CBS Sports
Buffalo Wild Wings has signed a name, image, likeness (NIL) deal with Saint Peter's star Doug Edert, the hero of the first weekend of this year's NCAA Tournament after his team knocked off No. 2 seed Kentucky. The player posted a photo on Instagram with 12 boxes of wings and fries. Edert’s likeness also will be featured on a Barstool Sports clothing line, which he also shared on social media, encouraging other people to grow a mustache like he has, using the hashtag #stacheiscash.
Supermarket News
After testing the program for six months, BJ’s Wholesale Club is rolling out Same-Day Select, a membership add-on to its popular Same-Day Delivery service. “The new service allows BJ’s Wholesale Club members to pay a one-time fee upfront for either unlimited or a set number of same-day grocery deliveries, delivered in as little as two hours,” per Supermarket News. The announcement follows the news earlier this week that BJ’s is partnering with DoorDash to offer on-demand grocery delivery.
Chain Store Age
For a second quarter, women’s apparel and accessories retailer J.Jill Inc. went from net loss to net income. However, during fiscal 2022, the company expects up to 10 net store closures. “Fiscal 2021 marked a year of significant recovery for J.Jill, driven by the strengthening of our operating model focused on delivering gross margin improvement through disciplined inventory management and full price selling,” said Claire Spofford, president and CEO of J.Jill Inc.
Progressive Grocer
Sam’s Club continues its efforts to digitally engage with customers, and Scan & Go technology is a key component of that strategy. “Helping drive record sales has been the company’s success in attracting a subset of digitally savvy Millennial members during the pandemic,” per Progressive Grocer. “Discovering member resistance toward downloading yet another app, Sam’s Club instead deployed a digital demo in which consumers can scan a QR code to trial a single instance of Scan & Go — later downloading the app if they wish to commit.”
Insider
Wrappers and containers from eight different fast food chains contain PFAS, or "forever chemicals," at soon-to-be illegal levels, according to Consumer Reports. Long-term exposure has been linked to an increased risk of some cancers. Eight of the 24 fast food and supermarket chains studied — Arby's, Burger King, Cava, Chick-fil-A, McDonald's, Nathan's Famous, Sweetgreen, and Taco Bell — had at least one type of packaging tested for fluorine levels exceeding 100 ppm.
The Wall Street Journal
Walmart is removing tobacco products from select stores in Florida, California, Arkansas and New Mexico. The move comes after years of internal debate on the subject, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. The company joins other retailers including Target, which stopped selling tobacco products in 1996, and CVS, which followed suit in 2014. Walmart pulled electronic cigarettes from the shelves at all Walmart and Sam’s Club locations nearly three years ago.
Fast Company
Starbucks’s app has helped the company increase its bottom line, but in the process it also is changing its culture. A new store model, called the Starbucks Pickup with Amazon Go, is debuting in New York City. It is “a striking symbol of Starbucks’s quiet brand transformation from warm gathering spot to tech-enabled caffeine depot and of the challenges the company faces today,” per Fast Company.
CarBuzz
Buick’s logo might be undergoing a big change, according to a trademark filing discovered recently by CarBuzz. The tri-shield design of the General Motors division dates back to 1959, with a single shield design used as far back as 1937. In its current form, it's been tweaked mildly but kept similar since 1990. The March 16 filing depicts three shields standing separately and side-by-side, as opposed to staggered diagonally within a roundel. The automaker told CarBuzz it “has no announcements to make in relation to speculative reports regarding a logo change."
Fast Company
Apple’s acquisition of a startup called Credit Kudos could be a signal that it plans to expand its financial services. “Apple actually is a financial services company now, thanks to the introduction of the Apple Card in 2019,” per Fast Company. “The Apple Card is currently available in the United States, but given Credit Kudos location in the UK, servicing European customers, this acquisition could be a sign that Apple may be bringing the Apple Card to new territories outside of America in the not too distant future.”
The Washington Post
A video of a Chevrolet pickup truck caught in a Texas tornado has gone viral. The truck is shown driving away from the scene after being flipped and spun and then landing on four wheels. “While the truck fully functioned after the traumatic encounter, Leon told local media that his family’s Chevrolet Silverado was totaled,” per The Washington Post. “Now Chevrolet is giving Leon a new 2022 Silverado, free of charge.”