All posts tagged: consumers

Pizza Losing Value War As Cash-Strapped “Proteinmaxxing” Consumers Flock To Chicken

Pizza Losing Value War As Cash-Strapped “Proteinmaxxing” Consumers Flock To Chicken

Published by Jenni Sidey

Domino’s Pizza shares fell 3% in the early US cash session after the quick-service restaurant chain reported weaker-than-expected same-store sales growth in the US and internationally, despite earnings and revenue that beat Bloomberg Consensus estimates. US same-store sales rose .3%, below the .72% Bloomberg Consensus estimate. International comparable sales rose only 0.2%, missing expectations of 1.19% growth. The dismal earnings results lead us to Bloomberg reporter Ann Gehan’s note on how budget-conscious consumers and the “proteinmaxxing” trend have shifted consumer tastes from pizza to chicken. Gehan adds more color: Pizza chains including Domino’s, Papa John’s International Inc. and Pizza Hut, now owned by private equity firm LongRange Capital, face an uphill battle as budget-conscious consumers eat out less and, when they do, increasingly favor chicken amid the “proteinmaxxing” trend. Gehan provided a chart showing pizza QSR chains struggling while chicken-focused QSR chains and Cava report stronger same-store sales growth so far this year. The divergence suggests chicken- and protein-focused meals are capturing a larger share of spending at select US QSR chains. For budget-conscious consumers, …

Big Issue helps brands reach ‘purpose-driven’ consumers

Big Issue helps brands reach ‘purpose-driven’ consumers

Published by Sam Flores

Big Issue 35th anniversary edition in September 2026, and managing director Russell Blackman. Pictures: Big Issue Commercial partnerships with major brands are helping street magazine Big Issue diversify its income beyond its traditional vendor selling model. Managing director Russell Blackman told Press Gazette the creative studio Big Issue Create is seeing “very positive year-on-year results” despite magazine revenue declining. This is one part, he said, of building out “other revenue streams that support the core traditional business model of our magazine sales to vendors”. Big Issue Create produces commercial content, advertorials, sponsored content, film content and contract publishing, putting out work across its own editorial platforms and via partner channels. It works with media agencies and brands directly and partners have included: Specsavers, Giffgaff, Citroen, Nespresso and Experian. Blackman pointed to the increasing trend of a “purpose-driven consumer”. “We’ve seen that there is a greater demand for brands to seek out very credible and authentic platforms to demonstrate their commitment to doing good, essentially.” He added that ideally this work not only delivers commercial results …

August was brutal for consumers. September could be worse

August was brutal for consumers. September could be worse

Published by Sam Flores

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released on Friday painted a grim picture for American consumers and is predicted to shape how the Federal Reserve rules on interest rates next week. Although August saw more jobs added than expected, that is likewise expected to result in a rate hike. The annual inflation rate was 3.4% last month, unchanged from July, but not as bad as it was in May at 4.2%. That’s translated into higher fuel and grocery costs for consumers, such as meat, poultry, eggs and dairy, which increased slightly, from 0.1% to 0.3%.  Not surprisingly, lettuce prices continued to trend in the other direction, likely from the cyclospora “explosive diarrhea” outbreak, though the Food and Drug Administration declared an end to the problem Friday, after nearly 13,000 people across 21 states were sickened by the parasite, at least 570 people were hospitalized, and two died. Prospects for September aren’t looking much better for the U.S. economy. Also on Friday, the University of Michigan released its monthly Surveys of Consumers, finding that consumer …

Meta debuts its Muse AI agent. Will consumers trust it?

Meta debuts its Muse AI agent. Will consumers trust it?

Published by skeptic

Less than two weeks after Meta agreed to a massive $18 billion multistate settlement in a lawsuit over social media’s consumer harms, the company announced its biggest bet on consumer AI to date — and one that requires significantly more trust than social media ever did. On Tuesday, the company introduced Muse, its new personal AI agent that helps consumers with everyday tasks and projects for users in the U.S. To use Muse, consumers will have to trust Meta with more of their personal information than ever before. The AI agent works by connecting to the user’s apps and services that are a part of everyday workflows, like email, calendars, payments, and other things the individual may regularly use, like apps for health and fitness, the smart home, dining, shopping, music and events, and more. The idea is a sizable bet on what comes after the ChatGPT era, where AI chatbots answered questions, served as sounding boards, or even became digital companions. Instead, Muse is focusing on AI that can actually do things for you. Image Credits:Meta …

Microsoft backing measure protecting consumers over data center water usage costs

Microsoft backing measure protecting consumers over data center water usage costs

Published by Sam Flores

Microsoft is throwing its support behind legislation that would prevent data centers from passing along water usage costs to consumers, as tech companies seek to allay community concerns about the AI infrastructure. The Water Cost Accountability Act would direct states to block public water systems from recovering costs associated with connecting data centers from anyone… Source link

The Trump administration’s plan for protecting consumers? Politely ask companies to behave

The Trump administration’s plan for protecting consumers? Politely ask companies to behave

Published by Sam Flores

In mid-July testimony before Congress, Russell Vought boasted that, as the acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, he’d refashioned the agency’s approach to pursuing banks and other financial companies accused of exploiting Americans — the role Congress had created for the agency after the 2008 economic crash. Vought had spent the first 18 months of the new Trump administration trying to dismantle the bureau, much as he and other appointees had done with the U.S. Agency for International Development. At CFPB, he’d ordered mass layoffs, tried to choke off the bureau’s funding and ended the lease on its headquarters, attempting to make good on his vow to put civil servants “in trauma.” But federal courts blocked Vought’s efforts to close the CFPB, with a judge at one point saying the administration had acted with “complete disregard” for Congress.  So Vought, who is one of President Donald Trump’s top advisers, switched tactics: If there had to be a watchdog, theirs would be more of a golden retriever, friendlier to industry and less aggressive. Vought …

Businesses are getting tariff refunds. Why aren’t consumers? : NPR

Businesses are getting tariff refunds. Why aren’t consumers? : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Although the government is refunding many tariffs, most of the money is going to businesses and importers — not consumers. Elise Amendola/AP hide caption toggle caption Elise Amendola/AP Last year, Sandra Alonso needed a new powered wheelchair to get around her city of Tampa, Fla., after wearing out her old one. So she ordered the same model because she knew she could easily fold it and lift it without anyone’s help. “It’s just the perfect chair for me,” she said. Unfortunately for Alonso, the chair is made in China, and when she bought it last year, tariffs on Chinese goods were a sky-high 145%. She paid an extra $3,500. “There’s no reason I had to pay double for this chair,” Alonso said. “The federal government should give me my money back.” Alonso thought she should get the refund after the Supreme Court in February ruled that many of President Trump’s tariffs were illegal, leading to the federal government having to refund more than $160 billion that it had collected. The thing, however, is that the …