On average, between April and June of 2023, U.S. cellphone users reported that out of every 100 times they tried to use data, text, or make a call, they had problems 11 times. That’s up from about nine problems per 100 connections in most of 2020 and 2021, according to a report from J.D. Power. […]
Category: Business
New retail theft tactic “Crash and Grab”
Retailers are braving a new crime wave that promises to be one of the most violent theft tactics yet. A van earlier this month crashed into Seattle boutique Rush Hour before thieves ran out and grabbed inventory. Just a few days later, the robbers were back, taking even more high-ticket items than the first time. […]
Biggest delivery service in US ? FedEx, UPS ?
Amazon.com has grabbed the crown of biggest delivery business in the U.S., surpassing both UPS and FedEx in parcel volumes. The Seattle e-commerce giant delivered more packages to U.S. homes in 2022 than UPS, after eclipsing FedEx in 2020, and it is on track to widen the gap this year, according to internal Amazon data […]
Biden uses 1950’s war act to stop gas heating
President Biden invoked a Cold War-era law in a surprising move Friday to pour taxpayer funds into domestic manufacturing of electric heat pumps, an alternative to gas-powered residential furnaces. In a joint announcement with the White House, the Department of Energy (DOE) said the federal government would award a “historic” $169 million for nine projects […]
Macy’s being sued over it’s new diversity plan
A conservative legal group headed by Stephen Miller, a former White House advisor to Donald Trump, has accused Macy’s of implementing a racially discriminatory diversity plan. America First Legal filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Tuesday, according to a press release. The complaint alleges Macy’s is […]
Car loan rejections set record in 2023
Rejection rates for all kinds of loans climbed in 2023, and application rates dropped, according to quarterly survey on credit access Would-be car buyers say lenders have been tapping the brakes hard in 2023, according to a new look at consumer access to credit. A record-breaking share of auto loan applicants say they’ve been rejected […]
How much $$ do Americans need to be happy?
Does happiness have a price? For a majority of Americans, the answer is yes — but it it doesn’t come cheap. About 6 in 10 of Americans believe money can buy happiness, according to a new poll from financial services firm Empower. Yet to achieve happiness through financial means, most people say they’d need a […]
Electric vehicle dealers say “too expensive to sell”
Car dealers are struggling to convince the public to purchase electric vehicles as the price tags seemingly only entice the upper class. “People know what electric vehicles are. They know the pluses and the minuses — we’re past that,” Ohio car dealer Rhett Ricart told Business Insider. “What really matters now is making a pitch […]
1 in 3 Gen-Z shoppers steal from self checkout
Roughly one in three young shoppers in the U.S. has admitted to giving themselves five-finger discounts at self-checkout counters, a new survey shows. According to loan marketplace LendingTree, 31% of Gen-Z consumers have stolen items from self-checkout kiosks, compared to 15% of consumers of any age. Those figures come as businesses work to combat […]
Single-day Black Friday now a bloated month
Black Friday once was a single-day shopping extravaganza. Then came Cyber Monday, then Cyber Week… now, Black Friday events even pop up in the summer. What happened? Black Friday once had a simple definition: a one-day shopping blowout, when major retailers such as Macy’s and Target promised rock-bottom deals the day after US Thanksgiving. Today, […]
Big retailers are rethinking self checkout
The backlash against self-checkout is growing, and stores are starting to dial back on the technology after it exploded over the past few years. Booths, a British supermarket chain, said it’s removing self-checkout stations in all but two of its 28 stores. In the United States, Walmart, Costco, Wegmans and other chains have also revised […]
Realtor commissions to reduce 30% after verdict
Home buyers and sellers had a big week. Significant changes to how—and how much—they pay real-estate agents became more likely after a $1.8 billion verdict on Tuesday against the National Association of Realtors and large residential brokerages. The defendants artificially inflated commissions and “conspired to require home sellers to pay the broker representing the buyer […]