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☆ Gold prices have surged in 2024. Here’s how to get in on the gold rush
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-27 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“Buying gold has never been easier and more accessible.”While gold, typically invested in as a hedge against inflation, has shined this year, there are plenty of things to know before investors join the gold rush. How do you actually go about buying gold? Another consideration when buying gold in the retail market is how the sticker price of the bullion compares to the spot price of gold. But Cavatoni advises having a “round-trip mentality” when purchasing physical gold, emphasizing the importance of the selling stage as much as the purchase process. On the other hand, gold-backed ETFs free consumers from the considerations that need to be made when purchasing physical gold.

Persons: ”, Joseph Cavatoni, “, Cavatoni, “ It’s, ” Cavatoni, prudently Organizations: CNN, Costco, World Gold, of Labor Statistics Locations: China, India, Turkey

☆ Amazon Prime wants to help you save on gas
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Prime members can now add “fuel discounts” to their ever-growing list of benefits. Members can avail themselves of the discount by linking their Amazon account to Earnify, a loyalty program app by BP. Amazon’s newest savings benefit could alleviate some of that potential grief for its over 184 million Prime subscribers. How Amazon is retaining its leadFuel and energy probably isn’t the first sector to come to mind when you think of Amazon, but analysts say that the recent inclusion of gas savings doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. “Other retailers are still playing catch up to Amazon, and Amazon wants to retain its lead,” Saunders said.

Persons: ”, Neil Saunders, Saunders, Wayfair’s, ” Saunders Organizations: CNN, Amoco, BP, GlobalData, Walmart, that’s, Target

☆ Halloween could taste different this year thanks to soaring cocoa prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-20 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

That’s because cocoa prices have more than doubled since the start of the year and have remained at record highs, according to Wells Fargo data shared with CNN. The surging prices have caused grief for confectioners during prime chocolate sales seasons like Valentine’s Day and Easter. The company’s president, Michele Buck, said in a call in August with analysts that cocoa prices are “not sustainable,” and pointed toward higher prices. Though hope is on the horizon, experts project cocoa prices will remain high until at least September 2025. A customer shops for Halloween candy at a Walmart Supercenter on October 16, 2024 in Austin, Texas.

Persons: it’s, ”, David Branch, Francis Kokoroko, Reuters El, Michele Buck, Hershey, Joseph , Missouri Nick Ingram, Sally Lyons Wyatt, Mars, Brandon Bell, ” Lyons Wyatt Organizations: CNN, Wells, Food Institute, Reuters, International Cocoa Organization, Hershey, Walmart, Getty, ’ Association, NCA, “ Locations: Wells Fargo, West Africa, Osino, Eastern Region, Ghana, St, Joseph , Missouri, Austin , Texas

☆ CVS names new CEO in the wake of layoffs and poor stock performance
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —America’s largest drug store chain named a new chief executive officer on Friday, with longtime CVS Health executive David Joyner replacing Karen Lynch. In August, rising costs at CVS’ insurance arm Aetna cut into profits, leading to the ousting of then-president Brian Kane. Charles Krupa/AP/FileLower reimbursement rates for prescription drugs have hit retail pharmacies, including Walgreens and Rite-Aid, resulting in flagging profits and forcing drug stores to shutter locations and cut jobs. Meanwhile, rival chain Walgreens is closing 1,200 stores as it faces competition from online pharmacies and larger retailers — another challenge facing drug stores. Our results need to show that more consistently,” a CVS Health spokesperson told CNN in a statement.

Persons: CNN —, David Joyner, Karen Lynch, Brian Kane, Lynch, ” Julie Utterback, Charles Krupa, Joyner, David, Roger Farah Organizations: CNN, CVS Health, CVS, Aetna, Federal Trade Commission, Morningstar, Boston College's, Club, Walgreens, Rite, ” Locations: Boston

☆ The federal government just made it much easier to cancel your gym membership
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The FTC unveiled its final “click-to-cancel” rule, which requires businesses provide a way for consumers to cancel their subscriptions that is just as easy as it is to sign up. That includes everything from gym memberships to digital streaming and e-commerce to cable TV service. “Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription,” said Commission Chair Lina Khan in statement by the FTC. Other times they might’ve been able to sign up online, but in order to cancel they had to call and talk to a representative. Other kinds of memberships required them to actually show up in person to cancel their subscription,” Brett said.

