UNLIMEAT Begins Plant-based Jerky Sales on Amazon

UNLIMEAT, an alternative meat brand from Korea, has begun sales of their hit plant-based jerky on Amazon. UNLIMEAT entered the US market just last month with a Kickstarter campaign that exceeded its target goal within three hours. Its launch was covered on influential media outlets such as Yahoo Finance, Fox News, and AP, and received a great deal of attention from consumers as well. The campaign successfully concluded, hitting 1035% of its funding goal in a single month.

An UNLIMEAT representative remarked, "We'd heard that it would be difficult to reach..."

Over 25,000 Employees Joined Amazon Career Choice in the Last 6 Months

"Amazon creates an environment where I can balance work and school," said Catherine Lemonds, an Amazon employee. "I'm so glad they updated the Career Choice program. With the new limitless learning benefit, I'm able to work on completing my bachelor's degree."

Catherine is one of more than 25,000 employees who have joined Amazon Career Choice this year, bringing worldwide total participation to more than 80,000 employees since the most recent enhancements were announced in September.

Career Choice is designed to help frontline employees grow their skills for career...

Amazon Creates $1 Billion Fund for Supply Chain Innovation

Amazon will invest $1 billion into supply chain technology.

Amazon is launching a $1 billion venture investment program for logistics and fulfillment technology.

The e-tail giant’s new funding initiative, called the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund (AIIF), is meant to advance and support innovation in customer fulfillment, logistics, and the supply chain. According to Amazon, increasing customer demand for online shopping and fast delivery led it to create the fund.

Amazon says the new fund will invest in companies that develop and provide solutions that “incrementally increase delivery...

NRF Releases 2022 Top 50 Global Retailers

The National Retail Federation today released its annual list of the Top 50 Global Retailers. Conducted with Kantar, the 2022 Top 50 Global Retailers list is a compilation of the 50 most impactful international retailers based on their operations at the start of 2021.

Walmart continues to be the world’s largest retailer, having made significant investments in omnichannel marketplaces, in-store services and fulfillment models. Holding on to the same rankings as 2021, Amazon.com came in second, Schwarz Group came in at No. 3 and Aldi came in fourth. Costco came in as...

Amazon Partners with Universities and Colleges to Fully Fund Tuition for Hourly Employees

Amazon announced today that it is further expanding the career advancement opportunities it offers its 750,000 hourly employees in the U.S. by partnering with more than 140 national and local universities to provide fully-funded college tuition. The announcement is part of the company’s ongoing enhancements to Career Choice—an Amazon upskilling program designed to help frontline employees grow their skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere.

Today’s announcement brings into the program dozens of local colleges and universities and four new national nonprofit education providers...

SOMOS Launches Meal Kits and More to Replace Americanized Mexican Food with Real Mexican Food

SOMOS officially launches today to replace the Americanized Mexican food found in most pantries with real Mexican - made in Mexico, the way Mexicans make it. With SOMOS, co-founders, former KIND Snacks executives, and real-life amigos, Daniel Lubetzky, Miguel Leal and Rodrigo Zuloaga, want to transform American kitchens into true Mexican cocinas filled with delicious, easy-to-make food from the heart of Mexico. SOMOS, which means "We Are" in Spanish, aspires to connect Mexico and the world by replacing a narrow view...

Tornado Damages Amazon Warehouse in Illinois; Six Victims Identified

At 8:35pm Friday evening, a tornado ripped through an Amazon warehouse in Illinois, killing 6 people. 

The National Weather Association confirmed that this was an EF-3 tornado coming from the west, and it had touched down at 30-77 Gateway Commerce Center Drive East. The tornado caused serious damage to a large part of the building.

Edwardsville Fire Chief, James Whiteford, gave a statement on Saturday to update the public. Whiteford stated that they had contacted mutual aid fire departments, EMS, and technical rescue teams from surrounding communities to assist with search and recovery efforts...

Amazon Hiring for 150,000 Seasonal Jobs to Help Deliver Great Holiday Experiences

Amazon continues to provide diverse employment opportunities for people of all backgrounds and skill levels, announcing today 150,000 seasonal jobs are now available across the U.S. All Amazon jobs in the U.S., including seasonal roles, have an average starting pay of $18 per hour, sign-on bonuses up to $3,000 and an additional $3 per hour depending on shifts in many locations.

