Consumer News: Knights in shining armor, artisanal decor and brown sugar

Some brands will actually mail grads free stuff too

• Restaurants like Krispy Kreme, Golden Corral, and Chick-fil-A are offering grads free doughnuts, chicken sandwiches, desserts, and buffet meals.

• Many graduation freebies are local promotions, so checking restaurant apps, Facebook pages, or calling ahead can pay off.

• Some grads are also mailing graduation announcements to popular brands and getting free merch, coupons, or gift cards back.

Youve put in the hard work and made it to graduation day.

Congrats!

Now its time to go get some free food and even some free merchandise from many popular brands.

From free doughnuts, to free swag, to free buffet meals, here are some of the best grad deals happening right now.

Krispy Kreme

Only on May 21, grads wearing a cap, gown, or any Class of 2026 gear can score a free three-pack of original glazed doughnuts, with no purchase necessary.

May 21seems to be the day of consensus, but it appears some locations are running the promotion on different days in May, so calling ahead is smart before driving over.

Golden Corral

Some participating locations are offering graduates a free buffet meal and beverage when they show up in cap and gown on graduation night.

Keep in mind that the offer does vary by franchise, so its best to ask at your local Golden Corral what theyre offering. The offer is valid through June 30,which is generous.

Pro tip: Ive noticed that smaller-town Golden Corral locations often participate more aggressively in local graduation promotions than busy metro stores.

Pluckers Wing Bar

Graduates can get a free meal with the purchase of an adult entree on graduation day withproof of graduation. Accepted proof may include a diploma, graduation program, or a Student ID.

TGI Fridays

Graduates can receive a free appetizer or dessert with an entree purchase through mid-June witha student ID.

This is one of the longer-running graduation offers available right now.

Brio Italian Grille

If youre hosting a grad party, you might want to consider Brio as you can score a free tray of cannoli when placing a catering order of $100 or more. Just place your order online and use promo code GRAD2026 during checkout. The offer expires on June 30.

This works especially well for larger family gatherings where catering costs can get expensive quickly. You get a free dessert which is pretty sweet.

Buca di Beppo

Graduates dining-in at Buca di Beppo can get a free cannoli during graduation celebrations.

Catering customers spending at least $100 can also receive a half tray of cannoli for parties and family gatherings.

Raising Cane's

Grads are encouragedto visit their giveaway pageto winone of 2,026 Grad Gift Boxes.

The box will include a Canes branded hat, a card to redeem a Box Combo, and a letter from Raising Canes owner and founder Todd Graves.

You actually have the option to upload a photo of your graduation announcement if you want. They give gradsuntil May 29th to enter.

Chick-fil-A

Several locations around the country are offering graduates free chicken sandwiches, nuggets, or meals withgraduation gear or proof of graduation.

For example:

• One location is offering grads a free Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich for wearing cap and gown.
• Another offered a free meal for graduating seniors with proof of graduation.
• Some locations are giving away free nuggets instead.

Many local franchises are offering cool grad promotions, so your best bet is to check your local Chick-fil-as Facebook page, as most are promoting there.

Many brands will mail grads something, too

One trend getting a lot of attention right now is grads mailing graduation announcements to brands and companies. Surprisingly, many have actually responded with some pretty cool free stuff.

Graduates have reported hearing back from companies with things like gift cards, coupons, stickers, cool merch, free food vouchers, and even small gifts.

Here are the main brands that grads have been writing toand getting Congratulations Graduate! gifts:

• Lego:Small random Lego set and a congrats card.
• Chick-fil-A:Theyll often send you a plush cow, branded hat, and even a possible sweatshirt.
• SunBum:Sunscreen, lip balm, stickers, and sometimes branded merchandise.
• Crumbl Cookies:Gift card, stickers, and a hand-written note.
• Takis:Congrats letter, bag of their new chips, and even some branded swag.

There is obviously no guarantee companies will respond, but many grads are trying it because it costs almost nothing besides postage and a little effort. Just do a quick Google search for their corporate address (or PR department), and mail them one of your graduation cards.

Pro tip: The grads getting the best responses usually include a short personal note instead of simply asking for free stuff. Its no surprise that funny or heartfelt messages tend to stand out more than generic graduation announcements.