Persons: ”, Lina Khan, Laura Brett, Brett, you’ve, ” Brett, Natnan, ABCmouse, Brian Fung, Nathaniel Meyersohn Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Federal, National Advertising Division, BBB

☆ New Croc clogs mean matching togs for your dogs
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-12 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —From cowboy boots to fried chicken-scented charms, foam footwear maker Crocs has a reputation for quirk. This month, Crocs is putting its best paw forward: The quirky-but-comfortable footwear maker is releasing a line of clogs for dogs. Pet Clogs are part of a partnership with pet supply company and subscription service BARK as part of Crocs’ annual “Croctober” campaign, when it releases a fan-inspired product. And sales of the footwear brand soared in 2020, thanks to the rise of casual fashion during the pandemic. “In many instances these will be fun purchases which people will share on social media, helping to amplify the Crocs brand,” he said.

Persons: Crocs, Andrew Rees, “, Justin Bieber, Bad, ”, Neil Saunders, Lightning McQueen, Saunders Organizations: CNN, Labor Statistics, American Pet Products, Disney, DreamWorks Locations: Crocs

☆ Shopping hauls are so back
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-17 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Aria Liu, 17, regularly posts shopping haul videos to her YouTube channel, which has 300,000 subscribers. “I don’t know what it is, but when I’m shopping online, money doesn’t feel real.”Liu’s not alone. Shopping hauls have existed for years, if not decades. Aria Liu says that the shopping haul videos she posts on her YouTube channel, “urmomsushi,” are the ones that garner the most views. There’s also a growing body of research that is questioning whether social media can be dangerous, especially for younger users.

Persons: Aria Liu, ”, “, ” Liu’s, Liu It’s, Philippa Ward, Katie Fang, TikTok, Fang, hashtags, Alistair Berg, Matthias Lehner, ” Lehner, Katrina Caspelich, There’s, there’s, ” Caspelich Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Consumer, US Commerce Department, Consumer Financial, University of Gloucestershire, Research, Federal Reserve Bank of New, Centre for Retail Research, Lund University Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, TikTok, Lund , Sweden, “

☆ IHOP, Krispy Kreme are launching pumpkin spice flavors in summer as fall flavor season heats up
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Despite sweltering August temperatures, more stores are rolling out products in what was once the quintessential fall flavor: pumpkin spice. IHOP will launch its fall-themed lineup on September 1, including pumpkin spice pancakes, pumpkin spice cold foam cold brew and maple pumpkin cheesecake-flavored pancakes. And Krispy Kreme unveiled its fall menu even earlier, announcing the return of the pumpkin spice cake doughnut and pumpkin spice latte beginning August 12. Pumpkin spice has cemented itself as a fall staple, with Americans spending more than $500 million on pumpkin spice products each year, according to data from Nielsen. And with companies from Starbucks to Bath & Body Works consistently rolling out their own line of pumpkin spice products as the days grow shorter, the flavor has become a well-established part of the consumption calendar.

Persons: Krispy Kreme, ”, Neil Saunders, Saunders Organizations: CNN, Nielsen, Body, Home, “ Locations: Bath

☆ Inflation comes for your oysters
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-11 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Wholesale oyster prices soared to triple digit highs in 2022 and only began coming down late last year. The sheer lack of wild-caught oysters is the biggest supply issue underlying market fluctuations, and industry experts say the problem can be traced back more than 10 years. Branch estimates that up to 60% of the current oyster supply comes from farms — a near-complete turnaround from 20 years ago, when 70% of oysters were wild-caught. Qiu echoed Branch’s assessment, adding that the remaining wild oyster reefs are only a small fraction of their historic numbers. “Climate change is making growth really difficult to be consistent … there’s just a whole lot of things that can go wrong with farming oysters,” Qiu said.

