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☆ Walmart Is Shutting Health Centers After Plan to Expand
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jordyn Holman | More About Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, said Tuesday that it was shutting down its health care centers, a network that only last year it said it planned to expand. The retailer said in a blog post that its 51 health centers would close. The plans won’t affect the more than 4,600 pharmacies and more than 3,000 vision centers within Walmart stores. Walmart started the health-care clinic initiative in 2019 in Dallas, Ga., with centers providing primary care, labs, X-rays and electrocardiograms, counseling, and dental, optical and hearing services. In 2021, Walmart started offering a virtual option when it acquired MeMD, a telehealth provider.

Organizations: Walmart Locations: Dallas ,

☆ How Supplement Stores Are Trying to Tap Into the Ozempic Boom
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As diabetes and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy took off in the last few years, many people turned away from established diet and nutrition products. Now, two retailers that specialize in nutritional supplements — GNC and the Vitamin Shoppe — are trying new approaches to win over people who are taking those drugs or who are interested in them. GNC is dedicating a wall of supplements in its more than 2,300 stores to products that it believes will appeal to people on Ozempic, which contains the compound semaglutide, and other drugs that are known as GLP-1 medicines. The chain is also training workers to help customers assess which substances could help them manage common side effects of those prescription drugs. Michael Costello, chief executive of GNC, said his company saw a “big opening” in helping individuals taking such drugs for weight loss.

Persons: Wegovy, Michael Costello

☆ ‘Pay Later’ Lenders Have an Issue With Credit Bureaus
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Jordyn Holman | Ben Casselman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Shoppers in recent years have embraced “buy now, pay later” loans as an easy, interest-free way to purchase everything from sweaters to concert tickets. The loans typically are not reported on consumers’ credit reports, however, or reflected in their credit scores. So in February, when Apple announced it would start reporting loans made through its Apple Pay Later program to Experian, one of the three major U.S. credit bureaus, it looked like a watershed moment for the fast-growing “buy now, pay later” category. But none of the other major pay-later providers have followed Apple’s lead. And while credit bureaus and lenders say they are interested in finding a way to work together, the gulf between the two sides remains wide — so much so that some pay-later firms are exploring creating an alternative credit bureau to handle their loans.

Organizations: Apple

The Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued to block Tapestry’s $8.5 billion acquisition of Capri, a blockbuster fashion tie-up that would bring together Coach, Kate Spade, Michael Kors and Versace. The lawsuit is a rare move by the agency to block a fashion deal, given that the industry does not suffer from a lack of competition. In her time as the chair of the F.T.C., Lina Khan has prioritized taking on the power of big business in suits across industries. The agency has moved to block the supermarket merger between Kroger and Albertsons; Meta’s acquisition of the virtual reality start-up Within; and Microsoft’s bid for the gaming giant Activision. failed to block Microsoft’s deal and Meta’s acquisition, both of which closed last year.

Persons: Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Versace, Lina Khan, ” Henry Liu, ” Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Kroger, Albertsons, Activision, “, Competition Locations: Capri, ’

☆ Dollar stores are shutting down across America. They did this to themselves
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Dollar Tree believed acquiring Family Dollar would help it compete against larger rivals. “When Dollar Tree bought Family Dollar, they didn’t really know what they were doing,” D’Arezzo said. Many Family Dollar stores were located too close to each other and cannibalized each other’s own sales, too, D’Arezzo said. Family Dollar “needs more work than the company originally thought.”A year later, an activist investor pushed for a sale of the “underperforming” Family Dollar business, and Family Dollar announced it would close 390 stores. Dollar Tree and Family Dollar executives say Family Dollar can still succeed, however.

Persons: Dollar, Ron Holman, ” Neil Saunders, GlobalData, “, ”, David D’Arezzo, Rick Dreiling, Kelly Bania, Carl Icahn, Nelson Peltz —, ” D’Arezzo, D’Arezzo, Dreiling Organizations: New, New York CNN, Visalia Times, USA, Dollar, BMO Capital Markets, “, Street, Justice Department, Bloomberg, Walmart, Costco Locations: New York, West Coast and Texas, West Memphis, ”, California , Nevada , Arizona, Texas, California

☆ Will A.I. Boost Productivity? Companies Sure Hope So.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Jordyn Holman | Jeanna Smialek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Rapid productivity improvement is the dream for both companies and economic policymakers. If output per hour holds steady, firms must either sacrifice profits or raise prices to pay for wage increases or investment projects. Economies experiencing productivity booms can experience rapid wage gains and quick growth without as much risk of rapid inflation. — especially generative A.I., which is still in its infancy — has spread enough to show up in productivity data already. “may” have the potential to increase productivity growth, “but probably not in the short run.” John C. Williams, president of the New York Fed, has made similar remarks, specifically citing the work of the Northwestern University economist Robert Gordon.

