Finance & Capital Management

A veteran retailer has taken the reins at Vince, a leading-edge contemporary fashion label and retailer.

The company named Brendan L. Hoffman as CEO, effective immediately, replacing interim chief. He is the former chief executive and president of The Bon-Ton Stores Inc, a position he held from February 2012 to August 2014. Prior to that, Hoffman was CEO and president of Lord & Taylor.

One of the retail industry’s true innovators, Staples co-founder Tom Stemberg, passed away on Friday at the age of 66.


Stemberg, who died at home after a two-year battle with gastric cancer, was considered the father of the office superstore format. With the backing of Bain Capital and its co-founder, Mitt Romney, he co-founded Staples in 1986, and went on to lead the company through a period of rapid growth to dominate the office products industry.

One of the retail industry’s true innovators, Staples co-founder Tom Stemberg, passed away on Friday at the age of 66.


Cincinnati -- Steiner + Associates and Bucksbaum Retail Properties opened their highly anticipated 1.2 million sq. ft. Liberty Center in Cincinnati. Liberty Center is one of the largest mixed-use projects to open in the U.S. this year.

Headquarters layoffs are spreading throughout the retail industry with J.C. Penney joining Walmart and Dollar General in making deep cuts to its non-store workforce.

The department store retailer on Thursday said it planned to cut 300 of its 3,400 home office positions to reduce expenses and achieve financial targets.

Veteran apparel retailer Tracy Gardner will join the Gap Inc. board, effective Nov. 11.

Gap has relied on Gardner on multiple occasions the past 25 years as an employee and advisor. Gardner worked at the company from 1991 to 1994 in various creative roles and from 1998 to 2004 in senior leadership positions, including head of Gap adult merchandising. This past year she served as an advisor to the Gap brand and functioned in a similar role in 2012.

Dunkin’ Donuts isn’t letting lackluster sales in its most recent quarter stand in the way of store expansion.

The coffee chain, a division of Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., on Thursday said it is on track to add between 410 and 440 net new U.S. stores this year. The expansion represents greater than 5% net new locations.

Globally, the company -- which also owns Baskin-Robbins -- expects to open between 615 and 750 net new restaurants across the two brands.

Costco Wholesale has sold an airplane hanger to Poplar Glen, the limited liability company owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, the Puget Sound Business Journal reported. Bezos owns two airplanes, including a recently acquired Gulfstream, according to the report. [Puget Sound Business Journal]