Breaking News, Latest Philippines Headlines, World, Entertainment, Politics, Weather & Video News
British clothing-to-food retailer Marks and Spencer on Wednesday announced a full exit from Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. After halting product shipments to Russia at the start of March, Marks and Spencer said it had decided “to fully exit” its Russian franchise run by Turkish conglomerate Fiba Group. The exit, plus disruption to M&S operations in Ukraine run also by franchisee Fiba, is costing the British company £31 million ($39 million, 36 million […]
by John Biers with Heather Scott in Washington © Agence France-Presse New York, UNITED STATES (AFP) — US consumers continued to increase spending in April, remaining resilient in the face of accelerating inflation, but retail giant Walmart still saw a big hit to its bottom line due to rising costs, according to reports released Tuesday. Home Depot, however, benefitted from the ongoing spending spree, reporting higher profits and a better outlook for the year. The […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s retail sales slumped to its lowest in two years while factory output plunged, official data showed Monday, capturing the dismal economic fallout from Beijing’s zero-Covid policy. The world’s second-largest economy has persisted with strict virus measures, choking up global supply chains as dozens of Chinese cities — including key business hub Shanghai — grapple with restrictions. Officials have vowed to support growth, lowering the mortgage rate for first-time homebuyers. […]
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) – Dubai is ending the free distribution of single-use plastic bags in a drive towards more sustainable practices for the glitzy emirate known for its unbridled consumerism. From home deliveries to supermarkets and shops, single-use plastic bags are ubiquitous across the emirate. “In line with enhancing environmental sustainability and encouraging individuals to reduce the excessive use of plastics, the Executive Council of Dubai has approved the policy to limit single-use […]
by Holmes CHAN Three years of democracy protests followed by a pandemic have devastated Hong Kong retailers who had grown used to relying on cash from mainland Chinese tourists. In a city that once boasted some of the world’s highest retail rents, the market has cratered. But a border town has seized the chance to evolve its local economy. Sheung Shui is the first town from the main overland border crossing and once thrived as […]
by Glenn CHAPMAN Agence France Presse Amazon and Apple announced billions of dollars in quarterly profits on Thursday, but supply chain bottlenecks and the great chip shortage dented the tech giants, which have been riding a pandemic-stoked boom. Apple said sales of its signature iPhone and iPad were held back due to supply constraints, while Amazon struggled to get products and enough workers to meet demand. Both firms soared in the pandemic era […]
by Michel COMTE Agence France Presse OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — In Ottawa’s ByWard Market neighborhood, shopkeepers were busy readying for an influx of shoppers, dusting off wares and adjusting to new rules. “I’m smiling behind the mask,” declares the owner of a clothing store in the popular outdoor market, which was permitted to reopen Tuesday along with many shops across Canada as authorities began easing a two-month lockdown. Ontario — Canada’s most populous province — […]
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — Dubai’s famous malls will shut down for a fortnight under the United Arab Emirates’ plan to curb coronavirus, which will also see its airports closed to passenger and transit flights. The decision to close commercial centers takes in shopping centers as well as fresh food markets, but pharmacies and food retail outlets will be allowed to stay open. Restaurants are limited to home deliveries. The health ministry and the […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — An Australian supermarket chain will start opening its doors exclusively to customers over 60-years-old for one hour a day as part of an effort to ease the burden of panic-buying on the most vulnerable. “Woolworths Supermarkets will be opening exclusively for the elderly and those with a disability to shop from 7am to 8am,” the company said in a statement Monday. The measure is expected to come into effect on Tuesday […]
by John Biers NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Walmart will halt sales of ammunition for handguns and some military-style rifles, the company announced Tuesday, calling the status quo on firearms in the United States “unacceptable.” Walmart also said it will direct consumers not to carry firearms into its stores, a practice that is legal in “open carry” states but which has sparked safety scares in recent weeks. The moves, which were praised […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Amazon said Monday it was offering employees $10,000 to quit their jobs and become independent package delivery entrepreneurs for the online retail colossus. An Amazon statement said the latest incentive would also include three months of wages for employees who want to start their own delivery enterprise, and that they would be assured “consistent delivery volume” from the company. The move comes with Amazon seeking to reduce its dependence on […]
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Amazon on Wednesday began putting cooler-sized robots to work delivering packages to customers in a neighborhood outside Seattle. Electric-powered, wheeled delivery vehicles named “Scout” were created by Amazon and guide themselves along sidewalks at a walking pace, according to Sean Scott, the vice president heading the project. Amazon becomes the latest entry to the market for robotic or autonomous delivery aimed at getting meals or other goods to customers […]
