DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Port of Virginia is making big changes to become No. 1 on the East Coast for super-sized ocean containerships
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

The dredging project is expected to be completed in Fall 2025, making the Port of Virginia the deepest and widest harbor on the East Coast. "Ultra-large container vessels have challenged every port," said Stephen Edwards, CEO of the Port of Virginia. Edwards said the port was able to quickly absorb Baltimore freight because of the ocean carrier service overlap in calling on the Port of Virginia, Baltimore and Port of New York/New Jersey. In January, the port became the first East Coast port to power all its terminals with 100% clean energy, eight years ahead of the 2032 target it set for that goal. The expansion will increase the fleet at NIT to 152 electric stacking cranes, seven electric rail cranes, and 31 electric ship-to-shore cranes.

Persons: Lori Ann LaRocco, Stephen Edwards, " Edwards, Edwards, It's, Good Hope, D'Andrae Larry, Larry, Jones, monopiles, Monopiles Organizations: NIT, CNBC, U.S ., Commonwealth, Walmart, Maersk, Port, Baltimore, Rail, Norfolk International, Uber, Virginia Department of Transportation, Dominion Energy, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, ClearView Energy Partners, of Ocean Energy, U.S, District of Columbia, Dominion Locations: Port of Virginia, Port, Virginia, U.S . East Coast, Norfolk, Coast, of Virginia, East Coast, U.S, Delaware, South, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, India, Red, Suez, Good, Baltimore, Port of Baltimore, Port of New York, New Jersey, of Virginia's, Commonwealth, Norfolk , Virginia, East, Virginia Beach

☆ 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

☆ Roblox shares drop nearly 30% as company cuts annual bookings forecast on muted player spending
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Roblox cut its annual bookings forecast on Thursday, in a sign that people were dialing back on spending within its video-gaming platform amid an uncertain economic outlook and elevated levels of inflation. Electronic Arts also gave a weak revenue forecast earlier this week. Roblox now expects full-year bookings to be between $4 billion and $4.10 billion, down from its earlier forecast of $4.14 billion to $4.28 billion. Its second-quarter bookings forecast of $870 million to $900 million was also below estimates. Roblox will build the infrastructure for the ad platform in 2024 and start providing forecast for ad revenue in 2025, Guthrie added.

Persons: Roblox, Michael Guthrie, Guthrie Organizations: Electronic Arts, Walmart, Warner Bros Discovery

☆ No, seriously. Where are the TikTok buyers?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has decided against buying TikTok. That leaves a really tiny list of people who say they want to buy TikTok. AdvertisementWho's going to buy TikTok? [Crickets]Yes, if you Google "potential TikTok buyers" you'll find a bunch of stories — Business Insider has written one, too — speculating about names. They list Mnuchin as well as Shark Tank host Kevin O'Leary, who also likes to go on TV and talk about buying TikTok.

Persons: Eric Schmidt, —, Steve Mnuchin, ByteDance, Kevin O'Leary, Bobby Kotick, OpenAI's Sam Altman, we've, Trump Organizations: Google, Service, Treasury, TV, Street Journal, Activision, Oracle, Walmart, Microsoft, Big Tech, McKinsey, TikTok

☆ 3 reasons why Wall Street is playing Roblox again
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Many adults heard the phrase “Robux” for the first time last holiday season when the virtual currency of gaming platform Roblox landed on the top of most wish lists. And it will have to prove to Wall Street there’s more growth up ahead. In its fourth quarter of 2023, Roblox revenue was $750 million, up 30% year-over-year – but had a net loss of $323.7 million. Like Fortnite, Roblox is also moving ahead with a“payout to creators” business model. “It’s clear that [Roblox] intends to go after younger gamers in 2024 and 2025,” Ward said.

