Management

Mall Owner Simon and Authentic Brands Make $305M Bid for Bankrupt Brooks Brothers
July 27, 2020 at 3:29 pm

SPARC LLC, a full-service retail operator comprised of the U.S. mall owner Simon Property Group and the apparel licensing firm Authentic Brands Group (ABG), has made a $305 million bid for bankrupt Brooks Brothers, according to a court filing published last week. The offer, still subject to better and higher bids and court approval, will keep at least 125…

Using Agile Principles to Re-Open and Recover Your Retail Business
July 16, 2020 at 5:24 pm

Retailers across the country have started to reopen their storefronts, clearing the path for recovery from the devastating global pandemic. While the coronavirus has sparked uncertainty in retailers’ futures, it has also brought about new ways of working in retail. These new ways are largely rooted in pre-pandemic trends that have accelerated — e.g., the…

New York & Co. Owner RTW Retailwinds Files for Bankruptcy
July 13, 2020 at 12:37 pm

New York & Co. parent company RTW Retailwinds announced Monday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to permanently close most, if not all, of its stores. The company said it has kicked off liquidation sales already, with about 92 percent of its brick-and-mortar locations back open during the coronavirus pandemic. RTW Retailwinds said…

Brooks Brothers Filed for Bankruptcy and is Seeking a Buyer
July 8, 2020 at 7:46 pm

Retail brand Brooks Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday and is searching for a buyer, CNBC reported. Brooks Brothers is one of the country's oldest retailers, having been founded in 1818, and is best known for its polos and prepster attire. Rent had become a burden for the iconic retailer, and the disruption…

Lucky Brand Files for Bankruptcy, Has Offer to Sell Company
July 7, 2020 at 6:24 pm

Los Angeles-based retailer Lucky Brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday, reports AP News. The apparel retailer blames its troubles in part on the coronavirus pandemic and said it plans to close 13 stores immediately, with more closures possible during the bankruptcy process. Lucky Brand said it has a deal lined up to…

What’s Next: Post-COVID Strategy for Retailers
July 6, 2020 at 4:17 pm

As more and more states and cities inch toward a post-COVID existence, many considerations are falling on the shoulders of retailers. So much changed for people during quarantine, and how they shop is likely at the top of the list. Retailers, both online and brick-and-mortar, have to rethink their customer experience so that people are…

Nordstrom Will Pay Only Half of its Rent for Rest of 2020
July 6, 2020 at 12:16 pm

Nordstrom is the latest retail tenant to find itself at odds with its landlords. The upscale department store chain has reportedly notified the property owners of its namesake and off-price Rack stores that it will pay only half of its rent costs for the rest of 2020. A letter from President of Stores Jamie Nordstrom to…

Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership, Fun Stuff and More
July 3, 2020 at 11:25 am

Welcome to this week's Retail Resources, which features a curated list of the best content and resources I've found over the past week. This week, I offer information and resources about leadership, diversity and inclusion, and some fun stuff, too. As always, if there's anything you would like me to share in a future post, let…

Crate and Barrel CEO Neela Montgomery to Step Down
July 2, 2020 at 4:48 pm

Crate and Barrel announced last week that CEO Neela Montgomery will step down from her role on Aug. 1 "to pursue new opportunities." The retailer said in a press release that Montgomery informed the board late last year of her decision, and her successor will be named "shortly." Montgomery stepped into the CEO role in the summer…

Amazon to Pay $500M in Employee Bonuses
July 1, 2020 at 6:51 pm

Amazon.com announced earlier this week that it will provide pandemic bonuses totaling more than $500 million to front-line workers, Progressive Grocer reported. These bonuses are to show appreciation for employees meeting boosts in demand from online shoppers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only employees who worked for Amazon through the month of June are eligible. Full-time…