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Sunken ‘Jungle Cruise’ Gross sales Replicate Hollywood’s Delta Variant Troubles

Sunken ‘Jungle Cruise’ Sales Reflect Hollywood’s Delta Variant Troubles

LOS ANGELES – As Disney’s playful “Jungle Cruise” demonstrated over the weekend, the cinema visit remains interrupted, with the delta variant, instant streaming availability and muddy reviews all pushing ticket sales down.

Any other takeout would be de-Nile.

Jungle Cruise, a comedic adventure that cost at least $ 200 million to make and an additional $ 100 million to commercialize, raised approximately $ 34 million in 4,310 theaters in the United States and Canada, according to Comscore, including Thursday night previews checkout data. The PG-13 film starring Emily Blunt as the British version of Indiana Jones and Dwayne Johnson as the funny skipper on a river boat grossed an additional $ 28 million overseas.

“The market is currently vulnerable,” said David A. Gross, who heads Franchise Entertainment Research, in an email. “There is Covid, there is simultaneous streaming, there is piracy, there is the nature of the films themselves – different factors for each film. Simultaneous streaming seems to reduce the overall revenue of a film in all windows. “

Over the weekend, “Jungle Cruise” also arrived on streaming service Disney +, where subscribers (more than 100 million worldwide) can watch the film (and have permanent access to it) for an additional charge of $ 30. Disney said that Jungle Cruise generated approximately $ 30 million from worldwide sales of Disney + Premium Access. For comparison: “Black Widow”, the latest Marvel spectacle, collected around 60 million US dollars in the first three days of availability on Disney + Premium Access.

Scarlett Johansson, who played the superassassin Black Widow in eight films, sued Disney Thursday, claiming that the simultaneous opening of “Black Widow” on Disney + “dramatically” reduced box office revenues, costing her tens of millions of dollars in compensation . Her lawsuit drew a glowing response from Disney.

Daily business briefing

Updated

July 30, 2021, 7:43 p.m. ET

“Jungle Cruise” had what it takes to be a box-office hit. Mr. Johnson is perhaps the financially strongest movie star in the world, someone who can fill seats with the mere presence of a theater tent. Mrs. Blunt is not lazy in this department either; Her most recent film, A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount), was a huge hit in May, raising about $ 48 million in North American theaters in the first three days and eventually about $ 300 million worldwide.

In addition, “Jungle Cruise” was based on a classic Disney theme park ride, gave it built-in audience awareness, and got Disney’s unrivaled marketing machinery going. Disney justified a king’s ransom for the film in hopes that it could become the next “Pirates of the Caribbean,” a five-film franchise (also based on a Disneyland ride) that sells for $ 4.5 billion the box office and created a merchandising bonanza.

At the beginning of the summer, Hollywood, citing the introduction of vaccines and the pent-up demand, had high hopes for a box office spike. Instead, a few films have been successful – particularly those like “A Quiet Place Part II” and “F9”, which hit theaters exclusively in June – and a parade of others has disappointed, including “Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins”. In the Heights ”,“ Old ”and“ Black Widow ”.

In particular, Mr. Gross criticized the “Jungle Cruise” concept. Action adventure as a genre has struggled over the past decade, he noted, although the series “Jumanji” (Sony) and “Jurassic World” (Universal) were exceptions. Overall, “Jungle Cruise” received lukewarm reviews, with some critics finding the film’s computer-generated effects cartoonish and not believable.

Audiences seemed to disagree, giving Jungle Cruise an A-minus rating in CinemaScore’s exit polls.

In a statement on Sunday, Disney said, “We continue to focus on giving consumers choice in these unprecedented times, and it is clear that fans and families will appreciate the opportunity to make choices about how to enjoy Disney’s world-class storytelling dearest want to enjoy. ”

With the ongoing coronavirus threat around the world, Disney noted, “Markets are open to varying degrees and not all exhibitors are currently open. Most markets also have capacity restrictions. ”According to Comscore, around 85 percent of theaters in North America are open.

