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Hudson's Bay, the owner of the Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue department stores, has named Jerry Storch, the former top executive at Toys"R"Us, to serve as its new chief executive. The department store operator said Storch will take the reins beginning Jan. 6, succeeding Richard Baker, who will stay on as executive chairman.

Avon Products stock swooned more than 12 percent in mid-day trading after the company agreed to pay $135 million for long-standing federal charges that it paid bribes in China and other countries. Both the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission got in the action. Avon, which calls itself the world's largest direct seller of cosmetics, agreed to pay $68 million to the Justice Department and $67 million to resolve the dispute with the SEC. 

Black Friday is dead. While the death might seem to have been breathtaking and quick — a drastic 11 percent drop in sales over Thanksgiving weekend — it was actually a long time coming, and the scars from the experience promise to shape retail's future for a long time to come. In 2012, RSR declared Black Friday to be dead. My personal argument ran like this: consumers have total transparency into Black Friday prices weeks, if not months, in advance. This means there's no incentive for consumers to wait for Black Friday if they find a better deal earlier.

Workers at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores in Pennsylvania who worked off the clock and when they were supposed to be on break, or who were forced to skip their breaks, will receive $151 million in unpaid wages and damages, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court ruled Monday, upholding lower and appellate court decisions. The case affects nearly 187,000 people employed by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. from March 1998 through April 2006. 

Clothing and accessories retailer Banana Republic is working with mobile applications Curb and Deliv to target last-minute shoppers and offer special deals. Knowing that its customers remain busy through the holiday season, Banana Republic is relating to them by trying to ease their stress during "The Procrastinators Event." As mobile is increasingly proving to be a problem solver, Banana Republic is recognizing its potential by leveraging mobile capabilities to better its own business.

American Apparel has fired founder Dov Charney and named longtime fashion executive Paula Schneider to be its next CEO. The Los Angeles-based company's board voted to oust Charney as CEO in June, citing allegations of misconduct. He was put under suspension, but still served as a consultant to the company. American Apparel said Tuesday that it has terminated his position "for cause" after an internal investigation. Messages left with a lawyer who has represented Charney this year were not immediately returned.

Holiday shoppers would think a purchased Carmelo Anthony plush-doll would look like, well, Carmelo Anthony. If they bought it online at Wal-Mart, they'd be mistaken. The doll displayed at Walmart.com doesn't resemble the seven-time NBA All-Star and current New York Knick, but rather shares a remarkable likeness to Jeremy Lin. Although he once took a big spotlight for the New York team, Lin hasn't donned the New York Knickerbockers’ uniform since 2012. 

lululemon is training a whole new generation of yoga enthusiasts with a brand targeting girls as young as six. Ivivva Athletica, pronounced "ih - vee - va," will have 20 stores open by the end of the year. The brand is a bright spot for the company. Ivivva's same-store sales soared 37 percent in the most recent quarter, according to lululemon CEO Laurent Potdevin. During the same time period, sales at lululemon stores open at least a year fell 3 percent. 

Brown Shoe, owner of the Famous Footwear retail chain, sold its Shoes.com online division to a closely held Seattle company pushing into a market led by Amazon.com and Foot Locker. Shoeme, parent of OnlineShoes.com and Shoeme.ca, is purchasing Shoes.com for an undisclosed price, the companies said in separate statements. The web domain name shoes.com alone is worth $630,000, according to siteprice.org, based on search engine visibility and traffic.

Christmas is a time of giving but, as far as retailers are concerned, it isn't necessarily a time of giving away. Yet on Saturday, some U.K.-based retailers were aghast as their wares were suddenly being sold on Amazon.com for one penny. No, this wasn't an attempt by Amazon to wipe out a recalcitrant book publisher or diaper maker. Instead, it was an alleged glitch that affected some of those on Amazon's Marketplace who used the Repricer Express function.