Consumer and retail news: 10 things you need to know today

Advertisement

1. Cracker Barrel is opening a new restaurant chain that makes insane gourmet biscuit sandwiches

Cracker Barrel is launching a new restaurant chain called Holler & Dash. It will offer a fast-casual setting and its menu will revolve around one main ingredient: biscuits.

Advertisement

2. Sears chairman says every retailer is screwed

Sears Chairman Eddie Lampert says Sears is trying to adapt to the evolving industry, and acknowledged that the company is falling behind the pace of change.

3. Lands' End completely changed its marketing strategy after Catholic schools threatened to boycott the business

Lands' End featured an interview with feminist icon Gloria Steinem as a part of its newly launched "Legend Series". The interview was met with with criticism. Two Catholic schools said they would no longer purchase their uniforms from Lands' End, as Steinem is associated with promoting abortion.

4. This is America's most hated retail brand

Abercrombie & Fitch has been designated America's most hated retail brand by the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

5. Target beat Walmart in one crucial category

The nation's second-largest discount retailer announced that digital sales (desktop and mobile) accounted for 5% of Target's total sales in the fourth quarter of 2015, an all-time high.

Advertisement

6. The gender pay gap might even exist on eBay

The gender pay gap is a pretty damning indictment of our society: data published last December suggests that women will not earn as much as men for the same work for another 100 years.

7. Gap shares dip following disappointing earnings

Gap's shares took a hit in after-hours trading Thursday - a 33% drop in fourth-quarter profits as business was hurt by a strong US dollar and strategic moves to turn around its ailing business.

8. Arby's will have a one day, Leap year vegetarian menu

On February 29, Arby's will have a vegetarian menu, simply removing all meat from its sandwiches. The chain claims the menu change is designed to draw in vegetarian customers, reports CNN Money.

9. Sports Authority is crashing

Sports Authority missed a $20 million payment to creditors in January and now it's on the brink of bankruptcy. It's $600 million in debt, reports Fortune.

10. Whole Foods tests food truck in Austin

Whole Foods is continuing to test innovations with the launch of a culinary food truck at its flagship store in Austin, Texas, according to a release.

Advertisement