Business
Video: Google C.E.O. Comments On Landmark Monopoly Ruling
“Sundar Pichai is here, everybody, the C.E.O., of course, of Alphabet and Google. How much of your time, and I promise we’d get to it, is spent these days on thinking about this legal case that you are the center of with the U.S. government saying you’re a monopoly and we are going to break you up? They have talked about effectively trying to do a whole bunch of things, spinning off Chrome, figuring out how to deal with Android, preventing you from paying folks like Apple to make Google the default search engine on the phone.” “Look, I spend the vast majority of my time on innovation and product innovation we need to do as a company. But at our scale as a company, it’s a big part of my job to engage with regulators and viewed it as an important part of my role to do that. From a legal standpoint, look, these are complex cases. They are in the thick of it. We have very, very capable teams which work through it. I have, I spend time, but it’s not an extraordinary amount of time or something like that, yeah.” “But what do you think your chances are, if you will? I mean, do you say to you, I don’t know how much you want to speculate, but there’s a big question mark about if any of these things were to come to pass, what it would do to the business?” “Look, I mean, I would say this even through the ruling, the judge commented on that we are clearly the highest quality search engine product out there. And we have gotten to that position by innovating ahead of everyone else.”
Business
L.A. County supervisors seek aid for hundreds of workers affected by Phillips 66 refinery closure
With a major oil refinery in Wilmington and Carson scheduled to close next year, Los Angeles County officials are looking to shore up resources for hundreds of workers who will be left without jobs.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion Tuesday asking county staff to work with local partners such as the city of Los Angeles and the South Bay Workforce Investment Board to develop a plan to provide hiring fairs, training and other job placement resources for affected workers.
Oil giant Phillips 66 announced in October that the century-old complex, which sprawls across 650 acres and produces about 8% of the state’s gasoline, would cease operations late next year. Its closure will affect some 600 employees and 300 contract workers that keep its operations running.
Supervisor Janice Hahn said at the meeting that more than half of the affected workforce is Latino and includes skilled workers such as operators, welders, engineers and safety compliance experts that would bring “years of specialized training and certifications” to other jobs. She said they should receive support to help them make the transition to similar jobs in renewable energy, infrastructure development and advanced manufacturing.
“This is a time the county needs to lean in and support them as they face this abrupt transition,” Hahn said.
Supervisors Hahn and Holly Mitchell introduced the motion, which also asks various departments to identify career pathways for “hard-to-hire” skilled trade positions within the county itself.
“We have the responsibility to ensure that displaced workers can smoothly transition … not just by partnering with the private sector but also by opening up doors here at the county,” Mitchell said at the meeting.
The county’s Director of Economic Opportunity has 60 days to report back to the board with an action plan.
The announcement of the pending closure came amid community concerns of harmful emissions and high pollution levels. Mark Lashier, chairman and chief executive of Phillips 66, said in an October news release that the long-term sustainability of the operation was “uncertain and affected by market dynamics.”
“We understand this decision has an impact on our employees, contractors and the broader community,” Lashier said. “We will work to help and support them through this transition.”
The closure will leave the state with eight major refineries, three in the Bay Area and five in Southern California, operated by Chevron, Valero and others.
Business
Netflix's latest pitch: 'Squid Game' tracksuits, sneakers and whisky
In the Korean-language Netflix megahit “Squid Game,” debt-ridden people take part in a deadly competition — lying, cheating and killing one another for a life-changing pot of money.
How is the streamer promoting the second season of such an anti-capitalist show? By selling merchandise, of course.
Retailers and brands including Puma, Johnnie Walker and shoe-maker Crocs are hoping that interest in the show will drive sales of products based on the ultraviolent dystopian series.
On Wednesday, Puma announced a line of green tracksuits similar to the ones the characters wear onscreen, along with sneakers and other apparel inspired by the series. The German clothing retailer created the actual costumes for the show.
“We saw an opportunity for us to be more than just a partner of creating consumer products, being able to also be in the show and be part of this cultural moment,” said Puma spokesman Alberto Turincio. “Everyone knows what ‘Squid Game’ is. The fandom was just insane.”
Puma is just one of several global retailers and brands that are partnering with Netflix on merchandise inspired by its shows and movies.
For example, spirit maker Johnnie Walker created a “Squid Game” special-edition whisky, which features a teal label and “Squid Game” inspired cocktails including “The 456” which incorporates flavor form bori-cha, tea often served with Korean food.
Previously, Netflix has worked with outside companies to create “Bridgerton” bread mixes and “Stranger Things”-themed Scoops Ahoy ice cream. For Netflix, the products are a way of keeping fans engaged with their favorite programs and driving excitement.
