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It can be easy for consumers to feel like we now live in a two-tier economy: one geared toward showering the wealthy with perks, extras, and exclusive access, and the other for us normies. But one place you might not expect that is at Costco. Which might explain the mixed reaction to the recent news that, starting June 30, Costco U.S. locations that now open at 10 a.m. will open an hour earlier Sunday through Fridaybut only for certain people. Holders of its Executive Member card, which at $130 a year costs double the standard Gold Star membership fee, are allowed into the store early. (Those fees are up from $120 and $55, respectively, as of last year.) And locations that already open at 9 will now also make that first hour Executive only. (Saturdays its just for Executive members for the first half hour of operation.) All members will be welcome to shop starting at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and Sunday, and at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, an announcement on Instagram explained. Some responses to that post suggested that this new Executive perk came across like second-tier treatment for devoted Costco shoppers. Why reduce the value of a regular membership for US members? one asked. Extended hours should be for all members, another argued. As members we all pay to shop there, a third added. Inconveniencing your loyal customers for 30 mins to an hour is actually not cool. It might seem counterintuitive that a brand so fundamentally tied to bargain hunting, volume discounts, and savvy shopping would have an elite membership level at all. While Costcos product mix has come to include items targeting higher-end consumersfrom fancy champagne to Rolex watches to actual gold barsthe Costco image is tied to the idea that finding a great deal is the ultimate equalizer. The appeal of, say, the chains famous $1.50 hot dog cuts across class lines (at least symbolically). Costco has long enjoyed a broad and loyal fan base, and over the past year its reputation has seemed particularly virtuous. Its in-house Kirkland brand, already popular, has become arguably even more appealing as shoppers contend with tariff-war uncertainties. More broadly, Fast Company recently named CEO Ron Vechris Visionary of the Year for standing by diversity, equity, and inclusion policies that the company believes are good for business. As Target and other rivals have been dinged for seeming to cave to political pressure, Costco has gotten more popular. Its sales were up 8% in the most recent quarter, just shy of $61 billion and ahead of analyst estimates. But that includes its Executive tier: It turns out that a remarkable 47% of Costco members pay extra for the black-card Executive level. This currently entails a 2% reward on qualified purchasesmeaning that its actually possible to earn back the extra fee cost if you spend enoughand discounts on some Costco services and Costco Travel deals. In addition to the exclusive shopping time, Costco is also adding a $10 credit for certain home delivery orders (a segment the chain has been pushing, including an Instacart partnership) for Executive members. Maybe more to the point, Costco rival Sams Clubs elite tier already includes exclusive shopping time (and Costco itself actually had an earlier version of the perk that was discontinued in the peak pandemic era). And notably, Costco has said its Executive customers account for about 73% of its global sales. In other words, given what those elite, black-card-carrying customers contribute to Costcos business, maybe they deserve more special treatment. Thats certainly how some reacted to that Instagram post announcing the new hours. Nice added benefit to those with the Executive membership, wrote one member. Hope to see more distinguishing benefits down the road. Another added: Finally, something exclusive for Executive members. Others sounded a more appreciative note. Fresh morning hot dogs, one wrote, for me and my black card! Such are the privileges of the Costco elite.
