Consumers hate masks less than business owners and Republican lawmakers seem to think. Almost half (49%) of consumers in Numerator’s newest Consumer Behavior & Sentiment Survey said they prefer to shop at retailers that require masks (61% of vaccinated consumers vs 20% of unvaccinated consumers). And 59% said they prefer to wear masks in public at this point in time (68% of vaccinated consumers vs 31% of unvaccinated consumers).

Kraft Heinz brand is trying to soothe cream-cheese-starved customers by rewarding them when they make something other than cheesecake this holiday season. Acknowledging the ongoing supply chain disruption, the brand offered to reimburse a limited number of consumers $20 through its 'Philadelphia Spread the Feeling" offer. "This is not an empty shelf, it's a holiday tradition waiting another year," Philadelphia said in a YouTube video about the promotion. Bagel shops nationwide are also struggling with the cream cheese shortage.

Mall of America is launching an online shopping experience allowing consumers to shop inventory from more than 70 retailers through an ecommerce site. “Omnichannel mall shoppers can add items from all participating stores to one online cart, purchasing with a streamlined single-cart checkout process,” per Chain Store Age.  Customers can then pick up all their purchased items from one location within Mall of America.

A viral ad reacting to Mr. Big's demise on HBO's “Sex and the City’" sequel series has been taken down from Peloton's social media accounts following sexual assault allegations made against Chris Noth in a Thursday report from The Hollywood Reporter. “Every single sexual assault accusation must be taken seriously,” a Peloton spokesperson told THR. “We were unaware of these allegations when we featured Chris Noth in our response to HBO’s reboot. As we seek to learn more, we have stopped promoting this video and archived related social posts.”

The latest variant of the COVID-19 virus is pushing companies to reevaluate their return-to-office plans. Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees that the rise in COVID-19 cases and concerns about the new Omicron variant will push the initially planned Feb. 1 return-to-office date to “a date yet to be determined.” Nike, Citi and other companies are having a similar reaction. 

Former McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook, who was fired in 2019 after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with an employee, has paid back more than $105 million in equity awards and cash.“During my tenure as CEO, I failed at times to uphold McDonald’s values and fulfill certain of my responsibilities as a leader of the company,” Easterbrook said in a prepared statement issued Thursday by McDonald’s. “I apologize to my former co-workers, the board and the company’s franchisees and suppliers for doing so.”

Cup Noodles, the staple of poor college students, started out as a luxury item. The on-the-go meal first marketed in Japan 50 years ago was a Japanese industrial food with an American flair. “Otaka Takeshi, who created the logo for the Osaka 1970 world’s fair, designed the cup to look cosmopolitan and cutting edge, with large English words in a red psychedelic font above small Japanese words and with gold bands inspired by expensive dinner plates,” per Fast Company.

Nike has acquired Rtfkt, a virtual products and experiences company that uses technologies like augmented reality, blockchain authentication, NFTs and game engines to create "next generation collectibles.” The acquisition comes on top of several others Nike has made to improve its digital capabilities, including predictive analytics firm Celect and data integration platform Datalogue, per Retail Dive.

Forever 21 is launching merchandise in 100 JCPenney stores nationwide as well as online at jcpenney.com. “Forever 21 and JCPenney share a mission to make the latest trends accessible to all while inspiring unique style and confidence,” Michelle Wlazlo, executive vice president, chief merchandising officer at JCPenney, tells Sourcing Journal. “The addition of this brand to our portfolio rounds out our Young Minded assortment and brings an exciting new element of in-the-moment fashion.”

The word “diet” is being replaced on some soda packaging with “zero sugar.” The formula for the no-calorie beverages is still the same, but the word “diet” has gone out of favor, especially with millennials and Gen Z-ers. "Younger people just don't like the word 'diet,'" said Greg Lyons, chief marketing officer at PepsiCo Beverages North America, during the Beverage Digest Future Smarts conference in December. "No Gen Z wants to be on a diet these days.”