Persons: that’s, ”, Julie Qiu, Wells Fargo, “ We’ve, David Branch, Qiu, ” Qiu, Gen Z, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, US Federal Reserve, Food Institute, Branch Locations: New York, Wells Fargo, New York City, Wells, Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, —

☆ Brands should avoid this popular term. It’s turning off customers
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

A study published in the Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management in June found that describing a product as using AI lowers a customer’s intention to buy it. “Way before people even heard about AI, those movies shaped people’s perception of what robots that run by AI can do to humanity,” he said. …and a lack of transparencyAnother part of the equation influencing customers is the perceived risk around AI – particularly with how it handles users’ personal data. This lack of transparency is something that Gursoy warns has the potential to sour customers’ perceptions towards brands they may have already come to trust. “Rather than simply putting ’AI-powered’ or ’run by AI,’ telling people how this can help them will ease the consumer’s fears.”

Persons: ”, Dogan Gursoy, ’, ChatGPT, Gursoy, …, “ Organizations: CNN, of Hospitality Marketing, Management, Taco Bell, Washington State University, “, Google, Hollywood

☆ Costco is cracking down on membership moochers
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-07 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Costco knows you’re using your friend’s membership card. To save you the embarrassment of telling you off when you’re in the checkout line, now Costco will try to catch membership moochers before they even get in the door. The retailer is implementing stricter policies and cracking down on non-members using other people’s cards by requiring shoppers to scan their membership cards to enter stores. Last year, the company began requiring shoppers to present their membership card and a photo ID to use the registers. It reported last year that it earned $4.6 billion in revenue from membership fees, an 8% increase from 2022.

Persons: Costco, ” Costco, CNN’s Elisabeth Buchwald, Samantha Delouya, Nathaniel Meyersohn Organizations: CNN, Costco, Canada – Locations: Canada

☆ Your coffee’s getting pricier – and climate change could keep it that way
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Roasters and coffee experts are also signaling that prices could remain higher for longer, as factors like climate change reduce the coffee global supply. Climate change drives prices up“Coffee is more sensitive to changes in temperature than many other crops,” said Michael Hoffmann, professor emeritus at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Climate change is getting worse. According to Delany, coffee prices are typically between 100 to 140 cents, but have stayed consistently above that range for the past three years. “There’s a drum beat in the background that is climate change, and that is causing problems,” he said.

Persons: CNN —, Tomas Edelmann, ”, Hamburgo, Miranda, Ryan Delany, there’s, Michael Hoffmann, “, Brazil sneezes, Delany, Arabica, ” Neil Rosser, Lavazza, Miranda Edelmann, Giuseppe Lavazza, Nestle, Sharon Zackfia, William Blair, Rosser, ” Delany, you’re Organizations: CNN, Coffee, International Coffee Organization, United Nations, Coffee Trading Academy, Cornell University’s College of Agriculture, Life Sciences, US Department of Agriculture, Commodities, Financial Times, Nestle Locations: Chiapas, Mexico, Brazil, Arabica, Vietnam, Ukraine, Red

☆ IHOP is bringing back $5 all-you-can-eat pancakes
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —It’s a summer for single-digit dollar deals as IHOP and Denny’s join other big-name food chains in offering value menu options. IHOP announced this week that it is bringing back its $5 all-you-can-eat pancake deal. IHOP announced the same promotion with much fanfare around the same time last summer as part of its 65-year anniversary. He says that IHOP’s dine-in only deal is meant to spur customers into returning to stores. “As a restaurateur, you hope that they’re not just taking advantage of the deal, they’re buying extras, they’re adding on sausages or some other breakfast meat.”

Persons: CNN —, Denny’s, IHOP, Taco, ”, David Henkes, Henkes, IHOP’s, they’re Organizations: CNN, Taco Bell, KFC, McDonalds Locations: Technomic

☆ Spirit Airlines, known for no-frills flying, will offer business-class seats
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Spirit Airlines, the ultra-low cost carrier known for charging bargain-hunting passengers for anything and everything, is introducing business class seating. Farther back in the plane Spirit will also allow passengers to pay more for seats in rows where the middle seat will not be sold. Spirit looked at merging, first with another ultra low cost carrier, Frontier Airlines, and then with JetBlue Airways. Last week Southwest Airlines, the nation’s older lower fare carrier, announced it would end its open seating policy it has used throughout its history and let passengers reserve seats for the first time. However, Southwest has not announced any plans to offer wider, business class seats.

