Management

As opportunities for store growth in the U.S. have dwindled, many retailers have set their sights overseas. But the latest headlines featuring teen apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch prove that in today’s precarious environment, even that strategy is no guarantee of success. Hit hard during the recession, Abercrombie & Fitch made plans to close 15 percent of its U.S. stores and concentrate on Europe as its next expansion stage. 

Three former managers at Wet Seal, a nationwide apparel retailer for young women, filed a federal race discrimination lawsuit last week, asserting that the company had a high-level policy of firing and denying pay increases and promotions to African-American employees because they didn't fit its "brand image."

Frank Ocean's album may currently be the most buzzed about disc in music, but Target isn't interested. Billboard reports the discount retail giant announced it will not sell Channel Orange, claiming the decision was a reaction to iTunes' one-week exclusive.

Marvin S. Traub, the retailing impresario who transformed Bloomingdale's from a stodgy Upper East Side family department store into a trendsetting international showcase of style and showmanship in the 1970s and '80s, died on Wednesday at his home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He was 87.

Apple's Cupertino headquarters may be just a few miles away from San Francisco, but the city won't be spending any more cash on the retailer's products. According to TheWall Street Journal, city agencies in San Francisco will no longer be able to purchase Apple products after the company asked the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) — the group that sets environmental standards for electronics — to remove all 39 of its products from the agency's green registry.

J.C. Penney says it's laying off 350 more workers at its headquarters in Plano, Tex., as the department store struggles to transform its business under Ron Johnson, a new CEO and former Apple executive. Penney shares soared last winter after Johnson laid out a new pricing strategy; they hit a peak of $43.13 on Feb. 9, but have since lost half their value.

In the wake of Gay Pride Month, a recent Wall Street Journal article took a look at how big department store chains like J.C. Penney, Target and Macy's are courting gay customers. According to the article, the brands — most of which have traditionally ignored gay culture in their advertising and marketing materials — are making efforts to cozy up to the demographic, as gay couples are increasingly settling down in suburbia.

Filing Chapter 11 isn't always the end: both companies (and individuals) have bounced back from bankruptcy, in some cases to move on to remarkable success. But for Strauss Auto, bankruptcy came to seem less like a chance to reorganize and more like a habit it couldn't break. Strauss Auto's Chapter 11 filing last month was its fifth since 1979, and it was accompanied by the closing of its remaining 46 auto parts stores and the intention of filing a plan of liquidation, according to the Wall Street Journal and other published reports. 

Kohl's will expand its solar program by nearly 25 percent this year, installing solar panels at approximately 30 additional stores. The department store retailer expects to have more than 150 solar locations across 13 states by the end of 2012. On average, the panels supply 20 percent to 50 percent of each store's energy requirements. "After adding 20 solar locations in 2011, we're pleased to continue growing our solar program in 2012," said Kohl's Chief Administrative Officer John Worthington in a statement. 

Regional sporting goods chain Hibbett Sports plans to begin construction this fall on a new distribution facility that will support more than 2,000 stores. Hibbett on Monday announced plans to build, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, a wholesaling and logistics facility in Alabaster, Alabama. Construction on the new 360,000 square-foot facility is expected to commence in fall 2012 and be fully operational by fall 2014.