H&M has picked up a bigger piece of a leading recycled-textiles manufacturer. “The Swedish retailer is part of a group of investors that has acquired 1.9 million shares in Renewcell, amounting to 6.25% of the company, from Girindus Investments. Together with the minority stake it secured in 2017, H&M is now Renewcell’s second-largest shareholder,” per Sourcing Journal.

Former Facebook executive Carolyn Everyone is resigning after just three months as Instacart’s president. “After careful consideration and discussion with [Instacart CEO] Fidji Simo, we’ve made the mutual decision to wind down my role at Instacart at the end of the year,” Everson said. “Fidji and I have been friends for over 10 years and we both agreed that this was the best decision for the company and for me personally. I believe in the company’s mission and the team, and am grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to Instacart’s growth.”

Taco Bell has named Sean Tresvant as global chief brand officer, effective Jan. 10. Tresvant has worked in Nike’s marketing department for nearly 15 years, most recently as CMO of its Jordan Brand. He will lead Taco Bell's efforts to "drive culture, initiate change and create impact," with a focus on omnichannel initiatives and digital customer touchpoints, per the company. At Nike, he was charged with brand campaigns, product marketing, creative collaborations, athlete sponsorships, omnichannel marketplace design and social platforms. He also led Nike's Diversity Task Force.

Actor Ryan Reynolds narrates a spoof ad that reportedly was created by Peloton in response to consumer outrage over the death of a “Sex And The City” character on a Peloton bike. The video “shows Chris Noth -- who plays Sarah Jessica Parker's love interest throughout the OG series -- yukking it up with actress Jess King,” per TMZ. “As you can see, he's doing just fine ... and even jokingly asks if King wants to go for another ride.”

Giant Food is launching a digital marketplace that will expand the grocer’s assortment beyond traditional grocery. “Featuring categories complementary to grocery, Ship2Me will offer products not always found in supermarkets, such as health and beauty, home décor, seasonal items, kitchen and dining, outdoor, pet, and premium pantry items,” per Progressive Grocer. 

Workers at a Starbucks location in Buffalo have voted to unionize. “The effort to organize Starbucks employees had been closely watched nationally,” per CNN.  "The company put a major effort into convincing employees that they were better off without a union, but at least in the case of one of the stores, it failed in that effort.” Besides seeking better pay, union supporters say organizing the workforce is the only way to have their voices heard about the way their stores are run.

Despite a lackluster Black Friday, the NPD Group reports that U.S. sales revenue for discretionary general merchandise in 2021 had already reached 100% of the highest level reached in 2019, and 98% of the 2020 peak before December. Sales revenue during this year’s Thanksgiving week grew 14% over the same week in 2020 but it was 5% below the same pre-pandemic period two years ago.

McDonald’s is launching a $250 million, five-year initiative to increase the number of minority-owned franchisees. The chain has 39,000 restaurants worldwide, including 14,000 in the U.S., of which 93% are franchised. The fast-food giant said Asian, Black and Hispanic owners represent 29.6% of its U.S. franchisees, while women account for 28.9%.

New Ulta CEO David Kimbell, who oversaw marketing and merchandising before taking the reins in June, has a plan to keep the beauty retailer's upward trajectory going. “That involves tapping into its proven ingredients for success and updating them for today's market, while stepping gingerly into new territory such as wellness and ad sales,” per Fortune.

Food retailers might not see their hiring struggles improve any time soon, per data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. According to a November poll of the unemployed, fewer than half of U.S. workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic and remain unemployed are actively and consistently looking for work. The federal government reports 600,000 people joined the workforce in November, resulting in a labor-force participation rate increase to 61.8%, the highest level since March 2020. The unemployment rate fell to 4.2%.