Walmart boosts outlook after a strong first quarter and rising online sales
Walmart reported fiscal first quarter profits and sales that beat Wall Street estimates as the nation’s largest retailer keeps drawing budget conscious consumers to its aisles looking for food and other items in a challenging economic environment.
An inflation gauge tracked by the Fed slows to still-high 6%
A measure of inflation that is closely monitored by the Federal Reserve eased but remained at an elevated level in October, likely reinforcing the Fed’s intent to keep raising interest rates to cool the economy and slow the acceleration of prices.
Target's 3Q profit drops 52% as shoppers force price cuts
An unexpected and potentially ominous pullback in customer spending ahead of the holiday shopping season pushed third quarter profits at Target down 52% after it was forced to slash prices for Americans who are feeling the squeeze of inflation.
Consumer confidence up slightly in July
U.S. consumer confidence was relatively unchanged from June to July, but remains at its highest level since February 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index inched up in July to 129.1, up from last month’s reading of 128.9.
Target, CVS join chains making masks optional for fully vaccinated shoppers
Target, CVS, Winn-Dixie, Publix, Trader Joe’s, Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart and Starbucks have all announced they’re dropping their requirements that fully vaccinated customers wear face coverings in their stories, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance issued Thursday.
'Lighting a fuse': Amazon vote may spark more union pushes
A banner encouraging workers to vote in labor balloting is shown at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Ala., on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. The two sides are fully aware that it's not just the Bessemer warehouse on the line. The only other time Amazon came up against a union vote was in 2014, when the majority of the 30 workers at a Delaware warehouse turned it down. AdThe auto workers union has had some of the largest union pushes of the last decade, but their most intense and publicized efforts ended in failure. The RWDSU estimates that more than 80% of the warehouse workers in Bessemer are Black.
Walmart pharmacies in Jacksonville area have vaccine waitlists
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Many Walmart pharmacies in Jacksonville have a waitlist for anybody to call and put their name down to be called in case there are any leftover vaccines, News4Jax has learned. On Monday, News4Jax called more than 20 different Walmart locations, from Southeast Georgia to Clay County to find out what is going on. Of the more than 20 Walmart stores News4Jax called, most said there were a lot of people on the lists, but that doesn’t mean people don’t cancel. And while Walmart emphasized the doses will go to those eligible first, the goal is to make sure no vaccine ends up in the trash. AdHere are the groups that are currently eligible for the vaccine at Florida Walmart stores and don’t have to go on a waitlist:
No age restriction for teachers to get vaccinated at federal site in Jacksonville
“Because of the federal directive, this site at Gateway will take teachers, school workers, early childhood, pre-K, of all ages at this site,” said Kevin Guthrie, deputy director/SERT Chief. “So, again, pre-K through K-12, Head Start programs, child care centers, day care centers, and so on -- that site, the federal site, will do that. It is a federal site, and they are complying with the federal directive.”AdCVS, Walmart and Publix are also vaccinating teachers of any age at pharmacies around the state, citing the federal guidelines. AdHundreds of people got shots at the new site in the parking lot of the Jacksonville mall on Norwood Avenue just off Interstate 95. AdThe Gateway Mall site is expected to be active for at least 60 days, although the satellite sites are expected to relocate every seven to 10 days.
Lem Turner Road Walmart’s switch from Moderna to Pfizer vaccine causes confusion for some seniors
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Walmart store on Lem Turner Road on Jacksonville’s Northside will be administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, according to a statement the company sent Thursday to News4Jax. The statement said that as the store at 12100 Lem Turner Road transitions from the Moderna to the Pfizer vaccine, Walmart is directing patients to two nearby locations to receive their second dose of the Moderna vaccine. “The closest one to us was in Leon County, which is Tallahassee.”She later learned Edwards Waters College was offering the Moderna vaccine. AdWalmart’s corporate office later issued the statement to News4Jax that reads:“The Lem Turner store will be administering the Pfizer vaccine to serve even more people within our communities. “As the Lem Turner store transitions from the Moderna to the Pfizer vaccine, we’re directing patients to two nearby locations to receive their second Moderna doses.