• 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.

• Designer purses from Miu Miu, Dior, and The Row have been everywhere this year.
• If you want to stand out, though, brands like Alaïa and Ralph Lauren have alternative options.
• You might also want to consider Chloé and Schiaparelli, which make statement pieces.

Like clockwork, a new batch of designer purses rises to the top of the fashion world every year.

In 2025, "it bag" contenders include rectangle designs from Miu Miu, shopping totes from The Row, and, of course, new variations of Dior's famed saddle bag.

It's understandable, though, that some people want their purses to stand out from the rest. If you're one of them, here are some options that are equally luxe but slightly more distinct.

Everyone is into raffia this year, but other textures are just as stunning.

Raffia, a natural fiber made from the leaves of raffia palm trees, looks great on summer bags. That's why woven totes from Loewe, Sézane, and other designers are everywhere this season.

Other materials, though, translate better all year round.

The braided Le Click bag from Alaïa is just one example. It's crafted with black leather, embellished with gold hardware, and costs $6,250.

Market totes don't have to be sheer.

Everyone seems to love The Row's $1,350 Barn tote, which is basically a luxury version of a classic mesh shopping bag.

But if you want to carry something a little more unique — and spend a few hundred dollars less — there are other standout options.

The Denim Market Tote from 3.1 Phillip Lim is one of them. It retails for $795, is embellished with leather flower appliqués, and comes with a detachable pouch.

Embellishments are in. Consider a bag with a statement decoration.

While encrusted bags from Cult Gaia and Khaite might be trendy, no brand does embellishments quite like Schiaparelli.

Designs like its Mini Nose bag — which retails for 4,100 euros, or about $4,800 — are optimal for luxe, quiet-luxury looks that are contemporary, but not overly flashy.

The bag is made from black calfskin and has a pink leather interior.

If you're looking for an everyday bag that carries it all, look no further than Aspinal of London.

Jil Sander, Jacquemus, and Fendi have made medicine bags mainstream, especially as work bags. The purses are usually medium in size, full of storage space, and neutral in color.

If you're shopping for one, you might want to consider the $940 Hudson design from Aspinal of London.

The bag is sold in classic colors like tan and black, but it's also available in more fun shades like wine and forest green. It's also crafted from pebbled leather, which automatically gives the bag a worn look without any effort from the carrier.

Ralph Lauren makes a stunning alternative to the Dior saddle bag.

Dior's saddle bag might have been introduced in 1999, but it's arguably more popular than ever now.

That might be good news for fans who have struggled to get their hands on the original designs. If you want something fresher, though, Ralph Lauren has one option.

The Polo ID bag, which retails for $498, has a symmetrical, crescent shape and is similar in size to the Dior purse. It's also made with suede, one of the most popular fabrics of 2025.

Metallic fashion has held strong this year. A shiny bag is an easy way into the trend.

Carrying the Chain Horse bag from Chloé is also one of the easiest ways to stand out.

The bag is almost entirely golden, with a horsebit chain and golden beads across its suede leather. It even features a horse head and tail at each end.

It will cost you, though, as it retails for $9,600.

• McDonald's Snack Wraps are back on menus after being discontinued in 2016.
• Popeyes offers its own version of the iconic wraps.
• I compared both chains' chicken wraps and was torn about which wrap was most worth ordering again.

The Snack Wrap is officially back after years of anticipation.

McDonald's Snack Wraps returned to nationwide menus on July 10 after almost a decade of fans begging for their comeback.

The wraps, which are a fan-favorite among McDonald's customers, disappeared from many menus in 2016 before being officially discontinued by the chain in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to downsize menus.

Since then, other chains, from Burger King to Popeyes, have released their own chicken wraps to fill the void for customers still hungry for the beloved Snack Wraps.

And now, it's an all-out chicken wrap battle.

Upon the release of McDonald's new Snack Wraps, Popeyes — which launched its own lineup of wraps in June — advertised a promotion to give away a chicken wrap with any purchase of $5 or more until July 13.

Both chains' wraps have a similar price point. But which chain is poised to win the wrap wars?

I tried McDonald's and Popeyes' lineup of chicken wraps to determine which one was most worth snacking on. Here's how they compared.

McDonald's Snack Wraps returned to menus last week.

They are priced at $2.99, excluding tax.

The paper wrapper showed what kind of wrap was inside, either the spicy version or the ranch version.

The Snack Wraps featured a thick tortilla.

Both the spicy and ranch Snack Wraps are made with McDonald's new chicken tenders, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese.

The ranch version appeared on McDonald's original lineup of Snack Wraps.

This time, however, it's made with the chain's new chicken tenders, which launched in May.

The ranch sauce was rich and flavorful, and coated every inch of the chicken tender, tortilla, and toppings.

The ranch wrap tasted light, but still had a substantial amount of flavor.

The creamy ranch balanced out the fresh-tasting lettuce and the crispy chicken tender, while the tortilla held it all together for easy snacking on the go.

The spicy Snack Wrap is made with a new spicy-pepper sauce.

This is the newest iteration of the Snack Wrap. When Snack Wraps first left the menu in 2016, they were available with a ranch or honey-mustard sauce.

When I opened this wrap, a pretty generous amount of sauce was slathered on the chicken tenders, shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce.

The chicken tender was crispy, while the lettuce added freshness.

I was impressed by the size of these wraps. Despite being snack-sized, I found one of the wraps filling enough for a quick and easy lunch.

The spicy sauce did pack a punch — it didn't leave my mouth tingling from the heat, but it had enough kick to justify the spicy name.

That said, I wish there had been more sauce. Some bites were completely dry and lacked any of the spicy, savory sauce.

I could see why the McDonald's Snack Wraps are so popular.

For a quick, reasonably healthy lunch, these wraps deliver. Crispy chicken, bold flavors, and a budget-friendly price — no wonder fans have been demanding their comeback for years.

I tried Popeyes' lineup of wraps to see if they could hold a candle to the iconic Snack Wraps.

The wraps are priced at $3.99, excluding tax. They're available in three different flavors: classic, spicy, and honey mustard.

Popeyes doesn't have custom wrappings for each kind of wrap. Instead, the different flavors were written in pen on the paper wrapping.

Like the Snack Wraps, these chicken wraps come in a tortilla. However, I preferred the one used at McDonald's.

