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☆ Trick Yourself Into Eating Less Sugar
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Alina Dizik | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

What if the best way to curb sugar cravings is just to eat as much as you want? That is the core of an idea gaining traction among dietitians, who say that letting ourselves graze unfettered on a cache of Halloween fun-size Snickers can reduce our sugar lust in the long run.

☆ For the second Halloween in a row, U.S. candy inflation hits double digits
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. That's on top of a 14% increase in candy and gum prices in October 2022. "The price of candy has gotten to be outrageous," said Jessica Weathers, a small business owner in Shiloh, Illinois. Weathers said she usually buys plenty of candy for trick-or-treaters and events at school and church. Meanwhile, global sugar prices are at 12-year highs, Goughary said.

Persons: Jessica Weathers, Weathers, Dan Sadler, Kelly Goughary, Goughary, —, Michele Buck, Buck, Hershey Organizations: Gro Intelligence, Aldi, Hershey Locations: Shiloh , Illinois, West Africa, El, Ivory, India, Brazil

For the second year in a row, U.S. shoppers are seeing double-digit inflation in the candy aisle. That’s on top of a 14% increase in candy and gum prices in October 2022. “The price of candy has gotten to be outrageous,” said Jessica Weathers, a small business owner in Shiloh, Illinois. Meanwhile, global sugar prices are at 12-year highs, Goughary said. Buck said Hershey is trying to meet consumers’ needs with offerings in value stores and pack sizes at various price points.

Persons: ”, Jessica Weathers, ” Weathers, Dan Sadler, Kelly Goughary, Goughary, —, Michele Buck, Buck, Hershey Organizations: Gro Intelligence, Aldi, Mars Inc, Hershey Co Locations: Shiloh , Illinois, West Africa, El, Ivory, India, Brazil

☆ Halloween candy is getting more expensive—these are the 10 states where prices have gone up the most
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The prices in the candy aisle feel a lot more like a trick than a treat these days. This year Americans are expected to spend $3.6 billion on Halloween candy, up from $3.1 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation. However, while candy prices are going up nationwide, some states are experiencing bigger price hikes than others. Scholarship database Scholaroo analyzed the increase in candy prices since 2020 using data from the candy and chewing gum price index. These are the states where Halloween candy prices have increased the most, and the least, since last year.

Organizations: Reese's, National Retail Federation Locations: Hawaii, Pennsylvania

☆ Halloween is candy's biggest holiday. Here's how Snickers maker Mars prepares for trick-or-treaters
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

For 11 months of the year, Tim LeBel is Mars Wrigley's president of sales. The National Retail Federation predicts consumers will spend $3.6 billion on Halloween candy this year, up from $3.1 billion last year, even as many shoppers pull back spending elsewhere. Unlike Hershey, family-owned Mars doesn't report its financial results, but disclosed nearly $45 billion in annual revenue in 2021. With the stakes so high for Halloween, Mars starts planning for the holiday two years in advance. "A lot of those things take two years to develop and execute to bring to market," LeBel told CNBC.

Persons: Tim LeBel, Mars, Ferrero, Mondelez, …, Hershey, Michele Buck, LeBel Organizations: Mars, Hershey, National Retail Federation, CNBC

☆ U.S. food companies go deal hunting as pandemic growth fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Deborah Mary Sophia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last month, Campbell Soup (CPB.N) struck a $2.7 billion deal for Rao's sauce maker Sovos Brands (SOVO.O). Reuters GraphicsReuters Graphics Reuters Graphics"Large food companies need to add more new concepts, new flavor profiles and new food items because their old brands - though still growing - are not growing at a meaningful rate," Milani said. Packaged food companies "are now faced with some difficult comparisons on organic (sales) and are seeking some strategic, category-specific M&A targets that will propel them through the next few years," Henry said. "Most of the large cap packaged food companies have ... diligently reduced their debt and improved their balance sheet (through the pandemic)...so they have the risk capacity and risk appetite to pursue large-scale acquisitions," CFRA Research analyst Arun Sundaram said. "These packaged food companies need to continue finding ways to stay relevant ... And so one of the easiest ways to do that is through M&A."