Puma “Squid Game” tracksuit, sneakers and backpack. Puma “Squid Game” sneakers. Puma “Squid Game” backpack. (Netflix)
“The stories that are on Netflix end up becoming these cultural moments, and so I think people are excited to go along with us on that journey,” said Josh Simon, Netflix’s vice president of consumer products. “When they love it, they want to live it.”
Retail and consumer products are a growing business for Netflix. The company is hoping that selling T-shirts, booze and other items inspired by its programming will boost awareness for its programs while also providing additional revenue. Netflix has launched pop-up stores and restaurants to promote its shows and movies. It has created live events, including music performances, for similar purposes. Netflix said it has launched 40 unique attractions across 100 cities globally, reaching more than 7.5 million consumers.
Next year, the company will open permanent retail centers, called Netflix House, inside former department store locations in Texas and Pennsylvania that combine all those elements — food, merchandise and experiences based on Netflix programs. The company could eventually have 50 or 60 Netflix House locations globally, Co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos said at the WSJ Tech Live conference in October.
The popularity of “Stranger Things” helped kick-start Netflix’s consumer products business as brands began reaching out to work with the company. In 2019, Netflix started its consumer products division and in 2021 launched a retail website. Over time, Netflix expanded its partnerships with more brands and hosted popular live events, including balls inspired by “Bridgerton.” It’s a playbook that was pioneered by Walt Disney Co. and copied by numerous others. Disney has a giant consumer products licensing business and at one time had hundreds of retail stores at malls across the country.
But unlike studios such as Disney, Netflix doesn’t have a large catalog of storied characters like Mickey Mouse, Woody from “Toy Story” and Elsa from “Frozen.” Also, Netflix’s most popular shows tend to be more adult-centric, and thus less obviously useful for retailers targeting children than Disney’s cartoons and Universal’s ubiquitous Minions.
But the streamer says the popularity of its adult-oriented programming is an advantage, because its viewers have disposable income and are willing to spend.
Netflix has a global audience of hundreds of millions of people, and its most popular shows have spurred shopping trends on their own. Fans have bought tracksuits to dress as “Squid Game” characters for Halloween or chess sets due to the fandom around “The Queen’s Gambit.”
“We’ve earned a little bit of goodwill to place bets on newer movies and TV shows, just because the fandom can catch up pretty quickly,” Simon said.
Retailers have already seen success with Netflix-related products. Bath & Body Works sold “Bridgerton”-themed fragrance collections such as “Diamond of the Season” starting in March, with lotions, soaps and candles. Over the launch period, the “Bridgerton”-themed products represented 4% of Bath & Body Works’ U.S. store sales, the retailer said.
The brands fit really well together, and the “Bridgerton” products brought in new shoppers, said Betsy Schumacher, the retailer’s chief merchandising officer.
“It had this immediate attraction to our customers and drove traffic and excitement in our stores,” she said.
“Bridgerton” was one of the shows touted at a meeting with brands last month. There are “Bridgerton”-inspired wedding dresses, $70 teapots at Williams Sonoma and $65 dog jackets.
“We’ve done a lot, but we won’t pause here,” Elena Vrska, who works in consumer products marketing at Netflix, said during a presentation.
“Squid Game” Season 2 represents a major opportunity for Netflix and its brand partners. The first season was the most watched Netflix show ever, with more than 330 million views to date. This month, Netflix will launch marketing campaigns showcasing the iconic green tracksuits from “Squid Game,” including a 4.56K run (a reference to Player 456, the show’s main character) during the “Squid Game” season 2 premiere in Los Angeles next week.
“We are expecting to sweep the world with green tracksuits,” Joyce Salaver, who works in brand strategy in consumer products for Netflix, said in a presentation to brands last month. “We will create a massive cultural moment that only Netflix can do.”
Netflix’s deals with brands can vary. The streamer in some cases receives a licensing fee or a percentage of sales with minimum revenue guarantees.
Larry Vincent, a USC Marshall School of Business marketing professor, said the licensees take on more risk generally than licensors such as Netflix.
“The real benefit of it is the exposure and the marketing value of more consumers and audiences aware that a program is active right now,” Vincent said. “You can think of these licensed merchandise extensions as just another marketing execution.”
In addition to working with brands, Netflix has its own in-house product development and creative teams that help with the products.
