Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

India’s appetite is increasing day by and day and the <keyword id="20676228" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="food-services-industry" source="keywords">food services industry</keyword> is on a sizzling plate, projected to grow by 10-12% annually for the next seven years, according to a recent study by <keyword id="19896956" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swiggy" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Swiggy" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Swiggy">Swiggy</keyword> and <keyword id="19922375" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bain-Company" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bain &amp; Company" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Bain &amp; Company">Bain &amp; Company</keyword>. This translates to a potential customer base of 45 crore people by 2030! <keyword id="20039605" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-food-delivery" source="keywords">Online food delivery</keyword>, in particular, is expected to grow at an even faster rate with a compound annual growth rate of 18%. Fueled by a growing population, more eating-out occasions, and a wider variety of food options, India's culinary landscape is undergoing a delicious transformation — delicious for the service providers. But what of the consumers? While the study reveals a fascinating diversity in <keyword id="22275323" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="how-india-eats" source="Orion">how India eats</keyword>, it also indicates that the top 50, or Tier 1, cities presently account for 70% of food consumption. This wouldn’t be a problem if eating food from outside weren’t basically synonymous with eating unhealthy food. To exacerbate this problem, statistics suggest that this trend will soon seep into the Tier 2 and 3 cities of the country as well. Further, 70% of consumption came from upper-middle to high income households. As per the study, GenZ and other youngsters represent a significant chunk of the food consumption pie – a whopping 40%! <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="109113406" title="Millennials and Gen Z&amp;#39;s trendy new splurge: groceries" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Growing up in the age of smartphones and social media, Gen Z is comfortable navigating the digital world to discover new restaurants and cuisines. They're not afraid to experiment, venturing beyond traditional family favorites and trying over three different cuisines and six restaurants in a year! While GenZ appreciates good food, they also prioritise value for money. Online food <keyword id="20039606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delivery-platforms" source="keywords">delivery platforms</keyword> allow them to compare prices and offerings before placing an order. Furthermore, this generation is expected to dine out more often as their disposable income increases. The rise of online food delivery has revolutionized the way India eats. It has not only extended our eating hours (think late-night cravings!). With changing lifestyles, mid-meal snacking is becoming a popular trend. This opens doors for innovative brunch and evening snack options, requiring restaurants to adapt their opening hours. Delivery platforms have seen an increase in people ordering food items like chicken biryani, fried rice, butter naan, masala dosa and Margherita pizza, among other things, during odd-hours of the day and night. Convenience, taste, and price are now the holy trinity of ordering decisions. Food delivery platforms have intensified competition by making restaurant discovery and comparison a breeze. However, the rise of these food delivery platforms can have a direct impact on the health of Indians, and judicious use of them is advised. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111758782" title="Zomato and Swiggy increase platform fee by 20% – food deliveries to get costlier" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Swiggy report says GenZ contributes to 40% of food consumption; highlights recent trend of binge-eating

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.</li><li>The president-elect previously vowed to let Kennedy "go wild on health."</li></ul>Trump has nominated former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, likely sparking a confirmation battle in the Senate."I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health.The president-elect previously vowed to let Kennedy "go wild on health."Kennedy, 70, is a vaccine skeptic who supports removing fluoride from water supplies and promoting products like raw milk, which the Food and Drug Administration has cautioned against. He has said that he wants to fire some nutritionists at the health agency and overhaul federal food regulations, setting off alarm bells among public health experts. Yet his eclectic views occasionally cut across party lines — his desire to cut ultra-processed food from school lunches, for example, was an Obama-era priority as well.Despite once running against Trump this cycle, Kennedy dropped out and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rfk-jr-drops-out-presidential-race-2024-8">endorsed</a> the president-elect in August, which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rfk-wanted-white-house-job-exchange-for-endorsing-trump-report-2024-7">sources</a> said was an effort to secure a job in the administration. The two spearheaded a "Make America Healthy Again" campaign.The head of HHS requires Senate approval and Kennedy could have an upward battle ahead of him, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.semafor.com/article/11/12/2024/trump-eyes-a-battle-to-get-kennedy-through-the-senate">Semafor reported</a>.

Trump taps Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead Department of Health and Human Services

