Daily Archives: November 20, 2015

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Currys PC World increased stock by over 40% to deal with anticipated increased demand this Black Friday

LONDON, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — With little over a week to go, Currys PC World is predicting this Black Friday to be bigger than last year. Searches for the term ‘Black Friday’ are up by three and half times compared to last year*, signalling unwavering customer appetite for the shopping event.

To ensure shoppers have a great Black Friday experience, Currys PC World has increased stock by over 40% compared to last year and has strengthened website capability to deal with anticipated increased demand.

Stores across the country will open at 8am and customers can shop instore, online or Click and Collect at a time convenient for them. Currys PC World will offer great deals across a range of top brands including Nespresso, Dyson, HP, Bosch, Samsung, Sony, Beats and LG over an extended period of time.

In addition, the UK’s biggest electricals retailer has recruited over 900 colleagues in its Newark delivery and distribution centre and expects to make two million deliveries over the Black Friday period, with 800 vans on the road every day. In the Black Friday week itself, over 100, 000 visits will be made to customers’ homes.

Stuart Ramage, ECommerce Director at Dixons Carphone: “Feedback from our customers is that they love getting great value from us and they know that Black Friday is a key Christmas shopping day, but they don’t like the stress that may come with this, so we’re making it as easy as possible. We’ve worked hard to ensure our customers won’t be disappointed and we have increased stock on quality items by 40% so we can meet the demands of shoppers and they can pick up the best deals be that in-store or online.”

– ENDS –

SOURCE: Dixons Carphone plc.

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Bonmarche named finalist at the retail week awards with oracle 2016

Bonmarche has been named a finalist in The Deloitte Employer of the Year and The Island Speciality Retailer of the Year categories for at the Retail Week Awards with Oracle, to be held on 17th March 2016 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

Wakefield, England, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Acknowledged as the ‘Oscars’ of the retail industry, for over two decades the Retail Week Awards has repeatedly highlighted how critical retail is to the UK and celebrated the finest innovations and achievements in the sector.

On the 17th March British retail heavyweights are set to go head-to-head in what will be one of the most hotly contested awards yet. With a record number of entries, the shortlist will see 130 finalists compete across 14 categories. Each of the categories rewards the leading names in UK retail for standards of excellence and innovation in managing the ever-changing demands of today’s shopper. A further five accolades will be presented to businesses in non-entry categories, including the much anticipated ‘The Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co Retailer of the Year’ and ‘The Oracle Outstanding Contribution to Retail’.

The shortlist will be judged by a panel of leading industry authorities, including: Alex Baldock, Chief Executive Officer at Shop Direct; Richard Pennycook, Chief Executive at the Co-operative Group and Chairman at The Hut Group; Peter Ruis, Chief Executive Officer at Jigsaw; Nigel Oddy, Chief Executive Officer at House of Fraser.

Speaking of this year’s shortlist, Retail Week Editor-in-Chief, Chris Brook-Carter said, “This year we’ve been struck by not only the quality of the award entries, but the quantity of high calibre admissions – making it the hardest year ever to pick our finalists. This is testament to the standards of excellence demonstrated by British retailers’ and is the reason why British retail is such an asset to the UK economy, through both its contribution to GDP and as the largest private sector employer.

“As the UK retail industry continues to innovate, grow and respond to the challenges they face by the ever demanding consumer, the 2016 Retail Week Awards with Oracle is set to celebrate, toast and acknowledge the very best in our industry.”

Paul Kendrick, Marketing & Multi Channel Director for Bonmarché said “We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for two categories at this year’s Retail Week awards. These awards are the largest and most prestigious in retail and making the shortlist is a fantastic achievement for us.”

Media Contacts
For all media enquiries please contact:

FTI Consulting

Email: bonmarche.sc@fticonsulting.com
Call: +44 20 7831 3113

SOURCE: Bonmarché

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Bonmarche named finalist at the retail week awards with oracle 2016

Bonmarche named finalist at the retail week awards with oracle 2016

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Staples announced that it received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index (CEI)

For Sixth Year in a Row, Staples Earns 100 percent on Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Scorecard on LGBT Workplace Equality

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS) today announced that it received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). This is the sixth consecutive year that Staples has received the perfect score on the national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

“Staples is extremely proud to earn a perfect score for the sixth year in a row, as we are strongly committed to LGBT inclusion in all areas, from talent acquisition to benefits to associate engagement and development,” said Erika Hopkins Foreman, Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Workplace Relations for Staples. “Our organization is stronger because of the dedicated LGBT associates and allies who focus on our customers and our communities.”

The company supports a range of Associate Resource Groups (ARGs), a formal community of committed associates who support Staples business results, global diversity strategy, community involvement and associate engagement. “Out At Work” is the ARG for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender associates and allies.

Most recently, “Out at Work” organized events around National Coming Out Day, the fifth annual celebration at Staples. The events worked to educate associates about LGBT related topics and issues as well as celebrate the support of allies throughout the past year. This year the event expanded to include activities at Staples corporate locations across the United States.

“By openly supporting the LGBT community, Staples shows all of its associates that it’s OK to be who you are – whether you identify as LGBT, are a family member of an LGBT person, or a friend and ally to the community,” said Katelyn Thompson, a Senior Usability Researcher at Staples and Co-Chair of Out At Work. “Knowing the company I work for is supportive of the LGBT community means I don’t have to worry about being who I am at work.”

The 2016 CEI rated 1,027 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBT-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBT community. Staples’ efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.

Please visit the company’s website for more information on Staples diversity practices.

For more information on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

About Staples
Staples makes it easy to make more happen with more products and more ways to shop. Through its world-class retail, online and delivery capabilities, Staples lets customers shop however and whenever they want, whether it’s in-store, online or on mobile devices. Staples offers more products than ever, such as technology, facilities and breakroom supplies, furniture, safety supplies, medical supplies, and Copy and Print services. Staples also offers free shipping for Staples Rewards Members, in most cases overnight. Headquartered outside of Boston, Staples operates throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. More information about Staples(SPLS) is available at www.staples.com.

Source: Staples, Inc.

Staples, Inc.
Mark Cautela, 508-253-3832
Mark.Cautela@Staples.com

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Office Depot received a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2016 Corporate Equality Index (CEI)

Company Earns 100 Percent on Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Fourteenth Annual Scorecard on LGBT Workplace Equality

BOCA RATON, Fla., 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Office Depot, Inc. (NASDAQ: ODP), a leading global provider of office products, services, and solutions, and parent company of Office Depot and OfficeMax, today announced that it received a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2016 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality. Office Depot joins the ranks of 407 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.

“We are proud to earn another perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index,” said Michael Allison, EVP and Chief People Officer for Office Depot. “To be recognized as one of the best places to work for LGBT equality for the past five years is a testament to our company’s inclusive culture, benefits and core values of integrity and respect. We believe that supporting diversity contributes to our success in the global markets we serve.”

The 2016 CEI rated 1,027 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBT-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBT community. Office Depot’s efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.

