INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here is a look at Thursday’s business headlines with Jane King.

WALGREENS CUTTING PRICES IN STORES AND ONLINE

Walgreens is cutting prices on more than 1,500 items online and in stores, everything from snacks and vitamins to toys.

It’s just the latest retailer to offer discounts in a bid to win back shoppers who’ve been feeling the pinch of inflation; Target, Walmart and Amazon have all done the same in recent weeks.

For example, an 80-count One A Day vitamins jar now cost $11.99, down from $13.49. The price of a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips from the Walgreens-owned brand Nice now costs $1.99, down from $2.79.

SCAMMERS PREYING ON WELLNESS PRODUCT USERS

Scammers are preying on people who are interested in wellness products, Variety magazine says often fraudsters use celebrities to hawk their goods.

Most of the ads using generative AI to spoof endorsements would be subject to false commercialization penalties by the Federal Trade Commission.

But the technology’s capabilities and scale are advancing so fast, it’s hard for regulators to catch bad actors and stop them in real time.

MCDONALD’S MENU PRICES UP 40% FROM 2019

A McDonald’s exec says average menu item costs 40% more than in 2019.

Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, said in an open letter the average price of a Big Mac meal today is up 27% from 2019. The price for a 10-piece McNuggets meal is up 28% over the same period, and the price of medium French fries increased 44%.

He was responding to reports that McDonald’s prices are up 100% since 2019.

STARBUCKS WAIT TIMES INCREASE

Starbucks wait times have ballooned this year.

Technomic says about 8% of Starbucks customers waited between 15 and 30 minutes in the last quarter, compared to virtually no one waiting that long during the same period in 2019.

The baristas blame a new algorithm at the company that’s supposed to allocate store labor.

The staff says it’s difficult to have simultaneous demands to chat with customers and be fast, as well as handle in-person, drive-thru, mobile and delivery orders.

Survey: More people like to clean their home before traveling

One thing is clear: Many Americans think it is important to prioritize cleaning the house before leaving on a trip. In a survey commissioned by Mr. Clean and conducted by talker research, more than 75% of respondents claimed they prefer to clean their home prior to heading out.

In fact, the average respondent starts preparing for their trip over two weeks in advance. The study found 66% are so excited about their upcoming travel, that it motivates them to clean before they leave. Mr. Clean commissioned the study as it prepares for the launch of their new ultra line of Magic Erasers.