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☆ Dianne Feinstein once mistook GOP Sen. Tim Scott for Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, book says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dianne Feinstein once mistook two different Black senators, according to a story relayed in a new book. She confused GOP Sen. Tim Scott for Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, saying she'd been rooting for him. Scott reportedly played along, telling Feinstein that her "support means a lot." Scott, a Republican who's served in the Senate since 2013, is said to have played along with Feinstein's apparent confusion. Dean Phillips 🇺🇸 🟧 (@RepDeanPhillips) April 12, 2023But on Wednesday, Feinstein finally returned to the Capitol, continuing to suffer balance and vision impairments.

☆ Sam's Club's history: How Walmart turned a supply store for small businesses into Costco's biggest rival
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Kathryn McLay is the current CEO of Sam's Club, assuming the role in 2019. "We still see ourselves as the 'experiment' Sam Walton launched back in 1983, always looking to evolve and improve," she said in a recent LinkedIn post. Sam's ClubSource: Sam's Club, LinkedIn

☆ Party City is planning to close over 30 stores across the country — here's the full list
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Avery Hartmans | Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Party City says it's closing over 30 stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Cartersville: Cartersville Crossing, 451 East Main St.IowaWaterloo: Crossroads Commons Shopping Center, 1415 Flammang Dr.IllinoisBradley: Bradley Commons, 2060 N. State Rte. 20Felch Street Shopping Center, 3050 Beeline Rd., Ste. L12East Hills Shopping Center, 3702 Frederick Ave., Ste. K2Five Points Shopping Center, 4101 Hwy.

☆ If you get an email from Walmart, there's a good chance it's fake. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart was the most imitated brand in phishing schemes in early 2023, per a new report. Walmart warns customers about the dangers of phishing and other types of scams on its website. The Walmart name appeared in 16% of all phishing attempts globally in the time frame, per Check Point Research. Those brands were imitated in 13% and 12% of phishing attempts, respectively. Under a category that explains "phishing," the website says a "scammer sends an email to an unsuspecting customer that may look just like a legitimate Walmart email (including use of the Walmart logo.)"

☆ Walmart has rolled out 7 different logos over the years. See how the retailer's logo has evolved.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Finally, in 2008, Walmart dropped the hyphen and arrived at the blue logo it touts today. The logo includes a yellow "spark," which represents the spark of inspiration that led Sam Walton to create the first store, and each part of the spark is associated with one of the company's values and principles, according to the company. WalmartSource: Walmart Museum

☆ Subway's US restaurant locations have hit their lowest level since 2005 as the company looks to sell – report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Subway now has its lowest number of US restaurants since 2005, according to Restaurant Business. The company reportedly closed 571 restaurants in 2022 and operates more than 20,000 nationwide. But more than 6,500 Subway restaurants have closed since 2016, or nearly one of every four restaurants in the country, according to Restaurant Business. Multiple media outlets have reported that the company wants a sale that values the chain at $10 billion. Despite previous years of slumping sales and closing stores, Subway, a privately held company, has recently gained some momentum.

☆ Crate & Barrel offers to take over gift registries for jilted Bed Bath & Beyond couples and BuyBuy Baby parents-to-be. Here's how to switch.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Crate & Barrel is allowing Bed Bath & Beyond customers to transfer their registries to furniture and home-decor chain. Crate & Barrel says customers who created wedding or baby gift registries at Bed Bath & Beyond or its BuyBuy Baby brand can transfer them to the Illinois-based furniture and home-decor retailer. To do a transfer, the customer would need to create a Crate & Barrel or Crate & Kids registry, take a screenshot of their Bed, Bath & Beyond or BuyBuy Baby registry, then bring it into a Crate & Barrel store. And stores like JoAnn, The Container Store, and Big Lots are all accepting Bed Bath & Beyond coupons. Do you have a wedding or baby registry through Bed Bath and Beyond?

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☆ Sam's Club is testing out a robot that can grill and assemble your burger. And you can order and pay for it without even speaking to a human.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam's Club recently unveiled a robot that can assemble a burger start-to-finish without humans. Walmart-owned Sam's Club is testing out a robot that can assemble your burgers — toppings, seasoning, and all — at a location in Fayeteville, Arkansas, not far from the company's headquarters of Bentonville. Sam's Club declined to comment when Insider reached out about the robot. Sam's Club does not have any current plans to roll out this robot nationwide, Tim Simmons, Sam's Club senior vice president and chief product officer, told Axios. Have you tried the Sam's Club burger or do you want to?

☆ Tuesday Morning set to close all remaining stores after filing for bankruptcy twice in 3 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tuesday Morning said in a Facebook post it is gearing up to close all of its stores across the US. The home goods retailer filed for bankruptcy earlier this year after it faced numerous struggles. When Tuesday Morning filed for bankruptcy on February 14, it said it wanted to close 265 stores across the US, or more than half of all of its 487 stores. An Insider tally of announcements by major retailers in 2023 finds that more than 2,000 stores set to close across the US. Bed Bath & Beyond leads the list of retail closures, as the home goods company filed for bankruptcy last month and is on track to close to about 900 stores this year.