While the McDonald's tortilla was thick and held the wraps together perfectly, the wraps I got from Popeyes were made a bit more haphazardly.

I was worried that if I were truly on the go, they might fall apart.

The classic chicken wrap from Popeyes is made with mayonnaise.

The wrap is made with one of Popeyes' chicken tenders, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, lettuce, and pickles.

The classic wrap's flavor profile, thanks to the mayonnaise and crunchy pickle slices, somewhat reminded me of the chain's famous chicken sandwich.

The wrap could have used a touch more flavor.

While I thought the chicken tender was crunchy and juicy, and I loved the addition of the pickles, the mayonnaise lacked flavor compared to McDonald's ranch-smothered wrap.

Popeyes also has a honey-mustard version.

McDonald's used to sell a honey-mustard version of its Snack Wrap, but that flavor didn't make its way back onto menus this time around.

I loved the slightly spicy flavor of the honey-mustard wrap.

The pickles and tangy honey mustard packed a lot of flavor into this wrap, while the chicken tender was thick and filling.

I would love to see McDonald's bring back a honey mustard version of its Snack Wrap to compare the two.

Overall, I preferred Popeyes' spicy chicken wrap to McDonald's Snack Wrap. But the tortilla let me down.

While the McDonald's tortilla was thick and had a wheaty flavor, the Popeyes tortilla tasted noticeably dry and bland.

However, when it came to the other elements of the spicy wraps — from the lettuce to the amount of sauce — I thought Popeyes far surpassed McDonald's.

The spicy sauce completely coated every inch of the wrap.

It packed enough heat to be both flavorful and manageable, and the pickles added the perfect balance of texture.

Out of all five wraps I tried from both chains, this is the one I'm dying to order again.

The chicken wraps from Popeyes did measure up to the Snack Wraps, but fell short in a few areas.

While I'm still dreaming about Popeyes' spicy chicken wrap, the chain overall fell short compared to McDonald's in terms of value and the quality of the tortilla used in the wraps.

Popeyes' chicken wraps cost $1 more than the Snack Wraps, but they're pretty comparable in terms of size and ingredients.

I liked the addition of pickles in the Popeyes wraps and the sheer amount of sauce used in the spicy wrap, but it wasn't enough to justify the higher price tag.

While I'll definitely order both chains' chicken wraps again, I walked away thinking that the Snack Wrap is iconic for a reason. Other chains' attempts to replicate its magic are in for an uphill battle.

• Hooters of America filed for bankruptcy in the US in late March.
• The restaurant and bar chain has struggled with high levels of debt and closed many locations.
• Hooters is not that well known in the UK. Business Insider put it to the test to assess the Transatlantic differences.

Hooters of America, a major operator of the instantly recognizable chain restaurant famed for its scantily clad waitstaff and chicken wings, is facing bankruptcy in its home market as it fights high levels of debt and struggling locations.

Although primarily a US chain, Hooters operates internationally, with locations in Canada, Singapore, South Africa — and three restaurants in the UK.

As luck would have it, one of these locations is in my hometown of Newcastle. I decided to go along to taste-test its famous wings, and see how well the concept translates to the UK.

I visited Hooters on a Thursday evening.

The restaurant I went to is located in Newcastle upon Tyne, which I was visiting to see my parents at Easter.

Newcastle is in the north east of England, about 250 miles north of London as the crow flies.

There are two other Hooters in the UK: one in Nottingham, and one in Liverpool.

While Hooters is renowned for its scantily-clad serving staff, the restaurant's entry has a distinctly family-friendly tone.

Alongside a folksy faux "wanted" sign appealing for customers was a framed photo of some staff posing with a gaggle of young children.

I was also struck by the wide array of merch available. I'm a big fan of the tendency of pretty much every business in the US to sell some kind of branded apparel, and promptly bought myself a T-shirt. Even more promptly, my partner prohibited me from ever leaving the house wearing it.

The family-friendly feeling continued inside with a sign advertising free kids' meals one day a week.

While lots of restaurants offer similar deals, it was nice to see Hooters embrace being family-friendly. It certainly seemed to be working when I visited at around 8 p.m., with two families with preteen kids eating dinner.

Hooters Newcastle is located right in the very heart of the city.

Located a three-minute walk from Newcastle's cathedral, Hooters couldn't be any more central.

Newcastle is a city renowned for lots of things: its history of shipbuilding, producing globally successful musicians like Sting — and its soccer club, Newcastle United.

It's possibly most famous within the UK, however, for its nightlife. The city has a reputation as a great location for stag and hen parties — the UK equivalent of bachelor and bachelorettes — thanks to its abundance of cheap and hospitable late-night bars.

Hooters Newcastle seems to want to lean into the city's reputation

As well as being extremely central, the restaurant is also located on a street called the Bigg Market, an area with a reputation for attracting the worst of the city's drunken revellers.

The location, twinned with the forefronting of the family-friendly ethos, struck me as slightly odd and a little contradictory. Why open your restaurant right in the heart of partyland, a place where few families are likely to visit, while also very visibly trying to attract families?

This question intensified late on in my visit when, during a particularly exciting moment in a Manchester United soccer match being shown, one customer — perhaps intoxicated by both booze and sporting loyalty — sprinted round the restaurant screaming in support of his team.

As my colleague Alex Bitter noted when he visited a US Hooters recently, Neil Kiefer, the chief executive of Hooters' founding group, HMC Hospitality Group, has recently placed an emphasis on being more family-friendly.

While the Hooters in Newcastle is not operated by HMC, this could explain the confused messaging.

Mixed messages aside, I was impressed on entering the restaurant.

Not only was it spacious, airy, and very clean, but the staff were — as expected for a business that prides itself on its friendly servers — absolutely delightful.

Plenty of TVs showing an array of sports dotted the walls, as did lots and lots of "fun" signs, including mottos such as "Tans fade, but wings are forever," and a cartoon of Marge Simpson dressed in a Hooters uniform.

I'd taken the precaution of booking a table, something that seemed to slightly throw the waitress who greeted us given the 200-seat location only had about 25 customers in it when we arrived.

We were seated right away by the smiling Michelle, our server for the night.

Michelle, clad in Hooters' famous tank top and orange hot pants, immediately delivered us pint glasses filled with iced water, something you get in virtually every restaurant in the US, but is fairly rare in Britain.

