Management

Website "flash sales" are fueling lightning-fast growth for online retailer Zulily, and central Ohio has been one of the biggest beneficiaries. Zulily was founded in 2010 in Seattle and sells apparel, decor items and other merchandise via short-term "events." Sales are growing at warp speed, going from nothing several years ago to a projected $1.2 billion this year. As a result of the spectacular growth, Zulily has been adding employees at a fast clip. In Columbus, a market it quietly entered in 2012 with a distribution center in Obetz, the company has grown to 1,110 employees.  

More Toys"R"Us stores will feature in-location Claire's shops, broadening its offerings for tween girls beyond toys and video games. The companies said Wednesday they would expand their partnership to about 100 stores in Europe and 12 locations in the U.S. by the end of the year after a successful European pilot program. The company's Times Square and FAO Schwartz stores in New York will debut their Claire's shops this week; the rest of the U.S. spots will open by the end of October in locations from Pennsylvania to California. 

In an alternate universe, RadioShack would rule the world, supplying all of your electronics needs from computers to cellphones, and even making them. But in this world, RadioShack is almost bankrupt, having missed almost every opportunity to be the center of the technology revolution. Last week, the electronics retailer announced its latest quarterly loss — $119.4 million — and said that it might not have enough capital to continue as a "going concern." The announcement was a surprise to no one. RadioShack, despite some terrific marketing, has been in turnaround mode for almost two decades. 

More than a fashion trend, Vans has maintained double-digit growth for 19 consecutive quarters. Business of Fashion speaks to Kevin Bailey, president of the action sports division of VF Corporation, which owns Vans, to understand the key components of the company's strategy.

In the middle of a probe over alleged corruption in its international division, Wal-Mart has caught its own spokesman falsifying a major detail about his biography. David Tovar, Wal-Mart's vice president of communications, and the company's spokesperson as it responds to allegations that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, has said he's leaving the job he's held since 2006, Bloomberg reports. That's after the retail juggernaut found out that Tovar had represented himself as a 1996 graduate of the University of Delaware, but in fact had no such degree, an unnamed source told Bloomberg.

The blue polyester vests that Wal-Mart Stores workers will soon be required to wear hail from Jordan, according to media reports. The garment's place of origin raised plenty of eyebrows due to the retailer's recent pledge to buy more U.S.-made goods, as well as the slate of workers’ rights violations at Wal-Mart suppliers in Jordan. Gawker received a tip Friday from a Wal-Mart employee in Minnesota, who snapped a picture of the vest's inner tag. The image was also distributed by a PR firm for labor organizing group OUR Wal-Mart. 

Customers are angry at Hudson's Bay after the company cancelled some of their online orders, purchased at a deep discount by combining multiple rebate codes. Over the weekend, customers were sharing the discount codes on popular consumer forums such as Redflagdeals.com. Customers said they were able to purchase items at a major discount. In one post on RedFlagDeals.com, a user said he was able to purchase a Vitamix blender that regularly sells for $530 for 45 percent off. 

If developments like Apple's iBeacon or the rise of online marketplaces are any indication, the retail industry is in the midst of a significant digital evolution. These leaps in technical innovation present major opportunities for retailers willing to embrace change and equally significant threats to those that stubbornly hold on to status quo.

"Diesel, after so many years, was tired," sighed Renzo Rosso, the company's 59-year-old founder, sitting in his art-strewn office on the top floor of the company's modern, campus-like headquarters, set amidst the greenery of the Italian countryside about an hour outside of Venice. "We're a good company, but the brand had started to suffer," continued Rosso. For more than two decades, sales of Diesel — which Rosso founded in 1978 and grew from a denim specialist into a multibillion dollar lifestyle giant — enjoyed double-digit growth, driven largely by the success of its premium denim offering and irreverent, controversial marketing.

Nine West Holdings Inc.'s footwear business will be split up into four separate companies under a plan by private-equity owner Sycamore Partners LLC, part of an effort to squeeze more value from a stable of well-known brands. The new companies, which will remain part of Sycamore, will consist of Nine West, Anne Klein, Easy Spirit and NW Jewelry Group. As her company splits up, Nine West Footwear Group Chief Executive Officer Kathleen Nedorostek will be stepping down. Former Kohl's Corp. executive Peggy Eskenasi, meanwhile, is joining Sycamore to help oversee the operations.