Corporate Governance

After U.S. payment networks implemented a liability shift in October 2015, merchants that did not support EMV became liable for chargebacks from credit card fraud. Many merchants have evaluated their risk based on chargeback history, and some were surprised by their post-shift fraud volume. This gave rise in the industry to various rumors, misinformation and theories about the cause of this change in fraud volume.   

Party City has nabbed a 22-year retail veteran to head up its retail operations.   Party City Holdco Inc. announced that Ryan Vero has joined the company as executive VP of PCHI and president of Party City retail group. Vero, who will have full responsibility for all of Party City’s North American retail operations, including some 900 brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce, recently served as president, grocery and drugstore at Sears Holdings.     

Two of the nation’s largest retailers shared the No. 1 position in a ranking of the top U.S. retailers.    Walmart and Kroger Co. tied for first place (in the overall composite score) in Kantar Retail’s 2016 Retailer PoweRanking. The ranking is designed to identify the retailers currently setting the highest standards of performance as viewed by their trading partners, and to gain insight into what makes these retailers "best in class."  

Luxury handbag and accessories brand Coach posted a 22% increase in profit for the first quarter, a result that one analyst said show the company’s turnaround is delivering.   Profit totaled $117.4 million in the quarter, or 42 cents per diluted share. Adjusted net income for the quarter totaled $126 million, or 45 cents per diluted share, slightly ahead of forecasts.  

Singles' Day, a festival that started in China some 20 years ago to celebrate being single, is fast approaching. And the country’s e-commerce giant is pulling out all the stops this year.   

Phillips Edison & Company announced the signing of three new tenants at its 117,006-sq.-ft. Coronado Center in Santa Fe.   Orangetheory makes its debut in the New Mexico capital in a 2,640-sq.-ft. space and gets a wellness accompaniment from Nutrishop, which inhabits a nearby 1,000-sq.-ft. store.   The New Bakery Company, a Santa Fe fixture for 19 years, is re-opening at Coronado Center with a renovated space and new ownership.  

Zara, the trendy global fashion retailer, will soon assume a place between Macy’s and Nordstrom at the Cherry Hill Mall in suburban Philadelphia.