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Israel's tourism industry has faced a major drop in visitors and revenues since October 7, 2023.</li><li>Businesses have closed due to Hamas' rocket strikes in the south and Hezbollah's fire in the north.</li></ul>Israel's tourism industry has suffered significantly since Hamas launched its terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023.According to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/doclib/2024/tourism_q1_24/t01.pdf">statistics</a> from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, the number of tourists dropped from around 300,000 in September to around 89,000 in October, falling to around 38,000 in November.So did tourism income.In 2023, it declined from around $1.4 billion in the third quarter to around $464 million in the last quarter, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/publications/doclib/2024/tourism_q1_24/t18.pdf">data</a> from Israel's CBS."2023 was supposed to be a record year for tourism in Israel; we were close to 4.5 million tourists," said Peleg Lewi, a foreign affairs advisor to Israel's Tourism Ministry.The downward trend has continued over the first six months of this year, with just 501,100 visitors compared to 2.1 million in the same period last year, per <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cbs.gov.il/he/mediarelease/pages/2024/%D7%9B%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%A9%D7%9C-%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C-%D7%91%D7%99%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99-2024.aspx">data</a> from Israel's CBS.The lack of visitors has been compounded by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://saleslink.aa.com/en-US/blog/2023/travel_advisory/israel-security-incident-travel-notice-exception-policy.html">many</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/aegeanairlines/status/1710655166687461491">international</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.aircanada.com/uk/en/aco/home/book/travel-news-and-updates/2023/civil-unrest-israel.html#/">airlines</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/airindia/status/1710945413401088065?lang=en">pausing</a> flights to Israel in the wake of Hamas' terrorist attacks, with some still <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-08-12/ty-article/lufthansa-and-swiss-extend-suspension-of-flights-to-israel-until-at-least-august-21/00000191-46e7-d7bb-a1df-efef150e0000">canceling</a> flights as recently as this week.Samuel Scanlon, a Ph.D. candidate with University College Dublin's School of Sociology, pointed to other factors in a piece for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://theconversation.com/war-in-gaza-has-plunged-israels-tourism-industry-into-a-crisis-it-will-struggle-to-recover-from-229151">The Conversation</a> in May.He said Israel's tourism sector may be suffering from the fallout of US college student-led <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-students-groups-signed-anti-israel-letter-without-them-knowing-2023-10">protests</a>, calls for boycotts and divestitures, and social media advocacy and solidarity movements, which could hurt its revenues.As many as 46,000 businesses have been forced to shut down since the October 7 terrorist attacks, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/up-to-60000-israeli-businesses-may-close-in-2024-as-war-takes-toll-on-economy/#:~:text=CofaceBDI%20says%2046%2C000%20businesses%20have,services%20sectors%20are%20hit%20hardest">business information</a> company CofaceBDI, relayed by The Times of Israel last month.<h2 id="4d49ed02-db0c-445b-9a38-1960e49b42e1">Relying on domestic clients, exporting abroad, and cost-cutting</h2>David Tucker, general manager of the Ramada by Wyndham Hotel in Jerusalem, said that the hotel is facing a challenge due to a "big" drop in international visitors.Since the Hamas' October 7 terrorist attacks, the hotel's tourism mix has changed, he told BI, with about 30% of tourists now coming from Israel and 70% from abroad, versus about 10% of Israelis and 90% of foreigners before the attacks.And, "obviously," the hotel's profits "dropped" last year, Tucker added.He declined to give BI the hotel's profit figures or the number of visitors staying there before and after the October 7 terrorist attacks, but he said he expected the hotel to "break-even, plus" this year.Yossi Navi, general manager of the Carlton Hotel in Tel Aviv, said the hotel also weathered the war over the last 10 months.<div type="image" title="A view of the 'Carlton' hotel in 2013" height="3355" width="4497" msid="112604987" hostid="261" sizebytes="1331924"></div>He told BI that the hotel made a bigger profit in the first quarter of this year than in the same quarter last year, but he declined to give BI the hotel's profit numbers.He said the hotel stayed afloat by cutting back on outsourcing services, turning to cheaper food and amenity suppliers, and getting support from Jewish organizations — all while housing war evacuees for free in 60 of its 270 rooms.The Israeli government paid $250 per room per night for a couple, he said, which means he hasn't had to pay extra to house evacuees."This is the only way to survive," he said. As of May, just 65% of the hotel was full, up from 45% in October and 55% between December and April, he said.Israeli tour guides, meanwhile, told BI in May that they have had to pivot to "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-gaza-tour-guides-pivot-october-7-tours-make-money-2024-6">grief tourism</a>" as their only means of making money as the sites of the October 7 attacks are the only ones in demand.On October 7, 2023, more than a thousand people, mostly civilians, were <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-wreckage-destruction-at-israeli-festival-attacked-by-hamas-2023-10">killed</a> in Hamas attacks on Israel, with the Nova musical festival being the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-festival-attendees-played-dead-for-hours-during-hamas-attack-2023-10">site</a> of the highest number of casualties.Israel retaliated <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-israel-trying-to-achieve-in-gaza-bombing-2023-12">against Hamas in Gaza,</a> which, according to the UN, has led to more <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/gaza-war-un-revises-death-toll-women-and-children">than 35,000 Palestinian deaths</a>.<h2 id="3e61ee4b-bedf-4d14-8658-bc3486993066">On the brink of war</h2>Things have not been as easy in northern Israel.Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group operating out of Lebanon, have regularly exchanged fire since Hamas staged its cross-border terrorist attack from Gaza.While this tit-for-tat has so far been contained to the border region, it could <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wider-war-hezbollah-could-unleash-unprecedented-missile-barrage-against-israel-2024-7">escalate into a wider war</a>.Tensions rose again recently after Israel <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-tried-killing-top-hezbollah-commander-beirut-with-us-bounty-2024-7">killed</a> a Hezbollah commander in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.The IDF <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/IDF/status/1818397182602707308">said</a> the attack came in retaliation to the armed group's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-promised-revenge-attack-on-hezbollah-yet-to-follow-through-2024-7">lethal rocket strike</a> on a soccer field in the part of the Golan Heights controlled by Israel.Yaara Alfasi, vice president of marketing and export at Mount Odem Winery, said the family business, located in the northern part of the Golan Heights, near the Israel-Lebanon border, has borne the brunt of constant fire in the area.<div type="image" title="Smoke billowed after a hit from a rocket fired from southern Lebanon over the Upper Galilee region in northern Israel on July 8, 2024." height="1333" width="2000" msid="112604988" hostid="261" sizebytes="158012"></div>He told BI that the winery was declared a closed military area from October until November, at the peak of the harvest season, and the winery's sales dropped 70–80% in the last quarter of 2023.Even now, he said, there is still "uncertainty as to whether we will be able to get to the vineyards because the security situation warms up and relaxes every time.""Although the market has gradually recovered, it is still far from what it was at the beginning of the war," he said.Gal Yaniv, CEO of Pelter Winery, a family-owned business in the Golan Heights, finds himself in a similar situation.He told BI that most of the vineyards are on the Lebanese-Syrian border, and some are out of reach due to cross-border fires and explosions."Due to fires caused by Hezbollah missiles, we have already lost about 7% of the expected crops," he said, adding: "If the situation continues, we are in big trouble."He said his profits have dropped by about 5% since October 7.<h2 id="ef44bd6e-4229-415d-9c8e-43aa2e04e6c6">The tourism industry has been there before</h2>Having worked for more than 40 years in Israel's hospitality industry, Tucker of the Ramada by Wyndham Hotel said the country has experienced multiple crises, including two intifadas and two Lebanese wars."And once things settle, within a couple of months, tourists come back, big time, because people want to visit Israel and the Holy Land," he said.Tucker said he hopes the war will end "as soon as possible."However, for this to happen, the hostages must be released, he said, adding that he wouldn't want to be in Netanyahu's "shoes" right now.Navi from Tel Aviv's Carlton Hotel echoed Tucker's comments, saying ending the war with Hamas would "absolutely" help.Lewi, the foreign affairs advisor to Israel's Tourism Ministry, predicted that if the conflict ends, the industry's recovery would take longer than in past conflicts, likely between three and six months."In the last 20 years, it was usually short cycles of violence — two or three weeks. We have been there for 10 months," he said.According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/up-to-60000-israeli-businesses-may-close-in-2024-as-war-takes-toll-on-economy/#:~:text=CofaceBDI%20says%2046%2C000%20businesses%20have,services%20sectors%20are%20hit%20hardest">business information</a> company CofaceBDI, relayed by The Times of Israel, as many as 60,000 businesses are expected to close in 2024."We were making plans for the day after, the day after, and the day after hasn't arrived," Lewi said.

