Monthly Archives: October 2017

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Walmart reinforced its commitment to be part of the solution to the nation’s prescription drug abuse crisis

Company pledges to continue measures in addressing the nation’s prescription drug abuse crisis

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart, including its 5,300 Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies, expressed support for the administration’s declaration of a public health emergency on opioids and reinforced the company’s commitment to be part of the solution to the epidemic.

“At Walmart, the health and safety of our patients is a critical priority, and we welcome the administration’s actions to bring attention and resources to the nation’s opioid issue – one that has devastated so many families and communities across America,” said Greg Foran, president and chief executive officer, Walmart U.S. “We stand ready to work with our nation’s leaders on a solution to combat prescription drug addiction and misuse.”

As a company, Walmart has taken steps to help address the prescription drug abuse problem, including:

  • The company has comprehensive policies and training to help support its pharmacists in filling prescriptions only for legitimate medical purposes.
  • The company supports the development and implementation of an industry-led nationwide Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP); in the meantime, Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacists have access to and are able to utilize their state’s PDMP system to help curb abuse.
  • The company supports federal legislation on two key issues: to establish a seven-day supply limit for initial prescriptions issued for acute pain; to require all controlled substance prescriptions be issued electronically, in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
  • The company offers solutions for sale that allow its patients to properly dispose of prescription medication.

Additional measures will be implemented by the end of 2017, including:

  • The company will have Naloxone behind its pharmacy counters for sale or for dispensing by a pharmacist in all states where pharmacy practice laws support its ability to do so.
  • The company believes education on prescription drug abuse is a key part of the solution; as early as next week, Walmart will announce it has committed to help fund a multi-state program created by a leading education technology company that teaches youth about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

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, over 260 million customers and members visit our more than 11,600 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 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.

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Walmart and the Italian Trade Agency launch new line of authentic Italian cuisine, Sam’s Choice Italia

Walmart and the Italian Trade Agency launch new line of authentic Italian cuisine, Sam’s Choice Italia

Straight from Italy, retailer’s new line of pastas, sauces and other authentic items will have you saying ‘bravo’

BENTONVILLE, Ark., 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Walmart and the Italian Trade Agency have come together to cook up a line of authentic Italian cuisine for customers across the U.S. The new Private Brand line, Sam’s Choice Italia, serves up the rich, savory tastes of Italy at the retailer’s everyday low prices. As the largest private brand player in the U.S., Walmart is focused on continually innovating products while still staying true to quality and everyday low prices.

Sam’s Choice Italia features 40 products and is available now in 3,600 stores and on Walmart.com. The assortment is crafted with amore: items include boxed dinners, bagged pastas, pesto and pasta sauces, canned tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and frozen pizzas. Walmart is working with multiple large suppliers on the new line – all based in Italy.

The Sam’s Choice Italia line is now available at Walmart stores and on Walmart.com and additional items will continue to roll out under the Sam’s Choice Italia line.

“Teaming up with the Italian Trade Agency is one of the many ways our Sam’s Choice brand brings authentic gourmet foods to families across America at everyday low prices. We are fanatical about quality – it’s the first ingredient in everything we do,” said Jack Pestello, senior vice president, Private Brands, Walmart U.S. “Sam’s Choice Italia is just the latest example of how Walmart is continuing to improve and innovate our Private Brand offerings while staying true to quality and everyday low prices.”

The Sam’s Choice Italia products were put through extensive testing conducted at Walmart’s Culinary and Innovation Center to ensure the flavors in each product stayed true to their Italian roots. This is the first time the Italian Trade Agency has worked with a U.S. retailer on a full line of private brand products.

“We are committed to bringing authentic Italian offerings to American households, so when Walmart approached us with this idea, we were immediately interested,” said Michele Scannavini, president of the Italian Trade Agency. “The Sam’s Choice Italia recipes have high-quality ingredients from right here in Italy, so we can guarantee an authentic Italian experience for customers.”

For more information, please visit Walmart.com.

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, over 260 million customers and members visit our more than 11,600 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2017 revenue of $485.9 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 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.

About the Italian Trade Agency – www.ice.gov.it – www.italtrade.com
The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) is the governmental organization that promotes the internationalization of Italian companies, in line with the strategies of the Ministry for Economic Development. The ITA provides information, training, customized advice and promotional events organization in support of Italian and foreign businesses. In addition to its Rome headquarters, ITA operates worldwide from a network of 65 offices linked to Italian embassies and consulates. The Agency has five offices in the United States. Among other sectors, ITA’s office in Chicago is in charge of promoting food and non-food items in large retail store chains. The office is always available for inquiries and support and can be reached by writing to chicago@ice.it or calling +1 312 670 4360.

SOURCE: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Tesco launches own label range of environmentally-friendly cleaning products, Eco Active

Tesco launches own label range of environmentally-friendly cleaning products, Eco Active

Welwyn Garden City, UK, 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Brits are becoming more eco-conscious when it comes to using environmentally-friendly cleaning products for their homes.

In the last year there has been a sharp rise in demand for eco-cleaning products with Tesco seeing a near 45 per cent rise in sales.

However a 2017 report by retail analysts Mintel states that premium price for these green products has been a major setback in attracting further customers.

With such a strong surge in demand Tesco will today give customers even more choice by launching an own label range, Eco Active.

And the good news for shoppers is that the new seven product range will also help them save on existing branded eco-products by at least 50 per cent.

Tesco household goods product developer Sanjeev Kaushal who developed the range said:

“Demand for eco-cleaning products in the UK is at an all-time high with shoppers more aware of how they can protect the planet through informed choices that start in their homes.

“Customers tells us that they want to buy eco-cleaning products but they must be effective, affordable, easily available and independently certified to not harm the environment.

“They also want complete transparency on how they are produced, the ingredients they contain and the impact they have on the environment. We believe our new range of products answers all that criteria.”

All the products are recyclable with the bottles containing up to 45 per cent recycled plastic.

The range, which is made from plant-based, non-toxic, bio-degradable ingredients, includes washing up liquid, two fabric conditioners, two laundry detergents, toilet cleaner and a multi-surface cleaner.

All the products have been independently tested and certified by the EU Ecolabel, established in 1992 by the European Commission, to identify products and services which reduce environmental impact.

Using greener cleaning products which are made from plant-based ingredients and not the commonly used petroleum can make a considerable difference to both the environment and to our energy resources.

The Tesco Eco Active range will be on sale in more than 500 Tesco stores across the UK and will cost between £1 and £4.

ENDS

Note to editors:

  • The full Tesco Eco Active range is as follows:

Pink Grapefruit Multisurface Cleaner 750ml – £1.50

Eucalyptus Toilet Cleaner 750ml – £1.50

Pomegranate Washing Up Liquid 500ml – £1

White Orchid Concentrated Fabric Conditioner 750ml – £1.50

Peony Pomegranate Concentrated Fabric Conditioner 750ml – £1.50

Aloe Vera Concentrated Non Bio Laundry detergent 1.5 litre – £4

Lavender Fields Concentrated Colourcare Laundry detergent 1.5litre – £4

  • A report by retail analysts Mintel, The Future of Fabric and Dish Care 2017, recommends that “affordability and efficiency are key benefits that mainstream green fabric care and dishwashing brands need to highlight to consumers. The main task for marketeers is to convince sceptics that highly efficient and affordable products are also green.”
  • In May, Tesco exclusively launched the Ecover Ocean Plastic washing up liquid in store for six weeks, made from 10 per cent ocean plastic. The product was very popular and brought in 55 per cent new shoppers to Eco cleaning products.

Tesco has now gone one better, with a brand new Ecover Ocean Plastic washing up liquid, again exclusive to Tesco, made from 50 per cent ocean plastic – the biggest yet!

For more information please contact the Tesco Press Office on 01707 918 701     
We are a team of 480,000 in 11 markets dedicated to serving shoppers a little better every day.

SOUIRCE: Tesco PLC

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UK: Sainsbury’s earns the highest tier of accreditation in the government’s Disability Confident Programme

UK: Sainsbury’s earns the highest tier of accreditation in the government’s Disability Confident Programme

LONDON, 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Department for Work and Pensions has announced that Sainsbury’s has achieved Disability Confident Leader status – the highest tier of accreditation in the government’s Disability Confident Programme. Sainsbury’s, which employs over 190,000 colleagues, is the largest retailer to achieve this status.

  • Largest retailer to achieve highest tier of accreditation in the Department for Work and Pensions’ Disability Confident Programme
  • Awarded to organisations who take positive action to employ disabled people and encourage other employers to do the same

The Department for Work and Pensions has announced that Sainsbury’s has achieved Disability Confident Leader status – the highest tier of accreditation in the government’s Disability Confident Programme. Sainsbury’s, which employs over 190,000 colleagues, is the largest retailer to achieve this status.

In order to be granted this status, which is underpinned by an independent validation, Sainsbury’s had to demonstrate not only that it takes positive action to employ disabled people and follows best practice, but that it proactively encourages other employers to make the journey to becoming Disability Confident.

The Disability Confident Programme was launched by the Department for Work and Pensions a year ago with the aim to help employers recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions for their skills and talent. As part of the scheme, the Department for Work and Pensions also set up the Disability Confident Business Leaders Group, which is engaging with the business community on disability employment. Tim Fallowfield, Sainsbury’s Company Secretary and Corporate Services Director was appointed as Chair of the group last December. Over 5,000 businesses have signed up to the group.

Tim Fallowfield, who is also Sainsbury’s Board Sponsor for Disability and Carers, commented: “We want to be the most inclusive retailer, where all our colleagues can fulfil their potential. We are very proud to have achieved the status of Disability Confident Leader, which recognises our hard work in this area. We have developed a number of initiatives, from our You Can programme which enables us to recruit colleagues who may face barriers to employment, to creating a guide to workplace adjustments for our managers. Through our involvement in the Disability Confident Business Leaders Group, we hope to encourage as many employers as possible to feel confident in employing people with a disability, providing those colleagues with the opportunity to realise their potential.”

Penny Mordaunt, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, commented: “As the largest retailer to become a Disability Confident Leader, Sainsbury’s is acting as a champion within the industry and leading others to make the most of the talents that disabled people can bring to the workplace.

“Disabled people make up almost a fifth of the working age population, and becoming a Disability Confident employer sends a powerful message to potential employees that they will get the support they need to thrive.”

SOURCE: Sainsbury’s

MEDIA CONTACT

press_office@sainsburys.co.uk or call 0207 695 7295

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Sonic declares quarterly cash dividend of $0.16 per share of common stock

OKLAHOMA CITY, 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ:SONC), the nation’s largest chain of drive-in restaurants, today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.16 per share of common stock to be paid to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 8, 2017, with a payment date of November 17, 2017. In addition to the dividend, the company has a share repurchase authorization for up to $160 million of its common stock through August 31, 2018.

Future declaration of quarterly dividends and the establishment of future record and payment dates are subject to the final determination of the company’s Board of Directors.

About Sonic
SONIC, America’s Drive-In is the nation’s largest drive-in restaurant chain serving approximately 3 million customers every day. Nearly 94 percent of SONIC’s 3,500 drive-in locations are owned and operated by local business men and women. For 64 years, SONIC has delighted guests with signature menu items, 1.3 million drink combinations and friendly service by iconic Carhops. Since the 2009 launch of SONIC’s Limeades for Learning philanthropic campaign in partnership with DonorsChoose.org, SONIC has donated $8.5 million to public school teachers nationwide to fund essential learning materials and innovative teaching resources to inspire creativity and learning in their students. To learn more about Sonic Corp.(NASDAQ/NM: SONC), please visit sonicdrivein.com and please visit or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. To learn about SONIC’s Limeades for Learning initiative, please visit LimeadesforLearning.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or underlying, these forward-looking statements are detailed in the company’s annual and quarterly report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly release revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unforeseen events, except as required to be reported under the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE: SONIC

Sonic Corp.
Corey Horsch, 405-225-4800
Vice President, Investor Relations
and Treasurer

Source: Sonic Corp.

