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by associates through the ESOP. Wawa continues to expand throughout Florida with plans to open 25-30 new stores each year for the next several years. In 2019, Wawa will launch in the new markets of Ocala and Miami-Dade.
Maine Orders Stores To Remove Edibles With CBD Maine health authorities have ordered that edible products containing cannabidiol, or CBD, must be removed from stores because the hemp-derived product is not a federally approved food additive, reported the Portland Press Herald. Environmental health inspectors began informing businesses recently that they must remove all foods, tinctures and capsules from their shelves that contain the non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the cannabis plant. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has determined CBD is an unapproved food additive that federal authorities do not recognize as safe. National industry analysts estimate the U.S. CBD market hit $591 million in 2018 and—with new federal legislation making it distinct from marijuana, its cannabis cousin—it could hit $22 billion by 2022.
Walmart Expands Driverless Delivery Car Pilot Walmart is expanding its tests of driverless cars as a way to get online grocery orders to shoppers' homes more
“New York City’s 500 pharmacies will no longer be able to sell cigarettes or e-cigarettes.” 62
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quickly, reported CNBC. The big-box retailer is piloting a program to use Udelv autonomous-driving vans to deliver fresh groceries in Surprise, Arizona. Walmart has already announced other pilot programs with self-driving car companies, including Ford and Alphabet's Waymo. The company plans to end this fiscal year with an online grocery delivery option in roughly 100 metropolitan areas, reaching more than 40 percent of U.S. households. For 2019, it plans to add that to another 800 stores.
NYC Pharmacies Banned From Selling Cigarettes New York City pharmacies are no longer allowed to sell cigarettes or other tobacco products, reported the Associated Press. The ban, which kicked in on January 1, also includes businesses that contain pharmacies, such as supermarkets and bigbox stores. The city's health department said the change will affect about 500 pharmacies currently selling tobacco products. The new rules follow a ban on electronic cigarette sales at pharmacies that took effect in late August.
Franchisees Can Protect With E-Verify E-Verify is a United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees, both U.S. or foreign citizens, to work in the United States. E-Verify, authorized by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, allows employers to register, then electronically
confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. In the E-Verify process, employers create cases based on information taken from an employee’s Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. E-Verify then electronically compares that information to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). The employer usually receives a response within a few seconds either confirming the employee’s employment eligibility or indicating that the employee needs to take further action to complete the case. To use E-Verify for free, visit https://www.e-verify.gov.
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nal. Employees who qualify for the Sheetz College Tuition Reimbursement program will be offered a Lackawanna College Business Partners Scholarship. • Americans consumed nearly $386 billion of ready-to-eat snack foods last year, with the vast majority of those eaten between main meals; and snack food growth is happening at most dayparts with more use at meals and as meal replacements, according to the NPD Group’s Future of Snacking report. • Before Washington, D.C. starts enforcing its plastic straw ban in July, the city is sending inspectors to restaurants, stores and other eating establishments to educate retailers about the new law, reported the Washington Post. Failure to comply with the law could result in a fine of up to $800. • Over half of brands (54 percent) are already selling on Amazon today, and nearly threequarters (72 percent) of brands will be selling on the platform within the next five years, according to a new report by data continued on page 68