Management

What Retailers Need to Know When Adjusting Their Mask Policies
June 23, 2021 at 11:42 am

As state and federal governments lift mandatory safety measures following CDC guidance, businesses have begun cautiously reducing their protocols for the first time for both their employees and customers. National retailers like Trader Joe’s, Costco, Walmart, Target, and Starbucks have announced that vaccinated customers do not have to wear masks, and many have dropped the…

Boxed to Go Public in SPAC Deal
June 14, 2021 at 6:40 pm

E-commerce grocery shopping platform Boxed and Seven Oaks Acquisition Corp., a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, announced they would go public in a deal that would value the combined company at $900 million. Boxed would use the money to serve more households and businesses that started ordering groceries online during the pandemic. The combined company will be called…

Foot Locker to Shut Down Footaction Stores
May 24, 2021 at 7:22 pm

Foot Locker announced on Friday that it will close most of its 231 Footaction stores "to position its store fleet for the future" and "to focus growth on its iconic banners," according to a company press release. One-third of the Footaction locations will be converted into Foot Locker's other banners, such as Foot Locker and Champs…

Leading Retailers Dropping Mask Mandates for Fully Vaccinated Customers, Employees
May 17, 2021 at 6:41 pm

Target, Walmart, CVS, Starbucks, Meijer, and Costco are among the retailers that have dropped their mask requirement for customers and employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in wake of the newest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Specifically, on May 16, the CDC said that fully vaccinated Americans, for the most…

The Year of Agility: No New Normal
May 5, 2021 at 1:37 pm

This isn't another article about the “new normal.” Having been a retail executive during the pandemic myself, here's the truth: Normal no longer exists. What exists (and is emerging) is a range of new business models and revenue streams, vastly different marketing mixes, customer expectations evolving faster than businesses can pivot, and organizational change that…

Walmart Says More Women, People of Color in Leadership Roles
April 26, 2021 at 7:42 pm

Walmart has increased the number of women and people of color in its officer roles in an effort to better reflect the country’s diversity among its top leadership. According to the retailer's annual diversity and inclusion report, which was published on Monday, Walmart’s representation of women and of people of color at the officer level…

Away Names Co-Founder Jen Rubio its New CEO
April 22, 2021 at 9:11 pm

Away, the luggage company valued at $1.45 billion, named co-founder Jen Rubio chief executive officer after she spent two months in the role on an interim basis. Rubio, 33, is taking the reins at a precarious time for the brand. The pandemic upended travel, and Away’s revenue fell by an estimated 55 percent in 2020,…

Kohl's Names New Directors in Agreement With Activist Investors
April 14, 2021 at 5:07 pm

Kohl's has come to an agreement with the group of activist investors who have been pushing to gain control of the company's board, CNBC reported. As part of the agreement, Kohl's named three new directors to its board. Two of the new directors — Margaret Jenkins and Thomas Kingsbury — were nominated by the activist…

Lee Delaney, President and CEO of BJ's Wholesale Club, Passes Away
April 12, 2021 at 2:52 pm

Lee Delaney, president and CEO of BJ’s Wholesale Club, passed away unexpectedly last week, due to presumed natural causes, the company announced Friday. He was 49. Bob Eddy, executive vice president, chief administrative and financial officer, has been named interim CEO by the board of directors, effective immediately. Additionally, Christopher J. Baldwin, chairman of the…