Management
September 8, 2016 at 11:32 am
Pier 1 Imports CEO Alex Smith is leaving at the end of the year. In a statement, Pier 1 announced the transition plan was a mutual decision between Smith and the company's board of directors. Smith, who has been CEO since 2007, led the company in a large turnaround between 2008 to 2013. However, due…
September 6, 2016 at 12:44 pm
Chico's FAS is cutting 200 positions at its corporate headquarters as it restructures, the company disclosed last week in its second-quarter earnings release. The company has endured a challenging time over the past few years in the competitive and evolving world of women’s retail apparel. In February 2015, 240 corporate management positions were cut. All told, 75 of the eliminated…
September 1, 2016 at 10:57 am
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.…
September 1, 2016 at 10:27 am
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…
August 31, 2016 at 5:58 pm
Rakesh Tondon is the co-founder and CEO of Le Tote, a women's apparel and accessories subscription service. He's also a retail industry game changer. Here's our interview with Rakesh, which appeared in the summer issue of Total Retail. (Here are interviews with our other game changers: Meaghan Rose, Rocksbox; Luke Sherwin, Casper; Chris Lindland, Betabrand; and Kate…
August 29, 2016 at 12:53 pm
Amazon.com will soon launch a program to experiment with a 30-hour workweek for select technical teams in the human resources division of the company. Those employees will receive the same benefits as traditional 40-hour workers, but only 75 percent of the pay full-time workers earn. Currently, the company employs part-time workers that share the same…
August 25, 2016 at 9:58 am
In our third Game Changers profile, I interview Chris Lindland, founder and CEO of Betabrand, an online apparel retailer and crowdfunding platform. (Here’s profile one, Meaghan Rose, Rocksbox, and profile two, Luke Sherwin, Casper.) Total Retail: Where did you get the inspiration to launch your company? Chris Lindland: From the maker movement and creative community…
August 25, 2016 at 8:30 am
Technology allows retailers to collect data — and lots of it. Brands like Warby Parker and Uber have turned industries on their heads by collecting and using data to make better, smarter decisions. “Best practices go out the window when you prove, with data, that they aren't the right practices for you,” explains Avery Cavanah,…
August 23, 2016 at 12:44 pm
Retail is undergoing its biggest evolution to date. Consumer expectations are on the rise, and a generation of younger shoppers is changing the way brands think about engagement, loyalty and the customer experience. With so much change, it’s inevitable that there will be winners and losers when the dust settles. In fact, we’re already seeing…
August 22, 2016 at 12:17 pm
In episode 49 of Total Retail Talks, I interview Jamal Robinson, founder and president of DESIAR. DESIAR is an online retailer of handcrafted wooden sunglasses that was founded in a college dorm room. Robinson talks about the brand's journey as well as his personal goals for growing the business.
