Management

More change is on the way for Staples. Reuters reports the office supplies retailer will be selling a controlling stake in its European business to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP for €50 million ($53.65 million) to focus on its North American operations. Staples’ European unit consists of retail stores and an online business in…

Bankrupt retailer American Apparel is rushing to get its affairs in order before its bankruptcy auction in January. Most recently, it moved to close nine storefronts. American Apparel said in a court filing Wednesday it intends to shut down the nine poorly performing stores by the end of the month, and before a planned auction…

Ikea’s U.S. division will begin offering longer parental leave to all employees who are new parents starting in the New Year. The furniture retailer announced this week that it will offer 13,000 salaried and hourly employees in the U.S. up to four months of paid parental leave. The policy applies to mothers and fathers who…

One year after he was promoted to president of Meijer Inc., Rick Keyes will add the title of chief executive officer. The announcement was made on Friday, Dec. 2, by Hank Meijer, who has held the title of CEO and will now serve as executive chairman of the board for the family-owned chain of 230 supercenters…

Limited Stores LLC is cutting jobs while facing a possible permanent shutdown. The New Albany, Ohio-based women’s apparel retailer filed a notice with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services saying it could lay off up to all 248 employees at its home office and shutter that facility in the wake of disappointing sales. Layoffs began…

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is stepping down from that position effective April 3. However, he’s not leaving the company completely — he will become executive chairman, focusing on innovating the company's premium offerings and on social impact. The company’s current COO, Kevin Johnson, will take over the chief executive reins when Schultz steps down. Schultz told…

Michelle Peluso, chief marketing officer of IBM, recently spoke at the IMPACT 2016 Capital Conference in Philadelphia. Peluso talked about how she's always been surrounded by disruption throughout her career at companies like Site59, Travelocity, Citi…

Levi Strauss CEO Chip Bergh asked customers to refrain from bringing guns into its stores, even when local laws allow for it. Bergh posted an open letter to LinkedIn on Wednesday saying he was aware the move might anger some, but reassured isn't a political statement — it’s about safety. Bergh’s post comes just a…

With the holiday season upon us, the challenges retailers are facing aren't just about having enough of the right products stocked and ready. Often, the most pressing challenge is having enough staff on hand to service customers. An understaffed retail team causes customers to be underserved, so employers should do all they can to make sure their…

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked an Obama administration rule to extend mandatory overtime pay to more than 4 million salaried workers from taking effect, imperiling one of the outgoing president's signature achievements for boosting wages. U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant, in Sherman, Texas, agreed with 21 states and a coalition of business groups, including the…