Persons: Jerome H, Powell, ” John C, Williams, Robert Gordon Organizations: Ben, Abercrombie, Fitch’s, Federal Reserve, New York Fed, Northwestern University

☆ Now Featured at Beauty Stores: Teens Driven by Social Media
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Impelled in large part by TikTok to seek beauty products meant for adults, younger customers — teenagers and even preadolescents — are proving to be a mixed blessing for retailers like Sephora and Ulta. Retail analysts say that as the beauty stores attract a new generation of shoppers, they will need to make sure that the experience remains fulfilling for their older, core customers — including some who may not enjoy stores full of tweens and teens. “So much of luxury and prestige is the experience,” said Simeon Siegel, a retail analyst at BMO Capital Markets. “Making an adult feel special is very different than making a college student feel special, which is dramatically different than making a tween feel special. The survey found that teenage respondents spent 23 percent more on cosmetics, skin care and fragrance in 2023 than the year before.

Persons: TikTok, ”, Simeon Siegel, Piper Sandler Organizations: Retail, BMO Capital Markets, Ulta Locations: United States

☆ Walmart Wants to Teach Store Managers Compassion
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

On a stormy afternoon in Bentonville, Ark., a Walmart regional manager recounted a story about a moment when his humanity came up short. He was 24-year-old store manager anxiously trying to get his workers to set up Halloween merchandise displays. Instead, the workers were gathered around the televisions in the electronics department. He didn’t fully understand what was happening until a worker tearfully laid into him, explaining that she had relatives in New York City. “I didn’t take a minute to survey the room to understand the ramifications of my words and my actions,” the former store manager, David Seymore, now a regional vice president at Walmart, told his listeners.

Persons: ”, David Seymore, “ Organizations: Walmart Locations: Bentonville, Ark, New York City

☆ Activist Investor’s Group Raises Bid for Macy’s
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Lauren Hirsch | Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The activist investor group that is seeking to buy Macy’s increased the pressure on the department store chain on Sunday, raising its offer and disclosing additional details about its financing plans. Arkhouse Management and Brigade Capital Management said in a news release that they were now offering $24 per share, valuing the retailer at $6.6 billion. The new offer is up from the $21 a share they last put forward and a 33.3 percent premium to Macy’s closing share price of at $18.01 on Friday. Arkhouse and Brigade named additional investors they had brought on as equity partners, Fortress Investment Group and One Investment Management. The investor has since nominated nine people to Macy’s board.

Persons: Arkhouse Organizations: Arkhouse Management, Brigade Capital Management, Brigade, Fortress Investment Group, One Investment Management Locations: Macy’s

☆ Macy’s Will Close 150 Stores but Expand Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Macy’s said on Tuesday that it would vastly reshape its strategy and retail footprint, closing about 150 Macy’s stores over the next three years while expanding its upscale Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury chains. The moves put the stamp of the company’s new chief executive, Tony Spring, on an effort to keep the largest department store operator in the United States profitable and stave off a pending takeover bid. It is the second major downsizing of the Macy’s chain since 2020 and will leave the company with 350 stores, slightly more than half the number it had before the pandemic. The overhaul is intended to “accelerate our path to market share gains, sustainable, profitable growth and value creation for our shareholders,” Mr. Spring, who took over this month, said in a statement.

Persons: Macy’s, Tony Spring, ” Mr Locations: United States

☆ Levi’s Wants You to Rethink Your Denim Shopping
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the Levi’s store on Market Street in San Francisco, the denim maker’s newly extended collection is on full display. Black denim overalls are paired with a light-blue long-sleeve denim blouse, complemented by a denim cap. The assortment of tops, which Levi’s has been producing at a faster rate than it has in the past, was equal to the store’s inventory of jeans. Ms. Gass, 55, wants to make Levi’s not only a brand you think of when you want jeans, but also a place you go to first when shopping for shirts, jumpsuits and puffer jackets. Her goal is to get customers back more often — since people usually buy tops more frequently than bottoms — and to bring them to Levi’s stores, its website and its mobile app.