Persons: ”, Roblox, Matilda Beinat, Lindsey Nicholson, UCG, David Baszucki, Ralph Lauren, Mike Proulx, Forrester, “, ” Proulx, Michael Nagle, ” Beinat, Lewis Ward, ” Ward, Ward Organizations: CNN, Investors, ABI Research, “, Gaming Center, Costco, Brookhaven RP, Nike, Walmart, New York Stock Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty, Apple’s, IDC, Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars Locations: Asia, Roblox, New York, Fortnite

☆ Ahead of retail earnings, here's what we know about the consumer so far
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Robert Hum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

There are signs that the U.S. consumer is still spending, especially on experiences. But stubbornly high prices are squeezing consumers with lower incomes, pressuring everyday purchases and corporate profits. Broadly speaking, credit card companies like American Express, Visa and MasterCard have described spending trends as "relatively strong," "relatively stable," and even "healthy." Priceline parent Booking Holdings told analysts there are no signs consumers are taking shorter vacations or trading down in their hotel choices. McDonald's added that "the consumer is certainly being very discriminating in how they spend their dollar."

Persons: Brandon Bell, Morgan Stanley's Michael Wilson, Morgan Stanley, Mike Stocker, Stanley Black, Decker, —, Anton Pinsky, Beata Zawrzel, Laxman Narasimhan, Shack, Domino's, Pavlo Gonchar Organizations: Getty, Home Depot, Walmart, American Express, Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Booking Holdings, Las, Port, Tribune, Service, Consumers, Whirlpool, Corp, Starbucks Corp, Nurphoto, Lightrocket Locations: Austin , Texas, U.S, Las Vegas, Port of Miami, Krakow, Poland, Russia, Ukraine

☆ California is considering new limits on self-checkout lanes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

California's Senate is considering a bill that would change how retailers run self-checkout. The rule would prohibit retailers from offering self-checkout unless several conditions are met. AdvertisementThe California legislature is considering a proposal that would bring significant changes to the self-checkout lanes in the state. Self-checkout lanes would be limited to 10 items or fewer. A single worker may only be assigned to monitor two self-checkout stations, and they must have no other responsibilities during that time.

Persons: —, Bill, Lola Smallwood, Cuevas, Cristine Soto DeBerry Organizations: Service, Bay Area NBC, Prosecutors Alliance of California, Bay Area ABC, ABC7, Walmart, Target, Costco Locations: California's, California

☆ How a strained consumer 'plays right into' the hands of this discount retailer
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"That all really kind of plays right into Ollie's hands." Her $92 price target implies about 17%% upside from Monday's close. The average analyst has a buy rating and target for shares suggesting upside of more than 12%, according to LSEG. Ollie's shares are lagging the broader market in 2024 with a gain of almost 5% versus the S & P 500's 9% gain. OLLI 1Y mountain Ollie's shares over the past 12 months.

Persons: Anthony Chukumba, it's, Price, Melanie Nuñez, Ollie's, Nuñez, Chukumba, OLLI, Truist's Scot Ciccarelli, Ciccarelli, TJ Maxx, BofA's Nuñez, Chukumba's, FirstCash Organizations: Capital, Federal, Amazon, Walmart, Bank of America, Wall, Ross Locations: McDonald's, Harrisburg , Pennsylvania, Monday's, Ollie's

☆ Warren Buffett compares AI to nuclear weapons in stark warning
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

At his annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, the 93 year-old co-founder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway issued a stark warning about the potential dangers of the technology. “We let a genie out of the bottle when we developed nuclear weapons,” he said Saturday. JPMorgan Chase, the world’s largest bank by market capitalization, is also exploring the potential of generative AI within its own ecosystem, Dimon said. Dozens of AI industry leaders, academics and even some celebrities have signed a statement warning of an “extinction” risk from AI. “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” the statement said.

