• Companies such as Peloton, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, BlackRock, and UPS have trimmed staff this year.
• In some cases, artificial intelligence is reshaping workforces.
• See the list of companies letting workers go in 2025.

The list of companies laying off employees this year is growing.

Layoffs and other workforce reductions have continued in 2025, following two years of significant job cuts in tech, media, finance, manufacturing, retail, and energy.

While the reasons for slimming staff vary, the cost-cutting measures are coming amid technological change. A World Economic Forum survey found that some 41% of companies worldwide expect to reduce their workforces over the next five years because of the rise of artificial intelligence.

Companies such as Oracle, CNN, Dropbox, and Block have previously announced job cuts related to AI. Though Amazon has not announced job cuts this year, CEO Andy Jassy told employees in June that the company will need "fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today" in the coming years as it expands its use of generative AI and agents.

Meanwhile, tech jobs in big data, fintech, and AI are expected to double by 2030, according to the WEF.

Here are the companies with job cuts planned or already underway in 2025 so far, in alphabetical order.

Adidas plans to cut up to 500 jobs in Germany.

Adidas said in January that it would reduce the size of its workforce at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, affecting up to 500 jobs, CNBC reported.

If fully executed, it amounts to a reduction of nearly 9% at the company headquarters, which employs about 5,800 employees, according to the Adidas website.

The news came shortly after the company announced it had outperformed its profit expectations at the end of 2024, touting "better-than-expected" results in the fourth quarter.

An Adidas spokesperson said the company had grown "too complex because of our current operating model."

"To set adidas up for long-term success, we are now starting to look at how we align our operating model with the reality of how we work. This may have an impact on the organizational structure and number of roles based at our HQ in Herzogenaurach."

The company said it is not a cost-cutting measure and could not confirm concrete numbers.

Ally is cutting less than 5% of workers.

The digital-financial-services company Ally is laying off roughly 500 of its 11,000 employees, a spokesperson confirmed to BI.

"As we continue to right-size our company, we made the difficult decision to selectively reduce our workforce in some areas, while continuing to hire in our other areas of our business," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also said the company was offering severance, outplacement support, and the opportunity to apply for openings at Ally.

Ally made a similar level of cuts in October 2023, the Charlotte Observer reported.

Automattic, Tumblr's parent, cuts 16% of staff

Automattic, the parent company of Tumblr and WordPress, said in April it is cutting 16% of its staff globally. The company's website said it has nearly 1,500 employees.

Automattic's CEO, Matt Mullenweg, said in a note to employees posted online that the company has reached an "important crossroads."

"While our revenue continues to grow, Automattic operates in a highly competitive market, and technology is evolving at unprecedented levels," the note read.

The company is restructuring to improve its "productivity, profitability, and capacity to invest," it added.

The company said it was offering severance and job placement resources to affected employees.

BlackRock is cutting 1% of its workforce.

BlackRock told employees it was planning to cut about 200 people of its 21,000-strong workforce, Bloomberg reported in January.

The reductions were more than offset by some 3,750 workers who were added last year and another 2,000 expected to be added in 2025.

BlackRock's president, Rob Kapito, and its chief operating officer, Rob Goldstein, said the cuts would help realign the firm's resources with its strategy, Bloomberg reported.

Block to lay off nearly 1,000 workers

Jack Dorsey's fintech company, Block, is laying off nearly 1,000 employees, according to TechCrunch and The Guardian, in its second major workforce reduction in just over a year.

The company, which operates Square, Afterpay, CashApp, and Tidal, is transitioning nearly 200 managers into non-management roles and closing almost 800 open positions, according to an email obtained by TechCrunch.

Dorsey, who co-founded Block in 2009 after previously leading Twitter, announced the layoffs in March in an internal email titled "smaller block."

The restructuring is part of a broader effort to streamline operations, though Block maintains the changes are not driven by financial targets or AI replacements.

Bloomberg is making cuts in an overhaul of its newsroom

Bloomberg is cutting some editorial staff as the company reorganizes its newsroom, according to a memo viewed by BI. The larger strategy aims to have a larger headcount by the end of this year, however.

The newsroom currently employs around 2,700 people, and the changes will merge some smaller teams into larger units, the memo said.

Blue Origin is laying off one-tenth of its workforce

Jeff Bezos's rocket company, Blue Origin, is laying off about 10% of its workforce, a move that could affect more than 1,000 employees.

In a memo sent to staff in February and obtained by Business Insider, David Limp, the CEO of Blue Origin, said the company's priority going forward was "to scale our manufacturing output and launch cadence with speed, decisiveness and efficiency for our customers."

Limp specifically identified roles in engineering, research and development, and management as targets.

"We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed," Limp wrote. "It also became clear that the makeup of our organization must change to ensure our roles are best aligned with executing these priorities."

The news comes after January's debut launch of the company's partially reusable rocket — New Glenn.

Boeing cut 400 roles from its moon rocket program

Boeing announced on February 8 that it plans to cut 400 roles from its moon rocket program amid delays and rising costs related to NASA's Artemis moon exploration missions.

Artemis 2, a crewed flight to orbit the moon on Boeing's space launch system, has been rescheduled from late 2024 to September 2025. Artemis 3, intended to be the first astronaut moon landing in the program, was delayed from late 2025 and is now planned for September 2026.

"To align with revisions to the Artemis program and cost expectations, we informed our Space Launch Systems team of the potential for approximately 400 fewer positions by April 2025," a Boeing spokesperson told Business Insider. "We are working with our customer and seeking opportunities to redeploy employees across our company to minimize job losses and retain our talented teammates."

The company will issue 60-day notices of involuntary layoff to impacted employees "in coming weeks," the spokesperson said.

Boeing cut 10% of its workforce last year.

BP slashed 7,700 staff and contractor positions worldwide

BP told Business Insider in January that it planned to cut 4,700 staff and 3,000 contractors, amounting to about 5% of its global workforce.

The cuts were part of a program to "simplify and focus" BP that began last year.

"We are strengthening our competitiveness and building in resilience as we lower our costs, drive performance improvement and play to our distinctive capabilities," the company said.

Bridgewater cut about 90 staff

Bridgewater Associates cut 7% of its staff in January in an effort to stay lean, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.

The layoffs at the world's largest hedge fund bring its head count back to where it was in 2023, the person said.

The company's founder, Ray Dalio, said in a 2019 interview that about 30% of new employees were leaving the firm within 18 months.

Bumble said it intends to cut 30% of its workforce.

In a June 23 securities filing, Bumble said it plans to slash 240 roles, about 30% of its workforce. The dating app company said the cuts will result in charges between $13 million and $18 million in its third and fourth quarters.

"We recently made some difficult decisions to adjust our team structure in order to align with our strategic priorities," a Bumble spokesperson said.

They told BI that the decision to lay off over 200 employees wasn't "made lightly."

Burberry says it plans on cutting 1,700 jobs

Burberry announced 1,700 job cuts in May, or about 18% of its global workforce, as part of plans to cut costs by about £100 million ($130 million) by 2027.

It plans to end night shifts at its Yorkshire raincoat factory due to production over-capacity.

The British company sunk to an operating loss of £3 million for the year to the end of March, compared with a £418 million profit for the previous 12 months.

Chevron is slashing up to 20% of its global head count

Oil giant Chevron plans to cull 15% to 20% of its global workforce by the end of 2026, the company said in a statement to Business Insider in February.

Chevron employed 45,600 people as of December 2023, which means the layoff could cut 9,000 jobs.

The move aims to reduce costs and simplify the company's business as it completes its acquisition of oil producer Hess, which is held up in legal limbo. It is expected to save the company $2 billion to $3 billion by the end of 2026, the company said.

"Chevron is taking action to simplify our organizational structure, execute faster and more effectively, and position the company for stronger long-term competitiveness," a Chevron spokesperson said in a statement.

The cuts follow a series of layoffs at other oil and gas companies, including BP and natural gas producer EQT.

CNN plans to cut 200 jobs

Cable news giant CNN cut about 200 television-focused roles as part of a digital pivot. The cuts amounted to about 6% of the company's workforce.

In a memo sent to staff on January 23, CNN's CEO Mark Thompson said he aimed to "shift CNN's gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting and, by doing that, to secure CNN's future as one of the world's greatest news organizations."

Coty is cutting about 700 jobs

Coty, which sells cosmetics and fragrances under brands such as Kylie Cosmetics, Calvin Klein, and Burberry, is cutting about 700 jobs.

The company said on April 24 it aimed to cut costs by $130 million a year. Sue Nabi, the CEO, said it aimed to build a "stronger, more resilient Coty that is well-positioned for sustainable growth."

CrowdStrike is cutting about 500 jobs

CrowdStrike, the Texas-headquartered cybersecurity firm, is cutting about 500 jobs, or 5% of its global workforce, as part of a strategic plan to "yield greater efficiencies."

It expects the layoffs to cost between $36 million and $53 million.

CrowdStrike is aiming to generate $10 billion in annual recurring revenue.

The company reported worse-than-expected annual results in March, signaling that it was yet to fully recover from a widespread tech outage linked to CrowdStrike in July 2024.

Disney says it's laying off several hundred employees

Disney confirmed to BI on June 2 that it was laying off several hundred employees globally.

Most of the cuts were to roles in marketing for films and TV under the Disney Entertainment division. Other roles affected included employees in publicity, casting, and development, as well as corporate finance.

In March, the company also cut around 200 people from its ABC News Group and Disney Entertainment Networks. In 2024, the company also had several rounds of layoffs.

Shortly after Bob Iger returned to the company as CEO in 2022, he said 7,000 jobs at Disney would be cut as part of a reorganization.

Estée Lauder will cut as many as 7,000 jobs

Cosmetics giant Estée Lauder said in its second-quarter earnings release on February 4 that it will cut between 5,800 and 7,000 jobs as the company restructures over the next two years.

The cuts will focus on "rightsizing" certain teams, and it will look to outsource certain services. The company says it expects annual gross benefits of between $0.8 billion and $1.0 billion before tax.

Geico has axed tens of thousands of workers

Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chair of Insurance Operations Ajit Jain says Geico has reduced its workforce from about 50,000 to about 20,000. Jain revealed the reductions during Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting on May 3 but did not detail over what time frame they took place. Berkshire Hathaway is one of Geico's parent companies.

Warren Buffett's company reported its 2025 first-quarter earnings on during the May 3 meeting, saying Geico earned nearly $2.2 billion in pre-tax underwriting.

GrubHub announced 500 job cuts

Grubhub CEO Howard Migdal announced 500 job cuts on February 28 after selling the company to Wonder Group for $650 million.

With more than 2,200 full time employees, the number of cuts will affect more than 20% of Grubhub's previous workforce.

According to Reuters, Just Eat Takeaway, an Amsterdam-listed company, sold Grubhub at a steep loss compared to the billions it paid a few years prior after grappling with slowing growth and high taxes.

HPE is laying off 2,500 employees

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is cutting 2,500 jobs, or 5% of its employee base, CEO Antonio Neri said on an earnings call on March 6. The cuts are expected take to take place over the next 12 to 18 months.

"Doing so will better align our cost structure to our business mix and long-term strategy," Neri said. The company expects to save $350 million by 2027 because of the reduction.

