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If brands want to reach the shoppers of the future, theyll need to meet them where they already are: playing video games. For this youngest generation, the coolest places to hang out arent the local mall or park but inside virtual worlds. While millennials had Sega Mega Drive and Mario Kart, and Gen Z grew up on The Sims and Angry Birds, Gen Alphaborn between 2010 and 2024 and still younger than 17is coming of age in a world even more seamlessly integrated with technology. Gaming is no longer fringe culture; its where they socialize. Analysts at investment bank UBS recently found that while older generations still spend about two more hours per week on social platforms than on games, Gen Alpha splits their time evenly between the two. Their engagement with digital platforms goes far beyond passive scrolling. For them, gaming is a medium for creativity and self-expression. If Gen Z and millennials were the social generationsraised on MySpace, Facebook, and InstagramGen Alpha is the gaming generation. Now, brands are stepping further into these virtual spaces. Just today, Roblox announced its opening its Commerce APIs to eligible creators and brands, with Shopify as the first integrated partner. That means Shopify merchants can now sell physical goods directly within their Roblox experiences. It also works the other way. Through Robloxs new Approved Merchandiser Program, users can buy physical items in the real world that unlock digital content in-game. Among popular gaming platforms, Roblox reaches one of the youngest audiences, with 60% of its users under the age of 16. These digital worlds have replaced group chats and casual hangouts with avatars serving as extensions of personality and style, Liv Burke, associate director of social at social media agency Superdigital, recently wrote in an op-ed for Variety. In these spaces, Gen Alpha is building and personalizing virtual worlds with limited-edition skins and viral emotesand inviting their friends to join. For a generation that grew up with iPads in hand, their entertainment ecosystems exist largely beyond the reach of traditional advertising. As a result, advertisers investment in gaming is projected to nearly double over the next five years, according to Futurescape. After all, this generation already accounts for an estimated $50 billion in annual spendinga figure expected to reach $5.5 trillion by 2029. For brands looking to connect with the next wave of consumers, its game on.
Category:
E-Commerce
Exciting news for anyone who’s already burned through the entirety of Netflix: There’s a new online movie rental platform coming to town. Letterboxd, the movie-tracking app and the preferred social media of your most insufferable film-loving friend, announced this week that the Letterboxd Video Store is on the way. The announcement was made Tuesday at the Cannes Film Festival. While the company hasnt revealed too many specifics just yet, we do know the upcoming streaming service will be called the Letterboxd Video Store and will feature curated shelves of handpicked titles. Like other services such as Prime Video, Apple TV, or Google Play, users will be able to rent films on demand or during specified release windows. But dont expect the usual lineup. These selections will be carefully curated by Letterboxd, spotlighting lesser-known films, emerging filmmakers, and titles from the festival circuit. By showcasing movies that haven’t yet secured wide distribution, Letterboxd aims to position its transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) service as a potential new path to audience connection for filmmakers and sales agents seeking visibility and momentum. Details around launch dates, availability by territory, and specific titles will be announced in the coming months. However, the company has confirmed that selections will be informed by behavioral insight drawn from its 20 million-strong community of dedicated film lovers. Launched in 2011, the platform, often dubbed the Goodreads for film, remained a niche hub for cinephiles for nearly a decade. By mid-2020, it had only 1.8 million members. Today, Letterboxd has gone fully mainstream. Top reviewers enjoy micro-celebrity status, its Four Favorites trend routinely goes viral on TikTok, and users gleefully speculate about celebrities burner accounts. Every day, we see members recommending films to each other, adding to their watch lists and hungry to discover more, Letterboxd CEO Matthew Buchanan said, per The Hollywood Reporter. Letterboxd Video Store is our way of delivering for those film lovers, creating a dedicated space for films that deserve an audience.