Persons: New York CNN — Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, ”, Greg Abel, Buffett, “, Abel, isn’t, Buffett Buffett, JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, Dimon, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Sonnenfeld, Doug McMillion, James Quincy, Sam Altman, Geoffrey Hinton Organizations: New, New York CNN, Berkshire, International Monetary Fund, Industries, Nvidia, Microsoft, scamming, JPMorgan, JPMorgan Chase, Software, Yale, Summit, CNN, Walmart, Xerox, Google Locations: New York, Omaha , Nebraska, Omaha, scamming

☆ I visited Walmart and found over 25 products that show how the retail giant is trying to win over wealthier customers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

However, the retailer plans to stock more premium items to attract wealthier shoppers. I visited Walmart to see which fancy brands and products it already carries. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The Bentonville-based retail giant's primary focus since day one has been to drive down costs and offer rock-bottom prices. Before the new products hit shelves, I visited my local Supercenter to see what premium items the retailer already carries.

Persons: — Organizations: Walmart, Service Locations: Walmart's, Bentonville

☆ Ahead of earnings, Cramer says many retailers have raised prices too high
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

To Cramer, McDonald's earnings' disappointed last week because its products have become too expensive. He said consumers no longer consider the burger chain to have bargain prices, something the the company could be reluctant to admit. Cramer also said Starbucks ' coffee may be too expensive, adding he's disappointed management doesn't seem to be talking about rolling back prices. Cramer also discussed how Dollar General and Dollar Tree might shape up against outfits like Walmart and Costco . McDonald's, Starbucks, Target, Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Costco did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Cramer, doesn't Organizations: Nordstrom, Walmart, Costco, Starbucks, Target

☆ Retailers jacked up prices and squeezed consumers. They might have just blinked
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“There’s just less dollars for consumers to spend.”The challenge for retailers now is to shake consumers out of that frugal mindset. Retail spending has increased in seven of the past 10 months through March. “If you want to convince consumers to spend you have to give them a reason to do so. Lower prices are a clear opportunity to drive people into the store or online.”It’s a lever that Walmart, he said, has pulled forever. Clothing chain H&M told analysts during its most recent earnings call that it, too, would lower prices.

Persons: Sarah Wyeth, ”, Chad Lusk, Alvarez, ” Wyeth, “ There’s, they’re, Zak Stambor, Stambor, Joe Raedle, ” Stambor, “, ” Jesper Brodin, ” Brodin, ” Michaels, ” Ashley Buchanan, Michaels, Lars Daniel Ervér, Frida, Chuck, – CNN’s Bryan Mena Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Ikea, Shoppers, “ Retailers, CNN, Walmart, Ingka, “, Cheese, Stambor Locations: New York, Hallandale Beach , Florida

☆ I visited Walmart and saw more than 25 premium items you might not expect to find there
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

However, the retailer plans to stock more premium items to attract wealthier shoppers. I visited Walmart to see which fancy brands and products it already carries. 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 . Before the new products hit shelves, I visited my local Supercenter to see what premium items the retailer already carries.

Persons: — Organizations: Walmart, Service Locations: Walmart's, Bentonville

☆ Trump’s bombardment of dishonesty: Fact-checking 32 of his false claims to Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +43 min

