Hoping to talk up a flashy new $4.2 billion health acquisition, Procter & Gamble CEO David Taylor instead faced harsh questions from Wall Street analysts on a Thursday conference call over the Tide maker's sputtering performance. P&G modestly beat profit and sales forecasts with a $2.5 billion profit on $16.3 billion of sales during the third quarter ended March 30. But the company's results were riddled with deteriorating numbers.

Sales in the sports and fitness industry are healthy and getting strong, growing 2.9% in 2017. That represents the best annual growth in three years according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. The total is up $6 billion from $84.3 billion in 2014, and up a whopping $16 billion from $74 billion in 2010. “The sports and fitness products industry is resilient,” said Tom Cove, president and CEO for SFIA. 

In the two and a half years since Marriott announced its intention to acquire Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the parent of Westin, Sheraton and W, skeptical customers of both companies have waited impatiently for answers to the following question: Just how many rewards and perks would Marriott take away from the 110 million members when it combined the loyalty programs? As it turns out, not as many as some had feared. 

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt upgraded his official car last year to a costlier, larger vehicle with bullet-resistant covers over bucket seats. Recent EPA administrators had traveled in a Chevrolet Tahoe, and agency officials had arranged for Pruitt to use the same vehicle when he joined the administration in February last year. But he switched to a larger, newer and more high-end Chevrolet Suburban.

P&G is under pressure by a new hedge fund manager, Nelson Peltz, who muscled his way onto the board of directors. The stock is in the $75-$80 range (down nearly 15% in 2018 so far) and senior executives are still talking long-term after a string of mixed quarters. No one is predicting CEO David Taylor will be ousted this spring if P&G results sputter today (April 19), but pressure is mounting for the company to show increased traction.

Bloomingdale's has called on New Yorkers Sarah Jessica Parker, Christy Turlington Burns, Alan Cumming, Yankees' shortstop Didi Gregorius and Elaine Welteroth to bring the retailer's spring ad campaign to life. The campaign, called "Heart of N.Y.," begins April 23 and gathers the stories of these well-known New Yorkers who encapsulate the energy of the city and speaks to the emotional connection people have with Bloomingdale's.

Retail giant Dick’s Sporting Goods is destroying the assault-style rifles it yanked off its shelves in the wake of the Florida school massacre. “We are in the process of destroying all firearms and accessories that are no longer for sale as a result of our February 28th policy change,” said a company spokeswoman.“We are destroying the firearms in accordance with federal guidelines and regulations.”

Domino’s, which has been bringing pizzas to doorsteps for more than half a century, will now deliver to the great outdoors. The pizza chain said its drivers can meet customers at U.S. beaches, parks and landmarks. In all, Domino’s said it will deliver to 150,000 outdoor locations like the St. Louis Arch or Las Vegas “welcome” sign. The locations show up in the company’s app or website as “Domino’s Hotspots.”

Starbucks will close all its U.S. company-owned stores during the afternoon of May 29 to conduct racial-bias training. The announcement follows the arrest of two African-American men at one of its Philadelphia shops last week. The anti-discrimination training is "designed to address implicit bias, promote conscious inclusion, prevent discrimination and ensure everyone inside a Starbucks store feels safe and welcome.”

Tender Greens, with 28 restaurants on the East and West coasts, is one of a growing number of eateries that are either only accepting credit and debit cards and contactless payment systems, like Apple Pay, or experimenting with the strategy. In January, Starbucks made one of its shops in its hometown of Seattle cashless. Shake Shack began testing cashless kiosks at its Astor Place location in New York City in October.