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I will never forget the day I realized how rare it is to see businesses support parentsor what a huge impact even the tiniest efforts can make. Were just going to run into the store for a few quick things! I called to my two kids with confidence as I unloaded them from the car, skipping the bulky stroller and putting my 1-year-old in the shopping cart seat. But what should have been a simple trip took a turn when we unexpectedly needed to visit the restroom. As any mom knows, this is where things can start to unravel: You cant take the cart inside, so what are you supposed to do with your not-yet-walking child while you help the bigger one use the toilet? And how are you supposed to use the toilet yourself while also holding a squirmy baby? {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2015\/08\/Two-Truths-single.png","headline":"Subscribe to Two Truths...","description":"a newsletter that explores the many truths of motherhood through news round-ups, trend reports, and expert-backed deep dives on topics that matter to moms. To learn more visit twotruths.substack.com","substackDomain":"https:\/\/twotruths.substack.com","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}} I opened the door and braced myself for the chaos that would certainly comeso when I stepped into a large stall and saw a strap-in baby holder attached to the wall, I could have wept with relief. Then, the appreciation rolled in: These wall-mounted baby safety seats are a game changer for parents who are tasked with taking kids to the restroom. But then I was hit with confusion: Why are simple considerations like this one so rare to see? Why am I so impressed with what should really be considered the bare minimum when it comes to supporting parents in public places? Since thenduring countless visits to kid-friendly spaces like the zoo, the pediatricians office, department stores, and public parksIve always noticed and questioned how businesses support (or dont support) parents. (You know what would make life unbelievably easier for parents? A $15 step stool so kids can reach the sink to wash their hands. I think about this almost every day.) https://www.threads.com/@motherspeak/post/DMaDCwwOV6G?xmt=AQF0ERX0a5kpyUnw-O98LoVt3rNq8jKzxZktM8aRA52h-A&slof=1 Appealing to parents isnt just a do-good strategy, eitherits good business. Gen alphaborn between 2010 and 2025is on track to be the biggest generation ever in history, says Lauren Smith Brody, founder of The Fifth Trimester, a business strategy firm focused on moms. So anything retailers and public spaces can do to welcome that generation now will only build brand loyalty that will pay off later. Kid-friendly policies and spaces signal a friendly, inclusive, thoughtful culture overall, she says. The step-stool in the bathroom and the animatronic ear of corn [at Stew Leonards, a grocery chain in the northeast] attracts and retains parents as customers, but they also signal to everyone: Humanity is valued here; joy and ease are a part of this experience. Numerous studies indicate that Gen Z and younger millennials are also values-driven in their shopping. Recently, we asked our audience what considerations theyd like to see businesses make to better appeal to parentsand hundreds of moms weighed in. What did we learn? One: Prioritizing parents isnt unheard of; some industries and places are already getting it right. And two: The most common requests from parents and caregivers are mostly minor, reasonable, and would go a long way for families and businesses. Heres a look at what categories are getting things rightand how businesses can improve their family-friendly policies. Hotels have long catered to familiesand are doing even more today Many hotels offer smart amenities to make life a little easier for parentsincluding complimentary kids gear, babysitting services, and much more. The Four Seasons, in particular, has long been known to cater to families. The Philadelphia and Baltimore properties will provide you with a Baby Brezza bottle washer, bottle dryer, breastmilk & formula warmer, and more. The Four Seasons Hotel Boston features a kids toy closet located behind the check-in desk for little ones to explore while caregivers check in and out. This allowed us a few moments to get everything sorted, and the kids were in heaven, said Cassie Shortsleeve, a mom of three in Boston (and a cofounder of Two Truths). In Orlando, you dont need to worry about packing swim diapers (theyre provided), and you can request items to childproof a room. Properties like Carmel Valley Ranch (see: the “Munchin Menu”) and Wequassett Resort & Golf Club also have partnerships with major childrens brands, such as Nuna and Maxi-Cosi, to borrow or rent gear like strollers, playards, baby carriers, and more. Some shopping destinations have become more family-friendly Ikea was a big winner among our responses. They have that Scandinavian