We’re paying for close to 100% of NATO.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. They don’t pay their bills.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. (It rose to about $314 billion in 2020, Trump’s last full year in office.) Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. Facts First: Trump’s claim that “nobody died other than Ashli” is false.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, “, William Barr, Bill Barr, Barr, Bill, I’m, ”, it’s, Biden, Joe Biden, Tamar Hermann, Hermann, Bill Clinton, “ Trump, ” Trump, …, National Guard Trump, I’ve, George Floyd, Tim Walz, Walz, Paul —, –, Erwan, George Washington, “ don’t, they’re, Stoltenberg, Trump’s, Lagadec, Marc Lipsitch, Barack Obama, European Union won’t, Cortellessa, “ Moody’s, Moody’s, Mark Zandi, Zandi, ’ ” Zandi, Joe Biden’s, rioter Ashli Babbitt, Brian Sicknick, Sicknick, Trump’s ‘, patriotically, ‘, patriotically ’, ” Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “ Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, Christopher Miller, Miller, Eric Cortellessa, Alvin Bragg’s, Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, Alvin Bragg, ” Cortellessa, Hillary Clinton, —, Roe, Wade, Kimberly Mutcherson, “ Donald Trump’s, Maya Manian, Mary Ziegler, Davis, Ziegler, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Roe should’ve, ’, Crime Biden, don’t, “ Biden, he’s, James Biden, Jeff Asher, Asher, It’s, ” “, ” Asher Organizations: Washington CNN, Time, Trump, NATO, Capitol, Trump’s, Trade Center, didn’t, World Trade Center, Department, ISIS, CNN, Democratic, White House, White, South Korea Trump, Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data, Biden Administration, Congressional Research Service, Israel, Israeli Democracy Institute, National Guard, Minnesota Democratic Gov, Minnesota National Guard, Guard, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Transatlantic, for Disease Control, World Bank, Washington Post, Harvard, Harvard’s, National, Trump -, of Health, Human Services, Strategic, Biden, U.S . International Trade Commission, European, Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, European Union, US, European Automobile Manufacturers ’ Association, Bloomberg Economics, US Capitol Police, Capitol Police, “, Republican, Democratic Rep, National Guardsmen, District of Columbia National Guard, Army, Capitol Police Board, Senate, Justice Department, Pulitzer Foundation, Pulitzer, New York Times, Electoral, Democrat, ” Rutgers Law, American University, university’s Health, University of California, ”, Customs, Border Protection, Crime, Manchurian, Republicans, FBI Locations: “, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Mexico, South Korea, Trump , South Korea, South, Korea, Israel, Washington, Trump , Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Trump, Minnesota, St, United States, Germany, Brussels, Belgium, Harvard University, China, EU, DC, Trump’s, ”, York, Manhattan, York’s, Russia, That’s

Major corporations often don't want to seem like they're taking one side politically, so they either sponsor both conventions, or neither. Conventions could see new sponsorsThe Democratic and Republican conventions this summer are the first fully in-person conventions since the 2016 election. Democratic convention organizers in April said if corporations had any reluctance to back the RNC, it hasn't hampered Chicago's efforts to lure donors. Microsoft in 2012 contributed over $1.5 million in a mix of in-kind and cash contributions to the Republican convention. JPMorgan donated $200,000 to the 2012 Republican convention and didn't write a check for the 2016 event.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jon Cherry, Rashad Robinson, Robinson, —, Fiserv, Greg Goldner, Trump, Donald Trump's, aren't, they'll, Joe Biden, Trent Morse, Morse, they've, Alison Prange, Reince Priebus, Priebus, it's, Steve Kornacki's, Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Michelle Yeoh, Natalie Edelstein, Michael Sacks, Sacks, J.B . Pritzker, Barack Obama, Alex Hornbrook, There's, Taylor Swift, she's, Mitt Romney, Obama, didn't, General Motors Organizations: Christian Media, The Gaylord, Center, Getty, Republican National Convention, Republican, NBC News, Trump, Fiserv Inc, Democratic, Fiserv, RNC, Resolute Consulting, GOP, Corporations, Fortune, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Democrats, White House, Milwaukee, NBC, Wall, Republican National Committee, Wall Street, Biden, TV, Kentucky Derby, Street Journal, Northwestern Mutual, Wisconsin Fortune, Democratic National Convention, WEC Energy Group, Manpower Group, Conventions, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, DNC, Convention, Chicago, Longtime Democratic, Illinois Gov, White, Correspondents, Commission, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Bank of America, FEC, Meta, Skype, CNBC, JPMorgan Chase, Walmart, JPMorgan, General Motors, General, Motors, Comcast, Press, Trade Locations: Nashville , Tennessee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, America, Chicago, NBCUniversal, Philadelphia

For even more discounts, check out our roundup of the best Best Buy deals and the best Mother's Day sales. Amazon sale quicklinks Amazon Echo : Get up to 50% off select Echo speakers. Amazon Fire : Get up to 40% off select Fire TV streaming devices. : Get up to 40% off select Fire TV streaming devices. Shop at AmazonThis is just a small sample of this weekend's top Amazon sale picks.

