- Savvi Formalwear and Anya Bridal Stores closed abruptly in Georgia leaving staff without jobs 11Alive.com WXIA
- More customers speak out after Al’s Formal Wear suddenly closes KPRC 2 Click2Houston
- Al’s Formal Wear closed: Chain of tuxedo rental stores suddenly shuttered across the country with no warning or explanation KTRK-TV
- ‘You can keep the suit’: Al’s Formal Wear closes abruptly, employees say they were informed on Microsoft Teams meeting KPRC Click2Houston
- Al’s Formal Wear closes without warning, leaving customers asking ‘what now’ KFDM-TV News
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: stores
‘Rampant criminal activity’: Nordstrom just shut down both of its San Francisco stores — follows big retailers like Whole Foods, Office Depot who’ve also fled the city. Here’s why – Yahoo Finance
- ‘Rampant criminal activity’: Nordstrom just shut down both of its San Francisco stores — follows big retailers like Whole Foods, Office Depot who’ve also fled the city. Here’s why Yahoo Finance
- Nordstrom to shut San Francisco locations amid rise in retail crime TODAY
- Nordstrom is latest to leave major U.S. city, citing ‘unsafe conditions’ NJ.com
- SF ‘feels post-apocalyptic,’ Musk tweets in response to latest store closures KRON4
- Downtown San Francisco’s collapse reflects the city’s decay Washington Examiner
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Walmart shoppers rush to stores to find bargains under $5 as chain takes on major popular rival… – The US Sun
- Walmart shoppers rush to stores to find bargains under $5 as chain takes on major popular rival… The US Sun
- Walmart shoppers are rushing to buy seven foods on clearance – including one item for only 77 cents… The US Sun
- Walmart shoppers rush to buy clearance items which scan for 3 cents at the register and can transform your… The US Sun
- I found a kid’s bedroom staple for $5 in Walmart hidden clearance after 75% knocked off price – but the… The US Sun
- Walmart shoppers rush to buy sweet treats that scan at register for $1.75, 75% off $7 price tag, and where… The US Sun
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Some Canadians are boasting about stealing from grocery stores
Some Canadians are shoplifting high-priced food items from grocery stores as the cost of living continues climbing, with a few even taking to social media to brag.
Last week, Dalhousie University professor Sylvain Charlebois wrote about the impact of grocery store theft.
“Grocery theft has always been a major problem, but with food inflation as it is, shopkeepers now fear the wrongdoers more than before,” the Halifax-based Agri-Food Analytics Lab director wrote in an article published on Jan. 10.
“According to some industry data, an average-sized food retail store in Canada can have between $2,000 and $5,000 worth of groceries stolen per week. With the relatively narrow profit margins in grocery, this amount is huge. To cover losses, grocers need to raise prices, so in the end, we all pay for grocery theft.”
Twitter users weren’t happy with Charlebois’ words, with some proudly admitting they shoplift and others repeating the phrase, “If you see someone shoplifting, no you didn’t.”
Charlebois eventually responded to some of the online backlash, standing firm on his position on grocery theft.
“You think it is appropriate to shoplift while grocery shopping, just because you think food prices are too high? Crazy,” he wrote, while retweeting another Twitter user.
Since being tweeted on Jan. 10, Charlebois’ tweet has gained more than seven million views and hundreds of responses, the majority of which expressed disagreement with his stance.
Some people online have also called out Charlebois personally, revealing his income and saying he “shills” for Loblaw Companies Ltd. and Galen Weston’s family.
The outrage over soaring grocery prices has been a hot topic as inflation continues to impact Canadians.
Earlier in January, a picture of a pack of chicken breast at a Loblaw in Toronto went viral, as people expressed outrage over its high-priced label.
The photo, taken by CTV News reporter Siobhan Morris, showed that a five-piece pack of chicken was selling for nearly $27/kg.
In November, both Loblaw and Metro reported growth in sales and profit, but shared they were pushing back against suppliers’ continued price increases.
Research from Dalhousie University also showed that Canada’s top three grocery companies — Loblaw, Metro and Empire — made higher profits in 2022 compared with their average performances over the last five years.
Notably, Loblaw outperformed its five-year average performance but also did better than any of those years individually.
