Strategy

Retailers sued in class or representative actions for alleged wage-and-hour violations often object to discovery requests that seek the contact information (names, addresses, etc.) of their employees — the rationale being that such information is private and burdensome to collect and should not be disclosed unless there is reason to believe that the alleged unlawful practices occurred in locations other than just the named plaintiff’s store.  

Someone forgot to tell At Home that big-box stores are passé.    Since Lee Bird took the reins as chief executive at the beginning of 2013, the Plano, Texas-based home decor superstore retailer has been on a steep upward trajectory — and it shows no signs of losing momentum anytime soon.   

The retail industry lost jobs in July.   Retail industry employment declined slightly in July, decreasing 1,700 jobs from June, according to the National Retail Federation. On a three-month average, retail jobs have decreased by 4,200 jobs as calculated by NRF. (The numbers exclude automobile dealers, gasoline stations and restaurants.) On a positive note, the economy overall saw gains of 209,000 jobs in July, exceeding growth expectations for the month.  

Anthropologie has brought its large format retail concept, Anthropologie & Co., to the new Bedford Square development in downtown Westport, Connecticut.    The 35,000-sq.-ft. store boasts dedicated spaces for clothing, footwear, furniture, jewelry, home decor, and more — accented with one-of-a-kind decor from the retailer's talented visual team. It also features a beauty boutique and wedding gown department.  

Gap's local franchisee in Australia is ending its four-year relationship with the specialty retailer.

The financially struggling OrotonGroup is expected to close its six Gap stores by the end of January as it looks to focus on its core Oroton handbag business and limit related future losses.  In June, Oroton, which operates 70 stores and is best known for its luxury handbags, announced it was exploring options, which could include a sale of its business.

Dick's Sporting Goods will be busy in August, opening five stores in three different states.   The nation's largest sporting goods retailer will open two namesake stores and three Field & Stream stores in the first half of August. In Prosper, Texas, Dick's and Field & Stream will open under one roof at the Gates of Prosper. And in Houston, Dick's will open at Post Oak Shopping Center.   

Costco Wholesale Corp. turned in a winning performance in July, fueled by strong traffic trends.   The company reported that its net sales in July rose 8.8% to $9.41 billion, compared to $8.65 billion during the similar period last year. Total company same-store sales rose 6.2%, with a 6.0% increase in the U.S. Excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange, total same-store sales rose 5.3%, and 5.5% in the U.S.   

One of the retail tech start-ups from the inaugural class of the Target + Techstars retail accelerator program is expanding.