Israel's tourism industry is struggling under the weight of the war

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Beef prices in the US are rising due to a historic drought and herd liquidation.</li><li>Fast food chains like McDonald's and Burger King have already raised prices due to inflation.</li></ul>Inflation has not been kind to food prices — especially for eating out.According to the consumer price index, food away from home rose 4% in the 12 months to August — higher than gains in both grocery store prices and the overall CPI.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-raised-prices-california-fast-food-minimum-wage-hike-2024-4">Starbucks</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-expensive-prices-too-high-fast-food-restaurant-falling-sales-2024-7">McDonald's</a>, KFC, In-N-Out, and Olive Garden are among the chains that have raised prices due to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-food-price-rises-tipping-point-value-deals-combos-mcdonalds-2024-8#:~:text=Too%20expensive&amp;text=The%20cost%20of%20labor%20and,restaurants%20went%20up%20by%208.2%25.">soaring cost of labor and commodities</a>.McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said in July that a fall in sales in the most recent quarter could partially be attributed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-expensive-prices-too-high-fast-food-restaurant-falling-sales-2024-7">its food being too expensive</a>.In response to consumers exploring different options — like eating at home instead — restaurants have realigned efforts into value menus. Over the summer, McDonald's and Burger King introduced <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/burger-king-launches-5-dollar-value-meal-before-mcdonalds-months-2024-5">$5 combo deals</a>.These cheaper options <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-mcdonalds-5-dollar-meal-deal-pulling-in-customers-inflation-2024-7">appeared to be popular</a>, bolstering visits to McDonald's stores.But the restaurant business is facing another issue. Lance Zimmerman, a senior animal protein analyst for Rabo AgriFinance, told Business Insider that beef prices are increasing sharply.<div type="image" title="mcdonalds cheeseburger" height="3024" width="4032" msid="114213786" hostid="261" sizebytes="324610"></div><h2 id="f9ab6d52-d50d-40da-ab5f-be75b38eb654">The US cattle herd is at its smallest in seven decades</h2>"The beef industry, just as it was going through the pandemic, was also going through one of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-fueled-droughts-unearthing-unexpected-discoveries-2022-7">worst droughts</a> in the US that we have ever had in the last 100 years," he said.As a result, suppliers began to liquidate or reduce the cow herd.Now, beef supplies are getting tighter, meaning prices are increasing, Zimmerman said.According to their websites, several fast food chains use American beef, including McDonald's, Wendy's, and Yum! Brands, which owns Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC.Data from the Department of Agriculture revealed that the US cattle herd fell to 87.2 million at the beginning of 2024, its smallest since 1951.The USDA reported that this led to record retail beef prices, with an all-fresh value of $8.15 per pound for July.It's bad news for hamburger fans."The reality is over the next couple of years, beef prices are going to continue to go higher," Zimmerman said.He said the problem is amplified by beef production struggling to keep up with population growth. Meanwhile, a rise in US exports of the meat has cut domestic supply.The other issue is that when you liquidate cows, it takes about two years to replace them, he said. A 500-pound calf has to first more than double in size before breeding and producing its own calf, which takes another nine months, he said.For Zimmerman, consumers will not start to see the benefits of stronger beef supplies until 2027 or 2028.In other words, don't count on the burger at your local restaurant getting any cheaper anytime soon.<h2 id="5e3bdb68-a608-4714-9be4-bc2591bf9ff5">Steak prices are also sizzling</h2><div type="image" title="A steak with a brown crust and pink center cooking in a cast-iron skillet with herbed butter on top" height="1414" width="2121" msid="114213791" hostid="261" sizebytes="239462"></div>Jay Bandy, the president of Goliath Consulting Group, a Georgia-based restaurant consulting firm, told BI that beef inflation is a problem across the restaurant industry, including fine dining.One of the group's clients has had to raise prices on some of its key steak items, and another is considering removing steak and fries from its menu."The problem with beef prices is its hard to be profitable in a steak-centric restaurant," Bandy said. "Higher-end dining is feeling more of a pinch because the market for fine dining is negative right now. It peaked earlier in the year, so they're in the tough spot."He said that anyone wanting a steak should <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beef-expensive-diners-buy-more-steak-at-restaurants-dining-darden-2024-3">expect to pay more</a> right now.<h2 id="e9592e8b-db8f-4d6b-a079-19f1d2f620f5">Restaurants should seize this opportunity to find beef alternatives</h2>Till Dudler, managing director of global consumer goods and services strategy for Accenture, told BI that the strained beef market provides real opportunities for restaurants to update their menus."I haven't seen this yet in the protein space, but in the ice cream space, some of our clients will basically change their portfolios depending on what prices are out there," he said. That means if blueberries are cheap, expect to see more blueberry ice cream.Dudler explained that white meat, like chicken, is generally a good substitute. He also said there are plenty of non-meat alternatives, such as lentils and chickpeas.Chickens bred for meat grow much faster than cows and can be bred quickly.Bandy said chicken is one of the main alternatives he has been advising his clients to use in their restaurants instead. "Chickens are easy to work with. Chicken breast and chicken thighs are fairly reasonably priced as a protein right now."For Dudler, it's time for businesses that rely on beef to rethink and reinvent.