☆ Walmart dictates battery prices at competing retailers by pressuring Energizer, a trio of new lawsuits allege
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Energizer was "under pressure from Walmart" to ensure that nobody sold batteries for a lower price, three lawsuits say. The lawsuits allege that Energizer inflated wholesale battery prices for Walmart competitors. The lawsuits allege that in exchange for Walmart giving Energizer "preferential treatment" at its stores, Energizer agreed to a scheme to "artificially inflate the wholesale prices it charged to Walmart's competitors for Energizer Battery Products to prevent them from undercutting Walmart's retail prices." They further allege that, as a result, prices for batteries from Energizer's chief rival, Duracell, also were artificially inflated. The group "policed Energizer's customers' retail prices and raised wholesale prices as necessary to force Energizer's customers to maintain retail prices that did not undercut Walmart's," per the lawsuits.

☆ Jack Teixeira: Accused Pentagon leaker's violent rhetoric raises fresh questions about top secret vetting process
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Natasha Bertrand Sean Lyngaas Zachary Cohen Haley Britzky | Natasha Bertrand | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But that didn’t stop the Pentagon from granting a top-secret security clearance to Jack Teixeira, who prosecutors say had an arsenal of weapons at home and a history of violent online rhetoric. And the Air Force’s Inspector General investigation is specifically examining the Pentagon’s vetting process and whether any procedures were violated or ignored, Pentagon officials said. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters on Thursday that when vetting someone for a security clearance, the adjudicator examines “a sufficient period” in someone’s life to determine if they are eligible. That program – largely run by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) – aims to continuously vet security clearance holders for warning signs than periodically investigate them every five to 10 years. “Social media is a new world that the government really hasn’t gotten ahold of yet,” said Brad Moss, a lawyer who specializes in national security and security clearance law.

☆ Where Walmart's jilted exes are now: what happened to the e-commerce brands it gobbled up and spit out like Bonobos and Moosejaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart has sold three digital companies — Moosejaw, Bonobos, and Eloquii — this year. In the past couple of months, Walmart announced it was selling outdoor recreation apparel and gear company Moosejaw, upscale e-commerce apparel company Bonobos, and plus-size clothing company Eloquii. Under Lore, despite big revenue growth, the Walmart e-commerce division incurred major losses, sometimes annually upwards of $1 billion. Recently, Walmart's e-commerce goals have shifted. Here's a look at each of the companies Walmart has offloaded this year.

☆ Employee says ChatGPT carries out 80% of his work duties, which allowed him to take on a 2nd job, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Several workers told Vice they were using ChatGPT to work multiple jobs. One worker, referred to as Ben, said he used the chatbot to apply for a second job. He told Vice ChatGPT had helped him do his job faster and more efficiently, leaving him with more time. Earlier this year, Ben told Vice he landed a second job after using the chatbot to write his cover letters. "That's the only reason I got my job this year," Ben told Vice.

☆ Walmart is using AI to negotiate prices with suppliers, report says — and the suppliers are loving it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart is using technology from Pactum AI to negotiate with suppliers, per a Bloomberg report. The retailer tells the AI chatbot its budget, and the chatbot communicates with a human vendor. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant has embraced artificial intelligence a lot recently. Walmart is using a chatbot to conduct negotiations with equipment vendors, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. Walmart's shopping app also uses AI technologyThis is not the first time Walmart has embraced artificial intelligence.

☆ Walmart is giving away $98 memberships to moms — and it shows how desperate it is to boost its Amazon Prime rival
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart is giving away $98 Walmart+ memberships to mothers who give birth to children in May. Walmart+ vs Amazon PrimeThis is just the latest move Walmart has done to bolster Walmart+, the company's membership service that launched in 2020 in response to Amazon Prime. During the holiday season in 2022, Walmart+ members had early Black Friday shopping deals. Recently, Walmart+ members even had the chance to try a new Oreo flavor before it hit shelves nationwide. Walmart does not publicly disclose how many members Walmart+ has.

☆ Viral TikTok shows a Target San Francisco store going to extreme measures to deter shoplifters, with an entire aisle locked up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Dominick Reuter | Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A TikTok video showing an aisle of items including toothpaste and razors under lock and key has gone viral. News outlets cited it as further evidence of "a shoplifting crisis that has crippled retailers" in San Francisco. A recent study found low-cost items in the health and beauty section are a top target for retail thieves. The new TikTok video only shows one aisle and the rear of the store, and a Target spokesperson told Fox News that other aisles were not so heavily protected. "We're taking proactive measures to keep our teams and guests safe while deterring and preventing theft," a Target spokesperson said in a statement to Insider.

