Management

Change is hard and, for many, not well received. When change happens fast, people tend to reject it and hold onto the control they're familiar with, often creating new unexpected conflicts. Marketing teams and IT departments are now blended in the wake of the migration of web content from “infrastructure” to “marketing asset,” and the…

Google is planning to open a two-level store in Chicago’s Fulton Market district, its first known location for a retail flagship, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. According to the report, the technology giant is close to finalizing a lease for almost 14,000 square feet on the first and second floors of several connected,…

There's no doubt that even as 2018 shapes up to be a great year for small, independent retailers, it takes a lot to open, run and manage a small business. On top of managing a brick-and-mortar location, retailers have an e-commerce channel to consider, new digital forms of payment, and the need to drive repeat…

Eddie Lampert, CEO and majority shareholder of Sears, announced this week that his hedge fund company, ESL Investments, has offered to pay $400 million for the retailer's Kenmore appliances brand. CNBC reports Lampert is prepared to close on the deal in as little as 60 days to 90 days. "Speed and certainty here are critical," Lampert…

VF Corporation announced on Monday that it planned to spin out its denim brands — Lee, Wrangler — into a separate publicly traded business, enabling it to better focus on its faster-growing activewear and lifestyle clothing lines like The North Face and Vans. VF has spent much of the past two decades diversifying away from…

Two women have filed a class-action lawsuit against Nike Inc., alleging it discriminated against them in pay and career advancement, according to a report in Friday's Wall Street Journal. The suit was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court in Portland, Ore., by two former employees, Kelly Cahill and Sara Johnston, who said that they endured a…

Albertsons Companies and Rite Aid Corp. announced on Wednesday that they are calling off their merger agreement. The $24 billion deal, announced in February, has faced opposition from a number of investors as well as top-10 shareholder Highfields Capital Management. Critics have argued the deal provides Albertsons’ private-equity owner, Cerberus Capital Management, a vehicle to…

Tiffany’s is a compelling example of an iconic 181-year-old brand that blends its historic past with cutting-edge trends and themes that cater now to a younger demographic, aiming to restore some of its lost radiance. By targeting millennials and using a heavy dose of social media and digital marketing, Tiffany’s has found new life that has…

In a sign of the times, two more traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have recently filed for bankruptcy protection. National Stores, Inc., parent company of retail brands such as Fallas, Anna’s Linens, and Factory 2-U, announced that in addition to filing for bankruptcy reorganization, it will be closing 74 of its 344 stores. National Stores, which is headquartered in Gardena,…

Today’s competitive physical and online marketplaces have pushed retailers to perform at a higher level in order to turn casual shoppers into loyal, returning customers. The quest to draw customers in, give them the best possible experience and keep sales revenue healthy has turned retailers towards the importance of reinvention. In fact, reinvention is the…