“In this 2016 Corporate Equality Index, hundreds of major businesses responded to our new standards for workplace equality with exceptional leadership,” said Human Rights Campaign Foundation Workplace Equality Program Director Deena Fidas. “Office Depot not only meets these standards, it goes above and beyond the call of duty, making commitment to equality a fundamental aspect of its corporate values.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

About Office Depot, Inc.
Office Depot, Inc. is a leading global provider of products, services, and solutions for every workplace – whether your workplace is an office, home, school or car.

Office Depot, Inc. is a resource and a catalyst to help customers work better. We are a single source for everything customers need to be more productive, including the latest technology, core office supplies, print and document services, business services, facilities products, furniture, and school essentials.

The company has annual sales of approximately $16 billion, employs approximately 56,000 associates, and serves consumers and businesses in 59 countries with approximately 1,800 retail stores, award-winning e-commerce sites and a dedicated business-to-business sales organization – all delivered through a global network of wholly owned operations, franchisees, licensees and alliance partners. The company operates under several banner brands including Office Depot, OfficeMax, Grand & Toy, and Viking. The company’s portfolio of exclusive product brands include TUL, Foray, Brenton Studio, Ativa, WorkPro, Realspace and HighMark.

Office Depot, Inc.’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol ODP. Additional press information can be found at: http://news.officedepot.com.

Office Depot, Inc.
Rebecca Rakitin, 561-438-1450
Rebecca.Rakitin@officedepot.com

SOURCE: Office DEPOT® | OfficeMax®

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Schnuck Markets recalls fresh ground beef and ground pork sold on Nov. 14 and 15 in Chesterfield

CHESTERFIELD, Mo., 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Schnuck Markets, Inc. has voluntarily recalled fresh ground beef and ground pork sold on Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15 at its Chesterfield location at 141 Hilltown Village (63017). The recall was launched after a customer returned product containing pieces of a tray packaging pad.

Any Chesterfield Schnucks customer who purchased fresh ground beef or pork on Saturday, Nov.14 or Sunday, Nov. 15 may return the product for a full refund or exchange.

This is an isolated incident and no other stores are affected.

Customers with questions may contact the Schnucks Consumer Affairs department at 314-994-4400 or 1-800-264-4400.

Media Contact: Paul Simon
314-994-4603
psimon@schnucks.com

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Walgreens received 100 percent score on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index (CEI)

Walgreens Earns 100 percent Score for the 11th Year on Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 14th Annual Scorecard on LGBT Workplace Equality

DEERFIELD, Ill., 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walgreens received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. This marks the 11th year Walgreens has earned a perfect score from the CEI index.

“As a company that aims to champion everyone’s right to be happy and healthy, we understand that this also includes fostering the growth and development of all employees, regardless of individual differences,” said Stevens Sainte-Rose, chief human resources officer of Walgreens. “It is an honor to be acknowledged once again by the Human Rights Campaign for our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness. Thank you to our team, especially our WPride and Allies business resource group, for continuing to evolve policies and practices for more than a decade to help ensure a welcoming workplace for all.”

The 2016 CEI rated 851 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBT-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBT community. Walgreens efforts satisfied all of the CEI’s criteria resulting in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality. Fortune 500 companies that participated in the survey had an average rating of 88. Walgreens joins the ranks of 407 major U.S. businesses which also earned top marks this year. For more information on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), the nation’s largest drugstore chain, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 8 million customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities across America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates 8,173 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens digital business includes Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com, SkinStore.com and VisionDirect.com. Walgreens also manages more than 400 Healthcare Clinic and provider practice locations around the country.

Contact(s)

Walgreens
Emily Hartwig, 847-315-3316
http://news.walgreens.com
@WalgreensNews
facebook.com/Walgreens

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The Kroger Co. to host conference call with investors on Thursday, December 3, 2015

CINCINNATI, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) will host a conference call with investors on Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss financial results for the third quarter 2015.

The presentation will be broadcast online at ir.kroger.com. Click on “Quarterly Results” to access the event.  An on-demand replay of the webcast will be available from approximately 1 p.m. (ET) Thursday, December 3 through Thursday, December 17, 2015.

Kroger, one of the world’s largest retailers, employs nearly 400,000 associates who serve customers in 2,623 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s.  The company also operates 781 convenience stores, 327 fine jewelry stores, 1,350 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S.  Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and community organizations. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year through more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber’s Million Dollar Club.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.

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Belgium: New generation Colruyt store opens in Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont

Halle, Belgium, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — On Wednesday 18 November a brand-new Colruyt store will open its doors at Clos du Chêne 13 in Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont, 500 m from where the current store is.

New-generation store

Colruyt Chapelle is a store of the new generation. Store manager Mathieu Magrone: “The current store and car park had become too small to offer our customers an optimum service. It was time to look for a new location. This new-generation store is even more efficient and makes shopping more pleasant for our customers. When making renovations, we of course always aim at simplicity and the lowest costs, as our customers expect us to.”

The new store is built on pillars, which allowed for a covered 156-space car park to be created. Customers can easily access the store via the elevator or the moving walkway.

Brand-new butcher’s department

The butcher’s department of the new Colruyt Chapelle has also been completely redesigned. Butcher’s shop manager Sébastien Decubber: “Our customers have a clear overview of the range of meat, cold cuts and salads. And they can see the butchers at work in an open workshop. Customers can easily talk to them if they have questions or special orders.”

Collect&Go shops for the customer

The new store’s covered car park also features a Collect&Go pick-up point. “Collect&Go is the handy service of Colruyt to shop for the customers”, store manager Mathieu Magrone explains. “They send us their shopping list via collectandgo.be using their PCs or smartphones, and the Collect&Go team has their products ready at the pick-up point on the day and time of their choice. This is a handy service, and it saves time!”

Special open house

From Wednesday 18 November, manager Mathieu Magrone, butcher’s shop manager Sébastien Decubber and their 53 employees will be on hand to welcome customers at the new Colruyt Chapelle. Mathieu Magrone: “The evening before, on Tuesday evening 17 November from 17 to 20, everyone is invited for a preview of the renovations. During this special open house, we will gladly offer our customers some refreshments. Everyone is most welcome!”

Contact
Jan Derom
press@colruytgroup.com
+32 (0)2 363 55 45
+32 (0)473 92 45 10

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Belgium: New generation Colruyt store opens in Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont

Belgium: New generation Colruyt store opens in Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont

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Colruyt Group’s internal energy producer and supplier WE-Power renamed itself Eoly

Colruyt Group’s energy producer and supplier chooses cooperations

Halle, Belgium, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Colruyt Group’s internal energy producer and supplier renamed itself Eoly instead of the former WE-Power. Eoly will continue to develop the production of green power by means of wind turbines and solar panels. In this way, Colruyt Group will be able to meet its own energy needs and reduce its market dependence. Eoly will also start participations allowing citizens to become co-owners of a wind turbine. The name Eoly appears for the first time on the turbines in Lot (Laekebeek) that were inaugurated today.

