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☆ Dunkin’ changed its rewards program. Devotees of the coffee brand are expressing their outrage on Reddit.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Angela Yang | Angela Yang Is An Intern For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The previous DD Perks program offered a free drink of any kind at $40 spent. The new Dunkin’ Rewards system, unveiled last week, requires customers to spend $70 to get a free crafted drink such as an espresso, cold brew or refresher. Customers also no longer get a free drink on their birthdays. But in the days since its new rewards program took over, the 21-year-old college student has been looking elsewhere for his daily caffeine fix. As one Twitter user joked, “i need us all to collectively manifest the downfall of dunkin rewards so they bring back dd perks.”

☆ Burger King’s New U.S. CEO Seeks to Restore Chain’s Luster
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Heather Haddon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Burger King is gearing up to reclaim lost ground in the battle of the burger giants. For decades the No. 2 U.S. burger chain by sales behind McDonald’s Corp., Burger King in 2020 slipped to the third burger brand behind Wendy’s Co. Chicken sandwich giant Chick-fil-A Inc. has also surpassed the home of the Whopper, its restaurants averaging more than four times the annual sales of a typical Burger King location, according to market research firm Technomic Inc.

☆ Low-price grocers like Aldi are winning as consumers trade down
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-08 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN Business —With grocery prices soaring, consumers are changing the way they shop for food. “Inflation is hitting everyone.”More consumers are additionally switching over to store brands, also called “private label,” which are often comparable in quality and lower in price. “I don’t think you can underestimate the strength of all these private label offerings,” said Heather Lalley, editor in chief of Winsight Grocery Business, a trade publication. “Now we’re seeing other retailers trying to emulate them.”In September, for example, Kroger (KR) announced a new budget private label brand called Smartway, which consolidates some of its other private label brands under one umbrella. Aldi, for one, is rolling out a new tagline to explain what it’s all about: It’s An Aldi Thing.

☆ Binance-linked blockchain hit by $570 million crypto theft
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A Binance-linked blockchain was involved in a $570 million hack late Thursday, a company spokesperson confirmed to CNN Business on Friday. Binance temporarily suspended its blockchain network, BNB Smart Chain, “due to irregular activity,” the company tweeted Thursday. The company said Friday that hackers had stolen two million BNB cryptocurrency tokens – which are issued by Binance – worth about $570 million at the time. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao initially tweeted that an estimated $100 million worth of crypto had been stolen. This latest attack put the BNB blockchain offline for about nine hours.

☆ P.F. Chang’s is launching a subscription program
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Chang’s is relaunching its seven-year-old loyalty program to now include a paid tier, joining a growing trend of restaurants entering the space. The chain’s existing loyalty program isn’t going away: The free tier will be renamed Gold and offer fewer benefits, including earning only 10 points per dollar spent. The aim of the program is to create “added value for repeat customers,” P.F. Taco Bell has found success with its $10 per month Taco Lover’s Pass program that gives customers one free taco every day. Changs’ program, in his opinion, is the free delivery since the chain aiming to growing that part of its business.

☆ Cracker Barrel Profit Falls as Inflation Weighs on Customers
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Will Feuer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. saw a rapid rise in costs tied to wages and raw materials this year, as did much of the restaurant industry. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store said profits fell in the recently ended quarter as growing labor and commodity costs outpaced the restaurant chain’s price increases. Like much of the restaurant industry, the Lebanon, Tenn.-based company saw a rapid rise in costs tied to wages and raw materials this year. The chain has raised prices to offset some of those higher costs. Still, pricing hasn’t kept pace with costs as the company tries to retain its value-friendly reputation, which the company said helped it retain inflation-battered customers amid higher-than-expected gas prices during the quarter.

☆ Business & Finance News
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The architect of the coffee chain’s rise, now interim chief, vows to mold a new generation of leaders and improve service. 5 min readStarbucks CEO Howard Schultz Plots Priorities in His Final Six Months in the RoleThe cooling housing market is threatening demand for items such as appliances, furniture and curtains. 5 min readRising natural-gas prices amid short supplies are expected to make it more expensive to light and heat homes in the coming months. 5 min readPharmaceutical companies sued to lift border-agency ban on practice that accounts for up to 10% of national plasma supply. 3 min readMexicans Can Cross U.S. Border to Get Paid for Plasma, Court RulesWhy Adobe Wants Figma and Why Some Investors Are Worried The $20 billion price tag is spooking investors and raising questions among analysts, but Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen said an earlier successful revamp at the company was also met with early skepticism.