According to a food report released in December, a Canadian family of four will spend around $1,066 more on groceries in 2023, with food prices set to increase by up to 7 per cent from last year.
“In 2023, it is expected that Canadians will continue to feel the effects of high food inflation, and food insecurity and affordability will also be a big issue with rising food prices,” the Canada Food Price report indicated.
“Canadians will still need to be prepared to spend more in the coming year.”
Many stores closing early on 12/24
Most businesses close early on Christmas Eve and are closed completely on Christmas Day but there are select grocery stores, convenience stores and restaurants that are open on Dec. 25 this year.
Following is a list of locations in case you need to make a last minute trip to the store. Hours may vary within the same chain. Your best bet is to check the website for the specific store to verify the hours for your closest location.
.
Open on Christmas Day
* Circle K: Many locations are open on Christmas Day every year.
* CVS: Most CVS stores are open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Store and Pharmacy hours vary by store and some pharmacies may be closed. CVS locations inside Target stores will be closed on Christmas Day. Check with your store for specific hours.
* Grand Asia Market in Raleigh: Open on Christmas Day. Located at 1253 Buck Jones Rd, Raleigh, NC 27606.
* Hmart in Cary: Open regular hours from 9 am until 9 pm on Christmas Day, according to their website. Located at 1961 High House Rd.Cary, NC 27519.
* Peace Street Market in Raleigh: Open 6 am to 2 am on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (regular hours). Located at 804 W Peace St, Raleigh, NC 27605.
* Sheetz: Sheetz locations should all be open.
* Speedway: Select Speedway locations are open on Christmas Day. See their website for details.
* Walgreens: Most Walgreens stores are open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, although some locations are closed on 12/25. Store and Pharmacy hours vary by store and many pharmacies will be closed on 12/25. Check with your store for specific hours.
Grocery Store Hours
* Aldi: Closing at 4 pm on Christmas Eve at most locations. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* BJ’s Wholesale Club: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Carlie C’s: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Costco: Closing at 5 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Dollar General: Closing at 10 pm on Christmas Eve at most locations. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Food Lion: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve for most stores. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Harris Teeter: Closing at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day and will re-open at 8 a.m. on Dec. 26 at most stores.
* Lidl: Closing at 7 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Lowes Foods: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Publix: Closing at 7 pm on Christmas Eve at most stores. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Sam’s Club: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Sprouts: Closing at 7 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Target: Closing at 8 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* The Fresh Market: Closing at 7 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Trader Joe’s: Closing at 5 pm on Christmas Eve at most locations. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Walmart: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day. Most locations reopen at 6 am on Dec. 26.
* Wegmans: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day and will reopen at 6 am on Dec. 26.
* Whole Foods: Closing at 7 pm on Christmas Eve at most area locations. They are closed on Christmas Day.
Retail Hours
* Belk: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Big Lots: Closing at 7 pm at most locations in the Triangle on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* BJ’s Wholesale Club: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Costco: Closing at 5 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Dollar General: Closing at 10 pm on Christmas Eve at most locations. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Dollar Tree: Most Triangle area locations close at 7 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day. Check their website for the hours for your closest location.
* Family Dollar: Most Triangle area locations close at 10 pm on Christmas Eve, although some close at 8 pm. They are closed on Christmas Day. Check their website for the hours for your closest location.
* Kohl’s: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Macy’s: Closing at 7 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Sam’s Club: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Target: Closing at 8 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Walmart: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* The Streets at Southpoint Mall in Durham: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. They are closed on Christmas Day.
* Triangle Town Center Mall in Raleigh: Closing at 6 pm on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day.
Restaurants Open Christmas Day
Reminder About Open Stores
Each year when I post this list, I hear from readers who are upset that every single place of business is not closed on this holiday. I encourage you to remember that for some of our neighbors, it is beneficial that these businesses are open.
* They allow our essential workers to gas up on the way to and from work.
* They give folks a place to grab a bite to eat after a long shift at the hospital or fire station, for instance.
* They offer a place to purchase over-the-counter medications for a sick family member or friend.
* Finally, as more than one reader has pointed out in past years, not everyone celebrates Christmas, including some of the store and restaurant owners who chose to keep their businesses open.
