Misaligned: SmileDirectClub's financials were never really straightened out

12/10/23 7:00PM

Not much to smile about

‍Brace yourselves… SmileDirectClub, the once-shiny telehealth startup that promised to straighten your teeth for a fraction of the typical price, has officially shut down its global operations after filing for bankruptcy in September.

In a statement posted on its website, SDC confirmed that it would be canceling any unshipped teeth aligner orders, and would not be honoring its popular “Lifetime Smile Guarantee” deal, which offered customers annual adjustments for life. The shutdown marks a serious fall from grace for the direct-to-consumer dental specialists — its 2019 IPO valued the company at $8.9 billion.

‍Misaligned

‍Founded in 2014, SmileDirectClub was an exciting presence in the orthodontal space, marketing its $1,850 teeth aligners as time-efficient and cost-effective alternatives to the dental brace courses that self-conscious smilers had been presented with for decades. They were, in hindsight, too cheap given that the company routinely racked up hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, like so many of the D2C brands that burst onto the scene as “disruptors” around the same time.

The entrance of Allbirds seen from Hayes St. in San Francisco, Calif.

Allbirds, the once buzzy multibillion-dollar sneaker startup, is selling up for $39 million

That’s less than 1% of its peak market cap about four years ago.

Tom Jones18h

Max Knoblauch3/30/26

JetBlue is raising its bag fees as fuel costs squeeze airlines

JetBlue will reportedly hike its bag fees, as the cost of jet fuel continues to climb amid the war in Iran. It’s the latest example of carriers finding ways to push rising costs onto travelers.

Last week, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that if fuel prices remain elevated, fares would need to rise another 20% for his airline to break even this year.

As CNBC reported, when one airline raises fees, others tend to follow.

Earlier this month, JetBlue hiked its first-quarter outlook for operating revenue per seat mile to between 5% and 7%, saying that strong Q1 demand helped “partially offset additional expenses realized from operational disruptions and rising fuel costs.” Now, the carrier appears to be making moves to further boost revenue to offset those costs.

Earlier on Monday, JetBlue rival Alaska Air lowered its Q1 profit forecast. The refining margins for the carrier’s cheapest fuel option — sourced from Singapore and representing about 20% of Alaska’s overall supply — have spiked 400% since February.

JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

JetBlue Airways raises bag fees as fuel prices soar

As CNBC reported, when one airline raises fees, others tend to follow.

JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tom Jones

flavor of the month

3/30/26

Americans won’t tolerate bland food anymore — and it’s turned McCormick into a ~$7 billion-a-year spice and sauce giant

Now, McCormick is eyeing Unilever’s food business.

Bottles of Frank's RedHot Xtra Hot and Sweet Chili on a

Foam party!

Crocs’ prince charming

ByChrisStokel-Walker

FriMar 272026

Max Knoblauch3/26/26

Netflix is hiking its prices again

Netflix is raising its subscription prices for the fourth time in four years, a move first spotted by Android Authority.

Per Netflix’s US pricing page, the cost of an ad-supported plan is climbing $1 to $8.99 per month, while the cost of a standard ad-free plan is going up $2 to $19.99 per month. The premium tier has also risen $2 to $26.99 per month.

The streamer last raised its subscription costs more than a year ago in January 2025. It also hiked prices in 2023, 2022, 2020, and 2019. Netflix shares climbed about 2% on the news.

“Our approach remains the same: we continue offering a range of prices and plans to meet a variety of needs, and as we deliver more value to our members we are updating our prices to enable us to reinvest in quality entertainment and improve their experience by updating our prices,” said a Netflix spokesperson, in a statement to Sherwood News.

Netflix is hiking your prices yet again: Standard, premium, and ad-supported all going up