Partnership and participation
Eoly wants to expand the production farm and invest in innovative forms of energy production and storage. The energy expert wants to guarantee its internal customers a stable sustainable energy supply at the lowest cost. Eoly also wants to help them use energy sustainably, a/o by measuring consumption and making suggestions to save energy.
Finally, Eoly wants to give citizens the opportunity to invest in future wind turbine projects. It will be possible for neighbours as well as co-workers and customers to buy shares and become co-owners of a wind turbine, and receive an annual fee for it.

11 turbines early 2016
The new turbines at Laekebeek supply their power directly to the adjoining distribution centre. With 2 MW each they produce enough electricity to cover the consumption of 2,900 households, thus reducing CO2 emissions by 3,100 tonnes a year. Eoly will presently start to use another new turbine in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, near the Brussels-Charleroi canal. At the beginning of 2016 another turbine will be added on the Colruyt Group Fine Food Meat site in Halle. This one will supply electricity directly to the meat-processing plant. Eoly’s wind farm will then include 11 turbines. Permits to build 8 turbines in the Hainaut province were also applied for.

Solar panels and cogeneration
Apart from the wind turbines, Eoly also operates solar panels on 43 sites, the recently started cogeneration installation and the hydrogen station at Dassenveld. Eoly supplies to different companies and production departments in the group and to independent Spar and Alvo stores. Today, the production covers about 15 % of Colruyt Group’s consumption, the rest is bought on the wholesale market. In time, Eoly wants to produce sufficient green energy to cover the whole group’s power needs.

More info: www.eoly.be

Contact
Jan Derom
press@colruytgroup.com
+32 (0)2 363 55 45
+32 (0)473 92 45 10

SOURCE: Colruyt Group

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Colruyt Group’s internal energy producer and supplier WE-Power renamed itself Eoly

Colruyt Group’s internal energy producer and supplier WE-Power renamed itself Eoly

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Ulta Beauty to host Q3-2015 results conference call on December 3, 2015

BOLINGBROOK, Ill., 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Ulta Beauty [NASDAQ: ULTA] today announced that the Company will conduct a conference call to discuss its third quarter 2015 results on Thursday, December 3, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time / 4:00 p.m. Central Time. A press release detailing the Company’s third quarter 2015 results will be issued after the market closes and prior to the call. The conference call will be hosted by Mary Dillon, Chief Executive Officer, and Scott Settersten, Chief Financial Officer.

Investors and analysts interested in participating in the call are invited to dial (877) 705-6003. The conference call will also be webcast live at http://ir.ulta.com. A replay of the webcast will remain available for 90 days. A replay of the conference call will be available until 11:59 p.m. ET on December 17, 2015 and can be accessed by dialing (877) 870-5176 and entering conference ID number 13624162.

About Ulta Beauty
Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA) is the largest beauty retailer in the United States and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin, hair care products and salon services. Since opening its first store 25 years ago, Ulta Beauty has grown to become the top national retailer providing All Things Beauty, All in One Place™. The company offers more than 20,000 products from over 500 well-established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including Ulta Beauty’s own private label. Ulta Beauty also offers a full-service salon in every store featuring hair, skin and brow services. Ulta Beauty is recognized for its commitment to personalized service, fun and inviting stores and its industry-leading ULTAmate Rewards loyalty program. As ofOctober 31, 2015 Ulta Beauty operates 860 retail stores across 48 states and also distributes its products through its website, which includes a collection of tips, tutorials and social content. For more information, visit www.ULTA.com.

Source: Ulta Beauty

Ulta Beauty
Company Contacts:
Scott Settersten
Chief Financial Officer
(630) 410-4807
or
Laurel Lefebvre
Vice President, Investor Relations
(630) 410-5230
or
Karen May
Director, Public Relations
(630) 410-5457

SOURCE: ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.

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Seahawks Marshawn Lynch surprised baristas at a Bellevue Starbucks

SEATTLE, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch surprised baristas at a Bellevue Starbucks and thanked them for making his namesake beverage in support of his foundation.

Lynch strolled behind the bar, gave baristas Beast Mode™ brand merchandise and donned a green apron complete with a handwritten “BeastMode” name tag.

That’s not the first time the Seahawks running back wore an iconic Starbucks green apron. In October, Lynch spent time in the Starbucks headquarters co-creating the Beast Mode™ Frappuccino® blended beverage.

The beverage is available during the rest of the football season in Starbucks® stores in Washington state and Oakland to benefit Lynch’s foundation. For every Beast Mode Frappuccino purchased, Starbucks will donate 24 cents – which coincides with his jersey number – to the Fam 1st Family Foundation, up to $100,000. Starbucks kicked off the new collaboration with a $24,000 contribution to the foundation.

“It’s incredible the impact we can make on people’s lives and 24 cents can turn into thousands of dollars for his foundation,” said Katie Akers, a seven-year Starbucks partner (employee) and store manager of the location Lynch visited.

Like Lynch, Starbucks is on a mission to support young people with a focus on 16- to 24-year-olds who are not in school and are not employed. There are nearly 6 million people in the U.S. today in that demographic. They’re often called “opportunity youth” because not only are they seeking opportunity, but they represent untapped opportunity for businesses needing new talent.

“Some of my most successful partners have been in that group,” said Jonah Lewis, who has been a Starbucks manager in the Bellevue area for seven years.

Lewis said he was 22 years old when he became a Starbucks store manager, and the “greatest part” of his job is being able to hire someone and give them an opportunity.

“It’s inspirational to work for a company that positions itself as a forum to use our resources and our assets to better the community,” Lewis added.

Starbucks has committed to hiring 10,000 Opportunity Youth by 2018, and is part of a coalition of more than 30 companies that collectively plan to hire 100,000 in the next five years.

For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom.

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Seahawks Marshawn Lynch surprised baristas at a Bellevue Starbucks

Seahawks Marshawn Lynch surprised baristas at a Bellevue Starbucks

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Starbucks coming soon to Ferguson

SEATTLE, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — When Rodney Hines and Rebecca Chamberlin sat down to discuss the qualities they were looking for to fill a particular Starbucks store manager role, there were some givens. The position requires leadership qualities, business skills and a customer-first attitude in all instances. The store manager they were searching for, however, would be overseeing a particularly high-profile Starbucks located in a city of 21,000 that has found itself the focal point of international attention.

Hines, Starbucks director of community investments for retail operations, and Chamberlin, a regional director for the company, were searching for the right person to manage the first Starbucks opening in Ferguson, Missouri.

Starbucks chairman and ceo Howard Schultz suggested finding a Ferguson location for a store after hosting an open forum on racial inequality and social justice with Starbucks partners (employees) in and around St. Louis earlier this year, following the upheaval prompted by the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Touring Ferguson, and hearing from partners in other communities like it across the U.S., led to a Starbucks initiative to open stores in diverse, low- to medium-income urban communities across the country.

