Asda will invest £9 million to upgrade its fresh fruit and vegetable departments, a project that will include naming 150 greengrocers who will receive training in the specialty. The UK retailer will also upgrade displays in the produce section and expand the selection of premium fruits and vegetables.
Orders for manufacturing technology increased 41.5% year over year in July, reaching $472.6 million, according to the Association For Manufacturing Technology. Sectors reporting order increases include aerospace, automotive and agricultural equipment.
Manufacturers plan to increase wages, employment and capital spending over the next 12 months "at paces that would indicate an extremely positive outlook in their business moving into next year," according to the National Association of Manufacturers, which surveyed manufacturers in August. Top concerns for surveyed manufacturers were materials prices and labor shortages.
The city council is moving forward with plans to build a 250,000-square-foot indoor water park at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Officials voted to spend about $100,000 to update the feasibility study of a nonprofit model to fund the $260 million project and conduct research on another funding method that would combine tax increment financing with private financing.
High Caliber Karting and Entertainment at Meridian Mall in Michigan has unveiled new features following a 25,000-square-foot expansion. The entertainment center added a 2,800-square-foot assault arena, 16 lanes of ax throwing, 15 lanes of throw ball, two VIP rooms and a 50-foot bar as part of the $2 million project.
Kroger raised its full-year outlook after reporting a rise in order sizes in the second fiscal quarter, as consumers stocked up on larger items and the ingredients they needed for preparing meals at home. The grocer faces higher costs amid supply chain challenges and rising food prices, and is also battling losses from theft, Chief Financial Officer Gary Millerchip said.
Coca-Cola is responding to the pandemic's constantly changing impact around the world with more localized decision-making, said John Murphy, executive vice president and chief financial officer. "We have moved from a much more decentralized approach to how we work with our vendor base, our agencies to be in a position to both leverage our scale but also to stay relevant to the consumer," said Murphy.
J. Crew is keeping a focus on collaborations as it works to court new customers without alienating loyal brand fans, said Olympia Gayot, vice president of women's design, who returned to the company a year ago after three years at Victoria's Secret. For example, two original works from artist Katherine Bernhardt will roll out this week on items in a back-to-school collection that will be available online and at three select stores.
Jamie Nordstrom started working for the family business in 1986 in the stockroom of a Nordstrom store in Bellevue, Wash., and worked his way up to head of the retailer's e-commerce arm before he was chosen to head the department store division in 2014. He talks about Nordstrom's evolution to a more integrated retail model focused on serving customers across channels according to when, where and how they want to shop.
An estimated 78% of US consumers live within five miles of one of the country's more than 9,000 Walgreens and Duane Reade stores, and the pharmacy chain's average customer is a white suburban baby boomer earning over $80,000 annually, according to data from analytics firm Numerator. The company generated global sales of $139.5 billion in 2020, and filled 818 million prescriptions.