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☆ Grocery prices are finally falling
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Food shoppers can finally breathe a slight sigh of relief: After years of increases followed by months of plateau, grocery prices fell last month. Grocery prices retreated 0.2% from March to April, adjusted for seasonal swings, according to inflation data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But back in February, overall food prices remained flat for the first time since April 2023. Fast food prices jumpWhile grocery prices have been moderating, menu prices remain high, especially at fast food spots. At sit-down restaurants, prices went up 3.4%, while at limited-service restaurants — where you’re served at the counter — prices rose 4.8%.

Persons: Milk, you’re, McDonald’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: New York, Ukraine, Texas, —, McDonald’s

☆ I tried Target's new paid membership program. I see how some shoppers could save hundreds of dollars using it, but I thought it was a waste.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jamie Killin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Target Circle 360 combines the benefits of the Circle membership and Circle cardTarget offers other benefits like the Target Circle membership and Circle card. Related storiesTarget Circle 360 combines all the benefits of the Circle membership and a Circle card. AdvertisementI thought the Target Circle 360 membership left much to be desiredUnfortunately, I haven't used the Target Circle 360 membership as often as I expected to. Overall, the Target Circle 360 membership wasn't for meAt the end of the day, I didn't think the Target Circle 360 membership was worth the money. AdvertisementHowever, I'm a firm believer that the free Target Circle membership is a must, even for casual Target shoppers.

Persons: —, I'm, Jeff Greenberg, Paul, I've Organizations: Service, Business, Target

☆ CEO says Pinterest's growth strategy centers on 'positivity' not 'engagement via enragement'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"When I came into Pinterest, one of the things I set out to do was prove a business model for social media centered on positivity rather than engagement via enragement," Ready said. Like its peers, Pinterest uses AI to improve on its recommendation selections, Ready said. According to Ready, Pinterest is also different from other platforms because its users are more engaged than those in older generations. Usually, he said, social media sites attract their most engaged cohorts early on. "Not only are we aging down, our most recent cohorts are nearly twice as engaged as cohorts from the years prior," he said.

Persons: Bill Ready, CNBC's Jim Cramer, Pinterest, Ready Organizations: Wednesday Locations: Pinterest, enragement

☆ 4 tips for advertisers to find quality leads and drive sales
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Sponsor Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Most recently, they're evolving to help advertisers drive a high volume of quality leads. They use instant forms that allow customers to share simple information like name, email, and budget to generate quality leads that drive sales. To make the most of Meta's lead generation solutions, consider these four tips. Watch the video to hear more tips from advertisers who are driving quality leads at scale with Meta's instant forms, or learn more here. Conversion from lead to quality lead occurs when a user takes a qualifying, lower funnel action identified by the business, which moves them into a "quality lead" status.

Persons: Aly Gomez, John, John Wai, that's Organizations: John Wai Martial Arts, Meta, Partners, Meta Business, BR, SK, JP Locations: Dallas , Texas

☆ Walmart is cutting hundreds of corporate jobs, relocating majority of remote office staff
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Walmart said Tuesday it is eliminating several hundred corporate jobs and will relocate most of its remaining remote office staff to its Bentonville, Arkansas, headquarters. Walmart confirmed the move in a memo sent by Donna Morris, its chief people officer, to employees on Tuesday and obtained by CNN. The relocation will impact the majority of workers in Walmart’s Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto offices. While most relocations will be to its Bentonville headquarters, some workers will be relocated to Walmart offices in the San Francisco Bay Area or to Hoboken, New Jersey, and the New York area. “In addition, some parts of our business have made changes that will result in a reduction of several hundred campus roles,” Morris said in the memo.

Persons: Donna Morris, Morris, ”, ” Morris Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walmart, CNN, San Francisco Bay Area Locations: New York, Bentonville , Arkansas, Walmart’s Dallas, Atlanta, Toronto, Bentonville, San Francisco Bay, Hoboken , New Jersey

☆ Home Depot misses on revenue, as high interest rates hurt sales
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

It said it expects total sales to grow about 1% in fiscal 2024, including those extra days. Home Depot on Tuesday posted quarterly revenue below Wall Street's expectations, as shoppers postponed bigger discretionary projects like bath and kitchen remodels because of higher interest rates and made spring purchases late. The logo of U.S. home improvement chain Home Depot is seen in Mexico City, Mexico, on Jan. 15, 2020. In the fiscal first quarter, customers made fewer visits to Home Depot's stores and website and tended to spend less when they did. Home Depot has seen sales moderate after more than two years of explosive demand during the Covid pandemic.