Persons: jean, ” Michelle Gass, Levi Strauss, Levi’s, Gass’s, Gass Organizations: Levi Strauss & Company Locations: San Francisco

☆ Walmart Reports Rising Holiday Sales as Shoppers Seek Value
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Jordyn Holman | More About Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The NumbersWalmart said its comparable store sales were up 4 percent in the three months that ended in late January compared with the year before. In addition to its same-store sales, Walmart said its U.S. e-commerce business increased 17 percent. At the same time, many retailers, including Walmart, focused on value last year as the economy cooled and shoppers became more selective. The Road AheadAnalysts expect retail sales to continue to moderate this year after a surge in consumer spending during the early stages of the pandemic. U.S. retail sales fell 0.8 percent in January from a month earlier, according to data released from the Commerce Department last week.

Persons: John David Rainey Organizations: Walmart, Target, Kroger, National Retail Federation, Analysts, Commerce Department Locations: U.S

☆ Dual Mission for Macy’s New Chief: Revive Stores and Fend Off Takeover
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Jordyn Holman | Lauren Hirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As he prepares to take the reins as Macy’s chief executive on Sunday, Tony Spring has a tall order: He must contend with the existential crisis that mall-based department stores are facing to try to stay relevant in an increasingly e-commerce world. In December, an investor group submitted a bid that would take Macy’s private at a value of $5.8 billion. Mr. Spring, 58, has spent his career at Macy’s high-end store group, Bloomingdale’s. He started as an executive trainee in 1987 and rose through the ranks to become chief executive in 2014. He turned the chain into a “scrappy incubator” for ideas that were eventually brought over to Macy’s stores.

Persons: Tony Spring Organizations: Arkhouse Management, Brigade Capital Management

☆ Walmart Offers Store Managers Company Stock to Make Them Feel Like ‘Owners’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, is raising salaries and benefits for store managers as it looks for ways to retain them. Walmart said on Monday that managers of its U.S. stores would be eligible for grants of up to $20,000 in company stock every year. The announcement came a few weeks after Walmart said it would increase the average salary for store managers to $128,000, up from $117,000. The big-box retailer also said bonuses for store managers could reach up to 200 percent of base salary, with a store’s profitability becoming a bigger factor in the calculation. Store managers are crucial in driving sales and profitability within their stores and keeping morale high in a dynamic business.

Organizations: Walmart

☆ Alabama execution using nitrogen gas, the first ever, again puts U.S. at front of death penalty debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

It marked the first time a new execution method was used in the U.S. since 1982, when lethal injection was introduced and later became the most common method. The state had predicted the nitrogen gas would cause unconsciousness within seconds and death within minutes. After he had a chance to make a final statement, the warden, from another room, was to activate the nitrogen gas. And experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council cautioned they believe the execution method could violate the prohibition on torture. Smith's attorneys had raised concerns that he could choke to death on his own vomit as the nitrogen gas flows.

Persons: Abraham Bonowitz, Kenneth Smith, Kenneth Eugene Smith, Smith, gurney, Kay Ivey, Elizabeth Sennett, Ivey, Elizabeth Sennett's, Mike Sennett, Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Steve Marshall, John Q, Hamm, Jeff Hood, Hood, Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, he's, Sennett, John Forrest Parker, Charles Sennett Organizations: Holman Correctional, Alabama Gov, European Union, Human, EU, U.S, Supreme, State, Justice, Catholic, Prosecutors Locations: Columbus , Ohio, Holman, Atmore , Alabama, U.S, Alabama, United States, Geneva, gurney, Hamm, Vatican, Rome, Mississippi, Oklahoma

Hobby shops, though, remain the core of the card world, and shopkeepers are adjusting to Fanatics in different ways. Lately, he said, Panini, not Fanatics, has issued more cards that have been a hit with his customers. “Panini could have rolled over when Fanatics came in, but they care about the stores, the public,” he said. In the interim, Fanatics has issued cards with Mr. Wembanyama in street clothes, while Panini has issued unsigned Wembanyama cards. Mr. Calvanico added that Fanatics hadn’t provided enough information about its upcoming releases, which makes it hard for him to gauge customer demand.

