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☆ 23 major brands suspected of illegally sourcing products made by forced labor in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

And more ...Mary Meisenzahl/InsiderThese companies have also been suspected of having direct or indirect ties to Chinese forced labor in the aforementioned reports. Bosch"Bosch is committed to ensuring that its products are not produced wholly or in part by forced labor. "Compliance with human rights, labor rights and environmental standards is a top priority at PUMA and has been specified in our Codes of Conduct for over 20 years." As stated in our Business Conduct Guidelines, we reject all forms of oppression, forced labor and participation in human rights violations. We will continue to respect human rights and take a strong stand against forced labor."

☆ Aldi customers are scrambling to buy a $13 dress. That's the power of its 'treasure hunt' Aldi Deals aisle.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A limited-edition Aldi dress gained traction in a Facebook group of 1.5 million members. The dress was a feature in the Aldi Finds aisle, which is responsible for about 20% of total sales. The wrap-style dress from the brand Serra was featured in Aldi's weekly "Aldi Finds" advertisement for the week of November 9. Aldi's "Aldi Finds" aisle is a grab bag of products that changes throughout the year. Aldi did not respond to Insider's request for comment, but as Aldi plans to continue its rapid expansion, its Aldi Finds aisle likely will remain a key part of future store designs.

☆ I compared Whole Foods and Wegmans, and the smaller chain is the clear winner due to thoughtful design and private label grocery staples
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

I don't tend to do my regular grocery shopping at Wegmans, but I visited to remember why the chain has such a loyal following — taking the No. 1 slot in a recent national survey of grocery customers. Mary Meisenzahl/InsiderNewsweek and Statista's 2022 "America's Best Retailers" survey of more than 10,000 shoppers named Wegmans as the No. 1 grocery chain.

☆ NFL player J.J. Watt blasts Chipotle on Twitter: 'We want big burritos back'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Arizona Cardinals player J.J. Watt called out Chipotle for shrinking burrito sizes on Twitter. Some customers have been complaining about Chipotle's portion sizes for years. Pro-bowler and Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt tweeted Sunday "Burritos have been getting smaller…," writing that he wanted to "open dialogue" with Chipotle. "We want big burritos back," he wrote, adding hashtags including "Burrito justice," "Still hungry," and "This is supposedly double meat." If its portion sizes are getting smaller, Chipotle wouldn't be the only retailer to do so.

☆ I compared the price of organic groceries at Walmart and Whole Foods and found the latter was more competitive than I expected
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ A McDonald's franchisee is accused of asking 100 teens to work too many hours or late shifts. Restaurants are recruiting younger workers during ongoing labor shortage.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

13 McDonald's restaurants in Pennsylvania violated child labor laws, according to a federal probe. The franchisee, Santonastasso Enterprises LLC, was accused of assigning shifts to 14- and 15-year-old workers that violated the Fair Labor Standards Act. "Employers who hire young workers must understand and comply with federal child labor laws or face costly consequences." McDonald's and Burger King restaurant operators have advertised work to teens as young as 14. Teens 14 to 15 years old can work in restaurants and quick-service businesses during non-school hours, up to three hours on school days, and up to 18 hours on a school week.

☆ Starbucks workers are divided on the chain's new tipping system
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Starbucks is expanding its new credit card tipping system across the US. "Starbucks customers have multiple options for showing their appreciation for our store partners," the coffee chain told Insider in a statement. Workers that spoke to Insider said they averaged an extra $1 to $2 per hour in credit card tips. For workers who aren't sold on the new system, the problem is more about the customers rather than the tipping itself. A Starbucks spokesperson told Insider that the update was suggested by workers in discussion sessions with employees on pain points and ways to improve the experience.

☆ I visited Wegmans and it's clear why the supermarket chain was recently rated America's top grocery store
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

☆ I tried Taco Bell's polarizing enchirito during its temporary return and it felt like a step backwards after a year of successful launches
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

It comes topped with diced onions, though they seem to be there more as a garnish than for adding to the flavor of the dish. Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

☆ McDonald's opens US's first small-format location that's optimized for delivery and mobile orders
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It includes an order-ahead lane where customers can drive up and retrieve mobile orders from a conveyer belt. Drive-thru and mobile orders are both critical to McDonald's business: About 25% of US sales are digital through the app, kiosk, or delivery orders, McDonald's says, and 70% of orders go through the drive-thru. Chipotle just opened its 500th Chipotlane, which operates like the order-ahead line in the McDonald's test store. Taco Bell has also opened Go Mobile restaurant formats with drive-thru lanes dedicated to mobile orders. McDonald's test is limited for now to the one location in the Fort Worth suburb called White Settlement.

Mary Meisenzahl/InsiderEarning credit card sign-up bonuses is the fastest way to earn rewards for (nearly) free travel. If you don't think you can meet the spending requirement to earn a card bonus, there are tricks to help you get there (without overspending). Note that credit card lenders may use many different variations of credit score models when considering your application. Let's take a look at a few powerful ways to meet credit card minimum spending requirements. Pay your rent or mortgageThere are a few services that let you pay your rent or mortgage by credit card.

