News Briefs

Amazon will significantly extend the reach of its same-day pharmaceutical delivery program in 2026.

Amazon Pharmacy will expand same-day prescription delivery to 4,500 cities and towns across the U.S. by the end of 2026 — adding nearly 2,000 new communities over the course of the year, including those in newly-served states such as Idaho and Massachusetts.

This initiative follows the launch of same-day Amazon Pharmacy prescription delivery to the Chicago area and San Francisco Bay area in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Amazon Pharmacy achieved faster delivery speeds in 2025 across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., using delivery methods tailored to the needs of different communities that include e-bikes as well as pick-up kiosks located in the lobbies of select Amazon One Medical clinics in the Los Angeles area. Amazon Pharmacy will continue expanding in-person kiosk access to additional locations in 2026.

[READ MORE: Amazon hits fastest-ever Prime delivery speeds – again]

"Patients shouldn't have to choose between speed, cost, and convenience when it comes to their medication, regardless of where they live," said John Love, VP of Amazon Pharmacy, in a corporate blog post. "By combining our pharmacy expertise with our logistics network, we're removing critical barriers and helping patients start treatment faster — setting a new standard for accessible, digital-forward pharmacy care."

The Francesca’s brand may not disappear entirely.

Stand Out For Good Inc., the parent company of women’s apparel and lifestyle retailer Altar’d State, on Wednesday won bid protections to serve as the stalking horse bidder for the intellectual property assets of Francesca’s. The Houston-based specialty women’s apparel and accessories chain filed for bankruptcy on Feb. 6, with plans to close its stores and liquidate. 

Earlier this week, Stand Out made a bid of $7 million for Francesca’s intellectual property, per a court filing. The deal includes a break-up fee of $210,000 and an expense reimbursement of up to $150,000 paid to Stand Out. Alternative bids are allowed to be submitted.

Prior to its bankruptcy filing, Francesca’s hired Hilco to solicit interest in the company’s assets. 

In addition to Altar’d State, which operates more than 110 stores nationwide, Stand Out’s retail portfolio includes wedding-focused Vow’d, kids apparel brand Tullabee and activewear brand AS Revival. 

Artificial intelligence may be making an already growing challenge for hiring managers worse.

A new survey from staffing agency Express Employment Professionals reveals that 80% of U.S. hiring managers say candidates' resumes don't match their real-world skills “at least sometimes,” with a third (34%) of them reporting that it happens “all the time or often.” Despite this, only 22% of job seekers confess to listing skills they don't actually have.

The survey found that with AI-powered tools at every applicant's fingertips, companies are becoming increasingly suspicious of embellished resumes. A strong majority (86%) of hiring managers believe AI makes it too easy to put misleading information on resumes, and 42% strongly agree that it is becoming a serious hiring risk.

[READ MORE: Survey: Expertise tops concerns for HR teams implementing AI]

"In today's market, you don't need a perfect resume; you need a truthful one," said Bob Funk Jr., CEO, president and chairman of Express Employment International. "When job seekers exaggerate their abilities, they set themselves up for stress, failure and lost opportunities. But when they're transparent about their skills and what they know, and eager to learn what they don't, employers take notice. Integrity is still a competitive advantage."

Methodology

The Job Insights survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals from Nov. 3 to 19, 2025, among 1,002 U.S. hiring decision-makers. The Job Seeker Report was also conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals, from Nov. 7 to 20, 2025, among 1,003 adults ages 18 and older.

America’s largest used car retailer has a new incoming chief executive.

CarMax Inc. has appointed Keith Barr as president, CEO and member of the board of directors, effective March 16. David McCreight, current interim president and CEO of CarMax, will transition to his prior duties as an independent director of the board. Tom Folliard will remain in his role as interim executive chair of the board until the company’s annual meeting in June, after which he is expected to resume his prior duties as non-executive chair of the board.

Former CarMax CEO William Nash departed the company in November.

Barr brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience to CarMax. He recently served as the CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s largest hotel companies, from 2017 to 2023. Prior to becoming CEO, Barr served as chief commercial officer, where he held global responsibility for brands, sales, marketing, revenue management, loyalty functions and the consumer digital strategy. He joined IHG in 2000.

For the past year and a half, Barr served as a senior advisor at private equity firm Sixth Street.

“The board and I are thrilled to welcome Keith to CarMax,” said Folliard. “His decades of leadership experience and proven ability to enhance the customer experience, lead digital transformations, build brand loyalty and effectively integrate online and physical properties make Keith the right choice to lead CarMax through a critical juncture and drive the company’s next chapter of growth.”

[READ MORE: Amazon partners with Ford for used auto sales]

CarMax has more than 250 store locations and employs over 28,000 associates. During the fiscal year that ended Feb. 28, 2025, CarMax said it sold approximately 790,000 used vehicles and 540,000 wholesale vehicles at its auctions.

Tractor Supply Company has expanded its board of directors and raised its dividend.

The nation’s largest rural lifestyle retailer said that Sonia Syngal has joined the board as an independent member, effective immediately. Syngal served as CEO of Gap Inc. from 2020 to 2022. Previously, she was the CEO of the company’s Old Navy division. Before that, she spent more than a decade in leadership and operational roles with Gap.

“Sonia brings strong leadership experience and strategic insight that will be valuable as we advance our long-term strategy and continue creating value for our shareholders,” said Edna Morris, chairman of Tractor Supply.

With the addition of Syngal, Tractor Supply’s board now consists of a total of 10 members. 

Separately, Tractor Supply has increased its dividend by $0.04, or 4.3% year over year, to $0.96 per share on an annualized basis for 2026, marking the company’s 17th consecutive year of dividend increases. In accordance with the increase, the board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.24 per share of the company’s common stock.

As of Dec. 27, 2025, the company operated 2,395 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states and 207 Petsense by Tractor Supply stores in 23 states.

[READ MORE: L.L. Bean automates forecasting and replenishment]