New retail pricing analysis shows patio furniture, fashion, and mattresses could see some of the biggest markdowns this Memorial Day season

• The biggest Memorial Day discounts may arrive before the holiday weekend, with many of the deepest markdowns historically appearing on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

• Patio furniture, fashion, and mattresses are expected to offer some of the best savings this year, with discounts reaching as high as 34% on average.

• Experts warn shoppers to watch out for inflated before prices and recommend comparing price histories across retailers to spot genuine deals.

Memorial Day weekend has long been known as one of the biggest shopping events of the year, but new data suggests consumers may want to rethink when they hit buy.

According to a recent analysis from Decodo, some of the strongest discounts are expected to appear before the holiday weekend officially begins especially for shoppers looking for deals on patio furniture, clothing, and mattresses.

ConsumerAffairs spoke with Gabriele Vitke, Product Marketing Team Lead at Decodo, who shared what categories are likely to have the best deals, when to wait and see on certain deals, and other Memorial Day sales trends.

Where the biggest savings are

Heres a breakdown of where the biggest savings are expected this Memorial Day:

• Patio furniture and outdoor goods: This led every other category in 2025 at a 34% average discount, with prior-season clearance furniture reaching 47%.

• Fashion and apparel: This category followed at 32%, athleisure hit 39%, and swimwear 36%.

• Mattresses: Average discounts landed at 30% in 2025, with memory foam direct-to-consumer brands cutting 38%, and some individual offers reaching 50% off list.

• Major appliances: Averaged a 22% discount, but bundled multi-piece kitchen sets unlocked 27%

• Groceries: 15% discount on average.

Dynamic pricing engines respond to inventory pressure and competitive density, rather than the calendar, so the same structural forces that delivered 2025's results are in play for 2026, Vitke said.

What has shifted dramatically is the consumer wallet. Average expected spend fell from roughly $284 in 2025 to $91 in 2026, a decline of nearly 68%, while participation rose from 37% to 53% of shoppers. More households are showing up with much smaller baskets, which keeps retailer pressure to compete on price firmly intact.

When to shop and when to wait

While there are plenty of sales worth jumping on for Memorial Day, its important to be a discerning shopper. Vitke shared which days of the weekend are likely to have the best deals, as well as when to shop at certain retailers.

Consumer electronics is the clearest category to skip, Vitke said. In 2025, 65-inch 4K TVs averaged 11% off on Memorial Day, versus 19% on Prime Day and 24% on Black Friday; mid-range laptops followed the same 11/18/23 pattern; and premium wireless headphones, gaming console bundles, and current-model smartphones all showed their deepest annual cuts in late November. If the item is a current-model premium electronics SKU, the math almost always favors waiting.

When it comes to timing yourshopping, Vitke has more advice.

The shop on Monday advice is really a Walmart-and-grocery pattern, not a universal one, she said. Amazon's best price-drop day across 2025 was Wednesday, so Wednesday, May 20, is the algorithmically-friendly early window.

Best Buy peaked on Friday, Target and Newegg on Saturday, Home Depot and CVS on Tuesday, and Walgreens on Wednesday. Shoppers get the most value by aligning to each retailer's rhythm rather than defaulting to Monday.

How to spot a genuine markdown

Not every sale you see marketed on Memorial Day comes with a genuine price markdown.

Sometimes, retailers will even show higher list prices to make it look like the sale price is a better bargain than it really is. However, Vitke has some advice for knowing how to spot real sales.

First, use a browser extension to check 60-to-180-day price history rather than trusting the percentage-off claim on the page, she said. Second, compare the actual dollar price across retailers selling the same SKU, because same-SKU spreads of up to 19% appeared between the cheapest and most expensive major retailers across the 2025 weekend.

Third, and this is the discipline that separates consistent winners, set a target price you'd actually pay before the sale opens, the same way the pricing engines themselves set thresholds before the transaction window.

Preparation beats reaction

Vitkes last piece of Memorial Day shopping advice: preparation beats reaction.

