The coronavirus shutdown has forced a reset to consumers’ purchasing behavior across the globe and at every income level. In a blink of the eye, consumer spending shifted from discretionary to necessity purchases and has remained that way throughout the months of the shutdowns. In the new-normal, post-coronavirus world, the luxury market is...
Several months ago, at least 4 startups created software platforms for restaurants to purchase food from their suppliers. Then COVID-19 forced the closure of restaurants and these startups -- Choco, Cheetah, Pepper and DineMarket -- all pivoted to allow consumers to buy directly from the companies that used to supply restaurants. The questions...
In the future, shelf-stable groceries will be delivered en mass, while perishable foods and more upscale items will take over supermarkets. That's the trend that coronavirus is accelerating, one that will change the habits of shoppers and remake the middle aisles of supermarkets. Increased appreciation for shelf-stable foods will outlive COVID-...
McDonald’s has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire technology companies that specialize in artificial intelligence and machine learning. And the fast-food chain has even established a new tech hub in the heart of Silicon Valley — the McD Tech Labs — where a team of engineers and data scientists is working on voice-recognition...
As pet owners spend more time at home during the coronavirus outbreak, sales suggest a behavioral shift in purchasing habits. Top items being purchased from Paw.com currently include products that are designed for easy and frequent washing is on the top of everyone’s mind with importance on cleanliness. We are all in the process of evaluating...
The company, best known for pioneering the natural-ingredient cosmetics market and making social responsibility a key part of company operations, is the first large retailer to embrace an unconventional hiring practice called “open hiring.” Starting this summer, The Body Shop will essentially hire the first person who applies for a job in it...
It's only a marketing effort by Red Bull, but the surfboard sharing concept in Rio de Janeiro points the way to many other items that people usually own but don't use that much and might be shared. This marketing stunt, developed by Brazilian advertising agency DPZ&T, makes boards available at four different beaches: Arpoador, Barra da...
A typical Ikea store comes with a sprawling parking lot—in Burbank, California, for example, the lot has room for 1,700 cars. But as the company works to shrink its carbon footprint, including the pollution from customers driving to suburban stores, it’s also rethinking parking. A new seven-store building that will house an Ikea store in...
Last year, wool shoes from companies like Allbirds were all the rage in California tech circles. After selling 1 million pairs of shoes just two years, the brand developed a cult following pursued by celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and former President Barack Obama. Now, Allbirds is looking to top themselves with a line of shoes that...
Walmart is about to experiment with autonomous grocery delivery in a big way. The big-box retailer is launching a pilot program in Houston that will use Nuro's self-driving R1 vehicle to shuttle food from "select" stores to customers who've opted into the program. The companies didn't outline how customers would enroll, but Houstonians can...