family-friendliness, says Marissa Lanterman, a mom of one in Baltimore. Family parking, cart and stroller accessibility, high chairs in all eating areas, changing tables in bathrooms, step stools for kids at sinks, comfy baby care rooms, Smland . . . you really cant beat it. For new moms in particular, Nordstrom was a standout shopping destination mentioned multiple timesmostly for its family restrooms and clean, comfortable lactation lounges with couches and sinks. Another favorite: Wegmans. They have built-in stepping stools in the bathroom at the sinks, a baby holder in the stalls so you can use the toilet in peace, a wall of every size diaper available for free if needed, and little car carts to keep toddlers occupied while shopping, says Sara Creary, a mom of one in Pittsford, NY. Many eateries keep kids in mind One (potentially surprising) space that many moms praised? Breweries. Our loal brewery is like our own little Europea public space for play and relaxation for kids and adults alike, says Lily Dunlop, a mom of two in Seattle. Kelsey Glynn, a mom of three, says her favorite brewery even brings out complimentary kid snacks: At BJs Restaurant & Brewhouse here in Arizona, they immediately serve a plate of fruit and Goldfish to help manage kids hunger before their food arrives at the table. A coffee shop I went to had a kids corner with a play kitchen and espresso machine, says Christa Ursini, a mom of one in South Salem, NY. It was magicparents could enjoy their coffee while their kids played. Public spaces can be kid-friendly Its not just specific businesses that cater to kids and families, but public places more generally, as well. Some popular family travel destinations are full of family-friendly spots, but also put families first when it comes to strategic planning and development: Newport, RI, for one, is dotted with parks and playgrounds throughout and in between more formal stops like an aquarium or an old-school arcade that may be on an itinerary. To that point, moms we spoke to highlighted that public places that attract kids, such as playgrounds and parks, should have some key components: water fountains, bathrooms, shade, and fencingall critical aspects for parents that can make or break the decision of where to spend your time. Pop-up lactation podssuch as Mamavaare another great feature for businesses of all sizes, but especially handy in spaces like airports, zoos, and amusement parks. Theres more to be done: Heres what parents want When we asked our audience how businesses could improve for parents, we were struck by the similarity between responseswith many requests, especially very basic ones, appearing again and again. Here are the main takeaways. In bathrooms: Baby changing tables in both the womens and mens rooms, ideally located within a stall for privacy. (Its really jarring to go to a restaurant that has high chairs and crayons at the table, but not a single baby changing table in any bathroom, one mom told us. Am I supposed to put my baby on the floor?) Lower sinks or step stools that allow small kids to wash their hands Paper towels as an alternative to loud hand dryers (which many kids are afraid of or sensitive to) Bag hooks and/or shelves near sinks and changing stations Within dining establishments: Disposable table covers so kids can eat off a sanitary surface High chairs and booster seats that areand this is important!kept clean Food-safe wipes available for parents to clean tables and high chairs as needed Stainless steel kid-sized cutlery Kids cups with lids Disposable bibs Activities for kidsfrom basic (crayons and coloring sheets) to bonus (toy basket, Magna-Tiles, books, etc.) Healthier, lighter kids’ menu options (fruit, cheese, crackers, nuts, veggies & dip, etc.) Outdoor play areas (when space allows) are huge bonus that many parents will seek out In stores: Aisles that are wide enough to accommodate strollers Increase curbside pick-up options More parking spots reserved for families (either near the door or near the cart return) Simple treats that make kids excited to visit (like stickers, la Trader Joes) In a society that is woefully lacking systemic support for parents and often unconducive to kids, businesses have a powerful opportunity to step up and set new standards that show families they are seen, appreciated, and valued. Any business that goes the extra mile for parents really stands out, driving word of mouth and customer loyalty, says Brody. And any public space that makes parents feel good about the love and work theyre pouring into their kids is going to win that business in a big way. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2015\/08\/Two-Truths-single.png","headline":"Subscribe to Two Truths...","description":"a newsletter that explores the many truths of motherhood through news round-ups, trend reports, and expert-backed deep dives on topics that matter to moms. To learn more visit twotruths.substack.com","substackDomain":"https:\/\/twotruths.substack.com","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}}
