• Starbucks, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A Among Those Eliminating In-Restaurant Dining Nationwide
    Cities across the nation have started ordering restaurants closed except for takeaway orders, in hopes of curtailing the spread of the coronavirus. Starbucks is taking the extra step in shutting down seating areas in stores across the U.S. and Canada, and only serving to-go orders. The coffee chain also is closing some stores in "high-social gathering locations.” Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, Shake Shack and Noodles  & Company are among others which have closed dining rooms and are only serving food via drive-through and delivery.
  • Givenchy, Christian Dior Trades Perfume For Hand Sanitizer Production
    LVMH, the parent company of Christian Dior, Guerlain and Givenchy, wants to help French health authorities by manufacturing hand sanitizer and providing it to them for free. The company said it will use all the production facilities of its perfumes and cosmetics brands to produce large quantities of hydroalcoholic gel, or hand sanitizer, starting Monday. France had 5,380 cases of the coronavirus and 127 virus-caused fatalities as of Monday morning.
  • JetBlue Bars Coronavirus Passenger For Life
    A passenger who was flying JetBlue from New York to Florida got a notification mid-flight that his test results were positive. The airline has barred the passenger from traveling on the airline again. “The person was overheard talking about it, and the flight crew quickly notified health officials on the ground,” according to The New York Times. “The airline said in a statement that the passenger had boarded the flight ‘knowing he was awaiting results for a coronavirus test without disclosing it, putting employees and officials ‘in an unsettling situation that could have been easily avoided.’"
  • Airbnb Changes Cancellation Policies Due To Coronavirus
    Airbnb has expanded its extenuating circumstances policy for canceling reservations. Normally, when travelers book with Airbnb, their reservation comes with one of six cancellation policies set by the host, ranging from flexible to super-strict. The company has now expanded the areas in which coronavirus-related cancellations may qualify for refunds.
  • Chick-fil-A Offers Sauce In Retail Stores
    For the first time, Chick-fil-A will begin selling its products in retail stores. Starting in April, its signature and Polynesian sauces  will be on sale in Florida at Publix, Target, Walmart and Winn-Dixie stores for around $3.49. The move is part of a broader strategy to reach people outside of the restaurant, per CNN.
  • Apples Aligns With Record Labels
    Apple has signed multiyear licensing deals with Universal Music, Sony Music and Warner Music, Financial Times reports. This will allow hits from top artists to continue to be streamed on Apple Music. The contracts do not include an agreement to bundle the Apple Music with the company’s TV service, indicating a “super bundle” of Apple content is not imminent.
  • New York Offers State-Made Sanitizer
    New York now has its own state-made hand sanitizer, "NYS Clean,” which is being packaged by prisoners. Around 100,000 gallons a day of the product is due to be distributed to places like schools, the MTA, not-for-profits and other government agencies around the state. The move was in response to the rush on hand sanitizers, which has resulted in stores hiking up prices of cleaning products that kill the coronavirus.
  • Athletic Apparel Company Once Deemed 'Next Lululemon' Implodes
    The swift downfall of Instagram-friendly outdoors apparel company Outdoor Voices, which had a young and unexperienced founder, provides lessons for entrepreneurs. “The shake-up has highlighted the generational friction that can arise between idealistic start-up founders, the employees they hire and the seasoned executives their companies often need for success,” according to The New York Times. “And it has added to questions about the viability of money-losing e-commerce start-ups.”
  • Barbie Gets Her Own MAC Lipstick Color
    M.A.C Cosmetics has chosen Barbie as the latest M.A.C Maker, one of the brand’s  “international beauty movers and makers” linked with their own lipstick shade. “Barbie’s concoction is a shade named @BarbieStyle (complete with @ sign) and it’s her ‘dream lip color,’ a cool-toned, bubblegum-pink she designed to be universally flattering on a variety of plastic dolls and fleshy humans,” according to The Cut.
  • New York Auto Show Delayed Until August
    The New York International Auto Show is the latest major event to be delayed or cancelled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Organizers have postponed the event, which is organized by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, until August. It was scheduled to begin April 10. The event will now be held Aug. 28 to Sept. 6, according to a statement from Chris Sams, the show’s spokesman. Press days are Aug. 26 and 27.
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