Legal

U.S. antitrust regulators let Walgreens Boots Alliance know it will have to close up to 1,000 retail stores if its acquisition of Rite Aid will be approved. Despite this, Walgreens still expects the deal to close in the second half of this year. Walgreens currently has 8,200 U.S. stores and Rite Aid has 4,500. Even…

It’s a nice payday for three unnamed Sports Authority executives. A judge approved the company to pay up to $1.5 million in bonuses to these execs after a bankruptcy liquidation that erased around 14,000 jobs. Sports Authority has an estimated $400 million worth of merchandise to sell in one of the largest retail liquidations ever.…

Aeropostale was thrown a lifeline as a group of interested parties bid on its assets. Companies General Growth Properties, Simon Property Group and Authentic Brands Group joined together to bid $243.3 million to save 229 stores from closing, and therefore possibly saving Aeropostale from liquidation. An auction for Aeropostale's assets was supposed to be held…

Wal-Mart's court fight to sell liquor at its stores in Texas looks to be back on track, but the courtroom is getting crowded. A federal appeals court is allowing a trade group representing liquor store operators to join a stalled federal lawsuit that the nation's largest retailer filed against the Texas agency that hands out permits to…

After a yearlong deadlock, there's news on the legislation of online taxes. The National Retail Federation (NRF) welcomed the release of draft online sales tax legislation by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte, R-Va., saying action is needed to break Congress’ standstill on the issue. “Retailers should be allowed to compete based on how well they serve…

The planned auction of teen retailer Aéropostale has been moved back to August 29 as a bankruptcy judge weighs what could be a company-ending decision. Aéropostale and Sycamore Partners, the private equity firm that was at one time one of the retailer's largest backers, don’t agree on its future. Sycamore is pushing for liquidation, while Aéropostale…

Fashion retailer Zara got hit with a lawsuit for allegedly cheating American shoppers out of billions of dollars. The retailer, known for its trendy but reasonably priced clothing for women and men, was accused of unlawful pricing. Attorney Mark Geragos represents the plaintiffs. He accused Zara of "bait and switch and cover-up pricing." He said many products…

Target plans to spend $20 million to build single-occupant restrooms to appease shoppers uncomfortable with its stated policy that allows transgender customers and employees to use the restroom of their choice. That statement spurred a public debate on the issue and several protests, including a boycott by the American Family Association. Target hasn't changed its policy,…

American Apparel has called Los Angeles home for 27 years, but that may be coming to an end in 2019. The clothing retailer’s downtown L.A. headquarters’ lease is up in 2019 — one year before California’s minimum wage is set to rise to $15 per hour. States on the East Coast, like North Carolina and Tennessee,…

Jet.com pitches itself as a lower-priced alternative to Amazon.com, partly by not tacking on sales taxes in most states. But tax experts say Jet’s sale to retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. could jeopardize that price advantage by forcing it to collect taxes nationwide. A 1992 Supreme Court ruling allows retailers to avoid collecting sales taxes in states…