Category:
E-Commerce
Stock in Coinbase (COIN), the largest U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange, fell over 8% Thursday on news it was the victim of a cyberattack, in which hackers successfully bribed overseas contractors to leak important information so they could steal customer data. The company estimates it could cost $400 million to resolve the situation. While investors may be concerned, Coinbase customers undoubtedly are, too. Here’s what users of the crypto exchange need to know. What happened? Coinbase reported in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing that on May 11, it received an email from an entity claiming to have obtained information about certain Coinbase customer accounts and internal Coinbase documentationincluding materials relating to customer-service and account-management systems. The filing said hackers sent an email threatening to publish customers’ personal data if Coinbase did not pay a $20 million ransom, which CEO Brian Armstrong confirmed on X was specifically for “$20 million in Bitcoin.” According to the SEC filing, Coinbase learned the cyber criminals obtained the data by paying off multiple overseas contractors or employees working in support roles. Once detected, Coinbase immediately terminated those involved. Coinbase said it did not pay the ransom and has been working with law enforcement to investigate the breach. It’s establishing a $20 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the attack. Was my Coinbase password or private key leaked in the attack? No. The SEC filing said the data breach did not compromise customer passwords or private keys. Were my Coinbase funds exposed in the attack? According to the SEC filing, neither “targeted contractors” nor “employees” were able to access customer funds. What about Coinbase customer data like my email, address, and phone number? Yes, according to Coinbase’s blog, the following personal information was compromised: Name, address, phone, and email Masked Social Security (last 4 digits only) Masked bankaccount numbers and some bank account identifiers GovernmentID images (e.g., drivers license, passport) Account data (balance snapshots and transaction history) Limited corporate data (including documents, training material, and communications available to support agents) How can I protect myself? Coinbase told Fast Company: “Expect imposters. Scammersrelated to this incident or notmay pose as Coinbase employees and try to pressure you into moving your funds.” Additionally, the company outlined what customers can do in this post. What should I do if I receive a phone call, text, or request from Coinbase? A Coinbase spokesperson told Fast Company, “if you receive this call, hang up the phone. Coinbase will never ask you to contact an unknown number to reach us.” Again, remember, Coinbase will never call or text, or ask for your password or 2FA codes, or for you to transfer assets to a specific or new address, account, vault, or wallet. I think my Coinbase information was leaked in the cyberattack. What should I do? Coinbase said it will reimburse customers who were tricked into sending funds to the attacker due to social engineering attacks. If your data was accessed, you should have already received an email; notifications were sent Wednesday, May 15 at 7:20 a.m. ET to affected customers. Flagged accounts now require additional ID checks on large withdrawals and include mandatory scamawareness prompts. As Coinbase monitors high-risk transactions, customers may experience delays. The company said it is opening a new support hub in the U.S., adding stronger security controls, and monitoring across all locations, and will keep the community updated as the investigation progresses.
Category:
E-Commerce
Noodles & Company, the fast-casual chain known for serving an array of noodle-based dishes, will shutter up to 21 restaurants.The brand, founded in Denver, Colorado in 1995, has already closed at least nine locations over the past year. In a conference call last week, chief financial officer Michael Hynes said, “We expect to close 13 to 17 company-owned and four franchise restaurants in 2025.” The most recent count is up from a previous estimate of 12 to 15 company-owned closures. Noodles & Company currently has 380 company-owned restaurants and 89 franchised locations in 31 states. According to the brand’s website, the impending closures are due to higher food costs and increased marketing expenses. Recently, Noodles & Company revamped its menu and, according to QSR, saw revenue tick upward, rising 2% in the first quarter, with same-store sales increasing 4.4% and a 4.7% gain at company-owned locations. And despite the looming closures, Noodles & Company maintains a positive outlook. In a May 7 press release announcing first-quarter financial results, chief executive officer Drew Madsen explained that the company has actually been growing. We are very pleased with the strong comparable restaurant sales and traffic performance we achieved during the first quarter despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, Madsen said. Our momentum is being driven by our fully reimagined new menu that launched on March 12, supported by increased marketing investment and a new brand strategy. Since the new menu introduction, comparable sales have increased by approximately 5% through April. Nation’s Restaurant News also reported that according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Noodles & Company is opening at least two new restaurants this year. Fast-casual restaurants have been struggling amid higher food costs and slower foot traffic. In 2024, TGI Fridays, Bloomin Brands, Hooters, and Dennys all closed underperforming locations, while other chains like BurgerFi, Red Lobster, and Sticky Fingers filed for bankruptcy. Most recently, fast-casual and fast-food chains Chipotle and McDonald’s have seen weaker sales. Noodles & Company has not released a list of the closing restaurant locations and did not immediately respond to a Fast Company inquiry.
