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Each week, the business world throws us a mix of surprises, frustrations, and big experiments. Some companies are doubling down on old strategies, others are trying bold new moves, and a few are just trying to keep up. If youre a consumer, youve probably felt it, toowhether its at the airport, in a restaurant, or when youre just shopping for dinner. This weeks stories show how fast the ground is shifting. Airlines are finally facing pushback after years of tacking on fees, builders are looking to landlords to off-load homes, and even Cracker Barrel is trying to pull off a makeover (with mixed reviews). Meanwhile, Starbucks is chasing health trends, tipping is slipping, and one California politician is getting a lot of attention for his online trolling. Heres what you might have missed. Airlines get sued over windowless window seats Delta and United are facing lawsuits from passengers who say they paid extra for a window seat, only to find themselves staring at a wall. The cases are part of a bigger backlash against airlines endless fees, which have pulled in more than $12 billion in recent years. Lennar turns to landlords to clear a housing glut With a record 119,000 unsold new U.S. homes sitting on the market, homebuilder Lennar rolled out its Investor Marketplace. The site is built for small landlords looking to scoop up properties, especially in softer Sun Belt markets. Cracker Barrel goes for a glow-up Cracker Barrel is trying to modernize with a new logo, brighter dining rooms, and a campaign with country music star Jordan Davis. Some fans, however, arent sold, and feel the chain risks losing the cozy vibe that they love. Starbucks tests coconut water and protein foam PSL season may be back, but Starbucks is also pushing coconut waterbased drinks and even a protein-packed cold foam in its iced lattes and other chilled beverages. The coffee giant is leaning hard into health and wellness, hoping itll stick as much as pumpkin spice. Gavin Newsom trolls Trumpand wins followers Californias governor has been posting in Trumps ALL-CAPS style, mocking the president online. The strategy is landinghis social media following, approval ratings, and even betting odds for 2028 have all jumped. Claires bankruptcy plan finds a buyer The tween jewelry chain filed for Chapter 11 earlier this month, but Ames Watson swooped in to buy the business. The deal means up to 950 Claires stores could stay open instead of shutting down. FDA widens recall on radioactive shrimp More shrimp brands have been pulled from shelves after tests showed possible Cesium-137 contamination. The FDA says no illnesses are linked so far, but it recommends tossing any affected products. TSA bans cordless hair tools in checked bags If youre packing for a trip, leave the cordless curlers and straighteners out of your checked luggage. TSA says the lithium-ion batteries and butane are a fire hazardbut you can bring one in your carry-on if its covered. Tipping hits a seven-year low According to Toast, the average tip at full-service restaurants dropped to 19.1%. Some say tipflation is to blame, with diners in California tipping the least (17.3%) and Delaware the most (21.4%). LinkedIn names its top colleges for the AI era For the first time, LinkedIn ranked schools on how well theyre preparing students for AI-focused jobs. Caltech and MIT lead the AI pack, while Princeton took the overall top spot for career outcomes.
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E-Commerce
A recent letter from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) encouraged industry leaders to streamline and enhance product recall communications, highlighting the need for industry and government systems to transform and evolve to deliver timely updates to the public. As part of the letter, the FDA recommended a strategic overhaul for communications strategies leveraging cutting-edge technologies to collect, analyze, and disseminate recall information. While its critical that technology, and eventually AI, be used throughout the recall comms processand it already isthere are numerous other aspects of recalls that are already being improved by technology that will continue to see significant advancements in the second half of 2025 and heading into 2026. This also comes at a time when the number of recalled products surged 25% to 125.37 million, and the number of food items recalled by the FDA increased by 232% in Q1 2025. As communications teams, companies, and consumers see the impact of these changes, company reputation and brand trust will be improved as well amid a rapidly changing regulatory environment. The New Landscape for Recall Comms The name of the game with recalls is speed. Consider a food recall. An allergen or bacterial contamination occurs, and consumers need to know as soon as possible. Companies should be using a multi-modal approach with the knowledge that it will never be one-size-fits-all. This strategy is vital in ensuring a smooth and efficient recall process which will soon be substantially expanded in its effectiveness as AI is integrated in a larger capacity. As companies communication strategies improve, including finding new avenues to reaching consumers, understanding generational differences, and identifying tech that is best used to reach them (apps and digital notifications for younger generations, calls and even fax machines for older generations), the ability for consumers to communicate with companies will progress as well. Improvements in contact centers, through AI, will soon enhance inbound and outbound channels, helping to provide timely, precise, and personalized assistance at every step. The future of comms, and call centers, for recalls may see AI agents offering responses to consumers in different languages at all hours of the day, with human agents taking over when tasks become more complex. This represents the first stage in an exciting transformation for the comms strategies of companies across sectors, and one that will set them up to be better prepared for all aspects of a recall as AIs presence continues to growand not just in comms. Companies Will Improve the Entire Lifecycle of a Recall Beyond comms strategies, technology will be critical in the entire lifecycle of a product and a recall. Already, tech is supporting companies in monitoring the effectiveness of recalls, including early identification, product defects or issues, and more, through social media scraping, monitoring regulatory updates, and identifying trends and insights. Early identification is just one part of the process, but a substantial one. This can reduce the impact of a recall and the amount of time a defective product is in the market. Once AI has assisted in early identification, its next role is supporting in monitoring