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World News

Asia-Pacific shares set to drop; Japan’s retail gross sales information forward

Asia-Pacific stocks set to drop; Japan's retail sales data ahead

SINGAPORE – Asia Pacific markets were mostly lower in early Friday trading. Meanwhile, US stocks rebounded, despite data showing that gross domestic product grew less-than-expected in the second quarter.

The Japanese Nikkei 225 lost 0.8% in early trading while the Topix lost 0.46%.

Reuters reported that the country’s industrial production rose 6.2% in June, up sharply after falling 6.5% in May. Retail sales in June were up 0.1% yoy, less than forecast for a 0.2% increase.

South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.55%.

The S & P / ASX 200 in Australia traded just above the flatline. Markets will be tracking the Covid situation in Sydney, which reported a record daily surge in Covid cases despite an extended lockdown on Thursday. Reuters reported that authorities have asked the military for help enforcing the lockdown.

MSCI’s broadest index for Asia Pacific stocks outside of Japan was unchanged.

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Shares rebounded during Thursday’s regular session in the US, although data showed US GDP rose 6.5% on an annualized basis in the second quarter, well below the 8.4% Dow Jones estimate.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained around 150 points on Thursday after hitting a new intraday high. The S&P 500, which also briefly hit an all-time high, ended the day up 0.4% at 4,419.15.

“Yesterday’s rebound in Chinese equities after the recent regulatory-induced sell-off resulted in solid performance overnight in risk assets,” said Rodrigo Catril, senior FX strategist at National Australia Bank.

Investors will watch as Chinese stocks end a week of volatile trading. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell more than 8% in two days and rebounded 3% in Thursday’s session.

Currencies and oil

The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback versus a basket of its competitors, stood at 91.880, falling from a level above 92 the previous day.

The Japanese yen was trading at 109.40 per dollar, up slightly from above 109.9 at the beginning of the week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $ 0.7394 after falling to around $ 0.735 earlier in the week.

Oil prices fell on the morning of Asian trading hours, with Brent crude oil futures falling 0.34% to $ 75.79 a barrel. US crude oil futures are down 0.42% to $ 73.33 a barrel.

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Health

Biogen’s controversial Alzheimer’s drug generates $2 million gross sales in first few weeks after approval

Biogen's controversial Alzheimer’s drug generates $2 million sales in first few weeks after approval

Aduhelm from Biogen

Source: Biogen

Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm made $ 2 million in sales in the first few weeks after its approval, the company said Thursday when it released its second quarter results along with an open letter about the controversial drug.

Biogen increased its sales guidance for the year and expected total sales for the year of $ 10.65 billion to $ 10.85 billion. That’s an increase from its earlier estimates of $ 10.45 billion to $ 10.75 billion. The new forecast assumes “modest” income for Aduhelm in 2021, which will then be ramped up, the company said.

Here’s how Biogen performed in the three months ended June 30, compared to Wall Street’s expectations, according to Refinitiv’s average estimates:

  • Adjusted earnings per share: $ 5.68 versus $ 4.54 expected
  • Revenue: $ 2.78 billion versus an expected $ 2.61 billion

The company’s stock rose slightly in early trading.

Aduhelm was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on June 7th. The drug, scientifically known as aducanumab, offers new hope to friends and families of patients living with the disease and is set to generate billions in revenue for the company.

However, its approval has since been questioned, and the head of the FDA is now calling for a state investigation into the interactions between agency employees and the biotech company.

Biogen’s Chief Research Officer, Dr. Al Sandrock, defended the drug in an open letter released Thursday along with the company’s profits, saying its approval was subject to “extensive misinformation and misunderstanding”.

He said it was “normal” for scientists and clinicians to discuss and debate data from experimental and clinical trials, but added that those discussions had taken a turn “outside the boundaries of legitimate scientific reasoning”.

“We welcome a formal review of the interactions between the FDA and Biogen in the process of obtaining aducanumab approval,” said Sandrock. “A better understanding of the facts is good for everyone involved in building confidence in the therapy and the approval process as we prioritize the issues that affect patients.”

