Business
Costco Gas Pumps Are So Popular the Retailer Is Building Stand-Alone Stations. A smart business move. When there is that much demand, it’ll be a waste not to tap into it. As long as members continue to pay, and I know a lot of poeple join the “cult” just for Costco gas, and as long as Citibank pays Costco for the cobrand cards, it will make economic sense to expand the footprint.
How Bank of America’s rewards program courts Gen Z. A brilliant move by BofA. The lack of minimum balance requirements opened the gate for younger customers. The bank expanded its customer base for multiple products including banking and lending offerings. Plus, the new deposits will enable the bank to go out and make more high-yield loans.
American Airlines CEO lays out his vision to close a more than $3 billion profit gap. Coincidentally, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom gave an exclusive interview to CNBC on how they plan to catch up to their rivals Delta and United in profit. Prioritizing cost-savings by retiring long-haul plans after the pandemic, severing ties with corporate travel partners and missing out on the push into the premium segment really hurt American. In the industry where planes influence routes which determine the target clienteles take years to be delivered, I am not sure how American can turn it around. Personally, I fly with United because they are the only airline with their own planes and routes to Vietnam. Once I know that, I buy into the United ecosystem and fly with them domestically for miles and status. The only way for American to get my business is to fly to Vietnam. It’s similar to many other travelers. Will there be a market for American? Yes. Do I think that they can catch up? It will be tough.
Salty, Buttery, Astonishingly Lucrative: The $100 Million Market of Popcorn Buckets. “Popcorn buckets — or, as they are more formally known, collectible concession vessels. These special-edition snack receptacles are designed for major movies and can sell for as much as $70. All the studios and theater chains want in on them, because for somewhat inexplicable reasons, they have become astonishingly lucrative. AMC Theatres estimates that this year, buckets will generate $100 million in revenue, nearly double the level of 2023. Cinemark Theatres, the country’s third-largest chain, says bucket sales helped its merchandise revenue increase 40 percent from 2024 to 2025. To get more buckets, Mr. Gelfond called up the chief executive of IMAX China and begged him to ship over all his buckets, since the film wouldn’t open there until August. His counterpart agreed, and when IMAX made the second run of 2,500 buckets available, they sold out in seven minutes. Between its website and purchases at theaters, IMAX thinks it sold some 30,000 buckets.“
What I Find Interesting And So May You
Running, Rock Climbing and Other Sports Are Taking Off in China. Pricey Workout Clothes, Too. Covid-19 is a nightmare for Chinese citizens as the Zero Tolerance policy by the government took to the extreme and and made people’s lives miserable. Out of the pandemic, they started to pay more attention to health and a better life, leading to the new trend and booming business for sports brands.
The Design of Airline Route Networks. The airline business is so fascinating and I learned quite a bit about the route network from this video.
Semiconductors explained in 16 mins | Chris Miller. A very good explanation, I have to say.
Stats
The US consumes about 10 million pounds of lecttuce every year
2026 has seen 2,318 measles cases in 2026 so far, reaching a three-decade high mark
Minh Quang Duong 
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