Elon Musk Plans to Launch Alternative Phone if Apple, Google Boot Twitter off Their App Stores – Featured Bitcoin News
Tesla CEO and Twitter boss Elon Musk says he will make an alternative phone if Apple and Google boot Twitter from their app stores. Many people want him to go ahead with a phone launch even if Apple and Google do not deplatform Twitter.
Elon Musk Could Launch Alternative Phone to Compete With Apple and Google
Elon Musk revealed Friday the possibility of him launching his own smartphone, which would compete with iPhone and Android, should Apple and Google deplatform his newly acquired social media company.
Twitter user Liz Wheeler suggested that Musk should produce his own smartphone if Apple and Google boot Twitter from their app stores, adding that “Half the country would happily ditch the biased, snooping iPhone & Android.” Musk replied: “I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone.”
Musk’s plans for Twitter as a free speech platform could put the social media company in conflict with Apple and Google and the two tech giants could remove Twitter from their app stores.
The Apple App Store, the Google Play Store, and even smaller app stores like the Amazon Appstore, have rules intended to protect users from discrimination, bullying, harassment, and any content they deem objectionable. They have delisted apps over inadequate content moderation practices as well as harmful content. Apple said in a letter to Congress last year that it had removed over 30,000 apps from its store over objectionable content in 2020.
In January last year, Apple and Google cut off Parler, a social media app focusing on free speech, following the U.S. Capital riot on Jan. 6. The two companies subsequently let the app back in their stores with some content excluded after substantial changes to the app’s content moderation practices.
Many People Want Musk to Launch Alternative Phone
Many people welcome the idea of Musk producing an alternative phone. “I’d buy this. Do it even if the app stays,” one Twitter user exclaimed. Another said: “Do it anyways. There’s a huge market for an alternative to Google and Apple.” A third user stressed:
If Apple attempted the kind of strike against Twitter that it successfully launched against Parler, I can assure you Elon Musk that millions of us would unhesitatingly ditch our Apple iPhones and switch to your alternative model.
Some people warned about the reality of Musk launching an alternative phone. One opined: “Even if it’s Elon Musk there are dominant 1st movers already in the space.” Another warned: “Even if he wanted to do this, it would be years before [a] single phone went on sale. Phones rely on components from dozens of vendors. Just to get fab space for a processor would take years, TSMC is booked for years and Samsung is far behind their node processes.”
A third user shared: “Prediction: A Twitter mobile phone connected to Starlink: Always on, always connected, anywhere in [the] world. Capable of encrypted commutations & payments all operated under Space Law. Imagine blockchain + comms hosted on microservers in space, beyond reach of terrestrial governments.”
In addition, the Tesla CEO also complained about the 15% to 30% cut Apple and Google take from purchases made inside apps, which could eat into the revenue from Musk’s plans for $8 per month from Twitter verification subscriptions. On Nov. 18, Musk tweeted:
App store fees are obviously too high due to the iOS/Android duopoly. It is a hidden 30% tax on the Internet.
Musk recently revealed plans to build X, the everything app. He said buying Twitter accelerates the creation of X by three to five years.
Would you buy Elon Musk’s alternative smartphone to iPhone and Android? Let us know in the comments section below.
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.
Black Friday sees low turnout in lines at retail stores
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Parking lots at many retail stores were empty Thursday evening for Black Friday, and nobody was standing in lines awaiting the deals.
This comes in contrast to previous years in which shoppers would stand in line for hours on the afternoon of Thanksgiving in the hopes of securing Black Friday doorbuster deals.
“I see nothing. I’m surprised,” retail worker Jeremy Pritchett told FOX 2. “Normally, it’s wrapped all the way around the building. Today: no one.”
BLACK FRIDAY HEADS FOR ONLINE SALES RECORD
Parking lots at many retail stores were largely empty Thursday evening for Black Friday, and nobody was standing in lines awaiting the deals. (iStock / iStock)
Pritchett recalls working retail during prior Black Fridays, when stores would prepare for an abundance of shoppers.
“We would get there probably around midnight, get everything set up,” Pritchett said. “We let people in early, give them donuts and coffee, you know, to try to slow down the stampede and stuff, and it was busy. But it was also one of those that it was always fun, and it’s kind of gone it looks like.”
