The Best One Yet - 👟 “Just Tiff It” — Tiffany’s Nike collab. Hasbro’s toy hangover. TravelCenters’ electric gas station.

Episode Date: January 31, 2023

The latest celeb hookup? It’s Tiffany jewelry and Nike sneakers… and Wall Street looooves it. Hasbro just gave us an update on the Toy Economy: We’re suffering from a Toy Hangover. And TravelCenters of America is the largest truck stop in America, but it’s about to become the largest electric car station in America.$NKE $HAS $TA $LVMUYFollow The Best One Yet on Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok: @tboypodAnd now watch us on YoutubeWant a Shoutout on the pod? Fill out this formGot the Best Fact Yet? We got a form for that tooLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Nick. This is Jack. It's Tuesday, T-Boy Tuesday, January 31st. And today's pod is the best one yet. Oh, yeah. We brought up a T-boy today. It is a T-boy, but we should point out, this is the last day of the year.

You can say happy new year to someone. I know January's ending, but it was three weeks ago, Nick. You can milk it for 12 more hours, Jack. What's our first story for the pod? Wall Street loves the latest celebrity hookup. Tiffany and Nike are now officially a thing. For our second story, travel centers of America is the largest publicly traded truck stop in the world. But get this, America's biggest gas station is going electric.

And our third and final story, hold that teddy bear tight because Hasbro just gave us an update on the toy economy. Apparently, we're all suffering from a toy hangover. That's a thing. But yet he's before we hit that fantastic mix. Happy New Year, I love this mix, Jack. Do you remember the great Funa controversy of 2022? Do I ever, man. Subway Tuna allegedly wasn't tuna. Apparently it was Funa.

The lawsuit didn't call the fake Tuna Funa. No, it didn't. So we did for them. We called it Funa. But Yetis, Jack and I found another food lawsuit for a fake food word. Fireball whiskey? Yeah. May be fake.

We may actually have been drinking Fireball Fiskey. Get this, Yeties. A new lawsuit points out a third. fact, which is that Fireball whiskey, sometimes it's not whiskey at all. Sometimes it's not whiskey, although we should sprinkle on a little context here, Jack. Fireball is the cinnamon-flavored whiskey popular for group shots at that cheap bar by your college. It is the Yeagermeister of Millennials. Yes, that's what we've said before.

It tastes like a candy cough syrup drowning in caramel syrup. If you milk a gingerbread cookie, you get Fireball whiskey. Truth. But according to this class action law scute, Fireball is also a... a fisckey. Yeah, it's not a whiskey, it's a fiscay because some fireball bottles say cinnamon whiskey, but other fireball bottles say cinnamon. Just cinnamon. Just cinnamon. The word whiskey is not there. So Jack and I jumped in T-boy style and we found out what was happening here. It sounds like Fireball is selling whiskey at liquor stores, which they are. But Fireball can't sell whiskey at grocery

stores and gas stations. So they drop the word fiscay on certain bottles and they drop the alcohol content to be legal in Isle 6. If so facto, that Fireball whiskey might actually be Fireball Fiskey. This is a sneaky cinnamon deceit, Yeti. Jack, this is the biggest controversy to hit bartender since the Shirley Temple Twirl of 1962. What is Sig Sig-Sigap gonna do? I don't know, but I don't want to go to that party, man.

So Yeti's the next time you're eating some funa. You may want to wash it down with some fisky. Let's hit our three stories. Jack, pass our three stories. Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dawn. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the 50% that's a fat tip. Tea Boy City on your at list.

If you know, you know, because we're ready to go. We can't wait no more. So just start the show. Start the show. For our first story, Tiffany and Nike are teaming up for a first of its kind collaboration. And it shows there's an art to alliances. Before we jump in T-boy style, Jack, can we talk about Dua Lipa and Jack Harlow, please? Spotted together last month in a swanky restaurant.

weren't that? Let me raise you. Have you heard about Selena Gomez and the chain smokers drew Taggart lately? Spotted together last week in a swanky bowling alley, weren't they, next? Last thing I saw spotted in a swanky place was you and that Amex lounge check. But Yeti's the latest celebrity romance. It isn't Duelipa and it isn't the chain smokers. No, it was Tiffany's jewelers and Nike sneakers. Who were just spotted together in a pair of sneakers. Get that. Yeties, we didn't need page six for this one. The two brands. announced a collaboration together in a joint Instagram post yesterday. Then they published a picture in a New York Times full page advertisement.