Matt Owens, co-showrunner and an executive producer of Netflix’s “One Piece,” said that when he was a kid, having action figures of movies and TV shows inspired him to reenact scenes and make up his own stories, which is how he started as a storyteller. Now, he’s working with Netflix on merch for his own live action series, based on the popular coming-of-age manga. One of the ideas he was involved with was “One Piece” trading cards based on the live action series that could be used in the “One Piece” card game. Owens said he has talked with brands regarding potential merchandise for Season 2 of the show but declined to name them.
Merch is “like a badge of honor” for fans, Owens said.
“It’s the same thing as wearing a jersey of a sports team,” Owens said. “It just adds that feeling that there are other fans all over the place.”
Business
California settles with big-box retailers and Dodgers over alleged hiring violations
California’s Civil Rights Department announced settlements Tuesday with Amazon, Ikea and Kohl’s over allegations that the big-box retailers illegally denied jobs to people based on their criminal histories.
Amazon allegedly denied a Bay Area applicant work as a delivery driver because of a conviction that was more than seven years old, while Ikea was accused of failing to justify its stance that a criminal history made an applicant unable to handle a job as a furniture builder in Carson, the Civil Rights Department said.
Another complaint said Kohl’s denied an applicant a job as a warehouse worker in Los Angeles based on criminal history information unlawfully obtained through a questionnaire.
Besides the retailers, California also reached a settlement with the Dodgers for failing to notify an applicant for a guest services job of the specific reason their hire had been blocked, and for failing to provide an opportunity for the applicant to submit evidence challenging the rejection.
The series of settlements marks an effort to enforce the Fair Chance Act, which went into effect in 2018 and limits how an employer can use an applicant’s criminal history when making hiring decisions. The law is intended to reduce barriers to work that people with criminal histories face.
The law prohibits employers with five or more employees from asking about a job applicant’s criminal history before making a conditional job offer, and sets in place specific procedures for considering an applicant’s criminal history after a job offer is made. Under the law, employers can decide against hiring an applicant only if a conviction has a direct link to the responsibilities that come with the job.
The law also requires that companies provide notice of decisions to deny applicants positions on the basis of their conviction histories, and gives applicants the ability to respond to these preliminary decisions.
The Civil Rights Department announced the settlements, which it reached in recent months, in a news release Tuesday. The department said it had also reached deals with a hotel in Sacramento and a private charter jet company in Monterey, both of which were accused of unlawfully considering information that had been sealed, dismissed or expunged from an applicant’s criminal record.
The settlements resolve complaints that rejected job applicants filed with the state last year. After investigating the allegations, the Civil Rights Department gave the companies the chance to settle the violations. Settlements can include payments to complainants to cover lost wages or other harms and agreeing to temporary monitoring by state officials to ensure compliance with the law.
The amount some of the companies paid as part of the settlements were kept confidential, while others are in the range of $15,000 to $18,500, according to copies of the settlement agreements reviewed by The Times.
“Nobody deserves to get locked out of the job market,” said Kevin Kish, director of the Civil Rights Department, according to the news release. “If we want to get serious about helping people get their lives back on track, we owe it to them to give them a chance to make a living. By giving people a pathway forward in their own lives, we’re also doing critical work to ensure public safety in our communities.”
An Amazon spokesperson said he did not have enough information about the settlement and could not yet provide comment. Ikea, Kohl’s and the Dodgers did not respond to requests for comment.
The Civil Rights Department said that since the law went into effect in 2018, it has investigated hundreds of complaints alleging discrimination in employment decisions based on criminal history information and has secured more than 100 settlements.
In one settlement, the Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District agreed to pay nearly $100,000 last year. In 2022, a construction company agreed to pay the same amount after unlawfully denying a group of applicants jobs in 2018 and 2019.
Also last year, the department filed a lawsuit against Ralphs for allegedly denying jobs to hundreds of people based on their criminal history. The grocer allegedly included questions about convictions on its job application in violation of the law.
The department said it also has made efforts to identify and correct online job advertisements that violate the Fair Chance Act, sending notices to businesses to address hundreds of violations.
-
Science1 week ago
Despite warnings from bird flu experts, it's business as usual in California dairy country
-
Health1 week ago
CheekyMD Offers Needle-Free GLP-1s | Woman's World
-
Technology1 week ago
Lost access? Here’s how to reclaim your Facebook account
-
Entertainment7 days ago
Review: A tense household becomes a metaphor for Iran's divisions in 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig'
-
Technology6 days ago
US agriculture industry tests artificial intelligence: 'A lot of potential'
-
Sports5 days ago
One Black Friday 2024 free-agent deal for every MLB team
-
Technology4 days ago
Elon Musk targets OpenAI’s for-profit transition in a new filing
-
News3 days ago
Rassemblement National’s Jordan Bardella threatens to bring down French government