Personnel

Home Depot is hiring more than 80,000 temporary workers nationwide for its big spring push, the company said Wednesday. Unlike other retailers that go on a hiring spree around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, the home improvement industry sees its greatest business when plants start growing and consumers think about lawn mowers and landscaping. More than half…

Staples Inc. is laying off hundreds of workers at its Framingham, Mass. headquarters, a move that analysts said suggests the company is preparing for the likelihood its planned merger with Office Depot Inc. won’t win regulatory approval. The job cuts were confirmed by a current employee and a former employee, both of whom asked for anonymity…

Most Wal-Mart employees in the U.S. will get a raise next month as part of the second phase of the company's commitment to higher wages. More than 1.2 million workers at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club will see a pay bump on Feb. 20, in line with the company's promise to bring its minimum hourly wage up…

Home improvement retailer Lowe's said Thursday that it plans to hire 46,000 seasonal employees for the spring and summer, its busiest time of the year. That's about 15 percent more seasonal workers than it hired in 2015. Lowe's Companies Inc., based in Mooresville, N.C., said it's hiring cashiers, stockers, lawn and garden clerks, and people…

Clothing retailer American Apparel has been having a rough go of things for the past couple of years: Young people falling out of love with its hipster-goes-to-aerobics look and sales tanking; founder and (former) CEO Dov Charney getting fired for alleged misconduct; a bankruptcy filing last year as sales continued to fall; then Charney trying…

Lillian Vernon, who created a sprawling catalog business that specialized in personalized gifts and ingenious gadgets and made her an American household name, died on Monday in Manhattan. She was 88. Her death was confirmed by her son Fred P. Hochberg.

Douglas Tompkins, a noted conservationist and the founder of the clothing brands North Face and Esprit, died on Tuesday after a kayaking accident on General Carrera Lake in the Patagonia region of southern Chile. He was 72. A lifelong outdoorsman, Mr. Tompkins made his fortune in retailing, but would later shun the business world to pursue…

In episode 14 of Total Retail Talks, we feature a conversation with Jennifer Farrelly, director of human resources at Lorna Jane, a women's activewear brand. With the holiday shopping season quickly approaching, retailers’ stores and websites will begin to see an uptick in traffic. To help accommodate this increase in demand, many companies hire extra…

Once upon a time, Black Friday shopping actually took place on Friday. In recent years, retailers have pushed the envelope by offering deals as early as Nov. 2, allowing consumers to start shopping ahead of the official holiday season kickoff. Many have even kept their doors open on Thanksgiving Day to the dismay of retail…

On Black Friday this year, outdoor gear and apparel retailer REI is putting its money where its motto is. The store that touts its dedication to “inspiring, educating, and outfitting” its customers and community to explore nature is staying closed on one of the nation’s busiest shopping days and will pay its employees to spend the…