Distribution

Thousands nationwide turned out Wednesday for the chance to join Amazon’s growing workforce.   The online giant hosted a multi-state job fair on Aug. 2, focused on hiring full-time and part-time associates for positions across nearly a dozen of its U.S.-based warehouses. The event had such a massive turnout that Amazon said it received "a record-breaking 20,000 applications,” according to CNBC. This is almost half of the 50,000 roles the company says it has available across its fulfillment network.

Uniqlo will be popping up at airports and malls across the nation — but not through retail storefronts.   Putting a new spin on the term “fast fashion,” the Japanese retailer is launching 6-ft.-high vending machines that will enable customers to purchase T-shirts and lightweight down jackets, the Wall Street Journal reported. Merchandise is packaged in boxes and cans.  

Amazon’s Prime Now debut in Singapore started off strong, but high user volume took a toll on the program’s first day of service.   The service, which offers free two-hour delivery on tens of thousands of items ordered through the Prime Now app, launched on Thursday morning. By that afternoon, users struggled to use the service, according to CNBC.  

Amazon is expanding its distribution fleet in the Wolverine state in a big way.   The online giant plans to open an 855,000-sq.-ft. fulfillment center in Romulus, Michigan — it’s second in the state. The facility will create more than 1,500 new full-time associate roles.    Associates will pick, pack, and ship smaller customer items, such as books, electronics and toys. However, these tasks will be streamlined by technology from Amazon Robotics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon.com. 

Williams-Sonoma is making its debut in South Korea.   By entering into a strategic franchise agreement with home goods retailer Hyundai Livart Furniture, Williams-Sonoma opened a combined Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids store, as well as a West Elm store in South Korea’s Hyundai City Mall Garden 5. A Williams Sonoma location opened at Hyundai Department store Mokdong. These are the first of 30 stores that Williams-Sonoma plans to open across the country over the next 10 years, according to the retailer.  

Churchill and the RAF weren’t available to head off this German invasion. The proliferation of German discount grocers Aldi and Lidl in the U.K. over the past decade carved out a new battlefield for Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Morrisons, and they are still mired in the mud. Second-quarter results released by market researcher Kantar showed the Germans growing 19% over last year, while the British Big Four edged up less than 2%.

A German discount grocer is buying up land in the Grand Canyon State — but not to open stores.    Aldi is planning to open a regional fulfillment center in Goodyear, Arizona. The facility will house an office and distribution center, and will create 132 jobs, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.  

Amazon is making good on its promise to hire 130,000 workers by 2018.   The online giant announced Wednesday that it plans to fill more than 50,000 roles across its fulfillment network in the United States. Amazon is hiring “tens of thousands” full-time associates who will pick, pack and ship customer orders from its fulfillment centers. It will also fill supporting and managerial roles within its facilities, including human resources managers, IT specialists, and operations leaders, among other positions, the retailer said.

A specialty retailer continues to expand its breadth.   See’s Candies plans to open nearly a dozen new or relocated stores by the end of 2017. All new locations will set up shop in California.    The new stores will be located in San Jose, Castro Valley, Manhattan Beach, Paso Robles, Laguna Hills, Glendale and Calabasas. The new locations come on the heels of new shops that have previously opened or moved this year into new or larger locations in Escondido, Windsor and Pleasant Hill, California.

Less than three years after opening stores across the pond, American Eagle Outfitters is closing up shop in the United Kingdom.   The specialty retailer operates three stores in the U.K. It has already closed one location, and is winding down operations at its remaining two stores, as well as its British e-commerce site, according to the Telegraph.