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☆ Opinion | If You’re Reading This, You’re Probably ‘WEIRD’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +83 min

You’re probably very weird, and not just for all the obvious reasons you’re thinking of. Because, obviously, there’s going to be some overlap in the curve here. How you’re going to behave with your professor is quite different than how you’re going to behave with your friends. But it’s really kind of faceless, and you’re not really helping anybody you know. I think things are dynamic, and directions are changing, and that sort of thing.

☆ Companies Are Taking a Harder Line on Union Organizers, Workers Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Noam Scheiber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In some cases, the apparent escalation of company pushback has coincided with a slowing down of the union campaigns. At Starbucks, filings for union elections fell below 10 in August, from about 70 five months earlier, and no Apple store has filed for a union election since November. And in advance of a recent union election at an REI near Cleveland, management sought to exclude certain categories of workers from voting, according to the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. It said the chain, a co-op that sells recreational gear, had made no such challenge in two previous elections, in which workers voted to unionize. (The union said the company backed down after workers at the Cleveland-area store walked out, and the store voted to unionize in March.)

☆ Bats carry killer viruses. Scientists suggest ways to cope.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

“I have to think on a landscape scale.”Research in Australia also is deepening scientists’ understanding of bats. Flying foxes travel long distances in search of food, dispensing seeds and pollinating trees along the way. As deforestation destroyed habitats and further disrupted the food supply, the bats have increasingly formed year-round roosts near people, they noticed. Native gums flowering around Gympie lured the flying foxes away from horse paddocks and more urban areas. In fact, the most dangerous areas for spillover aren’t rare, pristine habitats absent of humans, scientists say.

☆ Ben and Jerry's is latest progressive company to be brought into the union debate as scoopers at its flagship store in Vermont move to unionize
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Employees at a Ben & Jerry's shop in Vermont are seeking to form a union. A Ben & Jerry's spokeswoman told Insider that "we recognize and support the rights of all workers to unionize and collectively bargain." Ben & Jerry's workers told the Washington Post that they decided to pursue a union after management took away the store's tip jar for the company's annual Free Cone Day. All 37 scoopers at the Burlington store have pledged support for the union, according to Scoopers United. The union effort is the latest test for Ben & Jerry's, which has cast itself as a socially conscious brand for decades.

☆ How age-old retailers like Foot Locker are boosting sales for new brands like Hoka and On
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Foot Locker and other sneaker retailers have learned their lesson about depending too much on Nike. Foot Locker has allocated more wall space to emerging performance running brands like On and Hoka. Foot Locker and other sneaker retailers have learned their lesson from Nike's shifting strategy. Although Nike still sells at some retailers like Foot Locker, Nike is committed to putting its own direct-to-consumer sales first. "Acquiring a 21-year-old in New Jersey is more expensive for us to do than Foot Locker because Foot Locker has kept that relationship with that consumer," On co-CEO Marc Maurer told Insider in an interview.

☆ The top 4 sports and sports tech VCs are ready to open their checkbooks. Here's what they're looking for.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Courtside Ventures in January closed a $100 million fund, its biggest yet. KB Partners late last year closed a $127 million fund, also its biggest yet. If you're not in one of those lanes, don't bother reaching out, even though the firm has the new $100 million fund to dole out. Parikh expects fewer investments in media companies out of the new fund, but more investments in gaming. It's doling out the money through two accelerator programs and an investment fund.

☆ Do Couples Get Better Sleep in Double Sleeping Bags?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Justin Pot | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

THE TWO-BODY PROBLEM Proponents of double sleeping bags like this one from REI ($329) say they let them snuggle up with their beloveds. THE EXPRESSION “hitting the sack” gets slightly more literal in the great outdoors. If you’re a couple, though, you’re likely hitting separate sleeping sacks—unless you buy a double sleeping bag, wide enough to fit two people inside its nylon sheets. Double sleeping bags should in theory work well for outdoorsy couples who want to make sleeping in the woods feel more like sleeping at home. That said, such intimate designs aren’t ideal for duos who disagree on ideal sleep temperature and position.

☆ Nordstrom will cut about 2,500 jobs as layoffs creep into the retail world. Here's the full list of major retailers that have laid off workers in 2023.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Layoffs have started trickling into the retail sector, primarily impacting corporate employees. Still, few retailers are laying off store employees as the "labor hoarding" trend continues in 2023. Since the start of 2023, major retailers ranging from department stores to direct-to-consumer brands have cut staff, the latest swing in a sector that's been hit hard by labor challenges and inflation. Brian Ach/Invision for The RealReal/AP ImagesThe RealReal: The luxury consignment company cut 230 employees, about 7% of its workforce. Lidl: Around 200 US-based corporate employees were let go from the German grocery chain.

