Personnel

Amazon Launches Program to Reduce Worker Injuries
May 18, 2021 at 4:42 pm

Amazon.com announced on Tuesday the launch of WorkingWell, a new comprehensive program providing employees with physical and mental activities, wellness exercises, and healthy eating support that are scientifically proven to help them recharge and re-energize, and ultimately reduce the risk of injury. According to a company press release, the program is part of Amazon's investment…

J.C. Penney Cuts 650 Jobs, Reducing Associate Count to About 50,000
May 6, 2021 at 7:41 pm

J.C. Penney's new owners, Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management, announced last week that they have cut the corporate staff of more than 3,500 by about 100 people. In addition, field operation was cut by 550 people. When J.C. Penney filed for bankruptcy protection in May 2020, there were about 84,000 associates employed y the…

With E-Commerce Growth Slowing, Retailers Need AI to Make it Profitable and Permanent
May 4, 2021 at 2:40 pm

During the pandemic-induced online shopping boom, retailers invested in e-commerce capabilities out of necessity. As consumers shifted to retailers with online ordering, merchants were scrambling to provide new digital order and delivery options. These investments helped capture more market share, but now that stores are reopening and there's little market share remaining to capture, retailers…

Amazon to Increase Wages for Over 500,000 Employees
April 29, 2021 at 4:26 pm

Amazon.com announced Wednesday that it will give more than 500,000 workers a raise. The retailer will hike pay by between 50 cents and $3 an hour for over half a million of its U.S. operations employees, Darcie Henry, vice president of global human resources for Amazon, said in a company blog post. Amazon will spend…

Amazon Employees Vote Against Unionization in Alabama Warehouse
April 13, 2021 at 8:07 pm

Amazon.com workers in Bessemer, Alabama, voted by a wide margin not to unionize last week, reports CNBC. The result culminates months of a closely watched and hard-fought election to unionize a U.S. Amazon facility for the first time, delivering a blow to organized labor. Approximately 5,800 workers at the Bessemer warehouse were eligible to vote…

Retail Leaders Set Their Sights on Better-Trained Workers to Drive Operational Efficiency
April 7, 2021 at 1:49 pm

When thinking about how to drive additional productivity within a retail operation (e.g., distribution, customer support, store support), it's easy to assume that adding more digitalization and technology is the fastest and most cost-effective way to move the needle. While technology can indeed inspire and drive productivity, many leading retailers are going back to basics…

Target to Pay Workers to Get COVID-19 Vaccine, Joining Other Retailers
February 11, 2021 at 4:25 pm

Target will offer its employees free transportation and pay for the time taken to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and Target-owned grocery delivery service Shipt will also offer stipends to its contract workers. All Target hourly employees who choose to get vaccinated will get up to four hours of pay — two hours for each dose…

Why Data is Key to Your 2021 Facilities Survival Plan
February 3, 2021 at 5:01 pm

After a challenging 2020, retailers are eyeing the year ahead with quiet optimism. The arrival of coronavirus vaccines means an end could be in sight to the constant closing and reopening that defined the last year, and stores can look forward to a release of pent-up spending when shoppers venture back out. However, nothing should…

Wayfair Raising Minimum Pay to $15 an Hour for All US Workers
January 7, 2021 at 8:35 pm

Wayfair, the furniture and home goods e-commerce business, said yesterday that all of its U.S. employees would be paid at least $15 an hour. The increase, which went into effect on Jan. 3, applies to full-time, part-time and seasonal workers at the company. More than 40 percent of Wayfair’s hourly employees working across its U.S.…