HPE plummeted about 20% after hours on March 6 after it said business would be affected by recent tariffs, slow server and cloud sales, and "execution issues."

Intel to cut at least 15% of its factory workers

Chipmaker Intel is laying off more than 5,000 employees across four US states, according to a July 16 government filing.

Most of the cuts are happening in California and Oregon, while others are in Texas and Arizona, per updated Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, filings.

Intel began laying off employees in July as part of planned job cuts, the company said in a regulatory filing.

The company told staff on June 14 to expect 15% to 20% of employees in its Foundry division to be laid off this summer, according to a memo reported by The Oregonian. Intel confirmed the authenticity of the memo to BI but declined to comment on its contents.

As of December 2024, Intel employed about 108,900 people. In its annual report, the company told investors that it would reduce its "core Intel workforce" by about 15% in early 2025.

"Removing organizational complexity and empowering our engineers will enable us to better serve the needs of our customers and strengthen our execution," an Intel spokesperson told BI.

Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University will cut over 2,000 jobs after losing $800 million in funding from USAID.

"This is a difficult day for our entire community," a spokesperson told BI. "The termination of more than $800 million in USAID funding is now forcing us to wind down critical work here in Baltimore and internationally."

The news comes after the Trump administration slashed USAID personnel down from over 10,000 to around 300. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently confirmed that 83% of the agency's programs are now dead.

"We can confirm that the elimination of foreign aid funding has led to the loss of 1,975 positions in 44 countries internationally and 247 in the United States in the affected programs," the Johns Hopkins spokesperson said. "An additional 29 international and 78 domestic employees will be furloughed with a reduced schedule."

The layoffs at Johns Hopkins represent the "largest" in the university's history, CNN reported. They'll primarily affect the schools of medicine and public health, along with the Center for Communication Programs and Jhpiego, a nonprofit with a focus on preventing diseases and bolstering women's health, according to the report.

Kohl's is reducing about 10% of its roles

Department store Kohl's announced on January 28 that it reduced about 10% of its corporate roles to "increase efficiencies" and "improve profitability for the long-term health and benefit of the business," a spokesperson told BI.

"Kohl's reduced approximately 10 percent of the roles that report into its corporate offices," the spokesperson said. "More than half of the total reduction will come from closing open positions while the remainder of the positions were currently held by our associates."

Less than 200 existing employees of the company would be impacted, she added.

This follows the company's announcement on January 9 that it would shutter 27 underperforming stores across 15 states by April.

The retailer has been struggling with declining sales, reporting an 8.8% decline in net sales in the third quarter of 2024.

Its previous CEO, Tom Kingsbury, stepped down on January 15. The company's board appointed Ashley Buchanan, a retail veteran who had held top jobs in The Michaels Companies, Macy's, and Walmart, as the new CEO.

Meta is cutting 5% of its workforce

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told staff he "decided to raise the bar on performance management" and will act quickly to "move out low-performers," according to an internal memo seen by BI in January.

Those cuts started in February, according to records obtained by BI. Teams overseeing Facebook, the Horizon virtual reality platform, as well as logistics were among the hardest hit.

In April, Meta also laid off an undisclosed number of employees on the Reality Labs virtual reality division.

Previously, the company had laid off more than 21,000 workers since 2022.

Microchip Technology is slashing 2,000 jobs

Microchip Technology is cutting its head count across the company by around 2,000 employees, the semiconductor company said on March 3.

The company estimated that it would incur between $30 million and $40 million in costs, including severance, severance benefits, and other restructuring costs.

The cuts would be communicated to employees in the March quarter and fully implemented by the end of the June quarter.

Last year, Microchip announced it was closing its Tempe, Arizona, facility because of slower-than-anticipated orders. The closure begins in May 2025 and is expected to affect 500 jobs.

Microchip's stock had fallen over 33% in the past year.

Microsoft has made several rounds of cuts this year

Microsoft cut an unspecified number of jobs in January based on employees' performance.

Workers were told that they wouldn't receive severance and that their benefits, such as medical insurance, would stop immediately, BI reported.

The company also laid off some employees in January at divisions including gaming and sales. A Microsoft spokesperson declined to say how many jobs were cut on the affected teams.

In May, the company announced layoffs affecting about 6,000 workers.

Another round of layoffs in July will affect less than 4% of its total workforce, or roughly 9,000 employees, based on its head count of around 220,000.

Morgan Stanley plans cuts for the end of March

Morgan Stanley is set to initiate a round of layoffs beginning at the end of March. The firm is eyeing cuts to about 2% to 3% of its global workforce, which would equate to between 1,600 to 2,400 jobs, according to a person familiar with the matter who confirmed the reductions to BI.

The firm's cuts are driven by several imperatives, the person said, pointing to considerations like operational efficiency, evolving business priorities, and individual employees' performance. The person said the cuts are not related to broader market conditions, such as the recent slowdown in mergers and acquisitions that's arrested momentum on Wall Street.

Some MS staffers will be excluded from the cuts, however — namely, the bank's battalion of financial advisors — though some who assist them, such as administrative personnel in its wealth-management unit, could be affected by the layoffs, the person added.

Nextdoor is slashing 12% of its staff

Neighborhood social networking company Nextdoor is cutting 12% of its staff, or 67 jobs, it said on August 7 in its second-quarter earnings report. The move is part of CEO Nirav Tolia's plan to achieve profitability and reorganize the struggling company.

The layoffs are expected to reduce operating expenses by about $30 million, it said in the earnings report.

The company reported a net loss of $15 million, compared to $43 million year-over-year.

Nissan says it will cut 20,000 jobs by 2027

Japanese car giant Nissan is cutting 20,000 jobs by 2027 and reducing the number of factories it operates from 17 to 10 as it struggles with a dire financial situation.

The job losses include the 9,000 layoffs announced late last year, and come as the automaker faces headwinds from US tariffs on imported vehicles and collapsing sales in China.

Nissan reported a net loss of 671 billion yen ($4.5 billion) for the 2024 financial year, and said it would not issue an operating profit forecast for 2025 because of tariff uncertainty.

Oracle is reportedly cutting jobs from its cloud division.

Oracle is cutting jobs in its cloud unit, Bloomberg reported. The cuts come as the company works to curb costs amid spending on AI infrastructure.

Sources familiar with the cuts told Bloomberg that some of the cuts were related to performance issues.

Oracle did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Panasonic is cutting 10,000 jobs

Panasonic, the Japanese-headquartered multinational electronics manufacturer, plans to cut 10,000 jobs this financial year, which ends in March 2026. The cuts will affect 5,000 roles in Japan and 5,000 overseas.

In a statement on May 9, the company said it planned to "thoroughly review operational efficiency … mainly in sales and indirect departments, and reevaluate the numbers of organisations and personnel actually needed."

"Through these measures, the company will optimize our personnel on a global scale," the statement added.

Paramount is cutting 3.5% of its US workforce

Paramount told employees it would be laying off 3.5% of US-based staff based in the US, per a memo reported by CNBC on June 10, citing industry-wide declines and a challenging macroeconomic environment.

The move comes after the media company cut 15% of jobs last year to cut costs. Paramount had 18,600 employees at the end of 2024.

It is awaiting regulatory approval of its merger with Skydance Media.

Peloton is looking for $100 million in run-rate savings by next year

Peloton said in its August earnings report that it would cut its global headcount as part of an effort to find $100 million in run-rate cost savings by the end of the next fiscal year.

"As of today, we will have actioned about roughly half of the run rate savings through the reductions in our workforce and we expect to achieve the remainder throughout the balance of the year," CFO Elizabeth Coddington told investors on the earnings call.

The company employed about 2,900 people last year, and approximately 6% of the workforce will be affected by the reductions, Reuters reported.

Porsche is cutting 3,900 jobs over the next few years

Porsche said on March 12 that it plans to cut 3,900 jobs in the coming years.

About 2,000 of the reductions will come with the expiration of fixed-term contractor positions, the German automaker said. The company will make the other 1,900 reductions by 2029 through natural attrition and limiting hiring, it said.

Porsche said it also plans to discuss more potential changes with labor leaders in the second half of the year. "This will also make Porsche even more efficient in the medium and long term," the company said.

PwC is laying off approximately 2% of its US workforce

The Big Four accounting firm said it's cutting roughly 1,500 jobs in the US because its low attrition rates mean not enough people are leaving by choice.

PwC's layoffs began on May 5 and mostly affect the firm's audit and tax lines, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.

"This was a difficult decision, and we made it with care, thoughtfulness, and a deep awareness of its impact on our people, appreciating that historically low levels of attrition over consecutive years have made it necessary to take this step," a PwC spokesperson said.

Salesforce is cutting more than 1,000 jobs

Bloomberg reported in February that Salesforce, a cloud-based customer management software company, will slash more than 1,000 jobs from its nearly 73,000-strong workforce.

Affected employees will be eligible to apply to open internal roles, the outlet reported. The company is hiring salespeople focused on the company's new AI-powered products.

The cuts come despite Salesforce reporting a strong financial performance during its third-quarter earnings in December.

Salesforce did not respond to a request for comment.

Scale AI is cutting 14% of its workforce

On July 16, Scale AI laid off about 200 full-time employees and 500 contractors, according to the company.

The 200 full-time cuts make up 14% of the data labeling startup's 1,400-person workforce.

The company is restructuring its generative AI group, according to an email from Scale's interim CEO, Jason Droege, obtained by Business Insider.

The cuts follow Meta's $14 billion investment in Scale AI in June as part of a blockbuster deal. The deal included the hiring of Scale's ex-CEO, Alexandr Wang, and the purchase of equity in almost half of the startup.

Sonos cuts about 200 jobs

Sonos, a California-based audio equipment company, said in a February 5 release that it's cutting about 200 roles.

The announcement came nearly a month after Sonos CEO Patrick Spence stepped down following a disastrous app rollout. Interim CEO Tom Conrad said in the statement that the layoffs were part of an effort to create a "simpler organization."

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan announced in February that the company is laying off 15% of its corporate staff, or about 1,750 employees.

He said affected workers will keep their pay, benefits, and bonuses through late April, when the separations will take effect.

The company told investors the cuts would save about $210 million this year and $300 million in 2026.

The move comes as Southwest tries to cut costs amid profitability problems. Jordan said this is the first significant layoff the company has had in its 53-year history.

An activist hedge fund took a stake in Southwest in June and has since helped restructure its board and change its business model to keep up with a changing industry. For example, it plans to end its long-standing open-seating policy to generate more seating revenue.

In recent months, the company has also reduced flight crew positions in Atlanta to cut costs.

Starbucks is laying off 1,100 corporate staff

Starbucks planned to notify 1,100 corporate employees that they had been laid off on February 25.

CEO Brian Niccol said in a memo that the layoffs will make Starbucks "operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration."

The layoffs won't affect employees at Starbucks stores, the company said.

Niccol told employees that layoffs were on the way in a separate memo in January. The company is trying to improve results after sales slid last year.

Stripe laid off 300 employees

Payments platform Stripe laid off 300 employees, primarily in product, engineering, and operations, according to a January 20 memo obtained by BI.

Chief people officer Rob McIntosh said in the memo that the company still planned on growing its head count to about 10,000 employees by the end of the year.

