Restaurant builders are going modular, citing cost efficiencies, real estate availability and speed-to-market as major benefits. "To be sure, modular stores built from shipping containers are certainly not a new concept in this industry," per Nation's Restaurant News. "Taco Bell built a shipping container store at SXSW in 2015, for instance, while Starbucks has been embracing the model since around 2018. That said, more companies are starting to embrace modular models because the list of benefits has become more attractive in this persistently pressured and unpredictable environment."

Marc Jacobs fans can rejoice. "Coty is preparing to relaunch the designer’s cosmetics line, which closed abruptly in 2021 to the dismay of its small but devoted fan base," per Business of Fashion. "New Marc Jacobs Beauty products are expected in 2025."

Labor Day is the next holiday to inspire savings at retail. Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, Carvel and Jamba are celebrating the end of summer and transition into fall with offers including Reward Cards and Gift Cards.

Wendy's is kicking off the upcoming football season with flavors that replicate the game day experience. The fast food retailer recently held a virtual Culinary Spotlight event showcasing all the new items, including Loaded Nacho Cheeseburger and Queso Fries, which are made with the same poblano cheese sauce. The items pay homage to two American tailgating classics—cheeseburgers and nachos—and "will have fans leaving the other guys behind and making the transfer to Wendy's this season," says U.S. CMO Lindsay Radkoski.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store announced its second executive change this summer. CMO Jennifer Tate is leaving the company on Aug. 25 to “pursue other professional opportunities,” according to an 8-K SEC filing from Aug. 21. The Lebanon, Tenn.-based casual dining restaurant has not yet announced a replacement for the CMO position. Former Taco Bell executive Julie Felss Masino joined the company in July. She assumed the role of CEO-elect on Aug. 7, and is currently in the transition period before outgoing CEO Sandra Cochran steps down. …

General Motors' first female CEO Mary Barra has pushed the automaker to evolve at a time when younger generations of consumers demand both technological sophistication and dramatically reduced ecological impact. "Millennials and Gen Zs bring a different energy," Barra told Cosmopolitan. "In a very positive way, they hold you accountable. I find that energizing." GM's "Barbie" movie sponsorship was important, she adds. "But one of the most important things is the fact that generally, U.S. women decide or influence 80% of new car purchases," Barra says. "And so to be at the forefront in the 'Barbie' movie…I still have my Barbies! My …

Renting and driving an EV proved to be more daunting than the writer thought it would be. But she got the hang of it. Things should improve as the vehicles become more commonplace. "By 2030, there could be 30 to 42 million passenger electric vehicles on American roads, requiring 174,000 and 211,000 public fast-chargers, according to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory," per The New York Times. "That’s roughly six times the number of public fast-chargers out there now."

"As pickleball takes over the minds and courts of America, investors are pouncing on the opportunity to turn a favorite casual pickup game into a massive professional sport," according to The New York Times. Still, some questions remain about this sports' longevity, most notably: "Can pickleball develop the television deals and star power of tennis and other more established sports?"

The country's largest grocer, Kroger, "has become the biggest seller of sushi in the U.S.," with sales of that item up over 70% in the past year, according to The Wall Street Journal. Selling sushi is part of  Kroger's overall strategy to "grab some of the dollars people budget for restaurants and eating out." Sushi has also lifted sales of other prepared foods, instead of cannibalizing those dollars.

"Privately owned Ariela & Associates International has agreed to buy Parade, the VC-backed intimates startup that created 'the internet’s favorite underwear,'" according to CNBC. "The deal brings Parade’s relevance, digital savviness and loyal customer base to Ariela, a Fruit of the Loom licensee that’s been a longtime player and manufacturer in the intimates space."