The specialty grocery retailer is the first in the country to make such a requirement. Fresh Market also temporarily changed its hours to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. On weekdays, the first shopping hour of 8-9 a.m. is reserved for seniors and other individuals most at risk as identified by the CDC. Read more here.
Author: Andrew Warth
U.S. Department of Commerce Announces Affirmative Preliminary Circumvention Rulings on Exports of Hydrofluorocarbon Blends From China
Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced an affirmative preliminary antidumping duty (AD) circumvention ruling involving exports of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) blends from China (R-404A, R-407A, R-407C, R-410A, R-507A) that are processed in India using both Chinese and Indian components, and then exported to the United States, circumventing the existing AD order on imports of HFC blends from China. Commerce also announced an affirmative preliminary AD circumvention ruling involving exports of HFC components from China (R-32, R-125, R-143a) for further processing in the United States that are circumventing the existing AD order on imports of HFC blends from China.
Accordingly, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation and to require a cash deposit of estimated duties on unliquidated entries of HFC blends from India which contain components from China, and on unliquidated entries of HFC components R-32, R-125, and R-143a from China.
The applicable cash deposit rate for HFC blends from India blended with Chinese HFC components will be 216.37 percent. For HFC components from China, Commerce will instruct CBP to collect cash deposits in accordance with those rates prevailing at the time of entry, depending upon the exporter in question. These rates will apply to any future imports and unliquidated entries since June 18, 2019 (the date which Commerce initiated these circumvention inquiries).
These inquiries were initiated in response to allegations of circumvention from the American HFC Coalition.
U.S. law provides that Commerce may find circumvention of AD or countervailing duty orders when merchandise subject to an existing order is completed or assembled in a third country or the United States from parts and components imported from the country subject to the order, pursuant to section 781 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended.
The strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump administration. To date, the Trump administration has issued 48 preliminary or final affirmative determinations in anti-circumvention inquiries – this is a 200 percent increase from the number of such determinations made during the comparable period in the previous administration.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade rules and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international rules and is based on factual evidence provided on the record.
How COVID-19 is impacting consumer behavior
COVID-19 has created a seismic shift in consumer behavior that will forever impact retail and customer expectations. As consumers experience product shortages and fear of being in public places they are adapting to a new normal that will require retailers to adapt to survive.
A survey as of April 7 shows 92% of consumers said their shopping behavior had been impacted by Coronavirus. 40% said stores they would otherwise go to are closed. 15% of those who placed an online ship-to-home order in the past month indicated it was their first time ever or first time in the past six months doing so. 37% of click-and-collect users were new or ‘new lately.’
The majority said they are no longer sure if they’ll travel in 2020, that they cancelled a trip, or that they’re no longer comfortable traveling to certain regions. Read more here.
The Daily Grind / E15 – Higher humidity rates help prevent the spread COVID-19
Today on the Daily Grind, Stephanie H. Taylor, M.D., M. Arch, RSPH(UK), MCABE discussed the importance of air quality and HVAC in facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. As a pediatric oncologist and a graduate of Harvard Medical, Taylor became concerned with the amount of infections that were happening in hospitals and buildings and began to think the HVAC system played a role in the spread of infection.
As a doctor she wasn’t successful communicating with facility managers. Therefore, she acquired her master’s degree in architecture and engineering so she could better understand building architecture and better communicate her concerns.
She then began to study patient outcomes in conjunction with the buildings and hospitals. To her surprise they began to accumulate data that demonstrated a decrease in infection rates in buildings with higher relative humidity. Stephanie then became associated with ASHRAE and continues to be impressed with their breadth of knowledge on the guidelines they issue.
“Ironically this pandemic is a very frightening thing. But its also an opportunity for us to really understand how important the indoor air environment is in protecting our health,” explained Taylor.
“What we’ve discovered is that’s it’s very important to humidify the indoor environment. We should all be running humidification systems whether it’s a humidifier you buy at your local pharmacy or a full building installation. We should be managing our indoor environments to maintain the relative humidity between 40 and 60%.” Three reasons why increased relative humidity is beneficial:
1. If someone who has COVID-19 enters your home or office and coughs, sneezes or even breaths, they release small aerosols into the air that are highly infectious. These tiny aerosols quickly shrink. The drier the air is in your building, the quicker and smaller they shrink. Once they become smaller, they can easily pass through the airspace, into different rooms, at a much quicker, efficient rate. Then when they enter another human, they become re-hydrated and are just as infectious. Keeping the humidity between 40%-60% decreases the ability of airborne infectious aerosols to travel.
2. In the case of this virus, for reasons we don’t quite understand yet, it (COVID-19) is less infectious in a mid-range humidity zone of 40%-60%
3. We now also know that 40%-60% relative humidity optimizes our respiratory immune system and provides some protection against the virus.