She briefly explained the menu to us, before leaving us to our own devices … for roughly three minutes.

Service was speedy, friendly, and precise.

If you're looking for discreet and quiet service, Hooters is not the place for you. Our server came to our table every few minutes to check how we were doing and asked if we'd like to order no less than four times in the first 15 minutes after we sat down.

We Brits are used to a certain cool disinterest from our waiters, in contrast to the exuberant friendliness of American servers.

This is largely down to the difference in tipping culture between our two nations. While tipping and service charges are becoming much more common in the UK, unlike in the US, our service staff don't rely on tips to ensure a livable income.

I'm skeptical of Hooters in the UK for this very reason. Because servers aren't working for tips, there's simply less incentive for the staff to be overtly friendly and engaging, possibly undermining one of its key selling points. That said, it didn't seem to be the case with our server.

I had zero complaints about how quickly my beer arrived.

A pitcher of beer arrived ice-cold in just a couple of minutes, and our food order was taken very promptly.

Hooters' menu contains a baffling variety of foods.

From burgers to ribs to loaded nachos and even shrimp, there's something for everyone, and prices are pretty reasonable.

We opted for a handful of Hooters classics, including chicken wings.

While wings are certainly a thing in the UK, they're nowhere near as popular here as they are in the States.

Hooters wings in the UK come with a choice of nine sauces and four rubs of varying spice levels, running the gamut from Parmesan garlic to spicy garlic, which carried a warning of being "really, really hot."

This reminded me a little of the heat options at Britain's legendary chicken chain, Nando's.

For our 20 bone-in wings, which cost us £16.99 (roughly $22.50), we opted for the medium.

We also ordered 10 boneless wings.

Costing £10.99 ($14.50) we got them tossed in a cajun honey sauce.

It was my first time trying boneless wings — which aren't actually wings, but glorified chicken nuggets. They were delicious: tender, juicy, and with a nice sweet and spicy kick from the Cajun honey.

The regular wings were pretty darn good too. I've eaten my fair share of wings in both the UK and US, and these were a fine example. Crispy on the outside but with soft, yielding flesh on the inside, and importantly, generously sauced.

The sides were good too.

Tater tots don't really exist in the UK, so there was a definite novelty to ordering what the menu called "Lots-A-Tots."

The tots for £7.99 (about $10.60) were very good, topped with melted American cheese, sour cream, scallions, and bacon bits. I'm sure if you've had tater tots before, these would have been nothing special, but they scored big points on novelty alone.

Fried jalapenos were also perfectly serviceable, though the mountain of sour cream was overkill.

All in all, the food at Hooters was substantially better than I expected. Would I tell all my friends to rush down there? Probably not. But would I happily go back for some wings and a couple of beers? Absolutely.

The one bum note of the evening was the cocktails.

For the sake of testing every part of the menu, I asked my dining companions to order a couple of cocktails. They opted for a classic margarita and a Sea Breeze, which featured vodka, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, and lime.

The verdict? Too sweet, and not nearly boozy enough.

I found myself asking one big question: who is this place for?

I just couldn't really work out the target market. The location and the general concept of the restaurant seemed to be geared toward straight, sports-loving men, but the signage and promotions seemed geared to attracting families.

Sure, these two demographics can probably coexist, but do groups of men want small children hanging around while they watch soccer, and do parents want drunk, rowdy men swearing and drinking near their kids? Probably not.

I don't doubt that the Hooters location in Newcastle, which opened earlier this year, will be a success. "Geordies" love eating and drinking, and its prime location sets it up well for success.

Beyond that, however, it's not hard to see why the mixed messaging at the heart of the brand's modern identity has confused some customers, and left some pundits questioning where Hooters fits in modern dining.

Hooters didn't respond to a request for comment.

• Sierra is TJX's outdoor lifestyle brand, selling apparel, gear, home goods, and pet products.
• It's still relatively small, but TJX said the chain could grow to 325 locations.
• Business Insider visited a store for a closer look at T.J. Maxx's younger, sportier sibling.

Shopping for outdoor lifestyle stuff is normally a quick way to burn a lot of cash.

Whether at Dick's Sporting Goods or REI, well-made apparel and gear usually come at a premium price — even with the occasional coupon or sale.

My consumer experience with activewear (and inactivewear), shoes, and other accessories led me to believe the relationship between quality and price was somewhat fixed.

That was before I discovered Sierra.

I gave my local store in Madison, Wisconsin, a look for the first time a few years ago.

I've done plenty of shopping at Sierra's more widely known siblings, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, and I never really felt the spark that keeps die-hard Maxxinistas coming back. Yes, the discounts at those stores seem large, but I'm not always able to tell if the price is actually a good value — especially if I don't recognize the brand.

Scanning the racks at Sierra was a different story, however. These were brands that I knew and trusted, like Smartwool, Carhartt, and more.

Each time I came back, I wondered why the Sierra brand wasn't more widely known relative to TJX's other brands and even other outdoor retailers.

It turns out, the reason is pretty simple. The brand was, and still is, fairly small and a more recent addition to the TJX portfolio.

Originally called Sierra Trading Post, the company started as a catalog company in 1986 in Reno, Nevada. It later moved to Wyoming and launched its e-commerce business in 1999.

TJX acquired it for $200 million in 2012. The first TJX-owned stores were located in Denver, followed by its first East Coast location in Burlington, Vermont.

In 2018, with a fleet of a few dozen stores, TJX relocated the company's headquarters to its main offices in Framingham, Massachusetts, and dropped the "Trading Post" from the name. The brand has since been on a growth spurt, on track to have 137 US locations by the end of this year.

In the longer term, TJX said it expects the brand to have 325 locations, more than triple the number of stores it had a year ago.

That gives Sierra the fastest growth rate of any brand in the TJX portfolio, though in fairness, T.J. Maxx and Marshalls have more than 2,500 US locations combined, so their growth is slower.

Sierra's tiny stature means it barely receives individual mention in TJX earnings calls beyond annual announcements of planned store openings, per equity research platform AlphaSense.

Out of the spotlight, Sierra has nevertheless been busy.

Foot traffic data from Placer.ai found that customer visits doubled between 2019 and 2022, driven in part by a pandemic-era rush to spend more time outside. While some of that increase is a result of simply having more stores, visits per store were also up, Placer.ai said.