News Provided by Acquire Media

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SONIC® Drive-In completes its ninth annual Limeades for Learning® fall voting campaign

2017 Limeades for Learning (Photo: Business Wire)

Donation impacts 58,080 students in 288 cities across the country

OKLAHOMA CITY, 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — SONIC® Drive-In (NASDAQ: SONC), the nation’s largest chain of drive-in restaurants, completed its ninth annual Limeades for Learning® fall voting campaign on Sunday, Oct. 22. The campaign funded $1 million to 1,936 public school teacher projects over the four-week period. In partnership with DonorsChoose.org, this national award winning and consumer-driven cause campaign empowers guests to make a difference in public school classroom by allocating SONIC’s $1 million donation to teachers’ projects.

From Monday, Sept. 25 through Sunday, Oct. 22, SONIC guests and fans told SONIC where to place its $1 million donation by voting at LimeadesforLearning.com for projects they wanted funded through Limeades for Learning. Throughout the voting period, projects with the most votes each week received funding. This year, the campaign impacted 978 teachers across 288 cities including San Antonio, Texas., Memphis, Tenn., Oklahoma City, Okla., and Fayetteville, N.C.

“Science can already be a difficult subject for students to comprehend – but without helpful tools and resources to create a hands-on lesson, it can be even more frustrating for students,” said Caitlin Cleary, kindergarten teacher for Naples Elementary School in Naples, Utah. “This was my first year participating in Limeades for Learning and I can already see the results from my project, ‘The Science of Literacy’. With the new materials, my students are drawing a deeper understanding from our lessons and are transforming into literary scientists that can explore text in new ways.”

Following this year’s Limeades for Learning fall voting campaign, SONIC has funded a total of $9.5 million for 17,895 classroom projects, impacting more than 536,850 students in 1,701 cities since the campaign’s inception in 2009.

“Since 2009, our partnership with SONIC’s Limeades for Learning has helped fulfill thousands of teacher projects, and nine years later, it continues to have a big impact in America’s classrooms,” says Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose.org. “Every year, SONIC has funded innovative projects that bring musical instruments, books, field trips, tablets and much more to public school students across the nation.”

About SONIC®, America’s Drive-In®
SONIC, America’s Drive-In is the nation’s largest drive-in restaurant chain serving approximately 3 million customers every day. Nearly 94 percent of SONIC’s 3,500 drive-in locations are owned and operated by local business men and women. For 64 years, SONIC has delighted guests with signature menu items, 1.3 million drink combinations and friendly service by iconic Carhops. Since the 2009 launch of SONIC’s Limeades for Learning philanthropic campaign in partnership with DonorsChoose.org, SONIC has donated $9.5 million to public school teachers nationwide to fund essential learning materials and innovative teaching resources to inspire creativity and learning in today’s youth. To learn more about Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ/NM: SONC), please visit sonicdrivein.com and please visit or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. To learn more about SONIC’s Limeades for Learning initiative, please visit LimeadesforLearning.com.

About DonorsChoose.org
DonorsChoose.org is the leading platform for giving to public schools. Teachers across America use the site to create projects requesting resources their students need, and donors give to the projects that inspire them. Since its founding by a Bronx teacher in 2000, more than 2.8 million people and partners have given $577 million to projects reaching 24 million students. Unique among crowdfunding platforms, the DonorsChoose.org team vets each project request and ships resources directly to the school. Every donor receives photos of their project in action, thank-yous from the classroom, and a cost report showing how every dollar was spent. DonorsChoose.org was the first charity to make the top 10 on Fast Company’s list of the Most Innovative Companies in the World. Visit www.donorschoose.org to learn more.

SOURCE: SONIC

for SONIC Drive-In
Rebeka Mora, 512-542-2804
rebeka.mora@cohnwolfe.com

Source: SONIC Drive-In

News Provided by Acquire Media

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H&M’s image recognition tool now available in 13 markets

H&M’s image recognition tool now available in 13 markets

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — H&M Image Search adds to a seamless shopping experience. Already available in 13 markets – and more to come – H&M’s image recognition tool helps fashion fans move directly from inspiration to purchase in the H&M app.

Powered by the self-learning algorithms of image recognition technology, Image Search is a tool that helps customers move directly from inspiration – in for example social media, screen shots or own photos – to purchases via the H&M mobile app. Users simply feed a picture of a style they like to the app and the app will immediately present one or several similar purchasable products from H&M’s wide online assortment. Image Search is shown as a camera icon in the top right corner of the H&M app.

H&M’s Image Search was first launched in May 2017 in the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland. In late September, the app became available in a further nine markets: Belgium, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ireland and Poland. Currently live in 13 markets, the plan is to launch Image Search across more H&M markets further ahead.

As with other H&M digital features, such as #HM Gallery and My Style, Image Search takes further steps to combine visual discovery with new technology, to make shopping even more convenient and inspiring for customers. At H&M, customers should be able to discover and shop H&M fashion in their mobile devices whenever and wherever they like, including H&M’s followers on Instagram. H&M has more than 23 million followers on Instagram.

#HM Gallery is an easy and inspiring way to make the content of Instagram pictures purchasable through user generated images as well as H&M’s own pictures. My Style is an inspirational and partially personalised product feed, which increases online exportability. The feed uses Instagram pictures when available and every image includes at least one purchasable H&M item. #HM Gallery and My Style are available in most of H&M’s 43 online markets globally.

SOURCE: H&M

MEDIA CONTACT

Head of Media Relations
Katarina Kempe
+46 8 5780 85 54

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Westcoast Retail applies online expertise to AO.com

LONDON, 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ —  UK based distributor and supply chain innovator, Westcoast Retail, revealed it has signed a UK-wide deal with online electricals retailer, AO.com to provide distribution and fulfilment services for  it’s growing computing range including products from brands such as; Apple and HP.

Brought on board after demonstrating outstanding results with both drop-ship and click and collect distribution models for other online retailers, Westcoast Retail is tasked with managing AO.com’s stock levels, delivering orders directly to customers and handling returns.

Westcoast Retail is not only responsible for holding stock, but also for forecasting sales and ordering products accordingly, directly from the vendors. The team’s thorough knowledge of the computing and consumer electronics sectors helps AO.com create an efficient and streamlined supply chain model fulfilling the needs of vendors and customers alike.

Simon Exton, AO.com’s Director of Consumer Electronics

“Entering the computing sector is an important step for AO.com as we continue on our mission to become the best electrical retailer in Europe.The fast-paced nature of this market means we required a partner that is agile and understands both the online retail and computing spheres. In Westcoast Retail, we feel that we have the perfect partner. The company is trusted by an impressive array of vendors and retailers and its distribution models and ability to accurately forecast sales is invaluable as we establish ourselves in the computing sector.”

Westcoast Retail Sales Director, Matt Pasco, commented:

“We are delighted to have been selected by AO.com. Entering a partnership with another giant in online retailing highlights the reputation that we have gained in this space and the partnership we have entered into plays in perfectly to both ours and AO.com’s strengths. Computing is an area of expertise for Westcoast Retail and we have demonstrated that our supply chain and distribution models are both robust and flexible across a range of leading vendors and retailers.”

About Westcoast

Westcoast Limited was founded in 1984 and is a leading IT distributor with a product portfolio spanning the whole computing spectrum ranging from desktop PC and notebook products through to software, high end server solutions, network products, printers, peripherals, spare parts and consumables.  The group sells to resellers, retailers and dealers in the UK and Ireland providing creative credit, marketing and logistics services to more than 5,000 customers.  More information on Westcoast can be found at www.westcoast.co.uk

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Location3’s LOCALACT Platform Meets Growing Need for Franchises to Maximize Customer Traffic and Dominate Their Local Markets

Media Contact: Rachel Jermansky

Resound Marketing for Location3

Rachel@ResoundMarketing.com

609-279-0050 x119

 

Location3’s LOCALACT Platform Meets Growing Need for Franchises to Maximize Customer Traffic and Dominate Their Local Markets

Franchisees in FSR, QSR and Fitness are Seeing Strong ROI and Increased Store Visits Following Deployment

Denver, CO. – October 31, 2017 – Location3, the digital marketing agency that delivers enterprise-level strategy with local market activation, today announced it has steadily expanded LOCALACT deployments since the public launch of its platform in September. Clients, including Anytime Fitness, FASTSIGNS, and HoneyBaked Ham, are using LOCALACT to successfully drive customers to over 65,000 locations in total. Since the platform launched in early September, LOCALACT has served over 1.7 billion map listings views, issued driving directions almost 27 million times, and connected nearly 9 million customers to their local franchise via click-to-call. LOCALACT helps franchisees and marketers drive measurable results by integrating key local digital marketing channels like organic search, paid search & social advertising, and more.

 

Features include local business listing management with extensive data validation and ongoing optimization, localized paid search advertising with advanced location and consumer insights, consumer review monitoring and responding, Facebook advertising, store-level analytics integration and much more.

 

“What began as a way to help businesses grow and scale their local digital marketing tactics has evolved into a platform to manage interactions, data and insights, all from one place,” said Alex Porter, CEO of Location3. “Brick-and-mortar brands, franchise systems, and companies of all sizes are facing news challenges with local search. LOCALACT makes it easy to integrate all data into a single, centralized and easy-to-manage platform.”

 

“Location3 has helped our organization and our franchisees reach new customers with digital marketing programs for over 10 years, and we are excited about the launch of their LOCALACT platform,” said Drue Townsend, SVP of Marketing, FASTSIGNS International. “The data that is now accessible on the platform 24/7 and in one place gives FASTSIGNS franchisees a competitive marketing advantage. From seeing their Google Analytics web traffic sources to understanding which key terms are converting as Pay-Per-Click actions to seeing social media reviews and being able to respond to them directly from the portal, we believe that LOCALACT provides great value for our U.S. and Canadian franchise system.”

To learn more about LOCALACT and schedule a demo, please visit www.localact.com.

About Location3

Location3 is the digital marketing agency that delivers enterprise-level strategy with local market activation. Location3 works hand-in-hand with corporate/brand marketing teams at franchise systems and multi-location brands to execute integrated digital programs that increase customer acquisition and brand awareness. We are a strategic partner and an extension of our clients’ marketing teams.

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Vape starter kit sales soar by 37% over Stoptober campaign

Modern electronic mod vaping device. Vape. ecigarette

 

LONDON, 2017-Oct-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Early signs indicate that Public Health England’s new harm reduction approach to decreasing smoking rates across the UK has not only been widely accepted, but capitalized upon. For the first time, vaping has featured prominently within the NHS Stoptober campaign, with the official website included in the Stoptober TV advertisement.

Vape Club – the UK’s largest online retailer of vaping products and e-cigarettes – has seen e-cigarette starter kit sales increase by 37% year on year following the launch of the 2017 campaign.

Director of Vape Club Dan Marchant says that the medical acceptance has provided a watershed moment for public health:

‘It’s fantastic to see the NHS finally backing vaping as a pathway to quit smoking. The industry has been backing this alternative for a long time, but with the evidence provided by Public Health England, endorsements from the likes of Cancer Research UK and the figures which are produced by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), there can be no doubt that vaping is the most effective method to give up tobacco.

The NHS advocating vaping as an alternative to tobacco is an enormous breakthrough and will do an outstanding amount of good for public health and tobacco control in the UK.’

Believed to be 95% less harmful than traditional tobacco, e-cigarettes feature within the NHS’ Stoptober campaign as a way of phasing out tobacco rather than advocating – as seen in previous campaigns – the ‘cold turkey’ approach. Through the adoption of this harm reduction strategy, the UK has seen record high rates of smoking cessation and is fast becoming a European leader in this respect.

About Vape Club

The UK’s largest online retailer of vape kits and e-liquid, Vape Club aim to provide the best possible quality vape products at the best possible prices.

Vape Club are offering a site wide 15% discount with the code STOPTOBER.  You can also be in line to win your very own starter kit as they give away 5 kits each week through social media to smokers looking to switch.

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British Land welcomes Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Let’s Sushi at Meadowhall

LONDON, 2017-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — British Land, joint owner of Meadowhall, one of the UK’s premier shopping destinations, has announced that Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Let’s Sushi will join the line-up at the Oasis Dining Quarter to provide an even broader choice of food at the centre.

Opening in November, Gourmet Burger Kitchen’s new 2,500 sq ft restaurant, located on the upper level alongside leading brands like Giraffe, TGI Fridays and Carluccio’s, will cater for 100 covers.

