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Starbucks will assist with operations and help develop models for vaccination centres that can easily be reproduced across the state. The company will also help to improve the patient experience.
Meanwhile, Microsoft will lend its technology expertise, Costco will help with vaccine delivery, and Kaiser Permanente will handle the planning and delivery of mass vaccines to providers.
Starbucks is uniquely positioned to design vaccination centres through its Tryer Center, an experimental lab where they test ideas for new store designs and how equipment will fit in small spaces.
“We are linked in our pursuit of doing good,” said Shannon Garcia, senior vice president of Starbucks US, of the multi-organisation partnership. “In some ways, this could be our highest calling. Our biggest hope is the ability to offer our expertise to truly nurture the human spirit in a way that pushes beyond coffee and food and get more accessibility to these vaccines.”
H&M’s Arket to open brick-and-mortar store in China
H&M-owned lifestyle brand Arket will open a brick-and-mortar flagship store in Beijing, China, in September. The store will sell fashion, food, scents, beauty and functional home items and feature a cafe offering a vegetarian menu with seasonal ingredients and traditional Nordic dishes.
“The new store gives us an opportunity to welcome people into our world and invite them to experience the rich diversity of our collections,” said Pernilla Wohlfahrt, Arket’s managing director.
The announcement comes after the launch of Arket on Tmall last August in China, bringing the brand a step closer to its plans to expand in Asia. The brand also launched a WeChat Mini Program shop earlier this year.
Arket has more than 20 outlets across European cities, including Amsterdam, London and Berlin. It is also eyeing to open a store in Seoul this year.
Shiseido to sell consumer business for US$1.5 billion
Japanese cosmetics brand Shiseido has announced it will offload its Tsubaki shampoo and Senka daily cosmetics line — which are currently sold in drugstores and convenience stores — to the private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for 160 billion yen (US$1.5 billion).
The deal is expected to close on July 1. Shiseido will focus on its premium cosmetics, including its namesake brand as well as Cle de Peau and Nars. Shiseido has been heavily impacted by Coronavirus as many customers spent their money on daily essentials instead of makeup. The company is expected to see a net loss of 12 billion yen from 2020.
Asos buys Topshop, Topman brands
Online marketplace Asos has bought fashion brands Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT from the collapsing British companyArcadia Group for £265 million. The deal will allow Asos to further boost its own-brand offering with “strong labels that resonate” that align with its current demographic, as well as tap into other markets.
“We’re extremely proud to be the new owners of the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands,” said Asos chief executive Nick Beighton. “We have been central to driving their recent growth online and, under our ownership, we will develop them further using our design, marketing, technology and logistics expertise.”
According to Asos, it will integrate the four new brands and transition their 300 workers across the company. It will also review the supply chain of each brand. Asos is eyeing opportunities for more international partnerships, such as potentially partnering with the US department store Nordstrom.
David Jones to shutdown Wellington store
David Jones will close its Wellington store in June 2020, but the Auckland and Newmarket stores will remain open. David Jones will launch online in New Zealand in late 2022.
“As the retail sector continues to transform, including the accelerated shift to online, the optimisation of our retail network — through investment in our digital and physical channels, a focus on right-sizing and where necessary, consolidation of our physical footprint — is critical to meeting the changing needs of our customers. We sincerely thank our customers and our team for their support and commitment,” a David Jones spokesperson said.
Parent company Woolworths Holdings is reviewing the capital structure of David Jones’ and Country Road’s Australian and New Zealand operations and is discussing how it will further reduce its store network.
The department store revealed its sales during the 26 weeks to January 27 fell eight per cent, in large part because of the 12-week lockdown in Melbourne. However, Woolworths Holdings expected an earnings per share bump of almost 80 per cent due to the sale of David Jones’ Bourke Street and Elizabeth Street stores.
