Corporate Governance

It is the season before the season when retailer revelations about plans to hire temporary workers offer insight into holiday expectations. One of the best indicators of what to expect this Christmas comes courtesy of UPS.

UPS said it plans to hire between 90,000 and 95,000 seasonal employees (about the same as last year) to support the anticipated increase in package volume that will begin in November and continue through January 2016.

Kohl’s and Toys"R"Us are among the first retailers to announce their holiday hiring plans this year, and the numbers are more or less the same as last year for both companies.

Toys”R”Us plans to hire 40,000 employees at its stores and distribution centers throughout the country (about 5,000 less than last year). The retailer also plans to allow seasonal workers the opportunity to take on significantly more hours than in previous years, while also continuing to provide extra hours to current employees.

Lower gas prices are not significantly altering consumer behavior, according to the latest Consumer Fuels Survey results released by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

Although drivers report that the national median gas price fell 25 cents per gallon in the past month and 60 cents per gallon since July, only 22% of consumers say that they will drive more over the coming month and only 15% say that they will spend more on other non-fuels items in the coming month.

The Sports Authority is teaming up with Under Armour and  MapMyFitness on a ground-breaking new fitness rewards program.

The retailer says rewards members soon will be able to earn retail rewards for completing activities within the MapMyFitness app.

The Container Store is teaming up with the Rhode Island School of Design on a creative contest that invites design students to re-think the organized home.

The goal is to give design students a platform to present their product ideas to The Container Store and the chance to see their ideas produced. The product submissions need to appeal to The Container Store’s consumer.

Bentonville, Ark. – On the same day Target launched a pilot of the Instacart online grocery delivery service, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced it will expand its existing grocery pickup service.

It’s official – Target Corp. will face a class action lawsuit related to its November 2013 data breach.

A federal judge in Minnesota has granted class action status to a suit brought by five financial institutions – Umpqua Bank, Mutual Bank, Village Bank, CSE Federal Credit Union and First Federal Savings of Lorain.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association introduced its second Retail Energy Management Report, a resource for companies to compare energy management programs across the industry and identify opportunities for progress.

The report was released prior to the opening of RILA’s 2015 Retail Sustainability Conference, now in its eighth year.

Toys ”R” Us says a planned decrease in promotions led the retailer to report a drop in same-store sales in the second quarter.

The retailer singled out declines in the baby, entertainment and seasonal categories as contributing to the comp drop as well. However new CEO Dave Brandon sounded a positive tone regarding the company’s profit potential.

Men’s Wearhouse founder George Zimmer has returned to the retail arena with a new concept that aims to do for men’s evening wear what Rent the Runway did for fancy dresses.

Zimmer, the founder and ousted CEO of Men’s Wearhouse, is launching Generation Tux, an online tuxedo and suit rental company. The start-up will rent 17 different styles of house-brand tuxedos, with a flat rate of $95. But customers can also add accessories, including shoes and cuff links, to put together a complete for $150 or less.