Persons: Richard McPhail, McPhail Organizations: CNBC, LSEG, U.S, Depot, Home Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, Texas

☆ Shein's U.S. charm offensive and IPO could hinge on NRF membership. So far, it's been rejected
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Open to allIt's unclear why the NRF rejected Shein's membership application, but according to one of the people familiar, someone with sway is strongly against the company's admittance. The NRF's board has a leadership team and an executive committee. An NRF membership application form that can be found online states: "Companies principally engaged in retailing are eligible for membership in the Federation." Two of the board members said they weren't aware of any instances where the NRF denied a retailer membership. "I don't think they are in the business of turning anyone down," one of the board members told CNBC.

Persons: Scott Olson, Matthew Shay, Courtney Reagan, CNBC Steve Dennis, Neiman, Sears, Dennis, Shein, John Furner, Bob Eddy, Mike George, Brian Cornell, Tony Spring, wasn't, Wang Ying, Ashley Sanchez, Joscelin Flores, Allen J, They've, Temu, it's Organizations: Getty, National Retail Federation, CNBC, Neiman Marcus, New York Stock Exchange, Shay, Walmart U.S, BJ's Wholesale, Qurate, QVC, Federation, Brands, Publicis Groupe, Coresight, Xinhua News Agency, Forum, World Retail, Los Angeles Times, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Whitestown , Indiana, New York City, America, U.S, New York, United States, Hamburg, Germany, Los Angeles, Paris, Davos, Switzerland, Las Vegas, Shoptalk, Fontana, Ontario Mills, Ontario

☆ From the boardwalk to the altar: T-shirt, shorts, bikinis and boot sellers are now dressing brides
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“The move into wedding wear makes sense so long as it’s not a distraction from their core business,” Stichter said. “For these bridal collections to land with Gen Z, It’s important that these brands tap into the way that Gen Z shops. Gen Z is always online, but 97% of US Gen Z still shop in-store,” Rees said. With wedding dresses in particular, one trend that emerged during the pandemic was the popularity of black wedding gowns. Boot Barn has a new western-themed wedding collection of bridal dresses, cowboy boots, hats and accessories priced mostly at $400 and below.

Persons: Gen Zers, Taylor Swift, ”, Janine Stichter, Millennials, ” Stichter, ” Carey Collins Krug, “, won’t, Allyson Rees, Gen Z, ” Rees, Gen, they’re, Rees, it’s, ” Lisa Zlotnick, “ There’s, Isha Nicole, ” Nicole Organizations: New, New York CNN, Abercrombie, Fitch, Abercrombie & Fitch Co, CNN, “ Locations: New York, California, Los Angeles, Las Vegas

☆ Hybrid sales are booming — here's why drivers are buying them over EVs
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Hybrid sales are booming in the US. In his latest earnings report, the company blamed demand for hybrid vehicles for depressing global EV sales. "We believe this is not the right strategy, and electric vehicles will ultimately dominate the market," he added. "A lot of hybrid electric vehicles now are not far off from their internal combustion engine alternatives. "What we've seen historically is that when gas prices rise, hybrid electric vehicle price or acquisitions rise as well," he told BI.

Persons: —, Elon Musk, Nick O'Brien, O'Brien, EVs, Edmunds, Mark Singer, Tesla, Jeff Buchanan, Buchanan, Singer Organizations: Toyota, Service, EV, General Motors, Ford, Business, Jefferson Community College, Maverick, New York Times, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Soaring, Singer, US Locations: Edmunds, North America, Kentucky

☆ Scammers are using delivery apps like Instacart to swindle customers and delivery workers out of money
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewSome Instacart shoppers are the targets of a scam centered on gift cards. "Within 30 seconds, I got a message about buying the Vanilla Visa gift card," she said. Instacart forbids shoppers from adding gift cards to orders, a screenshot of the company policy seen by BI indicates. "Customers are not able to order gift cards through the Instacart platform or place a special request for a gift card via chat," an Instacart spokesperson told BI. AdvertisementInstacart also tells shoppers not to purchase gift cards for customers, the spokesperson added.

