Business
Vail Resorts visits fell
Vail Resorts visits fell 9%

Visits to Vail Resorts fell year-on-year, as the company’s CEO called it an “industry normalization” after Covid

Vail Resorts, which operates 42 ski resorts globally, cut its full-year profit forecast yesterday, as warm weather continues to weigh on skier visits to some resorts and the pandemic-era surge in skiing and snowboarding cools down. Revenue also came in below expectations, with shares falling ~6% in after-hours trading.

Vail’s CEO explained the results as a reflection of the ski industry “normalizing” after a post-Covid bump when everyone wanted to get back out into nature. Over the last 12 months, Vail recorded 17.7M visits, down 9% on the year before, with visits in this most recent season falling more sharply, down 17%.

Subscription skiing

Vail revolutionized the skiing industry back in 2008 by introducing the Epic ski pass, a season pass that offers access to an extensive portion of its ever-growing resort network. Priced comparably (at the time) to a weekend lift ticket, the Epic pass had to be purchased before the season commenced — locking in sales that could otherwise be weather dependent. The pass became a game-changer for the company, with the more predictable revenue leading to more rapid expansion. Last year the Epic pass cost $909 and was used by 72% of the resorts' skiers, generating ~$850 million in revenue.

This strategy helps explain why, despite skier numbers for Vail Resorts falling 9%, its lift revenue was actually up 2.4%. Thanks to the Epic pass, even if visits drop, almost three-quarters of its lift revenue is pre-paid.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

business

Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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