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Mattress Firm Names New CEO
March 23, 2016 at 11:14 am

Ken Murphy is the new chief executive officer of Mattress Firm. Murphy, 40, rises from company president to replace Steve Stagner, who served as CEO since 2010. Stagner now is executive chairman and chairman of the board of directors, the company announced Monday. The changes are in effect. A company statement said the move "will allow for better…

Amazon Exec Weighs in on Proposed Staples-Office Depot Merger
March 23, 2016 at 11:07 am

An executive with Amazon.com Inc's unit that sells office supplies to businesses gave testimony on Tuesday that appeared to bolster a U.S. regulator's wariness over a potential merger of Staples Inc and Office Depot Inc. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit last year to block the proposed $6.3 billion acquisition of Office Depot by…

Chip-Card Payment System Delays Frustrate Retailers
March 23, 2016 at 11:00 am

Avi Kaner, a co-owner of the Morton Williams supermarket chain in New York, has spent about $700,000 to update the payment terminals at his stores. Trouble is, he cannot turn them on. The new terminals can accept credit and debit cards with embedded digital chips, a security feature intended to reduce the number of fraudulent purchases. But before…

Lumber Liquidators Pays $2.5M to Settle California Clean Air Claims
March 23, 2016 at 10:55 am

Virginia-based hardwood flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators Inc. has paid the California Air Resources Board $2.5 million to settle claims that the business sold, supplied or offered for sale composite wood products that ARB testing showed exceeded state formaldehyde limits. ARB said Tuesday that the payment also settled state claims that Lumber Liquidators failed to take “reasonable,…

Kohl's Targets Bargain Hunters at New Off/Aisle Stores
March 22, 2016 at 11:33 am

Kohl's Corp.'s new Off/Aisle store has a polished concrete floor, sleek lighting fixtures and a way of pricing merchandise that's very different from the Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based retailer's traditional department stores. No coupons or special discounts here. At Off/Aisle, everything has a "spot" price. Items with an orange circle on the tag are $4; items with…

American Apparel Offering On-Demand Delivery Via Postmates Partnership
March 22, 2016 at 11:21 am

Clothing brand American Apparel has formally partnered with startup Postmates to offer consumers on-demand delivery (within the hour) of "Basics" clothing, which includes standard tees, sweatshirts, body suits, pants, leggings and dresses for all genders. The service will be offered in 79 American Apparel stores throughout the U.S., spanning 31 metropolitan areas. At launch, delivery fees will…

Amazon Sues Former Exec Recently Hired by Target
March 22, 2016 at 11:11 am

Amazon.com filed suit against a longtime logistics and supply chain executive recently hired by rival Target Corp. over what it said was a violation of a noncompete agreement. In the lawsuit, the Seattle retailer said Arthur Valdez, employed by Amazon for 16 years, was in a position to reveal confidential strategy to its rival. Target touted Valdez’s…

UK to Hold eBay, Amazon Liable for Sellers’ Tax Evasion
March 21, 2016 at 12:36 pm

When the U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne presented his 2016 budget, he had a warning for online sellers and online marketplaces, saying it was unfair when small businessmen and women compete against foreign companies on the internet that don't pay taxes.

Starbucks Being Sued for Underfilling Lattes
March 21, 2016 at 12:27 pm

First it was Subway shortchanging its footlong sandwiches. Now caffeine addicts are up in arms over Starbucks allegedly underfilling its lattes. A class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Northern California claims that the coffee chain knowingly and systematically serves customers lattes that are 25 percent smaller than the menu claims. The plaintiffs allege that…

Big Lots’ Turnaround Hasn't Come at Expense of Workers
March 21, 2016 at 12:02 pm

When Sports Authority filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy recently, some of the headlines blamed the retailer's woes on the shift to online shopping. While that's a convenient excuse — and no doubt has some validity — retailers both local and national have shown that online shopping isn't necessarily the be-all, end-all. Consider Big Lots.