Finance & Capital Management

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.

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.

The company badly missed its third quarter sales and profit forecast for a period that included most of Thanksgiving weekend, and said its same-store sales for the fourth quarter were likely to increase 1%.

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.

Some of the retail industry’s most innovative, influential and accomplished leaders passed away in 2015. The following is a look at some of those who made a difference and the impact they had on retail.

The following list is by no means exhaustive or intended in any way rank those who passed based on their accomplishments. Rather, the goal is to present in chronological order some of the most noteworthy individuals whose departure came to the attention of Retailing Today and recognize their accomplishments one more time.

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.

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.

The pursuit of sustainability goals at Home Depot has been such a boon to efficiency the company just set major new goals.

The retailer said by 2020 it plans to reduce total energy use by an additional 20% below 2010 consumption levels and procure 135 megawatts of electricity from a combination of onsite fuel cell and solar installs in addition to offsite solar and wind sources.

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