Labor & Employment

Aliso Viejo, Calif. – Johnny Rockets is now focusing its global expansion efforts on developments in Southeast Asia. The casual dining chain is seeking area developers for expansion into Thailand and Vietnam.

Johnny Rockets currently operates Southeast Asian franchise stores in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia through its 14 open restaurants and eight others in development.

New York - Nine West Holdings Inc. is taking ownership of its Canadian brand assets, including 45 store leases.

The company has acquired the business operations of Sherson Group Inc., which previously held the exclusive rights to the Nine West, Anne Klein and Easy Spirit brands in Canada.

Nine West intends to continue providing these brands to customers across Canada at Nine West mall-based locations and Shoe Studio outlet stores, as well as at department stores.

Charlotte, N.C. -- Private equity firm Sycamore Partners is adding a department store to its growing portfolio.

Belk, the nation's largest family owned and operated department store company, on Monday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be 100% acquired by Sycamore Partners in a transaction with an estimated value of approximately $3 billion.

Amazon.com is planning to open a fifth fulfillment center in the state of Texas.

In Texas, Amazon currently employs more than 3,500 full-time associates, has invested more than $400 million in the state and continues to grow its operations to meet customer demand. Amazon’s other Lone Star State fulfillment centers are located in Schertz, Coppell, and Haslet, with a fourth facility under construction in Dallas.

Bentonville, Ark. — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is rearranging how responsibilities are handled by its merchandising executives. According to the Wall Street Journal, an internal company memo indicates that among the changes is a promotion to chief merchandising and marketing officer for Wal-Mart China for Marybeth Hays, currently serving as senior VP of home for Wal-Mart U.S.

Hays will replace John Furner in that role. Furner will return to the U.S. in an unspecified position.

Seattle – Texas is known for its wide open spaces, and Amazon.com Inc. is slowly filling them in with distribution centers. Amazon plans to open a fifth Texas fulfillment center in San Marcos.

Amazon employees at the 855,000 sq.-ft. San Marcos fulfillment center will pick, pack, and ship smaller customer items, such as books, electronics and toys.

It is a case of better late than never at value priced department store retailer Gordmans Stores where the company has the distinction of being one of the last major retailers to sell merchandise on the Internet.

Omaha, NE-based Gordmans has grown to 101 stores in 22 states and in the company’s second quarter it achieved the somewhat belated milestone of selling online.

New York — New York & Company Inc. maintained an essentially flat net loss in the third quarter of fiscal 2015, even as other financial metrics improved. The retailer reported net loss of $146 million, compared to $147 million the same period the previous fiscal year.

Increased selling, general and administrative expenses, including charges related to headcount reductions, consulting fees and legal and moving expenses that were part of an ongoing business re-engineering project, helped keep New York & Company in the red.