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☆ The company Walgreens uses to target shoppers with ads on digital cooler doors is expanding its screens to more in-store locations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Cooler Screens, which provides in-store ad screens on cooler doors, has detailed expansion plans. Cooler Screens, the company that provides "smart" digital advertising screens on refrigerator doors in Kroger, Walgreens, and Circle K locations, said Tuesday that plans are underway to extend its network to more screens at different areas inside stores. Cooler Screens currently offers a digital merchandising platform that brightly displays the products that sit inside a retailer's cooler units and additional advertising space. A slide from a Cooler Screens ad sales pitch deck, showcasing its plans for additional in-store billboards. Cooler Screens has raised more than $100 million in funding from investors including Verizon Ventures, Microsoft's M12 venture fund, and GreatPoint Ventures.

☆ Freight Forwarder Flexport Is Laying Off 20% of Its Workforce
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Freight forwarder Flexport Inc. is cutting about 20% of its global workforce, or more than 600 workers, as the digital-focused business copes with falling shipping demand and repositions its operations to offer more supply-chain services. Mr. Petersen in June had estimated gross revenue of nearly $5 billion in 2022. The layoffs come amid a broader pullback in freight demand since the middle of last year as inflation has taken a toll on consumer demand and retailers have pulled back from earlier inventory restocking efforts. Mr. Clark, who led Amazon.com Inc.’s logistics expansion over his 20-plus years with the company, started as co-CEO at Flexport in September alongside the freight forwarder’s founder, Mr. Petersen. Mr. Clark is scheduled to fully take over the day-to-day leadership role on March 1, the company has said, and Mr. Petersen will then become executive chairman.

Morphe Cosmetics, a makeup brand once synonymous with YouTube beauty culture, confirmed Thursday it was shutting down all its U.S. stores — a move that shocked its employees, outraged customers and left some experts questioning the brand’s future. Morphe employees sounded alarm for weeksSome of Morphe's retail employees said it was shocking that the company had laid them off so abruptly — with several employees telling NBC News that they received a day’s notice before losing their jobs. TikToks under the hashtag #justiceformorpheretailemployees have received more than 7.5 million views, although some viral videos about the store closures have been deleted. As of Friday, Morphe employees who spoke with NBC News said they hadn’t received their severance packets yet. The store closures indicate that sales were continuing to flail, Ben-Shabat said.

☆ Warehouse Leasing Tumbled at the End of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Newsletter Sign-up The Logistics Report Top news and in-depth analysis on the world of logistics, from supply chain to transport and technology. PREVIEWFor the full year, companies leased a net total of 756.8 million square feet of industrial space in 2022, down 18% from the year before. The leasing slowdown raises the potential for a glut of new warehouse space in the coming months, with 682.6 million square feet of new development in the construction pipeline, Ms. Salzer said. Developers are paring back their plans for new projects as financing becomes increasingly difficult to secure, Ms. Salzer said. The amount of new space under construction was down 4.3% compared with the previous quarter, according to the report.

☆ Inside the massive warehouse that handles all your returned clothing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apparel is a large source of e-commerce returns. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. But the biggest problems are also often the biggest inspiration for innovation in the underdeveloped but fast-growing industry of "reverse logistics." Retailers have various systems for receiving, processing, and getting returns back into stock if they're acceptable. And as e-commerce grows — and returns grow with it — speed is of the essence.

☆ Growth constraints to shackle industrial metals for a few more months
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Pratima Desai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nickel and tin have slumped 50% and 70% respectively. Spiralling inflation, COVID lockdowns in top consumer China and aggressive interest rate rises are behind economic weakness and dwindling demand growth for industrial metals such as copper, used in the power and construction industries. However, BoA noted that metals prices had already fallen significantly and that they would outperform energy in the first half of next year. For soldering material tin, a major theme is consumer belt tightening, which has hit demand for electronic goods. "Slowing (tin) demand is perhaps best illustrated by global semiconductor billings, which had retraced 18% by September, since reaching an all-time high in February," Macquarie analysts said in a note.

☆ 9 things you should stop doing at the movie theater, according to employees
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Movie theater employees across the country told Insider what customers do that annoys them most. They wish customers would figure out their concessions order before it's their turn in line. It's a family-owned movie theater, and I love working there. Customers here are generally very kind and understanding — but some things I wish customers would do are:7. Don't ignore "please wait" signsScott works at a theater in Idaho, and said customers barge past "please wait" signs.