One pattern that gets overlooked: the cookout-focused household typically saves more in absolute dollars across grocery and beverage purchases than on any single non-mattress big-ticket category, she said.

Beverage-alcohol traffic ran roughly 22% above baseline during the 2025 weekend, with premium spirits down 14% and cookout proteins down 25%. The dollars add up quickly across the basket. One timing nuance worth flagging: across 2025, the deepest individual markdowns on 41% of tracked SKUs landed on the Wednesday or Thursday before the holiday, not on the weekend itself. Preparation beats reaction every time.

But more importantly...it can help shoppers save money

• Shoppers can now check price history on multiple items at once, easily compare products, and even avoid fake sale prices without leaving Amazon.

• Price alerts can help curb impulse buying as users can set target prices and let Alexa notify them when the price is right or even buy it automatically.

• Alexa can now analyze photos you take and recommend cheaper alternatives.For the DIYer, it can help you troubleshoot broken appliances and electronics.

Amazons AI shopping assistant is quietly turning into something much bigger than a voice assistant that tells you the weather.

The latest version of Amazons Alexa+ for Shopping now helps users compare products, track price history, set automatic purchase triggers, build shopping guides, and even monitor deals across the web. And for shoppers trying to avoid overpaying online, some of the new features are surprisingly useful.

Heres how consumers can actually use Alexas shopping tools to save money and shop smarter.

Echo device no longer required, or a Prime account

To take advantage of this new technology, you just need to be signed into your Amazon account. You dont need a Prime membership, an Echo device, or the Alexa app to make it happen.

All you have to do is tap the Alexa icon in the bottom navigation bar in the Amazon app, or youll find it at the top of your screen when on a laptop or desktop.

Use price history before buying anything expensive

One of the most useful new features is Alexas built-in price history tracking.

Shoppers can now ask Alexa:

• Has this item been cheaper recently?
• Whats the price history?
• Has this gone on sale before?

Alexa will then show:

• 30-day pricing history
• 90-day pricing history
• Full 365-day pricing trends

That matters for shoppers because many Amazon sales are not really sales at all. A product marked 25% off today may have sold for the exact same price two weeks ago.

The nice thing is that when youre looking at five possible gift ideas, Alexa will show the price history on each. This is a new feature and a huge time saver when looking for a real deal.

Pro tip: Use price history especially on electronics, kitchen appliances, vacuums, coffee makers, and headphones. Those categories tend to fluctuate constantly on Amazon.

Set price alerts instead of panic-buying

Setting targeted price alerts just might be the best feature for deal hunters.

Users can now tell Alexa:

• Alert me when this drops below $50
• Buy this when it hits 30% off
• Purchase this when it falls to $15

Alexa will monitor pricing automatically and either:

• Send an alert
• Or complete the purchase automatically using your default payment method

That removes a lot of the obsessive checking prices every day behavior many shoppers fall into. And it can prevent impulse buying simply because something looks temporarily discounted.

Compare products side-by-side faster

Amazon also added AI-powered product comparisons directly inside their search results.

So, instead of opening 14 browser tabs trying to compare things like coffee makers, laptops, vacuums, and headphones, Alexa can now summarize major differences in:

• Price
• Features
• Reviews
• Weight
• Battery life
• Waterproofing
• Materials

This feature alone can save shoppers a surprising amount of time and frustration.

Pro tip: Use comparisons to eliminate bad options quickly instead of endlessly researching tiny differences between similar products.

Use Alexa to avoid forgetting recurring household purchases

One underrated feature is Scheduled Actions.

Alexa can now automate repetitive shopping tasks like:

• Reordering pet food
• Restocking paper towels
• Buying detergent
• Refilling protein bars
• Tracking new book releases

This can help families avoid expensive last-minute purchases at convenience stores or grocery stores where prices are often much higher. For example, running out of paper towels unexpectedly may cost twice as much locally compared to buying in bulk online ahead of time.

You can also say things like, Add this dog food to my cart if the price drops below $35 and I havent purchased it in over 30 days.

Upload photos to find cheaper alternatives

I have to admit that this is a pretty cool new feature. Alexa can now analyze your uploaded photos and help you find similar products.

