Tipsheet: France Limits Amazon | Austria Reopens | March US Import Prices -2.3%
U.S. import prices post largest drop in over five years at Reuters. “The Labor Department said on Tuesday import prices dropped 2.3% last month, the largest decline since January 2015, after a downwardly revised 0.7% drop in February. Import prices, which exclude tariffs, were previously reported to have decreased 0.5% in February.” Read more
COVID-19 claims lives of 30 grocery store workers, thousands more may have it, union says at USA Today. “…most supermarket workers say customers aren’t adhering to safety precautions, the union says. UFCW, a food and retail union that represents over 900,000 grocery workers, surveyed 5,000 of its clients and 85% said customers are not practicing social distancing. When asked what grocery stores should do to improve the safety and treatment of workers, 72% said limit the number of customers in stores.” Read more
Amazon stock hits a new all-time high at CNBC. “The stock was trading around $2,242 Tuesday morning, up about 3% from its previous close. Amazon last reached an all-time high in February, when it closed at $2,170.22 per share. Amazon’s market cap is now more than $1.1 trillion.” Read more
Sam’s Club to launch ‘Hero Hours’ for health care workers and first responders at My Stateline. “The retail warehouse club says membership will not be required to shop during these hours and employees will be provided masks and will practice social distancing. ‘Hero Hours’ will run every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.” Read more
Ten U.S. states developing ‘reopening’ plans account for 38% of U.S. economy at Reuters. “The ten U.S. states coordinating plans separately from the White House to reopen businesses shut by the coronavirus are responsible for an outsized proportion of the U.S. economy.” Read more
China buys more US farm products amid plunge in trade at CNBC. “In the first quarter, China imported twice as many U.S. soybeans and six times as much pork than a year ago, according to China Customs.” Read more
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Amazon ordered to limit France trade to essential goods within 24 hours at Reuters. “The Nanterre court also ruled that Amazon will have to pay a penalty of 1 million euros per day of delay in complying with the decision, the union added. Some unions had been calling for the complete closure of Amazon’s activities in France…” Read more
The Fresh Market to require shoppers to wear face masks during coronavirus pandemic at The News & Observer. Read more
Hudson Yards owner says workers must return to offices before malls can reopen in post-coronavirus world at CNBC. “My guess is we go back to offices first,” Related Companies CEO Jeff Blau told CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin on Tuesday. “I think retail is going to be a second step. I think retail is going to be much slower to come back…” Read more
Walgreens category manager for toilet paper says spree started on the West Coast at Store Brands. “At the height of it, Walgreens’ paper goods category had three weeks of inventory sell in just three days.” Read more
Austria reopens thousands of shops in first loosening of coronavirus lockdown at Reuters. Read more
To curb coronavirus spread, some stores directed to stop selling ‘non-essential’ items at Fox Business. “Governments on state and local levels in Vermont, Michigan and Colorado are among those that have called upon stores…to offer only “essential items” in an effort to reduce foot traffic. Instead, officials are encouraging these stores to have customers order items deemed “non-essential” online or over the phone for delivery or curbside pickup.” Read more
Amazon fires staffers who criticized warehouse work conditions during coronavirus crisis at NY Post. Read more
Tipsheet Extra
Unemployment checks being held up by a coding language almost nobody knows
The tainted polio vaccine that sickened and fatally paralyzed children in 1955
PC sales suffer worst decline since 2013 due to coronavirus outbreak
Shift from sports to medical gear keeps RI company open
Florida judge: Get out of bed, get dressed for Zoom hearings
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