☆ Amazon Sued by Supplier Alleging Breach of Agreement
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Liz Young | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Gilimex claims Amazon pulled back its forecast for the year sharply in May, to far lower levels than projected and refused to compensate the supplier. The containers are designed specifically for Amazon and cannot be sold to other customers, the supplier said. The supplier says Amazon asked Gilimex to sign an agreement formalizing their relationship in January 2021 after Gilimex had begun making big investments to increase manufacturing capacity. The agreement allows Amazon to terminate the relationship without cause with 30 days of notice and requires Amazon to provide Gilimex with rolling six-month forecasts for planning purposes, according to the lawsuit. The suit, which alleges breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair trade practices and negligent misrepresentation, was filed in New York State Supreme Court.

☆ Goldman Sachs upgrades Gap, says stock can rally nearly 30% despite challenges facing retailers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The upcoming year provides a rough backdrop for retail, according to Goldman Sachs. She also hiked her price target to $18 per share from $10, implying upside of 29.5% from Friday's close. Consumers are growing more choosy in retail spending amid inflation and concerns over a potential upcoming recession, Roach said. Gap should outperform for the year when it comes to margin delivery and see "idiosyncratic" per-share earnings growth, she said. She said better execution from Gap will help investors see a long-term path for it to get back to where it had per-share earnings before Covid.

Money manager positioning on the CME's copper contract shifted back to a net long at the start of November for the first time since early May. Bulls remain conspicuous by their absence, waiting to see how Doctor Copper prices the confusing combination of Western recession and tentative recovery in China. The bounce has forced an unwind of fund short positions, which have more than halved to 31,177 contracts as of last Tuesday. Bears have retracted their claws on both exchanges but there's been no corresponding surge in bullish exuberance among fund managers. Investment fund and other financial net positioning on LME copperRECOVERY AND RECESSIONFunds' reticence to commit to copper is understandable given the market is trying to price two conflicting trends.

Goldman Sachs and Bank of America say copper could hit record highs in the coming year, as short-term supply tightness and long-term energy transition-related demand push the red metal north. Three-month copper futures on the London Metal Exchange were trading around $8,525 per metric ton on Friday in Europe. LME copper prices peaked at over $10,600/t in March this year, but two of Wall Street's biggest names see further price rises ahead. Both Goldman and Bank of America highlighted the energy transition as a key driver of copper markets looking ahead. While Bank of America's Michael Widmer said: "Copper is set to rally as usage in green technologies should offset cyclical demand weakness."

☆ Arielle Charnas' company, Something Navy, is floundering amid dwindling sales, an employee exodus, and furious suppliers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Katie Warren | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +36 min

From the outside, it doesn't look as if Charnas' company is in trouble. Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for Beach MagazineSeveral former employees told Insider they cut ties with Something Navy because they saw signs the company was struggling. Several current and former Something Navy employees told Insider they'd been inundated with emails since the spring from suppliers, freelancers, and models asking where their money was. In one email viewed by Insider, Scanlan told a supplier that cash was tight but promised payment was on the way. The current Something Navy employee said that based on data she'd seen, the retail locations most likely don't turn a profit.

☆ Wedbush says sell GameStop shares before Wednesday's earnings, stock still very much irrational
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Retail investors have inflated GameStop 's price to a point that is "disconnected from the fundamentals of the business," according to Wedbush. Analyst Michael Pachter reiterated the stock at underperform with a price target of $6, which reflects a downside of 76.5% compared with where the stock closed Monday. Though trading feels disconnected from actual business trends, Pachter expects its challenges will be apparent in third-quarter earnings and beyond. "GameStop's transformation efforts have missed the mark so far, leaving it to rely on a challenged core business," Pachter said. Pachter expects inventory investments and the success of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II" will boost sales in the the third quarter, which will be announced after the bell Wednesday.

Cyber Monday 2022 is quickly coming to an end so this is your last chance to save big on games for PlayStation 5, as well as discounts on PS5 accessories. Best Cyber Monday deals on PS5 controllers and accessoriesDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $49.99 from Best Buy Originally $69.99 Save 29%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $44.99 from PlayStation Originally $59.99 Save 25%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $1,698.00 from Amazon Originally $2,299.99 Save 26%Best Cyber Monday deals on PS5 gamesDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

The best Cyber Monday game console dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price Xbox Series S During the holidays, Microsoft is offering their budget console, the Xbox Series S, for $60 off. The best Cyber Monday game dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $39.99 from Best Buy Originally $59.99 Save 33%The best Cyber Monday gaming accessory dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deals on essential subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass and Nintendo Switch Online are also available during Cyber Monday, too.

Cyber Monday 2022 is here with big deals on games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, as well as discounts on PS5 accessories. Best Cyber Monday deals on PS5 controllers and accessoriesDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $49.99 from Best Buy Originally $69.99 Save 29%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price PlayStation Plus Essential (12 Months) Cyber Monday is one of the best times of the year to renew your PlayStation Plus subscription thanks to the 25% discount. $44.99 from PlayStation Originally $59.99 Save 25%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

☆ I've worked at Kohl's for 9 Black Fridays. I get my fair share of pushy customers, but my favorites are the people who make a day of it.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jenn Morson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

MaryKate Murphy has worked every Black Friday at Kohl's for the last nine years. Murphy said a lot has changed since the pandemic, but working on Black Fridays is always fun. The store usually provides Wawa breakfast sandwiches for the early workers, pizza for lunch, and coffee during the day. Kohl's usually gives us an added employee discount around the holidays as well. At the end of the day, I usually head home exhausted, but I love working Black Friday and seeing all of the people having fun shopping together.

