Labor & Employment

New York -- Ann Inc., parent of Ann Taylor and Loft, said Tuesday it has entered into a non-disclosure agreement with Golden Gate Capital to provide certain non-public information with the private equity firm.    Golden Gate disclosed in a filing in March it bought a 9.5% stake in the women's clothing retailer. Ann said it has been engaged in a "collaborative, constructive" dialogue with Golden Gate since March. 

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation (NRF) is offering Retail Jobs Week the week of Oct. 13-17, a multi-faceted effort to push back against long-held misperceptions about working in the retail industry. Through this initiative, NRF aims to continue educating Washington lawmakers about the value retail jobs deliver for workers and the economy.  

New York -- Two-thirds of Americans are limiting how much they spend each month. According to a new Bankrate.com report, of those limiting their monthly spending, 32% cite stagnant income as the main reason and 29% cite the need to save more.   

Online referral service provider Angie’s List plans to increase the size of its headquarters in Indianapolis and increase the workforce to 2,800 people within five years.

Angie’s List, a review drive enterprise that helps facilitate transactions between more than 2.8 million consumers and service providers in 720 categories, said it plans to grow its base of employees from 500 in 2011 to roughly 2,800 by 2019. The company said the expansion was enabled in part by an attractive incentive plan from the City of Indianapolis and State of Indiana.

Foothill Ranch, Calif. -- The Wet Seal announced a workforce reduction resulting in the elimination of a combination of 78 filled and open positions, including  66 positions at the company’s corporate office, or a 24% reduction in headcount, and 12 positions at the field management level, representing a 20% decrease. The cuts are the first steps in the retailer’s initiative to reduce its overall cost structure.   

Merrillville, Ind. -- DirectBuy, the membership-based buying organization that enables consumers to purchase from manufacturers and suppliers without retail markup, has named a new executive leadership team. This new team is led by new CEO Mike Bornhorst, who comes to DirectBuy after spending time in leadership positions with companies such as ADT and Culligan Water.   

Leading cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty named veteran financial industry executive Michelle Collins to its board.

Hamilton, Bermuda –- In a surprise announcement, Signet Jewelers Ltd., the largest jewelry retailer in the U.S., U.K. and Canada, said that its president and COO, Mark Light,  will take over as CEO on Nov. 1. He will replace Signet’s current chief, Michael Barnes, who is resigning from his position and from Signet's board of directors to "pursue opportunities closer to his home in Dallas," effective Oct. 31.