Franchising, retail, business
03/12/2015
1. Amazon launches restaurant delivery in Baltimore
Amazon Prime members in Baltimore are now able to order restaurant delivery using the Prime Now service. Over 50 restaurants in 10 zip codes in and around downtown Baltimore have signed up for the launch; Amazon's team plans to add more restaurants in coming weeks. For a limited time, users are also able to take advantage of the service's one-hour delivery option for free.
2. Starbucks is now testing delivery — but there's a huge catch
Seattle Starbucks customers can now use their phones to get coffee delivered wherever they are. However, there is one big catch in the delivery plan. The service cost will be a flat fee of $5.99, even for the cheapest cup of coffee. And, that's before you factor in the tip.
3. McDonald's is offering table service and a new menu
More than 600 McDonald's restaurants in Southern California will soon start offering table service and a new menu. Customers will be able to order their meals at a register, then go to a table where their food will be brought to them by a McDonald's employee. The Southern California restaurants are also planning to roll out a new menu of burgers and chicken sandwiches
4. This lingerie brand for young women refuses to airbrush ads — and sales are soaring 21%
American Eagle's lingerie brand is thriving. Aerie defied norms last year by abandoning photo retouching of its models. Since nixing Photoshop, sales have soared. In its most recent quarter, Aerie's comparable sales increased by an impressive 21%.
5. Chipotle Tightens standards amid E. coli outbreak, putting buy-local pledge in jeopardy
Chipotle, dealing with an E. coli outbreak that has sickened dozens around the US, has tightened its supplier standards, putting its longstanding promise to buy food locally in jeopardy. Chipotle changed its website last month, taking down a description about buying locally and replacing it with a message on long-term supplier relationships. Though the company is still contemplating its plans for the local-produce efforts, the move cuts to the heart of Chipotle’s culture and marketing.
6. Adidas might be selling off another of its brands
German athletics company Adidas is looking to sell its hockey-gear subsidiary CCM, reports the New York Post. CCM is a major player in the hockey industry. Players with endorsement deals include mega-stars like Sidney Crosby, John Tavares, Carey Price and wunderkind 18-year-old Connor McDavid.
7. Food giants announce major new labeling initiative
Some of the largest food manufacturers and grocers announced an initiative to provide consumers with “instantaneous access” to detailed information on thousands of products through their smart phones. Shoppers, using their smartphones, will simply scan a code, called a QR code or barcode, according to the initiative by the Grocery Manufacturers Association
8. Lululemon has a new mirror that's unlike anything we've seen before
While Ralph Lauren's smart mirrors are in its fitting rooms, Lululemon's are on the floor and emphasize learning about the community.Lululemon refers to it as its digital community board. We got to check it out.
9. A startup that finds discount flight tickets 'hidden' on airline websites just launched in the US
Skypicker, a three-year-old startup from the Czech Republic, wants to help unearth these flights so you can fly as cheaply as you want to — and for the first time since its 2012 launch, it's serving customers in the US.
10. Cafe du Monde among most Instagrammed places in US
Famous for its beignets and chicory-laced coffee, Cafe du Monde in Louisiana is among the most Instagrammed places in the US. Most of the other places on the list were sports arenas and the state fairs of Minnesota and Iowa.
Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.
Fonte:http://uk.businessinsider.com/consumer-and-retail-news-december-3-2015-12?amp?r=US&IR=T