Persons: —, they've, Instacart, Jim, itsjwest, Heidi Bleau, Bleau Organizations: Service, Business, Walgreens, BI Locations: Massachusetts, cologne

☆ Inflation data commands center stage next week and provides a test for the market rally
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

All three major U.S. stock indexes closed higher for the week, led by the Dow Jones Industrial Average . The Nasdaq Composite added 1.14% while the S & P 500 advanced 1.85% in a relatively quiet week of economic updates. Within the portfolio, Disney and Wynn Resorts released quarterly numbers; we took issue with the stock reaction to both reports. It also raises the stakes around major economic releases, such as next week's consumer inflation report. In the week ahead, earnings season continues — headlined by Walmart on Thursday — and inflation data will dominate the economic calendar.

Persons: We've, Jim Cramer, Dow Jones, we'll, We'll, Stanley Black, Decker, Jack, JACK, Arcutis, Spero, JD.com, Armour, Jim Cramer's, Jim, Carlo Allegri Organizations: Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Disney, Wynn Resorts, Procter, Procter & Gamble, Walmart, CPI, PPI, Club, Home Depot, Biotech Corporation, Music Entertainment, Central Puerto S.A, TeraWulf Inc, Paysafe Group Holdings, QuickLogic Corporation, Kopin Corp, Royalty Corp, Agilysys Inc, Crop Solutions Corp, Inovio Biomedical, Intercorp Financial, Lithium, Argentina ) Corp, Sea, Sony Group Corporation, SONY, Holding, HudBay Minerals, Autolus Therapeutics, Game Technology, Nu Holdings, Dragonfly Energy Holdings Corp, Bakkt Holdings, Prestige Consumer Healthcare, SilverCrest Metals, Inc, Mining Corp, Acurx Pharmaceuticals, Cresco Labs, Dole plc, DOLE, Arcos Dorados Holdings, ARCO, Cisco Systems, Grab Holdings, Copa Holdings S.A, Technologies, Iris Energy, KORE Group, Super, Spero Therapeutics, ZTO, Baidu, Deere & Company, NICE, Lightspeed Commerce, Ship Lease, Canada Goose Holdings, Drainage Systems, Consolidated Water Co, Outlook Therapeutics, Despegar.com, Corp, DXC Technology Company, Flowers Foods, Bruker Corporation, WYNN, CNBC, Foods Locations: Procter &, Central, Cayman, Lithium Americas, Argentina, Manhattan, New York City

☆ How retailers quietly track your return behavior
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Devan Burris | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHow retailers quietly track your return behaviorThe latest crackdown on returns is only that latest effort by retailers to tamp down on return losses. Many major U.S. retailers have implemented third-party tracking software to track and block behavior that 'mimics' return fraud, unbeknownst to most shoppers.

Locations: U.S

☆ Target says Pride collection will appear in 'select' stores, cuts LGBTQ apparel for kids
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Rob Wile | Matt Lavietes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A customer walks by a Pride Month merchandise display at a Target store on May 31, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Target will limit which stores sell LGBTQ-themed products following last year's firestorm over its decision to sell products designed for transgender people. It added that in addition to selling LGBTQ-themed home and food and beverage items, apparel from its Pride collection this year will be tailored to adults. No Pride apparel for children will be sold. The latest decision, first reported by Bloomberg News, represents a change from offering the products in all Target stores, as the company has done in previous years.

Organizations: Pride, Bloomberg News, Pride Month, Target Locations: San Francisco , California, Target

☆ Could your buy now, pay later loans affect your credit score? Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But there's one place they're notable absent: your credit report. Earlier this year, Apple became the first major BNPL provider to start reporting all user account information to a credit reporting agency. Providers including AfterPay, Affirm and Klarna already report some loans to the credit bureaus and experts say more are likely to follow, paving the way for a consumer's BNPL history to factor into their credit history and ultimately their credit score. (One of the main aspects of a credit score comes down to your history of paying bills on time.) When BNPL credit reporting could sting

Persons: Klarna, Liz Pagel, BNPL, Wells, Tim Quinlan, Ethan Dornhelm, TransUnion's, Silvio Tavares, Tavares, Pagel Organizations: Apple, Adobe Analytics, CNBC, Finance Locations: TransUnion, Wells Fargo

☆ How retailers like Best Buy, T.J. Maxx and Home Depot quietly target 'problem' returners
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Devan Burris | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Many large retailers in the U.S. have long been engaged in the practice of quietly tracking and targeting return behavior. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. retailers use third-party loss-prevention services to track risky return behavior. This doesn't outright mean fraudulent activity, but rather behavior that "mimics" or could be linked to such behavior. The most notable third-party loss-prevention service is The Retail Equation, a software provider that tracks return behavior that retailers deem potentially fraudulent. According to several now-dismissed lawsuits and Better Business Bureau complaints, customers reported they were following a store's return policy and were still issued a warning.

