Labor & Employment

CINCINNATI– FRCH Design Worldwide announced that Thomas Smith has joined FRCH as director, new business development for the firm’s Retail/Mixed-Use practice.    Smith will be based in Los Angeles and will be responsible for establishing new relationships for the firm throughout North America, supporting offices in Cincinnati, New York and a soon to be established office in Los Angeles.    

Executives from The Home Depot, Warby Parker and Chico’s will receive top honors from the retail industry next month when the National Retail Federation convenes its annual Big Show in New York.

Los Angeles – Change is occurring at American Apparel Inc., and it may be coming from external as well as internal sources. The board of directors of American Apparel has confirmed that it has received an indication of interest to acquire the struggling company for $1.30 to $1.40 per share.    The identity of the potential buyer has not been disclosed, but in a press release American Apparel said it “takes these matters seriously, and will evaluate this proposal in the ordinary course of business. 

  Charlotte, N.C. - Belk Inc. has renewed an agreement with EBay Enterprise to provide multi-site customer support to scale with Belk’s continual growth. Belk first partnered with EBay Enterprise in 2008 with the launch of Belk.com.   

PLEASANTON, Calif. - For the second year in a row, Safeway Inc. has received a perfect score of 100% on the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices pertinent to LGBT equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.  

San Jose, Calif. – The New Year is looking very happy for EBay CEO John Donahoe and CFO Bob Swan. In a securities filing, EBay said that Donahoe will get a severance package worth $23 million and Swan will get a severance package worth $12 million when the company spins off its PayPal unit in 2015. Both men said they would leave their positions after the split occurs when EBay first announced the spinoff plan in September.  

Mexico City - Wal-Mart de Mexico said that that Enrique Ostale, Walmex chairman and Latin America CEO for Wal-Mart Stores, will also take over as CEO of the Mexican company, effective January 1.  

New York - The Deloitte Consumer Spending Index reached its highest point since November 2013, rising to 4.5 from 4 the prior month. The Index tracks consumer cash flow as an indicator of future consumer spending.    The Index comprises four components – tax burden, initial unemployment claims, real wages and real home prices. Highlights include:   Tax Burden: The tax rate has been effectively unchanged from the previous month at 11.8%.