USA Today
Trucks and SUVs are still king in the U.S. vehicle market, despite valiant efforts by Fiat to spark a small car revival. Its maker, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, is thriving, thanks largely to its Jeep SUVs and Ram trucks. But the company's Fiat brand is withering away, according to USA Today. “Plunging interest in passenger cars, a lack of body style variety, a reputation for poor quality and a general lack of consumer awareness have collectively undermined the Italian brand,” reports the newspaper.
Complex
Track and field athlete Allyson Felix is calling attention to the misogyny female athletes encounter when seeking maternity protections during sponsorship negotiations. In an op-ed for the
New York Times, the six-time Olympic gold medalist opened up about her experience as a newly pregnant athlete in contract negotiations with Nike, revealing that the talks came to a "standstill" after the brand failed to guarantee that she wouldn't be punished for under-performing in the months after childbirth, according to
Complex. Nike wanted to pay her 70% less than the amount she earned before pregnancy.
Supermarket News
Following the lead of Marriott, Starbucks, American Airlines and other corporations, Whole Foods is eliminating plastic straws from its stores and instead will provide paper straws with frozen drinks, or on request. The move will be complete by July and includes Allegro coffee bars, juice bars and cafes. The ban includes the retailer’s locations in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Whole Foods is believed to be the first national U.S. grocery store to make the move. In 2008, it became the first U.S. grocer to end the use of disposable plastic bags.
Reuters
Walmart is hosting an event, dubbed 5260, in New York next week to entice large consumer goods companies to use the retailer as a vehicle to reach their customers. The numerical name comes from a Walmart store near the retailer’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas, which is known for being a test lab for retail innovation. Invitees include Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Coca Cola, Mattel, Glaxosmithkline and NBC Universal, multiple sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Chain Store Age
Dressbarn, which is owned by Ann Taylor and Lane Bryant parent Ascena Retail Group, is winding down operations, including the eventual closing of its approximately 650 stores. In a statement, Ascena said the move is in line with the company’s commitment to “comprehensively assess and optimize its portfolio by focusing resources on its most profitable brands to position the business for long-term growth and enhance shareholder value.”
WWD
This fall, Cher will debut her first scent since she launched the now-discontinued Uninhibited in 1987. It’s called Eau de Couture by Cher, and she’s been working on it for four years, according to WWD. The company helping market it is Scent Beauty, the recently launched fragrance company from Bernd Beetz and Mormoris -- a duo that "created the celebrity fragrance boom" of the early 2000s at Coty.
Washington Post
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives in Texas is trying to pass a law that would make it difficult for government entities to punish businesses for their religious stances. The move comes three months after the San Antonio city council voted to ban the fast-food chain Chick-fil-A from the city’s airport because of its history of anti-LGTBQ statements and actions.“The so-called ‘Save Chick-fil-A’ bill explicitly forbids the government from taking ‘any adverse action,’ against any person, contractor or business for its membership in or affiliation with a religious organization,” according to the Washington Post.
The Drum
Peet’s Coffee has invited standup comedian Iliza Shlesinger to promote the coffee company’s canned Iced Espresso products. Portland-based North created a series of films featuring Shlesinger’s. “As part of Peet’s #AlwaysJustified campaign, the four unscripted vignettes were inspired by actual situations Shlesinger – who served as creative consultant on the project – has encountered in her life as a comedian, actress and self-proclaimed ‘elder millennial,’” according to The Drum.
The New York Times
Evolus, the maker of a new wrinkle-smoothing injection, Jeuveau, recently entertained plastic surgeons and dermatologists at the Ritz-Carlton in Cancun. More than a dozen doctors posted about the event on social media without disclosing that Evolus had paid for their trips, according to The New York Times. The Federal Trade Commission requires social media users to disclose relationships with companies when promoting their products on social media.
People
For the first time in 125 years, Hershey’s is redesigning its iconic chocolate bar. For a limited time, instead of the brand name the bar will feature an emoji engraved in each square. Smiley faces, thumbs up, blowing a kiss, open hands and the smiling poop emojis are among the special ideograms featured on the new chocolate bars, according to People. Hershey’s says the redesigned bars will hit stores sometime this summer.