For example:

• Upload a photo of a handbag
• Snap a picture of a chair
• Screenshot shoes from social media

Then ask Alexa to:

• Find something similar under $100
• Find cheaper versions
• Compare similar styles

This can be especially useful for avoiding overpriced influencer products or trendy impulse buys.

Amazon is known for cheaper versions of more expensive name-brand items. So by being able to analyze your photos, they can help you easily find products that have a very similar style, but cost significantly less.

Something break? Ask Alexa for help

For a DIYer like myself, this might be the single best feature of Amazons new shopping feature.

Heres a scenario that youll inevitably come across:

• Your clothes dryer suddenly stops heating.
• You type into the Alexa for Shopping search bar: Why is my dryer blowing cold air?
• Since you previously ordered a replacement lint filter for your Samsung dryer through Alexa+, it already knows the exact model you own.
• Alexa for Shopping explains that the issue is commonly caused by a tripped thermal fuse or clogged vent line on that model and walks you through a few troubleshooting steps to try before scheduling a repair.
• After cleaning out a heavily clogged exterior vent, the dryer starts heating normally again.

Be careful with automatic purchasing

While the convenience is impressive, its smart to be very cautious with your auto-buy settings.

If left unchecked, automatic purchasing can easily lead to:

• Overspending
• Duplicate purchases
• Subscription-style shopping habits
• Buying things simply because they hit a sale price

Just because something gets cheaper does not necessarily mean you still need it.

Pro tip: Create price alerts only for items you already planned to buy anyway. Otherwise, the deal itself becomes the reason for spending money.

New report shows cancellations, long delays, and travel complaints remain a major issue

• A new report found U.S. flights in 2025 had the worst on-time arrival rates since 2014.

• More than 118,000 flights were canceled last year among major airlines and regional partners.

• Experts say staffing shortages, crowded airspace, and operational issues continue to affect travelers.

Air travel frustrations continued to pile up in 2025, according to a new report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund.

The report, called The Plane Truth 2026, found that flight delays and cancellations reached some of their highest levels in years, making travel more unpredictable for millions of passengers.

Air travel has been increasingly erratic and stressful, even before the Spirit Airlines collapse, which will affect flyers on other airlines, too. In addition, the big four airlines are raising prices or cutting flights or both, Teresa Murray, Consumer Watchdog director for U.S. PIRG Education Fund, said in a news release.

A lot of issues are converging: a shortage of air traffic controllers, the economy, bad weather, more cancellations and delays, government shutdowns that affect security lines, higher airfares and baggage fees that are $10 to $15 more per bag than a year ago.

The main findings

Researchers found that overall on-time performance fell to 76.34% in 2025, the lowest level recorded since 2014. That translated to nearly one in four flights being delayed, canceled, or diverted. In addition, roughly one in 12 flights arrived at least an hour late.

The report also noted that airlines canceled more than 118,000 flights across the nations 10 largest carriers and their regional partners.

Lengthy tarmac delays increased sharply in 2025, with domestic delays lasting more than three hours reaching their highest level since federal tarmac rules were introduced in 2010.

When it came to specific airlines, some had better results than others. Hawaiian Airlines ranked among the strongest carriers for on-time arrivals and low cancellation rates. Frontier, JetBlue, and American Airlines were on the other end of the spectrum, leading the charge for the airlines with the weakest delays and cancellations.

What led to the delays?

According to the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, there are several reasons for the worsening performance.

Among the biggest challenges were shortages of air traffic controllers, increasingly crowded airspace, and airline scheduling practices that leave little room for disruptions. Researchers also highlighted operational problems that can create a ripple effect across entire flight networks once delays begin.

What this means for travelers

For consumers, the findings are another reminder that air travel can still be unpredictable even years after pandemic-era disruptions eased.

Travelers may want to build extra time into itineraries, especially for tight connections or important events. The report also emphasized the importance of understanding airline passenger rights, particularly when flights are canceled or significantly delayed. Congress approved new consumer protections in 2024 that guarantee refunds in certain situations if passengers choose not to accept rebooking offers.

Researchers warned that travel disruptions are unlikely to disappear anytime soon, meaning passengers may continue facing long waits, schedule changes, and added stress when flying.

