Many Amazon temps could go full time

Not all retail news is bad news.

• Amazon plans to offer 125,000 full-time roles to the 175,000 people it hired to help pack and ship orders at its warehouses as orders surged during the pandemic. The company said the rest of its temporary workforce may choose to stay on as part-time employees or return to their previous jobs.

• Sales at Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Hortons have improved in the U.S. and Canada since the end of March. Popeyes U.S. same-store sales rose about 40 percent near the end of May. Burger King’s U.S. same-store sales are down slightly from a year ago but have improved since March, when they were down around 30 percent. Tim Hortons’ same-store sales in Canada were down about 20 percent near the end of May, an improvement from 40 percent at the end of March. Parent company Restaurant Brands International says an increase in deliveries and new family meal packs are driving sales.

• Dollar stores have become a lifeline to millions during the pandemic. On Thursday, Dollar Tree reported that sales increased in the most recent quarter, and the retail chain beat almost all expectations for sales as well. Also, Dollar General posted a 21.7 percent increase in sales at established stores, topping even strong numbers from Walmart and Target.

• Orders have improved “significantly” for mattress company Tempur-Sealy as online orders surge and some stores are reopened. People are spending more hours in beds sometimes working, during the shutdown. Still, Tempur-Sealy expects sales this quarter to be down 30 percent, compared with a year ago.

• German food discounter Aldi will have nearly 600 locations in the U.S. available for curbside pickup by the end of July. The company, known for its low prices and store label brands, operates nearly 2,000 stores in the U.S.