Local operator, Let’s Sushi, will take a 500 sq ft unit on the lower level opposite Barburrito and in the heart of the family food hall, which includes 1,200 communal seats. The restaurant will be the brand’s second site in the city and is set to open before Christmas offering fresh sushi and bento boxes alongside soups and other hot dishes.

Alice Keown, F&B Asset Manager for British Land, said: “Meadowhall’s £60 million refurbishment has been a key factor in securing new brands. Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Let’s Sushi signing is particularly exciting as it will add even more variety and choice to the Oasis Dining Quarter from the food hall on the lower level, to the 16 family focussed restaurants on the upper level.

“Around 64% of our shoppers choose to have something to eat or drink when they visit, so we are constantly looking for new brands to refresh our offer and create an even more modern and vibrant dining experience.”

Keith Bird, Chief Operating Officer for GBK, said: “We have been looking to secure a site in Meadowhall for some time and with so much momentum behind the refurbishment project, now seemed like the perfect moment to take space there. Located in a prime unit at the biggest retail destination in Yorkshire, the new restaurant will help to bring Gourmet Burger Kitchen to a much bigger local audience and is a very exciting next step for us.”

The centre’s £60m refurbishment will complete before Christmas. 40 brands including All Saints, Hollister, House of Fraser and Hugo Boss have invested £34 million in redesigning and refitting their stores to reflect the centre’s new contemporary feel. A further 30 store upgrades are currently underway. Last month, Meadowhall also secured a resolution to grant planning consent for a £300 million Leisure Hall extension.

30 new brands have signed at Meadowhall over the last 18 months, with Flannels, Tag Heuer, Nespresso, Neal’s Yard and Godiva all adding to the centre’s premium offer. Mail order and e-commerce retailer Joe Browns is set to launch its first ever physical store in early November.

Smith Young and Davis Coffer Lyons represented British Land. John Brady represented GBK and Let’s Sushi represented themselves.

Enquiries:
Jackie Janssen, British Land 020 7467 3449
Pip Wood, British Land 020 7467 2838
Amanda McNally, Aver 020 3514 2137
Nick Thornton, Aver 020 3514 2148

About British Land
Our portfolio of high quality UK commercial property is focused on Retail around the UK and London Offices. We own or manage a portfolio valued at £19.1 billion (British Land share: £13.9 billion) as at 31 March 2017 making us one of Europe’s largest listed real estate investment companies.

Our strategy is to provide places which meet the needs of our customers and respond to changing lifestyles – Places People Prefer. We do this by creating great environments both inside and outside our buildings and use our scale and placemaking skills to enhance and enliven them. This expands their appeal to a broader range of occupiers, creating enduring demand and driving sustainable, long-term performance.

Our Retail portfolio is focused on Regional and Local multi-let centres, and accounts for 48% of our portfolio. Our Offices portfolio comprises three office-led campuses in central London as well as high quality standalone buildings and accounts for 49% of our portfolio. Increasingly our focus is on providing a mix of uses and this is most evident at Canada Water, our 46-acre redevelopment opportunity where we have plans to create a new neighbourhood for London.

Sustainability is embedded throughout our business. Our places, which are designed to meet high sustainability standards, become part of local communities, provide opportunities for skills development and employment and promote wellbeing. Our industry-leading sustainability performance led to British Land being named a European Sector Leader in the 2016 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark for the third year running.

In April 2016, British Land received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development, the UK’s highest accolade for business success for economic, social and environmental achievements over a period of five years.

Further details can be found on the British Land website at www.britishland.com.

SOURCE: British Land

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CVS Health Corporation to host Q3 2017 financial results conference call on Monday, November 6, 2017

WOONSOCKET, R.I., 2017-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) will be holding a conference call on Monday, November 6, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. (ET) with analysts and investors to discuss its third quarter financial results.

An audio webcast of the conference call will be broadcast simultaneously through the Investor Relations portion of the CVS Health website for all interested parties. To access the webcast, visit http://investors.cvshealth.com. This webcast will be archived and available on the website for a one-year period following the conference call.

About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its 9,700 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 90 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, and expanding specialty pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.

SOURCE CVS Health Corporation

MEDIA CONTACT
Carolyn Castel
carolyn.castel@cvshealth.com

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Toys“R”Us® introduces Play Chaser its new, free-to-play, augmented reality (AR) app

Playtime Is On as The Company’s Free-to-Play AR App Rolls Out to Stores Nationwide 

WAYNE, NJ, 2017-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — From championing unstructured play for kids of all ages, to making its stores more than just a place to shop with Play Labs, Toys“R”Us® is continuing its mission to set play free with the introduction of Play Chaser, its new, free-to-play, augmented reality (AR) app. Following a 23 store test that saw thousands of kids racing monster trucks, peeking into a world of safari animals, playing virtual basketball and more at their local stores earlier this month, Play Chaser has now rolled out to all Toys“R”Us locations nationwide.

Toys“R”Us enlisted some of the brightest tech brains in the toy industry to develop the app: PlayFusion, the creators of Lightseekers (an action adventure role playing game that fuses together AR, physical trading cards, digital action figures). With the help of PlayFusion’s proprietary computer vision technology, the app activates different AR games and play experiences on the screen of a customer’s smartphone or tablet. With the app open, players use their devices to unlock experiences by scanning designated Play Chaser signage featured throughout Toys“R”Us.

“We know consumers want more than just a place to shop – they want experiences – and at Toys“R”Us, they want to play,” said Richard Barry, Global Chief Merchandising Officer, Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us®. “With Play Chaser, we’re transforming shopping into something beyond just the products we sell, bringing our stores to life with interactive, unique content that will resonate with customers and importantly the players – kids!”

The first scan point, a front-of-store sign featuring everyone’s favorite giraffe, activates a virtual Geoffrey who pops out of a toy box and welcomes kids to the store, then sends them off on their quest for play. The more than 10 interactive play experiences have something for every kid: fishing in a virtual pond, popping virtual balloons floating around the store or caring for a digital baby doll.

For more details, and to download video and images of Play Chaser in action, visit the company’s blog, No Assembly Required.

About Toys“R”Us, Inc.
Toys“R”Us, Inc. is the world’s leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 885 Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam, and in more than 810 international stores and over 255 licensed stores in 38 countries and jurisdictions. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com, the company provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Toys“R”Us, Inc. is headquartered in Wayne, NJ, and has nearly 65,000 employees worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. Over the past three decades, the Company has given more than $100 million in product donations to children’s charities. Since 1992, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund, a public charity affiliated with Toys“R”Us, Inc., has also donated more than $130 million in grants.  For more information, visit Toysrusinc.com or follow @ToysRUsNews on Twitter.

SOURCE: Geoffrey, LLC.

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Whole Foods Market to host National Hiring Day on November 2

Whole Foods Market to host National Hiring Day on November 2

Candidates can apply for jobs on-site and receive on-the-spot job offers

AUSTIN, TEXAS, 2017-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — Whole Foods Market is searching for passionate, food-focused candidates to join its team. On November 2, the grocer is hosting a National Hiring Day at all of its U.S. stores with a goal of hiring 6,000 new Team Members.

The event includes full-time and part-time opportunities for both seasonal and permanent positions, including cashiers, culinary experts and prepared foods specialists. Candidates can visit any Whole Foods Market store on November 2 and receive an interview, with opportunities for on-the-spot job offers.

Whole Foods Market offers competitive pay and benefits for both full-time and part-time Team Members, including a 20 percent in-store discount. With flexible schedules and an empowered environment, these positions provide the opportunity to grow in a company that is focused on providing customers with the best possible in-store experience and service.

To learn more about National Hiring Day or to apply in advance, visit www.joinwholefoods.com.

MEDIA CONTACT
SWmedia@wholefoods.com 

SOURCE:  Whole Foods Market

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JCPenney adds LEGO building bricks and playsets in its toy shops just in time for the holidays

JCPenney adds LEGO building bricks and playsets in its toy shops just in time for the holidays

Retailer identifies the hottest gifts on Santa’s list, quadruples toy count at JCPenney.com

PLANO, Texas, 2017-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — The countdown to Christmas is on and JCPenney [NYSE: JCP] is helping Santa check off the best gifts on his list, starting with childhood-favorite LEGO® toys. Beginning in November, JCPenney will offer LEGO building bricks and playsets in 875 toy shops inside JCPenney stores. In addition to popular sets such as LEGO Star Wars™ and LEGO Super Heroes, shoppers will find a wider selection of LEGO toys at JCPenney.com starting in December.

Since launching the toy shops earlier this year, the Company has expanded its in-store assortment with the hottest gifts of the season, adding 40 percent more toys, games and plushes from leading brands such as Disney®, Hasbro®, Mattel®, Playmobil®, Fisher Price® and Melissa and Doug®. Additionally, JCPenney has quadrupled its online selection of toys since last holiday, giving shoppers a greater selection of motorized ride-on vehicles, outdoor play equipment, bicycles, learning sets and more at JCPenney.com.

“By working with the best toy brands in the industry, JCPenney continues to differentiate itself from the competition, giving more families a reason to visit our stores and discover the amazing selection available at JCPenney.com,” said John Tighe, executive vice president and chief merchant for JCPenney. “The holidays are hands down the most important time of year for retailers as we compete for every dollar leading up to Christmas morning. By partnering with a toy icon like the LEGO brand, JCPenney is well-positioned to capture a greater share of revenue within the toy industry, during the busiest shopping period for gifts.”

Stacking Up with LEGO
LEGO building has inspired children’s imaginations for decades as its interlocking bricks encourage creativity, learning and development. This November, JCPenney customers will find nearly 30 different LEGO sets in stores, including LEGO Classic creative building boxes, LEGO City sets and LEGO Friends sets. Prices range from $4.99 to $69.99, including a LEGO City pizza van for $19.99, a LEGO Disney™ Ariel and the Magical Spell set for $29.99 and a LEGO Friends summer pool scene for $39.99. An expanded selection of over 100 LEGO products will be available at JCPenney.com this December as enthusiasts of all ages search for new releases and pieces to add to their collections.

Must-Have Toys This Holiday
The toy shops inside JCPenney are packed with the must-have toys on every little one’s wish list. Appealing to a variety of ages and interests, shoppers will find family board games, character toys, baby dolls, arts and crafts, collectible surprise toys, vehicles, action figures and more featured in the latest holiday mailer that boasts eight pages dedicated to toys. On Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, shoppers will find great discounts on toys at an incredible value, so customers can add a few extra gifts to their shopping cart. In addition to LEGO sets, some of the must-have toys inside JCPenney stores this season include:

  • Hatchimals Surprise
  • L.O.L Surprise! and Big Surprise
  • Star Wars Extendable Light Saber
  • My Little Pony Styling Head
  • JoJo Siwa Singing Doll
  • Pie Face Sky High! Game
  • NERF Mega Twinshock
  • Fashionista Barbie
  • Hotwheels Cars and Monster Trucks
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Action Figures
  • Playmobil School Bus
  • Play-Doh Drill ‘N Fill

Even More to Discover at JCPenney.com
JCPenney.com now boasts four times more toys than last holiday season with additional brands and categories planned throughout December. Based on customer feedback, the Company has expanded its assortment of toys for all ages, including motorized ride-on vehicles, bicycles, scooters, sporting goods, outdoor trampolines, costumes, electronic learning toys, arts and crafts, swing sets and video games. As science, technology, engineering and math tools continue to evolve in schools, JCPenney has also increased the number of toys designed to help kids combine STEM principles with interactive play. Check out some of the biggest gifts at JCPenney.com:

For product images, please visit: http://www.jcpnewsroom.com/news-releases/2017/1030_lego_holiday_toys.html.

LEGO, its logo, the Minifigure and the brick & knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2017 The LEGO Group. Used with permission.

###

JCPenney Media Relations:
(972) 431-3400 or jcpnews@jcp.com
Follow @jcpnews on Twitter for the latest announcements and Company information.

About JCPenney:
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP), one of the nation’s largest apparel and home furnishings retailers, combines an expansive footprint of approximately 875 stores across the United States and Puerto Rico with a powerful e-commerce site, jcp.com, to connect with shoppers how, when and where they prefer to shop. At every customer touchpoint, she will get her Penney’s worth of a broad assortment of products from an extensive portfolio of private, exclusive and national brands. Powering this shopping experience is the customer service and warrior spirit of over 100,000 associates across the globe, all driving toward the Company’s three strategic priorities of strengthening private brands, becoming a world-class omnichannel retailer and increasing revenue per customer. For additional information, please visit jcp.com.