In one of Sierra's rare mentions, TJX CEO Ernie Herrman characterized the store's assortment as "moderate to very high end " in 2022. My experience certainly supports his assessment.

Some recent treasure-hunt finds include the pair of Fjällräven pants I got, the pair of Lodge cast iron enamel dutch ovens in my kitchen, and an ever-expanding collection of insulated drinkware from Yeti, Stanley, and Hydro Flask.

High-quality items from known brands have also given me the confidence to try unfamiliar offerings from the store's assortment, and I am rarely disappointed. Hydrapeak's mugs may not have the current cultural cachet of Stanley's cups, but they do a solid job for a fraction of the price.

Sierra's selection can be somewhat limited compared to a traditional retailer's, but I almost always find something worthwhile. I now make a point of checking Sierra before or after trips to REI and Dick's.

Neither of those competitors is sleeping on Sierra, though.

In addition to its Public Lands stores, Dick's has recently experimented with clearance stores like the Warehouse Sale and Going Going Gone. And the online REI Outlet offers deep discounts on many of the items the co-op carries in its stores.

Still, Sierra has been in the game for a long time online, and its physical presence is expanding at a rate that could see it match REI's store count in just a few years.

Another difference is that, unlike other national or regional outdoor lifestyle chains, Sierra's parent company is a powerhouse of off-price retailing.

TJX's fingerprints are all over Sierra's stores, and the combination of its tried-and-tested playbook with this retail category makes the small but mighty brand an exciting one to follow.

• I ranked four store-bought barbecue sauces from worst to best.
• They all paired well with chicken nuggets, though some were thicker and more flavorful than others.
• I liked the barbecue sauces from Sweet Baby Ray's the most, including the no-sugar-added variety.

Barbecue season is here, so I made it my mission to find out which brand delivers the tastiest barbecue sauce straight from the bottle.

Ahead of July Fourth, I tried store-bought barbecue sauces from three different brands to determine which offered the smokiest, tangiest flavor for the best value. I also tried one brand's no-sugar-added version to see if it could measure up to the original.

While barbecue isn't typically my go-to sauce for all things dipping — proud ranch fan, here — I tried each of the sauces on their own and with chicken nuggets to see which sauce was my favorite.

Here's how I'd rank four store-bought barbecue sauces, from worst to best.

My least favorite barbecue sauce was Kraft's slow-simmered original barbecue sauce.

The sauce is made with ingredients like tomato, molasses, and hickory smoke.

It cost $4.19 for an 18-ounce bottle at my local Key Food supermarket in Brooklyn, New York.

The sauce wasn't as thick as the other brands I tried.

The texture was more watery and ketchup-like compared to the thicker, more molasses-heavy varieties.

The sauce was light and tangy, but it didn't have a strong enough flavor for me.

Compared to the other brands, I thought this barbecue sauce was lacking. I typically go for a thick, smoky barbecue sauce, and this was much lighter. I think I would struggle to fully coat chicken or ribs in this more viscous sauce, though I did enjoy the flavor.

It was tangy and slightly sweet, with a honey-like flavor, but reminded me more of a sweet-and-sour sauce than a true barbecue sauce.

I also tried KC Masterpiece's American Original barbecue sauce.

The sauce is made from molasses, onions, and spices to deliver an authentic Kansas City-style barbecue sauce.

Aside from any store discounts, this barbecue sauce was the cheapest I tried. An 18-ounce bottle cost $2.89 at my local Key Food supermarket in Brooklyn, New York.

KC Masterpiece's was the thickest sauce I tried.

It clung to the chicken nugget and had a dark, buttery, molasses-like consistency.

I thought this sauce was a good balance of smoky and sweet.

The sauce had a robust, smoky flavor and a consistency that easily clung to the chicken nugget, making for a balanced bite that overtook my tastebuds.

It was really sweet, very much tasting of molasses. However, I was missing that slight tangy flavor that would have really taken this sauce over the edge and provided a more dynamic flavor profile.

Up next was the Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce with no added sugar.

Before this taste test, I was already familiar with Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce.

The brand has been cited as the top-selling barbecue sauce in the US, so this sauce had a lot to live up to, especially since it had no added sugar, which I worried would weaken the flavor.

An 18.5-ounce bottle cost $4.89 at my local Key Food, making it the most expensive sauce I tried.

The sauce had a balanced consistency. It wasn't too thick or too watery.

The sauce easily coated the chicken nugget, without being too thick or gloopy.

I was really impressed by the flavor. It was sweet without being overpowering.

Overall, this sauce nailed it for me. It was tangy but not sickly sweet, and it had a balanced consistency in terms of texture. I definitely got the smoky flavor without the overpowering molasses flavor I tasted in the KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce.

It was also the lowest-calorie sauce of the ones I tried, with 15 calories per serving.

However, when it came down to price, it was beaten out by the original version.

My favorite barbecue sauce was Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce.

It perhaps comes as no surprise that this sauce was my favorite. After all, the brand has won awards at various barbecue competitions for its sauce.

An 18-ounce bottle cost $2 at my local Key Food after a markdown of $1.89, making it the least expensive barbecue sauce I tried.

The sauce had a rich, red color and a similar consistency to the no-sugar-added version.

It was just a touch less thick than the other sauce from Sweet Baby Ray's, but it still managed to coat the chicken nugget easily. In my opinion, this was the best sauce for dipping.

Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce struck the perfect balance for me.

The sauce had a slightly acidic, tart flavor that balanced out the sweet notes and an undercurrent of earthy flavor that made me feel like I was at a backyard barbecue.

Next time I'm firing up the grill for some barbecue ribs or just need a dipping sauce for my nuggets or chicken tenders, I know exactly which barbecue sauce I'm grabbing.

• Declining foot traffic and rising e-commerce have led thousands of stores to permanently close.
• Former household names like Borders, Circuit City, and Blockbuster are now just retail history.
• BI rounded up dozens of once-beloved stores that no longer have a meaningful brick-and-mortar presence.

Brick-and-mortar retail is a tough business.

One day, your favorite brand can be riding high and enjoying strong sales from loyal customers, while the next it's fighting for survival and fending off creditors.

Emerging trends, changing shopping patterns, and new e-commerce players are increasingly reshuffling the game.

Here's a look back at some of the retail brands whose stores once greeted thousands of people each day, but are now consigned to retail's history books — or exist only online or as a tiny fraction of what they once were.