Category:
E-Commerce
The 1994 Frank Darabont film The Shawshank Redemption may be everyones favorite movie to catch on TNT on a rainy Saturday, but its not an obvious place to go looking for money lessons. This quiet film is a meditation on the power of hope to change liveswhich hardly seems like a message one can expect from financial professionals (ahem). Yet, the story of Andy Dufresnes time in (and spectacular escape from) the Shawshank State Prison provides a blueprint for smart financial choices. And the story of how the film itself gained traction despite a lackluster initial reception can also teach us important money lessons. What we see: a rock hammer and weekly correspondence Following his wrongful conviction for murder, Andy Dufresne arrives at Shawshank to serve two consecutive life sentences. He befriends another lifer, Red, who runs an illicit smuggling business. Andy asks him to procure a rock hammer and a large Rita Hayworth poster. (The movie, of course, springs from the 1982 Stephen King novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.) Andy claims that he wants the rock hammer for carving, and he does indeed create small sculptures with it. But thats not all he uses it for. By the end of the film, we learn that Andy has spent 19 years digging a tunnel through his wall with the hammer, using the poster to cover up his work. Despite the rock hammer being a tiny tool for work of that magnitude, Andy never gives up his slow, diligent, and methodical approach to escaping. Andy is equally methodical in his efforts to improve the decrepit prison library. He sends weekly requests to the Maine state legislature for funds to buy used books. After years of relentless effort, Andy secures a $500 annual appropriation for the prison library, granted by the state just to shut him up. What we learn: be methodical with whatever tools you have Part of what makes Andy Dufresne extraordinary is his ability to take the long view. Most of his fellow inmates lose themselves in dreary thinking about their imprisonment, but Andy sees an investment opportunity. He recognizes time as a tool. He doesnt have freedom in Shawshank, but he can take advantage of time in a way people on the outside cant. By recognizing that time works differently on the inside, Andy is able to use the very punishment hes been given as a way to maintain his hope and persist with projects. Warning: This scene contains coarse language. What we see: confronting Hadley and becoming Randall Stephens A few years into his time at Shawshank, while working with a crew of inmates to tar the prison roofs, Andy overhears Captain Hadley, the brutal and vicious lead guard, complaining about having to pay taxes on a $35,000 inheritance. Andy recklessly approaches Hadley and him if he trusts his wife. Hadley responds to the impudent question by rushing Andy to the edge of the roof to toss him to his death, but Andy saves himself by saying he knows how Hadley can minimize taxes on the inheritance. Andy becomes the unofficial CPA for the prison staff, and as the years pass, Andy also starts helping the warden launder money using his skills with accounting. He also secretly creates a fictitious identity, a businessman named Randall Stephens. When he escapes Shawshank at the films climax, he steals all of the wardens laundered money by posing as Stephens at the bank and withdrawing all of the ill-gotten gains. What we learn: know when and how to take risks Ignoring the advice of his inmate pals, Andy risks his life to gain leverage with Hadley. The only immediate reward is a case of cold beer for the rooftop work crew. But Andy is thinking longer-term, as he is from the very first moments of Shawshank Redemption. The risky gambit leads to work that better suits his knowledge and intelligence, providing new opportunities. His construction of Randall Stephens is equally risky. He knows that the money he is withdrawing is laundered, that Stephens doesnt exist, and that his absence from his cell has probably already been discovered. Though Andy never broke the law before he went to prison, he does so when inhabiting the Stephens persona he invented. But like the risk of confronting Hadley, pretending to be Stephens is calculated. Andy prepares everything he needs to pull off the ruse ahead of time, using his knowledge and intelligence to mitigate the risk. The lesson? Risk-taking makes sense when were well-prepared and set up for success. [Photo: Warner Bros. Entertainment] What we see: a box-office bomb becomes universally beloved The Shawshank Redemption famously tanked at the box office, initially earning a measly $16 million against a $25 million budget. Though it was nominated for (and lost) seven academy awards and lauded by critics, the studio had no idea how to market a character study set in a mid-century prison and audiences were apparently confused by the films (admittedly baffling) title. Then a funny thing happened on the way to certain obscurity: The Shawshank Redemption slowly found its audience. But unlike many other box-office failures that became cult classics, this film didnt just appeal to a niche audience. Over the past 30 years, it has become recognized as one of the best movies ever made and consistently tops IMDBs list of favorite films. Just as Andy diligently works at tunneling through his wall, building the prison library, stealing the wardens laundered money, and making himself indispensable to his best friend Red over a period of nearly two decades, the film showcasing Andys story also took its time to garner the appreciation it deserves. What we learn: proof of concept can take time We tend to want instant results as a culture, especially when it comes to investingand Hollywood is one of the worst offenders. If a film doesnt make major bank in its opening weekend, studios may be willing to write it off. Frank Darabont, Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, and the rest of the professionals who worked on The Shawshank Redemption believed in it and gave it their all. The lackluster initial reception must have been incredibly disappointing. But the film is much more than its first three months revenue, as Shawshanks enduring popularity has proved. Honestly, we need to increase our time horizon for all types of investments, not just Hollywood movies. When it comes to financial investments, quick returns are typically the province of scams (like the wardens money laundering) or luck (which you cant prepare for). Andys example makes it clear that you should try to invest like the quiet, falsely convicted banker. He does his homework, invests in something he believes in, does as much preparation as possible, recognizes when to take a risk, and uses time to his advantage. For other types of investments, from your own pursuits to building a business, take a page from the success of The Shawshank Redemption. The right combination of diligence and patience remains the most predictable investment strategy.