‘Cordell would be the perfect person to run this store’

When that initial discussion of job candidates occurred, Chamberlin immediately thought of someone she’d worked with years earlier – a Missouri native who’d supervised a video game store just down the street from the West Florissant and Somerset intersection where the new Starbucks is being built.

Chamberlin recalled how Cordell Lewis created events at his store that engaged locals with music and special activities. He was seen as something of a sales star at their old company, but she was equally impressed with the way he interacted with customers and employees.

“I knew, based on the work that he had provided and just his personality, if he was available and at all interested, Cordell would be the perfect person to run this store,” Chamberlin said.

Lewis was still living in the community, but he had a job and was taking courses at St. Louis Community College. When Chamberlin tracked him down and made her recruitment pitch, he was initially hesitant to change direction. What sold him was the mission this Starbucks and others like it would be advancing.

“I like a challenge and I don’t like anything that’s stagnant,” Lewis said. “And this is not stagnant at all.”

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Ferguson Starbucks, Lewis presented a coffee tasting and talked about his vision for the store he’ll be managing.

Supporting Economic Development and Social Change

Ferguson will be the second Starbucks store opened as part of a push to support economic development and social change in diverse low- to mid-income communities, preceded earlier in 2016 by a store in Jamaica, Queens in New York. Later in the year similar stores will open in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago’s South Side and Milwaukee, and a remodeled store will reopen in Phoenix. All these Starbucks® stores will include a dedicated classroom area where local nonprofits will conduct job-skills training classes for youth. The emphasis on community engagement and education helped Lewis overcome any initial misgivings.

He has lived in the Ferguson/Florissant area for the last decade. He put in three years at Missouri State University in his hometown of Springfield, but didn’t complete his college education years ago. Now the 37-year-old plans to finish his degree and recently enrolled in online classes at Arizona State University as part of the Starbucks College Achievement Plan. The college benefit gives partners an opportunity to receive a bachelor’s degree with full tuition reimbursement.

 

Lewis has already hired five people to work at the Ferguson Starbucks, which will open next spring, and he’s raising his profile in the area, giving a presentation on Starbucks employment opportunities at nearby Hazelwood East High School. He looks forward to managing a store where “everyone is treated with respect, whether they’re coming in for a glass of water after they’ve come in on the bus from their job downtown or they want to get a handcrafted beverage while they’re studying for a test at the community college.”

Drawing from the Local Community

Lewis’s recruitment reflects an emphasis on the part of Starbucks to make a genuine connection with Ferguson. The developer of the new building is Otis & Clark Properties, a respected regional operation cofounded by former St. Louis Cardinals running back Jim Otis. As part of the drive to support local women- and minority-owned businesses, products from Natalie’s Cakes & More will be featured at the Starbucks in Ferguson.

The bakery, which is owned and operated by Natalie DuBose, is a five-minute drive from the site of the Ferguson Starbucks. Opened in June 2014, it suffered extensive damage following rioting last November. GoFundMe campaigns helped the business get back on track and Starbucks is now carrying DuBose’s signature caramel cakes at a dozen St. Louis-area locations. As a result, her workforce has grown from three to 13. Her father, whose own caramel cakes inspired his daughter’s popular concoction, also checks in at peak periods.

Like Lewis, DuBose is heavily involved in the community. She speaks regularly about entrepreneurship at local high schools, hires locally and sources her ingredients from local businesses whenever possible.

The rapid expansion she’s overseen has presented challenges, but the Ferguson resident credits Starbucks with helping her navigate operational issues that come with growth. “Yes, there have been bumps in the road and growth spurts where it hurt a little bit, but Starbucks has been, honestly, just a phone call away,” she said. “The hard parts aren’t that hard because they’re there.”

DuBose was also at today’s groundbreaking ceremony. She brought along a couple of new baked items for guests to try – a chocolate and white chocolate chip, pecan and macadamia nut cookie she’s dubbed the Quad and a mocha coffee cupcake, made with Starbucks VIA® Coffee.

“Other doors are opening because of this partnership,” DuBose said. “Not only doors where people are able to reach out to me, but I’m able to reach out to people, like all of these school events that are taking place now. The partnership with Starbucks allows me to give back to Ferguson community and surrounding communities as well.”

For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom.

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks coming soon to Ferguson

Starbucks coming soon to Ferguson

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Walmart opened new Supercenter in Sacramento; 300 jobs created

New Walmart provides about 300 jobs and seamless savings on wide selection in store and on Walmart.com

  • New store located at 8915 Gerber Road
  • Sacramento Walmart creates about 300 jobs
  • Store open 6 a.m. to midnight
  • Grand opening event Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7:30 a.m.
  • Local Facebook page: www.facebook.com/walmart3081

Sacramento, CA, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — A new Walmart Supercenter in Sacramento will open Wednesday, Nov. 18, bringing a broad assortment of fresh groceries and general merchandise at everyday low prices. Customers will also enjoy convenient on-site services such as a full pharmacy and a free store pickup service providing an easy way to shop millions of products on Walmart.com, with many items available for pickup the same day. The new store will employ up to 300 full- and part-time associates.

“Our new store is a welcome addition to the county of Sacramento, and we are eager to be of service to our new friends and neighbors, especially as the holiday season kicks into high gear,” said Silvio Garbarino, store manager.

 

Fresh, Affordable Produce, Meat and Groceries

The Sacramento Supercenter is a full grocery store with fresh produce, meat, pantry staples and more at Walmart’s everyday low prices. In addition to organics and nutritious food choices, customers will also find a full-service deli and in-store bakery offering custom cakes, and a selection of locally sourced produce.

 

Full-Service Pharmacy Offers Health and Wellness Services

The pharmacy offers a full range of products and services, including prescription and over-the-counter medications, health monitors and more. Pharmacists can administer most commonly requested immunizations, including flu shots. Sacramento residents can easily transfer prescriptions and order refills on the go with the Walmart mobile app.

 

Millions of Items with Easy Digital and In-Store Shopping

The store is approximately 132,000 square feet and stocked with quality electronics, furniture, automotive, sporting goods, home improvement, apparel, toys and more from top brands at Walmart’s everyday low prices. Like all Walmart stores, the Sacramento store will feature Walmart Pickup, free store pickup service offering free shipping from Walmart.com on eligible items. Many items are available for pickup the same day.

The Walmart mobile app for iPhone and Android makes shopping easier than ever. Customers can refill prescription medications, create shopping lists, search the location of items in their store, check weekly ads and prices, save eReceipts and shop Walmart.com through the app.

(Editor’s Note: Please see attached fact sheet for more information about additional services available at this store.)

Job Opportunities at Walmart

The store will employ up to 300 associates for full- and part-time positions within the store. Applicants interested in careers at Walmart can apply at a store’s hiring kiosk or online atWalmartcareers.com. Garbarino began his Walmart career in 1993 as a cashier in Lodi, CA.