Persons: “, we’ve, ”, Ted Christie, – CNN’s Erika Tulfo Organizations: New, New York CNN — Spirit Airlines, United, Delta, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines Locations: New York, ”, Southwest

☆ Starbucks online ordering returns after app outage
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Starbucks app outage on Tuesday left customers unable to place a mobile order, delaying caffeine fixes for millions of coffee lovers until the app returned to service later in the day. Starbucks’ outage woes come as mobile app and drive-thru orders make up more than 70% of Starbucks sales across approximately 9,500 stores nationwide. Starbucks app is seemingly down nationwide, leaving millions of customers unable to place mobile orders. “The Starbucks app not working on my birthday is so rude come on,” wrote X user @syndey_fields1. The Tuesday Starbucks outage took place at the same time that Microsoft reported its Azure cloud computing servers were down.

Persons: Jaci Anderson, “ We’re, ”, @StarbucksCare, “ Organizations: CNN, Starbucks, Microsoft Locations: New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Dallas

He told CNN he wasn’t notified of the minors program embargo. The couple flew to Atlanta, Georgia, from Spokane, Washington, on a Delta flight and encountered no issues, they told CNN. Travelers wait for their luggage at the Delta baggage claim at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. “There should be some kind of compensation for this.”He told CNN the issues have cost him a significant amount of money. Bastian also told Delta passengers in a note on Sunday that the airline would “continue to offer meal vouchers, hotel accommodations and transportation where available.

Persons: CNN —, “ Delta, ”, Reed, wasn’t, Delta, He’s, Pete Buttigieg, Jeremy, Kaylee Jones, Lucia, ” Jones, Ed Bastian, Christian Monterrosa, Dylan Steele, Steele, “, Arthur Ginolfi, I’ve, Ginolfi, Bastian, we’re Organizations: CNN, Delta, “, LaGuardia, Delta Air Lines, Atlanta’s Hartsfield, Jackson International Airport, Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International, Bloomberg, Getty, Jackson Airport, Delta Airlines Locations: Delta, Atlanta, Charlotte, New, Orlando, New York, Florida, St, Atlanta , Georgia, Spokane , Washington, Delta’s, South Georgia, Washington, Jackson, Philadelphia, New Jersey

☆ ‘Inside Out 2’ becomes highest-grossing animated movie of all time
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

That’s after movie sequel “Inside Out 2” became the highest-grossing animated film of all time, raking in $1.46 billion at the global box office and dethroning former record holder “Frozen 2” from 2019, according to Disney on Wednesday. “Inside Out 2” hit theaters last month and passed the $1 billion mark just 19 days after its release — the fastest ever for an animated film. It’s currently on week six of its theatrical run and has already bagged a spot as the 13th highest-grossing film of all time. The excitement surrounding the “Inside Out 2“ release comes after the film industry was met with a slow start to the summer movie season. Discovery) and “Oppenheimer” combined added nearly a billion dollars to the domestic box office, according to Comscore data.

Persons: ”, ’, It’s, Daniel Loria, “ It’s, ” Loria, Paul Dergarabedian, “ Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer ”, CNN’s Eva Rothenberg Organizations: New, New York CNN, Pixar, Disney, Hollywood, Box, showtime, Comscore, Warner Bros Locations: New York, Europe, Asia, East, United States, Americas, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Japan

☆ Hacker group claims it leaked internal Disney Slack messages
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —An activist hacking group claimed it leaked thousands of Disney’s internal messaging channels, which included information about unreleased projects, raw images computer codes and some logins. Nullbulge, the “hacktivist group,” claimed responsibility for the breach and said they leaked a gigantic, roughly 1.2 terabytes of information from Disney’s Slack, a communications software. In an email on Monday to CNN, the group claimed it gained access through “a man with Slack access who had cookies.” The email also claimed the group was based out of Russia. The hackers said they leaked the data because making demands of Disney would be futile. “If we said ‘Hello Disney, we have all your slack data’ they would instantly lock down and try to take us out.

