Management

How to Tackle Retail Absenteeism and Boost Employee Engagement in 2019
March 8, 2019 at 12:35 pm

Engaged and productive employees are critical to the success of any organization, but retailers in particular are dependent on having the right people in the right place at the right time. When associates don’t show up for work, their absence affects everything from staff morale to customer satisfaction, creating stress and hindering store performance. How…

Amazon to Shutter All 87 U.S. Pop-Up Stores
March 7, 2019 at 2:55 pm

Amazon.com is shutting down all 87 of its U.S. pop-up stores in April, ending the retailer’s years-long experiment with these small shops as it tinkers with an evolving brick-and-mortar strategy, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. Amazon has pop-ups inside Whole Foods locations, Kohl's stores and malls around the U.S. The shops let customers try…

Report: Amazon to Open its Own Chain of Grocery Stores
March 4, 2019 at 10:51 am

Amazon.com is planning to open a new grocery store chain in an effort to broaden its reach in the retail category, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Sources familiar with the project told WSJ that the online behemoth is planning to open dozens of grocery stores in several major U.S. cities, and the first…

Old Navy to Split From Gap Inc.
March 1, 2019 at 10:50 am

Gap Inc. yesterday announced plans to create two independent, publicly traded companies: Old Navy and a yet-to-be-named company ("NewCo") that will consist of the Gap brand, Athleta, Banana Republic, Intermix and Hill City. Gap said the spin-off will enable each company to maximize focus and flexibility, align investments and incentives to meet its unique business needs,…

L Brands to Shutter 53 Victoria's Secret Stores
February 28, 2019 at 12:40 pm

L Brands, owner of the lingerie chain, announced Wednesday plans to close 53 Victoria’s Secrets stores in North America this year, more than three times the 15 it has historically closed in an average year. Victoria’s Secret square footage in North America will drop by about 3 percent with this latest round of store closures. A weak…

Foot Locker Announces $12.5M Investment in Rockets of Awesome
February 27, 2019 at 11:15 am

Foot Locker announced Tuesday that it's investing $12.5 million in New York City-based children's apparel brand Rockets of Awesome, according to CNBC. The athletic footwear retailer will open Rockets of Awesome clothing shops within Kids Foot Locker locations, making it the largest retailer of the children's brand's products in the U.S. In addition, Foot Locker will…

Macy's to Cut 100 Management Jobs in Corporate Restructuring
February 26, 2019 at 11:49 am

Macy's said Tuesday it will cut about 100 management jobs as looks trim costs and improve profitability amid declining sales. The department store chain was able to top lowered expectations for its fourth quarter, but same-store sales came up short of expectations. Macy's is targeting $100 million in annual cost savings, starting in fiscal 2019, with its…

Levi's Hires Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer
February 22, 2019 at 11:25 am

Levi’s has hired its first artificial intelligence (AI) officer. Katia Walsh, who was most recently Vodafone’s chief data and analytics officer, will begin her tenure at Levi’s on April 29. According to a company statement, Walsh will focus on building “data, analytics and artificial intelligence enablers” that will strengthen the company’s present and future business…

Serena Williams Joins Poshmark's Board of Directors
February 21, 2019 at 2:26 pm

Tennis superstar and businesswoman Serena Williams is joining the board of directors of Silicon Valley-based social commerce platform Poshmark, the company announced Wednesday. “Poshmark is disrupting retail by making shopping and selling social again, and I love working with a company that gives anyone an opportunity to become an entrepreneur,” Williams said in a press release…