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☆ US airline passengers are getting increasingly frustrated. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Air travel has bounced back after its pandemic-induced slump, but that doesn’t mean passengers are feeling good about it. North American travelers are frustrated with high ticket prices, staffing shortages and reduced routes, according to consumer research company J.D. Power’s 2023 North American Airline Satisfaction Study. Unsatisfied passengersDelta Air Lines ranked number one for premium economy passengers, number two for economy passengers and number two for first class and business class travelers. American Airlines

☆ Consumers are wising up to 'greedflation' as food companies keep prices high
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Most consumers think food brands are using inflation "as an excuse to hike prices," a survey says. PepsiCo, Nestlé, Conagra, and other food companies say they are trying to cover their costs. While costs of raw materials, labor, and shipping have continued to be high, many food companies have reported leaps in profit at the same time. Many have noticed that food companies' profits have been increasing, too, a sign to them that some of the higher prices are about something other than covering production costs. Recent earnings from food companies suggest that many have raised prices higher than inflation.

☆ McCormick's red-cap bottles are getting a makeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —McCormick, the top-selling maker of seasonings and spices, is giving its iconic red-cap bottles their first makeover in more than 40 years. Shoppers will soon see newly designed bottles that feature updated labeling and a new “snap” cap that the company says keeps spices and seasonings fresher compared to its previous design. McCormick’s new sleeker bottles, which have already begun rolling out in the United States, will first contain its most popular herbs and spices, including cinnamon, garlic powder and crushed red pepper. The inside is getting a makeover, too. “This is a winning proposition from top to bottom and we have tons of consumer research to validate that,” she said.

☆ Consumers keep spending. That might not be good news for them or the Fed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

And by November and December, those predictions appeared to be materializing, when data showed consumers had pulled back during the holiday shopping season. During a month chock full of suprisingly strong economic data, the Commerce Department’s retail sales and consumer spending reports far surpassed expectations. “It’s not sustainable to keep spending above their means.”Eyes on the FedHearty consumer spending at a time like this is a double-edged sword, said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst for Bankrate and CreditCards.com. “The resilience of consumer spending is probably the biggest thing that’s pushed this recession timetable out,” Rossman said. The Home Depot (HD) warned of flat sales for 2023 as consumers continue shift spending from goods to services.

☆ Americans are quitting plant-based meat due to high prices, worse taste, and questionable health benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 2020, retail sales of plant-based meat grew 45%, surpassing the $1 billion mark for the first time. Questionable taste and health benefits are scaring off consumersFirst, it's unclear whether the plant-based meat industry has a growing customer base. On the all-important issue of taste, many Americans say plant-based meat disappoints, and some experts think the industry's efforts to compare plant-based meat to the real thing is a losing battle. Additionally, while plant-based meat has environmental benefits, growing research suggests it may not be much — if at all — healthier than traditional meat, something consumers are beginning to suspect. It's also possible that cultivated meat — meat grown from animal cells in a lab — will prove to be the answer, though this innovation could face some obstacles as well.

☆ Investors need to embrace these stocks that we love
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

I’ve typically done this stock picking feature in early to mid February as a Stocks We Love type of story, pegging it to Valentine’s Day. The restaurant stocks in particular could do well. Inflation is obviously still a concern for big consumer brands. Consumer prices rose 6.5% over the past 12 months through December, down from a 7.1% pace in November. Up nextMonday: Earnings from TreeHouse Foods (THS), Avis Budget (CAR), FirstEnergy (FE), IAC (IAC) and PalantirTuesday: US CPI; Japan GDP; UK employment report; earnings from Coca-Cola, Asahi Group, Marriott (MAR).

☆ 5 of the easiest online businesses to start in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Suss out the need for your potential online businessConduct market and consumer research to determine what's needed. When deciding what type of business to start, "looking at where societal forces are heading and seeing if you can get ahead of the trend" is a good start, she said. "Start with scratching your own itch," Franklin suggests for aspiring online business owners. "Whatever you do, find something you care about because you're going to need to put a lot of time and energy into making it succeed." Here are 5 of the easiest online businesses to start in 2023.

Southwest finished first in economy and budget airline rankings published by the consumer research firm last May. Analysts say that Southwest's position among consumers remains strong despite the airline leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded over the Christmas holiday weekend. "People think you're getting great value for the money," said Michael Taylor, managing director for travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. On Tuesday, the airline said it would issue 25,000 rewards points to anyone whose flight was affected. Taylor at J.D.

☆ Consumers are spending money on experiences rather than going to the mall, says Refinitiv's Jharonne Martis
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailConsumers are spending money on experiences rather than going to the mall, says Refinitiv's Jharonne MartisJharonne Martis, Refinitiv director of consumer research, joins Brian Sullivan and the 'CNBC Special: Taking Stock 2023' to discuss whether consumer spending will remain strong heading into next year.