Persons: ”, Disney’s Slack, Slack, Disney, “, Nullbulge, CNN’s Erika Tulfo, Jon Passantino Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, ESPN, Hulu, Disney, ABC News, Disneyland, Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild of America, Sony Pictures Locations: New York, Russia, Disneyland Paris, North Korea

☆ Americans are buying more Kei trucks from Japan. Is it a sign of a growing “tiny truck” movement?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Measuring about half the length of a Ford F-150, Kei trucks look almost like toys in comparison to your standard pickup truck. Instagram page Kei Trucks Appreciation Society (@keitrucksas) sells Kei truck-themed merchandise from hoodies to stickers and posts memes for its more than 95,000 followers. On X, Kei truck fans share pictures of mini trucks they spot in the wild. Most states lack Kei-specific regulation entirely, and so far, only 19 states allow Kei trucks on public roads. And data from Edmunds showed that Americans were trading in more midsize and large pickup trucks for compact trucks than vice versa.

Persons: Kei, ”, George Zotos, Bill Pugliano, Zotos, Tetsu Ichino, “, I’ve, it’s, Andrew O’Bright, Kei truck’s, ” Zotos, Melissa Torre, Torre, Mark Schirmer, Mercedes ’ Smart, ” Schirmer, Ford, Edmunds, Ivan Drury, Drury, ’ Organizations: CNN, Ford, Silverado, American International Detroit Auto, Research, JDM Imports, Philadelphia, Torre, Daihatsu, Cox Automotive, Mercedes, Benz, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Ford Maverick, Hyundai, Hyundai Santa Cruz Locations: Japan, New York, Detroit , Michigan, Rockville , Maryland, Maryland, Chicago, Kei, U.S, Hyundai Santa

☆ Your bank is about to reveal key information about the US economy’s health
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Dave Sekera, chief US market strategist at Morningstar, says that he’s watching for insights on banks’ delinquency rates. Consumers have increasingly fallen behind on or missed payments in recent months as they get squeezed by high interest rates. But banks could see higher losses compared to 2023 if the economy were to experience a downturn, the Fed warned. Investors are wagering that the central bank will begin easing rates as soon as September, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. “The worst outcome for all of us is what you call stagflation: higher rates and recession,” Dimon said in an interview with CNBC.

Persons: Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Dave Sekera, Stocks, JPMorgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, Dimon, Matt Egan, it’s, ”, Joe Brusuelas, Mark Zandi, ” Zandi, “, Jerome Powell, Erika Tulfo, “ It’s, Neil Saunders, Abrigo, Gen Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, United, United States ’, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, Morningstar, Federal Reserve Bank of New, Fed, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, JPMorgan, CNBC, Federal, RSM, “, Moody’s, CNN, GlobalData, Apple Locations: New York, United States, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, China

☆ Target will stop accepting this old-school form of payment
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Target will stop accepting personal checks from customers starting July 15, the latest retailer to stop taking the increasingly rare form of payment and to try to make checkout less cumbersome for shoppers. “It’s hardly surprising Target has decided to stop accepting them,” said Neil Saunders, retail analyst at GlobalData. Around 61% of Americans are still writing checks, according to a 2024 report by Abrigo, a financial software solutions company. It also found that younger consumers, including Gen Z and Millennials, self reported writing more checks than older consumers from Gen X. The decision to stop accepting personal checks comes as the latest move in a series of changes to the retailer’s checkout experience.

Persons: “ It’s, ”, Neil Saunders, Abrigo, Gen Organizations: CNN, GlobalData, Apple, Target

☆ As heat levels climb, so do power bills. Here’s how you can keep costs down
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But on the tail of a record-breaking heatwave that swept the Midwest and Northeast, she’s finding it difficult to keep costs down. Americans’ power bills are expected to soar this summer, as heat waves have already begun baking parts of the country. But keeping your AC off when you’re not home may actually result in higher bills later on. In an aerial view, high voltage power lines run along the electrical power grid on May 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. A higher rating indicates lower energy consumption levels and, in turn, lower costs of cooling.

