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Holiday Shoppers Slash Budgets, Others Spend More As Wealth Gap Grows Holiday Shoppers Slash Budgets, Others Spend More As Wealth Gap Grows
Holiday Shoppers Slash Budgets, Others Spend More As Wealth Gap Grows Holiday spending is climbing in 2025, but the divide between higher-income and lower-income shoppers is growing as many families face rising prices and tighter budgets. US retail sales rose 4.1% on Black Friday, Mastercard SpendingPulse said on Saturday, Nov. 29. According to the credit card giant, online sales jumped 10.4% from Black Friday in 2024. Mastercard said spending grew quickly in New England, boosted by sales of cold-weather clothing and winter gear. "Consumers are showing incredible savviness this season," said Michelle Meyer, chief economist at the Mastercard Economics In…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
McDonald's Snack Wraps Return, Fast-Food Rivals Heat Up 'Wrap Battle': What To Know McDonald's Snack Wraps Return, Fast-Food Rivals Heat Up 'Wrap Battle': What To Know
McDonald's Snack Wraps Return, Fast-Food Rivals Heat Up 'Wrap Battle': What To Know One summer after Kendrick Lamar and Drake's intense rap feud, a new "wrap" battle has emerged. The McDonald's Snack Wrap has officially returned to US menus on Thursday, July 10. Fans have been eagerly waiting for its comeback after it was removed from many domestic restaurants in 2016. The wrap, which puts chicken breast, lettuce, cheese, and sauce inside a soft flour tortilla, first debuted in 2006, according to Food Network. Several versions were introduced over the years before it was discontinued. While some locations kept the McDonald's Snack Wrap on the menu, it finally disappeared …

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Walmart Creates New Credit Cards Through Its Own Financial Firm: What To Know Walmart Creates New Credit Cards Through Its Own Financial Firm: What To Know
Walmart Creates New Credit Cards Through Its Own Financial Firm: What To Know Walmart is using its own financial technology startup to launch a major credit card program. Synchrony Financial and the Walmart-backed firm OnePay announced the new Mastercard on Monday, June 9. The move comes after Walmart ended its previous credit card partnership with Capital One years ahead of schedule. Walmart had leaned on Capital One as its exclusive credit card issuer since 2018, but sued to exit the agreement early in 2023, CNBC reported. Capital One later claimed Walmart wanted to end the contract to shift transactions to OnePay. At the time the partnership ended, the Walma…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Venmo Upgrades Debit Card, Checkout Options To Compete With Rivals: See What's New Venmo Upgrades Debit Card, Checkout Options To Compete With Rivals: See What's New
Venmo Upgrades Debit Card, Checkout Options To Compete With Rivals: See What's New Venmo is launching a new debit card rewards program and expanding its checkout options as the popular payment platform aims to compete with other similar services. Parent company PayPal announced the upgrades to the Venmo Debit Mastercard and Venmo Checkout service in a news release on Wednesday, June 4. The money-transferring app is used monthly by more than 64 million Americans. Venmo's debit card now offers 15% cash back at major retailers like Lyft, McDonald's, Sephora, Walgreens, and Walmart. Users can activate offers through the Venmo app to earn rewards on purchases both in…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
PayPal Launches AI Chat Shopping: Here's How The New Feature Works PayPal Launches AI Chat Shopping: Here's How The New Feature Works
PayPal Launches AI Chat Shopping: Here's How The New Feature Works An artificial intelligence search engine will soon help Americans buy products, book trips, and check out with PayPal or Venmo in online chats. Perplexity is teaming up with the financial technology giant for the new chat-based shopping experience, PayPal announced on Wednesday, May 14. The service is expected to be available in the US in the summer. Shoppers can make purchases within chat prompts on Perplexity Pro. "This partnership unlocks new possibilities, where conversations now drive commerce," said PayPal president and CEO Alex Chriss. "We're making it easy and secure…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Spirit Adds Extra-Legroom Seats, Joining Airline Industry's Premium Push Spirit Adds Extra-Legroom Seats, Joining Airline Industry's Premium Push
Spirit Adds Extra-Legroom Seats, Joining Airline Industry's Premium Push Another airline is looking to compete for flyers wanting more comfortable travel experiences. Spirit Airlines will offer new extra-legroom seats on its flights, the company said in a news release on Tuesday, May 13. The budget airline also announced upgrades to its Free Spirit loyalty program. The updates mark a major shift for Spirit, which recently exited bankruptcy and is working to win over flyers with added perks and space. "Spirit's new premium options offer travelers exceptional value, and we're creating even more opportunities for guests to experience them with our new extra-legroo…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Facebook May Send You $40 – And It's Not A Scam: Here's Why Facebook May Send You $40 – And It's Not A Scam: Here's Why
Facebook May Send You $40 – And It's Not A Scam: Here's Why Double-check your bank account, you may have gotten money from Facebook that you completely forgot was coming. Facebook users who filed claims in a $90 million privacy settlement that dates back nearly 15 years could soon start seeing payments – or may have already been paid. Many people on social media said they started receiving payments of $40.67 on Thursday, April 10. A class-action lawsuit claimed Facebook improperly tracked users' online activity without consent when users visited non-Facebook websites displaying Facebook's "Like" button. The suit said the nonconsensual tracking happe…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Famous Investor To Open New Independent Bookstore In Northern Westchester: Here's When Famous Investor To Open New Independent Bookstore In Northern Westchester: Here's When
Famous Investor To Open New Independent Bookstore In Northern Westchester: Here's When A well-known entrepreneur and investor who lives in Northern Westchester is about to open a bookstore in her hometown.  Bedford Books, located at 13 Court Rd. in Bedford, will hold a grand opening celebration on Thursday, Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to owner Fran Hauser. “Opening a bookstore has been my lifelong dream, and I’m so excited to share Bedford Books with our wonderful community,” Hauser said, adding, “I hope the bookstore will be a welcoming place where people can find inspiration, learn new things, and connect with others."  The bookstore's grand opening…