Persons: Robert Overstreet Organizations: Walmart, Staples, National Retail Federation, Iowa, Wall Street Journal, Better Locations: U.S, T.J.Maxx

Shop at Amazon Shop at Walmart Shop at Best Buy What we like Check mark icon A check mark. Shop at Amazon Shop at Best Buy Shop at Samsung What we like Check mark icon A check mark. Unfortunately, the S95D's matte screen has one notable side effect: it hurts black-level performance in a bright room. In contrast, the elevated black levels caused by the S95D's matte screen are more pronounced and easier to notice. AdvertisementSamsung S95D vs. S95C: Price and availabilityThe S95C currently costs a lot less than the S95D.

Persons: I've, Slim, Steven Cohen, it's Organizations: Business, Samsung, Shop, Walmart Shop, Dolby, Sony, Amazon, Samsung TV

☆ I tried groceries from Walmart's new premium house brand, Bettergoods. They were all under $5 and so good I'd buy them again.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Amena Ahmed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I ranked products from Walmart's new house brand, Bettergoods, from worst to best. I tried the flavored butter, frozen desserts, and ice cream I found in my Pennsylvania location. Accessible premium groceries sounded pretty great to me, so I visited Walmart to see which Bettergoods products I could find to try. AdvertisementAt my nearest Pennsylvania location, I found three types of Bettergoods products on the shelves: flavored whipped butter, plant-based frozen desserts, and ice cream. Each butter was about $2.60, and the frozen desserts and ice creams cost about $3.50 per carton.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Walmart Locations: Pennsylvania

☆ I've worked at Costco for 18 years. Here are 10 of the best things I'm seeing on the shelves this month.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Veronica Thatcher | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

As someone who's worked at Costco for 18 years, I know which items are worth grabbing at the store. 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 . As someone who's worked at Costco for over 18 years, I'm always on the lookout for the best-value items at the wholesale retailer. Here are 10 things I recommend checking out at Costco in May.

Persons: who's, —, I'm Organizations: Costco, Service

☆ Seattle's gig worker wage law is just four months old. Now a proposed overhaul could result in pay cuts.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewSince January, gig delivery workers in Seattle have been reaping the benefits of a local law mandating a certain pay level. Under the proposal, gig workers would be paid an hourly rate of $19.97 for their time spent retrieving and delivering orders. Instead, gig workers would get paid 35 cents per mile — down from the current 74 cents. In emails and calls to action sent to gig workers, DoorDash, Instacart, Uber, and others have claimed that there are fewer orders for gig workers to claim. Seattle City Council President Nelson did not respond to a request for an interview from Business Insider.

Persons: —, Sara Nelson, They're, PayUp, Justin Taylor, Taylor, he'll, Nelson, Dashers, Instacart, Uber, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Seattle City, Washington, PayUp, Seattle's, Uber, Seattle City Council Locations: Seattle, Seattle's

☆ Home Sellers' Tough Summer: Get Ready for Lower Prices, Fewer Offers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Rich baby boomers jumped in with all-cash offers, and sellers scored huge windfalls as weary buyers pushed prices to new heights. After all, people have to move for a wide variety of life reasons; mortgage rates be damned. "The further and further we get from the peak of the market," Peterson told me, "the harder it is to deny what's happened." Mortgage rates haven't fallen — in fact, they've gone up about 0.6 percentage points since the start of the year. "It can always be tricky telling somebody that they were just lucky because it makes you sound envious," Peterson told me.