Travelers still have many, many rights and its more important than ever for passengers to know what those are, said Andre Delattre, The Public Interest Networks senior vice president and COO. You cant just show up and expect everything to go smoothly. Air travel is a participation sport.

Some brands will actually mail grads free stuff too

• Restaurants like Krispy Kreme, Golden Corral, and Chick-fil-A are offering grads free doughnuts, chicken sandwiches, desserts, and buffet meals.

• Many graduation freebies are local promotions, so checking restaurant apps, Facebook pages, or calling ahead can pay off.

• Some grads are also mailing graduation announcements to popular brands and getting free merch, coupons, or gift cards back.

Youve put in the hard work and made it to graduation day.

Congrats!

Now its time to go get some free food and even some free merchandise from many popular brands.

From free doughnuts, to free swag, to free buffet meals, here are some of the best grad deals happening right now.

Krispy Kreme

Only on May 21, grads wearing a cap, gown, or any Class of 2026 gear can score a free three-pack of original glazed doughnuts, with no purchase necessary.

May 21seems to be the day of consensus, but it appears some locations are running the promotion on different days in May, so calling ahead is smart before driving over.

Golden Corral

Some participating locations are offering graduates a free buffet meal and beverage when they show up in cap and gown on graduation night.

Keep in mind that the offer does vary by franchise, so its best to ask at your local Golden Corral what theyre offering. The offer is valid through June 30,which is generous.

Pro tip: Ive noticed that smaller-town Golden Corral locations often participate more aggressively in local graduation promotions than busy metro stores.

Pluckers Wing Bar

Graduates can get a free meal with the purchase of an adult entree on graduation day withproof of graduation. Accepted proof may include a diploma, graduation program, or a Student ID.

TGI Fridays

Graduates can receive a free appetizer or dessert with an entree purchase through mid-June witha student ID.

This is one of the longer-running graduation offers available right now.

Brio Italian Grille

If youre hosting a grad party, you might want to consider Brio as you can score a free tray of cannoli when placing a catering order of $100 or more. Just place your order online and use promo code GRAD2026 during checkout. The offer expires on June 30.

This works especially well for larger family gatherings where catering costs can get expensive quickly. You get a free dessert which is pretty sweet.

Buca di Beppo

Graduates dining-in at Buca di Beppo can get a free cannoli during graduation celebrations.

Catering customers spending at least $100 can also receive a half tray of cannoli for parties and family gatherings.

Chick-fil-A

Several locations around the country are offering graduates free chicken sandwiches, nuggets, or meals withgraduation gear or proof of graduation.

For example:

• One location is offering grads a free Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich for wearing cap and gown.
• Another offered a free meal for graduating seniors with proof of graduation.
• Some locations are giving away free nuggets instead.

Many local franchises are offering cool grad promotions, so your best bet is to check your local Chick-fil-as Facebook page, as most are promoting there.

Many brands will mail grads something, too

One trend getting a lot of attention right now is grads mailing graduation announcements to brands and companies. Surprisingly, many have actually responded with some pretty cool free stuff.

Graduates have reported hearing back from companies with things like gift cards, coupons, stickers, cool merch, free food vouchers, and even small gifts.

Here are the main brands that grads have been writing toand getting Congratulations Graduate! gifts:

• Lego:Small random Lego set and a congrats card.
• Chick-fil-A:Theyll often send you a plush cow, branded hat, and even a possible sweatshirt.
• Raising Cane's:Branded hat, congrats card, and even the occasional gift card.
• SunBum:Sunscreen, lip balm, stickers, and sometimes branded merchandise.
• Crumbl Cookies:Gift card, stickers, and a hand-written note.
• Takis:Congrats letter, bag of their new chips, and even some branded swag.

There is obviously no guarantee companies will respond, but many grads are trying it because it costs almost nothing besides postage and a little effort. Just do a quick Google search for their corporate address (or PR department), and mail them one of your graduation cards.

Pro tip: The grads getting the best responses usually include a short personal note instead of simply asking for free stuff. Its no surprise that funny or heartfelt messages tend to stand out more than generic graduation announcements.