Found an AirPod and an earplug [JGI/Jamie Grill via Getty Images]
Hey Snackers,
You’ve heard of bull and bear markets, but have you heard of a gorilla market? A 7-foot statue of Harambe has appeared in front of Wall Street’s famous “Charging Bull,” which is now covered in 10K bananas.
Stocks closed just below record highs today, as corporate earnings continued to come in strong across industries. The S&P 500 index notched its sixth straight trading day of gains.
Goodbye, my couch pizza... A loyal pandemic friend. Domino's, the Earth's largest pizza company, just broke its 10-year hot streak: Its US same-store sales fell for the first time in over a decade, ending 41 straight quarters of cheesy growth.
Not as stale as it sounds... Compared to last year's pandemic pizza boom, Dom's US store sales were down 2%. But compared to the same quarter in 2019, US sales were up nearly 16%. Meanwhile, international sales growth boomed 20% — Dom's 111th straight quarter of non-US growth. Here's how Dom's is keeping its strategy crispy:
Direct competition isn't always correct competition... Dom's direct competitors are chains like Pizza Hut and Papa John's. Its real competitors: online-ordering apps like Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats. Dom's is one of the few big chains that refuse to work with outside delivery apps, so it has full control over its service. Dom's said consumers were irritated about all the fees charged by delivery apps. That's why it focused on tech, speed, and delivery freebies last quarter.
The AirPod doesn’t fall far from the iPhone… And we still can’t find it. Apple unveiled a bushel of redesigned classics at its second product event in two months — including updated AirPods, revamped MacBooks, and new HomePods.
iPad or hardcover book?... Unwrap to find out. Apple’s updated gadgets hit shelves next week, meaning new iPhones, Watches, Macs, and AirPods will be out in time for the profitable holidays. Case in point: Apple’s $29B in profits last holiday quarter were the highest of any company — ever. But this year, Apple and other retailers are sweating over production due to shipping delays and chip shortages. So Apple’s new iProducts could serve another purpose: Push shoppers to buy older-but-in-stock iPhones and AirPods, whose prices have just been reduced.
Essential tech = profitable tech… Apple crammed iPhones full of features that make customers feel they need pricey phones to navigate, take good pics, and stay connected. AirPods are the next luxe product Apple wants to make indispensable. Apple plans to stuff AirPods with health-focused features — like hearing enhancement, body-temperature reading, and posture monitoring — that conveniently integrate with its expanding fitness and health platforms.
Authors of this Snacks own shares of: Apple, Netflix, Snap, Comcast, and Uber
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