the effectiveness of a recall. Social media scraping and AI tools can track the progress of a recall to see if consumers are still concerned about their products, or are having difficulties in understanding their best course of action, and if a company will need to shift the public narrative if there is still skepticism. Another key point of emphasis for companies and their use of AI is, and will continue to be, the identification of bad players in the recall space. As fraud persists, in which duplicated or manipulated photos of defective products are sent in with the goal of receiving payment, gift cards, or replacement products, AI will be key in weeding out the real from the fake. What will determine the success of AI in recalls, as it will in all other sectors, is establishing trust. Consumers must trust that AI is finding new solutions, identifying recalls at a more rapid pace, supporting their needs through call centers, and more. Companies, in turn, must ensure that employees are properly trained to use this technology, understand where it is delivering value, and know where human oversight is still required, so they are not fearful of it automating their roles, and understand the road ahead. A Transformed Landscape for the Benefit of All While the FDA is pushing for improved recall practices, companies should already be planning these and understanding how AI is set to transform every aspect of their strategies. The benefits are significant for companies, consumers, and overall brand trust, if tech integrations are accomplished with planning, precision, and patience. In tandem with a smart and balanced AI strategy should be the acknowledgment that regulators across industries are rapidly changing guidelines for this technology as they look to keep pace with international competition, as well as drive innovation while balancing user safety. New enforcement protocols, and litigation, which emerged as a significant trend in 2024 with organizations filing lawsuits against agencies and regulators pushing criminal actions against companies and individuals related to recall and product safety issues, are crucial to keep in mind as well. Finally, the regulatory landscape, both for recalls and AI, has evolved significantly in the U.S. and the EU, as well as globally, requiring diverse strategies for each region. Yet, a comprehensive comms and company strategy for recalls that understands where we are now with AI, and where were going, will set up leaders and their customers for success, safety, and much more moving forward.
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E-Commerce
At a new restaurant in Manhattan, the goal isnt to make money. Launching as a pilot in September, the projectcalled Community Kitchenis designed to show what it looks like when a restaurant does everything right: healthy, sustainably grown ingredients from local farmers; well-paid workers; excellent, plant-forward cooking; and food accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford $100 dinners. [Photo: Community Kitchen] Mark Bittman, the longtime food writer, started the restaurant as a nonprofit after stepping away from a career that spanned dozens of cookbooks, long-running New York Times columns, and books critiquing the food system. I felt like Id written enough, he says. I wanted to do something. Bittman had often written about the benefits of cooking at home for health, cost, and sustainability. But he realized it wasnt realistic to expect everyone to cook, and that those who dont have the time often struggle to find healthy food. “If people want to and have the time and resources to cook, the information’s out there,” he says. “I think the real hole is in helping people find good food affordably outside of the home.” [Photo: Community Kitchen] Community Kitchens pilot will open September 10 inside the Lower Eastside Girls Club in Manhattan’s East Village, with communal tables available four days a week. Diners will reserve fixed-menu meals on a sliding scale: $15 (just a bit more than a typical fast-food meal in New York City), $45 for middle incomes, and $125 for those used to fine dining. The concept of “pay what you can” isnt new, though it has often meant uncomfortable exchanges at the register. “It turns into a humiliating negotiation for the payer and the payee,” Bittman says. By paying online in advanceor eventually through appsdiners wont have to ask publicly for a lower price. [Photo: Community Kitchen] Still, many pay-what-you-can restaurants have struggled to survive financially. Meanwhile, restaurants that prioritize ethical sourcing and worker pay often end up unaffordable. “I think you could do those first three thingssource great food, pay workers well, have great foodas long as you charge $150 to $100 a person,” Bittman says. “With widespread access, you can’t do that and make money at the same time.” Thats why Community Kitchen is structured as a nonprofit. The organization has raised funding from Bloomberg Philanthropy, Grace Foundation, Kapor Foundation, and Ford Philanthropy, among others, and will run on a budget of $1.2 million this year, including operations beyond the pilot restaurant. But Bittman doesnt expect it to rely on philanthropy forever. One possibility is spinning off a for-profit restaurant to help fund it. He also advocates for policy change: he believes healthy, accessible restaurants should receive government support. [Photo: Community Kitchen] “My argument is that food is as important as education and healthcare and defense and police and all those other things,” he says. “And so should be funded by tax dollarsby federal money, state money, city money. We should make it so that everybody can eat really good food whenever they need to.” Some government-subsidized “public restaurants” exist in other countries, like Brazil’s “Popular restaurants,” which serve $3 meals to low income residents. Community Kitchen will pay workers at least $30 an hour and offer predictable schedulesa rarity in the industry. While tipping isnt necessary, any tips will be pooled and shared among nearly everyone. To avoid inequities, cooks will help serve food, and dishwashers, who remain in the back of house, will earn more than others. [Photo: Community Kitchen] The pilot will last through November, and the nonprofit will be carefully evaluating how it works. “Through the pilot, we hope to learn what it would be like to do a long-term version of community of Community Kitchen. How much do we need to raise? How much can we count on for income from the restaurant?” Bittman says. The next step will be to raise money for a permanent restaurantand begin sharing the learnings with anyone else who wants to start a similar project. [Photo: Community Kitchen]
Category:
E-Commerce
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