Labor & Employment

Elmsford, N.Y. - Party City has promoted Gregg A. Melnick to the position of president of Party City Holdings, effective immediately. Party City Holdings is the parent company of the Party City Retail Group and Amscan Inc., among other entities.  

Most recently, Melnick was the president of the Party City Retail Group. Melnick will partner with all of the key department heads across both the retail and wholesale divisions to provide the leadership to strengthen the brands and create opportunities for greater collaboration.

Under Armour, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and economic and community development commissioner Bill Hagerty announced the company's plans to build a new 1 million-sq.-ft. distribution and warehouse facility in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville.

New York -- The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether a Muslim woman who was denied a job at an Abercrombie & Fitch Co. store because she wears a head scarf was required to specifically request a religious accommodation at the time of her job interview.

The court agreed to hear an appeal filed in the case by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that sued the retailer on behalf of Samantha Elauf, who was denied a sales job at an Abercrombie Kids store in Tulsa, Oklahoma, back in 2008.

Leadership changes continue at struggling specialty retailer Wet Seal. Just one month after appointing Edmond Thomas as CEO, following John D. Goodman’s departure, CFO Steve Benrubi has resigned. He will remain with the company through December 1 to assist with the transition.

The company said it plans to search for a new CFO, but offered no further details.

Winston-Salem, N.C. -- Krispy Kreme Doughnuts announced CFO Douglas R. Muir intends to retire in calendar year 2015. The chain will conduct a comprehensive search to identify his successor. Muir is expected to remain in his current role until his successor is in place and to provide ongoing support during the transition.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. – Sears Holdings Corp. is selling most of its 51% stake in its Sears Canada division to shareholders as its looks to boost its liquidity before the crucial holiday selling season. Sears, which previously said it was exploring options for the struggling Sears Canada unit and retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch in May 2014, expects to raise as much as $380 million by November 2014. 

Paris -- LVMH announced the appointment of Caroline Brown as CEO of Donna Karan International, effective Jan. 15. She currently serves as president of Carolina Herrera.

Brown will replace Mark Weber, the incumbent CEO of Donna Karan International, who is becoming a consultant for LVMH.

Seattle -- Kitchenware retailer Sur La Table has appointed industry veteran Diane Neal as its new CEO. She succeeds Jack Schwefel, who has left the company to pursue other opportunities after serving as Sur La Table’s CEO since 2007.

Neal served as CEO and president of Bath & Body Works from 2007 to 2011. She currently serves on the boards of several retail companies, including Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Fossil Group Inc. Neal also held leadership positions at Gap and Target.