FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Staples will close 225 stores by the end of next year and the office-supply retailer is initiating a plan to save about $500 million annually by 2015,
The Framingham, Mass., company says nearly half of its sales are now generated online, so it will aggressively cut costs to become more efficient. The closings, all in North America, will help the company meet its pre-tax savings goal.
The store closings amount to about 10 percent of Staples Inc.'s worldwide total of 2,200. It has 1,500 locations in the United States.
The company's fourth quarter earnings more than doubled compared with last year, when the company booked a restructuring charge of more than $176 million.
HARRISBURG — Regulators say bad winter weather once again kept gamblers away from Pennsylvania casinos.The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said Wednesday that revenue from slot machines in February totaled $181 million, down more than 7.5 percent.Ten of the 11 casinos that were open in February 2013 posted year-over-year losses.
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvanians looking for work can now sharpen their job-hunting skills on the state's new Internet-based mock-interview program.The Corbett administration showed off the “Big Interview” program Wednesday at Harrisburg Area Community College. It allows students to practice answering job-specific questions and to record the interview so it can be shared with others for feedback.Gov. Tom Corbett says the program provides new tools to help job seekers find work.The mock-interview program is part of the state's “JobGateway” website at www.jobgateway.pa.gov and is designed to match employers with qualified job candidates.
Target Corp.’s executive ranks have suffered their first casualty since hackers stole the credit card numbers and other personal data of millions of shoppers last year. The nation’s second largest discounter told The Associated Press Wednesday that Chief Information Officer Beth Jacob has resigned. The company said it will search for an interim CIO.The departure comes as the retailer is trying to overhaul its information security and compliance division following the massive breach that took place during the holiday shopping season.Target said the resignation was Jacob’s idea, but some analysts speculate that Jacob was under intense scrutiny as the company is trying to restore its reputation among investors and shoppers.