At Walmart, more than 75 percent of store management teams started as hourly associates. In 2014, 160,000 associates were promoted, and 40 percent of those promotions went to associates within the first year of their employment. Earlier this year Walmart announced it would be making more than a $1B investment in higher wages and training and other enhancements for its associates.

 

Community Giving

The grand-opening celebration includes presentations of grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to local community groups, including the Elk Grove Food Bank, Isabelle Jackson Elementary School, St. John’s Program for Real Change, and Southside Community Church. The new store will also continue a commitment by Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to fight hunger in Sacramento and across the U.S. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation recently exceeded a $2 billion goal to fight hunger one year ahead of schedule and have donated more than 1.5 billion pounds of food to those in need across the country.

 

Two Celebration Events: Grand Opening and A Big Family Welcome

Local associates will provide a special welcome to members of the Sacramento community at two public events. Store associates will host a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony on grand opening day, November 18, at 7:30 a.m. The following Saturday, Nov. 21, local residents are invited to A Big Family Welcome, which will give customers a chance to meet Garbarino and enjoy fun family activities and free food samples while supplies last. Join the celebration from noon to 3 p.m.

 

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, we serve nearly 260 million customers who visit our 11,532 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $486 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

 

FACT SHEET

Sacramento Walmart

 Store Facts

  • Location: 8915 Gerber Road, Sacramento, CA
  • Size: Approximately 132,000 square feet
  • Store manager: Silvio Garbarino
  • Hours: 6 a.m. to midnight
  • Grand opening: Wednesday, Nov. 18, following a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m.

 

Social

Greater Convenience and More Ways to Shop:

  • Free store pickup program: Customers can shop millions of products on Walmart.com and have them shipped to the store for free
  • Walmart Mobile App: Customer can refill prescription medications, create shopping lists, search the location of items within the store, check weekly ads and prices, save eReceipts and shop Walmart.com.
  • Financial services
    • Bluebird: A product by American Express that provides an alternative to traditional checking and debit accounts
    • Access to starter kits for  Green Dot’s “GoBank” checking account services
    • Money Transfers, Money Orders, and Express Bill Pay offered through MoneyGram
    • Walmart Money Card offered through Green Dot
    • Bill Payment offered through CheckFreePay
    • Walmart2Walmart Money Transfers offered through RIA
  • Gift Cards for use at any Walmart store or at Walmart.com.
  • Trade-In programs:
    • Smartphone: Customers trading in eligible smartphones can receive an immediate credit of $50 to $300 towards purchase of new smartphone
    • Video games: Customers trading in eligible video games can receive an eGift Card for select video games and other electronics

 

For more information

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart celebrates 10 years of progress towards aspirational sustainability goals at Milestone Meeting

Company celebrates 10 years of progress towards aspirational sustainability goals at Milestone Meeting, announces new commitment to preserve wildlife habitat

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — In front of an audience of associates, suppliers and nonprofit organizations at its Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting, Walmart today announced the completion of commitments to reduce 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its global supply chain, double fleet efficiency, and expanded an existing commitment to preserve wildlife habitat. The company also highlighted major progress around a pledge to develop a sustainable food system: the completion of several food and nutrition commitments and receipt of an award from Partnership for a Healthier America for its work to open stores in food deserts.

Digital Press Kit

Download high res photos, videos, reports, and infographics

“Today we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the launch of our sustainability agenda,” said Doug McMillon, president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. “We’re proud to recognize the progress we continue to make every day, and we’re excited about what we hope to accomplish in the next ten years and beyond.  Our company has made major strides since we embarked on this journey, and our focus for the next decade will remain the same: doing the right thing for our customers, our communities, people working in the supply chain and the planet. Our approach to global responsibility not only makes sense for the environment, but it’s also good for our customers, and our business.”

A decade ago, Walmart’s then-CEO Lee Scott set forth three aspirational goals outlining the company’s support for environment and people worldwide:

  1. To be supplied by 100% renewable energy;
    2. Create zero waste;
    3. Sell products that sustain people and the environment.

To ensure progress toward these goals, Walmart continually establishes ambitious commitments with definitive timelines, while collaborating with suppliers, nonprofits, industry experts and governments. Walmart today shared progress against several of these commitments:

  • Eliminated 20 million metric tons of GHG emissions from its global supply chain. In 2010, Walmart announced its goal to eliminate 20 million metric tons of GHG emissions from its global supply chain by the end of 2015. Today, the company announced that it has exceeded this commitment early by eliminating 28.2 million metric tons to date, which is the equivalent of taking more than 5.9 million cars off the road for an entire year. Collaborating with EDF, Walmart has achieved this goal by implementing various innovative measures across both its global operations and those of suppliers, including enhanced energy efficiency, the execution of numerous renewable energy projects and collaborating with suppliers on the Sustainability Index to track progress towards reducing overall carbon footprint.
  • Doubled fleet efficiency. In 2005, Walmart committed to doubling the efficiency of its fleet by the end of 2015. Today, the company shared that it has achieved this momentous goal by working with its associates to establish innovative solutions for loading, routing and driving techniques, as well as collaborating with tractor and trailer manufacturers on new technologies. With these new efficiencies, in this fiscal year alone, the company expects to save nearly $1 billion compared to a 2005 baseline, and avoid emissions of almost 650,000 metric tons of CO2.  This contributes to a cleaner environment and lower prices for customers.
  • Permanently preserved acres of wildlife habitat. Today Walmart announced it is renewing its conservation efforts by committing $35 million over the next ten years to Acres for America.  Since 2005, Walmart, in collaboration with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, has helped preserve and restore more than 1 million acres of wildlife habitat through 61 projects in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico through the Acres for America program. This commitment aims to permanently conserve at least one acre of priority wildlife habitat for every developed acre of the company’s current and future footprint, and has already dramatically exceeded the original commitment of 100,000 acres.
  • Advanced the sustainability the company’s biggest product category. In keeping with the goal of selling products that sustain people and the environment, Walmart hascommitted to create a more sustainable food system. This commitment focused on four key pillars: improving food affordability; increasing access to food; making healthier eating easier; and improving safety and transparency in the supply chain. Today, Walmart announced the completion of several key food commitments under these pillars:
    • Affordability: Beginning in 2011, Walmart committed to helping customers save on healthy food, including $1 billion in annual savings on fresh produce. The company has exceeded this commitment year over year, totaling over $4.69 billion in customer savings to date.
    • Accessibility: In July, 2011, Walmart committed to opening up to 300 stores serving USDA-designated food deserts. By the end of January 2015, Walmart had exceeded this goal, a year earlier than planned, by opening 375 stores.  Today Walmart is being recognized for those efforts as a recipient of the Partnership for a Healthier America Award.
    • Health and Transparency: As part of its focus on making healthy eating easier, Walmart committed in 2011 to reduce sodium by 25 percent, added sugars by 10 percent and to eliminate industrially produced transfats in private label and national brand packaged foods sold in the company’s stores. So far, Walmart has reduced sodium in these products by more than 16 percent, reduced added sugars by over 10 percent and ensured that fewer than 6 percent of contain partially hydrogenated oils. Walmart also created a Great For You front-of-pack seal, which is now on more than 30 percent of the company’s private label products, to help customers easily identify more nutritious choices.