UPS is cutting 20,000 jobs

UPS announced on April 29 that it plans to cut 20,000 jobs this year — about 4% of its global workforce — as part of a shift toward automation and a strategic reduction in business with Amazon.

"With our action, we will emerge as an even stronger, more nimble UPS," the company's CEO, Carol Tomé, said in a statement.

The move follows a sharp 16% drop in Amazon package volume in Q4 and is part of a plan to halve its Amazon business by mid-2026. UPS will also close 73 US buildings by June and automate 400 facilities to reduce labor dependency.

The Teamsters union have said they would fight any layoffs affecting its members.

The Washington Post cut 4% of its non-newsroom workforce

The Washington Post eliminated fewer than 100 employees in an effort to cut costs, Reuters reported in January.

A spokesperson told the news agency that the cuts wouldn't affect the newsroom: "The Washington Post is continuing its transformation to meet the needs of the industry, build a more sustainable future and reach audiences where they are."

Wayfair laid off 340 tech employees

Wayfair announced in an SEC filing on March 7 that it would eliminate its Austin Technology Development Center and lay off around 340 tech workers.

The reorg comes as the technology team has accomplished "significant modernization and replatforming milestones," the company said in the filing. Wayfair said it plans to refocus resources and streamline operations to promote its "next phase of growth."

"With the foundation of this transformation now in place, our technology needs have shifted," the company said.

Wayfair expects to take on $33 to $38 million in costs as a result of the reorganization, consisting of severance, cash employee-related costs, benefits, and transitional costs.

Workday cut more than 8% of its workforce

Workday, the human-resources software company, said in February that it is cutting 8.5% of its workforce, or around 1,750 employees. The layoffs came as the company focuses more on artificial intelligence.

In a note to employees, CEO Carl Eschenbach said that Workday will focus on hiring in areas related to artificial intelligence and work to expand its global presence.

"The environment we're operating in today demands a new approach, particularly given our size and scale," Eschenbach wrote. He said that affected employees will get at least 12 weeks of pay.

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• Rodney McMullen has been ordered to disclose reasons for his resignation as Kroger's CEO.
• An Ohio judge made this ruling as part of lawsuit involving the singerJewel and Kroger.
• McMullen forfeited more than $11 million when he mysteriously resigned from his CEO role.

Kroger's ex-CEO mysteriously resigned from the supermarket giant earlier this year — and now, thanks to a nearly two-year-old lawsuit that the singer-songwriter Jewel is behind, he's been ordered to reveal the reason for his exit.

Attorneys for Rodney McMullen have argued in recent court documents that his March resignation has absolutely nothing to do with the "You Were Meant For Me" singer's 2023 contract breach lawsuit against Kroger and questions about it in a deposition are aimed at "annoying and embarrassing" him.

McMullen is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit and his attorneys had sought a protective order in the case playing out in an Ohio court that would bar questioning about the circumstances surrounding his abrupt resignation.

Kroger's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show that McMullen forfeited $11.2 million in bonus and stock payments when he stepped down from the CEO role he held for more than 10 years.

On August 1, Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Christian Jenkins ruled that McMullen must explain in a written response what led to his exit from Kroger as well as the identities of those involved.

The judge noted in his order that McMullen "argues that this line of questioning is completely irrelevant, is not proportional to the needs of the case, and would be embarrassing to Mr. McMullen," while the plaintiffs argue that McMullen would be a witness in their case and that the questions about his employment history are "routine."

The plaintiffs in the case — Wellness Your Way Festival, LLC, which Jewel is an owner of, and Inclusion Companies, LLC — argue that details around McMullen's resignation could be relevant to his credibility and "the existence of an allegedly corrupt corporate culture at Kroger," Jenkins wrote.

When announcing McMullen's resignation in March, Kroger said McMullen had resigned after an investigation into his "personal conduct." The conduct, the grocery chain said, was "unrelated to the business," but added it was "inconsistent with Kroger's Policy on Business Ethics."

The judge pointed to this announcement in his recent ruling, saying, "Based on this, it is plausible that this evidence could reflect on Mr. McMullen's credibility or Kroger's corporate culture, as alleged by Plaintiff."

"However, without knowing the basis for the alleged embarrassment, it is impossible to weigh it against the relevancy and proportionality," Jenkins wrote.

It remains to be seen whether McMullen's response — which was due August 8 — would become public. The judge said that if he grants McMullen's request for a protective order, his response would be made part of the record under seal. If Jenkins denies the order, it will not be entered into the record.

Jenkins ordered that McMullen's response be hand-delivered to the judge's chambers. It is not clear if McMullen's response had been submitted.

Attorneys for both McMullen and Kroger did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Business Insider on Wednesday.

Brian O'Connor, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told Business Insider that his clients are "pleased that the court is not giving Mr. McMullen a free pass to avoid testifying just because the former CEO's lawyer says that answering questions would be embarrassing."

"As attorneys, we expect that court orders are obeyed," O'Conner said, adding that he has not been provided with a copy of McMullen's response.

The lawsuit against Kroger involves its annual Wellness Festival

The 2023 lawsuit against Kroger stems from allegations of a breach of partnership agreement between the supermarket chain and Jewel and her business partner, Trevor Drinkwater, the CEO of Inclusion, over Kroger's annual Wellness Festival event in Cincinnati.

The court papers say that Jewel, born Jewel Kilcher, and Drinkwater conceived of the wellness festival and entered into a five-year partnership agreement with Kroger to put it on.

The festivals took place in 2018, 2019 and 2021 with Jewel performing at the events, the court documents say, alleging that Kroger "unilaterally terminated the partnership" on "wholly manufactured and easily disprovable grounds."

The lawsuit says that Kroger went on to produce a "highly profitable" year-four event in 2022 and an even more profitable event in 2023 "using the know-how, marketing materials, contracts, and sponsor lists that Plaintiffs had contributed to the partnership."

The plaintiffs allege in the court papers that they lost more than $2 million in out-of-pocket costs and at least $5 million in profits as a result of Kroger's "corporate bullying mentality that led to its breach of the partnership agreement and theft of the festival."

Kroger has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing in court papers that there was no enforceable contract.

• Eleven Madison Park, a Manhattan restaurant, is adding meat back to its menu after years of being vegan.
• The switch comes amid a widespread protein craze, from MAHA, to the manosphere to Ozempic users.
• Eleven Madison Park's chef said the vegan menu excluded some and caused financial difficulties.

A $365 multi-course meal at a top Manhattan restaurant and the aisles of Costco are, somehow, united in at least one thing: a focus on protein.

Eleven Madison Park, a critically acclaimed restaurant in the city's Flatiron district, is reintroducing meat to its menu after going entirely vegan four and a half years ago. Daniel Humm, the chef and owner, said in a statement on the restaurant's website that the vegan menu had "unintentionally kept people out" and that adding meat options aligns with the goal of ultimate hospitality.

It also aligns with the country at large.

A protein obsession is booming, from cereal to pizza to endlessly complicated workout drinks. The craze is seemingly everywhere in American culture these days: the Make America Healthy Again movement emphasizes grass-fed meat, patients on Ozempic are encouraged to eat high-protein diets, and the podcasters of the manosphere swap tips on the carnivore diet. Gym bros are posting on TikTok about injecting peptides; dairy is back in vogue after years of oat-milk dominance.

Eleven Madison Park became vegan after the pandemic, partly because of environmental concerns, and dealt with internal chaos and allegations of underpaying staff after the switch. Even now, the menu will remain largely plant-based, with diners having the option to add fish or meat to certain dishes. Humm didn't mention any recent health trends as part of the reasoning behind the change, but he nodded to financial incentives, especially when it comes to business clientele, in an interview with the New York Times.

Private events are a crucial form of revenue for the restaurant, and Humm said he'd seen bookings drop off in the past year.

"It's hard to get 30 people for a corporate dinner to come to a plant-based restaurant," he told the Times. Representatives for Eleven Madison Park did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Reservations for the fall open on September 1, according to the restaurant's website, and the new menu hits tables on October 14. By then, it will become clearer whether the promise of getting jacked — or as jacked as you can get on tiny, tasting menu food — is a savvy business move at the highest echelons of the food world.

• Chili's comeback is gaining steam.
• The chain's successful turnaround plan included menu simplification and increased marketing budget.
• Its parent company, Brinker International, is planning additional menu upgrades and changes to some stores.

Chili's is on a hot streak right now — and the CEO of its parent company is taking a victory lap.

The casual dining chain topped revenue and profit estimates for its fiscal fourth quarter when its parent company, Brinker International, reported its earnings on Wednesday.

"Chili's is officially back, baby back," Brinker CEO Kevin Hochman said in a statement.

Chili's comparable restaurant sales grew 24%, besting analysts' expectations of 22%. The sales growth helped propel Brinker's overall revenue to $1.46 billion, which topped expectations of $1.44 billion.

Brinker also signaled a strong coming year, boosting its adjusted earnings per share guidance to $9.90 - $10.50, above analysts' estimates of $9.88.

Wall Street appeared to like the results, with the stock popping over 8% in premarket trading. After the opening bell, the stock jumped over 6% before paring some of those gains. Brinker shares were trading up over 2% as of 1:48 p.m. in New York.

Chili's new ribs are a hit

Three years into Brinker's turnaround plan, Chili's completed its 17th consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales growth.

The chain's ongoing comeback has been driven by its efforts to simplify the menu to focus on core items while upgrading margaritas, ribs, and more, CEO Hochman said during Wednesday's earnings call.

Chili's relaunched its ribs offering in July, and customer response has been positive, the CEO said.

"Customers are raving about the look, the size, and the taste of the ribs," Hochman said. "It's clear we have a winning product with our new ribs, and our intent now is to use them to drive traffic."

Although viral moments on social media helped, like the mozzarella cheese pulls, Hochman said the not-so-secret sauce to Chili's success is its own marketing. The CEO said its marketing budget significantly increased from $32 million in fiscal 2022 to $137 million in fiscal 2025.

Hochman teased some coming changes to Chili's on the call. Diners can expect to taste new bacon, ranch, and queso dip showing up throughout fiscal 2026.

Brinker is also in the early stages of plans to "reimage" four Chili's restaurants in the Dallas area, where the company is headquartered, with plans to use the locations to evaluate potential changes across the chain.

"We are a much different Chili's today than we were three years ago," Hochman said.

• Menards home-improvement stores earned John Menard Jr. his estimated $22.1 billion fortune.
• The Midwest chain is different from other stores, with mail-in rebates and no installation services.
• I visited a Menards in Milwaukee and was surprised by its size and enormous selection.

If you've spent any time in the Midwest, chances are the "Save big money at Menards" jingle is permanently embedded in your brain.

Menards, the home-improvement chain founded by John Menard Jr., is known for its discounted prices, mail-in rebates, and quirky Midwestern charm. The company helped Menard Jr. achieve billionaire status with an estimated net worth of $22.1 billion, according to Forbes, making him the richest person in the state of Wisconsin in 2024.

Last year, Menards earned $13 billion in revenue, Forbes reported, making it the third-largest home-improvement chain in the US behind Home Depot and Lowe's.

During a trip to my hometown in Wisconsin in May 2024, I accompanied my dad, a frequent Menards shopper, on one of his trips to see what has made it such a successful business.

