Labor & Employment

Washington, D.C. -- The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index revealed Thursday that consumer confidence in the U.S. climbed for the second week in a row, suggesting rising optimism about economic issues.

The Index rose to minus 44.8 in the period to Jan. 29 from minus 46.4 the previous week. A measure of Americans’ view of the state of economy climbed to the highest since June, according to the report.

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association said Thursday that it will hold the first-ever Labor and Employment Law Forum on March 21-22, at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

The conference is intended to provide insights from members of Congress, legal experts and retailers on the latest issues on labor and employment law affecting the retail industry.

Chelmsford, Mass. -- A report released Thursday by Kronos Inc. showed that hiring conditions among retailers are tightening, suggesting an improvement in the industry.

Ridgefield, Conn. -- Impact Service Group, a national HVAC service management company for retailers and multi-location clients, has hired Teresa Pitts as VP national sales.

Previously, she managed the southern region for Chain Store Maintenance where she was responsible for cultivating and maintaining national accounts.

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples announced the appointment of Mike Edwards to executive VP, U.S. retail merchandising. He previously served as president and CEO of Borders Group and had also served as the company’s chief merchant.

SEATTLE — Amazon.com enjoyed tremendous sales growth in the fourth quarter, but it came at a steep price as expenses grew faster than sales due to investments to support future growth.

Armonk, N.Y. -- IBM said Wednesday it has completed its acquisition of Emptoris Inc., expanding IBM’s cloud-based analytics offerings that provide supply chain intelligence, or smarter commerce.

“Developing the right procurement strategy and an adaptive supply chain are keys to achieving the business objectives of smarter commerce,” said Craig Hayman, general manager, IBM Industry Solutions. “Together, Emptoris and IBM's integrated solutions will transform how clients manage compliance and mitigate supply risk.”

Philadelphia -- The Pep Boys — Manny, Moe & Jack, has agreed to be taken private by private equity firm The Gores Group for about $791 million. The total transaction, including debt, is valued at about $1 billion.

Under the terms of the buyout, the Los Angeles-based Gores Group will pay Pep Boys shareholders $15 a share, 24% above the closing price on Friday.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Monday evening named 25-year veteran Robyn Peters group VP of managed market sales, where she will lead all sales and account management activities in the company’s employer, health systems, health plans, government and small and individual payer segments, along with client retention, expansion programs and sales operations for Walgreens. Peters will report to Jeff Berkowitz, Walgreens SVP pharmaceutical development and market access.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — The TJX Companies announced Tuesday that Scott Goldenberg has been promoted to CFO, retaining his EVP title, effective Jan. 29, the beginning of TJX’s fiscal year. Goldenberg will oversee corporate finance for TJX and continue to report to Jeffrey Naylor who had resumed the CFO position in 2009. Naylor will continue as senior EVP, chief administrative officer and also have responsibility for other corporate functions, including Information technology, legal, risk management, and investor relations.