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☆ Walmart says automating its warehouses will actually give workers longer careers
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Warehouse work is physically taxing, with employees moving thousands of pounds per day. As Walmart automates distribution centers, new robots and forklifts are lightening the load. CFO John David Rainey says Walmart's labor-saving automation may add a decade to workers' careers. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementWarehouse work is one of the most physically taxing jobs in the digital age.

Persons: John David Rainey, — Organizations: Walmart, Service, Bank of America's London Investor Conference, Business

☆ Sam's Club is winning over Gen Z shoppers with convenience, and that could spell trouble for Costco
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Sam's Club has grown its Gen Z membership by 68% in the past two years, CEO Chris Nicholas said. While the main attraction is low prices, the real difference for the club is its tech, he said. That could spell trouble for Costco, which lags far behind when it comes to digital innovation. AdvertisementLong a mainstay for boomers and Gen X shoppers, warehouse clubs increasingly have a new set of fans: Gen Z. "That generation believes it's cool to save money and we agree with them," Sam's Club CEO Chris Nicholas told CNBC last week.

Persons: Chris Nicholas, —, Gen, Nicholas Organizations: Sam's, Costco, Service, CNBC, Walmart, Business

☆ What's it like to work at Costco? A front-end manager shares what the job entails
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Costco warehouses require a lot of different jobs to run smoothly each day. Few workers have more customer-facing responsibilities than front-end managers. Business Insider spoke with a longtime front-end manager about what the day-to-day is like. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Business Insider spoke with an assistant front-end manager in Texas who has been with the company for more than 20 years to learn what the day-to-day is like.

Persons: — Organizations: Business, Service, Costco Locations: Texas

☆ The new laptop-sized Starlink Mini could be the ultimate off-grid travel gadget
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

SpaceX internet division Starlink is offering a new smaller, more portable satellite dish. The laptop-sized Mini device draws less power than the full-sized Standard, and can reach 100Mbps. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Starlink, the satellite internet division of SpaceX, is now offering a new smaller, more portable dish it calls the Mini. At 11.75 inches by 10.2 inches and weighing less than 2.5 pounds, the laptop-sized device fits easily into a backpack and can reach 100Mbps.

Persons: — Organizations: SpaceX, Service

☆ A Costco manager who has been with the company for over 20 years shares his No. 1 tip for getting promoted
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A manager who has been with the company over 20 years shared his best tip for getting promoted. "Move to some of the areas where they're growing," he told Business Insider. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Business Insider spoke with a manager who joined the company more than 20 years ago slinging hot dogs in the warehouse food court to make money for college. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, Ron Vachris Organizations: Costco, Service, Business

☆ Best Buy has trained more than 30K employees to help sell new AI-enabled computers in hopes of ending a sales slump
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Best Buy is hoping Microsoft's Copilot+ will help end its 10 quarters of declining comparable sales. More than 30,000 employees have been trained to help sell the new AI-enabled PCs. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . With 10 consecutive quarters of declining comparable sales in the rearview, the electronics retailer is hoping a partnership with Microsoft will help end the slump. On Tuesday, Best Buy began selling the tech company's AI-enabled Copilot+ PCs in stores and online.

Persons: Microsoft's, — Organizations: Geek Squad, Service, Microsoft, Business

☆ Chipotle is selling 'Chipotle Boy' bowls aimed at vest-wearing finance bros
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

"Chipotle Boys" are getting their own special. "You know who you are," Chipotle said in its promotion of the double-chicken and white rice bowl. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email. AdvertisementMove over rat boys; it's a Chipotle Boy summer.

Persons: Chipotle, — Organizations: Service

☆ Apple's AI chief gave this warning to the Siri team when he started working with them
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewWhen Apple's head of AI strategy and machine learning, John Giannandrea, joined the company in 2018, the company's voice assistant, Siri, was struggling to live up to its promise. Looking for a turnaround, Giannandrea says his first instruction to the Siri team was inspired by legendary NASA Chief Flight Director Gene Kranz: "Failure is not an option." Related stories"A lot of people use Siri a lot of the time," Giannandrea said in an interview with John Gruber after Apple's WWDC last week. Now 14 years after Apple launched Siri, the voice assistant's growing popularity has made it an exceptional proving ground for AI, raising the stakes still further. He has long argued that on-device AI models are critical to the technology being practical for everyday users.

Persons: —, John Giannandrea, Siri, Giannandrea, Gene Kranz, John Gruber, Apple's WWDC, OpenAI, We've, Apple Organizations: Service, NASA, Business, Apple, Apple Intelligence

☆ Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for a new moneymaking iPhone feature
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Apple's new iOS 18 will make iPhone 14s and later models less reliant on WiFi and cell connectivity. The company is expanding an emergency satellite-messaging feature introduced with the iPhone 14. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementSeveral of Apple's iOS 18 software features will make the iPhone 14 and later models less reliant on WiFi and cellular connectivity — and could even make the company less reliant on iPhone sales. The company is expanding an emergency-messaging feature, introduced with the iPhone 14, that enables devices to contact first responders via satellite.

