SFGate
An activist investor at Whole Foods and some affiliates disclosed a nearly 9% stake in the company and urged it in a regulatory filing to explore dramatic moves to stage a turnaround, including possibly putting itself up for sale. Jana Partners, the investor, encouraged the organic grocery chain to do a top-to-bottom reevaluation of its strategies and practices.
CarConnection
Analysts at the Boston Consulting Group predict that by 2030, the technological storm could mean that 25% of all miles driven in the U.S.- will take place in shared, electric, self-driving cars. The change will occur largely because electrification, autonomous tech, and ride-/car-sharing are all evolving quickly.
New York Post
JAB Holding may have competition for Panera Bread, "The Post" has learned. Brazilian private equity giant 3G Capital is seriously weighing a rival bid for the 2,036-store chain, sources close to the situation said. The company, which counts Warren Buffett as a backer, owns Burger King and Tim Hortons and recently agreed to buy Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.
The Wall Street Journal
Mondelez is thinking about replacing longtime CEO Irene Rosenfeld. Mondelez's board has discussed possible replacements for Rosenfeld, who is also chair of the company, and hired a recruiting firm to evaluate replacements. The company's best-known products include Oreo's, Chips Ahoy cookies, Cadbury chocolates and Trident gum.
The Drum
A digital campaign for Gatorade stars Chicago Cubs player Kyle Schwarber. The video, created by VML, features Schwarber working hard, thanks to some help from Gatorade. As a part of the brand's #WinFromWithin series, the video dives into the Cubs' hard work that helped the team become the World Series Champions.
Chicago Tribune
Consumers reacted negatively when ModCloth, an online seller of trendy women's clothes and accessories, was acquired by retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. last month, fearing that the brand would lose its cachet. It is one example of how the retailer is aggressively expanding its e-commerce business to keep pace with consumer preference to shop online.
Motor Trend Magazine
The 2018 Range Rover Velar made its U.S. debut Tuesday, sharing the stage with English pop star Ellie Goulding, who gave an exclusive live performance at the Hearst Plaza in New York City. The performance was broadcasted live online to a global audience. Goulding posed with the vehicle after her performance.
Mashable
Snapchat has launched a geo-filter to encourage young people in Scotland to register to vote. The filter is the first of its kind in the UK. It reminds people to register to vote in the council elections on May 4 - the first time 16 and 17 year olds in Scotland are eligible to vote. The project was undertaken with the help of the Electoral Commission in Scotland.
SFGate
Stephen Curry's limited-edition "oxblood leather" offering from Under Armour just dropped, and it didn't take long for Twitter to rip it to pieces. This isn't the first time the NBA star has been under fire. He took grief last year when he released his Curry Twos, which were dubbed by haters as "Dad Force One." Curry handled it with grace last year and made jokes in response.
Boston Business Journal
Cambridge-based CarGurus Inc. is testing its first ever TV ad campaign in Nashville, Austin and Denver. The firm that's behind a car reviews website says it attracts 23 million visitors per month, a scale it has reached largely by mastering the search-engine game and without any significant venture capital funding.