Blockbuster

Blockbuster started in 1985 and acquired the Sound Warehouse and Music Plus music chains to create Blockbuster Music in 1992. The music division was sold to Wherehouse Entertainment in 1998 before closing for good, but there remains one single Blockbuster video rental store in Bend, Oregon.

Thom McAn

Thom McAn was a chain of shoe stores that peaked in the 1960's and closed up shop by 1996. The brand's shoes continued to be available at Sears and Kmart.

Kinney Shoes

First opened in 1894, Kinney Shoes had 467 stores at its peak, all of which shuttered in 1998.

Warner Bros. Studio Store

Warner Bros. Studio Store competed with the Disney store until the company closed all of its locations in 2001.

Zany Brainy

Zany Brainy filed for bankruptcy in 2001 and closed all locations in 2003. The educational toy retailer's founder, David Schlessinger, co-founded the discount company Five Below.

Ames Department Store

Debt and poor sales forced Ames Department Store into bankruptcy twice, and in 2002, the remaining Ames stores closed.

Imaginarium

Imaginarium was an educational toy store in the 1980s. Stores started closing in the 1990s, and by 2003, parent company Toys R Us closed all remaining locations.

Hecht's Department Store

Hecht's was purchased by Macy's in 2005, and all locations were either turned into Macy's stores or closed.

Marshall Fields

Federated Department Stores bought Marshall Fields in 2005 and converted the stores to the company's more recognizable flagship brand, Macy's.

Gadzooks

Gadzooks was a teen clothing store that was around from 1983 to 2005. It filed for bankruptcy in its final year and was purchased by Forever 21, which then closed all of the stores.

Kaufmann's

In 2006, Macy's retired the Kaufmann's name, and the brand disappeared.

Tower Records

Tower Records couldn't keep up with the rise of digital music, and all stores in the US were closed in 2006.

Media Play

Media Play was a big box store that sold books, movies, software, toys, and video games. It closed in 2006.

Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel's 103 stand-alone stores closed in 2007.

KB Toys

KB Toys announced it would be going out of business in 2008, and by early 2009 all locations were closed.

Sharper Image

Sharper Image declared bankruptcy in 2008, but the company still sells merchandise through its website, catalog, and third-party retail partners.

Levitz Furniture

Levitz Furniture declared bankruptcy twice — first in 1997, and then in 2005. It closed all of its stores in 2008.

Linens 'n Things

Linens 'n Things had more than 500 stores in 2006, but by the end of 2008, they were all closed. The company still does business online.

Mervyn's

Mervyn's once had almost 200 locations in the western US. In 2008, the company declared bankruptcy and closed all of its stores.

Limited Too

Limited Too's success began dwindling in the early 2000s, and all stores were eventually rebranded as Justice by 2008.

Tweeter

Tweeter filed for bankruptcy in 2008, and all of its stores were closed by the end of the year.

Circuit City

Circuit City filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and shuttered all stores the following Spring.

Steve & Barry's

Steve & Barry's filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and closed all of its stores in 2009.

Filene's and Filene's Basement

Filene's Basement's parent company went bankrupt in 2009, and by 2011 all of its stores were closed.

B. Dalton Books

B. Dalton was acquired by Barnes & Noble in 1987, which officially closed the bookstore in January 2010, except for a single location in Oviedo, Florida.

Waldenbooks

Waldenbooks merged with Borders in 1994, and all Waldenbooks stores closed when Borders Group liquidated in 2011.

Borders Books & Music

Borders Books & Music stores closed shortly after the company was forced to liquidate in 2011.

CompUSA

CompUSA started in 1984, but by 2007, Best Buy and other superstores had taken over, and the last CompUSA closed in 2012.

Sam Goody

Sam Goody music stores suffered from the rise of digital media, and most Sam Goody stores were either ultimately shuttered or converted into other brands like FYE by 2012.

A&P

A&P filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2010 and again in 2015, closing its stores that year.

 

Sports Authority

Competition drove Sports Authority into bankruptcy in 2016, when it closed all its stores and sold its website to Dick's Sporting Goods.

Sport Chalet

Sport Chalet, which first opened in 1959, abruptly closed all of its stores in 2016.

Wet Seal

Wet Seal, a teen clothing store, filed for bankruptcy in 2015 and closed for good in 2017.

Virgin Megastores

Virgin Megastores stopped operating in the US in 2017, but the brand continues online and in select international markets.

The Limited

The Limited abruptly shut down all of its stores in 2017, and the brand is now sold exclusively through Belk.

Teavana

Teavana's 379 locations were closed by its parent company, Starbucks, in 2018.

Bon-Ton Stores

The Bon-Ton stores included its namesake brand, as well as Bergner's, Boston Store, Elder-Beerman, and Younkers.

Henri Bendel

After 123 years of business, luxury retailer Henri Bendel closed all of its stores in 2019.

Dress Barn

Dress Barn shut down in 2019 after 50 years in business.

Papyrus

At its peak in 2009, Papyrus had 500 stores across the US and Canada, but the company ultimately filed for bankruptcy and closed its 254 stores in 2020.

Lord & Taylor

Lord & Taylor filed for bankruptcy in 2020, leading to the closure of its 38 stores. An attempt at reviving the brand as a "digital collective" was unsuccessful.

Olympia Sports

After a slow decline and a tumultuous stint with private equity owners, Maine-based Olympia Sports shut down its remaining stores in 2022.

Bed Bath & Beyond

Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy and closed its 896 remaining stores in 2023, though the brand was sold and relaunched online.

In October 2024, Beyond and Kirkland's Home announced a $25 million deal to open 15,000-square-foot small-format "neighborhood" Bed Bath & Beyond locations across the US in 2025. The companies said the concept would include an assortment of classic BB&B products.

Tuesday Morning

The Dallas-based home goods company shut down all of its stores in 2023 after it had only planned to close half of its stores amid bankruptcy proceedings.

Christmas Tree Shops

The Massachusetts-based seasonal specialty retailer filed for bankruptcy in 2023, winding down the remaining 72 locations across 20 states.

Rue21

Teen apparel retailer rue21 — known for its presence in shopping malls — filed for bankruptcy for the third time in May 2024. The company's 540 locations also shut down.

The retailer had attempted multiple turnaround plans after a 2017 bankruptcy and 2023 bankruptcy filing.

