News Briefs

A leading arts and crafts retailer is on the hunt for seasonal employees.

Michaels has announced plans to hire more than 10,000 seasonal positions to help customers celebrate the holiday season. On Saturday, Sept. 6, Michaels hosted hiring events across its stores in the United States and Canada. Candidates are able to welcome to apply in advance online or in person during the in-store events.

In addition to hiring 10,000 seasonal team members, Michaels says it will also offer current team members opportunities to work extra hours throughout the holiday season.

[READ MORE: Placer.ai: Joann’s departure solidifies Michaels' category leadership]

"At Michaels, creativity is at the heart of everything we do, and it starts with our team members," said Nicholas Bertram, president and chief operating officer at Michaels. "We are thrilled to welcome new team members to Michaels this holiday season to fuel the joy of creating and celebrating in every community we serve."

Michaels is touting “competitive wages, flexible hours and a generous 30% discount, and a supportive environment that fosters growth and development” for its new employees. Last year, the retailer says it converted more than 50% of seasonal in-store positions into regular roles following the holidays.

Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Irving, Texas, Michaels operates over 1,300 stores in 49 states and Canada.

Anthropologie is debuting a digital marketplace on its website dedicated to artisans participating in a grant and mentorship program.

The global lifestyle brand, a division of Urban Outfitters, is collaborating with Nest, a non-profit dedicated to enabling artisans and makers around the world, to launch the Nest digital marketplace integrated on the Anthropologie website.

The commission-free marketplace features collections created by graduates of the Anthropologie x Nest Fellowship Program, a six-month initiative designed to support emerging female makers through grant funding and hands-on mentorship with Anthropologie experts, as well as a curated education course. The program also lets participants launch their handmade collections on the new, commission-free digital marketplace.

"With the launch of our inaugural Nest Fellowship Program, we're deepening our investment in emerging makers by providing them with the tools, mentorship, and visibility they need to thrive," said Kate Haldy, head of PR, communications, and Impact at Anthropologie Group. "We're incredibly proud to partner with Nest, whose mission and values perfectly align with ours in supporting and uplifting makers. As women's empowerment is one of our key impact pillars, this partnership is a natural extension of that commitment."

The Nest Digital Marketplace will be available exclusively at Anthropologie.com beginning Monday, Sept. 15. Customers will be able to explore each fellow's collection, learn about their stories, and purchase their products.

[READ MORE: Anthropologie to open standalone stores for its Maeve brand]

Anthropologie operates a global footprint of more than 220 stores.

PayMore is set to open its 100th store – with hundreds more locations on the way.

The buy-sell-trade electronics franchise will reach the milestone on Sept. 22 when its new store in Charlotte, N.C. officially opens. The store will mark the third location in The Queen City.

The milestone comes on heels of significant growth for PayMore. The company opened nineteen new locations across the U.S., Canada and Europe in the second quarter of this year, with plans to reach at least 150 total stores by year-end. Paymore said it currently has more than 500 locations in development, and has achieved a 500% increase in store count over the past two years. 

"Reaching 100 locations is a significant milestone, especially when most retail brands never grow beyond a handful of stores,” said Stephen Preuss Sr., co-founder and CEO of PayMore. “We're incredibly proud of our team, and so thankful for our loyal customers. This achievement reflects the strength of our business model and franchisees, and the value we bring to every neighborhood we enter.”

The upcoming Charlotte location puts PayMore in the heart of a thriving shopping district in the city,  said Randy Griesbach, PayMore franchisee and principal of business development at OP Holdings. 

“Our experienced team is excited to help this community save money on quality electronics – from retro gaming systems to like-new smartphones – while giving their unused devices a second life through our resale and recycling programs."

[READ MORE: PayMore signs deal to expand in Boston area, Sunbelt]

Founded in 2011 in Massapequa, N.Y., PayMore has processed nearly 2 million device trade-ins. The company specializes in purchasing smartphones, gaming systems, tablets and other consumer electronics, providing customers with competitive compensation for their pre-owned electronics.

Consumer sentiment weakened in August amid ongoing concerns about inflation and the economy.

The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 55.4 in September, a four-month low, down from 58.2 in August, according to preliminary results.  

The index for current economic conditions inched down to 61.2 in September from 61.7 in August. The consumer expectations index fell to 51.8 from 55.9, and is down 30.4% year over year.

“This month’s easing in economic views was particularly strong among lower and middle income consumers,” stated Joanne Hsu, surveys of consumers director, University of Michigan. “Consumers continue to note multiple vulnerabilities in the economy, with rising risks to business conditions, labor markets and inflation.”

Trade policy remains highly salient to consumers, Hsu noted, with about 60% of consumers providing unprompted comments about tariffs during interviews, which is little changed from last month.

Year-ahead inflation expectations held steady at 4.8%, unchanged from August. Long-run inflation expectations moved up for the second straight month to 3.9% in September, lower than the 4.4% seen in April. 

In other findings, buying conditions for durables improved, while all other index components fell.

A leading apparel retailer is partnering with a new flexible payments provider.

Gap Inc. will now offer Klarna’s suite of payment options to U.S. shoppers across Gap Inc.’s portfolio of brands, including Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta, creating the option to access Klarna’s flexible and interest-free payment options online.

With the Pay in Full option, customers can pay immediately for items with Klarna’s payments experience. With Pay in 4, guests can split the cost into four equal interest-free installments. 

"We are excited to offer our customers more choice, convenience and control by offering a variety of payment options across our portfolio of brands," said Kevin Meiners, head of loyalty & payments at Gap Inc.   

The launch with Gap Inc. builds on Klarna’s growing U.S. footprint of over 26 million active U.S. customers and more than 724,000 global merchants.

"Gap Inc. is a household name with a portfolio of beloved brands that are woven into the everyday lives of American consumers," said David Sykes, chief commercial officer at Klarna. "By offering Klarna at checkout, Gap Inc. is giving millions of shoppers the flexibility to shop how and when they want, while also supporting a personalized way to pay." 

[READ MORE: Gap Inc. entering beauty — starting with Old Navy; expanding accessories business]

As of the quarter ended May 3, 2025, Gap Inc. operates approximately 3,500 store locations in over 35 countries, of which 2,496 were company operated.