This week's winners, losers and newsmakers.
Winners
Family movie night: Thanks to the latest addition to the Minions franchise, “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” family movie night is back. The prequel set box office records over the holiday weekend, generating an estimated $125 million over the four-day period. The flick may have also gotten a boost from a new “Gentleminions” TikTok trend which finds young men donning formal suits to attend the movie in theaters.
Early back-to-school shopping: Ahead of Amazon Prime Day next week, other retailers rolled out the red carpet of deals inviting consumers to get a head start on back-to-school shopping. Target is offering deep discounts for college students and teachers. DSW kicked off its own deals on brands such as Crocs and New Balance, and debuted a campaign with the family of singer/songwriter Jessie James Decker and former pro football player Eric Decker. A quarter of consumers have already started their back-to-school shopping this year as higher prices and out-of-stock items are expected, according to a recent analysis from the National Retail Federation.