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PITTSFIELD — After the gifts, the ham and the Bouche de Noel, it’s off to bed. But Christmas doesn't truly get packed away until the next morning, when there's another holiday ritual requiring attention: returns. The UPS Store on Elm Street was doing a brisk lunchtime business on Thursday as people set about that step in the winter holiday routine. “I’m returning a gift I don’t really want,” said Rita Santelia, as she stepped out the door. “Amazon has a great policy. They won’t let my friend know I’m returning her gift.” All the same, she said these words in a sotto voce, as if her friend, who lives in Long Island, might somehow hear. With billions of dollars in gifts changing hands, there's bound to be mistakes and misunderstandings headed back to stores, in exchange for the right size or the right present. The National Retail Federation estimated sales this holiday season would be up 3.5 percent over 2023 sales. That’s a total of between $997.5 billion and $989 billion. On its website, the federation says it expects online and other nonstore sales will increase between 8 and 9 percent for the season, for a total of between $295.1 billion and $297.9 billion in sales. That's an increase from $273.3 billion in sales last year. Michele Alfonso, of Pittsfield, was returning a gift her son bought for his stepson. As a home health aide, she didn’t mind making the trip on a day off. Dulce Benietes, of Pittsfield, was returning an espresso machine she gave her mother. “It was her Christmas gift,” Benietes said. “She didn’t want it.” Benietes didn't seem too sad about the mismatch; her mother will buy a less expensive one. Wendy Chivian, of Canaan, N.Y., returned athletic clothing her boyfriend bought for her that didn’t quite fit. “We already picked new things to replace them that will be coming soon,” she said. Megan Tesiniero, of Washington, was returning a pair of white shoes. “I ordered a pair of crocs for my son,” she said. “They were a size too small.” Like Chivian, she’d already ordered replacements. Engaging in a Dec. 26 post-Christmas ritual, Richard Keyes, of Pittsfield, was returning gifted shirts that were too small. Richard Keyes, of Pittsfield, was returning gifted shirts that were too small. “My daughter and her kids were here,” he said of his Christmas. “They live with us anyway, but we had a nice day.” At Walmart, Susan Marcinak, of Chatham, N.Y., was taking advantage of post-holiday sales to load up on stocking stuffers for her grandchildren, whom she’ll be celebrating with on Saturday. Robbie Seidman was out buying three pairs of boots for her husband to try on Thursday. It wasn't a trip she intended to make. “Basically we’re all getting together and having games,” she said. Robbie Seidman, of Stephentown, N.Y., didn’t expect to be shopping on Thursday. “We were supposed to have a house full of company coming up for Christmas and Hanukkah,” she said. “And my daughter’s family is all sick. They were going to bring up my husband’s boots that he forgot to bring up. So I’m buying three pairs of boots for him to try on when we get home.” That wasn't the only unexpected twist of the day for the couple. “Oh, we lost power last night too,” she said. “We were in Williamstown in a movie, and on our way home I got a text that power was out. And sure enough, we arrived home in the dark. But it was fine. We had soup in front of the fire.” Ed Adriance and his girlfriend, Kiera Kupiec, spent Christmas with family in Savoy. They ate lasagna and watched football. On Thursday they were out to buy handwarmers for her — to go along with the Philadelphia Eagles tickets he’d given her for Christmas. They also swung by Dick’s Sporting Goods to trade a pair of sweatpants he’d bought her that didn’t fit. Abbie Shettles used to live in the Berkshires and worked at Berkshire Medical Center. She enjoys returning and did so this week to be with her adult children for Christmas. She was out making returns on Thursday. Abbie Shettles lived in Pittsfield when her children were young. She was in from New York City to visit those children, who are now grown. On Thursday she was making returns of "miscellaneous over-purchases." “It’s been enjoyable," she said of her holiday visit. "I absolutely love it. It’s a big part of when I refer to home. Yes, I’m a native New Yorker, but definitely the Berkshires has a piece of that heart.”Apple’s upcoming AirPods Pro 3 may equip an all-new health feature
Article content (Bloomberg) — Boeing Co. Chief Information Officer Susan Doniz is leaving the company, Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg told employees in a memo on Friday. Dennis Eng will take over as interim head of the Information Technology & Data Analytics team until the company announces a new leader, Ortberg said in a memo viewed by Bloomberg News. The change is effective immediately. The departure marks the fifth member of Boeing’s executive council to step down since Ortberg took over as CEO in early August. Ortberg has been working to turn around the planemaker after years of scandal and turmoil, along with a series of crises this year that began when a door-shaped plug blew out of an airborne 737 Max in early January. Doniz joined Boeing in 2020 from Australia’s Qantas Airways Ltd., where she had held a similar role since 2017. She’s had more than 25 years of experience at companies such as SAP SE, Aimia Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co. Earlier this month, Boeing’s chief lobbyist and the head of its powerful Washington, DC, operation, Ziad “Z” Ojakli, left the company. Other senior leaders who’ve departed Boeing include former defense division chief Ted Colbert and Brian Besanceney, who was communications chief. Boeing has had to weather a bipartisan bashing by US lawmakers over quality and safety lapses this year, including the grilling of former CEO Dave Calhoun by a Senate subcommitttee. The company is in the process of reducing staffing by 10%, or about 17,000 jobs, with Ortberg saying the job cuts would be felt at all levels of the company.
