Weekly Business Roundup, 11/29 – 12/5

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Your business week, 11/29 – 12/5

Sinkhole swallows part Interstate 694 heading through Oakdale.

  • MnDOT says repairs could last the rest of the week, rerouting thousands of drivers to I-94, I-35E, and Highway 36.
  • Follow along here: facebook.com/mndot
  • And have you noticed the lovely weather we’re having? Should make the morning commute even more fun.

Minneapolis

Target launches new “Wallet” app for digital payments.

  • The app lets Target shoppers pay using their only their smartphone, and use Cartwheel digital coupons and discounts by scanning their barcode.
  • This is the latest in Target’s continued digital expansion, and continued push toward making the in-store experience more streamlined to compete with online shopping.
  • You do have to be a Red Card holder, however.

Not so Modist: Minneapolis Brewery hit with a royal “cease and desist” order by Anheuser-Busch.

  • What’s in a name? A lot, apparently. The “Dilly-Dilly IPA,” named after a catchphrase from Bud Light’s recent string of commercials, made the makers of Budweiser feel as though their toes had been stepped on.
  • And also, well, because…
See the resemblance?
  • But here’s where it gets good. Anheuser-Busch literally went medieval on Modist: The cease and desist letter was written on actual parchment paper, and read aloud by a town crier in full town-crier garb.
  • The letter read as follows, “‘Dilly Dilly’ is the motto of our realm, so we humbly ask that you keep this to a limited-edition, one-time-only run. This is by order of the king. Disobedience shall be met with additional scrolls, then a formal warning, and finally, a private tour of the ‘Pit of Misery.’”
  • They also offered two tickets to the upcoming Super Bowl LII.
  • All hail the King (of Beers).

Note: Modist did indeed comply with the crier’s wish, and will name future batches of the brew “Coat Tails.”

St. Paul

Ecolab is bugging out: St. Paul’s largest company just bought three pest control firms to expand their food service offerings.

  • The companies are: Food Protection Services, from the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Mississippi Delta, Royal Pest Solutions from mid-Atlantic region, and Research Fumigation Co., from the gulf coast.
  • Ecolab didn’t say how much they paid.

St. Paul’s Super Bowl siren song.

  • The capital city is attempting to lure visitors away from Minneapolis with a giant snow slide and winter market size of CHS Field (because it’s going to cover CHS Field.) There are also rumors of an ice fishing pond and live music to correlate with the already-planned Winter Carnival events (which is running a week longer than usual) and Red Bull Crashed Ice activities.
  • Not sure how much this will cost the city, but it’s certainly less than the price tag hanging from an ice palace, plans for which were scrapped after funds didn’t come together.
  • The carnival will take place from January 25 through February 10.

Metro

UnitedHealth + Walgreens = ♥♥♥

  • UnitedHealth Groups’ MedExpress has partnered with Walgreen’s to provide urgent care services onsite.
  • This deal comes right at the heels of a recent CVS + Aetna announcement (CVS is looking to buy Aetna for an estimated $69 billion). Coincidence? Is it ever when you mix love and business?

Beyond

Facebook launches Messenger Kids to try and lure kids away from Snapchat.

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Wordsmith extraordinaire. Impeccable manners, sometimes. Formerly CBS, currently TiltMN. In a world of clickbait, sensationalism, and dollar-based journalism, he works tirelessly to present a better brand of internet news.