Legislative, Regulatory & Legal

According to reports, regulators are still seeking information on the proposed merger between Walgreens Boots Alliance and Rite Aid, and the subsequent divestiture of as many as 1,200 stores to Fred's.   Analysts are suggesting the implication does not bode well for the merger, as the continued Civil Information Demands from the Federal Trade Commission may be indicative that the agency is still not appeased over the merger's potential effect on the retail pharmacy market.  

Walmart is the subject of a federal lawsuit involving its alleged treatment of pregnant workers.   

There’s been a new twist in the U.S. lawsuit over Wal-Mart’s alleged bribery in Mexico.  

Brooks Brothers is the latest victim of a data breach.   According to the specialty retailer, an unauthorized individual installed malicious software designed to capture payment card information on some of the chain’s payment processing systems. The software compromised payment card information across some purchases made at certain Brooks Brothers and Brooks Brothers Outlet retail locations in the United States and Puerto Rico.  

The chairman and CEO of Sears Holdings said the use of the word bankruptcy with regards to his company is holding it back.    “Every time people use the word bankruptcy, somebody who reads that doesn't get past that word, Edward Lampert told The Chicago Tribune in a rare interview. “It makes it very unfair for us, and it’s a very uneven playing field for us.”      

The best thing to do about asbestos? Leave it alone — if the structure is safe.

That was one of the takeaways from the SPECS session, “Hazardous Building Materials Among Us.”

Asbestos was a mainstay in both commercial and residential buildings for decades because, simply put, it was a cheap and readily available lifesaver, explained speaker Michael Ebel, VP and principal scientist at Amec Foster Wheeler.

“It was known as the ‘Miracle Mineral,’ heat-resistant, chemical-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and a poor electrical conductor,” Ebel said.

One of the country’s foremost authorities on the Americans with Disabilities Act delivered an in-depth look at the law and how it is evolving at this year’s SPECS conference.

“The enforcement of the ADA has changed over the past 25 years and new areas that have risen to the top include point of sale, ATMs and websites,” said Joan W. Stein, president of Stein Consulting, at the “ADA Super Session.”

There’s no denying that Amazon has changed the face of retail, but there are many misconceptions about how the company actually operates. Unfortunately, these fallacies are leading many retail companies into making bad strategic business decisions as they try to duplicate Amazon’s success.

The following is a breakdown of some myths — along with a few takeaways: