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McDonald’s, Wingstop, and Starbucks are among Gen Z’s most popular and appealing restaurant brands, according to Dcdx’s new Magnetic 100: Restaurants report, measured by organic, user-generated content. The report looks at what young consumers spent their hard-earned money on in the first quarter of 2025, noting which brands attracted the most organic conversations, either by generating online buzz or through word-of-mouth, including during big cultural moments such as the Super Bowl and holidays like Valentine’s Day. Some surprising names to crack Dcdx’s top-10 roster this year were Crumbl Cookies (#6) and Raising Canes (#7), a fast-casual chain specializing in chicken fingers. Here’s the top 10 rankings from the new Magnetic 100: Restaurants: McDonald’s Wingstop Starbucks Chipotle Taco Bell Crumbl Cookies Raising Cane’s KFC Chick-fil-A Subway It’s worth noting that some of the top brands are known for offering special items for a limited time, such as McDonald’s, which has seen success with its special-edition meals created in collaboration with popular celebrities, and Crumbl, which features a rotating menu of cookie flavors. Gen Z’s spending power grows A lot has been written about Gen Z’s spending habits, mostly because the 12-to-27-year-old demographic’s spending power is expected to grow to $12 trillion by 2030, according to Nielsen. That would make it the wealthiest generation to date, giving it significant influence over the products retailers and manufacturers choose to sell, both now and in the future. It’s also the largest generation in history, making up over 25% of the global population. The report also makes clear that brands aren’t just competing for dollars, but also for a share in an ongoing and crowded online conversation. For example, the report’s top 100 brands racked up 7.78 billion total engagements, with McDonald’s, the leading brand, generating 1 billion engagements alone. Of the 139 total restaurant brands analyzed in the report, the top 6 brands drove over 50% of the conversation in the restaurant category, representing nearly 4 billion engagements.
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E-Commerce
Shares of Costco (COST) fell more than 7% in midday trading on Friday after the wholesale retailer reported mixed second-quarter earnings results, missing profit estimates but beating on revenue, as the company braces for the impact of tariffs and inflation on consumer spending. The tariffs are very fluid right now, so its hard to give any predictions about what we can do, but our people are well-equipped to deal with anything coming our way, and we have great partnerships with our suppliers, CEO Ron Vachris said during the companys earnings call. Our people are nimble and ready to go. Costcos Q2 revenue came in at $63.72 billion, slightly beating analyst estimates for $63.11 billion. Meanwhile, same-store sales jumped slightly from 6.38% to 6.8%, beating forecasts for an increase of 6.4%, and e-commerce came in at an increase of 20.9%. However, adjusted earnings per share came in at $4.02, missing estimates of $4.11. And while overall same-store sales were up, the company missed estimates in Canada and other international markets. One advantage Costco has over some other retailers is its popular membership, whose fees make up more than 70% of its operating profits. Costco raised those fees last year for the first time since 2017; a basic Gold Star individual membership now costs $65, while an Executive membership is between $120 and $130. Another good sign: Costco announced it expects to open 12 new stores across the nation in 2025, including seven locations in March and April. Here’s a list of those seven locations: Brentwood, CA Genesee County, MI Highland, CA Prosper, TX Sharon, MA Weatherford, TX Stuart, FL In addition, Vachris said the company plans to open two locations in Canada and four other international locations in the coming six months. According to Costco’s website, two of those international stores will be in Minami-Alps, Japan, and Ardeer, Australia. Costco currently operates 897 warehouses, with a majority of those in the U.S. and Puerto Rico (617). Other locations include Canada (109), Mexico (41), Japan (36), U.K. (29), Korea (19), Australia (15), Taiwan (14), China (7), Spain (5), France (2), and one each in Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden.
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E-Commerce
The Trump administration has stalled at least $60 million in funding intended largely for affordable housing developments nationwide, throwing hundreds of projects into a precarious limbo, according to information and documents obtained by The Associated Press The move is part of a flurry of funding freezes, staffing cuts and contract cancellations by the Trump administration at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, changes that have instilled widespread uncertainty in the affordable housing industry. The some $60 million is intended to go to small community development nonprofits in small grants. The money is often used as seed funding for affordable housing projects, turning a concept into a viable development and consequently drawing in more public and private investment. Congress chose three nonprofits to distribute the grants, but HUD said in letters that it was cancelling contracts with two of the organizations which together were to distribute the $60 million. That’s pushed millions in funding already promised to small nonprofits, or yet to be awarded, into the twilight zone. Many of those organizations have already committed funds to pay workers, such as HVAC technicians, local contractors, homeownership counselors, said Shaun Donovan, CEO of Enterprise Community Partners, one of the two groups whose contract was cancelled. They will have to stop that work immediately. That will cost local jobs, hobble the creation of affordable homes, and stall opportunity in hundreds of communities. A spokesperson for HUD said the program, called Section 4, will continue and is not being cut, but that the department is consolidating some grants, while others remain.” It remains unclear how or when the funding will arrive to the small nonprofits, which has thrown their work into disarray. Not knowing for me means we assume that the money is not coming, and that means that I have to pivot,” said Jonathan Green, executive director of a nonprofit in Mississippi that’s building a 36-unit affordable housing development in Biloxi. Green said about $20,000 in grant dollars are now in limbo, money that was meant to pay for an environmental review that could cost upwards of $10,000, and licenses and permits. That threatens discussions Green is having with potential partners and investors who want to see all the up-front work done first. My fear is that, if the project stops altogether, we may never get it started again, he said. The development is supposed to be in East Biloxi, where lots still remain empty after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Before an ounce of dirt has been moved on the project, Green’s organization has received enough calls from people eager to become tenants that theyve started a waiting list. That’s the position hundreds of other small nonprofits have found themselves in, with not just their grant funds in question but investments on the line. For every dollar in grants disbursed by Enterprise Community Partners, the local nonprofits leverage another $95 in other capital, CEO Donovan said. Congress gave the national nonprofits the job of administering the grants, fielding and assessing hundreds of applications, so that the government doesnt have to, Donovan said. In one of the contract termination letters obtained by the AP, HUD said the contracts were cancelled at the direction of the Department of Government Efficiency. It said the group’s operations were not in compliance” with Trump’s executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The letter also allows the organizations to appeal the termination. The Local Initiatives Support Corporation is the other group whose contract was cancelled. Without access to this seed capital, housing projects for hardworking, families will stall, worsening shortages and pushing distressed neighbors into overcrowded conditions or homelessness,” it said in a statement. Habitat for Humanity International is the third nonprofit disbursing the grants, but the organization has not responded to repeated requests for comment or said if their contract was cancelled. Jesse Bedayn, Associated Press/Report for America
Category:
E-Commerce
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