Friday’s business headlines

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Here’s a look at Friday’s business headlines.

Kroger

Kroger will roll out two “ghost kitchens” at grocery stores in Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio in partnership with CluterTruck, a tech start-up that operates delivery-only restaurants.

Ghost kitchens are cooking spaces for the food that will just be available for delivery or pick up, no indoor seating.

Customers located near the Indianapolis location can select from a menu of more than 80 meals.

Coffee shops

Independent coffee shops are struggling to survive the pandemic.

Bloomberg reports the number of coffee shops in the U.S. is shrinking for the first time in nine years as sales plunger during the pandemic.

That’s helping coffee-serving chains such as Starbucks, Dunkin’ and even McDonald’s gain ground at the expense of independent outlets fighting to keep their doors open.

Google & Apple

Google and Apple have been making a big push into education in recent years by launching new programs that aim to teach coding and other tech-oriented skills to students and adults.

Both companies also do not require a college degree for certain jobs.

But still experts say that attending traditional four-year programs is still the most reliable path to a high-paying job.

Carnival

Carnival lost less money than expected and said advanced bookings for next year were improving, indicating renewed demand for cruising.

The cruise operator has paused voyages since March due to COVID-19.

The company, however, said bookings for the second half of 2021 were at the higher end of the historical range, even as prices are down by mid-single digits compared to last year.