Corporate Governance

New York -- Seattle Mayor Ed Murray on Thursday unveiled a plan to increase the city’s minimum wage to $15. Although Murray said the hike has broad support across local government, business and labor communities, the City Council still has to vote on the proposal.
 
Under Murray’s plan, businesses with fewer than 500 employees would have seven years to comply and larger businesses would have three years. Further increases would be tied to inflation.
   

Sales from new stores as well as a nearly 7% same-store sales increase bolstered Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s second quarter ended March 31.

Net sales increased 22.4% to $130.3 million over the same period in fiscal year 2013 due to a $16.6 million increase in sales from new stores and a 6.9%, increase in comparable store sales.

Sales at four of Newell Rubbermaid’s five operating divisions declined during the company’s first quarter, but overall profitability suffered as a result of baby products recall and expenses related to a transformation strategy.

Mobile solutions provider GPShopper named Yana Vaysman to a new role overseeing a wide range of client facing implementation functions.

GPShopper bills itself as the leading developer of mobile solutions for retailers, and in her role as vp of solutions enablement Vaysman will be based in the company’s Chicago office. She will oversee project management as well as implementation process for all clients, enhancing customer service and facilitating collaboration between GPShopper’s account management and product development teams.

Dick’s Sporting Goods opened its Field & Stream prototype store last summer and next month the first of eight stores planned for 2014 arrives on the shores of Lake Erie.

The northwestern Pennsylvania community will be home to Dick’s third Field & Stream store with an opening set for June 13. Dick’s began experimenting with the potential new growth format last August when it opened its first location near its home town of Pittsburgh in the suburb of Cranberry Township. A second location opened later in 2013 in Crescent Springs, Ky.

Fast-growing flooring retailer The Tile Shop is leveraging social media with a clever contest idea to expose its expanding brand to more customers.

The operator of 92 specialty flooring stores is giving social media users until May 22 to enter its, “Ugliest Kitchen & Bath Contest,” for a change to win $1,000 in free tile and a design consultation. All photo submissions will be eligible for weekly $100 gift card drawings. Homeowners can enter photos of their ugly kitchens and bathrooms to Facebook or Instagram using #thetileshop for a chance to win.

Despite severe weather-related issues during the first quarter, CVS reported “solid results” across the enterprise and executives expressed optimism in achieving 2014 goals.

Lands' End has named Becky Gebhardt as SVP, chief creative officer. Gebhardt was actually VP of creative at the company from 2004 to 2007.

The announcement comes a day after the company, which was recently divested by Sears, named Steven Rado as SVP, chief marketing officer.

New York -- The White House on Thursday called on Congress to pass legislation to create a national standard that would alert consumers when their data has been hacked. It one-of-six policy recommendations that comes after a 90-day review of data and privacy.

"As organizations store more information about individuals, Americans have a right to know if that information has been stolen or otherwise improperly exposed," said the report, led by John Podesta, a top advisor to President Barack Obama.

St. Louis -- Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. reported a better-than-expected profit of $5.03 million for the first quarter, up from $13,000 a year before.

The company posted total revenue of $97.9 million, slightly below analysts expectations of $98.7 million, down from $ 104.3 million in first quarter 2013.

During the quarter, the company closed seven stores, ending the period with 316 company-owned stores.