Management
November 7, 2017 at 11:43 am
Sears Holdings Corp. announced late last week that it will be closing an additional 63 stores early in 2018. The parent company of Sears and Kmart has already closed more than 350 stores this year. An additional 45 Kmart stores and 18 Sears stores will be closing in late January 2018, the company said. The 63…
November 6, 2017 at 10:51 am
J.C. Penney announced last week that it has eliminated the position of chief merchant. The move was made to streamline decision making and promote greater agility within its merchandise buying teams. John Tighe, current chief merchant, will be leaving the company to pursue other opportunities and will not be replaced. All senior merchandising executives will…
November 1, 2017 at 5:57 pm
London-based global luxury brand Burberry announced this week that its president and chief creative officer (CCO) Christopher Bailey will leave the company on March 31, 2018. At that time he will also step down from Burberry's board. Bailey has been with the company for 17 years. He will provide his full support to current CEO…
November 1, 2017 at 5:24 pm
The National Retail Federation (NRF) announced earlier this week that it will recognize Wal-Mart President and CEO Doug McMillon as “The Visionary,” an award given once a year to an outstanding retail industry leader during the 2018 NRF Foundation Gala on Jan. 14 in New York City. The Visionary is awarded annually to a leader with a long record of spearheading change in the retail industry. Each year, prominent retail executives identify an individual who is a disruptor, dreamer, giver, influencer and power player who has changed…
November 1, 2017 at 2:31 pm
It’s not often that you get to hear from retail legends like Jim Sinegal, co-founder and director of Costco Wholesale Corp. That’s why I was so excited to attend his talk at SAP’s Retail Executive Forum, which was held in New York City earlier this month. And he didn't disappoint. Sinegal served as the CEO…
November 1, 2017 at 2:08 pm
We recently attended a leadership and development conference that focused on several nontraditional learning issues impacting the current workplace. We were impressed with some of the messages and several of the speakers. One in particular, Aaron Hurst, resonated because he spoke of the importance of purpose in a world increasingly hard to make sense of…
November 1, 2017 at 1:17 pm
Sears has borrowed $60 million from affiliates of its CEO, Edward Lampert. This marks the third time in a month the retailer has asked for financial help. The Chicago Tribune reports Sears Holdings Corp. borrowed $100 million from affiliates of Lampert's hedge fund, ESL Investments, earlier last month. The first draft of $40 million took place…
October 31, 2017 at 10:20 am
For the third straight year, REI will close its stores on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. The outdoor apparel and gear retailer will also not be processing any online orders on either day (although shoppers will still be able to make purchases from REI's website). REI will pay its 12,000 employees, including hourly workers, for their…
October 25, 2017 at 4:29 pm
For the third straight year, REI will close its stores on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. The outdoor apparel and gear retailer will also not be processing any online orders on either day (although shoppers will still be able to make purchases from REI’s website). REI will pay its 12,000 employees, including hourly workers, for their […]
October 25, 2017 at 3:29 pm
This week, Kroger Co. announced new leadership changes within its executive leadership branch. Dayton Daily News reports Katie Wolfram, central division president of Kroger, will retire this year. Pam Matthews, currently the QFC division president, will succeed her. Suzy Monford will join the company to serve as the president of the QFC division. “Both leaders…
