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☆ Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ Sells Well in U.S., but Not as Well as the Obamas’ Memoirs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Prince Harry ‘s memoir sold 629,300 hardcover copies in the U.S. in its first week, trailing only two titles by the Obamas on the list of top first-week U.S. adult-nonfiction hardcover sales. According to NPD BookScan, which started releasing first-week U.S. sales numbers in 2004, Prince Harry’s “Spare” sold more hardcover copies than all but two adult-nonfiction books in the U.S. in their first week: former President Barack Obama ‘s memoir “A Promised Land” and former first lady Michelle Obama ‘s memoir “Becoming.”

When it comes to queer books, the loudest headlines may be about bans and censorship, but a quieter truth about the state of LGBTQ books reveals the resilience of their authors and commitment of their readers. The queer titles debuting in 2023 are as full of joy as they are examples of resistance, and those in the industry say LGBTQ writers are only getting more ambitious. And while queer young adult books are often the target of book-banning efforts, these titles drove the highest gains in the category, the report found. When it comes to considering a queer future, and what’s next for queer books, that’s something that’s been on the mind of Suzi F. Garcia, the editor of Lambda Literary, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ books and authors. She described the book as having a “queer core” and a sense of hope while discussing issues critical to LGBTQ and Black communities.

☆ Why Your Favorite Restaurant Might Close
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Spencer Jakab | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

How do you make a small fortune? Start with a large one and open a restaurant. The difficulties of running a U.S. eatery, whether selling hot dogs or haute cuisine, are well known, yet hope continues to triumph over experience. In a country saturated with chains, NPD Group estimates that about 53% of restaurants are still independent, despite their high failure rate—especially in the first year. The pandemic made being a restaurateur even tougher: About 10% of independent restaurants shut down in 2020 compared with just 2.5% of those belonging to chains, according to data from Morgan Stanley and Euromonitor.

☆ Mattel is giving preschoolers an age-appropriate Barbie
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Mattel is giving preschoolers a new age-appropriate Barbie doll that it says is better suited for their needs. Mattel launched a new Barbie doll, called My First Barbie, specifcially designed for preschoolers. My First Barbie is larger, 13.5 inches tall versus 11.5 inches for the standard Barbie fashion doll. My First Barbie is bigger than the originally Barbie fashion doll and features a softer body. First introduced as Barbie Millicent Roberts in 1959, Mattel sold 300,000 Barbie dolls in the first year of her launch.

☆ Entrepreneurs are charging up to $50,000 to preserve people's memories in books, films, and even holograms before they die as the personal-memoir business ramps up
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Mark Ellwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Companies like The Family Film and Storyworth are capitalizing on this trend. One ghostwriting company is venturing into VR storytelling for luxury customers, charging $5,000. Andrew Gemmell, the founder of The Family Film. The Family Film charges $50,000 for an in-depth movie of a family's history. Social media, podcasts, and self-publishing platforms have also created ways for people to share their stories with a wide audience.

☆ Norway expects jump in oil output and gas near record highs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Nerijus Adomaitis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OSLO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Norway's oil output is expected to rise by 6.9% this year as the huge Johan Sverdrup field ramps up production while gas volumes are predicted to remain unchanged near record highs, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) said on Monday. Production of crude oil and other petroleum liquids such as condensate is likely to increase to 2.02 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2023 from 1.89 million last year, NPD's forecasts show. The combined volume of oil and gas is expected to rise to 4.12 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) in 2023, up from a preliminary 3.99 million boed last year, the NPD's forecasts show. The country's gas output is expected to stay virtually unchanged in 2023 at 122 billion cubic metres (bcm), or 2.1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, the NPD said, in line with a recent government projection. ($1 = 9.9232 Norwegian crowns)Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis Editing by Terje Solsvik and David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Metaverse off to ominous start after VR headset sales shrank in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg demonstrates an Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset and Oculus Touch controllers during the Oculus Connect 3 event in San Jose, California, U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016. With the ad business mired in a slump, Zuckerberg has been looking to VR devices and related technology to pull Meta into the future. Taken together, the estimates of VR headset sales and shipments create a problematic picture for Meta, whose stock price has lost about two-thirds of its value this year. Meta's Quest 2 headset, released in 2020, is by far the leader in the VR market, according to several analysts. VR headset revenue in the U.S. doubled in 2021 from about $530 million in 2020, according to NPD.

☆ Why egg prices are still going up
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But nothing comes close to the rise in egg prices. In the year through November, not adjusted for seasonal swings, egg prices jumped 49%, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wholesale prices hit a recordAvian flu has been a problem in the US for several months now, but in recent weeks wholesale prices have been hitting records. The supply squeeze isn’t the only thing contributing to higher egg prices, said Metz. Friday’s wholesale prices were the same as Thursday’s, the first time pricing held steady since October, she said.