Most luxury brands could theoretically stop marketing since they can’t produce goods fast enough to meet current demand, but smart marketers are spending more to build long-term equity, Mr. Sproule said. “There’s no filtering, it’s direct-to-consumer, and we think that’s how consumers want to hear from luxury brands,” said Jeff Curry, vice president of marketing, communications and product, in describing Lucid’s marketing strategy. About 300 people who preordered the $300,000 Aston Martin 2022 V12 Vantage sports car attended dinner at the company's main factory in May. Executives said these events for existing customers and even paid events double as marketing functions, because they have the potential to raise luxury brands’ profiles among wealthy consumers. Separately, Aston Martin held a black-tie dinner for people who purchased the 2022 edition of its V12 Vantage sports car.

☆ Chick-fil-A says tweet that seemed to refer to the Black community was a ‘poor choice of words’
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-11 | by ( Francesca Gariano | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Chick-fil-A is under fire for a tweet that social media users said called out a Twitter user’s race. Many Twitter users called out the account’s decision to use the term “your community,” questioning whether it was targeting the identity of the user, who appears to be Black. Another user wrote: “Your community? “All jokes aside, they reply like this frequently,” the user wrote. “We often use the term ‘community’ in a broader sense to talk about places where we operate restaurants and serve the surrounding community.”

☆ Walgreens Names Hsiao Wang as Next CIO
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-09 | by ( Isabelle Bousquette | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. said Thursday it would appoint Hsiao Wang as its new chief information officer, as tech leader Francesco Tinto departs. Mr. Wang, most recently CIO of arts-and-crafts seller Michaels Cos., steps into the new role on Sept. 26. Walgreens has named tech veteran Hsiao Wang as its new CIO. Mr. Tinto became Walgreens CIO in September 2019, just months before the Covid-19 pandemic began. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CIO Journal The Morning Download delivers daily insights and news on business technology from the CIO Journal team.

☆ Dollar General’s newest shoppers: People making $100,000 a year
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-08 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN Business —Middle-income and wealthier shoppers, pinched by inflation, are shopping more at Dollar General for essentials and discretionary items. Dollar General (DG) CEO Todd Vasos this week said the retail giant has been attracting customers earning $100,000 a year in recent weeks. Inflation has pushed up prices for groceries and gas, and now these shoppers are turning to Dollar General (DG) and others to try to save money. Some of these customers first shopped at Dollar General earlier in the pandemic and have now returned, he added. Dollar General has been a lifeline for lower-income shoppers, particularly in rural areas with few other retail options.

☆ Earn up to 75,000 points with the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
▼ + stars: | 2021-10-06 | by ( Julian Kheel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Fortunately though, there’s another way to earn points with the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card. Elite status with the new Hyatt Business credit cardFor business owners looking for Hyatt elite status, the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card comes with complimentary Discoverist status. Get access to the elite check-in line at Hyatt hotels worldwide with the World of Hyatt Business credit card. An 75,000-point sign-up bonusThe World of Hyatt Business Credit Card doesn’t carry the cost of an ultra-high-end premium credit card, but with a $199 annual fee, it’s definitely more expensive than the average travel card. Use the sign-up bonus on the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card at properties like the Park Hyatt Sydney in Australia.

Persons: you’ll, cardmembers, Hyatt, you’ve, it’s Organizations: CNN, American Express, Hyatt, Hyatt Business, Hyatt Business Credit, Hyatt Credit, Globalist, Social, Shipping Locations: Hyatt, Australia

☆ The best ways to use the sign-up bonus on the Ink Business credit cards
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-28 | by ( Jennifer Yellin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +25 min

While the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve and Ink Business Preferred allow you to transfer points to partner loyalty programs, that same redemption options doesn’t hold true for your no-annual-fee cards, such as the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited. If you earn 90,000 bonus points from the Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited, you can use those points to stay at one of these all-inclusive properties for up to seven nights. While points earned from the Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited don’t count toward earning the Companion Pass, having the points can still be beneficial. When redeeming your Ultimate Rewards points directly through your Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited, points are worth 1 cent each. This makes the 90,000 bonus points on the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited worth $1,125 to $1,350 towards your next vacation — when paired with a premium card.

☆ Best credit cards with 100,000 bonus points
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-10 | by ( Jennifer Yellin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

So take a look at our list of the best credit cards with 100,000 bonus points or more and see which one is right for you. The best credit cards with 100,000 bonus points or moreHilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Best for Hilton hotelsIHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card: Best for IHG hotelsMarriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: Best for Marriott hotelsBritish Airways Visa Signature® Card: Best for short domestic flightsThe Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Best elite perks for businessesInk Business Preferred® Credit Card: Best travel card for businessesLet’s dive into the details of each of these cards and see how they compare and how much each bonus offer is actually worth. Based on the point valuations of frequent flyer website The Points Guy, those 130,000 bonus points are worth as much as $780 in travel. Additionally, there are two other IHG credit cards in the chain’s suite that are also offering more than 100,000 bonus points. With the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card you can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months after you open the account.

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