“While our journey is far from over, it’s clear that we are on the right path. Even as Walmart grows, we are continuing to leverage our scale and enhancing our supply chain for the good of people and the planet,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, chief sustainability officer for Walmart.  “The progress we have achieved would not be possible without the passion and the hard work of associates across the company, as well as the partnership of our suppliers and the NGOs who have helped us drive our work forward.”

For more details and to watch the replay of Walmart’s Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting, please visit: http://news.walmart.com/events/fall-sustainability-milestone-meeting

###

About Walmart 
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 260 million customers and members visit our 11,554 stores under 72 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $485.7 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

Media and Journalists

Email Media Relations

Call 1-800-331-0085 from 8am to 5.30pm Central, Monday-Friday

International Journalists dial 1-800-123-1234

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Amazon unveils new collection of holiday music exclusively available to stream on Prime Music and purchase on Amazon

  • Indie for the Holidays features YACHT, Rogue Wave, Langhorne Slim, Tuxedo, Ivan & Alyosha, The LeeVees & Matisyahu, A Silent Film,Sondre Lerche & Jherek Bischoff and more singing newly-written or recorded holiday songs
  • Prime members have unlimited ad-free access to stream or download songs on Indie for the Holidays at no additional cost to their membership

SEATTLE, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ: AMZN) Making the most wonderful time of the year even more festive, Amazontoday announced the availability of Indie for the Holidays, a new collection of holiday music exclusively available to stream on Prime Music and purchase on Amazon. Prime members in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Austria and Japan have unlimited ad-free access to newly-written or recorded holiday songs from artists including YACHT, Rogue Wave, Lisa Loeb, Langhorne Slim, Tuxedo, Ivan & Alyosha, The LeeVees & Matisyahu, A Silent Film, Sondre Lerche & Jherek Bischoff and many more. Prime members can listen to the new collection of holiday songs via the Amazon Music app on Fire devices, Amazon Echo, iPads, iPhones and Android phones and tablets, or on the Web at www.primemusic.com, with tracks available to download for anytime, anywhere listening. For more information on Indie for the Holidays,visit: www.amazon.com/indiefortheholidays

“We always want to deliver something special to our customers and Indie for the Holidays is the next great way we’re connecting customers with not only new, original holiday music but with amazing artists and bands that they may not have discovered yet,” stated Steve Boom, VP of Digital Music for Amazon. “We’re excited to follow last year’s popular All Is Bright holiday collection with songs from some of today’s best indie artists for customers to enjoy throughout the season.”

“It’s been a really fun, unique experience working with Amazon and I’m excited to be able to bring my song ‘Winter Time’ to Amazon Prime members and fans,” stated Dia Frampton from ARCHIS. “I wrote ‘Winter Time’ while reflecting on the over-glamorized idea of summer love—it is a song about what happens after the sun sets. Will you still love me through the good and the bad? Will you still love me when the winter time comes? I’m a hopeless romantic, and this song, hopefully, will feel hopeful and warm to everyone listening on Amazon.”

“After 29 years of living in Colorado I moved away, and found that during Christmas time I miss my family the most,” stated Esmé Patterson. “The song I wrote for Indie for the Holidays really captures that essence.”

“We’re thrilled to be a part of Amazon’s Indie for the Holidays playlist! We heard Elvis’ version of ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ and got really inspired. Our version of the song is meant to have a touch of any typical indoor tropical Christmas party in Stockholm—we hope Amazon’s Prime members will love it,” stated Amason.

“‘Birthday Boy’ is beautiful and one of my favorite songs,” stated Anna von Hausswolff. “When Amazon gave me the opportunity to put my own spin on it this year, I couldn’t resist. I hope everyone enjoys listening to it as much as I’ve enjoyed recording it.”

Newly-written songs:

  • A Silent Film—“Christmas at Our House”
  • ARCHIS—“Winter Time”
  • Bhi Bhiman—“Who’s Up There?”
  • Esmé Patterson—“If I”
  • Family of the Year—“NYE”
  • Fruit Bats—“Christmas with You”
  • Ivan & Alyosha—“Being Home For Christmas”
  • James Apollo—“Go Trim Another Tree”
  • Kill Hannah—“This Is Our December”
  • Lisa Loeb—“Champagne (I’m Ready)”
  • Moon Taxi—“It’s Only Christmas”
  • Oscar—“It’s Christmas Again”
  • Reverend Horton Heat—“Donuts in the Snow”
  • Robert Pollard (of Guided by Voices)—“What Begins on New Year’s Day”
  • Rogue Wave—“Christmastime”
  • Sondre Lerche & Jherek Bischoff—“Surviving Christmas”
  • The LeeVees & Matisyahu—“Outside of December”
  • Turin Brakes—“New Year’s Day”
  • Tuxedo—“Holiday Love”
  • YACHT—“Christmas Alone”

New renditions of holiday favorites:

  • Amason—“O Little Town of Bethlehem”
  • Anna von Hausswolff—“Birthday Boy”
  • Avid Dancer—“Jingle Bells”
  • Born Cages—“Ave Maria”
  • Langhorne Slim—“Deck The Halls (With Boughs of Holly)”
  • SOAK–“The Christmas Waltz”
  • Wild Child—“Silent Night”

Throughout the holiday season, Amazon will also be debuting official videos, including Front Row Live Holiday performances and one-on-one conversations with featured artists. More information on all the great artists on Indie for the Holidays can be found here:amazon.com/indiefortheholidays.

About Amazon Music
Prime Music offers Prime members unlimited ad-free access to more than one million songs, thousands of playlists and stations as part of their Prime membership. Prime Music can be accessed through the Amazon Music app on Fire devices, Amazon Echo, iPads, iPhones, Android devices, laptops or on the web at www.primemusic.com, with tracks available to download for anytime, anywhere listening. Prime members and customers also have access to tens of millions of tracks to purchase and download in MP3 format in the Amazon Music store at www.amazon.com/digitalmusic and can enjoy exclusive performances and artists interviews by visiting Amazon Front Row at www.amazon.com/frontrow.

More to Prime
Amazon Prime is an annual membership program for $99 a year that offers customers unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 20 million items across all categories, unlimited Free Same-Day Delivery on more than a million items in 16 metro areas, unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, more than one million songs, more than one thousand playlists and hundreds of stations with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals all year long, free secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive with Prime Photos and access to more than 800,000 books to borrow with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. In addition, Prime members in select cities receive one- and two-hour delivery through Prime Now on tens of thousands of items through a mobile app. Not a member? Start a free trial of Amazon Prime at amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline, 206-266-7180
Amazon-pr@amazon.com
www.amazon.com/pr

 

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Amazon’s Prime Now one-hour delivery service expands to San Diego

Prime Now features products from Sprouts Farmers Market, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Bristol Farms, and Northgate Gonzalez Market

SEATTLE, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starting today, Amazon Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced its Prime Now one-hour delivery service is expanding to San Diego and surrounding areas, and just in time for Thanksgiving. This ultra-fast service, offered exclusively as a benefit to Prime members, provides one-hour delivery on tens of thousands of daily essentials through a mobile app like paper towels, milk, diapers, laptops, and Kindle devices, to name a few.

