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Retail Labor Shortage Concerns Deepening

PYMNTS

A good economy is good news for retailers in a variety of regards. But for retailers going into the holiday season 2016, a good economy is creating yet another headwind for physical retailers who’ve spent much of the year being buffeted constantly by market pressures. Employment, according to the latest figures, hit 4.9

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Retail Pulse: FAO Schwarz To Open New Flagship; Amazon Expands Grocery Delivery

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Brick-and-mortar retailers have closed flagship locations in recent times, but sometimes these landmark stores make a comeback. The new store, which will be located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, will feature multiple experiential retail components. The store will also offer magic shows and a grocery shopping experience designed for kids.

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Retail Pulse: Brookstone Files For Bankruptcy; Kroger Launches New Delivery Service

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Brookstone , a specialty retailer known for massage chairs and gadgets, used to be a must-see mall retailer. malls, Brookstone is now the latest major brick-and-mortar retailer to announce that it has filed for bankruptcy protection. Both have operations online under new owners, reported The Wall Street Journal.

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Prime Now Grocery Delivery Expands Across The US

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Amazon and Whole Foods’ Prime Now is now available in Annapolis, North and Central New Jersey, Cleveland, Louisville, Pittsburgh and additional San Francisco locations, according to an announcement. And for our customers in Dayton, Louisville and Omaha, we’re thrilled to also offer the option of grocery pickup.”.

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Making A Market For Water With A Caffeinated Kick

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The problem, Phocus Co-founder John Mittel discovered while staring into a vending machine while he was still in medical school at the University of Louisville, was all of the other things that one ended up drinking to gain access to the caffeine. It can now be found in 1,500 retail locations nationwide and counting.

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Kroger Rolls Out New Grocery Delivery Offering

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The offering will debut in Houston, Louisville, Nashville and Kroger’s hometown of Cincinnati, Chain Store Age reported. With the service, consumers can buy 4,500 private-label products from the retailer, which are not otherwise available online, along with 50,000 different grocery items and household products.

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Why Panera Does Its Own Delivery

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Current CEO Blaine Hurst was the prime mover behind Panera’s first large-scale delivery test in Louisville, Kentucky, four years ago. I said, ‘Just let me finish the Louisville test. The retail locations, according to Hurst, are doing “fine” but in-store dining isn’t where the company’s growth is coming from.