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Thank you for smoking: Sales of cigarettes rose last year, for the first time in 20 years

Thank you for smoking: Sales of cigarettes rose last year, for the first time in 20 years

Manufacturers sold almost 204 billion cigarettes in the United States last year, a 0.4% increase on 2019, marking the first year that cigarette sales have grown in almost 20 years. That works out to roughly 620 cigarettes per person.

Kickin' the habit

America has been — slowly — kicking the smoking habit ever since the early 80s. In 1981 cigarette sales peaked at 636 billion, meaning that sales are down more than two-thirds since then.

That longer term trend is probably going to continue. Considering how extreme last year was on so many levels, it's not hard to come up with theories why 2020 might have seen more people reaching for a cigarette, as nicotine can offer a quick hit of dopamine.

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Starbucks sells control of China business for $4 billion

Starbucks disclosed on Monday evening in a regulatory filing that it will sell control of its ailing China business to Boyu Capital for about $4 billion.

Under the agreement, Boyu will own a 60% stake in the China segment, which will become a joint venture between Boyu and Starbucks. The coffee chain will retain a 40% interest in the entity and will continue to own and license the brand and intellectual property.

Bloomberg reported earlier this year that the company was looking to sell its China segment. The American coffee giant has struggled to succeed in China, its second-largest market after the US.

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John Wayne Airport in Orange County tops the list of North America’s favorite airports

Despite a record year of passenger numbers, flight cancellations, and delays, a new survey has revealed that flyers have been increasingly satisfied about their experiences in North American airports. 

According to this year’s North America Airport Satisfaction Study from data analysts at J.D. Power, overall passenger satisfaction scores were up 10 points (on a 1,000-point scale), largely from “improvements in food, beverage and retail and ease of travel through the airport.” The annual survey measures overall traveler satisfaction across the region’s airports in seven categories (in order of importance): ease of travel, level of trust, terminal facilities, airport staff, airport departure experience, food and retail, and airport arrival experience.

Here are the regions favorites:

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