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Chipotle Mexican Grill announced today, August 19, that its launching a new rewards program, Chipotle U Rewards, for students heading back to campus this fall, to “recognize and celebrate . . . various milestones of their higher education journey and bring more value to Gen Z students.” Chipotle’s focus on college towns and loyalty programs aimed at students is part of its strategy to increase growth and retain younger customers at a time when many fast-food and fast-casual chains are facing declining sales and slow growth fueled by higher prices, inflation, tariff fears, and changing customer habits. (In the first quarter of 2025, Chipotle not only missed revenue estimates but also said same-store sales dropped for the first time since 2020, as Fast Company previously reported.) Chipotle, like other chains, is targeting college students and a younger demographic because they are dining out often, and also to build long-term loyalty, according to Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solutions provider. According to Chipotle, college-age Chipotle Rewards members spend more annually, driven by more frequent visits; plus, they have a higher retention rate, based on five years of data. There are more than 250 Chipotle restaurants within 2 miles of college campuses. With the introduction of Chipotle U Rewards, weve created a new personalized digital experience for Gen Z students who are craving real food and real value, Curt Garner, president and chief strategy and technology officer of Chipotle, said in a statement sent to Fast Company. How Chipotle’s new loyalty program works The loyalty program allows students to earn points for signing up, and subsequently for every dollar spent, which can be redeemed for free food like burritos, bowls, tacos, and salads. Students will score 1,000 bonus points for signing up, and 20% more points on every purchase than the regular loyalty program offers, with surprise drops around college milestones like finals and graduation. College students can enroll in Chipotle U Rewards at chipotle.com/chipotle-u-rewards. Once logged in, students must validate their college enrollment through ID.me. Chipotle collab with Urban Outfitters To celebrate the launch, Chipotle teamed up with Urban Outfitters to design the limited-edition A Little Extra dorm collection, inspired by the fast-casual chain’s menu. It’s set to roll out online and at select Urban Outfitters locations in college towns on August 20. Highlights include beanbag chairs inspired by black and pinto beans, a throw blanket that looks like a foil-wrapped tortilla, and a desk light shaped like a chip bag. Here’s a list of collection items and prices: Chipotle Water cup tumbler ($16) Chipotle Is My Life catchall ($19) Chipotle delivery doormat ($29) Chipotle chip bag light ($59) A Little Extra” embroidered pillow ($59) Chipotle burrito throw blanket ($99) Black bean beanbag chair ($299) Pinto bean beanbag chair ($299) Chipotle by the numbers Second-quarter earnings for Chipotle (NYSE: CMGY) for the period ending June 30, 2025, included adjusted earnings per share of $0.33, meeting analysts’ expectations. However, revenue for the period came in at $3.06 billion, below expectations of $3.11 billion. Comparable restaurant sales fell 4% year over year, compared to a 11.1% increase in the second quarter of 2024, driven by a 4.9% decline in transactions.
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E-Commerce
A new study released by GoTo and Workplace Intelligence confirms something many of us have already started to feel: AI is no longer just a workplace tool. Its becoming the workplace. The study, which surveyed 2,500 global employees and IT leaders, found that 51% of employees believe AI will eventually make physical offices obsolete. For years weve talked about how AI would change what we do at work. But now its changing where, how, and why we work, and who we turn to for support. AI is replacing more than just tasks. Its replacing structure, feedback, and in some cases, empathy. The office is losing groundto AI Remote and hybrid work models are no longer just a pandemic-era compromise. Theyve become the preferred option for many, and AI is now powering the infrastructure behind that shift. From AI-enhanced meetings and IT support to generative assistants and automation tools, employees say the tech is delivering where the office no longer does. According to the study: 71% of workers say AI improves their flexibility and work-life balance 66% say AI lets them work from anywhere without losing productivity 65% say it helps them serve customers more effectively, even from home Even more telling: 61% of employees say theyd rather see their company invest in AI than office perks like lounges, snacks, or upgraded spaces. And that includes workers who are still going into the office. The message is clear: Workers dont just want hybrid models. They want support that travels with them and many believe AI is doing a better job of that than their physical workplace. When AI becomes the manager We tend to frame AI as something that makes work faster. But increasingly, its also making work feel safer, especially for younger workers. Ive spoken with Gen Z students who use ChatGPT to figure out how to email their professor or