Sorry fast food fans — your burger is only going to get more expensive

Inside the tech industry's 'broletariat revolution' against the media

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hurricane Milton devastated parts of Florida, hitting the wedding industry hard during peak season.</li><li>Makeup artist Jennifer Gaffney relies on weddings for her income, but many have been canceled.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on an interview with Jennifer Gaffney, a Tampa-based makeup artist who lost thousands in income due to wedding cancellations caused by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-milton-landfall-florida-housing-market-insurance-fema-2024-10">Hurricane Milton.</a> The following has been edited for length and clarity.I'm <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beauty-trends-hair-and-makeup-artist-never-follows-stop-doing-2024-7">a makeup artist</a>, and my main source of income is doing bridal makeup along the Florida coastline.I usually make the bulk of my money <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-not-to-do-wedding-day-makeup-according-to-makeup-artist-2022">doing weddings</a> at this time of year, and these earnings usually carry me through the slow winter months until spring, when the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/turning-weddings-into-vacations-less-money-wasted">wedding season</a> starts to get busy again.This also makes it particularly stressful when we have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-got-married-after-canceling-3-times-in-3-years-2022-10">wedding cancellations</a> during this period— even more so when they're widespread and unexpected, like during <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-milton-helene-economy-gdp-damage-cost-rebuilding-florida-climate-2024-10">hurricanes.</a><h2 id="bb130caa-9315-494f-b305-4bdde4123460">Cancellations have cost me thousands of dollars</h2>Just two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene skirted our coastline near Tampa, damaging about 60% of the wedding venues that I work with. That was the start of it.But as soon as I knew <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-homeowner-milton-tearing-through-neighborhood-cant-sleep-2024-10">Hurricane Milton</a> was coming and that it would have a direct impact near Tampa and on the west coast of Florida, I knew the situation was about to get even worse for my business.I've had five cancellations already this week, but I anticipate dozens more.Three of those cancellations were specifically related to wedding venue closures. Two were because people were evacuated and just weren't going to be around.As of this week, I think I've already lost just shy of $3,000 in cancellations. I expect to lose close to $10,000, but I'm not sure exactly how much just yet.I already know that the cancellations mean this wedding season's earnings won't tide me over until spring and I'm going to have to find some other means of income to supplement what I'm going to lose and what I have already lost.<div type="image" title="Weather during Hurricane Milton." height="683" width="1024" msid="114127332" hostid="261" sizebytes="18844"></div>I charge a typically nonrefundable security deposit of one-third of the total quoted fee. However, during acts of nature, I don't feel right keeping that money when someone has been affected just as I have, and I'm not providing that service.If somebody requests that deposit back, I give it to them. So far, one bride has requested her deposit back.<h2 id="18947f07-ce85-4851-a167-6b3a073d48a9">As a single mom, I'm really concerned</h2>I've been fortunate that my business has been successful up until now, and I've usually fared well.But <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-staying-at-universal-studios-hotel-ready-for-hurricane-milton-2024-10">Hurricane Milton</a> has changed things, and it's going to have a major impact on my business.It's not just the lost income from cancellations. In this industry, you have to stay active, especially on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hottest-tiktok-makeup-trend-right-now-moo-deng-blush-2024-9">social media</a>, by constantly posting about your work, creating content, and so on.When you're not working and essentially going silent for weeks on end, you're not staying fresh in people's minds; marketing is delayed.I won't fully see the effects of that for a few months, but I'm already worried about how this will affect my business and the ripple effects it will have on my life.<div type="image" title="Jennifer Gaffney does a model's makeup." height="720" width="960" msid="114127328" hostid="261" sizebytes="37002"></div>As a single mom, I'm really concerned. I have four children — three teenagers and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gentle-parenting-didnt-work-neurodivergent-child-2024-7">a six-year-old with autism.</a>This will impact their Christmas. This is usually when I earn the money for their Christmas gifts and the holiday festivities.I'm also just scared about not being able to put food on the dinner table over the coming months. It's very scary as a mom.I've had so many friends and family ask how we're doing, and when I tell them I'm worried for my business, they say, "Oh, why?"When I explain to them the impact that it will have on our lives, they're blown away.Nobody thinks about their local makeup artist during a time like this.

I'm a Florida-based bridal makeup artist. Hurricane Milton has battered the wedding industry and cost me thousands.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats have spent years building <keyword id="19998733" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delivery-services" source="keywords">delivery services</keyword>.</li><li>But the <keyword id="19940300" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CEO" source="keywords">CEO</keyword> of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dominos-ceo-summer-value-5-dollar-meals-fast-food-burgers-2024-7">Domino's</a> says the company is seeing a surge in <keyword id="22630332" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="carryout-orders" source="keywords">carryout orders</keyword>.</li></ul>Startups, retailers, and brands have spent over a decade figuring out how to make <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-going-after-amazon-with-ecommerce-strategy-from-target-2023-12">delivery to customers work.</a> But <keyword id="21952347" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dominos" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Domino's" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Domino's">Domino's</keyword>, the pizza chain known for delivery, is having success drawing <keyword id="19947994" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="customers" source="keywords">customers</keyword> to its restaurants to pick up their own orders. "Our carryout business is on fire," CEO Russell Weiner told Business Insider in an interview. "This is something we didn't even contemplate years ago." That business was a bright spot for Domino's during its second quarter. The company's carryout comparable sales grew 7.9%, while delivery comparable sales rose 2.7% during the same period. People who order for delivery and those who stop by a restaurant to carry their orders out are mostly two separate groups with different priorities, Weiner said. He said delivery is about convenience, and customers who order their food for delivery are willing to pay the extra fees and tip their driver. Besides operating its own delivery service, Domino's also offers delivery through Uber. The third-party service accounted for 1.9% of Domino's sales during its second quarter. "We see only about 15% overlap between our carryout and delivery customers," he said. But other, more budget-conscious consumers realize that they can get "more than another pizza" with the money they spend on delivery fees and tips, he said, adding that delivery is an "expensive convenience" for many US consumers. Delivery services gained popularity during the pandemic as consumers stayed at home and had everything from a restaurant meal to electronics delivered by the likes of DoorDash, Instacart, Uber Eats, Walmart Spark, and other services. But as society reopened and prices soared for many consumer goods, especially food, many <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/return-to-work-mandates-could-mean-more-trouble-for-instacart-2023-4">customers cut back on their delivery habits.</a> Some also realized that they were paying a big premium to have stuff brought to their door. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instacart-shoppers-forbidden-from-giving-customers-paper-receipts-2023-8">One Instacart customer</a> posted on TikTok after realizing that she had paid close to $100 in markups on her groceries — excluding delivery fees and a tip. Many people are also opting to drive to their local Domino's and pick up orders themselves for another reason: Control. Many carryout customers prefer the option over delivery because they're worried about what they'll have to do if something is wrong with their delivery order or whether it will show up in time for a party. "This person's like, 'I don't care if it's out of my way, I'm going to pick it up because it's going to be right,'" he said. "It is a completely different customer." Domino's has also attracted many new carryout customers by opening more restaurants and cutting the distance that customers have to drive, thus making picking up an order less of a hassle. "They don't want to drive past three or four pizza places," he said of Domino's customers. "They're going to the first one." Do you work in the restaurant industry and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com Correction: July 29, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the percentage of Domino's sales that occurred via Uber during the second quarter of 2024. It was 1.9%, not 3%.