This comes in contrast to previous years in which shoppers would stand in line for hours on the afternoon of Thanksgiving in the hopes of securing Black Friday doorbuster deals. (iStock / iStock)
“I think it’s a sign of the way the world is going. Virtual learning, virtual buying, everybody just wants to be able to sit on their couch and order what they want,” he continued.
According to the National Retail Federation, more than 160 million people will shop for deals online from today through Cyber Monday.
INFLATION LOOMS OVER HOLIDAY SEASON SHOPPERS
The National Retail Federation said more than 160 million people will shop for deals online deals from today through Cyber Monday. (iStock / iStock)
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Pritchett said he also shops online too, but that seeing no lines in from of stores is kind of sad.
“You miss that relationship. The customers that used to come in, you know, that type of stuff,” he said. “Now, just like a lot of things in the world, it’s just a transaction. No one has that interaction anymore.”
NVIDIA has sold 160K GeForce RTX 40 graphics cards already, but stores are still full of RTX 4080s
NVIDIA RTX 40 sales reports
The RTX 4080 is not selling particularly well on the first week.
First estimates on RTX 40 series sales have been shared by a few sources, but even despite impressive numbers retailers are worried it may not as popular choice as RTX 4090.
According to Wccftech and Chi11eddog, the RTX 4090 has sold in 130K units already, a 5K more since yesterday’s report from GamerNexus. That is indeed an impressive number for such an expensive graphics cards, but it also reveals one problem, which is a lack of competition from other companies and NVIDIA themselves.
Chances are if someone is willing to spend more than 1000 USD on a graphics card, he would rather pick RTX 4090 instead, which costs ‘just’ a few hundred dollars/euro more than RTX 4080. This is reportedly true for many retailers who were struggling to sell the launch stock of RTX 4080 this week, which was not the case with RTX 4090.
NVIDIA 4080 shipment units:
🟢30,000
NVIDIA 4090 shipment units:
🟢130,000
Total RTX 40 shipment units:
🟢160,000
NVIDIA’s 4090 was pretty much sold out at launch.
Retailers still have 4080 in stock. 😶🌫️😶🌫️
— Hassan Mujtaba (@hms1193) November 19, 2022
As reported by MLID, retailers would sell RTX 4090 cards faster than RTX 4080, oftentimes being left with 1/2 or 1/3 of the launch stock. Consumers complain that RTX 4080 is simply not good enough to justify its price.
RTX 4080 inventory still in stores, Source: FPSHUB & Sabin
The RTX 4080 is the primary competitor for the upcoming AMD Radeon RX 7900 series. Being left with an overpriced option, gamers may choose competing products instead Not to mention the fact that AMD cards are simply going to cost less. However, AMD’s main problem has always been the low launch stock and thus far the company made no promises how many cards will be ready for launch.
Source: Wccftech, Chi11eddog, MLID
Despite Lower Shipments, Retailers & Stores Are Stocked With Cards
It’s been a few days since NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card launched at a ridiculous price point of $1199 US and it looks like consumers ain’t buying it (literally). Days after its launch, the card isn’t selling well in the consumer segment and there are plenty of reasons.
‘Nope’ Is Consumers Reply To The $1199 US NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Graphics Card, Lower Stock Than 4090 & Still Stocked Up At Retailers
In our own review, we found the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 to be an impressive card in terms of gen-over-gen performance and power efficiency, however, the price that NVIDIA is asking for is simply absurd. The 4080 launched at $1199 US, making it the single largest price bump we have ever seen on an ’80’ class GeForce graphics card.