Persons: Mike Calvanico, Panini, ”, “, haven’t, Victor Wembanyama, Calvanico, hadn’t, We’re Organizations: Panini, Topps, San Antonio Spurs Locations: Lyndhurst , N.J

☆ What we know about Alabama execution of Kenneth Smith by nitrogen gas
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe | Dakin Andone | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Alabama inmate Kenneth Smith was put to death Thursday night by nitrogen hypoxia, marking the nation’s first known execution to be carried out using that method. The execution process began at 7:53 p.m. CT Thursday, and Smith was pronounced dead at 8:25 p.m., according to Alabama Department of Corrections officials. Smith made a lengthy statement in front of the witnesses before the execution started, according to the pool reporters. A new method of capital punishmentAhead of Smith’s execution, a tense debate unfolded about whether America’s wholly new execution method is humane and whether the procedure would cause undue pain. The family has forgiven everyone involved in the killing, including Smith, Michael Sennett said at a news conference Thursday night.

Persons: Kenneth Smith, Smith, United Nations –, William C, John Hamm, gurney, “, writhed, Hamm, ” Hamm, Jeff Hood, who’d, ” Smith, gurney ”, Hood, ”, ’, Elizabeth Sennett's, Elizabeth Sennett, Sennett, Charles Sennett, Michael, ” Elizabeth Sennett’s, What’s, ” Chuck Sennett, “ He’s, Michael Sennett, CNN’s Devan Cole, Christina Maxouris, Isabel Rosales, Lauren Mascarenhas, Jamiel Lynch Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Holman Correctional, Alabama Department of Corrections, “ Locations: Alabama, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Atmore, Alta

☆ Alabama Prepares to Carry Out First Execution by Nitrogen Asphyxiation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Jonathan Allen(Reuters) - Alabama plans to carry out the first known judicial execution of a prisoner using asphyxiation with nitrogen gas on Thursday evening, a closely watched new method the state hopes to advance as a viable, simpler alternative to lethal injections. Kenneth Smith, convicted of a 1988 murder-for-hire, is a rare prisoner who has already survived one execution attempt. In November 2022, Alabama officials aborted his execution by lethal injection after struggling for hours to insert an intravenous line's needle in his body. A canister of pure nitrogen will be attached to the mask, intended to deprive him of inhaling any oxygen. Jeff Hood, spiritual adviser to Smith, who will be at Smith's side, had to sign a form acknowledging the risk that the execution method poses to others.

Persons: Jonathan Allen, Kenneth Smith, Smith, gurney, Jeff Hood, Maya Foa, Foa, Elizabeth Sennett, Charles Sennett, Mama, Diane Craft Organizations: Reuters, United Nations, 11th Circuit U.S, Appeals, U.S, Supreme, Besides Alabama, Holman Correctional Facility Locations: Alabama, U.S, Besides, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New York

☆ The Alabama Execution Case: What We Know
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Anna Betts | Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Alabama carried out on Thursday the first execution using nitrogen gas in the United States, an untested method that was the subject of debate before it was used. Here are a few things to know about the case. According to court documents, Ms. Sennett, a mother of two, was stabbed 10 times in the attack by Mr. Smith and another man. Charles Sennett Sr., Ms. Sennett’s husband, had recruited a man to handle her killing, who in turn recruited Mr. Smith and another man. Mr. Sennett arranged the murder in part to collect on an insurance policy that he had taken out on his wife, according to court records.

Persons: Kenneth Smith, William C, Kenneth Eugene Smith, Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett, Sennett, Smith, Charles Sennett, Sennett’s Organizations: Alabama, Holman Correctional, U.S, Supreme Locations: United States, Atmore, Ala, Colbert County

☆ With a Mask and Nitrogen Tank, Alabama Pioneers Execution Method
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Jonathan Allen(Reuters) - If federal courts give the green light, Alabama plans on Thursday to pioneer the first new method of judicial execution since lethal injections were introduced in 1982. "If this execution is successful then we're going to see nitrogen hypoxia take off across the country," said Rev. Smith is scheduled to be the first prisoner subjected to the method, which Alabama refers to as 'nitrogen hypoxia,' on Thursday evening at Alabama's Holman Correctional Facility. Alabama Solicitor General Edmund LaCour told federal judges last week that the state has since developed "the most painless and humane method of execution known to man." This is the first time he has had to sign a form acknowledging the risk that an execution method poses to others in the execution chamber.

