Crocs is expanding its collaboration with experiential commerce platform Obsess to offer a new metaverse shopping experience. "The Crocs Jibbitz Experience includes the brand’s first-ever 3D Jibbitz Customizer, a feature engineered by Obsess to provide consumers with a mix-and-match tool to create their own custom pair of Crocs with Jibbitz charms, which can then be purchased directly from the metaverse store," per Chain Store Age."The store features five virtual departments, each themed for a different Jibbitz assortment type such as Letters to Food and Animals.The Jibbitz Experience also features an arcade-style claw machine game, in which users can collect virtual …

Impossible is prepping a new plant-based burger that will live up to its "Indulgent" name. "The new Impossible Indulgent Burger is not a health food," per Fast Company."In fact, it has more calories, fat, and sodium than either the standard Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods burger patties." It will first appear on both coasts at classic burger joints Bareburger and Monty’s Good Burger before other food service establishments, hitting select retailers this summer.

Aurora James, founder of the luxury shoe label Brother Vellies, who launched the Fifteen Percent Fund, an initiative that challenges retailers to devote 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned brands, is expanding her efforts to find funding for Black-owned businesses.  "Black founders receive only 1% of all venture capital," per Fast Company. "The new Friends and Family Collective wants to change that."

Happi Magazine ranks the leading skin care brands by their number of followers on Instagram. Estee Lauder is the clear leader on the the popular social media platform with 4.4 million followers, while Clinique comes in second with 3.6 million followers. Drunk Elephant is in a distant third with 1.4 million followers on Instagram. Legacy brand Neutrogena finishes in seventh place with less than a million (938,000) followers. 

Saks Off 5th has created two new executive positions. Mara Sirhal is joining Saks Off 5th as the outlet store's new chief merchant and brand officer, overseeing buying, planning, creative and the overarching Saks Off 5th brand.  Sara Griffin has been named chief marketing and analytics officer. Griffin has been with Saks Off 5th for 10 years and was previously senior vice president of marketing.  

Andy Dunn, who co-founded the digitally native menswear brand Bonobos in 2007, is returning to the company, which is now under new ownership. He will join WHP Global in an advisory role for Bonobos.  "Dunn served as the CEO of Bonobos for its first ten years," per Chain Store Age. "In 2017, the company was sold to Walmart for $310 million in cash. Dunn left Bonobos in early 2020." WHP Global and Express, Inc. acquired Bonobos from Walmart in a $75 million deal that was completed in May.

Domino's is testing its new Pinpoint Delivery system, which will allow customers to order without providing an address. "The new program allows customers to get their food delivered by dropping a pin on a map that acts as their location," per USA Today. "The food will be delivered to their pin, which can be anywhere as opposed to having to be at a home or building that has a designated address."

An electric vehicle ride-sharing program in rural California is is bringing free green transportation to elderly and low-income residents. Its proponents call it “mobility justice” in action. “Like affordable housing, mobility and transportation are a basic human right,” Ethan Elkind, director of the climate program for the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at University of California Berkeley law school, tells The New York Times. "Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the federal government is providing $700 million in grants to local governments to set up charging infrastructure in underserved areas."

Pet-friendly theaters and cosplay are two creative ways theaters in Asia are trying to entice movie fans back into seats. "Total theatrical revenue in the Asia-Pacific region was about $10.1 billion in 2022, down from $17.8 billion during the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to data from regional consultancy Artisan Gateway," per TheHollywood Reporter. "Over the first five months of 2023, several blockbusters — such as Disney’s 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' and Japanese anime 'Suzume' — have helped buoy sales in the region, but exhibitors in almost every country of Asia still have a long way to go …

Despite backlash at other large companies, some are carrying on with their Pride Month events and sponsorships. Jeff Gennette, CEO of Macy’s, says although the company has received some negative reactions to its Pride merchandise, the company is “very careful about how we put out this product that we select and how we position it on website and in stores” and doesn’t plan to remove any of it. “We stand by our values and we’re a highly inclusive organization. And we think the bulk of America is as well,” Gennette tells the Associated Press.