States, Businesses File Lawsuit Against New Overtime Rules
September 22, 2016 at 10:49 am

Twenty-one states and a coalition of business and industry groups filed separate federal lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez and the top Wage and Hour Administrator, David Weil, to try to block the federal overtime regulation changes. The changes are set to go into effect on Dec. 1,…

Disruptive Shifts Demand Precision From Retailers
September 21, 2016 at 11:01 am

Retail executives know they're facing a more challenging environment. Major disruptive changes in recent years have helped fuel the rise of online retail, changed how retailers communicate with consumers, and challenged every aspect of the traditional retail model.

Kmart to Close 64 Stores
September 20, 2016 at 11:27 am

Kmart is closing 64 stores across 28 states. Sears Holdings, which owns Sears and Kmart, informed Kmart employees of the closures on Friday, according to several local news reports and multiple employees who spoke with Business Insider. The stores that are closing will begin liquidation sales on Sept. 22 and close by mid-December, employees said. Total Retail's…

Kohl's to Add Same Amount of Holiday Workers as Last Year
September 19, 2016 at 11:53 am

Kohl's said today that it plans to hire more than 69,000 workers this holiday season, the same number of seasonal hires as 2015, which was up about 3 percent from 2014. Positions are available across more than 1,100 stores in 49 states, as well as in distribution and fulfillment centers nationwide, and at Kohl's credit…

Pizza at Urban Outfitters? Tacos at Tommy Bahama? How Retailers Can Rethink the In-Store Experience
September 19, 2016 at 8:00 am

Traditional retailers are struggling. In the spring of 2016 alone, we saw Sports Authority declare bankruptcy, Aeropostale lose 93 percent of its share price before declaring insolvency, and sales at Kohl's drop. Even as recently as August 11, Macy’s announced it will close another 100 stores. There's little doubt that competition from online retailers has…

Golfsmith International Files for Bankruptcy Protection
September 16, 2016 at 10:50 am

On Wednesday, we reported that things weren't looking too good for Golfsmith International Inc. Well, the retailer has now filed for bankruptcy protection. In addition to here in the U.S., Golfsmith also sought protection under Canada’s chapter 11 equivalent. The company is based in Austin, Texas, but is hoping to get some control of its…

Dollar General to Add 10,000 Workers in Hiring Spree
September 15, 2016 at 1:04 pm

Dollar General plans to hire 10,000 new workers within the next month to support the company's expansion plans. The Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based discount retailer — which has planned to open 900 new stores in fiscal 2016 and another 1,000 stores in fiscal 2017 — announced Thursday it will host hiring events at 600 locations through Sept. 24. The…

Retail Sales Fall in August
September 15, 2016 at 12:44 pm

Sales at U.S. retailers dropped more than forecast in August, indicating a pause in recent consumer-spending strength that has carried the economy. Purchases declined 0.3 percent from July, the first decline in retail sales in five months, after a revised 0.1 percent advance in the previous month, Commerce Department figures showed Thursday. The median projection of…

Golfsmith On the Verge of Bankruptcy
September 14, 2016 at 12:04 pm

Golfsmith, the country's largest golf retailer, has failed to find a buyer for itself and could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in just a few days, according to the New York Post. Sources say Golfsmith, fighting an overall downturn in sales and burdened by debt, could end up a target of Dick's Sporting Goods if it…

Is Black Friday Worth the Time and Effort? Yes … With Some Caveats
September 14, 2016 at 11:36 am

With Amazon Prime Day, the second such self-created “shopping holiday,” over for another year, it’s a good time to turn our attention to another big sales opportunity for retailers: Black Friday. Over the years, Black Friday has gained the reputation of a major in-store and online shopping bonanza that every retailer has to participate in…