Labor & Employment

Starbucks founder and CEO Howard Schultz recently touched down at Target Corp. headquarters in Minneapolis as part of Target’s series of “innovation speakers.” “With Starbucks, I dreamed of building a national brand and different kind of company, achieving balance between profit and conscience, bringing people along on the journey, and impacting the communities we serve,” Schultz said. “The kind of company my parents never got the chance to work for.

A controversial labor practice employed by some retailers is coming under increased scrutiny by U.S. regulators.

Gap Inc. has named a longtime member of its executive team to head up its Old Navy brand.

The retailer appointed Sonia Syngal as global president of Old Navy, effective immediately, as it looks to reenergize its value-driven brand. She succeeds Stefan Larsson, who left last year to become CEO of Ralph Lauren Corp.

Syngal, a 12-year Gap veteran, most recently served as executive VP of global supply chain and product operations for Gap Inc.

Publix Super Markets added its soon-to-be CEO, current CFO and a retired Deloitte executive to its board of directors when the Southeast’s leading food retailer held its annual stockholders meeting on April 12.

Publix president Todd Jones, CFO David Phillips and retired Deloitte executive Jessica Blume were elected to the board of the $32.4 billion retailer.

Joining senior supply chain executives from Lowe’s, Walmart and Amazon on an influential Department of Commerce committee is Jonathan Gold with the National Retail Federation (NRF).

Canadian supermarket and pharmacy retailer Loblaw Companies intends to expand in areas including real estate, e-commerce, IT and supply chain during 2016.

Conlego is the name of a new consulting practice established by several former Target executives who hope to leverage their experience to help companies create value through negotiations, partnership and corporate social responsibility.

The name Conlego means “unifying people for a common purpose,” according to the pair of former Target executives who founded the firm on the premise that more value can be created by finding collaborative ways of working together on solving the business and social challenges every organizations faces.

Leading single price point retailer 99 Cents Only has secured a major amendment and extension of its credit facility until 2021.

The operator of 391 stores, 283 of which are located in California, announced it successfully completed an amendment and extension of its asset-based revolving credit facility providing commitment of up to $160 million and extending the maturity date by five years to April 8, 2021.