Persons: — Organizations: Apple, Service, Business

☆ Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for a new money-making iPhone feature
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Apple's new iOS 18 will make iPhone 14 and later models less reliant on wi-fi or cell connectivity. The company is expanding an emergency satellite messaging feature first introduced with iPhone 14. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementSeveral of Apple's iOS 18 software features will make iPhone 14 and later models less reliant on wi-fi or cellular connectivity — and could potentially even make the company less reliant on iPhone sales. The company is expanding an emergency messaging feature, first introduced with iPhone 14, which enabled devices to contact first responders via satellite.

Persons: — Organizations: Apple, Service, Business

☆ Amazon built a big business with tiny orders. Now Walmart is stealing the strategy.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Amazon's typical shopper makes 72 purchases per year from the site, usually with small basket sizes. Now, Walmart's CFO says Walmart+ members are increasingly placing orders of just one or two items. The Walmart US CEO also said it takes a shopper four orders on average to embrace frequent delivery. AdvertisementAmazon was able to achieve e-commerce dominance in part through millions and millions of tiny orders. By contrast, Walmart's typical shopper shops a little less frequently and spends more per transaction, and tends to shop more in-store.

Persons: — Organizations: Walmart, Service, Business

☆ Costco sells a surprising variety of gold and silver – we counted 17 different items
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Costco has made headlines selling gold bars from Swiss and South African refineries. Collectors are tracking a dozen or so other gold and silver products the company has sold. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementBy now most folks have heard that Costco sells a lot of gold. But while the coverage has focused largely on gold bars from Swiss and South African refineries, the wholesale club's precious metals offering is much bigger.

Persons: — Organizations: Costco, Service, Business Locations: Swiss

☆ Walmart sees a bonkers improvement when it automates a warehouse
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Walmart's 4,600 US stores are supported by a network of 42 regional distribution centers. Of those 42, there's "some level of automation" at 15 of them, CFO John David Rainey said. When a DC is automated, Rainey said it sees as much as a 4X leap in efficiency. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Of those 42 DCs, Walmart CFO John David Rainey said the company has 15 that now have "some level of automation," serving about 1,700 stores.

Persons: John David Rainey, Rainey, — Organizations: Service, Walmart, Business

☆ I'm a Costco forklift driver. My job is essential to the warehouse's success.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Read previewThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a Chicago-area Costco forklift driver who requested anonymity as they are not authorized to speak with the media. I was a supervisor in the warehouse and then ultimately settled down as a forklift driver. Typically, Costco forklift drivers are seen kind of like supervisors, because you designate the flow of the building. I also make more as a forklift driver now than I did ten years ago as a supervisor. You can't keep it on the floor, so you're gonna have to rack it on tall steel shelves, and you're gonna eventually have to bring that stuff down.

Persons: —, I'm, it's, they've, There's, there's, — there's, let's Organizations: Service, Costco, Business, OSHA, Gatorade Locations: Chicago, Kirkland

☆ A Chick-fil-A in Louisiana is doing a $35 'summer camp' where kids see what it's like to work at the restaurant
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A Chick-fil-A in Louisiana is hosting a "summer camp" for kids to get an inside look at the chain. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementA Chick-fil-A restaurant in Hammond, Louisiana, is hosting a "summer camp" for kids to get an inside look at the chain. Promoted for kids aged 5 to 12, the event promises "a behind-the-scenes view of what it's like to work at America's favorite quick-service restaurant." The restaurant said the roughly 180 reservations across six days were booked within a day of being announced for a cost of $35 each.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Louisiana, Hammond , Louisiana

☆ One potential reason Costco's Kirkland Signature products win over shoppers? The CEO signs off on every new item
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Kirkland Signature, Costco's private label brand, has won the company some die-hard fans. Non-fuel sales reached $56 billion last year, or nearly a quarter of Costco's annual revenue. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . But some customers are even more enthusiastic about a brand they can only get from the warehouse club: Kirkland Signature. For nearly 30 years, Costco's private label brand has been winning the company some die-hard fans with products that are easily as good — or better — than their national brand competitors, and priced as much as 20% less.