“We are proud to be offering a huge range of full-time, part-time, and now seasonal jobs with great..."

Freshly names former Amazon executive Anna Fabrega as Chief Executive Officer

Freshly Inc., the leading fresh-prepared meal delivery service in the U.S., today announced that Anna Fabrega, Freshly's Chief Commercialization Officer, has been named CEO effective today. The appointment comes as Mike Wystrach, Freshly Founder and CEO, has decided to step down from his position and transition to an advisory role to the Freshly Board.

"From small beginnings hand-delivering meals to consumers, to building standard-setting technology and a nationwide network that delivers more than one million meals per week and helps make eating..."

Amazon Prime Members will Soon Pay Fee for All Whole Foods Deliveries

Amazon is phasing out free deliveries from Whole Foods Market for Amazon Prime members.

Free online deliveries from Whole Foods are coming to an end for members of the Amazon Prime paid loyalty program.

Starting Monday, Oct. 25, 2021, all online delivery orders placed through the Amazon Prime membership service will carry a $9.95 delivery fee. Amazon Prime members, who up until now received free delivery for Whole Foods orders over $35, have been paying the fee in the for Whole Foods delivery orders in the...

Amazon Opens First Fulfillment Center in North Dakota

Amazon’s new fulfillment center in Fargo is up and running. Employees started work within the new one million-plus square foot facility on Sunday, Sept. 19. The new center is the largest structure in the State of North Dakota (in terms of square footage) and will be the workplace of hundreds of associates in the months and years ahead.

“North Dakota welcomes this significant investment, which will bring high paying jobs to our state, further connect North Dakotans into the global commerce system and increase the speed of delivery of products..."

Whole Foods Market to Launch Just Walk Out Technology at Two Stores Next Year

Whole Foods Market announced today that it will open two stores featuring Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology as an option for customers. Located in Washington, D.C.’s Glover Park neighborhood and Sherman Oaks, California, the stores are expected to open next year.

Both stores will offer the high-quality, natural and organic products and locally sourced options that are found in all Whole Foods Market locations – but customers will have an option to skip the checkout line. Using Just Walk Out technology, customers can enter, shop...

Amazon Announces Plans to Hire Over 7,500 Employees in Several Cities and Towns Across Arizona

Amazon continues to provide opportunities for full-time and part-time jobs in logistics as it expands its footprint to better serve in communities where they live. Today the company announced that it is providing an additional 7,500 local employment opportunities throughout Arizona on top of the 40,000 corporate and technology jobs recently announced. The roles in fulfillment and transportation offer an average starting wage of more than $18 per hour—and up to $22.50 per hour in some locations...

Amazon Announces Plans to Hire 125,000 Employees in Hundreds of Cities and Towns Across America

Amazon continues to provide opportunities for full-time and part-time jobs in logistics as it expands its footprint to better serve customers in communities where they live. Today, the company announced that it is providing an additional 125,000 local employment opportunities throughout the U.S., on top of the 40,000 corporate and technology jobs announced earlier this month. The roles in fulfillment and transportation offer an average starting wage of more than $18 per hour—and up to $22.50 per...

Three Reasons Retailers Want to Become Tech Platforms

Kroger’s proprietary “Customer Fulfillment Center” (CFC) concept is one example of a retailer acting as a tech platform.

More retailers are attempting to transform themselves into full-fledged technology platforms, with good justification.

I recently wrote on a column on signs that Instacart wants to join major technology providers such as Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook by evolving into a broadly-based tech platform. While I still stand behind that column, Instacart is hardly alone in what appear to be its technology ambitions.

Other retailers, including (but not limited to)...

Amazon Expands Hampton Roads Investment with a Career Center and Two New Delivery Stations

Amazon continues its investment in the Hampton Roads area with the launch of a Career Center and two delivery stations. The Amazon Career Center, located at 1989 S. Military Highway in Chesapeake will serve as a hiring and orientation hub for the company’s operations facilities in Chesapeake, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hampton, and Virginia Beach. Additionally, the company is excited to announce the opening of two delivery stations in the Hampton Roads area, a 165,000 square foot facility at 1400 Sewells Point Road in Norfolk and a 111,600...