Category:
E-Commerce
For architecture enthusiasts, a longtime dream may have just come within reach: A Frank Lloyd Wright home just hit the market, and it could be yours for a cool $2.5 million. The home, located in Jackson, Mississippi, was designed by Wright in 1948when the late architect was 81for a local oil speculator named J. Willis Hughes and his family. Originally called the Hughes House, the home has since adopted the nickname Fountainhead, courtesy of an elaborate backyard water feature and pool. (Wright was also said to have served as inspiration for Ayn Rand when she wrote her classic novel of the same name.) The three-bedroom home has more than 3,500 square feet of interior space and a scenic view from its position tucked into the wooded hillside. And, while Fountainhead may boast a hefty price tag today, it was originally made to be affordable. [Screenshot: Sothebys] The home is one of just around 60 houses that are considered Usonian, a style created and coined by Wright in the 1940s and 50s. Usonian homes were Wrights answer to the postwar era: Designed to be accessible to the American middle class, they tend to make use of simple layouts, open floor plans, and natural materials. Given that Wrights total portfolio of designs includes more than 1,000 buildings, this style is now considered quite rare. When approaching the homes design, Wright took his cues from the surrounding environment. The contours of the building site determined the homes parallelogram form, which is characterized by a multitude of low, horizontal leading lines. Furnishings like sofas, tables, beds, and dressers are all seamlessly built into the homes auburn wood walls. The parallelogram design is etched in the floors, and dictates the placement of walls, the size of the doors, and the shape of the spaces, the homes listing on Sothebys International reads. It goes on to note that Fountainhead was built with no stud walls in the house, no Sheetrock, brick, tile, or paint and boasts of exquisite, exceptionally durable Heart Tidewater Red Cypress wood for the walls and ceilings. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the house saw some fairly significant wear and tear during the 25 years that it served as the Hughes family residence. However, the most recent owner, architect Robert Parker Adams, alongside his former wife, Mary, devoted years to restoring the home to its former glory. Adams has lived at the property since 1979. Ive been here 40-something years; Ive had my experience, Adams told The Journal, adding that he hopes to share his experience and knowledge with the next owner.
Category:
E-Commerce
We often focus on the visible obstacles stopping women from getting ahead: pay inequality, missed promotions and opportunities, and those boardroom tables with not quite enough seats. Yet there is another, less-visible hindrance to womens career success: our internal habits, harder to name and even harder to shake. The opportunity passed over not because it was out of reach, but because our inner dialogue said it wasnt ours to take. The apology slipped into an email that didnt need one. The shrinking, the over-preparing, and the relentless self-editing. These arent flaws. They are learned responses to a system that taught women to be capable but cautious, competent but not disruptive, and yes, to have a voice, but not one that was too loud. These unexamined habits are shaping the careers we never meant to build. 1. Confusing competence with visibility The sabotage: Many women believe if they work hard enough, someone will notice. Excellence in silence is rarely rewarded. Doing exceptional work and not drawing attention to it isnt noble. Its often just an efficient way of handing credit to someone else. The insight: Hard work that goes unseen and waiting politely for ones turn builds resentment. Being good at your job isnt the same as being known for it, and in competitive environments, what isnt seen often doesnt count. How to avoid it: Dont wait to be discovered. Learn to self-promote and name what you do, so no one else gets to define it for you. Regularly share winsboth yours and those of othersin team settings. 2. Waiting for certainty The sabotage: This is self-doubt amplified. When it comes to promotions, unless almost every box is ticked, women are reluctant to put themselves forward. One unchecked box and its a hard stop . . . until next time. The insight: What if there is no next time? When rejecting an opportunity, what might the perception being sent to your boss be? Your boss isnt a mind reader, magically understanding your thoughts moving back and forth. Instead, they take it on surface value, assuming youre not so engaged or interested in being here. And hesitations compound over time: not just in missed opportunities, but in lost wealth, confidence, reputation, and influence. How to avoid it: Adopt a progress, not perfection mindset. Practice tentative boldness and redefine your readiness, taking steps forward and