Domino's CEO says customers are picking up their own pizzas, and it reveals a bleak reality about the economy

<ul class="summary-list"><li>McDonald's says fast food sales are suffering most in California.</li><li>McDonald's raised menu prices in CA to offset the state's $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers.</li></ul>McDonald's CEO says fast food sales are suffering in California as menu prices increased to offset the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-fast-food-minimum-wage-newsom-cutting-jobs-losses-employment-2024-7">state's $20 minimum wage</a> for fast-food workers."You're seeing in California, the business there is falling off to a greater degree than what you're seeing in other markets around the US," CEO Chris Kempczinski told CNBC's Squawk Box."We've had to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-food-california-layoffs-less-staff-to-cover-wage-hike-2024-4">do everything in the playbook</a>, basically, in California, from finding productivity opportunities in the restaurants, looking at staffing, looking at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-food-operator-kills-vacations-hikes-prices-calif-wage-law-2024-1">hours</a>, and then, yes you do have to look at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-food-california-expensive-diners-could-switch-to-chilis-applebees-2024-4">pricing</a>," he said.California raised the minimum wage for workers at limited-service restaurant chains with at least 60 locations to $20 an hour in April.Before this, the state's minimum wage of $16 an hour had applied to them, though many cities and counties within California had set higher minimums."I think what happened in California, I hope, is a unique situation," Kempczinski told CNBC. "It was a piece of very lopsided legislation that was targeting one industry."McDonald's did not respond to Business Insider's request for further comment.The fast-food industry lobbied intensively against the legislation, warning that the higher wages would force some restaurants to lay off workers. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-exec-slams-california-lawmakers-for-passing-fast-food-law-2023-1">McDonald's was one of the companies opposing the bill</a>, with Joe Erlinger, the president of McDonald's US, calling it "costly and job-destroying."Some fast-food chains have <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-fast-food-restaurants-lay-off-workers-minimum-wage-hike-2024-3">laid off workers in California</a>, including in some cases by closing restaurants, partly in response to the new legislation.The $20 minimum wage was introduced to support workers in a state with a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-of-living-in-california-cities-prices-housing-medical-energy-2023-8">notoriously high cost of living</a>. The fast-food industry, particularly, is characterized by low pay, long shifts, and irregular schedules.However, the industry is facing a wider slump in sales. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-expensive-prices-too-high-fast-food-restaurant-falling-sales-2024-7">McDonald's global comparable sales dropped by 1%</a> in the second quarter, which Kempczinski said on Monday was because the company hadn't focused enough on value. Customers are being <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-food-is-expensive-people-annoyed-eating-out-restaurant-2024">more discerning about where they spend their money</a>, and some are cooking more at home instead.Are you a restaurant franchisee in California? Email this reporter at gdean@insider.com.

McDonald's says fast food sales are suffering most in California

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 8 (ANI): <keyword id="64190" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="RBI-Governor" source="Orion">RBI Governor</keyword> <keyword id="6359111" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shaktikanta-Das" source="Orion">Shaktikanta Das</keyword> says <keyword id="19895000" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inflation" source="keywords">inflation</keyword> will moderate from July onwards as the monsoon has improved and <keyword id="489239" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Global-food-prices" source="Orion">global food prices</keyword> have shown signs of easing in July. Das said, "Global food prices showed signs of easing in the month of July after registering an increase since March 2024." A degree of relief in food inflation is expected from the pickup in southwest monsoon and healthy progress in Kharif sowing. Buffer stocks of cereals continue to be above the norms, according to RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. Das added, "Assuming a normal monsoon and taking into account the 4.9 per cent inflation print, Q1 CPI inflation for the current financial year (2024-25) is projected at 4.5 per cent, with q2 at 4.4 per cent, Q3 at 4.7 per cent and Q4 at 4.3 per cent. CPI inflation for the first quarter of next financial year (Q1 2025-26) is projected at 4.4 per cent." The inflation landscape reflects mixed signals, to which Das said, "<keyword id="21258540" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="headline-inflation" source="keywords">Headline inflation</keyword> eased up to 5.1 per cent in June 2024 due to higher than expected food inflation. Fuel remained in deflation for the 10th consecutive month. Core inflation moderated to a historic low in the months of May and June." RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, outlined the <keyword id="19900794" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-growth" source="keywords">economic growth</keyword> with real <keyword id="19972825" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GDP-growth" source="keywords">GDP growth</keyword> of 7.2 per cent for the fiscal year 2024-25 and headline inflation eased to 5.1 per cent in June, on Thursday. Das said, "Real GDP growth for 2024-25 is projected at 7.2 per cent with Q1 at 7.1 per cent, Q2 at 7.2 per cent, Q3 at 7.3 per cent and Q4 at 7.2 per cent. Real GDP growth for Q1 2025-26, this is something which we are giving for the first time, is projected at 7.2 per cent. The risks are evenly balanced." He added, "We have slightly moderated the <keyword id="387719" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="growth-projection" source="Orion">growth projection</keyword> for the first quarter of the current financial year in relation to the projection we gave in the previous MPC in June. This is primarily due to updated information on certain high-frequency indicators which show lower than anticipated corporate profitability, general government expenditure and core industries output." This forecast marks a slight moderation from previous estimates provided in the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in June, attributed to recent updates on high-frequency indicators such as corporate profitability, general government expenditure, and core industries output. The inflation landscape reflects mixed signals, to which Das said, "Headline inflation eased up to 5.1 per cent in June 2024 due to higher than expected food inflation. Fuel remained in deflation for the 10th consecutive month. Core inflation moderated to a historic low in the months of May and June." Balancing robust growth projections with a nuanced understanding of inflation dynamics Governor Das stated, "Food inflation which has a weight of around 46 per cent in the CPI basket, contributed to more than 75 per cent of headline inflation in May and June. Vegetable prices increased sharply and contributed about 35 per cent to inflation in June. High inflation pressures persisted across other major food items also." Governor Das mentioned softening in core inflation continues to be broad-based with core services inflation touching a new low in the current CPI series during the month of May and June 2024. Das stated, "The high food price momentum likely to have continued in the month of July also. Large favourable base effects may however push headline inflation downwards in July. The Impact of the revision in milk prices mobile tariffs also needs to be carefully monitored." A degree of relief in food inflation is expected from the pickup in south west monsoon and healthy progress in Kharif sowing. Buffer stocks of cereals continue to be above the norms, according to RBI Governor Shaktikanta das. Das anticipates some relief in food inflation due to the expected pickup in the southwest monsoon and healthy progress in Kharif sowing. Buffer stocks of cereals remain above the normative levels, contributing to a more stable food price environment. Global food prices, which have been on an upward trajectory since March 2024, showed signs of easing in July.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das projects 7.2% GDP growth for 2024-25, reports eased inflation to 5.1% in June