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Campbell, There's, Michael Milani, Baker Tilly, Milani, Kraft Heinz, Sarah Henry, Henry, Mills, Luca Zaramella, Hershey, J.P, Morgan, Arun Sundaram, Deborah Sophia, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Campbell Soup, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Sovos, Unilever, Mars, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Logan Capital Management, PepsiCo, Mondelez, Barclays, Hostess Brands, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, North America, dealmaking, Bengaluru

☆ How gas station economics will change in the electric vehicle charging future
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Here's what gas station owners need to know about the EV charging trend and their future. By contrast, gas stations along major highways between highly traveled destinations can be ideal for electric charging hubs. While there can be a first-mover advantage for gas stations, some owners, like Blake Smith, founder of SQRL Holdings, a gas station and convenience store operator, are taking it slow. His company operates more than 150 convenience store gas station locations and offers electric charging in select locations in Florida. "I would never recoup my investment," he said, adding that a move to all electric charging could be decades away.

Persons: Seth Cutler, Neha Palmer, Shubhendra Anand, Biden, Barbara Stoyko, Sujay Sharma, Sharma, Yair Nechmad, Michael Hughes, Rohan Puri, Hughes, Albert Gore, Gore, Blake Smith Organizations: EV Connect, Gas, EV, TeraWatt, Automotive, Shell, Research, Shell Americas, BP, GM, Ford, National Automobile Dealers Association, ChargePoint Holdings, Stable Auto Corporation, U.S . Department of, Administration, U.S . Department of Energy, Royal, Emission Transportation Association, EVs, SQRL Holdings Locations: California , Arizona, New Mexico, Takoma Park, Md, Fulham, England, China, Netherlands, U.S, Local, Wawa, Florida, Arkansas

☆ Walmart customers kept accidentally buying $49 Walmart+ memberships at self-checkout, forcing the company to abruptly yank a promotion
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The company has been pushing discounted memberships during its Walmart Plus Week event. The membership offer was part of Walmart Plus Week, the retailer's answer to Amazon's Prime Day. Just like the Amazon program, Walmart Plus Week is about not just sales, but driving new members to sign up for the service, which normally costs Walmart shoppers $98 a year. A push to grow Walmart+Walmart has pushed to grow its Walmart+ membership base for some time now. Are you a Walmart employee or a shopper with a story to share?

Persons: Dominick Reuter, Yeji Lee Organizations: Walmart, Service, Privacy, Paramount, Amazon, Wisconsin Walmart Locations: Wall, Silicon, Wisconsin, Texas

NEW YORK, July 5 (Reuters) - Family-owned food giant Mars Inc on Wednesday agreed to buy Kevin's Natural Foods, which is known for its sous-vide meals, sauces, and side dishes, the companies said. McLean, Virginia-based Mars, which generates about $48 billion in annual sales, has three major businesses - Mars Petcare, Mars Snacking, and Mars Food & Nutrition. After the deal is completed, Kevin's will operate as a standalone brand under the food and nutrition unit. Mars plans to grow its food business through more potential acquisitions in the near term, said Shaid Shah, global president at Mars Food & Nutrition. McCray launched Kevin's after he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, as he wanted to build a food brand that focused on healthy diets.

Persons: Kevin's, Mars, Canin, Shaid Shah, Shah, Dan Costa, Kelsie Costa, Olson, Kevin McCray, McCray, Simpson Thacher, ArentFox Schiff, Sheppard Mullin, Anirban Sen, Abigail Summerville, Jamie Freed Organizations: YORK, Mars Inc, Mars Food, Nutrition, Mars, Heska Corp, Towerbrook Capital Partners, NewRoad Capital Partners, Unilever, Flagstone Foods, Campbell Soup, Citi, Burling, Wells, Wells Fargo Securities, Thomson Locations: McLean , Virginia, Modesto , California, North America, Bartlett, Covington, Wells Fargo, New York