☆ Peloton, Allbirds and Lego: Best online sales right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Caroline Curran | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Today, you’ll find a deal on a Casper weighted blanket, a discounted Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer and savings on Allbirds Trail Runners. Casper Weighted Blanket $189 From $99 at Casper Amazon Sleep soundly under a brand-new weighted blanket from the beloved DTC brand Casper. • Save on hair care from brands like Pantene, Aussie, Head & Shoulders and more right now at Amazon. • If the Casper weighted blanket is slightly out of budget, consider this alternative from Luna, now under $55 when you clip the on-page coupon. No matter which model you choose, you’ll save on a device perfect for athletes and anyone else who appreciates at-home relaxation.

☆ I tried to see the green comet and totally failed. I needed more planning and equipment than I expected.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

I tried to see the famous green comet in the night skies, far from the city, last weekend. The moon outshined most of the stars, and I couldn't locate the faint comet, even with binoculars. I've heard (and written) a lot of hype about this comet, called C/2022 E3 (ZTF), or Comet ZTF for short. Morgan McFall-JohnsenIf I had spotted the green comet, there's no way I would've been able to capture it on my iPhone X. Who knows, maybe I looked right at the green comet and didn't recognize it because it was too faint.

☆ How to snag discounts through Beni, an online shopping tool that hunts for resale deals on Poshmark, eBay, and The RealReal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Beni, a browser extension, helps shoppers curate resale listings while browsing retail sites online. BeniShoppers are required to download the Beni extension on Google Chrome or Safari. Then, they must enable the extension while shopping online to view resale listings. "So let's say you find a Patagonia jacket that you really love, we'd show you 20 jackets often that are exactly the same from places like eBay or The RealReal," Pinner said. In return for real-time listings data, Beni markets new resale items to customers as they shop outside of their platforms.

☆ Hoka sneakers: Why these chunky, ugly running shoes are selling like crazy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hoka, which started in 2009 in France as a running shoe for hardcore marathoners, is growing rapidly with casual runners, hikers and weightlifters. “There wasn’t anyone doing what Hoka was doing.”But Hoka carved out a niche in specialty running shops. By 2019, Hoka sales topped $220 million. “We don’t see this as just a running brand,” Deckers CEO David Powers said in October. “This is a running, trail, hike brand that is more like a North Face” than Brooks running shoes.

☆ Union membership dropped yet again in 2022 to the lowest rate on record, showing that workers still face an uphill battle in organizing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The union membership rate fell in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union membership has been mostly declining for decades, even though union workers tend to make more money. At the same time, the union membership rate, which tracks the percentage of workers in a union, fell to 10.1% — the lowest rate on record, per BLS. The union membership rate of 10.1% in 2022 was just half the 20.1% in 1983, the first year BLS compiled comparable data. Even so, the union membership rate for retail workers is just 4.3%, down from 4.4% in 2021.

Some of Signore’s newer content takes aim at the people he said contributed to the allegations against him and their aftermath. Signore recorded the interview and released segments of it in July in a YouTube video criticizing NBC News’ coverage of the trial.) In between clips from the trial, Signore comments that he believes the testimony is true and reflects strongly on Depp’s case. Business Insider reported that the top three Super Chat earners on YouTube during the trial were creators who exclusively streamed it. “There’s no due process,” Signore said in the May video comparing himself to Depp and one of his accusers to Heard.

☆ Here's a map of Starbucks stores that voted to unionize
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A year ago, workers at a Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York, voted to unionize, a first for the chain. In the past year, more than 260 Starbucks stores have voted in favor of unionizing, giving the union a win rate of 80%, according to data from the National Labor Relations Board. In April, as the union movement continued to gain steam, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson announced he would retire. Starbucks has also fired organizers for unrelated infractions, closed a handful of union stores and withheld higher pay and enhanced benefits from baristas at unionized locations. Cathy Creighton, director of Cornell University's Industrial and Labor Relations branch in Buffalo, said that companies often use delay tactics to frustrate unions and take away momentum.

☆ Shoppers' returns are spiking to unprecedented levels — driving a $280 billion problem that's starting to backfire against them
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Inflation and a phenomenon called 'bracketing' are driving returns, Insider Intelligence says. Returns add another layer of cost and complexity for retailers, Insider Intelligence analyst Zak Stambor wrote in the report. Depending on the way they handle returns, retailers could be on the hook for packaging, shipping, and labor costs, he wrote. Zara is among the stores that have started charging shoppers if they return items by mail. Amazon, for example, allows customers to return items purchased on its website at Whole Foods grocery stores, which the company owns.

SKIP AHEAD Best deals at Amazon | Best deals at Walmart | Best deals at Target | Best deals at Best Buy | Best Cyber Monday sales across categoriesTo help you make the most of the shopping holiday, Select compiled some of the best Cyber Monday deals and sales we think you’ll want to know about. Best Cyber Monday 2022 deals across retailersBelow, we’re sharing the best Cyber Monday deals based on our previous coverage and reporting. 4.7-star average rating from 73,237 reviews at TargetOral-B’s Pro 1000 electric toothbrush is one of the best models you can buy. 4.7-star average rating from 10,600 on AmazonThis cookware set comes with 8-inch and 10-inch nonstick fry pans. Best Cyber Monday 2022 sales across retailersHere are the best Cyber Monday sales we think you’ll want to know about.