Jack, that is literally a public display of affection. That is. The picture was a standard Nike shoebox, but the color was a little different. Interesting, what was it, Jack? The color was that Robin Egg Blue famous for Tiffany's jewelers. Okay, get this yet. He's according to some PFWTMs, people familiar with the matter, Tiffany and Nike are going to launch a Air Force.

one sneaker for about $500 this year. This is Tiffany's first foray into shoes. And from what we can tell, the only thing this jewelry company is providing is the color. Like the swoosh is going to be that color. This is also, this is not a spoiler for you, Jack, but this is season three of Emily and Paris is like this. This is season three right here. Thanks for the sensitivity.

You know what episode I'm on, season two. I wouldn't do that to Emily. I wouldn't want to hurt Emily. Yet he's Nike and Tiffany are top brands from adjacent industry. Yeah, this is basically like a movie star. and a Broadway star getting together. As Nick and I researched this story, we realized brand collaborations are always like celebrity hookups. They are.

They're all manufactured. They drive PR hype. And they're transactional at the end of the day. Transactional. Just like Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson. True. Each partner in the collaboration got one thing out of it. And just like Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson, Jack and I have noticed a theme in these brand collaborations.

We call it the high-low collaboration. The high-low collaboration. An exclusive brand and an accessible brand randomly shockingly get together. The result, one gets reached by association. The other gets credibility by association. Okay, so Jack, can we whip out the whiteboard here and some of those high, low brand collaborations we've seen lately? Valenciaaga recently collabed with Crocs.

Okay, Gucci recently collabed with the North Face. Dolce Cabana with Smeg, a fridge company. So in this case, it's another high, low collab. We got Tiffany's getting really. reach out of the deal. Because of Nike's wide audience. And Nike gets premiumization out of the deal. Because of fancy old Tiffany on Fifth Avenue. And as Jack and I jumped in further, T-Boy style, we noticed that Tiffany has been obsessed with high, low hookups since they were acquired by LVMH. Tiffany's recently has done collabs with Fendi, with Supreme, with Andy Warhol.

They've done collabs with Beyonce and Jay-Z and Cryptopunks. And it looks like they've all paid off because Tiffany just notched a record year of 18% sales growth thanks to, and we quote, increased desirability. We repeat, Tiffany grew 18% thanks to those collabs. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Tiffany and Nike? The best collabs turn moments into movements. Yeties, there is an art to alliances. And Tiffany's two-year collapse strategy, that may have mastered it.

Because Tiffany's doesn't look to drive one-off PR-hype moments. No, Tiffany's collection. are about nurturing broader brand movements. Because Tiffany's challenge right now is to make this 186-year-old jewelry brand relevant to jewelry reluctant Gen Z. And Jack and I have noticed that if you add up all these individual collabs, they build into that story. And Tiffany's 18% revenue jump last year to a record high proves that that story and that strategy is working. Because the best collabs turn moments into movements. For our second story, the biggest gas station in America.

America is getting electrified. But the most important parts, not the electrification. No, it's not. It's the standardization. Oh, I like what you did there. But first of all, Jack, travel America ever heard of it? Actually, you saw this because didn't you drive across country a few years ago? Oh, I've, yeah, I've seen these a bunch of times.

I remember you jumped in T-boy style because you were texting me and being like, I can't get a spindrift. I can't get a sparkling water right now. What's going on? America does not have LeCrois in the fridge. No, there's a shirt. shortage going on. That was hoarder's almanac entry number one. Well, Yeties, travel America is not just the biggest chain of gas stations. It's the biggest gas station, period. Financially and physically,

it's big. Publicly traded travel centers of America. It's based in Ohio, and they have legendarily huge truck stops. Yeti, if you're cruising on I-80 in Ohio right now, you can see their gas stations from Missouri. Because the sign with the big TA, you've seen it. They are hundreds of feet tall. Giant skyscraper. They dwarved McDonald's golden arches. We're talking the eighth wonder of the world. These things are engineering marvels. Every six-year-old in the backseat with a full bladder has been rescued by that TA sign. They see miles away. Pull over, pull over, pull over. Talk about economies of scale, by the way, Jack. Can you hit us with their other numbers? Travel America's truck stops have spots for 200 tractor trailer trucks and 100 cars. Can we talk about the geographical

imprint over here? They occupy 25 acres. Nick. These are huge. Don't even think about using square feet. Yetis, this is a $700 million pure play publicly traded gas station Godzilla. But Travel Center America just announced the biggest change to the gas station since the slurpy machine. Get this. The biggest chain of biggest gas stations is adding chargers for electric cars. Travel America is partnering with Electrify America to offer not just gas, not just diesel, also electricity for your So Yeti's picture of this five years from now, over 200 of these interstate adjacent megastations without spin-drift sparkling water will be Tesla-friendly.