☆ Chicken prices are finally falling and it's triggering a resurgence of fast-food chicken sandwich wars
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Executives at Burger King and McDonald's praised sales growth driven by chicken menu items. On November 15, Popeyes released its new Blackened Chicken Sandwich, which is not breaded and is seasoned with Cajun and Creole spices. The sandwich chain is explicitly promoting the new sandwich as "reigniting the chicken sandwich wars," which started with the 2019 release of the Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich. The chain further took advantage of reduced chicken prices with a BOGO chicken sandwich deal over Black Friday weekend. Chicken, including the spicy chicken sandwich and McNuggets, has been a "strong growth driver" for McDonald's, CEO Chris Kempczinski told investors in October.

☆ Krispy Kreme has exited Russia over the war in Ukraine. 'Krunchy Dream' is taking its place.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A chain of new donut shops called Krunchy Dream has sprung up in Russia, where Krispy Kreme once stood. They are owned by the Novikov Group, whose owner Arkady Novikov is Krispy Kreme's only former franchisee in Russia. It then proceeded to shutter all Russian Krispy Kreme shops. Krispy Kreme said in its second-quarter earnings results release that it had closed 30 franchise shops in Russia. Krispy Kreme and the Novikov Group did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment which were sent outside regular business hours.

☆ I compared Starbucks and Dunkin'. As prices increase, Starbucks seems like the better deal due to Dunkin's inconsistency.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Ultimately, Starbucks is a superior experience, and the price difference between the two brands is smaller than ever. I think I'll be going to Starbucks more often now. Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

☆ We visited Walmart and Target to compare Black Friday turnout, and Target was the winner of the day
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Toys seemed to be major strengths for both stores, but based on crowds Target was having a better holiday. Mary Meisenzahl/InsiderDo you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.

☆ We visited two Walmart stores on opposite sides of the country on Black Friday and were shocked by how few shoppers we saw
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Between the retail giant's California and New York stores, it seems the era of Walmart's Black Friday shopping extravaganza is now over. Brittany Chang/Insider

☆ We visited the same Walmart on Black Friday in 2021 and 2022 — and the consistent emptiness shows the waning importance of the shopping holiday
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Even though the location I visited was slightly busier in 2022 than the previous year, it still felt empty compared to a regular weekend. Mary Meisenzahl/InsiderDo you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.

☆ How fast food got its start in Southern California — and why it's still the fast food capital of the world
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Walmart, Best Buy, Trader Joe's and other retailers will be closed on Thanksgiving this year — see the list
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Ann Matica | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Stores like Walmart and Best Buy will be closing their doors on Thanksgiving again this year. Here's a list of retailers that have decided to stay closed on Thanksgiving Day. AppleREUTERS/Alyssa PointerApple stores located in the US will be closed this Thanksgiving, according to a company spokesperson. NordstromJeff Greenberg/Contributor/Universal Images Group Editorial via GettyNordstrom will not be opening its doors for business this Thanksgiving, according to Forbes. PetcoEducation Images/Contributor/Universal Images Group Editorial via GettyA company spokesperson confirmed to Insider that Petco will remain closed on Thanksgiving Day.

☆ The dream of plant-based meat in fast food may already be dead
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Fast food chains have experimented with plant-based proteins for years with limited success. Plant-based meat is too expensive and adds too much complexity for widespread fast food adoption, an analyst said. Despite some exceptions like Burger King's Impossible Whopper, plant-based fast food menu items have largely been featured as limited-time offerings. It's "very hard" to convert meat eaters to plant-based meat, he said. Plant-based meat isn't likely to disappear from fast food menus, but it's also not going to replace beef.

☆ Wendy's breakfast business is growing, and after trying it I completely understand why
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

It had the same great biscuit as the other sandwich, along with juicy chicken and a slight sweetness from the honey. It was one of the best fast-food sandwiches I've ever had, and I'd order it again whenever I had the chance. Chicken sandwich. Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

☆ These are 42 foods that Costco employees and members love the most
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Áine Cain | Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Members love the croissants and recommend one hack to make them even better. Looking for a warm treat in the morning? Costco members have recommended one hack that'll take one of the company's baked items to the next level. Two Costco members discussed Costco's croissants in a 2017 Reddit thread. Another member added that, "Crisping up the croissants in the oven is really great stuff."

☆ Domino's is rolling out a fleet of 800 Chevy Bolt EVs to help deliver pizzas. See what they'll look like.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

☆ I compared mobile ordering at Starbucks and Dunkin', and one brand clearly has it mastered
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Both brands are fairly good at fulfilling mobile orders, but Starbucks has it down to a science. Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

☆ Dead Costco chickens produce piles of bones outside a Nebraska town. Residents complain about 'smell of death'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some Nebraska residents are complaining about discarded chicken parts from Costco's operations. Residents said the smell from discarded poultry was "unbearable," the Nebraska Examiner reported. David City Mayor Alan Zavodny also expressed concern that composting operations were near the city's water wells, the Examiner reported. Bones and other discarded parts from dead chickens can be piled up at the chicken barns themselves, the Examiner reported, citing state laws. "It was just the smell of death," Greg Lanc, a farmer who lives within a mile of nearly 50 chicken barns, told the Examiner.

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