Persons: I've, Ralph Lauren, De'Longhi, Siri, It's Organizations: Business, Walmart, Apple, Echo, Sporting, Amazon Apple, Apple Health, Amazon Bose, Google, Amazon Fire

☆ A 64-year-old 'peak boomer' worries his savings and Social Security won't be enough to retire: 'My biggest fear is finding myself at 75 standing at the door at Walmart.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Kirsch is hoping to start collecting Social Security checks in a couple of years, just before his 67th birthday. Related storiesFor many, Social Security won't be enough to fill the gaps. As of March 2024, the Social Security Administration said that its average monthly check sent to recipients is $1,774.83. And, if lawmakers don't intervene, the US Social Security fund is set to dry out by the late 2030s. "Start saving and do it as aggressively as you can," he said.

Persons: —, David Kirsch, Kirsch, Hill , New Hampshire —, he's, Kirsch isn't, didn't Organizations: Service, He's, Business, Walmart, Survey, Income, Social, Social Security Administration, US Social Security Locations: Caribbean, South America, Hill , New Hampshire

☆ Eight tons of ground beef sold at Walmart locations nationwide recalled for possible E. coli contamination
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —More than 16,000 pounds of raw ground beef products were recalled by the US Department of Agriculture on Wednesday on concerns the meat may be contaminated with E. coli. The meat items, produced by Cargill Meat Solutions, were sold at Walmart retail locations across the United States. According to a recall notice from the USDA, the potentially contaminated beef was produced on April 26 and April 27. “At Walmart, the health and safety of our customers is always a top priority,” a Walmart spokesperson told CNN in a statement. Walmart customers who have purchased any affected products should throw them away or return them to the place where they were purchased, according to the agency.

Persons: haven’t, “, ” Cargill, Cargill Organizations: CNN, US Department of Agriculture, Cargill Meat Solutions, Walmart, “, Lean Locations: United States, Connecticut , Massachusetts, Maryland , New Hampshire , New York, North Carolina , Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington

☆ 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

☆ Roblox steps up its 'year of scale' with new ad formats, hires, and key partnerships as it aims to build a $1 billion ads business
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Video ads within Roblox are similar to real-world digital out-of-home advertising. A Roblox Portal Ad for a "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" pizza party experience. Roblox/GamefamRoblox's partnerships boss, Christina Wootton, previously told Business Insider that while 2023 was a year of testing, 2024 would be the "year of scale" for its ads business. Roblox ads are labeled and can only be served to users over the age of 13, the company said. "If you literally just slap ads within the game, people are going to run a mile," Litman added.

Persons: Roblox, we'll, Stephanie Latham, Christina Wootton, Michael Guthrie, Latham, Ben Fox, David Vesper, it's, Nathan Pillot, Pillot, It's, Michael Litman, Litman Organizations: Business, Walmart, Warner Bros . Pictures, HUGO, Meta, Yahoo, Google, Social, viewability, Media.Monks, Logitech Locations: Roblox

☆ Presenting the star of this year's TV upfronts: Retailers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Usually, at the US TV upfronts — the annual event where the networks showcase their best upcoming programming in the hopes of securing big advertising commitments — the celebrities are the stars of the show. With more money being spent, advertisers are paying closer attention to what data they can use to inform their TV ad buys and prove that TV is powering their sales. It found that taking advantage of a media company's unique upfront data offerings, including retail data, was a top reason for advertisers to buy linear TV or connected TV in the upfronts, cited by 37%. US retail media CTV ad spend will increase by 86.6% this year to reach $4.19 billion, according to Emarketer. And Walmart's recent deal to acquire the TV manufacturer Vizio reflects the growing trend of retail media's convergence with TV advertising.