And it's not just travel America. Flying J is another nationwide chain of gas stations that's also adding electric chargers. But besties, here's what Jack and I found fascinating about this story. Jack and I both own electric vehicles. Jack's got a Vox. I've got a Tesla. And we weren't excited about the electrification part. What excites us most about this news is the standardization.

Call us old fashion. But we like a little old standardization now and then. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Travel America gas stations? For an industry to grow, it must be standardized. Yet is everyone talks about range anxiety, scaring people from electric cars. But another core issue we've noticed is standardization. Unlike gasoline, not all electric plugs are the same. There's different sizes.

might need a converter or it might not work even with a converter. And also, unlike gasoline, you can't just pay with a credit card at every electric car station. Like sometimes you have to download that charger's app. That is a core issue. In the early stages of electric cars that we're in now, there's no standardization of charging. So Travel America and Flying J gas stations are tapping into federal money to build this network of electric vehicle charges. But to qualify for the federal incentives, the government is working. requiring standardization. And that part is key.

And what does that look like, Jack? They must accept all credit cards at the charging stations, and they must use the most standard charging plug there is. Yeties, the federal government wants electric vehicles to grow, and it knows it needs more chargers. But for an industry to grow, it must be standardized. Now, a word about our sponsor, Robin Hood. You know, honestly, your salad, it says so much about you.

Nick, you like to blaze your own trail at the salad bar. I'm ordering a salad. I go off menu, man, like a combo of kale and croutons that has never been made before. Me? I'm not reinventing the wheel. I like to go classic. If Sweakerian thinks it's a good combo, Jack's not going to change that. Kind of like investing strategies. Some want to build a custom portfolio of stocks, crypto, and options. Others don't want to reinvent. Just give me the most standard ETF. Whether you're tweaking your one-of-a-kind portfolio every day or prefer a more hands-off approach, Robin Hood has the tools. If you're not investing on Robin Hood yet, to get started, go to Rockwood.

Robinhood.com slash T-Boy to choose your free stock. That's robinood.com slash T-B-O-I. Limitations apply. Stocks offered by Robin Hood Financial LLC, member SIPC. Crypto offered through Robin Hood. All investments involve risk. By the way, this podcast is not owned or part of Robin Hood, and we are not employees of Robin Hood. For our third and final story, Hasbro's stock has dropped 10% in the last week because America, we've got a toy pro. More specifically, we're nursing a toy hangover right now. Yes we are. Yeties, Hasbro. It is an $8 billion toy giant. But their earnings this week were so bad, Jack and I thought it was a tech company. Yeah, we did. The news, Hasbro had an awful Christmas. Revenues fell by 17% in the holiday quarter from the year before.

So to appease their investors, Hasbro has fired its C-O and laid off 15% of its workforce. That's 1,000 people. It's the least fun news from a toy company since Cole. Oh, and Hasbro's stock, it's now at its lowest level since March. 2020. But the reason for Hasbro's awful quarter wasn't the Grinch. It was the toy hang-offs. Yeties, remember what the pandemic was? Like, it was stay at home, alone, full McCulley-Colkin, for weeks, for months, for years. Yeah, so people sought out non-screen activities like board games. For over two years, we went overboard on the toys for the kids and full disclosure, the toys for ourselves. We got a puzzle here. We got a scrabble board there. But Jack, what's happening now? When And holidays rolled around a couple months ago, we collectively looked around the living room and

realized we have too many toys. The great Barbie binge hath ended this holiday season, apparently. This holiday season, toys were the most discounted item in the whole store. Jack, what kind of sales items were we seeing on this? 34% off on average. That is a discounting death spiral of debt. So yet he's be overindulged on dolls. We had enough nerves.

