Labor & Employment

A surprising decline in retail hiring helped trigger a weak employment report for April.

Job growth in April slowed sharply to a seven-month low. The report gave back growth seen earlier in the year, and the retail industry — excluding automobiles, gasoline and restaurants — showed a decline of 4,900 jobs, the National Retail Federation reported.

BJ's Wholesale Club has appointed Lee Delaney as executive VP, chief growth officer, effective May 9.

Delaney will be responsible for the company's merchandising and supply chain organization.

Prior to joining BJ's, Delaney was a partner in the Boston office of Bain & Company, and a leader in the firm's consumer products practice.

Prior to joining Bain in 1996, he worked for Electronic Data Systems and Deloitte Consulting advising clients on a variety of engagements.

Women now make up the majority of the leadership team at Best Buy, theStar Tribunereported, with the retailer reaching the tipping point in April when it hired Trish Walker from Accenture as president of services. Having more gender diversity has been a commitment of Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly, who took over in September 2012, the report said.

The employees who once greeted shoppers with a friendly “Welcome to Walmart” are making a comeback.

Walmart is reviving and updating its door-greeter program in an effort to improve customer service and also deter shoplifting.

The greeters were the invention of company founder Sam Walton, who saw them as a way to put a friendly face on the chain’s large stores. But in recent years, most of the employees who served as greeters were moved to other parts of the store.

Teen apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch is losing a key member of its executive team.

Jonathan Ramsden, COO, is resigning from Abercrombie effective June 15, 2006. Ramsden, who joined the company in 2008 as executive VP and CFO, was promoted to COO in 2014.

Beatrice Lafon, the CEO of teen accessories retailer Claire's Stores, has resigned and been replaced by a current member of the board, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

In a not unexpected move, Fairway Group Holding Corp., operator of the Fairway Market supermarket chain, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
   
The company filed a “prepackaged” bankruptcy restructuring under which its lenders agreed to exchange existing debt for new equity and debt in a reorganized company. Supporting lenders agreed to vote in favor of the plan and exchange their loans for common equity and $84 million of debt of the reorganized company.