Legal

Retail Right Now: July 14
July 14, 2017 at 11:36 am

In this episode of Retail Right Now, Caitlin Sullivan reviews the top retail news of the week, including Amazon Prime Day, what retailers tried to compete with the big sale and lululemon's lawsuit against Under Armour.

lululemon is Suing Under Armour for Patent Infringement
July 13, 2017 at 10:10 am

Lululemon is suing competitor Under Armour over a sportswear design. The athletic wear company filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Under Armour for patent infringement relating to lululemon's Energy Bra. Currently, the lululemon design below retails at $52 dollars, while Under Armour's product, using a similar design, is selling for between $20 and $40. In a…

Gymboree to Close 350 Stores in Bankruptcy Restructuring
July 12, 2017 at 9:59 am

Gymboree Corp. plans to close 350 stores as it restructures in bankruptcy, the company said earlier this week. Store closing sales are scheduled to begin on July 18, and most of the stores targeted for closure are Gymboree and Crazy 8 locations. The children’s apparel retailer will have more than 900 locations after the 350…

Retail Right Now: July 7
July 7, 2017 at 10:59 am

This episode of Retail Right Now features the week's biggest retail news, including True Religion filing for bankruptcy protection, Kroger suing Lidl for trademark infringement, and QVC buying its chief competitor, HSN.

Kroger Suing Lidl for Trademark Infringement
July 7, 2017 at 9:35 am

Kroger is suing supermarket rival Lidl for trademark infringement. The lawsuit comes just two weeks after the German-based chain Lidl opened its first store in the U.S., and alleges that Lidl’s house brand, “Preferred Selection,” is too similar to Kroger’s house brand, “Private Selection.” "As a direct result of Lidl’s wrongful conduct, Kroger has suffered and…

Hobby Lobby to Pay $3M Fine, Return Smuggled Iraqi Artifacts
July 6, 2017 at 12:04 pm

It was announced yesterday that Hobby Lobby will hand over thousands of illicit Iraqi artifacts, according to reports. The arts-and-crafts retail chain is to pay $3 million to settle a civil forfeiture action brought by the Department of Justice, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday. It began to collect "historically significant manuscripts, antiquities and other cultural materials"…

Retail Giants Accused of Trucker Exploitation
July 5, 2017 at 11:13 am

USA Today recently published a report stating that Target, Costco, Hewlett-Packard and other big-name retailers have benefited from California port trucking companies that forced their drivers into debt, made them work up to 20 hours a day, and sometimes paid them pennies per hour. Retailers and manufacturers usually rely on subcontractors to move their products…

Eddie Bauer Exploring Potential Sale
June 28, 2017 at 3:23 pm

The owners of Eddie Bauer are reportedly exploring a sale of the company. Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, that the active outdoor apparel company has hired investment banks Guggenheim Partners and Financo to assist. Eddie Bauer, which is owned by private equity firm Golden Gate Capital, is seeking relief from a…

The Pain of Retail Bankruptcies Extends to Landlords and Remaining Tenants
June 26, 2017 at 9:05 am

This year is shaping up to be an especially tough one for retailers across the country. The current environment has resulted in many national and regional retailers closing up shop and turning to bankruptcy as a means of downsizing or liquidating. Whether the retailer has too many stores, an obsolete business model or declining sales…

Walgreens Settles Lawsuit With Theranos for Less Than $30M
June 21, 2017 at 10:03 am

Theranos Inc. has tentatively agreed to pay Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. less than $30 million to settle a lawsuit that alleged the health tech startup breached the companies’ contract. Walgreens once hosted about 40 Theranos blood-testing centers inside its stores, allowing Theranos to get in front of many of Walgreens customers. In the suit, Walgreens…