Labor & Employment

Williams-Sonoma's West Elm division has tapped a company veteran as its new president.    Alex Bellos, head of Williams-Sonoma's Rejuvenation and Mark and Graham brands, is succeeding Jim Brett as president of the West Elm brand. On Tuesday, Brett announced he was resigning from the company to take a position as CEO of J.Crew.   

Retailers could unlock $2.95 trillion in value over the next decade simply by investing in transforming, digitally driven business models.   

BevMo has made a move to further boost its store experience.   Matt Navarro was named senior VP of operations for the beverage retailer, responsible for all store operations, customer service and loss prevention. In this position, Navarro will be tasked with elevating BevMo’s in-store shopping experience, including driving customer loyalty, enhancing its service model and strengthening employee development programs.  

Billabong has a new finance chief.   The board sports apparel retailer has named Jim Howell as CFO, effective June 12. He will replace Peter Myers, who has served in the role since January 2013. Howell has spent the last 10 years leading the finance and treasury division at luxury retailer Nordstrom. In this role, he oversaw significant cost management improvements, capital management and growth initiatives.  

Coinciding with its recently announced growth plan, Dollar General opened a new distribution center.    The new $100 million facility resides in Janesville, Wisconsin. It is the company’s 14th warehouse. The approximately 1 million-sq.-ft. depot, which began shipping merchandise in January, serves approximately 800 stores in nine states in the upper Midwest, and employs more than 500 employees. Along with more than 130 store locations in the state, Dollar General now has more than 1,300 employees in the state of Wisconsin.

BCBG Max Azria Group LLC is getting a shot at keeping its brand alive.  

Walmart shared the results of its 47th annual shareholders meeting held June 2.  

It is the end of an era in retail. One of the most prominent — and legendary — chief executives in retail is stepping down.   Millard “Mickey” Drexler will step down after almost 15 years as J. Crew’s CEO as of July. He will continue in his role as chairman. Drexler is the former CEO of Gap Inc., which he built into a retail powerhouse. He was abruptly fired in 2002 by Gap founder Donald Fisher amid slumping sales and the chain's falling stock. (Prior to Gap, Drexler oversaw a turnaround of Ann Taylor.)

Duluth Holdings is losing its finance chief.    Mark DeOrio, the company’s CFO, will retire at the end of 2017. DeOrio will remain in his role until the next finance chief is appointed, and he will then assist with his successor’s transition until his retirement. DeOrio has held the role since August 2010. He also served as senior VP of operations from 2010 to January 2015.   

Amazon is bolstering fulfillment efforts in the Golden State.   The online giant will open an 855,000-sq.-ft. fulfillment center in Fresno, California. The new facility will specialize in handling smaller-sized items such as books, electronic devices and children’s toys.   The Fresno facility will be the fifth warehouse in the state’s Central Valley. Amazon currently operates three fulfillment centers in Tracy and Patterson, and a fourth facility under construction in Sacramento.