The estate of Kobe Bryant has reached a long-term deal with Nike to continue producing both footwear and apparel. The pact was announced by Nike and Vanessa Bryant, the wife of the deceased NBA basketball player, nearly a year after the initial endorsement deal expired. "We're excited to announce our partnership with Nike is going to continue!" Vanessa Bryant wrote in an Instagram post. "I am so proud that my husband's shoes are still the most worn by players on NBA courts and that... his shoes remain so desired by his fans around the world."

Sorry McRib fans, rumors that McDonald’s is bringing back the popular sandwich are unfounded. Instead, the fast food company is bringing back its most popular dipping sauce. “The Szechuan Sauce, which has only been available a handful of times during the last 24 years, will make a short appearance on the menu starting on March 31,” per Eat This, Not That. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is taking Nestlé to task for the company's continued relationship with Russia. Nestlé, which is the world's largest food and beverage company, with brands including Gerber, KitKat and Dreyer’s, defended itself saying it has made sweeping changes since Russia invaded Ukraine. The company employs more than 7,000 workers in Russia.

Disney employees are staging walkouts including at the company’s Burbank, California headquarters to show their displeasure at the company’s slow response to anti-LGBTQ legislation in Florida. Disney was not one of the more than 150 companies, including Marriott and American Airlines, which signed a Human Rights Campaign letter opposing the legislation, which restricts classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity and has been labeled by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. 

Online grocery delivery platform Instacart is introducing a brand identity that company execs says better reflects its evolution. The refresh, which features a new color palette, retains Instacart’s carrot graphic but includes a new logo, wordmark and typography. “The original carrot has been transformed into a flexible symbol to represent ‘shop’ and ‘savor,’ terms the company says are part of its value proposition,” per Progressive Grocer.

Visit Baton Rouge is carefully monitoring escalating gas prices and other travel-associated costs and might alter its tourism efforts accordingly. The shift could include focusing on the in-state and immediate drive-in market in response. Hotel occupancy last year exceeded 2019, which was a strong year pre-pandemic. Early totals indicate this year could exceed last year, according to the group. 

Food delivery giant Grubhub is being sued over allegedly deceptive marketing practices and  “hidden fees that took advantage of consumers and struggling restaurants during the pandemic.” At issue is a promotion Grubhub conducted in early 2020 called “Supper for Support,” promoted as a way to help restaurants during the pandemic. The suit alleges that Grubhub did not fully cover the costs of discounts under the promotion, and passed most of the costs of discounts on to restaurants.

Fashion icon Valentino asked 18 writers and poets Including André Aciman, Andrew Sean Greer, Brit Bennett, and Fatima Farheen Mirza to share their meanings of the word love. The brand has been working with noteworthy people and authors and with independent bookstores like the Strand since 2018. The brand will also continue to work with a book club founded by actress Emma Roberts and film producer Karah Preiss.

Walmart hopes to hire upwards of 50,000 associates across its U.S. operations in the first quarter to fill store, club, supply chain and corporate technology roles, including new positions in the field and company offices. The retail giant, which has almost 1.6 million U.S associates and 2.3 million worldwide, also plans to hire more than 5,000 technology associates globally in fiscal 2023.

New York legislators left a proposal to make take-out wine and liquor permanent out of the state’s 2022-2023 budget resolutions. The temporary law was enacted during the pandemic lockdown to aid struggling restaurants and bars, which were only allowed to do take-away. But liquor stores owners contend making it permanent would “threaten the livelihood" of their industry, according to their trade group, the Metropolitan Package Store Association.