refining as you go. 3. Being modest with achievements The sabotage: Women often downplay workplace achievements, opting for humility over self-advocacy. The reluctance to self-promote is confused with bragging and arrogance. But being comfortable in naming your achievement is necessary for self-worth. The insight: What begins as humility can morph into invisibility. Habitually softening your impact and deflecting praise reinforces a narrative where your work is assumed rather than acknowledged. It can train those around you to expect performance without credit. Visibility isnt vanity. Its professional accountability. How to avoid it: Replace vague self-effacement with concrete contribution. Say, Heres what I contributed to that outcome, rather than, I just helped out a bit. Plus, adopt an internal mantra: Its not arrogance if its accurate. 4. Seeking career advice from the wrong counsel The sabotage: Turning only to people who mirror your fears instead of challenging your growth. Often these are friends, family, or colleagues. Their intention might be for the best, but they have a bias to protect. The insight: Whats the point? Friends and family often want to shield us from discomfort. But their advice can reflect their own fears, rather than your potential. And not every colleague has honorable intentions. Discussions like this can snowball, reinforcing not only why you shouldnt take up the opportunity, but any other advancements, ever. The validation might feel safer, but it doesnt help. Its damaging. How to avoid it: Seek advice from those who will challenge your thinking, not just nod along. Limit conversations that turn into bandwagoning. Seek to have actions as a result of purposeful career discussions, even if they are micro-moves. Take responsibility for your decisions: When coming to a decision, do you say, I have decided or My partner and I think more often? Clarity begins with ownership. 5. Being busy instead of strategic The sabotage: Investing in extra work tasks that dont pay dividends. This is saying yes to everything in the name of being helpful while it slowly erodes your capacity. The insight: Over-functioning is not the same as overachieving. The cost is invisibly paid in missed raises, burnout, and career stagnation. The perception of your busyness might be that you are not in control of your workload. How to avoid it: Be discerning and politely decline what dilutes your focus. Track value over volume and pick strategic tasks that upskill and serve your growth. Practice saying no not with guilt, but with respect for where youre headed.
Category:
E-Commerce
Theres a new energy brand on the market, and its betting that the next frontier in caffeine isnt coffee, soda, or any other drink, for that matter. Its the pouch. Wip is a caffeine pouch, available in 100-milligram and 200-milligram strengths, thats designed to be popped between your lip and gum to provide a quick dose of what it describes as natural caffeine. The pouches come in candy-like flavors, including mint, sour cherry, orange citrus, and strawberry kiwi, all packaged in a brightly colored, hockey-puck-size container. If any of that sounds familiar, thats probably because, at least in form factor, its pretty similar to the nicotine pouch brand Zyn, which exploded in popularity after gaining traction on TikTok, primarily among young users. Meanwhile, over the past few years, the caffeine market has also been buzzing with a similar demographic. Energy drinks have gone mainstream, appearing on menus at Starbucks, Dunkin, and Dutch Bros. Older brands like Jolt Cola and Rockstar have gotten supercharged facelifts, while the newcomer Alani Nu notched more than a billion dollars in sales in just one year. From 2018 to 2023, energy drink sales jumped by 73%. In all, the global caffeine market is expected to reach $28.95 billion by 2030. Wip is betting on the idea that if consumers are gravitating toward a pouch for their nicotine boost, it might be a major new unlock for the caffeine industry, too. [Photo: courtesy Wip] The origin of a new form of caffeine The idea for Wip was conceived by David Cynamon, a Canadian entrepreneur who is now the brands chairman and a major stakeholder. According to Wip CEO Richard Mumby, Cynamon understood the ubiquity of pouches in other form factors, mainly in nicotine, and recognized an opportunity to expand the consumer category into caffeine. The brand debuted last summer under the name LF*GO! (alongside a marketing partnership with Mike Tyson), a move that Mumby describes as more of a market test than an official launch. In four months, they got really meaningful traction and realized they needed to bring in the right team to realize the full opportunity of creating an altogether new category for energy and caffeine, he says. Mumby stepped in as CEO last October. Given the inspiration that Wip is pulling from the nicotine industry, Mumbys previous experience makes sense for this new role: From 2014 to 2017, he served as CMO