Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a busy travel season at American airports as families trek across the country to celebrate the holiday with their loved ones. This year, AAA predicts more than 18 million people will travel by plane during Thanksgiving week, an increase of 6 percent over 2023. Three million people are expected to go through airport security on the Sunday after the holiday, which would tie the record set on the Sunday after this year’s Fourth of July. Continue reading
Hormel makes 71 different kinds of pepperoni. In addition to the widely popular original pepperoni slices, grocery shoppers can also choose diced, thick-sliced, mini-sliced, low-sodium, low-fat, turkey pepperoni, and more. The spin-offs may not sell as well as the original, but they do help to attract customer attention for the overall brand. More products mean more shelf space at stores, which gives customers more opportunities to find and buy Hormel products. The company also hoped this strategy would make shoppers Continue reading
Nearly ten years ago, soda seemed to be losing its appeal with consumers as public health campaigns warned against sugary soft drinks and schools took soda out of vending machines and off of lunch menus. After per-capita consumption of soda among Americans fell to a new low in 2015, Coca-Cola and Pepsi started expanding their product lines to include diet sodas, flavored water, and energy drinks. With so many healthy choices available, industry insiders began to assume that consumers who Continue reading
Redbox launched its video rental kiosk business back in the early 2000s when the industry was still dominated by chains like Blockbuster. While brick-and-mortar stores charged $2 to $5 per night, customers could rent movies at Redbox for just $1 since the kiosks were much cheaper to maintain than physical locations. Customers also liked that Redbox operated 24/7, functioning more like a vending machine than a retailer. By 2007, the company had more U.S. locations than Blockbuster. Redbox peaked in Continue reading
With sunny weather, beautiful views, and lots of open space, California is one of the country’s most popular settings for music festivals. Thousands of people travel to the Golden State every summer to attend dozens of festivals — including Coachella, the most-attended annual music festival in North America. However, it’s getting more expensive to run a music festival in California as the cost of living keeps going up. Prices for transportation, accommodations, labor, and refreshments have skyrocketed above the typical Continue reading
Before causing the worst listeriosis outbreak in the U.S. since 2011, Boar’s Head was best known as one of the most recognizable — and most ruthless — deli-meat brands at the supermarket. The company started in 1905, when founder Frank Brunckhorst started selling deli meats out of a horse-drawn carriage in Brooklyn, New York. As it expanded into a $3 billion per year business, Boar’s Head made aggressive moves to protect its reputation for high quality. The company sued competitors Continue reading
For millions of Americans, Halloween is all about eating candy. And there’s no variety of candy more beloved than chocolate. According to national surveys, the average American’s favorite Halloween candy is a chocolate treat like M&Ms, Snickers, or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. But this year, you may notice less chocolate in your family’s trick-or-treat stash. That’s because cocoa prices are at record highs after three years of poor crops. The price of cocoa has doubled since the start of 2024 Continue reading