As the founder of home-improvement retailer Menards, John Menard Jr. is one of Wisconsin's richest billionaires.

Menard Jr. is the 99th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $21.1 billion as of August, Forbes reported. In 2024, he was named Wisconsin's richest person, a title that has since been taken over by ABC Supply cofounder Diane Hendricks.

After spending a summer constructing pole buildings to put himself through college at the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire, Menard Jr. started a construction company in 1958, according to Menards' official website. That led him to the building-materials business, and he opened the first Menards retail location in 1964.

Now with over 300 locations across 15 Midwestern states, the chain sells a wide variety of home-improvement tools and building materials as well as appliances, lighting, furniture, and groceries.

Menard Jr. is a controversial figure known for his frugality and iron-handed management style. A 2007 Milwaukee magazine profile reported that managers are fined $100 for every minute a store opens late, and Forbes reports that even top executives are still required to clock in.

In 1997, Menard Jr. was fined over $1.5 million and pleaded no contest to charges regarding illegal hazardous waste disposal. Prosecutors alleged he used his personal pickup truck to take dangerous chemicals from the business to deposit them in his household trash, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Menards paid another $2 million in 2005 for violating state water-pollution laws in Wisconsin.

His personal conduct has also come under scrutiny with a 2013 lawsuit alleging he pressured the wife of one of his business partners to have sex with him and fired her husband when she refused. Menard Jr. denied any inappropriate conduct, his attorney told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Menard Jr. is also an avid race-car enthusiast, sponsoring Menards race cars at NASCAR and IndyCar events.

I visited a Menards store in Milwaukee for the first time.

The Menards store I visited in Milwaukee's Northridge neighborhood spans a whopping 162,300 square feet, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

In the parking lot, Menards pickup trucks were available to rent to bring home large purchases.

The pickup trucks cost $18.95 for the first 75 minutes, $6 for each additional 15 minutes, and 50 cents for each mile driven, according to the Menards website.

I was surprised to find one-way gates at the entrance to help prevent theft.

Most stores I visit in the Midwest don't have extensive security measures. When I compared shopping at Target in New York City and Wisconsin, I found the New York location featured "secured shelves" and locked cases, while even limited-supply items were kept on open shelves in the Midwest.

Menard Jr. is known to be serious about anti-theft measures. He set a policy that store managers cannot build their own houses to prevent them from stealing supplies, Milwaukee magazine reported.

Walking in, I was immediately shocked by how large the store was.

The aisles seemed to go on forever.

Our first stop was the grocery section, which sold snacks, beverages, and other basics.

Menards didn't have a produce section, but it did have a refrigerated section with gallons of milk and frozen food.

Grocery items at Menards were significantly cheaper than local grocery chains.

For example, a family-size box of Honey Bunches of Oats cost $4.93 at Menards. At Metro Market, a Midwestern grocery chain, the same box cost $6.29. I see why my dad swears by it.

I came across some unique products I'd never seen before, like Hydrox sandwich cookies.

Oreos were created as an imitation of Hydrox cookies but eventually superseded them in popularity, making Hydrox look like the knockoff. I'd never even heard of Hydrox cookies until I saw them at Menards.

Menard Jr.'s involvement in racing was evident in the packaging of the locally brewed Sprecher root beer.

The root beer was labeled as the official craft soda of the Automobile Racing Club of America's Menards Series. A 24-pack cost $19.99.

Some aisles also featured photos of Menards race cars.

Menard Jr.'s son, Paul Menard, raced in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The lighting section glowed with lightbulbs, chandeliers, and other fixtures.

The items also featured QR codes to scan for online shopping.

Counters, cabinets, and bathroom vanities looked ready to install.

Unlike other home-improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe's, Menards doesn't offer installation services. Instead, it directs customers to local service providers so the store doesn't act as a competitor to the contractors who shop there.

The lumberyard was big enough for multiple semi-trucks to load up on supplies.

Milwaukee magazine reported that Menard Jr. used to recycle wood scraps and heat stores with the leftovers.

The outdoor-living section sold an impressive array of furniture.

The section also included grills, gazebos, and swing sets.

With spring arriving, the garden center was in full bloom.

The gardening section sold potted plants as well as seeds, soil, outdoor decor, and gardening tools.

Menards had a little bit of everything, including shelves of "As Seen On TV" products.

The section featured Mike Lindell's MyPillow, Ped Egg callus removers, and portable handheld fans, among other items.

It even sold its own swag.

I could see how Menards, a family-owned Midwestern brand, would inspire the kind of loyalty that would make people want to wear its hats.

Another characteristic of shopping at Menards is its mail-in rebate.

On the day I visited, Menards was offering an 11% rebate in the form of a merchandise credit check if you mailed in a receipt and a completed form. The rebate percentage fluctuates, but the system is a hallmark of the Menards shopping experience and helps keep its prices even lower.

While I'm not a DIY-er myself, I was impressed by Menards' low prices, huge stock, and unique policies.

Even long after I left the store, I couldn't get the "Save big money at Menards" jingle out of my head.

For more than two decades, AriZona’s iconic 99-cent iced tea has shrugged off pandemics, recessions, and supply shocks. Now, President Donald Trump’s new 50% aluminum tariffs could finally crack its unshakable price tag. 

AriZona Iced Tea uses about 100 million pounds of aluminum for its signature cans, about 20% of which comes from Canada. Founder and chairman Don Vultaggio told the New York Times that unless Trump strikes a deal to lower the new aluminum levy with Canada, the company may be forced to raise prices. 

“I hate even the thought of it,” Vultaggio told The Times.  “It would be a hell of a shame after 30-plus years.”

The founder has made headlines for refusing to hike the price of his tea, even as inflation drives the prices of all other goods up. If Vultaggio adjusted the price of AriZona iced tea to match rising input costs, the tea would cost $1.99 today. Yet, the billionaire didn’t see a point. 

“We’re successful. We’re debt-free. We own everything. Why?,” Vultaggio said in an interview with Today in June. “Why have people who are having a hard time paying their rent have to pay more for our drink?” 

Vultaggio has tried other workarounds to save money on aluminum, including downsizing the can from 23 ounces to 22 ounces. Even that decision weighed on him. 

Now, the founder worries the price of aluminum, which he said has “dramatically bumped up” because of the tariffs, might be the final blow to the 99-cent cans. 

A test case for U.S. manufacturing

AriZona’s predicament could be a test case for what happens when a domestic manufacturer—one that’s nearly fully vertically integrated, even owning the railroad tracks its trains use to ship sugar daily—gets punished for importing some of its materials. 

PNC’s Chief Economist Augustine Faucher told Fortune he thought the aluminum tariffs were unnecessary and inefficient. 

Canada, which has access to abundant and inexpensive hydroelectric power, is one of the world’s leaders in aluminum production. Given the higher input costs of making aluminum in the U.S., importing it will always be cheaper than producing it domestically, he said.

“It’s going to be difficult to completely avoid tariffs, and that’s likely to contribute to higher consumer inflation in the near term as these companies pass along some of their higher input prices,” he said. 

Faucher said companies like AriZona have few ways to blunt the impact. Unlike industries with slow turnover, which can stock up on inventory before the tariffs hit, beverage makers move product quickly. That means the aluminum tariffs will immediately hit the company’s bottom line.

All the price pain comes with very little gain, Faucher noted. Companies like AriZona, which imports some aluminum but produces the rest of the product domestically, might decide to just package the product overseas to avoid the duty. 

“The idea is to help American manufacturers, but this hurts American manufacturers who use these types of imported inputs,” Faucher said. 

The economist said he doesn’t see a need for the United States to have a strong domestic aluminum industry at all. 

“It makes sense over the long-run to specialize in areas where the United States does well,” Faucher said. “But given the energy costs associated with aluminum production and getting bauxite and all that kind of stuff, it just doesn’t make sense for the industry to be located in the United States.” 

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Faced with slumping lunch traffic from downtown offices and waning consumer interest in pricey salads, Sweetgreen CEO Jonathan Neman is leaning into America’s 2020s-era protein craze. The fast-casual salad chain announced significant changes to its menu this summer—a response to shifting habits in corporate America, where employees are less likely to order delivery salads for solitary desk lunches, and are demanding more value for their dollar.

Sweetgreen’s turnaround strategy includes 25% bigger portions of chicken and tofu, recipe upgrades for proteins like chicken and salmon, and member deals on salads as cheap as $13. The decision follows months of disappointing sales: Same-store sales have dropped by as much as 7.6% this summer, with a reported 10.1% plunge in customer traffic. Sweetgreen also cut its annual outlook for the second quarter in a row as it struggles to keep budget-strained diners interested in salads averaging $16 a bowl.

Same-store sales are now expected to decline 4%-6% for 2025, a stark reversal from previous hopes for flat performance. It was a bruising second quarter for the salad chain, and investors responded by sending Sweetgreen shares plunging more than 25% to their lowest levels since 2023. The stock has lost more than 70% of its value since January, and is trading well below its IPO price of $28.

“So I think it’s pretty obvious that the consumer is not in a great place overall,” Neman said Thursday in the company’s second-quarter earnings call. Several factors have converged to force Sweetgreen’s hand. The biggest: Working habits have permanently changed since the pandemic. Corporate lunch orders, once the backbone of Sweetgreen’s urban business, have slumped as office occupancy fluctuates and hybrid schedules persist. Affluent customers, long willing to shell out for digitally ordered salads, are now scrutinizing every expense as inflation pinches and economic uncertainty lingers.

Business districts, once Sweetgreen’s prime locations, are no longer packed with lunchtime regulars. Instead, urban outlets now depend on local traffic and dinner orders—which require more substantial fare than a bowl of greens. Sweetgreen’s own consumer surveys reveal guests want more protein—the gravitational center of a “meal” that feels worth its ticket price.

Slowing growth and mounting losses

For the quarter ended June 29, Sweetgreen reported total revenue of $185.6 million, barely up from $184.6 million a year prior—an increase of just 0.5% and well below Wall Street expectations of $191.73 million. Traffic sharply deteriorated even as Sweetgreen raised menu prices, with executives citing a “more cautious consumer environment” and headwinds in urban markets where office lunch traffic remains weak.

Restaurant-level profit margin dropped to 18.9% from 22.5% a year prior, squeezed by higher food costs (notably new tariffs on packaging) and rising labor costs. The company posted a net loss of $23.2 million, widening from a $14.5 million loss in the prior year, and reported adjusted EBITDA of $6.4 million—down by nearly half from last year’s $12.4 million.

Neman cited drag from the revamped SG Rewards loyalty program, which prompted fewer repeat visits; only one-third of Sweetgreen restaurants currently meet operational standards for speed and consistency. The firm recently hired former Chipotle executive Jason Cochran as COO to address issues ranging from portioning to speed across both digital and in-store channels. Sweetgreen is also closing two underperforming locations and recording a $5.3 million impairment charge.

Management cautiously optimistic, but confidence shaken

Despite the rocky performance, Sweetgreen is forging ahead with expansion, opening nine new restaurants (including four Infinite Kitchens) in Q2, and plans for at least 40 new openings this year—many featuring automation and lower labor requirements. Neman and CFO Mitch Reback stressed “actions taken are already showing positive results,” pointing to steady improvement in guest frequency from the revamped loyalty program and enthusiasm for seasonal menu items.