Category:
E-Commerce
Yesterday, Target Corporation announced news that no one wants to hearespecially just before the holidays. The Minneapolis-based retail giant informed employees that it is gearing up to eliminate 1,800 corporate roles at the company. Heres when the layoffs will happen and what it means for the company and its employees. Target to cull its corporate workforce by 8% On Thursday, Targets chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke, who is set to become the companys new CEO in February, reportedly sent a memo to employees at the 440,000-strong company. According to numerous media reports, Fiddelkes memo didnt beat around the bush: the company has decided to eliminate 1,800 positions. Yet the layoffs will not hit the majority of the companys workforce. Much of its 440,000 employees work as retail members across its nearly 2,000 stores in the United States. The layoffs are not expected to impact these retail employees, who the company will rely heavily on during the upcoming holiday period. Instead, the job cuts will hit Targets corporate workforce. And as CNBC notes, citing the memo, 1,800 positions will be eliminated. The eliminations include 1,000 direct employee layoffs and another 800 roles that will no longer be filled. In his memo sent to Target staff, Fiddelke said the elimination of 1,800 corporate roles represents a reduction of about 8% of our global HQ team. Fiddelkes memo included the usual platitudes that company leadership makes when laying off employees, noting the real impact that the layoffs will have on Targets team and that the company never makes such moves lightly. However, he also argued the layoffs are a necessary step in building the future of Target and enabling the progress and growth we all want to see. Of course, the future of Target will be of little consequence to those losing their jobs ahead of the holidays. Fast Company has reached out to Target for comment and will update this story if we hear back. A spokesperson told CNBC that, in addition to severance packages, those laid off will receive benefits and pay until January 3. Competitors Walmart and Amazon are thriving The layoffs may not be much of a surprise to people who have been paying attention to Target’s recent struggles. While the companys competitors, such as Walmart and Amazon, have seen their businessesand stock pricesthrive, its been the opposite story for Target. As my colleague Elizabeth Segran explored in May, Target had a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year.” In January, in the lead-up to Donald Trumps inauguration, Target announced it was reversing course on its celebrated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments. Many loyal Target customers saw that as capitulation, and the backlash, in the form of boycotts, was swift, with foot traffic to many of its stores falling by up to 7.7%. And its not like President Trump has done Target many favors, as his tariffs have had a measurable impact on Target’s costs. The company acquires most of its items from overseas, including China. It must now pay more for those products and thus take a hit on its bottom line, or pass the cost of those price increases onto customers, which could lead to them buying less. And those customers are already under pressure from inflation, which has caused them to pull back on their discretionary spending. Thats a big problem for Target, as the majority of the goods it sells are discretionary items. All of these issues are something that incoming CEO Fiddelke is going to have to fix, and, with yesterdays announcement, it appears that he thinks layoffs are part of that fix. TGT investors dont seem to care about the layoffs So far at least, Target’s investors don’t seem to think these layoffs will meaningfully impact the company in the short term. Often when a corporate giant announces mass layoffs, the companys stock price spikes. Thats because layoffs are seen as the fastest way for a company to reduce its costs, which can help increase profits. But looking at Target’s stock price (NYSE: TGT) this morning, it appears as if investors are shrugging off the news. As of this writing, TGT stock is up just half a percent to $94.75 in premarket trading. Yesterday, TGT shares closed up just a quarter of a percent to $94.25. This suggests that investors are going to need to see a lot more change at the companyand with its financesto get them excited about the stock again. And TGT stock has had a bad run as of late. As of yesterdays close, TGT shares were down more than 30% since the year began. Over the past 12 months, TGT shares have fallen more than 36%. And over the past five years, TGT shares have dropped a staggering 41%. During that same five-year timeframe, shares in competitor Walmart (NYSE: WMT) are up 122% and shares in Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) are up almost 38%.