<ul class="summary-list"><li>California's fast-food workers are getting a new minimum wage of $20 an hour from April.</li><li>But it's not just fast-food workers who'll benefit. Workers in other hourly-paid jobs could also get pay rises.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-20-dollar-fast-food-wage-restaurant-prices-jobs-workers-2024-3">California is raising the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour</a> – and a much wider group of employees could see bigger paychecks.From April 1, limited-service restaurant chains that have at least 60 restaurants nationally will be required to pay workers in California at least $20 an hour — 25% higher than the state's general minimum wage of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/minimum_wage.htm">$16 an hour</a>, though some cities and counties have higher minimums.These wages will make the fast-food industry more attractive to workers — and will likely prompt other employers to bump up their pay to compete for labor."The repercussions will extend beyond just limited-service restaurants to really include any business that's competing for a similar level of labor, whether that be full-service restaurants or other retail and other sectors," Brian Vaccaro, an analyst at Raymond James, told Business Insider. "It'll probably have broader inflationary ramifications."Andy Barish, an analyst at Jefferies, pointed out that businesses with hourly-paid staff like convenience stores are going to have to work harder to compete for labor if their employees can "walk across the street" to a higher-paying job at a fast-food restaurant.If limited-service restaurants raise their wages, "everybody is going to have to adopt because it's a free market," Danilo Gargiulo, a Bernstein analyst, said. "So at the end of the day, everybody will have to do it."And it's not just a one-off jump to $20 that businesses have to worry about. A so-called fast-food council will be able to increase the minimum wage by up to 3.5% a year, depending on inflation.Fast-food and fast-casual chains have already said they plan to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-fast-food-minimum-wage-20-value-restaurants-diners-groceries-2024-2">raise their menu prices in California</a> to offset the higher wages.<h2>Staff at sit-down restaurants might not want to make the move over to fast-food jobs</h2>The legislation, AB 1228, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/Fast-Food-Minimum-Wage-FAQ.htm">applies to</a> restaurant chains that offer limited or no table service where customers pay for their food and drinks before consuming them. As well as companies selling typical fast food like burgers, chicken, sandwiches, and pizza, the legislation also covers those serving coffee, boba, and pretzels.California has a huge hospitality industry. As of May 2022, 1.5 million people worked in jobs related to food preparation and serving, making up 8.5% of all jobs in the state, according to data from the US <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ca.htm#35-0000">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>.Most full-service restaurants have stayed quiet about whether they expect the legislation to have knock-on impacts on their own payrolls and therefore prices. BI reached out to nine casual dining and full-service restaurant chains asking whether they expected the legislation to impact their own wages, but didn't hear back from any.The Cheesecake Factory's CFO Matt Clark told investors in November that the minimum wage could have a "ripple effect" beyond just limited-service restaurants. Clark said that the Cheesecake Factory, which has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/locations">38 restaurants</a> in California, could have to put wages up and reassess its menu prices in response.Vaccaro said that he didn't expect servers at full-service restaurants to be lured over to limited-service restaurants because they typically earn wages of well over $20 an hour when tips are included, but he said that wages for back-of-house workers would likely go up. Sharon Zackfia, an analyst at William Blair, told BI the new legislation may prompt more full-service restaurants to start sharing tips with kitchen staff "to insulate that labor in the back-of-house."BJ's Restaurants CEO Greg Levin is optimistic. He told investors in October that the chain's kitchen staff in California generally earned close to or above $20 an hour, while its front-of-house workers in the state earned "significantly" over that amount if tips are included."So I do think we've got an inherent benefit there," Levin said. He added that the legislation would cause the price gap between limited- and full-service restaurants to narrow.Zackfia questioned whether employees at dine-in restaurants would want to make the move to fast-food jobs anyway."If somebody is a back-of-house line chef and they're actually preparing real food and chopping and dicing and really cooking, do they really want to go across the street and warm things or fry things?" Zackfia said."It's a very different dynamic."

California is putting up minimum wages to $20 an hour for fast-food chains – and it's likely going to drive up wages in other industries, too

