Consumer and retail news: 10 things you need to know today
1. Boston College warns students to avoid Chipotle after a 'veritable epidemic' sickens athletes
Chipotle's E. coli problem may have spread to Boston. Reports on Monday from SB Nation's Boston College blog and local Boston news stationsindicate that a number of students on campus have fallen ill after having eaten at a Chipotle near campus.
2. Photos from this year's outrageous Victoria's Secret fashion show
The show taped in New York last month, and we have the photos. The multimillion-dollar production was as outrageous as ever. After months of arduous training, top models Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, and Candice Swanepoel were all featured in the show, and Gigi Hadid and Kardashian clan member Kendall Jenner made their runway debuts. Selena Gomez, The Weeknd, and Ellie Goulding performed.
3. Keurig isn't just about coffee anymore
Keurig Green Mountain's next big thing is its cold-drink maker, as the recently-acquired company attempts a financial comeback. Called the Kold, it is going to be rolled out nationally next year. Right now, it is available on the company's website.
4. The company that owns those DVD-vending machines said sales are terrible, and now its stock is crashing
With the abundance and affordability of content-streaming services like Netflix and PlayStation Now, demand for services that rent physical media has plummeted. Shares of Redbox, the supplier of movie and game-rental kiosks, were down 22% in premarket trading on Tuesday. On Monday evening, the company lowered its forecast for full-year revenues.
5. Yum Brands CFO Patrick Grismer will retire in February
Yum! Brands has announced the retirement of CFO Patrick Grismer. Grismer has served as CFO at Yum since 2012 and worked in various senior finance and planning positions at the company since 2002. Grismer will remain with the company until February 19, 2016.
6. Domino's debuts a fleet of delivery cars with built-in ovens and enough room for twice as many pizzas
Domino's is launching 100 DXP ("Delivery Expert") vehicles with the capacity to carry double the number of pizzas of a typical delivery car in 25 markets across the country. The cars, which are adapted from the Chevrolet Spark model, only have one seat - the driver's - to make more room for pizzas, bottles of soda, wings, and salad. In the back, the cars have an oven mounted on the floor, used to keep pizzas warm in insulated bags as drivers deliver the meals.
7. This carb-free pasta that was invented a year ago is now sold in 1700 stores nationwide
A high-protein pasta made from chickpeas is gaining popularity. Banza, a startup based in Detroit, created a new pasta made out of chickpeas. It has two times as much protein and four times as much fiber as traditional pasta has. It also has half as many carbs as traditional pasta has.
8. Apple has made an iPhone case that improves battery life to 25 hours
Apple has released a battery case, called the Smart Battery Case, that improves the iPhone's battery life to as long as 25 hours. Third-party vendors, such as Mophie, already produce various battery cases that plug into the iPhone's Lightning port and provide extra power beyond the built-in battery. Apple says simultaneously charging the Smart Battery Case and iPhone yields over 25 hours of talk time, 18 hours of internet use, and over 20 hours of video playback.
9. Target made a huge mistake that helped one of its biggest competitors
Amazon is to blame for Target's online hiccup on Cyber Monday - but not through any nefarious hacking. If Target had established its own online sales section at the turn of the 21st century instead of outsourcing the task to Amazon, the company would have already built up its online business and created a website that wouldn't have crashed when its sales mattered most.
10. This European grocery store with a cult following should terrify Walmart, Kroger, and Trader Joe's
Aldi is one of the cheapest stores in the US to buy groceries. The chain's prices on fresh produce and packaged goods are roughly 30% lower than Walmart's.