Legal
June 12, 2017 at 10:43 am
Children's clothing chain Gymboree filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today after retaining a turnaround firm last month to assist with its operations. The children’s apparel retailer, which also announced the departure of Chief Financial Officer Andrew North, has been in discussions with lenders since the beginning of 2017 as it grapples with a heavy…
June 9, 2017 at 9:48 am
In this episode of Retail Right Now, filmed this week at the Internet Retailer Conference and Expo in Chicago, we review the top retail news of the week, including Sears reaching an amicable resolution in its dispute with power tool supplier One World Technologies; Wal-Mart allegedly punishing workers for using sick days; and Amazon.com's Prime price…
June 8, 2017 at 11:14 am
It's rumored that members of the Nordstrom family are thinking about taking the company private to combat declining sales. Reports say shares of the company, which had a market value of $6.72 billion as of Wednesday closing, jumped as much as 18 percent in its largest gain since February 2009. The group, which owns 31.2 percent of…
June 7, 2017 at 11:53 am
Sears has resolved its dispute with One World Technologies, the maker of Craftsman tools. After blogging last month that the department store retailer threatened to sue One World, CEO Eddie Lampert recently updated the post with a note explaining the matter had been resolved. According to CNBC, Sears has been working with suppliers to try…
June 6, 2017 at 9:38 am
President Trump's proposed budget is expected to slash $193 billion from the federal government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, from 2018 to 2028. SNAP currently has an annual cost of around $70 billion. Should Trump's plan be approved by Congress, millions of Americans may be forced to bear the brunt of the drastic changes, with the…
June 5, 2017 at 11:47 am
A federal appeals court on Friday ordered Whole Foods Market Inc. to face a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing it of overcharging shoppers in New York City by overstating the weight of pre-packaged food in its supermarkets, according to news reports. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said on Friday that a lower court…
June 5, 2017 at 11:02 am
A report released last week accuses Wal-Mart of routinely refusing to accept doctors’ notes and penalizing workers who need to take care of an ailing family member. The report was filed with the employment commission by a worker's group called A Better Balance on behalf of Arleja Stevens, a Wal-Mart employee who said she was…
June 2, 2017 at 9:58 am
Amazon.com is being forced to refund parents whose children made purchases on the online retailer's mobile apps without their permission. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced earlier this week that the refunds could total more than $70 million. The settlement brings closure to a nearly three-year legal battle surrounding the issue of charges made between…
May 31, 2017 at 10:19 am
After seeking bankruptcy protection in April, Payless ShoeSource is preparing to launch a second round of store closings. The footwear retailer is seeking court approval to trim its retail business by closing up to 408 stores if negotiations with landlords fail to result in rent concessions. Payless is asking to close 112 stores outright, and…
May 26, 2017 at 9:40 am
On Tuesday, Brian Cornell, CEO of Target, testified against what has been dubbed the border adjustment tax (BAT) to the House tax-writing committee, as many large retailers are leery of a tax on the thousands of products they import from foreign markets. The proposed 20 percent tax on imported goods has been touted as a…
