On April 23, Congress passed a $484 billion funding bill to replenish two small business lending programs and provide more funding for hospitals and COVID-19 testing. In addition to social distancing measures, House officials, staff members and many lawmakers wore masks or other face coverings, which some removed only to deliver speeches on the floor.…

The Hershey Company is committing $1 million to acquire, install and staff a new manufacturing line dedicated to the production of face masks. The new line, which will be capable of producing up to 45,000 masks per day, will become operational near the end of May. “Supporting our communities in difficult times is part of our…

CStore Decisions Editor John Lofstock speaks with John Rodriguez, the chief operating officer for First Coast Energy/Daily’s convenience stores about its donation of 2,000 care packages to those in need during the COVID-19 crisis.

Pennsylvania-based c-store chains Sheetz and Wawa have put rivalry aside to provide emergency relief to some of the state’s food banks, including Helping Harvest, which collects, purchases, stores and distributes over seven million pounds of food annually to the more than 320 programs that feed the hungry in Berks and Schuylkill Counties, Pa. Employees from both chains…

A new report, “COVID-19 Shopper Priorities and Experience Survey” by Retail Artificial Intelligence Solutions Provider CB4, offers key takeaways for essential retailers during the pandemic. The online survey of 1,108 brick-and-mortar retail shoppers across the U.S., conducted April 2-5, 2020, shares insights into how shoppers are perceiving their in-store experiences during the pandemic, and what…

Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) and Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) introduced The Giving Retailers and Our Convenience Employees Relief Act (GROCER Act), which would exempt the wages of convenience and grocery employees earned between Feb. 15 and June 15 from federal income tax. Eligible employees would include anyone in the convenience or grocery industries making less than $75,000 annually who work in a…

7-Eleven has opened its first-ever hospital pop-up store at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, the flagship hospital of Children’s Health, which provides access to food and essential items for health care workers and patient families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pop-up store features grocery and personal care products such as take-home dairy, paper towels, toilet paper,…

Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is extending a $2 per hour pay increase, temporary sick pay related to COVID-19 and free employee meals for all hourly store employees through May 12. The announcement comes as dedicated team members continue to serve customers during the COVID-19 pandemic and also includes customer-facing hourly employees at Love’s…

As challenges emerged over the last couple of months, Tyson Foods took the opportunity to put its purpose into action — “Raising the world’s expectations for how much good food can do.” Dating back to February, when Tyson’s colleagues in Asia were impacted by the virus, the company jumped into action, donating nearly $500,000 in…

COVID-19 started to make U.S. headlines in early March, causing an upheaval for employers as state lockdowns began across the country to limit the spread of the virus and give hospitals a chance to cope. Convenience stores, considered “essential businesses,” remain open even in states with shelter-in-place restrictions, but all stores are facing a new…