Through the Prime Now service, customers in America’s Finest City can also purchase groceries, fresh produce, prepared meals and baked goods for 1-hour and 2-hour deliveries from Sprouts Farmers Market, Bristol Farms, Northgate Gonzalez Market, and Sprinkles Cupcakes.

“We know and appreciate how much people love shopping at Sprouts, but it’s not always possible to make it over to your neighborhood store,” said Shawn Gensch, chief marketing officer of Sprouts Farmers Market. “Sprouts partnered with Amazon Prime Now to meet our customers where they often need us most, at home. We’re offering thousands of fresh, natural and organic items for same-day delivery toSan Diego residents.”

“We are excited to bring Prime Now to San Diego, offering ultra-fast delivery from favorite local stores,” said Simoina Vasen, spokesperson from Amazon’s Prime Now service. “Whether you’re ordering your groceries and a full Thanksgiving spread from Sprouts Farmers Market, cupcakes from Sprinkles Cupcakes, groceries and prepared foods from Bristol Farms, or fresh meats and tortillas from Northgate Gonzalez Market, Prime Now delivers these stores right to your door in as little as an hour.”

In San Diego, Prime Now is available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Two-hour delivery is free and one-hour delivery is available for $7.99.

Learn more about Amazon Prime Now and download the mobile app at www.amazon.com/primenow.

More to Prime
Amazon Prime is an annual membership program for $99 a year that offers customers unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 20 million items across all categories, unlimited Free Same-Day Delivery on more than a million items in 16 metro areas, unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, more than one million songs, more than one thousand playlists and hundreds of stations with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals all year long, free secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive with Prime Photos and access to more than 800,000 books to borrow with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. In addition, Prime members in select cities receive one and two hour delivery through Prime Now on tens of thousands of items through a mobile app. Not a member? Start a free trial of Amazon Prime at amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

Source: Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline, 206-266-7180
Amazon-pr@amazon.com
www.amazon.com/pr

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Amazon announced free, cloud-based screenwriting software for writers

Amazon also offers new expansions on open-door script submission policy, making it easier than ever for writers to break into Hollywood

SEATTLE, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ:AMZN) — Amazon today announced Amazon Storywriter, a free, cloud-based screenwriting software for writers of all levels to create movie and TV screenplays in standard format, offering an alternative to costly industry options. Also, in an effort to further enable talented writers to present their work for consideration and to expand its search for the next great movie or TV series, Amazon will now accept drama submissions and will no longer take a free option on scripts submitted directly to the amazonstudios.com site.

Starting today, creators can simply log in with their Amazon account to access Amazon Storywriter. This writer-friendly software takes the pain out of formatting, with features including auto-format as you type and import/export of PDF, FDX and Fountain formats. Screenwriters can write online while their scripts are saved as they work, knowing all their material is being stored securely in the cloud. Additionally, they can write offline with a free installable Chrome app for Mac and PC.

“Amazon is thrilled to support the evolution of our creative community by offering advanced tools like Amazon Storywriter to assist both established and aspiring writers in telling their stories,” said Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Studios. “Amazon is dedicated to producing high-quality, original films and television series that customers love, and enabling more writers to obtain access to creative resources will ultimately help us discover great new talent. Just recently we were thrilled to debut the second season of Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, a kids show that came to us as a script submission. The show has been a huge hit with customers and a testament to the open door process—we can’t wait to see what comes in next.”

Amazon is always on the lookout for compelling new voices and interesting characters in series and movies that have the potential to become hits. Amazon continues to accept original scripts for feature films, primetime comedy series for adults, series for children between the ages of 2-14, and now for the first time also welcomes drama series submissions. In addition, Amazon will no longer take a free option on script submissions, thus allowing Writers Guild of America and the Animation Guild members to submit their original material through the online submission process.

For more information, please visit https://studios.amazon.com/

About Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series—one that’s open to great ideas from creators and audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script online for Amazon Studios to review, and those who choose to make their projects public can also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios community.

Amazon Studios is known for bringing Prime members the multi-Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-winning series Transparent along with original hits like Red Oaks, Hand of God, Bosch, Catastrophe and Mozart in the Jungle. Prime members also have access to a collection ofAmazon Original series for kids such as Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, Wishenpoof, and the Annecy, Annie, and multi-Emmy Award-winning Tumble Leaf. Amazon Studios much anticipated series The Man in the High Castle premieres this week onNovember 20, and season two of the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Transparent will come to Prime members on December 11. Coming soon will be the second seasons of Mozart in the Jungle, Bosch and the romantic comedy Catastrophe, along with the debut season of the docu-series, The New Yorker Presents and Mad Dogs. Amazon Studios will premiere its first original movie, Chi-Raq in movie theaters onDecember 4.

About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

Source: Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline, 206-266-7180
Amazon-pr@amazon.com
www.amazon.com/pr

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Amazon Web Services announced new wind farm in Ohio expected to generate 320,000 MWh of wind energy annually

Amazon Wind Farm US Central in Ohio is Amazon’s fourth major renewable energy project in 2015 and is Expected to Generate More Than 320,000 MWh of Energy Annually

SEATTLE, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ:AMZN) — Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company (NASDAQ:AMZN), today announced that it has contracted with EDP Renewables to construct and operate a 100 megawatt (MW) wind farm in Paulding County, Ohio, called the Amazon Wind Farm US Central. This new wind farm is expected to start generating approximately 320,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of wind energy annually starting in May 2017, or enough to power more than 29,000 US homes[1] in a year. The energy generated will be delivered into the electrical grid that supplies both current and future AWS Cloud data centers. For more information go to http://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/sustainable-energy/.

In November 2014, AWS shared its long-term commitment to achieve 100 percent renewable energy usage for the global AWS infrastructure footprint. In April 2015, AWS announced that approximately 25 percent of the power consumed by its global infrastructure was from renewable energy sources with a goal of increasing that percentage to at least 40 percent by the end of 2016. As part of its renewable energy push, AWS continues to work on ways to increase the energy efficiency of its facilities and equipment, and to launch projects aimed at increasing the availability of renewable energy resources on the electrical grid that supplies power to current and future AWS Cloud data centers in Virginia and Ohio.