Payless Shoesource

Payless ShoeSource was once the largest and most successful family-owned business in the country.

The company filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and 2019, and ended up closing all of its locations. The brand still lives on as a store on Amazon.com.

Conn's HomePlus

Conn's HomePlus, a home goods retailer known throughout the South, filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2024 before announcing that it was shuttering all of its stores.

The chain operated more than 170 stores in 15 states.

Joann Fabrics and Crafts

In February 2025, Joann said that it had reached a deal to sell its assets and wind down operations, including closing around 300 remaining stores.

"We deeply appreciate our dedicated Team Members, our customers and communities across the nation for their unwavering support for more than 80 years," the company said in a statement.

The fabric and crafts chain experienced two rounds of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in less than a year.

Party City

Party City went bankrupt and announced in December 2024 that it was closing down all locations.

Party City was impacted severely by the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns and social distancing ended many celebratory gatherings, and other mass retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target stepped up their party supply offerings.

A small number of Party City locations are still open for the time being, according to the store locator.

Moosejaw

Dick's Sporting Goods shut down outdoors retailer Moosejaw shortly after purchasing the brand from Walmart.

The company was originally founded in Michigan in 1992, and was later bought by Walmart in 2017 for $51 million.

Forever 21

Forever 21 was once an iconic fast-fashion mainstay of shopping malls, but it eventually succumbed to rising costs and new competition.

The brand was a popular choice for budget-minded shoppers and helped inspire the fast-fashion trend later followed by brands like Temu and Shein, which the company later cited as threats to its existence.

• The Chase Sapphire Reserve was once the hottest card for millennials. I didn't have one and felt left out and bitter.
• Now, Chase has changed the card's fees and rewards structure. It's $795 for a personal card. Some people say they'll cancel.
• For me, schadenfreude is almost as satisfying as a good deal.

Some financial windfalls are all about the timing — and luck: A handful of California gold nuggets in 1848. A SoHo loft in 1984. Bitcoin in 2013. A home mortgage rate in 2020.

I've made peace with missing out on some of life's chances to accidentally inflate my financial standing in the world. But the one that has always made me slightly sick to my stomach is missing out on the late 2016 Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card points bonanza.

Now, my painful case of FOMO has been cured.

Last week, Chase said it was revamping the Sapphire Reserve — and upping its annual fee to $795, from the current $550. And it's making a bunch of changes to its rewards structure, which some people are downright furious about. They say they'll cancel. (Chase says its card will become even more valuable, with "over $2,700 in annual value.")

Well, as a world-class hater, sore loser, and jealous snake, I couldn't be more thrilled.

When the new yearly fee and rewards were announced last week, I watched in absolute glee as friends of mine and strangers on the internet lamented and wailed at the fact that the card that had once showered them with rewards points would not be worth the fee (again, only for some people).

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card had attained a millennial mythos akin only to avocado toast and entitled attitudes. It came during the peak of the ZIRP and "millennial lifestyle subsidy" eras: Ubers were cheap, and the credit card points flowed like The Fat Jewish's personal rosé brand. The card — especially if you signed up in the early days — gave you a massive points bonus that could be used for travel or other perks.

It seemed almost impossible not to have the credit card make you money (of course, assuming you paid off your balances and wisely used the points).

I never had the Chase Sapphire Reserve; when it launched, my friends were excited and extolling its virtues, but I thought I needed another credit card and was intimidated by the points gaming. At some point, I realized I had missed the boat. I didn't get in while the getting was good.

Now, I've been reading the r/SapphireReserve subreddit with glee, seeing some of the former evangelists of the card defeated by its new fee. The main post about the news: "Welp. It's bad and official."

I should note here that the card may indeed still be a good deal for some people — it matters how much you spend, and what kind of rewards/perks you're most interested in.

The perks, however, are not exactly what everyone wants, like Apple TV+ or Apple Music subscriptions (less appealing for a Spotify user). There are credits for certain hotels from Chase's selection of hand-picked hotels (which may not be the ones you want). If you spend $75,000 a year on the card, you will get status on Southwest Airlines.

But as one Redditor said: "Who is spending $75k per year on this card that also wants status on Southwest Airlines?"

As for Chase, it touts 8X points on all Chase Travel purchases, which is up from 5X on flights, but slightly down from 10X on hotels and car rentals. It also touts 4X points on flights and hotels purchased directly with the airline or hotel, up from 3X.

The points system for the card is somewhat complicated (part of why I have always avoided a points-based card), and people's individual situations will vary a lot about whether this card is better or worse or worth it. For some people, the higher yearly fee will net out with all the new rewards; for others, they're thinking of downgrading to a cheaper version or canceling altogether.

I wish all of the Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders the best journey to the path that works best for them. Me, I'm just feeling a huge burden lifted off my shoulders. Ahhhh ….

• Starbucks is changing how it charges customers for customized beverages.
• The chain now charges 80 cents for any combination of sauces or syrups, it said on Tuesday.
• It's the latest change that Starbucks has made on CEO Brian Niccol's watch.

The cost of your next Starbucks drink with extra syrup shots or dried fruit is about to change.

Starbucks will now charge 80 cents for sauces or syrups, regardless of the combination or number of pumps, a company spokesperson told Business Insider. The change took effect on Tuesday and was reported earlier by Bloomberg.

Under the new pricing, matcha powder will cost $1 per scoop, dried fruit will be 50 cents per scoop, and chai concentrate will be 80 cents a serving, the spokesperson said.

Starbucks said it is also making its Classic syrup free in any beverage. In pre-flavored drinks, such as a Starbucks mocha frappuccino, customers can now add or substitute a sauce or syrup at no extra charge.

All of those changes will be reflected in a new pricing update feature in the Starbucks app. The feature will show changes in the price of a customer's order as they make additions or substitutions, the Starbucks spokesperson said.

Starbucks is conducting "a limited customer test" of the feature, the spokesperson told BI. Previously, users had to wait until checkout to see the effect that their modifications had on the price of a beverage.

Over the last several months, Starbucks has been making changes to its operations, from its corporate leadership to how members of its rewards program accrue points.

CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the company in September, has laid out a turnaround plan for the coffee chain aimed at reversing Starbucks' falling sales.