A two-year-old start-up founded by a former Huawei Technologies’ recruit said it has started mass production of its humanoid robots, raising the bar in a fierce competition among Chinese firms to produce artificial intelligence (AI)-powered machines. Shanghai-based Agibot has started producing its general-purpose robot for commercial use, and has manufactured 962 units as of December 15, the company said in a recent video. Agibot has crossed a major start-up hurdle after spending two years bringing an idea into mass production, founder Peng Zhihui wrote in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Monday. Peng, 31-years-old, was recruited by Huawei in 2020 under its “Genius Youth” young talent programme to work on AI projects at the company’s computing division. Peng’s posts on his inventions, including an Iron Man-inspired robotic arm, became viral sensations on Chinese social media. Agibot’s move towards mass producing its humanoid robots will further increase the stiff competition in China’s robotics industry, which has seen local government bodies racing to provide policy support for the sector.Trump’s latest tariff plan aims at multiple countries. What does it mean for the US?
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Tyreek Hill’s citations dropped in Hard Rock cuffing after cop doesn’t show up in courtFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Looking for hard-to-find bottles of Kentucky bourbon to toast the holidays or add to a collection? Get your bids ready as the Bluegrass State launches its first online auction of confiscated alcohol. Whiskeys up for sale include two bottles of Old Rip Van Winkle, a Blanton’s Single Barrel Gold in box with Japanese markings and a bottle of Four Roses Small Batch Barrel Strength 2011. The sale is the result of a new Kentucky law, which allows alcohol confiscated from closed criminal investigations by the state’s alcoholic beverage control agency to be auctioned. Online bidding opens Wednesday and closes at midnight on Dec. 11. Proceeds will support programs promoting responsible alcohol use by adults and awareness programs for youths. “This is a really good auction,” Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, said by phone Tuesday. “There are some hard-to-find and rare bottles on there.” No estimate has been given on how much the auction might raise. “We look forward to seeing the response to this auction and have started planning additional auctions for 2025,” said Allyson Taylor, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. RELATED COVERAGE Kentucky attorney general targets another big pharmacy benefit manager in opioid-related lawsuit Louisville police officer alleges discrimination over his opinion on Breonna Taylor’s killing Former Kentucky sheriff pleads not guilty in the fatal courthouse shooting of a judge The auction features 32 bottles of alcohol and includes a “stock the bar” bundle with bottles of wine, vodka, rum and whiskey, the agency said. But the stars are the hard-to-find and rare bourbons up for sale. “It’s not every day you go to a liquor store and find a bottle of Blanton’s Gold,” Gregory said. “You never go to a liquor store and find a bottle of Four Roses 2011.” The lineup includes bottles of E.H. Taylor bourbon, Blanton’s Single Barrel, Eagle Rare 10 yr., Weller Antique 107, Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Rye, Michter’s, an Old Forester gift set and more. A link to the online auction is available at ABC.ky.gov. Auction items cannot be shipped, so winning bidders must pick up items in Frankfort, the state said. The auctions will become a “can’t miss opportunity” for bourbon connoisseurs, Gregory said. Until this year’s change in the law, Kentucky regulators were required to destroy confiscated alcohol once a case was closed, the agency said. “We don’t like to see good bourbon poured down the drain,” Gregory said. Kentucky distillers produce 95% of the global bourbon supply, the Kentucky distillers’ group says.