SOURCE:  J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc.

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Ahold Delhaize announces the departure of its Chief eCommerce and Innovation Officer Hanneke Faber

Zaandam, the Netherlands, 2017-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — Ahold Delhaize announces today that Hanneke Faber, Chief eCommerce and Innovation Officer, has decided to leave the company at the end of December to pursue another career opportunity. A search for her successor is underway.

Dick Boer, CEO Ahold Delhaize: “I want to thank Hanneke for her valuable contribution to Ahold Delhaize and her energy and inspiration in defining and executing our digital and omni-channel growth strategy since 2013. She leaves us well on track to deliver close to €3 billion of online consumer sales in 2017, and nearly €5 billion by 2020. While I am sorry to see her leave, I wish her all the best in her future career as well as her personal life.”

“In the past years we have made good progress in making the local customer experience seamless anywhere, anytime across our brands by combining thriving networks of brick-and-mortar stores and strong online businesses.”

Our eCommerce operations in the Netherlands and Belgium as well as in the United States have increasingly become an integral part of the business. Reflecting this, since February 2017, the Brand President of Peapod is reporting to Ahold USA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Holt. As of January 1, 2018, the Brand President of bol.com will report to Wouter Kolk in his capacity as Chief Operating Officer Netherlands and Belgium. This will allow Ahold Delhaize to further leverage the successes and best practices of both bol.com, the number one online retail platform in the Netherlands and Belgium, and ah.nl, the number one online food retailer.

Hanneke’s successor will take on a new role of Chief Digital Officer and will be responsible to drive digital transformation and innovation, including loyalty data analytics and personalization, key elements of the Better Together strategy.  Also we will continue to coordinate best practice sharing in eCommerce across the brands to benefit from our global scale.

 

Cautionary notice

This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words such as on track, further leverage, will, new, drive, strategy, continue or other similar words or expressions are typically used to identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the “Company”) to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to the risk factors set forth in the Company’s public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company’s management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Company’s management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. also presents itself under the name of “Royal Ahold Delhaize” or simply “Ahold Delhaize.”

SOURCE: Ahold Delhaize

MEDIA CONTACT

Ellen van Ginkel
Director External Communications
media.relations@aholddelhaize.com
+31 88 6595134

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Meijer earns 2017 SmartWay® Excellence Award for its outstanding environmental performance and leadership

Meijer earns 2017 SmartWay® Excellence Award for its outstanding environmental performance and leadership

First year retailer recognized as a SmartWay shipping partner

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., 2017-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — Meijer is pleased to announce that it earned a 2017 SmartWay® Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its outstanding environmental performance and leadership.

The award recognizes the top-performing SmartWay retail and manufacturing shipping partners that demonstrate how businesses can mitigate their carbon footprints and contribute to cleaner, healthier air, while saving on fuel costs as they move goods across the country.

“Meijer is proud to receive the prestigious recognition by SmartWay. Our distribution and logistics teams continue to make significant progress to lower emissions and reduce our carbon footprint in the markets we serve,” said Tom McCall, Vice President of Logistics for Meijer. “We constantly focus on improving the efficiency of our fleet to reduce idle time, emissions, and impact on our neighbors, particularly in urban settings.”

Meijer operates a fleet of 250 semi-trucks that, collectively, cover an estimated 25 million miles each year. Meijer is constantly working to minimize the emissions from refrigerated trailers. All refrigerated units are programmed with “cycle sentry.” Cycle-Sentry automatically regulates the engine as refrigeration is needed. This technology enables Meijer to see a fuel savings of nearly 80 percent, increases the life of the engine, and reduces maintenance costs.

Meijer also uses three, Tier 4 CARB hybrid/electric shore powered refrigerated units at its Distribution and Stock dock doors to run only on electronic. This reduces operating and maintenance expenses, eliminates local diesel emissions, and meets local noise ordinances. These hybrid units are now the standard specification for new unit purchases.

In addition, Meijer has built a best-in-class clean diesel fleet, made focused investments in energy efficiency within its retail footprint, and established an ongoing commitment to sustainable design in new construction and renovation.

The annual SmartWay Excellence Award honors top shipping and logistics companies for superior environmental performance and additional actions to reduce freight emissions through effective collaboration, operational practices, a robust system for validating and reporting their SmartWay data, and communications and public outreach. SmartWay Excellence Awardees lead their industries in improving freight efficiency and contributing to cleaner air within their supply chains. The awardees are chosen from more than 3,500 companies and organizations participating in SmartWay.

About Meijer:
Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 235 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. A privately-owned and family-operated company since 1934, Meijer pioneered the “one-stop shopping” concept and has evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel, home decor and pet departments, and garden centers. For more information on Meijer, please visit www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer and @twitter.com/MeijerPR or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.

SOURCE: Meijer

Contact: Jennifer Rook, 616-791-2242, Jennifer.Rook@meijer.com

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Perry Ellis International collaborates with NMNY Group for Laundry by Shelli Segal and Laundry by Design trademarks in the USA and Canada

MIAMI, FL, 2017-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — Perry Ellis International, Inc. (Nasdaq:PERY), announced today that it has entered into a license agreement with NMNY Group, LLC for day and social occasion dresses under the Laundry by Shelli Segal and Laundry by Design trademarks in the USA and Canada. ​NMNY will commence selling the collection in November in department and specialty stores across the United States and Canada.

Feminine, sexy, smart and always glamorous, the Laundry by Shelli Segal collection has been shaping the way women dress for over 25 years. ​The brand continues to inspire women today with iconic styling, vibrant prints and color and the unexpected use of embellishments in every product. The brand’s current licensed categories include outerwear, fashion accessories, intimates, fragrance and home decor which complement the dress, sportswear and swimwear classifications to position Laundry by Shelli Segal as a true lifestyle brand.

Perry Ellis International CEO and President, Oscar Feldenkreis remarked, “Our company looks forward to working closely with​ Marty, and his experienced team at​ NMNY Group, to ​expand the Laundry by Shelli Segal ​dress business. We believe this collaboration will enhance our larger efforts to grow this powerful brand across categories, channels and markets.”

“We are very enthusiastic about the addition of Laundry by Shelli Segal to our portfolio of brands. This iconic brand has been a proven performer over many years and we are proud to support this heritage and the brand’s commitment to feminine, trend right styles for the modern woman,” says Martin Schlossberg, Chairman of NMNY Group, LLC.

For more information about Perry Ellis International, Inc. and the company’s entire portfolio of brands, please visit www.PERY.com.

About Perry Ellis International
Perry Ellis International, Inc. is a leading designer, distributor and licensor of a broad line of high quality men’s and women’s apparel, accessories and fragrances. The Company’s collection of dress and casual shirts, golf sportswear, sweaters, dress pants, casual pants and shorts, jeans wear, active wear, dresses and men’s and women’s swimwear is available through all major levels of retail distribution. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, owns a portfolio of nationally and internationally recognized brands, including: Perry Ellis®, An Original Penguin® by Munsingwear®, Laundry by Shelli Segal®, Rafaella®, Cubavera®, Ben Hogan®, Savane®, Grand Slam®, John Henry®, Manhattan®, Axist®, Jantzen® and Farah®. The Company enhances its roster of brands by licensing trademarks from third parties, including: Nike® and Jag® for swimwear, and Callaway®, PGA TOUR®, and Jack Nicklaus® for golf apparel and most recently Guy Harvey® for performance fishing and resort wear.  Additional information on the Company is available at http://www.pery.com.

About NMNY Group, LLC
​NMNY Group, LLC and Associates was founded by Martin Schlossberg over 50 years ago. The company is a leading supplier of women’s and junior apparel to the department and specialty store channels and commercializes product under the Nicole Miller New York, Chetta B, Leslie Fay, R&K Originals, Madison Leigh, Karin Stevens, and Isabella Suit brands. Senior executives, Andrea Schlossberg and Gary Rodbell, complete the leadership team that provides appealing, high quality and fashionable product to retailers and consumers.

Contacts:

Stanley Silverstein
President, International Development and Global Licensing
212-536-5424
stanley.silverstein@pery.com

Pamela Fields
Vice President, International Development and Licensing
212-536-5602
pamela.fields@pery.com

​Martin Schlossberg
Chairman
212-944-6500. Ext. 322
​martin@cha-inc.com

SOURCE: Perry Ellis International/GLOBE NEWSWIRE

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Cubavera Features Inspiring Stories and Styles behind Top Hispanic Influencers in new Wear Your Heritage web series

Latin Menswear Brand Features Inspiring Stories and Styles behind Top Hispanic Entertainment, Sports and Community Influencers in Web Series dubbed ‘Wear Your Heritage’

MIAMI, FL, 2017-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — Cubavera, Perry Ellis International’s Latin menswear brand, celebrates Latin culture with the launch of the Wear Your Heritage web series. The campaign focuses on sharing the individual #SoyLatino stories of influential celebrities, athletes and community leaders and unveils what it is that connects them to their Hispanic culture.

“A company founded in its signature tropical linen guayabera, Cubavera has its Hispanic roots to thank for the success the brand has experienced in the U.S. For that reason, it is important that we celebrate Latin culture and honor our diversity and the significant contributions of our fellow Latinos,” said Oscar Feldenkreis CEO and President. “The Wear Your Heritage: #soylatino campaign” is a call to all Latinos, spearheaded by celebrity influencers, to share their #SoyLatino story and how individuals proudly ‘wear their heritage’ in both their personal and professional lives.”

Much like a guayabera tells a story through its unique linen, colors and embroidery, the journey of each Latino is similarly marked by his/her country of origin and individual path. In honor of this journey, the Wear Your Heritage web series, found at https://www.cubavera.com/features/soy-latino/ , connects Latino icons such as famous cuban band Orishas, telenovela heartthrob Erick Elias, Univision’s Chef James, actors Gabriel Coronel, William Valdez and professional baseball players Jonathan Villar and Jose Berrios to their heritage. Throughout the series, influencers will tell the story of their upbringing, cultural background and how they are breaking barriers in their respective industries as Latinos. Stories of each influencer’s journey and childhood memories will culminate with how the Cubavera brand represents the Hispanic journey and lets individuals ‘wear their heritage’. The campaign includes a social component with a call to action for Latinos to share their stories with @Cubavera via the #SoyLatino hashtag.

Further, Cubavera recognizes the strides Hispanics have made in all facets of American culture and in integrating Latino fashion, entertainment and more into mainstream America. Yet, there is a beauty that persists in Latino home countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Cubavera invites Latinos to celebrate Latin culture alongside them.

Follow the web series at https://www.cubavera.com/features/soy-latino/ where behind-the-scenes clips, a photo gallery, social RSS feed and more can be found! For those wanting to wear guayabera selections made by celebrities, a ‘shop the look’ component will be made available. To join the conversation, tag @Cubavera and #SoyLatino on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About Cubavera
The Cubavera brand represents the joy, vibrancy, and color of Cuba’s unique flavor of Latin culture that inspires and fascinates everywhere. The Feldenkreis family came from Cuba 50 years ago and brought the smart casual versatility of the guayabera to US clients, with a focus on quality materials, precise tailoring and signature details. In 2000 they transformed these tailoring and design fundamentals into our pioneering Cubavera collection of men’s apparel and accessories with Latin roots and American appeal.

Today and tomorrow, everything we make and do at Cubavera is designed to invite our family of fans to Live the Good Life, the Cubavera way. Our Cubavera ‘Good Life’ brings those same ideals we brought from the guayabera to everyday living: looking great, feeling cool, and putting a little Latin ritmo and tropical sabor into every day, no matter who or where you are. For more information, please visit www.Cubavera.com.

