Management

Although the nation is still struggling amid high unemployment rates, less people are applying for work in the retail industry. The latest Kronos Retail Labor Index, which measures the ratio of hires to applicants within a given month, rose to 3.7 percent in June from a revised 3.2 percent in May as a decline in applications outpaced a moderate decrease in hiring, according to the report by Kronos Inc.

Mike Boylson, J.C. Penney's longtime chief marketer, has retired. The retailer confirmed his departure and said it's begun a search for his successor. Boylson announced his plans to retire in early June, and left the company July 1. His retirement wasn't previously announced, despite his executive role and tenure at the company.

Build-A-Bear Workshop President John Haugh said he will resign as the company’s president, as reported by the St. Louis Business Journal. Haugh’s resignation is effective July 22, according to an SEC filing. His successor hasn’t been named, but current duties will be filled in the interim by Chief Financial and Operations Officer Tina Klocke, Chief Entertainment Officer Teresa Kroll and Chief Executive Maxine Clark. Haugh has been at the helm since 2009.

Office Depot announced that it's appointed Kevin Peters as president, North America, a new position that combines the company’s previous North American retail and North American business solutions divisions.

Levi's announced it's appointed Paul Zadoff as its new senior vice president of wholesale commercial operations for the Americas. Zadoff will be responsible for developing and implementing effective strategies to drive long-term sustainable revenue growth, as well as ensuring the integration of a consistent consumer experience across the brand's wholesale commercial operation channels in the Americas.

Pet specialty retailer Pet Supplies “Plus” has promoted Dave Bolen to president and CEO, effective immediately. Bolen joined the company on May 2 as president, arriving from Petco where he was executive vice president and chief merchandising officer.

Macy’s announced that Steven Derwoed has been appointed vice president of merchandising for the Macy’s store planning and design group.

A new study dove into which of the big online retailers keep their customers on hold the longest. It found that Crate and Barrel takes the longest for correspondence, taking an average of 88 hours to get back to a customer email. Meanwhile BarnesandNoble.com ranked an average hold time of 8 minutes and 3 seconds.

Canadian yoga-wear maker lululemon athletica has hired former Crocs executive Chris Ladd as senior vice president of its recently revamped e-commerce division. The retailer said Ladd will head online business strategy, which includes global expansion plans for the website's services.

Higher salaries, job mobility and a strong emphasis on "quality of life" benefits are redefining the job market in retail and fashion, according to 24 Seven's Fifth Annual Salary Survey. The survey, conducted in collaboration with the American Apparel & Footwear Association, queried more than 2,000 professionals across the U.S. in all sectors including design, sales and marketing, merchandising, product development, operations, e-commerce and store level.