Do you have a story to share about Starbucks? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Revenue for Prime — Logan Paul and KSI's energy drink — fell more than 70% in the UK last year.
• The hype around the once buzzy drink has moderated, the brand said.
• The company has also faced multiple lawsuits from vendor partners.

The hype for energy drink-maker Prime Hydration is drying up.

When YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI launched the Prime brand in 2022, demand was so high that a secondary black market formed among UK school children.

But the buzz didn't last. In 2024, the company's UK revenue fell about 70% from the previous year, according to public filings. The company pulled in around £33 million (roughly $45 million) in 2024 drink sales, compared to £120 million (about $163 million) the prior year.

Consumer interest in its brand has moderated, the company wrote. It's entering a "strategic review process to transition from an initial hyper-growth phase to a more sustainable, long-term presence in the market," it said.

Prime remained profitable in the UK in 2024, with about £312,000 in profit, a 92% drop compared to the previous year.

There are indications that the heat has cooled off elsewhere, too.

US sales declined through the first half of last year, according to estimates from the market insights firm Numerator. As of June 2024, Prime sales in the US were down 40% from the previous year, based on purchase data the firm compiled from its panel of 150,000 US consumers. Numerator attributed the decline to a lack of new buyers, as well as less frequent purchasing and a drop in spending per unit from existing customers. The decline in sales outpaced broader declines in sales in the energy drink and sports drink categories, the company said.

Prime entered the global beverage market with a roar, bolstered by the marketing might of its social-media-famous cofounders. In 2023, Bloomberg reported that the company was profitable and set to hit $1.2 billion in sales that year, its first full year in business. The company, alongside other creator product lines like Alex Cooper's Unwell drinks or MrBeast's chocolate brand Feastables, shows the power of social media influencers to make a brand go viral.

But influencer businesses can be fickle, and building a brand that can stand the test of time can be tough. Take fashion influencer Arielle Charnas' clothing brand Something Navy, which earned $32 million in revenue in its first year, but saw sales falter a couple of years later.

"The upside of the influencer-led, social approach to beverage marketing is that it allows you to capitalize quickly on short-term cultural trends, leading to the huge surge," Euromonitor beverage analyst Howard Telford told BI in a statement last year. "But there is a big risk that this turns into a short-term viral fad unless the product itself (rather than the celebrity of the founders) can serve a real consumer need."

Prime's vendors have sued, alleging missed payments

Prime's business woes have extended beyond its declining drink sales.

Several of the company's vendors filed lawsuits against it, saying Prime had failed to meet its contract commitments.

Last year, one of Prime's suppliers sued Prime's parent company for $68 million. Refresco, a beverage-bottling company, accused Prime of breaching a 2023 contract in which it committed to ordering 18.5 million cases annually over three years.

Prime sales were "falling well below" expectations, Refresco's lawyer wrote in the complaint, blaming the decline on "fading social media buzz" and a series of lawsuits.

The case was eventually dismissed on the grounds of jurisdiction.

Another vendor, Agrovana, also sued Prime last year. The Massachusetts-based importer, which provides Prime with ingredients, accused the beverage brand of not paying for products it had ordered in binding purchase agreements.

"Sometime in early 2024 or thereabouts, sales of Prime's drinks sputtered, apparently as a result of normal seasonal fluctuations, of the fading popularity of Paul and KSI, and diminishing effectiveness of its on-line marketing," the complaint says. It alleged the company experienced "cash-flow issues" and was "working to secure credit lines to pay the outstanding invoices."

Prime denied the allegations, requested the complaint be dismissed, and submitted a counterclaim, alleging Agrovana did not comply with quality standards.

In response, Agrovana said that "Prime's complaints were motivated by its inability to sell its finished product as a result of factors that Agrovana had nothing to do with."

The case is ongoing.

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

• As a former Hermès employee, I saw customers make some common mistakes when shopping in-store.
• It's important to understand that most shoppers can't just walk in and buy a Birkin bag.
• Customers should have a good relationship with their sales associate, but they shouldn't bug them.

I spent two years working in retail marketing and visual merchandising at Hermés.

The French fashion house has been around for nearly two centuries and specializes in leather goods, though it might be best known for its coveted Birkin bags.

These high-ticket items, which can cost thousands and are often carried by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, are offered to only a select number of the retailer's customers.

When I worked at Hermès, I learned a lot about the brand and how to score its most-coveted products. I've since transitioned to a career in sourcing luxury goods — and I'm no stranger to locating the brand's famous designer bags for my own clients.

Here are a few mistakes I saw customers make while shopping at Hermès.

Many shoppers think they can walk in and score a high-ticket item

Similar to other luxury brands like Porsche, Hermès uses scarcity marketing — a concept in which consumers value a product when there's a limited supply or availability.

This means most customers cannot simply walk into a boutique and purchase the brand's highest-ticket items, like a Kelly or Birkin bag.

Birkin bags are so sought after that even its Walmart lookalikes are selling out.

If shoppers want to increase their chances of being able to buy the real thing, they should "build a profile" or establish a consistent buying history with the store.

This can be done by making entry-level purchases and working with a single, designated sales associate over time. After all, sales associates can play a major role in deciding who gets one of these coveted bags.

I recommend buying items in a diverse mix of categories. In my experience, the highest-commission categories for sales associates include homeware, fine jewelry, elaborate textiles, and exotic, ready-to-wear pieces.

Purchasing these items can enhance your profile and help you stand out to a sales associate.

Refrain from acting rude or indifferent, and remember to maintain a professional demeanor

At Hermès, entitlement and rude behavior are the biggest no-gos. I've even seen negative attitudes prohibit clients from future boutique visits.

I recommend keeping a positive attitude, cultivating curiosity when in a boutique, and engaging with a sales associate as you would with anyone in a professional setting.

I'd also be mindful that sales associates are there to make a living and provide an exclusive, luxury experience. After all, this is supposed to be a mutually beneficial relationship.

Don't put too much pressure on your sales associate

Navigating the Hermès shopping experience is a lot like managing a business relationship. In many boutiques, sales associates share their contact details with customers.

However, many people tend to take this as a sign to inundate them with questions. Instead, I recommend customers visit a boutique at their convenience and ask about the potential timeline for a high-ticket item as they shop for other goods.

If texting or calling are your only ways to engage with a sales associate, use these methods to inquire about lower-ticket items you're interested in seeing when you visit.