Specifically, in January 2015, Amazon announced a renewable project with the Amazon Wind Farm (Fowler Ridge) in Benton County, Indiana, which is expected to generate 500,000 MWh of wind power annually. In April 2015, Amazon announced a pilot of Tesla’s energy storage batteries that are designed to help bridge the gap between intermittent production, from sources like wind, and the datacenter’s constant power demand. Also in April 2015, AWS joined the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) and the U.S. Partnership for Renewable Energy Finance (US PREF) to work with state and federal policymakers and other stakeholders to enable more renewable energy opportunities for cloud providers. In June 2015, the company announced Amazon Solar Farm US East in Virginia, which is expected to generate 170,000 MWh of solar power annually. In July 2015, AWS announced Amazon Wind Farm US East in North Carolina, which is expected to generate more than 670,000 MWh of energy annually.

Now with Amazon Wind Farm US Central announced today, Amazon’s renewable projects will be responsible for delivering more than 1.6 million MWh of additional renewable energy into electric grids across the central and eastern US, or roughly the equivalent amount of energy required to power 150,000 US homes. [1]

“We continue to pursue projects that help to develop more renewable energy sources to the grids that power AWS datacenters and bring us closer to achieving our long term goal of powering our global infrastructure with 100 percent renewable energy,” said Jerry Hunter, Vice President of Infrastructure at Amazon Web Services. “Our previously announced renewable energy projects put AWS on track to surpass our goal of 40 percent renewable energy globally by the end of 2016. This latest project, Amazon Wind Farm US Central, pushes our renewable energy percentage ever higher.”

“Ohio continues to benefit from the strong relationship that JobsOhio and its business development partners have fostered with Amazon,” said John Minor, President and Chief Investment Officer of JobsOhio. “Building upon news from earlier this year that AWS would develop cloud data centers in Ohio, we are excited that AWS is making another significant investment here and look forward to partnering withAmazon as it continues to grow in our state.”

EDP Renewables is a global leader in the renewable energy sector and the fourth largest producer of wind power in the world. The company operates in 12 markets around the world (Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Spain, United States, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom,Romania and Mexico). For more information please visit www.edpr.com.

“We are very excited to be working with AWS on this important project in Ohio,” said João Manso Neto, CEO of EDP Renewables. “The fact that businesses such as AWS are playing such an active part in renewable energy projects is a very clear indicator that the future lies in additional generation of this type of energy. The support for this project shows the industry’s confidence in our delivery capacity, experience, and know-how.”

About Amazon Web Services
Launched in 2006, Amazon Web Services offers a robust, fully featured technology infrastructure platform in the cloud comprised of a broad set of compute, storage, database, analytics, application, and deployment services from datacenter locations in the U.S., Australia, Brazil,China, Germany, Ireland, Japan, and Singapore. More than a million customers, including fast-growing startups, large enterprises, and government agencies across 190 countries, rely on AWS services to innovate quickly, lower IT costs and scale applications globally. To learn more about AWS, visit http://aws.amazon.com.

About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

[1] In 2012, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,837 kWh, an average of 903 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month. http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=97&t=3

Source: Amazon Web Services, Inc.

Amazon.com, Inc.
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Macy’s Black Friday commercial features Ariana Grande, Clinton Kelly, Heidi Klum, Ryan Seacrest, Jessica Simpson, Thalia Sodi and Martha Stewart

Ariana Grande, Clinton Kelly, Heidi Klum, Ryan Seacrest, Jessica Simpson, Thalia Sodi and Martha Stewart help Macy’s get ready for one of the biggest shopping weekends of the season

NEW YORK, 2015-11-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Beginning today, Macy’s (NYSE:M) customers will get a sneak preview of what happens behind the scenes in preparation for one of the biggest shopping events of the season in the retailer’s new Black Friday commercial. The TV spot’s star-filled storyline features Ariana Grande, Clinton Kelly, Heidi Klum, Ryan Seacrest, Jessica Simpson, Thalia Sodi and Martha Stewart helping prep for the big weekend. Previewing today on youtube.com/macys and scheduled to break on television on Sunday, Nov. 22, the commercial reminds customers to shop Macy’s starting at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving for the best deals, plus a chance to instantly win $1 million in Macy’s gift codes and branded prizes.

Macy’s stars, including Ryan Seacrest, prep for one of the biggest shopping events of the season in Macy’s new Black Friday commercial. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Who better than an ensemble of Macy’s stars to bring a new level of fun and excitement to this year’s Black Friday commercial,” said Martine Reardon, Macy’s chief marketing officer. “From Clinton Kelly helping an elf dress her best and Jessica Simpson slashing prices toThalia Sodi leading a dance in her department and Ryan Seacrest hosting it all, fans will see their favorite celebrities getting Macy’s ready to offer the best deals on the most desirable gifts this holiday season. Only Macy’s can give America a Parade on Thanksgiving and the biggest sale of the year on Black Friday.”

Reinforcing why America’sDepartment Store is the best place to shop on Black Friday weekend, Macy’s Black Friday Ensemble features Macy’s stars as they spend Wednesday night prepping the store for one of the biggest sales of the season.

From 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 26 through 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, Nov. 28 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m, Macy’s will offer more than 400 doorbuster specials across apparel, cosmetics and fragrances, home and more, while supplies last. For shoppers looking to get a head start on their Christmas lists, Black Friday prices will be available at macys.com all day on Thanksgiving. Click here for a complete list of doorbuster specials.

Beginning at store opening on Thursday, Nov. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 29 at store close, customers shopping at Macy’s stores with Macy’s mobile app will have a chance to instantly win $1 million in Macy’s gift codes and branded prizes – including a Macy’s shopping spree, home makeover and trips to New York City. To register for “Macy’s Black Friday Walk In & Win” and view Official Rules, visit macys.com/win.

Visit macys.com/stores for local information, as Black Friday hours may vary by store.

For more information on Macy’s Black Friday event, merchandise images and a full list of all doorbuster specials, please visit http://pimsmultimedia.com/macys-holiday2015/black-friday.php.

About Macy’s
Macy’s, the largest retail brand of Macy’s, Inc., delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at approximately 775 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as to customers in the U.S. and more than 100 international destinations through its leading online store at macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site, mobile and social platforms, Macy’s offers distinctive assortments including the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands for him, her and home. Macy’s is known for such epic events as Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks® and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Macy’s flagship stores — including Herald Square in New York City, Union Square in San Francisco, State Street in Chicago, and Dadeland in Miami and South Coast Plaza in southern California — are known internationally and are leading destinations for visitors. Building on a more than 150-year tradition, and with the collective support of customers and employees, Macy’s helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities giving more than $69 million each year to help make a difference in the lives of our customers.

For Macy’s media materials, including images and contacts, please visit our online pressroom at macys.com/pressroom.

Source: Macy’s

Macy’s Media Relations
Holly Thomas, 646-429-5250
holly.thomas@macys.com
or
Julie Strider Fukami, 646-429-5213
julie.striderfukami@macys.com

 

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Macy’s stars, including Ryan Seacrest, prep for one of the biggest shopping events of the season in Macy’s new Black Friday commercial. (Photo: Business Wire)

Macy’s stars, including Ryan Seacrest, prep for one of the biggest shopping events of the season in Macy’s new Black Friday commercial. (Photo: Business Wire)