UNION, N.J. — August 10, 2020 — Today, Bed Bath & Beyond® the experts on college living, launches College from Home, a shopping experience dedicated to helping parents and college students redesign their childhood bedrooms as remote learning spaces for the fall semester. As the destination for college, Bed Bath & Beyond will provide expert tips for creating remote learning spaces with the new College from Home website section. In partnership with sister brand Decorist, an online interior design service, the College from Home section will offer free design tips, curated assortments and inspiration for students to create functional learning spaces at home. Whether students are studying on campus, living in an apartment or studying at home, Bed Bath & Beyond is here to help by offering value-driven products, solutions and a College Savings Pass.

With the uncertainty of how exactly the COVID-19 pandemic will impact college and university campuses, many schools are opting for virtual college courses this fall. As a result, many students will be living at home in their childhood bedrooms instead of campus dormitories. Shopping for and decorating a dorm room is a rite of passage for college-bound students and College from Home provides inspiration to design a stylish and functional bedroom that feels like college.

“As the college destination for countless students across the country, whether studying at home or on campus, we know this fall won’t bring the typical college experience every student looks forward to,” says Joe Hartsig, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer of Bed Bath & Beyond. “College from Home brings the dorm experience to life for students by showcasing essential product solutions, paired with design inspiration to turn their childhood bedrooms and work spaces into functional spaces for remote learning.”

Starting today, the College from Home section will feature virtual learning and study at home dorm essentials including lap desks, organization tools, accessories, and bedding to transform childhood bedrooms into dreamy dorm spaces. The design team at Decorist created three room examples to help inspire for students to create authentic spaces including:

• Chill Camp Vibes: a natural and rustic vibe, with muted colors and outdoorsy elements for a camping-out feel
• Low-Key Bohemian: bright and cozy, with vintage-inspired pieces and cool modern touches
• Modern Glam: pink and gold with plenty of plush, fluffy accents that come together for a mature, chic look

“College students are adjusting to a new learning environment this year. In July, we saw searches on our site up more than 200% for desks and office chairs compared to the same period last year. They need design guidance and inspiration to create a conducive space —whether they’re living at home or on campus. With that in mind, and along with insights from current students, we designed these spaces to set students up for academic success, as well as to be cozy, comfortable, and personal,” said Cindy Davis, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer of Bed Bath & Beyond and President of Decorist.

“In our survey of college students, about seven in ten students¹ say decorating their dorm is important to them, and their dorm decor is an expression of self. Students shared they seek to create a space to feel ‘at home’ which is our core brand purpose and what we want to help them achieve with these inspirational designs.”

To create an upgraded dorm-inspired bedroom at home, Decorist provides help with a style quiz or the option to collaborate with a Decorist designer. It also provides several tips for students and their parents to consider before shopping:

Create a Cohesive Look: Before shopping, students should think about the look they want to go for and get inspired!

• Take a Seat: Comfortable, back-friendly seating options are essential for studying and learning remotely, while a comfortable chair and ottoman will make reading and study breaks cozier.
• Brighten Up: Don’t forget to include adequate lighting and even consider lamps with a USB port to keep devices charged and ready to go.
• Express Yourself: Artwork and décor will not only make a space stand out, but also acts as a virtual backdrop for video classes
• Make It Comfy: While having a dedicated study space is important, it’s equally as important to have a comfortable bed and relaxation corner to relax from studying and get a good night’s rest
• Sleep in Style: As the main focal point of a bedroom, bedding is a key place to showcase style through pillows, throws, and even curtains.
• Get Organized: With the childhood bedroom acting as a space to learn and relax, organizing textbooks and paperwork on bookcases or in filing cabinets will help keep students on track and everything in its place.
• Fuel Up: Even though the kitchen may be a short walk away, having a small refrigerator or a personal coffee maker will help keep students fueled while studying.

For college this season, students and parents can take advantage of many services including newly introduced 2-hour Buy-Online-Pickup-In-Store (BOPIS) and contactless Curbside Pickup services, to make the college shopping experience as safe and easy as possible. A newly created Healthy Living assortment also offers essentials for those students returning to campus living, including face masks, thermometers, and cleaning supplies. Customers receive great value when they sign up for the College Savings Pass and receive 20% off their entire purchase every time they shop on made-to-last items, with unlimited use in-store or online through September 30, 2020. Standard coupon exclusions apply.

