Management

The retail industry saw its rate of announced CEO changes among S&P 500 companies rise to nearly 23 percent last year, from 16 percent, according to the Conference Board’s annual study "CEO Succession Practices," developed in partnership with the executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles. That was the highest rate the sector has seen since…

Specialty mattress retailer Mattress Firm late last week filed voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. The move was made, according to Mattress Firm, to "strengthen its balance sheet and optimize its store footprint." The largest U.S. mattress retailer said it plans to close 700 of its 3,230 company-owned stores. Those stores are…

This is an excerpt from an interview conducted with Stephen Hawthornthwaite, co-founder and CEO, and Roth Martin, co-founder and chief creative officer, both of Rothy’s, a San Francisco-based startup that turns plastic water bottles into trendy women’s shoes, which it sells via its website and a brick-and-mortar store in its hometown. Hawthornthwaite and Martin were…

Amazon.com said it would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour for all of its United States workers. The retail giant said the pay increase would include part-time workers and those hired through temporary agencies. Amazon said it would also lobby Washington to raise the federal minimum wage. The new wages will apply to more…

Ten states will start collecting sales tax from out-of-state online retailers starting today, thanks to a series of new laws created in response to the South Dakota v. Wayfair case the U.S. Supreme Court decided in June. In deciding the case, the Supreme Court overturned a ruling (Quill Corporation v. North Dakota) that said the Constitution bars states from requiring…

Employees are quitting at record rates, according to a recent U.S. Labor Department report, but Lamps Plus employees are staying the longest in its product category. Employees of the designer, manufacturer and retailer of portable lighting, fixture lighting and home décor products have an average tenure of eight years, based on LinkedIn data. So how…

Walmart's success doesn't depend on earnings, but rather the story it tells. Amazon.com's revenue climbed since 1998, while net income stayed flat (per FactSet and Recode — see chart below), and Amazon stock rose 1500 percent in that time period. Walmart … welcome to the technology ball. The biggest earnings quarter to watch for Walmart…

Starbucks plans job cuts this fall at its Seattle headquarters, including eliminating some top executives, as it reorganizes in a bid to make quicker decisions and reignite sales growth in an evolving retail landscape. The restructuring is the latest bump in a turbulent year for the coffee giant, which has seen high-profile departures, an embarrassing turn…

Eric Tam is the head of digital and technology at Biossance, a natural, squalane skincare line. He spoke with us about his career experience, from pioneering e-commerce to creating a successful workplace while planning for the future of digital branding. Holly Vander Wall: Tell us about your personal career path. What brought you to where…

Fashion brand Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. is close to a deal to buy Italian fashion house Gianni Versace SpA for around $2.35 billion, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. The move would put one of the glitziest names in high fashion in the hands of a budding U.S. conglomerate better known for affordable luxury.…