About Perry Ellis International (PEI):
Perry Ellis International, Inc. is a leading designer, distributor and licensor of a broad line of high quality men’s and women’s apparel, accessories and fragrances. The Company’s collection of dress and casual shirts, golf sportswear, sweaters, dress pants, casual pants and shorts, jeans wear, active wear, dresses and men’s and women’s swimwear is available through all major levels of retail distribution. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, owns a portfolio of nationally and internationally recognized brands, including: Perry Ellis®,

An Original Penguin® by Munsingwear®, Laundry by Shelli Segal®, Rafaella®, Cubavera®, Ben Hogan®, Savane®, Grand Slam®, John Henry®, Manhattan®, Axist®, Jantzen® and Farah®. The Company enhances its roster of brands by licensing trademarks from third parties, including: Nike® and Jag® for swimwear, and Callaway®, PGA TOUR®, and Jack Nicklaus® for golf apparel and most recently Guy Harvey® for performance fishing and resort wear.

Additional information on the Company is available at http://www.pery.com.

For more information, please visit www.Cubavera.com.

Media Contacts
Melissa Lopez
mlopez@pintausa.com
305.615.1111 ext.186
Nicolle Lopez
nlopez@pintausa.com
305.615.1111 ext. 182

SOURCE: Perry Ellis International/GLOBE NEWSWIRE

 

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7‑Eleven has all the treats for the whole family this Halloween

Trick or Treat, Slurpee® is Sweet 7‑Eleven® Has Something Good to Eat

IRVING, TEXAS, 2017-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — 7‑Eleven, Inc. has treats for the whole family this Halloween – creepy candy for the kids, monstrously good deals on whole pizzas for parents, and ghostly Slurpee®drinks for everyone. Along with the pizza, candy and Slurpee drinks that everyone can enjoy, 7‑Eleven® stores have hundreds of other meal-time, and treat-time, options.

Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year making that night even more hectic.  While squeezing in decorating, dressing up, trick-or-treating and handing out candy to neighborhood ghouls, ghosts and goblins, 7‑Eleven is here to make dinner prep not a trick, but a treat.

With October being National Pizza Month, and Halloween one of the top pizza-selling days of the entire year,7‑Eleven stores make dinner easy – and affordable – with $5 deals on whole pizzas. Available in cheese, pepperoni and Extreme Meat, these oven-baked fast and ready-in-3-minutes pizzas go great with healthy, cut fruit or fresh-made green salads – these sides are especially important before the bag full of candy that’s coming later. Choose from Caesar, Chef, Garden, Mediterranean and more. Salad selection varies by store.

The featured Slurpee flavor is Ghost White Gummi with the supernatural sweetness of pineapple and a ghostly white color. It goes great when layered with the deep orange-colored Airheads Mango Chili Slurpee Lite® flavor. The refreshing mango flavor in the sugar-free Slurpee drink is followed by the sweet heat of chili. Both Slurpee flavors also come in an exclusive candy form – 7-Select® Ghost White Gummi Bears and limited-edition Mango Chili Airheads candy.

The best way to enjoy an orange and white Halloween Slurpee drink is with a special Halloween straw. This year’s scare-the-slurp-out-of-you straws feature Oscar the Airheads mascot with batwings or vampire teeth. Suggested retail price is just 99 cents.

“Halloween is a frightfully fun holiday, and 7‑Eleven wants to play along with treats for kids, as well as ways to make the holiday easier for mom and dad,” said Laura Gordon, 7‑Eleven vice president of marketing and brand innovation. “Not surprisingly, a holiday dressing up and eating candy is especially popular with kids, teens and young adults – the ages of some of our most frequent shoppers. Ghost white Slurpee drinks, gummi bears and other Halloween treats will give them one more reason to stop by 7‑Eleven.”

While Halloween certainly conjures up images of costumes, cobwebs and jack-o-lanterns, the holiday is still all about the candy. In the U.S., 95 percent of those celebrating will buy candy as part of the festivities… and probably eat a fair amount before the big day.

7‑Eleven stores have plenty of spooky sweet Halloween treats to enjoy right now or on Oct. 31. In addition to perennial favorites like candy corn and pumpkins, mummies and daddies can surprise their adorable little monsters with over-sized marshmallow lollipops featuring Frankenstein and mummy characters, along with colorful Dia de los Muertos folk-style skulls.

Jelly kabobs with bats, pumpkins and ghosts on skewers, while Blue Raspberry Mummy Ooze and Cherry Vampire Blood squeeze candy appeal to those looking for a creepier, messier experience. And keep an eye out for the bloodshot 7-Select Gummi Eyeballs.

Participating stores also have festive Halloween cookies including frosted sugar cookies in monster green and witches’ purple with sprinkles, as well as decorated pumpkin and sugar skull cookies. These are great to pick up on the way to office, school and neighborhood Halloween parties.

It wouldn’t be Halloween, or fall, without pumpkins, specifically pumpkin spice, and 7‑Eleven has that covered as well with pumpkin spice filled muffins, cake donuts, coffee, latte and even flavored coffee creamer. Not surprisingly, pumpkin spice is the top seasonal flavor in bakery and hot beverages at 7‑Eleven stores. We also expect our limited time pumpkin spice 7-Select Iced Cappuccino to become a favorite for those looking for a cold coffee beverage. Seasonal items are available at participating stores for a limited time.

Product selection varies at stores across the country, with some carrying costumes and accessories while others have stocked a selection of Halloween horror movies.

About 7‑Eleven, Inc.
7‑Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience-retailing industry. Based in Irving, Texas, 7‑Eleven® operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 63,000 stores in 18 countries, including 10,900 in North America. Known for its iconic brands such as Slurpee®, Big Bite® and Big Gulp®, 7‑Eleven has expanded into high-quality salads, side dishes, cut fruit and protein boxes, as well as pizza, chicken wings, cheeseburgers and hot chicken sandwiches. 7‑Eleven offers customers industry-leading private-brand products under the 7-Select® brand including healthy options, decadent treats and everyday favorites, at an outstanding value. Customers also count on 7‑Eleven for bill payments, self-service lockers and other convenient services. Find out more online at www.7‑Eleven.com, via the 7Rewards® customer-loyalty platform on the 7‑Eleven mobile app, or on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Contact:

7‑Eleven, Inc.

Corporate Communications

media@7-11.com

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The Chick-fil-A Foundation partners with Atlanta Public Schools to help fund the construction of a new health clinic on Westside

The Chick-fil-A Foundation partners with Atlanta Public Schools to help fund the construction of a new health clinic on Westside

ATLANTA, Ga. , 2017-Oct-30 — /EPR Retail News/ — The Chick-fil-A Foundation has again partnered with Atlanta Public Schools (APS) to help fund the construction of a new school-centered health clinic on the Atlanta Westside. The Care Center, located within M.R. Hollis Innovation Academy, was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 20. When the facility officially opens on November 1, the Care Center will be a full-service medical center providing general medicine, mental health support, and dental support to all Hollis Innovation Academy students and their families.

“We’re so proud to show our continued support of APS with the new Care Center at Hollis Innovation Academy. Our goal is to help the Westside become a place of indigenous thriving, and that begins with providing children and their families with access to quality education and services, like healthcare,” says Rodney Bullard, Vice President of Community Affairs at Chick-fil-A and Executive Director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation.

The Care Center, operated in partnership with HEALing and Chris180, will offer a host of services typical of a family doctor’s office, including acute and chronic illness diagnosis, health checks, immunizations, a laboratory, behavioral health services and dental care. The Center is expected to serve 400 patients in the first year, and will eventually serve nearly 1,000 per year. No one will be denied services based on the inability to pay.

The Chick-fil-A Foundation has partnered with APS to realize many initiatives at Hollis Innovation Academy since—and even before—the school opened its doors in 2016. In addition to helping to fund the Care Center, the Chick-fil-A Foundation has renovated the school’s cafeteria and teachers’ lounge; launched an All-Girls Coding Technovation team; led a hospitality and service training session for student ambassadors; and co-funded an innovative literacy program for elementary school teachers.

“There was a time when this building was a hub for the neighborhood,” said Dr. Diamond Jack, principal of Hollis Innovation Academy. “We wanted to use Hollis as a place to restore and take care of this community, starting with its children, and the Chick-fil-A Foundation has been a great partner as we have worked to make this happen.”

To recognize the ongoing support of the Chick-fil-A Foundation, the APS will be honoring the non-profit at its annual APyeS! Awards on October 25 as “District Partner of the Year.” The awards ceremony will be held at The Woodruff Arts Center’s Rich Theatre at 5:00 p.m. For more information on the APyeS! Awards, please visit www.atlantapublicschools.us.

 

# # #

About the Chick-fil-A® Foundation
The Chick-fil-A® Foundation is the corporate foundation of Chick-fil-A, Inc. A not-for-profit organization, the Foundation’s purpose is to lead the company’s commitment to support youth and education in Chick-fil-A’s local communities. The Foundation’s work is focused on developing and educating young people so they can build a positive legacy and become all they were created to be. For more information, visit    www.chick-fil-afoundation.org

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Amazon Web Services announces the next generation of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud GPU instances

Next generation GPU instances, optimized for machine learning and high performance computing, are the most powerful in the cloud

SEATTLE, 2017-Oct-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (Oct. 26, 2017), Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company (NASDAQ: AMZN), announced P3 instances, the next generation of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) GPU instances designed for compute-intensive applications that require massive parallel floating point performance, including machine learning, computational fluid dynamics, computational finance, seismic analysis, molecular modeling, genomics, and autonomous vehicle systems. The first instances to include NVIDIA Tesla V100 GPUs, P3 instances are the most powerful GPU instances available in the cloud. To get started with P3 instances, visit https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/instance-types/p3/.

P3 instances allow customers to build and deploy advanced applications with up to 14 times better performance than previous-generation Amazon EC2 GPU compute instances, and reduce training of machine learning applications from days to hours. With up to eight NVIDIA Tesla V100 GPUs, P3 instances provide up to one petaflop of mixed-precision, 125 teraflops of single-precision, and 62 teraflops of double-precision floating point performance, as well as a 300 GB/s second-generation NVIDIA NVLink interconnect that enables high-speed, low-latency GPU-to-GPU communication. P3 instances also feature up to 64 vCPUs based on custom Intel Xeon E5 (Broadwell) processors, 488 GB of DRAM, and 25 Gbps of dedicated aggregate network bandwidth using the Elastic Network Adapter (ENA).

“When we launched our P2 instances last year, we couldn’t believe how quickly people adopted them,” said Matt Garman, Vice President of Amazon EC2. “Most of the machine learning in the cloud today is done on P2 instances, yet customers continue to be hungry for more powerful instances. By offering up to 14 times better performance than P2 instances, P3 instances will significantly reduce the time involved in training machine learning models, providing agility for developers to experiment, and optimizing machine learning without requiring large investments in on-premises GPU clusters. In addition, high performance computing applications will benefit from up to 2.7 times improvement in double-precision floating point performance.”

Airbnb’s community marketplace provides access to millions of unique accommodations and local experiences in more than 65,000 cities and 191 countries. “At Airbnb, we’re using machine learning to optimize search recommendations and improve dynamic pricing guidance for hosts, both of which translate to increased booking conversions. These use-cases are highly specific to our industry and require machine learning models that use several different types of data sources, such as guest and host preferences, listing location and condition, seasonality, and price,” said Nick Handel at Airbnb. “With Amazon EC2 P3 instances, we have the ability to run training workloads faster, enabling us to iterate more, build better machine learning models and reduce cost.”

Schrödinger’s mission is to improve human health and quality of life by developing advanced computational methods that transform the way scientists design therapeutics and materials. “Our industry has a pressing need for performant, accurate, and predictive models to extend the scale of discovery and optimization, complementing and going beyond the traditional experimental approach,” said Robert Abel, Senior Vice President of Science at Schrödinger. “Amazon EC2 P3 instances with their high performance GPUs allow us to perform four times as many simulations in a day as we could with P2 instances. This performance increase, coupled with the ability to quickly scale in response to new compound ideas, gives our customers the ability to bring lifesaving drugs to market more quickly.”

AWS Deep Learning Machine Images (AMIs) are available in AWS Marketplace to help customers get started within minutes. The Deep Learning AMI comes preinstalled with the latest releases of Apache MXNet, Caffe2 and TensorFlow with support for Tesla V100 GPUs, and will be updated to support P3 instances with other machine learning frameworks such as Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit and PyTorch as soon as these frameworks release support for Tesla V100 GPUs. Customers can also use the NVIDIA Volta Deep Learning AMI that integrates deep learning framework containers from NVIDIA GPU Cloud, or start with AMIs for Amazon Linux, Ubuntu 16.04, Windows Server 2012 R2, or Windows Server 2016.