Persons: Kirkland, — Organizations: Service, Costco, Kirkland, Business

☆ 3 big trends are working in Walmart's favor
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Walmart is enjoying the results of a flywheel effect between three major trends. As inflation attracts more customers to the retailer, its relative costs come down. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In a call with investors on Friday, executives at the retail giant revealed how the business is benefiting from a flywheel effect between three major trends. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Walmart, Service, Business

☆ I visited Wayfair's first physical store and got major Ikea vibes — with a few surprises thrown in
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

After more than two decades as an online-only retailer, Wayfair is getting into brick-and-mortar. In May, the housewares company opened its first-ever store outside Chicago. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementFor all of its 22 years in business, housewares retailer Wayfair has been online only. That all changed in May when the company opened its first-ever brick-and-mortar store in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, Illinois.

Persons: —, Wayfair Organizations: Ikea, Service Locations: Chicago, Wilmette , Illinois

☆ Sam Altman just got two new colleagues at OpenAI: Sarah Friar and Kevin Weil
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-10 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

OpenAI is hiring Sarah Friar and Kevin Weil to join its C-suite. Weil joins from Planet Labs and will be chief product officer. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementSam Altman will have some top-tier talent joining him in the OpenAI C-suite. The company announced Monday that Sarah Friar and Kevin Weil will be the company's new CFO and chief product officer, respectively.

Persons: Sarah Friar, Kevin Weil, Friar, Weil, —, Sam Altman, Sarah, Kevin, Altman Organizations: Planet Labs, Service, Business

☆ I visited Wayfair's first-ever physical store in Chicago. Take a look.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-09 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Persons: —, Wayfair Organizations: Ikea, Service Locations: Chicago, Wilmette , Illinois

☆ The Walmart heirs have added more than $53 billion to their combined net worth this year — second only to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-07 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The heirs to Walmart founder Sam Walton have added $53.7 billion to their combined wealth this year. Only Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has seen a larger increase in his net worth on Bloomberg's Billionaire Index. AdvertisementIt's no secret that Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang has had an explosive year so far when it comes to his personal net worth. Huang has more than doubled his fortune since January, adding more than $62 billion as the chipmaker's stock is up 40% year-to-date. And while Mark Zuckerberg saw the second-highest growth in individual wealth in 2024, according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index, the combined gains seen by the Walmart heirs outpaced the Meta CEO.

Persons: Sam Walton, Jensen Huang, Walton, —, Huang, Mark Zuckerberg Organizations: Walmart, Nvidia, Service, Meta

Mike Kratky, 33, Leerink PartnersLeerink PartnersSector: Medical devices and technologyKratky's young career underwent a major shift in March 2020 — and it wasn't remote work. The Colgate University graduate thinks he's a better analyst for it because he now understands how readers of his research think. "The stock calls won't always go my way," Kratky said. All eight of the outperform-rated medtech stocks Leerink has covered since October have outperformed the S&P 500 and their industry index. The medtech industry is experiencing rapid change, particularly with the advent of GLP-1 drugs that treat obesity and diabetes.

Persons: Mike Kratky, Kratky, Leerink, He's, he's, Kratky's, — James Faris Organizations: Leerink Partners Leerink Partners, Nasdaq, Riley Securities, Colgate University, Tandem Diabetes Care Locations: Leerink

☆ I drove to Chicago to try out McDonald's little-known CosMc's test location. Dunkin Donuts should be on alert.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

McDonald's now has four CosMc's locations open, one near Chicago and three near Dallas. I visited the original Chicago location. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . McDonald's now has four locations open for testing — one near Chicago and three near Dallas — with six more Texas locations slated for this year. "CosMc's is a small format concept with all the DNA of McDonald's but its own unique personality.

Persons: McDonald's, Dunkin, —, Chris Kempczinski Organizations: Service, Dallas, Business Locations: Chicago, Dallas, Dallas —, Texas

☆ Walmart is giving US hourly workers new bonuses that increase the longer they've been at the company
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Walmart just announced a new slate of pay and benefits perks for US hourly associates. Some 700,000 workers are eligible for a new bonus that increases with their years with the company. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The retailer just announced a new slate of pay and benefits perks for US hourly associates, including a new bonus that increases with their years with the company. Around 700,000 part- and full-time workers are now eligible for annual bonuses that are tied to their store's performance, the Associated Press reported.

Persons: — Organizations: Walmart, Service, Associated Press, Business

☆ Costco's $1.50 hot dog combo is 'safe,' new CFO says. Here are the hoops the company jumps through to keep prices low on things like chicken and eyeglasses.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Costco's new CFO took care last week to assure members that the $1.50 hot dog combo is "safe." Accomplishing this has helped the company to figure out ways to offer low prices on other key items. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . As cofounder Jim Sinegal famously told former CEO Craig Jelinek, "If you raise [the price of] the effing hot dog, I will kill you." This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, munch, Jim Sinegal, Craig Jelinek Organizations: Service, Costco, Business

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