manager because they dont feel confident in their tone. Others say theyve used it to explore career paths or problem-solve interpersonal issues at worknot because they dont care, but because theyve never been taught how to navigate these moments, and they dont want to risk getting it wrong. One student told me they refer to ChatGPT as they, not he or she, because it feels more neutral. Less likely to judge. That comment has stayed with me. AI isnt just giving answers. Its providing space. It doesnt interrupt. It doesnt talk over you. It doesnt roll its eyes. Thats what so many peopleespecially younger workersare hungry for. And thats why this shift is about far more than efficiency. Not just a Gen Z thing While Gen Z might be leading the way in comfort with AI, theyre far from alone. The study shows that 90% of remote/hybrid baby boomers and 84% of millennials say AI has improved their productivity while working remotely. Over 70% of Gen X workers say the same. We often act like this is a young-person conversation. Its not. Its a cross-generational shift in how we think about presence, support, and control. Flexibility, not physical space, has become the marker of a good job. And AI is quickly becoming the scaffolding holding that model up. Leadership is out of sync But not everyone sees the situation the same way. The study reveals a sharp disconnect between those implementing AI and those expected to use it. 91% of IT leaders believe their company is using AI effectively to support remote and hybrid teams. Only 53% of employees agree. That gap should concern any organization that wants to build trust in an AI-driven environment. If leadership sees AI as a solved problem and employees see it as inconsistent or incomplete, youre not just dealing with a tech issue. Youre dealing with a culture problem. The bigger question So where does this leave us? AI is now doing the work of helping people feel competent, supported, and connectedroles we once looked to managers, mentors, and coworkers to fill. That doesnt mean were heading for a cold, robotic future. But it does mean we need to think more deeply about what work is when the office becomes optional and the boss is an algorithm. Are we okay with employees turning to AI instead of their team? Are we okay with students using chatbots to learn how to communicate because they dont trust their workplace to teach them? And are we doing enough to make sure this shift toward digital independence doesnt quietly erode human connection? Because if were not careful, AI wont just shape how we work, it will reshape who we rely on, how we grow, and what we believe good work looks and feels like.
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E-Commerce
If youve bought an Apple Watch recently, you may have noticed a logo with a ring of green leaves on the side of the outer box. Elsewhere on the packaging, the same symbol appears alongside the phrase: carbon neutral. Apple first introduced the mark two years ago with its first carbon neutral productswatches made with 75% fewer carbon emissions, with carbon offsets covering the rest. A carbon neutral Mac mini followed. Now, however, Apple is beginning to phase out the label, and boxes without it could start appearing later this year. The change isnt due to a shift in Apples environmental efforts. Rather, a new EU law is forcing the issue: by September 2026, companies will no longer be allowed to use claims like carbon neutral or climate neutral on packaging, ads, or product pages. Critics say such terms risk misleading consumers. Apple agrees that strong standards are importantbut argues it is losing a way to highlight genuine progress in cutting emissions. “There’s a real impact to not talking about it at a product level, says Sarah Chandler, Apples vice president of environment and supply chain innovation. [Photo: Apple] What carbon neutral meansand why the law changed Companies define carbon neutral in different ways. At a basic level, the phrase, like net zero, means that greenhouse gas emissions are balanced out by carbon removal, either by naturefor example, trees sucking up CO2 as they growor technology like direct air capture. The concept was first applied to countries. When a country calculates its total carbon footprint, it can consider how forests and other carbon removal offset human emissions from factories, buildings, and other sources. But the idea is more controversial when its applied to a single product. Some brands have claimed that a product is carbon neutral when they dont make any changes in manufacturing but just buy carbon offsets equal to the products carbon footprint. In theory, that could be a first steptheres value in understanding in detail where a companys emissions come from, and if the carbon credits support credible projects, its a way to help fight climate change while the company makes plans to directly cut its own emissions. But carbon offsets are cheap to buy, and that can mean that some companies are less motivated to change their own processes quickly. Some low-quality carbon offsets may not actually help at all. Arguably, even when carbon offset projects are carefully managed and do have a measurable benefit, restoring or protecting a forest is not truly equivalent to reducing the use of fossil fuels. Meanwhile, some companies can appear more