• Smartphone Trade-In Slows As Prices Rise
    iPhones traded in between July 1 and Sept. 30 were 2.92 years old on average, up from 2.37 years old the same period two years earlier, according to Hyla Mobile Inc. Android users swapped out their phones a little faster. At the time of trade-in, the average Android phone was 2.66 years old, up from 2.44 years old in the same period in 2016. Analysts said the rising cost of new smartphones might give U.S. consumers pause when they’re deciding whether to upgrade, according to the Los Angeles Times.
  • Pizza Hut, Toyota Partner For Futuristic Pizza Delivery
    Toyota and Pizza Hut unveiled a mobile pizza factory, residing in the bed of a zero-emission Toyota Tundra pickup. Debuting during the Specialty Equipment Market Association's annual automotive specialty products show in Las Vegas, the souped-up vehicle includes a refrigerator, a pair of robotic arms and a portable conveyor oven—all of which run on the truck's hydrogen fuel-cell electric powertrain.
  • Under Armour Earnings Could Indicate Beginning Of Comeback
    Under Armour posted better-than-expected earnings for the third quarter, a sign that an overhaul of the sports brand might be starting to pay off, according to Bloomberg. “The results back up executives’ pledge to show improvement in the second half of 2018,” according to Bloomberg. “The company is trying to get a grip on a glut of inventory that weighed down margins and led to discounted prices.”
  • Nissan Assists Animal Rescue Efforts With Specialty Vehicle
    Nissan is partnering with nonprofit Animal Rescue Rig to help build “Paws One,” a specialty vehicle that can ford the deepest water and traverse the toughest terrain to save pets abandoned or in harm's way during a major storm. The truck is on display at the Nissan booth at the 2018 SEMA show in Las Vegas, according to The Drive. Paws One started out as a Nissan Titan XD PRO-4X truck, which is already configured for off-roading.
  • Verizon Counts Down To Super Bowl
    Super Bowl LIII is scheduled for Feb. 3 in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and marketers are gearing up. As presenting sponsor, Verizon will have a visible brand presence around Super Bowl Live’s Verizon stage and private VIP area. In addition, Verizon will have additional activation space for fan engagement, showcasing Verizon UP, the company’s customer rewards program.
  • Dutton Experiments With Mini-Book Format
    Random House imprint Dutton just published its first series of mini books -- "the size of a cellphone and no thicker than your thumb," that "can be read with one hand — the text flows horizontally, and you can flip the pages upward, like swiping a smartphone" -- a format popular in Europe, according to Alexandra Alter in the New York Times. The mini books are reissues of four novels by best-selling young-adult novelist John Green. "It’s a bold experiment that, if successful, could reshape the publishing landscape and perhaps even change the way people read," writes Alter.
  • Wireless Thermometer Shares Your Health Info With Clorox
    Clorox paid to license information from Kinsa, a tech start-up that sells internet-connected thermometers which sync up with a smartphone app enabling consumers to track their fevers and symptoms. “The data showed Clorox which ZIP codes around the country had increases in fevers,” according to The New York Times. “The company then directed more ads to those areas, assuming that households there may be in the market for products like its disinfecting wipes."
  • Starbucks Opens First U.S. Sign Language Store
    All employees of the Starbucks store in Washington, D.C. are proficient in America Sign Language. It is just down the street from Gallaudet University, the world’s only university designed to educate deaf and hard of hearing students. Employees are a combination of hearing, hard of hearing and deaf. "The store itself was designed with accessibility in mind, with more open space, anti-glare surfaces, and visual displays for customers to check and pick up orders," according to Chain Store Age.
  • Coach Jumps On Anti-Fur Bandwagon
    Coach is following the lead of Burberry, Versace and Gucci in saying it will no longer include fur on its merchandise. “Other fabrics have come under fire,” according to USA Today. “In June, low-priced clothing chain Forever 21 said it would ban mohair from its scarves, sweaters and other products by 2020 amid concerns about animal rights. Fast-fashion giants H&M and Zara also said they would no longer sell items containing the yarn within two years.”
  • UK Retail Billionaire Faces #MeToo Accusations
    The Telegraph says it has spent the past eight months investigating allegations of bullying, intimidation and sexual harassment made against Sir Philip Green, along with his attempts to cover up the claims. He is the chairman of Arcadia Group, a retail company that includes Topshop, Topman, Wallis, Evans, Burton, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and Outfit.
« Previous Entries