☆ 'Kidults' age 12 and up are buying more toys than ever, with teens and adults driving significant growth for the industry thanks to the pandemic and TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

'Kidults' age 12 and above are comprising a growing sector of the toy industry, according to NPD Group. NPD Group's Juli Lennett told Insider the growth is largely due to the pandemic and social media. "Now many of them are hooked," Lennett said of kidults who purchased toys early in the pandemic. Today, Lego now sells 100 adult Lego sets, according to the Associated Press, including a replica of Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night and a functional roller coaster. "We make LEGO sets specifically for adults with more detail, challenging building techniques, and cool ways to display."

☆ With remote and hybrid work here to stay for some companies, fashion brands are still adapting to the evolving wardrobe of modern professionals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Remote workers are "blending it all together," in their wardrobes, Fortune reported. In recent years, athleisure brand Lululemon has spiked in popularity as more people seek comfort in their daily attire. "Gone are the days of two separate wardrobes or even three separate wardrobes," Maria Rugolo, director and industry analyst of fashion apparel at NPD, told Fortune. The change in work attire is evident in the TikTok trend of users showing their remote workwear. Such outfit choices have caused athleisure brands, like Lululemon, to explode in popularity.

☆ Fast-Fashion Brands Like Zara, Shein Create Mountains of Waste From Holiday Shopping, Returns
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Gad Allon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation found that, globally, less than 1% of used clothing is actually recycled into new clothes. Recycling clothes is expensive, and the existing technology isn't adequate to handle the volume needed to make a difference for the planet. While recycling clothing can be expensive, there are some companies that have figured out a way to limit waste by recycling. Time to be honestIn order to fix fast fashion, companies need to start being more transparent about their sustainability practices. It also ensures that the waste companies produce is out in the open.

[1/2] People visit a retail store during the holiday season in New York City, U.S., December 15, 2022. So far, shopper visits to many retail segments, including apparel and electronics, are down year-over-year, according to foot-traffic data from Placer.AI. Zara, the fast-fashion chain, aggressively raised prices this year without turning off shoppers, while dollar stores including Dollar General (DG.N) expanded their array of merchandise. Dollar stores have also shown momentum as more consumers traded down. Discount and dollar stores saw visits up 1.1% year-over-year, and up 7.8% compared to Super Saturday 2019, according to Placer.AI foot-traffic data.

☆ Norway's November oil and gas output lag forecast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

OSLO, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Norway's crude oil and gas output fell in November from the previous month, lagging official forecasts, preliminary data from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) showed on Tuesday. Crude oil output fell to 1.74 million barrels per day (bpd) in November, 8.7% below a forecast of 1.91 million bpd and down from 1.75 million bpd in October, the NPD said. Natural gas production in November averaged 346.4 million cubic metres (mcm) per day, 1.8% below a forecast of 352.8 mcm per day and down from 349.4 mcm per day in October. Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis, editing by Terje Solsvik and Nora BuliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Adults are buying toys for themselves, and it’s the biggest source of growth for the industry
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Sarah Whitten | Whitten Is A Social Media Writer For Cnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

It’s an important moment for the toy industry, too, with the holiday season upon us. “The definition of adulthood has definitely evolved,” said Jeremy Padawer, chief brand officer at toy company Jazwares. Toy companies have even begun creating their own television and movie content in order to support toy lines. Still, the stakes remain high for the toy industry as it heads into the final weeks of the year. “Right now, adult toy buyers are the reason for growth in the toy business,” Larian said.

☆ Few stores closed in 2022. UBS says get ready for that to change in 2023, starting with department stores
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

After a record number of store closures in 2020, retailers have shuttered far fewer doors over the last two years, but that may be about to change, especially for department stores, according to UBS. He also said that he believes the lack of store closures has made it harder for retailers to grow sales. Compares got tougher in 2Q22 as the industry lapped the big store closures. Our view is tough compares remain a reason Department Store sales will remain under pressure in the 1H23." Instead, he said, many store closures that would have occurred in 2021 or 2022 were accelerated by the pandemic.

☆ Adults are buying toys for themselves, and it's the biggest source of growth for the industry
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

There are two things keeping the toy industry afloat right now: inflation and a consumer group known as "kidults." These kids at heart are responsible for one-fourth of all toy sales annually, around $9 billion worth, and are the biggest driver of growth throughout the industry, according to data from the NPD Group. It's an important moment for the toy industry, too, with the holiday season upon us. Higher toy prices helped outweigh these losses, as sales revenue for the time period jumped 3%, NPD reported. Kidults, who tend to spend more on toys, have a great fondness for cartoons, superheroes and collectibles that remind them of their childhood.

☆ Holiday discounts are already hard to resist. The best bargains are yet to come
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Stores are drowning in a glut of merchandise this holiday season, keeping the discounts fast and furious in the runup to Christmas. With Christmas Day falling on a Sunday, and Christmas Eve falling on the preceding Saturday, Super Saturday this year is on Dec. 17th. With eight days to go until Christmas Day, and drop-dead shipping deadlines approaching, people have a lot more buying to do. Well ahead of the final full weekend before Christmas, stores this year were already offering discounts of 50% to 60% off, and tacking on free shipping for online orders. “Retailers want to start selling for the next big holiday, which is Valentine’s Day,” said Davis.

