Gatorade, Granola & Skechers👟
This week in Review☕️: Recession fears intensify as stock market dips | Sneaker giant goes private in new deal | Artificial colors to be removed from food | IBM taps into AI to keep up with big tech |
Quick Bites:
Business 🌍 : Recession fears intensify, as economists cite prolonged trade tensions and tariff impacts.
JPMorgan has raised its recession probability to 60%.
Guys, remember when big companies decided to double the price of everything in 2020, blame Covid and now inflation while posting CRAZY profits..?
Yeah we don't need to remember because its happening right f**king now
Rihanna selling everything but music, Beyonce charging $500 to sit besides Jesus, Kourtney Kardashian is back on reality TV.. and now Southwest airlines is charging for checked baggage.
Yep, its coming folks. Brace the f**k up
Key Highlights:
📉 Global recession fears are rising
💸 Trade tensions and tariffs, especially from the US are slowing global growth and straining supply chains
🏭 Manufacturing slowdowns in the EU, Japan, and China are signaling early signs of a downturn across major economies
📉 Stock markets have dipped, with the S&P 500 entering correction territory
🏦 Central banks are shifting tone, with the Bank of England and European Central Bank considering rate cuts to stimulate sluggish growth
📦 Consumer spending is decreasing, especially in luxury, housing, and travel sectors- industries that usually take early hits in a downturn
Our Thoughts💡:
From Eggo launching a boozy "Brunch in a Jar" to now Dunkin’ Donuts launching alcohol? Yep.. this recession hittin' us like a bullet train
PS. People doing Spring Break in Houston in May is the biggest #RecessionIndicator you'll ever see
Sports👟: Sketchers acquired for almost $10 billion.
Investment firm "3G Capital" is buying the footwear company in a deal valuing it at $9.4 billion, Reuters reports.
Skechers: Because your feet deserve to give up, too.
Love it or hate it, there's definitely a market for "comfy". The more basic and rubbery the shoe, the more we want em'.. especially in the summer!
We no longer need to hide our Skechers for getting in our 10k steps solo or lounging in our backyard! Ugly is BACK with a bang in 2025
PS. According to our company policy, Skechers are totally acceptable as part of our Work-from-Home attire
Key Highlights reported by Reuters:
-The deal will take the comfort-footwear giant private in a deal offering $63 per share; a 30% premium over its recent stock price
-Shareholders have the option to receive $63 in cash or $57 plus equity in a new private parent company
-Despite recent tariff challenges impacting profits, Skechers posted record Q1 2025 sales of $2.41 billion, showing strong growth
-The acquisition is expected to close in Q3 2025
-3G Capital, known for major deals like Kraft-Heinz and AB InBev, is aiming to expand Skechers' global footprint
Post-acquisition, Skechers will continue to be led by its current team, including CEO Robert Greenberg. The company will also maintain its headquarters in Manhattan Beach, California.
Our Thoughts💡:
To everyone who calls them "dad shoes".. They’re not dad shoes. They are GRANDAD shoes with a Costco coupon card and unnecessary effing opinions 👋
Food🍟: Artificial colors used in Gatorade, Doritos and Cheetos to be phased out by 2026.
Artificial food dyes have been under growing scrutiny lately; In 2023, California banned Red Dye No. 3 over cancer concerns.
Trump’s administration is now urging food companies to remove Red No. 3 from products immediately.
Umm if a chip isn't fiery red, how will we know its spicy?
Like this news is all well and good but recreating XXtra Flamin' Hot Crunchy Buffalo Cheetos is kinda difficult guys??? 🤯🤯
FYI: A food is processed with artificial colors if:
It contains corn, artificial colors, emulsifiers, sweeteners, seed oils, MSG, preservatives, BHAs, BTAs, sodium benzoate, wheat, gluten or soy. AND if it has more than 3 ingredients or can be purchased at a gas station.
Meanhwile, us just crushin up these tums to sprinkle on our pepperoni pizza like parmesan cheese👇🏻
Lookin forward to our f**king forties🫶🏻
Key Highlights:
-Faster change: Originally set for 2027, the FDA is now urging food companies to remove dyes ahead of schedule due to its links to cancer in animal studies
-All fake colors: 6 other petroleum-based dyes- Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6, Blue 1 and 2, and Green 3- by the end of 2026 will be phased out
-Natural Alternatives: Fast-tracking the approval of natural color additives like beet juice and butterfly pea flower extract as a replacement
-Focus on Children's Health: Removing these dyes is a step toward improving children's health, as studies have linked these dyes to behavioral issues.
Tech 🤖 : IBM bets on Artificial Intelligence.
IBM is doubling down on AI, shifting its focus to software that helps clients use third-party AI tools like those from Salesforce or Adobe- or even create their own.
“We want to meet them where they are,” said CEO Arvind Krishna.
Key Highlights, reported by Reuters:
Aims to create custom AI agents can take under five minutes
Generative AI Growth: IBM has reported a $6 billion business in generative AI, indicating significant traction in this sector
Five-Year Commitment: IBM announced a $150 billion investment to increase US manufacturing
Strategic Alignment: This move aligns with the Trump administration's emphasis on local manufacturing
Earnings Beat: IBM reported Q1 revenue of $14.54 billion, slightly above expectations
IBM is doubling down on AI and American manufacturing, showing it's serious about innovation and staying ahead in a fast-changing tech and economic world.
It also shows its commitment to domestic production.
Culture 🧸 : Turns out growing up is now optional- especially when toymakers are targeting your inner child with a credit card 🧸💳
Toymakers target adults because "kids these days" only want their iPads and iPhones, Axios reports.
"Eldertainment"- which refers to toys and games for senior citizens, has become an important new category for toy makers.
Welcome to 2025:
Where grown-a** adults call LEGO therapy and spend $300 to feel “zen.”
Key Highlights:
🧠 “Eldertainment” is booming- toys and games are now designed for stress relief, nostalgia, and mental stimulation in adults aged 30+ to 70+.
🧸 Toymakers like LEGO, Mattel, and Hasbro are launching grown-up versions of classics- think mood-boosting puzzles, luxury building sets, and collectible dolls
🎨 DIY kits, adult coloring books, and fidget gadgets are now marketed as mindfulness tools, not just toys
💼 Corporate stress culture is driving demand- many adults now see “play” as a form of self-care
📈 The adult toy market is growing fast, with “kidult” consumers making up over 25% of all toy sales in 2025.
Our Thoughts💡: This reminds me of when Barbie released in 2023:
Girls average Margot-Robbie inspired Friday night.. Just a grown-ass woman walking in to the movie theater in a Barbie truck, a Barbie sundae with butter cake chunks and hot pink whipped cream and a special Barbie cocktail made up of strawberry ice-cream, rum, pineapple juice and GLITTER.
Oh, and a life-sized Ken to go with our doll in the passenger seat ofcourse
AKA THE GOOD LIFE
Quicker Bites:
Trump hosts Canadian PM amid trade tensions.
Myanmar Earthquake recovery efforts continue.
Europe Launches $566 million fund to attract US scientists.
Met Gala 2025: The Met Gala's "Tailored For You" theme inspires a range of extravagant and personalized fashion statements from celebrities.
Talks between the US and Iran over nuclear agreements encounter obstacles, with both sides expressing differing conditions for progress.
Following the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican prepares for the conclave to elect a new pope.
Global Markets React to Economic Uncertainties: Stock markets experience volatility amid concerns over potential recessions.