☆ Chinese consumers wary of splurging after Beijing relaxes COVID strictures
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Casey Hall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"On the other hand, we don't know who is safe, we don't know who has the coronavirus. "Moving from isolation facility quarantine to home quarantine will not increase retail sales significantly," said Iris Pang, chief economist for greater China at ING. A spa at a mall in downtown Beijing that resumed business on Friday said most staff had returned but customers were far fewer. Luca Solca, a luxury analyst with Bernstein, said the end of the curbs was good news for the luxury industry, heavily dependent on Chinese spending. "My base-case scenario is that the softening should prompt Chinese consumers to go back to enjoying life and spending money – benefiting, among others, top luxury brands," he said.

[1/3] Customers are seen inside the Express store in Broomfield, Colorado August 28, 2013. At risk are retailers' margins during the critical holiday shopping season and their efforts to be the go-to location for trendy fashions. Shopper demand has put a strain on apparel retailers throughout the year, boosting inventories and forcing retailers including Gap, Victoria's Secret and Kohl's, to slash prices. Deals since October and over Thanksgiving weekend were up in both frequency and discounting depth, including from clothing retailers, according to research from Jane Hali & Associates. Express' third-quarter margins are expected to fall to 29.7% from 33.22% a year earlier, according to analysts' estimates on Refinitiv.

☆ Move over kiddo. Teens and grownups want their own teddy bears
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNNBusiness —We know young kids love teddy bears and cute cuddly stuffed animals. But Build-A-Bear Workshop says older consumers can’t resist them, either. Shoppers can stuff a teddy bear or another furry animal and personalize it with clothes, accessories and their own voice-recorded message. Among the older shoppers are collectors and gift buyers. Courting teens and older customers has benefits.

☆ VW Faces New Problem in China: Homegrown Competitors
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( William Boston | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Volkswagen has struggled to win over younger Chinese consumers, who are attracted to the gadget-heavy electric cars offered by local competitors. BERLIN— Volkswagen AG is losing market share to domestic auto makers in China, its single biggest market, confronting the German car company’s new chief executive with one of his most difficult challenges. Despite some sales gains in recent months, VW said it expects its market share in China to be around 16% this year. That is down almost a fifth since 2019, when it stood at about 20%, according to data provided by Jato Dynamics, a consumer research group. VW, which has the biggest market share of any foreign car maker in the country, owns brands that are popular there such as VW, Skoda, Porsche, Audi and Bentley.

Companies Hormel Foods Corp FollowNov 15 (Reuters) - Hormel Foods' labeling of a meat product line as "natural" despite using the same hogs and production methods as its other brands shows the U.S. meat labeling system needs reforms, said consumer advocates and documents released on Tuesday from a lawsuit the company is close to settling. “This is an endemic problem, not a Hormel problem.”Hormel said the company complies with USDA rules and guidelines for labeling and that it stands behind its Natural Choice products. "The term ‘natural’ is practically unregulated and can/will be used widely – as a result there is little to no difference between ‘natural’ meat and ‘conventional’ meat," read the slides, which were part of the document release. The presentation also advised companies to appeal to consumers' desire for wholesome products by packaging their meat in cardboard. Hormel and ALDF asked the court to dismiss the case last Thursday after agreeing to settlement terms.

☆ Martis: Walmart will likely continue to see an increase in store traffic, ticket growth
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMartis: Walmart will likely continue to see an increase in store traffic, ticket growthJharonne Martis, Director of Consumer Research at Refinitiv, joins Worldwide Exchange to discuss earnings from Walmart and Home Depot.

Early on election night, the NBC News Decision Desk uses exit poll data to determine whether uncompetitive races can be called. No race is projected until the Decision Desk is at a minimum 99.5% confident of the winner. What kinds of calls and characterizations does the Decision Desk make? The Decision Desk will not use this characterization until we have statistical confidence that the race will be this close. When a party has gained a majority of seats in the Senate, the Decision Desk will project control for that party.

Jars of Nescafe Gold coffee by Nestle are pictured in the supermarket of Nestle headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, February 13, 2020. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has propelled energy and grain prices to all-time highs, driving up the cost of packaged goods. That has been felt particularly acutely in parts of Asia and North Africa, where people spend a higher proportion of income on food and fuel than in the United States and Europe, prompting some shoppers to stockpile non-perishable items. "Nestle is seeing hoarding with bouillon, to an extent soups, coffee for sure," Al Bitar told Reuters. Several countries in North Africa and Central Asia are suffering recurring shortages of basic necessities.

☆ 3 mistakes people make when setting their New Year's resolutions, according to a psychotherapist
▼ + stars: | 2021-12-27 | by ( Amy Morin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Setting your sights too highDeclaring that next year is the year you're going to work out every morning can feel really good — at least at first. You'll likely question your ability to succeed and start thinking about giving up. Decide that you're going to hit the gym three days a week. When you hit $100, you'll feel good about yourself, and you'll get an extra boost in motivation. Resist the pressure to declare January 1 the date you're going to change your life.

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