¹Source: Student Dorm Decor Study (May, 2020); online survey among a national sample of n=360 Gen Z Americans, ages 16-24, who lived in an on-campus dorm in the past two years and/or plan to live in an on-campus dorm in the next year.

Posted August 11, 2020

Source: Bed Bath & Beyond

ALEXANDRIA, Va.  — August 10, 2020 — Unitex Textile Rental Services Inc.’s Hartford, Conn. (Meadow Street) and Linden, N.J., plants have earned Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification, reflecting their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing. These locations join five other Unitex facilities — Ledyard Street, Hartford, Conn.; two in New Brunswick and Linden, N.J.; and two in New York — Mt. Vernon and Newburgh — that also hold the certification. Unitex is a 90-plus year family-owned and managed healthcare launderer, serving the U.S. mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

Hygienically Clean is the quantified, validated standard and measure for hygienically clean textiles in North America since 2011, and achieving this certification reflects their commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing based on established hygienically clean healthcare textile methods and standards.

The Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification confirms the organization’s continuing dedication to infection prevention, compliance with recognized industry standards and processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection must also confirm essential evidence that:

• Employees are properly trained and protected;
• Managers understand regulatory requirements;
• OSHA-compliant; and
• Physical plant operates effectively.

To achieve certification initially, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and diminished presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly RODAC and semi-annual USP 62 testing (RODAC results less than or equal to 20 cfu per square diameter and USP 62 results must show an absence of specified microorganisms) to ensure that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is consistently maintained. Re-inspection occurs every two to three years.

This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.

Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification acknowledges laundries’ effectiveness in protecting healthcare operations by verifying quality control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced by TRSA in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for Hygienically Clean healthcare linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization

Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.

“Congratulations to Unitex on their certifications,” said Joseph Ricci, TRSA president and CEO. “This achievement proves their commitment to infection prevention and that their laundries take every step possible to prevent human illness.”

Hygienically Clean reflects the evolution of healthcare laundry certification in light of growing global concerns about infection control, documenting practices that ensure elimination of potentially harmful microbial content while adding quantifiable verification of continuous improvement in overall cleanliness.

Posted August 10, 2020

Source: TRSA

WASHINGTON — August 7, 2020 — Imports at major U.S. retail container ports during 2020 are expected to see their lowest total in four years as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the U.S. economy continues, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“The economy is recovering but retailers are being careful not to import more than they can sell,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Shelves will be stocked, but this is not the year to be left with warehouses full of unsold merchandise. The more Congress does to put spending money in consumers’ pockets and provide businesses with liquidity, the sooner we can get back to normal.”

U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.61 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units in June, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 4.9 percent from May but down 10.5 percent year-over-year. A TEU is one 20-foot-long cargo container or its equivalent.

July was estimated at 1.76 million TEU, down 10.2 percent year-over-year. August is forecast at 1.81 million TEU, down 7.3 percent; September at 1.69 million TEU, down 9.5 percent; October also at 1.69 million TEU, down 10.4 percent; November at 1.59 million TEU, down 5.8 percent, and December at 1.56 million TEU, down 9.6 percent.

Those numbers would bring 2020 to a total of 19.6 million TEU, a drop of 9.4 percent from last year and the lowest annual total since 19.1 million TEU in 2016. The first half of 2020 totaled 9.5 million TEU, down 10.1 percent from last year.

August is expected to be the busiest month of the July-October “peak season” when retailers rush to bring in merchandise for the winter holidays. But with retailers ordering less merchandise, the month’s total would be the lowest peak for the season since 1.73 million TEU in 2016 and falls far short of the 1.96 million TEU peak in 2019. Peak season usually includes the busiest month of the entire year, but this year that was likely January’s 1.82 million TEU.

“This year, peak season seems to have been thrown off by the coronavirus pandemic along with just about everything else we consider normal,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said. “We’ve probably already had our busiest month. And with the pandemic taking a hit on the economy ever since then, peak season is likely to be a disappointment by comparison.”

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, provides historical data and forecasts for the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Port of Virginia, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast.

Posted August 10, 2020

Source: The National Retail Federation (NRF)