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by Ben Crnic
Business
These Westchester Companies Rank Among Largest In New York These Westchester Companies Rank Among Largest In New York
These Westchester Companies Rank Among Largest In New York New York is home to some of the largest and most high-profile companies in the nation, but which in Westchester rank among the largest? Using a Zippier database, a newly released report from NewYorkUpstate.com determined the 99 largest businesses in the Empire State, based on the employee count at each location. Among the Westchester companies to make the cut include: IBM in Armonk (first overall): Employees: 380,300; Internet & Software Services; Organization type: Public. PepsiCo in Harrison (second): Employees: 264,000; Consumer Staples; Organization type: Public . Kohlber…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Record Tourism Expected For New York This Year Record Tourism Expected For New York This Year
Record Tourism Expected For New York This Year New York City saw a record number of tourists in 2018, and officials are expecting an even bigger uptick this year, with several prominent events planned in the Empire State. A record 65.8 million tourists made their way to New York in 2018, marking the ninth consecutive year that the city saw an increase in tourism. Of those visitors, 51.6 million were domestic travelers, and 13.5 million came from overseas. With the New Year well underway, New York may look to top 67 million visitors, as they prepare for events such as WorldPride - which is being celebrated in America for the first time -…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
14 Named To Westchester LGBTQ Advisory Board 14 Named To Westchester LGBTQ Advisory Board
14 Named To Westchester LGBTQ Advisory Board County Executive George Latimer has announced the appointment of 14 members to the LGBTQ Advisory Board. Members of the Board who represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. “I am eager to get to work with the LGBTQ Board, to bring Westchester County up to speed on the issues that matter to the LGBTQ communities," Latimer said on Thursday, May 31. "This dynamic group of people will be tasked with making recommendations about new legislation, services, programs, funding or anything else these advisors feel i…

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by Jon Craig
Lifestyle
2018 Rising Stars Unveiled By Business Council of Westchester 2018 Rising Stars Unveiled By Business Council of Westchester
2018 Rising Stars Unveiled By Business Council of Westchester There is no doubt that Westchester is overstocked with talent. And The Business Council of Westchester recognizes that during a prestigious annual awards ceremony. This year, prominent doctors, realtors and bankers as well as the spokeswoman for Westchester's new county executive, the owner of Walter's Hot Dogs, the director of creative culture at the Jacob Burns Film Center and a funeral home director are among the 40 "Rising Stars" being honored by The Business Council of Westchester, on June 21. The county’s leading business membership organization announced its 2018 class of R…

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by Jon Craig