Correction: In an earlier version, Aduhelm was misspelled.

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World News

Dow jumps above 35,000 as retail gross sales prime expectations

The stock market is creating buying opportunities

U.S. stock indexes rose on Friday as the latest retail sales data topped economists’ expectations.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained about 28 points, or 0.08%, jumping above 35,000. The index closed just short of that level on Monday. The S&P 500 added around 0.1% and the Nasdaq Composite ticked roughly 0.2% higher.

Retail and food service sales rose 0.6% in June, while economists surveyed by the Dow Jones had expected a 0.4% decline. Excluding autos, those sales jumped 1.3%, beating economists’ estimate of a 0.4% gain.

The retail sales data came after initial jobless claims numbers released Thursday totaled 360,000 for the week ending July 10, its lowest level since March 14, 2020.

“The unexpected rise in retail sales combined with yesterday’s pandemic-era low of jobless claims are two more strong proof points that we are edging closer to a full economic recovery,” said Mike Loewengart, managing director of investment strategy for E*TRADE Capital Management.

Live Nation’s stock rose after Goldman said the stock can rally nearly 40% as concerts return.

Shares of Carnival and Royal Caribbean each edged higher after Canada announced it would allow cruise ships to resume operations in its waters starting Nov. 1, sooner than planned. Previously, the Canadian government extended its cruise ban until the end of February 2022.

The moves in recovery-related stocks came even amid concerns about ultra-infectious variants of the coronavirus. Los Angeles County announced Thursday it would restore an indoor mask mandate, including for fully-vaccinated people, due to a rapid and sustained increase in Covid-19 cases.

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Investors also digested strong earnings results from the first major week of second-quarter reports. Though some of the nation’s largest companies posted healthy profits and revenues amid the economic recovery, the reaction in the stock market has so far been muted.

Morgan Stanley’s second-quarter earnings report, for example, topped analysts’ expectations Thursday, yet its shares closed just 0.18% higher.

For 18 S&P 500 companies that beat analyst estimates for second-quarter earnings this week, the average earnings-per-share result was 18% higher than expected. But those companies saw their shares fall 0.58% on average after reporting.

The soft moves in reaction to corporate earnings have contributed to a lackluster week for the S&P 500, which dipped 0.2% on the week as of Thursday’s close.

Much of the market’s upward pressure over the last week has come from a handful of mega-cap internet and communications stocks. Apple, Netflix, Google-parent Alphabet and Microsoft are all up this week.

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World News

‘Black Widow’ nabs $13.2 million in field workplace gross sales Thursday

Disney to debut 'Black Widow,' 'Cruella' in theaters and Disney+

Scarlett Johansson plays Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow, in Marvel’s “Black Widow”.

Disney | wonder

“Black Widow” sold $ 13.2 million in preview tickets Thursday, raising the box office bar of the pandemic era.

The Marvel movie is expected to gross between $ 80 million and $ 110 million in box office revenue this weekend.

Universal’s “F9” grossed $ 7.1 million in its Thursday previews last month and $ 70 million on its debut weekend. Both were records for a film released in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The revenue for “Black Widow” on Thursday is equal to the $ 15.4 million raised from “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and the $ 14.5 million raised from “Thor: Ragnarok” . Both films were released in 2017. “Spider-Man” grossed $ 117 million on its three-day opening weekend and “Thor: Ragnarok,” according to Comscore, $ 123 million.

The strong preview numbers – coupled with pre-sales of tickets that keep pace with several Marvel films released before the pandemic – suggest fans will see this feature hit the big screen, despite it being available at Disney + for US $ 30 Dollar is available.

“This is the weekend Marvel fans have been waiting for, and their enthusiasm is reflected in Thursday’s preview figures, which point to what may well be the best pandemic-era opening weekend for Black Widow,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “Despite its availability on Disney +, ‘Black Widow’ is undeniably a big screen event and once again proves the essence of the cinematic experience.”

The number of cinemas open to the public is still below the level of 2019. Before the weekend, around 81% of the cinemas will sell tickets, reports Comscore.