The pre-budget <keyword id="20613906" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Economic-Survey" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Economic Survey" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Economic Survey">Economic Survey</keyword> on Monday called for urgent reforms in India's <keyword id="19915424" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="agricultural-sector" source="keywords">agricultural sector</keyword>, warning that the structural issues could impede the country's overall <keyword id="19900794" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-growth" source="keywords">economic growth</keyword> trajectory. The survey, tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword>, highlighted the untapped potential of the <keyword id="20682012" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-agriculture" source="keywords">Indian agriculture</keyword> sector compared to other economies. Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran called for a pan-India dialogue on the agriculture sector. The survey, presented ahead of the annual budget, emphasised that India has yet to fully leverage its agricultural sector for economic growth and job creation, unlike East Asian economies and Western developed nations. "Indian agriculture is not in a crisis now but requires a serious <keyword id="20544318" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="structural-transformation" source="keywords">structural transformation</keyword> because climate change and water criticality loom large in the times to come," the survey stated. The CEA advocated for a reassessment of existing policies, despite current government subsidies and support measures for farmers. "The payoff will be immense if we untie the knots that bedevil farm sector policies," Nageswaran said in the survey's preface. While the government provides substantial support to farmers through subsidies on water, electricity, and fertilizers, along with income tax exemptions and minimum support prices, there is room for improvement in policy implementation, he added. The survey identified several key challenges, including balancing growth with food inflation management, improving price discovery, and addressing land fragmentation. To address these challenges, the survey recommends multi-pronged reforms, which include: upgrading agricultural technology, enhancing marketing avenues, adopting farming innovations, reducing input wastage, and improving the agriculture-industry linkages. The document stressed the need to shift focus from basic <keyword id="19992806" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="food-security" source="keywords">food security</keyword> to nutritional security, aligning with a 'demand-driven food system' that is both nutritious and environmentally sustainable. The survey suggested that policymakers must strike a delicate balance between incentivizing farmers to increase production and keeping food prices within acceptable limits. "This dual objective requires careful policy interventions." The survey also emphasized the need for a farmer-friendly policy framework to ensure markets function in farmers' interests. It recommended avoiding bans on futures or options markets at the first sign of price spikes; invoking bans only under exceptional circumstances; re-examining the inflation-targeting framework; increasing the total net irrigated area, and aligning farming practices with <keyword id="22505922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-considerations" source="keywords">climate considerations</keyword>. Looking ahead to 2047, the survey highlighted the potential of agriculture and allied sectors (horticulture, livestock, fisheries, dairy, and food processing) for sustained <keyword id="20268655" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="employment-generation" source="keywords">employment generation</keyword>. "To sustain growth for nearly a generation up to 2047 or more and to ensure that it makes people's lives better and fulfills their aspirations, bottom-up reforms are necessary," it noted. It suggested that India may need to reconsider the traditional development model of transitioning from agriculture to industry and services.

Economic Survey calls for urgent agricultural reforms; cites growth hurdles

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Companies are increasingly offering fertility benefits to employees, and not just in tech.</li><li>Progyny CEO Pete Anevski said fertility benefits are especially attractive to millennials right now.</li></ul>Getting access to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fertility-startups-booming-despite-market-downturn-2023-6">fertility benefits</a> through your employer used to feel like a luxury reserved for workers at major tech companies. Not anymore.More and more companies from many different industries are offering fertility benefits to their employees. Benefit plans vary but can include coverage for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-promising-reproductive-and-fertility-tech-startups-vcs-2023-5">infertility treatments</a>, egg and sperm freezing, adoption, and surrogacy, among others."This is no longer nice to have. This is a must-have," Pete Anevski, the CEO of fertility benefits provider Progyny, told Business Insider of fertility benefits, adding that he thinks it's only a matter of time before different industries will realize they need to offer them too.When Progyny launched in 2016, many of its early clients were indeed tech companies, primarily on the West Coast. But today they serve more than 460 companies across over 45 different industries. Some of their clients include Microsoft and Google, but also Nike and MassMutual."The good news is today it's no longer industry-specific," Anevski said, adding, "It was at the beginning."Megan Garner, a spokesperson for Carrot, another fertility benefits provider, said their 1,000-plus clients span just about every industry: financial and legal services, automotive, manufacturing, retail, food and beverage, tech, entertainment, sports, and more.Fertility benefits plans range widely and can include many different treatments and services that could be partially or fully covered by the employer, depending on the plan. Many companies offer fertility benefits by partnering with providers like Progyny and Carrot, which offer customizable plans.Garner said some Carrot customers choose to cover $5,000 in fertility care for an employee over their entire time with the company, while others will cover over $80,000.Some of the best fertility coverage offered by Progyny can include things like unlimited rounds of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/conceivable-automating-ivf-fertility-robots-ai-startup-2024-5">IVF treatments</a> or $40,000 or more to go toward surrogacy, according to Anevski.Regardless of plan details, the trend lines are clear: the number of companies offering fertility benefits to their employees rises every year, and many companies that already offer them continue to expand their coverage. As of 2022, 54% of US employers with 20,000 workers or more offered fertility benefits for IVF treatments, <a target="_blank" href="https://fortune.com/2023/05/16/most-biggest-us-employers-cover-fertility-treatments-many-americans-still-cant-afford/">Fortune</a> reported, citing benefits consultant Mercer.Offering great fertility benefits is one way companies can compete for top talent, especially millennials and younger professionals. A recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/2024/03/27/ivf-fertility-benefits-harris-poll#">HR Brew/Harris Poll</a> found that, overall, 63% of respondents thought companies should offer fertility benefits to employees. That number was 73% for Gen Z and millennials.The poll found that the number of respondents who reported that their employer offered fertility benefits doubled from December 2022, when it was 6%, to March 2024, when it was 12%.Garner said they found that 90% of people who get fertility benefits through Carrot said they are more likely to remain at their company because of their Carrot plan.<h2 id="8bc09709-b204-4467-8bce-13f32dc265e4">Millennial workers make up the lion's share of the workforce</h2>Anevski said fertility benefits are especially important as they are currently being utilized by millennial workers, who make up the largest share of the workforce today and are having children later in life than the generations before them."The societal trend of everybody waiting long and longer to have a baby is real," he said.As women have become <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/16/us/declining-birthrate-motherhood.html">less likely to have children under 30</a>, more women are having children well into their 30s or 40s, which has, in turn, increased demand for fertility treatments and benefits.Anevski said many of its clients also add to the benefits they offer employees each year, adding that over the past two years, more than 20% of its client base has expanded benefits in some way."The opposite also isn't happening," he said. "Even though the last two years were a tougher macroeconomic environment, nobody cuts the benefit back."One aspect that's becoming more common for companies to offer is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/egg-freezing-fertility-clinics-targeting-gen-z-women-high-cost-2024-6">egg freezing</a>."Fertility preservation, when people are waiting longer and longer to have a baby, is really important," Anevski said. "If you think about it, it's preventative medicine."Anevski expects the number of businesses and industries offering fertility benefits will only increase, especially as top talent comes to expect it as part of a desirable job.At this point, he thinks it's just a matter of timing as to when companies will offer them, not if.