Still, the street remains skeptical. Sweetgreen’s stumbles have reinforced doubts about whether premium salad chains can thrive in today’s value-conscious dining environment, especially as hybrid work saps the desk-lunch crowd and consumers search for more affordable options.

Feedback on the new protein portions has been swift: Guest satisfaction improved by 30% following the July rollout of larger chicken and tofu servings. In recent weeks, Sweetgreen has expanded its repertoire with “protein plates”—larger servings of steak, chicken, or tofu over grains, aimed at winning dinner traffic and meeting customer demand for heartier offerings.

When Sweetgreen first tested steak protein plates in Boston, the item accounted for nearly 20% of dinner orders—a sign that more substantial meals may be a key to capturing lost revenue from desk salads. “We need to meet people where they are. For us, it’s about healthier options that are still filling,” Neman said. Steak is sourced from grass-fed, regenerative farms to keep Sweetgreen’s sustainability ethos intact.

Even as Sweetgreen tweaks its menu, reviews and ratings remain mixed. Some loyalists grumbled for months about skimpy chicken portions. Reddit threads catalog the question of whether portions are getting smaller for the $16 bowl, and company executives acknowledge that consistency remains a concern.

For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. 

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

• Mall boutique Claire's filed for its second bankruptcy, with plans to shut 700 US locations as it faces a possible liquidation.
• The brand, which started as a wig shop in the 1960s, became a rite of passage for many tweens looking to pierce their ears.
• After a 2018 bankruptcy filing, Claire's briefly surged in 2022 with IPO plans and a profitable year before things went south.

It's the end of an ear-a. Again.

Claire's, the jewelry and accessory store that dots malls across America, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in seven years on August 6, citing the "continued trend away from brick and mortar" and higher interest rates.

The '90s mall icon was something of a rite of passage for many tweens, some of whom got their first ear piercing at one of Claire's purple, hairbow-filled locations.

Now, hammered by tariff costs and fighting for its life, Claire's plans to close around 700 US locations and is warning that it could liquidate the rest of its North American operations if a buyer isn't found.

Here's the brief history of the rise and fall — and second rise and second fall — of Claire's, from its origins as a wig store to its failed revival attempt.

Claire's origins trace back to 1961 and a wig store.

Rowland Schafer founded wig retailer Fashion Tress Industries in 1961. According to a 1965 advertisement listed on eBay, FTI wigs were made for "busy women who have to look their best at a moment's notice."

In 1973, as the wig industry waned, Schafer purchased a small Midwest chain called Claire's Boutiques. Schafer eventually sold off the wig industry and renamed his company Claire's Stores.

The store was a mall staple for decades.

By the mid-1990s, Claire's had more than 1,000 retail outlets. The chain became a mall staple, notable for its focus on the pre-teen and teen audience. Stores featured bright colors and prices that kids could afford.

Schafer purchased the Afterthoughts mall chain in 1999 for $250 million, folding it into the Icing by Claire's brand. The second brand aimed for a slightly older demographic.

Many teens flocked to Claire's for ear piercings.

Claire's was a beloved ear-piercing spot among tweens. The store was known for its cheap, colorful jewelry. It offered both lobe and cartilage piercings — according to the website, the retailer has pierced more than 110 million ears.

Claire's went private in 2007.

Schafer ran the business until 2002, when he suffered a stroke. His daughters Bonnie and Marla then took over the business.

In 2007, the family accepted a take-private offer from Apollo Global Management for $3.1 billion. At the time, the company had more than 3,000 stores.

"The decision to sell the company that our father founded was reached after an enormous amount of soul-searching over time, and brings our strategic review to a successful conclusion," the Schaefer sisters said in a statement at the time.

Claire's first filed for bankruptcy in 2018.

In March of 2018, Claire's filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the first time, saddled with $2 billion in debt. The retailer announced it would close 92 stores across America at the time, and said it had been hit by declining traffic in malls.

"A Claire's store is located in approximately 99% of major shopping malls throughout the United States," Claire's said in a bankruptcy filing at the time.

Claire's exited bankruptcy later that year.

Claire's emerged from bankruptcy in December 2018 after having eliminated roughly $1.9 billion in debt.

By 2021, Claire's finances were looking up. The company was profitable, generated $1.4 billion in revenue. It also filed to raise $100 million in a planned IPO.

Ryan Vero, who had come on as CEO in 2019, touted the brand's turnaround to Fast Company and said that the mall brand wasn't dead.

"If a mall has died in a particular town, we're moving to wherever the thriving shopping center is," he said.

In 2023, Claire's postponed its IPO. One year later, Vero stepped down.

Claire's filed for bankruptcy a second time on August 6, 2025.

The store announced that it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on August 6, 2025.

"This decision is difficult, but a necessary one," CEO Chris Cramer said in the release. "Increased competition, consumer spending trends and the ongoing shift away from brick-and-mortar retail, in combination with our current debt obligations and macroeconomic factors, necessitate this course of action for Claire's and its stakeholders."

The bankruptcy filing also highlighted tariffs as a contributing factor.

"Claire's was not immune from the continued trend away from brick and mortar and more recent macroeconomic challenges, including higher interest rates, labor costs and, most recently, tariffs," the filing said. "While Claire's took many steps over the last few years to address these and other challenges, it was not enough to overcome the obstacles."

Claire's is set to close 700 locations, including Icing stores. If it fails to find a buyer, the brand could liquidate its remaining thousand-plus store footprint in North America.

• Uber and Tesla are offering ride-hailing trips in self-driving cars in some cities.
• Getting dinner delivered in an autonomous vehicle is a little harder, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said.
• Robotaxis need an "end-to-end" system to make deliveries feasible, Xu said.

Don't expect a robotaxi to deliver your DoorDash order anytime soon.

Autonomous cars are already shuttling riders around some US cities thanks to a partnership between Uber and Waymo, as well as Tesla's own robotaxi offering. They function much like traditional ride-hailing trips: You request a ride through an app and then get in the car once it arrives.

Using AVs to deliver restaurant food and other goods, though, "is actually very different from doing autonomous passenger driving or robotaxis," DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said on the company's earnings call on Wednesday.

"The passenger can walk in and walk out of the car, even if the drop-off or pickup locations aren't perfect," Xu said. Deliveries, by contrast, require a more precise hand-off between the restaurant and the vehicle, requiring companies like DoorDash "to solve for the end-to-end system," he said.

"That's probably the single biggest learning we've had," Xu said on Wednesday.

In April, DoorDash said that it had started making some deliveries in Chicago and Los Angeles with wheeled robots that can navigate sidewalks designed by startup Coco Robotics. DoorDash and Coco previously worked on a pilot program using the robots to make deliveries in Finland through Wolt, DoorDash's international arm.

Xu added that DoorDash's experiments with autonomous delivery "have gone great" and that autonomous delivery is "something we're very excited about."

Riding in an autonomous vehicle is already an option for some ride-hailing users. In June, Tesla launched a limited version of its robotaxi service in Austin with Tesla safety employees in the passenger seat, and has since expanded to San Francisco with safety employees in the driver's seat.

Uber offers fully autonomous rides in Waymos in Atlanta and Austin and has plans to add more self-driving vehicles to its network next year through a partnership with EV-maker Lucid and self-driving technology startup Nuro.

For DoorDash, the challenge is moving burgers, groceries, and other stuff from stores to customers' homes. Many of those items can be delivered in smaller, autonomous vehicles, Xu has said.

"You don't need a 4,000-pound vehicle to deliver a one- or two-pound item or package," Xu said on an earnings call in May.

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• Major US alcohol producers are urging Donald Trump to cut tariffs ahead of the holidays.
• An alcohol association representing Beam Suntory and Brown-Forman sent a letter to the White House.
• It warned that the tariffs could result in a $2 billion sales loss and 25,000 American jobs lost.

As the holiday season looms, US liquor groups are begging Trump to kill the tariffs they say could ruin their most lucrative stretch of the year.

A group of 57 associations and guilds called the Toasts not Tariffs Coalition, said in a Wednesday letter to the White House that tariffs could result in a $2 billion sales loss in the holidays.

"We reiterate our urgent request that the U.S. and EU come to an agreement to secure fair and reciprocal trade on spirits and wine," the group wrote in the letter.

"As we approach the critical holiday season, a period that is essential to the success of our industries, we implore you to secure this important deal for the U.S. as soon as possible," it added.

The letter comes as Trump's new tariffs went into effect at midnight on Thursday, with the European Union being slammed with a 15% tariff rate on most goods. However, the EU said on Tuesday said it would pause retaliatory tariffs for six months.

Other countries, such as Switzerland and India, were hit much harder, with tariff rates of 39% and 50%, respectively. India's tariffs are set to go into effect later in August.

In March, Trump also threatened to impose a 200% tariff on wine and other alcohol from the EU.

The coalition said it estimated that a 15% tariff on EU wine and spirits could result in more than 25,000 American job losses and nearly $2 billion in lost sales. Per data from the US Distilled Spirits Council, the US exported $2.4 billion worth of spirits in 2024.

Groups in the Toasts not Tariffs coalition represent US liquor heavyweights like Beam Suntory, the parent of Jim Beam, and Jack Daniel's owner Brown-Forman. The coalition also includes non-liquor bodies like the National Retail Federation and the National Restaurant Association.

The Wednesday letter was the group's second appeal to the White House. It sent a similar letter in January, urging Trump to exclude wine and spirits from his coming tariffs and convince the US's trading partners not to apply retaliatory tariffs on their products.

Kentucky's bourbon makers also appealed to the White House to ease up on tariffs after Canada's boycott of US alcohol in March.

The Kentucky Distillers' Association said in a March statement on X that retaliatory tariffs would have "far-reaching consequences across Kentucky, home to 95% of the world's bourbon."

Representatives for Trump and the Distilled Spirits Council did not respond to requests for comment from BI.

• Some High Noon alcoholic beverages were mislabeled as Celsius energy drinks.
• A can supplier mistakenly sent Celsius cans to High Noon, according to an FDA recall notice.
• No illnesses or "adverse events" have been reported as a result of the mistake.

Some Celsius drinkers looking for an afternoon energy boost might've accidentally gone straight to happy hour instead.

Some cans of High Noon vodka seltzer were mislabeled as Celsius energy drinks, according to a recall notice from High Noon posted on the Food and Drug Administration's website on Tuesday.

The alcoholic beverages were incorrectly labeled as Celsius Astro Vibe Sparkling Blue Razz Edition, according to the notice. The mistake happened after a supplier to the two brands sent empty Celsius cans to High Noon.

"Consumption of the liquid in these cans will result in unintentional alcohol ingestion," according to the FDA notice.

No "adverse events" or consumer illnesses have been reported, the notice reads.

"We are working with the FDA, retailers, and distributors to proactively manage the recall to ensure the safety and well-being of our consumers," a spokesperson for High Noon said.

The recall affects some beverages sold in High Noon Beach Variety 12-packs. The mislabeled beverages were shipped between July 21 and July 23 and reached Florida, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

• Sundresses are a summer closet staple, so I tried on options at Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy.
• The Gap dress was too thin, and the Banana Republic option was a little out of my price range.
• Even though it was the least expensive, the Old Navy piece was my favorite.

