Personnel
January 21, 2016 at 10:23 am
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…
January 15, 2016 at 10:27 am
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…
January 14, 2016 at 11:07 am
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…
December 15, 2015 at 10:36 am
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.
December 9, 2015 at 10:55 am
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…
November 30, 2015 at 10:20 am
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…
November 25, 2015 at 12:26 pm
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…
October 27, 2015 at 12:11 pm
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…
October 26, 2015 at 11:02 am
J.C. Penney laid off 300 of its 3,400 headquarters employees in Plano, Texas on Thursday. The 9 percent reduction is part of an ongoing effort to cut costs as Penney tries to become profitable again. CEO Marvin Ellison has been saying since he assumed the top job at Penney in August that he's reviewing the organization and…
October 21, 2015 at 10:51 am
At retail companies still using outdated scheduling processes, managers know the pain of perfecting employee schedules all too well. To devise an optimal workforce schedule, managers must accommodate shift preferences, employee availability and in-store demand. However, it’s near impossible to meet everyone’s needs and preferences when using outdated, manual methods. Though traditional scheduling practices (i.e.,…
