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Business
Amazon Plans To Open Department Stores, But Not For Reason You Think, Report Says Amazon Plans To Open Department Stores, But Not For Reason You Think, Report Says
Amazon Plans To Open Department Stores, But Not For Reason You Think, Report Says After crushing brick-and-mortar retailers across the country, Amazon is now reportedly taking its shot at the department store game. The online retail giant, which currently manages a handful of small Amazon-branded stores, is looking to expand its offline shopping options is thinking bigger, with department store plans reportedly in the works. According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon is looking to open locations smaller than traditional department stores, following the playbook set forth by Aldi and Trader Joe’s, with a heavy emphasis on private-label goods from Amazon. If the plan co…

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by Zak Failla
News
Don't Fall For It: Beware Of 'Boss Scam,' Authorities Say Don't Fall For It: Beware Of 'Boss Scam,' Authorities Say
Don't Fall For It: Beware Of 'Boss Scam,' Authorities Say Officials are cautioning about “boss scams” that have been making the rounds in the region as fraudsters target vulnerable employees as the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic surges. New York Attorney General Letitia James issued an alert warning of “boss scams,” which involve scammers using text messages and emails to pose as employers and request gift cards for alleged work emergencies. James said that the scam has been on the rise during the pandemic as many employees have been working remotely for months, some more than a year. According to James, “an employee receives a text or an …

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by Zak Failla
Business
Alert Issued For Amazon Prime Day Scams Alert Issued For Amazon Prime Day Scams
Alert Issued For Amazon Prime Day Scams The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is cautioning consumers to be aware of potential scams on Amazon Prime Day this year. Each year, the online retail giant rolls out massive discounts on Prime Day, which is on Monday, June 21, and Tuesday, June 22, with other brick-and-mortar stores such as Walmart, Target, and Kohl’s joining in with sales across the board. However, according to the BBB, “more deals mean more chances for scammers to capitalize on the buzz and trick shoppers. Be wary of phishing scams, misleading advertisements, and lookalike websites.” Scams to look out for, the BBB cautione…

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by Zak Failla
Business
One Of Just Two Disney Stores In Hudson Valley Permanently Closes One Of Just Two Disney Stores In Hudson Valley Permanently Closes
One Of Just Two Disney Stores In Hudson Valley Permanently Closes Disney fans have lost their next-to-last shopping stop for all things Mickey in the Hudson Valley with the closure of the county's one remaining Disney Store. The store located in Rockland County at the Palisades Center in West Nyack has closed permanently, according to the Shop Disney Store locator, shopdisney.com/store-locator-and-special-events. Disney's other Hudson Valley store, in Orange County at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, remains open. The Walt Disney Company announced earlier this year it would close about 60 stores in North America. “While c…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
COVID-19: These Retailers Are Allowing Maskless Shopping For Fully Vaccinated COVID-19: These Retailers Are Allowing Maskless Shopping For Fully Vaccinated
Covid-19: These Retailers Are Allowing Maskless Shopping For Fully Vaccinated With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and most states loosening up mask-wearing restrictions, many retailers are following suit and are enacting new policies for customers and employees. The CDC said last week that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask or stay 6 feet apart from others in most cases, whether indoors or outdoors. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they receive the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single dose of Johnson & Johnson. The following mandates are in place at thes…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Target Paying Workers To Get Vaccines COVID-19: Target Paying Workers To Get Vaccines
Covid-19: Target Paying Workers To Get Vaccines Target has become the latest retail grocer to pay employees to get COVID-19 vaccinated. Target's corporate office said on Wednesday, Feb. 10 that it would provide hourly employees up to four hours of pay (two hours per each vaccine dose) to get vaccinated. The retailer will also arrange for free Lyft rides (up to $15 each way) to get employees to vaccination centers. “Taking care of our team has been at the heart of every decision we’ve made since the coronavirus started, and this point in the pandemic is no different,” said Target's Chief Human Resources Officer Melissa Kremer in a stateme…

