What I wrote last week
Banks plan to compete with Apple Pay & PayPal
X1+, a credit card for when things go wrong on travel
Business
Understanding Tesla’s operating leverage. A good post on how Tesla managed to increase its operating margin while vehicles prices dropped
($) Americans Are Gobbling Up Takeout Food. Restaurants Bet That Won’t Change. Quite an interesting trend in the restaurant industry. I have no idea how it will go because my personal experience is conflicted. My wife and I are often marveled at the long line in front of every Chick-fil-A store that we pass by. On the other hand, I saw fast food stores with no line, no car in the parking slot and very few diners. Takeout may increase sales for restaurants, as long as they survive
Aldi, H-E-B among growth leaders in 2022: Report. “Small-format stores are cheaper to build and require less land or space to buy or lease. This allows access to more markets than a larger-format store would. Furthermore, as retailers continue to invest heavily in e-commerce, these smaller stores can act as fulfillment centers for online orders.”
($) Bed Bath & Beyond Used to Be Great. These Two Are Why. Bed Bath & Beyond’s founders serve as an example of honesty, authenticity, frugality and customer orientation. They are not afraid to admit their own mistake, including not realizing the potential of the Internet. At first, when the company’s budget was tiny, the two men used cardboard boxes as trash bins and still make sure both sides of scrap paper are used. I also found it awesome that they finally learned to let go of their creation after being pushed out.
TikTok is driving an offline lift in sales for some brands. Very helpful and interesting examples of how TikTok is helping brands drive sales.
Other stuff I found interesting
First use of Apple Emergency SOS in B.C. may have saved two lives. Apple’s innovation is increasingly proven valuable in real-life crises. Even one of these cases is even worth working on
($) Japan, Netherlands Agree to Limit Exports of Chip-Making Equipment to China. A great triumph for the Biden administration in hampering China’s ambition in this critical area. Without the most advanced materials and technologies from ASML, Nikon and other important manufacturers, China won’t be able to scale their semiconductor operations and bridge the gap to the US
($) The U.S. Consumer Is Starting to Freak Out. Signs of the troubling times to come are here
The highest rail route in northern Europe. “Connecting Norway’s stylish capital with its most picturesque city, the 496km, 39-station Oslo-Bergen railway is one of the world’s most beautiful train journeys.”
The Antidote to Envy. Understanding yourself is the best way to avoid envy
Package Deal: In 1915, Coca-Cola had many imitators. Then it designed a patented bottle nobody could copy. The origin story of the iconic Coca Cola bottle is a fascinating one.
Stats
Customers loaded $3.3 billion onto Starbucks gift cards during the quarter ending December 31, 2022
Mount Washington in New Hampshire experienced wind chill at -108 Fahrenheit degrees or -78 Celsius degrees. Lowest ever recorded in the US
Minh Quang Duong 