Stores

Restructuring plan involves writing off debts to suppliers and cutting rent for many landlordsBusiness live – latest updatesUp to 150 former WH Smith high street stores are to close after the high court approved a swingeing restructure that could affect thousands of jobs.The retailer, which has 450 stores and employs about 5,000 staff, was bought by the private equity firm Modella Capital, which also owns Hobbycraft, last year and rebranded as TG Jones. Continue reading...

CMA says developers should be able to steer users away from app stores for payments to increase competitionBusiness live – latest updatesThe UK’s competition watchdog is challenging Apple and Google’s “effective duopoly” over mobile platforms by allowing developers to steer users away from their app stores to make purchases.The Competition and Markets Authority argues that consumers and app owners are being let down by Apple and Google restrictions on spending money outside their app stores. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gun owners may carry weapons into stores, effectively rejecting a California law that sought to restrict firearms in such establishments. • This decision follows a series of recent rulings, including a Texas case upholding gun rights and a determination that "unlawful users" of drugs like marijuana cannot be automatically barred from gun ownership. • The ruling significantly extends the legal right to carry firearms in public spaces, limiting the ability of state governments to designate "gun-free zones" in commercial settings.

• Casey’s has announced a strategic three-year expansion plan to add 400 new stores to its network. • The growth strategy focuses on increasing store counts through a combination of new-store development and targeted acquisitions. • The company aims to prioritize operational efficiency and the expansion of its food and beverage offerings to drive revenue.

Move comes after Hegseth made shot optional for military in April and Texas outbreak has sickened nearly 300 peopleThe Pentagon has said that boot camps for all the military services are once again requiring the flu vaccination for all recruits after the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, made the shot optional for the military at the end of April.The development on Wednesday was confirmed by a Pentagon official to the Associated Press and came amid a growing, weeks-long, flu outbreak at the US air force’s boot camp at Lackland air force base in San Antonio, Texas. Continue reading...

The closures, so employees can watch a recorded lecture, will cost the company an estimated 2.1bn won ($1.4m) in salesStarbucks Korea will simultaneously close all its stores for a mandatory history lesson, after a disastrous promotion that evoked memories of a pro-democracy massacre sparked public and political backlash.More than 2,000 stores will temporarily close at 3pm on 22 June, the company said, so staff can watch recorded lectures on modern Korean history and engage in “social sensitivity” training. The half-day closures will cost Starbucks an estimated 2.1bn won ($1.4m) in lost sales, according to data firm IGAWorks. Continue reading...

Mexican-themed Australian fast food chain accused of terminating staff without adequate pay or notice as it pulls out of the USAmerican workers at Guzman y Gomez’s shuttered US stores have launched a class action lawsuit against the Mexican-themed Australian fast food chain over allegations staff were terminated without adequate pay or notice.The legal claim, filed in a US federal trial court in Illinois, was sparked by GyG’s decision last week to immediately close its string of Chicago stores after giving up on its highly vaunted plans to expand in the US. Continue reading...