Regardless, Black Widow is headed for the biggest opening of the pandemic, and the industry is likely to see the highest total weekend box office gross since March 2020. This will be a massive step up from the $ 901,000 domestic box office made during the same weekend last year.

Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of Universal Studios and CNBC.

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Health

Elizabeth Holmes swag gross sales hovering on-line

Elizabeth Holmes swag sales soaring online

When it comes to fame and shame, former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes has apparently cornered the market.

Internet vendors cash in on mugs, t-shirts, and even shower curtains in the weeks leading up to their August criminal fraud trial.

A review of the online stores shows more than 50 offers of Holmes and Theranos items on Etsy, Poshmark, eBay and Redbubble.

One of the more unique items is an authentic Theranos lab coat, which is listed for $ 17,000.

Once a Silicon Valley darling, Holmes is faced with federal referral fraud and a conspiracy to suspect referral fraud related to allegedly misleading investors, patients, and doctors about her company’s blood testing technology.

But customers rave about their product purchases on social media.

In a TikTok, a young woman poses in a mirror with a pink t-shirt that says “Elizabeth Holmes is my #GirlBoss”.

Another TikToker shows a mug with Holmes on one side and Theranos on the other. She says, “I really wish Elizabeth Holmes had an MLM so that I could join.” An MLM is a controversial, multi-level marketing operation that the US Federal Trade Commission warns of being a pyramid scheme.

And another pulls a t-shirt out of a package and says, “Y’all it’s here. The Queen of Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes.”

A search on Instagram and Twitter also shows customers posing with their goods.

Elizabeth Holmes, Founder and CEO of Theranos.

David Orrell | CNBC

Holmes, who is pregnant and due next month, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Before Theranos’ demise, her image was seemingly everywhere and she even landed on the cover of Forbes.

Today, despite a tarnished image and an upcoming 13-week trial, their brand is apparently still popular.

“It doesn’t surprise me, Elizabeth Holmes was a very inspiring person,” says Mark Macias, founder of Macias PR. “She was the youngest billionaire, self-made entrepreneur, and although we found out it was supposedly a scam – she was selling something revolutionary.”

Anthony, owner of Finance Memes Etsy shop, says sales of his Holmes items have increased since February. Anthony asked CNBC not to use his last name for fear of jeopardizing his employment.

“You can see it at Wall Street Bets – people like to talk about how much they lost,” said Anthony. “There’s an obsession with cheating, gambling, and taking bad risks. Everyone loves a good bad guy.”

A mug labeled “Theranos Early Investor” is the most popular item in his Etsy shop, according to Anthony. “It’s a little more reserved, you can put it in your drawer when your boss comes over.” Anthony says he has had over 200 visits to the cup in the past few months.

“There will always be people on the fringes who want to express themselves, take on the establishment and point the finger at them,” Macias said. However, he warns, “If you want a brand that will last, it is better to be famous. Infamy is short, it can ruin and destroy a brand.”

For Holmes, every image she projects is eternal.

As MSNBC columnist James Surowiecki wrote in a recent article, “On the way up and the way down, one thing about Elizabeth Holmes has remained constant: people are fascinated by her.”

Watch the video to learn more.

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World News

As electrical automobile gross sales surge, discussions flip to noise and security

As electric vehicle sales surge, discussions turn to noise and safety

Martin Pickard | Moment | Getty Images

Hyperloop, hydrogen-powered trains and air taxis. As the 21st century progresses, the way people get from A to B is on the cusp of a major change driven by design and innovation.

While the above technologies may still be a few years away from widespread adoption, that doesn’t mean the change isn’t already underway.

Around the world, national and local governments are trying to reduce emissions and improve air quality in cities, with many betting on a growing sector: battery electric vehicles.

There is undoubtedly a dynamic behind the industry. According to a recent report by the International Energy Agency, around 3 million new electric cars were registered last year, a record and an increase of 41% compared to 2019.

Looking ahead, the IEA says the number of electric cars, buses, vans and heavy trucks on the roads – its forecast doesn’t include two- and three-wheel electric vehicles – is projected to reach 145 million by 2030.

If governments step up efforts to meet international energy and climate goals, the global fleet could grow even further, reaching 230 million by the end of the decade.

A changing world

As the number of electric vehicles on the world’s roads increases, society must adapt.

Extensive charging networks, for example, need to be rolled out to meet increased demand and to dispel persistent concerns about “range anxiety” – the idea that electric vehicles cannot make long journeys without losing power and getting stranded.

Another area in which we will notice changes concerns noise: electric vehicles are not only emission-free, but also significantly quieter than their diesel and gasoline cousins.

Read more about electric vehicles from CNBC Pro

This means less noise pollution in urban areas – a clear thing – but it also poses a potential challenge for other road users, especially those with vision problems.

“It can be very difficult for blind or visually impaired people to judge traffic,” Zoe Courtney-Bodgener, Policy and Campaigner for the UK’s Royal National Institute of Blind People, told CNBC in a telephone interview.

Courtney-Bodgener explained that more and more “quiet” modes of transport are being used, using the example of bicycles and larger electric and hybrid vehicles.

“If you can’t always see these vehicles reliably or with your eyesight, the sound is even more important,” she said.

“And if the noise is not there or is not loud enough to reliably detect these vehicles, there is of course a risk, because … you cannot reliably know when a vehicle is approaching you.”

The law of the land

It should be noted that laws and technology have been put in place around the world to address this problem.

For example, in the European Union and the United Kingdom, all new electric and hybrid vehicles must use an audible vehicle warning system, or AVAS for short, from July 1st. This will build on and expand on the previous regulations that came into force in 2019.

According to the rules, the AVAS should step in and make noises when the speed of a vehicle is less than 20 kilometers per hour (about 12 miles per hour) and when it is reversing.

According to a 2019 UK government statement, the sound can “be temporarily turned off by the driver if necessary”.

According to the EU regulation, the noise generated by the AVAS should “be a continuous tone that informs pedestrians and other road users of a vehicle that is in operation”.

“The noise should easily reflect vehicle behavior,” it adds, “and should sound similar to a vehicle of the same category equipped with an internal combustion engine.”

RNIB’s Courtney-Bodgener told CNBC that while her organization was “happy” that the AVAS policy had been translated into UK law, it had not “done everything we asked of it”.

She went on to explain how the speed at which the AVAS turns on might need to be increased to 20 or 30 miles per hour.

“We are not convinced that if … a vehicle is traveling at a speed of 21 miles per hour, for example, it would generate enough noise on its own to be reliably recognized by noise.”

Another area of ​​concern concerns older vehicles. “There are already many, many electric and hybrid vehicles that were produced before this legislation came into effect that did not have the sound technology,” she said.

There are currently no plans to retrofit these, she added. “This is worrying because there are already thousands of vehicles on the UK’s roads that do not have AVAS technology.”

From the industry’s point of view, it appears to be satisfied with the existing regulations. In a statement emailed to CNBC, AVERE, The European Association for Electromobility, told CNBC that it supported the “current legislative status quo”.

“The limit of 20 km / h is sufficient, as other noises – especially rolling resistance – take over at this level and are sufficient for pedestrians and cyclists to hear approaching electric and hybrid vehicles,” added the Brussels organization.

“In fact, the requirement of additional noise above 20 km / h would deprive European citizens of one of the main advantages of electrification: lower noise levels at city speeds.”

Noise pollution can indeed be a serious problem. According to the European Environment Agency, over 100 million people in Europe are “exposed to harmful environmental noise”. The agency classifies road traffic noise as “a particular public health problem in many urban areas”.

Regarding the need for modernization of older cars, AVERE said: “Only a very small proportion of the electric vehicles on European roads would be subject to retrofitting obligations, as many existing vehicles were already equipped with AVAS in anticipation of the new ones and that the rules were introduced in good time to meet the expected mass consumption of To support electric vehicles in the years to come. “

Should it emerge that “additional requirements” are needed, AVERE is ready to work with policy makers.

The future

The discussions and debates on this topic are likely to go on for a long time and it is clear that a balance will have to be found in the future.

Whether you think current legislation goes far enough or not, the fact is that these types of systems will become an increasingly important feature of urban travel in the years to come.

Robert Fisher is Head of EV Technologies at the research and consulting company SBD Automotive.

He emailed CNBC that tests the company carried out had “shown AVAS to be quite effective,” but added that if a pedestrian is unfamiliar with the noise, “may not automatically do so with presence of an approaching “Connect Vehicle.”

“Currently, AVAS is mainly hampered by inconsistent legislation and a lack of innovation,” he said, and dared to look positively into the future.

“With the move away from the internal combustion engine, this technology has the potential to become an integral part of a car’s character, a point of brand differentiation and the ability to save lives.”

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World News

TSMC, SMIC, UMC see gross sales enhance as chip scarcity rages

TSMC, SMIC, UMC see sales boost as chip shortage rages

Memory chips are seen on a Samsung Electronics memory module in this arranged photograph in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday, July 26, 2018.

SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg | Getty Images

The world’s 10 biggest chip manufacturing companies saw their revenues surge to a record high in the first quarter of 2021, according to market research firm TrendForce.

The combined quarterly total revenue of the chipmakers, known as foundries, rose to a record high of $22.75 billion in the first quarter, according to a TrendForce blog published Monday.

Chips are used in everything from cars and games consoles, to washing machines and toothbrushes. They form part of the life blood of the global economy and are vital to many of the world’s biggest industries. But they’re also in short supply —  and the shortage could last until 2023.

“Owing to soaring demands for various end devices, manufacturers have been ramping up their component procurement activities, and foundry capacities, as a result, have been in shortage since 2020, with various foundries raising their wafer prices and adjusting their product mixes to ensure profitability,” TrendForce analyst Joanne Chiao wrote.

Around 57% of the world’s chip foundry revenues in the last quarter were generated by one Taiwanese chipmaker: TSMC, or the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation.

The Taipei-headquartered firm saw its revenue climb to $12.9 billion in the first quarter, up 2% on the first quarter of 2021, according to TrendForce, which analyzed how well each of the company’s various chips sold.

The U.S. and the European Union have said they want to be more self-reliant when it comes to semiconductors as the vast majority of the world’s chips are made in Asia.

TSMC chips

TSMC’s 7, 12 and 16 nanometer (nm) chips are the company’s main revenue drivers, according to TrendForce.

“The revenue from the 7nm foundry service has kept climbing at a stable pace thanks to orders from AMD, MediaTek, and Qualcomm,” Chiao said, adding that sales are up 23% on the last quarter.

Meanwhile, revenue for 12nm and 16nm chips has “grown on account of the demand related to MediaTek’s 5G RF (radio frequency) transceivers and Bitmain’s cryptocurrency mining machines,” TrendForce added, highlighting how sales are up almost 10% on the last quarter.

However, sales of TSMC’s smallest and most innovative 5nm chips actually saw a quarterly decrease, Chiao said, adding that the main reason is because Apple (TSMC’s largest 5nm client) “entered the off-season for device production.”

Storm hurts Samsung

Elsewhere, South Korean chip giant Samsung saw its foundry revenue drop 2% on the last quarter to $4.1 billion.

Chiao said that’s partly because a freak winter storm in February in Texas caused power outages in Austin and forced Samsung to temporarily stop producing chips at one of its plants in the state.

Elsewhere, Taiwan’s United Microelectronics Corporation saw its quarterly revenues climb 5% quarter on quarter to $1.6 billion, while China’s SMIC saw its climb 15% to $1.1 billion.

TrendForce expects the chip foundries to see further revenue growth as the prices of the chip wafers they produce continue to rise and demand persists.

It said the quarterly total revenue of the top 10 foundries will “once again reach a historical high” by undergoing a 1-3% increase quarter-on-quarter for the second quarter of 2021.

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Business

American, Southwest maintain off on alcohol gross sales after surge in unruly vacationers

American, Southwest hold off on alcohol sales after surge in unruly travelers

A bird flies by in the foreground as a Southwest Airlines jet lands at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25, 2020.

Ethan Miller | Getty Images

Southwest Airlines and American Airlines announced that they are holding back alcoholic beverages service after a flight attendant was attacked and the industry grappled with a spate of other onboard passenger incidents.

A southwest flight attendant sustained facial injuries and lost two teeth after being attacked by a passenger. This emerges from a letter dated May 24th to CEO Gary Kelly from Southwest flight attendants union president Lyn Montgomery. Between April 8 and May 15, there were 477 incidents of passenger misconduct on flights to the southwest, Montgomery wrote.

Airlines have been slowly bringing back a snack and drink service that they stopped at the start of the pandemic.

American Airlines said it will not sell alcoholic beverages in the main cabin until Sept. 13, when the federal mask mandate expires. Alcoholic beverages will continue to be offered in First and Business Class, but only during the flight.

“For the past week, some of these stressors have created deeply worrying situations on board aircraft,” said Brady Byrnes, executive director of flight operations at American, in a note to flight attendants. “Let me be clear: American Airlines does not tolerate attack or abuse of our crews.”

The Dallas-based Southwest had planned to resume alcohol sales in June for Hawaii flights and in July for longer domestic flights in the continental United States. A spokesman from the Southwest said there is currently “no schedule” for resumption of alcohol sales.

“If alcohol sales resume in this already volatile environment, you can certainly understand our concerns,” Montgomery wrote in the letter.

On Monday, one day after the incident aboard the Sacramento to San Diego flight, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that it had received approximately 2,500 reports of recalcitrant passenger behavior this year, approximately 1,900 cases of travelers refusing to do so Federal mask mandate to be followed during air travel.

The Biden government continues to require people to wear face masks on airplanes, at airports, and on buses and trains by September 13, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has relaxed guidelines for vaccinated people in other settings.

“We are also aware that alcohol can contribute to atypical behavior by customers on board, and we owe it to our crew not to aggravate what may already be a new and stressful situation for our customers,” said Byrnes.

Categories
Business

With gross sales rebounding, Hole sees its post-pandemic future outdoors malls.

With sales rebounding, Gap sees its post-pandemic future outside malls.

Old Navy, the company’s biggest brand, brought in $7.5 billion in revenue last year globally, while Athleta, which caters to women, is the company’s highest-margin business. Athleta’s first-quarter sales surged 56 percent from the same period in 2019.

Ms. Syngal was appointed chief executive of Gap in March 2020 just as the pandemic hit and has been trying to chart the retailer’s path forward. Before she became the top executive, Gap was planning to spin off Old Navy into a separate company. Now, it’s focusing on expanding its four $1 billion-plus brands and shedding distractions. It recently agreed to sell its Janie and Jack and Intermix chains.

Even as Gap and Banana Republic shrink their physical footprints, the brands plan to have more than 800 combined locations in North America. Both have been working toward revivals, with Gap planning a highly anticipated collaboration with Kanye West for a new clothing line called Yeezy Gap. Executives have said that would be available in the first half of 2021, but Ms. Syngal declined to confirm the timing: “We’re going to let Yeezy reveal the exact date.”

“We are pleased with the creative process that we’re seeing with Yeezy, and as we said, creativity really takes time,” she said. “I’m staying very, very close to it, and think that the planning that we’re doing is really about this multiyear potential — it’s not a one drop and done. We’re planning for multiyear growth.”

Ms. Syngal said that the Gap brand was “healthy and growing and cool,” and that Banana Republic was also seeing a recovery after taking a hit last year as customers worked from home and sales at urban locations fell.

“Banana certainly had challenges unique to Covid, between occasion wear and work wear,” she said. “Now that we’re getting past that in North America, we’re really pleased with the customer response.”

Broadly, Ms. Syngal said, there is a “peacocking effect” among shoppers, who are seeking bold and colorful clothing.