Persons: Rich, Sellers, Eric Peterson, Peterson, Austin, Freddie, they've, Selma Hepp, Freddie Mac, Mike Simonsen, Redfin, towners, Libby Levinson, Katz, Price, Levinson, John Burns, they'll, Realtor.com, you'd Organizations: Freddie Mac, Reserve, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Altos Research, Sun, John, John Burns Research, Consulting Locations: Austin, Boise , Idaho, Denver

Right now, new customers can score an awesome Insider exclusive Bombas deal, knocking 20% off their first purchase. Not only have we reviewed the brand's underwear, hiking socks, and Gripper Slippers, but Bombas' boxers even made it into our guide of the best men's underwear. 10 best Insider-exclusive Bombas dealsUse the promo code INSIDER20 to get 20% off at checkout when making your first Bombas purchase. Bombas Women's Gripper Slipper $38.40 $48.00 Save 20% The Bombas Gripper Slipper feels like wearing something halfway between a slipper and a sock, and the new redesign features double the cushioning. Shop at BombasBombas Women's Cotton Modal Brief $17.60 $22.00 Save 20% Women's Cotton Modal BriefBare buns, begone.

Persons: it's Organizations: Business, Bombas

☆ 'Intellectual influencers' will soon be taking over your social-media feeds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Audiences are favoring authentic and knowledgeable content creators over follower count. It's the "intellectual influencers," or "thought leaders," who are likely to thrive. AdvertisementNya Étienne, who is a journalist and TikTok content creator, refers to this concept as the rise of "the intellectual influencer." People want 'edutainment'This new breed of influencer could outlast all the rest and may soon be dominating social media feeds. AdvertisementBack when posting on social media was novel, the audience of an aspiring content creator would grow exponentially simply because they were entertaining to watch.

Persons: —, Nya, Katya Varbanova, Varbanova, who's, Dubuisson, Keith Lee, Kaye Putnam, Putnam, they're Organizations: Service, YouTube, Matter Communications Locations: Bazaarvoice, Boston

☆ People are going crazy over how this self-checkout pronounces 'organic bananas'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Alexandra Bacon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

TikTok users are reveling in how a Stop & Shop self-checkout pronounces "organic bananas." AdvertisementThe robotic voice of a Stop & Shop self-checkout has the internet cracking up in how it pronounces "organic bananas." The company even commented on the video, saying: "We just feel really passionately about ~organic bananas~." The comments on the organic bananas video spurred the user to post more TikToks of the self-checkout pronouncing different products. "Organic bananas" has, at least, provided some respite from self-checkout security and given social media users a laugh.

Persons: —, Everett, bok choy, They've Organizations: Service, Business

☆ The EV market isn't in peril. It's just changing.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The rate of EV sales has been slowing for about a year, major automakers have pulled back on their previously lofty EV goals, and even electric car-giant Tesla is faltering. Demand for electric vehicles hasn't dried up completelyDemand for expensive EVs has softened significantly, but an opening exists in the affordable market. A new generation of electric car shoppers are looking for different options than their early-adopting counterparts. Essentially every major automotive company at this point has built its future around selling more electric vehicles. The real divide here is not between hybrids and EVs, but between legacy car companies and EV-only startups.

Persons: —, it's, Power, It's, Elon Musk Organizations: Service, Business, EV, Companies, Ford, GM Locations: EVs

☆ Americans have spent their savings. Economists worry about what comes next
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But now that extra spending money is gone, economists are concerned about what comes next. That means many Americans have more debt than savings and suggests “that American households fully spent their pandemic-era savings as of March 2024,” they wrote in a recent report. Consumer spending plays a crucial role in driving economic growth in the United States, and it has shown remarkable strength over the past two years. “A continuing strong labor market could help consumers maintain spending patterns similar to those observed recently, even without pandemic-era savings,” they wrote. What comes next: Disney, Airbnb, Uber, Anheuser-Busch, Tapestry and Dillards all report later this week — investors will look for any comments about how consumer spending, or lack thereof, is altering revenue forecasts for 2024.

Persons: Hamza Abdelrahman, Luiz Edgard Oliveira, ”, Austan Goolsbee, ’ ”, Fitch, Sarah Wyeth, Chris Kempczinski, Abdelrahman, Airbnb, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Greg Abel, Buffett, “, Abel, isn’t, Boeing “, Scott Stocker, Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, San Francisco Federal Reserve, Chicago Federal, Society for, ”, Shoppers, Tyson Foods, “, Disney, Anheuser, Busch, Berkshire, International Monetary Fund, Industries, Nvidia, Microsoft, FAA, Boeing, Federal Aviation Administration, CNN Locations: New York, United States, Omaha , Nebraska, Omaha, scamming

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