Ben Tobin, Business Insider

Ben Tobin

Business Insider

Louisville, KY, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • Business Insider
  • The Courier-Journal
  • Enquirer
  • The Greenville News
  • USA TODAY
  • Cashay
  • The Columbus Dispatch
  • Indianapolis Star
  • Augusta Chronicle
  • FayObserver.com
  • and more…

Past articles by Ben:

Walmart employees are inundating the company's social-media site with memes making fun of management

Walmart has recently pushed its associates to sign up for Workplace, a Meta-backed social-media platform for employees to receive work announcements. → Read More

Check out the wild robot that Sam's Club is testing to make burgers in its cafes

The Sam's Club burger-making robot can grind up beef, cut it into patties, put toppings and seasoning on top of it, and then plop it onto a bun. → Read More

Crate & Barrel offers to take over gift registries for jilted Bed Bath & Beyond couples and BuyBuy Baby parents-to-be. Here's how to switch.

Crate & Barrel is one of several retailers looking to pick up new business amid their bankrupt competitor's demise. → Read More

Walmart is using AI to negotiate prices with suppliers, report says — and the suppliers are loving it

Walmart is utilizing a chatbot from California-based Pactum AI to haggle over things like discounts and payment terms with vendors, Bloomberg reports. → Read More

Walmart is giving away $98 memberships to moms — and it shows how desperate it is to catch up to Amazon Prime

Walmart is using Cardi B, Jenny Slate, Janelle James from "Abbott Elementary," and Stephanie Beatriz from "Encanto" as spokespeople for Walmart+. → Read More

I tried the Krispy Kreme doughnuts at McDonald's, but they didn't compare to the freshly made ones

McDonald's recently partnered with Krispy Kreme to offer doughnuts at 160 locations in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, and surrounding areas. → Read More

Even Walmart needs a side hustle. Here are 4 other ways the store chain makes its money – besides selling merchandise.

Walmart has invested heavily in new businesses in recent years, from advertising-focused Walmart Connect to the data analytics arm Walmart Luminate. → Read More

Walmart customers and employees can now play pickleball for free at hundreds of courts across the US. Here's how to sign up.

Walmart is partnering with Break the Love, a racket-sports booking platform, to offer 125,000 comped reservations to pickleball courts in 10 states. → Read More

Walmart is rolling out a new perk to its $98 annual Walmart+ membership — early access to a new Oreo flavor

A Walmart merchandising director revealed Tuesday that Walmart+ members can try the new Oreo Blackout Cake cookie before it hits shelves on April 3. → Read More

Lowe's is testing 400-pound, egg-shaped autonomous robots to patrol parking lots at some of its stores

Lowe's told Insider that the company is testing these large autonomous robots at some of its locations "to continue to drive safety in our stores." → Read More

Walmart says it charged Beauty Box subscribers nearly $700 instead of $6.98 due to a 'coding error'

Walmart began selling its Beauty Box products in 2014 for $6.98. Customers receive one box every three months to last a whole season. → Read More

AMC to sell movie theater popcorn exclusively at Walmart in latest attempt to make up for decline in customers

AMC Entertainment's move with Walmart comes as it has been trying to bring in more revenue since the COVID-19 pandemic caused a decline in customers. → Read More

Customers are loving Costco. But Walmart? Not so much, new survey says.

Customers were much more satisfied shopping at Costco than at Walmart, according to the study. Sam's Club also ranked a lot higher than its sibling. → Read More

Target recalls more than 200,000 weighted blankets for kids after 2 children suffocate under it

Target has recalled its Pillowfort Weighted Blankets. The retailer has received four reports of kids becoming entrapped under these blankets. → Read More

Meet M-TAC, the maker of Zelenskyy's casual sweaters and t-shirts that started out selling airsoft guns

The Ukranian company first started selling clothing in 2014 and has been focused on providing gear and equipment for the Ukranian military. → Read More

Organized retail crime has ballooned into a $100 billion problem — and store employees are dying over it

Organized retail crime isn't as simple as a shoplifter pocketing a product. Criminal groups steal merchandise in bulk and resell it for profit. → Read More

Walmart CEO warns company will close stores if theft doesn't slow down

The world's largest retailer likely loses about 1% of its US revenue — or roughly $3 billion every year — to stealing by customers and employees. → Read More

Walmart's active-shooter training is so old and 'inadequate' that it has become a meme, some workers say

After a Walmart team lead fatally shot six colleagues and himself at a store in Chesapeake, Virginia, workers are concerned about their safety. → Read More

Leaked memo: Here's how Walmart is enticing its 1.6 million employees to sign up for its newly acquired online bank

One previously touted its ability to reach Walmart's more than 1 million employees. Now the retail giant is rolling out the neobank to its staffers. → Read More

This PayPal-backed startup is solving one of the biggest headaches for brands selling online through Walmart, Macy's, or Kroger — getting paid

Cymbio, an Israel-based digital-sales startup, is making it easier for brands to get paid instantly when selling on retail marketplaces. → Read More