“We can all take these steps now to ensure we’re putting our best foot forward as we fight this pandemic. As counter-intuitive as it sounds, dry air is actually worse. As human beings we live with a wide range of bacteria and viruses that are beneficial to our health. So, when we dry out the air not only are we not cleaning it, we’re opening the gates for more destructive pathogens,” Taylor concluded.
For more information on the Coronavirus and the latest updates visit the Pandemic Resource Center at www.connexfm.com
Infographic – When consumers think stores should reopen
Store closures and furloughs due to coronavirus have struck the retail industry and world economy in an unprecedented way. But, could the worst be behind us? Many experts believe the U.S. COVID-19 outbreak is beginning to show signs of peaking in various hotspots across the country.
We asked U.S. consumers on April 3, 2020, “When do you think stores should reopen?” and gathered data from across the country ensuring representation from both hotspots and non-hotspots, genders, and generations.
Our recent consumer study finds growing optimism among people living in Coronavirus hotspots, men and Millennials. An overall majority (60%) of consumers in the U.S. feel that stores should reopen by the end of May, 2020. See the infographic here.
The Daily Grind / E14 – Connex CEO, Bill Yanek, explains how Connex is adapting to COVID-19
Today, on the Daily Grind, Bill Yanek, Connex CEO, shared how Connexfm.com and the new pandemic resources center is keeping members up to date with relevant COVID-19 industry news, employment opportunities and tools that are rolling out during the current crisis.
Yanek began with a quick update, “First and foremost if you want to know anything regarding COVID-19 and how it effects the FM industry, how its effecting Connex events, and what is or is not happening – it’s all at www.connexfm.com,” said Yanek.
“Recently our homepage underwent a facelift, that makes finding this information very easy and straightforward. Current and previous episodes of the Daily Grind can be found there as well. So be sure to visit often for up-to-date pandemic and industry news and resources.”
The second resource Yanek highlighted was the Connex Career Connexion. The Covid-19 crisis has hit employment in the FM industry particularly hard. “We’re currently upgrading the entire Career Connexion experience to make it easier for both employers seeking employees and those searching for jobs.
“Previously the Career Center was simply a posting board for retail FM and supplier jobs. We’re now working on designated Connex staff providing assistance to make posting jobs and resumes as easy as possible.”
“We’re also paying close attention to the C.A.R.E.S. act recently passed by Congress and signed by the President. Obviously, this Act effects the economy and various sections of the FM community. We’re providing FM related information and links at connexfm.com under the Covid-19 updates section. So be sure to check back often to stay informed.”
“One final warning everyone needs to know about. There has been an alert issued by US Homeland Security regarding various phishing attacks related to the C.A.R.E.S. act loan application process.
These phishing attacks are delivered via spam email, phone calls, texts, etc. If you have questions regarding communications you may have received about applying for financial assistance, be sure to contact the lender of your choice first to verify the request before providing critical information.
“On a final note. One week from today would have marked the beginning of our annual national event: Connex 2020. That obviously didn’t happen. However, soon you will receive information about our new virtual conference scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday – April 20- 22. The virtual conference will feature select presenters from those who were going to present at the original CONNEX2020 conference. This virtual conference will enable our FM partners to practice social distancing while still connecting with each other and learning from industry leaders,” concluded Yanek.
The Daily Grind / E13 – Supplier Relations during COVID-19
Today on the Daily Grind, Michael Kurland, CEO of Branded Group shared how suppliers can successfully take advantage of available Covid-19 resources, support their employees, and prepare their business for a new normal. Branded Group is a nationwide team delivering industry-leading customer experiences that create loyal brand champions for multi-site commercial facilities.
“At Branded Group, our employees are our number one priority, and unfortunately with the pandemic we had to furlough more than 50% of our workforce as I’m sure many other companies were forced to do. By furloughing them it’s allowed us to keep their health benefits active. We really wanted to ensure everyone was taken care of to the best of our abilities during this complex time. Also, by taking this step we’re able to take them back on after the pandemic passes and work returns to normal. “
Michael, reflected on the past few weeks, “We’re really focusing on communication right now to our employees. My number one priority is that they know exactly what’s happening in real-time from me, so they feel part of the family and not disconnected. We’re really encouraging our employees to be vulnerable right now. These are not normal times, and to expect them to operate the same in this environment is a recipe for disaster.
We’re doing daily and weekly emails to employees to ensure they stay engaged and informed whether their furloughed or not. We’ve even started a new tradition called “Thankful Thursdays” where we push everyone to stay positive and try to break the doldrums of life in social distancing,” said Kurland.
“When it comes to how to position leadership during the crisis, both Bill and Michael agreed that authenticity is the way to go. “If you try to tell everyone it’s going to be okay, that’s a lie,” Kurland emphasized. “You don’t know. The reality is no one knows, and if people around you can see you acknowledge that, but still stay pragmatic and optimistic, you’ll keep everyone moving in the same direction. Being vulnerable and direct is how I’ve always carried myself and will continue to do so through this pandemic and moving forward.”
