Finance & Capital Management

The holiday season got off to a horrible start at Bed Bath & Beyond and things went downhill from there, judging from the industry leader's uncharacteristic and concerning profit warning.

It is common during an election cycle for candidates to lament how nothing gets done in Washington. However, that’s not always a bad thing, as evidenced by some of the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s efforts to influence and repeal legislation.

As the 2015 legislative session comes to a close, RILA has identified several important regulatory and legislative wins that will benefit retailers and their millions of employees and customers.

With 2016 upon us, many employers find themselves nervously awaiting what election-year politics might bring to their doorsteps. Retailers and restaurant operators, more than ever, have been thrust front and center into the political landscape, with labor issues at the top of candidate's agendas as well as the subject of numerous ballot issues at the state and local level.   As a result, the business models and labor practices of entry-level employers are being evaluated by the public in much the same way the candidates are.

Retailers and hospitality enterprises have a weak point unique to their business – the point of sale (POS) device. Despite significant investment in security, it’s still too easy for cybercriminals to access corporate networks via POS.

POS devices handle most of the payment card transactions around the world for retailers, restaurants, hotels, grocers, and gas stations. Because these systems are highly interconnected and accessed by numerous employees and other devices, they remain a highly lucrative target for organized cybercrime.

Born the six of seven kids to parents of modest means, Conn’s CEO Norm Miller knows firsthand the challenges facing working families. That’s why he’s proud of Conn’s approach to serving customers and believes the retailer’s unique business model offers staggering growth potential.

Off-price retailer Burlington Stores named the former president and COO of Bright Horizons Family Solutions as the newest member of its nine-person board.

Mary Ann Tocio, former president and COO at Bright Horizons, joins the Burlington board following a 23 year career at the child care company. She retired in July 2015.

Sweaty Betty, the London-based athleisure brand, is gearing up for expansion in the United States.

The retailer named Erika Serow president and CEO of its U.S. business, effective Jan. 18, Women’s Wear Daily reported. Serow has served as retail practice leader for the Americas region for Bain & Co. since 2013, with a focus on the apparel sector. She started at Bain in 1995.

Duluth Holdings built its brand online and now, fresh of its first quarter as a public company, the quirky apparel retailer thinks it could open as many as 100 stores.