Here are some of the recent news and trends you may have
missed this week!
Starbucks
ditches Teavana “tea bars:” Starbucks,
which has been known for experimenting with different coffee shop formats, is
closing its Teavana tea bars that it opened in New York City in 2014.
The coffee shop chain says it will convert its three tea
bars in New York City to regular Starbucks stores this spring and close another
Teavana location in Beverly Hills. A fifth location in Seattle, near the
company headquarters, will remain open as a way to test new ideas.
This isn’t the first time Starbucks has taken steps to exit
a food and beverage market. The company closed
all 23 La Boulange bakery stores by September 2015, but continues to serve
the brand’s products in regular Starbucks locations.
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Zara
to open store in Mall of America: Fast fashion retailer Zara will be
opening a new store in Minnesota’s Mall of America in 2016, according to job
postings on the retailer’s website.
Earlier this year, Zara indicated that it plans to open more
than a dozen stores in the U.S. in 2016. As of now, the closest Zara locations
to Minnesota are in the Chicago area, so it appears the retailer is looking to
enter untapped markets.
Shoppers
buy natural, but often don’t know what it means: While as many as 62%
of consumers buy food labeled as “natural,” according to research from Consumer
Reports, the study reveals these consumers tend to be unaware of what the term
means.
The report says 60% of people believe a “natural” label
means packaged and processed foods have no genetically modified organisms, artificial
ingredients, chemicals and pesticides, but this is untrue since the usage of
the word still isn’t regulated by the FDA.
The FDA is monitoring the usage of the term, and is
presently holding a “public comment period” which will take place through May
10, according to the agency’s web site.
Walmart
and major CPG brands donate water bottles to Flint, Mich.: Walmart,
Coca-Cola, Nestle and PepsiCo are collaborating to donate approximately 176
truckloads of water to assist relief efforts for the townspeople of Flint,
Mich.
Flint’s water supply became contaminated with lead in April
2014 after it stopped using water from nearby Detroit, instead opting to use
water from the Flint River.
Hope your January is going well so far! Be sure to stop by
the RTP site for a greater dose of
the latest news!
