NEW YORK— Amazon is investing in its own furniture brands, making them a point of advantage when it comes to the promotion of mass-market furniture, and home office has become a critical part of that, especially recently.

Coresight Research pointed out that the company now identifies 111 own-brands that sell through its site. Of those, 33 have more than 100 available items, with Rivet, the company’s mid-century furnishings line being one. In fact, at 2,177 items on Amazon, Rivet comes in second in product portfolio terms after AmazonBasics, which offers 4,152 items, but before AmazonEssentials, which is focused on apparel and offers 2,092 items. AmazonBasics offers a range of products with furniture, including office furniture, represented.

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Canadians should brace for a shortage of office furniture, such as desks and chairs, as people continue to study and work from home this fall.

Ikea Canada spokeswoman Kristin Newbigging says the company has seen an increase in demand for office furnishings and other gear needed for work-from-home setups.

This comes as a looming second wave of COVID-19 means many Canadians are not returning to the office or school just yet.

At the same time, she says the company is experiencing the impacts of overseas suppliers still being closed for business, making it hard to meet demand.

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It appears that the 96 year-old department store JCPenney is about to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

U.S. mall owners Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners are close to finalizing an $800 million deal that would buy the struggling retailer out of bankruptcy, according to a report by CNBC. The deal would save about 70,000 jobs, along with 650 JCPenney stores from liquidating and shuttering, the report said.

Read full article here: (NJ)

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