“How we’ve moved forward with our clients has taken a massive pivot as well. There’s not the normal day-to-day break fixes happening. There’s a ton of COVID focus cleanings; we’ve practically become masters at it as the stores that are remaining open are doing their best to stay as safe as possible. For the ones that are closed, a lot of board-ups; just getting in there and making sure their safe and secure against any kind of break-ins and weather.”
In closing Michael adds “The take-away from all of this is yes, parts of this are the new normal, and its important we learn how to treat our employees and clients with care and compassion while we navigate these tricky times, and do our best to learn lessons to be prepared should it happen again. We’ll make it through this smarter and closer connected then ever. I’m sure of that,” Kurland concluded.
Federal Heath converts manufacturing to support medical teams
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Federal Heath has announced the conversion of manufacturing capacity in order to build protective equipment for the medical industry.
“We understand the sacrifices and heroic efforts our doctors, nurses, medical staff and first responders are making in order to keep us safe,” said President and CEO Sid Rasnick. “We have teamed up with a health partner to manufacture and supply protective face shields in record time to the medical industry.”
The goal is to die-cut, assemble and ship 10,000 or more clear PETG masks per week for the next five weeks. Federal Heath will supply the manufacturing labor, the material by a vendor, and another partner will deliver units to places where they are needed most.
“Like most businesses and manufacturing facilities affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, Federal Heath understands the hardships our employees, valued customers and millions of people across the country are facing,” Rasnick said. “To that end, we at Federal Heath want to do our part to support the brave men and women on the frontline of this battle. We are proud of our employees who have volunteered for this project. We understand that we are all in this together and we will do whatever we can to help. ”Federal Heath will continue to practice and follow strict social distancing guidelines as put forth by the CDC, joining in nationwide efforts to protect both our employees and the public.”
Corrigo highlights importance of technology and partnerships during a crisis
Today on the Daily Grind, Troy Batchelor, Director of Sales – Retail, Corrigo with 30 years of retail experience explained how supplier technology can play a vital role in FM success amid COVID-19. Corrigo is a web-based platform that drives down the cost of maintaining multiple retail facilities by connecting with providers, process automation, and providing easy-to-use benchmark reporting.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, Corrigo has been adjusting on both the backend and client side of their operations. Troy Batchelor adds “Really two things are most important:
1. Incident management – not just reacting but planning how that communication and workplan is used when an incident occurs. For example – Coronavirus remediation that may be needed in the future at a specific site. Setting that process up in advance as a “response in a box” that allow you to trigger it at the necessary moment, has proven to be vital to react properly and efficiently.
2. Flexibility and Speed – Right now facility teams are mass-reassigning work orders, putting things on hold, pushing out major changes to scheduling. When things are moving that fast, making changes to one work order at a time is not efficient. We’ve been striving to ensure our partners are not being bogged down in administrative tasks and building tools to improve workflow.
The principles Corrigo brings to the table have always had preparedness front and center. However, dealing with the current crisis has had unique challenges. To prepare for the event and to roadmap life after Covid-19, Troy reflects on the importance of FM partnerships. “With any successful partnership we should look for several things:
- Communication, and the ability to connect with new partners, will enable you to pivot quickly in tumultuous times like this. As we emerge from Covid-19, it will be even more critical. Planning next steps will take a village, and Corrigo is happy to be a part of making this happen quickly and efficiently.
- Intelligence after the fact. Looking back at the pre-COVID 19 period and comparing what reporting was like then, compared to reporting to during the event. And, in the future what does reporting look like when the new normal arrives.
- Community. That’s really where Corrigo shines. You really want to tap into that larger FM community to see insights on what everyone is doing, what’s working best during this fast-moving environment.
Being a software company clearly has its advantages in the aspect of living with today’s crisis, Troy adds. “Of course, we like being part of a team, we like the day-to-day human interaction, but because much of our work is done virtually through our platform, the adjustment to a work-at-home environment hasn’t been too bad. In fact, nothings really slowed down. Quite the opposite, it’s increased as we help our customers navigate the crisis. At the end of the day, we’re going to get through this, life will go on, and we’ll be there to help.”
AAFES buying masks for store and distribution center employees
Connex member, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is procuring face masks for associates who work in its stores and distribution centers as a measure of protection during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Within the coming weeks, the Exchange is distributing reusable face masks for its customer-facing and distribution center associates worldwide. The masks have an antimicrobial effect that lasts in excess of 100 high temperature laundry washes, providing permanent antimicrobial effectiveness.
“The Exchange’s No. 1 priority is the well-being of those who live and work in military communities,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, the Exchange’s senior enlisted advisor. “Associates who are awaiting their masks are encouraged to make their own in accordance with the surgeon general’s guidelines.”
The Exchange, the Department of Defense’s largest retailer, began working to obtain masks last week, ahead of the DoD’s April 5 guidance on wearing cloth face coverings in public centers or work areas to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Exchange is mission essential during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more here.