Category:
E-Commerce
One of my Bentley University students put it plainly the other day: AI taking entry-level jobs is a when, not an if. But in venture capital, 70% of the decision is reading the founder and teamand thats something AI cant do. That simple breakdown , 70% people, 30% productflips the usual narrative about finance. For decades, finance was defined by numbers. Analysts lived and died by the spreadsheets. Today, AI can run discounted cash flows, parse a term sheet, and size a market faster than any junior associate. But if you talk to people in venture capital, theyll tell you the math has never been the most important part. The numbers matter, of course, but the difference between betting on a future unicorn and losing it all is whether you can read the humans across the table. AIs takeover of the crunching jobs Students see whats coming. The entry-level finance roles that once trained armies of analysts are increasingly exposed to automation. AI models can scan thousands of comparable companies in seconds, build slide decks, even flag anomalies that a first-year hire would have spent a weekend catching. In fact, McKinsey estimates that nearly half of finance tasks could already be automated by existing AI tools. What was once seen as a rite of passagethe long hours bent over Excelmay soon look as outdated as typewriters in an accounting office. Thats why many students I teach dont just worry about if AI will change their jobs. They assume it already has. The conversation now is how to build careers in finance when machines are better, faster, and cheaper at the very tasks that used to get you in the door. The venture capital exception Venture capital, especially at the earliest stages, offers a counterintuitive lesson. The math can only take you so far. Market sizing, revenue projections, even technical due diligenceall of it is valuable, but none of it predicts success the way the founder does. Investors Ive spoken with put it bluntly: youre betting on people, not just products. Thats the essence of the 70/30 rule my student repeated: 70% of the investment decision is about the team. Only 30% is about the idea. Surveys of venture investors back this up. First Round Capital, for example, has consistently found that founder quality outranks product or market sizing in early-stage decisions. You want founders with resilience, persuasion, and the grit to pivot when the idea inevitably changes. AI can tell you the addressable market. It cannot tell you if this particular founder has the charisma to convince skeptical investors, the judgment to hire the right people, or the sheer stubbornness to keep going after three failed prototypes. As one early-stage investor told me recently, AI can show me a founders track record in five seconds, but it cant tell me whether they can read a room or take a punch. Thats still my job. Why Gen Z gets it What strikes me is how quickly students are internalizing this. Rather than seeing their careers in finance as doomed, they are recalibrating. They want to be the people who can build relationships, persuade others, and trust their instincts. Theyre preparing not to be number crunchers, but decision-makers. In class discussions, they talk about internships where AI already plays a role in screening deals. Their takeaway isnt despairits clarity. They see that the irreplaceable part of the job is not working the models but reading the room. They know AI may one day suggest which startup should succeed, but it wont sit across the table from a founder at 11 p.m., hear the quiver in their voice, and know whether thats nerves or conviction. Gen Z, often criticized for being too soft, may be better positioned than we think. Theyve grown up digital. They understand the strengths of machines, but they also see the limits. Theyre comfortable letting AI do the heavy lifting if it means their human skills rise in value. Lessons for the future of work This shift should force us to rethink not only finance, but the future of work itself. If venture capital is a case study, the lesson is that industries once defined by quantitative rigor may end up placing even greater value on qualitative judgment. Harvard Business Review has made a similar point, noting that as AI scales technical analysis, soft skills are fast becoming the hardest skills to replace. The irony is rich: the most number-driven fields may be the ones where numbers matter least. And if thats true, Gen Z might just be the generation that restores humanity to the financial worldnot by rejecting technology, but by mastering what machines cant. Back to the 70/30 rule That brings me back to my student. Their comment wasnt just about venture capital. It was about what comes next in finance, and perhaps beyond. If AI eats the numbers, the real work will be reading people. AI owns the math. But the gutthe judgment, empathy, and intuition that turn data into decisionsstill belongs to us. In the end, the algorithms will get faster, but the best investors will always pause, look across the table, and trust what no machine can calculate: the human pulse of possibility.
Category:
E-Commerce
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