre-adverse action" email from Spark, which had found out after running a background check. If you're going to deactivate somebody, you need to say what the grounds are. If I was delivering for Spark and I caused an accident, I would not fight it at all. Walmart doesn't insure me or my car or anything, so they can't claim that I'm going to cost them more going forward.

Persons: —, Adrian Youngblood, Walmart's, I've, that's Organizations: Service, Business, Walmart Locations: an Ohio

☆ Why we don't actually know whether retail theft is a big problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But a new report suggests we don't know whether organized retail crime is a big problem or not. "Organized retail crime," "retail theft," and similar terms don't correspond with categories that local police departments use to categorize crimes, Hanna Love, a fellow at Brookings, told Business Insider. It's unclear what makes organized retail crime "different than, say, other instances of shoplifting" from a data perspective, Love said. The NRF has said that it took back the estimate due to an error by an outside analyst who contributed to its report on organized retail crime. About fourteen states passed new laws on retail theft in 2022 and 2023, Stateline reported in December.

Persons: —, Hanna Love, Love, James Kehoe, William Blair, Target's, it's, Sebastian, Stateline Organizations: Walmart, Walgreens, Service, Target, National Retail Federation, Brookings Institution, Brookings, Retail, The New York Times Locations: States, Brookings, San Francisco, Indiana, Fairfax , Virginia

☆ Frankenstein restaurants like a Taco Bell-Pizza Hut combo are popping up everywhere
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementIn 2008, Hip Hop trio Das Racist caught the attention of the internet with their song "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell." Its most recent dual-branded restaurant opening was in Leon, Mexico, and the company is contemplating opening more in the US, CEO John Peyton said. The 2002 annual report for Yum Brands, the parent company of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC, among other restaurant chains, lays out why the much-memed combination Taco Bell-Pizza Hut existed in the first place. In the past, some restaurant brands have put together brands that don't complement each other, said Rob Seely, associate vice president of operations, strategy, and design at WD Partners, which advises restaurant brands. Do you work at a major restaurant like McDonald's, Pizza Hut, or Taco Bell and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, Bell, It's, John Peyton, Dine, Payton, Peyton, Das, Taco Bell, David Novak, Novak, Yum, Frankenrestaurants, hasn't, Long John Silver, John Silver, Long John Silver's, Rob Seely, Seely, Taco Organizations: Service, Dine Brands, Yum Brands, KFC, Bell, Brands, Darden, Business, WD Partners, Taco Bell Locations: Leon , Mexico, Applebee's, IHOP, Pizza, Taco, Kentucky

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 . Now, he's trying to turn the company around by stepping up for a second stint at its helm. The sportswear brand said March 13 that Plank will take over its CEO role again more than four years after he left the position. The company has also struggled to define itself against competitors — most notably Nike.

Persons: Armour, —, Kevin Plank, Plank, Stephanie Linnartz, Armour wasn't Organizations: Service, Nike, Armour

☆ Frankenstein restaurants are popping up everywhere, but they aren't actually that successful
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementIn 2008, Hip Hop trio Das Racist caught the attention of the internet with their song "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell." Its most recent dual-branded restaurant opening was in Leon, Mexico, and the company is contemplating opening more in the US, CEO John Peyton said. Related storiesSo Yum turned to Frankenrestaurants — like the combination Pizza Hut-Taco Bell — to offer a wider variety of options under one roof. Major restaurant brands also frequently change ownership, making it hard to decouple multi-branded locations if a company decides to sell one. In the past, some restaurant brands have put together brands that don't complement each other, said Rob Seely, associate vice president of operations, strategy, and design at WD Partners, which advises restaurant brands.

☆ I Went to Aldi and Saw Why the Discount Grocer Is Booming in the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

German grocer Aldi is planning to add hundreds of stores to the thousands it already has in the US. The chain focuses on keeping costs and prices low, making it popular as food remains pricey. I visited an Aldi store to see why the supermarket brand is expanding so fast. Now, Aldi is planning to open 800 more locations over the next four years, bringing its store count in America to 3,200. AdvertisementI decided to head to an Aldi store in Maryland, near Washington, DC, to see what it's like to shop at the fast-growing supermarket.

Persons: —, Aldi didn't Organizations: Aldi, Service Locations: America, Maryland, Washington

☆ I quit delivering for apps like DoorDash to build my own 200-driver business. It's rewarding but tough.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 2019, Urias-Roy and her husband started URATX, a delivery service based in Austin that uses independent contractors for large food deliveries, such as catering orders. The problem these stores had was that they were getting a lot of business orders, but drivers weren't equipped to handle it. That basically allowed me to start a delivery business instead of working as a contractor for the big apps or local delivery services. It's lower now though because we recently lost our biggest partnership with a major catering delivery company. AdvertisementAnd so the best thing about it is that I don't have drivers confronting restaurants about tips, I don't have drivers confronting clients begging for tips.

Persons: Moumita Urias, Roy, URATX, we've, we're, there's Organizations: Service, Business, Amazon Flex Locations: Austin, Urias, Canada, we're, Texas, Arizona, Russian

☆ Dollar General is taking checkout back out of your hands because of theft
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dollar General is pulling self-checkout options out of 300 stores. The dollar store is also getting employees involved again at thousands more. AdvertisementRival dollar store chain Dollar Tree said Wednesday that it would close 1,000 stores under its Family Dollar brand, citing theft as one of the factors it considered when deciding which stores to close. Since then, Dollar General has used AI to evaluate its self-checkouts, he said. AdvertisementDo you work at Dollar General, Dollar Tree, or Family Dollar and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, Todd Vasos, Vasos, isn't Organizations: Service, Walmart, Dollar Locations: reassessing

☆ Facial recognition tech is widespread now, but still might not recognize you
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Facial recognition frequently misidentifies people of colorMIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini found that facial recognition technology misidentified black women up to 35% of the time, the New York Times reported in 2018. When fewer photos of people from other racial and gender groups are used, facial recognition tech is less accurate at identifying people of those backgrounds, the study said. In some cases, it's possible to opt out of using facial recognition technology — and its high error rate. But sidestepping facial recognition often isn't possible, said Gideon Christian, a law professor at the University of Calgary who has written about the legal and societal aspects of facial recognition technology. AdvertisementThe FTC banned Rite Aid from using facial recognition technology in stores for five years as a result.

Persons: —, Spark, Joy Buolamwini, shoplifters haven't, Gideon Christian, Samuel Levine, Christian Organizations: Service, TSA, Business, MIT Media, New York Times, MIT Technology Review, Walmart, CBP, University of Calgary, FTC, FTC's, Consumer Protection, Rite Aid Locations: India

☆ Theft just keeps getting worse for Dollar Tree
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Dollar Tree says theft will remain a problem at its stores well into 2024. Dollar Tree is closing about 1,000 Family Dollar stores, it also said Wednesday, a result of a review of the brand that has been months in the making. Theft was one of many factors that Dollar Tree considered when it decided which locations to close, the executives said. Last year, Dollar Tree locked some items up and put others behind checkouts to deter would-be shoplifters. Do you work at Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, or Dollar General and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, Richard Dreiling, Jeffrey Davis, Davis, Dreiling Organizations: Service

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