Pop singer Rihanna took to Instagram to announce she is opening five stores to sell her billion-dollar lingerie brand. SavageXFenty will open in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. “Launched in 2018, Savage x Fenty is known for its edgy stylings, size and race inclusivity and body-positive marketing,” per Chain Store Age. “In February 2020, the brand raised $115 million in a Series B funding round, which brought its valuation to more than $1 billion.”

Starbucks posted on social media an in an email to customers claiming to take inspiration from Martin Luther King. But  the posts were met with critics who pointe out the coffee retailer has spent millions of dollars on an anti-unionization drive. Former AFL-CIO director Richard Bensinger pointed out on Twitter that Dr King had “died while in Memphis supporting workers’ rights to organize a union,” something that Starbucks has bitterly opposed at its own branches.

Nabisco is bringing back Oreo Cakesters, which launched in 2007 before being discontinued five years later. “And since it might be the ultimate '00s throwback, Oreo rewound time with a takeover of what the brand calls 'the only place in the U.S. where it still feels like the mid-2000s': the last remaining operating Blockbuster video store in Bend, Oregon,” per People. 

To anyone over 30, Pine Knob stayed Pine Knob, even after DTE Energy Music Theatre bought the naming rights 20 years ago. Now, the original name is back for the amphitheater, which routinely ranks among the top-grossing in the country. New partners United Wholesale Mortgage and Trinity Health were announced as part of a multiyear agreement that will keep “Pine Knob” intact for some time to come. “Affection for the old name ran deep, becoming a badge of authenticity for performers and audiences,” per the Detroit Free Press. 

Target has created Brightroom, its first storage and home organization private label. The timing is aimed at consumers looking to refresh their spaces in the new year. The collection includes 450 products with prices mostly under $25. “The collection was also made to complement other products within the collection so consumers can add more storage solutions over time,” per Retail Dive. “The packaging of Brightroom products includes callouts to show consumers how items work together.”

The U.S. Supreme Court blocked the enforcement of a vaccine-or-testing requirement for large employers, stating that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had exceeded its authority. The National Retail Federation, which had joined more than 26 other trade associations this week to present oral arguments before the court on the legality of the mandate, called it a victory for employers. Separately, the court also ruled that another mandate can be enforced: one requiring health-care workers at facilities receiving federal money to be vaccinated.

Gap is collaborating with Brandon Sines, the artist behind digital merchandise brand Frank Ape, to launch an assortment of collectible non-fungible tokens (NFTs), available Jan. 13 exclusively on gap.com/nft. "The gamified digital experience accompanying the launch encourages customers to collect Gap hoodie digital art at the Common and Rare levels to unlock the opportunity to purchase the Epic – limited edition digital art by Brandon Sines and a physical Gap x Frank Ape by Sines hoodie,” per Chain Store Age. Additional drops will be available over the next two weeks.

While at-home COVID testing kits are hard to find for the average consumer, companies like Google, BlackRock and JPMorgan Chase are offering test kits as a perk. “The testing available to a small number of white-collar professionals underscores the difference between their pandemic experience and that of other Americans, putting them at an advantage over many, including workers at small businesses without the means to procure testing kits for their staffs,” per The New York Times. “Like personal protective equipment and vaccines, tests have become the latest example of how a tool to battle the pandemic can exacerbate social and economic divides.”

Ikea is reducing sick pay for unvaccinated United Kingdom employees who miss work if they are ordered to self-isolate after coming into contact with someone with COVID-19. “If these workers become ill with the virus themselves, however, they will still receive sick pay as normal,” per Bloomberg. “The furniture retailer, which has 10,000 workers in the U.K., is among a growing list of other major retailers such as Walmart Inc. in the U.S. and British grocer Wm Morrison Supermarkets Ltd. putting pressure on staff who refuse to get vaccinated without a valid reason.”

The Hockey Diversity Alliance, made up of current and former hockey players of color, has partnered with Budweiser Canada on a campaign. “Members of the HDA created a two-minute video that incorporates their real-life experiences with racism in hockey, from Akim Aliu having a racist comment directed to him by a coach to Wayne Simmonds having a banana thrown at him during a game,” per ESPN.