☆ Take a look inside the factory fueling candy giant Mars' $1 billion ice cream ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Mars has also been expanding its portfolio, rolling out new flavors such as M&M's Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches and Twix Cookie Dough Ice Cream. Mars' ice cream goals hinge on the old and the newMars entered the ice cream category in 1986 when it bought Dove, then known just for its ice cream bars before the candy company expanded it into chocolate. "We don't have the biggest ice cream brands, but we do believe we have the biggest brands in ice cream," Shaf Lalani, the U.S. head of Mars Ice Cream, told CNBC. "Mars Inc. ice cream brands face hefty competition, being ranks away from the leading spot in the U.S. ice cream market," said Carl Quash, Euromonitor's head of food and nutrition research. Twix Ice Cream is the fastest-growing product in the company's ice cream portfolio.

Persons: Mars, Anton Vincent, hasn't, General Mills, Bell, Carl, Lalani, — Organizations: Mars, Kind, Kind North America, National Football League, Cream, CNBC, U.S, Euromonitor, Haagen, Unilever, Mars Inc, Tru Locations: Burr Ridge , Illinois, Mars Wrigley North America, U.S, , Illinois, Kind North

☆ ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ Taught a Master Class in Talking Smack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Calum Marsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

What Billy understands, and what the movie so beautifully expresses, is that streetball is about more than merely who is the most accomplished player. When Billy drains a three-pointer in a shootout, Sidney nonetheless derides his style: “No aesthetic beauty whatsoever,” he jeers. Or as one of Sidney’s friend puts it, after Sidney’s more elegant three in reply: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Only “White Men Can’t Jump” has captured the power of talking smack. “You’d rather look good and lose,” he tells him, “than look bad and win.” It’s an apt diagnosis, but it cuts both ways.

☆ Morgan Stanley's wealth business just keeps on winning
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It's good to be Morgan Stanley these days. Amid a difficult market for Wall Street banks — thanks in large part to non-existent deal flow — Morgan Stanley's massive wealth business has been paying off big time. But Morgan Stanley's success isn't coming in a vacuum. -Meanwhile, UBS, arguably Morgan Stanley's biggest competitor in the space, was begrudgingly saddled with Credit Suisse's carcass. With wealth advisors, a key part of hiring includes offering "bonuses" that are actually loans.

☆ Chocolate King Charles III sculpture unveiled to celebrate coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A life-sized chocolate bust of Britain’s King Charles III weighing 23 kilograms (more than 50 pounds) has been unveiled by confectionery brand Celebrations to mark the forthcoming coronation. One of each of the Celebrations chocolates, including Snickers, was used to create the medals on his chest. Celebrations is all about bringing people together and we are thrilled to be sharing this occasion with so many chocolate lovers up and down the country,” she added. The chocolate bust will be on display in the southeastern English town of Slough at Mars Wrigley UK HQ, the headquarters of Mars, which owns the Celebrations brand. King Charles III’s coronation will take place on May 6 in London’s Westminster Abbey.

☆ Twitter's posthumous blue checks look a lot like necro-advertising, the legally questionable marketing strategy that uses dead celebrities to boost sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Twitter added paid checks to accounts of dead celebrities like Kobe Bryant and Anthony Bourdain. The rights to Monroe's likeness and intellectual property sold to Authentic Brands Group for an estimated $20-30 million in 2011, the outlet reported. In 2013, shortly after Authentic Brands Group acquired the rights to Monroe's image, she became a spokesperson for Chanel No. Authentic Brands Group, which also owns the rights to Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali's brands, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. The marketing group is run by Jamie Salter, the billionaire entrepreneur who co-founded Hilco Consumer Capital.

☆ Sugar prices spike to 11-year high and could rise further due to extreme weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Orlando, Winter Park, Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Shop, chocolate bar display, Milky Way and Snickers. Raw sugar futures in recent days rose to 24 cents a pound and reaching an 11-year high. "Sugar fundamentals are quite bullish for the prices to remain elevated in the short to medium term," said Girish Chhimwal, a sugar analyst at S&P, citing weather risks plaguing top sugar producers. Rising costs could be passed on to consumers in the form of pricier candy. "The rising price of confectionary and sugar-based beverages will incorporate rising sugar values," said John Stansfield, a senior sugar analyst at commodity data platform DNEXT.

