Costco bails on books, Domino's AI pizza assistant, a Dollar Tree sale

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Costco no longer plans to sell books regularly, largely because the labor to stock and replace them is too much work. Domino’s says AI is helping it figure out when people are ready to order so that it can start making pizzas before customers hit purchase. Dollar Tree is thinking about selling or spinning off its Family Dollar business.

Meanwhile, McDonald’s has lost exclusive rights to its “Big Mac” trademark in Europe and can no longer use the phrase for its chicken sandwiches, and Dr. Pepper bubbles its way into second place with Pepsi as the No. 2 soda brand in America.

Image for article titled Costco bails on books, Domino's AI pizza assistant, and a Dollar Tree sale: Retail news roundup — Graphic: Images: Bloomberg, Reuters, jetcityimage, NurPhoto

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Costco bails on books because stocking them is too much work

A customer looks through stacks of books while shopping at a Costco store in Arlington, Virginia.

Costco Wholesale shoppers who are also avid readers may have to look elsewhere for books, as the retailer plans to stop selling them on a regular basis throughout the year starting in January 2025.

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Domino’s says it uses AI to make pizzas ‘before people order them’

Domino’s is betting AI will help it make and deliver pizzas faster, according to CEO Russell Weiner, who says the world’s biggest pizza company is already using the technology.

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Dollar Tree might sell Family Dollar

Dollar Tree and Family Dollar offer lower cost retail alternatives.

Dollar Tree is considering selling its Family Dollar business, the company said Wednesday.

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McDonald’s is losing the ‘Big Mac’ trademark in Europe

Big Mac combo is seen on a restaurant table.

McDonald’s no longer has exclusive rights to use the “Big Mac” trademark when it comes to chicken products in the European Union, the region’s court of justice said on Wednesday.

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Dr. Pepper has tied Pepsi as America’s No. 2 soda

Cases of Dr. Pepper brand soda sit stacked in a warehouse at the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc. bottling plant in Irving, Texas.

Image: Bloomberg (Getty Images)

Dr. Pepper is gaining ground in the soda wars. The soft drink is now tied with Pepsi as the second-most popular carbonated soft drink brand in America, according to sales volume data from analytics company Beverage Digest.

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Costco’s iconic hot dog combo might cost $1.50 forever. Here’s why

Costco’s iconic $1.50 hot dog and soda combo has maintained the same price since 1984 despite consumer price increases and inflation.

Hot dogs fans have nothing to fear – Costco has no plans to raise the price of its iconic $1.50 frank combo. That’s largely due to a key logistics strategy.

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Costco says it’s building an ad network to keep prices low

Costco stock reached an all-time high after it reported strong third quarter earnings.

Costco Wholesale is working to turn all the shopping data it collects into an advertising machine. The retailer aims to strike a deal with an ad-tech firm to ultimately charge advertisers to reach millions of its paying members, said Mark Williamson, Costco’s assistant vice president of retail media .

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Black employees of General Mills say a Georgia plant is run by white supremacists

Boxes of General Mills’ Honey Nut Cheerios are displayed at Scotty’s Market on September 20, 2017 in San Rafael, California.

General Mills is being sued by eight Black employees in a Georgia federal court who allege that the company has tolerated decades of a racially hostile work environment at its Covington plant, perpetuated by white supremacists dubbed “Good Ole Boys.”

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Walmart is taking its worker shortage into its own hands

Employees unload online pickup orders at a Walmart store in Grand Prairie, Texas, US, on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

Walmart hopes its new program will help it offset its worker shortage. It’s launching a pipeline program that will help it funnel its hourly employees into higher-level positions.

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McDonald’s says price hikes aren’t that bad. Executives should keep ‘their mouths shut,’ analyst says

A worker sanitizes a bench and novelty Ronald McDonald figure outside a McDonald’s restaurant at the Ambience Mall in New Delhi, India.

McDonald’s and Starbucks have their hands full — but for all the wrong reasons. One analyst said that McDonald’s pushback on its price hikes came across as a “bit tone deaf.”

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T.J. Maxx says employees are using body cameras to keep people from stealing

A sign hangs at the entrance of a T. J. Maxx store in Chicago, Illinois.

T.J. Maxx thinks fashioning its employees with police-like body cameras will help it keep its inventory and customers safe. The retailer says the strategy could help reduce theft, though that has yet to be seen.

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Orange juice makers might need a substitute fruit as a historic shortage has prices soaring

Oranges move down a conveyor belt at a packing house in the Engenheiro Coelho region of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Orange production in Brazil is set to be the lowest in two decades, compounded by earlier droughts and tree losses.

Juice makers may soon need to replace their orange juice options as the crop braces for a steep decline in production, according to Fundecitrus, a Brazilian research association formed by citrus growers and manufacturers.

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Starbucks has an answer for its bad quarter: delivery

A logo is displayed at Starbucks’ Coffee Innovation Park in Kunshan, China.

Image: VCG (Getty Images)

Starbucks is hoping Grubhub can help make up for its dreadful quarter. The coffee maker said it plans to make delivery service available nationwide by August 2024.

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5 places to score donut deals on National Donut Day

National Donut Day is on Friday (Jun. 7) and those looking to score a sweet treat could be in luck. We’ve compiled a list of five places with deals on the pastries.

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Who owns your food? Meet America’s top 10 food tycoons

Big Food is big business — and for chief executives at some of the largest food companies in the U.S., it’s a lofty means of making money. We’ve compiled a list of the average salaries that CEOs at the 10 biggest food and beverage companies in North America make annually.

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The 10 highest-paid CEOs

An activist clutching a suitcase stuffed with fake money.

Chief executives had a very, very good year in 2023. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 highest-paid CEOs, including their industry of focus, and their total compensation.

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Chipotle’s CEO says portion sizes aren’t getting smaller — just give a ‘special look’ for more food

Napkins and utensils sit near guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and salsa at a Chipotle restaurant in Hollywood, California.

Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol is pushing back on claims that the restaurant chain is skimping on food portions. All customers have to do is give employees a slight look.

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Gap and Nordstrom are enticing inflation-weary consumers. But Kohl’s is struggling

Retailers Gap and Nordstrom are doing pretty well in the inflation economy, based on their recent earnings, but that’s not true of all retailers — Kohl’s performance fell short.

Costco bails on books, Domino's AI pizza assistant, and a Dollar Tree sale: Retail news roundup

Plus, Dr. Pepper ties Pepsi as America's No. 2 soda