Just to put things into perspective. the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 launched at $699 US two years ago. The GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB launched at 899 US. Comparing these to the 4080’s $1999 US price, we see a 71.5% and a 50% price bump gen-over-gen. Previously, the NVIDIA ’80’ class cards had been positioned well in the $550-$700 US range for several years. Following is a comparison of various gen GeForce GPU’s pricing:
NVIDIA GeForce GPU Segment/Tier Prices
| Graphics Segment | 2014-2016 | 2016-2017 | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titan Tier | Titan X (Maxwell) | Titan X (Pascal) | Titan Xp (Pascal) | Titan V (Volta) | Titan RTX (Turing) | GeForce RTX 3090 | GeForce RTX 3090 Ti GeForce RTX 3090 |
GeForce RTX 4090 |
| Price | $999 US | $1199 US | $1199 US | $2999 US | $2499 US | $1499 US | $1999 US $1499 US |
$1599 US |
| Ultra Enthusiast Tier | GeForce GTX 980 Ti | GeForce GTX 980 Ti | GeForce GTX 1080 Ti | GeForce RTX 2080 Ti | GeForce RTX 2080 Ti | GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | N/A |
| Price | $649 US | $649 US | $699 US | $999 US | $999 US | $1199 US | $1199 US | N/A |
| Enthusiast Tier | GeForce GTX 980 | GeForce GTX 1080 | GeForce GTX 1080 | GeForce RTX 2080 | GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER | GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB | GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB | GeForce RTX 4080 |
| Price | $549 US | $549 US | $549 US | $699 US | $699 US | $699 US | $999 US | $1199 US |
| High-End Tier | GeForce GTX 970 | GeForce GTX 1070 | GeForce GTX 1070 | GeForce RTX 2070 | GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER | GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GeForce RTX 3070 |
GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 16 GB | GeForce RTX 4070 Ti |
| Price | $329 US | $379 US | $379 US | $499 US | $499 US | $599 $499 |
TBA | TBD |
| Mainstream Tier | GeForce GTX 960 | GeForce GTX 1060 | GeForce GTX 1060 | GeForce GTX 1060 | GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER GeForce RTX 2060 GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER GeForce GTX 1660 |
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB |
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB |
N/A |
| Price | $199 US | $249 US | $249 US | $249 US | $399 US $349 US $279 US $229 US $219 US |
$399 US $329 US |
$399 US $329 US |
N/A |
| Entry Tier | GTX 750 Ti GTX 750 |
GTX 950 | GTX 1050 Ti GTX 1050 |
GTX 1050 Ti GTX 1050 |
GTX 1650 SUPER GTX 1650 |
GTX 1650 SUPER GTX 1650 |
RTX 3050 | N/A |
| Price | $149 US $119 US |
$149 US | $139 US $109 US |
$139 US $109 US |
$159 US $149 US |
$159 US $149 US |
$249 US | N/A |
If we take crypto out of the equation for a second (which helped inflate prices of cards artificially), users who actually paid $700 or $800 US for an RTX 3080 are simply not ready to dish in over $1K US for an ’80’ class graphics card despite all the performance and all the fancy features that it has to offer. And that leads us to today.
NVIDIA 4080 shipment units:
🟢30,000
NVIDIA 4090 shipment units:
🟢130,000
Total RTX 40 shipment units:
🟢160,000
NVIDIA’s 4090 was pretty much sold out at launch.
Retailers still have 4080 in stock. 😶🌫️😶🌫️
— Hassan Mujtaba (@hms1193) November 19, 2022
8:30,000
9:+30% of current shipment— chi11eddog (@g01d3nm4ng0) November 19, 2022
Retailers in almost all regions are stocked with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card. This is not a sight that was seen after the RTX 4090’s launch and it is definitely not due to the massive inventory that NVIDIA has for the RTX 4080. In fact, based on the numbers we have, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 shipments are close to 30,000 units.
That’s 70% less than RTX 4090’s shipments which were at 100,000 units a few weeks back (we reported here exclusively) and are currently close to 130,000 units. So the entirety of the RTX 40 series cards has shipped around 160,000 units. That’s 30,000 RTX 4080 and 130,000 RTX 4090 units. So despite a lower quantity of shipments, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is still having a hard time selling and consumers are simply either waiting for a cheaper solution under the $1000 US bracket or getting themselves an RTX 4090.
Here are just a few examples of various stores in the US sitting with piles of RTX 4080 graphics cards that no one is interested in buying:
Another Nvidia RTX 4080 inventory pile pic.twitter.com/ITEzCkZ96o
— tae kim 🐀 (@firstadopter) November 17, 2022
Following is the situation at most retailers and while Newegg has all their cards sold out, it looks like eBay scalpers may have a big hand in causing these shortages as the site is loaded with cards priced above $1600 US and even some which are priced above $2000 US (we don’t recommend buying any of these scalped cards):
This leads us to the third part of the story and that’s the individual AIB model pricing. Most NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 cards are priced neck-to-neck with an RTX 4090 Founders Edition or AIB models with reference pricing. For example, ASUS’s RTX 4080 ROG STRIX and TUF Gaming are currently at $1500 & $1549 US, respectively. We also recently covered an anime-themed model which is priced higher than an RTX 4090. The RTX 4090 offers a 30-40% performance bump over the RTX 4080 so users would rather pay for that extra performance and massive VRAM pool for 10-15% more price rather than get an overly priced 4080.