Category:
E-Commerce
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency came under bipartisan criticism Wednesday over his agency’s actions to cancel billions of dollars in congressionally approved spending to address chronic pollution in minority communities and jump-start clean energy programs across the country. Nearly 800 grants were awarded by former President Joe Bidens administration under the 2022 climate law, which directed the EPA to spend $3 billion on grants to help low-income and minority communities improve their air and water and protect against climate change. The law allocated another $20 billion under a so-called green bank program to finance clean energy and climate-friendly projects nationwide. Funding for both programs was abruptly terminated by the Trump administration in actions that Democrats have denounced as illegal and unconstitutional. Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has illegally withheld, or impounded, climate-law funding despite a decades-old law that explicitly prohibits such actions by the executive branch. Repeated court rulings, including by the Supreme Court, support the power of Congress to set federal spending levels. Zeldin’s budget maneuvers endanger communities by making it harder to address pollution and climate chaos, Merkley said at a hearing Wednesday. Varied approaches to questioning the EPA chief Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, chair of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on the environment, also criticized Zeldin, saying funding freezes approved by his agencyincluding to grants intended for rural communities in Alaskawere somewhat indiscriminate. Murkowski questioned whether severe budget cuts proposed by President Donald Trump were serious. Many of the proposals, such as an 88% cut to a state revolving fund for clean water, are likely to be reversed by Congress, she said. The EPA’s approach under Zeldin is problematic, Murkowski added. EPA has not adhered to our guidelines and has been largely unresponsive to questions,” she said. Zeldin told Murkowski she has a special phone number for his office and can call him any time. His exchanges with Democrats were less friendly. So you understand that when you impound funds, youre violating the law?” Merkley asked Zeldin, a former New York congressman who took over at EPA in January. No, Senator, we are going to follow all statutory obligations,” Zeldin replied. We absolutely disagree with you very strongly.” Asked under what authority the money was being withheld, Zeldin cited policy priorities under Trump that differ from Biden-era views. But it wasnt the Biden administration that passed this law. It was Congress,” Merkley shot back. And so, this is in the law as written, and its signed by the president, and yet youre defying it.” Zeldin said he rejected Merkley’s premise, adding, “We couldnt possibly disagree more strongly with what youre saying.” If he can’t follow his oath of office, Zeldin should resign, Merkley said, a suggestion Zeldin immediately rejected. Accused of trying to burn it down Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state said Zeldin and Trump shared an approach when it comes to EPA: “Burn it down.” Money being withheld by EPA would pay for things like heat pumps to reduce energy costs and pollution, wildfire preparedness and infrastructure upgrades to protect drinking water from floods and earthquakes, Murray said. “Blocking this funding is hurting communities everywhere,” she said. Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff asked Zeldin why he had canceled a $19.8 million grant to Thomasville, Georgia, to replace a wastewater collection system and build a community health clinic. Is a new health clinic for Thomasville woke? Ossoff asked, noting that the grant was approved under an environmental justice program the EPA has terminated. Zeldin again cited policy priorities before Ossoff, a Democrat, cut him off. “You hurt my constituents,” he said. Zeldin later said grants to Thomasville and towns in Alaska and Washington state may be restored if language about environmental justice and diversity is removed, in accordance with an executive order by Trump. Zeldin declined to provide specific goals for EPA staffing under his tenure, but appeared to acknowledge claims by Merkley and Murray that staff totals could return to a level last seen under former President Ronald Reagan. The EPA had fewer than 11,000 employees in 1983, compared to more than 15,100 in 2024. The agency has laid off hundreds of employees and offered voluntary retirement or deferred resignations to thousands more as part of a broader effort by Trump and adviser Elon Musk to downsize the federal workforce. Matthew Daly, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
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