With P3 instances, customers have the freedom to choose the optimal framework for their application. “We are excited to support Caffe2 on the new Amazon EC2 P3 instances. The unparalleled power and capability of P3 instances allow developers to train and run models very efficiently at high scale,” said Yangqing Jia, Research Scientist Manager at Facebook. “It will help new innovations get to customers in hours instead of days by taking advantage of the speed with P3 and our modular, scalable deep learning framework with Caffe2.”

Customers can launch P3 instances using the AWS Management Console, AWS Command Line Interface (CLI), and AWS SDKs. Amazon EC2 P3 Instances are generally available in the US East (N. Virginia), US West (Oregon), EU West (Ireland), and Asia Pacific (Tokyo) regions with support for additional regions coming soon. They are available in three sizes, with one, four, and eight GPUs, and can be purchased On-demand, Reserved or Spot instances.

About Amazon Web Services
For 11 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. AWS offers over 90 fully featured services for compute, storage, networking, database, analytics, application services, deployment, management, developer, mobile, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), security, hybrid and enterprise applications, from 44 Availability Zones (AZs) across 16 geographic regions in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the UK. AWS services are trusted by millions of active customers around the world — including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies — to power their infrastructure, make them more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit https://aws.amazon.com.

About Amazon
Amazon 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 and follow @AmazonNews.

Source: Amazon Web Services, Inc.

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Amazon Cloud Cam: Amazon introduces an intelligent indoor security camera

he all-new Amazon Cloud Cam, available for pre-order today at amazon.com/cloudcam. (Photo: Business Wire)

  • Cloud Cam features crisp and clear visuals in 1080p Full HD resolution, night vision, two-way audio, 24/7 livestream, and advanced computer vision algorithms that detect motion and are always getting smarter
  • Alexa lets you easily view Cloud Cam’s livestream on your Echo Show, Echo Spot, Amazon Fire TV, or Fire tablet—just ask
  • Cloud Cam works with Amazon Key, an innovative new service exclusively for Prime members that enables unattended in-home delivery and secure home access for guests and service appointments

SEATTLE, 2017-Oct-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today (Oct. 25, 2017) introduced Amazon Cloud Cam, an intelligent indoor security camera that lets you keep track of your home at an affordable price—check on the pets from work, monitor the front door while traveling, or look in on the kids’ room from the kitchen. Cloud Cam features 1080p Full HD resolution video, night vision, two-way audio, a wide viewing angle, and activity clips from the last 24 hours via the Amazon Cloud Cam App—all for only $119.99. Cloud Cam also is available for under $100 each via a two-pack for $199.99 or a three-pack for $289.99, making it easy to outfit your entire home. Cloud Cam is available for pre-order at www.amazon.com/CloudCam and will begin shipping to U.S. customers on November 8.

Cloud Cam is also the first security camera to support Amazon Key, a new service that enables in-home delivery and secure home access for guests and service appointments, without anyone having to be home. Using Cloud Cam and the free Amazon Key App, you can track each delivery with notifications, watch the entry happen live or view a recorded video after delivery is complete. You can also get notifications when your guests unlock your door. The Amazon Key In-Home Kit, which includes Cloud Cam (Key Edition) and a compatible smart lock, is available exclusively to Prime members—learn more at www.amazon.com/key.

“Cloud Cam has all the features you need to monitor your home, including a 1080p Full HD camera, night vision, two-way audio, and free storage for clips—and with the secure AWS cloud powering Cloud Cam’s advanced computer algorithms and intelligent alerts, the service is always getting smarter,” said Charlie Tritschler, Vice President, Amazon Devices. “All of this is just $119.99—Cloud Cam is a premium product at a non-premium price.”

Cloud Cam works seamlessly with Alexa on Echo Show, Echo Spot, Amazon Fire TV devices, and Fire tablets. Just say, “Alexa, show me the [camera name]” to easily see the feed from anywhere in the house. Or use the free iOS or Android app to see your Cloud Cam on the go. The advanced motion detection and computer vision technology provides customizable notifications in the Cloud Cam App, so you only get the alerts that matter to you. When activity is detected, Cloud Cam sends a mobile notification and stores the clip securely to review. With intelligence that lives in the AWS cloud, over time you will see more advanced detection, alerts, and other new features become available in the service and on the camera itself, such as advanced audio alerts or pet detection, without having to purchase a new device.

Cloud Cam comes with the essentials for keeping an eye on your home, including access to the last 24 hours of clips, which are stored securely in the AWS cloud and support for up to three cameras. With a subscription, you can support up to 10 cameras, get additional storage for video, and have unlimited downloads and shares of video clips. Each subscription also offers Person Detection, which flags human activity instead of general motion (like a pet walking), and Zones, which lets you indicate certain areas of your home with motion that you want ignored (like a ceiling fan). Customers can try any subscription free for 30 days.

  • Basic ($6.99/mo, $69/yr) offers access to the last 7 days of motion detection clips for up to 3 cameras
  • Extended ($9.99/mo, $99/yr) offers access to the last 14 days of motion detection clips for up to 5 cameras
  • Pro ($19.99/mo, $199/yr) offers access to the last 30 days of motion detection clips for up to 10 cameras

Cloud Cam also features two-way audio—using the Cloud Cam App and the device’s built-in microphone, tell your dog at home to stop barking or let your family know you’re leaving work. You can also use two-way audio on your Echo Show or Echo Spot. Cloud Cam’s night vision automatically activates when needed and features eight infrared LEDs so the whole scene is clearly visible, even in the dark. Cloud Cam is designed to fit in any part of your house—freestanding or mounted, just plug it in, download the free Cloud Cam App for iOS, Android or Fire OS, and get started. When the green LED light is on, you know your camera and microphone are on. When you turn the camera off, the green light goes off as well to let you know that the camera and microphone are both electrically disconnected.

Pricing and Availability

You can pre-order Amazon Cloud Cam for $119.99, a two-pack for $199.99, or a three-pack for $289.99 starting today; it will begin shipping to U.S. customers on November 8. You can also order a bundle of Echo Show plus Cloud Cam for $299.98. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/CloudCam.

About Amazon
Amazon 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 and follow @AmazonNews.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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Amazon introduces new service that improves the convenience of receiving deliveries for Prime members

  • Available initially in 37 cities across the United States, Amazon’s innovative new service enables in-home delivery at no extra cost
  • Amazon Key also allows customers to grant secure home access for guests and, coming soon, tens of thousands of service providers, such as Merry Maids, Rover and professional services from Amazon Home Services
  • Amazon Key includes the Amazon Key app, a smart lock and the company’s newest device, Amazon Cloud Cam, an intelligent indoor security camera

SEATTLE, 2017-Oct-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ:AMZN) – Amazon today announced Amazon Key, a new service exclusively for Prime members that radically improves the convenience of receiving deliveries. Amazon Key enables in-home delivery and secure home access for guests and service appointments.

Amazon Key will be available on November 8 in 37 cities and surrounding areas across the U.S., with more locations rolling out over time. Delivery is available on tens of millions of items sold on Amazon.com and the delivery is available at no extra cost for Prime members. AmazonKey works with Same-Day, One-Day, Two-Day and Standard Shipping. Once set-up is complete, receiving in-home delivery is as simple as a click: customers select “in-home” while shopping and Amazon handles the rest. No passcodes, no fuss.

“Amazon Key gives customers peace of mind knowing their orders have been safely delivered to their homes and are waiting for them when they walk through their doors,” said Peter Larsen, Vice President of Delivery Technology, Amazon. “Now, Prime members can select in-home delivery and conveniently see their packages being delivered right from their mobile phones.”

Amazon Key allows customers to have their packages securely delivered inside their home without having to be there. Using the Amazon Key app, customers stay in control and can track their delivery with real-time notifications, watch the delivery happening live or review a video of the delivery after it is complete.

This state-of-the-art technology doesn’t simply replace a key with a digital passcode. Each time a delivery driver requests access to a customer’s home, Amazon verifies that the correct driver is at the right address, at the intended time, through an encrypted authentication process. Once this process is successfully completed, Amazon Cloud Cam starts recording and the door is then unlocked. No access codes or keys are ever provided to delivery drivers. And, for added peace of mind, in-home delivery is backed by Amazon’s Happiness Guarantee.

Prime members can pre-order the Amazon Key In-Home Kit, which includes Amazon Cloud Cam and one of several compatible smart locks by leading lock manufacturers Yale and Kwikset. Customers can install the In-Home Kit themselves or take advantage of free professional installation. Amazon Key In-Home Kit starts at $249.99.

Amazon Key will make customers’ lives easier in many ways—not just through delivery. The service offers keyless access for family and friends. Customers can set the frequency and length of time a person has access, and add or remove contacts as they see fit. And, in the coming months, Amazon Key will provide customers with easy and convenient professional service scheduling with thousands of providers. This includes integrations with some of the leading service brands, including home cleaning experts from Merry Maids and pet sitters and dog walkers on Rover.com, as well as over 1,200 services from providers across 60 professions via Amazon Home Services.

“Amazon Key will make it even easier to cross a major chore off your to-do list by letting the professionals at Merry Maids take care of the house cleaning while you’re not home,” said Nik Varty, CEO of ServiceMaster, the parent company of Merry Maids. “We are thrilled to be teaming up with Amazon so that their customers in need of professional home cleaning services can take advantage of this innovative, convenient and secure service.”

Customers can visit www.amazon.com/key to check eligibility, pre-order the Amazon Key In-Home Kit and schedule free professional installation.

About Amazon

Amazon 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 and follow @AmazonNews.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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Amazon Web Services announces general availability for Amazon Aurora with PostgreSQL compatibility

  • Amazon Aurora, the fastest growing service in AWS history, is now fully compatible with both MySQL and PostgreSQL, delivering the performance and availability of high-end commercial databases at one-tenth the cost
  • Over a thousand customers, including Verizon, Capital One, FINRA, Fannie Mae, C3 IOT, Urban Airship, FantasyDraft, BMC, Blackboard, and Nielsen, participated in the preview, battle-testing PostgreSQL compatibility for Amazon Aurora and running millions of hours against their real-world application workloads

SEATTLE, 2017-Oct-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (Oct. 24, 2017), Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company (NASDAQ: AMZN), announced general availability for Amazon Aurora with PostgreSQL compatibility. Amazon Aurora is a cloud-optimized relational database that combines the speed and availability of high-end commercial databases with the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of open source databases. Now, customers who use PostgreSQL databases can get up to several times better performance with scalability, durability, availability, and security as good as or better than commercial databases—all at one-tenth the cost. With no upfront costs or commitments required, customers pay a simple hourly charge for each Amazon Aurora database instance they use, and can automatically scale storage capacity with no downtime or performance degradation. AWS also announced that customers migrating to Amazon Aurora from another database can use the AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) free of charge for the next six months. To get started with Amazon Aurora, visit https://aws.amazon.com/aurora

Historically, customers have had to choose between performance and price when evaluating database solutions. Commercial databases offer high performance and advanced availability features, but are expensive, complex to manage, have high lock-in, and come with punitive licensing terms. Open source databases such as PostgreSQL and MySQL require less capital expense, but customers often find they cannot achieve the performance or availability of commercial databases. Amazon Aurora offers the best of both worlds—the performance and availability of the highest-grade commercial databases at a cost more commonly associated with open source. And, with more and more enterprises embracing PostgreSQL for its user-defined functions and data types, complex SQL support, NoSQL and JSON support, broad application language support, and closer semantics to some of the old guard databases, Amazon Aurora’s PostgreSQL launch comes at a great time for customers looking to break free of the cost and complexity of traditional commercial databases.

“When we made Amazon Aurora available in 2015, for the first time, customers had a cost-effective and high performance alternative to commercial databases like Oracle and SQL Server—and this is a big part of why Amazon Aurora is the fastest-growing service in the history of AWS,” said Raju Gulabani, Vice President, Databases, Analytics, and Machine Learning, AWS. “While we’ve been amazed at the growth of Amazon Aurora’s MySQL-compatible edition, many of our enterprise customers anxious to move on from their old world database providers have been waiting for Amazon Aurora’s PostgreSQL-compatible edition to launch into general availability. We’re excited to help these customers take another step toward database freedom.”