The last and most crucial thing that is holding off consumers from buying an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card is the imminent launch of AMD’s Radeon RX 7900 series graphics cards which the red team has been marketing directly against the RTX 4080, throwing shots at the 16-pin connectors (now confirmed as a user-error), its hugely oversized reference models and betting on its brand new set of features. The prices are very attractive at $899 and $999 US but despite that, we would recommend our readers wait for final reviews. Regardless, that doesn’t change the fact that the GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card offers the worst perf to $ value at the moment.
Which flagship graphics cards are you most interested in?Poll Options are limited because JavaScript is disabled in your browser.
Starbucks workers strike at about 100 stores on Red Cup Day
New York
CNN Business
—
More than 2,000 employees at 112 Starbucks locations are set to go on a one-day strike Thursday, according to the union which has been organizing stores for the last year.
The union says it is striking to protest the retaliation taken against union supporters nationwide. It is also protesting what it characterizes as the company’s refusal to bargain with the union on a first labor deal. There are 264 stores that have voted in favor of union representation. But no contracts have yet been negotiated even at stores which voted nearly a year ago.
“This is to show them we’re not playing around,” said Tyler Keeling, a 26-year old union supporter who has worked at a Starbucks in Lakewood, California — near Los Angeles — for the last six years. “We’re done with the their anti-union retaliation and them walking away from bargaining.”
Keeling and other union supporters say that it was up to each individual store as to whether or not to participate in the nationwide strike. Many stores have staged brief strikes already over specific issues. But this is the first nationwide action.
“There’s a lot of fear before a store decides to go on strike,” said Michelle Eisen, an organizer of the first Starbucks store to vote in favor of the union last December. “Starbucks has been retaliating against union leaders across the country. But despite that fear, over 2,000 workers across the country are striking today and standing up for one another.”
When Keeling’s store staged a one-day strike in August, Starbucks
(SBUX) workers from nearby non-union stores joined the picket line, he said, and some customers brought food and drinks to the strikers.
It’s not clear how many of the stores affected by Thursday’s action will be able to stay open during the strike.
The protest comes on “Red Cup” day at Starbucks, when it gives out reusable holiday cups with certain drink purchases that entitle customers to discounts and extra bonus points on future purchases.
“Culturally Red Cup Day is an important day at Starbucks. People do go crazy over it,” said Keeling. He said holding the strike on a day that has such a heavy volume of customers is a great way call attention to anti-union activities.
The union is calling its strike a “Red Cup Rebellion” and is handing out red Starbucks Workers United union cups to customers instead.
At a store across from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City, workers walked the picket line even though their store isn’t having a union vote until Dec. 8. The store was open, with the help of managers brought in from other stores, according to the strikers. Staff on the job in the store wouldn’t comment on the strike.
Aaron Cirillo, a 23-year old working at the store since August, said he’s not discouraged by the fact that the store was able to stay open or that many customers crossed the picket line.
“We’re not trying to intimidate them. We just want them to hear our story about the need for a fair contract,” he said. Asked what he would tell customers if he could, he responded, “I would urge them to think about showing support by not getting a coffee this one day, or to go to any other store in the city for a coffee.”
The strikers chants were enough to prompt some customers to turn away, but there was a good flow of customers in the store.
The company was not immediately available for comment on the strike early Thursday. In the past it has denied it has retaliated against any employee for their support of the union, and it has blamed the union for lack of progress at the negotiating table. Starbucks has defended the firings of union supporters that have taken place as proper enforcement of rules that apply to all of its employees, who it refers to as “partners.”
“Interest in a union does not exempt partners from following policies and procedures that apply to all partners,” Starbucks said in an earlier statement.
But this week, the National Labor Relations Board — which oversees union representation votes — filed in federal court for a national cease and desist order to prevent Starbucks from retaliating against union supporters.
The NLRB filing said that there had been a “number and pattern of Starbucks’ unfair labor practices … particularly discharges” against union supporters at it stores.