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by Kristin Palpini
Business
Godiva Chocolate Closing All US Stores Godiva Chocolate Closing All US Stores
Godiva Chocolate Closing All US Stores Godiva Chocolate is closing all of its North American stores. The mass closure will affect 128 stores in the United States and Canada. Outposts in Europe, the Middle East, and China will remain open. Godiva will stay open through Valentine’s Day, but closures will be completed by March, according to CNN and other media sources. The news comes as a new Godiva CEO steps in, Nurtac Ziyal Afridi, who was appointed in mid-December 2020. Godiva said, in a press release, that its business has been shifting from in-store purchases to online orders through its own and partner websites. The near…

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by Kristin Palpini
Police & Fire
Man Who Stole Five Cars In Two Days, Escaped From Hospital Nabbed After Chase, Police Say Man Who Stole Five Cars In Two Days, Escaped From Hospital Nabbed After Chase, Police Say
Man Who Stole Five Cars In Two Days, Escaped From Hospital Nabbed After Chase, Police Say A man arrested then released per New York bail reform laws twice, stole five cars over two days, robbing two stores and leading officers on a police chase in the area. On Thursday, Aug. 18 at 3 a.m., after stopping an erratic driver on South Road (Route 9) in Poughkeepsie, police determined that a vehicle driven by 23-year-old Oneida County resident Andre-Pierre J. Cadrette had been reported stolen on Saturday, Aug. 8 from the thief's home city of Rome.  Cadrette was charged with the felony of third-degree possession of stolen property on Thursday, Aug. 20, along with two misdemea…

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by Christina Coulter
Business
Parent Company Of Balducci’s, Kings Food Markets Files For Bankruptcy Parent Company Of Balducci’s, Kings Food Markets Files For Bankruptcy
Parent Company Of Balducci’s, Kings Food Markets Files For Bankruptcy KB US Holdings, the parent company of Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market, which has locations throughout the region, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The company announced this week that “it has accepted a stalking horse bid from TLI Bedrock to purchase the company for $75 million.” To facilitate the sale, KB and its subsidiaries have commenced voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Kings currently operates 25 specialty supermarkets, including 23 in New Jerse…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Hundreds Of Gym, Fitness Center Owners Suing State Over Delayed Reopening COVID-19: Hundreds Of Gym, Fitness Center Owners Suing State Over Delayed Reopening
Covid-19: Hundreds Of Gym, Fitness Center Owners Suing State Over Delayed Reopening Hundreds of owners of gyms and fitness centers in New York are forming a coalition as they plan to sue the state for being unable to reopen during Phase 4 of the state's novel coronavirus (COVID-19) economic recovery plan. Though most of the state is in Phase 4 of reopening the economy as New York recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, gyms, and fitness centers were excluded and not permitted to reopen, angering hundreds of gym owners across the state who are crying foul. It remains unclear when they will be permitted to reopen, and according to the lawsuit, they are alleging that New York Go…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Another Giant Clothier Falls: These NJ, NY, CT Brooks Brothers Stores Are Closed For Good Another Giant Clothier Falls: These NJ, NY, CT Brooks Brothers Stores Are Closed For Good
Another Giant Clothier Falls: These NJ, NY, CT Brooks Brothers Stores Are Closed For Good It was the clothier that dressed 40 presidents, brought us the button-down polo shirt and survived not only the Great Depression and two world wars but also casual Fridays. But like so many other traditional retailers, Brooks Brothers was no match for the coronavirus. The 202-year-old company – considered America's oldest apparel seller -- on Wednesday filed for bankruptcy protection while announcing that 38 stores that it closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic weren't reopening. The shuttered stores in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut include: The Shops at Riverside, Hackensack; 2381…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Business
COVID-19: Here's How Much More Target Will Be Permanently Paying Workers COVID-19: Here's How Much More Target Will Be Permanently Paying Workers
Covid-19: Here's How Much More Target Will Be Permanently Paying Workers Target is planning to permanently offer employees an increased hourly wage and additional benefits in appreciation of their work during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The company announced this week that as of July 5, starting hourly wages will be bumped to $15, and employees will also receive a one-time $200 “recognition bonus” for both full and part-type associates that worked during the outbreak. Brian Cornell, Chairman, and CEO of Target made note that the $15 starting wage is 25 percent higher than the industry average nationwide. “In the best of times, our team brings i…

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by Zak Failla