☆ My company is making us go back to the office 2 days a week to boost morale — but no one wants to be there
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Remote work was for tech people or consultants — not for regular folks. So when COVID first hit and I, along with almost every other office worker in the world, got sent home to do my job, I didn't know what to expect. But now, management is backtracking and saying we need to be in the office at least two days a week. Earlier this year, management ordered us to go back to the office two days a month; starting this summer, they've mandated two days a week. I'm looking for another job, which is frustrating since I'd rather stay with my company and continue being the productive remote worker that I am.

☆ Analysis: Twitter's advertising business seen facing slow recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Musk, who also runs electric carmaker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), earlier this week told the BBC that most of Twitter's advertisers are returning to the platform and the business was "roughly breaking even." Research firm Insider Intelligence this week slashed its forecast for Twitter's global ad revenue this year by 37% to $2.98 billion. That would represent a 28% decline from Twitter's 2022 ad revenue of $4.14 billion. 33 among Twitter's top advertisers before Musk's acquisition, according to Sensor Tower. Twitter's ad business is "eroding" and its subscription product Twitter Blue is seeing only moderate success, Similarweb said in a blog post.

☆ M&Ms Super Bowl commercial: How ads have become weeks-long campaigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Super Bowl commercial, billed as the conclusion to weeks-long drama surrounding the status of the “spokescandies,” left some viewers scratching their heads. But if you weren’t paying attention, the final commercial might be a head scratcher -— one risk a brand takes when it uses a weeks-long campaign ahead of its Super Bowl commercial. In a change for the decades-old Super Bowl ad wars, it’s actually become a commonplace strategy to use social media to tease, preview and create buzz ahead of their Super Bowl commercials. Companies spend millions just for a Super Bowl ad slot — reportedly over $7 million for some 30-second spots — before investing into the commercials themselves. Dance contests and bettingDespite the high cost of a Super Bowl commercial, companies are eager to nab a spot.

☆ Warren Buffett shelled out $6.5 billion to help Mars buy Wrigley during the financial crisis. Here's how he made the candy deal happen.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Warren Buffett spent $6.5 billion to help Mars acquire Wrigley during the financial crisis. "We fit very well as a partner for what the Mars family wanted to achieve in this purchase," Buffett told CNBC at the time. Buffett doubled his moneyNearly five years after the merger, Mars reached out to Buffett and asked to repurchase Berkshire's Wrigley debt early. Mars contacted Buffett again in 2016 as it wanted to buy him out and take full control of Wrigley. Buffett agreed to sell all of his Wrigley shares for about $4.6 billion in September 2016.

☆ Nick Bollettieri, famed tennis coach, dies aged 91
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Nick Bollettieri, the famed tennis coach who taught the likes of the Williams sisters, Andre Agassi and Maria Sharapova, has died aged 91. Bollettieri’s death was confirmed by the IMG Academy, which Bollettieri is the founder of, in a statement sent to CNN. In 1977, he founded the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy – now the IMG Academy – after borrowing $1 million from a friend to build a live-in tennis academy for his students. During over 30 years as a coach, Bollettieri became one of the most sought-after teachers in world tennis due to the success players had under him. Bollettieri outside his tennis academy.

☆ 3 simple email-marketing strategies to get people to open your emails and make a purchase
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Erin Greenawald | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

They suggested business owners personalize content and focus on providing value over making a sale. Courtesy of Kate Test DavisIn addition to connecting with customers, email marketing can convert readers into customers. Dalton and Test Davis shared with Insider the strategies they use to create smart email-marketing campaigns that generate results. "We found that sending our emails from a person instead of from an organization really improves our open rates," Test Davis said. Lean into what works for your audienceEmail-marketing advice from other businesses or business owners can only go so far.