SKIP AHEAD Best deals at Amazon | Best deals at Walmart | Best deals at Target | Best deals at Best Buy | Best Black Friday salesTo help you make the most of the final Black Friday sales, we compiled some of the best deals and sales that we think you’ll want to know about. Best Black Friday 2022 deals across retailersBelow, we’re sharing the best Black Friday deals based on our previous coverage and reporting. 4.7-star average rating from 73,237 reviews at TargetOral-B’s Pro 1000 electric toothbrush is one of the best models you can buy. 4.7-star average rating from 10,600 on AmazonThis cookware set comes with 8-inch and 10-inch nonstick fry pans. Best Black Friday 2022 sales across retailersHere are the best Black Friday sales that we think you’ll want to know about.

SKIP AHEAD Best deals at Amazon | Best deals at Walmart | Best deals at Target | Best deals at Best Buy | Best Black Friday salesTo help you make the most of the shopping holiday ahead, we compiled some of the best Black Friday deals and sales that we think you’ll want to know about. Best Black Friday 2022 deals across retailersBelow, we’re sharing the best Black Friday deals based on our previous coverage and reporting. 4.7-star average rating from 73,237 reviews at TargetOral-B’s Pro 1000 electric toothbrush is one of the best models you can buy. 4.7-star average rating from 10,600 on AmazonThis cookware set comes with 8-inch and 10-inch nonstick fry pans. Best Black Friday 2022 sales across retailersHere are the best Black Friday sales that we think you’ll want to know about.

☆ Don't bank on free returns: 60% of retailers roll out stricter policies
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Roughly 60% of retailers said they're making changes to existing returns policies, with fewer promising free returns, according to a recent survey of retail executives. "These adjustments in return policies are not there to cover costs," Kieboom said. "The more money retailers lose on returns the more they have to make up for that by raising prices," Beitelspacher said. How to avoid return feesStill, shoppers love free returns almost as much as they love free shipping. In fact, 98% of consumers said that free shipping was the most important consideration when shopping online, followed by more than three-quarters who said the same about free returns, according to a recent report by PowerReviews.

☆ These discounted e-commerce stocks could be winners this holiday season. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The National Retail Federation expects holiday sales growth of about 6% to 8% over 2021 — about in line with inflation. Adobe Analytics is predicting U.S. online sales during November and December will grow 2.5% from last year. "The last few years, we actually saw an incredible amount of sales demand momentum, if you will, really early in the season." Her observations, which are based on data from hundreds of clients she works with, echo findings from Adobe Analytics, released Wednesday, that show a slow start to online sales in November. "I think [investors] should expect a continued commitment to sustainable growth and what we mean by that is sort of aggressive, ambitious growth coupled with expanding profitability," he said.

☆ These 6 companies are bucking the Black Friday conspicuous consumption trend — from fully closing stores to going all in on charity efforts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

REIREI first debuted its Opt Outside campaign in 2015, becoming one of the first major retailers to close its doors on Black Friday. This year, the outdoor recreation retailer announced it will eschew shopping holiday for good, after seven consecutive years of opting outside. While the website is still open for online orders, processing and fulfillment is paused until Saturday, according to the company. He continued: "When we first introduced this movement, it was considered revolutionary for a retail brand, but we felt it was the right thing to do for our members and employees. Making Opt Outside an annual observance will serve as a yearly reminder of this commitment to doing the right thing for the co-op community."

SKIP AHEAD Best deals at Amazon | Best deals at Walmart | Best deals at Target | Best deals at Best Buy | Best Black Friday salesTo help you make the most of the shopping holiday ahead, we compiled some of the best Black Friday deals and sales that we think you’ll want to know about. Best Black Friday 2022 deals across retailersBelow, we’re sharing the best Black Friday deals based on our previous coverage and reporting. 4.5-star average rating from 3,428 reviews at TargetDry, style and add volume to your hair with this tool from Revlon. 4.7-star average rating from 73,237 reviews at TargetOral-B’s Pro 1000 electric toothbrush is one of the best models you can buy. Best Black Friday 2022 sales across retailersHere are the best Black Friday sales that we think you’ll want to know about.

☆ Walmart, Best Buy, Trader Joe's and other retailers will be closed on Thanksgiving this year — see the list
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Ann Matica | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Stores like Walmart and Best Buy will be closing their doors on Thanksgiving again this year. Here's a list of retailers that have decided to stay closed on Thanksgiving Day. AppleREUTERS/Alyssa PointerApple stores located in the US will be closed this Thanksgiving, according to a company spokesperson. NordstromJeff Greenberg/Contributor/Universal Images Group Editorial via GettyNordstrom will not be opening its doors for business this Thanksgiving, according to Forbes. PetcoEducation Images/Contributor/Universal Images Group Editorial via GettyA company spokesperson confirmed to Insider that Petco will remain closed on Thanksgiving Day.

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