I've found a lot of customers have unrealistic expectations

Some customers come in focused solely on coveting the one high-ticket item they saw all over social media.

However, I think two key points are crucial in navigating the Hermès shopping experience. First, keep in mind that sales associates value clients who engage with the brand and show genuine interest in the Hermès heritage.

Secondly, in my experience, sales associates don't earn a commission on bags like the Kelly and Birkin. Therefore, it may be wise to explore lesser-known areas within the brand, such as home goods, fragrances, or equestrian items your sales associate recommends.

This way, you'll be putting commission money in your sales associate's pocket, and they may feel more inclined to help you work your way to a coveted bag.

Don't switch between different sales associates or locations

Working your way toward a coveted bag at Hermès can feel like a high-stakes mental game. Customers often have to visit a boutique multiple times, so the path to owning these items can be lengthy.

Unfortunately, I've seen customers try to game the system by visiting multiple boutiques or switching between sales associates in one location.

However, I recommend staying loyal to one associate and boutique, as some stores may prioritize their most devoted clients.

This story was originally published on January 3, 2025 and most recently updated on June 20, 2025.

• Costco has been clamping down on shoppers using membership cards that don't belong to them.
• There are still ways to shop without a membership: online, with a gift card, or as a member's guest.
• The extra charges and hassle of workarounds can quickly add up to more than the annual fee, though.

Costco's Netflix-style crackdown on unauthorized membership sharing over the past two years raises a perennial question about how to access the jumbo packs of toilet paper, tubs of salted caramels, 40-pound bags of dog food, and other staples without signing up for a membership.

Access to the warehouse club and its bulk-price deals is primarily reserved for card-carrying shoppers with Gold Star, Executive, or Business memberships. These memberships start at $65 a year and include access for two shoppers who live in the same household (or work for the same business).

There are still ways to shop Costco's selection without paying the fee.

Here are three ways.

1. Shop online without a Costco membership

While some items on Costco.com are reserved for members, non-members can shop through the site's Instacart-powered Same-Day option or Costco's partnership with Uber Eats. The same-day services offer about 2,000 fresh, frozen, grocery, and household items for delivery.

The best prices on those platforms are reserved for members only, though. Uber says members will pay 15% to 20% less than non-members. On Instacart, non-members may be assessed a 5% surcharge on some orders.

Beyond the fees, pricing online is generally higher than at the warehouse. Costco is upfront about that.

Its pricing policy states: "Item prices are marked up higher than your local Costco warehouse. Instacart uses the markup to pay for their delivery service."

A 2022 analysis from Insider's Reviews team found that the best prices on Costco items are found in person. Business Insider also compared online and in-store pricing for a basket of commonly purchased items and found that this is still largely true.

For example, on June 18, a 30-roll pack of toilet paper cost $20.99 in the warehouse. On Instacart, the same pack costs $24.56 for members and $25.79 for non-members.

Other items in the basket included Costco's famous rotisserie chicken, salted caramels, eggs, dog food, bottled water, and coffee beans.

The pre-tax total for the seven in-warehouse items was $98.43, compared to $120.92 for non-members on Instacart. The difference of $22.49 was made up of $16.73 in higher pricing and a $5.76 5% surcharge. The comparison does not include a driver tip or rush fee.

The savings mean the $65 Gold Star membership fee would pay for itself after three trips to a warehouse, and six trips would cover the cost of a $130 Executive membership.

For non-members, when you add the higher listing prices and surcharges, Costco's savings compared to other retailers like Walmart or Amazon might not be as substantial.

2. Use a Costco gift card without a membership

Another popular workaround is to use a Costco gift card, known as a Shop Card, which allows shoppers to access the warehouse to use the funds.

The hitch with this approach is that Shop Cards are only available for members to purchase and have a minimum value of $25.

That $25 would quickly be used up in one visit, and it could be a useful hack for helping friends and family stock up on supplies. However, you might catch some pushback trying to buy $200 more stuff than your gift card is loaded for.

It's an easy way to let someone explore the club on their own without the commitment of membership. If they do decide to sign up, the Shop Card funds can be put toward the annual fee.

3. Visit the Costco warehouse as the guest of a member

Costco's policy allows members to bring two guests with them to the warehouse. Once again, there is a hitch: only the member is allowed to pay for purchases.

As with the Shop Card hack, this approach depends on a fair amount of trust between the member and the non-member, not to mention coordinating schedules to make a trip to the warehouse and sort everything out on Venmo afterward.

Bottom line: It probably makes sense to just pay the fee

Given the costs and complications of trying to avoid shelling out the $65 membership fee, it may make more financial sense to simply pay the charge, especially for shoppers who expect to make more than a couple of Costco trips a year.

As BI's Reviews team found, and BI again confirmed, the prices of bulk-size items can add up quickly. Shaving a few percent off in fees means the breakeven point comes after a few trips.

As the company puts it, "rest assured that the cost of membership can be recovered quickly thanks to massive price savings once you start shopping."

Either way, the real kicker is even simpler: if you don't think the membership is worth it, you can get a refund.

• Costco is bringing back a key perk for shoppers in its higher-priced membership tier.
• Starting June 30, executive members will be able to shop an hour earlier than Gold Star members.
• Slightly less than half of Costco members pay for the executive tier, but they represent 73% of sales.

A big perk is coming to Costco's higher-priced membership tier.

The warehouse club said it would begin allowing executive members in the US to shop an hour earlier than standard members starting June 30, according to an email to employees seen by Business Insider.

"Our Executive Members are our most loyal members, and we want to reward them for their commitment to Costco," the email said.

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

Executive members were previously offered extended shopping hours at some locations, but the perk was phased out in recent years, Costco Insider reported.

The company also said in the email that executive members would start receiving a $10 monthly credit for Instacart orders and $150 worth of other benefits and savings on Costco services.

Costco's higher-priced membership comes with several benefits, including 2% rewards on purchases.

Slightly fewer than half of Costco members are executive-tier, which costs twice as much as the standard $65-a-year level, called Gold Star. Executive members account for more than 73% of the company's total sales, according to the company.

Improving the attractiveness of the executive upgrade could help Costco boost membership fee revenue and drive higher sales. It might also alleviate traffic that has been a challenge for some stores.

Costco has also been testing earlier hours at its gas stations for all members. The company said during its May earnings call that the impact on sales has been positive so far.