Bed Bath & Beyond, founded in 1971, has long been a go-to destination for home goods. Take a look at the rise and fall of the retailer loved by many shoppers. In September 2022, Bed Bath & Beyond announced it would be closing 150 stores and slashing 20% of its corporate positions in an effort to cut costs. Bed Bath & Beyond was once a leading home goods retailer, appealing to shoppers across the nation with its strategy of abundance. We took a closer look at Bed Bath & Beyond's rise from a small linen store in New Jersey to a major national retail chain filing for bankruptcy.

☆ 'Dream' hoard of 1000-year-old Viking coins discovered by amateurs on a metal-detector vacation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A group of amateur archaeologists in Denmark found a Viking silver hoard. The people who discovered the trove were on a metal-detector holiday when they came across the find. The three people who discovered the treasure trove — Jane Foged-Mønster, Louise Stahlschmidt and Mette Norre Bækgaard — told TV2 Nord that they had been on a metal-detector holiday when they made their amzing discovery. But these finds aren't the end of the discoveries, with archaeologists from the North Jutland Museums being given the grant to investigate the site further. "I hope we find the remains of a large Viking hall," Christiansen told TV2 Nord.

☆ Walmart says its CEO earned 933 times its median employee's pay last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart CEO and President Doug McMillon received total compensation of $25.3 million in the last fiscal year. In other words, McMillon got roughly 933 times the median compensation of a Walmart employee. The increase was met with mixed reactions from Walmart employees, as many said they were already making above $14 per hour. Though the pay difference between McMillon and his employees is above that average, Walmart hasn't cracked the top 20 for biggest pay gaps between CEOs and workers. Are you a Walmart worker?

☆ This startup founded by ex-Tesla, Google, and SolarCity staffers uses the ocean for carbon removal. Check out the 13-slide pitch deck Ebb Carbon used to raise $20 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ebb Carbon has found a way to remove carbon from the atmosphere while making the ocean less acidic. Check out the 13-slide pitch deck Ebb Carbon used to nab $20 million in Series A funding. California-based Ebb Carbon, founded in 2021, aims to capture and store carbon dioxide in the ocean while simultaneously tackling ocean acidification. Ebb Carbon has developed an electrochemical process that removes acidity from seawater while enhancing its ability to store carbon dioxide. Ebb CarbonThe alkaline release then helps to balance the pH of seawater locally, Ebb Carbon claims.

☆ I used ChatGPT to build a simple Chrome extension in 10 hours. Here's how I sold it for thousands on Acquire and what I learned about my fastest launch-to-exit ever.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Ihor Stefurak | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He used ChatGPT to build a Chrome extension and sold it for thousands on Acquire. While it took 10 hours to build, Stefurak recommends using ChatGPT to help with certain projects. We crafted a Chrome extension and received $1,000 worth of pre-orders within 24 hours. I recommend using the AI chatbot if you're starting a simple project with JavaScript or Python. These models help enhance self-understanding and ultimately lead to better decisions and big overall improvements.

☆ Walmart could expand into consulting and website design for other businesses as it continues to look beyond traditional retail, trademark filing suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The application says the business will provide consulting, website design, and more "for others." Walmart did not comment on the trademark application, saying it is "testing new ideas all the time." A Walmart spokesperson did not answer Insider's questions about the trademark filing, instead saying the company is "testing new ideas all the time." While we can't comment on this trademark filing specifically, sometimes we file trademark ideas as a routine part of the innovation process." This trademark indicates that Walmart is continuing its trend of side hustles, or businesses outside of its traditional retail, to garner profits.

☆ I tried the Krispy Kreme doughnuts at McDonald's, but they didn't compare to the freshly made ones
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I decided to try doughnuts from both the Krispy Kreme shop and McDonald's to see how they compared. Here's what I found testing Krispy Kreme doughnuts, as sold by McDonald's, versus one from a nearby Krispy Kreme shop. Pro: The doughnut was available quickly at McDonald'sI received my Krispy Kreme doughnut upon purchasing in less than a minute. Con: The McDonald's doughnut cost more than the one sold directly by Krispy KremeThe Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut cost 53 cents less than the same item from McDonald's. Con: The Krispy Kreme doughnuts from McDonald's weren't warm like those from the doughnut shop, and they didn't seem as fresh.

The Walmart heirs' combined worth is roughly $234 billion, according to Bloomberg. The family grants money and resources to support education, environmental efforts, and their home community through the Walton Family Foundation. In public, the Waltons live pretty modest lifestyles despite their wealth. Sam Walton, the original man behind the company that now encompasses both Walmart and Sam's Club, set his family up for financial success when he divided the ownership before he died. He wasn't a man of flashy luxury, but you can see how his children are living a slightly more lavish life now.

☆ Why retail crime rings target cheap goods at Walmart and CVS and skip luxury stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Only 11% of organized retail crime groups target luxury goods, per a recent NRF report. Items most targeted for organized retail crime include apparel and health and beauty products. In fact, luxury goods like jewelry and watches are rarely targeted by criminals. This is due to luxury items being sold in stores with enhanced security measures, the report said. Organized retail crime instead often targets more of the everyday goods available at stores like Walmart, CVS, and Target with less security protecting it.

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