Amazon Aurora delivers up to several times better performance compared to standard MySQL and PostgreSQL by using a variety of software and hardware techniques to ensure the database is able to fully leverage available compute, memory, and networking resources. Amazon Aurora storage scales automatically, growing and rebalancing Input and Outputs (I/O) across the fleet to provide consistent performance. For example, a customer can start with a database of 10GB and have it automatically grow up to 64TB, without requiring any downtime. Amazon Aurora is highly available and durable, automatically replicating data across multiple Availability Zones and continuously backing up data to Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), which is designed for 99.999999999 percent durability. Amazon Aurora is designed to offer greater than 99.99 percent availability and to automatically detect and recover from most database failures in less than 30 seconds, without crashing or the need to rebuild database caches. Amazon Aurora continually monitors instance health and, if there is a failure, it will automatically failover to a read replica without loss of data.

Capital One, a leading information-based technology company and digital banking innovator, has taken a cloud-first approach to software development. “At Capital One, our cloud-first approach led us to start testing the preview of Amazon Aurora’s PostgreSQL compatibility in November 2016,” said John Andrukonis, Chief Architect, Capital One. “We anticipated performance benefits, as well as the high availability and fast failover capabilities ideal for serving our customers. In our testing during the preview, we’ve been impressed with the performance and high availability offered by Amazon Aurora.”

FINRA regulates a critical part of the securities industry – brokerage firms doing business with the public in the United States. FINRA takes in up to 75 billion market events per day that are tracked, aggregated, and analyzed for the purpose of protecting investors. “FINRA is in the process of migrating most of our relational databases to AWS,” said Saman Michael Far, Senior Vice President & CTO, FINRA. “We have evaluated Amazon Aurora with PostgreSQL compatibility, and we look forward to increasing our usage, because PostgreSQL is the best destination for our relational database workloads.”

INRIX is the global leader in connected car services and transportation analytics, a new approach that leverages big data and the cloud to help manage urban mobility. “From raw GPS points, INRIX generates large-scale vehicle movement data and ingests the data into sharded AmazonRelational Database Service for PostgreSQL instances. We are hitting the storage and performance limits per shard and looking for a more scalable solution,” said Trang Nguyen, Senior Software Engineer, INRIX. “With Amazon Aurora’s compatibility with PostgreSQL, we’ve seen three times performance improvements in our benchmarks. We love Amazon Aurora’s ability to scale storage independently of computing resources at better price points.”

Nielsen is a global data management company providing a comprehensive understanding of consumer behaviors. “In our testing of Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL in the preview, we have seen very good performance upwards of 7-11 times that of RDS PostgreSQL, for both write and read/write workloads,” said Todd Lightbody, Watch Architecture Leader, Nielson. “We are also excited about the expected scalability and reliability, giving us great confidence that Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL will meet our requirements as we move some of our core database workloads to AWS.”

Verizon is a global leader delivering innovative communications and technology solutions. “Verizon is helping our customers build a better, more connected life. As part of this journey, we are undergoing a major transformation in our database management approach, moving away from expensive, legacy commercial database solutions to more efficient and cost-effective options,” said Shashidhar Sureban, Associate Director, Database Engineering, Verizon. “Testing of Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL showed better performance over standard PostgreSQL residing on Amazon EC2 instances, and the AWS Database Migration Service and Schema Conversion Tool were found effective at identifying areas for data-conversion that required special attention during migration.”

FantasyDraft is a daily fantasy sports site offering fantasy play across multiple sports and contest formats including leagues, head-to-head contests and tournaments. “We’ve been extensively testing the preview of the new Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL engine, and have been very impressed with overall compatibility with standard PostgreSQL, along with the ease of migrating our data and applications to Amazon Aurora’s new engine to obtain improved performance, scalability and resiliency,” said Tim Weisbrod, FantasyDraft Co-Founder and President. “We are most excited about improved performance under high concurrency workloads to ensure our users have the best experience possible in the final minutes leading up to when contests start. We’re also looking forward to the rapid crash recovery and fast failover capabilities of Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL to ensure any potential disruptions to our customers are minimized, and to Amazon Aurora read replica scale-out and dynamic auto-scaling storage to help us dynamically add resources to cover the busiest times and reduce costs when they aren’t needed.”

OpenSCG is one of the leading solutions partners in the PostgreSQL community. “We have been testing the preview of Amazon Aurora’s PostgreSQL compatibility as part of our goal of helping enterprises successfully move from expensive on-premises commercial relational databases to PostgreSQL,” said Denis Lussier, CEO of OpenSCG. “We are impressed with the PostgreSQL compatibility, the performance, and the high availability, and we are working with multiple customers to give them all the assistance they need to move their Oracle database workloads to Amazon Aurora. It is truly amazing how quickly people are moving past the Oracle RAC objection that I’ve seen for the last 15 years when they hear how Amazon Aurora works. It’s a game changer for sure.”

SRA OSS is part of SRA Inc., one of Japan’s oldest and largest systems integration companies. “In our performance testing of Amazon Aurora’s PostgreSQL compatibility, we found that the performance was three times better than standard PostgreSQL,” said Tatsuo Ishii, SRA OSS, Inc.Japan President. “Our testing also showed that Amazon Aurora is fully compatible with PostgreSQL 9.6, and we believe customers will be able to move large enterprise workloads from on-premises commercial databases to Amazon Aurora because of its high performance, high availability, and PostgreSQL compatibility. SRA OSS will add support for Amazon Aurora to the next version of pgpool-II, which provides clustering management middleware for PostgreSQL.”

PostgreSQL compatibility for Amazon Aurora is available as a database engine for Amazon RDS in the US East (N. Virginia), US East (Ohio), US West (Oregon), and EU (Ireland) Regions, and will expand to additional Regions in the coming months.

About Amazon Web Services
For 11 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. AWS offers over 90 fully featured services for compute, storage, networking, database, analytics, application services, deployment, management, developer, mobile, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), security, hybrid, and enterprise applications, from 44 Availability Zones (AZs) across 16 geographic regions in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the UK. AWS services are trusted by millions of active customers around the world – including the fastest growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies – to power their infrastructure, make them more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit https://aws.amazon.com.

About Amazon
Amazon 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 and follow @AmazonNews.

Source: Amazon Web Services, Inc.

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Business Prime Shipping: Amazon Business launches a paid annual membership program in the United States and Germany

Amazon Business customers can now sign up for Business Prime Shipping to enjoy unlimited fast, free shipping on tens of millions of items for all users on their business account

SEATTLE, 2017-Oct-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ: AMZN) – Amazon Business today announced the launch of Business Prime Shipping, a paid annual membership program for registered multi-user business customers in the United States and Germany. In the United States, Business Prime Shipping offers unlimited FREE Two-Day Shipping on eligible items for all users on an Amazon Business account. Customers can sign up for a free 30-day trial at www.amazon.com/businessprimeshipping.

“Business Prime Shipping combines the wide selection of products available to Amazon Business customers, with the speed and convenience that customers have come to know and love from Amazon Prime,” said Greg Greeley, Vice President of Amazon Prime. “We are excited to introduce a shipping program designed to meet the needs of businesses and will continue to innovate on behalf of customers to make business purchasing even easier.”

“Business Prime Shipping enables businesses with multiple users to further simplify their procurement procedures and increasingly rely on Amazon Business to deliver,” said Prentis Wilson, Vice President of Amazon Business. “Customers can now get unlimited fast delivery across their organization on a vast selection of products while maintaining increased visibility on their business purchases.”

Amazon Business customers can sign up for an annual Business Prime Shipping membership based on the number of users on their business account: $499 for up to 10 users, $1,299 for up to 100 users, and $10,099 for over 100 users. Once the customer selects the appropriate membership, all users on the account will receive an email notifying them that Business Prime Shipping has been enabled. Any new user added to an existing Amazon Business account with Business Prime Shipping will be automatically enrolled in this membership.

Customers can learn more or sign up for a 30-day trial at www.amazon.com/businessprimeshipping.

About Amazon Business
Amazon Business is a marketplace that combines the selection, convenience and value customers have come to know and love from Amazon, with new features and unique benefits tailored to the needs of businesses. Amazon Business provides easy access to hundreds of millions of products – everything from IT and lab equipment to education and food-service supplies. Amazon Business customers also enjoy a variety of benefits, including business-only pricing and selection, a multi-seller marketplace, single- or multi-user business accounts, Business Prime Shipping, approval workflow, purchasing system integrations, payment solutions, tax exemptions, dedicated customer support and more. To register for a free Amazon Business account, visit www.amazon.com/business. More information about Amazon Business is available at www.amazonbusinessblog.com.

About Amazon
Amazon 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 and follow @AmazonNews.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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Amazon opens new facility and unveils newly renovated site to mark its 10th year anniversary in Arizona

  • Between 2011 and 2016, Amazon’s investments contributed more than $900 million into the state’s economy, indirectly creating 18,000 additional jobs on top of the 6,000 the company employs directly
  • Amazon will create more than 1,000 jobs at a new facility and renovated existing site

SEATTLE, 2017-Oct-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ: AMZN)—This fall, Amazon will celebrate its ten year anniversary of fulfilling customer orders from the Phoenix-area by opening a new center supporting customer fulfillment and unveiling an overhaul of its original Valley facility. Together, the two facilities will create more than 1,000 new full-time positions for Phoenix’s economy. These new jobs are on top of the 6,000 full-time workers Amazon now employs at four fulfillment centers and other locations throughout the Copper State.

“Arizona has played an important role in Amazon’s history,” said Sanjay Shah, Amazon’s Vice President of North America Customer Fulfillment. “Our team in Arizona has been instrumental in providing outstanding customer experiences, raising the bar on our operational excellence, and continuing to innovate on behalf of the customer. Since our first day at the Buckeye Road facility, we’ve received amazing support from the community and we couldn’t be prouder to be part of the Arizona family.”

Amazon’s first fulfillment center in the Valley, located at 6835 West Buckeye Road, opened in the fall of 2007 with a team of 300 full-time employees. (To see the original press release, click here.) Since that building’s launch a decade ago, Amazon has opened three other fulfillment centers, a Prime Now hub, a sortation center, a customer/seller support center, and corporate offices in the Copper State. This fall, renovations were completed at the Buckeye Road facility and the building is now dedicated solely to handling apparel and shoes.

Over the past decade, Amazon has invested billions of dollars into its local fulfillment center infrastructure and through compensation to thousands of employees in the Copper State. Between 2011 and 2016, Amazon’s investments in the state contributed an additional $900 millioninto Arizona’s economy and using methodology developed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Amazon estimates its investments in the state have created an additional 18,000 indirect jobs on top of the company’s direct hires.

“Amazon’s contribution to the Arizona economy over the last 10 years has been a positive and notable force,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “From its creation of thousands of jobs to hiring military veterans to providing funding and opportunities for employees to go back to school to develop their career skills, we are excited to see Amazon grow and thrive in Arizona, because we are thriving too. Congratulations to Amazon for the last ten years and we look forward to many more to come.”

“Amazon’s commitment to innovation and customer service has made them the go-to choice for online shopping,” said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. “We appreciate Amazon’s investment in Phoenix, which has created thousands of jobs and opportunities for our residents.”

