Management

Rue La La laid off 65 employees in Boston and other locations as its parent company Kynetic plans to fold sister property SmartBargains into Rue La La. While SmartBargains sells department store items, Rue La La sells upscale branded items to members only at a significant discount during 2-day sales events, called "flash sales."

An Osaka department store's poorly translated sale sign was one of the classic English gaffes of our time. But the funny signs were quickly taken down after the internet freaked out about them. The store, Gallerie, caught wind of the global snicker in the final days of the sale.

The thousands of temporary workers who lost their jobs after the holidays dampened the weekly unemployment report. But at least one retailer is hiring now. Home Depot said it would add 70,000 workers this spring, its biggest season. Last year about half that number were hired permanently as cashiers, sales, lot and garden staffers. Home Depot employs about 300,000 workers overall.

Even without Kim Kardashian starring in its next Super Bowl spot, Skechers continues to raise a super ruckus. A greyhound protection group will announce that it's collected almost 50,000 signatures from folks who want Skechers to dump its new Super Bowl spot — before it airs — because it was shot at a race track in Arizona that the group claims mistreats greyhounds.

eBags.com announced it was able to reduce fourth quarter customer care expenses by 34 percent compared to the same period last year. During this same period, the company's sales increased 27 percent over last year.

The National Retail Federation has issued an open letter to President Obama urging him to call for action on initiatives that support a strong retail sector when he delivers his State of the Union address later this month. The letter was signed by Macy's Chairman, President and CEO Terry Lundgren, who chairs the NRF Board of Directors, and NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Delivering exceptional customer experiences is essential for any organization that wants to grow and sustain competitive differentiation in today's market. The annual Customer Experience Impact Report found that 86 percent of U.S. adults will pay more for a better customer experience.

J.C. Penney announced that Thomas J. Engibous will become chairman of its board of directors, effective Jan. 28. Engibous was named to the board in 1999 and has served in presiding director and lead independent director roles since 2008. He will assume the chairman's role from Myron E. Ullman, III, J.C. Penney’s former CEO, who will step down as executive chairman. Engibous is the retired chairman of Texas Instruments Inc.

Urban Outfitters declined in early trading after saying Glen Senk resigned as chief executive officer and will be succeeded by co-founder Richard Hayne as the retailer works to turn around a yearlong decline in profit. Senk, 55, resigned Jan. 9 and plans to pursue another opportunity, Urban Outfitters said in a statement.

Nordstrom has redesigned its fashion rewards loyalty program to include added benefits such as complimentary services and point incentives. As part of an effort to build customer loyalty, the new program includes complimentary alterations up to $100 based on varying benefit levels, triple point days, and Nordstrom Rack point participation.