Labor & Employment

The saga — and drama — of American Apparel Inc. continues.

Photos: Sam Dushey before his appearance on “Undercover Boss,” (photo, left) and after he underwent his undercover transformation (photo, right). Via CBS.com

The Finish Line has promoted its president to CEO and plans to close a quarter of its stores as the retailer said supply chain problems hurt its third quarter performance.

The retailer announced that Sam Sato will succeed Glenn Lyon as CEO of The Finish Line, Inc., effective Feb. 28. Lyon will transition to the role of non-executive chairman of the board.

Sally Beauty Holdings is turning to a 25-year retail veteran to help the company boost sales and drive growth.

Sharon M. Leite has been appointed president of the Sally Beauty Supply LLC, U.S. and Canada business, effective Feb. 1.

Good news for retailers: Banks are flush with money and eager to lend.

“Credit is more available than at any time since the great recession,” said Walter Simson, principal of Chatham, New Jersey, -based Ventor Consulting (ventorllc.com). “A more liberal lending environment has opened a window of opportunity for retailers to get more capital with less risk.”

There is an increasing difficulty in maintaining a skilled technical workforce. As the current workforce ages, technical experts are harder to find and concerns arise around workforce costs.

With the retail industry continuing to face abundant legislative challenges, the Retail Industry Leaders Association has made two key hires to bolster lobbying efforts during what promises to be a year of highly contentious presidential politics.

New Hyde Park, N.Y. -- Kimco Realty Corp. announced that Conor C. Flynn, president and CEO, has been appointed to the company’s board of directors effective January 1, 2016, simultaneous with his elevation to the CEO role. Flynn succeeds David B. Henry who retired as vice chairman of the board of directors and CEO on January 1, 2016.