Amazon in Arizona by the numbers:

  • 4 fulfillment centers, three of which are located in Phoenix city limits
  • 1 sortation center and 1 Prime Now hub
  • 3 locations in Tempe: customer/seller service, a corporate office, and a development center
  • 250+ restaurants leverage Amazon’s technological expertise to offer customers superfast delivery on hot food through Amazon Restaurants
  • Amazon associates have dedicated hundreds of volunteer hours to charities such as Ohana Animal Rescue, St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, Packages From Home, Central Arizona Shelter Services, UMOM New Day Centers, the Pat Tillman Foundation, New Pathways for Youth, and STAR Academy
  • 6,000+ full-time employees in the greater Phoenix area
  • 8,500+ visitors have toured one of the local Amazon fulfillment centers since the tour program launched in 2014
  • 18,000+ estimated indirect jobs created as a result of Amazon’s investment between 2011 and 2016
  • 40,000+ authors, sellers, and developers in Arizona growing their businesses and reaching new customers on Amazon products and services
  • 145,000 pounds of food to Arizona Feeding America affiliates in 2016 and 2017
  • 460,000 square feet for the new facility located at 5333 W. Lower Buckeye Road
  • $725,000+ donated to charities in Arizona through monetary and in-kind donations since 2012
  • 4,300,000 sq. ft. footprint of the four fulfillment centers
  • $900 million added into Arizona’s economy between 2011 and 2016 due to Amazon’s investments

Amazon’s statewide impact can be seen in the local small businesses it empowers. For example, Jim and Maggie Umlauf are Phoenix residents and co-founders of 4Knines, LLC, a company that sells bespoke seat covers to protect car seats from dog fur. 4Knines uses Fulfillment By Amazon, a service that enables small businesses to use Amazon’s resources to sell directly to customers. “We launched 4Knines Seat Covers in 2013 on Amazon and have seen exponential growth year over year because Amazon gives small businesses the tools and support to succeed. Amazon has given us the opportunity to reach customers not only across the US but internationally as well.”

Full-time employees at Amazon receive competitive hourly wages and a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare, 401(k) and company stock awards starting on day one. Amazon also offers regular full-time employees maternity and parental leave benefits and access to innovative programs like Career Choice, where it will pre-pay up to 95 percent of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon. Since the program’s launch, more than 10,000 employees have pursued degrees in game design and visual communications, nursing, IT programming and radiology, to name a few.

To learn more about working at an Amazon fulfillment center, visit www.amazondelivers.jobs.

About Amazon
Amazon 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 and follow @AmazonNews.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

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

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Amazon announces new Kindle app designed for book lovers

  • All-new Kindle app turns your phone or tablet into a book—read anytime, anywhere
  • An app built for book lovers—with everything you need all in one place, seamlessly move between the pages of your book, your library, your personal bookstore, and more
  • Be part of a community of readers—with Goodreads built into Kindle for iOS you can now discover and discuss books with friends, authors, and more

SEATTLE, 2017-Oct-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — (NASDAQ: AMZN) — Today, Amazon announced an all-new Kindle app that makes it easier than ever to turn your phone or tablet into a book—so you can read anytime, anywhere. The Kindle app is designed for book lovers and provides easy access to the most popular Kindle features—you can effortlessly move between the pages of your book, your library, your personalized bookstore and more. Also, with the Goodreads community built into Kindle for iOS, you can easily discover and discuss books with friends. The all-new Kindle app is available now in the App Store and Google Play, and will be delivered as part of a free, over-the-air update starting this week.

“We’ve built the new Kindle app from the ground up for book lovers, giving readers easy access to everything they might want to do with their books, all in one place,” said Chuck Moore, Vice President, Kindle. “It’s now easier than ever to turn your phone or tablet into a book and immerse yourself in an author’s world at any time.”

All-New Design

With the new Kindle app, it is easier to get to what you want. Whether it’s starting the next chapter in the book you’re reading or a quick search through your library, the all-new design makes switching back and forth seamless. Key updates include:

  • All-New Look—The Kindle app features a new look and feel inspired by books. Details include larger book covers, new fonts, a new app icon, and new light and dark background themes to choose from.
  • One-Tap Access—New bottom bar navigation automatically shows an icon of the book you’re currently reading, making it easier than ever to get back to reading at any moment. The bottom bar also provides quick access to Kindle’s most popular features allowing you to switch between the pages of your book, your library, your personal bookstore, and more.
  • Easy Search—The search bar is now always available throughout the app, so whether a book is in your library or among the millions of titles in the Kindle Store, it’s easier than ever to find it.

Discover and Discuss Books with Friends and the Goodreads Community on Kindle for iOS

The new Kindle for iOS app also helps customers discuss and get book recommendations from their friends, authors, and other readers with the Goodreads community now built right into the app. Goodreads, an Amazon subsidiary, is the world’s largest community of readers, with more than 65 million members.

“For as long as there have been books, people have discussed them with friends,” said Otis Chandler, CEO and co-founder of Goodreads. “When you finish an amazing book, you can’t wait to find out if other readers feel the same way. Readers trust their friends for recommendations, with around half of them saying they discover books through word-of-mouth. With the new features on Kindle, connecting with your friends and similar readers in the Goodreads community is now built into the app.”

Reading is better when you can discuss it with friends. In Kindle for iOS you can now:

  • Find New Books to Read—Browse the new Community tab to keep up-to-date with what friends and readers you follow are reading. When you find a book you are interested in, you can add it to your Want to Read list for quick reference when you are ready to start your next book.
  • Connect with Readers Who Like Similar Books—To help you get recommendations from readers who like the same books, Goodreads also suggests people to follow, including authors and popular Goodreads reviewers.
  • Share Your Thoughts About Books You’ve Read—Post notes and highlights from your book for friends to see and comment on. Easily share when you start reading a book, as well as your rating/review when you’ve finished a book.

Starting today, the Community tab featuring Goodreads discovery and discussion features are available on Kindle for iOS (in the US only), and will be coming to Kindle for Android in a future release. To learn more about how Kindle helps you read anytime, anywhere visit www.amazon.com/kindleapps.

About Amazon
Amazon 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 and follow @AmazonNews.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon.com, Inc.
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Walgreens is now stocking Narcan® nasal spray as part of its commitment to combat drug abuse

Narcan® Nasal Spray

DEERFIELD, Ill., 2017-Oct-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — As part of its comprehensive national plan to combat drug abuse, Walgreens is now stocking Narcan®, an FDA-approved nasal form of naloxone, in all of its more than 8,000 pharmacies nationwide.

The medication, administered by nasal spray, can be used in the event of an overdose to reverse the effects of opioid drugs, which include some prescription painkillers and heroin.

“By stocking Narcan in all our pharmacies, we are making it easier for families and caregivers to help their loved ones by having it on hand in case it is needed,” said Rick Gates, Walgreens group vice president of pharmacy. “As a pharmacy we are committed to making Narcan more accessible in the communities we serve.”

In addition, Walgreens is adopting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations by educating patients about Narcan when they are dispensed a controlled substance greater than 50 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) and may be at risk of accidental overdose.

“This action is an important milestone and we applaud Walgreens initiatives to improve access to Narcan Nasal Spray in communities across the U.S.,” said Seamus Mulligan, Chief Executive Officer of Adapt Pharma, the manufacturer of Narcan Nasal Spray. “This effort, combined with the opportunity for patients and caregivers to obtain Narcan Nasal Spray without an individual prescription in 45 states, is critical in combating this crisis.”

In an effort to educate the public on use of naloxone, pharmaceutical wholesaler AmerisourceBergen has distributed Narcan demo devices at no cost to Walgreens pharmacists for use in instructing patients on how to administer the medication. Additional instructions include calling 911, as Narcan is not a substitute for medical care. Anyone who is administered the medication should seek immediate medical attention.

“At AmerisourceBergen, we strive to provide our customers the highest quality care and support so they can ultimately enhance the lives of patients in their communities,” said Robert Mauch, Executive Vice President & Group President, Pharmaceutical Distribution & Strategic Global Sourcing for AmerisourceBergen. “We recognize the important role we play in addressing the opioid epidemic, and our collaboration with Walgreens is another key milestone to supply our customers with access to lifesaving initiatives and emergency medications that can help keep individuals safe across the country.”

Last year Walgreens announced an effort to make naloxone available without requiring a prescription in states where regulations allow. The company now offers naloxone without requiring a prescription in 45 states and is eager and willing to work with the remaining states to make naloxone easier to obtain.

Walgreens has also collected more than 155 tons of unwanted medications through its safe medication disposal kiosks in 600 pharmacies across 45 states and Washington D.C. The kiosks allow individuals to safely and conveniently dispose of unwanted prescriptions, including controlled substances and over-the-counter medications, year-round at no cost.

About Walgreens
Walgreens (walgreens.com), one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains, 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 10 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 8,175 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with its omnichannel business, Walgreens.com. Approximately 400 Walgreens stores offer Healthcare Clinic or other provider retail clinic services.

Contact(s)

Walgreens
Phil Caruso, 847-315-2936
philip.caruso@walgreens.com
http://news.walgreens.com
@WalgreensNews
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Nordstrom to host hiring day events to fill 13,650 positions

SEATTLE, 2017-Oct-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — Nordstrom, Inc. is planning to hire approximately 13,650 employees before the holidays. The retailer is looking to fill positions at its Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores, HauteLook and Trunk Club businesses, fulfillment and distribution centers. Those interested in a position should apply online at the Nordstrom Careers page, careers.nordstrom.com, or attend one of the retailer’s hiring day events listed below.

“Our focus is always on our customers and we’re looking for great people to help us better serve them during one of our busiest times of the year,” said Jamie Nordstrom, president of stores at Nordstrom. “We have many positions available and this is a great opportunity to gain experience and potentially start a career at Nordstrom.”

Specifically, the company is looking to fill approximately:

  • 8,200 positions at its 122 Nordstrom stores in the U.S. and Canada
  • 3,200 positions at its 227 Nordstrom Rack stores
  • 2,000 positions to support the company’s stores and ecommerce business at its fulfillment centers located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Elizabethtown, Pa.; and San Bernardino, Calif.; and its distribution centers located in Portland, Ore.; Dubuque, Iowa; Ontario, Calif.; Newark, Calif.; Gainesville, Fla.; and Upper Marlboro, Md.
  • 150 positions at its seven Trunk Club clubhouses
  • 100 positions in the photo studio and customer care to support Nordstromrack.com and HauteLook

Part-time and full-time seasonal and permanent positions are available. Benefits include a merchandise discount at Nordstrom, Nordstrom.com, Nordstrom Rack and HauteLook.

Additionally, Nordstrom will host hiring day events in the following stores where interviews and job offers will be given on the spot.

October 27 from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

  • Nordstrom Natick (Natick, Mass.)
  • Nordstrom South Shore Plaza (Braintree, Mass.)
  • Nordstrom Burlington (Burlington, Mass.)
  • Nordstrom Northshore (Peabody, Mass.)
  • Nordstrom Garden State Plaza (Paramus, N.J.)
  • Nordstrom Menlo Park (Edison, N.J.)
  • Nordstrom Freehold Raceway (Freehold, N.J.)
  • Nordstrom The Westchester (White Plains, N.Y.)
  • Nordstrom Roosevelt Field (Garden City, N.Y.)
  • Nordstrom Westfarms (Farmington, Conn.)
  • Nordstrom Short Hills (Short Hills, N.J.)
  • Nordstrom Providence Place (Providence, R.I.)

October 30 from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

  • Nordstrom Stoneridge (Pleasanton, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Valley Fair (San Jose, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Palo Alto (Palo Alto, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom San Francisco Centre (San Francisco, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Stonestown (San Francisco, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Hillsdale Mall (San Mateo, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Corte Madera (Corte Madera, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Walnut Creek (Walnut Creek, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Serramonte Center (Daly City, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack San Leandro (San Leandro, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Westgate Mall (San Jose, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack East Bay Bridge Center (Emeryville, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Ravenswood (East Palo Alto, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Downtown San Francisco (San Francisco, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Persimmon Place (Dublin, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Pacific Commons (Fremont, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Vintage Oaks (Novato, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Coddington Mall (Santa Rosa, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Market Street (San Francisco, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Oakridge (San Jose, Calif.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Sun Valley Mall (Pleasant Hill, Calif.)

November 3 from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

  • Nordstrom Bellevue (Bellevue, Wash.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Factoria Square (Bellevue, Wash.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Lincoln Square (Bellevue, Wash.)
  • Nordstrom Rack Totem Lake (Kirkland, Wash.)

About Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is a leading fashion retailer based in the U.S. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 360 stores in 40 states, including 122 full-line stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico; 227 Nordstrom Rack stores; two Jeffrey boutiques; and two clearance stores. Additionally, customers are served online through Nordstrom.com, Nordstromrack.com and HauteLook. The company also owns Trunk Club, a personalized clothing service serving customers online at TrunkClub.com and its seven clubhouses. Nordstrom, Inc.’s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jennifer Tice Walker
Nordstrom, Inc.
Jennifer.ticewalker@nordstrom.com

SOURCE Nordstrom, Inc.