Personnel

Employees at a Baltimore-area Apple store have voted to unionize, making it the first of Apple's 270-plus stores in the U.S. to join a union. In the election, 65 employees at Apple’s store in Towson, Md., voted in favor of being represented by the union, known as the Apple Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (CORE),…

As lease signs begin to disappear from storefront windows in Manhattan, retailers across the U.S. are preparing for the industry’s big return. Although the harshest COVID-driven restrictions were lifted months ago, businesses have been hesitant to open or expand their physical locations after suffering devastating revenue losses over the last two years. Increasing interest rates…

The union backing organizing efforts at Starbucks is creating a $1 million fund to cover lost pay for baristas who go on strike, giving workers more firepower in their fight to unionize. The financial backing comes amid a nationwide unionization push that has already included workers at some Starbucks locations staging walkouts and strikes. Once it’s…

It’s no secret when it comes to the value of loyalty. Existing customers spend 31 percent more, on average, than new ones. They’re also 50 percent more likely to try new products. As a result, more and more retailers, including Albertsons, Rite Aid, and The Container Store, are doubling down on loyalty programs to drive…

Neiman Marcus Group (NMG) on Friday announced its new paid family leave benefits for all associates, working full or part time, according to a company press release. NMG said that as of January, the retailer has offered 16 weeks of paid leave for anyone welcoming a child, including via adoption, surrogacy or foster care. This time is in…

Starbucks said it will hike wages for tenured workers and double training for new employees as the company and its CEO, Howard Schultz, seek to beat back the union push from its baristas. However, the coffee giant will not offer the enhanced benefits to workers at the roughly 50 company-owned cafes that have voted to unionize.…

It’s a common occurrence in today’s retail landscape: merchants must continually confront labor shortages or unexpected employee illness. For smaller retailers, closing their doors for even a few minutes can profoundly affect revenue and challenge the loyalty of customers who are forced to shop elsewhere. Technology can be the key to overcoming workforce challenges. Retail-ready…

Grocery chain Hy-Vee says it will ask up to 500 of its employees to move from corporate-level jobs to retail positions at its stores. The move comes after the company already eliminated 121 corporate-level positions in March. Hy-Vee says 102 of those employees were offered retail positions. In addition to shifting employees' jobs, the company…

What do retail workers want? This is the question I’m hearing from every retailer I’ve spoken to in the past year. As we strive to find some sense of post-pandemic normalcy — or at least start to understand what our new normal looks like — retail organizations are struggling to battle rising costs and heightened…

Following shareholder pressure around the company's hiring practices, Amazon.com has retained former Attorney General Loretta Lynch to conduct a racial equity study. Amazon said in a filing last week that the audit would "evaluate any disparate racial impacts" of its policies on its U.S. hourly employees. The company said the audit will be conducted by Lynch,…