Summer is in full swing, which means it's time for floral prints, bold colors, and short hemlines.

It's the perfect season to refresh your wardrobe with light, breezy styles, and in my opinion, there's no closet staple more practical or comfortable than a good sundress.

As someone who loves all things feminine and frilly, sundresses are a personal favorite. To find a new go-to for the season, I headed to three retailers that never miss when it comes to wearable fashion — Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy.

Here's how my search for the perfect sundress went.

Old Navy was my first stop.

I love Old Navy's trendy and accessible styles, so I was excited to spot the puff-sleeve linen-blend mini dress while browsing.

Although the dress comes in a few different colors and patterns, I chose the white option with a light-blue floral design.

The dress had a few quirks, but it was comfortable and flattering.

This dress looked nice on the rack, but I was even more pleased once I tried it on.

The silhouette of the dress fell nicely along my curves, which I found flattering. I also liked the structured square neckline, side pockets, and the buttons down the front.

However, I noticed that the thread on a couple of buttons was fraying slightly, which made me question whether it would hold up beyond the summer.

The material was comfortable and lightweight, made from a blend of 55% linen and 45% viscose rayon. That said, the fabric was a bit sheer, and I could see the outline of the pockets through the dress. So, I'd be a little concerned about it becoming see-through in direct sunlight.

Overall, though, I loved the dress and would wear it for multiple summer occasions. I would happily pay the $45 price, as it's a perfect style for weekend barbecues, brunches, and garden parties.

My next stop was Banana Republic, which offers more elevated pieces.

Considering Banana Republic's upscale aesthetic, I knew I could count on the brand for stylish resort wear finds.

I was immediately drawn to the linen-blend seamed bodice mini dress on the rack, thanks to its beautiful yellow hue and flattering A-line silhouette.

The dress was nice, but it was a little more than I was hoping to spend.

The color and pattern of the dress were bold yet elegant, and the deep-V-neckline added an eye-catching touch. The Banana Republic option was made from almost the same blend as the Old Navy dress — 55% linen and 45% rayon.

Overall, the design was lightweight and flattering, and I loved the subtle cinch at the waist and the pleating across the midsection.

However, my one gripe with this dress was the $120 price tag. Although it was nicely made and well-constructed, I wouldn't pay triple digits for it.

Lastly, I popped into Gap to try one more option.

Gap has pleasantly surprised me over the past few years with its versatile selection of basics and fashion-forward clothing.

Upon walking in, the flutter-sleeve tie-waist mini dress immediately grabbed my attention. The material seemed thinner than the others, but that's not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to staying cool in the peak of summer.

This option was flattering, but the fabric felt a bit flimsy.

I was pleasantly surprised by how this dress looked on me. I especially appreciated the adjustable waist tie, and I loved the V-neckline and flowy sleeves paired with the pleated hemline on the skirt.

It looked romantic yet modest, which would be appropriate for a range of summer events like family gatherings or bridal showers.

However, the delicate fabric, which turned out to be 100% rayon, seemed like it might easily rip or get damaged in the wash.

The Gap dress cost $55. It wasn't terribly overpriced, but I don't think the cost was fully justified considering the fabric composition.

The Old Navy dress turned out to be my favorite.

I'd wear every option I tried on, but the Old Navy sundress turned out to be my favorite for its overall design, fit, and comfort.

It was the most affordable, yet also super flattering, and I could easily see myself wearing it for multiple occasions.

• Adidas' CEO has said tariffs "will directly increase the cost of our products for the US."
• The retailer sources many products from Vietnam and Indonesia, which are facing import levies.
• The company joins other companies, including rival Nike, saying they will raise prices to offset tariffs.

Adidas is the latest company to say it will raise prices in the US because of tariffs.

"The latest iteration of tariffs will directly increase the cost of our products for the US," CEO Bjørn Gulden said Wednesday, adding the levies could cost the company 200 million euros, around $218 million, in the second half of the year.

He added the company had a "negative impact in the double-digit euro millions" from tariffs in Q2.

In a statement accompanying the sportswear giant's most recent results, Gulden added that the company was wary of a bullish outlook for the rest of 2025 because, "We feel the volatility and uncertainty in the world does not make this prudent. We still do not know what the final tariffs in the US will be."

He was speaking as countries from which Adidas sources much of its products face tariffs.

Vietnam, Adidas's largest sourcing country, accounting for 27% of the company's total volume, will face a 20% tariff from August 1. Indonesia made 19% of Adidas' products and will face a 19% tariff.

Adidas joins other companies saying they will raise prices because of tariffs. Its rival Nike said at the end of June that it would raise prices in the US to offset a predicted $1 billion rise in costs.

Macy's, Shein, Temu, Ford, and Walmart have also said they will raise prices to offset tariffs.

Gulden added the company does not know "what the indirect impact on consumer demand will be should all these tariffs cause major inflation."

He said Adidas will stick to its initial outlook for 2025 of operating profit between €1.7 and 1.8 billion. "We currently feel confident to deliver it, but of course this might change," Gulden said.

Adidas's stock was down 7% to €13.85 a share on Frankfurt's stock exchange at 12:30 p.m. local time.

Revenue jumped about 2% year-on-year to almost €6 billion in the three months ending June 30. Operating profit rose 58% year-on-year in the second quarter to €546 million.

• Starbucks' new protein cold foam will be released by the end of 2025, CEO Brian Niccol said Tuesday.
• The optional topping will bring 15g of protein with no added sugar to "virtually any cold beverage."
• The new offering taps into the protein coffee trend sweeping TikTok, a marketing strategist told BI.

Starbucks may unleash the next wave of protein coffee, or "proffee," posts on TikTok if its new menu item brews up the excitement execs hope it will.

The coffee giant plans to release its new protein cold foam by the end of this year, capitalizing on the growing trend of making even your coffee a health drink, popularized by gym bros and Gen Z.

"In late Q4, we'll introduce protein cold foam," CEO Brian Niccol told investors during the company's Q3 earnings call on Tuesday. "It taps into what has become one of our most popular modifiers — cold foam, which grew 23% year-over-year. Protein cold foam with no added sugar is an easy way to add 15 grams of protein to virtually any cold beverage. And customers can also add the flavor of their choice."

Since debuting cold foam as a topping in 2014, Starbucks has expanded its flavor options to include offerings like vanilla, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, and raspberry cream.

Starbucks is in the middle of a revitalization campaign, intending to reverse slumping sales and renew diminished consumer interest. In addition to remodeling stores with ceramic dishes and comfy chairs to encourage visitors to stay longer and bringing back the self-serve condiment bar, Niccol has also aimed to streamline the store's menus, announcing plans to cut 30% of its offerings and changing the pricing structure for add-ons like syrups.

In the hourlong call, during which Starbucks announced that it had beat analyst expectations on revenue but missed on earnings, Niccol appeared animated by new protein-focused menu items, mentioning "protein" at least eight times.

"As we move further into 2026, expect more experiential beverages and nutritious, satisfying bites for the afternoon day part," Niccol said. "This month, we'll start testing new coconut water-based tea and coffee beverages in select markets, and we'll lean into customer needs with upcoming tests of gluten-free and high-protein options to create food that's as artisanal as our beverages."

Michael Della Penna, chief strategy officer at the digital advertising research firm, InMarket, which publishes regular reports on fast-casual restaurant customer loyalty, told Business Insider that the demand for high-protein drinks and food options has been accelerating over the last 3-5 years.

A study by Cargill found that more than 60% of Americans increased their protein intake in 2024 — a rise from 48% in 2019. Gen Z, in particular, loves a high-protein option and tends to prefer customizable menu offerings and cold beverages, Della Penna said, making an optional protein add-on like cold foam a perfect blend to capture trending tastes.

"The other interesting part of it is the routine that a drink like that can create for a consumer," Della Penna said. "By introducing protein, that's a great way to get a consumer back as they move about their daily lives, particularly when going to work out and then stopping to get a cold brew with a scoop of protein. That creates that sort of repeatable pattern of visitation and purchase that a drink like that can offer to a segment within their customer base."

With Gen Z and fitness fans in mind, move over, pink drink — it's protein's time to shine.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert at [email protected] or Signal at byktl.50. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Hoka's record $653 million in quarterly sales boosted Deckers' earnings for the first quarter of 2026.
• Deckers' international revenue surged 50%, driven by Hoka and Ugg's sales.
• CEO Stefano Caroti told investors to expect price increases to partially offset tariffs.

Hoka is on the move and reaching a new personal best.

The running brand had the "largest quarter in its history" in the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year with $653 million in revenue, parent company Deckers reported on Thursday. The brand's sales grew 20% sales year over year.

The footwear giant highlighted its international growth as it navigates tariff-related challenges in the US. Hoka, along with Ugg, drove a 50% increase in Deckers' international revenue for Q1. Hoka got a shoutout for its success in the Asia-Pacific region, specifically its performance in retail stores in China.

"The strength of our business continues to be driven by the remarkable growth in our international markets," CEO Stefano Caroti said on the company's earnings call, adding that it was "navigating a choppy US consumer environment."

Deckers' total revenue was $965 million for the first quarter, surpassing analysts' estimates of $901 million.

Caroti told investors he expects the fast-paced growth to continue in the second quarter. Ugg and Hoka are among the "most consumer-loved brands in our industry," he said.

However, he said that Deckers plans to continue increasing product prices during fiscal year 2026 to "partially offset tariff headwinds." The company raised prices on some Hoka products in July.

The company attributes much of Hoka's success to its wholesale partnerships, marking an ongoing shift from online deal-hunting to in-person shopping for US consumers, Caroti said. The brand is known for its ultra-cushioned running shoes that have become popular among athletes.

Meanwhile, it's expanding its own retail store locations "on a much smaller scale." Leaning into the direct-to-consumer business at the expense of wholesale relationships has cost some competitors like Nike, which is trying to course-correct.

"Over time, we expect our DTC business to benefit from the conversion of newly acquired consumers to loyal, repeat purchasers," Caroti said.

• This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

Welcome back to our Sunday edition, where we round up some of our top stories and take you inside our newsroom. Dell employees are not OK. Every year, the company conducts an engagement survey for its workers, called "Tell Dell." One metric of employee satisfaction has dropped by 50% in two years amid layoffs and its push to get workers back in the office.

On the agenda today:

• Six former federal workers spoke to BI about what life is like after being laid off by DOGE.
• Why so many law-abiding Americans are fine with committing return fraud.
• These MBAs are ditching corporate America to run unsexy small businesses.
• The freakiest aspect of the Coldplay "kiss cam" fiasco isn't a potential office affair, writes BI's Katie Notopoulos.

But first: Unpacking the new generational debate.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Business Insider's app here.

This week's dispatch

Your ultimate guide to the 'Gen Z stare'

Millennials gave us skinny jeans and avocado toast. Gen Z? They've mastered the stare.

Yes, that stare — the blank, expressionless look from the younger generation that's been lighting up the internet lately. Is it real? A post-pandemic side effect? A silent cry for help? Or is it just how Gen Z vibes?

At Business Insider, we dove headfirst into the phenomenon, decoding the psychology, exploring what it means for careers, and examining how it plays out in the workplace.