Fertility benefits are a must for attracting millennial talent, even in industries other than tech

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Daily Harvest is using AI to optimize the packing space for its frozen foods.</li><li>Since it started using AI, Daily Harvest has received fewer customer complaints about damaged goods.</li></ul>For "CXO AI Playbook," Business Insider takes a look at mini case studies about AI adoption across industries, company sizes, and technology DNA. We've asked each of the featured companies to tell us about the problems they're trying to solve with AI, who's making these decisions internally, and their vision for using AI in the future.<a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=791010b7b08d0474f9da685ad07953a163479f2a9259cd8bca11ecc06a67bc8f&amp;postID=6658bc42074e87bb00e54451&amp;postSlug=daily-harvest-artificial-intelligence-improve-shipping-and-customer-service-2024-6&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.daily-harvest.com%2F">Daily Harvest</a> is a brand of plant-based packaged foods that's headquartered in New York City. Its products, which include smoothies, soups, pasta, and grain bowls, are available as a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/kitchen/best-meal-delivery-service">direct-to-consumer service</a> and at retail locations nationwide.<h2 id="ec04abf8-6dc5-4015-93f4-02f9ad5ed95c">Situation analysis: What problem was the company trying to solve?</h2>Daily Harvest ships frozen meals and snacks to customers across the country. The products come in cups and bowls that must be packed alongside dry ice to keep them frozen until they reach customers' doorsteps, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesleynwilliams/">Wesley Williams</a>, Daily Harvest's vice president of supply chain, said.That presented some unique challenges for the company. Often, orders were shipped in boxes that were too big. This sometimes meant the products weren't packed tightly enough and that the dry ice melted in transit."We knew this was wasteful, costly, and contributed to orders arriving partially thawed, especially during summer months," Williams said. The result was that customers would need to throw away the packages, and the company reshipped them.Daily Harvest wanted to improve the customer experience, minimize waste, and reduce materials and shipping costs, Williams added.<h2 id="cebba829-35f3-4b6a-b987-a917f19a23c5">Key staff and partners</h2>A team of stakeholders, including Williams and representatives from Daily Harvest's engineering, product, strategy, insights, and logistics teams worked to find more efficient ways to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-machine-learning-robotics-retail-supply-chain-technology-2023-10">pack and ship products</a>.Initially, the team tried to manually analyze the situation but found that using artificial intelligence was a more efficient way to help meet its goals, Williams said. The company partnered with <a target="_blank" href="https://paccurate.io/">Paccurate</a>, an AI-driven cartonization platform. <a target="_blank" href="https://paccurate.io/what-is-cartonization">Cartonization</a> refers to determining the ideal packing materials for optimal shipping.<div type="image" title="Wesley Williams headshot" height="3000" width="2250" msid="111691415" hostid="261" sizebytes="243290"></div><h2 id="d1033d45-1b0d-40a2-9c58-d56da0910870">AI in action</h2>Warehouses can use Paccurate's AI-powered cartonization software to prepare orders for shipment. The tool evaluates inputted data to provide real-time packaging instructions that help reduce fulfillment costs and wasted materials.Last year, Daily Harvest began working with Paccurate on a preliminary analysis of its warehouse operations and launched an updated packing-and-shipping process at the end of 2023.Paccurate's software analyzed nearly 24,000 Daily Harvest orders and found that more than 3,600 needed improvement in packaging, Williams said. The technology recommended a smaller, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ai-helps-choose-right-size-packaging-materials-2024-4">more compact box</a> in most instances.Daily Harvest now links its system to Paccurate's through an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-is-an-api">application programming interface</a>, Williams said, adding that the company's team updates the data that's fed into the AI software."It's been extremely low work for our team" since the initial setup, he added.<h2 id="0de6e3ad-c6e8-47ff-8ec6-6585acb0a367">Did it work, and how did leaders know?</h2>Since implementing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/artificial-intelligence-helping-amazon-shopify-sellers-2023-11">AI into its shipping process</a>, Williams said, the company is delivering a better customer experience."We know a more densely compact box prolongs the life of dry ice, so it keeps our products frozen for a longer period of time while in transit," he said.Over the past six months, Daily Harvest has downsized the boxes for about 15% of its orders. This has reduced the company's spend on boxes, box liners, shipping, and dry ice by about 1.3%, Williams said. The largest savings have been in dry ice, the cost of which is 3.6% lower since the switch to smaller boxes, he added.Over the past few months, Williams said, the organization has seen fewer customer complaints about packages arriving damaged or partially thawed. That has cut the number of customer refunds and the cost of repacking and shipping replacements."At the end of week one, I could sit down and track data points and data visualization to see the impact that this has had on the business," he said.<h2 id="82810cd5-c3d8-4b39-a6d7-69478e869964">What's next?</h2>Daily Harvest is dedicated to continuing to innovate its primary packaging, the cups and bowls that hold products. Williams said the company was collecting feedback from its retail customers on which packaging could increase sales.The organization also plans to leverage automation and AI to streamline other business areas. "We'll continue to evaluate AI and its fit in the business going forward on a case-by-case basis as the opportunities to improve our work present themselves," Williams said.Daily Harvest also plans to soon transition from its legacy e-commerce system to Shopify's platform, which includes AI capabilities across <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shopify-workers-worry-about-jobs-leaked-plans-ai-first-support-2023-7">customer service</a>, product recommendations, and personalized marketing.We want to hear from you. If you are interested in sharing your company's AI journey, email <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jhood@businessinsider.com">jhood@businessinsider.com</a>.

You Searched For "food services industry" and got 13 results

Swiggy report says GenZ contributes to 40% of food consumption; highlights recent trend of binge-eating

Ashmita Gupta

Trump taps Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead Department of Health and Human Services

Alice Tecotzky

Israel's tourism industry is struggling under the weight of the war

Thibault Spirlet

Sorry fast food fans — your burger is only going to get more expensive

Nora Redmond

Inside the tech industry's 'broletariat revolution' against the media

Insider Inc.

I'm a Florida-based bridal makeup artist. Hurricane Milton has battered the wedding industry and cost me thousands.

Joshua Nelken-Zitser

Domino's CEO says customers are picking up their own pizzas, and it reveals a bleak reality about the economy

Alex Bitter

McDonald's says fast food sales are suffering most in California

Grace Dean

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das projects 7.2% GDP growth for 2024-25, reports eased inflation to 5.1% in June

ANI

California is putting up minimum wages to $20 an hour for fast-food chains – and it's likely going to drive up wages in other industries, too

Grace Dean

Economic Survey calls for urgent agricultural reforms; cites growth hurdles

PTI

Fertility benefits are a must for attracting millennial talent, even in industries other than tech

Kelsey Vlamis

How Daily Harvest used AI to optimize product packaging and improve customer service

Erica Sweeney

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides