Management

lululemon's homepage recently featured — in big block letters that took up my entire computer screen — a message that read: "CEO Wanted." My first thought was that someone had hacked into its site as a prank. It turns out someone hadn't. lululemon is known for being irreverent, and I'm all for it. I've written about its playful brand voice. It's hard to be confident, sophisticated and tongue-in-cheek at the same time, yet lululemon does it well. So why was this homepage message so jarring?

Men's Wearhouse has dismissed its founder and executive chairman George Zimmer. In a terse release issued Wednesday, the company didn't give a reason for the abrupt firing of Zimmer, who built Men's Wearhouse from one small Texas store using a cigar box as a cash register to one of the nation's largest specialty retailers in men's clothing, with 1,143 locations. Zimmer was seen as the face of the company, appearing in many of its TV commercials with the slogan, "You're going to like the way you look. I guarantee it."

lululemon CEO Christine Day announced last week that she's leaving. Now, the yoga-wear retailer must find her replacement. Where is lululemon recruiting for one of the most sought-after jobs in retail? The internet. The company posted a job description on its website calling for CEO applicants. Check it out:

Outdoor equipment retailer REI recently announced changes to its return policies, which previously allowed customers to return any item for any amount of time, no questions asked

Niraj Shah, CEO of Wayfair (formerly CSN Stores), the Boston-based online seller of home furnishings, with 1,250 employees, a global presence, 2012 revenue of $600 million and a 40 percent growth rate, offered his four drivers of long-term retail success during a session at the 2013 Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition in Chicago last week. They include the following:

After more than a year of management and financial upheaval, J.C. Penney executives last month asked a therapist to address employees at an internal meeting. He ended up traumatizing them more. According to sources with knowledge of the situation, J.C. Penney chief merchant Liz Sweney brought in an organizational therapist to help employees cope with the firing of former CEO Ron Johnson in April and a disastrous year that saw revenue plummet $4.3 billion, or 25%. The pair proceeded to compare the experience to a bomb explosion and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Amazon on Wednesday began offering fresh grocery delivery in Los Angeles — its first major market outside of Seattle, where it began its fresh service in 2007. According to published...

On Forbes’ The World's Most Powerful Women list, there are but a handful who hail from the retail industry, the largest segment of the U.S. economy. Why aren't there more powerful women in retail? The National Retail Federation congratulates seven women on the list, although two, Spanx founder Sara Blakely (No. 90), and Tory Burch (No. 69), are primarily apparel designers that happen to have a foothold in retail.

Singer 22 has developed a bona fide cult following, thanks to its incredible denim collection and innovative use of street-style photos. Paparazzi snaps of celebrities like Jessica Alba, Olivia Palmero and Diane Kruger are incorporated into the site's shopping pages, giving consumers an idea of how items can be styled for real life. The site also boasts one of the best return policies on the planet, offering a 10 percent bonus on returns if you choose store credit. 

American Apparel CEO Dov Charney has been on the warpath since the deadly collapse of a garment factory complex in Bangladesh took the lives of more than 1,100 people in April, and now he has his