☆ Gen Zers are spending big this holiday season — and it could come back to bite them
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Gen Z shoppers came out in full force during Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year. BNPL seems like an easy way to pay for purchases, but it's causing some young consumers to rack up debt. Despite predictions of a lackluster holiday shopping season this year, shoppers came out in full force during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. "One standout this Black Friday was the high turnout of Gen Z in stores," Kristen Classi-Zummo, apparel industry analyst with market research firm NPD, told CNN. Frequent BNPL use has led some young shoppers to rack up thousands of dollars in debt and tank their credit scores.

☆ Who are the eager beaver holiday shoppers unhindered by inflation? Gen Z
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

They’re Gen Z. “One standout this Black Friday was the high turnout of Gen Z in stores,” said Kristen Classi-Zummo, apparel industry analyst with market research firm NPD. They came early, they came with friends, and they came to shop.”She said the prevalence of younger shoppers on Black Friday and over the Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend surprised her. Mall operator PREIT, which owns 18 shopping centers primarily on the East Coast, confirmed that Gen Z consumers were out in force. “For Gen Z, it wasn’t just about shopping.

☆ Ron DeSantis is releasing his first autobiography, in a key sign he's exploring a White House run
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ron DeSantis has a book coming out on February 28. Ron DeSantis of Florida has an autobiography coming out early next year, in the surest sign yet that he's considering a presidential run. Throughout these experiences, the publisher writes of the forthcoming book, "Ron DeSantis learned the same lesson: He didn't want to be part of the leftist elite." Ron DeSantis. That book's publisher was High-Pitched Hum Publishing in Jacksonville, Florida, a cooperative publisher known as a "vanity press" in literary circles.

☆ Ron DeSantis just announced he has a memoir coming out soon. Here's what we learned from his first book, a scathing take on Obama
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

DeSantis wrote the book during the Tea Party movement and before he ran for Congress. He did so throughout his 2011 book, "Dreams from Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama." According to NPD BookScan, which tracks retail sales of US print books, "Dreams from Our Founding Fathers" sold 125 copies through July of 2022. In one section of the book, DeSantis wrote that Obama lacked the humility of George Washington, the first US president. Obama, DeSantis wrote, "garnered flattering media coverage by a press thoroughly enamored with his progressive politics."

☆ Chick-fil-A is selling merchandise for the first time ever
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN Business —If your holiday wish list includes a Chick-fil-A sauce-themed blanket or a chicken nugget pillow, look no further. The chicken chain has launched its first-ever online store, and it’s filled with quirky merchandise that pays homage to cult-favorite items. Chick-fil-A said it expects the products, which range from $15 to $75, to “sell out quickly” — and the chain is already planning for more merchandise next year. Chick-fil-A is selling merchandise for the first-time ever. “Our studies show that one-third of consumers in the 18-44 age range are likely to buy products from collaborations,” Jensen told CNN Business earlier this year.

Or they feature commercial characters from media juggernauts, imbued with predetermined personalities and storylines that encourage children to copy, not create. Yet bestselling toys — as distinct from best — are too often those that are most advertised to kids; digitally enhanced or linked to popular media characters; or both. Companies that profit hugely from licensed characters have a vested interest in preventing children’s creative play — and stifling their creativity. Toys that promote creativity are less likely to be huge moneymakers because they can be used repeatedly in lots of different ways. These toys seem to be made with a kind of planned obsolescence, so new ones will soon be needed.

☆ DeSantis' scathing book about Obama shows his 'individual freedom' philosophy, his disdain for the media, and how he studies other politicians
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

DeSantis wrote the book during the Tea Party movement and before he ran for Congress. He did so throughout his 2011 book, "Dreams from Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama." DeSantis wrote the book as he was coming of age in politics during the Tea Party movement. In one section of the book, DeSantis wrote that Obama lacked the humility of George Washington, the first US president. Obama, DeSantis wrote, "garnered flattering media coverage by a press thoroughly enamored with his progressive politics."

☆ Here's what you need to know before you shop for a new TV on Black Friday
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Sofia Pitt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

"TVs you'll find on Black Friday are typically going to be entry-level sets," said Paul Gagnon, vice president and industry advisor for the market research company The NPD Group. People will be able to play Xbox Game Pass games over a cloud connection on 2022 Samsung smart TVs. When it comes to using the preloaded apps on your TV, it's important to know that smart TV stores, where you can download apps for your TV, vary depending on the TV's brand. Samsung TVs will let you access the Samsung Smart TV store, and LG TVs have the LG Content Store. If you're relying on the TV's built-in applications, Gagnon suggested, make sure the smart TV you're buying supports all the streaming apps you frequently use.

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