☆ The execs behind Super Bowl ads for brands like Mars, ViacomCBS, and Heinz share how ideas come to be — and what makes them go viral
▼ + stars: | 2022-01-27 | by ( Jenny Powers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Insider asked three ad-industry execs who've worked on Super Bowl spots what it takes to succeed. 4 in last year's top 10 Super Bowl LV commercials, according to USA Today's Ad Meter. In 2015, the web-hosting company sparked massive outrage over a spot it planned to run during the Super Bowl. "The Super Bowl is a brand's opportunity to surprise viewers and give them something they didn't see coming. Neither Newcastle campaign, If We Made It or Band of Brands, was actually aired during the Super Bowl.

☆ Easter dishes from around the world
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-02 | by ( Janelle Davis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Judy Witts Francini/Divinacucina.com Italians usually buy the traditional colomba, an Easter bread shaped like a dove, at a local bakery or pastry shop. Judy Witts Francini/Divinacucina.com Lamb chops are traditionally served on Easter in Italy. Judy Witts Francini/Divinacucina.com These Easter cookies are from Puglia, a southern region of Italy. Judy Witts Francini/Divinacucina.com Italian Easter dishes Prev NextOther countries take a similar “more is more” approach to Easter meals, but a few dishes really stand out. Singapore: Beef murtabakSingaporean beef murtabak is an egg crepe wrapped around ground beef served with fresh lime, chili sauce and raita.

Persons: ”, Judy Witts Francini, Witts, Romano, citron, Francini, Cucina, Divinacucina.com, Lamb, Benedict, Rossella, It’s, Rossella Rago, Nonna ”, ” Rago, it’s, ‘, Rago, Romana, Nonna Romana, “, Mely Martinez, ” Martinez, Mexico, “ It’s, capirotada, Martinez, Christ, Charbel Barker's, Charbel Barker, ” Barker, Barker, Anna Hurning, Hurning, Damian D’Silva, D’Silva, Damian D'Silva, Kin D’Silva, ” D’Silva, Lola Osinkolu's, Lola Osinkolu, Lola’s, Lola's, Osinkolu, Jollof Organizations: CNN, Central, Beef, ” Locations: She’s, California, Florence, Tuscany, Italy, salamis, Puglia, Naples, Italian American, Italian America, Italian, Brooklyn , New York, Mexico, Mexican, Tampico , Mexico, Poland, Szczecin, Singapore, Rempapa, ” Nigeria, who’s, Nigeria, Nigerian, Senegal, West, It’s

☆ Новый год, ожидание подарков, о которых мечтал целый год, или два, или больше
▼ + stars: | 2021-01-02 | by ( Mld Media Srl | ) noi.md time to read: +1 min

Новый год, ожидание подарков, о которых мечтал целый год, или два, или большеВ детстве Новый год был моим любимым праздником - как бы это банально ни звучало, но я, как и многие, ждал в ночь с 31 декабря на 1 января какого-то чуда. Конечно, это не было ожидание резкого скачка в экономике родного государства или надежда на то, что наконец-то наступит мир во всем мире. Это было ожидание подарков - тех материальных предметов, о которых мечтал. А о чем я тогда мечтал? Естественно, мне хотелось найти под живой елкой, стоящей у балконной двери в нашей однокомнатной квартире, большой пакет с шоколадками типа Snickers, Mars и т. п., а еще много интересных книг, которые я тогда любил читать - например, мне очень хотелось бы найти аккуратную стопочку книг серии "Библиотека приключений", и это было моей главной мечтой тогда.

Persons: Робинзон Крузо, Николай Мишка

Dacă până acum în reclamele de la Super Bowl se punea accent pe fete îmbrăcate sexy, ediția din 2016 aduce o schimbare. Cele mai în vogă vedete, animale simpatice și umor cuminte este noua rețetă a companiilor care și-au făcut reclamă la Super Bowl 2016. Pentru un clip de 30 de secunde care a rulat în pauze, companiile au plătit până la 4,8 milioane de dolari. HYUNDAI – prima întâlnire#4. Bud LightÎntreaga listă o puteți vedea aici: Super Bowl 2016.

Persons: HEINZ, Bud Light Organizations: AUDI, HYUNDAI, KIA, COLGATE

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