What is it? As more of Gen Z enters the workforce, some millennials say younger workers greet customers and colleagues with wide eyes, blank expressions, and pregnant pauses. Most of the debate hinges on Gen Zers working customer service roles, like hostessing at restaurants or taking orders at coffee shops. While this could be a sign of workplace awkwardness or underdeveloped soft skills, others are pushing back and saying the trend's blame is misplaced.

Is it real? Our resident Gen Zer Amanda Yen says, "It's ironic that millennials are diagnosing their Gen Z counterparts in much the same way boomers diagnosed and pathologized them. Millennials, are you sure you're not just becoming your parents?"

The value of silence. BI's Katie Notopoulos, an older millennial, said if you're on the receiving end of the "Gen-Z stare," maybe you're the problem. "One thing I learned is that sometimes silence is the best way to handle a situation. In other words, you might say: Give 'em the 'Gen Z stare.' If someone keeps pushing, eventually you have to leave some silence hanging in the air — no more room for them to negotiate." Just don't get Katie started on how Gen Zers answer the phone!

Is screen time to blame? Psychologists and generational experts are weighing in, saying the phenomenon could have more to do with natural growing pains on a first job. There are also factors unique to Gen Z's upbringing, including how the generation has grown up in front of screens. One professor told BI that it's naive to underestimate the impact that COVID-19 shutdowns and online learning could have had on young people's development.

What do Gen Zers think? We asked several young people between the ages of 17 and 27 what they thought about the debate. A 21-year-old from Boston thinks the whole thing is overblown. A 20-year-old from the Bay Area said she sees it all the time. A 17-year-old heard from her parents that she had been inadvertently doing it.

We asked our readers if they had experienced the "Gen Z stare." The results are in, and spoiler — a majority of you have!

Life after DOGE

It's been six months since Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency slashed the federal workforce in an effort to "streamline the Federal Government, eliminate unnecessary programs, and reduce bureaucratic inefficiency."

After months of being in limbo, a recent Supreme Court ruling allowed the stalled firings to proceed. In a series of conversations with BI, six former government employees spoke about their career shifts, what life is like outside government work, and more.

"I'll always be known as that."

Also read:

• 'How much longer until I break?': The emotional toll of working in the federal government right now

One box of fibs at a time

The ability to return a purchased item has become a core part of the shopping experience. Retailers say consumers are taking advantage of returns — and a recent report from Appriss Retail and Deloitte found it's costing businesses $103 billion a year.

Some consumers are committing outright fraud by shipping back empty boxes or claiming a package never arrived. Others are sending back items after months of use. The culprits are often everyday consumers, and they don't feel bad.

A nation of retail fraudsters.

Also read:

• The rise of the anti-Amazon avengers

The hot new MBA hustle

Elite millennials like Dan Schweber are quitting corporate America in favor of search funds: the practice of buying and running small businesses, also known as "mini private equity."

Plenty of these unglamorous small businesses — like carwashes, plumbing, or snowplowing — are owned by boomers looking to retire. That makes them prime for millennial MBAs like Schweber, who can, in some cases, turn them into multimillion-dollar companies.

Here's how they do it.

Cut the (kiss) cameras

You've probably heard of the viral concert "kiss cam" video that appeared to show Astronomer CEO Andy Byron embracing the company's head of HR Kristin Cabot, then springing apart once they realize they're on camera. The reaction prompted Coldplay's Chris Martin to comment, "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy."

A potential office affair is good gossip, but BI's Katie Notopoulos thinks there's something more troubling here: the knee-jerk reaction to identify the people in the video.

Why she regrets seeing that video.

This week's quote:

"It was like being the lead investigator on your own murder."

— A millennial who was paid to catch people secretly working multiple jobs but ended up joining them.

More of this week's top reads:

• New York's tech elite give Mamdani points for "charisma" — and engaging with them at closed-door meet.
• Meet the 23-year-old investigators tasked with finding Ukraine's missing soldiers.
• Elon Musk's North Star is becoming increasingly clear.
• Amazon's Ring goes full founder mode, taking the company back to its crime-fighting roots.
• The ex-Amazon employee who's helped nearly 4,000 laid-off workers score jobs.
• Rideshare drivers use apps to help them judge whether a ride is worth it. Uber and Lyft are trying to kill some of them.
• Why Sam Altman and OpenAI are making a web browser.
• Make sure you're doing this in your job search — especially if you're early-career.

• The Minecraft generation is cashing in.

  ---

  The BI Today team: Steve Russolillo, chief news editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Akin Oyedele, deputy editor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York.

• Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said Monday that the company is increasing its in-office work requirement.
• A spokesperson said the RTO order is about enhancing Starbucks' culture, not reducing head count.
• Employees told Business Insider they're worried the company's beloved people-first culture is eroding.

Employees at Starbucks' corporate headquarters who are unhappy about CEO Brian Niccol's strict return-to-office mandate are making their displeasure known.

On Friday, a flyer created by "Partners for the Preservation of Starbucks Culture, Mission, and Values" was taped inside an elevator at the corporate offices in Seattle. Featuring two photos of Niccol and a list of grievances, the flyer calls out Niccol's leadership, recent cost-cutting bonuses for executives, the RTO order, and broader changes in the work environment, a photo shows.

"Getting 'Back to Starbucks' isn't just about comfy chairs. It's about our Culture, Values, Mission, and how we treat people and the environment," it reads. "This is the wrong direction. Please stop."

It appeared several days after Niccol sent a firm message to the company's corporate workers on Monday: Come back to the office four days a week or leave.

Some "people leaders" who manage teams had their remote status eliminated, requiring them to relocate to Seattle or Toronto. According to internal communications viewed by Business Insider, Starbucks offered voluntary buyout packages of between $20,000 and $100,000, depending on title, for those who would rather leave the company.

Four Starbucks corporate employees told Business Insider they're worried the strict return-to-office mandate contributes to an erosion of the company's "partner first" culture. A Starbucks spokesperson told Business Insider that the return-to-office mandate is about enhancing the company's culture, not further reducing head count. Starbucks formally laid off 1,100 corporate workers in February.

"I think for those of us who have been around for a while, we see a culture shift happening in the organization where our public face doesn't necessarily match our private face anymore," one Starbucks veteran, who has worked for the company for nearly 20 years, told Business Insider.

The latest RTO notices surprised the corporate Starbucks workers who spoke to Business Insider, and prompted others to immediately begin looking for new roles and sharing their concerns on social media.

"As Starbucks chooses to require all people-leaders to relocate to Seattle, I am placed in a position where I must consider exploring other opportunities and would appreciate your support," Kristina Lawson, a Starbucks program manager who has been with the company for more than 18 years, wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

Lawson did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Corporate America is in the middle of a return-to-office showdown. Business Insider has reported that major companies, from Amazon to Zoom, have implemented various RTO mandates. Each company's approach has been different, with some incentivizing employees to work in-office with perks like raises, and others threatening to fire workers if they don't comply.

Business Insider's Aki Ito reported in May that some suspect that strict RTO mandates are actually a way to get employees to quit — and they may be right, because voluntary resignations remove the company's need to pay severance or health insurance, resulting in a less expensive reduction in force than traditional layoffs.

"We are reestablishing our in-office culture because we do our best work when we're together," Niccol said in a statement to BI. "We share ideas more effectively, creatively solve hard problems, and move much faster."

Niccol's statement continued: "We're driving significant change across the company while staying true to our core values. We know we're asking a lot of every partner as we work to turn the business around. And we understand that the updated in-office culture may not work for everyone."

Niccol, who joined the company from Chipotle last September, has been leading the coffee giant through a "Back to Starbucks" revitalization initiative. He is attempting to reverse slumping sales, improve the customer experience, and address problems with its mobile ordering system and long wait times.

A recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission shows Starbucks is offering top executives up to $6 million in stock bonuses if the company meets its cost-reduction goals by the end of fiscal 2027.

One Seattle-based Starbucks employee who has worked in corporate operations for the company for over seven years told BI that several other anonymous flyers have been posted around the building with complaints about changes Niccol is promoting, and that some employees have voiced concern in open Slack channels.

While they won't be personally affected by the RTO order, the employee said they worry about how the company will operate if some of the most passionate partners decide to leave.

"There are some remote partners that have niche knowledge and skills that will leave massive Kool-Aid man-sized holes in the wall if they decide to take the exit payment," the employee said.

Update: Jul 20, 2025 — This story has been updated to include details of other employee actions cited by a Seattle-based Starbucks employee.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert at [email protected] or Signal at byktl.50. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Salary data suggests that sportswear giant Nike has invested in tech and product jobs as it stages a comeback plan.
• CEO Elliott Hill said Nike is focused on revitalizing its brand through culture, product, and marketing.
• Work visa data shows how much the company pays for some roles in software, design, and other tech jobs.

As Nike tries to mount a comeback and live up to its reputation as a dominant retail force, the sportswear giant appears to be investing in some tech and design jobs.

Publicly available work visa data, which companies are required to disclose to the US Department of Labor, gives an idea of how much Nike's employees bring home and some of the roles it has invested in.

Nike had about 890 open positions worldwide listed on its jobs board as of July 18.

Current CEO Elliott Hill, who rejoined the company in October, has told investors that Nike is aligning its employees to focus on five key action areas: culture, product, marketing, marketplace, and connecting with consumers on the ground in their communities.

That strategy plays into Nike's efforts to focus its marquee brands — Nike, Jordan, and Converse — on key sports such as running and basketball.

"We are in the midst of realignment at Nike," Nike said in a statement to Business Insider. The realignment and sport strategy aim to "create sharper distinction and dimension" for its brands, the company said.

Here's what some key Nike roles can earn based on data through the quarter ending in March.

The salary data includes information from Nike Inc. and some subsidiaries, such as its retail services arm and Air Manufacturing Innovation division. It reflects US-based roles and, given it's based on H1-B visa disclosures, tends to skew more tech-focused.

Data and engineering roles: Software engineers can earn more than $300,000

Software Engineer: $146,383 to $172,661 a year

Software Engineer II: $156,641 to $172,780 a year

Software Engineer III: $139,845 to $192,227 a year

Senior Director, Software Engineering: $301,378 a year

Data Engineering: $99,123 to $265,466 a year

Data Analytics: $114,600 to $163,985 a year

Design roles: Some designers make around $100,000

Materials Designer: $100,000 a year

Senior Digital Product Designer: $126,617 a year

Senior 3D Designer: $91,707 a year

Manager roles: Managers can take home more than $270,000

Senior Manager, Software Engineering: $273,156 a year

Delivery Excellence, Uniform Operations Manager: $164,439 a year

Product Manager: $154,577 to $204,753 a year

Manager, Data Engineer: $168,031 to $213,190 a year

Senior Program Manager: $147,434 a year

Supply Chain Intelligence Manager: $158,311 a year

• Aritzia CEO Jennifer Wong laid out some ambitious goals last year for a US expansion.
• Now, the women's wear retailer appears to be beating expectations for store count and sales.
• BI took a closer look at the 41-year-old company that is seeing a new chapter of success.

Watch out, Lululemon: Another Vancouver-based apparel maker is making a play for US shoppers.

Aritzia, the everyday luxury womenswear retailer, has steadily gained ground and grown sales over the past several years with its assortment of stylish activewear and comfortable office wear.