Persons: Emma Corrado, “, ”, Corrado, Annie Carforo, Carforo, Anthony Behar, SIPPL, Jamie McShane, Con Edison, ” Carforo, you’re, Mark Wolfe, Wolfe, Joe Raedle, ” McShane, Con, ” Wolfe Organizations: CNN, University of Wisconsin -, WE ACT, Environmental Justice, Costco, Department of Energy, National Energy Assistance, Association Locations: University of Wisconsin - Madison, Midwest, Madison , Wisconsin, York, Queens, New York City, NY, New York, acclimate, West Palm Beach , Florida, Bronx , Brooklyn, Manhattan, Westchester

☆ Cup Noodles wants to rethink the way you eat ramen with new s’mores flavor
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Cup Noodles is trying to change that — with a new s’mores-flavored instant ramen. While this marks Cup Noodles’ first foray into dessert territory, the noodle maker is no stranger to non-traditional ramen pairings. “Cup Noodles Campfire S’mores” is the latest in a series of seasonal flavors aimed at shaking up how consumers perceive the brand. Despite the saturated s’mores market, Saunders sees Cup Noodles as occupying a unique position that could get people talking because of ramen’s association with traditionally savory flavors. Stanton says younger buyers tend to be more playful with their tastes, adding that the s’mores flavor appeals to the connection between food and childhood memories.

Persons: Noodles, graham, ’, Nissin, Neil Saunders, It’s, ” Saunders, Priscila Stanton, ”, “, there’s, Saunders, ” Nissin, Gen Z, Stanton, Saunders doesn’t Organizations: CNN, Walmart, Nissin, USA Locations: ”

☆ Sizzling out? As peak barbecue season begins, fewer Americans are buying grills
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Lockdown was a grill (seller)’s best friendIt’s not a result of Americans cooking outside on grills less. Roy Morchian, owner of American Royal Hardware in Montclair, New Jersey, says grill sales have returned to pre-pandemic levels at the local True Value franchise. Downey sees Home Depot’s grill sales stabilizing now following the lockdown-driven high. Weber Grills are offered for sale at a home improvement store on July 23, 2021 in Palatine, Illinois. Traeger Grills holds demos and activations at Home Depot, Ace Hardware, and specialty retailers across the country.

Persons: Weber, ”, Brian Bushfield, It’s, Roy Morchian, Paul Glader, Joe Downey, Jessica Hernandez, ” Corey Martin, Traeger’s, Covid, ” Martin, Downey, Scott Olson, Jeremy Andrus, Simeon Siegel, they’re, “, Price, Shikhiu Ing, fryer, Andrus, Ayla Dunkley, Dunkley Organizations: CNN, West, Barbecue Association, American, Hardware, Depot Senior Merchant, CNN San Diego Grill, Texas, Grill, Downey, Getty, Weber, Rewards, Depot, BMO Capital Markets, US Department of Agriculture, “, ”, American Farm Bureau Federation Locations: Traqline, San Diego , California, Covid, Montclair , New Jersey, Montclair , NJ, Houston, Palatine , Illinois, Bloomfield , New Jersey, Newark , New Jersey, Pennsylvania

☆ Krispy Kreme is rolling out ‘Friends’-themed doughnuts. But you probably can’t get any
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Erika Tulfo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“We’re constantly innovating, constantly bringing excitement to the brand, and we’re fresh, fresh daily,” said CEO Josh Charlesworth on a first-quarter earnings call in May, according to a transcript made available by FactSet. But fans had a few words for Krispy Kreme on that score. “This is where I am just confused by the decision making process,” noted one commenter under an Instagram post by “Snackolator“ about the release. Krispy Kreme has launched its own share of US-exclusive doughnuts, including its most recent collaboration with singer Dolly Parton, the Southern Sweets Doughnut Collection, announced in May. A representative for Krispy Kreme declined to comment on whether the “Friends” collaboration would be made available in the US and told CNN there was “nothing additional to share at this time.”

Persons: ”, Krispy Kreme, “ We’re, Josh Charlesworth, “ Snackolator, Ashley Smith, “, Monica Geller’s, Courtney Cox, Ross Geller’s, David Schwimmer, Rachel Green, Jennifer Aniston, Dolly Parton Organizations: CNN, Ireland, Warner Bros, FactSet Locations: New York

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