Pandemic has changed retail, with more limits on store hours and services. "The changes are creating a disconnect between customers who want to shop and dine like they used to during pre-pandemic times and exhausted employees who no longer want to work those long hours — a push-pull that is only being heightened during the busy holiday shopping season," according to AP News.

Ramesh Balwani (whom you may know as "Sunny," if you watched Hulu's miniseries "The Dropout"), who was COO of the "the failed blood testing start-up," got a longer sentence than "his convicted co-conspirator, Elizabeth Holmes," the founder of Theranos, reported The New York Times. Last month Holmes was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.

Former GE Appliances marketer Wayne Davis will start his stint as chief marketing officer at Hertz Jan. 3. "The company’s most recent chief marketing officer, Jodi Allen, died in 2020," according to The Wall Street Journal. "Hertz veteran Laura C. Smith... led marketing for the past two years but didn’t hold the CMO title." The company will focus on "making Hertz more relevant to young consumers by promoting its efforts to electrify its fleet and to distinguish its discount Dollar and Thrifty rental brands."

Major retailers nationwide are facing a rash of so-called “smash and grab” robberies. The West Coast has been hit particularly hard, and the Los Angeles Police Department recently arrested 18 people who are part of an organized retail theft ring that officials suspect may have pulled off at least 15 heists totaling more than $100,000 in stolen merchandise. Unrelated, Portland, Oregon's upscale Pearl District was also targeted., as was Long Beach, California. 

Uber will pay millions of dollars to Chicago restaurants as part of a $10 million settlement deal with the city. "The settlement results from a two-year investigation by the city into alleged misconduct on Uber’s meal delivery platforms," per the Chicago Tribune. After the city reached  out to the company in 2021, Uber removed all restaurants from its platforms that had been listed without consent and agreed not to list Chicago restaurants without their consent in the future. At that time, Uber also paid $3.3 million to restaurants that were allegedly charged commissions higher than the 15% allowed in the …

Sources indicate Apple's plan to bring a self-driving car to the market has been pushed back until 2026. "Sources indicate the tech giant has also moved away from producing an electric car without steering wheel or pedals in favor of a less ambitious design that still offers full autonomous capabilities on highways," per Seeking Alpha. "Magna International and Hyundai have been considered leading candidates to partner with Apple on the manufacturing side. Other companies that have been mentioned as possibilities include Foxconn , General Motors , Ford and Volkswagen -- while Tesla is seen as a dark horse."

Victoria's Secret is opting not to carry cashmere items in reaction to a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals campaign. "A PETA Asia video investigation into cashmere farms in China and Mongolia, which together are responsible for 90% of the world’s cashmere, appeared to show goats that were pinned to the ground while workers ripped out their hair with sharp metal combs," per Sourcing Journal. "Cashmere production’s negative environmental impact is greater than any other animal-derived material, PETA claimed. The industry is a significant contributor to soil degradation, which turns grasslands into deserts, …

Pantone has chosen 18-1750 Viva Magenta as its Color of the Year for 2023. Speaking on a preview Zoom before the big reveal at Art Basel Miami, Pantone Color Institute’s Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman told Vogue: “It’s brave, it’s fearless, it’s pulsating, and it promotes optimism and joy.” 

General Motors thinks the Corvette brand could extend beyond a sports car into sedans and SUVs. Much like Ford Motor Co. rolled out a Mustang Mach-E SUV, GM is rumored to be looking at taking the Corvette moniker for larger vehicles. "These new EV spinoffs will reportedly aim to distill the 'essence of Corvette' in terms of design and driving dynamics," according to Car and Driver. 

The Department of Health and Human Services is partnering with the U.S. national men's soccer team to promote the updated COVID-19 vaccine, which only around 12% of the U.S. population has received. "USMNT defender Walker Zimmerman will encourage Americans to get an updated booster to protect them from 'COVID's worst possible outcome,' according to a promotional video first shared with Axios that will be posted on the USMNT's social media on Friday," per Axios.