The company said in July that it grew its retail footprint by 25% over the last year, including opening 13 stores and redesigning three existing ones. The expansion helped drive retail sales up 34% year over year last quarter.

"We've done a lot of work over the past 1 1/2 years, two years to refine our playbook and ensure that our inventory is productive and efficient. And I think we're in a fantastic place right now, very well-positioned," CEO Jennifer Wong said in an earnings call.

The results appear to be delivering on some ambitious goals Wong laid out last year as Aritzia's US expansion was heating up.

Wong was not immediately available for an interview with Business Insider, but she detailed her strategy in several interviews with other outlets.

"We're tackling all the major cities where we know our brand and product resonates with the customer," she told Vogue Business last November. "The next step is to fill in the rest of the country."

Founded in 1984 in Vancouver, Aritzia saw steady growth in Canada before entering the US in 2007. The company saw a bumper year in 2020, followed by some pandemic-era challenges, and has since tripled sales to more than CAD$2.7 billion last year.

Wong has been with the company since its early days, rising through the ranks to eventually take over the helm from founder Brian Hill in 2022. She soon doubled the rate of store openings, helping to extend the momentum of the return-to-office era.

"We experienced some explosive growth coming out of Covid," she said. "There was pent-up demand and a whole new energy. That really accelerated our business in the US, and we became more well known than ever. We've been really riding that momentum since."

There are 68 locations in Canada and 63 in the US, and the company says it could see the US figure grow to more than 150 over the next few years, not to mention its growing e-commerce operation.

Four of those locations will open in the next few months in the Boston area, Miami, Salt Lake City, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

While Aritzia's stores have drawn some derision on TikTok for their mirrorless (and sometimes crowded) dressing rooms, its high-touch "style advisor" sales approach harkens back to the kind of personalized shopping experience offered at luxury department stores like Bergdorf Goodman.

Of course, it's the clothing that ultimately makes or breaks the sale for fashion brands, and Aritzia appears to be delivering good value for its customers.

In terms of style and substance, BI's reviews team called Aritzia's apparel "as timeless and elegant as it is trendy and modern" and said the quality is "undisputed."

Price-wise, analysts at Jefferies looked at comparable products from nine peer retailers and found Aritzia to be a cut above the mid-tier but a step below the highest-priced brands. In other words, it is more expensive than Lululemon and J. Crew but less pricey than Anthropologie and Madewell. In addition, Aritiza's prices are less frequently marked down than some competitors.

The Jefferies analysts suggested that the relative pricing and demand for Aritzia products give the company more room to grow in sales and profits, propelling its expansion.

From its merchandise to stores to tech, it appears Aritzia is getting a lot of retail fundamentals right — and reaping the rewards.

"It's not any one of those things, but it's all of these things that come together and how we've been able to execute well over the years on all of it," Wong told the Business of Fashion in January. "When I say we want to be excellent at everything, that's really what's in our minds."

Bill Stewart, the owner of LI Toy and Game on Long Island, New York, estimates that he gets "screwed over" by return shenanigans twice a month. Customers falsely claim an item he shipped wasn't as described or doesn't work, or they send back something in much worse condition than how he released it. Recently, a customer returned a Scooby Doo Mystery Machine model kit after two weeks with the box open, the toy half assembled, and pieces missing. Given the condition, there was no way for him to resell it. "Went right into the trash," Stewart says. "The kid played with it, was probably too young for it."

Adding up the price of the item itself, two-way shipping costs, and merchant fees charged by the third-party platform he used to sell the item — Walmart Marketplace, in this case — Stewart estimates the exchange resulted in a net loss of $55. For the big guys, he recognizes that's nothing, but for a small business like his, it's a hit, and one for which he has no recourse. "With Walmart, the customer's always right," he says.

The ability to return an item you've purchased has become a core part of the shopping experience. Customers may buy a few more items than they would otherwise because it's a no-harm, no-foul situation on returns. Backsies are allowed. But retailers say consumers are engaging in too many backsies. Some are committing outright return fraud — shipping back empty boxes, swapping out different items, or claiming a package never arrived. Others are abusing generous return policies by attempting to send back items after days, weeks, and even months of use. And while it's tempting to blame organized criminals, retailers and return logistics operators say a lot of everyday consumers are the culprits, too. People are strapped for cash, they've been trained to expect super loose return policies, and they don't feel bad about pulling one over on a faceless company.

"Consumers who would never go into a physical store and take an item off without paying and stealing are actually being trained socially that it's actually acceptable to take advantage of retailers in these small ways," says David Morin, the vice president of client strategy at Narvar, a retail logistics company. "They think it's OK, right? Stick it to the man."

America is becoming a nation of small-time return fraudsters, one box of fibs at a time.

A recent report from Appriss Retail and Deloitte found that the total value of merchandise returned in the US reached $685 billion in 2024. Fifteen percent of that — $103 billion — was fraudulent, the report said, meaning the product shouldn't have qualified for a refund under the retailer's policies.

Morin says it's hard to suss out who, specifically, is responsible for fraudulent behavior — organized criminals versus everyday consumers — but it's clear that a wider range of people are partaking than you may expect. In 2024, Narvar ran a survey of US consumers that found that more than half of consumers admitted to engaging in fraudulent returns at least once. In a separate 2023 survey of US online shoppers from Loop Returns, a returns management software company, nearly four in 10 people admitted to having engaged in returns policy abuse themselves or knowing of someone who had.

"There seems to be this mentality that consumers feel entitled to do it," says Jessica Meher, the senior vice president of marketing at Loop.

The spectrum of returns mischief is quite broad, and your mileage may vary on what's acceptable versus what's abuse. On the more benign end is "bracketing," when consumers buy the same item in different sizes or colors and send back whatever doesn't work. It's a logistical headache and bad for the environment, but it's generally above board. Inching into the fraud territory is the practice known as "wardrobing," which Thomas Borders, the vice president of operations for Inmar Supply Chain, a reverse logistics company recently acquired by DHL, says is when consumers treat return windows as "free rentals." The practice will sound familiar to a lot of shoppers: You buy a dress or a pair of shoes for a special occasion, you wear it to said special occasion, and then you return it and get your money back.

"In an effort to avoid customer dissatisfaction, retailers will process the consumers' refund before items are properly assessed and any damage identified," Borders says. "This results in premature refunds, leaving retailers with very little recourse."

E-commerce makes this sort of return abuse even easier to engage in than brick-and-mortar shopping — warehouse employees often don't closely scrutinize every single item to make sure it's in tip-top condition like employees at a retail counter might. In a digital world, the retailer will probably see the wine stains on the dress you wore to that wedding only when it's too late, if they ever notice at all.

On the more nefarious side of the equation, consumers lie and say a package never arrived or was stolen, or they stick a different product back in the box. Morin says Narvar had a client during the pandemic who started to see a trend of consumers returning three empty CD cases to them. Someone online figured out the cases weighed the same as some of their core items, so when the return box initially got weighed in by the carrier, no red flags went up that it was the wrong item inside. Once the box was actually opened, the refund had already gone out. Another trick is when consumers tamper with return labels in order to send empty packages to the wrong destination, so they can just claim it got lost if the retailer tries to check. They keep the product, and they get an automatic refund when the package gets put in the mail.

Hilary Koziol, who runs the Cellar Sellers, an online consignment business, has dealt with her fair share of dishonest customers. She recently sold a sealed box of trading cards to someone on eBay for hundreds of dollars, and the buyer claimed Koziol actually sent a box with a pair of jeans inside, returned those, and demanded a refund for the trading cards. She wound up opening a case with the US Postal Service over it. On another occasion, a customer bought a $50 dress from her on Depop and, in return, sent back an old, makeup-stained version of the same style. "You find that happens a lot with clothing," she says. When she encounters these problems, she disputes them with the Postal Service and the platforms she's selling on, and it's "kind of a crapshoot" whether she wins or loses, though as she sells more stuff and accumulates more reviews, the platforms tend to side with her more. "Especially if it's a larger-value item," she says, "it's impacting my business a ton."

A lot of people get ideas online and on social media for different return tricks they can pull. It took me about five minutes of searching on TikTok to come across videos with tips and advice for getting free refunds from Amazon. There's tons of content about Target's Cat & Jack kids line's generous one-year return policy that leads many parents to try their hand at returning well-worn clothes. On Reddit, there's a forum where people compare notes on Costco returns, including users asking about the chances the company might accept a furniture return five years after it was purchased or exchange a Christmas wreath after the leaves start to brown. There are also hot debates about which REI returns may count as abuse.

"It's almost like coupon sites where consumers have been trained to look for coupons and discounts," Meher says. "That's starting to happen with what companies offer loose return policies."

I don't think my social circle is the most crime-prone group in the world, but the more I chat with people in my life about return fraud and abuse, especially in online shopping, the more I realize how prevalent it is. A coworker told me about a friend of theirs who'd returned a box of rocks to a retailer instead of a television. A friend told me they'd never steal — only to acknowledge they'd once returned a big-ticket item they broke to Amazon and claimed it arrived broken, while their partner regularly sends back items they've worn. Another friend said that whenever they send back used items to replace new ones and get the refund, they make sure the seller is a big corporation, not a small mom-and-pop shop. I tried to do the bracketing thing with two sets of curtains last summer but failed. I was too lazy to return the set I didn't want within the return window, so it's accumulating dust under my bed.

To many people, low-level return fraud feels like a victimless crime — they're not exactly losing sleep over a giant corporation losing a few dollars here and there. People assume retailers don't really care that much, since they'll often send a refund before getting the item back, if they bother to recollect an item at all. Companies have also given people such a long leash on accepting returns that consumers may not blink at hauling grass shears smeared with clippings back to the Target counter after six months of use.

Megan Wyatt, the owner of Wit & Whimsy Toys, a brick-and-mortar retailer in California, says the lax return policies the big guys offer customers have been a headache for her. "They'll just take pretty much any return, it feels like, these days. And so customers feel like they can do that at small businesses as well," she says. Her store has to essentially "train customers that you can't expect to return things at a small business the way that you would at Target, Walmart, Amazon, places like that."

Retailers big and small aren't having a good time with return fraud and are cracking down. Many are axing free returns, tightening return windows, or otherwise implementing stricter returns policies. Companies such as REI and ASOS have started to ban certain customers over return abuse. Some retailers are using aggregated data to try to identify bad actors, whether they're a previous customer or not. If a consumer is continually taking advantage of return policies at X retailer, Y retailer may know even before they click to buy.

Meher, from Loop, says personalized return policies are starting to become more common, too. "So, being able to incentivize good customers and giving them good return policies and disincentivize bad consumers and people who return a lot and giving them different return windows or different return policies," she says. "That is also starting to become more important as retailers look into, 'How do I make sure that I don't piss off my good customers?'"

Across the consumer economy, there's a pervasive us-versus-them sentiment between companies and their customers. Many consumers feel like businesses — especially the big ones — are swindling them and squeezing them for every penny, so when they have a chance to strike back, why not? Maybe that means putting a brick in a return box and hoping nobody notices it's not an iPad. Or maybe it's just seeing that package you'd already declared stolen arrived three days late and not trying too hard to give back that refund that already came through.

Emily Stewart is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy.