[Post 649] Why Corporate America Is Abandoning Remote Work

Summary

In the years following the pandemic, remote work became the new normal, but that's not the case anymore. Companies like AT&T, Amazon and Dell have brought their employees back into the office five days a week. What's causing the push for employees to return-to-office, and is it the best way forward?

[Post 648] I Moved To Oman 12 Years Ago And I Am Never Going Back To The U.S.

Summary

Nicole Brewer lost her market research job after the Great Recession and moved abroad to teach English. Sixteen years later, she still living abroad. Now she lives in Nizwa, Oman, earning $44,000 annually while renting a two-bedroom apartment, dining out, and traveling.

This story is part of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which details how people around the world earn, spend and save their money.

[Post 647] I Bought The ‘Severance’ Building For $27 Million – Take A Look Inside

Summary

In 2013, Ralph Zucker and his firm purchased Bell Labs in Holmdel, NJ, for $27 million. After 10 years and $273 million worth of renovations, the two-million-square-foot mixed-use development is about 98% leased and home to over 100 companies. Apple TV+ chose the location to film much of its hit show Severance.

[Post 646] Why Costco Went All in on Kirkland — and How It Paid Off | WSJ Case Study

Summary

Costco went against industry standards in 1995 with the creation of its private label, Kirkland Signature. With $86 billion in sales last year, Kirkland is now a bigger brand than Proctor & Gamble and Kraft-Heinz. Compared with other mass retailers like Target and Walmart, which have multiple brands, club channels like Costco and Sam’s Club are winning the private-label food and beverage space by consolidating. 

WSJ breaks down why Kirkland is now the retail behemoth’s secret weapon

[Post 645] Can Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar Withstand Rising Costs and Competition? | On The Red Dot

Summary

As Singapore’s largest and oldest Ramadan bazaar, the Geylang Serai Ramadan bazaar is a well-loved cultural landmark for Singaporeans. But with numerous bazaars popping up all over Singapore, vendors face increasing competition. 

We follow the journey of four vendors at Geylang Bazaar and find out how they adapt to bring people back and the reasons for returning despite high rental cost. Can they survive the uncertainties throughout all five weeks and make a profit at the end of the day?

[Post 644] Singapore’s Public Housing Revealed: Building Big in a Small Country | Ep 5

Summary

At any given moment, there are more than 100 public housing projects being built in Singapore today. They will add to the more than one million public housing flats already constructed, that now house nearly 80% of the population. In this episode, we pull back the curtains on how one of the world’s smallest countries manages to build so big, revealing the challenges of construction within the tightest of land constraints.

[Post 643] Singapore’s Public Housing Revealed: The Secrets Behind BTO Balloting | Ep 4

Summary

Singapore may boast one of the highest rates of homeownership in the world. But it is a complex balloting system through which most people get their public housing flats. We demystify this closely

guarded process, and answer the question, can supply ever catch up with demand?