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Retail

Unemployment Rate Hits 14.7 Percent

The unemployment rate hit 14.7 percent in April after non-farm payroll fell by 20.5 million throughout the month, reported the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics. Unemployment rose by 10.3 percent, following several months of record-breaking strong employment numbers. The 20.5… more

KCMO’s Reopening Plans Might be Delayed

Kansas City's reopening plan for restaurants and others businesses might be delayed due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the Triumph Foods plant in St. Jospeh, which employees several KC residents, as well as another one at the McCrite Plaza at… more

Neiman Marcus Joins Other Big Bankruptcies

Upscale department-store chain Neiman Marcus has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, joining a list of companies that have filed for bankruptcy recently, due in part to COVID-19 pain. Neiman's closest store to the Kansas City area is in St. Louis,… more

Car-Rental Companies Hit by COVID-19

The major car-rental companies are seeing major decreases in sales and profits due to flight occupancy being down 95 percent on many carriers. Hertz recently missed a payment to a group of lenders and has until May 22 to reach… more

Auto Dealers Lose $2.6B in Two Months

Auto and truck dealerships lost $2.6 billion in potential profits from the beginning of March through the start of May, says a recent J.D. Power report. Customer purchases were down $41.3 billion during the period, with new-vehicle purchases dropping $26.3… more

Eastern Jackson County Releases Recovery Phase One

Jackson County government has released its phase-one recovery plan for the eastern part of the jurisdiction. Starting on May 11, retail stores will be able to reopen at 25 percent occupancy for store under 10,000 square feet and larger ones… more

Costco, Wendy’s Others Limit Meat Purchases

A national meat shortage has spurred many restaurants and retailers to scale back on meat offerings to customers. In the case of fast-food burger chain Wendy's, it is warning customers of potentially limited menus due to the shortages in the… more

Report: 20.2 Million Jobs Lost in April

Private-sector employment lost 20.2 million positions between April and May, according to the ADP National Employment Report, making it the biggest drop in its history. "Job losses of this scale are unprecedented," said Ahu Yildirmaz, co-head of the ADP Research… more

Kansas Employment To Decline 10.2%

Kansas employment is expected to decline by 10.2 percent, according to a report by the Center for Economic Development and Business Research, based in Wichita. That decline would mean a contraction of about 140,000 jobs, most of the losses taking… more

Is J.Crew Bankruptcy Just the Beginning?

J.Crew, which has namesake locations on the Country Club Plaza and Leawood, as well as Madewell locations in those areas and a factory store in Legends Outlets Kansas City, has filed for bankruptcy. Industry watchers say that J.Crew won't be… more