for Pax Labs, the umbrella company for Juul and Pax vapes. In less than a year, Mumbys team at Wip worked to create an entirely fresh identity for the brand before it hit the market in early June. The new branding takes a page out of Red Bulls iconic playbook, positioning the product as a tool for athletesand, like Zyn, also a cool accessory. [Photo: courtesy Wip] Is the pouch the new energy drink? From an outside perspective, its easy to see why consumers might choose a nicotine pouch over a cigarette: You can pop one on the go, it has no odor, and, more recently, has become a kind of status-signaling habit among its young male target audience. [Photo: courtesy Wip] Its less clear why one might abandon their daily cup of coffee in favor of a caffeine pouch. Mumbys pitch for creating this new consumption category comes down to what he calls the three Cs: confidence, convenience, and cost. He argues that consumers want to have confidence in the quality of their caffeine (a need that Wip purports to meet by deriving its caffeine from green coffee beans); they want the convenience of a handsfree caffeine option; and they want a cheaper caffeine fix (a 15-pouch pack costs about $8, or about 60 cents per serving). For an emerging brand or category, sometimes you have to go to the periphery to find these unmet needs, Mumby says. But in caffeine, they’re really at the heart of the product. [Photo: courtesy Wip] Branding the caffeine pouch To get the public on board with this novel form of caffeine intake, Mumby says he had a few main goals with the new branding. First, he needed to clearly articulate what caffeine pouches actually are, and establish a brand name that consumers could easily remember. He also needed a high-energy look to compete in an already saturated category. In collaboration with the branding agency Studio George, his team checked the first box with Wip, a name designed to be short, zingy, and catchy. You can’t will consumers to do it, but I wouldn’t be disappointed if I heard somebody walk into a bodega and say, Do you have any mint Wips, or refer to having to Wip their way through a workout, Mumby says. For the wordmark, Studio George opted for a forward-leaning, slanted bold font with jagged edges, meant to convey a sense of momentum. The packaging features flavor-signaling neon colors, metallic silver, and pops of energetic yellow, clearly evoking the world of sports branding. Mumby imagines Wip as a product that could see mass adoption, but its specifically marketed as a companion for athletes and others whose pastimes involve using their hands. Someone headed to the gym, for example, might prefer a Wip over the “cumbersome” proposition of packing energy drinks in their bag, Mumby explains. “Also, a cup of coffee on a construction site is hard to put down and not have dust get into it,” he says. “If you work with both of your hands, you need dexterity. The form factor just lends itself to some obvious solutions.” On first glance, Wip does look strikingly like a nicotine product, especially given its rounded packaging and hardcore aesthetic. Mumby says the brands main strategy to ensure consumers dont get confused is to incorporate clear signals at the point of sale, including by labeling the pouches as clean caffeine on display units. Currently, Wip is available online, on Amazon, at convenience stores in Florida and Arizona, and at some smaller athletic stores across the country. [Photo: courtesy Wip] I Wip my way through this article Before writing this story, I gave Wip a try for the first timespecifically, the 100-milligram mint flavor. While Ive never tried a Zyn, and therefore cant compare the two, this experience was akin to sucking on an abnormally sweet Altoid, or maybe a less-powerful Listerine strip. It wasnt unpleasant (and it did prevent the onset of a morning caffeine headache), but it also wasnt my personal favorite way to consume caffeine. Still, I could see how the form factor might be convenient as a pre-workout boost or a pick-me-up on the job. [Photo: courtesy Wip] My main concern with Wip, actually, is how easy it is to consume. One of the 200-milligram pouches is equivalent to about two cups of coffee. A standard 8.4-ounce Red Bull contains just 80 milligrams of caffeine. Pop two max-strength Wips, and youve just hit the maximum amount of caffeine that the Mayo Clinic defines as safe for the average adult, likely in significantly less time than it would require to chug five Red Bulls. When asked about Wips safety, Mumby says the brands website and social media sets out clear guidelines on safe caffeine consumption, including the 400-milligram limit. Its worth noting, however, that theres no such information on the package itself. While I didnt experience any adverse effects from my 100-milligram Wip, Im not sure I want to know what it might feel like to mindlessly have one too many. For now, Im sticking with coffee.
Category:
E-Commerce
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