You didn't get your kid a little pony, but you got them way too many my little ponies. To Mone, my little pony. Yeti's toy makers are suffering because Americans' toy hangover finally happened. Hydrate yourself, man. So, Jack, can you toss me in Advil and tell us the takeaway for our buddies over at Hasbro? People can get long COVID. Companies can get long COVID too. Yeties, long COVID, when symptoms of COVID persist, like a year after a positive test, you still have no sense of taste.

It only affects a fraction of the population, but long COVID is horrible. It can be debilitated. most companies have recovered from the pandemic. They've returned to normal. They've balanced their businesses like the gym industry or the airline industry. But some industries are still feeling reverberations of COVID's wild demand swings years after the pandemic started. And Jack and I see it in the toy industry. First, we couldn't get enough toys, but now we got too many toys. Yeti's Hasbro stock is back to its worst point since the pandemic started. Which shows that companies can get long COVID too. Jack, and you'll whip up the take.

toys for us over there for T-Boy Tuesday. Tiffany's just confirmed a shoe collaboration with Nike. Yet he's the best collabs turn moments into movements. For our second story, Travel Centers of America just announced a five-year plan to electrify its gas stations. For an industry to grow, it needs standardization. And our third and final story is Hasbro. The toy company just suffered a 17% sales drop over the holidays. Which shows that companies, they can get long COVID too.

Now, time for the best. Best fact yet, this one perfectly timed from Sarah A in lovely Austin, Texas. This is a freaky one I've never heard before, but the grocery industries got some issues. Get this. Grocers say that 10% of commercially available food in the United States is mislabeled. We're talking food fraud. And food fraud is when you lie about the food's origin, species, or ingredients. What's the kind of food fraud you would expect if you were, I don't know, maybe a former waiter from the all.

You think it's extra virgin olive oil. It's just regular virgin olive oil. Darn them, Jack. The worst offenders of food fraud are the more expensive foods, such as seafood, dairy, meat, alcohol, and spices. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies who eat food in America? Subway isn't the only place you should be looking out for Funa. Yeah, and that whiskey, it may actually be a Fiskey. A fifth of Fiskey, please? Yeah, that's right. I want a fifth of Fiskey. Hey, bartender, Fiskees for everyone. I want to be a double fisky. Jack, two fisckeys don't make a whiskey.

Yetis, you look. Fantastic for T-Boy Tuesday. And if you haven't yet, the best way to grow this pod is to turn to a buddy and say H-YH-T-B-O-I. Or leave us a rating or review. We read every one of them. Have you heard the best one yet? Nick and I, we'll see you tomorrow. Can't wait.

And before we go, congratulations to Yeti Rahul Rajandran, who just had a birthday and engagement and a wedding. That's a hat trick this year in half. Happy 40th birthday to Talisca Penn, celebrating in Key West, where I had my bachelor party. The best key lime I ever had was in Key West, which we ate at Jack's bachelor party off his bare stomach. And congrats to Nick, who started his own company down in Colorado Springs, Colorado. And Betsy, who's in the middle of some sit-ups right now, is celebrating a birthday in New York City. And happy birthday to Eric Lee in Los Angeles.

And congratulations on the one-year workovertery to Jenny Benny down in Philadelphia. And congratulations to Emma Pelagher. Greeno, who's got a new job at Patagonia in Amsterdam. Wearing that Patagonia fleece. And to anyone else, celebrate something today, make it a T-Boy. Celebrate the wins. This is Jack. I own stock of Crocs, and Nick and I both own stock of Robin Hood. Now, a word about our sponsor, Robin Hood.

Okay, so Jack and I both worked in finance for a while. And we know the six-monitor Bloomberg jockey, with charts, numbers, balances, and more charts. They got coffees in both hands while they're executing some complex trade on a soybean future. Well, we're not trying to impress with our mission control trading center. Just give us an app, please. Robin Hood, with its mobile first and intuitive design, it lets you trade with just a few quick taps on their app.

And even if things still don't seem easy, Robin Hood has your back 24-7 with its live and robust customer support. If you're not investing on Robin Hood yet, to get started, go to robin hood.com slash T-Boy and choose your free stock. That's robinood.com slash T-B-O-Y. Limitations apply. Robin Hood Financial LLC, member SIPC, all investments involve risk. By the way, this podcast is not owned by, part of Robin Hood and we are not employees of Robin Hood.

Dude, I went on a couple date, Friday night. Really great time. Oh, nice. Saturday night, actually. And they ordered their burgers medium well. So what was it like when you walked out of the day?