Persons: Eric Haggstrom, Dave Morgan, Andrea Montano, there's, NBCU, Mark Marshall, Marshall Organizations: Hollywood, Business, Amazon, TV, CTV, Kroger, Walmart, Netflix Locations: New York

☆ Walmart will close all of its health care clinics
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, will close all 51 of its health care clinics in six states and end virtual health care services, the company said Tuesday. Walmart had made a big push into health care in recent years, opening clinics next to its superstores that offered primary and urgent care, labs, X-rays, behavioral health and dental work in six states — Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri and Texas. Walmart had targeted rural and underserved areas that have a shortage of primary care facilities. The announcement is an abrupt reversal in Walmart’s strategy and may leave a gap in health care access, particularly for lower-income patients without insurance who relied on the clinics. Walmart also said it will end virtual health care services.

Persons: “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walmart Locations: New York, United States, — Arkansas, Florida, Georgia , Illinois , Missouri, Texas

☆ We're raising our Amazon price target, betting light guidance proves conservative
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Amazon Why we own it : Amazon may be widely known for online shopping, but its cloud business is the real breadwinner. While an International e-commerce sales increase of 10% to $31.94 billion missed estimates, the segment saw $903 million in operating income. Guidance Amazon expects second-quarter net sales to be between $144 billion to $149 billion, growing 7% to 11% year over year. However, thanks to disciplined cost management, operating income guidance is expected to come in much closer to the mark at $10 billion to $14 billion versus $12.73 billion expected. The midpoint of the sales and operating income estimates point to an operating margin target of 8.2%, which compares with an 8.5% estimate for the second quarter.

Persons: it's, Andy Jassy, Jassy, we're, That's, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin Organizations: Amazon, LSEG, Walmart, Target, Microsoft, Services, Web Services, CNBC Locations: Amazon, America, North America

Walmart opened its first Walmart Health clinic in Georgia in 2019, and then gradually opened more clinics next door to its big-box stores. Walmart struggled with high executive turnover and cycled through numerous leaders of Walmart Health. Going forward, Walmart will return to the health services it offered before the Walmart Health push: It will continue to operate its thousands of pharmacies and vision centers. Walmart Health marks the latest failed push into health care by a high-profile company, following the disbandment of a joint venture between JPMorgan Chase , Berkshire Hathaway and Amazon in 2021. Meanwhile, Amazon 's health clinic operator One Medical now has more than 125 locations nationwide.

Persons: Brett Biggs, Doug McMillon, Berkshire Hathaway, Walgreens Organizations: Walmart Health, Walmart, CNBC, CVS, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Walgreens Locations: Sugar, Arkansas , Florida, Georgia , Illinois, Texas, U.S, Georgia, Florida

☆ A new Walmart in-store AI is giving employees advice on how to sell products before it's too late
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Michelle Castillo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The internally developed AI technology allows Walmart employees to scan produce like bananas to see how ripe the product is. Many clothing items are not recyclable, due to being made of blended fabrics. U.S. residents also discard about 11.3 million tons of clothing waste each year, according to Earth.org. Walmart isn't alone in using AI to tackle in-store waste, as several startups are creating tools to solve this growing problem. "When it comes to food waste, there is no silver bullet," said ReFED's executive director Dana Gunders, which has worked with Walmart for a few years on food waste solutions.

Persons: it's, Swati Kirti, Kirti, It's, UCLA Anderson, Sravana Karnati, Dana Gunders, Homer Swei, Swei, Karnati Organizations: Walmart, Walmart International Tech, UCLA, Walmart International Technology, Walmart Global Tech, Retailers Locations: Canada, U.S, United States, Mexico

Search resuls for: "WALMART"

25 mentions found