The Milwaukee Post

6 • Milwaukee County Post • September 25, 2015 Kohl's tests same-day delivery in Chicago MENOMONEE FALLS — Kohl's is test- ing same-day delivery for online purchases in Chicago and San Francisco with the intent to pilot the program in more markets in the near future. According to the Menomonee Falls-based retailer, customers in participating stores in the pilot areas can place orders on Kohls.com or with their smartphone or tablet and select the same-day delivery option and the item will be delivered later that day. Sydney Hofer, public relations program administrator for Kohl's Department Stores, said the company will explore additional locations later this fall, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Kohl's announced other digital initiatives Tuesday, including the "store mode" for Kohl's mobile app, which will provide a more personalized experience and help customers take advantage of Kohl's savings every time they shop in-store. Customers can opt-in to store mode in the Kohl's app to search store inventory and find in-store promotions that can be applied to their purchase, like Kohl's Cash and coupons. The retailer also announced "enhanced mobile payment options," beginning this fall. The options will offer Kohl's customers a new easy, secure and private way to pay in stores with the rollout of Apple Pay, as well as the ability to use Apple Pay within the Kohl's app. Kohl's customers will also be able to add their Kohl's Charge card as a form of payment within Apple Pay. Kohl's customers will be able to complete purchas- es easily, quickly and securely across all dig- ital channels with Visa Checkout, which will be available on Kohls.com and mobile devices. "Kohl's is committed to providing our customers with an easy, convenient shop- ping experience in a way that is personalized and engaging — no matter how each cus- tomer prefers to shop," said Kevin Mansell, Kohl's chairman, CEO and president, in a statement. "Our digital teams are continual- ly testing new ideas and capabilities to cre- ate a world-class omnichannel experience that is seamless across devices. With each evolution, we aim to elevate our offerings for an easy, inspiring shopping experience." Kohl's has also redesigned its mobile Kohls.com site and tablet app to make it eas- ier for people using their smartphones to shop. www.kohls.com — Katherine Michalets, Conley News Service BUSINESS WEDC awards $245 million to companies in fiscal 2015 MILWAUKEE — The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation reported that it provided financial awards totaling $245 million during fiscal 2015, which resulted in the creation of 7,496 jobs and the retention of 19,326. The financial awards were in the form of bonds, grants, investor credits, loans and tax credits. Additionally, projects contracted with the WEDC in fiscal year 2015 are expected to result in more than $1.2 billion in capital investments in the state, according to the announcement. In all, WEDC provided financial assistance to more than 5,000 businesses and 100 communities. This information, along with annual job impact and capital investment data, will be reviewed by the WEDC board. The final report will be submitted to the Wisconsin Legislature by Oct. 1. "This report shows that WEDC's busi- ness development strategies have resulted in 26,822 more opportunities for our neigh- bors to find work and $1.2 billion of capital helping our communities thrive," said WEDC Board Chair Dan Ariens in a state- ment. www.inwisconsin.com Wisconsin adds 7,200 private-sector jobs in August MILWAUKEE — The number of private- sector jobs in Wisconsin grew by 7,200 dur- ing the month of August compared with July, according to data released last week by the Department of Workforce Development. The state also added 47,600 total non- farm jobs from August 2014 to August 2015 (seasonally adjusted) based on the report, which uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, Wisconsin had year-over-year gains of 7,200 jobs in manufacturing, 5,400 jobs in financial activities and 12,800 jobs in education and health services. The unemployment rate in August was 4.5 percent in August, a small decrease from 4.6 percent during July in Wisconsin. In addition, the state's labor force partici- pation rate of 67.4 percent in August was stronger than the rate of 62.6 percent nationally. "With a higher labor force participation rate and lower unemployment rate than the nation, Wisconsin also continues to experi- ence robust hiring and employment activi- ty," said Workforce Development Secretary Reggie Newson in a statement. The DWD also reported that the average initial unemployment insurance claims for the first 37 weeks of 2015 dropped to the lowest point since 1990, and the annual average weekly continued UI claims are at their lowest levels since 2000. The number of new businesses created in Wisconsin during the first eight months of the year increased by 3.5 percent when compared with the same period in 2014, according to the report. As of Aug. 31, new business filings totaled 27,900, compared to 26,945 in the same period in 2014. http://dwd.wisconsin.gov — Post Staff Unclaimed property totals $3.6 million in Wisconsin MILWAUKEE — During the three months since the Wisconsin Department of Revenue launched its unclaimed matching program, it has returned $11.6 million to residents related to 96,748 claims. As of last week, the agency is still waiting for a response for claims totaling $3.6 million. According to the announcement, the program returns unclaimed property in the state by using the Department of Revenue's tax records to locate the owners. The unclaimed property includes funds from savings or checking accounts, uncashed dividends, insurance policies or other accounts that the owner may have forgotten. Institutions such as banks, credit unions, insurance companies or other busi- nesses are required to report unclaimed property to the department each year by Nov. 1. The department then holds the prop- erty for safekeeping until it is claimed by the owner. www.revenue.wi.gov/ucp/ index.html DWD launches online tools MILWAUKEE — The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has launched the first phase of its new mobile- friendly employment tools available to employers and job seekers for free on www.JobCenterofWisconsin. com, an online public labor exchange website. The first phase offers streamlined regis- tration from more than 20 screens to five screens, improved usability and search fea- tures, advanced skills matching to connect talent with job postings and easier access to integrated labor market information for making informed employment decisions. www.JobCenterofWisconsin.com Revenues increase for Marcus Corp. during first quarter MILWAUKEE — The Marcus Corporation announced last week that its revenue increased 13.2 percent during the first quarter for a record total of $149,190,000. For the first quarter of fiscal 2015, Marcus reported total revenues of $131,769,000. The company also reported that its operating income was $25,856,000 for the first quarter of fiscal 2016, a 14 per- cent increase from operating income of $22,689,000 for the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Marcus Theatres also reported a record quarter with the division experiencing a 20.1 percent increase in revenues and a 21.6 percent increase in operating income, according to the announcement. "The strong summer film slate generat- ed a 10.1 percent increase in the national box office for the corresponding weeks of our first quarter according to Rentrak, while our box office was up 16.6 percent," said Gregory S. Marcus, president and chief executive officer of The Marcus Corporation, in a statement. The company also reported a 13.1 per- cent increase in concession revenues per person contributed to a substantial 27.5 per- cent increase in overall concession rev- enues. www.marcuscorp.com Kohl's donates $100,000 for western wildfire relief efforts MENOMONEE FALLS — Kohl's announced last week it will donate $100,000 to the American Red Cross to support wild- fire relief efforts in the western United States. In addition to a financial contribution, Kohl's encourages its associates to volun- teer in support of recovery efforts through its Associates in Action volunteer program. In recognition of volunteer hours, Kohl's will donate additional corporate grants to the nonprofit organizations being support- ed by Kohl's associates. "We are deeply saddened by the devasta- tion and heartache caused by the wildfires across the western United States, and our hearts are with those impacted during this difficult time," said Bevin Bailis, Kohl's senior vice president of public relations and communications, in a statement. www.KohlsCorporation.com Retailer plans to expand offering

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