Persons: Jonathan Allen, Jeff Hood, Kenneth Smith, Elizabeth Sennett, Smith, Kenny, Hood, Edmund LaCour, We're, Stéphanie Boucher, Paul Thomasch, Diane Craft Organizations: Reuters, Alabama Department, Corrections, Alabama's Holman Correctional Facility, 11th Circuit U.S, Alabama, Veterinary Medical Association, Worth, Allegro Industries, Allegro's, Walter Surface Technologies Locations: Alabama, . Oklahoma, Mississippi, New York, South Carolina, Allegro's Canada

☆ Where Textile Mills Thrived, Remnants Battle for Survival
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jordyn Holman | Audra Melton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In his 40-year career, William Lucas has seen nearly every step in the erosion of the American garment industry. As general manager of Eagle Sportswear, a company in Middlesex, N.C., that cuts, sews and assembles apparel, he hopes to keep what’s left of that industry intact. Mr. Lucas, 59, has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars training his workers to use more efficient techniques that come with financial bonuses to get employees to work faster. But he fears that his investments may be undermined by a U.S. trade rule.

Persons: William Lucas, what’s, Lucas Organizations: Eagle Locations: Middlesex, N.C, U.S

The only evidence linking Sandra Hemme to the 1980 killing of St. Joseph library worker Patricia Jeschke is the “wildly contradictory” and “factually impossible” statements she made to detectives while she was a patient at a psychiatric hospital, her attorneys say. The hearing to present evidence of her innocence was granted after her attorneys filed a 147-page petition laying out their claims. If Hemme is exonerated, her prison term would mark the longest known wrongful conviction of a woman in U.S. history. Hemme’s legal team said evidence instead points to Michael Holman, a 22-year-old police officer who was investigated for insurance fraud and burglaries and later went to prison. His truck was also seen in the area of the killing; the alibi he provided about why he was nearby could not be corroborated.

Persons: Sandra Hemme, Joseph, Patricia Jeschke, Ryan Horsman, Hemme, Steven Fueston, Michael Holman, Holman, Jeschke’s Organizations: Kansas City Star, Joseph Police Department, Joseph State Hospital Locations: CHILLICOTHE, Mo, Missouri, Sandy, Livingston County, “

☆ Macy’s Plans to Cut 2,350 Jobs and Close 5 Stores
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jordyn Holman | More About Jordyn Holman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Macy’s, the country’s largest department store operator, told employees Thursday that it was laying off 13 percent of its corporate work force. The move comes as the company prepares to unveil a new strategy that its incoming chief executive will oversee. The cuts amount to roughly 2,350 jobs, or about 3.5 percent of the company’s overall work force, which includes employees at the subsidiaries Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury. The company also said it would close five of its more than 560 Macy’s stores. Tony Spring will take over as Macy’s chief executive next month from Jeff Gennette, a company veteran who is retiring after holding the post since 2017.

Persons: Tony Spring, Jeff Gennette, Adrian Mitchell Organizations: The New York Times, Wall Street, Mr

With fighting still raging in Ukraine, and a front line that has barely shifted in more than a year, the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, headed on Tuesday to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, amid a swirl of diplomatic discussions about possible peace talks. In his speech, he promoted a Ukrainian peace plan and called for stiffer sanctions on Russia. But in a contrast with his comments to the forum last year, Mr. Zelensky made no direct appeals for weaponry for new offensives on the battlefield. “We need you in Ukraine to build, to reconstruct, to restore our lives,” he told the audience of investors. “Each of you can be even more successful with Ukraine.”

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ” Organizations: Economic Locations: Ukraine, Davos, Switzerland, Ukrainian, Russia

☆ The FCC vs. the News in Your Neighborhood
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Holman W. Jenkins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: Edward Lawrence interviews economic strategist Jason Trennert. Official Washington has Jessica Rosenworcel , the Federal Communications Commission chief. Last seen restarting a needless fight over net neutrality, over the holidays she committed more bureaucracy. The courts pressured her to complete her agency’s absurdly delayed 2018 “quadrennial review” of its extensive media ownership regulations. Of course she found these regulations more urgent than ever despite the internet having obliterated the ostensible electromagnetic scarcity on which they were premised.

Persons: Edward Lawrence, Jason Trennert, Mark Kelly You, Jessica Rosenworcel Organizations: Bloomberg, Washington, Federal Communications Commission

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