sustainable than they actually are. In Europe, surveys showed that many people misunderstand carbon neutral to mean that a company has eliminated its own emissions. And because theres so much variation in how brands actually make carbon neutral products, EU regulators decided to ban the claims completely. Apple argues that instead, regulators could require companies to meet a high bar for transparency and accuracy when they call a product carbon neutral. “I think that rather than banning certain terms, it would behoove us all to set high standards and hold people to them, says Chandler. [Photo: Apple] Apples ambitious push to cut emissions When Apple set its internal climate goals in 2020, it was ambitious: by 2030, it aimed to cut emissions 75% across its entire value chain and offset the rest. By midcentury, the company plans to reduce emissions by 90%. It has already made significant progress. That includes building new supply chains for recycled materials, from gold in circuit boards to cobalt in batteries and rare earth elements in magnets. These shifts arent simple; beyond sourcing new materials, Apple has had to develop new design solutions. For the first carbon neutral Mac mini, for instance, the design team pioneered a new method to manufacture the recycled aluminum enclosure. Its done using something called impact extrusion, which is a really cool process and a complete change in our approach to design and manufacturing, says Chandler. That comes from a team saying, How do we get an even bigger reduction in our material footprint both by using more recycled content and by using less material to make a product in the first place? Over the past decade, Apple has also worked with suppliers to invest in new wind and solar farms. Factories commit to building renewable projects on the grids where they operate. Under Apples supplier code of conduct, direct partners must procure enough new renewable power to cover 100% of the electricity used to manufacture Apple products. Since 2018, Apples own offices, data centers, and stores have run on renewable electricity. The company says this work has put it on track to meet its 2030 goal. Still, Apple has faced criticism for labeling some products carbon neutral. NewClimate Institute argued that without the misleading marketing, Apple could stand out as a role model for several aspects of its climate plan. Earlier this year, Apple was sued in California by plaintiffs who claimed hat some of its supported offset projects failed to deliver genuine carbon reductions. The company has defended its approach. [Photo: Apple] Finding a new way to talk about progress Though Apple is working to reduce emissions across the company, its been approaching the challenge product by product. Now, without being able to say that a particular product has met its definition of carbon neutral, the company says that its more challenging to help consumers understand the changes that it has made. “We want customers to still be able to see that data and that progress transparently, Chandler says. So that’s where we’re really focused at this point: How do we showcase that, how do we highlight it, how do we make sure that customers get that information?” The brand doesnt currently plan to replace the carbon neutral label on packaging with different information (such as 75% fewer emissions, or made with 100% renewable electricity.) But its exploring new ways to highlight environmental progress. Apple may potentially add more details online, so someone purchasing a watch or Mac mini can learn more about the move to recycled content, for example, at that point. Though the new law only applies in the EU, Apple is changing its packaging globally, because the company says that it doesnt want to create confusion for consumers. (It’s also beginning to phase in changes to packaging now, though the law goes into effect next year, for logistical reasons.) [Photo: Apple] Action matters most What’s most important, Apple says, is that its climate work isn’t slowing down as communication changes. It’s racing to meet its 2030 goal for other products. And to be able to reach 90% emissions cuts by 2050, the company needs to move aggressively. It’s working with other companies to find ways to tackle particularly hard-to-abate emissions, like cargo and aviation fuel, for example. “Our work isn’t going to change here, says Chandler. We’re going to keep doing the work in these critical areas. We’re going to keep focusing on electricity, on materials, on transportation. We’re going to stay on track for 2030. All those things are not changing.” “Were proud of our carbon neutral products and on track to achieve carbon neutrality throughout our entire supply chain by 2030,” the company said in a statement. “Every Apple product is designed with the environment in mind, and that commitment will continue, regardless of new EU rules restricting how we can talk about it. Fast action is critical. “The clock is ticking,” says Jordan Faires, senior manager of net zero at the environmental nonprofit EDF. “Bold corporate climate action cant wait. What matters most is cutting emissions at the speed science demandsprioritizing deep decarbonization and investing in natureand being fully transparent about the results.”
Category:
E-Commerce
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