Consumer Affairs & Relations

Whole Foods Market is helping its shoppers make a choice between good, better and best when it comes to the level of growing practices they want to support when purchasing fruits, vegetables and flowers.

New York -- Ann Inc., parent of Ann Taylor and Loft, said Tuesday it has entered into a non-disclosure agreement with Golden Gate Capital to provide certain non-public information with the private equity firm.    Golden Gate disclosed in a filing in March it bought a 9.5% stake in the women's clothing retailer. Ann said it has been engaged in a "collaborative, constructive" dialogue with Golden Gate since March. 

Foothill Ranch, Calif. -- The Wet Seal announced a workforce reduction resulting in the elimination of a combination of 78 filled and open positions, including  66 positions at the company’s corporate office, or a 24% reduction in headcount, and 12 positions at the field management level, representing a 20% decrease. The cuts are the first steps in the retailer’s initiative to reduce its overall cost structure.   

Sophisticated—and highly detailed—master plans are an increasingly important piece of the planning process.   By Roy Higgs   With mixed-use development (and redevelopment) a continued trend, complex multi-stage projects are an increasingly common feature on the civic landscape of towns and cities across the country. Consequently, many planning authorities are asking for (and, in some cases, demanding) much more than just basic sketch plans before signing off on a project.

Hamilton, Bermuda –- In a surprise announcement, Signet Jewelers Ltd., the largest jewelry retailer in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, said that its president and COO, Mark Light,  will take over as CEO on Nov. 1. He will replace Signet’s current chief, Michael Barnes, who is resigning from his position and from Signet's board of directors to "pursue opportunities closer to his home in Dallas," effective Oct. 31.  

New York -- Two-thirds of Americans are limiting how much they spend each month. According to a new Bankrate.com report, of those limiting their monthly spending, 32% cite stagnant income as the main reason and 29% cite the need to save more.   

Merrillville, Ind. -- DirectBuy, the membership-based buying organization that enables consumers to purchase from manufacturers and suppliers without retail markup, has named a new executive leadership team. This new team is led by new CEO Mike Bornhorst, who comes to DirectBuy after spending time in leadership positions with companies such as ADT and Culligan Water.   

Boilingbrook, Ill. -- Ulta Beauty has named Michelle Collins, president of Cambium LLC, a business and financial advisory firm to its board of directors, and as a member of its nominating and corporate governance and audit committees, effective Oct. 13, 2014.   

Oak Brook, Ill. -- McDonald’s USA will answer questions from customers through a multichannel effort called “Our Food. Your Questions.” The company invites people to submit their food questions via social media.    McDonald’s will respond with behind-the-scenes webisodes and other social content that provides facts on ingredients, how food is made and how it’s prepared in restaurants.    

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation (NRF) is offering Retail Jobs Week the week of Oct. 13-17, a multi-faceted effort to push back against long-held misperceptions about working in the retail industry. Through this initiative, NRF aims to continue educating Washington lawmakers about the value retail jobs deliver for workers and the economy.