Black Friday 2022 has arrived, delivering deals on games for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, as well as discounts on PS5 accessories. Best Black Friday deals on PS5 controllers and accessoriesDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price PlayStation Plus Essential (12 Months) Black Friday is one of the best times of the year to renew your PlayStation Plus subscription thanks to the 25% discount. $44.99 from PlayStation Originally $59.99 Save 25%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $159.99 from Amazon Originally $199.99 Save 20%Best Black Friday deals on PS5 gamesDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

☆ 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.

☆ Bootmaker Dr. Martens' margin warning knocks shares down 20%
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Radhika Anilkumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Going into the winter season, we see people buying more of our iconic boots which (are) ... the 1460s and our Jadons," Wilson added. To help employees cope with rising prices and dearer bills, the company has offered a one-off payments of 500 pounds ($605) to employees earning less than 45,000 pounds a year, Wilson said. First-half core profit was flat compared with a strong year ago period, the company said, while revenue rose 13% to 418.6 million pounds, helped by price hikes. The stock was down 21.2% at 225.6 pence by 1137 GMT, having risen the previous session to its highest since February. ($1 = 0.8260 pounds)Reporting by Radhika Anilkumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Silver heads for biggest deficit in decades, Silver Institute says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Global demand for silver is expected to rise 16% this year to 1.21 billion ounces, creating the biggest deficit in decades, according to the Silver Institute on Thursday night. The Silver Institute predicted a deficit of 194 million ounces this year, up from 48 million ounces in 2021. The Silver Institute predicts a 16% increase in demand this year to 1.21 billion ounces. Silver prices have fallen around 10% this year to $21 an ounce, mostly due to financial investors selling silver in response to rising U.S. bond yields and a strengthening dollar. SILVER DEMAND (MILLIONS OF OUNCES)*Source: The Silver Institute, Metals FocusReporting by Peter Hobson; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CHICAGO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Cooks may have to put away their oversized platters for serving turkey this Thanksgiving. If a farm has an outbreak, producers must disinfect their barns after culling turkeys and wait about six months before restocking. The National Turkey Federation acknowledged that cooks in some geographic areas could see limited supplies of big turkeys. On the U.S. East Coast, Baldor sees a shortage of the bigger sizes as large Thanksgiving celebrations make a comeback, Lindgren said. Shoppers are resuming traditional purchases of turkeys around 18 pounds, after downsizing their birds for smaller gatherings over the last two years, he said.

Given this outlook for battery metals, CNBC Pro screened the Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF for EV-related stocks that could offer opportunities to investors. The stock is rated buy by 51% of analysts covering it, who give it average potential upside of 51.4%. The majority of analysts covering the stock — 70% — rate it a "buy" and give the stock an average potential upside of 81.7%, according to FactSet data. Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology is another stock expected to grow earnings next year. The company is expected to increase EPS by 51.1% next year, with analysts covering the stock giving it average upside of 47.5%.

☆ Europe has kicked out over 400 suspected Russian spies this year alone, British intelligence chief says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Europe booted over 400 Russian officials suspected of being spies this year, the MI5 chief said. Ken McCallum said this gave a "most significant strategic blow" to Russia's intelligence agencies. "Alongside the wave of expulsions, the other part of that template is staying the course and preventing Russian intelligence restocking," McCallum said. "In the UK's case, since our removal of 23 Russian spies posing as diplomats, we have refused on national security grounds over 100 Russian diplomatic visa applications." Russian spies and operatives have been suspected of carrying out attacks like bombings, poisonings, sabotage, and assassination attempts for years, and Europe has tried to combat Moscow's increasingly hostile activities in other countries.

☆ Europe still can't live without Russian LNG exports
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN Business —Europe may be closer than ever to breaking its energy dependence on Moscow, but it still can’t live without one type of Russian natural gas. Russian imports doubled in the year to September to 1.2 million tons, Rystad data shows. The majority of the Russian LNG imports come from privately owned Novatek, the country’s second-largest natural gas producer after Gazprom. “I expect that Russian LNG will continue to play an important role in filling European storage going into winter of 2023,” he told CNN Business. “[Europe] would rather get whatever [it] can in terms of Russian pipeline gas and Russian LNG… it would take a lot before [it] would think about sanctioning gas or LNG from Russia,” Ramesh said.

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