International Business

Lululemon restructures executive team
Lululemon Athletica’s chief product officer has left the company and other key executives are in new roles as the company looks to increase innovation and execute a 10 year vision.

The operator of 336 stores named expanded the responsibilities of CFO Stuart Haselden and he now adds the title of executive VP of operations. Haselden joined the company early this year after serving as CFO of J. Crew. The company has also initiated a search to fill the newly created position of chief supply chain officer.
Report: Struggling grocer turning out the lights
Fresh & Easy, which opened its first store in 2007 and was U.K. giant Tesco’s first U.S. venture, is closing its stores, the Los Angeles Times reported. The chain, which was never able to gain a foothold in the competitive U.S. grocery market, filed Chapter 11 in 2013, and was acquired by grocery billionaire Ron Burkle's Yucaipa Cos. with a loan from Tesco. [Los Angeles Times]

Lumber Liquidators pleads guilty, pays fine

A federal investigation related to Lumber Liquidator’s illegal timber trafficking has ended with a guilty plea and some damning statements by prosecutors.
Williams-Sonoma going south of the border

Williams-Sonoma has entered into an agreement with Mexico’s leading department store retailer to open stores in that country.

Williams-Sonoma said it will open 13 stores across its various brands — Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen and West Elm — In Mexico City, by the end of 2015. The stores are opening through a franchise partnership with Mexican department store retailer Liverpool.
Dunkin’ Donuts not cutting back on store expansion

Dunkin’ Donuts announced new locations as it works towards its goal of opening 410 to 440 net new restaurants in 2015.

The chain announced multi-unit store development agreements totaling 24 new restaurants over the next several years in Minnesota with two franchise groups, Kod Kod Enterprises, LLC, and existing franchise group, VANTive Group.
Another merger in design field

Two of the nation’s leading planning and design firms have officially joined forces.

Callison and RTKL have come together as CallisonRTKL. Both companies were previously acquired by the Netherlands-based Arcadis, a leading global design and consultancy.
Top retailers back Obama climate change pledge

Ikea and Best Buy are among the top retailers supporting a U.S.-sponsored pledge to act on combating climate change.

President Barack Obama met with a group of business leaders Monday at the White House to announce the signatories of the American Business Act on Climate Pledge.

"The perception is that this is an environmental issue, it's for tree-huggers, and that hard-headed business people either don't care about it or see it as a conflict with their bottom lines," Obama said.
Prime Day? Alibaba prepares for something bigger

For anyone who thought Amazon’s July “Prime Day” event was the biggest shopping day of the year, check out Alibaba’s upcoming “Global Shopping Festi
Cherokee diversifies with flip-flops

Licensed apparel company Cherokee Global Brand is acquiring a new retail chain just a few weeks after announcing its relationship with Target is ending.
Report: Walmart bribery probe finds no major misconduct in Mexico

The three-year investigation into allegations of misconduct and corruption at Wal-Mart’s operations in Mexico has found few major offenses, Reuters reported.

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Lululemon restructures executive team

Report: Struggling grocer turning out the lights

Lumber Liquidators pleads guilty, pays fine

Williams-Sonoma going south of the border

Dunkin’ Donuts not cutting back on store expansion

Another merger in design field

Top retailers back Obama climate change pledge

Prime Day? Alibaba prepares for something bigger

Cherokee diversifies with flip-flops

Report: Walmart bribery probe finds no major misconduct in Mexico